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  • Miracles Hidden & Revealed Purim to Passover

    Miracles Hidden & Revealed Purim to Passover

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

     On
    Saturday night and Sunday, we will celebrate Purim      

      

    Last
    week we discussed the power of Adar and more specifically Adar Bet      

      

    Someone
    asked      

      

    Why
    is Purim celebrated in Adar Bet ?     

      

    By
    Sephardim, any yahrzeit or birthday which occurs in a regular year in Adar is
    marked in a leap year in Adar bet.     

      

    We
    learn in Shulchan Aruch under the Laws of Passover Siman 429 Seif 1, we are
    commanded to start (re) learning the Passover laws thirty days after Passover
    right after Purim. Thus, Purim needs to remain thirty days before Passover and
    is pushed to Adar Sheni.     

      

    Additionally
    we celebrate Purim during Adar II, in order to juxtapose the joy of the Purim
    redemption with the redemption from Egypt. We also read the Four Parshiyot
    during this month, because Parashat Shekalim, Parashat Para, and Parashat Ha-    ฤฅodesh were instituted as a
    preparation for the month of Nisan, and Parashat Zakhor must be read
    immediately before Purim, which we celebrate in Adar II ( We read Zachor this
    Shabbat     โ€“ Question if we are commanded to
    remember what Amalek did and also not to forget     โ€“ then why not just unfurl a poster or a sign or simply
    get up and say I remember or add it to our prayers which many of us do each day.
    Why must we come to the synagogue and hear the Torah? Remind me at the end to
    bring it back to this.      

      

    Before
    we begin     

    I
    want you to image a 100 yard dash      

    A
    race in a straight line      

    The
    starting line and the finish line are the two points furthest from each other      

      

    Now
    let    โ€™s imagine a race in a stadium around
    a track      

    There
    we circle the track and the start line becomes the finish line      

    In
    this case the starting line and the finish line are the two points closest to
    each other     

      

    How
    do you look at time? As a straight line or as a circle?      

      

    Our
    class today is based on the beautiful words of Rav Pinchas Friedman of Belz,
    The Shvilei Pinchas      

      

    We
    have learned in the Gemarah (Taanis 29a):     โ€œืžืฉื ื›ื ืก ืื“ืจ ืžืจื‘ื™ืŸ ื‘ืฉืžื—ื”โ€ โ€” since this month ushers in the time during which the
    great miracles of Purim and Pesach occurred.      

      

    The
    commentaries wonder:     What provoked Rashi
    to associate the miracles experienced by the Jewish people on Purim, in the
    month of Adar, with the miracles that they experienced on Pesach in the month
    of Nissan?      

    In
    fact, the Gemarah    โ€™s statement -- โ€ ืžืฉื ื›ื ืก ืื“ืจ ืžืจื‘ื™ืŸ ื‘ืฉืžื—ื” โ€œ Achashverosh ascends
    the throne of Persia       

    Achashverosh's
    Feast, lasting 180 days       

    Esther taken
    to Achashverosh's Palace       

    Haman casts
    lots       

    First
    decrees dispatched by Haman       

    Three
    days' Fast ordered by Esther*       

    Haman's
    downfall and execution by hanging*       

    Second
    decrees, reversing the first       

    Sadness
    turned to gladness; Haman's ten sons executed       

    Purim celebrations
    everywhere, except Shushan where a second day of reckoning is added       

    14,
    3405 (356 BCE)         

    celebration in
    Shushan       

    The
    Megillah recorded; Festival of Purim instituted for all generations       

    โ€” including the first day of Pesach. It is written in
    the Megillah (Esther 4, 15):      

      

    Then Esther sent
    back this answer to Mordecai:      

    โ€œGo, assemble all
    the Jews who live in Shushan, and fast in my behalf; do not eat or drink for
    three days, night or day. I and my maidens will observe the same fast. Then I
    shall go to the king, though it is contrary to the law; and if I am to perish,
    I shall perish!โ€      

    So Mordecai went
    about [the city] and did just as Esther had commanded him.      

      

      

    RASHI 

      

    ืขึทืœ ื“ึผึธืช, ืœึฐื”ึดืชึฐืขึทื ึผื•ึนืช ื‘ึผึฐื™ื•ึนื ื˜ื•ึนื‘ ืจึดืืฉืื•ึนืŸ ืฉืึถืœ ืคึผึถืกึทื—, ืฉืึถื”ึดืชึฐืขึทื ึผึธื”
    ื™'ื“ ื‘ึผึฐื ึดื™ืกึธืŸ ื•ึฐื˜'ื• ื•ึฐื˜'ื–, ืฉืึถื”ึฒืจึตื™ ื‘ึผึฐื™ื•ึนื ื™'ื’ ื ึดื›ึฐืชึผึฐื‘ื•ึผ
    ื”ึทืกึผึฐืคึธืจึดื™ื:      

    (Masechet Megillah 15a) by fasting on the
    first festive day of Pesach, for he fasted on the fourteenth, the fifteenth
    *I.e., Pesach. Although the holiday feast is obligatory, Mordechai bypassed the
    obligation and ordered the fast, using the special authority of the Sanhedrin
    to suspend such obligations in times of extreme need. *     

      

     โ€œื•ื™ืขื‘ืจ ืžืจื“ื›ื™, ืืžืจ ืจื‘ ืฉื”ืขื‘ื™ืจ ื™ื•ื ืจืืฉื•ืŸ
    ืฉืœ ืคืกื— ื‘ืชืขื ื™ืช    โ€ โ€” the thirteenth, fourteenth and
    fifteenth of Nissan. Mordechai questioned her request on the grounds that one
    of those days was the first day of Pesach. She replied,     ืืžืจื” ืœื• ื–ืงืŸ ืฉื‘ื™ืฉืจืืœ ืœืžื” ื”ื•ื ืคืกื—  

    โ€œElder of Yisrael, what is
    the point of celebrating Pesach?    โ€ Upon hearing her reply, he confessed that she was in the right and proceeded
    to carry out all of her demands     โ€” to eat matzah on the first night of Pesach -- and a
    Rabbinical commandment     โ€” Elder of Yisrael, what is the point of
    celebrating Pesach?     Surely,
    she was not suggesting that it is permissible to annul or ignore Hashem    โ€™s mitzvos whenever Yisrael is faced
    with an imminent danger.      

      

    Rather,
    hear this well, she was trying to stir things up in the heavens above. Even so,
    why did she specifically choose to annul the mitzvot related to the first night
    of Pesach?     

      

    Imagine
    for a moment the great Rabbi Yisrael of Rozhin    โ€™s, zyโ€a, festive Purim meal. How
    can I ask you to imagine if you have no idea who this Rabbi was?      

      

    He
    was the great grandson of the Magid of Mezerich. He was born in 1796 and passed
    at 54 years old in 1850. He was orphaned at 6 and grew up in the home of Rav Mena    แธฅem Naแธฅum Twersky, whose daughter he married.  

      

    Yisraโ€™elโ€™s elder brother, Avraham succeeded his father after the latterโ€™s death and, at the age of 15,
    became the first yenuka (child officiating as a tsadik) in Hasidic history.      

      

    After
    Avraham    โ€™s death 10 years later, Yisraโ€™el, himself then only 16, was called
    upon to take his place. In 1815, he moved his court to nearby Ruzhin, and his
    fame spread quickly. From the very beginning of his     โ€œreignโ€ he stood out for his sharp wit, his organizing
    abilities, and his original religious approach. Rejecting asceticism and
    self-imposed poverty as religious ideals, he adopted a maximalist
    interpretation of the idea of     โ€œworship through
    corporeality    โ€ (i.e., the positive religious value
    hidden in trivial, earthly life, such as eating or drinking, sexual relations,
    making a living) as equivalent to Torah study or prayer.     

      

    I
    imagine we can say that the test is to find Hashem in everything!      

      

    Inspired
    by this philosophy, his court was based on an ostentatious display of the
    material wealth and luxury in which the tsadik and his family lived. His palace
    at Ruzhin    โ€”a mecca for admirers of all social
    ranks, including Russian aristocrats    โ€”was famed not only for its splendor, but also for its carriages, the
    thoroughbred horses in its stables, and the klezmer bands that entertained
    visitors and accompanied the tsadik on his travels. He amassed a tremendous
    fortune, mainly from donations from his admirers. He became wealthy enough to
    be registered in the Second Merchants Guild    โ€”an official standing that earned him various privileges and stood him in
    good stead later, when he was forced to flee Russia.     

      

    .
    The dramatic events in which he was involved    โ€”imprisonment on suspicion of aiding and abetting the violent murder of
    informers, flight from Russia to Austria    โ€”made him a legend in his own lifetime, revered by his followers but
    despised and ridiculed by his opponents, mainly maskilim. Descended from a
    distinguished Hasidic family     that
    claimed descent from King David, and possessing exceptional religious charisma,
    sharp natural intelligence, and organizational talents, he was not only one of
    the most prominent and impressive Hasidic leaders in the period of the greatest
    growth of Hasidism, but also the founder of a new style of Hasidism known as
    the     โ€œregal way.โ€ 

    So
    now imagine, you are sitting at a table similar to one set by nobility at the
    time with as much opulence as you can imagine and at that seudah, the Rabbi presented
    divine and enlightening insights encompassing the entire festival of Purim with
    incredible clarity.      

    His
    words are cited in the sefer Irin Kadishin. He addresses the issue of why the
    wicked Haman specifically chose to carry out his decree in the month of Adar.
    Here are a few of his remarks that are quoted:     

      

    โ€œื•ื”ื˜ืขื ืฉื”ื•ื ื‘ื—ื•ื“ืฉ ืื“ืจ, ื›ื™ ื™ืฉ ื™โ€ื‘ ืฆื™ืจื•ืคื™ ื”ื•ื™โ€ื” ื›ื ื’ื“ ื™โ€ื‘ ื—ื“ืฉื™ ื”ืฉื ื”, ื•ื‘ื—ื•ื“ืฉ ื ื™ืกืŸ ืื–ื™ ืžืื™ืจ ืฉื
    ื”ื•ื™    โ€ื” ื›ืกื™ื“ื•ืจื• ื•ื”ื™ื ื”ืชื’ืœื•ืช ื”ื—ืกื“ื™ื, ื•ืื—ืจ ื›ืš ื ืขืฉื” ืฆื™ืจื•ืคื™ื ื‘ื›ืœ ื—ื•ื“ืฉ ื•ื—ื•ื“ืฉ, ื•ื›ืœ ื—ื•ื“ืฉ
    ืืฉืจ ื”ืฆื™ืจื•ืฃ ืžืชืจื—ืง ืžืŸ ื”ืฉื•ืจืฉ ื™ื•ืชืจ ื”ื•ื ื‘ื”ืกืชืจ, ื•ื‘ื—ื•ื“ืฉ ืื“ืจ ืฉืžืื™ืจ ื‘ื• ื”ืฆื™ืจื•ืฃ ื”ืื—ืจื•ืŸ ื”ื•ื
    ื”ืฆื™ืžืฆื•ื ื•ื”ื”ืกืชืจ ื™ื•ืชืจ ืžื›ืœ ื—ื•ื“ืฉ. ื•ืขืœ ื›ืŸ ื˜ืขื” ื”ืžืŸ ื•ื”ืคื™ืœ ืคื•ืจ, ื•ื›ืœ ื–ื” ื‘ื›ื“ื™ ืœืขืฉื•ืช ืจืข ืœื™ืฉืจืืœ
    ื—    โ€ื• ืžื—ืžืช ืฉื”ื•ื ืฆื™ืจื•ืฃ ื•ื”ื”ืกืชืจ ื”ืื—ืจื•ืŸ, ืืš ื˜ืขื” ื‘ื–ื”, ื›ื™ ืกื•ืฃ ืžืขืฉื” ื‘ืžื—ืฉื‘ื” ืชื—ื™ืœื”, ื•ื ืขื•ืฅ
    ืกื•ืคื• ื‘ืชื—ื™ืœืชื•, ื›ืžื• ืฉืžื–ืœ ื™ื•ื ืฉื‘ืช ืงื•ื“ืฉ ื”ื•ื ืžื–ืœ ืื—ืจื•ืŸ ]ื™ื•ื ื”ืฉื‘ื™ืขื™[, ื•ื“ื•ืงื ื™ืฉ ื‘ื• ื”ืชื’ืœื•ืช
    ื”ืงื“ื•ืฉื”, ื•ื›ืžื• ืฉืื ื—ื ื• ื‘ืขื™ืงื‘ืชื ื“ืžืฉื™ื—ื ืฉื”ื•ื ื”ื”ืกืชืจ ื”ื™ื•ืชืจ ืื—ืจื•ืŸ, ืื ื• ืžืฆืคื™ื ืœื”ืชื’ืœื•ืช ืื•ืจ
    ื”ื™ื•ืชืจ ืขืœื™ื•ืŸ    โ€. 

      

    He explains
    as we discussed last week that there are twelve permutations of the four lettered
    name Havaya corresponding to the twelve months of the year, i.e. the letters of
    the four-lettered name can be arranged in twelve different ways.      

      

    The
    month of Nissan is illuminated by the name Havaya with its letters in their
    original order; this permutation signifies the revelation of Hashem    โ€™s favors and kindness.  

      

    Thereafter,
    each subsequent month is influenced by its particular permutation of the holy
    four-lettered name. The farther a month and its permutation are from the
    original source, the greater the degree of obscurity and concealment. He
    suggests that the month of Adar, which is illuminated by the last permutation
    of the holy name, reflects the greatest degree of concealment and restriction.     

      

    This,
    in fact, was Haman    โ€™s mistake. He reckoned
    that the month of Adar being the farthest away from the source (Nissan and
    redemption of Pesach) was the ideal time to harm Yisrael, chas v    โ€™chalilah. The truth of the matter,
    however, is that the end of the year is intimately connected with the beginning
    of the year.     

      

    We read
    (Shemos 12, 2):     โ€œื”ื—ื•ื“ืฉ ื”ื–ื” ืœื›ื ืจืืฉ ื—ื“ืฉื™ื ืจืืฉื•ืŸ ื”ื•ื ืœื›ื ืœื—ื“ืฉื™ ื”ืฉื ื”โ€ โ€” the heavens will rejoice and the
    earth will be glad.      

      

    When
    the letters of the holy name are in their proper order, the attribute of mercy
    prevails in the world; hence, the heavens and the earth rejoice. During the remaining
    eleven months of the year, the permutation of the name Havaya changes from
    month to month.     

      

    The
    farther the month is removed from Nissan, the greater the change in that month    โ€™s permutation of the holy name. As a
    consequence, the greater the degree of concealment in that month     โ€” the most distant and different from the permutation
    of Nissan     โ€” Ten Sefiros of Nothingness, their end is imbedded in
    their beginning and their beginning in their end     โ€” beginning with Nissan and ending
    with Adar     โ€” which possesses the
    greatest degree of revelation.     

      

    Rav
    Pinchas Friedman tells us that he was struck with a wonderful idea based on
    this enlightening concept. Queen Esther puts her life in danger by entering the
    king    โ€™s chambers without permission. She
    did so with a clear-cut plan to foil and bring down the wicked Haman, oppressor
    of the Jews, and to save Yisrael from extermination. With this understanding,
    why was the very first thing she said to Achashverosh (Esther 5, 4):     โ€œื•ืชืืžืจ ืืกืชืจ ืื ืขืœ ื”ืžืœืš ื˜ื•ื‘ ื™ื‘ื•ื ื”ืžืœืš ื•ื”ืžืŸ
    ื”ื™ื•ื ืืœ ื”ืžืฉืชื” ืืฉืจ ืขืฉื™ืชื™ ืœื•    โ€ โ€” whenever the Megillah mentions โ€œKing Achashverosh,โ€ it is referring to the
    actual flesh and blood king with that name; however, whenever the Megillah
    employs the generic term     โ€œking,โ€ it serves a dual purpose โ€” โ€œThat night the kingโ€™s sleep was disturbed.โ€ Rabbi Tanchum says that the possuk
    is telling us that the King of the Universe    โ€™s sleep was disturbed. Likewise, when Esther says: โ€œif it pleases the king,โ€ employing the nonspecific term โ€œking,โ€ she is also referring to the King of the Universe, HKBโ€H. 

      

    This
    coincides beautifully with a teaching of the Arizal    โ€™s. He teaches us that with this
    statement Esther intended to awaken the King of the Universe    โ€™s attribute of mercy on behalf of
    the people of Yisrael; mercy emanates from the blessed name Havaya. So she
    directs her entreaty to HKB    โ€H with the introduction: โ€ ืื ืขืœ ื”ืžืœืš ื˜ื•ื‘ โ€œ -- if it pleases the king โ€” note that the first letters of these
    four words spells out the name Havaya in its original and ideal order, which
    connotes pure mercy.     

      

    Now,
    let us apply the illuminating concept of the great Rabbi of Rozhin, zy    โ€a, to gain a deeper appreciation of
    Esther    โ€™s wise intentions. She realized that
    Haman    โ€™s lot fell on the month of Adar โ€” invoking the ultimate permutation of the name Havaya,
    the permutation that reigns during the month of Nissan. By doing so, she established
    the connection between the end of the year and the beginning of the year     โ€” is contained or dwells within the last month of
    the year.     

      

    Now,
    upon closer examination an amazing fact becomes evident. The preparations for
    the miracle of Purim already took place eleven months earlier during the month
    of Nissan.     Firstly, Esther put her life
    in jeopardy immediately after Haman issued his decree on the thirteenth of
    Nissan. She entered the King Achashverosh    โ€™s chambers without an invitation to do so; this was an act punishable by
    death under the laws of that regime. Yet, she miraculously found favor in the
    king    โ€™s eyes and he extended his golden, royal
    scepter to her     โ€” the month designated by Haman for the extermination
    of the Jews     โ€” Haman was unaware that not
    only did Moshe pass away on that date, but he was also born on the seventh of
    Adar.     

      

    HKBโ€H wished to teach us that concerning
    matters of kedushah, the concept of finality and conclusion do not apply.
    Instead, the end is always intimately connected to the beginning. Consequently,
    the end of a tzaddik    โ€™s life, the day of his
    death, is related to the day he was born.      

      

    This
    indicates that their Torah and their life    โ€™s work are eternal and continue to live on in this world. This is the
    significance of Chazal    โ€™s statement: ื•ืœื ื”ื™ื” ื™ื•ื“ืข ืฉื‘ืฉื‘ืขื” ื‘ืื“ืจ ืžืช ื•ื‘ืฉื‘ืขื” ื‘ืื“ืจ
    ื ื•ืœื“    โ€ โ€œ โ€” how long will You hide Your countenance from me? How long
    will I continue to seek counsel within my own spirit?    โ€  

      

    The Rabbi
    of Rozhin, zy    โ€a, teaches us a valuable lesson
    related to faith in Hashem. When we want to receive salvation from Hashem, we must
    first understand that we are totally helpless on our own; our salvation depends
    solely on Hashem. As long as we continue to believe that we can save ourselves,
    it is impossible to merit Hashem    โ€™s salvation.  

      

    Therefore,
    David HaMelech poses the question to HKB    โ€H: โ€ โ€œืขื“ ืื ื” ืชืกืชื™ืจ ืืช ืคื ื™ืš ืžืžื ื™ -- how long will You hide Your countenance from
    me?     He then suggests the
    definitive answer:     โ€ โ€œืขื“ ืื ื” ืืฉื™ืช ืขืฆื•ืช ื ืคืฉื™ 

    โ€” the Rabbis taught in a Baraise: What
    was Esther    โ€™s reason for inviting Haman? . . . so that the Jews would
    not say,     โ€œWe have a sister in the royal palace,โ€ and neglect praying for divine
    mercy.      

      

    Esther
    endeavored to bring Yisrael to a state of:     โ€ ืขื“ ืื ื” ืืฉื™ืช ืขืฆื•ืช ื‘ื ืคืฉื™ โ€œ โ€” in the merit of Mordechaiโ€™s righteousness.  

      

    Following
    his instructions, all the Jews of Shushan gathered together and fasted for
    three days during the month of Nissan. By means of this act of repentance,     

    they
    successfully connected the end of the year with its beginning. Their act of
    penitence led to Haman    โ€™s being hung in Nissan;
    subsequently, in Adar, they defeated their enemies, descendants of Amalek, in
    battle.     

      

    Continuing
    along this exalted path, let us delve even deeper into the intimate
    relationship between the months of Adar and Nissan     โ€” including all of the
    miracles associated with the exodus from Egypt     โ€” as stated by the Ramban: 

      

     โ€œื•ืžืŸ ื”ื ืกื™ื ื”ื’ื“ื•ืœื™ื ืžืคื•ืจืกืžื™ื, ืื“ื ืžื•ื“ื”
    ื‘ื ืกื™ื ื”ื ืกืชืจื™ื ืฉื”ื     ื™ืกื•ื“ ื”ืชื•ืจื” ื›ื•ืœื”โ€ โ€” which were disguised
    within the framework of nature. Achashverosh got drunk, killed Vashti for not
    heeding his command and made Esther the queen in her place. Haman, a descendant
    of Amalek, issued a decree to kill all of the Jews. Afterwards, because of
    Achashverosh    โ€™s love for Queen Esther, Haman was
    hung from the tree and the decree was rescinded. On the surface, it does not
    appear as if there was any deviation from the laws of nature in this sequence of
    events. Nevertheless, it is still quite clear to everyone that     

    HKBโ€H orchestrated all of these events
    in order to save the people of Yisrael.     

      

    Now,
    we can begin to appreciate the incredible connection between the holiday of
    Pesach and Purim. For, it is only due to the miracles of Pesach that we
    recognize and appreciate the miracles of Purim that are concealed within the
    guise of nature. Therefore, the main preparation for the miracle of Purim occurred
    on Pesach     โ€” Elder of Yisrael, what is the point
    of celebrating Pesach     under these circumstances. She was suggesting to him that it was necessary
    for them to cause a stir in the heavens. After all, as we learned from the
    Ramban, the entire reason for celebrating Pesach     โ€” is solely so that a person will believe in the
    miracles that are concealed within the framework of nature. Hence, if the
    miracles of Purim do not occur within the framework of nature, there is no purpose
    for the miracles of Pesach.     

      

    At
    this point, we can revisit Rashi    โ€™s poetic comment: โ€œืžืฉื ื›ื ืก ืื“ืจ ืžืจื‘ื™ืŸ ื‘ืฉืžื—ื” - ื™ืžื™ ื ืกื™ื ื”ื™ื• ืœื™ืฉืจืืœ ืคื•ืจื™ื ื•ืคืกื—โ€ -- when Adar begins, we increase
    joy -- since this month ushers in the time during which the great miracles of
    Purim and Pesach occurred.     He teaches us that we rejoice in Adar in celebration of both the events of
    Purim, which appeared to transpire within the natural realm, and the events of
    Pesach, which transpired above and beyond the natural realm. After all, it was
    only in the merit of the Pesach miracles that we merited the Purim miracle. So,
    clearly, Purim and Pesach are intimately connected and inseparable.     

      

      

      

    We
    can now truly appreciate the depth and significance of the great Rabbi of
    Rozhin    โ€™s, zyโ€a, illuminating words. Haman cast his lot on the month of
    Adar believing that, as the last month of the year, it possessed the greatest
    degree of divine concealment. He was unaware of the intimate
    relationship that exists between the end of the year and the beginning of the
    year     โ€” a month highlighted by supernatural events โ€” to believe in miracles that
    occur within the framework of nature. So we see that the month of Adar, the
    last of the twelve months of the year, is firmly connected to the first month
    of the year, Nissan.      

      

    This
    also illustrates the deeper significance and wisdom inherent in Queen Esther    โ€™s plea to our Heavenly King, HKBโ€H: ื™โ€™ื‘ื•ื ื”โ€™ืžืœืš ื•โ€™ื”ืžืŸ ื”โ€™ื™ื•ืโ€ โ€œ โ€” the permutation associated
    with the month of Nissan. She fully intended to solidify the connection between
    the last month, Adar, and the first month, Nissan. For, it is impossible to
    appreciate the miracles of Purim that were concealed within the realm of nature
    if not for the visible, supernatural miracles that took place during the month
    of Nissan. She invoked the auspicious permutation of the name Havaya
    represented by the possuk:     ื™โ€™ืฉืžื—ื• ื”โ€™ืฉืžื™ื ื•โ€™ืชื’ืœ ื”โ€™ืืจืฅ -- the heavens will rejoice and
    the earth will be glad.     

    The Arizal explains
    that when the snake touched Chava, the negativity of the snake entered her and
    came out in her first born Kayin. Kayin rebelled against G-d and we wonder
    where did he come up with murder. He explains it was the influence of the
    nachash. The negative side passes through into Esav and Amalek who stirs doubt
    and kills without fear. In attempting to save his own skin, he does his best to
    prevent us from getting to the finish line.      

      

    I want to conclude
    with the words of the Netivos Shalom, as explained by Rabbi Winston and then my
    own      

      

    Sholom Noach
    Berezovsky 1911 - 2000) was the Slonimer rebbe. His teachings were published as
    a series of books entitled Netivos Sholom     

      

    He explains Amalek
    attacked the Jewish people during their 50 day ascension to Mt. Sinai and the
    acceptance of Torah. He didnโ€™t stop it from happening, but he was able to
    lessen its impact, and hold of the Final Redemption.     

      

    The next time Amalek
    tries to block such an opportunity for complete redemption, is just as the
    Jewish people are entering the land. This time Amalek attacks through Balak and
    Bilaam, who, the Zohar explains, were rooted in Amalek. The name Amalek is even
    built into their names.      

      

    Once again, he didnโ€™t
    stop the event, but he lessened it enough to hold off the Final Redemption for
    a while longer, once they caused Gad, Reuven, and Menashe to choose to live in
    the Diaspora instead of Eretz HaKodesh.     

      

    The next potential for
    a complete redemption was in Mordechaiโ€™s and Estherโ€™s time, which, as the
    Talmud says, was really the completion of what began at Har Sinai over a
    millennium before. Once again, Amalek showed up, not preventing redemption, but
    lessening its impact and its ability to eradicate evil from Creation.     

      

    After that, there were
    battles with Amalek, but mostly started by the Jewish people, especially in
    Shaul HaMelechโ€™s time.      

      

    The next war an
    Amaleki seems to go out of his way to fight against the Jewish people was in
    World War II, which, as Hitler, yโ€s, himself admitted, was really a war against
    the Jews. And, in pure Amaleki style, he sacrificed the war effort, put himself
    at risk, just to harm and murder more Jews. He may not have physically
    descended from Amalek, but he certainly did spiritually.     

      

    And if I can suggest.
    We are again at the cusp of history.     

      

    Amalek through Hamas
    attacks us when? Shemini Aseret โ€“ The day set aside for us and Hashem. We are
    in the ikvei Meshicha.     

    Just as Amalek did
    when we left Egypt, they attack those who are defenseless and it is up to us fight
    them.     

      

    And finally why do we
    recall Amalek through the reading of the Torah.     

    Amalek implies doubt  

    That doubt infects us  

    The antidote is Torah  

      

    The Torah reminds us
    that Hashem whether we can โ€œseeโ€ or not is always with us.     

      

    Its up to us to find Him!
     

       

  • Reading Between The Lines Hi Norm Max - Purim Megillah

    Reading Between The Lines Hi Norm Max - Purim Megillah

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

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  • The Kohenโ€™s Light and Amalekโ€™s Shade - Vayikra

    The Kohen’s Light and Amalek’s Shade - Vayikra

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

    In some ways this class is a follow up to our class on Adar Bet where we compare current events to Amalek attacking on the way to har Sinai, Bilaam and Balak attacking on the way into Eretx Yisrael to Haman attacking before the building of Bayit Sheni to today. 

    We begin this week The Book of Vayikra (Leviticus), also known as Torat Kohanim โ€” the Laws of the Priests โ€” deals largely with the korbanot (offerings) brought in the Mishkan (Tent of Meeting).

    Since this Sefer which we will spend the next three months with deals so much with kohanim, it is worth taking some time to understand who they are and what they mean to the Jewish people. They are more than just priests.

    Rabbi Pinchas Winston suggests 

    A good starting point is the word kohen itself, spelled, in Hebrew, Chof-Heh-Nun. Breaking the three letters into two groups, the first two spell the word kohโ€”s0โ€”the opening of many of the prophets as in, โ€œSo says God . . .โ€ This is a reason for this.

    We discussed many times that to me koh is a code word for the light of creation.  

    The gematria of koh is 25, one of the most significant numbers in Judaism. To begin with, it is the gematria of the word yehi, used in the verse with which God made light:

    And God said, โ€œLet there be light!โ€ and yehi ohrโ€”there was light. (Bereishis 1:3) light being the 25th word. 

    This, of course, was not the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars, which did not start working until Day Four of Creation. Besides, as Rashi explains in the next verse, the light that God made on Day One was quickly hidden by God shortly after, for the righteous in the future time.

    Why? Because God knew that evil people would come along in history and abuse this light, so therefore, He hid it from them before they could even know about it. Evil people and righteous people alike make use of the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars.

    Furthermore, the Talmud writes, with this light, appropriately called the Ohr HaGanuzโ€”the Hidden Lightโ€”Adam HaRishon could see from one end of the world until the other end. 

    Hence, the Shema has 25 letters, because it is the creed of the Jewish people, the nation charged with being a light unto nations. Thus, when the prophets began their words of criticism to awaken the Jewish people to their Divine mission, it was only fitting that they begin with the word koh, and the gematria of 25, as if to say, โ€œHey! Remember the mandate of 25 and your commitment to live up to it?โ€

    What exactly does that mean, and what does it have to do with the kohanim, especially if the light is hidden from mankind until a future time, assumedly Yemos HaMoshiach?

    The Leshem 

    Shlomo Elyashiv (Eliashov) (January 5, 1841 [12 Tevet 5602] - March 13, 1926 [27 Adar, 5676]) (Hebrew: ืฉืœืžื” ื‘ืŸ ื—ื™ื™ื ื—ื™ื™ืงืœ ืืœื™ืฉื™ื‘), also known as the Leshem or Ba'al HaLeshem, was a famous kabbalist, who was born in ล iauliai, Lithuania, and later moved to the Land of Israel.

    Rโ€™ Eliashiv taught Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook Kabbalah when Rabbi Kook was the young rabbi of the town of Zoimel. Rabbi Kook was granted a month-long leave of absence to study with the famous kabbalist in Shavel.[1]

    In 1922, when Rabbi Kook was serving as chief rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi Elyashiv asked him for assistance in settling in Eretz Yisrael. Due to Rav Kook's intervention, the great kabbalist, his son-in-law, daughter, and his eleven-year-old grandson (who would grow up to be the great scholar Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv), were allowed to emigrate to the Land of Israel.[2]

    'One particularly poignant story tells of a visit the revered Leshem paid to the chief rabbi. It was a bitterly cold winter evening and Rav Kook noted that the Leshem had no coat. Rav Kook immediately took his own fur-lined coat from his closet and gave it to the elderly man as a gift. This coat remained in the Elyashiv family as an heirloom and was periodically worn by Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv on wintry days.'[2]

    explains:

    He made a separation in the illumination of the light, that it should not flow or give off light except for the righteous, whose actions draw it down and make it shine. 

    However, the actions of the evil block it, leaving them in darkness, and this itself was the hiding of the Light. (Sefer HaKlallim, Klal 18, Anaf 8, Os 4)

    Rabbi Winston suggested that This short insight of the LeShem is perhaps one of the most important in all of Torah, at least in terms of helping the Jewish people understand their mission in life. 

    It says, simply, that when God set aside the Hidden Light for righteous people in the future time, it meant from that time onward. It became hidden only to evil people, whose actions cause the light to repel them.

    This is very important, because this light is as crucial for seeing the truth about life as eyes are for seeing the world around us. Without this Ohr HaGanuz, a person remains blind to the reality of God and truth, and can willingly and happily stumble down the wrong path in life. He may have a blast, but in the end, the blast will have him.

    We read: kol yisrael yesh lahem 

    All of the Jewish people have a portion in the World-to-Come, as it says, โ€œAll of Your people are righteous and will forever inherit the land; the branch of My planting, the work of My hands.โ€ (Yeshayahu 60:21)

    This is less a compliment than it is a reminder of what the Jewish people are supposed to be. For, to not be righteous means that one is denied access to the Ohr HaGanuz, to a clear vision of the purpose of life, and how best to achieve it.

    In fact, since oneโ€™s access to the Ohr HaGanuz is primarily through the words of Torah, oneโ€™s level of righteousness determines oneโ€™s access to the levels of Torah. Anyone can pick up and read a Chumash, and today, even the Talmud. But, only the righteous can draw down through Torah the Ohr HaGanuz, and benefit from it.

    This is why non-righteous people, in spite of the fact that they read such sources of Torah knowledge from cover-to-cover, are never impacted by its words. Their physical eyes may be wide open, but their mindโ€™s eye, being blind to higher levels of reality, sees only darkness, even though they are convinced they are seeing what the righteous see, and that it is the latter who are deluded.

    However, even for Jews who wish to be righteous, it is not an easy feat, especially in so distracting a world. 

    To solve this problem, we have kohanim. Kohanim, at least in Temple times, were spared the need to be involved in the outside, in the world of spiritual distraction. They were supported by the community, and allowed to remain in a holy environment most of the time. (The Kohen Gadol himself never left the Bais HaMikdosh while he functioned in this role.)

    This is why the kohanim had to live up to a higher standard than the rest of the Jewish people. As the koh indicates at the beginning of the word kohen, they didnโ€™t have the luxury of being a little less righteous. 

    It was their role to remain in the position of conduits for the Divine light for the rest of the people, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, so that the Jewish people could strive to be such conduits for the rest of the world.

    Eretz Yisroel functions in a similar way, as the following reveals:

    Rabbi Moshe Cordovero 

    Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (1522-1570)

    'The Ramak'

    One of the greatest of all Kabbalists was Rabbi Moshe Cordovero. He was born in 1522 in Safed, the city that was soon to become famed as a center of Kabbalah. At a young age, he already gained a reputation as an extroardinary genius. Besides his knowledge in Kabbalah, he was a Talmudic scholar and philosopher of the highest rank, and was widely respected in these fields. He was even one of the four to receive the special semichah-ordination from Rabbi Yaakov Beirav in 1538, along with Rabbis Yosef Caro (Cordovero's teacher in Jewish Law), Moshe of Trani and Yosef Sagis, all of whom were much older and better known than the young prodigy.

    wrote: โ€œAnyone who lives in Eretz Yisroel is considered a righteous person even if it doesnโ€™t appear that way. For, if he wasnโ€™t, then the land would spit him out, as it says, โ€˜And the land shall spit out its inhabitantsโ€™ (Vayikra 18:25). 

    Therefore, regarding even those who act in evil ways, if the land does not reject them then God calls him โ€œrighteous.โ€ This is what is meant by the verse, โ€˜This is the gate of God; the righteous shall enter through itโ€™ (Tehillim 118:20). The โ€˜gate of Godโ€™ refers to Eretz Yisroel, as we see Yaโ€™akov Avinu calling it โ€˜the gate of Heavenโ€™ (Bereishis 28:17). The first letters of tzadikim yavoโ€™u voโ€”the righteous shall enter through itโ€”are Tzaddi -Yud-Bais and can be arranged to spell tzviโ€”deerโ€”implying that Eretz HaTzviโ€”the Land of the Deerโ€”is the gateway to God, and that all those that enter it are called โ€œrighteous,โ€ for once they enter they do not leave.โ€ (Tuv HaAretz, The Advantage of Living in Eretz Yisroel . . .)

    In other words, Eretz Yisroel mystically maintains the spiritual status of Jews living on the land, as long as they fulfill the mitzvos dependent upon the land, like taking tithes and observing the Shmittah year. Hence, it takes less spiritual accomplishment to access the Hidden Light in Eretz Yisroel as it does in the rest of the world, which is why the Talmud says:

    Even the air of Eretz Yisroel makes a person wise. (Bava Basra 158b)

    Hence, one of the borders of Eretz Yisroel, the one the Jews were made to cross on their initial entry into the land, is the Yarden, or the Jordan River. In English the name may mean very little, by the Hebrew name can be broken into two parts: yarad Nunโ€”the Nun descended. Which Nun? The Nun of the Nun Shaโ€™arei Binah โ€”the Fifty Gates of Understanding, with which God made Creation (Rosh Hashanah 21b).

    Kabbalah explains that it is the Nun Shaโ€™arei Binah that the Ohr HaGanuz passes through on its way down into our world. It is the Fifty Gates of Understanding that filter the light, allowing it to result in every aspect of Creation as we know, and donโ€™t know it, above and below.

    It is also the light of Torah, for those who merit it, which is why the Midrash also says that there is no Torah like the Torah of Eretz Yisroel. For, even in times when the Temple does not exist, and the kohanim cannot function in the role as they once did, Eretz Yisroel does, making access to the Hidden Light that much easier. Hence, another names for the Jewish people is Mamleches Kohanimโ€”a kingdom of Kohanimโ€” since with the help of Eretz Yisroel, we can also function in the level of kohanim to some degree.

    Not only is the Nun Shaโ€™arei Binah the source of the light of the Torah, it is also the source of our souls, which we access on more profound levels by learning Torah, and, of course, by living in Eretz Yisroel. Sometimes we forget this, and it takes our enemies to remind us of who we really are. This is why Haman can also be read: Heh-Mem, Nun, or โ€œthey are 50,โ€ referring to the Jewish people that Haman arouses by his attempt at genocide.

    This is also why he planned to hang Mordechai on a gallows that was 50 amos high: Haman sensed that there was about to be an influx of the light of the Nun Shaโ€™arei Binah, and wanted to thwart it. It is with the light of the Fifty Gates of Understanding that we use to fully rectify Creation. This is the death note for Amalek.

    Therefore, explains the Nesivos Shalom, 

    Sholom Noach Berezovsky (Hebrew: ืฉืœื•ื ื ื— ื‘ืจื–ื•ื‘ืกืงื™; August 18, 1911 โ€“ August 8, 2000) was the rebbe (hereditary rabbinic leader) of the Slonim dynasty of hasidim from 1981 until his death. His teachings were published as a series of books entitled Nesivos Sholom

    Amalek attacked the Jewish people during their 50 day ascension to Mt. Sinai and the acceptance of Torah. He didnโ€™t stop it from happening, but he was able to lessen its impact, and hold of the Final Redemption.

    The next time Amalek tries to block such an opportunity for complete redemption, is just as the Jewish people are entering the land. This time Amalek attacks through Balak and Bilaam, who, the Zohar explains, were rooted in Amalek. The name Amalek is even built into their names. Once again, he didnโ€™t stop the event, but he lessened it enough to hold off the Final Redemption for a while longer, once they caused Gad, Reuven, and Menashe to choose to live in the Diaspora instead of Eretz HaKodesh.

    The next potential for a complete redemption was in Mordechaiโ€™s and Estherโ€™s time, which, as the Talmud says, was really the completion of what began at Har Sinai over a millennium before. Once again, Amalek showed up, not preventing redemption, but lessening its impact and its ability to eradicate evil from Creation.

    After that, there were battles with Amalek, but mostly started by the Jewish people, especially in Shaul HaMelechโ€™s time. The next war an Amaleki seems to go out of his way to fight against the Jewish people was in World War II, which, as Hitler, yโ€s, himself admitted, was really a war against the Jews. And, in pure Amaleki style, he sacrificed the war effort, put himself at risk, just to harm and murder more Jews. He may not have physically descended from Amalek, but he certainly did spiritually.

    His arrival on the scene would imply that, at that time, there was a potential for the complete tikun, and he came to stop it. The Holocaust, according to Torah hashkofah, was Amalekโ€™s attempt to prevent the Final Redemption, so that he, and other evil people like him, can remain in history a little longer.

    However, as always, Amalek is never able to completely prevent the aspect of redemption that was destined for that time, but he was able to limit its impact, and push off the full tikun a little longer. This is why the formation of the State of Israel has been so confusing for some, and misread by so many, some who see too much in it, and many who see too little in it.

    Nevertheless, aside from many other reasons, which are mentioned in my new book, Drowning In Pshat: A Deeper Look At The Final Redemption, the very fact that Amalek showed up when he did makes it clear that what happened in 1948 was certainly part of the Final Redemption. Just how much remains to be seen, but an important part of it, it is hard to say otherwise.

    Why should anyone be surprised if they understand the lands connection to the Nun Shaโ€™arei Binah? Like the Jewish people themselves, it is a lens through which the light of Torah is able to shine on the rest of the world:

    From Tzion will come Torah. (Yeshayahu 2:3)

    From Tzion, the light of the Nun Shaโ€™arei Binah fill go forth to the rest of the world, just as it goes from the kohanim to the Jewish people. Hence, the last letter of the word kohen is, in fact, a Nun, to indicate that which they are supposed to radiate to the rest of the nation, by using the light of 25. They were the microcosm; the Jewish nation, as a whole, is the macrocosm.

    Thus, the Kohen Gadol wore the letters of the 12 Tribes on his shoulders, 25 letters on one side, and 25 letters on the other side. How convenient it was that all the names of tribes, the fathers of the entire nation, should total 50. It was an ongoing reminder of the role of the kohanim.

  • Adar Bet 13 & Breaking through the Mazalot

    Adar Bet 13 & Breaking through the Mazalot

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

     Today is the
    second day of Adar Bet      

    Or the
    second Adar      

    Explain
    lunar vs solar      

      

    โ€‹ื›ื’ ื•ึฐื“ึธื‘ึธึ–ืจ
    ื‘ึผึฐืขึดืชึผึฃื•ึน ืžึทื”ึพื˜ึผึฝื•ึนื‘:     

      

    354 vs 365  

    Chinese New
    Year     

    Ramadan  

    โ€œWe canโ€™t do
    that because weโ€™re guided by our Torah, which says Passover must come in the spring
    when we plant, and that things need to be growing during the time of Shavuot
    and harvested during Sukkot. Hillel realized that, if we stayed strictly lunar,
    things would soon get out of kilter, and he put in a system to fix that with
    the leap year.โ€     

      

    We are all
    familiar with a leap year     

    This year we
    had a February 29th โ€“ Every four years we have a leap year with the
    exception of the Century year      

      

    Prior
    to that time, the Torah told us to DECLARE the New Moon by the Testimony of two
    witnesses. In other words, Man declares the New Moon and the moon and sun
    adjust their relationship to comply with the consciousness of man. IN OTHER
    WORDS this Mitzvah to declare the New Moon is a manifestation of Mind Over
    Matter and it is important in the individuals spiritual growth to achieve this
    level of consciousness.     

    1) The
    state of the barley crop at the end of the 12th month;      

    3)
    the equinox.      

    Lubavitcher Rebbe  

    Batel
    beshishim      

    All have
    troubles      

    60 days of
    joy      

    Nullify
    trouble      

      

    The
    13th month represents a state of potential relating to unity.      

    Jacob Hagiz (1620โ€“1674) (: ื™ืขืงื‘ ื—ื’ื™ื– .
     

    ItalySamuel di Pam, rabbi
    at     , calls himself a pupil of แธคagiz.  

    LivornoJerusalembeit
    midrash    [2]A single placenta normally supports a single fetus. When the situation
    arises in which two fetuses have to share a single placenta, complications may
    sometimes develop. Identical twins that share a single placenta are called
    monochorionic twins (MC). โ€œChorionโ€ is the Latin root that refers to the
    placenta, while the word โ€œamnionโ€ refers to the sac, or โ€œmembranesโ€ that
    surround each fetus. While fraternal twins (2 eggs and 2 sperm) are always
    surrounded in their own sacs and have their own individual placentas, 70% of
    identical twins may end up sharing a single placenta. Only 1% of identical
    twins share both a single placenta and a single sac, and this poses significant
    risk.     

    Were they identical ? 

    Rabbi suggest yes, other than red and ruddy.  

    twins with identical DNA can also show variations by the time
    they are born, which may result in different hair.     

    Shmuel Eidels (1555 โ€“ 1631) (: ืฉืžื•ืืœ ืืœื™ืขื–ืจ ื”ืœื•ื™ ืื™ื™ื“ืœืก Shmuel Eliezer HaLevi Eidels) was a
    renowned     and famous
    for his commentary on the Talmud, Chiddushei Halachot. Eidels is
    also known as Maharsha (ืžื”ืจืฉ'ื,     a Hebrew for 'Our Teacher, the Rabbi Shmuel
    Eidels').     

    Yehuda
    Loew    .' 

    Just to keep in mind: His
    students included: Ovadia Yosef and     , future Sephardic of
    Israel;     , renowned
    kabbalist;     , who succeeded
    him as rosh yeshiva of Porat Yosef;     ; ,
    who became a leader of the Syrian Jewish community in     , New York; , rabbi of the
    Mashadi community in     ; and ,
    Chief Rabbi of Panama.     

      

    Yishmael  

    Esav 

    Normally
    hate each other      

    Except when
    it comes to us. That is unfortunately when they can get together it is
    extremely dangerous     

    We
    mentioned:     Esau took Mahalath from the
    house of Ishmael to be his wife, after seeing that Canaanite wives displeased
    his father, Isaac (Genesis 28:6โ€“9). We also had a class on how Yaakov counters
    this.      

    MahalathBikkurim,
    65cโ€“d). Mahalathโ€™s name indicates that God pardoned (mahal) Esau.      

    Midrash ). This
    later marriage was also the result of negative motives: Esau plotted together
    with Ishmael to kill Isaac and Jacob, to marry the daughter of Ishmael, and to
    inherit both families.      

    Gen. Rabbah 

      

    The Rabbi
    brings that Esav is associated with 12      

    Yishmael 12
    families      

    Yisrael seem
    12      

    How?  

    ยท Jacob 

    ยท high priest) had twelve precious stones embedded
    within them, representing the 12 tribes. Elijah built his altar with 12 stones
    to represent the tribes,     Moses
    built 12 pillars at Sinai representing the tribes,     and
    Joshua erected twelve memorial stones at the Jordan River representing the
    tribes.    'All of God's creations are equal in number to the 12
    tribes: 12     , 12 months, 12 hours of
    the day, 12 hours of the night, 12 stones that Aaron [the high priest] would
    wear.'    The could be accessed through There were twelve loaves of show-bread on the shulchan (table)
    in the     Number of springs of water ื—ึทื“ึผึตืฉื ืขึธืœึตื™ื ื•ึผ ืึถืช
    ื”ึทื—ึนื“ึถืฉื ื”ึทื–ึผึถื” ืœึฐื˜ื•ึนื‘ึธื” ื•ึฐืœึดื‘ึฐืจึธื›ึธื”, ืœึฐืฉื‚ึธืฉื‚ื•ึนืŸ ื•ึผืœึฐืฉื‚ึดืžึฐื—ึธื”, ืœึดื™ืฉืื•ึผืขึธื”
    ื•ึผืœึฐื ึถื—ึธืžึธื”, ืœึฐืคึทืจึฐื ึธืกึธื” ื•ึผืœึฐื›ึทืœึฐื›ึผึธืœึธื”, ืœึฐื—ึทื™ึผึดื™ื ื˜ื•ึนื‘ึดื™ื ื•ึผืœึฐืฉืึธืœื•ึนื,
    ืœึดืžึฐื—ึดื™ืœึทืช ื—ึตื˜ึฐื, ื•ึฐืœึดืกึฐืœึดื™ื—ึทืช ืขึธื•ึนืŸ,
    ื•ึฐื™ึดื”ึฐื™ึถื” ืจึนืืฉื ื”ึทื—ึนื“ึถืฉื ื”ึทื–ึผึถื” ืกื•ึนืฃ ื•ึธืงึตืฅ ืœื›ึธืœ ืฆึธืจื•ึนืชึตื™ื ื•ึผ, ืชึผึฐื—ึดืœึผึธื” ื•ึธืจึนืืฉื
    ืœึฐืคึดื“ึฐื™ื•ึนืŸ ื ึทืคึฐืฉืึตื ื•ึผ, ื›ึผึดื™ ื‘ึฐืขึทืžึผึฐืšึธ ื™ึดืฉื‚ึฐืจึธืึตืœ ืžึดื›ึผึธืœ ื”ึธืึปืžึผื•ึนืช ื‘ึผึธื—ึทืจึฐืชึผึธ,
    ื•ึฐื—ึปืงึผึตื™ ืจึธืืฉืึตื™ ื—ึณื“ึธืฉืึดื™ื ืœึธื”ึถื ืงึธื‘ึธืขึฐืชึผึธ: ื‘ึผึธืจื•ึผืšึฐ ืึทืชึผึธื”     ื‘ึผึทื—ึนึคื“ึถืฉื
    ื”ึธืจึดืืฉืื•ึนืŸึ™ ื”ื•ึผืึพื—ึนึฃื“ึถืฉื ื ึดื™ืกึธึ”ืŸ ื‘ึผึดืฉืึฐื ึทืชึ™ ืฉืึฐืชึผึตึฃื™ื ืขึถืฉื‚ึฐืจึตึ”ื” ืœึทืžึผึถึ–ืœึถืšึฐ
    ืึฒื—ึทืฉืึฐื•ึตืจึ‘ื•ึนืฉื ื”ึดืคึผึดึฃื™ืœ ืคึผื•ึผืจึฉ ื”ึจื•ึผื ื”ึทื’ึผื•ึนืจึธึœืœ ืœึดืคึฐื ึตึฃื™ ื”ึธืžึธึ—ืŸ
    ืžึดื™ึผึงื•ึนืโ€‰ื€โ€‰ืœึฐื™ึ›ื•ึนื ื•ึผืžึตื—ึนึ›ื“ึถืฉื ืœึฐื—ึนึฅื“ึถืฉื ืฉืึฐื ึตื™ืึพืขึธืฉื‚ึธึ–ืจ ื”ื•ึผืึพื—ึนึฅื“ึถืฉื ืึฒื“ึธึฝืจ     

      

    which tells
    us about he set up a drawing, we donโ€™t define he, but it was set up in front of
    Haman.      

    Considering
    that it was in front of Heyman that it mustโ€™ve been someone else who set this
    up      

    Even Rashi: The
    mazal[1] of the month of Adar, as is well-known, is dagim โ€“ fish.     

      

    Elsewhere,
    Chazal state a different reason of why Haman rejoiced. In the words of the
    Midrash in Esther Rabbah, Haman was happy that the lot fell on Adar because the
    mazal of Adar is fish, and fish can be swallowed.[3]     

      

    What was Hamanโ€™s downfall? Chazal
    say that Haman overlooked the fact that โ€œJust as fish can swallow, so can they
    be swallowed.โ€[4]     

    Additionally, Thus,
    the depth of why Haman rejoiced was not simply because it was the month where
    Moshe expired (as is well-known, Moshe expired on the 7th of Adar, and the
    number 7 in Hebrew is ื–, which is equal in gematria to the word ื“ื’\fish).
    Rather, it is because the spiritual power of Moshe is compared to the sunโ€™s
    light, which does not reach the fish.     

      

    . ื ืฉืึดื™ืจ, ื‘ ื•ึผืฉืึฐื‘ึธื—ึธื”, ื’ ื”ึทืœึผึตืœ, ื“ ื•ึฐื–ึดืžึฐืจึธื”, ื” ืขึนื–,
    ื• ื•ึผืžึถืžึฐืฉืึธืœึธื”, ื– ื ึถึฝืฆึทื—, ื— ื’ึผึฐื“ึปืœึผึธื”, ื˜ ื’ึผึฐื‘ื•ึผืจึธื”, ื™ ืชึผึฐื”ึดืœึผึธื”, ื™ื
    ื•ึฐืชึดืคึฐืึถึฝืจึถืช, ื™ื‘ ืงึฐื“ึปืฉึผืึธื”, ื™ื’ ื•ึผืžึทืœึฐื›ื•ึผืช.     

      

    Vehu rachum  

    Love ahava  

    One echad  

    Avot  

    Imahot  

      

    13 beyond
    nature      

    13 reminds
    us we are beyond nature     

    Everything
    in Judaism is to go beyond nature     

    Our
    existence is beyond nature      

    7 is nature  

    But we
    relate to 8 โ€“ Brit Milah, Hanukkah      

    49 Nature,
    we strive for 50      

    Same way 12
    is nature     

    World Happy
    with that      

    This 13th
    month is truly a month beyond natural limitations of 12      

    Everything
    in Judaism is to go beyond nature     

    Our
    existence is beyond nature      

    This is a
    month without limitations      

    Without
    blockages      

    Where
    anything is possible      

    Lets take
    advantage and connect       

  • To be Successful, Choose the Right Partner - Pikudei

    To be Successful, Choose the Right Partner - Pikudei

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

    The Mishkan was finally complete. The nation looked at the magnificent work with great joy, and Moshe was proud. So proud, in fact, that he did something that he only did once moreโ€“ just before his death: he blessed the entire nation.

    Actually, the erection of a Mishkan was the greatest blessing in itself. Hashem had promised the Jewish nation in Parshas Terumah, โ€œBuild me a Mishkanโ€” and I will dwell among themโ€ (Exodus 25:8). But Moshe felt that he, too, would add a blessing.

    ื•ึทื™ึผึทึจืจึฐื ืžึนืฉืึถึœื” ืึถืชึพื›ึผื‡ืœึพื”ึทืžึผึฐืœึธืื›ึธึ—ื” ื•ึฐื”ึดื ึผึตื”ึ™ ืขึธืฉื‚ึฃื•ึผ ืึนืชึธึ”ื”ึผ ื›ึผึทืึฒืฉืึถึ›ืจ ืฆึดื•ึผึธึฅื” ื™ึฐื”ึนื•ึธึ–ื” ื›ึผึตึฃืŸ ืขึธืฉื‚ึ‘ื•ึผ ื•ึทื™ึฐื‘ึธึฅืจึถืšึฐ ืึนืชึธึ–ื ืžึนืฉืึถึฝื”ืƒ {ืค}

    And when Moses saw that they had performed all the tasksโ€”as ื™ื”ื•ื” had commanded, so they had doneโ€”Moses blessed them.

    https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.39.43

     ื•ื”ื ื” ืขืฉื•โ€ฆื›ืŸ ืขืฉื•, and behold they had done itโ€ฆso they had done. The additional word ื•ื”ื ื” in this verse alludes to the speed with which the Tabernacle was built, something that was very pleasing to Moses when he looked at the components the people presented him with.

    https://www.sefaria.org/Or_HaChaim_on_Exodus.39.43.1

    ืขื•ื“ ื™ืจืฆื” ื‘ืื•ืžืจื• ืขืฉื• ืื•ืชื” ืœืฉื•ืŸ ืชื™ืงื•ืŸ ืฉืชืงื ื• ืื•ืชื” ื›ืžืฆื˜ืจืš, ื•ืขื•ื“ ืžื•ื“ื™ืข ืฉื”ืฉื›ื™ืœ ื‘ื” ืฉืขืฉืื•ื” ื›ืืฉืจ ืฆื•ื” ื”' ื‘ืคืจื˜ื™ ื”ืžืฉืคื˜, ื•ื”ื•ื ืื•ืžืจื• ื›ืืฉืจ ื•ื’ื•' ื›ืŸ ืขืฉื•.

    The addition of the word ืื•ืชื” in the line ืขืฉื• ืื•ืชื”, testifies to the quality of the work. The artisans had put to use all their intelligence in constructing these parts and the result had proved successful.

    https://www.sefaria.org/Or_HaChaim_on_Exodus.39.43.2

    ืขื•ื“ ื™ืจืฆื” ืขืœ ืคื™ ื“ื‘ืจื™ื”ื ื–'ืœ (ื–ื‘ื—ื™ื ืก'ื‘.) ื›ื™ ื™ืฉ ืคืจื˜ื™ ื”ืžืฆื•ืช ืฉืื™ื ื ืœืขื™ื›ื•ื‘ ืืœื ืœืžืฆื•ื” ื•ืžื ื• ื—ื›ืžื™ื ื“ื‘ืจื™ื ื”ืžืขื›ื‘ื™ื ื–ื” ืืช ื–ื”, ื•ื”ื•ื“ื™ืข ื”ื›ืชื•ื‘ ื‘ื›ืคืœ ื”ืžืขืฉื” ืœื•ืžืจ ืฉืขืฉื• ื›ืœ ืืฉืจ ืฆื•ื” ืืคื™ืœื• ื“ื‘ืจื™ื ืฉืื™ื ื ืืœื ืœืžืฆื•ื” ืžืŸ ื”ืžื•ื‘ื—ืจ:

    If we follow the approach of the Talmud Zevachim 62 that every commandment contains details which are not mandatory but which are desirable, the Torah tells us that the artisans performed even all those details which were not mandatory. This explains why the Torah repeated the word ืขืฉื•, they did, i.e. the artisans did both what was mandatory and what was in effect optional.

    https://www.sefaria.org/Or_HaChaim_on_Exodus.39.43.3

    ื•ื™ื‘ืจืš ืื•ืชื ืžืฉื”. ื˜ืขื ืฉื”ื•ืฆืจืš ืœื•ืžืจ ืžืฉื” ื•ืœื ืกืžืš ืขืœ ื–ื›ืจื•ื ื• ื‘ืกืžื•ืš, ืœื•ืžืจ ืœื ืชื”ื™ื” ื‘ืจื›ื” ื–ื• ืงืœื” ื‘ืขื™ื ื™ืš ื›ื™ ืžืฉื” ืื™ืฉ ื”ืืœื”ื™ื ื‘ืจื›ื ื•ื“ื‘ืจ ื’ื“ื•ืœ ื”ื•ื“ื™ืข ื”ื›ืชื•ื‘ ื‘ื“ื‘ืจ ื–ื”, ื•ืœื˜ืขื ื–ื” ื”ื•ื ืฉื”ื•ื“ื™ืข ื”ื›ืชื•ื‘ ื•ืืžืจ ื•ื™ื‘ืจืš ืื•ืชื ื•ื–ื•ืœืช ื”ื™ื•ืช ืžืฉื” ืื™ืŸ ื”ืชื•ืจื” ืžื’ื“ืช ืื ื™ื‘ืจืš ืื“ื ืœื—ื‘ื™ืจื•:

    ื•ื™ื‘ืจืš ืื•ืชื ืžืฉื”, Moses blessed them. The reason the Torah wrote the name Moses instead of simply 'he blessed them,' (seeing that his name was mentioned at the beginning of our verse) is to teach us not to take this blessing lightly. It is something very special to be blessed by a man of G'd such as Moses. If the people had been blessed by someone of lesser stature the Torah would not have recorded this as something we have to know so many thousands of years later. Normally, the Torah could have written ืžืฉื” ื‘ืจืš ืื•ืชื, or: ื”ื•ื ื‘ืจืš ืื•ืชื. By placing the name Moses at the end of the line the Torah taught us the significance of being blessed by someone of Moses' standing.

    https://www.sefaria.org/Or_HaChaim_on_Exodus.39.43.4

    ื•ื™ื‘ืจืš ืืชื ืžืฉื”. ืึธืžึทืจ ืœึธื”ึถื ื™ึฐื”ึดื™ ืจึธืฆื•ึนืŸ ืฉืึถืชึผึดืฉืึฐืจึถื” ืฉืึฐื›ึดื™ื ึธื” ื‘ึฐืžึทืขึฒืฉื‚ึตื” ื™ึฐื“ึตื™ื›ึถื, ื•ึดื™ื”ึดื™ ื ึนืขึทื ื”' ืึฑืœึนื”ึตื™ื ื•ึผ ืขึธืœึตื™ื ื•ึผ ื•ึฐื’ื•ึน', ื•ึฐื”ื•ึผื ืึถื—ึธื“ ืžึดื™'ื ืžึดื–ึฐืžื•ึนืจึดื™ื ืฉืึถื‘ึผึดืชึฐืคึดืœึผึธื” ืœึฐืžึนืฉืึถื” (ืกืคืจื):

    ื•ื™ื‘ืจืš ืืชื ืžืฉื” AND MOSES BLESSED THEM โ€” He said to them โ€œMay it be the will of God that His Shechinah rest upon the work of your hands; โ€˜and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish Thou the work of our hands upon usโ€™โ€ (Psalms 90:17.) (Sifra, Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2 15) This (from ื•ื™ื”ื™ ื ื•ืขื onward) is part of one of the eleven Psalms (90โ€”100) that are in the section beginning with, ืชืคืœื” ืœืžืฉื”; (Numbers Rabbah 12:9).

    https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Exodus.39.43.1

    ื•ึดื™ื”ึดึคื™ ื€ ื ึนึคืขึทื ืึฒื“ึนื ึธึฅื™ ืึฑืœึนื”ึตึ—ื™ื ื•ึผ ืขึธึซืœึตึฅื™ื ื•ึผ ื•ึผืžึทืขึฒืฉื‚ึตึฃื” ื™ึธึญื“ึตื™ื ื•ึผ ื›ึผื•ึนื ึฐื ึธึฅื” ืขึธืœึตึ‘ื™ื ื•ึผ ื•ึผึฝืžึทืขึฒืฉื‚ึตึฅื” ื™ึธึื“ึตึ—ื™ื ื•ึผ ื›ึผื•ึนื ึฐื ึตึฝื”ื•ึผืƒ

    May the favor of the Lord, our God, be upon us;let the work of our hands prosper,O prosper the work of our hands!

    https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.90.17

    ื›ื•ื ื ื”ื•. ื›ื•ื ืŸ ืื•ืชื•, ื•ืฉื ื™ ืคืขืžื™ื ื•ืžืขืฉื” ื™ื“ื™ื ื• ื›ื•ื ื ื”ื• ื' ืขืœ ืžืœืื›ืช ื”ืžืฉื›ืŸ ืฉื‘ื™ืจื›ืŸ ืœื™ืฉืจืืœ ื•ื”ืชืคืœืœ ืฉืชืฉืจื” ืฉื›ื™ื ื” ื‘ืžืขืฉื” ื™ื“ื™ื”ื ื‘ืžืฉื›ืŸ ื•ืื—ืช ืฉืชื”ื ื‘ืจื›ื” ื‘ืžืขืฉื” ื™ื“ื™ื”ื:

    establish it Establish it. The two times โ€œand the work of our hands establishโ€ [are mentioned are for the following purposes]: One is for the work of the Tabernacle, when he blessed Israel and prayed that the Shechinah should rest on the work of their hands in the Tabernacle, and one is that there should be a blessing in the work of their hands.

    https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Psalms.90.17.3

    And 

    Beautiful thought by 

    Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky 

    At first it seems that Moshe is reiterating the promise that Hashem Himself made. Hashem had promised to dwell in the midst of the Sanctuary that the Jewish nation would build. 

    Why, then did Moshe repeat G-dโ€™s promise as a blessing? Is he blessing them that Hashem should keep His word? Or is he perhaps bestowing a more powerful message?

    A man once approached Rabbi Yehuda Assad for advice. โ€œThere is an old, run-down store in the downtown area of the city. I can get it a very reasonable price. I think that with my marketing skills I may be able to turn that location into a profitable venture. Do you think I should buy it?โ€

    Rav Assad made a face. โ€œI donโ€™t think that it would be prudent to enter that part of the city for a business venture.โ€ The man left somewhat dejected.

    A few days later another man entered the Rabbiโ€™s study with the identical question about the same property. โ€œThere is an old, run-down store in the downtown area of the city. I can get it a very reasonable price. I think that with my marketing skills, and of course with Hashemโ€™s help, I may be able to turn that location into a profitable venture. 

    Do you think I should buy it?โ€

    This time Rabbi Assad nodded in approval. โ€œI think you should make a go of it. I have no doubts that it will be a success.โ€

    When word got out that the Rabbi was behind this new endeavor, the first man stormed into his study quite upset. โ€œWhy did the you tell me not to buy the property and then tell my friend just the opposite?โ€ he demanded.

    โ€œMy dear student,โ€ answered the Rabbi, โ€œthere is a great difference. Your friend took in a partner. He said that with the help of Hashem he could make a go of it. When someone includes Hashem in his plans, I am sure that he will succeed!โ€

    For the first time since the exodus the Jews had become accomplished craftsman, artisans, tailors, and contractors. They built a magnificent edifice in the wilderness. Moshe knew that a feeling of self-gratification might accompany their accomplishments. 

    Perhaps they may begin to think that it was their wisdom, their skills and only their abilities that made this beautifulMishkanpossible. So he blessed them with words that were meant to dissuade any such delusion.

    โ€œMay Hashemโ€™s presence rest in your handiwork.โ€ 

    Of course Hashem promised that he would dwell in theMishkan. Mosheโ€™s question was, โ€œwould the Jews let him in?โ€ Would they make him a partner? Would they recognizeHashemas a significant factor even in the physical handiwork that they themselves had wrought? 

    To that end, Mosheโ€™s blessing incorporated the standard for every action, accomplishment, and success that anyone achieves. May Hashem be a part of your success. May the Shechina rest upon your handiwork.

    ื•ื‘ืžื“ืจืฉ ื•ื™ืจื ืžืฉื” ืืช ื›ืœ ื”ืžืœืื›ื” ื–ื• ืžืœืื›ืช ื‘ืจืืฉื™ืช, ืืช ื›ืœ ืžืœืื›ืช ื”ืžืฉื›ืŸ ืœื ื ืืžืจ ืืœื ืœื”ื•ื“ื™ืขืš ืฉืฉืงื•ืœื” ืžืœืื›ืช ื”ืžืฉื›ืŸ ื›ื ื’ื“ ืžืขืฉื” ื‘ืจืืฉื™ืช, ืžื™ื“ ื•ื™ื‘ืจืš ืื•ืชื ืžืฉื”, ืžื” ื‘ืจื›ื” ื‘ืจื›ืŸ ืืžืจ ื™ื”ื™ ืจืฆื•ืŸ ืฉืชืฉืจื” ืฉื›ื™ื ื” ื‘ืžืขืฉื” ื™ื“ื™ื›ื ืžื™ื“ ืืžืจ (ืชื”ื™ืœื™ื ืฆืณ:ื™ืดื–) ื•ื™ื”ื™ ื ื•ืขื ื”' ืืœื”ื™ื ื• ืขืœื™ื ื• ื•ืžืขืฉื” ื™ื“ื™ื ื• ื›ื•ื ื ื” ืขืœื™ื ื• ืžืคื ื™ ืฉืชื—ืœืชื• (ืฉื) ืชืคืœื” ืœืžืฉื” ืื™ืฉ ื”ืืœื”ื™ื. ื•ื˜ืขื ืžืขืฉื” ื™ื“ื™ื ื• ื ืฉื™ืื•ืช ื›ืคื™ื ืฉืขืฉื” ืื”ืจืŸ ื‘ื™ื•ื ื”ื”ืงืžื” ืฉื–ื” ืœืฉื•ืŸ ืขืœื™ื ื•, ื•ืžืขืฉื” ื™ื“ื™ื ื• ื›ื•ื ื ื”ื• ืขืœ ื”ื”ืฆืœื—ื” ื‘ืžืขืฉื” ื™ื“ื™ื”ื ื•ืœื ื›ื“ืขืช ืจื‘ื™ ื“ื•ื“ ืงืžื—ื™ ื–'ืœ ืฉืคื™' ืฉื”ื•ื ืœืฉื•ืŸ ื›ืคื•ืœ.

    A Midrashic approach (Tanchuma Pekudey 11): The words โ€œMoses saw all the work,โ€ refers to the ืžืขืฉื” ื‘ืจืืฉื™ืช, the creation of the universe; the Torah deliberately omitted adding the words ืžืœืื›ืช ื”ืžืฉื›ืŸ, โ€œthe work of the Tabernacle,โ€ in order to teach us that this construction of the Tabernacle was equivalent in a sense to the construction of the universe itself. Immediately after Moses observed this he blessed the people saying: โ€œmay the Presence of the Lord, the Shechinah, come to rest on the work of your hands.โ€ He continued immediately with the words of Psalm 90,17: โ€œmay the favor of the Lord, our Gโ€™d, be upon us; let the work of your hands prosper, O prosper the work of our hands.โ€ The reason these words were appropriate is that the Psalm commences with the words โ€œa prayer of Moses, the man of Gโ€™d.โ€ The meaning of the words: โ€œthe work of our handsโ€ is a reference to the priestly blessing bestowed upon the people by Aaron on the day the Tabernacle was put up. This is why the word ืขืœื™ื ื• โ€œupon us,โ€ Moses including himself, was appropriate. Finally, the last words in this blessing, the words ื•ืžืขืฉื” ื™ื“ื™ื ื• ื›ื•ื ื ื”ื•, refer to the enduring success of the work the people had accomplished. This does not agree with the opinion of R' David Kimchi (ืจื“'ืง) who views these words as a repetition of what Moses had said before in order to reinforce his wish.

    https://www.sefaria.org/Rabbeinu_Bahya,_Shemot_39.43.2

    ื‘ืฉื‘ืช ืื ื• ื–ื•ื›ื™ื ืœืชื•ืกืคืช ืงื“ื•ืฉื” ื‘ื›ืœ ืชื—ื•ืžื™ ื”ื—ื™ื™ื, ื‘ืจื•ื— ื•ื‘ื—ื•ืžืจ, ื‘ืชืคื™ืœื” ื•ื‘ืกืขื•ื“ื•ืช, ื•ื”ืžื’ืžื” ืœื”ืžืฉื™ืš ืืช ื”ืืจืช ื”ืฉื‘ืช ืœื™ืžื•ืช ื”ื—ื•ืœ. ื•ื‘ืืจ ื”ืืจ'ื™ ื–'ืœ, ืฉืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ ืืžื™ืจืช 'ื•ื™ื”ื™ ื ื•ืขื' (ืชื”ืœื™ื ืฆ, ื™ื– โ€“ ืฆื, ื˜ื–) ื‘ืชืคื™ืœืช ืขืจื‘ื™ืช ืฉืœ ืžื•ืฆืื™ ืฉื‘ืช, ื”ื ื ื• ืžืžืฉื™ื›ื™ื ืืช ืชื•ืกืคืช ื”ืงื“ื•ืฉื” ื”ืจื•ื—ื ื™ืช ืฉืœ ื”ืฉื‘ืช ืœื™ืžื•ืช ื”ื—ื•ืœ, ื•ืžื‘ืงืฉื™ื, ืฉื ื•ืขื ื”' ื™ืฉืจื” ืขืœ ืžืขืฉื” ื™ื“ื™ื ื•. ื•ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ ืกืขื•ื“ืช 'ืžืœื•ื•ื” ืžืœื›ื”', ืื ื• ืžืžืฉื™ื›ื™ื ืืช ื”ืืจืช ื”ืงื“ื•ืฉื” ืœืื›ื™ืœื” ืฉืœ ื›ืœ ื”ืฉื‘ื•ืข.

    On Shabbat we are blessed with additional holiness in all areas of life, material and spiritual, as expressed through prayer and meals. Our goal is to extend the light of Shabbat to the weekdays. Arizal explains that by saying Vi-yhi Noโ€™am (Tehilim 90:17โ€“91:16) in Maโ€™ariv on Saturday night, we extend the additional spiritual holiness of Shabbat to the weekdays, and ask that Godโ€™s grace rest upon all our endeavors. Through melaveh malka we extend the light of holiness to our eating all week.

    https://www.sefaria.org/Peninei_Halakhah,_Shabbat.7.7.3

    ืคืกื•ืง 'ื•ื™ื”ื™ ื ื•ืขื', ื™ืฉ ื‘ื• ื›ื•ื ื•ืช ืขืžื•ืงื•ืช ื•ื ืฉื’ื‘ื•ืช, ื•ืฆืจื™ืš ืฉืชื›ื•ื™ืŸ ืœืคื—ื•ืช ื‘ืคืฉื•ื˜ืŸ ืฉืœ ื“ื‘ืจื™ื, ื“ื›ื•ื ืชื• ืขืœ ืคื™ ื”ื–ื•ื”ืจ ื”ื•ื: ืืฃ ืขืœ ืคื™ ืฉืื™ืŸ ืื ื—ื ื• ื™ื•ื“ืขื™ื ืœื›ื•ื™ืŸ ื‘ืกื•ื“ ื”ืžืฆื•ื•ืช ื•ื”ืชืคื™ืœื•ืช, ื”ืฉื ื™ืชื‘ืจืš ื”ื•ื ื™ืฉืœื™ื ื›ื•ื ืชื™ื ื•, ื•ื™ืขืœื” ืขืœื™ื ื• ื›ืื™ืœื• ื›ื•ื ื• ื‘ื›ืœ ื”ื›ื•ื ื•ืช ื”ืจืื•ื™ื•ืช ืœื›ื•ื™ืŸ, ื•ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ ื›ืŸ ืžืขืฉื™ื ื• ื‘ืžืฆื•ื•ืช ื•ืขืงื™ืžืช ืฉืคืชื™ื ื• ื‘ืชืคื™ืœื•ืช, ืชื”ื™ื” ื›ื•ื ื ื” ืœืขืœื•ืช ืœืžืขืœื” ืœืขืฉื•ืช ืคืขื•ืœืชื”, ื•ื‘ืกื™ื“ื•ืจ ืจื‘ื™ื ื• ื”ืจืฉ'ืฉ ื–'ืœ ืžื‘ื•ืืจ, ืฉืฆืจื™ืš ืœื›ื•ื™ืŸ ื‘ืคืกื•ืง ื–ื”, ืฉืื ื—ื˜ืื ื• ื•ื’ืจืžื ื• ืœืกืœืง ืื•ืจ ื”ืงื“ื•ืฉื” ืฉื ืžืฉื›ื” ืขืœื™ื ื• ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ ืžืขืฉื™ื ื˜ื•ื‘ื™ื, ื”ื ื” ืืชื” ื”ืืœ ื‘ืจื—ืžื™ืš ืชื›ื•ื ืŸ ื•ืชืชืงืŸ ืœืื•ืชื ืžืขืฉื™ื ื˜ื•ื‘ื™ื, ื•ืชื—ื–ื•ืจ ืœื”ืžืฉื™ืš ืขืœื™ื ื• ืื•ืจ ืื•ืชื” ื”ืงื“ื•ืฉื”, ืฉืชื™ ื›ื•ื ื•ืช ืคืฉื•ื˜ื•ืช ืืœื• ื™ื›ื•ื™ืŸ ื”ืื“ื ื‘ื›ืœ ืคืขื ืฉื™ืืžืจ ืคืกื•ืง ื–ื” ืงื•ื“ื ื›ืœ ืžืฆื•ื” ื•ืขืกืง ื”ืชื•ืจื”, ื•ื™ืฉ ืžื“ืงื“ืงื™ื ืœื›ืคื•ืœ ื‘ื›ืœ ืคืขื ืคืกื•ืง ื–ื”, ื›ื“ื™ ืœื›ื•ื™ืŸ ื›ื•ื ื” ืื—ืช ื‘ืืžื™ืจื” ืจืืฉื•ื ื”, ื•ื›ื•ื ื” ืื—ืช ื‘ืืžื™ืจื” ืฉื ื™ื”, ื•ื”ื•ื ืžื ื”ื’ ื™ืคื”, ืžืฉื•ื ื“ื‘ืœืื• ื”ื›ื™ ื™ืฉ ื˜ืขื ื‘ืคืขืžื™ื™ื, ื•ื‘ื›ืœ ืงื”ื™ืœื•ืช ื™ืฉืจืืœ ื ื•ื”ื’ื™ื ืœื”ื•ืกื™ืฃ ื‘ื™ื•ื ื˜ื•ื‘ ืžื–ืžื•ืจ ืฉืœ ืื•ืชื• ื™ื•ื ื˜ื•ื‘, ืืš ื”ื—ืกื™ื“ื™ื ื‘ื‘ื™ืช ืืœ ืœื ื ื”ื’ื• ืœืื•ืžืจื•:

    https://www.sefaria.org/Ben_Ish_Hai,_Halachot_1st_Year,_Vayigash_6.1

  • Machar Mikreh Tomorrow and Happenstance Amalek Purim

    Machar Mikreh Tomorrow and Happenstance Amalek Purim

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

    Moshe said to Yehoshua, โ€œChoose people for us and go do battle with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on top of the hillโ€. (17:9)

    ื•ึทื™ึผึนึจืืžึถืจ ืžึนืฉืึถึคื” ืึถืœึพื™ึฐื”ื•ึนืฉืึปึ™ืขึทึ™ ื‘ึผึฐื—ึทืจึพืœึธึฃื ื•ึผ ืึฒื ึธืฉืึดึ”ื™ื ื•ึฐืฆึตึ–ื ื”ึดืœึผึธื—ึตึฃื ื‘ึผึทืขึฒืžึธืœึตึ‘ืง ืžึธื—ึธึ—ืจ ืึธื ึนื›ึดึคื™ ื ึดืฆึผึธื‘ึ™ ืขึทืœึพืจึนึฃืืฉื ื”ึทื’ึผึดื‘ึฐืขึธึ”ื” ื•ึผืžึทื˜ึผึตึฅื” ื”ึธืึฑืœึนื”ึดึ–ื™ื ื‘ึผึฐื™ึธื“ึดึฝื™ืƒ

    ื‘ื—ืจ ืœื ื• ืื ืฉื™ื. ื”ื™ื” ืขืžืœืง ื’ื“ื•ืœ ื‘ื—ื›ืžืช ื”ืืฆื˜ื’ื ื™ื ื•ืช ื•ื‘ื—ืจ ืื ืฉื™ ืžืœื—ืžืชื• ืื ืฉื™ื ืฉืœื ื™ื•ื›ืœื• ืœืžื•ืช ื‘ืฉื ื” ื”ื”ื™ื ื›ื™ ื”ื•ื ื™ื“ืข ื–ื” ื‘ื—ื›ืžืช ื”ื›ื•ื›ื‘ื™ื ื•ื”ืžื–ืœื•ืช ื•ืขืœ ื›ืŸ ืืžืจ ืžืฉื” ืœื™ื”ื•ืฉืข ื‘ื—ืจ ืœื ื• ืื ืฉื™ื ื›ื™ื•ืฆื ื‘ื”ื ืฉืœื ื™ื•ื›ืœ ืœื”ืชื—ื›ื ืขืœื™ื ื• ืฉื™ื”ืจื•ื’ ื”ื•ื ืžื™ืฉืจืืœ ื•ื™ืฉืจืืœ ืœื ื™ื”ืจื•ื’ ืื—ื“ ืžื”ื ื•ื–ื”ื• ืฉื›ืชื•ื‘ ื•ื™ื—ืœืฉ ื™ื”ื•ืฉืข ื•ืœื ืืžืจ ื•ื™ื”ืจื•ื’, ื•ืžื” ืฉืืžืจ ื‘ื—ืจ ืœื ื• ืฉื”ืฉื•ื” ืื•ืชื• ืœืขืฆืžื• ื•ืœื ืืžืจ ื‘ื—ืจ ืœื™ ื“ืจืฉื• ืจื–'ืœ ืžื›ืืŸ ื™ื”ื™ ื›ื‘ื•ื“ ืชืœืžื™ื“ืš ื—ื‘ื™ื‘ ืขืœื™ืš ื›ืฉืœืš.

    ื‘ื—ืจ ืœื ื• ืื ืฉื™ื, โ€œchoose men for us!โ€ The Amalekites were expert astrologers (compare Rashi; our edition ืžื›ืฉืคื™ื, sorcerers). Moses meant that Joshua should select men who according to their horoscopes would not die during the current year, something Moses was aware of due to his own knowledge of astrology. The two armies facing each other would all consist of soldiers who according to their respective horoscopes would not die during that year. As a result of these considerations neither army inflicted fatal casualties on the other during this encounter. This is what is meant when the Torah reports the outcome of the battle as: โ€œJoshua weakened Amalek and his people by the sword.โ€ The Torah carefully refrained from mentioning that the Israelites actually killed any of the Amalekites. When Moses said to Joshua โ€œchoose for us,โ€ he compared Joshua to himself and did not say: โ€œchoose for me!โ€ Mechilta Amalek section 1 uses this phrase to teach: โ€œthe honor of your student should be as dear to you as your own honor.โ€

    https://www.sefaria.org/Rabbeinu_Bahya,_Shemot_17.9.1

    https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.17.9

    In the Talmud Yoma 52b, Chazal say that the word machar, tomorrow, which is found in the above pasuk, can be interpreted as belonging to the previous phrase: โ€œChoose people for us and go to do battle with

    Amalek tomorrow.โ€ Alternatively, it can refer to the second half of the pasuk: โ€œTomorrow I will stand on top of the hill.โ€ We wonder what is the significance of the word, โ€œtomorrowโ€? What message regarding the war with Amalek is being taught to us via the word โ€œtomorrowโ€?

    Horav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, z.l., explains that the concept of โ€œtomorrowโ€ plays a crucial role in Amalekโ€™s fight against Klal Yisrael. Amalek denotes evil. He represents the forces of evil within a human being โ€“ the yetzer hara, evil inclination, whose function it is to ensnare a person and lead him to sin. Outright incitement does not work. The yetzer hara has to use guile to convince a person that the sin is really not so bad; in fact, it might even be the right thing to do. It is very sinister in its methods to convince a person to renege against the Torah, to abrogate mitzvah observance and to perform outright transgressions.

    In order for the yetzer hara to convince an observant Jew to act against the Torah, it must apply patience and discretion. One of its most potent tools is that of โ€œtomorrow.โ€ It assures its victim, โ€œYes, of course, you should act appropriately. Very definitely, you must perform this mitzvah. Do not do it today, however, start tomorrow. Study Torah โ€“ tomorrow. Give tzedakah โ€“ tomorrow. Do whatever good you plan on doing, but do it tomorrow. Thus, the yetzer hara grabs hold of a person and leads him to neglect the mitzvos and eventually to become a full-fledged baal aveirah, sinner.

    This is the disease called โ€œAmaleikismโ€ that the Torah instructs us to expunge from our midst. When the opportunity to perform a mitzvah presents itself, one should not dawdle, but he should take immediate action and carry out his responsibility. One who slacks off in the area of positive mitzvah performance, will soon end up taking the initiative in a sinful manner.

    This, says Rav Yosef Chaim, is the idea behind Moshe Rabbeinuโ€™s โ€œlifting his hands,โ€ an action that catalyzed Klal Yisraelโ€™s victory, as opposed to his lowering his hands, which gave strength to Amalek. Raising his hands symbolizes action, our way of defeating the yetzer hara and its personification in this world โ€“ Amalek. Allowing our hands to drop sustains the evil of Amalek, who takes his strength from our weakness.

    Hashemโ€™s name is hidden throughout Megillat Esther. Yet, the Rabbis of Kabbalah found the acronym of His name in the pasuk โ€œyavo hamelech v'haman hayom- the king and Haman shall come todayโ€ (ibid. 5:4). Through the last word of the phrase, hayom (today), Esther stressed the proper use of the antidote to Hamanโ€™s machar (ibid.:12). Indeed, the battle against Amalek starts with the desire to serve Hashem with enthusiasm and without delay.

    Parashat Zachor, the section that appears at the conclusion of our parasha, and which presents the obligation to remember Amalekโ€™s attack against Benei Yisrael, is among the most important sections in the entire Torah. It is of such importance that there rests upon each and every one of us an obligation to hear the reading of this parasha once a year, thereby fulfilling the obligation to eradicate the nation of Amalek.

    The question arises in this context, why did the Torah view Amalek as the eternal enemy of the Jewish people? After all, we find throughout the Torah many other nations that also waged war against Am Yisrael, peoples who sought to destroy us and deny us our existence.

    In order to answer this question, we must, in my humble opinion, carefully examine two terms that appear in virtually every instance in Tanach where we find mention of Amalek. I refer to the term โ€œmikrehโ€ (happenstance, coincidence), which comes up repeatedly in the context of Amalek, and the word โ€œmacharโ€ (tomorrow), which we often find in reference to the Jewish people.

    Let us survey these instances and then assess their significance:

    1. In the first battle against Amalek, Moshe asks Yehoshua, โ€œMoshe said to Yehoshuaโ€ฆ go fight against Amalek tomorrowโ€ฆโ€œ (Shemot 16:9).

    2. At the end of our parasha, Hashem commands us never to forget what Amalek did: โ€œโ€ฆ that they chanced upon you along the wayโ€ (Rashi explains the word โ€œkarchaโ€ as a derivative of the word โ€œmikrehโ€).

    3. King David battled against the Amalekites who plundered his city of Tziklag: โ€œDavid smote them from morning until evening on the following dayโ€œ (Shemuel I 30:17).

    4. A young Amalekite informs David that he killed Shaul on MountGilboa: โ€œThe youngster who informed him said to him: โ€˜Ihappened to have been on MountGilboaโ€ฆโ€(Shemuel II 1:6).

    5. In Megillat Ester we meet the descendant of the Amalekite king, Aggag โ€“ Haman. Ester invites Haman to her feast and says: โ€œIf it pleases the kingโ€ฆ the king and Haman shall come to the feast that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king requests.โ€

    6. Mordechai, dressed in sackcloth, sends the royal messenger Hatach to tell Ester of the edict against the Jews: โ€œMordechai told him all that happened to himโ€ฆ โ€œ

    We thus find numerous sources related to Amalek, and they all make reference to one of these concepts โ€“ โ€œmacharโ€ or โ€œmikreh.โ€ I believe that these two concepts can help us answer the question with which we began.

    The Torah affords great importance to the perpetuation of the memory of Amalekโ€™s attack because Amalek, by its very essence, expresses the notion of โ€œmikrehโ€ โ€“ happenstance. โ€œMikrehโ€ in effect means the absence of Hashemโ€™s providence in the world. Amalek represents coincidence โ€“ the lack of faith in hashgacha peratit โ€“ divine providence, the belief that no being oversees world affairs, everything happens here purely by coincidence. Of this the Torah wishes to remind us every year; it is forbidden for us to allow โ€œAmalekism,โ€ the theology of โ€œmikreh,โ€ to take hold.

    In contradistinction to the Amalekite โ€œmikrehโ€ is the Jewish โ€œmachar.โ€ 

    โ€œTomorrowโ€ expresses the hope, the hashgacha, the idea that there is Someone in the heavens who looks after each and every one of His creatures on earth. โ€œMacharโ€ is the notion that there is something for which to wake up in the morning, the world does not progress at random, without a guiding hand. Everything is foreseen from the outset, and we are granted the power to act as we wish. โ€œMacharโ€ is about our free will to decide what to achieve, what to make of our lives.

    In Hebrew, the letters of the word โ€œMachar,โ€ tomorrow, are the same as the letters for Rechem, or womb. The word for mercy, Rachamim, is also from the same word. The womb is always about mercy, about nurturing hope for another day, about pushing further toward continuation and reaching a goal. Amalek cannot abide that.

    Rav Hutner writes that Machar refers to the ultimate Tomorrow, that off Olam HaBa. We Klal Yisroel do not exist for the today of Olam HaZeh. We delay our gratification for the tomorrow of Olam HaBa. Amalek exists in in this world only of today. They exist for the simple today, the immediate gratification, and they deny the ultimate tomorrow. Their existence in the world obscures the ability to see the next world. So long as Amalek exists, we cannot see the tomorrow. So long as there are people in the world who claim there is not Olam HaBa and live like that and seem to exist with no problems, they obscure Olam HaBa for the rest of the world.โ€จWe can overcome them on the day of Tomorrow. When we live our lives with an eye on Tomorrow then we are victorious.

    we read Zachor on Shabbat. 

    r Rave Rudman 

    โ€จShabbos is a day of tomorrow, of Olam HaBa. This world is, โ€œToday to workโ€. Olam HaBa is the tomorrow to receive the reward.โ€ Shabbos is one-sixtieth of Olam HaBa . Erev Shabbos is the โ€˜todayโ€™ to work. Shabbos is the โ€˜tomorrowโ€™ to receive the reward. 

    One has to read the Parsha of Amalek on Shabbos. Only on Shabbos can one truly eradicate Amalek. It is the antithesis of Amalek. It is the day of Tomorrow.

    โ€จBut you can only see that if you realize that the entire world is directed and guided by HaShem. If in this world you can see the hidden hand of HKBโ€H.

    โ€จOnly on Shabbos, and only in Olam HaBa can we see that all of this world is truly one. Only on Shabbos can we see that HaShem is the King. Therefore, on Shabbos, we read Parshas Zachor.

    โ€จThis is to prepare for Purim when we read the Megillah where all of this came true. Purim also has within it a day of Machar. When Esther asks the king for one more day for the Jews of Shushan, she asks that let tomorrow be like today. 

    The king is the King, as is well known in the Megilah. And the tomorrow is the Tomorrow of Olam HaBa.

    โ€จMaybe that is the connection between the walled cities specifically from the time of Yehoshua. We want to mention his merit in the connection to the Machar. Yehoshua was the one who had the first battle of Machar against Amalek. We ask that in his merit let us be able to have another Machar, and be able to complete his battle.โ€จAnd we daven for all of this to once again be seen speedily in our times!

    'ื•ืฉืžืชื™ ืคื“ื•ืช ื‘ื™ืŸ ืขืžื™ ื•ื‘ื™ืŸ ืขืžืš ืœืžื—ืจ ื™ื”ื™ื” ื”ืื•ืช ื”ื–ื”' (ืฉืžื•ืช ื—, ื™ื˜), ื ืจืื” ืœื™ ื‘ืกื™ืขืชื ื“ืฉืžื™ื 'ืžื—ืจ' ืื•ืชื™ื•ืช ืจืž'ื— ื•ืื•ืชื™ื•ืช 'ืจื—ื', ื•ื”ืขื ื™ืŸ ื”ื•ื ื›ื™ ื™ืฉืจืืœ ื›ืœ ืื—ื“ ืžื”ื ืฆืจื™ืš ืœืงื™ื™ื ืจืž'ื— ืžืฆื•ืช, ื•ื–ื” ืื™ ืืคืฉืจ ืฉื™ืขืฉื” ื›ืœ ืื—ื“ ืจืž'ื— ืžืฆื•ื•ืช ืขืฉื” ืืš ืข'ื™ ืื”ื‘ื” ืฉื™ืฉ ื‘ื™ืฉืจืืœ ื‘ื™ืŸ ื–ื” ืœื–ื” ื›ืœ ืื—ื“ ื™ื”ื™ื” ื ืฉืœื ื‘ืจืž'ื— ืžืžืขืฉื” ื—ื‘ื™ืจื•, ื•ืœื›ืŸ ืจืž'ื— ื”ื ืื•ืชื™ื•ืช 'ืจื—ื' ื›ื™ 'ืจื—ื' ื”ื•ื ืชืจื’ื•ื ืฉืœ ืื”ื‘ื” ืœืจืžื•ื– ืจืž'ื— ืžืฆื•ืช ื ืฉืœืžื™ืŸ ืืฆืœ ื›ืœ ืื—ื“ ื•ืื—ื“ ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ 'ืจื—ื' ืฉื”ื•ื ืื”ื‘ื” ืฉื™ืฉ ื‘ื™ืŸ ื–ื” ืœื–ื”, ื•ื™ื“ื•ืข ื›ื™ ืฉืœื™ืžื•ืช ืงื™ื•ื ืจืž'ื— ืขืฉื” ืžืกื•ื’ืœื™ื ืœื’ืื•ืœื” ื›ื™ ืจืž'ื— ืขืฉื” ื”ื ื‘ืกื•ื“ ื”ื—ืกื“ื™ื, ื•ื”ื ื‘ืกื•ื“ ื•'ื” ืฉื‘ืฉื, ื•ืฉืก'ื” ืœื ืชืขืฉื” ื”ื ืกื•ื“ ื”ื’ื‘ื•ืจื•ืช ื•ื”ื ื‘ืกื•ื“ ื™'ื” ืฉื‘ืฉื, ื•ื”ื’ืื•ืœื” ืชื”ื™ื” ืžืชื’ื‘ื•ืจืช ื”ื—ืกื“ื™ื ื•ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ ืฉืœื™ืžื•ืช ืชื™ืงื•ืŸ ื•'ื” ืฉื‘ืฉื, ื’ื ื™ื“ื•ืข ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ ืžื“ืช ื”ืื”ื‘ื” ืฉืชื”ื™ื” ืฉืœื™ืžื” ื‘ื™ืฉืจืืœ ืชื”ื™ื” ื”ื’ืื•ืœื”, ืœื–ื” ืืžืจ 'ื•ืฉืžืชื™ ืคื“ื•ืช ื‘ื™ืŸ ืขืžื™ ื•ื‘ื™ืŸ ืขืžืš ืœืžื—ืจ' ืื•ืชื™ื•ืช 'ืœืจืž'ื—' ื•ืื•ืชื™ื•ืช 'ืœืจื—ื' ืจื•ืฆื” ืœื•ืžืจ ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ ื–ื›ื•ืช ืจืž'ื— ืขืฉื” ืฉืขืชื™ื“ื™ืŸ ืœืงื‘ืœ ื‘ืกื™ื ื™ ื•ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ ื–ื›ื•ืช ืจื—ื ืฉื™ืฉ ื‘ื™ื ื”ื ื™ื”ื™ื” ื”ืื•ืช ื”ื–ื” ืฉืœ ื”ืคื“ื•ืช: ืื• ื™ื•ื‘ืŸ ื‘ืกื™ืขืชื ื“ืฉืžื™ื ื™ื“ื•ืข ื“ืงืจื™ืืช ืฉืžืข ื™ืฉ ื‘ื” ืจืž'ื— ืชื™ื‘ื•ืช ืžืคื ื™ ื›ื™ ื›ื•ื—ื” ื’ื“ื•ืœ ืœื”ื›ืจื™ืช ืืช ืื•ื™ื‘ื™ ื™ืฉืจืืœ ื”ืงืœื™ืคื•ืช ื•ื”ืชื—ืชื•ื ื™ื ืฉื‘ืจืฉื•ืชื ื•ื”ื™ื ืชื”ื™ื” ืœื”ื ื›ืžื• ืจื•ืžื— ืœื“ืงื•ืจ ื•ื›ืžื• ื—ืจื‘ ืœื”ืจื•ื’ ื›ืžื• ืฉื›ืชื•ื‘' ืจื•ืžืžื•ืช ืืœ ื‘ื’ืจื•ื ื' (ืชื”ืœื™ื ืงืžื˜, ื•) ื–ื• ืงืจืื™ืช ืฉืžืข ื•ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ ื›ืŸ ื™ื”ื™ื” 'ื—ืจื‘ ืคื™ืคื™ื•ืช ื‘ื™ื“ื' ืœื”ืจื•ื’ ืืช ืื•ื™ื‘ื™ื”ื, ื•ืœื›ืŸ ื’ื‘ื™ ืคื ื—ืก ื›ืชื™ื‘ 'ื•ื™ืงื— ืจืž'ื— ื‘ื™ื“ื•' ื•ืืžืจื• ืจื‘ื•ืชื™ื ื• ื–'ืœ ื–ื›ื•ืช ืจืž'ื— ืชื™ื‘ื•ืช ื“ืงืจื™ืืช ืฉืžืข ื•ื’ื‘ืจ ื‘ื–ื” ืขืœ ื”ืกื˜ืจื ืื—ืจื, ื•ื–ื”ื• ื“ืฉืืžืจ 'ื•ืฉืžืชื™ ืคื“ื•ืช ื‘ื™ืŸ ืขืžื™ ื•ื‘ื™ืŸ ืขืžืš ืœืžื—ืจ ื™ื”ื™ื” ื”ืื•ืช ื”ื–ื”' ืœืจืž'ื— ื”ืœืžื“ ืžืฉืžืฉ ื‘ืžืงื•ื ื‘ืขื‘ื•ืจ ื›ืœื•ืžืจ ื‘ืขื‘ื•ืจ ื–ื›ื•ืช ืจืž'ื— ืชื™ื‘ื™ืŸ ื“ืงืจื™ืืช ืฉืžืข ื™ื”ื™ื” ื”ืื•ืช ื”ื–ื” ืฉืœ ืคื“ื•ืช ืขืžื™ ืžื™ื“ ืื•ื™ื‘ื™ื”ื ื•ื’ื‘ืจ ื™ืฉืจืืœ, ื•ืœื›ืŸ ืื ื—ื ื• ืื•ืžืจื™ื ื‘ืกื•ืฃ ื”ื‘ืจื›ื” ืฉืœ ื”ืงืจื™ืืช ืฉืžืข 'ื”ื‘ื•ื—ืจ ื‘ืขืžื• ื™ืฉืจืืœ ื‘ืื”ื‘ื”' ื“ืชืจื’ื•ื 'ืื”ื‘ื”' 'ืจื—ื' ื•ืื– ืื ื—ื ื• ืžืชื—ื™ืœื™ืŸ ืœื•ืžืจ ืจืž'ื— ืชื™ื‘ื•ืช ื“ืงืจื™ืืช ืฉืžืข ื“ื–ื›ื™ื ื• ืœืจืž'ื— ืชื™ื‘ื•ืช ื“ืงืจื™ืืช ืฉืžืข ืฉืชื”ื™ื” ืจื•ืž'ื— ื•ื—ืจื‘ ื‘ื™ื“ื™ื ื• ื ื’ื“ ืื•ื™ื‘ื™ื ื• ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ 'ืจื—ื' ืฉื”ื•ื ืื”ื‘ื” ืฉื™ืฉ ืœื ื• ื–ื” ืขืœ ื–ื”:

    https://www.sefaria.org/Ben_Ish_Hai,_Halachot_1st_Year,_Vaera,_Introduction.1

  • Besalelโ€™s Mishkan - The Tragedy - The Triumph - Vayakhel

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     Although I am speaking to all of you, I am directing thse words primarily
    to the grandchildren and great grandchildren      

      

    I would like all of you to walk away with something which I not only hope
    you will never forget, but I hope you will pass it to your own children and
    grandchildren.      

    WHAT IS YOUR SUPER POWER   

  • Breaking through the blockage with the spear of 248 Ki Tissa

    Breaking through the blockage with the spear of 248 Ki Tissa

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     ืžื™ื”ื• ื”ืฉืœื™ื— ืฆื™ื‘ื•ืจ ืžืฆื“ ื‘ื—ื™ื ืชื• ื™ืฉ ืœื• ื›ื— ื™ื•ืชืจ
    ื‘ื”ืฉืœืžื” ื–ื• ืฉืœ ื›ืคืœ ืฉืœื•ืฉ ืชื™ื‘ื•ืช ื”ื ื–ื›ืจื•ืช ื•ืœื›ืŸ ืื ื”ืื“ื ืžืชืคืœืœ ืขื ืฆื‘ื•ืจ ืฉื™ืฉ ืฉื ืฉืœื™ื—
    ืฆื™ื‘ื•ืจ ืขื•ืžื“ ื™ืฉืžืข ื”ื›ืคืœ ืžืŸ ื”ืฉืœื™ื— ืฆื™ื‘ื•ืจ ื•ื”ื•ื ืื™ื ื• ืฆืจื™ืš ืœื›ืคื•ืœ ืืœื ืจืง ื™ื›ื•ื™ืŸ ืœื”ืฉืœื™ื
    ืจืž'ื— ืฉืœื• ืžืŸ ืฉืžื™ืขืชื• ื”ื›ืคืœ ืžื”ืฉืœื™ื— ืฆื™ื‘ื•ืจ      

      

    Go back to introduction  

    And I will make a
    distinction between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall come to
    pass.โ€™โ€ (ืฉืžื•ืช ื—, ื™ื˜), ื ืจืื” ืœื™ ื‘ืกื™ืขืชื ื“ืฉืžื™ื 'ืžื—ืจ' ืื•ืชื™ื•ืช ืจืž'ื—
    ื•ืื•ืชื™ื•ืช 'ืจื—ื'     

      

    ื•ืœื›ืŸ ืจืž'ื— ื”ื
    ืื•ืชื™ื•ืช 'ืจื—ื' ื›ื™ 'ืจื—ื' ื”ื•ื ืชืจื’ื•ื ืฉืœ ืื”ื‘ื” ืœืจืžื•ื– ืจืž'ื—
    ืžืฆื•ืช ื ืฉืœืžื™ืŸ ืืฆืœ ื›ืœ ืื—ื“ ื•ืื—ื“ ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ 'ืจื—ื' ืฉื”ื•ื ืื”ื‘ื” ืฉื™ืฉ ื‘ื™ืŸ ื–ื” ืœื–ื”,
    ื•ื™ื“ื•ืข ื›ื™ ืฉืœื™ืžื•ืช ืงื™ื•ื ืจืž'ื— ืขืฉื” ืžืกื•ื’ืœื™ื ืœื’ืื•ืœื”      

      

    ื•ืฉืก'ื” ืœื ืชืขืฉื” ื”ื ืกื•ื“ ื”ื’ื‘ื•ืจื•ืช ื•ื”ื ื‘ืกื•ื“
    ื™'ื” ืฉื‘ืฉื, ื•ื”ื’ืื•ืœื” ืชื”ื™ื” ืžืชื’ื‘ื•ืจืช ื”ื—ืกื“ื™ื ื•ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ ืฉืœื™ืžื•ืช ืชื™ืงื•ืŸ ื•'ื” ืฉื‘ืฉื,     

      

     ื•ื”ื™ื ืชื”ื™ื” ืœื”ื ื›ืžื• ืจื•ืžื— ืœื“ืงื•ืจ ื•ื›ืžื• ื—ืจื‘ ืœื”ืจื•ื’
    ื›ืžื• ืฉื›ืชื•ื‘' ืจื•ืžืžื•ืช ืืœ ื‘ื’ืจื•ื ื' (ืชื”ืœื™ื ืงืžื˜, ื•) ื–ื• ืงืจืื™ืช ืฉืžืข ื•ืขืœ ื™ื“ื™ ื›ืŸ
    ื™ื”ื™ื” 'ื—ืจื‘ ืคื™ืคื™ื•ืช ื‘ื™ื“ื' ืœื”ืจื•ื’ ืืช ืื•ื™ื‘ื™ื”ื,      

      

    ื”ืœืžื“ ืžืฉืžืฉ ื‘ืžืงื•ื
    ื‘ืขื‘ื•ืจ ื›ืœื•ืžืจ ื‘ืขื‘ื•ืจ ื–ื›ื•ืช ืจืž'ื— ืชื™ื‘ื™ืŸ ื“ืงืจื™ืืช ืฉืžืข ื™ื”ื™ื” ื”ืื•ืช ื”ื–ื” ืฉืœ ืคื“ื•ืช ืขืžื™ ืžื™ื“
    ืื•ื™ื‘ื™ื”ื ื•ื’ื‘ืจ ื™ืฉืจืืœ,     

      

     

  • The Mesirut Nefesh of Parents - Jeanette Bibi Aโ€™H

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  • Fire of Ur Kasdim and the Golden Calf - Ki Tissa

    Fire of Ur Kasdim and the Golden Calf - Ki Tissa

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

    Ki Tissa 5784 Aaron and Haran 

    In this weekโ€™s perasha we on the sin of the Golden Calf   

    Before we get into the text  

    Questions: Who collected the gold to build the egel? 

    Who built the egel?  

    Who built the alter in front of it?  

     How is that possible ?

     We have all heard that there are three cardinal sins which one is required to give their life for  

    What are they?  

    Lets first look at Halachot of
    Maimonidies - Rambam Yesodei HaTorah 5:7 

    What is the source that idolatry, sexual immorality and murder should not be committed even to save a life?  

    Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us, โ€œYou shall love Hashem, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.โ€ โ€œYour soulโ€ means even at the cost of oneโ€™s soul. This precludes idolatry.  

    Regarding murder to save a third party or to save oneโ€™s self from another who is coercing him, it is logical that one personโ€™s life cannot be sacrificed for anotherโ€™s.  

    Regarding sexual immorality, the Torah compares forbidden sexual relations to murder in Deuteronomy 22:26, where it says regarding rape that โ€œthis is just like a case where one person rises up against another to kill him.โ€ 

    Each day when we pray, we must remind ourselves of this in the Shema and again in the Amidah. In fact the Ben Ish Chair Rav Yosef Chaim writes when a person is saying the amidah and he comes to the last word of the first paragrah:  

    ื•ึผืžึตื‘ึดื™ื
    ื’ื•ึนืึตืœ ืœึดื‘ึฐื ึตื™ ื‘ึฐื ึตื™ื”ึถื ืœึฐืžึทึฝืขึทืŸ ืฉืึฐืžื•ึน ื‘ึผึฐืึทึฝื”ึฒื‘ึธื”: 

     

     

    ื›ืฉื™ื’ื™ืข
    ืœืžืœืช 'ื‘ืื”ื‘ื”' ื™ื›ื•ื™ืŸ ืœืžืกื•ืจ ื ืคืฉื• ืขืœ ืงื“ื•ืฉ ื”ืฉื ื›ื ื–ื›ืจ ื‘ื›ื•ื ื•ืช ืจื‘ื™ื ื• ื”ืืจ'ื™
    ื–'ืœ(ื), ื•ืœื›ืŸ ืžื ื”ื’ ื”ื—ืกื™ื“ื™ื ืฉื™ืืจื™ืš ื”ื—ื–ืŸ ื‘ื—ื–ืจื” ื‘ืชื™ื‘ืช 'ื‘ืื”ื‘ื”' ื›ื“ื™ ืœืขื•ืจืจ
    ื”ื›ื•ื ื” ื”ื ื–ื›ืจืช, ื•ื›ืœ ืื“ื ื™ื–ื”ืจ ื‘ื–ื” ื‘ื›ืœ ืชืคืœื•ืช ื‘ืœื—ืฉ ืœืžืกื•ืจ ืขืฆืžื• ืขืœ ืงื“ื•ืฉ ื”ืฉื ื‘ืชื™ื‘ืช
    'ื‘ืื”ื‘ื”' 

     

    So
    how can we begin to understand Aaronโ€™s behavior and his reward.  

     

    We
    hear the story of the Golden Calf  

    Maybe
    images from the movie  

    Charleston
    Heston throwing the tablets and the ground swallowing everyone  

    But
    important to see inside 

    Lets
    look at Chumash and Rashi  

    You
    can follow along if you like โ€“ Chapter 32

     

     ื•ึทื™ึผึทึฃืจึฐื ื”ึธืขึธึ”ื ื›ึผึดึฝื™ ื‘ืฉืึตึฅืฉื
    ืžืฉืึถึ–ื” ืœึธืจึถึฃื“ึถืช ืžึดืŸึพื”ึธื”ึธึ‘ืจ ื•ึทื™ึผึดืงึผึธื”ึตึจืœ ื”ึธืขึธึœื ืขึทืœึพืึทึฝื”ึฒืจึนึ—ืŸ ื•ึทื™ึผึฝึนืืžึฐืจึคื•ึผ ืึตืœึธื™ื•ึ™
    ืงึฃื•ึผื | ืขึฒืฉื‚ึตื”ึพืœึธึฃื ื•ึผ ืึฑืœึนื”ึดึ—ื™ื ืึฒืฉืึถึคืจ ื™ึตึฝืœึฐื›ื•ึผึ™ ืœึฐืคึธื ึตึ”ื™ื ื•ึผ ื›ึผึดื™ึพื–ึถึฃื” |
    ืžืฉืึถึฃื” ื”ึธืึดึ—ื™ืฉื ืึฒืฉืึถึคืจ ื”ึถึฝืขึฑืœึธึจื ื•ึผึ™ ืžึตืึถึฃืจึถืฅ ืžึดืฆึฐืจึทึ”ื™ึดื ืœึนึฅื ื™ึธื“ึทึ–ืขึฐื ื•ึผ ืžึถื”ึพื”ึธึฅื™ึธื”
    ืœึฝื•ึน 

  • The Network is Down and Grandpa is in Me - Tesaveh

    The Network is Down and Grandpa is in Me - Tesaveh

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

     This lack of connection and how, in
    these few short hours,     โ€œShemot Rabbah 52,2 relates that the
    scoffers amongst the Jews ridiculed the idea that Hashem would take up
    residence in a structure made by Moses. From this we see that not only did the
    Gentiles not credit the idea that the G-d of the Heavens had come down to
    earth, but even some of the Jews could not believe this. Accordingly, even
    though it was evident that Hashem's presence was indeed in the Tabernacle on
    the first day of Nissan, the day the Tabernacle had been erected, they did not
    consider this as evidence that Hashem's presence would remain there on a
    permanent basis.      

      

    The Gemara (Shabbat 22b) says that the
    Ner Tamid spoken of in the Torah, is referring to the ner maโ€™aravi โ€” the
    western lamp โ€” of the Menorah. It served as a testimony for all mankind that
    the Divine Presence dwells among the Jewish people.     

      

    They all burned the entire night and
    would extinguish in the early morning. In the summer, when the nights are
    shorter, they would burn into the morning hours. After they went out in the
    morning, the lamps would be cleaned out and fresh oil and new wicks would be
    placed in them. This service was known as โ€œhatavat haMenorahโ€ โ€” โ€œmaking goodโ€ โ€”
    i.e. preparing the Menorah for kindling. The candles would not be lit again
    until the late afternoon. The western candle, however, continued burning the
    entire day until it was time to kindle the Menorah again in the evening.     

      

    The Ohr HaChaim continues โ€ฆ โ€œthis served
    as testimony that Hashem's presence was there to stay.      

      

    I thought to myself, we have bars on the
    phone to indicate connection, while they had this flame on the menorah to
    indicate connection with Heaven above. So, what went through their minds when
    the flame went out?      

      

    When I got in the car, in the wee hours
    while it was still dark outside and entered the address in Waze, I noticed the phone
    had no service. Sometimes this happens, so I put the phone into airplane mode
    and then back to standard mode, causing it to search for a signal. It searched
    but found nothing. Instead of any reception lines, there was simply an SOS in
    the upper right-hand corner.      

      

    I went into settings and tried to see if
    anything was amiss and then I wondered if perhaps AT&T was down. I thought
    that was unlikely as all the other cars were driving and I noticed Waze running
    on their screens within their windshield holders.      

      

    As it was very early, I decided to stop
    at the Keli Mikveh as I had some things in the trunk to dip. I turned the phone
    off again while my hand froze as I dipped a frying pan, some glasses, and
    whatever else Chantelle packed into the bag. And I wondered if when I got back
    in the car, the phone would work. Maybe the zechut of dipping the dishes would
    fix things.     

      

    When you first find that youโ€™re
    disconnected, you panic. Is it me? Is it them? What if someone wants to reach
    me? I am expected to be connected always. Now I am not! Is there a pay phone. I
    actually looked for one on street corners, in the gas stations, and on the Belt
    Parkway. I had a quarter! And I was hoping to at least call someone and have
    them text the groups to tell them that my phone was out and I was unavailable
    so that no one would worry. But there are no payphones anymore.     

      

    At the second house, I thought to borrow
    a phone. But it was pretty much me and the family in mourning. So, I didnโ€™t
    bother. As I got back in the car, not having removed the phone from its
    holster, I thought about how at first, I panicked, and I felt so lost without a
    connected phone and without Waze, and without being able to look up where I was
    going, or to let anyone know where I was in a day and age when people worry if
    they are out of touch for even a moment. That initial panic gradually led to a
    feeling of being anxious which lessened to a feeling of concern, and finally acceptance.
    I said that Hashem disconnected me. It is what it is.     

      

    I wondered if this is what happened with
    benai Yisrael. The candle goes out. The line is dead. Is it a mistake? Can we
    reboot? Can we light it again. And between the end of the First Temple and the beginning
    of the second, we did. Maybe there werenโ€™t as many bars in the second temple,
    but there was steady connection for forty years and then not so steady a
    connection.     

      

    I imagine that as we turned off our
    connection whenever we felt like it, Hashem finally reacted in kind and shut
    down the system. The light of the Menorah went out. The bars went out. It was
    SOS,      

      

    We donโ€™t even remember what it was like to
    have that always open, clear and direct connect.     

      

    I made a call to the office, but became
    disconnected after a few seconds. I tried texting, but then the phone went back
    to SOS. Was it really my phone or was it AT&T? Do I need to go to the phone
    store. And with the service out again, I couldnโ€™t figure anything out. Strange
    puzzle!      

      

    Coming out of the tunnel and heading
    onto the FDR, service returned. I noticed on the family chat, a note explaining
    that AT&T was down all across the country and was gradually coming back.     

      

    But for a brief moment I understood what
    the light of the menorah meant. When it was on, we were connected and when it
    shut off, we were in a panic of SOS.      

      

    Shabbat Shalom 

      

  • You Illuminate The World Tesaveh

    You Illuminate The World Tesaveh

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

     Even though Noach was a tzaddik; nevertheless, he resembled the olive that keeps its oil trapped inside. He did not make an effort to venture out and teach his generation the ways of the Torah and its mitzvot. In contrast, Moshe Rabeinu resembled olive oil; he taught Torah to all of Yisrael. Thus, in his gilgul, he rectified Noachโ€™s flaw. 

    HKBโ€H wanted them to light the menorah with olive oil, so that we would understand that the purpose of studying Torah is to enlighten other peopleโ€”like olive oil that emerges from the olive and promotes memory.  

    Hence, HKBโ€H explains that the reason for the mitzvah of taking olive oil is โ€œto keep the lamp burning continuouslyโ€โ€”because
    it is a wonderful device for ensuring the perpetuation of the Torah.     

    We can now comprehend the great significance of the doveโ€™s deed after the mabul: โ€œThe dove returned to him in the evening, andโ€”beholdโ€”an olive leaf was in her mouth.โ€  

     After the dove saw that the water had receded from the surface of the earth, she wanted to alert Noach to the necessary tikun he was obliged to perform. Therefore, she brought him an olive leaf, hinting to him that he resembled an olive; he was keeping his oil
    confined and trapped within himself.      

     Furthermore, she was indicating to him that he would have to reincarnate as Moshe; Moshe would make amends for him by
    kindling the menorah with the oil of the oliveโ€”allowing the oil to     emerge for the benefit and enlightenment of others. 

     At this point, we can finally appreciate the cryptic wisdom of our sages in the Midrash: HKBโ€H said, โ€œJust as the dove brought light to the world, so, too, you, who are compared to the dove, brought olive oil and lit the lamp before Me, as it states: โ€œAnd you shall command . . . that they shall bring you oil.โ€   

  • Words Create Reality and the Insurance Question Tesaveh

    Words Create Reality and the Insurance Question Tesaveh

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi
  • Joining Heaven and Earth - LeShem Yichud - Terumah

    Joining Heaven and Earth - LeShem Yichud - Terumah

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi
  • Mishkan, Balance, Access & Unicorns - Terumah

    Mishkan, Balance, Access & Unicorns - Terumah

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi


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    Thinking in
    Rosh Hodesh Shabbat prayers      

      

    ืฉืึถืชึผึทืขึฒืœึตื ื•ึผ ื‘ึฐืฉื‚ึดืžึฐื—ึธื”
    ืœึฐืึทืจึฐืฆึตื ื•ึผ ื•ึฐืชึดื˜ึผึธืขึตื ื•ึผ ื‘ึผึดื’ึฐื‘ื•ึผืœึตื ื•ึผ, ื•ึฐืฉืึธื ื ึทืขึฒืฉื‚ึถื” ืœืคึธื ึถื™ืšึธ ืึถืช
    ืงึธืจึฐื‘ึผึฐื ื•ึนืช ื—ื•ึนื‘ื•ึนืชึตื™ื ื•ึผ, ืชึผึฐืžึดื™ื“ึดื™ื ื›ึผึฐืกึดื“ึฐืจึธื ื•ึผืžื•ึผืกึธืคึดื™ื ื›ึผึฐื”ึดืœึฐื›ึธืชึธื. ืึถืช
    ืžื•ึผืกึฐืคึตื™ ื™ื•ึนื ื”ึทืฉึผืึทื‘ึผึธืช ื”ึทื–ึผึถื”, ื•ึฐื™ื•ึนื ืจึนืืฉื ื”ึทื—ึนื“ึถืฉื ื”ึทื–ึผึถื”, ื ึทืขึฒืฉื‚ึถื”
    ื•ึฐื ึทืงึฐืจึดื™ื‘ ืœึฐืคึธื ึถื™ืšึธ ื‘ึผึฐืึทื”ึฒื‘ึธื” ื›ึผึฐืžึดืฆึฐื•ึทืช ืจึฐืฆื•ึนื ึธืšึฐ     

      

    Mishkan . Mikdash 

    But do we
    understand what we lost ?     

    Access  

    And, Do I make
    a difference      

      

    Unicorns  

    Ketuba Unicorn
    and Lion      

      

      

    Wrote Short
    story in Rhyme      

    A couple of
    years ago, our youngest Mariyah edited it and turned it into a small book      

    This week we
    read      

      

    2. 'Speak to the children of Israel, and
    have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him
    to generosity, you shall take My offering.     

      

    Among the various items used to
    build the Mishkan were the tachash skins that were used as the outer covering
    of the Mishkan as well as a slipcover for the vessels of the Mishkan while
    traveling through the desert.     

      

    David was once walking in the
    wilderness and climbed upon a hillโ€”which turned out to be, not a hill, but the
    back of the massive reโ€™em. The reโ€™em raised David up to the clouds (either
    because it was so big when it stood up, or perhaps because it had wings and
    took off). David prayed to God to save him     

      

    The Alshich HaKadosh (Toras
    Moshe, Shemos 26:14) connects the Tachash to the coming of Mashiach. There are
    two ways Mashiach can arrive; in the proper time (in the normal process of the
    world) or ืื—ื™ืฉื ื”, swiftly (see Yeshaya 60:22, Sanhedrin 98b). The word ืื—ื™ืฉื ื”
    shares the same root as the word Tachash.     

      

    The Arizal (Eitz Chaim 49:3)
    says that the Tachash is the spark of holiness in Kellipas Noga. With this in
    mind we can see that the Mishkan itself was inherently Kadosh (like the
    Mitzvos) whereas the covering of the Mishkan represents the Kedusha that in
    unleashed when we elevate the physical world (Kellipas Noga).      

  • The Hugging Cherubs and Dancing With My Wife - Terumah

    The Hugging Cherubs and Dancing With My Wife - Terumah

    · Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

     ื“ึผึทื‘ึผึตืจึ™ ืึถืœึพื‘ึผึฐื ึตึฃื™
    ื™ึดืฉื‚ึฐืจึธืึตึ”ืœ ื•ึฐื™ึดืงึฐื—ื•ึผึพืœึดึ–ื™ ืชึผึฐืจื•ึผืžึธึ‘ื”     

      

      

    Eben Ezra The words ve-yikchu
    li (that they take for Me) is similar to the form surah elai (turn
    in to me) (Jud. 4:18). Surah elai means turn from your place and come to
    me. Ve-yikchu li has a similar connotation. It means let him take from
    what he owns and give it to me. The same is true of Fetch me (kechi li),
    I pray thee, a little water (I Kings 17:10).     

      

    But if we look at the words  

    Vyikchu Li  

    They should take me  

      

      

    ื•ึฐืขึธึฅืฉื‚ื•ึผ ืœึดึ–ื™ ืžึดืงึฐื“ึผึธึ‘ืฉื
    ื•ึฐืฉืึธื›ึทื ึฐืชึผึดึ–ื™ ื‘ึผึฐืชื•ึนื›ึธึฝืืƒ     

      

    That I may dwell among
    (within) them: It does not say
    'within it,' which means that the place that God will sanctify to
    dwell there is within the children of Israel that encircle the Tabernacle with
    four banners.      

      

      

      

    The
    Talmud quotes in the name of Rav Katina that when the Jews came up for the
    pilgrimage festivals, the priests would pull back the curtain in the Beis
    HaMikdash and show them that the Cherubim (one of which had masculine features
    and one of which had feminine features) were embracing one another. The priests
    would say: โ€œSee how beloved you are before the Almighty, like the love of a
    male and female.โ€ [Yoma 54a]     

      

    [The
    Rishonim in tractate Yoma ask a very interesting question: The Cherubim were
    not always embracing. They were only embracing when the Jews 'did the Will
    of the Almightyโ€. Their embrace mirrored how G-d felt toward His people. When
    He loved them, they embraced; when G-d was angry with His people, they were
    separate. The Rishonim ask that when the Gentiles came into the Beis HaMikdash
    to destroy it, the last thing we would expect to find was the Cherubim
    embracing. They should have not even have been looking at one another! Why were
    they apparently mirroring G-dโ€™s Love for us at that moment?     

      

    How
    do WE understand this? The interpretation is that the Cherubim are like the
    famous Rorschach inkblot test. Psychologists and psychiatrists take blotches of
    ink that come out in random form and ask patients to tell them what they see.
    What a person โ€œseesโ€ says everything about what he is, where his thoughts are,
    where his values are, where his mind is.     

    But
    to Klal Yisrael, the embrace between a husband and wife does not have to be
    impure and profane. It can be the holiest of acts. The mitzvah of onah (having
    conjugal relations with oneโ€™s wife) of a Torah scholar is specifically on the
    night of the Sabbath, the holiest day of the week. If one would ask an
    untutored mind โ€œOn the holiest day of the week in what activities should a
    Talmid Chochom engage?โ€ the secular or non-Jewish perspective would be that
    marital relations would be the last thing one should do on such a day.     

      

    Rabbi
    Akiva states: โ€œAll Biblical writings are holy, but the Songs of Songs
    (portraying the love of a male for a female) is holy of holies.โ€ [Yal[Yalkut
    Shimoni] unlettered person reads Shir HaShirim with a snicker. The sensual
    descriptions seem far from holy writings. Rabbi Akiva states that not only is
    it holy, it is holy of holies. It symbolizes our relationship with the
    Almighty. Holiness or lack of it is all in the eyes of the beholder.      

      

      

      

    For years shops Shabsi was struggling to earn a livelihood. Life
    in 18th century Ukraine was not easy. But he always saved up some extra rubles
    to be able to afford a beautiful and festive Shabbos dinner for the holy day.
    Shabbos, an island in time, a transcendental oasis, was his cherished day, and
    he wanted to celebrate it with full tranquility and joy. But that past week,
    due to the heavy snow, there was no business. Nobody came to buy any books.
    Friday morning, he realized he didn't even have a single ruble to give to his
    wife to purchase food for Shabbos. There would be no candles burning, no wine,
    no Challah, no vegetables, no fish, meat, fruits or dessert. Sadness set into
    his heart. So he went to the synagogue and stayed there all Friday day, reciting
    psalms and studying the weekly Torah portion.     

      

    Shabsi continues telling the story. โ€œI made the Kaddish, and my heart
    swelled with gratitude to G-d for giving us the opportunity to celebrate this
    special, exquisite day, the day of rest, the day of oneness, the day of ecstasy
    and serenity. The day in which we can connect to our spiritual core. I was so
    grateful and so moved by what my wife had done. I could not contain my joy, and
    I asked my wife if she would dance with me. She agreed. So I joined my wife for
    a dance around the candlelit Shabbos table.     

      

    Sometimes you're sitting alone with your spouse or with another
    loved one or with yourself, enjoying a moment of holiness, of purity, of love,
    a moment of Shabbos. You're doing a mitzvah or you're engaged in Torah study.
    And you might think, โ€œIโ€™m just a simple man, a simple woman, unimportant,
    invisible, inconsequential. Who knows? Who cares?โ€ But as you kindle your flame
    of holiness in this world, and you dance with your blazing heart, remember,
    Heaven is dancing with you. And the Tzaddik laughs along.      

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