light of 12 Nisan 5781
A few great videos found their way to me while I was cleaning for Pessah...have a great one, and may Mashiah be revealed!!!
Six13: The Red Sea Shanty
Pessach Medley with Micha Gamerman (Hebrew | עברית)
9 Nisan 5781
by Rabbi Eli J. Mansour | first published here
The Gemara in Masechet Berachot (9a) notes a seeming contradiction between two verses that mention Yesiat Misrayim (the Exodus from Egypt). On the one hand, the Torah in Sefer Debarim (16:1) says, "Hosi’acha Hashem Elokecha Mi’Misrayim Layla" – "Hashem your G-d took you from Egypt at night" – clearly stating that Beneh Yisrael left Egypt during the nighttime. On the other hand, in Sefer Bamidbar (33:3), the Torah says that Beneh Yisrael left Egypt "Mi’maharat Ha’pesah" – the day after the offering of the Pesah sacrifice, during the day of the 15th of Nissan. To reconcile these verses, the Gemara explains that the redemption unfolded in two stages – it began at night, but was completed the next day.
How might we explain these two stages of redemption?
Our ancestors suffered two forms of subjugation in Egypt – physical and spiritual. Physically, of course, they were persecuted and enslaved, forced to perform backbreaking labor, and having their newborn infants taken from them and killed. But in addition, Beneh Yisrael were submerged in a dismal spiritual exile. Ancient Egypt was an especially decadent society. Idol-worship was rampant, as was immorality. Living in such a culture for over two centuries, Beneh Yisrael experienced a sharp decline. The Zohar famously teaches that Beneh Yisrael had fallen to the "49th level of impurity" – one very small step away from the 50th level, from which they would have been unable to recover. The environment in Egypt had become so contaminated that it had a corrosive impact upon our ancestors’ souls, causing them to be defiled.
On the night of Yesiat Misrayim, Beneh Yisrael experienced spiritual redemption. They partook of the Pesah sacrifice and Masa, and they remained in their homes throughout the night. They were required to remain in their homes not only to protect themselves from the plague of the firstborn which descended upon Egypt that night, but also to shield themselves from the spiritually defiled environment of Egypt. Families stayed at home together, eating their sacrifices, thereby extricating themselves from the impure forces that prevailed in Egypt. The next morning, they experienced physical redemption, leaving Egypt and making their way toward Mount Sinai and then toward the Land of Israel.
In the Haggadah, we read about five great Rabbis – Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar Ben Azarya, Rabbi Akiba and Rabbi Tarfon – who once spent the night of the Seder together in Beneh Berak, "and they spoke about the Exodus from Egypt that entire night." Some commentators explain the final phrase – "that entire night" – as referring not to when these Rabbis spoke about Yesiat Misrayim, but rather the content of their discussions. They focused not on the "daytime" redemption, the physical redemption from slavery, but rather on the "nighttime redemption," the spiritual redemption that Beneh Yisrael experienced. They felt that this was the component of Yesiat Misrayim that demanded greater attention.
***
Seems to me (HDG) that our long-awaited geulah could come in two parts too.
Pessah Sameah to one and all!
light of 5 Nisan 5781
by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher | first published here
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These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth each one with his neighbor; truth, and judgment of peace you shall judge in your cities. And let no one think evil of his neighbors in your heart, nor shall you love a false oath — for all these are what I hate, says the Lord.
1 Nisan 5781 — Hava haAharona Celebrates Am Yisrael's 3,333rd Birthday!
הוה האחרונה חוגגת את יום ההולדת ה-3,333 של עם ישראל
Rosh Chodesh Nissan Prayer from Rabbi Alon Anava on Vimeo.
An important message from Rav Anava (I don't know whether the Rav has been to the place he was supposed to be today, as mentioned below. Rather than erasing, I have struck out words that are now irrelevant as of this posting, as best I can without changing the meaning. - HDG):
There
is a very special prayer we recite today and Sunday (Rosh Chodesh).
This special prayer from the Shelah Hakadosh (Rabbi Yeshayahu Halevi
Horowitz) is to be recited on Erev Rosh Chodesh Nissan and on. The
prayer is for thanking Hashem for everything he gives us and how
generous Hashem is with us and MUCH more
One should also recite three (3) chapters of Tehilim 83, 130, 142 (which can be found on this page)
Since
our custom is to fast on Erev Rosh Chodesh for our prayers to be
accepted, we can either fast or redeem our fast with charity!
בס"ד
light of 1 Nisan 5781 — Hava haAharona Celebrates Am Yisrael's 3,333rd Birthday!
הוה האחרונה חוגגת את יום ההולדת ה-3,333 של עם ישראל
by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher | first published here
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25 Adar 5781
by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher | first posted here
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18 Adar 5781
This article has special resonance for me. Even though Purim is now over for everyone, I still smell it in the air. Reversal is always possible for our children, our ancestors and, of course, ourselves...
Thank you, Rabbi Mansour! - HDG
***
For my father's yom neshama/yahrzeit, which falls on Shabbat Parashath Ki Thisa, 22 Adar, this year: Lazer Wolf ben Tzvi Hirsh and Lillian (sorry, I don't know what her Hebrew name is).
And yes, really, Lazer Wolf. 😒
***
by Rabbi Eli J. Mansour | I found this here
Tradition teaches that Mordechai was a descendant of King Shaul, who lived centuries earlier and was the first king of Beneh Yisrael. As we read in the Book of Shemuel I (15), King Shaul had the kingship taken from him and his family because he disobeyed G-d’s command with regard to the nation of Amalek. The prophet, Shemuel, conveyed to Shaul G-d’s command that he lead a battle against the evil nation of Amalek, leaving no member of Amalek alive. Shaul mobilized an army and went out to war, but, violating the prophet’s instructions, the soldiers brought back Amalek’s cattle as spoils of war, and they also brought back the king of Amalek, Aggag, as a captive of war. For disobeying G-d’s command, Shaul forfeited the right to the kingship, and it was transferred to David.
Rav Moshe Alshich (1508-1593) comments that Mordechai, Shaul’s descendant, achieved a "Tikkun" ("rectification") of his ancestor’s mistake by leading the Jews to victory over Aggag’s descendant – Haman, and his followers. By waging this battle, and killing the Jews’ foes, Mordechai rectified the mistake made by Shaul. This explains why, as the Megilla emphasizes on several occasions, the Jews did not take any spoils after defeating their enemies – "U’ba’biza Lo Shalehu Et Yadam." As this battle served to correct the mistake made by Shaul, they abstained from the spoils – to atone for Beneh Yisrael’s having taken spoils after their battle against Amalek led by King Shaul. Indeed, the first letters of the words "U’ba’biza Lo Shalehu Et" are the letters that form the name "Shaul," alluding to the fact that it was because of Shaul that the Jews abstained from the spoils.
This is also the reason why Mordechai was appointed second-in-command of the Persian Empire after Haman’s downfall. Shaul forfeited rights to the kingship for failing to eradicate Amalek, and so once Mordechai rectified this mistake, royalty could now return to Shaul’s family.
After the sin of the golden calf, in response to Moshe’s pleas on behalf of Beneh Yisrael, G-d pronounced what is known as the "thirteen attributes of mercy." In this context, G-d said also that He is "Poked Avon Abot Al Banim Ve’al Beneh Banim" – that G-d remembers a person’s sins for future generations, with regard to his descendants. At first glance, this hardly sounds like an attribute of mercy. How is it merciful that G-d punishes people for their ancestors’ sins? The explanation is that G-d allows us the opportunity to have our sins atoned through the good deeds performed by our descendants. When a person leaves this world, it appears as though he no longer has any possibility of atoning for the wrongs he had committed during his lifetime. But this is not true. G-d, in His infinite mercy, allows these sins to be rectified through the Misvot performed by the deceased’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all future generations. This is, indeed, a remarkable attribute of kindness.
We might call this process "reverse inheritance." Normally, we think of a deceased parent as bequeathing assets to his offspring. But in truth, the offspring also "bequeath" to the deceased. The Misvot they perform are "deposited" into the deceased’s heavenly "account," enabling him to avoid punishment and earn reward, even many years after he departed from this world.
By working to raise our children along the path of Torah and Misvot, we prepare them and all their future offspring for a life of religious devotion, and also lay the groundwork for our own "Tikkun," our own atonement, for all eternity.
18 Adar 5781 — while the fragrance of Purim Meshulash still lingers in Yerushalayim🌹🌸🌺🎉 -HDG
by Efraim Palvanov, Mayim Achronim
– לעילוי נשמת אמנון בן אסתר –
On the night of March 1st, 1953, when Jews around the world had just finished celebrating Purim, attendants of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin found him laying semi-conscious on the floor of his bedroom. He was sick and hemorrhaging blood for the next several days until finally dying on the 5th of March. His death was announced to the public the following day. While most Jews around the world were probably jubilant at the news, little could they know of the incredible events—both political and spiritual—which were transpiring in the fateful days before.
18 Adar 5781
