Suddenly, real war is thrust upon us...

 26 Tishrei 5784 | כ"ו תשרי ה'תשפ"ד

 

 War - the Temptations (the original version, 1970)

If songs like this one had changed the world, we wouldn't be having this war now.
My beracha (blessing) is that our enemies will end up singing this song,
and the more shortly, the better!

 ***

The Eternal God of the Jews is a Jealous God, and He does not change, despite what others may tell you.

It won't be easy to explain to people who were taught that jealousy and envy are one and the same, synonymous. It wasn't always that way, and since this is a time of sorting things out and coming to clarity, I would like to contribute to that effort, even if only a little bit, by explaining why we need to separate them again in people's minds so that each has its own meaning, even though they usually refer to the same issues.

What does jealousy mean? What is different about it from envy? 

I'd like to share my studies on how and why God dealt with our "rubbing Him the wrong way" (my expression; our Torah example can be found in the Book of BaMidbar/Numbers, chapters 25 and 31, in parashioth Balak and Mattoth, respectively...) long ago, and how that relates to what's going on now.  

Of course, the offense back then was really much worse than a brush of another's hair in the wrong direction; part of the reason is because we don't fully understand God's prerogatives as the Creator, as opposed to our rights as human beings. Some have though that what God does is an example for them to follow, with disastrous results. Misunderstanding this, and many other things, has led to many mistakes, and even criminal actions, on the part of humans the world over.

We do have courts of justice to settle these things...or do we?

The work may be difficult if not impossible, but that doesn't mean we desist from hard questions. I am writing further about this topic, and how it applies to God and our relationship with Him. The war between Israel and Hamas (which might turn out to be between Israel and the "Palestinians" and even more) is a good place to use as an example before we start. I think that God allowed this war because we in Israel especially haven't been paying attention to His role in keeping it relatively peaceful here. Because our leadership is always blocking Him and His ways regarding how the country should be run, He cannot defend it fully. But He will, eventually, when enough of us say, "ENOUGH!"

I should not have to remind my readers that if we had done things the way He wanted them in 1967, when we had just won the Six-Day War, there would be total peace here (I'm looking at you, Moshe Dayan, who made the mistake of letting the wrong people have the Temple Mount at the worst possible moment, and a few others as well, for being all too generous after the war.).

Stay tuned. We may be in for a rocky ride here. Or — and this is what I'm hoping and praying for — a better way up and out of this situation and into the culmination of geulah shlemah for us and for all the good and decent people in the whole world.

***

More reading:

New prayer for the soldiers, translated to English | "I can't believe I'm alive," Rachel Edry told the news site Walla after her release | The "Settler" [Judea-Samaria Jewish Homeland] Heroes Saved Tel Aviv from a Katyusha Holocaust 2.0 | 50 Israeli Supreme Court Decisions...see why Israel needs judicial reform. | Al-Jazeera doesn't want you to see this video about the Temple Mount [Har haBayit]! |

Can antisemites participate in the positive fulfillment of prophecy? A bit of Haftarath BaMidbar

 28 Iyyar 5782 | 43rd Day of the Omer | Jerusalem Day

כ"ה אייר ה'תשפ"ב | מ"ג לעומר | יום ירושלים

Depiction of Hoshea haNavi. From Mosaic Magazine, a 2015 article

 

...and instead of being told, "You are Not-My-People," they shall be called Children-of-the-Living-God. — Hosea 2:1b*

The Haftarah after a Parashah is, so to speak, the "final word" on the subject at hand, written by mostly others in the Tana"ch, mostly Prophets. Even an Israeli secular-style dictionary defines the root verb of "haftarah (הפטרה)," which is "hiftir (הפטיר)," as "ending (one's words)."**

We just read this haftarah, Hoshea chapter 2 almost to the end, on Shabbat BaMidbar (the first portion of Numbers).

To those people who name-call the Jews who live in the Holy Land "occupiers," "fake Jews," "colonialists," "thieves," "the wrong color" and so on and so forth ad infinitum, ad nauseam: 

Do you know that you are fulfilling an end-time prophecy by participating in the lowering-down of regular, law-abiding, commonly-decent Jews?

Hoshea's own family as depicted was, in a real sense, a part of this prophecy, whether it was a real family or a parable; his children were called the negative names "Lo-Ruhama" (unpitied) and "Lo-Ami" (not-my-people) to show the unsympathetic feelings people would have against us, the descendants of many generations, whether good or bad. HaShem was showing Hoshea through his family how he saw the behavior of Israel, the nation, in the prophet's time. Could he continue to love his wife even though she was running around with other men?

As a prophecy, it acknowledges that we will be called all kinds of negative names down through the ages. And if you should be so fortunate as to live to experience the last clause in the verse, you will hear it said of us "Children of the Living G-d" — the most positive thing that can be thought of.

Us, and not some "other" of your choice. I hope you realize that you might drop dead from shock. You see, I'm not a prophet, but I'm warning you now. This will happen.

I'm not involved with any group or person that says "I'm warning you" but means "I'm planning to do this to you." However, The One Above can, and will, do what He wants, when He wants to.

Torah scholars learn that the prophecies that end well for our people must come true. Those that don't end so well are warnings for us to return to our Heavenly Father and live according to His ways; so, they don't have to occur.

But they will, if we don't do teshuvah! And it is not for antisemites to get involved in. It's pretty clear to me and to many of my fellow Jews that you know next to nothing about having a relationship with G-d over thousands of years.

We cannot deny our sins. The rest of the haftarah notes just a small part of them; at the end, we will be called back to Him, and we will answer, "My Husband!"

 And the non-Jews who stand against us now can escape their punishment if they take warnings like these seriously before the prophecy gets fulfilled, whether they convert to Judaism or remain obligated only to the 7 Noahide Laws.

To answer the title question, if you're still a Jew-hater by the time the prophecy gets fulfilled, you won't be able to participate in any of the positive aspects of its actualization. 

It's not up to me to convince you; but if you care about your future, make your decision to get away from it now.

*translation by Sefaria

**Oxford English-Hebrew / Hebrew-English dictionary, 1994, Kernerman Publishing Ltd. and Lonnie Kahn Publishing, Ltd., page 68, Hebrew-to-English. Hardback.

Happy Yom Yerushalayim ! יום ירושלים שמח

***

Ain Od Milvado parashat Bechukothai | AOM parashat Bamidbar by Rabbi Pinchas Winston (in the Melave Malka section of each parasha sheet) | Nothing proves Jordanian and Palestinian antisemitism like Jerusalem Day | Hoshea the Prophet - Wikipedia |

A Diary of Life (Rabbi Sprecher) and a special message from R' Anava for Rosh Hodesh Av

29 Tammuz 5781 | Happy Shabbat Rosh Hodesh Menahem Av! | Yom Neshama of Aharon haKohen

A Diary of Life

by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher

“These are the journeys of the Children of Israel. Moshe wrote their goings forth according to their journeys at the command of Hashem, and these were their journeys according to their goings forth.” (Bamidbar 33:1-2)

 

Parshat Masai begins with a review of the 42 encampments that Israel made in their 40 year journey through the Wilderness. Rashi notes that this is an illustration of the kindness of Hashem that, although it would seem that they were constantly on the move, never had any rest, this is not the case. Except for the first year when there were 14 encampments and the 40^th year when there were 8, in the intervening 38 years, there were only 20 stops, including one stop at Kadesh which lasted for 19 years. See Rashi to Devarim 1:46.

 

The Or Hachaim says that Hashem told Moshe that beginning with the Exodus from Egypt, he was to keep a written record of all encampments as they occurred. These notations accumulated until Israel reached the 42^nd stop, the Plains of Moav, where Moshe organized the list into the 48 verses that now follow. Included in this list are the incidences that took place at some of these encampments where the people saw the Hand of Hashem which took care of their every need and desire.

 

From this remark of the Or Hachaim that Moshe kept a diary of the four decades spent in the Wilderness, Rav Pam explains that we can extrapolate the practical insight for life.

 

Every person is a recipient of Hashem’s kindness many different ways. There are periods of great joy and accomplishments, and there are periods of travail and worry which are often resolved through the hidden Hand of Hashem. This happens to each person as an individual and to a family or a community as a group. Unfortunately, with the passage of time many of these illustrations of the Kindness of Hashem are only vaguely remembered, or even totally forgotten.

 

One way of fulfilling the command of “Remember the days of yore, understand the years of generation after generation” (Devarim 32:7), is to follow the lead of Moshe and record as they happen “one’s own encampments” in the journey through life.

 

Like the verses mentioned here in Parshat Masai, they will become a permanent written record of the goodness of Hashem in one’s own life as well as that of his family and community.

 

***

 

Rav Alon Anava: Special prayer for Rosh Chodesh Av

Rosh Chodesh is a very powerful day for prayers to be heard and accepted. This year 5781 (2021) Rosh Chodesh Av is on Shabbat, so we have double power. Take advantage of this opportunity to pray that G-d will transform darkness to light, evil to good and exile to redemption.

Take a few minutes to watch the video of Rabbi Anava explaining about this day and then follow the instruction below what to do.

Therefore on this powerful day there are a few things you want to do:

1. Light a 24 hour candle for Aharon Hakohen (Aaron the High Priest) before Shabbat
2. Give charity before Shabbat – Click here to submit a donation
3. Read chapters 22, 83, 130, 142 of Tehilim Before Shabbat – Find text HERE
4. Read Short prayer at the bottom of the page Before Shabbat – Find text HERE
5. Read ten (10) chapters of Tehilim 91 thru 100 On Shabbat Rosh Chodesh – Find text HERE – DO NOT READ FROM YOUR PHONE ON SHABBAT! – prepare the text/book before Shabbat!
6. Pray from your heart with your words anything you want and need – Ask from Hashem
7.  Take on yourself a good decision to add a Mitzvah to your daily schedule

IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure 1-4 is done and read Before Shabbat and 5-7 During Shabbat Rosh Chodesh!

To view the entire page, CLICK HERE.

The Link between Pinchas and Eliyahu Hanavi (Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher)

21 Tammuz 5781

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Link between Pinchas and Eliyahu Hanavi



by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher

The Zohar says that Eliyahu Hanavi was the Reincarnated soul of Pinchas, the grandson of Aharon, the High Priest. Pinchas was the hero whose act of Zealotry saved the Jewish People from destruction by a deadly plague (Bamidbar 25). Is Reincarnation mentioned in TANACH (The Bible)?

The Ramban and other Kabbalists state that the Book of Ruth teaches the doctrine of Reincarnation (Gilgul Neshamot) by exposition of the following verses. "Boaz married Ruth… and she gave birth to a son." (Ruth 4:13). Then in Ruth 4:17 it says, "A son is born to Naomi." The Ramban explains that this verse is not a TYPO. The verse reveals that Ruth's child was in fact the Reincarnated soul of Naomi's deceased son, Machlon. The name, Machlon, means illness. He became spiritually sick by leaving the Land of Israel and marrying a non-Jewish woman, Ruth. Thus G‑d recycled his soul to become Ruth's child, Oved, which means the servant of G‑d, who became the grandfather of King David.

The Ramban also brings another proof text for Reincarnation from the book of Job, "Wow, all these wonders G‑d does, two or three times with a person. To bring back his soul from the grave, to light up his life with the living light." (Job 33:29-30).

Why is there Reincarnation? Life works the way that education works, which is about moving up from level to level as one matures and becomes more intelligent. The educational process that we go through in life is meant to enhance a person's ability to function in the world and to help people make the most of their lives. Life is about our need to become responsible members of society.

As a person grows up, his spiritual capabilities also increase and mature but not automatically. The more one puts into an education the more one derives from it. Similarly the more one puts into spiritual growth, the more one grows spiritually, and the more spiritually empowered one becomes. This process of spiritual growth enables one to enjoy and delight in G‑d's presence for eternity in the Afterlife.

Kabbalah teaches that though we all have one, special soul, each soul is actually comprised of five parts, each of which has a specific name – Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chaya, and Yechidah. Nefesh is the life force. Ruach is the spirit. Neshamah is the breath of life. Chaya is the living soul, and Yechidah is the unique soul. These soul parts represent the path to spiritual completion and perfection, because each level up provides increasingly greater access to higher levels of spiritual capacity and eternal closeness to G‑d.

At birth every individual has all five levels of soul. We have to if we are going to continuously receive G‑d's light to keep us functioning, since the five levels of soul connects us to the light of G‑d which nourishes our souls and keeps our bodies alive. To be missing a level of soul would be to break the connection between a person and G‑d, the Source of Life.

The Torah gives a person access to higher levels of spiritual understanding and to the perfection of the soul. The problem is that the Evil Inclination can interfere with our ability to climb the soul ladder from Nefesh to Ruach to Neshamah, etc. so much so that time can run out on our lifetime before we are done. People often remain stuck on the lowest levels of soul for decades, or even entire lifetimes. G‑d can't afford to give up on any soul as Job 31:2 states, "Chelek Alokai mimaal" (We are a portion of my G‑d from above.) Thus there is Reincarnation. We return to complete and perfect what we started in other lifetimes even if we aren't aware of who we were or where we were. The Hebrew word for Reincarnation is Gilgul which means recycling.

The word GILGUL in Hebrew, Gimmel Lamed Gimmel Vav Lamed, has the numerical value (GEMATRIA) of the word CHESED, Chet Samech Dalet, lovingkindness, which both equal the number 72 which is one of G‑d's Mystical Names, Shem Ayin Bet = 72. When this type of numerical connection occurs, it implies a profound, conceptual relationship. GILGUL is the ultimate CHESED of G‑d, in that a soul is given another chance for the refinement of its past and the spiritual growth and advancement of its future.

To succeed in Eternity, a soul must return to this physical world again and again to do its TIKKUN (correction/fixing) and to fulfill its spiritual mission.

***

 

The Incomprehensible Power of Teshuva (Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher)

 7 Tammuz 5781

 

 

 

 

 

 by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher

Rashi in Parshat Chukat quotes a Midrash that explains that the Red Heifer is a tikun for the Sin of the Golden Calf. "To what can this be likened? To a maid that worked in the palace of the king. One day her child came and soiled the palace with his filth. The king said: 'Let the mother come and clean up her child's filth.'" This is the concept of atonement for the golden calf, for the Holy One said: "Let the red heifer come and atone for the golden calf."

 

The Midrash examines the concept of the Red Heifer and the Golden Calf, and finds many striking parallels and connections. For example: 

 

1.   Why must the heifer be red? Scripture likens sin to red because, when a person sins, he forfeits his blood: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be like red crimson, they shall be white as wool" (Isaiah 1:18). Says the Holy One: Since Israel's sins are red, let the heifer also be red — and when it is burned, its ashes are white... thus the prophet assures his people in the Creator's name that God promises, "they shall be white as snow."

 

2.   In order for the heifer to be fit, it must never have carried a yoke. This is an allusion to Israel, who threw off the yoke of Heaven in insubordination when they worshiped the golden calf.

 

3.   Why must the heifer be given to Elazar, an assistant, and not the High Priest himself? Because Aaron oversaw the creation of the golden calf; and therefore, it would not seem proper for him to officiate with the heifer. There is a principle: "The same one who was prosecutor, cannot become defense attorney."

 

4.   The heifer is burned, an allusion to the calf that was burned: "And he took the calf which they had made, and burned it in the fire..." Ex 32:20.

 

5.   Three species are used: hyssop, cedar, and scarlet wool, which are reminiscent of the 3,000 who fell at the Sin of the Calf. And why these three? The cedar is the highest, and the hyssop is the lowest...and whoever is haughty (equal to the sin of idolatry) must become like a worm (from which the red dye is obtained) in his own eyes, as King David prayed: "I am a worm and not a man" (Psalm 22:7). If he will lower and humble himself, his sins will be atoned.

 

6.   Just as the Sin of the Golden Calf exerts its influence forever, as it states: "…on that day I will remember you and I will remember your sin…" (Ex 32:34), so too the Holy One commanded that the ashes of the red heifer be kept as a remembrance for all generations: "And they shall be for the congregation of the children of Israel a remembrance." And just as the golden calf rendered all those who participated in it impure — for idolatry causes impurity, as it is written: "You shall cast it away as a thing impure..." (Isaiah 30:22) — so the heifer renders all those who come into contact with it impure. And as Israel became pure when Moses burned the golden calf — fire being the symbol of purging sin — so Israel becomes pure through the burning of the red heifer.

 

Since we have received an explanation that the purification by the heifer's ashes is related to the Golden Calf episode, and from Rashi’s “they” who said, "Let the mother come and clean her child's filth" — then why is the ordinance of the red heifer still called a "chok"? Surely the element of mystery has abated; it is simply a matter of rectifying the Sin of the Golden Calf! Why did King Solomon state regarding the Red Heifer: "I said I will get wisdom, but it is beyond me" (Ecclesiastes).

 

Yes, even if it is granted that the secret mechanism which powers the cleansing of these ashes is the power of teshuva, this itself is above the realm of comprehension! For even the greatest wisdom and understanding cannot fathom or explain the power of teshuva and how it works...only the Holy One Himself, in his Infinite Mercy, decreed that it should be so. Teshuva is the most mysterious Godly secret of all!

 ***

 

Listen to Your Wife! (Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher)

 1 Tammuz 5781 (Rosh Hodesh B)

 

 

 

 

 

Listen to Your Wife!



by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher | first published here

In his revolt against the authority of Moses and Aaron, Korach was supported by Dathan and Abiram and by On, the son of Peleth. The opening verse of this sidra is the only place where On ben Peleth is mentioned; and his name does not occur in the more detailed narrative that follows. Noting the absence of the name from the subsequent account, the Talmud states, that On, the son of Peleth, was saved from the consequences of his folly by the wisdom and sound common sense of his wife. She pointed out to him that he had nothing to gain from rebelling because whoever remained the leader, Moses or Korach, he would be simply a follower (Sanhedrin 109b). He took her advice, withdrew from the rebellion and was saved.   The Midrash finds allusions in his name to the initial involvement of On ben Peleth in Korach's mutiny. He is called On (connected with aninut, "mourning") because he did not cease from mourning for having sided with Korach; and he is named ben Pelet (connected with pele, "miracle") because he was rescued from destruction by a miracle. The Midrash also understands the words of Proverbs "The wise among the women build her house" (14:11) to refer to On's wife whose wisdom rescued her household from destruction, and it takes the continuation of the verse "But the foolish woman overthrows it with her own hands" to refer to Korach's wife who, in encouraging her husband to rebel, destroyed him and herself (Bemidbar Rabbah 18:15).   The good influence a Jewish woman can have is most effectively exerted in her home, the strongest fortress for moral values. As King David says in Psalms: "the glory of the King's daughter is in her home." From the earliest times in the history of Israel the honored place of the Jewish woman was first and foremost in her home because of the Jewish values she nurtures in her family.   The most vital areas of a Jew's life are entrusted to women's care and attention. Thus, the Mishna in Tractate Shabbat mentions three mitzvot specifically highlighting the woman's powerful and central role in Judaism: niddah (laws of family purity), challah (sanctifying a portion of baked bread), and hadlakat nerot (lighting candles). Niddah governs sexual relations and procreation; challah symbolizes sanctity and kashrut in the home, and candles are a symbol of the Sabbath and the Festivals, that we are able to sanctify time.   The Torah states that G-d created Eve from Adam's rib in order that she should be a helpmate for him (Genesis 2:18) – ezer kenegdo. The Hebrew phrase is somewhat contradictory. Ezer is "a help", and kenegdo is "against him". In the Talmud (Yevamot 63a) Rabbi Elazar solved the difficulty by saying that if her husband is worthy she is to help him, but if he is not worthy she is against him. Perhaps, however, she sometimes helps him by being against him. If she smooths his rough edges , corrects his faults and points out when he is wrong, she helps him by not mirroring or reinforcing his shortcomings. Sometimes only a wife can appropriately correct her husband. A man is often a poor judge of his own character and cannot see himself objectively. Thus, the gematriya (numerical value) of אשה (wife) in Hebrew equals מוסר (rebuke), because only a wife can properly reprove and correct her husband. Musar (rebuke) also in gematriya equals דבש (honey). For rebuke to be effective, it must be given in a sweet and pleasant manner.   ***       I bring this here because Rav Eliyahu, זצוק"ל, used to live in my neighborhood before he passed, and one of his sons is the rabbi of one of the batei knesset  here. I am also happy that he did so much good for Jonathan and Esther.   Of course, we also know that Jonathan listens to his wife and keeps her close — the point of this post! H/t Devash.   ***   Also read: Crunch Time: The Last Trimester of the Final 9 Months (may it be so, or even sooner!)   Hodesh tov uShabbath Shalom!

Moshe – The Most Humble Man

 17 Sivan 5781 | Erev Shabbat B'ha'alothcha

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moshe – The Most Humble Man



by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher | first posted here

The Torah states in Parshat Behaaloscha “The man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any other person on the face of the earth.” (Bamidbar 12:3)   Rashi defines the word ענו as humble, patient, and tolerant. His sister Miriam and his brother Aaron criticized him for separating from his wife and felt that what he did was improper by divorcing Tzipora. But since Miriam was the one who spoke lashon hara about Moshe to her brother Aaron, she was afflicted with Tzaras.   What was Moshe’s reaction to this criticism from his siblings? The answer is silence! Because the true mark of humility is the ability to accept criticism and be a tolerant person, even to those who mistreat and verbally abuse him.   Although Moshe was the greatest navi of Klal Yisrael, and was aware of his uniqueness, he was nonetheless the most humble person who ever lived. Because he realized that his achievements and abilities and level of prophecy were given to him by G‑d, thus he had no right to feel arrogant for doing what he was capable of.   The Rambam in Hilchos Tshuva states that it is the trait of a Baal Tshuva to be humble and tolerant. If he wants to rectify his sins against G‑d and man, he should contemplate his many short comings and character flaws. The Chofetz Chaim says that an arrogant person is seriously deficient in intelligence. Had he made an accounting of his failures and shortcomings, he would come to the conclusion that there was nothing to be haughty and arrogant about. The verse in Tehillim 93 says “Hashem has reigned. He has clothed Himself in grandeur.” When a human being acts in such a manner he is in effect donning the kingly garb of his Creator.   Our father Abraham said about himself “I am but dust and ashes.” (Bereshis 18:27) The greatest teacher and prophet Moshe described himself “For what are we?” King David said about himself in Tehillim 22, “But I am a worm and not a man.” Mashiach is described by the Prophet Zechariah in chapter 9 as a humble person riding on a donkey. If so, how can we act in a conceited and prideful manner?   At Matan Torah, Klal Yisrael experienced the grandeur of Hashem and their own insignificance. As we read this parsha shortly after Shavuot, it is a time to contemplate the vital importance of this trait of humility and tolerance.

613 Mitzvot – or 913? --by Rabbi Sprecher

 25 Iyyar 5781



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher | first published here

“But they shall not come and look as the Holy Objects are covered, lest they die.” (Bamidbar 4:20)

 

The Sefer HaChinuch writes that Parshat Bamidbar does not contain any of the 613 Mitzvot of the Torah.

 

The Baal Halachot Gadolot disputes the words of the Sefer HaChinuch and says that Bamidbar does have one Mitzvah, the verse cited above. This verse prohibits the Levi’im from staring at the utensils of the Mishkan as they were being wrapped by the Kohanim in preparation for transport. Once the Holy Objects were properly covered, it was the task of the Levi’im to load them on their shoulders and carry them to the next station in the midbar*.

 

The Rambam in Sefer HaMitzvot says that the count of the 613 Mitzvot of the Torah includes only those that were relevant and applicable forever. Mitzvot that were one time occurrences, or short term for the midbar, were not included. Had they been, there would be almost 300 additional Mitzvot besides the 613 Mitzvot! Thus, Rambam agrees with Sefer HaChinuch that there are no Mitzvot in Parshat Bamidbar because the prohibition of the Levites from staring at the utensils of the Mishkan was only applicable in the midbar therefore making it a temporary Mitzvah.

 

Rambam bases his opinion on the Talmud, Makos 23b, which quotes the pasuk “The Torah that Moshe commanded us is the heritage of the congregation of Yaacov.” (Devarim 33:4)

 

The gematria of the word Torah is 611, the number of Mitzvot that Moshe himself taught Israel after the nation had heard the first two of the Ten Commandments from Hashem Himself, thus making a total of 613.

 

Since the Mitzvot are described as the heritage of the Congregation of Yaacov, it stands to reason that the 613 Mitzvot are not one time events, but permanent ones that apply forever.

 

This would exclude the prohibition cited in the verse above, which was applicable only during the forty years of the generation of the midbar.

 

***

* midbar = desert. Bamidbar, the Hebrew name for the Book of Numbers, means "in the desert."

 

 

More news on the La"G laOmer tragedy, and other topics, can be found on the right hand sidebar. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

UPDATE 20210508: Rivka Levy has a Meron video focusing on the bottom of the stairs and needs help figuring out what's happening there. More HERE.

 

Also a new UPDATE  20210509: Video from 'Area 42' where the crush happened.

Two Short Rabbi Sprecher Articles: "Life's Journeys" and "Nourishing G-d?" + Video

Originally posted

Posted: 16 Jul 2020 09:38 AM PDT

24 Tammuz 5780

Posted again 1 Av 5780 because the first one didn't work!

Life’s Journeys

“These are the journeys of the Jewish People that left Egypt ….” (Bamidbar 33) The Baal Shem Tov taught that these 42 journeys that the People made from the time they left Egypt until they arrived at the Promised Land correspond to the 42 Spiritual Journeys that we make throughout our lives. We begin from birth, just as the Exodus from Egypt is the Jewish Peoples national birth. The final journey is to the spiritual Promised Land and to the life that awaits us in the World to Come.

Although some of the intervening journeys during the trek through the desert were accompanied by setbacks, also all the stops on our spiritual journey through life has it’s ups and downs.

If we choose good over evil, we will live through these stages of life as G‑d intends. Just like the Jewish People in the desert, if we make some wrong choices, we will experience them as temporary setbacks.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that in every step of the journey of life, we strive to make the right choices. But we should also recognize that even spiritual setbacks can be transformed into positive growth experiences. As the Kabbalah teaches, Yeridah v’Tzorech Aliyah, Sometimes in life You have to go down spiritually in order to ascend higher and higher. On the long and winding road through life, sometimes we descend and sometimes we ascend, just like the Angels going down and up the ladder in Jacob’s dream.

***

Nourishing God?

“G‑d tells the Jewish People “You must guard My offering, My FOOD for My fire offering.” (Bamidbar 28) G‑d calls the offering His daily “food”, for just as food sustains the body, so did the offering draw sustaining Divine life force into the world.

 

The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that the constancy of the daily offerings express the eternal bond between G‑d and the Jewish People. Today we have no offerings. Thus the daily prayers were instituted to parallel the daily sacrifices and substitute for them in the absence of the Beit HaMikdash.

 

Thus, explains the Rebbe, our daily prayers also “sustain” G‑d. If we ever doubt how important our prayers can be, we should recall that G‑d considers them vital to the world’s existence and maintenance.

 

Therefore, prayers are as important to G‑d as our daily food is to us. Prayer is the original soul food and is essential for our well being as well as G‑d’s!

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Note: Rabbi Sprecher's students and friends are raising money for him because he lost his paying job at the OU Center and because his health is worse than we had thought. The link will be coming soon, and I will post it under the "Pray for the Sick" section of the sidebar on the right and on my R' Ephraim Sprecher Videos page. In the meantime, please continue to pray for Rav Ephraim Avraham ben Rivka.

Thank you!

The Spies’ Tunnel Vision + VIDEO (Parashath Shelah Lekha - Israel)

20 Sivan 5780

   by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher

Are we able to defeat the Giants? (Remember Willie Mays?) The Torah tells us that the inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael were y’lide ho’anaq, remnants of a race of Giants. When the M’raglim, the Spies, returned with their report, they announced: “The people that dwell in the land are fierce, and the cities are fortified and very great; moreover, we saw the children of Giants there.” (Bamidbar 13:28) And again, (Bamidbar 13: 32,33) reference is made to the anshe middoth, the men of great stature, and the n’philim, the primeval Giants.   The Torah wants to impress upon us the fact that not Bigness was to conquer and hold the Holy Land – but Greatness. The Spies used the wrong measuring rod of Bigness, and that was their tragic and fatal error. However, G‑d desires Greatness not Bigness. This view of Bigness vs. Greatness is expressed in many places in Tanach. Yitzchak referred to Eisav as bno hagadol (his big son) (Bereshit 27:2), and the Rabbis comment, Hashem said to Yitzchak, “Im gadol hu b’einecha, baeinai hu nanas shebananasim.” “By your standards Eisav may be Big; but by My standards Eisav is a dwarf, a spiritual midget.” (Bereshit Rabba 65:11)   In the 16th Chapter of Shmuel Aleph we are given a beautiful description of the Biblical concept of Greatness, as opposed to the popular concept of Bigness. The prophet Shmuel is sent to Bethlehem to select a successor to Shaul Hamelech in the kingship. One by one Shmuel looks upon the sons of Yishai and thinks that this one or that one is the anointed of Hashem, but Hashem says to him: Al tabeit el mareihu v’el g’vah komato…ki lo asher yireh haadam, ki haadam yireh laeinayim v’Hashem yireh laleivav.” “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature… for it is not as a man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but Hashem looks in the heart.” (Shmuel Aleph 16:7). And it is Little David who was physically shorter than all of his brothers, who was selected, not by the standard of Bigness, but by the measuring rod of Greatness.   Bigness is measured from the chin down; but Greatness is measured from the chin up. A person may be the biggest and tallest player in the NBA and still be a mental midget. The Greatness of a people is no more determined by their number than the Greatness of a person is determined by his height. This is certainly true in the case of Israel. As the Torah says: “For you are a Holy People to Hashem, your G‑d… Hashem did not choose and desire you because you were more in number than any people – for you are the fewest of all peoples…” (Devarim 7:6,7).   We were selected because of Greatness, because of being an Am Kadosh (a Holy People) and not for our size and numbers. When we are counted it is from the chin up that we are counted – ki thissa et rosh – “when you raise up the head…” (Shemot 30:11) Naso et rosh, “When you lift up the head…” (Bamidbar 4:22).   Judaism is a religion which does not stress Bigness. For Bigness, a key word in our society today, is very often bought at the expense and pain of others, but true Greatness is attained by developing the best within ourselves. That is why the Am Kadosh (the Holy People) never had to fear the B’ne ‘Anak – the Giants. For ultimately our spiritual Greatness must triumph over the Giants, mere Bigness.   Thus, the end of the Parsha of the Spies deals with the Mitzvah of Tzitzit. Rav Soloveitchik explains that the blue Techelet of Tzitzit is a symbol that all events in life are as profound and mysterious as the deep blue sky. For example, why certain people suffer and others don’t. The Talmud in Menachot states that the blue Techelet of Tzitzit reminds us to look up at the blue heavens and admire the incredible, vast expanse of endless space, leading to its Source, the Ein Sof – G‑d. As Tehillim 19:2 states, “The Heavens tell the glory of G‑d’s Greatness”. By admiring and appreciating G‑d’s Greatness, we can achieve and attain our own greatness as well.   The tragedy of what the spies reported was due to their using the wrong measuring rod because of their Tunnel Vision and NOT relying on the Torah’s Vision. *** Please pray for complete healing for Rabbi Sprecher: R' Ephraim Avraham ben Rivka. Thank you!

The Menorah – Light Up My Life!

13 Sivan 5780 | Erev Parashath Beha'alothkha

for the ascension of the soul of Yerachmiel Lipman Nissim ben Ezra and Alegre

לעילוי נשמת ירחמיאל ליפמן ניסים בן עזרא ואלגרה

   by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher | first posted here at Hava haAharona

Parshat Beha’alotcha begins with the Mitzva for the Kohen to light the Menorah daily, in the Mishkan and later on in the Beit HaMikdash even on Shabbat.

 

What is the message of the Menorah for us when we have no Mikdash? And we know that the Torah is G‑d’s GPS (G‑d’s Personal System) for us in the year 2020 and beyond.

 

The Mishna (Avot Ch. 4) teaches, "There are three crowns: The crown of Torah, the crown of Kehuna (priesthood) and the crown of Monarchy." Corresponding to these three, with which Israel were crowned, there were three crowns on the Temple vessels. The crown of Torah corresponds to the gold crown, which was set on the Ark of Testimony (containing the Two Tablets). The crown of Kehuna corresponds to the incense altar, for only regarding the Kohanim (priests) does it say, "They shall place incense in Your Presence, and put sacrifices on Your Altar" (Deuteronomy 33:10). Finally, the crown of monarchy corresponds to the table in the Sanctuary, for tables, which in Biblical and later Hebrew can symbolize wealth and bounty (see Psalm 23), may here be viewed as evoking the economic and political power of the state.

 

Still, the Mishna adds that there is yet another crown, "the crown of a good name," which "surpasses them all." This crown is NOT enumerated among the others. Rather, it is kept separate from them and it stands on its own. To what does this crown correspond in the Temple?

 

The Maharal of Prague associates this crown with the fourth vessel of the Temple - the pure-gold Menorah. The Menorah has no gold crown on it. Neither is it made of acacia wood inlaid with gold. Rather, the whole menorah is like a pure golden crown, embellished with golden cups, spheres and flowers. The crown of the menorah is not something extrinsic to it - the menorah itself is a crown.

 

It is the same with a person’s good name. It is not an external crown that is placed upon his head. A man's good name touches on his very essence. It includes his whole personality in all its components. It is not an external image, fashioned by public relations professionals, photographers, and newsmen. A person’s good name is the reputation that he earns for himself through his whole life's work, all his deeds and ventures. That is why this crown surpasses all the others.

 

A man's good name does not find expression at the beginning of his life. Rather, it is acquired through strenuous, daily toil over the course of one's whole life. King Solomon therefore said, "A good name is better than precious oil" (Ecclesiastes 7:1). But however good it may be, oil is applied externally to a person's body, while a person's good name is that person himself.

 

Moreover, that same verse concludes, "and the day of death is better than the day of birth." Only on the day that a man dies is the good name that he acquired for himself during his life fully revealed. The Menorah causes us to reflect on the type of life we are living.

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Please pray for complete healing for Rabbi Sprecher: R' Ephraim Avraham ben Rivka.

Thank you!

The Three Weeks: Mourning or Redemption? Two Views of haShem's Plan A and Plan B

23 Tammuz 5779

As I've said before, "...when religious and secular Jewish colleagues agree on something, or they discuss the same matter, major events are about to happen."

Here we are again. Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher and Ariel Natan Pasko, the independent analyst and consultant who writes The Think Tank, write about the dual nature of the Three Weeks. Is it about mourning or redemption? Plan A or Plan B? Both articles are reprinted in total here.

As R' Sprecher says, "You make the call." That goes for each and every one of us.

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Tisha B’Av – PLAN A or PLAN B?

by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher | first published here

The Mitzva to mourn on Tisha B’Av is only temporary, (PLAN B) until it becomes a permanent day of joy and celebration when Mashiach comes as stated in Zacharya 8. Thus, Tisha B’Av is destined to be part of our Halachic tradition, but NOT as a day of eternal mourning.

Therefore, in Megillat Eicha, which is read on Tisha B’Av, Yirmiyahu refers to Tisha B’Av as a MOED – Festival (Eicha 1:15 and in 2:22). That is why we don’t say Tachanun and Selichot on Tisha B’Av (Shulchan Aruch 559).

An example of this idea appears in Yirmiyahu 31 “Then (in the Messianic Era) the young women will dance joyously. Young men and elders will also dance together. I (G-d) will turn their mourning to joy. I (G-d) will comfort them and cheer them from their grief and sorrow.”

This verse clearly echoes the statement expressed by Zacharya. Yirmiyahu is NOT predicting some new, joyous celebration with no roots in the past. Rather, G-d will turn the mourning of centuries of exile into joy and celebration when Mashiach comes.

Why is it that in the time of Mashiach the Fast of the 17^th of Tammuz and the Fast of Tisha B’Av commemorating the CHURBAN will become joyous festivals and not just ordinary days? Why is it not sufficient that these fasts will just be cancelled?

The answer is that these tragic mournful days will assume their ORIGINAL intent.

The 17^th of Tammuz was the date when G-d gave us the First Tablets of the Ten Commandments. It was supposed to be a day of great joy, celebrating G-d’s gift to us in His own Handwriting!

However, that is the very day that we worshipped the Golden Calf, and Moshe smashed G-d’s Holy Tablets. Moshe had to re-ascend Mt. Sinai and plead for G-d’s forgiveness for the Jewish People. The Second Tablets were not given until Yom Kippur.

When we do TESHUVA and merit the arrival of Mashiach, we will have fully rectified the Sin of the Golden Calf. Thus, the 17^th of Tammuz will assume its ORIGINAL character, a day of festive celebration for receiving G-d’s First Tablets.

Tisha B’Av was also supposed to be THE day that the Jews resolved to enter the Holy Land and conquer it. The Sin of the Spies in slandering the Land of Israel, which took place on Tisha B’Av, prevented the Jewish People from entering the Promised Land.

When Mashiach comes, we will have rectified this Sin of the Spies also, and Tisha B’Av will return to PLAN A.

Thus, Tisha B’Av will assume its ORIGINAL intention of intense national joy of celebrating, appreciating, and cherishing the Holy Land of Israel!