Haazinu- Shana Tova Text Message

Parashat Haazinu (Listen)            

The year ends and a new one starts.

The first section on the year is a song. What a deep message of our tradition. No matter how the last year was, we need to continue singing.

Calling heaven and earth as witnesses, Moses exhorts the people, “Remember the days of old / Consider the years of many generations / Ask your father, and he will recount it to you / Your elders, and they will tell you"

How nice it was when we were able to sing together...

There are some who still remember how nice it was... This year remember to ask them about it.

In memory of my beloved mother and teacher Miriam Rachel bat Israel Itzchak Z"L

Parashiot Nitzavim-Vayelech Text Message

We read a very interesting verse in the first portion this week.

Deuteronomy 29:14-15:  "It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant,  but with whoever is standing here with us today before the Lord our G-d, and with whoever is not here with us today".

One of the most important, if not the most important, differences between Judaism and other monotheistic religions is that G-d's revelation happened to an entire nation, not just to one person.

There is a beautiful story about a Hippie in the 60's who was walking in Central Park. He met a Hassidic person and he smiled at the Hasid and greeted him with a Shalom. The Chasid answered: Shalom, do we know each other? The Hippie smiled and said: I guess so. The Chasid smiled back and said: Oh yes, we know each other from Sinai... It was very crowded there but now I think I remember you.

The covenant with the Jewish people happened in Sinai and we all were there.    

In memory of my beloved mother and teacher Miriam Rachel bat Israel Itzchak Z"L

Ki tavo text message

Parashat Ki Tavo (When you enter in the land)            

This week we read the famous paragraph that was chosen by our sages to be included in the Hagada to describe the history of the people of Israel.

"My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people..."

We suffered in Egypt like in nowhere else and what was our answer to suffering?

"Then we cried out to the LORD, the G-d of our ancestors, and the LORD heard our voice..."

When we try to solve a spiritual problem with a material solution we fail...

But when we realize where the solution to the problems are, we can overcome even the worst slavery...

In memory of my beloved mother and teacher Miriam Rachel bat Israel Itzchak Z"L

Ki tetze text message

Parashat Ki Tetze (When you go out)

This section of the Torah has several rules. Towards the end of the Parasha, we find the following statement:

You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large and a small. A full and fair weight you shall have, a full and fair measure you shall have.

I remember as a kid going with my parents to the convenience store to buy groceries. I always admired and watched the person who sliced at the deli. He always knew exactly how many slices it took for each half pound of every different meat. He was a master.

I asked my dad: How does he know with that precision? How is he so exact? I remember my dad's answer: That is his job...

Our job this time of the year is to put things on a scale, be honest with ourselves, and do a Cheshvon hanefesh, a real balance of our actions, a balance of our spirits. Mistakes can be big or small. Our job is to be fair.

In memory of my beloved mother and teacher Miriam Rachel bat Israel Itzchak