Ki tissa Text

Parashat Ki Tissa (When you take the census)

After the golden calf, Moses comes back from Mount Sinai (to bring the second set of tablets) and he walks around the camp with his face veiled.

He survives on the mountain for over a month without food or water.  The people see him talk with G-d, but something is different. Now he has a veil that covers his face. Why?

Maybe the people needed to understand that when you break a relationship and you try to start over, there will be something that clouds the relationship and it is not going to be the same.  This teaches us that if you want to prevent the veils, you have to take care of your relationships.

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

Tetsave Text message

Parashat Tetsave (You shall command)

At the beginning of chapter 30 in the book of Exodus, we read about a second altar.

The altar is for the incense.

According to  the interpretation of Rabenu Bechaye Ibn Pakuda, the incense was the offering that was accepted the most by G-d.

According to his explanation, all the animal parts and other edible offerings were not going to completely disappear. Parts of the animals will be eaten, there will be ashes, etc., but the incense will vanish in the air. Nothing will remain.

Sometimes we believe saving will save us… The incense offering teaches us that sometimes it is time to give it all.

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

Trumah Text message

Parashat Trumah (offering)

I have some news to share with you… There are some contradictions in the Torah.

Exodus 25:22 says: “There I will meet with you; from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the Ark of the Testimony.  I will speak with you regarding every commandment that I will give you for the Israelites.”

While Exodus 29:42 (just some chapters later) says: ”This will be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations, at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.”

So where does G-d speak to Moses? Two different schools of thought: Rabbi Akiva goes with the first verse, the place was special to G-d; Rabbi Ishmael goes with the second verse, the place was special to Moses.

We do not know exactly where this happened. What really matters is that the encounter happens.

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

Mishpatim Text Message

Parashat Mishpatim (these are the laws)

Hashem promises to help the people of Israel conquer the land: Exodus 23:29

“I will not drive them (the inhabitants of Canaan) out before you in a single year, so that the land does not become desolate [due to lack of attention] and the [wild] animals of the field do not become too numerous for you”.

There is deeper message than the one we read explicitly in the verse…

When we need to conquer something, for example, when we embrace the mitzvot, we cannot do all of them in one day. We need a pace. We need guidance. We need time. If we try to accomplish them all at once, we know what is going to happen. The beasts are going to take over.

We will fail.

Great message for all of us. Take one step at a time. Take small steps to achieve big accomplishments

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

Yitro Text message

Parashat Yitro

Big portion. 10 commandments. Great story.

If you ask any kid (and maybe any adult, too) who was the recipient of the Ten Commandments the answer will probably be, the people of Israel.

That is a good answer but if look carefully at the text you will discover that each one of the 10 Commandments is presented in the singular tense, not in plural.

I am your Lord. You shall not steal. You shall not covet, etc. The Hebrew expression for all of them is in the singular.

Each of us has a responsibility. Do not expect others to do it for you. You should take action.

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

Beshalach Text message

Parashat Beshalach (When Pharaoh sent out the people)

This portion is well known, especially because it includes the crossing of the Red Sea.

There is a slight detail that makes the tale very interesting.

Before the crossing of the sea, Gd says to Moses: (Exodus 14:16)  ^“As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it”

So Moses uses his staff and opens the sea. He starts with external help, the staff.

But… after crossing the sea, when he needs to finish the task, Gd says to Moses (Exodus 14:26): “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians”

When Moses needs to finish his task it is his responsibility, no external help…

We may need some help to start, but keeping things moving is our responsibility.

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

Bo Text message

Parashat Bo (Come to Pharaoh)

We read a very strange verse in this section (Exodus 12:22):  “You shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and touch some of the blood to the lintel [above the doorway] and to the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.”

Gd is going to send the 10^th plague over the Egyptians. The firstborn were in danger, therefore, the B’nai Israel had to mark their homes. Gd was going to pass over the homes of the Israelites, and the Jewish firstborn were to be safe.

So… why can’t anybody go outside? Why couldn’t the rest of the children  play hide and seek outside?

The Torah is teaching us that when one member of the family is in danger, we need to be together, in unity, even though the rest are safe.

Staying together is a good way to pass over the crisis.

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