Toldot Text message

Parashat Toldot (Generations)

Life is not always lineal and direct. We will always find people who will cheat, will not treat you as you expect, and try to take advantage of you.  

In this section it is our forefather, Jacob, who will cheat his father and steal the blessing from his brother. Jacob has the same root in Hebrew as “crooked,” while “Israel” has the same root as straight and honest.

What will Jacob use in order to cheat? Garments.  The words begged (garment), and meil (coat) are related to two other terms in Hebrew. Begged has the same root as traitor (bogged), and meil has the same root as meilah, a type of stealing and cheating.  

Watch out!!! Some people may dress very well but under the garments they may hide some things…

In memory of my beloved mother and teacher, Miriam Rachel bat Israel Itzchak z”l.

Vayera text Message

Parashat Vayera (Hashem appeared)

The story of Sodom and Gomorra is very special.

At some point, the people who were trying to hurt God's messengers became blind.

“And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door” (Gen 19:11)

Apparently there is a contradiction in the verse. The “bad guys” were at the entrance, they became blind and now they could not find the entrance, but the text already mentioned that they were at the entrance!!!

A proposed explanation: Each of them wanted to be at the entrance; they were fighting for the same thing, and therefore, nobody could find it…

If we talk instead of fight, if we make sure there is enough for everybody, if we understand others’ needs, even if we all are blind, many doors will be opened.

In memory of my beloved mother and teacher, Miriam Rachel bat Israel Itzchak z”l.

Lech Lecha text message

Parashat Lech lecha (Go forth)

The story of the Jewish people starts with the following words: 
“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.”
Translations sometimes can trick us. In this case the word “shem,” translated as “name,” can be interpreted differently.
“Shem” means “goal” as well. 
Being blessed, becoming a blessing, and making for us a name, cannot be accomplished if our goals are not clear.
Let’s check what our goals in life are and we can becoming a blessing to others.

In memory of my beloved mother and teacher, Miriam Rachel bat Israel Itzchak Z”L.

Noah Text message

Noah (and his family) is the only one who lived in three different worlds.

He lived in a world of corruption and lawlessness before the flood;

He lived in a world of destruction during the flood;

And he lived in a world of hope and rebirth after the flood.

Corruption, destruction, but after that there is hope .

The first thing that Noah does when he leaves the ark is celebrate, he got drunk.

Always remember that after the destruction comes the hope, and that is a good reason to celebrate.

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

Ree Text message

The Torah tells us in Deuteronomy 16:16 “Three times a year you shall appear before the LORD your G-d in the place which G-d chooses…” 

What a powerful statement. Some people took it really seriously, and showed up for only the two days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur!!!

Besides the irony in my previous sentence, there is something important to learn from that phrase.

 In many places in the Torah, the word used for times is “regalim”, from the word “regel,” legs. Three times a year we had to do a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

But also, the word “hergel”, habit, derives from the same root. Maybe the Torah tells us that three times is the minimum and the idea is to create a habit to go and meet G-d.

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

Bechukotai Text Message

Parashat Bechukotai (If you follow my rules)      

Among the verses of this parasha we find the Tochecha, the rebuke that G-d gives the people of Israel if they do not follow G-d’s commandments.

Chapter 26:36 says: “I will bring despair into the hearts of those of you who survive in enemy territory. Just the sound of a windblown leaf will cause them to run, and they will run scared as if running from a sword!”

The image of the sound of a driven leaf making a person scared is extremely powerful.

Driven leaves usually appear in the fall, and it reminds me of a nice poetic phrase: “He fell in love with the flowers, but not with the roots, and when fall arrived, he didn’t know what to do…”

Roots are sometimes more important than beautiful flowers.

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

Behar Text Message

Parashat Behar (at the mountain)           

In Leviticus Chapter 25 (that holds most of the text of our section) three times we find verses that start with the following words:

“ If one of your fellow Israelites faces financial difficulty,” verses 25, 35 and 39.

The first verse talks about someone who needs to sell part of his property.

The second verse deals with a person that needs to borrow money.

The third verse talks about an individual who sells him/herself as a slave to pay a debt.

What I did not mention on purpose, is that in the third verse after the words, “ If one of your fellow Israelites faces financial difficulty” there is an addition, the word עמך , (with you).

In life, we do not know when we will need money or when we will be able to lend money, but we always need to remember not to leave alone those who are in great need.

The Torah reminds us with a minor detail, “to never let alone,” how important it is to help the needy.

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