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

Text message Shoftim

Parashat Shoftim (Judges)

The Torah tells us: You shall not move your boundary which marked the early ones.

Clearly the torah is warning us from stealing property, any kind of property, including intellectual ones.

The main reason for this verse is to keep people refrained from abusing power and the tribes and families conserving their lands.

But I'd like to read it in a different way, too. You shall not cross the barrier that your ancestors established. In our lives, there are many barriers that should not be crossed in order to respect and honor those who came before us.

Each person, each family has their own rules, limits and systems. Preserving them is a way to honor those who are no longer able to change them anymore.

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

Parashat Ree

Parashat Re'eh (see)

It is in front of you, says Moses. You can choose. You have the possibility to choose between a blessing and a curse.

Most of us most of the time will choose the blessing. But what happens when things do not work out the way we want?

What happens when the outcome is not what we expected ? Or when there is a tragedy?

It is difficult to see the blessing in the darkness.

When you lose someone you love, our tradition teaches that we must say Hashem has given and Hashem has taken, praised be the name of Hashem.

We need to see the blessing in our loss, too. It is difficult but not impossible.

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

Text Message Parashat Masei

Parashat Masei                

This parasha starts with 42 names of cities, villages or small places where the Israelites stopped during their journey in the desert.

Many of these names are "hapaxlegomenon" words that appear in the Bible just once. We know nothing about them, not even where they are located, but for sure those places were meaningful stations for the Israelites.

I spent the last couple of days listening to the IDF radio. Every time there is a siren anywhere in Israel, they stop the show and call the name of the places that are under threat.

To be honest, I have no idea where many of the places are, even though I lived in Israel. But they are as meaningful as those names in the Torah.

May we see the day when there will be peace even in the places we have no idea exist.

Matot Text message

Parashat Matot (heads of the tribes)

The Israelites are about to cross the Jordan River. 2.5 tribes ask Moses: Do you mind if we stay here? It may not be the promised land, but it is good for our cattle.

Moses has two answers: 1) Your brothers and sisters will be in war and you will sit comfortable here? 2) Your actions may motivate the rest of the people not to want to enter the land of Israel too!!!

Moses' first answer made me think of my family in Israel, myself and the famous phrase: "Any similarity with reality is pure coincidence"...

Moses' second answer made me think of how much impact our actions may affect others.  Very much.

Pinchas

Parashat Pinchas

In this section we find a most peculiar verse (Bamidbar 26:46): “And Asher’s daughter’s name was Serah.” Among the list of all the names that are listed, we find this lady.
One story about her when she was young tells us that when Moses looked for Joseph's bones to bring them back to Israel, she was the only one who remembered where they were buried.
Another story tells us she lived a long life and even advised King David.
Whether these stories are true or not, we can learn a lesson from them.
No matter how much the memory of our grandparents will last, their advice is always beneficial and wise.

Think of your grandparents and you will see I am right this time...  :)