Recently I had a run in with a friend. I suggested that we sit down and talk it out. His response was, "nah, let it sit for some time and it will blow over for both of us". Turns out he was correct. It did blow over. But it doesn't always. Sometimes, issues from the past linger and the can become consuming, eating us up from within, until it gets resolved. How does one resolve the issues from the past? There are two approaches: A. face the demons head on...
Do you ever want something from someone else? Something only they can give you? You have two choices when it comes to this request. A. You can rationalize why they should grant your request or B. beg or plead. I don’t really mean beg, more like calling on some inner part of your relationship with them that would evoke a response to respond to your request. Which approach makes more sense? Well if you were Moses and had been nominated for a job you didn’t ask for or want (taking the...
Where do you draw the line? Logic says that we are to sacrifice for the things that are important to us in life. To provide a living for our families we work hard, giving up on potentially enjoyable vacations. We study late into the night to achieve our intellectual goals. We put aside our personal needs for our children. For in the sacrifice we uncover potentials we never knew we had. But, how much sacrifice is enough? In this weeks portion G-d tells Moses to avenge Him through battling the Midianites....
The moment has arrived! Months of construction, the walls, the Ark, the Menorah, the garments of the Kohen have come and gone. The seven days of consecration have passed with Moses having served as High Priest. Aaron is waiting for the Divine Presence to descend on the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and nothing happens. He wonders whether the Divine Presence is not descending because of his part in sin of the Golden Calf . So Moses joins Aaron in prayer; Vayehi Noam Hashem Elokeinu Alaynu – may it be pleasing before G-d Almighty...
Three bonds are tied one to the other; Israel, Torah and The Holy One Blessed Be He. The Zohar In this weeks Torah portion we read of the Big sin – the making and the worshipping the Golden Calf. After having revealed Himself and having given the Torah only 40 days earlier at Mt. Sinai G-d chooses a drastic punishment for the Jewish People – Destruction! Moses steps forward and tells G-d, if You choose to forgive them great, if not take me out of the Book which You have written (the...
I have always marveled at Judaism's compassion for the pain and suffering experienced by people. The laws surrounding death, burial, shiva and the mourning period are sensitive to the phases of mourning and the laws surrounding it reflect that sensitivity. Jewish philosophy and mysticism analyze suffering without giving Gd a pass but also not being overbearing on the sufferer. One needs to delve into the teachings in order not to embrace the stereotypical perspective that the secular world has on "fundamentalist" religion. One such example of this compassion is demonstrated by our first teacher,...