PARSHA - Shemot - Brachot for what we WILL accomplish

This week's Parsha, Parshat Shemot, describes the beginning of bondage for the Jewish people in Egypt. Moses experiences his first official Divine revelation at the Burning Bush where he is told to confront the Pharaoh and demand that he "Let My people go."

Moses asks G-d what have the Jewish people done to deserve such a miraculous redemption. To which the Almighty answers him. ".....when you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve G-d on this mountain." (This mountain, where the burning bush occurred, was in fact Mount Sinai.)

It was not necessarily for what they had done in the past that He was ready to redeem the Jewish people, but for what He anticipated for them in the future. On this very mountain that the Burning Bush has occurred they would receive His Torah; they would become His chosen messengers to be a light unto the nations. Never mind what they did or didn't do in the past. G-d had big plans for this nation and it would all begin with the impending Exodus.

What a powerful message for all of us!

Sometimes, the kindness G-d does for us is not because of what we've been but rather what it would enable us to become. It's not for what we have already done but for what we still will do. So should any of us be the beneficiaries of a special blessing from Above, instead of patting ourselves on the back and concluding that we must have done something wonderful to be rewarded, let us rather ask ourselves what G-d might be expecting us to do with this particular blessing in the future. How can we use it to further His work on earth?

Special blessings carry with them special responsibilities. May each of us successfully develop all the potential G-d sees in us and use it for our moral development and to somehow better the world around us!

Candle lighting time for L.A. is 4:41 pm.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Akiva -

Rabbi Akiva was a shepherd, who at the age of forty could not read the Alef-Beis. He subsequently developed into one of the greatest scholars in the history of Jewish learning. He was once watching a stone notched by the steady dripping of water. He concluded that if water could penetrate stone, Torah could penetrate his head. His employer’s daughter heard of his resolve and was so touched by his sincerity to learn that she married him. She encouraged him to go away to learn Torah in a Yeshivah where he remained for twelve years. After his return from the academy, his wife once again agreed that he should again go away to learn. He reappeared a second time with twenty four thousand students.

Upon his return when his wife came out to greet him, he, R. Akiva publicly told his students that all his Torah, and all the twenty four thousand students Torah belonged to her.(From this we learn the rule that the Torah learned by a husband with the permission of his wife is equally credited to the merit of the wife.)

R. Akiva died a martyr’s death. It had been ordered by the Romans that no Torah was to be learned in public. R. Akiva ignored this edict and, when detected, was tortured to death by the Romans, combed with combs of red hot metal. He died, although in horrible pain, in a state of ecstasy having fulfilled all the mitzvot including that of dying a martyr’s death to glorify the Name of G-d.

RAMBAM - Chof Teves

Today is the 20th day of the Hebrew month of Tevet, it marks the yartzeit, the anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Maimonides, otherwise known as the Rambam. He lived in the 12th century and was a great philosopher, doctor, and Jewish scholar. But he is probably best remembered for his encyclopedic codification of all 613 commandments of the Torah in his magnum opus called the Mishne Torah.

Although he passed away so long ago, he and his great wisdom are still with us. When a person sits down to study a law from one of the Rambam's works, his spirit and teachings remain alive.

About the Rambam, our Sages have said, "From Moshe to Moshe, there was none like Moshe!" This means that from the time of the Moshe who took us out of Egypt, there has never lived a person who exhibited all of the Rambam's unique qualities.

In the Mishne Torah, the Rambam enumerates and details all of the 613 laws of the Torah. He places the laws relating to the Jewish king, and Moshiach, at the very end of his work - to emphasize that the true and complete performance of all the mitzvot of the Torah will be attained only when a king rules over Israel. The Rambam then defines Moshiach as a king, who will not only redeem the Jews from exile, but also restore the observance of the Torah to its complete state.

The Talmud writes that "the world was created solely for Moshiach." This being the case, we certainly must do everything in our power to prepare ourselves for Moshiach's imminent arrival.

What is within the power and reach of each individual? Good deeds, charity, , fostering peace between family and friends, studying concepts associated with Moshiach and the Final Redemption, and actively waiting for and anticipating his arrival each and every day.

Instinct or Behavioral Training??

The Rambam (Maimonides) once had a dispute with a philosopher as to whether instinct or behavioral training governs the behavior of an animal. The philosopher maintained that one of the main reasons for the difference in ability between man and animal is that man has been trained and animals have not. He held that an animal can be trained to do almost anything.
The Rambam argued against this.

To prove his point, the philosopher trained a number of cats to stand upright, balance trays on their paws and serve as waiters. He dressed them in white shirts with little black ties, and conducted a banquet with the cats as the waiters. As these feline waiters were serving the soup, the Rambam, who had been invited to the banquet, released a mouse. The banquet hall was turned into utter chaos as the cats, forgetting all their hours of training, let their trays crash to the ground, rushing about on all fours after the mouse.

Even though one can train a cat to act like a waiter, its natural inclinations cannot be changed. The only way one can change
one's habits, is through Torah and mitzvot.

A human being is different from the animals because he can perfect his character so that it controls his baser instincts. One who has not yet worked on perfecting his character will, like the trained cat, be able to put on a show of discipline for a time, but only so long as no “mice” are released in his path.

Only the Torah can bring one’s character to ultimate perfection.

Rambam. 8 levels of Tzedoko

Maimonidies, known as the Rambam, whose anniversary of his passing is this coming Wednesday, has taught that there are eight levels of charity, each greater than the next.

[1] The greatest level, above which there is no greater, is to support a fellow Jew by endowing him with a gift or loan, or finding employment for him, in order to strengthen his hand until he need no longer be dependent upon others...

[2] A lesser level of charity than this is to give to the poor without knowing to whom one gives, and without the recipient knowing from who he received. For this is performing a mitzvah solely for the sake of Heaven.

[3] A lesser level of charity than this is when one knows to whom one gives, but the recipient does not know his benefactor. The greatest sages used to walk about in secret and put coins in the doors of the poor.

[4] A lesser level of charity than this is when one does not know to whom one gives, but the poor person does know his benefactor. The greatest sages used to tie coins into their robes and throw them behind their backs, and the poor would come up and pick the coins out of their robes so that they would not be ashamed.

[5] A lesser level than this is when one gives to the poor person directly into his hand, but gives before being asked.

[6] A lesser level than this is when one gives to the poor person after being asked.

[7] A lesser level than this is when one gives inadequately, but gives gladly and with a smile.

[8] A lesser level than this is when one gives unwillingly. Which is still a mitzvah.

PARSHA - Vayechi - Yakov's best years in Mitzrayim

When the third Chabad Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, was a young boy he learned the verse in this week's Torah portion, Vayechi, "And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years." His teacher explained that these years were the best of Jacob's entire life.

The Tzemach Tzedek then asked his grandfather, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, [the founder of Chabad], how could those years be the best of Jacob's life? Wasn't Egypt the most corrupt and immoral place on earth?

The Midrash relates that before Jacob went down to Egypt he sent Judah to establish a yeshiva there. Throughout the time they spent in Egypt the Tribes devoted themselves to the study of Torah. By learning Torah, a Jew draws near to G-d; it was therefore possible, explained R' Shneur Zalman, for Jacob to live his best years even in Egypt.

When Jacob saw that his son was alive, and had continued to conduct himself in a manner befitting the son of a Patriarch, it brought him great joy.

This joy was even more pronounced as it came after many years during which Jacob did not know if Joseph was still a tzadik, a righteous person. This joy is likened to a light that follows the darkness. The more intense the darkness, the brighter the light.

Egypt was a place of darkness, to which Jacob and his sons brought light. And through their devotion to Torah, they actually caused Egypt to become a source of light.

Thus the years Jacob spent in Egypt were the best of his life. For a light that follows the most intense darkness is the very brightest light of all. Like the light of Moshiach, may it soon illuminate the entire world! Amen!

Candle lighting time for L.A. is 4:36 pm.

Shabbat Shalom!

Mitzvos when Moshiach is here.

Hashem wanted to make us righteous therefore he gave us an abundance of torah and mitzvos, to keep us busy from morning to night. Righteousness is a by-product of the mitzvos we do because we have freedom of choice. When we choose to do the right thing we are able to be righteous.
Freedom of choice is a necessary requisite for the concept of a mitzva being fulfilled.

Will we have the ability to make a choice when moshiach comes?

When Moshiach comes there will be no challenges, there will be no difficulties, and we will not have the opportunity to make a choice. We will not have the ability or the challenge to decide to do the mitzvah or not to.
We will all be doing exactly what we are supposed to do, we will all be in perfect sync with Hashem's Will, doing the mitzvos, almost robotic. But with that of course comes the loss of thrill when we DO overcome a challenge.
That thrill and accomplishment can only be achieved NOW, in galus.
Not only is it a physical thrill and joy, but a spiritual reward as well, which we will merit to collect when Moshiach comes. The more difficult it is to do the Mitzva now the greater the reward will be then. More of G-dliness will be revealed.
That is why we need to utilize every moment NOW - till Moshiach comes - to gather and to collect as many mitzvohs as possible -
For once Moshiach comes the opportunities of galus will be gone.

Fear, Awe & Wonder Of G-d.

Fear of G-d is a very liberating Mitzvah.

Two forces set the stage for our act upon this earth: Love and fear. With love, we set our goals. With fear, we set our boundaries. One who fears failure is bound to take no risks. One who fears others is banished from his own self. One who fears life has no room to breathe.

The Torah liberates us by declaring there is only one thing to fear—not failure, not others, not even death itself. The only thing to fear is the One who stands beyond and within all things, the one we call G-d.

It may be a simple fear that, "If I do those things He does not like, the consequences will not be good." Or—fear is the fear of separation from G-d, as a small child who is afraid to be separated from his parents. Or for those who ponder G-d's infinite greatness and the wonders of His creation, fear is a sense of awe and amazement, taking life up to a whole new level.

Sometimes it's "awe", sometimes "wonder." In all these forms of fear, however, there is one common thread: The awareness of a reality beyond our own that defines and determines all we do. Love is a commentary on the nature of the one who loves, whereas fear, awe and wonder are exclusively about the One who is feared.

And if we don't have that sense of wonder, awe, or fear. We can make time each day to ponder our relationship with G-d, to become acutely aware of His awesome and loving presence. Once that awareness finds a fixed place in our heart, all we do will fall in place, with joy and pleasure. We will be free!

Story King lost in Forest. Serve Hashem with His Mitzvos

There is a story of a king that went hunting and got trapped in the forest. He was lost and badly hurt. As night set in, he pathetically kept crying out for help and miraculously a peasant living in the forest heard his desperate cries.
The peasant lifted the now unrecognizable king and gently brought him back to his hut and tended to his wounds till he regained enough of his own strength to continue on his way. The peasant had no idea that it was the king that he had revived.

The peasant then received a gift of beautiful silverware with a note from the king who was thanking him for his hospitality in the forest and for nursing him back to his health.

The simple man was shocked. The king?? He had hosted the king in his dilapidated hut?? And the gift, looking totally out of place in his poor home was put on a corner shelf and forgotten about.

One day, the King sent a message to his rescuer that he would like to visit him in his home and thank him personally.

When the simple man heard that the king was coming, he was overcome with anxiety. How can he welcome His Majesty into his impoverished shack?? This was no place for a royal king!! He looked around for something that would be presentable for someone of such stature. He then remembered the gift that he had received from the king earlier. Realizing that this grand gift was something the king can surely appreciate, he happily placed it on the table and awaited the king's arrival.

This time, when the king came, he was royally dressed as is fit for a king. Feeling ashamed at the sorry welcome he was offering the king. "My deepest apologies, Your Highness" He said. " My home is but the simplest of homes. My food? Your dogs surely have tasted better. With what can I serve the king? I have nothing that can impress His Majesty. The ONLY thing I thought appropriately honorable was something that His Majesty himself sent to me."

And the king was impressed.

With what can we honor G-d? ONLY with what HE Himself gave to us - His Mitzvos.

A MITZVAH

A Mitzvah, is a Hebrew word which means "commandment" and "connection."
The Mitzvot are, 613 of, G-d's commandments to the Jewish people. They are the ultimate expression of our relationship with G-d. When we do a Mitzvah we are expressing that connection to G-d.

Nearly all of the mitzvot involve material objects: Tzitizit are made of wool, tefillin of leather, and so on. G-d's Will and wisdom, which is basically His essence, are clothed in His Mitzvot. And so Now G-d is made accessible to us thru His mitzvot which are in enclothed in these physical objects.

We may think that when we are doing a Mitzva we are only connected to the lower level of G-d and not His essence. Yet it is not so. It is like one who embraces a king. There is no difference in the degree of the closeness and attachment to the king whether we embrace him when the king is wearing one robe or many robes, since the king's body is in them.

Our reward in the world to come consists of our soul enjoying the radiance of the Divine Presence, meaning - the pleasure in comprehending G-dliness. But it is ONLY a glimmer, a ray of the Divine light. In THIS world though, through our performing Torah and Mitzvot we are united with G-d Himself.

10th of Teves

Today is the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tevet.

It is the day on which the evil king Nevuchadnetzar laid siege upon Jerusalem, which eventually led to the destruction of the first Holy Temple and the Babylonian Exile.
The tenth of Tevet is considered an especially solemn day, because it is the first in a series of events which led to this present exile. Therefore, it is a day to reflect upon all of those events and the actions that led to them, and to reflect upon, which of our OWN actions need improving in order to hasten the end of this exile and to prepare for the imminent Redemption.

TEVET - is related to the Hebrew word "tov", which means "good".
And so even though that we commemorate a sad event; our Sages named this month "Tevet" to inspire the positive good energy, that is within each and everyone of us, that we have the power to transform, bad into good. Sorrow into joy. Darkness into light.

And exile into redemption!

PARSHA - Vayigash. (Brothers wept on each others neck)

In this week's Torah portion, Vayigash, we read about the reunion of the two brothers Joseph and Benjamin. The verse states that they each fell on his brother's neck and wept.

Our Sages tell us that each brother wept over the destruction that would occur in the other brother's portion of land. Joseph wept over the destruction of the two Holy Temples in Jerusalem, in Benjamin's portion, and Benjamin wept over the Sanctuary in Shilo, in Joseph's portion.

Interestingly, Joseph wept over the destruction that would occur in Benjamin's portion, but not over the destruction in his own territory. Similarly, Benjamin wept over the destruction of the Sanctuary in Joseph's portion, but did not grieve over the two Temples in Jerusalem, which were in his own portion.

Why didn't each one weep over his own misfortune?

A Jew who conducts himself according to Torah causes G-d's Presence to dwell within him, thereby symbolically building in his heart a personal Sanctuary.

When one sees his brother's inner Sanctuary being destroyed [by his actions], he cries, for it is painful to witness. Crying lessens the pain, but cannot fix what was destroyed. Rectifying the situation is not in his hands, he therefore can only empathize.

Yet when a person destroys his own inner Temple he does not weep, for no amount of weeping can ever rebuild it. Instead, he needs to perform actual deeds.

Mitzvot can reconstruct the ruined Sanctuary.

Joseph and Benjamin realized that lamenting their own sorrows would yield no practical benefit. Each brother would have to exert his own efforts to rebuild; by observing Mitzvot and acts of goodness.

Let each of us rebuild the Sanctuary in our hearts, and together we will merit the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, that will never be destroyed!

Candle lighting time for L.A. is 4:31 pm.

Shabbat Shalom!