PARSHA - Shoftim/ Cities of Refuge.

This week's Torah portion, Shoftim, talks about the cities of refuge whence a person would flee if he accidentally killed someone. There, the unintentional killer would be protected from the wrath of the victim's relatives, until the High Priest who served in the Holy Temple passed away.

The cities of refuge offered protection, even for someone who committed murder intentionally, he waited there till the court issued a ruling. Basically it protected anyone who had caused a loss of life.

After the destruction of the Holy Temple the cities of refuge ceased to exist in the physical sense. Yet the Torah and its lessons are eternal, therefore, the concept of cities of refuge finds expression in the spiritual dimension.

The Torah itself is the refuge in which all may seek asylum.

In the spiritual sense, "killing" symbolizes the act of committing a sin, causing a spiritual death to the G-dly soul.

We learn from this week's Torah portion that it is never too late to repent. Even the person who deliberately sinned can repent and seek protection in the refuge of Torah.

In the times of the Holy Temple, repentance alone was not enough to atone for a sin. The unintentional killer had to remain exiled in the city of refuge until the death of the High Priest. Yet after the destruction of the Temple, like now, teshuva, repentance alone can atone for even the gravest sin.

In the same way, the month of Elul, during which we take account of our actions of the previous year, is a "city of refuge" - in time, offering us the same opportunity to clear the slate and merit a good and sweet year to come.

Candle lighting time for L.A. is 7:16 pm

Shabbat Shalom!

PARSHA - Shoftim

In this week's Torah portion Shoftim we find the verse, "For man is the tree of the field." What is the connection between human beings and trees?

The unique characteristic of a plant is its connection with the ground, its source of life and sustenance. Humans and animals are not bound to the earth by their roots and are free to move about. A plant, must always be connected to the ground; if it is uprooted, it will wither and die.

Bound to the earth, a tree must suffer the harsh punishment of the elements throughout the four seasons of the year. A tree has such a strong connection to its source that even the changes in season do it no harm.

It is in this respect that man resembles the tree of the field. He, too, is unable to exist cut off from his source of life. His soul requires a constant and continuous bond with the source of his existence.

The source of life for the Jew is the Torah.

He draws his strength and vitality from it. Even though most of us cannot spend our entire day in Torah study we derive meaning and inspiration for the rest of the day from the time that we actually did spend time learning Torah. When we dedicate a small amount of time in the morning and evening to learning Torah, the influence is felt throughout the day.

We must always bear in mind that "man is the tree of the field" - we are always bound by our roots to our source of life. Even as we actively pursue a life of commerce, or whatever one's profession may be, we must strive to feel that intimate bond with our Creator. The Torah that is learned during those few moments will permeate our life and create a Torah-true atmosphere.

Candle lighting time for L.A. is 7:16 pm

ROSH CHODESH ELUL

Today is Rosh Chodesh Elul, the beginning of the final month of the Jewish year.
Just as a shopkeeper devotes a certain amount of time to taking inventory and evaluating the success of his enterprise, so too, each one of us must take time to evaluate his or her conduct and see whether we have been using our Divine potential successfully.

In one month's time, on Rosh Hashana, the beginning of the new year, G-d will judge us. This month of Elul is set aside as a time for us to judge ourselves - to take stock of the way we are living our lives and see whether there is a need for change.

Although Elul is a time for introspection, it is characterized by feelings of love and closeness to G-d. As is the acronym for Elul - Ani l'dodi v'dodi li - 'I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine'. We are bound to G-d in an intimate bond. Since a spark of G-dliness lies at the core of our being, we need not feel threatened by the process of self- assessment.

There is no worry that G-d will reject us, for our relationship with Him is an established fact. Taking the time out for self-appraisal is itself an act of love, spurring a response of love from G-d.

And through this preparation, one merits a good and sweet year, materially and spiritually.

THE KING IS IN THE FIELD

(Today's Torah message in honor of the birth of Baby Girl Levin and the birthday of Mushka. May they be a source of pride to their parents and to all of Israel.)

Tomorrow, Thursday and Friday is Rosh Chodesh Elul, the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul.

In Elul we prepare for the upcoming High Holidays by blowing the shofar each morning, having our mezuzot and tefilin checked to make sure they are still fit, being more careful about keeping kosher and saying special selichot, penitential prayers.

Why do we do all of this in the month of Elul? Can't it wait until we're closer to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur?

This can be answered by means of a parable of the "King in the Field", as told by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement:

"Once each year, a very mighty king leaves his palace, his guards, his finery, and goes out in the field to meet with his subjects. Then everyone who so wishes may come out to greet the king, and the king receives everyone graciously and shows a friendly face to everyone. At that time, they do not need to wait in long lines or go through security checks. They can speak with him without hesitation. When the king returns to his palace, his subjects will once again have to go through all kinds of protocol to meet with him. So, of course, his subjects make the most of the opportunity.

"During the month of Elul, G-d is "in the field." G-d makes His countenance to shine on you, which refers to the emanation of the Thirteen Attributes. We don't need to go through all kinds of bureaucracy to reach Him. We need only come out to meet Him, as it were, with a humble heart, and He will listen to us. He will accept our repentance and consider our requests most carefully.

The king will soon be in the field. Let's make sure not to miss this opportunity."

And may we imminently merit the era when G-d will continuously be "in the field" the Messianic Era.

Story - spying on neigbours

(Today's Torah message is dedicated in appreciation of Moshe Reuven ben Bentzion Eliezer. May Hashem bless him in the most revealed and unlimited manner.)

One day, Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov instructed one of his followers, "If you want to learn how to be a pious man go to the city of Odessa. There, in a narrow lane in the harbor district, there lives a certain longshoreman. Go stay with him and from him you will learn the meaning of piety."

The follower eagerly traveled to Odessa and located the man the Baal Shem Tov had described. He offered the man a modest sum in return for a few weeks' lodging, and settled in to observe the conduct of his pious host.

The visitor expected long hours of prayer each morning, followed by study by candlelight through the night..but he was disappointed. His host proved to be a simple Jew, who arose early each morning, prayed simply and quickly, and went off to work at the docks. In the evening, he would return, recite the evening prayers, eat his simple meal, and go to sleep. And so, the follower spent the better part of the week growing no wiser.

Now the dock worker's garret consisted of a single dim room, its only window, a small pane set high in the wall. One day, while his host was away at work, the restless and curious visitor climbed up onto a table to look out the window. To his dismay, he found himself looking out into a backyard where all sorts of criminal activities seemed to be going on.

When his host returned that evening, the man asked him: "Tell me, how can a Jew live in such proximity to neighbors as these? Couldn't you find a place to live that is not back to back with such an establishment?"

I've lived here for twenty years," answered the longshoreman, "and not once did it occur to me to look into strangers' yards to see what they were doing. You, on the other hand, are hardly here a few days, and you're already climbing on tables and spying on every sinner in the neighborhood."

　

First Haircut - Upsherenish

Today's Torah message is dedicated to our very own Yisrolik Levin. As he is turning 3 years old today he is celebrating his first haircut.

The Torah compares man to a tree.There is a prohibition against benefiting from the fruits that grow in the first three years of a tree's life. In the fourth year, the happy farmer, takes his harvest to Jerusalem, to partake of it in an environment of holiness. Similarly, In the first three years of a child’s life, there are no edible fruits no tangible returns for a parent’s endeavors. During the fourth year however, there are harvests of holiness; the first fruits of the child’s education are seen. A child's third birthday signals a major transition in his education.

For a Jewish boy, this transition is marked with a ceremony. It is an age-old custom to allow a boy's hair to grow untouched until he's three years old. On his third Jewish birthday, friends are invited to a haircutting ceremony—an upsherin in Yiddish, called a chalakah by Sephardic Jews. The child's peyot, the distinctively Jewish side curls, are left intact; the initiation into his first mitzvah.

The child is taught to wear a kipah and tzitzit, and is slowly trained to recite blessings and the Shema. The world now begins to benefit from the Torah study and mitzvot of this young child.

The very first value we wish to teach our children is the importance of a fierce pride in their beautiful and unique heritage. We are different and unique. We are privileged to be G-d's "ambassadors of light" to a dark and difficult world. We are thankful that we are the Chosen People.

We thus tell the child, "You are yet young and have much to learn. But the first lesson we wish to teach you is that you are a Jew and must never be embarrassed to act and dress as a Jew. Your nation has the most glorious history, and an even more magnificent future awaits our people with the coming of the Moshiach. Come what may, always be a proud Jew!"

Wishing Yisrolik and his entire family many blessings and may we all be so proud of him.

PARSHA - Re'ei / ELUL

This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevarchim, when we bless the upcoming month of Elul. The month of Elul is a month of preparation, when we take stock of ourselves in anticipation of the upcoming holiday of Rosh Hashana.

In Elul, one contemplates the past year, utterly regretting whatever has been undesirable, and resolving to be vigilant in the meticulous observance of the commandments, to be conscientious in one's Torah study and in one's prayers, and to habituate oneself to positive character traits.

The name of the month, "Elul," is an acronym for the Hebrew words which mean, "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine."

"I am my Beloved's" refers to serving G-d through one's own initiative. When a Jew serves G-d through his own initiative, the bond between G-d and the Jew is internalized. "My Beloved is mine" refers to Divine revelation which inspires this bond. Elul represents a month of complete connection, through revelation from Above and service from below.

This concept is also connected to this week's Torah portion, Re'ei, which begins with the words, "See, I am giving before you today." All of the aspects of our service to G-d should be seen and openly revealed, and not just something we hear about. Seeing implies the establishment of a deep and powerful connection.

In a deeper sense, we should use our sight to see not just the physicality of the world, but also the essence of G-d and His handiwork in our surroundings.

Candle lighting time for L.A. is 7:24p.m.

Jewish Birthday

Today's Torah Message is sponsored in honor of the birthday of our very dear friend Chaya Mushka Shapero. Wishing her an abundance of revealed blessings in all areas.

On our Jewish birthday our mazal, our good fortune, is dominant. It is when the Creator said, "Here, I am giving you a body, a soul, and a divine mission. I have absolute trust in your ability to pull through for Me." It is important to utilize this most special day of our lives to its utmost. A day to recommit to the mission that G‑d entrusted to us, that is to bettering and sanctifying ourselves and the world around us; transforming it into G-d's sanctum. And in accomplishing this goal, we are also given the ability to achieve incredible spiritual heights—heights unimaginable to the soul before it was dispatched from its lofty heavenly abode to inhabit a physical body.

Celebrating a birthday is thus also a demonstration of confidence. Confidence that we are and will continue to be worthy of G‑d's trust. No matter the obstacles, we will persevere and live up to G‑d's expectations of us.

On the anniversary of any momentous event, we have the ability to tap into the same spiritual energy that originally caused that event. On this day we have the ability to accomplish that which would perhaps be very difficult on another day.

Rosh Hashanah is special because it is the birthday of humankind—it is the day when Adam and Eve were created. Our birthday is our personal Rosh Hashana and we need to utilize it to its utmost.

20th of Av. Passing of Reb Levi Yitzchok

Today is the 20th day of the Hebrew month of Av. It is the anniversary of the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's father, Reb Levi Yitzchok Schneerson. He was a renowned and brilliant scholar, a kabbalist, and a fearless, devoted community leader. Though he suffered greatly at the hands of the Communist government, throughout his ordeal, he remained steadfast in his commitment to teach Torah. He never ceased encouraging and inspiring those around him to observe the mitzvot.
In 1939 he was arrested for teaching Torah, an act which the Communists claimed undermined the authority of the government. Reb Levi Yitzchok was sentenced to five years in exile.

In a letter that Reb Levi Yitzchak wrote to his son, he emphasized the concept of faith in every little "dot and crown" of our G-d-given Torah, whereby each detail complements and perfects the others:

"Do not imagine that the process of argument and debate as engaged in by the Sages of the Mishna and Talmud and those who followed... falls into the category of regular human intellectual pursuit. No, it is not that at all... Rather, each of the Sages perceived the Torah's wisdom as it exists Above, according to the source of his soul.

"There is absolutely no doubt, that everything in both the Oral and Written Torah, and in all the holy books written by the sages and tzadikim who studied Torah, was said by G-d Himself, in that particular and exact wording."

Reb Levi Yitzchak lived with the realization of the importance of every aspect of Torah; he had utter self-sacrifice for the compliance to Torah's every detail and nuance.

May we be inspired to learn from his teachings and example. And may G-d help, that on this day of the tzadik's passing-a day when he is empowered to bring salvation to the world - each of us be redeemed from all worries and pains, ultimately leading to the uncomparable and everlasting salvation-the arrival of our Righteous Moshiach.

PARSHA - Eikev

In this week's Torah portion, Eikev, Moses recounts the story of the Golden Calf and the breaking of the first set of Tablets. After praying for another 40 days and nights, G-d commands Moses, "Hew for yourself two tablets of stone like the first..."

G-d then commands the Jewish people to build Him a sanctuary, 'so the nations will know that the sin of the Golden Calf has been forgiven'.

One might think that, after they sinned with gold, G-d would forbid them the use of gold for all time. Yet we find that the exact opposite occurred: the very first material mentioned in the building of the sanctuary -- the purpose of which was to atone for the Golden Calf -- is gold!

Our Sages explain that gold was created solely for the purpose of the sanctuary and the Holy Temple and after being brought into existence for this reason, permission was then granted for mankind to utilize gold for other purposes as well.

This is but one example of the principle that everything in the world is created to serve a G-dly purpose.

G-d grants man the free will. Gold, created solely for use in the sanctuary and Temple, was utilized by the Children of Israel for their idol-worship. The grand misuse of the gold, however, did not alter its original purpose.

The true objective behind all of creation is to enhance the service of the Creator of all things.

The fact that some people choose to utilize these means for corrupt purposes does not detract from their original intent. On the contrary, when a Jew utilizes modern technology for the purpose of spreading Torah and mitzvot, he elevates these tools to their true perfection, for which they were discovered in the first place.

Candle lighting time for L.A. is 7:31

Shabbat Shalom!

PARSHA - Eikev

The true test of a Jew's Divine service is seen precisely when he encounters trials and difficulties. The trial serves to reveal his hidden abilities, and his service of G-d is strengthened by the experience.

There are two types of tests a person may face: the trial of wealth, and the trial of poverty. The Jews' trial during the 40 years of wandering in the desert consisted of both elements, and this was reflected in the phenomenon of the manna.

This week in the Torah portion of Eikev we read about the manna - a G-dly food, "bread from the heavens." In the desert, the Jewish people did not have to worry about where their next meal would be coming from; the manna fell predictably from the sky each day. It was entirely digestible, and had whatever taste a person wished. In addition, the manna was accompanied by gemstones and pearls. Thus the manna was symbolic of the epitome of wealth.

At the same time, however, the manna also embodied an element of poverty. Eating manna, the only sustenance the Jews were offered, was not satisfying like regular food. Moreover, the Jews received only enough manna for that particular day. It is human nature that when a person's house is stocked with food, he becomes sated after eating very little; when there is nothing in his cupboard, he is never fully satisfied. (They also had to have faith that G-d would cause it to fall the next day as well.)

Thus we see that on one hand, the manna was the richest sustenance a person could ask for; on the other, it was poor and unfilling.

So although the manna was the epitome of abundance, from the Jews' standpoint it was a trial of poverty, as the coarseness of their physical bodies prevented them from fully appreciating its G-dly qualities.

When a Jew is blessed with wealth, he shouldn't think that it is the result of his own efforts. Rather, he must always remember that it is G-d Who has granted him these riches. And if, G-d forbid, a person is faced with the test of poverty, he must likewise remember that "no evil descends from on High." For G-d bestows only bounty and beneficence, despite the limitations of our physical eyes.

Candle lighting time for L.A. is 7:31

Tu B'av

Today is the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av. The Talmud states that on this day the daughters of Jerusalem would go out, and dance in the vineyard to find for themselves marriage partners.

The mystics teach that marriage isn't really a union between man and woman, it is a reunion. A soul is divided into two halves. Marriage is the joyous reunion of these two estranged halves.

The love between husband and wife is the most passionate for it is a result of years of a soul's yearning to achieve wholeness through reuniting with its long-lost other half. When the two finally find each other and reconnect, the resulting emotions are dizzyingly intense.

On a cosmic level, man and woman are metaphors for G‑d and His nation. The soul of the Jew is a "part of G‑d"; we are essentially one with our Creator, just as a husband and wife are derived from one essence.

And we too undergo this process of estrangement and reunion.

On Tisha b'Av, with the destruction of the Holy Temple and the commencement of two millenniums of exile, we embarked upon a most horrifically painful long stretch of estrangement. The result of this estrangement will be the grandest wedding of all times, the coming of Moshiach which will usher in an era of eternal marital bliss.

It is this ultimate marriage that we celebrate on the 15th of Av. This day, a mere six days after Tisha b'Av, symbolizes our rebound; the reconciliation that follows the estrangement of Tisha b'Av—and its raison d'être.

The Talmud points to various events that occurred on the 15th of Av, all of which share the same theme—reunion that follows a period of estrangement:

The 15th of Av is the day when we celebrate our rebound. It is an auspicious day, a day to increase in Torah learning, prayer and acts of kindness.

Wishing much much success to all those who are seeking their soul's mate.