Parshas VaYikra

This week's sidra is Parshas VaYikra, the first of the 3rd book of the Pentateuach, otherwise known as Leviticus. VaYikra means, "And he called", refering to G-d's communication with Moshe from between the Cherubim who adorned the Cover for the Ark of Testimony. This Parsha almost exclusively concerns itself with the laws of the various temple sacrficies, ranging from voluntary "elevation" offerings, to several types of sin offerings, including both animal and meal (i.e. cake) sacrifices. This sets the tone for the entire book, the most technical of the 5 Books of Moses, centering around laws of the Tabernacle. This may explain why the book begins with a conjunction, "And", in order to connect it to the end of the second book, the Book of Shemos, with concluded with the construction of the Tabernacle. Shemos also began with the same conjuction, which we explained connects it to the first book, the Book of Bereishis, which describes the Creation of the world. Therefore, one could say that the Torah also means to make an essential connection between the Creation (and its purpose and fulfillment) and the performances of the services in the Tabernacle.
The obvious question to be asked is, of course, what makes these sacrifical offerings so important, as to actually fulfiill the intent of the entire Creation? To understand this, first we should explain the concept of the animal sacrifice itself, which was first brought by infamous brothers Kain and Able. The Torah tells us that Kain brought "some fruits of the land", while Able brought "from the firstborn, from the choicest", and that G-d "turned" to Able's, but not to Kains. This instigated Kain's anger, leading to the murder of his brother (also a first). The lesson here is clear, that, at least with regards to animal sacrifices, G-d desires the best.
To understand this more clearly we can preface with a teaching on the mitzvah of tzedakah (often translated as charity, it literally means "righteousness"): It is said that the mitzvah of tzedakah is equal to all the other mitzvas in the Torah (for Jews and Gentiles), because while other mitzvahs only use one part of the body (for example tefillin are placed on the arm and head), when somebody works to earn money and then gives away the sweat of his brow for the sake of no reward, he is, so to speak, giving away a part of his whole body and being with which he toiled. Similarly, when Able took his choice flock and placed them on an altar for consumption in fire, he was giving away a part of himself. This further explains why today the practice of giving tzedakah has replaced the animal sacrifices in gaining atonement for sins.
This also can explain one of the more perplexing verses in our parsha, which describes the offerings as "a pleasant aroma before G-d". The actual aroma would have been quite foul, and, furthermore, what does it mean to say that G-d "enjoys" the physical aroma of anything in this world? Rashi, the authoritative 11th century commentator, therefore explains that the verse more acurately means "a spirit of contentment, that I spoke and My Will was carried out". In other words, the practice of animal sacrifices represents the ultimate stage in man's "service" of the divine; that he should do something that completely denies logic, and which actually causes him physical (monetary) damage simply because G-d Almighty desires it. The Torah further emphasizes this by placing the voluntary sacrifices ahead of the obligitory sacrfices (which seemingly have a purpose, in terms of repentance), and therefore closer to the Book of Bereishis, and the Creation of the World.
Although nowadays we have no Temple, one can still apply the lesson of the sacrificial services in their lives, by practicing tzedakah and good deeds with a sense of physical and emotional investment; to sacrifice a piece of our body and the feelings of our hearts. It is written about the inexpensive meal (cake) offering, that a "soul" brings it, as opposed to a "man". Since the intent of the meal offering was to make the Temple services accessible even to the poor, the Torah means to teach us that when a poor person brings even a small offering, Hashem considers it as if he brought "his very soul". So to with us, who are "spiritually poor", any offering we make will surely be accepted as if we had brought "our very souls". With Pesach arriving soon, this is an espeically propitious time for tzedakah and good deeds, conforming with the tradition of "Wheat Money", collected to buy matzos for those families in need. I encourage everybody to make an effort to participate in this important mitzvah, and help bring G-d's Creation closer to perfection.

Parshas VaYakhel-Pekudei

This week's Torah portion is a combined Sidra, Parshas VaYakhel-Pekudei, meaning respectively "And he assembled" and "Accounts". This Sidra is primarily a summary of previous information from the Book of Shemot (Exodus), in which the Torah describes the actual buildling of the Mishkan (Tabernacle in the Desert), according the the instructions which Moshe had received, and the anointing of the structure with all its utensils, as well as Aaron and his sons to serve there as Cohanim (priests). Perhaps because of the seeming redundancy, there is one particular change in the two accounts which many commentaries bring out, and this is the order in which G-d Almighty commanded Moshe and then how Moshe commanded the Children of Israel to build the Tabernacle. Specifically, in the commandment received on Mt. Sinai, Moshe was commandment to first build the Ark of Testimony and then the physical structure of the Tabernacle. In our Sidra, however, the order is reversed, and the Children of Israel, led by Bezalel son of Uri, first build the structure of the Tabernacle and then the Ark. To understand the significance of this change first we should explain what the Ark and the Tabernacle (structure) represent, specifically by way of their contents. The Ark was built to hold the tablets of the 10 Commandments received at Mt. Sinai, physical "testimonies" of G-d's encounter with mankind. On the other hand, the Tabernacle was built to house the particlar services of the priests, including animal sacrifices and incense offerings. The Ark serves a "passive" and hidden role; by simply resting in the chamber of the Holy of Holies it serves its purpose. The Tabernacle, however, is "active" and revealed, defined by the services performed there for all to see.
Based on this distinction, we can now understand the difference in the order of construction. The simple explantion frequently given is that when Moshe received the instructions on Mt. Sinai, this was before the Sin of the Golden Calf, but when he passed the instructions on to Israel, it was after he had spent his second and third 40 day periods on the Mt. to gain forgiveness. According to our explanation, therefore, somehow at the time of the Revelation at Sinai "passivity" preceeded "action"; but later "action" came to proceed "passivity". It is explained in Chassidic philosophy that at Mt. Sinai Israel was on the level of a perfect saint, meaning they could clearly perceive the unity of G-d and then bring themselves to proper action; while later they were on the level of the penitant, who in order to return to his original status (and in fact reach even higher) must first take action and "change direction", and through this experience he can come to comprehension. This order more acurately parralels the actual service of the Tabernacle, where the Holy of Holies (containing the Ark) was entered only once each year after an entire years worth of service, at which point the High Priest would make a short blessing for health and physical sustanance, so that the Priests could continue their service for the next year. Similarly it should be in our lives, that much hard word is rewarded by peak moments of "passivity" or "rest", which then give us the stength to continue until we reach the next peak. From strength to strength!

Parshas KiTisa

This week's portion is Parshas KiTisa, which literally means, "When you will take", referring to the half-silver-sheckle tax taken for the the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. The portion deals primarilly with the communal sin of the Golden Calf, and Moshe's (eventually successfull) attempts to gain forgiveness from G-d Almighty on behalf of the Children of Israel. Because this portion deals with such uncomfortable subject matter (the worship of idols just a short while after the receiving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai), and the more uplifting portions are in fact very cryptic, I'll share a simple concept in Hassidic philosophy that I believe relates to returning from a trip to Israel.
Because, in Judaism, we conceive of G-d as a "transcendent" figure, traditional concepts of "Holy" and "Mundane" do not necessarily correspond to "Better" and "Worse" as one might otherwise assume. Similarly, we say that G-d is finite just as he is infinite; that he incompasses, equally, two opposites. The concrete example, is of course, the difference between the Holy Land, Israel, and the rest of the mundane world. In Israel, spirituality is very present, as many religions trace their roots here. In America, however, secularism rules, and G-dliness, so to speak, is hidden. This dichotomy, however, belies the true nature of G-d; He is equally "present" on the Temple Mount as in Walmart. Therefore, the way to have a genuine spiritual experience, to connect with G-dliness, would be to somehow connect to the transcendental essence which equally pervades the Holy and the Mundane. Therefore, if we hang a mezuzah which we purchased in Yerushalayim in our apartment in New York, or share the shabbos experience with the uninitiated, then we are truly connected with G-dliness, on an even higher level that when these things seemed so present; when every door had a mezuzah, or every street was empty for the Sabbath. This, for me, is the real meaning of the Land of Israel and of Jerusalem, that G-d should have a dwelling place in this simple world.

Parshas Terumah

This week's sidra is Parshas Terumah, which describes the details for constructing the Tabernacle (the tent in the Wilderness which held the Ark of the Testimony, and where the animal-sacrifices were brought; later converted into the permanent Temple in Jerusalem) and all of its accessories, including the Menorah, "Showbread" Table, and Altars. The title of the Sidra is taken from the verse, "Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering." This describes the 1/2 Silver Sheckle donation given by every Jew towards the bulding of the Tabernacle.
In this Sidra, Israel is insructed to build a "Sanctuary" so that G-d Almighty can dwell among them. Our sages tell us that this commandment is a permanent commandment for all times. The Rebbe, therefore, asks the question, as to how we can fulfill this commandment now, when the 3rd Temple in Jerusalem can only be rebuilt when Massiach arrives (therefore, we do not meet the primary conditions!). The answer given can be explained from a teaching of Maimonides (see above), who says that anyone that learns the laws of buidling the Temple, is considered as if he built the Temple himself. This means that in any synagogue, or even home, today, we can participate in building the Temple. This also extends beyond just the laws of the Temple, to the learning of all parts of the Torah. Therefore, the Rebbe instructs that we can fulfill this command by making our homes "Temples", sanctuaries of learning and practicing good deeds.

Parshas Mishpatim

This week's Sidra is Parshas Misphatim (literally, "ordinances"), taken from the first verse which reads, "And these are the ordinances which you shall set before them". Unlike last week, where we had to dig deep to find a connection between the name of the Sidra and its content, this week's name summarizes the entire Sidra in one word, as we are instructed on everything from slavery to civil law; and at the end Moshe ascends Mount Sinai to recieve 40 Days and Nights of instruction from the Almighty. In general, there are three types of "laws" in the Torah, Eidim ("Testimonies") which commemerate events (such as eating Matzo on Pesach), Chookim ("Decrees") which comprise the supra-rational laws (such as kashrut), and Misphatim ("Ordinances") which resemble secular law. That a Parsha on Ordinances directly follows the super-natural giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai is meant to teach us that even the rational laws of the Torah should be performed in the same manner as the supra-rational laws: simply because G-d Almighty himself put them in the Torah; because as long as they are left to the subjective human mind, mistakes in judgement will always be made. The Rebbe explains that this contains very deep instruction for us. If G-d felt the need to instruct Mankind about these laws, then he surely he felt that despite their logical underpining, not everyone would accept them if not for divine instruction. For example, we still find that people steal although it says not to in the 10 Commandments. Therefore, by including these very simple, seemingly logical, rules G-d meant to instruct even those members of society who don't understand such principles, by means of logic or anything else; and to instruct them in the same breath as he instructed holy sages and Torah scholars; from the lowest depths to the highest peaks. Similarly, those great sages who themselves will put these laws into practice as judges, must still confront the physical world with its unfortunate realities of theft and lying, and become aquainted with the mundane rules of monetary compensation. This tells him that he must even strive to understand the supra-rational commands, in a manner that can "bring them down to earth".

Parshas Yisro

This week's sidra is Parshas Yitro. Most famous because it contains the Giving of the Ten Commandments at Sinai, the Parsha is quizicolly named after Moshe's father in-law, who comes to visit Israel in the Wildnerness after hearing of the great miracles performed for them at the Sea and against Amalek. Yitro sees the great burden Moshe caries as sole intermediary between the Children of Israel and G-d Almighty, and advises him to establish a system of magistrates, filtering out all but the most difficult cases.
Although the Giving of the Torah is certainly the most dramatic event of this week's sidra (accompanied by Sounds Seen and Lights Heard), I would like to share the following teaching from the Rebbe about Yitro, the mysterious man of many names (seven to be exact), who comes to advise Moses our Great Teacher:
It is quite rare that a sidra should be named after an individual, therefore this merits special attention, especially when the parsha contains seemingly "more important" events, like the Revelation at Sinai, and we have to understand the connection between Yitro and these events. The Torah tells us that Yitro was the "Kohein of Midian", because he had served in all the false religions in the world (these included fire worshipers who sacrificed their children, and idol worshipers known to throw excrement at their idol during worship), what could this have to do with the Torah? Maimonides (famous 12th century codifier) tells that idol worship comes from mistaking the power given to "stars and spheres" to orchestrate nature as reason to honor them of themselves, as opposed to honoring He who game them this power. However, in truth these "constellations" are no more that an "axe in the hand of the woodchopper", and deserving of no worship. Yitro was aware of all the different ways that G-d channels energy into the world, and still came to declare, "Blessed be G-d...Now I know that G-d is greater than all the deities." This personal acknowledgement of Yitro's was the preperation for the general revelation of Torah to follow at Sinai, which we are taught, was given solely to create peace in the world. Here, peace refers to harmony between opposites: that G-d's presence should be recognized in a world that seems to be completely absent of it. It is written that before the Torah was given, the "Heavens were G-d's" and the "Earth was for Man", but at Sinai this boundary was broken, and they would be fused. This is the true meaning of peace: not that one side nullifies the other, but that they come together to elevate eachother. Therefore, giving the Torah, on a lowly mountain, means to bring about an awareness of G-d within the context of the world itself; that without His constant supervision, the world would not exist. The Torah provides this peace on a personal level (Yitro) and also on a global level (Sinai). Furthermore, the name Yitro is etymlogically related to "advantage". The Zohar (the basic text of Jewish mysticism), connects this to what is written, "I saw an advantage to the light over the darkness". There is another meaning for Yitro, however, and it is "higher quality"; in other words there is a higher quality to light which comes "over" (from) darkness; that darkness becomes a source for light; that the physical becomes a source for the spiritual. Finally, it is written that at Sinai the world stood in a state of absolute oneness with G-d, however, because this event was initiated by G-d (in a way of breaching a boundary), it was only temporary. However, when mankind takes the teachings of the Torah to heart and puts them in to practice, they transform darkness into light from the bottom up, as we see from the order of events, first Yitro changed himself personally, and then the world was changed at Sinai. This makes it possible to permantly dissolve the dichotomy, and we will realize that G-d "dwells within us".

Parshas Beshelach

Parshas BeShelach (literally "in sending"), coming from the from the verse, "And it came to be, when Pharoe send the nation, G-d Almighty did not lead by the path of the Philistines, although it was near...", and then continues to desrcribe their roundabout path to the Sea of Reeds. Here, the Torah tells the famous story of the Splitting of the Sea, whereby the Jews were brought through on dry land and the Egyptians were drowned in the depths. The Jews then composed the "Song of the Sea", which to this day we recite every morning as part of the prayer service. What follows is back and forth between the Jewish nation, and Moshe and G-d, whereby the people complain, first about lack of water, and then about lack of food, prompting Moshe to perform miracles by turning bitter water sweet, causing the Manna to descend from Heaven (including a double portion on Fridays, the first reference to the Shabbos), and a stone to stream water (the complaints of the nation will be a constant theme throughout the 40 years in the desert). Finally, Israel is attacked by their eternal (at least until the days of Moshiach!) enemy, Amalek, and prevail only when Moshe's hands are supported by Aaron and Hur (that he could pray), allowing Joshua to overrun them.

I would like to now share a short teaching from the Rebbe on this week's Sidra:
It is brought down in the Oral-Tradition, that when Israel arrived at the Sea and they saw the Egyptians approaching, 4 cliques formed, as they decided what to do next: One group wanted to jump into the sea, the second wanted to return to Eygpt, the third wanted to fight the Egyptians, and the fourth wanted to raise their hands in prayer. The Rebbe explains that these are 4 ways of confronting the "Egyptians" of the world (in general, Egypt/Pharoe refers to that which is not-holy, but on a more general level, that which oppresses us). The first way, to jump into the sea, means to jump into the sea of Torah, of Holiness, and to seperate oneself from the world. Apart from being against Torah-law (suicide is forbidden in Judaism), it is generally a selfish course of action; this character could be called a work-a-holic. In the second way, to go back to Egypt, he does not break any law, but says he will accept another to rule over him, and keep Torah to the greatest extent possible (after all, there are exceptions made when one's life is at risk from a foreign power); this character is somebody who settles for the 9-5 life. The third way, to fight Egypt (in a Torah permissible way), while lacking the submission of the second option, is still "me" centered, he believes that HIS energy and determination alone can overturn an entire army; this character is somebody who gives their life over for very lofty causes, but ignores basic neccessities like family or helping those in his own neighborhood. The forth way, the raise your hands in prayer, on the outside seems very ideal from a Torah perspective (after all, it shows ultimate faith in G-d), however, it denies the basic premise of the Torah, which tells us that the teaching and the commandments were given to us "to DO them today", this way of life requires some action, in the way of a partnership with G-d Almighty; this character is somebody who decides to leave this world and move to a mountain in China.
The Rebbe teaches us, however, that there is a 5th way. The Torah says that when Israel presented these complaints and options to Moshe, he rebuked them, and then after consluting with G-d Almighty instructed them to "go forward". For us this means following our leaders, and conducting ourselves with consistancy and integrity. That which we do, in Torah and in other matters, we should do to the best of our ability and take pride it in, all the while increasing in learning and good deeds, focusing on the future. With this attitude of "go forward" G-d will open up paths for us and perform miracles. It is said that small miracles happen every day that even surpass that of the splitting of the Reed Sea. Why? By the Splitting of the Sea, it is written that G-d "blew an easterly wind the whole night", however, for somebody to be in the right place at the right time, in the way of a coincidence, takes preperation going back all the way to the beginning of creation! Surely with confidence and humilty we can "go forward" in the face of any challenge, and with the help of G-d Almighty, our personal Egypt will be tossed in the Sea and thrown to the ocean floor, at which point we will "walk through on dry land".

Parshas Bo

The Sidra Parsha Bo (literally "come"), coming from G-d's commandment that he should "come" to Pharoe and continue to instruct that he should allow the Jews to leave Egypt and "serve their G-d in the desert". As usual, Pharoe's heart is "hardened' and he refuses to let them go, which brings upon him the final three plagues, locusts, darkness, and the death of the firstborn. This Sidra is also significant because it contains the first "mitzvah" (literally "commandment", and etomylogically related to "connection") given by G-d specifially to the Jewish people through Moses. This mitzva is the setting of the months: the Torah calender is lunar, and the traidition would be that the High Court would hear testimony concerning the appearance of the New Moon, after which they would declare a new month, and all dates and holidays in that month would follow in suit. The direct signifance in this Sidra relates to the next commandment, also given in Bo, to make take a young lamb on the 10th of the month, and to make the Pesach sacrifice on the 14th. Also included are the various laws concerning the Pesach sacrifice (both with regards to this particular offering only performed in Egypt, and the offering to be performed in the Temple in Jerusalem for all generations). Finally, the Sidra tells of the very famous "Exodus" from Egypt on Erev Pesach.

10 Shevat

The 10th of the month of Shevat on the Hebrew calendar is the Yarzeit of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson in 5710 (1950), and also the inauguration date of his son-in-law, the 7th and final Rebbe of Lubavitch, Menechem Mendel Schneerson (their memories should be for a blessing) one year later in 5711 (1951). I would just like to share a brief biography of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak (RYY) in their memories:
RYY, the only son of the 5th Rebbe, R Sholom Ber, was born in 1880 in Lubavitch Russia. Recognized as a great prodigy at a young age, he became the head of the Yeshiva in Lubatvitch at the age of just 15. The effects of the Revolution took a great toll on his father, and RYY was pressed into the leadership after R Sholom Ber's death in 1920. As Rebbe, RYY established a wide range of underground educational organizations in order to keep the flame of "yiddishkeit" burning despite the oppression of the Jewish Section of the Communist party. In 1927 he was jailed as a counter-revolutionary. In jail he survived repeated torture and death threats, and his death sentence was finally commuted on 4 Tammuz (about the beginning July), and he was released 8 days later. For much of the rest of his life he had to go in a wheelchair. He quickly left Russia to more friendly parts of Europe (for the time being), including Warsaw and Riga (in Latvia), before finally emigrating to the US in 1940. There, beginning with less than a minyan (10 men), he reestablished the Lubavitch Hassidic dynasty, while continuing to front underground activities in Russia. Until the lifting of the Iron Curtain almost 50 years later, Lubavitch was the only religious Jewish presence in Communist Russia. In Crown Heights, Brooklyn he established the Chabad Printing House, the Chabad Educational Arm, and numerous other organizations that served as the basis for his successor's, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, wide ranging outreach programs. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak is remembered as the paramount example of self-sacrifice in the quest to help and another Jew and another human being; a quality that all of his students and disciples continue to strive for to this day.

Parshas Vaeira

This weeks Parsha (or Sidra) is Va'eira (literally, "and I appeared"), and primarially tells the story of the first 7 plagues to befall the Egyptians and the hands of Moshe: Blood in the Nile, Frogs, Lice, Wild Beasts, Death of Cattle, Boils, Hail. However, the parsha begins in the midsts of an exchange between Moshe and G-d in which Moshe is questioning why G-d increased the suffereing of the Jewish people (by way of Pharoe) after Moshe fulfilled G-d's command to request that Pharoe release the Jews from slavery (at the end of the previous parsha, Shemot). This leads us to the first verse of this weeks portion, "G-d spoke to Moshe and He said to him, "I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob with [the name] Almighty God, but [with] My name YHWH, I did not become known to them."" Before we hear what the Rebbe has to say about this, I will give a brief preface about the concept of the different names of G-d: in the Torah there are two primary names by which G-d is refered to, one is Elokim (meaning the G-d of the natural world, and referring to his attribute of judgement and severity, this was the name used to create the world, "In the beginning, etc", and the name with which he appeared to the Fathers) and the other is YHWH, the 4-letter name of G-d (refering to the transcendent G-d, and his attribute of kindness). In the case of our particular verse here, the fact that G-d Almight only revealed himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with his "limited" name teaches us that they never questioned him (to the point that he should reveal his "true" intentions) despite the trials with which they were confronted. Moshe, on the other hand, is famous for his confrontational attitude with G-d Almighty. Therefore this verse essentially contains a rebuke of Moshe: if the Fathers did not ask questions of Me, then how do you Moshe, see fit to question Me?
There is something very important to understand about this interchange between G-d and Moshe, because it is very rare for the Torah to criticize even an animal, and yet here there is an open admonition of Moshe our Great Teacher. To answer this, we must understand the essential difference in the ways that the Fathers and Moshe 'served' G-d. The Fathers represented the 3 emotional traits of Kindness (Abraham), Severity (Isaac), and Mercy (Jacob, a combination of the first two), while Moshe the transmittor of the Wisdom of the Torah represents Intellect (this is not to say that the Fathers did not use intellect and that Moshe did not use emotion, but rather in general they were characterized by these traits). This can explain why Moshe brought questions to G-d, seeking to comprehend G-d's ways; in order that he could transmit it to the rest of the Jewish people (including us today) whose intellects' were more mundane; whereas the Fathers' mode of service was primarily action oriented (to spread G-d's Kindness, or Severity, or Mercy throughout the world, in the way of faith without questions). Therefore, when Moshe brought this question against G-d, his response was to, so to speak, to refer him to the example of the Fathers; that he should combine the great intellectual service he already embodied with his emotions and heart, and therefore translate his knowledge into action. In general, this was the achievement of the giving of the Torah; that intellect and emotion, the spritual and the mundane, the G-d of heaven and the G-d of earth should be fused; the Higher brought down into the Lower, and the Lower elevated to the level of the Higher. So included in this instruction to Moshe is also instruction to those whose primarly function in this world is based on emotion, that they should learn to channel their emotions with the power of their intellect. These two character types, the intellectual and the emotional, span the entire range of humans, described in the Torah as including everyone from the "heads of your tribes" to "the hewers of your wood and the drawers of your water"; from the great scholars to the simple working people who simply follow their heart and natural instince of right and wrong; and the directive is that they must all work together and learn from one another. It was this way that Moshe brought the Jewish people together that they should be 'redeemed' from the slavery of Egypt, and it is in this way that we can all bring ourselves out from our personal Eygpts, and eventually into our personal Israels, "a land flowing with milk and honey".

Parshas Shemos

This week's torah portion is Parsha Shemot ("Names"), beginning the second book of the Torah of Moses, the Book of Shemos, or Exodus. The parsha (and book) begins with a conjunction, "AND these are the names of the children of Israel who went down to Egpyt...", which 13th-century commentator the Ramban, or Nachmondies, tells us to mean that this book is a continuation of the previous book. How so? The book of Bereishit, or Genesis, explained the creation of the world and the Jewish people, in the way of a prequel, and ended with the beginning of the first Jewish exile, the exile in Egpyt. Since this story is contained in the book of Bereishit, it must be that the concept of Exile is an essential element of the creation of the world and the Jewish people, like all other topics that are contained in the Book of Bereishit. In fact, following the rule that "the beginning is wedged in the end", we can even say that it is as important as the Creation of the world itself. It is therefore, from the same topic that the second book, the Book of Shemos, Exodus, begins, and expounds upon. Most essentially, this book tells the story of the leaving of Egypt and receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai, and finally the erecting of the Tabernacle, or Sanctuary, in the Desert, creating a resting place for G-d Almighty, in this physical world.
After this brief introduction to the Book of Shemos, I would like to share a word from the Lubavitcher Rebbe on this weeks portion:
We are told in the parsha that Moshe was taken from the Nile in a basket (where he was deposited to save him from a decree that required all sons to be drowned) and raised in Pharoe's house, and when he came of age he decided to go out and see the oppression of the Jewish people, knowing that he himself was of this nation. On his excursion, he witnessed an Egyptian man beating a Jew, and he could not stop him with words, so he "struck [the Egyptian] down", killing him. The next day, Moshe went out again, and now saw two Jews quarreling. When he attempted to separate them, one of men asked him if he would "kill him as he did the Egyptian?" At this point, the Torah says that Moshe became scared because "the matter had become known". Rashi, the greatest of all Torah commentators, says here that, in addition to the simple explanation (i.e. he was scared for his own life), Moshe was scared because perhaps now the Jewish people were not worthy to be redeemed from Egypt. Several questions are raised here, namely, how could it be that Moshe, the greatest of all prophets (as determined by Maimonides in the 13 Principles of Faith), could worry about such matters? Surely he knew that he was destined to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt, and yet here he finds TWO reasons to doubt this outcome?
Essentially, these questions highlight a difference between faith and trust. A simple explanation (based on a similar incident with Yaakov, in which he feared for his own life before his reunion with Eisav, his older brother from whom he took Yitzchak's birthright) says that Moshe was worried that his sin, killing a man, was reason for G-d to go back on his promise. This refers to faith, faith that G-d is a perfectly just judge, and that whatever he does is "for the best", so to speak, just because it is his will. Trust ("bitachon" in the Holy Tongue of Hebrew) on the other hand, means trusting that when G-d makes a promise he will surely fulfill it, despite any obstacles either from within (the seeming unworthiness of the recipient of G-d's kindness) or from without (circumstances that perhaps would require a reversal of Nature). Therefore here, Moshe, despite his perfectly good faith, displayed a distinct lack of trust. This is why the very next verse in the Torah says, "Pharoe heard of this incident, and he sought to slay Moshe, so Moshe fled to the desert". There was no "punishment" in store, until he allowed negative thinking to enter into his mind.
From here, we learn the very important hassidic maxim of "think good and it will be good". This means that at all times and in all situations, we not only have the right, but the responsibility to expect only visible and revealed good. That even in the darkest of "exiles", both physical and spiritual, we have to cry out "Until When?!?!" How much longer must we live in a dark world where evil flourishes, where war, death, illness, and suffering meet us at every stop? And then, because we have expected good from He who bestows good, even though in truth we may have not acted to our full potential, and G-d has every right to not fulfill his promises, in the merit of our trust the good will surely be revealed!

Parshas Vayechi

The name of this weeks portion, the last in the book of Bereishit (Genesis) literally means "And he lived", this refers to Yaakov Avinu (Jacob Our Father, generally Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov are called Our Fathers), who lived in the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt) for 17 years before passing away at the age of 147. In Hebrew the number 17 can be made from the same letters that spell out the word Tov, or Good (in Hebrew, letters are also used as numbers), which teaches us that there were actually the best years of Yaakov's life.
The Parsha tells the story of Yaakov's death and the blessings that he bestows upon his sons (and grandsons) who compose the 13 Tribes of Israel. I'd like to focus on one specific blessing that Yaakov gave, to the two sons of Yosef, Menashe and Ephraim, who were born to Yosef in Egypt to the daughter of PotiFar (who by Divine Providence was herself a descendant of Yaakov, orphaned in Egypt). In the reckoning of the Tribes of Israel Yosef himself is not counted, but rather he is represented by his two sons. On a literal level, this represented the passing over of the 'first-born' to Yosef, in that his descendants received the double portion of inheritance reserved for the firstborn (in escrow until Joshua would actually like the children of Israel in to Canaan after Moshe's death). While this in itself could serve as a lengthy discussion (how were the other sons passed off? what does it mean to the be first-born?), I would like to focus on the beracha (the blessing) given to Menashe and Ephraim (here listed in order of their birth). We are told that when Yaakov came to bless the two boys, he switched his hands and placed his right hand upon Ephraim and his left hand upon Menashe; in other words he switched THEIR birthrights, the right hand (for the first-born) blessing Ephraim, the younger son, and vice versa. At the same time, Yosef asks his father if he knows what he is doing, to which Yaakov replies in the affirmative. We have to understand, why did Yaakov make the switch?
One way to explain this is by prefacing with a more subtle, but slightly more troubling inconsistency in this story: how did Yosef (know as "The Tzaddik" or "The Righteous") believe that his father (himself known as "The Chariot of G-d Almighty") had make a mistake and blessed in the wrong order? Rather, it must be that for Yosef, Menashe was truly the first-born, and yet for Yaakov it was Ephraim. How could this be? We are taught that Yaakov and Yosef represent two different 'modes' in their relationships with Egypt; for Yaakov, he came from Eretz Yisrael and, in a sense continued to live in the same way in Goshen; wherever he was, he was in Eretz Yisrael, above and removed, a light that can not be extinguished. Yosef, on the other hand, was so involved in Egypt that he actually ruled over it; not only did he "descend" (in a physical and spiritual sense) to Egypt and keep his principles, but he actually came out of it better; this is light, that when placed in a dark room seems tremendously bright, although in truth it is the same light as before.
So what is the connection between Yaakov and Yosef, and Ephraim and Menashe? To explain we will look at the names of the boys: the name Menashe is related to the word "to forget" in Hebrew, meaning "G-d made me forget (Nashani) all my struggle and all my father's home"; in other words he recognizes that being in Egypt causes him to lose connection to his roots, and therefore, he has a great yearning NOT to forget and, on the contrary, even to remain connected; i.e. to take the "light" of his fathers home, of Yaakov, and bring it into the darkness of Egypt. This is very similar to what Yosef himself did, and therefore Yosef saw Menashe as his first born. Ephrayim, on the other hand comes from the word for "fruit", as in "G-d has made me fruitful (Hifrani) in the land of my oppression," meaning that the source of his oppression, Egypt, actually became the source of his fruitfulness; i.e. transforming darkness itself into light. Such a transformation could only be made possible by tapping into that higher source of light, that light that can never be diminished, represented by Yaakov; a light that is so powerful that before it, darkness actually becomes light.
Finally, we are taught that everything in the Torah provides lessons for us on a personal level and on a day-to-day basis. Here, we should recognize that all of these 'characters' (Yaakov, Yosef, Ephraim, and Menashe) exist within each one of us, and we all have the ability to connect with them in our lives. When we find ourselves in "personal Egypts" we should know that we have the power not only to be unaffected by our surroundings (physical and metaphysical), but to actually thrive there (by staying connected to our roots), and even to transcend our current situation and use it as a source for growth.

Parshas Vayigash

This weeks Torah portion (sedra) is Parshas Vayigash, which literally means, "He approached", taken from the first word of the Torah reading this week. This refers to Yehuda, the son of Yaakov (and ancestor of Kings David and Shlomo, and Melech Ha'Mosiach), who "approaches" Yosef, after the children of Israel have returned to Eretz Mitzrayim (otherwise known as Egypt) for the third time. A short refresher: on the first trip they were sent by Yaakov to get food during the famine, when they arrived Yoseph accused them of being spies (one reason is that they entered the city from 10 different gates to split up and look for Yoseph, which he then used as a source for suspicion...), therefore he held Shimon captive on the condition that they should return to Eretz Canaan (Israel) and bring back their youngest brother Binyomin to confirm their story. Upon returning to their father Yaakov's house, they discover that the money they thought they had spent on food was still in their packs, and after much difficulty manage to convince Yaakov to send Binyomin (his youngest and only remaining son from favored, and now deceased, wife Rachel) back down with them to Mitzrayim (Egypt) to retrieve their other brother Shimon. The second trip goes as planned, however, Yoseph plants another sack of money in one food pack, and then sends a servant to retrieve the "stolen" money. It turns up in Binyomin's pack, and now the brothers must return once again to the House of Yoseph and somehow convince him of Binyomin's innocence, in order that their father should not be broken by the loss. This brings us to the beginning of our parsah, Yayigash; as we mentioned Yehuda "approached" Yoseph in order to plead for Binyomin's release. As a result of this show of brotherly unity, Yoseph can no longer control his emotions and finally breaks into tears and reveals his true identity to his brothers (including showing them his bris-milah). Yoseph inquires about his father, and eventually word reaches Pharoe of this good news, and he decides to bring Yaakov and his family down to Mitzrayim (Egypt) as well, and establish them with great wealth in the fertile land of Goshen. The brothers return to Yaakov in Canaan, and the whole family of "Seventy Souls" descend to Mitzrayim (Egypt). On the way God appears to Yaakov and makes the following promise: "Fear not to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation. I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again." Yisrael and his children comfortable settle in Goshen.

And now a short word from the Rebbe:
It's written in this week's parsha, "And Yosef nurtured... his brothers... [granting them] bread according to [the needs of] their children." In another place (the Book of Tehillim, Psalms) it is written that Hashem "leads Yosef like sheep", here referring to the Jewish people as a whole by the name Yosef. When the Torah does this it means that within every Jew there is a piece of Yosef, a part of them that "nurtures his brothers" and "gives bread for their family's needs". Additionally, Yosef did this kindness AFTER the cruel acts which his brothers had done to him, by selling him into slavery in the first place. This means that a Jew even has the ability to "nurture" those who had once before betrayed him very cruelly, "to repay those who are culpable with goodness". Furthermore, it is written in the Midrash that Yosef not only sustained his family according to their needs, but according to their deeds. This means, that although it seemed cruel to throw him into the pit and then sell him to traders, this began a long series of events that eventually landed Yosef in a position of great power to now help his family; therefore the objective outcome, the actualy deed itself (regardless of the motivations) is what Yoseph is "repaying". This refers to a level in our relationship with Hashem, that he treats us according to our deeds. He recognizes that on the inside we desire only to do good, and therefore objectively recognizes our good deeds regardless of the motivations that brought them about. This is the true way of nurturing, because by focusing for long enough on the good, eventually it to will come to the surface, and now we can be rewarded not just for our deeds, but also for the intentions behind the deed. Ultimately, this is a much higher level of "Divine Service".