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Essays on the weekly Torah portion, the holidays and Jewish thought.
Parsha Miketz – Sing Along with Israel Jewish music in general, and the melodies that are associated with prayer and the praises of G-d, in particular, possess an uncanny ability to get us out of our internal exile, that in the aggregate is what prevents the world at large from experiencing the collective Redemption it so eagerly awaits. Parsha Miketz – Judah and Judah The name Jew derives from the word Judah. This implies that every one of us has the responsibility to demonstrate awareness of their uniqueness, their G-d given potential to illuminate the world with light. Every Jew possesses a spark of Moshiach, which may lie dormant. As we kindle the Chanukah lig Parsha Miketz – Sensitivity and Behavior Even when we must employ harsh measures in disciplining the other, we cannot let that cloud our feelings. A judge must walk a tight-rope in rendering justice. On the one hand, he cannot allow his feelings to cloud the need for justice, for he would then be corrupting justice. On the other hand, the Parsha Miketz – Spin Your Dreams The way one interprets the dream is the way it materializes. By Joseph giving a positive “spin” to the butler’s dream, it actually became a positive reality. Hence Joseph was actually the one who reinstated the butler by providing him with a positive interpretation of his dream. Parsha Miketz – Standing on the River Joseph exposed the truth about many of the world’s isms that claim altruism and purport to raise us to higher levels. In truth the people behind these isms stand on their own gods and use them as a means to serve their own selfish interests. Joseph’s entry onto the scene of leadership—that eventuall Parsha Miketz – Ten to Discover the One On the surface there is nothing more reprehensible than exile. But when we dig deeper and excavate until we reach its inner core, there is a hidden energy that can only be accessed in exile. It is the very force that empowers us to thrive in exile and ultimately be liberated from it. The way we brin Parsha Miketz – The Distant Closeness of the Threshold Era Joseph, after careful thought, decides to control his emotions and act the way he was convinced G-d wanted him to. He would use “tough love” and be harsh to them but not with any feeling of anger or hatred. Joseph was walking an emotional tightrope, but was able to balance himself by using the intel Parsha Miketz – The End (2) Our Sages also inform us that even after the “End of Days,” in the Messianic Age, when all other Holidays will no longer be significant, Chanukah will still stand out as a great Holiday. Parsha Miketz – The End By Joseph rising to power and providing for the needs of the world, Joseph endeavored to sow the spiritual seeds that would give the entire world its ability to rise above all constraints and obstacles and remove all traces of spiritual hunger. Parsha Miketz – The Twelve Seven Sons of Jacob and the Seven Branches of the Menorah Joseph was attempting to light the souls of his brothers. y exposing them to their ordeal he was removing the crust that dimmed the spark of goodness and holiness that they all possessed in ample measure. Parsha Miketz – Two Dreams Are Better Than One When we review the behavior of the Maccabees we see how their action was brazen. There was no logical basis for them to start a rebellion against overwhelming odds. It made no sense for them to defy the Syrian-Greek government that exercised total sovereignty over little Israel. It was unmitigated c Parsha Miketz – Wake Up and Open Your Eyes! We are living in the most opportune time for the Jewish people. The Jewish people enjoy as much freedom as they have today in virtually every country in the world. Even the “Evil Empire,” the former Soviet Union, has disappeared. We have witnessed unprecedented miracles of Biblical proportions in th Holidays Chanukah – A Heavenly Symphony Of all the Holidays, Chanukah stands out because it reveals a deeper part of our soul’s treasure than most other Holidays. This will dispel the myth that Chanukah is a minor holiday. A Holiday that can touch and kindle the soul of can touch soul of every Jew and reveal the uncontaminated core of eve Holidays Chanukah – Chanukah and Jewish Education (2) Only by preserving the integrity of Torah, by giving our children a Torah education that emphasizes its relevance to our lives, can we dispel the darkness of exile and usher in the ultimate Redemption. At that time, G-d will remove all the impurity from the world and “the world will be filled with t Holidays Chanukah – Chanukah and the Light of Moshiach True light – the light of the first day of creation; the light of Chanukah – is defined as the ability to see the inner dimension of existence. Holidays Chanukah – Chanukah and Education In Jewish education, there are times when a child (and the child within us) has to know that he or she must search, probe, question and seek answers. Never be satisfied with what we now understand. The child must also know that there are certain things that are elusive; they are beyond us and for wh Holidays Chanukah – Chanukah and Throwing Joseph Into the Pit Lighting the Menorah represents the introduction of truly sublime levels of spiritual light into our Earthly realm that transcends the normal levels of spirituality. The ultimate goal is to make the transcendence “visible” and accessible to the lower levels, so that everyone is illuminated and basks Holidays Chanukah – Chanukah and Tradition Chanukah is an obsession with optimism, excellence, hope and certainty. An attitude like this can only exist for those who Judaism is a part of life. When it comes to life, we don't want compromised life. We want and we seek to live our lives to the fullest. Holidays Chanukah – Chanukah Deleted! Chanukah is the defeat of those who wanted us to forget. Forgetfulness is a product of alienation from our G-dly soul. Tanya explains that the reason we forget is because our Animal Soul governs us. Because it is a natural soul, it follows the laws of nature for things to continually deteriorate and Holidays Chanukah – Chanukah: Major or Minor Leagues? The light of Chanukah is representative of the light G-d created the first day of creation. This light was not sunlight but a spiritual force too powerful for an imperfect world to experience and enjoy, so, our sages tell us, G-d concealed this light for the future Messianic Age. However, when the H