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Essays on the weekly Torah portion, the holidays and Jewish thought.
Parsha Vayeitzei – Remove the Rock When G-d gives us a mission He also gives us the energy and wherewithal to fulfill it. Parsha Vayeitzei – Removing the Rocks In every generation, G-d has blessed the Jewish people with great spiritual mentors, whose lives are dedicated to the well-being of their flock. Their primary method of nurturing the Jewish people is by serving as the fountainhead of Torah knowledge and inspiration. Parsha Vayeitzei – Seeing and Hearing There are two ways that we deal with each other’s needs. There are times that we see another person’s plight; a simple recognition that something is wrong. We must take this to the next step, by listening to his or her story. What might seem to be just petty details or minutiae are not to the person Parsha Vayeitzei – Running from or Running to Our Sages state that a guest must listen to everything the host tells him except if he tells him to leave. The Rebbe would apply this to our going into exile. We must listen to everything we are told by G-d but we cannot be compelled to leave His presence. If we are forced out of the Holy Land we le Parsha Vayeitzei – Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is first and foremost a Jewish concept. Moreover, it is a fundamental aspect of Jewish tradition and theology. Our day begins with Modeh Ani — I give thanks, in which we express gratitude for having been given back our souls in the morning. Gratitude has been engrained in us from the be Parsha Vayeitzei – The Guarantee Jacob had no doubt that G-d would keep His promise to bless him with all the material goods. Jacob was doubtful about his own response and reaction to G-d’s bountiful blessings. Jacob feared that the more G-d would bless him, the more self-centered he might become. He was concerned that the material Parsha Vayeitzei – The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself Everything around us compels us to realize that we have “bumped into the place,” that we are living in unprecedented times and are poised to enter into a very special era of closeness to G-d. We can see how we have been “thrust” into this new “location” and time. What should our response be? We shou Parsha Vayeitzei – The Prayer to Be a Mother and the Mother of Prayer! There is one need and request that stands out among all the others. When it comes to a person asking for a child one does not need a formalized, structured prayer. The desire for a child for a childless couple; or the desire for nachas (fulfillment, satisfaction in English, but basically untranslata Parsha Vayeitzei – The Three Musketeers Charan is thus identified with the angry and hostile world that Jacob entered into. It was in Charan that Jacob had to struggle with his uncle Laban, and was ultimately victorious. This experience imbued Jacob’s future descendants with the strength to confront adverse and trying situations and overc Parsha Vayeitzei – Unconventional Prayers for Unconventional Results Rachel’s child was no ordinary child even in comparison to the other sons of Jacob. Her first son, Joseph, would carry the legacy of the Patriarchs to future generations. Whatever spiritual energy and light Jacob and his forebears had introduced into the world depended on Joseph to transmit it. It r Parsha Toldos – A Clean Slate The Messianic Age will represent a total departure from Roman culture and values. Moshiach will inaugurate a world wiped clean of the Roman’s imprimatur. Moshiach will write the story of life on a clean slate. Parsha Toldos – All for the Children In our mystical tradition, the shared experiences of our forefathers and us are more than just a fortuitous coincidence. It is even more than just an omen. When these events occurred with the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, they actually generated the spiritual energy that enabled us, their children, to Parsha Toldos – Bringing the Future Into the Present The Tanya, citing the Zohar, states that even the Satan truly wants us to deny his blandishments and resist the temptation to sin. However, the Satan cannot show that desire because it would undermine the test and sabotage the mission for which he was chosen. Esau is the symbol of the Satan. He is i Parsha Toldos – Esau in 3d Esau is the symbol of the world around us that can be viewed in 3d. One can be impressed by its veneer of glitter, or cynically view it from within as a rotten world. But the 3rd dimensional way of viewing the world – the Chassidic perspective – is that it possesses a powerful spiritual dimension th Parsha Toldos – Can’t Change Your Language A Jew can and in some cases may, figuratively speaking, put on the clothing of other cultures. A Jew can engage the outside world, interact with it and be a part of it, insofar as the external aspects of the world are concerned. But when it comes to our essence, A Jew will discover that try as he mi Parsha Toldos – It’s Okay to Have a Split Personality Every one of us possesses two distinct personalities. We are in possession of an animal soul and a G-dly soul. Every act of goodness is another victory for the G-dly soul in us. Our struggle is made easier when we realize that, ultimately, we will win the war against evil. Parsha Toldos – Digging Deep In the Messianic Age, when the light of G-d will pervade the world and the attribute of kindness will extend to all, we will then be able to focus all of our energies to the Isaac modality of gevurah, digging deep to ensure that the purist and holiest energies are exposed. Even the “outsiders” will Parsha Toldos – Mother of Jacob and Esau: “I Don’t Know” Is the Lesson! If we understood the dynamic of exile we would make peace with it and would not demand of G-d and of ourselves to bring an end to the struggle. We would be blinded by all the positive forces we generate because of the struggle. Parsha Toldos – Mother of Jacob and Esau: What’s the Lesson? There are only two acceptable methods of dealing with recalcitrant children: Either shower and smother them with love and warmth, or in extreme situations employ tough love. To do neither is unacceptable in virtually all situations. Parsha Toldos – Multiple Births Jacob was so named because he held on to the heels of Esau as he was being born. But, the word heel associated with Jacob also symbolizes the trait of humility. In addition, the yud, the first letter of Jacob’s name, the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet, reinforces the .theme of humility posse