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Essays on the weekly Torah portion, the holidays and Jewish thought.
Parsha Tetzaveh – Holy and Unholy Chutzpah Chutzpah is the most destructive force used by the arch-enemy of Israel—Amalek. To defeat Amalek we use a positive and holy form of Chutzpah. TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Tetzaveh – Jewish Bell- Bottoms Judaism, paradoxically, demands both external behavior and internal depth of understanding and feeling. There are time when we have to sacrifice the latter to achieve the former TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Tetzaveh – Just One Drop of Oil Oil is a symbol of light and inner purity. When dealing with inner purity, quantity becomes immaterial. One drop suffices. TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Tetzaveh – Mind Control The mind is a terrible thing to waste. Even worse is when the mind is not free but subject to the whims and caprices of our unbridled hearts and external pressures. TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Tetzaveh – Moses and Pure Olive Oil For the integrity of knowledge, both the teacher and student have to possess pure souls. TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Tetzaveh – Messianic Justice We are always judging others. We must learn to see beneath the surface. TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Tetzaveh – Raise Your Hands Above Your Head It is axiomatic in Judaism that as important logic and reason are; one must be able to go beyond reason and logic in the pursuit of G- dly goals. That is the meaning of Holy Chutzpah. TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Tetzaveh – The Great Offensive Living in a world filled with negative influences dictates that we have the right defenses. There are seven aspects of the priestly cloak, which we can all use to circumnavigate the minefields of society and even change them. TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Tetzaveh – The Inner Jew Society deems one with success, power, wealth and fame to be on top of the proverbial ladder. Judaism, by contrast, views the simple, and modest Jew who serves G-d sincerely and in in anonymity to be infinitely higher than those on top of society’s hierarchical value system. TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Tetzaveh – The Mystery of the Missing Jewel When something goes missing in our lives, we must look for what is missing in our own behavior. TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Tetzaveh – Two Forms of Communication Some people are great at receiving and absorbing inspiration from others. If you lack that talent, realize that G-d gave you the ability to discover your own inner jewel. TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Tetzaveh – Nothing Personal Selfishness is not restricted to material matters. When we share our deepest and most personal emotions to inspire others, that is a noble expression of selflessness TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Tetzaveh – Where Is Moses? When someone’s name is not mentioned it can suggest a lack his or her presence. But it can also mean that the other is so present that his or her name need not be mentioned. TETZAVEH TETZAVEH Parsha Ekev – A Bar Mitzvah Speech Which came first the chicken or the egg? Another way of asking the question is which comes first the Bar Mitzvah or the party and… Parsha Ekev – A Tale of Two Scenarios Divine energy flows in two directions: From the source to us and from us to the source. Redemption is when the two flows meet in the middle. Parsha Ekev – Forgetting Forgetfulness Forgetfulness is caused by negative energy associated with exile. In the Messianic Age we will no longer need teachers and other memory devices to retain our knowledge. Teachers will then serve a higher purpose. Parsha Ekev – Fear G-d? Why Not Just Love? Even simple emotions contain elements of profundity. Fear of G-d and self-abnegation are two sides of the same coin. Parsha Ekev – Good Diseases? Our task is to do everything to remove suffering. We cannot understand the “why” of misery, but we can learn lessons from it. The only thing that compounds our suffering is our failure to find a silver lining by learning lessons from it. Parsha Ekev – Heels: The Lowest and the Highest Conventional wisdom teaches us that despite being on the ground you can still climb high. Chassidic wisdom believes that because you are so low you can climb high! Parsha Ekev – Getting Rid of the Monster We Created Some forms of fear can be paralyzing. However, some forms of fear can be positive. They can actually neutralize the negative forms of fear.