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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Pkudei
With this Sedra, we come to the end of the dramatic book of Shmot. It began with our descent into Egypt, followed us through the horrific period of slavery, celebrated our freedom from bondage & our triumphant stand at HarSinai, where we bonded together & received the Torah. And then, for 16 chapters, we "build" the Mishkan & fill it with objects of holiness. Why the massive emphasis on the building of the Mishkan that - while it did last for more than 400 years - was destined to be dismantled, never to be seen again?
I suggest that Hashem is sending a powerful, pointed message to the Jews of eternity. He is telling us that as we wander along the path of history, passing through locales without end, from Cuba to Kaifeng to Canada, from Scotland to Spain to Santa Barbara, we would continually set up & then take down our holy places. We would build our Yeshivot & Batei Midrash & Mikvaot, & they would service & support us for some time. But then, we’d pack up & move on to another stop in our ongoing sojourn; the "holy places" of our past would turn into libraries or hospitals or office buildings, & be but a distant memory.
Yet that’s only Part I of the message. The second, all-important point, is that one day the Mishkan would finally cease its travels. It would morph into the more permanent edifice of the Bet HaMikdash, where stones would now replace collapsible wood & the ground upon which the Temple stood would attain a Kedusha L’Netzach, a permanent holiness that could never, ever be expunged despite the ravages of time.
Wherever Jews have lived, we have built. We built societies, our own as well as that of our hosts, & we built magnificent edifices. But for 2000 years these buildings were of the temporary variety. Only now, with our blessed return toIsrael, do we build permanent structures that stay right where they are. Now, the builders and the buildings are fixed firmly in their place, never to be uprooted again.
On a trip to Norway some years ago, I visited Trondheim, Norway's third-largest city. Its once-viable Jewish community had dwindled to no more than a handful of elderly people. The head of the shul – which now met just once a month – was proud to tell me that they had a mikva. I rushed excitedly to the room, but sadly, I had to push away the heavy cobwebs to see the pool.
The lands of the Exile can be fantastic, but they are fleeting & finite. Israel, & Israel alone, is forever.
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Shoftim TESHUVA IN COURT OF LAW?
Parshat Shoftim-Chodesh Elul
Why does parshat Shoftim always come out during Elul? This innovative and central explanation is an eye-opener regarding many aspects of Judaism.
The Month of Elul TESHUVA IS THE ANSWER
The month of Elul serves as a vital time for self-reflection and personal accountability to prepare for true repentance.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
P'ninat Mishpat Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Chemdat Yamim The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the cornerstone laying for the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh – 1938)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the cornerstone laying for the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh – 1938)
Re'e NEVER EXTREME EXCEPT ISRAEL
Parshat Re'eh
Judaism is against extremism, so how can we understand the seemingly extreme statements found in our sages in favor of living in the Land of Israel and against living in Chutz laAretz? The article deals with the seeming contradiction between the strength of Free-Will and the strength of being influenced by our surroundings.
Ekev DANCE FOR ISRAEL- FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Parshat Eikev
Description: The 7 Haftarot we read after Tisha B'Av ("Shiva D'Nichemta") surely get us excited that they're coming TRUE, and awaken us to yearn, dance & join the return to Zion! The short article also deals with the problems and solutions facing the American Jewish community as discussed at a recent panel, as well as the question why Jews come from America to Israel to help when we face problems, but Israelis don't come to aid Jews in America when they face anti-Semitism.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
