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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Masei
Our second Sedra of Matot maps the route of Am Yisrael from Egypt to the threshold of Israel. There are 42 encampments along the way; in many shuls these stops are chanted by the Torah reader in a special tune. Yet I would guess that most people listening tend to just gloss over the names of these different stops, for what possible relevance can they possibly have to us today? Do they mean anything beyond a list of long-lost locations?
I suggest that, like every other word in the Torah, they have cosmic, eternal significance. Note that the g’matriya of 42 is "bam," as in "v’dibarta bam" – you shall speak of them. I believe Hashem is hinting to us how important it is to take the time to review the stops each of us have made in our own personal life journey & to consider what we’ve learned on that journey, how we’ve changed, & if we grew closer to G-d as we made our way from place to place.
Some of these junctures were happy moments in our life: Mitka connects to "matok," sweet; Har Shafar is a mountain of improvement. Some places represent fear or anxiety; Charada is trepidation; Ovot is downright ghostly.
But let us focus for just a moment on the quote I began with. Mara, I suggest, can refer to those bitter times when we felt frustrated, when life seemed hopeless and devoid of any real joy. Maybe it was due to the loss of a loved one, perhaps it was our confronting own failings that sent us into despair & took away our zest for life. "How could we possibly go on to the next stop?" we asked ourselves.
The answer lies just down the road. For there we found 12 springs of water. These to me represent the 12 Tribes, our fellow Jews. When we start to lose hope & become lonely, we need to connect with our community, our neighbors & our friends, for there is strength in numbers. We can’t always do it on our own; but as part of an extended family we will find the strength to go on.
And if that is not enough, there are 70 palm trees waiting just ahead. These are the 70 z’kenim, the elders, the sages, the teachers, the rabbis, those special people who have acquired extraordinary wisdom along their own journey. They can inspire & educate us, they can help us navigate the path we’re on, so that we arrive safely at the destinations of Kedusha, Emuna and the Promised Land.
Corona may unfortunately be limiting our travels these days, but a trip down memory lane may just turn out to be the best vacation that we’ve ever had.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
Jewish Laws and Thoughts Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
Army and War "If Haredim Should Serve in the IDF, So Should You"
IDF Service for Young Jewish Men from America
Army and War "If Haredim Should Serve in the IDF, So Should You"
IDF Service for Young Jewish Men from America
Rabbis in Midrash
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The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
