A Rabbi's Thoughts

I’m kind of numb. Some people turn to me for answers on “how could this happen?” I’ll save you time. I don’t know. All that I can think about right now is what does Mrs. Chava Sandler answer her one year old surviving son when he wakes up in middle the night crying “Papa! Papa!”
Her next child Gavriel was only four years old when his short life came to an end. But one of the beautiful pictures of him is sucking a lolly on the day of his Opshernis, the traditional hair cutting ceremony at the age of three; just before he would have started reading this week’s Parsha.
The Midrash (and subsequent Jewish tradition) tell us that when young Jewish children are brought for their first day of learning in “Cheder” the first verse they read is from this week’s Parsha at the opening book of Vayikra Leviticus.
Why? Because since the book of Leviticus is primarily focused on the service of the tribe of Levi (hence the name Leviticus) with Sacrifices in the Sanctuary of God, “let these pure ones (the children) come and engage with these pure ones (the sacrifices).”
Interestingly however, in the entire book of Leviticus the Sacrifices are never referred to as “pure.”
One of the only times that we see “pure” in reference to a Sacrifice is much earlier on in the Story of Noach post the flood, approximately a thousand years before the whole Mitzvah of Sacrifices was given at Sinai.
So the terms “pure” then hints to a level of our relationship of God that transcends the relationship that began at Sinai with the giving of the Torah and Mitzvot.
This then is why the Sacrifice was a form of repentance for someone who damaged that relationship with a transgression of sin; the Sacrifice highlights a relationship with God that can’t be damaged, ever, by anything.
It’s almost like saying that if Sinai represents adulthood in our relationship with God, then Noah’s era represents pure childhood. And the sacrifices are forever a way of refreshing the simplicity of that child-like relationship with our beloved Parent in heaven
So just a few months ago little Gavriel Sandler, like millions of Jewish children for generations before him, probably started his first day of Cheder at Gan Rashi Preschool in Toulouse, by “engaging with these pure ones.”
Please God “let these pure ones” Gavriel, Aryeh, their holy father Rabbi Jonathan, and little Miriam, “come and engage with these pure ones” their little brother, their mother, bringing them comfort from their special place in heaven, and with the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days, engaged and reunited in a warm embrace with them again.

Many have read and commented on the recent Time Magazine article about the "tiger mom" and her new book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. This gist being that if we push our kids harder, and not be concerned about how they feel but how much they study and do, they will end up stronger emotionally academically etc.
 
The article makes a compelling case for both sides. True hard work and persistence are good, and staying emotionally detached and focused on the mission are going to lead to positive academic results but on the other hand, this can also lead to emotional deficits in the children, they may not get enough love etc. Her claim is that this need to shower the kids with love and praise even when not deserved is an American "shtus" (Yiddish for bubbeh maaseh).
 
There was one line in a later article in the same magazine "Roaring Tigers, Anxious Choppers," analyzing this article by Nancy Gibbbs that really stuck out and hit a nerve within me. "The thing that impresses me most about America," observed Edward, Duke of Windsor, who knew something about indulgence, "is the way parents obey their children."

To me, this might be one of the most important points of what the debate ultimately boils down to.
 
Who is in charge of whom? Who is influencing whom?
 
We are often so busy trying to make our kids better, and at times, mold them after ourselves, or after how we'd like to see ourselves that we don't realize that often it is our vision of ourselves that we are trying to inflict on our children or even worse, it is our frustration with how they are turning out or that we don't see the positive affects of our child rearing that we over react in our exasperation and either over react in punishment or in disinterest and just 'give em whatever they want and not have to look the problem in the eye.
 
Again, Who is in charge of whom? Who is influencing whom? What is influencing my decisions?
 
To shed some light on this darkening matters let us look to a window.
 
Yes, Let us look to the windows of the ancient Temple.
Now, I am no Martha Stewart, and home décor is not my forte, yet one thing stands out and is worth mentioning. You see nowadays, the choice when it comes to windows is between Anderson sliders or casements etc. However in the Temple times it was different.
 
You see, glass if it did already exist on the open market, was certainly not easily available to the masses. As such the way in which one would get light and air into their homes was via a cavity in the very thick walls, as much as a few feet at times. The hollow on the outside was made very small yet the hole on the inside was very large; thus the light and air traveled in, however the unwelcome visitors from the outside did not. In addition, one benefited by exposing as little as possible, the hole on the outside, and received as much as possible on the inside through the extra large opening.
 
The windows of the Temple were made vice-versa. The hole on inside was very small, and the opening exposed to the outside was very large. This indicated a phenomenal lesson and message. The light of the activities inside the Temple, the menorah, the sacrifices etc. and the spirituality that took place inside served as a beacon of light whose purpose was to brighten up not just the immediate area, but energize the entire outside , i.e. all the exile and beyond the Temple. Our sages say that inside the Temple was a utopian and messianic form of existence. Time and space were not inhibitors there. Miracles were ever-present.
 
The message with those reverse shaped windows, was that not only was the spirituality of the Temple not infected as it were, by the negative influences of the outside world, but on the contrary, the holy, spiritual and bright nature of the inside of the Temple was actually a beacon for the world; To influence and affect the surroundings of this mundane and the corporeal.
 
As it pertains to Tiger Dads and Moms: I don't know for sure if I'm qualified to give a final statement on the matter until my kids are grown and married and I know I've done a good job. I do know this; if I am being influenced by them, and I am doing for them what they want of me to do for them, rather than me doing for them what I know, based on the Torah's guidance what is good for them, then I'm not Tiger Dad, I am not even a pussy cat dad.
 
May we merit GD's guidance.
 
Have a good week!
 

Have you ever met an ex-Frenchman, or ex-Briton or ex-Australian? I haven't.

So you'll forgive me as well if I refer to myself as an ex-Egyptian. Yes, I know, my family started there. We were given so much by that glorious African nation. Employment, opportunity and fulfillment - how many people can claim to have built the pyramids. But we also left with bitter feelings towards our employers, so you'll excuse me if I only refer to myself as an ex-egyptian.

So here's my advice to all my fellow ex-countrymen in Tahrir Square;

Listen to me. We have experience in this area. Our Pharaoh  makes your Mubarak look like a friendly milk deliveryman. When I see the scenes of bloodshed against protesters in Cairo it is heartbreaking... Tragically it reminds me of our first born sons becoming fish food in the Nile during the round one of Egyptian oppression. Hearing about the beatings, going on since last Friday, is a throw back to close to three generations of daily torment in building Ramses. And much more. So take it from me that I don't speak about the importance of freedom in Egypt lightly.

But here's the thing; 

1. Don't let it out on others. The first thing we were told by G-d (in last week's Parsha) after taking us out from under such horrible employers, were the Mitzvot about being a good employee. The Torah gives pretty strict labor laws as the opening shot of Jewish law taught after the stories of Exodus and Sinai. So I only hope that when you do succeed in throwing off the yoke of this tyrannical government, please, don't become one yourself. Not to your own. Nor to your northeastern neighbors. Remember that.

2. But being a good guy is more than just not being the bad guy. Unlike many of your African counterparts, I hope you'll realize that governing is far more complex than liberating. Your objective now is very clear and simple. But when the dust settles is when nation building really begins. Getting him out is digging the hole and making space for the foundation. It's pretty easy to dig the hole where you'll build a home. Filling that hole is a whole different story.

And this week the Torah give us lots of advice on how to build, on how to fill that space in our lives.

Would you believe that the story of creation of the universe is only one chapter of the Torah.

Revelation at Sinai? Three.

Building a Tabernacle in the Desert? Thirteen.

It seems strange that the architectural and artistic design and construction of a hut in the desert gets more airtime than the creation of the world and the exodus from Egypt combined. But that is in fact exactly the point.

Up until this week, we have been laying the ground work. Whether it was the physical universe of Genesis, or the spiritual purpose of Exodus, only now does the real work kick in. And that's the important part.

"Terumah", the name of this week's parsha, means contribution. It's a name that tells us that after all of the remarkable things that we read about in the first 2,500 years since Adam and Eve, it is our contribution in building a nation, through the building of a central Tabernacle, of our own initiative, that our story truly begins.

The commentaries point out that the the Hebrew word Terumah is a combination of the Hebrew word "Torah" and the letter "Mem." That letter has the numerical value of 40, alluding to the 40 days that Moshe spent on the Mountain understanding the Torah. It represents the transmission from the Divine to the Human. The transition from heaven to earth. Liberating his people from Egypt overnight was heroic. But spending 40 days to understand how G-d wants them to live thereafter, was even more important.

So often we allow the "opening show" to overshadow the "centre stage" of what life is about.

Whether it's the allure and romance of love you may see at a wedding which obscures the sacrifice and true commitment that a successful relationship requires, or the passion and idealism that inspires a popular rebellion, hiding the true challenges that lie in the nation building ahead.

The painstaking detail of the Tabernacle, that we read about in this week's portion, may seem boring to someone searching for all the excitement of the last few weeks.

But as we all know, it's in those details, the intense understanding of G-d's Torah and observing His Mitzvot, the sensitivity we apply to every aspect of the life we create with our families, the attention we pay to the needs of clients in building a business, it's in those details that we truly succeed.

Please G-d may the desire of millions of oppressed citizens across the Middle East for true freedom, translate not only into free and fair elections under the great celebration of liberty for all, but true and just societies that seek lasting security and true peace for themselves, and everyone - every nation - around them.      

Wishing you a Shabbat of noticing and building the details in your life, 
 

The Midrash describes how after each of the first two commandments uttered by G-d the Jewish People actually died from the revelation, only to be immediately revived, by G-d Himself. So the people begged Moshe "you speak to us instead of Hashem so that we don’t die again!" .

Not quite the kind of Jewish studies experience we are used to...
 
The obvious question though, is that this was obviously by the direct of G-d Himself. It was His words elevating them, and His will reviving them. In fact, it was they themselves who requested, as Rashi points out before the 10 commandments, that the words be spoken by G-d Himself and not through Moshe - so why are they complaining now? They'll be fine!
 
Perhaps though, the paradox of life and death in the Sinai Experience carries an important message;

Whilst they knew that they would survive through G-d's continuous miraculous revival of them, that ongoing break of nature would run against the whole objective of Sinai - to bring heaven down to earth, down to Mount Sinai, down to the people and down into the very character of their conscious natural being.
 
True, the initial transcendence of their "virtual deaths" was important. That face to face interaction with G-d empowered the soul with a measure of divinity to fulfil its journey from Sinai onwards. Otherwise, that out of body experience would serve no purpose. And they knew they would survive.
 
But survival alone would not suffice. They had to transform. Even if it meant that for the duration of the revelation, the words came through Moshe. At least now they could absorb the message consciously and achieve its goal to be a part of, and transform, the world.
 
Sinai only happened so that we, body and soul together, could harness the divinity of the G-dly soul into the guiding light of the human body and reality.  
 
The Rebbe shared this thought in a very moving talk on the first Yarzeit of his Rebbetzin's passing - this Shabbat Yitro in 1989.
 
In connecting the day to the message of the Parsha, he drew the comparison of the passing of a Tzadik, a righteous person, which she most definitely was, to the initial experience of the deaths of the Jewish People at Mount Sinai. "Her desire is that the the result of her passing express itself in tangible acts and good deeds in our physical world." 
 
In poignant words the Rebbe concluded that "despite the fact that she was "the wife of his youth" (whom the Talmud describes as irreplaceable), the message is that: we, who are still living in this physical world - body in soul - utilize the sanctity of her passing as a motivation to make a physical tangible difference in our lives, in the study of Torah, in Prayer and the observance of Mitzvot and good deeds for those around us.
 
She in turn then uses this fresh injection of spiritual energy to pray on high for all of those in need, for children, health and success in abundance, and the ultimate blessing for the complete redemption.
 
May the proud Matric graduates. and all of us together, live the message of Sinai in paying tribute to this remarkable woman who so regally exemplified the message of Sinai in her lifetime and beyond.
 
Thank G-d 3,300 Years later, the Sinai Experience, in both life and death, continues to produce magnificent results.
 

The Jewish People are at the sea, as an Egypitan army comes crashing behind them Moshe is commanded to raise his hands and the sea splits "and they believed in G-d and Moshe His servant."

Why is their faith in Moshe mentioned here, at such a pivotal moment? A fundamental tenet of Jewish belief is the knowledge that every individual has an absolute connection to G-d with no intermediary separating that union. So why is faith in "Moshe His servant" so relevant here?

The Talmudic era Midrash, the Mechilta takes note that the one word of faith includes both G-d and Moshe, deriving that "one who believes in Moshe believes in G-d. Perhaps, their faith in Moshe was more then faith in him as a servant of G-d, it was their faith in him as a believer in G-d. 

Of course, we all believe in G-d, alone. And Moshe teaches us how to have faith. Or in the words of the Zohar, Moshe is a Ra'ya Mehemna, which means both a faithful shepherd and a shepherd of faith. However it is not Moshe alone that fills this need.The Zohar continues that in every generation there is an extension of Moshe's soul that feeds a conscious faith to the people of that generation.

But in our generation Moshe took it a step further. Exactly sixty years ago tonight, the Rebbe declared in his opening address that faith alone is unsustainable. It only takes root in your consciousness when you share it with someone else.

This was the defining call of the generation, echoing the Midrashic interpretation of Abraham's service of G-d "al tikrah VayIkra, ela vaYakri" "don't just read that he (Abraham) called to G-d, but he brought others to call G-d as well".

Sixty years ago tonight a generation of faith in G-d was born that would revive from out of the ashes of the holocaust a burning faith in G-d, in ways that noone thought possible. Whilst others thought it was a time to consolidate and turn inwards, the Rebbe reversed the trend on set a course of Jewish outreach, where faith is something to give, not to have.

Just two days ago, a close friend asked if our families experiences in the past few months was a strain on my faith. Having grown up  in a home with two parents who live the Rebbe's call to share our faith with others, I can honestly say, that it was the decades of sharing with  others, that gave us the strength of faith during that difficult time.

There is no aspect of my life, my family, my community, and my purpose that  has not been profoundly influenced by the vision of a generation that was born tonight.

With the Rebbe's passing 17 years ago, many thought it would signal the end of an era. But tonight, as this generation, the Rebbe's generation, my generation, celebrates it's 60th birthday, it calls for a Yoma Tavo LiRabonon, a celebration of  the scholars, as free of worry or doubt the Rebbe's vision carries on, until very soon when we reach the true fulfillment of that vision with the coming of the redemption, may it be speedily in our days.

Wishing you a Shabbat of Sharing Faith,      
 

Rabbi Mendel Teldon 

Free at last, free at last, thank G-d Almighty we are free at last. Who said these words? No, it wasn't Moses but American civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King. But it could have been Moses – or for that matter any one of the millions of Jews who were liberated from Egyptian bondage.

This is the week when we read of the great Exodus. Let my people go that they may serve Me was the Divine call transmitted by Moses to Pharaoh. Now, if the purpose of leaving Egypt and Pharaoh's whip was to be able to serve G-d, so where is the freedom? We are still slaves, only now we are servants of the Almighty!

Indeed, countless individuals continue to question the merits of religion in general. Who wants to submit to the rigors of religion when we can be free spirits? Religion, they argue, stifles the imagination, stunts our creative style, forever shouts instructions and lays down the law. Thou Shalt do this and Thou Shalt better not do that, or else! Do's and don'ts, rules and regulations are the hallmark of every belief system; but why conform to any system at all? Why not just be "me"?

Many Jews argue similarly. Mitzvahs cramp my style. Keeping kosher is a serious inconvenience. Shabbat really gets in the way of my weekend. And Passover has got to be the biggest headache of the year.

Long ago, the sages of the Talmud said it was actually the other way around. There is no one as free as he who is occupied with the study of Torah. But how can this possibly be true? Torah is filled with rules of law, ethics and even expectations and exhortations that we take the high road and behave beyond the call of duty. How could they say that Torah makes us free? Surely it is inhibiting rather than liberating?

If you want to enjoy the freedom of the high seas, you must first become a slave to the compass Let me share an answer I once heard on the radio while driving in my car. It was during a BBC interview with Malcolm Muggeridge, the former editor of Punch, the satirical British magazine. Punch magazine was arguably England's most irreverent publication. It mocked and ridiculed the royal family long before they did it to themselves. In his latter years, Malcolm Muggeridge became religious and the interviewer was questioning how the sultan of satire, the prince of Punch could make such a radical transformation and become religious? How could he stifle such a magnificent free spirit as his?

Muggeridge's answer was a classic, which I still quote regularly. He said he had a friend who was a famous yachtsman, an accomplished navigator of the high seas. A lesson he once gave him in sailing would provide the answer to the reporter's question. The yachtsman taught him that if you want to enjoy the freedom of the high seas, you must first become a slave to the compass.

A young novice might challenge the experienced professional's advice. But why should I follow that little gadget? Why can't I go where I please? It's my yacht! But every intelligent person understands that without the navigational fix provided by the compass we will flounder and sail in circles. Only by following the lead of the compass will the wind catch our sails so we can experience the ecstasy and exhilaration of the high seas.

The Torah is the compass of life. It provides our navigational fix so we know where to go and how to get there. Without the Torah's guidance and direction we would be lost in the often stormy seas of confusion. Without a spiritual guidance system we flounder about, wandering aimlessly through life. Just look at our kids when they're on vacation from school and are "free" from the disciplines of the educational system. Unless they have a program of some kind to keep them busy – like a summer camp – they become very frustrated in their "freedom."

Within the Torah lifestyle there is still ample room for spontaneity and freedom of expression. Not all rabbis are clones. To the untrained eye every yeshiva bochur looks identical – a black hat, glasses and a beard. The truth is that every one is distinctively different; an individual with his very own tastes attitudes, personality and preferences. They may look the same but they are each unique.

We can be committed to the compass and still be free spirits. Indeed, there are none as free as they who are occupied with Torah.

Thanks to Rabbi Yossi Goldman for the thought. 

"Come on Rabs, it's New Years tonight, we have extra alcohol for Shabbat dinner but no Shul."

Well, thankfully I won that argument a few minutes ago, but unfortunately there are many others who may not give me the chance to make the case for 60 minutes with Hashem (and 60 minutes less of Heineken) as the best way to get whatever blessings you're hoping to get in the next 12 months.

But isn't that sacrilegious? Why would you combine a secular pagan festival with the sanctity of our Divine gift of Shabbat?

Well, the truth  is, there is a point to that. Making Judaism relevant is perhaps about changing the packaging. But the product is an untouchable gift from the Divine.

But, it's also important to remember that the holier and more spiritual the energy which we experience, the more material and mundane the effect could and should have.

So perhaps the best place to be on the night of 31st December is, you guessed it, at Shul and then your Shabbat Table.

It was in NYC exactly 30 years ago tonight. No, I'm not talking about Times Square. I'm thinking of 770 Eastern Parkway, Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

It was the evening of December 31 1980. Only a few miles away hundreds of thousands of people were partying the night away. But in that brightly lit room, there was a celebration of far greater significance.

The Rebbe was discussing precisely this issue, that the greatest achievement of the holy, is when it influences the unholy. The strongest power of the spiritual is because it can reach the most mundane.

This week we read the story of a year that was far more calamitous for the world than the recession of 2010. Time and again the evil Egyptian empire was struck with the plagues, the consequential result of their murderous oppression  of the Jewish People. 

In ways that would have had any environmentalist scratching for answers (Global Warming, Cooling and Meltdown - all in a matter of months) the plagues struck, again and again, until finally their stiff necked refusal was broken and the Jewish People were set free.

Why all these complex manipulations of nature? "So that they know that I am G-d in the midst of the land."

What does "midst of the land" mean? Rashi explains G-d's words that "although my presence is in the heavens, my decree is fulfilled on earth."

Whilst we often think of a figurative divide between heaven and earth, G-d doesn't think so at all. On the contrary; The power of heaven is most relevant when we feel it on earth.

Yes, earth is an earthly place. Especially on the night of 31 December when a good portion of civilization finds themselves under the influence of substance other than oxygen.

But it's also Shabbat. Tonight is a night to remind yourself that there is no place in the world, and no time of the year, that is distant from G-d.

And even when your party spirit says, na, tonight's not a night for Shul. Yes, that's the best and most important night of  the year to make sure you're there.

Wishing you a Happy New Shabbat,

"The Worst Decade Ever" "The Decade from Hell" "The Decade of Broken Dreams" "The Lost Decade" - what are they smoking in Time Magazine's newsroom?

Yes, this has been a hard ten years bookended by the Sep 11 attacks on one end and the financial meltdown on the other.

True, for the millions who've lost their loved ones to recent terror, to families struggling in a recession, to cities flattened by natural disaster, this has been a most trying time, perhaps as harsh a hell like all of the Time descriptions depict it.

But, not to undermine the suffering of others, is suffering new? Are we suddenly becoming all cynical and negative?

If yes, then fine, but for anyone who underwent those tragedies in the 90's it was just as bad then. For the billions who never had a job to lose, the recession wasn't exactly a deal breaker.

For the victims of terror of the Oslo War through the 90's, Sep 11 was the first moment when people in Netanya felt that the people in in New York understood their suffering of so many decades before the decade from hell...     

So if despair and depression are the way we're going, sorry you're just a bit too late.

In fact, on the contrary, if you spoke to the orphans in Sderot, or the hungry children in Soweto you'll probably find  much more inspiration than from the sensationalists at Time inc.

These children can see, or should I say can make "the best," even when others would only see the worst.

Like Yaakov.

This week we read of the closing chapter in the life of the father of the Jewish People "veYechi Yaakov" "and Yaakov lived."

Noting that the 17 years he lived there correspond to the numerical value of the word Tov which means good, the Baal HaTurim quotes the Medrash that these were in fact the "best years of his life"

"Best of his life?" asked the young Tzemach  Tzedek to his grandfather the Baal HaTanya, "in Pagan Egypt were the best years" of a man who grew up in Eretz Yisrael?

The Baal HaTanya replied that by sending Yehuda to establish the Yeshiva (see last week's email for details), Yaakov was able to live a good life even in Egypt.

But why "the best" years?

Perhaps the reply of why it's "the best" is subtle because in a place of suffering and challenge it's hard to see it as the best. You don't see it as the best, because you never should be there in the first place.

You don't see or feel it as the best, but once you're there you make it the best. 

This past Tuesday, the same day as Chanale's birthday was the Yahrzeit of my little brother Shloimy. A period in my life that could easily pass as the worst. But thank G-d for blessing me with parents such as mine who took the Rebbe's inspiration to them and transformed the hardest experiences, into "the best" lessons I'll ever learn about life, joy and what really counts.

Challenges are never easy. When they are, they're not challenges.

But Yaakov's Yeshiva and subsequent joy in Egypt - the eternal message of Torah and it's Divine Spirit in the metaphoric Egyptian Exile of the suffering we endure - empowers us to transform the best to the worst.

Yes, we could have, would have and should have done better. But it's not too late.

You too, with the inspiration of the Torah can establish a Yeshiva in the moments of Egypt in your life.

Wherever in the world, and under whatever circumstances you find or even put yourself, the bridge from the best to the worst, whether it's a decade or a day, is only as long as your first step forward.

Wishing you the best Shabbat in a decade, 
 

Which is the greater test of faith, affluence or poverty? Is it harder to be a good Jew when you're rich or when you're poor, when you're successful or when you're struggling? No doubt, we would all much rather accept upon ourselves the test of affluence, wouldn't we? But let's not be subjective about it. Let us rather take an objective historical approach.
 
Back in the early 19th century, Napoleon was conquering Europe and promising liberty and equality for all. When he squared up against Russia, many Jewish leaders sided with him, hoping he would finally bring an end to Czarist persecution and enable Russian Jewry to enjoy full civil rights. Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad, thought differently. He actively opposed Napoleon and even had his Chassidim assist in intelligence gathering for the Russian army.
 
When his colleagues challenged him and questioned his apparent lack of concern for the well-being of his own people, he argued that while Napoleon might be good for the Jews materially, his victory would result in spiritual disaster. History proved him correct. Minus the Little Emperor, Russian Jews remained staunchly Jewish, while French Jewry virtually vanished. How many Jewish Rothschilds are left in the world? G‑d knows we could have used them. Most of French Jewry today hails from North Africa. The originals are few and far between.
 
There is a fascinating Midrashic interpretation in this week's parshahabout the dramatic encounter between Jacob and Esau. The Torah says, "And Esau ran towards him (Jacob) and embraced him… and he kissed him." The Hebrew word for "and he kissed him" is vayishakayhu. In the Torah, this word is written with a line of dots above it. Says the MidrashYalkut Shimoni: these dots are there to indicate that the word should be read it differently; not vayishakayhu, he kissed him, but rathervayishachayhu, he bit him!
 
How can we understand a Midrash which seems to change the entire meaning of the word? A kiss is an expression of love and a bite is the opposite! Says the Sfat Emet (Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter, 1847-1905, the second Rebbe in the Chassidic dynasty of Ger), "When Esau kisses, Jacob is bitten!"
 
The American experience confirms beyond a shadow of a doubt that freedom, democracy and equal rights, while a wonderful blessing for Jews for which we should be eternally grateful, also present a profound challenge to our Jewish identity and way of life. In the melting pot of the United States, Jews have integrated so successfully that they are virtually disappearing! Success and affluence are wonderful gifts of opportunity, but we don't seem to be passing the test of faith with flying colors.
 
The French philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre, argued that anti-Semitism has been good for the Jews. It has kept Jews Jewish! While no one wants to be oppressed, and we reject anti-Semititsm categorically, the man does have a point. When antisemitism bites, we intuitively know how to respond. But when the world is in a kissing mood, we don't quite know how to handle it.

I remember as a young rabbi working with university students in Johannesburg in the late 1970's. At that time, they were completely apathetic to Judaism. My colleagues and I were struggling to elicit any meaningful response to Jewish programs on campus. During one particular meeting, we seriously contemplated getting up in the dead of night to spray-paint some swastikas on the Student Union building. Surely, that would get some reaction! Of course, we never did it. But the fact that the thought actually crossed our minds demonstrates how external threats have a way of making Jews bristle with pride and righteous indignation.
 
May we never again face the test of poverty or persecution. Please G‑d, we will be proud and knowledgeable Jews successfully meeting the spiritual challenges of the good life.

By Rabbi Yossi Goldman

I can't help but write about my recent trip to NY for the annual Chabad Shluchim Convention.  How could I not share with you the energy of 4,000 Rabbi's and lay leaders in an armory in Brooklyn joined together for one purpose only; to strengthen each other and recommit to our mission of transforming the world through bringing a greater awareness of G-d into it and promoting acts of kindness in our respective communities.

Am Yisroel Chai!
 
This convention is the first (and pray Gd the only one) since the Mumbai terror attacks when two of our own "troops" were taken down in the line of duty.  The attacks took place exactly one year ago and on the eve following the attacks we mark the first yurzeit.  You can imagine how front and center this was in the hearts and minds of all the Shluchim.
 
On Thursday night a Torah scroll purchased through the collective contributions of thousands of Shluchim each dedicating a letter or verse was concluded.  The fathers of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg spoke, the last letters of the Torah were written, the shehechayanu was recited, the Torah was raised, tears flowed and song broke out. 
 
Am Yisroel Chai!
 
Throngs of people 10,000 strong moved together with the Torah as it was brought under the Chuppah down the block from the convention hall to 770 the Rebbes Shul.  In front of the Shul on the street on a bima all the Torahs from inside joined the Mumbai Torah.  On the streets of Brooklyn we danced and we sang.
 
We danced through the pain of the loss, we danced with the joy of our faith, we sang of the promises our Torah and tradition hold dear, we sang of our special merit to be part of this very special army an army like no other.
 
Am Yisroel Chai!
 
And now this Torah will carry with it our faith and trust that good times are ahead as it travels to Mumbai India to the Chabad Center of Mumbai that will continue the legacy of Gabi and Rivkah Holtzberg for AM YISROEL CHAI!

Some people tell me that I'm good with words...well maybe sometimes, but not tonight...

What can I say, a year ago I was on a powerful high after an amazing week with the Rebbe's Shluchim at the annual conference in NYC.

Then, the news hit... screens were flashing Sky News updates about a terrorist attack in Mumbai including on a Jewish Centre.

Suddenly that high wasn't so high after all... When the final dreadful news came through on Friday afternoon, I dropped into a low which I didn't think I would ever get out of...

Well,what can I say today those walls of loss, pain and depression were torn down with a powerful energy of joy and celebration that pierced through the darkness with a brilliant light that will shine the world over...

As Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg, father of Rivky Holtzberg of blessed memory, lifted the Torah, a Torah that was written by thousands of people from around the world in memory of our beloved colleaugues in Mumbai and the kedoshim murdered with them, it just burst....

The tears, the pain, the joy and celebration, a paradox of epic proportions, created an energy that suddenly lifted us all up...

It carried us above those tense moments waiting for news, the shock and disbelief of when it finally came, the days of agony waiting for the closure, the nagging sense that it would never come.... Suddenly that was all washed away...

As the majestic scroll was wrapped by Rabbi Nachman Holtzberg, Rabbi Gabi's ob"m's father, the 2,000 Shluchim packed into the atrium, and the 4,000 plus Chassidim gathered outside watching on screens. It felt as if this Torah's Golden  Embroidery paid tribute to the Six Martyrs of the Mumbai Chabad Houseas and as that scroll was lifted into the air , we suddenly felt them back with us...

Yes, I know this may sound strange to you sitting in your office early Friday am, but last night here in Brooklyn we were lifted, all 6,000 of us to a world where time and space, matter and spirit, heaven and earth, were totally elevated...

As the NYPD painted the city blue for blocks on end, the flamobyantly lit up sound truck led the crowd of thousands in their swirling circles down the main Parkway of Brooklyn.

My dear friends, what can I tell you, tongiht as we were dancing, I just knew that Gabi and Rivky were there with us, the holy Jews of the Chabad House were watching us.. My friends, tonight the Rebbe was dancing with the Shluchim and all of us...

It was One Torah, given to us by One G-d, reminding us that we are One People... from Cape Town to Brooklyn, from heaven to earth, tonight we were all dancing together...

Next week the Torah will be traveling to Mumbai and carry that eternal Jewish spirit with us... Where others destroyed, this Torah will rebuild, where other brought death, this Torah will bring life...

Yes, I may sound like I'm on a bit of a high but after the lows that we've been through, I think we've all earned ourselves a bit of a high...

And I'm not leaving the high in Brooklyn; I'll bring it home next week.

How we spend our money is usually a pretty good barometer of where our priorities lie. And this applies equally whether the money is plentiful or scarce.

After the birth of Isaac, his half-brother Ishmael behaves threateningly towards him and Sarah finds it necessary to ask Abraham to banish Ishmael from the family home. Together with his mother, Hagar, they wander the desert. Soon they run out of water.

And the water in the leather flask was finished and she cast off the boy beneath one of the bushes. (Genesis 21:15)

So let me ask you what would be called a typical klotz kasha, or a seemingly obvious but, nonetheless, stupid question. If the flask is empty, why throw away the child? Throw away the empty flask!

It would appear then that when our food supply is depleted and finance is in short supply, the first ones to suffer may be our children. The bank balance is low? How can we even think of a Jewish Day School education! The tuition fees are so expensive. Instead of denying ourselves creature comforts we deem non-negotiable, we sacrifice our children's Jewish upbringing in the name of economics.

It's like the old story of the Jewish mother who came from Eastern Europe to join her son in America and was horrified to see he had shaved of his beard and cast off his yarmulke. "What happened to you, my Yankele?" she asked. "Mama," he says, "America is not the shtetl." And when she saw him going to work on Shabbat, again he told her America was different. And when she opened the fridge and discovered all kinds of creepy things she never saw in a Jewish kitchen, again he explained that America was not the same as "back home." Eventually, when it was all getting too much, she asked him, "Yankele, tell your old mother the truth. Are you still circumcised?"

It's not only an old shtetl story. It's happening right now. In my own community of South Africa we know of too many who left these shores to make a better life for their children. But emigrating is expensive and with limited resources one must make choices and prioritize. Many chose to do without Jewish schooling. The rest is history. Bad history. Without a Jewish education young people wander about wondering why they should not be doing what their contemporaries are doing. And the money we saved in school fees is now going to doctors, psychologists, or G-d forbid, drug rehab centers.

Even in Israel, we have to be discriminating when choosing a community. If the other kids on the block are riding their bikes on Yom Kippur, why shouldn't your child? And if you insist and they feel denied, they may opt out altogether.

Kids need stability and an environment with a healthy value system. No matter how tempting or secure other seemingly greener pastures may be, before making a move we ought to consider the spiritual security system our children will need to survive and thrive--as Jews. Just because the bottle may be empty, don't throw away the child.

from Chabad.org

So which operating system did Noach use to manage the Ark - Windows or Mac?

Well, Rashi actually brings down two opinions, and perhaps Noach used both;

What it ultimately boils down to is that the Microsoft Windows format is popular in the conventional office setting running programs that will work and organize your data and help you get the best results from it.

The Mac however is much more popular in the design studios and the creative arts, be it music, graphic, film and so much more. It allows the designer to express themselves most creatively...

And in Noach's Ark there were two ways of reaching maximum potential.

"Tzohar" G-d told Noach, "you shall make for the Ark."

So what is a "Tzohar"

Rashi explains two opinions.

1. Tzohar is a window that would bring light into the Ark. - a light that is natural and strong, but fixed and conditional on the sun

2. Tzohar is a shining stone that would illuminate even a dark room. - not quite sunlight but movable (to anywhere in the ark) and  bright from within.

On some level we're all locked into our arks, our own little self absorbed worlds that can block out the light and potential of the universe. 

Our mission is to light up our life - with the wisdom of Torah and the warmth of Mitzvot, to illuminate our consciousness - and there's two ways to do it;

1. Open a Window in your life to the G-dliness of the world around you - in Torah and Mitzvot and by extension every life experience.

and then you can take it to the next level;

2. Discover the G-dliness already there, within yourself and the world around you - and let that shine into your consciousness.

Windows would rely on the conventional source of light and allow you to maximize the potential of your resources.

But then the Mac motivates you to disover the resources within, to not only let the light shine through but become a source of light yourself.

So whether you're running on Windows or Mac, make sure your Tzohar, your light, is shining strong.