Enough washing floors just in case …!  Bring on the Matza!

When I was a yeshiva student at Mercaz Harav in Jerusalem, I would spend every fourth Shabbat in Hevron – city of our forefathers and mothers. I always stayed with a certain family – father from Brooklyn, mother from Connecticut. We would walk to the Tomb of the Patriarchs to pray Shabbat morning.  (It’s really like a castle, built by Herod, which EVERYONE needs to see.) Chaim let me carry the Uzi when he sometimes allowed me to join the tours he led.

Not long ago I was on a bus in Jerusalem and the Mom was there with daughter number two and a grandchild. I knew it was them behind me because that Connecticut Yankee was saying to her daughter and granddaughter, “You see that guy there in front of us? That’s Chanoch who used to come for Shabbat – and he would always wash the floors in honor of Shabbat while we were preparing for our usual 5-6 guests in our tiny apartment!”

Of course, I turned around and was very happy to catch up with them about things.

So, you see, washing floors and preparing for Pesach or Shabbat leaves an impression in the heavens, and in the hearts of all Yidden! And here, I just finished washing the floors in my “safe house” here in New York.

Thank you S and L for taking me to buy shmura matza what seems like SO LONG AGO – before the total hunker-down-at-home orders! I did all I can do to prepare, had a lot of help from the people here, listened to some Breslav Music – and now can wash the NEW pots and pans I bought, and cook a bit for my alone-but-with-the-Almighty seder.

An hour or so before candle lighting I will hopefully host a “ZOOM – internet - seder” for my little group of Hebrew School students, to get them into a holy spirit. This year they will sing the Four Questions with me - and THEN I will ask them four MORE questions, which I HOPE they will discuss with their parents ...

Then I will put on my Kittel which reminds us this year of so much more than any Yom Kippur, and pray, and Do SEDER.

Chag Samayach – Love and Health and Redemption for ALL! A Zeeseh Paysach!

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

IN the Beginning of the portion we are still looking at sacrifices while in the middle we switch to consecration of Aron And his Family into the Priesthood - to do not just the bar-b-ques but also the  DOCTOR work - helping to HEAL PLAGUES (see later chapters).

Maybe the consecration of Aron into all those jobs is also a sacrifice!

And like I understood from Rav Sholom Brodt (zatza"l) - that the priests ALSO had to give a little pep-talk, encouragement,- to everyone who came to the Mishkan - the Tabernacle - and later to the Great Temple! 

Think about this - Maybe it is a job ordained in Heaven - But like all outside-ordered situations it may be hard for independent minded individuals! Thus - to do the job, to walk the walk, it comes often at a sacrifice, as difficult as for those who come to the Temple!

So - in the last part of the portion "inauguration of the Israelite Priesthood" - at the end of the ceremony-  we see Aron And his sons get "Put in Solitary"! That's in the last two sentences of the portion- we hear The Final Stage of inauguration/Consecration

 is that they must be Alone  - by the Tent of the Meeting - AND NOT GO OUT! For a Whole Week!

And this is a skill as well as a requirement! AND FOR ALL OF US TO REALIZE AND LEARN IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES!

 

May we all be strengthened to sit patiently in our tents, ready to serve THE PURPOSES OF THE almighty -

EVEN by sitting (MEDITATING ON THE TENTS OF THE MEETINGS - and communing with the Almighty. 

 

Shabbat Shalom...Health Joy

 

 

The portion teaches about sacrifices – and forgiveness – and transference – and “paying up a spiritual debt” – Korban OLAH  - and PEACE OFFERINGS... etc

 

 

THE PROPHET Amos said in the name of God: “If you offer Me burnt offerings ...– I will not accept them; … But let ... righteousness like a never-ending stream” (Amos 5:21-24). 

 

What is Righteousness?  And What do sacrifices in the Temple have to do with the French girls in the below story?

 

Rabbi in Paris: (I wish - but this was from some years ago)

 

The French Girls in Paris      

 

No. It’s not what you think. 

 

It’s about cookies in a bakery!

 

 

 

How do you connect to others’ souls? And in a foreign city where you don’t speak the language?

 

 

Well, there I was in the Mareille (I don't know if I spelled it right). It’s the traditional Jewish part of Paris.

 

 As usual I had stopped for a break in my travels back and forth between Jerusalem and New York. After “touristing around” on foot, I felt the need for a "nosh". 

 

Vuallah! (Again I’m not sure of the spelling, but it means, “like magic”.) Right there in front of me was a bakery shop (kosher of course).

 

 Time for some French pastries, and maybe a cup of coffee?

 

There was a problem, though. Not that I didn’t have French currency – because the old Boy Scout in me is usually prepared. 

 

But sitting on the step, at the entrance to the shop, were two teenage girls. And they were crying.

 

What do you do? You certainly don't push them aside and walk in. I was also not SURE how to say "Pardon  me" (excuse me) with my horrible American accent,  and go inside.

 

 But in French you CAN say Pahr-Dohn (I think),  and that's what I did. The girls shuffled aside, and kept right on crying.

 

Reb Shlomo used to say "What do I do if I hear my baby crying? I go and pick her up!" No, I did not “pick up” the two girls! 

 

Inside I bought a bunch of cookies, said "Pahr-dohn" again on the way out (the girls were still crying), and  left the store. 

 

Turning around, I presented each of the girls with a little bag of cookies!

 

Is that a sacrifice? I gave them half of my cookies!

 

Or is that righteousness? You can decide - and get back to me.

 

 

This week's CHALLENGE - OIY! To STAY WELL!

 

Rebbe Nachman says - sickness is a response to lack of joy - SO -

 

We All Need to Sing and Dance a  little MORE each day!!!

 

Shabbat Shalom from STATEN ISLAND - not Paris - or Jerusalem (preferably)

 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

 

This week's double portion brings us into the World of the Israelite Desert

 

What did they do 40 years in the Sinai? 

 

We were ordered to be centered around our homes and the Tabernacle - so as NOT to suffer TOO much

 

from the doubling-down sins of the Golden Calf and the Spies convincing Israelites NOT to want to be in Israel

 

 

 

So we built a Holy Temple in the Desert - to keep us focused PRESENT AND FUTURE

 

 

 

Our sages tell us it was mainly because we had to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf

 

Some people contributed to building a little golden calf - OIY! So Silly!

 

But EVERYONE kept GIVING to build the little Mishkan – the Tabernacle in the desert

 

They knew they made a GOLDEN MISTAKE – and they knew they had to FIX IT, so

 

EVERYONE gave until Moses had to say ENOUGH!

 

Who doesn’t want MORE and MORE stuff, gold, silver, offerings? G-d!

 

The Almighty tells us EXACTLY what the Temple needs – and it’s ENOUGH - but

 

We Needed - and still need - To be CONNECTED to that Temple EVERY DAY!

 

It's how to make every day SPECIAL –SO  start by saying SHEMA YISRAEL – in the AM and the PM

 

And it is how to make SHABBOS and HOLIDAYS SPECIAL: like

 

JOY ON SHABBOS IS SPECIAL

 

CLEANING FOR PASSOVER IS SPECIAL (yes!)

 

Being part of the Temple Family is special – even if you can’t go because of …well

 

You know, whatever these days ...

 

BUT DON’T FORGET TO STAY CONNECTED –

 

G-d Gave Us Telephones to help get us through!  AND TORAH BOOKS!

 

So be well, follow the GOLDEN rules

 

Stay connected to the Holy Temple and the Almighty

 

And may we all SEE REDEMPTION AND HEALING SOON

 

 

 

Shabbat Shalom

 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

 

 

I was at a Bris this morning and the father spoke about why "the baby wore white"! Like a BRIDEGROOM (they do that in Israel)!

 

So this week's portion is why!  That the child should dress like a priest in the Holy Temple - which is to show:

 

 the Glory of G-d. The WHOLE TEMPLE was for that purpose! All Creation is for that purpose!

 

Okay, so the portion discusses clothes - is that the whole story?

 

This week we ALSO read (at the end) - PORTION ZACHOR - REMEMBER.

 

In this case - we are told to REMEMBER AMALEK - who attacked the Israelites FOR NO REASON!

 

They represent HATRED AND DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR -

 

And the Almighty is forever at war with Amalek, Hatred, and Destroyers!

 

The Temple is ALL ABOUT the OPPOSITE of these!

 

It is about the glory of G-dliness, holiness of children who should emulate the Priesthood that Serves the Almighty.

 

Not Haman, who we are told is a descendent of Amalek.

 

And the Purim story -that proves the Almighty gets things done the Almighty Way -

 

Even if it takes us a while to see it and to emulate it.

 

 

Shabbat Shalom and Good Purim

 

Rabb Andy Eichenholz