Instead
of all the time prayers for the ill starting off at the top of this Drasha
(sermon), it is time to start off with actions for the healthy. Dr. of
Mathematics Russel Hendel (Rashi Yomi, Rashi made simple) and I went out to
dinner in a real Glatt Kosher restaurant owned by real Chinese People. We
discussed health. He said that he did not use a gym but walked a lot up and
down stairs daily. Previously we had discussed the ideal bio-mass ratio is
25-30 but 27 appears to be most ideal. On the grounds that it might imply that
chubby me is over-weight I will just say that I am unfortunately 31 plus but do
have muscle mass.
We
discussed the statistics on health. It appears that the healthiest thing is
walking! Of course doctors say about 10,000 steps daily some say 5 miles or 8
kilometers a day. Others say 60 minutes. An interesting study was made of
people who walked 60 minutes a day. So in one period of time, some 6 minutes
and hour and some varied from 3 to 6. The study showed that sitting like a
certain Rabbi you know for too long on a blogspot and then walking is not good.
It is better to walk 3 minutes every hour and then longer walks from time to
time. One who walks 60 minutes straight or in short walks of 3 to 6 minutes
gets the same benefit. It is the couch potatoes that are in danger.
Penina Bas Zeisa Preeya, needs prayers
please add to the list.
\
Parsha Shemos Part 2
Last week in my travels
I did not have the time to even get up to the birth of Moshe.
Before getting into the
story of the birth and raising of Moshe, I want to share the background. This
is from the Medrash and tradition. Pharaoh invited the family of Yosef into
Mitzrayim. At first volunteers from the population were requested to build
Pyramids and cities. This was a voluntary service which the grateful Bnei
Yisrael were happy to send volunteers too. Our people have always been
patriotic.
Later on the service
became mandatory and finally the men turned into slaves. Pharaoh liked the free
labor which cost him a minimum amount of food and material for clothing for the
slaves. The Bnei Yisrael became entrapped.
Pharaoh like any king at
that time used astrologers and magicians to predict the future. They saw a
redeemer being born to the Bnei Yisrael soon. The Redeemer would have trouble
with water [at Meribah] but not in the Nile. He consulted with three great
religious and spiritual leaders Balaam, Yisro and Iyob. Balaam advised to drown
the male children, Yisro to be nice to the Bnei Yisrael and Iyob fled. Iyob
then was punished for remaining neutral as written in Sefer Iyob (the Book of
Job). Yisro was rewarded with Moshe as a son-in-law and children in Yisrael.
Balaam was punished with death by the sword 120 years later.
2:1
And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2 And the woman conceived, and
bore a son; and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three
months. 3 And when she could no
longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime
and with pitch; and she put the child therein, and laid it in the flags by the
river's brink. 4 And his sister
stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. 5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river; and
her maidens walked along by the river-side; and she saw the ark among the
flags, and sent her handmaid to fetch it. 6 And she opened it, and saw it, even the child; and behold a boy
that wept. And she had compassion on him, and said: 'This is one of the
Hebrews' children.'
Where is the best place to hide the Hebrew
Moshiach? In Pharaoh’s house as he guards will not challenge a child of
pharaoh’s daughter of being a Hebrew Moshiach.
7
Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter: 'Shall I go and call thee a nurse
of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?' 8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her:
'Go.' And the maiden went and called the child's mother. 9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto
her: 'Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy
wages.' And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
Not only is Yocheved nursing Moshe but she
is being paid for it out of Pharaoh’s treasury. The Medrash states that at
first Basya tries to have Egyptian woman nurse Moshe but he refuses until she
has Yocheved nurse him.
10
And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became
her son. And she called his name Moses, and said: 'Because I drew him out of
the water.' 11 And it came to
pass in those days, when Moses was grown up, that he went out unto his
brethren, and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew,
one of his brethren. 12 And he
looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote
the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
The Pshat is what you read above, the
Medrash says that he looked this way and that into the future and saw that
nobody righteous would descend from him and he used the Divine Name (which he
did not know until the burning bush or long afterwards) to kill him. I assume
that he was smiting more than what should have been or he was struck by
lightning and died. Moshe hid his body for whatever reason.
13
And he went out the second day, and, behold, two men of the Hebrews were
striving together; and he said to him that did the wrong: 'Wherefore smite thou
thy fellow?' 14 And he said:
'Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? think thou to kill me, as thou
didst kill the Egyptian?' And Moses feared, and said: 'Surely the thing is
known.'
It was either that they put two and two
together that the Egyptian was missing or that they saw from afar what
happened.
15
Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from
the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a
well. 16 Now the priest of
Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the
troughs to water their father's flock. 17
And the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them,
and watered their flock. 18 And
when they came to Reuel their father, he said: 'How is it that ye are come so
soon to-day?' 19 And they said:
'An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he
drew water for us, and watered the flock.'
In Egypt, he was a Hebrew. Here is an
Egyptian. How is this? I worked with a man named Brody who came from Canada. He
told me that as much as he wanted to be a Canadian, there he was a Jew and when
he came to Israel, he was a Canadian because of his accent. That is what
happened to Moshe too.
…
23 And it came to pass in the course of those many days
that the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the
bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the
bondage. 24 And
God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac,
and with Jacob. 25
And God saw the children of Israel, and God took cognizance of them.
Moshe’s calling:
3:1
Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of
Midian; and he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness, and came to
the mountain of God, unto Horeb. 2
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst
of a bush; and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush
was not consumed. 3 And Moses
said: 'I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not
burnt.' … 13 And Moses said unto
God: 'Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them:
The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me: What
is His name? what shall I say unto them?' 14 And God said unto Moses: 'I AM THAT I AM'; and He said: 'Thus
shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I AM hath sent me unto you.'
I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE. I possess the
future and control it.
18
And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said unto him:
'Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren that are in Egypt, and see
whether they be yet alive.' And Jethro said to Moses: 'Go in peace.'
The L-RD has given me a
mission but I want to take leave from you as I normally attend the Sheep for
you.
19
And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian: 'Go, return into Egypt; for all the men
are dead that sought thy life.' 20
And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned
to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 21 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'When
thou got back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which
I have put in thy hand; but I will harden his heart, and he will not let the
people go. 22 And thou shalt say
unto Pharaoh: Thus says the LORD: Israel is My son, My first-born.
There is another
religion that claims “HE gave his only son” well this contradicts that.
23
And I have said unto thee: Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and thou hast
refused to let him go. Behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born.'
Yacov is the L-RD’s
first born son and his children are children of the L-RD. So we see that G-D
has millions of children which contradicts the claim of the other religion of
“only”. Not going into Kabbalah or Tanya too deep everybody has a DIVINE Soul
and Spark within him or her.
5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said
unto Pharaoh: 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Let My people go, that they
may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness.' 2 And Pharaoh said: 'Who is the LORD, that I should hearken unto
His voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, and moreover I will not let
Israel go.'
There are no statues and pictures of your G-D,
HE is not known or recognized by any of the Nations outside of your people.
3 And they said: 'The God of the Hebrews hath
met with us. Let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness,
and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or
with the sword.' 4 And the king
of Egypt said unto them: 'Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, cause the people to
break loose from their work? get you unto your burdens.' 5 And Pharaoh said: 'Behold, the
people of the land are now many, and will ye make them rest from their
burdens?' 6 And the same day
Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying: 7 'Ye shall no more give the people
straw to make brick, as heretofore. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
Pharaoh is a god-king and he cannot be bothered
by this pest who represents an invisible being. These people are demanding too
much as they must have spare time so let them work harder to quiet them down.
8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did
make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof;
for they are idle; therefore, they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our
God.
… 6:9
And Moses spoke so unto the children of Israel; but they hearkened not unto
Moses for impatience of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
This
is the first time since I started the blogspot that I have had to stop the
Parsha due to illness. I have been in the past in the hospital 4 times but an
ordinary head cold caused me to desire only to sleep. I hope to be back next
week. I have a story how Andrew and Sharon observed Halacha and postponed their
marriage and were saved from possible death but that will be some other time. I
always say that health is the most important thing and then love between
marriage partners.
The
Rebbe and Napoleon by Rabbi Y. Tilles
Anticipating Napoleon's evil designs to attack and conquer Russia, Rabbi Shneur Zalman (the first
Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as the Alter
Rebbe), instructed his family to be ready to flee at a moment's
notice.
The famous Chabad spiritual mentor, Rav Shmuel Gronem, noted: "The
Alter Rebbe said, 'Napoleon is a very powerful evil force, and I fear that I
will have to have self-sacrifice in order to humble him."
Secretly the Alter Rebbe instructed his Chasidim to spy against
Napoleon's army. The Alter Rebbe wanted nothing less than a total collapse of
Napoleon's power.
In his eyes, the French leader was the greatest threat to the heart and soul of Judaism. Behind his abolishing the economic and social restrictions that oppressed the Jews (which swayed some of the Rebbe's colleagues to support Napoleon against Russia) was a veil hiding his true intentions. What Napoleon wanted to accomplish with his revolution was a refusal to accept any authority, which in turn would weaken religious adherence.
In his eyes, the French leader was the greatest threat to the heart and soul of Judaism. Behind his abolishing the economic and social restrictions that oppressed the Jews (which swayed some of the Rebbe's colleagues to support Napoleon against Russia) was a veil hiding his true intentions. What Napoleon wanted to accomplish with his revolution was a refusal to accept any authority, which in turn would weaken religious adherence.
For this reason, the Alter Rebbe refused to live in Napoleon's conquered
domain for even a short period of time. When he heard of the approach of the
French army he fled with his entire family, assisted by the Russian forces.
The Alter Rebbe insisted that every possession of his be removed from
his house, no matter how insignificant; he then gave instructions that his
house be burned down. Some say that the Alter Rebbe had reason to believe that
Napoleon engaged in sorcery, and so he took stringent precautions that none of
his things would fall into Napoleon's hands.
The rapid advance of Napoleon's army made it impossible for the Alter
Rebbe to rest, and he was forced to constantly be on the run. His hope was to
reach the Jewish community of Poltava before Rosh Hashana.
In his diary, the Alter Rebbe's son and successor, Reb Dovber, wrote:
"On the eve of Rosh Hashana my father, the Alter Rebbe, confided to me, 'I
am extremely pained and worried about the battle of Mazaisk [known as the
battle of Borodino], since the enemy is becoming stronger, and I believe he
[Napoleon] is also going to conquer Moscow.' He then wept bitterly, with tears
streaming down his face.
"On Rosh Hashana, my father again called me to him and happily told
me the sweet and comforting news: 'Today, during my prayers, I had a vision
that the tide has changed for the better and our side will win. Although
Napoleon will capture Moscow, he will eventually lose the war. This is what was
written today in Heaven.' "
With the rout of Napoleon's army, the Alter Rebbe could proceed toward
Poltava. On Friday, the eighth of Tevet, the entourage arrived in the city of
Piena. As soon as he arrived there the Alter Rebbe changed his plans. He began
organizing a relief campaign to aid all Jews who had been affected by the war,
sending out emissaries to raise funds and organize and coordinate efforts.
No one could foresee the rapid deterioration of the Alter Rebbe's
health. As the Rebbe for many thousands of Chasidim, the Alter Rebbe finally
paid the heavy price of worrying about the sufferings of the Jewish community,
the difficult traveling conditions (especially for someone of advanced years)
in an unusually cold winter and his anguish in general about Napoleon's
influence and effect on the Jewish nation. On Monday, the 18th of Tevet, he
became bedridden.
Five days later, on Saturday night, the eve of the 24th of Tevet, he
wrote a note stating that one of the main purposes of a soul's descent into
this world (in addition to Torah study) is to do a favor for another Jew in
whatever way possible. A short while after writing this he passed away.
Rabbi Dovber noted that in one of the greatest acts of self-sacrifice,
the Alter Rebbe put his own life in mortal danger against the evil ways of
Napoleon.
Indeed, the Alter Rebbe's ill-fated prophecy about Napoleon came to be,
for the humbled last remnants of Napoleon's army retreated from Russia at the
exact time of the Alter Rebbe's passing.
Shortly before his passing, the Alter Rebbe said: "Anyone who will
hold on to my door handle, I will do him a favor in this world and the World to
Come."
The third Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, the Tzemach Tzedek, explained that
"my door handle" does not merely mean studying the Chasidic teachings
of the Alter Rebbe, but also practicing ahavat Yisrael (love
of a fellow Jew) -- in this manner one must also follow the Alter Rebbe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the version on //Lchaimweekly.org (#1054), which is excerpted from "Dates in Lubavitch" by Rabbi Sholom D. Avtzon.
Source: Supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the version on //Lchaimweekly.org (#1054), which is excerpted from "Dates in Lubavitch" by Rabbi Sholom D. Avtzon.
Biographical
note:
Rabbi Shneur Zalman [of blessed memory: 18 Elul 5505 - 24 Tevet 5573 (1745 - Dec. 1812 C.E.)], one of the main disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch, successor to the Baal Shem Tov. He is the founder of the Chabad-Chassidic movement and the author of Shulchan Aruch HaRav and Tanya as well as many other major works in both Jewish law and the mystical teachings.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman [of blessed memory: 18 Elul 5505 - 24 Tevet 5573 (1745 - Dec. 1812 C.E.)], one of the main disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch, successor to the Baal Shem Tov. He is the founder of the Chabad-Chassidic movement and the author of Shulchan Aruch HaRav and Tanya as well as many other major works in both Jewish law and the mystical teachings.
Connection: This Tuesday is 24 Tevet, the
anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of Chabad Chasidism.
Rabbi Jacobson on New Year’s Resolutions (not Rosh
Hashanah). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIyYx5eDrxA
Milestone
the prize winning Israel Author Amos Oz. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256851
Desecration
of graves is a Nazi thing but done to the father of Attorney General. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256823
Wedding
postponed. Groom quarantined with measles. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256808
Jewish
version of wounded warrior project. Hello, I would love it if you took a moment
to check out my GoFundMe campaign:
Israeli
elections. New right-wing party to try to bring in dissatisfied Likud members. https://www.debka.com/new-right-party-takes-off-launches-campaign-for-likud-disaffected/
Two
former COS form a new party. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256861
Milestone
Zvi Levy father of the lone soldiers passes from ALS. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256862
From
Albert how Israel knocked out the anti-aircraft missiles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKNW6kwBRdA
Lev
Tahor cult stole children on Shabbos Kodesh. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256902
Rabbi
in Uman passes away from pneumonia. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256919
Israel’s
Population approximately 8,972,000 now. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256947
Likud
tries to lower election threshold. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256894
Milestone
108 year-old French Resistance hero. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256932
Rabbi
of Rosh Ha’Ayin dies. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256971
Internal
Politics Zionist Union falls apart. https://www.debka.com/labor-leader-gabbay-rudely-dumps-livni-breaks-up-their-zionist-union-both-their-prospects-are-dim/
Inyanay Diyoma
New
Russian, Syrian threat to Israel. https://www.debka.com/russia-and-syria-threaten-to-fire-sa-5-missiles-into-central-israel-if-iaf-air-strikes-continue/
What
would have happened if the six day war never happened Dr. Sherman. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/23229
Netanyahu
lands in Rio. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256850
Explosive
balloon found in kindergarten. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256847
Rabbi
to advise Qatar on Jewish needs for World Cup. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256850
Desecration
of graves is a Nazi thing but done to the father of Attorney General. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256823
Milestone
the prize winning Israel Author Amos Oz. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256851
Wedding
postponed. Groom quarantined with measles. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256808
Even
before the USA leaves, Russian and Syrian forces take over NE. Syria. https://www.debka.com/scrap-over-manbij-opens-door-for-russia-and-assads-troops-to-take-control-of-ne-syria/
Rocket
from Gaza with retaliation. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5435046,00.html
Ed-Op
Eiland focus on Lebanon. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5434522,00.html
Drone
almost downs black hawk. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256944
Wall
Street woes could effect Israel. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5436789,00.html
Syrian
strategy involves Arab States. https://www.debka.com/trump-phases-arab-forces-into-syria-vs-iran-ahead-of-us-pullout-egyptian-uae-officers-on-the-scene/
Five
arrested in attempted attack in the Netherlands. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256927
Jordanian
MP claims that Israel helped the capture of Saddam. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256942
N.
Korean Kim sends Trump a positive message. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256925
Religion
of peace loves to ram people – Germany. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/257006
Swastikas
in Brooklyn. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/257004
Rabbi
of Rosh Ha’Ayin dies. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256971
Internal
Politics Zionist Union falls apart. https://www.debka.com/labor-leader-gabbay-rudely-dumps-livni-breaks-up-their-zionist-union-both-their-prospects-are-dim/
Moscow
bridge collapses during New Year’s event. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256995
Youth’s
forced confession with some torture methods thrown out. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5439011,00.html
Belgium
to ban kosher slaughter. https://www.algemeiner.com/2018/12/31/european-jewish-leader-sounds-alarm-over-impending-shechita-bans-in-belgium/?utm_content=news1&utm_medium=daily_email&utm_campaign=email&utm_source=internal/
One
in 5 Israelis are poor but 43% Charedim are poor. https://www.algemeiner.com/2018/12/31/one-in-five-israelis-live-in-poverty-annual-report-finds-as-2018-draws-to-close/?utm_content=news1&utm_medium=daily_email&utm_campaign=email&utm_source=internal/
Why
does mainstream media not report hate crimes. https://dianebederman.com/fakenews-why-does-main-stream-media-not-report-on-hate-against-jews-christians-and-the-lgbtq2-communities/
Trump
ask Netanyahu to make his peace plan the campaign focus. https://www.debka.com/trump-asks-netanyahu-to-make-his-peace-plan-the-focal-election-campaign-issue/
Kim
understands the economic potential for N. Korea. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/257029
Good
Shabbos and stay well,
Rachamim
Pauli
