Revised prayer list: Prayers for Men: Shalom Charles ben Gracia, Daniel ben Rivka, Menachem Mendel Shlomo ben Chaya Rochel, Ephraim ben Mazel, Zev ben Rachel, Yisrael Dovid ben Chaya Yenta, Rachamim ben Charlotte Jacqueline,
Women: Karen Neshama bas Esther Ruth, Chaya Melecha Rachel bas Baila Alta, Rachel Shoshana bas Chana, Tsvia Simcha bas Devorah Yachad, Miriam bas Irene Taita Malka, Shulamis bas Etta, Chana Friedel bas Sara, Esther bas Alice, Denise Esther bas Leah, Drorah Rivka bas Chana, Penina Bas Zeisa Preeya, Leah bas Sara,
The following persons are recovering from long term non-threatening injuries and need Psalms. Binum Benyamin Tuvia ben Chana Friedel, Avraham HaCohain ben Yocheved, Melech David ben Sulah Pearla,
A great civilian tragedy occurred last night check in Inyanay Diyoma below. 44 people returned their souls to the Creator and 150 were wounded with some folks unidentified.
Parsha Emor
Last week we had the following Pasuk 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them: Ye shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy.
This week, we are dealing with Cohanim and they are the holy of the holy people.
21:1 And the LORD said unto Moses: Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them: There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people; 2 except for his kin, that is near unto him, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother; 3 and for his sister a virgin, that is near unto him, that hath had no husband, for her may he defile himself. 4 He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
One does not identify a body or come close to a grave except a close relative of which 7 are mentioned mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, spouse.
5 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corners of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
Once a year the Shiites in Lebanon shave their heads and take razors to their heads causing bleeding this is a left over from Avoda-Zara.
6 They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God; for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the bread of their God, they do offer; therefore they shall be holy. 7 They shall not take a woman that is a harlot, or profaned; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband; for he is holy unto his God. 8 Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of thy God; he shall be holy unto thee; for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.
A loose woman, a raped woman, a harlot, a woman who was married to somebody who was not Jewish, a divorced woman or somebody with a spiritual blemish cannot be taken as a wife.
9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
The Gemara interprets this as a married bas Cohain who cheated on her husband and not a plain loose daughter.
10 And the priest that is highest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head go loose, nor rend his clothes; 11 neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother; 12 neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD. 13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
As with Aaron on the 8th day aka Parsha Shemini, he cannot defile himself at all for the dead. He can only marry a virgin. But an ordinary Cohain can marry a widow or if his brother is childless do Yibum.
14 A widow, or one divorced, or a profaned woman, or a harlot, these shall he not take; but a virgin of his own people shall he take to wife. 15 And he shall not profane his seed among his people; for I am the LORD who sanctify him.
I have made him Cohain Gadol. (Up until the corrupt times of the second Temple.)
16 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 17 Speak unto Aaron, saying: Whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their generations that hath a blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. 18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath anything maimed, or anything too long, 19 or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed, 20 or crook-backed, or a dwarf, or that hath his eye overspread, or is scabbed, or scurvy, or hath his stones crushed; 21 no man of the seed of Aaron the priest, that hath a blemish, shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire; he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.
I heard of a Cohain that did not want a cavity filled lest he become blemished.
22 He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. 23 Only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not My holy places; for I am the LORD who sanctify them. 24 So Moses spoke unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.
I have heard a story of a Cohain who did not get a cavity filled in his mouth as it might be a blemish.
22:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, which they hallow unto Me, and that they profane not My holy name: I am the LORD. 3 Say unto them: Whosoever he be of all your seed throughout your generations, that approaches unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from before Me: I am the LORD.
The Cohain must serve in ritual spiritually.
4 What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath an issue, he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso touches any one that is unclean by the dead; or from whomsoever the flow of seed goes out; 5 or whosoever touches any swarming thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath; 6 the soul that touches any such shall be unclean until the even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he bathe his flesh in water.
A Cohain who wants to be with his wife has to take a day off from work until the evening. What was practical in the second Mikdash was 24 shifts of Cohanim and they had duty essentially two weeks a year and would refrain for a week from their wives.
7 And when the sun is down, he shall be clean; and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because it is his bread. 8 That which dies of itself, or is torn of beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.
But the Trafe and Nevaillah is also forbidden to an ordinary Jew but since we are talking about Cohanim and their service, it is repeated here.
9 They shall therefore keep My charge, lest they bear sin for it, and die therein, if they profane it: I am the LORD who sanctify them. 10 There shall no common man eat of the holy thing; a tenant of a priest, or a hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing. 11 But if a priest buy any soul, the purchase of his money, he may eat of it; and such as are born in his house, they may eat of his bread. 12 And if a priest's daughter be married unto a common man, she shall not eat of that which is set apart from the holy things. 13 But if a priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father's bread; but there shall no common man eat thereof.
A Hebrew slave/servant and non-Jewish slave can eat as property of the Cohain and so his unmarried daughter.
14 And if a man eat of the holy thing through error, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give unto the priest the holy thing. 15 And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they set apart unto the LORD; 16 and so cause them to bear the iniquity that brings guilt, when they eat their holy things; for I am the LORD who sanctify them.
No trespassing on the food and drink of the Mikdash.
17 And the LORD sJpoke unto Moses, saying: 18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them: Whosoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that brings his offering, whether it be any of their vows, or any of their free-will-offerings, which are brought unto the LORD for a burnt-offering; 19 that ye may be accepted, ye shall offer a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. 20 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not bring; for it shall not be acceptable for you.
Just as the Cohanim have to be whole, Korban has to be whole.
21 And whosoever brings a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the LORD in fulfilment of a vow clearly uttered, or for a freewill-offering, of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein. 22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scabbed, or scurvy, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD. 23 Either a bullock or a lamb that hath anything too long or too short, that may thou offer for a freewill-offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted. 24 That which hath its stones bruised, or crushed, or torn, or cut, ye shall not offer unto the LORD; neither shall ye do thus in your land. 25 Neither from the hand of a foreigner shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these, because their corruption is in them, there is a blemish in them; they shall not be accepted for you.
This repeats itself.
… 30 On the same day it shall be eaten; ye shall leave none of it until the morning: I am the LORD.
One has to slaughter the Korban with Kavanah and eat in the time people and place be it the Temple Court or all of Yerushalayim but not outside of the court or city.
31 And ye shall keep My commandments, and do them: I am the LORD. 32 And ye shall not profane My holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD who hallow you, 33 that brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.
Everytime the Torah mentions ‘I am the L-RD’ this is of special holiness as in the beginning of Kedoshim you should be.
23:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: The appointed seasons of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are My appointed seasons. 3 Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of work; it is a Sabbath unto the LORD in all your dwellings.
Always on the highest priority is the observance of Shabbos that occurs weekly, but of all the Yomim Tovim it is the holiest. So the full observance and compliance of Shabbos is the highest order but playing with the internet and telephones on Shabbos brings one down to the lowest levels before the L-RD.
4 These are the appointed seasons of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their appointed season. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at dusk, is the LORD'S Passover.
The first month of the year as in Shemos 12 “This month is the head of the months” or year. Pesach is the first Yom Tov observed by Am Yisrael as a national holiday.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD; seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread. 7 In the first day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work. 8 And ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days; in the seventh day is a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work.
This is the time we do not eat leaven and observe the Yitzias Mitzrayim.
9 And the LORD spoke unto Moses saying: 10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye are come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring the sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest. 11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you; on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And in the day when ye wave the sheaf, ye shall offer a he-lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt-offering unto the LORD. 13 And the meal-offering thereof shall be two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savor; and the drink-offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin. 14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor fresh ears, until this selfsame day, until ye have brought the offering of your God; it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
On Motzei Yom Tov we start counting the Omer defined here as after the Shabbos or after the rest of Yom Tov.
15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the day of rest, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the waving; seven weeks shall there be complete; 16 even unto the morrow after the seventh week shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall present a new meal-offering unto the LORD.
This the Mitzvah of the counting of the Omer and on Shavuos is the new offering of the first fruits aka barley and wheat unto the L-RD.
17 Ye shall bring out of your dwellings two wave-loaves of two tenth parts of an ephah; they shall be of fine flour, they shall be baked with leaven, for first-fruits unto the LORD. 18 And ye shall present with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams; they shall be a burnt-offering unto the LORD, with their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.
The new bread is baked and offered up.
19 And ye shall offer one he-goat for a sin-offering, and two he-lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace-offerings. 20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave-offering before the LORD, with the two lambs; they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 21 And ye shall make proclamation on the selfsame day; there shall be a holy convocation unto you; ye shall do no manner of servile work; it is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
These are the Korbanos that go with the barley and wheat for Shavuos.
22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corner of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest; thou shalt leave them for the poor, and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
David Melech Yisrael was born and died on Shavuos and Ruth, his great grandmother, was a poor gleamer who married Boaz the Baal Chessed.
23 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation. 25 Ye shall do no manner of servile work; and ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Rosh Hashanah.
26 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 27 Howbeit on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; there shall be a holy convocation unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls; and ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 28 And ye shall do no manner of work in that same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. 29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. 30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any manner of work in that same day, that soul will I destroy from among his people. 31 Ye shall do no manner of work; it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 It shall be unto you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and ye shall afflict your souls; in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye keep your Sabbath.
Yom Kippur.
33 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. 35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work. 36 Seven days ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD; on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD; it is a day of solemn assembly; ye shall do no manner of servile work. 37 These are the appointed seasons of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt-offering, and a meal-offering, a sacrifice, and drink-offerings, each on its own day;
Sukkos and Shemini Atzeres or Simchas Torah.
38 beside the Sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill-offerings, which ye give unto the LORD. 39 Howbeit on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruits of the land, ye shall keep the feast of the LORD seven days; on the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook, and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. 41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year; it is a statute forever in your generations; ye shall keep it in the seventh month. 42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are home-born in Israel shall dwell in booths; 43 that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the appointed seasons of the LORD.
The Mitzvah of the time is to live in Sukkos.
24:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 'Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. 3 Without the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, shall Aaron order it from evening to morning before the LORD continually; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations. 4 He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually. 5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth parts of an ephah shall be in one cake. 6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six in a row, upon the pure table before the LORD. 7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense with each row, that it may be to the bread for a memorial-part, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 8 Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before the LORD continually; it is from the children of Israel, an everlasting covenant. 9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons; and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, a perpetual due.'
This is the Showbread and for information one can read Daf 17A – 18A of Tractate Yoma.
10 And the son of an Israeli woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israeli woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp. 11 And the son of the Israeli woman blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him unto Moses. And his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 And they put him in ward, that it might be declared unto them at the mouth of the LORD. 13 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 14 'Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying: Whosoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 And he that blasphemes name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him; as well the stranger, as the home-born, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
Taking the name of the L-RD in vain cursing the L-RD ends up dead.
17 And he that smites any man mortally shall surely be put to death. 18 And he that smites a beast mortally shall make it good: life for life. 19 And if a man maim his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him: 20 breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he hath maimed a man, so shall it be rendered unto him. 21 And he that kills a beast shall make it good; and he that kills a man shall be put to death.
One shall make good monetary loss but murder he cannot make good and deserves to be killed.
22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for the home-born; for I am the LORD your God.' 23 And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and they brought forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stoned him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.
They followed the law as Moshe had been commanded.
What I did not find at a Tibetan Monastery, I found in Chabad.
By Batya Schochet Lisker
“If you are looking for mystical Judaism, I have to send you to Chabad,” said Robert Frazin, rabbi of Temple Solel in Hollywood, Fla., to Paul Sussman. He then shoved his bulging Rolodex to the side of his desk and pressed the intercom button requesting that his secretary bring him the latest edition of the local Jewish newspaper. His face had taken on a sort of pea-soup cast and there seemed to be sweat dotting his upper lip before jotting down the contact information he located in an ad for Rabbi Raphael Tennenhaus, Chabad of Hallandale.
It was 1988, and Paul had just participated in the bar mitzvah of his son at the temple. He had stopped by the rabbi’s office to explain to him that he could not be a regular, as the services had nothing to offer him. Paul said that he would, however, appreciate a referral in his quest for genuine Jewish meditation that would translate into action and engender perfecting his traits and character.
Although his father had grown up in a strictly religious household, Paul was raised in Washington Heights, N.Y., in a home practically devoid of religion and traditions. He was required to attend Hebrew school in preparation for his bar mitzvah, and his father continued to run the Passover Seder at his grandmother’s home until she passed away, but these efforts were perfunctory at best. Too naive to understand the taunts of the Irish kids in the neighborhood who called him a “Dirty Jew,” he did not comprehend that it was not dirt that inspired the insult. But it was precisely this sense of distance and failure to comprehend religion that marked Judaism as some kind of alien force to him that he wanted no part of.
Paul’s best friend, Harold Zimmerberg, in high school in White Plains, N.Y., was a genius who could ace anything he put his mind to. While Paul was in business school at Boston University, Zim went to Harvard and then left for India to find his guru. Upon returning, he connected with a Tibetan monk. Paul considered himself an atheist at that point; he had explored yoga and existentialism in high school, but he did not want to miss out on something Zim considered important, and for the next decade or so, he studied Buddhism and meditation. Philosophically, the idea of transcending self through meditation and clearing the mind of all chatter appealed to Paul. The books he read voraciously about the illusion of ego struck a chord with him. At one point, he meditated daily for seven years, though never won the battle of transcending himself although during quiet moments when the chatter quieted he did get a sense of something—perhaps G‑dly—beyond his comprehension. It was the sweetest feeling but before he could begin to process what was happening, it was gone.
In 1985, Zim passed away from Huntington’s disease. At this point, Paul was divorced with two children and living in Florida. He did not have the benefit of a supportive spouse or a community to help him process the profound losses in his life. He did not consider himself a Buddhist and did not attend meetings or ceremonies, but something a monk had said stuck in his mind: “If looking for spiritual truth, you cannot dig a little here and there; you have to decide intellectually where the highest truth is and dig there very deep.”
Searching for that higher truth and understanding of what existence is all about so he could achieve a level of peace and serenity, Paul resolved to spend three-and-a-half weeks in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Nepal. He was not seeking phenomena—not even necessarily religion or G‑d. The meditations and instructions made him feel that perhaps he had found a system that might bring him peace by enabling him to control his mind and overcome bad habits. He had come for exactly that reason to transcend self and ego.
When it appeared that his time there was coming to an end, Paul’s teacher told him that the monastery was too filled with distractions for him. He gave Paul an individualized assignment to go to a nearby motel and meditate for 10 hours a day with his eyes wide open, not thinking about anything at all while sitting on a floor cushion with no backrest. After a few days of this routine, Paul’s teacher called him and told him to return home, but to continue to meditate and to designate one day a month in which he would sit and meditate for 10 hours straight.
Leaving the monastery, Paul joined a cousin who flew into Kathmandu to meet him for a Nepalese jungle safari, complete with treehouse living and raw encounters with exotic animals like one-horned rhinos and Bengal tigers. They stayed in Tiger Tops camps ringed by the Himalayan foothills at times roughing it in tents, riding elephants and paddling dugout canoes down rivers filled with crocodiles, exploring the landscape intimately from different perspectives. One night, as they were enjoying the campfire after a long adventure-filled day, Paul’s cousin said, “Hey there is the renowned author, Kushner!” Glancing in the direction his cousin had pointed, Paul realized that sitting across from him was Harold Kushner, author of the bestselling book and memoir, When Bad Things Happen to Good People.
Harold Kushner was on vacation with his wife to clear his head before he began his next book. Upon hearing about Paul’s stay in the monastery, Harold said, “What’s a nice Jewish boy like you doing spending a month in a Tibetan monastery?” Paul explained his quest to transcend and dissolve his thoughts through meditation so that he can evolve into a better person with more empathy and kindness. Harold responded, “Why don’t you study Jewish meditation?” Paul was dumbfounded. He had no clue that anything like that existed.
“Why are you surprised?” asked Rabbi Kushner. “We did this first. Jewish meditation was an integral part of mainstream Judaism—the oldest religion in the world. The Buddhists have nothing on us.”
Rabbi Kushner told Paul that when he got back to the United States, he should buy Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan’s books on authentic Jewish meditation.
Paul did exactly that. He studied Rabbi Kaplan’s books like textbooks. Although Rabbi Kaplan’s books did not work for Paul since he had his heart set on peace in this world and not in higher Kabbalistic realms, they did have an intense impact on him. They had awakened his Jewish pride. For the first time in his life, he realized that “a Jew is a Jew,” and he can’t deny it or run away from that. Judaism and Kabbalah were a far cry from the monastery. The Dalai Lama’s opinion that spiritual seekers should first aim to preserve the religion of their ancestors started to make sense to him. He knew he would have to explore Judaism in earnest.
It was precisely at this crossroads in his life that Rabbi Frazin directed Paul to Chabad. Paul called and made an appointment. Paul was taken aback when he stepped into the small storefront that was Chabad of Hallandale and encountered the bearded, black-hatted Rabbi Tennenhaus in his black coat. The last time he had seen anyone in similar garb was in his youth in Washington Heights. He had no contact with religious people since then but his suspicion remained.
“I don’t know if you people will even consider me Jewish, and what’s more, I don’t care because I was born from a Jewish mother, I was circumcised and bar mitzvahed, and the G‑d of Israel knows I am Jewish,” Paul blurted out.
Without batting an eye, Rabbi Tennenhaus asked, “Are you here for what you want or what you need?” Paul responded, “I’m here for what I want, but I have a pretty good idea of what I need in this 43rd year of my life.” Rabbi Tennenhaus and Paul struck a deal. The rabbi would connect Paul with Jewish mediation experts, starting with Rabbi Immanuel Schochet, a renowned authority on Jewish philosophy and mysticism, and Paul would keep an open mind and begin learning Chassidus.
Paul felt he had finally come home spiritually in authentic Judaism. Finding the highest truth and a deeper connection to life, he started down the path to own his Judaism.
He instantly felt at home studying Tanya, enjoying the novelty of conquering new territory and internalizing it. “As you evolve and relearn what you learned before, you achieve new insights. You can keep turning it over and over and discover new treasures,” said Paul about his years of learning. On the other hand, his relationship with prayer—saying the same words over and over again with concentration and renewed fervor each day—was contentious.
Paul explained that he was not into prayer when Rabbi Tennenhaus asked him to attend services each day. “We don’t need you to pray, just to show up. We need your soul to be present so that we can have a minyan,” said Rabbi Tennenhaus.
Paul recounted that for a few years, he sat and read The New York Times during morning prayers. The rabbi would jokingly tell the congregation that he was “living with the times,” as the Alter Rebbe instructed that one should experience in one’s own life the Torah portion of the week, specifically connected with that day. After a while, he figured that he was there anyway, so why not do what the other Jews were doing? Paul started to pray and put on tefillin. “It’s our tradition, what we are supposed to do, and it became a mainstay in my life renewing my vigor and strength to this very day,” he said.
In 1990, Paul was shocked when the Lubavitcher Rebbe told him that he had no need for a response to the two-page letter he had written asking the Rebbe for guidance in refining his character traits. The Rebbe said the answer is clear and quoted a section from Leviticus beginning, “If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them … ,” then all the blessings will follow (Leviticus 26 3-13). “I was being told that the bottom line is do not get caught up in esoteric philosophies. Just do it. Just observe. This is a world of action. The deed is the essence and mitzvot are the only path to selflessness and transcending the ego.
“I stamped my foot and said to Rabbi Tennenhaus, ‘I don’t like this answer.’ He just hit me on the back and said, ‘That’s your evil impulse. Don’t worry! You will overcome it.’ And in time, I did,” said Paul. “The right belief may lead to right action, but right action is ultimately more important. It’s the accumulation of those right actions that can transform what we believe and feel.
“I didn’t know what I expected when I saw the Rebbe for the first time, but the reality far exceeded anything I could have imagined. The Rebbe’s exceptionally powerful intensity and all-encompassing soul defied description, but it was clear that he was the heartbeat of Chabad, capable of superhuman inspiration.
“My meeting with the Rebbe did not just increase the love and respect that I already had for Rabbi Tennenhaus, but it solidified our relationship. I understood who gave him his marching orders. The Rebbe powerfully and passionately urged me to get involved in Rabbi Tennehaus’s ambassadorship and I did. I knew that by supporting his efforts that I, too, could play an integral role in furthering the Rebbe’s vision of making the entire world a better place, a home for G‑d. I became a member of the Machne Israel Development Fund established by the Rebbe dedicated to the growth of Jewish life and Jewish continuity. In 1992, I presented the Rebbe with the renderings for the new Hallandale Chabad Center.
“I would be remiss not to mention my boundless praise for Rebbetzin Goldie, the foundation of the Tennenhaus household. The warm, welcoming hospitality she extended to my children and myself over more than two decades of weekly Shabbat meals infused with the beauty and vitality of Judaism impacted my life tremendously.
“Today, my daughter is an involved Jewish adult with a home steeped in Jewish traditions; she supports Jewish causes and is a member in a synagogue. My grandchildren—the lights of my life, named Miryam and Moshe for our biblical forbearers—attend a Jewish day school and receive a holistic Jewish education.
“I am 75 years old. I am so grateful to be so richly blessed. I am thankful for today and hopeful about tomorrow. I credit Chabad, the Rebbe and his emissary, Rabbi Tennenhaus, with my direction and purpose, and all the good fortune that I never fathomed I would have. Without a shadow of a doubt, I know that authentic Judaism is the secret to survival, and the wisdom of the Torah is the cure of humankind.”
The very mean grandpa by Rabbi Rachamim Pauli
Last night about 8:05 PM, my grandson’s wife calls up asking if I could lend him my car to drive to Mt. Meron for the celebration of Lag B’ Omer. I normally say yes with a smile. This time I said, “No!”. I then brought down a serious of reasons for not travelling to Meron.
Rabbi Edelstein Shlita said, “We learn and don’t travel to honor the memory of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai.” Rabbi Boyer Shlita told me that years ago when the people could go below to the grave, one of the elders of Tzafat died by the snake that guarded the tomb of Rebbe Shimon. Rabbi Boyer stated the same conclusion that I came to that 364 days a year Rebbe Shimon is in Meron but one day a year he runs to heaven as the masses descend on his gave. And last but not least, one who even is an experienced driver does not go distances like Meron and back having lack of sleep.
At 5 AM on the dot, Grandpa wakes up. He hears of the tragedy at Meron. He is very worried and concerned for his oldest grandson. After a few phone calls, the grandson returns the calls and decided not to go. Phew!
The Moral of the story is listen to one’s teachers and elders.
Archeologist has evidence of King Solomon’s Port(s). https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/04/28/british-marine-archeologist-claims-to-find-evidence-of-king-solomons-maritime-empire/
Inyanay Diyoma
Chief of Staff cancels US Trip due to 36 rocket blitz. https://www.debka.com/gen-kochavis-us-trip-cancelled-pm-calls-emergency-conference-on-new-palestinian-aggression/
Hamas is purposely stirring up trouble in Yerushalayim followed by Jews. https://www.debka.com/hamas-looses-35-rocket-blitz-to-back-palestinian-anti-jewish-riots-in-jerusalem/
Ganz warns Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/304932
Shabbos clashes as Charedim attacked and Muslims contra attacked. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/SJWYwv11w00
Film of one event in Yerushalayim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/304933
Ready for Gaza. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/MX4MIPWT3
Syrian tanker attacked? https://www.ynetnews.com/article/BkD3QRWv00
French Police Worker stabbed to death. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/304918
Iowa Woman arrested for hate ramming. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/304926
Australian Post stops globe sale. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/304924
Elect a Democrat get a World War. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/304902
Abbas curses China, Russia, US & Arabs. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/304875
More Rockets do nothing Bibi. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/304936
Trying to extradite killer from France. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/04/23/halimi-family-lawyers-announce-bid-to-extradite-antisemitic-killer-of-french-jewish-woman-for-trial-in-israel/
Story of a Chinese American PhD student arrested in Iran. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/04/23/inform-the-world-how-evil-this-regime-is-scholar-detained-for-three-years-in-tehran-recounts-lessons-from-captivity/
Trying for Oral Covid Pill. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/04/23/jerusalem-drug-company-racing-to-turn-insulin-technology-into-oral-covid-19-vaccine-pill/
$128billion missing from Turkey. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/304967
Religious Right maybe time to replace Bibi. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/304950
5 Rockets from Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305007
Iranian COS will teach Israel a lesson. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305014
PLO no elections w/o E. Yerushalayim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305012
EU Vaccinated US Tourists can come. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305016
Netanyahu tried to approve operations w/o cabinet. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305011
Possible to cure Autism? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305023
Covid cases dropping. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305034
Indonesian Sub sank. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/304977
Arab stabs religious Jew. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/304993
Virus surge in Gaza. https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/H1IM1gEwu
After rockets, Israel stops all fishing in Gaza. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ry43zJ4wu#autoplay
Haifa man gets 4 years for 187 nude women. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/S1vm00xQvu
Israel tries to contain violence. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/B1k9jcMD00
Gafni/Lapid possible support from without. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305009
Four Bronx Synagogues stoned. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305008
NYPD retiring in droves. https://www.dailywire.com/news/nypd-officers-leaving-in-droves-75-increase-in-quitting-or-retirement-in-2020
Kerry violated the Logan Act giving secrets to Iran. https://www.foxnews.com/world/calls-for-john-kerry-to-be-investigated-for-what-he-told-iran
Iranian FM learned info from J. Kerry. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305085
More rockets a large attack authorized. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305070
Explosive laden drone boat targets Saudis. https://www.foxnews.com/world/incident-strikes-saudi-port-of-yanbu-in-red-sea
Israeli travel ban on Covid Countries. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305108
Ed-Op Bederman Evil Ideologies shaping our thinking. https://dianebederman.com/what-is-malignant-normality-and-why-should-you-care/
Netanyahu is no right-winger. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305111
This should have been done 50 years ago. Members not all of the Black Hebrews to be deported. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305116
Apr. 25 San Remo Day. By Barry Shaw. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305075
Politicians have no solution yet. https://www.debka.com/israels-politicians-seek-panaceas-while-shuffling-towards-the-unknown/
Two Hezballah drones electronically brought down in the north and two rockets from Gaza land in Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305158
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305142
US and Iranian Warships face off. https://www.aol.com/news/iran-us-warships-first-tense-051253875-090804327.html
Bibi’s illegal trick. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305146
New US Ambassador. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305158
Ed-Op Eiland Israel limps from Gaza fare up to next. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rkezsbNvO
What CNN did not want to hear live. https://todayamerica24.com/2021/04/11/democrat-congresswoman-returns-from-syria-with-proof-obama-funded-isis-exposes-it-live-2/
US officials ready to go to Azazel rather than repair Iran Deal. https://www.debka.com/us-heads-for-nuclear-talks-with-iran-unmoved-by-new-data-presented-by-israeli-officials/
Biden considering rollback of sanctions on Iran. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305230
Yamina and New Hope to merge. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305245
Thinking of keeping Status Quo and Charedim. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/B1amK0vvu
Israel must deal with disenfranchised Charedim. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/BkpSpoIPO
Israel reopens Gaza fishing zone. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/H1luWl00D00
Latest Human Rights double standards. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ByM1xUBvu
National Religious wants to lead Right. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305252
Shaked wants a full right wing gov’t. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305247
3 Israelis develop Indian Variant. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305229
Europeans condemn UNWRA’s hate. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305232
Police rescue child from fire. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305217
We sit and learn not travel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305205
MI Jews petition court against antisemitic protests. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/04/28/ann-arbor-jewish-community-in-lawsuit-to-shut-down-weekly-antisemitic-protests-outside-synagogue/
College and BDS could imperil Jewish Students. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/04/28/academic-freedom-group-says-pomona-bds-bill-could-seriously-imperil-rights-of-jewish-student-groups/
Archeologist has evidence of King Solomon’s Port(s). https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/04/28/british-marine-archeologist-claims-to-find-evidence-of-king-solomons-maritime-empire/
Farrakhan speaks at Christian Funeral. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/04/26/jewish-groups-horrified-over-antisemitic-bigot-louis-farrakhans-appearance-at-funeral-of-rapper-dmx/
Worse civilian tragedy in the history of Israel. https://www.debka.com/stampede-disaster-at-meron-leaves-scores-dead-and-wounded/
WI to have holocaust education. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305312
Iran suspected by Judo Federation. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305311
Biden demands PA stop paying terrorists. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/305310
I am happy that I am a mean grandpa and my grandson did not travel to Meron, but my heart goes out for the injured and the families of the 44 dead. I can only wish you a peaceful, healthy, Shabbos and save the tears to Sunday that will be a national day of mourning,
Rachamim Pauli
