Parsha Tzav
Last week, we learned
about the various Korbanos and who brings what according to wealth. This week
the Torah as in the Mishkan seems to be repeating the Korbanos but with a
different touch. This is the performance of the ceremony by the Cohain. Moshe
is teaching Aaron and sons the way to perform a Korban. This is the period when
the Nassim (Princes) are bring their gifts to the Mishkan. Next Parsha,
Shemini, the Cohain will start offering the sacrifices by themselves.
Reminder when you read
kill or killed it means ritual slaughter or slaughtered. In our Parsha we are told
not to eat an animal that died of itself = Nevaila or torn by beasts =
Trafe. And quoting our
story this week: Then one day I asked
myself, "How can the lips that utter prayers, the praises of the L-rd, eat
foods that are forbidden?"
6:1 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Command Aaron and his sons,
saying: This is the law of the burnt-offering: it is that which goes up on its
firewood upon the altar all night unto the morning; and the fire of the altar
shall be kept burning thereby.
From the practical
standpoint there had to be a Cohain on duty to stoke the fire.
3 And the priest shall put on his linen garment,
and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh; and he shall take up the
ashes whereto the fire hath consumed the burnt-offering on the altar, and he
shall put them beside the altar.
The ceremony of cleaning
up the ashes required a Cohain in a linen garment.
4 And he shall put off his garments, and put on
other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean
place.
Once the ashes have been
removed to the side of the altar, the Cohain had to change garments for
cleaning up the ashes into a ritually pure spot outside the Mikdash and then returns.
5 And the fire upon the altar shall be kept
burning thereby, it shall not go out; and the priest shall kindle wood on it
every morning; and he shall lay the burnt-offering in order upon it, and shall
make smoke thereon the fat of the peace-offerings. 6 Fire shall be
kept burning upon the altar continually; it shall not go out.
The original fire came
down from heaven and was to be kept burning
forever.
7 And this is the law of the meal-offering: the
sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, in front of the
altar. 8 And he shall take up therefrom his handful, of the fine
flour of the meal-offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense
which is upon the meal-offering, and shall make the memorial-part thereof smoke
upon the altar for a sweet savor unto the LORD.
All the flour offerings
with the exception of the loaves of the Korban Todah (Thanksgiving Offering) were
non-leaven.
9 And that which is left thereof shall Aaron and
his sons eat; it shall be eaten without leaven in a holy place; in the court of
the tent of meeting they shall eat it.
The eating of the holy
meal offering was in a holy place.
10 It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given
it as their portion of My offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as the
sin-offering, and as the guilt-offering.
It was a Matzo type
wafer.
11 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat
of it, as a due for ever throughout your generations, from the offerings of the
LORD made by fire; whatsoever touches them shall be holy.
One had to be completely
ritually pure to eat the offering.
12 And the LORD spoke unto Moses,
saying: 13 This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they
shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed: the tenth part of an
ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering perpetually, half of it in the morning,
and half thereof in the evening.
This makes it one 20th
or 5% of an Ephah of flour.
14 On a griddle it shall be made with oil; when it
is soaked, thou shalt bring it in; in broken pieces shalt thou offer the
meal-offering for a sweet savor unto the LORD. 15 And the anointed
priest that shall be in his stead from among his sons shall offer it, it is a
due for ever; it shall be wholly made to smoke unto the LORD. 16 And
every meal-offering of the priest shall be wholly made to smoke; it shall not
be eaten.
Unlike the previous meal
offering, this one is a burnt meal offering.
17 And the LORD spoke unto Moses,
saying: 18 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying: This is the law
of the sin-offering: in the place where the burnt-offering is killed shall the
sin-offering be killed before the LORD; it is most holy. 19 The
priest that offers it for sin shall eat it; in a holy place shall it be eaten,
in the court of the tent of meeting.
The Korban Chatas must
be eaten in a pure place in the courtyard of the Mishkan or Mikdash.
20 Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall
be holy; and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment,
thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in a holy place.
The garment that
contains the blood of a Korban has to be wished in a pure place.
21 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden
shall be broken; and if it be sodden in a brazen vessel, it shall be scoured,
and rinsed in water. 22 Every male among the priests may eat thereof;
it is most holy. 23 And no sin-offering, whereof any of the blood is
brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the holy place, shall be
eaten; it shall be burnt with fire.
Ceramic vessels are to
be used only once but metal can be purified.
7:1 And
this is the law of the guilt-offering: it is most holy. 2 In the
place where they kill the burnt-offering shall they kill the guilt-offering:
and the blood thereof shall be dashed against the altar round
about. 3 And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof: the fat tail,
and the fat that cover the inwards, 4 and the two kidneys, and the
fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the lobe above the liver, which
he shall take away by the kidneys. 5 And the priest shall make them
smoke upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the LORD; it is an offering. 6 Every
male among the priests may eat thereof; it shall be eaten in a holy place; it
is most holy.
Cohanim meaning holy
people and ritually pure in a holy place.
7 As is the sin-offering, so is the
guilt-offering; there is one law for them; the priest that makes atonement
therewith, he shall have it. 8 And the priest that offers any man's
burnt-offering, even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the
burnt-offering which he hath offered. 9 And every meal-offering that
is baked in the oven, and all that is dressed in the stewing-pan, and on the
griddle, shall be the priest's that offers it. 10 And every
meal-offering, mingled with oil, or dry, shall all the sons of Aaron have, one
as well as another.
Private Korbanos Chatas
shall the Cohain be able to eat from the man’s meal offering.
11 And this is the law of the sacrifice of
peace-offerings, which one may offer unto the LORD. 12 If he offers
it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving
unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and
cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour soaked.
The Korban Todah has
Chametz as the flour is soaked.
He shall offer, along with the
thanksgiving-offering: four kinds of bread: חַלּוֹת, loaves, רְקִיקִין, wafers, רְבוּכָה, scalded loaves, [which are] three types of unleavened bread (מַצָּה,) and it
is written, “with leavened loaves.” Each kind consists of ten loaves. Thus, it
is explained in [Tractate] Men. (77b). And the total volume [of all of the accompanying
bread] amounted to five Jerusalem se’ah [where one Jerusalem se’ah equals
two-fifths of an ephah], which is equivalent to six se’ah by
desert standard [where one se’ah by desert standard, smaller than the Jerusalem measure,
equals one-third of an ephah , because all of the loaves comprised a volume of] twenty
tenths [of an ephah] (Men. 76b-77a). [Now, each leavened loaf comprised a volume of
one-tenth of an ephah . Thus, since there were ten of these loaves, as above,
the total leavened volume came to one ephah .
The unleavened volume, i.e., the total volume of all the other three kinds of
unleavened loaves, also equaled one ephah .
Hence, the total volume of the accompanying bread was twenty tenths of an ephah,
i.e., two ephah.]
13 With cakes of leavened bread he shall present
his offering with the sacrifice of his peace-offerings for
thanksgiving. 14 And of it he shall present one out of each offering
for a gift unto the LORD; it shall be the priest's that dashes the blood of the
peace-offerings against the altar. 15 And the flesh of the sacrifice
of his peace-offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his
offering; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.
This Korban was
forbidden to eat after dawn break. In order to prevent this, our Sages said that
one should not eat after midnight. With the avert eating after the break of
dawn.
This is why we don’t eat
Korban Pesach or today the Afikoman after Chatzos aka Halachic Midnight. (In
Israel approximately 12:44 AM sometimes the newspapers give the exact time Erev
Pesach.)
16 But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow,
or a freewill-offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his
sacrifice; and on the morrow that which remains of it may be
eaten. 17 But that which remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the
third day shall be burnt with fire.
Volunteer offerings have
an extended time limit to ea
… 22 And the LORD spoke unto Moses,
saying: 23 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: Ye shall eat no
fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat.
Chelev or the fat that
grows on the outer parts of the Kidneys, Liver and other organs. This is not to
be confused with Aliyah or tail fat that has its own prohibition.
24 And the fat of that which dies of itself, and
the fat of that which is torn of beasts, may be used for any other service; but
ye shall in no wise eat of it.
Not to eat an animal
that died of itself = Nevaila or torn by beasts =
Trafe goes on whole
animals and not only fat. And quoting
our story this week: Then one day I asked
myself, "How can the lips that utter prayers, the praises of the L-rd, eat
foods that are forbidden?"
25 For whosoever eats the fat of the beast, of
which men present an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that
eats it shall be cut off from his people.
Kares for eating Chelev or Aliyah.
26 And ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it
be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. 27 Whosoever it be
that eats any blood, that soul shall be cut off from his
people. 28 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 29 Speak
unto the children of Israel, saying: He that offers his sacrifice of
peace-offerings unto the LORD shall bring his offering unto the LORD out of his
sacrifice of peace-offerings.
Blood is forbidden
anything that remains after soaking and salting for regular meat or grilled at
least close to medium for a Korban. After the proper processing that includes
washing the salt off regular meat or on the remaining liquid on the Korban is
considered juice and not blood.
30 His own hands shall bring the offerings of the
LORD made by fire: the fat with the breast shall he bring, that the breast may
be waved for a wave-offering before the LORD. 31 And the priest shall
make the fat smoke upon the altar; but the breast shall be Aaron's and his
sons'. 32 And the right thigh shall ye give unto the priest for a
heave-offering out of your sacrifices of peace-offerings.
These are part of the
gifts to Cohanim.
33 He among the sons of Aaron, that offers the
blood of the peace-offerings, and the fat, shall have the right thigh for a
portion. 34 For the breast of waving and the thigh of heaving have I
taken of the children of Israel out of their sacrifices of peace-offerings, and
have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons as a due for ever from
the children of Israel. 35 This is the consecrated
portion of Aaron, and the consecrated portion of his sons, out of the offerings
of the LORD made by fire, in the day when they were presented to minister unto
the LORD in the priest's office;
The consecration was
from Rosh Chodesh Nissan 2449 to and including 7th of Nissan 2449.
36 which the LORD commanded to be given them of
the children of Israel, in the day that they were anointed. It is a due for
ever throughout their generations. 37 This is the law
of the burnt-offering, of the meal-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of
the guilt-offering, and of the consecration-offering, and of the sacrifice of
peace-offerings; 38 which the LORD commanded Moses in
mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to present
their offerings unto the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai.
All the practical
consecration explained in written Torah and perhaps more in Oral Torah.
8:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 'Take
Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the
bullock of the sin-offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened
bread; 3 and assemble thou all the congregation at the door of the
tent of meeting.'
From now on is the
description of Moshe anointing the Cohanim.
4 And Moses did as the LORD
commanded him; and the congregation was assembled at the door of the tent of
meeting. 5 And Moses said unto the congregation: 'This is the thing
which the LORD hath commanded to be done.' 6 And Moses brought Aaron
and his sons, and washed them with water. 7 And he put upon him the
tunic, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put
the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the skillfully woven band of the
ephod, and bound it unto him therewith.
Moshe showed Aaron what
and how to dress and in which order.
8 And he placed the breastplate
upon him; and in the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim. 9 And
he set the mitre upon his head; and upon the mitre, in front, did he set the
golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses.
After the pants, tunic,
belt, breast plate, etc. came the Mitre Kodesh Le HASHEM written on it.
10 And Moses took the anointing
oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them. 11 And
he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all
its vessels, and the laver and its base, to sanctify them. 12 And he
poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify
him.
Now Aaron was anointed with oil and
we see later on the anointing of the right thumb and right toe later on.
13 And Moses brought Aaron's
sons, and clothed them with tunics, and girded them with girdles, and bound
head-tires upon them; as the LORD commanded Moses. 14 And the bullock
of the sin-offering was brought; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon
the head of the bullock of the sin-offering.
The Semicha of hands are
placed on the Korban and there is helper who tells the Cohain to say that this
is going to be a Korban Chatas/Shlomim/Asham/Todah etc.
15 And when it was slain, Moses
took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar roundabout with his
finger, and purified the altar, and poured out the remaining blood at the base
of the altar, and sanctified it, to make atonement for it. 16 And he
took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the lobe of the liver, and the
two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses made it smoke upon the altar.
You make the Korban and
splash in an order around the Mizbayach and it is explained in the Tractates
Zevachim and Menachos. (This is where the Oral Torah supplementing the written
one.)
17 But the bullock, and its skin,
and its flesh, and its dung, were burnt with fire without the camp; as the LORD
commanded Moses.
This is burnt outside of
the holiest area aka outside the Temple in a valley.
18 And the ram of the
burnt-offering was presented; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the
head of the ram. 19 And when it was killed, Moses dashed the blood
against the altar round about. 20 And when the ram was cut into its
pieces, Moses made the head, and the pieces, and the suet
smoke. 21 And when the inwards and the legs were washed with water,
Moses made the whole ram smoke upon the altar; it was a burnt-offering for a
sweet savor; it was an offering made by fire unto the LORD; as the LORD
commanded Moses.
Dashing in the order and
direction as stated in the Oral Law.
22 And the other ram was
presented, the ram of consecration, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands
upon the head of the ram. 23 And when it was slain, Moses took of the
blood thereof, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb
of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. 24 And
Aaron's sons were brought, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their
right ear, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of
their right foot; and Moses dashed the blood against the altar round
about.
Great right toe, thumb,
ear teaching us and symbolizing the whole body.
… 27 And he put the whole upon
the hands of Aaron, and upon the hands of his sons, and waved them for a
wave-offering before the LORD. 28 And Moses took them from off their
hands, and made them smoke on the altar upon the burnt-offering; they were a
consecration-offering for a sweet savor; it was an offering made by fire unto
the LORD. 29 And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a
wave-offering before the LORD; it was Moses' portion of the ram of
consecration; as the LORD commanded Moses. 30 And Moses took of the
anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon
Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments
with him, and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons'
garments with him.
Thus, the garments of
the Cohanim became holy.
31 And Moses said unto Aaron and to
his sons: 'Boil the flesh at the door of the tent of meeting; and there eat it
and the bread that is in the basket of consecration, as I commanded, saying:
Aaron and his sons shall eat it. 32 And that which remains of the
flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire. 33 And ye shall not
go out from the door of the tent of meeting seven days, until the days of your consecration
be fulfilled; for He shall consecrate you seven days.
On Yom Ha Shemini, Moshe
would cease and desist to offer up sacrifices and the Cohanim would take over.
But we shall see in our next Parsha that the transition did not go smoothly.
34 As hath been done this day, so the LORD
hath commanded to do, to make atonement for you. 35 And at the door
of the tent of meeting shall ye abide day and night seven days, and keep the
charge of the LORD, that ye die not; for so I am commanded. 36 And
Aaron and his sons did all the things which the LORD commanded by the hand of
Moses.
Shabbos HaGadol
Sorry Hebrew only. Rabbi Yosef Ben Porat HaCohain on Pesach
deserves a Mazel Tov on his new grandchild, Shraga. Haggadah https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjFKCyix_eo
Layl HaSeder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJMVw7j31I0
It appears to me after
conducting or being part of a family Seder with Grandchildren for over half a
century, that something always comes up at the last moment so keep some spare
time for the search for, burning and annulling Chametz. Also, no matter how
much experience Charoset making should be done Erev Pesach as early as
possible.
One of the things that
hit me this week was a reminder from my accountant that US Tax Filing is due
soon. Another headache beside Pesach and not part of my cleaning for Chametz
plan. Neither my garden becoming overgrown with weeds and needing pruning and
cleaning.
Rabbi Simcha HaCohain
Kuk Ztzal started his Shabbos HaGadol Drasha with a question that arose about
45 or so years ago. What happens when there is a mass production assembly line
and the first Matzos coming from the over are still soggy aka going to be
Chametz. While a package or two later, the Matzos are fully baked warm and dry?
The Rabbi then went to
all sources starting with Shemos where a person is forbidden to see or find
Chametz. He went on for about an hour and concluded the following. The Chametz
on an non-stick conveyor belt was perhaps in contact with a Matzo or two behind
it but it is prior to Pesach lost in 60 times it’s size. Only on Pesach does
Chametz have the power of an infinitesimal amount. He went into a side story as
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef used to have barrels upon barrels of water in his house for
drinking. However, Arab fisherman throwing bread crumbs to catch fish in the
Kinneret or Mediterranean does not make the desalinated water or fresh filtered
water because Chametz in something was never supposed to be in parts in a
billion or trillion molecules of water or more. The Drasha concluded that the
first box or so and so many boxes had to be discarded as Chametz and the rest
of the assembly line was Kosher for Pesach.
Those of you who follow
me on Facebook Rachamim HaRav Pauli will note that my shopping is almost done
except for some items such a Parve Cream for making Ice-Cream, Horse Radish
without legumes, got my pre-Omer Counting Haircut and am just about ready for
the Chag.
Motzei Shabbos my wife
is going to make the Kitchen Kosher LePesach except the microwave for heating.
All cooked items will be made on the stove and the microwave is koshered Erev
Pesach.
I spoke to a neighbor
who plans to do everything such as the freezers, stove etc. starting Motzei
Shabbos. Well he is in his early 50’s has time, more strength than I have.
However, it is not for me to start so late. I have to watch my diet lost about
23 lbs. so far and looking to continue losing and continue in my sports.
Here is an anthology of
the laws and reasons why and how we search for Chametz.
https://etzion.org.il/en/holidays/pesach/laws-bedikat-chametz
Medicines kosher for
Pesach. https://www.health.gov.il/English/Topics/PharmAndCosmetics/Pages/passover.aspx
You can use https://legacy.kikar.co.il/medindex.php and put the English Letter Capitalized of the name where
the Hebrew appears in the box.
The Seder itself. https://aish.com/48968741/ https://www.star-k.org/articles/articles/seasonal/pesach/app/359/the-pesach-seder/
Sell your Chametz
on-line via Project Genesis, OU.Org, Chabad.org, Aish.com etc. or via your
local Orthodox Rabbi.
From Magrietha. On June 22 1982,
Joe Biden was a Senator from Delaware and confronted then Israeli Prime
Minister Menachem Begin during his Senate Foreign Relations committee
testimony, threatening to cut off aid to Israel. Begin forcefully responded,
“Don’t threaten us with cutting off your aid. It will not work. I am not a Jew
with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history.
Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody
came to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We
fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend
them. And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your
aid.”
“Mr. Rock and Roll” demands an answer from the Rebbe by Rabbi
Yerachmiel Tilles.
http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=1320-27
This story is related to
the story of the actress princess who became a queen http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=1318-25 Kaila Lansky
This JEM interview
with Eli Lasky is from ten years ago.
Several months after
I returned from a concert tour with the Rolling Stones, I met the Rebbe and -
because of him and despite me - I experienced an unexpected spiritual
awakening.
My parents were both
Holocaust survivors from Belorussia, and I had been born in a DP camp right
after the war. I was raised Torah observant with Yiddish as my first language.
After we came to the United States, I kept Shabbat, I went to yeshiva,
and I put on tefillin.
But, after being
exposed to a lot of inconsistency and some hypocrisy, I started to question it
all, and by the mid-1960s, I stopped keeping Torah. After a time of
experimenting with acting, I found myself at the State University of New York
(SUNY) in Buffalo, studying law and dabbling in music promotion.
In my early twenties
(in the late 60's), I found myself hanging out with some very famous people in
the music and entertainment business - like Carly Simon and Chip Monck.[1] Through
Chip's efforts, I was invited to travel with the Rolling Stones on their 1972
summer tour, and I got to see more depraved human behavior than most people
will ever see in a lifetime.
Several months after
that tour, I had a talk with a Zen Buddhist friend who was not Jewish. The way
he spoke about Zen Buddhism sounded very interesting and believable, so I wound
up asking myself, "How can Judaism be right and the whole world
wrong?" That was the question that kept percolating in my mind.
At the time I was
staying in NYC, at Chip's house. Because of my years at SUNY in Buffalo, I had
a close relationship with Rabbi Nusson Gurary, who was the Lubavitcher
Rebbe's emissary there. So, I called him and started asking him my questions.
His answer to me was, "There's only one person who can help you - the
Rebbe. You are in New York; go ask him!"
The concept of a
Rebbe, who somehow understood your soul, was very alien to me, and yet, that
very day, I took a taxi to the address that Rabbi Gurary gave me - 770 Eastern
Parkway - thinking to myself, "If this guy is not where it's at, whatever
little bit of Judaism I have left will be gone."
I recall that it was
a bitter cold day in January of 1973. I went into the large shul where
dozens of yeshiva students were loudly studying together in pairs. It sounded
and looked foreign to me; I couldn't relate. However, almost immediately I was
welcomed by Rabbi Yossi Hendel, Rabbi Gurary's brother-in-law, who had been
told I would appear the day. It was easy for him to find me in the crowd; I
certainly stuck out with my shoulder-length black hair and unconventional
dress: tight jeans, custom-made snakeskin boots, and a leather jacket:
"Mr. Rock & Roll."
He gave me a yarmulke (kippah)
to put on my head and told me that I'd be able to approach the Rebbe and speak
with him briefly as he arrived from visiting the cemetery in Queens[2] and
walked into 770 before the afternoon Mincha prayers. So, I went back outside
and waited in the cold.
As I was standing
there between the entrance steps and the sidewalk, shivering in the bitter
cold, an old limousine pulled up and the Rebbe emerged. Since Yiddish was my
first language, I felt this was appropriate to address him in it, so I
said, "Anshuldig, binste der Lubavitcher Rebbe? - Excuse
me, are you the Lubavitcher Rebbe?"
Our eyes locked. In
my whole life I had never seen eyes like his. And suddenly, it felt to me like
I had been transported to another dimension, above the burning mountain, with
nothing around us and it was just the two of us in the whole world. This was an
incredible spiritual experience for me. I will never forget that day for the
rest of my life.
He didn't respond,
"Yes, I am the Rebbe" or merely a simple "Yes" Or nod of
the head. He just said, "What is your name and where are you from?" I
gave him my name, told him where I was from and where my parents were from.
"I have a
question," I said. "Ask," he responded.
"Ah vu iz
G-t? - Where is G-d?" "Umetum - Everywhere," he
answered me.
But I persisted
crying out from my heart, "Ich vays, ubber ah vu? - I know, but
where?"
"Umetum,
"he repeated, but then added," in alts; in ah boim, in a
shtayn. - Everywhere, in everything; in every tree, in every stone."
But he perceived
that I still wasn't satisfied with this answer so he said, "In dayn
hartz, oib dos iz vi du fregst - He is in your heart, if this is how
you are asking."
That answer
completely stunned me. In all the years I spent in yeshiva in my youth, I never
grasped that G-d was in my heart.
At that point, I
asked him if we could speak in English, because I could not ask in Yiddish all
that I needed to know. He agreed.
I said, "When
we say the Shema - 'Listen Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is one' - do
we mean that there is one G-d for all people--be they black, or Indian or
Jew?"
He answered,
"The essence of the black man is to be what he is as a black man, and the
essence of the Indian is to be what he is as an Indian, and the essence of the
Jew is tied to G-d through the Torah and its commandments."
These were very,
very powerful words to me.
Altogether, we spoke
for approximately fifteen minutes on the steps of 770 on a very bitter cold day
in January. At the end, he told me two things to do. One was to learn the
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (the Abbreviated Code of Jewish Law) in English, and the
other was to put on tefillin every day.
I resisted. I said
that, given my lifestyle (as 'Mr. Rock & Roll.' which included a lot of
spontaneous traveling), I didn't think I could put on tefillin consistently.
But he said, "You can and you will." He then blessed me and added
that if I keep the Torah, it will be a source of blessing for me, but if I
don't, it will go the other way - "it will lead to being downtrodden"
is how he put it.
All this time, he
was looking into my eyes directly - our eyes were locked - and I was the one
who broke the eye contact first.
I looked around, and
that's when I realized that a large crowd -at least a hundred! -- of young
chasidim were standing around us with questioning expressions, as if asking,
"Who is this meshuggener (crazy guy) who had the audacity
to stop the Rebbe and whom the Rebbe is speaking to for so long and delaying
Mincha?"
At that point, as
the Rebbe went in for the afternoon prayer service, I started crying. It was a
very emotional moment for me.
I walked away
understanding one thing - that I had just met a man of total truth, of total
sincerity. Who gave me hope. Who helped me realize that my dismissing
everything years ago was maybe a mistake.
Still, it took some
time for his words to sink in. I'd say about three months. That's when I
started putting on tefillin, something I had not done for 6-7 years. From that
day till today I have never missed.
And, as they say,[3] "one mitzvah leads
to another mitzvah." Bit by bit, I started adding to my
prayers. Then one day I asked myself, "How can the lips that utter
prayers, the praises of the L-rd, eat foods that are forbidden?" So, bit
by bit, I started keeping kosher. I also started learning the 'Kitzur Shulchan
Aruch' just as the Rebbe instructed me to.
Two years later,
when I was again at the university in Buffalo, studying in law school and
dabbling in real estate on the side, The Rolling Stones came to town. Their
manager at the time, Patrick Stansfield, was actually staying in my house. He
wanted very much for me to attend. "Come on, Elliot. There will be over
80,000 people there at Rich Stadium. You can be back stage with me and all the
guys-you are one of the boys!"
It was tempting. But
one little problem. The concert would be on Friday night. I wasn't yet fully
Shabbos observant, but still….
Finally, I said to
myself, "Who are the Rolling Stones, that they will take me from my house
on Shabbos? No way!"
And so, over the
years I continued to grow and develop. Today (2013), I have a wife and four
beautiful children, all of whom are Torah observant. And I do believe that
everything has turned out like this because of that fateful meeting with the
Lubavitcher Rebbe on a cold winter morning in 1973.
Because of him, my
life was forever changed…and so were many other lives that I affected.
All for good. All
for blessing.
Kaila Lasky, Eli
Lasky, and their four children
Photo taken in 2013. Photo credit: Aish.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Compiled and adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from a weekly email of
"Here's My Story" and two videos on Chabad.org, a part of JEM's extraordinary "My
Encounter with the [Rebbe" project; plus several small additions from
personal contacts.
Mr. Elliot
["Eli"] Lasky is a real estate developer who resides in Monsey, New
York. He was interviewed in May, 2013. He is also a long-time friend of Ascent
Rabbis: Leiter, Siev and Tilles (from before Ascent!). You can hear him
personally telling the above story for JEM on Chabad.org.
https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/2289725/jewish/But-Where-Is-G-d.htm (JEM
interview 5773, 7:49 minutes)
https://www.chabad.org/multimedia/video_cdo/aid/2627353/jewish/My-Journey-from-the-Fast-Life-Back-to-My-Jewish-Roots.htm (18:10 minutes.
Talk given at a tribute commemorating the Rebbe's twentieth yahrzeit at Park
East Synagogue in Manhattan 2014.)
Connection: This
Saturday night-Sunday, the 11th of the Jewish month of Nissan (this year: April
2), is the anniversary of the birth in 1902 of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi
Menachem-Mendel Schneerson.
Biographical note:
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe : [11 Nissan 5662
- 3 Tammuz 5754 (April 1902 - June 1994)], became the seventh Rebbe of the
Chabad dynasty after his father-in-law's passing on 10 Shvat 5710 (1950 C.E.).
He is widely acknowledged as the greatest Jewish leader of the 2nd half of the
20th century. Although a dominant scholar in both the revealed and hidden
aspects of Torah and fluent in many languages and scientific subjects, the
Rebbe is best known for his extraordinary love and concern for every Jew on the
planet. His emissaries around the globe dedicated to strengthening Judaism
number in the thousands. Hundreds of volumes of his teachings have been
printed, as well as dozens of English renditions.
Footnotes
[1]Edward Herbert
Beresford III "Chip" Monck is an American Tony Award
nominated lighting designer, most famously serving as the 'master of
ceremonies' at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
[2]The burial site of his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef-Yitzchak Schneersohn, his
predecessor as Rebbe until his passing in 1950.
[3] Perkei Avot 4:2
Milestone: Meir Wieseltier, 82, poet
and song writer. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-poet-meir-wieseltier-dies-at-age-82/
Inyanay Diyoma
The Islamic Republic of Iran could produce
fissile material for a nuclear weapon in less than two weeks from the
"time of an Iranian decision," and after that, it would only take
"several more months" to produce an actual nuclear weapon. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-735286
Flowers, cold water and some Chutney
given to protesters by ultra-Orthodox. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1ecpu9l2#autoplay
China's defense ministry said on Friday that it yet again
had to monitor and drive away the US Navy destroyer USS Milius. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-735296
Africa is splitting in two to form a
new ocean in a few million years. https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-735092
Gut Microbes help diagnose. https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/pregnancy-and-birth/article-735124
Researchers find the connection of
slow caffeine breakdown and lower sugar levels. https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/nutrition/article-735225
5 Vegetables with extra health
benefits. https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/nutrition/article-734836
A wolverine was spotted by two people fishing
on the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon. https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-735291
North Korea has tested a new nuclear-capable
underwater attack drone. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-735277
News from Motzei Shabbos
starts here:
Soldiers wounded in Huwara drive-by
improving. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369228
A terrorist fired at a residential building in the community of
Avnei Hefetz in Shomron.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369230
Left’s Pressure was too much for Defense Min. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369216
What the Defense Min. said: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369214
Russia to station Nukes in Belarus. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369227
News team attacked by Likud
Supporters. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369223
Of course, when Arutz 14
(right wing) was attacked by the left no headlines.
The Israel Police overnight Saturday evacuated hundreds of
worshipers who had barricaded themselves on the Temple Mount after the
conclusion of prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369222
Israel’s next basic law should be a
Bill of Rights. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369183
Israeli micron robot can repair
damaged cells. https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/bkitbhaln#autoplay
Federal Court blocks Biden’s Vaccine
Mandate. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/03/24/federal-appeals-court-blocks-biden-vaccine-mandate-federal-employees/
Ed-Op Martin Sherman Obliviating
Elections. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369174
Israeli Arab female drug smuggler
released. https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-herzog-plea-uae-frees-israeli-woman-serving-life-sentence-for-drug-smuggling/
Most volatile exo-planet ever seen. https://www.jpost.com/science/article-735309
Antarctica: https://www.jpost.com/science/article-735391
Wounded
Soldiers https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369228
Sunday Night, Netanyahu made a
political mistake. He fired the Defense Minister. Within moments over 100,000
protesters filled Tel Aviv blocking off the main through highway in both
directions (Ayalon) and thousands more at highways throughout the country
including near the PM’s residence. The committee in the Knesset was preparing
for a vote today. At about 10AM the Prime Minister announced a freezing of
voting. Deri withdrew his request for a law to make him minister and the major
Labor Union declared a general strike shutting down the airport. The Elite
Owners of Hotels and Malls announced closing down. The right organized major
counter-protests in Tel Aviv and Yerushalayim. Miriam Peretz, who buried two
IDF sons, called upon protestors of both sides that we are ‘brothers’ not like
Avraham Burg who disgusting said that
the two dead brothers from terrorism were not his brothers. Netanyahu address
to the nation in minutes.
The Right in Israel disgraced by the
Elites. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369320
Public against freezing. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369289
Ben Gvir promised special police for
delay in legislation. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369294
Going Banana Republic. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369319
Ganz urges Netanyahu to keep
Gallant. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-735612
Poll Ganz would win if elections
today. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369313
Oops friendly fire on a family. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369244
Shin Bet announced today (Monday) that a member of the Islamic
Jihad terrorist organization who was behind the shooting at an Israeli driver
last week has been arrested. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369293
Strike at airport. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369284
Strike ends. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-735549
Trump within 24hrs I would end the
war. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-735658
AI small probes and Aliens.
https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-735664
Dershowitz on Bibi and Reform. https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-735584
Levy isn't involved in politics, but in "helping 2.5
million customers fighting the soaring cost of living and paying wages to
10,000 workers that he employs." This, he says, is his demonstration. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/all-news/article-735592
Saudi-Iranian talks. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-735617
MIA WWII found. https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/world-war-ii-airmans-remains-found-relative-closure-whole-family
Julia Wendell, a 21-year-old Polish woman who
came to notoriety after claiming to be the missing
Madeleine McCann, announced her intention to sue
her mother in an interview with RadarOnline.com on Saturday. https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-735581
Nashville shooting. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-735583
HarperCollins has revised multiple novels by the famed
British mystery writer Agatha Christie to remove references to Jews and other
minorities deemed offensive by sensitivity readers. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-735627
Real Terminator. AI could be
dangerous – Gates. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/all-news/article-735412
The Right in Israel disgraced by the
Elites. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369320
WHO IS FUNDING THE ISRAELI
ANTIGOVERNMENT PROTESTS? Millions on the 100,000 plus flags. Millions on signs
and advertising. Arutz 12 brought to light this. They are anti-Netanyahu
pro-demonstration but not fake news yet. William J. aka Bill Burns on behalf of
the Israeli hater 50 years in public service from the days of Begin before he
was prime minister. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369364
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sytfiwww3
Lyon France approves a holocaust
memorial. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369382
On strike to shut Iran down. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369406
Fee-Fi-Foe-Fo-Foe-Fo-Fum I smell CIA
in the Auditorium. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369407
Iran emboldened by Biden-Netanyahu
rift. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hki1en11bh
Retrial after 15years has full
acquittal. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369424
Blackhawks crash 2 dead. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369420
Iran is attempting to infiltrate Africa through economic collaborations
with the purpose of recruiting locals for terrorist operations. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369422
Despite Pesach freeze protests
continue. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369415
Israel hosts Celebration for
Ramadan. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369414
Deri’s Compromise to keep Gallant as
Defense Min. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369402
Dichter not interested in Defense Portfolio. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369383
The Knesset's Ethics Committee on Wednesday decided not to punish
MK Ahmed Tibi (Hadash-Ta'al) and instead opted to only warn him not to get into
confrontations with police officers. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369408
Netanyahu’s mistake. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369381
Pessimistic about talks. As
Lieberman admits and Lapid almost confirms that the protests had nothing to due
with Judicial Reform but to oust Netanyahu. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369378
Related and objective.
Although I am for Judicial Reform, something has happened to Netanyahu. It
could be his wife but if I wanted to meet in Paris, Berlin, Rome and London
with leaders I would do so in one week on one circuit instead of 4 weekend
flights to purchase clothing and eat in Trafe Restaurants. There is a saying in
Hebrew: “The fish stinks (first) from the head.” https://www.timesofisrael.com/facing-strong-opposition-coalition-puts-off-bill-to-let-pm-keep-gifted-money/ He who hates gifts will live (both in this world and
the next).
6,000year old shark fishing hook. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369375
Visa exemption for Israelis going to the US. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369379
From Monique: How terrorist propaganda works: https://youtu.be/kxa3xF0yPWQ
Approaching 5,000,000 names. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hyhlhngzh
I finally figured out why some
report 37 Arab victims and others report 41. Some are women murdered by
husbands. https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-28-killed-in-suspected-underworld-slaying-in-jaljulyi/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-launches-new-ofek-13-spy-satellite-into-orbit/
Breast Cancer drug prevention trial.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-735794
UK terrorist convicted. https://www.jpost.com/international/islamic-terrorism/article-735697
Spotify removes “Blow up Tel Aviv”. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-735679
Another strike in Syria. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369460
Articles and Ed-Op on the Trump
Indictment. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369461
Imperiling America. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369472
Mike Pence: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369467
The Likud caved in to keep the
country from falling apart. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369468
A Haredi couple who were driving through Tel Aviv on Sunday night
found themselves in the midst of an anti-judicial reform demonstration. The
demonstrators surrounded the car and proceeded to attack them, lynching the
husband.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369435
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-tech-giant-cisco-to-buy-tel-aviv-cybersecurity-startup-lightspin/
Our Neshama is Immortal
as for humanity immortality outside of the rising of the dead via AI the
verdict is not out yet. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-735869
Woman’s Status Minister. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-735997
Ronald Mallet, an astrophysicist who dedicated most of his adult life to
proving that time travel is possible, believes that he finally cracked
the code which will enable time travel after he had a revelation while being
hospitalized. https://www.jpost.com/science/article-735845
Gafni asks Ganz to join the Coalition.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-735904
Have a healthy, peaceful,
pleasant and safe Shabbos with a Kosher and Joyous Pesach,
Rachamim Pauli
