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Click here to read about the Monkey and Elephant-insights into the month of Laughter (Adar) |
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A BIT OF WIT |
Moishe walks into a post office to send a package to his wife.
The postmaster says, "This package is too heavy, you'll need another stamp."
Moishe replies, "And that should make it lighter?" |
| JEWISH YOUTUBE |
Click here to enjoy this clip of Rabbi Mendy Pellin, making a humorous presentation on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. |
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ASK THE RABBI |
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Dear Rabbi
You have always said that women are relationship beings, and men are loners. Well if women are such relationship experts, why can't my wife communicate clearly and just say what she means?
It was her birthday yesterday, and when I mentioned it last week, she said, "Don't you dare do anything for my birthday!" So I didn't. Now she won't speak to me. I did exactly as she said, and I'm in trouble. Am I missing something?
Yes, you are missing something. It's called women's intuition. Your wife has it, and you never will. Men are literalists, women are intuitive. It's been that way since the beginning of time.
It all started with Adam and Eve. When G-d told Adam, "Do not eat of the fruit of knowledge, because if you do you will die", he took it literally. But Eve read between the lines. She understood that when G-d says don't eat, He really means, "Eat, but I didn't tell you to". Eve sensed that G-d wanted humans to experience mortality and fallibility, He wanted them to know both good and evil, but He didn't want to force it on them, He wanted them to choose it. She used her intuition to uncover what G-d really meant. That's why she ate of the fruit.
Eve acted intuitively because that's how she was created. The verb used to describe G-d creating Eve was "Vayiven", which literally means G-d built Eve, but can also be translated as "G-d endowed Eve with intuition." She was given an additional insight to be able to read between the lines, and understand what lies behind the words people say.
To this day women possess this ability, to intuit hidden messages and sense what is below the surface. And sometimes they mistakenly expect others to have this insight too. When your wife told you she doesn't want anything for her birthday, she thought you would hear not her words but her inner intention. What she meant was, "I don't want to tell you what I want for my birthday, I want it to come from you." But being a man, not blessed with women's intuition, you took her on face value, and did as she said: nothing.
Women's intuition is a wonderful gift, but your wife will have to learn that you simply don't have it. Her female friends might know exactly what she means even when she doesn't say it, but you, her husband, will only ever hear what she says and act accordingly. You must let her know that you may never learn to read her mind, and teach her to say exactly what she means and give you clear instructions. This is not because you are not in tune with her, and not because you don't love or understand her. It is because you are a man. And that's all you need to be. |
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Save the date! Thursday, March 20th 7:45pm for our huge party!
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Candle Lighting Time
5:55 pm
Kabbalat Shabbat
6:00 pm
Morning Services
9:30 am
Followed by a gourmet kiddush
Evening Services
5:45 pm
Shabbat Ends
6:49 pm
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Weekday Morning Services
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Followed by a delicious breakfast
Tuesday Senior's Class
10:30 - 11:30 am
Israel: The Land & The Spirit
Thursday Torah Studies
8:00 - 9:00 pm
With Rabbi Baron Delivered in English
Thursday Parsha Class
9:00 pm
With Rabbi Yehuda Delivered in Hebrew
Friday Torah Studies
1:00 - 2:00 pm
With Rabbi Baron Delivered in English |
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The Subject of Next Week's Class: |
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Ki Tisa: Mirror Image
In next week's class we will discuss the spiritual significance of the kiyor, the copper vessel from which the water that was used to purify the priests in the Temple prior to their service was drawn. We will examine a "difference of opinion" between Moshe and G-d over the appropriateness of using the copper from the mirrors that the Jewish women had used to groom themselves, in order to make themselves attractive to their husbands during their enslavement in Egypt. We see how, like the Jewish women in Egypt, our primary tool in overcoming adversity is our ability to channel our natural, potentially destructive physical drives into good and G-dly purposes.
Thursday, February 21st
8:00-9:00 pm
or
Friday, February 22nd
1:00-2:00 pm
at Chabad of Sunny Isles Beach |
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PARSHA IN A NUTSHELL |
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God tells Moses to receive from the Children of Israel pure olive oil to feed the "everlasting flame" of the menorah, which Aaron is to kindle each day, "from evening till morning."
The priestly garments, to be worn by the Kohanim (priests) while serving in the Sanctuary are described. All Kohanim wore: 1) the ketonet -- a full length linen tunic; 2) michnasayim -- linen breeches; 3) mitznefet or migba'at -- a linen turban; 4) avnet -- a long sash wound above the waist.
In addition, the Kohen Gadol ("high priest") wore: 5) the efod, an apron-like garment made of blue, purple and red-dyed wool, linen and gold thread; 6) the choshen, a breastplate containing twelve precious stones inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; 7) me'il -- a cloak of blue wool, with gold bells and decorative pomegranates on its hem; 8) the tzitz -- a golden plate worn on the forehead bearing the inscription "Holy to G-d".
Tetzaveh also includes G-d's detailed instructions for the seven-day initiation of Aaron and his four sons -- Nadav, Avihu, Elazar and Itamar -- into the priesthood, and for the making of the Golden Altar on which the ketoret ("incense") was burned. |
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E-TORAH |
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Who are you?
"I'm a lawyer."
"I'm a motor mechanic."
"I'm a rabbi."
"I'm a sanitation engineer."
Is this who you are, or what you do?
In modern day society, there has been a turn away from defining a person by his profession. True, some vocations enjoy greater pay packets and others entail superior social cachet, nonetheless in an example of almost reverse snobbery it has become fashionable to insist that no one man is any better than another.
I agree, to an extent. To claim any innate superiority between races or to attempt to rank individuals is to erroneously claim that one person can be inherently more worthwhile or valuable in G-d's eyes.
However, this culture of equality we cultivate has its drawbacks. Australians are famous for their readiness to "cut down the tall poppy." Anyone judged to be striving too hard is dubbed a try-hard or a big-noter and mocked for his or her ambition. If everyone is equal, why waste time and effort struggling to succeed?
I believe that people are of equal worth, even as, simultaneously, each individual and nation has been assigned a specific role and a distinct approach to fulfilling their purpose. Accepting this doctrine of "equal but different" allows and demands that each of us utilize our G-d-given talents to our maximum capacity while recognizing the essential dignity and importance of each individual.
To quote a school principal I know, "If the graduates of my school become street sweepers, fine, no problem; but let them be a mensch of a street-sweeper!"
What do you want me to do?
In this week's Parshah we read how, of all the Jews, a specific family was singled out for Priestly duties. Moshe was commanded to "draw Aaron, together with his sons, close to you, (separating them) from the children of Israel to serve Me as priests" (Exodus 28:1).
Priesthood was who they were, not just what they did; a calling, not a profession. Moses sanctified every member of the clan at G-d's direction. They and their descendants had no choice in the process. Should a member of the family attempt to protest, insist on being treated as a regular run-of-the-mill member of society, without onerous duties or subject to excessive demands, it makes no difference. "You are a Kohen," he was told, "you must live up to your responsibilities.
"For whatever reason you have been chosen for a different role. Don't, however, think this makes you special; there is no reason for arrogance. Being singled out for greatness should not be a source of pride, rather it demands a sense of humility as you deal with your greater burden."
The same is true about every single one of us. In some way, shape or form there is a task waiting for each of us that no one else on this world can fulfil. You may not welcome your task; you may rail against your burden; but it is yours, and yours alone, to accomplish. | |
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Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yisrael and Toby Baron
Chabad of Sunny Isles Beach
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