The Weekly Mission- Torah Portion by Isaiah Rothstein

 Parshat Dvarim - Shabbat Chazon A father on his death bed only desires to offer advice that could positively alter their child’s life decisions. The final book of the Torah is a lengthy, colloquial, and dense reminder from Moshe, our leader what to do and how to be in order to maintain a society and dwell in security. The Parsha begins by stating “These are the words that Moshe spoke to all of Israel, in the wilderness, in the plain, opposite (the Sea of) Reeds, between Paran and Tophel and Laban, and Chazayroat and Di Zahab.”[i] This book opens with coordinates, a physical location that exists today. In this physical location, amongst, in between and around all these places, the Jew’s history was founded. The Midrash relates that these places actually represent sins that the Jewish people committed on their journeys. I would like to focus on the importance of these coordinates, and more specifically how some of the stops along the way relate perfectly to the three weeks of mo...

Parshat B'chukotai (5771’)“No! You Got it All Wrong, You are Good Enough!” Author Stephen Covey, in his work 7 Habits for Highly Effective People writes: Our very essence as creations is to be creators, but because we allow others to design who we are—such as parents, friends and colleagues – we “reactively live the scripts handed to us.”[i] Covey is not telling us that we are incapable of writing our own legacy and life mission, but saying that, because many times we feel so unsure of what we are capable of, we value the opinions of others over our very own. “These scripts come from people, not principles. And they rise out of our deep vulnerabilities, our deep dependencies on others and our needs for acceptance and love, for belonging, for a sense of importance and worth, for feeling that we matter.”[ii] Putting politics aside, Mankind only functions because we depend on one another to survive. Our music and literature may be published for self-expression, but it is only publ...

Parshat Behar-B’Chukotai 5772: “Homecoming-The Return of the Jubilee!” L’Iluy Nishmat Chaim Yissachar ben Yechiel Zeidel Dov “You shall sanctify the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim freedom throughout the land for all its inhabitants; it is a Yovayl year for you, and you shall return, each man, to his ancestral heritage (Achuzato); and you shall return, each man to his family.[i] This past week I had the privilege of driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco. In addition to adventuring to the Redwood Forest, Golden Gate Bridge, and the House of Love and Prayer, I found that the drive itself was most deepening. I learned ever so quickly, and slowly, that California’s landscape is the home of over three-hundred miles of farmland. Although a different type of goldmine, this agricultural empire has awarded the state embrace by over 156 countries as one of the leading agricultural exports in the world with a gross annual income of nearly two-trillion dollars![ii] Undeniably, ou...

Parshat Behar 5771 “Let Your Brother Live with You”  Who is called a poor person? We use this term frequently to describe a person with minimal income who is unable to provide for him/her self and the people dependant on him/her. Others believe that a poor person is not someone who is lacking self-esteem, financial resources or a strong social life, a poor person is someone who has a diluted emotional or physical view of the world and therefore has little hope in anything—including his/her own self. Rebbe Nachman teaches that a poor person is someone who has hardened his/her heart and mind to the opportunity of ever becoming rich. This person has been damaged and hurt so much by failed opportunities that his/her “homelessness has become an acquired knowledge. His knowledge becomes filled with confusion and apathy.” [i] This person believes that what is will always be. This person has no hope for their future. The very idea of redemption sickens them, and indeed, many poor peop...

The Weekly Mission: Parshat Emor-Preperation Over the last few weeks we have been engaged in the self-rectification process of Sfirat Ha’Omer. The RaMBaM in his magnificent work Mishna Torah (Avoda:7:11) describes the ceremonial process of the barley and grain offering in its many details. Before Pesach would begin, the stalks of grain to be used for the omer offering while still connected to the ground were bound into sheaves and are left there until the16th of Nissan—when the ceremonial practice of the offering would take place. On the 16th, they are cut and the grain goes under a process of sifting. After wards, a special cistern with holes burns the chaff, and the remanding kernels are what are then used. It is most interesting that the preparations of Sfirat Ha’Omer, a “new offering,” one that has its own unique set of laws, has a preparation stage, to the preparation stage. The Rav in his work Halahkic Man prescribes that every Jew, regardless of commandment, should contempl...

Parshat Emor Radiance and the Power of Healing During the inauguration of the First Temple a great joy permeated from the holy city of Jerusalem. Unlike the times of Joshua, the lack of leadership during Judges and the civil wars which took place during the time of Samuel, in the times of Shlomo Hamelech peace and joy were shared by all. The anxiety of transition came to an end. “In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Children of Israel’s Exodus from the land of Egypt-- in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign of Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month—he built the Temple of HaShem”[i] After so much work, and so much commitment, after deserts and death, we recognized the secret of transition, Pesach to Shavout, Healing! We remain a scattered nation on the four corners of the world. Our society speaks with greed and vanity, and we have forgotten how to heal and Who is our healer. The wisest of all men, Shlomo HaMelech prophesizes: “Why did HaShem do such a thi...

The Weekly Mission: Parshat Achrei-Mot Kedoshim 5772’ Blood, Purim, and the Real You The death of Nadav and Avihu offer tremendous insight into the relationship that Man aspires to create with him/herself and the Source thereafter. Our commentators suggest many different plausible reasons for the death of these two brothers. RaShI sources the Talmud which states it was because they instructed themselves what to do without the accord of Moshe. In addition another Tanna[i] extrapolates from the juxtaposed verse that it was because they did the temple service intoxicated. Lastly, the verses before this unfortunate event reveals that the fire that was meant to consume the offering was a fire from above (sent by G-d), while the fire offered by Nadav and Avihu was a Aish Zarah, a fire which did not belong. The three reasons provided all share the common denominator of seeking out personal authority through externalities. Denying the laws of the leader, deafening self-awareness, and app...

  Parshat Achrei Mot.–Kedoshim (5770): To Be Or, What NOT To Be “Do not perform the practice of the land of Egypt in which you dwelled, and do not perform the practice of the land of Canaan to which I bring you, and do not follow their traditions” [i]. In this week's parsha, the Jews have gone from the shackles of Egypt to the heightened spiritual experience of Har Sinai. The Jews now sit at the foot of Har Sinai and receive the instructions for the mishkan and the Temple service. After more than four-hundred years of Egyptian servitude, the Jews' slave mentality that fill the Torah’s story line remains alive and breathing in all of us today. When something is so deeply rooted in our being, it is our responsibility to rectify that which is wrong and unjust. As we begin a new journey from the land of Egypt, G-d commands us how to act and how not to act. Through His words, He shows us that the Jewish people are distinct and not like any other nation. We have specific morals...

Parshat Tazria-Metzorah 10’ (5770): Baseless Love Will Bring Redemption Holy Friends, Chodesh Tov! It is the BRAND NEW month of Iyaar! Lashon HaRah, commonly translated as slander, was and continues to be the gravest sin that the Jews actively do, regardless of observance and piety. The Torah tells us "You shall not wrong one another.”[i] The Torah implies in this verse, regardless of one wronging you, we are still to remain composed through their misguided conduct, and we do not wrong them. The Sages tell us: “Why was the First Temple destroyed? Because of three things that occurred during that time: Idolatry, sexual behavior, and bloodshed... But the Second Temple, while the people occupied themselves with Torah, Commandments and Kind Deeds, why was it destroyed? Because there was baseless hatred. This teaches that baseless hatred is equated with three sins: idolatry, provocative sexual behavior and bloodshed.”[ii] The Time between the First Temple’s destruction and...

Parshat Tazria-Metzorah-Isolation Throughout Jewish history !e have struggled to find our home. We have transitioned in and out of cultures and civilizations to the point that we are no longer sure where we truly belong. In many cases, conversion was the only hope for survival. Our women were raped, our children were stolen, our minds were degraded to that of animals and our loved ones perished before our very eyes. After WWII, the Herzelian mentality has resurfaced: take away any separation between the Jew and the Gentile, thus the Jew and the Gentile will see each other as the same, and when it is the same, there is no need for persecution. But we don’t need Hitler to remind us, once a Jew always a Jew. As a people we are drenched in alienation, discrimination and in many cases terrorization. Our national confidence has never been worse, and our confidence that would allow us to present ourselves as a proud people is virtually non-existent.These insecurities not only have consequ...

The Weekly Mission: Parshat Shmini-Desiring the Path of Desire Pesach and Haggada As the Month of Nissan departs and the spring slowly reaches its pivotal moments we must allow ourselves to process the events that the previous season enabled us to experience. The Seder in its true essence is a psychological paradigm that teaches us how to take the necessary steps in order to leave the straights of perpetual slavery. Kadesh: my personal Exodus can, and will not begin if I do not believe I am worthy of such a departure. If I do not deem myself to be holy, how can I truly sanctify? Furthermore, if I cannot Mekadesh (separate) myself from that which I am enslaved to, how can I even implement that which I want to change—for I know In my heart that even if I long for personal salvation, its coordinates will never be known to me if I remain in the courtyards of fools.[i] Nirtzah: this final step on the latter does not only provide for us the ability to look below at each rung climb...

  Parshat Tzav-Shabbat HaGadol-The Shabbat of Loooove The holiness of Shabbat is likened to 1/60th of the afterlife.[i] Without delving into the nature of the afterlife, one can understand that in a deep sense, Shabbat is the essence of our being. Shabbat is a time that is specifically set aside for the Jewish people. It is not something that can escape us. Every week it arrives precisely at its time, regardless of whether or not we are ready. There are two biblical commandments regarding Shabbat: “And the Children of Israelguarded the Sabbath…” and, “Remember the Shabbat day and sanctify it”[ii]. Every Jew is supposed to incorporate these two aspects of the commandment into theirShabbat observance. The Netivot Shalom writes that shamor, or “guard,” is connected to fear, which is connected to the practice of Shabbat and the laws associated with it [iii].Zachor, however, which means, “remember,” is connected to love. Loving Shabbatmeans simply basking in the day’s holiness in ...

Parshat Vayikra - 5771-Rectify the sin Too often we come across spiritual leaders and we are perplexed by their seemingly paradoxical approach to life. On the one hand, these individuals pride themselves on eloquence, charisma and knowledge, but unfortunately, they aren’t always spiritual leaders, but rather, hot-headed people who have clear motives and agendas that seemingly deny the philosophies of the teachers before them. We need not look at Egypt to understand that when a culture that contains teachers which fail to preserve proper morals is bound to crumble. The questions we must ask are: how does the passion of teachers’ lofty goals to teach eventually go sour? How do those who start their journey as leaders with pure intentions, become corrupt at age fifty? In the midst of the detailed descriptions of the sacred offerings to G-d, we glance over an incredible amount of important things and we must be true to ourselves and recognize the fundamentals of Judaism – a topic’s se...

Parshat Vayahkel-Pekuday-Shabbat Parah- the Head Within the Heart There are those who have the custom when going to the Mikveh[i] to contemplate the spiritual rebirth that takes place upon emerging from the waters. Imagine the following scenario: You go to the mikveh and hold your entire body in a fetal position suspended underwater until holding your breath any longer would cause unconsciousness. With this awareness, and desperate need for oxygen, you release your arms and use your strength to push your body above the surface. Upon emergence you take what feels like the first breath you ever took, as if, you were just Born. Indeed there are hypnotists and homeopathic practitioners who claim they can guide you to your emotions at birth, and there are even some who say they remember their mother’s womb, I would like to argue that most do not remember their birth date, and state as a matter of fact that no creature can fathom their first breath. On a daily basis, nay, at every mome...

Parshat Pekudai - Back on Track 5771 The evening service Maariv starts with the most beautiful of blessings: “Blessed are You, King of the hidden (Ha’elem - usually read as Ha’olam (the universe), who by His word causes the evenings to become dark. With wisdom He opens the gates,with understanding He changes the periods of the day, varies the times, and arranges the stars in their positions in the sky according to His will…” Often, as the sun sets and the night begins, a feeling of doubt from the disappearance of the finals rays of the day covers the surface of the earth. Business men regret their risks of the day and await the uncertain stock charts of the morning, the widow sleeps remembering the days of life she once looked forward to, and thedread of an unproductive day handicaps the potential of a highly productive night. HaShem “causes the evening to become dark,” but He does not command us to live vicariously through the earth’s daily cycle. Just because it gets a litt...

Parshat Vayakhel- Pekudei-Building Again-5770-(2010) During these weeks the Torah portions are filled with objects that have never been used and numbers that are irrelevant. All Torah is wisdom and pure, but to those of us who are layman these weeks are dense. It is our Job as the Jewish people to find the meaning in broader and particular situations. How do we see the importance of these Torah portions? How can we contribute to this Tabernacle 3500 years later? The Tabernacle is meant to mirror G-d. We as people strive to mirror G-dliness because in the fullest sense we were created in the Image of G-d. Humans are called man but the one who built the Tabernacle the Ark and the Vessels was called Betzalel which means G-d’s Shadow. “ He is filled with G-dly spirit, with wisdom, insight and knowledge, and with every craft- (35:31)” G-d commands Moshe to Appoint Betzalel to make “The Tent of meeting, the Ark of the Testimonial-tablets and the Cover that is upon it, and all the uten...

Parshat Ki Tisa-The Crisis of Jacob 5772 Before WWII, the bulk of Orthodox Jewry lived in Europe. The Yeshivot and other educational institutions prided themselves on the ancient oral law that did not remain irrelevant, but rather was very much alive and thriving. The rabbis who survived the war spent more time thinking than mourning. Could the Jewish people lose these valuable teaching methods? Is this the end of Halahkic Judaism? After the Nazi animals attempted to destroy us, we proclaim, “Never again will we remain stupefied to the glory that the Edomites have created in false hood. Never again will Torah Judaism fall!” Shattered and traumatized, we - the collective national - freaked out. Our standards were increased and our mission was affirmed - never will we let ourselves lose the power of a national identity. Only this identity was destructive, involving a group of “stiff-necked” individuals, the Jews. Consequently, on the one hand shtetel ideologies joined the sailors to...

Parshat Tetzaveh-Shabbat Zachor-Internal Satiation Edoth, or testimony, is defined within the Torah through symbolic acts and creations that are meant to be commemorated through Man’s pursuit.[i] During these weeks we read about the Tabernacle; the glitch in the physical realm where Man and G-d meet. The great detail that is put into the Tabernacle can be cumulatively qualified as Edoth. In addition to the curtains, rings, poles, woods, colors, fabrics and metals each one symbolizes another aspect of Man and G-d. The Tabernacle also embodies what Man is capable of creating—even after captivity and impurity. The creation of the Tabernacle is a constant reminder of how great Mankind is and can be. Amelek, on the other hand, is a constant Divinely commanded reminder of how vulnerable and weak Mankind is. Through this we stand as witnesses to testify before ourselves and the Almighty our greatness, and smallness. “Remember that which Amalek did too you, on the way when you came out o...