Kategorie: torah

No politics by me, but a Look into our Torah…

I am referring to the Parasha Toldot, which was only recently read publicly.

In the Parasha Toldot, we are introduced to Jakow and, with him, to the first biography in world literature. Even before his conception and birth, we are told about our ancestor Jakow (Bereshit/Genesis 25:22), and we then follow his life through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, all the way to old age. The narrative focuses on Jakow and provides a comprehensive picture of a human life with all its human struggles, achievements, failures, and successes. We learn much about his suffering and pain, about jealousy and competition, about disputes over property, and the difficulties of raising children. We follow Jakow on his journey, facing these various challenges with which we, as average people, can easily identify. Unlike his grandfather Awraham, Jakow did not have to endure divine trials, nor was he subjected to the profound trauma that his father Jitzchak suffered at the Akedah (Binding of Jitzchak).

Jakow attained everything through a circuitous path. His birthright and paternal blessing, his wife, his wealth, and his new name were achieved only after arduous efforts and numerous setbacks. And yet, he received the privilege of receiving divine visions, and G-d appeared to him three times. It is Iesahayahu Leibowitz who points out that it was Jakow who wrestled with humanity and G-d and became Israel. We are all named after him and bear his responsibility and duty.

Shalom

At Parasha WaJeze… (Part 2)

At this time I am studying our Torah, to be prepared for the upcoming Shabbat. Its about Parasha WaJeze.

The parasha WaJeze is so named because Yaakov left Beersheba. There are different emphases in translations as to how WaJeze is to be understood. Personally, I prefer the interpretation of ‚approaching something‘. For me personally, it is the most important parasha in my life as a Jew.

Jacob goes to a place that the Torah only refers to indirectly… „and came to that place“. And yet everything is clear, as we will learn in the course of the further interpretation of the words of the Torah.
It is Jacob who leaves his familiar surroundings and takes one of the stones of the place for his head and lies down. It is a hard surface that Jacob chooses. On the one hand, this is his decision, and on the other hand, he does not make it easy for himself – quite deliberately.

Then he has his famous dream with the ladder reaching up to heaven. Messengers of G-d (plural) ascend and descend on it. These messengers are a clear indication of things to come. Then Jacob has a vision of G-d. G-d speaks to Jacob. Hashem promises him and his seed (i.e. descendants), that is, Israel as a whole. For Hashem says that all the clans of the earth will be blessed in him and spread out. Hashem clearly says, „I am with you, I will guard you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land, yes, I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.“
…
Which place does the Torah describe in this event? It is Mount Moriah, today’s Temple Mount! G-d is everywhere, but He does not reveal Himself everywhere.

When Jacob awakens, everything is strange to him, yet clear. He takes the stone on which his head rested and erects a monument with it, which he pours oil over. It is this symbolic act that sanctifies the profane and makes a decisive difference. He calls this place Bet-El, House of G-d. This refers to the Temple in Jerusalem.

Then he makes a vow. He formulates his words (in chapter 28, verse 20) not as a demand, but as a condition and logical prerequisite. …

But study and read every detail of the Parasha for yourself. I have always seen it as my duty never to lose my faith, even in exile. And I do not, because only in this way can I serve God and return to the house.

Shawua Tov.

At Parasha Toldot…

Today, on Shabbat, I am studying our Torah. It connects me to the Holy.

I admit that my attention is already somewhat anticipating what will be read publicly in synagogues next week.

Parasha Toldot describes how Isaac and Reviqa, after twenty years of marriage, had their prayers for children answered by Hashem, and their desire for children was fulfilled. Reviqa gave birth to twins, Jacob and Esau.

Esau was completely different from Jacob from the very beginning—outwardly, and it quickly became apparent inwardly as well.

It was he who decided to sell his birthright to Jacob for a quick meal of lentil stew.

Esau doesn’t understand that there is a master plan by Hashem; instead, he acts very selfishly and is driven by jealousy and resentment.

Later—and I’m referring to chapter 28, verses 8-9—Esau sees that the daughters of Canaan were displeasing in the eyes of his father, Isaac. What does he do? He marries Machalat, the daughter of Ishmael!

The final part of the Parasha Toldot recounts how Isaac bestows the blessing of the firstborn upon his son, Jacob, thus passing it on through him. Esau is extremely enraged by the loss of the blessing and projects his frustration onto his brother. He does this so intensely that he even plots to kill him. Jacob then flees to his mother Reivka’s family. Isaac also instructs him to find a wife there.

Shavua Tov!

Thoughts and Lessons at Parasha „WaJera“

Tonight I’m studying our Torah and the Parashah VaJera…

I’m fascinated by the first verses (Pasukim).

„And the Eternal One appeared to him (Abraham) among the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of the tent, at the heat of the day.“

„And the Eternal One appeared to him (Abraham) under the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of the tent.“

„` Then comes the encounter with the three men…

They are immediately recognized by Abraham as messengers of God, and he leaves no doubt about the intention behind his hospitality, which Abraham’s capable wife, Sarah, makes possible.

Both were childless at this time, and their age was advanced.

Abraham addresses the three men as „Lord“ and continues… „If only I had found favor in your eyes, do not pass by your servant.“

I immediately notice that Abraham addresses and pleads with all three in the singular. He assures them that he is a servant of the ONE God, the Eternal One, and offers Him the highest recognition.

Then the messenger of God promises that Sarah can and will have another child. Sarah cannot believe this at first when she hears it while inside the tent and thinks to herself, „That can’t be.“

The messenger speaks to them the whole time. Abraham! And he knows Sarah’s thoughts.

Then the three messengers set out for Sodom, and Abraham guides them.

And so the account continues…

I deliberately omit the events in Sodom because it is worthwhile to embark on the journey yourself to read the entire Parashah and draw conclusions from it, to learn from it, and above all, to let it resonate within us so that we may be taught and understand it with both heart and mind.

Who were these three messengers?

And what can we learn from the events in Sodom?

Firstly, what God’s plan is and how Abraham deals with it.

Secondly, what was the particular transgression of the inhabitants of Sodom that required the Eternal One to intervene?

I am spontaneously learning that God can do anything in our lives if we place our trust in Him.

And I am spontaneously learning that a harsh judgment can be softened through conversation with God (prayer) if this is done with an attitude of gentleness (Chessed) and directed solely toward the Eternal One, as in the case of Abraham.

But listen, read, and learn for yourselves.

At Parasha Lech Lecha…

I am currently grappling with the opening words of the Parasha Lech Lecha (Lekh Lecha).

Martin Buber translates it as:

„He spoke to Abraham: ‚Go forth from the land, from your relatives, from your father’s house to the land I will show you.'“

I recognize that there is a direct line between Hashem and Abraham. For God speaks to him.

What is meant by ‚Go forth‘? I interpret it as follows… Grow beyond yourself and don’t prioritize your path over your ego.

This path leads three times away from its origin, the place of his birth. „Go from your country, go from your people, and go to the land I will show you.“

If one can see the land—and by this, Eretz Yisrael is meant—then this means two things. One must be physically present in the land, and one is able to enter the promised land. It is important to recognize that it is God alone who makes this possible.

Therefore, it continues:

„I will make you into a great tribe…“

Which tribe is meant by this? It can only refer to Judah, because the lineage goes from Abraham, through Isaac, to Jacob. Jacob himself is the patriarch of all Jews and thus also the father of all the tribes of Israel. This leads to another answer, because when it says that a great tribe will arise from Abraham, then all the tribes are meant, which, however, are not separate but form one great tribe. This is Am Yisrael in unity.

Shabbat Shalom

To Parasha Ha’asinu by the Temple Institute, Jerushalajim

THIS WEEK, PARASHAT HA’AZINU: „GIVE EAR, O HEAVENS!“

This week we read parashat Ha’azinu, (Deuteronomy 32:1-52), the next to last parasha of the Torah. In last week’s reading, Vayelech, HaShem told Moshe, „And now, write for yourselves this song, and teach it to the children of Israel. Place it into their mouths, in order that this song will be for Me as a witness for the children of Israel.“ (ibid 31:19) The purpose of the song is to serve as an eternal testimony to Israel, warning them of the danger of abandoning HaShem for foreign gods, a spiritual pitfall which Moshe has been warning against all throughout his 37 day address to Israel which makes up the book of Deuteronomy. „And Moses wrote this song on that day, and taught it to the children of Israel.“ (ibid 31:22)

This week’s reading, Ha’azinu, is that song. The song begins by calling heaven and earth to bear witness to what is about to be said. This is followed by praise of HaShem, which is followed by Israel’s inevitable fall into idolatry. The ramifications will be painful, but HaShem will never abandon His people:

„Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; Let the earth hear the words I utter! May my discourse come down as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, Like showers on young growth, Like droplets on the grass. For the name of HaShem I proclaim; Give glory to our G-d! The Rock!— His deeds are perfect, Yea, all His ways are just; A faithful G-d, never false, True and upright is He…“ (ibid 32:1-4)

This montage shows the three patriarchs, Avraham and Yitzchak, (at the akeida – the binding of Yitzchak, Genesis 22), and Yaakov, (after awakening from his dream in Beit El, Genesis 28), all envisioning the future Holy Temple.

Thoughts at Parasha Ekew

This morning, I examined the words of Parasha Ekev for the first time this week. It’s important to me that the word Ekev can mean both ‚because‘ and ‚if.‘ 40 years of wandering in the desert are now complete… Right at the beginning of the parashah, it says:

„And it shall come to pass, because you have obeyed these statutes (rules) and observed and done them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.
…
Ekev is one of my favorite parashahs, which God assures everyone, the Jewish people, that He is the one who loves, blesses, and increases them. He is the one who takes away sickness from us and all the evil plagues of Egypt that we know, and He is the one who will bring them upon our haters.

So much for the beginning of Ekev. It is the promise to us that He not only heals, but also executes justice. This is very important to me… and I calm myself and find my inner peace.

Shavua Tov!

At Parasha Balak…

Next Shabbat at the latest, we’ll be dealing with the Parashah of Balak.

An entire parashah is named after Balak, Balaam’s antagonist, which is precisely why we should take a closer look at him. The story is very complicated and constantly has new twists and turns. I’ve given a lot of thought to the fact that while there are plans to curse Israel, it’s up to all of us to pay attention with open eyes and ears, with our given senses, to what Hashem tells us, sometimes through a person who doesn’t initially belong to the people of Israel. It’s important to identify Balak as a Moabite king who fears the Jewish people and fantasizes about all sorts of dangers that supposedly emanate from them… Therefore, he commissions Balaam to curse them. However, Balaam refuses, first of all, to allow himself to be taken over by the Moabites and curse them.
G-d speaks to Balaam, so he’s a prophet. He says, „You will not go with them.“ And he obeys. „You will not curse it, for blessed is it.“ And Balaam obeys, albeit only after several attempts, even if this initially brings apparent disadvantages.

The lesson we can draw from the entire Parasha Balak is that no power in the world can oppose Hashem’s plans and must submit to them sooner or later. No one in this world can escape Hashem, His goals, and His vision.

The donkey is also an important metaphor. Balaam travels with her, and it is she who alone can recognize G-d’s messengers and respond accordingly. G-d Himself opened the donkey’s mouth (a popular saying in Israel) and spoke to Balaam. Thus, it is G-d alone who provides the miraculous communication and understanding. It is G-d Himself who enters into dialogue through the donkey, whom Balaam had treated badly. Balaam himself is repeatedly instructed by G-d’s messengers how he should behave. Gradually, he recognizes this more and more clearly, and it culminates in the realization and the statement to the messenger:

„I have sinned; I did not know that you were standing in the way against me.“

This is a very important sentence, for it contains, on the one hand, the admission that he has acted contrary to the divine order and, on the other, that he says he did not know. Knowledge is the prerequisite for acting responsibly before G-d.

Shavua Tov!

Thoughts at Parasha Bemidbar…

I confess that I’ve already been busy today with the upcoming weekly portion, Bemidbar. Right at the beginning, all twelve tribes of Israel are listed and discussed in summary.
This refers to the „number of the community of the children of Israel according to their clans, according to their ancestral houses.“ One male head for each tribe. Then, all of them are listed.

It’s very interesting that each individual is referred to as a prince. This is partly in recognition of their achievements and responsibility, but also because Moshe Rabbeinu and Aaron also confirm that there is only one king—and that is Hashem.

All are counted, each and every one. Hence the name Numbers for the Sefer Bemidbar. And special mention is made of those who went out to war. Therefore, in chapter 1, verse 44, it says:

„These are the numbered ones whom Moshe, Aaron, and the princes of Israel numbered.“

The order of the enumeration clarifies and establishes an important hierarchy of importance for all the children of Israel.

Anyone twenty or older could be drafted into the army. However, Levi’im could not be drafted.

For myself, as a Levi, I have never fought for an army going to war in my entire life. It remains so!

Furthermore, it is stipulated that Levi’im are not to be counted and mustered among the children of Israel, and instead they are to be assigned to the „Table of Testimony“ (this refers to the portable Mishkan, since we are in the Sinai Desert), to all its equipment, etc. It is important to recognize that their task is to carry the Table of Testimony and all its equipment. When the Table of Testimony is settled, they assemble it, and a member of the seam is to die. Therefore, it is very important that certain people stay away from the Levi’im to ensure that they can fulfill their task undisturbed. The individual tribes and their various areas around the Mishkan are also addressed.

Finally, I would like to return to the distinction between the camps of Judah and Ephraim and all the other tribes. They are discussed and mentioned in the weekly portion Bemidbar, according to their importance, in a fixed order and in a specified number…

Despite all the distinctions, we must be clear today that the diversity of Jewish life and belonging is therefore G-d-willed and must be respected.

Shavua Tov!