I just spoke with Jim Long of the Noahide Nations radio show on Arutz 7/IsraelNationalRadio.  What a great guy with a lot of wonderful information.

Click on the link belowe to listen to Jim and Ray’s show this week.

Esav - The Ultimate Consumer

(I heard these words from a rabbi at a new Aish HaTorah center in Philadelphia)

Rabbi Chaim Leib Shmulevitz lived during the WWII era.

At one point his health took a down turn.  Yet he stood to speak to his students that Shabbat regardless of his health.

“I am going to die,” Rav Shmulevitz said.

“I am going to die,” he repeated.

“I am going to die.”  His students were getting nervous.  Was the Rav okay?

“I am going to die!” Should we call for doctors?

Over and over he called out, “I am going to die,” until he cried out with great furor “I am going to die!!” and then broke into a broad smile and said:

“In this week’s parsha, someone says the words, ‘I am going to die’…and what a difference there is between me and him.”

Esav (Esau) says, “I am going to die, give me the soup, pour it down my throat, I’m going to die!”  He lives for the moment.  He is hungry now.  “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” - said the glutinous Romans.

The Rabbi related a story from his friend:

We were on a plane with our rabbi and several of his students.  There was a terrible malfunciton with one of the plane’s mechanisms.  The captain ordered everyone to stay seated and fasten their seat belts, that this was not a joke.  The turbulance was rough.

The students asked, “Rabbi, what should we do?!”  And the Rabbi said, “What can we do? Pray.  Say these Psalms.”  And just then a man sitting in the seat next to the students reaches up and frantically calls the flight attendant.  The flight attendent leaves the security of her seat and asks what the man needs.

“I need a Jack Daniel’s right away! This could be the last drink of my life!”

For the Esav’s of the world, the end of this life is the end of everything.  But we know that the end of this life is but a transition to the next stage in a great process.  Knowing that, and integrating that into our lives, transforms the phrase, “I am going to die.”

This wonderful cartoon by Dovid Taub is brought to you by Chabad.org <-- Go there for a larger version.

“The man who constantly frets over his own sins and those of the world should constantly forgive himself and the world.

By doing so he will draw forth forgiveness and the light of kindness…and bring joy to G-d and man…And he will earn the blessing reserved for Abraham: “there is no generation without one like Abraham.”
- Rav Avraham Kook (Erpalei Tohar, 53-4)

This week’s parsha is “Lech Lecha.”

Better late than never…

Last week’s parsha was parshas Noach.

Question: Why did G-d destroy the world with a flood?  Of all the ways to bring punishment to the wicked people of that generation, why a flood?

Answer: The Lubavitcher rebbe zt”l brings a connection between the 40 days and nights of the flooding and the 40 se’ah (measures) of water needed to create a ritual bath for purification.  Thus, he says, the flood was not just a punishment; it was a process of purification.

Question: Why does the Torah say “And the rain was on the Earth” in one place, and later says “And the flood was on the Earth”?  Was it rain or was it flood?

Answer: Rashi explains that not only did G-d wait 120 years to send the flood, but even if the people had turned from their evil ways at the last moment, when it had just begun to rain, G-d would have turned the rain into gishme bracha “rains of blessing” instead of rains of destruction.  Since they didn’t change, the rains turned to flood.

We also learn from the ritual bath that starting to turn from one’s evil ways requires only a single moment of commitment, just as a ritual bath requires only a single moment of immersion to render the person or vessel purified.  “The Holy One said, open for me a door as big as a needle’s eye and I will open for you a door through which may enter tents…”¹

When a person commits to purify himself or herself, he has to do two things: sur m’ra v’aseh tov.

1. Turn away from the bad
2. Do good

Usually this is thought of for the individual person.  However, we also see this in the process of purifying the world.

Everything that happened outside of the ark was sur m’ra Turn from evil.  The generation of the flood were destroyed because of their behavior in three ways:

1. Ervah - Licentiousness (to put it lightly)
2. Gezel - Theft
3. Avodah zarah - Idol worship

Flooding the world, literally wiped out the entire culture of the people of the world, including the animals who had also become corrupt and started interbreeding.  This is sur m’ra Turn from evil.

Everything that happened inside the ark was aseh tov Do good.  For more than a year Noah and his family are charged with the tremendous responsibility of caring for the animals in the ark.  There was no vacation or days off in which they could rest from the kindness needed for the animals.

However, the chesed kindness of Noah and his family toward the animals in the ark exceeds any kindness that we see today.  Whereas we can care for our pets or farm animals, Noah had to care for the only remaining creatures of each species - thus the fate of each species was in his hands.  Caring for even two lions can be said to have been caring for the entire species of lions.  Since G-d does not watch over individual animals, but does watch over their entire species, this is a true life-saving chessed on Noah’s part.

The other Good that was done in the ark was the separation between men and women.  Whereas today many people hear the phrase “separation between men and women” and automatically think: “sexist!” - let’s think about this for a moment.

Why did Noah have to care for animals and do kindness for over a year? Why didn’t God have him do some other good, such as prayer or study Torah?  The answer is that the kindness towards the animals was a type of Good that was a tikun a rectification for the evil of theft and violence that led to the flood.

Since the generation of the flood was corrupted with immoral sexual behavior, the rectification for their behavior was made through the separation between men and women in the ark.

We are told that immersion in the ritual bath is similar to a baby leaving the mother’s womb.  Thus the ark was the a new creation of the world in the “womb.”  This new world was founded on a proper balance between kindness and self-restraint that is necessary for all new relationships and endeavors.

Thus we learn three main lessons here:

1. G-d is open to us up until the latest moment, waiting to turn our “flood” into “rains of blessing.”
2. When we want to purify ourselves, we have to sur m’ra “Turn from evil” and aseh tov “Do good.”
3. When we want to establish a new relationship, or create a new organization or project, it must be founded with a proper balance between kindness and appropriate self-restraint.

May we find that healthy balance, and may we merit the final redemption through G-d’s true kindness. Amen.

This week’s parsha is parshat “Balak.”

The evil prophet¹ Balaam is summoned by Balak to curse the Jews.

Against Hashem’s desire, Balaam saddles his she-donkey and journeys to the land of Moav to curse the Jews. Hashem sends an angel to impede Balaam’s way.

If we pay attention to the order in which things happen here, we can get a sense of the infinite love Hashem has for all of His creations - even donkeys.

1. Hashem sends an angel with a sword (i.e. ready to kill them), but only reveals the angel to the donkey; Balaam doesn’t see the angel.

2. The donkey moves out of the angels way - Balaam strikes the donkey - the angel closes in.

3. The donkey moves out of the angels way again - Balaam strikes the donkey a second time - the angel closes in further.

4. The donkey moves out of the angels way once again, but is now cornered - Balaam strikes the donkey a third time - the angel closes in further.

5. Hashem causes the she-donkey to speak to Balaam, and the donkey says:
“What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?”

Balaam answers her:
“For you have mocked me. If only I had a sword in my hand, I would right now kill you.”

The she-donkey:
“Am I not the she-donkey that you have rode upon me from your youth until this day? Have I been accustomed to do such to you (i.e. to mock him)?

Balaam:
“No.”

And only now - after Balaam admits to the she-donkey that she did nothing wrong, does Hashem reveal the angel. And furthermore, the rest of the story revolves around Hashem defending the donkey before Balaam, the self-centered.

6. Hashem reveals the angel to Balaam, at which point Balaam becomes terrified and bows down on his face.

7. The angel of Hashem says to him, why have you struck your she-donkey these three times? Behold, I have come to impede your way because you have journeyed (to curse the Jews) against Me.

8. And the donkey saw me and moved out of my way these three times. Unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I would have slain you and saved her!

9. Balaam finally repents, and only afterwards does Hashem commences with instructions for Balaam’s journey.

Hashem cares for the well being (and apparently the honor and respect) of all of His creations. Clearly, mankind who is made btzelem elokim - in G-d’s image - is paramount, which is why we use animals for food, medicine, clothing, or sacrifices.

But nonetheless, Hashem loves all of his creatures, for they are His creations. Therefore, we should act as Hashem does in whatever way is appropriate to each of us on our own situations.

Shabbat Shalom.

Two major public events happened this past week.

Both were public gatherings.
Both happened on Thursday.
Both have symbolism in the rainbow.
And both are reflected in this past week’s Torah portion, parshat “Korach.”

Yet the core and essence of the two events are polar opposites, spiritually speaking.

What is the core and essence behind the Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem?

This is a group of people gathering to display their personal and intimate lifestyle to the entire world. If they did not wish to show off and prance in front of the cameras, they would have been satisfied to hold their parade in Tel-Aviv alone (which they already had done earlier this year).

Yet they emphatically chose to override the majority of Jerusalem residents, and even the wishes of the Jerusalem municipality, who do not want their children exposed to such material.

They zealously fought in court for the “right” to put their intimacy on display in the city that is the center of Torah and G-dliness for Judaism and other faiths.¹

In essence, their parade shouts
“Look at me! Accept me! Me! Me! Me! I demand my rights!”

On the other hand,
you have the righteous Noahides, whose gathering is rooted in something completely opposite of the Gay Pride Parade.

In essence, the Noahide World Conference shouts
“We love G-d! We yearn for G-d! G-d! G-d! G-d! We demand to know what our responsibilities are!

The core of the Noahide World Conference is Hashem.
How can the Noahide community strengthen their connection to Hashem.
How can the Noahide community fulfill their purpose on Earth as desired by their Creator.
How can the Noahide community live up to the name they bear, as descendants of a person who was completely righteous in his generation and devoted to Hashem.

As relates to this week’s parsha, parshat “Korach”:

The rebellion against Moshe and Aaron was rooted in Korach and his followers’ belief that they deserved to be leaders, just as much as Moshe and Aaron.

Yes, Korach was extremely learned, and extremely wealthy. He was probably a great and passionate orator as well. He concluded, therefore, that he was entitled to a position of leadership. The rebellious group’s focus was “Me! Me! Me!” I have a “right to be a high priest!”

Yet G-d demands and values humility in leaders. That is to say, leaders who have zero focus on self, and are entirely focused on Hashem.

We see today that most of the great Torah leaders of the world arrived at their position of prominence simply because of who they are. The great Torah scholars of our generation and previous generations ran no campaigns. They simply listened to those who asked for their guidance. They answered according to the Torah they learn. And they continuously refine themselves as did Moshe and Aaron in their days of devotion to Hashem.

May we all merit to be those who seek to know Hashem, and seek to live according to His Will and Wisdom. Amen.

This Thursday I visited my dear friend Paige in the infusion wing of the hospital.

I hadn’t seen her in 5 years, and despite being pumped with chemo chemicals to battle her Hodgkins disease, her soul glowed with the unceasing joy and radiance that is so natural to her.

Paige’s Hebrew name is “Pherach” which means blossom, or flower.

This Shabbat was her first time living in her new apartment, and her first time lighting Shabbat candles as a Jewish adult in her own home.

Between her illness, and her fulfilling the powerful mitzvah of Shabbat candles for the first time, I was not surprised (though very excited) to see her mentioned in this week’s Torah portion - parshat “Korach.”

Bamidbar - Numbers: Chapter 17: Verse 23:

כג וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת, וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה אֶל-אֹהֶל הָעֵדוּת, וְהִנֵּה פָּרַח מַטֵּה-אַהֲרֹן, לְבֵית לֵוִי; וַיֹּצֵא פֶרַח וַיָּצֵץ צִיץ, וַיִּגְמֹל שְׁקֵדִים.

23 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.

This verse comes soon after a terrible plague is removed from the Jewish people who had rebelled against G-d in their rejecting Moshe and Aaron as leaders of the Jewish people.

Our sages teach us that the words of each week’s Torah portion directly relate to the goings on of the world that very week - both personally, and globally for the entire world.

May we all merit to find personal guidance through the weekly Torah portion.

And may Hashem send my friend Paige (”Pherach bat Sarah”) a speedy recovery. Amen.