Day 244
Rachel Polin, mother of Hersh, who is still languishing in captivity, was asked to address a gathering of Chabad Campus outreach workers. Rachel thanked the women for carving out time in their busy schedule to support her and join her in prayer on behalf of Hersh.
She is praying for the rescue and release of Hersh Ben Chana Perel and the women in attendance prayed with her.
She was surrounded by their loving embrace.
It must have given her a modicum of comfort and surely gave her courage to continue in her brave fight on behalf of her son.
As I watched the event and speech I was taken with the kindness these women exhibited, not only taking of their time but showing up in a deeply meaningful manner.
That is Chessed.
Loving kindness.
A hallmark of a Jew.
Recently, a Holocaust survivor by the name of Marion Blumenthal addressed a group of young adults. This woman who grew up having experienced unspeakable horrors had a message for her young audience. They assumed she would exhort them to never forget or stand up to the enemy as no fight.
Instead her message was
“Be kind to one another”
Despite the darkness this woman has experienced, her motto is to be kind.
That is the hallmark of a Jew.
If we aren’t kind we cannot survive.
Next week we will celebrate the holiday of Shavuot.
This is the holiday when we celebrate the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people.
On Shavuot we read the book of Ruth which is the story of a Moabite princess who cast her lot with the Jewish people. One might assume that is the reason we read this book on Shavuot.
Just as the Jewish nation accepted the Torah, so too did Ruth when she converted.
Makes sense.
Our Sages give another explanation.
They call this book a book of Chessed, loving kindness.
The story is told in great detail to flesh out the extreme kindness that was done.
Here is the story in a nutshell.

Day 237
Every day of these 237 we have seen pictures.
Photos of smiling young men and women, in the prime of their lives.
And then we learn they are no longer with us on this planet.
The heart breaks again and again as we contemplate the shattered lives and broken souls who are left behind.
Many days it is too much to bear.
But we are given glimpses into the greatness of those we have lost and we are left breathless by their faith, determination and bravery. It makes us stand taller, squaring our shoulders as we brace ourselves to try a little harder to emulate them.
And what of the families they have left behind?
They are the true warrriors.
This week there was a Brit Milah. The mother of the baby, cradling the newborn in her arms, is flanked by her toddler and her own mother and grandmother. All are surrounding her in a circle of love, strength and support.
Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi was there.
Her reaction was not pity.
Rather she sees the scene and exclaims that we are a nation of lionesses.
She could see the power emanating from these women.
They will persevere and continue on.
I watched an interview of a bereaved mother.
She lost two daughters at the Nova festival. She shared about these two sisters, the light and joy they brought to her and to the world.
And while she is forever going to mourn them, she will also continue to live for them, having their spirit always with her, always feeling their presence, every single moment of her life.
She will not stop living she will honor their lives by living her own.
And their constant presence, she said, will be her inspiration.
For a bereaved parent, child or spouse, the grief is always a part of their new normal.
Rabbi Moshe Hauer teaches us the reality of this situation through the lens of this week’s Torah portion.
This week we will read the last Parsha of the book of VaYikra, the book Leviticus, which is called Bechukotai.
In it Gd promises to remember his covenant with Jacob and also Isaac and Gd will recall Gd’s covenant with the Abraham.
This refers to the promise that Gd makes that even if we have strayed and we are being dreadfully punished, at the end we will be remembered and redeemed.
The sentence is quite convoluted. It seems the remembrance and recalling is only connected to two of the three Patriarchs, Abraham and Jacob? What about Isaac? Why is there no need to remember him?
Rashi, the super commentator, explains that Gd does not need to remember Isaac, as his “ashes” are always piled before Gd.
(This refers to the Binding of Isaac. Gd commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and Isaac was willing to subject himself. The deed never actually took place, but because Isaac was willing, it is as if he was brought a sacrifice and the ashes are symbolic.)
Since those ashes are always present there is no need to remember that which is still and always, there.
Rabbi Hauer shares that this unusual statement can be seen as a reciprocation from Gd.
Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son. In his mind the deed was done. He was therefore considered a bereaved parent.
A bereaved person carries their loss with them always. With the passage of time they learn to live again, they learn to function, but there is always the absence of their loved one tugging at their heart.

Day 230.
We are counting days.
This count is horrifying.
As the days pass by, we know that our brothers and sisters continue to languish in a hell which we cannot fathom. The hostages are trapped in the darkest of places, a situation which will require a miracle of epic proportions to extract them from their captivity.
The number grows higher as the days pass by, and we are saddened, sickened, fighting to hold onto hope against insurmountable odds.
This is the season of counting days.
We also count the days between Passover, the holiday of redemption, the festival which commemorates our extraction from a horrific and very dark place and Shavuot, the time we received the Torah.
The Jewish nation was enslaved in Egypt for an interminable 210 years. Leaving Egypt was an impossibility. No one ever escaped from there.
Yet, after being held hostage for centuries, the entire nation of Israel was redeemed.
They stepped out of the darkness into the light.
49 days later, the Jews stood at the foot of Mount Sinai to accept the Torah.
Despite the fact we were saved from Egypt, the Jewish people were not in a great place.
Their spiritual level had sunk so low they were just one step away from being irredeemable.
Yet only 49 days later they were so spiritually elevated they were ready to receive the Torah.
This 49 days are therefore primed for personal growth.
As the Rebbe from Kotz teaches, every holiday and time has a spiritual energy which is available to us. This time period has an extra dose of accessibility to spiritual greatness and growth.
We count each day, knowing that each day brings us one day closer to the giving of the Torah.
These are days we rise in sanctity.
This Sunday will be day 33 of the count.
In Hebrew we call that day Lag BaOmer, Lag =33.
Lag BaOmer is a special day in the count, a celebratory day.
Historically it is the day the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying.
Shortly after the destruction of the second Temple some 1900 years ago, the Sage, Rabbi Akiva, had 24,000 illustrious students who were the future teachers of the Jewish people. Their presence was critical because the Jewish people had suffered a terrible loss with the destruction of the Temple. These young teachers would have supplied much needed support and inspiration.
But they all died.
All 24,000 of them.

Day 223
Lessons from the war:
Daniel Hemo is one of the five IDF soldiers who was killed in a tragic friendly fire incident in Gaza this week.
Daniel is an example of the extraordinary nature of our soldiers and youth in Israel.
He had signed up with the bone marrow registry in Israel which is called Ezer Mizion.
He matched with a woman in her 60s just before October 7. He has been scheduled to be discharged from the army on October 7 to begin the donation process. However, due to the outbreak of war the process was postponed.
The process was delayed, but the illness was progressing, so Daniel received a special dispensation to take a temporary leave to donate his marrow to save a life.
He immediately returned to his unit to fight another foe, and was tragically killed in the friendly fire incident this week.
Another hero has been taken from us.
Daniel made a Kiddush Hashem in his short time on earth.
We lost this giant at the age of 20.
A Kiddush Hashem means that he sanctified the name of Gd with his actions.
Daniel was focused on saving lives. And did so with his very being.
Another one of the fallen in this heartbreaking friendly fire situation was Roy Beit Yaakov, 22 years old. His father, a soldier who is also serving in Gaza, went on national television after the horrific accident.
He said, all these soldiers (those involved in the deadly accident)are righteous people, tzadikim.
He stated that when we are in the midst of war, terrible accidents can occur. He went on to invite the soldiers to his home, he wants to hug and comfort them.
He says of course he is in pain over losing his precious child, but this time is also a time which is highlighting the strength and courage of the Jewish people which calls “awesome”.
Instead of lashing out in pain and criticism, Roy’s father created a space for love and healing.
He gave emotional life to those who are devastated by the unintended result of their actions.
He created a Kiddush Hashem.
In his behavior he sanctified Gd’s Name, by acting as a Jew should act, shoeing love and empathy instead of spewing hatred and contempt.
This week’s Torah portion is entitled Emor and it teaches us that we are Gd’s ambassadors in the world.
“I must be sanctified” says Gd.
How do we mere mortals sanctify Gd’s name?

Day 216
May 6 was Yom Hashoah, the day we remember the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust.
On that day, a Holocaust survivor passed away.
Esther Greizer left this world at the age of 95. She had no children as she was a subject of the diabolical experiments of Mengele in Auschwitz which rendered her sterile. After the war she married and moved to Israel. The family she married into embraced her and she had many nieces and nephews.
They say she had a happy life.
When she passed away in Haifa on Yom Hashoa the family was concerned there might not be many people at the funeral.
A post went up on social media and the opposite happened as thousands attended her funeral.
One of her nieces said she was so happy for her beloved Aunt.
On the same day, a group of students were on the March of the Living. It was a group of about 60, and they realized that about 30 of them were descendants of survivors of Auschwitz.
They took the opportunity to make a special blessing.
This is a blessing one can make when revisiting a place where one experienced a miracle. The blessing can also be made when an individual visits a place where their ancestor experienced a miracle.
So in Auschwitz, some 30 young women made the blessing that their ancestors experienced a miracle in this place.
The miracle of survival.
One of the young women expressed her happiness at the opportunity of making the blessing.
In both of those instances the word happiness was used.
I found that an interesting usage of happiness.
Is that really a good definition of happiness?
The Jewish people seem to live in the nexus of joy and sorrow.
Next week we will experience Yom HaZikaron, the day we remember the fallen in Israel which is immediately followed by Yom HaAztmaut, Israel’s Independence Day.
The sorrow immediately leads to happiness.
How can that be?
It turns out that according to the World Happiness Report, Israel ranks 5th in happiness. This statistic is still true in this past half year when there has been so much tragedy.
This ranking includes the young adults who are serving in the army and often paying the highest, most unimaginable price for that service.
So how is it there is so much happiness?

Let me ask you 4 questions!
1. How did we eat so much?
2. ⁠Why am I finding Matza crumbs in every nook and cranny of my house?
3. ⁠Will my washing machine survive the many loads of linen it must disgorge?
4. After so much shopping, cooking, cleaning and preparation-how did it pass so quickly?
You may feel the need to remind me that the season of asking 4 Questions has passed, no pun intended.
But I am loath to see it go, so I am holding on to this modality for just a little longer.
Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi teaches us about these feelings.
After major holidays we seem to feel this sense of sadness.
It’s a hard time as we separate from the family time that was so much fun and so connecting, it was a time of creating such closeness.
And just like that, it’s over, with only the Matza crumbs and linens to tell the tale.
We also experienced a spiritual closeness. As we engaged in the holiday we shared wisdom and inspiration and teachings we learned and had the opportunity to share.
That experience provided hope and uplift.
And now it’s done.
How do we “climb back up on that hope”?
This week’s Torah portion is called Acharei Mot, which means after the death, details the aftermath of the terrible loss Aaron the High Priest experienced with the loss of his two sons.
It is a huge disappointment at the beginning of a time of potential closeness with the dedication of the Tabernacle.
At this time, Aaron is taught that he may not enter the Tabernacle at his own whim.
This seems to be a rejection, a further removal or distancing of any closeness.
Not only has Aaron lost his precious children, he also seems to be suffering rejection by Gd as well.
It seems to add insult to injury. But then the Torah explains in the next verse how Aaron will be able to enter the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle-when he will do the prescribed service, offer prayers and once again create close connection.
It seems that Aaron will first feel that he is lacking, but when he will engage in the service of connection he will receive the key to enter.
One may feel the lack of closeness, but don’t give up, try knocking on the door until it opens.
This coming Shabbat, the one immediately after Passover, there is a custom to bake one’s challah in the shape of a key.
Here is a hack to achieve the same result, take a key, wrap it tightly in silver foil, and bake it into the Challah.
Another hack is to buy frozen dinner rolls and place them in a round pan, a few rolls surrounding one in the center, bury the key in a roll and Voila-Key Challah!
Either way it can surely be the source of questions from the children, remember we are trying to hold onto that Passover feeling!!
Some sprinkle poppy seeds on the Challah to remind us of the manna that began falling in the desert at around this time.
This custom reminds us that our sustenance is unlocked by a Divine source. We need to earn our bread but there is nothing like the vagaries of earning a livelihood to remind us of the need for heavenly assistance.
Rabbanit Yemima adds another dimension.

Passover is around the corner.
The Seder will take place on Monday night.
The MO of the Seder is questions and answers.
It’s really a conversation.
All the interesting customs we practice are only in place to elicit questions.
Here’s a good question -
Do you like Matza?
It’s a conundrum.
Some people wait all year to eat Matza.
It’s a treat and a delight.
Others do not like Matza at all. It’s dry and difficult to eat and digest.
Those who feel that way have to make the best of the situation.
Funny how the same Matza can evoke such a range of feelings.
That happens to mirror the nature of Matza itself.
Matza is called “the bread of our affliction”.
This refers to the fact that the Jewish people ate Matza in Egypt and it came to reflect the terrible suffering they experienced during that dark time.
Matza is also called the “bread of our redemption”.
This description is given to the Matza as it is the bread the Jewish people ate when they left Egypt. The Exodus happened so quickly there was no time to wait for the bread to rise so they took Matza with them and it became the symbol of the Redemption.
So which is it?
It’s both!
How can it be both?
Here’s another question.
Do we use one piece of Matza at the Seder to memorialize these two aspects?
The answer is - Yes.

Day 188
Passover is just around the corner.
I do not say that lightly.
I certainly do not say that to frighten you.
I say it to myself, so I can get into the proper frame of mind.
A little secret.
I have a bit of Passover Paranoia.
Let me explain.
When my parents married they moved to Tokyo, Japan where they lived for five years.
Talk about living in exile.
My newly married mother barely knew how to boil an egg.
She was way ahead of her time and was the editor of a science newspaper.
So cooking was not her forte.
She went on to become a fabulous chef, but that came later.
Making Passover in Tokyo was full of challenges, but my Mom prevailed.
My Father zl, was so impressed with her efforts and promised her that once they returned stateside, she would not have to make Passover again until she volunteered.
She never volunteered!
So for my entire childhood and until we had our 4th child (on Passover) we went to a hotel for the holiday.
When you observe preparations from a young age, they become second nature and deeply ingrained.
But I never saw my Mom make Passover.
Therefore, doing all the Passover prep as an adult has always left me a bit anxious.
I have to remind myself that
a. I can do this
b. It is well worth the effort
c. I can make it a positive experience.
These are some of the steps I need to take to get in the right head space and take on the challenge with joy.

Day 181
It’s hard not to scream.
Our natural reaction to the challenges, the ongoing losses, the lack of support from the world community - it makes you want to scream.
This week’s Torah portion, once again so timely, teaches us how to react in moments of tragedy.
The portion, entitled Shmini, which means the eighth, speaks of the celebration of sanctifying the Tabernacle.
There were eight days of sanctification, and on the eighth day, the height of spirituality, a tragedy occurred.
Nadav and Avihu, two sons of Aaron the High Priest, themselves priests or Cohanim, brought a strange fire into the Tabernacle.
Due to their elevated spiritual status and the intense holiness of the day, their action was punishable by death.
The two sons of Aaron the Cohen, died tragically at the time that should have been the pinnacle of joy.
The Torah records the reaction of Aaron, the bereaved father.
He was silent.
Sivan Rahav Meir and Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi share some incredible insights into this tragic incident and share wisdom with us for our present situation.
The day Aaron’s sons died was a holy day, a joyous day.
So too, October 7 was Simchat Torah, a holy and joyous day.
And so many of our children died.
Pure and holy children.
How do we respond?
Aaron was silent.
This is not because he has no words. Aaron was the orator.
He was the one chosen by Gd to speak on behalf of Moses.
But here he has nothing to say.
He makes space for silence.
This is hard for us to fathom.
We are challenged by silence.
In fact, they are called uncomfortable silences.
It’s hard for us.
We feel the need to keep talking.
We have so many questions and we need answers.
But here Aaron is silent.
Yet this is the most talked about silence ever.
It was a thunderous silence.
One born of faith.
It raises the question for us, why are we so uncomfortable with silence?
When a person is sitting shiva for the loss of a loved one and people come to comfort the mourner, there is a Jewish law regarding the conversation.
The mourner needs to speak first. Until the mourner says something and opens the conversation, the visitors are supposed to sit quietly.
Not talk.
Just be there with the mourner.
Give the mourner space and just give the gift of support and presence.
Without talking.
The Torah teaches us that to help people heal we should be quiet.
“Silence is not an empty void, but a language of its own. We need to hear it’s profound voice.”
There is a renaissance of a Chassidic movement called Breslov. One of its main messages is that of quiet, personal introspection.
This allows one to pause.
It permits quiet, and moments not filled with constant tittle tattle that allow us to hear and perhaps truly listen.

“Joe Lieberman, one of the highest-ranking Jews in American politics, a pro-Israel senator and Al Gore’s running mate (and vice-presidential candidate) in the 2000 election, has passed away. It is important to remember Lieberman’s unique voice within the Democratic party, which stood in sharp contrast to the opinions voiced by some party members today.
 But I would like to focus on his other very significant, non-political legacy.
 Amongst his many accomplishments, he wrote a book entitled
The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath*.
 Lieberman said that he had written a book about Shabbat because he wanted to communicate to young Jews around the world that they don’t have to give up their heritage in order to achieve the highest levels of professional success. In fact, he claimed, the opposite was true. His Sabbath observance, especially in the middle of an election campaign, only strengthened people’s admiration for him as a man of principles and integrity.
 He also wanted young Israelis to understand this too: that on Shabbat, he wasn’t “the honorable Senator,” and not even Joe, but Yosef Yisrael ben Chanan, his name when he was called up to the Torah.
 In his book, Lieberman describes how listening to the Shabbat Torah reading was especially meaningful for him because he knew that he wasn’t listening to another political speech but to the words of Gd. He writes how during the three Pilgrim Festivals (Pesach, Shavuot, and Succot), the Jewish people would travel to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, but we have the opportunity each and every week to welcome the Holy Sabbath directly into our kitchens and living rooms.
Perhaps the most powerful line of his book: “When they ask me: How can you interrupt your work as senator to observe Shabbat every week? I respond: How could I manage to accomplish all the work I do as senator six days a week by if I didn’t stop to keep Shabbat?”
These words are a paraphrase of Sivan Rahav Meir’s words about Joe Lieberman.
Senator Lieberman’s thoughts about the weekly Torah portion are inspiring as they reflect our weekly pursuit to plumb the Torah, authored by Gd, for nuggetsof wisdom, which can inform, enhance and direct our lives.
This week’s Torah portion is Tzav, which means to command.
It refers to the fact that Aaron was commanded regarding the various offerings and sacrifices to be brought in the Temple.
The first service of the day that the Priests were to accomplish would be the removal of ashes from the day before.
During the day, the Temple was a beehive of activity as sacrifices were being offered on the Altar.
After the day was completed, the detritus of the sacrifices, the ashes, would accumulate on the Altar.
So the first order of business, the housekeeping so to speak, involved removal of those ashes.
We know that the Torah messages are eternal, and we know that sacrifices are no longer being brought, so what can we possibly learn from this process?

The holiday of Purim is almost upon us. This coming Saturday night and Sunday, we celebrate the reversal of the decree of annihilation that was directed at the Jewish people.
The story of Purim took place in the Persian empire in around 350 BCE. The King Achashverosh threw a lavish party to celebrate his success. In the midst of a drunken rage, he orders the Queen Vashti killed. When he sobers he realizes he is alone and begins a nationwide beauty pageant to find a new wife. Hadassah aka Esther, is brought against her will to the palace. She doesn’t reveal her Jewish identity. Despite her desire not to be the Queen, her beauty captivates the King and she is chosen. Her uncle Mordechai tries to watch over her from the palace gates. His refusal to bow to honor the King’s trusted advisor Haman provokes Haman to such a degree that he plots to kill the entire Jewish nation. With genocide looming, Mordechai requests that Esther plead the case of her people. When things could not look any bleaker, and destruction of the Jews is inevitable, there is a complete turnaround.
Mordechai who was destined for the gallows is feted, led through the crowd on the king’s horse, being heralded by Haman himself. The gallows that were erected to hang Mordechai, become Haman’s final destination, and the war against the Jews, the one that is meant to do them in, becomes a victory battleground for the Jews and many non Jews actually convert out of awe for the Jewish people.
It’s a complete turnabout.
The time that was meant to be full of mourning, becomes a time of joy and celebration.
Everything is upside down, in the best way possible.
May the Purim miracle of sorrow turning to joy, the turnabout and the upside downness of despair to joy, become our new reality.
Everything is quite upside down now.

This week’s Torah portion is Vayakhel, and it describes in great detail the building of the Tabernacle and all its vessels.
If this seems highly familiar to you, you are correct.
You are not experiencing deja vu!
This is actually happening in real time.
The Torah, which prizes every word and is famous for its brevity now repeats the entire story again.
All the details which had been written regarding the dimensions of the Tabernacle are now repeated.
It’s quite puzzling.
The Sages answer that the first rendition refers to the instruction to build and the second one describes when it actually took place.
Rabbi Aaron Lichtenstein shares an interesting take to explain this unusually verbose text.
He gave an allegory of a bride and groom who went shopping together for their new home. They spent hours deliberating over each piece and imagining the loving life they would live around those physical objects.
Each decision was a labor of love.
Then something horrifying happened.
One of the couple betrayed the other.
The upcoming nuptials dissolved into bitterness and anger.
After many months of hurt and suffering, the one who had betrayed the other reached out to try and repair the relationship.
And so began agonizing months of therapy and work to try to repair the fractured relationship.
And then the wedding was rescheduled.
If you are pragmatic, you might wonder whatever happened to that furniture that was so lovingly chosen.
Someone had returned it all.
As the couple prepared to reunite, the furniture selection loomed before them. This time however, they bought things quickly as the memories of the first time still remained as a painful reminder of a different time. They had moved on, their relationship was at a new level, but innocence was lost.
Rabbi Lichtenstein writes that human beings can forgive each other, but it is not easy to remove the scars of past wounds. A healthy relationship will require looking careful at those wounds and finding the tools to address them.
But Gd is different.
Gd says that when we repent, even if we have committed the most egregious of sins, we can return to the former level of our relationship.
The Jewish people had sinned with the Golden Calf, a sin which is likened to one of a couple betraying the other under the chuppah, the marriage canopy.
The relationship almost floundered.
Gd was going to destroy them.
But through the intervention of Moses and repentance, Gd forgave the people.
And once Gd forgave, it is a complete forgiveness.
So when we are ready to discuss the details of building the Tabernacle, Gd is once again sharing all the details to show in the words of Rabbi Taragin who shares this piece from Rabbi Lichtenstein, Gd’s excitement, so to speak.
“The details matter to Him now, just as they did before.”
An important insight into the relationship we have with our Creator. The circumstances do not effect our relationship, just our intentions.
If we repent.
All is truly and completely forgiven.

This week we will read the Torah portion called Ki Tisa.
It speaks of the travesty of the golden calf.
Let’s provide the context.
The Jewish people received the Ten Commandments.
All the Jewish people were present.
The only mass revelation in human history.
Gd spoke (so to speak) and everyone heard.
The experience is a sensory overload for the people.
Moses goes up Mt Sinai by himself to receive the Torah and it’s commandments.
Moses was on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights.
Just as he was about to return to the Israelite camp, Gd informs him that the Jewish people have created an idol in the form of a golden calf.
This was a horrifying piece of news.
Apparently the people had miscalculated the time of Moses reentry and when he tarried, they assumed the worst, that he would not be returning at all.
In their panic over the loss of their leader, they erected an idol and announced that this was the gd of Israel.
Gd informs Moses that this is a sin of epic proportions and the only solution was to destroy the Jewish people and begin again with a new people who would descend from Moses.
This is no idle threat.
When Gd had decided previously that the world was irredeemable, he let loose a flood, destroyed everything, and began again with Noah and his family.
There is dialogue that then takes place between Gd and Moses as Moses tries to advocate on behalf of the Jewish people and save them from destruction.
Gd says they are not worth saving because they are a stiff necked people.
That appellation is an odd one.
Why does it make the Jews worthy of destruction?
Having a stiff neck means you can’t look back.
A person who is proverbially stiff necked does not look back at the mistakes they have made and therefore cannot look from what is behind them.
If one cannot learn from mistakes, then one is doomed to repeat them.

It’s day 139!
Rachel Goldberg, devoted mother of hostage Hersh Goldberg Polin, said today was an exceptionally hard day.
I don’t know the particular circumstances she is referring to in her comment. But Rachel has been fighting like a lioness, unearthing every strength that she has in the fight to save her son.
She doesn’t want him to be forgotten.
She wants to make sure we still see him before our eyes. He may not be with her physically, but he has not disappeared.
She wants him home now.
It’s an odd phenomenon that sometimes we may not see something or someone, but they are still very much present, in our hearts and minds.
This week’s Torah portion is Tetzave, which means to command. It begins with Gd telling someone, “and you shall command”.
The subject of the verb is not identified.
But we know that it’s Moshe, Moses.
Gd is commanding Moshe regarding the clothing that the priests are to wear when they are involved in the Temple service.
Strangely enough, even though we know that it is Moshe being addressed, he is not identified by name.
In fact his name is not mentioned once in the entire Parsha.
Since Moshe’s birth, until his death, he will be mentioned numerous times, 600 times to be exact.
But not once in this Parsha.
He seems to have become invisible.
In this portion, there is great detail shared about the uniform of the High Priest.
One of the items he wears is a coat that has an edging of pomegranate-like decor interspersed with bells at the hem.
That meant every time the High Priest would walk, the bells would jingle, heralding his arrival.
He was by no means invisible.
The commentaries give various interpretations to the purpose of the bells.
They were there to serve as an instrument of communication, here comes the High Priest.
This would allow those he would be encountering to prepare themselves to meet the holiest person of the Nation.
They would straighten up their ties and their posture in anticipation of meeting such an august individual.
Another explanation is that the bells were for the High Priest himself, to ensure he would prepare himself properly, create the frame of mind needed, as he was entering into a meeting with Gd.
He was about to participate in an exalted service and he needed to be present, not invisible, as he entered into a relationship with the Divine.
Nachmanides, 12 th century commentator, makes this discussion very relevant.
He teaches us that we learn from the bells that herald the entrance of the High Priest and alert those of his arrival, that we too must be sensitive when we are about to enter into an exalted place.
Before entering a royal palace, the heralds blow the trumpets, and before we enter into our own homes, which is a palace in miniature, we need to announce our entry.

This week’s Torah portion is called Terumah. This was the first capital campaign in history.
And it was a success!
Gd wanted to create a permanent place where Gd could “dwell” so to speak, among the people.
The Tabernacle, or Mishkan in Hebrew, was meant to be the central point of the Jewish people. The encampment of the nation would be set up with the Mishkan in the middle to signify the centrality of Gd in our lives.
It would be a place where one could elevate oneself spiritually.
The Mishkan served this purpose and then it’s function was carried on later in history in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Nowadays, our places of worship and our homes are the spaces we can connect spiritually and continue our journey through the desert of life.
What was the goal of the campaign?
The Mishkan was a work of art. It’s vessels and the uniforms worn within the Tabernacle by the priests were made from 13 types of raw materials which were donated by the Jewish people.
All these items needed to be collected.
The materials included precious metals, such as gold, silver and copper. Different types of materials such as linen and animal skins were amongst the items needed, as well as acacia wood, and precious gems such as diamonds.
This campaign was a fundraiser’s dream.
The donations came in fast and furious and all the needs were quickly addressed.
All that was needed to construct the Mishkan had been given.
One of the types of animal skins that were donated were the tachash skins.
There is a difference of opinion (what a surprise) as to the nature of the tachash.
The Targum, the traditional Aramaic translation of the Torah, says the tachash was a sasgona. This is a conjugation of two words. Sas and Gona. This means that it was an animal that was sas, which means happy, regarding its gona or gevanim, which means it’s many colors.
Apparently, this was a multi colored animal that joyfully appreciated the various hues of its skin.
The Midrash goes on to explain that this unusual animal was a large, wild, kosher animal that had a single horn, (unicorns are in the Torah!) and it’s skin was made of six colors and it was very large.
Rashi, the super commentator, teaches that Gd created the tachash for the sole purpose of being used in the coverings of the Mishkan. Therefore it existed during the time building of the Mishkan and then it disappeared.

It’s Adar.
Be Happy!
Tonight begins the new Hebrew month which is called Adar.
We are taught that as we enter the month of Adar we are to increase our joy.
There is only one another month where we are given instructions about joy.
That is the Hebrew month called Av which falls in the summer months.
When we enter the month of Av which is the month we suffered national tragedies of the destruction of our Temple in Jerusalem, the direction is to decrease our joy.
It therefore seems that as a people we are always supposed to be joyful.
Sometimes more.
Sometimes less.
It seems to be a counterintuitive direction for us right now.
We are going through such a difficult time.
The war continues.
The hostages are still not home.
Antisemitism abounds.
Yet we are supposed to be happy.
How are we to reconnect to joy?
This week’s Torah portion is called Mishpatim, which means laws.
This portion is chock a block full of laws regarding civil rights and torts.
Let me remind you that just last week we were at Mount Sinai.
There we stood as a nation at the foot of the mountain and experienced a national revelation of Gd.
It was a sound and light show of epic proportions that puts Stone Mountain to shame.
It is curious, perhaps even odd, that this elevated experience would be followed by 53 seemingly mundane laws which govern the daily grind of life.
These commandments which seem picayune, are in fact the rubric which allows us to live Mount Sinai every day.
These laws which instruct us how to be good neighbors, care for those who are vulnerable, and detail how we are to act with others, are the framework of kindness for our society. In this construction there will be a voice for the downtrodden and the mute while we spread light - because as a nation we know what it means to sit in darkness.
These commandments are the pinpoints of light which will disperse darkness.

Day 118!
Lessons from the War.
Hannah, the wife of Uriel Cohen shared about her husband who fell in the war.
She shared that one of her husband’s unique qualities was the light that radiated from his face. He had a big smile, kind eyes, a glowing smile.
Our Sages teach us that one of the highest levels of kindness is to give a smile to another, to share the light of one’s joy with another.
Uriel, whose name contains the Hebrew word for light, truly shone the light of Hashem in this world.
When someone passes away, their characteristics are “ up for grabs”.
Maybe we want to catch this characteristic of being a light in someone’s day, dispelling a little darkness. That will be Uriel’s living legacy.
We can be moved to action by his example.
I read about Ditza Or, whose last name means light.
She is the mother of Avinatan Or, who has been kidnapped in Gaza for 118 days.
She shared how she deals with the pain.
Every morning when she wakens, until 11am, she allows herself to feel all the difficult emotions. She cries, she feels afraid. This is the time when her protective mechanisms are low and she allows herself to feel all the feelings.
But after 11am, she closes that gate. She protects her soul. She functions and does what needs to be done for herself and her family.
She acts.
She is not frozen.
She learned this concept from the Tanya, written by Rabbi Shneur Zelman of Liadi.
He teaches that a person should give space for pain in fixed times, times that are set aside in advance.
This allows one to control the pain instead of allowing the pain to be in control.
This is how she copes.
This is an action that can move us. When we are in our own moments of pain, we can hold onto this life giving point of light from Ditza Or.
This is how she acts and functions.
For 118 days.
The next lesson comes from Oriya Mesh HYD.
Another person whose name is built on the root word of light and who we have lost as he fell in Gaza, protecting us.
Another bright light has been extinguished.
But Oriya ztzl left light filled teachings in his notebooks.
One of his teachings:
“If we do not work on correcting our character traits, if we don’t focus on making our souls shine brightly, we are hopelessly stuck and mired in place.”
Oriya is teaching us that we cannot allow ourselves to remain static. We have to continue to move and grow.
This is the legacy Oriya has bequeathed us.
These snippets of greatness are shared by Sivan Rahav Meir.

Tu B'Shvat, the New Year for the Trees, was today. It is a minor holiday celebrating the "birthday" of the trees, which has significance in the Torah's agricultural laws. It also reminds us of the Sages' comparison of man to a tree.
Why on earth (no pun intended) do we celebrate the birthday of the trees?
Moreover, since it’s over already, what is the point of mentioning it?
There are many lessons we can take from this holiday that go far beyond the day itself.
The first obvious question is why do we celebrate the trees in the dead of winter?
At this time of year the tree almost looks lifeless, the branches are bare and there is no fruit and seemingly no life.
But Rashi, the super commentator explains that on Tu B’Shvat (TU stands for the number 15 in Hebrew, so it literally means the 15th day of the month called Shvat) the sap behind to move deep within the tree. This miraculous action of the sap is an indication that the tree is not dead after all, indeed it is experiencing a rebirth, a rejuvenation. Even though this activity is not visible to the naked eye, it is nonetheless occurring.
What a powerful message to inspire and uplift us during difficult times.
Despite the fact that everything around us seems hopeless and we are deep in the winter of discontent, (what an understatement,)we can rest assured that deep beyond the surface, salvation is stirring.
Truly hope springs eternal.
Another idea suggested by Rabbi Rowe is that unlike other vegetation which grows quickly and obviously, a tree looks like a paltry stick for a long time.
Then, all of a sudden, it blossoms and creates a leafy canopy with its leaves.
The tree awakens within us the voice of wisdom that with time and effort, we too can bloom. It supports the message that we need to tend to ourselves, that growth takes effort, but with time, the greatness within will start to blossom forth.
Which leads us to the third idea which is always alluded to in connection with TuBshvat which is the verse from Deuteronomy 20:19 “man is like the tree of the field”

Lieutenant Yaakov Elian fell in Gaza one month ago. Sivan Rahav Meir met with Keren, his sister, at a memorial service for him that was held at the elementary school — Emunim in Givatayim — the he attended as a child. Keren made a request of those who were there as follows:
“This coming Shabbat is the Bar Mitzvah Shabbat of Yaakov when we read the Torah portion of Bo. It would please us if everyone who reads and studies this Torah portion would do so in the merit of Yaakov ben Yoram.”
So here is a verse from the parasha, in memory of Yaakov, that we can learn: “In order that you should tell it in the ears of your son and your son’s son . . . and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
In other words, the Exodus from Egypt has just begun and already Gd proclaims: The day will come when you will tell this story to your children and your children’s children. You must know today that everything is going to be fine. Just remember that you are part of a great story. In the future, there will be a new generation and everything that happens now will become history for them, and you should speak of it to your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. What you have endured has been difficult, painful, and is seared into your soul, but so is faith and hope . . . This message was pertinent not only to the generation that left Egypt, but is pertinent to us as well.”
This is indeed a very pertinent message as this week’s Torah portion describes the very first Passover Seder.
The 10 plagues culminate in the celebration of the Seder in Egypt and it includes instructions that we are always to remember the lessons of the Exodus and the reason we reenact the Seder annually is so that we will always remember leaving Egypt and all that it encompasses.
One of the laws regarding the Passover sacrifice was the instruction not to break any bones of the animal while consuming the meal. In other words, no breaking the bones to suck out the marrow.