Passover is coming.
In these hectic days before the holiday we are engaged in a myriad of preparations.
While I too have been immersed in the mundane activities of cleaning shopping and preparing I am struggling with remaining connected to our brothers and sisters who are living in a war zone in Israel.
I don’t want to lose sight of what they are experiencing.
This desire to remain focused has led me to think about ways to do just that.
I’ve been trying to make sure to include a prayer daily - sometimes saying a chapter of Psalms (available on Jwcatlanta.org) or I offer up a personal self made prayer.
I make a point of calling family in Israel daily to let them know I am thinking of them.
There are many options to give charity to worthwhile causes in Israel and that is another way to stay connected.
I read constantly about developments and stay informed about the incessant rocket barrages.
I marvel at the resilience of our people as I read real time accounts of bravery.
There is Ido, the young man who takes an elderly lady to the bomb shelter every time there is an alert.
Or the memes about Israelis lining up to buy coffee immediately after being released from the safe rooms.
The empty nesters who go down to communal bomb shelters armed with giant coloring books and assortments of crayons to keep the children busy.
And the impromptu concerts and matchmaking sessions that spring up all around the country.
I talk to my Mom on the phone in Jerusalem and hear the siren blaring in the background and she calms me by saying she survived The Blitz in London in WW2 and this too will pass.
Her faith inspires me.

Sometimes fame comes by chance.
Recently there was some speculation regarding the viability of Bibi Netanyahu.
To put the rumors to rest, Bibi Netanyahu’s media team circulated a post of the Prime Minister in a coffee shop. The intended outcome was to show the world that Bibi Netanyahu is alive and well and all he was dying for was a cup of coffee.
The unintended result?
The quick capture of the charming smile of the young woman who served as the barista.
She happened to be in the right place at the right time and overnight became the darling of the internet.
This week’s Torah portion is VaYikra which refers to the fact that Gd called out to Moses.
The word is VaYikra and it ends with the Hebrew letter Aleph.
Strangely, the Aleph is written in a smaller font than all the other letters.
What is the reason for this typesetting change?
If you leave off the letter aleph from the word VaYikra, the remaining word is VaYikar.
The difference between those words is quite subtle.
VaYikra denotes closeness and intentionality.
Gd specifically called out to Moses to begin a dialogue.
VaYikar denotes a meeting by happenstance. Just like the barista who happened to be in the right place at the right time to access her moment in the sun, so too VaYikar would create a sense that Moses was not called by Gd specifically, rather he just happened to be in the right place at the right time to serve as Gd’s messenger.
What’s the difference?
This little aleph is a symbol of Moses extreme humility.
When Gd was dictating the words for Moses to write down Gd chose a word which denotes the unique relationship that Moses enjoyed with Gd.
Other prophets received prophecy in a much less intimate manner. They just happened to be in the right place at the right time so Gd would confer a message in that context.

Jewish women are awesome.
Our recent Jwcatlanta trip to Israel gave us a peak at some inspiring Jewish heroines.
Our itinerary was focused on meeting inspirational Jewish women.
What was doubly inspiring was meeting the unexpected. Some of the most uplifting stories were the unscripted ones, the people we met “along the way”.
For example, we were privileged to meet Karina Chepelinski, third generation chocolatier, who transported the family business from South America to the Golan Heights. Karina boasts three degrees and combines the secrets of her family with modern technology to create delicious chocolate. She and her husband chose to live in the remote Golan Heights area as Karina felt that they could make a larger impact, both personally and professionally, in a small outpost city.
Karina’s embrace of the observance of Shabbat to empower her family coupled with her idealistic visions and business acumen, makes her a strong Jewish woman worthy of emulation. One our courageous women asked Karina if she could identify one of her strengths. She replied by saying she sees the strengths in others and enjoys the opportunity to empower people which ultimately lifts everyone in collaboration.
This attribute was clearly evident in her choice of the young woman who gave us the official tour prior to meeting Karina herself. Karina saw the charm and eloquence of this lovely guide. We enjoyed her explanations and the little bit of her own life story which she shared with sparkling wit.
It emerged that this young lady was engaged. Her fiancé was in the process of making Aliya and was unable to work. The parents did not have the financial wherewithal to help. So this young lady was making her future happen. Undaunted by her circumstances and undeterred by the lack of financial support, she cheerfully undertook 3 jobs to make her dream come true.
Her narrative became even more compelling as she shared that she had been close to death no less than three times during her army service. She showed us the lethal pieces of shrapnel that had been surgically removed from her body during those events. She carries these as a reminder to be grateful for every day and to make the most of each moment.
What kind of DNA courses through the blood of the women of the Jewish people?
We encountered so much bravery in the face of great loss and challenge.
Who are these lionesses?

This week’s Torah portion is called Ki Tisa, and it contains within the eternally impactful story of the Golden Calf.
Moses has gone up on Mt Sinai to receive the Torah. He does not return to the Israelite camp on the day he is expected, and in their panic, the people create an idol. As Moshe descends the mountain, he sees the pagan celebration and drops the tablets upon which Gd had inscribed the Ten Commandments.
Gd proceeds to inform Moshe that the Jewish people will be destroyed and a new nation stemming from Moshe himself will take their place.
Despite the intense shock Moshe must have felt in that moment, he keeps focused on his mission. In the most extreme example of Azus d’Kedusha, holy brazenness, or holy chutzpah, Moshe demurs. He tells Gd that if the Jewish people will not be forgiven and indeed destroyed, he wants no part of it. In fact, he tells Gd to erase his name from The Book, the Torah itself.
In this statement, Moshe is willing to sacrifice it all for the Jewish people. That is true leadership.
Moshe is not focused on himself.
He regards his primary mission as a shepherd, corralling his charges and bringing them along the path.
It is a very big statement Moshe makes.
Gd does hear Moshe’s plea and forgives the Jewish people, but only thanks to Moshe’s intervention.
While Gd extends a reprieve, there is in fact a portion in which Moshe’s name is not mentioned. From the time of Moshe’s birth until his death, his name is mentioned in every Torah portion.
Except one.
Even though Gd is addressing him, Moshe’s name is not mentioned. That is because he did say he would be erased from the Book and that was a statement made by a righteous person, and a statement by a righteous person comes to pass.
That portion was last week.
Moshe’s name is not mentioned once in the Parsha of Tetzave. Even though the Parsha begins with the statement “and you (Moshe)shall command the Jewish people” his name is not used.
Leadership means that the needs of the group come before one’s own.

Every detail matters.
A friend of mine was starting her career as an interior designer. She was awarded a plum job and excitedly began her work.
She measured diligently.
She chose fabrics with care.
She studied color palettes until she had created the perfect kitchen and all its components.
Before her eyes, she saw her vision coming together. Then the day came for appliance installation. The gleaming fridge was rolled in to be placed in the appointed spot and to her horror it did not fit. Somehow, the measurement had just been a “tad” off. All the cabinetry surrounding the fridge had to be reconfigured.
Just an inch made all the difference.
This week’s Torah portion is called Terumah which means donation. In the first capital campaign in Jewish history the crowd funding worked and there were too many donations brought to help build the Tabernacle!
That is something every Jewish organization has hoped to replicate since.
The Torah portion speaks about the creation of the Tabernacle and all its vessels in exquisite detail. Every inch is recorded.
Each technical detail is accounted. There is a robust list of materials and colors, nothing is left to chance.
Sivan Rahav Meir collects the wisdom of the Sages to give light to the need for such detail.
Judaism is not only focused on the big picture, the details are crucial. Jewish law is called Halacha which speaks to the fact that it is a road map for living, the manual on how to find our way. Therefore the details are provided, as even the smallest one can make all the difference.
Our Sages notice that when the Torah narrative describes the creation of the world, it is chronicled in 30 verses. All the information regarding the creation of the Universe, is shared with us in those 30 sentences. However, when the Torah describes the construction of the Tabernacle, the narrative is told in an immense amount of verses, 450 to be exact.
The commentaries explain that the Torah’s purpose is not to narrate what Gd does in the world. The focus is on people and what their job is in this world.

This coming Shabbat has many components.
We will read the first of four special Haftoras which are predecessors to Passover.
Yes.
I said Passover.
This first one is called Shabbat Shekalim when we read about the half shekels that were donated in Temple times for upkeep of the Temple and to help pay for the sacrifices that were brought in the Temple service on behalf of the entire nation.
Only a half shekel was donated by each person and each shekel represented a person.
This particular narrative reminds us that every donation, no matter how small, is significant.
Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, current Chief Rabbi of England, teaches us that this entire Shabbat is dedicated to the concept of giving. He reminds us that giving does not only benefit the receiver but the giver as well.
He reminds us of Maimonides question regarding a donor who has a sum of 100 silver coins to donate. Maimonides asks if the donor should give all the money to one cause, or perhaps give one coin to one hundred causes?
Maimonides answers - it’s better to give 100 individual pieces to 100 separate causes.
The donor is affected by the act of giving over and over. It ennobles the character of the donor as he does 100 reps, strengthening that giving muscle.
Rabbi Mervis reminds us that the rest of the book of Shmot, Exodus will be focused on giving and donating to the Tabernacle.
So this Shabbat Shekalim reminds us of the importance of giving and seeing the one who is in need.
The next exciting event on Shabbat is the blessing of the incoming month which is called Adar.
Adar is a month of simcha or joy.
As the month of Adar approaches we are told that it is an appropriate time to add to our regular level of joy.
It seems interesting that we are exhorted to be happy, would that not depend on outside influences that “just happen”?
The word simcha is a conjugation of two words: som moach which means where you put your mind.
In other words-mindfulness.
Happiness is not just happenstance. It is a conscious decision to choose joy.
We can take any experience and with intention turn it into something joyous.
There is a Yiddish tale which takes place in the 1800s in Poland and it is about an orange. The orange was not something easily found in that circumstance. Once someone was gifted with an orange. The tale explains how the experience of that orange was turned into a smorgasbord of experience. One day they peeled it and smelled the rind. The next day they took the orange and divided it into sections, watching the juice dribble out. Only on day three was each person given a segment to enjoy.
Unfortunately I don’t eat an orange like that.
Rabbi Avigdor Miller often speaks about the love Gd shows for us by creating fruits in dramatic color with incredible flavors. Gd could have given us those nutrients in black and white tasting like straw. Instead we are regaled with a rainbow of colors and flavors.
If we experience life on that way - we can experience more joy.
I often cite the incredible organization in Israel called Shalvah which supports children with severe disabilities. This organization was founded by a couple whose healthy toddler received a tainted vaccination which left him deaf, mute and blind. They used this challenge as a catapult to greatness by establishing an organization which brings respite and succor to so many.
Their lives are forever enriched by knowing they have brought comfort to multitudes.
Once again the donor receives as much as the recipient.
Happiness is hard work, but the message is to take all the messy ingredients that life serves and use them to bake a cake.
Happiness comes from finding meaning in the mess.
This week’s Torah portion dovetails these ideas.
The portion which is called Mishpatim, details many laws of torts and civil damages.
This may seem like a bit of mundane after the fire and brimstone of the giving of the Ten Commandments. But it is actually the perfect segue to real life.
These commandments are the pathway by which we are to lead our lives.
The Talmud teaches that a person who wants to be pious should learn the laws of damages.
A pious person is called a chassid.

I was scrolling through my feed.
There was an advertisement for a floor polishing product.
The dialogue that proceeded the pitch said something about a mother in law doing her quiet “judgey” thing whenever she looked at her daughter in law’s scratched up floors.
I can’t tell you the name of the product.
I got stuck on the words “quiet judgey thing”.
I am a mother in law.
I am writing my own playbook because I never had the honor of meeting my husband’s mother.
She passed away a few years before my husband and I met.
Over the years I’ve been taking a lot of notes.
The most notorious piece of advice to a mother in law is to zip your lip and unzip your pocketbook.
That sounds so unflattering, but does sport a kernel of truth.
My favorite mother in law saying is my dear friend who calls her daughter in law her daughter in love.
So it seems the in law relationship has many dimensions.
This week’s Torah portion is called Yisro the man who was Moses father in law.
This man was a high ranking religious leader in his hometown of Midian and he comes to visit the Jewish people.
The Torah portion begins with the words “and Yisro heard”.
We’ve spoken before about the grammatical error of beginning a sentence with the word ‘and’.
The commentaries explain the “and” is connecting us to the events that have proceeded Yisro’s arrival.
He came because he heard something that moved him to action.
First lesson of this portion.
If you are inspired by something - do something.
Yisro was a spiritual man. He spent his life investigating the religions of the world. When he heard about the miraculous splitting of the sea, Yisro wanted to hear more.
When he reunites with his son in law Moses tells Yisro about the miracles and salvation the Jewish people have experienced.
Yisro is so moved he says Baruch Hashem, blessed is Gd for bringing about such miracles.
Yisro is actually credited with being the first person to say Baruch Hashem.
We might wonder about that factoid. After all, didn’t Leah our matriarch name her son Yehuda in gratitude to Hashem, Gd, for the miracle of an additional child?
In fact, we the Jewish people are called Yehudim, those who thank.
So how can we attribute Boruch Hashem to Yisro?
From a practical standpoint Yisro is the first one who coined the phrase and his uttering of said words is inscribed in our Portion. Our Sages teach us that Yisro’s utterance was unique in that he was the first to thank Hashem for someone else’s salvation.
This is taking caring to another level.

This week has been intensely emotional.
The last hostage, Ran Gvili was returned home to be interred in Israel.
Ran was a 24 year old police officer who exhibited extraordinary bravery on October 7, saving the lives of many, neutralizing 14 terrorists before being severely wounded and then abducted into Gaza.
His extraordinary mother Tali said Ran was the first in and the last out.
His body was recovered in a massive military operation code named Operation Brave Heart, which involved hundreds of soldiers, reservists and dentists who were using their expertise to identify Ran’s body.
Hundreds of dead bodies needed to be examined.
Dan was the 250th to be examined and then identified.
There are so many details that surround this story and make it otherworldly.
In Hebrew each letter has a numerical value. If you calculate the value of the letters in Ran’s name those letters equal 250.
As the new broke the media was replete with images of hardened soldiers, covered in their weapons, burying their faces in their hands and weeping openly.
After the operation was concluded soldiers prayed, recited Psalms, sang the age old song of Jewish faith “Ani Maamin, I believe. While commanders quoted verses from this week’s Torah portion.
Why were they reading from our Parsha?
Because this week’s story is an echo of another event that took place thousands of years ago and is reported in the Portion.
The portion narrated that as the Jewish people are preparing to leave Egypt after centuries of oppression and persecution, Moses, their leader, is focused on one task.
He is searching for the bones of Joseph. Joseph had asked for a promise as he was dying. He requested that his bones go out of Egypt with the Jewish nation when they are redeemed.
Where were these holy bones? Why did they need to be searched for and found?
They had been submerged in the Nile river by the Egyptians who viewed Joseph as a good talisman who would protect their precious Nile river, the source of their sustenance.
In the present day, there is a holy covenant between the IDF and her soldiers-no one will be left behind. No matter what it takes, every soldier, dead or alive, will be brought home.
Perhaps this is rooted in the retrieval of the bones of Joseph who was also the first of his family taken hostage to Egypt and now becomes the last to leave.
Sound familiar?
Moses did not know where to find Joseph’s coffin. Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi highlights the parallels of searching and finding Joseph’s body with the hunt and unearthing of Ran’s.
She posits that behind both of these retrievals stands a woman, who waits patiently for the child to return.
In the case of Joseph it was his niece, Serach, the daughter of Joseph’s brother Asher, who knew the secret of Joseph’s burial place. She was the keeper of secrets in that generation. When Moses initially appeared on the scene and announced he was the Redeemer, the people turned to Serach to understand if he was a fraud.
Serach asked about the words this Moses used to introduce himself and was told Moses uttered the words
“Pakod pakadti, I have surely remembered you”.
These were the right words!! These were the code words by which the redeemer sent by Gd would reveal himself.
Gd was informing the Jewish people he had not forgotten them in their suffering and he would bring them back to the land.
Serach affirmed the veracity of Moses claim.
This is the same Serach
who waited 22 years while Joseph was incarcerated and held hostage in Egypt. When he was released it was Serach who was tasked to share the knews with the bereaved father Jacob, using her soft words and musical talent to weave the words of salvation into a song so that Jacob would not be shocked and perhaps mortally traumatized by this news.

My husband and I went to visit an old friend on Sunday.
When I got in his car I turned around and noticed an umbrella in the back seat.
I breathed out the word “Daddy”
It was my father’s old umbrella. A long sleek European model, not the sort which is sold in Target.
I hadn’t seen it in years. My Mom gave it to my husband and somehow catching sight of it triggered an intense feeling of loss.
These days many are struggling with loss and trying to move through the dance of loss and life.
It has been over two years since October 7. So many beautiful families were torn asunder as young fathers and newly married grooms fell in battle.
Recently we have been privy to hear the stories of many young widows who are remarrying and beginning a new chapter in their lives.
It is heartbreaking and breathtaking at the same time.
One bereaved father, Chagi Luber, accompanied his daughter in law to her new bridal canopy with an exquisite poem which paints the picture of his devastation over the loss of his son, accompanied by the exhilaration that the widow of his son will now have a husband and the orphan children of his son will have a father. He acknowledges his shattered heart which is mirrored in the shattering of the glass under the chuppa, while celebrating the rebirth of the nation.
Another widow, mother, bride, Naomi Chaimov, walked to her Chuppa holding the hands of her two young children. They in turn each held a white balloon bearing a picture of their father who fell in battle and the words “continuing in your path” as they accompanied her on the walk towards the next stage of her life.
It seems superhuman.
How are these mere mortals able to live with the pain and the sorrow while focusing on hope and a future?
This week’s Torah portion Bo, details the last three of the ten plagues. The Jewish people are poised for redemption, but Pharaoh remains incalcitrant, refusing to allow the Jews to leave. In the middle of the chaos and drama of the plagues there is a pause and the first commandment or Mitzva is given to the Jewish people.
It is the Mitzva of Rosh Chodesh, consecrating the new moon.
Rabbi Berezovsky, 20th century Chassidic teacher explains that Gd chose the consecration of the new moon as a message to the Jewish people. Just as the moon constantly renews itself so to do we the Jewish people continually revivify ourselves. This Mitzva gives us the power to overcome our challenges.
We don’t sanctify the moon when it is full and in all its glory. Rather, we do so when all that is revealed of the moon is just a sliver in the sky. The rest of the moon is shrouded in darkness, but we go forth on faith, knowing there is a whole other perspective to be revealed.

There are lots of children’s songs which center around the frogs that descended on Egypt during the course of the second of the ten plagues.
There is the fan favorite
Frogs Here, Frogs There, Frogs are Jumping Everywhere
“One morning when Pharaoh woke in his bed there were frogs on his head and frogs in his bed…”
Or the catchy, foot tapper
“Out of the river frogs did pour, jumped in the beds and ovens and floor…”
These charming ditties are the basis of the curriculum for the preschool set this week.
But if we believe the Torah is eternal and has relevant wisdom for every stage of life what lessons can we learn from our amphibian friends?
There is a core concept in Judaism which is called a “measure for a measure”.
This principle teaches that
“Gd repays people with consequences that directly match their actions, thoughts and words”
This means that a reward given by Gd will contain a mirror or kernel of the action that created merit.
Conversely, a punishment will reflect a quality or dimension that the sinner reflected.
A more nuanced version of the punishment fitting the crime.
The Egyptians perpetrated many heinous acts against the Jewish people. And when Gd punished the Egyptians, each plague and each punishment, was a response to the underlying crime committed by the Egyptians.
So let us look at the frogs and what their essence belied.
In a book called Bina BMikra, the author quotes an article by Prof Yehuda who explains this concept.
The frog was a goddess in ancient Egyptian lore. The talisman of the Egyptian midwives was this goddess and is depicted by a woman with a frog’s head. This is because frogs are known to multiply profusely and are therefore a good emblem of the wish for population explosion.
When the plague of frogs infested Eqypt they reminded every one of another situation where midwives were tasked not with bringing life into the world but rather snuffing it out.