Every week I wait for the inspiration that will be the basis of my Parsha musings.
Sometimes I have to wait till late Thursday night for an idea, a moving story or a nugget of wisdom to much tied in to the weekly Parsha.
It never fails.
Because the Parsha is always relevant.
If I can’t find a connection it’s only because I haven’t tried hard enough.
Tonight there is only one message.
As Israel fights for its existence and endangers itself to protect the world from nuclear threat, we must pray.
The prayers can be the verses of Tehillim or Psalms, or heartfelt prayers from the heart.
So what’s the message to strengthen us in this week’s portion.
It’s actually mind blowing.
In this week’s portion there is a once in the Torah phenomenon.
Parentheses.
No where else in the Torah are there any parentheses.
That might not sound so earth shattering but it is unique.
Now, if you have ever looked into a Torah scroll you will immediately question my assertion.
There are no parentheses or brackets in the Torah script.
In our portion the letter NUN, written upside down serves as”brackets”.
These nuns are inserted around a number of verses.
They serve to separate and highlight those particular verses.
These verses are actually quite familiar as they are the ones which are often sung as the Torah scrolls are removed from the Ark in the synagogue.
“Vayehi Binsoa HaAron VaYomer Moshe. Kuma Hashem Veyafutzu Oyvecha vYanusu Miponecha.”
When the Ark was ready to move Moses would intone these words which mean:
“Arise Hashem, scatter Your enemies and make those that hate You flee”
In the desert, when the Israelite encampment would begin to move with the Ark leading the way, the enemies would scatter. This particular Ark went in front to smooth the path and ensure safety. This Ark is one that specifically housed the broken tablets, the shards of the Tablets Moses had destroyed.
What protected the Jewish people with this Ark in front, the broken tablets?
Even though we made a mistake as portrayed by the broken tablets, even when we are broken, we still have the ability to turn to Gd to request Gd destroy our enemies.
As long as we remain connected to our spiritual source, to the Torah and one another, even if we aren’t perfect the power of that connection will prevail.
This could not be a more relevant request at such a daunting time.
Now we call upon Hashem again and beg for the destruction of our enemies.

In the 1800s in Russia, Jewish young men lived in fear of forcible enlistment into the army.
It was the law.
The fear of being in the army was the threat of a violent death coupled with the knowledge that it was impossible to maintain any form of Jewish identity.
The only way out of this awful situation was an exemption.
A young student, a protege of a famous Rabbi applied for such an exemption. The student’s friends and family, as well as the Rabbi, waited on pins and needles to hear if the exemption would be granted.
One day, the Rabbi, who was called Rabbi Yitzchok Elchonon Spektor, was engaged in a complex judicial matter. All of a sudden the door opened and one of his students brought the much anticipated news that the exemption was granted.
The Rabbi thanked his student with great joy and blessed him for being the bearer of good tidings.
A few moments later, the door opened again. Another student apologized for interrupting and shared the same news. Again the Rabbi expressed his joy and showered the student with blessings.
The same scene repeated itself over and over as students came to share the news and each time the Rabbi reacted as if he was hearing it for the first time.
Again and again, the Rabbi took care to make each student feel important.
Our Sages teach us that the attention to the honor of another is one of the most important lessons we can learn.
This is evidenced in this week’s Torah portion which is Naso.
If this is your Torah portion you need a lot of stamina, for it’s the longest Torah portion of all, clocking in at an impressive 176 verses.
But there is something really bizarre about this Portion.
As we have mentioned often, the Torah is succinct.
Brevity is the order of the day.
If a narrative is repetitive or longer than necessary, it instantly begs a question.
We immediately ask why is this letter, or word or verse repeated.
In Parshat Naso the Torah tells us about the offerings that were brought by the leaders of each Tribe. In a six verse narrative, the items brought for the offering are enumerated.

We just arrived in Cincinatti Ohio to spend Shabbat and the upcoming holiday of Shavuot with family.
Although I have been here a number of times, I was just taught that the slogan of the state is “Ohio, the heart of it all”
Apparently, the state’s shape is reminiscent of a heart and its place in the USA is to the left, as it would appear in a human body.
While I was cogitating over this new information it made me think about this week’s Torah portion.
This week we begin the book of Bamidbar which means “in the desert”.
The portion describes the hierarchy of the Jewish nation and the formation in which they traveled and camped in the desert.
The twelve tribes were divided into four camps, with three tribes in each encampment. They were set out in a square. The twelve tribes surrounded the next encampment which were the Levites. The most inner encampment was the Mishkan or the Tabernacle.
This is also very interesting information.
It’s important to know how the Jews encamped during their deset wandering.
But is it so applicable to us?
Our Sages teach us that we are taught about this hierarchy and formation to teach us the importance of having the Mishkan in the center of our lives.
The Mishkan brought the actual presence of Gd into the lives of the Jewish people. And by placing the Mishkan in the center of the people it becomes the focal point around which they revolve.
Since their lives are Gdcentric, jealousy and competition are laid to rest, each person, each tribe, has its unique place in the circle with the Tabernacle at the center.
Rabbi Noach Weinberg teaches us that the real measure of a person is not their details, what they do or how much they earn. Rather the measure of a person is in the choices they make. If those choices have Gd at the center then spiritual growth has no limit.
The Mishkan was placed in the center of the formation as Gd was giving the message that power and prestige are not what is important, but having a relationship with Gd and growing spiritually is the core.

Turning on the news has become an act of bravery.
Nothing can be more disheartening than seeing the latest act of antisemitism turning lethal.
It’s hard to smile in these difficult times.
Yet, our lives are a study in contrasts.
A couple was gunned down last night and another celebrated their marriage today.
Are we supposed to smile?
There have been studies that look into the science of smiling and the effect smiling has on others.
A study in the Frontiers of Behavioral Neuroscience measured the impact of smiling at others in the course of conversation.
“the study also found that speakers’ feelings of friendliness towards the listeners and their enjoyment of the conversations increased in conditions where the listeners smiled more frequently. This suggests that not only do we tend to mirror the smiles of others, but that these smiles genuinely influence our emotional experience of the interaction”.
As they say “smile and the world smiles with you”.
This is why certain retailers employ greeters who smile and welcome customers as they enter. It seems to have a positive impact on sales.
Greeting someone positively makes them feel good because they are seen.
We humanize and validate the other with a smile and greeting.
This week’s Torah portions of Behar and Bechukosai address this issue.
“If your brother becomes impoverished and his hand falters in your proximity, you shall grab hold of him…” (Leviticus 25:35).
The sages teach us that if we don’t help our poor brethren we are actually stealing from them.
That is confusing.
How could not helping a poor person be considered stealing from them?
We are enjoined to provide charity, but if we don’t is that stealing?
Rabbi Yitzchok Zweig explains
“This is referring to a situation where someone greets you and you purposefully ignore him.”
It seems that we take something from a person when we don’t greet that person, or smile at that individual, or recognize the person’s presence.
That person feels invisible.
You’ve stolen their self worth.
How do we fix this problem?
The Torah portion tells us how to adjust our mindset.
If we look at every person as a brother we will interact with that person in a completely different way.
We won’t see that person as a charity case who we deign to lower ourselves to help.
Rather this is a family member who has fallen on hard times and it is our privilege to extend a hand, a smile.
By doing so we grant the greatest gift of all, love and self esteem. The person feels lifted by the love.
This is practical on many levels.
Often we may have charity collectors who appear at our door. This may happen in real time with a physical human asking for help, or it may be in the form of an individual asking virtually for help for themselves or an organization.
When this individual appears there are many choices we can make, and many responses we can provide.
Obviously the financial support is what is needed and it is incumbent upon us to give generously according to our situation.
But how do we give it?

Did you ever wonder what you responsibility is as a Jew?
Our Sages answer that question based on a verse from this week’s Torah portion. The ArtScroll commentary on Parshat Emor says “it is the primary privilege and responsibility of every Jew, great or small, to sanctify Gd’s name through his behavior, whether among Jews or gentiles - by studying Torah, and performing the commandments, and by treating others kindly, considerately and honestly, so that people say of him, ‘fortunate are the parents and teachers who raised such a person’”.
The verse that is the source is teaching the commandment that one is to give up one’s life to sanctify Gd’s name. But we are also taught that one can sanctify Gd’s name by living in a proper way, while traversing the daily walkways of life.
There is a story I share annually in conjunction with this week’s Parsha because it is so inspiring.
It’s a true story and I am privileged to know the protagonists.
They are the Muroff family and they lived in Atlanta for a few years.
Once they purchased a used desk through Craig’s List. In order to get the large desk through the door of their home, Rabbi Muroff had to dismantle it. Upon doing so he was shocked to discover an envelope containing $98,000 in cash. The woman who sold him the desk had no idea it was there, and no one would have been the wiser if he pocketed the money. But the Muroffs decided to return the money. Bringing their children along for the ride, the Muroffs returned the money to a very grateful and shocked woman. The money had been an inheritance from her father and she had stashed it in the desk, but somehow it had gotten wedged in between the drawers and she had no idea of its whereabouts.
This was what the women wrote to the rabbi after he returned the money:
“ I do not think there are too many people in this world that would have done what you did by calling me. I do like to believe that there are still good people left in this crazy world we live in. You certainly are one of them," the woman wrote. "I cannot thank you enough for your honesty and integrity."
That’s called making a Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying Gd’s name.

This week we have another double Torah portion, Achrei Mot and Kedoshim.
The first portion means after the death and alludes to the time after the death of the sons of Aaron.
Kedoshim, the second portion, talks about holiness.
Kaddosh means holy.
There is a cynical statement that plays on the juxtaposition of these two portions.
After death, all is holy.
In other more understandable words, after one passes away, we remember that person as “holy”, someone who could do no wrong.
At a funeral we always laud the deceased, it seems that here lies a holy person, we will never focus on any lacking or deficiency.
The Torah portions are teaching us a deeper message.
In order to live life, one must be holy. So that after one has passed from this world they have not only become the best version of themselves, they have used their unique strengths and talents so make this world a better place.
After the death, holiness is left behind.
The portion of Kedoshim is replete with Mitzvot to help us attain holiness.
You might be surprised to learn that the 51 commandments listed are those that regulate behavior between people so that we can refine and improve ourselves to become a holy person in the image of Gd. They include giving gifts to the poor, refinement of language and behavior, honesty in business dealings and the ultimate loving one’s neighbor as oneself.
These are commandments that are intertwined in warp and woof of the tapestry of life.
The Torah teaches that holiness does not result from asceticism or distance from the physical world. Rather we are meant to be fully involved in the physical but use it as a stepping stone to spirituality.
One of the commandments is the injunction not to curse a deaf person.
At first blush, this commandment seems somewhat unnecessary.
If one curses a deaf person, they will perforce not hear it.
Why should one be commanded in such a matter?
Our Sages teach us that the injured party in this equation is actually the one who does the cursing.
The deaf person is not injured, they cannot hear.
But the one who does the cursing debases themselves, allowing themselves to sink so low as to insult a defenseless person. This takes a chunk of humanity out of the person who is slinging the insults and distances that person from Gdliness, from the essence of the portion of Gd that rests within.

This week I start my message to you with a request for prayers.
Our dear Batsheva has a nephew who was injured in a terrorist attack in Jerusalem today. His situation is critical and the need for your prayers is acute.
Please take a moment to say a chapter of Psalms, Tehillim in the merit of a total and complete recovery for
Yonah Ben Shayna Rivka.
May our prayers serve as a guard and shield for Yoni and with Gd’s help, speedy healing.

https://www.jwcatlanta.org/tehillim_psalms_chapter_130

This is a link to JWCatlanta’s website and one of the chapters of Psalms that can be recited. I will keep you updated and pray to share good news.

Any mitzvot we do can also be accrued for the merit of someone who is sick or struggling in any way.
One of the most powerful tools we have are our mouths. We can use our speech for prayer and good words, or we can sully our lips with gossip and slander.
In Biblical times the reaction to This week we have a double Torah portion Tazria -Metzora which focus on laws of purity and impurity as well as laws regarding speech. Loshon Hara or evil speech would result in a physical manifestation which looked like leprosy. This is a unique case of spiritual malady presenting with physical symptoms.
Nowadays we do not see a physical reaction to our negative speech. Although perhaps the pit in the stomach or the feeling of personal shame that one feels after demeaning another, is akin to that physical reality.

I just returned from Israel.
It was a very special time.
We were blessed to spend the Passover holiday with my Mother.
I’m in that sandwich generation.
Wherever I am, I’m missing someone.
So while I was blessed with the privilege of spending time with my beloved Mom, I really missed the children and grandkids.
It was really quiet.
It’s funny though.
Sometimes in the quietest of places, sounds take on such a profound meaning.
The times I made my Mother laugh were precious. The laughter was all the more resonant as it rang out on its own. There was no competition with other sounds.
As things were so quiet, somehow certain sounds became very impactful.
There were some ominous sounds that had a very different effect.
During the holiday there was a “red alert” the siren that indicates incoming missiles.
That sound propelled me to move my very elderly Mother from her chair out into a protected stairwell. She laboriously made her way down to a landing and sat as the building’s intercom system noisily blasted warnings to take cover.
That noise was jarring and frightening. My Mom was stoic throughout but I know she thinks of the bombs that fell during WW2. She often told me about the “doodlebug” bomb which would enter the area with much noise but would fall eerily silent just before it would explode. How awful that all these years later she has to suffer through those terrible sounds again.
Walking towards the Kotel, the Wailing Wall, I heard another sound that chilled me to the bone. We passed a long line of priests marching as part of a religious ritual. They walked with staffs in hand and knocked the sticks on the ground in a methodical beat.
The reverberations of the staff beating on the cobblestones made a bone chilling sound.
I felt as if I was hearing the call that heralded pogroms of centuries past.
We stopped respectfully to allow the priests to pass, but I shivered inside from that stark sound echoing through the passage of time.
Silence is challenging.

This week’s Torah portion is called VaYikra which is a funny way to start because VaYikra means he called.
Ok maybe not so funny, but I’m very tired.
I’m sure I’m not alone.
Scores of Jewish women around the globe are experiencing various levels of exhaustion as they plow forward in their preparation for the upcoming Passover holiday.
For some this may entail some stressful wardrobe choices as they prepare to jet off to an exotic location, while for others the stress might be building as they have to curate menus and make food for the masses.
Either way it makes us all a bit looopy.
I was talking on the phone with to a friend today and she was looking for something on her desk while we spoke. She said - let me just move away my nonexistent menu and I’m sure I’ll find the paper I need.
Like I said, stress does funny things to people.
May as well inject a bit of humor.
But these are serious times and cleaning and prepping food for the multitudes is no joke.
So you might think this would not be the optimal time for a woman to decide to become Jewish.
That really sounds like someone gone a bit mad, black humor even.
At least if a woman would decide to take such a step it might be wise to wait till after Passover, right?
I am so enamored with a true story of a young woman who happens to be a social media influencer.
Her moniker - nonJewishnanny.
She is a non Jewish young woman, a budding opera singer named Adriana, who took a job as a nanny to a Jewish family to make some extra money. She had never been exposed to a Torah lifestyle at all so she started to share her perspectives on this foreign culture on instagram and her posts went viral. While many of the posts were quite funny and showed how interesting things can look from a different perspective, the underlying premise was one of great respect. Adriana was extremely inspired by the closeness she witnessed in the family dynamic and she was very taken by the children. She found the kids to be warm, loving and accepting. They were so anxious to teach her everything they could about Jewish life and customs, and they did so in a loving way. She felt closer and closer to these children and their family.
The outcome?
Right before Passover:
Her new handle @nowjewishnanny
The power and love of young children is incalculable.
They can literally change the world.

The Bibas family set the tombstone for their beloved family. Shiri and her two red headed sons, were interred in one coffin. Today, the orange hued slab which covers their grave was set.
In the Haftorah for our portion Pekudei, ( the Haftorah is a portion from the prophets we read in conjunction with the weekly Torah portion) it is written Hashem has said he would dwell in the thick cloud.
In this week’s Torah portion, the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary was completed, and a Cloud rested upon it. The cloud signifies the resting of Gds presence.
So too in the Haftorah there is a similar account of the conclusion of the building of the Temple and King Solomon said Gd would dwell in the thick cloud that would descend on the Tenple.
Rabbi Yaakov Bender explains the meaning of the thick cloud.
Such a cloud descended also when the Torah was given, a time of great joy and clarity. But there are many times when it is not easy to feel Gd’s presence.
The cloud is a symbol of those times when things feel very dark and “cloudy”. We do not feel Gd’s presence, but even though we may not feel it, we know Gd is with us.
Rabbi Bender shares a family story his mother often told of her Aunt Leah. When Leah was 12 years old, she was walking at the outskirts of her town in Belarus, when she heard crying. She saw a young peasant boy weeping. When she asked him why he was so distraught, the boy said he dreamed of learning and attending university, but his father was dead set against it, feeling he was reaching above his station. The father would not consider such a request. Little Leah wanted to help and she ran home to her father who was a very wealthy man. She shared the story with her father who was touched by his daughter’s compassion. He handed her a significant sum and told her to bring it to the young man so he could follow his dream to study.
When Leah handed the money to the peasant boy he was shocked by his good fortune. He thanked Leah from the bottom of his heart and left to follow his dream.
Years passed.
Leah married and had a family.
One Friday night, the people in her town heard terrible noises as a brigade of Russian soldiers descended.on their Shtetl.
The goal was to grab young boys who would be inducted against their will into the Czar’s army. This was unfortunately not an uncommon practice in those days as young boys would be spirited away, often for many years, or never to be heard from again. They were lost to their families. The soldiers announced they would be taking the boys after Shabbat.
That night the members of the community turned to a rabbi for guidance. He told them to appoint Leah as their ambassador. She was to travel to the governor of the region and attempt to free the boys from their decree.
Leah left at once in her fashionable clothing and elaborate buggy.
After a few hours travel Leah arrived at the Governor’s mansion. As she was well dressed and well appointed, she was granted immediate access.
When she entered the governor’s office, she was surprised as he stood for her with great respect.