Everyone has a weakness. 

Some of us have more than one. 

I will admit to chocolate, pina coladas, jewelry and ... shoes. 

I somehow can always find the need for just one more  pair. 

Of course I don’t have an Imelda Marcos type obsession, not at all. But an extra pair here or there can never hurt. 

Last week I read a story about a pair of shoes which gave a much deeper meaning to this important accessory. 

Rabbi Paysach Krohn, contemporary story teller,shared an amazing vignette. 

This past September he took the opportunity to visit an aunt who lived in Israel. She had survived a terrorist attack years ago. In 2001 there was a bombing in a pizzeria in Jerusalem. (A young woman I personally knew, died in that attack. She was pregnant with her first child!) Rabbi Krohn’s aunt was climbing the steps to the second level of the pizza shop when the bomb detonated. The blast was so powerful it knocked off her shoes. Her daughter, who was with her, tried to help her leave the scene. But there was broken glass everywhere and she had no shoes. The Aunt hesitated and in a moment  of superhuman strength, her daughter lifted her and carried her across the street. As they stood outside,  opposite the smoldering destruction of what had once been Sbarro’s pizza shop, a man approached them with a pair of shoes in hand.  He was the owner of a shoe shop down the street and he wanted to give her a pair of shoes to protect her feet from the shards of glass underfoot. The mother and daughter left the area shortly thereafter, two people who were blessed to walk away unscathed, and able to walk out on their own two feet. 

The aunt told Rabbi Krohn that since that time, whenever life was full of travails and she just felt she couldn’t handle those challenges or she felt she really didn’t  deserve the test she was facing, she would go to her closet and don those shoes. She would put them on to remind herself of the kindness she had experienced. 

The shoes served for her as a talisman that whatever was coming her way she needed to change her focus and pay attention to the gifts within the picture. In this case to recognize she had been gifted the greatest gift of all, the gift of life. 

This weeks Torah portion is called Vayechi, which means, and he lived, referring to our patriarch Jacob and his life. 

But interestingly enough it doesn’t talk about Jacob’s life at all. The portion speaks about how Jacob died. 

It reveals the blessings Jacob bestowed on children and grandchildren at the end of his days, it talks about where he wished to be buried (back in the land of Israel, not in Egypt) and it is a testimony to a life well lived, with all his children following in his path. 

So why is it called VaYechi, and he lived? It should be called And he Died?

Every day is a special day. Today is unique. 

Today’s date is  a palindrome, which means 120221 can be read that way backwards or forwards. 

It’s also an ambigram, which means whether you read it right side up or upside down (if you put it in an analog calculator) it will read the same thing. 

That’s something that not everyone might notice. 

It’s all how you look at things. 

It’s how you look at something today. 

It’s the 5th night of Chanukah. 

On Chanukah we celebrate the victory the Jews secured over the Syrian-Greeks 2188 years ago in the year 167 BCE. 

It was a miraculous victory of a small band of Jewish fighters against the vast army of the Syrian Greeks. 

There was however a second miracle. Once the war was over, the Jews reclaimed the Temple which had been ransacked. In order to light the menora, the candelabra, oil was needed. The priests searched for an unopened, pure vial of oil. They were successful in finding one such jug which had enough oil to burn one day and miraculously the oil burned for 8 days straight-hence the 8 days of Chanukah. 

You might ask, and you wouldn’t be alone, why 8 days? The jug had enough oil to burn for 1 day, the miracle was the subsequent 7 days? 

Shouldn’t the holiday then be for 7 days?

There is a cartoon which depicts a turkey meeting a chicken.

They converse. 

The turkey says:

I am so anxious every year until Thanksgiving is over.

Replies the chicken:

Now you know how I feel every Shabbat!

Today is a day to be grateful and focus on our blessings. But for the Jewish people it’s Thanksgiving every week and every day. We are called Yehudim a word whose root word is Hodaa or thankfulness, and our mission is to be rooted in gratitude always, focusing on the people and the blessings in our lives who are truly a gift. Sometimes we have to pay very close attention to see the impact of the very special people in our lives. 

I want to gift you one of my most favorite stories. It is a true one that happened to Rabbi Aryeh Rodin of Dallas, Texas. 

In the 90s Rabbi Rodin was facing a huge financial deficit at his synagogue, when he received a call out of the blue. A Texan by the name of Lenny asked to come see him. The Rabbi was overwhelmed by his fundraising woes but he agreed to see Lenny. He was pleasantly surprised when Lenny arrived and made a handsome donation. The Rabbi was puzzled as they were strangers. Lenny shared he had just returned from a tour of Israel and had visited the Western Wall for the very first time. He watched a man deep in prayer. Lenny said he was very inspired by the intensity of the prayer of this man who was dressed in a long black coat with ringlets by his ears. Lenny watched as the Chassid prayed with deep fervor at the Wall. He wanted to connect with this person but was embarrassed to approach him. So instead he decided that upon his return to Dallas he would make a contribution to a Temple where this man might pray. 

That meeting began a true and lasting relationship between the Rabbi and Lenny. They taught each other much wisdom and became fast friends. A number of years later tragedy struck and Lenny passed away from a massive heart attack. Lenny’s mother came to the synagogue when they made a memorial service in Lenny’s honor. She was very moved as she began to truly understand the depth of Lenny’s commitment to the synagogue and its community and they to him, so she dedicated herself to support the synagogue in Lenny’s memory. 

Rabbi Rodin poignantly posits: imagine the day after 120 years when that Chasid who was praying devotedly at the Wall comes to meet his Maker. He will be bewildered and shocked to learn that he is credited with building a synagogue in Dallas Texas!  He might well respond with 

“Dallas? Vos iz Dallas?” (Yiddish for what on earth is Dallas, never heard of it)!

Our Sages teach us that every detail recorded in the Torah has a message for the ages. The Book of Genesis is full of iconic stories but if we look carefully there are often huge gaps in the narrative. This is because the vignettes that are chosen reveal life lessons that are applicable today. 

So too in the details. 

In this weeks Torah portion, VaYishlach, the verse states

“Jacob traveled to a place called Sukkot and there he built for himself a house and for his cattle he made Sukkot (booths, like the holiday), therefore he named the place Sukkot”

Rabbi Wosner asks if Jacob built a house for himself and booths for his cattle, why did he name the place after the booths for the animals? He should’ve called the place after the main thing which was the house he built for his family. Why didn’t Jacob call the place Bayit, or house?

Rabbi Wosner, who was a prominent Torah teacher, explains that when we are focusing on what we are doing, which is amplified by the naming of the place, the primary focus should be what we do for others. When you take care of another it has an eternal effect. What we do for another is what lasts. This is the lesson Jacob wanted to teach us by naming the place after his actions of taking care of the helpless animals. 

Some years ago there was a talented and charismatic teacher of Torah named Rabbi Shwadron. He was beloved by many and despite his stature was viewed as an accessible mentor. Many people would ask him to be their emissary to the leader of the generation another Rabbi called the Chazon Ish. Many would ask Rabbi Shwadron to travel from Jerusalem to Bnei Brak to get advice on their behalf. This was no small favor. It took rabbi Shwadron 4 hours each way for every request. He found himself doing the trek often and wondered if this was a good usage of his own time. 

On his next visit he posed the question to the holy Chazon Ish who gave him a beautiful answer. 

He said Chessed, or acts of loving kindness for another, is the essence of the soul. Any opportunity one has to do kindness for another should be taken joyfully. 

The first words in this week’s Torah portion are Vayetze Yaakov which translates to “and Jacob went out”. 

This refers to the fact that our patriarch Jacob left the warmth of his parents home to find his destiny in the wide world. 

On Monday the 14th cohort from Jewish Women’s Connection of Atlanta finished the Israel Momentum trip. 

38 women left home, literally whilst also going out of their comfort zone figuratively, to experience Israel, some for the very first time. 

This trip is impactful and life changing as relationships were forged and eyes opened. 

And quite a bit of spontaneous crying took place!

Nili Couzins, one of the Momentum trip leaders is wont to say “tears are the sweat of the soul”. Somehow on this trip the soul is leading the body and emotions and spiritual connections are the currency. 

It is no coincidence that our Parsha, Vayetze,  speaks about tears as well. 

This weeks Torah portion is an introduction to two of the matriarchs Leah and Rachel, who were sisters. When we are given a description of Leah the Torah tells us her eyes were weak and tender. 

Rashi, the super commentator is puzzled by the need for this description. If it was a blemish why mention it at all?

Rashi explains that Leah heard that Rebecca, her aunt, had two sons, and her father had two daughters, so she assumed the older son would marry the older daughter and the younger son would marry the younger daughter. 

This would seem to be a perfect solution and solve the Shidduch or matchmaking crisis. 

We are in Israel! 

After much longing and waiting, we have merited to bring the JWCATLANTA Trip 14 to the Holy Land. 

This longing is a microcosm, a mere speck, of the yearning that our ancestors experienced for centuries as they could only dream of coming to the Land of Israel. 

In this time of expedited travel and global connectivity, we have become complacent and have taken for granted our ability to come and go at will. Until we couldn’t!

Suddenly travel came to a full stop and the doors of our Homeland were closed and our count was no longer accessible to us. 

And now, in the blink of an eye, the doors have opened and we have merited to return. 

May we never again take this privilege for granted. 

Sivan Rahav Meir, noted news correspondent and Torah teacher reported last week on the passing of Binyomin Zev Wertzberger, a Holocaust survivor who came to Israel after the war and who personified this message. 

He would often speak of his horrific experiences in the Mathausen concentration camp. Every day, a Nazi guard would rant and rave at the prisoners saying

“ you think you are going to  Jerusalem? The only way you will get to Jerusalem is through the chimney of the crematorium”

Queen for the Day. 

It sounds like a royal treat. Everyone at your beck and call all day long. 

Queen for the Day was actually the name of a 1950’s television “reality” show that featured four women contestants who would share their tales of woe. The one whose hardships was the most heart rending would 

be showered with gifts. 

Not the path one would expect of a Queen. 

This week’s Torah portion is Chayei Sarah and it gives us some insight into our matriarch. 

The portion starts with a math word problem.  

We are told that 

“The life of Sarah was one hundred years, and twenty years , and seven years, the years of Sarah’s life.”

This sentence begs the question. 

Why 100+20+7? Why can’t we just say she was 127 years old when she died?

(I always did hate those math word problems!)

This bothers Rashi, the super commentator on the Torah, and he gives a number of explanations one of which is 

 to Sarah all her years were equal in goodness. 

How could Rashi make such a statement? 

Sarah’s life was full of trial, tribulation and disappointment. 

She was barren for 90 years, she was abducted by two powerful kings, she had to deal with Hagar and Yishmael and...

Sarah could have won Queen for the Day hands down. 

Yet Rashi teaches us that Sarah saw every episode of her life as “good”. 

There is an interesting Midrash that speaks of the famous Rabbi Akiva who was lecturing to his students and he saw they were dozing off in class. In order to wake them he shared a fascinating tidbit. 

Just as Sarah lived 127 years, so too did Queen Esther rule over 127 provinces. 

Interesting!

But not mind blowing. 

How was this supposed to stimulate the students to wake up and pay attention?

Master Chef. 

It is the eponymous title that is given to the winner of the competitive cooking reality television show. 

This evening JWCAtlanta was proud to introduce 

The Great Big Challah Bake Presents...Bring it Home, Shabbat Shalom. 

The program was a great success as winner of MasterChef Israel, Tom Franz, demonstrated three beautiful recipes which will enhance our Shabbat tables. 

At the end of his presentation, Tom shared some details of his personal journey. He was born a Catholic German who had very little connection to his religion. Through a series of events he traveled to Israel and became enamored of the country and its people. Despite some interest he was firmly rooted in Germany with family, friends and profession but he felt a connection to Israel he could not deny. Eventually Tom decided to convert to Judaism and made a life for himself in Israel. He married, and his wife, who recognized his culinary talents, convinced him to try out for MasterChef. 

Now Tom is an accomplished chef, author of cookbooks and has made his mark in the food world. His love of food was clearly evident as was his passion to use food to help celebrate Shabbat and create meaningful opportunities for family and friends to gather and have meaningful Jewish experiences. 

Perhaps most moving was Tom’s description of his family’s acceptance of his transformation. They were initially shocked by his decision to leave his family and career. But after his MasterChef win, numerous articles appeared in the German press detailing not only his accomplishments but also sharing his life’s journey.  The publicity created a groundswell of support and Tom’s parents were approached time and again by people who had read the story and were moved and impressed. This opened the door to allow his parents to embrace Tom’s journey. The food became the conduit for communication and acceptance.

To the degree that when Tom’s mom passed away, his father asked Tom to recite Kaddish for her. 

Tom used this vignette to highlight the knowledge and acceptance his father has gained as a result of his son’s journey. He, a Catholic German, is asking his Jewish son to recite Kaddish. It is quite astonishing. Tom said his father knows more about Judaism than one could ever imagine. 

As Tom was sharing his story I could not help but marvel at the parallel to the story of our patriarch Abraham. 

In last weeks Torah portion, Abraham was told to leave his homeland, place of birth and the house of his father. He begins his Lech Lecha journey to himself, developing his character and fine honing his special attribute of Chessed, loving kindness to others. 

This coming Monday is the 9th Yahrzeit of the passing of my Father. The year after his passing on Passover, I was sitting in synagogue,  waiting for the Yizkor service to begin. The Rabbi was giving a sermon. I must admit I wasn’t paying attention. I was feeling melancholy and missing my Dad. And then I sat up in shock as the Rabbi’s words began to penetrate. 

He was telling a story. 

It was my Dad’s favorite. My father was a wonderful raconteur and this one was a treasured pick. 

I couldn’t believe the “coincidence”. 

It felt like a kiss sent with love from afar. 

This is the story:

Shortly before Passover, a wealthy person of note went to his rabbi with a request. He understood that sometimes very righteous people merit a special opportunity to meet Elijah the Prophet. Elijah is perhaps the most beloved prophet in the Bible. He was a source of inspiration and will be the harbinger of the redemption, the light at the end of a long, dark journey.  The Prophet of consolation. 

This merchant desired the chance to meet this holy Prophet. Despite the Rabbi’s efforts to change his mind the man would not be deterred. Finally the Rabbi instructed him how to achieve this rare interaction. He told the gentleman to purchase a great deal of food and provisions. On the day before Passover was to begin he was to appear at the home of a destitute family, ask to be invited for  the Seder and when they would reply that they would love to invite him but they can’t even provide for their own, he should bring in all the foodstuffs and spend the holiday with them. Then he would merit seeing Elijah. 

The man followed the instructions to the letter. All went as planned. But no revelation of Elijah. After the holiday he returned to his mentor, greatly disappointed. The rabbi once again instructed the wealthy patron to load up his wagon and right before Shabbat go through the same routine. Then he would merit his heart’s desire. Once again all was done and the wealthy merchant approached the home of the needy family. He could hear the children crying to their Mother for food. She soothed them and  said to them: do not worry children, right before Passover we had nothing and Elijah the Prophet came, I am sure he will come again. 

The merchant knocked on the door and provided the family with the needed food. 

When he returned to the Rabbi and said once again he had not merited to see the holy Elijah.  The Rabbi responded: don’t you realize, for those people YOU were Elijah the Prophet. 

This week’s Torah Portion Is Lech Lecha. We are introduced to Abraham our forefather and the Torah will now begin to focus on this man and his family, the birthing of the Jewish people. 

Gd gives Abraham a directive, an imperative command 

“go for yourself, from your land, from your relatives, and from your fathers home to the land I will show you.”

If you were being told to go on a journey what would be your first question? Like the New York cabbie:

Where to? 

Abraham begins a trek without a destination. 

Why doesn’t Gd tell him where he is going?

Rashi, the super commentator answers that Gd wanted to reward Abraham for every step of the journey. Because reaching the final destination is not the goal. It’s the attempt you make to get there and what you do along the way. 

Abraham had to put his faith in Gd and began the journey.