Re'eh 5761

Advertisements
Advertisements

6 min read

FacebookTwitterLinkedInPrintFriendlyShare

Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17 )

GOOD MORNING!  May you have a spectacular week. And here are some thoughts to help make it so!

Q & A: WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT THE HEBREW MONTH OF ELUL?

Sunday, August 19th, and Monday, August 20th, are the two days of Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the new Hebrew month of Elul. This is a very special month in the Jewish year as it is the month preceding Rosh Hashanah (which begins Monday evening, September 17th). Jewish cosmology teaches us that each season of the year has a special spiritual opportunity for success. For instance, Passover is the time to work on freedom and Sukkot is the time to work on joy. Elul is the time to work on personal growth.

Elul, when spelled in Hebrew letters, is the acronym for the words, "I am to my beloved, my beloved is to me" (ani l'dodi v'dodi li - oftentimes it will be inscribed on the inside of an engagement ring). The month of Elul is a time of heightened spirituality where the Almighty is, as it were, closer and more approachable. It is a time of introspection and preparation for Rosh Hashanah. It is a time to do a spiritual audit and to fix up your life.

Rabbi Noah Weinberg, the founder and head of Aish HaTorah, illustrates the availability of coming close to the Almighty in Elul with the example of trying to make an appointment with the President of the United States. It is a very difficult task to accomplish -- unless it's an election year. Elul is like an election year. The Almighty is like a loving Father/Mother waiting for us to come home. (See www.aish.com for more!)

To help you prepare for Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Judgment, I present questions for you to ask yourself and discuss with family and friends. They are an excerpt from a fabulous and indispensable book, The Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Survival Kit, written by Aish HaTorah alumnus Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf.

QUESTIONS FOR A MEANINGFUL LIFE

  1. When do I most feel that my life is meaningful?

  2. Those who mean the most to me -- have I ever told them how I feel?

  3. Are there any ideals I would be willing to die for?

  4. If I could live my life over, would I change anything?

  5. What would bring me more happiness than anything else in the world?

  6. What are my three most significant achievements since last Rosh Hashanah?

  7. What are the three biggest mistakes I've made since last Rosh Hashanah?

  8. What project or goal, if left undone, will I most regret next Rosh Hashanah?

  9. If I knew I couldn't fail, what would I undertake to accomplish in life?

  10. What are my three major goals in life? What am I doing to achieve them? What practical steps can I take in the next two months towards these goals?

  11. If I could only give my children three pieces of advice, what would they be?

If you find the High Holidays boring, can't follow the prayer service and don't understand it; if the services lack meaning and aren't a spiritual experience, then to have a meaningful experience and to have something meaningful to share with your children and family - you might want to get a copy of the Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Survival Kit ... especially if your kids think a shofar is someone who drives a limousine. Unless you prepare in advance, then you are relying on a miracle to have any kind of positive experience at all. Available at your Jewish bookstore or by calling toll-free 877-758-3242.


Torah
Portion of the Week

Re'eh

This week is a jam-packed portion. It begins with a choice:

"I set before you a blessing and a curse. The blessing: if you obey the commandments of God...; the curse if you do not ... and you follow other gods."

The portion continues with rules and laws for the land of Israel primarily oriented towards staying away from idol worship and the religions in the land. In verses 13:1-12 you will find the section that caused a missionary's face to blanch and silenced him from continuing to proselytize a renowned rabbi.

One of the indications of the existence and necessity of the Oral Torah - an explanation and clarification (later redacted as the Talmud) of the written Torah (The Five Books of Moses) - comes from verse 12:21 "You will slaughter animals ... according to the manner I (God) have prescribed." Nowhere in the Torah are we instructed in the manner of shechita, ritual slaughter. One might conclude that there was a very sloppy editor. Or - one might conclude that there are additional teachings clarifying and amplifying the written Word.

The source of the Chosen People concept (14:1-2): "You are a nation consecrated to God your Lord. God has chosen you from all nations on the face of the earth to be His own special nation." We are chosen for responsibility, not privilege -- to act morally and to be a "light unto the nations."

 

Dvar Torah
based on Growth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

The Torah states, "After the Almighty, your God, shall you walk, and Him shall you fear, and His commandments you shall observe and to His voice shall you hearken, and Him shall you serve and to Him shall you cleave" (Deuteronomy 13:5).

The Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, notes that the Hebrew word for "after" is "acharai" which denotes a far distance. He asks, "Since this verse tells us to follow the Almighty, why didn't the Torah use a term denoting closeness since we should be as close as possible to the Almighty?

Rabbi Kagan explains that the Torah uses a term denoting distance to tell us that regardless of how far a person feels he is from the Almighty, he should never give up hope. With all of his power he should strive to come closer to the Almighty and he will find Him. Never despair and never allow any faults or transgressions to prevent you from coming closer to the Almighty!

CANDLE LIGHTING - August 17:
(or go to candlelighting.org)

Jerusalem  6:45
Guatemala 6:06  Hong Kong 6:35  Honolulu 6:42
J'Burg 5:30  London 8:01  Los Angeles 7:20
Melbourne 5:28  Miami 7:37  Moscow 7:43

New York 7:34  Singapore  6:55


QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

If you think that
you are always right,
then something is wrong.

With Special Thanks to
David & Marilyn Zinn
for dedicating this edition

Click here to comment on this article
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
EXPLORE
LEARN
MORE
Explore
Learn
Resources
Next Steps
About
Donate
Menu
Languages
Menu
Social
.