Mishpatim (Judgments)
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Parshat Mishpatim 5773
Written by: Rachel Leah Lovat Editor: David Michaels Parshat Beshalach 5778 In this week’s Parasha the Bnei Yisrael have left Egypt and are at the Yam Suf The Meshech Chochma answers that there could always have been a claim trapped by the sea with the Egyptians chasing after them. They were made against the Bnei Yisrael throughout the ordeal they went through in trapped and afraid and Hashem saves them by splitting the sea so they could Egypt. However, the Kateigur - prosecuting attorney - had no voice in Egypt pass. The Midrash, a passage in the Zohar in Terumah (170b), relates a because the Bnei Yisrael were never divided in Egypt. They showed conversation that the Malachim have with Hashem as the Bnei Yisrael are tremendous achdus and unity throughout the slavery they went through. going through the Yam Suf with the Egyptians giving chase. However, Rashi explains at the splitting of the sea the Bnei Yisrael were The Malachim ask Hashem, “Why are You saving the Bnei Yisrael and divided; whilst some turned to Hashem in prayer, others wanted to go back performing miracles for them but You are destroying the Egyptians (by to Egypt and some wanted to fight the Egyptians. Once this in-fighting started, the prosecuting attorney was given a voice. He says to Hashem, “I הללו עובדי עבודה ,הללו עובדי עבודה זרה ,planning to drown them)? After all these are idolaters and these are idolaters! The Jews have descended understand why You didn’t destroy them in Egypt because in Egypt the Bnei –זרה to the 49th level of Tumah and you are saving them, but not the Egyptians?’ Yisrael were unified, so I could not say anything against them, but here at the Yam Suf the Bnei Yisrael are divided so do not deserve to be saved” The Midrash continues that it was indeed, so to speak, difficult for Hashem to save the Jews and to overcome this just claim of the Kateigur, the This idea that division and dispute gives greater voice to the accusor is prosecuting attorney, until morning came. -
When Feeling Trapped: Torah Reflections on Parashat Shemot
When Feeling Trapped: Torah Reflections on Parashat Shemot Exodus 1:1 – 6:1 I have noticed that my prayer life often becomes richer when my life becomes more challenging. When things are going well with me, it’s easy for my heart to close to both the uncertainty and the possibility of the present moment. I start to believe that I’m in control of my life, and that I don’t need anyone’s help -- least of all, God’s. The first time I really prayed the Psalms I was on the bus, headed to the doctor’s office for a biopsy. My partner was pregnant with our son, and the prospect of dealing with a serious illness at the same time that I was about to become a parent felt like falling off a cliff and not knowing if I’d crash into the rocks or if a parachute would open so I could float to a gentle landing. That time, it was the parachute. But before I knew that, my heart opened to God in a way it never had before. There’s an ancient teaching about our ancestors, Abraham and Sarah that tries to explain why they were childless until their old age. It says that “the Holy One longs to hear the prayers of the righteous.” As long as Abraham and Sarah yearned for a child together, they called out for God’s help and needed God to answer. There’s a subtle but important difference between believing in a God who makes people suffer as a way of entering into relationship (which I don’t) and being aware of the ways that suffering and longing can draw us near to God (which I try to be). -
Commentary on Parashat Mishpatim – Central Synagogue’S Mishkan Service
Commentary on Parashat Mishpatim – Central Synagogue’s Mishkan Service 1. There are 53 commandments in this week’s portion. The JPS Torah Commentary on Exodus1 explains: the concept of the Torah being “The Book of the Covenant” or Sefer HaBerit comes from verses 4 and 7 in chapter 24 of the portion. The Book of the Covenant falls into four distinct parts: i. 21:2 – 22:16 , various legal topics that relate to civil and criminal matters; ii. 22:17 – 23:19, a wide variety of discrete topics, with special emphasis on humanitarian considerations; iii. 23:20-33, an appendix that affirms the divine promises to Israel and warns against the dangers of assimilation to paganism; and iv. Chapter 24 which contains a ratification of the document and Moses receiving the Decalogue incised in stone. 2. Rashi on the opening words of the portion: “And these are the ordinances”: Wherever it says, “these” [in the Torah,] it [this word, these, is used to] separate from what has been stated previously. [Where it says,] “And these,” [it means that] it is adding to what has been previously stated (Tanchuma Mishpatim 3). [Thus] just as what has been previously stated [namely the Ten Commandments,] were from Sinai, these too were from Sinai. All of the 613 commandments are contained within the 10 Commandments. Rav Saadia Gaon (888-942) organized all 613 under the categories of the 10 Commandments. 3. A similar idea is found in Numbers Rabbah edited in the 12th century. This midrash states that there are 620 letters in the Ten Commandments; 613 letters refer to the 613 commandments and the other 7 refer to the seven days of creation. -
Shabbat Mishpatim 5779 – 2/2/19 Rabbi Alex Freedman the Late
Mitzvah Means Jewish Responsibility Shabbat Mishpatim 5779 – 2/2/19 Rabbi Alex Freedman The late President Calvin Coolidge was known to be a man of few words. One Sunday he attended church without his wife. When he returned home she asked, "How was church today?" The president answered, "Good." "What was the sermon about?" “Sin." Mrs. Coolidge pressed for more details. "What did the preacher say about it?" "He was against it." And now, the Jewish version. Mr. Schwartz goes to shul on Shabbat and falls asleep two sentences into the rabbi’s sermon (Hypothetically, of course!). When he returns home, Mrs. Schwartz asked, “How was shul today?" "Good." "What was the sermon about?" "Uh, Mitzvahs." “What did the rabbi say about it?" "He’s in favor of them." If you fall asleep now, you can tell your spouse that. I am in favor of Mitzvot. And that is the subject of my sermon. But today I want to take a deep dive into the idea of Mitzvah because while it’s clearly a major component of Jewish living, the definition itself is cloudy. Finish this thought: Mitzvah in English means... If you said “commandment,” you’re half right. And if you said “good deed,” you’re half right too. The word itself means both. We’re familiar with the commandments piece: honor your parents, celebrate Shabbat and holidays, don’t steal, keep Kosher, and many, many more. It’s a long list, 613 in all, but the Mitzvahs-as-commandments are discrete and transparent. There’s a set list. -
Parashat Vaera 5774 by Rachel Farbiarz December 28, 2013
Parashat Vaera 5774 By Rachel Farbiarz December 28, 2013 Parashat Vaera continues the conversation between God and Moses following Moses’s first encounter with Pharaoh. God persists in his alternately tender and impatient wooing of the reluctant emissary, while Moses insists that he is unfit for the task. As before, Moses’s feelings of inadequacy center on his difficulty with speech, now captured, ironically, by his poetic lament: “I am uncircumcised of lips.” 1 The Torah does not identify the nature or origins of Moses’s difficulty. Rashi postulates that Moses had an actual speech impediment—perhaps a stutter or a severe lisp. 2 A midrash explains that Moses’s impeded speech dated from infancy when the angel Gabriel had guided him to place a hot coal in his mouth. 3 Perhaps Moses was deeply shy, a shepherd who preferred the company of animals over people with their insatiable demand for words. Lending further obscurity, Moses’s impediment is wholly self-described. We learn of it only through his own protests at having been chosen as Israel’s liberator. Whereas the omniscient biblical narrator provides the descriptions of its other central characters, 4 it is silent on Moses’s “heavy-mouthed and heavy-tongued” 5 condition. The absence of this narrative corroboration implies that Moses’s impediment loomed larger in his own mind than as a handicap perceptible to others. Whatever the impediment’s nature, it is clear that each utterance exacted a painful toll on Moses. God therefore sends Aaron to be his brother’s mouthpiece, and Aaron remains at Moses’s side as the two heap threats and plagues upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians. -
Parasha Meditation Bo
בס”ד Parasha Meditation Bo Shemot 10:1-13:16 By Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum Eradicating our Deepest Fears Introduction: “Come to Pharaoh” – to a Chamber within a Chamber to Confront Your Deepest Fears This week’s parasha opens with Hashem sending Moshe to face Pharaoh, whose heart Hashem 1 Bo el”– בּ ֹא אֶ ל ַפּ רְ ע ֹה has hardened. Hashem said to Moshe: “Come to Pharaoh…!”0F The Hebrew Pharaoh” is usually translated “Go to Pharaoh,” But “Bo” means “come,” not “go.” The Zohar explains why Hashem tells Moshe “Come” rather than “go” to Pharaoh. Rabbi Shimeon said: Now it is time to reveal secrets that are bound above and below. Why does it say, “Come to Pharaoh”? It should have said, “Go to Pharaoh...” But G*d brought Moses into a chamber within a chamber, to the supernal and mighty serpent from which many levels evolve, which Moses feared to approach 2 himself...1F The Spiritual Block of Fear What exactly did Moshe fear and how does Hashem’s prompting him to “come to Pharaoh” relieve this fear? Fear is one of the main spiritual blocks in most people’s lives. In my EmunaHealing introductory class, I address the Three Primal Fears and how to overcome them. We all suffer from various fears both known and especially unknown. Fear is the underlying emotion that affects our unconscious choices and ambitions in so many ways; it even affects our physical health. What makes our fears so detrimental is that they are invisible, and we aren’t always able to define them. -
A Guide to Our Shabbat Morning Service
Torah Crown – Kiev – 1809 Courtesy of Temple Beth Sholom Judaica Museum Rabbi Alan B. Lucas Assistant Rabbi Cantor Cecelia Beyer Ofer S. Barnoy Ritual Director Executive Director Rabbi Sidney Solomon Donna Bartolomeo Director of Lifelong Learning Religious School Director Gila Hadani Ward Sharon Solomon Early Childhood Center Camp Director Dir.Helayne Cohen Ginger Bloom a guide to our Endowment Director Museum Curator Bernice Cohen Bat Sheva Slavin shabbat morning service 401 Roslyn Road Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 Phone 516-621-2288 FAX 516- 621- 0417 e-mail – [email protected] www.tbsroslyn.org a member of united synagogue of conservative judaism ברוכים הבאים Welcome welcome to Temple Beth Sholom and our Shabbat And they came, every morning services. The purpose of this pamphlet is to provide those one whose heart was who are not acquainted with our synagogue or with our services with a brief introduction to both. Included in this booklet are a history stirred, and every one of Temple Beth Sholom, a description of the art and symbols in whose spirit was will- our sanctuary, and an explanation of the different sections of our ing; and they brought Saturday morning service. an offering to Adonai. We hope this booklet helps you feel more comfortable during our service, enables you to have a better understanding of the service, and introduces you to the joy of communal worship. While this booklet Exodus 35:21 will attempt to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the synagogue and service, it cannot possibly anticipate all your questions. Please do not hesitate to approach our clergy or regular worshipers with your questions following our services. -
Parshat Mishpatim 5773
Written by: Rachel Leah Lovat Editor: David Michaels Parshat Beshalach 5779 beings. For example, he says, the state of Israel was formed because of a מלך לב‘ decree by the United Nations. However, we need to remember that ,וַיְהִ י‘ This week’s Parsha starts with the phrase הָעָ ם-אֶ ת פַרְ עֹה בְשַ לַח ,וַיְהִ י the heart of a King is in the hand of Hashem and that though we must ,’ה ביד ,And it was when Paroh sent the people’. Famously‘ ,’הָעָם-אֶ ת פַרְ עֹה בְשַ לַח there is a view in Chazal which states that when a Parsha is introduced with indeed be grateful to those who come to our aid, we must remember that in .it indicates that something bad is going to happen. The reality our salvation comes from Hashem ,’וַיְהִ י‘ the word When the Egyptians were chasing the Jews, the בְמִצְרַ יִם קְ בָרִ ים-אֵ ין הֲמִבְ לִי obvious question, therefore, is what negative element happens in this parsha? Within this paragraph in the Chumash it simply describes the route Jews turn to Moshe and complain about the fact that he took them out from on which Hashem took the Jews and how Hashem travelled, so-to-speak, in Egypt – ‘was it for lack of graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the front of the Jews with a cloud and fire? desert, what did you do to us taking us out of Egypt?’ This is the first of The Sefer Shemen HaTov, of Rav Dov Zev Weinberger zt”l (a Rav in Brooklyn several examples through Chumash where the Jews make a significant who was niftar last year) suggests that the negative idea in this parsha arises complaint to Moshe and this despite them having just seen all the miracles And it was when Paroh sent the Hashem did in taking them out of Egypt. -
“Cliff Notes” 2021-2022 5781-5782
Jewish Day School “Cliff Notes” 2021-2022 5781-5782 A quick run-down with need-to-know info on: • Jewish holidays • Jewish language • Jewish terms related to prayer service SOURCES WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOOKLET WAS TAKEN FROM: • www.interfaithfamily.com • Living a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant with Howard Cooper FOR MORE LEARNING, YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES: • www.reformjudaism.org • www.myjewishlearning.com • Jewish Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin • The Jewish Book of Why by Alfred J. Kolatch • The Jewish Home by Daniel B. Syme • Judaism for Dummies by Rabbi Ted Falcon and David Blatner Table of Contents ABOUT THE CALENDAR 5 JEWISH HOLIDAYS Rosh haShanah 6 Yom Kippur 7 Sukkot 8 Simchat Torah 9 Chanukah 10 Tu B’Shevat 11 Purim 12 Pesach (Passover) 13 Yom haShoah 14 Yom haAtzmaut 15 Shavuot 16 Tisha B’Av 17 Shabbat 18 TERMS TO KNOW A TO Z 20 About the calendar... JEWISH TIME- For over 2,000 years, Jews have juggled two calendars. According to the secular calendar, the date changes at midnight, the week begins on Sunday, and the year starts in the winter. According to the Hebrew calendar, the day begins at sunset, the week begins on Saturday night, and the new year is celebrated in the fall. The secular, or Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar, based on the fact that it takes 365.25 days for the earth to circle the sun. With only 365 days in a year, after four years an extra day is added to February and there is a leap year. -
Vision and Details (Mishpatim 5781)
Rabbi Sacks zt”l had prepared a full year of Covenant & Conversation for 5781, based on his book Lessons in Leadership. Te Office of Rabbi Sacks will continue to distribute these weekly essays, so that people all around the world can keep on learning and fnding inspiration in his Torah. Vision and Details Mishpatim 5781 Our parsha takes us through a bewildering transition. Up until now, the book of Shemot has carried us along with the sweep and drama of the narrative: the Israelites’ enslavement, their hope for freedom, the plagues, Pharaoh’s obstinacy, their escape into the desert, the crossing of the Red Sea, the journey to Mount Sinai and the great covenant with God. Suddenly, we now fnd ourselves faced with a different kind of literature altogether: a law code covering a bewildering variety of topics, from responsibility for damages to protection of property, to laws of justice, to Shabbat and the festivals. Why here? Why not continue the story, leading up to the next great drama, the sin of the Golden Calf? Why interrupt the fow? And what does this have to do with leadership? Te answer is this: great leaders, be they CEOs or simply parents, have the ability to connect a large vision with highly specifc details. Without the vision, the details are merely tiresome. Tere is a well-known story of three workers who are employed cuting blocks of stone. When asked what they are doing, one says, “Cuting stone,” the second says, “Earning a living,” the third says, “Building a palace.” Tose who have the larger picture take more pride in their labour, and work harder and beter. -
Parashat Mishpatim - February 12, 2021 – 30 Shevat, 5781
Parashat Mishpatim - February 12, 2021 – 30 Shevat, 5781 Dear Temple Beth-El Family and Friends, The term “the Fall” is typically invoked in a religious context to refer to a mishap that transpired early in the Book of Bereishit (Genesis). It might be equally appropriately applied in reference to the emotional experience of transitioning from Parashat Yitro, the Torah portion read last week that contains the luminous description of the Revelation at Sinai, to Parashat Mishpatim, this week’s portion which is made up of a “laundry list” of statutes and ordinances (53 in all) pertaining to various aspects of personal deportment, interpersonal relations, financial and ritual obligations and the adjudication of legal cases. So within a week’s time, the Toraitic narrative takes us from the heights of a direct encounter with the Divine to the disposal of an animal carcass torn by wild beasts. Early Christian thinkers critiqued the Jewish tradition for being excessively legalistic, allowing lofty ideals to become lost – if not extinguished – in an overlay of prosaic detail. But Judaism’s response to this, illustrated in the verses of Parashat Mishpatim and their elaboration in rabbinic law, is that the devil – or perhaps better, God – is found in the (legal) details. Values can be lived out only when they are translated into actions, and for this to happen, for our elevated goals to be “operationalized” their enactment spell out in exacting details that force us to confront – and define for ourselves – the path to sanctity in a world that seldom presents us with simple choices between “right” and “wrong”. -
Eikev Rabbi Yosef Kalatsky
YadAvNow.com YadAvNow.com Weekly Video Series: Eikev Rabbi Yosef Kalatsky Weekly Video: Vigilantly Processing The Doctrine CLICK TO VIEW! Not Trampled As Are The Statutes CLICK TO VIEW! Assuring Cognition of G-d’s Existence CLICK TO VIEW! The MegaForce That Transforms CLICK TO VIEW! An Arsenal Of Attributes For Battle CLICK TO VIEW! 1 YadAvNow.com YadAvNow.com Weekly Video Series: Eikev Rabbi Yosef Kalatsky Is Acknowledgement of the Source Integral to the Sated or the Hungry? CLICK TO VIEW! 1. ”And you have eaten, and you are sated, and you blessing the world is all G-d’s; after the blessing will bless G-d.“ the terrestrial is released to mankind. 2. This is basis one must say Grace after eating: 3 10. 13 methods of interpretation were given at Sinai. blessings on a Torah level and a 4th which is rabbinical. 11. Kal V’chomer is one. 3. Gemara: What is the basis for the pre-blessing? 12. The logic that was employed by the Gemara to establish 4. If one acknowledges G-d when sated– definitely a basis for the pre blessing is the Kal V’chomer. when one is hungry? 13. Reb Meir Simcha of Dvinsk: If the Kal V’chomer 5. Gemara: One is not permitted to benefit from the is the basis for the pre-blessing; one’s obligation world without a blessing. should be biblical, which it is not. 6. If one did, it is as if he had benefited from 14. He explains there is a fallacy in the logical something that was consecrated.