Torah Reading For the Last Day of Passover, the Second Day of Shavoo-ot and for Sh’-mee-nee A-tze-ret when they occur on Shabbos, from v tr , JrP - The Torah Portion of R’-ay - Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17 See! SUMMARY Unlike the tithe of produce and animals given directly to oHuk-L’-vee-eem-Levites, r Ggn hbJ- ma-a-sayr shay-nee -the SECOND TITHE is to be ENJOYED BY the HOUSEHOLD of the one tithing and SHARED WITH oHuk-L’-vee-eem-Levites IN the specially chosen PLACE OF MANIFEST DIVINE P RESENCE (Jerusalem). (This HELPS us RECOGNIZE the SOURCE and MIRACULOUSNESS OF CROPS AND ANIMALS REACHING MATURITY -- so lost on us city folks !) IF the chosen SITE IS TOO FAR TO CONVENIENTLY TAKE this TITHE there, it CAN BE SOLD , and the MONEY is USED TO BUY “ WHATEVER one’s Jpb-ne-fesh-animating SOUL /life-force DESIRES ”. It is to be EATEN AND ENJOYED THERE WITH FAMILY and oHuk-L’-vee-eem-Levites, REJOICING OVER the BOUNTY from our HEAVENLY P ROVIDER . (Eat, drink & rejoice in our blessings. Scenario 1: We give a child a treat; they ignore it, going on with whatever they were doing. Scenario 2: We give a child a treat, and they happily, excitedly receive it. How do we feel in each case. Divine Mother is constantly giving to us, yet we’re often oblivious and need to be instructed to take time to enjoy our treats.) During YEARS 3 AND 6 OF the 7-year SABBATICAL CYCLE , hbg r Ggn-ma-a-sayr a-nee-the POOR TITHE is GIVEN TO oHuk-L’-vee-eem-Levites, WIDOWS, ORPHANS AND STRANGERS INSTEAD OF the SECOND T ITHE . The LESS FORTUNATE can then also EXPERIENCE SATIATION . The BENEFICENT O NE responds by BLESSING ALL OF OUR DEEDS . (The best way to enjoy our blessings is to share them, especially with those less fortunate.) DEBTS are REALEASED DURING v yh nJ-Sh’-mee-ta-The Sabbatical Year. ( v yh nJ-Sh’-mee-ta-The Sabbatical Year engenders trust and faith, that all comes from and is taken care of by our Heavenly Provider.) IF the NATION CAREFULLY FOLLOWS the path of the MASTER P LANNER , EVERYONE will be BLESSED -- NOBODY will be POOR . BUT , the OMNISCENT O NE KNOWS THIS WON’T BE THE CASE, SO we’re URGED TO LEND our POOR BRETHREN WHATEVER THEY NEED, OPENING OUR HANDS AND HEARTS , regardless of the proximity to the SABBATICAL Y EAR -- then the LIMITLESS O NE will BLESS ALL of our ENDEAVORS . (When we attach ourselves to our Source, we feel no lack.) Hebrew slaves are released during v yh nJ-Sh’-mee-ta-The Sabbatical Year. They are to be loaded with whatever we’ve been blessed, enabling them to start their new life more easily c. We know what it’s like to be enslaved, and the HEAVENLY D IRECTOR loaded us with goods upon our release. If the slave has become part of the household and can’t bear to leave, their ear is pierced, and they serve until the next kc«uh-yo-vayl- Jubilee Year. ( When we release parts Torah Reading For the Last Day of Passover, the Second Day of Shavoo-ot and for Sh’-mee-nee A-tze-ret when they occur on Shabbos, from v tr , JrP - The Torah Portion of R’-ay - Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17 See! - pg. 2 that have been enslaved to a fear or desire, we should bless it for what it has taught us, then let it go.) REQUEST: Please focus all of your attention on this learning for the next few minutes. First born male animals are dedicated in advance as closifiers to the POSSESSOR OF ALL . They are not to be used (i.e. a first-born ox to plow, a first-born sheep for wool). If they’re blemished, the owners can eat them at home (they don’t need to take them to Jerusalem), since they’re unfit to be presented on the altar. The only stipulation is not to eat the blood. (One’s first born is considered to be endowed with one’s power. May we use our various powers -- from ox-like to sheep-like -- for G-dly purposes.) THE 3 PILGRIMAGE FESTIVALS - j xP-Pe-sakh-PASSOVER : NO . nj-kha-maytz-LEAVENED PRODUCTS are to be eaten or possessed. RECALL the EXODUS from ohrmn-Meetz-ry-yeem-Egypt. NO SKILLFUL LABOR is done DURING the HOLIER FIRST AND LAST DAYS . Present the special Paschal Closifier only in the Sanctuary. ,IgUc J-Sha-voo-ot-The FESTIVAL OF W EEKS : COUNT 7 WEEKS FROM j xP-Pe-sakh- Passover to ARRIVE AT THIS SACRED TIME . REJOICE BEFORE the EXALTED O NE . bring a closifier ACCORDING TO the BLESSING of the SUPREME B EING , SHARING IT WITH FAMILY and the LESS FORTUNATE . NOTE the CONTRAST BETWEEN our PREVIOUS ENSLAVEMENT and our CURRENT BLESSED CONDITION OF SERVING the AWESOME O NE BY CHOOSING TO KEEP oh Ej-khoo-keem-Mysterious Laws. ,IFUx-Soo-kot-The FESTIVAL OF B OOTHS : CELEBRATE WITH HOUSEHOLD and the LESS FORTUNATE FOR 7 DAYS at the chosen place of revelation , AND REJOICE OVER the HARVEST and ALL ACCOMPLISHMENTS . ( We need times to get out of our normal mind-sets and situations and actively move towards holiness.) These 3 TIMES EACH YEAR , all MALES are TO APPEAR BEFORE the MASTER OF ALL WORLDS . Rather than empty-handed , each one is to arrive WITH whatever GIFTS ONE IS MOVED TO BRING, ACCORDING to the BLESSINGS of the INFINITE O NE . Dedicate gifts, both material blessings and talents, to the highest purposes. * ‘Closifier’ is a newly coined single word to more accurately define the intent of the Hebrew word iCre-kor-ban, usually translated ‘sacrifice’ or ‘offering’, whereas it actually means: “An Action That Draws a Person Near to the DIVINE SOURCE ”. D: How do you feel, now that you’ve been focusing on learning? In particular, how do you feel about whatever problems/issues you’re currently dealing with? I: Hopefully, they’ve receded to the background, so you hardly notice them. THIS is one goal of the Sacred Times Torah Reading For the Last Day of Passover, the Second Day of Shavoo-ot and for Sh’-mee-nee A-tze-ret when they occur on Shabbos, from v tr , JrP - The Torah Portion of R’-ay - Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17 See! - pg. 3 of the year -- why it’s advised to speak of only what’s relevant to that day -- AND of every Divine Directive, EVEN of those we can’t understand. ALL of them help us focus on the Highest, take our minds off of our troubles, and pay attention to what is truly important and enduring, thereby relieving us. SUGGESTED READING My Father My King , (Mesorah Publications, 1996) by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin Ch. 106- pgs. 319 - 320 - Smiling POCKET RE-CONNECTOR : jnG Q t ,hhvu 'Wh sh v Ggn k«f cU W ,tUc T kfC Wh e«kt s W frch h F//-“...for THE ETERNAL B EING YOUR G- D WILL BLESS YOU IN ALL OF YOUR PRODUCE AND IN EVERY DEED OF YOUR HANDS, AND YOU WILL SURELY BE HAPPY !’ (Deuteronomy 16:15) WHEN WE CAN BE HAPPY WITH EVERY ONE OF OUR DEEDS -- EVEN our MISTAKES AND FAILURES -- we are TRULY BLESSED . AT the very LEAST , we can LEARN FROM our DISAPPOINTMENTS AND GROW , and that is truly WORTH REJOICING over. In fact, we’re LIKELY TO GROW MORE FROM our FAILURES THAN from our SUCCESSES !.