Once a date has been set for our newsletter, you can be rest assured we try our hardest to have it published by then. This indicates that some marriages should be terminated.] These Clouds The flood killed all of humanity, except On Yom Kippur we wear white clothes, as a symbol of purity and of happiness. We find an excellent example of this in my parsha, or the portion of the Torah that we are reading this week- Parshat Pinchas. Avraham, Happiness, and God's Open Hand. It was only once they were outside of the garden, in the real world, facing the challenges of life, that they could actually achieve success and gratification. These are no easy journeys. A fortnightly newsletter to make your life, a life of happiness, goodness and reality. Early secular Zionists used Avodah to refer to the physical agricultural labor of building the land of Israel. But the Ashrei was the first of Psalms recited as part of the service. was the first to greet everyone in the market place (Berachot 17). that gave birth to the child, named the child after Aharon in attribution to his peaceful Though he knows deep sorrow and loss, he never exhibits the sense of grievance shown by his grandson Jacob, who many years in the future will complain to Pharaoh of his 130 years of life: “My years have been few and hard.” Instead, Avraham’s death is the occasion that brings together his sons Ishmael and Isaac, healing the loss of his oldest son in Lekh-Lekha. This was very much represented by Rabbi Yochanan This week’s Torah portion begins with God’s dramatic call to Abram to go on a life journey that will change him forever. So stone me. the Jews are united together, it has the tremendous power. Whether you are Jewish or Noahide, HaShem … Learn more about the Jewish Holiday of Rosh ha-Shanah 2009/5767, by reading a Dvar Torah from Rabbi Shimon Felix. As the Talmudists said: “Who is rich? Pirkei Avot asks, 'who is the honored person (Pirkei Avot 4:1)?' Perhaps the mandate to begin joy and happiness … among the Jewish nation (Taanit 9), we learn from the Talmud that the ‘Cloud’s one of the many proofs that G-d does not like it when we are not United. Avram and Sarai model a sense of trust in the face of uncertainty. We find, for example, that the Torah commands us to be happy on the Three Festivals ? Register » Login. The Happiest Man on Earth: 99 Year Old Holocaust Survivor. Ask the Rabbi Jewish Calendar Daily Torah Study Subscribe Search Glossary RSS. In fact, the holiday of Sukkot is centered around the concept of happiness. the punishment for this sin seeming to be a lot more lenient than that of the flood, they A verse in Parashat Kedoshim states, 'You shall love your fellow that the Temple stood, there was 300 Kohen Gadolim (Yoma 9a)!! They include battles, rescue missions, and tricky negotiations with kings, along with disturbing family disputes. Sign-up for the weekly Torah Shabbat email. Happiness and Unity . But of far more importance is that, although he accumulates wealth and power, Avraham can walk away from them when that is the correct choice. Dvar Torah Questions and Answers on Shabbat Shirah. As Jews, we should unite with each One of the greatest strength for the Jews to have is the strength of unity, when Based on Likutey Moharan II, Lesson #24. We wish each other Happy New Year, Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary. It can seem like just one more Psalm. Please learn this dvar Torah l’ilui nishmasah. escorted the Jews for forty years in the wilderness, they shielded the Jews from The contributors are various rabbis in cyberspace. This week's Torah reading gives us a remarkable insight into the 'fail safe tool' for developing Happiness. Here are the three S’s of Sukkot for lasting happiness. D'var Torah. It is about health, about having a long life, having happiness, wisdom, knowledge, harmony. At Shavuot there is some happiness, for although the Torah was given to Israel alone. But this potential transformation comes with a price: to pursue this quest Abram and his wife Sarai must leave behind their home, the habitual, and head into the unknown. Second Temple was destroyed due to the transgression of Baseless Hatred, the lack In King David's time, despite the great There were great personalities throughout the Torah and Talmud that promoted Unity We find that the transgressions of the Jews, as a nation, which resulted in Wednesday’s is Psalm 94, and it tells us, “For the law shall return to righteousness, ... not instituted for “joy,” the fact that it is forbidden to fast indicates that the day obligates some element of happiness. Most Dvar Torah's have sources to any verses quoted or teachings taught from various different sources. The importance and meaning of the Ashrei is often overlooked. how can I look at Aharon in the eye tomorrow when he greets me, if I do this sin? There is a psalm for every day of the week, known as Shir Shel Yom. ... Volunteering to give a Dvar Torah in a purely social context with family members who are you trying to maintain some sense of relationship without being seen as imposing your values may backfire on you. We are an online Traditional Jewish Shul (Synagogue) inspired by Sephardic and Ashkenazic tradition, enlivened by the Chassidut of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, and other luminaries of our people. In this market place featured many great prominent business men, attendants, His Parshah series, Vedibarta Bam, can be purchased here. In honor of the Chanukah festival we are celebrating, we address a tenet of the laws of Chanukah: The concept of joy. Torah Portion of the Week Vayechi . How can we find that sense in our own lives? This goes with the theme of how everyone should have their So it is that by the end of the parashah, God has renamed him Avraham, because he will be the father of many. Category Archives: Dvar Torah. Stop Chasing It In an Growing Up. One which gets almost no mention at all is simcha (joy, happiness). Just use the contact button on the left of the screen to send him an email directly. We see an interesting observation. You can ask Michael to dedicate a devar torah for a refuah shelemah or in memory of someone. Website by Jonny Leigh. But the definitive peirush must be that of Chazal, our sages in the Gemara in Yoma Daf 85a explains ‘vachai beham v’lo yamut bahem‘ – ‘the mitzvot should not cause any death’. Why. To conclude the Dvar Torah, I leave you with a story, The Talmud tells of a Rabbi Let's first take a look at comparing the two time periods of the First and the Second Early secular Zionists used Avodah to refer to the physical agricultural labor of building the land of Israel. Happiness and Unity . people despite there sin's. Ashrei begins: “Happy are they who dwell in your house” and then continues through the Hebrew alphabet to list God’s attributes and blessings bestowed on us and our reasons for giving thanks. The Rabbi wondered what important activity they were doing to Also, visit our Weekly Learning page for a variety of materials connected to this week’s Torah reading. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness – Parashat Behar. A Dvar Torah for the Seventh Day of Pesach, Living In Vacated Space (Tohu v' Bahu), by Rabbi Shlomo Nachman ben Ya'akov at Beit Emunah. These are just 3 proofs from the Talmud to how great it is to be united together, to The increase in happiness we are to experience during Adar has no mandated manifestation. The answer is character. Our faculty and teachers bring the depth and breadth of JTS learning directly to you through a rich collection of contemporary Jewish content. Yitro Torah Portion: Exodus 18:1–20:23. Posted May 18, 2016. » Articles » Dvar Torah. Dvar Torah (5777) Its Day in the Sun Dvar Torah (5778) Korban Pesach Shem MeShmuel (5778) Liberate Yourself! Given the emphasis on simchah — happiness and joy — the mitzvah of brit milah may be an exception in regard to the priority of the “zerizim ... Dvar Torah Questions and Answers on Metzora. I delivered the dvar torah in shul this morning, while our Rabbi is on sabbatical. Come? entered the marketplace. 1. Rabbi Eli moved to Los Angeles, where he shared the melody of Torah-living with many students, Hollywood admirers and celebrities. Avraham’s life in this parasha reflects the key points of the Ashrei, and examining the events in Lekh-Lekha against the Ashrei adds a dimension to its events. Dedicate. to cheer up those who are upset." ... Hopefully by now you know a little bit about Matan’s Dvar Torah Project. In the Sha'arei Teshuva (Orech Chayim 625), we find that "one should increase the giving of charity on the eve of Sukkos." The Joy of Chanukah December 7th, 2015. Temple stood for 420 years. Please learn this dvar Torah l’ilui nishmasah. Hiding in a Vegetable Bin Saved Their Lives. idol worship (Yoma 9b), these were all Man against G-d transgressions. Words can create and destroy. Here are the three S’s of Sukkot for lasting happiness. 26 March 2021 | Dvar Torah. We bring holiness into the world in many ways: Connect with Reconstructionist communities and resources nearby and around the world: Learn more about us and the resources available here: If ever there were a person for whom Psalm 145 — the Ashrei — was written, it is Avraham. We know that the First Temple stood for 410 years, whereas the Second Happiness seems to be the one thing that everyone seeks but very few are successful in finding. During the month of Adar, we should all strive to feel this happiness. And during that recitation, we must pay special attention to the verse potey’akh et yadekha, which in the Reconstructionist Siddur is translated, “Providing with your open hand, you satisfy desire in all life.” If this verse is not said with the appropriate kavanah — focus, concentration, and intentionality — it must be repeated. You can ask Michael to dedicate a devar torah for a refuah shelemah or in memory of someone. There were many preparations the Israelites needed to make for matan Torah (the giving of the Torah) at Sinai. as yourself, I am G-d (Vayikra 19:18).” The Talmud further supports this idea, as and much more! Dvar Torah Questions and Answers on Nitzavim ... (Vayikra Rabbah 11:7). come out alive from the room, it was a sign that Hashem was happy with the nation Temple. Articles on the weekly Torah portion, parsha, from beginner to advanced levels. If we look further into this, we know couple make peace, and the commentaries say he was very successful, according to a people need cheering up (Taanit 22a). The first stop is Canaan, the land that will be promised to Avram’s descendants. Stop Chasing It YOU Should choose US. Over the last twenty years, Rabbi Jacobson traveled to hundreds of communities, schools, and universities across the globe, educating and inspiring people of all backgrounds with the majestic depth of Torah and Judaism. as a whole. Abraham and Sarah’s desperate journey to Egypt as refugees reminds us that remembering the heart of the stranger is at the core of Jewish experience. as it says ?You shall be happy on your festival? Midrash, many children born in the wilderness were named ‘Aharon,’ as the women When studying Torah, it often is helpful to think about alternative ways that the narrative could go. 1. Dedicate. Simchat Torah is given a curious description in Torah: “On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you… it is a holding back (atzeret)” (Leviticus 23:36).What in the world is a “holding back?” The Midrash explains: God says to Israel, “I hold you back unto Me.” It is as a king who invites his children to a feast for a number of days. But this potential transformation comes with a price: to pursue this quest Abram and his wife Sarai must leave behind their home, the habitual, and head into the unknown. because there is no greater joy than the resolution of doubt. who was considered wicked by many. As a result of the way he lived his life, Avraham is truly blessed and truly rich. In Parashat Noach, we learned of two different time periods, the Generation of the Dvar Torah for Parshat Yitro written by Ozer Bergman | January 21, 2011 Dvar Torah for Parshat Yitro Based on Likutey Moharan II, Lesson #24 There were many preparations the Israelites needed to make for matan Torah (the giving of the Torah) at Sinai. they used to go out to war and suffer defeats, despite his great levels of righteousness (Deuteronomy 16:14). Dvar Torah for Parshat Yitro. By following the Torah?s instructions, the couple will have fulfilled the commandment to make your spouse happy ? By Moshe Bogomilsky. a potential Jewish convert he stated, “What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your friend – all the rest [of the Torah] is commentary (Shabbat 31a)”. To conclude the Dvar Torah, I leave you with a story, The Talmud tells of a Rabbi who was walking in the marketplace with the Prophet Eliyahu. Torah and Labor; Torah and Service; The ideology of Bnei Akiva. PIease forgive me but I have taken the liberty of resending last Rosh Hashanah’s Dvar Torah. The psychodynamic articulated in this Dvar certainly holds true in the world of Torah study. לשנה טובה תכתבו ותחתמו לאלתר לחיים טובים ולשלום. Also being in a state of It is so important as human beings, we greet each other, and we feel for each other, of that generation survived, despite G-d killing some groups of people, but as whole Furthermore, whenever married couples got into an argument, Aharon helped the the destruction of the First Temple were attributed to Forbidden relations, murder and Based on a design by nodethirtythree and FCT. Its message, though, remains as pertinent as ever. Dvar Torah on Parshat Vayeira Parashat Hashavua Vayeira 2014 / 5775 - On Sarah, the Burka, the Modesty Police, and A Woman's Place 06.11.2014 by Rabbi Shimon Felix (Devarim Rabba 5:6). Jewish Practice. For Adar: The Torah’s three-step plan to happiness This month's Dvar Torah is by Chaya Bina Katz. 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