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GOOD MORNING! It has been said that "Education is what you have left after you forget everything you've learned." Our goal in life is to perfect ourselves as human beings and to emulate the Almighty in our character and actions. Unfortunately, too often we're so busy with human doings we don't focus on developing as human beings.
In Pirke Avos, Ethics of the Fathers (six chapters of pithy wisdom about life found in the back of most prayer books ... or available at your local Jewish bookstore, at judaicaenterprises.com or by calling toll-free to 877-758-3242):
"Rabbi Shimon says, 'There are three crowns: The crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood and the crown of kingship. The crown of a good name is greater than them all" (4:17).
How do we perfect ourselves? To create that good name? How do we develop our personalities and character to such a degree that even the undertaker is sorry to see us go?
The Torah is instructions for living. Each of the 613 mitzvot (commandments) is a means of personal growth. By learning Torah and thinking about the mitzvah before performing it, one builds character and a filter for viewing life. We all have "tapes" running in our heads with subliminal messages that we have integrated. Often times they are negative: "I'm a failure, I'm not smart enough, I can't succeed, if people really knew me they wouldn't like me ..." Those "tapes" are the messages we get from our society and those are the messages that we have to change to enjoy life and reach our potential. The Torah teaches positive messages for our "tapes."
In the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, there are 6 events which the Torah tells us to always remember. These "Six Remembrances" can be found following the morning prayer service in the prayer book. The Kabbalah (mysticism) teaches that by reciting these verses and remembering these events we change our consciousness in life. Here are the "Six Remembrances" and the ideas which we need to integrate into ourselves:
For more on "The Six Remembrances " go to ShabbatShalomAudio.com!
Torah Portion of the Week
Be'halot'cha
Aharon is commanded in the lighting of the Menorah, the Levites purify themselves for service in the Tabernacle (they trained from age 25-30 and served from age 30-50), the first Pesach is celebrated since leaving Egypt.
The Almighty instructs the Jewish people to journey into the desert whenever the ever-present cloud lifts from above the Tabernacle and to camp where it rests. Moshe is instructed to make two silver trumpets to be sounded before battle or to proclaim a Yom Tov (a holiday).
The people journey to the wilderness of Paran during which time they rebelled twice against the Almighty's leadership. The second time they complain about the boring taste of the manna and the lack of meat in the desert. The Almighty sends a massive quantity of quail and those who rebelled died.
Moshe asks his father-in-law, Yitro (Jethro) to travel with them in the desert, but Yitro returns to Midian. (It has been said that the difference between in-laws and outlaws, that at least outlaws are wanted ... Of course, in this case the father-in-law was wanted.)
Miriam, Moshe's sister, speaks lashon hora (defaming words) about Moshe. She is struck with Tzora'as (the mystical skin disease which indicated that a person spoke improperly about another person) and is exiled from the camp for one week.
The Torah states:
"According to the word of the Almighty, the Children of Israel traveled and according to the word of the Almighty, they encamped." (Numbers 9:23)
What can we learn from the phrase "the word of the Almighty"?
The Talmud (Shabbat 31b) discusses the various forms of creative acts that are forbidden on Shabbat. All of the prohibitions of creative acts on Shabbat are derived from the creative acts required for the building and maintenance of the portable Tabernacle in which we worshipped during the 40 years in the desert. The prohibition against tearing down a building applies only when it is planned to be rebuilt on the same spot.
Since the Tabernacle was taken apart only to be rebuilt on a different spot, likewise the prohibition on Shabbat should be against tearing down a building to rebuild it in a different place. Why is the prohibition only for the same place?
The Talmud answers that since they traveled and encamped according to the word of the Almighty, it is considered as if it were in the same place. Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz likened this to a baby who travels with its mother. As long as the baby is with its mother, it doesn't matter what city it is in. Since they did everything according to the word of the Almighty, they were totally with Him. He was their place and even though they moved from one spot in the desert to another, their place was really always the same - with the Almighty.
When one has a constant awareness that he is always with the Almighty, the exact place where he is will not make a major difference. His main focus is on the Almighty and not on the superficial differences between one spot and another.
CANDLE LIGHTING - June 26:
(or Go to http://www.aish.com/shabbat/candlelighting.asp)
Jerusalem 7:12
Guatemala 6:14 - Hong Kong 6:50 - Honolulu 6:56
J'Burg 5:04 - London 9:01 - Los Angeles 7:48
Melbourne 4:49 - Mexico City 6:58 - Miami 7:56
New York 8:11 - Singapore 6:54 - Toronto 8:43
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
Learn from the mistakes of others-
you won't live long enough to
make them all yourself.
Asher HaLevi ben Eliyahu Nachman |