Our Sages relay that the consumption of blood ingrains within someone the attribute of cruelty; it is for this reason that Kosher meat is slaughtered as so and meticulously salted – to pull out the attribute of “harshness” from the meat. One that refrains from eating this “harsh food” is imbuing within himself the attribute of mercy. And one who thus proceeds to elevate himself, his children naturally come from a more elevated “vessel” In this way he is benefiting his children as well as himself.

In addition to all this, the Almighty looks at the dedication that one has in adhering to Torah and Mitsvot and that within itself stands as a merit for one’s children. Rashi, in his commentary on the Chumash points out that if this is the reward that we receive for something that comes naturally (ie, not drinking blood) then how much more reward is there for something that is difficult for us. Simply put, what we eat stands as a merit for the good our children receive!

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Chaim Levy

This week’s Torah portion is called Ekev, which literally translates into “heel.” Our sages comment that this name is coming to awaken us to pay attention to those Mitsvot that are seemingly less important – just as the heel is a part of the body that might be overlooked.

Rav Noah Weinberg, of blessed memory, used to tell a famous story that captures just how important the simple things are in life. We have a “tradition” to tell over this story just as the GoSephardic trip is going to experience the Museum of the Blind in Holon, a museum that requires one to walk in the complete dark through numerous rooms and live the life of a blind person for an hour, a truly life changing experience.

The story goes that a man by the name of David was walking in the street on what seemed to be an ordinary day, when he sees a group of people pointing up at a skyscraper. There was someone there that was standing on the ledge and about to commit suicide! Instead of waiting around to see what happens, David decides to intervene. He quickly runs up until he reaches the proper floor, and slowly proceeds to the room, not knowing even what he was going to say.

The “jumper” sees this man approaching, and threatens that if he comes any closer, he’s going to take him down with him. After some coercion though, he agrees to allow this person to join him on the ledge, but warns against any funny business. At that point, the jumper relays the saddest life story that anyone has ever heard. From begging to end the story was pitiful and horrendous. In turn, David asks the jumper a question: “Imagine if in addition to all this you were also born blind, and precisely at this moment you received your eyesight back. Would you jump?” To which the jumper answers, “Absolutely not! I would take a day and enjoy the gift of sight, see what I and my loved ones look like, what the sunset looks like, what the ocean looks like…” To this David responds, “Now that the Almighty has already given you this free gift of sight, and many many more gifts, is it any less valuable? Do you have less points in life because you never experienced what it’s like to be without it?” The jumper understood the message that despite everything difficult that he had experienced, he still had a multitude of good points, each one worth vast treasures.

Just the same, this week’s Torah portion being named after the “heel” is telling us that there are tremendous rewards for someone who pays attention to the “Mitsvot that are the heels” – ones that are typically overlooked. And that similarly, we should not lose sight of the gifts in life that are also usually overlooked.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Chaim Levy

This week’s Torah Portion, Mas’ae, discusses at length the 42 different journeys the Jewish People undertook while in the desert. At first glance this might seem a bit lengthy to mention all these journeys since we know that the Torah is very meticulous about every single letter written inside. What is the significance of the 42 journeys that the Torah spends so many lines recounting them?

There is a famous parable comparing someone who studies Torah to a diver standing on top of a cliff and overlooking the ocean. The diver enjoys the crisp air while marveling in the view of the sea. He dives in to see the life underwater and the deeper he goes, the more diverse and exquisite the fish and sea life become. Ultimately he swims to the depth of depths and sees the ocean in a way that he could never have imagined… The same could be said of one who delves deeper and deeper into Torah. Let’s dive in to understand these apparently superfluous lines.

The Magen Avraham discusses these verses at length in a responsa dealing with Jewish Law. He explains how every one of the 42 verses coincides with another letter of a Name of the Almighty which has 42 letters. Each journey mentioned adds another letter to that Name of Hashem–meaning the Jewish People weren’t just haphazardly traveling through the desert!

The message is clear: From the outside our journeys in life might seem a bit superfluous at times–but in reality when we delve deeper, we realize we are being guided by the Hand of the Almighty.

Shabbat Shalom!

Is there an advantage to having blind faith? This week’s Torah portion, Hukat, seems to allude that the answer is in fact yes. The Parasha states, “This is the statute of the Torah” and then proceeds to discuss the laws of “The Red Cow.” The ashes of this all-red cow were used to purify those that were rendered impure due to contact with a corpse. The perplexing part of all this is that those that were sprinkled with the ashes and water became pure while those who did the sprinkling became impure!  In fact, the Midrash states that the nations of the world attack Judaism by questioning the logic of this mitzvah: how can it make one person pure and an another impure at the same time?

The great Rabbi Yisrael Salanter happened to arrive at a certain inn. In the lobby, everyone surrounded a fellow Jew who was holding a fork with a piece of swine on it. The Jew stood up in front of the crowd and proclaimed, “If there is a God, let Him stop me from eating this swine. May I choke on it!” This was said numerous times in front of the entire crowd. He proceeded to place the swine into his mouth and swallowed it without incident. After some time the owner of the inn came to Rabbi Salanter and asked why the Almighty had not proven him wrong. Rabbi Salanter turned to the owner of the inn and said, “Is it true that your daughter plays the piano magnificently?” “Yes,” he replied, “she has been practicing for many years.” “I do not believe you,” replied Rabbi Salanter, “I would like her to play for us.” The girl refused. “Well,” said the Rabbi, “if she does not play and prove herself it must not be true!” The innkeeper replied that she studied for many years and even has a certification and does not need to prove herself to every person that doubts her. The purpose of the certificate is to provide proof in situations such as these. In his wisdom, Rabbi Salanter replied that the Almighty also gave us a certificate at Mt. Sinai – the Torah! It is proof plenty and He does not have to prove himself to every person that desires a personal miracle performance.

To be clear, the Torah does not believe in blind faith. But once the foundations of the religion have been established in an ironclad way, a person has to have faith in order to proceed until he understands the rest.

Rabbi Hayim ben Attar asks a very poignant question regarding the red cow. He asks, Why is it called the statute of the entire Torah? It should be called the decree of purity and impurity, or something along those lines. But why of the entire Torah?

He answers with a beautiful point: the laws of this specific commandment are called a Hok – a decree – something that we do not comprehend. Even King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, said that he was very far from understanding the wisdom behind these laws. Yet if one proceeds to accept these laws he or she is showing that their dedication to the entire Torah is built on faith in the Almighty.

Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Chaim Levy

This week’s Torah Portion, Bamidbar, seems to have a very unassuming verse:
“The Children of Israel shall encamp each man by his banner/flag ”(2:2). It
relays the fashion that the Jewish People camped in the desert when they had
left Egypt, in which they placed banners on all four sides of their camp.
Given that we know that the Torah is a lesson book for the ages, the
question that begs to be asked is: What significance could it have to us in
the 21^st century?

In the War of 1967, the battle for the identity of Jerusalem was at its
crucial stage. The Arabs had control of the Holy City and restricted the
Jews from even visiting their holiest site, the Western Wall. On one
occasion a Yemenite Jew broke into the Old City in an attempt to help the
soldiers that were placing a siege on the city. His effort was discovered by
the Arabs and they chased him relentlessly throughout the city. In a
desperate attempt to hide, he climbed up a tree and hid between the
branches. A few Arabs spotted him and came close to the tree. Looking up at
him suspiciously one of them eventually concluded, “Let him be, he is an
Arab; I can tell by the way he looks.” The Yemenite Jew was so infuriated
as the Arabs walked away that he climbed down and yelled at them, “I am a
Jew! Do not confuse me with anyone else!” and then fled.

The necessity to be identified as a Jew and the respective pride he felt was
a basic tenet of his being – so much so that he was ready to risk his life.

We can seen an allusion to this in David HaMelech’s book of Tehllim, which
states,” May we sing for joy at Your Salvation and raise Your _banner_ in
the Name of G-d” (20:6). Identifying ourselves as the camp of the Almighty
and embracing the path of Hashem is truly something to be proud of and show
off to the nations of the world.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Chaim Levy

No Pain, No Gain

“Then you shall observe the Festival of Shavuot/Weeks” (Devarim 16:10)

The Festival of Weeks – What an interesting name for a Holiday! We are used to names that are more reflective of what they represent, for example, Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement and Rosh Hashana – Head of the Year. These names seem a bit more mainstream compared to the “Festival of Weeks.” Seemingly, the weeks are just a process to count up to the Holiday, not the reason for the Holiday. So what is the Torah alluding to when giving it this name?

Imagine you are studying for your Bar Exam – it is taking over your life. No time for socializing, no time for the gym, family, and on and on. The closer to the date of the test, the more you apply yourself until you are eating meals in your room and praying via Skype! The day finally arrives, you take the test and can’t do anything but eagerly await your scores.

Months later the long awaited envelope arrives…. and you are devastated to find out that you have failed! You muster up the strength to try to appeal and plead your case, “I studied so hard and hope to get a merciful mark.” Needless to say, we are all aware of the ending.

In Judaism the outcome is, in fact, different. One’s “score” depends on the effort that one places and not the final product. The Talmud in Gittin 43a states, “A person cannot acquire any level in growth and Torah unless he first stumbles upon it.” Our Sages are teaching us that part of the growth process is the hardships themselves!  The hard-working period is equally part of the final score as the outcome is.

On the Holiday of Shavuout/Weeks, we are making ourselves worthy for the acceptance of the Torah. The preparation of our soul and body is as equally important as the Holiday itself. In fact, our Sages tell us that 30 days before any Holiday one must learn the laws that pertain to that Holiday. From a spiritual perspective this is not only to know the laws, but more so to work on ourselves. The more we prepare, the higher degree of spiritually our mitzvot will have.

Chag Sameach,
Rabbi Chaim Levy

“The Power to Heal”

In this week’s Torah Portion Mishpatim, we find a verse that is the basis for all healthcare: “Verapo Yirapeh” (21:19) – He shall provide for his healing -  referring one who causes physical harm to another. The Gemarah asks: how is one permitted to go to the doctor? Seemingly, if the Almighty gives one the illness, then who are any of us to defy that?

This true miracle story will shed some light: The  MRI caught all of the doctors in Tel Aviv’s Tel Hashomer hospital by surprise. They had no idea what they were looking at when they saw an 8 year old girl with a serious condition in her brain. The date for surgery was set for two weeks time. Until then, the family decided to start a major campaign to inspire as many people as they can towards reciting blessings with utmost concentration. Since the blessing of Asher Yatsar (a blessing of thanksgiving given after using the restroom) is known to be a source for health, there was a special emphasis placed on this blessing. Interestingly enough, the parents did not tell the young girl. However, the next morning she awoke and told them that she had a dream and was planning to strengthen herself vis-a-vis the recitation of blessings. The parents were beside themselves when they saw this “coincidence.” The parents enlisted hundreds of people, religious and non religious, family and friends to push this blessing campaign forward.

A few short hours before the surgery the mother requested another MRI. The doctors replied, “There is no need to; we did an MRI twelve hours ago and the status of the brain was the same.” The mother was adamant– she had a feeling about this one. Reluctantly the doctors followed her request…only discover that the symptoms were gone. The girl was almost 100% cured.  There was no need for surgery as it was going away on its own. The doctors asked what perek of Tehilim they recited and what spiritual remedy they used. The parents went into detail about the Berachot Campaign and its effects–as it turns out, the illness was the source of the inspiration for hundreds of people.

Which brings us back to our original question: how can one go to the doctor–is it not a G-d given situation? The answer is that there are times when the Almighty has a message that He wants us to receive from the situation, e.g. growth, moving forward and taking the next step. We need to hear the underlying message behind “Why does G-d want the person to go to the doctor?”

May it be Hashem’s will that we in fact hear the messages we are sent and that this serves as a source of blessing for us all.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Chaim Levy

“The Truth Is…”

Sincerity, it is such a powerful word. We strive to have it, desire to befriend those that follow its path and use it as a building block in our marriages. This week’s torah Portion, Terumah, teaches us this lesson in a dynamic way.  In the Temple, the Ark served as housing for the Tablets and the Torah Scroll that Moshe Rabeinu wrote. It was constructed in a very unique way: a box of gold measuring about 5 feet tall on the outside, a wooden box in the middle and once again a golden box on the inside. What lesson can we derive from the construction of the Ark?

The Talmud tells us a fascinating story about Rabbi Yossi when he was in the middle of praying the Amidah – the silent prayer – and was approached by someone with a great business opportunity. Not noticing that Rabbi Yossi was praying and could not answer the man made him an offer of 100 dinar, a fair amount but not too good of a deal. The Rabbi did not reply, so the man raised the offer to 150 dinar, but still with no reply from the Rabbi. This continued until the monetary offer rose to 500 dinar, an exuberant amount for the business transaction. Rav Yosi, still engrossed in his prayer, did not even hint a reply. Finally Rabbi Yossi finished his prayer and took three steps back. Immediately Rabbi Yossi said, “I want the deal, lets close on it…but AT THE ORIGNIAL PRICE OF 100 DINAR. As soon as you brought the deal to me I agreed to that price of 100 dinar, but could not reply, and it would be dishonest of me to accept the higher offer.” From this story we are exposed to the level of sincerity and honesty that comes with adherence of the Torah. It is no wonder that the seal of the Almighty is truth and sincerity.We need to be the same on the outside as we are in the inside – that is the message of the Ark , a gold box on the outside and a gold box on the inside- sincere and real through and through.

May the Almighty grant us a blessing that truth, sincerity and peace should be the guiding force in our homes, our places of work and our relationships.

Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov,
Rabbi Levy

“And They Lived Happily Ever After”

We have all read these famous words yet how many of us actually live “Happily ever after?” HaRav Noach Weinberg z”l told a powerful story that can serve as a tool for encorporating joy into our lives. It once happened that David was walking down the street, only to see a man about to jump off the ledge of the 50th floor of a building. Deciding to save the man’s life David quickly enters the building and makes his way to the 50th floor. Just ass he enters the room the jumper yells “Halt!” Promising not to pull any funny business David climbes out onto the ledge with the jumper and listens to the worst sob story ever imagnied – it really was a horrific turn of events . David turns to the man and, acknowledging that it truly is terribly sad story, asks him a question, “Imagine all that you have told me, but with one variation: imagine that you were born without sight! Your entire life you lived without being able to see anything. Then, all of a suddent, at this exact moment you received your eye sight and could see. What would you do if your eyes started to work?! Would you jump? To which the the man on the ledge replied, “Absolutely not! I would want to see what I look like, my family, the sunset, colors, watch a movie… I would want to see it all!” The man understood that the value of something we’ve had from birth, such as sight, is no less of a gift from G-d.

Rabbi Bachaye writes in his book Duties of the Heart, “One of the reasons that we do not apprecitate the gifts that the Almighty gives us is because we were given these gifts from birth and are merely used to them, thereby causing us not to appreciate them anymore.”

If we learn to appreciate the “givens” in life that the Almighty has given us, there is a source of consistent joy and apprecitaton that we can tap into!

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Levy

They Destroy, We Build

In a world that eagerly awaits the iPad 2, the horrific events of the Fogul family, who were murdered on Shabbat by terrorists, are hard to digest.

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, how much more is a video?
Click here to watch the interview with Tamar Fogul, the courageous 12 year-old girl that survived the terrorist attack on her family.

In the times of the Temple, married women that had acted in a promiscuous fashion were brought before the Highest Rabbinical Court. The Court removed their hair covering and questioned them rigorously regarding their inappropriate actions. Our sages tell us that anyone that would see this procedure should refrain from drinking wine for thirty days, since it was probably actions such as those that led the married women to act inappropriately.

The Almighty exposes us to situations in order for us to learn and take a message from them. For an adult, looking forward and building on pain and anger is a difficult thing. Barely a teenager, Tamar Fogul is doing it. The ruthless terrorist that performed the unimaginable acts expects and wants us to look back and fall; Tamar is looking forward. The Jewish People should not know times of challenge but if/when they come we must use them as a catalyst towards growth.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Chaim Levy