Valuing Life Over Economy

What is the idea behind the three gifts - Wisdom, strength and wealth - that if a person has received them from Hashem, he has everything? When is it considered that one has received them from Hashem, and when is it not? What was the mistake of the sons of the tribes of Gad and Reuven? Why did they not follow their brothers and settle the land of Israel? Why were they the first of the tribes to be exiled? What was at the core of their mistake when they put their property before the lives of their children?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 23:10

Lech Lecha - Kingdom of Kindness

What is the unique mission of Avraham Avinu? Why does the Torah deem it important to tell us of his wealth and great stature? Why does the Torah teach us about his conquest of the four and five kings? Why were the wise men of Nimrod so fearful when Avraham was born, such that they said to kill him? What was the meaning of the celestial sign that occurred when Avraham was born? What is the difference between all of the kingdoms of the world and the kingdom of Avraham and the Jewish people?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 27:08

Pesach - Ecstatic vs Measured Spirituality

What is the connection between Pesach and Succos? Why do they both occur in the middle of the month? What is the difference between the respective mitzvos of each holiday? Why does Succos involve a lot of movement, while Pesach seems to be more static? Why does Shmini Atzeres come immediately after Succos, while Shavuos is 50 days after Pesach? What is the character of each of these months - Nissan and Tishrei? Why do we have a seder on Pesach, but not on Succos?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 18:50

Terumah - Receving Torah, Receiving God

Why is the story of the revelation at Sinai placed immediately before the command to build a Tabernacle for Hashem's presence? Why is the center of the Tabernacle the place that houses the Ark of the Covenant and the Torah that is within it? Why does the Midrash introduce the command of building the Tabernacle with a description of the greatness of Torah? How is the Torah compared to a princess whose father, the king, comes along with it?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 20:48

Miketz - Wake Up Call

Why do the brothers only start speaking about their guilt in regards to the sale of Yosef when they have been released from incarceration? Why don't they think of it at the beginning? What is the depth of the idea that Yosef is telling them when he says, "Do this and live?" What does it mean to really live both in a spiritual and physical sense? How does one answer the 'wake up call?'

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 20:08

Shoftim - Quiet Protection

What is the concept of the prohibition against extending one's borders into that of one's fellow? How does that apply to the spiritual borders that define a person's purpose in the world? How does that apply to the personal relationship one has with Hashem?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 24:11

Spirituality

Spirituality is not a "thing," not an object that can be identified as something one possesses. It is a process, a growth experience. Ironically, when someone thinks he has achieved spirituality, he has probably lost it. One has it only as long as one is striving for it. Because we can never quite achieve perfection, we are always capable of improving ourselves. As long as we continue to improve ourselves along the lines we have discussed, we are spiritual. If we lose the momentum for growth and become stagnant, baser human inclinations toward gratification and comfort are certain to arise and work against the spiritual life. In spirituality, the searching is the finding, and the pursuit is the achievement.

- Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski

Vaera - Lesson of the frogs

Why were the first two plagues the only ones the magicians could replicate? Is there a significant difference between Moshe's miracle of the frogs, as opposed to the magicians'? Why did the plague begin in the water? Why didn't Moshe just make frogs on the land? What is the understanding of the word "צפרדע" - and what does it teach us? What is the connection between the frogs, "הצפרדעים" and the Jewish people, the "צבאות השם"? Why is it that all the frogs remained, as opposed to every other plague, where the plague was completely removed, including the locusts, as per the medrash? What is the significance of the parallel between the frog's transformation and the fetus' transformation into a baby at birth?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 18:54

The thirteenth tribe

In Parshas Vayechi, the Torah describes the bracha that Yakov Avinu gave to Yosef's sons Efraim and Menashe. There are two important points that require explanation. The first is that Yakov says that the Jewish people will always bless their children by saying that Hashem should cause them to be like Efraim and Menashe. What is the deeper significance of this? Why do we specifically bless our children this way? It is also interesting to note that when Yakov gives them their bracha, he says that they should be like fish, multiplying greatly in the land. Why does Yakov refer to fish in this bracha?

The Maharsha in Sanhedrin (12A) gives a very beautiful explanation of this passuk. He points out that there are twelve tribes in the Jewish people, and a thirteenth hidden tribe, when Yosef splits in two. Still, when the tribes are counted, there are always twelve, because when Levi is counted, Yosef is counted as a single tribe; whereas when Efraim and Menashe are counted separately, Levi is not included in the twelve. Similarly, the Maharsha points out, there are twelve months in the year, with a thirteenth 'hidden' month during the leap year. The month that is always repeated is the month of Adar, whose mazal is the fish. Here we have the theme of fish being repeated again. What is the deeper message here?

The concept of the hidden number the thirteen, and the fact that it corresponds to fish, hints to the idea that beyond the reality that we see, there is a deeper root of spirituality animating that reality. Just as fish remain beneath the surface, too numerous to count, so too the spiritual realm is completely hidden, yet it is the multi-faceted life force at the root of all we experience.

This perfectly corresponds to the character of Yosef, who was hidden in Mitzrayim, appearing to be no more than all of the Egyptians for whom he was a leader. And yet, beneath the surface of this Egyptian ruler was a son of Yakov, who remained faithful to the Torah of his father. It was this faithfulness, despite the dangerous spiritual waters of Egypt, that earned him the first-born rights that resulted in his double portion in the Jewish people. Efraim and Menashe were the 'fish' who represented the spiritual power of Yosef, one who is hidden beneath the surface, and at the same time is the spiritual force guiding and supporting his brothers, both spiritually and physically, during their sojourn in Mitzrayim.

This is why we give the bracha to our children that they should be like Efraim and Menashe. We daven that Hashem should infuse our children with that hidden spiritual light that Yosef had, which shone through his Egyptian facade, through his children, and through the Jewish people as a whole. We ask Hashem that our children find that hidden spiritual capacity that may at first be hidden, but has the potential to illuminate their own individual lives, as well as the lives of the entire Jewish people. "May Hashem make you like Efraim and Menashe... may they be like fish, multiplying greatly in the land."

Re'eh - Understanding idolatry

Why is it so essential to uproot idolatry as a prerequisite to fulfilling the Torah? Why do our sage say that one who denies the validity of idolatry is considered as if he has fulfilled the entire Torah? What is the significance of the mountain in spiritual practice? Why were the blessings and curses placed on mountains?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

(Running time: 22:03)

Sensing Kedusha - part two

In a previous post, I spoke about the idea of sensing the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, and quoted the story I heard about the Rizhiner. In it, the rebbe implied to his chossid that the lack of sensitivity to the holiness of Eretz Yisrael was due to a certain lack of spirituality akin to a person who is dead.

So what do we do if we don't feel it?

And by the way, even if we 'feel it,' do we really? My wife once mentioned to me that when she was in seminary, one of her Rebbeim (who happens to be extremely spiritually in tune) turned to the girls and said to them that if he would blindfold them and plug up their ears, then bring them to rechov Ben Yehuda and the Kotel (lehavdil), they would not be able to tell which place was which.

It's clear that even if we do 'feel it,' it is quite likely that it is completely emotional and/or psychological.

So what is the correct approach?

I would like to share a true story with you, and I have changed the identities of the people involved and some of the minor details. I heard this directly from the people involved, so even if it seems a little 'far out,' I truly believe its veracity.

A family friend, David, was going through a mid-life spiritual renewal. He had experienced a number of different things that took him in his new direction, and although he started late, he felt that it was better late than never. While he had been growing in ruchniyus, his wife Sharon had lagged behind somewhat. She still wore pants and did not cover her hair, and preferred a good movie to a discussion of Rebbe Nachman's stories. Nevertheless, he did not pressure her, and their marriage remained solid.

At a certain point, David had decided to go on a spiritual Shabbaton retreat, and naturally assumed that his wife would not be interested. He booked a room for one.

At the same time, he was involved with spiritual healing, and a couple came to him who had been trying to get pregnant for a long time, and they had finally succeeded. Despite their success, they were nervous about the strength of the pregnancy, and came to him for help.

As David worked with them, the fetus actually began to communicate with him, via the fetus' mother. The fetus told them that it had tried to come into the world a number of times, but each time had been unsuccessful for whatever reason. This time, however, all would be well. The fetus then began to speak to David about his spiritual journey. He was quite surprised when he was questioned as to why he was not including Sharon in his spiritual growth. He responded by saying that he did not think she was interested at all. The fetus recommended that he invite Sharon to join him on the retreat. Still a bit doubtful, David assured the fetus that he would indeed do so.

Apprehensively, David asked Sharon if she would come on the retreat with him. Sharon smiled and said that she would love to join him.

And so began their journey together, each one growing at their own pace, but growing together nonetheless.

Sometimes we look at ourselves and think that we are not capable of sensing spirituality, that our physical side is just not interested, and that we are spiritually inept. Sometimes our physical side seems downright defiant when it comes to anything spiritual. If we look down on that part of ourselves, however, we do ourselves a great disservice. We do not give ourselves the chance to grow.

If we leave ourselves some emotional space, however, allowing it to be okay if there are times where we lack spiritual connection, we release the emotional pressure that would otherwise prevent any potential growth from taking place. Once the pressure is off, we can check in once in a while on ourselves (or the ones we love, for that matter) and offer the opportunity to come along for the spiritual ride. Doing otherwise just creates needless barriers and stunted growth at best.

In fact, if we see others who may not be on our spiritual level as being inferior to ourselves, we just pull ourselves down with a festering pride that is the greatest enemy of spirituality and is just a trick of the yetzer hara. This is especially ironic if our perceived advantage is nothing more than a psychological game we are playing with our own minds.

Looking at ourselves and others in a positive light - acting as a non-judgmental model, without making demands - this is what will ultimately see success.

I believe that this is why the Jewish people do not try to make converts, in fact, we push them away. Judaism is the only religion with such an approach. This shows us that the only path to true spiritual growth is by choice. Coerced growth is false. We act as a 'light unto the nations.' When people are drawn to our light and are sincere in their desire, we accept them.

This is the Torah approach to spiritual growth, both in guiding oneself along that path, as well as helping others. If we apply force to ourselves or others, it will only lead to destruction. If we look down on ourselves and others, even if it is only in our thoughts, it is impossible for us to cover up our true feelings. It is always apparent from how we hold ourselves and interact what is going on inside our minds. At best, this just causes a sense of that same pressure, albeit in a covert way.

The only truly effective path is to change our thoughts and attitudes, and know that if we are sensitive and are proper models, we can begin a healthy spiritual ascent both for ourselves and others.