Rabbi's Blog - Chabad of the Bay Area

How good is your memory?

Thursday, February 26, 2015 - 9:28 PM

"Remember what Amalek did to you when you went out of Egypt!" are the words of caution we read in the Torah on this Shabbat before Purim.

Amalek was the nation who attacked us when we left Egypt. Although they had no direct quarrel with the Israelites, they still attacked us, with the sole intent of "cooling down" our trust in G-d and our enthusiasm for entering the Promised Land.

Today, our task to remember Amalek is a spiritual one. It is to be constantly aware of one the greatest dangers facing each of us, personally and collectively: The danger of doubt that curbs our enthusiasm and leads to coldness, indifference and apathy; a coldness that stunts our efforts of pursuing spiritual growth and continual self-improvement.

Bottoms up!

Friday, February 20, 2015 - 2:53 PM

In the center of the Holy Temple stood a beautiful seven-branch Menorah molded from gold.

Up and down its straight branches were elegant motifs of flowers, buttons and goblets as detailed in this week’s Torah portion. Surprisingly, the decorative goblets on the Menorah’s arms were shaped to be upside down – in other words, the mouth of each goblet was facing downward.

Explains the Rebbe, the Temple’s Menorah wasn’t there for its light, rather it was about spreading a spiritual light to the world. Thus, it only made sense for the goblets too to express this very concept by being angled toward a pouring mode rather than a receiving mode.

In our personal lives, we, too, must make efforts to ensure that we are not merely receiving and acquiring the blessings that G-d has permitted us, but also in turn fulfilling our task of serving as an illuminating light to everyone around us.

Also from Sinai

Friday, February 13, 2015 - 2:08 AM

This week's Torah portion begins with "And these are the laws..."and goes on to relate laws involving financial matters, damages, and the like.

Why start a new section with the word "And"?

Our sages explain that this is to show that these laws are equal to the ones mentioned in the previous section at the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. That just as those were clearly G-dly, so, too, are the everyday laws mentioned here.

The lesson for us is that while there are different types of Mitzvot in the Torah, some that are easy to appreciate and understand and others that are beyond human understanding and clearly G-dly in origin --

Nevertheless, we should realize that all of them really emerge from the same lofty place, the Wisdom of the Creator. It is merely that G-d chose to make certain ones appear logical and others beyond human logic. But essentially, all Mitzvot -- even the openly rational ones -- emerge from the infinite depths of G-d's Wisdom.

Speak to the women first

Friday, February 6, 2015 - 5:08 PM

At the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, G-d instructs Moses to address the Jewish women ("The House of Jacob") first only then to speak to the men ("The Sons of Israel").

The Talmud points this out and explains that G-d was relaying to Moses that the foundation and future of the Jewish People is first and foremost in the hands of the Jewish women.