V'Zot HaBeracha

Moshe lived until he was 120 years old,
Yet, "His eyes were undimmed," we are told,
Until his last breath was finished,
"His natural force was not diminished."

Usually people lose energy over time,
But Moshe never got tired of the climb,
What was the secret of Moshe's youthful energy,
When he had so much responsibility?

His eyes were undimmed is not just a description,
It is the answer to the question,
Moshe's natural force was undiminished it's true,
Because his eyes were undimmed no matter what he went through.

Moshe was focused on his mission,
He kept his high ideals and vision,
He was as passionate at the end just as he was at the beginning,
His commitment to his people was unyielding.

As the man who burned but wasn't consumed, Moshe we see,
Just like the burning bush that wasn't consumed miraculously,
Until the end, his goal and vision did stay,
He remained full of energy until his last day.

To stay young we must be wise,
Our ideals we should never compromise,
They keep our spirit alive,
Our ideals give us the strength to survive.

We can't despair when obstacles come our way,
We must be inspired by our vision and keep going the next day,
Success comes just before we are about to believe that we did fail,
If we keep trying, we will certainly prevail!

Souvenir: trophy

Parshat Ha'azinu

Parshat Ha'azinu is the song that Moshe did sing,
These were his final words of parting,
With a description of Hashem's kindness the song does begin,
But it predicts that eventually the Jews wouldn't listen.

It continues with the evil that Hashem will send,
But the song closes by saying that the Jews will rejoice in the end,
In the Beit Hamikdash during the Musaf offering,
The Levites sang Ha'azinu although it speaks of our suffering.

Into six parts the song was divided,
Each week one part was recited,
The parts sung on week one, two, and six, were indeed inspiring,
But what about the weeks in between, which speak of suffering?

The point of all the songs was to bring joy,
Why would they sing words which would bring feelings of "oy,"
How would singing the sad parts,
Uplift the Jewish people's hearts?

When the Levites sang the bitter parts of the song,
They were teaching us how to cope when things go wrong,
When tragedy strikes, to our faith we must hold,
We need to patiently wait for the song to unfold.

There will be days that the song we won't hear playing in our ears,
There will be days that we will shed tears,
But the hard times are one stanza of a larger song for sure,
We must come back the next week to hear more!

When we are tested we grow,
Our commitment to Hashem we show,
No matter what life brings we know that we are in middle of a song,
We will discover that even during the hard times there was music all along.

Souvenir: music pencil

Parshat Vayeilech

Before Moshe's soul would take flight,
The entire Torah he did write,
He gave it to the tribe of Levi,
Whose job it was the ark to carry.

On a shelf in the holy of holies, the Torah was placed,
Or in the ark, the tablets it faced,
Why was it necessary for a physical Torah scroll to be,
In a place that represented infinity?

The holy of holies was unique,
No one was allowed to go in or take a peek,
Besides for the high priest on Yom Kippur day,
When for all the Jews he would pray.

The holy of holies measured twenty Amot long and wide,
Miraculously, the ark didn't take up any space inside,
The letters on the tablets didn't have an existence of their own,
They were engraved into the stone.

Its letters were miraculous it's true,
They were engraved through and through,
The inside of the letters Samach and Mem stood in mid air,
In the holy of holies, Hashem's presence was clear.

The Torah doesn't belong in the holy of holies we would think,
Because it is hand written on parchment with ink,
Unlike the letters of the tablets which represent humility,
The letters in the Torah scroll exist independently.

The purpose of the holy of holies is that it should reach,
Every corner of the world and teach,
That Hashem is the creator who is found in every place,
He is infinite, above time and space.

How can we reach this goal?
Through the physical Torah scroll,
To draw down the holiness, the Torah is the tool,
Until the world recognizes that Hashem does rule.

On Rosh Hashana we stand before Hashem with humility,
We accept upon ourselves Hashem's kingship and sovereignty,
We need to draw from this inspiration throughout the year,
And always remember that Hashem is truly everywhere.

Souvenir: mini plush Torah

Parshat Nitzavim

Parshat Nitzavim is read,
On the Shabbos before the year's head,
"You are ALL standing today"
Refers to Rosh Hashana day.

We will be judged favorably,
When we stand together in unity,
Because what brings the most joy to our heavenly father,
Is when we get along with each other.

Every word in the Torah is exact,
There are no extra words, it is a fact,
So why does the Torah mention ten categories of Jews,
Which the word כולכם״ - ALL of you" includes?

Every Jew is as special as can be,
With a unique mission and responsibility,
It doesn't matter who you are,
Every Jew is a shining star!

To a human body the Jewish people compare,
We each need to do our share,
To ensure that our body stays healthy,
Every organ, muscle and cell must function properly.

We have to love each other,
Because we are dependent on each other,
As great as the head may be,
To carry the body is the feet's responsibility.

Wether you are a leader,
Or a wood chopper,
You are needed and you matter,
Every minute of every hour!

Souvenir: standing person

Parshat Ki Tavo

In Parshat Ki Tavo we find the Mitzvah of Bikkurim,
Farmers would bring their first fruit to Yerushalayim,
They were as thankful as could be,
For a land flowing with milk and honey.

This Mitzvah is special because it does show,
That the farmer does know,
That although he worked hard to plant and sow,
Hashem is the one who makes things grow.

We say Modeh Ani before we get out of bed,
Before eating food a Bracha is said,
With "Thank You"s the Jewish day is packed,
Bikkurim is different because it is an act.

It is easy to say thank you,
But to show our appreciation, action we must do,
Just like Bikkurim fruit so sweet,
A sweet act, makes our gratitude complete.

Since Rosh Hashana is on the way,
And for a sweet new year we pray,
A story of our Rebbe so dear,
Let us learn from and share.

About every Jew the Rebbe did care,
He would bless thousands of Jews with a good and sweet year,
A gentleman once asked the Rebbe why "sweet" was necessary to say,
Wouldn't a blessing for a good year be O.K.?

The Rebbe answered that a good year we will have for sure,
Because from Hashem comes only goodness galore,
Our request is that the goodness should be felt physically,
Our lives should be as sweet as honey!

Hashem please bless every Jew,
With an abundance of fruit so that we could serve you,
We will thank you for fruit so sweet and tasty,
With sweet deeds that will bring Moshiach speedily!

Souvenir:

Parshat Ki Teitzei

In Parshat Ki Teitzei we find the command,
To remember the nation of Amalek who laid a hand,
On the Jewish people when they left the Egyptian land,
To wipe them out, Hashem does demand.

The nation of Amalek was cruel,
The fear of the other nation's they did cool,
When everyone was in awe of the Jews,
To be the first to fight us they did choose.

To a boiling hot bathtub the Jews did compare,
To jump inside no one would dare,
To get burned Amalek didn't care,
They cooled off the water for the other nations everywhere.

״אשר קרך בדרך״ he met you on the way,
In the word קרך/met we see the word קר/cold right away,
Although this happened in days of old,
We each have an inner Amalek to fight we are told.

You wake up in the morning and say,
Today will be better than yesterday,
But then something doesn't go your way,
The Amalek within has a role to play.

Who do you think you are?
You will never get very far,
Amalek puts doubt in your heart,
He cools you off before you start.

The numerical equivalence of the word עמלק/Amalek,
Equals to the numerical equivalence of the word doubt/ספק/Safek,
When you are inspired to do something right,
Don't let the doubts creep in, hold on tight!

Although fear and doubt are above logic and reason,
We can fight it no matter what the season,
Because we have a power that is above logic too,
It is our faith in Hashem, an inheritance for every Jew.

The word זכור/remember holds the key,
To fight Amalek for all eternity,
Remember the faith that may lie buried and forgotten,
And reveal it in the open.

Faith in Hashem isn't something new,
It is a treasure within every Jew,
Because it is above logic and reason too,
It is the perfect weapon to fight the Amalek within me and you.

Souvenir: reusable ice cubes

Parshat Shoftim

When you fight your enemies,
Don't cut down any fruit trees,
Because to a tree of the field, man does compare,
In Parshat Shoftim, the Torah makes this clear.

Just like the roots of a tree are hidden underground,
At our core, our faith can always be found,
Trees need to always be connected to the soil to grow,
When we do a Mitzvah our attachment to Hashem we show.

From the roots stem the trunk of understanding,
Which branches out into feelings and deeds that are always expanding,
Producing delicious fruit is the ultimate goal,
To influence others and plant a seed in their soul.

Earth, water, sun and air are elements four,
They help the tree grow more and more,
There is a lesson for us to explore,
About how to educate our children and grow stronger than before.

From the earth the tree gets it's nutrients,
Representing nurture, values and guidance,
Nourishment, parents and teachers can shower,
Their children and students they can empower.

Water keeps plants and trees alive,
Without the Torah we can't survive,
A tree needs light and warmth radiated by the sun,
Children need to see that Judaism is full of beauty, love and fun!

Air represents our environment and atmosphere,
We have to be careful with what we see and hear,
So take a moment and gaze at a tree,
It is a reflection of you and me.

Souvenir: toy tree

Parshat Re'eh

If a fish is kosher how do we know?
The fins and scales are the signs that show,
That the fish is fit for every Jew,
For breakfast, lunch or supper too.

The Talmud does say,
That there is no way,
For a fish with scales to have no fins,
The kosher status it surely wins!

So why does the Torah mention fins in the first place?
To help us with the decisions that we face,
When we are in the money making race,
At home or in our work place.

From the fins and scales we can learn,
About how a living we should earn,
Fins represent ambition which is necessary,
In order for the fish to move forward quickly.

But ambition is dangerous without direction,
We must have scales that give protection,
Yes, there are many things to do,
But to our values we must stay true.

Our values keep us strong,
So we won't go wrong,
Scales are as important as can be,
With scales, fins come naturally.

The lessons from the kosher signs of a fish are clear,
When to the Torah and Mitzvot we adhere,
We won't lose out,
We will be successful without a doubt.

Souvenir: fish toy

Parshat Eikev

The Torah portion of Eikev does begin,
With the words, "If you will listen,"
To say "If," why does the Torah choose,
A unique word like Eikev, to use?

The word Eikev does contain,
A second meaning, Rashi does explain,
Eikev is a heel, in our bodies it is the lowest part,
We use it to trample over things that we don't take to heart.

If the Mitzvot that we trample with our feet, we will keep,
The rewards and benefits, from Hashem, we will reap,
What type of Mitzvah would seem insignificant to you and me,
That would go into the "heel" category?

There are some Mitzvot that we can understand,
Our intellect motivates us to fulfill this type of command,
There are other Mitzvot that make us feel good,
We fulfill them because our heart tells us that we should.

Lastly, there are Mitzvot of a different kind,
We don't do them because of our heart or mind,
We fulfill them because they are the will of Hashem,
Even though our mind and heart tell us to trample over them.

How can we fulfill these Mitzvot you may ask,
To make ourselves humble before Hashem is our task,
As humble as a person might be,
An animal has total humility.

On Rosh Hashana, the Shofar we blow,
Our total humility to Hashem we show,
Therefore although a different horn may sound nice,
Only a ram's horn does suffice.

Souvenir:

Parshat Va'etchanan

From when Hashem appeared in the burning bush of fire,
To enter the land of Israel was Moshe's greatest desire,
But Moshe did not get his way,
In the desert he did pass away.

Hashem said that for Moshe to hit the rock was a sin,
Therefore into the land, he would not be let in,
For a sin so small,
It doesn't seem fair at all!

When the Jews sinned with the golden calf,
Moshe saved the Jews by praying on their behalf,
Why didn't Hashem answer Moshe's prayers now, and wipe his tears,
For his faithfulness and dedication for forty years?

After Moshe liberated us from slavery,
Forever we became spiritually free,
Even when our enemies were in control,
They had no power over our soul.

The Torah that Moshe taught, we still learn today,
The Tabernacle's vessels weren't destroyed, only hidden away,
Everything that Moshe accomplished was eternal and everlasting,
Therefore, Hashem couldn't fulfill what Moshe was asking.

If Moshe were to enter, the Jews could never leave,
To elevate the entire world we could never achieve,
If Moshe would have been given permission,
There would be no continuation to fulfilling our mission.

Going into Israel was only the beginning of our journey,
Hashem didn't want it to be the end of our history,
Going into exile would be no fun,
But great challenges we would overcome!

Moshe's 515 prayers were not in vain,
Permission to see the land, he did obtain,
Moshe's ability to see,
Was given to us for all eternity.

Even when faced with tragedy,
The future redemption is a reality,
Our hope and our faith is as strong as can be,
Because our souls, have the power to see!

Souvenir: binoculars

Parshat Devarim

Devarim, is the name of the Torah portion,
Where Moshe's farewell address does begin,
For the last five weeks before Moshe passed away,
He taught the Jews Torah all day.

Why was this time different than all the rest,
To study Torah for forty years they did their best,
The Torah says, that Moshe gave a באר״ CLARIFICATION,״
The commentator, Rashi, has an interesting interpretation.

Into seventy languages, Moshe did translate,
The entire Torah for five weeks straight,
Rashi usually gives us the simple explanation,
From where does Rashi get this information?

Rashi learns this from a future conversation,
In Parshat Ki Tavo, with the Jewish nation,
The Jews would enter the land shortly,
Moshe asked that they fulfill his legacy.

On twelve large rocks, Moshe specified,
In 70 languages, the Torah should be inscribed,
In a manner that would be "WELL CLARIFIED,"
It would take a miracle, as hard as they tried.

The words "WELL CLARIFIED," are mentioned there,
The word "CLARIFICATION" is mentioned here,
We learn from one verse how to explain another,
When we study Torah, there is so much to discover.

How could the Jewish people benefit or grow,
From hearing the Torah in languages that they did not know?
Moshe knew that entering Israel, wouldn't be the end of our journey,
We would be exiled and dispersed in every country.

Moshe knew that it was necessary,
To translate the Torah into every language there could be,
So that no Jew could ever say that the Torah isn't relevant to me,
Moshe made the Torah accessible in every language for you and me!

*Bonus*

In the word "HEITEV/ היטב," which means "WELL (clarified)" we see,
A hint to the number seventy,
Every letter in the Alef Bet,
A different number it does represent.

The letter א׳ equals one, ב׳ is two, ג׳ is three,
Can you count with me?
The letter ה׳ is five, ט׳ is nine and י׳ is ten,
Can you do it again?

From the word היטב, you will get a total of seventy for sure,
If you add the value of each letter with the letters that come before,
The letter ה׳ equals five, ה׳ plus י׳ equals fifteen,
Do you see what I mean?

The letters ה׳ plus י׳ plus ט׳ equals twenty four,
The letters ה׳ plus י׳ plus ט׳ plus ב׳ equals two more.
Add five, fifteen, twenty four, and twenty six, and you will see,
That the sum will be a total of seventy!

Souvenir:

Parshat Masei

In Parshat Masei it does say,
That if a person killed by mistake he can run away,
To a city of refuge where he wouldn't have to worry,
From relatives who would want to take revenge in a hurry.

Every community had the responsibility,
To make sure the signs were marked clearly,
So that a person who was running away,
Would have an easy time finding the way.

There are 613 Mitzvot in all,
For winter, spring, summer or fall,
Some Mitzvot only apply when the Beit Hamikdash did stand,
Other Mitzvot only apply in the holy land.

Some Mitzvot, only apply to men,
Other Mitzvot were given to women,
But there are 6 Mitzvot that are unique,
They apply to every Jew, in every place, every day of the week.

When we sin by mistake, we also need to run,
To a city of refuge, until we become,
Connected to Hashem once more,
The gates of Teshuvah are always open for sure.

Six cities the Torah does mention,
Six spiritual cities, strengthens our connection,
To be close to Hashem is our intention,
The cities of refuge are a place for introspection.

The 6 spiritual cities are,
6 constant Mitzvot, that accompany us wether we are near or far,
To believe in Hashem and fear him too,
To love Hashem, because He loves me and you!

So if you ever fall don't despair,
Hashem is truly everywhere,
Although it sometimes seems that Hashem does hide,
He is really always at your side.

When you keep this in mind,
You will find,
A sense of security,
You will feel safe and happy!

There is one more thing that we are told,
Make sure that there is a clear sign at the fork of every road,
The best sign that there could be,
Is giving people the opportunity, for Torah study!

Souvenir: signpost

Parshat Mattos

The tribes of Reuven and Gad came with a request,
They didn't want to settle in Israel like all the rest,
Moshe couldn't believe what he did hear,
A repeat of the story of the spies he did fear.

The spies were sent to Israel 40 years before,
The land of Israel they were meant to explore,
With a negative report they did return,
To continue living a spiritual life they did yearn.

Yes, the Manna, clouds and well were great,
But their mission was the physical world to elevate,
For their mistake they had to pay,
For 40 years in the desert the Jews had to stay.

The tribes of Reuven and Gad made it clear,
That it wasn't the physical world that they did fear.
Reuven and Gad were different than the spies,
The importance of making a home for Hashem, they did realize.

They volunteered to fight at the forefront of the battle,
After the war was won they would return to their families and cattle,
Why would they give up their inheritance so grand,
For some good pastureland?

Before they would go to battle,
They said they would build pens for their cattle,
Then they would build for their children cities,
Was there something wrong with their priorities?

Chassidic philosophy does illuminate,
They did have their priorities straight,
There are three reasons that we can find,
For why they wanted to stay behind.

Firstly, to create a home for Hashem in the holy land would be great,
To build a home outside of Israel, was a challenge they wanted to take,
They spoke about the animals first because they were sure,
That the things that seem lower have a higher nature.

To what we see with our eyes there is more,
The lower something seems the higher is its spiritual core,
Just like bricks that make up a wall,
The higher the bricks are the farther they can fall.

Secondly, if they would be shepherds, they knew,
While watching the sheep and cattle they could learn Torah too,
Hashem's home is incomplete without light,
Which is accomplished through Torah study day and night.

The tribes of Reuven and Gad had a third reason,
For their desire to settle on the East of the Jordan,
In the land where Moshe would pass away,
Is where Reuven and Gad wanted to stay.

The land of milk and honey they were ready to sacrifice,
To stay with their leader they didn't think twice,
Because they knew that even after Moshe would pass away,
He would be with them even more in a spiritual way!

Souvenir: lego brick keychain

Parshat Pinchas

To settle the land of Israel the Jews were excited,
In Parshat Pinchas, the land was divided,
There were a lot of factors to take into consideration,
The terrain, location and each tribe's occupation.

There were three ways to show,
For each tribe to know,
Which plot of land was destined for them,
It was all determined by Hashem.

First, the leaders made a calculation,
Taking into account each tribes population,
Then the high priest used inspiration that was divine,
To interpret the letters that on the breastplate did shine.

The third way was to draw a lottery,
The names and places matched perfectly,
Why were the Jews shown in three different ways,
Where to settle in those days?

There is a lesson here for you and me,
About how to serve Hashem properly,
The land that was divided into 12 different parts,
Represents 12 different ways to serve Hashem with our hearts.

Although we each have a unique personality,
There are three things that apply to us all equally,
Calculation, Inspiration, and a lottery hold the key,
To connect with Hashem for all eternity.

The first step is to calculate logically,
That following the Torah is most beneficial for our family,
The second step is when we can feel holiness and sanctity,
When we are inspired and can appreciate spirituality.

The third step is when we follow the Torah even if it doesn't make sense,
A part of Hashem is our very essence,
Our connection to Hashem is like a lottery,
Which has no explanation but is meant to be!

Just like the Jews transformed the Cananite land into the promised land,
Our mission is to transform this world into a home for Hashem so grand,
We will each do our part,
That was given to us from the start.

Souvenir: Israel bracelet

Parshat Balak

For 40 years the Jews wandered in the desert sand,
At last it was time for the Jews to enter the promised land,
The mighty nations of Sichon and Og were defeated by the Jews,
The nation of Moav couldn't believe the news.

Balaam, was the one that King Balak did hire,
To have the Jews cursed was his desire,
Balak and Balaam did not get their way,
The curses were transformed to blessings on that day.

"He crouches and lies like a lion," Balaam did say,
It is a powerful description of the Jews that applies today,
"Like a lioness; who will dare rouse him?"
If you anger a lion your situation is grim.

If a lion or lioness you train,
A free animal it will always remain,
A lion can never truly be a pet,
In one second it can be a threat.

A lion can be captured,
But it can never be conquered,
To the circus viewers the lion's submission may seem real,
But in a second the lion could turn his trainer into a meal.

We have been in exile for many generations,
And have been enslaved by many nations,
To our enemies it seems like we've given in,
But in one second we can reveal our Neshama deep within.

Thank G-d, to practice our religion today we are free,
But we can't allow our Neshama to be in captivity,
We are distracted by money, fashion and technology,
Only when we allow our Neshama to shine can we truly be happy.

Let us always remember and be proud of who we are,
We are kings of the forest and we can go far,
Even if it is not popular, another Mitzvah we can do,
We can be a shining example for our family and friends too!

Like a lion let us be strong,
May we always know right from wrong,
May we utilize our power,
And do good deeds every hour.

May we merit the coming of Moshiach speedily,
Which Balaam did foresee in his prophecy,
When evil will be transformed totally,
From the cage of materialism we will be set free!

Souvenir: lion craft kit

Parshat Chukat and Gimmel Tammuz

The Mitzvah to love a fellow Jew is one we know,
But how far do we have to go?
In Parshat Chukat we learn that the right thing to do,
Is to be willing to sacrifice for another Jew.

Every year when this Torah portion is read,
The explanation for the Red Heifer is above our head,
Why is it that someone who comes in contact with the dead,
Has to be purified with water and ashes from a cow so red?

To bury the dead is the kindest act that one can do,
Because the person that passed can never repay you,
The fact that it causes impurity,
Is a real mystery.

What is even more puzzling,
Is that the Kohen who does the sprinkling,
Becomes impure until the night,
Although he helped a Jew return to his spiritual height.

The reason for this command is above our comprehension,
Mitzvot that we don't understand strengthen our connection,
But the lesson is clear for me and you,
We need to sacrifice in order to help another Jew.

In this Torah portion there is another mystery,
Why is Moshe punished so severely,
Moshe was punished because the rock he did hit,
To enter the promised land Hashem did not permit.

Why was Moshe banned,
From entering the promised land,
To bring the Jews to Israel was his goal,
Why couldn't Moshe fulfill that role?

Moshe was a faithful shepherd so kind,
He couldn't leave his nation behind,
In the desert his generation passed away,
He sacrificed his goal but with his people he would stay.

Moshe preferred to be "hit" like the rock,
Then to be separated from his flock,
Because a Moshe and his people belong together,
They are connected forever!

There is a Moshe in every generation,
The Lubavitcher Rebbe is our inspiration,
He sent his Shlichim far and near,
For every Jew he does care.

Although physically he passed away,
He is with us more than ever today,
Because a shepherd can never leave his flock,
He watches and prays for us around the clock.

Let us learn from this Torah portion and sacrifice a little more,
To bring another Jew through our Chabad House door,
One more Mitzvah can bring Moshiach right away,
May we be reunited with our Rebbe today!

Souvenir: picture of the Rebbe

Parshat Korach

In this week's Torah portion, Korach does declare,
"For Aharon to be the high priest isn't fair!
At Mount Sinai, we all heard Hashem speak,
We are all equal, no one is unique!"

For 5 months Aharon was working diligently,
What happened to make Korach revolt suddenly?
The answer lies in the previous Torah portion which mentions,
The sin of the spies who had good intentions.

About the promised land, the spies spoke negatively,
Because they wanted to live lives of spirituality,
In the desert, Torah, the Jews could study,
About food and clothing, they wouldn't have to worry.

But the spies didn't realize,
That action is the most important thing in Hashem's eyes,
Learning Torah all day is great,
But a home for Hashem, we need to create.

For the Jews to enter the land of Israel was Hashem's desire,
Hashem has a mission for us that is higher,
From the physical we shouldn't shy away,
We need to elevate the physical every day.

Korach's approach was the opposite of the spies' view,
If the most important thing is what we do,
Then he mistakenly thought it doesn't matter how or who,
Why can't the high priest be any Jew?

"In the morning" was Moshe's reply,
To make our Mitzvot shine we need to try,
In the morning the sun's rays give light,
Action is most important but devotion makes our Mitzvot bright.

Action alone is like a plain cake,
With icing and sprinkles you can enhance the cake you bake,
To think that action alone is enough was Korach's mistake,
A beautifully decorated colorful cake we can make!

Souvenir: fancy cake eraser

Parshat Shelach 2

Challah

Seven ingredients the Challah does contain,
Representing seven Spiritual blessings for us to gain.

In abundance WATER does flow,
May Hashem shower us with kindness wherever we go.

SUGAR is the faith that Hashem doesn't rest,
May life become sweeter, knowing that everything is for the best.

YEAST (שמרים) and protect (שמר) have the same Hebrew letters as you can see,
May Hashem protect and watch over you and me.

SALT represents discipline, we need a little of that too,
May we choose right from wrong in everything we do.

An EGG represents great potential within,
May our talents "hatch" and not remain hidden.

OIL from crushed olives always rises to the top,
May challenges and obstacles not make us stop.

FLOUR represents the sustenance that Hashem does give,
May we be blessed with everything we need so that a meaningful life we can live!

Souvenir: mini Challah

Parshat Shelach

The Mitzvah of separating Challah in this Torah portion we find,
Even when baking bread, we must have Hashem in mind,
Bread is the most basic food that we need to survive,
We acknowledge that Hashem is the one who keeps us alive.

All the ingredients together we knead,
In every part of our lives, Hashem we need,
We have to mix that dough and then let go,
Give it a chance to not only rise but to double in size.

To knead the dough we have to do our best,
To Hashem we leave the rest,
When we work hard and have faith it does show,
Hashem will bless our efforts and our success will grow.

In the Torah you will find,
That Challah is defined,
As the piece that is separated,
As a gift for Hashem it is designated.

How did it come to be,
That if you look in the dictionary,
The definition you will see,
Is that Challah is a loaf of bread for you and me?

To the Kohen the piece would go,
It affected and elevated the rest of the dough,
The entire loaf of bread is called Challah today,
Permeating the physical with spirituality is the way!


Souvenir: play dough

Parshat Behaalotecha

In this week's Torah portion, Aharon is instructed to light,
The beautiful Menorah so bright,
There are many lessons that we can learn,
From the flames that did burn.

"When you raise up the lamps," are the words the Torah does use,
The word "kindle" or "light" why doesn't the Torah choose?
Rashi explains that the wick may not be left alone,
Until it can stand on its own!

Aharon's task was to raise up every soul,
To bring out the great potential was his goal,
Like a Kohen we must try to be,
The great potential within every Jew we must see.

A smile, compliment or a kind word can bring delight,
A soul it can uplift and ignite,
This doesn't just apply to a stranger,
It applies to a sibling, child or neighbor.

Cell phones should be put away,
Pay attention to a friend or spouse right away,
At their side we must remain,
Until they can light another flame.

The Menorah was made by Hashem we are told,
It was hammered out of one piece of gold,
It had 7 branches with cups and flowers,
Representing 7 holy soul powers.

We don't have to all be the same,
To fit into a cookie cutter mold isn't our aim,
There are different ways to serve Hashem,
Hashem appreciates every one of them.

Be proud of who you are,
You are a shining star,
You can bring light wherever you go,
Because of the sensitivity and kindness you show.

We need to remember that we have one goal,
We are all part of one whole,
We aren't 7 branches stuck together,
We are one forever.

Souvenir: flashlight

 

Parshat Naso

In Parshat Naso it does say,
That if a husband suspects that his wife did stray,
He brings her to the Beit Hamikdash right away,
Her loyalty is tested on that day.

Hashem's name is written on a parchment with ink,
It is placed in a cup of water which she must drink,
If she is guilty her death is imminent,
She is blessed with beautiful children if she is innocent.

Why would Hashem agree,
To have his name erased totally?
Hashem agrees wholeheartedly,
Because a Jewish marriage is so holy.

There is nothing greater in life,
Then bringing peace between a husband and wife,
Because a marriage joins two halves of one soul together,
We must do all we can to make a marriage last forever.

From this portion we learn a marriage tip,
Every day, one needs to work on their relationship,
There are three P's to keep the peace,
So that a loving relationship will only increase.

If one is upset at their spouse they should not respond right away,
They should take a PAUSE, before something they say,
They should look at the situation from another PERSPECTIVE,
Giving the benefit of the doubt, is much more affective.

The most important thing to remember,
Is that a spouse is a treasure,
Because a spouse is a PART,
Of a person's soul and heart.

Souvenir: peace sign bracelet

Shavuot Poem

On Shavuot, the Jews received the Torah at last,
When Moshe went up to heaven, the angels said, "Not so fast!"
The Torah has a view,
On real estate too!

A man must offer to sell his land to his neighbor,
Before selling it to a stranger,
Because buying land from a neighbor is an opportunity,
That doesn't come by so easily.

The angels were the Torah's neighbor,
Moshe was the stranger,
Since they are closer to Hashem,
The angels felt that the Torah should belong to them,

To answer the angels, Moshe was told,
Let us see how the debate could unfold,
The Torah is not a piece of land, Moshe could say,
But the angels could refute it right away.

The reason that land is singled out from all the rest,
Is because it can not be moved, its location makes it the best,
Even if you shop around,
The advantage of buying land next door can not be found.

Torah is singled out from all the moveable objects in the store,
Because it can not be manufactured in China or Singapore,
For objects that can be moved you can shop around,
But another Torah can not be found.

The angels could claim,
That a neighbor's land and Torah are the same,
Because they are both unique, the angels could be sure,
That the Torah would remain in heaven like before.

There is an amazing law that does say,
That if a neighbor wants the land to plant today,
And a stranger wants the land to build a home right away,
Then the stranger is the one who gets his way.

To the angels, Moshe's response was clear,
Did Hashem take you out of Egypt this year?
Is refraining from idol worship a challenge for you?
Do you have parents to honor and listen to?

In this physical world things are not black and white,
We have an evil inclination to fight,
But when we overcome our challenges and do what is right,
We build a home for Hashem and reach the greatest height.

The Torah has to be in a world so low,
Because this is where Hashem wants His home to go,
This is how we fulfill our mission,
And realize Hashem's desire and vision.

Building a home for Hashem is our priority,
We received the Torah for this purpose specifically,
On Shavuot the Torah is given anew to every Jew,
Because we are all part of Hashem's construction crew.

Souvenir: blue resin torah

Parshat Bamidbar

There once was a puzzle piece with a beautiful design,
He lived in a box with many other pieces so fine,
The puzzle belonged to a girl of three,
She loved her puzzle dearly.

The pieces the girl would often count,
To make sure she had the right amount,
The little puzzle piece didn't want to be counted with all the rest,
It said, "I'm an individual, I want to shine and be the best."

The girl said to the puzzle piece,
"When you are counted with the rest your value does increase,
Yes, you have much talent and a magnificent design,
But when the puzzle is complete that is when you really shine."

In Parshat Bamidbar, Hashem gives a command,
The Jews should be counted, their total would be grand,
Since Hashem knows everything,
What is the point of this counting?

Hashem wanted the Jews to be counted for our sake,
There is a point that Hashem wants to make,
When things are counted together with care,
A common denominator they must share.

Our common denominator is that we all have a Neshama flame,
From the soul perspective, we are all the same,
On the outside we are different from each other,
But in the inside we are all part of one another.

Each individual person is necessary for sure,
When connected together we can accomplish so much more,
To create a beautiful puzzle is our goal,
Every Jew is an important part of the whole.

My personality I don't need to ignore,
By being counted my individuality is enhanced even more,
I am not just a number, on the contrary,
I am part of Hashem's family.

Souvenir: puzzle piece

Parshat Bechukotai

In Parshat Bechukoti, the Torah does say,
The rewards we will get, for walking in Hashem's way,
But why is it that in exile we don't see,
The rewards that Hashem promises immediately?

If we look back in history, the contrary we see,
The most righteous Jews suffered terribly,
Why is it that the Jews suffer persecution in every generation?
Why are the most evil always running after the Jewish nation?

The answer is that during exile Hashem is concealed,
G-dliness is not revealed,
Holiness and spirituality are hidden but very much alive,
Evil is attracted to holiness, because that is the only way it can survive.

The end of the exile is like the labor pains before birth,
But when Moshiach comes, evil will be eradicated from this earth,
All the veils, curtains and obstacles will be dissolved,
With G-dliness, Torah and Mitzvot we will be involved!

The world will be in a perfect state,
To enjoy fruit that we plant, we won't have to wait,
Everything will be absolutely great,
With a parable, all the above, we will illustrate.

There was once a king who was as lost as could be,
In the deep forest, tree after tree was all he could see,
His hunting party was nowhere to be seen,
It was like a terrible dream.

Suddenly, rain began to fall,
There was no one to hear his call,
He didn't have an internet connection or a cell phone,
He was drenched to the bone.

In the distance he finally saw a small light,
In the clearing there was a small hut in sight,
Moshe the Jew, opened the door right away,
He offered his guest a place to stay.

Moshe gave his guest whatever he had,
With goat's milk and straw the king was glad,
The next morning, Moshe took his guest to the city,
The king was as grateful as could be.

The next day, a royal carriage did arrive,
Moshe was taken by surprise,
Moshe came before the king,
He was rewarded with everything.

A few days later, Moshe did meet,
His friend Yankel, walking down the street,
When Yankel heard what Moshe did for the king,
He decided to try the same thing.

To bring goat's milk and straw to the palace, was quite silly,
Yankel was thrown out of the palace immediately,
In the forest, the identity of Moshe's guest was unclear,
Therefore the goat's milk and straw, to the king, was dear.

To the bitter exile, the forest does compare,
In our exile, Hashem is hidden but near,
Every Mitzvah to Hashem is so precious and dear,
We will receive the greatest rewards with Moshiach this year!

Souvenir: present box

Parshat Behar

Parshat Behar, on the mountain, it does mean,
Hashem spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai, so green,
When you enter the land, on the seventh year, you must let it rest,
For six years, to work your land, you should do your best.

Why isn't the verse reversed,
If the six years of planting come first?
With Hashem we need to touch base,
And ask ourselves why we are working in the first place.

Do we live to eat or do we eat to live?
Do we work to make money or do we make money to give?
Do we give up on raising a family to have a career,
Or do we have a career to support our family so dear?

Before we go work to do our part,
We have to have our perspective straight from the start,
To devote the seventh year to Hashem, is our priority,
Hashem is the one who gives prosperity.

This applies to resting on Shabbat too,
Hashem sustains every Jew,
We won't make an extra dime,
If on Shabbat, in the office we spend time.

There is a lot we can learn,
From a parable about an urn,
A unique urn had six spouts all around,
Filling up cups of coffee, six men were found.

The seventh man did complain,
Because there was no coffee by the time he came,
"If only there was a seventh spout,
There would be coffee for me, he did shout."

The amount of coffee that the urn can contain,
The man didn't realize, remains the same,
If you add an extra spout,
No extra coffee will come out.

We need to have faith and learn,
That Hashem decides how much money we will earn,
In six days or seven, we will earn the same amount,
To give Tzedakah and to put into our bank account.

***************************************

For another lesson on perspectives we don't have to look far,
It is clear in Parshat Bechukotai, which is often read with Behar,
In Parshat Bechukotai, it does say,
That we need to give ten percent of our earnings away.

A person could say, it's not fair,
I don't want to share,
From this story we will see,
That giving Tzedakah should be our priority.

A charity collector once asked a rich man for a donation,
He was turned away with an explanation,
The wealthy man said that he already gave his share,
He showed his charity receipts from the past year.

Looking around the room, the collector did see,
The wealthy man's home full of beauty,
The collector asked if he could share,
A Torah thought for all to hear.

When the Beit Hamikdash stood in all its glory,
Tithing from one's flock was mandatory,
How was this process done?
The animals walked out of the pen one by one.

The owner would count one, two, three,
With red dye the tenth would be marked immediately,
Why was this exercise necessary?
Why did each animal have to be counted individually?

The owner would realize, as the animals walked out the door,
That although he was giving, he was getting much more,
It was as though Hashem was saying, "After giving you nine,
I'm asking for just one to be mine."

All of our wealth, from Hashem does come,
We need to share with everyone,
We need to change our perspective,
And give without being selective.

Souvenir: play money