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