Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith Itamar on Genesis Chapter 6:9
Category: Torah Portions
Vezot HaBracha – This is the blessing 2010 September 22, 2010
Leah Goldsmith
This is the last parsha of the Torah. It is also the last day of Moshe Rabbeinu’s life. He stands on Har Nevo and Hashem shows him the panorama of the Land of Israel according to the root essence of each tribe in its portion. The field of view the torah described is only five of the tribes: Dan, Naftali, Ephraim, Menashe and Judah. Internalizing into the inner core essence of each of these tribes, Moshe prophesizes the entire stream of Jewish history running its course until the end of days. Rabbi Yitzchak Ginzberg gives a detailed analysis into the spheres of these tribes: 1) Dan- Righteous indignation- like the smoke and fire that burns evil in the world – in a sense- holy anger- on a practical level- the army of the Mashiach (as it says in the prophets that the enemies weapons will burn for 7 years) 2) Naftali- laughter- When Mashiach will be able to include the holy sparks of what was perceived as evil into good. This produces laughter and brings joy to the soul, the joy of the shell being incorporated into the core (like laughing in the face of evil) 3) Ephraim- Marital union- in practical terms- the settling of the Land of Israel as Am Yisrael is considered the land’s husband. Moreover, the Jewish people will procreate, bearing more and more Jews who will live in all parts of the Land of Israel. The picture on the flag of Ephraim was one of a baby. (This growing process is alluded to in the blessings given to Yosef- Mashiach ben Yosef is the physical foundation of Israel in it’s redemptive process in the merit of |Shomer Habrit| Yosef, who guarded the Brit. 4) Menashe- The inner sense of smell – being the Judge, as Mashiach, the true Judge will rule Israel and all the world. The nose and the mouth correspond to Daat, the inner knowledge of the soul – through spiritual smell and taste. 5) Judah- Speech- clarity of leadership as all the new dimensions of the torah are revealed (Mashiach will be outspoken!) – It is said of Moshe that the Shechinah (Divine Presence) speaks through the throat of Moshe. The word of the tongue is called Milah, therefore twinning with the Brit of Yesod (Brit Milah) (The Covenant)
This is the prophecy that Moshe Rabbeinu receives as he is about to leave the world. As he enters the spheres and passes through Yesod and Malchut he KNOWS that he will return as Mashiach to redeem the world and reveal the torah again, making the ultimate and final redemption complete. We are eager to begin again the torah anew after closing it on Sukkot. If we take into our hearts the concepts revealed to us in this torah, then we join the awesome resolution to settling Israel physically, philosophically, and practically at this geula time now. It is time the life force of Am Yisrael actualizes itself. It is one thing to read from the torah, but there no illusions here. Shakespeare once said, such stuff as dreams were made on- For us it is time to LIVE the dream. Every parcel of Eretz Dan, Naftali, Ephraim, Menashe and Judah are sacred. Every inch of the entire land of Israel is fortified by the spirit of Hashem, untouchable to the contrariety and disagreement of the nations, whatever they may say. If we want it to be VeZot HaBracha- This is the blessing- let us bless Israel and activate our righteous indignation- THIS IS NOT A TIME FOR APATHY!!! This is the blessing- let us laugh in the face of evil! This is the blessing- let us settle the land and build it. This is the blessing- let us judge be’zchuyot Am Yisrael. This is the blessing- Open your mouths- say the truth- don’t be afraid of who you are! Share it with the world! This is the blessing- This is the Torah. It is not just a book you pass around. We pray that Malchut will rise into the Keter of torah for a new year full of all of the torahs revealed to us in this parsha and the coming of Mashiach, Amen!
Chag Sukkot Sameyach, Shabbat Shalom Leah Goldsmith
Parshat Matot – Masey July 8, 2010
Leah Goldsmith
“And the Lord spoke to Moshe saying: Command the Children of Israel and say to them, when you come into the Land of Kenaan, this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance with its borders”.
Parshat Masey begins with the motion of the journeys of the Bnei Yisrael on their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Always on the move, each footstep and every march through the forty two stations in the desert held ramifications of “cheshbone nefesh” (soul searching). They wandered and wondered all the while asking “Where do we belong?” At the end of forty years they arrived at their final destination, to the confined borders of their inheritance. This is the merging of Chesed (motion) and Gevurah (boundaries) thus creating the vessel of the Land of Israel where the people of Israel were contained. They were told to clean the vessel of its impurity, making the place fit for holiness. This preparation had to be done by them when they arrived there. Although their travels were over, their work IN the land was not. Again, like Abraham who had been promised the land but had to pay for it, till its soil, wage war and purge it of paganism. Nevertheless, this was the ultimate prize the Bnei Yisrael received from Hashem after leaving Egypt and nursing torah, which were prerequisites for this finale.
A parable our Rabbis share with us on this play by play description of this expedition, of the effort that went into it, the no end in sight feeling of it, and the reward for it at the finish line. They tell of a King who asked his son to accompany him on a long and hard journey. Happily, the son agreed despite the time and effort he knew he had to put in. Towards the end of the trek father took son to a high hill and pointed to a castle in the distance.” This is yours, son.” It was waiting here for you all along.
The book of Jeremiah (2:2) recounts “Thus says the L-rd: I remember in thy favor the devotion of thy youth when thou didst go after me in the wilderness in a land that was not sown- Israel is holy to the L-rd”.
Parenting is sometimes not an easy thing. We spend a great deal of our lives nourishing, providing for, worrying for, and investing our greatest energies into our children only for them to leave us ultimately. The torah in this portion teaches us that the trek we make together, through thick and thin lead us to a new reality for the next generation. It is a new frontier that we helped them reach together with their faith in us. But the work is never done. It’s up to the next generation to “take the bull by the horns” because even the Promised Land that is mounted on a silver tray and handed to them has yet more tasks and more jobs to get done. That’s when it’s their turn to take over. Sadly, Moshe Rabbeinu never enters the Land. His babysitting time is over and a new page is turned in the book of the adventures of the Children of Israel. Now they had become young adults who had to go out and work for their living. They received the greatest gift in their final independence in leaving the Midbar – inheriting the Land.
Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith
For those of you who wish to hear mussar- read my old torahs from 2009, 2008.
One very outstanding feature I noticed, going back to New York for visits through the years has been that slowly, slowly Jews have found a way to be “frum” from A-Z and also live without Israel. It wasn’t that way when I was growing up in Brooklyn. Being Jewish, regardless of your level of observance, meant your firm conviction and passionate attachment to Israel. As this process of “super- frumkite” (with all the implications of dress code and dietary stringencies) spirals into a new attitude to Israel, it is moving away from any allegiance to it.
Simultaneously it was hard not to observe all the new super kosher restaurants mushrooming on every street corner. Even in residential neighborhoods. And people, in general looked “well fed”, to say the least. There was kosher Thai, Chinese, Macrobiotic, Duncan Doughnuts (kosher!), Italian, Indian, and the list just goes on and on. The frumest of people were eating in them.
Now I’ll end with a little story-
A man entered a Food Court and ordered a meal. He placed his tray on a vacant table and went to wash his hands. When he returned – lo and behold, someone was nibbling at his food. Speechless, he sat down and decided to just eat his meal, checking out the person sitting across from him from time to time. He was hoping as he stared at the perplexing face of the stranger eating his French fries that he would have a clue about what to do… “I can’t believe this!” he started saying to himself. “He is actually eating MY food! What chutzpah!” The stranger gave him a weak smile and just at that moment he realized that his seat and tray were just on the next bench….
Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith
Parshat Beha’alotcha May 29 2010
Leah Goldsmith
G-d created a world whose inner essence is holiness. But in order to have access to it, one must first be able to discern and recognize it within Mother Nature – vis-א-vis G-d, the tzaddikim, and the land of Israel. What you see is not always what you get. And vise versa.
Likutey Moharan on “Avoiding Honor” touches upon just what happened at the end of this parsha, Parshat Beha’alotcha. “We are required to minimize our honor and maximize G-d’s honor. For, one who pursues honor may attain kavod melachim (the glory of kings), but he cannot attain kevod Elokim (the glory of G-d). Of such a person it is written, “It is the glory of kings to inquire into a matter” (Proverbs 25:2) Everyone asks about him, “who is he and what is he? What has he done to deserve such honor?” Then they oppose him saying he is unworthy. But one who flees from honor, as it says about Moshe Rabbeinu “And the man Moshe was very meek, more so than any men that were upon the face of the earth, he attains kavod Elokim, G-d’s glory. Concerning Moshe it is written, “the glory of G-d is to conceal a matter.” (Proverbs 25:2)
Sometimes difficult questions come up about the Tzaddikim. This is inevitable because they resemble their creator. G-d’s greatness is so intense, influential, and powerful in His uplifted and lofty state. We can’t even comprehend or begin to achieve in fathoming G-d’s ways, so the reservations we have about His leadership move in as He is concealed in nature, in a world that renews itself through sleep and awakening. The contraction of G-d’s light makes Him hidden. When we look at the tzaddik, as how appears with a face like this, a body like that, teeth like those and hair like that – we come to a real test at perceiving G-dliness in him.
Suddenly the children of Israel, including his own siblings, begin to challenge Moshe Rabbeinu, the man that led them out of Egypt through the desert, provided them with food and water and turned them into a holy people. He was being questioned. He has a lisp. He took a Kushite woman. How could he leave us for forty days and nights? How could he do this and how could he do that?
G-d was being questioned.
The distrust and mistrust only continued as the concept of the land of Israel was greeted with skepticism. Demanding to put their eye on it, and seeing it so steeped within the realm of nature with it’s bars and beaches, it’s holiness contracted within it’s physicality. Whatever was seen was exaggerated, the people were giants there, the fruit huge. It was implausible- beyond belief! It remained an enigma, like G-d, and like Moshe Rabbeinu. The people later asked to return to Egypt, their real McCoy, than enter such a strange land. They rejected it and therefore would not enter it. Aside from Caleb and Yehoshua, Moshe’s faithful servants who saw in him who he was and what he was- pure holiness, all perished in the midbar. The spies who were the nesiyeah hador (the Princes of that generation) may have had kavod melachim (the glory of kings) but they did not come even close to understanding kavod Elokim (the glory of G-d). That is why they couldn’t bring the redemption.
Looking back and reviewing things past, the conflict between Yosef and his brothers personifies that of the tzaddik emet (the true righteous one) who was on the level of kavod elokim and his brothers who were tzaddikim but on the level of kavod melachim. They were not able to perceive Yosef, in all of the material physicality Mashiach Ben Yosef represents. Therefore, they persecuted him, selling him into slavery. Any talent he may have had, like interpreting dreams, becoming the CEO of the biggest supermarket in the world, and just being able to give plain good advice, he ran away from honor and proclaimed G-d the true success for his success. Later, when the brothers realized their mistake and the full extent of their wrongdoing and the harm they had caused, they confessesed, “What can we say, how can we speak, and how can we justify ourselves? G-d has uncovered the sin of your servants.” (Bereishit 44:16) By admitting to this mistake they were then able to rectify. This is adjacent to the time Yosef revealed himself to his brothers. This triggered the reconciliation that alludes to the ultimate Tikkun Olam that will come about when the real Mashiach will be revealed by all of mankind and the Kingdom of David will rise and reunite with Mashiach Ben Yosef. This will only happen though when kavod melachim is obvious with in Mother Nature. Then it becomes kevod Elokim. This will only happen when no-one doubts the tzaddikim, Eretz Yisrael and Hashem Himself.
Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith
Leah Goldsmith
The essence of Am Yisrael is one.
The individual soul of each person is combined with all the souls into one soul bound under the heavenly Shechina.
Is there a place this can be done?
Am Yisrael emerged as a single nation from Egypt into the Sea of Suf under miraculous circumstances. For fifty days they prepared themselves for the greatest revelation -“keish echad belev echad”- like one man with one heart, while standing under the mountain of Sinai. This is where they came to know and understand G-d. Bound by torah and mitzvoth, they were turned into a covenantal community. The journey from sea to mountain did not end there. It continued all through the forty two stops in the Midbar (desert) which took over forty years of understanding of what G-d really wanted from them. The manifestation of their true identity came into practical consequence when the rich soil of the Promised Land was finally taken, like a groom takes a bride. This was the consummation of the marriage on Sinai.
People do mitzvoth out of an individual yearning to connect to the Ein Sof. They seek spirituality. They buy de lux tefillin, the best of etrogim for sukkot, are careful about kosher and some even sleep in their tzitzit. This is all well and good. Seemingly, these actions have no connection to what the next person’s mitzvah status is. In reality though, what I do directly affects what happens to all of Am Yisrael. There is a vital force that binds us all. G-d created Israel like a menorah- into one mold. Like our Rabbis say, “If you hurt your right arm, your left arm can’t say it doesn’t hurt. The whole body feels it”. Every person’s soul incorporated into the main unit, the main artery determines how the “one man with one heart” feels. This unique hand in hand feeling of unity is most felt in times of war.
There is only one domain that Am Yisrael can “do right” in its mitzvoth. This was the place Hashem told Abraham, way before Am Yisrael were in Egypt, “To REALLY know Me, get thee to the Land that I will show you”. “I will give it to you” (but you have to work for it. You have to buy it. You have to win it in war. You have to be tested time and time again. Lo Bashamayim hee!)
The eagerness a person feels about doing mitzvoth on a structural level in exile, out and away from his Land should always be accompanied with the knowledge that he is not complete because he is not enabling Am Yisrael to be complete. No “New Jerusalem” is going to fall down from the sky. He should be seeing an exit sign blinking neon because the illusion that he is “making good” and doing what G-d wants from him DOESN’T EXIST in the real intention of the torah. Israel is G-d’s home on earth. It is heaven on earth. It is the collective Jewish consciousness. Wake upmitzvah Jews! The dog days are over. You’re holding up the works. Get out of the Midbar.
Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith
Leah Goldsmith
When someone gets an idea in an instant flash, with the twinkle of an eye he envisions how it will look in its completed form. When the knowledge of the idea is applied and finally implemented you have the finished product – the brainchild of that idea. Knowledge is called knowledge only when one “knows” Hashem, as it says in Likutey Moharan. This is the first stage of something developing, like an embryo before it becomes an infant, before it becomes a child, before it becomes an adolescent, before it becomes an adult. Before we reach the highest levels of our souls and our goals, before they are actualized – we have to have an idea.
When the Bnei Yisrael were slaves in Egypt their minds were wiped blank. They couldn’t think for themselves. So, when it was time to leave and they witnessed great miracles upon the exodus and they amassed great wealth too, there was something else that they took with them when they marched away from Egypt toward a new frontier. They took with them the freedom to think. Now they were able to experience the potential and soon the actual when they would enter their Land.
As we count the enumerations (sephirot) during the time period of leaving Egypt and then receiving the torah, we begin with the first stages of Chochmah and Binah – wisdom and understanding culminating in knowing – Da’at- the signals of a free mind. As the knowledge is processed and we proceed to count the days through the sephirot as we did then, new ideas come to mind about how to bring the next stages of history to full potential. (Note: These are the three highest sephirot and therefore they are not mentioned as we recite the daily counting but they must precede the other 7 lower ones in every instance.) The next rung of the sephirot- Chesed and Gevurah, a mix of loving kindness and restraint bring a level of harmony and beauty in Tiferet. The proper application of Netazch and Hod, overcoming obstacles but knowing that Hashem is right there pushing from behind leads us to Yesod- where thoughts are turned into actions, as represented by Yosef Hatzaddik (Josef the Righteous One) who turned all of his ideas into practical solutions on a pragmatic level.
G-d’s bounty extends from above and is channeled through the spheres through Yesod into the final sphere – Malchut. While no-one can ever know what one is thinking- a person’s thoughts are revealed through his speech in Malchut. “Malchut thus represents the culmination of the entire process of thought as well as the trigger for new thoughts, which could not have been called to mind had other thoughts not been expressed and heard.”– Rabbi Chaim Kramer. This is Emor- This is saying it- out loud- the pinnacle of all of the spheres. This is why your voice needs to be heard. It is not enough to have an idea anymore. In order to reestablish the Davidic Kingdom in Israel today it is a call of duty to speak out- EMOR for the Land of Israel.
Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith
Parshat Tazriah – Mezorah March 16, 2010
Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
This week we merit in a double portion of the week Parshiot Tazriah and Mezorah. Interestingly, most of these parshiot are involved with the laws of leprosy which are amongst the most complicated laws in the Torah. Besides the 14 chapters of the Mishna dealing with leprosy, there are thousands of other references to it throughout the Mishnah, Talmud, and oral law. In this essay I will not go into the details of this huge topic of Jewish law but rather focus on a general understanding of an insight that came to me while studying this week’s portion:
The Torah speaks of three areas where leprosy can strike -a person’s home, his clothes, or his body. The Torah teaches us that leprosy comes about as a result of speaking evil about others. ( Lashon Harah) Metzorah – An abbreviation for – Motzi Shem Rah- using slander.
This is clearly understood through the incident of Miriam speaking badly about her brother, Moshe. “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moshe because of the Cushite woman whom he had married… But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous… So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again.” (Numbers 12:1-16) “Be careful against an infection of leprosy that you diligently observe and do according to all that the Levitical priests teach you; as I have commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. Remember what Hashem your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 24:8-9)
Although Miriam was like a mother to Moshe and was a righteous prophetess and only meant well, and Moshe wasn’t the type of person to be insulted as the Torah says that he was the most humble person on earth – “Now the man Moshe was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3) This did not take away from Moshe’s honor in any way. Nevertheless, she was punished by becoming a leper. The sin of the spies that spoke badly about the Land of Israel caused the entire generation to perish in the desert because of their evil report. The entire nation was held in solitary confinement and not allowed to enter the Land just as the leper is separated from the camp and must remain outside until healed.
The leprosy of the Torah was not an infectious disease. It only affected Jews living in the Land of Israel. It was a miraculous kind of disease and would work in an orderly fashion from an external attack until finally entering one’s body. It would start off by striking at a person’s home. If the person would not repent from his evil ways it would move on to his garments and finally to his body. An amazing lesson we can learn from this is that our ethical behavior has a direct affect on our physical well being. If the act of speaking evil had such a detrimental result there is no doubt that any serious violation of the Torah can incur severe consequences on our physical state as well. In other words, we are being taught by Hashem to be sensitive to all kinds of things that are happening around us. If things in our home are falling apart, or we are not feeling so well, G-D is hinting to us that maybe we have things to improve in our Torah observance. Maybe we are not acting the way we should be. If someone were to develop this sensitivity he will find that this was no doubt a tremendous gift from Hashem! Paying attention to the walls of our house, health, and mood are all ways of tapping in to the spiritual realms that rectify our lives.
Although the laws of leprosy don’t apply today with all of its aspects, since our temple lies in ruins, the mussar we receive from the laws connected still apply today. Therefore one needs to apply midat hazihirut (carefulness in the way one conducts his life). We have to pay close attention to the signs that Hashem sends us from above. Although we may see many people that speak Loshon Horah and appear to be healthy, this doesn’t mean they are – in reality the Zohar teaches us that there is a spiritual Leper which exists today as well. Those who have tainted their souls by speaking evil are separated from the righteous when their soul goes up at night to the upper worlds. In addition his prayers are not accepted until he repents. Although all sins cause spiritual and physical harm to a person, the sin of Loshon Horhah is singled out by the Torah because the mouth is the vessel of kingship. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” Proverbs 18:21. This is why the media has such a powerful grip over people and nations. Today it is not presidents that are true kings it is the media! It is the most powerful vessel because it has the greatest affect on a person’s surroundings as well as himself. If the media was using this vessel in a proper fashion and not abusing it by spreading lies and falsities (Loshon Harah) it would have a tremendous positive influence on the word and would even hasten the redemption
Let us all take upon ourselves to rectify our mouths and actions and be constantly focused on our behavior and we will find ourselves in a much better physical and spiritual state of existence.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith
Leah Goldsmith
Please see Shemini 2009 The shalosh regalim, the three major Jewish festivals – 1) Sukkot – when we go out from the solid walls of our homes and enter the makeshift booths remembering the clouds of glory that covered over us on our journey between Egypt and the Land of Israel. 2) Pesach – When we recall being delivered from slavery in Egypt and the miracles G-d performed as He took us out with an outstretched hand. We eat the korban Pesach, matzoh and maror and remove all leaven from our homes. 3) Shavuot – literally means weeks. This is referring to the seven weeks between Pesach and the day of Shavuot. “And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow (the second day of Pesach) seven complete Sabbaths… and then you shall number the fiftieth day.” (Vayikra 22-23:15). This time of weeks represented a spiritual ascent for the Bnei Yisrael as they anticipated receiving the Torah on Sinai. But it had other meanings as well. When the Bnei Yisrael finally entered the Land and were able to actualize the torah by LIVING IT on their soil and working it, the aspect of turning the material into spiritual took on a new significant meaning. Working the Land was a divine commandment, most of us have forgotten this as the thousands of years in exile have dimmed our memories of how it really was to live on the land and perform the many mitzvot connected to the agricultural side of Torah. Shavuot is also known as Chag Habikkurim – the festival of the first fruits.
In Nissan, the light in the Land of Israel increases. As we count the days to Shavuot, the earth becomes warm and the fruits begin to grow and ripen at this time. On the Festival of Bikkurim, the first of the fruits are taken and offered at the Temple in Jerusalem. Specifically the fruits of the seven species- wheat, barley, grapes, figs, olives, pomegranates and dates were all put into a special basket as a token of Thanksgiving to Hashem for the bounty He provided in the Promised Land. Today we feel blessed to be living at a time of history when again, the Land of Israel gives her fruit in abundance. The holiday of Shavuot takes on again, its agricultural significance. This is the connection of the torah (also given on this day) to the Land, making Shavuot the pinnacle of the three festivals. There is always something on the Jewish calendar to be counting. Every season has its special message. This is now the time to consider the bounty Hashem is bestowing on His beloved Land, the Land of Israel. It is truly blessed.
Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith
Parshat Tizaveh- Purim February 25, 2010
In this week’s Parasha there is a clear hint to the holiday of Purim. In Parshat Tizaveh Moshe Rabbeinu is commanded to tell Aaron the High Priest to make special garments and ornaments called the bigdey kehunah. (Exodus 28:12) “The two stones placed on the shoulders of the High Priest, (each one symbolizing 6 tribes) will be a remembrance of the twelve tribes of Israel.” This imagery brings to mind the first station in the Land of Israel when Joshua entered the land straight to the shoulders of Israel- Shechem (literally- shoulder), to Har Gerizzim and Har Eval the two mountains that received six tribes on each. The Priests stood in the valley of Shechem and blessed the nation. This occurred in the tribal portion of Yosef who signifies unity, who gathered all the brothers to him. The ideal of achdut (unity) is what protected and blessed the Bnei Yisrael. This is what Haman noticed about the Jewish people and it disturbed him greatly. Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is one nation scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain in peace.” (Ether 3:8) As long as the Jewish nation remained united they were able to conquer the land and defeat their enemies. Later, as we read in the book of Judges, they began to assimilate and fall apart. They became exposed, endangered and most of all disillusioned. Their faith dropped. They lost their national and religious identity. This was a good time for the enemy to strike.
The first scene in the book of Ester has Achashverosh, the evil king that swears to annihilate Israel, dressed up in the bigdey kehunah (the very ones we read about in this parsha) at his banquet. This was a clear act of disrespect for the sanctity of the Priesthood, and the Jewish people, but worse, the text vividly describes how the Jews who participated in the merrymaking there, at this point of the game ate, drank, and danced the disco of peace, love and music for all… (Oh the illusion of assimilation!) There was one person that stood in holy chutzpah and did not bow down to Achashverosh and Haman – Mordechai the Jew, from the tribe of Binyamin. When Yaakov came to the Yabok on the Jordan after leaving Lavan’s house for once and for good, he met Esav, who he feared. The Torah describes how all the camps of his household bowed before Esav, one after the next. The only one not to bow before him was Binyamin. ( He was not born yet.)
Achmanijad was invited to speak at a famous University in New York. The liberal Jews said, “what the heck, let him talk”. Goldstone, a Jew, thinks he’s placating and discoing the dance of peace. But a Jew is a Jew is a Jew. Purim is not even a story of banquets, partying, and masquerading. It is a scenario familiar to us all. Whether it’s a Haman, Pope Urban II in 1095, a Nazi, or a Chamas terrorist- they DO NOT differentiate if we are partying with the world or being actively Jewish. It is those that don’t bow down, like Mordechai Hayehudi, that have the holy chutzpah and wear the uniform of an idea, the ones that call for achdut (unity), the ones that go to fight for the truth- they are the heroes- They have internalized the message of Purim.
Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith