Jumping from limitation, to Infinity

B"H

In this week's Torah portion, we first learn about our beloved 1st Jew, Avraham. Who was Avraham?
Avraham was the 1st person to recognize there was a G-d and to spread that awareness to others around him. He became world-renowned, and was even known as "ish ivri"- (which is where the name "Hebrew" comes from) which literally means "other side."
Avraham was on 1 side in his views, and the whole world on the other. Avraham imparted to every Hebrew descendant of his, every Jew, this power to stand as a minority with confidence, determination, and pride as a Jew. As a believer in the 1 true G-d and His Teachings, His Torah.

SO now, one would think that the 1st time Avraham is mentioned in the Torah, we would find him teaching wayfarers about G-d. Or maybe about
the time when King Nimrod threw Avraham in a furnace for disclaiming the worship of idols, though leaving unscathed. Maybe at least in this week's portion we
could hear a preface about Avraham's greatness, his righteousness, his beautiful, pure belief and commitment to G-d. But no, nothing of the sort.
The 1st sentence in this week's portion is: "And G-d Said to Avraham: Go from your land, from your birth-place, from the house of your father, to the land which
I will show you."

Excuse me?!

WHEN the Torah 1st mentions Noah in last week's portion, it describes him as "a Righteous man in his Generation" & "Noah had found favor in the eyes of G-d",
and that's why he was saved from the flood. And we see this by every Jewish figure and hero throughout scripture. So what happened with our father who started off the whole ballgame of Judaism??

The answer to this question is a deep one, and perhaps one of the most fundamental tenets of Judaism:
For all of Avraham's amazing actions and feats (that occurred before he's introduced in this week's parsha); spreading his belief in G-d to others, even being thrown into a fire for this belief(!), all of these amazing actions were his and not G-d's.
G-d is Infinite; we are finite beings. The gap between us is just that; infinite. But there is 1 way to bridge that gap, and connect our limited selves to G-d's Infinite Being. And that is through a Command from the Infinite one. This command, when listened to, connects us much more than any thing we could think of. In our days this command is known as a "mitzva," to Avraham it came in the form of "Go from your land...to the land which I will show you." G-d was telling Avraham: "Leave yourself, as amazing and holy as you are now, and go to a level you never dreamed of reaching. Nullify youself to my Will completely and go to the Land of Israel that you don't know". By listening to G-d, Avraham, and today any Jew, leaves his limited existence and connects to G-d's Infinite existence. That's the only true and logical way to bridge the infinite gap. A person could go to India and meditate for 20 hrs. a day for 70 yrs. about G-d. Yet it will always be in that person's limited existence. Doing 1 physical mitzvah; lighting Shabbos candles, eating kosher foods, putting on physical cow's hide in the morning (Tefillin), visiting a lonely or sad person, that's infinite. Because the Infinite One Said He Wants that.
"Go from your land, from your birthplace"-leave your existence, what your comfortable with, your birthplace, and I'll take you much higher than you ever dreamed.

Let's do it! One commandment at a time.
Have a great week-

-Daniel

The Infinite Celebration

B"H


We are now sitting in the middle of the high-holiday of "Sukkot." Having already experienced the long prayer sessions and fasting of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, our close connection to G-d comes out into the open and is expressed during Sukkot in a way of joy. At the end of Sukkot, we celebrate one more special day (outside of Israel=2 days) known as "Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah"-the joy/celebration of the Torah. Our sages say that dancing with the Torah in shul on Simchat Torah is equal in greatness and holiness to fasting on Yom Kippur. "Joy breaks all boundaries" our sages tell us, and if you don't feel happy...then dance! Because by dancing and "pretending" to be joyful, one is led to a true joy. G-d Wants us, as Jews, to be joyful: "Serve G-d in joy"-Psalm 100, and this week of Sukkot, known as the happiest of festivals, is a good time to start!

But what about "Simchat Torah"? What's so special about this day over the 7 days of Sukkot and even Yom Kippur, that we celebrate to such an extreme? I mean, it's easily understood why we should be joyful; we're celebrating our Torah, in which G-d has given us DIvine Laws of justice and righteousness and a true guide to life. A book that, by shaping our lives to it, brings us to true happiness.
But why now? why the day after Sukkot specifically?
The Torah says: "On the eighth day you will have a holy convocation...it is an atzeret." Our Rabbis of old explained why this day had to come immediately after Sukkot ended; G-d is Saying: "I have detained you with Me, like a king who invited his children to a feast for a certain number of days, and when the time arrived to take leave, he said, 'My children, please remain with me for yet another day' your separation is difficult for me." G-d can't bear to see us go. (The Lubavitcher Rebbe adds: If one looks closer at the words, it says "your separation", b/c only in our eyes does it appear that we have been separated from G-d after the holidays end. But it doesn't say "Our Separation," for G-d Never leaves His children)**
SO this Tuesday night, let's go to a Chabad House or wherever we are, and let's celebrate G-d's Torah that He Gave to His Beloved Children. And let's also remember that even when the holidays have ended, that the whole pt. was to bring the joy and message of Sukkot, to our entire year, to our day to day life. That G-d is always with us. Chag Sameach!

-Daniel

{To find your local Chabad House and it's schedule for the festivities, check: http://www.chabad.org/centers/default_cdo/jewish/Centers.htm

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**A 2nd interpretation by the Rebbe: "your separation"=G-d Is Pained when one Jew separates from another.

"Where Are You?" - Y. Kippur Meditation

B"H

In the yr. 1800, the founder of Chabad Chassidism, Rabbi Shneur Zalman
of Liadi (ca.1745-1812), was arrested on false charges of treason in
Russia,
and spent nearly a yr. in a St. Petersburg prison. During this stay,
many ministers & high ranking officials (knowing the holy Rebbe's
stature & great knowledge)
spent much time asking Q's to the 'Alter Rebbe.' There was one
minister who happened to have a thorough knowledge of the Torah, even
though he wasn't Jewish. One night he approached the Alter Rebbe in
his cell, and asked: "It says in Genesis, that after Adam sinned
through eating the forbidden fruit, he hid. G-d then Called to him
'Ayeka?'-'Where are you?' Why did G-d Ask such a question when He is
Everywhere and Knows all!? And don't tell me Rashi's explanation, that
G-d only Wanted to Open up a conversation with Adam with these words;
I know that explanation already."
The Alter Rebbe looked him in the eyes and said: "Do you believe that
the Torah is eternal and is relevant to each person at all times?" The
minister answered "yes." Continued the Rebbe: "Then what G-d is
Telling Adam, is really being told to each and every one of us, at all
times. 'Where are you?'
Each person is allotted a certain amount of years, days, and hours in
this world in order to do what Hashem wants of us. Are we fulfilling
our mission?" The Rebbe gazed at the minister and continued: "You have
lived such and such amount of years," (the Rebbe said exactly the age
of the minister), "what have you done in your lifetime? Have you done
good deeds to others? Have you been fulfilling your mission?" The
minister thanked the Rebbe for the explanation, and left deeply
impressed by his encounter.

As we reach Yom Kippur, this call to each and every one of us "Ayeka?
Where are you?" should be contemplated. Have I been fulfilling, or
trying to fulfill, my role in this world? the purpose of my unique
Jewish soul here? Many have the custom of taking on a new resolution
for themselves on Yom Kippur. Maybe lighting candles Fri. afternoon if
your a girl, or putting Tefillin as a boy. Maybe saying Shema before I
sleep and when I awake. Maybe giving 10% of my earnings to charity as
our sages teach. Any 'Mitzva' that will sensitize myself to my soul's
mission. Good luck to all of you! May you be inscribed and sealed for
a sweet year, in all physical and spiritual matters, together as 1.

-Daniel