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Dear All, I would like to share an inspiring word of Torah with you from this week's Torah portion. Hopefully it will connect the time and tradition of our Torah to today's challenging events in our daily lives. I will try to connect with you on a weekly basis. If you do not want to receive this in an e mail form you can always find it on our Shul website at www.bjsd.org. Wishing you and your family a Shabbat Shalom Avram Bogopulsky, Rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation. PARSHAS YISRO The image of Moshe Rabbeinu coming down Har Sinai with the luchos is forever embedded in our minds from our youth. Two tablets side by side each containing five of the dibros (statements). The right side representing mitzvos bein Adom La'Chaveiro (commandments between man and God) and the left side mitzvos bein Adom LaChaveiro (commandments between man and his fellow man). One would think that the relationship between man and Hashem is more important or weighs heavier than the existence between man and his friend. But to the contrary, we see from the words of the Rambam in Hilchos Teshuva that we cannot approach Hashem for forgiveness unless we have settled all outstanding matters between ourselves. Chazal are replete with the importance of our middos between each other, Hashem ca tolerate us being disobedient but cannot stand for the injustices perpetrated against mankind. It is for this reason that in this week's parsha, prior to the giving of the Torah the Jewish people responded to Hashem's offer of the Torah with the words Naaseh V'Nishma. In Shmos 19:8 the verse states "Vayaanu kal ha'Am yachdav VaYomru kol asher diber Hashem Naaseh And all the people answered together and said, "All that God has spoken we will do" The Chidushei Harim remarks that each individual Jew should have responded e'eseh -"I will do" instead of Na'aseh. The Gerrer Rebbe says that when the Jews heard about the Torah and realized its beauty and importance, each individual took upon himself not only to observe it, but also to be responsible for all other Jews doing so. Each one responded in the plural "Na'Aseh" meaning "I will do, and also see to it that other Jews will do. As it says in the Gemara Shavuos 39a Kal Yisroel Areivin Ze Lazeh "Each Jew is a guarantor for his fellow". A second interpretation of why it says Na'Aseh is given by Reb Meir Simcha of Dvinsk in his classic commentary the Meshech Chochma. He says that no one Jew can fulfill ALL of the mitzvos of the Torah by themselves. Since there are certain mitzvos that are designated for Kohanim, others for Leviim, the King, the Kohen Gadol, to those who owned fields or a house. Each and every Jew has to fulfill his/her Mitzva and that's what makes us a complete nation. Furthermore, learning about that mitzva can fulfill any mitzva that we cannot do today. Therefore, when everyone responded together that we would do whatever Hashem says, that's what binds us all as a nation. Only when the Jewish people do things collectively, and compliment each other by filling in for each other can we respond together. Otherwise we are just individuals without the force of a wholesome people. We are living through difficult and turbulent times. From earthquakes and natural disasters to young Jewish boys being incarcerated in a Japanese prison. A young Jewish boy being harassed by the authorities (after landing) over his wearing Tefillin on a recent plane ride, to economic hardships all around us we need to focus on our Middos amongst ourselves. Hopefully the message of the two Luchos side by side will remind us of our ultimate responsibilities and bring a salvation to Klal Yisroel and the world we live in.

This past week we enjoyed the Yom Tov of Shavuos. Among the many highlights of any festival is the theatrical episode that takes place during the Mussaf service commonly known as 'Duchaning' - the priestly blessings. The reason this is a big deal is due to the custom that Ashkenazic Jews only experience this "happening" on festivals. In Israel duchaning takes place every day; Sephardim Duchan every day even outside the land of Israel. In the Aruch Hashulchan siman128 #64, Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein writes: there is absolutely no good reason why we have done away with Duchaning outside of Israel. We should be doing it all year round; it is bad custom not to. But what can we do? It's as if a heavenly voice came down and told us not to do it. In fact, he writes that there are two independent, corroborated stories of two great Rabbis who tried to re-introduce the birkas Kohanim in the diaspora on a daily basis. In both cases, when the day this was supposed to take place arrived, a great confusion occurred in the city. The Rabbis took it as a great sign from Hashem that this was the decree; Duchaning should remain as is, not to be recited daily outside of Eretz Yisrael.

I remember as a child there was always a big to-do and excitement regarding shielding children with their fathers' Talaisim and being warned not to look at the Kohanim while they were blessing the people. It should be noted that one is not supposed to turn away from the Kohanim in order to avoid seeing them. Rather, they should cover their eyes, look down, or peer into the siddur, but should always face the Kohanim in order to show our desire to receive the blessings.

The procedure of 'Duchaning' has the Kohanim reciting a Bracha and then being fed the fifteen-word incantation taken directly from three Pesukim in the Torah. In my youth I recalled the great cantors singing, elongating these words that the Kohanim would then repeat. The reason the Chazzan says the word first is because the Kohain lifts up his hands and doesn't have the ability to look at or read the words, so he may come to forget which word he is up to. My son-in-law, who is a Kohain, explained to me that it is very difficult to keep one's hands raised in the air for an extended period of time; he was therefore grateful to me after I had been leading Mussaf and said the words quickly, unlike the cantors of yesteryear.

During the Birkas Kohanim the congregation hears the words in stereo.Which voice do we pay more attention to? The obvious answer is we listen to the Kohanim, as the shliach tzibbur in this case is almost a non-factor. If there aren't any Kohanim present, then the Shliach tzibbur himself actually says those same words as a reminder of the Kohain's blessings. The chazzan, in the repetition, asks Hashem to bless us just the way the Kohanim would if they were present. But when Kohanim are present, the Shliach Tzibbur calls out "KOHANIM". The Sifrei tells us that the cantor must call out and tell the Kohanim to bless us. Why? Rav Yitzhak Konstadt (1866-1881), author of sermons collected as Luach Erez, published in Krakow in 1886, explains that the Kohanim are called out to bless the people because Bnei Yisrael would want them to be blessed and flourish so they would receive more in return. If the Kohanim came to bless the people on their own, it could be misconstrued as if there might be an ulterior motive in giving the Bracha, so they should get more. Therefore, they don't come to bless until they are called upon and show they aren't doing it for themselves. Furthermore, during the actual performance of blessing, the Kohanim lift up their hands, open palms facing outward to show their hands are empty but are ready to receive any gifts from now on. Although their hands are shown to the people, they face upward as a sign to themselves that all sustenance comes from above and should not come to rely on the people's gifts.

The bracha concludes with the word Shalom/Peace as if to say they are not doing this in order to get anything, but rather to bestow peace and tranquility on Klal Yisrael. Rabbi Moshe Leib Erblich of Sassov (1745-1807), (a disciple of Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch, the disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism) states that the entire incantation of Birkas Kohanim is said in the singular. This, he explains, is because the main sticking point for the Jewish people to receive blessings is when there is Achdus/Unity amongst the Jewish people. Just as we stood at Har Sinai "K'Ish Echad B'Lev Echad" - "as one man with one heart" , so, too,we read on Shavuos, Vayichan Yisrael, and the Jewish people encamped as one person, also stressing the singular.

When are people, families, communities truly successful? When are they not successful? Look around. If they are the recipients of true Bracha, they are successful. A true blessing is only effective, it can only come when there is peace and shalom directed to the recipient of that bracha. When there is dissension within the ranks, there is no receptacle for the bracha to take hold. If there is Shalom, if there is genuine peace and tranquility, then the blessing will find a place for itself.

We've just concluded the Yom Tov of Shavuos where we re-enact the receiving of the Torah, just as our ancestors received it. An important lesson of Shavuos, of receiving the Torah is that we are reminded to be like one big, happy, peaceful family. On an individual level, those who are loving and shy away from confrontational situations and reach out to bring harmony to one another will surely be blessed. Perhaps Yom Tov is the perfect time to have Birkas Kohanim. It is a time when families get together and all Jews converge on the synagogue, joining together as one to receive the ultimate blessing from Hashem through His workers, the Kohanim.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

Life is a journey and our challenge is to navigate to the destination where we want to end up. Some people move aimlessly from point 'A' to point 'B' and from 'B' to point 'C', and so on and on without having a goal of really where they want to end up. Without proper direction, focus, and a set of plans, a man will waste his life wandering around, occupying time and space from the time he is born until he dies. In order to accomplish something in this world, each of us needs a focus and central theme in life.

On one of my excursions to Israel, I took a Jeep tour of the Judean hills and desert. It's amazing how easy it is to get lost going off- road driving in the desert. I clearly remember saying, "if they put a blindfold on me and spun me around a couple of times and left me on my own, I would never have been able to find my way out." Heaven forbid if I ever actually found myself under these conditions! What would I do? Thinking about this long and hard, I realized that the answer to finding my way out of a desert would be to look inward towards the Torah, and there is no better place than the book of Bamidbar - In the Desert.

Many people are aware of the obligation to thank Hashem for saving their lives from four major life-threatening situations. Anybody who has been released from prison, who survived a life- threatening illness, who crossed over the sea and the desert and lived to talk about it should give special thanks to God. During Temple times a man would bring a korban todah- a thanksgiving offering - while today we get away with just saying a bracha of thanks. Surely in today's day and age, if someone were to get lost in the desert (even with a cell phone), he would surely give thanks for surviving a potentially deadly situation. Did the Jewish people have to give thanks to Hashem when they reached Eretz Canaan, surviving the desert? The answer is no, because they were with Hashem the entire way and probably gave thanks to God every single day. Even more so, the Jewish people were protected throughout their journey of the forty years in the desert; they were never in mortal danger to begin with.

This week we begin Sefer Bamidbar. After the Jews were counted by their tribe, the Torah recounts three tribes per quarter section that surrounded the Mishkan. The Jewish peopled traveled in a very specific b'osos l'beis avosam yachanu bnei yisrael, mineged saviv l'ohel Moed yachanu": "The children of Israel shall encamp, each man at his division according to the signs of their fathers' house, at a distance surrounding the Tent of Meeting shall they encamp". Nachmanidies mentions that each 'degel' - flag - had a colored map attached to it. I would imagine the reason for this was so that each tribe could be immediately identifiable for other tribes to see. The color and design of one flag was completely different in color and appearance from all the other flags. The importance of a tribe to be recognized was so every tribe (brother) could see how their kinsmen could be of assistance to them if the need arose. The flag and symbol of each tribe was used to inculcate into their psyche that others were available to help if necessary, and that all members of the other tribes were ready to be of assistance to each other, whenever necessary.

The Kli Yakar explains the idea of the Degalim/flags, based upon a Midrash. At the time of Matan Torah, when the Jewish people were receiving the Torah, they saw the angels with banners and flags, and the Jews desired to be like them. This is derived from a verse in Tehilim 20:6: "U'V Sheim Elokeinu Nidgol" - 'and in the name of God, raise our banners". At this point the nations of the world saw the greatness of the Jewish people clinging and clamoring to get close to Hashem. The non-Jews looked at the Jews and saw their greatness and offered them to return to them and to make the Jews leaders and heads of state among the gentiles. Even the non-Jews wanted to be associated with us and were willing to give greatness to the Jews. But we, the Jewish people, are cognizant of where our greatness comes from - from Hashem. All the Shvatim looked inward toward the Mishkan, the dwelling and residence of Hashem, for guidance and direction.

Every once in a while each of us should stop, think, and ask ourselves the following:' Where am I, how did I get here, and where am I going'? Breaking down these three questions will determine our place in life. All too frequently, a person who does not center his life through focusing on God will discover that the many facets of experiencing the world, of knowing genuine enjoyment, lack true fulfillment. Surely, he will feel good for the moment, and that moment doesn't literally mean that second,but after it all wanes, the person is left empty, literally lost as to where he "fits" in this world and where he is going with his life.

Following a life of Torah and Mitzvos leads a person to come to make the right choices. When a person centers his life on spirituality and God, the flow of life is understandable. When we stop and think of all the different scenarios and decisions made to get to a point after doing mitzvos and being close to Hashem, we appreciate the closeness of the Almighty. If we want to feel fulfilled in life we must turn toward the centrality of where life comes from.....Hashem. The symbol of the Mishkan in the middle of the four sections of the Jewish people travelling reminds us of this.

Let us prepare for the road of Torah and the journey that we accept every year and undertake during the yom tov of Shavuos. Through genuine, deep introspection we will each find a deeper purpose and meaning in life, in our understanding of the real meaning of our journey through life, of where we end up at the end of the day.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

An interesting - and really scary - phenomena occurring more frequently as I get older is repeating lines that I heard from people older than I. Certain life situations that were told to me using the too-common quote "just wait until you're my age" were scoffed at only to become grim reality now that I am saying and doing those same things. One prominent example that I experience is trying to sleep late on Shabbos morning. Many older people encounter a challenge as they wake up early despite not having to get up early any more. Many people say "the morning after I retire from work I'm going to sleep in", only to find out that they still get up at the same time they've been getting up for the last fifty years.

On Shabbos morning davening is later than during the week, and even though I don't have to get up, I still wake up at the same time I do during the week. Sometimes I may stay in bed, but most of the time I just get up. What is that force which causes me to get up even when I have the luxury of sleeping later? The answer to this age old question is found in this week's Parsha Bechukosai beginning with the very first word. Vayikra 26:3 states: "Im Bechukosai Teileichu V'es Mitzvosai Tishmiru Vaasisem osam". "If in my statutes you go and safeguard my commandments and perform them". The word 'Im' - 'if' in my statutes you shall go, is the key point.

The Midrash Rabbah in the beginning of this parsha quotes a verse from tehilim 119:59: "Chashavti drachai v'ashiva raglai el eidvosecha". "I considered my ways and I turned my feet towards Your testimonies". The thought in my brain sends a message to my feet to walk to the good places such as Shul and school to learn Torah and to follow in His ways. If a person does this repeatedly, then his body becomes accustomed to doing something consistently. After doing something hundreds, thousands of times over and over again, it becomes second nature and eventually the body just follows through on its own. With regularity a person trains himself to do something, influencing his body even when it tries to something different.

Rav Eliyahu Dessler Z"tl explains Gemara Sukah 52a with this concept in mind. The gemara states that in the future families will cry by groups, men crying amongst the men and women crying amongst the women. They will cry because they were separated and divided between the men and women. Despite the fact the evil inclination was no longer present to create the urge for men and women wanting to be together, they cried as if their inclination was still there and would want to be together with the opposite gender. The reality was that there was no real desire between the sexes, yet they cried as if it still existed. That, however, was only a reaction to them wanting to be together during their entire lifetimes. Even without the official evil inclination now being in the next world, they still wanted to sin because they were so used to it. Another example is found in the Gemara Gittin 57a where Bilaam the Rasha, even after he had left this world, was still trying to convince Onkelos not to convert to Judaism. Other examples are found in Gemara Sanhedrin 63b where the Jews were willing to give up their lives in order to serve idolatry. A young boy was close to death and Eliyahu HaNavi told the boy to recite the Shema and he would be saved!. The boy refused, took out his little idol and kissed it and died upon it. The gemara asks: "how could such a thing happen"? The gemara answers that after the child had been accustomed to the idol as his god, it became a part of his soul. He could not give it up. On the positive side, we read stories of Jewish children taken into Catholic orphanages during the holocaust who were identified after reciting the Shema at bedtime. They were conditioned to recite the Shema before going to bed and, even in a Catholic orphanage this bedtime ritual stayed with them. As the Rabbi entered the orphanage, he started saying the Shema out loud and it struck a chord in the children. Without hesitating, they started to utter Shema Yisrael and were taken back into Jewish custody.

My personal experience has been that it's easier to break a good habit than a bad one. By this I mean that in order to strengthen a good habit a person has to put a great amount of time and effort and repetitiveness into what he is doing. A bad habit, on the other hand, is difficult to break even if we haven't been doing it for such a long time. Another proof to the strength and influence of "Hergel"- something repetitive - is smoking or drinking. At first a person coughs from the smoke or chokes on the whiskey. After a while, though, he becomes used to it and dependent upon it to the point that he can't control it. Nevertheless, it says in the sixth chapter of Pirkei Avos: "The only free person is someone who is involved with and toils in the study of Torah. A person who constantly learns Torah has the ability to break a bad habit once he knows it's no good.

A person who woke up at five in the morning his entire adult life will continue to do so because his body is programmed and conditioned to rise at 5:00 A.M. This is the way his body works. Every one of us has many good and also some bad habits. The benefit an observant Jew has is the regiment of following the Torah. We have a seder Hayom - an order of the day, a code of Jewish law to follow. If and when we start to follow it, our bodies become conditioned to do the good things over and over again without even thinking about the effort they may entail. Our challenge is putting in the time and effort that's necessary to make it Hergel -consistent -over and over again. If we commit to taking on something that we have been lax about doing and give it an honest try to do it consistently for a while, it will eventually become second nature. We all have the ability to develop a tolerance for good things, and for the bad.

As we approach Shavuos and finish the countdown of the omer, we should all make the effort to work on conditioning our physical bodies to help our spiritual side fulfill the will of our Maker.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

There are many times the Torah repeats certain Mitzvos, and Chazal identify the distinctions. In this week's Parsha Emor the Torah seemingly repeats a number of Mitzvos regarding the laws of mourning and its practices. In Vayikra 21:5 the Torah states: "Lo Yikrichu Korcha B'Rosham, U'P'As Zkanam Lo Yigaleichu, UBivsaram Lo Yisritu Sarates":"They shall not make baldness upon their heads, and the corner of their beards they shall not shave off, and in their flesh they shall not make any cuttings". An almost identical idea is found in found in last week's Parsha Kedoshim 19:27,28. The only obvious omission from last week to this week is at the end of 19:28 where the Torah states: "U'K'soves Ka'a'Ka Lo Sitnu Bachem: "And imprints of marks you shall not affix on yourselves. This is the Issur -prohibition - of permanent tattoos.

I can only speculate as to why the Torah only mentions tattoos in Kedoshim and not in Emor. The reason why tattoos are forbidden is a matter of different opinions. Rashi in Gemara Makkos says that it is strictly a gezeiras hakasuv, a decree of the verse meaning it is a chok, a law which reasons we cannot understand. The Rambam, in the laws of Avoda Zara 12:11, writes this was a custom among the non-Jews who would make an impression on their bodies as service to their deity. The individual wants to sell himself like a slave and is marked on his body that he is the property of this man. Therefore, according to the Rambam it makes sense why the Torah concludes the section by reminding the Jewish people that Hashem is our God. The Eben Ezer explains that the tattoo was a picture of the person who died and they are now mourning for him. They would tattoo the name or the picture of the deceased on the hand or arm of a living relative who was mourning his or her death.

Baal HaTurim says the Gematria of the word Ka'a'ka is 340, the same as the word Shem/name. The writing is the name of the Tumah, bearing the name of an avoda Zara.

The Netziv, Rav Naftali Yehuda Zvi Berlin, in his commentary Haamek Davar on Chumash explains tattooing was for the other nations of the world to add to their pain over the loss of a loved one by etching out lines on the flesh of a living person. As a remembrance to the deceased, mourners would scratch out his name. If there was someone who did not want to do this, he would "rent" a poor person and tattoo the name of the deceased on his body. This was similar to hiring professional criers at a funeral - people who were hired to evoke emotions from the attendees.

When I was growing up, tattoos were only seen on people perceived to be thugs and members of the lower class of society. Perhaps there were also individuals who had low self-esteem or just wanted to make a statement about themselves who tattooed their bodies with permanent marks. Today I look around and it seems as though almost everyone has some sort of tattoo, including-the guy bagging groceries, lawyers, doctors, nurses and professional athletes. The tattoo is "in". Even children are getting permanent tattoos.

Workers are adorned with more body art than ever, but generational and cultural divides still keep most of the ink covered up. I came across an article published by MSN last Friday which quoted from an annual survey of the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of Pennsylvania, stating that 61% of human-resources managers said a tattoo would hurt a job applicant's chances. That's up from 57% in 2011. The article further quoted a Pew Research poll taken in 2010 which found that 23% of the adult population of the United States have at least one tattoo. That number rises to 32% among Generations X and Y and to 40% among millennial with 18% of those having six or more tattoos. Pew also stated that approximately 70% of the millennial cover their tattoos beneath their clothing. MSN quoted the New York Times which spoke of tattooed individuals wearing long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, and other garments just to get through job interviews. Currently, there are no laws forbidding discrimination against tattooed applicants, but once hired, attitudes towards talented tattooed workers may very well change. According to Inc., in 2007 over 15,000 registered tattoo parlors throughout the U.S. declared gross sales of $2.3 billion annually.

To me, the phenomena of a society seeking to invest in permanent in body art reinforces the relevance of the Torah today. Halachik issues come up time and time again in our society that affect us as Jews. The fact that the prohibition of tattooing our bodies is a Mitzva in the Torah demonstrates its challenges to us, just as any other desire that must be controlled as God-fearing, observant Jews. Perhaps I can take license here by suggesting that the omission of this Mitzva in this week's parsha sends a hint to us that if someone did intentionally get a tattoo it should be removed. *A number of contemporary Poskim/authorities discuss the pros and cons and the obligation or lack of obligation to remove a tattoo. Rav Ephraim Greenblatt and Rav Nosson Gestetner Zt"l conclude that there is no obligation to have it removed. The violation was committed, and now it is finished. Still, is it better to remove it anyway? This should be discussed with a person's own Rav/Rabbi for guidance.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

*The Halacha discussion of the obligation to remove a tattoo is ONLY when it was put on willingly. A forced tattoo does NOT fall into the purview of this article.

Students and congregants are supposed to learn from their teachers and Rabbis. It wouldn't be the end of the world, however, if a Rabbi or teacher would take the time to learn something from their students or congregants. A few months ago there was a news story that went viral showing a New York City police officer buying a pair of shoes for a homeless man. (Despite a recent report that the man is not homeless and sold the shoes because he has shoes). The act of kindness by the innocent police officer serves as a reminder to all of us of the idea of "unconditional giving".

The story broke as follows. "Right when I was about to approach, one of your officers came up behind him. The officer said, 'I have these size 12 boots for you, they are all-weather. Let's put them on and take care of you.' The officer squatted down on the ground and proceeded to put socks and the new boots on this man. The officer expected NOTHING in return and did not know I was watching. I have been in law enforcement for 17 years. I was never so impressed in my life. I did not get the officer's name. It is important, I think, for all of us to remember the real reason we are in this line of work. The reminder this officer gave to our profession in his presentation of human kindness has not been lost on myself or any of the Arizona law enforcement officials with whom this story has been shared. The officer who has since been identified as Officer Lawrence DePrimo, has been inundated with support for his act of kindness.

The story was shared and sent to me by a congregant and felt that this kind of random acts of chessed/kindness should be emphasized within our teaching. Every human being was created B'Tzelem Elokim - in the image of God - and therefore should follow in the ways of Hashem. God's existence is all about giving and getting nothing in return. Our lives are filled with opportunities to give unconditional kindness to our fellow man.

When people hear or read about others doing unsolicited kindness, they think and hope they can do the same. Unfortunately, they don't. There are two reasons why people don't stop and do this type of kindness: 1. When the opportunity presents itself, they become 'shy' and don't feel they have the ability to carry it out. 2. The opportunities are there, but we are oblivious to them. For me personally I think I have the 'personality 'for it, to help out a perfect stranger and just offer help. My problem is recognizing and seizing that moment of opportunity. Once that moment passes by, chances are we won't go back to help.

This past winter I was driving during a heavy rain pour. As I stopped at a light, I noticed a person sitting on the curb without proper protection or umbrella. I drove right past the person and only later did it dawn upon me that I missed that golden opportunity to somehow help that person. I could have given him my umbrella, given him a ride, or even gone a little out of my way and purchased an umbrella for him. I was really bothered by my lack of perception in realizing this was the opening of the window for me but I did not look out. Recently, though, I was able to capitalize on a chessed occasion not only once but twice. Since it was actually the same kind of act, I decided to write about it as I believe I was able to stretch out my antennas and tap into the correct frequency of Hashem's message. Twice within the last month while driving I approached a stalled car in the middle of the road. I immediately pulled over to the side and helped push and steer the car to a lot and a side road. Interestingly enough, in both cases other cars sped right by but a few others paused to at least ask if more help was needed.

I am not writing about these episodes to gloat or to be haughty, rather to illustrate that we all have the ability to perform these random acts of kindness that will help others in their time of need and make you feel good about helping. Lastly, it re-enforces the notion of B'Tzelem Elokim - that we are not only fashioned in the image of God, but that we are expected to act that way as well.

Parshas Kedoshim, the second of the two parshios we read this week ,is all about its name. Vayikra 19;2 the Torah states "Dabeir El Kal Adas B;nei Yisrael V'Amarta Aleihem Kedoshim Tihiyu, Ki Kadosh Ani Hashem Elokeichem". "Speak to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for holy am I, Hashem, your God". The Chasam Sofer quotes Rashi and teaches that this portion was said by Hakhel, an entire gathering of the Jewish people men, women and children. The reason is because this holiness is not to be attained through separation and solitude but rather by being together amongst the people. Contrary to popular belief, attaining holiness is demonstrated by being with others and not just being by yourself. A person should get involved with people the same way that Hashem does, by doing kindness without expecting anything in return.

Attaining holiness comes to different people in diverse ways. Some feel the holiness through what we call the spiritual side of life: learning, praying, and fulfilling the commandments as they were given. Others climb the ladder and want to share what it is like to be a giver for the purpose of giving alone and not getting anything in return. When God says be holy because I am holy, we should do those same acts of holiness, namely the random acts of kindness. Opportunities swarm around us all the time, but we need to be on the lookout for them. Hashem provides the prospect, but we have to prime ourselves for it.

Being holy is accomplished by walking in the ways of Hashem. God is merciful, just, compassionate, and embodies all the attributes including performing Chessed for the world. In Davening we refer to Hashem as a Gomel Chessed, one who gives over kindness. This is one of the highest attributes to emulate. Next time you see an opportunity to perform a random act of kindness, remember that God has sent you the chance to become holy - to emulate the holiness of Hashem.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

One of the advantages an orthodox pulpit Rabbi holds over other denominations is his Shabbos morning drasha. In other religions or other denominations, recording is not forbidden on Shabbos. It is, however, forbidden in an orthodox Shul. An orthodox Rabbi has a little more literary license when it comes to Shabbos speeches because no one can record them and 'catch' the Rabbi saying something good, bad or indifferent. On the other hand, writing a speech or a dvar Torah requires careful deliberation with regard to how and what to say. Once something is in print, it is forever!

We are all well aware of the dangers and problems that have arisen due to the modern technology of e-mail, twitter, texting etc. whereby people type things and send them out without any discretion. Sometimes that information can destroy a person whom it is written against. It can also, at times, destroy the writer himself. A very dear and close friend of mine has a personal policy never to put things in writing for some of the reasons I mention here. Generally speaking, I try to follow his advice. However, aside from my weekly Torah message (like this one) I was recently drawn into writing for a forum whereby I answer questions with other Rabbis, addressing certain issues relating to the Jewish community. For the very first time in my life I wrote something out of the goodness of my heart and some readers either failed to understand the entire message or simply lacked the purpose of the forum.

My latest frustration came when someone challenged my source and said, "Why quote from a secular source and not from a passuk in Tanach or from a certain medrash?" That individual's citation was poor as it did not give the book, chapter and verse for me to reference it. It took me a few hours to track down the sources and discovered one of his quoted sources was not to be found. I did find something similar in tone, but it was located somewhere else. In general, I become irritated and angry when I need to check sources and footnotes that are wrong - sending me on a wild goose chase trying to figure out where the source is.

In this particular case the noted source and medrash was not the intention of my message. My theme was on the one hand to plan for a child's future and prepare him properly. I used a quote "not to look at the ship when it goes out to sea, rather when it comes back". My point was that it is important to prepare for the journey adequately, but not worry too much as you will see the fruits of your labor when your child grows up. The individual quoted a passuk from Kings One 20:11 "Al Yishalel chogeir K'Mifateiach" "One who girds the sword shall not boast as one who ungirds his sword". Rashi explains one who girds his sword to go down to war, who does not know whether he will be victorious or not, should not boast". The Malbim explains this a little differently: "One who enters into battle realizing that he may be defeated takes all precautions to avoid falling into the hands of his adversary. On the other hand, one who enters into battle certain of victory, will be careless and leave himself vulnerable to his enemy's attacks".

The Yalkut Shimoni, quoting from the Medrash Tanchuma, explains this passage in Navi stating: "I am a king, the son of a king, while he has just recently acquired his kingship. Yet, he is arrogant and boastful?" The message is not to be haughty when you haven't proven yourself or have not gone through the trials and tribulations that a king or leader must face. Just wait. Later on, when you have gained more experience you will more deeply grasp the difference between a boastful or haughty affect and a confident and optimistic view for the future. The two don't necessarily contradict each other. No question that a person should prepare for his physical and spiritual battles beforehand, but we can be confident that if we have prepared properly we will experience ultimate success. We are not the ones to determine the meaning of success. If we have prepared properly, the result is what it should be.

The timing of this little writing episode coincides with the discussion of the punishment of being haughty and boastful found in this week's parshios of Tazria and Metzora. While Parshas Tazria discusses the physical features of Tzaraas - leprosy - Parshas Metzora examines the rehabilitation and spiritual healing of the leper. The Gemara in Erchin 16a tells us the offenses that will incur the penalty of biblical leprosy, known as Tzoraas. The gemara states: Rav Shmuel Bar Nachmeini says in the name of Rebbi Yonasan, 'because of seven things the affliction of tzoraas comes upon a person. They are: Loshan Hora, shedding blood, swearing falsely, immorality, haughtiness, stealing and a stingy eye'. The Maharsha connects the seven kinds of leprosy mentioned in Tazria, stating that they will come based upon the offense of that particular sin mentioned in the gemara. The first sin of Lashon Hora, evil speech is the most serious of the offenses because it is the only one the perpetrator gets nothing out of as a result of his misdeed. This is in comparison to the other six sins where a person derives some forbidden benefit from their actions.

The Tzoraas that comes from haughtiness is found on the forehead of a person. The first chapter of Gemara Sotah describes a haughty person as having worshiped idolatry as he walks around with his head held high, disregarding Hashem. The atonement for the sin of haughtiness is demonstrated by the Kohain Gadol, who wore the headband to remind us to be humble.

Through the discussion of the physical features of Tzaraas in Parshas Tazria and through the rehabilitation and spiritual healing of Tzaraas discussed in Parshas Metzora we should be reminded that whenever we go out to accomplish something we need to remember that it is with God's help that we accomplish everything in life. We need to consistently put forth our best efforts and prepare to the greatest of our ability. But at the end of the day we can only be successful with the help and guidance of Hashem. If we forget about God and think we can do it alone, we are guilty of Gaava/haughtiness - a rebellious act of idolatry against Hashem. The Kapara/atonement is to keep in mind that Hashem is helping us along the way. We need to be confident that our situation in life will always have a good outcome as the ship returns home.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

The conflict in the world between good and evil is reflected in the notion of holiness and impurity. One difference between these two opposites is that good and evil are horizontal while holiness and impurity are somewhat vertical. The state of impurity takes a person spiritually down, while kedusha - holiness - raises a person's soul. The cycle of opposites continues throughout a person's life: the ups and downs and the good and bad. The spiritual world, however, differs. Kedusha/holiness has a snowball effect on a person's life. The more a person gets involved with Torahand Mitzvos the greater the chance that he will strive to do more.

I believe the Parshios of the Torah are connected from beginning to end. In this week's Parsha Shmini there is an obvious synergy between the beginning and the end of the parsha. Shmini, meaning the eighth, is the number that is one above nature. The number seven represents nature and the natural order of the world, while the eighth takes it up a notch. After one week of life, a baby boy receives his bris on the eighth day. This eighth day was after the seven-day inauguration period and preparation when the kohanim prepared for the Mishkan. This day signified the readiness of the Mishkan - the Tabernacle- the spiritual abode of the Almighty. The end of the Parsha contains explicit mention of holiness. In Vayikra 11:45 the Torah states "Ki Ani Hashem HaMaaleh Eschem Mei Eretz Mitzrayim L'Hiyos Lachem Leilohim, V'Hiyisem KedoshimKiKadosh Ani" "For I am Hashem Who brings you up from the land of Egypt to be a God unto you; you shall be holy, for I am holy".

*Rav Meshulam Fayish Tzvi (Herman) Gross (1863-1947), in his sefer Nachlas Tzvi, asks why the verse uses the term HaMaaleh, which means 'bring up' rather than the most often used term 'who took you out' in reference to Hashem taking the Jews out of Egypt? Rav Meshulam explains as follows: If a person would ask "How is it possible for me to purify myself and make myself holy after I have been immersed and seeped in impurity?" He answers that once a person actually goes through that mental exercise of even asking "How do I become holy?" genuinely desiring to have an awakening of repentance and has his mind set in this positive direction, then Hashem helps him from heaven and instantaneously he will climb to the highest level and become Kadosh- holy!

This entire concept is predicated on the story of the exodus from Egypt (perhaps this is why we read Shmini immediately after Pesach). The Jewish people had sunk to the forty-ninth level of impurity, yet in one second, with a snap of His finger, with the blink of His eye, the Jewish people ROSE UP to the forty-ninth level of holiness. The word 'taking out' is reserved for the physical manner in which the Jews left Egypt, while the word HaMaaleh, to lift up, is used to describe the spiritual manner. Physical things take time to occur and transfer from one zone to another, while kedusha, holiness, moves in an instant.

The word 'V'Hiskadishtem - and you were made holy - happens in one moment, that moment being the desire in one's heart to elevate his neshama to a holy plane. Therefore, no one should doubt himself, asking how he can get out from under the filth and junk of society. It only takes a man's desire to throw off the dirt and want to become clean and reach the level of holiness, just like Hashem did for us when HE took us out of Mitzrayim. Once God put this method of desiring of elevation into the world, it became accessible to us anytime WE want to use it.

When Hashem tells us to be holy because He is holy, He is actually teaching us this same principle. Since Hashem is holy He has now given us an available option available to take whenever we desire it. It is an attainable goal because the formula has been distributed and anyone can buy it. With this in mind, we can also answer the following question: When the Jewish people went from the forty-ninth level of impurity to the forty-ninth level of kedusha, did they go down forty-nine and then up forty-nine? I don't think so. I believe it wasn't necessary to go from one extreme to the other in the natural way of going one rung at a time. Rather, it was instantaneous from one extreme to the other in a super-natural manner which lies above the laws of nature known as Teva, morphing into a pure, spiritual, holy state in one second.

This is emphasized in the concluding verses where the Torah 'divides' and 'distinguishes' between the tameh and tahor: the animals that are eaten and those that are not eaten. Separation also happens in a split second. An ordinary kosher animal species has its status elevated in one second as it is slaughtered in a ritual manner for a mitzvah purpose. The difference between kosher and non-kosher also happens immediately; it can become treif or kosher in just an instant. The ability for all of these examples to occur originates from the way Hashem lifted us out from Egypt.

In today's day and age life seems to speed along so quickly. Things are changing so fast it is difficult to keep up with the ever-evolving life around us. By the time we buy the newest gadget it's already old and out of vogue. Just as the physical world changes so quickly, so too does our spiritual life. We have the ability to jump to the highest levels of holiness and spirituality but we must be careful because we can also fall just as quickly. We strive during the days of counting the Omer, which is the climb to the forty-nine levels of greatness and the goal of complete holiness. Let's not forget that the climb can happen very quickly and instantaneously through imitating and emulating the ways of Hashem.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

*Rabbi Gross was a businessman, inventor and learned layman, author of two sefarim of Torah novellae, Nachlas Tzvi and Ateres Tzvi.

Herman Grosz (as his name was then spelled) was born in Debrecen, Hungary in 1863. Soon after, his family moved to Nyírbátor, where he was raised. His father, Reuven, was engaged in business, possibly as a breeder or trader of horses. As a young man, Meshulam reportedly was involved in "breaking" horses for his father. It is not known which yeshivas he attended, although it is believed that much of his Torah learning was self-acquired. In 1890 he married Leah Billiczer, daughter of Rabbi Amram Yishai Halevi Billiczer, Av Beth Din of Szerencs, Hungary and a descendant of a long line of rabbis. The family originally came from Spain and reportedly were descendants of Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz (the Shelah HaKadosh, whose ancestry has been traced to Rashi and Rabbi Yochanan Hasandlar).

Gross immigrated to the United States in 1893 and settled in New York's Lower East Side. After World War I, the family moved to Boro Park, Brooklyn.

After engaging in a variety of business ventures, he settled in the women's blouse business, which, after his retirement, was carried on by his sons into the 1950s. He viewed his business solely as a means of subsistence, for his true passion was Torah. He retired from business at a relatively young age to devote himself to Torah study and was supported by his sons.

He is remembered as sitting at his desk, in a book-lined study, with a "shivisi" sign in front of him and a number of sefarim opened before him. He rose many hours before dawn each day to learn and write. He was attentive and meticulous to beautifying religious observance, and paid particular attention to the selection of an etrog, the purchase of a beautiful etrog box, and the decoration of his sukkah, arguably one of the first in the country that had canvas walls. Although his son Moshe was the chazan of a large Orthodox synagogue only a block away, he refrained from going there because the Torah was not read from a central bimah.

His two sefarim, Nachlas Tzvi and Ateres Tzvi, contain original Torah thoughts on the Chumash. The profundity of his knowledge of Chumash, Navi, Talmud, Rishonim and Acharonim are readily apparent throughout. He combined an encyclopedic knowledge with an inventive and creative mind to develop highly original and novel interpretations of the Chumash. A student of the Zohar, he had a weekly chavrusa (learning partnership) to study Kabbalah with Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and he used this source liberally in his works.

His primary work, Nachlas Tzvi, although not widely known, includes approbations from exceptionally great and famous Torah luminaries, including the Lubavitcher Rebbe (who never gave approbations); Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, Av Beth Din of the Edah HaChareidis of Jerusalem and a representative of the Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum (who was most impressed by the sefer but had a rule that he didn't give approbations), Rabbi Nachum Wiedenfeld of Dombrova, Poland (brother of the Tchebiner Rav) and Rabbi Avrohom Elyashiv (father of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv).

Rabbi Gross invented one of the first vending machines. For a penny it dispensed candy and a fortune card, and a monkey tipped his hat. He also developed a pareve shortening made of coconut oil, and a device to keep food from burning. Patents were issued for many of his inventions. After World War II began, recognizing that lice was a serious problem for soldiers, he performed scientific experiments with mice, experimental and control groups, and developed a lice repellent which he offered to the Department of Defense; they opted, instead, for DDT.

He died on September 20, 1947 (6 Cheshvan 5708) and was buried in Mount Hebron Cemetery in Queens, New York. His family offers free copies of Nachlas Tzvi to anyone who commits to learning from it.

When it comes to make important decisions in life, a person makes use of two essential weapons: his brain, his gut, and sometimes both. In our tradition women are blessed with binah yeseira - loosely translated as additional intellect. More so than men, we believe and have come to see that women have what we commonly refer to as women's intuition. Does a man have a counter-part to this Binah yeseira? I think the answer is yes, and that is that men have a 'gut' feeling when it comes to making decisions in life.

Both binah yeseira and the gut feeling which occurs in men have to work within a framework of logic. For example if a woman is baking a cake and the recipe calls for x,y, and z she wouldn't say 'my binah yeseirah tells me I should use a,'b' and 'c' instead'. Likewise, a man won't use his gut feelings and tell himself that even though the speed limit is sixty - his gut tells him that he can push the pedal down to hit eighty- five. There are basic rules of nature and society by which people abide and won't allow their own psyches to convince them otherwise.

Typically, men or women use their extra gifts of instinct as the exception to the rule, but don't make it the rule. Similar to this is our understanding and following of the mitzvos. There are a total of six hundred and thirteen positive and negative mitzvos - commandments. Through the centuries these mitzvos have been taught and codified into a standard set of rules and regulations known in halacha as the Shulchan Aruch. While the Shulchan Aruch is the framework, there are exceptions to many of those rules, but those exceptions are only to be determined by experts and followers of the law.

I personally try to follow the laws of the Torah as prescribed without having any 'gut reaction' assessment to alter a law in the Torah. Keep in mind this is only for personal adherence to the law. When it comes to a psak halacha - a decision in law for a particular person in a particular situation - there IS room for the sixth sense or fifth section of the Shulchan Aruch. By and large I try to follow the rigorous structure of the law, but when it comes to secular decisions, I stray away from the 'laws of business or investing'. A stockbroker recently asked me why I bought a certain stock. On what information did I base my decision to buy? I answered that I have a gut feeling that the stock is going to go up. After flipping out at how I decided what stock to buy, he made a poignant observation. Since it is very difficult for anyone to lead a single -dimensional life one hundred percent of the time, they need to be a little flexible and loose when it comes to other areas of life. Due to the fact that I lead a strict, rigorous, and structured religious life, it would seem reasonable to be just a little 'crazy' when it comes to investing without any logic whatsoever.

In this week's parshas Tzav the Torah states in 6:16 "V'chal Minchas Kohain Kalil Tiheye Lo Teiachel" - "And every Mincha offering the Kohain brought should be completely consumed, it shall not be eaten". The sefer Dudaim BaSadeh explains that when it comes to serving Hashem, a man must not have other thoughts that are mixed in with the service. The service must be one hundred percent dedicated to that particular mitzvah, korban, etc. The entire event must be solely for the sake of Heaven without an ounce of thought for personal gain.

Avoda is Tefillah/prayer and during Temple times when sacrifices were offered, if a Kohen had a foreign thought it invalidated the sanctified animal, making it pasul (not kosher, not permitted for use). In terms of this verse, the Mincha of the Kohain is the Avoda - the service. Kalil Tihiyeh - completely consumed - means it is entirely for Hashem. There is absolutely no thought for myself, only for God. What the Torah means by 'do not eat' is not only taken literally but also not having any personal benefit whatsoever from that which goes only to Hashem. We shouldn't be doing any Mitzvos with an ulterior motive. Even the notion 'a man' should do a Mitzva even if he is not doing it for the right reasons, so that he will come to do it for the right reasons was only designed for children not adults. We encourage children to do Mitzvos and receive rewards or treats in order to train them so they will come to want to do Mitzvos later on for the right reasons. But this concept does not really extend to adults who shouldn't need the incentive.

When it comes to gashmiyus/physical needs of the world and secular decisions and work, we are allowed to have our own input and our own benefits. On the other hand for spiritual matters and areas when we serve Hashem, we cannot interfere with our own suggestions or agenda. Serving Hashem, particularly with regard to spiritual matters, must reflect one hundred percent pure unadulterated dedication to Hashem without my personal 'gut feeling'.

This is all evident in the upcoming festival of Pesach.

When we were slaves to Pharoah in Egypt, we were not permitted to think on our own; we had a slave mentality. When we were freed from that slavery, we became slaves to Hashem and must now serve Hashem by just doing the Mitzvos, no gut reaction. All of the Mitzvos associated with Pesach are very detailed and specific, leaving no room for our personal suggestions of how to do things. It takes strength and courage to be free from the bondage of the Egyptians and become free to fulfill the Mitzvos of Hashem, being free yet following the Mitzvos to the letter of the law -precisely to the tee. Let this Pesach be the beginning of our ability to set aside our personal feelings and ideas and become a true Oved Hashem in serving Hashem.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

When it comes to eating out, people choose between fine dining and fast food joints. A fine dining experience will usually take a few hours to eat food that can typically be eaten in a few minutes. A few weeks ago I ate in a restaurant with an all-you-can-eat menu in Israel. The experience was gluttonous - they served seven different types of meats, chicken and a plethora of side dishes. Diners are invited to taste as many of these delicacies as they wish. There is no time limit, you can stay there for six hours, get up walk around, go the bathroom, etc. sit back down for more.

There is a distinct feel or sense of royalty when surrounded with the lavishness of eating in an environment of opulence. Truth be told, it borders on the prohibition of excessive eating, a negative commandment in the Torah. Yet, on the other hand, I reached the feeling of satiation whereby I might have been obligated to recite the full Birkas Hamazon despite not having eaten any bread. For me, the pleasure and enjoyment of this culinary experience was due to the fact that I could actually enjoy eating delicious food slowly, savoring every taste sensation with a sense of ease and relaxation. Typically, I would indulge myself by eating a good rib steak but would consume it quickly, not taking the time to appreciate the full flavor of the meat attained by eating more slowly. On the other hand, eating quickly, without proper chewing can wreak havoc on the intestinal track. Every dietician, doctor and health professional will tell you that eating slowly helps your digestion, keeps your weight in check, and helps to contribute to a more enjoyable life style. Of course, there are situations when we have no choice, but that should only be the exception not the norm.

There are very few foods other than meat which are connected to an all -you- can- eat menu. I would like to suggest that there is a symbolic connection which deals with meat in both a Biblical and a rabbinic fashion. This week, as we begin Sefer Vayikra, the book of Leviticus, our attention will now focus on the daily activity that existed in the Mishkan, the portable Temple that we just completed building, concluding with its inauguration.

Probably the most active part of the Mishkan was the processing of animals for Korbanos, ritual sacrifices and offerings. Animals were offered daily for the public and continually throughout the day for personal sacrifices. Sacrifices were offered for a host of reasons not limited to sin or guilt. Sacrifices were also offered for thanksgiving, free will, nazir, childbirth, and more. There was a constant flow of animals being led in, slaughtered and essentially roasted on the mizbeiach - the altar. Meat was consumed by 'Hashem', the Kohanim and their families. Some sacrifices were eaten and enjoyed by those who brought the offerings along with their families. The navi Hoshea in 14:3 states "Unishalma Parim Sifaseinu", "and let us render for bulls the offering of our lips. The essence of the sacrifices is to become closer to Hashem, hence the word "Korbah" which means to get close, is done through our lips. When sacrifices were able to be brought, the closeness to Hashem came as a result of the offering itself and eating of the meat. Post-Temple times, when we no longer can offer or get close in the way of eating, requires that we must using our lips in another way to get close to God. This is done through prayer!

When it comes to communal or private prayer, a person establishes habits regarding the way he eats, similar to the way he davens. I'm not suggesting that there is a correlation between the speed with which a person eats and the speed of his davening, or vice versa. What I am saying is that there are people who daven quickly or slowly and people who eat quickly or slowly. A person doesn't realize that his body adapts to a certain routine whether it is eating or davening. After a period of time, a person can and will change, particularly with regard to speed of davening. This is especially true when we find ourselves in an environment which is different from that which we are accustomed to. Someone who is used to davening quickly will, at times, find himself in a slower minyan. Similarly, a person who typically eats slowly may be forced to eat quickly.

We have already established the fact that doing things more slowly vis a vis eating -and probably davening -is healthier. During the busy work week a person may not have time to eat properly or to daven slowly for that matter. Nevertheless, when the 'opportunity' to 'slow down' occurs, we should take advantage of that time and enjoy it. This opportunity rolls around every week on Shabbos. Shabbos meals do not have to be rushed. We can enjoy the food, ambiance and atmosphere during the Shabbos meals. In addition, the Teffilos on Shabbos should be viewed as an invitation to take in all that prayer has to offer.

Just as we can sit down and savor a great meal by eating slowly, taking pleasure in every aspect of the meal, giving it time to digest, so too can we use our mouths to savor the taste of the prayers. We have a chance to daven more slowly,to think about the words and the meaning of the tefillos in a way which we may not have the chance to do during the week. It definitely requires a change of mindset regarding eating, and kal vachomer, (how much more so) by davening.

Stop and think for a moment. Do we want to eat our words by half chewing, or chewing so quickly that we devour them without even tasting them? The Korbanos, represented by our food, should be used to get closer to Hashem. Take the time to daven more slowly and with greater kavana -concentration and understanding- of the tefillos. Hopefully, by eating more slowly on Shabbos, we can try to train ourselves to eat a little slower during the week. Healthy eating habits contribute to becoming physicaly healthier. In the same vein we should enjoy and actually treasure slower davening on Shabbos. Hopefully, that too will carry over to our davening during the week, whether it's a Sunday or on a day off from work when we have more time.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

During the past decade there has been a see-saw effect on the economy of the world. (Objectively speaking, this economic cycle affects the world on a continuous basis.) One of the main reasons the economy was hit hard the last go around was due to the credit crunch. In simple terms Americans were borrowing much more than they could ever pay back, which resulted in a lending freeze and an overall tightening of the credit system, vital for a society to grow its economy.

I, like many Americans, was over-extended. In my humble opinion it was a good idea to tighten up credit limits and encourage people to learn to live within their means. It can definitely be an inconvenience at times to not have a credit line available, but in the end a little pain or restraint now results in a lot of gain later. A great lesson that I learned is that it is good to have credit available, but bad if you use it and can't pay it back. The biggest irony in today's day and age is that having too much credit and not using it can also be detrimental to your overall credit/financial picture. Having too much credit may not be so bad in the physical world, but in the spiritual world even having too much is not good.

In the first of the two parshios this week, Parshas Vayakhel/Pekudei, the Torah states 36:5,6 "Vayomru el Moshe laymore, marbim ha'am lhavee midei haavoda lamilacha asher tziva Hashem laasos osah. Vayetzav Moshe Vayaaveeru kol baMachaneh laymore ish v'isha al yaasu ode melacha l'trumas HaKodesh, Vayikalei Ha'am May'Havee" ; "And they said to Moshe, as follows, The people are bringing more than enough for the labor of the work that Hashem has commanded us to perform. Moshe commanded that they proclaim throughout the camp, saying, 'Man and woman shall not do more work toward the gift of the sanctuary!' And the people were restrained from bringing". The second Gerrer Rebbe, known by his work Sfas Emes, tries to explain this lengthy discussion regarding the surplus of funds that was collected for the Mishkan. The Sfas Emes reveals a critical consideration and warning when it comes to service for Hashem. He feels that the influence on a person wanting to serve God may be tainted by a personal agenda unbeknownst to that individual.

One must keep in mind the building of the Mishkan and all of its components. Every aspect of the construction needed to be on a consistently holy and pure level without a trace of damaging thoughts. Behold, when the sages and righteous leaders saw the influx and overwhelming outpouring of generosity, they became concerned. They suspected smidgens of false inklings of service that were not for the sake of God but rather for ulterior motives.

It is said in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Yisroel ben Eliezer, thata person must see to it that all of his efforts in his service to Hashem are reached with fear and Boosha - shame. Often a person becomes haughty after finishing a job or a big project, taking credit for all that he did. To avoid such a situation, a person must 'look behind him' and think about who is he standing in front of and for whom he working? Sometimes a person must stop in the middle of his work and remind himself who he is standing in front of: he is standing in front of Hashem. When he stops and contemplates who he is truly working for, who he is serving, he will consistently adjust his own actions and refine his mindset. This, in essence, is what the Torah means when stating 'and the people were restrained from giving'. They immediately stopped giving too much, and instead stopped and thought about why and to whom and for what reason they were donating to the Mishkan. Their efforts were exclusively for the sake of building the Mishkan; they were not giving in order to show off to others how much they gave!

We are all familiar with the idiom 'Da lifnei mee ata omade', 'Know before Whom you stand' refers to prayer. This explanation goes beyond the spiritual plane of davening in a Shul and associates it with mundane work and particularly with donating charity for worthy causes. No matter how much a person gives to charity, he must be careful, continuously reminding himself of this precept.

The Chidushei HaRim, the first Gerrer Rebbe, explains the passuk in Shir Hashirim 7:2: "Your footsteps were so lovely when shod in shoes, o daughter of nobles..." the word for nobles -'N'div' - can also be read as a 'Nedava', a pledge. A person's pledges and donations also need the protection of a "shoe" so that the intentions and purpose of the donations don't go astray. With this we can come to understand the first Mishna in Shekalim 1:1: 'On the first of Adar the Beis Din proclaim regarding the payment of the shekalim (half shekel everyone donated on a yearly basis) and regarding kilayim (making sure the seeds of their fields did not contain any forbidden mixtures)'. What do these two mitzvos of giving a half shekel and kilayim have to do with one another? Chidushei HaRim answers that the donation of the half shekel should be pure, it should not contain any other foreign mixture (intent and thought, kilayim). The Hebrew word 'kilayim' comes from the same language of 'Vayikei Ha'am', 'And the people stopped giving'. There needs to be restraint and a holding back (not of the money) of the ulterior reasons for which a person may give charity. By the giving of the half shekel, the Torah dictates that the rich cannot give more and the poor cannot give less. The wealthy person can't give more because we are afraid his intentions may not be pure.

When we are told to live within our means, it is reflective of both our physical world and our spiritual world. With too much credit one can easily borrow too much and not be able to pay it back.

It's good to have the credit at your disposal, but you don't necessarily have to use it all up. In the realm of Mitzvos and giving Tzedakah and the like, a person also must be careful in his 'giving' lest he forget why he is giving. Every penny or half shekel must be entirely L'Shem Shamayim, for Heaven's sake. It must be without a tinge of benefit in even the minutest way for the donor. The Jewish people were restrained in order to remind them to give for the right reasons and with proper motivation.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

*Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (1847-1905), also known by the title of his main work, the Sfas Emes, was a Chasidic rabbi who succeeded his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, as the av beis din (head of the rabbinical court) and Rav of Góra Kalwaria, Poland (known in Yiddish as the town of Ger).He succeeded the Rebbe, Reb Heynekh of Alexander, as Rebbe of the Gerrer Hasidim.

As a Rabbi I attend many life cycle events, some of which are happy, others sad. In addition to life cycle events there are also community functions and "happenings" that I go to. From time to time I am asked to speak at such engagements; sometimes I am given adequate advance notice while other times I am asked to speak on the spot. Recently, I attended an "event" and wasn't even notified at all but rather was called up to the podium by the master of ceremonies right then and there.

At a recent family simcha I was asked to speak on short notice and I obliged. One of the guests came up to me and said something to the effect, "Oh you probably have an entire repertoire of speeches for all different occasions." Even if that were true, a Rabbi or anyone else for that matter, does not or should not just get up to speak without some preparation. Even a speech, lecture or class that had been given previously requires some review of the material and practice of presentation and delivery. One of the reasons for this is that no situations are alike; a speaker needs to modify and formulate the message for the appropriate time and situation.

When it comes to public speaking, a person must go over the material not only in his head but actually orally say the words he will be speaking to the audience. Not only is this a suggestion, it is an imperative found in this week's medrash on Parsha Ki Sisa. I stumbled upon this medrash in the Aruch Hashulchan. Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein Z"TL,in his halachik masterpiece on Jewish law, discusses the laws of Torah reading. In Siman 139 he quotes the Tur and Shulchan Aruch stating, "The one who reads a portion of the Torah must organize and review the portion two or three times by himself first before reading it in public. This is similar to a story of the great Rebbi Akiva who refused to go up to read from the Torah because he did not look it over beforehand". This story is quoted in the second Medrash of Parshas Ki Sisa.

In medrash Rabba chapter 40, Rav Tanchuma Bar Abba quotes a verse from Iyov 28:27: "Az Ra'ah Vayisapra, hechina vgam chakara, Then He saw and counted it, prepared it, yea, searched it out". The sages commented on this verse saying, "A person needs to have a parable or a medrash, some aggada or P'shat at the time that he is preparing to speak to the crowd. At that moment he should NOT say to himself, 'Oh since I know this material very well I will just say it when I walk in'. Rather, we must learn from God that when He wanted to speak the Torah to the Jewish people, He repeated the speech four times to Himself before He tellling it to the Jewish people. The passuk states "Vayidaber Elokim es kal hadevarim ha'Eileh, Laymore" - "First Hashem spoke all these words to Him and only then did He relate it to the Jewish people".

It is critical when speaking that a person review what he is planning to say, rehearsing that material a number of times prior to speaking. Unlike writing (which has its own set of challenges), once you say something it's out there; the words and letters just float away. When it comes to ordinary speech we ask Hashem at the conclusion of every Amida that we say three times a day to guard our tongues from speaking evil and our lips from speaking deceit. When it comes to speaking and teaching Torah, a person has to be particularly clear and deliberate when it comes to the word of Hashem. When we speak words of Torah it is as if we are taking the words from Hashem's mouth and relating them. We must be sure the words we speak are clear and therefore we are required to review them a few times before saying them.

It is interesting to note that when Moshe Rabbeinu breaks the Luchos after seeing the Jews celebrating with the golden calf, the Medrash says the letters flew up into the sky. The letters that were inscribed on the tablets were actually separate from the stone itself and at the same time etched out from the stone. The letters and the words on the Luchos made the heavy stone tablets light so that Moshe could carry them. As soon as the letters flew off the Kedusha left the stone tablets and they immediately became too heavy for Moshe to carry. As a result Moshe had to drop the luchos and they smashed.

The Kli Yakar explains that in Chapter 34:1 when Hashem tells Moshe to make a second luchos, He instructs him to use the same words that He used on the first Luchos. The simple pshat/understanding was that the wording itself should be replicated, but the Kli Yakar explains it was the actual letters from the first tablets that had flown away were now being brought back and used again on the second luchos. The spoken word of Hashem, the Torah that He had practiced, reviewed, said over a number of times doesn't just get destroyed; it is preserved.

We can now appreciate the value of reviewing and cherishing something over and over again as we see its permanence. Something that we care for- and look over is bound to last a long time. The Torah is timeless and therefore its words are here forever. When we speak in the name of the Torah or teach Torah, it must be prepared as something that will last forever. When it comes to Torah there is no speaking off the cuff. One must prepare and say it over and over again a number of times. When it is taught it will have a kiyum, permanence, in the world just like the letters of the Luchos which flew around but were always here.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

The cliché "You never know what you have until it's gone" or "You don't know what you're missing until it's gone" is a basic premise the Baalei Mussar try to inject into our thinking. So often we have friends whom we love and are there for us and vice versa, but we never really appreciate the closeness until something happens. It's usually something bad as well. We take things, life and people for granted, expecting them to be there for us whenever we need them, forever. Rationally, we understand this can't be the case, but emotionally we want to hang on to this belief and hope forever.

This week's Parsha T'tzaveh has one hundred and one verses. In most Chumashim, at the end of every Parsha is the number of verses in that Parsha. In addition, a pneumonic word with the numerical value of Pesukim is also given. The name Michael (pronounced Mee-chaw-ale) is given, perhaps giving us some other insight to the Parsha. The word Micha-Ale means 'impoverished God. Why would Hashem feel impoverished at this time?

I would like to suggest it is because Moshe Rabbeinu is not mentioned in the Parsha. Many are familiar with the teaching that when Moshe defended the Jewish people after the sin of the golden calf he said, "If you eradicate the Jewish people, then erase me from your book". Hashem ultimately did not get rid of the Jewish people but nevertheless was forced to keep Moshe's word and threat. Hashem, therefore, left out Moshe's name from this week's portion, as T'tzaveh almost always occurs the week of Adar Seven, which is the day that Moshe died. Moshe was God's appointed leader for His people. Moshe was the man who got closest to Hashem, saw Him face to face on the mountain, and now Moshe is lost. The message Hashem is sending is He is impoverished, intensely feeling the death of Moshe Rabbeinu and the obvious omission of his name in the parsha.

The Vilna Gaon in his commentary on Chumash reveals a totally different angle in Moshe's absence from the Parsha. That which is missing from Moshe's name is one hundred and one! Letters in Hebrew are actually spelled out. For example, Mem is two Mem's , Shin is a shin, yud and nun, and the Hey is Hey and Aleph. The three letters of Moshe are Mem, Shin, and Hey. If you were to take away the letter 'mem' from that word you are left with a mem whose value is forty. If you take away the Shin, you are left with a yud and a nun, giving you sixty. If you take away the Hey, you are left with an aleph whose value is one. By removing the letters from Moshe's name we are left with 40+60+1=101. These numbers are hidden and only revealed after Moshe is taken away.

The lesson the Vilna Gaon teaches us is that the exterior of Moshe, his physical body, is no longer present. The holy physical body of Moshe that was dear to each and every person in Klal Yisrael is gone. Nevertheless, we are to be comforted knowing that the Penimius, the inside fiber of Moshe, the Ruchnius - his spirituality - is still here for now and for the future. Moshe's ruchniyus/spirituality is the part of himself that is missing by which we actually call him. In other words when we take away Moshe's physical name we are left with his spiritual name and essence. The name that he is called by - 'Moshe'- represents the outside of his being. That component of Moshe represents the Torah that he physically brought down from Har Sinai. That which remains from his name after he is gone is the application of the Torah that he taught. It reminds us who Moshe was as a person, leader, and defender of the Jewish people. Those lessons are still alive and well within us and will continue forever and ever, never be destroyed.

The final message of the number of Pesukim in this week's parsha of one hundred and one is the importance of review. Chazal teach us "there is no comparison reviewing something one hundred times to reviewing it one hundred and one times". There is something to be said about that extra time that a person goes over and reviews something. By reviewing one extra time the person is guaranteed not to forget that which he learned. A teacher's desire and dream is for his students to remember and not forget that which was taught. Moshe's title is Rabbeinu, our teacher. Moshe was the ultimate teacher/Rebbe that the Jewish people had. Moshe's desire as a teacher, probably greater than anyone else in the world, is to feel comforted knowing that his teachings are being followed.

The cliche 'You never know what you have until it's gone' only applies to physical things. Spiritual matters are permanent and are always here and accessible. The importance of life, to appreciate the things that are here and not only to feel sorrow when they are gone apply only to things that are truly no longer. Through Moshe we see that he represented not only the physical but the spiritual, and that lasts forever.

In conclusion, the great holiday of Purim always coincides with parshas T'tzaveh. The epitome of that which is seen versus that which is being hidden is found in the story of Purim. The name of Hashem is not clearly stated, although many references to Hashem are made. The name of the main character Hadassa is known to others as Esther, or Ishtar in Persian, meaning hidden. It is only through the hidden that we, the Jewish people, get to see the truly revealed. Things in the world which are Tzanua, modest, is seen as beautiful, not showing off everything and being open to all. Achashveirosh, by showing off all of his treasures and wanting to display his wife Vashti, is the antithesis of modesty, which led to their downfall.

Through the parsha of T'tzaveh and the story of Purim with the Megilla we should be blessed with that which is hidden to eventually be revealed to us in seeing God's revelation to the entire world.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

Chessed, doing kindness is a wonderful Midda -character trait - that many people do and more should be doing. When it comes to doing a chessed and other such Mitzvos, a person must use good, old-fashioned, common sense in attempting to fulfill this Mitzva. For example, performing a chessed, a kindness, for someone must be done in a manner that does not embarrass the recipient. A second, and perhaps more poignant illustration, is when someone offers to do a kindness for someone but the receiver really does not want or need it. The giver sometimes forces the situation, and sometimes negative results are produced instead of something positive. Parallel to this is if the giver is not qualified to do that particular act but insists on doing it anyway, and the beneficiary ends up losing more than he gained from that intended kindness.

Perhaps I can suggest that the concept of this lies in the principle of Baal Tosif. Baal Tosif means we are not permitted to add more Mitzvos than there already are and not to add onto an existing Mitzva itself. For example, adding a fifth specie to the four species on Sukkos or adding a fifth corner of Tzitzis onto a garment). Chazal, the Rabbis of blessed memory, taught a concept of "Shekal Hamosif Gorea": whoever adds is sometimes actually taking away. Sometimes it's better just to leave things just the way they are instead of trying to add something, tweaking it where it can lead to lessening of something.

The Gemara Sanhedrin 29a states: Chizkiah said: From where do we know or derive the concept of Shekal Hamosif Gorea that one who adds to God's words actually detracts from them? The Gemara gives two opinions. The first tells over the story in Gan Eiden when Hashem only told Adam and Chava not to eat from the Etz Hadaas, but Chava added the restriction of not touching it either, whereby the snake pushed her causing her to touch the tree. Upon doing so, nothing happened, so the snake convinced her that eating from it would also be fine. Having added the restriction of touching caused the entire history of the world to change course.

The second source is taken from this week's Parsha. Rav Mesharshey says from Shemos 25:10, the Torah states in this week's Parsha Teruma: "Amasayim Vacheitzi Archo, two amos and a half, its length". This verse refers to the dimensions of the Aron in the Mishkan. The word 'Amasayim' means two amos (cubits). Deleting the first letter of the word renders the word 'Masayim', which means two hundred. Thus had the first letter been deleted from the word, it would have been understood as setting the length of the Aron at two hundred and one half cubits. By adding the first letter, the Torah lessened the meaning of the word to a mere two and a half cubits.

The Gaon of Vilna* records this Gemara according to Rashi's understanding. The Vilna Gaon, in his commentary Kol Eliyahu, brings a Maharsha** which questions Rashi's understanding of that verse. He says that is not the place we learn this concept from because if you remove the aleph from the word 'Amasayim' (two) and read it 'Masayim' (two hundred), we still do not know which measurement is being referred to. Is it the Talmudic measurements of Etzbaos (fingers), Tefachayim (handbreaths), or Amos? (There are a number of other questions the Maharsha has regarding Rashi. The Vilna Gaon answers the question as follows: since it states two and a half was its length, meaning the entire length of the Ark was two and one half amos. But if you were to take away the letter 'Vav' (to as a prefix the letter vav meanings AND) from the word Chatzi - half - then the Passuk would read 'Amasayim Chatzi Arko', which would mean that the entire length of the Aron would be two Amos, its half in reality four Amos. It comes out that the Vav, on the word Chatzi -half- actually takes away from the four, making it into two.

This reminds me of my experience in elementary school when I was learning fractions. One of the primary hints to remember with regard to the concept of fractions was the higher the bottom number is the smaller the actual number is. The perception that things which are bigger and higher are better isn't necessarily true. This is also true and important to remember when we put too much time into something which may have negative effects. When a person studies, there comes a point and time when he must stop. Obviously, we are speaking of situations when adequate and proper studying was done, but the person wants to do more at the expense of getting some necessary sleep. There is a certain breaking point to respect: if a person goes overboard, even though that which he is doing in principle is good it will hurt him at the end.

The delicate balance is even noticed in the beginning of the Parsha where a person contributes to charity and the people in the desert donated to the Mishkan. There are limitations even when it comes to the giving of Tzedaka lest the rich person give away everything and become a needy person himself. This is but just one more example of the delicate balance that we need to work on in our lives.

Whether it is efforts being put into our own lives or the chessed we are doing for someone else, a delicate balance must be found. I believe the constraints of the halachik guidelines were created for us to manage this equilibrium. Unfortunately, I have seen many people go overboard with others and within their own personal lives to their detriment as well as others. Let us learn the critical lesson of how much to add before we start subtracting.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

*Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman Kremer, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna, or by his Hebrew acronym Gra ("Gaon Rabbenu Eliyahu") or Elijah Ben Solomon, Vilnius April 23, 1720 - Vilnius October 9, 1797, was a Talmudist, halachist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic Jewry of the past few centuries. He is commonly referred to in Hebrew as ha-Gaon ha-Chasid mi-Vilna, "the saintly genius from Vilnius.

** Samuel Eidels (1555 - 1631) was a renowned rabbi and Talmudist famous for his commentary on the Talmud, Chiddushei Halachot. Eidels is also known as Maharsha a Hebrew acronym for "Our Teacher, the Rabbi Shmuel Eidels" The Maharsha was born in Kraków, Poland. His father, Yehuda, was a Talmudist. Both parents were descendants of rabbinic families. His mother, Gitel, was a cousin of Rabbi Yehuda Loew, the Maharal of Prague. From early childhood, the Maharsha's remarkable talents were evident. When he came of marriageable age, the Maharsha was offered many prestigious shidduchim (marriage partners), but he rejected them, asserting that he wanted to devote himself solely to Torah study.

He married the daughter of Edel Lifschitz of Posen and the late Moshe Lifschitz, rabbi of Brisk. The Maharsha then moved to Posen where he established a yeshiva. For twenty years all the expenses of the yeshiva were assumed by his mother-in-law. In appreciation of her support, the Maharsha, Rabbi Eidels adopted her name. After her death, he served as rabbi in the following prominent communities: Che?m, Lublin and Ostrog. Eidels was also active in the Council of Four Lands. The Maharsha's son-in-law was R. Moses ben Isaac Bonems of Lublin, who authored his own novella on the Talmud, published with the Chiddushe Halakhot, last recension (Mahdura Batra).