Weekly Parsha

This Week Torah Study is sponsored anonymously.

Let's pray for the "Refuah Shleima" (speedy recovery) of " our community". May G-d deliver us from this crisis speedily and grant a complete recovery to those who are ill, Amen!

Prayer List

"Shlomo Tamas ben Sarah"
"Malka Batya bas Tova"
"Adira (Heidi) bas Sarah"

Deuteronomy 26:1 -- 29:8

This week's portion includes: Bringing to the Temple as an offering the first fruits of the Seven Species special to the Land of Israel, Declaration of tithes, the Almighty designating the Jewish people as His treasured people (Deut. 26:16 -19), the command to set up in the Jordan River and then on Mount Ebal large stones which had the Torah written upon them in 70 languages, the command to have a public ratification of the acceptance of the Law from Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal; the Torah then sets forth the blessings for following the Law and the curses for not following it, and concludes with Moshe's final discourse. Verse 28:46 tells us the importance of serving the Almighty with "joy and a good heart." The last verse of the portion instructs us "You shall fulfill the words of this covenant and do them so that you will succeed in all that you do!"

"And you shall rejoice with all the good that the Almighty has given you" (Deuteronomy 26:11).

Why does the Torah obligate us with a commandment to rejoice when the natural inclination is to be happy when good things happen to us?

The human nature: "Man's nature is to constantly want more than he presently has. 'He who has one hundred wants two hundred.' Our moments of joy are mixed with sadness over what we lack -- and this is destructive both physically and spiritually. Therefore, the Torah commands us to feel a joy that is complete -- to focus on and rejoice with what we have."

If you think that you will be happy only when you have more, then you will NEVER be happy. When you finally get what you were hoping for, you will once again focus on getting more and will again feel unhappy. Happiness is dependent upon your state of mind. You can only be happy if you appreciate what you have and what you are presently doing.

In Pirke Avot (chapter 4, first mishna/"teaching") it states, "Who is the rich person? He who is happy with his portion." Regardless of what you have, you are only wealthy if you have mastered the ability to appreciate what you have. (This includes appreciating your children, too!) There are many people who are like multi-millionaires who don't know that they are rich because all of their money is sewn into the mattress and they don't know that it is there. Instead, they complain about sleeping on a lumpy mattress! 

One can have eyes, hands, feet, a mind to think with and be depressed -- unless he focuses on taking pleasure in these gifts. Imagine if you were blind and suddenly were given the gift of sight. Would you be "flying high"? You would be beyond yourself in happiness! Why wait to appreciate what you have? Make a list of your gifts and for what you are grateful to the Almighty. It is good preparation for Rosh Hashana!

If you aren't happy with what you have,
you won't be happy with what you get

Life is fragile -- Handle with prayer

Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tovah!

Quarantine won't stop our learning

We are excited to announce the American Jewish College FREE Learning Program. Please contact Rabbi Tank WhatsApp number +1 (917) 834-4770 to let him know that you want to join the English, Spanish or Portuguese group.

The wise man seizes the opportunity to do mitzvot" (King Solomon). The lazy person says -- someday I'll do it.