Parsha

Birthday Mazal Tov to: Amir Seliger 

Ore por Refuah Sheimah: Stephen Waczkiewicz (Shimon ben Sarah), Yossefa (Josie) "bat Sharon", Rafael ben Gladis e Esther Bracha "bat Sarah".

Continue orando por: Teddy Welz, Miriam (Mariana) "bat Zulay", Adina (Heidi) "bat Sarah" e Yosefa (Josie) "bat Sharon".

Beha'alotecha

Numbers 8:1 -12:16

Beha'alotecha (בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ‎ — Hebrew for "when you step up," the 11th word, and the first distinctive word, in the parashah) is the 36th weekly Torah portion (פָּרָשָׁה‎, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the third in the Book of Numbers.

Aharon is commanded in the lighting of the Menorah, the Levites purify themselves for service in the Tabernacle (they trained from age 25-30 and served from age 30-50). The first Pesach is celebrated since leaving Egypt. The Almighty instructs the Jewish people to journey into the desert whenever the ever-present cloud lifts from above the Tabernacle and to camp where it rests. Moshe is instructed to make two silver trumpets to be sounded before battle or to proclaim a Yom Tov (a holiday).

The people journey to the wilderness of Paran during which time they rebelled twice against the Almighty's leadership. The second time they complain about the boring taste of the maneh and the lack of meat in the desert. The Almighty sends a massive quantity of quail and those who rebelled died.

Moshe asks his father-in-law, Yitro (Jethro) to travel with them in the desert, but Yitro returns to Midian.

Miriam, Moshe's sister, speaks lashon hora (defaming words) about Moshe. She is struck with Tzora'as (the mystical skin disease which indicated that a person spoke improperly about another person) and is exiled from the camp for one week.

"The man, Moses, was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3).

How is it possible that Moses was humble after writing these words that the Almighty dictated to him to write in the Torah?

Humility is not feeling lowly or worthless or denying one's capacity. Humility is recognizing your strengths and capability -- and knowing that they are a gift from the Almighty.

Imagine two people are in front of you. The first one asks you, 'Do you want to see me do something really special?' and then proudly waves his hand in front of his face. The second person says, "That's nothing" ... "I have an IQ of 168!"

"What is the second person so proud about?

The Almighty gave him a gift of greater intelligence -- but, it's just a gift, the same as our ability to move our limbs. Did the second man do anything to deserve greater intelligence? No! If we appreciate that everything is a gift, then we can take pleasure in them, but not be prideful."

There is only one character trait that repels the presence of G-d: vanity (Talmud Bavli, Arachin 15b). A vain person is worse than a liar. A liar does not believe his own lies, whereas a vain person is convinced of his superiority. A person who seeks recognition is much like a goat that wears a bell around its neck to announce its whereabouts.

Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself. It means thinking of yourself less.

Life is a journey, not a destination and to travel it is a gift.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Tank

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Rabbi Tank is a professor at the American Jewish College, where he teaches classes on Talmud, Jewish History, and Contemporary Jewish Law. Rabbi Tank is dedicated to finding modern utility and meaning in ancient wisdom texts and is happy to provide spiritual, cultural, social and educational programming to communities around the world. 

Rabbi Tank was educated at Chabad Yeshivas in New York and Miami. He majored in Biblical Archeology from Bar Ilan University and from Harvard in Jewish Studies. He graduated in Business Administration and also graduated in International Economic Development from the University of Oxford. 

Rabbi Tank is actively involved in peace negotiations and relief operations and is a Member of the White House National Religious Leaders, an Executive Office of the President of the United States.

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