Weekly Parsha

A special thanks to Yassiel and Sarah Alenquer who inspired me to write this Torah Weekly portion. May Hashem HaKadosh Baruch Hu bless you from Tzion; may you share the prosperity of Yerushalayim all the days of your life, and live to see with Nachat your children's children. 

Mazal Tov to Devorah Garcia on her birthday.

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

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

Shemot

Exodus 1:1 - 6:1

This week's portion tells a story often repeated throughout history: The Jews become prominent and numerous. There arises a new king in Egypt "who did not know Joseph" (meaning he chose not to know Joseph or recognize any debt of gratitude). He proclaims slavery for the Jewish people "lest they may increase so much, that if there is war, they will join our enemies and fight against us, driving (us) from the land." 

Moshe (Moses) is born and immediately hidden because of the decree to kill all male Jewish babies. Moses is saved by Pharaoh's daughter, grows up in the royal household, goes out to see the plight of his fellow Jews. He kills an Egyptian who was beating a Jew, escapes to Midian when the deed becomes known, becomes a shepherd, and then is commanded by G-d at the Burning Bush to "bring My people out of Egypt." Moses returns to Egypt, confronts Pharaoh who refuses to give permission for the Israelites to leave. And then G-d says, "Now you will begin to see what I will do to Pharaoh!"

The Almighty tells Moshe at the incident of the Burning Bush:

"The place upon which you are standing is holy ground" (Ex. 3:5).

What deeper meaning and lesson can we derive from these words?

When a person finds himself in a situation with many distractions and difficulties, he is likely to say, "When the Almighty improves my situation, then I will be able to study Torah and fulfill more mitzvot, but not right now. Now I can only think of my problems.

Let's apply this verse to those situations. "The place upon which you are standing" -- that is, the exact situation in which you find yourself -- that is sacred. If your life situation is difficult, it is exactly in that difficult situation that the Almighty wants you to serve Him. The Almighty only gives people tests which they can pass and the tests are for their own personal growth and spiritual elevation. The Sages teach us "According to the difficulty is the reward," We must strive to make the most of our every situation to serve the Almighty to the best of our ability.

Tziporah, Moshe's future wife, and her 6 sisters drew water for their father's sheep. Shepherds came and drove them away. The Torah tells us that then:

"Moshe got up and saved them and watered their sheep" (Ex. 2:17).

Moshe saved Tziporah, who at that time was a total stranger. Later on we read in the Torah how Tziporah saves Moshe's life (Exodus 4:24-5) while he is on his way back to Egypt from Midian to lead the Exodus.

From here we learn that all the kindness that a person does for someone else is eventually repaid to him. Whenever you do a favor for someone, you benefit yourself. Definitely, the highest level of righteousness is to do a kindness for the sake of the mitzvah without thinking of personal gain. However, if you find it difficult to do a kindness for someone, you can at least draw on a pragmatic motivation.

Life is like a mirror. If you do kindness for others, they will be kinder to you. Also, if you act with kindness, eventually you will make yourself into a kinder person.

Who you are tomorrow depends on what you do today!

We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out.

Shabbat Shalom!

R. 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 pleased 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 studied Biblical Archeology at Bar Ilan University and Jewish Studies at Harvard University. Rabbi Tank has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration and he is also graduated in International Economic Development from the University of Oxford. 

Rabbi Tank is a Jewish Chaplain actively involved in peace negotiations and relief operations. Rabbi Tank is the director of international affairs at the World Jewish Confederation headquarters in New York and He is member of the White House National Religious Leaders , an Executive Office of the President of the United States in Washington, D.C.

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