Rabbi Levin's Blog

“Can I become a Levite?” the great philanthropist asked the Rabbi.  It is a famous old joke (usually told about Kohanim). The Rabbi says: “I’m sorry, I can’t make you a Levite.”  The man pleads and begs, but the Rabbi refuses to budge.  He offers a million dollars, but the Rabbi says “I’m sorry, I just can’t make you a Levite.”  (There is a PS to this joke, I’ll get to that soon.) When the disappointed man leaves, the Rabbi’s assistant follows him out and asks why it is so important for him to become a Levite.  “Well,” he answers, "My father is a Levite and my grandfather was a Levite, I also want to be a Levite!” At the beginning of our Parsha this week, Hashem tells Moshe to separate the Levites to work in the Mishkan (traveling Sanctuary), and later in the Holy Temple, alongside the Kohanim (priests).  The Levites (Leviim) were chosen by their lineage, as descendants of Yaakov’s son Levi, with the exclusion of Aarn’s branch of the tribe, who were the koh...

The Mishkan (traveling sanctuary) was finally completed.  It was a magnificent portable building made of many materials including gold, silver and copper, and various colors of fabrics and skins. To dedicate the Mishkan, over the course of the first 12 days, each head of tribe brought a lavish offering consisting of animal sacrifices, incense and more. They also donated six covered wagons and 12 oxen to pull them.  These wagons were used by the Levites to transport the pieces of the Mishkan and all the utensils and vessels from place to place as the Jews traveled through the desert.  However the wagons were not given to all the Levites.   Each of the three levite families carried different specific parts of the Mishkan.  The family of Kehot were assigned the holy furniture items, including the Holy Ark.  Those items had poles and were carried by Levites on foot, not transported on wagons.   Rambam (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Klei Hamikdash 2:12) ...

“I am Hashem your G-d who took you out of Egypt from the house of bondage.”  These are the opening words of the Ten Commandments that Hashem gave the Jewish people on Shavuot 3,338 years ago. They were the introduction to the 613 Mitzvot that are the vehicles by which we reveal Hashem’s light in the world and make it a home for Him.  Hashem is the Creator of the entire world. It would seem that that is a greater accomplishment than freeing slaves from Egypt. Why not introduce Himself as the One on Whom everything depends?   Another interesting point is why Hashem would have to remind the Jews that they were redeemed from Egypt. This was only a few weeks after they had ended 210 years of bitter exile there, and they hardly needed a reminder of the country in which they were slaves. He could have just said “who took you out of the house of bondage” and everyone would know He was referring to Egypt.  Chassidus explains at length that Egypt is not just a country and...

In a week, we will be receiving the Torah from Hashem.  Wait a second, you might say, that happened 3,338 years behind the times!  The Jewish people stood at the foot of Mount Sinai in the year 2,448 from Creation, 3,338 years ago, and Hashem came down onto the mountain and gave the Torah.  But even though it happened then, what I said is still accurate, for a few reasons. First of all, every one of our holidays is not just celebrating an event that happened in the past, but reliving the events that happened the first time.  On Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of humankind, we celebrate the creation of the world.  Chassidus explains that every Rosh Hashanah the world is renewed, with a new revelation of Hashem’s will to create that lasts for another year until next Rosh Hashanah.   Every Pesach we celebrate not just the first Exodus from Egypt but the concept of freedom that is one of the greatest values of the Jewish people.  And on Shavuot we once ag...

  There is nature and there are miracles.  We usually think of them as completely separate things.  Once in a while a huge miracle happens, like the sea splitting, or when thousands of missiles flew and a relatively tiny (though tragic) number of Jews died.  But the sun rises daily and sets, as does the moon.  We plough a field and sow it, it rains and the seeds grow into grain, vegetables or trees.  Sometimes it doesn’t rain and they don’t grow.  It’s the way of the world.   It’s a common practice to let the land lie fallow on occasion, like rotating crops, in order to allow the earth to regain its strength, otherwise the amount it produces may drop.  I did some research about this and some modern farmers feel that fertilizing the land has the same effect, but certainly this was a practice in earlier times.  Many still believe in it today. So then it would make sense that the Torah tells us, in the Parsha we read this Shabbat, to l...

The Torah portion this week teaches about the special days on the calendar.  Beginning with Shabbat that is on the seventh day of every week, the Torah enumerates the major holidays - Pesach. Shavuot (and between them the Counting of the Omer), Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot.  On those days, (besides the intermediate days of Pesach and Sukkot,) we are not allowed to do any “work,” as defined by Jewish law.  The difference between Shabbat and the other festivals, besides Yom Kippur, is that on the festivals we are permitted to cook and do some other things related to food that are forbidden on Shabbat.  And of course on Yom Kippur we also are commanded to fast. These are the “major holidays.”  There are also several “minor” holidays, defined as minor because there is no work prohibition.  Two of those days frame this upcoming Shabbat. Friday is Pesach Sheni - “ the Second Pesach” - for those who could not eat the meat of the Pascal Lamb on Pesach, and ...