Rabbi Levin's Blog

This is the last Shabbat of the current year.  Next Shabbat will be Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the year 5787.  This is our opportunity to prepare ourselves for the great days of Rosh Hashanah, the Ten days of Teshuvah, and Yom Kippur.  Everything important requires preparation.  How much more so the most monumental event of the year, when the entire Creation is renewed.   It is interesting to note that the written Torah does not expressly state that the first of Tishrei is Rosh Hashanah.  This day is defined in the Torah as “Yom Teruah” - a day of blowing the Shofar.  We pair this with a verse in Tehillim (Psalms 81:4,5): “Sound the shofar on the New Moon, on the appointed time for the day of our festival. For it is a statute for Israel, the judgment of the G-d of Jacob.”  The only festival that occurs at the time of the New Moon is the one on the first of Tishrei.  All others happen when the moon is full or already well lit up....

Every time we read this week’s Parsha, a troubling question comes up.  Why all the curses?  It’s very difficult to read, and in fact the Ba’al Kore - the Torah reader in the Synagogue - lowers his voice for this section and reads it faster than the rest.  The answer in Chassidic teachings is complicated, multi-faceted and probably difficult for many to comprehend.  The gist of it is that there are revealed blessings, and then there are blessings that are too lofty spiritually to be revealed.   It is written that no bad comes from G-d.  Some misinterpret that to mean that anything bad is not from G-d but from some other force.  This idea is inconsistent with the Torah view of the unity of Hashem.  Everything was created and is controlled by Hashem, including forces of evil.  So the only other interpretation is that what appears to be bad is really not bad.  As I said, this is something that is very difficult to comprehend, and I am n...

If I ask you what the Torah talks about, what is your first reaction?  I have asked several people this question, across the spectrum of Torah knowledge and connection.  One of the typical reactions is that it is a bunch of rules.  Others mention the stories.  Some focus on “fire and brimstone” and punishments.  Today I got a nice answer:  After the initial “a bunch of restrictive laws,” he said that the Torah teaches us how to live our lives. What I want to suggest today is that a major theme of the Torah is to be honest.  You must not withhold the wages of a poor or destitute employee... You must give him his wage on his promised day—the sun must not set on it, because he is poor, and he risks his life to earn it... You must not pervert the judgment of a convert or an orphan... You must not keep two supposedly identical but different weights in your pocket: a heavy one for buying and a light one for selling... You must possess a full and correct weig...

Over the centuries people have eaten whatever they had available. There was often no understanding of the relationship between particular foods and their health. There were those who studied this relationship and learned about which foods are healthy and which are not. Some chose to eat healthy foods, and they enjoyed the benefits, both short and long term.  It was always much easier to just eat whatever is easiest to prepare. The good stuff may not taste as sweet, salty or crunchy and requires more thought and self control.  Then came the fast food. Instead of planning and cooking, or spending a lot of money and time in an upscale restaurant, you could pick up some delicious food, not even needing to get out of your car. It was advertised as delicious and convenient and healthy. (You could even get a piece of lettuce with the burger!)  the idea caught on like wildfire and spread throughout the world. What an easy way to provide for our nutritional needs. What fun!  ...

  There are many different types of tests that we face in life.  There is the test of suffering and the test of abundance.  Will we continue to keep our faith and serve Hashem under duress, and will we recognize the great gift of abundance that Hashem has given us and respond with greater fervor in our observance?  There is the test of temptation to sin that we all face every day.  There was the test of the “Akeida,” when Avraham was called upon to sacrifice his son, and other tests that great Tzaddikim have faced to expose their deep, unshakeable faith. I think it is fair to say that the test that Moshe describes in this week’s Parsha, Re’eh, is a major challenge, especially for our generation.  “If there will arise among you a prophet or dreamer, and he gives you a sign or a marvel, and the sign or the marvel of which he spoke to you takes place, and he says, ‘Let us follow other peoples’ deities, which you have not known, and let us worship them.’ You mu...

“And now, Israel, what does G-d, your G-d, demand of you? Only to revere G-d, your G-d, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, and to serve G-d, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul... by keeping G-d’s commandments and rules, which I am commanding you today, for your own good.”  (Devarim 10:12,13.)  These are Moshe’s words in his parting words to the people, as he prepares them for life without him in Israel.   (Pardon the interruption.  We have invited a Scholar in Residence next weekend, Rabbi Avroham Jacks, August 7-8, in partnership with the Torah Science Foundation.  He is a very interesting speaker and will address some of the issues at the forefront of our consciousness these days.  Please see here for details.) This is somewhat shocking: “What does G-d, your G-d, demand of you, “ONLY” to revere G-d etc.?” As the Talmud puts it (Berachot 33b):  “Is reverence [of G-d] a small thing?”  For someone to live with reverence o...