Rabbi Levin's Blog

Moshe’s physical time on Earth was coming to an end.  He spent the last 40 days of his life preparing the Jewish people for their new life in Israel without his personal leadership.  Like a loving leader and shepherd, he reviewed the laws that would keep our people through all the lifecycles and challenges of the future.  He also talked about their missteps, and sometimes it can sound harsh.  But when we look a little deeper, with the perspective that Moshe had sacrificed so much for his people even when they had sinned, we can see the love in his words.   An example of his devotion to his people was after they had sinned with the Golden Calf, worshipping an idol 40 days after Hashem had revealed himself to them at Mount Sinai.  Hashem had threatened to annihilate them and make Moshe himself the patriarch of a new nation.  Moshe asked Hashem “if [you don’t forgive them] erase me from your book.”  The Torah which was Moshe’s great life’s accom...

  I have a question for you.  First some background.  The original land Hashem promised to the Jewish people was from the river to the sea, from the Mediterranean to the Jordan river.  This was the land that would be divided amongst the 12 tribes.  Then the two mighty kings on the east side of the Jordan made a fatal mistake.  When Moshe asked Sichon, the king of the Emorites, to let them pass through to enter the promised Jewish land, Sichon refused and went to war.  With Hashem’s miraculous help, the Jews won and took his land, as well as that of the mighty Og, who also initiated war against the Jews.   The tribes of Gad and Reuven saw luscious grazing land east of the Jordan river for their vast amounts of sheep and cattle, and came up with a novel idea.  How about we settle here instead of our designated lands on the west of the Jordan. Moshe was upset.  “Are you trying to do what the spies did, refusing to enter the land and tu...

  Today, Thursday, is the 17th of Tammuz, a fast day commemorating the Romans’ breaching the walls of the City of Jerusalem, leading to the destruction of the Holy Temple three weeks later.  There were several other calamities that happened on that day, and you can read about it here .  The fast is observed by not eating or drinking all day until nightfall (9:05 in Palo Alto), saying special prayers called Selichot and Aneinu, increasing Tzedakah, and spending time contemplating the meaning of the day.  We recognize the need to strengthen our bond with Hashem, and to turn the tide on the exile through Teshuvah.   There are different ways we can approach this.  One is to focus on the destruction and pain and suffering.  Another way is to focus on changing the situation and bringing about the redemption and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple (in a peaceful way).   We can take this second approach a step further.  When Moshiach comes, t...