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On Tuesday night, we will revisit the time when the entire nation heard the Voice of G-d, on the holiday of Shavuos. Our Sages teach that the Jewish holidays are not merely commemoration of past events, but a time on the calendar when the same spiritual energies come into the world. This is when the Jewish nation received the Torah, and we each have the opportunity to tap into that energy, to study and receive the Torah ourselves, and to come closer to G-d.

Responding to Rabbi Dixler’s message of last week, a friend of mine pointed out that while R’ Mordechai meant to say that we may often think and act as if we don’t love each and every individual Jew — when in our heart of hearts, we do — one could have read it to say, “G-d loves and counts each one of us, although we may often think and act as if it isn’t the case!”

My friend has a point. Our Sages say that not only was the entire Nation of Israel surrounding Mt. Sinai on Shavuos, but every Jewish soul was brought there as well. In our heart of hearts, they say we know that there is a G-d who cares about and observes each one of us.

To truly demonstrate cognizance of the Divine Presence, we should conduct ourselves in private the same way we do in front of others. King David said “I have placed G-d in front of me at all times.” Rabbi Moshe Isserles, in his first gloss to Rabbi Yosef Karo’s Code of Jewish Law, explains that the way a person acts and talks when he is alone at home is, needless to say, not the same as the way he behaves in front of the Queen of England (paraphrasing, of course).

He continues: “All the more so when a person places upon his heart that the Great King, the Holy One, Blessed be He, Who fills the whole world with His glory, is standing over him and sees his actions, like it says (Jeremiah 23:24) ‘Can a man hide in secret places and I do not see him?’”

Against that standard, I don’t think anyone (save the most severely deluded) claims to be a success. Every person, at his or her own level, can afford to deepen our relationship with and understanding of the Divine. There is even a Talmudic passage telling us that this has always been true:

<< When Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai lay on his deathbed, his students asked him to bless them. He replied, “May your fear of G-d be as great as your fear of your fellow man!”

They answered him, “Rebbe. Shouldn’t our fear of G-d be greater than our fear of our fellow man?”

He replied, “Halevai! (If only!) Would it were that your fear of Him should equal your fear of flesh and blood! When a person commits a sin he is worried that someone may see him. But the fact that G-d is watching him doesn’t bother him!” >>

The Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisroel Meyer Kagan, in his Biur Halacha commentary, says that in order to properly “place” G-d in front of us always, there are six separate Mitzvos enumerated by the Sefer HaChinuch, the Book of (Mitzvah) Education, which counts all 613 Commandments. These six apply at every moment: to believe in G-d, to not believe in any idolatrous “god”, to understand the Oneness of G-d, to love G-d, to fear G-d, and not to turn away from Him.

As we approach the holiday of Shavuos, this is an ideal time to reflect upon our understanding and relationship with Our Creator — and one way to do this is to think about these six Commandments. Rabbi Shai Markowitz has created a website which has articles and videos about all six. While some the material may seem advanced, the speakers are engaging, informative, and (two of the main speakers, in particular) also present the material in a way that can be appreciated by most every viewer.

May we all have a happy — and inspirational — holiday!

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

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The Torah speaks of a Divine affliction called Tzara’as, a visible blemish on a person’s skin, clothing, or walls of their home that creates intense spiritual impurity upon the carrier. There are many complex laws listed in this week and last week’s Torah readings for returning the afflicted person to purity. One of the more straightforward rules is the following: the blemish of Tzara’as might be a small little mark, but nonetheless it makes the stricken person’s entire body spiritually impure.

Our Sages say that one of the major reasons a person might suffer from Tzara’as is for speaking Lashon Hara, negative, hurtful speech about another. Rabbi Yochanan Zweig draws an insightful connection between hurtful speech and Tzara’as, explaining how the punishment fits the crime.

Negative speech can create a powerful yet false illusion, even if the story told is completely true. If I hear that Frank fudged some numbers on his taxes, my mind begins to define Frank as completely dishonest, a cheater, a thief. In truth, Frank might be a wonderful guy — volunteers his time at a soup kitchen, is a loving father and spouse, a great asset at the office — but when I hear about the incident with his taxes, even if it’s true, I focus on that single wrongdoing and I lose sight of who Frank really is, of the big picture.

G-d sends an important message through Tzara’as — take the whole person into account, pass no judgments based on your isolated view. You’ve seen how unpleasant it is to be quarantined for a small blemish!

Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Mordechai Dixler
Program Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

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Happy Purim!

Purim is one of only two Rabbinic holidays on our calendar. The other such holiday, Chanukah, carries with it the very obvious miracle of the single day’s supply of oil that burned for eight days. Purim, on the other hand, has no such miracle — the Divine Presence was so well-hidden that His Name isn’t found in the Megillah. The name “Esther” comes from the same Hebrew root as the language of the Torah in Deuteronomy (18:31): “Haster Astir / I will surely hide My face (from them….),” referring to what the Torah warns us will befall the Jewish people when they turn away from G-d.

Indeed, the events leading up to Purim involved the first plan to exterminate the Jewish nation — as we know, it was far from the last. The miracle of Purim is that the threat was averted, and ultimately that the Jewish people survived.

To this day, anti-Semitism rears its head in the most irrational fashion, around the globe… and yet the Jewish people survive. That’s the real miracle of Purim.

Today, the great tragedy is that many Jews don’t know what they survived for, what it means to be Jewish in the first place. That is why our work is so important right now, and why we need your help at this critical time to rework our websites into true agents of Jewish outreach in a way that the Internet has not provided thus far. That’s what we plan to do with the proceeds of our raffle, so please don’t miss the opportunity to win $100,000 while helping us!

Please go to our raffle page to participate!

And please take a look at our Purim articles at Torah.org, and listen to our Purim audio at TorahMedia.com.

Good Shabbos, and Happy Purim!

Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

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The Temple offering of the Mincha, a simple offering of flour, oil, and spice, is the only offering when the Torah calls the donor who brings it a “Soul.” The classic commentary of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, Rashi, explains that since this inexpensive offering is typically brought by the poor, G-d recognizes the self-sacrifice involved in even such a simple gift. He says that such an offering is so dear to Him that it is as if the person is bringing the ultimate offering — his or her own soul.

There are just 4 weeks left to order your raffle ticket in the grand $100,000 raffle. The response has already been encouraging, and we greatly appreciate all of your support for what we do at Project Genesis and Torah.org. If you haven’t entered the raffle yet, please take advantage of this opportunity to show support for worldwide Torah study. Whether you choose to donate $36, $100, or $1000 we recognize your self-sacrifice and we thank you in advance. Even if you donate $5 as a general donation we appreciate that too; in fact, such offerings are so dear to the A-lmighty that it’s as if you’ve offered your soul!

Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Mordechai Dixler
Program Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

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This week, we read the special Torah portion of Shekalim, commemorating the annual half-Shekel donation that every person was obligated to give to support the ongoing needs of the Holy Temple. This special reading, which precedes the New Month of Adar (II), is in addition to the regular Torah reading of Pikudei. Pikudei, the last reading in the Book of Exodus, describes the vessels and objects created by Betzalel and his assistants — using these half-Shekels of silver, plus the gold and other donations of the “Nedivei Lev,” those whose hearts moved them. Everyone participated at a basic level, while those able to do so, gave more.

As you have already seen, we are in the middle of an active $100,000 raffle campaign. The goal of this campaign is to build our new website, the new platform that will enable Torah.org to be a much more effective engine for Jewish outreach and education. The participation of every subscriber tells those whose hearts may be moved to do more, that our program is valued by its participants.

Please participate in the raffle today, or make a donation — even $1 makes a big difference. Thank you in advance for your help!

Good Shabbos!

Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

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hen the call went out for donations to the Mishkan (Tabernacle), the response was tremendous. People donated their golden vessels, women gave up their own jewelry, and the donations kept coming until they told Moses, “The people are bringing much more than is needed for the work” (Exodus 36:5).

This was a fundraiser’s dream! Why was there such an enthusiastic response? Rav Shimshon Pincus zt”l explains that the goal of the Mishkan project was defined at the outset: “Make for Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell among you.” The people understood that these collections would result in a place, a location, for the greatest possible closeness to G-d. The desire for that closeness is found in every human being, and it was the key to such a successful campaign.

In the absence of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, there is no one place to find that level of closeness. However, the Sages say that when people engage in the study of Torah, the Divine Presence is among them (Talmud Berachos 6a). Today, it is Torah study that brings the closest relationship with G-d.

Project Genesis/Torah.org launched its $100,000 Raffle just last week. As pioneers in the field of online Torah study, we’re in the business of bringing people to a place where “the Divine Presence is among them.” Please let your desire for that ultimate relationship spur you to respond generously.

Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Mordechai Dixler
Program Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

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Chanuka is far behind us, but the image of the pure, burning lights of the Menorah are marked in my memory. The image of simple, gently flickering lamps of oil projects a sense of serenity, that all is at peace.

But think, for a moment, about the tumultuous past behind that serenity. Think of the olive, torn from the tree, ground to a pulp, pressed under massive weights, and finally producing oil, strained and filtered of all its impurities. The serenity of the oil’s light is the product of great stress.

The Torah portion of Tetzaveh opens with a Commandment to take pure, pressed olive oil to kindle the Tabernacle’s Menorah. The Midrash compares us to the olive which produces that oil. Our lives undergo similar stress and suffering, in the midst of which there’s often very little clarity, but often that suffering results in our awareness of treasures that were right in front of us — the beauty of the scenery, the warmth of family and friends, the tastes and smells that were taken for granted. Most of all, there’s often an awareness of G-d’s love which somehow lets us understand and bear the pain. It’s a grinding process, but in the end there’s an awareness of purity and Divinity, carved into our memory to carry with us. (Midrash Rabba 36:1. Nesivos Shalom 221)

Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Mordechai Dixler
Program Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

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In this week’s reading, G-d tells Moses that the people should take a Terumah, an offering, for Him. It is a good time to speak about the importance of giving charity, especially in support of Torah learning, synagogues, schools and yeshivos which help us, as Jews, to connect to G-d. As Project Genesis prepares to unveil a special raffle for the pre-Passover season, the timing could hardly be better!

But the Beis HaLevi, Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik of Brisk, tells us that it is no coincidence that this reading follows that of Mishpatim, which is primarily filled with interpersonal laws — many of which are financial. This teaches us, he says, that one must first conduct business in an honest way, and then give charity. If stolen money is donated to charity, that’s not a Mitzvah!

It is critical that we remember, at all times and in all situations, that how we handle money is as much a part of our Divine service as how we handle sacred objects. That’s why the Torah puts the Terumah, charitable giving, right after the interpersonal laws of Mishpatim!

Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org