“This is the offering of Aaron and his sons, which each shall offer to God on the day he is inguarated: a tenth-ephah of fine flour as a continual meal-offering; half of it in the morning and half of it in the afternoon (Vayikra 6:13) The Kohen Gadol must bring a meal-offering every day; it is called, “Chavitin” (Rambam, Hilchot Timidiim u’Mussafim – The Laws of the Constant and Additional Offerings).

The 9th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Chaim Ephraim Zeitchek, Mashgiach of Novardok,Yerushalayim and Rosh Yeshivas Ohr Chodosh (1989).

The Cohen Gadol, unlike a regular Cohen who will bring this offering only ones, on the day that he is inaugurated into the Service, brings this offering every day, half in the morning, and half in the evening.

Why is this? This is because the level of the Kohen Gadol is elevated far above that of a regular Kohen. Every single day he is empowered and continues to grow and reach higher levels. His entire being and essence changes and is renewed. He is not today who he was yesterday. In fact, he is not in the evening, who he was in the morning.

Therefore each day he must bring a new inauguration offering, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon, to celebrate how he has been granted this gift of constant change and growth.

It is this same idea that obligates the Cohen Gadol to change his clothes after each part of the Yom Kippur service; he rises to an entirely new level after each stage of the service. He may never wear those clothes again as they reflect who he was earlier in the day, earlier in the service, not who he is now, with all that he has achieved.

This is what is taught by the verse, “Who may ascend the mountain of God, and who may stand in the place of His sanctity?” Every human being has an obligation to constantly rise and elevate himself. He must stand as if he is on the bottom of the mountain determined to climb all the way to the top. He must do this each day. He must do this each hour of the day. You must do this with each act of prayer, service, and study. He must become one who is constantly rising; a true climber.

This is how the Ramchal (The Way of God, Section 4, Chapter 5:2) explains prayer: the more a person becomes entangled in worldly affairs, the more he would darken himself spiritually and divorce himself from the highest Light. God therefore prepared a remedy for this, and that was that man should initiate all worldly endeavor by first bringing himself close to God and petitioning him for all his worldly needs. He thus, “casts his burden upon God.” This initiation is most important for all human effort. When a person subsequently engages in various forms of human activity, he is no longer considered entangled and immersed in the physical and worldly. Having initiated all this effort by making it dependent on God, he is supported by this remedy, and is therefore not lowered nearly as much by his worldly needs.

At the essence of a body in all its parts, its root does not have less than 100 steps corresponding to the hundred cubits of spiritual heights that were granted to Adam before the sin and that we can regain through the hundred blessings we recite each day.

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I don’t know how else to say it, he loves to play with fire. I’ve known him almost my entire life, and he has always enjoyed pushing things as close as possible to the edge. For example, he, a huge Torah scholar, knows every possible leniency on which he can rely with confidence. He relies on every one. It is his statement that he does not believe in all the stringencies that have made life so challenging for many people who desire to be observant.

Our big debate is about Awe of God. I feel that Awe of God demands that our relationship with God be so precious to us that we avoid “the fire,” in order to protect the relationship. I follow many stringencies, not demanded by Jewish law, in order to prevent myself from overstepping any boundaries, which may lead to damaging my desired constant awareness of God.

My friend feels that his approach is better; he is convinced that by pushing the matter to the very edge of what is permitted and what is forbidden by Jewish law, he is actually more aware of God’s will then am I. He feels that at that point, let’s call it “the breaking point,” he at that point is making a conscious decision, a free choice, to follow God’s law. He feels that by pushing the matter he maintains a higher awareness of God.

I cannot in confidence claim that I have each achieved a higher level of Awe of God then has he. Nor can I claim that I have observed Jewish law more carefully than he. As much as I trust his judgment and his integrity, there is a small part of me that is creating distance between us. I realized that his pushing the envelope with such confidence has had a subtle influence on me. His criticisms of the rulings of many rabbis has caused me to view such rulings with just a little less respect than I did in the past.

I find it interesting that of the 39 categories of forbiden creative work on Shabbat, this portion singles out: “You shall not kindle fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.” This verse is understood as a prohibition against a Jewish court executing someone on the Shabbat. How strange! Why would the Torah choose to present the prohibition against kindling a fire on the Sabbath as beginning with the laws of capital punishment?

By the way, this is not the only such example of using the Jewish court as the basis to teach a law. We derive the prohibition against hitting someone else from the prohibition against the Jewish court administering one lash more then demanded by Jewish law. Again, the law is presented in the context of the Jewish court and from there expanded to apply in a much broader way to all of us.

The Jewish court is not only responsible for the specific case that is being judged at that moment, they are responsible for how the law will be understood, appreciated, and applied by all the people. There is no such thing as a single ruling. Each ruling sends a message. If the Jewish court is forbidden to administer a single extra lash while administering the punishment of lashes, how much more so are we forbidden to strike another person unless, not just permitted, but required by Jewish law to strike. (Something parents should remember before striking a child!)

Our portion is dealing with a person who is liable for the death penalty by fire. We are obviously dealing with someone who has made a very public statement against Jewish law. The person was warned before his act and specifically told that if he does what he intends to do he will be executed by fire. This person declared, “I understand the penalty, but I choose to do so anyway!” He then immediately does the action against which he was warned in front of witnesses. This is a man who has openly declared his disdain for Jewish law, his disrespect for the consequences. He is not even attempting to hide what he is doing from others. This is a person who has been brought to trial and charged and people are advocating for him, the court is trying to find ways to not execute him. No matter how much they tried, the court has decided that this man must be executed. He is a terrible influence. He has blatantly rejected Jewish law. He has publicly declared his disdain for the court and for Torah.

This is not just execution by fire, it is a Biblically demanded battle against a form of evil. This is not only a destructive fire, as it will be for the defendant, it serves a constructive purpose. It is being done by a Jewish court, in which each and every member is fully aware of God’s law and God’s presence. However, despite the fact that this is a fire demanded by Torah, that this is a war demanded by God, and despite the fact that there are other public fires that are permitted on the Sabbath, such as the fire in the Tabernacle and the Temple, the Jewish court is not permitted to administer this death penalty, or any other, on Shabbat. The Shabbat is greater than the battle that is calling for action.

Why was the death penalty of fire selected? I believe the reason is that the Jewish court must be aware that no matter how justified their decision, no matter how correct and accurate, despite its being demanded by Jewish law, when a court gathers to execute someone, no matter how deserving, they are playing with fire. They may not “play with fire” on the Sabbath.

It seems that the Torah is telling us that we all, to one degree or another, play with fire as we deal with life’s challenges. The Torah is presenting the Shabbat as a form of protection for those who “play with fire.” It is the one day of such clear and absolute boundaries that it calls our attention to the fact that there is so much “playing with fire” in all we do.

Each time we choose to speak of another person, even words of praise, we are playing with fire. We are stepping to the very edge of forbidden speech, the vocabulary of evil. In fact, each time we exercise our free choice in our service of God, there is an element of playing with fire; we are the ones who are choosing. The fire of arrogance is encroaching on our lives.

The laws of Shabbat are our protection against the fires with which we play. The boundaries are clear. They are absolute. There must be a focal point which keeps us centered on our ultimate goal and reminds us of how often we “play with fire.”

My friend’s intentions are good. Perhaps, even admirable. However, I am convinced that these there must be one area of law in which he will not play with fire in order to remember that he is constantly playing that game. There must be one area of law, one day, the Sabbath, in which the rules are so clear and absolute that he remembers that he may only “play with fire” if his center is strong.

Even a Jewish court administeringTorah law to another needs to be reminded of the dangers of playing with fire. I urge my friend to remember that. I suggest that he, has taught in this week’s portion by the Torah, use the Shabbat to protect himself.

I still tremble at his “play.” However, I would feel so much more comfortable with him if he remembered this lesson that applies to the greatest leaders of a generation, acting together, watching over each other. If they need it, we certainly do.

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What do a traffic light and a Tallit have in common? Let’s see.

A Tallit has fringes and when you look at the fringes you are reminded to keep the positive and negative commandments.

A traffic light is there to remind you to keep the law, just like a tallit There is a positive law. The green light tells you to do something. Go ahead. There is a negative law.The red light tells you to stop. Don’t go..But what about the yellow light?

The yellow light tells us to slow down. You need to make a judgment call. Do I have enough time to get across the street before the light turns red? But what does this have to do with commandments that are positive or negative?

There are times when judgment is called for when thinking about whether a particular situation demands action or no action. An initial assessment may not be enough because there are nuances that requires thought. Am I sure that this is a situation where I should be doing something? Perhaps not. So the yellow light signifies those times when a clear-cut definition is not applicable. And the ability to make a proper judgment demands the ability to make moral and ethical distinctions.

You see, a traffic light is more than a traffic light. Whether you are a pedestrian or a driver, you need a certain amount of judgment when the light turns yellow. And when the judgment is made, you can then remind yourself that the traffic light also represents the positive and negative situations the Torah addresses. Just like a tallit.

You see, a traffic light has a fringe benefit.

This week’s parsha tells us that a servant goes out after six years of work, and takes only what he brought. If his master gives him a wife and they have children, he still goes out by himself. But the next verse introduces the love triangle. Verse five says,” If the servant shall say,’ I love my master, my wife and my children, I will not go out free.’ he does not go free.

Think about it. This man is about to get his freedom but he loves the people around him. He wants to stay with his master. He wants to be a responsible father and help raise his children. He wants to be a loving husband.

When he goes to the judges and they are witnesses to the fact he is not being held against his will, there needs to be a sign. After all, people will notice he has been with his master longer than six years. They may think he is being held against his will. So a hole is drilled in his ear to give witness to the fact that the judges heard him say he wants to stay with his master.

But I also think the hole in his ear is a badge of honor. Unfortunately, there are husbands who abandon their wives and children. And the loss of a father and husband can have grave negative consequences. This servant is actually a role model for fathers and husbands. If you love your spouse and children your first duty is to take care of and nurture them.

3300 years ago a provision was made for a love triangle. It allowed a man to stay with his family.

Sometimes familial servitude trumps the freedom to roam.

“Matis! No, Aviva! No, Yehudis! No, Miriam! No, Naomi! Simcha! Take out the garbage!” I wondered whether my mother sylyt”a was certain of my name. It usually took her a few tries before she got the right name when requesting me to do something.

I was frightened the first time I went through a similar process: “Shoshana! I mean Betzalel! TL! Gilit! Anna! Oriel! No, Mikey! Take out the garbage!” I knew my children quite well. I named them. There I was having trouble getting the correct name. I’ve hear my siblings do the same thing with their children, but as with me, never with grandchildren.

I mentioned my experience to my friend Rabbi David W. who laughed as he remembered his mother going through the same process, although with a shorter list. His theory is that when parents are ordering their children to do something, they cease to see their offspring as individuals, and treat them as, in his words, “Child labor.”

One of my uncles, a wise and righteous man with nine children, was filling out a form on which he had to list all his children, and he forgot the name of one. (He never told anyone which name he forgot.) His theory was that he was so focused on his responsibilities at the moment, that he forgot to view his children as individuals.

I can’t count the number of times I heard parents tell a story about one of their children only to be corrected by their kids as to which child was the real subject of the story. I don’t believe that my friend’s theory about child labor, or my uncle’s explanation of responsibilities, explains all the instances when parents forget a child’s name.

Our portion tells the tale of a father who has forgotten his child’s name: The man who, in financial desperation, sells his daughter as a slave. I find it astounding that the Torah chooses this tragic story as the context to teach a husband’s obligations to his wife: 1) Love, 2) Food, and 3) Clothing.

The sale of a daughter comes with the understanding that the purchaser or his son will marry the girl/woman. The desperate father is compelled to consider his daughter’s future at that horrible moment. He may not sell her to someone who will simply use her as a maidservant. She may not work as a maidservant after she becomes a woman at twelve-years-old.

She may only be sold to work for a man who is willing to make a lifelong commitment to her. Only such a commitment allows the purchase of the maidservant. She is not “purchased” for her work; there are limitations to how much work we can expect from such a young girl.

The “Purchase” must be a statement of commitment: “I will care for you more than you experienced from your father. He may have forgotten your name. I never will. My commitment extends ‘beyond’ your father’s.”  That ‘beyond’ is inherent in every marriage; it is a promise of more, better, beyond. The ‘beyond’ means that a marriage will never remain what it was yesterday. It will always be a promise and an expectation of more.

The husband’s obligations are presented as a negative commandment: He may not deprive her of HER food, HER Clothing, Her Time. A relationship that lacks the commitment of ‘beyond’ will soon lead to deprivation – a loss of what is already there. The Torah is telling us that it is either “beyond” or “Do not deprive.” There is no middle ground.

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I’m having difficulty understanding the pierced ear of the slave who does not want to leave.

The slave, six years after being sold into slavery to pay for stealing, is quite comfortable where he is. His master is obligated to pay attention to the slaves needs. The master must treat the slave with respect. If there is only a single pillow in the house, it is for the slave, not the master. The slave may have a Canaanite slave woman for his pleasure and to father children who will remain in the master’s home. The master will shower him with gifts when the slave is ready to return home.

“But if the bondsman shall say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children – I shall not go free,’ then his master shall bring him to the court and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore through his ear with the awl, and he shall serve him forever.” (Exodus 21:5-6)

The Jew who prefers to be a servant of a human master rather than owe his allegiance entirely to God, has rejected the lesson of the doorpost in Egypt. Therefore the boring is done against a door. (Kiddushin 22b) “Rabbi Yochanan taught, ‘The ear that heard, ‘You shall not steal,’ at Sinai, should be pierced.” (Mechilta)

I understand why the doorpost and why the ear. I do not understand why the Torah obligates the master rather than Bet Din to pierce his ear. If the piercing is a punishment for ignoring, “Do not steal,” the court should pierce his ear for having stolen. Why is it the response to his desire to remain in his very comfortable existence as a slave?

Perhaps the piercing is not only for the servant, but for the master as well: We are discussing a master who desires that his slave remains. (Rambam Hilchot Avadim, Chapter 3, Halacha 11) What is the master thinking as his slave declares his desire to remain?

The Talmud (Kiddushin 20a) teaches, “Whoever purchases a Hebrew slave, purchases a master for himself.” Tosafot explains that the master must give the servant preferential treatment that goes over and beyond the Mitzvah of brotherly love.

A master is obligated to provide sustenance for the wife and children of the Jewish slave. (Rambam, Hilchot Avadim, Chapter 3)

Does the master desire “ a master for himself?” Why is he willing to give up so much for a slave who is more an obligation than benefit?

We can understand a situation in which the master is not fulfilling his full obligations to the servant, that he too, is stealing; from the servant. Hence, the reflection on “Do not steal.”

However, I suspect that there is something unhealthy in the relationship between this master and his servant. The master seems to feel that he is benefitting from having a slave despite the enormous financial and moral obligations. The bottom line is that he enjoys having a slave. The Bet Din insists that he act out the power he has over his slave by piercing the slave’s ear, marking him as a slave, his slave.

The slave physically experiences his master’s power and desire for power. Bet Din is forcing the slave, who “love his master,” to confront his master’s love for him, on what it is based.

When first purchased, the master was helping the slave pay off his debt. The master accepted responsibility for the slave and his family. The master was instructed to restore the slave’s sense of self. The master, who was to heal him, now enjoys the power. The slave who is willing to serve such a man is a slave in essence. He remains, whether physically free or not, a slave forever. His ear is permanently marked as a person who chose to be a slave to someone who thrives in power over others. He never “left” Egypt.

This is why I insist that the second blessing of the Amidah, “Gevurot,” is not praise of God’s power, but ‘Empowerment.’ God’s power is never used over us, but for us to fully realize our potential. God is not the master who is willing for the slave to so remain, but the master Who pushes His servants out the door, into the world, and the responsibilities of freedom.

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“Moshe,” we said, “most of us can’t afford an animal of our own for the Pesach Offering. We haven’t received the Egyptian treasures yet!”

“Join together. Learn how to function as a community, something you haven’t done as slaves.”

Someone laughed, “You know guys, this is like a fixing of what Joseph’s brothers did to him. We have to learn how to live together. Isn’t this part of the “story” you told us about, Moshe?”

“Very good,” said our teacher, for that was what he had become, “you will repair the brothers’ sin. You will eat the offering on one place, all together. You cannot leave the house. You cannot take any of the Pesach out of the home.”

“That’s funny,” someone commented, “we’re about to leave on a journey to who knows where, and you are telling us about having a place!”

“Even better,” said our Rebbi, “how long has it been since you have had a sense of place?”

He was right. We smiled.

“You will learn how to create a sense of place wherever you are,” continued Moshe. “You will be able to create a home wherever you go, wherever we travel; every place along the journey. You create the place. The place doesn’t make you. Wasn’t that what got you into trouble in Egypt? You wanted to prove this was your place, as if the place was more important than you. No longer. You can have your place wherever you are.”

“I always wanted a mobile home!”

“You know,” someone said, “we should have a permanent way to remember that!”

“You will,” said Moshe, “it will be called a Mezuzah, and you’ll use it just like the Sign of the Blood on the Doorpost.”

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Last Tuesday I received a phone call. The voice on the other end of the phone asked, “Are you Gerald August?” I said I was.  “I am Mrs.Tendler. I believe you were a student at the Ner Israel Yeshiva”. I was.

“Boxes of books were found in one of the buildings here at Ner Israel. People could come and take any book they wanted. I found one that has your name in it. So I did a Google search of Gerald August in the US. Hundreds of names popped up. Then I called the Ner Israel office and asked if they had your name on the alumni list, and they did. With you address. So then it was easy to get your number. Do you want the book”?

I told her I was in Ner Israel in the mid sixties, I did not want the book and she could have it. She thanked me and we hung up.

And then I sat there and digested what had just occurred. Mrs.Tendler diligently went about researching how to return the book to me. A book that the owner surely had forgotten. I left Ner Israel in 1967, over 43 years ago. I had no recollection of the book. Did she have an obligation to return the book to me?

According to Rabbi Weinberg, she did have an obligation. Since my name was in the book she had the possibility of finding the owner.

But what motivated her to act? I believe she had integrated the obligation into her moral makeup, and she acted accordingly. The act was an outcome of what initially had been an obligation. But whatever the motive, it was a real act of generosity and kindness.

And how do I know that for a surety? Because I know my reaction. Wow!! Someone respected me and my property so much that even 43 years later, regarding a book that was falling apart,  she spent time and energy to seek me out.

Remember, there are always more than one player in an act of kindness. And both perspectives carry weight.

Thank you, Mrs. Tendler

My father zt”l always told me that a person “who is a person who truly honors his parents will have good children”. He also told me, in 1964, that one of his students, D, practiced extraordinary honor of his parents. So, keeping the two ideas in mind, I was excited to meet D’s son. If D was truly a master of honoring his parents, and I believe my father, his son must be a very special person. I had never met him, but I couldn’t wait to see how good a person he is.

He’s not. He went out of his way to try to publicly insult me. I have heard so much worse, that I didn’t feel insulted. My only thought was of my father.

It is unusual for me to feel that my father was mistaken about a Torah based idea or an observation of human behavior. So, I assumed that I was mistaken, and the son I perceived as a very rude and obnoxious person, must actually be a good guy. I was willing to consider his rude behavior as a reaction to me. (I’ve often been told that I bring out the worst in some people.)

How could I find out?

At least I had some lessons from another ‘father,’ Isaac, the Patriarch, as how to handle such people: “Abimelech went to him from Gerar with a group of his friends and Phicol, general of his legion. Isaac said to him, “Why have you come to me? You hate me.” (Genesis 26:26-27)

I could do as Isaac did and say, “You hate me. Why?” Abimelech was not insulted by Isaac’s forthrightness: “We have indeed seen that God is with you.” Yes, I hate you, but, hey, you have God on your side, so let’s cooperate!

No matter how rude this fellow was to me, he couldn’t be worse than Abimelech.

I used the Isaac approach: “You hate me. You attempted to publicly insult me. Please tell me why.”

It didn’t work. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said with pure venom as he walked away.

Is it possible that both Isaac and my father were wrong? Inconcievable!

I cannot blame this person’s mother; she is an even finer person than her husband. I thought back on my father’s words and found the answer. He differentiated between a person who practiced all the behaviors of Kibud Av v’Eim – honoring parents – and a person who is a person whose essence is to honor his parents. The actions do not necessarily change a person’s essence. A person may do everything according to the letter of the law, but not be a person who honors his parents. It’s like the person who performs all the actions of love without really loving his wife. She will know, and parents know when their child honors them and when he is simply going through the motions.

I thought back on my father’s description of D: “practiced extraordinary honor of his parents,” he did not say that D was a true honorer of his parents. No wonder his son is so rude! I can only claim to be a person who honors his father, not just in action but in essence, by being more careful in listening to his words.

What about Isaac? I still believe in being straightforward about such things, and not pretending that I am a friend of someone who is actually an enemy. But, Isaac did not go to Abimelech. He waited for the king to come to him. I should not have approached D’s son with my question. I should have been more careful in listening to Isaac, and waited for the young man to come to me. I can become a child whose essence honors Isaac only when I am more careful in following his lead.

I’ll try.

Rabbeinu Yonah: Honoring Parents & Tools For Honoring Parents

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As an Expression of Loving Others:

1. Compose a list of his/her best attributes.

• Fulfilling the Commandment of Honor:

1. What he/she has done for me.


2. What have I learned from him/her?


3. What has he/she taught me?


4. What do I respect about him/her?

• Gratitude:

1. Tell him/her: “I learned this from you.”


2. Tell him/her: You did this for me.

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