Rabbi's Blog

 Many religious services include a cup of wine; the seder, Kiddush, Havdalah, a wedding, a bris, etc. However, for the alcoholic, drinking a cup of wine can lead to death. The path to recovery from alcoholism is long and avoidance of drinking is the key to success. Even one drink can lead the alcoholic down a path to more and more drinks.

Drinking wine is important and a mitzvah for some, and a major transgression for another. In Judaism, every person has their own spiritual path to G-d. The framework for everyone is the same, Torah and Mitzvot. However, for you the path may be more focused on prayer, and for someone else it may be Torah study. For you it might be charity with money and another through volunteering their time.

Each of us needs to protect our own spiritual path, lest we fall into a spiritual path that doesn't work for our souls. This is one of the messages from the verse in this week’s Torah portion: "You shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their kehunah (Priesthood); any outsider (non kohen) who approaches shall be put to death."

If you are a Kohen, your path to G-dliness includes specific behavior which for a non-Kohen is dangerous, and lethal, similar to alcohol for the alcoholic.

The G-dly way is to protect your path, and respect the path of others, when both are guided by Torah.

Have a good Shabbos,

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman

We have our successes and our failures. One day we are on top of our game and feel like we are on top of the world. Perhaps we closed a good deal or our stocks went shooting through the roof. On other days we feel like a loser and a failure. We got caught up at work and missed an important event at our child's school or are toiling tirelessly on a particular effort and we can't get it done. Perhaps we are hit with large and unexpected expense or we have a bout with a health issue that knocks us off our axis.

The bulk of this week Torah Portion,  talks about the Shemitah or the Jubilee year. Briefly, we are commanded to till the fields for seven years and then in the eighth year, let the land lie fallow. Anything that grows (beyond what is needed for the owner's family) is available to all as charity and prohibited from being sold. The reward for this is, that in the ninth year, (the first of the new cycle) enough produce will come forth to sustain us for that year, where new planting begins, and the next year as well.

Essentially, what is being told to us by the Torah, is that every once and a while, one must kick back and relax, as it were, and realize that the success of their production, comes from G-d. Indeed, we must till the land, we must make a vessel, we must go to work, but at the end of the day, it is "the blessings of G-d that make one rich".

So often, we get so caught up in the day to day grind, perhaps it is auto-pilot or simply sheer need, that we don't stop moving for long enough to realize that when you ask someone, how are you doing today? It is a real question, and deserves a real, thought out answer, (even if it will be negative) followed by a "Boruch Hashem" - thank G-d. I.e. How am I? Lousy, thank G-d. or  How am I? Amazing, thank G-d. Everything is going well. Regardless, thank Gd everything (even that which is difficult and challenging), comes from G-d  

The portion teaches us that, regardless if you do this on your own or not, G-d will force you to take some time off to smell the breeze or its spiritual equivalent and appreciate that which is important versus that which is not. Thank G-d for that which he has given you and revel in that and not in the other stuff.

So next time you are in the shop, for your car or any other physical item, hopefully you will remember the message of the Jubilee year, that this too is from G-d, and this too is for good, and finally thank G-d that our troubles usually last only for an hour or two or even a week or two and not a whole year.

Have a Good Shabbos,

 Rabbi Kushi Schusterman