Are you seeing miracles and wonders in your life? If not, do you at least know where to look for them? * The peace of the Messianic Era brings success and prosperity on a global scale.
What kindness is there in resurrecting Jews in the filthy clothing of exile? What compassion is there in prolonging their ailments in the Future Era? * Try to be a tzaddik?
A prominent government official had a costly horse, which he jealously guarded at every opportunity. One day, he rode to another city, and to protect it from theft, he placed the horse in the royal stables with a watchman posted at the gate.
Parshas Emor dedicates many of its verses to the Jewish Festivals. The section devoted to the Holidays begins with the laws of Shabbos observance.
We are now in the midst of the period known as S’fira. It is based on the commandment in this week’s parsha to count 50 days from Passover until the Holiday of Shavuos, the anniversary of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Apropos of our recent column about the quality of Bitachon according to Chassidus (that the focus is on strengthening the connection to Hashem rather than viewing Bitachon as a vehicle to obtain what I need), what follows is an excerpt of a sicha of the Rebbe about davening that elaborates on this point.
The Book of VaYikra (Leviticus) is directed primarily to the Kohanim-the Priestly family. It delineates the obligations the Kohanim have when they perform the service in the Beis HaMikdash. It therefore also details the laws concerning sacrifices and other rituals that were performed by the Kohanim.
This week’s parsha describes a ritual performed in the Bais HaMikdash in conjunction with an agricultural event. The Omer, named after a measure of barley taken from the year’s first crop, must be offered in the Temple on the second day of Pesach. Only after that ritual is performed may everyone else partake of the new crops.
When a Jew tries to hide his or her Jewishness, the non-Jew senses that there is something amiss. A Jew who is a product of exile conditions is a walking contradiction. On the outside he or she is like everyone else, but on the inside he or she is a Jew. The non-Jew senses the discrepancy and is unnerved by it. Is the Jew trying to deceive me?
The principal association of Rashbi with the redemption is, “With this work of yours [the Zohar] … they shall go out of exile with mercy,” for then there shall indeed be the fulfillment of “When you come into the land, etc., and the land shall rest, a Sabbatical to G-d,” in the literal sense, in the true and complete redemption.
What is considered perfection for the animal on the day of its birth, simply by dint of its creation rather than by its own effort, will become the reality for humans on the day of the Resurrection, by virtue of our efforts throughout our lives in this period of exile.
April 27, 2021