FR Weekly Torah: Parshat Tetzaveh

In this week's Torah video, Reb Chaim Kramer discusses the weekly portion, Tetzaveh through the lens of Breslov Chassidut. Learn about the pure oil of the menorah, and the connection regarding the midrash on the nature of the Jewish people which is like an olive tree and olive oil, and more. Reb Chaim explains the problem of assimilation, the many wars against and attacks on the Jews over time, and how the Jewish people miraculously rebuilt themselves again and again. We learn about the kohanim and their special begadim (clothing) and the spiritual correction each item of clothing effected as well as the korbanot (sacrifices) of all the kohanim and each Jew.

Next read in the Diaspora on 11 March 2017. Parashat Tetzaveh is the 20th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.
Torah Portion: Exodus 27:20 - 30:10

Next read in the Diaspora on 18 March 2017. Parashat Ki Tisa is the 21st weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.
Torah Portion: Exodus 30:11 - 34:35

Chag Purim Samaech! Fast of Esther is tomorrow (Thursday) and Purim begins this Saturday night.

For those who didn't get my joke about being prepared for Purim in last week's Torah parsha post, it's a Jewish tradition to deliver mishloach manot -- baskets of treats -- to fellow Jews and neighbors to promote love and friendship. The mitzvot (commandment) comes from the Book of Esther.

Parshat Tetzaveh usually precedes Purim, when we read the “maftir” portion describing how Amalek attacked the Jewish people as they left Egypt - even though Amalek lived in a distant land and was under no imminent threat.
So why did Amalek attack?

The Torah says that Amalek attacked the Jews “karcha” - which literally means by way of happenstance. Amalek’s entire philosophy is that there is no design or providence in the world. Everything is haphazard, dictated by chance, luck and fate. That’s why Haman, a direct descendent of Amalek, decided to kill the Jews based on a lottery, from which the name “Purim” is derived.

Philosophically, Amalek and the Jewish people stand at opposite ends of the spectrum. Judaism believes that the world has purpose and meaning, and that God is intimately involved in our lives. Indeed, that is the very lesson of Purim: Even when things seems bleak, God is there, guiding events. With Haman’s decree, it seemed that the Jews were doomed. But then there was a dramatic turnabout.
In our own lives, to the extent we may doubt God’s involvement, is the extent that Amalek’s philosophy of randomness is part of us.

The Kabbalists point out the numerical value of Amalek — 240 — is the same as safek, meaning “doubt.” The energy of Amalek is to create doubts about what is true and real in this world, and of God’s role in directing events in the best possible way.

This concept is so important that one of 613 mitzvot is to remember what Amalek did. And that’s what we do, every year, on the Shabbat before Purim. So let’s take this message to heart, and do our part - to fight Amalek’s idea of a random world.

http://www.aish.com/tp/b/tb/48950911.html

In our own lives, to the extent we may doubt God’s involvement, is the extent that Amalek’s philosophy of randomness is part of us.

My oldest child who had a pretty Jewish upbringing (not orthodox but he did attend a Chabad school for a few years) is now in his early 20s and seems to be trying out a view of the world much like Amalek. This is good to hear about Amalek and random. Random is a very overused word in his age group. They love it. I am trying to be patient as he goes through this. Like the Amish do when they give their young adults a few years of “rumspringa” (translates as “jumping around”) and at least 80% of them return to their Amish culture. My son is not an atheist but he is sour on “organized religions.”

Thanks for this. We do all have to fight thinking that things are random.

Wish I knew about this in my 20s: http://www.mussarinstitute.org/books-everyday-holiness.htm

There is a big difference in learning about our roles as Jews as children and as adults. We’re here for a very specific purpose and the pressures of assimilation is designed to test us in that purpose.

And hammentashen. :)

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