Special Clothing To Serve God Best

Parshat Tetzaveh 

by Rabbi Avi Billet

So much attention is given to the special clothing of the Kohanim, as they are described as being לכבוד ולתפארת, for honor and glory – on the one hand it is glorifying the Kohanim, putting them in a very clear position of honor, while on the other hand their uniform also glorifies God as it is a fulfillment of God’s instruction. The seeming white “simplicity” of their garments, as well as the beautifully ornate extra garments of the Kohen Gadol, stand as a testament to Whom the Kohanim are serving. 

The Sochatchover Rebbe asked what should be an obvious question. There is a whole other group that is present as well when it comes to serving in the Mishkan, namely the Leviim. And yet they do not have special garments! Why? 

Did the Ark Have Legs?

Parshat Terumah

by Rabbi Avi Billet

The first time I learned the book of Shemos, I was fascinated by the Mishkan. We had a project in 5th grade in which groups of kids made presentations about the different vessels of the Mishkan – you could make a poster, a slide presentation, or even build a mini-model – in some cases “to scale” and in some cases “actual size.” While I remember my project being the Kerashim (the beams that make up the walls of the Mishkan), I am pretty sure I limited my presentation to posterboard and diagrams, and not a model. An actual size “Keresh” would not have fit in our small classroom! 

In my fascination, I studied at length the pictures in the book “HaMishkan/The Tabernacle” (rather pricey at that link!) for which the author had made mini models, and the book was a crossover between the black and white photos that were part of the book and the color photos that were pasted into the book throughout the progress of the building of the Mishkan (it must have been much cheaper to print and assemble the book that way as color printing then was certainly not like it is now). *

This is the Aron (Ark) I remember 

Subsequent to that I (and I’m sure many readers) watched the movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark” – Steven Spielberg’s early film demonstrating his hatred for Nazis, in which the hero, Indiana Jones, survives the superpowers of the opened Ark, while the Nazis and their sympathizers all meet a beyond-nature end. 

What the Doorway Represents

Parshat Mishpatim

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Those who study Mishpatim are well aware that the first mitzvah in the parsha is Eved Ivri. Rabbis often make this the topic of their sermon because of its “leading the pack” status, and it makes for good “Drasha material” because it bespeaks of the need to look out for our fellow man, ideally so that he not come to have the need to sell himself to be the “Hebrew slave” in the first place. 

As the old Chinese proverb goes “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” [There are political jokes about if you give someone too much the person will vote for a certain political party for a lifetime…] 

The Torah’s instruction is that the Hebrew slave goes free after 6 years of service. However “if he says ‘I have come to love my master, my wife and my children, and I don’t wish to go free, then his master brings him to the court, and he is brought to the door and to the Mezuzah and hole is bored into his ear and he remains a slave forever.” The Rabbis teach us that “forever” means “until the Jubilee year.” 

The Purpose of Our Existence - Lidrosh Elokim, To Seek Out God

 Parshat Yitro

by Rabbi Avi Billet

It’s the day after Yisro has arrived, and Moshe sits down to judge the people. R Hirsch writes: 

“These and the following verses teach us of our forefathers’ way of life during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Their food was provided for them each day by the fall of the Manna, and their other needs were also provided for (see Devarim 8:4, 29:4-5 and 2:7). Thus, meeting their basic needs was simple and easy, and did not take up much of their time. They were not engaged most of the day in those activities – labor, trade, household chores – that normally occupy the life of a people. In what, then, were they engaged most of the time? They would come to Moshe, or – as we will now her – to the men who acted as his deputies, “to seek God” (or perhaps judgment). לדרש א-לקים means: to seek instruction and help from God. It encompasses all the ways in which we are to seek God in all our activities in life and lot, ways in which we must persist if God is indeed to be our God. 

Masah U'Mrivah

Parshat B'Shalach

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Before the battle with Amalek in the latter half of chapter 17, there is a story that doesn’t get as much attention as it should. There are likely several reasons for this inattention, including the following:

 1. There is so much action in the Parsha as it is

 2. There is a complaint about water, and the complaint about water that happened in Marah is so much more dramatic

 3. Moshe hits the rock to bring out water and nothing bad happens in the aftermath

 4. While the people complained, there doesn’t seem to be a negative outcome from their complaining 

Let us look at the tale in question – please note the words highlighted in bold in the Hebrew and English: 

Cell Phones in Shul

 I admit I've been on the warpath. It has gotten so ridiculously out of control. Sounds emanating from cell phones during davening are distracting and disturbing. And people laugh it off as if "There's nothing that can be done."

I've heard of shuls who "fine" people (as in a donation to the shul, money to tzedakah) when their phone disturbs the davening.

But really I just want people to be mindful, aware, and to be "an adult" about this.

Because there's a simple solution. Other than not bringing it to shul - which is a great solution too!

Train yourself to put it on airplane mode as soon as you step into the building for davening. You don't need to use your phone down to the wire until davening begins. You certainly don't need it during davening. "Siri, turn on airplane mode." "Google, turn on airplane mode." It avoids the dreaded "turn off" and it also blocks ALL notifications (except your alarm which you forgot to turn off).

Draining Egypt of Its Wealth? Honest, Dishonest, or God's Plan?

 Parshat Bo

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Many years ago I read an article (perhaps Ynet? Perhaps Times of Israel?) that had me wondering if it was satire or real. While I can’t find it online, the headline said something like “Egyptian politician claims Israel owes Egypt money for what the Israelites stole from Egypt at the time of the Exodus.” 

Many things are ludicrous about this claim, particularly in light of a number of anti-Semitic tropes which include:

  • The people of modern Israel aren’t “real Jews.” They are descendants of Khazars.

 • The people of modern Israel aren’t “real Jews” indigenous to this land, as they are European colonialists

  • The Bible is a myth. None of its stories ever happened. 

 Leaving aside the irony of people claiming the Exodus never happened then claiming that those who participated in it (but I thought it never happened!?) owe reparations for money they never took because it didn’t happen…. no one could claim that the citizens of modern Egypt are descendants of ancient Egypt. Ancient Egypt and its imprint on history is only that… history… and the Arabs who are now the stewards of that land have ZERO connection to events of 3,000+ years ago.