tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32824199094518522762012-02-17T17:58:24.109+02:00rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.comBlogger2301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-72660047404955108722012-02-17T17:22:00.005+02:002012-02-17T17:58:24.120+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's commentary is livicated to a refuah shleimah for Erica Chava bat Elisheva, may she have a full and complete recovery, among all others who need a healing.This week's parsha, Mishpatim, follows on the heels of the Decalogue and immediately we read about the Eved Ivri (Hebrew slave/servant). The plain meaning, of course, is that it refers to the

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's Torah commentary is dedicated to a refuah shleimah for Erica Chava Bat Elisheva.Everybody knows that the dove with the olive branch is the symbol of peace. It's even the logo for the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival. But why is that exactly? The dove's return to Noah's ark with an olive branch symbolized a new era of peace. Granted, after the flood

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's commentary is dedicated to a refuah shleimah for Erica Chava bat Elisheva.Is this world all there is? While on Tu Bishvat we develop a love and appreciation for trees and the gift of nature, should there be any limits to that love? Or rather than set limits, should we perhaps balance that love with a countervailing infinite love of nature's

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's Torah learning is dedicated to a refuah shleimah for Erica Chava bat Elisheva.The Talmud teaches us Rachmana Liba Baee, meaning "G*d wants our hearts." G*d wants us to have a heart connection with Him. And if we are to have a heart connection with G*d, how much more so are we to try to achieve such a connection with G*d's creatures, our fellow

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's commentary is dedicated to a refuah shleimah for Erica Chava bat Elisheva.The Kotel was a pleasure to visit and immerse myself in prayer. No one would interrupt mydaavening and deep meditation by tapping me on the shoulder in the middle of prayer with requests for tzedaka. Tzedaka saves from death, but so does prayer, so each has their place. The

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman This week's commentary is dedicated to a refuah shleimah for Erica Chava bat ElishevaThere are two kinds of surrendering. There is the surrendering out of love and there is the surrendering out of fear. This mirrors the two ways to serve G*d - out of love or out of fear/awe. There is the surrender to totalitarianism (political or religious) which stems from

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's commentary is dedicated to a refuah shleimah for Erica Chava bat Elisheva.Our parsha, Vayechi, deals with the life and end-times of Jacob. His passing evokes thought on what it means to put one's affairs in order, to have one's body returned to the Land of Israel for burial, the nature of dying itself, and the connection between this world and

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's commentary is dedicated to a refuah shleimah for Erica Chava bat Elisheva. Do we have the courage to break free from our limiting paradigms?To what extent does our anger limit us from growth and conciliation?Finally, what reward awaits us for finding this key to change?Jacob was forever trapped in a cycle of deception and trickery. Either on the

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's commentary is dedicated to a refuah shleimah for Erica Chava bat Elisheva.There is a traditional saying that the experiences of the Patriarchs are signposts for their descendants: "maaseh avoth siman lebanim." Indeed, the idea that each of the Patriarchs alone ventured utterly alone into alien zones of being is further played out in Joseph's life

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-84736928127638795912011-12-16T06:38:00.004+02:002011-12-16T06:45:05.504+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's commentary is dedicated to a refuah shleimah for Erica Chava bat Elisheva.Clothing may at times betray our deepest wishes. And at times it may betray our deepest fears.When we dress for success it reflects the former. When we veil our women it reflects the latter.In the Tamar and Yehudah narrative, Genesis 15:38 states:"vayireha Yehudah

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-22837263403300909712011-12-09T05:24:00.003+02:002011-12-09T05:41:55.335+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's commentary is dedicated to a refuah shleimah for Erica Chava bat Elisheva.A unifying theme to this week's parasha is the seemingly paradoxical idea of the acquisition of inner strength through the display of outward vulnerability. Jacob faces his fear of encountering his brother Esau, and instead of unifying his camp which would make himself

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-86226755305443063102011-12-02T08:01:00.003+02:002011-12-02T08:19:23.850+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's commentary is dedicated to a refuah shleimah for Erica Chava bat Elisheva.Just as Esav "lifted his voice and wept"- (Gen 27:38), so too does Yaaqov when he meets Rachel (Gen 29:11): "Vayisa et qolo vayevk."Identical language! What can we learn from this?We all have a "low" voice, which we use in our material pursuits. But we also have a "high,"

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-42590692401807111632011-11-25T19:20:00.004+02:002011-11-25T19:27:52.463+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's Torah commentary is dedicated to a refuah shleima for Erica Chava bat Elisheva.Our name is our essence, the keenest description of our most innate beingness. In Parashat Toldot we experience the birth and the naming of Ya'akov and Esav, the disparate twins of Yitzhak and Rivka. Ya'akov means supplanter, or heel, the ergonomically accessible point

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-55454482619690378142011-11-21T07:42:00.004+02:002011-11-21T07:48:03.443+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's Torah commentary is dedicated to a refuah shleima for Erica Chava bat Elisheva.Avraham's partner in kindness, Sarah, had just left the world. She lit the lamps of kindness in their home. Their home was the first mishkan, and in a sense she was the first Kohen Gadol, the High Priest who lit the lamps each day in the future Holy Temple. As in the

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-15628962587084122542011-11-21T07:38:00.002+02:002011-11-21T07:39:54.359+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThere is a Talmudic expression that salvation can come in the "blink of an eye,""b'heref ayin." That refers to the kind of salvation that is waiting in the wings for the propitious moment. But in our parsha, Va'yera, we learn of another kind of salvation- the salvation that was always right in front of us before our very eyes, but because of depression and

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-60630021791662441712011-11-21T07:33:00.003+02:002011-11-21T07:35:21.277+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman"...as bread and wine are brought forth to sanctify this moment of mankind's first recorded act of altruism, so too we use bread and wine to sanctify the Sabbath, which crowned Creation, G*d's enduring act of altruism for all time.""We are bidden to circumcize even our hearts to serve G*d. This means, in the deepest sense, ironically, that only through

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-47757300899768801742011-11-21T07:06:00.001+02:002011-11-21T07:09:27.245+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanLet's see. Take two of every species. Seven pairs of the kosher (clean) species (Gen 7:2). And take food for them all as well. Lions and tigers, leopards, panthers and bobcats are all carnivores by nature. And yet they ostensibly were vegetarian while on board the ark. Otherwise the antelope, elk, sheep, zebra and deer would nowhere be found once the hatches

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-80597632492211769872011-10-25T02:58:00.003+02:002011-10-25T02:59:40.263+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman The ultimate challenge in life is in giving back, in repaying the Source of Life for the gifts which we have freely received. Paid forward, we have yet to earn them. Through giving back, whether by tzedaka (righteousliving), tefilah (self-judgment) or teshuva (turning to G*d), gemilut chasadim (deeds of loving kindness) or learning Torah, we restore

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-72065857162787571482011-10-07T05:29:00.000+02:002011-10-07T05:31:04.986+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman When the Torah calls the holiest day of the year Yom HaKippurim, on a deeper level it saying that the day is actually Yom K'Purim, meaning "a day like Purim." And if Yom Kippur is likened to Purim, then on some level one could actually say that Purim is even deeper, in that it is the root holiday after which Yom Kippur is modelled. Yes, Purim is

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-21823885848689946542011-10-03T18:04:00.000+02:002011-10-07T05:30:51.305+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman  The maftir reading which we read on Yom Kippur, taken from Parshat Pinchas, Numbers 29:7, says "u'be'asur lachodesh hash'viee hazeh mikra kodesh yih'yeh lachem VI'INITEM et nafshoteychem kawl melacha lo ta'asu."  To wit: "the tenth day of this seventh month shall be a sacred holy day to you and: TYPICAL TRANSLATION: you shall afflict your souls

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-46960370962371064112011-10-02T06:45:00.000+02:002011-10-03T18:05:02.046+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman The word "shana" in Hebrew means many things. It is most commonly translated as year, but it also has many deeper related meanings. Shana also means "teach,"and the word "mishna," the oral teachings, comes from the same root. Shana also means "change" or "transformation." In Hebrew, "leshanot" is the infinitive form of the word meaning "to change." So when

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-90026566087631445202011-09-23T08:12:00.000+03:002011-09-23T08:43:17.459+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin HaKohen Melman Nitzavim is always read prior to Rosh Hashana. It is a plaintive plea, nay warning, by Moses to the Jewish People, that they have before them a choice in life, between life and death, before good and evil, and that they should choose life. The later Moses, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, aka Moses Maimonides, aka the Rambam, teaches that we should see ourselves,

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-23305106407530915042011-09-16T05:27:00.003+03:002011-09-16T05:35:51.874+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanWhat does it mean to be called the Chosen Nation? Actually, the term used in Ki Tavo isam segula, often translated as "treasured nation." But whether understood as chosen or as treasured, it seems to be frequently misunderstood.It does not imply supremacy or arrogance. Rather, it embraces the idea of service. As Israel is a mamlechet kohanim, a kingdom of

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-16396235934164456602011-09-09T08:43:00.004+03:002011-09-09T09:35:12.298+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanBehind everything which we hate there is to be found a Divine lesson for us. Sometimes we hate a person because he reminds us of a defect in our own character. That is a Divine message. Sometimes we hate someone because they are so good that we become jealous of him and look for petty ways to find fault with him to assuage our sense of regret for our own

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman Jewish DNA reflects a yearning to simultaneously ascend two figurative mountains: the universal call to serve humanity on the one hand, and the particular call to serve the Jewish people on the other hand, whereby we preserve our culture, religion and heritage and get to be alone with our G*d. Ultimately, through fulfilling both yearnings we then come to

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-9428159518012228042011-08-31T02:47:00.002+03:002011-08-31T02:52:33.421+03:00

to Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman Friends, I am reprinting this letter I received from Jonathan Pollard. At the time he had been imprisoned for five years. He has now served over twenty five years in prison for a crime (spying on behalf of an ally) for which the usual sentence is but two years. I thought it had gotten lost in the course of my many moves, but I recently rediscovered it in

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By Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman Our Muslim brothers have Ramadan for 40 days. Our Christian brothers have Lent for 40 days. So what do WE have? Did you know that we also have a special 40 day period which we use to draw closer to Hashem and become better Jews, just as the Muslims use Ramadan to become better Muslims and Christians use Lent to become better Christians? And did you know

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-38475901498105911372011-08-26T07:48:00.002+03:002011-08-26T09:40:53.895+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman Native Americans honor the spirit of the hunted animal by drinking its blood. They recognize the spiritual nature intrinsic to the blood, and seek thereby to identify with its spiritual essence. The Torah, on the other hand, also recognizes the spiritual essence of life being in the blood, but at the same time forbids us from drinking it. In parshat Re'eh

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman The great Hasidic Master, Reb Tzadoq Hakohen, taught that the first time a word is mentioned in the Torah is the headquarters for that word, and aids us in truly understanding it when used in later contexts and circumstances. This week's parsha is Eqev, which means both a literal heel, as well as the idea of something following quickly in one's footsteps,

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-51821363926467288122011-08-18T08:56:00.001+03:002011-08-18T08:58:28.397+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman My grandmother, my mother's mother, Anna Deutsch, nee Sucher, lived with us all through my early childhood and later my teens. She was now 94 and very frail. She was a model of forebearing and patience. No matter what the seeming urgency or problem, others might have been wracked with anxiety, but invariably her response was, "what difference does it make?

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-55935527772820872572011-08-16T19:57:00.001+03:002011-08-16T19:57:44.358+03:00

by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach Shabbos Is Paradise Shabbos is back to Paradise. Paradise is a place where everything is good, everything holy everything is beautiful. Paradise is a place where suddenly it's so clear to me the I can fix all my mistakes. And even more so, everything I thought was a mistake. Every street I thought was a wrong street, was the only way to get there. Shabbos has two

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman "...the mountain was burning with a fire reaching the heart of heaven..."(Deut. 4:11)" ....VEHAHAR BOER BA'AISH AD LEV HASHAMAYIM... "When you give your heart to someone, you've touched heaven." I call heaven and earth as witnesses for you today...." (Deut.4:26) "HA'IDOTI VACHEM HAYOM ET HASHAMAYIM V'ET HA'ARETZ..." Aretz and Shamayim, the earth and

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-5028589247687001322011-08-09T20:36:00.002+03:002011-08-09T20:39:44.007+03:00

By Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman 2012 may indeed herald a year of cleansing for humanity as a whole. It may usher in a new era of radical awareness of our common humanity, a new era of recognition of the futility of an ethos of hatred and division, of separation from the heart of our Creator. Perhaps it may take a new world war to achieve this awareness. Or perhaps not. The messianic age,

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-65698747742885455742011-08-05T19:42:00.002+03:002011-08-05T20:14:54.972+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanSeven - eleven. Seven is the holy number marking the dawn of creation. Eleven is the number heralding the final redemption, when we will see in each other our deepest connection. The number eleven is the number of brotherly unity, the same brothers who begged Yosef for forgiveness in unity as one heart. The Great Shabbos is coming soon when the heart of all

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-10940484257667416882011-07-28T22:14:00.003+03:002011-07-28T22:18:24.932+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis d'var Torah is dedicated to the aliyah of the neshama of my blessed father, Israel J. Melman, Yisrael Yehoshua ben HaRavYaakov Hakohen Melman, z"l. This evening, the 27th of Tammuz is the anniversary of his ninth yahrzeit. My father was a great physicist and inventor who saw the awesomeness of G*d in the details of science. He was a pioneer on the

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-39857687157318789392011-07-22T05:22:00.004+03:002011-07-22T05:29:27.265+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman"Peace is the greatest blessing. Speech is what makes us human. Keeping our word makes us close to Divine."This week's commentary is dedicated to the memory of my holy father, I.J. Melman, whose yahrzeit is on this coming Friday, Tammuz 27. His life was dedicated to transforming the world and making it better and closer through kindness and the promise of

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-56768805370804839682011-07-15T14:11:00.003+03:002011-07-15T14:17:09.360+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's commentary is dedicated to the memory of my beloved mother, Esther Bat Baruch, z"l, on the occasion of her first yahrzeit, 11 Tammuz. May her neshama have an aliyah and bring blessing to us and to all Israel.Judaism has been responsive to women's concerns since its inception. Any alleged signs of discrimination had more to do with combating the

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanBilaam the Sorcerer, sent by the Moabite king Balak to curse Israel, ascends three hilltops in all, building seven altars on each, seven spiritual vantage points from which to better observe the Camp of Israel. After all, a curse must be attached to a kernel of reality so as to be effective, much as a lie always has an element of truth in it so as to be

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-53744504722269968982011-07-01T20:20:00.008+03:002011-07-01T21:26:13.420+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanHow much of life is seen as a zero sum game? How often do we view our neighbor's gain as our loss? This jealousy/covetousness is the source of evil. When we believe that there is not sufficient abundance in the universe for all of us we resort defensively to a hoarding posture. So, homeopathically, we must eliminate this zero sum thinking with a ritual which

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-18174312694516700112011-06-24T21:10:00.004+03:002011-06-24T21:21:38.210+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanKorach was a man ahead of his time. He was in the right place, at the wrong time.Korach asked Moses "who put you over all the people to rule over us?" For his insolance against a righteous humble man such as Moses, who was the epitome of the reluctant leader, he suffered a very strange punishment. But rather than seeing it merely as a punishment, we can view

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-21788647151924661362011-06-17T06:38:00.004+03:002011-06-17T07:06:09.144+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanExile can be a state of mind. But it can also be very real. The Nation of Israel was on track to be united with the Land of Israel, when the sin of the spies caused a deep rupture, thus delaying the reunion until the passing of the generation that was accustomed to a negative slave mindset. Thus the exile of the mind led to an exile of the body. Our thoughts

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-6111263944788192052011-06-10T20:38:00.004+03:002011-06-10T20:45:23.250+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin HaKohen MelmanThe Torah tells us in this week's parsha, B'ha'alos'cha, that Moshe was"anav mikall adam," meaning that he was"the humblest of all men."What does that really mean? Now you must understand that this was in the context of Miriam's famous slander episode, by her referencing his marital situation. How did he react to her behavior? Did he submit meekly to her

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-61208908383122806572011-06-07T15:23:00.003+03:002011-06-07T15:29:16.623+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThe ger, the convert to Judaism, follows in the footsteps of Avraham Avinu, the Patriarch Abraham, and of Sarah Imenu, the Matriarch Sarah, who were themselves gerim. They chose a new path for themselves, following the deepest yearning of their heart for the ultimate truth that there is One G*d who demands righteousness and ethical behavior. The ger is

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-70713295455003732282011-06-03T23:40:00.001+03:002011-06-03T23:40:33.800+03:00

By Rabbi Baruch Binyamin HaKohen MelmanIn this week's parsha, Naso, we have two seemingly unconnected ideas. One, the priestly blessing, is the age-old formula for the kohanim to bestow blessings upon the people. The other is the trial by ordeal of the "sota," the accused adulteress. We will see that they are not so far apart, that everything in Torah deeply connects in an organic, integrated

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-19523259290382623442011-05-27T18:54:00.004+03:002011-05-28T02:11:34.242+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanBamidbar, the name of this week's parsha, means, "in the wilderness." What is the difference between the rugged wilderness and the serpentine alleyways of the city? Exposure.Military doctrine shifts radically owing to the marked contrasts between open spaces and crowded marketplaces. So too, in the war between light and darkness, between sin and salvation,

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-73876901879932196742011-05-20T17:45:00.005+03:002011-05-20T18:32:33.419+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThe secrets for successful relationships are found in this week's sedra, Bechukotai. It is also referred to as the "tochecha," or The Great Reproof. Hidden within its dire portents of doom are also the dire secrets of life. The antidote is provided along with the warning. The contraindications are listed on the label.Whether concerning our Divine Spouse (G*d

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-46258841903742867182011-05-13T20:27:00.001+03:002011-05-13T20:29:17.247+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanSpending feels good. Whether spending money at the mall or time with one's friends, it is a welcome form of release.In the Jubilee year all originally designated properties were to be released back to G*d, reverting back to their G*d designated tribal-based owners, regardless of intervening economic happenstance.There are many levels of reading text. There

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-42995625691446685042011-05-06T19:13:00.002+03:002011-05-06T19:14:39.908+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanBlemishes are a problem. Whether for a teenage girl or for a Temple offering, having a blemish is not a good thing. Sometimes just a scratch or a bruise is enough to render an offering unacceptable. This might strike us as odd. How seemingly superficial. Certainly it would seem that we should not be judged by appearances. Character is so much deeper than

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-46374672474614145662011-04-29T22:48:00.006+03:002011-04-29T23:14:38.668+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanIn Leviticus 19:18 there is the most awesome and complicated mitzvah in the Torah:"Love your neighbor as yourself, I am Hashem. Ve'ahavta leReyacha kamocha, ani Hashem."My secret for remembering that this mitzvah is Lev 19:18 is as follows. Now once I explain my secret I guess it won't be much of a secret anymore, but here goes:Lev, although short for

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-81830771086295551722011-04-21T06:35:00.003+03:002011-04-21T06:42:57.317+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin HaKohen MelmanThe following is a true story that happened to me in the mid 1990's while still a rabbinical student. The class had just completed a several month review of medieval Jewish commentaries on charting and calculating women's menstrual cycles, necessary for determining the date for a woman's visit to the mikva, not that I ever needed, or would ever need to use

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-24143473861943393342011-04-18T16:35:00.006+03:002011-04-18T17:28:51.164+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanB'nai Yisrael, the Children of Israel, are called an AM SEGULA. This is often translated as "treasured nation." Sometimes even as "chosen nation." To be a treasured nation is admittedly very nice, as is also the status of being a chosen nation, although that carries some heavy baggage when it is interpreted by some as evidence of haughtiness and

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-10514377052937563902011-04-15T19:01:00.001+03:002011-04-15T19:03:50.068+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanDedicated to my father, obm, on his birthday, April 18. Are the goals of Judaism limited to its elites, or is there a true democratic impulse at work, seeking to permeate all societal strata?Kedoshim Tihiyu. You (plural) shall be holy. The plural sense of the verb indicates that holiness, while taught and exemplified by the kohanic priestly class, is an

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-89139132884384198042011-04-08T06:01:00.003+03:002011-04-08T06:05:55.437+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanMetzorah, this week's parsha, discusses the cleansing process of the leper, as well as the purification processes for bodily secretions of a reproductive nature, both male and female. It must be made clear that this is not referencing a physical uncleanness. Rather, it is solely discussing a spiritual form of impurity.In fact, the English word for

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-73294104117654302942011-04-01T21:43:00.003+03:002011-04-01T21:49:47.218+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanIt's often about control. And losing control. We fear that which we cannot control. We often become afraid and insecure in life when people or events arise which act beyond our ken, beyond our ability to alter their path and plan.A primal fear is a sense of loss of bodily control. Whether our bodies undergo the changes of adolescence or the signs of aging or

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-11614966320922384372011-03-25T07:20:00.002+02:002011-03-25T07:23:42.532+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanNadav and Avihi, Aaron's sons, brought a "strange fire" as an offering. Their souls were then consumed in the process. Can we argue in their favor? Does their case have any merit or justification? Can we give them any benefit of the doubt, or must we roundly condemn them for "not following the rules."Many traditional commentaries have sought to explain the

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-32154084610950494472011-03-18T18:07:00.002+02:002011-03-18T18:19:46.938+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanJudaism is quite clear about guarding the sensitivities of people'sfeelings. Everybody knows that we cover the challah while making Kiddush so as not to hurt the feelings of the challah. For after all, if the wine and the challah are of equal value, the challah would feel quite insulted, and rightly so, to know that the wine was being blessed first. So we

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-48613874145053121592011-03-17T20:46:00.004+02:002011-03-17T21:48:30.460+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanPurim has a secret to share. It is a Jewish holiday. But it's really about universal redemption and our shared humanity's struggle to remake itself in G*d's image and dwell in peace back in the Garden. In many ways, Purim is the signpost and marker by which to guide humanity, as represented by Israel, back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were originally

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-80359846717519896102011-03-11T04:16:00.006+02:002011-03-11T06:25:05.830+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanWhat are the real measures of greatness? How is true character understood? Is leadership defined solely by power, or more importantly, by moral example? The word for general or chieftan in Hebrew is aluf. The elephant is so called on account that he is the aluf (ELEPHant) of the jungle.While the lion may in fact be the king of the jungle, the elephant, by

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-31383705683825114192011-03-04T04:19:00.006+02:002011-03-07T01:50:16.138+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanMemory. We dread losing it. We are a people of memory. Our memory keeps us inoculated from false promises, treaties and illusions, false messianists and false friends.G*d keeps his promises. Baruch She'Amar VeHaya HaOlam. He decreed it and fulfilled it. G*d is our role model of integrity- of promises made and fulfilled.Do we have any idea how awesome it is

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-54261031457550049832011-02-25T19:22:00.006+02:002011-02-25T19:41:00.221+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThere are times when it is painstaking to hear certain sections of the Torah which are repetitive. Endless detail. No minutiae are spared in the retelling. Parshat Vayakhel is one of those times.Way back in Parshat Mishpatim Moses ascends Mt. Sinai. And for two whole parshas Hashem is teaching Moses all the details of the construction of the Mishkan (

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-8213979894398527142011-02-25T06:52:00.008+02:002011-02-25T16:20:13.370+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThe parsha is an amazing crystal ball, so to speak- actually a prism, by which to understand world events. The Torah speaks to our inner human drama. But it also speaks both symbolically and metaphorically to the drama of world events - our outer human drama. The Torah is both timeless and topical at the same time. The Arab world's most populous country,

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-14233756688949397202011-02-25T06:24:00.003+02:002011-02-25T06:33:56.500+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThe clothes we wear say so much about who we are as people. Are we meticulous, neat, slovenly or pretentious? Does what we wear on the outside reveal much about who we are on the inside?Do we wear cotton, linen or polyester? or perhaps fig leaves? Or maybe a simple tunic?And when we receive gifts, do we repackage them and pass them along to others? Or do we

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-57456542557109487882011-02-25T05:54:00.002+02:002011-02-25T05:58:49.138+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanIs G*d's holy presence reserved solely for Israel? Or may others who recognize G*d's Oneness and Uniqueness also maintain a connection to Him? Is the manifestation of G*d's Presence, the Shekhina, an exclusive club, or does G*d's love extend to all the righteous among the nations of the world? The answer is subtlely revealed depending on how we read the

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-14509996613570100832011-01-28T22:27:00.003+02:002011-01-28T22:36:12.213+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThis week's parsha Mishpatim follows on the heels of the Decalogue and immediately we read about the Eved Ivri (Hebrew slave/servant). The plain meaning, of course, is that it refers to the Hebrew slave who refuses manumission in the seventh year. Why it follows the Aseret HaDibrot, the Ten Commandments? A seemingly pedestrian legal ruling appears in

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-56291327047536452352010-02-05T21:58:00.002+02:002010-02-05T22:02:59.932+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThe Talmud teaches us Rachmana Liba Baee, meaning "G*d wants our hearts." G*d wants us to have a heart connection with Him. And if we are to have a heart connection with G*d, how much more so are we to try to achieve such a connection with G*d's creatures, our fellow creatures! It's hard enough to love a stranger, but does that extend to our enemy as well?In

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-10662342466214828222010-02-05T21:43:00.002+02:002010-02-05T21:52:15.860+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThe popularly known refrain to the Negro spiritual was "let my people go." But while it is an accurate Biblical quote, it is also an incomplete one:The full text reads (Ex 8:16 among others," ...ko amar Hashem shalach ami veya'avduni-...thus saith the L*rd, let my people go (so that/and) they shall serve me."In other words, the proper question we might ask

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-24178195500294000372010-02-05T07:08:00.002+02:002010-02-05T07:21:04.330+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThere are two kinds of surrendering. There is the surrendering out of love and there is the surrendering out of fear. This mirrors the two ways to serve G*d - out of love or out of fear/awe. There is the surrender to totalitarianism (political or religious) which stems from fear and compulsion. Then there is the surrender to our children which is born of a

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-49777582481112711232010-02-05T07:01:00.002+02:002010-02-05T07:05:06.358+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanOur parsha, Vayechi, deals with the life and end-times of Jacob. His passing evokes thought on what it means to put one's affairs in order, to have one's body returned to the Land of Israel for burial, the nature of dying itself, and the connection between this world and the world to come. As Jacob initially embarks on his first exile, crossing the borders

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-55336392884916022982010-02-05T05:45:00.003+02:002010-02-05T06:05:56.925+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanDo we have the courage to break free from our limiting paradigms?To what extent does our anger limit us from growth and conciliation?Finally, what reward awaits us for finding this key to change?Jacob was forever trapped in a cycle of deception and trickery. Either on the giving end (Esau and Isaac) or on the receiving end (Laban and his own sons). He was

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-87939925149826454262010-02-05T00:49:00.001+02:002010-02-05T00:53:28.412+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThere is a traditional saying that the experiences of the Patriarchs are signposts for their descendants: "maaseh avoth siman lebanim." Indeed, the idea that each of the Patriarchs alone ventured utterly alone into alien zones of being is further played out in Joseph's life. Abraham confronts idolatry and is imprisoned and later redeemed and blessed. Isaac

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-79015130129325209392010-01-14T07:45:00.002+02:002010-01-14T07:54:15.958+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanClothing may at times betray our deepest wishes. And at times it may betray our deepest fears.When we dress for success it reflects the former. When we veil our women it reflects the latter.In the Tamar and Yehudah narrative, Genesis 15:38 states:"vayireha Yehudah vayachshevaha lezona ki chista paneha-Judah saw her, and because she had covered her face, he

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-62447215118349129282010-01-14T07:14:00.003+02:002010-01-14T07:40:57.989+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanA unifying theme to this week's parasha is the seemingly paradoxical idea of the acquisition of inner strength through the display of outward vulnerability. Jacob faces his fear of encountering his brother Esau, and instead of unifying his camp which would make himself stronger and thus more able physically to defend himself, counterintuitively opts to

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-92198324883987698732010-01-14T06:39:00.002+02:002010-01-14T07:05:35.144+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanMany of us travel many miles until we meet our soulmate. Sometimes our true soulmate was always there but we didn't notice. Sometimes we get it right the first time around. Sometimes the one who we think is our soulmate isn't, and the one who we don't think is our soulmate is. Sometimes we might find our soulmate. And then we might find our deepest truest

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-76274429923736128832010-01-14T05:24:00.002+02:002010-01-14T05:30:24.322+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanOur name is our essence, the keenest description of our most innate beingness. In Parashat Toldot we experience the birth and the naming of Ya'akov and Esav, the disparate twins of Yitzhak and Rivka. Ya'akov means supplanter, or heel, the ergonomically accessible point by which to pull another back and pass him by in the process, in the very same instant.The

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-31490361020521961272009-11-13T05:35:00.003+02:002009-11-13T07:43:33.381+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanAvraham's partner in kindness, Sarah, had just left the world. She lit the lamps of kindness in their home. Their home was the first mishkan, and in a sense she was the first Kohen Gadol, the High Priest who lit the lamps each day in the future Holy Temple. As in the story of Chanukah, the lamp must be kept lit continously.Since his mother Sarah's passing,

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-56939004404828251392009-11-06T15:10:00.005+02:002011-11-21T07:36:44.569+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThere is a Talmudic expression that salvation can come in the "blink of an eye,""b'heref ayin." That refers to the kind of salvation that is waiting in the wings for the propitious moment. But in our parsha, Va'yera, we learn of another kind of salvation- the salvation that was always right in front of us before our very eyes, but because of depression and

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-67828644210094139452009-10-30T05:49:00.004+02:002011-11-21T07:32:53.116+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman"...as bread and wine are brought forth to sanctify this moment of mankind's first recorded act of altruism, so too we use bread and wine to sanctify the Sabbath, which crowned Creation, G*d's enduring act of altruism for all time.""We are bidden to circumcize even our hearts to serve G*d. This means, in the deepest sense, ironically, that only through

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-71703825719715742632009-10-23T03:59:00.006+02:002011-11-21T07:06:12.910+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanLet's see. Take two of every species. Seven pairs of the kosher (clean) species (Gen 7:2). And take food for them all as well. Lions and tigers, leopards, panthers and bobcats are all carnivores by nature. And yet they ostensibly were vegetarian while on board the ark. Otherwise the antelope, elk, sheep, zebra and deer would nowhere be found once the hatches

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-41824595331344386052009-10-16T17:06:00.003+02:002009-10-16T17:22:59.500+02:00

Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThe ultimate challenge in life is in giving back, in repaying the Source of Life for the gifts which we have freely received. Paid forward, we have yet to earn them. Through giving back, whether by tzedaka (righteousliving), tefilah (self-judgment) or teshuva (turning to G*d), gemilut chasadim (deeds of loving kindness) or learning Torah, we restore equilibrium

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-17544497744368176922009-10-16T16:50:00.002+02:002009-10-16T16:58:08.422+02:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanRosh Hashana is the time of new beginnings and fresh starts. It's about changing. We change the world only when we change ourselves.The word "shana" in Hebrew means many things. It is most commonly translated as year, but it also has many deeper related meanings. Shana also means "teach,"and the word "mishna," the oral teachings, comes from the same root.

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-63370928061505110452009-09-25T23:41:00.004+03:002009-09-25T23:50:04.743+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThe Messianic Age represents the fulfillment of that "going beyond." The Pagan Idea represented the eternal cyclicity of life. The Judaic Revolution realigned human consciousness to synchronize with the DNA blueprint, substituting the two dimensional pagan circle theory which has no sense of progression, with the three dimensional Hebraic spiral theory - G*d

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-66027821406901389472009-09-11T09:00:00.009+03:002009-09-11T10:17:22.389+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanNitzavim means "are standing." Who is standing? The Jewish people in Deuteronomy at Moses' farewell to arms? Who else might be standing?Rosh Hashana is a traditional time of visiting the matzevah, the burial place of our loved ones. A matzevah is literally the memorial stone, the headstone that contains our essential data. We are to pause before it, we, the

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-56373974102131107442009-09-04T19:25:00.002+03:002009-09-04T19:30:13.068+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanWhat does it mean to be called the Chosen Nation? Actually, the term used in Ki Tavo isAm Segula, often translated as "treasured nation." But whether understood as chosen or as treasured, it seems to be frequently misunderstood.It does not imply supremacy or arrogance. Rather, it embraces the idea of service. As Israel is a mamlechet kohanim, a nation of

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanBehind everything which we hate there is to be found a Divine lesson for us. Sometimes we hate a person because he reminds us of a defect in our own character. That is a Divine message. Sometimes we hate someone because they are so good that we become jealous of him and look for petty ways to find fault with him to assuage our sense of regret for our own

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanJewish DNA reflects a yearning to simultaneously ascend two figurative mountains: the universal call to serve humanity on the one hand, and the particular call to serve the Jewish people on the other hand, and in so doing preserve our culture, religion and heritage and be alone with our G*d.Ultimately through fulfilling both yearnings we then come to serve G

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanNative Americans honor the spirit of the hunted animal by drinking its blood. They recognize the spiritual nature intrinsic to the blood, and seek thereby to identify with its spiritual essence. The Torah, on the other hand, also recognizes the spiritual essence of life being in the blood, but at the same time forbids us from drinking it.In parshat Re'ei we

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman The great Hasidic Master, Reb Tzadoq Hakohen, taught that the first time a word is mentioned in the Torah is the headquarters for that word, and aids us in truly understanding it when used in later contexts and circumstances. This week's parsha is Eqev, which means both a literal heel, as well as the idea of something following quickly in one's footsteps,

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanWhy were the Ten Commandments given on two tablets? Why not just one? G*d could just have easily put them all down on just one big tablet, or he could have used a slightly smaller sized font.After all, the finger of G*d, the etzbah elokim, comes in different sizes.The two tablets represent the two essential revolutionary ideas of Judaism. One is that how we

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By Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman2012 may indeed herald a year of cleansing for humanity as a whole. It may usher in a new era of radical awareness of our common humanity, a new era of recognition of the futility of an ethos of hatred and division, of separation from the heart of our Creator. Perhaps it may take a new world war to achieve this awareness. Or perhaps not. The messianic age,

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanSeven - eleven. Seven is the holy number marking the dawn of creation. Eleven is the number heralding the final redemption, when we will see in each other our deepest connection. The number eleven is the number of brotherly unity, the same brothers who begged Yosef for forgiveness in unity as one heart. The Great Shabbos is coming soon when the heart of all

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen Melman"Peace is the greatest blessing. Speech is what makes us human. Keeping our word makes us close to Divine."This week's commentary is dedicated to the memory of my holy father, I.J. Melman, whose yahrzeit is on this coming Sunday, Tammuz 27. His life was dedicated to transforming the world and making it better and closer through kindness and the promise of

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanJudaism has been responsive to women's concerns since its inception. Any alleged signs of discrimination had more to do with combating the cultural mores and social norms and customs of the general culture which the earliest Hebrews absorbed. But Judaism itself had always ascribed a high premium and an esteemed sense of worth to its women and their role as

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin HaKohen MelmanHow much of life is seen as a zero sum game? How often do we view our neighbor's gain as our loss? This jealousy/covetousness is the source of evil. When we believe that there is not sufficient abundance in the universe for all of us we resort defensively to a hoarding posture. So, homeopathically, we must eliminate this zero sum thinking with a ritual which

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-58812023381562596482009-06-25T08:01:00.008+03:002009-06-25T09:08:51.552+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanKorach was a man ahead of his time. Rather than labeling him as the wrong man at the right time, let us say he was the right man at the wrong time. NOW is his time.Korach asked Moses who put him over all the people to rule over them? For his insolance against a righteous humble man such as Moses, who was the epitome of the reluctant leader, he suffered a

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanExile can be a state of mind. But it can also be very real. The Nation of Israel was on track to be united with the Land of Israel, when the sin of the spies caused a deep rupture, thus delaying the reunion until the passing of the generation that was accustomed to a negative slave mindset. Thus the exile of the mind led to an exile of the body. Our thoughts

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin HaKohen MelmanThe Torah tells us in this week's parsha, B'ha'alos'cha, that Moshe was"anav mikall adam," meaning that he was"the humblest of all men."What does that really mean? Now you must understand that this was in the context of Miriam's famous slander episode. How did he react to her behavior? Did he submit meekly to her accusations? Did he pretend he didn't know

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By Rabbi Baruch Binyamin HaKohen MelmanIn this week's parsha, Naso, we have two seemingly unconnected ideas. One, the priestly blessing, is the age-old formula for the kohanim to bestow blessings upon the people. The other is the trial by ordeal of the "sota," the accused adulteress. We will see that they are not so far apart, that everything in Torah deeply connects in an organic, integrated

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-69514639892201691582009-05-28T06:15:00.004+03:002009-05-28T06:28:40.451+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanThe ger, the convert to Judaism, follows in the footsteps of Avraham Avinu, the Patriarch Abraham, and of Sarah Imenu, the Matriarch Sarah, who were themselves gerim. They chose a new path for themselves, following the deepest yearning of their heart for the ultimate truth that there is One G*d who demands righteousness and ethical behavior. The ger is

rabbimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892658940449733484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3282419909451852276.post-66092785458821044662009-05-15T07:20:00.003+03:002009-05-15T07:26:52.783+03:00

by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanOn the deepest level the baby knows that everything is connected. Our task, the Torah seems to be telling us, is to recharge ourselves, to view life again from the perspective of an infant, and to know that G*d will meet all our needs for us. Some of us resent G*d because our parents may not have met all our needs for us.In the shemittah year we let go of

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by Rabbi Baruch Binyamin Hakohen MelmanIn Leviticus 19:18 there is the most awesome and complicated mitzvah in the Torah:"Love your neighbor as yourself, I am Hashem. Ve'ahavta leReyacha kamocha, ani Hashem."My secret for remembering that this mitzvah is Lev 19:18 is as follows. Now once I explain my secret I guess it won't be much of a secret anymore, but here goes:Lev, although short for

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