Dear Friends,
Wow! Another week has gone by! The kids have been out of school, with entertainment of swimming and visiting friends they are being kept quite busy.
In our Parshah, Shelach, the Spies come back to the Jewish people with the report, "It is a land that consumes its inhabitants" (13:32). What was the reason that the Spies, who were leaders of Israel and men of lofty stature, did not want to enter the Land?
The explanation of the matter is as follows:
A great majority of the physical mitzvot can be implemented only in the Land of Israel, especially the agricultural laws and the laws of the offerings brought to the Holy Temple... The Spies, who were on a most lofty spiritual level, did not wish to lower themselves to the level of physical action, preferring to remain in the desert, where they received all their needs from above, and related to G-d by means of the loftier levels of thought and speech (i.e., study of Torah and prayer). They desired to draw down all the Divine emanations into the "Land of Israel" that exists in the realm of Malchut, the world of Divine speech, where there also is a "Jerusalem" and a "Holy Temple." Regarding the physical Land of Israel, they said: "It is a land that consumes its inhabitants"--if the Divine light were to be drawn down into the physical world, our entire existence would be nullified.
But Joshua and Caleb said, "The Land is very, very good." It is specifically in the Land of Israel down below, and specifically by means of the mitzvot implemented by physical action, that the truly infinite light of G-d is drawn down--a light that includes both the spiritual and the material, which is why it is "very, very" good.
So too, now that we have entered into summer vacation mode when we are all in a relaxed environment and atmosphere, it is specifically now that it is "very very good" to join us for Shabbos and come to Shul!
Friday, June 17
Services at 7:30 pm
Candle Lighting at 8:06 pm | RSVP for dinner
Shabbos, June 18
Preprayer Chassidus Kabbala Study at 9:00 am
Services at 10 am
Followed by a kiddush..... wow!
Mincha at 8:10 pm
Ethics of our Fathers Chapter 2
Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos Ends at 9:05 pm
Living Torah
Sunday, June 19
BLT = Bagels Lox & Tefillin (& fresh Keurig Coffee)!
See you on Shabbos!
Rabbi Chaim & Chanie