Weekly Torah Portion: Bechukotai

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The list of blessings we receive when we follow G-d's statutes and observe His commandments is short and sweet. But don't take those blessings or their source for granted. We stray from G-d's will at our own peril.

Bechukotai (Leviticus 26:3 - 27:34)
Parashat Bechukotai is read on Shabbat:
Iyar 20, 5779/May 25, 2019

32 YEARS of the TEMPLE INSTITUTE
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"I set before you blessings or curses; life or death - therefore choose Life."
Thank you, Rabbi, and Shalom.

verah

Thank you! I’m 73, a widow & live alone. I am so thankful that my daughter, getting married this year ( FINALLY!) at 41. She & her fiancé have asked me to live in a cottage on his property about 25 yards behind them. I made sure it is her Fiancée’s wish as well. He isn’t a Jew, but says he will be Jewish “by marriage” because he likes Judaism. I was raised VERY Reform, tho’ my father was raised Orthodox & my Mother, who WANTED to be Jewish converted through my Grandmother’s Orthodox Synagogue. But I didn’t realize how NON Orthodox we were. My Mother lit candles every Friday, but they were put on top of the refrigerator ( not hidden but my Mother wanted to be safe from fire). There were no Shabbat dinners. We were Passover, Hanukkah & Holy Days Jews. In past years, I began going to Chabad for awhile before my husband passed. He was not a Jew but SO Supportive of me. He was Agnostic but came to some classes at Chabad. My point is I was never TAUGHT to live an Orthodox life, so neither was my daughter. She is being married by a Reform rabbi under a Chuppa at his family’s horse ranch & his Mother is happy with it. It is my fault that my daughter is VERY Reform but she loves G-d so much! I have always loved G-d & sang songs I made up & sang outside with joy at age 4.
I didn’t know what a Jew was. I found out at 5 when I was put through a bad experience, told about “Hell” & how Jesus had to forgive me but even tho’ he did, I was still going to “hell”. I recall it like yesterday. My Mother told me years later that I woke up screaming for months & it took both my parents to calm me. I became very Zionist at 10 after reading “ Exodus”. I was precocious & had skipped two grades. My father said I was American first & a Jew second. This year, I “told” him he’d been wrong. I’m a Jew first and an American second. If it becomes necessary, I would move to Israel but not without my daughter.
My point is I’m trying. I no longer attend Chabad due to transportation but I light the candles. My house & kitchen aren’t kosher & I wear jeans a lot. But I listen to you. There are other Rabbis on YouTube and they can be so informative but somehow your explanations of Parshat help the most. My major was Religious Studied centered on the development of Christianity and studying the Man, Jesus. ( I told the Rebetzin at the last Chabad this & she was SHOCKED!). I had to know HOW did it happen that this charismatic, brilliant and yes, funny too Jew who tried to bring down deep understanding to his people through parables and examples that were every day to them. I often think that I admire and appreciate, and yes, even have affection for this man who tried so hard for us. For if the “ New Testament “ is read correctly ( I studied Koine Greek for 3 semesters), he was preaching JUDAISM. When one takes away the “chaff” of things he could NOT have said this is clear. It’s also thought by some that he didn’t die on the cross because he was only on it for 6 - 7 hours, he had a rich powerful friend, Joseph of Arimethea, who saw to it, that unlike other “criminals “ against Rome, his body was removed. Which gave him over 36 hours to be seen to by that man’s doctors and so to be seen by some of his followers. He likely was helped to Turkey & died there. Gnostic scholars are hated by the Catholic Church & their studies of him as a man! I’m not a scholar but was blessed to study with these scholars. His teachings were brilliant and very reminiscent of Martin Luther King Jr in the past century.
I apologize for going on but it was IMPORTANT to me to make sure as possible how religion that hurts Jews now developed. Apparently some people find that wrong but I think it is necessary.
Anyway, I keep trying to be a better Jew. I pray daily & I talk to Hashem in a way some Jews might find offensive but I see no problem in telling Hashem my difficulties and praying to learn more in whatever time I have left. I cannot “force” my grown daughter to follow what rules I’m ABLE to follow! At 41, with some physical problems she would have with childbirth, children are unlikely. Although they’ve talked about fostering siblings who are often separated & lost in the foster care system. That’s after they’ve established their marriage well.
So… there are things I can do. There are some I can’t nor wish to. I eat as kosher as possible. But I LOVE Horses & am involved in the rescue of Mustangs, wild horses who are being cruelly rounded up to be replaced by cattle & sheep. Industrial Agriculture that hurts smaller ranches as well. I don’t have the money to donate as much as I could and I do donate to, especially this year, Israeli defense as I can.
Also, it’s unsafe to ride domesticated horses in a skirt!
But I thank you so much for all the things you teach me and I take them to heart and I try to make each week a little bit better . I have started studying Hebrew, though I don’t spend as much time on it as I should. It’s not fair to my wonderful parents to wish to have been brought up differently. It was what it was, and I was taught to love Hashem and most importantly to take the month of Elul & the holy days to heart and commune as possible with our
G-d.
It worries me, sometimes, especially after this last weeks Parsha at the end of Leviticus, that I am not doing enough .
There are really imitations I have in my life, some physical, some monetary .
But your teachings, your explanations have a help me understand Torah so much better.
Every year after I was nine I would try to read Torah and I generally got lost somewhere in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
The actual words were sometimes quite frightening. You show me how the represent Hashem’s love!
Be well, and thank you again so much for everything you do . Your teachings spread much further than you may think!

margawynevans