Genesis 6:9 – 11:32 || Isaiah 54:1 – 55:5

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman for The Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel:
«What became of man that in the passing of just ten generations G-d was disappointed in the man He created and regretted creating man in the first place? Man forgot the source of all his blessings and cynically appointed himself the master of creation. In short, man trashed G-d. Acknowledgement and gratitude are the ingredients that make man the apple of G-d’s eye»…more:

Shabbat Shalom

GSI Reminder: only 1 month left until Luther’s birthday party KRISTALLNACHT?

Deuteronomy 16:18 – 21:9 || (Rosh Ch.) Isaiah 51:12 – 52:12

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman for The Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel:
«“Be wholehearted with HaShem, your G-d,“ we are told. We need to be comfortable with our selves and confident that G-d has blessed us with all that we need for the moment that we are in. Tomorrow, when it arrives, will carry the same blessing we enjoyed today»…more:

Shabbat Shalom
New Year’s → Free Picture Greeting Postcards Download

Genesis 47:28 – 50:26 || 1 Kings 2:1-12

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman for The Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel:
«In his final moments Yaakov avinu gathered his children round him to reveal to them the end of days. While his words concerning this are not recorded in Torah, he did reveal to his sons the secret of receiving G-d’s blessing and bounty in the end of days: unity as brothers. Unity as a people»…more:

Shabbat Shalom

Numbers 30:2 – 36:13 || Jeremiah 2:4-28 & 3,4 & 4,1-2

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman for The Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel:
«As the book of Numbers draws to a close, the children of Israel get ready for the greatest blessing of all: the land of Israel and the ability to feed and shelter themselves, with G-d’s blessing, in the land He promised them, a blessing which we enjoy and cherish today»…more:

Shabbat Shalom

Leviticus 25:1 – 27:34 || Jeremiah 16:19 –17:34

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman for The Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel:
«The default mode of creation is set out in the opening verses of parashat Bechukotai: a world of blessings in which all our possible needs and wants are seen to and tended to by G-d. But in order to attain this default mode of creation, man needs to do a reset, by heeding these words which precede the blessings: „If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them.“ The ball is in our court»…more:

Shabbat Shalom

Genesis 23:1 – 25:18 || 1 Kings 1:1-31

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman for The Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel:
«Old age, the blessing of wisdom conferred upon one who has lived his life with love and kindness towards others, a true recognition of G-d’s presence in the world, is a gift for all of us to acquire, thanks to Avraham, who beseeched G-d to grant him old age and the wisdom to recognize the sublime beauty with which his beloved wife Sara lived her life»…more:

Shabbat Shalom
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© Lencer, Wiki Commons

Video Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman, The Temple Institute, Jerusalem:

„The good, the bad and the blessing. It’s all here in parashat Ki Tavo. From the sublime perfect moment of being alive in G-d’s Holy Temple, first-fruits in hand, heart overflowing with joy and gratitude, declaring our recognition of G-d’s hand in every thing we do and every soul we touch, to the nightmare wasteland of the admonitions. Joy, community, thankfulness? Helplessness, despair, isolation? The choice is ours.“…more:

Shabbat Shalom

© Lencer, Wiki Commons

Video Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman, The Temple Institute, Jerusalem:

„When the leaders of the tribes of Reuven and Gad approach Moshe and ask his blessing to settle in the lands east of the Jordan River, Moshe is aghast. He saw a great spiritual failing on the part of Reuven and Gad whose relationship and commitment to the land of Israel was apparently so conditional. What was it that Moshe detected in Reuven and Gad’s request that so troubled him, and what changed for Moshe so that in the end he agreed to their settling east of the Jordan“, more:

Shabbat Shalom

4. Moses 4:21-7:89; Judges 13:2-25

Commentary by Eric Martienssen:
It is no secret that the Pentecost of the church wants to make God’s Shavuot forget. So what is at stake is no less than the fact that the most inconcrete thought by men – so called holy – wants to replace the very concrete law of God, Moses, the Torah, Five Books of Moses. Although there is only the blessing of God for the children of Israel. No law by God. no blessings by God! It is that easy. That’s how the cookie crumbles. And in our Torah portion, the parashat Naso, there is only the blessing line from God to His People, Israel. If you want to join them, ask them! And here is the chance since Gershom was no born Jew.
But 4:21 the LORD spoke unto Moses saying:
4:22 ‚Take the sum of the sons of Gershon also
And then, later on,
6:22 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:
6:23 ‚Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying: On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel; ye shall say unto them:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert Priestly Blessing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Jewarechecha Adonai we-jischmerecha.
Yewarechecha Adonai we-yischmerecha.
Ya’er Adonai panaw elecha we-yechunekha.
Yissa Adonai panaw elecha we-yassem lecha Schalom!
May Adonai bless you and guard you
May Adonai make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you
May Adonai lift up his face onto you and give you peace

Watch to last year’s video commentary on Shabbat Naso, also spelled Nasso, by Rabbi Chaim Richman, The Temple Institute, Jerusalem:

„Love is in the air as Israel stands at the foot of Mount Sinai, ready to receive Torah and betroth themselves to G-d, a wedding whose anniversary we celebrate this week on Shavuot. This week’s parasha, Naso, makes many a meaningful reference to the happenings at Mount Sinai“:

Shabbat Shalom ve Hag Shawuot Sameach,
Yours Eric Martienssen

Genesis 12:1–17:27; Isaiah 40:27–41:16

Video Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman, The Temple Institute, Jerusalem:

°And the Lord said to Abram, „Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will aggrandize your name, and you shall be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you.“ What makes a great nation? A nation whose people seek to be like Avraham, the man who sought the One True G-d, and made His presence known to mankind.. . beginning of the Jewish People…“
Listen to his entire commentary:

Shabbat Shalom !