Due to popular request the weekly portion now is bilingual. This week the Spanish version is directly under the English version
Por solicitud popular, la sección semanal ahora se publica en forma bi-lingüe. La versión en castellano se encuentra inmediatamente abajo de la inglesa.
Shalom MeHa'Hillel sheKayam lifne sheHayu Batei Hillel.
Shalom the Hillel that was before there was a Hillel Organization.
During the Summer Months Parashah la'Shavuah is published at irregular times.
During the summer you can find regular updates at our website <www.tamuhillel.org>
The next edition of Parashah la'Shavuah will be on June 18
Please note: Rabbi Tarlow's email address has changed. The new address is ptarlow@tamuhillel.org.
Please discontinue using ptarlow@startel.net
The parashah for this Sabbath is "Shelach." You will find it in the Book of Numbers 13:1 - 15:41.
This week's parashah contains one of the Torah's most well-known tales, that of the 12 mrgalim or spies/scouts. These ten men were charged with the mission of penetrating into the land and then determining its characteristics. Often overlooked is the fact that Moses' mission statement to the spies was not to determine if the Israelites were capable of conquering the land. Rather their job was to develop a plan on how Israel was to accomplish this goal.
Deep within the parashah there is a strange verse. Speaking of the mraglim we read in 13:26 the words: "Va'yelchu vaYavou." This phrase is not easy to translate. Most scholars translate it as: "they went there and came (back)." However, as any student of Hebrew grammarian knows, the Hebrew tenses indicate that they had gone and returned even before they set out on their journey. In other words, they may have already made up their mind, even before having set out on their mission.
From a purely logical perspective, perhaps the spies were correct. The Israelites were simply not strong enough to overpower Canaan. Nevertheless, this was the generation that had seen the miracle of the ten plagues, the parting of the sea, the giving of the ten commandments. If any generation should have had faith, this was the one.
Read from this perspective, this tale is not merely a history of ten men who lost their nerve (two of the twelve spies had a positive outlook). This is a history about the loss of faith not only in G'd but also in themselves. Perhaps the text is teaching us a great difference between optimists and pessimists. Pessimists deny faith, and because they often have no hope, they produce for themselves self-fulfilling prophecies of failure. This lack of faith, this eternal sense of pessimism, this belief that it will not work, may be the reason that G'd finally decided that a generation born in slavery could never govern itself in freedom.
The text teaches us that pessimists are dangerous. Pessimists not only destroy their own spirit but become a political infectious disease that gnaws away at the esprit de corps of the entire political body politic. In the case of the spies, they never give an alternative suggestion but merely spread discord among the people Instead of inspiration the ten evil spies turned the dessert into a flood of negativity.
Perhaps a lesson to be learned from this week's parashah, is that any organization that is saddled with negative people in the end will fail. In the case of Israel, G'd had wait for a new generation, one born in liberty and capable of writing the next chapter of Jewish history. In a like manner, each of us needs to think about what the next chapter will be in our own life's journey. Will we enter that chapter with optimism and success or will we chose to drown in our own negativity?
That choice is for each of us to make. Which path will you choose?
L'Biddurchem/The Humor Section
The Dog that was a Spy
A man sees a sign stating that there is a talking dog for sale for $10.00. He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a black mutt just sitting there. "You talk?" he asks.
"Yep," the mutt replies.
"So, what's your story?"
The mutt looks up and says, "Well, I discovered this gift pretty young and I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA about my gift, and in no time they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies eight years running. The jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger and I wanted to settle down. So I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security work, mostly wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings there and was awarded a batch of medals. Had a wife, a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired
The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. The owner says, "Ten dollars."
The guy says, "This dog is amazing. Why on earth are you selling him, so cheap?"
The owner replies, "He's such a liar. He didn't do any of that stuff."
Shavúa Tov MeHa'Hillel sheKayam lifne sheHayu Batei Hillel.
Una Buena Semana desde la Primera Casa de Hillel de los EE.UU>
Durante los meses del verano se publicará Parashat Ha'Shavúa irregularmente.
El próximo ejemplar de Parashá la'Shavúa se publicará el 18 de junio
¡Atención!
El Rabino Tarlow tiene una nueva dirección de email.
La nueva es
Ya no se usa ptarlow@startel.net
Se llama la parashá para este Shabat <
Desde la perspectiva puramente lógica puede ser que los espías tuvieran algo de razón. Ellos pensaron que Israel simplemente no tenía el poder para conquistar Canaan. Sin embargo, esta era la generación que conoció las 10 plagas, la división del mar, y la entrega de los 10 mandamientos. Si hubiera una generación que habría tenido fe, sería ésta.
Leído desde esta perspectiva, esta historia no solamente es una de diez hombres que tuvieron miedo (dos de los doce tenía una perspectiva positiva), es la historia de personas que habían perdido la fe no solamente en D'ós sino también en si mismos. Tal vez aquí vemos la gran diferencia entre el optimista y el pesimista. Los pesimistas niegan la fe y porque la esperanza les hace falta, producen las profecías determinantes. Esta falta de fe, este pesimismo eterno, esta creencia que nada se resultará en lo positivo puede ser la razón porque D'ós por fin decidió que una generación nacida en la esclavitud nunca podría gobernarse en la libertad.
La Biblia ve el pesimista como alguien peligroso porque destruyen no solamente su propio espíritu sino el de los otros. Se transforman en una enfermedad infecciosa de negatividad que desanima todo el cuerpo político. Por ejemplo, en el caso de los 10 espías malos, nunca dan una sugerencia para resolver el problema, sino dicen lo que Israel no podrá hacer en lugar de buscar la manera para realizar los objectivos de Moisés. En lugar de crear la inspiración ellos pintaron el desierto en un diluvio de negatividad.
Una lección que podemos aprender de la parashá actual es que cualquier organización que cargada con la gente negativa en fin va a fallar. En el caso de Israel, D'os tenía que esperar hasta la próxima generación, una nueva nacida en la libertad y capaz de entrar en la tierra de Israel y escribir un nuevo capítulo de la historia judía. En la misma manera cada uno de nosotros necesita pensar en cual será el próximo capítulo de nuestro viaje personal por la vida. ¿Entraremos este nuevo capítulo con el optimismo y el éxito o escogeremos ahogarnos en un mar de negatividad?
Esta opción está en las manos de cada uno.
¿Cuál van a elegir?
L'Biddurchem/Para reír
El Perro que era espíaUn señor ve un anuncio para comprar un perro parlante por US$10.00.
Toca el timbre y el dueño del perro le dice que el perro está en el jardín. Entra el señor y ve un perro de razas variadas sentado. ¿Hablas? le pregunta al perro."que sí," le responde el perroEntonces, dime su cuento.El perro lo mira y le dice: <
Vagabundeaba por el aeropuerto y escuchaba a la gente sospechosa. Descubrí varias personas malas, tuve una esposa e hijos y ahora estoy totalmente jubiladoEl señor se quedó pasmado. Dice al dueño que desea comprar al perroEl dueño le pide $10.00El señor le dice: Este perro es una maravilla, ¿por qué me lo vende tan barato?
El dueño le responde. Es mentiroso, nunca hizo todo lo que le decía
--
B'shalom u-vrachah,
In peace and blessings,
Rabbi Peter Tarlow
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