Video Study for Parsha Pinchas : The Zealot / The Kohen

[muman613]

Shalom JTFers,

I am looking forward to the upcoming July 4th week because I am taking 4 days off that week and will have some more time to study Torah with a friend of my Rabbi. I have been so busy the last few weeks with both personal and work issues. But nothing can make me forget studying Torah, nothing that I can imagine...

This week we are reading the Parsha named after Pinchas, a man who in last weeks portion acted ZEALOUSLY to protect the honor of G-d and Moses while Zimri & Cosby were openly flaunting the law in front of the people. What Zimri was doing was causing the entire Jewish people to weep and cry as it seemed Moshe was confused about what to do. This is where Pinchas took the situation into his hands and acted in a manner which stopped a plague which was destroying the people. This week Pinchas is rewarded for his act by being given 'THE COVENANT OF PEACE' which means he was made into a Kohen. Although Pinchas was descended from Aaron, which should have made him a kohen anyway, the fact that he was born to Aarons son before the sons of Aaron were given the Kohen position, thus he was not a kohen because only sons born after Aarons sons were made kohens would be kohens (read that sentence again).

This parsha contains another counting (census) of the people and the story of the daughters of Zelefachad...

Here is Chabads parsha in a nutshell...

Aaron’s grandson Pinchas is rewarded for his act of zealotry in killing the Simeonite prince Zimri and the Midianite princess who was his paramour: G‑d grants him a covenant of peace and the priesthood.

A census of the people counts 601,730 men between the ages of twenty and sixty. Moses is instructed on how the Land is to be divided by lottery among the tribes and families of Israel. The five daughters of Tzelafchad petition Moses that they be granted the portion of the land belonging to their father, who died without sons; G‑d accepts their claim and incorporates it into the Torah’s laws of inheritance.

Moses empowers Joshua to succeed him and lead the people into the Land of Israel.

The Parshah concludes with a detailed list of the daily offerings, and the additional offerings brought on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh (first of the month), and the festivals of Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret.

Let us start with Rabbi Finkelstein:



And a short shmuz from Rabbi Shafier:

[muman613]

Rabbi Nagen discusses the spiritual aspects of Pinchas...

[muman613]

Rabbi Katz just recorded a 1hr11min shuir on Pinchas.... I don't know if I can watch it tonight, but I will post it anyway. Rabbi Shlomo Katz also plays music and was close to Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach...

[muman613]

A little Kabbalah for the soul before going to bed...

[mord]

Muman in Northern California isn't not common to see orthodox Jews and is it hard to be orthodox there.I occasionally read the northern California Jewish news  and it seems to be very far from anything orthodox

[muman613]

Muman in Northern California isn't not common to see orthodox Jews and is it hard to be orthodox there.I occasionally read the northern California Jewish news  and it seems to be very far from anything orthodox

Chabad is everywhere around here. Chabad is Orthodox and there are Modern Orthodox Shuls even in Berkeley. Chabad is great for a community to ensure keeping Kosher and providing a shul to daven, don tefillin, and observe Shabbat.

I know three Chabad Rabbis pretty personally (and their families) and they bring Rabbis from around the world to study with us. Tonight and next week I will be studying with a Chabad yeshiva bachur.

Is it hard to keep commandments in Northern California? Aside from Kosher (very few Kosher food sources) it is not hard (except keeping Shabbat exactly due to my long commute to and from work). My Rabbi just had my tefillin checked to make sure they are still kosher, I have mezuzzahs and tzit-tzit and Shabbat candles, virtually everything I need. We also have a regular minyan (group of 10 men to pray) so I am happy. Is it hard? Maybe harder than living in New York where virtually everyone in a community may be Jewish (Orthodox). But I love my community and as I have said before, I believe I have influenced them to be more loyal to Israel and more nationalistic (I even discuss Rabbi Kahane with them pretty regularly)...

Sure NorCal is liberal... But there are pockets of very good people if you know where to look..

PS: I still keep contact with my 'progressive' shul (which I found when I first did Teshuva/Returned almost 10 years ago). They recently held a pro-Israel rally at the synagogue (I did not attend, but my Chabad Rabbi was there). The Rabbi knows me and gives me honor (last time I was there, Parsha Yitro, I was called to the Torah for the portion of the giving of the 10 commandments). I am a bit of a personality in my community.

[muman613]

The Chabad Rabbi I associate most closely with just moved to NorCal 3 years ago. He was sent as an emissary from New York to bring Judaism to my county. Before that I was involved with the Napa Valley Chabad organization and their Rabbi, and also the Walnut Creek Chabad which I had been involved with for almost six years.

When the Chabad which I currently attend was first being established the community was not sure whether a Rabbi who was bringing up a young family (he has four kids now, and more are coming) would want them brought up in the 'Midbar'/desert of Jewish learning. But Chabad is bold in this area and does not fear spreading Judaism far and wide. This is why I am so proud of Chabad and what they are doing...

[muman613]

Arutz Sheva has recently been hosting a different rabbi each week who gives a short shuir on the portion...

[muman613]

Rabbi Weisblum gives a 54minute dvar Torah on Pinchas:

[muman613]

Now for a short 10 minute talk by Rabbi Chaim Miller of TorahInTen and Kol Menachem...

[muman613]

The inspiring and inviting Rabbi Machlis from Jerusalem, who talks about the Parsha to a roomfull of Jews from all over the world from his living room.

[muman613]

Now for the 'Funny Rabbi' as I call him, Rabbi Benny Heshcovich from Cabo...

[muman613]

Can't believe I haven't posted any Rabbi Richman videos yet... Well he just posted this weeks portions...

[Binyamin Yisrael]

I guess Bill Cosby wanted to name himself after an immoral princess. Maybe he's Anti-Semitic.

I've actually seen Phil Chernofsky joke about it. He has Bill Cosby as a parasha pic (pp). He writes that he isn't judging Bill Cosby's character. He actually plays Bill Cosby's "Noah and the Lord" sometimes for Parashat Noah. Afterall, Cosby is descended from Noah's grandson Kush (Ham's son). LOL!

[Binyamin Yisrael]

The solutions can be found on the hard copy of Torah Tidbits at http://www.ttidbits.com .

[muman613]

Wow, that's cool...

I get some of them...

Bill Cosby = Cosbi
Dove + Spear = Pinchas Spear + Covenant of Peace
Goats = Offerings
calculator + numbers = census
Lower right are all the mitzvot of the festivals.

I don't know the rest... Will check out the answers...

[Ephraim Ben Noach]

How can you sacrifice on Shabbat? Is the sacrifice prepared before Shabbat, is the fire already started? Numbers 28:9