| Shoftim 5761 - August 24, 2001 |
Packaging
I have a friend who will not buy avocados on principle. "Fifty percent of the weight is the seed," he explains. He loves purchasing apples, grapes and bananas, but avocados and mangos are out. Peaches and dates are borderline - he'll buy them on occasion, with deep misgivings.
My friend has a point - the whole fruit business is a scam.
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| THE PARSHAH IN A NUTSHELL |
Shoftim
Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
Torah Reading for Week of August 19-25, 2001
"Justice" - the very concept is said to be the Jew's contribution to the world. A glance at this week's Parshah shows why. Almost 3,300 years ago, Moses is speaking about equality before the law, due process in the investigation and prosecution of crimes, protection of criminals from vigilante vengeance, curbs on the behavior of kings, rules and ethics in warfare, and collective responsibility of the community for the safety of the transient wayfarer.
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Enter the Beloved
Song of Songs on Friday evening in the little Moroccan shul on Shimshon
Street in Jerusalem was a string of
multiple solo performances. Whoever jumped in first sang a few lines, until someone
else glided in for his turn. The little boys belted out but didn’t yell. Their
fathers had young deep bass resonating voices and their grandfathers, mature
sweet lilting voices. I felt I was wandering in the Sinai with the verses from Song of Songs blending with the minor keys of the wind and desert.
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An Irish Kid with a Jewish Name
I used to be in the police escort that once a week escorted the Lubavitcher Rebbe
to the Montefiore Cemetery, where the Rabbi’s father-in-law and predecessor is
interred.
One time, I stood by door of his car when he got out, and asked him:
“Excuse me, Rabbi, do you only bless Jewish people or non-Jews too?”
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The Control Tower
Do you parent the way your parents parented? Or do you do everything exactly opposite the way they did?
I’m reminded of a story about a little girl who is being very disobedient to her mother. The mother says to her, “As a punishment, your daughter will be very disobedient to you.” To which the daughter replies, “Following that logic, I can imagine how disobedient you were to
your mother”.
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The Parshah in a Nutshell
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