We Don’t Pray Towards Jerusalem By Rabbi Uri Pilichowsk, we Pray to the direction of the Temple Mount and Unique, colorful, kinetic: Yaacov Agam Museum in Rishon Letzion and Rabbi Wein on Parsha Nasso-how is our prayer individual? and The Portion of ChukatThe Second Red Sea Miracle

View in browser Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher, and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money, and spiritual engagement. Love Yehuda Lave Join my blog by sending me an email to YehudaLave@gmail.com The Three Musketeers at the Kotel The Three are Rabbi Yehuda Glick, famous temple mount activist, and former Israel Mk, and then Robert Weinger, the world's greatest shofar blower and seller of Shofars, and myself after we had gone to the 12 gates of the Temple Mount in 2020 to blow the shofar to ask G-d to heal the world from the Pandemic. It was a highlight to my experience in living in Israel and I put it on my blog each day to remember. The articles that I include each day are those that I find interesting, so I feel you will find them interesting as well. I don't always agree with all the points of each article but found them interesting or important to share with you, my readers, and friends. It is cathartic for me to share my thoughts and frustrations with you about life in general and in Israel. As a Rabbi, I try to teach and share the Torah of the G-d of Israel as a modern Orthodox Rabbi. I never intend to offend anyone but sometimes people are offended and I apologize in advance for any mistakes. The most important psychological principle I have learned is that once someone's mind is made up, they don't want to be bothered with the facts, so, like Rabbi Akiva, I drip water (Torah is compared to water) on their made-up minds and hope that some of what I have share sinks in. Love Rabbi Yehuda Lave. We Don't Pray Towards Jerusalem By Rabbi Uri Pilichowski I found an interesting description of Jerusalem and the Western Wall on a tourist website: "The Western Wall is the most religious site in the world for the Jewish people. Located in the Old City of Jerusalem, it is the western support wall of the Temple Mount. It is one of the major highlights in any tour of the Old City." This seems to be an apt description of the Kotel, except that it's wrong. The most "religious site" for the Jewish people isn't the Western Wall – it's the Temple Mount that sits behind the wall. Fifty-five years ago, the Jewish people reunited the city of Jerusalem. In an interview with Providence Magazine, former Ambassador Michael Oren talked about the Six-Day War that reunited Jerusalem, "Even throughout the war, the Israeli government kept sending messages to the Jordanians saying that if they stopped fighting the Israelis would stop fighting. On the morning of June 7, Prime Minister Eshkol sends a message to Hussein saying, 'Stop fighting and enter peace talks and we won't even take the Old City.' Think about that. On Jerusalem Day, we walk through the Old City with flags, celebrating the reunification. In 1967, the Israeli government was willing to forgo, willing to forfeit, that historic reunification of the Jewish people with its holiest sites in order to have peace with one Arab country. King Hussein never responds. Israeli paratroopers enter the Old City at about 9 a.m. Two hours later they report, 'The Temple Mount is in our hands,' and the war is essentially over on the Jordanian front." The religious Zionist community celebrates the 28th of Iyar as "Yom Yerushalayim." They consider the day no less miraculous than Chanukah. They recite special prayers and have a parade through the streets of Jerusalem. With a few exceptions, the day hasn't really caught on with communities outside of Israel's religious Zionist community. Yom Yerushalayim isn't a day off for students or companies like Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day). It's clear that Jerusalem plays a central role in every Israeli's life. Israel's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion often spoke about Jerusalem. He made three memorable statements about Jerusalem that demonstrate the importance of Jerusalem to Israel. "No city in the world, not even Athens or Rome, ever played as great a role in the life of a nation for so long a time, as Jerusalem has done in the life of the Jewish people." He also said, "If the Land of Israel is the heart of the Jewish nation, then Jerusalem is its heart of hearts." Jerusalem is indivisible from Israel, "We regard it as our duty to declare that Jewish Jerusalem is an organic and inseparable part of the State of Israel, as it is an inseparable part of the history of Israel, of the faith of Israel." Over two thousand years ago King Solomon said, "[The Jewish people] turn back to You with all their heart and soul, in the land of the enemies who have carried them off, and they pray to You in the direction of their land which You gave to their fathers, of the city which You have chosen, and of the House which I have built to Your name." The Talmud noted the direction the Jews prayed in and taught, "One who was standing in prayer in the Diaspora, should focus his heart toward Eretz Yisrael." Many knowledgeable people assume Jews around the world pray towards Israel, and some assume more, that Jews pray towards Jerusalem. Like the quote from the website quoted above, that isn't the entire picture. Jews don't pray towards Israel or Jerusalem. The complete teaching in the Talmud, which Maimonides wrote goes back to the times of Moses, stated, "One standing in Eretz Yisrael, should focus his heart towards Jerusalem, one standing in Jerusalem, should focus his heart towards the Temple, and one standing in the Temple, should focus his heart toward the Holy of Holies. Consequently, one standing in prayer in the east turns to face west, and one standing in the west, turns to face east. One standing in the south, turns to face north, and one standing in the north, turns to face south; all of the people of Israel find themselves focusing their hearts toward one place, the Holy of Holies in the Temple." Jews don't pray towards Israel or Jerusalem; they pray towards the Temple. At a time when the Temple isn't standing, they pray towards the place it once stood, the Temple Mount. The most sacred place for the Jewish people isn't Jerusalem or the Western Wall, it's the Temple Mount. There is a significant distinction between the two locations. Outsiders often claim the Jewish people can walk away from the Temple Mount as long as they keep the Western Wall and its plaza. The claim that Jews are just provoking anger by praying on the Temple Mount is made with a pure heart but is based on a lack of awareness of how important the Temple Mount is to the Jewish people. As the Jewish people commemorate the reunification of Jerusalem it's important to note the most sacred part of the city. Unique, colorful, kinetic: Yaacov Agam Museum in Rishon Letzion By Judy Lash Balint, JNS TAKE A TOUR OF ISRAEL: Enjoy a respite from nearby Tel Aviv, "the city that never sleeps." There's only one museum in Israel dedicated to a sole living artist—the Yaacov Agam Museum in Rishon Letzion. Agam is so prolific and his work so striking that it's not surprising that he merits a display space all his own. Recently reopened after more than a year of pandemic closure, the airy museum space is filled with examples of Agam's unique and colorful kinetic art created over the past six decades. It's one of only a few museums in the world dedicated to Kinetic Art. The museum is a good spot for tourists who might want to take a brief respite from nearby Tel Aviv, "the city that never sleeps," or for Israelis who might want to get to know the artist behind the iconic "Fire and Water Fountain" that graced Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv for more than three decades. Agam, who celebrated his 94th birthday on May 11, was born in Rishon LeZion and partnered with the Rishon LeZion municipality in the creation of the museum, which opened in 2018. While it's best to book ahead and reserve a guide for a one-and-a-half-hour tour, visitors who arrive independently can download an app and enjoy a self-guided tour of the various colorful pieces in the collection, which are full of movement and symbolism. Agam is considered to be the father of the Kinetic Movement in modern art, and a leading artist of the 20th century. At the museum, we learn that Agam was the son of a Kabbalist rabbi, imbibed Jewish spiritual values and loved nature. The kinetic, abstract style allowed Agam to remain true to the biblical commandment, "You shall not make any graven images." The sand dunes of Rishon LeZion apparently inspired him to trace drawings that would change constantly with the blowing wind and led him into the style that would be the hallmark of his long career. At the entrance of the building are 29 intricately designed, brightly colored hexagonal columns called "Pillars of Clila," after his late wife. The towering works, that tell a different visual story from each side, provide an inkling of the colorful treasures to be found inside the building. In the lower gallery, the first work we encounter is the only non-abstract piece in the museum. "Portrait of the Artist with Heart in Motion" was created by a technique that layers six images of Agam himself behind a heart shape that gives the appearance of movement. It's as if he is greeting visitors and inviting them to enjoy the rest of his more abstract and colorful creations. One of the most striking pieces, in the center of the gallery is the blue, red and white "Jacob's Ladder." Based on the biblical story, its theme of dream and reality and the connection between the spiritual and the physical comes across clearly. The effect is multiplied as we see it reflected in the mirrors at the base and the top. It's one of several pieces that include the Star of David, that comes into focus as we circle the ladder. Many of the works on display are polymorphic, they change form depending on where they are viewed from. Due to that and their size, kids are attracted to them too. On the lower level of the museum, several posters are on display that used his style to create interest in various exhibits and causes. My favorite is one Agam designed to draw attention to the plight of Soviet Jews on the occasion of the 1976 Second World Conference on Soviet Jewry in Brussels. I've had a print of it hanging on my wall since then. The building's central ramp displays the exquisitely colored "Panoramagam," a 22-meter-long relief painting originally exhibited on the famous spiral of the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Walking along the curved walls, the vivid, rhythmically punctuated color fades in and out of the white background like a rainbow springing from light. In the upper gallery, visitors can enjoy "Hearing the Colors" a temporary exhibit that's set in the space of the permanent exhibit known as "Visual Music Orchestration." View more photos: It includes a series of two-dimensional works that illustrate the connection Agam finds between plastic art and music. Modern interpretations of classical music created by artist Aviad Zinemanas play in the background, and the effect is mesmerizing. It allows the viewer to reflect on how Agam created the process of visual orchestration. According to one panel on display, Agam "views his work as a form of visual music," and it's easy to see that in action in this part of the museum. The museum building, which fits in with the surrounding apartment buildings of a pleasant residential neighborhood, was designed by architect David Nofar and includes a cafe with outdoor seating in the shade of the Sculpture Garden. Address: 1 Mayshar St., Kiryat Ha'Leom, Rishon Letzion Museum hours: Monday to Saturday: 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Thursday: 4 p.m.–8 p.m. Admission fee: Adults 40 NIS, children 20 NIS The Portion of Chukat The Second Red Sea Miracle Once again the Children of Israel find themselves ready to enter the Promised Land- this time at the end of 40 years of wandering decreed upon them as a result of the sin of the spies. But their complaints continue- this time concerning the lack of water. Moses gets angry, doesn't follow G-d's instructions and is punished by not being able to enter the Land of Israel. The complaints repeat themselves time after time: "Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord to this desert so that we and our livestock should die there? Why have you taken us out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place; it is not a place for seeds, or for fig trees, grapevines, or pomegranate trees, and there is no water to drink." (Numbers 20;4-5) In the midst of this troublesome situation we find a ray of light emanating from behind the dark clouds: "Concerning this it is told in the account of the Wars of the Lord, "What He gave at the Sea of] Reeds and the streams of Arnon." (Numbers 21;14) The Torah tells us of the great miracle which took place by the stream of Arnon, a miracle as great as that which transpired at the Red Sea following the exodus from Egypt. The Emorites and the Moabites had planned to ambush the Children of Israel on their way to the Land of Israel. The Arnon stream formed a narrow and high crevice beneath which the Children of Israel were to pass. The two tribes positioned themselves on either side of the crevice, planning to shower the Israelites with rocks and boulders as they tried to pass. But then a miracle happened. As the Israelites passed the two sides of the mountain closed behind them and crushed those waiting in ambush. The Children of Israel continued their journey, totally unaware of what had just transpired above their heads. It was only after they emerged from the wadi did they see the stream full of blood and objects belonging to the enemy tribes. And it is because of this that the Children of Israel started to sing: "Then Israel sang this song: "'Ascend, O well,' sing to it!" (Numbers 21;17) This amazing story which compares the miracle of the stream of Arnon to that of the Red Sea is alluded to in the curvature of the letter "pai" in the word "sufa" which in itself is an allusion to the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds) Nasso 5782 The book of Bamidbar contains many puzzling portions. In this week's Parsha, the Torah records the sacrificial offerings by the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel, upon the dedication and consecration of the tabernacle. These twelve offerings were identical in every detail. Yet, the Torah describes each of these offerings individually, as though the offering of each leader was his decision and was unique and different from the offering of his colleague who was the leader of very different tribe. Over the ages, many ideas and interpretations have been offered for this seeming redundancy. The overwhelming number of interpretations concentrate on the idea that even though the offerings may physically have been identical, the spirit and motivation of each differed from individual to individual, and tribe to tribe. This type of interpretation lends itself to understanding how one Jew can achieve personal prayer while reciting a set number of printed texts which everyone else around him or her is also reciting at the very same moment. Since no two people are alike physically, they certainly are not alike mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Prayer is derived not only from the brain and lips of the person praying but, rather, it also comes from the emotions and unique perspective that each human being brings to the relationship with one's creator and to life. So, too, the offerings of the leaders of the tribes of Israel in the desert may have been physically identical, but the emotional perspective and spiritual elevation of each of the offerings was truly unique and distinctive for that tribal prince who brought it and gave it as a service of the public in the Mishkan. Another lesson that is to be learned from this seeming repetition of the offerings of the leaders of the tribes of Israel, is the triumph of constancy over flashes of brilliance. It is the old parable regarding the race between the tortoise and the hare. And repetition always leads to a feeling of security and hope. Much of Judaism is based upon repetitive behavior. With each recurring action, we absorb and internalize it into our very being, so that doing the right thing in fulfilling the commandments of the Torah becomes second nature to us. This is especially true in the field of prayer. I once read a memoir of an Israeli soldier who fought in the battle for Jerusalem's Ammunition Hill in 1967 during the Six Day War. The Jordanian army was entrenched on that hill, and most military experts believed it was suicidal to try and dislodge them. The hill was the central point in the battle for Jerusalem, and by controlling it, the rest of the West Bank was open to mobile contact and conquest. The soldier wrote of the terrible battle that waged that night, and how hundreds of his comrades were killed and wounded, while the Jordanians also suffered great losses. He wrote that at one moment in the battle he was alone and nearly surrounded by Jordanian troops. He said that he felt an overwhelming urge at that moment to pray, but he then realized that since he had never prayed in his life, he did not know what to do. He resolved, therefore, that if he survived – and he did – he would learn how to pray, so that when he had to pray, he would know what he must do. Shabbat shalom Rabbi Berel Wein See you Sunday bli neder, Shabbat Shalom We need Mashiach now! Love Yehuda Lave Yehuda Lave, Spirtual Advisor and Counselor Jerusalem, Jerusalem  Israel 972-585043210 YehudaLave@gmail.com You received this email because you signed up on our website or made a purchase from us. Unsubscribe