את ארץ ישראל היהודים ירשו,

לחלק את הארץ איך הם ידעו? 

היו שלשה דרכים שונים,

לדעת איך לחלק את הארץ בין השבטים. 

 

דבר ראשון, הם השתמשו בהגיון,

את האוכלוסייה הם לקחו בחשבון, 

במקצוע של כל שבט הם התחשבו,

לפי המיקום והשטח הם החליטו. 

לכהן הגדול הם הלכו, 

זה הדבר השני שהם עשו,

האותיות בחשן נדלקו,

ברוח הקודש הם נעזרו.

הדבר השלישי היה גורל,

דבר שמעל השכל בכלל, 

השמות של השבטים והשטחים שנבחרו,

אחד לשני, הם בדיוק התאימו.

למה דרך אחת לא הספיקה,

לחלק את האדמה?

למה לחזור אל אותו הדברים,

בשלשה אופנים אחרים?

יש ההוראה בשבילנו, 

גם היום זה חל אלינו,

הארץ שנחלק לשתים עשרה חלקים,

מייצג שתים עשרה דרכים לעבוד את האלקים.

אפילו שאנחנו כל כך שונים,

הגיון, קדושה וגורל הם שלשה דברים,

שבעבודת ה׳ כולנו צריכים,

כדי שהקשר שלנו עם ה׳ יהיה לעולמים.

עם חיים משמעותיים אנחנו רוצים,

על פי שכל והגיון אנחנו מבינים,

שלשמור תורה ומצוות אנחנו צריכים,

זה הדבר הראשון שאנחנו לומדים.

יש עוד דבר שצריכים לשים לב,

מתורה ומצוות צריכים להתלהב,

אנחנו צריכים להרגיש את הקדושה, 

כמו הרוח הקודש שמהחושן האירה. 

הדבר השלישי הוא לגלות את הנשמה שבתוכינו,

היא ממש חלק מה׳ אלוקינו!

כמו גורל, אנחנו לא צריכים סיבות והסברים.

התורה והמצוות מקיימים, כי אנחנו יהודים!

Parshat Mattos

The tribes of Reuven and Gad came with a request,
They didn't want to settle in Israel like all the rest,
Moshe couldn't believe what he did hear,
A repeat of the story of the spies he did fear.

The spies were sent to Israel 40 years before,
The land of Israel they were meant to explore,
With a negative report they did return,
To continue living a spiritual life they did yearn.

Yes, the Manna, clouds and well were great,
But their mission was the physical world to elevate,
For their mistake they had to pay,
For 40 years in the desert the Jews had to stay.

The tribes of Reuven and Gad made it clear,
That it wasn't the physical world that they did fear.
Reuven and Gad were different than the spies,
The importance of making a home for Hashem, they did realize.

They volunteered to fight at the forefront of the battle,
After the war was won they would return to their families and cattle.
Why would they give up their inheritance so grand,
For some good pastureland?

Before they would go to battle,
They said they would build pens for their cattle,
Then they would build for their children cities,
Was there something wrong with their priorities?

Chassidic philosophy does illuminate,
They did have their priorities straight,
There are three reasons that we can find,
For why they wanted to stay behind.

Firstly, to create a home for Hashem in the holy land would be great,
To build a home outside of Israel, was a challenge they wanted to take,
They spoke about the animals first because they were sure,
That the things that seem lower have a higher nature.

To what we see with our eyes there is more,
The lower something seems the higher is its spiritual core,
Just like bricks that make up a wall,
The higher the bricks are the farther they can fall.

Secondly, if they would be shepherds, they knew,
While watching the sheep and cattle they could learn Torah too,
Hashem's home is incomplete without light,
Which is accomplished through Torah study day and night.

The tribes of Reuven and Gad had a third reason,
For their desire to settle on the East of the Jordan,
In the land where Moshe would pass away,
Is where Reuven and Gad wanted to stay.

The land of milk and honey they were ready to sacrifice,
To stay with their leader they didn't think twice,
Because they knew that even after Moshe would pass away,
He would be with them even more in a spiritual way!

Souvenir: lego brick keychain

Parshat Pinchas

To settle the land of Israel the Jews were excited,
In Parshat Pinchas, the land was divided,
There were a lot of factors to take into consideration,
The terrain, location and each tribe's occupation.

There were three ways to show,
For each tribe to know,
Which plot of land was destined for them,
It was all determined by Hashem.

First, the leaders made a calculation,
Taking into account each tribes population,
Then the high priest used inspiration that was divine,
To interpret the letters that on the breastplate did shine.

The third way was to draw a lottery,
The names and places matched perfectly,
Why were the Jews shown in three different ways,
Where to settle in those days?

There is a lesson here for you and me,
About how to serve Hashem properly,
The land that was divided into 12 different parts,
Represents 12 different ways to serve Hashem with our hearts.

Although we each have a unique personality,
There are three things that apply to us all equally,
Calculation, Inspiration, and a lottery hold the key,
To connect with Hashem for all eternity.

The first step is to calculate logically,
That following the Torah is most beneficial for our family,
The second step is when we can feel holiness and sanctity,
When we are inspired and can appreciate spirituality.

The third step is when we follow the Torah even if it doesn't make sense,
A part of Hashem is our very essence,
Our connection to Hashem is like a lottery,
Which has no explanation but is meant to be!

Just like the Jews transformed the Cananite land into the promised land,
Our mission is to transform this world into a home for Hashem so grand,
We will each do our part,
That was given to us from the start.

Souvenir: Israel bracelet

Parshat Balak

For 40 years the Jews wandered in the desert sand,
At last it was time for the Jews to enter the promised land,
The mighty nations of Sichon and Og were defeated by the Jews,
The nation of Moav couldn't believe the news.

Balaam, was the one that King Balak did hire,
To have the Jews cursed was his desire,
Balak and Balaam did not get their way,
The curses were transformed to blessings on that day.

"He crouches and lies like a lion," Balaam did say,
It is a powerful description of the Jews that applies today,
"Like a lioness; who will dare rouse him?"
If you anger a lion your situation is grim.

If a lion or lioness you train,
A free animal it will always remain,
A lion can never truly be a pet,
In one second it can be a threat.

A lion can be captured,
But it can never be conquered,
To the circus viewers the lion's submission may seem real,
But in a second the lion could turn his trainer into a meal.

We have been in exile for many generations,
And have been enslaved by many nations,
To our enemies it seems like we've given in,
But in one second we can reveal our Neshama deep within.

Thank G-d, to practice our religion today we are free,
But we can't allow our Neshama to be in captivity,
We are distracted by money, fashion and technology,
Only when we allow our Neshama to shine can we truly be happy.

Let us always remember and be proud of who we are,
We are kings of the forest and we can go far,
Even if it is not popular, another Mitzvah we can do,
We can be a shining example for our family and friends too!

Like a lion let us be strong,
May we always know right from wrong,
May we utilize our power,
And do good deeds every hour.

May we merit the coming of Moshiach speedily,
Which Balaam did foresee in his prophecy,
When evil will be transformed totally,
From the cage of materialism we will be set free!

Souvenir: lion craft kit

Beraishit

There was once a couple who waited many years,
To be blessed with a baby they prayed and shed many tears,
At last they were blessed with a baby boy,
They were so grateful and full of joy.

When the boy grew up, he went to Yeshivah every day,
His father walked him all the way,
The boy studied Torah with all his heart,
"Beraishit Barah Elokim" is how the Torah does start.

The boy told his father that he didn't have to walk him all the way,
He could meet his friends and he would be ok,
At last, the father did agree,
And he went to meet his friends happily.

His happiness didn't last long,
He was kidnapped by an officer who was strong,
To hold onto his Chumash with all his might he did try,
But the officer put it in the king's library, on a shelf so high.

Meanwhile , the king was very sick,
They called the doctors quick,
To get a book of medicine from the library they did go,
They returned with the Chumash, to read Hebrew nobody did know.

The king's officer recognized the book,
He called the young boy to come and take a look,
The boy began reading the first verse,
The king began feeling better instead of feeling worse.

"In the beginning, Hashem created the heaven and the earth" he did explain,
By the time he was done, the king had no more pain,
"What would you like for saving my life?" the king asked the boy,
"To be reunited with my parents, is the only thing that will bring me joy!"

To see his parents he did yearn,
In a royal carriage he did return,
From all the king's gifts nothing could compare,
To his Chumash which he held so dear!

Souvenir: 7 days of creation necklace

Vayehi Binsoah Haron

When it is time to read from the Torah scroll,
To open the ark is an honorable role,
We stand with awe and fear,
As if we were receiving the Torah now and here.

When the ark is opened "Vayehi Binso'a Ha'Aron," we say,
It is a prayer that dates back to Moshe's day,
When the Jews camped and when they were on the go,
The ark which contained the tablets was the center of the show.

When the Jews were in the desert, the cloud of glory was their GPS,
When they would travel next the Jews could only guess.
When the cloud would rise, their possessions they gathered,
When the ark was lifted, Moshe said, "Your enemies shall be scattered."

For the Jews, the holy ark paved the way,
The wild beasts and poisonous snakes ran away,
No enemy threatened the Jews when they were on their way,
May Hashem scatter our enemies today.

We also remember a prophecy about Moshiach's days,
When the entire world will follow in Hashem's ways,
"Out of Zion shall go forth the Torah," we say,
"And the word of Hashem from Jerusalem," may it happen today!

Souvenir: small plush Torah

Shehakol

On all the food that does not grow,
We say the blessing of "Shehakol Nihiye Bidvaro"
On chicken, meat, fish eggs and cheese,
On ices and ice cream that we need to freeze.

By Hashem's word all things came to be,
We say "Shehakol" on chocolate and candy,
If we are unsure of a particular food's blessing,
We say "Shehakol" instead of guessing.

Souvenir: candy eraser

Haadama

On all the vegetables that are found,
Growing from the ground,
"Borei Pri Haadama" we say,
They are nutritious in every way,

Cucumbers, peppers, lettuce and tomatoes,
Carrots, spinach, broccoli and potatoes,
We thank Hashem for making the vegetables grow,
Each one is planted in its own neat row.

The blessing of "Haadama" is the one that is right,
On bananas to recite,
Because the banana tree doesn't last from year to year,
It just dries up and disappears.

Souvenir: vegetable eraser

Haeitz

When you are outside enjoying the breeze,
And you see delicious fruit hanging from trees,
The blessing of "Borei Pri Haeitz" comes to mind,
Thank you Hashem for creating the fruit that we find.

On Tu B'Shvat it is a custom to eat,
Fruit that Israel is blessed with, what a treat,
Grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates,
Make a blessing and fill your plates!

Souvenir: fruit eraser

Hagafen

"Borei Pri Hagafen" is the blessing on grape juice and wine,
We thank Hashem for creating the fruit of the vine,
We drink wine many times on the Jewish calendar,
On Shabbat, Holidays and Simchas which are spectacular!

We use wine to separate,
Weekdays from holy days that are great,
With the Kiddush wine we sanctify,
With the Havdalah wine we say goodbye.

On Purim we drink until we can show,
That the difference between Haman and Mordechai we don't know,
On Pesach we drink not one cup but four,
For Elijah the Prophet we fill up one more.

At the Brit of a newborn baby boy,
A blessing is made on wine and we celebrate with joy,
Under the Chuppa at every wedding,
On a cup of wine there is a blessing!

Souvenir: kiddush cup

Parshat Kedoshim

Long ago lived a sage of great fame,
Hillel the elder, was his name,
Once a man tried to put him to the test,
The entire Torah on one foot, was his request.

While the man stood on one foot that day,
This is what Hillel the sage did say,
"Love your fellow as yourself, is the Torah in its entirety,
All the rest in commentary."

"Love your fellow as yourself," seems like a nice ideal,
Is love something we can be commanded to feel?
On our perspective it does depend,
When we look at the essence, everyone is a friend.

To a candle each one of us does compare,
Candles can be found everywhere,
Candles come in every size, and shape,
There are many different scents like lemon, berry and grape.

Although candles come in every color of the rainbow,
There is one thing we all know,
In essence all candles are the same,
What they have in common is their flame.

On the outside our differences appear,
We have different opinions to share,
Each one of us is special and unique,
Some like blue while others prefer pink.

But on the Inside, we are all the same,
We all have a Neshama, flame,
For every Jew, we can feel love,
Because every Jew is a child of Hashem above.

When the layers we uncover,
We are one family, we discover,
To put the soul first is the key,
The soul is the #1 priority!

To love your fellow as yourself, in this Torah portion we see,
The other 612 Mitzvot are commentary,
Because all the Mitzvot were given,
To reveal the G-dliness that is hidden.

Souvenir: birthday candles

Parshat Acharei

"After the death of Aharon's two sons,"
Nadav and Avihu died because they loved Hashem tons,
To be united with Hashem was their desire,
They died when they brought a strange fire.

What does this have to do with me?
On their level I can be!
Nadav and Avihu paved the way,
So that we can feel passion and desire for Hashem today.

After we reach the level of desire,
We need to know that there is a level that is higher,
Saying "I love you!" or "I'm sorry!" is very nice,
But about the other's needs do we think twice?

It is selfish to just think about how I feel,
Thinking about the other's desires is the big deal,
I enjoy the time that together we spend,
But putting the other first, is what makes a true friend.

"You, I love!" we should say,
"What can I do for you today?
I can see things from your perspective too,
Because what really matters is you!"

Nadav and Avihu said, "I love you very much!"
But with Hashem's desire they weren't in touch,
What counts is what we do,
After we say "I love you!"

To do Mitzvot in this world is the way,
To express our love for Hashem today,
On Yom Kippur "I'm sorry!" we say,
But the challenge is what we do the next day.

How do we keep up the love all year long?
How do we keep our commitment strong?
We realize that we are actually,
A part of Hashem so holy.

To fulfill Hashem's will is our priority,
Because we are not a separate entity,
Hashem's desire and our desire become one.
We won't stop until we are done.

Souvenir: heart stamp

Parshat Metzora

Tzara'as, Hashem said, "I will give,"
On the homes where the Jews would settle to live,
Why does the Torah choose,
To make it sound like a piece of news?

Tzara'as was a punishment for talking negatively,
About strangers, neighbors or family,
Tzara'as came in stages four,
It wasn't something you could ignore.

First on walls, then objects of leather were affected,
Clothing was next and then the body was infected,
Tzara'as was no fun, it is true,
But there is a lesson here for me and you.

When things seem bad we need to realize,
That it is good news in disguise,
In every situation there is a silver lining,
It is really goodness that is hiding.

How could Tzara'as be a blessing, you may wonder,
Let us go back in time and discover,
When the Amorite nation heard that the Jews were coming near,
In the walls they hid their golden treasures so dear.

They knew that because they sinned they would be sent away,
They hoped that the same fate would befall the Jews one day,
To claim their treasures in the future was in their plans,
But the hidden gold would fall into Jewish hands.

Let us learn the laws and see,
How this would come to be,
If a person found Tzara'as on his wall,
The Kohen he would call.

If the Tzara'as spread, unfortunately,
The house would have to be destroyed totally,
At this point the treasures would be uncovered,
The Amorites wealth would be discovered!

In the word Amorite, Amor can be seen,
To say, is what Amor does mean,
Tzara'as transforms evil speech,
So that the treasures within, we can reach!

Souvenir: silver glitter pen

Parshat Tazria

In Parshat Tazria we learn that impurity does come,
After a woman gives birth to a daughter or son,
How can this be when there is nothing greater,
Then partnering with Hashem, the creator.

A baby is holy, precious and dear,
The women's body to a holy ark, does compare,
Because the baby is holy and pure,
When it leaves the womb the woman becomes impure.

When holiness departs impurity immediately sets in,
This is why a woman becomes impure when her cycle does begin,
Because for a holy life there was potential,
When that possibility is lost, to become pure, Mikvah is essential.

The Mikvah is a very special place,
With G-d you come face to face,
Its four walls might be plain,
But they represent the four letters of Hashem's name.

Between the woman and the water nothing can intervene,
Only the woman and G-d, there is nothing in between.
In the water Hashem is found,
His love is felt all around.

When the woman emerges from the Mikvah she is as pure as can be,
She experiences a rebirth and is filled with a spiritual energy!
Let us go back in history,
In every generation, women kept this Mitzvah carefully.

Over Sarah's tent, hovered a cloud of rain,
Representing the rain water that a Mikvah does contain,
To cleanse herself from idol worship, was Batya's goal,
In saving Moshe's life, she played a big role.

With the plague of blood the Egyptians were hit,
Because immersion in a Mikvah, they didn't permit,
The well of Miriam in the desert the women did use,
To keep this Mitzvah they did choose.

To enter the Beit Hamikdash, the Jews had to be pure,
On Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol, would immerse 5 times more,
In Masada, the Jews were afraid of being killed,
Yet, Mikvaot, they didn't hesitate to build.

In Soviet Russia the women had to break the ice,
To go to the river they didn't think twice,
During the Holocaust, the Germans filled Mikvaot with cement,
But the women's self sacrifice they could not prevent.

Jewish women were entrusted with the key,
For the special Mitzvah of Family Purity,
We are the next link in the chain,
Our commitment will forever remain!

Souvenir: baby stickers

Parshat Shemini

Eight and Ate

The Tabernacle it was time to dedicate,
For 7 days the Jews did wait,
In this world, forever, G-dliness would permeate,
It all happened on day number 8.

"How is this relevant today?" one may ask,
To bring G-dliness into our lives is our task,
How can we accomplish such a great feat?
By having only kosher food to eat.

Kosher food is healthy for our soul,
To be sanctified internally is our goal,
Kosher food opens up our heart and mind,
So that we can understand the Torah and be kind.

Numbers 7 and 8 are close to one another,
But they are very different from eachother,
7 represents nature, like the days of the week,
8 represents above nature, something unique.

The laws of kosher we don't understand,
We do it because of Hashem's command,
G-d's infinite light in this physical world on day #8,
Is in the same category as kosher food on our plate.

Souvenir: kosher lollipop