Shabbat Shalom : Yitro.

Poem by Joe Indomenico.

Rivers of tears flow from the heart.
The land of my love is being torn apart.
So much to do…….So much to say
Time as victim  to pay.

Enduring suffering is not in vain
Well worth the price of pain.
For darkness transforms to light
Truth, the battle we fight.

The Herald is drumming……
The King is coming.
Glory on high
Redemption is nigh.

Light of Lights…..
Sight of Sights……
HaShem is in the Heights…..
Redemption the mantle of His Might.
Torah the crown of His Right.
And Hepzibah the beauty of His delight.

Enjoy the reciting of the 10 Commandments as sung in Hebrew.

From the cool crisp mountain air of Tzfat and the balmy sub-tropical breezes of the South Pacific, Rav Katz and I wish you a Shabbat Shalom.

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Shir ha Mashiach.

by Joe Indomenico.

In this week's parashat B'shalach,  B'nei Yisrael sing to Hashem upon seeing the open miracles.

There are ten songs beginning with this Song at the Sea led by Moshe Rabbeinu , and concluding with the tenth and final song which will be sung with Mashiach.

All the (nine) songs mentioned in scripture are written in the feminine (shirah) since their rejoicing was followed by ("gave birth to") further servitude. The tenth song of Moshiach is written in the masculine (shir) to indicate that it is permanent.

Chassidut explains that the first nine songs emphasized primarily a desire to come closer to G-d from a distance, like a woman who longs to come closer to and receive from her husband. However, the tenth song of Mashiach will be sung from a feeling that G-d is already close and found openly in our midst, like a husband who is gracefully endearing himself to his wife.

May we merit to sing " Shir ha Mashiach"

From the cool crisp mountain air of Tzfat and the balmy sub-tropical breezes of the South Pacific, Rav Katz and I wish you a Shabbat Shalom.

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Shabbat Shalom : Shemot.

ט  וַיֹּאמֶר, אֶל-עַמּוֹ:  הִנֵּה, עַם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--רַב וְעָצוּם, מִמֶּנּוּ.	9 And he said unto his people: 'Behold, the people of the children of Israel are too many and too mighty for us;
י  הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה, לוֹ:  פֶּן-יִרְבֶּה, וְהָיָה כִּי-תִקְרֶאנָה מִלְחָמָה וְנוֹסַף גַּם-הוּא עַל-שֹׂנְאֵינוּ, וְנִלְחַם-בָּנוּ, וְעָלָה מִן-הָאָרֶץ.	10 come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there befalleth us any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.'
יא  וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלָיו שָׂרֵי מִסִּים, לְמַעַן עַנֹּתוֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָם; וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת, לְפַרְעֹה--אֶת-פִּתֹם, וְאֶת-רַעַמְסֵס.	11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses.
יב  וְכַאֲשֶׁר יְעַנּוּ אֹתוֹ, כֵּן יִרְבֶּה וְכֵן יִפְרֹץ; וַיָּקֻצוּ, מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.	12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were adread because of the children of Israel.
יג  וַיַּעֲבִדוּ מִצְרַיִם אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּפָרֶךְ.	13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour.
יד  וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת-חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה, בְּחֹמֶר וּבִלְבֵנִים, וּבְכָל-עֲבֹדָה, בַּשָּׂדֶה--אֵת, כָּל-עֲבֹדָתָם, אֲשֶׁר-עָבְדוּ בָהֶם, בְּפָרֶךְ.	14 And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field; in all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigour. Exodus 1 v 9-14

"Vehi She’amda, La’avotainu Velanu Shelo Echad Bilvad, Amad AleinuLechaloteinu Ela Sheb’chol Dor VaDor Omdim Aleinu Lechaloteinu V’HaKadosh Baruch Hu Matzilenu Miyadam."

"And this (Hashem’s blessings and the Torah) is what kept our fathers and what keeps us surviving. For, not only one arose and tried to destroy us, rather in every generation they try to destroy us, and Hashem saves us from their hands."

From the cool crisp mountain air (and snow) of Tzfat and the balmy sub-tropical breezes of the South Pacific, Rav Katz and I wish you a Shabbat Shalom.

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