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Leah’s Blog Parashat Vaerah

Leah’s Blog – Vaerah – January 2024
Chodesh Tov. Winter intensifies now as the life force in the dead looking trees pump cold breaths of soon renewal. The foliage has fallen, decaying leaves cover the cold ground. At this peak in time nature hides what lies underneath. It seems impossible, of what is about to be revealed. My mom z”l used to always say, “G-d works in strange ways!”. In ancient days different g-ds were worshipped for the sun, the moon, and even the trees. In Egypt over 1500 deities were believed to possess divine powers, Pharoh being the Master. There was only one person, Yosef Hatzaddik who was hated by his brothers for being psychic that was able to circumvent idolatry yet remain in a position of such power, actually ruling over Egypt. This is why he is called the tzaddik, the symbol of willpower and modesty.
It is almost impossible to be famous yet humble. We smile at this concept but now, at this time of times when the whole entire world is addicted to publicity, pitching well improved selfies, postings and ballyhoos, there are no lack of people in North Korea or even the USA that worship people. The intensity of the need to worship people through this trend has put most of us into slavery. The truth couldn’t be more hidden as access to information couldn’t be more reachable yet FAKE prevails. Ego is a terrible form of idol worship. Everyone wants to be a god.
Spoiler: We are in the throes of Exodus. There is a way out. The sun will shine, the Spring will come, the voice of the turtledove will be heard in our land. The flowers will appear on the earth. We are in a fateful time, the wavelength IS this designated time. As people here in Israel are crouched in bomb shelters, others are burying their loves ones, the atrocities cannot leave our minds, as we stutter, and the frogs croak, we are about to leave Egypt. This is a humbling moment. The bread of disaster stales. Let’s face it, it only gets worse before it gets better. The Talmud (Sanhedrin, Sotah) is full of stories describing this very time when it says: The truth will be hidden, chutzpah will reign, the grapevine will again give fruit but the wine will be expensive, the court system will be like a brothel, the galilee will be destroyed, the Golan empty and people will wander homeless from border to border, the academic writers will be a source of stench, the face of the generation will be like the face of a dog and we will have no one to lean on but Avinu shebahshamayim (Hashem).
And the frog says: “Blessed is the name of His resplendent Majesty FOREVER” (Perek Shira)”ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד”.
In Judaism nature runs in sync with revelation, because G-ds name is one and He is one. We do not use magic tricks. Hashem is hidden and asks us to choose, yet there are times when open miracles occur; we just have to be able to see them. Moshe R’ was hidden as a baby, his identity hidden in the house of Pharoh; we don’t even know his resting place. He stuttered yet was the harbinger. Things got worse before they got better. Winter precedes Spring. A major change is about to happen; despair is not a description of the Jewish people. When we proclaim, publish and proudly reveal- it is about our nation, not individuals. The Torah was revealed to all of us, as the nation Israel . Now, our national identity takes form in our ancestral land, its being clarified for the entire world, G-d’s chosen people- like it or not- an open miracle.
Tu B’shvat is on the way, an expression of our yearning to return to the earth of Eretz Yisrael, to the land of our forefathers. The true harmony that was experienced in Gan Eden is what the “new year of the tree” signifies- new life, Israel rising from the rotten leaves, from the stale bread of exile. The light increases now.
Merav’s baby’s name is BENAYAH- son of G-d. New life, new hope-
may we all have besorot tovot.
Blessings to all our friends xoxoxox , Leah

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