B"H

Tropicasher, Torah with a Tropical Taste

Shelach, Chukat, Trumah, Kitissah, Shoftim, Kedoshim and Shleperella

On this week’s parshah, Hashem told Moshe to send spies to Israel to better prepare us to enter the Land in the best possible way.

Ten of them came back saying they can’t handle making Aliah.

Hashem took us from slavery, fed us in the Desert, gave us another and another and another chance to redeem our behavior.

We always found a way to complaint about accommodation…we can’t take this, and we can’t take that, and take us back to Egypt and it hurts here and it hurts there and the sand is too fluffy and oy and vey.

And how we paid Him back?

By finding all kind of defects in Israel, G-d forbids.

So Hashem paid us back by leaving us 40 years in the Desert, if we found Israel so unpleasant. Perhaps the Desert would fit our fine taste.

Today we have a State, Baruch Hashem, after not 40, but 2000 years of wondering from land to land, and there are still people, even rabbis, G-d forbid, who find problems in Israel and challenge the way Hashem planed to give us back the Land.

- Mr. Tropikasher, sorry to interrupt you, but…  where in the world is Hashem?

Hashem occupies the whole Existence, my friend.

- I see… then…. Why people have to pray towards Jerusalem? If we pray towards Cancun, the prayer does not catch?

Yes, It catches.

Nevertheless, as well as there is a physical north; there is also a spiritual north.

A compass is always indicating the north as reference, despite the person being walking towards east.

Jerusalem is the spiritual "north" of the universe. Therefore, we want to better communicate with Hashem, we have to face the spiritual north, Jerusalem.

Being in Jerusalem, we pray towards the Beth HaMilkdash (Holy Temple).

In truth, the ten spies who had spoken badly about the east (Israel), had lost their north.

When we can't find where is Jerusalem, we may direct our prays to the Beth HaMilkdash (Holy Temple) in our hearts.

Hashem takes care of all requests if they are done with love and confidence in His providence, no matter where we pray.

But if we follow His rules, the results shall be accordingly.

- You know, I have an uncle who is very strong! He can tie the Four Corners of the world around his finger! I want to see you doing that!

Very funny! Your uncle surely wears the Talit every day.

At the end of parshah Shelach, Hashem says to Moshe: "Speak to the people of Israel and tell them: if you have four corners on your garments, you must place a fringe on each one, with a turquoise string... (the Tzitzit) and when you look to the string you will remember My mitzvoth... and you will not follow the impulses of your eyes and hearts, because I am Hashem, I took you from Egypt to be your G-d "

Today, few people use the turquoise string, because they do not know its right tonality of blue, preferring to replace it with a white string, so they don’t err in such an important mitzvah.

The four tzitiot (strings) of the Talit represent the Divine Presence and the Torah in the Four Corners of the world.

We tie them on our fingers when we say the Shemah Israel - that’s why your uncle can tie the Four Corners of the world at once on his finger.

Now look what a beautiful thing:

The word tzitzit in Hebrew has its numerical value = 600

Its eight strings and five knots add... 13.

Now add 600 to 13 and you will have 613, with is the number of mitzvoth (commandments) of the Torah.  Amazing isn’t it?

You can also tie the four corners of the world in your fingers if you want, by helping Tropikasher to bring together English, Portuguese and Spanish-speaking Jewish all over the world, sending us your contribuition as a way to support our work. May you be blessed with lots of Health, Peace of mind, Good Friends and Parnassah!

We will send you a tax-deductible receipt and you will feel so nice for supporting a Torah edition with work full time in order to make this world a nicer and funnier place to live in.

Please write to us: english@jewishbrazil.com

Thank you very much,

Paulo R. Rosenbaum

This week's Parshah TRUMAH reminds me that story of the 50's, when USA President TRUMAN went to Brazil to pay a visit to President DUTRA.

Believe me or not, Brazil's name on that time was "The United States of Brazil" - part of post-war American policy in South America.

As Truman landed in Brazil, Dutra went to the airport to great him.

People say (don't know if is true), that when Truman said  "How do you do Dutra?", Brazil's President, who knew little English, replied with: "How tru you tru, Truman?".

Well, on this Shabbat, 6th of Adar I, the American people will celebrate the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, a personality who  represent all good things the Americans think about themselves and their life style.

A day after, on 7th of Adar, the Jewish people will celebrate the birthday of Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses), a personality who represent all good things the Jews think about themselves and their life style.

Moshe received the Torah from Sinai and taught it to all Israel.

In order to have one of the Torah's most important commandments fulfilled, the commandment of learning it and living with it, Moshe set a decree that we should hold public readings of Torah no less than 3 times per week, at the presence of a mynian (at least ten Jews over 13 years old).

That's why we read Torah in Synagogue on Mondays, Thursdays and Shabbat.

In Yiddish we call this public reading a "Lein".

There are people who "Lein" Ashkenazi style. Others "Lein" Sephardi style and others "Lein" Israeli style, a "mishmash" of both.

What's really important when we "Lein" are to pronounce the words of the Torah correctly, even when we don't know the melody (teamim).

Whatever your style will be, it is always good to learn how to "Lein". One day, you might be called to play Moshe's role and there might be a public opportunity to show your hidden talents.

Nevertheless, we don't know exactly how many Americans will be acting according to Lincoln's legacy on his birthday, but we can't hide our satisfaction to affirm that most, and probably all Jewish communities are still emulating Moshe's legacy, by keeping a tradition of more than tree thousand years of "Lein".

So... how do you Lein, Leincoln?

Zaiguezunt.


WHAT'S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SANCTUARY, THE DIVINE AURA AND THE NEIGHBOUR?

Both of trees come from the Hebrew root:  "SHACHAN".

On this Parshah, Moshe is instructed by Hashem how to precisely build the MISHKAN (Sanctuary, Home) the place where Hashem will dwell His SHECHINAH (Divine Aura) then becoming our Eternal SHACHEN (neighbor).

Why Hashem, All Encompassing, need a Home?

"Make a Home for Me and I will dwell among you".

Hashem dwells where he is welcome.

Hashem is welcome where Torah study, mitzvoth and kindness happen.

Therefore, the construction of the MISHKAN starts with the TRUMAH (contributions), from all sectors of the Jewish people, according to each one's possibilities.

"Receive TRUMAH from all those whose heart lead them to give".

See? Hashem does not want to be our neighbor to make us a favor.

The Mishkan had to be building starting from spontaneous acts of kindness!

Still in this Parshah, the Menorah (Seven Arms Light) and the Cherubim, the Angels with wings and child face who stand over the Aron Habrit (Arch of the Covenant) where designed.

- Hey! I soght the Jews can't have idols! Go back, Mr. Tropikosher!

Well said, my friend. You are from Brazil, aren't you? So I guess you meant to say, "I thought". That's right, the Jews can't have any idols.

The Cherubim are not idols nor represent any thing on Heaven.

They are creatures by themselves. They indicate the behavioral status of the People of Israel, regarding the kind of peace we had among us.

When a Cherub was facing his partner, this meant the Jewish people lived in peace. But when they turned their faces from each other, it was a sign that we should do a big teshuvah (self-examination with the purpose of spiritual growth).

Cherubim remind the Hebrew Karov (close).

If a Jew is karov to his fellow Jews, than we have Hashem as our Shachen (neighbor).

- So how we get closer one to each other?

With acts of TRUMAH my friend.  By supporting, helping those who can't make it with our resources, with our time, our words, our good will, our hearts.

In other words...  "How do you do your TRUMAH"?

SHABBAT SHALOM
Paulo R. Rosenbaum

The letters of the Hebrew alphabet have a special light.

When we write a word in Hebrew, its letters can form many words, with different and inspiring meanings.

This Weekend is time for the Brazilian famous Carnaval or Carnival.

Carnival arrived to Brazil as a Christian noisy parade that falls on a Tuesday, usually in February. Carnival occurs in the Brazilian summer time, so they made a bridge with previews Saturday-Sunday and Monday also became a holiday.

Now, since Wednesday is a Christian holiday, they made another bridge between Thursday, Friday and the coming Weekend.

That way the Brazilians transformed one holiday into a ten days vacation. People call them a “Third World” country. Do you have such an invention in America?

Now, “Carnaval” is written in Hebrew with KOF, REISH, NUN, VEIT and LAMED.

With those letters we can write either RAK NAVAL (for jerks only) or KEREN LEV (light rays coming from the heart).

Its meaning depends on how are you going to spend it:

For those who chose the KEREN LEV meaning, there are several S.A.M.B.A. Clubs all over Brazil which will transport you into an Exuberant Parade of Jewish Experience.

By the way, do you know what the word S.A.M.B.A. stands for?

Simchah = Happiness of performing a Mitzvah.
Ahavah = Love for our Jewish fellows.
Matan Tzedakah = Material resources used to practice act of Kindness
Brachot = Blessings
Awaiting for Mashiach = Trust in Hashem

Many S.A.M.B.A. maybe found in our Shuls, our Shabbat Table, our Family, a Friendly Lechayim, a Community Life. Pick the one you like and enjoy the coming KEREN LEV!

Zaiguezunt!!!

SAVLANUT HABIBI

This week’s parshah brings us an outstanding episode on World’s History: The sin of the Golden Calf.

People made a “Samba Club” right below Moshe’s beard, acting vulgarly while he was receiving Torah (for their more then for his own).

All of that just because their watch showed SIX hours more then the forty days

Moshe said he would spend at Mount Sinai.

But Mosheh did not come back for entire six hours. What a “chutzpah”! We went slaves for 210 years and the guys is six hours late. Were is the boss, here???

- Let’s make a new boss!

- Yeeeeeah!!!

“... They gave their gold to Aaron, who put it into the fire…  and a Golden Calf came from the flames… and he said: Here is your god, O Israel!”

Moshe called this sin a “Chata’ah Gedolah”, a major sin. However, it was not so bad as the spies’ sin, who said all kinds of non-sense about Eretz Israel after their first visit, causing such an Anger from G-d, the He locked up us in the desert for forty years in order to recycle that generation into a more adult one.

In the Calf’s case, Hashem did not punish us so hard, but He sent Moshe to get rid of three thousand people who came out with the idea of creating a new boss.

The tribe of Levi, from where all Levis and Cohens come from, did not take part on the Golden Calf’s Carnival. So Hashem said Moshe He would preserve only the

Levis while He would vanish with the remained eleven tribes.

Moshe had an argumentation with Hashem and won the case for the Jews.

Hashem was pleased. That way He could show us the level of truly leadership we had under Moshe.

Nevertheless... the real sin of Golden Calf was not that of Idol worship.

It was that of lack of patience!

A bunch of anxious guys could not wait anymore. So they miscalculated the time

Moshe went to Mount Sinai. But Moshe’s “watch” was correct. We came back with the Torah exactly forty days after he went up!

The Hebrew word for “patience” is SAVLANUT.

SAVLANUT has the same Hebrew root as SEVEL (suffering).

It seems that the more patience we have... the less we suffer.

Thanks for saving our skin, Moshe!

SHABBAT SHALOM

Paulo R. Rosenbaum    

The word for "Saints" in Portuguese is SANTOS, a famous soccer time, where Pele played.

Some say that Santos is the only soccer time allowed to be cheered by a Jew  because it is written in the Torah “You shall be Santos”.

Well, so how does somebody becomes Holy (Saint) in Judaism?
- I know, sir! We go to live in the deep grotto called "Oh-phorgetme”, eat one olive per year and spend the entire day hung in a stalagmite and murmuring the powerful mantra: " Wanna Gohome... Wanna Gohome... "

Hope it could be true, my delightful reader.

But the truth KEDUSHAH (Sanctity) of a Jew is gotten by the daily ways, in the  most common tasks, at work, at school, at home, between parents and children, husband and woman, between brothers, between neighbors, master and employee, man and community, people and government, man and G-d.

Hashem is Holy."Holy" means "consecrated", "separate", "differentiated".

When Hashem says that He made man to His image, he refers to the human capacity to become holy trough the most mundane acts, such as honesty in business, loyalty, justice, goodness, charity, compassion, union and peace.

All above are "horizontal" mitzvoth, of man for man, common to all the humanity.

In addition, we have the gift of a special contact with Hashem through "vertical" mitzvoth, such as Shabbat, Kashrut, Family laws, Holidays and customs.

Nowadays, the Internet makes it possible to each individual to become responsible for all mankind, influencing it and being influenced by it.
The direct mails that arrive to us almost daily from various countries, in various languages, no rare save lives, cheer a desperate heart, unite families, give hope, encourage the weak and feed the spirit of all.

But other times, they bring us useless foolishness, non-sense, countless gossip, and unhappy gossipmongers of all type.

Here comes parshah Kedoshim to our rescue " Al telech rachil beamecha "  (do no go back and forth schmoozing around the neighbor’s life)" Rachil " comes from " rechilut " (gossip) and it is one of the worse sins of the Torah, sometimes without a possibility to repair (to make teshuvah)

In accordance to the Chafetz Chayim, the worse type of " rachil " is the one that put together the whole world around himself and makes the life of others bitter, telling everything what a person made or left to be done, with richess of details.

Today, with the Internet, the "rachil" may detonate any thing from his direct mail, through his innocent mouse, without putting any brakes to his fingers.

Therefore, we have to break up the " rachil ", so he will act with goodness:

Cutting " rachil " in two, we will have " rach " + " il ".
" Rach " in Hebrew means " soft " and " il " are the two last letters of " e-mail ".

Writing our e-mail with more softness, we will be preventing the gossipmonger and help turn this world into a source of blessings.

So let us be Saints.

Who knows... a soft e-mail might perform miracles.

Shabbat Shalom,
Paulo Rosenbaum

Have you heard about the yellow press?

As we understand, it's about smashing other people's life in sordid ways...

... without worrying about justice, truth, sense of social mission...

... what in accordance with the Torah must be basic concerns of the written or spoken word.

Our parshah starts thus: " Shoftim ve Shotrim titen lechá be chol shearêcha "

Literally: Judges and Policemen give you in all your gates.

Seems that the Torah guessed that one day we will have Newspapers, Radio, Telephone, TV, Internet. Therefore it instituted the blue (and white) press, a kosher press...

 - Mr. Tropicasher, if the press do not thresh people, they have to shut doors.

Not exactly, dear reader. Just to mention one example:

This week we attended the lecture of journalist Marc Tawill, inventor of the Jewish Brazilian Eretz Program and responsible for the international desk of a major Brazilian newspaper.

Tawill created a high quality radio program, with everything good of all others and without everything bad of the adepts of hi-fi vulgarity.

The blue (and white) press practised by Tawill tries to correct the path of unhappy and not rare incorrect mentions against Judaism and Israel in the media. (Applauses!)

If you look well to the Jewish media you will see a skillful harmony between good information, transmission of events, education and entertainment, as a norm.

Because it is almost three thousand years that we look to be the proper judges and policemen of our gates, meaning our mouths, ears and eyes.

We believe to be possible, nescessary and beautyful to practise the blue (and white) press.

Tropicasher just added some more collors to give a little tropical touch to the Jewish media.

But the mission remains the same: to educate with joy.

Shabbat Shalom,

Paulo Rosenbaum

  KFAR SINGLESTON, STATE OF MARRYLAND...

Samuella Newgringo Cohen Assimilovitch was a Jewess  far from having a Jewish oriented life.

Her mother had disappeared in a naturalistic Spa after a Seaweed & Chrein diet and nobody could not find her again.

The years passed and no news from Guittel Newgringo Cohen Assimilovitch, Samuella's mother.

- Mail for Mr. Alexover Newgringo Cohen Assimilovitch!

- Let me take care of it, Papa.

- Papa, a letter from The Singleton's Rabbinate! Who are they?

- Must be some a new rap group, my dear. Open it, please.

From here we see that both father and daughter were as far from Judaísm as Parmesan Kosher Cheese to be affordable.

Therefore, they could be easily fooled by the evil Falah Felina, who forged the letter of the Rabbinate in order to
possess the richness of the Assimilovitchs.

- This letter says you must marry again... and that... Wow! They are sending you a Shiduch free-of-charge and two children as a bonus... what a chance, Papa!

Alexover Newgringo Cohen Assimilovitch married Falah Felina within few weeks.

She brought her two daughters, Yachninda and Schmutzilda to live in the mansion of the Assimilovitchs.

Shortly afterwards, Samuella's father received a proposal from the Chinese government to make a personalized homepage for each citizen of this country.

It was  another trick of Falah Felina to possess the mansion.

She forged the job proposal and sent a him a check each month, what would keep him away from Kfar Singleston till he finishes all homepages, what would take close to 24,326 years.

Suddenly Samuella saw herself in bad sheets: she was lowered to live in the Basement and had to make the jobs of
of the house to pay her rent. Her clothes had consumed and she became more and more Schleper, to the point that her adoptive sisters started to affirm in a disdain tone:

 - Schleper Samuella! Schleper Samuella!

 After a while her nickname ended up being... Schleperella!
 

  *  *  *

But not everything was lost in Kfar Singleston.

Abba Rabbi and Rabbi Jr. prayed for the welfare of the community in the local Synagogue, while they tried to elaborate a way to marry all the singles of the Ishuv, because the Jewish population was diminishing constantly.

- Oh, my beloved and old father, what a shame to be still single and being the worst example for our community!

- However, don't worry Rebe Jr.,  we are going to organize a Groice Shabatton and to fix the problems of the whole world in one single weekend.

- A Groice Shabbaton! I am so proud of my beloved and old  father! I am going to send an e-mail to all Jewish singles of the kingdom inviting them to our Groice Shabbaton, right away!

" Shabbaton", is a Shabbat organized by a Synagogue, Hotel or Jewish Institution, generally with an intention, as to congregate Singles, where they invite lecturers on Jewish subjects or of special interest to the public.

Abba Rabbi invited for his Shabbaton a lecturer from the M.I.T. (Masters on Idishkeit from Tropikosher).

A Tropikosher lecture would be delivered during the Kabbalat Shabbat, another one after the Kiddush, a small one at the Seudah Shelishit and a conclusive lecture during the Melaveh Malkah. (glossary in the footing)

Subject of the Shabbaton: "If Israel was in China, guess what would be the size of the Kotel (Wailling Wal)!"

It was a total agitation. The registrations for the Shabbaton grew day by day.

- Yachninda! Schmutzilda!  An e-mail just arrived inviting you for the Groice Shabbaton of Rabbi Jr.!

- He is going to marry me! You have a withered face of a kneidalach, Shmutzilda!

- And you look line a Gigantic Pretzel, so fat and with holes in the face!

- Girls, stop fighting and prepare your clothes for the Groice Shabbaton!
 

              .. we shal continue, bli neder
 
 

GLOSSARY of Jewish and parallel terms:

Shiduch = Introduction of Jewish boy to Jewish girl and vice-versa, with marriage ends.

Talmud = Verbally instructions on how to fulfill to the commands of the Torah and resolution of doubts.

Cohen = Priests responsible for the work in the Temple in Jerusalem.

Yachne = Gossipmonger, in Idish

Schmutzik = Dirty, in Idish

Chrein = Bitter herb with beetroot,  generally eaten in Pessach.

Groice = Big, in Idish

Basement = Place in U.S.A. and Canada where the immigrants live.

Schleper = Badly dressed, poorly dressed, in Idish.

Ishuv = Jewish Town, Jewish  Community.

Kabbalat Shabbat = First Prayers and Dinner welcoming the Shabbat on Fridays night.

Kiddush = Sanctification of the Saturday with wine, followed by yammies.

Seudah Shlishit = the Third  meal of Shabbat, before it's end.

Melaveh Malkah (Scort the King) = Traditional after-Shabat meal. Also in homage to King David, who passed away as the Shabbat was ending.

Bli neder = Term in Hebrew, means " without oath ". The Torah forbids us to make oaths, so we say "bli neder" when we comitt to do something, because we don't know if Hashem (G-d) will alow us to do what comitted to.