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Dec 12, 2021
Dec 5, 2021
Dec 4, 2021
Nov 20, 2021
Raize Guttman 11-14-21 (10 Kislev 5782)
Parsha Vayetzei – Chapter 30 – Verse 1
In this verse it says that Rachel was jealous of Leah, but how could the righteous Rachel be jealous? Rashi says clearly, she was jealous of her good deeds. Rachels said to herself it is only because Leah is more righteous of me, that I am not worthy of children. I am not on such a high level; therefore, I don’t have any children.
Raize Guttman 11-07-21 (03 Kislev 5782)
Parsha Vayeitzei Chapter 29 - Verse 35
Leah stopped having children, because she stopped asking Hashem for more. She stopped asking, so she stopped getting. This is a tremendous lesson for us when it comes to prayer. Life is made up of asking and thanking. We should not do one without the other. We are called thankful people, Yehudim, because we thank.
Nov 6, 2021
Raize Guttman 10-31-21 (25 Cheshvan 5782)
Parsha Vayeitzei Chapter 29 - Verse 32 - 34
Leah does a chesbon (an accounting). She knew that there would be 12 tribes/ 12 sons. She knew that Yaakov would have 4 wives & they would have 3 sons each. However, Leah did conceive 5 sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, and Zebulun. Then she had a 6th son and then stopped. The Angel Gabriel took him up to Hashem and He named him Yehuda. In giving birth to Yehuda she got more than her share. She was overcome with gratitude. Jews are called Yehudim because our essence is to thank. Life is a gift and whatever we get it a gift.
Raize Guttman 10-24-21 (18 Cheshvan 5782)
Oct 23, 2021
Sep 12, 2021
09-12-21 (06 Tishrei 5782)
Sep 1, 2021
Aug 24, 2021
Raize Guttman 08-22-21 (14 Elul 5781)
- Ask Hashem for Help!
- Take Baby Steps
- Be consistent
- Do everything b'simcha
Raize Guttman 08-15-21 (07 Elul 5781)
Aug 10, 2021
Raize Guttman 08-08-21 (30 Av 5781)
Parsha Vayeitzei Chapter 29 - Verse 10
Raize Guttman 08-01-21 (23 Av 5781)
Yaakov came to the well, and behold Rachel came with the sheep.Hashem made the shidduch between them. The Zohar says this is the source in the Torah that Hashem is the one who brings people together and he creates the circumstances of how a shidduch actually takes place.
Raize Guttman 07-25-21 (16 Av 5781)
Mitzvah of Challah
The first part of Av is Menachem Av where we are comforting our father.And now, the roles reverse and Hashem is comforting us. We kick off the 2nd part of the month of Av with Shabbos Nachamu, the Shabbos after Tisha B’av. We read in the Haftorah this past Shabbos where it says, "be comforted, be comforted my nation." In the Midrash it says that when Jeremiah came to the Jewish people, and said "be comforted my nation", & they all wanted to stone him. They were so angry. They said, we are still in gulus, and don’t have a holy Temple.
Jeremiah continued, it is not me that is comforting you, it is coming from your GD! Hashem said, you are comforted because you are my nation, even during the tragedies and what you have to go through. I will always be there for you. You are not alone in all your pain. You are mine, you belong to me.
Jul 18, 2021
Raize Guttman 07-18-21 (09 Av 5781)
Tisha B'Av - Fast Day
The Jewish story is one continuous story that never gets interrupted. Every generation adds it unique Sefer to a continuous book. What is our role in continuing and enhancing that story, and bringing that powerful story to completion with geulah shaleimah.
Jews never believe that there is a breakdown, where there is not also an invitation for a new birth. One door closes and another opens.
Raize Guttman 07-11-21 (02 Av 5781)
The Nine Days
Jun 28, 2021
Raize Guttman 06-27-21 (17 Tamuz 5781)
The fast of the 17th of Tammuz
Shivah Asar B’Tammuz, is the start of a three-week mourning period for the destruction of Jerusalem and the two Holy Temples. The fast actually five tragic events that occurred on this date. It is observed as a "minor fast day", with eating and drinking forbidden from dawn until sundown.
Jun 20, 2021
Raize Guttman 06-20-21 (10 Tamuz 5781)
Parsha Vayeitzei - Chapter 29 - Verses 1-5
Yaakov wakes up from his dream, his legs carry him away, We learn when someone hears good news, it lifts his heart so much to the point that his heart carries his legs.
Yaakov comes across some men, and he calls these strangers his brothers. We learn from this that when a person speaks to another person he should always try to speak with words of love and friendship. A good words makes such a difference.
Our words are not meaningless. Words have power, that we don't see. Death and life are in the hands of the tongue. A good word can turn someone's life around.
Raize Guttman 06-13-21 (03 Tamuz 5781)
Jun 7, 2021
Raize Guttman 06-06-21 (26 Sivan 5781)
Parshat Vayeitzei - Chapter 28 - Verse 17
Yaakov woke up and he was afraid. He said, "how awesome is this place!" This is the house of Hashem. This is he holiest place in the world. This is the gate to heaven. Rashi explain that this Beis Hamikdash is parallel to the Beis Hamikdash in heaven. On top of where this place stood is the spot where the future Beis Hashmikdash will be rebuilt. They are parallel. This is the gate to heaven and all of our prayers, from all over the world ascend to heaven through this gateway. (At the Kotel, the prayers to straight upward.)
In the future, the 3rd Temple will come down from heaven whole. It will be built with our tears, and our mitzvot. We will hear the shofar blow and it will descend with fire right in this place.
Raize speaks about her journey in Yiddisheit.
Raize Guttman 05-30-21 (19 Sivan 5781)
Parshat Vayeitzei - Chapter 28 - Verse 16
May 29, 2021
Raize Guttman 05-23-21 (12 Sivan 5781)
May 9, 2021
May 6, 2021
Raize Guttman 05-02-21 (20 Iyar 5781)
L'ag B'Omer - (the 33rd day of the Omer)
According to tradition, the plague that killed 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva's students ceased on this day. A completely different reason for the holiday concerns one of Rabbi Akiva’s later students, Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai. Rashbi's (acronym for his name) yom hilula (or Yahrzeit) is on this day. Rashbi is responsible for the authorship of the Zohar, the chief work of the Kabbalah, which reveals the deep, mystical, inner dimensions of Torah and Judaism.
L'ag B'Omer is traditionally celebrated by lighting bon fires, and by thousands of Jews joining together in Meron, Israel at Rashbi's kever (tomb). This year, Lag B'Omer 5781, 45 participants were crushed to death, and over 150 hurt at the Lag B’Omer event in Meron.
Klal Yisroel is mourning, and we are left with so many questions, yet, we are taught that a Yid does not ask "why did this happen"? A Yid asks "for what did this happen"? "For what did this happen"? That is a message we must dig deeply now to ask ourselves.
Apr 25, 2021
Raize Guttman 04-25-21 (13 Iyar 5781)
Rabbi Akiva - During this time, 24,000 scholars passed away. It is a time of mourning. They were not treating each other with proper respect. This comes with very important message and lesson about what holiness is what being Jewish means what, living a life of Torah is all about. It's very much about the mitzvahs between man and his fellow man. If people do "everything" and they follow all the laws between man and Hashem, but they don't know how to treat another human being, they kind of miss the point.
Parshat Vayeitzei - Chapter 28 - Verse 12
Here Yaakov has a dream where he sees a ladder reaching to heaven upon which angels are ascending and descending.
Sephirat haOmer - Hod
La'ag B'omer - Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai passed away. He taught us all the deep hidden mysteries of Torah. We light bon fires on his yahrzeit because he brought so much light into this world. It is hod sheb'hod. something deep, hidden and beautiful. Our job this week is appreciation and recognize the good in everybody.
Pesach Sheini
Raize Guttman 04-18-21 (06 Iyar 5781)
Apr 15, 2021
Raize Guttman 04-11-21 (30 Nissan 5781)
Erev Rosh Chodesh Iyar
Sefirat ha Omer
Parsha Vayeitzei - Chapter 28 - Verse 10
Yaakov leaves Be'er Sheva and goes to Haran. Rashi asks, why can't it just say that Yaakov went to Haran, why does the Torah say that he left Be'er Sheva. He comments, that when you leave a place, it leaves an impression on you.
Apr 10, 2021
Mar 22, 2021
Mar 1, 2021
Feb 7, 2021
Raize Guttman 02-07-21 (25 Sh'vat 5781)
Jan 31, 2021
Raize Guttman 01-31-21 (18 Sh'vat 5781)
Parshat Toldot - Chapter 27 - Verses 45-46, Chapter 28 - Verses 1-4
Rivka saw with Ruach ha Kodesh (divine inspiration) that both of her sons would be buried on the same day. We see one of the rare occasions in Torah where Rivka goes to her husband Yitzhak and says she is disgusted with her life. She is talking about the wives of Esav who have caused her much pain, and she does not want her son Yaakov to marry one of these Canaanite women. Yitzhak calls in Yaakov and gives him all the blessings of Avraham and then tells him to "marry a woman like his mother", a woman from the house of Bethuel.