VaAiyrah Excerpts

וארא

Shabbat Shalom

We see the lineage of Aharon and the house of Levi.

Why? Maybe it is important to connect with your past...Maybe not to run away from your home. Maybe it is important to care about other people, Joshua...You left your family to go live in Kentucky. It is good to have you back. Aharon took Elisheva the daughter of Aminadav. There was tradition...Send my regards to Christina. Sorry I couldn't perform a wedding in a church...

Michael. We heard about your running from your parents. That is understandable...

6:26 'He is Aharon and Moshe that H' told them to take the children of Israel out of Egypt, by their legions.'

Rashi- 'There are places that put Aharon before Moshe and there are places that put Moshe before Aharon, to teach you that they are considered as one.'

Family is one. There is a unit. Mr. & Mrs. Abutbul, you might want to work on that with your children...

When you put your names in different orders, at points, it suggests that you are on the same level. This is why 'rabbi' always comes first on any invitation from the synagogue. Nonetheless, we must look at our friends on the same level. If we are to make our way out of here, this city of pain, we must work together...Only when you switch up the names, switch up who has power, do we all have a chance to make it together...Chas vShalom. I am in no way suggesting that we put 'Mrs.' before 'Mr..'

Every family in this congregation always says, 'Mr. & Mrs. Schwartz invite you to the...'... Why is everybody putting 'Schwartz' on their wedding invitations and Bar Mitzvahs? They are not part of your family. They have a different lineage. I know the Schwartz family is very well off, which is why we allow them to put 'Mrs.' before 'Mr.'...Your ancestors gave donations...

Teamwork is what brought us out of Egypt. An Aharon, the brother of Moses who marries Jewish, who comes from the tribe of Levi and preserves the holy offspring, that is how we remain Jewish. Not a Joshua, the brother of Brian who marries Christina, the son of Mark who ran away from his family in Meah Shearim.

The letting the other person come first. The subduing of the ego... The gabbai in the shule not giving every Aliyah to a cousin of his. The chazan, not spending 12 minutes on 'Tzur Yisrael;' those two words. The children on the day school basketball team, passing the ball, unlike Michael. Mrs. Goldsmith wearing a smaller hat, so that the other women can see what is going on in the service. Mark being there to pay the bills for Joshua to get a Jewish education.

Remember your past. Remember the donations they gave. Do not be selfish and be a team player. We are starting the 'rabbi is moving to Israel on behalf of you' fund...

***These are excerpts from the sermon. For the sermon in its entirety, come see David Kilimnick perform at the Off The Wall Comedy Basement, in downtown Jerusalem.

David also tours as a Maggid with very few stories, if you invite him.

Shabbat Shalom uMvorach