Re'eh Excerpts

ראה

Shabbat Shalom

Blessings and curses. There have been curses thrown around this congregation for the past several months. I agree that the Kiddush has been sub-par. But that does not mean that Fran should be constantly yelled at...I hear constant undertones about the kugel that has been being served. Why can't the younger people of the congregation do something about bringing in better Haymish food???!!!

(15:1-2)In Shmitah you have to let debts go. That seems to be the financial plan of most of the people in this shul. This seems to be Mark and Nancy's financial plan. They owe me money, and last Shmitah, I had to give up the money they still owed me for the baseball game tickets. They have not paid anybody back...

The shul board seems to think that the banks forget debts too.

And Fran is still owed for her sisterhood food that she paid out of her pockets. And you wonder why the kugel is so bad? You can't get decent potatoes for...

(15:8-10) Give to the poor people, and do not worry about the Shmitah year...'it is because of this thing that H' will bless you in all that you do...'

You give charity, that is when you are blessed. Not when you start a Shmitah scam, and don't pay for baseball tickets...You can still pay, if you don't want to be a scoundrel. 

You give the poor people money. You give something to the sisterhood and you have a decent kugel...

(15:13-14) When you send out your slave in the seventh year, you do not send them out empty-handed. 

You give them from what H' has blessed you with. In the case of the Marcustin family, it is very little. But you still give.

You give to the people. They are all part of your community. Poor people are part of our community. Your slaves. They did something for you. Don't just take. They deserve a sandwich for the way.

My parents would see me go on a trip and they would give me sandwiches. They still give us sandwiches. You send your children to university empty-handed. 

And our shul can't even give its congregants a decent potato kugel. Just curses. A bunch of curses.