Chukat Excerpts

חקת

Shabbat Shalom

'Esav hates Yakov.' That is the saying. It says that somewhere...Hatred of brothers lasts. You light that flame and the next thing you know, there is another shule opening in the community. Now there is no minyan to be had. Our shule is winning though. We did get 8 the other day...We would have had a full minyan if our members from Wilksingham could cut through their parking lot. But they put up a gate and that is what happens when there are shules out there that do not allow people to drive on Shabbat, through their parking lot.

And who is to blame? The Cohens. The Cohens and Bernie. Elliot Cohen gave Michael a wedgie...You do not do that at Kiddush...It was in front of everybody. Of course. Michael, being the good religious one notes that tearing on Shabbat is Asur. Do you even know what that means, Elliot?...That is what brotherly hatred can lead to.

After pleading to simply walk through the land, and to not even to touch anything...

(20:18)- Edom's king responds, 'I will attack you.' Simply. We will not allow anything positive for you.

Even with no loss, they are not willing to give. That is simple hatred. Not care. Kind of like the seat in the shule that nobody sits in, because Bernie likes his space. It is two seats away Bernie. That is not buffer room anymore. Buffer room is one seat. You are not taking up the armrest two seats down from you.

And what does Michael and his minyan lose for allowing our members to drive through their parking lot?

Michael even told our number one donor, who works on Shabbat- because he is working to support the congregation and for that he does not have to know the halachot/laws, that he cannot take money on Shabbat...Now the shue building fund is taking a big hit...Yes. Because of the missing of Shabbat money made on Shabbat. Yes. Mr. Klein. is now Shomer Shabbat. Worst thing for our congregation...

And then they attack Mr. Klein. Throwing stones and screaming 'Shabbis. Shabbis.' Mr. Klein was in shock. He told me that was the first time anybody greeted him on Shabbat before...Kindness is what we should be about.

This is after being reminded that they are relatives (20:14). The Jewish people even mentioned they are cousins...That is just a reason to hate more.

Family fights in this community don't stop. Wet willys are another passed time. When will the hatred cease? When will a person be able to pass through a row in this congregation without getting their legs stuck between everybody's legs? When will people stand so that their relatives can pass?...

Your cousins are annoying. The whole shule hates when they visit. Disgusting kids. Picking...What do they teach them in Canada?...

Sometimes you should not let family pass. But we have to ask what we are losing when we don't allow people to pass. 

In the case of Bernie. Not very much...By not giving space for our family, we are gaining more hatred. And even worse, more minyanim.