Rabbi Johnny Ouzzan

Building a House of Mitzvot

In this week’s parsha, we learn that when a man builds a new house, he is exempt from going to war. At first glance, this seems puzzling. We can easily understand why someone recently married is not sent to battle — he hasn’t had the chance to live with his wife and build shalom bayit. But why should someone who merely built a house be excused? After all, the house will still be there when he returns.

The Torah is teaching us something deeper. In much of the world, a house is seen primarily as an external achievement — a symbol of wealth, success, or status. But in Judaism, the true essence of a home is not its exterior, but what takes place inside.

When Bilam attempted to curse Bnei Yisrael, the blessing that came out instead was: “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel.” Chazal explain that the holiness of our homes — filled with Torah, tefillah, Shabbat meals, and family life — was what stood out most. The orientation of our homes and the privacy they preserved spoke volumes about our values.

A home is more than four walls; it is a cocoon of mitzvot. Think of all that happens inside: Torah learned, children raised, kindness extended, Shabbat and Yom Tov celebrated. Each of these fills the home with kedusha and draws us closer to Hashem. That spiritual “ammunition” is what gives Am Yisrael its strength — even more than military power.

So when the Torah says that someone who builds a house should not go to war, perhaps the reason is that he has not yet had the chance to infuse his home with mitzvot. Without that foundation, he is not spiritually equipped for battle.

As we contemplate our lives and our homes in this auspicious month of Elul, our tefillah is that our homes be filled with Torah, mitzvot, and hachnasat orchim. May our homes be places where family, community, and guests all feel the presence of Hashem. And may the kedusha generated in them bring us one step closer to the ultimate homecoming — our return to Eretz Yisrael.

Shabbat Shalom!

Retroactive Determination of Intent

Judaism is known for its commandments, its Mitzvot. A Mitzva is a positive or negative commandment whose practice nourishes our souls and brings us closer to Hashem, our Creator. The size and power of a Miztva can be affected through the motivations and intentions that come with the action. For example, it's one thing to say the Hebrew words of a prayer book in a synagogue during services, it's a whole other effort to actually feel the connection that is existing between oneself and G-d and to talk to Him in real supplication. Both are considered a Mitzva, and yet the latter is a superior expression of that very Mitzva. Sometimes, our actions give an indication of our intentions as they relate to our Mitzvas.

In this week's Torah portion, we are taught that the Jewish women were the first to step up and donate of their jewelry for the Tabernacle, the mobile temple that accompanied the Jewish people in the desert. Their zeal and alacrity in showing their love and devotion to Hashem gave us an indication into their motivations in an earlier more troubling episode, that of the golden calf. We are taught in the Torah that the Jewish women refused to give of their jewelry to the golden calf. The case could be made that their refusal might have stemmed from their reluctance to be separated from their expensive jewelry. And yet that notion is dispelled when we see that a while later they were more than willing to give up their jewelry for the sake of the temple. Those actions give us a retroactive determination of their original intent. They refused to give of their jewelry for the golden calf because they knew it was the wrong thing to do.

On Shabbat it is customary to enjoy a total of three meals. One on Friday night, one on Saturday at noon, and one on Saturday evening. The last of the three meals is actually called "Shalosh Seudot" which means "three meals", because when we indulges in that third meal after having eaten a big lunch meal just a few hours earlier, we are retroactively showing that the partaking of the meal is not to fill our stomachs, but rather to take pleasure in the Mitzva of honoring Shabbat. So it is that third meal that indicates the true nature of the motive of all "three meals".

There is no greater feeling than knowing deep down that we are doing the right thing. In life's adventure of self discovery, we have an indication into the nature of our hearts and desires through the actions that we take and the motives that lie within. Let us pray that we strive for purity of heart and achieve the ultimate goal of becoming true servants of Hashem, lifting ourselves, and those around us, and making the world a better place.

Becoming A Temple

“And they will make for me a temple, so that I may dwell in them”

The parsha begins with G-d’s directive that the Jewish people build a Tabernacle, a mobile temple that would travel with the Jewish people as they wandered in the desert.

The obvious question is why does the verse refer to G-d as living in them in the plural form? Shouldn’t the verse have read “...that I shall live in it”? We are, after all, referring to one temple...

But are we?

What is the purpose of a temple? If the answer is that a temple is a place where one connects to God, must one be in a specific location in order to achieve that coveted connection? Is Jewish service and prayer limited to a physical space?
If I am in a dire situation and need to call out to the Almighty, do I have to wait till I get to the synagogue before making my prayer? What is the purpose of the synagogue or temple if I’m able to converse with Hashem at any time and at any place?

The truth is that in Judaism we are taught that Hashem is everywhere, and readily accessible. The very concept of prayer means to turn to God in times of need and to thank Him for what we have.

Prayer in a synagogue is prayer in its ideal state. The atmosphere of this holy space is primed to facilitate deep and meaningful connection to Hashem. Filled with books of prayer, books of Torah and other Jews with whom to connect, our lives and communities are bound to this connection that we have to our synagogues. According to many opinions, the prayers that we say in a quorum of men in the synagogue have a much greater capacity to be heard and answered than when we pray alone.

Hashem knew that there would be times when we’d be unable to make it to our synagogues, whether for reasons of health or persecution. To dispel the notion that our prayers outside of synagogue matter little to Him, Hashem therefore informed us that we have the capacity through our actions and growth to become temples inside our very selves.

We, as a nation, are a "Mamlechet Kohanim veGoy Kadosh", a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. To be holy is to separate and distinguish ourselves in the way we act, in the way we talk, in the way we interact with others. Our self growth and striving for greatness is what creates the temple within. When Hashem is telling the Jewish people to build a temple so that He may dwell in them he’s talking to the individual Jew.

“Make yourself into a temple! Become holy! Create gates to filter what comes in - through your eyes from seeing immoral things, through your ears from hearing gossip and profanities, and through your mouth from speaking negatively to or about another person.”

If we succeed in individually turning ourselves into micro Temples, we will merit to rebuild our final glorious Third Temple in Jerusalem, may it happen speedily in our days, amen. Shabbat Shalom!

REFLECTIONS FROM MY FIRST MARATHON

I will never forget this week's experience. Running with thousands of people in unison was such an incredible feeling! At first I worried about so many people passing me, but then reminded myself that I'm not competing against anyone but myself. In October of 2022 I was introduced to a very special individual, Rabbi Meir Kaniel, who would become my running coach. My first 1 mile run left me out of breath and I truly wondered how I'd continue with running. But with each run we added a little bit to the mileage and slowly but surely we reached the point where we were ready to go big and run the marathon in Houston! My coach even flew in from New York to be here for the occasion and run his own half marathon.

While my entire body is sore and my knees are aching, my spirit is high and I'm so excited to continue on this journey. The next step will be to improve on my speed (my final time was 4 hours and 50 minutes).

To me, this experience has underscored the vital fact that true growth, progress and success has to come in increments. There will be moments of hardship, there will be lows and even failures. But you can't make it to the final goal without going through the challenges that come with the journey. This is the adventure of life.

Hopefully we are all aiming and working towards becoming the ultimate versions of ourselves and maximizing our potential in this world. This process has taught me the importance of setting realistic goals and allowing the journey of growth to move at a slow and steady pace. I hope some of you will consider jumping on the running train and being part of this community with me! As my coach loves to say - we are custodians of our bodies. Hashem gave us our bodies and it is our duty to keep our bodies healthy so that we can be better humans, better Jews, better husbands/wives, children and parents! Shabbat Shalom my friends!

Rabbi Johnny Ouzzan

Free Will and Divine Wisdom: Unravelling the Paradox in Parshat Vaera

One of the core tenets of Jewish faith is the idea that all of humanity is imbued with free will. G-d created a world out of pure goodness, and that goodness would not be complete and perfect without including a being that could willfully choose to connect to its Creator.

So not only do we have this beautiful world, delicious foods, breathtaking vistas and natural wonders, but we also have the opportunity to go against our instincts and become like Hashem using our Free Will. This is something unique to human beings.

If that is so, we must ask the question: In this week’s Parsha we are taught that Hashem hardened Pharaoh’s heart - thereby forcing him, as it were, to refuse to let the Jewish people go.

How was it fair for Pharaoh to lose his Free Will? Sure he wasn’t a righteous person, and evidently he upset the Almighty in his treatment of the Jewish people, but what about the possibility that he might repent? Do some people deserve and merit Free Will more than others?

Yes and no.

One beautiful perspective that is given is that Pharoah was about to face such incredible Godly
power that he needed his heart to be hardened in order to withstand the pain and pressure and
thereby make a free Will decision to let the Jews go. Without hardening Pharaoh's heart, he
wouldn’t stand a chance, and he’d be forced to let the Jewish people go. But God’s objective
was to simultaneously punish Pharaoh, while also giving him the strength and opportunity to
intentionally and willfully choose to let them go, as that would be a greater manifestation of
God’s infinite strength and power.

Another commentary answers our original question quite differently. He says that an individual
can indeed lose his/her gift of free will if it is abused and used incorrectly. Notice how only after a few plagues does the Torah tell us that Hashem hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Originally, he himself was the one refusing to let the Jews go, and he was hardening his own heart! Eventually, Hashem felt the need to intervene, as His master plan and prophecy indicated that the Jews were to leave Egypt with wealth and glory. And so Pharaoh had his chance. And when
he abused the gift of Free Will, Hashem took it away.

Every single day we have the incredible gift and opportunity to use our free will in a way that brings us closer to Hashem. He wants nothing more than to shower us with blessings! Let’s make Him proud and inch closer and closer to Him, with each passing day and with every decision that we make, until we’re all reunited in Israel with the coming of Mashiach, may he arrive speedily in our days.

Shabbat Shalom!

Putting my thoughts to “paper”. What a wave of emotions these last few weeks. So much anxiety. So much pain. Such devastation. The hate directed at our people. The attacks of October 7. The global response. All the hostages waiting to be rescued. There’s just no getting used to this. The moment you lose yourself in a happy moment, you are immediately brought back to this disturbing reality. That an enormous amount of Jewish blood has been spilled. That we have brothers and sisters taken captive by the most vicious and barbaric monsters known to humanity. We are seemingly forced into this perpetual state of worry, of concern and anxiety. For ourselves, for our families, for our communities, and especially our brothers and sisters in Israel. And if I’m feeling this way, imagine what the relatives of those murdered are feeling, witnessing the global response. Imagine the feelings of the families with loved ones held hostage. We are all as a people grieving. We are going to be grieving for a while unfortunately. There is so much that is out of our control. We have to find a place deep within where we firstly allow ourselves to experience and validate these feelings. They are normal and they are the body’s survival mechanism for coming out of this as healthy as we can. If someone is numb to what’s going on, that would be problematic. And at the same time, I think it’s important to work on our faith. Our belief that Hashem is running the world, Hashem has a plan, and we are sometimes shielded from seeing and understanding the full picture. We have the control to choose to believe in the goodness of Hashem and that we as a people will persevere, as we have through all the challenges we’ve been through over the last few thousand years. We’ve made it this far. We’re not going anywhere. Our conviction to our truth and Hashem’s Torah is stronger than anything the world can throw at us. The power of the unity currently flowing through the Jewish people is impenetrable. We are fully fused at this time. There is a deep profound joy to be found in the contemplation of that reality. Though few in number, we are strong, we are united, and we believe with full conviction as to the virtue of our cause. That we are ambassadors of Hashem. That He chose to give us the Land of Israel. That we represent a code of morality that is to be shared with the world. It cannot be erased, it cannot be extinguished. With all the hardships surrounding us, most of us could not feel prouder to be Jewish. There is so much more to write. Am Yisrael Chai. Wishing every single one of you the strength to keep going strong. Keep growing! Be the light! Shine it bright! Be fiercely proud and Jewish! May Hashem answer our plea that we see peace in our days, and return of our brothers and sisters to safety. Amen.

REFLECTIONS FROM WASHINGTON

A Moment of Joy and Unity

Reflecting on an incredible experience in Washington DC, surrounded by close to 300,000 Jews, I cannot help but feel invigorated and optimistic for our Jewish future.

The actions of our forefathers and foremothers are a sign for future generations. It is so telling that we are faced today with similar challenges to that of our ancestors. Abraham had to deal with Ni**od, Pharaoh and Avimelech. Yitzchak with Yishmael, and Yaakov with Esav. Today we are at odds with so many who cannot understand our cause, our morality, and our mission.

The good news is that when we look at our special history and heritage, we not only have a glimpse of the hurdles the forefathers faced, but also their strategies in overcoming each challenge. Analyzing the holy tactics is fundamental to understanding the nature of our enemies, and successfully navigating our way forward with joy and strength.

King David is one of the best examples of perseverance in the face of obstacles, including a father in law bent on killing him, a son seeking to usurp the throne, and a kingdom split in half. And yet when we read King David’s Book of Psalms we find love, passion and an endearment to Hashem. As if David keeps saying, “Hashem, there’s nothing you can throw at me that will make me love you less! I understand that every challenge is a gift and opportunity to grow and come closer to You!”

Challenges can be painful and it is necessary to experience and express pain when the occasion calls for it.

And yet the greatest coping mechanisms passed down to us from our illustrious ancestors do not involve wallowing in grief, sadness, despair or anger. We are not a vengeful nation looking to take down our enemies. Our response to darkness is more light. Avraham taught more and more Torah to his followers. Yitzchak taught Yaakov everything he knew. Yaakov raised the sons that would become the 12 Tribes of the Jewish nation despite each having their own hardships. The resilience and growth was done with joy, with love, and with a passion for Hashem and His Torah.

This power and resolve exists within each of us.

I saw it on full display in Washington DC. Not every Jew was religious. Not every Jew was politically aligned with the government of Israel. It didn’t matter. Every single Jew was proud to be together for this cause that touches our very souls and existence. The highlight of the entire event, for me, was when Israeli superstar Ishay Ribo emulated King David, and started singing a beautiful piece of Tehillim, together with 300,000 Jews, and with tears of joy in our eyes we told Hashem in unison: “Hashem, we are in pain, we are suffering, and yet we are so proud to be Jewish. We are in love with You Hashem, and we beseech you to protect Your holy nation!”

May Hashem protect the Nation of Israel. Am Yisrael Chai.

The Klausenberger Rebbe (Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Halberstam) from Klausenberg, Romania lost his wife and 11 children in the Holocaust. He survived, remarried, had 7 more children and established a renewed Hassidic dynasty in Netanya, as well as a hospital for children. He is a legend in the Jewish world, especially among Orthodox and Hassidic Jews. Rabbi Halberstam experienced Auschwitz, the Warsaw Ghetto, the Dachau concentration camp, and a death march, after which he was liberated. In the attached graphic he is quoted as saying:

"There is one thing I miss from the Holocaust. When we were gathered together in the concentration camps we were completely shaven, we were huddled up against one another, and no one knew whether the man next to him was Lithuanian, or Hassidic, no one even knew that I was a Rebbe! We interlocked our arms together in order to warm each other through body heat as a shield against the bitter cold. This I truly miss."

Everything about your life is exactly the way it needs to be in order for you to have the opportunities to bring out your greatness.

The city you’re living in, the job you have, the family you’re a part of. The list is endless. Nothing is an accident and nothing happens by mistake.

It’s all a gift. Doesn’t always feel like a gift. It can be painful, and if you are growth oriented and seeking to further your connection to the One Above, then chances are you will experience discomfort and pain. For therein lies the journey to your greatness.

So take a pause. Analyze and appreciate every single thing you have. It’s all a gift. Even the pain and struggle is a gift, for overcoming that obstacle is your ticket to eternity, to the ultimate pleasure and closeness to God.

A part of this journey involves lifting those around you. Everyone is going through something. One of the best ways to successfully navigate your own hardships is to extend yourself out of your zone and help others in their quest to achieving growth and greatness.

There’s a lot more to talk about. Digest this first! These are not my words, but those of the Mesilat Yesharim (Path of the Just) and Chovot Halevavot (Duties of the Heart). Learn those books well and you will have an extremely happy, meaningful and fulfilling life.

Chag Kasher Vesameach!

Rabbi Johnny Ouzzan

Together Forever

As Jews we love talking about buckets and categories. What school do your kids go to? Which synagogue/denomination are you a part of? What field of work are you in? And while we cherish the identification and exclusivity that comes with these discussions, they sometimes cause us to forget the forest among the trees.

At Mount Sinai, for the first time ever we were one complete unit. We were one nation with one heart. That pivotal moment was not meant to be a one-off event but rather the defining nature of the Jewish people.

This is not to suggest that diversity and the multiplicities of Jewish expression are a bad thing. Judaism embraces the mix of oneness together with uniqueness. The prayer of the individual in the backdrop of a Minyan, a quorum of ten.

Studies show that the holiday in the Jewish calendar that is celebrated by the most Jews is Passover. There is something truly magical about this holiday. What is it?
It is certainly not, as Sebastian Maniscalco would say, two hours of reading material and crackers on the table. Jokes aside, we subconsciously experience a national oneness on this holiday. A shared family experience. At the micro level, and at a global level.

The main objective of the Seder night and Haggadah is to foster a curiosity in our children, a conversation that will etch into their hearts an appreciation for what it means to be Jewish. The understanding that Pharaoh sought to enslave all Jews, regardless of tribe and lineage.
We are meant to feel like we ourselves are coming out of Egypt - together with our Jewish families, communities and beyond.

The most impactful memories we have in life are those together with loved ones with whom we’ve shared life changing experiences. On Passover we come together as a family, as one nation ready to experience a renewed shared experience. An experience that not only defines us, but also simultaneously forges within us the bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood.

May we all unite, come together and celebrate this special holiday of Passover in health and joy.

Rabbi Johnny Ouzzan

And the pics are in! Thank you Elisheva Golani Photography, LLC for covering our J-HYPE GALA event! Thank you all for coming!!!

Experience The HYPE: A Magical Showcase 418 new items · Album by Rabbi Johnny Ouzzan