Rabbi Ilan Acoca was born and raised in Bat-Yam, Israel. At the age of thirteen he moved to Montreal, Quebec. He got his Rabbinical ordination from the Rabbinical institution Yeshiva Gedola Beth Hamidrash L'horaah in Montreal. In addition he has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Universite De Montreal.
Rabbi Acoca serves as the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Hamidrash in Vancouver, BC and is a certified Mohel (traditional circumciser). He is a member of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of British Columbia and the Rabbinical Association of Vancouver. He is also a member of the Rabbinical Council of America and the National Council of Young Israel.
Rabbi Acoca is married to Dina and they have six children.
Parashat Beshallach
The Midrash in this week's perashah compares the Jewish people to a young woman who was in mortal danger, crying out for help. A king happened to be nearby, heard her cries and saved her from her tormentors. She was so grateful to him that eventually they got married, and she became the queen. One day the king realized that his wife was no longer close to him and speaking to him. He devised a plot where she could again think that that she is in danger, and she began to call out for help, whereupon he saved her again and their relationship was restored.
So, too, says the Midrash, the Jewish people cried out to Hashem and He saved them from Egypt. But when they stopped calling out to Him after they left Egypt, He devised a way that they should be up against the Sea of Reeds with the Egyptians behind them and nowhere else to turn but to Hashem. That's when they cried out to Him and He split the sea, and they sang the song of "Az Yashir".
The Rabbis point out from this Midrash a very important lesson. We think that if everything is OK, we don't need to call out to Hashem, but if there's a problem, then we cry out to Him. This is called a fire engine mentality; we don't call the fire engines unless, G-d forbid, there's a fire. But in reality, it's the other way around. Hashem wants us to call out to Him at all times, and when we don't, that's when he brings the problems which force us to turn to Him. Hashem is not a fire engine! He is our Father, our King, Who wants us to be in touch always. When things are going good, that's all the more reason to pray to Him that everything should continue, and our relationship must become stronger.
One way of keeping a strong relationship with Hashem is through singing.
By singing, we express our love to the Almighty. This is exactly what Bnai Israel did at the exit of Egypt. They sang to G-d and praised Him and by doing so, He saved them.
Please join us this Shabbat as we are going to be singing the praises of G-d and read the Shirat Hayam with Hazan Eli Cohen from Israel.
Hope to see you all!
Shabbat Shalom!