Volume 2
Issue 35

The Connections people
 

With many thanks to our generous sponsors:
  Chinuch Yaldei Hashluchim:
 Rabbi & Mrs.
Kasriel & Chana E. Shemtov
  Connections:
Mr. & Mrs.
Yochanan & Peri Brook
 Mr.  Mrs.
Zalman & Raizy Cousin

 

Chinuch Yaldei Hashluchim:

Rabbi M. Shemtov
Rivky Lokshin
Dabrushy Pink
Aydla Vechter

Connections
Proof-Readers:

Mrs. B. Wineberg
Mrs. G. Junik
Rabbi L. Zirkind
Rabbi Schmerling
 

Va’ad Hashluchim:

Rabbi Y. Deren
Rabbi O. Goldman
Rabbi Y. Greenberg
Rabbi B. Levertov
Rabbi Y. Shemtov

 

A project of
CHINUCH YALDEI HASHLUCHIM
cyh@shluchim.org

a division of
THE SHLUCHIM OFFICE

PARSHAS CHUKAS-BALAK

"I'm impressed at how you found your way out of those woods so easily, Rochie," Chavie said with a sigh of relief. Rochie, the counsellor of Bunk Six, grinned at her co-counsellor and whispered, "We'll talk later." Loudly, she urged her campers on. "Let's go, girls! Last one to the water fountain is a dried up petunia!"
"We are all dried up petunias already," the girls called out laughing.
Bunk Six had been out on a hike in the woods and had taken a wrong turn. It was a hot, sticky hour later by the time Rochie led them back to the right trail.
Later, Rochie admitted to Chavie: "I didn't have the slightest idea what I was doing when I made all those turns on the winding trail. I was awfully worried. I just davened that we would get back fast."
"Really?" Chavie asked in disbelief. "You looked so calm, and you'd put the girls in such a happy mood!"
"I had to," explained Rochie. "I'm their counsellor. Imagine how upset everyone would have been if I had told them how worried I was."
Rochie had followed the example of Moshe Rabbeinu. As we learn at the end of Parshas Chukas, when the Jewish people had to wage war with Og the King of Bashan, Moshe was worried. "Perhaps," Moshe thought to himself, "we will not be able to overcome Og because he has special merit that will work in his favor." It was Og who had long ago informed Avrohom Avinu that his nephew Lot had been taken as a prisoner of war.
But Moshe kept his thoughts to himself, as Rashi tells us, "He said in his heart." Moshe was not going to let his worry affect the rest of the Jewish people.
This is exactly the opposite of what Balak the king of Moav did, as we find in Parshas Balak. The parshah begins by telling us, "And Balak the son of Tzipor saw all that Yisrael had done to the Emori, and the people of Moav became very frightened." In their despair, the people of Moav turned to the elders of Midyan to come up with a plan to overcome the Jewish people.
Why did the people of Moav suddenly become so frightened? The passuk tells us that they were afraid of the sheer size of the Jewish people, but if that was the only reason, then they should have been frightened earlier. The Jewish people had been instructed by Hashem not to pass through the land of Moav, but to go around it. We understand that the Jews had been camped around the borders of Moav for some time. The people of Moav had already seen them and their huge camp. Why did they panic now?
Rashi explains that it was Balak himself who had caused his people to panic at this point. Everyone had heard what had happened to the people of Sichon and Emori. But Balak knew something that his people did not. He knew about a secret arrangement that the nations living in and around Eretz Yisrael had with the kings of Sichon and Emori. They paid a special tax to these two powerful kingdoms so that they would be protected. Now that those kingdoms were defeated, Balak was in despair for there was no one to protect him! He could not control himself and blurted out the whole story to his people. No wonder they all suddenly panicked and rushed to consult the elders of Midyan.
This week, we celebrate the days of Yud Beis-Yud Gimmel Tammuz. The Frierdiker Rebbe was a true leader, like Moshe Rabbeinu. Before he was arrested, the Frierdiker Rebbe had realized that he and his entire network of activities were in grave danger. Later, he actually mentioned how frightened he was of the dangers. Yet, at the time he did not show his feelings to anyone; quite the opposite! He encouraged everyone to continue their efforts to spread Yiddishkeit even after he had already been arrested and thrown into prison. His strong stance of courage and leadership eventually led to his release from prison and to the continued spread of Yiddishkeit around the world.

(Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VIII)
‘Please Tell Me What the Rebbe Said’

Hello Young Shluchim!
I love daydreaming. Here I am, sitting snugly in my little office in Iowa between the cows and cornfields, in my hometown, sitting and daydreaming. Of-course I should be sitting and working. I need to work on the important international work that Seeing Professors tend to do. You know, of-course that I am a world famous unannounced genius who spends his time thinkering and tinkering and making lenses that help people see the world in new and fabulous ways. You’ve seen my Chossid’s lens, my 70/80-vision lens, my Lo-Lo lens, and many others that clutter my office from ceiling to floor and from door to door.  But today, on this foggy fast day in Iowa, I’m twiddling my thumbs instead of working. I mean, Mrs. Getzel calls it twiddling thumbs; I call it daydreaming.
In my daydream I’m in Eretz Yisroel, and all the Arabs are politely saying, “Excuse me,” and “Can I help you with anything?” in Hebrew. Yerushalayim is teeming with people, and some of them are my good friends who used to live in America, and who must have come here the same way I did.
The Beis Hamikdash is standing like a magic castle and it sprung up in under 30 seconds although it’s as long as the Mediterranean Sea! (Of-course, I have no idea how long the Mediterranean Sea really is, but I have a feeling that it is the same length as the Beis Hamikdash). The Beis Hamikdash is overflowing with gold and silver. Aha! This is a very good daydream.
Reb Yid is writing notes as usual on his super high-tech laptop that he got from NASA after he lost his teeth in a crash with a shooting star, even though he’s gotten all his teeth right back into place. In fact, everyone has become 100% healthy. I’m not sure how. All wheelchairs and casts and canes and eyeglasses are actually heaped in a pile on the side of the road waiting for the Israeli garbage. It seems like no one needs them anymore.
Ouch. It’s hard to daydream when your last cavity fell out and your tooth is really hurting.
My old Chumash teacher Rabbi Know-all is deep in conversation, with guess who?  Rashi himself! He’s actually learning Chumash with Rashi. Imagine that! The Rambam is also very busy; doctors from all over the world want an appointment with him. They heard that he is a little bit like me -- a world famous professor.
Grumble, grumble. I’m really hungry, come to think of it.
In my daydream I see the Rebbe. The Rebbe is smiling and giving coins to all the kids who are hanging around and trying to get the gold coins that are swirling off the top of the Beis Hamikdosh. I’m not getting a coin because I am not a child, but I’m so excited to see the Rebbe, that I’m smiling too. In fact, everywhere I look, people are smiling. I remembered the old Galus days, when people sometimes, for some strange reason, would forget to smile. But in my dream, everywhere I look, people are smiling.
I’m really hungry! I don’t want to smile!
In my dream I get the best part. I’m a Levi and I get to stand on the steps and play a shiny violin. Did you know that I was a talented musician? You didn’t? Well, don’t feel bad. I didn’t either. But as soon as I became an official Levi choir member, I started to play like a pro!
Rinnnnnng! Beep Beep Beep! Ding dong ding dong! Oh no. My beeper is beeping and my cell phone is ringing (to the tune of, “Am Yisroel, have no fear...”), and my fax machine is doing its little ditty.
It looks like the fast is over. Too bad.  My daydream is so good, why would I want to break my fast? I always dream extra good when I’m fasting. Especially when it’s a fast about the Beis Hamikdash, I dream real good stuff...
I’ll tell you what’s happening now in my dream... Everyone is running to the grand new-and-improved 770 building of the Beis Hamikdash plaza and trying to get a front seat to hear a Sicha from the Rebbe. I’d love to talk to you more, but I must run and catch a front seat too. After all, it’s been years since I last heard a Sicha.
Who says this is a dream anyway? I think it’s real... Of-course it’s real. What do you think? Was I dreaming a dream or was it real?
Of course it’s real...

Have fun daydreaming with me!
Dr. Getzel

Chaya Mushka Grossbaum, age 11
Minnetonka, Minnesota

 Hi, my name is Chaya Mushka Grossbaum. I am 11 years old. I have 4 brothers and 3 sisters. Mendel (9), Chanie (7), Lieba (5), Levi (4), Berel (2), Meir (1). We live in Minnetonka, which is in Minnesota. We have been on shlichus for about 10 years. First we started in Minneapolis where we only had classes and Living Legacy. Four years ago we moved to Minnetonka where we opened a Chabad House. Our Chabad House for now is a storefront. It is a little small but nice. Boruch Hashem since more people are coming we will soon need to get a new Chabad House. We go to a Lubavitch Cheder in S. Paul that is about 45 minutes away. We have davening in our Chabad House every Shabbos and Yom Tov. Some of the things we do are: Parsha Classes, Rosh Chodesh Programs for Women, Living Legacy, Public Sedorim, Lag B’omer
Barbecues and much more. We even started a preschool this year for kids ages 2-4. We are proud to be shluchim of the Rebbe.

When בלעם was speaking, he praised himself by saying that he was ‘שתום העין ’ - ‘blind in one eye’. Why did בלעם think this was a good thing?
When the פריערדיקער רבי was a young boy he asked his father the following question: "Why did ה‘ create me with two eyes. One eye would be enough because when I close one eye, I can see just as well?"

His father, the רבי רש“ב , explained that people have two eyes for a reason. The right eye stands for looking at things positively  and the left eye, for looking at things negatively. There are certain things at which we should "look with the right eye" — with love and concern — and there are things which one should "look with the left eye". When we look at another איד , we should always look with the right eye and find his good qualities. The left eye is for גשמיות matters and things of minor importance. Sometimes we should even close it and not fulfil our גשמיות‘דיקע תאוות .

בלק was extremely disappointed with בלעם because instead of cursing the בני ישראל , he praised and blessed them. בלעם comforted בלק and told him, "Do not fear, I am blind in one eye. My right eye has no vision, and so I cannot see any good in the Jewish people."

(Adapted from ‘Vedibarta Bam’)

See the printable version of Connections for incredible fun pages!

Last Week’s Winners:

Mendel Baron, age 5 from Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
Blumi Keselman, age 11 from London, England