Parshas Pinchos
Yud Ches Tammuz '66
Volume 2
Issue 37
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PARSHAS PINCHOS
Little Moishy was going to shul for the first time. His family lived far from the shul. But he had just turned five and his mother felt that the long walk would not be too much for him.
"I know I can make it," Moishy said excitedly. "And I promise I'll sit quietly, right between Yanky and Tatty, and I'll look in my siddur."
Moishy was true to his word. He watched and listened carefully to the davening and to the Torah reading. On the way home, Moishy commented: "When I grow up, I want to be a kohen," Moishy said dreamily, "Then I could be called up to the Torah first!"
"Oh Moishy!" exclaimed Yanky. "You can't grow up to be a kohen! You're either born a kohen or you're not - and we're not."
The boys' father smiled. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he asked Yanky, "Can you think of someone who was not born a kohen but became one?" Yanky thought hard.
"It's in this week's parshah," his father hinted.
"Pinchas?"
"Yes."
"But wasn't Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aharon the kohen?"
"Yes," replied the boys' father. "Once Aharon and his sons were anointed kohanim, all their children born afterwards would automatically become kohanim. But Pinchas was born before Aharon and his sons were anointed kohanim. Pinchas did not automatically become a kohen when his father, uncle, and grandfather were anointed."
"Then how did he become a kohen?" asked Moishy.
"He earned it. A man called Zimri committed a very serious avaira in front of all the Yidden. Pinchas was very troubled and he rushed to punish Zimri right away so that everyone would see that the words of Hashem must be obeyed.
"It was dangerous. Zimri was a leader, and his shevet might have harmed Pinchas for what he did. Nobody would have expected him to risk his life. But Pinchas thought only about what Hashem wanted, he did much more than what anyone would have expected. To reward him, Hashem made him a kohen.
"This is a lesson for us, too," the father continued. "We can't become kohanim, but we can be sure that when we do more than what is expected, Hashem will reward us in an exceptional manner too."
Our Rabbis tell us that Pinchas and Eliyahu HaNavi are the same person. Eliyahu will announce the coming of Mashiach. How can we make Eliyahu and Mashiach come more quickly? By following the example of Pinchas, and serving Hashem in an exceptional way, even beyond the call of duty.
(Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. IV)
‘Please Tell Me What the Rebbe Said’
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סוף סוף תחילה, תחילת סוף סוף,
Please send your answers to connections@shluchim.org |
Congratulations to Levi Greenberg from Solon, Ohio |
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Hello there little and big Shluchim,
Guess what? Big things are happening this week. I just feel it. Something wonderful and earth-shattering is about to happen. It’s in the air. You know I am a great scientist and I specialize in seeing all sorts of things. And as of last week, I also became professional at daydreaming -- instead of doing my very important international work.
But today I can’t daydream. There is too much work to do. I have a plan. I am building a giant telescope. It’s going to be absolutely huge. I have my hammer, my nails, my silly putty (which I use as glue), my trusty can of peanut butter (which I’ll use for glue when the silly putty runs out), three massive round mirrors, and three massive sheets of glass that I’ll use as lenses. I’m going to put my Nigunei Hisvaadus CD and listen to the Rebbe singing as I work, and here goes...
Bang, bang. Crash, crash. Ouch, ouch. Bash, bash.
Hey this is looking good ... I just need to finish installing the lenses and mirrors and I’ll be all done. My telescope is so large; you’ll need a ladder to look inside the window. Now, where did I put my ladder?
Search, search. Heave, heave. Dust, dust. Sneeze, sneeze.
Now I have to climb up the ladder to look into the window and see ... something spectacular. It’s a magic telescope. You’re going to see the future. Just like that. Oh, this is so exciting! Hmm ... I need to give my super giant telescope a super good name. I usually make very small lenses that can change how people see things. But I’ve never made such a massive lens—a lens as big as an underground swimming pool!
Look inside. Do you see what I see?
Oh no. I don’t see anything. Do you see anything? Oh no, I worked so hard and now my nameless-swimming-pool-size-massive-telescope made with silly putty and peanut butter doesn’t show me anything. This is very serious. Very serious indeed.
I’m going to daydream some more and then maybe I’ll be able to see an image in my massive window lens. Do you remember my daydream from last week? Oh, it was so good.
... The Beis Hamikdosh 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 an idea that it is the same length as the Beis Hamikdosh). The Beis Hamikdosh is overflowing with gold and silver and there are extra bits and pieces rolling around that seem to be free. I better run and get some fast before they’re all gone ...
My lens is started to get clearer. I need to daydream more. If I want Moshiach to come so much, my wanting will make me see great things inside the lens.
... In my daydream I see the Rebbe. The Rebbe is smiling and giving coins to all the kids who are running 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 ...
Oh I want Moshiach to come so much! I’m going to do a little dance and sing “We want Moshiach now,” and spray chocolate syrup on my lens and then maybe I’ll see an image.
Dance, dance. Smear, smear. Lick, lick. It’s here!
Yes, the image is here! Just look at it. It’s exactly as I imagined. It matches my daydream perfectly. I’m so glad my telescope works.
Come one! Come all! Come to my green office in Iowa -- between the cornfields and cows - and look into the window of my massive-nameless-swimming-pool-size-chocolate-covered-telescope, and see something that’s going to be happening any minute now.
Come one! Come all!
But, there’s a condition: You have to come with a daydream, with a picture in your mind of how things will be when Moshiach comes. Only then will the nameless magic telescope work.
Can’t wait to see you all,
Dr. Getzel
Mendel Wilansky, Age 10
Portland, MaineHi! My name is Mendel Wilansky. I am ten years old and on Shlichus in Portland, Maine, which has a small Jewish community. Maine is a big tourist attraction especially in the summer because there is a very pretty National Park here called Acadia. In the winter it gets quite cold and snows a lot and in the summer it is nice weather. As of right now, our Chabad House is in our home but Im Yirtzeh Hashem we will be soon building our new Chabad House. Twice a month we have a kids program called the Jewish Kids Club or JKC for short. We have a lot of fun doing arts ‘n’ crafts, baking and all sorts of games. In the summer we also have Camp Gan Izzy. In the morning I go to a Jewish Day School and in the afternoon I come home and my mother teaches me Limudei Kodesh. My favorite Yom Tov is Lag Ba’omer because we make a big BBQ in the park and it is a lot of fun. In my free time I like to play outdoor games. The reason I am proud to be a shliach is because I am doing what the Rebbe wants me to do.
We Want Moshiach Now!!!!!
פרשת פנחס talks about the special קרבנות that were brought on each of the ימים טובים . In the גמרא we are told that ניסוך המים was brought during the יום טוב of סוכות . Why?
According to some פירושים , עקידת יצחק took place on יום כיפור . From אברהם ’s home to הר המוריה was a three day journey, so אברהם arrived home from the עקידה on י“ג תשרי . On that day he was told that שרה passed away and that רבקה had been born.
Three years later, אברהם asked his servant אליעזר to look for a wife for יצחק . אליעזר arrived in ארם נהרים and decided that whichever girl offered water for him and his camels, that would show that she was a kind girl and she would be a good wife for יצחק .
The day אליעזר arrived in ארם נהרים , he met רבקה and asked her family if they would allow her to go with him to marry יצחק . The מדרש tells us that she was three years and three days old. So, this whole story took place on ט“ו תשרי - the first day of סוכות .
To remember the חתונה of יצחק which came about through a מצוה performed with water, there was the ניסוך המים on the מזבח during the יום טוב of סוכות .
(Adapted from ‘Vedibarta Bam’)
י“ט תמוז תרי“ח (1858)
On this day, הרב שניאור זלמן אהרן , the רז“א was born. He was the oldest son of the רבי מהר“ש and רביצין רבקה . He was named after both the אלטער רבי and his grandfather (his mother’s father) הרב אהרן Alexandrov of Shklov.
At his ברית , his grandfather, the צמח צדק chose for him to be known as the רז“א .
His mother, רביצין רבקה told how when she was pregnant with him, her father-in-law, the צמח צדק told her that she was carrying a very special child.
י“ט תמוז תר“מ (1880)
On this day the ברית מילה of the פריערדיקער רבי was celebrated. During the סעודה the רבי מהר“ש was in a very happy mood. He explained concepts in חסידות , told stories and sang ניגונים with great pleasure.
At a farbrengen on י“ד שבט תש“י (1950) the Rebbe told this story:
“During the ברית of the פריערדיקער רבי , like most children, he cried. His grandfather, the רבי מהר“ש , said to him “Why are you crying. When you grow up you will be … and you will explain חסידות very clearly!”
“These are the words that were written in the פריערדיקער רבי ’s diary, with a blank space after the words “you will be”. חסידים have told me that the רבי מהר“ש said “You will be a Rebbe”. This explains why in this place, the פריערדיקער רבי left a blank.”
(Adapted from ‘Days in Chabad’)
The מדרש tells us that in the times of the בית המקדש there were 480 shuls in ירושלים . In every shul there was a school for ‘מקרא ’ - to teach young children חומש and משנה .
The תורה learning of the אידישע children in those schools was very precious in the eyes of ה‘ . Because of the תורה these children were learning, the enemy could not destroy ירושלים . The voice of the children protected the whole city from harm.
Our חכמים also tell us that in the days of the destruction on the בית המקדש the children of ירושלים said: “If the enemy will come to attack us, we will take our ‘pointers’ and go out and fight them.” The children used pointers to help them keep the place in their ספרים . The children had such trust in their תורה learning, that they were sure that simply by holding the ‘pointers’ they would defeat the enemy.
There is something we must understand about this story: Pointers were used only by children under the age of בר מצוה ; older children did not need to use them. We see from here the power of תורה learning of even very young children. The young children’s תורה learning was so powerful that the enemies of the אידן could not destroy ירושלים .
This story also teaches us a wonderful thing: This teaches us that when אידישע children go forth, ready to fight their enemies with their תורה learning, they transform the world. All this can happen right away, this very minute, now. And ה‘ will fulfil His promise and the days of בין המצרים - the Three Weeks - will be changed into ‘joy and gladness and ימים טובים ’.
‘The Rebbe Speaks to Children’.
דוד and מאיר had been childhood friends. From the earliest they could remember, they had studied תורה together. After they both married, דוד mysteriously disappeared and מאיר did not see him for many years. מאיר did however hear that דוד had joined the חסידים of the בעל שם טוב and become the רב of the city of Nikolayev.
מאיר eventually inherited his father-in-law's business and divided his time between work and learning תורה . On one of his many trips to a trade-fair in a far-off city, מאיר stayed at an inn where there was a group of חסידים staying too and they seemed very happy.
"What are you so happy about?" asked מאיר .
"ר‘ דוד of Nikolayev is here," they answered him.
מאיר realized that the חסידים were referring to his childhood friend, and asked them where ר‘ דוד was. They pointed to a room. מאיר knocked and called out excitedly, "דוד , open the door for me!"
ר‘ דוד opened the door and recognized his old friend. They hugged each other with great emotion. When they both recovered a bit from the excitement, one of מאיר 's first questions to his friend was, "Why did you go to the בעל שם טוב ?"
"Do you remember," began ר‘ דוד , "when we used to study תורה together? We continually discussed that we wanted to learn תורה לשמה - for its own sake - but we were not able to reach that level. I had heard that in the בעל שם טוב 's circle, they learn תורה לשמה ."
"And what made you stay once you got there?" asked מאיר .
"When I first came to the בעל שם טוב ," answered Rabbi David, "I didn't find what I was looking for. But the חסידים encouraged me to stay a while longer. I decided to spend the holy שבת with the בעל שם טוב and his חסידים . Soon after שבת came in, I heard the בעל שם טוב reciting שיר השירים . Truly, it was something to experience. I felt as if a tumult was being made in שמים . But I still wasn't convinced that this was the place for me and decided to leave at the end of שבת .
"The בעל שם טוב 's חסידים convinced me to stay on for a few more days to be there when the בעל שם טוב observed the יאהרצייט of one of his parents.
I waited until the night of the יאהרצייט , and it was truly something to be awed by. However, I still was not convinced.
"Stay until the night after the יאהרצייט ,” the חסידים told me, “the בעל שם טוב will fast for the entire day and then, at night, he will make a festive meal. If you attend this meal, it is impossible that you won't be totally drawn to the בעל שם טוב .”
"I agreed to stay. I rested well in preparation for the evening. At the meal, the בעל שם טוב sat at the head of the table, surrounded by his חסידים . He began to explain the mystical meditations for immersing in the מקוה .
"One of his חסידים stood up and asked, 'Rebbe, doesn't the אריז“ל explain this concept differently?'
"The בעל שם טוב 's face went a fiery red, and then a pale white. Immediately, I became exhausted and could not stop myself from falling asleep. While asleep, I saw many people running somewhere. I asked them where they were going and they told me that in a few minutes the בעל שם טוב was going to explain a very deep concept. I, too, began to run.
"We arrived at a large building and I saw two seats in the middle of the hall. I was told the seats were for the בעל שם טוב and the אריז“ל . I managed to stand right near the בעל שם טוב 's chair.
"The בעל שם טוב began to explain the mystical mediations for immersion in the מקוה . After he finished his lecture, the אריז“ל asked him many questions and the בעל שם טוב answered. The scholarly discussion proceeded until the אריז“ל acknowledged the truth of the בעל שם טוב 's words.
"Immediately thereafter I awoke to find myself once again at the festive meal with the בעל שם טוב . The בעל שם טוב once again began to explain the meditations for the מקוה and the same חסיד asked once more, 'Doesn't the אריז“ל explain it differently?'
"The בעל שם טוב looked straight at me and said, ‘דוד , tell us what you saw!'
"And that," concluded ר‘ דוד , "is how my נשמה became attached to the בעל שם טוב and his חסידים ."
When מאיר heard this story from his long-lost friend, he decided to travel together with ר‘ דוד to the בעל שם טוב and eventually became one of his greatest חסידים .(Adapted from L’chaim Weekly)
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