P. Behar-Bechukosai
Chof Alef Iyar 5766
Volume 2
Issue 24
The Connections people
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
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 BEHAR - BECHUKOSAI
"In the first parsha this week, Parshas Behar, we learn about Hashem's promise to the Jewish people if they keep shemitah," Mrs. Stein reminded her class. "Parshas Bechukosai begins with a promise, too. Can you find it?"
"It's right here in the first passuk!" exclaimed Mindy. "It says 'And if you will follow My commandments, I will cause the rains to come down in their season.' "
Mrs. Stein nodded as she pointed to Tzippy, who was raising her hand.
"Morah," Tzippy asked, "whenever we learn Chumash you always stress that the Torah's words are fit for all people in all times, not just for the people who lived a long time ago. I understand that Hashem's promise of rain would be a great reward for keeping mitzvos for people who were dependent on the rain for their food. But today, if it doesn't rain in one place, we can pump water from another place. How is the rain such a great reward for us?"
"First of all, Tzippy, even today with all our modern technology, we are dependent on Hashem's blessings and His laws of nature. But your question has actually led to a deeper understanding of the passuk. Let's look for a deeper meaning in Hashem's promise. I'll give you a hint. It's in the word for rain."
"I think I know," Chaya called out waving her hand. "Rain is geshem, and that reminds me of gashmiyus."
"Good!" said Mrs. Stein. "We can learn from this passuk that Hashem is actually promising us something very special. Hashem is telling us: 'I have created the world with a clear plan - that it should be My home. I have filled the world with a lot of gashmiyus which I want you to use in the Torah way, to help make this world My home.'"
"But Morah," Tzippy asked, "gashmiyus doesn't always help us make this world Hashem's home. Often, it gets in the way and causes us to forget about His plan and think more about the nice things we want for ourselves."
"You're right," Mrs. Stein answered. "That's how most of us see things now. But when Hashem promises us gashmiyus, it means something altogether different. He is promising us that He will give us the ability to see how gashmiyus does not get in our way of our making this world His home. This is what we will be able to see and understand when the geulah comes.
"We have an example of this from Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, whose yahrzeit we celebrate around this time, on Lag BaOmer. Do you remember the story I told you about how Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai caused a valley to fill up with golden coins? Imagine, a valley full of golden coins! There was so much gashmiyus, yet it all came from the holy tzaddik Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai!
"This is precisely the point. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai learned and taught pnimiyus haTorah, the Torah of Mashiach. His study enabled him to see and live with gashmiyus just as we will see and live when the geulah comes. At that time, gashmiyus will not get in our way, but rather help us serve Hashem. Rabbi Shimon brought many blessings into this world: those golden coins, generous rains, and more. And these blessings came from his Torah study.
"This is the blessing Hashem gives us when we study Chassidus, pnimiyus haTorah, and fulfill the mitzvos. Our gashmiyus will not be separate from our ruchniyus, and both will be plentiful.‘Please Tell Me What the Rebbe Said’
(Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. I, p. 287)
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אברהם, יצחק, יעקב, רחל Please send your answers to connections@shluchim.org Answer: ל“ג בעומר |
Congratulations to Chana Sara Harlig, age 7 from Henderson, Nevada for solving the brain buster. |
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Dear My Favorite Kid Shluchim,
So tell me kinderlach, how is your Iyar going? Iyar is one of my favorite months of the whole year. Apart from coming right after Nissan (which - thanks to Pesach and Moshiach Seuda and lots of cups of wine- is also a favorite month of mine) and two months after Adar (which is definitely a favorite month of mine, with all its singing and dancing, and Purim and mishloach monos), it also comes right before Sivan (which is also a favorite month with all its cheese cakes and ice cream parties!)! So why is Iyar my favorite month? I hear you asking. Well for quite a few reasons actually...
Did you know that in Iowa we have beautiful cornfields (I think I’ve mentioned it once or twice...)? Well, in Iyar they start to grow again and look really nice and fresh.
And of course in Iyar we have Pesach Sheini and Lag B’Omer. And every year on Lag B'Omer, Mrs Getzel and I and all our Getzel’niks go out for a picnic in the Iowan fields. Which is real fun. Until the little Getzel’niks start playing with their bows and arrows and Mrs Getzel and I have to run for cover and hide under the long stalks of corn.
Ooops, I’m getting off the subject... you see the real reason why I like Iyar is because every day of Iyar is the Sefiras Haomer. And the Sefiras Haomer is a really special time. It is one of the only times of the year when Mrs Getzel can’t make me take a haircut. You see I hate taking haircuts. Not that I like long hair. But you see I have a secret.... underneath my hat (which I like to wear all day) I am starting to go bald... In fact I started to go bald a long time ago... Now I am almost totally bald... And so haircutting time really isn't that much fun for me because then I get to see how much balder I’ve gone since my last haircut. So I always try to wait as long as I can before my haircut which Mrs Getzel doesn't like because then the few hairs I still have start looking really messy. But in Iyar she doesn't have a choice, no haircuts! Yippee!!
But of course the best thing about the Sefiras Haomer - a lot better that picnics and not knowing how bald I am put together - is that every day has its’ own mitzvah. Now that is something really special. You see no other month has a special mitzvah every day, just for that day. And I love doing mitzvos. I do lots of mitzvos every day. But I don't often do mitzvos that are especially for that day. You see the mitzvah of eating matzah is only good for Pesach. And the mitzvah of eating in the Sukkah is only good for Sukkos. But the mitzvah of Sefiras Hamomer is a special mitzvah for each day of the Sefirah. You see last night I had to count thirty six days which is five weeks and one day. But tonight although I can’t do the mitzvah of counting thirty six nights, I get a new mitzvah of counting thirty seven nights which is five weeks and two days. And that mitzvah is specially for tonight. And tomorrow night I have a special new mitzvah of counting thirty eight nights which is five weeks and three days. So you see the month of Iyar is the only month in the whole year which has a special mitzvah especially for each day of the month. Sure, Nissan has the mitzvah of Sefiras Haomer on some of the nights, and in Sivan too we get a few days to count Sefiras Haomer, but only in Iyar do we get to do a new mitvah every single day (well really night) of the whole month!Now wouldn't that make Iyar just the best month for you too?!
Enjoy the rest of Iyar!
Dr. Getzel
Mussi Levertov, age 11
Santa Fe, New MexicoHi! My name is Mussi Levertov. I am 11 years old and I live in S. Fe, NM. I am the oldest of 5 kids. In our Chabad House we do different programs like a Hebrew school every Sunday (which I help out by teaching the other kids aleph bais) and big Shabbos meals. My father does a class called JLI (Jewish Learning Institute) and my mother does a Women’s Circle. Here in S. Fe, there are not many kids so it is very hard for me and my siblings but we know that we are doing a very good thing by teaching others about Yiddishkeit. We also don't have a Jewish school here so me, my brother, and my sisters learn on the Phone Schools that the Shluchim Office has. My friends live in all different places on shlichus too.
In פרשת בהר we are told that when we do business we are not allowed to cheat our brother. Why are the words ‘our brother’ used? Surely we are not allowed to cheat anyone!
Once, ר‘ נחום of Chernobyl was approached by an important looking person who offered to teach him secrets of תורה . ר‘ נחום said, "I cannot accept your offer until I check with my Rebbe." When he asked his Rebbe's advice, the מעזריטשער מגיד replied, "It is good that you came to ask, because that person was a representative of the רוחניות forces which are against קדושה ."
"By the way," the Rebbe asked his חסיד , "What gave you the idea of asking before accepting his suggestion?"
ר‘ נחום answered, "When I was young, my mother passed away and my father remarried. My stepmother was very cruel to me. Once I came home from yeshivah for lunch when she was not home and I noticed that she had left some fried eggs on the stove. Not wanting to waste time, I decided to serve myself and took a smaller portion than what she would normally give me. She returned home while I was eating and suddenly slapped me across the face. I began to cry, and pleaded with her, 'Why did you hit me? I took less than what I normally receive!' She replied, 'I am punishing you because אליין נעמט מען ניט — One should not take anything alone without permission.' Since that very day I learned not to take anything without permission, even if it might look good or right."
Sometimes we might think, it’s ok to borrow or take things from our brothers, sisters or friends without permission, because if he knew, he for sure wouldn’t mind. So, the תורה is telling us that we mustn’t even cheat our brother - it is forbidden to take from anyone, even a brother, without his knowledge and permission.
(Adapted from ‘Vedibarta Bam)
פרק חמישיעשרה נסיונית נתנסה אברהם אבינו....
Why does this משנה use the title of אברהם אבינו when in משנה ב‘ he is simply called אברהם ?
A father passes on his גשמיות & רוחניות strengths and abilities to his children. The משנה , by writing “אבינו ” - "our father," is teaching that אברהם who was the first person to be tested by ה‘ , gave over to his children the strength and ability to go through tests and to pass them. אברהם led the way for all his descendants, and because of him we have the ability to overcome all the challenges ה‘ places before us. We are able to have the same unquestioning devotion and dedication to ה‘ and the same מסירת נפש to fulfill what ה‘ wants.
(Adapted from Vedibarta Bam)Remember to say פרק חמישי of פרקי אבות
on שבת after מנחה
Do you have anything special that is your own? Do you have any possessions that are very important to you? How do you treat something that that is dear to you?
People tend to be extra careful with something that is precious to them. If that thing has many parts, the person will spend a lot of time counting the parts to make sure none of them gets lost. Even the tiniest part is important, because the whole thing loses value if a part is missing.
The most precious and most valuable possession that we have is time. Hashem gave time as a gift for us to use. Time is the opportunity to do anything; everything takes time, and with enough time, we can do so much.
Time is valuable. We do not want to waste even a second of time. Even the tiniest bit of time is a part of this wonderful gift from Hashem, and as such it is important. We should count every second of time just like we would count something valuable.
During ספירה , we count every day. This reminds us that time is passing and we have to take advantage of it. Each time we count another day, we remind ourselves: "One more day just passed. What kind of a day was it? Was it a full day, a worthwhile day?"This reminds us to get going, and start doing מצות . We can really fill up a day by making sure it is full of תורה and מצות .
During ספירה , each day becomes a מצוה day. Counting each day is a מצוה ; when we count a day of ספירה , that day was taken up by a מצוה . These days are really valuable, because they are not wasted days.
Every day of the year could count, not just ספירה days. It is up to us to take advantage of the days, filling them with תורה and מצות , and counting the passing time to make sure it does not slip away unnoticed.
Keep on counting.
Berel was never interested in being rich. He was a simple איד , quite satisfied with what he had. When he davened to ה‘ three times a day, he davened for many things: good health; good children; that ה‘ should help him to understand תורה , and more feeling into his heart when doing מצוות . But riches? It never even occurred to him to daven for such a thing. ברוך ה‘ , he had a good wife, nice children, and he was making a modest פרנסה . Could anyone wish for more?
Berel lived in a little town called Chasnik, not far from Chernobyl, where the צדיק, ר‘ מרדכי Chernobyler, lived. Berel was a חסיד of the Chernobyler Rebbe as he was known, and he went there several times a year to get a רוחניות‘דיקע boost. When he went he would take with him the money he had put aside for צדקה to leave with the Rebbe, who, he knew, would know where it would do the most good.
One day the town of Chasnik was very excited. They heard that the Rebbe was coming on one of his rare visits. Berel was especially excited, for the Rebbe usually stayed in his house. However, Berel was soon bitterly disappointed. He learned the Rebbe would not stay in his house this time. Worse still, the Rebbe gave instructions that Berel should not come before him, either in יחידות , or with others. Even more, Berel should not come to the Rebbe's table, nor should he be among those welcoming the Rebbe, or those seeing him off when he left!
The Rebbe made it very clear that nothing would make him change his mind except one thing: If Berel would come with 2,000 rubles in his pocket and place it on the Rebbe's table for צדקה ; then, and only then, would he again be the favorite חסיד he had always been!
Poor Berel was quite bewildered and upset. Surely the Rebbe knew how much money he had. If he would sell his house with all that was in it, he still wouldn’t even have half the amount the Rebbe wanted him to bring. What had he done to deserve such punishment?
This was all too much for Berel to bear. For once in his lifetime he wished he were a rich man, and for the first time in his life he now davened with all his heart thatה‘ would make him rich, so that he could bring the Rebbe 2,000 rubles for צדקה.
The Rebbe had come and gone. All the חסידים of Chasnik had welcomed the Rebbe with joy and dancing, had sat listening to his inspiring words, had received his ברכות , and had seen him off dancing in the street. Berel sat alone in his house, feeling hurt and miserable. However, he didn't give up hope that ה‘ would accept his תפילה and make him rich if for no other reason than that he should be able to be reunited with his Rebbe.Sometime later, there was again excitement in Chasnik, but this time it was more like a panic. A battalion of invading soldiers was passing through town, and the town's people were ordered to accommodate the soldiers. Several armed soldiers arrived at Berel's house and announced that they were going to spend the night there. They carried a heavy chest, which they placed in a closet. The soldiers were very tired from their long march, and they were soon fast asleep.
In the middle of the night an alarm was sounded. The half sleepy soldiers left the house in a great hurry, and went off with all their comrades. A few hours later, a troop of some twenty soldiers returned and searched the town, looking for the chest which had been forgotten when they responded to the alarm.
Several times the soldiers passed Berel's house, but never came in to search it. After hours of searching without any results, the troop left again.
Days later, Berel noticed the chest in the little closet. Months passed and Berel had almost forgotten about the chest when he noticed it again. Since nobody came to claim it, he decided to look inside. He was amazed to find it filled with money, in paper and coins, and realized that it was obviously the treasury of the invading battalion. The thought came to Berel's mind that ה‘ must have, after all, accepted his תפילה and made him rich! Berel immediately counted out 2,000 rubles and left immediately for Chernobil. With a happy smile on his face, Berel came to the Rebbe and placed the money on his table. The Rebbe did not seem very surprised, though he was obviously pleased.
"Where did you get the money, Berel?" the Rebbe asked. So Berel told him the whole story.
The Rebbe then said to Berel, "It had been revealed to me that you were supposed to become rich. The only problem was that you had never davened for riches. In שמים they wanted to hear a תפילה from you, at least one little תפילה , that you wanted to be rich. So I decided to help out. The rest you know. Now that your תפילה was accepted and you have become a rich man, I suggest that you move to a larger town and become a wholesale merchant, and ה‘ will bless you with הצלחה . However, remember, Berel, that riches can be a harder test than being poor. Be careful that you should be worthy of ה‘ 's trust in you."
(Adapted from the L’chaim Newsletter)
See the printable version of Connections for incredible fun pages!
Last Week's Winners:
Level 1:
Michel Minkowitz, age 7 from Montreal, Quebec &
Sara Rivkin, age 6 from New Orleans, Louisiana
Level 2:
Levi Greenberg, age 10 from Anchorage, Alaska &
Nechama Bell, age 11 from Montreal, Quebec
We'd love to hear your feedback! Send us your comments, ideas and suggestions to: connections@shluchim.org
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