Volume 2
Issue 24

The Connections people
 

With many thanks to our generous sponsors:
  Chinuch Yaldei Hashluchim:
Rabbi & Mrs.
Mendel & Sara Shemtov  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 TAZRIA-METZORAH

Do you get goose pimples when you are scared, or a nervous stomach when you are excited? Isn't that strange? After all, it's your mind and heart that feel excitement or fear. Why do your hands and stomach react in this way?
Hashem created our bodies to be sensitive and to react to the things which we think and feel.
The Torah tells us that there was a time when people were so sensitive, that they could actually see a change on their skin because of something they said. When a person would speak bad things (lashon horah) about other people over and over again, blotches of discolored skin, tzoraas, would appear on his body. The Torah calls this person a metzora. Metzora is short for motzi shem ra - saying bad things about someone else.
Tzoraas is a type of tumah, impurity, from which the metzora had to purify himself. If a person discovered it on his body, he had to leave the entire camp of the Jewish people and follow the Torah's instructions for purifying himself. He separated one Jew from another, therefore, the Torah tells him that he must stay away from the rest of the people until he becomes purified.
If the metzora has to stay alone, away from everyone else, who is going to help him become pure? A kohen. Kohanim are kind and loving Ahavas Yisrael Jews. Listen carefully to Birkas Kohanim in shul. The kohanim say: "Baruch Atah Hashem...who has commanded us to bless His nation, Yisrael, with love."
The metzora did not show Ahavas Yisrael when he spoke badly of others. He needs to be shown the right way to act - and kohanim, with their strong love for their fellow Jews, can do this job best. Because he cares for another Jew, even a metzora, the kohen goes out from the Beis HaMikdash, the holiest place in the world. He walks outside the city, to the place where the metzora is staying, to help him become pure and come back to his community with more ahavas Yisrael than he had before.

‘Please Tell Me What the Rebbe Said’
(Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 27)

 

 

Wow!  It’s great to have my real name back at last!
One week and five days, one week and six days, two weeks . . . Every time I’m waiting for something really exciting, like my birthday or summer vacation, I count the days until it comes. Right now we’re in middle of counting down to a very important date on the calendar. That’s right! It’s the Yom Tov of Shavuos when we receive the Torah. Our Yomim Tovim aren’t like other people’s, that are celebrations of things that happened long ago; we actually re-experience the events of the Yomim Tovim each year. On Pesach we really feel like free men who left Mitzrayim (I even got a sunburn from the desert) and on Shavuos we really accept the Torah all over again. Now, during the days of Sefirah when we count down to Shavuos, we need to prepare to receive the Torah.
One of the best ways to get ready for receiving the Torah is by increasing in Ahavas Yisroel and if anyone’s an expert on Ahavas Yisroel, it’s me. I’m Dr. Getzel, eye doctor and seeing specialist and I love helping people see things clearer and brighter.
When you meet people for the first time, what do you notice first? Do you notice if their hair is a funny color or if their voice is too squeaky? Do you check if their teeth are too big or if there’s a ketchup stain on the front of their shirt? Well, whenever I meet people I don’t see anything! That’s because I practice Not-Seeing-Vision.
I learned how to use the Not-Seeing-Vision a long time ago. One day my Zaidy Zelig took me to the park. When we were there, we met a boy who had the biggest nose I’d ever seen. I’ve seen people with big noses before but this one was something special. I could have probably stood under it in a rainstorm and not gotten wet!  As I stared at the boy’s gigantic nose, I started to giggle and then to chuckle and before I knew it, I was rolling on the floor from laughter, leaving the poor fellow blushing and wondering what he did wrong.
After that my Zaidy Zelig gave me some good seeing advice. He told me that sometimes, the best seeing is NO seeing. He explained how every single Yid has a Neshama and we need to ignore their outside appearance and look at the special Neshama that they have inside.  The Rebbe was very good at Not-Seeing-Vision. All sorts of interesting people used to come to the Rebbe by dollars. The Rebbe treated each one with love and attention no matter how they looked. On Shlichus, you Kid-Shluchim have a special chance to learn from the Rebbe and practice Not-Seeing-Vision all the time.  Whenever people come to your Chabad House or shul, even though they may look different or strange to you, you can use your Not-Seeing-Vision and welcome them with a smile.

Bye 'till next time,
Dr. Getz

Yossi Klein, age 11
Memphis, Tennessee

My name is Yossi Klein. I am 11 years old. I am a shliach in Memphis, Tennessee. Where I live we are the only shluchim. For now we have a shul in our house and have about 30 people coming.
I have 3 brothers and 1 sister. I am the second one in the family. With all of us together we are Shluchim of the Rebbe. The reason I do have some Lubavitch friends is because last winter I went to Camp Gan Yisroel in Arizona with my older brother.
In my shul we have davening every Shabbos. I like to help people around our Shul. We have a lot of programs. For all the Yomim Tovim we have a party in our backyard. We just had a Shabbaton with over 100 people and soon will be my brother’s Bar Mitzvah. I help my parents set up for all our events.
Every year we also have a humongous Purim Seudah with normally about 300 people. Last year we made an 8 foot menorah out of lego on Chanukah. We have also made menorah's out of ice and balloons. We have also had Avraham Fried, Yehuda Glantz, Sam Glaser, and the Moscow Jewish Male Choir come and sing for us.
Other than being a Rabbi my father is a Mohel and a Mashgiach. I like to be my father’s helper. Last Chanukah, my father actually got to meet President Bush and have a Chanukah meal in the White House.
I like to do my job. I feel happy when I do things to help my parents. That can mean from helping in the kitchen for Shabbos to vacuuming the shul. I am proud to be a shliach of the Rebbe here!

ב' אייר

Birthday of the רבי מהר"ש

The fourth Rebbe, ר‘ שמואל Schneersohn, known as the רבי מהר“ש , was born in the town of Lubavitch on ב‘ אייר תקצ“ד (1884). His father, the צמח צדק once remarked that ר‘ שמואל 's birthday, which falls on the 17th day of the עומר , is described by קבלה as תפארת שבתפארת (Beauty of the Beauty).

Even though ר‘ שמואל was the youngest of ר‘ מנחם מענדל 's seven sons, he was chosen to become Rebbe after his father passed away.  He lived in the town of Lubavitch. Besides leading his חסידים , guiding them and giving them advice in both their רוחניות and גשמיות lives and writing many מאמרים , ר‘ שמואל travelled a great deal throughout Europe, meeting with government and business leaders to put pressure on the Czar and the government to stop instigating pogroms against the Jews of Russia.

ר‘ שמואל passed away at age 47 on י“ג תשרי תרמ“ג (1882).

Friday ל' ניסן
שבת - א' אייר

• I remembered to daven the special parts in שבת מוסף for שבת ראש חודש . (שבת )
• I remembered to say יעלה ויבא in שמונה עשרה and in bentching. (Friday & שבת )
• I remembered to say הלל after שמונה עשרה . (Friday & שבת )
• I remembered to daven  מוסף . (Friday)
• I remembered to say ברכי נפשי after the  שיר של יום . (Friday & שבת )
• (For Girls) I didn’t sew or do any laundry. (Friday)

 

תזריע

In פרשת תזריע we are given the מצוה of ברית מילה . Why is the ceremony called ברית מילה ?

There are 613 מצוות in the תורה ; one of them is the מצוה of a ברית מילה . On the eighth day, the child fulfils the מצוה of מילה but still has 612 מצוות to fulfil. The word "ברית " whose גימטריא is 612, reminds the child of all the other מצוות he will אי“ה come to fulfil.

מצורע

In פרשת מצורע we are taught about how if a person spoke לשון הרע they would get צרעת .

The מדרש tells us that once ר‘ שמעון בן גמליאל sent his servant to the market and said, "Bring me the best thing you can find." The servant came back with a tongue.

Another time, ר‘ שמעון בן גמליאל said to his servant, "Go to the market and bring me the worst thing you can find." Again, the servant returned with a tongue.

ר‘ שמעון בן גמליאל was surprised and asked his servant, "How come you brought me a tongue as the best thing you could find, and again a tongue as the worst?" The servant replied, "There is nothing better than a tongue that speaks good and nothing worse than a tongue that speaks evil."

(Adapted from ‘Vedibarta Bam)

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