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PARSHAS BECHUKOSAI

       Once the Mitteler Rebbe was sent on a mission by his father. On his way he had to spend Shabbos in a small town. Of course, the chassidim in the town were happy to be able to host such a great person. On Shabbos morning in Shul they were very surprised when, during Krias HaTorah, the Mitteler Rebbe fainted.

After the Mitteler Rebbe regained consciousness, the chassidim asked if they should call a doctor.

"No," replied the Mitteler Rebbe. "I am not sick. I fainted because I was shocked by the severe words in the Torah reading."

The chassidim knew that the tochachah, the pesukim which describe how HaShem will punish people who do not observe His mitzvos, is indeed severe. Still they didn't understand. "Surely, you have heard this portion before. What disturbed you so much this time?" they asked the Mitteler Rebbe.

The Mitteler Rebbe answered, "It's as if I've never heard these words before. Until today, I always heard this portion read by my father. Today, it sounded so different."

Didn't the Alter Rebbe read the same words? Why did it sound so different this time?

The strong words of the tochachah didn't sound so severe to the Mitteler Rebbe because he heard it from his father.

And every Jew is able to hear the tochachah in the very same way if he listens closely, remembering the words are coming from our Father, HaShem.

Our fathers do everything they can for our good. Sometimes we understand how the things they do help us, and sometimes we don't. No matter what happens, we do know that our fathers want to help us.

The same is true about HaShem. Everything that HaShem does is a blessing. Sometimes we can see His blessings immediately and sometimes we don't, but everything HaShem does is for our own good.

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

Dear Junior Shluchim all over the world,

I’m late again. It happens to me all the time. I’m always late, and sometimes too late. Like the time I won an award at the National Galaxy for Seeing Professional Professors, but I came too late, and they gave my prize (a super loud, super fast, talking, squeaking designer watch) to someone else.

Usually I’m late by mistake, because I just figured out a brilliant theory for lens making, and I just have to test it right away. Usually, I’m late by mistake, but sometimes, I do it on purpose (Shhh… don’t tell anybody). Like when I have a dentist appointment, for example, I always make sure to come late, hoping the dentist will forget to fill my cavity. Or when I have a flight, I like to come exactly nineteen seconds before the plane leaves, which I think is right on time, but the flight attendants always frown and squiggle their eyebrows and tell me I’m “very late”.

But when it comes to time for davening, I’m right on time; in fact, I’m 2/3 of a second early. And I start Shabbos on time (and finish it a little late); I put on tefilin on time, and I bentch on time. But there are other Mitzvos that I sometimes forget, and that makes me very sad.

Then I get excited because Pesach Sheini tells us that we always have another chance; it’s never too late. And although Pesach Sheni was last Monday, I‘m talking about it a few days late because it’s Pesach Sheini, and I want to remind everyone that even if they are late, they still have another chance.

And I didn’t make it up. It’s not one of my theories. In fact, it’s in the Torah. On the 14^th of Nissan, some people were tamei and couldn’t bring the Korban Pesach on time. Hashem didn’t say “too bad”; in fact, Hashem gave them a second chance and said they could bring it again on the 14^th of Iyar. Some of these people were tamei by mistake, but some of them were maybe even tamei on purpose, and still Hashem gave them another chance.

Things like this make me feel very good, because when I make a little mistake, and I forget to buy Mrs. Getzel flowers for Shabbos, or fall behind in my Rambam, then I know that Torah gives me another chance.

But Iowa never gives me another chance. If I forget to put out the garbage on Tuesday morning, they don’t come again on Wednesday morning; no, they make me keep my garbage a whole week long. And if I miss my flight, there is no refund. And if I miss the National Galaxy for Seeing Professional Professors, I don’t get my award, (the super loud, super fast, talking, squeaking designer watch).

But don’t worry, because for the things that really matter (Torah things), we do have another chance. If you ever make a mistake, you can fix it up. It’s never too late.

So long, talk to you later, (it’s never too late, right?)

Dr. Getzel

פרקי אבות

שבת after מנחה

פרק  רביעי

Remember to count

ספירת העומר!

Tzvi Hersh Alperowitz, age 8

Bournmouth, England

Hi my name is Tzvi Hersh Alperowitz. I am 8 years old and I’m in 4^th grade

I live in Bournemouth (England). I speak English and Yiddish.

In Bournemouth it is most times sunny and sometimes there is a cold breeze.

There are two kosher shops in Bournemouth and one restaurant. There is an orthodox community in Bournemouth and sometimes we make a minyan in our Chabad House.

Our Chabad House used to be a hotel so it is very big.  It has 4 floors and 2 kitchens, one Milchik and one Fleishik. The Chabad House is near the beach and you could see the beach out of the window.

My parents have a Tzivos Hashem club and a Seminary.

In our family there are seven children: 3 boys and 4 girls. the order is like this: Mendel, Bentzion, Mushkie, Gitty, me, Bassie, and Esti.

My brother Mendel goes to Yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael and Bentzion won the Rambam competition to go to Florida. Me and my brother and my two sisters go to school in London and stay with my grandparents. We go to London on Sunday and come back on Thursday. In school I learn Chumash and Mishnayos and I learnt the whole Mesechtes Brachos and two Perokim of Sukka by heart.

The main reason why I like Shlichus is because that’s what the Rebbe wants. Some people wonder why we don’t move to London or America but I know why.  It’s because we are doing what the Rebbe wants.  We are on Shlichus.

ל“ג בעומר - ח“י אייר

ל“ג בעומר, the 33rd day of the עומר, is a festive day for the אידן, which we celebrate with outings, bonfires, and other joyous events. It is the יארצייט of רבי שמעון בר יוחאי. Many people visit his קבר in מירון, ארץ ישראל.

רבי שמעון בר יוחאי, wrote the זוהר, and was one of the greatest teachers of קבלה. On the day that he passed away רבי שמעון told his תלמידים not to be sad, rather they should celebrate this day with joy. To this day ל“ג בעומר is celebrated with much joy.

ל“ג בעומר also commemorates another joyous event. The גמרא tells us that in the weeks between פסח and שבועות a plague spread amongst the students of the great רבי עקיבא "because they did not act respectfully towards each other", 24,000 students passed away. That is why these weeks are observed as a period of mourning, when we don’t listen to music or take haircuts. On ל“ג בעומר the plague stopped and no more students died. Therefore ל“ג בעומר is a day that teaches the importance of אהבת ישראל.
 

פרק רביעי

בן זומא אומר...איזהו עשיר השמח בחלקו

The word "עשיר" - "rich" - is ראשי תיבות for ענים - eyes - שנים - teeth - ידים - hands - and רגלים - feet. ה‘ has given these as a gift to us and expects us to use them for learning תורה, davenning and doing מצוות.

The eyes should be used for learning תורה and looking favorably at other אידן. With our teeth we should eat only Kosher food and speak nicely about other people. Our hands should be used to give צדקה and to help anyone in need. With our feet we should go to shul and to yeshivah.

A person who has "healthy" eyes, teeth, hands and feet is indeed rich and should be grateful to ה‘. One who is content with ה‘'s gift and who uses his body exactly as ה‘ wants is truly an עשיר - a wealthy person.

(Adapted from Vedibarta Bam)

On ל“ג בעומר Jewish children go on outings to fields or parks. Since everything is בהשגחה פרטית, there must be an inner connection between ל“ג בעומר and outings to parks.

Let us understand more about this connection.

ל“ג בעומר, as you know, is רבי שמעון בר יוחאי’s day of rejoicing. In the very beginning of his book, the זוהר, רבי שמעון  writes about children and about flowers growing in a field.

First, Rabbi Shimon explains that when Jewish children learn  תורהthey uphold the world. Then he quotes the פסוק ‘The buds were seen in the land.’ This פסוק is about the creation of the world, for, ‘When were the buds seen in the land? On the third day of creation when the earth began to grow grass and trees.’

Where do Jewish children see the earth growing grass and trees? In parks and fields of course!

When the children are on their ל“ג בעומר trips in the fields and parks, they should remember רבי שמעון’s words in the זוהר about the creation of the world. They must realize that they see grass and trees and buds blooming only because on the third day of creation, Hashem said ‘Let the earth bring forth a covering of grass, fruit trees producing fruit.’

Looking at the trees around them, Jewish children remember another פסוק: ‘כי האדם עץ השדה’ -  ‘A person is like a tree in the field.’ Every Jewish child can grow at all times, just as a tree is always growing. And just like a fruit-bearing tree, a Jewish child should produce good fruit תורה - and מצות.

(The Rebbe Speaks to Children, ל“ג בעומר,תשמ“ב)

ל“ג בעומר

It's ל“ג בעומר, and bonfires burn brightly all over ארץ ישראל as well as in many other places throughout the world, as we celebrate the יארצייט of the great צדיק, רבי שמעון בר יוחאי. The little village of מירון near צפת is buzzing with happy activity as hundreds of little three-year old boys gather with their families for their first haircuts. They are following the instructions of רבי שמעון  himself, who asked his תלמידים to be very happy on his יארצייט. This מנהג has been passed throughout hundreds of generations to this very day.

But while we remember רבי שמעון  with festive gatherings, the terrible times in which he lived were filled with suffering. The Romans were the rulers of ארץ ישראל and their aim was to stamp out אידישקייט. רבי עקיבא and the other חכמים continued teaching their תלמידים even though if they were caught, they would be punished and killed.

One of the greatest and most beloved of רבי עקיבא's תלמידים was רבי שמעון.  Even while his master, Rabbi Akiva, was in prison, רבי שמעון visited him to take care of him and to continue learning תורה.

Once, during those difficult days, רבי שמעון sat with רבי יהודה and רבי יוסי בן חלפתא, discussing the Roman rule. רבי יהודה spoke first saying, "The Romans aren't all bad. They have done many wonderful things - they have built beautiful cities, bridges and roads, which all make life easier for us." רבי יוסי  shook his head in disagreement, but said nothing. Only רבי שמעון spoke up in. "How can you say that? Why, everything they have done was only to satisfy their own greedy desires.”

But, someone was sitting nearby and repeated the whole conversation to the Roman authorities. Because of that, רבי שמעון and his son אלעזר were forced to escape. They eventually found a hidden cave where they stayed for twelve years, constantly learning תורה. They achieved a very high level of קדושה.

When they came out, רבי שמעון started a yeshiva in the village of תקוע in the גליל. There, the most brilliant תלמידים of that time, including רבי יהודה, gathered to learn Torah from רבי שמעון. Amid the silvery olive groves they learned not only the revealed תורה, but the hidden parts of תורה as well.

The גמרא tells a story about רבי שמעון's תלמידים.  One of his תלמידים became very rich in a foreign country. When he returned, his fellow תלמידים were eager to do the same as he had, and also become very rich. רבי שמעון took his תלמידים into a valley and davenned that the valley fill up with gold. When his תפילה was answered, he told the תלמידים that they could take as much gold as they wished. The only thing was that whatever they took would be subtracted from their reward in עולם הבא. The students learned the lesson well. They put back whatever they had taken, realizing that gold is not the real treasure.

In the later part of his life the other חכמים asked רבי שמעון to travel to Rome to ask the Emperor, to stop the bad decrees.

The גמרא tells us how he succeeded. When רבי שמעון arrived in Rome, the daughter of the Emperor was gravely ill. No doctor had been able to cure her, and it seemed that she would die. רבי שמעון was able to cure her, and as a reward, the Emperor offered him his choice of a precious object from the royal treasure house. רבי שמעון went in and was able to find the scrolls that contained the evil decrees. He took them and tore them up in front of the Emperor. In this way, the אידן were able to give their baby boys a ברית מילה and to keep שבת once again.

(Adapted from L’chaim Weekly)
 

Last Week's Winners:

Level 1:
Efraim Schmukler, 6; Albuquerque, New Mexico &
Mushka Muller, 8; Ilford, England

Level 2:
Chavi Konikov, 10; Satellite Beach, Florida &
Chaya Mushka Moskowitz, 10; Kharkov, Ukraine

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