Parshas Bereishis

Chof Hei Tishrei 5765

 

Volume 2
Issue 1

Past Connections     
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English Connections
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Yiddish Connections

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

Connections
Proof-Readers:

Rabbi A. Lipsey
Mrs. G. Junik
Rabbi L. Zirkind
 

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 BEREISHIS

Everyone around the Kaplans' Shabbos table was listening attentively to their neighbor, Mr. Wolf, who had just come back from a visit to Eretz Yisrael. It was exciting to listen to him because the way he described places and people made you feel as if you had been right there with him.

You could tell that Mr. Wolf really loved Eretz Yisrael. He spoke about the courageous people who live in dangerous areas and the brave soldiers who protect them.

"They have such emunah and bitachon!" he exclaimed. "They are so determined to make their homes even in those faraway, isolated settlements. What's more, they are b'simchah! Can you imagine? When I asked one family how they manage with constant worry and concern for safety, they replied: "Worry? We are satisfied and busy with our lives, and we feel honored to have the privilege of fulfilling the mitzvah of yishuv ha'aretz - settling the land. Why should we waste our energy on worrying?"

"What do the children do?" Shternie asked. "With such danger lurking, they probably stay inside near their parents most of the time."

"Oh, no!" replied Mr. Wolf. "There is no way anybody can keep those kids indoors. They play everywhere as if all of Eretz Yisrael were their own back yard! Ah, if only that time would only come. After so many years and so much effort, the situation is still the same. Wars don't solve the problem; the so called "peace process" doesn't work. How else can we convince the world that this land is ours?"

"By looking into the first Rashi in Bereishis!" responded Shternie knowingly.

Mr. Wolf looked at her quizzically.

"Let me explain," said Rabbi Kaplan. "Rashi begins his commentary on the Torah with a question: why does the Torah begin with the details of creation? If Hashem's purpose in giving us the Torah was to tell us how He wants us to live our lives, the Torah should have begun by teaching us about mitzvos. Instead, the Torah begins with 'Bereishis boroh Elokim es hashomayim v'es ha'aretz' - 'In the beginning Hashem created the heaven and the earth.'

"Rashi answers this question, saying that there will come a time when the nations of the world will accuse the Jews, saying: 'You are thieves. You have taken the land which belongs to the seven nations by force.' Rashi instructs the Jewish people to answer: 'We are not thieves. This land, and the entire world, belongs to it’s creator, Hashem, as is described in the beginning of the Torah. When He wished, He gave it to the seven nations who lived there. Later, He wished to take it away from them and to give it to us.' "

"This is what we need to tell the world," emphasized Rabbi Kaplan. "Instead of searching for magical solutions, we should be true to our Torah and present our point honestly and with determination. We don't have to be embarrassed or afraid to tell the world Hashem's very first message in the Torah.

"There is also an important lesson that every Jew can learn from the words Eretz Yisrael. The word ‘eretz’ is connected to the Hebrew word ‘ratzon’ - to want. Each letter in the word Yisrael is a first letter in the phrase, Yesh Shishim Riboh Osios LaTorah - ''There are six hundred thousand letters in the Torah.'

"Am Yisrael is commanded to conquer Eretz Yisrael. Besides actually entering and taking over the land, our daily avodah is to really want (eretz/ratzon) to fulfill all that is written in the Torah (Yisrael). This is our goal; at times it does not come so easy. Just as the Jewish people had to wage war and conquer Eretz Yisrael, so we must make the effort to overcome whatever might stand in our way of wanting to do what the Torah says."

(Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. X)

 
 

Who in the Torah did not have a father or mother?

___ ___ ___

 

Please send your answers to connections@shluchim.org
 

Last weeks’ brain buster: My first is 8. My second begins with a tree.

Answer: שמיני עצרת

Congratulations to Mendel Fischer from Augusta, Georgia for solving the Brain Buster.



The Chinuch Yaldei Hashluchim division of the
Shluchim Office would like to introduce the

 

The Yaldei Hashluchim Forum

 

Designed as a special forum to encourage the Yaldei Hashluchim, and to communicate Chasidishkiet, Hiskashrus, and a warm feeling for their Shlichus.

 

The Yaldei Hashluchim Forum works as follows:

 

  • The forum is open to all children ages 7-12

    There is a separate     boys forum and a girls forum (the forum is programmed by the computer that each child can only enter the forum of his/her gender)
    Each child has his/her individual login and password
     

  • The forum will be secured and moderated

 

We have created a username and password for Shluchim to check out the posts. Please do not post with this username and password!

 

Girls Forum: Username: test  Password: test

Boys Forum: Username: test2  Password: test2

 

 

Instructions for Shluchim to make a username and password for their children:


1. Go to www.shluchim.org/profile


2. Sign in with your user name and password on the bottom of the Shluchim.org screen.  (If you are not registered, click register now and fill out your information)


3. After you are signed in, click on MY PROFILE on the top right of the shluchim.org  screen


4. In MY PROFILE, on the left hand side, click on MY KIDS INFORMATION


5. If you have your children on the list, click edit. 
Make sure all your children’s information is correct
Birthday, gender, school, e-mail address, etc.
Please include a picture of your child which will be used in the Kids Forum.

 

6. Create a shluchimkids.org username/login and password for your child (ex. Mushka770, MMSeattle etc.)

As soon as all the above information is entered, your child/ren will be able to post his/her topics on the forum  – www.shluchimkids.org/kidsforum

 

For questions, comments and feedback e-mail cyh@shluchim.org.

Miriam Broche Grunblatt, 9
Buenos Aires, Argentina

My name is Miriam Broche Grunblatt. I am 9 years old, and live in Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina. Spanish is the country’s language. My father is a Shliach, the Director of Kehot Publications in Spanish. He translates and prepares seforim for printing. Thanks to his Shlichus, people in many countries around the world that need sforim in Spanish can now daven and understand what they say, study chassidus, read chassidishe stories, etc. He does the Spanish translations for JEM’s weekly DVDs of the Rebbe. Together with my Mother, he also prepared beautiful books for children to learn while they color and play.

“Kehot” has here a huge seforim store, including Judaica and games for children. It is a big kidush Hashem. All the furniture is on wheels, and every second Tuesday they are moved aside and the store becomes a big hall where my mother makes breakfasts so women can hear more about Yiddishkait.

I help too: to set the tables and clean them, giving out brochures, helping with cooking, and whatever is needed.

Boruch Hashem, we have here a Chabad School and we learn 4 hours Limudei Koidesh and 4 hours Limudey Chol. I have lots of frum friends. Many of them are Tzeirei Hashluchos, since in Argentina there are a lot of Chabad Houses and Shluchim.

I like to play cards, or a game called “tutti fruti”. I Love to sing. I am proud to be able to bring people closer to Yddishkait.

I hope to get to know all of you in Beish HaMikdosh, when Moshiach comes very soon!


There are people who claim that 613 מצוות are too many. If there were less, it would be easier for them to keep all the מצוות . אדם , on the day of creation had only one מצוה , which unfortunately he did not keep. This teaches us that it doesn’t matter how many מצוות a person has to observe, he must realise that the יצר הרע will always try to find a way to trap him into doing עבירות . ה ‘ did not give us too much to do. He gave us 613 מצוות knowing that it is the amount a איד is capable of doing.

Two people, each carrying a sack weighing 100 pounds, were climbing a mountain. One was extremely happy, the other very sad. Someone who was walking past asked each one if he could add to his sack. The happy one said, "of course," and the other one replied, "oh no!" It turned out that the happy one was carrying valuable gems, and the other a sack full of rocks.

Every איד is supposed to "climb the mountain" through doing תורה and מצוות . When a person considers תורה and מצוות a sack of gems, he "carries" it happily, and his יצר הרע cannot stop him. If he views תורה and מצוות as a difficult burden, he moans all the way and his יצר הרע can easily influence him.


This Shabbos is שבת מברכים חודש חשון

  • שבת morning I made sure to say תהילים . (Remember to say your quota for the World-Wide Tehillim club)  
  • I went to S hul and made the special ברכה for the new month of חשון . (The ברכה can be found in the סידור after שחרית for שבת )

ראש חודש חשון

Wednesday - ל ‘ תשרי & Thursday א ‘ חשון

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




There are people who claim that 613 מצוות are too many. If there were less, it would be easier for them to keep all the מצוות . אדם , on the day of creation had only one מצוה , which unfortunately he did not keep. This teaches us that it doesn’t matter how many מצוות a person has to observe, he must realise that the יצר הרע will always try to find a way to trap him into doing עבירות . ה ‘ did not give us too much to do. He gave us 613 מצוות knowing that it is the amount a איד is capable of doing.

Two people, each carrying a sack weighing 100 pounds, were climbing a mountain. One was extremely happy, the other very sad. Someone who was walking past asked each one if he could add to his sack. The happy one said, "of course," and the other one replied, "oh no!" It turned out that the happy one was carrying valuable gems, and the other a sack full of rocks.

Every איד is supposed to "climb the mountain" through doing תורה and מצוות . When a person considers תורה and מצוות a sack of gems, he "carries" it happily, and his יצר הרע cannot stop him. If he views תורה and מצוות as a difficult burden, he moans all the way and his יצר הרע can easily influence him.


A very special event took place in the month of חשון : The אידן finished building the first בית המקדש - the place where ה ‘ ’s שכינה came to rest. All of the אידן had a share in this great accomplishment. Do you remember learning how all the אידן contributed their gifts and talents to the משכן that משה רבינו made? In the same way, all of the אידן helped build the בית המקדש in the time of שלמה המלך .

The month of חשון has a special ברכה : Just as the first בית המקדש was completed in this month, so too, the third בית המקדש which we are all waiting for will be built in the month of חשון .

The mission of the month of חשון is clear: Every איד can and must take part in the building of the third בית המקדש during this special month.

You may ask, “But how can we build the בית המקדש while we are still in גלות ?” We can build it by increasing in everything good and holy, by learning תורה and doing מצוות in the best and most beautiful way. We must also influence other אידן to do the same, for the love and unity of the אידן is a great teaching in the תורה . We must spread אידישקייט everywhere, just as holiness spreads out from the בית המקדש to the whole world.

If we do all of this in the month that has a special ברכה for the building of the בית המקדש , we will surely merit to see the actual building of the third בית המקדש , quickly in our days, ממש .

 

ר ‘ יהודה הלוי , the great Jewish poet from Spain had a non-Jewish neighbour who was also a poet. His neighbour was in fact an atheist—he did not believe in ה ‘ . He insisted that the world had come into being all by itself. ר ‘ יהודה הלוי had many discussions with his neighbour but could not manage to convince him that he was making a silly mistake.

One day the non-Jewish poet wrote a beautiful piece of poetry but he could not manage to finish it off. As hard as he tried, he just could not think of a way to end his poem - his mind had gone totally blank. He decided to take a walk around a nearby park to try and refresh himself.

At that moment, ר ‘ יהודה הלוי passed by the poet’s house and noticed the sheet of paper lying on the desk right by the open window. He leaned over and began reading the unfinished poem. On the spot, ר ‘ יהודה הלוי thought up a perfect ending to the piece of work and filled it in himself.

When the non-Jewish poet returned from his walk, he went straight back to his desk to try to finish off his poem. There was his masterpiece perfectly completed! He could hardly believe his eyes! He knew that he had not written those beautiful lines. Who had? He wondered to himself. Still surprised he ran over to his neighbour and told him about the strange incident.

‘Why are you so surprised?’ ר ‘ יהודה said to him calmly. ‘The poem obviously wrote itself.’

‘You know that such a thing is impossible!’ The non-Jew said seriously. ‘Don’t joke,’ such a work of art does not come into being by itself!’

‘Aha!’ shouted ר ‘ יהודה excitedly. ‘You admit that a poem does not write itself. That is true! But neither does such a magnificent beautiful world like we live in, create itself. There is a G-d in charge who controls everything!’

The non-Jewish poet finally admitted defeat. The world had been created by ה ‘ .

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A non-Jew once came to רבי עקיבא and asked ‘Who created the world?’

‘ הקדוש ברוך הוא , of course!’ replied רבי עקיבא .

‘Prove it,’ demanded the non-Jew.

‘Come back to me tomorrow and I will give you proof.’ said רבי עקיבא .

On the following day when the non-Jew arrived, רבי עקיבא asked him what he was wearing.

‘A suit, of course.’ replied the non-Jew.

‘Who made it?’ asked רבי עקיבא .

‘A tailor!’ answered the non-Jew.

רבי עקיבא shook his head. ‘I don't believe you! Prove it to me!’

The non-Jew started getting angry. ‘What proof do you need? Don’t you realise that only a tailor could have made this garment?!’

‘And don't you know,’ רבי עקיבא answered back, ‘that only ה ‘ could have—and did—create the world?!’

The non-Jew nodded his head and left.

רבי עקיבא ’s תלמידים then turned to their teacher and asked, ‘Tell us what is the real proof?’

רבי עקיבא answered, ‘My dear students, just as house testifies to the builder who constructed it and the suit to the tailor who sewed it and the door to the carpenter who made it—so does the world testify and announce to all that only הקדוש ברוך הוא created it.’


See the printable version of Connections for incredible fun pages!

Last Week's Winners:

Sholom Posner, age 10 from Boston, MA
& Mendy Zippel, age 12 from Salt Lake City, Utah

We'd love to hear your feedback! Send us your comments, ideas and suggestions to: connections@shluchim.org
 

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