Volume 1
Issue 43

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 MATOS

"Hello, Shaindy. How was your first day at camp?"

"It was great, Mommy," burbled Shaindy excitedly. "We had such a good time that I don't feel sorry anymore about not going to overnight camp."

"Who is your counselor? Is she nice?"

"Oh Mommy! She's the best! At first, we were really disappointed. She seemed so strict. She kept talking about all the camp rules. She wouldn't let us play on the roof, and she said shiur time was going to be just like class.

"But then we saw that she wasn't just being firm because she was a not nice person. We asked to have extra swim time and the swimming counselor said 'No' at first. Then Leah, our counselor, became very insistent, just as firm as she was when she spoke about the rules. She convinced the swimming counselor and we had a ball.

"And you know, Mommy, it really wasn't so bad to have shiur like class. Everybody was quiet and listened. Leah is really as good as Morah Chani."

Shaindy's counselor seems like the type of person who has learned a lesson from the name of Parshas Mattos.

In this parshah, the Torah lists the numbers of the Jewish people, counting them by tribe. The tribes are called mattos, which means "staffs," because the head of each tribe carried a staff of leadership. The tribes are also called shevatim, which means "rods."

What is the difference between a rod and a staff? Both are sticks, but a rod can be bent, while a staff is firm and hard.

A rod is a stick which has been freshly cut or is still connected to the tree from which it grew. But a staff is a stick which has been cut from its tree a long time ago. Over time, it has become dry, hard and firm.

Before our neshamos come to this world they are like rods - connected to Hashem and easily bending in the direction of His holiness. But here, our neshamos are enclosed in bodies and are like staffs - Hashem's holiness is not easily felt.

But that doesn't mean that being hard and firm is bad. Just like Shaindy's counselor, Leah, who showed the girls that firmness can be good, our neshamos need to be strong in this world so that we can fulfill Hashem's will.

‘Please Tell Me What The Rebbe Said’

(Adapted from Lekutei Sichos, Vol XVIII)

Mendel Backman, 9
College Park, Maryland

Hi, my name is Mendel Backman, and I am on Shlichus on campus in College Park Maryland . I have three siblings. Their names are Yossel, Chaiky and Beryl. On Shabbos night we have about 120 students for the meal, and about 25 people on Shabbos day. In the summer we have minyanim almost every Shabbos. On Yomtov we have minyanim and meals. We have activities such as making your own Shofar, lunch and learn with faculty, Bagels, Lox and Teffilin (BLT) which is where my Tatty puts on Teffilin with students while the students eat a lunch of bagels and lox, Succah Mobile on campus, and lots of other things. I love going with my siblings and Tatty to help students do lots of Mitzvos. My parents have been on Shluchos on campus for 10 years. I have been in the newspaper helping students do Mitzvos. I love being on Shlichus, and giving the Rebbe Nachas, and bringing Moshiach closer. AMEN.

 

משה said to the children of גד and the children of ראובן , Should your brothers go out to battle while you settle here?

QUESTION: If they were settling in a different land, what was the problem with not taking part in the war for ארץ ישראל ?

ANSWER: Though the אידן are spread out in many parts of the world, they are strongly united and care for one another. So, when something not good happens to a איד in any part of the world, other אידן throughout the world worry about them too.

משה was not questioning if what they wanted to do was right, but rather saying to them, "Considering how אידן feel for each other, it would be impossible for you to sit calmly and enjoy your land on the other side of the ירדן when at the same time your brothers are at war."

T he same is now, when our fellow אידן in ארץ ישראל are going through a hard time, we feel concern for them, even though we live in many different parts of the world.

שבת morning I made sure to say תהילים . (Remember to keep up your quota even though there’s no World-Wide Tehillim club this week)  

I went to shul and made the special ברכה for the new month of אב . (The ברכה can be found in the סידור after שחרית for שבת)

רבי משה בן נחמן (known as the רמב “ ן), was a great favorite of the King of Spain , and was often invited to the palace to have discussions with him. One day, as they were speaking, the Cardinal (a very important person in the goyishe religion) entered the room. He stood watching for some time, and although he was careful not to show it, the Cardinal was very, very angry. How could the king be close to a Jew? At that very moment, the Cardinal promised to himself to destroy the Rabbi.

Several days later, when the king was alone, the Cardinal dropped in. He began to speak about how the Jewish people used to be very great. "In days gone by they had great men of wisdom and prophecy. Where are they now?" "Quite so," agreed the king. "There are no great Jews today."

The Cardinal, happy that the King was listening to him, began to talk bad about the גמרא . "You see, Your Majesty, ever since the Jews have been studying that גמרא , which is filled with all kinds of foolishness, they have become fools themselves! These books prevent them from accepting the true faith."

The king listened closely and then asked, "How could they be convinced to give up this study?" "They will never do it! The Jews are a stubborn people. The only chance is to forbid the study of גמרא and punish those who do by killing them!"

The king began to believe the Cardinal. He agreed to ban the גמרא , never suspected that this was a clever plot to destroy the רמב “ ן .

When the king's new law became known, the Jews were very scared. Immediately, רמב “ ן sent messengers to all the Jewish communities, telling his fellow Jews that his ישיבה would remain open for anyone who wished to come. Hundreds of young men came to the רמב “ ן ' s ישיבה .

The Cardinal now set his plan in action. Calling two of the king's closest ministers, he asked, "How long has it been since the king has asked your advice on any subject?"

"Since the king became friends with the רמב “ ן , he never calls for us," they replied. "And why is this?" asked the Cardinal innocently. "The rabbi is the wisest man in the kingdom," the two answered. "I'm going to tell you a great secret - the secret of his wisdom," the Cardinal whispered. "Every night angels come to him and reveal heavenly and earthly wisdom. I am going to give you special powers . Then you will also see and hear the angels speaking to the rabbi and you, too, will possess this wisdom."

That night, the ministers quietly made their way to the רמב “ ן ' s house. They stood for hours, but they saw no angels, only the many young students who went in and out of the rabbi's home.

The next day the Cardinal called the two men and asked what they had seen. "We didn’t see any angels, only a lot of young men going in and out. They spoke, but we couldn't understand one word they said."

"It seems you didn't merit to see the angels. But you did see the rabbi's students coming to study with him. That is against the law of the king. It is your duty to report this to the king at once," the Cardinal said sternly. "When the king hears how his so called 'friend' disobeyed him, he will be very angry, and you will get back your position in the court."

The two rushed to tell the king what they had seen. "What! My trusted advisor disobeyed my order!" the king cried in shock. But he could not bring himself to punish the rabbi without first talking to him.

He called the רמב “ ן to the court. "My friend, is it true that you disobeyed my law?" the king asked.

"Yes, your Majesty, I did, but with your permission. I will explain my reason by telling you a story. In a distant kingdom, the king's daughter fell gravely ill. All of the doctors gave up hope. "Only G-d can help," they admitted sadly.

"The king announced a three-day fast for the entire country, during which time everyone would daven for the princess. On the second day of the fast, a Jew was caught eating and immediately arrested. He was brought before the king and questioned : "Why did you eat? Don't you want the princess to get better?"

"Why, Your Majesty, I have not stopped davenning for her, but, in our גמרא we have a rule: Where there is a certainty against a doubt, what you are certain about comes first.

"I had a serious doubt in my mind whether my fasting for three days would save your daughter. I was sure, however that fasting for three days would kill me, because I have a weak heart and my doctor forbade it. Therefore, I decided to follow the rule of the גמרא , and I ate.

"Your Majesty, this is a similar case. I could not believe that the King, my good friend, would issue a law which would hurt me so much. I was certain, however, that if I stopped studying the גמרא , which is the very source of my life, my life would no longer be worth living. So, I followed the path of certainty. I hope that Your Majesty will understand my actions and forgive me. I am sure that Your Majesty would never have issued so cruel an order, unless you were told things that aren’t true."

"My friend, you are correct. I am sorry that I listened to what the Cardinal told me. The law is now taken away." When the ban was cancelled, the Jews were very happy. The רמב “ ן remained a favourite of the king, who now not only appreciated his great wisdom, but his great courage as well."

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