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PARSHAS NASO
 

"Say you're sorry!" Shaindy said in a commanding voice.  But her little sister Nechamah remained silent, her eyes glued to the floor.

"Come on, Nechamah, you have to say you're sorry!" insisted Shaindy.  But Nechamah would not say a word.

Shaindy stomped out of the room in search of their mother. "Mommy, I'm so upset! Nechamah ruined the costume I was preparing for the play our class is putting on at the Shavuos assembly. I don't know if she did it on purpose, but I asked her to do was to say she's sorry and she is so stubborn that I can't get her to apologize. Will you make her say she's sorry?"

"I can see you are upset, Shaindy, and I'm sorry you'll have to make a new costume. But let's stop and think for a moment. You just said you couldn't get Nechamah to apologize and you're asking me to make her do so. Is that what you really want?"

"Yes," replied Shaindy wondering what her mother was trying to say.

"I definitely agree that she should say she is sorry," continued her mother patiently. "But instead of me or you pushing her to do it, perhaps what you really want is that she choose to apologize on her own. Then we would all know that she has really thought about what she did and has decided that you deserve an apology.

"You see, Shaindy, often we can get people to say or do what we would like them to, but then they are not really choosing to do so. When a person has a choice, we know that he has thought things over, has made a decision, and is sincere.  Take a look in this week's parshah. The Torah tells us that Moshe heard the voice of HaShem when he was in the Ohel Moed. Rashi explains that this was a miracle. First of all, only Moshe heard the voice - no one else did, not even Aharon. And in case you might think that HaShem spoke too quietly for others to hear, Rashi adds, 'like the voice at Mount Sinai' - the voice was loud and clear. Secondly, the voice filled the Ohel Moed but did not go past the entrance.

"Why shouldn't HaShem's voice have been heard outside the Mishkan? Wouldn't it have been a good idea for the Jewish people to hear HaShem's voice often? Then surely they would have been affected by its holiness and have done exactly what He wanted.

"The answer is that HaShem can get us to keep mitzvos by overwhelming us with His holiness. Then we would be like malachim and only do what He says; but this is not what He wants. He wants us to choose to do the right thing on our own. This is what Rashi is telling us when he says that the voice in the Mishkan was 'like the voice at Mount Sinai.'

"After the giving of the Torah, the voice of HaShem could not be heard any more. And when the Jewish people could not hear His voice, they had the responsibility for choosing to do HaShem's will on their own."

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

Hi there!

Have you checked the calendar lately? I never used to look at calendars. All those boxes and numbers made my eyeballs spin in circles. Then one day I looked at the calendar and realized that I missed my own birthday and I was really five years older than I thought I was. Luckily, I’m Dr. Getzel, top-notch eye doctor and inventor. So I quickly invented the automatic, hi-tech calendar checker-upper. It uses foresight to check the calendar and tell me about any special days coming up (I haven’t missed my birthday since then).

Anyway, the last time my calendar checker-upper updated me, it informed me of a very important date coming up in exactly a month. It’s the day of Gimmel Tammuz, the day the Rebbe left us b’gashmiyus. As Chassidim we know that we need to prepare ourselves in order to feel the importance of a day. Imagine walking into a fancy wedding in your wrinkled weekday clothes and muddy sneakers. Wouldn’t you feel silly?  We can’t either just “arrive” at Gimmel Tammuz without preparing and improving ourselves. A good way to prepare for Gimmel Tammuz is to work on increasing your Hiskashrus, or connection, to the Rebbe. But how do you do that?

Have you ever tried to connect two things together? Like the pages of the Super Duper Specially For Junior Shluchim ‘Connections Newsletter’? Or the Made by You for You ‘Kids Connect’.  Did you use scotch tape or a glue stick? There are many different connectors you can use- tape, shoelaces, paper clips, staples, belts, or even banana peels. My purple suspenders do a wonderful job of connecting my pants to me so that they don’t fall off. Once I used telephone wires to connect the lenses on my glasses and my glasses wouldn’t stop ringing!

In order to connect to the Rebbe we need to find the right connector. We can’t glue ourselves to him. Staples won’t work either. That’s why I’m working on my newest feature to add to the COL lens. I call it the four-sight feature. It’s a combination of four main ingredients that will create a powerful new vision of how to connect to the Rebbe.

Tune in next week to find out what the ingredients are!

Dr. Getzel
 

פרקי אבות

שבת after מנחה

פרק  שישי

Remember to count

ספירת העומר!

Mendy Steinmetz, 6
Sarasota, Florida

My name is Mendy Steinmetz from Sarasota, Florida, and I am 6 years old.  My favorite part of Shlichus is davening in a loud voice and with kavana, especially on Shabbos.  This is because it makes my Mommy and Tatty happy, and it reminds everyone in shul of my brother, who also used to daven in this special way before he went to Yeshiva.  Also, it makes the people who come to Shul happy, because it reminds them of what a Shliach is, and I feel happy because I am being a Dugma Chaya. I learn in my Home School with my mother.  We learn Hebrew, Yiddish, Chasidishe Alef Bais, Ksiva and Parsha.  I like Home Schooling because I get $2 for every 8 signatures my mother puts on the special co-op card we have at school.  At Home School I like when I get to lead saying the Rebbe’s Kapital, and I am proud that I can name all the parshiyos from Breishis until this week’s Parsha.  I have five brothers and two sisters.  Three of my brothers and one of my sisters learn in New York, Chicago and Detroit.  I miss them a lot, and I like to talk to them on the telephone.  I feel bad when one of them is sick and is not at home.  Being a Shliach of the Rebbe makes me very, very happy.
 

ג‘ סיון תקפ“ט (1829)

After the מיטעלער רבי passed away, his son-in-law, the צמח צדק did not want to become Rebbe.  A group of 18 well-known חסידים approached him, but he still refused.  Before שבועות many, many חסידים traveled to the town of Lubavitch to spend the יום טוב there.  Again, they asked the צמח צדק to accept the נשיאות but he continued to refuse.  On the first of the שלשת ימי הגבלה, three חסידים went to beg the צמח צדק in the name of thousands of חסידים  and they brought him proof from the words of the חכמים that he is supposed to be the Rebbe.  Finally the צמח צדק accepted the נשיאות and wearing the white clothes he inherited from the אלטער רבי, he gave over a מאמר beginning with the words “על שלשה דברים העולם עומד”.

ו‘ סיון - יום א‘ דחג השבועות תק“כ (1760)

Right before the בעל שם טוב passed away, he asked his חסידים to sing the ניגון of Reb Michel of Zlotchov and when they were finished, he said that anyone who sings this  ניגון in a state of תשובה, the בעל שם טוב will join in and bring רחמנות on him.

The בעל שם טוב passed away on Wednesday, the first day of שבועות and is buried in מזיבוז.

ז‘ סיון - יום ב‘ דחג השבועות תקכ“א (1761)

After the בעל שם טוב passed away, his son ר‘ צבי became the new Rebbe.  The חסידים saw that he did not have the כוחות needed to be a Rebbe and they didn’t know what to do.

On the second day of שבועות, after ר‘ צבי gave over a מאמר, he said that his father (the בעל שם טוב) has visited him and told him that in שמים the נשיאות was passed to ר‘ דובער the מעזריטשער מגיד and he should do the same.  ר‘ דובער now become the Rebbe.  ר‘ צבי wished מזל טוב to ר‘ דובער and the חסידים stood up to hear תורה from their new נשיא.

(Adapted from ‘Days in Chabad’)
 

פרק שישי
רבי מאיר אומר: כל העוסק בתורה לשמה זוכה לדברים הרבה
(ו‘:א‘)

‘רבי מאיר says: Whoever occupies himself with the study of Torah for its own sake merits many things.’ (6:1)

Why does the Mishna use the word ‘עוסק’ meaning ‘to occupy’ instead of the normal word of ‘לומד’ ‘to learn’?

In business there is a big difference between the owner of the business and someone who just works in the business. For example, a person who works in a store only thinks about the store during the day – when he goes home at night he doesn’t think about it anymore. However the owner of the business thinks about the business day and night, whether he is in the store or at home.

In Hebrew the word ‘עוסק’ means ‘business.’ רבי מאיר teaches that a person's approach to תורה should be similar to someone who owns a business. Even after he leaves the בית מדרש and he is at home eating or sleeping, he should always be thinking about תורה and מצוות.

(Adapted from Vedibarta Bam)
 

”דבר אל אהרן ואל בניו לאמר... כה תברכו את בני ישראל אמור להם” (ו‘:ו‘)

In this weeks פרשה we read about ברכת כהנים. It says in שלחן ארוך that during ברכת כהנים, when the כהנים are saying the ברכה they have to lift up their hands and stretch them out. Why is this?

Often when a person isn’t feeling well, people wish them a ‘רפואה שלימה,’ or if someone is having trouble with his business you may hear people wishing them ‘הצלחה.’ This is a very good מדה - sometimes it makes a person feel better just by saying something nice to them and we should hope that ה‘ will listen to our words and make things better for the person who needs the ברכה.

With the הלכה about ברכת כהנים though, the תורה is telling us something more. Even though it is very good to give ברכות and say nice words, it is also important to ‘lift our hands up’ and ‘stretch them out’ - that we actually do something to help the person in need.

(Adapted from Vedibarta Bam)
 

Shavuos Checklist
This Monday and Tuesday is שבועות 

 שבועות Checklist:

I stayed up late the first night of שבועות as long as my parents let me.

 I said תקון ליל שבועות the first night of שבועות.

 I heard the עשרת הדברות being read from the תורה.

 I ate milchig foods on the first day of שבועות.

 (Girls) I lit יום טוב candles on Sunday night and Monday night.

Why the Rebbe Smiled

When the מיטעלער רבי passed away, the חסידים were not sure who they should accept as the new Rebbe. Some people thought that the צמח צדק, the מיטעלער רבי’s son-in-law should be the Rebbe. Other חסידים thought that maybe ר‘ חיים אברהם, the brother of the מיטעלער רבי and youngest son of the אלטער רבי, or ר‘ מנחם נחום, the מיטעלער רבי's son, should be the new Rebbe.

Days, weeks and even months passed and there did not seem to be any solution to the problem. After פסח two חסידים decided that they could not wait any more, ‘It is impossible to be without a Rebbe!’ they said, and they decided to travel to Ruzhin to accept the Ruzhiner Rebbe as their Rebbe.

The Ruzhiner Rebbe, ר‘ ישראל, was the grandson of the מעזריטשער מגיד, and he was such a great and special person that he was called the ‘Holy Ruzhiner.’

The two חסידים traveled to Ruzhin for שבועות. As was the custom there, (as well as among many other חסידים) the Ruzhiner distributed shirayim - food from his table - to his חסידים. It was יום טוב and the Ruzhiner began to distribute wine from his own cup to each of the חסידים. The two Lubavitcher חסידים also wanted to get some wine from the Ruzhiner and they put out their cups for the ‘כוס של ברכה.’

The Ruzhiner, however, refused them, saying, ‘If you want some wine, you may take it yourself, but I will not give it to you.’

The two חסידים were very surprised, ‘Why won't you give it to us? We have come here in order to accept you as our Rebbe?’ They asked the Ruzhiner.

When the Ruzhiner heard this he sat down at his table and suddenly began to deliver a deep explanation in חסידות. He spoke about יציאת מצרים and then started explaining about explaining the story of the burning bush.

‘When ה‘ gave משה the task of taking the בני ישראל out of מצרים,’ the Ruzhiner said, ‘ה‘ told משה to ‘tell the בני ישראל that I have remembered you and want to take you out of מצרים.’

‘משה 's reaction was strange though.’ The Ruzhiner continued, ‘He replied that he was afraid the בני ישראל  would ask him what ה‘’s name is. To this ה‘ replied, ‘Tell them My Name is, ‘אהי‘ אשר אהי‘’.

‘Why did משה ask this question of ה‘?’ The Ruzhiner asked? ‘Didn’t משה know ה‘’s name! And why did ה‘ answer, ‘אהי‘ אשר אהי‘.’

The Ruzhiner then used a גימטריא to explain the answer. ‘The גימטריא of ה‘’s name spelt normally is 26, while that of the words ‘אהי‘ אשר אהי‘’ equals 441 which is the same גימטריא as the word ‘אמת’ - truth. ה‘ wanted that משה should tell the בני ישראל only the truth.’

The חסידים were about to speak to the Ruzhiner again when they realized that he was not finished.

‘If you turn the letters of the word ‘אמת’ around’ the Ruzhiner continued ‘it stands for, ‘תורת מנחם אמת’.

When the two Lubavitcher חסידים heard these words being spoken by the Holy Ruzhiner, they realized that he was telling them that they should return home to the city of Lubavitch and that the צמח צדק, whose name was מנחם מענדל, should become the Rebbe.

When the two חסידים returned to Lubavitch two weeks later they excitedly told their fellow חסידים what they had heard from the Holy Ruzhiner about ‘אמת.’

The other חסידים remembered amazement that the צמח צדק had delivered the same מאמר that very same שבועות, but when he reached the part about the meaning of the word אמת, the צמח צדק had just stopped and smiled to himself. Now all the חסידים understood why he had smiled.

(Adapted from L’chaim Weekly)
 

Shavuos Special

When בנ“י stood before ה‘ to receive the תורה, ה‘ said to them: ‘Before I give you the תורה, you must give Me ‘guarantors’ who will assure Me that you will always treasure the תורהand keep its מצוות.’

The Jewish people then suggested all sorts of ‘guarantors,’ but ה‘ would not accept any of them. Finally the Jewish people said, ‘Our children will be our guarantors.’ ה‘ agreed and gave the תורה to the Jewish people.

This event is repeated every single year at the time of מתן תורה. Every שבועות, with new חיות and new light, ה‘ gives the תורה to the Jewish people. And He gives it in the merit of the children, because the children are resolving to learn תורה and do מצוות (with the help of their parents and teachers) with joy and happy hearts.

All Jewish children, boys and girls, must recognize their great responsibility. Because of them, the תורה is given to all the Jewish people!

ה‘ blesses the children with hearts and strength so that they can fulfill their job as ‘guarantors’ for the תורה in the best possible way.

The parents recognize how important the children are to the Jewish people, and they make sure their children get the best אידישע חינוך.

There is a lesson here for every Jewish child as he gets ready for שבועות, the time of מתן תורה.

In general, a child’s must first make sure that he or she learns תורה and does מצוות. Only afterwards should he teach others, keeping the מצוה of ‘ואהבת לרעך כמוך.’

However when it comes to the זמן מתן תורתינו and the children are the ‘guarantors’ for the entire Jewish people, the order is quite different. Now the children have the זכות and      responsibility to do for all the Jewish people. Only afterwards should they think of themselves.

When a Jewish child thinks about how ה‘ gives him the תורה to treasure and watch over, and that ה‘ gives the תורה to all Jews because of him—he is filled with a great happiness.

Knowing all this, the Jewish child does not care that Jewish children are fewer in number than than the non-Jewish children in his city. He is not influenced by the non-Jewish children at all. Instead, the Jewish child is happy that ה‘ chose the Jewish people from all the nations and that He chose the Jewish children to be His ‘guarantors.’

The Jewish child tries to live as ה‘ wants him to, in a way of                                                       ‘כי קרוב עליך הדבר מאוד בפיף ובלבבך לעשותו.’ His words, his thoughts, and surely his actions will be for the sake of ה‘.

In this way, all the Jewish people get ready for זמן מתן תורתינו. Then, the whole world gets ready as well. The heaven and the earth—which were created by ה‘—also helps the ‘guarantors’ fulfill their promise in the best possible way.

Then, they all go together with ה‘’s creations, the Jewish children and all the Jewish people, to receive the תורה in זמן מתן תורתינו.

(The Rebbe Speaks to Children, Sichos: 3 & 13 Sivan 5740, Iyar 5744)

 When the אידן received the תורה at הר סיני they began to keep כשר, but it was שבת and they couldn’t שעכט any animals or כשר their dishes. Instead of eating meat they ate מילכיג foods. Since then it became a מנהג to eat מילכיג foods on שבועות. Another reason we eat מילכיג is because the גימטריא of the word חלב is 40 – the same number of days משה רבינו was on הר סיני.
 

Last Week's Winners:

Level 1:
Mendel Pink, 5; Leicester, England
Rivka Levertov, 6; Santa Fe, NM

Level 2:
Heshel Mangel, 10; Blue Ash, OH &
Mushkie Freundlich, 9; Beijing, China

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

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