Editor's Note:
Dear Friend,
It’s that time of year again: the 3 Weeks, when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem and the subsequent exile of our nation. But, as the Chassidic masters write, “A single act is better than a thousand groans.” We can (and should) do more than just mope and sigh. The Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—was wont to suggest a two-part concrete course of action:
a. The Temples were destroyed and Jewish sovereignty was lost due to senseless infighting among our people. Reach out to others in kindness and love, and we’ll be one step closer to where we ought to be.
b. Even if the Temples no longer exist in our physical world, we can recreate them in the worlds of thought and speech. Learn about the layout, function, and significance of the Holy Temple, and it’s all that much closer to becoming reality.
Let us hope and pray that if we all do our part, G‑d will determine that the time has finally come for suffering to end and for our people to be restored to our rightful home in Israel. Amen.
Menachem Posner
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team
Conscious CreationHe creates with Consciousness.
First, He is conscious of a world, of time and space. And so, that world exists.
But that is not enough; for it exists, but it is not a thing of its own. Its only value is extrinsic—His consciousness of it from beyond.
So then He is conscious of that world from within. He judges, He makes distinctions. He says, “It should be like this and not like that. This I like, this I do not.” He plays by the rules of the game that He has made.
It is in this consciousness that a true world is born, a place that feels, “Yes, I exist.”
This Week's Features:
Printable Magazine
Why Sing Eishet Chayil on Friday Night? by Yehuda Shurpin
The beautiful 22-verse hymn Eishet Chayil, “Woman of Valor,” is an alphabetic acrostic found in the closing verses of the book of Proverbs.1 It is traditionally sung in many Jewish homes on Friday night before Kiddush.
Although I have not seen it documented, it seems that, like much of our Friday night rituals, this custom originated with the mystics of Safed, specifically the students of Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Arizal), as a way of greeting the Shechinah (Divine Presence) and the “Shabbat Queen” (as will be explained below). Perhaps the earliest mention of this custom is in the siddur of Rabbi Yeshaya Halevi Horowitz (1565-1630).2
On the most basic level, the singing of Eishet Chayil has become a way of expressing gratitude to the lady of the house, for what is a more fitting time to sing her praises than on Friday night, after she worked tirelessly to ensure that the Shabbat Queen be greeted in royal fashion? Indeed, the Arizal is known to have kissed his mother on both her hands every Friday night.3 Some follow the custom of the Arizal and have the children kiss their mother’s hands on Friday nights (this is not a Chabad custom).
Woman of Valor: From Sarah to Batshevah
While some say the “Woman of Valor” refers to a generic praiseworthy woman, according to one Midrash, Eishet Chayil was originally composed by our forefather Abraham as a eulogy to his wife Sarah and then later included in the book of Proverbs.4 According to others, it was written by King Solomon to honor his mother, Queen Batsheva, wife of King David.5
The Midrash Shocher Tov on Proverbs explains how the 22 verses of Eishet Chayil correspond to 19 great Jewish women (the last three verses correspond to the same person) and the lessons we can learn from them.6
These explanations point to the simple reason for reciting Eishet Chayil on Friday night as a way to express our deep gratitude to the lady of the house.7 But there are far deeper reasons as well, and one recites the hymn regardless of his marital status.
The Shechinah—Blessings for the Coming Week
According to Rabbi Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz (the Shaloh), this hymn is a metaphor for the Shechinah (Divine Presence). The 22-verse acrostic, which goes through the entire Hebrew alef-bet, corresponds to the 22 mystical conduits of blessings that are opened on Shabbat.8
This mirrors the teaching of the Zohar that all blessings for the coming week come from Shabbat.9 Appropriately, in Eishet Chayil we say, “She rises when it is still night; she gives food to her household and an allotted share to her maidens”10—the blessing of food for the household comes from Shabbat.
The 48 Crowns of Torah
The word chayil (חיל) has the numeric value of 48 (8+10+30=48), corresponding to the 48 habits through which Torah is acquired. Thus, Eishet Chayil is a metaphor for the Torah, which was given on Shabbat.11
The Shabbat Queen
The Kabbalists explain that Shabbat night is referred to as a “queen,”12 also called eishet chayil. Therefore, we sing Eishet Chayil to welcome the Shabbat Queen.13
The Shabbat Bride
The Midrash relates that every day of creation was created with a “mate.” Sunday was paired with Monday, Tuesday with Wednesday, and Thursday with Friday. Only the Sabbat was left without a mate. In response to Shabbat’s complaint, G‑d replied that the Jewish people would be Shabbat’s mate.14 Therefore, we sing the Eishet Chayil on Friday night to the Shabbat “bride.”15
The Soul
Eishet Chayil refers to the soul. It may be a praise to the “animal soul” (or more specifically, the “intellectual soul”), through which the “G‑dly soul” serves G‑d throughout the week.16
Alternatively, it is said in praise of the G‑dly soul. Having left its lofty place up on high, it came down into this mundane, physical world. On Shabbat, the soul is lifted up spiritually, and G‑d, together with the heavenly host, sings its praise: “A woman of valor, who can find, for her price is beyond pearls.”17 18
All One
In truth, all of the explanations are interconnected. For it is the noble woman of the home, more so than the man, who makes the home into a Divine spiritual place—a place of Torah, a place where our souls can flourish, serving G‑d in all that we do. As the Midrash says in relation to Eishet Chayil, just as G‑d gave the Jews the Torah through the 22 letters of the alef-bet, so too does He praise the Jewish woman with 22 letters.19
Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin responds to questions for Chabad.org's Ask the Rabbi service.
Artwork by Sefira Ross, a freelance designer and illustrator whose original creations grace many Chabad.org pages. Residing in Seattle, Washington, her days are spent between multitasking illustrations and being a mom.
FOOTNOTES
1.Proverbs 31:10-31.
2.Siddur Shaar Hashamayim.
3.Shaar Hakavanot, inyan Arvit Leil Shabbat, 2.
4.Midrash Tanchuma, Chaye Sarah 4.
5.See Metzudat David onproverbs 31:10.
6.See Midrash Shocher Tov (Midrash Mishlei) 31.
7.Another reason given for reciting Eishet Chayil Friday night is that Shabbat night is designated as a special time for marital relations, see Minhagei Yeshurun 29.
8.Shalah in Siddur Shaar Hashamayim.
9.Zohar, vol. II, 88a.
10.Proverbs 31:15.
11.See Avot 6:6; Talmud, Shabbat 87a; Yalkut Shemoni, Mishei 964; and Eitz Yosef on the siddur(printed in Otzar Hatefilot).
12.Talmud, Shabbat 119a, Bava Kama 32b.
13.Shaar Hakavonot, cited in Shaar Hakolel 18:2.
14.Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 11:8.
15.Sefer Ziv Minhagim, p. 96.
16.See Commentary of the Ralbag and Malbim onProverbs 31:10.
17.Proverbs 31:10.
18.See Mamaer Mordechai, cited in Yalkut Meam Loaz, end of Mishlei.
19.Yalkut Shemoni, Mishlei 964.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.-------
VIDEO
Lesson 9. As the World Turns: Modern Jewish Law
The second half of the last millennium (1500 until today) saw still newer developments in Halachah, as well as in other fields of literacy. How do these major literary trends (such as Chassidism) define Judaism today and into the future? by Michael Chighel
Airs Jul. 26
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://embed.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/embedded/embed.js.asp?aid=3335582&width=auto&height=auto"></script><span style="clear:both;" class="lb" id="lbdiv">Visit <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish.TV</a> for more <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish videos</a>.</span>
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Foundations of the Jewish Home
We spend more than a third of our lives sleeping and eating and doing other mundane things. How can we elevate all aspects of our lives? And why are the mitzvot of tzedakah (charity) and affixing a mezuzah comparable to keeping all the other mitzvot of the Torah? bBy Shifra Sharfstein
Watch (48:56)
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://embed.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/embedded/embed.js.asp?aid=3345264&width=auto&height=auto"></script><span style="clear:both;" class="lb" id="lbdiv">Visit <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish.TV</a> for more <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish videos</a>.</span>
-------
Practical Halachah: The Three Weeks
Learn the laws and customs for the mourning period of the “Three Weeks,” which begin with the fast of 17 Tammuz, and culminates with the fast of Tisha B’Av. by Rabbi Yosef Shusterman
Watch (16:50)
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://embed.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/embedded/embed.js.asp?aid=2992484&width=auto&height=auto"></script><span style="clear:both;" class="lb" id="lbdiv">Visit <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish.TV</a> for more <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish videos</a>.</span>
-------
PARSHAH
Leadership in Times of Darkness
If Pinchas was rewarded with the gift of his children inheriting his priesthood, why did Moses not merit the same reward? After all, Moses turned G‑d’s wrath away from the children of Israel numerous times! by Menachem Feldman
There is a powerful, yet seemingly unfair, contrast between the reward which Pinchas received for his deed and the reward which Moses did not receive for similar deeds.
When the Jewish people were encamped in Shittim, they became Pinchas was the hero of the moment!promiscuous with the local Midianite women and started worshipping their idols. Zimri, the prince of Simeon, even went so far as to publicly flaunt his Midianite paramour, Cozbi. Pinchas was the hero of the moment. In an act of great self-sacrifice, putting his own life in danger, risking revenge by the tribe of Simeon, Pinchas killed both Zimri and Cozbi, thus stopping the plague that ravaged the Jewish people.
The Torah relates the dramatic story:
Then an Israelite man came and brought the Midianite woman to his brethren, before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aaron the kohen saw this, arose from the congregation and took a spear in his hand.
He went after the Israelite man into the chamber, and drove [it through] both of them—the Israelite man, and the woman through her stomach—and the plague ceased from the children of Israel.1
In the opening statement of this week’s portion, Pinchas receives an awesome reward from G‑d. A reward not only for himself, but also for his descendants for all time:
Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aaron the kohen has turned My anger away from the children of Israel by his zealously avenging Me among them, so that I did not destroy the children of Israel because of My zeal.
Therefore, say, “I hereby give him My covenant of peace. It shall be for him and for his descendants after him [as] an eternal covenant of priesthood, because he was zealous for his G‑d and atoned for the children of Israel.”2
Pinchas receives the gift of priesthood, not only for himself but also for his descendants for all time. Why does he merit this great reward? Because he “turned My anger away from the children of Israel.”
In this very portion, we read about the desire of Moses to see his own children succeed him. Moses beseeches G‑d:
Let the L‑rd, the G‑d of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go forth before them and come before them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the L‑rd will not be like sheep without a shepherd.3
According to Rashi, Moses asked G‑d to appoint his own child as his successor, yet G‑d refused.4
This seems terribly unfair. If Pinchas was rewarded with the gift of his children inheriting his priesthood because he “turned My anger away from the children of Israel” just one time, why did Moses not merit the same reward? After all, Moses turned G‑d’s wrath away from the children of Israel numerous times (such as at the sin of the Golden Calf and at the sin of the spies, to name just two instances)!
There was an important difference between the leadership of Why did Moses not merit the same reward?Moses and the leadership of Pinchas, which will explain why Pinchas’ position of leadership was passed on to his children.
Moses was the leader during a time of spiritual illumination. At every turn he was led by G‑d. G‑d was at his side, holding his hand, directing his every step. From the moment of the first revelation at the burning bush to the day of his passing, Moses’ primary job was to communicate the Divine will to the people.
Pinchas, by contrast, stepped up to the plate and showed leadership in a time of great spiritual confusion. There was no Divine communication; Moses himself was at a loss as to what to do. Pinchas took the initiative when there was no directive from Moses, when many of the leaders of the people were engaged in sin, and there was no clear spiritual and moral path forward.
What did Pinchas do? Pinchas took action. Pinchas did not wait for the revelation from above; he found the path forward from within the spiritual darkness.
This is why Moses’ leadership could not be passed on. Not always can one rely on Divine revelation and intervention. Divine revelation will not necessarily prepare the leader, or his descendants, for the moment when the revelation is over. Pinchas, by contrast, was able to find the right path on his own. His leadership was not limited to a specific time, and the skill of finding the right path forward could be passed on to his children and grandchildren as well.
Like Pinchas before him, Jeremiah, whom we read about in the Haftorah, also led the people in a time of spiritual darkness. He was the prophet in the years leading up to the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people.
Jeremiah did not feel up to the task. As we read in the Haftorah, Jeremiah says to G‑d: “Alas, O L‑rd G‑d! Behold, I know not to speak, for I am a youth.”5
G‑d responds by reassuring Jeremiah that he has the power to lead in what were the darkest moments of Jewish history: “Say not, ‘I am a youth,’ for wherever I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.”6
Like Jeremiah, we question our ability to bring light and spiritual warmth to the world. Yet, we know that the words of the Haftorah—G‑d reassuring Jeremiah of his ability to inspire in times of terrible crisis—apply to us as well. The lesson we must take from Jeremiah, as we begin the three-week period which marks the commemoration of the destruction, is that we too must carry the word of G‑d, the values and teachings of the Torah, to a We question our ability to bring light to the worldworld that is often spiritually dark.
G‑d’s words to Jeremiah apply to each of us: “When I had not yet formed you in the womb, I knew you, and when you had not yet emerged from the womb, I had appointed you; a prophet to the nations I made you.”7
Each and every soul is a prophet, carrying the Divine message to this world. Each and every soul has the power to inspire all those she touches. Each and every soul was sent to this world to do just that.8
Rabbi Menachem Feldman serves as the director of the Lifelong Learning department at the Chabad Lubavitch Center in Greenwich, Conn.
Artwork by Sefira Ross, a freelance designer and illustrator whose original creations grace many Chabad.org pages. Residing in Seattle, Washington, her days are spent between multitasking illustrations and being a mom.
FOOTNOTES
1.Numbers 25:6–8.
2.Numbers 25:11–13.
3.Numbers 27:16–17.
4.Rashi ad loc.
Why Sing Eishet Chayil on Friday Night? by Yehuda Shurpin
The beautiful 22-verse hymn Eishet Chayil, “Woman of Valor,” is an alphabetic acrostic found in the closing verses of the book of Proverbs.1 It is traditionally sung in many Jewish homes on Friday night before Kiddush.
Although I have not seen it documented, it seems that, like much of our Friday night rituals, this custom originated with the mystics of Safed, specifically the students of Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Arizal), as a way of greeting the Shechinah (Divine Presence) and the “Shabbat Queen” (as will be explained below). Perhaps the earliest mention of this custom is in the siddur of Rabbi Yeshaya Halevi Horowitz (1565-1630).2
On the most basic level, the singing of Eishet Chayil has become a way of expressing gratitude to the lady of the house, for what is a more fitting time to sing her praises than on Friday night, after she worked tirelessly to ensure that the Shabbat Queen be greeted in royal fashion? Indeed, the Arizal is known to have kissed his mother on both her hands every Friday night.3 Some follow the custom of the Arizal and have the children kiss their mother’s hands on Friday nights (this is not a Chabad custom).
Woman of Valor: From Sarah to Batshevah
While some say the “Woman of Valor” refers to a generic praiseworthy woman, according to one Midrash, Eishet Chayil was originally composed by our forefather Abraham as a eulogy to his wife Sarah and then later included in the book of Proverbs.4 According to others, it was written by King Solomon to honor his mother, Queen Batsheva, wife of King David.5
The Midrash Shocher Tov on Proverbs explains how the 22 verses of Eishet Chayil correspond to 19 great Jewish women (the last three verses correspond to the same person) and the lessons we can learn from them.6
These explanations point to the simple reason for reciting Eishet Chayil on Friday night as a way to express our deep gratitude to the lady of the house.7 But there are far deeper reasons as well, and one recites the hymn regardless of his marital status.
The Shechinah—Blessings for the Coming Week
According to Rabbi Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz (the Shaloh), this hymn is a metaphor for the Shechinah (Divine Presence). The 22-verse acrostic, which goes through the entire Hebrew alef-bet, corresponds to the 22 mystical conduits of blessings that are opened on Shabbat.8
This mirrors the teaching of the Zohar that all blessings for the coming week come from Shabbat.9 Appropriately, in Eishet Chayil we say, “She rises when it is still night; she gives food to her household and an allotted share to her maidens”10—the blessing of food for the household comes from Shabbat.
The 48 Crowns of Torah
The word chayil (חיל) has the numeric value of 48 (8+10+30=48), corresponding to the 48 habits through which Torah is acquired. Thus, Eishet Chayil is a metaphor for the Torah, which was given on Shabbat.11
The Shabbat Queen
The Kabbalists explain that Shabbat night is referred to as a “queen,”12 also called eishet chayil. Therefore, we sing Eishet Chayil to welcome the Shabbat Queen.13
The Shabbat Bride
The Midrash relates that every day of creation was created with a “mate.” Sunday was paired with Monday, Tuesday with Wednesday, and Thursday with Friday. Only the Sabbat was left without a mate. In response to Shabbat’s complaint, G‑d replied that the Jewish people would be Shabbat’s mate.14 Therefore, we sing the Eishet Chayil on Friday night to the Shabbat “bride.”15
The Soul
Eishet Chayil refers to the soul. It may be a praise to the “animal soul” (or more specifically, the “intellectual soul”), through which the “G‑dly soul” serves G‑d throughout the week.16
Alternatively, it is said in praise of the G‑dly soul. Having left its lofty place up on high, it came down into this mundane, physical world. On Shabbat, the soul is lifted up spiritually, and G‑d, together with the heavenly host, sings its praise: “A woman of valor, who can find, for her price is beyond pearls.”17 18
All One
In truth, all of the explanations are interconnected. For it is the noble woman of the home, more so than the man, who makes the home into a Divine spiritual place—a place of Torah, a place where our souls can flourish, serving G‑d in all that we do. As the Midrash says in relation to Eishet Chayil, just as G‑d gave the Jews the Torah through the 22 letters of the alef-bet, so too does He praise the Jewish woman with 22 letters.19
Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin responds to questions for Chabad.org's Ask the Rabbi service.
Artwork by Sefira Ross, a freelance designer and illustrator whose original creations grace many Chabad.org pages. Residing in Seattle, Washington, her days are spent between multitasking illustrations and being a mom.
FOOTNOTES
1.Proverbs 31:10-31.
2.Siddur Shaar Hashamayim.
3.Shaar Hakavanot, inyan Arvit Leil Shabbat, 2.
4.Midrash Tanchuma, Chaye Sarah 4.
5.See Metzudat David onproverbs 31:10.
6.See Midrash Shocher Tov (Midrash Mishlei) 31.
7.Another reason given for reciting Eishet Chayil Friday night is that Shabbat night is designated as a special time for marital relations, see Minhagei Yeshurun 29.
8.Shalah in Siddur Shaar Hashamayim.
9.Zohar, vol. II, 88a.
10.Proverbs 31:15.
11.See Avot 6:6; Talmud, Shabbat 87a; Yalkut Shemoni, Mishei 964; and Eitz Yosef on the siddur(printed in Otzar Hatefilot).
12.Talmud, Shabbat 119a, Bava Kama 32b.
13.Shaar Hakavonot, cited in Shaar Hakolel 18:2.
14.Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 11:8.
15.Sefer Ziv Minhagim, p. 96.
16.See Commentary of the Ralbag and Malbim onProverbs 31:10.
17.Proverbs 31:10.
18.See Mamaer Mordechai, cited in Yalkut Meam Loaz, end of Mishlei.
19.Yalkut Shemoni, Mishlei 964.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.-------
VIDEO
Lesson 9. As the World Turns: Modern Jewish Law
The second half of the last millennium (1500 until today) saw still newer developments in Halachah, as well as in other fields of literacy. How do these major literary trends (such as Chassidism) define Judaism today and into the future? by Michael Chighel
Airs Jul. 26<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://embed.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/embedded/embed.js.asp?aid=3335582&width=auto&height=auto"></script><span style="clear:both;" class="lb" id="lbdiv">Visit <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish.TV</a> for more <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish videos</a>.</span>
-------
Foundations of the Jewish Home
We spend more than a third of our lives sleeping and eating and doing other mundane things. How can we elevate all aspects of our lives? And why are the mitzvot of tzedakah (charity) and affixing a mezuzah comparable to keeping all the other mitzvot of the Torah? bBy Shifra Sharfstein
Watch (48:56)<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://embed.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/embedded/embed.js.asp?aid=3345264&width=auto&height=auto"></script><span style="clear:both;" class="lb" id="lbdiv">Visit <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish.TV</a> for more <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish videos</a>.</span>
-------
Practical Halachah: The Three Weeks
Learn the laws and customs for the mourning period of the “Three Weeks,” which begin with the fast of 17 Tammuz, and culminates with the fast of Tisha B’Av. by Rabbi Yosef Shusterman
Watch (16:50)<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://embed.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/embedded/embed.js.asp?aid=2992484&width=auto&height=auto"></script><span style="clear:both;" class="lb" id="lbdiv">Visit <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish.TV</a> for more <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish videos</a>.</span>
-------
PARSHAH
Leadership in Times of Darkness
If Pinchas was rewarded with the gift of his children inheriting his priesthood, why did Moses not merit the same reward? After all, Moses turned G‑d’s wrath away from the children of Israel numerous times! by Menachem Feldman
There is a powerful, yet seemingly unfair, contrast between the reward which Pinchas received for his deed and the reward which Moses did not receive for similar deeds.
When the Jewish people were encamped in Shittim, they became Pinchas was the hero of the moment!promiscuous with the local Midianite women and started worshipping their idols. Zimri, the prince of Simeon, even went so far as to publicly flaunt his Midianite paramour, Cozbi. Pinchas was the hero of the moment. In an act of great self-sacrifice, putting his own life in danger, risking revenge by the tribe of Simeon, Pinchas killed both Zimri and Cozbi, thus stopping the plague that ravaged the Jewish people.
The Torah relates the dramatic story:
Then an Israelite man came and brought the Midianite woman to his brethren, before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aaron the kohen saw this, arose from the congregation and took a spear in his hand.
He went after the Israelite man into the chamber, and drove [it through] both of them—the Israelite man, and the woman through her stomach—and the plague ceased from the children of Israel.1
In the opening statement of this week’s portion, Pinchas receives an awesome reward from G‑d. A reward not only for himself, but also for his descendants for all time:
Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aaron the kohen has turned My anger away from the children of Israel by his zealously avenging Me among them, so that I did not destroy the children of Israel because of My zeal.
Therefore, say, “I hereby give him My covenant of peace. It shall be for him and for his descendants after him [as] an eternal covenant of priesthood, because he was zealous for his G‑d and atoned for the children of Israel.”2
Pinchas receives the gift of priesthood, not only for himself but also for his descendants for all time. Why does he merit this great reward? Because he “turned My anger away from the children of Israel.”
In this very portion, we read about the desire of Moses to see his own children succeed him. Moses beseeches G‑d:
Let the L‑rd, the G‑d of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go forth before them and come before them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the L‑rd will not be like sheep without a shepherd.3
According to Rashi, Moses asked G‑d to appoint his own child as his successor, yet G‑d refused.4
This seems terribly unfair. If Pinchas was rewarded with the gift of his children inheriting his priesthood because he “turned My anger away from the children of Israel” just one time, why did Moses not merit the same reward? After all, Moses turned G‑d’s wrath away from the children of Israel numerous times (such as at the sin of the Golden Calf and at the sin of the spies, to name just two instances)!
There was an important difference between the leadership of Why did Moses not merit the same reward?Moses and the leadership of Pinchas, which will explain why Pinchas’ position of leadership was passed on to his children.
Moses was the leader during a time of spiritual illumination. At every turn he was led by G‑d. G‑d was at his side, holding his hand, directing his every step. From the moment of the first revelation at the burning bush to the day of his passing, Moses’ primary job was to communicate the Divine will to the people.
Pinchas, by contrast, stepped up to the plate and showed leadership in a time of great spiritual confusion. There was no Divine communication; Moses himself was at a loss as to what to do. Pinchas took the initiative when there was no directive from Moses, when many of the leaders of the people were engaged in sin, and there was no clear spiritual and moral path forward.
What did Pinchas do? Pinchas took action. Pinchas did not wait for the revelation from above; he found the path forward from within the spiritual darkness.
This is why Moses’ leadership could not be passed on. Not always can one rely on Divine revelation and intervention. Divine revelation will not necessarily prepare the leader, or his descendants, for the moment when the revelation is over. Pinchas, by contrast, was able to find the right path on his own. His leadership was not limited to a specific time, and the skill of finding the right path forward could be passed on to his children and grandchildren as well.
Like Pinchas before him, Jeremiah, whom we read about in the Haftorah, also led the people in a time of spiritual darkness. He was the prophet in the years leading up to the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people.
Jeremiah did not feel up to the task. As we read in the Haftorah, Jeremiah says to G‑d: “Alas, O L‑rd G‑d! Behold, I know not to speak, for I am a youth.”5
G‑d responds by reassuring Jeremiah that he has the power to lead in what were the darkest moments of Jewish history: “Say not, ‘I am a youth,’ for wherever I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.”6
Like Jeremiah, we question our ability to bring light and spiritual warmth to the world. Yet, we know that the words of the Haftorah—G‑d reassuring Jeremiah of his ability to inspire in times of terrible crisis—apply to us as well. The lesson we must take from Jeremiah, as we begin the three-week period which marks the commemoration of the destruction, is that we too must carry the word of G‑d, the values and teachings of the Torah, to a We question our ability to bring light to the worldworld that is often spiritually dark.
G‑d’s words to Jeremiah apply to each of us: “When I had not yet formed you in the womb, I knew you, and when you had not yet emerged from the womb, I had appointed you; a prophet to the nations I made you.”7
Each and every soul is a prophet, carrying the Divine message to this world. Each and every soul has the power to inspire all those she touches. Each and every soul was sent to this world to do just that.8
Rabbi Menachem Feldman serves as the director of the Lifelong Learning department at the Chabad Lubavitch Center in Greenwich, Conn.
Artwork by Sefira Ross, a freelance designer and illustrator whose original creations grace many Chabad.org pages. Residing in Seattle, Washington, her days are spent between multitasking illustrations and being a mom.
FOOTNOTES
1.Numbers 25:6–8.
2.Numbers 25:11–13.
3.Numbers 27:16–17.
4.Rashi ad loc.
5.Jeremiah 1:6.
6.Jeremiah 1:7.
7.Jeremiah 1:5.
8.Based on the teachings of the Rebbe, Likkutei Sichot, vol. 18, Pinchas III.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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The Greatest Servant
Leadership is one of those qualities that, as soon as a person begins describing his or her own mastery of it, you can’t help but feel that in fact they don’t have it . . . by Chana Kroll
It’s always interesting, amusing and occasionally gripping to watch the “parade” known as the American presidential elections. This time around—with racial division in the United States, growing economic disparity, terrorism rearing its head on a regular basis all over the world, and even the controversial June 23 referendum by British voters to exit the European Union—there is certainly no shortage of issues to address as the politics behind it all gains momentum.
Perhaps the most crucial issue—one we try to touch on, but which cannot be captured on news cameras or in speeches—is whether any candidate really possesses what we can call true leadership.
It’s A real leader is actually the greatest servanta tricky issue because, like modesty, leadership is one of those qualities that, as soon as a person begins describing his or her own mastery of it, you can’t help but feel that they don’t have it. Rather, they have its exact opposite.
Real leaders tend to be those who run away from any type of position of power, and they rarely speak about themselves because that just isn’t where their thoughts are. A real leader is actually the greatest servant. He doesn’t have a personal agenda at hand, but is instead there solely for the needs of the people he is leading.
In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Pinchas, we witness the ordination of Joshua bin Nun as the successor to our first national leader, Moses. Like Moses himself, Joshua never wanted to be a leader. Each, instead, wanted from an early age to serve. Moses: by going out into the fields where the Jews were working as slaves, and seeking ways to ease their suffering. Joshua: by devoting himself to Moses. Even as a young man, he was constantly present in the tent that served as a Torah study hall. As an adult, he remained Moses’s loyal student and aide. Both had to be persuaded to accept the role of leader.
Yet the deepest insights into what makes a real leader are revealed only when the responsibilities are about to change hands from Moses to Joshua.
Having just been told by G‑d that he is about to pass away, it would have been logical and human for Moses to turn his attention to settling his own affairs and giving last instructions to his family and followers. After all, what leader isn’t concerned with what his mark will be on history? What parent isn’t concerned with how well their wishes will be followed after they pass on?
Moses wasn’t. The generals of the Jewish army always went firstHe was concerned only about two things—that G‑d’s will be realized, and that the Jewish people not be left alone without someone to understand them, protect them, inspire them and, when need be, comfort them. The words of his plea have forever encapsulated the meaning of what it means to be a Jewish leader: “G‑d of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the assembly, who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall take them out and who shall bring them in.” (Numbers 27:15–17)
Why is G‑d being addressed at this point as “G‑d of the spirits of all flesh”? According to our sages, Moses is acknowledging a basic truth—that the personality of each individual is unique and known to G‑d—and he is beseeching G‑d to appoint a leader who can deal with each of these personalities. He is seeking a leader for the Jewish people who will be able to understand and empathize with each person. G‑d answers him by promising that the man He is appointing as Moses’ successor is indeed one “in whom there is spirit,” i.e., that he will be able to act in a way befitting the personality of each individual.
Joshua was just such a person, establishing a rapport with each individual based on genuine empathy, and not on attempts to curry favor. And true to the second part of Moses’ request, he “went before them and came in before them.” In other words, he didn’t send the nation out to war to fight battles. He went first, and he inspired in them the confidence to be successful and thus come back (“and come in before them”). For centuries, these were the defining characteristics of the army of the Jewish people; unlike other armies, where generals stay comfortably behind the line of fire, the generals of the Jewish army always went first, and with their good deeds, empathy and trust were able to inspire confidence in their soldiers. Victory was the result.
Of course, this was true not only of physical battles, but of our internal spiritual battles as well. Each of us has to find the inspiration in Moses’ words to become true leaders in our own sphere of influence. By caring about and genuinely connecting to the souls of people we must influence—for starters, our families—and by relating to their individual personalities. By leading through example, even if it means stretching ourselves to the breaking point; and by strengthening our own trust in the One who is guiding us, whether we see His hand in things or not.
It’s a kind of leadership that tends to create not followers, but people who are genuine leaders in their own right. And that’s something this world could use a little more of.
Chana Kroll is an alumna of Machon Chana Yeshiva for Women in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Prior to moving to New York, she taught at a boarding school/shelter for runaways and young people whose families were homeless.
Artwork by Sefira Ross, a freelance designer and illustrator whose original creations grace many Chabad.org pages. Residing in Seattle, Washington, her days are spent between multitasking illustrations and being a mom.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.-------
Pinchas In Depth
A condensation of the weekly Torah portion alongside select commentaries culled from the Midrash, Talmud, Chassidic masters, and the broad corpus of Jewish scholarship.
Parshat Pinchas In-Depth
Numbers 25:10-30:1
Parshah Summary
Our Parshah opens with G‑d saying to Moses:
(As related in the closing verses of last week’s Parshah, a plague had broken out among the people of Israel when they sinned with the daughters of Midian and worshiped the idol Peor; when Zimri, a Simeonite prince, took a Midianite princess into his tent before the eyes of Moses and the people, Pinchas killed them both, stopping the plague.)
G‑d then tells Moses to wage war against the Midianites, “for they are enemies to you, in their plottings against you on the matter of Peor, and the matter of their sister Kozbi, daughter of the prince of Midian, who was slain on the day of the plague . . .”
In the opening chapters of the book of Numbers, back in the Parshah of Bamidbar, we read of the census of Israel conducted one year after the Exodus. It is now 39 years later; that entire generation (i.e., those over the age of 20 at the time) has died out, and a new generation has grown up to enter the Promised Land in their stead. In the wake of the plague which Pinchas stopped, G‑d instructs Moses and Elazar to conduct another count.
The total number of those counted—men between the ages of 20 and 60, not counting the tribe of Levi—was 601,730 (1,820 less than the previous census, which tallied 603,550).
The breakdown by tribes was as follows:
The tribe of Levi, which did not receive a share in the Land, was counted separately; they numbered 23,000 (in the previous census they numbered 22,300).
The Torah concludes the census by stating:
“There was not left a man of them, except for Calev the son of Yefuneh and Joshua the son of Nun.”
Machlah, Noah, Chaglah, Milkah and Tirtzah were the five daughters of Tzelafchad, the son of Chefer, the son of Gilead, the son of Manasseh, and they had a petition to present to Moses:
G‑d replies:
G‑d then proceeds to include this provision in the Torah’slaws of inheritance.
G‑d commands Moses to climb the Avarim Mountain “and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel . . . You shall see it, and then you shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered . . .”
The Parshah of Pinchas concludes with a detailed list of the “communal offerings” to be brought by the people as a whole in the Sanctuary.
There are the daily offerings: “Two yearling lambs without blemish, day by day. . . . The one lamb shall you offer in the morning, and the other lamb shall you offer at evening.” These are accompanied by “a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering, mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil . . . and its drink offering shall be the fourth part of a hin [of wine].”
Then there are the “additional offerings” brought on special occasions, each in its appointed season:
On Shabbat, two yearling lambs are to be offered (in addition to the two brought every day).
On Rosh Chodesh (“Head of the Month”) there are added two bullocks, one ram and seven sheep, plus a he-goat as a sin offering. The same “additional offerings” are to be brought on each of the seven days of Passover and on the festival of Shavuot.
On Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Shemini Atzeret, the additional offerings consisted of the same, except that only one bullock was brought instead of two. (On Yom Kippur there were other offerings connected with the day’s service, as related in the Parshah of Acharei Mot.)
On the seven days of Sukkot, the number of communal offerings increase greatly. Each day there are fourteen sheep instead of seven. Thirteen bullocks are brought on the first day, twelve on the second, eleven on the third, and so on in descending order until the seventh day, when seven bullocks are offered, bringing the total of bullocks over the seven days of the festival to seventy. (The next day, however, being the festival of Shemini Atzeret, onlyone bullock is offered.)
With each of the animals is brought the prescribed meal, wine and oil supplements: three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour and half a hin each of wine and oil per bullock; two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour and a third of a hin of each of the liquids for each ram; and one-tenth and one-quarter respectively for each lamb.
From Our Sages
The true greatness of Pinchas lay in that he acted in complete opposition to his nature, transcending his inborn instincts to bring peace between G‑d and Israel.
Pinchas is Elijah.
Said G‑d to Pinchas: You made peace between Israel and Me in this world. So too, in the world to come, it is you who shall make peace between Me and My children. As it is written (Malachi 3:23–24): “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of G‑d. He will return the hearts of fathers to children, and the hearts of children to their fathers.”
Although the priesthood had already been given to the descendants of Aaron, it was given only to Aaron and his [four] sons, who were anointed together with him, and to the children they would father after their anointing. Pinchas, however, who was born before that time and was not himself anointed, did not enter the priesthood until now. Thus we have learned in the Talmudic tractate of Zevachim (101b): “Pinchas did not attain the priesthood until he slew Zimri.”
How do we know that one who causes a man to sin is even worse than one who kills him? . . . Two nations advanced against Israel with the sword, and two with transgression. The Egyptians and the Edomites advanced against them with the sword, as is proven by the texts, “The enemy said: I will pursue, I will overtake . . . I will draw my sword” (Exodus 15:9), and “Edom said unto him: You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you” (Numbers 20:18). Two advanced against them with transgression, namely the Moabites and the Ammonites. Of those who had advanced against them with the sword it is written, “You shall not abhor an Edomite . . . you shall not abhor an Egyptian” (Deuteronomy 23:8). Of those, however, who had advanced against them with transgression, endeavoring to make Israel sin, it says, “An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of G‑d . . . even to the tenth generation shall none of them enter . . . for ever” (ibid. v. 4).
Another explanation: It is like the case of a shepherd to whom an owner entrusted his flock by number; when the shepherd came to the end of his time, on returning them he had to number them again. When Israel went out of Egypt, G‑d entrusted them to Moses by number (as per Exodus 12:37 and Numbers 1:1); now that Moses was about to depart from the world in the plains of Moab, he returned them by number.
The commentaries explain this large reduction in Simeon’s population as due to the fact that the Simeonites were the major culprits in the worship of Peor with the daughters of Midian (Zimri, who was killed by Pinchas, was the “prince” and leader of the tribe of Simeon; according to the Talmud, his motive was to legitimize the transgressions of his tribe). Many Simeonites were executed for their crimes (as perNumbers 25:5), and they constituted the greater part, if not all, of the 24,000 who perished in the plague. (Midrash Tanchuma; Rashi)
This was not the only instance in which the people were so decimated. We read of plagues and other catastrophes following the sins of the golden calf, the “complainers,” the lust for meat, the spies, the unauthorized push to enter the Land, and the rebellion of Korach and its aftermath. Indeed, other tribes also show a fall in population (though none as drastic as Simeon’s), and the people as a whole are also fewer by nearly 2000, despite the natural increase one would expect after a full generation. (In contrast, the children of Israel swelled from 70 souls to 600,000 in the 210 years they were in Egypt.)
The commentaries further note that whole families have been wiped out. There are now five Simeonite clans instead of six; Gad has likewise lost a family, and Benjamin has lost five. Rashi cites an account in the Jerusalem Talmud (Sotah 1:10) of a civil war that was fought following the death of Aaron, when the Israelites were attacked by a Canaanite army. Many Jews fled with a mind to return to Egypt, retreating eight “stations” in their journey through the desert, from Hor HaHar to Moserah. The tribe of Levi waged war with them to force them back, and seven Israelite families—and four Levite families—died in battle.
Nachmanides says that the land was divided into 12 equal portions (not necessarily equal in size, since the quality of land was also taken into consideration), and the matching of provinces to tribes was done by lot. Thus each tribe received an equal share, regardless of population. The instruction that “to the more numerous you shall increase their inheritance, and to the fewer you shall lessen their inheritance” refers to the division of the land within the tribes: each tribal head divided his tribe’s portion among the families of the tribe in accordance to the number of members in each family (as determined by the census taken here).
Another opinion is that the lottery determined the location of each tribe’s portion, but not its size, which was adjusted in accordance with the tribe’s population.
There is also a third factor involved: the concept of “inheritance”—a word that appears repeatedly in these verses in connection with the apportionment of the Land. Inheritance is neither “rational” nor “supra-rational.” An heir is not receiving a particular portion of land by some logical criteria or by some esoteric formula, but as his “birthright”—as something that is inexorably bound to his essence, something that belongs to him by virtue of who and what he is.
Our portion in life, says the Lubavitcher Rebbe, includes all three dynamics.
There are the events and opportunities which shape our lives, giving rise to decisions and choices on how best to fulfill our purpose. One man will choose to be a Torah scholar, another will ascertain the hand of divine providence pointing him to the business world, while a third will interpret a G‑d-given talent as directing him to become an artist. This is the “rational” means by which we receive our “portion in the land.”
But then there are the circumstances and experiences that “befall” us in a seemingly random and arbitrary manner. A person will often mistake these for “chance.” But these are no less the hand of divine providence than the rational side of life. In fact, they express a more profound involvement by G‑d in our lives—an involvement that is too lofty to be captured by any logical formula, so that our earthly eyes can perceive it only as an “arbitrary” casting of lots. These are gifts that are too potent to be tapped with the conventional tools of intellect and instinct; we can only open ourselves to their possibilities.
Finally, we each have those moments in life when our “inheritance” comes to light. Moments which are not driven by our reason, nor by the transcendent forces that impact our lives, but by the very essence of who and what we are—by that deepest self that is one with its Source.
Life is the sum of these three elements. To live is to develop and optimize one’s consciously understood faculties. To live is to be receptive to the mysteries of life, to learn to recognize and respond to the opportunities implicit in the most esoteric turns of fate. And to live is to be attuned to the core of truth in the core of one’s soul—to one’s heritage as a child of G‑d.
When the daughters of Tzelafchad heard that the land was being divided among the tribes but not among the women, they convened to discuss the matter. They said: G‑d’s mercy and compassion is not like the compassion of man. Mankind favors men over women. G‑d is not like that; His compassion extends to men and women alike.
In that generation, the women repaired what the men broke down.
You find that Aaron told them: “Break off the golden rings which are in the ears of your wives” (to make the golden calf—Exodus 32:2), but the women refused and held back their husbands, as is proved by the fact that it says (ibid. v. 3) “All the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears,” the women not participating with them in making the calf.
It was the same in the case of the spies, who uttered an evil report: “The men... when they returned, made all the congregation to murmur against Him” (Numbers 14:36), and against this congregation the decree [not to enter the Land] was issued, because they had said: “We are not able to go up” (ibid. v. 31). The women, however, were not with them in their counsel, as may be inferred from the fact that it is written in an earlier passage of our Parshah, “For G‑d had said of them: They shall surely die in the desert. There was left not aman of them, save Caleb the son of Yefuneh . . .” (ibid. v. 65).
The men had been unwilling to enter the Land; the women petitioned to receive an inheritance in the Land.
The daughters of Tzelafchad were wise women, they were exegetes (i.e., well-versed in the methodology of expounding Torah law) and they were virtuous.
They were wise, for they spoke at an opportune moment. . . . Moses was sitting and holding forth an exposition on the section of levirate marriages (the law that if a person dies without “seed,” his brother should marry his widow to “establish for his brother an heir in Israel”—Deuteronomy 25:5–10). They said unto him: “If we are like a son (i.e., if we are considered “seed”), give us an inheritance as to a son. If not, then our mother should be subject to the law of levirate marriage!” (The law states that levirate marriage can take place only if there is no issue at all, male or female.)
They were virtuous, since they would marry only such men as were worthy of them. . . . Even the youngest among them was not married before forty years of age. (This is deduced from the fact that Tzelafchad died in the first year after the Exodus, and his daughters’ petition was in the fortieth year; thus the youngest of them could have been less than 40 at the time. Yet this occurred before their marriage, as evidenced from Numbers 36.)
Rabbi Akiva says: he was the wood-gatherer (Numbers 15:32–36). Rabbi Shimon says: He was among those who stormed the mountain to enter the Land (ibid. 14:40–45).
Moses prayed to G‑d to concede to their request and to permit them a portion in the Land.
The Kabbalistic masters taught that every soul has a “portion in the land”—a piece of G‑d’s world that he or she has been charged to sanctify. Thus a person’s mission in life can be seen as consisting of two primary objectives: a) the refinement and elevation of his own soul, self and character; b) the refinement and elevation of his “portion” of the material world, by developing the material resources which have been placed under his control or influence as a “home for G‑d”—a place that serves and houses the divine truth. The latter objective is the essence of the mitzvah to “conquer the land of Canaan” and transform it into a “Holy Land.”
(This was the failing of the “generation of the desert”: while they achieved an “Exodus from Egypt,” a liberation from the bounds that constrict the soul, they were unwilling to assume the challenge of “conquering the land”—transforming the material world into a home for G‑d.)
The nature of the material is that it is resistant and hostile to G‑dliness. “Conquest of the land,” it would therefore seem, requires that a person go to battle with the material world, suppress and subjugate its materialistic nature, and impose on it a higher purpose and function.
But not everyone is a warrior. The Talmud says of the human race, “Just as their faces are different, so are their characters different.” There are bold characters and meek characters, aggressive natures and passive dispositions; there are those who revel in challenge, and those who are all but devoid of the warrior instinct and the zeal for confrontation. Are the latter exempt from the mission to “conquer the land”? And if they are not, how are they to achieve it?
Therein lies the deeper significance of the laws of inheritance as commanded by G‑d in response to the petition of the daughters of Tzelafchad.
Before the daughters of Tzelafchad came along, common wisdom ascertained that if a person lacks a “son”—an aggressive and combative nature—he or she may deduce from this that he has no role to play in the “conquest of the land.” Such a person may therefore devote all his energies to the refinement of his inner self, and leave the task of sanctifying an unholy world to those with “sons.”
The daughters of Tzelafchad knew otherwise. Conquering and settling the land, they insisted, is not an exclusively masculine endeavor. True, this is a task which often calls for aggressiveness and confrontation; but there is also a feminine way to transform the materiality of our lives into a “Holy Land.”
G‑d agreed. “If a man has no son,” He instructed, “you shall pass his inheritance on to his daughter”—his “portion in the land” can be possessed and developed by the passive, compassionate, non-confrontational side of his soul.
This is the law of life revealed by the daughters of Tzelafchad: Not all conquests are achieved by overpowering one’s adversary. At times, receptiveness and empathy are equally, if not more, effective in overcoming the hostility of the “enemy” and transforming its very nature. The absence of a “male heir” in the soul may in fact indicate the presence of a feminine self no less capable of claiming the soul’s portion in the world and transforming it into a “home for G‑d.”
So said Moses to G‑d: “Master of the universe! You know the soul of each and every individual; You know that no two are alike. Appoint for them a leader who can relate to each and every one of them in accordance with his individual spirit.”
This is like the parable of a king who saw an orphan maiden and wished to marry her. He sent her messages proposing to her, but she said: “I am not worthy to marry a king.” He proposed to her seven times, but each time she refused. After many entreaties, he married her. After a time, the king became angry at her and wished to divorce her. Said she to him: “I did not ask to marry you—it was you who pleaded with me. Now you have decreed to divorce me and marry another. Just don’t do to her what you did to me.”
In the same way, G‑d appeared to Moses in the burning bush and said to him: “Come now, I will send you to Pharaoh.” For seven days G‑d entreated Moses (as it says “Also from yesterday, also from three days ago, also from the time that You’re speaking with Your servant”—Exodus 4:10) and Moses declined, saying, “I am not a man of words.” In the end He convinced him, and Moses accepted the mission of leading the people out of Egypt. Then, after all the miracles were done through Moses, G‑d said to him: “You shall not bring this congregation into the Land.” Said Moses: “Master of the Universe! I did not ask to go. . . . Now that You decreed that not I should lead them into the Land, but another, do not do to him what You did to me. [Set a man over the congregation] who shall take them out and who shall bring them in . . .’”
Said Rabbi Israel: “Have you ever seen a man and a dog walking? The dog always runs ahead. So to the casual observer it seems that the dog is the leader. But every now and then the dog turns around to see where his master wants to go, and changes direction accordingly.
“Today, our world abounds with such ‘leaders.’ But a true leader is not one who merely ‘goes and comes before the people,’ while looking over his shoulder to see if they are still following him. He is also the one who ‘takes them out and brings them in’—who leadsthem where he knows they must go.”
“Of your glory”—but not all your glory. The elders of that generation said: The countenance of Moses was like that of the sun; the countenance of Joshua was like that of the moon. Alas, for such shame! Alas for such reproach!
The people of Israel provide nourishment for their Father in Heaven.
This explains the amazing statement by the Zohar that “the people of Israel provide nourishment for their Father in Heaven.” Food is the glue that keeps soul and body together, sustaining the embodiment of the spirit within its material shell. By the same token, our service of G‑d is what sustains G‑d’s involvement with His creation, “feeding” His desire to continue to infuse it with existence and life.
Thus G‑d refers to the korbanot, the animal and meal offerings brought in the Holy Temple, as “My bread.” The korbanot (and their present-day substitute, prayer) are the highest expression of our striving to serve G‑d and come close to Him; as such, they are the “food” which sustains the life of the universe, the fuel that keeps the divine soul “alive” within the body of creation.
In our own lives there also exists this division: there are the “routine” things, such as the fifteen breaths we take each minute and the job we troop to each workday; and there are the “special” things we do once in a while or once in a lifetime. Both are crucial to a fulfilling and satisfying life. The offerings—and their present-day substitute, prayer—include both temidin and musafin, to teach us that our relationship with G‑d should likewise embrace the surety of the routine on the one hand, and the excitement of the occasional on the other.
But when speaking of the two daily offerings, the Torah uses the term moed, “appointed time”—a phrase generally reserved for the festivals and other occasionally occurring observances. This means that the Torah also urges us to transcend these categorizations and experience a sense of specialty and occasion also in the “regular” rhythms of life. As Rashi comments on the verse, “The ‘appointed time’ of the regular offerings is every day.”
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STORY
The Baal Shem Tov and the Old Man
Dressed in rags, with a pair of buckets of water resting on his rounded shoulders, the man looked up in surprise at the august group coming his way. by Menachem Posner
“Teach us, Rebbe,” begged the students of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov. “The Talmud tells us that on Rosh Hashanah, G‑d determines a person’s livelihood for the coming year. Yet just a few lines later, the Talmud states that a person’s fortune is The query went unanswereddecided every day anew. How can both statements be true?”
The Baal Shem Tov said nothing, and the query went unanswered.
A few days later, the Baal Shem Tov requested that his coach be prepared for a journey. Together with his students, he rode for a while until reaching a nondescript village. There, the master signaled that the horses should stop and that his students should come with him to speak to an elderly Jewish villager.
Dressed in rags, with a pair of buckets of water resting on his rounded shoulders, the man looked up in surprise at the august group coming his way.
“Shalom, grandfather,” said the Baal Shem Tov. “How are you doing?”
“Oy, may all my enemies have an old age like mine!” the elder replied. “I am old and tired, but I have no choice but to keep on schlepping these buckets of water just to get a crust of bread for my shriveled lips. My balance is not what it was. Sometimes I fall and the water spills, and I need to start again from scratch. Sure, G‑d blessed me with children who could help me, but I rarely see them. Who has time for an old man like me? Oh, how bitter is my lot!” the man finished with a groan.
The Baal Shem Tov wished the man well, and then motioned for his students to accompany him back home.
Several weeks later, the Baal Shem Tov again invited his students for a ride. Once again, they stopped to talk to the old man.
“Dear grandfather,” said the Baal Shem Tov, “how are you doing?”
“Thank G‑d,” said the oldster, flashing a toothless grin, “I am managing to keep body and soul together. Sure, I am old, and I sometimes stumble, but thank G‑d I have Nothing has changed for this old manenough energy to get right up and refill my buckets. Oh, and the joy I get from my children. Thank G‑d, they each have lovely families of their own, but they still help me from time to time.”
“You see,” said the Baal Shem Tov to his students, “nothing changed for this old man. He has the same buckets and the same crusts of bread as the last time we were here. Only his attitude changed. G‑d judges us to determine what he should give us in life. And then there is a second layer of judgment, determining how we are to receive that goodness from G‑d. On Rosh Hashanah, it is decided what we are to receive. Every day, it is decided how we are to receive.”
Rabbi Menachem Posner serves as staff editor for Chabad.org.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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YOUR QUESTIONS
Should I Marry an Alcoholic?
To be honest, I would have never known he was an addict had he not told me so. by Aron Moss
Question:
Some years ago, I met a guy and we became friends. He told me he had been an alcoholic, but he explained that he had been to Alcoholics Anonymous and had been sober for a couple of years. We then went our separate ways, keeping in touch here and there. A few weeksHe has been sober for a couple of years ago, he messaged me and asked if I wanted to give him a chance and start dating. After much discussion, I told him I had to think about it and understand more about recovered addicts.
On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoy his company, and he has all the qualities I’m looking for: He is smart, witty, committed to Judaism, kind, compassionate, thoughtful, and knows what he wants for his future home and life. To be honest, I would have never known he was an addict had he not told me so. But on the other hand, I have a history of addiction in my own family, and have always dreamed of moving away from that in my future family. So my question is, should I give him a chance, or should I steer clear of him? Can I trust his recovery, or “once an addict, always an addict”?
Answer:
Let me first commend you on your levelheadedness, a quality that is exceedingly rare when it comes to relationships. You obviously have your head screwed on right, and you are walking into this with your eyes wide open. So often, people enter or avoid relationships without any clear thinking, just following their heart. That usually leads to messy situations. Your thought-out approach will serve you well.
As Jews, we believe in the power of teshuvah—that people can really change. And those who do change, who pick themselves up and turn their lives around for the better, are among the most inspiring people in the world. While there are no guarantees of what the future holds, if someone is sincerely doing the internal work and getting the appropriate help, he truly can turn a new page in life and never look back.
From the sound of things, your friend has done some hard work, and his addiction is under control at the moment. But you need to know more details about that. Is he still regularly attending AA or some other support group? Is he committed to an ongoing recovery program? Recovering addicts need continued support, whether it be daily, weekly or monthly. If he is getting appropriate support, then he has every chance of staying sober. If not, then anything can happen.
Once you get a clearer picture of his recovery, and before you get emotionally involved, you need to think long and hard—are you up for this? Can you handle having alcoholism, even in its recovery, a part of your life after what you have seen in your own family? Every person has his story. Is this a story you can take on and make your own?
If the answer is no, you can’t handle it, then that is fine. No need to feel guilty. It is a lot to carry, and maybe you have carried enough in your life. The last thing you want to do isAre you up for this? replicate the dysfunction you have witnessed in your own family. You can’t become his nurse or his therapist.
But if, after hearing the facts and thinking it over, you feel confident that he really has turned himself around and you can accept him for who he is, then give it a go. You may be lucky to have found one of those beautiful souls who has seen the darkness and conquered it. Take your time, get to know him well, and see where G‑d leads you. May it be on the correct path.
If you’d like to learn more about the Jewish approach to recovery, click here.
Aron Moss is rabbi of the Nefesh Community in Sydney, Australia, and is a frequent contributor to Chabad.org.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.-------
No One Listens to Me!
I consider myself to be a very attentive listener, but as soon as it is my turn to talk, people start reading, checking their phones or talking about something completely unconnected to what I’m trying to say. by Rosally Saltsman
ON THE CALENDAR
Tisha B’Av and the 3 Weeks
The “Three Weeks” and Tisha B’Av are designated as a time of mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temple and the galut (exile).
The Three Weeks is an annual mourning period that falls out in the summer. This is when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple and our launch into a still-ongoing exile.
The period begins on the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, a fast day that marks the day when the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans in 69 CE.
It reaches its climax and concludes with the fast of the 9th of Av, the date when both Holy Temples were set aflame. This is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, and it is also the date that many other tragedies befell our people . . . read more
Tisha B’Av Fast: Start Time | End Time
Other Languages: Français | Español | עברית | Русский | Deutsch | Português© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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Who Will Build the Third Bais Hamikdash, Man or G-d?
From the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
From the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
A Building of the Heavens or of the Earth
There is a classic difference of opinion between our Rabbis regarding the construction of the Third Beis HaMikdash. The Rambam states1 that the Beis HaMikdashwill be built by man, more specifically by Mashiach. Indeed, its construction will be one of the signs of Mashiach’s advent.
Rashi,2 by contrast, explains that the Beis HaMikdash has already been constructed by G‑d and exists in the heavenly realms, waiting for the time when it will descend to the earth. For the Third Beis HaMikdash will be “the Sanctuary of G‑d, established by Your hands.”3 When the setting within the world is appropriate, this heavenly structure will descend and become an actual reality within our material world.
Each of these views is based upon sources in the works of our Sages.4 There is, however, a unique historical point which supports the Rambam’s position. Our Sages relate5 that in the era of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananiah, the Romans granted the Jews permission to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash. Joyous at the opportunity they were granted, our people rushed to begin the preparations for building only to have the project thwarted by the intervention of the Samaritans. What is significant, however, is that they planned to build the Beis HaMikdash through their own efforts; they did not wait for it to descend from the heavens.
Will We Be Worthy?
This account can, however, be reconciled with Rashi’s view. To explain: Our Sages6 note the apparent contradiction between two verses describing the coming of Mashiach. One verse states:7“Behold, one like a son of man came on the clouds of heaven.” It is, however, also written:8 “Your king will come... like a poor man riding on a donkey.” In resolution, our Sages explain that if the Jews are found worthy, Mashiach will come “on the clouds of heaven”; if they do not merit, he will come “like a poor man riding on a donkey.” Similarly, in other contexts, our Sages describe one course for the Redemption if the Jews’ conduct is meritorious, and another, if, heaven forbid, such merits are lacking.9
In the present context as well, it can be explained that the ultimate conception of the Beis HaMikdash is a heavenly structure to descend from above. If, however, the Jews are not worthy of such a sanctuary, the Beis HaMikdash will still return in the Era of the Redemption. It will, however, be a structure built by man, and not by G‑d.
On this basis, we can also resolve the difficulty cited above. When the Romans granted the Jews the opportunity to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash, the people must have been somewhat disappointed that the Beis HaMikdash did not descend from heaven. Nevertheless, the realization that they had not been found worthy of a heavenly structure did not dampen their enthusiasm for building a sanctuary to the fullest extent of their human potential.10
Concrete Elucidation of Yechezkel’s Prophecies
Another possible resolution can be offered based on the Rambam’s statements shortly after the beginning of Hilchos Beis HaBechirah: 11
The structure which Shlomo built is already described in the [Book of] Melachim. Similarly, the structure which will be constructed in the future era [is described in the Book of]Yechezkel. Nevertheless, the description there is not explained or elucidated.
[Therefore,] the people who constructed the Second [Beis HaMikdash] in the time of Ezra, built it according to the [basic] design [employed by] Shlomo, incorporating the elements which were explicitly detailed by Yechezkel.
It can be explained that Mashiach will lead the people in the construction of those dimensions of the Beis HaMikdash which can be grasped by human intellect. Afterwards, since the dimensions of Yechezkel’s prophecies which we cannot comprehend will be left incomplete, they will be revealed from heaven by G‑d.
When That Which is Hidden Will Emerge
Another approach to reconcile Rashi’s view and that of the Rambam is based on our Sages’ interpretation of the verse, “Her gates sank in the earth.”12 Our Sages relate13 that the gates of the Beis HaMikdash were fashioned at the order of King David. This endowed them with an eternal invulnerability.14 When the Babylonians laid waste to the Beis HaMikdash, the gates were not destroyed. Instead, they were swallowed by the earth.
In the Era of the Redemption, the entire Beis HaMikdash will descend from the heavens with the exception of the gates, which will ascend from the earth. Mashiach will then connect the gates to the Beis HaMikdash. Our Sages explain15 that connecting the gates to a building is considered as equivalent to the construction of the entire edifice.
Adding Divine Perfection to Human Effort
Moreover, it can be explained that the two conceptions are, in no way, contradictory. Building the Beis HaMikdash is a mitzvah incumbent on the Jewish people.16 In the Era of the Redemption, when it will become possible to fulfill all the mitzvos, we will also be obligated to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash. Within that structure which man will erect, however, will descend and be enclothed “the Sanctuary of G‑d,” which is waiting in the heavens.
Mankind is obligated to create a Sanctuary for G‑d within the context of our material world. After that is completed to the fullest extent of our human potential, the inner essence of the Beis HaMikdash will be revealed — that it is “the Sanctuary of G‑d,” possessing a dimension of perfection which utterly surpasses any possible work of mortal man.
* * *
May we witness the actual resolution of this issue in the immediate future, with the coming of the Redemption and the rebuilding — or the descent — of the Beis HaMikdash. “And then, the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to G‑d, as in the days of old and as in bygone years.”17
Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XI, p. 98; XVIII, p. 418-419; Vol. XXVII, p. 205.
From the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson; translated by Eli Touger
FOOTNOTES
1.Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Melachim 11:1,4.
2.Sukkah 41a, Rosh HaShanah 30a. See alsoTosafos, Sukkah, loc. cit.
3.Shmos 15:17.
4.The Rambam’s view appears based on the Jerusalem Talmud, Megillah 1:11,Pesachim 9:1, Vayikra Rabbah 9:6, and Bamidbar Rabbah, 13:2. Rashi’s view has its source in the Midrash Tanchuma, Pekudei, sec. 11, the Zohar I, 28a, and other texts.
5.Bereishis Rabbah 64:10.
6.Sanhedrin 98a.
7.Daniel 7:13.
6.Jeremiah 1:7.
7.Jeremiah 1:5.
8.Based on the teachings of the Rebbe, Likkutei Sichot, vol. 18, Pinchas III.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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The Greatest Servant
Leadership is one of those qualities that, as soon as a person begins describing his or her own mastery of it, you can’t help but feel that in fact they don’t have it . . . by Chana Kroll
It’s always interesting, amusing and occasionally gripping to watch the “parade” known as the American presidential elections. This time around—with racial division in the United States, growing economic disparity, terrorism rearing its head on a regular basis all over the world, and even the controversial June 23 referendum by British voters to exit the European Union—there is certainly no shortage of issues to address as the politics behind it all gains momentum.
Perhaps the most crucial issue—one we try to touch on, but which cannot be captured on news cameras or in speeches—is whether any candidate really possesses what we can call true leadership.
It’s A real leader is actually the greatest servanta tricky issue because, like modesty, leadership is one of those qualities that, as soon as a person begins describing his or her own mastery of it, you can’t help but feel that they don’t have it. Rather, they have its exact opposite.
Real leaders tend to be those who run away from any type of position of power, and they rarely speak about themselves because that just isn’t where their thoughts are. A real leader is actually the greatest servant. He doesn’t have a personal agenda at hand, but is instead there solely for the needs of the people he is leading.
In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Pinchas, we witness the ordination of Joshua bin Nun as the successor to our first national leader, Moses. Like Moses himself, Joshua never wanted to be a leader. Each, instead, wanted from an early age to serve. Moses: by going out into the fields where the Jews were working as slaves, and seeking ways to ease their suffering. Joshua: by devoting himself to Moses. Even as a young man, he was constantly present in the tent that served as a Torah study hall. As an adult, he remained Moses’s loyal student and aide. Both had to be persuaded to accept the role of leader.
Yet the deepest insights into what makes a real leader are revealed only when the responsibilities are about to change hands from Moses to Joshua.
Having just been told by G‑d that he is about to pass away, it would have been logical and human for Moses to turn his attention to settling his own affairs and giving last instructions to his family and followers. After all, what leader isn’t concerned with what his mark will be on history? What parent isn’t concerned with how well their wishes will be followed after they pass on?
Moses wasn’t. The generals of the Jewish army always went firstHe was concerned only about two things—that G‑d’s will be realized, and that the Jewish people not be left alone without someone to understand them, protect them, inspire them and, when need be, comfort them. The words of his plea have forever encapsulated the meaning of what it means to be a Jewish leader: “G‑d of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the assembly, who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall take them out and who shall bring them in.” (Numbers 27:15–17)
Why is G‑d being addressed at this point as “G‑d of the spirits of all flesh”? According to our sages, Moses is acknowledging a basic truth—that the personality of each individual is unique and known to G‑d—and he is beseeching G‑d to appoint a leader who can deal with each of these personalities. He is seeking a leader for the Jewish people who will be able to understand and empathize with each person. G‑d answers him by promising that the man He is appointing as Moses’ successor is indeed one “in whom there is spirit,” i.e., that he will be able to act in a way befitting the personality of each individual.
Joshua was just such a person, establishing a rapport with each individual based on genuine empathy, and not on attempts to curry favor. And true to the second part of Moses’ request, he “went before them and came in before them.” In other words, he didn’t send the nation out to war to fight battles. He went first, and he inspired in them the confidence to be successful and thus come back (“and come in before them”). For centuries, these were the defining characteristics of the army of the Jewish people; unlike other armies, where generals stay comfortably behind the line of fire, the generals of the Jewish army always went first, and with their good deeds, empathy and trust were able to inspire confidence in their soldiers. Victory was the result.
Of course, this was true not only of physical battles, but of our internal spiritual battles as well. Each of us has to find the inspiration in Moses’ words to become true leaders in our own sphere of influence. By caring about and genuinely connecting to the souls of people we must influence—for starters, our families—and by relating to their individual personalities. By leading through example, even if it means stretching ourselves to the breaking point; and by strengthening our own trust in the One who is guiding us, whether we see His hand in things or not.
It’s a kind of leadership that tends to create not followers, but people who are genuine leaders in their own right. And that’s something this world could use a little more of.
Chana Kroll is an alumna of Machon Chana Yeshiva for Women in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Prior to moving to New York, she taught at a boarding school/shelter for runaways and young people whose families were homeless.
Artwork by Sefira Ross, a freelance designer and illustrator whose original creations grace many Chabad.org pages. Residing in Seattle, Washington, her days are spent between multitasking illustrations and being a mom.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.-------
Pinchas In Depth
A condensation of the weekly Torah portion alongside select commentaries culled from the Midrash, Talmud, Chassidic masters, and the broad corpus of Jewish scholarship.
Parshat Pinchas In-Depth
Numbers 25:10-30:1
Parshah Summary
Our Parshah opens with G‑d saying to Moses:
Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was zealous for My sake among them; and I did not consume the children of Israel in my jealousy.
Therefore say: Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace.
And it shall be to him, and his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood . . .
In the opening chapters of the book of Numbers, back in the Parshah of Bamidbar, we read of the census of Israel conducted one year after the Exodus. It is now 39 years later; that entire generation (i.e., those over the age of 20 at the time) has died out, and a new generation has grown up to enter the Promised Land in their stead. In the wake of the plague which Pinchas stopped, G‑d instructs Moses and Elazar to conduct another count.
The total number of those counted—men between the ages of 20 and 60, not counting the tribe of Levi—was 601,730 (1,820 less than the previous census, which tallied 603,550).
The breakdown by tribes was as follows:
The tribe of Reuben, comprising the families Chanochi, Palu’i, Chetzroni and Carmi (descendent of Reuben’s four sons Chanoch, Palu, Chetzron and Carmi), numbered 43,730. (In the previous census, the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.)
Simeon’s sons generated the Nemueli, Yamini, Yachini, Zarchi and Shauli families, and the tribe totaled 22,200 (a loss of 37,100 from the previous count of 59,300).
The tribe of Gad (families: Tzefoni, Chaggi, Shuni, Ozni, Eri, Arodi and Ar’eli) = 40,500 (previous census: 45,650).
Judah (Sheilani, Partzi, Zarchi, Chetzroni, Chamuli) = 76,500 (previous census: 74,600).
Issachar (Tola’i, Puni, Yashuvi, Shimroni) = 64,300 (up from 54,400).
Zebulun (Sardi, Eloni, Yachle’eli) = 60,500 (previous census: 57,400).
The tribe of Manasseh included the Machiri, Gil’adi, Iezri, Chelki, Asrieli, Shichmi, Shmida’i and Chefri families; the verse also mentions here that “Tzelafchad, the son of Chefer, had no sons, but only daughters; and the names of the daughters of Tzelafchad were Machlah, Noah, Chaglah, Milkah and Tirtzah.” Manasseh’s population count was 52,700 (previous census: 32,200).
Ephraim (Shuthalchi, Bachri, Tachani, Eirani) = 32,500 (previous census: 40,500).
Benjamin (Bal’i, Ashbeli, Achirami, Shufami, Chufami, Ardi, Naami) = 45,600 (previous census: 35,400).
Dan (the father of the tribe, Dan, had only one son, Chushim, so that the entire tribe consisted of one family, the Shuchami) = 64,400 (previous census: 62,700).
Asher (Yimnah, Yishvi, Beri’i, Chevri, Malkieli, “and the name of Asher’s daughter was Serach”)—53,400 (up from 41,500).
Naphtali’s descendants divided themselves into the Yachtze’eli, Guni, Yitzri and Shileimi clans, and their number in this census was 45,400 (previous census: 53,400).
“Among these shall the Land be apportioned as an inheritance,” said G‑d to Moses, “according to the number of names.”Simeon’s sons generated the Nemueli, Yamini, Yachini, Zarchi and Shauli families, and the tribe totaled 22,200 (a loss of 37,100 from the previous count of 59,300).
The tribe of Gad (families: Tzefoni, Chaggi, Shuni, Ozni, Eri, Arodi and Ar’eli) = 40,500 (previous census: 45,650).
Judah (Sheilani, Partzi, Zarchi, Chetzroni, Chamuli) = 76,500 (previous census: 74,600).
Issachar (Tola’i, Puni, Yashuvi, Shimroni) = 64,300 (up from 54,400).
Zebulun (Sardi, Eloni, Yachle’eli) = 60,500 (previous census: 57,400).
The tribe of Manasseh included the Machiri, Gil’adi, Iezri, Chelki, Asrieli, Shichmi, Shmida’i and Chefri families; the verse also mentions here that “Tzelafchad, the son of Chefer, had no sons, but only daughters; and the names of the daughters of Tzelafchad were Machlah, Noah, Chaglah, Milkah and Tirtzah.” Manasseh’s population count was 52,700 (previous census: 32,200).
Ephraim (Shuthalchi, Bachri, Tachani, Eirani) = 32,500 (previous census: 40,500).
Benjamin (Bal’i, Ashbeli, Achirami, Shufami, Chufami, Ardi, Naami) = 45,600 (previous census: 35,400).
Dan (the father of the tribe, Dan, had only one son, Chushim, so that the entire tribe consisted of one family, the Shuchami) = 64,400 (previous census: 62,700).
Asher (Yimnah, Yishvi, Beri’i, Chevri, Malkieli, “and the name of Asher’s daughter was Serach”)—53,400 (up from 41,500).
Naphtali’s descendants divided themselves into the Yachtze’eli, Guni, Yitzri and Shileimi clans, and their number in this census was 45,400 (previous census: 53,400).
To the more numerous you shall increase their inheritance, and to the fewer you shall lessen their inheritance . . .
Nevertheless, the land shall be divided by lot. . . . According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided, whether many or few.
The Torah concludes the census by stating:
Among these there was not a man of those whom Moses and Aaron the priest had numbered when they counted the children of Israel in the Sinai Desert. For G‑d had said of them: They shall surely die in the wilderness.
Machlah, Noah, Chaglah, Milkah and Tirtzah were the five daughters of Tzelafchad, the son of Chefer, the son of Gilead, the son of Manasseh, and they had a petition to present to Moses:
They stood before Moses, and before Elazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the Tent of Meeting, saying:
“Our father died in the desert. He was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against G‑d in the company of Korach; but he died inhis own sin, and had no sons.
“Why should the name of our father be eliminated from his family, because he has no son? Give us an estate [in the Land] among the brothers of our father.”
“The daughters of Tzelafchad speak rightly. You shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brethren, and you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.”
You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a man dies and has no son, then you shall pass his inheritance on to his daughter.
If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. If his father have no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it; and it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as G‑d commanded Moses.
The Succession
Moses spoke to G‑d, saying:
“O L‑rd, G‑d of the spirits of all flesh!
“Set a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and who shall go in before them, who shall lead them out and who shall bring them in, so that the congregation of G‑d not be as sheep that have no shepherd.”
G‑d said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom there is spirit, and lay your hand upon him. Set him before Elazar the priest, and before all the congregation, and charge him before their eyes.
“You shall place of your glory upon him, in order that all the congregation of the children of Israel shall obey [him] . . .”
Moses did as G‑d commanded him . . .
The Seasonal Offerings
There are the daily offerings: “Two yearling lambs without blemish, day by day. . . . The one lamb shall you offer in the morning, and the other lamb shall you offer at evening.” These are accompanied by “a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering, mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil . . . and its drink offering shall be the fourth part of a hin [of wine].”
Then there are the “additional offerings” brought on special occasions, each in its appointed season:
On Shabbat, two yearling lambs are to be offered (in addition to the two brought every day).
On Rosh Chodesh (“Head of the Month”) there are added two bullocks, one ram and seven sheep, plus a he-goat as a sin offering. The same “additional offerings” are to be brought on each of the seven days of Passover and on the festival of Shavuot.
On Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Shemini Atzeret, the additional offerings consisted of the same, except that only one bullock was brought instead of two. (On Yom Kippur there were other offerings connected with the day’s service, as related in the Parshah of Acharei Mot.)
On the seven days of Sukkot, the number of communal offerings increase greatly. Each day there are fourteen sheep instead of seven. Thirteen bullocks are brought on the first day, twelve on the second, eleven on the third, and so on in descending order until the seventh day, when seven bullocks are offered, bringing the total of bullocks over the seven days of the festival to seventy. (The next day, however, being the festival of Shemini Atzeret, onlyone bullock is offered.)
With each of the animals is brought the prescribed meal, wine and oil supplements: three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour and half a hin each of wine and oil per bullock; two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour and a third of a hin of each of the liquids for each ram; and one-tenth and one-quarter respectively for each lamb.
From Our Sages
Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aaron (Numbers 25:10)
Why does G‑d refer to Pinchas as “the son of Elazar the son of Aaron”? Because the tribes of Israel were mocking him, saying, “Have you seen this son of the fattener, whose mother’s father (Jethro) fattened calves for idolatrous sacrifices, and now he goes and kills a prince in Israel?” Therefore, G‑d traces his lineage to Aaron.
(Talmud, Sanhedrin 82b)
Few professions are as cruel and inhumane as the fattening of calves for slaughter. So when Pinchas slew Zimri, many said: “Look at this holy zealot! He acts as if motivated by the desire to avenge the honor of G‑d and save the people, but in truth he has merely found a holy outlet for his cruel and violent nature. After all, it’s in his blood—just look at his maternal grandfather . . .” So G‑d described him as “Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aaron” in order to attest that in character and temperament he actually took after his paternal grandfather—the compassionate and peace-loving Aaron.The true greatness of Pinchas lay in that he acted in complete opposition to his nature, transcending his inborn instincts to bring peace between G‑d and Israel.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
Pinchas is Elijah.
Said G‑d to Pinchas: You made peace between Israel and Me in this world. So too, in the world to come, it is you who shall make peace between Me and My children. As it is written (Malachi 3:23–24): “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of G‑d. He will return the hearts of fathers to children, and the hearts of children to their fathers.”
(Yalkut Shimoni)
Although the priesthood had already been given to the descendants of Aaron, it was given only to Aaron and his [four] sons, who were anointed together with him, and to the children they would father after their anointing. Pinchas, however, who was born before that time and was not himself anointed, did not enter the priesthood until now. Thus we have learned in the Talmudic tractate of Zevachim (101b): “Pinchas did not attain the priesthood until he slew Zimri.”
(Rashi)
When Pinchas entered Zimri’s tent, thousands of members of the tribe of Simeon converged upon him to slay him, and his soul flew from his body in fright. At that moment G‑d sent the souls of Nadav and Avihu (Aaron’s two eldest sons, who died on the day that the Sanctuary was dedicated—see Leviticus 10) and they entered into his body; at that moment, Pinchas became worthy to become the high priest. . . . Thus the verse says of him, “Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aaron”—he was now both the son of Elazar as well as the son of Aaron . . .
(Zohar; Me’am Loez)
How do we know that one who causes a man to sin is even worse than one who kills him? . . . Two nations advanced against Israel with the sword, and two with transgression. The Egyptians and the Edomites advanced against them with the sword, as is proven by the texts, “The enemy said: I will pursue, I will overtake . . . I will draw my sword” (Exodus 15:9), and “Edom said unto him: You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you” (Numbers 20:18). Two advanced against them with transgression, namely the Moabites and the Ammonites. Of those who had advanced against them with the sword it is written, “You shall not abhor an Edomite . . . you shall not abhor an Egyptian” (Deuteronomy 23:8). Of those, however, who had advanced against them with transgression, endeavoring to make Israel sin, it says, “An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of G‑d . . . even to the tenth generation shall none of them enter . . . for ever” (ibid. v. 4).
(Midrash Rabbah)
It came to pass after the plague that G‑d spoke to Moses . . . “Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel . . .” (26:1)
To what is this comparable? To a shepherd into whose flock there entered a wolf and killed many of them, so he counts them to know how many remain.Another explanation: It is like the case of a shepherd to whom an owner entrusted his flock by number; when the shepherd came to the end of his time, on returning them he had to number them again. When Israel went out of Egypt, G‑d entrusted them to Moses by number (as per Exodus 12:37 and Numbers 1:1); now that Moses was about to depart from the world in the plains of Moab, he returned them by number.
(Midrash Rabbah; Rashi)
The commentaries explain this large reduction in Simeon’s population as due to the fact that the Simeonites were the major culprits in the worship of Peor with the daughters of Midian (Zimri, who was killed by Pinchas, was the “prince” and leader of the tribe of Simeon; according to the Talmud, his motive was to legitimize the transgressions of his tribe). Many Simeonites were executed for their crimes (as perNumbers 25:5), and they constituted the greater part, if not all, of the 24,000 who perished in the plague. (Midrash Tanchuma; Rashi)
This was not the only instance in which the people were so decimated. We read of plagues and other catastrophes following the sins of the golden calf, the “complainers,” the lust for meat, the spies, the unauthorized push to enter the Land, and the rebellion of Korach and its aftermath. Indeed, other tribes also show a fall in population (though none as drastic as Simeon’s), and the people as a whole are also fewer by nearly 2000, despite the natural increase one would expect after a full generation. (In contrast, the children of Israel swelled from 70 souls to 600,000 in the 210 years they were in Egypt.)
The commentaries further note that whole families have been wiped out. There are now five Simeonite clans instead of six; Gad has likewise lost a family, and Benjamin has lost five. Rashi cites an account in the Jerusalem Talmud (Sotah 1:10) of a civil war that was fought following the death of Aaron, when the Israelites were attacked by a Canaanite army. Many Jews fled with a mind to return to Egypt, retreating eight “stations” in their journey through the desert, from Hor HaHar to Moserah. The tribe of Levi waged war with them to force them back, and seven Israelite families—and four Levite families—died in battle.
To the more numerous you shall increase their inheritance, and to the fewer you shall lessen their inheritance. . . . Nevertheless, the land shall be divided by lot . . . whether many or few (26:54–56)
The commentaries offer different approaches to explaining the apparent contradiction in these verses. Rashi says that the land was divided into twelve provinces of different size, taking into account the difference in population among the tribes. Nevertheless, the question of which province should go to which tribe was determined by lot; miraculously, the lot matched the more populous tribes with the larger provinces and the less populous ones with the smaller provinces.Nachmanides says that the land was divided into 12 equal portions (not necessarily equal in size, since the quality of land was also taken into consideration), and the matching of provinces to tribes was done by lot. Thus each tribe received an equal share, regardless of population. The instruction that “to the more numerous you shall increase their inheritance, and to the fewer you shall lessen their inheritance” refers to the division of the land within the tribes: each tribal head divided his tribe’s portion among the families of the tribe in accordance to the number of members in each family (as determined by the census taken here).
Another opinion is that the lottery determined the location of each tribe’s portion, but not its size, which was adjusted in accordance with the tribe’s population.
(Me’am Loez)
However these verses are understood, the implication is that the Torah is insisting that two different—even conflicting—dynamics be involved in the apportionment of the land: a rational division, which takes into account empirical data such as population figures and the quality of the land; and a supra-rational lottery, whose workings are beyond human comprehension and control.There is also a third factor involved: the concept of “inheritance”—a word that appears repeatedly in these verses in connection with the apportionment of the Land. Inheritance is neither “rational” nor “supra-rational.” An heir is not receiving a particular portion of land by some logical criteria or by some esoteric formula, but as his “birthright”—as something that is inexorably bound to his essence, something that belongs to him by virtue of who and what he is.
Our portion in life, says the Lubavitcher Rebbe, includes all three dynamics.
There are the events and opportunities which shape our lives, giving rise to decisions and choices on how best to fulfill our purpose. One man will choose to be a Torah scholar, another will ascertain the hand of divine providence pointing him to the business world, while a third will interpret a G‑d-given talent as directing him to become an artist. This is the “rational” means by which we receive our “portion in the land.”
But then there are the circumstances and experiences that “befall” us in a seemingly random and arbitrary manner. A person will often mistake these for “chance.” But these are no less the hand of divine providence than the rational side of life. In fact, they express a more profound involvement by G‑d in our lives—an involvement that is too lofty to be captured by any logical formula, so that our earthly eyes can perceive it only as an “arbitrary” casting of lots. These are gifts that are too potent to be tapped with the conventional tools of intellect and instinct; we can only open ourselves to their possibilities.
Finally, we each have those moments in life when our “inheritance” comes to light. Moments which are not driven by our reason, nor by the transcendent forces that impact our lives, but by the very essence of who and what we are—by that deepest self that is one with its Source.
Life is the sum of these three elements. To live is to develop and optimize one’s consciously understood faculties. To live is to be receptive to the mysteries of life, to learn to recognize and respond to the opportunities implicit in the most esoteric turns of fate. And to live is to be attuned to the core of truth in the core of one’s soul—to one’s heritage as a child of G‑d.
When the daughters of Tzelafchad heard that the land was being divided among the tribes but not among the women, they convened to discuss the matter. They said: G‑d’s mercy and compassion is not like the compassion of man. Mankind favors men over women. G‑d is not like that; His compassion extends to men and women alike.
(Yalkut Shimoni)
In that generation, the women repaired what the men broke down.
You find that Aaron told them: “Break off the golden rings which are in the ears of your wives” (to make the golden calf—Exodus 32:2), but the women refused and held back their husbands, as is proved by the fact that it says (ibid. v. 3) “All the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears,” the women not participating with them in making the calf.
It was the same in the case of the spies, who uttered an evil report: “The men... when they returned, made all the congregation to murmur against Him” (Numbers 14:36), and against this congregation the decree [not to enter the Land] was issued, because they had said: “We are not able to go up” (ibid. v. 31). The women, however, were not with them in their counsel, as may be inferred from the fact that it is written in an earlier passage of our Parshah, “For G‑d had said of them: They shall surely die in the desert. There was left not aman of them, save Caleb the son of Yefuneh . . .” (ibid. v. 65).
The men had been unwilling to enter the Land; the women petitioned to receive an inheritance in the Land.
(Midrash Rabbah)
The daughters of Tzelafchad were wise women, they were exegetes (i.e., well-versed in the methodology of expounding Torah law) and they were virtuous.
They were wise, for they spoke at an opportune moment. . . . Moses was sitting and holding forth an exposition on the section of levirate marriages (the law that if a person dies without “seed,” his brother should marry his widow to “establish for his brother an heir in Israel”—Deuteronomy 25:5–10). They said unto him: “If we are like a son (i.e., if we are considered “seed”), give us an inheritance as to a son. If not, then our mother should be subject to the law of levirate marriage!” (The law states that levirate marriage can take place only if there is no issue at all, male or female.)
They were virtuous, since they would marry only such men as were worthy of them. . . . Even the youngest among them was not married before forty years of age. (This is deduced from the fact that Tzelafchad died in the first year after the Exodus, and his daughters’ petition was in the fortieth year; thus the youngest of them could have been less than 40 at the time. Yet this occurred before their marriage, as evidenced from Numbers 36.)
(Talmud, Bava Batra 119b)
Rabbi Akiva says: he was the wood-gatherer (Numbers 15:32–36). Rabbi Shimon says: He was among those who stormed the mountain to enter the Land (ibid. 14:40–45).
(Talmud; Rashi)
The daughters of Tzelafchad wished to strengthen their argument, “Why should the name of our father be eliminated [from those receiving a portion in the Land]?” by stressing that their father was not guilty of his generation's spurning of the land. According to the opinion that he was the “wood-gatherer,” he died many months before the spies’ mission (according to the Talmud, the incident of the wood-gatherer occurred on the second Shabbat after the giving of the Torah). And if he was one of the “mountain stormers,” their sin was that they so deeply regretted falling prey to the spies’ evil report that they erred in the other direction, and lost their lives in the effort to enter the Land in violation of the divine decree.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
Moses prayed to G‑d to concede to their request and to permit them a portion in the Land.
(Maor v’Shemesh)
The Kabbalistic masters taught that every soul has a “portion in the land”—a piece of G‑d’s world that he or she has been charged to sanctify. Thus a person’s mission in life can be seen as consisting of two primary objectives: a) the refinement and elevation of his own soul, self and character; b) the refinement and elevation of his “portion” of the material world, by developing the material resources which have been placed under his control or influence as a “home for G‑d”—a place that serves and houses the divine truth. The latter objective is the essence of the mitzvah to “conquer the land of Canaan” and transform it into a “Holy Land.”
(This was the failing of the “generation of the desert”: while they achieved an “Exodus from Egypt,” a liberation from the bounds that constrict the soul, they were unwilling to assume the challenge of “conquering the land”—transforming the material world into a home for G‑d.)
The nature of the material is that it is resistant and hostile to G‑dliness. “Conquest of the land,” it would therefore seem, requires that a person go to battle with the material world, suppress and subjugate its materialistic nature, and impose on it a higher purpose and function.
But not everyone is a warrior. The Talmud says of the human race, “Just as their faces are different, so are their characters different.” There are bold characters and meek characters, aggressive natures and passive dispositions; there are those who revel in challenge, and those who are all but devoid of the warrior instinct and the zeal for confrontation. Are the latter exempt from the mission to “conquer the land”? And if they are not, how are they to achieve it?
Therein lies the deeper significance of the laws of inheritance as commanded by G‑d in response to the petition of the daughters of Tzelafchad.
Before the daughters of Tzelafchad came along, common wisdom ascertained that if a person lacks a “son”—an aggressive and combative nature—he or she may deduce from this that he has no role to play in the “conquest of the land.” Such a person may therefore devote all his energies to the refinement of his inner self, and leave the task of sanctifying an unholy world to those with “sons.”
The daughters of Tzelafchad knew otherwise. Conquering and settling the land, they insisted, is not an exclusively masculine endeavor. True, this is a task which often calls for aggressiveness and confrontation; but there is also a feminine way to transform the materiality of our lives into a “Holy Land.”
G‑d agreed. “If a man has no son,” He instructed, “you shall pass his inheritance on to his daughter”—his “portion in the land” can be possessed and developed by the passive, compassionate, non-confrontational side of his soul.
This is the law of life revealed by the daughters of Tzelafchad: Not all conquests are achieved by overpowering one’s adversary. At times, receptiveness and empathy are equally, if not more, effective in overcoming the hostility of the “enemy” and transforming its very nature. The absence of a “male heir” in the soul may in fact indicate the presence of a feminine self no less capable of claiming the soul’s portion in the world and transforming it into a “home for G‑d.”
(From the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe)
So said Moses to G‑d: “Master of the universe! You know the soul of each and every individual; You know that no two are alike. Appoint for them a leader who can relate to each and every one of them in accordance with his individual spirit.”
(Rashi)
This is like the parable of a king who saw an orphan maiden and wished to marry her. He sent her messages proposing to her, but she said: “I am not worthy to marry a king.” He proposed to her seven times, but each time she refused. After many entreaties, he married her. After a time, the king became angry at her and wished to divorce her. Said she to him: “I did not ask to marry you—it was you who pleaded with me. Now you have decreed to divorce me and marry another. Just don’t do to her what you did to me.”
In the same way, G‑d appeared to Moses in the burning bush and said to him: “Come now, I will send you to Pharaoh.” For seven days G‑d entreated Moses (as it says “Also from yesterday, also from three days ago, also from the time that You’re speaking with Your servant”—Exodus 4:10) and Moses declined, saying, “I am not a man of words.” In the end He convinced him, and Moses accepted the mission of leading the people out of Egypt. Then, after all the miracles were done through Moses, G‑d said to him: “You shall not bring this congregation into the Land.” Said Moses: “Master of the Universe! I did not ask to go. . . . Now that You decreed that not I should lead them into the Land, but another, do not do to him what You did to me. [Set a man over the congregation] who shall take them out and who shall bring them in . . .’”
(Yalkut Shimoni)
Who shall go out before them and who shall go in before them, who shall lead them out and who shall bring them in (27:17)
Rabbi Israel Salanter was once asked to explain the Talmudic prediction (Sanhedrin 97a) that in the days before the coming of Moshiach “the face (i.e., the leadership) of the generation will have the face of a dog.”Said Rabbi Israel: “Have you ever seen a man and a dog walking? The dog always runs ahead. So to the casual observer it seems that the dog is the leader. But every now and then the dog turns around to see where his master wants to go, and changes direction accordingly.
“Today, our world abounds with such ‘leaders.’ But a true leader is not one who merely ‘goes and comes before the people,’ while looking over his shoulder to see if they are still following him. He is also the one who ‘takes them out and brings them in’—who leadsthem where he knows they must go.”
“Of your glory”—but not all your glory. The elders of that generation said: The countenance of Moses was like that of the sun; the countenance of Joshua was like that of the moon. Alas, for such shame! Alas for such reproach!
(Talmud, Bava Batra 75a)
The people of Israel provide nourishment for their Father in Heaven.
(Zohar)
The Talmud (Berachot 10a) points to the relationship between the soul and the body as a model for the nature of G‑d’s relationship with the world. The soul cannot be perceived by the senses, yet its presence and effect is keenly felt in every part of the body; so too G‑d, though He transcends our reality and is utterly beyond its perception, vitalizes the entirety of creation and is fully present in its every part.This explains the amazing statement by the Zohar that “the people of Israel provide nourishment for their Father in Heaven.” Food is the glue that keeps soul and body together, sustaining the embodiment of the spirit within its material shell. By the same token, our service of G‑d is what sustains G‑d’s involvement with His creation, “feeding” His desire to continue to infuse it with existence and life.
Thus G‑d refers to the korbanot, the animal and meal offerings brought in the Holy Temple, as “My bread.” The korbanot (and their present-day substitute, prayer) are the highest expression of our striving to serve G‑d and come close to Him; as such, they are the “food” which sustains the life of the universe, the fuel that keeps the divine soul “alive” within the body of creation.
(Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi)
You shall observe to offer it to Me in its appointed time, two each day, a regular offering (28:2-3)
The “appointed time” of the regular offerings is every day.
(Rashi)
The communal offerings include temidin—“regular” or “perpetual” offerings brought each day in the same format—and musafin—“additional” offerings brought on special occasions (Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, the festivals) which differ in accordance with the nature of the day.In our own lives there also exists this division: there are the “routine” things, such as the fifteen breaths we take each minute and the job we troop to each workday; and there are the “special” things we do once in a while or once in a lifetime. Both are crucial to a fulfilling and satisfying life. The offerings—and their present-day substitute, prayer—include both temidin and musafin, to teach us that our relationship with G‑d should likewise embrace the surety of the routine on the one hand, and the excitement of the occasional on the other.
But when speaking of the two daily offerings, the Torah uses the term moed, “appointed time”—a phrase generally reserved for the festivals and other occasionally occurring observances. This means that the Torah also urges us to transcend these categorizations and experience a sense of specialty and occasion also in the “regular” rhythms of life. As Rashi comments on the verse, “The ‘appointed time’ of the regular offerings is every day.”
(From the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe)
The eighth day shall be a time of retreat for you. . . . You shall offer a fire-offering to G‑d, a sweet savor: one bullock (29:35)
Said Rabbi Elazar: To what do the seventy bullocks that were offered during the seven days of Sukkot correspond? To the seventy nations. To what does the single bullock of the eighth day correspond? To the unique nation (Israel). This may be compared to a mortal king who said to his servants, “Prepare for me a great banquet”; but on the last day he said to his beloved friend, “Prepare for me a simple meal, that I may derive pleasure from you.”
(Talmud, Sukkah 55b)
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STORY
The Baal Shem Tov and the Old Man
Dressed in rags, with a pair of buckets of water resting on his rounded shoulders, the man looked up in surprise at the august group coming his way. by Menachem Posner
“Teach us, Rebbe,” begged the students of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov. “The Talmud tells us that on Rosh Hashanah, G‑d determines a person’s livelihood for the coming year. Yet just a few lines later, the Talmud states that a person’s fortune is The query went unanswereddecided every day anew. How can both statements be true?”
The Baal Shem Tov said nothing, and the query went unanswered.
A few days later, the Baal Shem Tov requested that his coach be prepared for a journey. Together with his students, he rode for a while until reaching a nondescript village. There, the master signaled that the horses should stop and that his students should come with him to speak to an elderly Jewish villager.
Dressed in rags, with a pair of buckets of water resting on his rounded shoulders, the man looked up in surprise at the august group coming his way.
“Shalom, grandfather,” said the Baal Shem Tov. “How are you doing?”
“Oy, may all my enemies have an old age like mine!” the elder replied. “I am old and tired, but I have no choice but to keep on schlepping these buckets of water just to get a crust of bread for my shriveled lips. My balance is not what it was. Sometimes I fall and the water spills, and I need to start again from scratch. Sure, G‑d blessed me with children who could help me, but I rarely see them. Who has time for an old man like me? Oh, how bitter is my lot!” the man finished with a groan.
The Baal Shem Tov wished the man well, and then motioned for his students to accompany him back home.
Several weeks later, the Baal Shem Tov again invited his students for a ride. Once again, they stopped to talk to the old man.
“Dear grandfather,” said the Baal Shem Tov, “how are you doing?”
“Thank G‑d,” said the oldster, flashing a toothless grin, “I am managing to keep body and soul together. Sure, I am old, and I sometimes stumble, but thank G‑d I have Nothing has changed for this old manenough energy to get right up and refill my buckets. Oh, and the joy I get from my children. Thank G‑d, they each have lovely families of their own, but they still help me from time to time.”
“You see,” said the Baal Shem Tov to his students, “nothing changed for this old man. He has the same buckets and the same crusts of bread as the last time we were here. Only his attitude changed. G‑d judges us to determine what he should give us in life. And then there is a second layer of judgment, determining how we are to receive that goodness from G‑d. On Rosh Hashanah, it is decided what we are to receive. Every day, it is decided how we are to receive.”
Rabbi Menachem Posner serves as staff editor for Chabad.org.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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YOUR QUESTIONS
Should I Marry an Alcoholic?
To be honest, I would have never known he was an addict had he not told me so. by Aron Moss
Question:
Some years ago, I met a guy and we became friends. He told me he had been an alcoholic, but he explained that he had been to Alcoholics Anonymous and had been sober for a couple of years. We then went our separate ways, keeping in touch here and there. A few weeksHe has been sober for a couple of years ago, he messaged me and asked if I wanted to give him a chance and start dating. After much discussion, I told him I had to think about it and understand more about recovered addicts.
On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoy his company, and he has all the qualities I’m looking for: He is smart, witty, committed to Judaism, kind, compassionate, thoughtful, and knows what he wants for his future home and life. To be honest, I would have never known he was an addict had he not told me so. But on the other hand, I have a history of addiction in my own family, and have always dreamed of moving away from that in my future family. So my question is, should I give him a chance, or should I steer clear of him? Can I trust his recovery, or “once an addict, always an addict”?
Answer:
Let me first commend you on your levelheadedness, a quality that is exceedingly rare when it comes to relationships. You obviously have your head screwed on right, and you are walking into this with your eyes wide open. So often, people enter or avoid relationships without any clear thinking, just following their heart. That usually leads to messy situations. Your thought-out approach will serve you well.
As Jews, we believe in the power of teshuvah—that people can really change. And those who do change, who pick themselves up and turn their lives around for the better, are among the most inspiring people in the world. While there are no guarantees of what the future holds, if someone is sincerely doing the internal work and getting the appropriate help, he truly can turn a new page in life and never look back.
From the sound of things, your friend has done some hard work, and his addiction is under control at the moment. But you need to know more details about that. Is he still regularly attending AA or some other support group? Is he committed to an ongoing recovery program? Recovering addicts need continued support, whether it be daily, weekly or monthly. If he is getting appropriate support, then he has every chance of staying sober. If not, then anything can happen.
Once you get a clearer picture of his recovery, and before you get emotionally involved, you need to think long and hard—are you up for this? Can you handle having alcoholism, even in its recovery, a part of your life after what you have seen in your own family? Every person has his story. Is this a story you can take on and make your own?
If the answer is no, you can’t handle it, then that is fine. No need to feel guilty. It is a lot to carry, and maybe you have carried enough in your life. The last thing you want to do isAre you up for this? replicate the dysfunction you have witnessed in your own family. You can’t become his nurse or his therapist.
But if, after hearing the facts and thinking it over, you feel confident that he really has turned himself around and you can accept him for who he is, then give it a go. You may be lucky to have found one of those beautiful souls who has seen the darkness and conquered it. Take your time, get to know him well, and see where G‑d leads you. May it be on the correct path.
If you’d like to learn more about the Jewish approach to recovery, click here.
Aron Moss is rabbi of the Nefesh Community in Sydney, Australia, and is a frequent contributor to Chabad.org.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.-------
No One Listens to Me!
I consider myself to be a very attentive listener, but as soon as it is my turn to talk, people start reading, checking their phones or talking about something completely unconnected to what I’m trying to say. by Rosally Saltsman
Dear Rachel,
I feel very frustrated and angry because I don’t feel listened to. Sometimes, I feel invisible as I try to talk to people (friends, family, customer-service people), and I have to yell to make myself heard.
I consider myself to be a very attentive listener, but as soon as it is my turn to talk, people start reading, checking their phones or talking about something completely unconnected to what I’m trying to say. I make eye contact when I talk to people and respond to what they say, or at least acknowledge them by nodding my head and making sounds that show I’m interested. I give other people feedback and encouragement.
Why is it so hard for people to reciprocate? Or do people just not care?
Sadly,
Nobody Listening
Dear Listening,
I hear you! I hear that you don’t feel heard, listened to or understood. That’s a basic human need. Ironically, that’s why people are so obsessive about checking their phones. They want connection, and in this era of 1.5-second attention spans, it’s very hard for people to do so. They’re easily distracted, and communication has become superficial instead of deep.
That’s one of the perks of keeping Shabbat: Everyone around you is disconnected from their technology IV drips.
One day, you may find someone you can connect with on a deep level. In the meantime, I want to offer a few thoughts and suggestions:
The wise King Solomon said: “The words of the wise are heard softly.”1In order to be heard, try speaking more softly. Nothing gets people’s attention quite like whispering. People are turned off by yelling, and while I understand your frustration, it won’t help get you heard.
The fact that you model good listening is certainly praiseworthy, and when it comes to family and friends, eventually your technique will rub off. But we can’t expect others to be able to do what we do as successfully. Try to respect other people’s limited ability to concentrate on what you say. Provide empathy and understanding, and adjust your speech accordingly.
You can also try saying, “I’m sorry, I can see you’re busy. I won’t interrupt you. Let me know when you’re available to listen.” They’ll get the message.
Sometimes, people are listening (and caring) even if they’re not making eye contact.
Try not to see it as a personal affront when others do not listen with full attention. Unfortunately, listening is a lost art, and the reason many people seek out therapists. And that was true long before cell phones. It’s hard to find people who really know how to listen.
Try another outlet of expression that isn’t dependent on others. Keep a journal, write lyrics to a song, write a letter to the editor. Talk to yourself (maybe not too loudly) about your thoughts and feelings. Take a public speaking or acting course.
Last, but certainly not least, the best listener of all is G‑d. You’ll find a great audience when you speak or pray to Him. And He’s always available, 24/7.
Thank you for writing and listening!
Rachel
Rosally Saltsman is a freelance writer originally from Montreal living in Israel.
Artwork by Sefira Ross, a freelance designer and illustrator whose original creations grace many Chabad.org pages. Residing in Seattle, Washington, her days are spent between multitasking illustrations and being a mom.
FOOTNOTES
1.Ecclesiastes 9:17.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
-------I feel very frustrated and angry because I don’t feel listened to. Sometimes, I feel invisible as I try to talk to people (friends, family, customer-service people), and I have to yell to make myself heard.
I consider myself to be a very attentive listener, but as soon as it is my turn to talk, people start reading, checking their phones or talking about something completely unconnected to what I’m trying to say. I make eye contact when I talk to people and respond to what they say, or at least acknowledge them by nodding my head and making sounds that show I’m interested. I give other people feedback and encouragement.
Why is it so hard for people to reciprocate? Or do people just not care?
Sadly,
Nobody Listening
Dear Listening,
I hear you! I hear that you don’t feel heard, listened to or understood. That’s a basic human need. Ironically, that’s why people are so obsessive about checking their phones. They want connection, and in this era of 1.5-second attention spans, it’s very hard for people to do so. They’re easily distracted, and communication has become superficial instead of deep.
That’s one of the perks of keeping Shabbat: Everyone around you is disconnected from their technology IV drips.
One day, you may find someone you can connect with on a deep level. In the meantime, I want to offer a few thoughts and suggestions:
The wise King Solomon said: “The words of the wise are heard softly.”1In order to be heard, try speaking more softly. Nothing gets people’s attention quite like whispering. People are turned off by yelling, and while I understand your frustration, it won’t help get you heard.
The fact that you model good listening is certainly praiseworthy, and when it comes to family and friends, eventually your technique will rub off. But we can’t expect others to be able to do what we do as successfully. Try to respect other people’s limited ability to concentrate on what you say. Provide empathy and understanding, and adjust your speech accordingly.
You can also try saying, “I’m sorry, I can see you’re busy. I won’t interrupt you. Let me know when you’re available to listen.” They’ll get the message.
Sometimes, people are listening (and caring) even if they’re not making eye contact.
Try not to see it as a personal affront when others do not listen with full attention. Unfortunately, listening is a lost art, and the reason many people seek out therapists. And that was true long before cell phones. It’s hard to find people who really know how to listen.
Try another outlet of expression that isn’t dependent on others. Keep a journal, write lyrics to a song, write a letter to the editor. Talk to yourself (maybe not too loudly) about your thoughts and feelings. Take a public speaking or acting course.
Last, but certainly not least, the best listener of all is G‑d. You’ll find a great audience when you speak or pray to Him. And He’s always available, 24/7.
Thank you for writing and listening!
Rachel
Rosally Saltsman is a freelance writer originally from Montreal living in Israel.
Artwork by Sefira Ross, a freelance designer and illustrator whose original creations grace many Chabad.org pages. Residing in Seattle, Washington, her days are spent between multitasking illustrations and being a mom.
FOOTNOTES
1.Ecclesiastes 9:17.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
ON THE CALENDAR
Tisha B’Av and the 3 WeeksThe “Three Weeks” and Tisha B’Av are designated as a time of mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temple and the galut (exile).
The Three Weeks is an annual mourning period that falls out in the summer. This is when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple and our launch into a still-ongoing exile.
The period begins on the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, a fast day that marks the day when the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans in 69 CE.
It reaches its climax and concludes with the fast of the 9th of Av, the date when both Holy Temples were set aflame. This is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, and it is also the date that many other tragedies befell our people . . . read more
Tisha B’Av Fast: Start Time | End Time
Other Languages: Français | Español | עברית | Русский | Deutsch | Português© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
Who Will Build the Third Bais Hamikdash, Man or G-d?
From the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
From the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
A Building of the Heavens or of the Earth
There is a classic difference of opinion between our Rabbis regarding the construction of the Third Beis HaMikdash. The Rambam states1 that the Beis HaMikdashwill be built by man, more specifically by Mashiach. Indeed, its construction will be one of the signs of Mashiach’s advent.
Rashi,2 by contrast, explains that the Beis HaMikdash has already been constructed by G‑d and exists in the heavenly realms, waiting for the time when it will descend to the earth. For the Third Beis HaMikdash will be “the Sanctuary of G‑d, established by Your hands.”3 When the setting within the world is appropriate, this heavenly structure will descend and become an actual reality within our material world.
Each of these views is based upon sources in the works of our Sages.4 There is, however, a unique historical point which supports the Rambam’s position. Our Sages relate5 that in the era of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananiah, the Romans granted the Jews permission to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash. Joyous at the opportunity they were granted, our people rushed to begin the preparations for building only to have the project thwarted by the intervention of the Samaritans. What is significant, however, is that they planned to build the Beis HaMikdash through their own efforts; they did not wait for it to descend from the heavens.
Will We Be Worthy?
This account can, however, be reconciled with Rashi’s view. To explain: Our Sages6 note the apparent contradiction between two verses describing the coming of Mashiach. One verse states:7“Behold, one like a son of man came on the clouds of heaven.” It is, however, also written:8 “Your king will come... like a poor man riding on a donkey.” In resolution, our Sages explain that if the Jews are found worthy, Mashiach will come “on the clouds of heaven”; if they do not merit, he will come “like a poor man riding on a donkey.” Similarly, in other contexts, our Sages describe one course for the Redemption if the Jews’ conduct is meritorious, and another, if, heaven forbid, such merits are lacking.9
In the present context as well, it can be explained that the ultimate conception of the Beis HaMikdash is a heavenly structure to descend from above. If, however, the Jews are not worthy of such a sanctuary, the Beis HaMikdash will still return in the Era of the Redemption. It will, however, be a structure built by man, and not by G‑d.
On this basis, we can also resolve the difficulty cited above. When the Romans granted the Jews the opportunity to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash, the people must have been somewhat disappointed that the Beis HaMikdash did not descend from heaven. Nevertheless, the realization that they had not been found worthy of a heavenly structure did not dampen their enthusiasm for building a sanctuary to the fullest extent of their human potential.10
Concrete Elucidation of Yechezkel’s Prophecies
Another possible resolution can be offered based on the Rambam’s statements shortly after the beginning of Hilchos Beis HaBechirah: 11
The structure which Shlomo built is already described in the [Book of] Melachim. Similarly, the structure which will be constructed in the future era [is described in the Book of]Yechezkel. Nevertheless, the description there is not explained or elucidated.
[Therefore,] the people who constructed the Second [Beis HaMikdash] in the time of Ezra, built it according to the [basic] design [employed by] Shlomo, incorporating the elements which were explicitly detailed by Yechezkel.
It can be explained that Mashiach will lead the people in the construction of those dimensions of the Beis HaMikdash which can be grasped by human intellect. Afterwards, since the dimensions of Yechezkel’s prophecies which we cannot comprehend will be left incomplete, they will be revealed from heaven by G‑d.
When That Which is Hidden Will Emerge
Another approach to reconcile Rashi’s view and that of the Rambam is based on our Sages’ interpretation of the verse, “Her gates sank in the earth.”12 Our Sages relate13 that the gates of the Beis HaMikdash were fashioned at the order of King David. This endowed them with an eternal invulnerability.14 When the Babylonians laid waste to the Beis HaMikdash, the gates were not destroyed. Instead, they were swallowed by the earth.
In the Era of the Redemption, the entire Beis HaMikdash will descend from the heavens with the exception of the gates, which will ascend from the earth. Mashiach will then connect the gates to the Beis HaMikdash. Our Sages explain15 that connecting the gates to a building is considered as equivalent to the construction of the entire edifice.
Adding Divine Perfection to Human Effort
Moreover, it can be explained that the two conceptions are, in no way, contradictory. Building the Beis HaMikdash is a mitzvah incumbent on the Jewish people.16 In the Era of the Redemption, when it will become possible to fulfill all the mitzvos, we will also be obligated to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash. Within that structure which man will erect, however, will descend and be enclothed “the Sanctuary of G‑d,” which is waiting in the heavens.
Mankind is obligated to create a Sanctuary for G‑d within the context of our material world. After that is completed to the fullest extent of our human potential, the inner essence of the Beis HaMikdash will be revealed — that it is “the Sanctuary of G‑d,” possessing a dimension of perfection which utterly surpasses any possible work of mortal man.
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May we witness the actual resolution of this issue in the immediate future, with the coming of the Redemption and the rebuilding — or the descent — of the Beis HaMikdash. “And then, the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to G‑d, as in the days of old and as in bygone years.”17
Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XI, p. 98; XVIII, p. 418-419; Vol. XXVII, p. 205.
From the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson; translated by Eli Touger
FOOTNOTES
1.Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Melachim 11:1,4.
2.Sukkah 41a, Rosh HaShanah 30a. See alsoTosafos, Sukkah, loc. cit.
3.Shmos 15:17.
4.The Rambam’s view appears based on the Jerusalem Talmud, Megillah 1:11,Pesachim 9:1, Vayikra Rabbah 9:6, and Bamidbar Rabbah, 13:2. Rashi’s view has its source in the Midrash Tanchuma, Pekudei, sec. 11, the Zohar I, 28a, and other texts.
5.Bereishis Rabbah 64:10.
6.Sanhedrin 98a.
7.Daniel 7:13.
8.Zechariah 9:9.
9.See the essay “Two Periods Within the Era of the Redemption,” in the text I Await His Coming, which discusses this issue at length.
10.Significantly, in the era of Rabbi Yehoshua, there was no particular individual distinguished as Mashiach. Nevertheless, the people planned to build the Beis HaMikdash. It was only in a later generation that it was revealed that it would beMashiach who would build the Third Beis HaMikdash.
11.Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 1:4. See the essay “How We Can Build the Beis HaMikdash” which elaborates on this concept.
12.Eichah 2:9.
13.Bamidbar Rabbah 15:13,Eichah Rabbah on the verse cited.
14.Sotah 9a.
15.See Bava Basra 53b; see also Shaarei Zohar toSukkah 41a.
16.Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 1:1. See also the conclusion of the discussion of the positivemitzvos in Sefer HaMitzvos,which states that building theBeis HaMikdash is an obligation incumbent on the Jewish people as a communal entity.
17.Malachi 3:4.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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WOMEN
Three Generations Share the Mitzvah of MikvahAs the week before my wedding approached and three generations of women prepared to use the mikvah, I called a local mikvah to reserve three separate rooms. "Yes, three," I repeated into the phone. by Renée Bernard
It was only a short time now until my wedding and, as is customary for a bride, I was preparing to go to the mikvah for the very first time. The first time a bride goes to mikvah is, of course, special, but what was even more special about it was that it was anI was preparing to go to the mikvah for the very first time experience that would be shared by three generations of women.
One year ago, my grandmother, my mother and I traveled to Israel for a family friend’s wedding. During that time, we all took a trip to a mikvah to celebrate a henna party with the bride before her wedding. To my surprise, I learned that my British grandmother had never gone to a mikvah before her own wedding, nor had she even seen one before! I quickly asked the mikvah attendant if she could give us a tour, and she was more than happy to show us around.
As we visited, my grandmother became more and more fascinated by this beautiful and ancient custom, and she asked many questions about when, where and how the mikvah is used. The attendant informed us that, in fact, the mitzvah of mikvah can be performed once by older women who had not had the opportunity when they were younger.
I was not yet engaged, nor was I even dating but, without hesitation, I looked over to my grandmother and asked: “Grandma, when I get married, will you join me in the mitzvah of mikvah?” And to my surprise, she didn’t hesitate to answer, “Yes.” As we traveled back to the States, I kept her promise with me in the back of my mind.
It was only four months later that I met my husband to be, and soon we were planning for the wedding, thank G‑d. The mitzvah of mikvah was quickly becoming a reality, and I realized just how special this day was going to be. As I spoke with my mother about the many wedding plans, I realized that my mother had not been to a mikvah since her own wedding in Israel more than 25 years earlier. So, I took another leap, “Mom, will you come to the mikvah with us?”
“Of course,” my mother said. “I plan to be there with you.”
“No, Mom,” I said, “not just to be there, to join in the mitzvah of mikvah with us.”
There was a slight pause over the phone, and then again an unwavering, “OK, yes, I will do it.” I couldn’t believe it: me, my mother and my grandmother all sharing the mitzvah of mikvah together!
As I learned more about mikvah, I realized that there was a bit more needed in the way of preparation than I had been aware of. Aside from the actual plunge into the waters, there were several steps to take in the week beforehand which were necessary in order to complete the mitzvah. I wondered how I would be able to approach this with my grandmother and mother so that they would still agree to continue. I decided to speak with the rebbetzin from my hometown, and she graciously agreed to meet with us all and guide us through the steps needed to prepare for that day. Again, there was another revealed blessing, and my grandmother and mother were on board without flinching.
As the week before my wedding approached and three generations of women prepared to use the mikvah, I called a local mikvah to reserve three separate rooms. “Yes, three,” I repeated into the phone.
Wow! It was really happening. The big day came, and I met my grandmother and mother, and together we walked up the steps to the mikvah. The attendant was amazingly helpful as she showed us where to go and what to do next. Then, it was finally time to go in. First, the attendant escorted myI smiled one of the biggest smiles of my life thus far grandmother; then it was my mother’s turn. As I waited in my own room, tears streamed down my face as I smiled one of the biggest smiles of my life. I was just beginning to understand how powerful the mitzvah of mikvah truly is, and I realized I was seeing revealed miracles. I was so overwhelmed to be a part of it.
Each of us emerged from the waters moved by the holiness that we had just experienced. Together, we reflected on the incredible moments in the mikvah, and the inner calmness and serenity that came over us as we prayed and connected with the One above.
It was such a special day—one I will never forget—and I thank G‑d over and over for allowing me to have that experience, and to share such an integral mitzvah with the generations of women in my family.
After this experience, I was more than ready to enter my marriage and start a family with my husband to be with the everlasting mitzvah of mikvah as our foundation.
Renée is an alumna of The Ivy League Torah Study Experience in New York and The Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. She now lives in Crown Heights with her husband and their beautiful, new baby.
Artwork by Sefira Ross, a freelance designer and illustrator whose original creations grace many Chabad.org pages. Residing in Seattle, Washington, her days are spent between multitasking illustrations and being a mom.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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LIFESTYLE
Arugula Salad, with Beets, Pear, Feta & Pecans by Miriam Szokovski
As you may have picked up by now, when it's hot outside I am a staunch member of the Cold Foods Only club. This salad is one of my favorites because the earthy beets, rich nuts and salty cheese make it quite filling. The pear is fresh and sweet, and I've kept it light with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
The only element which requires cooking is the beets, and those can be done in advance and kept in the fridge. I like to do a batch at the beginning of the week, and then I have them on hand for this salad and other dishes as needed.
If you don't like arugula, you can use the greens of your choice. I often use Romaine lettuce because that's something I always have on hand. Spinach or spring mix would also be good. I've even made it using blanched green beans for a sturdier, crunchier base. It works well!
Ingredients:
4 cups loosely packed arugula
2 medium-sized beets
2 pears
3 oz. feta cheese
¼ cup pecans (plain or honey-glazed)
4 tbsp. light olive oil
2-3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
2 small cloves garlic, crushed
¼ tsp. kosher salt (optional)Directions:
Wash and dry the beets. Prick each one with a fork several times, then wrap in two layers of foil and bake on 400°F until cooked through. Let the beets cool, then unwrap the foil, peel the beets and slice then in thin rounds. (Beets can be cooked in advance and refrigerated for up to a week. )
Wash and check the arugula for bugs. Pat dry.
Cut the pears into quarters, and then slice thinly. You can also use Asian pear.
Roughly chop the pecans (plain, or honey-glazed and crumble the feta.
Assemble all the salad ingredients in a bowl or on a flat platter.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad immediately prior to serving.
Serves: 4-6
Miriam Szokovski is the author of the historical novel Exiled Down Under, and a member of the Chabad.org editorial team. She shares her love of cooking, baking and food photography on Chabad.org’s food blog, Cook It Kosher.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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Art: Pinchas—a Mountain of Strength by Yoram Raanan
Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen has turned My anger away from the children of Israel by his zealously avenging Me among them, so that I did not destroy the children of Israel because of My zeal. Therefore, say, "I hereby give him My covenant of peace…” (Numbers 25:11-12)
At the end of the last Torah portion, the people fell prey to the seduction of the daughters of Moab, and Zimri, prince of the tribe of Shimon, brazenly cohabited with a Midianite princess before Moses and the congregation of Israel. We are told that Pinchas "saw this, arose from the congregation, and took a spear in his hand". As he drives his weapon through the couple, the plague that has been ravaging the people stops. Here, in the painting, bold strokes of paint capture the towering figure of Pinchas, appearing as a mountain of strength as he arises with outstretched arms extending like blue spears from his torso. His body emits an energizing green light.
In contrast to the horizontal spears and arms, vertical yellow rays of spiritual energy descend, as G‑d extends to Pinchas the covenant of peace and priesthood, rewarding him for his courageous act. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, said that the true greatness of Pinchas was that he acted in complete opposition to his peaceful nature, transcending his inborn instincts in order to bring reconciliation between G‑d and Israel.
Yoram Raanan takes inspiration from living in Israel, where he can fully explore and express his Jewish consciousness. The light, the air, the spirit of the people and the land energize and inspire him. His paintings include modern Jewish expressionism with a wide range of subjects ranging from abstract to landscape, biblical and Judaic.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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JEWISH NEWS
First Project for New Emissaries to Panama: A Jewish Cemetery
Young Chabad couple's first major project stresses the need for Jewish burial in a remote part of the world. by Mordechai Lightstone
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Chabad.org Wins 3 First-Place Awards in AJPA Competition
In addition to two news awards, the website earned top slot for Outstanding Digital Outreach.
Freelance photographer Jonathan Alpeyrie earned first place in the category of Excellence in Photography for the Chabad.org photo essay, “In Mariupol, Ukraine: Faces on the Frontlines.” (Photo: Jonathan Alpyrie for Chabad.org)
The American Jewish Press Association has announced the winners in its annual Simon Rockower Awards Competition for Excellence in Jewish Journalism for work published in 2015.Chabad.org has earned three top awards, including first place to the organization as a whole for a myriad of platforms and media.
Staff writer Dovid Margolin earned first place for “Despite Ongoing Trials of History, Ukraine Matzah Bakery Continues Its Unique Legacy” in the category of Excellence in Writing About the Global Russian-Speaking Jewish Community, an award sponsored by the Genesis Philanthropy Group. The story describes the history of matzah production in the former Soviet Union, and in particular, at the Tiferes Hamatzos bakery in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, once home to the Lubavitcher Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory.
Staff writer Dovid Margolin won first place for the story “Despite Ongoing Trials of History, Ukraine Matzah Bakery Continues Its Unique Legacy” in the category of Excellence in Writing About the Global Russian-Speaking Jewish Community.
First place was also given to New York-based freelance photographer Jonathan Alpeyrie for the photo essay “In Mariupol, Ukraine: Faces on the Frontlines” in the category of Excellence in Photography. The story visually depicts the plight of Jewish individuals and institutions in the southeastern city of Ukraine, which has been racked by war for more than two years now.
And for the work of the entire Chabad.org staff and its many outside contributors, the AJPA awarded first place to Chabad.org in the category of Outstanding Digital Outreach for its website and mobile platforms; for its presence on all aspects of social media; and for its flourishing digital apps program.
The AJPA noted Chabad.org’s nearly 50 different subscription options to different areas of site, with content appearing in eight different languages and numerous options for children as well. Among many other digital outreach services, individuals can receive custom email alerts for Shabbat candle-lighting and Jewish holiday times, in addition to personal life-cycle events (birthdays,yahrtzeits), sent via email or to mobile phones.
The website got more than 44 million unique visitors last year.
The AJPA awarded first place to Chabad.org in the category of Outstanding Digital Outreach for its website and mobile platforms; for its presence on all aspects of social media; and for its flourishing digital apps program, available in the widest range of media, from desktops to watches.
Chabad.org’s active presence on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, continues to gather followers in a daily basis. Facebook Likes alone have reached more than 150,000.
Also recognized was Chabad.org’s Jewish Apps Suite, which offers 13 apps with six more in the works. These include a Jewish.tv video app, a JewishKids.org video app, a “Hayom” app (also available for the Apple watch), a “Daily Mitzvah” app, “Passover Assistant” and “Kaddish Assistant”—all designed to help bring Jewish wisdom and tools to a user’s fingertips.
And its “Ask the Rabbi” section, which preceded the website using bulletin board systems and email, has to date fielded more than 1 million questions on a diverse range of topics, addressing queries from the casual to the critical, the latter pertaining to real life-and-death issues.
From “In Mariupol, Ukraine: Faces on the Frontlines.” (Photo: Jonathan Alpyrie for Chabad.org)
In last year’s contest, Dovid Margolin won first place in the category of Excellence in News Reporting for New Pentagon Directive Opens Door for More Jewish Chaplains.
“We are honored that the work of Chabad.org has been recognized,” said Rabbi Meir Simcha Kogan, the website’s managing director. “Nevertheless, we know that we have much more to accomplish. We must constantly grow and reach further to realize our mission of empowering and uniting Jews worldwide with their 3,300 year-old tradition.”
Now in its 35th year, the Rockowers are seen as the gold standard of journalism in the Jewish world.
The awards will be presented at a special ceremony during the Jewish Federations of North America’s annual General Assembly, to be held this year from Nov. 14-16 in Washington, D.C.
From “In Mariupol, Ukraine: Faces on the Frontlines.” (Photo: Jonathan Alpyrie for Chabad.org)
“Despite Ongoing Trials of History, Ukraine Matzah Bakery Continues Its Unique Legacy” describes the history of matzah production in the former Soviet Union, and in particular, at the Tiferes Hamatzos bakery in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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New Mikvah Helps Revitalize Jewish Life in Quebec City
Strengthening a small French-speaking community with a long history. by Karen Schwartz
A new mikvah in Quebec City will serve Jewish residents and visitors to the French-speaking enclave. (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
When Noemie Stanleigh arrived in Quebec City two years ago, the metropolitan area had been without a mikvah for decades.
She and her husband Yoni moved with their five children to Quebec City from Jerusalem for a training program, a fellowship that would move him forward in his career as a doctor.
When he first arrived to interview for that opportunity, he got in touch with Rabbi Dovid and Devorah Leah Lewin, co-directors of the Chabad House (La Maison Chabad Quebec City) since 2006. “What was important to us was kosher food, a Jewish school and a mikvah—the basics if you want to have a Jewish life,” says Stanleigh. “And Rabbi Lewin was the main address for all the questions we had.”
The Lewins helped them arrange ordering and shipping kosher food in from Montreal. Though there was no Jewish school, the rabbi offered a means to set something up together. As for themikvah, the Lewins were working on it, but it was not yet underway.
Women would travel each month to Montreal—more than 150 miles and several hundreds of dollars away—for use of the mikvah there. Stanleigh says she sometimes went by bus (a three-hour ride each way) and even resorted to outdoor options for the past couple of years.
The mikvah is a fundamental mitzvah and a requirement for religious women; the laws of family purity and marital relations depend on it. That’s why it remains one of the first things built when a Chabad center is established, particularly in more remote locations where other options are limited. The Lubavitcher Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—also emphasized that new mikvahs be constructed as attractive, aesthetic, modern facilities.
The mikvah officially opened in June. (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
This June, the mikvah officially opened—one week before the Stanleighs left Quebec City to return home.
“I think if there’s any chance for the community to grow, the mikvah has to be there,” says Noemie Stanleigh. “It will make the Quebec City community stronger.”
The Lewins, who bought a building three years ago, have fostered a Chabad center that serves the area’s Jewish residents and students at the nearby Laval University. They put their mikvah plans in place after being matched up with a local couple interested in sponsoring it. They then found Canadian donors and worked with Mikvah USA, an organization that raises money for mikvahs across the country. After obtaining a permit to move forward, construction began right away.
It took about a year-and-a-half to finish the mikvah. The week after Shavuot, Stanleigh spoke at the inauguration ceremony, which drew attendees from as far as Monsey, N.Y.
“I hope it’s a symbol of a new start for Jewish life in Quebec,” she says. “Hopefully, people will live there now and strengthen the community.”
Rabbi Dovid Lewin, co-director of the Chabad House (La Maison Chabad Quebec City), addresses those gathered last month for the mikvah inauguration ceremony. (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
A Storied History
Quebec City is the capital of the province of Quebec. The city’s population was estimated at nearly 550,000 in 2015, with an even larger metropolitan area of about 800,000. It is Quebec’s second-largest city after Montreal.
Founded 400 years ago (on July 3, 1608) by French geographer Samuel de Champlain, it is one of the oldest European settlements in North America. Surrounded by walls, with cobblestone streets and arresting stone buildings, the city has a decidedly European feel.
Since 1852, a small Jewish community has lived there, fed by a stream of European immigrants seeking better lives for themselves and their children. It was that same drive that ultimately lured most young Jews away from the French-speaking enclave to cosmopolitan centers in Montreal, Toronto and beyond.
By the 1990s, perhaps a few dozen Jewish households remained, mostly occupied by seniors. With synagogue buildings long shuttered and a virtually nonexistent next generation, it appeared that the venerable community was on its last legs.
About the time the Lewins arrived 10 years ago—he came to open the first Chabad House there and serve as community rabbi—the city was seeing an uptick in Jewish life. Today, a small but dedicated Jewish community calls Quebec City home (the Lewins know of at least 120 family units), with the new mikvah a testament to its perseverance and what’s sure to become a draw for others, including tourists.
Noemie Stanleigh, who has lived in Quebec City for the past two years with her family, welcomes the establishment of the mikvah, saying: “I hope it’s a symbol of a new start for Jewish life. Hopefully, people will live there now and strengthen the community.” (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
‘Like G‑d Planned It’
Quebec City is a natural setting for the Lewins—both speak fluent French (she’s from Montreal; he’s from Paris)—and for Jews from France, those moving to work for the government, university, students and tourists.
They had their first child, a son, shortly after moving to Quebec City. “It was the first brit milah for a long time, and it was like G‑d planned it this way. It was really perfect,” says Devorah Leah Lewin (they now have four children). “Our community became our family; we share everything with them.”
And their presence as campus emissaries became popular right away. The students have appreciated a place to go for Friday-night dinners and kosher food, as well as the opportunity for Jewish learning at the Chabad House.
As for families, the Lewins offer children’s programming throughout the year, highlighting Shabbat and the Jewish holidays. Their focus is education for all ages, from child to adult.
Cutting the (appropriately) pink ribbon are Noemie Stanleigh; Devorah Leah Lewin, co-director of the Chabad House with her husband; and Fanny Levy-Henon (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
Dr. Joseph and Jennifer Luck, and their children at the opening (Photo: Benjamin Zarka)
With the addition of the mikvah, Devorah Leah Lewin can now start teaching in a hands-on way. “I couldn’t ever get into a concrete conversation about it because we didn’t offer it,” she says. “So, for my ladies, now is the time to really go ahead and start learning the traditions and mitzvah of mikvah.”
She has already taken a group of teenage girls for a tour, showing them the spa-like atmosphere and explaining the rituals. “I wanted them to be completely wowed by the preparation area, where you get ready for that special moment of immersing,” she says.
It’s going to be a larger part of her conversations with college students, she adds, as they discuss their futures as wives and mothers. And she’ll finally be able to point tourists coming to Quebec in the right direction when they ask for a mikvah.
“We hope to inspire more people learning Torah and practicing mitzvot,” says Devorah Leah Lewin, “and especially the mitzvah of taharat hamishpacha, family purity.”
Affixing the mezuzah (Photo: Benjamin Zarka)
Guests are welcomed inside for a tour. (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
Devorah Leah Lewin, left, says now that the mikvah is built, she will teach about the Jewish traditions and rituals associated with family purity. (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
The preparation area prior to immersing in the mikvah (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
Chabad.org Magazine - Editor: Yanki Tauber
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10.Significantly, in the era of Rabbi Yehoshua, there was no particular individual distinguished as Mashiach. Nevertheless, the people planned to build the Beis HaMikdash. It was only in a later generation that it was revealed that it would beMashiach who would build the Third Beis HaMikdash.
11.Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 1:4. See the essay “How We Can Build the Beis HaMikdash” which elaborates on this concept.
12.Eichah 2:9.
13.Bamidbar Rabbah 15:13,Eichah Rabbah on the verse cited.
14.Sotah 9a.
15.See Bava Basra 53b; see also Shaarei Zohar toSukkah 41a.
16.Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 1:1. See also the conclusion of the discussion of the positivemitzvos in Sefer HaMitzvos,which states that building theBeis HaMikdash is an obligation incumbent on the Jewish people as a communal entity.
17.Malachi 3:4.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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WOMEN
Three Generations Share the Mitzvah of MikvahAs the week before my wedding approached and three generations of women prepared to use the mikvah, I called a local mikvah to reserve three separate rooms. "Yes, three," I repeated into the phone. by Renée Bernard
It was only a short time now until my wedding and, as is customary for a bride, I was preparing to go to the mikvah for the very first time. The first time a bride goes to mikvah is, of course, special, but what was even more special about it was that it was anI was preparing to go to the mikvah for the very first time experience that would be shared by three generations of women.
One year ago, my grandmother, my mother and I traveled to Israel for a family friend’s wedding. During that time, we all took a trip to a mikvah to celebrate a henna party with the bride before her wedding. To my surprise, I learned that my British grandmother had never gone to a mikvah before her own wedding, nor had she even seen one before! I quickly asked the mikvah attendant if she could give us a tour, and she was more than happy to show us around.
As we visited, my grandmother became more and more fascinated by this beautiful and ancient custom, and she asked many questions about when, where and how the mikvah is used. The attendant informed us that, in fact, the mitzvah of mikvah can be performed once by older women who had not had the opportunity when they were younger.
I was not yet engaged, nor was I even dating but, without hesitation, I looked over to my grandmother and asked: “Grandma, when I get married, will you join me in the mitzvah of mikvah?” And to my surprise, she didn’t hesitate to answer, “Yes.” As we traveled back to the States, I kept her promise with me in the back of my mind.
It was only four months later that I met my husband to be, and soon we were planning for the wedding, thank G‑d. The mitzvah of mikvah was quickly becoming a reality, and I realized just how special this day was going to be. As I spoke with my mother about the many wedding plans, I realized that my mother had not been to a mikvah since her own wedding in Israel more than 25 years earlier. So, I took another leap, “Mom, will you come to the mikvah with us?”
“Of course,” my mother said. “I plan to be there with you.”
“No, Mom,” I said, “not just to be there, to join in the mitzvah of mikvah with us.”
There was a slight pause over the phone, and then again an unwavering, “OK, yes, I will do it.” I couldn’t believe it: me, my mother and my grandmother all sharing the mitzvah of mikvah together!
As I learned more about mikvah, I realized that there was a bit more needed in the way of preparation than I had been aware of. Aside from the actual plunge into the waters, there were several steps to take in the week beforehand which were necessary in order to complete the mitzvah. I wondered how I would be able to approach this with my grandmother and mother so that they would still agree to continue. I decided to speak with the rebbetzin from my hometown, and she graciously agreed to meet with us all and guide us through the steps needed to prepare for that day. Again, there was another revealed blessing, and my grandmother and mother were on board without flinching.
As the week before my wedding approached and three generations of women prepared to use the mikvah, I called a local mikvah to reserve three separate rooms. “Yes, three,” I repeated into the phone.
Wow! It was really happening. The big day came, and I met my grandmother and mother, and together we walked up the steps to the mikvah. The attendant was amazingly helpful as she showed us where to go and what to do next. Then, it was finally time to go in. First, the attendant escorted myI smiled one of the biggest smiles of my life thus far grandmother; then it was my mother’s turn. As I waited in my own room, tears streamed down my face as I smiled one of the biggest smiles of my life. I was just beginning to understand how powerful the mitzvah of mikvah truly is, and I realized I was seeing revealed miracles. I was so overwhelmed to be a part of it.
Each of us emerged from the waters moved by the holiness that we had just experienced. Together, we reflected on the incredible moments in the mikvah, and the inner calmness and serenity that came over us as we prayed and connected with the One above.
It was such a special day—one I will never forget—and I thank G‑d over and over for allowing me to have that experience, and to share such an integral mitzvah with the generations of women in my family.
After this experience, I was more than ready to enter my marriage and start a family with my husband to be with the everlasting mitzvah of mikvah as our foundation.
Renée is an alumna of The Ivy League Torah Study Experience in New York and The Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. She now lives in Crown Heights with her husband and their beautiful, new baby.
Artwork by Sefira Ross, a freelance designer and illustrator whose original creations grace many Chabad.org pages. Residing in Seattle, Washington, her days are spent between multitasking illustrations and being a mom.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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LIFESTYLE
Arugula Salad, with Beets, Pear, Feta & Pecans by Miriam Szokovski
As you may have picked up by now, when it's hot outside I am a staunch member of the Cold Foods Only club. This salad is one of my favorites because the earthy beets, rich nuts and salty cheese make it quite filling. The pear is fresh and sweet, and I've kept it light with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
The only element which requires cooking is the beets, and those can be done in advance and kept in the fridge. I like to do a batch at the beginning of the week, and then I have them on hand for this salad and other dishes as needed.
If you don't like arugula, you can use the greens of your choice. I often use Romaine lettuce because that's something I always have on hand. Spinach or spring mix would also be good. I've even made it using blanched green beans for a sturdier, crunchier base. It works well!
Ingredients:
4 cups loosely packed arugula
2 medium-sized beets
2 pears
3 oz. feta cheese
¼ cup pecans (plain or honey-glazed)
4 tbsp. light olive oil
2-3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
2 small cloves garlic, crushed
¼ tsp. kosher salt (optional)Directions:
Wash and dry the beets. Prick each one with a fork several times, then wrap in two layers of foil and bake on 400°F until cooked through. Let the beets cool, then unwrap the foil, peel the beets and slice then in thin rounds. (Beets can be cooked in advance and refrigerated for up to a week. )
Wash and check the arugula for bugs. Pat dry.
Cut the pears into quarters, and then slice thinly. You can also use Asian pear.
Roughly chop the pecans (plain, or honey-glazed and crumble the feta.
Assemble all the salad ingredients in a bowl or on a flat platter.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad immediately prior to serving.
Serves: 4-6
Miriam Szokovski is the author of the historical novel Exiled Down Under, and a member of the Chabad.org editorial team. She shares her love of cooking, baking and food photography on Chabad.org’s food blog, Cook It Kosher.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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Art: Pinchas—a Mountain of Strength by Yoram Raanan
Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen has turned My anger away from the children of Israel by his zealously avenging Me among them, so that I did not destroy the children of Israel because of My zeal. Therefore, say, "I hereby give him My covenant of peace…” (Numbers 25:11-12)
At the end of the last Torah portion, the people fell prey to the seduction of the daughters of Moab, and Zimri, prince of the tribe of Shimon, brazenly cohabited with a Midianite princess before Moses and the congregation of Israel. We are told that Pinchas "saw this, arose from the congregation, and took a spear in his hand". As he drives his weapon through the couple, the plague that has been ravaging the people stops. Here, in the painting, bold strokes of paint capture the towering figure of Pinchas, appearing as a mountain of strength as he arises with outstretched arms extending like blue spears from his torso. His body emits an energizing green light.
In contrast to the horizontal spears and arms, vertical yellow rays of spiritual energy descend, as G‑d extends to Pinchas the covenant of peace and priesthood, rewarding him for his courageous act. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, said that the true greatness of Pinchas was that he acted in complete opposition to his peaceful nature, transcending his inborn instincts in order to bring reconciliation between G‑d and Israel.
Yoram Raanan takes inspiration from living in Israel, where he can fully explore and express his Jewish consciousness. The light, the air, the spirit of the people and the land energize and inspire him. His paintings include modern Jewish expressionism with a wide range of subjects ranging from abstract to landscape, biblical and Judaic.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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JEWISH NEWS
First Project for New Emissaries to Panama: A Jewish Cemetery
Young Chabad couple's first major project stresses the need for Jewish burial in a remote part of the world. by Mordechai Lightstone
Boquete will be the site of a new Chabad House and the eventual establishment of a Jewish cemetery. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Most Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries launch their arrival in a new city or country with programs such as one-on-one study, holiday programs, summer camp and Hebrew school. Rabbi Yakov and Hana Poliwoda have something else in mind for their first project in Boquete, Panama: a Jewish cemetery.
In the verdant highlands of Panama’s westernmost Chiriquí province—a little more than 30 miles from the Costa Rican border—Boquete has made a name for itself as the retirement capital of Latin America. With lush tropical plants, temperate mountain temperatures and a currency linked to the dollar, Boquete is an attractive choice for expats from the United States and Canada. (AARP The Magazine named Boquete the fourth best place to retire in the world.)
Some 3,000 foreigners now call Boquete home.
“Many of the Jews there don’t know each other,” says Hana Poliwoda, co-director of the new Chabad House with her husband.
The couple, currently working from Panama City but planning to be settled in their new home by summer’s end, hopes that their presence will serve as a meeting ground for the community to get to know one another and become involved in Jewish classes, holidays and events. They have traveled back and forth to Boquete this year, greeting people and offering some learning opportunities so far.
The rabbi estimates that 100 Jewish families reside in Boquete year-round, with many more “snowbirds” visiting during the winter months.
Helping a resident hang a mezuzah.
“We’ve given a number of Torah classes,” he says, “and the reception been very warm.”
The Basics for Backpackers
Back to the cemetery.
Faced with exorbitant fees in shipping a body back to the States, many Jews opt for burial in local non-Jewish cemeteries or for cremation, both of which are expressly forbidden according to halachah (Jewish law).
“We see the need to open the cemetery as incredibly important,” says Poliwoda. “We’re looking to educate people about the beauty and importance of a traditional Jewish burial.”
Of course, the Chabad couple obviously has plans to serve the living as well.
Tourism has risen with Boquete’s growth; as such, the Poliwodas intend to offer kosher food to tour groups. In addition, the rabbi estimates that some three-dozen Israeli backpackers visit the city every month. The new center would serve as a continuation of the Chabad Houses dotting Central and South America that cater to the backpackers, offering them shelter, kosher food, Shabbat meals, opportunities for prayer and Torah study, as well as other Jewish needs before they’re on their way again.
A map of Panama, showing Boquete in the west, near the border with Costa Rica, and the capital of Panama City to the east. (Google Maps)
Boquete is about a seven-hour drive due west from the country’s capital, Panama City, where an estimated 12,000 Jews live. Currently, four other Chabad couples live and work in the capital.
“It’s far from Panama City,” acknowledges Poliwoda. “But we’re excited not only to learn together and teach, but to build a community here as well.”
About 100 Jewish families reside in Boquete year-round, with many more “snowbirds” visiting during the winter. Rabbi Yakov and Hana Poliwoda stand second from right.
The couple has been visiting and getting to know members of the Jewish community.
The lush hills of the Panamanian highlands near Boquete. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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Chabad.org Wins 3 First-Place Awards in AJPA Competition
In addition to two news awards, the website earned top slot for Outstanding Digital Outreach.
Freelance photographer Jonathan Alpeyrie earned first place in the category of Excellence in Photography for the Chabad.org photo essay, “In Mariupol, Ukraine: Faces on the Frontlines.” (Photo: Jonathan Alpyrie for Chabad.org)
The American Jewish Press Association has announced the winners in its annual Simon Rockower Awards Competition for Excellence in Jewish Journalism for work published in 2015.Chabad.org has earned three top awards, including first place to the organization as a whole for a myriad of platforms and media.
Staff writer Dovid Margolin earned first place for “Despite Ongoing Trials of History, Ukraine Matzah Bakery Continues Its Unique Legacy” in the category of Excellence in Writing About the Global Russian-Speaking Jewish Community, an award sponsored by the Genesis Philanthropy Group. The story describes the history of matzah production in the former Soviet Union, and in particular, at the Tiferes Hamatzos bakery in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, once home to the Lubavitcher Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory.
Staff writer Dovid Margolin won first place for the story “Despite Ongoing Trials of History, Ukraine Matzah Bakery Continues Its Unique Legacy” in the category of Excellence in Writing About the Global Russian-Speaking Jewish Community.
First place was also given to New York-based freelance photographer Jonathan Alpeyrie for the photo essay “In Mariupol, Ukraine: Faces on the Frontlines” in the category of Excellence in Photography. The story visually depicts the plight of Jewish individuals and institutions in the southeastern city of Ukraine, which has been racked by war for more than two years now.
And for the work of the entire Chabad.org staff and its many outside contributors, the AJPA awarded first place to Chabad.org in the category of Outstanding Digital Outreach for its website and mobile platforms; for its presence on all aspects of social media; and for its flourishing digital apps program.
The AJPA noted Chabad.org’s nearly 50 different subscription options to different areas of site, with content appearing in eight different languages and numerous options for children as well. Among many other digital outreach services, individuals can receive custom email alerts for Shabbat candle-lighting and Jewish holiday times, in addition to personal life-cycle events (birthdays,yahrtzeits), sent via email or to mobile phones.
The website got more than 44 million unique visitors last year.
The AJPA awarded first place to Chabad.org in the category of Outstanding Digital Outreach for its website and mobile platforms; for its presence on all aspects of social media; and for its flourishing digital apps program, available in the widest range of media, from desktops to watches.
Chabad.org’s active presence on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, continues to gather followers in a daily basis. Facebook Likes alone have reached more than 150,000.
Also recognized was Chabad.org’s Jewish Apps Suite, which offers 13 apps with six more in the works. These include a Jewish.tv video app, a JewishKids.org video app, a “Hayom” app (also available for the Apple watch), a “Daily Mitzvah” app, “Passover Assistant” and “Kaddish Assistant”—all designed to help bring Jewish wisdom and tools to a user’s fingertips.
And its “Ask the Rabbi” section, which preceded the website using bulletin board systems and email, has to date fielded more than 1 million questions on a diverse range of topics, addressing queries from the casual to the critical, the latter pertaining to real life-and-death issues.
From “In Mariupol, Ukraine: Faces on the Frontlines.” (Photo: Jonathan Alpyrie for Chabad.org)
In last year’s contest, Dovid Margolin won first place in the category of Excellence in News Reporting for New Pentagon Directive Opens Door for More Jewish Chaplains.
“We are honored that the work of Chabad.org has been recognized,” said Rabbi Meir Simcha Kogan, the website’s managing director. “Nevertheless, we know that we have much more to accomplish. We must constantly grow and reach further to realize our mission of empowering and uniting Jews worldwide with their 3,300 year-old tradition.”
Now in its 35th year, the Rockowers are seen as the gold standard of journalism in the Jewish world.
The awards will be presented at a special ceremony during the Jewish Federations of North America’s annual General Assembly, to be held this year from Nov. 14-16 in Washington, D.C.
From “In Mariupol, Ukraine: Faces on the Frontlines.” (Photo: Jonathan Alpyrie for Chabad.org)
“Despite Ongoing Trials of History, Ukraine Matzah Bakery Continues Its Unique Legacy” describes the history of matzah production in the former Soviet Union, and in particular, at the Tiferes Hamatzos bakery in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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New Mikvah Helps Revitalize Jewish Life in Quebec City
Strengthening a small French-speaking community with a long history. by Karen Schwartz
A new mikvah in Quebec City will serve Jewish residents and visitors to the French-speaking enclave. (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
When Noemie Stanleigh arrived in Quebec City two years ago, the metropolitan area had been without a mikvah for decades.
She and her husband Yoni moved with their five children to Quebec City from Jerusalem for a training program, a fellowship that would move him forward in his career as a doctor.
When he first arrived to interview for that opportunity, he got in touch with Rabbi Dovid and Devorah Leah Lewin, co-directors of the Chabad House (La Maison Chabad Quebec City) since 2006. “What was important to us was kosher food, a Jewish school and a mikvah—the basics if you want to have a Jewish life,” says Stanleigh. “And Rabbi Lewin was the main address for all the questions we had.”
The Lewins helped them arrange ordering and shipping kosher food in from Montreal. Though there was no Jewish school, the rabbi offered a means to set something up together. As for themikvah, the Lewins were working on it, but it was not yet underway.
Women would travel each month to Montreal—more than 150 miles and several hundreds of dollars away—for use of the mikvah there. Stanleigh says she sometimes went by bus (a three-hour ride each way) and even resorted to outdoor options for the past couple of years.
The mikvah is a fundamental mitzvah and a requirement for religious women; the laws of family purity and marital relations depend on it. That’s why it remains one of the first things built when a Chabad center is established, particularly in more remote locations where other options are limited. The Lubavitcher Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—also emphasized that new mikvahs be constructed as attractive, aesthetic, modern facilities.
This June, the mikvah officially opened—one week before the Stanleighs left Quebec City to return home.
“I think if there’s any chance for the community to grow, the mikvah has to be there,” says Noemie Stanleigh. “It will make the Quebec City community stronger.”
The Lewins, who bought a building three years ago, have fostered a Chabad center that serves the area’s Jewish residents and students at the nearby Laval University. They put their mikvah plans in place after being matched up with a local couple interested in sponsoring it. They then found Canadian donors and worked with Mikvah USA, an organization that raises money for mikvahs across the country. After obtaining a permit to move forward, construction began right away.
It took about a year-and-a-half to finish the mikvah. The week after Shavuot, Stanleigh spoke at the inauguration ceremony, which drew attendees from as far as Monsey, N.Y.
“I hope it’s a symbol of a new start for Jewish life in Quebec,” she says. “Hopefully, people will live there now and strengthen the community.”
Rabbi Dovid Lewin, co-director of the Chabad House (La Maison Chabad Quebec City), addresses those gathered last month for the mikvah inauguration ceremony. (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
A Storied History
Quebec City is the capital of the province of Quebec. The city’s population was estimated at nearly 550,000 in 2015, with an even larger metropolitan area of about 800,000. It is Quebec’s second-largest city after Montreal.
Founded 400 years ago (on July 3, 1608) by French geographer Samuel de Champlain, it is one of the oldest European settlements in North America. Surrounded by walls, with cobblestone streets and arresting stone buildings, the city has a decidedly European feel.
Since 1852, a small Jewish community has lived there, fed by a stream of European immigrants seeking better lives for themselves and their children. It was that same drive that ultimately lured most young Jews away from the French-speaking enclave to cosmopolitan centers in Montreal, Toronto and beyond.
By the 1990s, perhaps a few dozen Jewish households remained, mostly occupied by seniors. With synagogue buildings long shuttered and a virtually nonexistent next generation, it appeared that the venerable community was on its last legs.
About the time the Lewins arrived 10 years ago—he came to open the first Chabad House there and serve as community rabbi—the city was seeing an uptick in Jewish life. Today, a small but dedicated Jewish community calls Quebec City home (the Lewins know of at least 120 family units), with the new mikvah a testament to its perseverance and what’s sure to become a draw for others, including tourists.
Noemie Stanleigh, who has lived in Quebec City for the past two years with her family, welcomes the establishment of the mikvah, saying: “I hope it’s a symbol of a new start for Jewish life. Hopefully, people will live there now and strengthen the community.” (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
‘Like G‑d Planned It’
Quebec City is a natural setting for the Lewins—both speak fluent French (she’s from Montreal; he’s from Paris)—and for Jews from France, those moving to work for the government, university, students and tourists.
They had their first child, a son, shortly after moving to Quebec City. “It was the first brit milah for a long time, and it was like G‑d planned it this way. It was really perfect,” says Devorah Leah Lewin (they now have four children). “Our community became our family; we share everything with them.”
And their presence as campus emissaries became popular right away. The students have appreciated a place to go for Friday-night dinners and kosher food, as well as the opportunity for Jewish learning at the Chabad House.
As for families, the Lewins offer children’s programming throughout the year, highlighting Shabbat and the Jewish holidays. Their focus is education for all ages, from child to adult.
Cutting the (appropriately) pink ribbon are Noemie Stanleigh; Devorah Leah Lewin, co-director of the Chabad House with her husband; and Fanny Levy-Henon (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
Dr. Joseph and Jennifer Luck, and their children at the opening (Photo: Benjamin Zarka)
With the addition of the mikvah, Devorah Leah Lewin can now start teaching in a hands-on way. “I couldn’t ever get into a concrete conversation about it because we didn’t offer it,” she says. “So, for my ladies, now is the time to really go ahead and start learning the traditions and mitzvah of mikvah.”
She has already taken a group of teenage girls for a tour, showing them the spa-like atmosphere and explaining the rituals. “I wanted them to be completely wowed by the preparation area, where you get ready for that special moment of immersing,” she says.
It’s going to be a larger part of her conversations with college students, she adds, as they discuss their futures as wives and mothers. And she’ll finally be able to point tourists coming to Quebec in the right direction when they ask for a mikvah.
“We hope to inspire more people learning Torah and practicing mitzvot,” says Devorah Leah Lewin, “and especially the mitzvah of taharat hamishpacha, family purity.”
Affixing the mezuzah (Photo: Benjamin Zarka)
Guests are welcomed inside for a tour. (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
Devorah Leah Lewin, left, says now that the mikvah is built, she will teach about the Jewish traditions and rituals associated with family purity. (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)
The preparation area prior to immersing in the mikvah (Photo: Louis Philipe Faucher)© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
Chabad.org Magazine - Editor: Yanki Tauber
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