Editor's Note:
Dear Friend,
This Shabbat is the 17th of Tammuz, a tragic day in Jewish history, and the start of a three-week period of mourning for the destruction of the first and second Holy Temples. The day is usually marked with fasting, repentance and prayers.
But don’t throw out the Shabbat food! This year, the joy of Shabbat will override the sorrows of the date, and the fast is postponed until Sunday. Rather than mourning, we’ll be celebrating with songs and happiness, and I’m even baking some extra treats for Shabbat.
How fitting that in this week’s Torah portion, we read about Balaam, the prophet and sorcerer who was hired to curse the Jewish nation. The plot took a twist when, instead of curses, blessings poured out of his mouth. “The L‑rd, your G‑d, transformed the curse into a blessing for you, because the L‑rd, your G‑d, loves you.”
In the future, the prophet Zechariah tells us, the fast days will be times of “rejoicing and celebration and festivals.” This Shabbat, along with chocolate-chip-oatmeal cookies, we will experience a taste ofthe final redemption, when G‑d will permanently transform curses into blessings and sorrow into joy.
Let’s increase in acts of goodness and kindness and pray that it happens soon.
Rochel Chein
responder for Ask the Rabbi @ Chabad.org
Runaway InspirationYesterday, you were inspired. Today, that is all gone. And so, you are depressed.
But this is the way the system works: Everything begins with inspiration. Then the inspirations cools down—so that you can grab it and do something with it. For fire to become deeds.[from a letter]
This Week's Features:
Printable Magazine
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17th of Tammuz: History, Laws and Customs
The fast of the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, known as Shivah Asar B’Tammuz, is the start of a three-week mourning period for the destruction of Jerusalem and the two Holy Temples.
The fast actually commemorates five tragic events that occurred on this date:
Moses broke the tablets when he saw the Jewish people worshipping the Golden Calf.
During the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, the Jews were forced to cease offering the daily sacrifices due to the lack of sheep.
Apostomos burned the holy Torah.1
An idol was placed in the Holy Temple.2
The walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans, in 69 CE, after a lengthy siege. (Three weeks later, after the Jews put up a valiant struggle, the Romans destroyed the second Holy Temple on the 9th of Av.)
The Jerusalem Talmud maintains that this is also the date when the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem on their way to destroying the first Temple.
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17th of Tammuz: History, Laws and Customs
The fast of the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, known as Shivah Asar B’Tammuz, is the start of a three-week mourning period for the destruction of Jerusalem and the two Holy Temples.
The fast actually commemorates five tragic events that occurred on this date:
Moses broke the tablets when he saw the Jewish people worshipping the Golden Calf.
During the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, the Jews were forced to cease offering the daily sacrifices due to the lack of sheep.
Apostomos burned the holy Torah.1
An idol was placed in the Holy Temple.2
The walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans, in 69 CE, after a lengthy siege. (Three weeks later, after the Jews put up a valiant struggle, the Romans destroyed the second Holy Temple on the 9th of Av.)
The Jerusalem Talmud maintains that this is also the date when the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem on their way to destroying the first Temple.
Practically speaking:
Healthy A fast day is an auspicious day, a day when G‑d is accessible, waiting for us to repentadults—bar- or bat-mitzvah age and older—abstain from eating or drinking between dawn and nightfall. Click here for exact times in your location.
Pregnant and nursing women may not have to fast. Someone who is ill should consult with a rabbi. Even those exempt from fasting, such as ill people or children, shouldn’t indulge in delicacies or sweets.
It is permitted to wake up early before the fast begins and eat, provided that prior to going to sleep one had in mind to do so.
During the morning prayers we recite selichot (penitential prayers), printed in the back of the prayerbook. The “long Avinu Malkeinu” is recited during the morning and afternoon prayers.
The Torah is read during the morning and afternoon prayers. The reading—the same for both morning and afternoon—is Exodus 32:11–14 and 34:1–10, which discusses the aftermath of the Golden Calf incident, how Moses successfully interceded on the Israelites’ behalf and attained forgiveness for their sin. After the afternoon Torah reading, the special fast-day haftarah, Isaiah 55:6–56:8, is read.
During the Amidah prayer of the afternoon service (Minchah), those who are fasting add the paragraph Aneinu in the Shema Koleinu blessing. (It is also added in the cantor’s repetition of the Amidah in both the morning and afternoon services, as its own blessing between the blessings of Re’eh and Refa’einu.) Additionally, the priestly blessing is also added in the repetition of the Amidah in the afternoon service.
If the 17th of Tammuz falls on Shabbat, the fast is postponed until Sunday. Click here for more about this Shabbat.
Abstaining from food and drink is the external element of a fast day. On a deeper level, a fast day is an auspicious day, a day when G‑d is accessible, waiting for us to repent.
The sages explain: “Every generation for which the Temple is not rebuilt, it is as though the Temple was destroyed for that generation.” A fast day is not only a sad day, but an opportune day. It’s a day when we are empowered to fix the cause of that destruction, so that our long exile will be ended and we will find ourselves living in messianic times; may that be very soon.
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.Historians have long debated when this occurred: some maintain that Apostomos was a general during the Roman occupation of Israel, while others contend that he lived years earlier and was an officer during the Greek reign over the Holy Land.
2.This event is also shrouded in controversy: some say that this too was done by Apostomos, while others say that this was done by King Manasseh of Judea.
© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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FEATURE
The Kabbalah of Pokémon GOCan Nintendo save the world?
It’s confirmed. Nintendo has Kabbalists designing their games. by Tzvi FreemanIt’s confirmed. Nintendo has Kabbalists designing their games.
Game designers create worlds. I know because I taught game design in a school funded by Nintendo back in the ’90s.“Whatever you see or hear in this world is a lesson in your mission in life.”—Baal Shem Tov Studying and teaching their craft, I came to fathom the depth of the hidden knowledge of the cosmos.
And now, it’s out of the box. As any Kabbalist will tell you, the ultimate secret of the universe is the secret of the hidden sparks. They are all around us. Our souls came into this world and entered bodies as avatars to find and rescue these sparks. Some require coaxing, some require struggle, some just some specific activity.
How do you detect these sparks? How do you know how to rescue them?
Only because you have a device, namely Torah, that leads you to them and signals their presence. And then this Torah tells you what’s needed to release that spark and reconnect it with its origin, the origin of all sparks, where they are all one.
The Kabbalists at Nintendo get all that.Life is all about finding and liberating the hidden spark of meaning within each thing. They designed their game accordingly. They allowed us all a glimpse of a deeper reality, where a hidden world lies beneath the apparent world. They gave us a tool to imagine the world of the future, when those two worlds will merge. But there’s an essential element they left out.
The activities we do to rescue these sparks also liberate and fix up the world. In truth, that’s all those sparks are—the inner meaning and purpose of each thing. As we rescue all those sparks, the entire world comes to discover its meaning, until it sings its song in harmony.
So here’s the challenge for Nintendo. Will they take the next step? Will they provide meaningful activities for those who find a poké wherever they find it?
Like treating someone to a cup of coffee. Helping out a homeless veteran with a dollar and a few kind words. Or helping someone’s elderly mother with her shopping. Learning some words of wisdom. Or just sitting there to appreciate the awesomeness of this creation we stand within. And with that, their poké will truly find itsWith one small tweak, Pokémon GO could change the world. meaning.
Will Nintendo come to understand the power they have to better our world? Because, as any Kabbalist will tell you, if they wield that power wisely, it will be a very different world.
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, a senior editor at Chabad.org, also heads our Ask The Rabbi team. He is the author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth. To subscribe to regular updates of Rabbi Freeman's writing, visit Freeman Files subscription. FaceBook @RabbiTzviFreeman Periscope @Tzvi_Freeman .© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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PARSHAH
Counting Other People’s Money
At each of their stops over their forty-year trek, the people made sure to erect their tents in a modest arrangement. Apparently, it was this exceptionally sensitive quality amongst them that made it impossible for Balaam to harm them. by Rochel Holzkenner
“Modesty is one of my more outstanding qualities.”—Anonymous.
Growing up, there was a song I’d enjoy from an album called Journeys. It was a parody about wedding extravagance. In the song, a man tells his friend about the wedding he’s planning for his daughter. Flowers would be imported from overseas, a 100-person band would entertain the guests with their symphony and an outlandish Viennese table would culminate the meal. Finally, each guest would receive a token gift before leaving: an entire set of the Talmud.
“But what about modesty?” asks his friend after hearing of the lavish plans.
“But, of course!” the father of the bride responds. “On the invitation, I will write that all guests should come to the wedding in modest attire.”
Apparently, there are many facets to this trait we call modesty. While the way you dress may be the most obvious, modesty is certainly not limited to appearance.Balaam tried to weaken the Jews at their source, by diminishing their spiritual connectivity
In biblical times, modesty played a pivotal role in thwarting Balaam’s evil intent. Balaam was a non-Jewish prophet employed by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Jewish people. Now, Balaam knew that a military attack would be futile; the Jews had a track record of supernatural and forceful victories in war. So Balaam tried to weaken them at their source, by diminishing their spiritual connectivity. As a spiritual guru, he felt he had the skills needed to undermine their connection to G‑d.
Ironically, whenever Balaam opened his mouth to curse the Jewish people, out flowed the most magnificent blessings. Finally, after his second fruitless attempt to lash out words of destruction, he said something very telling: telling, since it exposed the reason for his inability to curse them.
“How goodly are your tents, O Jacob; your dwelling places, O Israel!” (Numbers 24:5)
The Midrash explains that Balaam was noting the modest way in which the tents of Israel were aligned. They were staggered so the windows of one tent had no visual access to the windows of its neighboring tent. At each of their stops over their 40-year trek, the people made sure to erect their tents in this modest arrangement. Apparently, it was this exceptionally sensitive quality among them that made it impossible for Balaam to harm them.
Modesty means having healthy boundaries. Today, modesty is underrated. As Americans, we’re hooked on TV shows that dig into the most personal parts of people’s lives and display them to millions of viewers. Conversely, many teens (and adults) are misled to believe that if they don’t expose what is meant to be sacred and private, they are prudish.
People who are careful not to speak lashon hara, gossip, are merely expressing their appreciation for healthy boundaries. Who gave you permission to analyze another’s life? You shouldn’t be looking in their window. And if you are exposed to a private bit of information about your friend, be sensitive. Gossiping is violating the sacred space of another person.
The Jews were in transit, and yet they still made sure to uphold this subtle expression of modesty as they assembled their tents. Preserving strong and healthy boundaries was high on their priority list. Mirroring their efforts, G‑d shielded them from harm with a protective barrier, and Balaam was unable to diminish their prowess.
“How goodly are your tents, O Jacob!”
Rochel is a mother of four children and the co-director of Chabad of Las Olas, Fla., serving the community of young professionals. She is a high-school teacher and a freelance writer—and a frequent contributor to Chabad.org. She lectures extensively on topics of Kabbalah and feminism, and their application to everyday life. Rochel holds an MS in Brain Research from Nova SE University.
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.
PARSHAH
Counting Other People’s Money
At each of their stops over their forty-year trek, the people made sure to erect their tents in a modest arrangement. Apparently, it was this exceptionally sensitive quality amongst them that made it impossible for Balaam to harm them. by Rochel Holzkenner
“Modesty is one of my more outstanding qualities.”—Anonymous.Growing up, there was a song I’d enjoy from an album called Journeys. It was a parody about wedding extravagance. In the song, a man tells his friend about the wedding he’s planning for his daughter. Flowers would be imported from overseas, a 100-person band would entertain the guests with their symphony and an outlandish Viennese table would culminate the meal. Finally, each guest would receive a token gift before leaving: an entire set of the Talmud.
“But what about modesty?” asks his friend after hearing of the lavish plans.
“But, of course!” the father of the bride responds. “On the invitation, I will write that all guests should come to the wedding in modest attire.”
Apparently, there are many facets to this trait we call modesty. While the way you dress may be the most obvious, modesty is certainly not limited to appearance.Balaam tried to weaken the Jews at their source, by diminishing their spiritual connectivity
In biblical times, modesty played a pivotal role in thwarting Balaam’s evil intent. Balaam was a non-Jewish prophet employed by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Jewish people. Now, Balaam knew that a military attack would be futile; the Jews had a track record of supernatural and forceful victories in war. So Balaam tried to weaken them at their source, by diminishing their spiritual connectivity. As a spiritual guru, he felt he had the skills needed to undermine their connection to G‑d.
Ironically, whenever Balaam opened his mouth to curse the Jewish people, out flowed the most magnificent blessings. Finally, after his second fruitless attempt to lash out words of destruction, he said something very telling: telling, since it exposed the reason for his inability to curse them.
“How goodly are your tents, O Jacob; your dwelling places, O Israel!” (Numbers 24:5)
The Midrash explains that Balaam was noting the modest way in which the tents of Israel were aligned. They were staggered so the windows of one tent had no visual access to the windows of its neighboring tent. At each of their stops over their 40-year trek, the people made sure to erect their tents in this modest arrangement. Apparently, it was this exceptionally sensitive quality among them that made it impossible for Balaam to harm them.
Modesty means having healthy boundaries. Today, modesty is underrated. As Americans, we’re hooked on TV shows that dig into the most personal parts of people’s lives and display them to millions of viewers. Conversely, many teens (and adults) are misled to believe that if they don’t expose what is meant to be sacred and private, they are prudish.
People who are careful not to speak lashon hara, gossip, are merely expressing their appreciation for healthy boundaries. Who gave you permission to analyze another’s life? You shouldn’t be looking in their window. And if you are exposed to a private bit of information about your friend, be sensitive. Gossiping is violating the sacred space of another person.
The Jews were in transit, and yet they still made sure to uphold this subtle expression of modesty as they assembled their tents. Preserving strong and healthy boundaries was high on their priority list. Mirroring their efforts, G‑d shielded them from harm with a protective barrier, and Balaam was unable to diminish their prowess.
“How goodly are your tents, O Jacob!”
Rochel is a mother of four children and the co-director of Chabad of Las Olas, Fla., serving the community of young professionals. She is a high-school teacher and a freelance writer—and a frequent contributor to Chabad.org. She lectures extensively on topics of Kabbalah and feminism, and their application to everyday life. Rochel holds an MS in Brain Research from Nova SE University.
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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Balak 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.
But the angel of G‑d stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side and a wall on that side. When the ass saw the angel of G‑d, she pressed herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; and he struck her again.
And He perceives not trouble in Israel
The L‑rd his G‑d is with him
And the trumpet-blast of a king is among them . . .
For there is no enchantment in Jacob
And there is no sorcery in Israel
In time it is said to Jacob and to Israel:
“What has G‑d wrought?” . . .
Your dwellings, O Israel!
His seed shall be in many waters
His king shall be higher than Agag
And his kingdom shall be exalted.
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WOMEN
What Does ‘Special Needs’ Really Mean?
My five-year-old took a seat next to me on the couch. She looked straight at me and said, “So, what does having special-needs mean anyway?” by Chana ScopThe dryer hummed behind the sweet sounds of kids playing. Just a regular Sunday afternoon, everyone relaxing and taking the day slow.
I was enjoying the moment, the baby in my arms, just soaking up the good feelings, when my 5-year-old took a seat next to me on the couch. Her beautiful hazel eyes sparkled, framed by her light-I was enjoying the momentbrown shoulder-length hair.
Shaina. Always full of questions and stories.
She looked straight at me and said: “So, what does having special needs mean anyway?”
Within seconds, memories flooded my mind. While I caught my breath (wishing I could explain how, after being up all night with the baby, I wasn’t sure I was up to answering this question), I knew I had to come up with an answer.
But what does “special needs” really mean?
Is it merely the words to describe the frustrating temper tantrum Chaim Boruch had only moments before? Or the grueling hours spent in doctors’ offices and clinics? Is the term just a phrase lightly tossed around to try to explain the moments of stress when walking in public with a child screaming in a wheelchair?
Maybe the term “special needs” illustrates the disappointment, hurt and unraveled dreams and hopes found in the recesses of one’s heart? Maybe.
But, then again, maybe it defines the raw truth about the incredible physical and spiritual makeup of a human being, with a heart that beats and a soul that breathes life.
Maybe “special needs” illustrates a broader spectrum of color—one that even the most famous artists can’t portray on the canvas of their imaginations?
Or maybe this phrase epitomizes the love and affection that deep down we all admire?
Maybe, just maybe, “special needs” describes a universal syndrome that each of us has been diagnosed with at some moment of self-awareness.
You see, I sat next to my little girl, and her question took my breath away. Not because I wasn’t ready to answer her, but because I saw the very essence of the answer in her. She was the answer.
At all of 5 years old, an integral part of our family and “team” living with and loving her big brother Chaim Boruch, she had not figured out what “special needs” meant. She had no inkling of the extent to which being “special needs” could impact a person. With no context for this phrase in her life, she was simply curious, searching for its meaning.
For her, there were no obstacles toFor her, there were no obstacles to understanding understanding her brother with “special needs,” a phrase she’s heard thousands of times. She was the example of simplicity, bridging a gap that, in her wonderful world, didn’t even exist.
After all what does “special needs” really mean?
I looked into my daughter’s bright eyes and saw a very capable, fun, loving little girl. And I answered her. I told her that we all have “special needs.” I told her that everyone in the world struggles with something. We all learn to do things that are challenging and difficult, that we all require help, extra love, care and sensitivity from others.
And sometimes, we too can’t find the words or the strength to take another step, either physically or emotionally.
We become paralyzed with fear, crippled by challenge and handicapped by our insecurities.
So, like Shaina, I ask: “What does ‘special needs’ really mean?”
Chana is a proud wife and mother living in Mill Valley, California. She is inspired by the colors and textures of everyday life, and loves sharing her creative ideas with her community. Chana writes DIY projects, crafts and recipes celebrating her Jewish life and shlichus on her blog Chana’s Art Room, and is the co-director of Chabad of Mill Valley with her husband, Rabbi Hillel Scop. To read more about Chaim Boruch, and Chana’s journey, take a look at her personal special-needs blog, Life of Blessing.
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.
Balak 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 Balak In-Depth
Numbers 22:2-25:9
Parshah Summary
“Balak the son of Zippor,” begins the Parshah that bears the name of the Moabite king, “saw all that Israel had done to the Emorite. And Moab was seized with dread because of the children of Israel.”
Balak sends the “elders of Midian and the elders of Moab” to the prophet and sorcerer Balaam the son of Beor, with the following message:
Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt; they cover the face of the earth, and they sit opposite me.
Come now therefore, I entreat you, and curse me this people, for he is mightier than me . . . for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.
Balaam tells them that he’ll give his response the next morning, “as G‑d shall speak to me.” “Do not go with them,” says G‑d to Balaam that night. “Do not curse the people, for they are blessed.”
Balak sends a second delegation of dignitaries “more numerous and more prestigious than these” with promises of even greater rewards. Balaam responds:
“If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the L‑rd my G‑d, to do less or more.
“Now therefore, I ask you, tarry you also here this night, that I may know what G‑d will say further to me.”
This time G‑d permits him to go: “If these men came to call you, rise up and go with them; but only that word which I shall say to you, so shall you do.”
Balaam’s Ass
Balaam arose in the morning and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
G‑d’s anger burned that he is going, and an angel of G‑d stood in the way as an adversary against him. He was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
The ass saw the angel of G‑d standing in the way, his sword drawn in his hand, and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.But the angel of G‑d stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side and a wall on that side. When the ass saw the angel of G‑d, she pressed herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; and he struck her again.
When the angel further obstructs the way, forcing the animal to a complete halt, Balaam strikes her a third time.
G‑d opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam: “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”
Balaam said to the ass: “Because you have mocked me; would there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you.”
The ass said to Balaam: “Am not I your ass, upon which you have ridden all your life to this day? Was I ever wont to do so to you?” And he said, “No.”
Then G‑d opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of G‑d standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed down his head and fell on his face.
“Why have you struck your ass these three times?” the angel admonishes Balaam. “Behold, I went out to waylay you, because your path is perverse before me. . . . Had she not turned from me, I would now have slain you, and saved her alive.”
“If it is evil in your eyes, I shall return,” says a humbled Balaam.
“Go with the men,” says the angel. “But only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak.”
A People That Dwells Alone
Balak comes to receive Balaam at Moab’s border, repeating his promises of honor and glory; Balaam reiterates that “the word that G‑d places in my mouth, that I will speak.”
The next morning Balak takes him to the Heights of Baal, from which the edge of the Israelite camp is visible. Balaam instructs him to build seven altars, and sacrifice a bull and a ram on each. Balaam then goes off to meditate.
“G‑d happened upon Balaam . . . and G‑d placed a word into Balaam’s mouth.” And Balaam begins to speak:
From Aram does Balak the king of Moab bring me
From the mountains of the east, saying:
Come, curse me Jacob
And come, provoke wrath upon Israel.
And number of the seed of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous
And let my last end be like his!
From the mountains of the east, saying:
Come, curse me Jacob
And come, provoke wrath upon Israel.
How shall I curse whom G‑d has not cursed?
How shall I evoke wrath against whom G‑d has not raged?
How shall I evoke wrath against whom G‑d has not raged?
For from the top of mountains I see him
from the hills I behold him
It is a people that dwells alone
And is not reckoned among the nations.
Who can count the dust of Jacobfrom the hills I behold him
It is a people that dwells alone
And is not reckoned among the nations.
And number of the seed of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous
And let my last end be like his!
“What have you done to me!” cries Balak. “I brought you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have blessed them altogether.”
But I can say only that which G‑d places in my mouth, replies the prophet.
Bidden to Bless
Balak suggests trying from a different vantage point, from which “you shall see but the utmost part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them for me from there.”
They go to Sedeh Tzofim (“Lookout Field”). Again seven altars are raised and seven bullocks and seven rams are offered, and Balaam ventures out to meditate. Soon he returns with more divinely placed words in his mouth.
He took up his discourse, and said:
Arise, Balak and hear
Hearken to me, you son of Zippor:
Hearken to me, you son of Zippor:
G‑d is not a man, that He should lie
Nor a son of Adam, that He should regret
Has He said, and shall He not do?
Has He spoken, and shall he not fulfill it?
Nor a son of Adam, that He should regret
Has He said, and shall He not do?
Has He spoken, and shall he not fulfill it?
Behold, I am bidden to bless
He has blessed; and I cannot turn it.
He sees not iniquity in JacobHe has blessed; and I cannot turn it.
And He perceives not trouble in Israel
The L‑rd his G‑d is with him
And the trumpet-blast of a king is among them . . .
For there is no enchantment in Jacob
And there is no sorcery in Israel
In time it is said to Jacob and to Israel:
“What has G‑d wrought?” . . .
“If you will not curse them,” says Balak, “at least don’t bless them!” Once again Balaam reminds him that he can only say what G‑d puts in his mouth.
The Goodly Tents
The king and the prophet make one more attempt, selecting yet a third vantage point from which to look upon the Israelite camp: “The head of Peor, that looks out towards the desert.” Again they build seven altars and sacrifice seven bullocks and seven rams.
Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding according to their tribes; and the spirit of G‑d came upon him.
He took up his discourse, and said . . . :
How goodly are your tents, O JacobYour dwellings, O Israel!
As winding brooks
As gardens by the river’s side
As aloes which G‑d has planted
As cedars beside the waters.
He shall pour the water out of his bucketsAs gardens by the river’s side
As aloes which G‑d has planted
As cedars beside the waters.
His seed shall be in many waters
His king shall be higher than Agag
And his kingdom shall be exalted.
G‑d brought him out of Egypt
He has, as it were, the strength of a wild ox
He shall eat up the nations his enemies
Shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
He has, as it were, the strength of a wild ox
He shall eat up the nations his enemies
Shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
He crouched, he lay down like a lion
And like a great lion; who shall stir him up?
Blessed is he that blesses you,
And cursed is he that curses you.
And like a great lion; who shall stir him up?
Blessed is he that blesses you,
And cursed is he that curses you.
“I called you to curse my enemies,” cries Balak in anger, “and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times. Therefore now flee to your place; I thought to promote you to great honor, but G‑d has kept you back from honor.”
“Did I not speak also to your messengers,” responds Balaam, “which you sent to me, saying: If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of G‑d, to do either good or bad of my own mind, but what G‑d says, that will I speak”?
The End of Days
“And now,” continues Balaam, “I go to my people. Come therefore, and I will advise you what this people shall do to your people in the end of days.”
I see him, but not now
I behold him, but he is not near
There shall shoot forth a star out of Jacob
And a scepter shall rise out of Israel
And shall smite the corners of Moab
And rule over all the children of Seth . . .
And Israel shall do valiantly . . .
I behold him, but he is not near
There shall shoot forth a star out of Jacob
And a scepter shall rise out of Israel
And shall smite the corners of Moab
And rule over all the children of Seth . . .
And Israel shall do valiantly . . .
“Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.”
Promiscuity and Zealotry
Balaam failed to destroy them with curses; but the children of Israel could still bring calamity upon themselves with their deeds, as they now did when “the people began to go astray after the daughters of Moab.”
They called the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods.
Israel joined himself to Baal Peor, and the anger of G‑d was kindled against Israel.
Israel joined himself to Baal Peor, and the anger of G‑d was kindled against Israel.
A plague ensues, which kills 24,000; Moses orders those responsible to be executed. Still, the debauchery and idolatry continue, reaching their peak when
Behold, a man of the children of Israel came, and brought to his brethren a Midianite woman before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of all the congregation of the children of Israel; and they stood weeping before the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.
One man is moved to action:
Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it. He rose up from among the congregation, and took a spear in his hand.
He went after the man of Israel into the chamber, and thrust both of them through—the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly—and theplague was halted from the children of Israel.
From Our Sages
Moab said to the elders of Midian (22:4)
Moab and Midian were erstwhile enemies, as it is written (Genesis 36:35), “. . . who smote Midian in the field of Moab”; but out of fear of Israel, they made peace between them.
And why did Moab seek the advice of Midian? When they saw that Israel was victorious beyond the norm, they thought: “The leader of this people rose to greatness in Midian; we shall ask them what is his measure.” Said they: “His power is entirely in his mouth.” Said Moab: “We, too, shall bring a person whose power is in his mouth against them.”
(Rashi)
The Hebrew phrase atzum hu mimeni (“he is mightier than me”) also translates as “he is mightier from me.” For in truth, the might of the people of Israel is Moshiach, who (via Ruth the Moabite, ancestress of King David) is a descendant of Balak!
(Shaloh)
The divine spirit visited him only at night, as is the case with all the prophets of the nations (Laban, too, received his prophecy in a nocturnal dream, as it says (Genesis 31:24), “G‑d said to Laban the Aramite in a dream at night”)—like a man covertly visiting his concubine.
(Rashi)
From here we see how hatred causes a person to break from convention. Balaam had many servants at his disposal; yet in his eagerness to go curse Israel, he saddled his ass himself. Said the Almighty: “Evil one! Their father Abraham has already preempted you when, to fulfill My will, he ‘rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey’ (Genesis 22:3).”
(Rashi)
In order to place before man the “free choice” that is essential to his mission in life, G‑d so ordered His world that every positive force has its negative counterpart. Were there to exist a good element which cannot be put to corrupt use, then man’s potential for evil would be disadvantaged and would not present the equal challenge which makes for the choice factor in life. In the words of King Solomon (Ecclesiastes 7:14), “One corresponding to the other, G‑d created.”
But this “equality” between good and evil extends only to the most superficial level of reality. When a person learns to look beyond the surface of things to their inherent purpose, he will see that only the good in the world is real and substantial. Good is an existence in its own right, while evil exists merely to provide the tension which imbues the positive acts of man with meaning and significance.
Hence there cannot be anything “original” to evil, which is but a shallow, corrupted refraction of the good in the world. If Balaam was able to transcend the norm with the intensity of his hate, this was only because, centuries earlier, Abraham had done the same out of love of his Creator.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
Could not the angel have breathed on him and taken his life away, that he must draw his sword? . . . He could; but he said to Balaam as follows: “The mouth was given to Jacob, as is written (Genesis 27:22), ‘The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.’ And of Esau it is written, ‘By your sword shall you live’ (ibid. v. 40). . . . Yet you exchange your trade, and come against Israel with a weapon that is theirs! I, then, will come against you with a weapon that is yours.”
(Midrash Rabbah)
But Balaam did not see it, for G‑d has enabled the animal to see more than man. Because man has greater understanding, he would go insane if he were able to see the forces of destruction.
(Rashi)
This was the very heap of stones which Laban and Jacob had erected as a testament that “I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm” (Genesis 31:52). Balaam, who is Laban, was now violating this covenant by crossing the heap to come curse the descendents Jacob. Therefore the wall was punishing him, for it was the witness for the oath, and it is written (Deuteronomy 17:7): “The hand of the witnesses should be first in [punishing] him.”
(Midrash Tanchuma)
This was to impress upon Balaam that there is no place for pride over the fact that he has been given the gift of prophecy. If it suites G‑d’s purposes, even an ass will see angels and make speeches.
(Keli Yakar)
Why did he greet him at the border? He said to him: “These boundaries, which have been established since the days of Noah with the understanding that one nation does not violate the boundaries of the other—these people are coming to uproot! Come and curse them!” And he showed him how they broke through and crossed the boundaries of Sichon and Og.
(Midrash Tanchuma)
Regarding G‑d’s appearances to Moses the Torah uses the word vayikra (“and He called”), which is an expression of closeness and love; whilst to the prophets of the idolatrous nations the word used isvayikar (“and He happened upon”)—an expression that connotes temporality and promiscuity.
(Midrash Rabbah; Rashi)
The hallmark of evil and unholiness is an attitude of "It just happened." Nothing is coincidental to the Jew; every event is purposeful and significant.
(Chassidic saying)
It doesn’t say “I have prepared seven altars,” but “I have prepared the seven altars.” Balaam said to G‑d: The ancestors of this people built You seven altars, and I have prepared the equivalent of them all. Abraham built four (Genesis 12:7, 12:8, 13:18, and at Mount Moriah [22:9]); Isaac built one (ibid. 26:25); and Jacob built two—one at Shechem (ibid. 33:20) and one at Beth-El (ibid. 35:7).
(Rashi)
Everyone treads upon the dust, but in the end, the dust triumphs over them all. . . . So it is with the Jewish people.
(Midrash Rabbah)
This implies that “Jacob” does experience “trouble” and “toil” (amal), though these do not result in his guilt in the eyes of G‑d. “Israel,” on the other hand, enjoys an existence devoid not only of guilt but also of struggle.
“Jacob” and “Israel” are the two names by which the third Patriarch was called and, by extension, two names for the Jewish people. Each represents a different period in the life of the Patriarch and a different dimension of the life of the people.
Jacob was born grasping the heel of his elder twin, Esau; thus he was named “Jacob” (Yaakov, in the Hebrew), which means “at the heel” (Genesis 25:26). Years later, when Jacob disguised himself as Esau to receive the blessings that Isaac intended to give the elder brother, Esau proclaimed: “No wonder he is called Jacob (‘cunning’)! Twice he has deceived me: he has taken my birthright, and now he has taken my blessings” (ibid. 27:36).
“Jacob” is the Jew still in the thick of the battle of life—a battle in which he is often “at the heel,” dealing with the lowlier aspects of his own personality and of his environment. It is also a battle which he must wage with furtiveness and stealth (the second meaning of “Jacob”), for he is in enemy territory and must disguise his true intentions in order to outmaneuver those who attempt to ensnare him.
Threatened by a hostile world, plagued by his own shortcomings and negative inclinations, “Jacob” is defined by the axiomatic condition of man—that “man is born to toil” (Job 5:7) and that human life is an obstacle course of challenges to one’s integrity.
In contrast, Israel (“divine master”) is the name given to Jacob when he “struggled with the divine and with men, and prevailed” (Genesis 32:29). “Israel” describes the Jew who has prevailed over his own humanity, cultivating the intrinsic perfection of his soul to the extent that he is immune to all challenges and temptations; who has prevailed over the divine decree that “man is born to toil,” achieving a tranquil existence amidst the turbulence of life.
The Jewish people includes both “Jacobs” and “Israels,” and the life of every individual Jew has its “Jacob” periods and its “Israel” moments. For “there are two types of pleasure before G‑d. The first is from the complete abnegation of evil and its transformation from bitterness to sweetness and from darkness to light by the tzaddikim. The second [pleasure] is when evil is repelled while it is still at its strongest and mightiest . . . through the initiative of the ‘intermediate man’ (beinoni) . . . as in the analogy of physical food, in which there are two types of delicacies that give pleasure: the first being the pleasure derived from sweet and pleasant foods; and the second, from sharp and sour foods, which are spiced and prepared in such a way that they become delicacies that revive the soul” (Tanya, ch. 27).
G‑d sees no guilt in Jacob. For despite all that Jacob must face, he has been granted the capacity to meet his every detractor. Even if he momentarily succumbs to some internal or external challenge, he never loses his intrinsic goodness and purity, which ultimately asserts itself, no matter how much it has been repressed by the travails of life. But while he might be free of sin, he is never free of toil, of the struggle to maintain his sinless state. For him, the war of life rages ever on, regardless of how many of its battles he has won. And it is the struggle itself that constitutes his mission in life and the pleasure derived from him by his Creator.
(From the teachings of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi)
Three great Chassidic leaders were famous for their ahavat yisrael (“love of a fellow Jew”): Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev and Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli.
Rabbi Zusha was a living example of the maxim that “love covers up all iniquities” (Proverbs 10:12). What the ordinary observer would perceive as a glaring deficiency, or even an outright sin, would not “register” in his holy eyes and mind. Rabbi Zusha was simply incapable of seeing anything negative in a fellow Jew.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s ahavat yisrael found expression in his incessant efforts as an advocate for the people of Israel. Unlike Rabbi Zusha, he was not blind to their misdeeds and failings; but he never failed to “judge every man to the side of merit”—to find a justification, and even a positive aspect, in their behavior. (A typical story tells of how, upon noticing a wagon driver who was greasing his wheels while reciting his morning prayers, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak lifted his eyes to heaven and cried: “Master of the Universe! Behold the piety of Your children! Even as they go about their daily affairs, they do not cease to pray to You!”)
But the Baal Shem Tov’s love ran deeper yet. To him, ahavat yisrael was not the refusal to see the deficiencies of a fellow, or even the endeavor to transform them into merits, but an unequivocal love regardless of their spiritual state. He loved the most iniquitous transgressor with the same boundless love with which he loved the greatest tzaddik; he loved them as G‑d loves them—as a father loves his children, regardless of who and what they are.
On the occasion of his bar mitzvah, Rabbi Sholom DovBer of Lubavitch (1860–1920) was told by his father:
“Our great-grandfather, the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, 1745–1812), was bequeathed a smile by his master and teacher, the Maggid of Mezeritch. With this smile, the Rebbe could have won over the world.
“But the Rebbe never made use of this gift. His entire life’s work was to implant penimiyut(‘innerness’ and integrity) within his chassidim. So he made his case with the ‘internal’ mediums of intellect and feeling, and shunned the use of anything associated with the ‘peripheral’ attributes of the soul."
(Likkutei Dibburim)
He saw that they pitch their tents so the doorways should not be opposite each other (respecting each other’s privacy).
(Rashi)
Rabbi Yochanan said: From the blessings of that wicked man you may learn his intentions. He wished to curse them that they should have no houses of prayer or houses of study; instead he blessed them with that, saying, “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob.” He wished to curse them that the Divine Presence should not dwell amongst them; instead he blessed them with that, saying “Your dwellings (mishkenotecha, which also means ‘Sanctuaries’), O Israel.” He wished to curse them that their kingdom should not endure; instead, “as the winding brooks”; that they might have no olive trees and vineyards—“as gardens by the river’s side”; that their odor might not be fragrant—“as aloes which G‑d has planted”; that their kings might not be tall—“as cedars beside the waters”; that they might not have a king the son of a king—“He shall pour the water out of his buckets”; that their kingdom might not rule over other nations—“his seed shall be in many waters”; that their kingdom might not be strong—“his king shall be higher than Agag"; that their kingdom might not be awe-inspiring—“and his kingdom shall be exalted.”
Said Rabbi Abba bar Kahana: In the end, all of them reverted to a curse (with the fall of the house of David and the destruction of the Holy Temple and the exile), excepting the houses of prayer and the houses of study. Thus it is written (Deuteronomy 23:6), “But the L‑rd your G‑d turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the L‑rd your G‑d loved you”—the curse, in the singular, but not the curses . . .
(Talmud, Sanhedrin 105b)
It would have been fitting that the rebukes (in the book of Deuteronomy) be pronounced by Balaam, and that the blessings (in the Parshah of Balak) be said by Moses. . . . But G‑d said: Let Moses, who loves them, rebuke them; and let Balaam, who hates them, bless them.
(Yalkut Shimoni)
The Talmud forbids to name one’s child after a wicked person, quoting the verse (Proverbs 10:7), “The name of the wicked shall rot.” Yet an entire section of Torah is named after Balak, king of Moab, to whom the Midrash accords the title “who hated [the Jewish people] more than all their enemies.”
For Balak is the Parshah of the future, where evil is transformed to good and curses emerge as blessings. It is in Balak that the most beautiful verses describing the uniqueness of Israel and the specialty of their relationship with the Almighty issue from the vile mouth of Balaam, summoned by Balak to curse the Jewish people. And it is in Balak that the most explicit reference to the era of Moshiach in the Five Books of Moses is found, in the form of a prophecy by the selfsame Balaam.
“Let Moses, who loves them, rebuke them,” said G‑d when the people of Israel needed rebuke, for rebuke from a loving heart is many times more effective. “And let Balaam, who hates them, bless them,” for the blessing of an enemy is so much more real than a lover’s praises.
In the Parshah of Balak we enter a Moshiach-like world—a world of “the greater wisdom that comes from folly, and the greater light that comes from darkness” (Ecclesiastes 2:13).
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
The melech hamoshiach (“anointed king”) is destined to arise and restore the kingdom of David to its glory of old, to its original sovereignty. He will build the Holy Temple and gather the dispersed of Israel. In his times, all the laws of the Torah will be reinstated as before; the sacrifices will be offered, the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee year instituted as outlined in the Torah.
Whoever does not believe in him or does not anticipate his coming, denies not only the other prophets but also the Torah and Moses. For the Torah testifies about him: “G‑d shall return your captivity. . . . He will return and gather you from all the nations amongst whom the L‑rd your G‑d has scattered you. If your outcasts shall be at the ends of the heavens, from there will the L‑rd your G‑d gather you, from there He will take you. . . . G‑d will bring you to the Land . . .” (Deuteronomy 30:3–5). These explicit words of the Torah encapsulate all that has been said (concerning Moshiach) by the prophets.
Also in the story of Balaam is it spoken of, and there it is prophesied on, the two “anointed ones”: the first Moshiach, who is David, who saved Israel from its enemies; and the last Moshiach, who shall be of his descendants, who will save Israel in the end [of the exile]. There he says: “I see him, but not now”—this is David; “I behold him, but he is not near”—this is the King Moshiach; “There shall shoot forth a star out of Jacob”—this is David; “And a scepter shall rise out of Israel”—this is the King Moshiach; “And shall smite the corners of Moab”—this is David, as it is written (II Samuel 8:2), “He smote Moab, and he measured them with a line”; “And rule over all the children of Seth”—this is the King Moshiach, as it is written (Zachariah 9:10), “And his dominion shall be from sea to sea” . . .
As for the books of the prophets, one need not cite references [to Moshiach], for all the books are full of this . . .
If there arises a king from the house of David, who studies the Torah and fulfills its precepts . . . who will prevail upon all of Israel to follow it and repair its breaches, and will wage the battles of G‑d—he is presumed to be Moshiach. If he did so and was successful, and he built the Holy Temple on its site and gathered the dispersed of Israel—he is certainly Moshiach. He will correct the entire world to serve G‑d together, as is written (Zephaniah 3:9): “For then I shall turn to the nations a pure tongue, that all shall call upon the name of G‑d to serve Him as one” . . .
The sages and the prophets did not crave the era of Moshiach in order to rule over the world . . . or to eat, drink and rejoice; but only so that they be free for Torah and its wisdom, and be rid of any oppressor and disrupter . . .
At that time there will be no hunger or war, no jealousy or rivalry. For the good will be plentiful, and all delicacies available as dust. The entire occupation of the world will be only to know G‑d. . . . Israel will be of great wisdom; they will perceive the esoteric truths and comprehend their Creator’s wisdom as is the capacity of man. As it is written (Isaiah 11:9): “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of G‑d, as the waters cover the sea.”
(Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 11–12)
This means that every Jew has a spark of the soul of Moshiach in his soul.
(Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov)
Some fountains rear strong men and some weaklings, some handsome men and some ugly men, some chaste men and some men who are steeped in lewdness. The fountain of Shittim promoted harlotry, and it was the one that watered Sodom. . . . Because this fountain was cursed, G‑d will in the future cause it to dry up and then renew it, as it is written (Joel 4:18): “A fountain shall come forth from the house of G‑d, and shall water the valley of Shittim.” Not since the days of Abraham had any Jew broken loose in promiscuity; but as soon as they came to Shittim and drank its waters, they succumbed to promiscuity.
(Midrash Rabbah)
Balaam advised Balak to ensnare the children of Israel with them. He said to him: “Their G‑d hates promiscuity, and they are very partial to linen. Come, and I will advise you what to do. Erect for them tents enclosed by hangings, and place in them harlots, old women outside and young women within, to sell them linen garments.”
So he erected curtained tents from the snowy mountain (Hermon) as far as Beth ha-Yeshimoth, and placed harlots in them—old women on the outside, young women within. When an Israelite ate, drank and was merry, and went out for a stroll in the marketplace, the old woman would say to him, “Do you desire linen garments?” The old woman offered it at its current value, but the young one for less. This happened two or three times. After that she would say to him, “You are now like one of the family; sit down and choose for yourself.” Gourds of Ammonite wine lay near her, and at that time Ammonite and heathen wine had not yet been forbidden. Said she to him: “Would you like to drink a glass of wine?” Having drunk, his passion was inflamed and he exclaimed to her, “Yield to me!” Thereupon she brought forth an idol from her bosom and said to him, “Worship this.”
(Talmud, Sanhedrin 106a)
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 . . . forever” (ibid. v. 4).
(Midrash Rabbah)
At first they entered unobtrusively, but in the end they came in joined like a yoke of oxen.
(Midrash Rabbah)
There was once a gentile woman who was very ill, and who vowed: “If this woman recovers from her illness, she will go and worship every idol in the world.” She recovered, and proceeded to worship every idol in the world. When she came to Peor, she asked its priests: “How is this one worshipped?” Said they to her: “One eats greens and drinks beer, and then one defecates before the idol.” Said she: “I’d rather that this woman return to her illness than worship an idol in such a manner.”
(Talmud, Sanhedrin 64a).
Behold, a man of the children of Israel came, and brought . . . a Midianite woman before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of all the congregation of the children of Israel; and they stood weeping (25:6)
The woman said to him: “I shall give myself to none but Moses, for so my father Balak bade me, not to yield to anyone but to Moses your master, because my father is a king.” Said he to her: “Behold, I am as great as he is! I shall bring you out before their eyes!” He seized her by her braids and brought her to Moses. He said to him: “Son of Amram! Is this woman permitted or forbidden?” He answered him: “She is forbidden to you.” Said Zimri to him: “The woman whom you married was a Midianitess!” Thereupon Moses felt powerless, and the law slipped from his mind.
All Israel wailed aloud, as it says, “And they stood weeping.” Why were they weeping? Because they became powerless at that moment. This may be illustrated by a parable. It is like the case of a king’s daughter who, having adorned herself for the purpose of entering the bridal chamber and sitting in a palanquin, was discovered misconducting herself with a stranger, and so her father and her relatives lost heart. It was the same with Israel. At the end of forty years they camped by the Jordan to cross over into the Land of Israel . . . and there they gave way to harlotry. The courage of Moses failed him, as did that of the righteous ones with him.
(Midrash Rabbah)
He saw what was happening and remembered the law, and said to Moses, “Great-uncle! Did you not teach us this on your descent from Mount Sinai: ‘He who cohabits with a heathen woman is punished by zealots’?” Moses replied, “He who reads the letter, let him be the agent.”
(Talmud, Sanhedrin 82b)
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WOMEN
What Does ‘Special Needs’ Really Mean?
My five-year-old took a seat next to me on the couch. She looked straight at me and said, “So, what does having special-needs mean anyway?” by Chana ScopThe dryer hummed behind the sweet sounds of kids playing. Just a regular Sunday afternoon, everyone relaxing and taking the day slow.
I was enjoying the moment, the baby in my arms, just soaking up the good feelings, when my 5-year-old took a seat next to me on the couch. Her beautiful hazel eyes sparkled, framed by her light-I was enjoying the momentbrown shoulder-length hair.
Shaina. Always full of questions and stories.
She looked straight at me and said: “So, what does having special needs mean anyway?”
Within seconds, memories flooded my mind. While I caught my breath (wishing I could explain how, after being up all night with the baby, I wasn’t sure I was up to answering this question), I knew I had to come up with an answer.
But what does “special needs” really mean?
Is it merely the words to describe the frustrating temper tantrum Chaim Boruch had only moments before? Or the grueling hours spent in doctors’ offices and clinics? Is the term just a phrase lightly tossed around to try to explain the moments of stress when walking in public with a child screaming in a wheelchair?
Maybe the term “special needs” illustrates the disappointment, hurt and unraveled dreams and hopes found in the recesses of one’s heart? Maybe.
But, then again, maybe it defines the raw truth about the incredible physical and spiritual makeup of a human being, with a heart that beats and a soul that breathes life.
Maybe “special needs” illustrates a broader spectrum of color—one that even the most famous artists can’t portray on the canvas of their imaginations?
Or maybe this phrase epitomizes the love and affection that deep down we all admire?
Maybe, just maybe, “special needs” describes a universal syndrome that each of us has been diagnosed with at some moment of self-awareness.
You see, I sat next to my little girl, and her question took my breath away. Not because I wasn’t ready to answer her, but because I saw the very essence of the answer in her. She was the answer.
At all of 5 years old, an integral part of our family and “team” living with and loving her big brother Chaim Boruch, she had not figured out what “special needs” meant. She had no inkling of the extent to which being “special needs” could impact a person. With no context for this phrase in her life, she was simply curious, searching for its meaning.
For her, there were no obstacles toFor her, there were no obstacles to understanding understanding her brother with “special needs,” a phrase she’s heard thousands of times. She was the example of simplicity, bridging a gap that, in her wonderful world, didn’t even exist.
After all what does “special needs” really mean?
I looked into my daughter’s bright eyes and saw a very capable, fun, loving little girl. And I answered her. I told her that we all have “special needs.” I told her that everyone in the world struggles with something. We all learn to do things that are challenging and difficult, that we all require help, extra love, care and sensitivity from others.
And sometimes, we too can’t find the words or the strength to take another step, either physically or emotionally.
We become paralyzed with fear, crippled by challenge and handicapped by our insecurities.
So, like Shaina, I ask: “What does ‘special needs’ really mean?”
Chana is a proud wife and mother living in Mill Valley, California. She is inspired by the colors and textures of everyday life, and loves sharing her creative ideas with her community. Chana writes DIY projects, crafts and recipes celebrating her Jewish life and shlichus on her blog Chana’s Art Room, and is the co-director of Chabad of Mill Valley with her husband, Rabbi Hillel Scop. To read more about Chaim Boruch, and Chana’s journey, take a look at her personal special-needs blog, Life of Blessing.
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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A Hard Lesson Taken to Heart
I'm not sure what my sister Stephanie and I were doing that February night in 1963 when our grandfather, our mother’s father, called us on the phone. I just remember we were busy. by Lieba Rudolph
Anyone who says that Jews like to disagree with each other must be someone who doesn’t go to funerals. I don’t think I’ve ever been to one where the officiating rabbi hasn’t said, V’hachai yitein el libo, “And the living shall take it to heart.” At least in this regard, we’re unanimous: Death is meant to teach us about life. Or, in other words, pay attention Death is meant to teach us about life to how you’ll inevitably end up, and you won’t make so many mistakes.
I learned this lesson the hard way when I was just 7 years old. I’m not sure what my sister Stephanie and I were doing that February night in 1963 when our grandfather, our mother’s father, called us on the phone. I just remember we were busy. We loved Max (that’s how he wanted us to refer to him), but he called us a lot. That night, we told our mother we didn’t want to talk to him.
What I remember most about the next day is my father’s red eyes when he was explaining to me that Max had been taken to the hospital. “So, he’s not going to get better?” I asked, already knowing the answer. When my father told me Max had passed away, I wanted to disappear from the planet.
My 7-year-old instinct for self-preservation overrode this desire, and instead made a mental note that would be forever posted—no, seared—in my consciousness: You never know.
You can be sure that for the next 10 years, until my grandmother passed away, I would interrupt the most challenging homework assignment or juicy phone conversation so I could kiss her goodbye before she left our house.
Because neither of her parents reached 70, my mother was convinced she was destined for the same fate. “With my genes,” she would sigh whenever the subject turned to longevity, which triggered in me a you-never-know response to be extra nice to her. She eventually stopped saying that—she lived to be 88—but for me, you-never-know-ness has been part of my consciousness for so long that I can’t imagine thinking about life any other way.
Aside from its whiff of morbidity, you-never-know-ness has served me well all these years. It can only be a good thing that I say “I loveI want to share everything sooner rather than later you” a lot and tend not to hold grudges. And if I have a job to do, I do it right away. And now that I write about my spiritual journey, I see every blog post as the one that could potentially bring Moshiach, whose arrival will change everything about life, including death and all the you-never-know-ness surrounding it.
But no matter what, I want to share everything sooner rather than later because until he comes, well, you just never know.
Lieba Rudolph lives in Pittsburgh, PA, and writes a weekly blog about Jewish spirituality.
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.
A Hard Lesson Taken to Heart
I'm not sure what my sister Stephanie and I were doing that February night in 1963 when our grandfather, our mother’s father, called us on the phone. I just remember we were busy. by Lieba Rudolph
Anyone who says that Jews like to disagree with each other must be someone who doesn’t go to funerals. I don’t think I’ve ever been to one where the officiating rabbi hasn’t said, V’hachai yitein el libo, “And the living shall take it to heart.” At least in this regard, we’re unanimous: Death is meant to teach us about life. Or, in other words, pay attention Death is meant to teach us about life to how you’ll inevitably end up, and you won’t make so many mistakes.I learned this lesson the hard way when I was just 7 years old. I’m not sure what my sister Stephanie and I were doing that February night in 1963 when our grandfather, our mother’s father, called us on the phone. I just remember we were busy. We loved Max (that’s how he wanted us to refer to him), but he called us a lot. That night, we told our mother we didn’t want to talk to him.
What I remember most about the next day is my father’s red eyes when he was explaining to me that Max had been taken to the hospital. “So, he’s not going to get better?” I asked, already knowing the answer. When my father told me Max had passed away, I wanted to disappear from the planet.
My 7-year-old instinct for self-preservation overrode this desire, and instead made a mental note that would be forever posted—no, seared—in my consciousness: You never know.
You can be sure that for the next 10 years, until my grandmother passed away, I would interrupt the most challenging homework assignment or juicy phone conversation so I could kiss her goodbye before she left our house.
Because neither of her parents reached 70, my mother was convinced she was destined for the same fate. “With my genes,” she would sigh whenever the subject turned to longevity, which triggered in me a you-never-know response to be extra nice to her. She eventually stopped saying that—she lived to be 88—but for me, you-never-know-ness has been part of my consciousness for so long that I can’t imagine thinking about life any other way.
Aside from its whiff of morbidity, you-never-know-ness has served me well all these years. It can only be a good thing that I say “I loveI want to share everything sooner rather than later you” a lot and tend not to hold grudges. And if I have a job to do, I do it right away. And now that I write about my spiritual journey, I see every blog post as the one that could potentially bring Moshiach, whose arrival will change everything about life, including death and all the you-never-know-ness surrounding it.
But no matter what, I want to share everything sooner rather than later because until he comes, well, you just never know.
Lieba Rudolph lives in Pittsburgh, PA, and writes a weekly blog about Jewish spirituality.
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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Looking Back, Digging Deeper and Finding the Silver Lining
One part of me lives as though something scary is just waiting to whip its head out from around the corner up ahead. Another part of me sees life from a bird’s-eye view, and knows that although things were frightening, they worked out, and I was in fact being guided to a more beautiful place. by Liat LevyOne part of me lives as though something scary is just waiting to whip its head out from around the corner up ahead. This part of me believes that life is a messy and scary place, and that things don’t work out as you wish; that there is no real lifeline to G‑d on this Life is a messy and scary place plane. (Thanks to years of therapy, I’m able to separate from these thoughts, and I even understand perfectly well where they come from. I can have empathy for the little girl inside who went through frightening times without someone or something solid to support her.)
Another part of me sees life from a bird’s-eye view, and knows that although things were frightening, they worked out, and I was in fact being guided to a more beautiful place. That G‑d was with me every step of the way—even when it seemed disappointing, unsettling, sad or unfair. Sitting in this position, as if on a treetop, with a wide and clear perspective, I look back in time.
I see my older brother, someone I really looked up to. When he moved out, for his own complex reasons, he didn’t answer or return my phone calls or initiate contact. I felt hurt, abandoned, unappreciated and confused. I feel the pain even now, and then move back to my treetop and begin to see a sliver of light. Subsequently, the choices he made are not in line with my current values and aspirations, and so had he been available and been my hero, my life might have taken a very different path, one not for the best.
I move in time to the day after my other brother’s marriage. The day before, he had been as always—emotionally available, sweet and loving. But this day, he was closed and distant. Just 16 at the time, I was shocked and undone. I saw that nothing was certain, and that you can’t depend on anyone to remain consistent. But here, up high, I see how it forced me to find my strength and proactivity as I chose to confront him. His response of denial was not what I would have wished, but what I did learn was who I am, and I could rest knowing that I had taken the initiative and tried.
I think also of being “forced” to play the role of middleman between two people I loved who did not speak to each other. What blessing could there be in such a heavy role and position at such a young age? Just thinking about it, I feel renewed anger and despondency. But I come back to my aerial view, and I see that it actually fueled in me the need to learn and exercise gevurah (discipline) and boundaries. Eventually, I realized that I had a choice and could refuse to play this role, and that saying “no” was a healthy and necessary thing to do.
The undercurrent of fear that I live with is understandable. But surprisingly, sitting up here, I find blessing, yeshuah (salvation from G‑d) and Surprisingly, I find blessing in the pain perspective in the pain. In this seat, I know that even now, when things appear bad, they are good and really for my best. Here, I agree with the teaching of our sages, Gam zu letovah (“This, too, is for the good”), in line with the well-known expression I grew up with: Every cloud has a silver lining.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught that the mandate of the whole of creation is stated almost immediately. Though it is commonly translated as “Let there be light,” the Rebbe said to read it instead as, “It should become Light.”1
I cannot speak for people who have lived through unspeakable horrors, and in many such cases, perhaps there is only the possibility of comfort in the belief that this world is not all there is—that there exists a far bigger picture. Perhaps in such cases one needs to see from so much higher than just a bird’s-eye view. But in my little life, I am invigorated to discover that there is light within the things I once saw only as dark.
Liat Levy is a journalist who loves writing about her life experiences openly, in the hope that others will find comfort and inspiration in her words. She is passionate about living her best life and about helping others to do the same too. She currently lives in Jerusalem.
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.Tzvi Freeman, Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, Book One (CreateSpace, 2011), p. 30.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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YOUR QUESTIONS
Why So Little About Life After Death in the Bible?
Does Judaism believe in an afterlife? From what I’ve read of the Torah, it seems that there is no mention of life after death. by Aron Moss
Question:
Does Judaism believe in an afterlife? From what I’ve read of the Torah, it seems that there is no mention of life after death. Is this world all there is?
Answer:
You have hit on one of the most powerful messages of Judaism: there may be many worlds, but this is the one that matters the most.
As you wrote, the Torah doesn’t mention life after death. Although it is spoken about in the later prophets, the afterlife is conspicuously absent from the Five Books of Moses.
Having said that, there is certainly an indication that ultimate justice will be done someplace other than this world. A striking example is the story of Cain and Abel.
Cain and Abel bring offerings to G‑d; G‑d likes Abel’s offering but not Cain’s; Cain is jealous and kills Abel. End of story. But wait! In one line the Torah says that G‑d is happy with Abel; the next minute he is dead! And Cain, whom G‑d wasn’t happy with, walks away! Is this the reward for doing good?
The message is clear: this world is not always fair. But G‑d will not remain indebted. Ultimate justice will come later.
So why doesn’t the Torah mention the next world? Why is it left to later prophets to describe it?
Because the Torah is about this world, not the next. While other religions dangle exciting promises of what lies in store for the righteous in paradise, even giving vivid descriptions of who awaits you there and interesting facts about their biology, Judaism doesn’t see this as a valid motive for doing good. G‑d wants us to do good because it is good.
There is another lifetime, in which the righteous will be rewarded, and the wicked punished: we believe that, and the prophets spoke about it. But that is G‑d’s business. We have to concern ourselves with this lifetime. Our mission is to do good, fight evil, and make this a safe and comfortable world—a place where both G‑d and man can feel at home.
Without belief in an afterlife, there is no justice. The Cains of this world can get away with murder. But by overemphasizing the importance of the afterlife over this life, we run the risk of belittling the sanctity and preciousness of life itself.
Judaism has a different approach: Better leave the next world to G‑d; meanwhile, let’s work on this world. Starting with ourselves.
Aron Moss is rabbi of the Nefesh Community in Sydney, Australia, and is a frequent contributor to Chabad.org.
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.
Looking Back, Digging Deeper and Finding the Silver Lining
One part of me lives as though something scary is just waiting to whip its head out from around the corner up ahead. Another part of me sees life from a bird’s-eye view, and knows that although things were frightening, they worked out, and I was in fact being guided to a more beautiful place. by Liat LevyOne part of me lives as though something scary is just waiting to whip its head out from around the corner up ahead. This part of me believes that life is a messy and scary place, and that things don’t work out as you wish; that there is no real lifeline to G‑d on this Life is a messy and scary place plane. (Thanks to years of therapy, I’m able to separate from these thoughts, and I even understand perfectly well where they come from. I can have empathy for the little girl inside who went through frightening times without someone or something solid to support her.)
Another part of me sees life from a bird’s-eye view, and knows that although things were frightening, they worked out, and I was in fact being guided to a more beautiful place. That G‑d was with me every step of the way—even when it seemed disappointing, unsettling, sad or unfair. Sitting in this position, as if on a treetop, with a wide and clear perspective, I look back in time.
I see my older brother, someone I really looked up to. When he moved out, for his own complex reasons, he didn’t answer or return my phone calls or initiate contact. I felt hurt, abandoned, unappreciated and confused. I feel the pain even now, and then move back to my treetop and begin to see a sliver of light. Subsequently, the choices he made are not in line with my current values and aspirations, and so had he been available and been my hero, my life might have taken a very different path, one not for the best.
I move in time to the day after my other brother’s marriage. The day before, he had been as always—emotionally available, sweet and loving. But this day, he was closed and distant. Just 16 at the time, I was shocked and undone. I saw that nothing was certain, and that you can’t depend on anyone to remain consistent. But here, up high, I see how it forced me to find my strength and proactivity as I chose to confront him. His response of denial was not what I would have wished, but what I did learn was who I am, and I could rest knowing that I had taken the initiative and tried.
I think also of being “forced” to play the role of middleman between two people I loved who did not speak to each other. What blessing could there be in such a heavy role and position at such a young age? Just thinking about it, I feel renewed anger and despondency. But I come back to my aerial view, and I see that it actually fueled in me the need to learn and exercise gevurah (discipline) and boundaries. Eventually, I realized that I had a choice and could refuse to play this role, and that saying “no” was a healthy and necessary thing to do.
The undercurrent of fear that I live with is understandable. But surprisingly, sitting up here, I find blessing, yeshuah (salvation from G‑d) and Surprisingly, I find blessing in the pain perspective in the pain. In this seat, I know that even now, when things appear bad, they are good and really for my best. Here, I agree with the teaching of our sages, Gam zu letovah (“This, too, is for the good”), in line with the well-known expression I grew up with: Every cloud has a silver lining.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught that the mandate of the whole of creation is stated almost immediately. Though it is commonly translated as “Let there be light,” the Rebbe said to read it instead as, “It should become Light.”1
I cannot speak for people who have lived through unspeakable horrors, and in many such cases, perhaps there is only the possibility of comfort in the belief that this world is not all there is—that there exists a far bigger picture. Perhaps in such cases one needs to see from so much higher than just a bird’s-eye view. But in my little life, I am invigorated to discover that there is light within the things I once saw only as dark.
Liat Levy is a journalist who loves writing about her life experiences openly, in the hope that others will find comfort and inspiration in her words. She is passionate about living her best life and about helping others to do the same too. She currently lives in Jerusalem.
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.Tzvi Freeman, Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, Book One (CreateSpace, 2011), p. 30.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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YOUR QUESTIONS
Why So Little About Life After Death in the Bible?
Does Judaism believe in an afterlife? From what I’ve read of the Torah, it seems that there is no mention of life after death. by Aron Moss
Question:
Does Judaism believe in an afterlife? From what I’ve read of the Torah, it seems that there is no mention of life after death. Is this world all there is?
Answer:
You have hit on one of the most powerful messages of Judaism: there may be many worlds, but this is the one that matters the most.
As you wrote, the Torah doesn’t mention life after death. Although it is spoken about in the later prophets, the afterlife is conspicuously absent from the Five Books of Moses.
Having said that, there is certainly an indication that ultimate justice will be done someplace other than this world. A striking example is the story of Cain and Abel.
Cain and Abel bring offerings to G‑d; G‑d likes Abel’s offering but not Cain’s; Cain is jealous and kills Abel. End of story. But wait! In one line the Torah says that G‑d is happy with Abel; the next minute he is dead! And Cain, whom G‑d wasn’t happy with, walks away! Is this the reward for doing good?
The message is clear: this world is not always fair. But G‑d will not remain indebted. Ultimate justice will come later.
So why doesn’t the Torah mention the next world? Why is it left to later prophets to describe it?
Because the Torah is about this world, not the next. While other religions dangle exciting promises of what lies in store for the righteous in paradise, even giving vivid descriptions of who awaits you there and interesting facts about their biology, Judaism doesn’t see this as a valid motive for doing good. G‑d wants us to do good because it is good.
There is another lifetime, in which the righteous will be rewarded, and the wicked punished: we believe that, and the prophets spoke about it. But that is G‑d’s business. We have to concern ourselves with this lifetime. Our mission is to do good, fight evil, and make this a safe and comfortable world—a place where both G‑d and man can feel at home.
Without belief in an afterlife, there is no justice. The Cains of this world can get away with murder. But by overemphasizing the importance of the afterlife over this life, we run the risk of belittling the sanctity and preciousness of life itself.
Judaism has a different approach: Better leave the next world to G‑d; meanwhile, let’s work on this world. Starting with ourselves.
Aron Moss is rabbi of the Nefesh Community in Sydney, Australia, and is a frequent contributor to Chabad.org.
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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Why Hold Tzitzit for Baruch She’amar?
I understand why we hold the fringes during the Shema, which mentions the mitzvah of tzitzit, by why for Baruch She’amar? by Yehuda Shurpin
Question:
I was wondering why we hold our tzitzit when we say the Baruch She’amar prayer during Shacharit. I understand why we hold the fringes during the Shema, which mentions the mitzvah of tzitzit, by why for Baruch She’amar, which does not seem to have any connection to tzitzit?
Reply:
The Baruch She’amar prayer serves as an opening for the “Verses of Praise” (Pesukei d’Zimra), which tell of G‑d’s greatness and how He manifests Himself within creation. Baruch She’amar, “Blessed is He Who spoke and there was a world . . . ,” expresses the wonder and awe of creation, and how it is continually being recreated by Divine word.
The blessing of Baruch She’amar contains 87 words, the numerical value of the word paz (“pure gold”), corresponding to the crown of G‑d in the verse in Psalms: “For You have preceded him with the blessings of the good man; You have placed a gold (פז) crown on his head.”1
According to tradition, the Baruch She’amar prayer was instituted by the Men of the Great Assembly based on a note that fell from heaven.2
Holding the Tzitzit
The custom to hold the two front fringes (tzitzit) while reciting Baruch She’amar was first mentioned by Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the Arizal, a 16th-century Kabbalist.
According to Kabbalah, there are four spiritual worlds: Atzilut (Emanation), Beriah (Creation), Yetzirah (Formation) and Asiyah (Action—our world). Although they are referred to as “worlds,” these aren’t some celestial bodies; rather, they are different planes of existence.
The Zohar explains that prayer is compared to a ladder with four rungs, corresponding to the four spiritual worlds. We start off with the morning prayers and offerings, which correspond to the world of Asiyah, and then move up the ladder as we progress through our prayers, culminating with the Amidah, which corresponds to Atzilut. The Pesukei d’Zimra, starting with Baruch She’amar, correspond to the world of Yetzirah.
As we traverse the spiritual realms through our prayer, we don’t want to just connect through our thoughts and words alone, but with some sort of action as well. Therefore, since the front two fringes (tzitzit) of the tallit also correspond to the world of Yetzirah, we hold them in our hands as we recite Baruch She’amar.3
This, incidentally, is the source for the custom to touch (and then kiss) the tefillin when we recite the blessing of Yotzer Ohr right after Yishtabach. The tefillin correspond to the world of Beriah, and the recitation of Yotzer Ohr, which is the beginning of the blessing that precedes the Shema, signals our ascension into the world of Beriah.4
Other reasons for this custom:
A Reminder of the Ten Attributes
In the first part of Baruch She’amar we say Baruch (“blessed”) 10 times (excluding when it is said as an added praise when mentioning G‑d, such as Baruch hu). This corresponds to the 10 Utterances with which G‑d created the world, as well as the 10 Commandments and the 10 sefirot (attributes of G‑d). To remind us of this, we hold the two front tzitzit, since each one has five knots, which all together make ten knots.5
Making Tzitzit
The verse discussing the mitzvah of tzitzit states, “You shall make yourself twisted threads (גְּדִלִים—gedilim).”6 The numerical value of the word gedilim is 87, hinting that when we recite Baruch She’amar, which contains 87 words, we should hold our tzitzit.7
Holding the Name of G‑d
Another reason given is that the word Baruch (“blessed”) appears a total of 13 times in Baruch She’amar. The number 13 is the numerical value of the Hebrew word אחד (echad—“one”), signifying the oneness and unity of creation, which is what Baruch She’amar is all about. However, the word Baruch is used with G‑d’s name only twice (once at the opening and once at the closing of the second half of the prayer), and since we usually say blessings with G‑d’s name, we hold the two front tzitzit. Each fringe has eight strings and five knots, adding up to 13, and when we gather the two front fringes together, we have 26, the numerical value of G‑d’s essential four-letter name.8
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.Psalms 21:4.
2.Ohr Zarua, cited by Taz on Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 51:1; Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Orach Chaim 51:2; Mishnah Berurah 51:1. Many cite passages in the Talmud that appear to be quotes from the Baruch She’amar blessing, attesting to its early authorship.
3.Shaar Hakavanot, Inyan Tefillat Hashachar 1.
I was wondering why we hold our tzitzit when we say the Baruch She’amar prayer during Shacharit. I understand why we hold the fringes during the Shema, which mentions the mitzvah of tzitzit, by why for Baruch She’amar, which does not seem to have any connection to tzitzit?
Reply:
The Baruch She’amar prayer serves as an opening for the “Verses of Praise” (Pesukei d’Zimra), which tell of G‑d’s greatness and how He manifests Himself within creation. Baruch She’amar, “Blessed is He Who spoke and there was a world . . . ,” expresses the wonder and awe of creation, and how it is continually being recreated by Divine word.
The blessing of Baruch She’amar contains 87 words, the numerical value of the word paz (“pure gold”), corresponding to the crown of G‑d in the verse in Psalms: “For You have preceded him with the blessings of the good man; You have placed a gold (פז) crown on his head.”1
According to tradition, the Baruch She’amar prayer was instituted by the Men of the Great Assembly based on a note that fell from heaven.2
Holding the Tzitzit
The custom to hold the two front fringes (tzitzit) while reciting Baruch She’amar was first mentioned by Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the Arizal, a 16th-century Kabbalist.
According to Kabbalah, there are four spiritual worlds: Atzilut (Emanation), Beriah (Creation), Yetzirah (Formation) and Asiyah (Action—our world). Although they are referred to as “worlds,” these aren’t some celestial bodies; rather, they are different planes of existence.
The Zohar explains that prayer is compared to a ladder with four rungs, corresponding to the four spiritual worlds. We start off with the morning prayers and offerings, which correspond to the world of Asiyah, and then move up the ladder as we progress through our prayers, culminating with the Amidah, which corresponds to Atzilut. The Pesukei d’Zimra, starting with Baruch She’amar, correspond to the world of Yetzirah.
As we traverse the spiritual realms through our prayer, we don’t want to just connect through our thoughts and words alone, but with some sort of action as well. Therefore, since the front two fringes (tzitzit) of the tallit also correspond to the world of Yetzirah, we hold them in our hands as we recite Baruch She’amar.3
This, incidentally, is the source for the custom to touch (and then kiss) the tefillin when we recite the blessing of Yotzer Ohr right after Yishtabach. The tefillin correspond to the world of Beriah, and the recitation of Yotzer Ohr, which is the beginning of the blessing that precedes the Shema, signals our ascension into the world of Beriah.4
Other reasons for this custom:
A Reminder of the Ten Attributes
In the first part of Baruch She’amar we say Baruch (“blessed”) 10 times (excluding when it is said as an added praise when mentioning G‑d, such as Baruch hu). This corresponds to the 10 Utterances with which G‑d created the world, as well as the 10 Commandments and the 10 sefirot (attributes of G‑d). To remind us of this, we hold the two front tzitzit, since each one has five knots, which all together make ten knots.5
Making Tzitzit
The verse discussing the mitzvah of tzitzit states, “You shall make yourself twisted threads (גְּדִלִים—gedilim).”6 The numerical value of the word gedilim is 87, hinting that when we recite Baruch She’amar, which contains 87 words, we should hold our tzitzit.7
Holding the Name of G‑d
Another reason given is that the word Baruch (“blessed”) appears a total of 13 times in Baruch She’amar. The number 13 is the numerical value of the Hebrew word אחד (echad—“one”), signifying the oneness and unity of creation, which is what Baruch She’amar is all about. However, the word Baruch is used with G‑d’s name only twice (once at the opening and once at the closing of the second half of the prayer), and since we usually say blessings with G‑d’s name, we hold the two front tzitzit. Each fringe has eight strings and five knots, adding up to 13, and when we gather the two front fringes together, we have 26, the numerical value of G‑d’s essential four-letter name.8
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.Psalms 21:4.
2.Ohr Zarua, cited by Taz on Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 51:1; Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Orach Chaim 51:2; Mishnah Berurah 51:1. Many cite passages in the Talmud that appear to be quotes from the Baruch She’amar blessing, attesting to its early authorship.
3.Shaar Hakavanot, Inyan Tefillat Hashachar 1.
4.Kaf HaChaim, Orach Chaim 59:2, citing the Arizal, Shaar Hakavanot, Derush Keriat Shema.
5.Responsa Zichron Yehuda 1:9; see also Ohel Tzaddikim 15.
6.Deuteronomy 22:12.
7.Sefer Mat’amim (Hechadash), Tefillah 7.
8.Otzar Kol Minhagei Yeshurun.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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VIDEO
Lesson 8. All Set: The Codification of Jewish Law
The first half of the last millennium (1000–1500) saw an explosion in Jewish literacy in many fields: Kabbalah, philosophy, biblical commentary, poetry, and most notably the great codifications of Halachah (Jewish Law). How did these great Codes originate? by Michael Chighel
Watch (10:00)
5.Responsa Zichron Yehuda 1:9; see also Ohel Tzaddikim 15.
6.Deuteronomy 22:12.
7.Sefer Mat’amim (Hechadash), Tefillah 7.
8.Otzar Kol Minhagei Yeshurun.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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VIDEO
Lesson 8. All Set: The Codification of Jewish Law
The first half of the last millennium (1000–1500) saw an explosion in Jewish literacy in many fields: Kabbalah, philosophy, biblical commentary, poetry, and most notably the great codifications of Halachah (Jewish Law). How did these great Codes originate? by Michael Chighel
Watch (10:00)
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://embed.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/embedded/embed.js.asp?aid=3335578&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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Fast Day Postponed, Indefinitely.
When the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B’Av coincide with Shabbat. by Moishe New
Watch (43:46)
Fast Day Postponed, Indefinitely.
When the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B’Av coincide with Shabbat. by Moishe New
Watch (43:46)
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://embed.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/embedded/embed.js.asp?aid=2993060&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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Enjoy an Authentic Chassidic Melody
Live in concert with Yair Kalev
Yair Kalev
Watch (4:32)
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Enjoy an Authentic Chassidic Melody
Live in concert with Yair Kalev
Yair Kalev
Watch (4:32)
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://embed.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/embedded/embed.js.asp?aid=3253103&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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ON THE CALENDAR
The Smoke of the Rebbe’s Train
Back in the day, when long-distance travel was far more arduous and costly, the glorious and cavernous halls of train stations were the backdrops of all the poignant comings and goings of life. by Mendel Rubin
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ON THE CALENDAR
The Smoke of the Rebbe’s Train
Back in the day, when long-distance travel was far more arduous and costly, the glorious and cavernous halls of train stations were the backdrops of all the poignant comings and goings of life. by Mendel Rubin
Imagine the scene: You’re standing on the platform, watching a train pulling out of the station with a loved one aboard, wondering if you’ll ever see him or her again. Back in the day, when long-distance travel was far more arduous and costly, the glorious and cavernous halls of train stations served as the backdrop for all the Many chassidim were arrested and never seen againcomings and goings of life. Such was the setting of two powerful moments between chassidim and the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn—trackside moments of farewell and reunion, of crushing loss and eternal connection.
The year was 1927. It was an especially difficult year for Chabad chassidim in Russia, as the Yevsektsiya (the “Jewish Section” of the Communist Party) and the Soviet secret police intensified their persecution of Jewish religious observance. Many chassidim were arrested and were never seen again. Others would spend decades in Siberian labor camps.
It was this year that the Rebbe was imprisoned in the notorious Shpalerka prison in Leningrad, sentenced to death for his tireless work promoting religious education and observance. After a harrowing ordeal in prison, his sentence was miraculously commuted to exile in the town of Kostroma, 350 kilometers northeast of Moscow. On the day he was to leave for Kostroma, the 3rd day of Tammuz (July 3), 1927,1 chassidim gathered for an impromptu farewell on the platform of the Leningrad train station. Uniformed police and secret agents were everywhere, and there was little doubt that informers were interspersed among the crowd. Now more than ever it took a huge amount of courage for chassidim to be seen in public, openly expressing their loyalty and enduring commitment to the Rebbe. Yet they came, unable to hide away, unwilling to forgo the opportunity to see their Rebbe, to celebrate his release from the threat of death, and to follow him with their eyes as he departed by train for Kostroma.
Standing on the train, the Rebbe turned to the assembled crowd and, quoting the biblical prayer of King Solomon and the defiant words of his own father, delivered a bold and rousing speech. This speech might be considered a Gettysburg Address for the Russian chassidim, and it continues to live on in the collective memory of Chabad chassidim to this day:
“May G‑d be with us as He was with our ancestors; may He not forsake us nor abandon us . . .”2 Only our bodies went into exile, but not our souls . . . We must proclaim openly before all that with regard to any matter of our religion—Torah, mitzvahs and Jewish custom—it is not subject to the opinion of others, nor can any oppressive force be used against it. We must state with the greatest and strongest Jewish stubbornness, with the thousands of years of Jewish mesirat nefesh (“soul dedication”) and sacrifice: “Touch not My anointed ones! Do no evil to My prophets!”3
. . . This is our request to the Holy One, “May He not forsake us nor abandon us”: G‑d should give us true strength to be unintimidated by physical pain, and on the contrary to accept it with joy, so that every punishment we receive for supporting a cheder (Jewish school), for learning Torah, for performance of mitzvahs, shall increase our fortitude in the holy work of strengthening Judaism.
We must remember that imprisonment and hard labor are only temporary things, whereas Torah, mitzvahs and the Jewish people are eternal . . .4
A second, and more final, trackside gathering took place less than four months later, on the 24th of Tishrei (October 20th), 1927. The Rebbe’s exile to Kostroma had been brought to an end after less than ten days, but now he was leaving the Soviet Union for good. Throngs of chassidim crowded the station to see the rebbe off and to bid farewell. For the many chassidim who were trapped behind the thick folds of the Iron Curtain, it was an especially poignant time, their last opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Rebbe.
Sholom Marosow was the youngest son of the Rebbe’s trusted secretary, Reb Chonye. By this time, Sholom’s father and older brother had both been arrested, never to be seen again. Young Sholom held on to the Rebbe and did not want to let go, For many, it was their last opportunity to catch a glimpse of the rebbeuntil the Rebbe assured him, “We will yet see each other again.” (Indeed, in the winter of 1950, shortly before Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak’s passing, R. Sholom Marosow arrived in New York and went to see the rebbe. The Rebbe told him, “Nu, we see each other again!” He was one of the last people received in a private meeting with the Rebbe.) When the scholar Rabbi Avraham Ela Plotkin went into the Rebbe’s train car for a final farewell, the Rebbe fell into his arms and they embraced each other, weeping.
While on the train car leaving Russia, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak composed a letter to the chassidim of Russia. Among the heartfelt lines are these loving words:
As water reflects a face, my heart is awake and feels the pure sweetness and power of the inner and essential bond of the entire community of chassidim to the Tree of Life . . .
Each and every one of you, you and your wives, your sons and daughters, your grandchildren—your physical wellbeing, education, conduct and spiritual direction deeply affect me to the inner core of my heart.
My faith shall strengthen me and be my comfort, that physical distance shall never, ever separate us, G‑d forbid . . . Each of you chassidim, along with your families, should set your minds and hearts to strengthen the thread that binds us, which is service of G‑d . . .
May G‑d delight my heart and yours, in seeing children and grandchildren engaging with Torah and mitzvahs, with abundant means physically and spiritually. May G‑d raise the glory of Torah and the service of G‑d, and the glory of our Jewish brethren, that they may they live with all good, from soul to body.
It would be very pleasurable to me to hear at every occasion of the wellbeing of all of you and your families, and what is happening with each of them specifically and in detail. As I said, all their concerns, both physical and spiritual, reach the deep core of my heart, which is completely dedicated to your spiritual and physical good. Be strong and courageous, you and your families, to walk in the trodden path of light. . . . May it be good for you and your families forever. May G‑d help us to see each other in full happiness . . .
The train started up and began to pull out of the station. Chassidim looked on longingly and then began to disperse. Many had already left, when a chassid ran up holding a young child. He was rushing towards the platform, pointing and telling his little boy, “Look, look!” Others told him there was nothing left to see; the Rebbe’s train had already left. This breathless chassid was undeterred. “I want my son to at least see the smoke of the Rebbe’s train!”5
Some chassidim live with the Rebbe’s embrace. Others hold onto the Rebbe and never want to let go. And there are generations of selflessly dedicated chassidim who live inspired by the smoke of the Rebbe’s train.
One such story is especially memorable. Shmuel (Sam) Broida was the owner of a kosher meatpacking company in Chicago, and a philanthropist who gave generously to the Chabad fund for World War II refugees. In 1946 he traveled to Paris to distribute the funds, where he met an eight-year-old boy from Russia. The boy was wearing worn-out clothing; he was obviously lacking basic needs. Shmuel There was nothing left to see; the Rebbe’s train had already leftBroida asked him what he’d want from America. He figured the kid would ask for good food or nice clothing, maybe a game or toy. The boy didn’t hesitate. “I’d like to go see the Rebbe,” he requested. Mr. Broida was taken aback. He knew that the boy could not possibly have met the Rebbe, yet it was clear that his connection to the Rebbe was more important than any physical need or comfort.6
This was a fulfillment of the Rebbe’s prayerful hope in that letter penned on the train as he prepared to leave Russia, “May physical distance never separate us!”
Rabbi Mendel Rubin and his wife, Raizy, co-direct the Shabbos House Rohr Chabad Jewish Student Center in Albany, New York. He also teaches at the local Maimonides School.
FOOTNOTES
1.The 3rd of Tammuz was later to become especially meaningful to chassidim as the yahrtzeit of the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, son-in-law of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, who passed away in 1994.
2.I Kings 8:57.
3.Psalms 105:15.
4.Sefer HaMaamarim Kuntreisim, vol. 1, p. 350. For the full text in English, seeThe Heroic Struggle, pp. 152–154.
5.I heard this story from my father-in-law, Rabbi Shlomo Galperin, who himself was raised in a chassidic home in Communist Russia. He heard this from older chassidim in the Russian underground.
6.For more on the Shmuel Broida story, see The Other Side of the Tapestry.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
-------
STORY
The Skeptic, the Baal Shem Tov, and the Paralyzed Girl
The village healer tried all her remedies, the big-city doctor prescribed a regimen of healthy foods, but the poor girl remained unable to move.
From the Chassidic Masters
He was a skeptic. To be sure, he lived punctiliously according to the commandments, and made sure to study Torah regularly, but tales of miracle-working rabbis were foreign to him. Even when some of his own The apple of his eye was sticken with paralysisrelatives traveled to the Baal Shem Tov to receive his blessings, he remained behind, cold and unbelieving.The year was 1927. It was an especially difficult year for Chabad chassidim in Russia, as the Yevsektsiya (the “Jewish Section” of the Communist Party) and the Soviet secret police intensified their persecution of Jewish religious observance. Many chassidim were arrested and were never seen again. Others would spend decades in Siberian labor camps.
It was this year that the Rebbe was imprisoned in the notorious Shpalerka prison in Leningrad, sentenced to death for his tireless work promoting religious education and observance. After a harrowing ordeal in prison, his sentence was miraculously commuted to exile in the town of Kostroma, 350 kilometers northeast of Moscow. On the day he was to leave for Kostroma, the 3rd day of Tammuz (July 3), 1927,1 chassidim gathered for an impromptu farewell on the platform of the Leningrad train station. Uniformed police and secret agents were everywhere, and there was little doubt that informers were interspersed among the crowd. Now more than ever it took a huge amount of courage for chassidim to be seen in public, openly expressing their loyalty and enduring commitment to the Rebbe. Yet they came, unable to hide away, unwilling to forgo the opportunity to see their Rebbe, to celebrate his release from the threat of death, and to follow him with their eyes as he departed by train for Kostroma.
Standing on the train, the Rebbe turned to the assembled crowd and, quoting the biblical prayer of King Solomon and the defiant words of his own father, delivered a bold and rousing speech. This speech might be considered a Gettysburg Address for the Russian chassidim, and it continues to live on in the collective memory of Chabad chassidim to this day:
“May G‑d be with us as He was with our ancestors; may He not forsake us nor abandon us . . .”2 Only our bodies went into exile, but not our souls . . . We must proclaim openly before all that with regard to any matter of our religion—Torah, mitzvahs and Jewish custom—it is not subject to the opinion of others, nor can any oppressive force be used against it. We must state with the greatest and strongest Jewish stubbornness, with the thousands of years of Jewish mesirat nefesh (“soul dedication”) and sacrifice: “Touch not My anointed ones! Do no evil to My prophets!”3
. . . This is our request to the Holy One, “May He not forsake us nor abandon us”: G‑d should give us true strength to be unintimidated by physical pain, and on the contrary to accept it with joy, so that every punishment we receive for supporting a cheder (Jewish school), for learning Torah, for performance of mitzvahs, shall increase our fortitude in the holy work of strengthening Judaism.
We must remember that imprisonment and hard labor are only temporary things, whereas Torah, mitzvahs and the Jewish people are eternal . . .4
A second, and more final, trackside gathering took place less than four months later, on the 24th of Tishrei (October 20th), 1927. The Rebbe’s exile to Kostroma had been brought to an end after less than ten days, but now he was leaving the Soviet Union for good. Throngs of chassidim crowded the station to see the rebbe off and to bid farewell. For the many chassidim who were trapped behind the thick folds of the Iron Curtain, it was an especially poignant time, their last opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Rebbe.
Sholom Marosow was the youngest son of the Rebbe’s trusted secretary, Reb Chonye. By this time, Sholom’s father and older brother had both been arrested, never to be seen again. Young Sholom held on to the Rebbe and did not want to let go, For many, it was their last opportunity to catch a glimpse of the rebbeuntil the Rebbe assured him, “We will yet see each other again.” (Indeed, in the winter of 1950, shortly before Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak’s passing, R. Sholom Marosow arrived in New York and went to see the rebbe. The Rebbe told him, “Nu, we see each other again!” He was one of the last people received in a private meeting with the Rebbe.) When the scholar Rabbi Avraham Ela Plotkin went into the Rebbe’s train car for a final farewell, the Rebbe fell into his arms and they embraced each other, weeping.
While on the train car leaving Russia, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak composed a letter to the chassidim of Russia. Among the heartfelt lines are these loving words:
As water reflects a face, my heart is awake and feels the pure sweetness and power of the inner and essential bond of the entire community of chassidim to the Tree of Life . . .
Each and every one of you, you and your wives, your sons and daughters, your grandchildren—your physical wellbeing, education, conduct and spiritual direction deeply affect me to the inner core of my heart.
My faith shall strengthen me and be my comfort, that physical distance shall never, ever separate us, G‑d forbid . . . Each of you chassidim, along with your families, should set your minds and hearts to strengthen the thread that binds us, which is service of G‑d . . .
May G‑d delight my heart and yours, in seeing children and grandchildren engaging with Torah and mitzvahs, with abundant means physically and spiritually. May G‑d raise the glory of Torah and the service of G‑d, and the glory of our Jewish brethren, that they may they live with all good, from soul to body.
It would be very pleasurable to me to hear at every occasion of the wellbeing of all of you and your families, and what is happening with each of them specifically and in detail. As I said, all their concerns, both physical and spiritual, reach the deep core of my heart, which is completely dedicated to your spiritual and physical good. Be strong and courageous, you and your families, to walk in the trodden path of light. . . . May it be good for you and your families forever. May G‑d help us to see each other in full happiness . . .
The train started up and began to pull out of the station. Chassidim looked on longingly and then began to disperse. Many had already left, when a chassid ran up holding a young child. He was rushing towards the platform, pointing and telling his little boy, “Look, look!” Others told him there was nothing left to see; the Rebbe’s train had already left. This breathless chassid was undeterred. “I want my son to at least see the smoke of the Rebbe’s train!”5
Some chassidim live with the Rebbe’s embrace. Others hold onto the Rebbe and never want to let go. And there are generations of selflessly dedicated chassidim who live inspired by the smoke of the Rebbe’s train.
One such story is especially memorable. Shmuel (Sam) Broida was the owner of a kosher meatpacking company in Chicago, and a philanthropist who gave generously to the Chabad fund for World War II refugees. In 1946 he traveled to Paris to distribute the funds, where he met an eight-year-old boy from Russia. The boy was wearing worn-out clothing; he was obviously lacking basic needs. Shmuel There was nothing left to see; the Rebbe’s train had already leftBroida asked him what he’d want from America. He figured the kid would ask for good food or nice clothing, maybe a game or toy. The boy didn’t hesitate. “I’d like to go see the Rebbe,” he requested. Mr. Broida was taken aback. He knew that the boy could not possibly have met the Rebbe, yet it was clear that his connection to the Rebbe was more important than any physical need or comfort.6
This was a fulfillment of the Rebbe’s prayerful hope in that letter penned on the train as he prepared to leave Russia, “May physical distance never separate us!”
Rabbi Mendel Rubin and his wife, Raizy, co-direct the Shabbos House Rohr Chabad Jewish Student Center in Albany, New York. He also teaches at the local Maimonides School.
FOOTNOTES
1.The 3rd of Tammuz was later to become especially meaningful to chassidim as the yahrtzeit of the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, son-in-law of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, who passed away in 1994.
2.I Kings 8:57.
3.Psalms 105:15.
4.Sefer HaMaamarim Kuntreisim, vol. 1, p. 350. For the full text in English, seeThe Heroic Struggle, pp. 152–154.
5.I heard this story from my father-in-law, Rabbi Shlomo Galperin, who himself was raised in a chassidic home in Communist Russia. He heard this from older chassidim in the Russian underground.
6.For more on the Shmuel Broida story, see The Other Side of the Tapestry.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
-------
STORY
The Skeptic, the Baal Shem Tov, and the Paralyzed Girl
The village healer tried all her remedies, the big-city doctor prescribed a regimen of healthy foods, but the poor girl remained unable to move.
From the Chassidic Masters
So things would have remained indefinitely, if not for his daughter. The sweet, beloved girl, the apple of his eye and the joy of his old age, was stricken with paralysis. The village healer tried all her remedies, the big-city doctor prescribed a regimen of healthy foods, but the poor girl remained unable to move.
Time passed, and the girl’s situation did not improve. “Why don’t you travel to the Baal Shem Tov?” his friends asked. “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
Finally, he conceded.
One sunny summer day, he took a small bundle of money and gently packed his daughter into his cart, and the two set off together.
Upon arrival, the father left his daughter in the wagon and went directly to the rabbi’s study.
“Rebbe,” he blurted out, proffering his gift. “They say you can heal people. Here, take this, and make my daughter healthy again. She is outside in the wagon.”
“Go in peace. I have no need for your money,” said the Baal Shem Tov curtly. He then took the man’s offering and flung it out the open window.
Landing in the courtyard, the pouch burst open, and “I have no need for your money!”coins scattered in all directions. From her perch on the wagon, the girl saw the money flying about. Instinctively, she jumped down to gather the coins into her skirt.
When the father came out and saw what had happened, he said to his daughter: “Quick, get into the wagon. Let’s get out of here before he claims to have healed you!”
Source: Shemuot V’Sippurim, vol. 1, p. 20.
From Shemuot V’Sippurim by Rabbi Rephael Nachman Kahan; translation/adaptation by Yanki Tauber© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
-------
The Fifth Aliyah
He was so overcome with nostalgia that he left the wagon with its costly load in the forest and made his way to the Rebbe.In a town near Liadi there lived a promising young scholar whose father-in-law supported him for a few years after his marriage so that he would be able to advance his Torah studies. After some time, however, the fluctuations of business were such that the young man had to go out and try his own hand at merchandising in order to provide for himself.
Once, on the way back from a fair where he had bought up a good deal of merchandise, he passed through a forest near Liadi. It was a day or two before Shavuot, and as he recalled how it had always been his custom to spend the Festival of the Giving of the Torah in the company of his rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, he was so overcome with nostalgia that he decided to leave the wagon with its costly load in the forest and to make his way on foot to Liadi.
He arrived in shul just in time for the afternoon prayers. When the rebbe saw him he commented to his son: "This young man may well be called a chasid of sacrifice."The son was surprised to hear this...
The son was surprised to hear this, for his father had not exchanged a word with the young stranger. He later went to speak with the visiting chasid himself, until he eventually understood where lay his self-sacrifice.
When the visitor went to speak to the rebbe after the festival, he was assured: "You will find the wagon and the merchandise untouched, with G‑d's help."
The chasid then told the rebbe that his business took his mind away from his study and his devotions. After a moment, the rebbe replied: "I would suggest that you find yourself some inn with a tavern in a village. That kind of livelihood will not bother you unduly. Your wife will be able to help out in the business, and you will be left with time for study and prayer."
As the chasid reached his wagon in the forest soon after, untouched as the Rebbe had promised, a local nobleman who had passed by asked him how he had left a loaded wagon unattended.
The chasid laughed heartily. "Good sir," he said, "this wagon of mine has been standing unguarded for three whole days!"
The nobleman was so amazed to hear the young man's story that he said: "Young man, I see that you are straight and honest: I would like to make you a business proposition. In my village there stands a fine inn. You could make a decent living out of it, and I am willing to lease it to you."
"But I don't have a penny to my name," protested the young man. "I haven't even got what it takes to buy fodder for the horses, let alone vodka, beer, or whatever."
"Very well then," said the other, "I shall lay out all that is needed now, and in the course of time you will repay me."
It was a deal. The chasid went home, sold his stock, and took over the inn as arranged - despite the friendly warnings of his new Jewish neighbors, who told him that even though one could make a living out of the inn, the people next door were a malevolent old Russian couple who wielded mysterious black arts. No Jew living in that inn had ever survived one whole year."I am not afraid of witches"
"I am not afraid of witches," he answered them, "for my rebbe told me that I would make a living out of this place. Now tell me: would my rebbe direct me to a living from which I would die, G‑d forbid?!"
Within a few months his little business had done so well that he was able to return his entire debt to the nobleman. A little while later, however, he began to feel weak. An ominous malady seemed to be taking hold of him. He was barely able to walk. Suspecting the dread influence of the sorcerers next door, he hastened to make the journey to his rebbe, and arrived in Liadi on the eve of the Shabbos on which the weekly Portion of Balak was to be read. On Friday evening he could not muster the strength to go to synagogue. In the morning, with great effort, he managed to walk to the shul where the rebbe was wont to pray.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi was accustomed to reading the Torah himself, and when it was time for a fifth congregant to be honored by being called up to the public reading, he asked that this young visitor be so honored. The other worshipers were somewhat surprised, for the rebbe never gave instructions as to who should be called forward to the reading; besides, he could not have seen the stranger coming in, because he had arrived when the prayers were already under way. At any rate, the stranger made his way forward to where the Torah Scroll was being read, and the rebbe proceeded to intone the next passage with especial intensity, which came to a climax in the verse: "For there is no sorcery in Yaakov, nor any divination among Israel." He threw his head back, his face burned like a brand and his eyes blazed - for such was his way when his soul ascended to a higher realm - and while still in a state of dveikut, read the same words again and again.
"For there is no sorcery in Yaakov, nor any divination among Israel." "For there is no sorcery in Yaakov, nor any divination among Israel." (Num. 23:23)
After Shabbat the young man felt his health returning, but before leaving Liadi he went to tell the rebbe his whole story.
"Do not worry," the rebbe reassured him. "With G‑d's help you will be well, for there is no sorcery in Yaakov" - and again the rebbe repeated the verse several times with the same impassioned intensity as before.That malicious old peasant died suddenly...
On his way home the young man felt hale and hearty, and as he approached the outskirts of his village a few of the Jewish villagers ran up to him excitedly: "Have you heard what happened right next door to your inn? That malicious old peasant died suddenly, and so did his wife!"
"When?" he asked.
"On Shabbos morning," they said.
"I sensed it in Liadi," he said, "when I was called up to the reading of the Torah".
Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from the rendition in A Treasury of Chassidic Tales (Artscroll), as translated by Uri Kaploun.
Biographical note:
Rabbi Shneur Zalman [18 Elul 1745-24 Tevet 1812], one of the main disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch, is the founder of the Chabad-Chassidic movement. He is the author of Shulchan Aruch HaRav and Tanya as well as many other major works in both Jewish law and the mystical teachings.Copyright 2003 by KabbalaOnline.org, a project of Ascent of Safed (//ascentofsafed.com). All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work or portions thereof, in any form, unless with permission, in writing, from Kabbala Online.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
The Fifth Aliyah
He was so overcome with nostalgia that he left the wagon with its costly load in the forest and made his way to the Rebbe.In a town near Liadi there lived a promising young scholar whose father-in-law supported him for a few years after his marriage so that he would be able to advance his Torah studies. After some time, however, the fluctuations of business were such that the young man had to go out and try his own hand at merchandising in order to provide for himself.
Once, on the way back from a fair where he had bought up a good deal of merchandise, he passed through a forest near Liadi. It was a day or two before Shavuot, and as he recalled how it had always been his custom to spend the Festival of the Giving of the Torah in the company of his rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, he was so overcome with nostalgia that he decided to leave the wagon with its costly load in the forest and to make his way on foot to Liadi.
He arrived in shul just in time for the afternoon prayers. When the rebbe saw him he commented to his son: "This young man may well be called a chasid of sacrifice."The son was surprised to hear this...
The son was surprised to hear this, for his father had not exchanged a word with the young stranger. He later went to speak with the visiting chasid himself, until he eventually understood where lay his self-sacrifice.
When the visitor went to speak to the rebbe after the festival, he was assured: "You will find the wagon and the merchandise untouched, with G‑d's help."
The chasid then told the rebbe that his business took his mind away from his study and his devotions. After a moment, the rebbe replied: "I would suggest that you find yourself some inn with a tavern in a village. That kind of livelihood will not bother you unduly. Your wife will be able to help out in the business, and you will be left with time for study and prayer."
As the chasid reached his wagon in the forest soon after, untouched as the Rebbe had promised, a local nobleman who had passed by asked him how he had left a loaded wagon unattended.
The chasid laughed heartily. "Good sir," he said, "this wagon of mine has been standing unguarded for three whole days!"
The nobleman was so amazed to hear the young man's story that he said: "Young man, I see that you are straight and honest: I would like to make you a business proposition. In my village there stands a fine inn. You could make a decent living out of it, and I am willing to lease it to you."
"But I don't have a penny to my name," protested the young man. "I haven't even got what it takes to buy fodder for the horses, let alone vodka, beer, or whatever."
"Very well then," said the other, "I shall lay out all that is needed now, and in the course of time you will repay me."
It was a deal. The chasid went home, sold his stock, and took over the inn as arranged - despite the friendly warnings of his new Jewish neighbors, who told him that even though one could make a living out of the inn, the people next door were a malevolent old Russian couple who wielded mysterious black arts. No Jew living in that inn had ever survived one whole year."I am not afraid of witches"
"I am not afraid of witches," he answered them, "for my rebbe told me that I would make a living out of this place. Now tell me: would my rebbe direct me to a living from which I would die, G‑d forbid?!"
Within a few months his little business had done so well that he was able to return his entire debt to the nobleman. A little while later, however, he began to feel weak. An ominous malady seemed to be taking hold of him. He was barely able to walk. Suspecting the dread influence of the sorcerers next door, he hastened to make the journey to his rebbe, and arrived in Liadi on the eve of the Shabbos on which the weekly Portion of Balak was to be read. On Friday evening he could not muster the strength to go to synagogue. In the morning, with great effort, he managed to walk to the shul where the rebbe was wont to pray.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi was accustomed to reading the Torah himself, and when it was time for a fifth congregant to be honored by being called up to the public reading, he asked that this young visitor be so honored. The other worshipers were somewhat surprised, for the rebbe never gave instructions as to who should be called forward to the reading; besides, he could not have seen the stranger coming in, because he had arrived when the prayers were already under way. At any rate, the stranger made his way forward to where the Torah Scroll was being read, and the rebbe proceeded to intone the next passage with especial intensity, which came to a climax in the verse: "For there is no sorcery in Yaakov, nor any divination among Israel." He threw his head back, his face burned like a brand and his eyes blazed - for such was his way when his soul ascended to a higher realm - and while still in a state of dveikut, read the same words again and again.
"For there is no sorcery in Yaakov, nor any divination among Israel." "For there is no sorcery in Yaakov, nor any divination among Israel." (Num. 23:23)
After Shabbat the young man felt his health returning, but before leaving Liadi he went to tell the rebbe his whole story.
"Do not worry," the rebbe reassured him. "With G‑d's help you will be well, for there is no sorcery in Yaakov" - and again the rebbe repeated the verse several times with the same impassioned intensity as before.That malicious old peasant died suddenly...
On his way home the young man felt hale and hearty, and as he approached the outskirts of his village a few of the Jewish villagers ran up to him excitedly: "Have you heard what happened right next door to your inn? That malicious old peasant died suddenly, and so did his wife!"
"When?" he asked.
"On Shabbos morning," they said.
"I sensed it in Liadi," he said, "when I was called up to the reading of the Torah".
Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from the rendition in A Treasury of Chassidic Tales (Artscroll), as translated by Uri Kaploun.
Biographical note:
Rabbi Shneur Zalman [18 Elul 1745-24 Tevet 1812], one of the main disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch, is the founder of the Chabad-Chassidic movement. He is the author of Shulchan Aruch HaRav and Tanya as well as many other major works in both Jewish law and the mystical teachings.Copyright 2003 by KabbalaOnline.org, a project of Ascent of Safed (//ascentofsafed.com). All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work or portions thereof, in any form, unless with permission, in writing, from Kabbala Online.© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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LIFESTYLE
Cold Cucumber Soup with Fresh Tuna and Soba Noodles by Miriam SzokovskiIt's been far too hot to do any serious cooking lately, so I've been experimenting with some new cold dishes. This is certainly not my typical style of cooking, but I enjoy branching out from time to time.
I think cold soups are an acquired taste. I'm not talking about fruit soups, which are basically glorified smoothies, but real, savory soups. So if this doesn't appeal to you, I understand. What excites me is the vibrancy of the broth in both color and flavor—just look at that green!
The soup is cucumber based, with ginger and miso undertones, and I've added raw, sushi-grade tuna, soba noodles, pickled radishes, avocado and cucumber ribbons to bulk it up a bit, while still keeping it fresh and light.
Yields: 4 servings
Soup Ingredients:
1 lb. (500 grams) Persian cucumbers—approximately 5
2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
5 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. white miso paste
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 scallions, roughly chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup cold water
Add-ins:
1 lb. (500 grams) raw, sushi-grade tuna
1 avocado
2-3 pickled radishes, finely sliced
1 cucumber
2 oz. (55 grams) raw soba noodles
Directions:
Cut both ends off the cucumbers and slice them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
Roughly chop the cucumbers and place them in a blender with the rest of the soup ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Pass the mixture through a very fine mesh sieve, or a piece of cheesecloth. (You can also use a clean kitchen-towel if you do not have a sieve or cheesecloth.) Yields approximately 1 cup of broth. Chill until ready to serve.
Cook the soba noodles according to the directions on the packet. Drain, rinse and set aside to cool.
When you're ready to serve, prepare four bowls.
Slice the tuna thinly.
Use a peeler to shave the cucumber thinly.
Cut the avocado lengthwise. Slice and remove from peel.
Divide the tuna, soba noodles, avocado, radishes and cucumber ribbons evenly between the four bowls.
Immediately before eating pour approximately ¼ cup of broth into each bowl.
Note: Recipe adapted from a similar recipe on Gourmet Traveller.
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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LIFESTYLE
Cold Cucumber Soup with Fresh Tuna and Soba Noodles by Miriam SzokovskiIt's been far too hot to do any serious cooking lately, so I've been experimenting with some new cold dishes. This is certainly not my typical style of cooking, but I enjoy branching out from time to time.
I think cold soups are an acquired taste. I'm not talking about fruit soups, which are basically glorified smoothies, but real, savory soups. So if this doesn't appeal to you, I understand. What excites me is the vibrancy of the broth in both color and flavor—just look at that green!
The soup is cucumber based, with ginger and miso undertones, and I've added raw, sushi-grade tuna, soba noodles, pickled radishes, avocado and cucumber ribbons to bulk it up a bit, while still keeping it fresh and light.
Yields: 4 servings
Soup Ingredients:
1 lb. (500 grams) Persian cucumbers—approximately 5
2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
5 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. white miso paste
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 scallions, roughly chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup cold water
Add-ins:
1 lb. (500 grams) raw, sushi-grade tuna
1 avocado
2-3 pickled radishes, finely sliced
1 cucumber
2 oz. (55 grams) raw soba noodles
Directions:
Cut both ends off the cucumbers and slice them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
Roughly chop the cucumbers and place them in a blender with the rest of the soup ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Pass the mixture through a very fine mesh sieve, or a piece of cheesecloth. (You can also use a clean kitchen-towel if you do not have a sieve or cheesecloth.) Yields approximately 1 cup of broth. Chill until ready to serve.
Cook the soba noodles according to the directions on the packet. Drain, rinse and set aside to cool.
When you're ready to serve, prepare four bowls.
Slice the tuna thinly.
Use a peeler to shave the cucumber thinly.
Cut the avocado lengthwise. Slice and remove from peel.
Divide the tuna, soba noodles, avocado, radishes and cucumber ribbons evenly between the four bowls.
Immediately before eating pour approximately ¼ cup of broth into each bowl.
Note: Recipe adapted from a similar recipe on Gourmet Traveller.
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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JEWISH NEWS
Shabbat in Nice: Staunch Community Keeps Synagogue Open
The Jewish community in Nice, France, observed the holy day of rest in unison and defiance following a terror attack that left 84 dead and 200 wounded in this serene city on the Mediterranean Coast. by Dovid Margolin
Rabbi Roueven Ouanounou of Habad Loubavitch of Nice Côte d’Azur in front of an emergency room on Friday morning. The community knows of three Jewish women who were at the scene—two hospitalized with serious injuries and a third who remains missing.
With the start of Shabbat, the Jewish community in Nice, France, is preparing to celebrate the holy day of rest in unison and defiance following a terror attack that rocked this serene city on the Mediterranean Coast.
“We are going to have a lot of extra security, but of course, our synagogue will remain open for Shabbat,” said Rabbi Roueven Ouanounou, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in Nice. “We are getting calls from people asking what the plans are for Shabbat. Now is more important than ever for the synagogue to be open.”
Nice was sent into chaos late Thursday night when Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old French Tunisian, rammed a truck through a crowd of innocent civilians celebrating Bastille Day on the coastal city’s promenade. Bouhlel drove for more than a mile over the crowds, leaving a devastating path of destruction in his wake before being shot and killed after a gun battle with police. The terror attack has left 84 dead and more than 200 wounded, with 50 hanging “between life and death,” according to a statement made this morning by French President François Hollande.
At least 10 children are believed to be among the dead, with chilling pictures and eyewitness accounts from the scene depicting overturned strollers and toy dolls.
Despite previous reports and lists of injured members from the Jewish community, Ouanounou said at present, they know of three Jewish women who were at the scene—two of whom have been hospitalized with serious injuries and a third who remains missing.
“At the moment, we have information about three people from the Jewish community,” Habad Loubavitch of Nice Côte d’Azur announced today in a statement. “Raymonde bat Nouna, missing; Clara bat Nouna, hospitalized; Hafsia bat Miryam, hospitalized.”
“Every moment that passes that the missing woman is not found in a hospital, the situation becomes worse,” said Ouanounou on Friday morning, adding that his father-in-law—head Chabad emissary of the Nice Côte d’Azur region Rabbi Yossef Yitschok Pinson—was currently visiting with the injured in hospitals.
Security was heightened in Nice, France, the morning after a major terror attack.
‘It’s a Very Tough Time’
As previously reported, four counselors at Chabad’s Camp Gan Israel in Nice were at the scene of the attack, crossing to the opposite sidewalk minutes before Bouhlel began driving his truck through the crowd. According to Pinson, the young women saw people being mowed over, including babies and the elderly.
Ouanounou said both the boys’ and girls’ division of camp was canceled on Friday. A decisions has not yet been made as to when it will resume.
“It’s a very tough time,” stated Ouanounou. “Of course, measures have to be taken to prevent such things from happening again, but we must continue doing our work and reaching out to every Jew in Nice.”
Chabad of Nice’s statement concluded by asking everyone to perform good deeds and positive actions: “Men should put on tefillin. Women and girls should light Shabbat candles. Everyone should add in giving tzedakah. ... Shabbat Shalom to all.”
Habad Loubavitch of Nice Côte d’Azur is working to help people in the wake of the July 14 terror attack. See here.
The outside of the Chabad House in Nice, France, about a seven-minute walk from the scene of a terrror attack on Bastille Day. (Photo: Google Maps)© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
Shabbat in Nice: Staunch Community Keeps Synagogue Open
The Jewish community in Nice, France, observed the holy day of rest in unison and defiance following a terror attack that left 84 dead and 200 wounded in this serene city on the Mediterranean Coast. by Dovid Margolin
Rabbi Roueven Ouanounou of Habad Loubavitch of Nice Côte d’Azur in front of an emergency room on Friday morning. The community knows of three Jewish women who were at the scene—two hospitalized with serious injuries and a third who remains missing.
With the start of Shabbat, the Jewish community in Nice, France, is preparing to celebrate the holy day of rest in unison and defiance following a terror attack that rocked this serene city on the Mediterranean Coast.
“We are going to have a lot of extra security, but of course, our synagogue will remain open for Shabbat,” said Rabbi Roueven Ouanounou, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in Nice. “We are getting calls from people asking what the plans are for Shabbat. Now is more important than ever for the synagogue to be open.”
Nice was sent into chaos late Thursday night when Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old French Tunisian, rammed a truck through a crowd of innocent civilians celebrating Bastille Day on the coastal city’s promenade. Bouhlel drove for more than a mile over the crowds, leaving a devastating path of destruction in his wake before being shot and killed after a gun battle with police. The terror attack has left 84 dead and more than 200 wounded, with 50 hanging “between life and death,” according to a statement made this morning by French President François Hollande.
At least 10 children are believed to be among the dead, with chilling pictures and eyewitness accounts from the scene depicting overturned strollers and toy dolls.
Despite previous reports and lists of injured members from the Jewish community, Ouanounou said at present, they know of three Jewish women who were at the scene—two of whom have been hospitalized with serious injuries and a third who remains missing.
“At the moment, we have information about three people from the Jewish community,” Habad Loubavitch of Nice Côte d’Azur announced today in a statement. “Raymonde bat Nouna, missing; Clara bat Nouna, hospitalized; Hafsia bat Miryam, hospitalized.”
“Every moment that passes that the missing woman is not found in a hospital, the situation becomes worse,” said Ouanounou on Friday morning, adding that his father-in-law—head Chabad emissary of the Nice Côte d’Azur region Rabbi Yossef Yitschok Pinson—was currently visiting with the injured in hospitals.
Security was heightened in Nice, France, the morning after a major terror attack.
‘It’s a Very Tough Time’
As previously reported, four counselors at Chabad’s Camp Gan Israel in Nice were at the scene of the attack, crossing to the opposite sidewalk minutes before Bouhlel began driving his truck through the crowd. According to Pinson, the young women saw people being mowed over, including babies and the elderly.
Ouanounou said both the boys’ and girls’ division of camp was canceled on Friday. A decisions has not yet been made as to when it will resume.
“It’s a very tough time,” stated Ouanounou. “Of course, measures have to be taken to prevent such things from happening again, but we must continue doing our work and reaching out to every Jew in Nice.”
Chabad of Nice’s statement concluded by asking everyone to perform good deeds and positive actions: “Men should put on tefillin. Women and girls should light Shabbat candles. Everyone should add in giving tzedakah. ... Shabbat Shalom to all.”
Habad Loubavitch of Nice Côte d’Azur is working to help people in the wake of the July 14 terror attack. See here.
The outside of the Chabad House in Nice, France, about a seven-minute walk from the scene of a terrror attack on Bastille Day. (Photo: Google Maps)© Copyright 2016, all rights reserved.
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Chabad Opens First Center in East Africa, as Couple Heads to Nairobi, Kenya
Reflecting years of work on the continent and responding to a Jewish community asking for help. by Dovid Margolin
Rabbi Avromy and Sternie Super will move to Nairobi, Kenya, this fall to lead the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation and establish Chabad-Lubavitch of Kenya. They are seen here at an elephant orphanage in Nairobi's National Park.
Sternie Super never thought moving to Sub-Saharan Africa was very realistic. Sure, she had dreamed of establishing a Chabad-Lubavitch outpost together with her husband, Rabbi Avromy Super, and moving to some place, near or far, to service the area’s Jewish population. But Nairobi, Kenya? That seemed like a pipe dream for the Iowa native—perhaps a bit too far, a little too exotic.
Until she got there.
Just before Passover, Super and her husband traveled to Nairobi to spend the holiday with the city’s Jewish community. The 112-year-old Nairobi Hebrew Congregation had reached out to co-director of Chabad of Central Africa Rabbi Shlomo Bentolila asking for assistance in finding a rabbi, and Bentolila had connected them with the Supers. After the community had the chance to meet the couple in person over Passover, where the Supers ran a seder for 50 people, the match was made.
The visit sealed the deal for the couple as well, particularly for Sternie (née Brook). Like so many other foreigners who initially come to Kenya for just a short time, she discovered Nairobi to be prettier than she had thought—and more Western, too. Come High Holiday time this year, Rabbi Avromy and Sternie Super will be leading the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation and establishing the first Chabad center in East Africa, Chabad-Lubavitch of Kenya, under the auspices of Chabad of Central Africa.
“Once I got here, I realized that it was an actual option,” says Sternie. She was particularly surprised by the amount of Jewish children involved in the community. “The first thing I’m planning to work on is creating a vibrant Hebrew school.”
‘People Looking to Connect’
The move might not have occurred had it not been for Rabbi Super’s previous experiences in Africa. As a rabbinical student, he spent nearly six months at the Chabad yeshivah hosted at Bentolila’s Jewish center in Kinshasa, the Congo. Kinshasa has become the capital for all things Jewish throughout most of this vast continent since Bentolila’s arrival in the Congo 25 years ago, and he regularly sends rabbinical students, Jewish materials and holiday aid to its disparate Jewish communities. During his first stint in Africa, Super spent Chanukah in Accra, Ghana; other young rabbis were sent to, among other countries, Ethiopia, Namibia and Zambia.
The rabbi with Rwanda's ambassador to Kenya, James Kimonyo
In all, Chabad of Central Africa reaches 17 countries.The Chabad center in Kenya will be the fifth permanent Chabad presence in Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa. Aside from Bentolila in Kinshasa, who first arrived in 1991, there are now centers in Abuja, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; and Luanda, Angola.
“In Nairobi, this is a union between Chabad and the community,” says Bentolila. “The Supers will work within the community and at the same time direct Chabad of Kenya.”
“I loved Africa from the first time that I got there,” Rabbi Super says of his initial enthusiasm for the idea. “In other parts of the world, you might have rabbis chasing after Jews trying to convince them to come to an event. What I’ve found in Africa is that people are looking to connect with their heritage; they call you. To me, that’s incredible.”
Nairobi's Jewish community goes back to the late 1800s. Many Kenyan Jews arrived there fleeing European anti-Semitism in the years before World War II. Super poses with Charles Szlapak, originally from Poland but in Nairobi since 1938, who has served as a central pillar of the community for decades.
Of Locals and Expats
The first Jews arrived in Kenya at the turn of the 20th century, and shortly afterwards, the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation was formed. Although their numbers never ballooned to anything substantial, Jews did play pivotal roles in Kenyan society—both before and after independence in 1963—and Jewish life has remained stable throughout.
The 40th anniversary of Israel’s successful and miraculous rescue operation in Entebbe, Uganda, has also revived memories of the crucial role played by Kenya during the affair. At the time, Israel’s planes were unable to make the roundtrip flight to Uganda without a refueling stop. President Jomo Kenyatta approved Israel’s request to do so, but not without serious repercussions; Ugandan dictator Idi Amin directed reprisals against Kenyan citizens and had Kenya’s Minister of Agriculture Bruce Mackenzie assassinated (Mackenzie helped convince Kenyatta to agree to Israel’s request.) Suspicions that influential Jews in Kenyan society played a role as well, in particular the hotel-owning Block family, led to the 1980 Palestinian terrorist bombing of the Block-owned Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi.
Rabbi Super speaks at a Holocaust memorial held at the Nairobi Jewish community's Vermont Hall, which sits within the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation's complex.
Although its Jewish history is old and ingrained, the majority of Kenya’s Jews today are expatriates from Israel (which has been involved in building Kenya’s infrastructure for decades), the United Kingdom, South Africa and the United States. Many work for the United Nations or international NGOs.
Ashley Myers is president of the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation. A British native, he first came to Kenya 13 years ago to manage a popular beach hotel in the coastal city of Mombasa. For the last five years, he’s lived in Nairobi, where he’s taken an active role in the city’s Jewish communal life. He notes that Kenya has long had a fruitful relationship with Bentolila, and after the community parted ways with its previous rabbi (who filled a 17-year gap in permanent rabbis), it felt natural to turn to Chabad of Central Africa in their search for a new rabbi.
“We’ve had a relationship with Chabad in Africa for a very long time,” says Myers. “We always got rabbinical students for Jewish holidays, but never someone full-time. We were looking for someone who could fulfill both the religious side, but more importantly, someone who could work to draw Jews together of all backgrounds. There’s a wide range of Jews here in Nairobi, and we wanted someone who could bring us together.”
When the Supers visited, affirms Myers, the community was impressed. “They have English and Hebrew language; they’re young and enthusiastic. They fit our requirements exactly.”
Governor of Kenya Sir Evelyn Baring, right, lays the cornerstone of the synagogue building. (Photo: Courtesy of the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation)
Yaniv Gelnik has lived in Nairobi for the last two years. An Israeli native whose parents are originally American, he and his family initially planned on staying in Kenya for one year. But when the year was up, they didn’t want to leave.
“We realized that this is where we wanted to live,” says Gelnik. “We have a great community of friends. It’s super diverse, and everyone here is doing interesting work. No one is just an accountant or just a lawyer; they’re accountants and lawyers working on interesting projects. For our kids, it’s amazing here, too. The nature is incomparable. There are giraffes and zebras half an hour away from our house; where are you going to get that?”
Gelnik sees the Supers’ impending arrival in Nairobi as a boon for the city’s Jewish life and looks forward to becoming increasingly involved. “We felt very reassured after meeting them,” he says. “They have this nonjudgmental approach to helping the community grow, and a progressive attitude towards sharing and educating, keeping it a happy experience. People are psyched.”
The synagogue building committee, 1912 (Photo: Courtesy of the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation)
Years in the Making
Africa is vast. Its history and development—and in turn, that of each distinct Jewish community—are complicated. So if it appears as if the continent is home to a growing and interconnected network of Jewish communities, it’s mostly due to Bentolila’s early and consistent groundwork.
“One factor pulling everything together is Rabbi Bentolila,” attests Myers.
“That’s a result of a lot of work and effort he’s put in. We’re conscious of that fact that we’re part of a larger group, but we’re just seeing the beginnings of that. His support is what’s brought us to the stage we’re at now.”
Bentolila himself first came to Africa in the mid-1980s as a “Roving Rabbi,” a program of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. It was then that he first visited Kenya, among other African nations, and after arriving in Kinshasa permanently with his wife, Miriam, the relationship continued.
“We always had a close connection,” says Bentolila. “But what you’re seeing now, this expansion, it is 25 years of work. You nurture relationships, and at the end, it looks like one big family.”
The synagogue then ... (Photo: Courtesy of the Nairobi Hebrew Congregation)
… and now. (Photo: Courtesy of the Nairobi Hebrew Congregatio)© 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.
Chabad.org Magazine - Editor: Yanki Tauber
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