Gutt Shabbos

Please keep in your prayers Moshe Tzvi ben Miriam for a refuah Shlaima. Don't forget your Mactzis Hashekel for Yeshiva.

This week we begin the month of Adar; the "Month that transforms sadness to joy, mourning to festivity" (Esther 9:22). We also read this Shabbat the Torah portion 'Truma' which explains the building of the Holy Temple.
The reason that Adar is called the 'month' that changes sadness to joy is because it contains the holiday of Purim; the happiest holiday in Judaism. But, seemingly this is no reason to call it the happiest MONTH.
Also the idea of a Holy Temple doesn't seem to fit the message of Judaism that G-d is omnipresent and infinite?
G-d is everywhere! Why do we need a holy Temple?
To understand this… here is a story. (HaGeula weekly page #445) 
Mrs. Nechama Dina Bernstein took her pupils for an outing.  Why not? It was one of the eight days of Chanukah when Jewish schools of all sorts take vacations and make special programs. But this outing was special. She took the girls to a local shopping center in New Jersey to light, not Chanukah candles but Jews. 
It was an invention of the Lubavitcher Rebbe; to go into public places, search for uneducated/ uninspired/ unattached Jews and give them a taste of Judaism.  In this case it meant telling them about the holiday of Chanukah and its laws, customs and deeper meanings. 
Mrs. Bernstein was a very responsible, precise teacher and she demanded the same from her pupils; tardiness or disorder of any sort was out of the question.
So when they agreed that the girls would split up into groups of three to cover as much area as possible and would meet back at the bus in an hour and a half it meant no later than an hour and a half! 
The girls took pamphlets and Chanukah candles and set off in different direction while she took what remained and went alone to search for Jews in a different direction.
After almost an hour of successful wandering about and talking to women about the holiday she looked at her watch to see that forty minutes remained, enough for two or perhaps three more discussions.  She noticed several women and a young man sitting around the table of an outdoor restaurant and approached.
"Anyone here Jewish?" She asked the women with a smile. Two women raised their hand in good spirits and a lively conversation ensued.  She told them about the holiday, they asked questions, she answered, they replied and the conversation continued for several minutes. Meanwhile the other women, who were just saying goodbye when Mrs. Bernstein appeared, left while the young man, who obviously was not Jewish, sat and listened to the discussion.
Suddenly Mrs. Bernstein looked at her watch and exclaimed. "Oh my goodness! We've been talking for forty five minutes! I must go!!! I'm already late!"
She shook hands with the women, they exchanged telephone numbers, she left some of the pamphlets and candles with them and ran off to her pupils and the bus.
But she stopped. A voice inside of her was saying she shouldn't have completely ignored the young man, 'You should have at least asked him if he was Jewish'. But then she thought again. 'Why, that's foolish! I'm late! And he didn't look at all Jewish! I'm not going back!"
But the first voice won.
She turned around, walked briskly back to the table, approached the young man who was now sitting alone and said "Excuse me but, by the way, are you Jewish?"
She never would have expected his reaction. His eyes filled with tears, he began trembling so severely that the food fell from his fork on his shirt leaving a large stain and he began to cry.
Mrs. Bernstein was confused, she apologized handed him a few napkins and apologized again.
"Why did you ask me that?!" the young man said between sniffles. "Why did you come back and ask me that!?" He said again drying his eyes and blowing his nose a few times.
"I don't really know." She replied. "I can't really explain it. I just did. But why are you crying? What happened? I'm sorry. But please tell me, are you Jewish?"
"I'll tell you." He replied. "I don't think you understand what a miracle just happened now." He invited her to sit down and began to talk.
"First of all my name is Fred (pseudonym) I was born to a Jewish mother, so that makes me Jewish, right? But my father is not Jewish. To you that probably isn't important because I'm still a Jew but to me it meant confusion.
"My mother wasn't at all observant, I mean she did marry a gentile, but for some reason she insisted that if they had children they would be given an orthodox Jewish education. Doesn't make sense but my father agreed and when I was born… I became that child.
"When I was three they enrolled me in a real Jewish school and by the age of five I not only could read the Torah, I looked and acted like a religious Jew with a yarmulke, locks of hair at the sides of my head, Tzitzis, on the four corners of my garments; the whole business!
"But you can imagine what a feeling I had everyday when I went back to my totally non-religious home. And although my parents didn't bother me about my Jewish appearance the kids in school bothered me about my home. They were just little kids and, well you know how kids can be cruel sometimes. But they mostly made fun because of my appearance. I looked exactly like my father; blond hair, blue eyes, small bobbed nose in other words like a total gentile and every once in a while even the teachers made remarks.
"Anyway, it made me confused and miserable and when my parents saw how it was ruining me they talked it over and when I got to the fifth grade they decided to move me to a normal public school.
"After the move it only took a few days till I removed all the signs of Judaism, made new friends and almost forgot the whole episode but deep in my heart I knew I was different.  What I had learned in the Jewish school stuck with me, but so did the negative experiences.
"Sometimes I even would talk to G-d and ask Him why He put me in this confusion but I didn't get any answers; only more confusion.  So I tried to take my mind off it and just live life like everyone else. 
"But once in a while I had attacks of identity and one of them was just now. When you came and asked everyone except me if they were Jewish my heart broke; all the frustration, anger and sadness came back to me.  Then, when you walked away I decided to have my final talk with G-d.  I said 'G-d, if that lady comes back here and asks me if I'm Jewish then….. I'm Jewish. But if not….. I'm never going to think about it or talk to you about it again!'
"So if you are wondering why you came back… now you know; it was G-d answering my prayers!" 
This answers our questions.
When someone decides to make a real change in life it doesn't just mean just changing appearance, attitude or personality. These are only from the soul outward.
True change means changing oneself to reveal one's soul and live according to the truth; according to the will of the Creator. 
Like Fred when he prayed and risked being different and Mrs. Bernstein when she returned to the table and risked missing her bus. Both were interested only in one thing; what does G-d want from them. And when they made the decision it changed their lives and certainly the lives of those around them.
That is why the miracle of Purim, when the Jews refused to deny their Judaism and escape Haman's decree of 'Destroy all the Jews', effected the entire month and the Holy Temple, where Jews devoted themselves totally to the Creator, effected the entire world.
Because when one makes that decision to live only according to the will of the Creator it can connects the infinite to the finite; all time and space.
This is why one of the main accomplishments of Moshiach will be to change the priorities of all the Jewish people (like it was in Purim) and build a Third Temple (like in our weekly Torah portion).
Because through these changes the entire creation; all time, space and consciousness, will be PERMANENTLY purified to reveal the TRUE oneness of G-d.
It's all up to us, to change ourselves and do all we can to bring….

Moshiach NOW!
Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Fwd: Adar Dancing

RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rabbi Yitzchak Hecht <ryhecht@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Subject: Adar Dancing
To: ULY Blog <ryhecht.ulyop@blogger.com>


What a Job well done. Thank you Rabbi Hayes our 6th grade Rebbe for helping get the Yeshiva into true Adar spirit. With the help of a few other student the rest was all Adar Simcha. After Mincha all the boys joined with boys from Hamesivta and danced to the inspiring, and uplifting music.
RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Wednesday Night Shiur - Terumah

Listen to this week's shiur of Parshas Terumah.
Hear all shiurim at www.shiur.us.

Good Shabbos

Please remember it is Shabbos Mevarchim Chodesh Adar "Mishenichnas Adar Marbim BSimcha" say your Tehilim we all need it. Please start preparing your Matonas L"Evyonim Gifts for the poor and send it in to Yehiva. All major credit cards accepted.

In this week's Torah portion are found 23 positive and 30 negative commandments; fifty three deeds that G-d, the Creator of the Universe, wants the Jews to treat differently than everyone else.

Many of them deal with the law of the Eved Ivri; a Jewish Slave.  According to Judaism a Jew can sell himself or be sold as a slave to another Jew for a certain amount of time.

The Torah is a book of life, every word and certainly every commandment contains eternal and vital lessons for all time. But here seems to be an exception. This law of Eved Ivri has not been in effect for over 2,500 years.  If so what is the eternal lesson?

To understand this, here is a story (Weekly Shabbat page 'Shmu U'tchi Nafshechem' #487)

Bentzi (short for Ben-Tzion) was 32 years old and he hadn't been an observant Jew most of his life, nor had his parents. He received a 'normal' Israeli education like all the other children but several years ago his brother began to take Judaism seriously which did something to him and he began to do the same.

So for the last few years he had been what is popularly known as a 'Baal Tshuva'; a Jew 'Returning' to his hidden Jewish identity; constantly improving his actions, speech and thought to be more spiritually and positively oriented in tune to the Torah.

For instance, as the holiday of Passover approached he made it a point to learn more about its mystical content and be more enthusiastic about its laws and customs. So when his brother suggested that he buy special, hand made Matzot (Unleavened bread) from a place called Kollel Chabad in Jerusalem he immediately took a bus from his home in a town called Maale Adumim and went there.

It took him a bit of searching through the winding streets of old Jerusalem but when he arrived at the building he was in for an unpleasant surprise. There was no one in the room except one respectable-looking white-bearded Chassid but when Bentzi asked if this is where they sell Matzot the Chassid turned to him and replied, 'Looking to buy Matzot? There aren't any here! Sold out!'

"Sold out?" Bentzi said incredulously. "But there's still a week before the holiday!?  How could it be?"

He thought a few seconds and asked. "Well, maybe tell me where I can buy Matzot?"

"Go to the bookstore called HaMayfitz. There is a Rabbi called Gerson Henich Cohen. He'll sell you Matzot. But you should hurry!"

Benzi thanked the man and rushed out of the room as he yelled over his shoulder, "Have a Kosher and happy Passover!"

As he was running he couldn't help thinking to himself that the whole thing seemed very strange. How could it be that there were no Matzot in the Matza store? Especially a week from the holiday? That means that hundreds of families would suffer! Maybe even more! Where would they get Matzot?"

Suddenly he realized that he must have taken a wrong turn, he looked around for a few seconds to figure out where he was but he didn't exactly recognize the area. He was standing near the bottom of a steeply inclined side street that emptied into a busy main street.

He looked up to see if there was anyone around to ask directions to when suddenly he heard something rattling in the distance and what he saw made his heart skip a beat; it was a baby carriage barreling down the street in his direction from the top of the hill. It was approaching going fast and in seconds it would run into the busy street if he didn't move fast to stop it …..  if there was a baby in that carriage it would be a sure catastrophe! For a second he froze as the sound of the carriage wheels whistled louder and louder; louder than the noise of the cars in the street behind him.  He ran as fast as possible, lunged and caught it!

He looked inside the carriage. There was a baby there! He had saved a life!

Bentzi looked up the street and saw in the distance a man and his wife looking in a store window and discussing something. He pushed the carriage up toward them and asked if it was theirs. "Why yes!" They both said in an almost in unison not understanding what he was doing and how it got in his hands. When he explained what happened they were ashamed, happy, grateful and confused at once.

Bentzi was as confused as they were, 'Good thing that Kollel Chabad ran out of Matzot!!' He thought to himself.

But what about his Matzot?! He had almost forgotten! He said a quick good bye, wished them a happy holiday and hurried away from the couple.

After asking a few people for directions to the 'HaMayfitz' book store he finally found it, entered and asked for hand-made Chabad Matzot.

"Matzot?" The owner replied "We don't sell Matzot here. Never did. If you want to buy a good book, or maybe a pair of Tefillin or a Mezuza, yes. But Matzot, sorry! If you want Matzot go to Kollel Chabad. Kollel Chabad has Matzot."

"But I was just there!" Bentzi tried to protest. "How could it be? They told me to come here! They said they ran out of Matzot and said I should go to HaMayfitz. This is HaMayfitz right?"

"Listen." The man behind the counter said. "I'm glad you came here, yes, this is HaMafitz and you can come every day if you want but we don't sell Matzot. Never did! And I don't believe that Kollel Chabad ran out. Can't be. Why, there's still a week before Pesach! Any case, here we certainly don't have any."

Bentzi knew the way and in just ten minutes he was entering the Kollel Chabad building. This time when he entered their Matza shop someone else was standing at the counter.  "Tell me," Bentzi said. "Have you got Matzot here? I was here a half hour ago and they told me you ran out. Are there Matzot or not?"

"Ran out of Matzot?" The man said incredulously. "Here, come here." He motioned to Bentzi to step behind the counter then turned around, opened a door behind him and told Bentzi to have a look.  It was a room filled from floor to ceiling with large cartons of ….. Matzot! Hundreds of them! "How many cartons do you want?"

Bentzi told the story to many people since then and the usual comment is; "That Chassid who sent you from  Collel Chabad must have been Elijah the Prophet. (Elijah who lived some 2700 years ago, never died and appears regularly in this world to help people.)  HaShem must have sent him to send you to save that baby."

This answers our question.  

When a Jew became an Eved Ivri he/she lost their independent will and became someone's slave every moment of the day.

At face value this is very bad but in a deeper sense this attitude is invaluable and basic to Judaism; to be a servant of the Creator in EVERYTHING we do. Even when we would like to give up.  

Even when things don't go as we would like, or even opposite to our plans, we must never forget that G-d is the boss and we are but servants. Namely, we must do all we can to succeed but leave the results up to G-d.

Something like how Bentzi saw in our story that all his running around, taking wrong turns and 'wasted' energy was really for the best and without it a life might have been lost.

Similarly with us; we must be Jewish servants to the King of the Universe. Then we will see and realize that all the confusion and 'wrong turns' of our exile of the last 2,000 years was really for the best and soon Elijah the Prophet will announce to all of us ……..

Moshiach NOW!
Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Wednesday Night Shiur - Mishpatim

Listen to this week's shiur of Parshas Mishpatim.
Hear all shiurim at www.shiur.us.

Gut Shabbos

Please be advised there will be no bus service on Monday February 16, 2009. In this week's Torah portion we learn why gentiles throughout the generations have hated Jews.
There is a saying "Why was the mountain upon which the Torah was given called 'SINAI'? Because there began SINA (hatred) to the Jews from the gentiles".
But near the end of our prayers we say exactly the opposite; that the Torah brings peace and that there is no other way to bring peace to the world other than Torah.
Does all this make sense? First, what is in the Torah that made the world hate us? Second, if it brought hatred then how can it bring world peace? Third, why call the Mountain after hatred? Why not call it after peace??
Here is a story that will help us understand: (B'sod HaParsha, Bait Chabad Ber Sheva, VaYigash 5769).
Kiev, Russia 1916.
The Jews in Russia had more than their share of troubles from the gentiles. While in other countries there were periods of relative peace and quiet, in Russia there were always problems. In Kiev it was in the form of the governor; General Drantlon. He had been a decorated warrior in the Czar's army but was always a ruthless anti-Semite and if it wasn't for the fact that being Governor kept him busy with other things he would probably have driven the Jews out of Kiev completely.
So it was no wonder when he made decrees to ruin the holiday of Succos. One of the most colorful and joyous holidays in Judaism is Succos (Tabernacles). Jews throughout the world remind themselves of G-d's kindness by being happy and living in branch-covered booths called Succos that they specially build outside their homes. When the Governor got wind of this he took action; no Jew would celebrate while he was in charge!
One week before the holiday he issued a decree forbidding the building of any outdoor booths in or around the city Kiev until further notice due to 'fire regulations'.
The news hit the Jewish community like an earthquake! No booths meant no Succos!! What would they do? A hasty meeting of the community leaders was made and it was decided that a delegation of three of the most distinguished Jews in the community would travel to the Governor and try to appease and convince him, with bribery if necessary, to change his mind.
The entire Jewish community gathered in the Synagogues to pray and say Psalms for their success.
But that evening they returned with heads hung in defeat; The evil Governor refused to even grant them an audience! He had them evicted from his castle grounds!!
Another meeting was held; there must be a solution! They said Psalms, prayed, wept and afterward sat for an hour without one concrete idea… the old Rabbi of the community even pointed out with a heavy heart that where life is at danger the people are exempt from the commandment. Especially here when there was no choice! The Governor gave his policemen orders to search and destroy; it was impossible to build a Succa anyway.
Suddenly one of the wealthy members clapped his hands and exclaimed, "That's it!!! My ship! What an idea!! My ship!!!" Everyone turned to him and he spoke in an excited tone. "Listen, the decree forbids us to make Succos on the LAND of Kiev, right? But I have a ship here in the harbor! Get it? We can make the Succa there! Then it won't be on the LAND! It will be on the water! So it won't be breaking the decree! And if you think about it on the water there's no fire hazard either! What do you think?!"
The others looked at each other, then at the Rabbi who thought for a moment and for the first time in a week a smile crossed his face. It was a miracle!!
One of those present pledged to supply the wood and foliage, another said he would buy food, another that he would prepare it, a fourth said he had trustworthy workers and in no time the plan was formed. Two large Succos would be built on the deck of the ship. One would be for the more wealthy citizens, their families and their many guests and the other would be for the rest of the people.
They had to work fast. Secrecy was foremost! Jewish workers were brought in and sworn not to tell anyone, food was cooked, materials were brought and in just days two huge Succos were surreptitiously built on the ship and camouflaged to look like ordinary cargo.
Meanwhile the old Rabbi had to keep it all secret. That Shabbat he explained to his sad congregation that it was permissible to eat in their homes under the circumstances etc. and it was a 'mitzvah' to think only of good things and be happy. Namely, prepare themselves for the holiday and hope for a miracle.
Finally the big night arrived! Hundreds of men gathered in the synagogue to usher in the Joyous Holiday of Happiness (Zman Simchatainu) trying to make believe they weren't disappointed. But then, after they finished the evening holiday prayers and were wishing one another 'Good Yom Tov' the Rabbi pounded on the podium and when there was silence revealed the miracle; there were Succos!!
Everyone was to bring his family and every Jew he saw to the docks and meet on board the ship!!!
The joy was uncontrollable. After a few seconds of silence people were hugging each other weeping with happiness, dancing to happy tunes and a few even made summersaults! An hour later the Succos on the ship were filled with brightly dressed, beaming families getting seated, ready to eat the festive meals and toast "Le Chiam" to one another.
Meanwhile, back in the castle the Governor had been sitting before his fireplace smoking a cigar sipping on a brandy and savoring the thought of the suffering Jews when someone came bursting in to his room and breathlessly gave him the 'bad' news.
"WHAT?" he stood and screamed,"'What?! ON A SHIP?!! Those devils fooled ME??!" He threw his glass of brandy to the floor in to a fit of insane anger and began cursing, screaming, throwing things and knocking over furniture. "I'll show them!!" He ran to the wall, took down his sword and two pistols, fastened them to his belt, told his servants to alert the guards and in just moments he and some twenty horsemen were spurring their horses madly out of the castle grounds their coats dancing wildly in the wind behind them, toward the docks.
When they reached their destination he stopped and held up his hand for them to be silent. Over the hard breathing of the horses singing could be heard coming from a ship docked in the distance. "Follow me!! It's over there!"
In no time they arrived, dismounted and, with the General in the lead, stormed into the large Succa where hundreds of families were sitting. "What is this?!!" He screamed pulling his sword with one hand and a pistol with the other. "I'll kill you all!! All of you get out immediately!!! GET OUT!!!" he was about to fire a round into the branches that made the ceiling when suddenly the old Rabbi stood and bravely approached him.
The Governor was taken aback, the Rabbi must have been seventy or eighty years old and he had never been confronted by such a person in his life.
The room was still, a few children cried but the noise faded into the background when Rabbi spoke in a high but clear and forceful voice.
"Your honorable General Drantlon our master and Governor. There never has been and never will be anything, anywhere in the world ever that can uproot the Commandments which we received directly from G-d thousands of years ago. No power can tear the Jewish people from their religion. Our Holy Torah teaches that we must sit in Succos and although we have been in exile, scattered throughout the world and suffering for two thousand years, we have not cast off nor will we ever cast off its teachings."
The room was silent. The Governor narrowed his gaze at the Rabbi, nodded his head ever so slightly and returned his weapons to their sheaths. Then he stuck out his hand, shook the hand of the Rabbi and turned and left the room with his entourage close behind.
That holiday was perhaps the happiest ever for the Jews of Kiev, spiced by the sweet victory over an enemy that tried to destroy them. But the best victory was yet to come; from that day on the Governor had a change in heart toward the Jews. Not only were there no new decrees but he cancelled all the old ones he had made.
This answers our questions. All the other religions are based on the experiences of one or a few 'chosen ones'. But in Judaism an entire nation; millions of people were all 'chosen' by the Creator to witness the most fantastic event in history; G-d personally told them what He really wants.
Not as the other religions teach; that the purpose of life is the afterlife but rather that the purpose of all life is to do what G-d wants HERE and NOW in THIS world. Namely to show how CLOSE G-d is and bring Him yet CLOSER and make the world more Holy.
This is what angered the Governor in our story; he wanted G-d to be far away so he could do as he pleased and the Jews kept bringing G-d closer. That is why Sinai brought hatred.
But as we saw from our story it also brought love. When the Governor realized that the Creator and His Commandments are good, lasting and eternal he changed his mind.
So Moshiach will bring about in the entire world. Moshiach will renew the freshness and infinite life contained in the Torah and its commandments just as the Jews felt at Mount Sinai; but in a more internal and lasting way that will bring only peace, love and blessing into the world.
Something like how the Governor felt in our story.
But it's all up to us; one more good deed, word or even thought can tip the scales and bring....
Moshiach NOW!
Rabbi Tuvia BoltonAdd some extra Tzdaka this week as it the Shabbos before Chof Bais Shvat.

RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Wednesday Night Shiur - Yisro

Listen to this week's shiur of Parshas Yisro.

Hear all shiurim at www.shiur.us.

Shabbat Shalom

This Shabbos is Shabbos Shira. It is a custom to put out before Shabbos "Kasha" (Buckwheat) for the birds, to repay them for the Kiddush Hashem they made with the Manna. Also, Monday is Tu B'Shvat, don't forget to make a Shehecyanu on a fruit.

In this Torah portion we read about the splitting of the Reed ('red') Sea.
Never in history was or would there be anything like it; an entire nation of several million people escaped from the most powerful army in the world by walking on dry land in the middle of a sea! And then, as soon as they got to the other side the water miraculously caved in and drowned their pursuers!
[And it's not just history. That nation has been miraculously surviving such enemies for thousands of years and still exists today; the Jews!]
But at first glance this is not understood.
What was the purpose of these miracles at the sea? Why didn't G-d just kill the evil Egyptians in their sleep and take the Jews quietly out. Why all the fanfare? And G-d split the sea at the last moment? (See 14:9-12) Why all the tension?!
Also this week was the tenth of Shvat, the day that the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak passed away and his son in law, the Seventh Rebbe, who said that this generation would be the generation of 'Moshiach', took over.
Is there as connection?
To understand this here is a story (Rabosainu N'si'ainu pg 186)
The sixth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch; Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak was a truly remarkable man, wise, spiritually gifted and brave. Besides being gifted in all aspects of the Torah and of secular knowledge …. he was a man of action.
In Russia he single handedly stood against the atheistic, murderous regime of Stalin by sending thousands of his followers throughout Russia to teach Torah to children at the risk (and often the cost) of their lives. And in the last ten years of his life in the U.S.A. he began the 'outreach' movement that has totally transformed Judaism today.
But the main driving force in his life was love; helping others and doing everything possible to alleviate suffering. And he taught his followers to do the same.
For instance when Rabbi Michel Vishedski (a neighbor of mine in Kfar Chabad) escaped Russia some 50 years ago and settled in New York he did everything in his power to help Russian Jewry and he took it upon himself to visit all the orthodox synagogues in New York and see if they could help as well.
One of his meetings was with one Rabbi Rabinovitz; the head Rabbi of the Bronx. When he arrived at his synagogue he found the place empty, as most synagogues are in the early afternoon, and the Rabbi seated at a long table in a chair next to the head of the table.
Rabbi Michel shook the Rabbi's hand, introduced himself and, supposing that the Rabbi had left the head seat vacant for him, sat in it.
"Excuse me," Rabbi Rabinovitz said, "Please don't sit in that chair. It's the head seat and I always leave it vacant."
Rabbi Vishedski apologized and stood up and when he took a different seat the Rabbi smiled, apologized himself for not warning him and said. "You're a Lubavitcher, right? Well then, you'll probably understand the reason I leave that seat open. It was because of a dream."
"Really? A dream?" Rav Michel was interested and seeing his interest, Rabbi Rabinovitz, smiled and began telling him the story.
"It began almost twenty years ago, 1949. I had survived the holocaust, moved from Romania to New York, got married and began thinking about a job. I had a few ideas about how to make a living but I couldn't make up my mind. Then someone suggested that I go see the Lubavitcher Rebbe for advice.
"I called up and I got an appointment. It was Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe and I got in to see him. He wasn't so healthy and it wasn't easy to understand him but after he heard my questions he said that he thought I should be a Rabbi. He was very clear about that and he said I should let him know what happened.
"Well sure enough, a while later I got this offer to be the head Rabbi here of the Bronx so I went back and asked the Rebbe if I should take it. He closed his eyes, thought for a minute and finally looked up and said.
"'A Shul (synagogue) is a Shul. But I don't like the Shamash (sexton-caretaker).'
Then he again closed his eyes and repeated; 'A Shul is a Shul. But I don't like the Shamash'.
Then he blessed me with success in the new job and asked me to return two weeks to see him again.
"So I followed his advice and took the job. But when I came back two Sundays later I found a huge crowd gathered outside his building…. For his funeral! They told me that the Rebbe had passed away on Shabbat! The Rebbe invited me to his funeral. I felt he was telling me that our contact would continue.
"Anyway, things went fine in the Shul; I got along well with everyone and the place began to become popular but I sensed something wrong. Gradually I found out what it was; the Shamash of the Shul was speaking against me. He even had himself a small following of complainers.
"At first he was quiet about it but eventually it got public and the politics threw the Synagogue and myself into turmoil. When I thought I was going crazy I decided to go the Rebbe's son in law who had become the next Rebbe, for advice.
"I got in to see him and it was the most amazing experience in my life. As soon as I told him my problem he said; 'My father in Law told you that a Shul is a Shul but that he didn't like the Shamash!'
"It was simply uncanny. Remember, this was years later and I never told anyone what the Previous Rebbe said to me! Anyway he continued, told me not to worry and to just be patient and that eventually I'd catch the Shamash doing something wrong.'
"Sure enough, that's exactly what happened! Just a few weeks later I was having trouble sleeping one night and took a walk to the shul and who do I see also walking around outside but the president and the janitor. It seems that they also couldn't sleep. Anyway as we got near to the Shul we noticed something strange; a few lights were on inside and someone was in there doing something. So we entered silently and what did we see? The Shamash was emptying all the charity boxes into his pocket! Needless to say he got fired the next day and my problems were over…. almost.
"Like I said our synagogue became popular and after a few years there was no where to sit. We needed to expand but there was no where to expand to, all the land around the Shul was taken. But just then the butcher next to us decided he wanted to sell us his place so he could expand elsewhere. It was a miracle!!
"And the butcher was so friendly. We came to an agreement, he gave us a great price and we shook hands, didn't even write a bill of sale! The next week the butcher moved to a big store he bought across the street and we knocked down a wall, did a bit of remodeling and like magic our Shul became almost twice as big as it was! Everyone was happy! For a while.
"But after a few years the butcher's new place also became small on him. He was succeeding and he wanted to expand again; to move his refrigerators to somewhere nearby and use the space for more customers. But he also had a problem finding a place to buy. Until he suddenly remembered the building he sold us and that there had been no bill of sale!
"He got a lawyer, sent us letters telling us to leave and when we tried to reason with him, took us to court and got an order of eviction. Things happened fast and we were going crazy but there was nothing we could do. Then, the night before the eviction I had a dream.
"I dreamt that I was standing in this room and at the head of this table, where I told you not to sit, was the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe with his son in law, the present Rebbe, standing next to him. The Rebbe smiled and said, 'Why are you so worried? G-d will direct everything in the best way.'
"Then his son in law said ' The Rebbe told you that a Shul is a Shul. It means that once a butcher shop becomes a Shul it can't become a butcher shop again. Don't worry.'
"Suddenly I woke up! I looked at my watch. I was late! I was supposed to wake up an hour ago! I got dressed and ran to the Shul as fast as I could, but it was too late. There were police everywhere, all our congregants were standing in the street trying to talk to them while some ten husky fellows were carrying all the seats out of our shul.
"But suddenly there was a big crash from the new butcher shop across the street then screams. Everyone turned to see. One of the workers came running out the door screaming 'Call an ambulance! Get a doctor! Help!! The boss is hurt!!"
"It seems that somehow a huge chandelier that was hanging in the butcher shop came loose and fell on the owner knocking him unconscious. I ran over there and there was blood everywhere! But before the ambulance arrived he came to and limped out the door holding his bleeding head and yelling like a madman. "Put the chairs back!! Don't evict them!! I lied!! I lied!!! They really paid for my store. I'm sorry!!"
"The ambulance took him anyway, the policeman shrugged his shoulders told the movers to return everything and that was the end of it! Just as the Rebbe said.
'That is why I never let anyone sit in this chair.
This answers our questions. The reason G-d split the sea was to prepare the Jews for receiving the Torah and to teach them how to use it afterwards.
At Mount Sinai all the spiritual worlds 'split' to reveal the Creator of the Universe, just as the sea split to reveal the dry land. And so it was when the sea split; the Jews had awesome revelations of G-d! (see Rashi on Zeh Kaili 15:2).
But G-d also tested and strengthened them beforehand to ignore the pressures of the world (as symbolized by Pharaoh and his forces) by spitting the sea at the last moment; just as He did to the Rabbi in our story.
But just as Moses took the Jews from Egypt and brought them to Mt. Sinai so the mystical book 'the Zohar' promises that in every generation there will be a Moses, a potential Moshiach, to reveal G-dliness and take us all through the pressures, darkness, fears and doubts of this world to the true redemption, when all the Jews will be together in Israel and there will be world peace and prosperity. Just as the Rebbe did in our story.
We are now in the last minute! It all depends on us to ignore the pressures and do all we can to bring...
Moshiach NOW!
Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Wednesday Night Shiur - Beshalach

Listen to this week's shiur of Parshas Beshalach & Yud Shevat.
The audio file for Parshas Bo is fixed and now includes the beginning of the shiur which was missing.

Hear all shiurim at www.shiur.us.

Wednesday Night Shiur - Bo

Listen to this week's shiur of Parshas Bo.

Hear all shiurim at www.shiur.us.

Rosh Chodesh Shvat with Igud Harabonim of America

The United Lubavitcher Yeshiva was honored again this year to host the world famous organization Igud Harabonim of America on Rosh Chodesh Shvat.
Hear the Divrey Torah online at http://www.shiur.us/index.php?q=f&f=%2F5769