Good Shabbos

Remember this Sunday PTA from 12:30pm- 2:00 pm. PLEASE be on time, the teachers want to leave at 2:00pm.

This week's Torah portion tells thestory of how Yaakov, the third and final Forefather of Judaism, suffered terrible hardships in order to establish his family and bear twelve sons that would evolve into the twelve tribes of Israel.

At first glance this does not make sense. G-d is the King of the Universe and Yaakov was just trying to do what He wants. Why did he have so much trouble? Why couldn't G-d just remove all the obstacles and show how easy He can make it for those who serve Him?

To understand this, here is a story (Bais Moshiach #718 pg 56)

When Rabbi Nir Gavriel, the Chabad 'Shilach' (representative of the Lubavitcher Rebbe) in the 'Florentine' area of Tel Aviv, was on his way tothe Synagogueone Thursday just a few years ago, he noticed that he had three unanswered calls on his cellular phone from the same number.

He had a lot to do that day and was just about to turn off his phone and answer the calls after prayers, when it rang again, from the same number.

He answered. The young man on the other end was desperate. He said he got the Rabbi's number from a friend and was now waiting in front of the locked door of the Chabad House for the Rabbi to return; he needed advice immediately.

Rabbi Gavriel dropped his plans and rushed to his Chabad House where he found a young man almost in tears. He introduced himself, unlocked the door, invited him in, told him to sit down and heard a tragic story.

The visitor said that he had just gotten married a few weeks earlier and now his new wife was scheduled to have a serious operation in just a few days. He heard there was a way to consult the Rebbe's Books of Letters and receive advice and comfort. He had already written a letter, and he just needed help consulting the book.

Rabbi Gavriel, without asking questions, took out one of the 27 volumes of the Rebbe's letters (Igrot Kodesh) from his bookcase, inserted the letter and read the page that appeared there. But after reading it a few times he had to admit that it seemingly had no connection whatsoever to the young man's case, so he asked his visitor to explain exactly what had happened.

The young man explained; over a month ago he and the young woman that was now his wife decided to get married. But shortly thereafter she complained about pains in her throat. So she went for a checkup and got the horrifying news that it was a malignant tumor!

The doctors reluctantly agreed that the operation could wait a month until after the wedding but warned that any more than that could be fatal.

So they married, but now the time came for the operation. It was to take place in four days; next Monday.

Rabbi Gavriel gave his best wishes, took the young man's phone number again, gave him a few encouraging words and assured him that he would pray and keep in touch. But when he left, Rabbi Gavriel almost broke into tears. Could it be that the lack of a clear reply of the Rebbe meant….?

'No'! He thought to himself. "The Rebbe will help. He always does!!"

Rabbi Gavriel went to the morning prayers and afterwards made his usual 'rounds'.

His Chabad House was in the middle of some fifty small shops and every morning he visited all of them to see if they needed any 'Jewish' assistance. But this morning he noticed that a new shop opened up that he hadn't seen before. He entered, introduced himself to the middle aged woman who was the owner and asked if he could be of assistance.

The woman smiled and replied that she was happy to see him on her opening day but was already well acquainted with the Rebbe from years ago. And she began to tell her story.

Over twenty years earlier when she was living in New York (like so many other Israelis) she was still single and was having big problems getting married. She was thirty years old and simply could not meet the right man.

Then she met up with a Chabad Chassid who told her to visit the Lubavitcher Rebbe on Sunday morning when he gave out dollar bills (to encourage the giving of charity) and ask for advice and a blessing.

So the next Sunday morning she went to Crown Heights and waited for several hours in the women's line. But amazingly, when she finally stood before the Rebbe and told her problem he gave her a dollar, told her to give it to someone who needs it, and blessed her with a speedy recovery and good health!

At first she figured that the Rebbe hadn't heard her request; all she wanted was a husband!

So the next Sunday she again stood in line but this time when she wasfinally standing before the Rebbe she made her request in a louder voice.

But to her surprise the same thing happened again; the Rebbe gave her a dollar, told her to give it to someone who needs it, and blessed her with a speedy recovery.

A month later she understood the blessing. She woke one morning with severe pains in her neck. After several months of suffering, hoping it would disappear she went to a doctor who examined her, took samples and diagnosed her condition as a malignant tumor that had to be removed.

A few weeks later she went into the operating room with the Rebbe's dollar as her only hope...but it didn't seem to help! Her heart stopped pumping in the middle of the operation and, although they brought her back to life, they had to stop the operation in the middle and sew her back up with only half the tumor removed. The doctors even told her relatives not to tell her the truth so her last few weeks should be positive ones.

But miraculously when she made her next checkup the malignant tumor turned benign! She was released in totally good health and shortly thereafter she met her husband to be.

All of the Rebbe's blessings came to fruition.

"Wonderful story!" Said Rabbi Gavriel. But tell me, do you still have the dollar the Rebbe gave you?"

When her reply was positive, Rabbi Gavriel told her the story of the young man who visited him the previous night, and begged her to run home, bring the dollar and give it to someone who needs it as the Rebbe requested.

The woman asked Rabbi Gavriel to watch her store while she ran home and within less that a half hour she was back with the dollar. He called the young man who rushed to take the dollar and promised to return it as soon as possible.

The rest was too good to be true. His wife took the dollar with her to the operation and not only was it successful but, upon examination of the removed tumor it mysteriously became benign!

That week there were big celebrations in the Chabad House for the young man and his wife. Just as Rabbi Gavriel thought; the Rebbe didn't let them down.

This explains our question. The essence of Judaism is to transform the confusion and pain of life to meaning and blessing; Namely to reveal the fact that G-d is infinitely good and indescribably close to all of His creations. Just like the Rebbe, through Rabbi Gavriel, did in our stories

And this can only be done when we are 'IN' the world.

That is why Yaakov and the other Patriarchs of Judaism had to have so many difficulties; because it is their job and the ' purpose' of Judaism to transform these difficulties to meaningful experiences.

That is why Avrhaham, Yitzchak and Yaakov are called 'Our Fathers' (Avosainu); because they 'inherited' to us the ability to do the same and transform even the worst situations into G-dly and meaningful ones.

So we have to power and potential. It just depends on us to actually do just one more good deed, say one more good word or even think one more good thought to tilt the scale and bring....

Moshiach NOW!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Wednesday Night Shiur - Parshas Vayeitzei

Listen to this week's shiur on Parshas Vayeitzei 

Listen to last week's shiur on Parshas Toldos..

Hear all shiurim at www.shiur.us.

Lesson of Inspiration

Give extra Tzedaka, do an extra Mitzva, say some extra Tehilim for Sholom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivka.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the trial for Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin took place, is one of the only states without a shliach, because there are so few Yidden there.

It was in middle of the court proceedings. When the court session recessed, Shalom Mordechai and his wife Laya went outside for some fresh air. As they exited the building, a gentleman approached them.

"Are you Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin?"

"Yes, I am. Who are you?"

"My name is Leonard. I live in Peoria, Illinois."

"So, what brings you here?"

"I'm here for personal reasons. My rabbi - Rabbi Langsam, the shliach in Peoria - told me that if I'm in Sioux Falls I should look you up."

"Nu, Shalom aleichem, it's nice to meet you. So, why are you here?"

"Unfortunately, my sister who is 61 is dying of cancer. She's in hospice, they give her a couple of days or less… I came to spend a little time with her."

"Perhaps we can visit her? Say some Tehilim at her bedside?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that will work. My sister hasn't been Jewish for many, many years. You see, we grew up here in Sioux Falls, and there was really no Jewish community. I moved to Illinois, but she remained here and married a non-Jew."

By that time the court recess was over. Shalom Mordechai and Laya bade Leonard farewell and went back into court for the next session. At 5:00, when court finished for the day and they exited the building, Leonard was waiting for them outside.

"I went to my sister in the hospice and spoke to her husband. He has no problem with your coming over. He respects the fact that his wife was born Jewish, and if some rabbis want to say some prayers by her bed, that's fine with him."

Shalom Mordechai quickly gathered some of the bochurim who were there and went to the hospice. A minyan davened mincha by her bedside, said kedusha and kaddish. After davening, the group wanted to say Tehillim.

"What's her Hebrew name?" asked Shalom Mordechai. "In fact, what's your Hebrew name?"

"My sister's name is Chaya Mushka, and my name is Menachem Mendel."

Everyone in the room – except Leonard (and his sister) did a double-take. Leonard seemed to have no idea of the significance of the names.

"Did your shliach give you these names?"

"No, that's what my parents named us at birth."

It turned out that their parents had come from Russia, and went west when came to America, finally settling in South Dakota. Very probably they had a Chabad background…

Chaya Mushka's son was also there. Someone suggested putting Tefillin on him. The boys asked Leonard. He laughed; "my nephew for sure doesn't consider himself Jewish, he'll never do that!" Shalom Mordechai said "let me talk to him." He took the man aside and talked to him. "Your mother is a Jew. She was born a Jew and she has a Jewish soul, a neshama. According to our teachings, that means that you are also a Jew, you possess a Jewish soul.  The greatest thing that you can do for your mother's soul at this point is to perform the mitzvah of putting on tefillin."  

The son agreed. There, at his mother's bedside, he put on tefillin – obviously, for the first time in his life. He – and everyone else in the room - was very emotional and touched by the experience.

Shalom Mordechai and Laya Rubashkin went back to hotel, marveling at the hashgacha pratis that had brought them to South Dakota. "We must tell this to the Rebbe." They sat down and wrote a letter to the Rebbe, and put it into volume of Igros that they had with them. When they opened the sefer they read a letter from the Rebbe that said "I thank you for sharing with me how you see hashgacha pratis on a revealed way. Hashem should and will help you to be matzliach in all of your inyanim and in spreading Yiddishkeit and inspiring people around you."

By the following morning, Chaya Mushka had already passed away. But the last evening of her life she was at a minyan, heard kedusha and kaddish, and her son put on tefillin for the first time. She died as a Jewish woman…

 

Wherever we go, wherever we are, we have a shlichus to fulfill. May it be the will of Hashem that Shalom Mordechai has fulfilled his shlichus in South Dakota, and may now return home in peace to his family.

RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Good Shabbos

Unfortunately our annual Melaveh Malkah has been canceled. As you may be well aware it is one  of our fund raising functions, and we sorely will be missing the funds. Please be so kind as to help us out and send in the requested contribution of $180.00 to our office and mark it Melaveh Malkah. If you would rather donate via credit card you can call either the office or the cell # 347 386-0500.

This week's Torah portion tells the story of Yitzchak's wells. Strangely the Torah devotes a lot of space to how he dug these wells and even some of their names; one was called Aisek another Sitna and the third Rechovot.

The Torah is neither a mere history book as atheists claim nor a spiritual manual as the other religions profess. Rather every word and letter of the Torah was dictated by the Creator of the Universe to the Jewish people through Moshe to put meaning and blessing in the entire creation!

If so, what possible significance is it to us now, that Yitzchak dug a few obscure wells whose location is unknown today, almost four thousand years ago?

To understand this, here is a story (Sichat HaShavua #1193)

A few years ago, in the year 2,000 (5760) Rabbi Shlomo Wilhelm, the Chabad representative in the city of Zitomer in the Ukraine, attended a family affair, perhaps a wedding, in London England when a woman approached him, introduced herself and said that she was very pleased to hear that he ran the Chabad House in Zitomer and had a personal favor to ask.

She had been raised in a small village by the name of T'chorisha not far from Zitomer but had to leave it and her family at a young age. To her knowledge, her parents were buried there and she requested with tears in her eyes that at his first free moment to please locate their graves and send her a picture.

Of course there was no such thing as a free moment for Rabbi Wilhelm but somehow when he returned he asked the help of Reb Hersh Shribman one of the pillars of the Jewish community of Zitomer, and together they found time to locate the town of T'chorisha find its Jewish cemetery and finally take pictures of the desired tombstones; all this to calm one troubled Jewish woman.

After taking the pictures Rabbi Wilhelm turned to his companion and said, "Listen, if we're already here… why not see if there are any Jews in the town. Maybe we can do some good!"

So together they began wandering the streets of T'chorisha asking the residents if there were any Jews until one of them pointed to a large hut (all the houses there were large huts) and said they should ask the old lady living there. If anyone would know it was her.

So they walked to the house, opened the gate to the front yard and saw a young couple with a small child standing there. As soon as this couple saw them, their eyes opened in amazement and they froze.

"What do you want?" the young man barely asked.

When Rabbi Wilhelm told them that they were looking for Jews the couple turned to each other shaking their heads incredulously almost in tears and the young man shook the Rabbi's hand as though he couldn't believe he was real.

The young woman explained. "Our grandmother is inside. She is Jewish. We are her grandchildren. This little girl is my daughter and this young man is my brother. The reason we are here today is because her doctor told us to come quickly if we want to see her alive again."

They all entered the hut and as their eyes adjusted to the dim light they saw a very old woman, eyes slightly open, lying almost lifeless in the bed. But as soon as she saw the Rabbis she opened her eyes, smiled and whispered, 'Shalom'! They said a few words to her in Yiddish and she replied, while her grandchildren stood hypnotized not believing their eyes.

After several minutes of this the Rabbis said good bye, left their phone numbers and plenty of reading material on Judaism and returned to Zitomer.

That evening they received a phone call from the young lady that shortly after they left, her grandmother passed away. Rabbi Wilhelm quickly and efficiently arranged a proper Jewish burial for her and was amazed by the revealed Divine providence; how he 'happened' to come to this 'lost' town, 'happened' to arrive at the home of a lost Jew in her last moments in this world and 'happened' to get her a proper Jewish burial.

But there was much more to the story.

Six years later the Rabbi Wilhelm arranged a special evening of lectures for the citizens of Zitomer with a talented speaker by the name of Mrs Rivka Nimoy on the topic of prayer. Almost fifty women from the area attended most of whom were tasting Judaism for the first time. The lecture went well, the discussion afterwards was lively and at one point Mrs. Nimoy asked if there was anyone that had an experience of having their prayers answered. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence one of the women raised her hand and stood.

She introduced herself as Netalia Pogoroi and told the following story.

Her mother passed away when she was a young girl and she and her brother were raised by her grandmother, a woman by the name of Batia Pobolotzkia. Eventually they grew up and moved away, she even married and had a child, but they always kept in touch with each other and with their grandmother and regularly visited her.

Then, when their grandmother was well into her eighties, the doctor that had been assigned to her called and told them to come quickly because the old lady was dying.

So they both took taxis and within the hour were by their dying grandmother's bedside. She was breathing with great difficulty and was barely conscious and it seemed like the end would be any second, but then she suddenly opened her eyes, motioned for them to come closer and began to speak clearly and with great determination.

She told them she was Jewish! And so were they!

She explained that her whole life she was surrounded by gentiles and kept her Jewishness quiet because she didn't want to be different. But now that she was dying she begged them to see to it that she would get a Jewish burial. Then she lapsed back into her semi-comatose state.

They couldn't believe their own ears. They were ….. Jews?! Their grandmother wanted a Jewish burial!??

They didn't even really know what either of these things were! They had been sure that they were just like everyone else! Maybe the old lady was crazy? But she spoke so clearly!

They went out to the yard to calm down and discuss things when suddenly… from nowhere, two genuine Rabbis entered through the gate! It was as though they were participating in some sort of dream!

"At first we thought that maybe grandma invited them but when we saw how genuinely excited and amazed she was when she saw them and they spoke to her we realized it was a miracle. The Rabbis came because she prayed for a Jewish burial and G-d answered her prayers!

"Afterwards we, my brother and me, read some of the pamphlets the Rabbis left and began to get interested in what was written there. Until this year I enrolled my daughter, who was the young baby in the story six years ago, in the Chabad school here in Zitomer. And that is why I'm here tonight!"

Now Rabbi Wilhelm was truly astonished; his search for a grave not only got a woman a proper Jewish burial it brought an entire 'lost' family back to Judaism.

This answers our questions.

Yitzchak was one of the three 'Fathers' of Judaism and his work paved the way for ours. Digging and discovering wells in the desert is an allegory for awakening Jewish souls in this seemingly meaningless and desolate world. Just as Rabbi Wilhelm and tens of thousands of Chassidim of the Lubavitcher Rebbe are awakening dormant Jewish souls throughout the world.

But this is not an easy task as the names of these wells indicate: Aisek and Sitna mean struggle and opposition. Often our efforts meet with struggle and opposition from both the world and from within ourselves. But we must not be intimidated or discouraged. We are promised that after all we will merit to 'Rechovot'….. miraculous 'wideness'.

As we saw in our story; G-d helps and directs the steps of man so that finally all the 'wells' will be revealed. Soon the world will be filled with the awareness of G-d like the water fills the ocean. It's just up to us to make the 'steps'.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe says it all depends on us. Even one good deed, word or even thought could remove the final thin layer of dirt to reveal 'Rechovot'; the true, unbounded wideness of … 

Moshiach NOW!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Wednesday Night Shiur - Parshas Toldos

Listen to this week's shiur on Parshas Toldos.

Listen to last week's shiur on Parshas Chayey Sarah.

Hear all shiurim at www.shiur.us.

Wednesday Night Shiur - Parshas Chayey Sarah

Listen to this week's shiur on Parshas Chayey Sarah.

Listen to last week's shiur on Parshas Vayera.

Hear all shiurim at www.shiur.us.

Inspirational

 "Rather Cut Off My Hand, But Don't Touch My Beard"



       I merited hearing the following story from the grandson of the Kapischnitzer Rebbe zt'l (R' Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel, 1888-1967), who heard it directly from his grandfather. [It was recently published in "Heroes of Spirit – 100 Rabbinic Tales of the Holocaust" by Rabbi Dovid Hoffman (Israel Bookshop, 2009), pg. 320].



       The Kapischnitzer Rebbe zt'l was one of the most widely respected and beloved Torah leaders of our times*. With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Rebbe fled with his family to Vienna. When Jewish life was shattered by the German occupation of Vienna, the Rebbe was seized and forced to clean the streets to the amusement of the jeering Germans. On one occasion in an attempt to humiliate the Rebbe, the Germans sent one of their offices with a scissors to cut off his beard. The Rebbe promptly stuck out his hand and told the officer, "Rather cut off my hand, but don't touch my beard." The German, startled by the Rebbe's courage, miraculously left without carrying out his evil orders.



       Throughout Jewish history, Jews were moser nefesh not to cut their beards. An entire chapter in sefer Hadras Ponim Zokon (Part II, Chapter 14) features documented, amazing incidents regarding Jews of all backgrounds who risked their lives and livelihoods rather than cut their beards -- including under Nazi persecution during World War II and under Communist persecution in Russia.



       "Jews would consider the beard as 'an organ on which the soul

       depends'.... The possibility of living without a hand or a

       foot was more acceptable [even to a simple Jew] than the

       possibility of living without a beard (Imrei Simchah, Vol. I, p.

       310).


RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Words of Inspiration

IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE TO VISIT THE TZIUN OF MY FATHER-IN-LAW WITH YOUR TZELEM ELOKIM

 

During the summer of 5718 (1958), a young man went into yechidus for his birthday on the 16th of Tammuz. He mentioned to the Rebbe that a certain shidduch had been proposed, and asked the Rebbe's blessing.

 

Giving his consent and blessing to the match, the Rebbe added: "I would respectfully suggest that it would be a good idea if you would grow a beard. Your father had a beard. Your grandfather had a beard. Their grandfathers before them all had beards. You should do this, not because I want you to, but because the A-bershter wants you to."

 

He then asked if the Rebbe he would consent to be "mesader kiddushin" and officiate at the wedding. The Rebbe replied: "If you fulfill my request to you, I will be glad to fulfill your request to me."

 

About two weeks later, on Erev Shabbos, he received a phone call from the Rebbe's secretary, Rabbi M.C.I. Hodakov. The Rebbe wanted to know if he had accepted upon himself that which had been discussed during yechidus. If so, he should leave a note on the Rebbe's shtender in time for Kabolas Shabbos.

 

In the note, he informed the Rebbe that he had accepted upon himself to grow a beard.

 

In Elul of that year, the Rebbe met this young man in 770, and said to him: "It would be a very nice thing if you would pay a visit to the Tzion of my father-in-law [the Frierdiker Rebbe], with your G-dly image, your Tzelem Elokim." The Rebbe was referring to his beard.

From "Mekadesh Yisroel," pg. 248

For a comprehensive treatment of this subject, see:

Sefer Hadras Ponim Zokon / by Rabbi Moshe Wiener / The Cutting and Growth of the Beard in Halachic Perspective / Published with the Endorsements of the Leading Halachic Authorities of our Times / 1024 pages (in expanded third edition)
RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Good Shabbos

This Sunday dismissal is at 2:00 p.m. Please plan your day accordingly. A big Mishnayous Baal Peh competition has started, everyone will be a winner.

This week's Torah portion ends with the story of the Akaida ('tying up') of Yitzchak by his father Avraham. Surprisingly this weird story of attempted murder instigated by 'a heavenly voice' is the basis of Judaism!

Not only that, but the Torah tells us almost nothing about the Judaism of Abraham; its rituals, principles or beliefs.  But it DOES tell us almost every detail of this Akaida that he did!

What is so important about this deed?

To understand this, here is a story (HaYdion Kfar Chabad #537).

The year was 1950 in Russia. Communism was ready to conquer the world with its bold ideas of equality, opportunity, hope and freedom from economic oppression. Russia was excited and inspired with hope and vision but perhaps the most excited were the Jews.

They threw away their Judaism by the millions. Religion was a thing of the past, a vestige of the dark ages. Now Marx, Lenin and the great light; Stalin (may his name be cursed forever) would illuminate the world! Communism would end the worries of mankind!

No one believed this more than Abrasha Yafe.

His father, Reb Avraham, had been a religious Jew; a Chassid and follower of the Fifth Rebbe of Chabad, Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber of Lubavitch. But Abrasha was a card-carrying totally devoted Communist with a high party position and aspirations even higher and NO time or place in his heart for religion.

He hadn't done anything Jewish for over ten years, since he was fifteen years old; Judaism was simply OFF his agenda.

Abrasha married a girl that was also a communist official, perhaps not as high up in the ranks as he, but one that shared his ideals totally. By 'coincidence' she also had Jewish parents. Her grandparents had been observant.  Her parents were only marginally so, but she was totally communist through and through.

So it was no surprise that when their first child, a boy, was born, the thought of circumcising him never entered their minds. As far as they were concerned he was a Russian and potentially a good party member.

But Abrasha's mother, whose name was Chaya Basha, would have no part of it. She confronted her son; her grandson would be circumcised and that was all there was to it!

Abrasha tried to ignore her but she refused to be ignored. He tried arguing that it was foolish, old fashioned, dangerous, superstitious, against the law, but she refused to listen to reason.

Then, when he simply put his food down and said 'no'! She stared at him in a way he had never seen before, put her hand on her heart and said, almost in a whisper, that if he refused she would commit suicide!

Abrasha began to shake! He couldn't even look her in the eyes! He cleared his throat a few times, and immediately agreed. But only on two conditions.

First that the 'Brit' (circumcision) would be in total secrecy so NO ONE would know.  Secondly, that neither he nor his wife would be present. That way if they got caught he could claim that his old mother took the child when he wasn't looking.

Chaya Basha knew exactly what to do. She went to a Chassid by the name of Chanuch Hendel Galperin, who was a Mohel (circumciser) and asked him to arrange the brit for the day that the child would be eight days old.

He agreed on the condition that only on that day would he divulge where the brit would be.  When the day arrived, late in the afternoon just a half-hour before the occasion, he notified Chaya Basha (she brought the baby) and nine Chassidim who, with the greatest secrecy, speed and efficiency made their separate ways to a small inconspicuous third floor apartment. The door was locked, the window shades were drawn and closed, the child was circumcised and given the name Yisrael (after Yisrael Baal Shem; the Baal Shem Tov) everyone said 'Mazal Tov' quietly and then came the meal! (After a brit a festive meal is made.)

Chaya Basha produced a few small loaves of bread a bottle of vodka, some herring and some salad and the meal began! L'chaims were poured and soon the Chassidim were singing a merry 'nigun' (Chassidic song) on the verge of standing up and dancing.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door!

A deathly silence fell over everyone. Chaya Basha waited a moment, put her finger to her lips that no one should talk and called out, "Who's there?"

No reply. Just more knocking!

She approached the door and again called out, who is there!? The person on the other side mumbled something she couldn't understand. "Who?" She repeated. Again mumbling.

Could it be the KGB? Was it a trick? She had no choice. If it was KGB and she didn't open they would break it down and arrest everyone.

Cautiously opened one latch after another, opened the door and there stood her son, Abrasha!

Without saying a word he entered, looked around, closed the door behind him, approached the table where everyone was sitting, pulled out a chair and sat down. Someone poured him a L'chaim. He took the glass and raised it but before he could drink, one of the Chassidim produced a yarmulke, put it on his head and said, "maybe make a blessing" (it is a commandment to make blessings to thank G-d before eating. The yarmulke is worn to enhance the fear of G-d).

He made a blessing and downed the small cup. The Mohel put his hand on Abrasha's shoulder and said, "Tell me, have you ever heard of a Chassid by the name of Avraham Yafe?"

When Abrasha heard the name of his departed father he began swaying slightly back and forth, closed his eyes and sang a slow beautiful 'nigun' that his father used to sing. Everyone joined in.

After a few more l'chaims, he began reminiscing warmly, how his father would pray for hours, the songs he sang when he prayed, the stories he told etc. And so it continued until sunrise. As the sun's rays shone through the window shades, one of the Chassidim suggested to Abrasha that he make a resolution. Abrasha just shrugged his shoulders as to say, 'what's that?'

But the Chassid didn't give up. "Abrasha!" he said warmly. "I knew your father well. He was a very genuine and honest man. He really believed in G-d and in you, Abrasha. He believed that you both wouldn't let him down. I'm sure that in heaven your father has no rest until you do what the Creator wants! Abrasha! Put on Tefillin, keep the Shabbat, eat only kosher food. Only then will you and your father be happy.

Abrasha thought for a moment and...agreed!

The next day he told his wife that he decided to turn over a new leaf and a few weeks later he miraculously found some excuse to leave his political position and get a more normal job where he wouldn't be observed constantly and could become an observant Jew.

It seems that the circumcision of his son removed the spiritual 'foreskin' of his heart as well.

This answers our questions.

The Mishna (Avot 5:3) tells us that Abraham was tested ten times by G-d.

But, although the last and most difficult test was the 'Akeida' the only one called 'the covenant' (Brit) was the circumcision.

Because the Circumcision stressed the purpose of all the other tests: to change 'human' nature, remove the 'spiritual' foreskin covering the heart, and bind it to the Creator. Namely to value truth more than success.

This is what happened to Abrasha in our story. Suddenly he changed his nature and became devoted to the truth rather than to his high rank in the party.

And this is the essence of Judaism.

But no where was this essence demanded more than in the Akaida. There was no greater success story than Yitzchak's miraculous birth and upbringing. He was the ONLY person in the world that really could continue Abraham's message of truth! So, when G-d told Abraham to sacrifice him He was really telling Abraham to destroy with his own hands, his past, future and everything he had worked for all his life!

But Abraham was willing to do it! He tied up his son because he valued truth more than success. (of course, in the end G-d promises success as well)

And THIS is the 'essence' of Judaism; G-d is the Creator of all being and we should be concerned only with doing what He wants.

It is this 'essence' that has enabled us to not just withstand the worst tests of almost two thousand years of holocausts, pogroms and expulsions but even to grow and flourish despite (or perhaps because of) them!

And it is this devotion to the truth that will bring Moshiach and the final redemption!

This is our job today. The Lubavitcher Rebbe stressed many times: we have had enough tests and difficulties, today we must direct all the devotion that we inherited from Avraham to do EVERYTHING we can to improve the world. Even one good deed, word or even thought can bring....

Moshiach NOW!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

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