KabbalaOnline.org "Let G-d Do a Lot" [Shlach 5783]
KabbalaOnline.org "Let G-d Do a Lot" [Shlach 5783]
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ASCENT OF SAFED, P. O. BOX 296, SAFED 13102, email: director@ascentofsafed.com The week of SHLACH [outside of Israel] 5783 FOR THE LUBAVITCHER REBBE, RABBI MENACHEM MENDEL SCHNEERSON, on the 29th anniversary of his passing on Gimmel Tammuz, the 3rd of Tammuz (June 22,2023). This Torah teaching, based on his public talks and writings, will connect us with him. His influence and care for the Jewish people is legendary and continuing until today. For more teachings and how to note this day: https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/142232/jewish/3-Tammuz.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dedicated with warm mazal tov wishes and blessings for the new couple to YOSSI & CHANI RAPPAPORT and family on the marriage of their son MENACHEM MENDEL to NETA (Refaeli) May Menachem and Neta merit to build an everlasting Jewish home based on the foundations of Torah and Mitzvot
At least superficially, parshat Shlach {outside of Israel] [1], with some exceptions, is a series of sad events. Part of the work of a Jew in this world is to understand that the only purpose of darkness is to shine light into it when possible and see that light that comes from it. That is how we have to interpret all the different episodes in Shlach. I chose one that especially resonated with me. Just imagine a scenario where a major businessman decides to set up a particular type of factory in a certain foreign country, so he sends one of his staff to visit there to check the possibilities of where and how to do so. The person goes, checks the situation, and on his return says, unequivocally, that in his opinion such a factory has a zero chance of succeeding in that country. What does the boss do? He punishes the staff person for bringing back a negative report! When we examine the Torah portion it seems similar to this story. Moshe sends spies to the land of Israel to bring back information about the Land. The spies return from their journey with a disconcerting message, “A land with a mighty nation living in huge fortified cities and children of giants!” (Bamidbar/Deuteronomy 13:28). For this the spies were harshly punished and the Torah describes them as having spread an evil report on the Land (ibid. 14:37). Ostensibly, the spies only fulfilled their mission. They were asked to check the Land, “What the land is…and if the people settled there are strong…what of their cities, open or fortified? (ibid. 13:18-19). This is what they did. Is it their fault that in the Chosen Land dwell giants and that there are fortified cities? Would you expect them to ignore what they saw and give over false information? The sin of the spies was that it did not suffice to simply relate what they saw in the Land. Rather, they added their own conclusions and opinions regarding the feasibility of successfully conquering it. Their mission was to return with a description, so that the Jewish people would know how to conquer it through natural means. However, the spies jumped in with conclusions that brought the Jewish people to despair and hysteria and weakened their trust in G-d. Their words “We cannot go up against this nation because they are stronger than Him!” (ibid. 13:31) was the main sin of the spies. Put a different way, the sin of the spies was that their faith in G-d’s command was not strong enough. When G-d commands something, a Jew has to know that it is possible to fulfill it, because one of Judaism’s foundations is that G-d does not demand something from a person that he or she cannot do (see Shemot Rabba, beginning of chapter 29). Any responsible and normally intelligent person would not ask someone to do something impossible. Any workman making a vessel of some kind, works both to accomplish his goal but also not to break the vessel. If this is so obvious to us, how much more so when the Holy One Blessed Be He, the King of Kings, commands His creation to do an action. Obviously there is no doubt at all that they are capable of accomplishing it. If they could not do it, G-d would not have commanded it. True, part of the faith that we are capable of doing something once G-d has commanded us, is not to rely on a miracle (Pesachim 69b). In fact, commandments are supposed to be fulfilled in a natural way. This is also G-d’s will. Therefore, a person must search for the best way according to the rules of nature to succeed with the task. That is why Moshe sent the spies in the first place to help the Jewish people make a plan how to conquer the land naturally. The sin of the spies was that they turned nature into the primary and forgot Who stand behind nature. The next time a necessary task seems unachievable, remember that G-d is part of the equation. Don’t sweat the small stuff. The rule is, when we do a little, G-d does a lot. [Adapted from Shulchan Shabbat volume 4, page 129]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Once a devoted chasid of Rebbe Aharon of Karlin decided to defy the Russian curfew, and go to warm his soul at the Rebbe’s home. Clutching his Tehillim {Psalms], he hurried out. Suddenly, a policeman appeared before him, tied his hands, and dumped him in the town jail. “I wasn’t destined to see my Rebbe”, thought the chasid. “But I have my precious Tehillim.” And he began to recite them with warmth and enthusiasm until the book was roughly seized by a guard. The chasid remained unruffled. “At least, I am a Jew.” With this thought, a wave of joy washed over him and he began to dance. The prison guard was incredulous. Hysterically, he yelled, “Get out of here. This is no place for insane people!” The happy chasid ran at once to the home of Reb Aharon who greeted him warmly, saying, “If one is joyous to be a Jew, a part of the Jewish nation, one can be rescued from anything!” [Adapted from Mirish Kiszner. Happy Are We. Chabad.org] Shabbat Shalom and a good new month, Shaul. This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevarchim, when we bless the new month of Tammuz. The new moon [RoshChodesh] is on Sunday night until Tuesday, June 20. UNDERSTANDING THE COMMANDMENT OF TZEDAKA [CHARITY] Rabbi Shaul Leiter’s class on the inspiring teachings of the Ba’al Shem Tov from Keter Shem Tov Monday, June 19, 2023 Israel 8PM/ UK 6PM/ NY 1PM/ LA 10AM Please use the following link: https://ascent-co-il.zoom.us/j/81906073996?pwd=ZUk4SlR6N1kvUldIUUh0WTB1VVNUQT09 Meeting ID: 819 0607 3996 Passcode: 068582 Find your local number: https://ascent-co-il.zoom.us/u/kd1BQirK3D
[1] For those readers in Israel, here is a link to articles on parshat Korach, our portion for this week: https://www.kabbalaonline.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/399480/jewish/Korach.htm
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Pirkei Avot 6:10
Dr. Joshua Kulp
חֲמִשָּׁה קִנְיָנִים קָנָה לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְעוֹלָמוֹ, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, תּוֹרָה קִנְיָן אֶחָד, שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ קִנְיָן אֶחָד, אַבְרָהָם קִנְיָן אֶחָד, יִשְׂרָאֵל קִנְיָן אֶחָד, בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קִנְיָן אֶחָד. תּוֹרָה מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (משלי ח), ה' קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו מֵאָז. שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ קִנְיָן אֶחָד מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (ישעיה סו), כֹּה אָמַר ה' הַשָּׁמַיִם כִּסְאִי וְהָאָרֶץ הֲדֹם רַגְלָי אֵי זֶה בַיִת אֲשֶׁר תִּבְנוּ לִי וְאֵי זֶה מָקוֹם מְנוּחָתִי, וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים קד) מָה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה' כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ קִנְיָנֶךָ. אַבְרָהָם קִנְיָן אֶחָד מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית יד), וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ וַיֹּאמַר בָּרוּךְ אַבְרָם לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ. יִשְׂרָאֵל קִנְיָן אֶחָד מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (שמות טו), עַד יַעֲבֹר עַמְּךָ ה' עַד יַעֲבֹר עַם זוּ קָנִיתָ, וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים טז) לִקְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ הֵמָּה וְאַדִּירֵי כָּל חֶפְצִי בָם. בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קִנְיָן אֶחָד מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (שמות טו), מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ פָּעַלְתָּ ה' מִקְּדָשׁ ה' כּוֹנְנוּ יָדֶיךָ. וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים עח) וַיְבִיאֵם אֶל גְּבוּל קָדְשׁוֹ הַר זֶה קָנְתָה יְמִינוֹ:
Five possessions did the Holy Blessed One, set aside as his own in this world, and these are they: The Torah, one possession; Heaven and earth, another possession; Abraham, another possession; Israel, another possession; The Temple, another possession. 1a) The Torah is one possession. From where do we know this? Since it is written, “The Lord possessed (usually translated as ‘created’) me at the beginning of his course, at the first of His works of old” (Proverbs 8:22). 2a) Heaven and earth, another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is said: “Thus said the Lord: The heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool; Where could you build a house for Me, What place could serve as My abode? (Isaiah 66:1) And it says: “How many are the things You have made, O Lord; You have made them all with wisdom; the earth is full of Your possessions” (Psalms 104:24). 3a) Abraham is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is written: “He blessed him, saying, “Blessed by Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 15:19). 4a) Israel is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is written: “Till Your people cross over, O Lord, Till Your people whom You have possessed” (Exodus 15:16). And it says: “As to the holy and mighty ones that are in the land, my whole desire (possession) is in them” (Psalms 16:3). 5a) The Temple is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is said: “The sanctuary, O lord, which your hands have established” (Exodus 15:17”, And it says: “And He brought them to His holy realm, to the mountain, which His right hand had possessed” (Psalms 78:54).
I like to call out to all my Jewish friends:
Zechariah 8:23
23So said the Lord of Hosts: In those days, when ten men of all the languages of the nations shall take hold of the skirt of a Jewish man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." | | כגכֹּֽה־אָמַר֘ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָאוֹת֒ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔מָּה אֲשֶׁ֚ר יַֽחֲזִ֙יקוּ֙ עֲשָׂרָ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים מִכֹּ֖ל לְשֹׁנ֣וֹת הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וְֽהֶחֱזִ֡יקוּ בִּכְנַף֩ אִ֨ישׁ יְהוּדִ֜י לֵאמֹ֗ר נֵֽלְכָה֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם כִּ֥י שָׁמַ֖עְנוּ אֱלֹהִ֥ים עִמָּכֶֽם: |
ten men: from the seventy nations. This equals seven hundred for each corner. For the four corners of the tallith there will be two thousand and eight hundred. | | עשרה אנשים: משבעים לשון הרי שבע מאות לכל כנף וכנף הרי לד' כנפי הטלית אלפים ושמונ' מאו': |
Please Judah if a righteous gentile tries ‘to grasp your ‘tsi-sit’ and say: "Let me go with you, for I have heard that God is with you." Open your heart for him/her and share all our Torah. The Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu as it is written and spared and is teaches in the Tanach and all scripture of Rabbinical Judaism………
Ariel your Representee, Representee of Ephraim and adviser (not a rabbi but friendly adviser) of Bet Yisrael international on the Har HaBayit.
Read my story: https://rb.gy/i654b
Please contact me for further questions: Telegram https://t.me/ArielRepresentative WhatsApp: +972 54-568-3031 Ariel van Kessel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariel-van-kessel-71797424 Email: arielvankessel@aol.com Ariel, hopefully your Representative
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