Back in 1996, Rabbi Finman was asked to speak to the niece of one of his students. After spending many hours answering her questions, the woman gave Rabbi Finman her e-mail address. Rabbi Finman wrote the woman a note and included in it a short insight into that week's Parsha and a short Chasidic story.
Realizing that this was something no one was yet doing,, Rabbi Finman sent the missive to his mailing list of about 30 people. Requests from recipients friends came pouring in. The next week Rabbi Finman sent the e-Parsha to 100 people. Within a year more than 2000 people were receiving it. Today, more than 14,000 receive the e-Parsha weekly and the requests keep coming in.
Ki Teitsei 5786
Shoftim 5786
Re'eh 5786
Eikev 5786
Vaeschanon 5786
Ki Teitsei 5786
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This week's YouParsha http://youtu.be/h4MLYgkam9s Forgetting the Sheaves
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One of the commandments in this week's Parsha, Ki Teitsei, Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19, is the prohibition of a man wearing women's clothing and a woman wearing men's clothing. The Recanti, Kaballist from the early 1500's, explains that this causes a reversal of the male/female relationship. Presently, the male is the influencing force, the female the recipient. This has nothing to do with sexes. Even pipes and electric circuits are categorized as male/female.
King Solomon explains that when Moshiach comes, "Eishes chayil ateres bahla - a woman is the crown of her husband." The roles will then be reversed. The feminine will dominate the masculine. This paradigm can be understood by the following analogy:
A person wants to do something. This desire spurs the individual on to plan how to go about doing it. Planning is the masculine effect. Eventually, the person does it, the feminine expression. The initial desire is expressed in the final deed.
Initially, Hashem wanted to create a world that would be a direi bitachtonim - a dwelling in the terrestrial realm. That desire spurred on a system of creation whereby this desire was plodded and limited, the masculine aspect of Hashem. Eventually, the world was created - the feminine, but the initial desire was hidden. When Moshiach comes, the creation will reveal this desire - the feminine will dominate the masculine (I have not seen it that men will be wearing women's clothing or vice versa when Moshiach comes). May we merit it soon.
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On the day of the wedding of the Tzemach Tzedek, his grandfather, the Alter Rebbe asked him how much his father-in-law gave him as a dowry. "Two thousand rubles," answered the grandson. "What are your plans for this money?" questioned The Alter Rebbe. "I am planning to give it to a successful merchant and increase my capital." "Perhaps," countered The Alter Rebbe, "he will neither return you your capital nor any interest?" "My advice to you," said The Alter Rebbe seriously, "is to put the entire sum into this box." And with that, the Rebbe pointed at a charity box.
The grandson ignored what the Rebbe said and invested his money. Several months later, a fire destroyed everything the merchant owned and he was reduced to poverty. Later, when the Tzemach Tzedek complained how his investment failed, the Alter Rebbe retorted, "Why didn't you listen to me and put the money in this charity box?" "I expect more from you then from a innkeeper in Volhynia."
"Once, I was on my way home from visiting my Rebbe, the Maggid of Mezritch and stopped into a Jewish inn. "How long have you been living here?' I asked the elderly innkeeper. "For nearly fifty years,' he answered. "Are there other Jews nearby? Do you have a minyan to pray with, people with whom to celebrate the holidays?' "Only on the High Holidays do I go to a nearby village to pray together with a congregation." "Why don't you live in that village so that you can be together with other Jews?' I asked. "How would I make a living?' he questioned me. "If G'd can find a livelihood for a hundred families, don't you think He can do the same for one more?" "I also happened to mention to him that I am a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch. "Half an hour later, I saw a few wagons parked in front of the inn, loaded with all kinds of household items. I asked the innkeeper, 'What is going on?' "`I am moving to another town, just as you told me," the innkeeper answered simply.
"You see what strong faith that old man had in my Rebbe?" The Alter Rebbe challenged his grandson. "I only had to mention that I was a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch and he dropped everything immediately. You heard me directly tell you to place the money in the charity box and yet you did not listen.================
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