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.

Matos Maasai 5786
Pinchas 5786
Chukas Balak 5786
Korach 5786
Shlach 5786

Matos Maasai 5786

Watch the archived edition of the YouParsha Matos/Maasai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Phxut2BAI Moshe's Alacrity in the War Against Midian.

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This week, we read the double Parsha of Matos/Masai - Numbers 30:2 - end. The establishment of cities of refuge for accidental murders is discussed. The Torah is called a “city of refuge” for two reasons: In order for a city to be halachically considered a city, it must have at least ten people who do nothing all day other than learn Torah. This alludes to the ten sefiros of Atzilut, the realm of Hashem's attributes. The ten sefiros are the spiritual origin of our ten intellectual, emotional, and behavioral faculties.

The Hebrew word for “refuge” (miklat) actually means "absorption." This alludes to the fact that we must learn the Torah in such a way that its message is absorbed within us, thus refining us.

A murderer who killed a person accidentally shall flee there: Allegorically, any sin is an act of murder, since by sinning we prevent Divine life from entering ourselves and the world. By cutting the world off from its true livelihood, we are “killing” it. By immersing ourselves in the Torah, mitzvahs and good deeds, we counteract the effects of misdeeds.

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Every year since 1947, students from the Lubavitcher Yeshiva have been dispatched to remote parts of the world to strengthen Judaism. In 1960, Moshe Herson, now head shliach of New Jersery, was given an itinerary of Central and South American countries. In his pre-trip audience with the Rebbe, Moshe addressed his concerns for visiting Cuba. Castro had already taken over the country and religion was outlawed. The Rebbe raised other concerns but ignored Cuba.

Rabbi Herson and his partner were welcomed wherever they went in Cuba. The symbol of the Castro revolution was the beard. These chasid young men sported beards. They were able to visit and have an effect on many Jewish families as everyone thought they were part of the revolution.


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