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.
Vayera 5787
Lech Licha 5787
Noach 5787
Nitzavim Vayelech 5786
Ki Savo 5786
Vayera 5787
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This week's YouParsha Vayera http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAET3VkfF_o. The Binding of Isaac.
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Parshas Vayera, Genesis 16 -19, features the life and trials of the Patriarch Avrohom. Sorah, seeing that Yishmoel - son of the slave woman Hagar - was leading a less-than-moral life, instructed Avrohom to send Yishmoel away. Sorah wanted to provide a perfect environment for her son Yitschok because he was to be the next patriarch and progenitor of the Jewish people.
Yishmoel was suffering from a high fever when he and Hagar left Avrohom's house. Hagar cried to Hashem to save the life of her son. The Almighty promised her that Yishmoel would also be the father of a great nation - the Arabs. The verse then comments that Hagar looked up and saw a spring of water. Her dehydrated son could now be cured.
The spring was always there. All Hagar needed to do was open her eyes and see that Hashem was providing her needs. We are likewise taken care of by Hashem. We just need to open our eyes and see that all of our needs are right in front of us.
Following Sorah's lead, when it comes to Jewish children, we should try to provide an ideal environment for them to grow, ensuring they become the next in line as progenitors of the Jewish people.
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The rabbi of Tchentzikov had been married for 18 years without having children. He traveled to the Kozhnitzer Maggid to obtain his blessing. When the Kozhnitzer heard the man's request, he just sighed. "I cannot help you," the tzadik said. "You must go to 'Shvartze Wolf - Black Wolf,' who lives in your village. He will be the one to help."
"Yes, I know him," the rabbi said, "A more coarse, miserable person you could never find." The rabbi realized that if the Kozhnitzer was sending him to Black Wolf, he must have a good reason. The Kozhnitzer then quietly revealed, "Black Wolf is head of the 36 hidden saints whose merits sustain the world."
The rabbi sought Black Wolf in the forest hut that was his home.
He devised a ruse by which to gain admittance to his hut. He would go into the forest just before Shabbos and, when he found Black Wolf's house, would pretend that he had lost his way. He would beg to spend the Shabbos there, and under the circumstances, Black Wolf could hardly refuse a fellow Jew that favor.
Friday afternoon he set out and, as planned, reached Black Wolf's hut. He knocked on the door and the man's wife answered. Her horrible appearance marked her as a true equal to her husband, for never had he seen a more hideous and unpleasant woman. Nevertheless, the rabbi begged her to allow him to stay over Shabbos. "Very well," she finally relented. "But if my husband finds you here, he'll tear you apart with his bare hands. You can't stay in here, but go into the stable if you want." Soon Black Wolf arrived home and entered the stable, his eyes blazing with hatred. "How dare you come here! If you set foot outside of this stable, I'll rip you apart with my bare hands!" The frightened Jew shivered in his boots as he beheld the terrible visage of Black Wolf.
Suddenly the thought came to the rabbi. A tzadik is so pure that he acts as a mirror, reflecting the image of the person who is looking at him. What he saw in the appearance of Black Wolf was nothing more than a picture of his own spiritual impurity. With that, he searched his soul, and prayed from the deepest part of his being. He poured out his soul and in those few moments returned wholeheartedly to his Maker. He felt a warm, peaceful feeling.
Suddenly, he was shaken from his reverie by the unexpected sensation of a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked up, unsure what he would see, a shiver of fear passing through him. Black Wolf stood there, but instead of his accustomed fierce exterior, he wore a refined, peaceful visage. The visitor was ushered into the hut, which no longer appeared rough and tumble-down, but warm and inviting. Black Wolf's wife entered with her children, and they, too, looked beautiful and serene.
Black Wolf turned to his guest and said in a quiet voice, "I know why you have come here. You and your wife will rejoice in the birth of a boy. But you must name him Schvartze Wolf." The rabbi wondered to himself, "How can I name my son after him? It is not our custom to name after the living," but he remained silent. The following morning Shvartze Wolf passed away.
After Shabbos, the Tchentzikover Rabbi returned home. In time, he revealed to his congregation the hidden identity of the hated Shvartze Wolf.
True to his word, a baby boy was born and was given the strange name "Shvartze Wolf."
In 1945, Jews who survived the horrors of the Holocaust began streaming into Israel. When the Belzer Rebbe held his first Melave Malka (Saturday night meal taking leave of the Sabbos) in the Holy Land many Chasidim came and introduced themselves to the Rebbe. This story was one of those related at that first Melave Malka of the Belzer Rebbe. One man stood before the assembled and said, "My name is Shvartze Wolf ben Chana, and I am a descendant of that child who is spoken about in the story."
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