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 Sissa 5779
Titsaveh 5779
Terumah 5779
Mishpatim 5779
Yisro 5779
Ki Sissa 5779
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In memory of Bennie Magy - Bentziyon ben Avraham v Elke Magy, who passed away Menachem Av 22, 5749 - August 23, 1989 and Rose Magy - Rivka Rayzel Bat Chayim Yaakov v'Chaya Tertza Arbit, who passed away Tamuz 2, 5765 - July 9, 2005. May their souls experience a lichtiger Gan Eden - an illuminated Garden of Eden and may their family only experience Simchas from now on. Sponsored by their son Paul Magy - Birmingham, Michigan.
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This week's YouParsha http://youtu.be/dik2Ql5URpc The Mitzvahs in the Temple are still Relevant
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This week is Parshas Ki Sisa, Exodus 30:11 - 34:35. The main thrust of the Parsha revolves around the sin of the golden calf and its aftermath. After Hashem forgave the Jewish people, Moshe asked G-d to show himself. The Almighty replied, "No one can see my face and live." The Almighty conceded to show him his back. Rashi comments that Moshe saw the knot of G'd's tefillin.
The Rebbe explains that Hashem was teaching Moshe how to pray. Moshe, in his vying for forgiveness of the Jewish people, utilized the 13 Divine attributes of Mercy. By tapping into and channeling these attributes, Moshe was successful. When a person performs a misdeed, it creates a nick in their soul. Forgiveness through teshuva - returning to the creator, effects a refinishing of those dents.
The concept of showing the knot of His Tefillin was the direct result of this lesson in prayer. When one looks at the chazzan - cantor or leader of the prayers, one sees the back of his head and the knot of his tefillin. A knot is tied around a finger to remind oneself. The Zohar writes that Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi would tie knots in order not to forget the Torah they had learned.
The Alter Rebbe, first Lubavitcher Rebbe, explains that the connection a Jew has with Hashem is like a rope made of 613 strands. If one sins, one of the strands breaks and the connection is diminished. That is why the Talmud states that the punishment of sin is sin, meaning, the punishment for disconnection is being disconnected. When one returns, the strand is knotted and the connection is much greater than before. The thickness of a knot is four times the thickness of the rope.
Hashem showed Moshe the knot of His Tefillin to indicate that when a Jew comes back to Hashem the connection is fortified. The knot of the head tefillin specifically, because they are called a remembrance, as the verse states, "You shall have them a remembrance between your eyes."
As this remembrance is continually solidified, we come closer to the promise of the prophet Isaiah, "The glory of Hashem will be revealed and all flesh will see." May we merit it speedily with the coming of Moshiach, NOW!
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The Alter Rebbe would send emissaries around Russia and Central Europe to collect funds for the poor of Israel. Each year, one of these shluchim, would come to a certain town and a very wealthy man would give generously. Unfortunately, the wheel of fortune turned and the man became impoverished. That year, he had to tell the shliach he had nothing to give the Rebbe. This was the first time that the loss of his money bothered him. Having moved out of his spacious house and surviving on a meager ration did not bother him, this did.
His wife noticed his melancholy and inquired as to its cause. Her husband explained and she too felt despondent. That day, as she was cleaning the house, she came upon an old coat with very fancy buttons. She snipped the buttons from the coat and pawned them. The coins received, she polished, put in a bag and told her husband to take them to the Rebbe personally.
The man entered the Rebbe's study and emptied the contents of the sack on the desk. The Rebbe sat in a state of deep concentration, looking at the coins. He then looked up and said, "Of all the vessels used in the sanctuary, the only one that shone was the copper washbasin (described in this week's Parsha) used by the Cohanim, priests, before they began their service. The washbasin was made of mirrors donated by righteous woman. At first, Moshe did not want to accept them because they were associated with vanity. Hashem, however, told him that these mirrors were more precious than the other contributions. With these mirrors, the Jewish women would adorn themselves before their husbands would come home from making bricks. An entire generation of Jews were the result of these mirrors."
The Rebbe inquired as to the source of these coins. The man told him the entire story. The Alter Rebbe was quite pleased and blessed him with renewed success.
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