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.
Pinchas 5779
Balak 5779
Chukas 5779
Korach 5779
Shlach 5779
Pinchas 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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The YouParsha Pinchas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuWftyfBZqo
There are seven Parshas named after people
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This week is Pinchas, Numbers 25 - 29. The land of Israel was apportioned this week by lot. The word "by" in Hebrew is an idiom that translates literally as "on mouth". Rashi, the classic Biblical commentator writes that the lots actually talked saying, "I am for this and this family and I am for this and this piece of land," indicating that the division of the land was through prophecy. The Talmud writes that miracles are all performed with purpose. Why the miracle of talking lots?
Lots function on a level beyond reason. The act of casting lots ties directly to Divine will. The only reason someone hits the powerball is because Hashem wants them to become wealthy. Chasidus explains that this was Haman's intention in drawing lots to decide the date for his plan of extermination of the Jews, Hl"t. Even Haman understood that Jews relate to the world in a manner beyond rationale as they maintain an essential connection with the Divine will.
Eretz Yisroel - the land of Israel is called the Holy land. Holy means segregated, on a different plain than all other lands. It is also called eretz tzvi - a splendid land, but tzvi also means deer. Just as a deer runs, so Eretz Yisroel runs to fulfill the will of its creator (desire, land and run all have the same Hebrew root). This explains why a lot was necessary but not why a talking lottery.
The Jews achieved a new status upon entering the land. We see in Parshas Vaeschanon that Moshe pleaded 515 to be allowed to enter Israel and gain this level (only to be told no). The Jews were engaged in theoretical Judaism for 40 years in the desert. Now, they would engage in practical and applied Judaism. At last, they would finally be able to take the necessary measures of connecting themselves to Hashem through the performance of Mitzvahs and make this terrestrial plain a dwelling for the infinity of Hashem. Revealing infinite G'dliness in a finite world started with the miraculous proclamation of an inanimate organism, emphasizing their newly achieved status.
Jews have been fulfilling the Torah and its Mitzvahs for more than 3300 years. Each year brings us closer to the completion of the original task of providing a dwelling for Hashem's infinity in our finite world. Each mitzvah brings us closer to that goal. Our sages tell us that when Moshiach comes, even the rocks will sing praises to Hashem.
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In the summer of 1929, the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880-1950), visited Israel. The Rebbe departed the Holy Land on Thursday, August 22, two days before the Arab Riots of 1929 in which scores of Jews were massacred in Chevron and Jerusalem. Among the dead and wounded were several of the Rebbe's family relations and disciples.
In a letter to the then Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak writes:
"When the sad news of the pogroms perpetrated in the Holy Land reached me on Sunday [August 25], on the boat from Alexandria to Trieste, I fell ill with a kidney ailment out of sheer pain and distress. Thanks to G'd, the most precious of men, the wise and truly G'd-fearing Dr. Wallach, was with us on the boat and did much to relieve my illness. In such a state, I was forced to continue my journey here; for several days after my arrival I was still unable to recover from the effect upon me of the conflagration with which G'd scorched the house of Jacob, in general, and specifically from reading the list of the killed and slaughtered, the holy martyrs, may their souls be bound in the bond of life."
On another occasion, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak related that at the conclusion of the voyage Dr. Wallach approached him and begged his forgiveness. "Rebbe!" he said "How can I atone for my being the cause of your illness?
"You, the cause of my illness?" asked the Rebbe in amazement. "Yes," said the doctor. "There is no doubt in my mind that if I had not been on the boat with you, you would not have fallen ill. You, Rebbe, are a man upon whom the entire Jewish nation depends; surely, G'd would not have allowed a life-threatening illness to befall you unless the instrument of your cure was on the ship with you."
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