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.
Pesach 5786
Tzav 5896
VAYIKRA 5896
Vayakhel Pekudei 5786
Ki Sissa 5786
Pesach 5786
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This week's YouParsha Pesach http://youtu.be/MjwuRs8N-bU Karpas.
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Ben Zoma commented that we have an obligation to remember the exodus from Egypt, even at night. The sages add that we must also remember the exodus even when Moshiach comes.
Ben Zoma saw the revelation of the exodus which, according to the Alter Rebbe occurs daily, as an opportunity to vanquish the forces of evil - analogized by night. The commandment of remembering the exodus is in the same paragraph as the tsitsits. We wear tsitsits to remember and do all of the commandments regardless of where we are.
The sages' statement, however, is quite perplexing. The greatest revelation was the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Compared to Moshiach, Sinai is like a candle shining in the noonday sun. The exodus was even less of a revelation. Why would we need to remember the exodus when Moshiach arrives?
Generally, the happiest day of the year is one's birthday. In all honesty, what did you do the day you were born? If anyone should have a party and be congratulated, it should be your mother. She did all the work. Yet, what else would you have been able to accomplish had you not been born? A birthday, a true cause for celebration (see Hayom Yom for Nissan 11 - the Rebbe's birthday), is the beginning of an eventuality.
The Exodus turned an extended family of seventh cousins into the Jewish people. Moshiach would never have come were it not for the exodus. This Pesach is a time to celebrate our overcoming the forces of darkness and making the world that much closer to Moshiach.
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A chosid of Dinov suffered from a fatal lung disease and traveled to the capital city of Vienna for medical advice. The doctors told him that his disease could not be cured because the lung was not in its normal position. It was pushed to the side and was filled with phlegm that could not be drained and would cause decay. They suggested that he hurry home, lest he die among strangers.
The man started on his journey homeward with a broken heart. His way passed through Sanz and he thought to himself, "The Divrei Chaim (Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz) is famous as a great scholar and authority on Jewish Law. I shall ask him what I should do about the eating of maror, the bitter vegetable, in the forthcoming Seder on Passover night. I am unable to eat the required amount (the volume of an olive - approximately an ounce). Am I however still required to eat a lesser portion and should I pronounce a blessing over it?"
The Rebbe listened to his question. "It is written in the Zohar," he replied, "that maror is a 'healing food.' You should be able to eat the full prescribed amount and be healed." This chasid was an accomplished Torah scholar in his own right. After he left the Rebbe's presence, he remembered that the Zohar does not say that maror is a healing food, but rather, matzah. The Divrei Chaim had obviously made an error.
On the night of the Seder, the sick man took the tiniest portion of bitter herbs. He immediately began to cough strenuously, weakening him greatly. "If my end is come," he cried out, "let me at least fulfill the mitzvah properly!" He took a full portion of the strong horseradish and ate it. As soon as he swallowed, his cough grew worse and his whole body shook dreadfully. His family became frightened and ran to fetch the doctor. When he arrived, the patient was asleep. He was told that the man had become exhausted from coughing and had fallen onto the bed. The doctor said that rest was good for him and that he should not be awakened. The man slept until the following day. The doctor was amazed when he came again to examine him. The patient was completely cured. The force of the cough had jarred the lung into its normal position. The phlegm had been able to drain out. The maror had indeed been, as the Rebbe of Sanz had said, a "healing food."
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