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 Keitsei 5784
Shorftim 5784
Re'eh 5784
Eikev 5784
Vaeschonan 5784

Eikev 5784

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This week's YouParsha Eikev https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaj-_exC2Zs&feature=em-upload_owner Why Pray - It Didn't help Moses?

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Moshe informed the Jewish people, in Parshas Eikev - Deuteronomy 7:12 and following, that they would be blessed among the nations and that they would not experience childlessness or miscarriages. Understood that they would be blessed. What does among the nations add and what sort of blessing is not being childless or miscarry? Those are normal.

An analogy of fruition is given. The shell or peel is the first part of the fruit to form and then the fruit inside. The shell is an essential part of the fruit. It protects the fruit as it grows (could you imagine what watermelon would look like if the fruit came first?). Once its purpose of protecting the fruit has been used, its usefulness lessens (pickled watermelon rind, compost, etc). Likewise, the nations of the world were created to facilitate the primary mission of creation as performed by the Jews. That mission - tikun olam - fixing and purifying the world, is greatly aided by the nations of the world. Non-Jews have a place in the world to come - the world as it experienced its full purification if they do indeed aid in the fruit of the labors of the Jewish people.

This is a natural segue for the blessing of having children. Good deeds and accomplishments are called offspring. A person might feel that they work hard and get nothing done. This blessing promises that if you work hard - you will succeed.

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Reb Yisroel of Ruzhin was known for his piety and insightfulness. He once informed an orphan named Pesach who lived in his house, that a time would come when he will study medicine and become a doctor. Then he shall go to the Holy Land and save many lives.

Pesach grew up and became a doctor -- taking the family name of his beloved Rebbe, Friedman -- and settling in Israel in the town of Tzefat. One day, a regal carriage stopped in front of his house, and an important looking man stepped out. "The Princess of Prussia is visiting Tzefat and she is extremely ill. One minute she is burning with fever, the next moment she is shivering with cold. You must come at once. Her father, the Kaiser, is anxious that you come at once." Dr. Friedman hurried to the princess's bedside. He examined her and diagnosed malaria. "Take this medicine for three days. If we are fortunate, the disease has been caught in time for a cure." Three days later the princess's fever broke and it could be seen that she was on her way to recovery. After three weeks Dr. Friedman was summoned again. "The Princess will be resuming her trip, however she still feels weak and has begged that you come with her. Spare no expense. Bring along ten men and whatever food you require. Only come."

Dr. Friedman joined the traveling party for the long, arduous journey. When he finally returned home, his wife asked, "Did they reward you for saving the life of the princess?" "Not really, but they said the Kaiser would be in my debt.

Many months passed and no more was heard from the princess or her father. The land of Israel was consumed with a different problem: The government of Turkey, which then ruled the Holy Land, was demanding that young Jewish men serve in its army. Not only was it impossible to observe the Torah in the army, it was also highly dangerous. The only alternative was prison. Then, unexpectedly, a telegram came for Dr. Friedman from the Kaiser of Prussia. The brief cable stated that Dr. Pesach Friedman had been appointed Consular Agent in Tzefat for the government of Prussia, with full authority to issue passports, visas, and any other such papers to citizens of Prussia.

Dr. Friedman remembered the words of his Rebbe, as if they had just been spoken, "There you will save many lives." Hastily, he called a meeting of the communal leaders. "Gentlemen," he announced, holding up the telegram, "here is the answer to our troubles. If any young men are threatened, let them come to me. I will issue them a Prussian passport that will save them and won't have to serve in the Turkish army."

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