adar 24, 5780 - friday, march 20, 2020 mosaic · 2020-03-19 · mosaic express 1 virtual torah...
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MOSAIC EXPRESS 1
VIRTUAL TORAH LEARNING ON ZOOM
MOSAIC Adar 24, 5780 - Friday, March 20, 2020
EXPRESS
ב"ה
Montreal Torah Center Bais Menachem Chabad Lubavitch Joanne and Jonathan Gurman Community Center ⬢ Lou Adler Shul ⬢ Marcia Gillman and Michael Flinker Early Childhood Center
28 Cleve Road, Hampstead Quebec H3X 1A6 ⬢ 514. 739.0770 Fax 514.739.5925 mtc@themtc.com WWW.THEMTC.COM ⬢ SODIA ICONS
TORAH PORTION VAYAKHEL-PEKUDEI פקודי–ויקהל Candle Lighting: 6:49 pm
Shabbat Ends: 7:53 pm
PARSHAT HACHODESH
BLESSING OF THE NEW MONTH OF NISAN, ROSH CHODESH THURS MARCH 26
2 MOSAIC EXPRESS
‘SPONSOR OF THE DAY’ PROGRAM The ‘Sponsor of the Day’ program creates a consistent form of annuity,
contributing to MTC’s financial stability. Each sponsorship is recognized on our website, in our weekly Mosaic Express, in our Mosaic Magazine and on the screens in our lobby.
To become a sponsor of the day, please contact Itchy @ 739.0770 ext 223
KOLEL MENACHEM OF HAMPSTEAD
Rabbi New’s morning Chassidus class and daily story, as well as Rabbi Levi’s daily Talmud class (for beginners as well as those a bit more advanced) are uploaded daily to YouTube.com/MontrealTorahCenter Please take a moment to explore the channel for an archive of lectures, classes and playlists on a variety of topics. Follow us on FB.com/MontrealTorahCenter where we’ll be going live from time to time with classes, including Rabbi Levi’s Monday night Haggadah class at 8:30.
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SHABBAT SCHEDULE*
Mincha & Maariv…….…….....….....7:00 pm Tehillim.….…….................................9:00 am Shacharit………….……...…...….10:30 am Followed by Kiddush Mincha………..………..…………7:00 pm Maariv………..………..…………7:53 pm
TORAH READING** Parshat Vayakhel Pekudei….......................... Maftir—Parshat Hachodesh.......................... Haftorah…..................................………….
*Join from home!
**Read summaries on pages 3 and 5.
On-Line Farbrengen
Everyone, men and women, are invited to join an on-line Farbrengen in honour of Shabbos Mevorchim Nissan; Shabbos Parshas HaChodesh and
the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka’s birthdate anniversary.
Saturday night, Motzoei Shabbos, 9:30 pm
themtc.com/zoom
Virtual Torah Classes & Prayer Services LEARNING:
Sunday morning at 8:20 for a class on the upcoming Yom Tov of Pesach. This is a class geared for both the novice and the more advanced student.
Monday thru Friday morning from 7:20 to 8:00, a more advanced class on Chassidus related to the Parsha and Holidays. This is followed by a chassidic story.
Friday morning 6:45 to 7:20, a more advanced class on Pesach Tuesday 11:00am, a class on Pesach for women, held until now in the home of Debbie
Cons. PRAYER TIMES:
Shacharis: Monday through Friday - 8:15 am. Sunday, 9:00 am.
Mincha/Maariv this week, 7:05 pm. Join a live class or prayer service where all the participants can see and hear each other.
VISIT THEMTC.COM/ZOOM
THE RABBI’S (PRE) SHABBAT SERMON
Friday, live on-line, at 5:00pm
themtc.com/Zoom
MOSAIC EXPRESS 3
General Overview: In this week 's portion, Vayakhel-Pekudei, Moses gathers the Jews and relays to them all the details regarding the construction of the Tabernacle, its vessels, and the priestly garments. The actual construction and assembly is also described. This portion repeats many of the details described in the portions of Terumah and Tetzaveh, wherein G-d instructed Moses regarding the assembly of all these objects. The Tabernacle is erected, and G-d's presence dwells therein. First Aliyah: On the day after Moses descended from Mount Sinai with the Second Tablets, after successfully securing atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf, he gathered all the Jewish people. The primary purpose of this assembly was to inform the Jews of G-d's desire for a Sanctuary to be constructed. He began, however, with a brief reminder regarding the observance of the Shabbat. This was followed by a description of the materials needed to construct the Tabernacle, and a list of the vessels, Tabernacle parts, and priestly garments which were to be produced. The men and women came forward and generously donated all the materials which Moses enumerated. Second Aliyah: Moses announces G-d's choice of Bezalel and Oholiab to serve as foremen of the Tabernacle construction project, and he transfers to them all the donated materials. The people, however, continued donating generously, until the craftspeople report to Moses that they have more than enough materials to complete their task, causing Moses to issue a proclamation requesting everyone to cease donating materials. The craftspeople began their work. The tapestries which covered the Tabernacle were assembled, and the craftspeople construct the Tabernacle wall panels, their sockets, the curtains which covered the entrance to the sanctuary and which separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the sanctuary, the Ark, and the Showbread Table.
Third Aliyah: This aliyah desc ribes the construction of the menorah (candelabra) and the Incense Altar. The anointing oil and the incense are also prepared. Fourth Aliyah: The Tabernac le's construction is capped off with the construction of the Outer Altar, the copper wash basin, the mesh curtains which surrounded the Tabernacle courtyard, and the beams and hooks which anchored them. The Torah then gives an exact accounting of the amounts of gold, silver and copper donated for the construction of the Tabernacle, as well as the vessels and building materials constructed with these supplies. Fifth Aliyah: The High P riest's ephod — a reversed apron which covered the back — and its precious-stone-studded shoulder straps were made. The High Priest's Choshen Mishpat ("Breastplate of Judgment") was assembled. It contained four rows of precious stones, each row containing three stones. Artisans engraved the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel upon these twelve stones. The Choshen Misphat was then secured by straps which connected it to the ephod. Sixth Aliyah: The rest of the priestly garments were completed: The High Priest's me'il (blue robe adorned with golden bells and cloth "pomegranates") and tzitz (a golden band worn on the forehead, which was engraved with the words "Holy to G-d"); and the four garments worn by both the High Priest and the regular priests: tunics, turbans, sashes and pants. With this, the construction of the Tabernacle and all its vessels and accoutrement were finished. The craftspeople brought their finished products to Moses. Moses saw that all the work had been done exactly to G-d's specifications, and he blessed the workers. Seventh Aliyah: G-d instructed Moses to erect the Tabernacle on the first of Nissan. G-d also instructed Moses to place all the Tabernacle's vessels in their proper places,
(Continued on page 5)
ALIYAH SUMMARY
By Sarah Chana Radcliffe
When a child provokes us, we may be tempted to tell her "You are making me very upset right now!" However, doing so lays an unfair burden of guilt upon the youngster. Even if she happens to be writing on your walls at the moment, she is not actually MAKING you upset...she's only part of the problem. Other factors affecting your emotional reaction to her behavior include the overall state of your nerves (the quality of your sleep, diet, exercise, relationships, work stress), your life history (including your childhood experiences and the parenting you received), the way your day is going and much more. If this child had just been released from hospital after suffering a life-threatening illness, Heaven Forbid, you might be thrilled to see her writing on your wall! Or, if you had just come home from a parenting class, you might be able to calmly and "professionally" deal with the misbehavior, without the upset. So you see, it is not the misbehavior itself that is responsible for your emotional state, but rather a host of other factors that co-exist with it. What IS true, and what you can honestly and fairly say is, "I'm starting to get very upset right now." This small difference in wording can make a huge difference in psychological impact. Follow this statement with an action plan that your child can learn from: "I need to sit down, calm down and think about what I want to do about this."⬢
PARENTING POST
DOSE OF INSPIRATION
TWO PATHS by Tzvi Freeman
There are two paths:
One: Everything is for the good. Perhaps not immediately, but eventually good will come out from it. The other: Everything is truly good—because there is nothing else but He who is Good. It’s just a matter of holding firm a little longer, unperturbed by the phantoms of our limited vision, unimpressed by the paper tiger that calls itself a world, and eventually we will be granted a heart to understand and eyes to see.
Indeed, it's that very faith of yours that will make this become obvious good in our world as well.⬢
4 MOSAIC EXPRESS
We invite you to join our Platinum, Corporate or Event Sponsors.
We’re counting on your support! Get involved in MTC’s life-line fundraiser of the year! CHAIRPERSONS Jarrid Adler, Jeremy Levi, Rick & Rachelle Merovitz DRAW: THURSDAY MAY 14
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MOSAIC EXPRESS 5
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and to anoint all of the items with the anointing oil, thus sanctifying them. Moses is also directed to dress Aaron and his sons in the priestly garments, and to anoint them, too. When Moses finished this task a Cloud of Glory and the Divine Presence filled the Tabernacle. This cloud also served as the Jews' guide throughout their desert sojourn: when the cloud lifted, the people would travel, following the cloud until it rested, where they would set up camp until the cloud would lift again.⬢
PARSHAT HACHODESH This being the Shabbat that falls on or before the first of Nissan, we also read the section of Hachodesh (Exodus 12:1–20), which relates G-d’s words to Moses in Egypt two weeks before the Exodus, instructing us to set the Jewish calendar by the monthly new moon, and to regard Nissan as the “head of months.” G-d also instructs to bring the Passover offering, to eat it with matzah and bitter herbs, and to abstain from leaven for seven days.⬢
HAFTORAH IN A NUTSHELL This week's haftorah describes the dedication of Solomon's Temple, following the theme of this week's Torah reading: the dedication of the desert Tabernacle. The construction of the Holy Temple was completed. King Solomon assembled the leaders and elders of the tribes to Jerusalem, and amidst great fanfare the Levites transported the Ark from its temporary location in the City of David and installed it in the Holy of Holies chamber in the Holy Temple. Immediately, G-d's presence appeared in the Temple, in the form of a smoky cloud. King Solomon then blessed G-d. He recalled the history of the sanctuary, how his father, KinG-david, had wanted to build it—but was told by G-d that it would be his son who would accomplish this feat. "And the L-rd has established His word that He spoke, and I have risen up in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the L-rd spoke, and have built a house for the name of the L-rd, the G-d of Israel. And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein (is) the covenant of the Lord, which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt."⬢
6 MOSAIC EXPRESS
PARSHA INSIGHTS
The Family Store—COVID 19 The Family Store extends our deep appreciation to the MTC community for an impressive volunteer response. The MTC volunteers, together with volunteers from the Federation CJA, are ensuring that the elderly, infirm, or quarantined are able to procure fresh groceries and supplies. The Family Store is on the front line to meet the need as we work to help provide for over 10,000 daily meals during these challenging times. With thanks and blessings for your health and safety on behalf of over 500 families. The Family Store www.thefamilystore.org
with peanut butter—because you feel like it.
G-d, too, desires a home—a place where He can be fully and uninhibitedly Himself. The chassidic masters ask: Why did G-d create the physical world? What can our coarse, finite, strife-ridden existence give Him that the spir-itual dimensions of creation cannot? And they answer: G-d created the physical world be-cause He wanted a home—a place where He can do things because He feels like it.
G-d’s first home was a two-room, 45-by-15-foot building. According to Exodus 25, it was made of the following materials: gold, silver, copper, blue-, purple- and red-dyed wool, flax, goat hair, animal hides and wood. It was made to order, from detailed specifications given to Moses at Mount Sinai. It sat in the very center of the Israelite camp in the desert, and was designed so that it could be dismantled and reassembled as they wandered from place to place for the forty years between their exodus from Egypt and their entry into the Holy Land. Later, a larger and more permanent version was constructed on the Temple Mount in Jeru-salem.
Said G-d to man: I created wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and in these creations My mind dwells. I created love, justice and com-passion, and in these my character resides. I created beauty, splendor and majesty, and in these I invest My personality. But none of these are My home, any more than the office at which you work or the theater at which you are entertained is yours. So I created physical mat-ter—the most undivine thing I could conceive of—so that I should have a place in which there are no roles for Me to play and no char-acteristics for Me to project. Only My will to fulfill.
When you take your gold (your material excess-es), your silver (your stolid middle-class wealth) and your copper (your pauper’s subsistence pennies) and use them to fashion a reality that conforms to My will, you have made Me at home in My world.⬢
By Yanki Tauber
HOME
Nations go to war over it, families sign away a sizeable chunk of their income for the next thirty years to acquire one. The sages of the Talmud go so far as to say that “a man without a homestead is not a man.”
A home is more than a roof to keep out the rain, walls to keep out unwanted visitors, a kitchen in which to prepare food and a bed in which to sleep. Forts, office buildings, hotels and restau-rants can perform those functions as well, or better, than any residence. But only at home is a person at home. Home is where you can make faces at the mirror, wear an old green sweater with a hole under the armpit, and eat pickles
MOSAIC EXPRESS 7
A GATHERING WITH THE REBBE IN 1992
To build a brick wall you need bricks. To make a watch you need gears, springs and balance wheels. To create a community you need peo-ple.
You can't build a lasting building out of half-baked bricks. You can't assemble an accurate timepiece unless each of its components has first been honed to precision. Nor, it would seem, can you put together a perfect world out of imperfect individuals.
The 25th of Adar I, 5752 (February 29, 1992) was a Shabbat like many others for the Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidim residing in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York.
Because it was Shabbat Mevarchim (the Shab-bat preceding the start of a new month in the Jewish Calendar) they joined their Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, in his synagogue at 8:30 am to recite the book of Psalms, as is the Lubavitch custom. This was followed by the usual Shabbat morning service, in the course of which the Torah section of Vayak'hel (Exodus 35-38) was read. Following the service, some rushed home for a quickly-eaten Shabbat meal. Within the hour they were back, joining those who had remained in the synagogue as well as numerous other com-munity residents who had prayed that morning in other neighborhood shuls. By 1:30 p.m., the time that the Rebbe's weekly Shabbat far-brengen (gathering) was scheduled to begin, several thousand Chassidim crowded the large room at 770 Eastern Parkway.
Shortly thereafter, the Rebbe entered. For the next three hours he spoke, expounding on a variety of Torah subjects. In the short intermis-sions between his talks, the Chassidim sang and raised small plastic cups of wine to say lechaim to the Rebbe. A Shabbat like many others for the Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidim of Crown Heights.
In one of his talks, the Rebbe dwelled on the fact that the Torah reading of the day, Vayak-hel, is on many years read together with anoth-er section, Pekudei. Because of the varying length of the Jewish year, the annual Torah reading cycle includes certain sections that are sometimes combined with each other to form
into a single reading. An interesting feature of these potential "pairs" is that often their names express opposite meanings. For example, Nitza-vim, which means "standing," is often joined to Vayeilech, which means "going."
Vayakhel and Pekudei form one of these para-doxical pairs: Vayakhel, which begins by telling how Moses assembled the Children of Israel, means "And he assembled" and is related to the word kehillah, "community"; Pekudei, which begins with an audit of the Sanctuary's compo-nents, means "the counted things" and "the remembered things"--the emphasis on the item within the whole and the individual within the community.
In other words, explained the Rebbe, Vayakhel and Pekudei express the contrasting values of community and individuality, and the need to unite the two: to build a community that fos-ters, rather than suppresses, the individuality of its members; and to cultivate an individuality that contributes to, rather than conflicts with, the communal whole.
Then the Rebbe asked a question: If that is the case, why does Vayakhel come before Pekudei? Don't we first need to develop and perfect the individual, before hoping to make healthy communities out of him and his fel-
(Continued on page 8)
8 MOSAIC EXPRESS
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What came first, the Chicken or the Egg? Safety. Safety always comes first.⬢
AND FINALLY...
the Rebbe's words (it being Shabbat, no elec-tronic recordinG-devices were employed at the farbrengen). Within 24 hours, the Rebbe's words were transcribed, translated into half a dozen languages, and faxed to hundreds of Chabad-Lubavitch centers around the world. The Rebbe's Chassidim now had "material" to study, disseminate and implement until next Shabbat's farbrengen, if the Rebbe did not deliver a weekday address before then (as he often would).
But on Monday afternoon, 27 Adar I, 5752 (March 2, 1992), the Rebbe suffered a stroke that paralyzed his right side and, most devas-tatingly, robbed him of the ability to speak. There was no farbrengen on the following Shabbat, nor on the Shabbat after that. In the summer of 1994, the Rebbe's soul ascended on high, orphaning a generation.
The Rebbe's Chassidim are still waiting for the next farbrengen. In the meantime, they're making communities.⬢
CHASSIDIC STORY
by Rabbi Yochanan Rivkin, New Orleans:
In light of everything that is being cancelled, including the prayers at Congregation Anshe Sfard of New Orleans, I want to share a Cha-sidic story.
The two brothers, the famed Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk and Rabbi Zushe of Anipoli, often wandered about together, posing as simple beggars. They would mingle with the mass-es, listening, teaching, speaking, helping and guiding whomever and whenever they could.
Once, while they were traveling with a group of vagabonds, members of the group were accused of being thieves, resulting in the entire bunch being thrown into jail. Confident of their innocence and eventual release, the two brothers sat quietly. As the afternoon progressed, Rabbi Elimelech stood up to prepare himself to pray the afternoon service.
"What are you doing?" his brother asked.
"I'm getting ready for minchah," replied Rabbi Elimelech.
Rabbi Zushe pointed at the pail in the corner of the room. "It is forbidden," he said, "to pray
lows?
But this, the Rebbe explained, is the Torah's very point: Make communities, even before you have perfect individuals. People are not bricks or gears, which must be individually forged to perfection before they can be assembled together in a con-structive way. People are souls, with the poten-tial for perfection implicit within them. And noth-ing brings out a soul's potential as much interact-ing and uniting with other souls. Imperfect indi-viduals, brought together in love and fellowship, make perfect communities.
The farbrengen having ended, those who had not yet done so went home for the Shabbat meal; they, too, had to hurry, as the short winter day was already drawing to a close. As soon as Shab-bat was over, a group of scholars (called chozrim, or "repeaters") gathered to recall and write down
(Continued from page 7) in this cell, because the odor coming from that pail makes the room unfit for prayer."
Dejected, the holy Rabbi Elimelech sat down.
Soon after, Rabbi Elimelech began to cry. "Why are you crying?" said Rabbi Zushe. "Is it because you are unable to pray?" Reb Elimelech answered affirmatively.
"But why weep?" continued Rabbi Zushe. "Don't you know that the same G-d who commanded you to pray, also commanded you not to pray when the room is unfit for prayer? Be happy that G-d has afforded you the opportunity to obey His law at this time, no matter what it is."
"You are right, my brother!" exclaimed Rabbi Elimelech, suddenly smiling. The feelings of dejection banished from his heart and mind, Rabbi Elimelech took his brother's arm and began to dance from joy as a result of per-forming the mitzvah of not praying in an inappropriate place.
The guards heard the commotion and came running. Witnessing the two brothers danc-ing, the guards asked the other prisoners what had happened. "We have no idea!" they answered, mystified. "Those two Jews were discussing the pail in the corner, when all of a sudden they came to some happy conclusion and began to dance."
"Is that right?" sneered the guards. "They're happy because of the pail, are they? We'll show them!"
They promptly removed the pail from the cell!
* * * *
As Jews, we need to know that refraining from a Jewish practice such as attending synagogue because of a danger to life and health is as much a mitzvah as engaging in those practices under normal circumstances. We need to joyously thank G-d for allowing us to fulfill his Holy Will, whatever it is. And, perhaps, in merit of that joy, He might just take the pail away.⬢
Iam a Persian Jew, born in Tehran, Iran. As a young man, I immigrated to the United States where I was educated
at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Then, just about the time when I finished graduate school, the Islamic Revolution happened, and I became involved with the Rebbe’s efforts to rescue the Jewish children of Iran. And this is the story I would like to share in brief.By way of background, I need to point out that there were some 100,000 Jews happily living in Iran under the rule of the Shah. In those days they had a great deal of freedom, both personal and religious (even if there were some restrictions). This was true until the overthrow of the monarchy in January 1979, and the establishment of an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Khomeini. The Persian Jews did not want to get rid of the Shah; they loved him. He was a peaceful man, a behind-the-scenes friend of the State of Israel, and when the demonstrations against him started in October of 1977 and grew more intense throughout the following year, they got very nervous. If the Shah lost his throne, the Muslim hardliners would attack them, they feared, and so they appealed to people in the United States to at least get their children to safety.Rabbi Sholom Ber Hecht — the son of Rabbi J.J. Hecht who headed many of the Rebbe’s educational programs — led a Sephardic synagogue in Queens, and many Persians came to him asking for help. He went to his father, who in turn went to the Rebbe. And the Rebbe gave Rabbi J.J. Hecht the green light to do whatever it took to bring the kids out of Iran. At that point I became involved and I sat down with Rabbi J.J. Hecht to begin planning. First, we needed to organize proper documentation — the I-20s required by the US government — showing that we accepted all the responsibility for these children and that they would not become a burden on the United States of America. Rabbi Hecht – through the National Committee for Furtherance of Jewish Education of which he was the executive director — guaranteed the financial support of every child, which was about $6,000 per kid (equivalent to about $22,000 today). As well, we got Chabad schools for boys and
girls, and also Touro College, to agree to formally accept them as students, which was another requirement of the documentation process. Once these guarantees were in place, we notified the Jews in Iran to go to the US Embassy in Tehran and get visas for their children. The kids came, not too many at first — less than handful — but this was when the unrest was still in its early stages.Once the revolution actually happened and the Shah was overthrown, the Persian Jews went into a state of extreme panic. And then, a year later when Iraq invaded Iran, the Islamic government started drafting kids and sending them to the front, where tens of thousands of boys died — seventeen, sixteen, fifteen years old, some even younger.The Persian Jews wanted their kids out, but the US embassy in Tehran was no longer functioning, having been raided by the Islamists in November of 1979, with the American diplomats taken hostage. So the British agreed to help us, as long as we acted in total secrecy. Once the children were in London, we would be able to bring them to the US. The Rebbe advised that those involved in the rescue effort, myself included, should travel to England. The flights from
continued on reverse
Marking 70 years from the anniversary of the Rebbe’s leadership, each week, JEM will be focusing on one event, idea or personality in the Rebbe’s life.
HERE’S my
STORYGenerously
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mystory@jemedia.org | myencounterblog.com | © Copyright, Jewish Educational Media, 2020
ROLLING OUT THE PERSIAN CARPET MR. MOSHE CHAYEMPOUR
ערב שבת פרשת ויקהל - פקודי, כ׳׳ד אדר, תש״פErev Shabbat Parshat Vayakhel - Pekudei, March 20, 2020
I S S U E
375T H I S W E E K S T O P I C :
The rescue of Iranian Jewish children after the revolution
For more on the topic, visit 70years.com
ב“ה
Iran were coming into London, and we would meet the plane on the tarmac, call out the names of the kids on the list and take them by chartered buses to the Chabad House in Stamford Hill. I was the only one who spoke Farsi, and I made sure to greet each child with a big smile and a big hug.
From London, they would be transferred to the United States or to Israel, wherever they chose. The Rebbe instructed us that the main goal was to bring them to safety and that the decision of where to go should be left up to them.It took about six months to get all the visas organized. Meanwhile, we operated a program in England, with the local yeshivahs helping out. Everything that we did had to be done in extreme secrecy so that the Iranians didn’t get wind of what we were doing. The children that came were between the ages of seven and twenty-two. Once in the US, they went to Chabad’s educational institutions — the boys to yeshivahs and the girls to Bais Rivka or Machon Chana. The older ones went to Touro College and other universities in the US. Many people volunteered and several organizations helped with donations to run these programs and fulfill all the myriad needs of the children, which were not limited to housing and education, but included health care and emotional support as well. Rabbi J.J. Hecht deserves the lion’s share of the credit for spearheading this effort with the guidance of the Rebbe.Our aim was to train these kids so that they would grow up as good Jews, and so that — when they entered the mainstream of American society — they would not lose their identity. But some people misunderstood. The program actually had opponents who began complaining loudly that we were
taking Sephardic Jews and turning them into chasidim. It became a very hot issue.We consulted the Rebbe about this and he gave us a beautiful answer, which I am going to paraphrase to the best of my recollection: “The children who are Torah observant and have traditions from home should be encouraged to continue to practice their traditions. As far as the kids who have no Jewish background, they can learn from their brethren, or they can learn our customs.” In other words, the kids should be allowed to choose. Altogether, we brought out over 1,100 children. Today most of them are living in Los Angeles and New York, where a large number of them have kept up their connection with Chabad. They still have such wonderful memories from their stay in Crown Heights where the community — following the example of the Rebbe — embraced them so warmly.One of the most memorable things that the Rebbe did was to give a huge basket of goodies to each child on Purim. He paid out of his own pocket for these beautiful baskets which his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, arranged to be filled with fancy fruits, chocolates, cookies and candies. When they were distributed from the Rebbe’s home on President Street, some of the smaller kids needed help carrying them because they were so large. And on Passover, the Rebbe came to visit all the boys and the girls as they were holding their seders and to say a few words which were translated for them.What amazes me is that the Rebbe had plenty to do leading his own community, yet he took on the additional responsibility of rescuing the Jewish children of Iran. This really goes to show how much he cared for every Jew. He was the fire, the engine, the accelerator for all the people who worked on this tremendous project and made it a success.______________Mr. Moshe Chayempour is an author who resides in Los Angeles, where he was interviewed in September of 2011.
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ואתה תצוה… להעלות נר תמיד
While we have done our utmost to authenticate these stories, they reflect the listener’s recollection and interpretation of the Rebbe’s words.
> 5751 — 1981, in a public letter to “the sons and daughters of Israel, wherever they may be” the Rebbe recognized the miraculous defeat of Saddam Hussein during the Gulf war and compared it to the miracles that took place during the story of Purim.1
25 Adar1. Sefer Hasichot 5751 vol. 2 page 883
This week in….
Dedicated in loving memory
of our dear fatherReb Chaim Kaneti
yahrzeit, 22 Adar
By Michael and Ricki Verbitsky and family
לע“נ ר‘ ישראל יעקב וזוגתו מרת קריינא ע“ה לאקשין
In honor of Shlomo Ben Mazal
MOSAIC EXPRESS 11
CHABBAT PARCHAT VAYAKHEL - PEKOUDEÏ PARCHAT HA’HODECH
21 MARS 2020 - 25 ADAR 5780
LA SIDRA DE LA SEMAINE
VAYAKHEL
Moché réunit le peuple d’Israël et réitère le
commandement d’observer le Chabbat. Il
transmet alors les instructions de D.ieu
concernant la construction du Michkane (le
Tabernacle). Le peuple fait don, en
abondance, des matériaux requis, apportant
de l’or, de l’argent et du cuivre, de la laine
teinte en bleu, violet et pourpre, des poils de
chèvre, du lin tissé, des peaux de bête, de la
laine, du bois, de l’huile d’olive, des herbes et
des pierres précieuses. Moché doit leur
demander de cesser leurs dons.
Une équipe d’artisans au cœur sage construit
le Michkane et son mobilier (comme cela a
été décrit dans les Parachiot précédentes :
Teroumah, Tétsavé et Ki Tissa) : trois couches
pour les couvertures du toit, 48 panneaux
muraux plaqués d’or et 100 socles d’argent
pour les fondations, le Paro’hèt (voile) qui
sépare les deux chambres du Sanctuaire et le
Massa’h (écran) pour le devant, l’Arche et son
couvercle avec les Chérubins, la Table et ses
Pains de Proposition, la Menorah à sept
branches avec son huile tout spécialement
préparée, l’autel d’or et les encens qui y sont
brûlés, l’huile d’onction, l’autel extérieur pour
les offrandes que l’on doit brûler et tout son
équipement, les cintres, les poteaux, et les
socles de fondation pour la cour et enfin le
bassin et son piédestal, fait de miroirs de
cuivre.
PEKOUDEÏ
On procède au décompte de l’or, de l’argent et
du cuivre donnés par le peuple pour la
fabrication du Michkane. Betsalel, Aholiav et
leurs assistants fabriquent les huit habits
sacerdotaux : le tablier, le pectoral, le
manteau, la couronne, le chapeau, la ceinture
et les pantalons, selon les instructions
communiquées par Moché dans la Paracha
Tétsavé.
Le Michkane est achevé et tous ses
composants sont présentés à Moché qui
l’érige et l’oint avec l’huile d’onction. Il initie à
la prêtrise Aharon et ses quatre fils. Une nuée
apparaît au-dessus de Michkane, signifiant
que la Présence Divine est venue y résider.
LES PARTIES ASSEMBLÉES
Le nom donné, en Langue Sainte, à quoi que
ce soit, constitue son âme et son essence.
Ainsi en va-t-il du nom de la Paracha et
notamment de celui des deux dernières
Parachiot qui ferment le livre de Chemot :
Vayakhel et Pekoudé.
Ce qui est toutefois intéressant est le fait que
les noms de ces deux Parachiot, qui se suivent
dans la Torah ou qui, comme cette année, sont
unies dans une seule lecture, expriment deux
idées opposées. Le nom Vayakhel, lié au mot
hébreu signifiant « communauté », évoque le
concept de collectivité, alors que le mot
Pekoudé, « être décompté », renvoie à l’idée
de l’individu comme unité singulière.
De plus, on a l’impression que leurs noms ont
été inversés et que le nom de chacune serait
plus approprié pour désigner l’autre.
Vayakhel commence en relatant la façon dont
Moché rassembla le Peuple d’Israël pour
l’instruire de l’observance du Chabbat et de la
construction du Tabernacle. Mais le reste de
la Paracha consiste dans la description de
tous les détails particuliers de la construction
du Sanctuaire avec leurs mesures, leurs
matériaux et leur architecture.
Pekoudé signifie « le décompte » et la Paracha
commence avec la déclaration : « voici les
décomptes du Tabernacle », ce qui exprime
l’idée d’attention particulière au détail. Mais
la majeure partie de la Paracha concerne
l’assemblage du Tabernacle.
En d’autres termes, Vayakhel décrit la nature
particulière des constituants du Sanctuaire
alors que Pekoudé montre comme ils sont
rassemblés pour former la structure globale, le
contraire-même de ce que signifie son nom.
CINQ LEÇONS
Résumons :
La Torah inclut une Paracha appelée
Vayakhel et une autre : Pekoudé.
Certaines années, elles sont jointes et
(Continued on page 13)
VIVRE AVEC LA PARACHA
12 MOSAIC EXPRESS
Quand je lis certains messages sur les
réseaux sociaux, je perçois instinctivement
que je veux les garder dans un tiroir de mon
esprit parce qu’ils m’ont touchés. Tel est le
cas de celui qu’avait envoyé il y a quelques
années Rav Tsa’hi Yits’hak Parnessiss,
Chalia’h du Rabbi dans la région de la Mer
Morte et que je vais rapporter ici.
J’ai lu cette semaine que sa mère est
décédée et qu’il observait actuellement la
semaine de deuil.
Voici donc ce qu’il écrivait alors et puissent
ces lignes être un hommage à sa défunte
mère, cette grande dame, Ziva bat Be’hor
‘Haïm, que son âme soit liée au faisceau de
la vie.
« Quand ma mère a compris que j’avais
décidé de devenir pratiquant et, qui plus est,
Loubavitch, elle se précipita chez Sarah,
notre voisine du 2 rue Herzl, au 2ème étage.
Sarah Oren avait un visage un peu effrayant.
Elle était toujours assise sur une chaise
roulante. Enfant, j’avais peur d’elle, de sa
façon de parler, de vous regarder… C’était
une rescapée des camps : elle avait subi
d’horribles expériences « médicales » du
terrifiant Mengele – que son nom soit
effacé. Ce monstre l’avait torturée, soi-
disant au nom de la science et elle en porta
les séquelles toute sa vie.
Sarah savait écouter et donner de bons
conseils. Pour ma mère, c’était la personne
à consulter pour exposer son « problème »,
comment réagir quand son fils devenait
pratiquant et Loubavitch en plus !
- Loubavitch ? s’intéressa Sarah. Je vais te
raconter quelque chose à propos du Rabbi
de Loubavitch. Cela s’est passé il y a
quelques années, alors que je devais subir
une opération importante aux États-Unis. On
m’avait dit qu’il y avait un grand Rabbi à
New York : il distribuait des dollars à
remettre à la charité et ses bénédictions se
réalisaient. J’ai décidé d’aller le voir.
Pourtant tu me connais, les rabbins et la
religion, très peu pour moi… Mais bon, je
suis passée devant le Rabbi et j’ai demandé
une bénédiction pour la réussite de cette
opération. Le Rabbi s’est étonné : « Vous
avez besoin d’une bénédiction de ma part ?
Mais vous-même, vous avez la capacité de
bénir ! ».
Sarah ne comprit pas le sens des paroles du
Rabbi. Elle redemanda, un peu plus fort,
mais le Rabbi répéta : « Vous avez la
capacité de bénir, après tout ce que vous
avez enduré dans les camps, vous possédez
des forces spéciales, vous n’avez pas besoin
de mes bénédictions ! ».
Sarah expliqua à ma mère que, depuis ce
jour, sa vie s’était transformée, sa vision du
monde avait changé, son appréciation de la
religion avait évolué. Et elle s’était rendu
compte qu’elle avait une capacité spéciale
pour conseiller et bénir les gens autour
d’elle.
Ma mère est d’origine bulgare, ses parents
avaient été des communistes convaincus,
elle votait pour les partis les plus à gauche
et voilà que son fils devenait pratiquant !
Peut-être ne mangerait-il plus chez elle,
peut-être ne le verrait-elle plus… Mais
maintenant elle comprenait qu’il existait un
grand Rabbi, très érudit et très
compréhensif, qui s’occupait de tous et qui
aimait chaque Juif – quelles que soient ses
convictions. Elle cessa de s’inquiéter et
observa avec intérêt la suite de mon
évolution ».
Tel était le message que Tsa’hi avait posté
sur son compte.
Je n’avais pas prêté attention aux réactions
que son message avait suscitées. Mais en y
regardant de plus près, je n’ai pas pu
m’empêcher d’essuyer une larme de mes
yeux. En effet, j’ai distingué parmi tous les
commentaires suscités par son texte un
message posté par sa propre mère :
« Mon fils ! Il manque quelque chose, il
manque la fin de l’histoire ! C’est que…
moi aussi je suis devenue pratiquante ! ».
Rav Tsa’hi, « que l’Omni Présent te console
parmi les endeuillés de Tsione et Jérusalem
» !⬢
Rav Zalmen Wishedski – Chalia’h à Bâle
(Suisse)
Traduit par Feiga Lubecki
LE RECIT DE LA SEMAINE
MOSAIC EXPRESS 13
LE COIN DE LA HALACHA
QU’EST-CE QUE LA MATSA
CHMOURAH ?
En hébreu, « Chmourah » signifie « gardée »
et ce terme décrit parfaitement ce qu’est
cette Matsa. La farine utilisée pour sa
fabrication est gardée, protégée de tout
contact avec de l’eau, depuis le moment de
la moisson. En effet, si elle venait à être
mouillée, elle pourrait lever et devenir
impropre à la consommation pendant
Pessa’h.
forment une entité unique appelée
Vayakhel-Pekoudé.
Les autres années, elles sont séparées et
constituent chacune la lecture d’une
semaine différente.
Vayakhel signifie « communauté » mais
son contenu souligne la valeur de
l’individualité. Pekoudé implique l’ «
individualité » mais elle parle de
l’avantage de l’union et de l’intégration.
Vayakhel vient d’abord, suivi de Pekoudé.
Chacune de ces nuances est significative.
Chacune illumine la relation entre notre
identité individuelle et notre identité
communautaire.
Leçon 1 : Nous avons les deux et avons besoin
des deux. Le fait que la Torah contienne deux
Parachiot nommées Vayakhel et Pekoudé nous
enseigne que notre besoin d’une communauté
et celui d’une différenciation individuelle sont
deux des composants importants et désirables
de l’âme humaine.
Leçon 2 : Nous pouvons parvenir à la synthèse
des deux. Si Vayakhel et Pekoudé ne devaient
individualités.
Leçon 4 : La Torah va encore plus loin. Elle
nous enseigne que même lorsque chacune est
considérée comme une fin en soi, les deux
sont inexorablement liées l’une à l’autre.
Cette leçon vient du fait que le contenu de
Vayakhel concerne des éléments individuels
alors que Pekoudé décrit l’assemblement de
parties diverses en un tout plus grand. La
Torah indique ici que quand bien même
l’objectif n’est que la création d’une parfaite
communauté, la meilleure d’entre elles est
celle qui est faite d’individus qui expriment
totalement leur individualité.
Leçon 5 : Des individus imparfaits forment
une communauté parfaite. La question qui
subsiste est : qu’est-ce qui devrait être
prioritaire ? Dans la Torah, Vayakhel vient
avant Pekoudé, nous enseignant que notre
tout premier dessein doit être de rassembler,
quel que soit le statut personnel de chaque
individu. Le perfectionnement de chacun
suivra, nourri par l’amour des uns pour les
autres.⬢
Ces Matsot sont rondes, pétries à la main
et ressemblent à celles que les enfants
d’Israël consommèrent lorsqu’ils quittèrent
l’Egypte. Elles sont cuites en moins de dix-
huit minutes sous stricte surveillance
rabbinique, afin de s’assurer qu’elles ne
puissent en aucune façon augmenter de
volume et devenir levain pendant la
fabrication. La Matsa Chmourah doit être
utilisée pendant les deux nuits du Séder,
c’est-à-dire mercredi soir 8 avril et jeudi
soir 9 avril 2020, en particulier pour les
trois Matsot posées sur le plateau. Chaque
toujours apparaître dans la Torah que comme
deux Parachiot séparées, cela impliquerait
que, tout en étant toutes deux nécessaires,
chacune doit intervenir à un moment et à un
lieu précis.
Le fait-même que, certaines années, elles
soient jointes pour constituer une lecture
unique nous enseigne que nous devons
parvenir à une synthèse des deux : une
communauté d’individus, chacun contribuant
par sa personnalité au but commun, alors que
la communauté donne le cadre général où
chacun peut exprimer le meilleur de lui-même.
Leçon 3 : Il nous faut également considérer
chacune des deux comme quelque chose de
valeur en et par elle-même. Le fait que ces
Parachiot apparaissent également sous la
forme de deux lectures indépendantes nous
enseigne que la communauté et l’individualité
sont également des objectifs à atteindre en
eux-mêmes. La perfection individuelle
possède une valeur indépendamment du rôle
qu’elle joue dans le bien commun. Et la
création d’une communauté est également
une fin en elle-même car elle représente un
statut plus grand que ne l’est la somme des
convive à la table du Séder mangera de la
Matsa Chmourah. Certains ont la coutume
d’en consommer pendant toute la fête.
Le Zohar appelle la Matsa Chmourah :
l’aliment de la Foi et l’aliment de la
Guérison.
Il n’est pas nécessaire d’avoir terminé son
ménage de Pessa’h pour acheter les
Matsot ; il suffira de les stocker à l’abri de
tout ‘Hamets et de toute humidité.⬢
14 MOSAIC EXPRESS
Que peut-on faire encore lorsqu’on a déjà
vécu la grandeur, la victoire et le
bonheur ? Comment envisager un au-delà
de cet absolu que la fête de Pourim vient
d’incarner pour chacun ? Ce sont là des
sentiments bien mélangés qui nous
envahissent alors que Pourim s’éloigne
inéluctablement à l’horizon des jours. Il
est vrai qu’on ne peut pas toujours
respirer l’air des sommets et qu’il est
sans doute nécessaire de redescendre
parfois dans la vallée. Cependant, n’a-t-
on pas alors l’impression que la
perspective se rétrécit ?
Mais le calendrier juif est une admirable
construction. Œuvre de D.ieu, il scande le
temps des hommes et lui donne ce sens
sans lequel il ne serait que déroulement
des jours, monotone et parfois
désespéré. Voici donc que la libération de
Pourim ne nous abandonne pas sur le
sable après le reflux de la vague
conquérante. Au contraire, elle nous
entraîne vers une autre aventure. Et celle
-ci a déjà de hautes couleurs : elle
s’appelle Pessa’h et arbore celles de la
liberté. C’est que Pourim, toute libératrice
soit la célébration, nous a laissés, selon
les termes des sages, « serviteurs
d’Assuérus ». En d’autres termes, l’exil
historique de Babylone ne se termina pas
à ce moment même si, avec cette
victoire, un temps nouveau commençait.
Nous nous dirigeons à présent vers un
temps où la servitude n’a plus place.
C’est un temps où toutes les chaînes
se brisent. En un certain sens, c’est à
notre propre naissance que nous
allons assister.
Pessa’h : un mot qui renvoie à l’idée
de « saut ». C’est bien de cela qu’il
s’agit. Il existe deux moyens
d’avancer. Le plus évident est de
progresser pas à pas mais le plus
audacieux, et sans doute, le plus
révolutionnaire au sens strict, est de «
sauter », passant sans transition d’un
niveau à un autre infiniment supérieur.
C’est à cela que nous convie la fête à
venir et nos sages savent parfaitement
l’exprimer quand ils voient dans la
célébration successive de Pourim et
Pessa’h un « rapprochement d’une
libération à une autre ».
La liberté est une grande idée. Pour
nous, elle n’est pas qu’une théorie
séduisante qu’il faudrait peut-être
limiter dans la crainte d’incontrôlables
excès. Elle est une réalité qui se
construit jour après jour et dont le
développement ne peut s’arrêter. Entre
la fête passée et celle qui vient, c’est
sur son chemin que nous marchons. Il
faut nous y préparer, c’est un chemin
des cimes que nous empruntons ainsi.
Il conduit plus loin et plus haut que
l’on pense. Se préparer, un bien grand
mot… Mais si la liberté était au bout
de l’effort ?sance !⬢
NOTRE NAISSANCE
EDITORIAL
DE L’AUTRE MONDE À CELUI-CI
Quand le Machia’h viendra, tous les
Justes des générations passées
reviendront. Tous, y compris Moïse et
les patriarches, descendront du « lieu »
où ils se trouvent, au plus haut des
mondes spirituels. Ils reviendront dans
ce monde, se revêtiront de corps
matériels et ressusciteront.
Pourquoi cela en vaut-il la peine ? Car,
en ce temps nouveau, la révélation
divine dans ce monde-ci sera bien plus
haute que celle dont on jouit dans les
mondes spirituels⬢
ETINCELLES DE MACHIAH
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