MOSAIC EXPRESS Torah Portion Korach

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1 MOSAIC EXPRESS Torah Portion Korach קרח Avot Chapter 4 Gimmel Tamuz, the Rebbe s 21st Yartzeit Friday June 19, 2015 Tamuz 2, 5775 Candle Lighting 8:28 pm Shabbat Ends 9:45 pm Next Weeks Candle Lighting Friday June 26 8:29 pm EARLY SHABBOS for Friday June 19 Mincha 6:40 pm, Candle Lighting 7:15 pm Schedule: Please Note: Wednesday, June 24 is a legal holiday. Shacharis will be at 9:00am SHABBAT SCHEDULE Mincha & Maariv :40 pm Second Mincha & Maariv....8:30 pm Shacharit... 9:30 am Children s Program :45 am Kiddush :30 pm Mincha/Shalosh Seudos.....8:30 pm TORAH READING Parshat Korach......Page 741 Haftorah......Page 1197 CLASSES :45 am Mishnayos :00 pm Class- V Atah Tetzaveh..7:45 pm Yasher Koach to our Kiddush co-sponsors! Last Shabbos Gerard & Shoshi Attias Mary & Natan Blankrot Larry & Ethel Bloom Itchy & Zeldie Treitel Yona & Jeffrey Corber Shimon & Devora Berman Ronnie & Debbie Cons Charlie & Leah Dray Evan & Osnat Feldman Johnny & Wendy Galambos Mrs. Aida Gozlan Steve & Ilana Haupt Charles & Maureen Malka Eliane Sebag Gaby & Sheila Segal Aaron & Sara Riva Spiro Ninette Rosen This Week Hymie and Rachel Blankrot in honour of Rabbi Itchy and Zeldie's son, Ari, on becoming a Rabbi Kiddush co-sponsorship is $136 MTC extends its deepest sympathies to Anne Applebaum on the passing of her brother, Aron/Archy Kwiatt May the family be spared any further sorrow and know only of simchas MTC Graciously Acknowledges This Week s Sponsors of the Day Ricky & Rachelle Merovitz in honour of their wedding anniversary, June 25 To become a sponsor of the day, please contact ext 223 GIMMEL, THE THIRD OF, TAMUZ 5775 Sharing. Connecting. Learning. FARBRENGENS Friday Night at the Rabbi s home 9:30pm Men Speak Individuals share their thoughts and feelings Shabbat Morning at the Kiddush Women Speak Individuals share their thoughts and feelings The Rebbe s 21 st Yahrtzeit FRIDAY NIGHT - SHABBAT DAY, JUNE LEARNING Shabbat morning 8:45 9:30 Shabbat afternoon 7:00 7:45 Mishnayos A hearty Yasher Koach to 7:45 8:30 Overview of the discourse the Rebbe personally handed to thousands, days before his illness V atah Tetzaveh. Shalosh Seudos 8:50-9:42 Stories and Songs the Rebbe taught us. Chana Harrison, Rochel Zirkind and all our devoted staff for their dedication and care in leading our Shabbat Children s Program, KIA, Mini Chefs, Cteen, BMC, and TNGA. We wish you much Hatzlocha in all your future endeavors! Montreal Torah Center Bais Menachem Chabad Lubavitch Joanne and Jonathan Gurman Community Center Lou Adler Shul 28 Cleve Road, Hampstead Quebec H3X 1A Fax mtc@themtc.com Mosaic Express l 1

2 WEEKDAY PRAYER SCHEDULE Sunday.... 9:00 am Monday Thursday.7:00 am Breakfast following weekday services Mincha - Maariv In cherished memory of R Yeshaya Aryeh ben Menashe Treitel obm and finally SUNDAY - THURSDAY Mincha - 8:35 pm Maariv - 9:20 pm A girl walks into a supermarket and asks the clerk, Can I have a turkey for my mom? the clerk responds, Sorry. We don t do exchanges. KORACH ALIYAH SUMMARY General Overview: Korach stages a rebellion against Moses, accusing him of a power grab. He and his entourage are swallowed up by the earth. The people protest, and a plague ensues. Of the staffs submitted by all the tribes, only Aaron's blossoms; proving that he is G d's chosen. The Israelites are instructed the various presents due to the priests and Levites. First Aliyah: Korach, Moses' first cousin, stages a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. Together with a few ringleaders, he gathers 250 men of renown and accuses Moses and Aaron of power hoarding. "The entire congregation is holy, and the L-rd is in their midst. So why do you raise yourselves above the L-rd's assembly?" They took specific issue with the appointment of Aaron as High Priest. Moses proposes that on the following day they all participate in a test which would determine who indeed was worthy of the mantle of High Priest. Everyone would bring an incense offering to the Tabernacle, and G d would make known His choice for High Priest. Moses then tries to placate the rebellious group, unsuccessfully attempting to dissuade them from participating in this suicidal test. Second Aliyah: Moses pleads with G d not to accept the incense offering of the rebellious group. Korach spends the night inciting the Jews against Moses, and gathers them all to the entrance of the Tabernacle to witness the grand spectacle. G d's glory appears. Third Aliyah: G d is angered by the Jews' association with Korach, and wishes to destroy them. Moses and Aaron pray on the Jews' behalf and the decree is averted. The earth opens up and swallows Korach and his family, and a heavenly fire LOWER DUPLEX FOR RENT Renovated main floor and basement. Kosher kitchen, garage and driveway with a large back yard. Centrally located near shul and parks. Call for more information. consumes the rest of the 250 rebels. Moses instructs Aaron's son Elazar to retrieve the frying pans which were used for the incense offering, to flatten them and plate the altar with them--a visible deterrent for any individual who ever wishes to challenge Aaron's priesthood. The next day, the community complains that Moses and Aaron are to be blamed for the deaths of "G d's people." Fourth Aliyah: G d instructs Moses and Aaron: "Separate yourselves from the community, and I will destroy them in an instant." And indeed, a plague struck the nation, and many thousands were dying. Moses tells Aaron to quickly take a firepan with incense and go into the midst of the congregation and atone for their sin. Aaron does so. He stands "between the living and the dead," and the plague is halted. Fifth Aliyah: This section describes the "test of the staffs." G d tells Moses to take a staff from each of the twelve tribes, with the name of each tribe's prince written upon their staff. Another staff was taken to represent the tribe of Levi, and Aaron's name was written on that staff. These staffs were placed overnight in the Holy of Holies chamber of the Tabernacle. Next morning they were removed, and miraculously Aaron's staff had budded with almond blossoms and almonds. This was further proof that Aaron was G d's choice for High Priest. Sixth Aliyah: G d commands Moses to return "Aaron's staff" to the Holy of Holies, where it is to remain for perpetuity. The Jews express to Moses their fear of mistakenly entering a restricted area of the Tabernacle, and dying as a result. In response, G d commands the priests and the Levites to carefully guard the Tabernacle, to prevent unauthorized entry by non-priests. The Torah then lists the various gifts to which the priests were entitled. These include the privilege of eating certain sacrifices, as well as select portions of other sacrifices; receiving the five shekels for the redemption of Israelite firstborn sons; a portion of all grain, oil, and wine crops; the "first fruit"; and more. Aaron is informed that his descendents will not receive a portion in the land of Israel--instead, G d is their (Continued on page 6) 2 l Mosaic Express

3 LOU AND JOEY ADLER LEARNING INSTITUTE CLASS SCHEDULE SUNDAY 8:00-9:00 am Tanya The primary, classic work of Chabad chassidus. A blend of mysticism, philosophy & psychology 10:00-10:30 am Chumash Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha MONDAY 6:15-6:55 am Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to the weekly Parsha or approaching holiday 8:10-8:45 am Chumash Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha 8:15-9:00 am Gemara with Rabbi Levi 8:30-9:30 pm for Young Adults With Rabbi Levi 7:00 pm Class for Students An analysis of a collage of texts drawn from all parts of Torah related to the Torah portion of the week or approaching holiday. For women. at Rabbi Levi & Ita s home, 29 Aldred Cr. TUESDAY 6:15-6:55 am Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to the weekly Parsha or approaching holiday 8:10-8:45 am Chumash Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha 8:15-9:00 am Gemara with Rabbi Levi 11:00-12:00 am Women s Torah Class A discussion on the Torah portion of the week, or approaching holiday. In a private home. 12:15 pm Lunch & Learn at PromoTEX Productions S. Laurent with Rabbi Naftali Perlstein l iluy nishmas R Yeshaya Aryeh ben Menashe a h TUESDAY 8:00-9:00 pm Beth Midrash Francais. Rav M. Pinto WEDNESDAY 6:15-6:55 am Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to the weekly Parsha or approaching holiday 8:10-8:45 am Chumash Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha 8:15-9:00 am Gemara with Rabbi Levi 8:00-9:00 pm Kabbalah A tapestry of Divine wisdom woven from strands of the Talmud and the Kabbalah SPONSORED BY THE MIRYAM & BATYA MEDICOFF LECTURE FOUNDATION 4:45-5:45 pm Rap with the Rabbi for High School students. Pizza and fries dinner RSVP a must. Please contact the office. 8:00 pm Cours de Gemara En francais, avec le Rav Pinto THURSDAY 6:15-6:55 am Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov 8:10-8:45 am Chumash Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha 8:15-9:00 am Gemara with Rabbi Levi 12:15-1:15 pm Lunch & Learn EMPIRE AUCTION A discussion on the Torah portion of the week, current events or approaching holiday 9:00 pm Tanya for Students For men. with Rabbi Levi FRIDAY 6:15-6:55 am Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to the weekly Parsha or approaching holiday 8:15-9:00 am Gemara with Rabbi Levi 8:10-8:45 am Chumash Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha 12:15-1:15 pm Lunch & Learn C&C PACKING A discussion on the Torah portion of the week, current events or approaching holiday SHABBAT 8:15-9:00 am Insights into Prayer Understanding the deeper meaning of the prayers as illuminated by the teachings of 45 minutes before Mincha Women s Torah Class Studies in the weekly Parsha or approaching holiday 1.5 hours before Mincha Men s Torah Class Novi - Prophets with Rabbi Levi Une heure avant MInha Chiour Talmud et Hala ha en Français avec le Rav M. Pinto 15 minutes before Mincha SHOO T SHaalos OO Tshuvos - Halachic Q&A with Rabbi Levi /MontrealTorahCenter Mosaic Express l 3

4 Knesset Reflects on Rebbe's Legacy By Menachem Posner and Rosie Jacobs JUNE From left: Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Aharonov, Isaac Herzog and Former Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau n advance of the 21st anniversary of I the passing of the Rebbe Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory the tremendous contributions of the Rebbe and the Chabad-Lubavitch movement were recognized throughout the day in the Israeli Knesset (parliament) with speeches, displays and videos. Deputy Minister of Education Meir Porush addressed a group of administrators of Chabad institutions from across the Holy Land, led by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Aharonov, chairman of Agudat Chasidei Chabad B Eretz HaKodesh. Porush whose father, Rabbi Menachem Porush, was one of the longest-serving members of the Knesset and was known to have a deep relationship with the Rebbe opened the meeting by saying: To Chabad Chassidim, there is no need to explain the meaning of public service. From the moment they are born, from the moment they begin their education, they know what it means to serve others. Quoting the Midrashic statement that there is no one as dear to G d as an agent dispatched to do a mitzvah, the rabbi also said that there is no more impressive enterprise, with astonishing reach not just here in Israel, and not just in a specific country, but in every single country than the network of shluchim that the Rebbe established. The assembled also used the opportunity to focus on practical ways that the government would be able to best cooperate with the network of Chabad organizations that they represent. A Unifying Force in Israeli Society Then, in a broader session, a steady stream of Knesset members took to the 4 l Mosaic Express podium to speak of their p e r s o n a l admiration for the Rebbe and Chabad and the positive impact on their lives. Isaac Herzog, head of the Israeli Labor party and leader of the opposition in the Knesset, spoke of the Rebbe s correspondence with his father. He recalled one letter in particular, written during the Six Day War. The letter, which Herzog has kept, was One among other letters [from the Rebbe] on strategy, encouragement and of empowerment for Israel, written to his father. Although he often did not share the Rebbe s strategic opinions, Herzog spoke of his continuing admiration for Chabad and the Rebbe. Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom spoke about the time when he went to the Rebbe during the famous Sunday dollars, when the Rebbe would give a dollar to visitors to give to charity. At the time, Silvan was director in chief of the Israel Electric Company, a position not lost on the Rebbe. You should spread light the Rebbe told him. Yair Lapid, a member of liberal Yesh Atid party, says that he came to know the Rebbe while he was working on a story for the Maariv newspaper. I spent a month with his writings. I tried to grasp the Rebbe and I was not successful. Speaking to a reporter earlier in the day, Lapid expressed an appreciation for the Rebbe's complexity. He is one of the most fascinating individuals of the 20th century. For a house famously divided between right and left, religious and secular, and Sepharadic and Ashkenazi, the coming together of politicians from opposite poles was indeed reflective of the unifying force that Chabad has become in Israeli society. The meeting was also addressed by Former Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, who frequently discusses his longstanding admiration of the Rebbe that dates back to the very early years of his rabbinical career. Concurrently, the halls of the Knesset building are lined with a specially curated gallery of photos of the Rebbe and Chabad s activities all over the world. The gallery was painstakingly created by Chassidic writer Rabbi Zalman Ruderman. The images and inspirational texts are displayed alongside a multimedia presentation of the Rebbe s leadership and messages of empowerment.

5 Parsha Insights From the book Daily Wisdom Moshe Wisnefsky The Danger of Either-Or Thinking The incident of the spies, recounted in the previous section, underscored the importance of entering the Land of Israel in order to fulfill G-d s commandments in the physical world. Soon afterward, Moses cousin Korach staged a rebellion against Moses authority. ו יּ ק מוּ ל פ נ י מ שׁ ה וגו': (במדבר טז:ב) [Korach and his supporters] confronted Moses. Numbers 16:2 Korach mistakenly concluded from the incident of the spies that the study of the Torah is not intrinsically superior to the performance of the commandments. Therefore, he reasoned, a person who works for a living has no need to aspire to moments of reconnection to spirituality. As such, he further concluded that there is no need for an elite class of individuals the tribe of Levi, the priests, and the high priest in particular who would be devoted exclusively to the spiritual life in order to inspire the rest of us. Moses responded to Korach s claims by telling him that a clergy devoted exclusively to the service of G d is indeed necessary, in order to inspire those involved in the mundane world and instruct them as to what is permitted and what is prohibited. Without such inspiration and guidance, it is too easy to lose sight of our ideals and end up as slaves to materiality rather than its masters. Holy Rebels G-d told Moses to conduct a test that would demonstrate the error of Korach and his supporters. Offering up incense was part of the Tabernacle service that was allowed to be performed only by the priests, and only at specified times. The Jewish people had previously witnessed how Aaron s two elder sons had died on account of having offered up an unauthorized incense offering. Now, G-d had Moses instruct Korach and his company to offer up incense, as would Aaron, also. Whoever s incense was not accepted by G-d would perish. וּק חוּ א ישׁ מ ח תּ תוֹ וּנ ת תּ ם ע ל יה ם ק ט ר ת ו ה ק ר ב תּ ם ל פ נ י ה' א ישׁ מ ח תּ תוֹ וגו': (במדבר טז:יז) Let each man take his censer and place incense upon it, and let each man present his censer before G-d. Numbers 16:17 Although they knew that unauthorized use of the incense would cause their death, Korach and his followers took up the challenge. They wished to experience the lofty service of the high priest even if it would cost them their lives. In this sense, their motivations were pure, and we can learn from their example, similarly aspiring to the most uplifting spiritual experiences. Their error, which we must also learn from, was disregarding the absurdity of going against G d s will in order to get close to Him. Mazal Tov to the children of MTC Pre-School on completing the school year! May you always be a source of Nachat to your parents and the entire community! Mosaic Express l 5

6 How Strong Are You? By Michoel Gourarie n Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) I there is a passage that reads: Ben Zoma said: Who is strong? He who conquers his evil inclination, as it says,... he who masters his passions is better than one who conquers a city. The message here is clear: dealing with and changing negative behavior is extremely difficult. Why does discipline and self-control need so much strength? The mystics explain that two forces operate on every one of us the animal soul and the divine soul. The animal soul is the source of our ego, and encourages hedonism, aggression, laziness and emptiness. The divine soul is the source of moral reasoning and spiritual consciousness. It inspires an awareness of a higher purpose, and gives us the ability to think rationally and objectively, making decisions for ethi- cal behavior and giving appropriate responses to everyday experiences. Each soul has its own dominant force. The animal soul is driven by instincts that are highly emotional, whereas the divine soul is dominated by the power of intellect and reason. Both souls fight for control of the person. Both struggle to shape our personality and define our identity. stincts and explosive emotions of the animal soul. We are tempted to get angry or do the wrong thing before we give the moral reason a chance. Self-control, therefore, needs the incredible strength of restraint. It requires holding back for just a few seconds between the things that happen to us and our response, creating a little space to think and process the point of view of the divine voice. It is what Stephen Covey calls the pause button between the stimulus and the response. We need to train ourselves not to act quickly and instinctively. We need to use the unique ability of the human being to stop and ask ourselves the question: is this wrong or right? It takes amazing strength to wait a few seconds, but those few seconds can be the difference between an animalistic act and a divine one. Next time you are faced with a challenge, give yourself a few seconds for the voice of the soul to be heard. SUPPER & LEARN TUESDAY, JULY 7 Topic: The Three Weeks and the Nine Days Dinner at 7:00 pm, Class at 8:00 pm Cost: $25, or $10 for the class only Deadline for RSVPs or cancelations is Sunday July 5. Growing Presence By Tzvi Freeman A truly great soul is one whose presence in this world is felt more after his passing than before, and continues to be felt more and more every day that passes. RSVP! Zeldie@themtc.com Friday Volunteers Needed at the Jewish General Hospital men & women of all ages No commitment necessary Just give it a try:) Mrs. Esther Chanowitz (please leave a message) estherchanowitz@gmail.com This is where the challenge of self-control lies. The animalistic force is quick. It is emotional and instinctive, and prompts a very swift response. The divine soul is intellectual. It needs time to cognitively process the appropriate and moral response. So, when we are insulted, or provoked, or presented with temptations and ethical dilemmas, the immediate response will be the feelings generated by the in- (Continued from page 2) inheritance and portion. Seventh Aliyah: The Levites, too, will not receive a share of the land of Israel. Instead they are entitled to a tenth of all the Israelites' crops--this in return for the Tabernacle and Temple services which they render. Upon receiving this tithe, the Levites must, in turn, separate a tenth of this tithe and give it to the priests. 6 l Mosaic Express

7 An inspiring story for your Shabbos table HERE S my STORY Generously sponsored by the A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK RABBI PINCHOS WOOLSTONE ב ה שבת פרשת קרח, ג תמוז, תשע ה Shabbos Parshas Korach, June 20, 2015 Gimmel Tammuz, 5775 Please support the My Encounter with the Rebbe project donate.jemedia.org help them bring their daughter back to her people. I said, Australia is geographically the size of the United States. Looking for someone there without an address is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. He said, I don t know what to tell you, but maybe the Rebbe would know what to do. Before returning to Australia I had an audience with the Rebbe, so I told him this whole story. He asked, When are you going back? I said, I m going back Wednesday. He said, Sometime after you get back, maybe the week after, you should take a trip to Brisbane. Iwas raised in a traditional Zionist Jewish home in Sydney, Australia. While on a visit in Israel, I became attracted to Chabad-Lubavitch and, upon return to Australia, I enrolled in a Chabad yeshiva, which eventually led me to learning in New York. That is when I found out I had Chabad ancestors including the Tzemach Tzedek, the third Rebbe of Chabad and I became a loyal follower of the Chabad Rebbe. While I was in New York, I was approached by a prestigious rabbi from another chasidic group, who told me about a family that was searching for their long-lost daughter. She had been born and raised in Boro Park, and she had married there; unfortunately, the marriage ended badly, but her husband for whatever reason refused to agree to a divorce. After this went on for a period of time, she snapped (to use a slang term), and she suddenly disappeared. Her family had learned that she had gone to Australia, but they had no idea where. Since I was from Australia, the rabbi who approached me thought that maybe I could He didn t explain why I should do this, but, of course, I would follow the Rebbe s instructions without question. So, when I returned to Australia, I got on a plane to Brisbane. Now, Brisbane is a northerly city, about an hour s flight from Sydney, and it has a very small Jewish community. At that time, there was no Chabad emissary in Brisbane; Rabbi Levi and Dvorah Jaffe had not yet arrived in town, so it was a desolate place, Jewishly speaking. Flying there, I found myself sitting next to a well-dressed, non-jewish woman who identified herself as a Greek Orthodox Christian. Seeing that I was Jewish, she began asking me theological questions concerning the Hebrew Bible. Toward the end of our conversation, she asked me something peculiar: What is the Jewish view of a person who leaves the Jewish faith? Is such a person allowed back in, or is the door bolted? I answered, Nobody can ever be separated from Almighty G-d, and if somebody has, for whatever reason, taken a vacation from commitment to Torah but then decides to come home again, the Jewish community will welcome that person with open arms. Then she said, I want to tell you something I own a continued on reverse An oral history project dedicated to documenting the life of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. The story is one of thousands recorded in the over 1,100 videotaped interviews conducted to date. Please share your comments and suggestions. mystory@jemedia.org

8 continued from reverse chain of dress shops around Australia and, in Cairns, I have a shop which employs a Jewish girl. She came from a very religious home in New York and I can see that she s living a very different life here from how she was brought up there. She tells me she s happy, but I can tell that she s not, and I believe that she would be better off back in her own community. At that moment, bells started ringing in my head. Here I am going to Brisbane on the Rebbe s instructions without knowing why I am going there. And on the way, I meet a Greek Orthodox Christian woman who is telling me about a Jewish girl who left home. Realizing what this could mean, I suddenly got goose pimples all over my body, and I started to shake. I said to the woman, You should know that I am going to Brisbane without knowing why I am going there. I am doing this because a Rebbe in New York, who is probably the greatest living sage of our time, told me to do so. He told me to do so after I asked him how I could find a lost Jewish girl. When I said that, the Christian woman started to shake as well. Maybe she s the one, she said. Maybe this girl working for me in Cairns is the one. I had to admit that she could be right. The woman immediately offered to facilitate everything and to pay all costs involved, so that I could meet this girl though I declined her offer. From Brisbane, I flew to Cairns, and I walked into this dress shop. She wasn t there because the salesgirls worked in shifts and her shift had not started yet. I went off to buy myself a Coke, but I was so nervous, I bought a beer instead. When it was time, I walked back to the store, and there she was. This was the girl I was looking for! Obviously she was not dressed like a religious girl from Boro Park, and she was clearly surprised to see me there a chasid visiting a women s dress shop at the end of Australia, where she thought she could get away from her people. I said, My name is Pinchos Woolstone, I m a Lubavitcher I was trying to find the right words, how best to explain what I was doing there. I decided it was best to just tell her what happened, which is what I did. Then I asked her, Are you willing to talk to me? She answered abruptly, I can t talk now, I m working. I said, I ll come back when the store closes. She wasn t overly enthusiastic. She said, All I want all I ever wanted is a get, referring to the Jewish divorce document. I said, But you are not religious; what do you need a get for? She said, If you can help me with a get, that s good. But if not, then just leave me alone. I called the people back in New York, and they managed to finally arrange her get. While I was making these arrangements, I met with her again, and I said to her, To be honest, your reaction to what happened to you is understandable. But getting divorced from your husband doesn t mean you must divorce yourself from your family, from your community, from Torah and G-d. She heard me. After she received her get, she came back to America and enrolled in a university. This was, of course, a path far removed from her Boro Park roots, but at university she connected with the local Chabad emissary and began attending the Shabbat dinners he organized once a month. Little by little, she became Torah-observant again. Today she is religious; she is married again, and a mother of a beautiful family. And that chain of events began when the Rebbe said to me, Go to Brisbane. Rabbi Pinchas Woolstone, served as rabbi of the Jewish House Crisis Center in Sydney, Australia for over twenty years. He was interviewed in Brooklyn, New York, in December of לע נ ר ישראל יעקב וזוגתו מרת קריינא ע ה לאקשין ע י בניהם ר נחמן ור אברהם ומשפחתם שיחיו This week in. > , the Rebbe joined the call of rabbis proclaiming a half day fast and prayer for the grave situation in Israel during the Lebanon war. After the afternoon prayers, the Rebbe gave a talk about the significance of the fast. 1 7 Tammuz 1. Sefer Hisvaaduyos 5742 Vol. 3, p In loving memory of ר שמואל נטע הכהן ע ה בן יבלח ט ישראל דוד שי Yahrzeit, 2 Tamuz You can help us record more testimonies by dedicating future editions of Here s My Story A project of: JEWISH EDUCATIONAL MEDIA mystory@jemedia.org myencounterblog.com Eastern Parkway Suite 403 Brooklyn, NY Copyright, Jewish Educational Media, 2015 Generously printed by

9 LA SIDRA DE LA SEMAINE KORA H SAMEDI, 20 JUIN TAMOUZ 5775 AVOT 4 VIVREAVEC LA PARACHA Que désirait réellement Kora h? Le nom de la Paracha de ce e semaine, Kora h, suscite une ques on évidente. Il est écrit (Proverbes 10 : 7) : «le nom des impies doit pourrir» et c est sur ce e base que nos Sages statuent que l on ne doit pas donner le nom de quelqu un qui s est mal comporté (Yoma 38b). Pourquoi donc une par e toute en ère de la Torah porte-t-elle le nom de Kora h? Avec ce tre, l iden té de Kora h est, en effet, perpétuée à tout jamais puisque la Torah est éternelle. Parmi les mul ples explica ons avancées, l une d entre elles précise que le désir de Kora h était, dans son essence, posi f. Il désirait être Grand- Prêtre, expérimenter la proximité absolue avec D.ieu, en pénétrant dans le Saint des Saints. En fait, quand Moché répondit à Kora h, il ne lui rétorqua pas que sa requête était infondée. Au contraire, comme le rapporte Rachi (Bamidbar 16 :6), Moché lui dit qu il partageait le même désir ; lui-aussi aurait voulu être Grand-Prêtre. Bien plus encore, au Mont Sinaï, D.ieu s adressa au Peuple Juif en le qualifiant de «royaume de prêtres» (Chemot 19 :6) et nos Sages interprètent ces mots comme se référant au niveau a eint par le Grand-Prêtre. Chaque Juif possède-t-il ce poten el en lui? Kora h : L impact posi f de Kora h Ainsi donc, la réclama on de Kora h se basait sur une vérité essen elle (Bamidbar 16 : 3) : «toute la congréga on est sainte ; D.ieu réside en leur sein». Chacun des membres du Peuple juif possède une é ncelle de sainteté. Kora h et ses adeptes désiraient que ce e é ncelle s épanouisse. Ils étaient même prêts à tout risquer, jusqu à leur vie, pour vivre une expérience spirituelle si extraordinaire. C est pourquoi, même lorsque Moché leur eut affirmé qu apporter une offrande d encens signifierait leur mort, ils n hésitèrent pas. Donner à la Paracha le nom de Kora h souligne le poten el de grandeur spirituelle que nous possédons tous et le désir que nous devons manifester pour réaliser ce poten el. L inten on face à l ac on Cependant, ce e explica on reste imparfaite car les bonnes inten ons ne suffisent pas. Ce sont avant tout nos ac ons concrètes plutôt que nos inten ons que D.ieu juge. Quels qu aient pu être les projets de Kora h, il créa une controverse qui abou t à dans la mort de milliers de personnes. Il ne semble donc pas adéquat d immortaliser ce passage en lui donnant le nom de l une de nos lectures hebdomadaires de la Torah. La probléma que se renforce encore si l on observe que le nom de Kora h est associé à la division. La racine hébraïque de ce nom signifie «division» ou «déchirure» et nos Sages associent le nom de Kora h, non seulement par les faits mais également par sa source, à ces tendances. La division va en opposi on absolue avec le but de la Torah qui «ne fut donnée que pour apporter la paix au monde». Pourquoi un nom synonyme de division sert-il donc pour nommer une Paracha de la Torah? Une unité plus absolue La réponse à ce e ques on dépend de la défini on que nous donnons à l unité. L unité absolue, essen elle est impossible dans notre monde matériel. Comme le commente Rachi (Bamidbar 16 : 5) : «Le Saint Béni soit-il a défini des limites dans Son monde. Peux-tu transformer le ma n en soir?» Chaque en té possède sa nature spécifique. Le concept de la division n a pas besoin, toutefois, d aller à l encontre de nos efforts vers l unité. Bien au contraire, l unité est plus complète quand elle dépasse les en tés divergentes, chacune possédant sa propre nature. Tel est le but de la paix qu est venue établir la Torah. Cela ne signifie pas que les différences ne doivent pas exister mais qu elles doivent créer une véritable harmonie. Il y a donc une place pour Kora h dans la Torah car celle-ci enseigne que la division peut servir un but posi f et que la diversité ne conduit (Con nuer à la page 11) Mosaic Express l 9

10 LE RECIT DE LA SEMAINE Inondé de bénédic ons simplement : «Apparemment, nous allons recevoir plein de bénédic ons!». C est effec vement ce qui se passa. ous sommes devenus Chlou him N (émissaires du Rabbi) et nous nous é ons installés à l Université Drexel de Philadelphie le 24 Tévet 5771 (2011). Nous aurions bien entendu voulu tout de suite trouver un bâ ment qui pourrait abriter les ac vités que nous allions ini er. Mais nous n avions évidemment pas le budget pour cela. Nous avons donc loué un appartement spacieux pour nous et c est là que nous avons commencé : les quelques 900 étudiants juifs du campus affluaient chez nous pour des cours, des repas de Chabbat, des demandes de conseils Au bout de quelques mois, il était évident que nous devions chercher un logement plus grand pour mieux accueillir tous ces jeunes. Bien que nous rempor ons un franc succès et avions réussi à contacter de nombreux étudiants pour les rapprocher de la pra que du judaïsme, nous n avions pas les moyens d obtenir un endroit plus grand. De plus, nous devions aussi aller jusqu au bout du bail que nous avions signé pour notre appartement. J hésitai avant de m engager dans d autres ini a ves mais mon épouse insistait qu il fallait «voir grand» et le plus tôt serait le mieux. Nous sommes donc restés aux aguets, gardant grands ouverts nos yeux et nos oreilles. Un jour, alors que ma femme venait me rejoindre sur le campus, elle remarqua une maison à vendre : l emplacement était parfait mais pas la maison, bien trop pe te pour l usage auquel nous la des nions. Nous sommes allés la visiter, à tout hasard. Une fois sur place, le propriétaire qui nous accueillit nous demanda si nous comp ons acquérir un terrain pour notre Beth Habad! Interloqués, nous avons répondu par l affirma ve. Il nous expliqua alors qu il 10 l Mosaic Express avait une autre maison à vendre un peu plus loin du campus et qui conviendrait à nos ac vités. Elle n était pas encore sur le marché mais il proposa de nous la montrer. De fait, la maison était située au cœur du quar er où logeaient les étudiants, vraiment idéale pour notre Beth Habad. Elle possédait une superbe bibliothèque qui pouvait devenir synagogue, une très grande salle à manger et un grand débarras pour stocker des provisions. Mais bien entendu, le problème était l argent. La seule op on à notre disposi on était de demander l aide du philanthrope M. George Rohr qui s engageait à aider généreusement les Chlou him qui s occupaient des étudiants. De fait, il aidait surtout les Chlou him déjà sur place depuis quelques années et nous ne pensions pas être prioritaires. Mais nous ne pouvions pas laisser passer ce e affaire et il fallait agir vite car, bientôt, la maison serait mise en vente. Une semaine plus tard, nous sommes par s à New York, prier au Ohel, le cime ère Montefiore à Queens où repose le Rabbi. Comme le veut la coutume, nous avons écrit une le re avec tous les détails concernant notre futur Beth Habad en demandant bien sûr des bénédic ons pour pouvoir acheter ce e maison. Nous é ons certains qu avec les bénédic ons du Rabbi, l impossible deviendrait possible. A notre retour à Philadelphie, nous avons découvert avec horreur que l entrée de notre appartement était inondée avec de l eau qui coulait d un tuyau du plafond. Ma femme qui avait souvent répété aux étudiants que quand il pleut, c est un signe de bénédic on, comme le disait le Baal Chem Tov se tourna vers moi en riant, oui en riant et constata Ce cas de force majeure nous perme ait de me re fin au bail avant le délai normal et c était déjà un résultat posi f. Nous avons téléphoné au propriétaire de la maison que nous convoi ons pour l informer que nous é ons obligés d emménager au plus vite et il accepta de nous la louer en a endant : le prix qu il en demandait était pra quement le triple du loyer de notre appartement inondé. Par ailleurs, nous avons contacté notre assurance. Après des heures passées au téléphone, nous avons réussi à convaincre les assureurs que, bien que ce nouveau loyer soit supérieur à l ancien, la maison convenait parfaitement à nos besoins. Merveille des merveilles, l assurance accepta de prendre en charge ce loyer astronomique. De plus, comme l ancien logement était inhabitable pendant un certain temps, le propriétaire n exigeait pas de frais de rupture du bail. Ce déménagement nous perme ait déjà d entrer dans «la» maison : mais l assurance ne paierait notre loyer que les quelques mois que durerait la rénova on de l ancien appartement. De plus, le propriétaire de «notre nouvelle maison» n allait pas nous laisser louer les lieux très longtemps sans l acheter. Nous avons contacté M. Rohr et, je le remercie vraiment du fond du cœur, il nous accorda un prêt ; nous avons lancé une énorme campagne de collecte de fonds, ce qui nous a permis de lever l hypothèque ce qui était un véritable miracle en soi! Nous avons complété l achat juste quelques jours avant le délai impar. Le Rabbi con nue de nous inonder de bénédic ons, surtout en ce qui concerne notre Beth Habad. Nos étudiants sont bien conscients que nous profitons de ce e maison grâce à sa bénédic on. L année dernière, lors du Dîner Annuel marquant le jour où nous sommes arrivés à l université Drexel, un étudiant a porté un (Con nuer à la page 12)

11 (Con nuer de la page 9) pas au conflit. Prendre nos propres décisions Néanmoins, D.ieu désire que nous parvenions à ce e unité à mul ples faces de notre propre ini a ve. Il donne à l homme la force et la responsabilité d a eindre cet objec f et le libre-choix pour déterminer le sens de ses efforts. Cela se retrouve également dans la conduite de Kora h. Il avait vu qu après le péché du veau d or et celui des explorateurs, Moché avait prié D.ieu et empêché l applica on des décrets Divins. Korah pensait donc que, bien que D.ieu ait a ribué leurs posi ons à Moché et à Aharon, il lui serait possible, par le biais de la prière sincère, d obtenir un changement et de combler ses propres ambi ons spirituelles. Il fit tout simplement le mauvais choix. Plutôt que de renforcer l unité en intensifiant le lien du peuple avec Moché et Aharon, il emprunta une voie différente. Au lieu de voir l harmonie poten elle, il suscita l affrontement des différences. Kora h ne prit jamais conscience de son erreur. Par contre, ses enfants le LE COIN DE LA HALACHA HALACHA réalisèrent et proclamèrent : «Moché est vrai et sa Torah est vraie» (Sanhédrin 11a). Ils comprirent que la vérité qu enseignait Moché était la seule et unique manière de faire régner l unité dans le peuple et de perme re à chaque individu d exploiter son poten el. Une ques on de temps D un point de vue mys que, on explique que les désirs de Kora h reflétaient des hauteurs spirituelles qui seront a eintes à l Ere de la Rédemp on. Les Lévites (la tribu de Kora h) seront alors élevés au statut de prêtres et le Peuple juif tout en er a eindra le summum de l expérience spirituelle car «Je déverserai Mon esprit sur toute chair» (Yoël 3 :1). Cependant, les récompenses de cet âge ne peuvent être obtenues prématurément mais seulement en conséquence de notre service Divin. Ce n est que par un dévouement absolu à la Torah de Moché et aux direc ves de «l extension de Moché dans chaque généra on», les guides spirituels de notre peuple que nous pouvons aspirer à nous élever ainsi que le monde au point où il «sera rempli de la connaissance de D.ieu». ETINCELLES DE MACHIAH Explica on talmudique Le Talmud (Baba Metsia) évoque le cas où, un objet étant revendiqué par deux personnes, son propriétaire réel ne peut être déterminé. Dans un tel cas, dit-il, «l objet restera déposé (auprès du tribunal) jusqu à ce que le prophète Elie vienne» c est-à-dire jusqu à la venue de Machia h dont le prophète Elie sera l annonciateur. Un professeur hassidique enseigna un jour ce texte à ses élèves. L un d eux lui demanda : «Le prophète Elie témoignera de qui est le vrai propriétaire. Mais cela ne fait qu un seul témoin. Or, nous avons appris qu un témoignage n est valable que s il est fait par deux témoins. Dans ce cas, l objet ne pourra être donné à personne.» Le professeur répondit : «Quand le prophète Elie viendra, la vérité illuminera le monde. Et celui qui ment aujourd hui criera demain que c est l autre par e qui dit la vérité.» (D après les notes de Rav Yo hanan Gordon) Coutumes liées au jour de la Hilloula du Rabbi 3 Tamouz (ce e année samedi 20 juin 2015) Le Rabbi avait fixé un certain nombre de coutumes à respecter à l occasion de la Hilloula du Rabbi précédent. Ce sont ces mêmes coutumes qui ont été reprises pour le 3 Tamouz. Ce e Hilloula tombant ce e année un Chabbat, en voici quelques-unes : Avant Chabbat, on rédigera un «Pane», «Pidyone Néfech», une le re de demande de bénédic ons (en y précisant les nom et prénom de la mère de chacun) qui sera lue sur le Ohel du Rabbi. N de fax du Ohel : N de fax du Beth Loubavitch : Adresse du Ohel : Francis Lewis Blvd Cambria Heights, New York 11411; ohel@ohelchabad.org Avant l entrée de Chabbat, on donnera de la Tsedaka (charité), au nom de chacun des membres de sa famille, pour une ins tu on du Rabbi. On allumera une bougie de vingtquatre heures avant l entrée de Chabbat. A la synagogue, cinq bougies de 24h seront allumées (avant Chabbat) devant l officiant durant les 3 offices. On s efforcera de monter à la Torah. On consacrera un moment dans la journée pour parler du Rabbi et de sa grande Ahavat Israël (amour du prochain) à sa famille et son entourage. On étudiera les chapitres de Michnayot correspondant aux le res qui cons tuent le nom du Rabbi. On étudiera les enseignements du Rabbi. Mosaic Express l 11

12 HORAIRE DES COURS DE LA SEMAINE Mardi La Paracha de le Semaine....20h 00 Mercredi Cours de Talmoud..20h00 (Con nuer de la page 10) toast et, en trinquant Le haïm, a souhaité en riant que, puisque nous é ons là grâce à une inonda on, il nous souhaitait une autre inonda on! Quelque temps plus tard, un de mes amis proches me téléphona pour me parler d une le re imprimée à la fin du volume 16 de Likouté Si hot (page 506) ; dans ce e le re, le Rabbi écrivait à une personne qui avait du mal à payer son loyer : «J ai entendu de mon beau-père, le Rabbi (précédent) à propos des caisses de charité qu il citait la sentence de nos Sages : «Celui qui reçoit une pièce de Iyov (Job) est béni». Je vous envoie donc un chèque de l une de ces caisses qui existe encore jusqu à aujourd hui. Vous devez mêler ce e somme avec l argent que vous allez ramasser pour payer votre de e : certainement la promesse du Rabbi (précédent) sera accomplie. «Afin d augmenter la bénédic on et renforcer votre lien avec la personne responsable de ce e caisse, c est-à-dire le Rabbi (précédent), vous devrez suivre les direc ves de la Hassidout à ce sujet, donc étudier ses paroles de Torah et adhérer à ses direc ves. «Il serait donc approprié qu à par r de maintenant, vous respec ez scrupuleusement les études quo diennes de Houmach, Tehilim, Tanya, d étudier ses paroles de Torah (il ne faudrait pas que trois jours se passent sans ce e étude) et fixer des moments pour étudier ses discours hassidiques». A ce e époque, nous avions du mal à Point culminant et au-delà n Tsadik, un Juste, qui qui e ce U monde n en disparaît pas, il s y trouve avec une intensité encore plus grande, nous enseigne le Zohar. Lorsque, en ce Chabbat, revient le 3 Tamouz, jour où le Rabbi qui a matériellement ce monde, ce e phrase, immanquablement, résonne dans l esprit et dans l âme de chacun. De fait, ce 3 Tamouz est le 21ème anniversaire de l événement et chacun constate à quel point la présence du Rabbi semble être encore plus sensible avec les années. Par ses enseignements, par les ac ons croissantes qu il suscite aux quatre coins du monde, le Rabbi con nue de guider, conduire, vivifier des centaines de milliers de personnes, diverses tant par leur origine que par leur mode de vie, leurs opinions ou leur situa on géographique. Certains pourraient penser que la grandeur du 3 Tamouz se limite à ces considéra ons. Certes, ces idées expriment une actualité indéniable et, en cela, elles sont d autant plus essen elles que l époque paraît comme plus obscure. Toutefois, si ce e date se contentait d incarner cela, les années qui passent ne verraient rien se rajouter aux acquis antérieurs. On dirait alors que ce jour n est qu une commémora on, même importante, parmi toutes les autres. Or il représente rembourser l emprunt et, après avoir lu ce e le re, je résolus d être plus mé culeux dans mon étude quo dienne et régulière. Quelques jours plus tard, nous sommes allés assister à une Sim ha (occasion joyeuse) familiale. A notre retour, croyezle ou non, nous avons trouvé notre cuisine submergée par une fuite d eau! La mère d un de nos étudiants apprit notre souci et, avec son fils, ini a une campagne de collecte de fonds qui nous rapporta une somme considérable, provenant de personnes que nous EDITORIAL bien autre chose et sans doute est-ce en cela qu il révèle sa profondeur et son urgence pour chacun, car il est un jour d éléva on. Cela signifie que, lorsqu il revient, d année en année, il ne réapparaît pas au même niveau. Il entraîne toujours dans un degré plus haut et ce progrès est infini. C est ainsi que le Rabbi lui-même s élève également de degré en degré. Il ouvre un chemin toujours nouveau et chacun peut le suivre. Plus encore, il importe pour chacun de s élever avec lui. Le propre d une voie qui monte, c est d exister et d offrir le passage. Mais il appar ent à l homme de s y engager et d en suivre les avancées. Ce e route-là est spirituelle, c est spirituellement qu il faut savoir l emprunter. C est dire que le 3 Tamouz n est pas qu une journée qu il faut marquer, c est un moment rare qu il faut vivre par l ac on et par l étude, par le cœur et par l esprit. Ce jour tombe ce Chabbat, a-t-on dit, comme pour souligner qu il incarne une sorte de point culminant. Parce que c est une période nouvelle qui s ouvre et que notre âme sait y trouver les ressources du renouveau. Afin que l ombre recule pour faire place à la Lumière, celle du temps de Machi ah. n aurions jamais imaginé qu elles donneraient quoi que ce soit pour nous. Ceci nous permit de reconstruire et d agrandir notre cuisine la pièce la plus importante pour toute communauté, n estce pas? Une telle extension ne figurait certainement pas dans notre budget et certainement pas à ce moment. Ce e nouvelle campagne ouvrit pour nous de nouvelles portes, ce qui nous permit de donner une envergure considérable à notre ac on parmi les étudiants. Oui, vraiment une inonda on de bénédic ons de la part du Rabbi! Rav Chaim Goldstein 12 l Mosaic Express