Hachodesh Rosh Chodesh Tuesday April 1 MTC S EREV PESACH FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER. Friday April 11-8:15

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1 MOSAIC EXPRESS Candle Lighting 6:59 pm Shabbat Ends 8:04 pm Friday March 28, Adar ll, 5774 Torah Portion Tazria SHABBAT DAY SCHEDULE SERVICES Friday Night Mincha/Maariv...7:00pm Shacharit... 9:30am Children s Program :45am Boy s Program :00-12:10pm Kiddush :30pm Mincha/Shalosh Seudos...7:00pm Maariv...8:05pm Parshat תזריע Hachodesh Rosh Chodesh Tuesday April 1 MTC Graciously Acknowledges This Week s Sponsors of the Day Martin & Carol Halickman in honour of the Yartzeit of Isadore Halickman obm, Adar 26 To become a sponsor of the day, please contact ext 223 MTC S EREV PESACH FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER Friday April 11-8:15 Adult $ 40 Kids 3-12 $20 Under 3 Free Reservation Deadline: Tuesday April 8 TORAH READING Parshat Tazria Page 557 Maftir Parshat Hachodesh..Page 309 Haftorah...Page 1285 CLASSES Tehillim :30am Men s Class :00pm Women s Class :00pm SHOO T...6:45pm EN FRANCAIS AVEC LE RAV M. PINTO Le Monde Ésotérique de la Torah...9h 00 La Hala ha dans notre vie quotidienne...18h 20 Seu'da Chelichit...19h 20 Yasher Koach to our Kiddush co-sponsors! Last Week Yoram & Sara Bar Shimon & Devora Berman Nathan & Mary Blankrot Ronnie & Debbie Cons Jerry & Roslyn Convoy David & Sandra Fine Audi & Karen Gozlan (x3) Eric & Stacey Howard (x2) Mark Lazar Yossi & Julietta Levy (x2) This Week Mark Lazar in memory of his father Larry Lazar obm Kiddush co-sponsorship is $136 MTC wishes a hearty Mazal Tov to Clifford & Ilana Isenberg on the Bar-Mitzvah of their son Lucas 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 Shacharit.... 9:00 am Monday Friday Shacharit... 7:00 am Breakfast following weekday services Mincha Maariv at MTC In cherished memory of R'Yeshaya Aryeh ben Menashe Treitel obm Sunday Thursday this week - 7:20 pm People are encouraged to commit please contact itchy@themtc.com and finally A Catholic, a Protestant, a Muslim and a Jew were in a discussion during a dinner. Catholic: "I have a large fortune...i am going to buy Citibank!" Protestant: "I am very wealthy and will buy General Motors!" Muslim: "I am a fabulously rich prince... I intend to purchase Microsoft!" They then all wait for the Jew to speak... The Jew stirs his coffee, places the spoon neatly on the table, takes a sip of his coffee, looks at them, and casually says, "I'm not selling!" A man who has given up hope is without a G-d. A man who awaits liberation each day Is already free. TAZRIA ALIYAH SUMMARY General Overview: The bulk of this week's portion, Tazria, discusses various forms of tzara'at, skin maladies which are contracted as a result of engaging in forbidden gossip. Also discussed are certain garment discolorations which constitute "clothing tzara'at." First Aliyah: The Jewish people are instructed regarding the ritual impurity contracted by a woman who gives birth. The timeframe of this period of impurity differs depending whether the child is a boy or girl. At the conclusion of this period, the woman immerses in a mikvah and is required to bring certain offerings in the Temple. Incidentally, the Torah mentions the obligation to circumcise a male child on the eighth day of his life. The Torah then begins discussing the laws of tzara'at, a skin discoloration -- often inaccurately translated as "leprosy" -- which renders a p e r s o n r i t u a l l y i m p u r e. This aliyahdiscusses various forms of white skin discolorations. A person who has the symptoms of tzara'at must be seen by a priest. If the discoloration is deemed "suspicious," the priest will immediately declare the individual impure or quarantine him for up to two weeks. Second Aliyah: At the conclusion of the quarantine period, the priest either declares the individual pure or impure. The Torah then discusses what is done in the event that the tzara'at spreads after the individual was declared pure, or if there is raw skin within the tzara'at, or if the tzara'at has spread over the entire body. Third Aliyah: We learn the laws of tzara'at which appears following an inflammation on the skin. Fourth Aliyah: We learn the laws of tzara'at which appears following a burn to the skin. Fifth Aliyah: In this aliyah we discover that tzara'at can also affect the areas on the body covered by hair. The symptoms and laws of such a tzara'at are quite different than standard tzara'at. This section concludes with the laws of a person afflicted by multiple dull white areas on his skin. S i x t h A l i y a h : T h is s e c ti on discusses tzara'at which appears on a bald spot, as well a white discoloration streaked with red, which can appear anywhere on the body. Also discussed is the procedure followed by an individual who is afflicted with tzara'at, the main requirement being that he must remain outside the city until his condition clears up. The Torah then discusses "clothing tzara'at," a green or red discoloration which can affect certain types of materials. The garment is shown to a priest who quarantines it for up to two weeks. Seventh Aliyah: At the conclusion of the quarantine period, depending on the circumstances the garment is either declared pure, or completely burnt, or only the part which was discolored is torn out and burnt. WEEKLY SHALOSH SEUDOS FOR YOUNG TEENS Stories Refreshments Niggunim with Berel Solomon in the Breakfast Room SHOO T OF THE New Special Torah readings before Pe- sach; what gives? SHABBOS AFTERNOONS 15 MINUTES BEFORE MINCHA SHaalos OO Tshuvos - Questions & Answers 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 10:00-10:30 am Beginners Talmud A taste of Talmud MONDAY 8:05-9:10 pm Kolel Chavrusa/one-on-one learning on the subject of your choice OR Do-It-Yourself. Gain the skills required to learn Talmud on your own. TUESDAY 11:00-12:00 am Women s Torah Class A discussion on the Torah portion of the week, or holidays. In a private home. 8:00-9:15 pm Vive la Paracha! Chiour Torah en français avec le Rav M. Pinto TUESDAY CONT 8:00-9:00 pm with Dr. Yaakov Brawer In depth study of one of the classic Chassidic texts authored by Rebbe Sholom DovBer of Lubavitch. 8:15-9:15 pm for Young Adults With Rabbi Levi WEDNESDAY 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 THURSDAY 12:15-1:15 pm Lunch & Learn EMPIRE AUCTION A discussion on the Torah portion of the week, current events or holidays 4:45-5:45 pm Rap with the Rabbi for High School students. Pizza and fries dinner RSVP a must. Please contact the office. THURSDAY CONT 8:05-9:10 pm Kolel Chavrusa/one-on-one learning on the subject of your choice OR Do-It-Yourself. Gain the skills required to learn Talmud on your own. FRIDAY 12:15-1:15 pm Lunch & Learn C&C PACKING A discussion on the Torah portion of the week, current events or holidays SHABBAT Insights into Prayer Understanding the deeper meaning of the prayers as illuminated by the teachings of 9:00 am Le Monde Ésotérique de la Torah Avec le Rav Pinto 45 minutes before Mincha Women s Torah Class Studies in the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov 1 hour before Mincha Men s Torah Class Practical Halacha based on the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 40 minutes avant MInha Chiour Hala ha en Français La Hala ha dans notre vie quotidienne avec le Rav M. Pinto 15 minutes before Mincha SHOO T SHaalos OO Tshuvos - questions & answers Mosaic Express l 3

4 Chabad Pledges to Hold Seders Despite Strike by lubavitch.com MARCH 25 s a shipping container full of A quantities of matzah, wine, grape juice, kosher-for-passover food stuffs, hagaddahs and other Passover necessities sits in the cargo hold at port in Calcutta, India, with no word of imminent release, thousands of Israelis and other Jewish visitors traveling in Nepal are concerned. A full-blown strike by Israel s Foreign Ministry that began Sunday, only weeks away from Passover, now leaves many are wondering if the famous Seders in the Himalayas coordinated by Chabad of Nepal, will be cancelled. Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky of Chabad- Lubavitch Headquarters in New York pledged that the Seders will go on as expected. We are sending rabbinical students as we do every year to assist Rabbi Chezki and Chani Lifshitz, and we are confident that we will find some kind of solution to this crisis so that the Seders will take place as always, he told lubavitch.com. Likewise, Chabad representatives to Kathmandu dismissed media reports about Seder cancellations. Anyone who knows us and the kinds of miracles that we survive on, knows that there s no way in the world, come Passover, we will not make a Seder for the thousands of Jews who are relying on us, said Chani. (Continued on page 5) DRAW 2014 We invite you to join our Corporate or Event Sponsors. We re counting on your support! Get involved in MTC s life-line fundraiser of the year! Chairpersons: Sara Eldor Darrell Garfield Dr. Jacob Tink O U R C O R P O R A T E S P O N S O R S LAZAR EQUITIES NATIONAL DISPATCH SERVICES J SUSS KITCHENS O U R E V E N T S P O N S O R S TAN-KAR Design et Couture Simantob Darwiche 4 l Mosaic Express

5 (Continued from page 4) $40,000 ON HOLD Still, the Lifshitzs may need to consider other alternatives. Even if the container holding $40,000 worth of Passover provisions would be released immediately, it would be a close call (Continued on page 6) Thursday April 3 5:00-6:30 pm, $20 RSVP youth@themtc.com Kids In Action Limo Ride Delivering Matza MEN S SHABBATON AT THE OHEL FRIDAY-SHABBOS APRIL 4-5 To reserve contact mtc@themtc.com GOAL 4500 TICKETS 1530 Sold! Pesach Preps all the Ins-and-Outs 8:00-9:00 pm Thursday March 27 PRODUCTS ON PESACH What is permissible, what requires a hechsher and why Tuesday April 1 KASHERING YOUR KITCHEN Tuesday April 8 HAGADA HIGHLIGHTS Engaging, brief insights to share at your Seder table MTC DAY CAMP AGES 2-3 JUNE 30- AUGUST 15 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM For more info, call Nechama x258 Or nechama@themtc.com Register at 0 April 2 THE FLAME OF PURITY When a person afflicted with tzoraas - the Biblical skin disease, a result of particular transgressions, that renders the afflicted individual ritually impure - enters into a home, all the utensils in the abode contract ritual impurity. The law is however, that the 'Metzora' must have remained in the house a minimum amount of time: the time required to kindle a flame. This class will explain the rational behind this law on both legal and spiritual levels. visit to watch it live and view previous classes SPONSORED BY THE MIRYAM & BATYA MEDICOFF LECTURE FOUNDATION Mosaic Express l 5

6 (Continued from page 5) given the time it would take for it to reach Nepal. Two weeks by sea from Calcutta, and two weeks by truck to Nepal. If the container is not released within the next few days, we will have to think about making it happen some other way. Adding insult to injury, Chabad of Nepal is incurring a holding fee of $150. for every day that the container continues to sit in the hold. About 1,500 guests participate at the Largest Seder in The World, as the Chabad Seder in Nepal has been dubbed. Another 800 participate at the one in Pokhara. And for those Jews who didn t make it to either of those locations the Fifth Child who didn t think of joining the seder said Rabbi Lifshitz, Chabad of Nepal hosts another one in remote Manang, at 11,614 feet above sea level. Inaccessible by road, Chabad airlifts Seder provisions and rabbinical students by helicopter. related to Israel s foreign ministry and has prompted the postponement of Prime Minister Netanyahu s planned visit next month to Mexico, Panama and Colombia, as well as Pope Francis planned visit to Israel in May. A statement by the ministry s workers committee made on Sunday, read: Today, for the first time in Israel s history, the foreign ministry will be closed and no work will be done in any sphere under the ministry s authority. The inspiration for Kathmandu, a popular Israeli TV series in 2012, the 16 th Annual WOMEN S OHEL TRIP Sunday-Monday, May 4-5 Lifshitzs have been conducting these Seders for the last 10 years. The go-to people for Israeli backpackers who have found a welcoming home, a good meal nurture for body and soul so far from home, they have weathered numerous challenges with aplomb. We wouldn t manage to live in Nepal and raise a family here where power outages and no running water are frequent and unpredictable occurrences, if we d lose our heads whenever there are bumps in the road, said Chani, laughing. There s always some crisis. We ll overcome this one too. But that isn t all. On the second night of Passover, the Lifshitzs host a small Seder at the Chabad House for several hundred. Passover is a weeklong holiday when special kosher-for-passover foods are consumed. The Lifshitzs expect that some 10,000 people will have joined Chabad at any of its locations for at least one meal during the 8-day holiday. STRIKE IS ANOTHER OF MANY HURDLES The strike, blamed by the foreign ministry employees on the draconian decision by the Treasury to cut workers salaries, has paralyzed all activities RESERVE! zeldie@themtc.com Reservation Deadline: Monday April 28 Trip: $125, Hotel: Single Occupancy $95 Double Occupancy $50 6 l Mosaic Express

7 An inspiring story for your Shabbos table HERE S my STORY LASTING IMPRESSIONS RABBI NORBERT WEINBERG ב ה שבת פרשת תזריע, כ ז אדר ב, תשע ד Shabbos Parshas Tazria, March 29, 2014 My name is Norbert Weinberg and my Hebrew name is Natan Natan Ben Yitzchak Dov. I was born in Germany before the Holocaust. My family almost didn t make it out; in fact, my father, who was a doctor in a little town called Bad-Nauheim, was arrested and sent to Buchenwald for six weeks. But somehow my mother moved mountains and got him out, and we left for England and then we came to America. I went to Yeshiva University and was ordained as a rabbi there. In the mid-1950s, I became a principal of a Hebrew School in Yonkers. After a short time, however, I became quite discouraged about my work. The children were wonderful; they wanted to learn, and they loved learning. The parents, however, were a problem. Although they sent their children to our Hebrew School, the parents were not religious, in the sense that they didn t keep the Torah. I think they did it because their neighbors did it it was the thing to do but the children were taught one thing in the school and every night they d go home and be taught something else. I began to feel that I was not making a dent. I was getting pretty disheartened about the whole thing. At this time it was the late 1950s I was hearing a great deal about the Rebbe. He was becoming very well known then; he was becoming a force in Jewish life. So I decided to see him and ask his advice on the matter. Maybe he agrees with me that I should switch professions and become a lawyer or a doctor. Somehow I arranged an audience with the Rebbe. I don t remember the exact details of how it came about, though I do remember that my late cousin, Zvi Bjorn Bamberger, came with me. We arrived and were told to wait a while. And it was quite an experience to see the Rebbe up close. I had seen him before at a number of farbrengens but this was face to face. I remember that my cousin and I entered the room, and there was the Rebbe seated at a desk with a library of books behind him. He stood up when we walked in. We were nobody of importance but, nevertheless, he stood up for us, and shook our hands. This was a great surprise to me, and it made me feel that he wanted to speak to me. His first question was, What language do you want to speak? And, although I knew English and German, I said Yiddish. I felt this was more in keeping with Yiddishkeit. He said, Fine. Obviously, the Rebbe could speak many languages I don t even know how many certainly French, since he studied in France, and Russian, since he was born there, and obviously Yiddish, Hebrew, German and English. So it was no problem for him what language we spoke. What is it you d like to talk about? he asked. I told him my entire problem. I explained that I was very discouraged that I couldn t make any progress because the families of the children negated what I taught them and, even if the children wanted to learn, I didn t see the point of teaching them. What was I to do? Listen to me, he said, I want to tell you something. He said that, according to Jewish law, it is almost impossible for a court to put anyone to death. We know that a court that puts someone to death once in seventy years is called a bloodthirsty court. Rabbi Akiva even said that if it was up to him nobody would ever be put to death. So then people ask: If that s the case why do we have a death penalty at all? And the reason is, said the Rebbe, because the Torah wants us to know how serious it is to kill somebody. 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 800 videotaped interviews conducted to date. Please share your comments and suggestions. mystory@jemedia.org

8 continued from reverse The Rebbe continued, Say a person is, in fact, sentenced to death. Can you imagine what kind of person this had to be for the court to hand down that sentence? He had to refuse to listen to the warning of two witnesses and murder someone in front of other people; he has no fear and no shame. Now think about this: This murderer was sentenced to death by the court. If he now asks for a glass of water before the verdict is carried out, he has to make a blessing on that glass of water just like the greatest tzaddik in the world I listened quietly, following the Rebbe s train of thought, but not quite getting the point just yet. You are asking me, he continued, what importance it is to teach these children. These young kids are guiltless, they re just starting out in life. Each of them could become the greatest people, the greatest of Jews. You re asking me if it s worthwhile to teach them?! Even a murderer on the way to execution would have to make a bracha the same way a Rabbi Weinberg (on the right) tzaddik has to make a bracha. How, then can you deny this child the opportunity to recite a bracha? To teach a child to make a bracha what can be greater? I was absolutely stunned. During all my time in education, such a perspective never, ever occurred to me. His words sank in, and we spoke a bit about the practical implications of his approach. As we were leaving, his final words of advice to me were: Don t worry about it don t worry about what they will or won t do. You just try your best with them and their mitzvos will have strength of their own. We got up to leave, and he shook our hands. When we walked out, one of the secretaries asked me, What did you speak about for so long? What do you mean so long? We only spoke for a minute or two. You were inside for almost forty-five minutes, he told me. When I was with the Rebbe, I hadn t noticed the passage of time. I was totally taken aback when I heard that. That audience with the Rebbe made a huge difference in my life, it gave me the strength to go on. When I realized that any mitzvah that I could plant in the children would have a force of its own, as the Rebbe had said, I knew that my effort would not be wasted. A rabbi doesn t have an easy life. As Moses put it, A little longer and they will stone me! It s not an easy thing. And yet, it doesn t matter anymore to me because I know that any mitzvah I can plant in them is going to have a force of its own and it ll do what it has to do. That s the story of my encounter with the Rebbe. Thinking back about it now, it seems that it happened just yesterday. That was sixty years ago, but the passing of time doesn t matter at all that s the kind of impression it made on me. Rabbi Norbert Weinberg has worked as an educator and rabbi in various institutions in New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Presently he serves as rabbi of the Adams Street Shul in Newton, Massachusetts. He was interviewed in Israel in January, 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 renewed the age-old custom of rabbis and people of influence to distribute Shmurah Matza to their congregants and acquaintances, thus enabling them to celebrate the mitzvah in its best possible form Adar > , marking the rare event of Birkas Hachama The Blessing of the Sun, a ritual performed once every 28 years, a large crowd of men women and children joined the Rebbe outdoors to recite the prayers together. The Rebbe instructed to sing specific chasidic melodies and addressed the crowd following the prayers. In the days following, the Rebbe spoke of the need to exploit the energy of the sun to power today s technology and industry. 2 4 Nissan > , in response to the multitudes that wished to travel to the Rebbe in honor of his 80th birthday on 11 Nissan, the Rebbe publicly requested that those from out of town remain at home and spend the days leading to the holiday to assist the Passover preparations, suggesting that half the cost of the proposed trip should be donated to charity. Those wishing to mark the day should instead assemble a farbrengen in their home towns. 3 1 Nissan 1. Toras Menachem Vol. 11, p Sichos Kodesh 5741 Vol. 3, p Toras Menachem Hisvaduyos 5742 vol. 2, p In honor of the wedding of Yosel and Chaya Tiefenbrun 28 Adar II, 5774 You can help us record more testimonies by dedicating future editions of Here s My Story A project of: JEWISH EDUCATIONAL MEDIA interviews@jemedia.org myencounterblog.com Eastern Parkway Suite 403 Brooklyn, NY Copyright, Jewish Educational Media, 2013 Generously printed by