Heart and Soul - Korach/Gimel Tamuz 5786

-

I’m writing these lines at 35,000 feet, on my way to New York to mark the Third of Tammuz, the 32nd Yartzeit of the Rebbe. I plan to visit the Ohel and I was invited to speak at a gathering in Brooklyn Heights.


At the 32nd Yartzeit of the previous Rebbe, the Rebbe pointed out the significance of the number 32. It is the numerical value of the Hebrew word “lev” which means heart. Rambam tells us that the leader of the Jewish people is considered the heart of the nation. The heart is one of the key organs that give life to the body, and in some ways is the most important because it provides the lifeblood to every limb in the body. A healthy heart must pump the blood to every arteryand every limb, and even helps the nails grow. 


Our spiritual life force is the Torah, and it is interesting to note that “lev”, the letters lamed and beit, are the end and the beginning of the Torah. The last letter is lamed, and when we conclude the reading of the Torah on Simchat Torah, we immediately begin again at the beginning with the letter beit. 


The leaders of our people inspire us and connect us to the Torah. Our Rebbe brought the Torah to the farthest reaches of the world, to people from every background, truly to every part of the “body” of our people, and beyond, spreading the teachings of the Seven Noahide Laws to the world at large. 


On this day we reflect on our connection to the Rebbe which continues and grows. His spiritual impact has grown over the decades, his teachings and message are alive, and we see his Torah flourishing around the world. 


One of the many inspiring messages that the Rebbe talked about very often, privately and publicly, is the fact that every person has a unique mission, and Hashem has given each of us the talents and tools with which to fulfill that mission. Everything that we possess, everything that crosses our path, and every ability that we have, are all given to us by Hashem for us to use for His service. And if we face challenges, we have the inner strength to overcome them, because Hashem does not demand of a person more than they can handle. 


This was Korach’s mistake that we read about in this week’s Parsha. Korach was jealous. Moshe was the leader. His brother Aaron the high priest. A cousin of his whose father was younger than Korach’s was chosen to be the head of the tribe of Levi. Korach felt that he should have had one of those positions. He shouted “equality”, claiming that we don’t need a high priest because everyone is equally holy, but Korach felt that he should be the high priest. 


Who was Korach?  The Talmud describes his wealth as unmatched. He was extremely talented. A great scholar and even prophetic, and he had the potential to be a great leader for his people had he recognized his own place and followed the path Hashem set out for him. But he wanted something different and lost everything. 


How often do we look at others and wish we had their position or their power or their stuff and abilities . As the Rebbe taught us, we each have the ability to shine in the path that Hashem set for us and all the tools with which to do it. With work and devotion we can each accomplish the great things that are designated for us. 


I encourage you to read all about the 3rd of Tammuz, the significance of the day and its customs here www.chabad.org/142232.  May we merit the immediate coming of Moshiach, and the resurrection, and we will be united physically with the Rebbe and all our great leaders through the generations. 


Here is an interesting video. 


https://youtu.be/jutPrHCaIkQ


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes Silence is the Answer - Chukat 5785

-
  (Dedicated to the memory of Rachel bat Yosef Shmuel. Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, teacher and friend. She passed away on Erev Shabbat and was laid to rest surrounded by her family and many, many friends in the Holy Land.) Chukat, the Parsha we read and study this week, talks a lot about death. Miriam and Aharon, two of the three greatest siblings of our people, pass away. And Moshe is informed that he will not live to take the Jewish People into Israel.  The Parsha begins with the laws of the “Red Heifer.” This was the cow that was slaughtered and then burned, and its ashes mixed with “living” spring water. The mixture was sprinkled on a person who had come in contact with a corpse, twice over a period of seven days, and he or she would then immerse in a Mikvah and thus be purified from the Tumah (ritual “impurity”) that came from contact with the corpse.  There is a fascinating Midrash that recounts a discussion between Hashem and Moshe. Hashem taught Moshe t...
Read more

Your Choice to Accept the Facts - Va’etchanan 5785

-
I was approached by an author to give him my “elevator pitch” to prove there is a G-d.  An elevator pitch is a short 30 second hard-hitting sales pitch you could give an executive that you happen to meet in an elevator.  I told him that I can’t prove to you that there is a G-d, but you can prove it to yourself.  Faith in G-d is a choice we make.  We can have incontrovertible evidence and still deny it, because Hashem Himself created us with free choice and a voice inside us that questions. I recently heard a story about two people arguing about what a creature on top of the roof was, a bird or a cat.  As they were getting into a heated argument, a passerby suggested a simple way to settle the question.  He suggested they throw a stone onto the roof and see what happens.  If the creature runs away, it’s a cat, and if it flies away it is a bird.  What a brilliant idea!  So they threw a stone onto the roof, and the thing flew away.  “See,...
Read more

Yes, There is a Hierarch! - Nasso 5785

-
Is sameness a good thing?  How about hierarchy?  Equality is the word nowadays, but what does true equality mean?  The Jewish nation was created with a hierarchy.  The 12 sons of Jacob, also called Israel, were the original “B’nai Yisrael.”  Jacob gifted Yosef a double portion, as the first-born of his beloved wife Rachel, making his two sons Menashe and Efraim heads of separate tribes.  Of the 13 tribes, one stood out, the tribe of Levi.   The Levites were chosen to carry the portable Sanctuary through the desert, and serve in the Temple as guards, singers, doorkeepers and more.  They lived in special cities and guided the people.  The leader of the Jewish people, Moshe, was from the tribe of Levi.  They stood out in their faithfulness to Hashem in Egypt and throughout the journey in the desert, by circumcising their children and following the traditional lifestyle passed down by Jacob.  They did not participate in the Golden ...
Read more