PARSHAT- SHLACH

Sh'lach, means "Send" - This parsha narrates the story of the twelve spies who were sent on a special mission to the land of Israel.

The spies had been instructed to scout out the land in order to determine the optimal strategy the Jews should employ to conquer it. Indeed, when they returned from their mission they gave their report on the land and its inhabitants.

However, in addition to providing the information they were requested to obtain, the spies ventured their own opinion about the mission itself: "We will not be able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we!" they declared.

G-d hadn't asked the spies whether or not they thought conquering the land was possible. Their mission was solely a fact-finding mission; thus, adding their own opinion and discouraging the Jewish people from fulfilling G-d's request was a transgression.

An emissary is required to carry out his mission to the best of his ability, no more and no less. Altering that mission to accommodate his own thoughts and feelings is a distortion of the very mission with which he was entrusted.

In truth, every Jew is an emissary of G-d, Who caused him to be born into this world in order to fulfill a unique mission. For the mission of every Jew is to transform his surroundings into -- a "dwelling place for G-d" -- through the performance of Torah and mitzvot.

As G-d's emissary the Jew is required to "scout out the land" -- to determine the best possible method of fulfilling his assignment. Each individuals circumstances will determine whether that's through strengthening his observance of Shabbat, keeping the laws of kashrut more carefully, lighting Shabbat candles or putting on tefilin.

G-d doesn't ask the Jew if it's possible to attain his goal; the very fact that he's been sent on his mission to bring G-dliness into the world indicates that the "land" can indeed be conquered.

Furthermore, no matter how difficult the mission may seem, a Jew must never arrive at the conclusion of the spies and despair of ever being victorious.

Yes, a Jew is entrusted with a special mission, but G-d has given him the power and capacity to fulfill his mission. Bearing this in mind is the key to being successful.
Shabbat shalom!

Kiddush Hashem - STORY

Relates the Rebbe of Bluzhov:

"Each morning at dawn, the Germans would lead us out of the camp for a day of hard labor. We were given a huge saw and expected to cut its quota of logs. One day, as I pushed the heavy saw, I was approached by a young woman who was evidently in an extremely weak physical state. "Rebbe," she whispered to me, "do you have a knife?"

I immediately understood her intention. "My daughter," I begged, concentrating all the love and conviction in my heart. "Do not take your own life. I know that your life is now a living hell, from which death seems a blessed release. But we must never lose hope. With G-d's help, we will survive this ordeal and see better days."

But the woman seemed oblivious to my words. "A knife", she repeated. "I must have a knife. Now."

At that moment, one of the German guards approached us. "What did she say to you?" He demanded of me.

We both froze. Conversing during work was a grave transgression.

"I asked him for a knife", the woman said. And to my horror, she then addressed her request to the guard: "Give me a knife!"

The German, too, guessed her intention, and a devilish smile flickered on his lips. He had seen the bodies of those who, out of desperation, threw themselves during the night on the electrified fence, but this would be a novel sight for him. Still smiling, he reached into his pocket and handed her a small knife.

Taking the knife, she bent over a small bundle of rags. Quickly unraveling the bundle, she took out a tiny infant. Before our astonished eyes, she swiftly and skillfully circumcised the week-old boy.

"Blessed are You, G-d our G-d, King of the Universe," she recited in a clear voice, "Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to enter him into the covenant of Abraham our Father."

Cradling the child in her arms, she soothed his cries. "Master of the Universe!" she cried out "Eight days ago you gave me a child. I know that neither I nor he will long survive in this accursed place. But now, when you take him back, you will receive him as a complete Jew."

And she handed the knife back to the German."

Kiddush Hashem #2 Chananya, Mishael & Azarya

Chananya, Mishael and Azarya were three great Jewish princes who occupied a prominent place in Nebuchadnezzar's court in Babylon. These Jewish youths, however, remained true to their religion, observing the laws of the Torah.

Nebuchadnezzar's haughtiness and pride knew no limits. He decided that all mankind must recognize him as a divine being, and must bow down to an idol that he set up. Whosoever would disobey would be burned to death in a specially prepared furnace.

All the people threw themselves to the ground in obeying the royal decree. That is, everyone, excepting three men who remained standing, and they were, of course, Chananya, Mishael and Azarya.

A terrible anger seized the king. "How dare you disobey my orders!" he snarled.

"You are a powerful king," they answered. "We serve you devotedly, as king, but not as a god. We have only one G-d and nothing can stop us worshipping Him alone."

"Into the furnace with them, and burn them alive!" screamed the enraged Nebuchadnezzar.

The three faithful Jews were thrown into the roaring furnace. At that moment the great miracle occurred! The Angel Gabriel came down from Heaven to protect the three pious Jews from the flames.

The king himself ran to the furnace to witness the great wonder. He watched in awe as Chananya, Mishael and Azarya were walking in the midst of the fire, unharmed. Their clothes not even singed.

Nebuchadnezzar called to Chananya, Mishael and Azarya to come out of the fire. And there was a great sanctification of G-d's Holy Name.

"Where did you learn such staunch devotion?" they were asked in awe.

"We learned a lesson from the frogs of the second plague in Egypt," they replied. "G-d had commanded the frogs to enter the Egyptian ovens. These creatures did not earn reward or punishment, yet, even so, they obeyed G-d's command without hesitation. We Jews, whom G-d has commanded so many times in the Holy Torah not to serve idols, are certainly duty-bound to go into fire, if necessary, to sanctify G-d's name."

Kiddush Hashem #1

Positive Commandment # 9 is Kiddush HaShem - Sanctifying G-d's Name.
We are proud to be Jews and are commanded to make this known to others.

When a Jewish man wears a Kippah so that everyone can see that he is Jewish or when a Jewish girl lights the Shabbat candles for all to see, basically, when we fulfill the Mitzvot with pride and dignity - we announce to the world that we believe in G-d and the Torah.

If someone tries to force us to deny G-d and His Torah, we must remain loyal. Over the centuries, from when Abraham was thrown in a fiery furnace, literally millions of Jews in every era of history have chosen death rather than deny their bond to G-d.

Generally, today, the concept of kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the name of G-d, is observed not by dying as Jews but by living as Jews. When other people see a Jew behaving honestly and uprightly that gives Jews and Judaism a good reputation.

So for example, when we return money if we were given the incorrect change, even though it is the honest thing to do, but the fact that others might have kept quiet about it, sanctifies G-d's name. When we act with honor we bring honor to our faith and G-d.

Then we have the Negative Mitzvah of Desecrating the name of G-d.

Everything a Jew does, has an effect on the way others look at the Jewish people and the Torah. The Torah expects a Jew to behave in a proper and fitting manner.

If a person follows the Mitzvot and acts in a just manner, other people will notice him and praise G-d and His chosen nation. If however, the individual does not act properly, people will see and criticize, not only the person himself, but G-d and His nation.
This is called - a desecration of G-d's name.

Fair or not, the fact of life is that Jews are scrutinized far more carefully than others. Like it or not, every Jew is representing his faith, his people and his G-d. Ultimately, how we act will bring fame or infamy upon all of us. May we all be successful ambassadors.

Today's one minute of Torah is sponsored in memory of, Yehoshua Heschel, one who exemplified - 'an honest and upright Jew', thereby sanctifying G-d's name. May his soul be elevated.

House of Holy Books

A container is defined by its contents. Take a carton of milk, for example. If it's empty, you'll say, "Pass the carton." But if it contains even a little milk, you'll say, "Pass the milk." So too, our home is also defined by the most important things inside it. And some of the most important items in our home (aside from those who live there) are the Torah books lining the shelves and scattered about.

Just one of those holy books, the Lubavitcher Rebbe said, is enough to redefine our entire environment. Our home is now transformed from just another house to a shining source of wisdom.

It's also an identity thing: the books we buy and place in our homes is one of the ways that establish who we are -- for ourselves, and for those who visit our homes. So when we fill our home with Torah books, we thus create a Torah environment and an identity for us and our family.

And who knows? We, or one of our kids, may just be tempted to pick up one of those books and read a little of it.

When G-d authored the Torah, He put His essence and being into it. That’s why we treat Torah books with respect: We kiss them if they fall to the ground, we are careful to always place them right-side up and we never use them for anything other than reading and study.

Of course, the more books the better. However, the basic minimum of a Chumash (the Five Books of Moses), a Tehillim (Book of Psalms) and a Siddur (Prayer Book) are suggested, and from there one can expand.