PARSHA - Pinchas

בפרשתנו פרשת פנחס אנו קוראים את הסיפור של חלוקת ארץ ישראל, אחרי שבני ישראל כבשו את ארץ כנען התחילו התהליך של חלוקת הארץ.
"על פי הגורל תחלק נחלתו" - אומר הפסוק, החלוקה היתה בדרך הגרלה,
הגמרא לומדת מהמילה על ,פי, הגורל שההגורלה דיברה זאת אומרת שהגורל לא היתה באופן מקרי, ולא באופן שרירותי, אלא על ידי בת קול ועל ודבר ה,.

כמו שיש חלוקת וירושת הארץ הפיזי כך גם יש חלוקת הארץ רוחני שהיא היא התורה והמצוה שהיא ירושה לנו, כמו שכתוב בחומש דברים "תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהילת יעקב" התורה היא ירושה נתונה לכל יהודי "מוטב עציך עד שואב מימיך".
אז מה בדיוק היא חלוקת ירושת התורה? ואיפה אנחנו בסיפור הגדול?

בסיפרי הקבלה והסידות מבוא שהגם כל מצוה שיייכת לכל יהודי בכל מקום וכל זמן מכל מקום לכל נשמה יש לו את החלק שלו, המצוה שלו, ששייכת במיוחד לשורש נשמתו.
כמו שגמרא מספרת על ר' זירא שהיה מהדר באופן בילתי פרופורציוני בהמצוה לשמח חתן וכלה.
ואיך אפשר לדעת מה החלק שלי?
התשובה היא פשוט מה יותר קשה עלי לעשות, היצר הרע יודע מה יותר חשוב עלינו לעשות ועל זה הוא עובד קשה חזק למנוע אותנו מלקיים, הוא יודע מה הכי חשוב בשליחות שלנו להביא את העולם שלימותו.

ועל ידי שנעבוד חזק בחלק הפרטי שלנו הקב"ה יברך אותנו בכל תחומי החיים כמו הלב שנותנת חיות לכל איברי הגוף.
שבת שלום

PARSHA - Pinchas

In the Torah portion of Pinchas, it describes the apportionment of the Land of Israel. The Torah states, "Through the lot shall the land be divided." The Talmud notes that the process by which the lots were drawn was neither arbitrary nor random; the miraculous breastplate of the High Priest, guided the outcome. Rashi explains that the lot itself spoke and announced the result. In other words, the division of the soon-to-be conquered Land of Israel was determined by G-d Himself.

The inheritance of the physical portion of land is symbolic of the spiritual inheritance of every Jew with which he is required to fulfill his individual mission in life. Just as each of the Twelve Tribes was given a specific portion of land to live in and cultivate, every Jew is allotted his own spiritual realm to perfect.

Although a person might think he is free to choose his own spiritual portion, following whichever path in the service of G-d that appeals to his nature, the Torah teaches that this is not a matter of free will or logic, but is ordained by G-d.

A person cannot choose his own spiritual bent; it is an integral part of his individual spiritual makeup. But how does one determine exactly which mitzvot are especially relevant to him? By objectively ascertaining those which he finds the hardest to do!

A person may safely assume that a given direction is his "inheritance" whenever the path seems strewn with obstacles and hindrances. In fact, the more important the mitzva, the harder the Evil Inclination tries to dissuade the person.

A lack of interest in a particular facet of Torah study or indifference to a certain mitzva indicates that it is precisely in these areas that special efforts must be made. In the merit of this effort, G-d grants the individual success in all other areas of his life as well.
Shabbat Shalom!

PARSHA - Pinchas

In the Torah portion of Pinchas, an incident with the five daughters of Tzelafchad is related. Tzelafchad, a Jew who died in the desert, had no sons. Since sons, and not daughters, were entitled to an inheritance, the daughters of Tzelafchad were not permitted a portion in the Holy Land.

The daughters of Tzelafchad, who were all known to be righteous women, objected to the thought that their family would not have a part in the Land of Israel. They went before Moses who presented the case to G-d. G-d said to Moses, "The daughters of Tzelafchad have a just claim. Give them a hereditary portion of land alongside their father's brothers."

We see here the Jewish woman's love for the Holy Land. The task the daughters of Tzelafchad had set for themselves was not easy. They had to approach various judges, each one referring the matter to higher authorities, until it was finally brought to Moses, himself. Tzelafchad's daughters were willing to try to overcome such a seemingly impossible obstacle to receive their portion.

This incident can serve as a lesson to each one of us in our daily lives, too. G-d demands that we conduct our lives according to certain guidelines. Yet at the same time, He created and organized the universe in such a way that it seems to preclude proper fulfillment of our obligation of Torah study and performance of mitzvot.

But, with the right approach, we too, can merit a portion in our rightful inheritance. We must be willing to try to overcome the seemingly "impossible" obstacles, just as Tzelafchad's daughters did. If we undertake it with the same attitude of love as Tzelafchad's daughters, then certainly we will achieve our goal.

Shabbat Shalom!

Erev the THREE WEEKS

The seventeenth day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz is when the ancient city of Jerusalem was assaulted by invading gentiles. Three weeks later on the Ninth of Av (Tisha B'Av), the Holy Temple was set afire and razed. Both the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B'Av are fast days.

This interval on the Jewish calendar is known as the "Three Weeks". The number three alludes to the inner significance and function of the Three Weeks as a period of preparation for the Third Holy Temple.

On a superficial level the Three Weeks are a sad time, a period of mourning for the destruction of the Temple and the beginning of the Jewish people's current exile. But on a deeper level they contain a hidden good.

Everything that happens in the world is directed by G-d. G-d is the essence of good, and everything He does is good, even if it doesn't appear that way at first. Having come directly from G-d, there is no other possibility.

Accordingly, the Three Weeks, although superficially associated with sadness, contain a positive meaning: At the exact moment when the Second Holy Temple was destroyed, the Third and eternal Holy Temple was constructed up in heaven. In this light the entire destruction can be seen as nothing but a preparatory stage in the Redemptive process, a necessary step toward the Final Redemption with Moshiach, at which time the concept of exile will no longer exist.

At present, the good contained within the Three Weeks remains hidden. But reflecting upon its true, inner meaning hastens the day when its inner goodness will be revealed, when the Temple will be reestablished.

Let us therefore accustom ourselves to seeing the hidden good that exists in all things, thereby meriting the ultimate revelation of inner goodness with the arrival of our Righteous Moshiach.

Chinuch - Education (#2)

The Rebbe said: "A child's character education should take priority over his academic education. All educational efforts are basically meaningless unless built on the solid foundation of good character".

A couple once visited a rabbi to seek advice about how to educate their twelve-year-old son. The rabbi answered them: "You have come to me twelve years too late. A human being is like a tree. If you make a scratch on the branch of a full-grown tree, you affect only that branch. But if you make even a minuscule scratch on a seed, the tree will never grow straight, if it grows at all."

If there is one single factor within our control that can directly determine who we are as people, it is education. There is only one way to produce healthy and wholesome adults, people who will lead selfless and meaningful lives, and that is to educate our children.

Education is not just learning the skills to make a living; it is learning to understand life itself. Life is the recognition of G-d and the mission that He has charged us with -- refining ourselves and sanctifying our world.

Imparting information is but a small and rather simple component of education. A true education -- an education for life -- consists of teaching children that they have an uncompromising responsibility to G-d to live morally and ethically, which will sustain them individually and create a better world for their children and for generations to come.

Chinuch - Education (#1)

In Deuteronomy 6:6, known as the Shema -- which we recite every morning and evening, it is written as follows:

"And these words, which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart; you shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when sitting in your home and walking on the road, when you lie down and when you rise."

Our Sages tell us that when G-d came to give the Torah to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai, He demanded a guarantee that that they will not forsake it.

Said the people of Israel: "The heaven and the earth shall be our guarantors."

Said G-d: "They won't last forever."

Said they: "Our fathers will guarantee it."

Said G-d: "They are busy."

Said they: "Our children will guarantee it."

Said G-d: "These are excellent guarantors."

This is the key to the eternity of a people, the guarantee that man's work as "a partner with G-d in creation" continues. That each generation transmit to the next all that they have learned. Education is the training of children and youngsters. It is the child who needs to be taught -- to be imparted knowledge, to be aided in the honing of faculties and skills, to be guided in the development of a moral self that distinguishes between right and wrong and never loses sight of its responsibilities towards G-d

Education, however, is a life-long endeavor. Within our own selves, too, is a perpetual need to learn, develop and grow, to cultivate the seeds and saplings of our present potential into the trees and fruits of future achievement.