Candlelighting (Los Angeles)

4:25 PM

Friday Mincha:

4:40 PM

LATEST SHEMA: 9:15 AM

Parshas Vayeshev

Friday, 13 Kislev 5778 / Dec. 8, 2017

Seeing Things from Hashem's Paradigm

By Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz

In this week's parsha, Vayeishev, we read about Yosef. Despised by his broth-ers, sold into slavery, and thrown into jail on false charges. An orphan, alone, in a foreign land. Yet you don't get the feeling that Yosef was depressed or down at all. He seems positive, able to rise above and succeed in every situation.

How is Yosef able to stay positive? How can we be like Yosef and stay positive?

There are several approaches one can take when knocked down with challenges. You can become a life long vic-tim, the "woe is to me" men-tality. This type of existence is a miserable one. Than there is the guy who can get up after being knocked down. Although this sounds admira-ble, it can be exhausting, and it is very difficult.

Then there is the "Yosef" ap-proach. Yosef's paradigm was the key to his positive outlook. Yosef saw himself as part of Hashem's plan, he saw every situation as part of

the plan. When you perceive the world from this perspec-tive, every "so called" chal-lenge, knock down, etc., is nothing more than part of the plan and therefore posi-tive. You are therefore never knocked down to begin with.

Our perspective is the key to our happiness. When we only see ourselves, we are stuck with the difficulty of being knocked down, the pain, the hurt, the anguish, the suffer-ing, etc.

However, when you see eve-rything as part of Hashem's plan, every situation is seen as an opportunity. The crazier/stranger the situation, the more meaning could be found in it. Instead of being knocked down, you are uplifted.

It is not easy to get past our-selves, but by doing so, we can see things from Yosef's per-spective. By seeing it all as part of Hashem's plan, we can overcome life's challenges.

I have so much faith in our ability to be like Yosef, and always know our challenges to be purposeful. To be able to lead with wisdom and grace. Yet we have too many chal-lenges and we have seen too much pain. It is time for Ha-

shem to let us all know how well we have done, and br ing Moshiach now.

Adapted by Rabbi Yitzi Hur-witz from the teachings of the R e b b e , y i t z i h u r -witz.blogspot.com

Chabad of Beverly Hills 409 Foothill Rd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Chabadofbeverlyhills.com

Rabbi Yosef Shusterman Rabbi Mendel Shusterman

310-271-9063

The Chabad Weekly

Shabbat Schedule

Announcements:

Yartzheits: , Ida Brodsky – Kislev 23, Esther Bracha bas Shoshana - Kislev 25.

Happy Birthday to Jay Kaplan, Kaveh Peymani, Chana Gittel Sulami, Binyamin Nahouray and Meir Simcha Shusterman

Happy Anniversary to Rabbi & Mrs. Moshe Kesselman, Dr. and Mrs. Shmuel Einstein, Aaron and Tzipporah Nahouray.

Mazel Tov to Rabbi Mendel and Aidy Shusterman on the upsherenish of their son Meir Simcha.

Mazel Tov to Aaron and Tziporrah Nahouray on the upsherenish of their son Binyamin.

Tanya 8:45 AM

Shacharit 9:30AM followed by Kiddush, Cholent & Farbrengen

Chumash 3:45 PM

Mincha

4:15 PM followed by Seuda Shlishit

Shabbat ends

5:25 PM

Vol. 21 Issue 9

B”H

GOOD SHABBOS!

The Rebbe Writes: In The Days of Chanukah, 5721 [1960] To the Participants at the Annual Cele-

bration "Achei Temimim," Massachusetts:

Chanukah recalls the critical period in Jew-ish history when a ruthless and overpower-ing enemy made an attempt to suppress G-d's Torah and Mitzvoth and the Jewish way

of life. But there was a handful of Jews, faithful to the Torah and Mitzvoth to the

point of real self-sacrifice, who turned the tide and rekindled the true faith and the observance of Torah and Mitzvoth. Thus, with G-d's help, the few were victorious over the many, and the physically weak

over the strong, bringing a great and ever-lasting salvation for our people.

The message of Chanukah is especially important for us here and now. We are

fortunate to live here in a country where there is freedom of worship. Jews do not have to risk their lives to study the Torah and observe its sacred commandments.

Nevertheless, the number of the faithful is, sad to say, by no means adequate; Jewish

children attending a Yeshivah and receiving a full and kosher education are still not in

the majority. But these few are destined to rekindle the light of the Torah and Mitzvoth

in the hearts and homes of many. However, in order to accomplish this task, a spirit of dedication and selflessness is nec-essary, something of the Mesiras Nefesh

[self- sacrifice] of the Hasmoneans "of those days at this time."

I hope and pray that each and every one of you will rededicate yourselves to the sacred

cause of spreading the light of Torah and Mitzvoth, upon which our very life and

existence depends. One of the activities in this direction is to make every effort to

maintain and enlarge the capacity of the Lubavitcher Yeshiva "Achei Temimim" in

your community. I trust, moreover, that you will do so in an ever-growing measure, as symbolized by the candles of Chanukah which we light

each day of Chanukah in steadily growing numbers.

May G-d bless you all and send you a grow-ing measure of light and happiness into your personal lives and into your homes and families, materially and spiritually.

From: L’Chaim #1350 - lchaimweekly.org

Chabad of Beverly Hills presents a

Grand Menorah

Lighting

Mon. night, Dec. 18 @ 7:30 PM Seventh night of Chanukah

Via Rodeo (corner of Rodeo and Wilshire) •Live music • Latkes •Lots of fun!

There will be no classes Sun. - Thurs., Dec. 10 - 14.

Daily Minyonim

Weekday Shacharis: 6:00 AM & 7:30 AM

Sunday Shacharis: 7:00 AM & 9:00 AM

Mincha/Maariv:

4:40 PM

Story of the Week: The Book that Solved and Saved

This week, during the Chasidic festival

which takes place on the 19th day of

the Jewish month of Kislev (Thursday,

Dec. 7, 2017), Levi-Itzhak Rosler and

his wife will stroll along the outskirts of

the small Ukrainian town, Haditch, to

visit the 'resting place' of Rabbi Shneur

Zalman, the first Rebbe of the Lubav-

itch-Chabad dynasty and the author of

Sefer HaTanya (which was first pub-

lished on Kislev 19-20, 5557/1796).

He has been eagerly anticipating this

moment for many years. "I wish to say

'thank you for this extraordinary and

vital book. Encountering Tanya

changed my life," explained the 37-year

-old Rosler, now living in Harish (a

small town in the northwest of Israel,

near Pardes Hannah).

Although a descendent of the famed

Berditchever Rebbe, for whom he is

named, and born and raised in a reli-

gious home and sent to Torah schools,

Rosler abandoned mitzvah observance

in his early teenage years. He had

many questions about G-d and faith,

and the answers he received were

nowhere near satisfactory. He became

alienated. His doubts pushed him to

quit yeshiva and leave his parents'

home. He enrolled instead in a govern-

ment secular high school.

At the same time, he was preparing for

his mandatory enlistment in the IDF

(Israel Defense Forces), hoping to be

accepted in an elite battle unit. To his

sorrow, he was seriously injured in a

diving accident, and as a result, ex-

empted from all military service.

Shortly after that, he was injured even

worse when an eighteen-wheeler truck

rammed into the car in which he was a

passenger. In the ambulance he lost

consciousness. He fell himself floating

in the air above his body, watching the

doctors trying to save his life. This clear

vision left him with the certainly that

there is a soul, and that it inhabits the

body.

Thus began his spiritual journey.

From the hospital he was transferred to

a rehabilitation center. His stay there

was followed by a long period of recov-

ery as an out-patient. Among the treat-

ments he received were sessions of

acupuncture, and due to the immediate

and visible positive results, he decided

to study this Chinese form of alternate

medicine and perhaps to work in it.

He excelled in his studies. In order to

specialize in the field and to receive

professional training, he moved to

Canada. "I wanted to deepen my in-

volvement in order to be able to help

people."

For several years he worked in different

medical centers in Canada. He was quite

successful; his clientele included a num-

ber of famous people and his reputation

grew.

The turning point in his life came when he

became engaged to a non-Jewish young

woman and the 'marriage' date was ap-

proaching. One day, in the midst of prep-

arations for the wedding, his fiancée said

to him, "Today is the New Year's Day for

the Jews."

"So what?" he responded casually.

"You should celebrate with your people.

You should go to synagogue."

She even offered to show him where one

was! More amazing, although there was

a Reform 'Temple' in his neighborhood,

she brought him to a Chabad House that

was located further away.

"The Rabbi greeted me warmly. He put

a k ipah on m y head and

a machzor (Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur

prayer-book) in my hand. I looked

around, puzzled. I had no idea what I was

supposed to be doing there. I felt like a

total stranger.

"But when the shofar blew, my heart

opened. I burst into tears."

"After the prayer service ended, the Rab-

bi suggested that I come back during the

week to study Tanya with him. I didn't

know then what Tanya was, but moved

by the shofar experience, I agreed."

The Tanya lessons generated a complete

upheaval of Levi-Itzhak's soul. "Each

chapter answered questions that had so

troubled me when I was younger. A deep

feeling of gratitude pervaded me and has

stayed with me ever since. I began to put

together the pieces of my life, the puzzle

of the purpose of my existence in the

world. It was truly amazing."

Another result of his Tanya study was the

ending of his relationship with the non-

Jewish woman he thought he was going

to marry. She told him that he had

changed too much recently as a result of

his deepening involvement in Judaism.

Therefore, she said, to his great joy and

relief, she was cancelling the wedding

and breaking up with him.

A short while after that, Rosler decided to

return to Israel. His Tanya studies he

continued with Rabbi Yair Kalev in Tel

Aviv, and "those classes inspired me and

drew me strongly towards Chabad. They

changed me completely."

Rosler became a chasid in every area of

his life. "Chasidut saved me from inter-

marriage and assimilation. Thanks to Yud

-Tet Kislev a new world was revealed to

me. Its values accompany me every

moment. It's as if it is my birthday!"

Source: Translated by Yerachmiel Tilles from

(last week's) Sichat HaShavua (#1613).

Ascentofsafed.com

The Alter Rebbe Says:

"I have received a tradition

from my zeide (for thus the

Alter Rebbe used to call his

spiritual grandfather, the Baal

Shem Tov - his teacher's teach-

er) that foolishness, melan-

choly and a pride in one's own

worthiness are counted by

chasidim as equal to transgres-

sions explicit in the Torah.

Likewise, intelligence with

good sense, joy -through per-

ceiving in everything the ele-

ment of goodness which

brings joy - and enthusiasm

tempered with deliberateness

are counted among chasidim

as equal to commandments

explicit in the Torah."

Chabad.org

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

Sunday 8:00 AM Gemara – Tractate Sanhedrin

(men)

Monday 8:00 PM

Chumash (men and women)

Tuesday 8:00 PM

Gemara B’Iyun Tractate Kesuvos (men)

Wednesday 8:00 PM

Halacha and Tanya (women)

Thursday 10:00 AM

Chassidus (women)

Daily

Chassidus 6:45 AM– 7:15 AM

Halacha Between Mincha and Maariv

Parsha Insights These are the generations of Jacob,

Joseph (Gen. 37:2) The name Joseph (Yosef) is from the Hebrew meaning to add or increase. Jacob is symbolic of every Jew. The

lesson to be derived is that a Jew must never allow himself to stagnate, but must always climb upward along the spiritual "ladder" of Judaism. (Rabbi Menachem

Mendel of Riminov)

They hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him (Gen. 37:4)

The main component of all controversy is the absence of dialogue, the unwilling-ness to listen to what someone else has

to say and understand it from his per-spective. If people would really know how to talk to each other, most of the

time they would discover that they have nothing to argue about. (Rabbi Yonasan

Eibeschitz)

When she gave birth there were twins...and he called his name Peretz,

... he called his name Zerach (Gen. 38:27-30)

Our Sages compare Zerach to the sun and Peretz to the moon. The sun contin-uously shines in an unchanging manner; thus it symbolizes the constant way that

the righteous serve G-d. The moon's appearance, however, waxes and wanes. The moon thus symbolizes

ba'alei teshuva (penitents), who strayed and then returned. The royal house of David, the very source of Moshiach, is precisely from Peretz (the moon), be-cause Moshiach will bring even the

righteous tzadikim to return to their Di-vine source. (Likutei Sichot Vol. XXX)

And on the vine were three branches

(Gen. 40:10) According to our Sages, the Jews are likened to the vine, the fruit of which "gladdens G-d and man." For within

every Jew exists this attribute of "wine" - the innate ability to delight in G-dliness, an inheritance from our ancestors. This

love for G-d is hidden deep inside, much like the wine is hidden in the grape.

Likewise, just as squeezing the grape releases the treasure within, so does

personal refinement and self-nullification reveal this inner love and bring it to its

potential.(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)(L’Chaim #1399) - lchaimweekly.org

HaYom Yom - Kislev 21 Learn Mishna by heart, each

person according to his capac-ity, and then while walking in

the street, review Mishna from memory; you will thereby

merit welcoming Mashiach. Chassidim must study Chassi-dus; all chassidim on Mondays,

Thursdays, and Shabbat; T'mimim an hour every day.