WEEKLY MAGAZINEWEEKLY MAGAZINE

B”HTHE SHULTHE SHUL

The Shul - Chabad Lubavitch - An institution of The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem M. Schneerson (May his merit shield us)Over Thirty five Years of Serving the Communities of Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Indian Creek and Surfside

9540 Collins Avenue, Surfside, Fl 33154 Tel: 305.868.1411 Fax: 305.861.2426 www.TheShul.org Email: info@TheShul.org www.theshulpreschool.org www.cyscollege.org

SHABBOS PARSHAS TOLDOSSHABBOS PARSHAS TOLDOSKISLEV 4-5KISLEV 4-5

NOVEMBER 20 - 21NOVEMBER 20 - 21

CANDLE LIGHTING: 5:12 PMCANDLE LIGHTING: 5:12 PM

SHABBOS ENDS: 6:06 PMSHABBOS ENDS: 6:06 PM

SPONSORED BY MR. & MRS. MARTIN (OBM) AND ETHEL SIROTKINSPONSORED BY MR. & MRS. MARTIN (OBM) AND ETHEL SIROTKIN& DR. & MRS. SHMUEL AND EVELYN KATZ& DR. & MRS. SHMUEL AND EVELYN KATZ

NACHAS AT A GLANCE CONTENTS Weekly Message: 3Thoughts on the Parsha - Rabbi Sholom D. Lipskar

Celebrating Shabbos: 4 - 5Schedules, classes, articles & more... Everything you need for an “Over the Top” Shabbos experience

Community Happenings: 6 -7Sharing with your Shul Family

A Time to Pray: 8Check out all the davening schedules and locations throughout the week

Daily Study: 9A complete guide to all classes and courses offered at The Shul

Inspiration, Insights & Ideas: 10 - 20Bringing Torah lessons to LIFE

Get The Picture 21 - 22The full scoop on all the great events around town

In a Woman’s World 23Issues of relevance to the Jewish woman

French Connection 24 Reflexions sur la Paracha

Latin Link 25 Reflexion Semanal

Numbers To Know 26Contacts at The Shul

Get The Picture 27 - 28The full scoop on all the great events around town

THE SHUL WEEKLY MAGAZINEEVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK

NACHAS AT A GLANCE THE SHUL HEBREW SCHOOL ONLINE CLASSES ARE INTERACTIVE,

EXCITING AND WELL ATTENDED!

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The Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneor Zalman, founder of

Chabad Chassidus, whose most important day of the birth of Chabad is on the 19th of this month when he was emancipated from capital punishment imprisonment stated, “A person must live with the time”. His senior closest Chassidim interpreted

that to mean we must live with the message of the Torah portion of the week.

Our conditions today are quite troubling as the Jewish world is confronted with a barrage of anti-Semitic tropes and incidents that we have not experienced globally since the Holocaust. Israel, with all its successes and contributions to society in so many areas including technology, health, science and economic advancement, continues to be vilified by the United Nations and so many proponents of the BDS movement, including many young college-age Jews. It seems like history repeats itself consistently, giving us challenges that are unique to any people in the world.

The why has many responses. Primarily, it is because we are so outstanding, and the one standing at the top of the mountain becomes the easiest target for all those who are envious and filled with a fundamental hate that transcends reason.

But what gives us the capacity and the power to overcome these challenges and sustain our continued eternal upward trajectory, never succumbing to negative forces and hurdles?

In this week’s Torah portion, we read about our father Jacob whose life is filled with difficulties and challenges, beginning from his birth when his brother wrestles and struggles with him in the womb, and then having to retain his rightful birthright having fairly purchased it from his brother Eisav, being pursued with murderous

intent by his brother’s son, having to leave his beloved home and then being fooled in his marriage by his treacherous father-in-law.

Yet it is this tortured Jew that begets the 12 tribes and becomes the patriarch of the Jewish people, even having been given the name “Israel”.

We Jewish people utilize challenges and difficulties to live higher and smarter. We are imbedded with the genetic capacity to withstand the strongest storms and the worst conditions and come out successful and fortunate. Utilizing the Torah’s messages to understand and live our lives today gives us an immense head-start with an optimism that always brings the best results.

Have a great Shabbos and a wonderful week.

Rabbi Sholom Lipskar

THOUGHTS ON THE PARSHA FROM RABBI SHOLOM LIPSKAR

SHABBOS PARSHAS TOLDOS

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HALACHIC TIMESBASED ON TIMES FOR NOVEMBER 25

Alot Hashachar / Dawn 5:30 amEarliest Talit & Tefillin 6:02 amNetz Hachamah / Sunrise 6:46 am(Earliest Amidah)Latest Shema 9:25 amZman Tfillah 10:19 amChatzot / Midday 12:07 pmEarliest Mincha 12:35 pmPlag HaMincha 4:25 pmShekiah / Sunset 5:29 pm(Preferable latest time for Mincha)Tzeit Hakochavim / Nightfall 5:54 pm(Earliest preferable Ma’ariv)

Times taken from www.chabad.orgPlease note that during the week times may Vary by a minute or two.

Eruv Information

We would like to emphasize that every Erev Shabbos, individuals should call the Eruv Hotline to make sure that the Eruv is operational. The number to call is 305- 866-ERUV (3788).

The Eruv message is recorded approximately two hours prior to candle lighting. Surfside: The Eruv in Surfside now includes the walking paths along the beach. Pushing strollers and carrying is permitted on the paths, but not beyond the path or onto the beach.

Bal Harbour: The Eruv in Bal Harbour included the inner (western) walking path only. The pier at Haulover Cut is not included. To pay your annual dues visit: www.miamibeacheruv.com

SHABBOS SCHEDULE

Candle lighting 5:12 p.m. Mincha / Kabalas Shabbos 5:15 p.m.

Shacharis 1st Minyan 8:30 a.m.Shacharis 2nd Minyan 10:30 a.m.

Mincha 5:15 p.m.Shabbos Ends / Ma’ariv & Havdalah 6:06 p.m.

CELEBRATING SHABBOS WITH OUR YOUTHEVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR AN “OVER THE TOP” SHABBOS EXPERIENCE

To our beloved Soldiers in the Israeli Defense Forces, courageously protecting and defending

Eretz Yisroel. We pray for you and all of the soldiers safety and well being daily.Menachem Mendel ben Chaya Leah

Menachem Mendel ben AuritEden Chana bat Karine Cecile

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PARSHA IN PICTURESTest your PARSHA knowledge. Can you tell the story using the pictures below

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5 Kislev Ms. Danielle Carmi5 Kislev Dr. Brian Dooreck5 Kislev Mr. Berel Edelkopf5 Kislev Mr. Dovid Mordechai Gilinski5 Kislev Mr. Gabe Plotkin6 Kislev Mr. Julian Ohayon6 Kislev Mr. Jacob Stein7 Kislev Mr. Asher Matiah Bublick7 Kislev Mr. Shimon Eckstein7 Kislev Mrs. Nily Falic7 Kislev Mrs. Orit Osman7 Kislev Ms. Rina Chaya Miriam Plutno7 Kislev Mr. Elijah Salver8 Kislev Ms. Daniela Yocheved Ben-Arie8 Kislev Ms. Raquel Wildes9 Kislev Mr. Dovi Wachtel9 Kislev Mrs. Devorah Leah Andrusier9 Kislev Dr. Bernard Baumel9 Kislev Ms. Tehila Moore9 Kislev Ms. Vicki Rachel Moteles9 Kislev Mrs. Cynthia Stein10 Kislev Mr. Arie Abraham10 Kislev Mr. Joel Cohen10 Kislev Ms. Tziporah Gheblikian10 Kislev Mrs. Nechama Faigie Stern11 Kislev Mr. Jonathan Attias11 Kislev Mr. Arthur M. Gellman11 Kislev Ms. Lauren Kaufman11 Kislev Mr. Tzvi Lipman11 Kislev Mr. Yosie Lipskar11 Kislev Mr. Richard Moore11 Kislev Mrs. Dinah Shapiro11 Kislev Ms. Natalie Speyer11 Kislev Ms. Miriam Lea Sussman

BIRTHDAYS YAHRTZEITS5 Kislev Levi Yitzchak ben Nachum obm Father of Mrs. Rose Schreiber5 Kislev Sara obm Mother of Mrs. Hana Salama5 Kislev Tamara Matlas bas Moshe obm Sister-in-law of Mrs. Estela Berry6 Kislev Menachem Mendal Ben Yehudah obm Grandfather of Mrs. Roslyn Jaffe6 Kislev Rona bas Shlomo Ha Levi obm Mother of Mrs. Joni Blachar6 Kislev Shulem Aaron ben Yosef Mordechai obm Husband of Mrs. Rosita Retelny6 Kislev Yafa Milatin obm Grandmother of Mrs. Orly Alexander6 Kislev Rav David obm Father of Ms. Liv-Tiferet De Vitton6 Kislev Freidel bas Yoshuah obm Mother of Ms. Barbara Ann Taylor6 Kislev Basha bas Menashe obm Mother of Mrs. Miriam Schwartz Wiener7 Kislev Sara obm Mother of Mr. Mario Laufer7 Kislev Sarah bas Yair obm Mother of Mrs. Peggy Sreter8 Kislev Shlomo ben Yosef obm Grandfather of Mrs. Ruth Tzubeli Meloul8 Kislev Malka bas Yosef obm Mother of Mr. Jerrod M. Levine8 Kislev Uziyahu Eliyahu obm Father of Mr. Betzalel Camissar8 Kislev Reb Hersh Yitzchok obm Husband of Dr. Bracha Reich9 Kislev Sholom Aharon obm Father of Mr. Eli Levitin9 Kislev Bezalel Binyamin ben Eliezer Pesach obm Son of Mr. & Mrs. Lazer Milstein9 Kislev Chaya bas Mordecai obm Mother-in-law of Mrs. Ethel Meril Sirotkin9 Kislev Ita bas Aron obm Mother of Mrs. Cipora Fraiman9 Kislev Rachel bas Baruch obm Mother of Mrs. Chana Weinbaum10 Kislev Golda bas Binyamin Yosef obm Aunt of Mr. Harold Tripp11 Kislev Moshe Nysen Eltes obm Son of Ms. Vivian Naimer11 Kislev Hanania bar Mazaltov Bouhadana obm Brother of Mr. Isaie Bouhadana11 Kislev Yehuda ben Shlomo obm Brother of Mrs. Dana Werner

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGSSHARING WITH YOUR SHUL FAMILY

KID’S BIRTHDAYS5 Kislev Lou Bsiri5 Kislev Yankel Bsiri5 Kislev Ariela Chaya Jaimovich6 Kislev David Lew7 Kislev Adina Mangami8 Kislev Rayna Strassberg9 Kislev Chana Necha Diamont9 Kislev Yona Amelie Groisman9 Kislev Chaya Necha Schottenstein10 Kislev Eva Blumstein10 Kislev Nina Schottenstein11 Kislev Batya Braindyl Tevardovitz

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ANNIVERSARIESMr. & Mrs. Yaakov and Miriam PollakMr. & Mrs. Simcha and Shoshana Leah ApplegradMr. & Mrs. Alberto and Corinne Camhi

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGSSHARING WITH YOUR SHUL FAMILY

Mr. & Mrs. Jackie AbrahamMr. Joseph AmmarMr. & Mrs. Daniel AmramMr. & Mrs. Gideon AzariMr. & Mrs. Menahem BanonDr. & Mrs. Jonah BardosMr. & Mrs. Doron BarnesMr. & Mrs. David BenichouMr. & Mrs. Isaie BouhadanaMr. & Mrs. Levi BoymelgreenDr. & Mrs. Stephen BrennerMr. & Mrs. Laszlo BrettMr. & Mrs. Betzalel CamissarMr. Raul ChamiMr. & Mrs. Allen DavoudpourDr. & Mrs. Brian DooreckMr. Ariel GalapoMr. Arturo GarciaMr. & Mrs. Abi GoldshteinMr. & Mrs. Moshe GoldshteinMr. & Mrs. Levi GreenMr. & Mrs. Josh GreismanMr. & Mrs. Sergio GurvitschDr. & Mrs. Nathan KatzMr. & Mrs. Aviv KordichDavid Labkowski PAMr. & Mrs. Mendi LabkowskiMr. & Mrs. Gregory LevineMr. & Mrs. Yosie LipskarMr. & Mrs. William LustgartenMr. & Mrs. Alexander Matz

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph MelohnDr. & Mrs. Gene MotelesMr. & Mrs. Charles NessMr. Reffael NirMrs. Ariana RapaporteMs. Vivi RubinsteinMr. & Mrs. Jason SakaMr. & Mrs. David Meir SassonMr. & Mrs. Mark SchnappRabbi & Mrs. Moshe SchneiderMr. & Mrs. Shea SchneiderMrs. Rose SchreiberMr. & Mrs. David SchwartzMr. & Mrs. Meyer SeewaldMr. & Mrs. Zalman ShapiroMr. & Mrs. Bentzy ShemtovMr. & Mrs. Effi ShmuelMr. Zach SohnMr. & Mrs. Yossi SokolMr. & Mrs. Max SpielbergMr. & Mrs. Eric SteinRabbi & Mrs. Yossi SternMr. & Mrs. Yaakov SaidoffMr. & Mrs. Alex TauberMr. & Mrs. David WolfRabbi & Mrs. Aryeh WuenschMr. Jose YankelevitchMr. & Mrs. Sergio ZelcerMr. & Mrs. Adam Ziefer

KISLEV L IGHT & POWERLight & Power and Wine for Kiddush & Havdalah for the month of Kislev is Kindly Sponsored

in honor of In honor of our beautiful childrenShana, Goldie, Malkie and Shmulie

Keep shining your light upon others.

We love you!Matis and Ronit Blisko

“Those who establish Synagogues for prayer and those who come there to pray, those who provide lights for illumination, wine and grape juice for kiddush

and havdalah, food for the wayfarers and charity for the needy, and all those who occupy themselves faithfully with communal affairs - may The Holy One, blessed be He, give them their reward, remove them from all sicknesses, heal their entire body, pardon all their sins, and send blessing and success to all

their endeavors, together with all Israel their brethren; and let us say Amen.”

THANKS TO OUR DONORSWe sincerely thank the following members and supporters of The Shul

for donations received between 11/10/20 and 11/16/20We apologize for any errors or omissions that we may have made.

REFUAH SHLEIMAHIf you have a health update on anyone listed please contact The Shul. We would like to

keep the listing current and remove names of people who have recovered.

MENYehonatan HaLevi ben MalkaEliezer ben SarahAharon ben BeylahMeyer Eliezer ben SarahMenachem Mendel ben SaraYehoshua ben TamaraIsaac Gilbert ben Nelly EstherBentzion ben Nomi Rachel MargaliteShlomo Yaakov ben Chaya Sarah RochelChaim Zelig Ben EidelAri ben Na’amaTzvi Yitzchak ben ChayaChaim Tzvi Hirsch ben Guttel

WOMENEsther Yocheved bas Raizel BrachaShima Leah bas GittelSarah Libke bas BaileChana Bayla bas MashaRina Chaya Miriam bas Leah BrachaGenya Bailah bat Giete SuraSonia Simcha bat SultanaTzipora Pnina bas SlavaFeige bas KrandelChaya Miriam Yehudit bat ChavaClara bat CorinaRivka bat ShoshanaMiriam bat Risha Raizel

MAZAL TOVMazal Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Moishe and Batsheva Goldshtein on the birth of a daughter. May they raise her to Torah, Chupah and Ma’asim Tovim and have much nachas from her. Mazal tov also to the Grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. Yankie and Devorah Leah Andrusier, to the Great Grandparents, Rabbi & Rebbetzin Sholom and Chani Lipskar and to the Great Great Grandmother, Mrs. Rochel Lipskar.

Mazal Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Mendy and Sara Kurant on the birth of a son. May they raise him to Torah, Chupah and Ma’asim Tovim and have much nachas from him.

Mazal Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Howard and Tamar Levene on the birth of a daughter - Maytal Chaya. May they raise her to Torah, Chupah and Ma’asim Tovim and have much nachas from her.

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SHABBATSCHEDULE

FRIDAY NIGHT, NOV 20 • MINCHA/ARVIT: 5:00 PM• CANDLE LIGHTING: 5:11 PM• SHKIAH (SUNSET): 5:30 PM

SHABBAT, NOV 7• SHACHARIT: 9:00 AM • NETZ HACHAMA: 6:43 AM• ZMAN KERIAT SHEMA: 8:49 AM • CLASS BY RABBI MASSRI: 4:40 PM • MINCHA/ARVIT: 5:10 PM • SHKIAH (SUNSET): 5:29 PM • SHABBAT ENDS: 6:07 PM • RABENU TAM: 6:42 PM

MESSAGE FROM RABBI MASSRI

ALL THINGS SEPHARDICWEEKDAY SCHEDULE

SHACHARIT MON - FRI: KARBONOT - 7:45AM HODU 8:00AMSHACHARIT SUN KARBONOT - 8:15AM HODU 8:30AMMINCHA / ARVIT SUN - THURS: 5:10 PMMINCHA / ARVIT FRIDAY 5:00 PMARVIT 2ND MINYAN 9:00 PMDAILY: DAF YOMI (TALMUD) @7AM DAILY:CHOCK LE'ISRAEL AFTER SHACHARIT. MONDAY 5:45 PM - TEENS AGES 14 -178:00 PM - HALACHA IN HEBREWHALACHA IN HEBREW TUESDAY8:00 PM - TOMER DEVORAH LEARNING

WEDNESDAY8:00 PM - PIRKEI AVOT IN SPANISH THURSDAY8:00 PM - INSIGHTS ON THE PARASHA MINCHA FOLLOWED BY ARVIT @5:25 PM WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY CLASSES ARE AVAILABLE ON ZOOMMEETING ID: 897 051 8825

”This is the story of Isaac, son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac.” (Genesis 25:19)

Why does the Torah mention here, in the beginning of our parasha, that Abraham was Isaac’s father? Rashi on the spot brings the Midrash Tanchuma in order to enlighten our eyes. “Abraham begat Isaac - just because Scripture wrote, “Isaac, son of Abraham” it felt compelled to say “Abraham begat Isaac”, because the cynics of that time said, “Sarah became with child of Abimelech. See how many years she lived with Abraham without becoming with child”. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He shaped Isaac’s facial features exactly similar to those of Abraham’s, so that everyone had to admit that Abraham begat Isaac. This is what is stated here: that Isaac was the son of Abraham, for there is evidence that Abraham begat Isaac”. So because of a few clowns, G-d needed to make a crazy miracle and the Torah needed to add extra words?? Furthermore, why here is the right place to explain this idea instead of when the Torah actually talked about Isaac’s birth?

In order for us to understand this pasuk, we need to think about the importance of the relationship between Abraham and Isaac. They were the first father and son in the Jewish nation and they are the foundation for all of us. The way that we learn Torah and continue the legacy of our leaders is only through direct connection between a rabbi to his students and between

a father to his sons. Hashem purposely made the miracle that Isaac’s face was identical to Abraham’s face to show to the clowns of any generation that we are connected to our fathers.The negative influence from our surrounding environment doesn’t affect us.

Chizkuni on this pasuk says - Isaac’s father was not Abram but Abraham. As long as Abram’s name had not been changed he had not been able to have Isaac. In other words, if you were to ask why did the Torah repeat this information, as if Abraham had numerous sons called Isaac, when in fact he had only one by that name? The Torah wished to stress that ultimately Abraham’s historical stature was assured only by his son Isaac. The Torah hints at a famous line by King Solomon in Proverbs 17,6: “The crown of the elders are their grandchildren, but the glory of children are their parents”. Now everything is clear. When our parasha talks about the descendants of Isaac, it is the perfect location to tell you where Isaac is coming from and in what way.

May we all be zoche to be connected to our fathers’ Jewish tradition and to pass it to the future generations!

Shabbat Shalom Umevorach!!!

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DAILY STUDYA COMPLETE GUIDE TO ALL CLASSES AND COURSES OFFERED AT THE SHUL

HTTPS://ZOOM.US/ 6457054016 PASSWORD: 699576ALL OUR CLASSES ARE HAPPENING "VIRTUALLY"ALL OUR CLASSES ARE HAPPENING "VIRTUALLY"

PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE ZOOM APP FROM APPLE STORE OR PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE ZOOM APP FROM APPLE STORE OR ANDRIOD AND JOIN OUR CLASSES. UPDATED CLASS SCHEDULES ANDRIOD AND JOIN OUR CLASSES. UPDATED CLASS SCHEDULES

ARE EMAILED OUT DAILY ARE EMAILED OUT DAILY

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY7:20 - 7:59 am

CHASSIDUSHeichaltzu

Rabbi Zalman Lipskar

7:20 - 7:59 amCHASSIDUSHeichaltzu

Rabbi Zalman Lipskar

7:20 - 7:59 amCHASSIDUSHeichaltzu

Rabbi Zalman Lipskar

7:20 - 7:59 am CHASSIDUSHeichaltzu

Rabbi Zalman Lipskar

7:20 - 7:59 am CHASSIDUSHeichaltzu

Rabbi Zalman Lipskar

8:00 - 8:15 amCHITAS SYNOPSISChumash, Tanya, Rambam’s book

of MitzvosRabbi Zalman Lipskar

8:00 - 8:15 amCHITAS SYNOPSISChumash, Tanya, Rambam’s book

of MitzvosRabbi Zalman Lipskar

8:00 - 8:15 amCHITAS SYNOPSISChumash, Tanya, Rambam’s book

of MitzvosRabbi Zalman Lipskar

8:00 - 8:15 amCHITAS SYNOPSISChumash, Tanya, Rambam’s book

of MitzvosRabbi Zalman Lipskar

8:00 - 8:15 amCHITAS SYNOPSISChumash, Tanya, Rambam’s book

of MitzvosRabbi Zalman Lipskar

8:30 - 9:30 amDAF YOMI

Tractate ShabbosRabbi Dov Schochet

(Men)

8:30 - 9:30 amDAF YOMI

Tractate ShabbosRabbi Dov Schochet

(Men)

8:30 - 9:30 amDAF YOMI

Tractate ShabbosRabbi Dov Schochet

(Men)

8:30 - 9:30 amDAF YOMI

Tractate ShabbosRabbi Dov Schochet

(Men)

8:30 - 9:30 amDAF YOMI

Tractate ShabbosRabbi Dov Schochet

(Men)

9:30 - 10:00 am RAMBAM

One chapter a dayRabbi Aryeh Schottenstein

9:30 - 10:00 am RAMBAM

One chapter a dayRabbi Aryeh Schottenstein

9:35 - 10:00 amMEGILLOT

Mishlei - Book of ProverbsRabbi Dov Schochet

(Men & Women)

9:30 - 10:00 am RAMBAM

One chapter a dayRabbi Aryeh Schottenstein

9:30 - 10:00 am RAMBAM

One chapter a dayRabbi Aryeh Schottenstein

1:30 - 2:30 pm THE BOOK OF DANIEL

Rabbi Dov Schochet (Men & Women)

10:05 - 10:30 am PARSHA OF THE WEEK

Rabbi Aryeh Schottenstein(Men & Women)

10:00 - 11:00 amPARSHA OF THE WEEKRebbetzin Chani Lipskar

(Women Only)

11:15 am - 12:00 pmPARSHA OF THE WEEK

Rabbi Shea Rubinstien(Men & Women)

10:30 - 11:00 amFOOD FOR THOUGHT

Dobie Rubinstien(Women Only)

8:00 - 8:45 pmSICHA

Text based Rebbe SichaRabbi Zalman Lipskar

(Men & Women)

11:00 am - 12:00 pmSHABBOS

Exploring customs w/ chassidus and Kabbalah

Rabbi Shea Rubinstien(Men & Women)

11:15 - 12:15 pmTANYA

Rabbi Sholom Lipskar(Men & Women)

12:00 - 1:00 pmSENIOR TORAH ACADEMY

Rabbi Dov SchochetBook of Judges

(Men & Women)

4:15 - 4:30 pmSHABBOS INSPIRATION

Rabbi Sholom Lipskar

8:45 - 9:45 pmPARSHA IN SPANISHRabbi Shea Rubinstein

(Men & Women)

12:00 - 1:00 pmPIRKEI AVOT

Rabbi Dov Schochet(Men & Women)

3:00 pm TANYA IN ENGLISH

Mrs. Vivian Perez(Women Only)

https://zoom.us/j/758161843password 5899

4:00 pm PARSHA IN SPANISH

Mrs. Vivian Perez(Women Only)

https://zoom.us/j/758161843

8:00 pmPARSHA OF THE WEEK

Rabbi Sholom Lipskar (Men & Women)

8:00 pmPARSHA OF THE WEEK

Rabbi Zalman Lipskar

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Sunday, 7 Kislev

The Source of Confidence and JoyLight of foot, Jacob set out for the land of the people who lived to the east. Genesis 29:1

Even though Jacob was on his way to enter a spiritually dangerous environment, his joy in fulfilling his Divine mission and trust in G-d’s protection permeated his entire being, down to his feet. Following Jacob’s example, we can adopt the same joyful and confident attitude when we set out to tackle life’s numerous daily, mundane activities, even though they may not seem as spiritual. The key is to make sure beforehand that, like Jacob, we are properly nourished (by studying the Torah), properly clothed (by observing G-d’s commandments), and properly focused on our goal (of making the world into G-d’s home).

Monday, 6 Kislev Feeding and Clothing the SoulJacob vowed, “If G-d will be with me and protect me on this journey that I am undertaking, and will provide me with bread to eat and clothing to wear, returning me to my father’s house untainted.” Genesis 28:20-21

Bread and clothing refer allegorically to the study of the Torah and to the performance of G-d’s commandments, respectively. When we study the Torah, G-d’s wisdom becomes part of us, just as the food we eat becomes part of us. When we perform a commandment, we are enveloped by an external, transcendent feeling of inspiration, much as a garment surrounds and warms us.

In this context, “returning to my father’s house untainted” alludes to our return to the domain of holiness after venturing out temporarily into the mundane world in order to refine and elevate it to holiness.

DAILY WISDOMInspiring insights on the Torah

Shabbos, 5 Kislev Showing Respect RespectfullyEsau went to Ishmael and married Machalat, the daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael. Genesis 28:9

Esau’s respect for his father was exemplary. He waited on his father dressed in special garments. When he decided to kill Jacob, he refrained from doing so despite his raging anger in order not to pain his father. As soon as he heard that his Canaanite wives displeased his parents, he lost no time in marrying his cousin.

Nevertheless, Esau’s reverence for his father did not prevent him from speaking to Isaac disrespectfully, saying, “My father, arise.” In contrast, his brother Jacob courteously asked Isaac to “Please arise.” Similarly, Esau later referred to his father’s death harshly, saying, “The days of mourning for my father will soon be here.”

We can learn from Esau’s coarse behavior that an essential facet of doing what is right is doing it in a kind and considerate way. For example, the words we speak should not only be meaningful and free of any prohibited types of talk (falsehood, gossip, slander, etc.); they should also be refined and delicate, as were Jacob’s. Tuesday, 8 Kislev

The Proper Use of JealousyRachel saw that she had not borne Jacob any children; Rachel was jealous of her sister [Leah]. Genesis 30:1

Destructive, petty jealousy is born of the fear that the other person’s successes will lessen our own self-worth. In contrast, Rachel attributed Leah’s fertility to her righteousness, and was therefore jealous of her sister’s good deeds. This sort of jealousy is constructive, since it spurs us on to improve ourselves. Our sages similarly state that jealousy among Torah scholars increases wisdom. Jealousy can be a positive force in our lives when we learn to apply it correctly.

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Thursday, 10 Kislev

True WealthThe man thus became exceedingly prosperous. Genesis 30:43

Aside from his material wealth, Jacob also attained true, spiritual wealth: he succeeded in raising all of his children to follow in the righteous ways of Abraham and Isaac, and did not produce a single wicked son (of the likes of Esau or Ishmael, who were born to his forbears Abraham and Isaac).

Jacob was able to do this because he synthesized the inspirational approach of Abraham and the self-disciplining approach of Isaac. By relating to G-d with simple sincerity, Jacob both transcended the differences between the opposite approaches of his forebears and was able to relate equally well to each of his children’s different personalities. It was also because of his simple sincerity that Jacob was able to outwit the crafty, scheming Laban.

Jacob’s example teaches us that while logic and reason have their place, the foundation of our relationship with G-d is simple, sincerity. This sincerity then enables us to relate effectively to others no matter how different they may be from us.

Wednesday, 9 Kislev

Bringing Home the Estrangeds[Rachel] named him Joseph [“May He add” in Hebrew], saying, “May G-d add another son for me.” Genesis 30:24

Rachel’s prayer sums up Joseph’s spiritual mission in life – to turn “another,” i.e., a seeming stranger, into a “son.” This mission expresses itself in three ways: First, in making the mundane world – which appears to be separate from G-d – acknowledge and celebrate its Divine source. Second, in personal repentance, through which we transform ourselves from estranged “others” into “sons” who belong. Third, in reaching out to those who seem estranged from G-d, revealing to them that they are G-d’s precious children, for whom living life according to G-d’s plan is simply natural.

Let us not feel inadequate or incapable of effecting such transformations, for we do not work unaided. Rachel said, “May G-d add for me another son” – we are merely G-d’s instruments, and it is really He who lovingly welcomes His estranged children home.

Friday, 11 Kislev

Longing for Home[Laban said to Jacob,] “You departed now because you longed continuously for your father’s house.” Genesis 31:30

Jacob’s stay with Laban foretold our own sojourn in exile. Just as Jacob was far away from his physical home and immersed in an environment that opposed spirituality, our exile comprises both a physical Diaspora and – more importantly – the spiritual darkness of the unredeemed world. And just as Jacob was never comfortable in his place of exile and constantly yearned to return to his father’s home, so must we constantly yearn to return to our Father’s “home.” No matter how successful we are in fulfilling our Divine mission in exile, we must never feel “at home” in it.

When we consider how long the exile has continued, we might erroneously feel that our longing has not born any fruit. The truth is, however, that the more we realize the significance of our spiritual exile, the more our longing for the Messianic Redemption is intensified, which in turn hastens the Redemption.

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In many respects, the Torah’s account of Isaac’s family reads like a replay of Abraham’s. Many years of childlessness

are followed by the birth of two sons—the elder one wicked and the younger one righteous. Isaac favors the elder son, Esau, much as Abraham is sympathetic toward his elder son, Ishmael, while Rebecca, like Sarah, perseveres in her efforts to ensure that the younger, righteous son is recognized as the true heir of Abraham and the sole progenitor of the “great nation” which G-d promised to establish from his seed.

There is, however, a significant difference between the two sets of brothers.

Ishmael and Isaac were born of two different mothers: Ishmael was the son of Hagar, a former Egyptian princess still attached to her pagan ways, while Isaac was the son of the righteous Sarah. Furthermore, Ishmael was born when Abraham was still Abram and still uncircumcised, and can be said to belong to his father’s imperfect past (Abraham was born into a family of idolaters and is even described as having himself worshipped idols in his youth), while Isaac was conceived after Abraham had attained the perfection signified by his name change and circumcision.

On the other hand, Esau and Jacob were twins, born of the same righteous mother and raised in the same holy environment. Their father, Isaac, was “a burnt-offering without blemish” who was circumcised on the eighth day of his life and who never set foot outside of the Holy Land. Unlike his father, he had no idolatrous past and no “pre-Isaac” period in his life. So where did Esau’s “evil genes” come from?

Even more puzzling is the fact that Esau’s wickedness seems predestined from the womb. If Esau had turned bad later in life, we might attribute this to the fact that every man is given absolute freedom of choice to be righteous or wicked. But how are we to explain Esau’s gravitation to evil even before he was born?

The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that the fact that Esau was naturally inclined toward idolatry was not, in and of itself, a negative thing. It meant that his ordained mission in life was the conquest of evil rather than the cultivation of good.

Jacob and Esau are the prototypes for two types of souls, each with a distinct role to play in the fulfillment of the Divine purpose in creation. Maimonides calls these two spiritual types “the perfectly pious” and “the one who conquers his inclinations”; Rabbi Schneur Zalman refers to them as the “Tzaddik” and the “Beinoni.” Humanity is divided into these two types, writes Rabbi Schneur Zalman in his Tanya, because “there are two kinds of gratification before G-d. The first is generated by the good achieved by the perfectly righteous. But G-d also delights in the conquest of evil which is still at its strongest and most powerful in the heart, through the efforts of the ordinary, unperfected individual.”

Thus Rabbi Schneur Zalman explains the Talmud passage which cites Job as crying out to G-d: “Master of the Universe! You have created righteous people, and You have created wicked people!” The actual righteousness or wickedness of a person is not predetermined by G-d—in the words of Maimonides, free choice is “a fundamental principle and a pillar of the Torah and its commandments,” without which “What place would the entire Torah have? And by what measure of justice would G-d punish the wicked and reward the righteous?” Yet Job is right—G-d does indeed create “righteous people” and “wicked people” in the sense that while certain souls enjoy a life wholly devoted to developing what is good and holy in G-d’s world, other souls must struggle against negative traits and ominous perversions

implanted within them in order to elicit that special delight that can come only from the conquest of evil.

This, says the Lubavitcher Rebbe, is the deeper significance of Rashi’s commentary on the opening words of our parshah. Citing the verse, “And these are the generations of Isaac,” Rashi comments: “Jacob and Esau who are mentioned in the parshah.” The simple meaning of this commentary is that the word toldot (“generations”) can also refer to a person’s deeds and achievements (cf. Rashi’s commentary on Genesis 6:9); Rashi is telling us that here the word toldot is to be understood in its literal sense—the children of Isaac, though these are named only further on in the parshah.

On a deeper level, says the Rebbe, Rashi is addressing the question: How does an “Esau” come to be a descendant of Isaac and Rebecca? How do two perfectly righteous individuals produce an offspring who is evil from birth?

So Rashi tells us: the “generations of Isaac” are the “Jacob and Esau who are mentioned in the parshah.” The wicked Esau we know is not a product of Isaac but the result of Esau’s own failure to overpower his negative inclinations. The Esau of the parshah--Esau as viewed from the perspective of Torah, where everything is seen in its innermost and truest light—is not evil, but the instrument of conquest over evil. The Esau of the parshah is the purveyor of the “second delight” and an indispensable element of the purpose of life on earth.

In this also lies the deeper deeper meaning of the Midrash that describes Jacob and Esau fighting in the womb “over the inheritance of the two worlds” (i.e., the material world and the “world to come”). This would seem to be one area in which they would have no quarrel: the Esau we know desires the materialism of the physical

JACOB AND ESAU Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

PARSHAH MESSAGES

BE LIKE

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world and shuns everything that is G-dly and spiritual, while the reverse is true of Jacob. So what were they fighting over?

Explains the Rebbe: The “world to come” is not a reality that is disconnected from our present existence. Rather, it is the result of our present-day efforts in dealing with and perfecting the material world. The world of Moshiach is the culmination of all positive achievements of history, the era in which the cosmic yield of mankind’s every good deed will come to light.

In other words, our present world is the means and the “world to come” is the goal. This is the deeper significance of Jacob’s claim on the “world to come,” and Esau’s (and here we speak of the “Torah’s Esau,” the righteous conqueror of his inclinations) preference for the present world. Jacob sees perfection as the only desirable state of man, while Esau sees the struggle with imperfection as desirable in and of itself.

Yet both Jacob and Esau recognize the necessity for both of “the two worlds,” for the process and its outcome. The “perfectly pious” man also requires the material world as the vehicle that leads to ultimate perfection. And the “conqueror” also sees perfection as the goal to which his efforts lead. For although his purpose in life is defined by the process itself, a process, by definition, must have a goal.

So this is their “fight.” Jacob and Esau each lay claim to both worlds as part of their life’s endeavor. But their priorities are reversed. To the Jacobs of the world, the material world is but a tool, a means to an end. To its Esaus, man’s material involvements and the struggles they entail are what life is all about. A futuristic vision of perfection is necessary, but only as a reference-point that provides coherence and direction to the “real” business of life.

The tension between them over their differing visions of the “two worlds” is not a negative thing. It is the result of two world views, both positive and necessary, both indispensable components of man’s mission in life.

Your mind and heart are opposites.

Your mind breaks everything into small bite-size pieces, while your heart sweeps everything together as one.

Your heart knows no details. If your heart is in love, it is in love completely. If it loves someone, then the totality of that person, with all his or her complexities, are all swept up in that love. If someone tells you, “I love all of you, except for one small detail about you that annoys me,” then you know it is not her heart talking; it’s her mind talking. For the heart is blind to detail—which is precisely why it is so passionate. When you weigh every detail individually, somehow, the magic escapes.

Your mind, on the other hand, is analytical. It breaks an idea into small parts, accepting some, polishing others, and throwing some out. When something exciting happens, your mind’s job is to cool you down. It knows that indeed the news is exciting, but it is smart enough to know that “the devil is in the details.” The mind tells you things like “Sure, you love the new job offer, but are you really willing to put up with the extra commute time?” or “Sure, he makes you happy, but is he really right for you?”

So which do you follow, the analytic mind or the passionate heart? Today the trend is to “follow your heart,” to lead a lifestyle that is driven by desire. Chassidic thought says otherwise. Sure, the heart’s passion and drive are powerful forces that can

propel you to great heights, but without the mind’s guidance, your passion may propel you to a place you don’t want to be. For the heart is from the world of Tohu, “Chaos,” a world of intense passion but no direction, while the mind is from the world of Tikkun, “Order.”

So the next time you’re not sure if what you love is right for you, take out a sheet of paper and list the pros and cons. What you are doing is bridging the heart and mind, leading to a more integrated, holistic life. In Kabbalistic terminology, only the World of Order can elevate the World of Chaos.

This, says chassidic philosophy, explains all you need to know about Esau and Jacob.

Isaac loved Esau. Only the World of Order can elevate the World of ChaosWhy? Because he saw the energy of chaos. For Judaism to survive, argues Isaac, you need passion, commitment and emotional strength. The intellectual may have the right ideas, but he also has no drive to fight for and protect those ideas. You need an Esau to carry, safeguard and implement your message.

Rebecca disagrees.

Esau has awesome potential, indeed. But he needs Jacob as his compass. Left to his own devices, Esau may use the blessings to further his base desires rather than to perpetuate his grandfather’s legacy. Rebecca therefore convinces a reluctant Jacob to steal the blessings designed for Esau. She understands Esau’s potent quality. But she realizes that Esau’s chaotic power needs direction.

It needs Jacob.

BE LIKE

HEART AND MIND: ESAU AND JACOBBy Menachem Feldman

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To Give and Give Again

In the Torah portion of Toldot we read of the blessings that Yitzchak bestowed upon his son Yaakov, beginning with the words: “And may G-d give you….” Comments the Midrash: “May He give you, and May He give you again.”

G-d is limitless, surely, His original gift, emanating as it does from his infinite kindness, is without limit. What possible need could there be for G-d to give and then give again?

The transmission of knowledge from teacher to student can be achieved in one of two ways: a) the student may understand his master’s teachings, but not thoroughly enough to be able to innovate on his own; b) the disciple may completely master his teacher’s discourse, so that he is able to amplify on these teachings and come up with novel thoughts of his own.

Herein lies the meaning of “May He give you, and May He give you again”: G-d’s blessings are so splendid that not only is the person blessed with unlimited bounty from Above, but he is inspired to make use of these blessings on his own, thereby gaining yet again.

In terms of man’s spiritual service, these two types of students correspond to the righteous individual and the penitent.

The righteous individual follows the path of Torah and mitzvos as they were transmitted from Above, while the penitent, having deviated from the path, transforms iniquity into merit. His method of service uses his power of repentance — the arousal of which is also granted to him by G-d — to perform an additional measure of service, a service not readily available to the righteous.

Isaac’s Wells

One activity of Isaac’s on which the Torah elaborates at some length is his well-digging. We are told how he reopened the wells

originally dug by Abraham, and how he dug a series of wells of his own.

Isaac is portrayed as a farmer and a well-digger. Isaac had learned the profound secret of the seed: growth and profit come only when you allow yourself to disintegrate and become one with the soil from which you have come. Isaac was a digger of wells, boring through the strata of emotion and experience in search of the quintessential waters of the soul. Boring deeper than feeling, deeper than desire, deeper than achievement, to the selflessness at the core of self.

Abraham’s love of G-d and humanity took him on a journey from the self outward—a journey etched in the roads of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Canaan. Isaac never left the boundaries of his homeland. For his was an inward journey, a journey into the depths of self, to the essence within.

4 POWERFUL INSIGHTS FROM THE REBBE ON PARSHAS TOLDOS

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Yitzchak’s Progeny

Toldot, meaning offspring, relates to the bearing of children. In a spiritual sense, the theme of the portion is spiritual parenthood, drawing Jews closer to Judaism, in line with the saying: “Whoever teaches his friend’s son Torah is considered as if he had borne him.”

We must however, understand how this bearing of spiritual children — toldot — relates to Yitzchak, since his manner of service (unlike that of his father Avraham) did not entail leaving his quarters to involve himself with others.

While Yitzchak’s manner of service did not involve traveling from place to place and making G-d’s Name known, his inward manner of spiritual service was so powerful that it attracted people to him.

This is explained at length in this portion: When there was a hunger in the land, Yitzchak thought he should descend to Egypt as his father had — knowing that, with this descent, he could continue his father’s outreach work.

G-d, however, told him that he should remain in the land. For Yitzchak’s manner of service would differ from his father’s; living a holy life while he remained in the land, G-d’s Name would become known — as a matter of course — to others as well.

The reason for the Torah portion’s name is now clear: Toldos emphasizes that the children are similar to their father. Yitzchak remained on his lofty level and drew others to him.

Two Manners of Service

At the beginning of the Torah portion Toldot, the Torah relates that when Rivkah was pregnant with Ya’akov and Esav, “the children clashed within her.” Our Sages explain that, while still within the womb, Ya’akov was drawn to holiness, while Esav was attracted to idolatry.

Esav’s behavior is difficult to fathom. The Patriarchs were, “completely holy”. Their children were conceived and born in complete holiness. How could it be that Yitzchak’s son, Esav, should innately be drawn to idolatry?

The Rambam explains that there are two general manners of spiritual service: the individual who desires to do only good, and the one who desires to do evil, but conquers his evil inclination.

Although the Patriarchs experienced no internal conflict, they were still faced with external opposition to their way of life, opposition that they had to overcome. And, although conquest of one’s own evil inclination may be much more difficult than overcoming outside opposition, nevertheless, the Patriarchs’ service in this regard also served as an empowerment to their children, for the following reason: by conquering one’s evil inclination, a person shows how greatly attached he is to G-d; although he desires to do evil, this desire does not hinder his will to do only good.

This is expressed even more forcefully through repentance. Though the person has actually succumbed to evil, his innermost desire to remain attached to G-d is so strong that he conquers his evil, regrets his past and returns to His service.

These two manners of service — “wholly righteous” and “overcoming evil” — were also mirrored in their children — Ya’akov was completely righteous, and Esav had the task of conquering an innate tendency towards evil.

4 POWERFUL INSIGHTS FROM THE REBBE ON PARSHAS TOLDOS

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The Ninth of Kislev is both the birthday and the yom hillula (the yahrzeit) of the Mitteler Rebbe, the son and eventual

successor of the Alter Rebbe. In honor of this important day, it would be beneficial to discuss one of the Mitteler Rebbe’s teachings.

The Mitteler Rebbe once said to one of his chassidim: “When two people speak to each other about the service of HaShem , and they study together, there are two G-dly souls against one natural soul” (see HaYom Yom, entry for 20 Teves).

I’ll elaborate on this. Those of you who have learned some Chassidus , know that one of the first and most basic teachings of the Tanya is that every Jew has two sources of consciousness and motivation, called in the language of Chassidus the G-dly soul (the nefesh haElokis) and the animal, or natural soul (the nefesh habahamis or the nefesh hativ’is). The latter is the soul which enlivens you, which occupies itself with eating and sleeping, etc., whereas the G-dly soul is the part of the person which strives toward spiritual goals.

When a person is trying to fulfill the mission of the descent of his soul into this world, he often experiences a conflict between the two souls, which may be manifested as a disagreement, or even open battle between a person’s brain, and his heart. In other words, the intellect says one thing, while the emotions tell him otherwise. The emotions are very powerful (Chassidus explains that they come from a higher source than intellect!) and can sometimes overpower his good sense. That chassid who consulted the Mitteler Rebbe had clearly asked for advice regarding his spiritual situation, and how to advance in his divine service. The Mitteler Rebbe gave him very simple, but very profound advice: You should discuss these things with another Jew, rather than trying to solve it alone. On your own, the G-dly soul and the animal soul are one against one. Accordingly, either this one or that one will win, and there is no guarantee that it will be the G-dly soul. However, when you discuss your problems with another person, your ability to overcome the animal soul is doubled. Why is this so?

The G-dly soul is selfless and altruistic, whereas the animal soul is basically self-interested. Its function is to look after the person’s own survival and interests. When you yourself are hungry, even though you ate only a few hours ago, you are much less concerned with the fact that there are people on the other side of the

world who are literally starving. Survival is basically self-centered. Thus, the animal soul cares about itself, not about others. By way of contrast, the G-dly soul is selfless, concerning itself with the welfare of others even before its own well-being. For this reason, when a person discusses his problems with a friend, there are two G-dly souls working on the problem, because it is only the G-dly soul which takes an interest in another person’s problems.

If we are serious Jews we will sometimes encounter difficulty in deciding what exactly HaShem requires of us in certain situations. Of course, the Torah guides our every step. Nevertheless, sometimes we find that there are several alternative ways of acting. Which one do we choose? Because our animal soul tends to seek its own benefit, even within the realm of Torah and the Halachah , the Mitteler Rebbe tells us that we should always discuss matters of divine service with another Jew. It’s not that when you have a problem you have to pour your heart out, even though that is also a good thing. The point is that every Jew has a G-dly soul, which lifts us up and makes us strive for things that are more spiritual. It makes us seek out other Jews to bring them closer to Yiddishkeit, it makes us go to shul, and to pray even when we’re really not in the mood. That’s the nefesh Elokis. It pulls us above the material world and says, “You know, there’s something higher.” And it makes us strive for it. It is your G-dly soul which motivates you to say, “You may be very comfortable right now at home, but outside there are people who are very much in need of help.” You can go out and make it good for somebody else, whether this is in a material sense, such as giving or lending money, or doing them a spiritual favor, such as teaching them Torah, which is also called tzedakah. Everyone needs help in getting closer to HaShem , or to do a mitzvah. The nefesh Elokis , by its nature, cares about somebody else, and wants somebody else to be good also, whereas the nefesh habahamis couldn’t care less — as long as I’m happy, it says, everything’s in order.

Very often we cannot solve our conflicts because we are fighting the drives of our

G-dly soul in one direction and the drives of our animal soul in the opposite direction. We can’t come to any resolution. Therefore, when there are two Jews whose souls strive for the same spirituality, as all Jewish souls do, it is far easier to identify and overcome the self-seeking tendencies of the animal/natural soul. Just as your animal soul couldn’t care less about anyone else, the other person’s animal soul couldn’t care less about you either, whereas his G-dly soul does care about you, just as your G-dly soul cares about him. Accordingly, you have two G-dly souls against one animal soul.

There is a further point to be made — because we are all interconnected, by way of our souls, we can never say, “What difference does it make, as long as I’m OK.” This is like the story our Sages tell of a passenger on a boat who was busy making a hole in the hull underneath his seat. When other passengers told him to stop making a hole, for he would sink the boat, the silly fellow told them to mind their own business — he had paid for his seat, and it was of no concern to anyone else what he was doing within his private four cubits. Similarly, supposing the general, the highest ranking officer in the army, wants to review the troops. Of course, the soldiers know that on a certain date, at a certain time, they must all be ready to make sure that there are no wrinkles, their shoes are polished, etc., and they are ready to be reviewed. As everybody is standing on parade, waiting for this great general to walk by, if one of the soldiers is not tidy — his buttons were not polished, his uniform was a mess — the general wouldn’t be angry at the soldier, he would go to the officer in charge and he would say, “What nerve! How come you didn’t prepare your group for this review!” In other words, the blame is never on the individual, but on the one in charge of him. If you see a kid walking in the street who looks like a mess, do you say, “What a messy kid!” or, “What an irresponsible mother that allows her child to walk around like that?”

Each of us is responsible for our fellow Jew who isn’t yet the way he should be, because we can do something about it. You cannot sit home complacently, saying, “Oh, what’s it my business? As long as I’m OK,” because you are to some degree responsible for the other person’s deficiencies. We are inter-responsible. This is the Mitteler Rebbe’s message.

THE NINTH OF KISLEV ON INTERCONNECTEDNESS

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As a Chabad emissary in Vancouver, I made it a weekly habit to visit the electronics business of two of my

supporters and friends — Carl Stein and Ben Tessler — in order to study Torah with them. During those sessions, the conversation often turned to the Rebbe and the power of his blessings.

It so happened that they had an in-house lawyer, a Jew named Brian Kershaw. One day in 1976 or 1977, Brian asked me, “Does the Rebbe bless non- Jews as well?”“Of course,” I replied.

“My wife is sick,” he said. “And I would like you to ask the Rebbe for a blessing for her recovery.”

So I wrote a letter to the Rebbe, giving her name and her father’s name, as that is the custom when requesting a blessing for a non-Jew. (When requesting a blessing for a Jew, the mother’s name is always provided because, according to Jewish law, a person’s Jewish identity is determined by the mother.)

A week or ten days later when the letter arrived in New York — this was before the advent of fax machines — I received a phone call from the Rebbe’s secretary, Rabbi Binyomin Klein, with the message: “The Rebbe would like to know her mother’s name.”

“But she isn’t Jewish,” I replied.

“I know,” Rabbi Klein said, “but the Rebbe asked for her mother’s name.”

So I called Brian, who told me that his mother- in-law’s name was Anna but, just like me, he was puzzled by the Rebbe’s request and he communicated this to his wife. She ended up calling her mother, who lived in France, and asking her, “Do you have another name besides Anna?”

“Why are you asking?” the mother wanted to know.

When she heard about the Rebbe’s request, she suddenly became very quiet. Then she said, “He must be a very holy man.”

She went on to confess to her daughter that she was born to Jewish parents and

that, as a child during World War Two, she was hidden in a monastery. After the war ended, she didn’t return to her Jewish roots, but ended up marrying a French Catholic and leading a Christian life.

“My real name is Chanah,” she told her daughter. “I am Jewish and so are you.”

Somehow, the Rebbe knew the truth — that all along Brian was married to a Jewish woman.

About ten years later, another incident took place which again demonstrated the Rebbe’s extraordinary ability to see and know what others could not.

In 1987, my mother came from New York to visit my family in Vancouver, and while she was staying with us, she suffered a heart attack. After she was hospitalized, my father called the Rebbe’s office for a blessing, but the message came back that the Rebbe had said, “I have already blessed her with a long life.” (I later learned that he was referring back to 1965, when he had given her that blessing.)

My mother passed away three days later. She was only sixty-seven.

We were all devastated and had a hard time squaring the Rebbe’s

message with what had happened. But then, while I was out buying something, I ran into the surgeon who had operated on my mother. We started talking and he mentioned to me, “Your mother lived a long life.”

“How can you say that?” I responded. “She was only sixty-seven!”

“Yes,” he said, “but while she was in the hospital, I found that she had a heart defect. People who have this defect generally don’t make it past forty or fifty at most, especially women who bear children. Many die in childbirth or shortly thereafter. So your mother really did live a long life.”

I immediately called my father. Hearing this, he got very emotional. “Now, I understand what the Rebbe meant!” he said.

My mother was forty-two when she gave birth to my sister, her youngest child, and it was three years later that the Rebbe gave her that blessing for a long life. She lived another twenty-two years after that!

MY ENCOUNTER WITH THE REBBEMY REAL NAME IS CHANA

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Many years ago, after the rabbi of Tchentzikov had been married for eighteen years without

having been blessed with children, he travelled to the Kozhnitzer Maggid to obtain the tzadik’s blessing.

When the Kozhnitzer listened to the man’s request he uttered a sigh from deep within his being. “The gates of heaven are closed to your petition!” he cried.

“No, no! Please, you must help me!” the man wept desperately.

“I cannot help you,” said the Kozhnitzer. “But I will send you to someone else who will be able to help. You must go to a certain person who is called ‘Shvartze Wolf -- Black Wolf,’ and he will be the one to help.”

“Yes, I know him,” the rabbi said, “He lives in my village, and a more coarse, miserable person you could never find.”

At first the Kozhnitzer did not respond. The rabbi realized that if the Kozhnitzer was sending him to Black Wolf, he must have a good reason.

The Kozhnitzer then quietly revealed, “Black Wolf is head of the eighteen hidden saints whose merits sustain the world.”

The rabbi sought out Black Wolf in the forest hut which was his home. Though cognizant of Black Wolf’s true identity, the rabbi was still frightened to approach him.

He devised a ruse by which to gain admittance to his hut.

He would go into the forest just before Shabbat and when he found Black Wolf’s house, would pretend that he had lost his way. He would beg to spend the holy Shabbat there, and under the circumstances, Black Wolf could hardly refuse a fellow Jew that favor.

Friday afternoon he set out and as planned reached Black Wolf’s hut. He

knocked on the door and the man’s wife answered.

Her horrible appearance marked her as a true equal to her husband, for never had a more hideous and unpleasant woman been seen.

Nevertheless, the rabbi begged her to allow him to stay over Shabbat.

“Very well,” she finally relented. “But if my husband finds you here, he’ll tear you apart with his bare hands. You can’t stay in here, but go into the stable if you want,” she croaked.

Soon Black Wolf arrived home and entered the stable, his eyes blazing with hatred. “How dare you come here! If you set foot outside of this stable, I’ll rip you apart with my bare hands!”

The frightened Jew shivered in his boots as he beheld the terrible visage of Black Wolf.

Suddenly the thought came to the rabbi that a tzadik is so pure that he acts as a mirror, reflecting the image of the person who is looking upon him.

Thus, what he saw in the appearance of Black Wolf was nothing more or less than a picture of his own spiritual impurity. With that, he searched into his soul, and prayed from the deepest part of his being. He poured out his soul and in those few moments returned wholeheartedly to his Maker. He felt himself suffused with a warm, peaceful feeling.

Suddenly he was shaken from his reverie by the unexpected sensation of a soft hand being laid on his shoulder. He looked up, not quite sure what he would see, a shiver of fear passing through him. There stood Black Wolf, but instead of his accustomed fierce exterior, he had a refined and peaceful visage.

The visitor was ushered into the hut, which no longer appeared rough and tumble-down, but warm and inviting. Black Wolf’s wife entered with her children, and their appearance, too,

was beautiful and serene.

Black Wolf turned to his guest and said in a quiet voice, “I know why you have come here. I know, I know. You and your wife will rejoice in the birth of a boy. But you must name him Schvartze Wolf.”

The rabbi wondered to himself, “How can I name my son after him? It is not our custom to name after the living,” but he remained silent.

The following morning Shvartze Wolf passed away.

After Shabbat, the Tchentzikover Rabbi returned home. In time, he revealed to his congregation the hidden identity of the hated Shvartze Wolf.

True to his word, a baby boy was born and he was given the strange name “Shvartze Wolf.”

In the year 1945 Jews who had survived the horrors of the Holocaust began streaming into the Land of Israel. When the Belzer Rebbe held his first Melave Malka (Saturday night meal taking leave of the Sabbath Queen) in the Holy Land many Chasidim came and introduced themselves to the Rebbe.

This story was one of those related at that first Melave Malka of the Belzer Rebbe.

And at that memorable occasion one man stood before the assembled and said, “My name is Shvartze Wolf ben Chana, and I am a descendant of that child who is spoken about in the story.”

STORIES WITH SOUL

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1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups flavored bread crumbs

Olive oil, for frying

PREPARATION1. Prepare a dredge station: place eggs in one plate, flour in a second plate, and bread crumbs in a third plate. 2. Dip string cheese into flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs and place on plate. Repeat until all cheese sticks are coated. 3. Pour evoo into a large pot or deep fryer. Heat the oil to 350°F.4. Place cheese sticks in hot oil, fry until golden on all sides. Remove to paper towels to drain. 5. Serve with your choice of dips, marinara sauce, ketchup, mayo etc.

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24

Présentation de la Paracha ToldotGenèse 25,19–28,9par le Rabbi de LoubavitchToledot – Isaac, Jacob et Ésaü

La sixième section du Livre de la Genèse relate l’histoire (toledot, en hébreu) d’Isaac et la naissance de ses fils, Jacob le juste et

Ésaü le méchant. La narration suit alors Isaac dans le pays des Philistins, s’arrêtant sur son étrange projet de creuser des puits. Peu après, Rébecca dupe Isaac en lui faisant accorder ses bénédictions – et ainsi la vocation future du peuple juif – à Jacob plutôt qu’à son véritable premier-né, Ésaü. Après avoir réalisé que Rébecca était dans le vrai, Isaac envoie Jacob à Aram afin qu’il épouse la fille de l’un de ses parents.

Bien qu’Isaac soit l’héritier et le successeur d’Abraham, la Torah le présente comme l’antithèse de tout ce que nous savons d’Abraham. Nous ne voyons en lui nul prolongement de la grande entreprise de son père d’éduquer l’humanité ; à la différence d’Abraham, Isaac ne livre aucune grande bataille, ne se rend jamais hors des frontières de la Terre sainte, et n’épouse aucune autre femme pour agrandir sa famille. Il semble s’accommoder de voir la vie se dérouler autour de lui. La seule entreprise active que la Torah relate à propos d’Isaac est qu’il creusait des puits. Est-ce là vraiment le seul accomplissement dont l’illustre héritier d’Abraham serait capable ?

D’un autre côté, la Torah ne fait état d’aucune forme de réprobation devant l’apparente passivité d’Isaac. Il semble être tacitement admis qu’Isaac faisait ce qu’il était censé faire. Tranquillement et sans fanfare, il poursuivit l’entreprise de son père, non pas en imitant son comportement, mais en le portant à un degré supérieur.

Isaac comprit que, pour révolutionnaire que fût l’œuvre d’Abraham, de par sa nature elle était d’un effet limité. La méthode d’Abraham pour diffuser la conscience du divin consistait à la communiquer à tous afin d’atteindre la plus large audience possible, n’exigeant aucun

préalable de ceux à qui il s’adressait. Comme le monde ne portait pas encore d’intérêt à ce qu’il avait à dire, stipuler des conditions aurait limité son influence. L’inconvénient de cette approche était que, ne requérant aucun travail préalable de son audience, Abraham ne produisit pas en elle un changement durable.

Cela ne diminue en rien l’immense impact de ses efforts – il influença des milliers de personnes et attira un nombre considérable de disciples. Mais ces masses étaient entièrement nourries par son inspiration, son charisme et son exemple personnel. Quand elles furent privées de sa présence et reprirent leur vie, leur enthousiasme pour ses enseignements diminua.

Isaac perçut que cette approche, qui était à l’origine de l’exceptionnel succès de son père, constituait paradoxalement la plus grande menace à sa continuation. Il comprit que, pour assurer la perpétuation du succès obtenu par son père, sa discipline à lui et sa rigueur (guevourah) devraient désormais parachever la bonté (‘hessed) de son père.

Alors que l’approche d’Abraham peut être conçue comme un vecteur descendant, portant le divin « vers le bas » jusqu’aux degrés les plus inférieurs de l’humanité, l’approche d’Isaac peut être conçue comme un vecteur ascendant qui élève les personnes afin qu’elles intègrent toujours davantage dans leur vie des niveaux supérieurs de conscience du divin.

Tel était le message qu’Isaac communiquait en creusant des puits. Contrairement au fait de

remplir un fossé avec de l’eau amenée d’un autre lieu, creuser un puits consiste à révéler une source d’eau déjà existante mais seulement dissimulée sous des couches de terre. Si le message d’Abraham était : « Venez ressourcer votre esprit avec l’eau vivifiante de la conscience du divin », celui d’Isaac fut : « À présent que vous êtes ressourcés, mettez-vous en quête de votre propre source d’eau. Déblayez toute poussière et vous révélerez en vous une source de conscience du divin qui assouvira votre soif durant votre vie entière. »

Dans cette perspective, Isaac constitue un modèle parfait pour l’humanité. On le trouve méditant dans les champs, évitant les conflits sans objet avec ses voisins et toujours tourné vers l’intériorité. La perfection spirituelle qu’il atteignit rayonnait tant que, assortie de son succès matériel, elle attirait instinctivement les autres vers lui. Il n’avait pas besoin de se mettre en quête de disciples ; les disciples se mettaient en quête de lui.

C’est la raison pour laquelle cette parachah est appelée Toledot, qui signifie aussi « descendants ». Tous les personnages de premier plan de la Genèse eurent des descendants, et la Torah juge bon de les mentionner tous. Cependant, seule la chronique relatant l’œuvre accomplie par Isaac durant sa vie est intitulée Toledot, car seul Isaac incarna une approche garantissant des résultats durables, qui produisit des disciples – des « enfants » spirituels – en mesure de s’assumer eux-mêmes.

FRENCH CONNECTIONREFLEXIONS SUR LA PARACHA

Vivre avec la paracha

25

Aprendiendo a ReírIsaac--Itzjak, en hebreo--significa “risa”Por Yanki Tauber

Al sonido del gong, expectantes desde una esquina del cuadrilátero, nos lanzamos a una lucha con esto que llamamos vida.

“¿A este mundo nos trajeron? preguntamos arrinconando contra la soga a nuestros mayores. “¿Esto es lo mejor que pudieron hacer? ¡Nosotros cambiaremos esto, arreglaremos todas las cosas pendientes, nosotros anularemos el mal, rejuvenecerá el bien, ya verán!”

Así que salimos al ring y por diez, veinte años somos “explosivos”. Sufrimos, nos esforzamos, “agonizamos”, nos regocijamos con nuestras victorias, y, gritando de alegría, volvemos a la batalla. Pero esto, claro, eventualmente nos va agotando. Empezamos a notar lo insignificante de nuestras victorias y lo profundo de nuestras agonías. “Tómatelo con calma” nos empezamos a decir a nosotros mismos, cada vez más frecuentemente. “¡Relájate!”

Aprendemos a saborear los pequeños placeres de la vida. ¡Eh!, nos decimos (y a la generación más joven, pero ellos no lo captan), ¡De esto se trata la vida realmente! “Encuentre su lugar, pague sus cuentas, escuche música, relájese”.

De esta manera nos relajamos por diez, quizá veinte años. Y entonces, un día, nos damos cuenta que algo nos está faltando: ¡ya no nos divertimos como antes! Y nos preguntamos: ¿esto es todo lo que hay? ¿Si el punto de todo simplemente es algo de paz y sosiego; nunca haber nacido, entonces habría sido bastante pacífico y sosegado también, no?

¿Qué pasa luego? Nos podemos quedar paralizados allí, al borde de una crisis a la mitad de nuestra vida que se puede extender hacia el final de ella. O podemos redescubrir la exuberancia de la vida, desde en un lugar más profundo, más propio que nuestra atropellada juventud.

En la Torá, estos dos estados del ser son envestidos en dos personalidades: Noaj e Isaac.

Noaj era un sobreviviente. En un mundo imbuido

en corrupción, él permaneció justo. Durante el Gran Diluvio, Noaj encontró resguardo en su arca, dentro de cuyas paredes prevaleció un idilio casi mesiánico. El león y el cordero moraron juntos, bajo un mismo techo, la furia y la violencia fueron contenidas.

En la Torá, un nombre lo es todo: descifre el nombre de una persona o de una cosa, y descubrirá su esencia. Noaj, en hebreo significa “facilidad” y “tranquilidad”. La felicidad del retiro. Noaj, un ejemplo de ello.

Isaac—Itzjak, en hebreo—significa “risa”. En el caso de Isaac, la conexión con su historia de vida no está muy clara. En la superficie, él es apenas la figura exuberante que su nombre sugiere. De hecho, él es casi invisible: aunque sea el más longevo de los tres Patriarcas, la Torá apenas nos dice algo sobre él. Hay un capítulo donde explica como su padre estaba preparado para sacrificarlo, un capítulo de como el sirviente de su padre encontró una esposa para él, y un capítulo de como su esposa e hijo lo engañaron. ¿Pero qué hace Isaac?

Bien, nos dicen que trabajaba la tierra y la cosechaba—el único de los tres Patriarcas

que hacía esta tarea (Abraham y Jacob eran pastores). Y hay una cuenta detallada de los pozos que excavó.

Isaac nos enseña que, finalmente, la risa de la vida viene—paradójicamente—del trabajo modesto. Si quiere biografías escritas sobre usted, conviértase en un guerrero. Si está buscando tranquilidad, hágase pastor. Pero si es alegría lo que usted busca, sea un granjero y un excavador de pozos de agua. Are y siembre, perfore la ajada tierra de su mundo para hacer florecer la vida de sus profundidades. Excave bajo la superficie de su existencia, para explotar las fuentes de su deleite.

La tranquilidad es buena, pero no es la única razón para vivir. La alegría viene de las conquistas, de las batallas arrebatadoras de la juventud, pero finalmente de la auto-conquista que es la batalla más feroz y más silenciosa de nuestra vida. ¿Conoce gente modesta, trabajadores silenciosos, con alegría interior? Éstos son los Isaacs del mundo.

Hay muchas facetas en la palabra hebrea, toldot que significa descendencia, producto, logros e historia de vida. El Rebe de Lubavitch señala que hay dos Parshiot (lecturas de la Torá) que comienzan con las palabras; “Éstos son las toldot de...” ; una es la Parshá que empieza “Éstas son las toldot de Noaj” (Génesis 6:9), y la Parshá que empieza “Éstos son las toldot de Isaac” (Génesis 25:19). La primera Parshá que cuenta la historia de la vida de Noaj se llama “Noaj”. La segunda Parshá que es la única que se centra en la personalidad de Isaac, se llama Toldot simplemente.

¿Qué nos está diciendo la Torá? La historia de vida de Noaj se reduce solo a Noaj; pero la historia de Isaac es la historia de la vida misma. Que el hombre puede empezar la vida batallando, oponiéndose a todo y puede madurar en un Noaj, pero eventualmente debe descubrir su Isaac interior.

¿Qué hay sobre la mujer? Con las mujeres es la misma historia—sólo que no les toma tanto tiempo darse cuenta. Las mujeres son “reidoras” naturales.

LATIN L INKREFLEXION SEMANALParasha de la Semana

26

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Rabbi Sholom D. LipskarRabbi Zalman LipskarLazer MilsteinOrit OsmanBrian RollerRyan ShapiroMarc SheridanDaniel SragowiczCynthia SteinEric P. SteinMichael Tabacinic

Rabbi Rabbi Sholom Lipskar Rabbilipskar@theshul.org Ext 311Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Chani Lipskar clipskar@gmail.com 305.992.8363Associate Rabbi Rabbi Zalman Lipskar zalman@theshul.org Ext 345Rabbi’s Executive Assistant / CYS Ms. Lydia Hasson lydia@theshul.org Ext 311JLAC / Adult Ed/ Singles Rabbi Shea Rubinstein rsr@theshul.org Ext 342CYS College / Kolel Rabbi Dov Schochet dschochet@theshul.org 305.790.8294Youth Director / Hebrew School Rabbi Shaykee Farkash farkashs@icloud.com Ext 329Pre-School Director Mrs. Chana Lipskar lipskarchana@gmail.com Ext 325Accounting Mrs. Geri Kelly geri@theshul.org Ext 341Controller Mrs. Janice Barney janice@theshul.org Ext 318Events / Office Manager Ms. Milena Liascovitz milena@theshul.org Ext 328Director of Events and Marketing Mrs. Devorah Leah Andrusier dandrusier@theshul.org Ext 313Operations / Maintenance Rabbi Shlomi Katan skatan@theshul.org Ext 319Reception Mrs. Mindy Natoli mnatoli@theshul.org Ext 0Sephardic Minyan Rabbi Yair Massri Rabbiyairmassri@gmail.com 917.982.6165Hashkama Minyan Mr. Lazer Milstein 305.349.3040Editor Mrs. Aurit Katan auritk@gmail.com 786.382.9006Mashgiach Mr. Mordechai Olesky 786.262.9115Mikvah Mrs. Devorah Failer 305.323.2410

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Anita GivnerSam GreenwaldSharon HakmonBen JacobsonAlbert LichyRabbi Sholom D. LipskarAlexander MatzEzzy RappaportElliott RimonYaacov SaidofSeth SalverAlex TauberJordan Wachtel