BVH Erev Shabbat Korach, Rosh Chodesh—1st of Tammuz, 5781; June 1th, 2021 iy liey [9 WIS J i] ell your Children “A Full and Speedy Recovery” This story has been used with permission from JEM's My Encounter with the Reb- ‘be oral history project, which is dedicat- ced 10 recording first-person testimonies documenting the life and guidance of the Rebbe. Rabbi Chaim Farro, who was inter= viewed for the below story, was sent to Manchester, England as a Chabad shliach (emissary) in 1971. He has been @ Chabad shliach in Ramat Beit Shemesh for the last 12 years In the 1960s my family was living in London, England, and I was a student at the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva (Chabad yeshiva) in Crown Heights, In those days it was extremely difficult to got tapes of the Rebbe’s talks. There were very few available, and only certain people could get them. So I wrote to my ‘grandtather who lived in London and asked him to send me a reel-to-reel re- ccorder, with whieh I'd be able to make ‘my own tapes, By Divine Providence, the recorder ar- rived on January 31, 1966, which hap- pened to be Yud Shevat, when there would be a chassidic gathering, a farbrengen, and when the Rebbe was ‘expected to give a talk. So, as fast as 1 could, I ran the four blocks from my dormitory to the post office to collect it, Unfortunately, there was some very heavy snow that day, and I slipped and fell, Immediately, I felt the most unbe- lievable pain in my ankle, and I literally could not walk—I could not take even ‘one step. But I was so eager to begin taping the Rebbe that I managed to hop ‘on one foot to the post office and back. When I returned, Dr. Avrohom Seligson, who usualy prayed outside the Rebbe"s room, took one look at my foot and said that I must go straight to the hospital. When my friends got wind of my condi- tion, they called a taxi, planning to escort me to the hospital. Somehow, Fcon- vvinced them that [could get there my- self. But once inside the taxi, | instructed the driver to take me to a store in Manhattan ‘which sold the special batteries needed for my new tape recorder. [arrived back just as the farbrengen was getting under way ‘The room was so full that it was impos sible to get a place to sit. I managed to find a litte spot on a table where I put iy tape recorder, but I practically had to stand on one Foot for six hours. Early the next morning, after the farbren- gen, I finally went to the hospital in Crown Heights. They looked at my foot and said, “This is too swollen now. You should have come hours ago. We can’t do any x-rays until the swelling has gone down. Go home, elevate the leg, and ‘come back tomorrow morning.” | went home, but the next morning I de- cided that the more sensible thing was to 120 to the New York Orthopedic Hospi- tal, a specialist hospital dealing with fractures, where I would get the benefit of the best doctors and the best care, ‘There they took x-rays, and I was told that there was a triple fracture in my ankle. The specialist who saw me said 1 ‘would need an operation so that they could put in metal pins and a metal plate. He also explained that I'd be on crutches for somewhere between six and nine months. ‘The surgery was scheduled for the next ‘morning, but my aunt and unele—who lived in Far Rockaway, and who heard ‘what had happened—came rushing to the hospital ‘They said that there was no way that they would allow me to have a major operation such as this without getting a second opinion. They insisted that I ‘come with them immediately to see a Dr. David Telson, a close personal friend of theirs who was a world-famous ortho- pedie surgeon, ‘When I went to see this Dr. Telson, he explained that he had @ unique method of dealing with this kind of problem with- out any operation and without any metal plate or pins. He said that he was going to push the bones back into place manu- ally, and within eight weeks I'd be walk- ing without any crutches or plaster cast. This is what I opted to do, but ten days later my ankle became too painful, and | decided that it would be worthwhile to get a third opinion. So I made an appointment to see another top orthopedic specialist in Manhattan. After he examined my ankle, he said that the doctors at the New York Orthopedic Hospital were quite right. An operation was necessary, with everything that en- tailed—being in a plaster cast for at least six months, and having these pins in my foot for the rest of my life 1 wasn’t sure what to do, so I discussed the matter with Rabbi Dovid Raskin, a rabbi atthe yeshivah, who told me to write to the Rebbe and ask his advice. 1 wrote to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe an- swered, advising me (o get the third spe~ cialist to speak to Dr. Telson, and what- ever they would decide between them, that’s what I should do, And that’s exactly what happened. The two doctors discussed the case, and they agreed that it would do no harm to wait If there had to be an operation, it could ‘wait a couple of months. By that time we would see whether Dr. Telson’s method was successful or not. continued on page 3 Shab! nes Candle Lighting Motel Shabbat Jerusalem 7:10 827 Tel Aviv 725 820 Haifa 28 sat Beersheva 725 827 NewYork 8.09 938 Chabad of Isact Rabbi Joseph L Aronow Published by MLS. Kfar Chabad (03) 3731777 alitor: Aharon Schmidt Livingjewishweekiyegmai.com Please gua the sanctity f this publication eg Tran TTBN YD, /ma @aaaaéaadad éaééShabbos Table Respecting Boundaries Korach fought for equality, whi lieved to be the key to Jewish w centire congregation are all holy”, he ar- sgued. Why single out the kohanim—and particularly the Kohen Gadol—as superior to everyone else? But instead of being a unifier, the Torah regards Korach as the quintessential insti gator of conflict and divisiveness whom ‘we are cautioned not to emulate. ‘What made Korach’s case for unity the textbook example of disunity? The answer is hinted at in Moshe’s warning to Korach and his followers, “In the morning, G-d will make known who is His.” Aecording to the Midrash (cited by Rashi), Moshe ‘compared the allocation of roles within the Jewish people to the division of day and night, Moshe said, “G-d assigned bounda- ties to His world, Are you capable of trans- forming moming into evening? Such is the possibility of undoing this Jewish Unity In this way, Moshe illustrated that peace can only be achieved by respecting the boundaries inherent in creation, not by abolishing them, G-d created the world ‘with diversity. Each day consists of both ‘morning and evening, but individually, ceach of these periods serves a distinet pur- pose. The same is true of all G-d’s erea- tions. He ereated every being with a unique identity and a specific role that it ‘must fll, When its energies are devoted to the purpose it serves best, not wasted on a task intended for another part of creation, then the world functions in harmony, in- stead of chaos and discord. In order to achieve Jewish unity, explained Moshe, the divinely ordained distinetions of Kohen, Levi and Yisrael must not be annulled. Like the limbs and organs in the body that function differently but cohe- sively, when a Jew thrives within his role in the Service of G-d, his unique service complements his fellow Jews” unique roles as well, and theirs, in turn, enhance his, Korach’s Quest for Holiness “The mention ofa righteous man shall be a blessing, but the name of the wicked shall rot (Mishlei 10:7).” The Talmud (Yona 38b) interprets the later part ofthis verse asa directive to not name your child after ‘an evil person, so that the wicked person’s zname will be put out of circulation, But surprisingly, a portion in the Torah is named Korach, perpetuating the memory ofa man who led a rebellion against ‘Moshe—the greatest leader of alltime! If ‘we shouldn't name our child Korach, why. give a Torah portion his name? Evidently, despite Korach’s wrongdoing, at the root of his rebellion lay a kernel of Peer eg And Korach took {a bold step}...together with Datan and Aviram...and Ohn, the son of Pelet (Num. 16:1) The Torah criticizes Datan and Aviram more than any other participants in Ker- ach’s rebellion as they mixed into a con- ‘woversy that was none of their business. ‘They weren't firstborn sons who might hhave resented having the priesthood taken away from them, nor were they even from the tribe of Levi. The priesthood was none of their concer. (Machane Betula) Korach, the son of Yizhar, the son of Kehot, the son of Levi (Bamidbar 38:1) ‘A distinguished lineage is meaningful ‘only when it brings a person to feel hum= bled in the face of his illustrious ances- tors. Unfortunately, however, it sometimes has the opposite effect, resulting in baseless pride and arrogance. Korach is a prime ‘example of the latter; too much self esteem allowed him to rebel against Mo- (Rabbi Naftali of Ropshits) Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? He who learns from every person, as it is stated: "From all those who have taught me 1 have gained wisdom: indeed, Your testi ‘monies are my conversation” (Ethics 4:1) ‘The verse stated, "From all those who hhave taught me I have gained wisdom, ‘whereas the Mishna adds that one must learn from every person. One must lear not only Torah from one’s teachers, but also the good qualities of character and upright conduct which one discerns in any person, even if he is an ignoramus or a wicked fellow (The Maggid of Mezritch) That the earth open its mouth and swal- fow them up...and they go down alive into the pit (Num. 16:30) ‘A person can only avail himself of re- pentance while he yet lives. Korach and his followers, swallowed up by the earth alive because of their sins, were granted the opportunity to repent and atone for their transgressions. (the Rebbe) ‘truth— which we must aspire to emulate Korach wanted to replace Aharon as the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest. The attrac- tion of this position was the extraordinary ‘sanctity that came with it, which enabled the Kohen Gadol to stand in perfect union swith G-d and to serve Him constantly. ‘Therefore, at its essence, Korach’s aspira- tion was commendable, In fact, the Mi rash (see Rashi on Bamidbar 16:6) relates, that when Korach and his associates told Moshe what they wished for, Moshe said, “I, too, desire the same!” We therefore title the parsha using Korach’s name, paying tribute to his admirable quest for holiness. Lofty Dreams - An Inspiration Nevertheless, the first word of the parsha, vayikach, is not included in its title. Vayikach Korach means, “And Korach set himself apart,” emphasizing the rebellion against Moshe, who, at G-ds behest, ap- pointed only Aharon as Kohen Gadol. The ‘word vayikach is therefore omitted from the ttle, because Korach’s deplorable ac- tions and the strife he caused are not what ‘we seek to memorialize. Korach’s name, however, is enshrined in Jewish tradition, for his lofty dreams are ‘an inspiration for alltime, From the teachings of the Rebbe, reprinted from Ohr HaChassidus. From our Sages ‘& Moshiach Now! reprinted from LchaimWeekly.org - LYO/NYC Shoes During Davening Rabbi Michoo! Bliner, a mashpia (mentor) in the yeshiva in Lubaviteh, -was known for his longevity and dubbed Michoel the Elder. He lived what he taught, and the students loved him for it. ‘Once, when R* Michoel was deep in prayer, a cobbler arrived at the yeshiva R? Michoel walked over to him and ppointed to the torn shoes of one of his students, signaling that the cobbler should fix the shoes and he would cover the cost, Alter prayers, someone asked R M choel how he could occupy himself with such unimportant matters in middle of prayer. R’ Michoe! responded, “What do you think the echad (one) ofthe Shema pray- cer alludes to? In Chassidie thought, ‘chad refers tothe unity of Gea, the eight higher spheres and the four eomers of the world. When G-d is imbued into your entire existence, you cannot rest until the shoes of another person are fixed.” By Dovid Zaklikowskt for COLtive and Hasidic Archives. Source: COLliveGimme! Tammuz - Connected to the Rebbe cerpis of a talk of the Rebbe: Yud Shevat, 5726 (1966). Source: Derher ‘When my father-in-law, the [Previous] Rebbe, departed from Russia he said (as he did on a number of occasions) that it ‘was against his will. As he crossed the border he said: although there is a physical barrier separating myself and the CChassidim who remained behind, one ‘need not be intimidated by it. My bond with them will continue as before, And indeed it was so, not only in a spiritual sense, but even on a more practical level. There are many well- known incidents related by various people that display the Rebbe’s direct involve- ‘ment from here in activities on the other side of the [ron Curtain, although it would have seemed that in order to orchestrate such thing one would have had to have ‘been “on-scene” atthe time. In other words: even while his soul remained confined to the limitations of a physical body, he was of the ability to determine that the physical barrier should not be of any relevance at all. He was able to maintain the bond with his followers who were acquainted with him prior to his crossing of the border, and in a manner that not only allowed him to connect with ‘them, but that they would be able to reach hhim as well. This was despite their being people of a lower spiritual status, to which physical boundaries did have an impact. Just as this applies to his having to leave ‘one country to another against his will, so to itis applicable to his status after his passing which is also against his will. As the Mishna says “Al korchach ata chai...” fone looks with physical, corporal eyes, ‘he may think that there is ~ G-d forbid — an interruption in the Rebbe’s connection to us. But the truth is, as the Gemara says, “Just as until now he has tended to us, now as well he continues to do so.” Much 1s his departure from one country to the ‘other made no impact in this regard, so to his passing has caused no change either. ‘And as he himself determined, he will ‘continue to stay connected with those who he has educated, and they will continue 10 follow in his ways. ‘One may ask: there was an occurrence that took place sixteen years ago [the passing of the Previous Rebbe}, when we ‘ourselves were present at the time, and certain things were done, as required according to Jewish law, which demon- strate that there was an interruption in the Rebbe’s connection with us? ‘The answer can be found in the Gemara’ “Yaakov Avinu didn’t die". The Gemara {questions this: “But was it for nothing that they eulogized him and embalmed him?” ‘The Gemara answers: “Just as his children are alive, so to he is alive” Even after this question the Gemara does not recant and explain it in a different way, rather the Gemara remains trac to its ‘original statement that “Yaakov Avinu didn’t die”, Despite the fact that “they ceulogized him and embalmed him”, and despite that these activities were really performed, as they are recounted in the ‘Torah nevertheless, as long as “ children are alive", then “he also is alive”. Ve ree ig ‘We Want Moshiach Now ‘The substance of the ery "We Want Moshiach Now!" is that we forego the Garden of | Eden and the World to Come: we want G-d's presence itself... Our desire is a yearning, for nothing but the very essence of G-d. Therefore we cry out all at once in pain and in Jjay, "We Want Moshaich Now." For the most sublime levels of Divinity will be re- ‘vealed through the Redemption! (the Rebbe, Sefer Hitva'aduyot, 5745) Seeing Divinity When Moshiach comes, the body will see Divinity with palpable sense-perception The physical eye will see the light and the Divine life-force which are the essence of every created thing. (Likutei Diburim of the Previous Rebbe) “A Full and Speedy Recovery” continued from page one: Five weeks after the injury, on Purim, ‘was the famous farbrengen when the Rebbe said that anyone who wanted a blessing from him could come up and ask, and the whole place went absolutely berserk. But through all the chaos, the Rebbe had the clarity of mind to realize that somebody in a far comer of the room, who had a broken ankle and was on crutches, would never reach him amidst everyone pressing forward to get a blessing, So, the Rebbe called me up in the middle of the farbrengen and gave me wine from his cup. He told me to say I'chaim, and he said that this should be for a full and speedy recovery. ‘And within six weeks, I was walking on my own two feet without any plaster cast and without any crutches, A year late, I gota letter from the New ‘York Orthopedic Hospital requesting, that I allow them to examine my ankle. Apparently, the officals at the hospital hhad heard about my recovery without any surgery whatsoever, and wanted to see for themselves, I went back to Rabbi Raskin, who said that without any question, T must go. So T went, When | walked into the room, I was in awe: Twelve orthopedic surgeons were sitting around a U-shaped table waiting for me, They put the x-rays of both my ankles up on the screen above theit heads, and they said: “Wow!” ‘They couldn't believe what they were seeing, because they could hardly make out the difference between the two, They asked me to explain to them what exactly Dr. Telson had done, and I told them the whole story. About six months later [ was in an audience with the Rebbe, and he asked ‘me about my ankle. So I said, “Baruch Hashem, my ankle is fine.” From that time on, I've felt absolutely no pain whatsoever in my ankle: the pain ‘went away completely.BAER ERERERE RE DR EAE SD EO Human Interest New Chabad Teen Center ‘A new Chabad center was recently inaugurated in central Jerusalem t0 provide Jewish teens with a hub to learn and connect. Located on the comers of Jaffa and King George sigeets, the center will be run by Rabbi Mendy Lebel and offers a library, ‘meeting rom, learning and gaming areas and a kitchen, Itisa branch of the Chabad Lanoar ‘organization (Chabad for Youth) in Isael directed by Rabbi Moshe Shilat and coordinated by Rabbi Mendy Kanievsky. ‘The center was donated aia bby Haim Turpiashvili, CPO and co- founder of Plarium. Te and his wife Yana donated the center in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of their son David. Cooking Tip of the Week ‘asy Roast—Asado: Back from ‘America, I was looking for an easy ‘main dish. I preheated my oven to 150C and in a foil baking bag I put 1/2 cup dehydrated onion (no fresh ‘onions in the house). On wp of the ‘onions, I placed a | 1/2 kilo Asado, 5 garlic cloves sliced in half, 1/2 up teriyaki sauce and half'a bottle Farbrengen wine. Closed the bag ‘which was ina glass baking pan and set the timer for two hours Joining the inauguration were Jeru- ‘salom's Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, head of Tzach in Jerusalem Rabbi Naftali Rot, Shliach in central Jerusa- lem Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Slonim and Yaakov Halperin, Chabad’ sentative in City Hall ‘Together with the center's directors, they placed a Mezuzah on the front ddoor and said L'chaim, blessing the Ihub to be a beacon of light and Torah to youngsters. Prominently displayed is a painting of the Rebbe by re~ nowned Israeli artist Shalom Sofer of Altzah Hochstead, Jerusalem, ‘lizahh(@ hotmail.com Source: COLlive Halacha Corner - Lending a Library Book ‘There is a well-known ruling that a borrower may not lend out the item that he borrowed. One would assume thatthe reason for this is that perhaps the ‘owner merely intended to do a favor to the borrower and lend the item to him, but would not necessarily agree to lend it to the second person. Howev- er, in truth the reason for the halacha is that the owner does not want his item to be lent out further out of eoncern that the second borrower might steal it ‘Therefore, regarding an item that is impossible to pilfer like a house or 2 boat, the principle that ‘a borrower may not lend out the item that he bor- rowed’ does not apply. It would follow that a library book tha i clearly ‘marked and stamped and thus its ownership cannot be denied, isnot included in the principle that “a borrower may not lend out the item that he borrowe Moreover, some poskim (halachic codifiers) add that the owner cannot claim “I don't want my property in the hands of others’ regarding items which are kept in order to lend out such as a gemach ora library, although not all poskim agree. ‘The above applies merely to a public library, but not toa privately owned library where a borrower is not permitted to lend out a borrowed book Rabbi Chaim Chazan; reprinted from The Weekly Farbrengen by Merkaz Anash, on-line at TheWeeklyFarbrengen.com www.lmaanyishmeu.com [elie By clan (olde DAILY TORAH STUDY CONT re Ron Cel Visit: CHAYENU.ORG/ISRAEL Question: My wite’s father was an aleohol- {ie and would constantly argue with her mother. Asa result, she has a strong aversion to people who drink. Lately, she has been getting on my case about my drinking, saying she thinks I am becoming an aleoholie. All Ihave isa glass of ‘wine before I goto sleep and a couple glasses of ‘wine and maybe two Pehaims atthe Shabbat table. Never the less, she is becoming inereas- ingly obsessed and says I need to stop drinking because it will only escalate and get worse. I tundorstand where she is coming from, but I think she is blowing this out of proportion. 1 don’t want to give up the little bit I drink. .en= joy it, What do you think Ishould do? Answer: The things we see, hear and experience at young age, leave a deep and profound imprint on ous psyche. Very oflen we View and interpret our experiences as adults through subconscious childhood memories. For example, a child that grew up with parents constantly fighting and yelling at one another, ‘may associate marriage with fea, instability and pain. Asan adult, he may be less inclined than his peers to get married. When he does meet an appropriate match, he may be filled with luncertainty, Leaming how to build a healthy ‘and positive marriage, and seeing examples of stable marriages, will help to reassociate marriage with positive imagery, So (00, given your wife's traumatic experience ‘with an alcoholic father, its understandable that she would view alcohol (and perhaps marriage) with negative imagery. She is, no doubt, very concemed and scared to see the person she is closest to, her husband, enjoying alcohol. Although you do not feel your drinking to be problematic, your wife has an understandably acute sensitivity to those that drink. Ie is important to consider what is best for your wife and the marriage given the situation, ‘Asa first step, itis essential to show genuine ‘understanding and empathy, both of her past and present. This will be healing for your wife and create closeness. would also suggest that you agree to limit your drinking. This will be a tan- gible expression that you understand and accept {your wife and will build her trust in you. Hashem gives each of us the spouse we need s0 ‘we ean reach our greatest potential, Bach mar riage has its challenges and requires us to ac- commodate in ways that are not always easy ‘The key is not to expect our spouse to change, but for us to see how we ean change. And, ‘when we change, this ereates the environment for our spouse to also change for the better. Aharon Schmidt; marriage, family & individual coaching: coachingandcounseling @ gmail.com ubscribe NOW and ears eo cr Ro ee roe eae eee Net yer Teed