Yaakov shared this sentiment with Pharaoh when they first met. He expressed his dissatisfaction with his life in order that Pharaoh would not err to think that Yaakov and his children would suffice with settling “in the land of Egypt, in the finest region of the country,” and be content with living off “the fat of the land,” which Pharaoh had given them; redemption is what was important to Yaakov.
R’ Ariel and his wife Rochel Elias made a long journey until they came to their shlichus among Russian speaking Jews in Givat Shmuel. Ariel himself was born to a non-Jewish mother and experienced anti-Semitism because he was considered Jewish. He was a member of street gangs but extricated himself, studied, went on to university, and eventually found his way to Eretz Yisroel. * Wherever he went he met Lubavitchers. It’s no surprise then that he himself became a Lubavitcher after converting. * A fascinating life story.
“In this week’s parsha we learn of… the rebellion against Moses and Aaron launched by their distinguished cousin Korach. As we will see, this rebellion provides us with an invaluable lesson on how we should view Torah, Moses and Moshiach.”
How can we overcome jealousy, anxiety and other worldly distractions that threaten to derail us? There is a way to do it, and even an “express lane.” It pays to stop a moment and get in touch with the yechida that operates within us and the electronic circuits it creates, in order to develop a complete redemptive operating system.
A compilation of stories about the Rebbe that R’ Boruch Aharon Huss, of Anash of Montreal, wrote as he heard them from reliable sources, mostly from the protagonist himself.
R’ Berish was the image of a Chassid and a man of warmth, good to heaven and good to his fellow. While he himself was particular about his learning and his conduct to an extreme, he treated others with openness and great warmth and had a smile for everyone. * About the Chassid, R’ Dov Berish Rosenberg a”h who was a model of a Chassid. * 2nd and final chapter.
“My wife had gone in for yechidus hoping to receive one very important blessing. She gave several people the opportunity to pass her in line, and she ended up being one of the last people privileged to go before the Rebbe. As she stood before the Rebbe’s penetrating look, she felt his great love for all his Chassidim…”
“…they had not yet realized the importance of educating girls. The widespread view among many families was that it was not necessary to formally teach them Judaism; they could learn on their own by seeing what was done at home.”
The young shliach perused the phone book, his finger moving from name to name as he looked for obviously Jewish names. Katz, Horowitz, Cohen, Moses … Slowly, his paper filled with names and addresses…
June 20, 2014