LIVING WITH MOSHIACH, Parshat Nasso, 5756 B"H LIVING WITH MOSHIACH Weekly Digest About Moshiach PARSHAT NASSO Sivan 13, 5756 May 31, 1996 * Published Weekly By Lubavitch Shluchim Conferences On The Moshiach Campaign, Committee For The Blind * * * 5756 *********************************************** * TO RECEIVE THIS PUBLICATION VIA INTERNET: * * E-Mail: yys@dorsai.org * * FOR CHABAD-LUBAVITCH IN CYBERSPACE: * * E-Mail: info@chabad.org * *********************************************** THIS PUBLICATION IS DEDICATED TO THE REBBE, RABBI MENACHEM M. SCHNEERSON OF LUBAVITCH "I BELIEVE WITH COMPLETE FAITH IN THE ARRIVAL OF THE MOSHIACH. AND THOUGH HE MAY TARRY, I SHALL WAIT EACH DAY, ANTICIPATING HIS ARRIVAL." Maimonides, Principles of the Faith, No. 12 *********************** * TABLE OF CONTENTS * *********************** Introduction The Weekly Torah Portion The Rebbe's Prophecy A Lesson from Shavuot Shavuot and Moshiach A Call to Action ****************** * INTRODUCTION * ****************** We are pleased to present, to the visually impaired and the blind, our weekly publication, Living With Moshiach. * In this week's issue we once again focus on the festive holiday of Shavuot * Our sincere appreciation to L'Chaim weekly publication, published by the Lubavitch Youth Organization, for allowing us to use their material. Also, many thanks to our copy editor, Reb Mordechai Staiman, for his tireless efforts. * It is our fervent hope that our learning about Moshiach and the Redemption will hasten the coming of Moshiach, NOW! Rabbi Yosef Y. Shagalov Administrator Committee for the Blind E-Mail: yys@dorsai.org Rosh Chodesh Sivan, 5756 Brooklyn, New York ***************************************** * THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION * * Adapted from the Works of the Rebbe * ***************************************** Parshat Nasso In this week's Torah portion, Nasso, we find the command to count the Levites--the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari. The actual count of these people was taken only once, during the second year of their 40-year wanderings. What are we to learn from the Torah's inclusion of this commandment? Let us examine the reason why the Jewish people had to wander for 40 years in the wilderness. When the spies gave a negative report about the Land of Israel, the Jewish people were reluctant to enter the land G-d had promised them. G-d, therefore, punished the Jews with 40 years of wandering and decreed that those who had been unwilling to enter Israel would not be allowed to do so. But why did G-d choose a wilderness for their wandering, as opposed to another location? A wilderness is uninhabited by man, and indeed, the desert the Jewish People wandered through is described as "a great and terrible wilderness: snakes, poisonous serpents and scorpions, and thirst without water to quench." The Children of Israel, through their travels, were charged with transforming that wilderness and purifying the negative forces that still had their hold on the Jewish people. The cloud that preceded them as they traveled destroyed the snakes, serpents and beasts that threatened their existence. By overcoming the obstacles in the desert the Jews brought light and G-dliness into the world. The uninhabited wilderness became the dwelling place, for 40 years, of the millions of Jews who had just left Egypt, and the "unsown land" was blessed with water from Miriam's well, causing all kinds of plants and trees to flourish. The commandment to count the Levites charged with transporting the Sanctuary, underscored and gave spiritual strength to this higher purpose--the transformation of a wilderness into an inhabited land. This, too, is the responsibility of every Jew, in every era, no matter where he may live, to transform and elevate his surroundings by infusing them with holiness. If at times it appears that we are surrounded by insurmountable forces, we are to remember the mission with which we have been charged and the special G-dly powers we are given to accomplish it. Just as the Children of Israel traveled from place to place by Divine command, so too is every Jew, by Divine Providence, faced with precisely those obstacles and challenges he is charged with overcoming. The Torah assures us that through our actions, we can succeed in turning any wilderness into a flourishing dwelling place for G-d. We also learn from the fact that the Levites were not counted or required to carry the Sanctuary until the age of 30, that it is never too late to try to improve oneself. Even if our behavior has been less than admirable and undisciplined--in the category of "wilderness"--we must never become dejected and despair of achieving our spiritual goals. Once the decision to improve is made, G-d gives us the strength to serve Him, purify ourselves, and uncover the G-dliness concealed within. ************************ * THE REBBE'S PROPHECY * ************************ The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of Lubavitch, issued a call that "THE TIME OF OUR REDEMPTION HAS ARRIVED!" and "MOSHIACH IS ON HIS WAY!" The Rebbe stressed that he is saying this AS A PROPHECY, and asks us all to prepare ourselves for the Redemption, through increasing acts of goodness and kindness. LET US ALL HEED THE REBBE'S CALL. ********************************************* * IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY DEAR GRANDPARENTS, * * * * Reb Shmuel Pesach Ben Reb Yaakov Dovid * * Passed away on 3 Tishrei, 5755 * * * * Mrs. Fraidel Chedvah Bas Reb Zev Wolf * * Passed away on 4 Adar II, 5755 * * Pais * ********************************************* ************************* * A LESSON FROM SHAVUOT * ************************* On Shavuot, the Previous Rebbe used to bless the congregation, that "we receive the Torah with happiness and inner feeling." This blessing intimates that not only does Shavuot commemorate when we were given the Torah, but also the time when we accept and "receive" the Torah. In a talk some years ago, the Rebbe explained that our personal experiences on Shavuot should reflect both of these qualities: giving and receiving the Torah. It was during this same talk that the Rebbe urged every Jewish man, woman and child to become a teacher of Torah. The Rebbe explained that the matter was of utmost urgency and that everyone should become a teacher of at least ten other people. The following Shabbat, and the Shabbat after that, the Rebbe reiterated his expectation that everyone involve himself/herself in this campaign, which was a matter of immediate necessity. The Rebbe also explained that not only would the people being taught benefit from the Torah study, but that the teacher would also benefit greatly as well. The Rebbe explained the reason for this particular call to action: the need to reach out and involve others in study groups is particularly pressing in the present age. There are hundreds of thousands of Jewish men, women and children who lack knowledge of the elemental aspects of Torah and mitzvot. These are the last moments before the coming of Moshiach, and to prepare for his coming it is necessary to extend the knowledge of Torah, both Torah law and the inner dimensions of Torah, to as many individuals as possible. Our Sages have assured us that an increase in Torah study will bring about increased blessings in all matters. May this also lead to the ultimate blessing, the advent of the age when, "a person shall no longer teach his colleague . . . because they will all know Me," with the coming of Moshiach and the ultimate and complete Redemption. May it be in the immediate future. ************************ * SHAVUOT AND MOSHIACH * ************************ The sixth of the Hebrew month of Sivan, the first day of the Shavuot holiday that we recently celebrated, is the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the general chasidic movement. One year on Rosh HaShanah, the Baal Shem Tov had a special soul-journey, at which time he went into the Heavenly Palace where Moshiach's soul studies Torah until that time when he will be revealed. The Baal Shem Tov asked Moshiach, "Master, when will you come?" And Moshiach answered the by-now famous words, "When your wellsprings [chasidic teachings] will spread forth outside." Recently an acquaintance who is new to Torah study told me that he had been studying Torah via audio tape. He popped a tape with a lecture on Chasidut into his walkman and heard a discussion about the above-mentioned dialogue between the Baal Shem Tov and Moshiach. He told me that it occurred to him that the ultimate goal of the Rebbe was not "just" to send emissaries all over the world to open Chabad Houses and bring people closer to Judaism. The ultimate objective, as far as he could tell, was to spread the wellsprings of Chasidut, thereby actually bringing Moshiach. Bringing Moshiach has been the Rebbe's goal since his first public discourse in 1951 and even before then. Moshiach has been the ultimate goal and purpose of the foundation of the chasidic movement over 200 years ago. Moshiach is the purpose and raison d'etre of the creation of the world 5,756 years ago. These days, immediately following the festival of receiving the Torah, the yahrtzeit of the Baal Shem Tov and the yahrtzeit of King David (progenitor of Moshiach), are especially auspicious days for Moshiach's revelation. Let us all try our best to fulfill all of the Rebbe's many directives to each and every one of us personally to prepare for and hasten the Redemption, beginning with studying more Torah, giving more tzedaka--charity, increasing in our acts of goodness and kindness. ******************** * A CALL TO ACTION * ******************** The Rebbe's slogan is: "The main thing is the deed." In this column we present suggestions from the Rebbe's talks of what we can do to complete the Rebbe's work of bringing the Redemption. STUDY ETHICS OF THE FATHERS We read one chapter of Ethics of the Fathers (Pirkei Avot) each Shabbat following the afternoon prayer. Pirkei Avot contain ethics and moral exhortations. Many have the custom to continue reading these chapters throughout the summer months until Rosh HaShanah; summer is a time when people are prone to become more lax in their Jewish observances. The Rebbe emphasized the importance of not only reciting the chapters, but also actually studying them. ========================================================== = End of Text: Living With Moshiach, Parshat Nasso, 5756 = ==========================================================