LIVING WITH MOSHIACH, Parshat Tetzave, 5755 B"H LIVING WITH MOSHIACH Weekly Digest About Moshiach PARSHAT TETZAVE 10 Adar I, 5755 Feb. 10, 1995 * Published Weekly By Lubavitch Shluchim Conferences On The Moshiach Campaign, Committee For The Blind * * * 5755 "Year of Hakhel" ********************************************* * 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 The significance of Purim Katan Moshiach Matters Purim Katan Shushan Purim Katan **************** * INTRODUCTION * **************** We are pleased to present, to the visually impaired and the blind, the 17th issue of our weekly publication, Living with Moshiach. * In this week's issue, our feature presentation focuses on Purim Katan, and Shushan Purim Katan. Purim Katan (the "minor" Purim) is next week, Tuesday, Feb. 14, and the day afterwards, Wednesday, Feb. 15, is Shushan Purim Katan. * 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 7 Adar I, 5755, Year of Hakhel Brooklyn, New York *************************************** * THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION * * Adapted from the Works of the Rebbe * *************************************** Parshat Tetzave In last week's Torah portion G-d commanded the building of a copper altar upon which would be offered various sacrifices. At the end of this week's Torah portion, Tetzave, the Torah commands us to build yet another altar, this one of gold. These two altars differ from all the other vessels that were in the Sanctuary and the Holy Temple, in that they could never be rendered impure. Other vessels and implements could become contaminated and im pure, but not these two altars. The purity inherent in the altars can also be interpreted on a deeper, personal level. It refers to the soul of every Jew. And the mitzva to build the Sanctuary of G-d, in addition to being a general commandment for the Jewish nation, also contains within it the commandment to build a personal "sanctuary" in one's heart. A Jew can make himself a "holy place" in which the light of G-dliness dwells and is revealed. In the spiritual Sanctuary within each one of us there are also vessels and implements with which to worship G-d. These "vessels" are the brain, the heart, the mouth, the hands, the feet, etc. A Jew is required to utilize his brain for learning Torah, his heart to be filled with love and fear of G-d, his mouth for speaking words of Torah and prayer, his hands for performing mitzvot, his feet for running to perform good deeds, and so on. This is how a Jew transforms himself into a Sanctuary for G-d. Unfortunately, we find that these "vessels" sometimes become impure when used in a manner not in accordance with Judaism. There is one vessel, however, that can never be defiled--the altar. The altar is the basis and foundation of the entire Sanctuary. The altar expresses the absolute attachment to G-d, and the longing to annihilate the sense of self in the consuming love for G-d. In this place there is no room for impurity. The altar, thus, symbolizes the essence of the soul, the pintele Yid within every Jew, that can never lose its purity. This essence is above being affected by the person's thoughts or behavior. It is an inner point which always remains connected to G-d, which the Jew can never sever even if he should so desire. The particular covering of the altar, be it gold or copper, is not important. These outer layers, the gold and the copper, symbolize the paths which temptation can take in an attempt to test our devotion to G-d: poverty (copper) and wealth (gold). A person can be tempted to veer off the true path of righteousness by the enticement of riches or by the hardships of poverty. But this can only affect a person's exterior. The internal part of a Jew, the essence of his soul, always remains bound to G-d. The Torah promises that through true repentance, the inner purity of the Jew's soul will, in the end, triumph over all the other variables and temptations. And that the "Sanctuary" and all its "vessels" will eventually become cleansed and purified. ************************ * 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 GRANDFATHER * * * * Reb Shmuel Pesach Ben Reb Yaakov Dovid * * Passed away on 3 Tishrei, 5755 * * Pais * ******************************************* *********************************** * THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PURIM KATAN * *********************************** In a leap year such as this year, there are two Hebrew months of Adar. Marriages, births and deaths that took place in Adar of a non-leap year are all celebrated in the second Adar. The holiday of Purim, too, is celebrated in Adar II on the 14th of the month. However, it is customary to recognize the 14th of Adar I as "Purim Katan" (the "minor" Purim). This is done by making meals of a festive nature, not delivering eulogies and not fasting. ******************** * MOSHIACH MATTERS * ******************** The Divine service of our generation... contains a dimension of superiority (and in this context, an incomparable advantage) over the Divine service accomplished in previous generations, for the Divine service of previous generations was related to reason and logic.... The Divine service at the conclusion of the period of exile, by contrast, reflects the willingness for self-sacrifice, which emanates from the innermost level of the soul. From a discourse of the Rebbe *************************************** * PURIM KATAN * * Adapted from the Works of the Rebbe * *************************************** Since this year is a leap year, we count the month of Adar twice. The holiday of Purim is celebrated in the second Adar. However, in the first Adar, we celebrate "Purim Katan" (the "minor" Purim). This coming week, on Tuesday, Feb. 14, will be Purim Katan. Purim Katan is a microcosm of the larger Purim. It comes exactly 30 days before the "big" Purim and serves as an official reminder that it is time to begin preparing ourselves for the upcoming holiday. In essence, we have 30 extra days to put ourselves in the holiday spirit. In general, if one does not prepare for a holiday, it can just come and go, hardly making any impression on us at all. Lacking the proper preparation means we might not rise to the emotional and spiritual heights of which we are capable. Let us imagine ourselves traveling on a train. The scenery outside the window is magnificent. If we, however, but blink an eye, what we just saw is gone from our sight. The same is true of each holiday. If we do not prepare properly, with not more than the blink of an eye, it has passed us by. Purim Katan is a reminder in our calendar announcing, "Wait, Purim is going to happen. And it's going to happen soon!" If we use the reminder that Purim Katan gives us, and really prepare for Purim, then we will be able to live the happenings of the megila and derive the full, rich flavor from the holiday. *************************************** * SHUSHAN PURIM KATAN * * Adapted from the Works of the Rebbe * *************************************** As there are two months of Adar this year (this year is a leap year), next week, Tuesday, Feb. 14, is Purim Katan (the "minor" Purim). The day after Purim Katan, next Wednesday, Feb. 15, is Shushan Purim Katan, Shushan Purim being the day Purim is celebrated in walled cities such as Jerusalem. As there are very few customs associated with Purim Katan and Shushan Purim Katan, let us take a moment to understand the significance of Shushan Purim according to Chasidut. The celebration of this holiday was instituted in connection with the Land of Israel. Our Sages decreed that Shushan Purim be celebrated in those cities that were surrounded by walls at the time of Joshua's conquest of the Land of Israel. In this manner, they paid respect to the Holy Land, giving its walled cities the honor given to Shushan even though they had been destroyed by the time of the Purim miracle. However, the holiday's name is connected with a city in the Diaspora--the capital city of Achashveirosh, king of Persia (and thus the capital of the entire civilized world). The use of the name "Shushan" expresses the completion of the Jews' mission to refine the material environment of the world. There are several levels in the fulfillment of this task; for example, the transformation of mundane objects into articles of holiness. On a deeper level, this involves the transformation into holiness of precisely those elements which previously opposed holiness. Shushan Purim shows how Achashveirosh's capital city was transformed into a positive influence, indeed, an influence so great that it is connected with the celebration of Purim in the walled cities of Israel. May we use all of the extra spiritual energy given to us on Purim Katan and Shushan Purim Katan to transform the mundane into the holy and that which opposes holiness into holiness, until the whole world is transformed into a dwelling place for G-d in the Messianic Era. ============================================================ = End of Text: Living With Moshiach, Parshat Tetzave, 5755 = ============================================================