mosaic express - Montreal Torah Center

Friday Nov 13, 2015 — Kislev 1, 5776
Candle Lighting 4:08 pm
Shabbat Ends 5:13 pm
MOSAIC EXPRESS
Next Weeks Candle Lighting
Friday November 20— 4:01 pm
Torah Portion Toldos ▪ ˙„ÏÂ˙
SHABBAT SCHEDULE
Mincha & Maariv………………...…............4:10 pm
Shacharit………………………….…..........….9:00 am
Children’s Program…..…………....……...10:30 am
Kiddush……...……………............…............12:00 pm
Mincha..….…................................................4:10 pm
TORAH READING
Parshat Toldos…….……………….…..…...Page 117
Haftorah………………………...................Page 1071
CLASSES
Chassidus…………………………………...…..8:15 am
Men’s Class: Bris Milah Part IIUnderstanding the underpinnings of this
central Mitzvah……………………………....3:10 pm
Women’s Class….……………………..……...3:20 pm
SHOO’T…………….……………………..……...3:55 pm
En Francais avec le Rav M. Pinto:
Talmud et Hala’ha ………..….…...…………..15h 10
Seu'da Chelichit………....…….…...…............16h 25
Yasher Koach to our Kiddush co-sponsors!
Last Shabbos
Seymour & Lita Alper
Gloria Baranowski
Mitchell & Allana Barr
Charles & Leah Dray
Eddy & Trudy Goldberg
MTC G racious ly Ack nowledges Th is W eek ’s S pons ors of th e Day
Evan & Osnat Feldman in honour of Olivia Raquel’s birthday, November 14
Barry Schwartz in honour of the yartzeit of Claire Schwartz obm, Kislev 3
To become a sponsor of the day, please contact Itchy @ 739.0770 ext 223
Women’s Supper & Learn
Insights into Kislev & Chanukah
Tuesday November 17 - 7:00 pm
$25 - RSVP by Sunday Nov 15
[email protected]
NEW & EXCITING!
for Moms and their children
0-5 yrs old
Free play
Wednesday afternoons
3:15-4:30 pm
MTC Playroom
For more info, email [email protected]
This Shabbos
Yona Corber
Mitchell & Jordana Greenspoon in honour of
the Bar Mitzva of their son Jonah
Kiddush co-sponsorship is $136
MTC wishes a hearty Mazal Tov to
Greenspoon & Cobrin families on the Bar
Mitzvah of Jonah Greenspoon
Rosenfeld, Treitel and Hurwitz families on
the birth of a son to Eli & Rivky Hurwitz
Taharas Hamishpocha Review
Have you made your
HAKHEL event yet
Lesson 1
This year, everybody is requested to
arrange gatherings of fellow Jews in their
home or any other place of choice in the
spirit of Jewish unity. The MTC rabbinate
is very happy to participate in your event
by sharing some inspiring words of Torah.
Wednesday November 25
10:00-11:00 am
MTC Library
For more info email [email protected]
FOR WOMEN
Montreal Torah Center Bais Menachem Chabad Lubavitch Joanne and Jonathan Gurman Community Center Lou
Adler ShulExpress
Mosaic
28 Cleve Road, Hampstead Quebec H3X 1A6 514. 739.0770 Fax 514.739.5925 email: [email protected] WWW.THEMTC.COM
1
SHACHARIT
SHACHARIT
Sunday…………………….………..9:00
am
Sun……………….....
.….....8:15
Wednesday-Friday…….....…….7:00
Mon,
Tues, Thurs,CHASSIDUS
Fri…....…….7:00
am
amam
SHACHARIS
……....9:00
…….....….10:00
amam
Followed by
breakfast
Mon-Fri…..………...
CHASSIDUS .….....6:15 am
Followed by breakfast
MINCHA
SHACHARIS……....7:00 am
Sun, Mon, Thurs,Followed
Fri...……..….6:45
pm
MINCHA
by breakfast
Wednesday-Friday...………..….6:20
pm
MINCHA
MAARIV
Sun-Thurs.………………………...….4:15
Sun, Mon, Thurs, Fri..……...….7:20 pmpm
MAARIV
Wednesday-Friday..………...….7:20
pm
MAARIV
In cherished memory of
R’
Yeshaya
Aryeh
ben
Menashe
Treitel
obm
Sun-Thurs..…………………….....….4:50
pm
In cherished memory of
R’ Yeshaya Aryeh ben Menashe Treitel obm
In cherished memory of
R’ Yeshaya Aryeh ben Menashe Treitel obm
and finally…
At the Russian War College, the general is a
guest lecturer and tells the class of officers that
the session will focus on potential problems and
the resulting strategies.
One of the officers in the class begins by asking
the first question, "Will we have to fight in a
World War Three?"
"Yes, comrades, in all likelihood, you will,"
answers the general.
"And who will be our likely enemy, Comrade
General?" another officer asks.
"The likelihood is that it will be China."
The class looks alarmed, and finally one officer
asks, "But Comrade General, we are 150 million
people and they are about 1.5 billion. How can
we possibly win?"
"Well," replies the general, "think about it. In
modern war, it is not the quantity, but the
quality that is key. For example, in the Middle
East, 5 million Jews fight against 50 million
Arabs and the Jews have been the winners every
time."
"But sir, " asks the panicky officer, "do we have
enough Jews?
General Overview: In this week's
reading, Toldot, Jacob and Esau are born.
Isaac relocates to Philistine where he digs
wells, resulting in friction between him
and the locals. Rebecca and Jacob
successfully deceive Isaac, tricking him
into giving to Jacob the blessings he had
intended for Esau.
First Aliyah: Rebecca had trouble
conceiving. Isaac and Rebecca prayed for
children, and after twenty years of
marriage Rebecca became pregnant. She
was concerned about her exceedingly
difficult pregnancy, and was advised by
G‑d that this was due to two children –
two nations – struggling in her womb. She
gave birth to twin boys: a hairy, ruddy boy
named Esau, and a second son, born
clutching his brother's heel, named Jacob.
Esau became a hunter, while Jacob was an
honest man who frequented the schools
of Torah. Isaac favored Esau, while
Rebecca preferred Jacob. One day, Esau
came home from the field hungry, and
pleaded with Jacob to give him some of
the stew he was cooking. Jacob agreed to
Esau's request provided that he give him
his birthright as firstborn in exchange—
and Esau acceded to this barter. There was
a famine in Canaan, and Isaac was
escaping the famine by traveling to Egypt
via Philistine when G‑d told him to
remain in Philistine. G‑d also informed
Isaac that he would visit upon him all the
blessings He had promised to Abraham.
Second Aliyah: Isaac settled in Philistine.
When the townspeople inquired regarding
his wife, he told them that she was his
sister, fearing that otherwise the
Philistines would kill him in order to take
Rebecca. Eventually, Abimelech, king of
the Philistines, noticed that Rebecca was
Isaac's wife and though he reprimanded
Isaac, he issued a decree that no one
touch them. While in Philistine, Isaac
sowed crops, and miraculously harvested a
hundred times more than a field's normal
yield.
Third Aliyah: Isaac became extremely
wealthy. He also re-dug some of the wells
that his father Abraham had dug, but had
since been stopped up by the Philistines.
The Philistines eventually became envious
of his wealth, and asked him to leave.
Isaac complied, moving away from the
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Mosaic Express
city and settling in the Gerar Valley. There,
Isaac's servants dug two new wells but the
Philistines contested his ownership over
these wells. The third well he dug was
uncontested.
Fourth Aliyah: G‑d appeared to Isaac
and blessed him and assured him that He
would always be with him. Abimelech
approached Isaac and requested to enter
into a peace treaty with him.
Fifth Aliyah: Isaac agreed to Abimelech's
request. On that day, Isaac's servants
informed him that they had successfully
dug another well. At the age of forty,
Esau married two wives. Their idolatrous
ways anguished Isaac and Rebecca. Isaac
had now advanced in age, and he became
blind. He summoned Esau and told him
that he wished to bless him, but first he
should go to the field and hunt some
game for him to eat. Rebecca heard this
conversation and advised Jacob to don
Esau's clothing and trick Isaac into
blessing him instead. Rebecca prepared
meat and gave it to Jacob to bring to his
father. She also took hairy goatskin and
put it on Jacob's smooth arms and neck.
Jacob approached his father and
presented himself as Esau, and Isaac ate
from the repast Rebecca had prepared.
Sixth Aliyah: Isaac blessed Jacob with
the "dew of the heaven and the fat of the
earth," and granted him mastery over his
brother. No sooner than the blessing
ended, Esau arrived from the field, only to
be informed by his father – who now
understood what had transpired – that
the blessing was already given to his
younger brother. Esau was furious and
Isaac comforted him with a minor
blessing. Esau was determined to kill
Jacob, but Rebecca, who got wind of this
plot, asked Isaac to send Jacob to Charan
to find a wife. Isaac did so, and blessed
Jacob again before he departed.
Seventh Aliyah: Isaac sent Jacob to his
brother-in-law Laban's home, to marry
one of his daughters. Esau married again,
this time to Machalat the daughter of
Ishmael.■
SUNDAY
TUESDAY CONT
8:00 - 9:00 am
8:00 pm
Tanya
The primary, classic work of Chabad chassidus. A
blend of mysticism, philosophy & psychology
Chassidus for Students
Text based class of foundational subjects in
Chassidus for young guys.
10:00 - 10:30 am
Chumash
Lunch & Learn EMPIRE AUCTION
A discussion on the Torah portion of the week,
current events or holidays
FRIDAY
6:15 - 6:55 am
Chassidus
Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to
the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov
6:15 - 6:55 am
Chassidus
12:15 - 1:15 pm
WEDNESDAY
Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha
MONDAY
THURSDAY CONT
8:10 - 8:45 am
6:15 - 6:55 am
Chassidus
Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to
the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov
8:15 - 9:00 am
Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to
the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov
Chumash
Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha
Gemara with Rabbi Levi
8:10 - 8:45 am
8:15 - 9:00 am
8:10 - 8:45 am
Chumash
Gemara with Rabbi Levi
Chumash
4:45 - 5:45 pm
12:15 - 1:15 pm
Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha
8:15 - 9:00 am
Gemara with Rabbi Levi
Rap with the Rabbi
for High School students. Pizza and fries dinner
RSVP a must. Please contact the office.
8:15 pm
Chalom Bayit
7:30 pm
Cours pour femmes avec le Rav M. Pinto
Torah Class for Students
8:30 - 9:30 pm
A collage of texts exploring a theme from the
weekly parsha or upcoming holiday. For young
women at the home of Rabbi Levi and Ita New
Chassidus for Young Adults
With Rabbi Levi
8:00 - 9:00 pm
Kabbalah
TUESDAY
6:15 - 6:55 am
Chassidus
A tapestry of Divine wisdom woven from strands
of the Talmud and the Kabbalah
SPONSORED BY THE MIRYAM & BATYA MEDICOFF
Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha
Lunch & Learn C&C PACKING
A discussion on the Torah portion of the week,
current events or holidays
SHABBAT
8:15 - 9:00 am
Insights into Prayer
Understanding the deeper meaning of the
prayers as illuminated by the teachings of
Chassidus
45 minutes before Mincha
Women’s Torah Class
Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to
the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov
LECTURE FOUNDATION
Studies in the weekly Parsha or approaching
Yom Tov
8:15 pm
1 hour before Mincha
8:10 - 8:45 am
Vivre la Paracha
Men’s Torah Class
Chumash
Cours pour hommes avec le Rav M. Pinto
Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha
8:15 - 9:00 am
THURSDAY
Gemara with Rabbi Levi
6:15 - 6:55 am
11:00 - 12:00 am
Chassidus
Women’s Torah Class
Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to
the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov
A discussion on the Torah portion of the week,
or holidays. In a private home.
8:10 - 8:45 am
12:15 pm
Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha
Covering the foundations of Judaism from the
primary texts.
Une heure avant Minha
Chiour Talmud et Hala’ha en Français
avec le Rav M. Pinto
15 minutes before Mincha
SHOO”T
SHaalos OO”Tshuvos - questions & answers
with Rabbi Levi
Chumash
Lunch & Learn at PromoTEX Productions
600-9100 S. Laurent
with Rabbi Naftali Perlstein
l’iluy nishmas R’ Yeshaya Aryeh ben Menashe a”h
8:15 - 9:00 am
Gemara with Rabbi Levi
Mosaic Express
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The Most Open Orthodoxy of Them All
By N. Daniel Korobkin
Senior rabbi, Beth Avraham Yoseph of
Toronto Congregation ("The BAYT")
NOVEMBER 11, 2015
M
y colleagues and friends in the
Orthodox rabbinate and beyond have
been debating the limits of Orthodox
Judaism, based on the recent RCA
resolution to ban female rabbis, and based
on Agudath Israel’s recent statement
defining the movement “Open Orthodoxy”
as not Orthodox.
Then, I attended the recent banquet of the
Kinnus Shluchim, a gathering of over 5,000
Chabad shluchim and their guests, to offer
chizuk and to celebrate the incredible work
that these shluchim are doing around the
world. The evening was filled with inspiring
recollections of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and
his unwavering mission of sending his
shluchim throughout the world as a way of
stemming the tide of assimilation and
bringing our Jewish brothers and sisters
back into the fold. The shluchim’s courage,
their effectiveness in the field, and their
untiring perseverance were all extolled over
the evening. The speakers and the music
were inspiring and emotionally uplifting.
Curiously, not one word was uttered about
the granting of semikhah to women. No
one talked about whether “Open
Orthodoxy” was Orthodox or not.
Surprisingly, the only focus of the evening
was the holy work that is being done by
Chabad-Lubavitch throughout the world in
bringing Jews closer to their heritage,
whether it be through youth organizations,
providing meals to weary travelers at
remote locations across the globe, or
chance meetings at a gas station to help
someone put on tefillin for the first time.
Now, I’m not a Lubavitcher. But sometimes,
I wish I was. Sometimes, when I read the
seemingly endless debates circulating
among my colleagues and friends about the
parameters of Orthodox Judaism, I wish
that I could snap my fingers and whisk us
all to a farbrengen.
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Mosaic Express
I don’t mean to trivialize the endeavors of
my colleagues. I know that there’s
something important about defining
ourselves. It’s about preserving halakhah,
our mesorah, and about defining which
faith dogma are necessary to count one as
part of the Torah community. Ultimately,
it’s about making sure that we preserve
Orthodoxy faithfully for the next
generation.
But maybe there’s a better way to do this.
Maybe we could learn from our
Lubavitcher brethren, who have never had
to struggle about whether or not women
can be rabbis, because the Chabad
rebbetzins are too busy doing vital work
in Mumbai, Nepal, and Nebraska. Maybe
they haven’t found a need to compose
resolutions that recapitulate the religious
principles of Lubavitch chassidus, because
those principles are as clear as day to
those shluchim who live and breathe
those dictates.
Maybe the key to Chabad’s success is that
they live their faith every day by touching
the lives of their fellow Jews. Maybe if we
“mainstream Orthodox” leaders focused
more on how we can stem the tide of
assimilation, how we can redouble our
efforts at making Orthodoxy attractive to
secular Jews, and about how we can
fulfill the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisrael,
maybe then all these discussions and
resolutions would seem a bit moot.
I’m just a regular pulpit rabbi out in the
field, and so perhaps I’m not as
ideologically driven as some of my other
colleagues. But this much I do know: I’ve
been banging my head for years to try and
make Orthodox Judaism more open,
accepting and non-judgmental, so that
non-Orthodox Jews who walk into my
shul or meet me for the first time would
not feel intimidated or fearful that they
might not be accepted. So forgive me if I
Some 5,200 Chabad rabbis and guests from
86 different countries attended.
Matthew Burke, a student at the University of
Southern California in Los Angeles, spoke
about being inspired by Chabad.
find that all these definitions of who’s “in”
and who’s “out” somewhat counterproductive to that mission.
To be sure, the Chabad community is not
perfect. It suffers from many of the same
social ills that can be found in other Orthodox
communities, be they modern, yeshivish or
chassidish. But because the Lubavitcher
Rebbe’s message was always about the
greatness within each and every Jew, and the
need for each of us to reach out to his or her
brother and sister and remind them of their
greatness, it seems to this outsider that this is
a more effective way of repairing the
breaches within Orthodoxy today.
That’s why I’ll be steering clear of the
discussions and debates. I’d rather dance like
a chassid, even if I can’t be one.■
Edit Your World
By Tzvi Freeman
Lots of fun
at MTC ’s second
Mini Chefs on
Mon Nov 9 A Taste
of Shabbat
Suppose we were handed a red pen and
an eraser and told we could rewrite
reality. If the storyline wouldn’t look so
nice, we could change that. Even if the
outcome is what we deserve and what
logically follows by our actions, it could
still be edited out.
We all have such a pen: Our confidence
in G‑d’s kindness. Trust in Him, believe
it will be good, and He will make it so.
Is it fair? Is it justified?
Yes. Because if you can trust so
strongly, you have already been
transformed.
TFS Young Leadership hosted a planning meeting for their annual
cocktail benefit being dubbed this year “Beats by Dreidel.” The soiree
will take place on December 10th at the MTC, for Jewish 20’s and 30’s.
Mosaic Express
5
Parsha Insights
From the book Daily Wisdom
Moshe Wisnefsky
Double Identity
Isaac and Rebecca had no children for the
first 20 years of their marriage. When
their prayers were finally answered and
Rebecca conceived, she suffered intense
pregnancy pain. G-d informed her that
she was pregnant with twins who would
be opposites – not only physically, but
morally, as well – and that each one’s
success in pursuing his path in life would
be at the expense of the other’s.
‫וּשׁנֵי ְל ֻאמִּים‬
ְ ‫וַיֹּאמֶר ה' לָהּ ְשׁנֵי גוֹיִם ְבּ ִב ְטנֵ ְך‬
:'‫ִמ ֵמּ ַעיְִך יִָפּרֵדוּ וּלְאֹם ִמלְאֹם יֶ ֱאמָץ וגו‬
‫)בראשית‬
(‫כג‬:‫כה‬
G-d told her, “Two nations are in your
womb; two powers will diverge from
within you. The upper hand will pass
from one power to the other.” Genesis
25:23
Metaphorically, Jacob and Esau represent
the two souls (and their opposing drives)
that exist within each of us. We each
possess an inner Jacob – i.e., our Divine
soul with its G‑dly drives, and also an
inner Esau – i.e., our animating soul with
its selfish drives. When our Divine soul
asserts itself, it weakens the materialistic
tendencies of the animating soul.
The Divine soul overcomes the animating
soul in the same way that light
overcomes darkness. Light does not have
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Mosaic Express
to actively exert itself to dispel darkness
– darkness simply ceases to exist in the
presence of light. Similarly, as soon as we
let the holiness and goodness of our
Divine souls shine by studying the Torah
and observing the commandments, the
selfishness of the animating soul
disappears.■
The Purpose of Wealth
When Rebecca gave birth, the first twin to
emerge was Esau, although Jacob was
actually conceived first. Already as young
boys, Esau was drawn toward sensual
thrills while Jacob was drawn toward
absorbing the wisdom and traditions
transmitted by Abraham and Isaac.
Understanding that he would be the more
faithful steward of the family’s ideals,
Jacob offered to trade the right of
leadership from Esau for a hot meal, to
which Esau readily agreed. After this,
when Canaan was plagued by famine,
Isaac relocated his family to Philistia,
where Rebecca was almost abducted by
the Philistine king. Isaac’s righteousness
was made evident to everyone when the
yield of his crop was miraculously out of
proportion to the amount he planted.
‫ה‬%ֵ‫ַשּׁנָה ַההִוא מ‬
ָ ‫רֶץ ַההִוא וַיִּ ְמצָא בּ‬%ָ‫וַיִּזְרַע יְִצחָק בּ‬
:'‫ְשׁ ָערִים וַיְָב ֲרכֵהוּ ה‬
(‫יב‬:‫)בראשית כו‬
Isaac sowed grain
in that region that
year. He reaped a
hundredfold, for G-d had blessed him.
Genesis 26:12
It is clear from a close reading of the
Torah’s narrative that the patriarchs were
astute businessmen. Nonetheless, it is
also clear that they engaged in material
pursuits solely with the objective of
fulfilling G‑d’s will. In this case, Isaac’s
true goal in sowing grain was to be able
to give charity to the poor, which the
Torah stipulates can only be performed
with one’s own produce. Like our
patriarchs, when our involvement in the
pursuit of a livelihood and wealth is
similarly motivated, we are blessed with
overwhelming success.■
SHOO”T OF THE
with Rabbi Levi New
Amen vs.
Ken Yehi Ratzon
SHABBOS AFTERNOONS
15 MINUTES BEFORE MINCHA
An inspiring story for your Shabbos table
HERE’S
my
STORY
Generously
sponsored
by the
‫ב“ה‬
‫ תשע״ו‬,‫ א׳ כסלו‬,‫ערב שבת פרשת תולדות‬
Erev Shabbos Parshas Toldos, November 13, 2015
FAR ABOVE
MEDICAL SCHOOL
MRS. SUSAN BLAUNER
turn of events. For whatever reason, I had to go through
that angst but, in the end, it was something very minor.
As time went by, Shmaryahu got stronger but he did not
get much bigger. He was very tiny and was not growing as
a child should. He was just very small compared to other
children his age.
When he was five, my pediatrician — a very well-known
doctor — said to me, “I’m going send you to the top
endocrinologist in California. People come to him from all
over the world. It’s very hard to get an appointment with
this man, but I’ve arranged one for you. He doesn’t take
any insurance. You have to pay up front — one thousand
dollars for the visit.”
In those days — this was the early 1980s — to pay a
doctor a thousand dollars for just a few minutes of his
time was almost unheard of, but we were so desperate
that we were willing to do anything.
I
would like to tell a very beautiful and very moving story
about my son, myself and the Rebbe.
When my son, Shmaryahu, was a baby, he was very
sickly. He was feverish all the time. If someone sneezed
three miles away, he would get a cold. He had almost no
immunity, and his health was of great concern to me.
At fourteen months, he ended up in the hospital — Cedars
Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles — and that was the first big
scare I had with him. At that time, he was tested for cystic
fibrosis, a horrible prospect for a mother to hear. The first
set of tests was pointing that way, and I was really in a
panic since cystic fibrosis can be hereditary and I was
seven months pregnant with my second son. I started to
get contractions just because of the stress.
We wrote to the Rebbe, asking for a blessing. And then
the doctors did some more tests which showed that they
had made a mistake. He did not have cystic fibrosis but
a milk allergy.
When I heard that I was so happy and so thankful at this
So we went to this endocrinologist, and he looked at
my son and he looked at some of the tests. He ordered
more blood-work and told us to come back a week later.
That’s when he said, “We need to give him human growth
hormone.”
He explained that Shmaryahu would have to get these
shots until he was twenty-one years old, which meant for
some sixteen years, as he was five at the time.
I didn’t like this news one bit, and I said “I have to talk to
my Rebbe about this. This is not something I’m going to
take on my shoulders alone.”
He didn’t care what I did. He just wanted his thousand
dollars. He said, “Well, call me when you decide.”
Of course, both my husband and I wanted to help our son
grow. We wanted him to reach his full potential, but there
was something about this growth hormone treatment
that bothered us. So we were not willing to go forward
without the Rebbe’s advice.
continued on reverse
An oral history project dedicated to documenting the life of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of
righteous memory. The story is one of thousands recorded in over 1200 videotaped interviews conducted to
date. These stories are based on the recollection of the individuals recounting them. Please share any
corrections, comments and suggestions. [email protected]
‫נפ‬‎
continued from reverse
I sat down and I penned a letter to the Rebbe, telling him
everything about the situation — who this doctor was,
what he recommended, and so forth. It was a very long
letter.
And that’s what we did. Every six months I would go to Dr.
Lavin and he would smile and he would take another x-ray,
and we would celebrate every little bit of Shmaryahu’s
bone growth on the chart..
We got an answer back almost immediately. The Rebbe
had taken my letter, crossed out the words “growth
hormone” with large X’s and wrote there in Hebrew,
“Absolutely not!”
And then one day, he called me into his office. He was
very serious and he asked me to sit down. He opened up a
medical journal and he said to me, “Do you remember that
the Rebbe had crossed out the words ‘growth hormone’
and told you ‘absolutely not’?”
It was clear that his opinion was not to do this, and it was
not just a “no,” it was “absolutely not.”
Furthermore, we received a message that the Rebbe
recommended we go to another specialist and that this
specialist would lead us in the right direction.
So I went back to my original pediatrician who had sent
me to the expensive endocrinologist, and I said to him:
“The Lubavitcher Rebbe says no.”
And he started screaming at me: “What do you mean?! Do
you know what I went through to get you an appointment
with this doctor? This man is the finest, the best, the most
wonderful, world renowned! People come from all over
the world to him! He is the one who can help you!”
I looked at him, and I said, “If my Rebbe says no, it’s no. I
want a referral to another endocrinologist.”
He got even more angry. “What does the Rebbe know?
Did he go to medical school?”
I smiled and said, “Well, the Rebbe is far above any
medical school.”
In the end, he calmed down some but I could see he was
disgusted with me and had written me off. But he did what
I asked, and that is, refer me to another endocrinologist —
Dr. Sheldon Lavin.
I went to this Dr. Lavin and was happy to see he was a
little Jewish guy with a very pleasant personality. I told
him the whole story, including what the Rebbe advised,
and he smiled at me and said, “It will be okay.”
He pointed out to me that I and my husband were small
— I am four-foot-ten and my husband is five-six — and
so we could not expect our son to be big. He also said,
“To tell you the truth, I’m not really sold on this growth
hormone. We haven’t had enough years of experience to
know what the end result of this treatment is going to
be. So I don’t recommend it at all. What I recommend is
that we x-ray your son’s wrist every six month and see
whether his bones are growing or not.”
Dedicated in loving memory of
Mr. Sam Cagen - ‫יהושע בן פנחס הכהן‬
Yahrzeit - 4 Kislev
By his children and grandchildren
You can help us record more testimonies
by dedicating future editions of Here’s My Story
I said, “Of course, I remember.”
“Well, then I want you to read this article.”
I read the article and tears came into my eyes because
the article reported that many of the children who had
had been given that growth hormone in the past year had
died.
This would not happen today, of course. Today, they have
a synthetic growth hormone, but back then, they were
making this hormone from cadavers, from dead people,
some of whom had died of communicable diseases.
Back then tests for these diseases did not exist. So these
children were infected, and they died.
But the Rebbe had saved my son’s life.
Today Shmaryahu is thirty-six years old. He is not a big
guy, but he is alive. All because of the Rebbe’s incredible
wisdom. And I shall never cease to be grateful for what he
did for my son and my family.
______________
Susan Blauner is the Director of Operations for the Saving
Lives Drug and Alcohol Coalition and the Executive Director of
Prevention Outreach for Evolve Treatment Centers. She was
interviewed at the Chabad of the Valley in Encino in 2011.
‫לע“נ ר‘ ישראל יעקב וזוגתו מרת קריינא ע“ה לאקשין‬
‫ע“י בניהם ר‘ נחמן ור‘ אברהם ומשפחתם שיחיו‬
This week in….
>5
721-1960, The Rebbe wrote to professor Dr. Isaac
Lewin of the need for historically accurate narratives
of the Holocaust telling the stories of observant
communities, which many other histories of the time
period ignore or downplay. 1 3 Kislev
1. Igros Kodesh vol. 20 p. 48
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LA SIDRA
TOLEDOT
SAMEDI, 14 NOVEMBRE 2015
2 KISLEV 5776
VIVREAVEC LA
PARACHA
R
av Its’hak de Cracovie désirait
construire une nouvelle synagogue
pour sa communauté mais il n’en avait pas
les ressources financières. Une nuit, il rêva
qu’un trésor était enfoui sous un pont de
Prague. Le lendemain, il se mit en route,
une pelle à la main, en direc$on de la
capitale tchèque.
Quand il a&eignit la ville, sa joie fut
extrême. Le pont lui apparaissait
exactement comme dans son rêve. Mais
quand il commença à creuser, il sen$t une
main ferme a&raper le bras.
Que fais-tu ? Tu n’as pas le droit de
creuser ici, lui lança un garde.
Rav Its’hak raconta toute l’histoire au
garde : son désir de construire une
synagogue, son rêve de trésor caché et son
voyage depuis la Pologne.
Stupide que tu es, se moqua le
garde. Depuis plusieurs nuits, je rêve d’un
trésor caché sous le poêle d’un juif appelé
Its’hak qui habite à Cracovie. Et tu crois
que je ferais tout le chemin jusqu’à
Cracovie pour trouver ce trésor ?
Rav Its’hak sourit et rentra chez lui. Il
creusa sous son poêle, trouva le trésor et
construisit sa synagogue.
Ce qu’il cherchait était enterré dans sa
propre maison…
Toledot
La Paracha de ce
e semaine commence
par les mots : «Voici les généraons
d’Its’hak», se référant à Yaakov et Essav
dont la naissance et les premières années
sont relatées dans la lecture de la Torah.
Le récit aborde un problème auquel bon
nombre d’entre nous doit faire face.
Its’hak était un homme d’une perfecon
absolue. Très tôt, il avait été prêt à donner
sa vie en sacrifice à D.ieu sur le Mont
Moriah. Et par la suite, bien qu’un bélier
eût été offert à sa place, il fut toujours
considéré comme saint, comme un
sacrifice vivant. C’est pour ce
e raison
que, contrairement aux autres Patriarches,
D.ieu ne le fit pas qui
er Israël. Il était
saint et devait donc vivre en Terre Sainte.
Quel est le secret de celui qui creuse des
puits ? Ne pas accepter ce qu’il voit à la
surface mais creuser profondément,
enlever toutes les impuretés pour
a
eindre «l’eau de la vie».
L’un de ses fils, Yaakov, imita sa voie de
sainteté. C’était un «résident des tentes»,
ayant choisi de fréquenter les maisons
d’étude de l’époque. Mais son autre fils,
Essav, était un chasseur, un homme de
violence et de passion.
C’est précisément pour ce
e raison ellemême. Quand on creuse, tout dépend
jusqu’où l’on va. Si l’on ne fait que
déblayer ce qui se trouve un peu plus loin
de la surface, il se peut que l’on découvre
des passions et des penchants qui ne sont
pas si plaisants.
Its’hak procédait ainsi, non seulement
avec les puits mais avec chacune des
expériences de sa vie. Il sondait jusqu’au
fond et parvenait à apprécier la
profondeur intérieure.
Si donc il agissait constamment ainsi,
pourquoi ne le faisait-il pas avec son fils ?
Et si Essav le trompait, pourquoi l’aimait-il
tant ?
Et malgré tout, Its’hak aimait Essav
Certains avancent qu’Essav savait le
tromper. En présence d’Its’hak, il
paraissait saint et à son insu, il faisait ce
qu’il voulait. Mais cela semble mésesmer
Its’hak. Et cela va même à l’encontre de
l’un des thèmes fondamentaux du travail
de sa vie.
Il creusait des puits.
Mais si l’on aime réellement la personne
en queson, l’on ne s’arrête pas là. On
creuse plus profondément encore jusqu’à
trouver la part essenelle de Divinité
qu’elle possède. Car l’âme de chacun est
une réelle pare de D.ieu. Chez certains,
elle brille de façon visible et chez d’autres,
elle est très cachée. Puisqu’Its’hak aimait
Essav, il ne se concentrait pas sur ses traits
de caractère moins louables mais sur le
(Connuer à la page 11)
Mosaic Express
9
LE RECIT DE LA SEMAINE
Du découragement à la confiance
M
on père était né en Ukraine mais, à
l’âge de vingt ans, en 1923, il
émigra pour éviter d’être enrôlé dans
l’armée soviéque. Il se rendit en
Roumanie et prit un bateau, persuadé
qu’il arriverait aux États-Unis mais, à
cause de la polique des quotas, il se
retrouva au Canada. Il y ouvrit un
commerce de confecon pour hommes
dans lequel il prospéra.
En 1941, le premier groupe d’émissaires
du Rabbi arriva au Canada, parmi lesquels
Rav Greenglass avec qui mon père se lia
d’amié. Ce fut Rav Greenglass qui le
persuada au début des années 50 d’aller
demander conseil auprès du Rabbi quand
il fut confronté à une grosse difficulté.
Mon père possédait une vieille bâsse à
Montréal : son magasin était situé au rezde-chaussée et il louait les étages à de
pets industriels. L’un d’entre eux décida
qu’il était plus lucraf de provoquer des
incendies
pour
toucher
les
dédommagements des assurances que de
vendre des marchandises. C’est ce qu’il fit
plusieurs fois jusqu’à ce que les
assurances décident : «Soit vous installez
un système de sécurité dans tout ce vieux
bâment soit vous le détruisez et en
construisez un nouveau. Mais tant que
vous n’aurez rien fait, votre assurance est
annulée !».
Bien sûr, mon père avait besoin d’une
assurance car toute sa marchandise était
hautement inflammable. Cependant,
installer un système de sécurité était très
onéreux. Il loua les services d’un
architecte mais ne voyait pas de soluon.
Il en devint très déprimé.
Courbé en deux par les soucis, il avait
perdu toute confiance en lui et avait
vraiment l’air d’une loque quand il nous
emmena, mon frère et moi, pour
demander conseil au Rabbi. Il était l’image
de la déchéance mentale. Il posa ses
mains sur le bureau du Rabbi comme pour
y trouver un appui.
Le Rabbi le regarda et lui ordonna
presque :
- Reb Nathan ! Tenez-vous droit !
Mon père enleva ses mains du bureau et
se redressa.
Il raconta au Rabbi combien il avait peur
de ne pas être couvert par une assurance.
Le Rabbi écouta puis demanda à voir le
plan du bâment que mon frère tenait
derrière son dos et posa des quesons
comme s’il était un architecte :
- Comment se fait-il que le plafond de la
cave soit si bas ?
Mon père répondit que le sol était en
pierres et qu’il était très onéreux de
creuser plus profondément.
- Les fondaons ne suffisent que pour
trois étages. Pourquoi ? connua le Rabbi.
- Parce que je n’ai pas assez d’argent pour
plus de trois étages, répondit mon père,
surpris. De plus, je n’ai jamais pensé à
construire plus que cela.
- Vous devriez augmenter la hauteur de
plafond de la cave, suggéra le Rabbi et
renforcer les fondaons pour ajouter
d’autres étages – même si vous ne
disposez pas des fonds nécessaires ! Plus
le «récipient» est grand, plus les
bénédicons du Tout Puissant seront
grandes !
Et, en souriant, le Rabbi conseilla à mon
père d’être heureux, de se considérer
comme un soldat partant au combat – qui
ignore le résultat mais qui a confiance
qu’il gagnera. Mon père devait rentrer à
Montréal, se rendre chez son banquier en
étant totalement assuré que D.ieu était de
son côté et que tout irait bien.
En quelques minutes, mon père avait
10
Mosaic Express
complètement changé : de soucieux et
même complètement découragé, il était
devenu sûr de lui ! Au point qu’à son
retour à Montréal, il entra très décidé et la
tête haute dans la banque et obnt un
prêt à un taux très avantageux. Il entama
les travaux. Le Rabbi lui avait redonné tant
de confiance en lui qu’il fut capable de
prendre des iniaves audacieuses –
comme demander ce prêt qu’il négocia au
taux de six pour cent alors qu’il s’élevait
normalement à douze pour cent. C’est
ainsi qu’il fut capable de financer le projet
de reconstrucon en développant
considérablement son entreprise.
Quelques temps plus tard, un de ses
fournisseurs lui proposa d’acquérir avec lui
un terrain dans une zone extérieure à la
ville. Soupçonneux, mon père hésitait mais
l’homme insistait. Finalement, mon père
demanda
conseil
au
Rabbi
qui
l’encouragea à accepter et même à vendre
sa maison pour cet invesssement. Mon
père accepta ce
e proposion audacieuse
mais, quand ma mère entendit cela, elle
refusa au début puis se laissa persuader et
accepta même que mon père emprunte de
l’argent auprès de ses enfants. Telle était
la confiance que mon père plaçait dans le
Rabbi.
Quand mon père et son associé acquirent
le terrain, c’était une zone fermière, les
impôts étaient très bas et rien ne s’y
passait. Mais rapidement, tout changea et
la valeur de ce terrain augmenta
considérablement : durant vingt ans, mon
père et son associé vendirent les parcelles
une à une : ce qu’ils avaient acheté pour
cinq cenmes en valait alors cent fois plus
et les profits furent considérables. Grâce à
cet invesssement, mes parents purent
acheter une maison en Israël où ils
s’installèrent en 1978 et vécurent heureux
– grâce au Rabbi.■
M. Elimelech Leiman – JEM
Traduit par Feiga Lubecki
(Connuer de la page 9)
bien qui était enfoui en lui.
Cela nous permet également de
comprendre pourquoi il voulait lui
accorder ses bénédicons. Il s’évertuait
constamment à le mover pour qu’il
parvienne à exprimer son potenel
spirituel. Il ressentait qu’en déversant sur
lui tant d’énergie posive, il parviendrait à
réveiller le bien enfoui en lui pour qu’il
domine sa personnalité.
Mais dans les faits, les bénédicons furent
données à Yaakov. Car le travail qui
consistait à révéler le bien en Essav ne
pouvait s’accomplir en un laps de temps
limité.
Il s’agit en fait du but de nos efforts dans
l’histoire spirituelle du monde, y compris
dans cet exil final auquel l’on se réfère
comme à «l’exil d’Edom», autre nom
d’Essav. Nous travaillons à révéler ce
e
énergie spirituelle, ces «éncelles»
inveses dans l’expérience mondaine
associée à Essav.
L’aboussement ulme de ces efforts se
produira à l’Ere de la Rédempon quand
«les libérateurs monteront sur le Mont
Sion pour juger la montagne d’Essav et la
souveraineté sera celle de D.ieu ». Alors, la
puissance des énergies spirituelles que
possède Essav fera surface et s’exprimera
de façon appropriée.
Les perspecves
Le nom d’Its’hak est associé à la joie, car
comme le relate la Torah, il reçut ce nom
car «D.ieu m’a fait rire». Comme nous
l’avons menonné, le service divin d’Its’hak
impliquait de pénétrer profondément
dans les entés naturelles et faire jaillir à
la surface leur quintessence divine. Et
ce
e transformaon de l’obscurité en
lumière fait naître les plus grands plaisirs,
les plus grandes sasfacons, la plus
grande joie.
Le youd, la première le
re du nom
hébraïque d’Its’hak, indique le temps
futur. Car ce n’est qu’au Futur ulme que
le bonheur se manifestera dans son sens
plein. Au présent, bien que nous soyons
conscients du fait que notre service divin
raffine le domaine matériel, les fruits de
ces efforts ne sont pas visibles. Dans le
Futur, «la gloire de D.ieu se révélera et
toute chair verra». Les effets bienfaiteurs
des milliers d’efforts que l’humanité a
consacrés au raffinement de l’existence
(Connuer a la page 12)
Soirée de discussion
sur le chalom bayit
avec le Rabbin et la
Rabbanit Sperlin.
LE COIN DE LA
HALACHA
Quels sont les livres essenels dans une
maison juive ?
Il est écrit dans la Guemara (Avoda
Zara 17 : 2) : « S’il y a un livre, il n’y a pas
d’épée ». Il devrait se trouver dans
chaque maison les livres de base du
judaïsme et, en parculier :
- Un ‘Houmach (les Cinq Livres de Moïse)
- Un Tehilim (Psaumes du roi David)
- Un Sidour (livre de prières)
- Un Tanya (de Rabbi Chnéour Zalman).
Par ailleurs, chacun devrait posséder (et
étudier dans) des livres de Hala’ha, afin de
savoir parfaitement comment agir dans le
cadre de la loi juive.
Il est souhaitable que la maison soit même
remplie de livres saints au point que tous
les objets contenus dans la maison soient
imprégnés du sens de ces livres et que la
maison devienne un point de ralliement
pour les érudits en Torah.
Il convient aussi d’équiper tous les
bâments communautaires de livres de
Torah, de livres en bon état, avec une
couverture solide qu’on posera dans des
armoires spécialement réservées à cet
usage. On en secouera régulièrement la
poussière et on les traitera avec respect.
On veillera en parculier à ne pas risquer
de renverser de liquides ou d’aliments sur
les livres.
Chaque enfant juif mérite de posséder
personnellement les livres de base du
judaïsme : Houmach, Tehilim, Tanya,
Sidour, Haggada illustrée et Ma’hzor pour
les jours de fête…■
(d’après Hamitsvaïm Kehil’hatam
Rav Shmuel Bistritzky)
Mosaic Express
11
HORAIRE
DE LA SEMAINE
Chabbat
Talmoud et Hala’ha .……..….15H10
Seu'da Chelichit………...…...…16H25
Lundi ………………..…..……..….....20H15
Chalom Bayit - pour femmes
Mercredi ………………...............20H15
Vivre la Paracha - pour hommes
ETINCELLES DE
MACHIAH
Une queson en «Barbaria»
Machia’h est déjà prêt à venir. Son retard
n’est dû qu’à un sujet parculier qu’il doit
terminer avec quelqu’un en «Barbaria».
C’est ce qu’enseigne nos Sages (Chir Ha‐
chirim Rabba 2:10) : «L’un de vous est
exilé en Barbaria etc.»
Chacun doit réfléchir : peut-être est-il
celui-là ?■
(D’après Sefer Hasi’hot Torat Chalom
p. 15)
(Connuer de la page 11)
matérielle seront apparents.
Its’hak, par les efforts qu’il a invess dans
le monde matériel, pour pénétrer son
essence et révéler «les eaux de la vie» sert
d’exemple pour ce mode de service divin.
C’est la raison pour laquelle nos Sages
relatent que dans le Futur ulme, notre
Peuple donnera la préséance à Its’hak lui
déclarant : «Tu es notre ancêtre».
Malgré le fait que le service divin
n’a
eindra son expression enère que
dans le futur, nous avons la possibilité
d’avoir un avant-goût de l’Ere future, dès à
présent : il suffit de regarder chaque
enté comme elle existe réellement, au-
12
Mosaic Express
EDITORIAL
Au lever du jour
S’il existe un élément de la créaon
auquel le judaïsme se réfère avec
constance, c’est bien la lumière.
Métaphore pour la présence de D.ieu
dans l’univers, pour la sagesse qui
émane de chacun, pour la victoire du
bien sur le mal, le concept est d’une
telle richesse qu’on ne saurait
l’épuiser. Ce
e préoccupaon de la
lumière est bien ule et significave,
d’une part en ce
e saison automnale
où les couleurs de l’été s’effacent peu
à peu mais surtout en ces temps
difficiles où ce sont les couleurs de
l’espoir qui semblent avoir du mal à
s’imposer. De fait, le peuple juif s’est
toujours défini comme une sorte de
«porteur de lumière». L’époque peut
être paisible ou violente ; elle peut
être sereine ou agitée, consciente de
valeurs éternelles ou ayant fait le choix
de l’oubli ; elle peut être lumineuse ou
bien sombre, le peuple juif reste fidèle
à sa mission. Pour lui-même et pour
toutes les naons du monde, il entend
diffuser ce
e chose si suble et si belle
mais aussi tellement nécessaire : la
clarté du soleil du cœur, de l’esprit et
de l’âme. Certes, parfois il n’est pas
compris, il poursuit cependant son
œuvre.
Justement, nous entrons à présent
dans ce mois si parculier, qui nous
renvoie à ce
e noon : le mois de
Kislev, celui de ‘Hanoucca. Et la vision –
même encore virtuelle – des flammes
qui brillent au sommet du chandelier
dessus des fluctuaons du temps, dans
son véritable statut de perfecon. Ce
e
percepon nous offre un éclairage qui
nous guide, nous inspire et nous dirige
dans notre tâche de raffinement et
précipite l’avènement de l’Ere où la réalité
spirituelle se manifestera véritablement
dans notre monde matériel avec la venue
de Machia’h.■
de la fête et transpercent la nuit de
leurs mille rayons en est la parfaite
représentaon. L’histoire juive est
pleine de ces épisodes où, peu à peu,
c’est une véritable nuit morale et
spirituelle qui paraît s’installer
durablement sur le monde. Dans de
telles périodes, la condion de
«porteur de lumière» peut devenir,
d’une
certaine
manière,
inconfortable. Ne sommes-nous pas
alors à contre-courant de la pensée
commune ? Mais le peuple juif sait
voir au-delà de ces changements
éphémères. Il sait voir que,
profondément, tout conduit à un
aboussement – appelons-le « lever
du jour ».
Et cet aboussement-là est fait de
nos acons de chaque jour. Vivre au
quodien en prenant la pleine
conscience et la pleine mesure du
combat – bien pacifique – que nous
menons. Celui-ci a commencé il y a
bien longtemps et il se poursuit de
nos jours contre toutes les forces de
la nuit, parfois des barbares qui ne
reculent devant aucune cruauté,
aucune laideur. L’entreprise peut
paraître gigantesque mais sachons-le
bien : la lumière a pour nature de
vaincre l’obscurité. Et ce
e dernière
peut lâcher ses dernières forces dans
la lu
e, elle ne peut jamais vaincre.
Décidément, voici Kislev, un autre
man se lève.■