LASTING CHANGE

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well. Please keep Rivka bas Sara Zlata (Renee) in our prayers as she is going through intense treatments. Refuah shleimah!

Mazal Tov to Hirshy on his upcoming birthday. Wishing you much continued success Hirshy in both the material and spiritual, with much happiness

And in the same Family, Mazal Tov to Sophia 2 days later. Wishing you a wonderful year with much growth Sophia!

Mazal Tov to Chava who passed her exams towards a BSc, did well in Sem, and also ran the administration of our office from NY! Well done and thank you!

Mazal Tov Esther Miriam on graduating to Senior School. Michayil el Chayil!

I am sure many others in the Family have also passed exams and courses etc, and we wish all Mazal Tov!

BH I learnt a very interesting Sicha from the Rebbe this week (from Parsha Pinchas 1961) with an interesting practical lesson:

We are now in the 3 weeks of mourning over the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash

The Haftoras that we read over the next 3 weeks are in line with this mourning and are called the 3 Haftoras of Retribution.

These are followed by 7 Haftoras of Consolation over the subsequent 7 weeks.

But it is known that the Haftorah of each week follows the theme of the Sedra of the week.

So how does our current Sedra of Pinchas also fit in to this week's theme, because every aspect of Torah is extremely precise?

To try and summarise:

• This weeks Haftorah is from Yirmiyahu, and both Pinchas and Yirmiyahu came from families of converts. The Jewish People belittled both of them, and in both cases Torah clarifies their lineage
• The beginning of the Haftarah describes how Yirmiyahu became a prophet "The word of G-d came to me saying, 'When I had to yet form you from the womb, I knew you.I made you a prophet unto the Nations.' When Yirmiyahu protested, 'I do not know how to speak, for I am but a youth', G-d answered him, 'Say not I am a youth ....behold I have appointed you. to uproot and to crush..to build and to plant." There is a similarity of nature between the Service of Pinchas.
• Both Yirmiyahu and Pinchas aroused the Jewish People to Teshuvah, Yirmiyahu through rebuke, and Pinchas through the killing of Zimri - this act motivated the Jewish people as a whole (as the verse says about Pinchas 'among them')
• The Rebbe then analyses the different natures of different prophets and how the results of their actions varies. Yirmiyahu is concerned with destruction and exile. Yeshayahu is concerned with consolation and redemption, and motivating teshuvah through words of consolation. Pinchas was similar to Yirmiyahu
• The reward for Pinchas was huge - Hashem granted him 'My covenant of peace' and promised that 'It will be an eternal covenant of Priesthood for him and his descendants after him.'!! Because 'he acted zealously for My sake among them' and 'turned my anger away from the Children of Israel.'
• But Mosheh Rabeinu also did this many times. And so why did he not get this eternal reward that Pinchas got?!
• Basically Mosheh and Pinchas had differing Divine Service. Mosheh was motivated by prayer and by revelation of Divine light from above downward. And receiving Torah and bringing it down and teaching it. This involved his soul, and this light is not accessible to everyone. Pinchas was totally different. He motivated Jews through his action, spurring them to break through darkness and elevate themselves ie a Service from below going upwards. This involved his body. And the eternal award received by Pinchas reflects the powerful nature of this type of service of working down here below with ones body and other people. As the verse about him uses the expression 'among them'. This has the potential to reach everyone.
• More specifically for ourselves it involves refining our own bodies and animal souls and our portion in the world. It seems a daunting task with difficulties and challenges. And our soul comes down from a very high place down to this world and we may be frightened and say 'we can't do it'...'and we are too young..' (in the same way that both Pinchas and Yirmiyahu had their challenges and had to answer to Hashem)
• Similarly we are not only here to perfect ourselves and confine ourselves to our own personal world. We need to involve ourselves with other people outside our realm of holiness. And as Hashem said to Yirmiyahu, urging him to do this work 'Do not fear because I am with you'

Wishing all a Gut Shabbos!