ב ס ״ ד Three Challenges position of the while to yet a third, the trapped Israelites appeared inclination makes it appear Weekly The Parshah tells us hopeless before the superior that there are hindrances to how Moses selected twelve forces of the Egyptians. prevent even the approach to May 30 - June 5, 2021 emissaries and sent them on a However, Caleb reminded the object of his life’s mission. 19-25 Sivan, 5781 mission to ascertain the them, Moses “split for us the Our response to the evil Torah Reading: strength and weaknesses of Red Sea,” and no war ensued; inclination is clearly indicated : Numbers 13:1 - 15:41 the Canaanites, preparatory to G-d Himself fought on their by Caleb’s reply. Though the Haftarah: fulfilling G-d’s command to Joshua 2:1-24 behalf. He could do likewise environment is strongly conquer Canaan. Caleb and J with the mighty inhabitants materialistic, though we are PARSHAT SHLACH oshua were true to their of Canaan. not perfect and have sinned, We have Jewish mission, but the other ten Quails: As to the though there are extraneous brought back distorted reports Calendars. If you “Amalek claim” of the Jews’ distractions and hindrances, in an attempt to discourage would like one, unworthiness, Caleb the Almighty nevertheless the Jews from proceeding to please send us a reminded them that even gives us—individually and the Holy Land. They raised letter and we will when they capriciously asked collectively—the strength to send you one, or three basic objections to the Moses for meat, and were break all barriers, overcome attempt to conquer the land.

Calendars ask the simply looking for trouble, all obstacles and fulfill our /Chaplain to The first was a general G-d nonetheless miraculously life’s mission. Based on a talk objection: the overwhelming contact us. supplied them with the quails. of the Rebbe, Parshat

strength of the Canaanites. Now, too, G-d would show Shelach 5727 (1967). By Do you have family Though G-d had shown them them miracles despite their Rabbi Yitschak Meir Kagan on the outside miracles in the past, would unworthiness. struggling? divine aid be powerful enough Mission Possible A story: Please contact or Manna: The Israelites’ Rabbi Hirsh Altein suffered to overcome these mighty journey through the desert have them contact nations? tremendous back pains, and our office to learn was only in preparation for, Second: was Israel worthy of after unsuccessfully trying more about our and incidental to, their entry miracles? The spies pointed many medications and family programs. into the Holy Land. Yet the out the presence of the treatments all the specialists You and they are Almighty performed for them he visited advised him that Amalekites, who had the daily miracle of the

Family Programs not alone, we are previously attacked Israel surgery was the only way to here to help. manna, refuting the spies’ when the Jews demonstrated rid himself of the problem. claim that G-d might not show an unworthy lack of faith. When the Rebbe was asked miracles on the approach to for advice, he implied that We offer free Grape Third: though G-d might Canaan. Juice and Matzoh surgery was unnecessary; show miracles at the conquest Every one of us is an emissary for you to be able to there must be a cream on the of the Holy Land itself, would of G-d to transform his make the blessings market which could solve the He do so in environment into a “holy every Shabbos. problem! But the doctors the preparatory stages to the land.” We, too, face Please have your continued to insist that they conquest, at the approaches to discouraging “reports” from chaplain / Rabbi know of no alternative to the land where the Hittites, our own evil inclination. In contact us to enroll surgery. Jebusites, etc. lay in wait? some, it induces the fear that (available to all As a last resort, Rabbi Altein Hearing the remarks of the ten one’s environment is Grape Juice & Matzah prisons). visited Dr. Avrohom Seligson

spies, the Jews began to particularly materialistic, (the Rebbe's personal doctor, Hyman & Martha Rogal Center seethe with more so than anywhere else; and a devoted chassid). Dr. 5804 Beacon Street rebelliousness. Caleb then one’s surroundings are Seligson, who was not a back Pittsburgh, PA 15217 reminded them that G-d had therefore uniquely inimical to specialist, checked Rabbi 412-421-0111 (a) split the Red Sea, (b) the spread of Torah (“the Fax: 412-521-5948 Altein and prescribed an brought down for them the inhabitants of the land are ointment for his back. Sure www.alephne.org quails and (c) given them mighty”). [email protected] enough, until his passing the manna. In these few In others, the evil inclination more than twenty years later, simple words there lay evokes a feeling of Rabbi Altein never had a profound answers to all three unworthiness to pursue so recurrence of his back pains. discouraging claims! sacred a mission Red Sea: At the Red Sea, the (“mentioning Amalek”); IN JEWISH HISTORY

Sunday, May 30, 2021 --- 19 Sivan, 5781 When Dr. Seligson was asked how he knew to prescribe the Passing of R. Yehuda ibn Attar (1733) particular cream, when all the specialists thought that R. Yehuda ibn Attar (1655–1733), who served as rabbi in Fez, is regarded as one of the greatest leaders among Moroccan Jewry. A saintly and pious man, he was surgery was the only option, he responded: "The results of known as a miracle worker and was revered by the local Jews and Muslims alike. the check-up indicated that he needed surgery—but the He refused to accept a salary from the community, working as a goldsmith Rebbe said that this wasn't the case. I realized that the instead. Rebbe merely wanted a 'vessel' through which a miracle It is related that he was once thrown into a lion’s den and miraculously survived could be manifest, so I prescribed the simplest and unharmed (Shem Hagedolim). This protagonist of this story is often said to be— apparently in error—R. Yehuda’s kinsman, R. Chaim ibn Attar cheapest cream available on the market!" The spies' reconnaissance mission to Canaan was intended to gather Wednesday, June 2, 2021 --- 22 Sivan, 5781 intelligence information about the enemy. They were told Miriam Quarantined (1312 BCE) to scout the lay of the land, as well as its natural and man- Miriam, the elder sister of Moses and Aaron, was afflicted with tzaraat (leprosy) after speaking negatively of Moses, and was quarantined outside of the camp for made fortifications. They were to report on the enemy's seven days--as related in Numbers 12 strengths and weaknesses, and the natural resources they could rely on during times of battle. This information Thursday, June 3, 2021 --- 23 Sivan, 5781 would be used by the Israelite military brass to formulate Haman's Decree Counteracted (357 BCE) an appropriate combat strategy for the impending battle to Even after Haman was hanged on the 17th of Nissan of 357 BCE, his evil decree "to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, from young to old, infants and conquer the Holy Land. The spies – all of whom were women, in one day, the 13th day of the 12th month (Adar)" remained in force. upright and pious people with unquestionable integrity – Queen Esther pleaded with King Achashverosh to annul the decree, but faithfully went about their task, but what they saw made Achashverosh insisted that "a writ that has been written in the king's name, and their stomachs churn: the Canaanites were a powerful sealed with the king's seal, cannot be returned." Instead, he suggested to Esther and Mordechai to "inscribe, regarding the Jews, as you please, and seal it with the nation, gargantuan people with awesome strength. No king's seal." On the 23rd of Sivan, Mordechai drafted a royal decree giving the fewer than 31 kings had royal palaces defended by military Jews the license to defend themselves and kill all who rise up against them to kill contingents on the Canaan mainland. There was no way, them, and dispatched it to all 127 provinces of Achashverosh's empire. (Book of the spies concluded, for the Israelites to achieve a natural Esther, chapter 8) victory against the formidable Canaanite foe. "We are Passing of R. Yaakov Pollack (1525) R. Yaakov Pollack served as rabbi first in Prague and then in Cracow. In Cracow unable to go up against the people, for they are stronger he established a large that attracted thousands of students. R. Yaakov than we," they declared! Yet this honest conclusion had devised a new method of Talmudic study known as pilpul, with the goal of disastrous results. G-d was highly displeased with their stimulating the intellectual abilities of his students. Although many scholars of report and the reaction it engendered, and it caused the subsequent generations opposed this method, R. Yaakov succeeded in bringing about a renewal of Talmudic study in Poland, which became a major Torah center premature demise of the entire generation which left Egypt. for the next four centuries. Where did the spies go wrong? Can you tell someone to Jeroboam Barricades (797 BCE) bring back a report and then punish him because the report After King Solomon's passing in 797 BCE, ten of the twelve tribes of Israel, led isn't to your liking? Isn't that an example of shooting the by Jeroboam ben Nebat of the tribe of Ephraim, rebelled against Solomon's son messenger because you don't care for the message? The and heir, Rehoboam. The Holy Land split into two kingdoms: the "Kingdom of Israel" in the north, with Jeroboam as its king and the city of Samaria as its Rebbe explains that the spies erred in assuming that they capital; and the southern "Kingdom of Judah" with its capital Jerusalem, where had to reach a conclusion. They were told to go to Canaan Rehoboam ruled over the two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) that remained loyal to and bring back dry facts: the nature of the land and its the royal house of David. The spiritual center of the land, however, remained population etc. They were not asked to render a decision Jerusalem, where the Holy Temple built by Solomon stood, and where every Jew was obligated to make a thrice-yearly pilgrimage for the festivals of Passover, regarding the feasibility of conquering the land. G-d had Shavuot and Sukkot. Seeing this as a threat to his sovereignty, Jeroboam set up, promised the Jews a military victory against the on Sivan 23 of that year, roadblocks to prevent the people's pilgrimage to Canaanites, and therefore that was not a debatable issue. Jerusalem, introducing instead the worship of two idols, in the form of gold The question wasn't if it could be done, but rather how it calves, which he enshrined on the northern and southern boundaries of his realm. would be done. The same is true with our personal lives. The barricades remained in place for 223 years, until Hoshea ben Elah, the last king of the Northern Kingdom, had them removed on the 15th of Av of 574 BCE. We all are "sent on a mission" to this world, to illuminate By then, the ten tribes residing there were already being expelled from the land in our surroundings with the radiance of Torah and mitzvot. a series of invasions by various Assyrian and Babylonian kings. The last of these Often the opposition seems to be too formidable; the occurred in 556 BCE, when Shalmaneser of Assyria completely conquered the obstacles to implementing G-d's appear to be Kingdom of Israel, destroyed its capital, exiled the last of the Israelites residing there, and resettled the land with foreign peoples from Kutha and Babylon. These insurmountable. When these thoughts enter our minds we peoples -- later known as the "Samaritans" -- assumed a form of as their must remember that if G-d charged us with the mission it religion, but were never accepted as such by the Jewish people; they subsequently certainly can be carried out. Our job is only to figure out built their own temple on Mount Gerizim and became bitter enemies of the Jews. how to do it. The "Ten Lost Tribes of Israel" were never heard from again, and await the coming of the Moshiach to be reunited with the Jewish people. By Rabbi Naftali Silberberg Shabbat, June 5, 2021 --- 25 Sivan, 5781 Three of the "Ten Martyrs" Killed (2nd century CE) Among the millions of Jews cruelly killed by the Romans were the "Ten Martyrs"--all great sages and leaders of Israel--memorialized in a special prayer recited on Yom Kippur. Three of them--Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha and Rabbi Chanina S'gan Hakohanim--were killed on Sivan 25.