ב ס ״ ד Hear the Oneness To our children, not once but twice although it seems that the each and every day—once in animal soul and the G-dly soul experience life on this earth is the morning and once at night. do not share a common goal, Weekly to experience opposite the truth, however, is that at the extremes. There are moments When we recite the words of July 18-24, 2021 the Shema prayer, we are core they are one. They were 9-15 Av, 5781 of creativity, love, joy and meaning—and then moments telling ourselves and our both created for the same purpose, and both are necessary Torah Reading: of frustration, pain, sadness and children that both the Va'etchanan: Deuteronomy 3:23 - in order for us to reach the confusion. As expressed so “morning,” the moments of life 7:11 purpose of our creation. The Haftarah: Isaiah 40:1-26 poetically by in which we feel the blessings passion of the animal soul must King Solomon in Ecclesiastes: of G-d shining upon us, as well be transformed to the love of PARSHAT “There is a time to give birth as the “night,” the moments of VA’ETCHANAN G-d, not by suppressing the and a time to die; a time to plant darkness and challenge, are passion but by channeling it. At We have Jewish and a time to uproot . . . a time expressions of the one G-d. to weep and a time to laugh; a (See Likkutei Sichot, vol. its core, the animal soul wants Calendars. If you what is good for itself, and once would like one, time of wailing and a time of 14, Vaetchanan, sichah 2.) The Kabbalistic meaning of the we teach it to develop a taste please send us a dancing . . . a time to love and a phrase “the L-rd (Hashem) is and an appreciation for letter and we will time to hate; a time for war and our G-d (Elokeinu)” is that the spirituality, the passion and send you one, or a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:2-8.) Divine power of expression and might of the animal soul will be Calendars ask the revelation (Hashem), as well as reoriented. Then our love for all Likewise, when we look into /Chaplain to his power to conceal and hide that is positive, constructive our hearts, we also find contact us. his presence (Elokim), are, in and holy will be far greater than opposing drives: the selfish and truth, one and the same. The the love that the G-dly soul Do you have family the selfless, the animalistic and difference between revelation could produce on its own. This, the G-dly, the inclination for on the outside and concealment, between then, is 's unique evil and the inclination for struggling? good and evil, between day and perspective: G-d is the one truth good. These extremes are a Please contact or night, is only from our that pervades all existence and source of tension that, to one have them contact perspective. The truth, we, in turn, must create that degree or another, each of us our office to learn however, is that both are oneness within our hearts, experiences. more about our expressions of G-dliness. There channeling the animal soul’s family programs. What advice does Judaism are times when G-d’s love, immense passion toward the You and they are offer on how to manage these providence and protection is love of G-d. (See Likkutei tensions? What insight does Torah, Vaetchanan, 7:4.) By Family Programs not alone, we are concealed, yet the central pillar here to help. the Torah provide to help us of our faith is that G-d’s Rabbi Menachem Feldman

make it through the times of presence, although it may be The Cry That Went

darkness and confusion? In this hidden, exists and pervades all We offer free Grape Unheeded There are times week’s portion, Moses speaks of reality. Juice and Matzoh the phrase which, perhaps more when your love for another is so The same is true for the for you to be able to than any other, captures strong that it supersedes even opposing drives within our own make the blessings Judaism's heart and soul, as your greatest dreams. heart. Immediately after every Shabbos. well as relays its message on declaring that the core of all This Please have your how to navigate the stormy sea reality is oneness, Moses week’s Torah portion, Va’etch chaplain / Rabbi we call life. continues in the Shema: “And anan, means “I contact us to enroll Moses tells us that despite the you shall love the L-rd, your beseeched.” Moses beseeches (available to all tension we feel every day, G-d, with all your G-d for what he wished would Grape Juice & Matzah prisons). despite the world being divided heart.” Rashi, quoting be the climax of his life’s

and fractured, the true essence the Midrash and the Mishnah, mission—entering the Holy Hyman & Martha Rogal Center of our existence is oneness. As explains that “with all your Land of Israel. 5804 Beacon Street Moses states: Moses says: “I Pittsburgh, PA 15217 heart” means “love Him with 412-421-0111 Hear, O Israel: The L-rd is your two inclinations [the good beseeched G-d at the time Fax: 412-521-5948 our G-d; the L-rd is one. and the evil].” What is true for saying … pray let me cross over www.alephne.org (Deuteronomy 6:4.) the macrocosm is also true for and see the good land … [email protected] This message is so radical, so the microcosm within the heart ” (Deuteronomy 3:23-25) counterintuitive, so life of man. Although we feel the Prayer is called by 10 names: changing that we are evil inclination and the good cry, howl, groan, song, commanded to recite these inclination pulling us in encounter, stricture, words, as well as teach them to completely different directions, prostration, judgment and

IN JEWISH HISTORY

Sunday, July 18, 2021 --- 9 Av, 5781 beseeching—the last of which is the name of Exodus Generation Condemned to Die in Desert (1312 BCE) On the Ninth of Av of the year 2449 from creation (1312 BCE), the generation of Jews who came out prayer learned from Moses in this verse, of Egypt under Moses' leadership 16 months earlier were condemned to die in the desert and the entry va’etchanan. into the Land of Israel was delayed for 40 years. The Hebrew word va’etchanan is numerically Holy Temples Destroyed (423 BCE and 69 CE) Both the first and second Holy Temples which stood in Jerusalem were destroyed on Av 9: the First equivalent to 515, which was the number of Temple by the Babylonians in the year 3338 from creation (423 BCE), and the second by the Romans times that Moses prayed to be allowed to enter in 3829 (69 CE). The Temples' destruction represents the greatest tragedy in Jewish history, for it the Land of Israel. marks our descent into Galut--the state of physical exile and spiritual displacement in which we still find ourselves today. Thus the Destruction is mourned as a tragedy that affects our lives today, 2,000 The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni) relates that when years later, no less than the very generation that experienced it first hand. Moses saw that the decree against him entering Yet the Ninth of Av is also a day of hope. The Talmud relates that Moshiach ("anointed one"--the the Land had been sealed, he drew a circle and Messiah), was born at the very moment that the Temple was set aflame and the Galut began. [This is in sat inside it, and said: “I am not moving from keeping with the teachings of our sages that, "In every generation is born a descendent of Judah who is here until You nullify the decree.” worthy to become Israel's Moshiach" (Bartinoro on Ruth); "When the time will come, G-d will reveal Himself to him and send him, and then the spirit of Moshiach, which is hidden and secreted on high, He wrapped himself in sackcloth and covered will be manifested in him" (Chattam Sofer).] himself with ashes, and stood in prayer before Passing of R. Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz, the “Seer” of (1815) G-d until the heaven and the earth and the very R. Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz (1745–1815), known as the “Seer of Lublin,” was the successor to R. Elimelech of Lizhensk (1717–1787), and a major personality in the spread of the chassidic movement laws of creation began to tremble. throughout . Many of the great Chassidic masters of the time were his disciples. Many of his What did G-d do at that moment? He announced insights were published posthumously in Divrei Emmet, Zichron Zot, and Zot Zichron. at every gate of every heaven that Moses’s Monday, July 19, 2021 ---10 Av, 5781 prayer should not be admitted, for the voice of Holy Temple Burns (69) Moses’s prayer was like a sword that slices and The Romans set the Temple aflame on the afternoon of Av 9 and it continued to burn through Av 10. rips and which nothing can stop. For these reasons, some of the mourning practices of the "Nine Days" are observed through the morning hours of Av 10. Moses said to G-d: “If You will not allow me to Birth of Isaachar (1565/1564 BCE) enter the land, allow me to enter as a beast of the Issachar, the son of Jacob and Leah, ninth of the Twelve Tribes, was born on 10 Menachem Av in field that grazes on the grass … let my soul be as Haran. He lived to the age of 122. The tribe of Issachar was well-known for their Torah scholarship, one of those!” producing many members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court.

G-d said: “Enough!” Tuesday, July 20, 2021 --- 11 Av, 5781 Passing of R. Hillel of Paritch (1864) Moses continued beseeching: “If You will not R. Hillel of Paritch was one of the outstanding followers of the second and third of allow me to enter the Land, allow me to enter as Lubavitch, R. DovBer and R. Menachem Mendel . He was an exceptional scholar and a bird that flies in the air … let my soul be as one served as rabbi of Paritch and then of Babroisk. Additionally, he would make a yearly visit on behalf of those!” of the to the Jewish colonies in the Kherson region, teaching them Chassidut and inspiring their residents to increase in their observance of the mitzvot. G-d answered: “Enough!” R. Hillel was known for his scrupulous adherence to every detail of Jewish law. He authored Pelach Moses then recited the Thirteen Attributes of Harimon, a collection of sermons on chassidic philosophy, and composed a number of heartfelt tunes sung often at farbrengens until today. Mercy. G-d was appeased, but nevertheless refused his request, saying, “I cannot listen to Wednesday, July 21, 2021 --- 12 Av, 5781 you for I took two oaths—either you die here in 770 Acquired (1940) the desert, or I destroy the Jewish people. Do you On this date in 1940, the building at 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York was purchased by Agudas Chassidei (the Chabad-Lubavitch community) to house wish to live at the expense of your people’s the living quarters, study and office, Yeshivah, and synagogue of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, annihilation?” Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880-1950), who had arrived in New York (following his rescue Moses represented the quality of truth, which is from Nazi-occupied Warsaw) five months earlier. It also served as the headquarters of his son-in-law and successor, the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, and continues to be the center of Chabad- steadfast and unchanging. Had Moses entered Lubavitch's global network of institutions of Jewish education and outreach. the Land of Israel, he would have built a Temple that would have had such great Friday, July 23, 2021 --- 14 Av, 5781 sanctity that it could never have been destroyed. R. Schneur Zalman Settles in (1801) Had the Jews subsequently sinned, the nation— The first Rebbe of Chabad, R. Schneur Zalman (known as the Alter Rebbe), served as preacher in the town of Liozna (in present-day Belarus) from 1783 until 1801. In that year, R. Schneur Zalman instead of the Temple—would have been was imprisoned for a second time in Petersburg, due to trumped-up charges presented by his opponents destroyed. to the government. After his release, he relocated to Liadi (also in Belarus), where he continued When Moses heard this, he proclaimed: “May leading his followers and teaching the philosophy of Chabad. He remained in Liadi until 1812, when he and his family fled eastward from the oncoming French forces of Napoleon. Moses die, and a hundred like him, and not a Under the leadership of R. Schneur Zalman’s son, R. DovBer, in 1814 the seat of the Chabad fingernail of one of them be harmed!” (Midrash movement was transferred to the town of Lubavitch (in Russia near the Belarussian border). It Rabbah) remained there for over 100 years, until 1915, when the fifth Chabad Rebbe, R. Sholom DovBer, fled from Lubavitch to Rostov in face of the advancing German army during World War I. Moses was a true Jewish leader. Though entering the Land was his life’s goal, his nation took Shabbat, July 24, 2021 --- 15 Av, 5781 precedence. He taught us how to love the Jewish End of Dying in Desert (1274 BCE) people, no matter what. In wake of the incident of the "Spies," in which the generation that came out of Egypt under Moses' leadership demonstrated their unpreparedness for the task of conquering and settling the Holy Land, G- By Chana Weisberg d decreed that entire generation would die out in the desert. After 38 years of wandering through the wilderness the dying finally ended, and a new generation of Jews stood ready to enter the Holy Land. It was the 15th of Av of the year 2487 from creation (1274 BCE)