Parshas Toldos
Chaf Ches Cheshvan 5765

PARSHAS TOLDOS
Parshas Toldos begins by telling us about Yitzchak's family: Eleh Toldos Yitzchak "These are the children of Yitzchak." But this possuk does not tell us about the children of Yitzchak. Since the names of Yitzchak's children are not mentioned in the possuk, Rashi explains that the possuk refers to "Yaakov and Esav, about whom this parshah speaks."

But wouldn't we have known this without looking into Rashi? Most of us surely know that Yaakov and Esav were Yitzchak's only children. So why did Rashi make a point of telling us this? If we read Rashi's words carefully, we will realize that he is trying to teach us something deeper than the names of the children. With the words, "about whom this parshah speaks," Rashi teaches us how to think about Yaakov - and even more so, how to think about Esav.

We know that Esav was a person who did not always do good deeds. We do not approve of everything he did or the way he talked. But Rashi tells us to look at every person, even an Esav, in the Torah’s way.

What does this mean? The Torah does not decide whether a person is good only by his deeds. The Torah looks deeper, into his neshamah, and searches for the good inside him. Every Jewish neshamah is good, because it is a part of HaShem. Even if a person may not do good deeds, the goodness of his neshamah is there, and the Torah tells us that it has the power to come out. Nothing can stand in the way of the neshamah.

Rashi is teaching us not to jump to our own conclusions about Esav. Instead, we should try to see things in the same way as the Torah. This helps us realize that even a person like Esav has good inside, and that HaShem is waiting patiently for it to come out and shine. Yitzchak realized this. That is why he was willing to give Esav the precious blessings he had received from Avraham. He was hoping that Esav would be able to bring out the goodness in his neshamah and do good deeds.

Please Tell Me What the Rebbe Says, (Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. V, Parshas Toldos)

A big yasher koach to Mendel Katzman (11) from Holland for sending in this week’s brain buster.

The answer to last week’s brain buster was Mincha (in Hebrew letters).

Shabbos Mevarchim Chodesh Kislev

1. This Shabbos is Shabbos Mevarchim. We bentch the new month– Chodesh Kislev.
2. Shabbos Mevarchim Kislev is when the shluchim from around the world come back home to 770 for a special kinnus to share ideas and to receive new chayus in their heilikeh avodah. The Rebbe would give a special talk to the Shluchim in honor of this occasion.

3. Sunday is Rosh Chodesh Kislev.
4. Rosh Chodesh Kislev marks the big celebration that took place in 5738 when the Rebbe left 770 for the first time, after having a heart attack during Hakofos on Shmini Atzeres earlier that year. To this day we celebrate on Rosh Chodesh Kislev. There is even a special niggun known as the “Rosh Chodesh Kislev Niggun.”

Menachem Mendel Altein, age 9
Winnipeg, Canada

Last year, our house needed to be painted. My mother called up a painting company and they sent down a painter. It turned out that the painter was a yid! Luckily, my brother had taught me how to put on the tefillin and when to say the berocho. I took out my brother’s tefillin and persuaded the painter to put them on. He thanked me for helping him do a mitzvah.

Send us a short paragraph about your shlichus and we will publish it in our future “connections”! Please include your name, age, andlocation.
E-mail us at: cyh@shluchim.org

On the night of the joyous festival of Shemini Atzeret of the Jewish year 5738 (October 4, 1977), while celebrating with thousands of Chassidim in 770, the Rebbe suffered a massive heart attack. Following that episode the Rebbe was confined to his office, and it was not until five weeks later, on the first day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, that he returned home. This date was duly designated the Chassidim as a day of celebration and thanksgiving. It is also the date of the Kinnus Hashluchim– where shluchim gather in Crown Heights from all over the world to strengthen each other in their shlichus and give the Rebbe nachas. The following are several incidents related to Rosh Chodesh Kislev.

The Ohel

On the Sunday following Yom Tov, the Rebbe inquired of the doctors if they would permit him to visit the Ohel. Dr. Weiss relates that he suspected that the Rebbe would ask to go to the Ohel. Anticipating this request he mentioned to the Rebbe, "Doesn't the Rebbe himself instruct his Chassidim to listen to the doctor?" The Rebbe asked in response, "Are you a Chossid?" "What is the difference?" replied Dr. Weiss. "A Chossid must obey..." That Tuesday, the doctors asked the Rebbe how he felt. The Rebbe answered, "Physically, I feel fine B.H., but mentally, not so well. It seems that this is because I did not visit the Ohel today." One of the doctors explained to the Rebbe, "You must watch your health, if you don't, there is - G-d forbid - a 25% chance that a relapse will occur." The doctor asked the Rebbe whether he had been listening. "Sure," the Rebbe responded, "you said that if I do not take care of my health there is a 75% chance that the illness will not recur!"

A Sicha is Limitless

Motzei Simchas Torah - the crowd was told that the Rebbe would say a Sicha from a microphone installed in his room. Doctors' orders were for the Sicha to last no more than five minutes. At 12:00 a.m. the Rebbe began. He concluded at 12:22 a.m. Later, the doctors asked the Rebbe if he had sufficient time to say all he had wanted. The Rebbe's reply, "If it was up to me, there would be no limit to the amount of time I could speak." On Motzei Shabbos Bereishis the Rebbe spoke for almost an hour. The doctors had given permission for twenty minutes.

Mail

A Serious Business On Thursday, 24 Tishrei, the Rebbe asked for the mail that had arrived during the previous few days. One of the doctors suggested that the Rebbe first rest- perhaps for about two weeks - and then begin replying to mail. The Rebbe countered, "If I wait two weeks, the workload will be much greater..." On another occasion the Rebbe compared this to smoking. "A smoker cannot simply take his mind off smoking. If he does, it will adversely affect his health. If I, being accustomed to constantly receiving and replying to mail, would suddenly stop, it would not be healthy for me." "Perhaps," one doctor ventured, "one of the secretaries can read the letters, present the Rebbe with a general outline of its contents, and the Rebbe will respond accordingly." "That," the Rebbe retorted, "is like the doctor who, rather than examine a patient, hears a general report of the patient's condition from a second person. Would that suffice for the doctor?"

(excerpts from Souvenir Journal - Rebbe's Shluchim South Africa)

This week we learned about the important mitzvah of simcha, and smiling even when it is hard for us. Make an extra effort this week to keep smiling. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from doing this big mitzvah. Write to me and tell me about your week. I love to hear from all of you. Good Luck!- Dr. Getzel

Question:
Rashi says that when Rivkah passed the yeshivah of Shem and Eiver, Yaakov wanted to jump out of her womb, and when she passed a place of idol worship, Eisav wanted to jump out. When a child is in his mother's womb an angel teaches him the entire Torah (Niddah 30b). Why did Yaakov want to leave the angel and go to the yeshivah of Shem and Eiver?

Answer:
Yaakov knew that In the "yeshivah" in his mother's womb, his "chaver" would be Eisav. Yaakov was greatly concerned about having good friends. Therefore, he was willing to give up the opportunity of an angel teaching him Torah in order to go to a yeshivah where he would have good "chavairim" and not be in the company of Eisav.

Question:
Why was Eisav born red?

Answer:
While Eisav and Yaakov were in their mother's womb, they had a very interesting conversation. Yaakov said to Eisav, "Listen, brother, before us there are two worlds: Olam Hazeh (this mundane world) and Olam Haba (the World to Come). In Olam Hazeh there is much eating, drinking, and physical delights. In Olam Haba there are none of these things. Everything is spiritual and one enjoys G-dliness. Tell me brother, which you prefer and I will take the other."
Eisav, being of a mundane and gross nature, immediately decided that Olam Hazeh was for him and that Yaakov could keep Olam Haba.
When a person runs, the blood in his body becomes activated and he turns red from exertion. Consequently, when the time came for Rivkah to give birth, Eisav wanted his Olam Hazeh as quickly as possible, so he hurried red-faced out of his mother's womb.

(excerpts from V'Dibarta Bam)

"Connections" Newsletter Editor in Chief: Chana S. Newfield

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