A project of The Shluchim Office

Parshas Pekudei
Lamed Adar Alef 5765

PARSHAS PEKUDEI
“Let's get an earlier start on Pesach cleaning this year," Naomi's mother told her. "I'd like you to sort out your desk drawer this afternoon. It's cluttered with so many items and gadgets that it looks like you're planning to open a store!" she added with a chuckle.
Naomi smiled sheepishly. Her mother was right, she was a real collector. She saved all kinds of things. Everyone in the family had gotten used to it - sometimes they even appreciated it. Whenever there was anything in the house that nobody needed, but no one wanted to throw away, someone would always say: "Let's give it to Naomi!"
As Naomi was busily going through her drawer, her sister Simi walked into the bedroom. She took one glance at the room and exclaimed: "Really, Naomi, why do you keep all that stuff? I never see you use that fold-up ruler or those colored wall tacks. And you never wear any of those ponytail holders!"
Naomi shrugged. "So what if I don't use these things? I still like having them."
Is Naomi right about unused rulers and wall tacks? Maybe yes and maybe no. Some people like having things, even when they don't use them. That's okay, when those things are ordinary, day-to-day things, but when it comes to the abilities, talents, and skills that HaShem has given us, it's different. This week's parshah teaches us about having, and about using what we have.
Pekudei means accounting. In Parshas Pekudei, Moshe Rabbeinu makes a reckoning of all the gold, silver and copper that was donated to the Mishkan. Then he checks to see how these materials were used, making an account of all the keilim (utensils) that were made from these precious metals.
We should also make a reckoning from time to time, and think about the way we are serving HaShem. Just like Moshe first made a reckoning of the materials that were collected, we should start by making an account of the different strengths we have. Then we should check to see how we have been using those strengths to serve HaShem - just as Moshe accounted for all the different ways those materials were used.
HaShem has blessed each one of us with many abilities, talents, powers and skills. We must account for everything we have been given, knowing what we can do and making sure that we are indeed using all our abilities to serve HaShem.

(Please Tell Me What The Rebbe Said’, Adapted from Sichos Shabbos Parshas Pekudei 5749)

Last Week's Brain Buster:
My head and tail is Adam’s son. My middle is the number of Luchos that Hashem gave B’nei Yisroel. What am I?
Answer: Shabbos (in hebrew letters)

Parshas Pekudei

I have 4 letters and my end is a neighbor.
What am I?
____ ____ ____ ____

Please send your answers to connections@shluchim.org

Congratulations to Mendel Vorst, 9 from Rotterdam, the Netherlands for solving the brain buster.

“Vaya’asu Es Hatzitz…..Vayichtavu Alav“

Why does it say “Vayichtavu” – “they wrote” on the Tzitz, in plural?
The Gemarrah tells about a man named Ben Kamtzar who could hold 4 pens in his hand and write the 4 letters of Hashem’s name at the same time. The Chachomim were upset with him because he refused to teach this special skill to anyone else. They wanted him to teach it to others because the first 2 letters of Hashem’s name (Yud, Hey) make up one of His names. When the next letter (Vav) is written, the word becomes an ordinary word, so there is a halachic problem of erasing Hashem’s name. When Ben Kamtzar wrote Hashem’s name, there was no problem, because he wrote all 4 letters at once.
When the Tzitz was made, in order not to have this problem, 4 people wrote together, each writing one letter of Hashem’s name on the Tzitz at the same time.

(Adapted from Vedibarta Bam)

Rosh Chodesh Adar Beis
Shabbos, March 12 - Alef Adar Beis

I remembered to say Ya’aleh Veyavo in Shemoneh Esrei and in bentching

I remembered to say Hallel

I remembered to daven the special parts in Shabbos Musaf for Shabbos Rosh Chodesh.

I remembered to say Borchi Nafshi after the Shir Shel Yom

Motti Diskin, age 8
Munich, Germany

Hello! My name is Motti Diskin. I am 8 ½ years old and I live in Munich, Germany, where we speak German. It sounds similar to Yiddish but is actually very different.
As some of you may know, many years ago (about 65) a big Rasha by the name of Hitler (Yimach Shemo) killed many Jews in this country and many other countries in Europe. His plan was to wipe out all the Jews- similar to Haman’s plan. Although he killed 6 million Jews he did not succeed in killing the whole Jewish nation. In fact even in Germany there are about 130,000 Jews living here today. Our Chabad House is exactly across the street from Hitler's (Yimach Shemo) house in Munich. When we are sitting by our Shabbos table with all of our guests, singing Shabbos songs and watching the Shabbos licht, I look across the street to the window of that apartment and think “Boruch Hashem he didn't win. WE DID!!!! We are here and keeping Yiddishkeit in a proud way!!! “
I am the only boy in the city that walks in the street with a Yarmulka and Tzitzis. Sometimes people stare at me but it doesn't bother me.
I attend the local Jewish day school, but I am the only frum child there. I will have to leave the school after 4th grade and to go learn in a Yeshiva in New York like my older brothers and sisters. I am already looking forward to that day.
Thank you again for the Connections newsletter. I wait all week for it to come!!

LAST WEEKS WINNERS

Level 1: Berele Sasonkin, age 8, Akron OH & Mendel Kalmanson, age 6, Mason, OH

Level 2: Yoel Serebryanski, age 9, Surfside Paradise, Australia & Rochie Krinsky, age 10, Manchester, NH

See the Printable Version of Connections for incredible FUN PAGES on The Rebbe's Sefarim!!

Parshas Shekalim

Just before Purim we give a half coin to Tzeddakah. (If you live in America, this will be 50¢, in England it will be 50p and in Europe it will be 1/2 a Euro). This is called the Mitzvah of ”Machatzis Hashekel“.
When Hashem first commanded Moshe about the Machatzis Hashekel, it was in order to count up how many Jews had been at Har Sinai. Every Jew was instructed to give exactly the same half-shekel coin. A rich person did not give more. A poor man did not give less.
By counting the coins Moshe knew that 600,000 Jews had been at Har Sinai.
When ?‘ taught Moshe this Mitzvah, He showed him a half-shekel of fire and said, "A coin like this is what they should give!"
This was very puzzling. How could a coin be made of fire? Fire does not have a shape. Everything else in this world has a definite shape and weight. Even liquids and gases take the shape of the vessel which they fill. But not fire. Fire is always changing. As it burns, it flickers, striving to rise up and leave the wick, and re-unite with its source above.
A coin is just the opposite. It has a size. It has a shape, and in this case, it weighs exactly half a shekel.
By showing Moshe a coin of fire, Hashem wanted to teach him that when we give Tzeddakah it must be done like an act of fire. An act filled with warmth and enthusiasm.
This applies to all Mitzvos. They should not be done like something that is weighed and measured, just so much and not more.
When we do a Mitzvah, especially when we give Tzeddakah, our giving must be like fire, that flickers and burns with its own life, because it is an act of our Nefesh Elokis, which constantly rises up like the flame, searching for perfection.
And then we remember, that as much as we accomplish, our giving is still only half a shekel, only half complete. To make a whole shekel, we need to be united with another person who also gives a half. Together our act is whole.
This is the best way of giving. Everyone can do it. Rich and poor, women, and children. Even the small boy or girl who goes out on Purim looking for two poor people, in order to fulfill the Mitzvah of Matanos Lo’evyonim.
And Hashem receives their Tzeddakah with joy, for Tzeddakah hastens the Geulah, and He then rewards us with His half-shekel, the true and complete Geulah, with the revelation of Moshiach speedily NOW!

(Tzivos Hashem Newsletter)