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Parshas Yisro
Yud Ches Shevat

PARSHAS YISRO
Just before Mattan Torah, all of the Jewish people gathered around Har Sinai. The mountain was surrounded by fire, and a heavenly cloud settled on top. The entire world came to a halt as the sound of the shofar was heard; thunder roared and lightning flashed in the background.
In the Talmud and in the Midrash, our Sages tell us more about what happened then. Rabbi Akiva tells us that the Jewish people could actually "see the thunder and hear the lightning."
Why does Rabbi Akiva tell us this?
Many other miracles took place at that time: All the birds stopped chirping precisely at the moment the Torah was given, flowers and fruit-bearing trees sprouted forth from the desert mountain, and most important - the Jewish people actually heard HaShem tell them the Ten Commandments. Is Rabbi Akiva just adding another miracle?
No. Rabbi Akiva is teaching us something very important. He is teaching us is how a Jew should look at the Torah and the world around him.
We usually see physical things, but not ideas or thoughts. Yet our ears can listen to ideas - even deep and holy thoughts about HaShem.
The Torah guides a Jew to gaze deeper into the things which appear before his eyes and to look for the things which his ears have heard about. HaShem hides His holiness in the things around us. Even though we cannot see it, it is still there. It is our job to look deeper, to find that holiness, and to reveal it. Every mitzvah which we perform helps us reveal that hidden holiness.
For example, a delicious red apple. The Korean grocer says, "Its color is so red, its shape is perfect and it tastes delicious!" He sees the apple as a nice, tasty fruit. But a Jew who makes a berachah on the apple is looking at more than just a fruit. He sees the blessing of HaShem, and thanks Him for making the fruit grow.
This is what Rabbi Akiva meant when he said that the Jews could see what is heard - that the Torah makes it possible for us to look deeper and see the holiness in the world around us.
In his own life, Rabbi Akiva set an example of how to look deeper than what our eyes can see. He once accompanied a group of Sages who passed the site of the Beis HaMikdash after it was destroyed. Suddenly, a fox darted out from the rubble. Spotting the fox, the sages burst out in tears.
"How terrible! Look what has happened to our holy place!" they cried.
But Rabbi Akiva did not cry; instead the Sages saw him smiling. "How can you possibly be happy while seeing this destruction?" they asked him in wonder.
"I am happy because I am looking beyond what my eyes see," replied Rabbi Akiva. "Just as HaShem carried out His warnings to destroy the city, He will also fulfill His promise to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash. The destroyed Beis HaMikdash helps me see the rebuilt city of Yerushalayim and hear the sounds of geulah approaching."

From Please Tell Me What the Rebbe Said (Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VI, Parshas Yisro)

Last weeks’ brain buster:
If you take away 10 of me,
you will have something special for Shabbos.
(If you unscramble me)
Answer:
Musaf (Take Yud=10 from Yam Suf)

Parshas Yisro

The only difference between my partner and me is I. What am I?

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Send your answers to connections@shluchim.org

Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka

Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka was born near the Russian city of Lubavitch, on Chof Hay Adar in 1901. She was the second daughter of the Frierdiker Rebbe and his wife, Rebbetzin Nechama Dina Schneersohn. From her earliest years, she absorbed the purity and holiness that surrounded her, in the house of her grandfather and her father.
On Yud Daled she married the Rebbe, in Warsaw, Poland.
The Rebbetzin passed away on Wednesday Chof Bais Sehvat 5748 after a short illness. Shortly before she passed away, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka asked for a glass of water. After saying the brocha, "Shehakol," she returned her neshama to Hashem. In a farewell to a true queen, the Levaya was attended by fifteen thousand people, led by an official police motorcade.
In the years after she passed away, hundreds of Lubavitch institutions around the world have been established in honor of her memory, many mikva’os bear her name and numerous publications are also dedicated to her memory.
There are also many girls around the world who have the zchus to have Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka’s name.

“Chaya” means "life." The Rebbetzin's life was filled with mitzvos and acts of goodness and kindness.
"Mushka” means “perfume” in a different language. Our chachamim explain that the sense of smell brings pleasure to our neshamos.
Chof Bais Shevat is the day of the Rebbetzin’s yartzeit. The number 22 hints to the 22 letters of the Alef Bais. Our chachamim explain that Hashem created the world using these letters. The Alef Bais is a way that Hashem’s chayus gives life to the gashmiyusdike world.
From the Rebbetzin’s name and from the date of her yartzeit we can take a lesson for ourselves and our lives. We should fill our days with acts of goodness, kindness, that spread and penetrate even the lowest parts of this world.
With each Yid working toward this end, we will soon see that elokus truly fills this world with the revelation of Moshiach and the Geulah Hashleima now!

Chaya Mushka Freundlich, age 8
Beijing, China

My name is Chaya Mushka Freundlich and I am a Shlucha in Beijing, China.
When I was at home my mother said: “We are going to America soon and we are going to be there for a long time, but we are also going to be there around Arizona Camp time. Would you like to go?” so I said: “I will think about it.” The next day, I said to my mother: “OK I will go to camp in Arizona.”
When we came to America, my parents put me on the plane with two counselors Rochel and Leah, with lots of kisses and good byes. I went to camp. When I came to camp, my first impression was “It’s going to be fun!”
The whole time I was in Arizona camp, I had lots of fun. We played games, went on field trips and even got to hear a story from the Rebbe’s personal Dr. When I left camp, I cried a lot.
And I was right, it was going to be fun!


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Really Feel for the Other Person
The Friday night before she passed away was bitterly cold night. During a conversation with her visitor, the Rebbetzin mentioned, "When I think that you have to go out [to go home], I become cold."
We should care so much about other people that we feel for them and even anticipate their discomfort. We can accomplish this by putting our own considerations aside, as the Rebbetzin did on this night when she was already very sick, and focusing entirely on the other person.

The Importance of Humility
One year, in honor of her birthday, the Lubavitch Women's Organization sent the Rebbetzin a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Together with the bouquet was an envelope that contained a list of names of people who were in need of a brocha. The intention was that the list be given to the Rebbe.
The person who accepted the bouquet gave it to the Rebbetzin and submitted the envelope to the Rebbe. The Rebbe looked at the envelope, upon which the Rebbetzin’s name had been written, and asked why it was not given to the Rebbetzin. The person explained that it contained a list of names of people who were in need of a brocha. The Rebbe responded, "Nu, she can also bentch them!"
But when the Rebbetzin communicated an answer from the Rebbe, she would always convey it word for word, saying, "This was the exact answer." She refused to ever add an explanation but only repeated the Rebbe’s words exactly.
No matter our own greatness or importance, our own abilities or position of power, being humble is an important character trait.
In the zchus of the Rebbetzin, may we immediately be privileged to see the conclusion of the coming of Moshiach now!

Caring for Every Jew
This story was told by Chessed Halberstam who worked for Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka for 18 years and was also her driver.
The Rebbe asked Chessed to make sure that the Rebbetzin got some fresh air every day. Chessed and the Rebbetzin would usually drive out to a park in Long Island. One day, as they were driving, they saw that one of the streets they usually drove along was closed and they had to take a detour along a different street. As they were driving along that street, they suddenly heard the sounds of a woman screaming in Russian. At the next traffic light, the Rebbetzin asked Chessed “I heard a woman screaming; can you go back and see what that was about?"
They drove back to the beginning of the street. There they saw a woman standing on the curb and crying, while near her movers were carrying furniture and household items from a house and loading them on to a truck. Near the truck stood an official looking man holding a clipboard. Chessed parked the car and went to ask the official what was going on. The official explained that the woman hadn’t paid her rent for many months so she was now being evicted from her home.
When Chessed told the Rebbetzin all this, she asked him to go back and inquire from the official how much the woman owed and she also asked him not to say anything to the family being evicted. Chessed didn’t understand why the Rebbetzin wanted him to do this, but he did exactly what she asked.. The sum that the family owed was approximately $6,700. The official said that if he received the payment, his men would carry everything back into the house. When Chessed informed the Rebbitzin of the details, she took out her checkbook and, to his amazement, wrote out a check for the full amount, and asked him to give it to the official.
With an amazed look on his face the official instructed his workers to take everything back into the house. The Rebbitzin immediately urged Chessed to quickly drive away, before the woman realized what had happened.
Chessed was completely amazed at what he had seen and later, when they were in the park, he could not hold back his curiosity anymore and asked the Rebbetzin what had prompted her to give such a large sum to a total stranger?
"Do you really want to know?" asked the Rebbetzin.
"Yes, I do," he replied.
"Then I'll tell you," she said. "Once, when I was a young girl, my father (the Frierdiker Rebbe) took me for a walk in the park. He sat me down on a bench and started to tell me about the idea of hashgachah peratis. Every time -- said my father -- when something causes us to change from our normal routine, there is a reason for this; every time we see something unusual, there is a purpose in why we've been shown this sight.
"Today," continued the Rebbetzin, "when I saw the 'Detour' sign instructing us to change from our regular route, I remembered my father's words and immediately thought to myself: Every day we drive by this street; suddenly, the street's closed off and we're sent to a different street. What is the purpose of this? How is this connected to me? Then I heard the sound of a woman crying and screaming. I realized that we have been sent along this route for a purpose."

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The Guarantee
While Bnei Yisroel were busy with their preparations for Mattan Torah, Moshe himself went up the mountain.
There Hashem said to him:
“Gather all the people, but first speak to Women, so that they should hear and appreciate My teachings. And when My words have entered their hearts, they will help their husbands to train their children in the way of My Torah.
"And then, Moshe, when you have finished speaking to the Women, you will turn to the Men and teach them all I have told you. Not one thing must you leave out from all I have said!"
Moshe then descended from the mountain and spoke to all of Bnei Yisroel, exactly as Hashem had commanded him to do.
When Moshe had finished speaking, they all called out together:
"All that Hashem has told us “Na’aseh Venishma!”
Then Hashem asked what they had to offer as a guarantee that they would keep their word? For unless they offered Hashem guarantors that He would be satisfied with, He would not give them the Torah.
"Our holy Avos – Avrohom, Yitzchak and Ya’akov, will be our guarantors!" replied the people.
But Hashem wasn’t satisfied with the Avos as guarantors.
Bnei Yisroel considered for a while and then said to Hashem:
" Will You accept our children who will be born to us as guarantors, to assure You that we intend to keep Your Torah?”
" Your children are indeed the best guarantee that you can offer, and I gladly accept them as your pledge of trust!"
"We faithfully promise to study the Torah and teach the Torah to our children, so that they in turn can teach their children, and so on, forever."
"Your words please Me very much," answered Hashem, “and now I can give you the Torah."

(Adapted from chabadonline.com)

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