Sent Away to Share With Others

BH

Shalom.

This Friday night and Shabbat mark the 10th day of the Jewish month of Shevat.

On the 10th day of Shevat 5710 (January 28, 1950), The previous leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, the Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneersohn, passed away. One year later, on the 10th of Shevat, 5711 (January 17, 1951) his son-in-law, The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, assumed leadership of the movement.

This is the day that the Rebbe began his reformation of Judaism. Judaism has come a far way from what it was 60 years ago.

The Rebbe made it his personal mission to reestablish “Yiddishkeit” by adding joy and excitement to it's everyday practices. Thus began the Rebbe'sprocess of returning thousands of Jews to their roots.

In this week’s Parsha, BeShalach, we are taught that King Pharaoh chooses to pursue the Jewish people he just freed and bring them back as slaves once again.

Pharaoh was hard at it! He was determined. He enlisted volunteers and hit the sand! He found the Jews in an apparent state of paralysis, with the raging sea ahead of them.

G-d placed a protective pillar in front of Pharaoh, he didn’t care. G-d split the sea, again he didn't care. Until the last moment, when the Egyptians were engulfed by the waters, Pharaoh was unfazed. He was determined to get his slaves back!

The Kotzker Rebbe, of blessed memory, taught that we can all learn a lesson from Pharaoh. A lesson in defiance that is. To never give up on the goal. While Pharaoh’s goal was clearly evil, he never gave up. When it even seemed impossible, he still pushed forward. Into the raging waters.

Yes, he lost, but losing isn’t always the case.

When the Rebbe set out to give Yiddishkeit a new face he was presented with many a challenge. Challenge came from inside and out. It was an uphill battle to get people to put on Teffilin. Gaining popularity for lighting Shabbat candles was a tricky task! Winning approval for public menorahs wasn’t easy. The Rebbe continued to push forward however!

The meaning of the word “BeShalach,” the name of this week’s Parsha, is “sent away.” The Question is presented, “sent away, seems negative. How is that a Pasha with so much positive things happening to the Jewish people is called by a negative name?”

Well, we need to be sure to not look at it in a negative way, but rather positively as “sent away FOR others to gain from!”

When the Rebbe sent out Shluchim (emissaries) around the globe, he wasn't sending them away from him. He was sending them out to share with others. To spread what they have, not HERE (Brooklyn) but rather AWAY from here!

Shabbat Shalom from Miami Beach, FL where I am visiting family and enjoying the sunny 70 degree weather! (Go figure, its 70 degrees outside, there is visible grass, the bodies of water are not frozen solid, there is a beautifully pleasant breeze and the people here are wearing coats! Yea, again, go figure!)