Self-Sacrifice – It Doesn’t Really Kill

On a freezing winter night as Napoleon lay under his warm covers, he was overcome by a sudden bout of thirst. Considering that he would have to leave his cozy conditions and go outside to fetch some water, in order to satisfy his craving, he contemplated ignoring his nagging discomfort, but was quickly overcome by a powerful sense of shame.

“Napoleon! You have become all but lazy,” he said to himself. “There is evidently no difference between you and the common yokel.” With that, he tore himself out of bed and proceeded out the door to fetch himself some water.

By the time he walked to the well across the field, he thought to himself: “Bonaparte, you really ought to be embarrassed of yourself. You are so weak you’d do anything to avoid a little discomfort. Have you no willpower to prevail over a tad of thirst? There is obviously no difference between you and the ordinary Joe.” He immediately retuned to bed without touching a drop of water.

Upon relating this story, the Chasidic master of Lublin, (The Chozeh) concluded: “This is what I call strength of character.”

Did you say the ‘Nasi’ Today? (Yom Beis)

From the Safer Haminhagim: [Every day from Rosh Chodesh Nissan until the twelfth of the month, usually after Shacharis,] one reads the passage [from Bamidbar 7-8:4] that describes the offering brought on that day by a particular Nasi, or tribal prince, for the dedication of the altar of the Mishkan. [In common parlance, each day’s passage itself is often referred to as “the Nasi.”] This daily reading is followed by the prayer which opens with the words yehi ratzon (and which appears in Siddur Torah Or [as well as in Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 371]). This prayer is recited even by a Kohen or a Levi [despite its seeming relevance only to tribes other than the Tribe of Levi]. [284]

To see the rest of the text of the Nasi click the Extended Article!

How To Deal With Depression? A Unique Letter of The Rebbe

Where does depression come from? Is it in any way positive? In the following letter the Rebbe addresses a student who was going through difficult times that it’s all in the mind, and in that the mind can change more easily than we think. To learn more about the Rebbe visit: www.Portraitofaleader.org

The Weekly Sicha of the Rebbe – Parshas Vayikra

The Rebbe says:

1. As a preparation to the upcoming inauguration of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) which begins in next week’s Torah portion (Parshas Tzav) and continues through the portion after that (Parshas Shemini), this week’s Torah portion talks all about the various offerings.

2. The order in which the Torah decides to tell us about the offerings is first to discuss the offerings which were voluntary offerings, such as the Burnt Offering (Korban Olah), the Meal Offering (Korban Mincha), and the Peace Offering (Korban Shelamim), and then to tell us about the obligatory offerings, such as the Sin Offering (Korban Chatas), and the Guilt Offering (Korban Asham).

3. The Rebbe now questions this order of instructions:

Wouldn’t it make more sense for the Torah to teach us first about the offerings which are obligatory and only then tell us about the voluntary offerings? After all, if a Jew didn’t want to bring a voluntary offering he didn’t need to know the laws concerning them, however every Jew needed to bring an obligatory offering and therefore needed to know the laws concerning them!