Back in 1996, Rabbi Finman was asked to speak to the niece of one of his students. After spending many hours answering her questions, the woman gave Rabbi Finman her e-mail address. Rabbi Finman wrote the woman a note and included in it a short insight into that week's Parsha and a short Chasidic story.

Realizing that this was something no one was yet doing,, Rabbi Finman sent the missive to his mailing list of about 30 people. Requests from recipients friends came pouring in. The next week Rabbi Finman sent the e-Parsha to 100 people. Within a year more than 2000 people were receiving it. Today, more than 14,000 receive the e-Parsha weekly and the requests keep coming in.

Dvorim 5786
Matos Maasai 5786
Pinchas 5786
Chukas Balak 5786
Korach 5786

Dvorim 5786

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Watch the YouParsha Dvorim http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvTY53FREBA Forty years in the Desert

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Parshas Dvorim, Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22, finds the Jewish people in the land of Moab preparing to listen to Moshe's final explanation of the Torah. The word Moab has a numerical value of 49. There are 49 correct interpretations of the Torah and 49 incorrect interpretations. Each of these interpretations was given to the Jewish people on Sinai. It is incumbent on each of us to learn the Torah and develop a novel interpretation. We must, however realize that this interpretation is not completely new, Moshe heard it on Sinai.

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Wednesday night, Jly 22, marks the beginning of Tisha B'Av. It is the black day on the Jewish calendar; commemorating the destruction of both Temples and other calamities. It is celebrated the same way as Yom Kippur: no eating or drinking from sundown Wednesday until dusk on Thursday, no bathing, no perfume or deodorant, no marital relations and no leather shoes. In addition, it is prohibited to study any Torah on Tisha B'Av that does not relate to the day. Chabad custom has been not to accentuate the mourning (some people sleep on the floor or put rocks under their pillows, wear sackcloth under their clothes, etc. Chabad is not into any of that). The following story exemplifies the Chabad attitude towards Tisha B'Av:

The Rebbe, as a young man, encountered his teacher learning Talmud on Tisha B'Av (not a part that has to do with the day). The Rebbe inquired that does it not say in The Code of Jewish Law that it is forbidden to study such Torah (The polite way to point out what one might believe to be a mistake to an elder would be to invoke the Code of Jewish Law clause). The teacher responded that when he comes to the World to Come they are going to beat anyway. Let them beat me for learning on Tisha B'Av.

The Rambam writes that when Moshiach comes, Tisha B'Av with be the greatest holiday as the verse stipulates, "Like the advantage of light coming from darkness." We will be celebrating in the Temple in Jerusalem. Let us merit it this year.

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