Torah portion

SPIRIT

TORAH PORTION

Happiness Is …

We were the only ones from for me to answer. Finally, merci‘out-of-town’ (Chicago). Before fully, the Rebbe spoke. ‘I am not going home for Pesach, Laibl asking for you to answer; but and I had a private audience you must ask yourself from time

The Jews leave Egypt and in which sins are forgiven. The with the previous Lubavitcher to time, ‘What have I added cross the sea. After the Baal Shem Tov emphasizes Rebbe. When the he asked us in making the world a better crossing, Moshe and that the singing must be with how long it took to get home, I place?’” Miriam led the Jewish people joy, which breaks through all told him 24 hours. ‘Where will in a song of praise known as boundaries. you daven?’ ‘On the bus.’ ‘And the Song by the Sea. It Once our minds are in tefillin?’ he asked, with a bit of is written that one who harmony with Hashem’s surprise, I think. He also asked joyfully recites the song reality and we achieve this if it would be warm on the bus. daily is granted spiritual state of mindfulness, then “The following Passover, and physical health, all our foreign thoughts are when we went in again for intellectual clarity, for- blocked. We can experi- an audience, he asked, ‘With giveness of wrongdoing Rabbi ence the world as it will be what are you going home?’ and a general well-being. It is understood that Herschel Finman in the time of Moshiach. To illustrate the point, Remembering last year’s question very well, I confidently the Jews achieved a clarParshat let me recount the follow- answered, ‘With the bus.’ ‘I’m ity of mind while crossing the sea; they were able to point to Hashem Bshallach: Exodus 13:1717:16; Judges 4:4-5:31.. ing story, which I heard from Reb Zalman Posner, the late shaliach from not asking that. I’m asking with what are you going home? What are you taking with you? What and say, “This is my Nashville, Tenn. did you add in Torah during the God and I will glorify Him.” We “I was 14 when the yeshivah past six months since I saw you recite the song and achieve the started accepting young boys. last?’ I just stood there for sevsame clarity. Having achieved We were about a dozen in two eral eternities while the Rebbe it, we now enter a spiritual state groups, my brother’s and mine. stared down at his desk, waiting

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Rabbi Herschel Finman is co-director (with his wife, Chana) of Jewish Ferndale and host of “The Jewish Hour” radio son WLQV 1500 AM - Sundays 11-noon; contact rabbifinman.com.

CONVERSATIONS

In light of the current health situation, what makes you happy? How have you recently made the world a better place? The Jews experienced a revelation at the crossing of sea greater than the prophecies of Ezekiel; where do we see God’s presence in our lives? The two young students in the story were happy to express their Judaism in a public forum (on a bus). Would you? Why or why not?

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