Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Chag Sameach - Happy Shavuot !


At Gan Sacher (Sacher Park) in Jerusalem

Photo: Miriam Woelke

B"H

I was planning to write much more on Shavuot but, in the end, didn't have enough time putting everything together. When I write about a subject, I do research, look through I don't know how many books and also make plenty of copies. I am always trying to be a perfectionist and don't do this quick "Fast Food Research". However, when you really go into something, time is running out and the day is over.

What I am going to do is writing some further articles connected to Shavuot after the Chag is over. I found some great teachings in the Talmudic Tractates of Bava Batra and Shabbat and would like to share them.

In the meantime, have a great Shavuot, Yom Tov and Chag Sameach !

3 comments:

  1. A video of one of The Rebbe's annual Pre-Shavuos addresses to women. That time, the message was: Torah scholarship is not for men only.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6LztKmC6F4

    Chag Shavuos Sameach

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  2. B"H

    As far as I know: The Lubavitcher Rebbe has been the only Rebbe giving a Tish for women only.:-) I think that's a great idea when I compare it to Chassidut Gur where no women are allowed in ever.

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  3. The Rebbe did it on many many occasions. Like Moshe Rabbeinu who taught Torah first to the women and then to the men, the Rebbe was used to adress women first, and then the men. When there was a yechidus session (a private talk with the Rebbe), women were the first to pass in the Rebbe's office, then the men, or the couples. The same with sunday dollars, women were always the first to pass in front of the Rebbe to receive their dollars. On some other special occasions, like the yahrzeit of a Lubavitcher Rebbetzin (like his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, or his mother, Rebbetzin Chana, etc.), the Rebbe was used to publish special maamorim (Chasidic discourses) for women or in honor of women. I think he was one of the few, if not the only Rebbe, who asked women to be learned in deep Torah matters and Chasidus, without always depending on their husbands. He asked that every day, when she can, preferably after the morning prayers, a Lubavitch woman should study the daily portion of Tehilim, the daily portion of Rambam, the daily portion of Tanya, and the daily study of the Chumash with Rashi, plus other areas in Torah relevant to women. He also asked that when we want to offer Jewish books to women, we should offer them books in Hebrew or Yiddish, because to offer them books only in English if as saying that they cannot study or don't know the Torah in Hebrew or Yiddish, while nowadays women were, in fact, able to study the Torah and Halachos relevant to them, and even in Hebrew or Yiddish. (In fact, Yiddish is the first spoken languag in Crown Heights.) So the Rebbe always pushed the women up, and I think it's great, even if I'm completely not a feminist (nor the Rebbe), but when women have the potential to do great, it's great!

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