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Mistake in our Torah!

Thursday, April 29, 2021 - 7:07 PM

On the seventh day of Pesach I was reading from the Torah, and as I got to the fourth aliyah I noticed something strange. In the middle of the beautiful miracle of the splitting of the sea, it seemed there was a clear mistake. Please see the attached photo so you can see for yourself: in the word “vayomru” the last two letters, reish and vav, were attached, so it looked like a single letter, chet, instead.

I strained my eyes to see if there was any space between the two letters; even a microscopic gap would make all the difference, but alas, there was none. Which meant the entire Torah was invalid and unfit to be used. Essentially, we had to stop the reading, put that Torah back in the ark, and start all over again from a new Torah.

This week, we brought the Torah to a sofer (ritual scribe) who was able to carefully separate the letters, correcting the mistake, and now the Torah is holy and kosher once more.

There are exactly 304,805 letters in a Torah scroll, all of which must be written on parchment (from a kosher animal - typically a cow) by a trained scribe using ink and a quill. A Torah scroll takes approximately a year to write! If even one letter is off, the entire Torah cannot be used. It must be exact and precise.

The Torah’s letters represent the Jewish people. If there is a problem with any Jew in the world, it affects the rest of us. Every mitzvah or sin a Jew does affects us collectively. We’re all in this together. And just as any letter in the Torah - no matter which letter it is or which story it’s part of - can invalidate the entire scroll, there is no hierarchy in Judaism. We are all of equal importance. The Jewish nation is one Torah scroll. Every individual—big or small, scholar or unlearned—is interdependent and equally important.

We’re now celebrating Lag BaOmer, which is all about love and unity. As Jews we may have different opinions, but at the end of the day we love each other, care deeply, and are responsible for one another. If you know of a Jew who is unwell, give him a call because his wellbeing is your wellbeing. If you know someone in need, help them out. Their misfortune is your misfortune.

Forty years ago, in April 1981, the Lubavitcher Rebbe proposed that all Jews join together by purchasing a letter in a collective Torah scroll, expressing our inherent unity: One nation, one Torah, one G‑d. Writing a Torah provides safety and protection, the Rebbe promised.

And so, our community is in the midst of writing our very own Torah and everyone can participate. You can dedicate a letter, a word, or a parshah in this holy endeavor. Click here for options.

Are You Recruiting?

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - 11:05 AM

Shul attendance has been one covid’s many victims. Worldwide, shuls shut down completely in March 2020, and even when able to reopen at various points it was with strict rules and regulations and minimal attendance.

But last week we made a strong push for people to return. Thank G-d, the numbers here are down, people are being vaccinated and feeling less afraid, plus they miss the social interaction of shul. So we brought back the kiddush, urged people to attend, and our crowd grew by 400% in just one week!

Moshe* is a shul regular who served in the IDF, loves NYC, and is always available when we’re one short of a minyan. While walking through the Upper East Side, Moshe and Yael noticed two Jews sitting at a coffee shop close to our shul. Now, Moshe is not shy at all, and he walked right up to them and started telling them about Chabad Israel Center, describing it in glowing terms: the magnificent shul, the nonjudgmental atmosphere, the delicious kiddush, the beautiful community… “You have to come and try it! Meet our rabbi, taste the kiddush, meet the people, it’s good for you. Try it for one week and you don’t even have to come on time. You can come late or even J.F.K. (just for kiddush), just come!”

“It sounds great,” the guy agreed. “I love shul and yours sounds like one I’d like to try, there’s just one problem: I’m the rabbi of the local orthodox shul!”

In any business, the best sign your clients are happy is when they refer new clients to you. So if you have a great personal trainer and your friend is looking for one, you’ll recommend yours. Same with your local coffee shop, your therapist, and your kids’ schools. But Moshe went a step further—he actively recruited. And that is the greatest satisfaction a rabbi can have. It means that people really love your place. They’re not just referring people who ask, they’re going out on their own and convincing people to join—even the rabbi of the local synagogue who has a few hundred members of his own, daily minyanim, and many Torah classes. In fact, he was learning with one of his congregants at the coffee shop when Moshe tried to recruit him!

The truth is, we should all aspire to be like Moshe, to become ambassadors of Torah and mitzvot. The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught, “If you know alef, go out and teach someone else alef.” Whatever you know, even if it doesn’t feel like much, you can share with someone who doesn’t yet know even that. If you know of an inspiring Torah class, invite your friends to attend. And not just friends—go out and recruit total strangers. Bring them in. And if they turn out to be the local rabbi, don’t be flummoxed. Just keep going and try the next person! Especially since the shul business is probably one of the toughest in the world to market.

So, will you join us this week at shul? And who will you bring with you?

Tripling A Pledge

Thursday, April 15, 2021 - 11:03 AM

I texted one of our incredible donors at the end of last year, asking him to support our programs as he does every year. I’ll call him Isaac. I told him that I know 2020 has been a treacherous financial year for so many, and gently asked if he could commit to donating $50,000 as he has done in previous years.

Isaac explained that it had been a rough year and he had intended to give $10,000, but since I was asking, he would stretch it and give $25,000. I thanked him profusely for his continued support. Every dollar is appreciated tremendously and allows us to continue offering our vital programs.

A couple of days later Isaac texted me, “I just sent you the money, but instead of sending the $25k, I hit the wrong button and sent you $50k. Hashem works in mysterious ways!”

“OMG, WOW!” I responded. “Hashem will repay you $500k!” And I offered to wire back the unintended $25k.

“You want me to go against Hashem’s wishes?” he fired back. “I didn’t press that button; He did!”

I was blown away and humbled to be the recipient of such charity.

One of the greatest mitzvot is giving charity. We are commanded to split our profits with G-d. “You can keep 90 percent, but please give 10 percent to charity,” He says. And it’s the only mitzvah where G-d tells us, “Test Me. I promise you will not remain in debt. All you need to do is give your share to charity, and I will repay you tenfold.”

A week later, Isaac called me and asked how much I had raised so far in total. I thanked him again for his contribution and explained that donations overall were down 40 percent this year. It’s been a rough financial year for everyone, and we are so grateful for any and all support.

Isaac then explained that after he donated the $50k, he looked up one of his investments and realized he had actually made significantly more money this year than he realized, and was now offering an additional $25k, tripling what he originally intended to give!

The Torah tells us that when a person does business, if he opens his eyes he can actually witness miracles and Divine providence taking place right before him. I believe that this is one of those times, and my fervent wish is that all of us should also witness miracles in our lives!

Farewell to my Dear Friend Joe

Thursday, April 8, 2021 - 4:51 PM

A special soul passed away this week. My dear friend Joe. As a new Rabbi in the Upper East Side, I first met Joe while looking for a space for our community to pray for the High Holidays. Joe had a beautiful facility that was available. One morning, I walked into his office and introduced myself as the new Chabad rabbi looking for a space to pray.

Joe didn’t understand what I wanted from him, and at one point even asked me not to come back to his office. But I was persistent and kept on returning to his office. Finally, Joe looked at me and said, “Rabbi, you got me, and I will give you the space.”

For the last ten years, our Chabad house has been in his building, and I gained a beautiful friendship.

I can recall countless Torah sessions and powerful conversations I had with Joe. I brought him mezuzot for his office and would walk to see him after Rosh Hashanah services to blow shofar for him. Together we would shake the lulav and etrog. We spent Friday night Shabbat dinners together at my house, and I would always ensure he had shmura matzah for Pesach.

One conversation I had with Joe made a profound impact on me. I asked him one day, “Joe, what made you give us a space to use for our shul?”

Joe looked at me and said, “I don't believe in G-d. I don't believe in the afterlife. But if by some small chance there is such a thing called G-d, and if by even a tinier chance there is something called the soul and the afterlife, and if by an even smaller chance there is something called the heavenly court, then if after I pass away and arrive at this heavenly court, and they ask me, ‘Joe did you ever do a Mitzvah?’ I will tell the heavenly court and G-d Himself, I gave Rabbi Vigler and his community a shul to pray in.”

I was deeply moved. We live in a world where G-d hides His face and we cannot see G-d clearly. At that moment, here was Joe’s soul being touched. His soul perceived and understood the truth.

To my dear friend Joe, I assure you there is an afterlife. As you stand this week in front of the heavenly court our community is saying a special prayer for you. Together, we have committed to recite the year of kaddish for you and observe your yahrzeit.

In your beautiful space that is our shul, thousands of mitzvot have been performed these last ten years. Prayers have been read, some whispered, some sung in joyful harmony, and others recited somberly. We have recited blessings over food. We lit the menorah in the winter, and read the megilla each spring. As summer approached, we stayed up all night on Shavuot learning Torah. And as the leaves changed color outside, we blew the shofar on Rosh Hashanah and fasted on Yom Kippur.

In your holy space, people have been inspired, and committed to take on mitzvot that were subsequently performed across the globe. Tefillin were wrapped on thousands of arms, and candles were kindled to welcome in Shabbat. These mitzvot, and thousands more, accompanied you as you arrived this week at the Heavenly Court.

In this beautiful place we are blessed to call our Shul, I will always think of you, my dear friend.

May your soul have an aliyah.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Uriel Vigler