Dear Friend,

Journeys

Shalom Y'all,

Southern Oklahoma is experiencing something phenomenal. In place of the usual summer vacation they packed a bag and came to Southern Oklahoma. They came from Austin, Detroit, Chicago and El Paso each one of them children of the Rebbe’s emissaries continuing to follow in the footsteps of the vita l work that their parents are involved in. Their itinerary of the past and upcoming weeks reads like the Torah portion we read this week in Shul. These are the journeys of the children of Israel who left the land of Egypt in their legions, under the charge of Moses and Aaron... The children of Israel journeyed from Rameses and camped in Succoth … They journeyed from Succoth and camped in Etham …  They journeyed from Etham and camped in Pi hahiroth …

Amarillo … Ardmore … Guthrie … Lawton … Seminole … Shawnee …  jus to name a few.
And already they have shared knowledge , wisdom, kindness, compassion, uplift, cheer hope to countless of individuals and they’re not even halfway done. We are thankful to Rabbi's; Berel, Chaim Meir, Levi, Schneur. If you know someone who would benefit form a visit by the young Rabbis of the Richard and Glenna Tanenbaum Rabbinic Internship Program please e-mail us. Also don’t miss the opportunity to be part of the Wednesday evening study they are offering the next two Wednesday’s 7-8PM

Shabat Shalom, 
Rabbi Ovadia Goldman

"Your brothers go into battle and you will sit here?" 

By Zalman Posner

Before Israel crossed the Jordan into Canaan, several tribes approached Moses for permission to remain in trans-Jordan. They were shepherds and that land had excellent pasture. Moses retorted sharply to them, "Your brothers go into battle and you will sit here?" (Numbers 32:6). Here a familiar integral theme of Torah recurs.

Anyone living in comfort and security finds it difficult to realize the situation of those in want and peril. We may read of famines in India and sympathetically nod, Living in comfort and security, it is difficult to realize the situation of those in want and perilbut undismayed we will turn to the next item in the newspapers and with little appreciable loss of appetite will sit at the dinner table. Only a person of responsibility to mankind, one with rare compassion will be moved enough to share his good with the deprived, even more, to share the troubles of the unfortunate.

With Israel especially, one Jew's peril is every Jew's concern. No Jew anywhere in the world can hide behind a golden curtain, depending on wealth or status to insulate him from the problems plaguing other Jews. We may have great flocks and have found rich pasturage, but while our brothers are in peril we cannot enjoy peace obliviously.

Don’t take the world and its darkness so seriously—it is not as real as it feigns to be. It is only a creation and it is being re-created out of absolutely nothing at every moment. The only thing real about it is its purpose of being—that you should purify it.

The Rebbe.