Prison Weekly 13 Cheshvan 5770
Shalom
13 Cheshvan 5770
Parashat HaShavuat That's Hebrew for Portion of the week
Torah: Bereshit / Lech Lecha "Get yourself" Genesis 12:1-17:27
The Haftarah is Isaiah 40:27-41:16
Legacy -- Of Threads and Shoelaces
To the victor belong the spoils, but sometimes he's just not interested. Abraham was cut from that cloth. He had just won a fierce war against four powerful Mesopotamian kings who had invaded the land of Canaan. After laying waste to the countryside, the Mesopotamians had carried off the population and wealth of Sodom and set off for home, but Abraham gave chase. He routed the invaders and pursued them all the way to Damascus, and in the process, he liberated the captives and recovered the stolen wealth..
The king of Sodom begged Abraham to keep the wealth, but Abraham absolutely refused. "I will not even take a thread or a shoelace nor anything else that is yours," he declared, "so that you should not be able to say, `I enriched Abraham.'"
The Sages of the Talmud greatly admired Abraham's refusal to accept a reward from the king of Sodom. In fact, they point out, because Abraham spurned the strings and shoelaces of Sodom, his descendants were rewarded with the two commandments of the tzitzith fringes and the tefillin straps.
The commentators, however, are puzzled by the connection. They also wonder why Abraham chose to mention these trivial articles. Why wasn't it enough to say that he would take nothing at all? That certainly would have been perfectly clear. Furthermore, why indeed did he refuse to take them?
The answer, they explain, lies in Abraham's attitude toward his great wealth. He never thought he had been blessed with wealth so that he would be able to indulge all his whims and desires. Rather, he saw himself as a caretaker. He believed that the Almighty had entrusted him with all that wealth so that he could spread sweetness and light in the world and draw people closer to Him. He saw his wealth as a sacred trust that extended even to the smallest part of it, because even the most minute things can be used to bring honor to his name.
Abraham, therefore, specifically mentioned threads and shoelaces to show that everything must be seen as a gift from Hashem. And he refused to accept these things from the king of Sodom, because he was concerned that the king would claim the credit for having given these gifts to Abraham, thereby bringing dishonor to the Name of Hashem.
With profound insight, Abraham had discerned the transcendent value of even the smallest things. The Torah, therefore, rewarded his descendants with the tzitzith fringes and the tefillin straps, seemingly insignificant items which play a very exalted role in connecting people to the Creator and bringing them untold Heavenly blessings.
A young man came to a great sage and asked to be accepted as a disciple. The sage took the young man for a stroll through the garden as they discussed various weighty philosophical and ethical issues.
The young man was very astute and intelligent, and he impressed the sage with his sharp questions and insightful observations.
After an hour, they returned from the garden. The sage shook the young man's hand and said, "Farewell and good luck to you."
The young man was stunned. "Do you mean that you will not accept me as your disciple?"
"That is correct."
"But why? Haven't I passed the test? I thought I had made such a good impression on you."
"Young man," said the sage, "when we were walking in the garden you were pulling leaves off the bushes and tossing them on the ground. Why?"
"I don't know," the young man replied. "What does it matter?"
"That exactly is the problem with you. You think the leaves on the bushes don't matter. But they do. Everything has a purpose, and I assure you that those leaves were not put there for you to destroy so casually.."
In our own lives, we live in a society that pursues riches at breakneck speed with barely a backward glance. Everything is expendable and disposable as long as it gets us from one moment to the next. Nonetheless, it is important that every once in a while we pause and take stock. It is important that we see and appreciate the value in all the little things Hashem has placed in the world as part of His divine plan. And in the end, we may even find that focusing on those little things may actually be the most enriching pursuit of all.
Legacy, Copyright © 2009 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and
Torah.org.Mission Updates:
Greetings, The biggest problem as I have seen it over the last 10 years in Wichita, Ks and the Homeless is this. There are several agencies that deal with the homeless, add the Christian based ones and you find the general problem. What the very people helping the homeless are the problem? (Okay not all are like this but most) Yes you see every time someone does a study or like the last venture with the rallies etc that led to having a task force on Homelessness, the agencies circle their wagons saying "Oh we can care for everyone" hmm why would they say that when all the beds in the city are taken? There is NO ROOM at the Inn for many and general proof is if they can care for everyone and there are enough beds then why do they have to open an overflow EVERY WINTER? When I first started I was literally accused by one Church lady who feed once a week that I was trying to steal her ministry, Heh I was not even feeding on HER day? At the end of the study by the task force that had people on it that had shelters or fed people, the study said that their was only needed 50 more beds in Wichita a number that could be met by currant agencies. Wow, what an un-truth, again go see how many is in the overflow next month, then tell me how many beds are needed. Even with that not all get inside. The Truth is women are desperate in the city of Wichita I know I see them every day we are open. Yes the men to but it is a shame for a woman abused by her husband has to go live in the street and be preyed on! Yes men and more men than women need beds also; many only need temporary beds and a address so they can get help. A safe place to stay for a few weeks until they can find a job if possible. You will always have the poor among you but that does not mean they are to be ignored. 10 years we have been fighting this battle and I still pray for the money to open a full time shelter or as now I just pray to be able to stay open. With all I do for Wichita I get no support. And of course I will get fallout from these guilt agencies, BUT truth is truth! Pray for the homeless in Wichita and pray for our ministry so we can just stay open……..In His Perfect Peace, Pastor Dan Catlin
Nahum 1:2-3 KJV God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
Shalom in Yeshua our Messiah, wow what a very trying month this has been with trial after trial an ending with the closing of our food bag program. I managed to get the bare minimum paid on all the bills however most all of them had doubled and were on shut off notices that I barely made on the shut off dates. I still need 1239.72 to finish paying the Oct. bills that are either past due now or will be as of Oct 31st. I did get the Mission stocked with everything but go plates, toliet paper, trash bags, vegtables and pastas. I will need to make a trip to Aldi's in the next few weeks to get brownie and cake mixes because we will not be getting the free sweets that we were getting from the foodbank any longer. We still owe a bill of about 550.00 that we need to get paid as well. The local sales paper came Wednesday and ground chuck is on sale for 1.49 a pound it takes 12 - 15 pounds to make a meal depending on what I make. Potatoes are also on sale but i do not recall what they are right now.
We did get word that we will be getting a lot of clothing for the clothes room, I'm just praying that it is winter clothing and not summer. WE NEED COATS! Sleeping bags would also be a plus as there are people still outside. The over flow shelter should open up Sunday we;ll see....Please Pray about supporting these works! We really need your help! Yahwheh knows our needs so we just ask that you seek Him to see where He wants you to help and be lead by Him to do His works. We want nothing we are not suppose to have we just want to be able to serve without all the stressfulness of finanances. We love you all and pray you a very restful and peaceful Shabbat. Shalom sisterlinda/Messiah's Branch

