Welcome to the Kollel Connection.  We welcome your feedback.

The Kollel connection is dedicated this week in honor of the birth of a baby boy in Israel to Naomi and Asher, special mazel tov to the proud grandparents Mel and Arlette  Twersky. Mazel tov also to Mr. and Mrs. Moshe Rothenberg, on the birth and bris of their baby boy in Yerushalayim. Special mazel tov to the grandparents, Mr and Mrs. Harry Rothenberg, and to Allen and Barbara Rothenberg. May you all only have nachas from many years to come!!!   

This week we read Parshas Ki Sisa. In the Parsha we read the story of the golden calf. Nachmanidies explains that the request of the Jewish people as a whole to have an image, was not to have a Deity that they would worship instead of Hashem. Rather, they wanted an image that could lead them as they traveled throughout the desert, to replace Moshe as he thought he had died. 
If so, who did worship this as a Deity? It’s clear from the wording of the Torah, that it was not the masses of observant Jews. Rather it was the group called the eruv rav, those multitudes who came along with the Jews when they left Egypt. They were the ones who worshiped this golden calf, and they were the ones who tried to convince the Jews to worship it. 
When the Jews who had worshipped the golden calf as a Deity were later on put to death, the Torah tells us that there were around 3,000 men. Percentage wise, this is .5 percent. Yet, Moses tells them that their sin is so great that from now on, every punishment that comes upon the Jews will have an element of punishment from this sin. Why are all Jews blamed for this sin?
The simple lesson that we learn from here is our responsibility to other Jews. We can never say or think, “Big deal! Let them do what they want”!!! Such an attitude is contrary to the most basic values of the    Jewish people. We have to try to instill in ourselves, in our children, in our families and in the Jewish people, the sense that we are responsible for each other, we must ensure that all of our fellow Jews are doing what they are supposed to do, and help them change to do what’s right. Let’s try now!!!!

  Please enjoy this link from the Travelling Chassidim with a short message on the Torah Portion:  

https://youtu.be/-SEG9coaryg

Rabbi Moshe Travitsky​

Have a Great Shabbos!!!!!! 

 

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