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This email dedicated by: Ms. Debra Drew In memory of Patricia Ruth Beebe To dedicate an email, click here Iyar 27, 5771 · May 31, 2011 Editor's Note: "Lift" is a delightfully elastic word. It normally means to make something go up. In England it is a box that—with the help of pulleys and weights—can transport you to various floors of a building (interestingly, it can take you both up and down). In some parts of the world, it can mean a soft drink made by Coca-Cola (thanks, Wikipedia!). For a thief it means to pilfer something surreptitiously from a store (think "shoplift"). For a guy at the side of the road with his thumb out, it means a spot in the back of your car (think "can I have a lift?"). And to those with saggy faces, it can mean a chance to look twenty years younger (think "facelift"). In this week's Torah portion we learn about another sort of lift. In the midst of a nationwide census, G‑d tells Moses to count the Levite clan of Gershon, employing the words, "Lift up the head of the people of Gershon." When each individual is counted, he is uplifted. No longer an isolated little guy, he is part of a tribe, a clan, a nation. He is one of the many individuals who together make up the 600,000 members of G‑d's chosen people. And when the little guys are uplifted, the "head"—Moses and the other leaders— are given a lift as well. Now, go and have an uplifting read. Menachem Posner, on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team This Week's Features Printable Magazine The Big Picture Tevye’s Query Fiddler on the Roof’s enormous popularity has nothing to do with metaphysical content. Nonetheless, we find one of the most enigmatic issues in religious thought expressed by Tevye the milkman . . . By Yaakov Brawer Infinity in Disguise When you turn it over a few times and rub it between your fingers, everything in our world turns out to contain something of the infinite. By Tzvi Freeman The Great Voice Why was G‑d’s voice confined to the Sanctuary? By Yitschak Meir Kagan Personal Whispers of the Baobab Tree I would recall the bare beauty of the tree, and wonder again why G‑d had left the tree upside-down. What could an inverted tree possibly contribute to the world? By Rhona Lewis Every Child Has His Own Song Exhausted and breathless, I couldn’t sing anymore. But I didn’t have to; the first cry of the baby as he emerged into the world was a beautiful song in itself... By Elana Mizrahi Dignity Dignity. What a word. What a concept. What exactly did it mean? How could you lose it? Where can you find it? By Jay Litvin Call Me Classic It’s got to be one of the toughest marketing problems of all time: selling Orthodox Judaism. You’ve got all this long black stuff. And then there are the hats . . . By Matt Lipeles Recovery Reacting to Another’s Downfall It seems that the sages knew quite a bit about alcoholics. Who has been as ready to find fault in others as we have been? By Rabbi Ben A. Feature Video We Need Justice! Renowned Nazi-hunter Tuvia Friedman reveals the Rebbe’s role in his life’s work (circa 1970).  Watch Stories to Share A Joyous Divorce Just as they had celebrated their marriage with joy, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai told the couple, so should their divorce be celebrated in joy. Midrash Rabbah, Shir HaShirim 1 The Problem “Just a minute! Wait!” cried the young man, panting to catch his breath. “You can’t go yet! You must tell me the answer!” By Tuvia Bolton The Wandering Storyteller Try as he might, the storyteller could not remember a single tale. Perhaps he was going mad? By Tuvia Bolton Info Please When is the next Jubilee year? Although the Jubilee year is currently not observed, the reasons for this are complex and involve many different opinions. By Baruch S. Davidson Can a bar/bat mitzvah be postponed or advanced? My son is turning thirteen in January, and my daughter will become twelve two months later. We would like to have a joint celebration . . . By Chani Benjaminson Can I delete G‑d’s name on a computer screen? Most authorities deem a computer screen and its contents, even the name of G‑d or words of Torah, to have no sanctity. By Vidal Bekerman On Being Jewish Why Is Conversion to Judaism So Hard? There are many Jews who don’t observe anything Jewish, yet the rabbis demand full observance to become a Jew. Is that fair? By Tzvi Freeman The E-Z Pass to Love How can self-interested human beings love one another altrusitically? By Mendel Kalmenson Passing the Buck I stood outside staring at the dollar bill. I wondered why he wanted me to take his money. He could make a donation himself, right? By Samantha Barnett Nazirites and Nunneries The Talmud suggests that because the nazirite denies himself pleasure, he is considered “sinful.” But why should it be wrong to deny oneself? By Yossy Goldman Is Confession a Jewish Thing? The power and beauty of Jewish confession is not that we shame ourselves before others, but that we shame the evil inclination before our true selves. By Mendel Kalmenson Focus on the Priestly Blessing The Priestly Blessing Who blesses and when, the preparations, the procedure, the congregation's role, and the Kabbalah behind it all. By Naftali Silberberg Birkat Kohanim Melody This wonderful, inspiring tune for Birkat Kohanim originates with the famed “kapelye” (musical group) of the second Chabad rebbe, Rabbi Dovber. By Avraham Fried  Download    Listen (5:48) The Priestly Blessing The kohanim remove their shoes and extend their hands, fingers parted and palms stretched outwards. What is the deeper significance of this celestial ritual? By Lazer Gurkow From Our Favorite Lectures Parshah Class: Naso Get a detailed overview of the weekly Torah portion sewn together with keen insights and timely life messages. By Baruch Epstein  Download    Listen (54:22) Counting the Omer Lesson 6: Commitment The attribute of Yesod (literally “foundation”) is the ability to make a decision and commit to carrying it out. By Chana Rachel Schusterman  Watch (15:00) Torah Gems - Naso Experience the gems of the Parshah with the classic commentaries and a Kabbalistic twist. By Elimelech Silberberg  Download    Listen (64:45) Parshah in a Nutshell Naso The wayward wife, the life of the Nazir (no grape products, long hair, no contact with the dead), blessing priests and donor princes . . .