Holidays   Shabbat   Chabad-houses   Chassidism   Subscribe   Calendar   Links

                                  B"H
                                 -----
                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 681
*********************************************************************
                           Copyright (c) 2001
                 Lubavitch Youth Organization - L.Y.O.
                              Brooklyn, NY
                             --------------
                  Electronic version provided free at:
                          www.LchaimWeekly.org
                          --------------------
                    To receive the L'CHAIM by e-mail
                  write to: listserv@LchaimWeekly.org
                              Subscribe W1
*********************************************************************
             THE WEEKLY PUBLICATION FOR EVERY JEWISH PERSON
   Dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson N.E.
*********************************************************************
        August 10, 2001          Eikev               21 Av, 5761
*********************************************************************

                            Summer Vacation

                       by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

Are you planning a trip this summer with the whole family? Or do you
remember when you were younger and you went away during the summer? Each
summer you went up to the mountains or to a little cottage near the
lake. Or did your family go to a different spot each time? Maybe your
family just went for a day-trip into the country. Or maybe you took a
trip to a far-away city to visit relatives.

The trip had many stages, even if it was only for a day. There was the
planning stage right at the beginning at which the ultimate destination
was decided. After all, if you didn't know where you were going you
couldn't possibly proceed with the rest of the plans.

Next came organizing everything and packing up.

Finally you were on your way. Every once in a while the map was checked
to make sure you were staying on course. But within a short while little
voices (whiny voices?) started asking, "When will we be there? Are we
there yet? How much longer?" Your parents reassured you, "We'll be there
soon. Only another few miles (or minutes)." Sometimes Dad pointed to the
clock in the car, or Mom showed you the watch on her wrist, or she even
let you wear the watch so you could see for yourself that since the
minutes were ticking away you were certainly that much closer to your
destination.

As you neared the destination the excitement-and impatience-increased.
Finally, when you were almost there, everyone started recognizing sights
and landmarks that they remembered from past visits or read about in
travel brochures. The directions you were following now were more
explicit. There weren't any more highways to stay on for miles at a
stretch, but street names to find and search for and traffic lights to
count before the right turn. Maybe you didn't know the territory very
well, so you had to be extra cautious not to make a wrong turn; you
didn't want to wind up in the wrong place. The anticipation was
palpable. The air was electric. You could see that you were in a
different place. You could feel that you had nearly reached your
destination.

When G-d created the world He had its ultimate destination in mind-the
Messianic Era when the world would actually become perfect and complete.
Little by little our ancestors started organizing things and started
packing the world's suitcases with a knowledge of a higher purpose for
the world, a transcendence of mundane day-to-day living, and with the
light of Divine morality.

We started our journey, but it's been no vacation; the road has been
bumpy. For the directions given us take us on the road less traveled.
And, as we have traveled, we have been asking in our tiny, little
voices, "When will we be there? Are we there yet? How much longer?"

"We're almost there. We'll be there soon," is the answer. As we near the
final destination-the Messianic Era-our excitement and impatience must
increase. G-d has shown us sights and landmarks -like, for example,
recent disarmament agreements which are a partial fulfillment of the
prophecy of beating swords into plowshares-that we can readily
recog-nize and which we will see even more clearly when we reach the
Redemption.

And the directions G-d has given us, the map He has drawn up for us, are
even more important as we reach our destination. No longer can we speed
along the highways stopping only once in a while to spiritually "fill
'er up." We have to follow the directions more carefully now, making
sure to turn right or left at the correct places.

The anticipation should be palpable. The air should be electric. And it
can be when we open our eyes and see that the world is in a different
place from when it started out. We've nearly reached our destination.
After traveling for thousands of years the Messianic Era is in sight.

                             Adapted from a talk by Rabbi Greenberg

*********************************************************************
           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
*********************************************************************
This week's Torah portion, Eikev, talks of the desert in which the Jews
wandered before entering the Land of Israel. It is described as: "The
great, terrifying desert, where there were snakes, vipers, scorpions and
thirst. Where there was no water..."

The great desert symbolizes our long galut (exile). A desert,
uninhabited by man, is symbolic of the Jewish people in relation to the
other nations of the world. The uninhabited areas of the globe far
outnumber the portions which are populated, in the same way that the
nations of the world far outnumber the Jews. Furthermore, within the
Jewish nation itself, those who observe the Torah and mitzvot are also
vastly outnumbered by those who do not yet observe.

The Torah warns us that the very consideration that the outside world is
"great" is the first step in causing our spiritual exile. Thinking that
because we are outnumbered means that other nations have power over us
creates the possibility that these non-Jewish influences can enter our
lives.

The next spiritual step down is alluded to in the word "terrifying."
This is the fear that the non-Jewish world will find out that we keep
the Torah. This thinking causes a Jew to measure his behavior according
to non-Jewish standards and increases the power of the galut over the
Jewish soul.

The next level down is that of "snake." A snake's "hot poison" alludes
to the heat and enthusiasm which a Jew can have for things which are
really foreign to his essence. When a person's excitement is reserved
solely for physical pleasures, his enthusiasm for the spiritual is
decreased.

From here, the next jump down is to the level of "vipers"--saraf--which
in Hebrew comes from the word "to burn." This is the level on which a
person's whole interest toward the satisfaction of his physical desires
is so great that it completely overshadows any attraction to G-dliness.

But even worse than this is the level of "scorpion." A scorpion's sting
is cold, symbolizing total coldness and indifference to holiness. Heat
and excitement, even if directed toward things which are unworthy, can
eventually be redirected into enthusiasm for holiness. But when a person
is cold to everything, it is much more difficult to inspire him.

The lowest level belongs to the "thirst, where there was no water." G-d,
in His kindness, sometimes causes a Jew to be thirsty for holiness and
Judaism, but if one is very far from Torah (called "water" by our
Sages), he may not recognize what he is thirsting for. This is the
lowest level of our exile.

The antidote to the progression of spiritual degradation is the
avoidance of the first pitfall, that of considering the world to have
unnecessary significance. By having the proper mindset we will merit the
Final Redemption.

                   Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

*********************************************************************
                             SLICE OF LIFE
*********************************************************************

                         From Hungary with Love

                             By Miriam Karp

The Shabbat glow reflected off the wood-paneled dining room. At a pause
in the delicious meal, the Rabbi introduced a poised young woman.

Chava Hoch had spent several months in Machon Chana Women's Institute,
first studying at the Brooklyn, New York campus and then in the summer
campus nestled in the Catskill Mountains. She was preparing to return to
her home in Budapest, Hungary, and shared some reflections with the
varied crowd of teens, young women, and families gathered to share
Shabbat in this beautiful hotel turned family yeshiva camp.

"I was raised in a small Hungarian town, with few Jews, none of them
observant," she began. "I didn't know I was Jewish until I was
eight-years-old. Some classmates chanted 'Heil Hitler' and saluted as a
joke. When I copied them, my father emotionally told me that we were
Jews and I shouldn't do that."

In the intellectual atmosphere of her home, says Chava, she grew up an
aetheist. "I felt that G-d was a soothing father-figure people had
invented to protect them from the fear of death and the unknown. But
that I was stronger than that. In many ways, however, I feel I was given
the basics to later become observant. I was raised to be a thinking,
open-minded, compassionate and sensitive person.

As a teen, Chava became interested in different religions and
philosophies. Through her study of biology, she said she "started to
form a concept of G-d as a structure and energy in the world. Esoteric
concepts and eastern religions drew me. I read the literature of many
cults and groups, and Christian groups tried to involve me. I was a
vegetarian, and perhaps this somewhat kosher diet helped sharpen my
perception, as I rejected them all and kept searching. I moved to the
more cosmopolitan Budapest, where it is more acceptable to be a Jew.
Non-Jewish friends kept asking me if I was celebrating Yom Kippur and
exclaiming that Judaism was so mystical!  Through them I developed an
intellectual curiosity about Judaism, but didn't know how or where to
fill it."

Chava's sister sister showed her a publication of Chabad of Budapest,
and she appreciated the approach. "I subsequently attended Chabad of
Budapest's Yeshivaction program. The main teacher, the Rebbe's emissary
Rabbi Boruch Oberlander, is a real Chasid - smart, giving, and someone
you can count on.  He made concepts in Torah and Chasidut so clear. It
didn't feel like taking on something new, but like opening a curtain so
that I could come home to myself."

The first time Chava decided to light Shabbat candles in her home taught
her a dramatic lesson. "I was so afraid of how my father would react. In
my mind I heard his arguments and all my counter-arguments. I was very
sensitive to my family's opinions, and anticipated disapproval and lack
of respect for my actions.  I lit the candles and ran to my room,
prepared for the storm with all my defense mechanisms on high alert.
When I came out, my father was standing quietly looking at the candles,
crying and visibly moved."

Chava started attending Shabbat services, studying about Judaism, "and
presenting many arguments. I felt I was an 'enemy of the Torah'-that the
Torah was a higher force, and since I recognized its authority I had to
surrender to it, and do things I didn't really want to. I came to
America to study for six weeks in the Ivy League Torah Study Program,
and continued in this vein of learning and struggling.

"I returned to Hungary and after a year and a half Rabbi Oberlander and
his wife Batsheva saw that I needed to spend some time totally immersed
in an uplifting Torah environment. In Hungary, it was hard to solidify
my growth. So few people live a Torah life there and I was constantly
bombarded with questions like, 'Why are you making your life harder?
Who says  this is G-d's will?' No one would give me credit for all the
intellectual searching I had done to reach this point. They thought I
was brainwashed."

It was hard for Chava to see the necessity of time in Yeshiva. "I had my
job teaching handicapped children, my apartment, my friends, my cell
phone! Why should I travel so far and have to make so many adjustments?"

Rabbi Oberlander explained that if Chava would want to give her children
even a lukewarm Jewish experience, she needed to "spend some time in a
stoked furnace, so I would have the source and heat to draw from. I
trust Rabbi Oberlander and eventually decided, 'Why not take a few
months and get a spiritual infusion?'"

Chava says that once she decided to go, G-d eased the way. "I lost some
of my students so it was easier to leave without feeling tied to my job.
'Maybe it is time to leave the country' I realized, and I saw how G-d
meets you as soon as you go out of your boundaries and make the first
step."

Uprooting herself and coming to Machon Chana was not easy. "But," says
Chava, "I am very satisfied and had a very positive learning experience.
I feel I got what I came for: deep spirituality, answers to my
questions, a beautiful philosophy- not guilt, rather light and
love-centered. I knew I could only get this from Chabad-joy and life in
the mitzvot. I gained an inner security, so that I have the persistence
and courage to know I'm on the right path. I now feel I'm a 'friend of
the Torah,' and know how to strengthen my friendship and become more one
with her. I now understand why an immersion is important -  to 'fill my
backpack.' Then I can take it out bit by bit and nurture it in Hungary.

"In the Grace After Meals we ask to find favor in the eyes of G-d and
man. I think of this often. I want to be successful in the eyes of G-d
first, serving Him correctly with a good heart. Secondly, in the eyes of
man is also important. If I'm not serving G-d the right way, a sign will
be that it's displeasing to man.  I want to approach my friends the
right way, show them that I'm still a thinking person and not alienate
them, rather add to their lives."

The hushed dining room attested to the impact of Chava's words. All were
touched by her story of search and growth.

     For more information about Machon Chana call (718) 735-0030 or
                                          visit www.machonchana.org

*********************************************************************
                               WHAT'S NEW
*********************************************************************
                        Have Candles Will Travel

What do you do when you're travelling and aren't sure when to light
Shabbat candles and what time Shabbat begins? The Lubavitch Women's
Organization Candle-lighting campaign has an automated telephone system
that can be reached at (718) 774-3000. Just key in your zip code and
you'll hear the time for candle-lighting in that location. Or you can
visit  www.CandleLightingTimes.org/shabbos/ to find out Shabbat
candle-lighting times for locations around the world. Of course, you can
also call the local Chabad-Lubavitch Center and one of the Rebbe's
thousands of emissaries will be happy to help you.

*********************************************************************
                            THE REBBE WRITES
*********************************************************************
                The date of this letter was unavailable

...You write that although many apparent contradictions between religion
and science have been explained to you in a way that they could be
individually acceptable to you, you find it hard to accept them in
total. You attribute this difficulty to your background, which taught
you to think for yourself at every phase, having been brought up in a
public school and high school, instead of in a Yeshivah atmosphere. But
it is not your being trained to think for yourself that is your
difficulty, but rather your inability to think straight in this matter,
because of the prejudice which was acquired - consciously and even more
subconsciously during these formative years, which you spent in an
atmosphere which was alien to the point of view of the Torah, while the
Torah viewpoint has come to you only recently.

It is therefore not surprising that whenever any detail comes up which
apparently is in conflict with your former attitude, you find it
difficult to accept, in the belief that everything must strictly conform
to your former viewpoint, without stopping to examine what of that
view-point represents truly scientific criteria.

I believe I once pointed out to you that the behavior of any individual
is, in 90% or more of his actions, determined not by rational
afterthought, but habit and faith in the authority of other people. Just
consider your own actions, from the moment of your awakening in the
morning until you go to sleep at night, and ask yourself which and how
many of them you perform on the basis of scientific analysis or any kind
of premeditation?

And here is another point to bear in mind. Precisely from the point of
view of modern science - more than at any time in the past - it is clear
that there can be no real conflict whatsoever between science and faith.
Modern science upholds the view that there is no longer any immutable
physical laws, that everything is relative, and that the so-called laws
are no more than probabilities.

Modern science no longer claims absolute certainty in the physical
world. The fact that a certain thing behaves in a certain way today, is
no conclusive evidence that the same thing behaved in the same way 5000
to 6000 years ago, or that it will behave the same way a thousand years
hence unless all other things are equal, including all external physical
conditions of atmosphere, outer space, temperature, pressure, etc., not
to mention human nature which is also changeable. And even then, all
things being equal, modern science will say that the past behavior of a
certain thing in a certain way offers us no certainty that it will
behave that way, but only the "chances" are that it will.

Clearly, therefore, modern science cannot presume to judge with any
degree of certainty the truths which our religion proclaims. The most
science could say is that these truths are more or less probable.
Obviously, there is no room here to speak of any conflict between
science and faith.

Finally to refer to your statement that your attitude to Yiddishkeit is
based on your faith in a certain person, let me say that in truth this
is no means the whole story. To illustrate:

If a spark sets off a powder-keg, the resulting explosion in all its
force cannot be attributed to the spark "exclusively", for the spark was
no more than the immediate cause setting off the reaction. The energy
released was already contained in the powder-keg. Similarly, every Jew
already contains a Divine soul and all the potential energy, except that
it is sometimes inactive, or that it is only active in a limited way.
When it comes in contact with a person, or with an event or an
experience, which sets in motion a chain reaction releasing the
potential energy already contained in the Divine soul, the reaction is
indeed deep-rooted and by no means dependent on the external cause.

I send you my personal wishes for growing faith in G-d, Whose Divine
Providence extends to everyone individually, and that you strengthen
your bonds with the Source of all life and all good, that is G-d,
through the daily observance of the Torah and Mitzvos, which will give
you peace of mind, true happiness and success in all your undertakings.

With blessing,

*********************************************************************
                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
*********************************************************************
22 Av 5761

Positive mitzva 102: garments contaminated by leprosy

By this injunction we are commanded concerning the spiritual uncleanness
of a garment affected by leprosy (Lev. 13: 47-59). [The Biblical plague
of leprosy is not synonymous with the modern disease.] It includes all
the regulations on how garments become unclean and cause uncleanness;
which ones need segregation or tearing, burning, washing, cleansing,
etc.

*********************************************************************
                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
*********************************************************************
This Shabbat afternoon we will study Chapter 5 of Ethics of the Fathers.
In this Chapter, the Mishna enumerates many things associated with the
number ten: ten utterances, ten generations, ten trials, ten miracles,
etc. Surprisingly, missing from all these "tens" are the Ten
Commandments, which one might logically think belong in this grouping.

The Ten Commandments are symbolic of the Torah. Despite the fact that
everything in the world is derived from Torah, the Torah is nonetheless
"higher" than creation. The Ten Commandments thus cannot be included in
the same category of items enumerated by the Mishna.

The Mishna doesn't limit itself to natural phenomena; indeed, it
mentions the "ten miracles" that were associated with the Holy Temple in
Jerusalem, the location on earth where the Divine Presence was
manifested.  However, the Ten Commandments are even more elevated than
that.

The Holy Temple is the place where the physical world attains its
perfection, "a dwelling place for G-d in the lower realms." The Torah,
however, preceded the world, and is thus on a higher level than even the
Temple. The Torah and G-d are a single entity. In the same way that it
would be ludicrous to say that G-d exists for any other reason, so too
is the Torah its own objective.

Everything in Torah contains a directive to be applied in our Divine
service. These lessons can be derived from what is said, as well as from
what is not said. The omission of the Ten Commandments from this Mishna
teaches the following:

The highest level of Torah study is when a Jew learns Torah for its own
sake. When a Jew is motivated by any other incentive, be it physical or
spiritual, his objective will be limited and by extension, his learning,
too.

However, when a Jews learns Torah for its own sake, he is no longer
limited, and his learning will also be boundless and unlimited. This is
the ultimate level of Torah study for which every Jew should strive.

*********************************************************************
                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
*********************************************************************
If you will say in your heart: These nations are more than I; how can I
dispossess them? [Then] you will not be afraid of them (Deut. 7:17-18)

It is only when a Jew admits that that nations of the world are more
physically powerful than he, and that only with G-d's help can he
prevail, that he will cease being afraid...

                                                           (Shaloh)

                                *  *  *


And he afflicted you, and suffered you to hunger, and fed you with the
manna (Deut. 8:3)

Even though the manna could assume the taste of any delicacy in the
world, the Jews still complained to Moses, "Our soul is dried away,
there is nothing at all, we have only the manna to look to." Because
they could not actually see the different foods they were eating (the
manna always looked the same), it contained an element of "affliction"
and "suffering"; moreover, this inability to see prevented them from
being fully sated. From this we learn that lighting Shabbat candles,
i.e., making sure there is enough illumination at the table, enhances
our pleasure of the Shabbat meal.

                                                        (The Chida)

                                *  *  *


And He fed you with the manna...that He might make you know that not by
bread alone does man live (Deut. 8:3)

In the same way that when the Jews in the desert ate the manna ("bread
from heaven") they recognized that they were being sustained in a
miraculous manner, so too must we be aware that it is not the physical
"bread from the earth" that nourishes us, but the G-dly spark it
contains.

                                                   (Keter Shem Tov)

*********************************************************************
                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
*********************************************************************
Rabbi Yisrael of Rizhin, a Chasidic Rebbe of the Ukraine, lived during
the reign of Czar Nicholas. In those days, there were opponents to the
Chasidic movement who did not hesitate to bring damaging accusations to
the Russian Government. When an accusation of disloyalty of any Chasidic
Rebbe reached the Czar, the Czar took it very seriously.

Once, when the Czar heard that the Rizhiner Rebbe did not recognize his
authority, and, in fact, held him in contempt, the Czar dispatched a
secret agent to Rizhin to ascertain the facts.

One of the high ranking advisors in the Royal Court was a renegade Jew,
who readily agreed to act as a spy. He arrived in Rizhin, supposedly as
a successful businessman. He made his way to the study hall, where he
treated everyone to drinks and refreshments. After everyone had a number
of "l'chaims," he began to talk about how his business ventures were
being hampered by the troublesome government. He looked around, waiting
to hear some of his listeners agree with him, but no one said a single
word.

The spy kept up this pretense for several days, and yet, no one ever
agreed with his condemnation of the Czar. When the "businessman" finally
entered the Rebbe's room for his private audience, he began bewailing
the fact that his business ventures were being unfairly taxed by the
government.

Giving the visitor a penetrating look, the Rizhiner Rebbe responded with
the following story:

There was once a Jewish innkeeper who lived in a small town, far away
from other Jewish families. The innkeeper had a young son, Yosef, who,
having no Jewish friends nearby, played with the handyman's son. The
father arranged for a teacher to come and teach the son to read Hebrew,
pray, and study Torah. The handyman's son, Stephan, used to sit in on
those lessons.

Stephan showed such an interest in the Jewish studies that he attended
every lesson. When Yosef was old enough to get married, the innkeeper
arranged for a matchmaker to meet Yosef. Stephan was there with Yosef
and remained present during the interview. When the matchmaker asked
Yosef questions of Jewish knowledge, Stephan was always first with the
answers.

When the innkeeper saw what was happening, he decided he had to separate
Yosef from Stephan. He saw no other way than to discharge his handyman.
The handyman protested that  his son was old enough to go off on his
own. To this the innkeeper agreed.

Stephan began to wander, pretending to be a Jewish orphan, knowing that
kind Jews would befriend him. Whenever he went to a new town, he would
go into the study hall, pick up a Talmud, and begin studying it. Someone
would inevitably befriend the "orphan" and invite him to a meal.

Many years passed thus. One day Stephan reached a big city where there
was a commotion going on. The custom of this city was to choose a new
king every three years and that the king had to be a stranger. The
citizens reasoned that such a king would thus have no favorites amongst
the inhabitants and would rule with equal justice for all.

Stephan hurried off to the palace, presented himself as a candidate,
passed all the tests and was crowned as the new king. Not long after
being coronated, Stephan began issuing severe decrees against the Jews.
Eventually he decreed that all Jews had to leave the kingdom within
twelve months.

The chief rabbi of the city proclaimed a fast and ordered everyone into
the synagogues for communal prayers. On the fourth day, the rabbi sent
for the leading members of the Jewish community and told them it had
been revealed to him in a dream that in a distant land, there was a
young innkeeper who would be the one who could influence the king to
annul his decree. To everyone's astonishment, it so happened that each
member had the very same dream!

The young innkeeper was eventually found and agreed to return with them
to see if he could help the Jewish community in any way.

The Jewish delegation and the innkeeper appeared before the king. When
the king saw the innkeeper, he embraced him. "Don't you remember me,
Yosef?" asked the king. "I am your old friend Stephan. Look what has
become of me because I was forced to leave your home," he said with a
chuckle.

"Now, what can I do for you?" he asked sincerely.

Yosef asked the king to permit the Jews to remain in his kingdom.

"Believe me," said Stephan, "I have nothing against the Jews. They are
good, kind people and are loyal to this country. But, every once in a
while I get an overwhelming urge to persecute them. I don't know why."

The chief rabbi explained: "Our Torah teaches us that the hearts of
kings and princes are in the hand of G-d. The way the king treats the
Jews reflects their behavior toward G-d. That is why the Jews never pray
for a new king. Because there is never any certainty that the new king
will be any better..."

With this, the Rizhiner Rebbe looked straight into the eyes of his
visitor and said, "Go and tell those who sent you here that all the
accusations against Jews of being unfaithful to the king are false. Jews
are always loyal citizens and pray for the welfare of the rulers and of
the country in which they live."

*********************************************************************
                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
*********************************************************************
The ultimate promise [of Redemption] is not limited to the Jewish people
alone. The redemption of the Jew is closely linked to the emancipation
of all humanity as well as the destruction of evil and tyranny. It is
the first step in man's return to G-d, where all mankind will be united
into "a single band" to fulfill G-d's purpose. This is the "Kingdom of
the Alm-ghty" in the Messianic Era.

                           (The Real Messiah by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan)

*********************************************************************
                 END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 681 - Eikev 5761
*********************************************************************