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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 855
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                           Copyright (c) 2005
                 Lubavitch Youth Organization - L.Y.O.
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             THE WEEKLY PUBLICATION FOR EVERY JEWISH PERSON
   Dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson N.E.
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        January 28, 2005         Yisro           18 Shevat, 5765
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                           The Spice of Life

Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson (wife of the Lubavitcher Rebbe) passed
away 17 years ago on the 22nd of Shevat (corresponding this year to Feb.
1). L'Chaim was established during the 30-day mourning period after her
passing, to honor her memory and continue the work to which she devoted
her life - spreading the teachings of Chasidism and encouraging others
to learn and grow Jewishly.

Our Sages tell us that a person's name alludes to the essence of the
soul. In the case of the Rebbetzin, her name also alludes to a spiritual
responsibility incumbent upon us.

Many people, of course, are familiar with the meaning of her first name,
Chaya. It comes from the same root as the word for "life" - chayim. The
name Mushka, though, is Yiddish and means a delightful aroma that gives
pleasure. Together, the two names can be read to indicate "the spice of
life" - instilling and infusing the physical and ordinary with the sweet
smell of spiritual delight.

Chasidic teachings tell us that our souls come into a body to fulfill a
purpose - a two-fold purpose. One, we are to serve G-d with joy, and
two, that service should elevate the mundane, transforming the world
into a dwelling for the Divine. The Rebbetzin, in the way she lived and
the example she set, and even in her name, taught us how to fulfill our
life's purpose.

The Rebbetzin was an extremely learned woman as well as a righteous
woman. And she encouraged others to study, both the revealed aspects of
Torah - the laws, customs, traditions, etc. - and the mystical aspects
as explained by Chasidism.

She gained her knowledge at a time when educational opportunities for
women were severely limited, unlike today when there are many Jewish
schools for girls, some of which even bear the Rebbetzin's name.

But the Rebbetzin not only understood the importance of Jewish
education, she exemplified it. And this leads us to an essential
consideration.

On the yatrzeit of a tzadik - the anniversary of the passing of a
righteous individual - it is customary to increase, even if only a
little, one's Jewish involvement. One can add to the regular amount of
charity given, one can observe a mitzva a little better or a little more
regularly, etc.

As the Rebbetzin understood and exemplified Jewish education, it seems
appropriate in honor of the Rebbetzin's yartzeit, to find ways to
increase, even if just a little, Jewish education in general, and that
of girls in particular.

Now, more than ever, every Jewish girl and woman, regardless of
background, level of observance, outlook - even regardless of attitude!
- deserves the most intense Jewish education she can receive. Whether we
are supporters (giving money or time), educators, students ourselves, or
in a position to influence a prospective student, we should all try to
make an extra effort in this area. We will surely be rewarded for our
efforts by adding the "spice of life" to our own lives and those of our
loved ones. L'Chaim!

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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How can a limited mortal relate to an unlimited G-d? If He is G-d, He
is, by definition, infinite and unbounded, and thus above our
comprehension. How then can we establish a connection to Him?

Our Sages focused on this question in the Midrash, stating that before
the giving of the Torah, the spiritual status of the world could be
described by the verse "The heavens are the heavens of G-d, but the
earth He gave to man." The heavens, the spiritual realms, were
self-contained; they had no influence on the material realm. And
mankind, living as we do in the earthly realm, had no way of tapping
into the spiritual.

At the Giving of the Torah, which we read about in this week's portion
Yitro, this changed. G-d allowed for communication between these two
realms. Thus it is written: "And G-d descended on Mt. Sinai." G-d made
Himself manifest and accessible to mankind. And it is also written: "And
Moses ascended unto G-d," i.e., we were given the opportunity to elevate
ourselves and our surrounding environment and endow it with spiritual
content.

At Sinai, G-d gave us the Torah to immortalize this experience. Sinai
thus became not a one-time event, but rather the establishment of a
channel that continues to enable man and G-d to relate to each other.

The Torah contains teachings that brings G-d within reach of our
understanding, for He has invested Himself in the Torah and its laws.
When a person studies a law from the Talmud, what he is in effect doing
is understanding G-d's essence. That infinite dimension which no mortal
can grasp has been concentrated within the Torah's teachings.

To hint at the ongoing dimension of G-d's revelation at Sinai, our Sages
stated: "G-d's voice did not have an echo." Instead of rebounding, G-d's
voice permeated the material substance of the world. From that moment
onward, "The Torah is not in the heavens," but part of the environment
in which we live.

This revelation is complemented by the mitzvot (commandments) which
gives us guidelines with which we can conduct our lives in a G-dly
manner and relate our actions to Him. This in fact is the source of the
word mitzva which relates to the Aramaic word "tzavta" meaning
"connection." The Torah gives us an opportunity to relate to G-d through
our minds. Through the mitzvos, not only our feelings and our thoughts,
but also our deeds can be brought into connection with Him.

In this manner, the revelation at Sinai becomes not only a story of
history, but an event which has immediate relevance to our lives today.
For this reason, in the blessings we recite each day before Torah study,
we refer to G-d as "the Giver of the Torah," using a present tense form.
And the present leads to the future, when we will witness the
culmination of the process begun at Sinai with the coming of Moshiach.

         From Keeping In Touch by Rabbi E. Touger, adapted from the
                                     works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                     The Strength of the Foundation
                          by Rabbi Shmuel Lew

Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson was the mainstay of her home. As her
husband, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, said numerous times, the physical
foundation of the home is not visible, yet on the foundation rests the
entire building. The outward appearance of the foundation is not
important. What is important is its strength.

In truth, we knew very little about the Rebbetzin. She kept very much to
herself. When she went to "770" (Lubavitch World Heaquarters on Eastern
Parkway in Brooklyn) in order to visit her mother or her sister, she
went in only when she saw that nobody was around. Everything about her
was expressed through modesty. Yet the Rebbetzin is truly the foundation
of Chabad-Lubavitch.

After the passing of her father, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, the
Chasidim begged her husband to take over the leadership of
Chabad-Lubavitch. However, he refused. The Rebbetzin prevailed upon the
Rebbe to accept. She said, "I cannot allow 30 years of my father's
self-sacrifice to go to waste." This is what convinced the Rebbe. She
knew very well what this would mean to her private life, but she gave
her husband and her personal life to the Jewish people.

My father-in-law, Reb Zalman Jaffe, (o.b.m.) was from Manchester,
England. He and his wife, my mother-in-law, were privileged to have a
unique and close relationship with the Rebbe.

Once, when Reb Zalman was in New York for the festival of Shavuot, he
was invited to partake of a holiday meal with the Rebbe in the apartment
of the Previous Rebbe. Before returning to Manchester, Reb Zalman and
his wife had a private audience with the Rebbe. At that time, the Rebbe
asked my mother-in-law, "Mrs. Jaffe, did you give your husband
permission to have the meal with me and not with you?"

She said that she had. Then the Rebbe asked, "You didn't mind?"

Mrs. Jaffe answered, "When I saw that the Rebbetzin forwent a meal with
the Rebbe, I also agreed - and happily, too."

The Rebbe said, "The Rebbetzin has been agreeing for 40 years now!"

Before our wedding, my father-in-law asked the Rebbe whether we could
invite the Rebbetzin to the wedding. The Rebbe told Reb Zalman that he
was welcome to invite her and that she would be happy that she was
invited. She would participate spiritually but the Rebbetzin does not
attend public events.

The day came when I was invited to visit the Rebbetzin with my fiance,
future in-laws, and other family members. I remember how my heart
pounded. My awe increased as we went up the steps of the house. We
knocked on the door and the Rebbetzin herself opened it. I thought I
would faint.

We entered and sat near the table, which had been set luxuriously. There
were tiny, gold forks and each glass had a glass straw. The Rebbetzin
asked me to serve the drinks, and I took the bottle and began to pour.
You can well imagine how nervous I was. I didn't want to break the
glasses but I forgot that each glass had a glass straw. I suddenly put
my hand down and banged a glass straw, which tipped over the glass and
the drink that was in it. I blushed and wondered where I might find a
hole that I could hide myself in. The Rebbetzin immediately said that it
was a sign of blessing. She knew exactly what to say to make light of my
nervous clumsiness.

The Rebbetzin often visited a library in Manhattan. Once, when she
presented her card, the librarian saw the name on it and asked, "Are you
related to the famous rebbe in Brooklyn?"

The Rebbetzin said she was.

"How are you related?"

"He is my husband," said the Rebbetzin.

The librarian began to complain to her about the Rebbe. She said that
she had no children and "with great effort, I went to the Rebbe two
years ago and asked him for a blessing for a child. The Rebbe blessed me
and said I needed to commit to some mitzva, since a blessing is like
rain and it needs a vessel to hold it. I told the Rebbe I would light
candles Friday night. Two years have gone by and I still haven't had a
child!"

The Rebbetzin calmed her down and said, "I don't have children either."

The librarian burst into tears and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm a Holocaust
survivor and I was in concentration camps, and I am the sole survivor of
my family. That's why it's so important to me to have children, so that
the family will live on."

The Rebbetzin asked, "What exactly did my husband say to you?"

The librarian answered, "He said I should light Shabbos candles."

"Are you doing so?"

"Yes!"

"How do you do it?" inquired the Rebbetzin.

"Every Friday I light candles when my husband comes home from work,
around seven or eight o'clock."

The Rebbetzin explained that Shabbos candles must be lit before sunset.
"Commit to lighting the Shabbos candles properly," she suggested.

The librarian agreed to do so and ten months later she had a son. She
stayed in touch with the Rebbetzin and even visited her.

There is a young couple who are part of the corps of nearly 3,000
emissaries (shluchim) of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The couple had the
privilege of receiving a blessing from the Rebbetzin before their
marriage.

During their visit, the Rebbetzin asked the groom, "Are you the grandson
of the chasid, Rabbi- ?"

When the young man answered affirmatively, the Rebbetzin said, "Very
good, because now I'm sure that your children will speak Yiddish."

Though many years passed after they were married and they did not have
children, the couple did not dispair. "We were not worried because the
Rebbetzin had said that we would speak Yiddish to our children, and in
order to do so we had to have children. We were also sure that we would
have more than one child, because the Rebbetzin had said 'children.' We
didn't lose hope for a moment, since we had the Rebbetzin's blessing,"
says the emissary.

A number of years ago, after 14 years of marriage, the couple had twins,
a boy and a girl. They are named Menachem Mendel and Chaya Mushka.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                 Freely translated letters of the Rebbe
                         18 Kislev, 5706 [1945]

Greetings and blessings,

You are the only person in your city with whom we are acquainted who
realizes his responsibility for Jewish education in your city in general
and in particular, for the existence of educational institutions that
are under the presidency of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita.
For this reason, we are turning to you with regard to the following
matter.

You are certainly aware that last year, we agreed to open a girls'
school with the name Beis Rivkah or Beis Sarah in Dorchester under the
administration of Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch. In making our decision, we
relied on the assumption that our friends there would endeavor to gather
the financial resources necessary for the expenses of the school,
enabling the school to maintain itself independently. We agreed to give
the school a certain portion of its budget as a loan for a short time so
that it could pay its teachers' salaries on time.

Now enough time has passed for the financial situation of the school to
be established, and yet to our chagrin, we are being informed only about
expenses and not about income. Nor do we see the necessary concern that
the matter be righted.

The expenses of the school are not that great. When the tuition paid by
the students is considered, it appears that it should not be difficult
to raise the necessary sum through establishing a ladies' auxiliary for
the school or through raising income from other sources....

You certainly realize that the responsibility for the education of girls
is very great, as reflected by the verse: "The wise among women builds
her house"; see also Shmos Rabbah, ch. 28, which states that the
perpetuation of the giving of the Torah is dependent on women. In
addition, the existence of all the institutions of proper Torah
education and their success in educating students is largely dependent
on the existence of girls' schools.

We request that despite your many involvements, you immediately gather
the financial resources necessary to establish the fiscal situation of
the girls school. Since there are no others to stand at the head of this
institution, this holy task has certainly been delegated to you. And
thus you have also been given the powers to fulfill this mission.

We await your prompt response...

                                *  *  *

                         7 Adar I, 5708 [1948]


Greetings and blessings,

You have certainly been informed about the girls' schools that have been
founded by my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita. One of them is
located in the city of Prague. Now that R. Shalom Mendel Kalmanson, who
invested effort in the improvement of that school, has left, we are
asking you to give appropriate attention to this lofty matter and to
devote your time and energy to supervising the school in a proper
manner. The intent is that it should be conducted as befits the will of
its founder, my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, that it grow
and expand both in size, i.e., in the number of its students, and also
in quality, that the knowledge of the students and their development be
based on the fear of G-d and chassidic character traits. You will
certainly maintain correspondence with us with regard to all of the
above.

The great value of the education of Jewish girls has already been
explained in several places. The clearest explanation is, however, from
life itself which shows the fundamental importance of this matter. In
particular, this is true in the present age, one of destruction, where
there is a need to build in new places and under entirely new and
foreign conditions. [Under such circumstances,] maintaining a desirable
structure and the tradition of our ancestors requires much effort from
all the members of the household. The commands and directives from the
head of the household alone are not sufficient.

Our Sages (Shmos Rabbah 28:2) state that at the Giving of the Torah,
Moshe was required to speak to the women first and then to the men. In
this manner, the Torah can be maintained.

The lesson to the coming generations is obvious.

Awaiting your letter with good tidings and with wishes for everlasting
good in all matters,

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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18 Shevat, 5765 - January 28, 2005

Prohibition 42: You shall not wear "Sha'atnez"

This mitzva is based on the verse (Deut. 22:11) "You shall not wear a
garment of Sha'atnez, of wool and linen, together"  Although there are
some mitzvot for which we have been given a reason, there are other
mitzvos for which we have no explanation. We must keep them,
nonetheless, because is is G-d's command. Sha'atnez is one such mitzva.
We are not allowed to wear a garment that has wool and linen woven
together in it. There are Sha'atnez laboratories that check garments for
this forbidden mixture. Often, the threads can be removed and then the
garment may be worn. In this way we are able to fulfill this special
supra-rational mitzva.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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A story is told of an individual who once asked a very wise person, "How
do I achieve greatness?" He was told that greatness is achieved by
climbing a certain mountain-the highest mountain in the whole world.

And so, the seeker carefully planned his trip, forgetting not one single
detail. For months he climbed and climbed, overcoming all obstacles and
barriers in his path. At last, the seeker reached the peak of the
mountain. And there, to his surprise, he found a small child walking
around happily.

How did you get here?" asked the weary climber incredulously.

"I was born here," the child answered simply.

The Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson, to which this issue and this
entire publication is dedicated was "born there." She was born into
greatness; she came from a long line of spiritual and intellectual
giants. But, the Rebbetzin's greatness was not simply an image of the
unique ancestry from which she came. The Rebbetzin herself was a giant.
Yet, she never took credit for herself or her unique position. With
utmost modesty and humility, she would simply acknowlege "I was born
here."

This year marks the 17th yartzeit of the Rebbetzin. The numerical value
of the Hebrew word "tov - good" is 17. Just as the Rebbetzin was a
"good" advocate for the Jewish people during her entire life, certainly
she is supporting us and assisting us in the World of Truth, working
tirelessly and selflessly to bring Moshiach Now. Let us lend a hand to
her endeavors this year by increasing our "good" deeds, our "good" words
and our "good" thoughts and we will surely merit immediately to have the
complete Redemption.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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Israel encamped opposite the Mountain (Ex. 19:2)

Rashi explains that the word "encamped" in Hebrew is written in the
singular form because the Jewish people were like one person with one
heart - they were totally united. Only through the power of unity are
the children of Israel capable of standing "opposite the mountain" -
opposite the mountain of hatred that surrounds them.

                                            (Rabbi Moshe of Kovrin)

                                *  *  *


The Giving of the Torah

Why was the Torah given on a mountain, specifically? A mountain and a
plain are both made of earth; a mountain is just higher. The intention
of giving the Torah was so that the Children of Israel would elevate and
spiritually purify the physicality of the world. This is hinted to by
the mountain, which is dust of the earth but is high, symbolizing the
elevation of matter and its purification.

                                                (Sefer Hama'amarim)

                                *  *  *


At Sinai three "ones" interlocked. The essence of the Giving of the
Torah is to realize in the material world the unity of the One G-d,
through the "one nation on earth" (the Jewish people) fulfilling the 613
mitzvot of the one Torah.

                                            (The Lubavitcher Rebbe)

                                *  *  *


You shall not make of Me gods of silver, gods of gold... (Ex. 20:20)

Don't make silver and gold your gods, that they should rule over you.
Don't worship your money.

                                  (Rabbi Yaakov Aharon of Zalvazin)

                                *  *  *


Why are you sitting alone, and all the people stand around you? (Ex.
18:14)

Why did Yitro ask Moses why he was sitting? The law is that a judge sits
while the plaintiffs stand. Further, how could Yitro dare rebuke a man
of Moses' stature? The important word here is, "all alone." Yitro was
not rebuking Moses, but rather encouraging him to appoint more judges to
help him.

                                      (Chizkuni from Tz'ena Ur'ena)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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Rebbetzin Freida, the daughter of the Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of
Chabad Chasidism, was an erudite and pious woman. She was especially
dear to her father and he would frequently deliver Chasidic discourses
just for her. Chasidim attribute a certain unsigned letter that
contained the deepest, most profound thoughts to Rebbetzin Freida. So
great was her knowledge and so close was she to her father that when her
brother, Reb Dov Ber (later to become the successor of his father, Rabbi
Shneur Zalman), had a question he would often ask her for an explanation
or to approach their father for the answer. On numerous occasions, the
Rebbetzin would ask her father questions and receive these answers while
her brother hid under the bed in the room to hear the explanations, as
well.

On one such occasion, Reb Dov Ber asked Rebbetzin Freida to inquire of
their father as to the spiritual significance of the special garments
that the Kohanim (priests) wore while they served in the Holy Temple.
Rebbetzin Freida acquiesced to her brother's request. As Reb Dov Ber was
accustomed to do, he hid under the bed in the room where Rabbi Shneur
Zalman was explaining to his daughter the deepest and most esoteric
ramifications of each garment. For some reason, Rabbi Shneur Zalman did
not describe or even mention the belt that the Kohanim wore.

Reb Dov Ber, hiding under the bed, managed to attract his sister's
attention by waving his own belt slightly, thereby hinting that she
should ask her father the significance of the belt. When Rebbetzin
Freida asked her father to expound on the belt, Rabbi Shneur Zalman
called out, "This question is surely from my son who is hiding here and
he must leave the room immediately." Reb Dov Ber came out of his hiding
place and left the room.

What took place here? Obviously Reb Dov Ber knew that he was not able to
fool his father, nor did he intend to do so. Why, then, did he have to
receive these particular Chasidic teachings in this unusual manner? The
answer lies in the concept that certain teachings are intended for souls
from the "feminine world" and therefore had to be delivered to or
through a woman, while other teachings are intended for souls from the
"masculine world" and must be delivered to or through a man. If a man
has an unquenchable desire to study Torah that is intended for a soul
from the feminine world, or a woman has an unquenchable desire to study
Torah from the masculine world, through persistence, the person creates
within his or her soul the capability of connecting with this type of
Torah.

Rebbetzin Freida was not a healthy woman physically, and after her
father passed away she became even weaker. When she felt that her
strength was ebbing and her final day on this earth was approaching, she
called a few Chasidim together and asked that after her passing they
bring her to Haditch and bury her to the right of her father.

The Chasidim did not know what to do as Jewish custom dictates that men
and women are not buried next to each other.

A few days later Rebbetzin Freida called the Chasidim once again. They
found her lying on her bed fully dressed. She asked that they encircle
her bed. She then began to say the prayer, "My G-d, the soul which You
have given within me is pure. You have created it, You have formed it,
You have breathed it into me, and You preserve it within me." When she
came to the words "And you will eventually take it from me..." she
raised her hands into the air and cried out, "Father, wait! I am
coming!" And she passed on.

The Chasidim understood that the request of a person who passed away in
this manner must be upheld. But still, they were uncomfortable.

On their way to the cemetery, they reached a fork in the road, one way
leading to Krementzug and the other way to Haditch. They decided to let
go of the horses' reins and bury her where they would lead. The horses
went to Haditch.

Rebbetzin Freida was buried, as she had requested, immediately next to
her father, Rabbi Shneur Zalman.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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The Messianic Redemption, too, will come about in the merit of the
righteous women of Israel, as stated in the Midrash: "All generations
are redeemed by virtue of the pious women of their generation"

                                        (Yalkut Shimoni, Ruth: 606)

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                 END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 855 - Yisro 5765
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