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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1370
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                           Copyright (c) 2015
                 Lubavitch Youth Organization - L.Y.O.
                              Brooklyn, NY
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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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        May 8, 2015               Emor            19 Iyyar, 5775
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                         Who Was Your Favorite?

Who was your favorite teacher? Which teacher made the biggest impact on
your life? Let your mind wander over the years and through the
classrooms, from nursery through higher education.

When we're young, we learn from all of our teachers because there is so
much to learn, so many new concepts, so many exciting areas to explore.
And, of course, because to us, the teacher knows [just about]
everything. In our youngest years, our most memorable teachers are often
those with the twinkliest eyes, the most creative ideas, the kindest
demeanor.

As we get older, though, we expect more out of school, and more out of
life. Teachers of the "easy" classes are almost never memorable. Our
favorite teachers from our more mature years are usually not the ones in
whose class we had a good time, but rather, the ones who pushed us, who
made us work, maybe even helped us excel for the first time ever.

In the fourth chapter of "Chapters of the Fathers" (that we study this
Shabbat afternoon), Ben Zoma asks, "Who is wise?" and answers with the
statement, "One who learns from every person." Ben Zoma's proof is that
King David declared, "From all those who have taught me I have gained
wisdom." No lesser personage than King David learned something from
every single one of his teachers!

We're not being told to harken back to our childhood when we learned
from every teacher without exception or discretion. We are expected to
do exactly what we did for the demanding teacher--work hard, strive
toward something, eventually succeed and become all the better for it.
In this instance what we're striving and working toward is the ability
to learn from everyone.

As in most courses of worth, there are prerequisites. An important
prerequisite to this course of action is to subjugate one's ego. After
all, how can I possibly expect to learn from others if my ego keeps
getting in the way, telling me that this teacher doesn't practice what
he preaches, or that teacher doesn't really understand the subject very
well, or he speaks in a monotone, or I learned it already from a better
teacher, etc.

If we further define a wise person we come to some interesting
conclusions. First, our Sages teach that just being willing to learn
from everyone gives one the title of "wise." For with this healthy
attitude we will ultimately become wise.

And who is a wise person? Not simply someone who learns. There are a lot
of people who are "book smart" but we wouldn't necessarily call them
wise, right? So having knowledge, even acquiring knowledge, is not
really the definition of a wise person. A wise person is one who will
look for something good he can learn from another person. Whether a
piece of knowledge or good character trait to emulate, the wise person
will find something even in a person who is of a lesser stature than
himself. The ability to find in even the simplest person a good trait or
insight is something that only a truly wise person can do.

"From all those who have taught me I have gained wisdom" brings an
additional responsibility. Our pursuit of "knowledge" should truly be a
pursuit of becoming a wise person - a wise person who finds the good in
everyone, without exception. This, in turn, makes it infinitely easier
to fulfill the mitzva (commandment) of ahavat Yisrael - loving another
Jew. Each one of us is obligated, in order to properly fulfill the
mitzva of ahavat Yisrael, to find the good in the other person.
Ultimately, this will have the effect of enhancing our wisdom - wisdom
as defined by the Torah and our Sages.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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This week's Torah portion, Emor, contains the verse: "You shall bring
the omer of the first of your harvest to the kohen [priest]." This
refers to two types of mincha offering that were brought in the Holy
Temple in Jerusalem: the omer offering, which was brought on Passover,
and the "two breads" of Shavuot.

The omer offering officially allowed the new harvest to be eaten. Before
the omer was brought, it was forbidden to eat from the new crop of
grain. Even afterwards it was forbidden to bring offerings of new grain
until after the "two breads" was offered on Shavuot.

There was, however, a difference between the two prohibitions. If an
offering of new grain was brought before the omer, it was invalid. But
if it was brought after the omer but before the "two breads," it was
considered kosher "after the fact," even though it was originally
prohibited.

There are many legal reasons for this distinction, but it can also be
explained in terms of the inner spiritual significance of these two
offerings:

The omer offering consisted of barley, which the Talmudic Sages deemed
"foodstuff for animals." The "two breads" consisted of wheat, "the
foodstuff of man."

The various offerings in the Holy Temple are symbolic of our offering up
to G-d the different components of our soul. The omer symbolizes the
offering of the "animalistic" part of us, the "animal soul." The "two
breads" is symbolic of the elevation of the component that makes us
"man," the "G-dly soul."

This helps explain why it was forbidden to eat from the new grain before
the omer was brought: Before a person has worked on and refined his
animal soul, he cannot even think about refining the world around him.
Not only will he not have a positive effect, but he is liable to
deteriorate even further. The first step is to subjugate oneself to G-d
before turning outward.

After the animal soul has been refined a person can then proceed to the
second step, i.e., the elevation of his G-dly soul. The offering of new
grain was technically prohibited until Shavuot.

This also helps explain why one prohibition was absolute whereas the
other was not. Subjugating the animal soul is a basic requirement in the
service of G-d. Once a person has refined his lowest inclinations, the
attempt to achieve higher spiritual levels only relates to perfecting
that service. So even if a person "jumped the gun" and brought an
offering of new grain before Shavuot, it was still valid "after the
fact," as he already possessed the minimum level of sanctity.

                           Adapted from Volume 32 of Likutei Sichot

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                             "I Will" Wall
                             by Katie Lepri

All it took was some pieces of ordinary plywood, a can of black
chalkboard paint, and rainbow-colored chalk to create a wall of hope.

On a Monday in March, Chabad of the Grove erected a 25-foot-long
chalkboard called the "I will" wall at Bet Ovadia synagogue along
Coconut Grove's Main Highway facing one of the area's popular jogging
paths.

"It's time to show that the world is a good place," said Rabbi Getzy
Fellig of Chabad of the Grove, also known as Avenue J. The project was
partially driven by the negative news in the headlines, including a
deadly house fire that killed seven Jewish children in Brooklyn on
Saturday.

White spray-painted capital letters on the left side of the installation
read: "To make a better world." On the right side, lines of "I will
______" have been penned with the hopes, dreams and aspirations of
joggers, school kids and passersby alike.

"I will help a poor person. I will adopt a dog (maybe). I will learn a
new language," says some of the writing on the wall.

The chalkboard, which was Fellig's and Rabbi Eli Muchnik's brainchild,
came to life after a successful experiment to engage people during the
Coconut Grove Arts Festival.

During the festival, one of the chabad's rabbis handed out slips of
paper asking people to pledge to do a good deed for their community.

Dozens of people took part.

"It was just doing something nice," Fellig said. "People really loved
it."

The triumph of the good deed pledge materialized into the idea to create
a massive interactive wall to turn people toward taking steps to make
their worlds better.

"Once the idea was set, then we were Googling ideas on how to put the
board up," Fellig said. The group stumbled across photographs of a
similar project called "Before I Die" in North Carolina, which was part
of a global art movement launched by artist Candy Chang in her New
Orleans neighborhood in 2011.

"There's so much bad news out there," said Ben Temer, one of the members
of the Chabad's young professionals group involved in the project.
"We're hoping that we can shine the light on the positive things people
want to do and raise awareness that there's good out there."

About 100 messages had been put on the wall by Wednesday.

"The 'I will' wall is about getting people to stop and think, what am I
doing today, tomorrow and the following day to make the world a better
place than it is today," Muchnik said in a news release. "There is so
much good in people, inherit positive energy that exists within each of
us, the proof is in the pudding, or the wall."

By 8 a.m. Tuesday, it was covered with individual insights from
anonymous men, women and children.

"It was unbelievable," Fellig said. "There's just so many different
types of responses."

On Wednesday afternoon, Fellig sat watching the wall. Cars zoomed past.
Some stopped, including one man in his 50s. He drove past the site, made
a U-turn and got out of his car to take a picture of the board. The man
picked up a purple piece of chalk and wrote, "I will forgive Mr. Lewis."

"That's probably the coolest thing yet," said Fellig, who requested the
Miami Herald to not publish more details about the man to protect his
anonymity. "If it inspires someone or brings a smile to someone's face,
then we achieved our goal."

There's no indication of how long the wall will stay up or how many more
boards will be added. On Wednesday, three more pieces of plywood were
painted and placed below the original board to encourage more people to
engage.

"It's very surprising. I think it's wonderful to see that people are
taking time out of their day to help each other out," said 14-year-old
Benjamin Freeman, one of Fellig's students at the synagogue.

"It seems like everyone is trying to be a better person," Freeman said,
his words hopeful. "I'm super proud of it."

                  Reprinted with permission from The Miaimi Herald.

miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/coconut-grove/article16367243.html

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                             New Facilities

Chabad of Silver Spring, Maryland, dedicated a new campus. The
6,000-square-foot building includes a large space for religious services
and activities, as well as classrooms and administrative space.

Chabad of Nice, France, has opened a new center for youth. The building
was dedicated in memory of Yoav Chatav who was murdered in the January
attack in Paris on the kosher supermarket.

                              Gold Winner


Daily Wisdom, an anthology of 378 lessons from the Lubavitcher Rebbe was
the gold winner of the prestigious 2015 Benjamin Franklin Award. The
Independent Book Publishers Association award is one of the highest
awards in American independent publishing. Published by Kehot
Publications, Daily Wisdom, adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe by
Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky, summarizes the weekly Torah reading with original
insight culled from among 200 published volumes of the Rebbe's scholarly
works.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                     Rosh Chodesh Iyar, 5741 [1981]

In response to the information about the forthcoming Annual Convention
to take place on the weekend of Lag B'Omer - may G-d grant that it
should be with much success in every respect.

No doubt the Convention will be duly inspired by the bright day of Lag
B'Omer, the day connected with Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi). And
since "action is the essential thing," the inspiration will surely be
translated into actual deeds.

To be sure, who can compare to Rashbi, one of the greatest Sages and
leading disciples of Rabbi Akiva? However, since the Torah, the Torah of
Life (Toras Chayim), describes his actions, it surely indicates that
every one of us, man or woman, should be inspired to act in the same
spirit and direction.

Thus the Talmud relates that when Rashbi emerged from the cave in which
he had been hiding for twelve to thirteen years, during the Roman
persecution, he immediately inquired if there was anything that needed
to rectified. When he was informed that such a situation existed, he
spared no time or effort until he corrected it. And this, although the
problem involved nothing more crucial than saving some Jews the trouble
of going out of their way while crossing a certain area.

The instruction to us is clear: If one is obligated to go to a great
deal of trouble to spare a fellow Jew a relatively minor physical
hardship, how much more must we do to help Jews in spiritual matters
which are of paramount importance to them and to future generations.

By the grace of G-d, we live in a land where no one has to hide in a
cave, or even in the privacy of his own home, in order to observe
Judaism and disseminate it among fellow Jews. Nevertheless, there are
patches of deep darkness out-side, and turbulent winds threaten to erode
the spiritual and moral values of the young generation. This is a
situation which is worrisome, not only as regards the preservation of
Judaism, but also regarding the preservation of basic moral standards.

In light of this situation, the quality of Torah education has never
been more important than now. This applies not only that which the child
receives in the educational institution, which must be of the highest
standard in terms of purity and holiness. But it is just as important
that the education which the child absorbs at home, from the general
atmosphere and conduct that makes the home what it is, be at that same
high standard. And this is largely dependent on the woman - the akeres
habayis, "the foundation of the home," and the em habanim, "the mother
of the children."

It has often been emphasized that the best way to deal with a problem is
to prevent it from developing in the first place. Thus, it is necessary
to spare no effort until each and every Jewish child, boys as well as
girls, receive the maximum Torah education, both at school and at home.
And, as mentioned, insofar as the home is concerned, the woman is the
"Foundation of the Home," whom G-d has endowed with the privilege and
responsibility - hence also the capacity - to permeate the home with the
light and warmth of Judaism, Torah and mitzvot - to overflowing. This
should reach the level that even the neighboring Jewish homes and the
whole neighborhood becomes Jewishly brighter and warmer, in accordance
with the Divine order, request and promise: "Make Me a Mikdash [a
sanctuary], and I will dwell in their midst" - in the midst of each and
every Jew, man, woman, and child.

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                               TEACHINGS
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Ben Azzai used to say: Do not regard anyone with contempt, and do not
reject anything, for there is no man who does not have his hour and no
thing which does not have its place. (Ethics 4:3)

There is no person who does not have his hour when circumstances favor
him. Similarly, there is nothing which does not have its place which the
Holy One has designated as its proper place. All creatures and every
single detail of creation forms the totality and completeness of the
world. Accordingly, one may not despise any person or any thing in the
world.

                                                (Maharal of Prague)

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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We are currently in the Jewish month known as Iyar. In the Torah, Iyar
is referred to as the second month, since it is the second month from
Nisan. It is also called Ziv - the month of radiance (Kings I) - because
the sun's radiance begins to grow. Iyar is also a month of healing, for
the generation of Jews who came out of Egypt were healed this month from
all their illnesses, as they prepared to receive the Torah. In fact, the
word Iyar spelled in Hebrew letters is an acronym for the verse, "I G-d
am your Healer."

The month of Iyar for the generation of the desert was, in essence, a
foretaste of the Messianic Era when we will witness ultimate physical
and spiritual bliss. According to the Midrash (Breishit Rabba) everyone
will be healed of all their diseases. At the time of the Redemption, we
are told, G-d will take the sun out of the special sheath in which He
enclosed it.

These special rays of the sun which had previously been hidden are
healing rays and will cure everyone of all their ailments. The blind,
the deaf, and the mute, anyone who has any illness or disease, any
blemish or disability, will be healed. Death itself will cease, as the
Prophet Isaiah said, "Death will be swallowed up forever and G-d will
wipe the tears from every face."

When will these miracles occur? There are two stages to the Redemption.
The first stage is the one about which Maimonides writes, "The world
will follow its normal course." This stage is a precursor for the
second, later stage when we will see changes in the conduct of the
world. The laws of nature will be changed to what they were originally
intended to be, that is, as they functioned while Adam and Eve were
still in the Garden of Eden. At this time we will see the actual
fulfillment of our Prophets' words such as the wolf at peace with the
lamb, etc.

It is in this second stage that we will witness the Resurrection of the
Dead - the last of Maimonides' Thirteen Principles of Faith.

May the month of Iyar truly be a month of healing--spiritual, physical
and emotional healing for the Jewish people and the entire world.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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You shall not profane My holy name, so that I may be sanctified among
the Children of Israel; I am G-d who sanctifies you (Lev. 22:32)

From this verse we learn the commandment to sanctify G-d's name, even
sacrificing our very lives if need be. We are commanded to observe
certain precepts at any price, including the forfeiture of our lives.
These mitzvot (commandments) include the prohibition against
idol-worship, not engaging in adulterous relationships, and the
prohibition of murder. When a Jew gives up his life rather than commit
any of these transgressions, G-d's name is publicly sanctified.
Conversely, the desecration of G-d's name is taken just as seriously.
The Prophet Ezekiel refers to the exile of the Jewish people as a
desecration of G-d's name. The ultimate sanctification of G-d's name,
however, will take place when Moshiach comes and the entire world is
redeemed, at which time "My great name will be sanctified...and all the
nations will know that I am G-d."

                                           (Likutei Sichot Vol. 27)

                                *  *  *


This verse is followed by the commandment to proclaim the various
festivals, as was done years ago when the Jewish calendar was set
according to the testimony of eyewitnesses. Because the Jewish people
are, in essence, sanctified, they have the power to determine when the
festivals will fall, thereby imbuing them with holiness as well.

                                                  (Der Torah Kvall)

                                *  *  *


And you shall take...willows of the brook (Lev. 23:40)

The willow, one of the four kinds we take on the holiday of Sukkot, has
neither fragrance nor taste. It symbolizes those Jews who have in their
possession neither Torah learning nor good deeds. Their only merit is
the fact that they are descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Maimonides teaches that even a willow that did not grow on the banks of
a brook, say, one that was found growing in a desert or on a
mountain-top, is kosher and may be used to perform the mitzva. Likewise,
a Jew who did not grow up close to his roots in Judaism and was raised
in a foreign culture, through no fault of his own, is also kosher, just
by virtue of his being a Jew.

                                                (Lubavitcher Rebbe)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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As Rachel lay on the coarse pallet of straw which now served as her bed
she thought back to her life before Akiva. She had been a princess or
almost so, the beloved daughter of the wealthy Ben Kalba Savua, and
there was nothing she lacked, not the most beautiful dresses, nor the
finest delicacies. But, she would not exchange her life with Akiva for
even the most precious gem in the world. For her aspirations lay
elsewhere - her husband would one day be a great Torah scholar. It
didn't matter that her father cast her out of their home, or that people
laughed at her and scorned her - she had no doubt that one day Akiva
would be a leader in Israel.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Akiva rose to answer and saw on
the threshold a man dressed in tatters. "Please, have pity on us. My
wife has just given birth and I have no bed for her and the baby."
Rachel leapt to her feet, looking helplessly around for something to
give him. Sensing her confusion, he said, "Just a bit of straw would
help a lot." She gathered a large pile of soft straw and handed it to
the grateful man.

"You see, Rachel," whispered her husband, "they are even poorer than we
are, but some day I will buy you a golden tiara engraved with scenes of
Jerusalem, just like your friends wear." She smiled at him, happy with
his loving thoughts.

The days went by and Rachel grew accustomed to her new status. Life was
hard, but her thoughts never dwelt on the present; she waited for her
dream of the future to be realized.

Akiva knew that his work was cut out for him. Forty years old, he was
just now embarking on his education, just now beginning with the Hebrew
alphabet. Was it possible for him to achieve the heights imagined by his
wife? Akiva's thoughts were interrupted by an amazing sight, for there a
bit to the side of the road was a huge rock with a large hole bored
through the center. He stared at it wondering what kind of tool could
have made the hole and for what purpose, when he noticed a small drop of
water hitting the hole and then falling again into the depression. He
watched as the process repeated itself again and again. Then, he
realized that the soft, pure drops had bored the hole in the hard rock.
He had stumbled upon the answer to his unspoken question; if water could
make a hole in solid rock, then surely the holy words of Torah could
work their way into his willing heart, even at the age of forty.

The traits that Rachel had perceived in her shepherd husband matured and
his learning advanced, until he reached the stage where he attracted his
own students. He was actually acquiring fame as a teacher of Torah and a
scholar in his own right. Rachel had encouraged him to go away and
immerse himself in further learning; it was hard to believe that 24 long
years had passed. Akiva the shepherd had become Rabbi Akiva, the teacher
of 24,000 students, the greatest of his generation. And the time had
finally come for his triumphant return to home and his wife.

The huge crowd thronged around Rabbi Akiva and his disciples. Suddenly a
woman emerged from the crowd and reached for the hem of his coat which
she kissed. The students surrounded her and attempted to chase her away,
but their teacher reprimanded them: "She is my wife! Know that what is
mine and what is yours is all hers!"

Also amongst those gathered to welcome the tzadik was Ben Kalba Savua,
the father of Rachel. He had suffered the pangs of regret during the
many years since he had driven his daughter from his home. Now, the
arrival of the tzadik of the generation would give him an opportunity to
learn how to right the terrible wrong he had done her. Rabbi Akiva
graciously admitted the old man into his presence and listened while he
related the story, not knowing that this was his own father-in-law. As
the man's story unfolded, Akiva realized who he was.

"If you had known that the poor, ignorant shepherd would one day become
a great scholar, would you have acted differently?" inquired Rabbi
Akiva.

"I promise you, if I had thought that he would know even one Torah law,
I would have permitted the marriage!"

"Then know, that I am that shepherd, and it is only through the merit of
your daughter that I have achieved this position!"

Rabbi Akiva was able to nullify the vow Ben Kalba Savua rashly made so
many years before. The old man, in his happiness, gave the couple half
of his great wealth.

Their dream realized, Rachel and Akiva felt the old pain of separation
diminish, overwhelmed by the new joy of their reunion. Rabbi Akiva
hadn't forgotten the promise he made many years before - he had achieved
greatness; and in addition to the crown of Torah, Rachel wore a golden
crown of Jerusalem.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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One of the prerequisites for the Exodus was faith. Jews are natural
believers, but faith must nevertheless be nurtured, for there are
multiple rungs of faith. G-d is infinite and as much as we study and
know, there is always more that remains beyond our experience and
requires faith. Even Moses, a soul from the highest world, was required
to eat matza, described as the "bread of faith." And even in the era of
redemption, when the earth will be fileld with the knowledge of G-d, we
will still work on cultivating faith, albeit on a level far superior to
the present.

(The Rebbe, as quoted in Yalkut Moshiach UGeula by Rabbi Dovid Dubov)

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                 END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1370 - Emor 5775
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