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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 638
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                           Copyright (c) 2000
                 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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        September 29, 2000    Rosh Hashana         29 Elul, 5760
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                        The Secret of the Shofar

                           by Simon Jacobson

With elections a mere six weeks away, it will become apparent that U.S.
Vice Presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman is not campaigning 24-seven
during the month of October. With the holidays of Rosh Hashana, Yom
Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah dotting the calendar,
the media may inquire - "Where does Mr. Lieberman go during these
holidays and what does he do there?"

It is easy to describe Rosh Hashana with the usual generalizations -
it’s the Jewish New Year, a time for introspection. But under the glare
of the campaign media, we may be pressed with more probing questions.
For example: What is this ritual of hearing the shofar, a ram’s horn,
blown? Is there a universal message in this ritual?

How would you like the opportunity to hear the voice of your soul? The
unique inner voice that transcends the personality we superimpose at
work, the masks we wear as we navigate our social circles and the
defense mechanisms we employ as we protect our vulnerability.

On Rosh Hashana we have exactly that extraordinary opportunity. On the
New Year, the anniversary of the day on which humankind was created, we
blow the shofar which mirrors the cry of the soul. The Bible tells us
that on this day G-d breathed the soul of life into the first person.
Every Rosh Hashana man blows his breath, the breath that G-d breathed
into him, through a ram’s horn in order to hear the sound of his soul
reverberate. Through the cry of the shofar we renew our connection to
our essential being, to our soul, and carry that strength into the year
ahead.

But why a ram’s horn? The sheep or ram is known to be the most gentle
and innocent of creatures, void of the aggressive nature of other
animals. The ram reminds us that our soul is that part of ourselves that
is gentle and innocent, untainted by the aggressive manipulative world
we inhabit. Our soul is not seasoned by experience nor is it the result
of our connections, accumulated wealth, social status or ability to
dominate others. The voice of our soul comes from the most subtle
innocence within.

We cannot use something man-made to express this voice because the human
being is affected by his circumstances, his experiences and his ego. We
therefore take something outside of ourselves - the ram’s horn, the
simplest instrument - that produces the haunting, piercing cry most
closely approximating the pure sound of the soul.

The prayer that we recite before the blowing of the shofar further
unlocks the secret of the sound: "From my narrow place, from my depths
and constraints, I call to You and You respond to me from Your expansive
place." The challenges of life that force us into a "narrow place" - a
place of difficulty, pain, frustration, regret or sorrow - are meant to
be catalysts that compel us to cry out to G-d for something more than
our materialistic reality. The prayer assures us that when we cry from
the "narrow place" the response is not proportional to the request but
flows from G-d’s most expansive generosity. In fact, the shape of the
shofar - narrow at one end and wide at the other - mirrors this
experience. The purest cry that is emitted from the constraints of our
lives reaches the purest place in heaven and opens up the channel of all
blessings.

Recognizing that we live in a world that entangles us in the mundane
struggles of life, the High Holidays provide an oasis in time during
which we renew our connection to the essence of all life. In so doing we
connect to the flow of G-d’s blessing which imbues our lives with
physical and spiritual blessing for the year to come.

As the media watches Joseph Lieberman attending synagogue during this
period, the shofar’s message is clear: The United States - and every
nation - has a soul, each of its people has a soul - and this connection
gives us our true freedoms. The words "In G-d we trust" emblazoned on
the U.S. currency (the very symbol of materialism) enable us to
transcend our material straits as we reach for that which is above and
beyond, for eternity. The declaration on the Great Seal of the United
States, "E Pluribus Unum" - "From many, one" is possible because we have
a unifying soul that transcends our differences.

On Rosh Hashana may we all be blessed with a meaningful New Year - a
renewed vitality and commitment to the transcendent and unifying soul
that lies at the heart of our own lives, the lives of our families and
the lives of our communities.

         Rabbi Simon Jacobson is the author of "Toward a Meaningful
           Life" published by William Morrow and is director of The
                     Meaningful Life Center. www.meaningfullife.com

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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The haftora of the first day of Rosh Hashana relates the story of Chana.
Chana, who was childless, came to the Sanctuary to pray. In the merit of
her prayers she was blessed with a son, the prophet Shmuel (Samuel).

When Eli the priest saw Chana so immersed in her prayers that she seemed
to be oblivious to her surroundings, he suspected her of being drunk.
The Midrash explains that Eli suspected her of being "drunk" in the act
of praying.

"I am pouring out my soul before G-d," Chana replied. I am not praying
simply for the sake of praying; my soul is uniting with G-d.

On Rosh Hashana, the Day of Judgment, we appeal to G-d to fulfill our
spiritual and material needs. We ask Him for healthy children, long
lives, and an abundant livelihood.

Rosh Hashana is also the day of G-d’s coronation as King. We accept His
sovereignty by nullifying ourselves before Him. When we are completely
nullified, we are not aware of our personal wants and desires. Our sense
of self is superseded by the awareness of being in G-d’s Presence.

This presents us with a seeming contradiction. If Rosh Hashana is
characterized by a nullification of self, how can we simultaneously pray
for the fulfillment of our personal requests?

To explain:

When a Jew prays to G-d on Rosh Hashana, his prayer is an extension of
the process of coronation. While he may be asking G-d for material
blessings, his true intention - whether consciously or unconsciously -
is the desire to spread awareness of G-d’s kingship in the world. On the
deepest level, the physical body is a medium through which we establish
a dwelling place for G-d in this world. By praying for material
blessing, the Jew is asking for Divine assistance in fulfilling his
G-dly mission.

It was this concept that was misunderstood by Eli. His contention  was
that  when a  Jew prays, his awareness of being in G-d’s Presence should
preclude him from making personal requests. When he saw Chana praying
for a son, he mistakenly concluded that she had forgotten G-d’s Presence
in the Sanctuary.

Not so, was Chana’s reply. My desire for a son is not a personal desire,
but a wish to be able to fulfill my greater mission in life. Without a
son, my soul cannot serve G-d properly. Indeed, this is evident in the
vow Chana made, that if G-d blessed her with a child, she would give him
over to the priest for a life of total dedication to Divine service.
Chana wasn’t asking G-d to fulfill her personal request; she was praying
for G-d to fulfill His own needs!

So too is it with us on Rosh Hashana. Our petitions may be personal in
focus, but their true essence is the soul’s communication with G-d.

In the same way that G-d answered Chana’s prayer, so too may He accede
to our requests and grant the entire Jewish people a good and sweet year
to come.

                           Adapted from Volume 19 of Likutei Sichot

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                       HOLIDAYS IN YEKATRINOSLAV

      From the Memoirs of Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, mother of the
              Rebbe, whose yartzeit is on the sixth day of Tishrei.

                          Tishrei 5695 (1934)


By this year only two shuls remained in our city. One of these had been
founded and was being attended by a group of workingmen. The gabbai
[manager] was a tailor, the treasurer a shoemaker. Precisely for this
reason, that it housed a congregation of manual laborers - proletariat -
it had not been seized by the Communists. It was in this shul that my
husband, the Rav prayed.

Once the Rav affiliated himself with this congregation, many other
people joined as well. As most of these newcomers were from higher
levels of society, it became somewhat difficult for the administrators
of the shul to carry out their functions. Even so, they had to remain in
their positions to ensure that it would be exclusively a "rule by the
proletariat." (Indeed, I could relate many amusing incidents from their
term of office, but it would be out of place here.)

The administrators and trustees of the shul asserted that they felt
small and insignificant in the presence of the Rav, and they accorded
him great respect. Although they had not been acquainted with him
previously, once they came to know him they recognized that he was a
person of noble character who was not at all part of the bourgeoisie, a
man whom they could trust completely.

By this time there were very few professional cantors in Russia. Those
men who had a strong and pleasant voice, were able to carry a tune aand
knew well the mode of the prayers would hire themselves out to lead the
prayer-services for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

Most of these men worked at government positions and were therefore
entitled to a month’s vacation each year which they would strive to have
coincide with the month of  festivals, Tishrei. Then they would leave
their homes to be employed in cities other than their own.

In their prayers they would give vent to all the emotions that had built
up in their hearts over the course of the year. These cantors were paid
very well, but in secret; to avoid the exorbitant tax levied on
religious functionaries, their salaries were officially recorded as the
bare minimum.

One day, two such gentlemen came to Yekatrinoslav. The first, Mr.
Lieber, was a highly-regarded opera singer. His clothes resembled those
of a theater performer. However, he was a Jew of illustrious ancestry, a
descendant of the Maggid of Mezritch, successor of the Baal Shem Tov. He
occasionally related stories that he had heard for his grandfather and
other Chassidic stories too, but he would tell them in a halting awkward
manner.

The second, whose appearance was closer to that of a typical cantor, was
employed as an accountant for a government company. He was knowledgeable
in the study of Torah and an offspring of the well-known rabbinical
family Shapiro of Slavitta.

These two candidates declared that a proper Jewish atmosphere for prayer
was of the utmost importance to them. Therefore, when the reputation of
Rabbi Schneerson reached them, they decided to travel to Yekatrinoslav.
Upon arrival, they immediately went to see the Rav and requested his
advice on how to do well in this profession, as well as how to best
utilize their talents to inspire people and strengthen their Jewish
consciousness, an identity that the government was determined to
eradicate.

The Rav discussed with them their concerns and invited them to
Yekatrinoslav for the month of Tishrei to lead the prayers in his shul
during the Days of Awe and the festival of Sukkot. Words are inadequate
to describe the special mood and the overwhelming spiritual out-pouring
which pervaded the congregation during the Days of Awe that year, a
result of the influence of the Rav and those two cantors.

On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur a considerable number of the members had
to be present at their places of employment. The Rav arranged a special
service for them that began very early in the morning, in order that by
eight o’clock they would have completed the morning prayers and be on
their way.

On Yom Kippur all of these people returned to the shul immediately after
work and arrived just in time for the closing prayer, Neilah. By then
the synagogue was so packed with people that many of them were forced to
pray outside in the street. Weak from the twenty-four hour fast, weary
from having walked great distances, and full of distress and sorrow from
having had to work on these holiest of days, these Jews stood, crushed
in spirit, and prayed from the depths of their broken hearts.

All of these congregants were grateful to the Rav for having made the
special efforts which enabled them to pray communally. For his part, he
would cry bitterly whenever he discussed the situation with them. On the
other hand, he was pleased by their tremendous spiritual arousal. With
joy and amazement he would exclaim, "See, this is a Jew!"

When Yom Kippur ended, it was always difficult for him to return to a
regular week-day existence. Instead, he would break his fast with a
glass of tea and  would sit and talk until late at night with the many
people who came to be with him and hear his words during those hours.
His discussions would deal primarily with the exalted nature of the
Jewish soul and the extraordinary power of self-sacrifice that is hidden
in every Jew.

The same scene would be repeated on Simchat Torah. Anyone who wished to
truly enjoy the festival would make sure to pass by our house as soon as
darkness fell, young people-with whom the government was even stricter
in religious matters-would also arrive, each person trying his best to
not be seen entering the building. When they entered, the Rav would
speak with each one personally; after a short time, they would forget
about which country they were living in and the lives that they led
there.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                         HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES

High Holiday services filled with insights and illuminating Chasidic
stories will be conducted by Chabad Lubavitch of the Upper East Side in
New York City. Open to all Jews regardless of affiliation, the services
will include stirring, soulful melodies, the shofar blowing ceremony and
Torah reading. For more about the services call (212) 717-4613. To find
out about services near you call your local Chabad-Lubavitch Center.



                              MOSHIACH.COM


With the click of a mouse, the facts about Moshiach spring up on the
screen to allow the uninitiated, the unaware and the simply curious to
learn about the subject. One of the most fascinating features of
moshiach.com is a virtual-reality tour of the Second Holy Temple. A most
popular feature is "Ask a Question" where participants can type in any
question they have on the subject of Moshiach and receive an answer from
a qualified scholar within 24 hours.

Every part of the site has been thoroughly researched by Rabbinical
scholars. www.Moshiach.com is a feast for the spiritual senses.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                            FREE TRANSLATION

In the Days of Selichoth 5725 [1965]

To the Sons and Daughters of Our People Israel,

Everywhere, G-d bless you all!

We are at the threshold of a Shemittah Year (the seventh and sanctified
"Sabbatical" year in the cycle of years); may it be a good one for all
of us, amidst our people Israel.

One of the central teachings of Shemit-tah is conveyed in the order of
the verses and words by which the Torah defines the institution of
Shemitta, namely: "When you will come into the land... the earth shall
rest a Sabbath unto G-d. Six years shalt thou plant they field," etc.
(Lev. 25:2-3)

The order in the text seems to be reversed, for the six work years
precede the Sabbatical rest year, and not vice versa. Hence, the text
should have first mentioned the six years of planting, and then decree
the resting.

However, order in Torah is also Torah ("instruction"). The arrangement
in the text mentioned above, relating to Shemittah, is significant and
instructive in that it teaches the proper approach to life. It is
expressed as follows:

When one "comes into the land" and desires to establish his way of life,
which involves "working the soil," it is necessary to bear in mind that
first and foremost, as an idea and as a goal, is "Sabbath unto G-d"; not
the "earthly" and material, but the spiritual and sacred. This approach
will ensure one against being submerged by the material and mundane
aspects of life. Moreover, bearing constantly in mind the above idea and
goal will transform the six drab working years; they will lose much of
their drabness and become more refined and meaningful. Furthermore, the
change and elevation of the six years will raise to a higher plane also
the seventh year: from a "Shabbos unto G-d" to a "Sabbath of Sabbaths"
unto G-d (v. 4), with a dedication and solemnity of  a higher order.

                                *  *  *


Similarly, in the daily life there are those aspects which have to do
with material preoccupation (to earn a livelihood, etc.) and "common"
necessities, such as eating and drinking, etc. - all those aspects
wherein there is "no preeminence in man over animal." But there is also
the area of "earthly rest" - of breaking away from the mundane living.
Here, too, the teaching of Shemittah is that it is necessary to begin
the day with the idea and approach that, although it may be necessary
later in the day to engage  in "mundane" activities, the essence and
purpose of these things are - to attain a "Sabbath unto G-d." In this
way, even the mundane aspects will attain refinement and real content,
while the aspects of holiness and G-dliness will be intensified and
elevated to a higher order. This is the way to attain a complete and
harmonious life.

                                *  *  *


Standing on the threshold of the Shemittah Year, we pray that the
Alm-ghty help each and everyone, man and woman, to begin the year with
the above-mentioned approach: That not the material, but the spiritual
is the essence and goal in life; that "the earthly," the material has a
raison d’etre only if it is permeated with the idea of "the earth shall
rest a Sabbath unto G-d"- which is when the material serves and fulfills
the higher aspirations of holiness and G-dliness. It is only then that
all the days in the year, and all the activiities of each day, will
reflect "the preeminence of man over animal" and give evidence that man
was created in the Divine "image and likeness," living accordingly;
while those moments and periods which are characterized as "Shabbos"
will in turn rise to the sublime heights of "Sabbath of Sabbaths."

Then will surely also be fulfilled the Divine blessing that goes with
Shemittah - "And I will command My blessing upon you" (v. 21) - in a
supernatural way.

Rosh Hashana is the day to make the firm and lasting resolution to
implement the above appoach. It is the day when the first man was
created in the Divine image and likeness; the day when he gained mastery
over all of Nature and elevated all Creation to the recognition of the
Sovereignty of the Creator with the call, "Come, let us worship, and bow
down, and kneel before G-d our Maker" (Ps. 95.6);The day when we pray
for the realization of G-d’s Kingdom on earth, "reign, in Thy Glory,
upon all the world... and let everyone who has a breath in his nostrils
declare, ‘G-d, the G-d of Israel, is King, and His Kingdom rules
everything!’"

With the blessing of Kesivo Vachasimo Toivo [to be inscribed and sealed
for good]

For a happy and pleasant year blessed with the joy of children, life and
ample sustenance

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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                             3 Tishrei 5761

Positive mitzva 109: immersing in a ritual bath (mikva)

By this injunction we are commanded to immerse ourselves in the waters
of a ritual bath, and thus be cleansed from any of the kinds of
[spiritual] impurity with which we may have been affected. It is
contained in the Torah’s words (Lev. 15:16): "Then he shall bathe all
his flesh in water."

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
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We would like to wish the entire Jewish people our sincerest blessings
for a k’siva vachasima tova, l’shana tova u’msuka - to be inscribed and
sealed for a good, sweet year, with blessings from every letter of the
Hebrew alef-beit.

May this year be:

A year of "Arise and have mercy on Zion,"... uplifted in matters of
Moshiach and the Redemption... faith in G-d and Moses His servant...
traveling with the Heavenly clouds... Revealed Wonders; Wonders in
Everything... the building of the Holy Temple... trust; Great wonders...
the true and complete Redemption; Dignified Wonders... victory... the
seventh generation is the generation of Redemption; "Those who rest in
the dust will arise and sing and he will lead them"... Moshiach is
coming and he has already come... the revelation of Moshiach; "He will
redeem us"... "The nations shall walk in  Your guiding light"; "This one
will comfort us"; the wonders of true freedom... a new song; an
abundance of good (Rambam); the king shall live; inscribed and sealed
for a good year... the harp of Moshiach; learning Moshiach’s teachings;
the coming of Menachem who will comfort us... the King Moshiach;
revealed miracles... a double portion; the completion and end of
exile...the revelation of the Infinite Divine Light; "Humble ones, the
time of your Redemption has arrived"; "Jerusalem will dwell in open
space"; Your servant David will go forth; the ingathering of the
exiles... acceptance of his sovereignty by the people; Rebbe - Rosh
B’nei Yisrael; peace... a new song... Moshiach’s shofar... unity of the
Torah, unity of the Jewish people, unity of the land of Israel;
Resurrection of the Dead... "A new Torah will come from Me"

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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A cry from the heart

An analogy is given to explain the sounding of the shofar on Rosh
Hashana: There was once a king who sent his only son to a distant land
to learn about its peoples and customs. As time passed, the prince’s
royal garb became faded and torn, and he even forgot how to speak his
native tongue. One day the prince heard that his father, the king, would
be visiting the region. "How will I be able to approach him?" he thought
to himself. "My clothes are torn, and I cannot speak the language." The
son decided that he would simply call out to his father in a cry without
words, emanating from the heart, which the king would surely recognize.
This is the call of the shofar, which appeals to the King’s very
Essence.

                                                (The Baal Shem Tov)


The shofar as a wake-up call

The shofar is sounded on Rosh Hashana because it is an explicit
commandment in the Torah. Nonetheless, it seems to convey a hidden
message: "Wake up from your slumber!" it arouses us. "Return to G-d and
remember your Creator! To those who forget the truth and waste most of
the year in frivolity and foolishness, look into your souls, improve
your behavior, and correct your negative ways."

                                                       (Maimonides)


"For You remember everything that is forgotten..."

A Chasidic sage once noted: G-d only remembers those things that man
forgets. If a person has sinned and "remembers" it - i.e., is conscious
of his misdeed and regrets his actions - G-d "forgets" about the
transgression. But if a person sins and is not even bothered by his
offense, G-d does not "forget" so easily...


"...Who forgives transgressions by law"

G-d is bound by His own statute, as it were, to forgive the Jewish
people their sins. It is a law that cannot be abrogated.

                                                     (Nahar Shalom)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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The shofar blowing, "tekiyot," of Reb Yoel Chaim Weissfinger were
legendary among the Jews of the Old City of Jerusalem. Every year on
Rosh Hashana, hundreds of people would flock to his synagogue for the
unique experience of hearing him sound the shofar. It was also rumored
that the ancient ram’s horn had a long and colorful history.

When Reb Yoel Chaim passed away a few days after Yom Kippur in 5674
(1913) he left behind two sons, Shimon and Leibel. But which one should
inherit their father’s shofar, and along with it, the honor of blowing
it in shul? In the end a compromise was reached: Shimon, the eldest son,
inherited the small grocery store his father had owned, while Leibel,
the younger brother who was also a Torah scholar, inherited the prized
shofar.

Several years later Shimon sold the grocery store and emigrated to
America, where he started his own business. The business flourished, and
soon Shimon was a wealthy man.

In the meantime, a war broke out between the English and the Ottoman
Turks in the Holy Land. One day Leibel, who was an English citizen, was
walking when he was captured by Turkish soldiers, thrown into jail, and
deported to Egypt. The only possession he took along was his father’s
shofar.

Not long afterward, a ship arrived in the Holy Land with a cargo of food
donated by American Jews for their less fortunate brethren. Among the
passengers was a Mr. Sam White, one of the directors of the aid
committee. Before he anglicized his name, Mr. White had been known as
Shimon Weissfinger.

When Sam learned what had happened to his brother he immediately set
sail for Egypt and, with G-d’s help, he managed to locate him. Sam gave
Leibel a large sum of money, which enabled him to return home and get
back on his feet.

On the day Sam was to leave for America, Leibel, overcome by emotion,
presented his older brother with their father’s shofar as a token of his
gratitude. Sam was very touched, and the whole way home kept the
treasured object in full sight. Indeed, the shofar was the only thing he
talked about upon his arrival. But when he went to show it to his
friends and family he almost fainted: it was nowhere to be found! The
ancient shofar had somehow disappeared.

Years passed, and the financial circumstances of the Jews of Jerusalem
deteriorated even further. Leibel and his family emigrated to Poland,
where he found a position as Rabbi in a small village. Perhaps, he hoped
and prayed, his worries were over.

But such was not to be, as the Second World War soon erupted. The
Germans, may their names be erased, invaded Poland. Over the next few
years Leibel endured the tortures of the Holocaust, but miraculously
survived. When the War ended he spent several years wandering from one
D.P. camp to the next, hoping to eventually return to Israel.

One Rosh Hashana eve the group of Jewish refugees with whom he was
traveling arrived at the home of a kindly Italian farmer who agreed to
let the group stay over Yom Tov. The refugees were saddened by the fact
that they had no shofar, but grateful for the opportunity to pray
together.

Rosh Hashana came and went. Leibel and his friends were about to depart
when the Italian farmer asked them to sit down for a minute. "I have
something on my conscience that has been bothering me for years," he
told them. "I’d like to get it off my chest once and for all...

"Many years ago I was a seaman on a ship that sailed from Palestine to
America. One of the passengers was a wealthy American Jew, who held on
to a small package the whole time as if guarding a great treasure. When
the ship docked in America it was a tumultuous scene, and I’m ashamed to
say that I seized the opportunity to steal it. But I was very
disappointed when I opened it up, because all it contained was this
strange-looking thing..." The farmer then withdrew a very old shofar
from its case.

"I know that this is some kind of Jewish object, and for years I’ve been
hoping to meet some Jews so I could give it back. Please take it."

Dismayed that the farmer hadn’t mentioned it before Rosh Hashana, no one
noticed that Leibel Weissfinger had paled. Indeed, he was white as a
ghost - for it was none other than his father’s shofar!

When he had recovered enough to speak, Leibel told everyone the amazing
story of the shofar, whereupon it was their turn to be speechless...

Leibel eventually returned to Jerusalem, where he was reunited with his
brother. (In the wake of the Holocaust, Sam had sold his business in
America and returned to the Holy Land; he had also reverted to the name
of Shimon Weissfinger.)

The reunion was particularly emotional, especially when Leibel showed
his elder brother the long-lost shofar and told him how it had come to
him. And everyone marveled over the mysterious ways of Divine
Providence.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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We sound the shofar to recall our faith in the future resurrection of
the dead. As it is said (Isaiah 18): "All you inhabitants of the world,,
and you who dwell it the earth; when an ensign is  lifted on the
mountains you shall see, and when the shofar is sounded you shall hear"

           (The tenth of Rav Saadia Gaon’s symbolic meanings in the
                            sounding of the shofar on Rosh Hashana)

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             END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 638 - Rosh Hashana 5761
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