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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 655
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                           Copyright (c) 2001
                 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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        February 2, 2001           Bo             9 Shevat, 5761
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                         The Rebbe is in Touch

                           By Rabbi Eli Cohen

When a chasid waxes poetic about the Rebbe on an occasion such as Yud
Shevat, the anniversary of the Rebbe's ascension to leadership, the
reader who is not a chasid often rolls his eyes. The whole notion of a
Rebbe is, to many, a subject of some wonderment. People have questioned
the idea that any human being could be viewed with the type of awe and
reverence which Chasidim accord to the Rebbe. Others wonder at the
unquestioning obedience and acceptance of the Rebbe's advice and
instructions. How does that allow for personal responsibility and
autonomy?

And yet no one can help but marvel at the way that one human being
inspires an army of thousands of men, women and children to be willing
to set aside their material comforts and embrace a more austere life of
service to the Jewish community. It is hard to deny that the Rebbe has
breathed life into many Jewish communities large and small, when others
were ready to write off entire populations. And it is hard to contest
that the Rebbe's structure and organization has become the blueprint for
various outreach groups that have adopted the Rebbe's enthusiasm and
faith in the future.

What is the Rebbe? A leader? A teacher? A great scholar? A visionary?
Yes, but none of these appellations really says it all.

For the chasid, it is a very personal relationship. The Rebbe connects
with each of us and puts us in touch with our true selves, our
potential, and our mission in life. He does not impose his aspirations,
or his desires. Rather he helps us identify and fulfill ours. He does
not ask us to work for him, rather to join with him in repairing the
world.

However, the bond to the Rebbe is not limited to those who consider
themselves his followers. Visitors from every corner of the world have
been amazed when they were in the Rebbe's presence and found him
intimately familiar with the fine points of the welfare of Jewish life
in their community.

On the personal level, there are countless stories of individuals far
from any Jewish center and further from Jewish life, and the Rebbe has
not only been conscious of their cries but has actually responded and
reached out to them. The point of telling these stories is not to savor
the miraculous turn of events that were often involved as much as to
appreciate the connectedness and sensitivity of the Rebbe to the needs
of every Jew.

The Rebbe has been described as the heart, the pulse, the generator.
Whatever metaphor we choose, the point is the same: The Rebbe is in
touch with each one of us, encouraging us, strengthening us and
channeling G-d's blessing to us so that we can achieve whatever it is we
are here to do.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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This week's Torah portion, Bo, contains the very first commandment given
to the Jews as a people - the mitzva of Rosh Chodesh, the new moon:
"This month shall be to you the first of months; it shall be the first
month of the year to you." According to Jewish law, the new month is
determined by witnesses who testify to the appearance of the new moon.
The Jewish court then formally establishes and sanctifies it as Rosh
Chodesh.

In general, the main effect the Torah's mitzvot have on the physical
world is to imbue it with G-dliness. When a mitzva is performed with a
physical object, the object itself becomes holy, and the material plane
of existence is sanctified.

The mitzva of the new moon is unique in that instead of physical
objects, it relates to the dimension of time. Through this mitzva, a
"regular" day is transformed into Rosh Chodesh, a day with special
sanctity. When the Jewish court decides to establish a particular day as
Rosh Chodesh, time itself is elevated and made holy.

In this respect, the mitzva of sanctifying the new moon has an advantage
over all other mitzvot. The ability of other mitzvot to bring sanctity
into the world is limited, and exists on many levels and gradations. For
example, an object directly used to perform a mitzva becomes a "tashmish
kedusha," literally "a utensil of holiness." Other aspects of the
physical world are elevated when a Jew uses them "for the sake of
heaven." Then there are things that are only considered "tools" as
preparation for the performance of an actual mitzva.

However, the mitzva of Rosh Chodesh is more far-reaching than all of
these. When the Jewish court establishes a certain day as Rosh Chodesh,
the effect is felt throughout the month, and indeed throughout the
entire year, as the court also determines the occurrence of a leap year.

Another advantage to affecting the dimension of time is that time is
generally thought of as something over which we have no control. Time
cannot be made longer or shorter; it cannot be hurried up or slowed
down. Nonetheless, G-d gives the Jew the ability to sanctify time and
transform it into "Jewish time," time that is thoroughly imbued with
holiness.

"Conquering" time in this way hastens the time when the entire world
will be suffused with holiness, in the Messianic era. When Moshiach
comes and gathers in the exiles of Israel, the Sanhedrin (Jewish supreme
court) will be reestablished in Jerusalem, and the laws of Rosh Chodesh
will again be in effect.

                               Adapted from Likutei Sichot, Vol. 26

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                           Touching the World

    From a speech by Carol Nelkin. Ms. Nelkin is a civil trial lawyer
    and a Managing member of Viridian Environmental, LLC. She is a
    National V.P. of the American Jewish Committee and a member of the
    Advisory Council of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the
    Advancement of Human Rights. Ms. Nelkin is a former President of the
    Houston Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

A little over 26 years ago, my husband and I attended our first study
group at the home of Rabbi Shimon and Rebbetzin Chiena Lazaroff in
Houston, Texas. That's when we got our first inkling of what shluchim
(emissaries) of the Rebbe are.

That first class was followed by many other classes and many long
discussions in which the Lazaroffs patiently answered our questions,
questions newcomers always ask.

In those early days there were also a lot of questions about the role of
the Rebbe, for the concept of a Rebbe is not one that comes easily to a
secularly educated Jew.

I first had the opportunity to be in the Rebbe's presence when my oldest
son celebrated his Bar Mitzva. That first private yechidus (audience)
was such an overwhelming experience. When the Rebbe looked at me, it was
so apparent that he knew everything there was to know about me.

Of course, it becomes easier to appreciate who the Rebbe is when one
experiences the direct  fulfillment of the Rebbe's blessing, an
experience my family and I have had on several occasions.

One time when my husband and I were in Crown Heights, we had the
opportunty to personally hand a letter to the Rebbe seeking his advice
and a blessing. Shortly before this I had been told by a well-respected
ophthalmologist that I had a certain eye disease that could result in a
loss of eyesight. The Rebbe's response was to seek a second opinion.

Upon returning to Houston, I went to another well-respected
ophthalmologist and told him the first doctor's diagnosis. After
examining my eyes, the second doctor said that not only did I not have
the disease, but he could not understand how anyone could have made such
a mistake, as that disease was one where a special "footprint" is left
in the eye which would always be visible.

Someone could say that the first doctor had just made a very serious
mistake. But I know that I was the recipient of the Rebbe's blessing.

Another time when we visited Crown Heights for a particular event, it
was anticipated that after the Rebbe spoke to the large crowd in
attendance everyone would have the opportunity to give the Rebbe a
letter seeking advice and a blessing. On this occasion, it seemed to me
that the Rebbe was speaking in a different manner than I had previously
heard, and although there was a theme which held his discourse together,
the Rebbe seemed to go from topic to topic in a much looser fashion than
usual.

When the Rebbe finished speaking, everyone in the room was stunned.
Within a few moments it became apparent that the Rebbe had answered
everyone's questions before they had been asked.

I don't wish to give the impression that the Rebbe only had an impact on
me through miracles. In truth, my family and I have also greatly
benefited from the Rebbe's more rationally explained actions, although
there is an element of the miraculous in these accomplishments of the
Rebbe as well.

For example, our lives were enriched beyond measure when the Lazaroffs
suggested that we start a Day School in Houston. At first, the student
body consisted of four Lazaroff children and two Nelkins. That school
became Torah Day School. Many years later, Torah Day School continues to
create knowledgeable and G-d-fearing Jews in a place not previously
known for its Jewish education.

That such a school exists in Houston is nothing short of a miracle. The
fact that similar Lubavitch day schools exist all over the world is
equally miraculous. Who could have imagined such a phenomenon 50 years
ago! And who could have imagined the number of Lubavitch summer camps,
yeshivot, Chabad Centers, mikvas and outreach programs of all kinds? Who
could have imagined the success of the Mitzva Campaigns and the number
of Jewish publications in so many languages? Who could have imagined the
number of Jews who would return to their Jewish heritage?

The answer, of course, is the Rebbe. Not only could he envision all of
these institutions and programs, he understood how to make it all
happen.

The primary way the Rebbe saw to it that these extraordinary tasks were
accomplished was by sending his emissaries to spread Judaism throughout
the world, and to see to it that the needs of Jews in these
communities-wherever they might be-were met, no matter what those needs
were.

There have been so many delightful Shabbat meals graciously offered to
us whenever we could not make it home for Shabbat. Recently, we were
fortunate to celebrate Shabbat with Chabad in Venice, Italy, among a
lively group of students from the Lubavitcher yeshiva in a city where
only 500 Jews live. In the place where the first ghetto in the world was
begun, Judaism is not only alive, it is positively glowing, thanks to
the Rebbe.

Lubavitch seems to be everywhere. I remember when my husband and I were
traveling with a delegation of Jews to meet with members of the Tunisian
government to discuss the importance of opening formal diplomatic
relations with Israel. When we arrived at the home of an important
Jewish industrialist who had close ties to the government, we saw
prominently displayed in his home a large portrait of the Rebbe, and we
learned that the Rebbe had sent his emissaries to Tunisia decades
before.

Recently my husband and I were asked to accompany a group of non-Jewish
United States Congressmen on a trip to Israel. The delegation was
chaired by a Jew who is a high-ranking staff member of an important
Congressional committee. A few days into the trip the man whispered to
me, "You're close to Lubavitch, aren't you?" When I said yes, he
whispered, "Levi Shemtov (the Rebbe's emissary in Washington D.C.) is my
closest friend." You never know where or when you will meet people whose
lives have been affected by the work of the Rebbe.

Several years ago, this fact was illustrated to me in a unique way when
we were in Arizona at a "Kosher for Passover" hotel. During the
intermediate days of the holiday, activities were planned for the
hundreds of guests. One activity was a boat trip. We were randomly
assigned in groups of 12 - 14 people to a boat. After a few minutes in
the boat, the four families from different cities all realized that we
had close ties to Lubavitch.

We were all amazed because it seemed unlikely that the random selection
would result in an entire boat load of "friends" of Lubavitch. We all
felt the moment to be very special and decided to study Torah together
in the Rebbe's name because we each realized that whatever we thought
our purpose was in going down the river, it was surely for some
spiritual reason we had not realized at the time.

I often think of that boat trip as a metaphor for what Lubavitch has
done for Jews like myself during the five decades of the Rebbe's
leadership.

For through the Rebbe's work, Jews from all over have been brought
together and have begun to understand that truly we are in the same
boat, and that if we only see to it that the boat is pointed in the
right direction and filled with Torah, we will together gather the
sparks that will bring Moshiach. May that be speedily and in our days.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                      16th of Shevat, 5723 [1963]
             New England Convention of N'shei u'Bnos Chabad

Blessing and Greeting:

I trust that all of you - delegates and members of the various branches
convening today - come imbued with a goodly measure of inspiration drawn
from the two very recent auspicious days of this month, the
Yahrzeit-Hilulo [anniversary of the passing] of my father-in-law, the
Rebbe, of saintly memory - on the 10th, and of the New Year for Trees -
yesterday.

Among the topics discussed at the Farbrengens [gatherings] on both these
occasions, occurring within one week, was the affinity between these two
notable days, and how their instructive messages are related.

The Torah likens a human being to a tree, and the Tzaddik [a righteous
person] to a flourishing date palm. In a remarkable statement in the
Talmud our Sages declare, moreover, that a Tzaddik lives on forever,
"for just as his seed is alive, so is he alive." It is noteworthy that
the word "seed" is used here, rather than "descendants" or "children,"
or "disciples," though all these are included in the word "seed." In
choosing the word "seed" in this connection, our Sages conveyed to us
the specific images and ideas which this word brings to our minds:

The wonderful process of growth, which transforms a tiny seed into a
multiple reproduction of the same, be it an earful of grains or, in the
case of a fruit seed, a fruit-bearing tree; the care which the growth
process requires, and how a little extra care at an early stage is
multiplied in the final product; the fact that the more advanced and
more highly developed the fruit, the longer it takes to grow and ripen,
so that grain, for example, takes but a few months to reproduce itself,
while it takes a fruit-bearing many years to mature, etc.

All these principles apply in a very practical way in the performance of
our daily service to G-d, which, of course, embraces our whole daily
life, since it is our duty to serve G-d in all our ways.

The ... Convention... will surely give full expression to the spirit of
the Yahrzeit-Hilulo of the Rebbe and to the feeling that it is a branch
of his planting. I hope and pray that each and every one of you will
endeavor to emulate his dedicated work, and to live up to the high
esteem and great expectations which he so often and so earnestly
expressed in regard to the Jewish woman in general, and the Chabad woman
in particular.

Wishing you the utmost success,

                                *  *  *


                      24th of Teveth, 5722 [1962]

            To the Participants in the Annual Dinner of the
                     Lubavitch Foundation, London,


Greeting and Blessing:

The Annual Event, taking place in such close proximity to Yud Shevat,
the Yahrzeit-Hilula of my father-in-law of saintly memory, will, I
trust, bear the imprint of his influence and inspiration.

In the course of his allotted life span on this earth my father-in-law
had seen, and contended with, many different worlds. But whether it was
under Czarist Russia or under Soviet Russia, during the two World Wars
or during their aftermaths, in the Old World or in the New - he was
always the indefatigable Manhig Yisroel [Jewish leader], dedicated heart
and soul to the spiritual and material well-being of our people.

...My father-in-law was as vitally concerned with the Aleph-Beis
["beginner"] child as with the advanced Yeshivah students and his love
for his disciples and followers to whom he expounded the inner secrets
of the Torah was only matched by his love for his fellow Jew in some
distant country, deprived of the most elementary educational facilities.

Jewish education was his primary concern, and the same spirit of
dedication permeated his emissaries who pioneered in many an edu
cational field under his inspiring initiative and guidance. This work
truly expressed the unity of our people through the Torah which, on
every level from Aleph-Beis  to Raze-dirazin (Innermost secrets), is the
unifying forces uniting the one people by means of the one Torah to the
One G-d.

...The preservation of the Jewish way of life, according to the Law of
Life (Toras Chaim) is surely the responsibility not only of the leaders
of the community but also of every Jewish individual, man and woman. I
prayerfully hope that everyone whom this message reaches will want to
have a share in this most worthy endeavor, and thus bring G-d's
blessings to the community at large, and to themselves and their
families in particular, materially and spiritually.

With blessing,

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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10 Shevat 5761

Positive mitzva 5: worshipping G-d

By this injunction we are commanded to serve G-d. This commandment is
repeated several times in the Torah, e.g. (Ex. 23:25) "And you shall
serve the L-rd your G-d"; (Deut. 13:5) "And Him shall you serve"; (Deut.
6:13) "And serve Him" and  (Deut. 11:13) "And to serve Him." It imposes
the specific duty of prayer, and as our Sages explained, the study of
Torah.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
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In 5710 (1950) the Previous Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, had
written a four-part Chasidic discourse based on the verse from Song of
Songs, "Basi L'Gani - I have come into My garden, My sister, My bride."
The Previous Rebbe directed that the first part be released in advance
of and to be studied on the tenth of Shevat. That day marked the
anniversary of the passing of his grandmother, Rebbetzin Rivkah, wife of
the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe.

It came to pass, however, that the tenth of Shevat was the date of the
Previous Rebbe's own passing.

As "all the effort of a person for which his soul toiled during his
life...becomes revealed...at the time of his passing," it is clear that
this series of discourses summarizes the parting message of the Previous
Rebbe. In fact, the Rebbe later stated that the Previous Rebbe released
the discourse for his own passing.

On the tenth of Shevat, one year after the Previous Rebbe's passing, the
Rebbe expounded upon the discourse in his own, first public discourse.
This marked the Rebbe's formal acceptance of and ascendancy to
leadership.

Just as the original discourse was a summarization of the Previous
Rebbe's life work, the Rebbe's explanation of the discourse was a
preamble of what would be his mission and the mission of our entire
generation:

"We are now very near the approaching footsteps of Moshiach, indeed, we
are at the conclusion of this period, and our spiritual task is to
complete the process of drawing down the Shechina (Divine
Presence)-moreover, the essence of the Shechina-within specifically our
lowly world."

The drawing down of the Shechina into this world will culminate at the
time of the Redemption. Our task, as outlined by the Rebbe in that first
discourse and from then on, is to enhance our observance of
mitzvot-especially acts of "ahavat Yisroel" love for another Jew,
increase our study of Torah, and prepare in all ways possible to greet
Moshiach, may it happen immediately.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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And there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three
days...they saw not one another (Ex. 10: 22,23)

The worst kind of darkness is when people refuse to "see" each other and
are uninterested in knowing about their fellow man. Indeed, the world is
darkened when every individual lives only for himself.

                                                  (Eshkol Maamarim)


And the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of
Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people (Ex. 11:3)

There are many different kinds of public figures: Some personalities are
better appreciated by the upper classes, while others are more popular
among the common folk. Everyone, however, recognized Moses' greatness,
from the highest-ranking Egyptian ministers to the lowest level of
society.

                                             (Rabbi Boruch Epstein)


But against any of the Children of Israel, a dog shall not whet its
tongue (Ex. 11:7)

Animals, and particularly dogs, are the first to be aware of the
approach of a natural catastrophe; their frenzied barking is often the
first indication that anything is wrong. Thus when the dogs in Egypt
remained silent, it demonstrated that the slaying of the firstborn was a
supernatural plague rather than an outbreak of illness or natural
epidemic.

                                                   (Kol Omeir Kera)


The dog is the most faithful and empathetic of all domestic animals. If
someone in the household should die or be injured, a dog will make the
most heart-rending noises to express its grief. Thus, after describing
the terrible confusion that the slaying of the firstborn would cause -
"there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as
there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more" - the Torah
reassures us that the dogs in the Jewish sector would have no reason to
bark.

                               (Rabbi Yeshayahu Horowitz of Vienna)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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Rabbi Shlomo Kazarnovsky was a Chasid of the Previous Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef
Yitzchak Schneersohn, whose yartzeit is the tenth day of Shevat
(corresponding to Februrary 3rd this year). Many years ago, Rabbi
Kazarnovsky and the Rebbe's son-in-law, Rabbi Shmaryahu Gurary, were
sent on a mission to Toronto, Canada. When they arrived there they
discovered that all public transportation had come to an abrupt halt. A
blizzard had hit the city, with accompanying gale-force winds. There was
no choice but to stay in their hotel room and wait until the storm
passed.

But they were not alone for long, as a few other Chasidim and supporters
of Lubavitch soon joined them. One of them was a local rabbi in Toronto,
who told them the following story:

Not long ago, a member of the rabbi's synagogue had been suddenly
stricken with paralysis. When the rabbi heard what happened, he went to
visit him in the hospital. The man's condition was very grave, and he
could barely speak. The members of the man's family, huddled together
outside his room, told the rabbi he couldn't even enter to see him.
Standing in the hospital corridor, they proceeded to fill him in on all
the sordid details of his illness.

When the patient heard the rabbi's voice, however, he instructed the
nurse to allow him to enter the sickroom. As soon as he stepped inside
the man found his voice. "I heard that the Rebbe of Lubavitch is now in
the United States," he said. "Please write to him for me and ask him
what I can do to redeem myself and regain my health." The rabbi
immediately wrote a letter describing the man's condition, and received
an equally speedy reply from the Rebbe.

The Rebbe had answered: "Tell him that a branch of Yeshiva Tomchei
Temimim is now being built in Montreal. Advise him to donate the sum of
one thousand dollars. The angel of one hundred is not the same as the
angel of one thousand, as it states, 'If there be but one interceding
angel out of a thousand [accusers], etc.' "

As soon as the Rebbe's answer arrived the rabbi hurried back to the
hospital to show the sick man the letter. The relatives were very
surprised that it had come so fast. However, after the rabbi told them
what the Rebbe had advised, the man's brother-in-law commented in
English, "You see? They're already trying to squeeze money out of him.
You know what kind of people these are..."

The rabbi would not give him the dignity of a response. He walked
straight into the man's room and read him the Rebbe's letter. When he
had finished reading, the man turned to his son sitting next to the bed
and said, "Son, I want to live. Take a thousand dollars and go to
Montreal." The son did exactly as he was told and left for Montreal.

Several days later one of the hospital's leading specialists came in to
examine the patient. After checking his condition, the doctor left the
room in a fury. Confronting the man's family, which had maintained a
steady vigil ever since he was stricken, he demanded, "Who gave you
permission to bring in outside doctors and interfere in the patient's
treatment? What kind of medications have you been giving him?" The man's
relatives were stunned. They did not understand what he meant, as no
other doctors had been called in on the case, and no special medications
had been prescribed. They insisted that they had done absolutely
nothing.

"If that's the case," the doctor continued, "then a genuine miracle has
occurred. The patient's condition has undergone a radical change for the
better. He is almost ready to be discharged."

Although he needed the assistance of crutches to get around for a short
time, they were eventually discarded. The man experienced a complete
recovery from his illness.


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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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At the present time, when the world trembles, when all the world
shudders with the birth-pangs of Moshiach, for G-d has set fire to the
walls of the Exile... it is the duty of every Jew, man and woman, old
and young, to ask themselves: What have I done and what am I doing to
alleviate the birth-pangs of Moshiach, and to merit the total Redemption
which will come through our righteous Moshiach?

(From a letter of the Previous Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn)

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                  END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 655 - Bo 5761
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