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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 661
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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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        March 16, 2001          Ki Sisa            21 Adar, 5761
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                         Happy Birthday To You

Would you consider turning your yard into a petting zoo complete with a
camel, a draft horse, a bull, ponies, two llamas, a yak, a goat, a
chicken, a turtle and a boa constrictor? One grandmother did, for the
joint first birthday celebration of her two granddaughters. The $1,200
price tag included entertainment, gifts and 102 Dalmations decorations.
Or maybe your child would prefer a catered birthday party with a clown,
pony rides, a horse and a fountain spewing apple juice?

These are just two examples of birthday parties that, as one
psychologist notes, "set up lifelong expectations that might be
unrealistic. It is important on birthdays to help a child avoid valuing
materialism over family and friends."

In a drive to reinstate good, old-fashioned values and, at the same
time, keep expenditures down, many parents are opting to get off the
birthday bandwagon while they still can.

So far, so good. But you're probably wondering what birthdays have to do
with Judaism. The notion that there's nothing Jewish about birthdays is
so prevelant that a prominent and knowledgeable Jewish radio show host
and writer recently wrote that there is no inherent meaning in birthdays
within Judaism.

Over a decade ago, the Rebbe initiated an innovative campaign to make
birthdays meaningful for both children and adults.* The Rebbe encouraged
people to celebrate their birthdays in the traditional Jewish manner.

Jewish teachings explain that a birthday is a time when mazalo gover-the
particular spiritual source of a person's soul shines most powerfully.
The Divine energy that was present at the time of your birth is once
more present and dynamic on the anniversary of your birth each year.

Therefore, your birthday is a perfect time to enhance the quality of
your life in the year to come.

Things you can do on your birthday to get the most out of your
soul-power include spending time in self-evaluation, making a positive
resolution for the coming year, giving charity, studying Torah, and
organizing a birthday party with friends and family. At the gathering
make sure to share with friends some of what you learned on your
birthday.

After hearing about the Rebbe's suggestions for birthdays, one public
school teacher was so taken with this meaningful way to celebrate that
she incorporated some of these recommendations into her students'
classroom birthday parties. She asked each child to make a positive
resolution and to share with the other students something meaningful and
valuable they had recently learned.

To find our when your birthday falls on the Jewish calendar, call your
local Chabad-Lubavitch Center or the "Tzivos Hashem Superphone" at (718)
467-7800 from a touch-tone phone and key in your civil birthday. You'll
be told the corresponding date on the Jewish calendar and when it occurs
this year. Celebrate your birthday in a traditional Jewish manner,
de-emphasizing the materialism and concentrating instead on family,
friends and spiritual growth.

*The Rebbe initiated the campaign in connection with the birthday of his
wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, This Tuesday, the 25th of Adar - March 20
this year - marks the 100th year since the Rebbetzin's birth.)

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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The Torah portion of Ki Tisa contains the mitzva of the half-shekel,
symbolic of the mitzva of tzedaka (charity).

There are several ways in which an individual can give tzedaka. The
first is when a person is kindly and giving by nature, or when he
understands intellectually the need to help his fellow man. This is,
however, considered to be the lowest level of giving tzedaka.

A higher level is when a person gives tzedaka because G-d has commanded
him to. In this instance the incentive is not personal, but stems from
the desire to obey G-d's will. A mitzva is an absolute that is not
subject to intellectual or emotional considerations. Thus, when a person
gives tzedaka out of a sense of obedience, his action is imbued with
greater power. Yet even here there can be personal motivations mixed in,
such as the fear of punishment or the desire to receive reward (material
or spiritual) in this world or the next.

Above these two levels is the giving of tzedaka "without the intent of
receiving a reward." In this instance, the mitzva is fulfilled out of
pure and simple obedience to G-d, without any thought of recompense
whatsoever. The person wants to fulfill G-d's will and enjoys doing so.

The mitzva of the half-shekel, however, represents the very highest
category of giving tzedaka. On the verse in this week's portion, "This
shall they give...a half-shekel...an offering to G-d" (the commandment
for every Jew to give the half-shekel), the Jerusalem Talmud comments:
"The Holy One, Blessed be He, removed a coin of fire from under the
Throne of Glory and showed it to Moses, saying, 'This shall they give.'
" Indeed, the "secret" of the half-shekel is related to the idea of "a
coin of fire."

The nature of fire is to always ascend upward; it has no "weight" or
fixed, definable form. Similarly, the optimal way to give tzedaka is
with a fiery "flame" and enthusiasm, without any personal considerations
or motives. In this scenario, the Jew just naturally desires to fulfill
G-d's will, and doesn't even look for other reasons or justifications.

Nonetheless, it is significant that G-d showed Moses a "coin of fire,"
rather than just a flame. When a person gives tzedaka (or does any other
mitzva, for that matter), theoretical abstracts are not enough. The
point is to bring down that fiery enthusiasm to where it can actually
help someone, and express it in the realm of concrete action.

When the mitzva of tzedaka is done in this manner, a Jew will give
unconditionally, without waiting for specific times and without waiting
to be asked. His inner "fire" will prompt him to seek out those in need,
and he will give repeatedly, over and over again.

                           Adapted from Sefer HaSichot 5749, Vol. 1

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                           KISHINEV VIGNETTES

                         Moshe and Luba Weisman

                            By Esther Altman

They look like a picture-perfect family - Moshe standing next to his
wife Luba, who is holding the cutest little baby in her arms. Just
looking at them you could never imagine the long and arduous story they
carry with them.

Moshe's journey began long before he met his wife, and it took him from
the Ural Mountains, near Siberia, to the Krukova labor camp, about 20
miles away from Kishinev. Moshe, who is 45 years old, spent nine years
in labor camps before the end of Communism: four years in the Ural
Mountains followed by five years in the Krukova labor camp in Moldova.

Moshe would rather not discuss the suffering he endured during those
years. Now, he's just full of gratitude to G-d for having survived. The
fact that he was a Jew definitely didn't help him, although at the time,
he didn't even know what being a Jew meant. In his last year in Krukova,
a seemingly chance occurrence changed Moshe's life. A friend in the
labor camp told him that he had read in a newspaper an article written
by the Chief Rabbi of Moldova. That was all; no more details were
available.

To this day, Moshe can't explain it, but something deep inside of him
impelled him to sit down and write a long, very emotional letter about
his life to this Rabbi, someone whose name and address he didn't even
know. The envelope was simply addressed to the "Chief Rabbi of Kishinev
and Moldova" - no name or address. But a miracle happened. Rabbi Zalman
Abelsky, the Chief Rabbi of Kishinev and Moldova and who, together with
his wife, are the Rebbe's emissaries to that region, received the
letter. The following day the Rabbi walked into the labor camp to visit
Moshe. Even today, tears roll down Moshe's eyes when he remembers how a
Rabbi with a long white beard came to visit him and became like a
"second father" to him.

Reb Zalman's first action was to explain to the Krukova camp manager
that because Moshe was a Jew, he had the right to rest on the Sabbath.
In prison Moshe had a lot of free time to search and find out about his
Jewish background, to learn about the Jewish holidays, etc. Nine months
later Moshe was a free man. Rabbi Abelsky offered him a place to stay
(and of course, to study) in the yeshiva for a number of months before
he re-entered the "real" world. While Moshe studied at the yeshiva, Mrs.
Leah Abelsky introduced him to Luba Zotkin, one of her students. Luba's
son, Shmuel, studied at the Jewish school, and like all the other
students, he was invited along with his mother to partake of a Sabbath
meal at the Abelsky's.

It wasn't long before Moshe and Luba decided to marry and move to
Israel. Today, they are the happy parents of a little daughter, Ruty.
Moshe works for the well-known organization "Yad L'Achim," helping his
brothers and sisters who are coming from the former Soviet Union have an
easier beginning in Israel, the land of their dreams. It's been a long
haul; no wonder Moshe calls Rabbi Abelsky his second father.

                                *  *  *


                           By April Gochberg

I found out one fall morning that I would be traveling to Kishinev,
Moldova to visit 11 children's hospitals. I was participating in a
program called "Gift of Hope" with a local humanitarian aid
organization. I have traveled to Eastern Europe frequently with this
organization and I always try to contact the Jewish community so I can
celebrate Shabbat at the synagogue. Usually, I discover small dying
communities of elderly Jews. I expected to find the same in Kishinev.

I started my search before I left home. On a whim I typed Moldovan Jewry
into my Internet search engine and to my utter amazement I learned of a
thriving Jewish community in Kishinev. I learned about a Lubavicher
Chasid, Rabbi Zalman Abelsky, who had moved from Israel to Kishinev in
order to shepherd a dwindling flock. I knew very little about the
Lubavich movement other than that at every holiday we receive literature
in the mail from the community where my husband went to college; I have
always been thankful for the pamphlets. I wanted to visit this community
in Kishinev. I e-mailed the address on the Web page and within a day I
was speaking on the phone to the Abelskys' son in New York, Rabbi Zushe.

Zushe made introductions for me with the community in Kishinev and they
were expecting me. I was welcomed by the assistant Rabbi, Rabbi Sholom
Ber Freiman, and was given a tour of the new mikva (which is nicer than
the one we have here in Portland, Oregon!) and of the synagogue proper.
He wanted to take me to their school which has 300 children, but because
of my time constraints and the work I was doing there I was not able to
visit the school, much to my regret.

Rabbi Freiman and his wife Dina hosted me and my travelling companions
for Shabbat lunch. With many traditional salads and cholent, I felt as
if I was back at my husband's grandmother's house in Brooklyn.

I was very pleased that the reality of the Kishinev community greatly
exceeded my expectations. I encourage anyone who has a heart for this
part of the world to actively support the Jewish community in Kishinev.

      To find out more about the Jewish community in Kishinev visit
                                                   www.kishinev.org

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                             Soul Journeys

Soul Journeys by Rabbi Chaim Dalfin, is a slim volume discussing the
journeys of the soul. In the author's words, "Using real life stories,
we will try to address why we are here, whether we have been here
before, and where we're likely to go next." The main focus of this book
is reincarnation, but other types of journeys the soul experiences are
also briefly explored. Published by Jewish Enrichment Press.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                 Freely translated letter of the Rebbe
                      11th of Nissan, 5733 (1973)

To the Sons and Daughters of Our People Israel, Everywhere - G-d bless
you All!

Greeting and Blessing:

Pursuant to the previous letter, and in order to further clarify the
point which was brought out in it:

That the true Jewish concept of Divine Providence is - as indicated in
the plain sense of the term - that it is continuously active, every day
and in every detail, and that supernatural (miraculous) Divine
Providence is not limited to revealed miracles, but that also in the
ordinary daily life there is miraculous intervention, except that "the
one to whom a miracle occurs does not recognize his miracle."

It will be well to add some pertinent points, and to bring out the
practical message of the whole thought, in addition to the explanation
of the above-mentioned basic Jewish tenet, relating it to actual
conduct, since "the essential thing is the deed."

Supernatural (miraculous) direction can take two forms: (a) revealed
miracles, such as the miracles which accompanied the Liberation from
Egypt, this is to say, miracles which are entirely above and beyond the
natural order, and at complete variance with nature; (b) miracles on the
order of the miracle of Purim, which was "clothed" in natural
"garments."

The miracles of the Exodus from Egypt - beginning with those that took
place in Egypt, right up to and including the liberation of an entire
people, "young and old, sons and daughters," after centuries of
enslavement in a land, from which even a single slave could not escape;
an Exodus, moreover, with "upraised arm" (in broad daylight and with
honor) and "with great substance"- these were events which everyone
clearly saw as revealed miracles.

Different was the Miracle of Purim, for although also in this case there
were miracles, to the extent of a complete "reversal" of circumstances,
culminating in extraordinary triumph, as expressed in the words, "For
the Jews there was light, joy, gladness and honor."

Nevertheless, the miracle of Purim was "clothed" in natural
developments: Esther becomes queen; Mordechai gains a place "at the gate
of the palace" and saves the king from an assassination plot; Esther
intercedes with the king to annul the decree, etc., as all these events
are related in the Megillah; although every event individually, and
especially the congruence of all the events, "in those days at this
season," into a predesigned pattern, was obviously miraculous, as we
acknowledge this many times in prayer on Purim, referring to the
"miracles, deliverance, mighty deeds, salvations, wonders."

Divine direction within the natural order, likewise, takes two forms:
(a) direction that "outwardly" is entirely natural; (b) direction in
which Divine Providence is clearly in evidence.

An example of the former is the course of sowing and reaping: To plant,
and later to harvest, is entirely natural, so much so that in order to
discern Divine Providence also in this natural order, one must ponder
deeply about the way in which this Providence, extending to every
detail, causes the congruence of a variety of natural phenomena - such
as winds, rains and sunshine, etc., each in the right time and the right
measure - to produce the desired results.

The second, an easily discernible form of Divine Providence, is what
people commonly call "success," "good luck" (Mazel) , "windfall," and
the like. These terms do not say what the thing is, but rather what it
is not, namely, not personal achievement, i.e., not the result of
special intelligence or hard work. However, the Torah, called "Toras
Emes," tells us the real truth, that such Mazel is the gift of Divine
Providence, the Divine blessing in the three general areas of human
needs, namely, "children, life and sustenance," real and extraordinary
Nachas (joy) from children, exceptional good health, and extraordinary
Hatzlocho (success) in Parnosso.

This, then, is the point that was emphasized in the previous letter, to
be learned from the distinction of the month of Nissan as "This month
shall be unto you the first of the months."

By ordaining the Jewish people to count all the months of the year from
Nissan, the month whose significance is contained in the fact that "in
it you came out of Egypt" through the intervention of revealed Divine
miracles, the Torah teaches us that such is the essence of the Divine
conduct of the Universe throughout all the months of the year, whether
it expresses itself in revealed miracles or in miracles which are
dressed in "natural" garments, or when Divine Providence is in evidence,
or it is totally obscured by the natural order -  in each of these forms
it behooves the Jew to know and remember that G-d is the Creator of the
world and the sole and exclusive Master of the world, and that He
directs the whole world in all its details; certainly the "small world"
(microcosm), i.e., man, everyone, and in all details of his and her
daily life.

In light of the above, it is self-evident, that every detail of a
person's life, however "small" it may be, is subject to Divine
directive, and must be carried out in accordance with that directive,
i.e., the will of the One Whose Providence extends also to that
particular detail. Nothing can override it, or change it, for the
"counting" has its roots in the month of Nissan, whose essence is the
revealed miracles of Yetzias Mitzrayim...

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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21 Adar 5761

Positive mitzva 153: determining the new moon

By this injunction we are commanded to reckon the months and years. This
is the mitzva of the "Sanctification of the New Moon," and is contained
in the Torah's words (Ex. 12:2): "This month shall be unto you the
beginning of months." (This duty is only performed by the Great Court in
the Land of Israel.)

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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This Shabbat we read an additional Torah portion in the synagogue known
as "Parshat Para" (the "red heifer"). In the days of the Holy Temple, if
a person became spiritually unclean through contact with a dead body,
the ashes of the red heifer rendered him clean. As a person had to be in
a state of ritual cleanliness in order to bring the Passover offering,
these laws were read publicly in the weeks leading up to the holiday.

Although we cannot bring offerings in the literal sense at present, the
spiritual lessons they contain are timeless.

Our Sages likened mitzvot to the human body. Just as the body is
composed of 248 limbs and 365 sinews, the Torah is composed of 248
positive and 365 negative commandments.

But the Torah is also likened to the soul. Just as the soul animates the
physical body and transforms it into a living being, so too does the
Torah enliven the practical mitzvot and illuminate them with its light.
When a Jew studies Torah and understands the deeper significance of the
commandments, his mitzvot are performed with joy and happiness, and with
a heartfelt enthusiasm.

This principle sheds light on the Talmudic statement, "He who studies
the laws of the burnt-offering is considered as if he has brought one."
During the exile, when we cannot bring sacrifices in the literal sense,
our study of the law stands in its stead. The mitzva of bringing the
sacrifice, however, just like the human body, is limited by the
boundaries of time and space; the actual mitzva can only be fulfilled in
the proper time and at the proper location (indeed, it is forbidden to
offer sacrifices outside the Temple).

But our holy Torah, just like the soul, is spiritual; it is not limited
by the restraints of time and place. Our study of the Torah's laws of
offerings is therefore relevant and appropriate in any age and in any
location.

As we gradually "rev up" for the Passover season, let us remember that
every positive action we do draws nearer the day when "The spirit of
uncleanliness I will remove from the earth," with the coming of Moshiach
and the Final Redemption. May it happen immediately.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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This they shall give...half a shekel (machatzit) of the shekel of the
Sanctuary (Ex. 30:13)

The Hebrew word "machatzit" is spelled mem-chet-tzadik-yud-tav. The
letter tzadik, which also means a righteous person, is exactly in the
center. The two letters nearest to the tzadik are chet and yud, which
spell "chay," meaning alive. The two letters furthest from the tzadik
are mem and tav, which spell "meit," or dead. From this we learn that
being close to a tzadik imbues us with life, and that giving tzedaka
(charity, symbolized by the half-shekel) saves us from death.

                                                  (Sifrei Chasidut)


The shekel is an allusion to the soul; the gematria (numerical
equivalent) of "shekel" is the same as for "nefesh" (soul). Every Jew is
given "half" of his soul from Above; his obligation is to elevate the
other "half" under his control to the same level as the first, through
serving G-d and performing good deeds.

                                       (Rabbi Chanoch of Alexander)


The Tablets were written on both their sides (Ex. 32:15)

The two sides of the Tablets are an allusion to the two aspects of
Torah, the revealed (nigleh) and the hidden (nistar). If a person
publicly denies the Divinity of the Torah's mystical teachings, it is a
sign that inwardly, he also denies the sanctity of the revealed portion.

                                                 (The Chatam Sofer)


Moses stood at the gate of the camp and said, "Whoever is on G-d's side,
let him come to me." And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves
together to him (Ex. 32:26)

The members of the tribe of Levi were not the only Jews who refused to
worship the Golden Calf. This is obvious from the fact that only 3000
people were punished. Nonetheless, when Moses declared, "Whoever is on
G-d's side, let him come to me," the Levites were the only ones who
responded. Only the Levites were willing to pick up their swords and
wage battle against idolatry, while everyone else stood by and refused
to become involved in "controversy."

                                                  (Chidushei HaRim)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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Little Shloimeleh was the youngest of the family's nine children. He had
a quick smile and intelligent eyes. Shloimeleh's favorite time was
Friday afternoon, when his mother lit the Shabbat candles. He loved to
watch them burn in their polished candlesticks.

But one Shabbat eve, when his mother had closed her eyes to recite the
blessing, one of the candles fell on Shloimeleh's arm, badly burning
him.

Time passed, and the burn eventually healed. But little Shloimeleh was
left with an ugly scar on his forearm as a reminder of the incident.

Then the Second World War broke out, and Poland was invaded by the
Germans. As part of the "final solution," all the Jews in Shloimeleh's
town were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. Reb Avraham,
Shloimeleh's father, was forcibly separated from the rest of his family.
It was the last time he would see his wife and children. Reb Avraham was
later interred in a labor camp. Miraculously he survived the Holocaust,
and eventually found himself in Russia.

Reb Avraham was now alone in the world. Physically exhausted and
consumed with grief, he tried to lessen his pain by learning, praying,
and teaching Torah and mitzvot to Jewish children, many of whom had
never been exposed to Judaism. Aside from organizing a secret cheder, he
also served as a mohel (ritual circumciser). But of all his religious
achievements, the tiny synagogue he established was closest to his
heart.

Needless to say, Reb Avraham's activities were completely illegal; time
and again he was cautioned by the Communist authorities. But Reb Avraham
felt he had nothing to lose. After going through everything he had, what
else could they do to him? He continued to spread Torah and mitzvot, and
spent even more time in his little shul.

The most persistent of Reb Avraham's tormentors was a young Communist
named Natishka. Reb Avraham could hardly take a step without being
followed by him. Natishka repeatedly warned him that he would end up
before a firing squad if he didn't shape up.

Around this time Reb Avraham decided to apply for an exit visa to
Israel. He was very surprised when his request was approved. In truth,
Reb Avraham had mixed feelings about leaving Russia. On the one hand, he
was grateful for the opportunity to spend the rest of his days in the
Holy Land. Yet on the other, he worried about the fate of his brethren.
Who would keep the embers of Judaism burning after he was gone?

As the date of his departure grew near, Reb Avraham spent most of his
time in his beloved synagogue. Emboldened by the prospect of imminent
freedom, he abandoned some of his usual precautions.

One evening Reb Avraham entered the shul and lit several memorial
candles in remembrance of his family. His eyes filled with tears as he
recalled their faces. In a voice choked with emotion he began to recite
Psalms, and the sound carried out into the street...

At that moment, Natishka happened to pass by and decided to investigate.
When he saw what the Jew was up to he became incensed.

"When will you ever learn?" he screamed at him. "When will you finally
give up your obsolete practices?" Once and for all, he would teach the
Jew a lesson. He began to roll up his sleeves...

Reb Avraham remained tranquil. Having already been beaten many times,
there was nothing new about the prospect of physical violence. "Shema
Yisrael!" ("Hear O Israel"), he called out in a clear if somewhat
trembling voice. "The L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One!"

It was then that he looked up and noticed Natishka's bare forearm,
poised to strike. A long scar, evidence of an old burn, wound its way
down his arm in a very familiar pattern...

"Shloimeleh!" Reb Avraham cried out. "Is that you, my son?"

The young Communist's face drained of color as his hand froze in midair.
Inexplicably, his eyes were drawn to the candles' flames, as if they
reminded him of something long hidden and repressed... A cry erupted
from his throat as his eyes filled with tears. He embraced the elderly
Jew and began to weep like a small child.

"Tatteh!" he wailed inconsolably. "Tatteh, forgive me!"

Father and son marveled at how Divine Providence had brought them
together. Not long afterward they both emigrated to Israel. And each
week thereafter, as they gazed into the Shabbat candles, they pondered
their indebtedness to them for their reunion.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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Every day, we must have faith in Moshiach's coming and wait for him as
the Rambam states, "I will wait for him, every day, that he come." This
is particularly true in the later generations when "All the appointed
times for Moshiach's coming have passed," and especially in our
generation when, according to all the omens mentioned by our Sages, this
is the last generation of exile and the first generation of Redemption.
Hence, surely in the present generation, we must have strong faith in
Moshiach's coming and await his coming with genuine yearning.

                                    (The Rebbe, 27 Adar, 5750-1990)

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                END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 661 - Ki Sisa 5761
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