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                                  B"H
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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 671
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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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        June 1, 2001             Nasso            10 Sivan, 5761
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                          Weeding Your Garden

Have you ever tried digging out weeds that have been left to their own
devices for one, two, three or more years?

You thrust the shovel into the ground and kick it deeper with your foot.
Then you simultaneously push down on the handle while you attempt to dig
an inch or two deeper. Lowering the handle even more closely to the
ground you fight for leverage in order to bring up a shovel-full of
weeds.

And what do you get for all of your exertion? Nothing. The roots have
burrowed so deep and are so intricately intertwined with each other that
you are sure they have metamorphosized into iron. What looked like a
no-sweat, ten-minute job at first will realistically take an entire
Sunday.

If you're the contemplative type, after just ten minutes of weeding such
a garden, you might come to realize that there is a similarity between
weeds and bad habits.

The one dandelion that happens to establish itself on your otherwise
flawless lawn can be easily removed. With minimal effort you can rid
your property of the weed before it has a chance to seed and spread.
Likewise, if we are on the lookout for bad character traits and work at
removing them as soon as we become aware of them, they won't have a
chance to seed and spread.

But, if tolerated and left unchecked, a weed will dig its roots deeper.
And its roots will become entangled with and spawn other roots. Then,
like bad habits, they become even more difficult to eradicate.

How do we get rid of bad habits and detrimental character traits? By
doing a little soul-weeding. Once we've had a little practice, it's not
so difficult to tell the difference between a weed and a beautiful
plant.

We recently completed the seven-week period of Sefirat HaOmer-counting
the omer. During this time, we systematically enumerated and examined
all of the different human characteristics. Each day we worked on
weeding out a negative trait or fertilizing a positive trait.* By the
end of this process our spiritual garden should be in full bloom.

But, as every gardener knows, weeding never ends. Even with continual
maintenance, there will probably be a patch of crab-grass here, some
wild carrots over there, a dandelion that reappears. Don't be
discouraged. Consider the teaching from Ethics of the Fathers: "It is
not incumbent upon you to complete the work..." Like the weeds, the
negative traits may reappear here or there and the job is never really
finished (yet "you are not free to desist from it" the teaching
concludes).

The Baal Shem Tov says that G-d leads a person along the path that he
wants to go. Attend to the weeds with this thought in mind and you're
sure to meet with success.

Happy weeding!

        *For an inspiring version of the appropriate self-searching
      during Sefirat Haomer, see "A Spiritual Guide to the Counting
               of the Omer" by Rabbi Simon Jacobson, available from
                                             www.meaningfullife.com

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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This week's Torah portion, Naso, contains the commandment: "Then they
shall confess their sin which they have done." This is the mitzva of
viduy (confession), about which Maimonides writes, "We are commanded to
confess the sins and transgressions we have committed before G-d, after
we have repented of them."

The mitzva of viduy is one of the Torah's 613 commandments, "Positive
Commandment Number 73" in Maimonides' Sefer HaMitzvot. This raises a
question: Why does Maimonides consider confession - which is only one
component of teshuva (repentance) - a separate mitzva, whereas teshuva
itself is not enumerated?

There are several explanations:

    1) Repentance is not counted as one of the 613 mitzvot because there
    is no actual commandment in the Torah to repent. If a person wishes
    to do teshuva and rectify his sins the Torah shows him how, but he
    is not commanded to do so. Thus confession is a mitzva, but teshuva
    is not.

    Teshuva is an inner arousal and urge to return to G-d that arises in
    an individual. It therefore cannot be ordered from Above, for if it
    were, the command itself would compel the person to obey, and it
    would not be initiated entirely by the individual. Accordingly, the
    Torah does not command us to repent because G-d wants us to do it on
    our own.

    2) Because teshuva is a "general" command, pertaining to the overall
    observance of Torah and mitzvot, it is not considered an individual
    mitzva, i.e., one of the 613. The Torah's 613 commandments are
    likened to the 613 organs and sinews in the human body. In the same
    way that only individual organs are counted in the total (whereas
    blood, which flows throughout the body, is not considered an organ),
    so too is repentance, an inner arousal of the heart, too generalized
    to be considered a separate mitzva.

    3) Confession and repentance comprise a single mitzva. Maimonides
    writes that "Anyone who confesses but does not resolve to abandon
    [his sin] is like a person who immerses [in a mikva] while holding a
    rodent." Whenever a mitzva consists of two parts, one practical and
    the other emotional, only the practical component is included in the
    enumeration of mitzvot. For this reason only oral confession is
    counted as a mitzva, whereas repentance, which involves the heart,
    is not.

According to this last explanation (which also follows Maimonides'
interpretation) repentance is a mitzva, but it is included in the
commandment of confession. Indeed, while teshuva is above all other
mitzvot, we mustn't allow it to remain "up there," but must make sure
that it permeates and enriches all of our observance.

                           Adapted from Volume 38 of Likutei Sichot

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                Shabbat Lights Dance for the First Time
                             By Steve Hyatt

Every winter my parents leave the confines of their cold and snowy home
in the east and come and visit my wife Linda and me for almost three
months. They've been making this annual pilgrimage for the better part
of fifteen years, and every time they come I have to laugh at the
reaction of my friends and coworkers. To a person, each one is
incredulous that we could stand being together, in one home, for that
extended amount of time.

I smile every time I hear them gasp. Most of these people spent the
largest portion of their youth living in their parents' homes and yet
now as adults they can't imagine spending more than a few days with
them.

Although Linda and I are fast approaching 50, my parents have never
stopped teaching us lessons about life. From how to properly cut the
lawn (yes, there is actually a good way and a bad way to cut the lawn,
but that is another story), to how to improve the kugel, my parents
continue to share their wisdom, experience and love with us. On most
occasions the three months go by in the blink of an eye.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this last visit was watching my
wife Linda and my mother light Shabbat candles each Friday night. Now
that may not be a big deal in some homes, but it was a big deal in mine.
You see, I grew up in a warm and loving home, but I don't ever remember
seeing my mother light Shabbat candles on a Friday evening. When I was a
young boy, she would occasionally tell me stories of what Shabbat was
like in her Grandmother Lena's home. Her eyes would drift off to images
of a distant past, and I could almost smell the challa and taste the
kugel as she shared her cherished memories with me. Unfortunately,
Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Lena Cooper passed away when I was very
young, and with them went the kugel, the challa and the lighting of the
Shabbat candles.

Several years ago I attended a training seminar on Managing Change. The
facilitator said something that has always stayed with me. She said, "It
takes 90 days to make a habit and 90 days to break a habit." In other
words, it takes time and repetition to turn good intentions into
consistent behaviors. Over the years, I have seen this ring true over
and over again. Whether one is learning to put on tefilin every morning,
pray daily or light Shabbat candles, it takes time, commitment and
repetition to make it a regularly scheduled event.

So it was with the lighting of Shabbat candles in our home. When my
parents first arrived they kind of stood in the background and watched
as Linda lit the candles, said the blessing and covered her eyes to
welcome the Shabbat Queen into our home. But after a few weeks, to quote
my children, my parents started to "get into it." After a little
encouragement Mom stood next to Linda and they lit the candles together.
Several weeks later Mom asked for her own candles to light as Linda
recited the blessing. And several weeks after that, Mom was bringing out
the candles, setting them up, lighting her own, saying the blessing and
extending her own personal greeting to the Shabbos Queen.

I also watched as my father "got into it." He watched with pride as Mom
lit her candles. He later asked for his own Kiddush cup and chanted the
blessing with me. He even joined me in a little "l'chaim" after the fish
and for the first time in 72 years "relaxed" on Saturday, rather than
going about his normal work routine.

In short, over the course of 90 days my mother and father learned some
new "habits." When they finally left to return to their mountain home I
wondered if they would continue their new-found routines as soon as they
settled back into their old ones. To my surprise and delight my mother
called me about a half hour before Shabbat and asked me to repeat the
candle lighting blessing one more time to ensure she had it right. I
repeated it slowly, she repeated it back to me and then she said
hurriedly, "Okay, I have to go, it's almost time to light the candles."
As I put down the telephone I couldn't believe what I had just heard.
Mom and Dad were excited about lighting Shabbat candles in their home!

To my knowledge, it was the first time the heavenly glow of dancing
Shabbat lights had ever illuminated their home.

There is an expression, "The longest journey begins with the first
step." If that's true, my entire family took a gigantic first step this
year. The exciting thing is none of us knows where it will end. But one
thing we know for sure; somewhere, someplace Great-Grandpa Charlie and
Great-Grandma Lena Cooper are smiling from ear to ear as their
grandchildren and great grandchildren learn about the joys of Shabbat.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                           The Feminine Soul

The Feminine Soul by Chana Weisberg, examines women's strengths and
their uniquely feminine soul powers and de-mystifies ancient feminine
imagery found in Kabbala. It uncovers the inner dynamics of women's
special mitzvot. Dr. Laura Schlessinger, syndicated radio personality,
writes about the book, "Since my conversion to Orthodox Judaism, I have
been severely challenged on perceived notions of the sexist nature of
mitzvot and Torah. I have always responded with pride that Judaism
considers womanhood and motherhood transcendent. This book is a gentle
yet compelling revelation of that transcendence. Thank you for a
touching affirmation of G-d's and Judaism's love for women." Published
by Jacobson and Davidson, Canada.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                 To All Who Are Active in Torah Chinuch

          And to All Who Cherish Torah and Mitzvos in General,

Greeting and Blessing:

On this day, concluding the post-festival period of Shavuos, the
Festival of Mattan Torah [the Giving of the Torah], and pursuant to what
has been said and emphasized during the festive gatherings on, and
before and after, Shavuos, based on the declaration of our Sages of
blessed memory that only upon the assurance of the Jewish people that
"our children will be our guarantors" for the keeping of the Torah), did
G-d give the Torah to our Jewish people;

I take this opportunity to reiterate an urgent call in a matter which is
both a sacred duty and great Zechus [privilege] for every Jew, man and
woman:

That they do everything within their ability to promote Torah-true
education for each and every Jewish boy and girl, and not only during
the hours dedicated to Torah study, but also during the rest of the time
of the day and night, bearing in mind that the need is even greater in
after-school hours.

And while this duty and Zechus are in effect all year long, the call of
duty is particularly urgent in the days connected with the festival of
Mattan Torah and those immediately following, which recall the
corresponding days in the first year of the Liberation from Egypt,
culminating in Mattan Torah, when the said guarantee first took effect.

May I also call attention to the special opportunities which present
themselves in the forthcoming summer months, in this country and many
other countries, where the regular school curriculum is suspended or
curtailed for the summer recess:

This is the time when many teachers an instructors are relieved of their
regular duties, and they would surely wish to participate in activities
designed to promote and expand the work of Kosher Chinuch [Jewish
education].

While thousands of schoolchildren, boys and girls, are released from
school, thus providing a special opportunity, hence a compelling
challenge, that they be helped to join appropriate summer camps, where
they could benefit from a uniform atmosphere permeated with true
Yiddishkeit [Judaism] for a considerable length of time, relatively
speaking, which is not always possible during the rest of the year, when
some tension is inevitable between the atmosphere at school, at home,
and in the street.

This, therefore, is a very special and unique opportunity of inestimable
value in terms of lasting influence and education. Hence, every effort
in this direction is worthwhile. And surely these efforts will justify
the promise, "Try hard and you will succeed."

May G-d grant that each and everyone whose vocation is in Chinuch, or is
involved in Chinuch, and every one else who can help in this, whether
through personal participation or through activating others, will do so
to the utmost of his and her ability, and thus help raise legions upon
legions of Jewish boys and girls who can be "recognized by all who see
them as G-d-blessed children," studying His Torah, "Toras Emes" [Torah
of Truth] and "Toras Chaim" [Torah of Life], and keepers of its Mitzvos.

So that we may soon merit to see the fulfillment of the prophecy: "I
will bestow My spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters will
prophesy.... Aand as it is written before this: "And you will praise the
Name of G-d your G-d, Who has dealt wondrously with you" at the coming
of our righteous Moshiach, of whom it is written, "And he will reign
from sea to sea, and from the River to the end of the earth."

With esteem and blessing,

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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10 Sivan 5761

Positive mitzva 133: the dough offering

By this injunction we are commanded to set aside a portion of every
dough and give it to the kohen (priest). It is contained in the Torah's
words (Num. 15:20): "Of the first of your dough you shall set apart a
cake for a gift." (The commandment applies only in the Land of Israel,
but by Rabbinic ordinance, the setting apart of challa is obligatory
everywhere.)

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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There are 12 months on the Jewish calendar, each corresponding to one of
the Twelve Tribes. Sivan, the current month, corresponds to Zevulun.

The name Zevulun means a "permanent residence," which is an allusion to
the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Symbolically, it stands for the holy abode
that all Jews who are involved in worldly affairs establish in the
world.

Our Patriarch Jacob gave all his sons a blessing before he passed away.
The tribe of Zevulun, he said, would dwell on the coast of Israel and be
involved in maritime affairs. Moses said that they would conduct their
business with joy, and provide financial support to the tribe of
Yisachar. In fact, the tribes of Zevulun and Yisachar enjoyed a
symbiotic relationship: Yisachar sat and studied Torah all day, while
Zevulun engaged in business to support him. However, the Torah mentions
Zevulun's blessing even before Yisachar's to emphasize how important and
honorable it is to subsidize the study of Torah.

The flag of Zevulun bore the emblem of a ship, through which G-d's
message was brought to the world. All of Zevulun's business transactions
were conducted according to Torah law, in fulfillment of G-d's desire
for a "dwelling place in the world." The tribe of Zevulun had a profound
impact on the non-Jewish merchants with whom they came in contact, many
of whom were moved to convert to Judaism.

The Baal Shem Tov used the analogy of a ship and the ocean to refer to
the descent of the soul into a physical body. In the same way that the
sea conceals everything that lies underwater, so too does the flesh
cover and obscure the soul. A Jew must break through the limitations
imposed by the body in order to experience his connection with G-d.

Some seafarers are fortunate to have vessels that provide security and
protection, while others are more vulnerable to the water's danger.
Similarly, while some Jews are privileged to grow up in an authentic
Jewish environment, others lack the opportunity to benefit from a
traditional Torah education. It is therefore incumbent upon those who
possess the "boats" and "life preservers" to descend into the murky
waters, and reach out to those who are less knowledgeable.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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The L-rd make His face shine upon you...the L-rd lift up His countenance
to you (Num. 6:25-26)

It is written in the holy Zohar that the letters of G-d's Name engraved
on the golden plate on the High Priest's headdress were luminous. Anyone
looking at them was filled with awe;  this created an arousal to return
to G-d in repentance, and the person's sins would be atoned for. In
other words, through the luminous letters ("the L-rd make His face
shine") the Jews repented (allowing G-d's countenance to be "lifted
up"), and their sins were forgiven.

                                                        (Kotnot Or)

                                *  *  *


And the one who offered his offering on the first day ("bayom harishon")
was Nachshon the son of Aminadav, of the tribe of Judah (Num. 7:12)

Each letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value. The sum of
"bayom harishon" is 620, which is the same as "keter," crown. This
alludes to the fact that Judah, the tribe to which Nachshon belonged,
was the progenitor of the Jewish monarchy (including Moshiach, a
descendant of King David).

                                                      (Ohr HaTorah)

                                *  *  *


The princes of Israel... brought their offering before the L-rd (Num. 7:
2-3)

Although each of the 12 princes brought exactly the same things, the
Torah enumerates their offerings separately. This is because the
offerings were only the same externally; on the spiritual level, each
prince made his offering in a way that was specific to the Divine Source
of his tribe, drawing down Divine illumination to its members. "And even
today, when the particulars of these sacrifices are read in the Torah,
this nullification [before G-d] is drawn down to each and every tribe."

                                                    (Likutei Torah)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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Reb Berel of Tchenik was a Chasid of Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl.
Whenever the Chernobler Rebbe visited Tchenik he lodged at Reb Berel's
home. Reb Berel was one of the town's most respected citizens, and his
house, though simply furnished, was large and spacious.

One time, when the Chernobler Rebbe was planning a visit, he insisted
upon different accommodations and refused to stay with Reb Berel.
Furthermore, he explicitly forbade Reb Berel from joining the other
Chasidim who would be coming to see him. Not only would the Rebbe not
receive him for a private audience, but Reb Berel would henceforth be
persona non grata at the Rebbe's table. Under no circumstances was Reb
Berel to appear before the Rebbe, unless he brought him 2000 rubles.
This was the only condition under which the Rebbe would agree to see
him.

The news quickly spread among the Jews of Tchenik. Reb Berel was utterly
distraught. He and his family wept and carried on as if someone had, G-d
forbid, passed away. What terrible sin had he committed for the Rebbe to
treat him this way? Reb Berel decided he had no other recourse but to
come up with the money. But how on earth would he ever amass 2000
rubles? Even if he sold his house and his field, which he was quite
willing to do, and demanded payment from all his creditors, he would
receive only 800 rubles, less than half of the required amount.

Meanwhile, the Chernobler Rebbe arrived in Tchenik. The entire town was
swept up in the excitement of his visit, basking in the glow of the holy
tzadik. Only Reb Berel was miserable, alone in his house. He begged his
fellow Chasidim to intercede on his behalf with the Rebbe. But the Rebbe
just brushed their pleas aside. Not even one penny of the full amount
would he waive.

Furthermore, the Rebbe added, when the time came for him to leave, he
did not want to see Reb Berel among the other Chasidim who came out to
escort him on his way. Indeed, when the visit was over, everyone
accompanied the Rebbe to the outskirts of Tchenik except for Reb Berel,
who dutifully stayed at home, crushed and bewildered. Reb Berel poured
out his heart to G-d in emotional and tearful prayer, beseaching the One
Above to grant him the wealth that would enable him to be reunited with
his Rebbe.

A short time later a battalion of soldiers passed through Tchenik and
was quartered with the local citizenry. Each family received a certain
number of soldiers according to the number of rooms they had.

Reb Berel, too, was required to host the troops. Unbenownst to Reb
Berel, the soldiers who stayed in his house happened to be the ones
responsible for guarding and transporting the army's funds. (In those
days, a chest containing the army's ready cash was moved from place to
place as the army carried out its maneuvers.)

The command to move on was issued in the middle of the night. The
troops, their sleep abruptly interrupted, hurriedly packed their
belongings. Within minutes the entire battalion was on the road. In
their haste to join their comrades, the soldiers stationed with Reb
Berel forgot to take the chest of money with them. It was not until
several hours later that their oversight was noticed. Soldiers were
immediately sent back to Tchenik to recover the money, but for some
reason, Reb Berel's house was overlooked. The houses on either side of
Reb Berel's were searched, but the soldiers never thought to enter his.

Several months passed and Reb Berel happened upon the chest of money.
Reb Berel realized that he had been granted a gift from Above. He opened
the chest, and was amazed by the great wealth it contained. He
immediately counted out 2,000 rubles and went straight to the Rebbe in
Chernobyl.

The Rebbe explained the entire incident. "Great riches were ordained for
you in heaven," the Rebbe said, "but in order to receive them it was
necessary for you to ask. Because I know you well, and recognize that
you are the type of person who is satisfied with very little, I had to
find a way to get you to pray for wealth. It was only after your
heartfelt prayers that the blessing was able to come down to you.

"And now," continued the Rebbe, "you must travel to the great city.
There you shall engage in business, and G-d will grant you much
success."

Indeed, Reb Berel of Tchenik lived to be the patriarch of the very
wealthy Rappaport family, all of whom were followers of the Chernobler
Rebbe.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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The Previous Rebbe once said, "If all the Jews, great and small alike,
together said, 'Father, enough! Have pity on us and send us our
Moshiach!' - Moshiach would certainly come!"

                                              (Sefer HaSichot 5696)

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                 END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 671 - Nasso 5761
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