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                                  B"H
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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 679
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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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        July 27, 2001           Devarim               7 Av, 5761
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                             Needless Love

The eve of Tisha B'av (this year Sunday, July 29), the day on which we
commemorate the destruction of both the first and second Holy Temples,
is the perfect time to discuss love.

We are told that the reason for the destruction of the Holy Temple in
Jerusalem was because of "sinat chinan," literally "free hatred" of one
Jew toward another. The antidote to this unwarranted hatred, explain our
Sages, is "ahavat chinam-free love*."

Ahavat chinam is so important that even if it doesn't come "freely,"
even if one has to work at it, we are required to extend ourselves and
toil away until we are successful.

Rabbi Gamliel (the son of Rabbi Judah the Prince) taught, "It is good to
combine the study of Torah with an occupation, for the effort required
by them both keeps sin out of mind; while all Torah study that is not
combined with work will ultimately cease and will lead to sin."

The obvious meaning of the term "work" is actual labor. However, Rabbi
Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev quoted the Baal Shem Tov as explaining that
in this context, "work" refers to ahavat Yisrael ("love of a fellow
Jew") - our efforts to establish bonds of love with other Jews.
According to this interpretation, in order for Torah study to be
perpetuated, it must be coupled with love toward our brethren.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, who was known as the consummate "lover of Israel,"
explained that it was this teaching that brought about a fundamental
change in his life, motivating him to dedicate himself to the welfare of
his fellow Jews.

Ahavat Yisrael is referred to here as "work" to teach us that we must
work at extending ourselves in this area to include even those whom we
have no inclination to love. And we must use every means possible to
reach out to them.

It's easy to act lovingly toward our fellow Jew. It can be as simple as
(but certainly not limited to) greeting a person properly. Said the Sage
Shammai, "Receive every person with a cheerful countenance."  "Every
person" means just that, everyone, even someone we might not otherwise
want to greet pleasantly!

Stated slightly differently, Rabbi Yishmael, a high priest, taught,
"Receive every person cheerfully." Despite his high office and standing,
he was prepared to show respect and warmth to "every person."

Finally, Rabbi Matya (son of Charash) said, "Be the first to extend
greetings to anyone you meet." Again, the common thread of being
pleasant to "anyone" or "everyone" runs through Rabbi Matya's teaching.

But it's not enough for us to just "study" about loving our fellow Jew.
Let's stop talking and start rebuilding the Holy Temple now, by reaching
out to someone else with true love and respect uppermost in our minds.

* When speaking of the love that each Jew is expected to have toward
every other Jew, an accurate way to translate "ahavat chinam" is "free
love." To define it as unwarranted, superfluous or needless love is
inaccurate, for every Jew deserves to be loved by his fellow due to the
mere fact that he/she is a Jew, part of the Jewish nation, inseparable
from G-d and the Jewish people.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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This week we begin the Book of Deuteronomy, with the Torah portion of
Devarim. As the Torah relates, Moses complained that the leadership of
the Jewish people was too great a task for one person. "How can I myself
alone bear your weight, and your burden, and your strife?" he asked. The
Jewish people are simply too numerous and diverse for one individual to
be able to guide them all.

In answer, G-d instructed Moses to "Choose wise and understanding
men...captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, etc." This
would relieve the burden and help Moses lead the Children of Israel.

From this we learn a practical lesson:

Every Jew has been entrusted with a special mission by Moses: to conduct
his life according to the dictates of the Torah, and to exert a positive
influence on the people around him so that they, too, may comport
themselves in the same manner.

An individual may find this daunting, and ask how it is possible for a
single person to wield so much power. "How can I alone fulfill such an
important mission?" he might wonder.

Furthermore, every Jew has been enjoined with the task of bringing G-d
happiness, by transforming the world into a suitable "dwelling place"
for the Divine Presence, as it states, "Let Israel rejoice...and be
happy in the joy of the L-rd Who is pleased and glad to dwell in the
lower spheres."

A person may question how he can be expected to derive the strength for
such an awesome assignment.

The Torah's answer is that G-d grants every Jew the ability to
successfully fulfill his function in life, including having a positive
influence on others.

Every Jew receives the Torah from Moses as a personal inheritance, as it
states, "The Torah that Moses commanded us is the heritage of the
congregation of Jacob." Therefore, when a Jew holds the Torah dear, he
receives all the necessary powers to conduct his life accordingly, in
the same way  that G-d helped Moses fulfill his mission (through the
"captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, etc.") to lead the
entire Jewish people.

                                *  *  *


The Midrash relates that had the Jews been worthy, the above Torah
verse, "How can I myself alone," would have sufficed. Unfortunately,
such was not the case, and we must therefore read the verse in
Lamentations on Tisha B'Av, "How lonely sits the city that was full of
people."

From this it is clear that when a Jew conducts his life according to
Torah and emulates Moses' example, he nullifies the entire concept of
exile and the destruction of the Holy Temple. This will lead to a time
when the recitation of Lamentations will no longer be necessary, as the
Final Redemption with Moshiach will already be a reality.

               Adapted from the Rebbe's talk on 3 Menachem Av, 5741

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                       A SPECIAL PAIR OF TEFILIN

In the late 1980s, Rabbi Aharon Eliezer Ceitlin of Israel visited
Russia. One day, in the synagogue in Moscow, he met a young shochet
(ritual slaughterer) who was very intrigued when he heard Rabbi
Ceitlin's name. "Are you related to the Ceitlin who was arrested in
Berditchev 50 years ago?"

"Yes, indeed," Rabbi Ceitlin replied. "That was my father, of blessed
memory."

The young man, Moshe Tamarin, then proceeded to tell him the following
story:

"A few weeks ago I got a call from an old man, Reb Refoel Brook, asking
me to send a shochet to his city before the holidays. He told me that
there were 15 Jewish families in Saratov who kept kosher. I was
surprised that there were so many observant Jews in such a remote
location.

"I decided to go there myself. The trip took 17 hours by train. When I
had finished shechting the chickens, the old man took me home and showed
me a pair of tefilin he had. They were very old and quite faded. He
asked me if I could bring it to Moscow to check and see if they were
kosher.

"'Why do you use such old tefilin?' I asked him. 'You can get much nicer
ones nowadays.'

" 'Don't worry,' he said. 'I have other tefilin that I use every day.
But these tefilin are very special. I call them "mesiras
nefesh-self-sacrifice-tefilin..." ' He then told me an amazing tale:

"Many years ago he had been one of six Jewish boys from all over Russia
who were learning in a secret branch of Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim in
Berditchev. The conditions of the 'yeshiva,' located in the women's
section of a synagogue, were almost unbearable. When night fell, the
boys would look for a cellar or an abandoned railroad car in which to
sleep. They were ill fed and ill clad, but willing to undergo anything
in order to learn Torah.

"One night they decided to stay in the synagogue. It was the anniversary
of the passing of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi [founder of Chabad
Chasidism and author of the Tanya], and they wanted to celebrate
properly. After covering all the windows so no light would escape, they
spread a white tablecloth over the table and sat down.

"With rapt attention they listened as their teacher told stories and
explained deep concepts in Chasidic philosophy. The melodies they sang
transported them to a world that transcended fear.

"Suddenly, however, there was a loud knock on the door. 'Open up!' a
rough voice called to them in Russian. Within seconds everything on the
table had disappeared, the light was extinguished, and the boys hid in
places throughout the synagogue.

"When the agents of the secret police burst inside they quickly found
the boys and arrested them. The excuse they had prepared in advance was
that they were all orphans who had banded together. And so, a few days
later they were sent to a state orphanage on the outskirts of the city.
They were warned that if they continued in their Torah study and mitzva
observance they would suffer. Despite beatings they would not eat the
non-kosher food.

"In the meantime, the local Chasidim were doing everything they could to
get them out. Children in the orphanage were allowed an hour-long stroll
from time to time; the six boys used this opportunity to pray at the
grave of the famous Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. One week, a man
passed by and tossed a paper in their direction. The note informed the
boys that a pair of tefilin had been hidden for them near a certain tree
in the forest. Prayer books and other texts were also smuggled to them
later.

"From that time forth, the boys would go on walks, in pairs. They would
pray at the grave of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak. They would also make their way
over to the tree and, with great self-sacrifice, they would put on
tefilin.

"A month later they found a note telling them to prepare to escape on a
certain date. According to plan, they escaped into the forest, where
someone was waiting with train tickets to Kiev. In Kiev, the boys bid
good-bye to each other and dispersed to different branches of Yeshiva
Tomchei Temimim.

" 'I was one of the boys,' Reb Refoel concluded, 'and these are the
tefilin we put on in the forest...' "

Moshe Tamarin had remembered that one of the names Reb Refoel had
mentioned was Yehoshua Heshel Ceitlin.

Now it was Rabbi Ceitlin's turn to get excited. His father had told him
the story of the tefilin many times. His father had remembered the names
of the other five boys but only knew the whereabouts of four of them. It
had pained his father very much that he did not know what had happened
to Reb Refoel. The mystery of the sixth boy's whereabouts was now solved
- thanks to a special pair of tefilin.

Rabbi Ceitlin's was saddened that he would not be able to share the
exciting news with his father, for his father had passed away two years
previously. But somehow, he would get in touch with Reb Refoel.

After much effort, Rabbi Ceitlin was able to reach Reb Refoel on the
telephone. The tremendous emotions conveyed by Reb Refoel to Rabbi
Ceitlin in the course of that phone call were overwhelming. Rabbi
Ceitlin urged Reb Refoel to allow him to arrange for the Brook family to
leave Russia. He would live out his final years in a Torah environment
and be reunited with his "old friends."

"Who will take care of the 15 Jewish families here if I leave?" Reb
Refoel asked Rabbi Ceitlin. Reb Refoel refused to leave but agreed to a
visit, despite the fact that he feared his weak heart would be unable to
take the excitement.

When Rabbi Ceitlin contacted his father's friends and told them that he
had found Reb Refoel they were very excited and eagerly awaited his
visit. Unfortunately, as Reb Refoel himself had suspected, the emotional
strain was too great and he passed away days before the reunion was to
take place.

                                    Translated from Sichat HaShavua

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                              Big Like Me!

Big Like Me! is a "new baby story." Benny has always been a little
brother who needed a helping hand.  But when  Mommy comes home with a
new baby girl, he turns into a big brother!  Will Benny find anything he
and his newborn sister can do together? Written by Ruth Finkelstein
illustrated by Esther Touson, published by HaChai Publishing.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                    15th of Menachem Av, 5730 [1970]

The Campers and Counselors
Camp Emunah
Greenfield Park, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

I was pleased to receive a report about your life and activities in the
camp through Rabbi J. J. Hecht. He also turned in your Tzedoko [charity]
collection of Tisha b'Av.

As I mentioned on the Shabbos before Tisha b'Av, which no doubt was
conveyed also to you,  in accordance with the prophecy, "Zion will be
redeemed through justice, and all that return to her - through Tzedoko."
Especially significant is the Tzedoko before Mincha [the afternoon
prayer], when the prayer "Nacheim" is said.

May G-d grant that in the Zechus [merit] of your Tzedoko in connection
with the above, and the Tzedoko of all Jews, together with the Zechus of
the Torah, which is indicated in the beginning of the verse mentioned
above (in the word Mishpot - "justice"), that is to say, the daily life
in accordance with the Torah and Mitzvos - should speedily bring the
Nechama [consolation]. Then you, with all other Jewish children as well
as adults, will come out to meet our righteous Moshiach, and the days of
sadness will be turned into days of gladness, as promised by our holy
Prophets in the holy Torah.

With blessing,

                                *  *  *


                    15th of Menachem Av, 5725 [1965]

To All Participants in the Dedication
Exercises at Camp Gan Israel
Linden, Michigan

Greeting and Blessing:

This is to convey my prayerful wishes to all of you, and particularly to
the families of the distinguished friends of the Camp who will be
honored on this occasion. The memorial to the late Zeev Hordes, as well
as the other distinguished Jews whose memory will be honored, will
surely provide visible symbols for their families and friends, to
inspire and stimulate them to ever greater accomplishments.

I have chosen the 15th of Av as the date of this letter because of its
special significance and also because of its proximity to the day of
these dedication exercises.

Our Sages tell us that the 15th day of Av was a very joyous festival in
olden days, especially for the younger generation, with particular
emphasis on the religious ideals and values of our Jewish way of life.

Coming so soon after Tisha b'Av, the radical transition from a mood of
sadness to that of joy is doubly significant. Firstly, it signifies that
any sad interlude in Jewish life is only transitory, and is based on the
principle of "descent for the purpose of ascent." In other words, any
and all sad events in our history which are commemorated on the few sad
days on our calendar, are backward steps which are necessary for a
greater forward leap.

Secondly, that the very transition from sadness to gladness intensifies
the joy, and adds real quality to it, which could not be appreciated
otherwise.

The message of these days is best applied in the efforts in behalf of
our Jewish youth. All too often we hear about the "lost generation," or
our "lost youth." It is therefore most gratifying to see your efforts to
provide true guidance, direction and inspiration to the younger
generation in your community and environs. Your efforts have, with G-d's
help, been fruitful in the past; I hope and pray they will continue in a
growing measure, and consequently will enjoy a growing measure of
success in the future.

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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12 Av 5761

Positive mitzva 113: the ashes of the red heifer

By this injunction we are commanded to prepare the red heifer, so that
its ashes will be available for what has to be done in order to remove
uncleanliness contracted because of a dead body. It is contained in the
Torah's words (Num. 19:9): "It shall be kept for the congregation of the
Children of Israel [for a water of sprinkling].

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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When the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed [on Tisha B'Av, which
begins this Saturday night after Shabbat], the exile that resulted was
more than just the dispersion of the Jewish people around the world.
What occurred was not only the loss of a nation's homeland, but an event
of such enormous and far-reaching spiritual significance that we are
still, almost 2000 years later, suffering its effect.

It is axiomatic in Judaism that whatever happens on the physical plane
is only a reflection of the underlying spiritual reality. The spiritual
significance of Tisha B'Av, therefore, is the concealment of G-dliness
in the physical world. During the exile, G-d is "hidden" from the eyes
of His subjects. The true deficiency of exile is that G-d's presence and
active intervention in our lives is not openly perceived. When Moshiach
comes and ushers in the Messianic era, we will once again be able to
discern that "G-d is in our midst." On the physical plane, the entire
Jewish people will return to the Land of Israel, and be able to keep the
special mitzvot that can only be observed there.

The purpose of the Redemption is not to alter creation by changing the
ways of the world, but simply to uncover the G-dliness that is concealed
within it. The only transformation Moshiach will bring about is the open
perception of G-d that will characterize our daily lives in Messianic
times. All of the other wonders that will be commonplace in the era of
Redemption are but the natural outgrowth and consequence of this fact.

Our Sages point out that Tisha B'Av falls on the same day of the week as
the first day of Passover. When Moshiach reveals himself, this somber
day will be transformed into a jubilant holiday. Just as Passover is a
time of redemption, we will experience the ultimate emancipation on
Tisha B'Av.

May it happen immediately.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel (Deut. 1:1)

Comments Rashi: "Since these are words of reproof...he mentions them
[only] in allusion out of respect for Israel." However, we find that the
very same sins Moses only hints at here are explicitly detailed later on
in the Torah. This apparent conflict is resolved by the Midrash: As soon
as the Jews heard Moses' words of rebuke they sincerely repented; when a
person repents out of love, "his deliberate sins are transformed into
mitzvot." Thus after the Jews repented Moses was free to enumerate their
sins, as by doing so he was adding to their merits.

                                                  (Imrei Elimelech)

                                *  *  *


Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to expound this law
(Deut. 1:5)

According to our Sages, Moses explained the Torah in all 70 languages
spoken by mankind. Why was this necessary? Every gentile nation has its
own particular power that opposes the Torah. By translating the Torah
into every language, Moses enabled the Jews to preserve the Torah
regardless of where they would go in their future exile.

                                                  (Chidushei HaRim)

                                *  *  *


May He make you so many more than you are, a thousand times (Deut. 1:11)

The ultimate fulfillment of this blessing will take place in the
Messianic era, as prophesized by Isaiah: "The smallest one shall become
a thousand, and the youngest one a strong nation." At that time, the
Jewish people, now numerically insignificant, will multiply and become a
thousand times as great.

                                                     (Binyan Ariel)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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In the year 361 of the Common Era, 293 years after the destruction of
the Second Holy Temple, a new leader of the Roman Empire ascended the
throne. Julian would be Caesar for only two years, but his short reign
would be distinguished by an unusually friendly relationship with the
Jewish people. In fact, Julian was responsible for initiating an
abortive attempt to rebuild the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. We are aware
of these events thanks to a Greek historian who recorded them for
posterity some 80 years after they occurred.

Julian was a nephew of Constantine the Great, who established
Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. He also moved
its capital from Rome to Byzantium (Turkey), and changed its name to
Constantinople.

When Constantine died, his three sons fought over who would take his
place. Almost all the members of the royal family were murdered, with
the exception of Julian. After traveling to Athens and studying
philosophy, he became disaffected with Christianity and reverted to the
ancient idolatry of the Romans.

Julian went on to become a celebrated military leader, enjoying many
victories over the warring Germanic tribes. When the then-reigning
Emperor decided to exile him to the Far East, his troops rebelled and
established him as the new Caesar. One year later, he declared full
religious freedom for all citizens of the Empire. In truth, he was far
more benevolent toward his Jewish subjects than to his Christian ones.
In an official letter addressed to the "Jewish communities" of the
realm, he wrote that he was henceforth exempting the Jews from the
special tax that had been levied against them, and declared himself a
long-time defender of the Jewish people.

In the same letter he blamed his uncle, the late Emperor Constantine,
and his uncle's cohorts, whom he termed "barbarians," for the
state-sponsored and institutionalized discrimination against the Jews.
At the end of the letter he reassured everyone that he had personally
had them killed, and advised the Jews to forget about them and relegate
their nefarious deeds to history. Julian also promised that after the
war with the Persians ended he would rebuild the holy city of Jerusalem,
"which for so many years you have longed to see inhabited; indeed, I
will help you inhabit it."

In general, however, the Jews were unimpressed by Julian's professions
of fellowship. They knew that they were not sincere, and were actually
motivated by selfish political ambitions. Nor did they consider him a
new "Cyrus," who had been sent by Divine Providence to bring their exile
to an end and rebuild the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

In fact, the Greek historian who chronicled this episode wrote that
Julian's "friendship" with the Jews was largely the result of his hatred
for the Christians. Moreover, he hoped that they would ultimately follow
his example and assimilate into the dominant Roman culture.

At one point, Julian summoned the Jewish elders and asked them why they
were not keeping the Torah's laws with regard to the sacrifices. The
elders explained that after the Holy Temple was destroyed bringing
sacrifices was forbidden, as doing so depends on having a standing
Temple with priests to serve in it.

To demonstrate his serious intentions, Julian then ordered that the Jews
be given a considerable stipend from the royal treasury, so they could
begin to take the first steps toward reconstruction. According to the
historian, the Jews actually started recruiting artisans and laborers.
Their first task, however, was to clear the Temple area from the filth
and debris that had accumulated over the centuries. Women, too, joined
in the work, while others contributed their jewelry. After the ground
was cleared they were ready to lay the foundation stone, but an
extremely powerful earthquake intervened. Huge boulders flew in all
directions, and the earth split in many places. A number of Jewish
workers were injured, houses came tumbling down, and many residents of
the city lost their lives in the disaster.

When the dust settled, the laborers returned to their tasks. Some
assumed they were still obligated to carry out the Emperor's orders,
while other truly wished to continue. In any event, they refused to
recognize the Divine Providence that was obviously against rebuilding
the Temple at that time.

And then, as if to further indicate G-d's displeasure, a huge fire broke
out at the construction site and many more workers were killed. At that
point everyone agreed that the time had not yet arrived to build the
Temple, and the project was halted.

Although there is no way to verify all the details in the Greek
historian's account, it is undisputed that the Emperor Julian fell in
battle against the Persians in 363, effectively putting an end to his
plans.

The Rebbe has prophesized that the time for the Final Redemption has
arrived. May we merit to see the Temple rebuilt immediately and at once.


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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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Our Sages explain that on Tisha B'Av, Moshiach is born. This cannot
refer to his actual birth, because Moshiach will not be an infant when
he redeems our people, but rather to a strengthening of his influence.
For our Sages refer to a birthday as a day when mazalo govair, "the
spiritual source of one's soul shines powerfully." On the day when
Moshaich's spiritual source is powerfully revealed, there is a unique
potential for the redemption to come.

                                      (The Rebbe, Tisha B'Av, 5751)

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                END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 679 - Devarim 5761
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