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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 708
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                           Copyright (c) 2002
                 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 22, 2002       Tetzaveh           10 Adar, 5762
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                       One Plus One Equals Purim

The young in age and the young in spirit love to celebrate Purim. There
are so many exciting and unusual mitzvot and customs to fulfill
throughout the holiday. Dressing up, eating hamentashen for dessert at
the Purim meal (do you like prune, poppy, raspberry or apricot?),
twirling the gragger at Haman's name in the Megila, and giving mishloach
manot-food gifts to friends.

What is the underlying similarity between all of these mitzvot and
customs? Let's take off the masks, open up the mishloach manot, look
inside the Megila - peel the layers off everything - and see the common
denominator intrinsic to them all.

When one is dressed up, his identity is concealed. Rich or poor, smart
or average, pretty or homely, we no longer perceive the physical,
economic or intellectual differences that can separate us. Yes, one
costume is expensive, another more original, and there are hundreds of
Queen Esthers. But it's obvious that these are just externals. They
aren't the person inside the costume. When we dress up on Purim our
superficial differences are, for the moment, concealed. We are equal.

The Megila, that exciting story recounting the triumph of right over
might, good over evil, and the Jews' faith in G-d over the vile schemes
of Haman, is also a lesson in Jewish equality and unity. For, it was
only once the Jews united that they were saved from Haman's plan of
annihilation. Men, women, and children, scholars and shoe cobblers,
peasants and the Queen, all fasted and prayed for three days and nights
to avert the evil decree. And because they united, because each one felt
equally responsible and able to affect a change, their prayers and
penitence were accepted.

Now, on to those hamentashen of varying fillings and recipes. Some say
they are meant to remind us of Haman's hat or his ears. But they are
also symbolic of that which is hidden. G-d's hand, so to speak, was
hidden during the whole Purim episode: the incidents leading up to
Esther being crowned Queen, Mordechai overhearing the guards' plot to
kill Ahasuerus, etc., seemed natural. But they were - like everything in
life - Divine Providence, G-d's way of putting together an intricate
puzzle.

Just as the filling is concealed in the hamentashen and G-d was hidden
during the Purim epoch, the Divine element within each of us is often
hidden. The Divine within is our soul-the actual part of G-d that gives
us life. And though it is intangible, though its existence is often
concealed, the soul is the great equalizer of us all. For, though one
Jew might do more mitzvot than another, or have a more comprehensive
Jewish education, or be kinder or gentler, the essence of our souls and
their source are the same-G-d.

Lastly, we have the mishloach manot, those delightful packages of
goodies. They range from a sandwich bag with raisins, cookies and a
drink to a three-foot-high wicker basket filled with aged-wine and
elegant treats. There are numerous differences in packaging, price and
products, but, once again, all have one thing in common: they foster
unity. Customarily, we give the mishloach manot through a messenger,
thereby involving another person in the mitzva. When giving these gifts
we connect not only with the person to whom we are giving, but to a
third person as well. And the messenger can be anyone-young or old,
friend or stranger, male or female.

Purim is a special time to participate in the mitzvot of Purim or to
enhance our observance of them. For, as the Rebbe stated unequivocally,
the Redemption is imminent and each act of kindness, every good deed,
any additional mitzva, helps us better prepare ourselves and the world
for the Messianic era that is unfolding before our very eyes.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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The Torah portion of Tetzaveh contains the commandment to make a special
altar for burning incense: "And you shall make an altar to burn incense
upon." Our Sages explain that the Sanctuary and Holy Temple are symbolic
of the Jewish soul; all of its components have a parallel in the
spiritual make-up of the Jew, and reveal important lessons to be applied
in our daily lives.

There were two different altars in the Sanctuary: an outer altar made of
bronze, for animal sacrifices and meal-offerings, and an inner altar
made of gold for burning incense. It was forbidden to offer anything
except incense on the inner altar, and the person burning the incense
had to do so alone, without anyone else present in the chamber.

In general, the altar is symbolic of the heart and the Jew's innate,
burning love for G-d. More specifically, however, the outer and inner
altars of the Sanctuary symbolize two different levels of this love,
i.e., its external and internal aspects, as well as two different ways
of approaching our Divine service.

For example, there are many things a Jew must do which require only the
"outer" aspect of the heart. Other pursuits, however, should be
approached with the utmost enthusiasm and full inner powers of the soul.

To illustrate: A Jew is obligated to eat, drink and sleep, and attend to
the physical health of the body. These activities, however, should not
be done for personal pleasure, but in a manner of "All of your deeds
should be for the sake of Heaven," and even the higher level of "Know
Him in all your ways."

In the same way the Sanctuary's outer altar was reserved for offering
"limbs" and "fats," a Jew should approach the fulfillment of his
physical needs with only the "external" aspects of his heart, i.e.,
without undue enthusiasm, as if fulfilling an obligation.

By contrast, the "internal" aspects of the heart should be reserved for
the pure service of G-d, for learning Torah and prayer. A Jew's true
enthusiasm and inner vitality should be channeled into holy pursuits, in
the same way the incense on the inner altar rose completely upward to
G-d, without leaving a residue or remain.

When offering the incense, the kohen (priest) had to be alone in the
chamber. Symbolically, this means that when it comes to matters of
holiness a Jew must act solely for the sake of G-d, humbly and without
trying to attract attention: only the individual and G-d need to know
about it. When a Jew serves G-d with pure intention, he merits that the
Divine Presence will rest of the work of his hands.

                     Adapted from Volumes 1 and 6 of Likutei Sichot

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                    Orthodox in an Unorthodox Place
                          By Stephen J. Dubner

Besides being a pair of Brooklyn Jews, Bugsy Siegel and Shea Harlig
wouldn't seem to have much in common. Siegel's formative years were
spent breaking skulls, running numbers, and bootlegging; the teenage
Harlig studied in a yeshiva. Siegel became a world-class thug, his charm
matched only by his ambition; Harlig became an Orthodox rabbi. And yet,
when the two men first laid eyes upon Las Vegas, decades apart, they
were seized by the same dream. They did not see, as others saw, a
forbidding desert. They saw a shimmering expanse of bound-less
opportunity, a veritable land of milk and honey.

Siegel's dream ended badly, with gunfire. Shea Harlig's dream, of
establishing a foothold for Orthodox Jewry in a most unorthodox setting,
has so far played out according to plan.

"When I moved here, in December 1990, I was the only yarmulke-wearing
Jew in town," he says. That would seem like lousy odds-one of about
30,000-but it's just what he wanted.

He was 25 years old, freshly married and jobless. He had considered
posts in Ohio, in California, even Copenhagen. None of them appealed to
him. "You're looking for a place where you can make things happen," he
explains, an excited smile flashing beneath his shaggy beard.

"I always wanted to go where there were no Or-thodox Jews. I was looking
to start my own show."

His show has started and then some. As the overall population of Las
Vegas has exploded, so has the Jewish population, to about 70,000, the
fastest-growing Jewish community in North America. Which has led to a
full-throttle boom: a rash of new synagogues (nearly 20 congregations,
up from a handful a decade ago), outreach programs, kosher restaurants
and grocery sections; two Jewish Community Centers are also in the
works. Rabbi Harlig is hardly responsible for all of it, but more roads
than not lead to him. "This is a midbar [desert], and I mean that
spiritually, intellectually and in other ways," says Rabbi Louis
Lederman, the retired spiritual leader of the Temple Beth Sholom, a
Conservative synagogue that is the city's oldest. "He has taken a midbar
and brought so much to this community. No offense to the Conservative or
Reform rabbis, but he's the only one who has really lifted the Jewish
level of this community."

Rabbi Harlig belongs to the Lubavitcher movement, a Hasidic group of
legendary zeal also known as Chabad. Its aim: to bring every single Jew,
no matter how secular, back into the fold. It is Chabad that sends motor
homes into the streets of Manhattan, blaring Hasidic music and trolling
for curious Jews. It is Chabad that holds Passover Seders in Siberia and
Katmandu and Kazakhstan.

Rabbi Harlig's missionary zeal is matched only by his entrepreneurial
zeal; there are few doors that he hasn't managed to stick at least one
foot inside.

Today, for instance, Mayor Oscar Goodman is awaiting his visit. It is
Purim, the holiday marking the defeat of Haman, a wicked Persian who
tried to exterminate the Jews. On Purim, it is customary for Jews to
wear costumes, bestow gifts, donate to charity and get drunk.

Rabbi Harlig, because he is driving a carload of children to the mayor's
office, five of them his own, has presumably refrained from this last
custom. Nevertheless, he is running late, and the mayor isn't pleased.
When the rabbi finally arrives, the mayor tells a secretary to keep him
waiting. "Let the kids drive him nuts for about five minutes," he says.
"Get back at him."

Shortly, Rabbi Harlig strides inside, the flock of children in his wake.
"No no no, who let you in?" asks the mayor.

"Be nice," says the rabbi.

"No, I'm not going to be nice. I'll be nice to the children but not to
you."

Mayor Goodman has strong enough religious credentials to not be cowed
into piety. He has belonged to Temple Beth Sholom since he moved to Las
Vegas in 1964, later serving as its president. Still, on Election Day
last year, with Goodman's name on the ballot, it was Rabbi Harlig's
synagogue where he went to pray.

"That was the last time I saw you in shul," says the rabbi.

"Because I go to another shul, because of the wickedness of you, Haman."

Most mayors, it should be pointed out, would not call a rabbi "Haman."
Most mayors did not make their living defending Tony "The Ant" Spilotro,
either.

"Come on, a little yarmulke-you've got to wear something," the rabbi is
saying. He wants to recite a Purim blessing but the mayor's head is
uncovered.

"Troublemaker," growls the mayor.

It should also be pointed out that Rabbi Harlig gives as good as he
gets. "If not for me," he tells the mayor, "you never would have won.
Remember the first one in the Jewish community who was there for your
announcement? You were able to get three homeless people to show up, and
me."

The rabbi hands the mayor some Purim literature and the mayor throws it
in the garbage. The children help the mayor unwrap the gifts they've
brought him: box upon box of chocolates and hamantashen, a Purim pastry.
The mayor seems flustered at the bounty. He offers it around: "As Tony
Spilotro said, children, you can only eat one steak at a time."

With the niceties, such as they are, concluded, the mayor scrounges for
his checkbook. "It makes me sick," he says, with only half a grin. "I
mean, he gives you two dollars' worth of hamantashen and wants a check
for ..."-he looks up at the rabbi-"how much, $900?"

The rabbi nods. The mayor scribbles. The children eat hamantashen.

                                *  *  *


It is the day after Purim. Rabbi Harlig is looking back over his 10
years in Las Vegas. His accomplishments notwithstanding, it hasn't all
been smooth.

He doesn't much care. He sees himself as doing G-d's work. Thus are
dulled the slings of man. Just now, sitting in his office at the Dr.
Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Chabad Center, he grins with satisfaction
as he talks about something that happened in his synagogue two nights
ago.

On Purim, it is incumbent upon Jews to gather and hear every word of the
Book of Esther, which tells the Purim story. It is the most freewheeling
Jewish holiday: Haman's name is lustily booed at every mention; the
Jewish victory is cheered; afterward, there is eating and dancing.

Rabbi Harlig drew a sizable, rambunctious, motley Purim crowd, typical
of Chabad: devout Jews and first-timers, Hasids and hippies, young
parents and widowers. Among them was the author Naomi Ragen, in town
from Israel to speak at a Federation fund-raiser. Ragen had begun the
night at Temple Beth Sholom. When she found, however, that the Purim
reading there was being abbreviated to speed things along, she dashed to
the Chabad synagogue.

This is the kind of story that fuels Rabbi Harlig, the Brooklyn exile
who discovered in Las Vegas a chance to build from scratch something
that neither politics nor fashion can tear down. When asked if he's had
to compromise his Orthodoxy to fit this unorthodox city, he practically
scowls. "There's nothing I would do to bend," he says. "We teach
traditional, authentic Jewish values without any compromise. Because
once you tear a few pages out, the whole book falls apart."

        Excerpted from an article originally published in Las Vegas
                                                      Life Magazine

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                           Purim 5712 [1952]

Sholom u'Brocho [Peace and Blessing]:

...When our people came into being, on receiving the Torah at Mount
Sinai, they declared naa'se v'nishma-"We will do (first), then we will
(try to) understand." This proclamation has remained our guiding light
for all times and in all places. The Jew must observe the Mitzvoth
whether or not he understands their deeper significance; his experience
of the Mitzvoth eventually will develop the faculties of his
understanding, and in this he has Divine assistance.

Jews have, likewise, always realized that our history is not shaped by
understandable natural laws or forces, but by Supreme Providence, which
is above and beyond our understanding.

A case in point is the festival of Purim, which we celebrate today.
Ahasuerus, an absolute ruler, had signed, sealed and delivered the
decree to annihilate the entire Jewish population in all the 127
provinces of his vast empire. There seemed not a glimmer of escape. The
Jews could not logically understand why such a terrible decree was
hanging over their heads. Haman had accused them of adhering to their
own laws and they should not have become exposed to such mortal danger,
inasmuch as the Torah is a Torath-Chaim, a law of life and a way of
life, not death.

Yet, during the entire year that the decree was pending, the Jews
remained steadfast in their faith and loyalty to G-d, although there was
but one avenue of escape from certain death, as our Sages tell us, and
that was precisely the opposite: abandonment of their way of life and
merging with the non-Jewish population. But not a single Jew or Jewess
chose this apparently "logical" solution.

Their salvation also came through a miraculous chain of events which
completely  turned the wheel of fortune from destruction to renewed
life, physical and spiritual, and from mourning to gladness.

Now the words of the Megillah [Scroll of Esther], "These day shall be
remembered and practiced," can be better understood. Remembering our
relationship with G-d must immediately lead precepts, despite any
inclination to the contrary stemming of influences, the Jew remains
rooted in G-d's Torah and His Mitzvoth which make our people
indestructable.

With Purim greetings and blessings,

                                *  *  *


                        6th of Adar, 5721 [1961]

Greeting and Blessing:

...As we are now approaching the happy days of Purim, it is well to
remember, as the Old Rebbe (Rabbi Shneur Zalman), the founder of Chabad,
explains in his book Torah Or and his dissertation on Purim, that what
brought about the miracle of Purim was the fact that the Jews were
inspired with the spirit of Mesirus Nefesh [self-sacrifice] under the
threat of Haman, which hung over their heads for a whole year. Thus the
Jews were put to the test to prove their Mesirus Nefesh at various
periods throughout the year, and all the possible states of mind in
which a Jew finds himself throughout the twelve months of the year. For
Jewish loyalty to the Torah and Mitzvoth should be manifest not only on
special occasions of the year, such as on Shabbos or Yom Tov [holidays],
or at special conventions, but throughout each day of the year, and in
each aspect of their daily life. The only obstacle is actually the inner
adversary, as explained in the Talmud on the verse "There shall be no
strange G-d within you," to the effect that it refers to the Yetzer Hara
[evil inclination] within the individual (Shabbos 105b). Thus the
internal difficulties rather than the external obstacles are those which
have to be overcome, and then one finds that the extent of Mesirus
Nefesh required is not as formidable as one imagines.

With blessing,

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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10 Adar 5762

Positive mitzva 59: blowing the trumpets in the Sanctuary

By this injunction we are commanded to sound trumpets in the Sanctuary
when offering festival sacrifices. It is contained in the words (Num.
10:10): "Also in the day of your gladness, and in your appointed
seasons, and in your new moons, you shall blow with the trumpets." We
are also commanded to blow trumpets in times of trouble, as it states
(Num. 10:9): "When you go to war in your land."

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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One of the mitzvot of Purim, which we will celebrate this coming Monday
night and Tuesday, is the reading of "Megilat Esther," the Scroll of
Esther. It is the only one of the 24 books of the Bible in which G-d's
Name does not appear.

The name Esther also alludes to the concealment of G-d's presence in the
world, from the root word meaning "to hide." The miracle of Purim came
about in a seemingly "natural" manner, as opposed to an open and obvious
miracle. The miraculous salvation brought about by Mordechai and Esther
was "hidden" within a series of plausible events.

Even the name of the holiday, Purim, denotes concealment, from the fact
that it is a Persian word rather than a word in the Holy Tongue.
(Chasidic philosophy explains that the Hebrew name of an entity is the
direct channel of its G-dly's vitality.)

By contrast, the word "Megila" comes from the Hebrew root meaning
revelation.

The holiday of Purim thus represents a contradiction: on the one hand
concealment, on the other, G-dly revelation.

The contradiction is resolved, however, when we approach the Megila with
the proper mindset, with the realization that even G-d's "concealments"
are "revelations," originating in the same Source. G-d's Essence is
found in even the lowest levels of creation, and transcends the natural
order. This concept will find its culmi-nation in the Messianic era,
when "the night will illuminate as day," and the G-dliness that
underlies all of creation will be openly revealed.

The Rebbe has prophesized that Moshiach is about to come, and that "the
time for your Redemption has arrived." The Hebrew word for "arrived" is
related to the word "touch." Not only have we reached the era of
Redemption, but we can also "touch" it as well. In the same way that
Esther's "touch" of the royal scepter eventually brought about the
salvation of the Jewish people, so too are we assured that our initial
"touch" will likewise draw us nearer, speedily in our days, to the full
and Final Redemption with Moshiach.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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And you shall command the people of Israel, that they bring you pure
beaten oil olive (Ex. 27:20)

The Jewish people are likened to oil: In the same way the olive yields
its oil only after it is crushed and squeezed, so too are the positive
qualities of the Jewish people revealed through suffering. Also, just as
oil doesn't mix with other liquids and always rises to the top, so too
do the Jewish people stand above their oppressors and never lose their
identity.

                                                      (Tzror HaMor)

                                *  *  *


And you shall make holy garments...for glory and for beauty (Ex. 28:2)

It is significant that the commandment to make holy garments immediately
follows the commandment to make oil for the menora. Oil is symbolic of
the intellectual faculties; the holy garments are symbolic of the
physical body, the "garment of the soul." Both the mind and body need to
kept pure and unadulterated, as it states, "Let your garments be always
white, and let your head lack no oil."

                                                       (Sefat Emet)

                                *  *  *


You shall make the breastplate of judgment ("choshen mishpat") (Ex.
25:25)

The Hebrew letters of the word "choshen" (chet-shin-nun) are the reverse
of the word "nachesh," from the root meaning sorcery or divination.
Sorcery is the harnessing and utilization of spiritually impure forces
to discern the future. By contrast, the breastplate of judgment, with
its Urim and Tumim, clarified the unknown through the power of holiness.

                                               (HaKetav VeHakabala)

                                *  *  *


And Aaron shall bear the judgment ("mishpat") of the people of Israel
upon his heart before the L-rd continually (Ex. 28:30)

Aaron was the "heart" of the Jewish people; he profoundly felt their
sorrows and their suffering. (An alternate interpretation of the word
"mishpat" is "punishment.") Deeply empathetic and compassionate, he
prayed "before the L-rd continually" that their anguish be relieved.

                                               (Be'er Mayim Chayim)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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The early 1950s was an especially terrible time for Jews in the Soviet
Union, a period filled with terror and dread. Joseph Stalin's infamous
"Doctors' Plot" was at its peak, and Russia's Jewish physicians were
disappearing rapidly. People were being purged left and right, never to
be heard from again. Around the world, Jews wept and pleaded with G-d,
but there was no salvation in sight.

It was the night after the holiday of Purim, 1953. In Brooklyn, New
York, a large crowd of Jews had gathered to farbreng with the Rebbe.
Many of the participants had themselves just recently escaped from the
behind the Iron Curtain. A good number had personally suffered the wrath
of Stalin's tyranny, wasting away for years in Russian prisons. Still,
many such Chasidim could not forget their oppressed brethren across the
sea.

That year at the Purim gathering the Rebbe delivered a Chasidic maamar
(discourse) on the verse, "And he brought up Hadassah, who is Esther."
As always, the Rebbe's holy countenance underwent a visible
transformation before beginning the discourse, his elevated state of
deveikut (attachment to G-d) signaling that he was about to utter the
"words of the living G-d." Indeed, a few minutes later the Rebbe
delivered his maamar.

The gathering continued for the next few hours, during which the Rebbe
gave several informal talks, Chasidic melodies were sung, and numerous
glasses were hoisted in "l'chaim."

It was late at night - almost dawn, in fact - when an unusual thing
occurred. For the second time that evening the Rebbe's holy face began
to radiate with that special solemnity and earnestness that meant that
he was preparing to deliver a maamar. The Chasidim could barely believe
what was happening. The Rebbe had never delivered two maamarim at the
same gathering!

The room was still. No one uttered a sound. The Rebbe began to speak:

"After the Czar fell in Russia, it was announced that the government
would be holding elections. The Rebbe Rashab [the fifth Lubavitcher
Rebbe] went word to the Chasidim that they were to participate in the
voting process. There was one particular Chasid who was completely
removed from worldly affairs; to him the political arena was foreign
territory.

"Nonetheless, having received an explicit instruction from the Rebbe, he
set out to fulfill his command. With a sense of awe and reverence he
immersed himself in a mikva, donned his gartel (sash) and set out for
the polling booth.

"Of course, when he got there he had no idea what he was expected to do,
but some of the more worldly Chasidim helped him cast his vote.
Adjusting his gartel, the Chasid did what everyone else was doing. When
the votes were cast, everyone cried out 'Hurrah!' Taking his cue from
those around him he likewise cried out, 'Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!' "

As he uttered these words, the Rebbe's face burned with a holy fire. The
Chasidim were astounded; they realized that more was going on than met
the eye, but they did not understand the significance of what had just
occurred. Swept up by the powerful emotion that filled the air, the
crowd spontaneously rose to its feet and shouted, "Hurrah! Hurrah!
Hurrah!" three times.

After this strange preamble the Rebbe delivered his second maamar, based
on the verse in the Megilah, "Therefore they called these days Purim,
after the name of Pur."

[In the introduction to a different Chasidic discourse published almost
50 years later, reference is made to that second maamar: "...It was
obviously connected to the events that were then taking place in 'that
country,' the fall of its dictator, an enemy of the Jews. This was
understood from the story the Rebbe told right before the maamar about
the Rebbe Rashab's directive to the Chasidim during the Russian
Revolution, after the Czar was toppled."]

In 1953, March 4th coincided with the 17th of Adar. On that fateful day
the Russian state radio in Moscow made the startling announcement that
two days previously, the night after Purim, Joseph Stalin had fallen
gravely ill and had lost consciousness. The next morning, the 18th of
Adar, the whole truth was finally revealed: Stalin was dead. He died at
the exact moment the Chasidim were shouting "Hurrah!" back in Brooklyn
at the Rebbe's gathering. [The Hebrew words "hu rah" mean "he is evil"]

Jews throughout the Soviet Union breathed a collective sigh of relief,
tempered, of course, by a realistic apprehension of the future. No one,
however, could have imagined in his wildest dreams a more miraculous end
to Stalin's reign of terror. At long last the "Doctors' Plot" was over,
and countless prisoners were set free. In the wake of Stalin's death the
oppressive atmosphere in the Soviet Union was greatly lightened, and so
ended one of the grimmest chapters in the annals of Russian Jewish
history.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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The 22nd Psalm is said to pertain to Esther. It is called  a "Psalm for
the early dawn (Ayelet HaShachar)." The Talmud states that just as the
dawn is the end of the night, so too was the Book of Esther the end of
the miracles that were given to be put in writing. It was the beginning
of the dawn that would blaze to light with the coming of the Messiah, as
it is written (Isaiah 60:1), "Arise, shine, for your light has come;
G-d's glory shines upon you."

                              (Me'am Lo'ez on the Scroll of Esther)

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               END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 708 - Tetzaveh 5762
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