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                                  B"H
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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 720
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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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        May 24, 2002             Nasso            13 Sivan, 5762
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                           Spring Has Sprung

Ahh, spring. If spring is here, can summer be far behind?

Spring forces us out of hibernation. In the spring we yearn to be
outdoors, at least more than we were during the cold, dreary winter
months. Spring, and the summer season that follows, inspires us to
exercise and get in shape.

Interestingly, Jewish mystical teachings explain that "strengthening the
body" can sometimes lead to a "weakening of the soul."

Thus, especially in the spring and summertime, when we are more
preoccupied with getting and staying in shape, we have to be especially
diligent about exercising and fortifying our souls.

Traditionally, this spiritual body-building is done through the study of
Ethics of the Fathers - Pirkei Avot - on Shabbat afternoons beginning
the Shabbat after Passover.

In the first chapter of Pirkei Avot (which we study this Shabbat
afternoon) we read that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachya said: "...Judge
every person favorably."

At first glance, this doesn't seem like such a difficult task. After
all, it's like saying that we should give someone the benefit of the
doubt or that we should uphold that great American principle of
"innocent until proven guilty."

However, in real life situations, it's not so simple to consistently
"judge every person favorably."

After all, it's easy to give someone the benefit of the doubt when we
don't even have to lift a finger to do so. But this precept is teaching
us to judge favorably even if doing so is a struggle.

Imagine someone asking you to bench press 10 pounds. What a joke! Now,
imagine being told to bench press 100 pounds. That's much more serious.
What if you were asked to bench 200 pounds? That's something altogether
different.

Judging someone favorably when the other person's actions don't impact
on you is no big deal. It's like bench pressing 10 pounds. It's
practically a joke. But if the other person's conduct does affect you
and does not seem worthy of favorable judgement, that's more like bench
pressing 100 pounds or even 200 pounds. Yet, even then, one should
endeavor to find redeeming virtue in him.

Judging a person favorably involves an honest appreciation of the
challenges that person faces. And this awareness should also lead to the
understanding that G-d has surely given that person the ability to
overcome these challenges. For, as our Sages state, G-d forces a person
to confront only those challenges which he can overcome. Knowing that
G-d has entrusted the formidable powers necessary to overcome difficult
challenges should heighten the esteem with which we regard this
individual.

With our newfound respect for the person, our interactions with him will
be permeated with admiration. Our attitude will, in turn, inspire the
individual to bring these potentials to the surface.

As the warm weather continues to lure us into being increasingly
involved in healthy and pleasurable pursuits, let's remember to build
our characters and strengthen our spiritual muscles as well.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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In this week's Torah portion, Nasso, we read, "When a man or a woman
utters a Nazirite vow... he shall abstain from new and old wine...
grape-beverages, grapes and raisins..."

The term nazir (Nazirite) has two meanings: it denotes "separation;
keeping aloof"-in the sense of his obligation to keep away from grapes
and grape-derivatives etc..; and it de-rives from nezer (crown; diadem),
as it says, "nezer (the crown) of his G-d is on his head... he is holy
to G-d" (Num. 6:7-8).

We are confronted by a paradox. On the one hand the Nazirite is called
"holy to G-d," thus a man of lofty spiritual stature. On the other hand,
his separation from worldly things could be criticized by the Talmudic
retort, "Is it not enough for you what the Torah has already forbidden
you?" (Yerushalmi, Nedarim 9:1) - because man's purpose is to infuse
himself and the material world with sanctity. However:

Maimonides concludes the laws of the Nazirite as follows: "He who vows
unto G-d by way of holiness (as opposed to mere abstinence for its own
sake) does well and is praiseworthy. Of him it is said, 'the crown of
his G-d is upon his head... he is holy unto G-d.' Scripture considers
him equal to a prophet, as it is said, "I set up prophets from your sons
and Nazirites from your young men' (Amos 2:11)."

This verse of Amos relates also to the time of the redemption. Then,
too, there will be Nazirites who will attain the ultimate holiness,
above and beyond that of earlier times. With the coming of Moshiach, a
person will be a Nazirite not for the sake of simply separating from
worldy matters, because these will then no longer impact negatively upon
us. For in the Messianic era, "good things will be abundant and all
delightful things accessible like dust, and the singular preoccupation
of the entire world will be to know G-d." Thus it will be the consummate
form of the holiness of being a Nazirite.

The laws of a Nazirite teach us a most significant principle about our
belief in the coming of Moshiach.

Halacha (Torah-law) decrees: If one declares, "I undertake to become a
Nazirite on the day that Moshiach will come," then if he made this vow
on a weekday he is forever bound by it from that very moment. If he made
his vow on a Shabbat or a festival day, it will become operative from
the next day onwards, forever, but not on that day itself. For it is
uncertain whether Moshiach will or will not come on a Shabbat or Yom
Tov, which, therefore, precludes making the vow operative on that day
(Eruvin 43b; Hilchot Nezirut 4:11).

This demonstrates clearly the fact that "the day that Moshiach will
come" is a possibility that applies to each day. Thus we say in our
daily prayers, "every day (and all day long) we hope for Your
salvation"; or in the version of the Thirteen Principles of the Faith:
"I await his coming every day."

           From Living With Moshiach, adapted from the works of the
             Lubavitcher Rebbe by Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet, Kehot
                                                Publication Society

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                     Proud Grandpa Had Good Fortune
                           By Harold Glicken

The last time I saw Phil Newman was at his grandson Dov's wedding last
year. Hundreds of men wearing black hats and an equal number of women on
the other side of the dance floor watched as Mr. Newman threw a wine
bottle in the air.

I held my breath as he put his hands out to catch the full bottle. Like
the baseball player he had been all his 92 years, he caught it and let
out a yell that could be heard over the band. He was wearing a new
double-breasted suit and a gray fedora. He looked like a million bucks.
His son, Rabbi Yitzchok Newman, and a trio of grandchildren helped him
walk back to his table.

"Harold!" he yelled. "How the heck are you?"

"Nice suit, Mr. Newman. It must have cost you at least twelve hundred
bucks."

He pulled me closer to put the finishing touches on our routine.
"Seventy-nine bucks. I got it on closeout."

"And the tie?"

"You want the tie? Take it!"

That was the last time I saw Mr. Newman, and one of the few times he
didn't actually give me a tie or a watch. His grandson told me recently
that he had moved from Long Beach to a kosher nursing home in L.A. and
wasn't doing so well. Phil Newman passed away recently at the ripe old
age of 92.

Phil Newman was born in Boston on March 12, 1910, the son of Reb Dovid
Newman, a Jewish educator. He graduated from Northeastern Law School and
practiced law for 64 years. Along the way, he went into the asphalt
driveway paving business, because "I couldn't stand lawyers. Thieves!
All of them!"

As he became more prosperous, he moved his family from the old Jewish
neighborhood in Boston to the suburbs.

His wife, Miriam, persuaded him to move back.

"My colleagues couldn't believe it!" he'd say at the numerous community
functions where he always had a word to say and said it loudly.

"Here I was a big shot lawyer, and I'm living back where I started when
I didn't have a nickel to my name."

Phil and his wife had four children: Rabbi Yitzchok Newman, dean of the
Hebrew Academy Lubavitch in Huntington Beach; sons, Yehuda Leib and
Moshe, who are rabbis in New York; and a daughter, Batya Esther Palace,
who is married to a rabbi and lives in Los Angeles.

Before raising a family, Phil played semi-pro baseball in Boston. "I'd
be wearing my tsitses (fringes worn by Orthodox Jewish men), and the
other players would come over and touch them for good luck."

Even when he was well into his 80s, Phil could be seen playing ball with
the students at Hebrew Academy picnics, a baseball hat covering his
yarmulke.

At Congregation Lubavitch, where his son Yitzchok is the rabbi, Phil
opened the doors well before the 6 a.m. minyan (prayer quorum) began.
Never reluctant to express his thoughts, he was the synagogue's Zaide
(grandfather): "You're davening (praying) too fast," he'd admonish
whoever was unlucky enough to be cantor that morning.

There was only one reason why Phil would miss a minyan - morning,
afternoon and evening - and that was because he was traveling the
country attending brises, Bar Mitzvahs and weddings of his 48
grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.

"So, Mr. Newman," I'd ask on Friday evenings, just before Shabbos
services. "How many grandchildren and great-grandchildren do you have
this week?"

"Aw, I don't know," he'd say, closing his eyes, "but I'll tell you one
thing. I know where every one of them is tonight," he'd say, bursting
with pride.

And he was right. The little man in the gray fedora and $79 suits who
always looked like a million bucks was the proudest Zaide in Long Beach.

All his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were in
synagogues around the world, or at home lighting candles, keeping the
Sabbath.

"You can take all the big shot lawyers and all the politicians and all
the millionaires in the world, and they don't have what I have," he'd
confide in me: "Yiddishe naches (good fortune)."

It was his proudest achievement.

       Reprinted with permission from the Long Beach Press-Telegram

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                            Keeping in Touch

The founder of Chabad Chasidism, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, enjoined his
followers to "live with the times," i.e., to integrate the lessons of
the weekly Torah portion into their lives. This second volume of Keeping
In Touch, a compilation of thoughts on the weekly Torah portion, is a
collection of practical and down-to-earth suggestions for living a more
meaningful and satisfying life. Adapted from the works of the
Lubavitcher Rebbe by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger and published by Sichos in
English.



                             Lost and Found


Join master storyteller and veteran educator Rachel Jaffe in this
collection of heartwarming stories that span the ages. Bryna Waldman's
art enhances each episode with detailed beauty. Lost anad Found and
Other Stories is sure to captivate and inspire young hearts everywhere.
Published by Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                       Erev Shavuos, 5716 [1956]

Sholom U'Brocho [Peace and Blessing]:

In reply to your (undated) letter, you should bear in mind the following
points:

    A) There can be no question but that Teshuvo [repentance] is
    effective in every case, and whatever the transgression, for Teshuvo
    is one of G-d's commandments, and G-d does not require of us the
    impossible.

    B) It is likewise certain that any kind of depression, despondency
    or sadness, is a trick of the Yetzer Horah [evil inclination] to
    discourage one from serving G-d, as is explained at length in the
    books of Mussar, and in the books of Chasidus; and you would do well
    to refer to Tanya, ch. 26 and further.

    C) Even where one has relapsed in committing the same transgression
    for which one has done Teshuvo, and, moreover, even while doing
    Teshuvo one is not certain whether he could resist the temptation
    should it recur, this must in no way prevent him from studying the
    Torah and observing its Mitzvos [comandments], included among which
    is also the Mitzvah [commandment] of Teshuvo, for every action of
    man has its repercussions both down here below and Above, and you
    surely know the saying of our Sages: "No transgression extinguishes
    a Mitzvah," (even though it extinguishes the reward of a Mitzvah).
    I refer you again to Iggeres Hateshuvo (part III of the Tanya), ch.
    11.

I advise you from now on to stop weighing and dwelling on things which
are of no practical value, and especially the kind of thought that only
leads to despondency, but concentrate ever growing efforts on Torah and
Mitzvos.

I wish you to celebrate the Festival of Our Receiving the Torah with
inner and lasting joy,

With blessing,

                                *  *  *


                         11 Sivan, 5738 [1978]

Greeting and Blessing:

Thank you for your letter of 2nd Sivan upon your return from Eretz
Yisroel [the Holy Land] and previous communication.

I am pleased to note that you and your wife enjoyed your visit in Eretz
Yisroel and were impressed with the activities of Chabad there. As I
have remarked on similar occasions, it is customary to bring back
souvenirs from the lands one visits that are characteristic of native
features and products, etc. I trust, therefore, that you, too, brought
back with you the right souvenir from the Holy Land, namely, an extra
measure of holiness, which will serve as a fitting memento of your
visit. And, of course, there is always room for improvement in matters
of holiness, Torah and Mitzvos, in the daily life. In your case this is
even more important, not only for your own benefit, but also for the
benefit of the many who look to you for inspiration; and one is inspired
not by someone else's good thoughts and intentions, and not so much by
word of mouth as by a living example, which needs no elaboration to a
psychologist...

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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13 Sivan 5762

Positive mitzva 63: the burnt offering

By this injunction we are commanded as to the procedure of the burnt
offering. It is contained in the Torah's words (Lev. 1:2-3): "When any
man of you brings an offering to the L-rd...if his offering be a burnt
offering of the herd, etc." [According to our Sages, such offerings
atone for sinful thoughts and for the violation of a positive
commandment.]

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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There is a story I would like to share with you about the Chofetz Chaim,
Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan:

At midnight, when all were asleep, the Chofetz Chaim would enter his
study, close the door and stand there in total darkness. The Chofetz
Chaim would then commence to pour out his heart to G-d. He began by
praising G-d for His kindness, detailing everything that had happened
during the day. When he finished his own personal account, the Chofetz
Chaim began speaking about the merits of the entire Jewish people.

At this point the Chofetz Chaim's style of speech, as well as his tone,
changed drastically. Instead of thanking and pleading, he began
demanding. The Chofetz Chaim would declare that G-d owes the Jewish
nation a full accounting.

He would ask, "G-d, what have You given us? You gave us a great and Holy
Torah, but it was sealed and closed. What have we done in return?

We opened the Torah, gave you the Prophets, the sages of the Talmud, the
Torah geniuses; we tied crowns to the Oral Torah. But alas, what have we
received in return for this? We have received misfortune, persecutions,
and murder. We were not prepared for this. Throughout the lands where we
were dispersed and exiled, we brought our Torah with us, carrying it,
saving it from our enemies, and we carry it still to this very day! It
is firmly within our grasp."

This was how the Chofetz Chaim demanded the accounting. Then, he would
proceed with the demand for payment of the debt.

"How much longer must we wait? Until when? We are totally broken. G-d,
consider and ponder, is the heart of one Jew whole?"

This is what the Chofetz Chaim would do every single night. When the
dawn came, he would return to his studies, eagerly awaiting Moshiach's
arrival and confident that the debt owed would be paid.

Let us demand that which is due the Jewish people--Moshiach, NOW!

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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The L-rd bless thee and keep thee (Num. 6:24)

The Priestly blessing is said in the singular because it is primarily
the blessing of unity that the Jews need.

                                                     (O'lot Efraim)

                                *  *  *


The princes of Israel brought their offerings, the heads of their
fathers' houses... they brought their offerings before the L-rd (Num.
7:2.3)

Twelve times the Torah repeats this phrase, detailing the identical
offerings brought by each of the princes of the twelve tribes. Why the
repetition? These offerings were the same only externally; in actuality,
each prince brought his offering in a different manner, a manner
corresponding to the tribe's spiritual source in Heaven.

                                                    (Likutei Torah)

                                *  *  *


And they shall confess their sin which they have committed (Num. 5:7)

Why is the commandment to confess one's sin, the first step and
foundation on the path to repentance, mentioned here, where the Torah
speaks about robbery? Because any sin a person may commit has an element
of robbery in it. G-d gives a person life and strength, in order that he
use these gifts to perform His will. If one takes these gifts and uses
them to defy G-d, he is misusing and "stealing" the property of his
Creator.

                                                  (Chidushei HaRim)

                                *  *  *


May G-d cause His face to shine upon you (Num. 6:22)

G-d's "face" symbolizes His love, goodwill, and closeness to us. "May
G-d cause His face to shine upon you" means that the innermost part of
G-d's Divine Will should shine upon and illuminate the Jewish people and
that which has its source in holiness. Of course, everything in this
world comes from G-d, and even things which are not holy derive their
sustenance and life-force from G-d too, but this is an inferior and
external sustenance. To what can it be likened? A king makes an
elaborate party and invites all his highest ministers and officials to
partake of the meal. Naturally, his servants and maids, and even the
dogs, will eventually benefit from the leftovers, but this was not the
king's intent when he made the feast. The dignitaries are influenced by
the king's "innermost" will, and the servants, maids and animals receive
only the "external" benefits.

                                                 (Kuntres U'Maayan)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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As part of his inheritance, Rabbi Yosef received a clock that had
belonged to his father, the Seer of Lublin.

When the shiva (first seven days of mourning) for his father ended,
Rabbi Yosef set off for his home in Tulchin. On the way, it began
raining heavily. The roads were soon flooded, making it impossible to go
on.  Fortunately, Rabbi Yosef found a Jewish inn and decided to stop
there until the storm ended.

After three days the rain stopped, at which time Rabbi Yosef was more
than ready to leave. The innkeeper, let us call him Zev, presented Rabbi
Yosef with the bill that Rabbi Yosef could not pay. He offered Zev any
of his possessions as payment, and after some consideration, Zev chose
the clock.

Zev hung the clock in a back room of the inn, wound it up, gave the
pendulum a swing, and the clock began ticking away.  Every hour the
clock rang out the time in an appropriate number of chimes.

At first, Zev and his wife were thrilled when they heard the clock
chime, but as time passed, they paid it little attention.

Years later a rabbi came to stay at the inn and was given the room where
the clock hung.

That night, Zev, though exhausted, could not sleep.  From the rabbi's
room came sounds of beautiful singing and the sound of dancing.  And
when the clock struck the hour, the music took on an added quality of
joy!

Zev decided he would ask the rabbi in the morning what this great joy
was all about.  With this thought in mind, he fell fast asleep.

The following morning, the rabbi, as if reading Zev's mind, said:

"You must be wondering why I was so joyous last night, but I am
wondering where you got the clock!

Zev could not understand the connection between of the two things but
told the Rabbi the story of rabbi Yosef and how he acquired the clock.

"I see you have no idea what a bargain you got," said the Rabbi.  "This
clock belonged to my saintly rabbi, the Seer of Lublin.  As soon as I
heard the chiming, I recognized it!"

"A clock is a clock," mumbled Zev.

"Let me explain what a clock really is," offered the Rabbi. "People
think a clock is for the telling them when to get up, go to work, eat,
sleep.  That is nonsense.  People lived for thousands of years without
clocks.  An animal doesn't need a clock to show it when to do these
things."

"True," said Zev, waiting for more.

"A clock reminds people that there is such a thing as time in this
world.  When G-d created the world, He created time.  The minute and
hour hand on the clock remind us that each minute and every hour G-d
gives life to the whole world and sustains us.

"A clock is indeed a great thing," Zev called out enthusiastically.

"That is not all," continued the rabbi.  "The clock also reminds us that
time is passing, and we must watch and guard it. Anything lost can be
found, except for time, which can never be recovered.  When the clock
chimes, it makes us consider if we have filled the passing hour in a
worthwhile manner."

"Oh, Rabbi, when I think of how many hours I have wasted," Zev cried
out.

"Don't be downhearted," the rabbi said encouragingly.  "Do you know that
the Hebrew word for hour also means 'a turn'?  Do you know what 'a turn'
is?  Imagine a person walking carelessly along a dangerous road, till he
reaches a cliff. Suddenly, he realizes where he is and quickly turns
around.  This turn immediately saves him, even before he has managed to
take the steps away from the danger.  In one hour or with one turn
toward the right path a person can change his whole life."

"How wonderful!" Zev marveled.

"Now, I shall tell you the really exciting secret of this clock, the
clock of my saintly Rebbe.

"This clock is exceptionally perfect and wonderful, for in addition to
all the previously mentioned virtues, the clock has a most happy chime.
Every chime rings out like a message of good news, as if to tell us that
an hour of Exile has passed and we are now one hour nearer to the
complete and final Redemption with Moshiach."

"Now," the Rabbi asked Zev, "Can you understand why I rejoiced so much
the whole night? I heard the chime of the clock, recognized it, and
celebrated with fervor."

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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This world is the period of the battle between material existence and
spirituality, between good and evil: "One nation shall contend with the
other" (Genesis 25:23), with the good sometimes prevailing and sometimes
the evil. In the days of Moshiach, when the Jewish people will have
completed the battle - when the good will have been sorted out from the
evil and the evil from the good - and they will go out of exile, they
will attain the perfect state of man that existed before the sin of the
Tree of Knowledge.

                       (Teshuvos U'Biurim of the Lubavitcher Rebbe)

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                 END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 720 - Nasso 5762
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