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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 781
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                           Copyright (c) 2003
                 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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        August 8, 2003         Vaeschanan            10 Av, 5763
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                            A Jewish Goodbye

We've all seen or been part of a scenario repeated dozens of times. At a
family gathering, a synagogue event, a Jewish lecture, a simcha, someone
says, "I'm leaving," and moves to get his coat. Twenty minutes later
he's still there. Either into an all-new conversation, still hugging the
Bubbies and Zeidies, or noticing an old friend/relative he didn't have a
chance to chat with yet. This phenomenon transcends gender, age, and
country of origin. But it does seem to be particularly prevalent among
Jews.

It's called a Jewish good-bye and it seems to go on forever. Because
Jews never really say "good-bye." We say "shalom - peace to you." Or we
say in Hebrew  "Go in peace." One whose background is more Yiddish might
say, "fort gezunterheit - travel in health." But we never say
"good-bye."

In fact, even were you to scour the modern Hebrew language, you wouldn't
find a word for "good-bye." All you'd come up with is "l'hitraot," which
means "see ya later." (Some Israelis do say "bye-bye." But pronounced
with that decidedly Hebrew accent you know that it's been borrowed from
English.)

At a Jewish gathering, private or public, we take a long time to go
because, after all, who wants to leave the warm embrace of family-and
all Jews truly are one family. All Jews share in each others simchas and
each others sorrows.

Is there any basis, though, in Jewish tradition, for this seeming
inability to just say "good-bye"?

The Talmud enjoins us, "Whatever your host tells you, do, except leave."
One of the commentaries explains that a guest must immediately comply
with everything the host tells him to do except when the host tells him
it is time to leave. The guest should show the host his reluctance to
take leave of his company!

In addition, Jewish teachings encourage us that when we part from a
friend, we should share a d'var halacha, meaning a "word of Jewish law."
But d'var halacha can also be interpreted as a "word for the way."

So, it's not hard to understand why Jews don't say good-bye. Firstly, we
don't really want to leave. Secondly, even when we do realize that we
absolutely must leave, we should show our reluctance to leave. And
lastly, when we already have our coat on, we should share a thought for
the journey (however short) with our friend.

Ultimately, though, one might speculate that not saying "good-bye" has a
more eternal and confident message. For, deep within every Jew is the
intrinsic belief in better times, the best of times, the times of
Moshiach. In that era of peace, prosperity, well-being and knowledge -
the Era of the Redemption - we will see the fulfillment of one of the
fundamental principles of Jewish belief, the revival of the dead. At
that time, we will all be reunited with our loved ones. And when we
rejoice in being together again with them, we will fully understand why
we never really said, "good-bye."

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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In this week's Torah portion, Vaetchanan, Moses describes the Revelation
at Mount Sinai to the younger generation of Jews who were about to enter
the Land of Israel. He describes the voice of G-d, saying: "A great
voice, which did not continue." One of the explanations that the Midrash
offers for this is that G-d's "voice" did not have an echo.

The Midrash's explanation seems to present a few problems. How does the
absence of an echo indicate greatness? If the voice was indeed strong,
would it not have produced an echo? Furthermore, why did G-d perform
such a miracle? Since miracles are not performed unnecessarily, why
would G-d seemingly change the laws of nature just so that His voice
would not produce an echo?

An echo is produced when sound waves hit an object. When the sound waves
reach an obstacle they are bounced right back. The only condition
necessary to produce an echo is that the object which deflects the sound
waves must be strong and rigid. If the object is soft and yielding, the
sound will just be absorbed and no echo will result.

This physical phenomenon will explain why G-d's voice on Mount Sinai had
no echo. When G-d said, "I am the L-rd your G-d," His voice was so
overwhelmingly powerful that there was nothing strong enough to deflect
the sound. G-d's voice actually penetrated the physical world. Every
object in the world, from the inanimate to the higher forms of life,
absorbed the G-dly voice and was affected by it.

The phenomenon of the Revelation at Sinai is akin to what will take
place when Moshiach comes, which is described in these words: "And the
Glory of G-d will be revealed, and all flesh will see." Even our very
bodies will be able to perceive G-dliness. So it was at the Revelation;
all of physical reality absorbed the Revelation of the G-dly voice.

This is why G-d's voice had no echo. This was no miracle, and the laws
of nature were not at all abrogated. It is, indeed, in keeping with
physical law that when a sound is absorbed, no echo is produced. And
since the voice was totally integrated into physical reality, there was
nothing which could bounce the sound back. Therefore, the absence of an
echo shows the infinite strength of the voice, rather than the opposite.

This phenomenon did not occur only once in the history of the world.
Whenever a Jew studies Torah, the holy voice of Torah penetrates the
physical surroundings and elevates the world. Our Sages say that in the
Messianic Era, "the very beams of the house will bear witness," for they
have been absorbing all the holiness produced when a person learns Torah
in his home.

The power of Torah is such that nothing can stand in its way. The world
was created in such a manner as to enable the continuing voice of
Revelation to penetrate the corporeal world even today.

                   Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                      A Book Like This We All Need
                            by Sara Karmely

It was 1979, two years before the Iranian Revolution. Rabbis Sholom Ber
Hecht and Hertz Illulian went to Iran from New York at the request of
the Rebbe. As part of their mission, they delivered a Tanya, the basic
book of Chabad Chasidic philosophy, to Iran's Jewish spiritual leader,
Rabbi Yedidia Ezrachian. One month later, Rabbi Ezrachian received a
telephone call from Rabbi J.J. Hecht, who had been very involved in
efforts to bring as many Iranian Jews as possible to safety in the
United States. Rabbi Hecht relayed the Rebbe's instructions to print
Tanyas for the Jews in Iran.

By then, most of the Jewish population had fled Iran. It was an
extremely dangerous place to live. But Rabbi Ezrachian remained at his
post as head of the Jewish community in Iran and the leader of the
Rabbinical Court for three more years. The Iranian Moslem Ministers,
under the brutal and ruthless Khomeini, issued an edict whose purpose
was to purge Iran of anything connected with the Shah of Iran, and to
disobey meant a charge of treason and punishment by death.

Rabbi Ezrachian had narrowly escaped death several times already, since
there was also a strict edict against anyone and anything that could be
perceived to be helping the state of Israel. The death sentence was
swiftly and unmercifully carried out upon anyone who dared to disobey
that edict. But Rabbi Ezrachian, a scholarly, G-d fearing man, and an
ardent chasid of the Rebbe, had been instructed to print Tanyas for the
Persian Jews. He did so, but since most of the Persian Jews could not
read, write or understand Hebrew, Rabbi Ezrachian was in the process of
translating the Tanya into Persian.

One day, Rabbi Ezrachian was in the office of his synagogue in Teheran,
Iran, working on his translating of the Tanya. Suddenly there was loud,
insistent banging on the door and the unmistakable shouts of the Iranian
Taliban. These policemen were known to be violent fanatical Moslem
ministers looking for some new Jewish blood to spill, just to prove how
loyal they were to their Imam.

When Rabbi Ezrachian opened the door, his heart was racing so fast that
he could not think. The office was not a place for these men to search!
It contained historical documents connected to the Shah. It contained
large gold coins with the Magen David on one side and the Shah's
likeness on the other. And worst of all, it was filled with the receipts
of the money that people had given to him to donate for charity to
Israel. If these receipts were now found, it would be considered aiding
the enemy, the Zionist state - and he would surely be shot on the spot.

Numbly, he stood there as the violent, screaming mob of ministers burst
into his office. They immediately started to pull open doors to closets,
and dump out files. Any minute they would find the receipts and then....
the Rabbi understood what was about to take place, and recited his final
prayers. As the strength started to leave his body, Rabbi Ezrachian
prayed to G-d. He saw certain death before his eyes, and prepared to
meet his Maker.

Suddenly, one of the ministers pounced on a Tanya. He leafed through it
but of course could not read the Hebrew. Roughly he asked Rabbi
Ezrachian what it was, and what it said. "It is a holy book, and I am
translating it into Farsi," stammered Rabbi Ezrachian, praying silently
that the merit of the Tanya would somehow save him. Opening the book  at
random, the radical ordered the pale, trembling rabbi to translate it
exactly as it was written.

Rabbi Ezrachian did as he was told. He stood there and translated it
faithfully, and after translating ten pages, he was quietly ordered to
stop. The ministers, who had all stopped their raiding in order to
listen, now stood in silent awe. Reverently, their leader took the
Tanya, gently touched it to his eyes, and then kissed it. (A Persian
custom to show respect). "A book like this we all need," he said. He
sternly told everyone that they need search no longer, because it was
obvious that they were with a man who honored "Allah." Moreover, a
special edict was written to protect Rabbi Ezrachian from any form of
persecution in the future as well as to allow the Rabbi to continue to
translate the  holy book with no more disturbances!

After they left, Rabbi Ezrachian fell to the ground in a faint. He soon
regained consciousness, but found it difficult, at first, to grasp the
fact that he was still alive! They had not discovered the receipts, or
the letters from Israel saying that they had received the moneys sent to
them. Even just one of those documents would have meant certain death,
let alone a full filing cabinet of them. They had listened respectfully
to ten pages of Tanya in Farsi. And he had an edict of protection issued
by the Taliban radicals themselves! On the following Shabbat, Rabbi
Ezrachian said the special "Gomel" prayer thanking G-d for saving him
from death.

Rabbi Ezrachian visited the U.S. a few years later. At his first private
audience with the Rebbe Rabbi Ezrachian was so overwhelmed that tears
rolled down his cheeks. The Rebbe told him, "Serve G-d with joy!"  Rabbi
Ezrachian replied, "These are tears of happiness." They spoke together
for a long time, and then Rabbi Ezrachian said to the Rebbe, "The Jews
who are in Iran are in physical danger, and the Jews who have left Iran
are in spiritual danger. I am so worried about them." Tears came to his
eyes once again when the Rebbe answered, gently and sincerely, "So let
us pray for them together." They held each other's hands and prayed for
the Iranian Jews.

Rabbi Ezrachian had many other private audiences with the Rebbe. Each
time, he tried his utmost to fulfill what the Rebbe wanted from him.
Rabbi Ezrachian has translated the Abridged Code of Jewish Law, the
prayer book, Psalms, as well as five other books of the Bible. The Rebbe
personally checked several of the translations, though not all.

After leaving Iran, Rabbi Ezrachian lived in Israel for a while before
moving to Great Neck, New York.

                        Reprinted from the N'Shei Chabad Newsletter

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                                Bedtime

This newest release from HaChai Publishing is an adorable book that can
help children stop being fearful about going to bed. Dovid has trouble
settling down to go to sleep.  He keeps calling Mommy and asking for all
kinds of things.  But what does Dovid really need to have a happy
bedtime? By Nechama Dina Adelman, illustrated by Fayge Devorah Blau.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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             This letter was written to a scientist in 1976

Greeting and Blessing:

It was a pleasure to see you recently with your family.

Pursuant to our conversation and my question if you had any connections
with NASA, I do not have in mind about a position with that agency, but
rather if there was any possibility of your exercising your good
influence there in regard to spreading Yiddishkeit [Judaism].

What prompted me to ask this question was the fact that I had recently
received the book Challenge - Torah Views on Science and Its Problems,
edited by Aryeh Carmell and Cyril Domb (published by Feldheim).

I was certain that I would find in this book an essay by you, but I was
disappointed.

Needless to say - and it is a well known principle - that it is no use
crying over the past. If I mention my said disappointment, it is not to
make you feel uncomfortable, but to call your attention to the fact that
since there will no doubt be a further book of this kind, it would be
well for you to maintain contact with the persons or circles that are
connected with it so that you would have advance notice to be able to
participate.

Furthermore, I am not thinking in terms of the distant future, but also
of the shorter term, and the sooner the better. For, if you will look
through this volume, you will no doubt find something to say to the
editors, especially as among the contributors you will probably find
some whom you know personally.

I mention NASA, etc., because Yiddishkeit should be brought to each and
every Jew, particularly in the current year of Torah education, when
everyone is urged to do the utmost to bring the Torah and Torah
commandments to all Jews, young and old, including those who are
advanced in years but still young in the knowledge and experience of
Judaism.

All the more so since space technology, and the space flights, including
the latest Viking probes on Mars, have made a profound impression upon
wide circles of Jews, being also constantly bombarded by the media with
the visual effects of photographs, etc. Consequently, if all this can be
used in the right direction, by finding and pointing out those aspects
which may have a bearing on Torah and Mitzvoth [commandments], the
psychological effect in promoting the actual observance of the Torah
commandments in the daily life could be tremendous. This would be well
in keeping with the directive.

Inasmuch as you have had so much experience and success with various
circles of Jewish youth, there is no need to elaborate to you on the
above.

May G-d bestow His blessings on you and yours in a most generous
measure, especially that you and your wife should bring up each and all
of your children to a life of Torah, wedding and Good Deeds, in good
health and happy circumstances.

Wishing you and all yours to be written and inscribed for good,

With blessing,

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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12 Av, 5763 - August 10, 2003

Positive Mitzva 245: Conducting Business

This mitzva is based on the verse (Lev. 25:14) "If you sell something to
your neighbor, or buy something from your neighbor." The Torah deals
with every aspect of our lives; not only with the way we pray and study,
but also the manner in which we carry out our business. This Positive
mitzva establishes guidelines for our business dealings and governs the
way we buy, sell, and transfer ownership of property. These guidelines
include writing business contracts, paying for goods with money, or
exchanging one item for another.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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Tu B'Av, the 15th of the Hebrew month of Av, occurs this Wednesday.
"There were no greater festivals in Israel than Tu B'Av (the 15th of Av)
and Yom Kippur," the Mishna tells us. What is so special about Tu B'Av
that it is singled out together with Yom Kippur from all the other
festivals?

A number of events in Jewish history took place on the fifteenth of Av.
They were: 1) The tribe of Benjamin was permitted once again to marry
the remainder of the Jewish people; 2) The Generation of the Desert
ceased to die; they had previously been condemned to perish in the
desert because of the sin of the spies; 3) Hoshea Ben Elah removed the
blockades that the rebel Jereboam had set up to prevent the Jews from
going to Jerusalem for the festivals; 4) The cutting of the wood for the
Holy Altar was completed; 5) Permission was granted by the Romans to
bury the slain of Betar.

These five events in themselves do not seem adequate enough reason to
make Tu B'Av a festival greater than any other. There is another,
all-encompassing reason.

There is another occasion of note in the month of Av, the ninth. Tisha
B'Av is the day when the two Holy Temples were destroyed, signaling the
start of the long exile we are still enduring-tragedies which were the
result of the Jews' transgressions. Tisha B'Av is the nadir of Jewish
physical and spiritual life.

But these tragedies are not for naught. "Descent is for the purpose of
ascent," and the deeper the descent, correspondingly greater will be the
ascent that follows. It is specifically after the awesome decline of
Tisha B'Av that we can reach the loftiest heights, heights that would
otherwise be inaccessible.

The five festive events on Tu B'Av, then, are the counterpart to five
tragic events that took place on Tisha B'Av. Tu B'Av transforms the evil
of Tisha B'Av to the greatest good - "there were no greater festivals in
Israel than Tu B'Av." The ultimate goal of the tragedies of the month of
Av is that they should be transformed into a greater good-the supreme
festival of Tu B'Av.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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You shall not add to that which I have commanded you nor shall you
subtract from it, to observe the command of G-d (Deuteronomy 4:2).

The Torah is called the "prescription of life"-a medicine able to purify
those who take it. That is why we are warned not to add and not to
subtract from the Torah's words. A prescription drug is a precise
mixture of various substances, and changing the proportions can have
toxic effects. So, too, are the commandments of the Torah given in the
exact and correct proportions, and to change even a word has a
deleterious effect.

                                          (Rabbi Yonatan Eibeshutz)

                                *  *  *


The purpose of the "Enlightenment" was to reform the Torah and mitzvot.
One of the proponents of that approach once suggested to Rabbi Azriel
Hildesheimer that it was necessary to change certain detailed practices
to make the observance of the commandments easier.  Rabbi Hidesheimer
replied "That is the meaning of the [above-mentioned] verse.  Even when
your purpose is to observe the command of G-d, you still may not
subtract."

                                *  *  *


"In the heavens above and on the earth below" (Deut. 4:39).

When contemplating one's heavenly or spiritual condition one should look
"above" to those who have attained a higher level; one can never be
satisfied.  However in "earthly" matters of wealth and so on, one should
look "below," to the less fortunate, and be thankful for the blessings
one has.

                                            (The Lubavitcher Rebbe)

                                *  *  *


I stand between your G-d and you (Deut. 5:5).

Early chasidim used to explain that the "I," the awareness of self, the
ego, stands between the person and his efforts to come closer to G-d.

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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A Jew came to the rabbi of his town with a problem. "I don't know what
to do. I really hate my wife. It seems like she is always doing things
to aggravate me." In shame, the man continued, "Sometimes I even think
of killing her!"

The wise rabbi looked at the man pensively. "How long have you felt this
way?"

"Almost since the time we married," replied the man. "It wasn't so bad
at first. But when she irritated me, I found it impossible to behave
nicely or civilly toward her. And now, I dream of being rid of her
forever."

The rabbi stroked his beard and then said, "You know, there is a way you
can kill her without even being held responsible!"

The man's eyes opened wide. Never had he expected the rabbi to be an
accomplice, but he needed all the help he could get. "Tell me, rabbi,
what can I do?"

"Well," explained the rabbi to the simple man, "the Midrash tells us
that if a man pledges a large sum of money to charity and doesn't pay
it, his punishment will be that his wife will die. All you need to do is
pledge a large sum of money to the shul and not pay it! Within a year, I
assure you, your wife will be dead."

The man was overjoyed with his good fortune of having such an
understanding and wise rabbi.

"But," added the rabbi, "You wouldn't want anyone to think that you are
not paying the pledge intentionally to kill your wife. You wouldn't want
G-d to think that either, would you?"

The man nodded his head. "What should I do, rabbi?"

"Well," began the rabbi. "For starters, you must treat your wife
exceptionally well for the next few months."

The man was horrified. "Rabbi, I don't even treat my wife a little bit
nicely because, as I told you, I can't stand her. And now, you want me
to behave exceptionally kindly toward her?"

"It's the least you can do so that people don't think you're killing her
intentionally, isn't it?"

The man nodded and the rabbi continued. "First, buy her a new dress. How
long has it been since she's gotten a new dress?"

The man acknowledged that his wife hadn't gotten a new dress since they
were married seven years previously. "And also," the rabbi continued,
"make sure to give her a little spending money."

The man rolled his eyes. "She always complains that she doesn't have
enough money to make good meals. But I know it's just an excuse to upset
me!"

The rabbi smiled and added, "Say something nice to her once in a while.
Even compliment her in public, just so that people will think you really
like her, of course," the rabbi added conspiratorally.

The man left the rabbi's study beaming. He immediately made a large
pledge to a charitable organization and began counting the hours until
he'd be rid of his wife. He did follow the rabbi's advice, though, and
went out to buy his wife a new dress. She, of course, could not
understand her husband's change of heart. When he also gave her some
"pocket money," she went to the market and purchased some nice fruits
and vegetables, even a bit of meat. She prepared a delicious meal to
show her appreciation.

Weeks passed, with the man marking off the days on his calendar and
simultaneously behaving decently, for once, toward his wife.

At the end of two months, the man stopped marking his calendar. He and
his wife were happier than they had ever been during their entire
marriage. The more pleasant the husband was, the more he complimented
his wife and tried to help her, the more she tried to please him in
every way.

After a half year had passed, the husband had totally forgotten about
his little conversation and "arrangement" with the rabbi. It wasn't
until the year was nearly up, when he remembered about the pledge and
the repercussions if it wasn't paid. He immediately ran to the rabbi.

"Rabbi, the year is nearly up and I still haven't paid the pledge," the
man said frantically.

"Nu," said the rabbi. "Soon you will have peace and quiet. What are you
worried about?"

"You don't understand, rabbi. I love my wife. She is the most wonderful
person in the world. She can never do enough to please me and I get such
pleasure from doing things that make her happy. I don't want her to
die!"

"Oh my, that is a problem," replied the rabbi. "Your only choice then,
is to pay the pledge."

"But Rabbi, I pledged an huge sum, something I could never possibly
pay!"

"You must borrow the money then, and pay it out little by little. I will
even give you a note of recommendation to some free-loan funds," offered
the rabbi. "After all, it is a matter of life and death!"

"I don't know how I can ever thank you," the relieved husband told the
rabbi. "Certainly that my wife should remain alive is worth all the
money in the world!"

    The man borrowed the money to pay the pledge. Every month he paid
    back a little of the money he borrowed and they lived happily ever
    after.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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"Nachamu, Nachamu Ami- Comfort, I will comfort My people" G-d promises
the Jewish people in the Haftorah we read this Shabbat. On the Shabbat
after Tisha B'Av, the day on which we commemorated the destruction of
the First and Second Holy Temples, G-d promises us that the rebuilding
of the Third and eternal Holy Temple will also serve as a complete and
perfect comfort for all of the destruction that took place throughout
Jewish history.

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              END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 781 - Vaeschanan 5763
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