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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 893
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                           Copyright (c) 2005
                 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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        November 4, 2005         Noach          2 Cheshvan, 5766
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                               Locked Out

You've been working late at the office. You go into the parking garage
and notice how deserted it is. You glance nervously around. At least
there aren't too many cars, everything's in plain sight.

Or you've been out shopping until the mall closed. When you arrived the
parking lot was full. Now it's practically empty. You can see your car,
alone on its row, one of a handful scattered about.

In either case, you get to your car, and reach for your keys. Nervously,
you fumble with them, trying to find the right one. And you can't find
it. Suddenly you realize, you left it in the office - and you can't get
in until the morning. Or, you see them sitting on the driver's seat,
where you dropped them.

You're locked out.

Or you've been out late, visiting with friends, or you're just coming
back from a business trip. You've got your keys. But when you get to the
door, you find it's chained.

You're locked out.

Of course, you can use your cell phone to call someone or wake up a
family member. Yet for a moment, there's a desperate feeling. It's
different than the fright you might feel until you reach your car or get
to the house. That's a fear of the unknown. But this, this is
frustration. This makes you angry. It's your car. It's your house. Why
can't you get in? And the sense of helplessness, of being kept out is
worse, much worse than the fright you felt a few minutes ago. It's like
you've been rejected, like you've been barred from what belongs to you.
It's not right. No one should be locked out of what belongs to him.

Sometimes, unfortunately, we feel locked out of our lives, out of our
souls - that is, out of Judaism. It may be because we haven't had the
education. We feel ignorant when we walk into synagogue, angry or
embarrassed that we don't know Hebrew. We feel awkward doing a mitzva
for the first time; we should know this. When we sit in a class or hear
a lecture, and the rabbi is quoting from the Talmud or the Torah or
Maimonides and we don't know which is which, we may feel, why bother.

And when we pray, that's when we may feel the most locked out. The words
seem so foreign. Even in English the phrases seem stale, artificial. We
look around and see others with their eyes closed, concentrating,
expressions akin to joy; we hear the joyousness, or at least the
communality of the song. And it all seems to come from the other side of
a wall, a place we're not allowed to go. We want to turn our back,
reject that which excludes  us, deny a helplessness we cannot refute.

To this feeling our Sages tell us, the gates of prayer are always open.
And there are many stories that demonstrate and emphasize the power of
the simple prayer said with sincerity.

The same is true of Torah study, or mitzvot. Rabbi Akiva, the greatest
scholar of his time, did not start until he was forty. And he learned
and observed, one letter, one mitzva, one step at a time.

G-d doesn't lock us out. We lock ourselves out. But He'll hand us the
key, if we let Him. All we have to do is ask.

When Moshiach comes, "no Jew will be left behind." Regardless of where
we are, spiritually, Redemption opens its door. For G-d never locks us
out.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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The beginning of this week's Torah reading, Noach, relates how G-d tells
Noah that because he was righteous, he and his family would be saved.
Although all mankind would be punished for their wickedness and
annihilated in a terrible flood, Noah and his descendants would not
perish.

For that purpose, Noah built an ark according to G-d's specifications
and when the rains came, he and his family entered. Together with Noah
and his family were gathered into the ark one pair each of all the
existing non-kosher animals and seven pairs of each of the kosher
animals.

What did Noah do for the entire year he was in the ark? He brought food
for the animals, cleaned their stalls, and took care of their needs. Nor
were the animals particularly appreciative. Our Sages relate that once
when Noah delayed bringing food to one of the lions, the beast took a
swipe at him and wounded him. Is this a befitting reward for a person
whom G-d told was righteous?

Herein lies a fundamental lesson. No person exists for himself. We were
created for service. The Jewish ideal is not a world where "the
righteous sit crowned with their knowledge." That is a description of
the World to Come, the afterlife, where the souls bask in Divine light.
But until a person reaches that state, he must work.

We have all been given a mission - to prepare the world to be a dwelling
for G-d. And to be complete, that dwelling must encompass every element
of creation. Therefore every element of our environment is important and
deserving of our concern and attention.

Simply put, a person cannot seclude himself in a synagogue or a house of
study and claim that he is creating G-d's dwelling. For if all G-d wants
is prayer and study, He would not have created a physical world. He
would have made us spiritual beings with heightened intellectual
potentials.

He did not do this. Instead, He made us mortals and placed us in a
material environment. As such, our lives should be dedicated to the
above mission, caring for every entity created within the world and
revealing the G-dly spark it contains and the intent for which it was
created. Man's task in life is to take that abstract ideal and make it
actual.

The root of the Hebrew name "Noach" relates to the concepts of rest and
satisfaction. Indeed, our Torah portion foreshadows the ultimate state
of repose and satisfaction that will be reached in the era when, as
Maimonides relates, "there will be neither famine nor war, neither envy
nor competition, for good things will flow in abundance."

         Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Reprinted
     from Keeping In Touch, by Rabbi E. Touger, published by Sichos
                                                         in English

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                              Eyes to See
                         by Rabbi Tuvia Bolton

Daniel was just a baby when his parents moved from Russia to Israel. His
father was a doctor and quickly found work in Israel and things looked
good, until the "allergy."

Daniel was only four and a half years old when his eyes started itching.
At first it was just annoying but it developed into more. The itching
didn't let up and it was getting more painful.

The doctors ordered all sorts of tests. They thought that perhaps it was
a nervous condition, perhaps something hereditary, perhaps an infection,
perhaps an allergy.

And meanwhile, the pain was becoming unbearable. Eventually the doctors
concluded that it was a rare eye disease caused by a virus which made
the eyes react violently to light.

Poor little Daniel had to take pills, get shots and wear special
sunglasses to insure that no sunlight would reach his eyes. Although
there was some relief, the problem was not solved.

Even in the dark, Daniel's  eyes itched constantly. And if there was
ever a bright light - a camera flash, the passing glare of a car window
on the classroom wall, clouds parting on a rainy summer day - Daniel
would begin screaming in excruciating pain.

His parents refused to be defeated. They vowed to spare no money, time
or trouble to search for the cure. They took Daniel from one specialist
to another. Each time the doctors came up with new theories and tried
new approaches, but inevitably these also failed.

In addition to conventional medicine Danny's parents did not rule out
"alternative methods." He was taken to the greatest experts in
acupuncture, massages, herbs, oils, diets, meditations, amulets, unique
gems, ancient Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Russian healing, etc. but
nothing worked.

Then there were blessings from great rabbis. When Daniel's parents heard
that there were holy rabbis whose blessings bore fruit, their hopes
again rose.

They went from rabbi to rabbi, city to city. They visited all of the
greatest rabbis in Israel who had made the lame walk and the barren give
birth. But for some reason, Daniel was different. He remained in pain.

It took Daniel an average of one and a half hours every morning to open
his eyes; the lids were simply stuck closed. In school he had to sit
behind a special partition in the classroom where no bright light could
enter and it goes without saying that he could not play like the other
children.

Finally, after they had tried everything available and Danny was eleven
years old the foremost eye expert in Israel sadly contacted Danny's
parents and advised them to teach him Braille. If possible he should be
prepared psychologically for in another year, he told them, Danny would
be blind

It was just before this time that Daniel's parents had decided to move
to America. They had found good jobs in New York, friends had found a
place for them to live and also a renown specialist for Daniel. Before
they knew it they were on the plane to a new chapter in life. Perhaps
the change in place would change their "mazal" (luck) as well.

The first Shabbat in America they spent at the home of a friend in Crown
Heights, Brooklyn, world headquarters of Chabad-Lubavitch Chasidim. On
Shabbat, Daniel's parents attended a "farbrengen" (Chasidic gathering)
of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Daniel also attended the farbrengen and
recalls that it was interesting to look at the Rebbe's face.

The next day was Sunday. It was already a number of years that the
Lubavitcher Rebbe was distributing dollar bills to be given to charity
to thousands of Jews and non-Jews each week who came from all corners of
the world.

That Sunday,  Daniel and his parents also stood in the long line and
awaited their turn for a precious moment with the Rebbe.

When their turn came, young Daniel was anything but shy. He looked up
through his thick, dark glasses at the Rebbe and said in Russian: "I
want to be healthy and I want to be a Talmudic scholar. And I wish the
Rebbe success and health."

The Rebbe smiled, gave Daniel a dollar and said "Amen." As Daniel was
about to leave, the Rebbe added "B'karov Mamash - very, very soon."

One week later on Sunday morning, Daniel woke up and opened his eyes! It
was the first time in six years that they weren't stuck closed.

Daniel noticed that there was no itching. He put on his glasses, went to
the window, opened the shades, and looked outside. It was a beautiful
summer day. He opened his eyes as wide as possible, slowly removed the
glasses and began to cry from joy.

The pain was gone.

The next day the specialist, after performing a thorough examination,
concluded that Daniel probably needing reading glasses, but that was it.
From what he could see, there had never been any other problem. Had it
not been for all of the medical records that Daniel's father had
meticulously saved over the years, no one would have believed
differently.

Daniel went on to receive his rabbinic ordination from the
Chabad-Lubavitch Yeshiva in Morristown, New Jersey. A number of years
ago he married and just a little while ago he became an emissary of the
Rebbe in a very active and growing Chabad House in Russia, where I met
Daniel and heard this story directly from him.

                                   Reprinted from www.OhrTmimim.org

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                             New Emissaries

Fort Collins, Colorado, has a new Chabad-Lubavitch  Center under the
directorship of Rabbi Yerachmiel and Devorah Leah Gorelik.  The Chabad
House will serve the Jewish communities of Northern Colorado and
Colorado State University.

Rabbi Shmuly and Dini Gutnick are joining the team of shluchim
(emissaries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe) in Boca Raton, Florida, where they
will serve as youth directors for the multifaceted Jewish programming
taking place at Chabad of Boca Raton.

A new Chabad-Lubavitch Center is opening in Northern California under
the directorship of Rabbi Yossi and Malki Korik. The Chabad House will
be located in Roseville, California, just north of the state's capital
of Sacramento.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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           From a talk of the Rebbe, 4 Marcheshvan, 5752-1991

The Shabbat when we read the portion of Noach is of general importance,
for it is the first Shabbat after the week following Shabbat Bereishit,
which concludes the month of Tishrei. It is in this week that the Jews
begin their service within the context of mundane activities. In this
context, the name of this week's portion, Noach is also significant.
Noach in Hebrew is identified with rest and satisfaction, for this
service should arouse such feelings.

In this context, we can appreciate the contrast between Shabbat
Bereishit and Shabbat Noach. The Zohar states that all the days of the
following week are blessed from Shabbat. Thus Shabbat Bereishit
represents the blessing for the first week of ordinary mundane activity
in the new year. Shabbat Noach represents the conclusion of this week,
the day which infuses rest and perfection into this service. Thus
Shabbat Bereishit can be considered as the source of potential, while it
is on Shabbat Noach that we see how this potential is brought into
actual expression.

There is another common, yet contrasting dimension to the Sabbaths of
Bereishit and Noach. Both portions are related to the existence of the
world as a whole. The portion of Bereishit describes the creation of the
world and Noach contains G-d's promise that the world will continue to
exist forever.

There is, however, a distinct contrast between the two portions.
Bereishit describes the world as it exists as a complete and perfect
entity, the world as G-d conceived of it and created it. The portion of
Noach, in contrast, describes the world after the descent into sin and
the state of perfection that can be reached through the service of man
who turns to G-d in teshuva (repentance). Through this service, man
generates satisfaction and pleasure for G-d as it were, fulfilling His
desire to have a dwelling in the lower worlds.

To use different terminology, the portion of Bereishit reflects G-d's
conception of the world - the potential. The portion of Noach, in
contrast, reflects man's service within the world as it actually exists.
This can involve, as indeed is reflected in the beginning of the portion
of Noach, a tremendous descent. Nevertheless, the ultimate result of
this service is that the world is brought to a higher level of
refinement and purity. This is reflected in the Midrash's statement,
"Noach saw a new world."

The service of man relates to a higher level of G-dliness as is
reflected in the contrast between the two portions. In the beginning of
Bereishit, when the Torah refers to G-d, it uses the name Elokim. Elokim
is numerically equal to "hateva - the nature" and is described as "the
Master of potential and power," i.e., the dimension of G-dliness which
brings our limited world into being.

In contrast, in regard to Noach, the Torah states "And Noach found favor
in the eyes of Havaya," i.e., he revealed a level of G-dliness above the
natural order within the world. Furthermore, this leads to the potential
that Havaya will be fused with Elokim, that within the natural limits of
the world, the name Havaya which reveals G-dliness above those limits
will be revealed.

This fusion of Elokim and Havaya is reflected in the covenant G-d
established with Noach regarding the existence of the world, that the
natural order would continue without interruption. For the maintenance
of the natural order is a reflection of G-d's infinite power, i.e., the
lack of change in the natural order is a reflection of how "I G-d have
not changed."

And from the portion of Noach, we proceed to the portion of Lech Lecha,
which begins with the command "Go out" - i.e., that a person must leave
his previous spiritual level - and proceed to "the land which I will
show you." Moreover, the expression "I will show you," arecka in Hebrew,
can also be rendered "I will reveal you," i.e., the Jew's essential self
will be revealed. For it is through the service in refining this earthly
plane, that a Jew reveals his true potential. Regardless of a Jew's
position in the world, he is connected with G-dliness and thus he can
elevate the world, revealing G-dliness within it. And in this manner, he
relates to a higher level of G-dliness and is able to draw down even
this level within the world.

                            Translated/adapted by Sichos In English

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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5 Cheshvan, 5766 - November 7, 2005

Positive Mitzva 59: Blowing the trumpets in the Sanctuary

This mitzva is based on the verse (Num. 10:10) "Also on the day of your
gladness... you shall blow with your trumpets"

In the Holy Temple while certain sacrifices are offered, we are
commanded to sound trumpets. The sound arouses a stir in the hearts of
all the people who were present in the Holy Temple. Each one will
concentrate and resolve to strengthen his bond of closeness with G-d.
Similarly, we are commanded to blow the shofar in times of need and
despair, calling for G-d's attention and requesting His help.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
*********************************************************************
This week's Torah portion is Noach. Therefore, this is the perfect
opportunity to consider the implications of the Rebbe's campaign to
diseminate, among non-Jews, the knowledge and observance of the Seven
Noachide Laws.

The nations of the world were given a Divine code of conduct, the Seven
Noachide Laws, which consist of six prohibitions against murder,
robbery, idolatry, adultery, blasphemy, cruelty to animals - and one
positive command, to establish a judicial system.

The Rebbe has encouraged his emissaries around the world to meet with
government officials and heads of state to sign proclamations
encouraging the study and observance of the Seven Noachide laws.

The Rambam (Rabbi Moses Maimonides) states that an important part of the
Jew's task is to see to it that all people, not just Jews, acknowledge
G-d as Creator and Ruler of the world and to therefore conduct
themselves according to the Seven Noachide Laws. Each and every Jew has
an important role to play in this task. But how can this be
accomplished?

When a Jew conducts himself properly in all areas of his life -
business, recreation, family, and religious - he will automatically
influence the people around him. When the nations of the world see Jews
acknowledging G-d as Ruler of the world, through prayer and by following
His commandments, they, too, will come to realize the importance and
truth of G-d's omnipotence.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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And G-d said to Noach, "Come with all your household into the teiva
(ark)" (Gen. 7:1)

Teiva also means "a word." The Baal Shem Tov interprets this phrase as
an exhortation to "enter" the words of Torah and prayer.  When one
brings his children into the protective "ark" of the words of Torah, and
sets limitations for their behavior according to the standards of Torah
conduct, then those youngsters are saved from the stormy flood waters of
the negative influences of the environment.

                                *  *  *


I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh
(Gen. 6:17)

Why did G-d choose a flood with which to punish mankind? Could he not
have chosen another method to destroy the wicked? Another purpose of the
flood, however, was to purify the world which had become unclean and
defiled by its inhabitants. This is alluded to in the duration of the
flood, forty days, and the requirement that a purifying mikva contain at
least forty sa'a (a measure) of water.

                                              (Rabbi Shneur Zalman)

                                *  *  *


And Noach went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives into
the ark (Gen. 7:7)

A person should not content himself with his own entrance into the "ark"
- the holy letters of prayer and of the Torah, but should always seek to
bring others with him as well, not only members of his family but every
fellow Jew. Just as G-d helped Noach by closing the door of the ark
after all were safely inside, so, too, is every Jew assisted by G-d when
he comes to the aid of his fellow man.

                                            (The Lubavitcher Rebbe)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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In a small town not far from Lublin, Poland, there lived a simple but
wealthy Jew. He had a good heart and was always ready to give charity
and to perform mitzvot as best as he knew how.

Once a year Yudel would travel to the Tzadik of Lublin. This one trip
managed to inspire him and carry him through the year. He never made the
trip empty handed; he always brought a large donation for the Tzadik to
distribute to needy Jews.

One year, however, he began to suffer losses in his business. One loss
followed another and soon he was a poor man.

Ashamed to ask anyone for financial help, he took any work he could
find. But despite his best efforts, he barely managed to earn enough
money to feed his family.

The poor man was ashamed to make his annual trip to the Tzadik of Lublin
empty-handed. He stopped making his annual visit and without the
inspiration he became more and more dejected.

One day, as he was standing in the market place hoping to get some work,
the local priest passed by. "I'm sorry to see you in this difficult
situation," the priest said to him. "Not so long ago you were a wealthy
man, and now this...I would like to help you. Come to my house, and I
promise work for you."

The first thought that occurred to Yudel was that he would have nothing
to do with this priest. But as he stood there hour after hour and still
found no work, he decided to accept the priest's invitation.

The priest greeted him warmly. "What a pity you are a Jew," the priest
said. "What good is your Jewish faith if your Jewish G-d has abandoned
you? Come over to my religion, and I promise you a good and easy life."

Yudel agreed to think about it for a few days. He decided that it would
not be so terrible to just pretend to become a Christian, but remain a
Jew; G-d would surely understand.

When Yudel told his wife about what he had in mind, she was horrified.
She advised him to go to the Tzadik of Lublin for advice.

The Tzadik assured him that converting would only make matters worse.
But when Yudel insisted that G-d had indeed abandoned him, the Tzadik
suggested that he call G-d to hearing.

"I will arrange for a Beit-Din (Rabbinic Court) to hear your complaint
and I guarantee you a fair trial."

Yudel agreed and the Tzadik appointed three elderly Jews to be the
Beit-Din.

After the Judges heard all the claims, they asked if Yudel was prepared
to forgive G-d if G-d forgave him. Yudel insisted that he would gladly
forgive G-d if He returned his lost fortune to him.

The Judges than gave the verdict that the Alm-ghty shall restore Yudel's
lost fortune on condition that Yudel repent for his past wrongdoings and
that he should spend some time every day and evening studying Torah.

The verdict was written down, signed, and sealed, and a period of thirty
days was allowed to the parties to carry out the judgment.

He set off to the market place looking for work. Finding none there,
Yudel went to the train station to work as a porter. When the thirtieth
day arrived, Yudel was at his usual post at the train station. He saw a
rich nobleman pushing a huge suitcase out of a train. "Help me with my
suitcase," the rich man called out to Yudel. Yudel helped the man who
hurriedly told him that he had an appointment somewhere. "You wait here
and keep an eye on my suitcase," the nobleman said and disappeared.

Hours passed. Yudel decided to take the suitcase back to his house and
inquire after the owner later.

Yudel somehow managed to heave the heavy suitcase onto his shoulder and
proceed homeward. Just inside his courtyard, the suitcase slid off his
shoulder, burst wide open and spilled gold coins all over the ground.

He hurried back to the station only to find that the mysterious
passenger had not returned. Neither had anyone seen or heard of him. It
dawned on him that maybe G-d had sent him this treasure in fulfillment
of His part of the verdict! Yudel ran off to the Tzadik in Lublin.

"Is there enough gold in the treasure to make you as rich as you were?"
the Tzadik asked.

"At least as rich, if not richer." Yudel assured the Tzadik.

"Then keep it. Enjoy it in good health, and be sure to keep your part of
the verdict of the Beth-Din," the Tzadik told him.

Yudel became a rich man as before and had no more complaints against
G-d. He hoped, too, that G-d had no complaints against him.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
*********************************************************************
There is no explanation why Moshiach's coming is being delayed.
Therefore, even if there is a personal dimension of one's Divine service
that is lacking and that is delaying the Redemption, this does not
diminish the fact that as a whole, our service is complete and we are
ready for the Redemption. Although these particular elements of service
must also be completed, this does not detract from the service of the
Jewish people as a whole. On the contrary, the fact that as a whole, we
are prepared for the Redemption makes it easier for us to complete our
individual service and to do so with happiness.

                  (The Lubavitcher Rebbe, 4 Marcheshvan, 5752-1991)

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                 END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 893 - Noach 5766
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