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                                  B"H
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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 937
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                           Copyright (c) 2006
                 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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        September 15, 2006 Nitzavim-Vayeilech      22 Elul, 5766
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                                 iPods

Do you have an iPod? They're wonderful devices. When they first came out
they revolutionized how we listen to music. Like transistor radios - and
you're old if you remember them - they made music portable and
affordable. Continued success has proven the iPod is not just a fad.

And now we can do more than just listen to music - we can listen to
"podcasts" - the iPod has even coined words! - broadcasts designed to be
downloaded and listened to at one's leisure. And there are even video
iPods, as well.

What's unique about an iPod? Well, in some ways, it's only a
streamlined, more sophisticated version of previous generations of
personal music players. Of course, many of those weren't so personal:
You might remember images of teenagers walking around with the
transistor radio glued to their ears, much as cell phones are today.
Then came the boom-boxes and CD players - but they also "leaked noise."
The walkman, and its derivatives, allowed one to walk or exercise while
listening to whatever. But still, such devices didn't "disappear."

The iPod "disappears." Unless you're switching songs or something, you
can set it to play, hook it to you hip, put it in an arm strap, even
drop the Nano in your pocket - and forget that it's there.

In other words, the iPod has this advantage - or disadvantage, depending
on how we use it: surrounding us with music, the iPod allows us to be in
the world, but not of the world, so to speak. That is, in many ways we
can function normally, as if all our attention was focused on what's
going on around us. But in truth, with the unobtrusive iPod, the
isolating earphones, we can isolate ourselves from the world - or at
least detach ourselves from it.

And in a way that can be a good thing. If we listen to niggunim,
wordless Jewish melodies described as the "pen of the soul," or the
prayerful songs of our people, then, yes, let your eyes see the world,
but envelop yourself in the sounds of our heritage. If we listen to
Torah lectures, stories of our Sages,  - or if we listen to learn,
practicing our prayers or Hebrew - and all of this is available, easily
downloaded onto your iPod, then yes, let what you hear detach you from
the world.

But we can take another lesson from the iPod as well. The very fact that
we can become so absorbed in what we're listening to that, although
aware - even if only peripherally - of the world, we remain detached
from it, indifferent to it, teaches us a lesson in our Divine service.

True, we have to live and function in the world - but where is our
focus? To what do we pay attention? On what do we concentrate?

In this regard, there's a famous story about Rabbi Shalom DovBer, the
fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe. One of his chasidim opened a plant for the
manufacture of galoshes - rubber boots worn in the rain that also
protected shoes from the mud common to 19th century streets. The
chasid's business began to flourish, and soon he spent every waking
moment thinking about it.

Seeing him so engrossed, the Rebbe said to him, "Feet in galoshes I have
seen. But a head...?"

So the next time you "get into" your iPod, make sure you're not putting
your head into galoshes. As the saying goes, it should be immersed in
more worthy pursuits.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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This week we read two Torah portions, Nitzavim and Vayeilech. The first
portion contains a description of the ingathering of exiles to take
place when Moshiach ushers in the Redemption. "Then G-d will restore
your captivity...and will return and gather you from all the nations."
Our Sages comment on the word "and will return - va'shav": "From this we
learn that the G-dly Presence is in exile together with the Jewish
people." G-d will only be redeemed when the entire Jewish nation is
restored, as "He has dictated the terms of His own Redemption - when He
will return with them."

What is so radical about the concept of G-d being in exile together with
the Jews? Had not G-d already promised, back in the days of the
Patriarchs, that He would accompany the Jewish people throughout their
travails - "I will be with you" - "And behold, I am with you"? G-d
specifically stated that He would accompany the Children of Israel
during the Egyptian exile. What then, are we to learn from the above
verse?

The fact that G-d is always with the Jews, even in their exile, implies
two different things. On the one hand, G-d stands above the exile and
its limitations, guarding and protecting His flock, who are likened to
"one sheep among seventy wolves." Yet at the same time, the term "and
will return" reflects the fact that G-d, too, is affected by the exile,
having been banished from His dwelling place in the Holy Temple. G-d
suffers together with the Jewish people and will continue to do so until
G-d and the Jewish people are simultaneously restored to their rightful
place.

Yet this explanation presents a paradox. According to the principle that
"a prisoner cannot free himself from prison," how can G-d, Who is
Himself in exile, bring about the Final Redemption? Our Sages addressed
this problem by explaining that G-d "dictated His own Redemption." Even
before the exile occurred, G-d determined how long it would last and
fixed the date of the Final Redemption for Himself and for the Jewish
people.

Our Sages further explained that, contrary to what one might think, G-d
will not first redeem Himself and then redeem the Jews. "He will return
together with them" - both will occur concurrently. The Divine Presence
is in exile as long as even one Jew remains in exile.

Rashi, the great commentator, continues: "Great and difficult is the day
of the ingathering of the exiles, for it is as if G-d will take every
single Jew by the hand, wherever he may be." The redemption of the
Jewish people is the redemption of the Divine Presence. May we speedily
witness the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the ingathering of the
exiles through Moshiach.

                    Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                        Thanks for the Memories
                            by Rivkah Couch

When I walked into Beth Rivkah Girls High School in Crown Heights,
Brooklyn, on the afternoon of my first day teaching twelfth grade
history, my stomach was in so many knots I could hardly climb up the
stairs. Girls seemed to swarm like honeybees, some finishing lunch on
the run, many clustered together singing, and others clumped together
comparing schedules.

It seemed that every brick and every bit of mortar in that old building
was straining to contain the energy it held inside. Girls continued
streaming in from the front doors, from the cafeteria, from every level
of the school.  I fought through the crowd, trying to smile despite my
nervousness at the countless pairs of curious eyes checking out the new
teacher. Squeezing my way into the office, I found my crisp new punch
card and checked in. The adult faces of the office staff seemed to drown
in the waves of girls in green and white.  I grabbed some sticks of
chalk and set out to find my class.

Each day teaching got easier, though not in a way that might first come
to mind. The work load grew every day, and the hours I spent preparing
stretched later and later. I learned over time what the students needed,
and though I am certain I made mistakes, I struggled to discover what I
had to do in order to assure that every one of the students learned the
material, did well in the class and passed the New York State Regents
exam. Some girls were too hard on themselves; some were not taking
themselves seriously enough.  Some needed to read, others needed to hear
and see.  But what every student needed - in fact, what every human
needs - is to feel that they matter. I put myself totally into the job
and the only reward I expected was for them to pass the "regents." I had
no idea how much more I was to receive.

About three quarters of the way through the year, I became engaged.
After returning from the "Ohel," the resting place of the Lubavitcher
Rebbe, where my fiance and I had asked the Rebbe for his blessing for
our engagement, I began calling every friend and family member in my
phone book. When my roommate, Faiga, went to buy some refreshments in
the local ice cream/candy store, high school girls overheard my name as
the bride in question. Unbeknownst to me, they immediately set to
spreading the word.

I returned to school, unaware that my students knew I had become
engaged. I walked up the stairs on Monday, lesson plans in hand.  A few
of the other teachers smiled knowingly at me, but I kept quiet. When I
walked into class, I found four classes of girls crammed in, the desks
pushed aside, and food and drinks on my desk. The girls burst into song,
screams echoing down the hall. At first I thought about calming them
down - I had lessons, the other teachers had lessons, and we were headed
into the homestretch towards graduation. Every effort was futile, and
with permission from the principal and with the recognition that the
girls were in charge this time, I sat with them in a circle on the floor
and we spent the time singing, laughing, and having much more fun than
we would have had learning about the Kennedy administration.

A word of explanation about my background at this point definitely adds
to this story.  I am a convert from a small town in Ohio and my husband
is a convert as well. Though our families were planning to contribute to
our wedding, the cost of a kosher wedding and setting up a kosher home
is much more than they were able to afford. I had no idea how we were
going to pay for everything, but June was a ways off, and I thought that
by the time of the wedding, those concerns would be put to rest.

One evening, about two months after becoming engaged, a friend begged me
to walk with her to a house near Beth Rivkah. She was nervous about
walking alone at night. As we were walking she told me that she needed
to give something to a friend who was at an engagement party at the
school. I was getting suspicious.  We walked into the cafeteria, and I
was greeted by all four classes of my students, as well as fellow
teachers. Even the principal was in attendance!

I was caught in a swirl of girls. We danced and sang and more friends
and students filtered in. They had set up table after table of food,
much homemade by themselves or their mothers.  They had fundraised and
had contacted charities for brides, and they had gone shopping.
Everything I needed to set up my home was carefully and expertly wrapped
and placed on tables draped with elegant tablecloths. They had even
written a skit in my honor. After the party was over, one of the
students organizers came to me with an envelope. It was the remainder of
the money that they had pulled together but hadn't spent.

There was still another surprise in store for me, though. At my wedding,
after the chupa and the dinner, 110 seniors and a few others girls from
younger grades flooded into the hall, filling the dance floor, lifting
me in a chair, swirling me around, grabbing my shy family and dancing
with them, as well. The girls didn't leave until the band packed up. I
left thinking that I must concentrate on remembering every unforgettable
moment.

I live in Ohio now, with my husband and son. And I still haven't thrown
out my grade book filled with the names of those unforgettable girls.

We live in a time when we are obligated to point out to others the good
things that surround us. All too often, I have heard people complain
about today's young people. I wanted to share the positivity and hope I
experienced at Beth Rivkah High School and to say thank you again to
those involved. As a final note, I did get my original wish - every girl
passed her Regents Exam.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                      60 Days - A Spiritual Guide

A fascinating journey through the powerful two months of Elul and
Tishrei - a 60-day journey toward finding hope, love, fulfillment and
the realization of your deepest aspirations. 60 Days offers spiritual
tools to revitalize and invigorate the high holiday experience both for
those new to the experience and those who have become all-too familiar
with it, for the non-affiliated and the affiliated. Written by Rabbi
Simon Jacobson, author of Toward a Meaningful Life.

                         Hebrew/Russian Machzor

FREE (Friends of Refuges of Eastern Europe) of New York and the SHAMIR
organization in Jerusalem have just released a new edition of the
Hebrew/Russian Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Machzorim.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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              Freely translated from a letter of the Rebbe

There is a unique quality and preeminence of teshuvah [lit. return,
colloquially, repentance] in that it enables a person to rectify
completely all that should have been achieved throughout the past, in
matters of Torah and mitzvoth (commandments) - "with one 'turn' and in
one moment."

On reflection, it can easily be seen that, all things added up, the
world contains more quantity (materiality) than quality (spirituality),
and more by far. Indeed, the more corporeal and gross a thing is, the
greater is the quantity in which it is found. Thus, for example, the
world of inanimate, (inorganic) matter is much greater in volume than
the vegetable kingdom, and the latter is quantitatively greater than the
animal kingdom, which, in turn, surpasses by far, in quantity, the
highest of the four kingdoms, mankind (the "speaking" creature).
Similarly, in the human body: the lowest extremities, the legs are
larger in size than the rest of the body, and the latter is much greater
in bulk than the head, wherein are located the organs of speech and the
senses of smell, hearing and sight, as well as the intellect, etc.,
which animate the entire body and direct all its activities.

On further reflection, a person might also become disheartened, G-d
forbid, wondering how is one to fulfill adequately one's real purpose in
life on this earth, which is, to quote our Sages, "I was created to
serve my Creator" - seeing that most of one's time is necessarily taken
up with materialistic things, such as eating and drinking, sleeping,
earning a livelihood, etc. What with the fact that the earliest years of
a human being, before reaching maturity and knowledgeability, are spent
in an entirely materialistic mode of living.

The answer is, first of all, that even the so-called materialistic
preoccupations of the daily life must not become purely materialistic
and animal-like, for we have to be always mindful of the imperative,
"Let all your doings be for the sake of Heaven," and "Know Him (G-d) in
all your ways."

This means that also in carrying out the activities which are connected
with the physical and material aspects of life (which, as mentioned,
take up the greater part of a person's time), a human being must know
that those material aspects are not an end in themselves, but they are,
and must serve as, the means to attain to the higher, spiritual realm of
life, namely, G-dliness. In this way, he permeates all those
materialistic-physical aspects with spiritual content, and utilizes them
for spiritual purposes. Thus, all these mundane, and in themselves
trivial matters, are elevated to their proper role, perfection and
spirituality.

But in addition to the above, there is also the unique effectiveness of
teshuvah, which has the power to transform - "with one 'turn' and in one
moment" - the whole past - the very materiality of it into spirituality.

Time is, of course, not measured simply by duration, but by its content
in terms of achievement. Thus, in evaluating time there are vast
differences in terms of content, and, hence, in real worth, of a minute,
an hour, etc. Suffice it to mention, by way of example, that one cannot
compare an hour of prayer and outpouring of the soul before G-d with an
hour of sleep. And to use the analogy of coins, there may be coins of
identical size and shape, yet differing in their intrinsic value,
depending upon whether they are made of copper, silver or gold.

With all the opportunities that G-d provides for a person to fill his
time with the highest content, there is the most wonderful gift from
"G-d who does wonders" of the extraordinary quality of teshuva,
transcending all limitations, including the limitations of time, so that
"in one moment" it transforms the whole past, to the degree of absolute
perfection in quality and spirituality.

The Alm-ghty has also ordained especially favorable times for teshuvah,
at the end of each year and the beginning of the new year, together with
the assurance that everyone, man or woman, who  resolves to do teshuvah
- he, or she, can accomplish it "in one moment";

Transforming the quantity of the materiality in the past - into
meritorious quality, spirituality and holiness; and at the same time
preparing for the future, in the coming year and thereafter, in a proper
manner, through Torah and mitzvoth in the everyday life, thereby
elevating himself (or herself) and the environment at large to the
highest possible level of spirituality and holiness, thus making this
material world a fitting abode for G-d, blessed be He.

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                                CUSTOMS
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                       What are Selichot prayers?

Selichot are special "penitential" prayers which we recite in
preparation for Rosh Hashana. The Sefardic custom is to recite them
during the entire month of Elul. According to the Ashkenazic custom,
they are recited beginning on the Saturday preceding Rosh Hashana after
midnight and thereafter each morning until Rosh Hashana.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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This week's Torah portion, which is always read on the Shabbat before
Rosh Hashana, speaks about the mitzva of teshuva - returning to G-d in
repentance. "And you will return to the L-rd your G-d and listen to His
voice and everything He has commanded you this day... with all your
heart and all your might."

What exactly is involved in the mitzva of teshuva, our primary
occupation in these days preceding and including the High Holidays?

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi explains the essential nature of teshuva.
It is not fasting, verbal recital of one's transgressions or tormenting
one's body.

Teshuva is simply returning to G-d through abandonment of sin!

But what, exactly, is abandonment of sin? Rabbi Shneur Zalman explains
this entails resolving in one's heart that he will not return to the
folly of the past - which is actually rebellion against the King of
Kings - and he will never again transgress a command of the King.

According to Rabbi Shneur Zalman, abandonment of the sin goes even a
step further. It means that one must resolve not to transgress any
mitzvot in the future! It means accepting upon oneself the yoke of G-d's
Kingship.

Such a move is necessary because when one transgresses a mitzva he is
actually causing a weakening in two areas: 1) in general he has thrown
off of himself the yoke of Heaven and 2) at the time of his
transgression he has blemished his soul. When one accepts upon oneself
the yoke of heaven, he corrects the general and personal weakness caused
by the sin.

May we all be truly successful during these "Ten Days of Repentance" to
return fully to G-d and may that be the last push needed to have G-d
return us all to the Holy Land and the Third Holy Temple with the
revelation of Moshiach.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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And the L-rd your G-d will restore your captivity and have mercy upon
you (Deut. 30:3)

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai said: How beloved is the nation of Israel unto
G-d, for the Divine Presence accompanies the Jewish people no matter
where their exile leads them. G-d Himself will return together with His
people when He leads them out of the exile with the coming of Moshiach.

                                                            (Zohar)

                                *  *  *


To love the L-rd your G-d...and to cleave unto Him (Deut. 30:20)

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, author of the Tanya, used to say in the
midst of his devotion: "Master of the Universe! I do not want your
Garden of Eden, nor am I interested in the World to Come. I desire only
You alone!"

                                *  *  *


If any of you are dispersed at the outermost parts of heaven, from there
will the L-rd your G-d gather you (Deut. 30:4)

No matter how far a Jew may be from Torah and Judaism, G-d promises to
gather him back into the fold of the Jewish people when Moshiach comes.
When a Jew is spiritually brought back from "the outermost parts of
heaven," it hastens Moshiach's coming and brings the Redemption closer.

                                            (The Lubavitcher Rebbe)

                                *  *  *


See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil (Deut.
30:15)

One should not perform good deeds in order to live; one should live in
order to perform good deeds.

                                   (Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk)

                                *  *  *


And they will say on that day, "Is it not because my G-d is not in the
midst of me" (Deut. 31:17)

This verse does not refer to one who denies that there is a Creator in
the world; rather, it refers to one who believes that G-d exists, but
that "G-d is not in the midst of me." He imagines that G-d exists on so
high a plane that He does not deign to intervene in our puny concerns.
G-d is an active participant in our lives and oversees every detail of
our daily lives. Our behavior should reflect our awareness of this.

                                                (Otzarenu Hayashan)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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Two brothers, Reb Zusia and Reb Elimelech, were great tzadikim and
amongst the most prized disciples of Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of
Mezritch, the main disciple and successor of the Baal Shem Tov. With the
passing of time and difficulty of communication, Reb Zusia and Reb
Elimelech lost contact with a third brother.

The two brothers, throughout their many travels, would ask about their
brother and try to ascertain his whereabouts. They were intrigued to
know what type of lifestyle he was living. Was he religious like
themselves, or had he, G-d forbid, abandoned the teachings of the Torah?
And even if he was religious, was he exacting in his practice, concerned
only for the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law?

And so, in each town and village they visited, as they spread the
teaching of their master, the Maggid, they asked if anyone knew the
whereabouts of their brother. Try as they might, they could not find out
any information. Yet, they still persisted on their self-imposed
mission.

When finally they did hear some information concerning where their
brother lived, Reb Zusia and Reb Elimelech rejoiced. And yet, there was
a certain amount of hesitation in their rejoicing for, after over a
dozen years of separation, they had no idea what their reunion would
bring.

And so, with slight trepidation, the two brothers made their way to a
small village where their brother was an innkeeper. Reb Zusia and Reb
Elimelech entered the inn and observed their brother at work. He was
busy the entire day greeting guests, preparing rooms, and cooking food.
He ran from person to person, task to task, with a cheerful countenance
and dealt with each guest, rich or poor, graciously. With his long
beard, tzitzit, and long black coat, Reb Zusia and Reb Elimelech were
assured that their brother had indeed remained true to the Torah even in
this isolated village.

But still, a question remained unanswered for Reb Zusia and Reb
Elimelech. These two Chasidic masters were known for their humility.
But, of course, humility doesn't preclude the fact that they understood
that there was something special about themselves. They might have
considered themselves undeserving of the remarkable qualities that G-d
gave them, but to outright deny their uniqueness would be like denying a
precious gift. And so, they wondered, was there something exceptional
about their brother, too, and the way he served his Creator?

Evening came at their brother's inn. Most of the guests had already
arrived and the furious activity of the daytime hours had slowed. Reb
Zusia and Reb Elimelech observed as their brother entrusted his wife
with the inn's duties and entered his study. In the study, he prayed the
evening service and then poured over his holy books until it was quite
late.

The brothers were reassured by this sight, but not awed; it was not
uncommon for a Jew to put in a full day's work and then spend his
"leisure" hours in prayer and Torah study. However, their brother's next
activity was indeed unusual. Reb Zusia and Reb Elimelech watched as
their brother began to say the Shema before bedtime. In the middle of
the prayers before retiring, their brother took out a worn ledger and
opened it toward the end of the book.

For long moments he sat motionless, pouring over a page of his ledger.
"How much could be written on one page that it takes him so long to read
it?" they wondered. They continued to watch, transfixed. As the minutes
ticked away, they saw their brother begin to shake. Tears rolled down
his cheeks and onto the page of the ledger in front of him. In a quiet,
trembling voice they heard him read from the ledger, "I didn't serve
this guest today with as much honor as is befitting a fellow-Jew...I was
too quick to answer this person when they asked me a question..." On and
on went the list of their brother's "sins" which he had written into the
tear-stained ledger.

Reb Zusia and Reb Elimelech watched as their brother continued crying
and reading from the ledger until the words on the page literally
disappeared. Whether it was his tears or a miracle that washed away his
"sins," the brother knew that when his sins were no longer on the page,
his sincere repentance had been accepted.

The brothers thought of their parents, and wondered at what great deeds
they had done to merit raising such remarkable children.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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What is the difference between exile and redemption? The "alef," our
consciousness of G-d's presence. All the material dimensions of our
present existence will continue in the Era of the Redemption. Our souls
will be contained within physical bodies, we will derive our nurture
from physical food, and we will live together with gentile neighbors.
All these aspects of material existence, however, will be suffused with
an awareness of G-d.

                                            (The Lubavitcher Rebbe)

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          END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 937 - Nitzavim-Vayeilech 5766
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