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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 946
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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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        November 24, 2006        Toldos           3 Kislev, 5767
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                               Insurance

Homeowner's, Life, Auto, Health, Disability, Flood or Disaster - it
seems we insure every aspect of life. And while there have been horror
stories of insurance companies that take your premiums but won't pay
benefits, or give you a hard time when you try to collect, we also know
what it's like to get a huge hospital bill or need an expensive car
repair, and find, to our relief, that it's covered by insurance.

Insurance works on two basic principles: protection against unforeseen
disasters or extraordinary expenses, and sharing the risk.

Theoretically, we could insure ourselves: Put aside part of the
paycheck, invest it, and have it ready in case of an emergency. Some
emergencies, though, cost more than we'd be able to save over time.

We buy insurance because we don't know the future. You could say that
insurance is like gambling, but in reverse. You're putting down, say,
ten percent, and you could get a hundred. Of course, mostly with
insurance we want to lose the gamble: we don't want to have to collect
on our homeowner's, for instance, because that means our house has been
damaged. We could gamble that either we can beat the odds, and nothing
will happen, or at least, within the odds - most houses don't have their
roofs blown off - and not the exception. But who wants to take that
risk?

Which leads to the second principle of insurance: sharing the risk.
Insurance lives off of statistics: given a hundred drivers, for
instance, statistics pretty much guarantee five will have accidents.
(We're making up the numbers, of course, just for illustration.) But
statistics can't tell us which five. So if we're in the group, we share
the risk. If we're lucky, we're not one of the five and we've paid a
small price, also helping someone in need. And if we're one of the
unlucky ones, we can rest easy knowing we've got a financial support
network.

Judaism has its own insurance policies - spiritual insurance policies.
They too operate on the same principles: protection against unknown
problems, and sharing the risk.

We confront the possibility of spiritual emergencies, in all our
interactions with the world. We need spiritual insurance policies, so to
speak, to help keep us focused on the real reason why we must involve
ourselves in "temporal matters" - to transform them, elevate them into
the realm of holiness.

Fortunately, we have such insurance. Quoting Maimonides, at the end of
the laws of mezuza: "Our Sages have said that one who has tefilin on his
arm and head, tzitzit (fringes) on his garment and mezuzot on his
doorways, can be assured that he will not sin, because he has many
reminders."

These, then, are our spiritual insurance policies. And particularly
effective is mezuza, as Maimonides explains: "... this mitzva is a
constant obligation that includes everyone. Every time a person enters
and leaves, he is confronted with the unity of G-d, the name of the
Almighty, and he remembers his love for Him. He awakens from his slumber
and his involvement in the vanity of temporal matters and realizes that
nothing has eternal existence but the knowledge of G-d. He then
immediately returns to the path of righteousness."

And that, dear friends, is our spiritual insurance. And that is why
every door in the house (that is obligated to have a mezuza) , and even
the door to our office, should have a mezuza. It's a great investment.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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This week's Torah portion, Toldot, describes the life and times of our
Patriarch Isaac. The Talmud tells us that in the Messianic Era, Isaac
will be referred to as "our father," implying that it is Isaac from
among all our forefathers who has a special connection to the Messianic
Era. As we now stand at the threshold of the coming of Moshiach and the
ultimate Redemption of the Jewish people, it is important to understand
what exactly Isaac's path and service mean for us.

Isaac was the only one of our Patriarchs who lived his entire life
within the boundaries of the land of Israel. Abraham was born outside of
Israel and also left Israel to go to Egypt when a famine threatened.
Jacob, too, went to Charan, where he worked for Laban for many years.
However, when there was another famine in the Land during Isaac's
lifetime, G-d commanded him to stay where he was and not to seek food
elsewhere. "Do not go down to Egypt, but dwell in this land...and I will
bless you." This is because after having shown his willingness to be
sacrificed on the altar by his father Abraham, Isaac was considered a
"perfect offering," too holy to dwell anywhere but in the Holy Land.

Isaac, therefore, symbolizes the Jewish people as they were meant to be,
and as they will exist in the Messianic Era, their rightful place being
in their land and not in exile in the four corners of the earth. During
our present exile, we are like "children who have been banished from
their father's table." We must therefore continue to demand that G-d
send the redeemer now, so that we will be able to emulate Isaac and live
a full life of Torah and mitzvot in our own land, as we were meant to.

Isaac's approach to the service of G-d is also especially applicable to
us today. Even though Isaac continued in his father Abraham's path of
spreading the belief in G-d throughout the world, he did so in a
different manner from his father: Abraham wandered from place to place,
including Egypt, spreading G-dliness wherever he went. Isaac, on the
other hand, always remained in the same place, in Israel, yet others
flocked to him because they were attracted by his holiness. In this way
Isaac was able to influence others.

For the most part, the Jewish people have followed Abraham's example
during their long exile, wandering from country to country and causing
G-d's name to be called on wherever they went. After Moshiach comes,
however, we will follow in Isaac's footsteps, as G-d's holiness and
light will emanate from the Third Holy Temple in Jerusalem. And at that
time, as happened in the days of Isaac, all the nations of the world
will likewise flock to Jerusalem, as it states, "And all nations shall
flow unto it...for the Torah shall go forth out of Zion."

We must, in the meantime, combine aspects of both these approaches,
refining our own personal spirituality, yet at the same time, not
neglecting to spread holiness throughout the world at large.

                      Adapted from a talk of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                              Steady Hands
                         by Rabbi Tuvia Bolton

An elderly Jew appeared at the Chabad House of Ben Gurion Airport in
Israel. He stepped up to the counter and when he was asked if he would
like a cup of coffee, he answered that he would, but only if it was full
to the brim.

The Chasidim standing behind the counter agreed to his request and
filled the cup to the point that the slightest quiver would cause it to
spill. Then, to their amazement, the elderly man lifted the cup without
spilling a drop and drank it.

Upon finishing, the man smiled proudly and said: "I did that to show you
how great your Rebbe is!" He explained, "Years ago I was the rabbi of a
large synagogue in New York. We had a daily minyan, classes, a women's
auxiliary, and a  mikva for women, as well. But like many shuls, the
older people either died or moved away. The board of directors began
hinting that they wanted to sell out but I was against it.

"There were people who were still coming to the shul on a regular basis
to pray and for classes and, in addition, women were still using the
mikva. One day, the woman who was in charge of the mikva told me that
almost every evening the Lubavitcher Rebbe would call her up, ask her
how she was feeling and encourage her work.

"This continued for several months until one evening when I was in the
middle of teaching a Talmud class in the shul. The woman in charge of
the mikva burst into the room and shouted almost hysterically that
someone had put a large lock on the mikva door!

"I understood that it must have been the directors trying to discourage
women from coming but I didn't know what to do.

"I don't know what possessed me, but I ran to my car, found a tool, ran
back to the shul and started hacking away at that lock. About a half
hour later I managed to break open the lock and the women were able to
enter.

"The next day the mikva lady told me that the Rebbe called her the
previous night and when she told him what I had done he said, 'Blessed
be the hands that broke off that lock.'

"That is what I wanted to show you," the rabbi concluded. "Today I am
over 91 years old and my hands are steady because of that blessing."

                                       From www.ohrtmimim.org/Torah

                                *  *  *

                           An Unopened Letter
        by Rabbi L. Y. Ginsberg (as heard from Rabbi Y. Reitzes)


Over 20 years ago a businessman was offered a business deal that could
earn him a hefty profit but he had to invest a lot of money. He was
unsure whether to go ahead with it and decided to consult with some
friends.

Among his friends was a Lubavitcher chasid, who told him to write to the
Rebbe and ask for his advice. The man wrote to the Rebbe, described his
dilemma and asked the Rebbe what to do. He waited several weeks for an
answer but received no response. Finally, after much hesitation, he
decided to go ahead with the deal. It went as planned and the man
prospered tremendously. One day, this man went home and found a letter
from the Rebbe in his mailbox. He figured as follows: When I needed him
and his advice the Rebbe wasn't there for me and now that I have become
wealthy he wants to be in touch with me!

The man did not even open the letter but stuffed it into a drawer and
forgot about it...

The man's wife gave birth to a daughter. Twenty years passed. When the
daughter was old enough to get married, she became acquainted with a man
from a Sephardic family and they decided to marry. Her father was from
an illustrious Ashkenazi family and he absolutely forbade the marriage.
The daughter would not break off with the young man for she saw no
reason to forgo her happiness because of family background.

The father informed his daughter that if she married against his wishes
he would cut his ties with her. The daughter insisted that although she
loved her father and didn't want to be the cause of any unhappiness, it
was her life and she refused to be dictated to, even by her father.

The father was completely consumed by this family problem. One day, he
went through a drawer of his desk and was surprised to come across a
sealed letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe that had been written 21 years
before! He remembered what it was about and decided to finally open the
letter to see what the Rebbe had written to him. First the Rebbe wrote a
blessing for success and that he should use the money properly and for
Yiddishe nachas (Jewish pleasure) from his children. At the end of the
letter, the Rebbe wrote as a postscript: "It is known that we are not so
particular about pedigree when the fear of Heaven is as it should be and
there have been many weddings between Ashkenazim and Sephardim and thank
G-d they were successful and they built an everlasting edifice on the
foundations of Torah and mitzvot.

To say that the man was dumbfounded would be an understatement.
"Twenty-one years ago the Rebbe saw what would happen now and back then
he wrote to me not to make myself and my family miserable!?" he thought
to himself. He knew he would be doing the right thing if he gave his
consent to this marriage. Needless to say, the happy father rushed to
appease his daughter and his son-in-law-to-be. The wedding was held with
much joy to everyone's delight.

                                        From Beis Moshiach Magazine

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                          The Gutnick Haftaros

For the first time in English, commentaries from the Lubavitcher Rebbe
on the full Shabbat and Yom Tov Haftorah cycle. Includes a synopsis of
each Haftorah, which makes the storyline clear at first glance.

                     Words to Hear with Your Heart

Words to Hear with Your Heart is the record of a spiritual saga. Let
beloved author and speaker Sarah Karmely lead you along her life's path.
Relive a miracle in Milan, come face to face with the transcendent
Lubavitcher Rebbe and experience the magic and wonder of a life
reinvigorated and a life's mission taking flight. Along the way, you'll
meet a cast of characters as grand as life itself. You'll find oases of
raw spiritual power in the unlikeliest places, from the streets of
sophisticated Manhattan to seedy Bangkok backstreets, and from the West
Coast to the Western Wall. You'll cheer for women renovating their
relationships in the most unusually effective manner. This is the power
of Words to Hear with Your Heart.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                      13 Menachem Av, 5712 [1952]

Greetings and Blessings!

It pained me to be told that you are still downhearted, and I understand
that this is also the spirit in your home.

I have no desire to become involved in a lengthy discussion as to
whether the claims that have been made are justified or not. Obviously
it takes no great effort to understand why your spirits are as they are,
after the calamity that took place (May no one know of such things!).

Nevertheless, Jews in general, being believers, and chassidim in
particular, should cleave to G-d, our L-rd, steadfastly and overtly - as
it is written, "And you who cleave to G-d, your L-rd, are all alive
today."

Now, being truly alive means not merely pushing through one day after
another. Being truly alive means that one's life should lack nothing of
whatever you and your wife need materially and spiritually. However, it
can happen (G-d forbid) that perhaps one does not deserve to receive
such blessings from the Holy One, blessed be He. Concerning such a
situation it is written in the holy Zohar: "If, from down here below, a
person shows a luminous countenance, in the same way does a luminous
Countenance shine upon him from Above [...]. In this spirit it is
written, 'Serve G-d with joy': the joy of a mortal elicits upon himself
another, Supernal joy. Similarly the world below, being thus crowned,
draws down [blessings upon itself] from Above."

In brief: When one fortifies his trust that G-d will provide reasons to
make him happy, in good spirits, and cheerful, and when one is so strong
in this trust that it influences his daily life, he thereby draws down
[these reasons for being happy] from Above. Moreover, even one's fleshly
eyes can then see that the trust was vindicated.

May G-d grant that you and your wife and all your family should witness
this, palpably, as soon as possible.

Looking forward to good news,

                                *  *  *

                       3 Menachem Av, 5714 [1954]


Greetings and Blessings!

This letter is a response to the undated letter in which you write that
though you are pleased that you moved to [...], at the moment your
salary does not quite suffice to meet your needs, and this is affecting
your mood.

This is most surprising. After having palpably witnessed G-d's kindness
toward you, do you really not have enough faith in His absolutely
certain ability to guide you with His acts of lovingkindness in the
future, too, and to free you from your straits? And even if, for reasons
not understood by us, this is delayed, it is only the Creator of the
universe, Who knows the future and Who knows what is truly good, that is
able to decide in what manner - the manner that is best for a man and
his household - He should bring them to their true happiness both
materially and spiritually.

If the above applies even with regard to people whose present situation
is less positive than it was previously, and also less positive by
comparison with their environment and their acquaintances, how much more
obviously does it apply with regard to people whose situation has
improved from what it was. And in these difficult months, your situation
is certainly better than that of quite a number of people around you,
who nevertheless are not despairing, G-d forbid. Most certainly,
therefore, neither you nor your wife ought to be dispirited or saddened,
G-d forbid. We have seen it proved in practice that the greater a man's
trust, and the more he looks toward his future with joy, the faster do
these things materialize on a practical level.

I hope that you will soon gladden me with good news concerning all of
the above, both in relation to yourself and in relation to your wife.

With blessings,

     From In Good Hands, translated by Rabbi Uri Kaploun, published
                                               by Sichos In English

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                                CUSTOMS
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   Why must dishes and utensils used for food be immersed in a mikva?

Before dishes and utensils can be used in the kosher kitchen they must
acquire an additional measure of holiness which is conferred through the
ritual immersion in a mikva. Even if a dish, pot, etc. was never used
and is therefore "kosher," it must still be immersed.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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Fifteen years ago, on Rosh Chodesh Kislev and the following Shabbat, the
Rebbe spoke about how "All the days of your life should be directed
toward bringing the era of Moshiach." Every waking moment of a person's
life, the Rebbe stated - indeed, even during the time he sleeps, for he
is alive then as well - must be devoted to this goal. This should
include not only his conscious activities (thought, speech and deed),
but also his every essence. In other words, the very core of a Jew's
being must be focused on bringing about the Final Redemption.

In this context, the Rebbe explained what it means to "breathe the air
of Moshiach." The essence of a person's life is reflected in his
breathing processes. In fact, the Hebrew word for breath, "neshima,"
shares the same letters with the Hebrew word for soul, "neshama." The
service that is necessary at present, the Rebbe explained, is to connect
the core of our being to the core of Moshiach. This will ultimately
awaken a pattern of conduct that will permeate every dimension of our
being.

In practical terms, this means having a concern for the fundamental
existence of every Jew, and providing our fellow Jews with the required
necessities to celebrate the holidays of the month of Kislev with
happiness and joy. Additionally, every Jew should also have the means to
fulfill the custom of giving Chanuka gelt (money) to the members of his
household.

As the Rebbe concluded, these activities will bring about the advent of
the ultimate Redemption in this month, which is also called "the month
of redemption." At that time, we will merit to see not only the essence
of Moshiach, but also the revelation of Moshiach in the world at large,
when Moshiach will "perfect the entire world, [motivating all the
nations] to serve G-d together, as it is written, 'I will make the
peoples pure of speech, so that they will all call upon the name of G-d
and serve Him with one purpose.' "

May it happen immediately.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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The one people shall be stronger than the other people (Gen. 25:23)

As Rashi comments, "When one rises, the other shall fall." Jacob and
Esau are symbolic of the struggle between the G-dly soul and the animal
soul. When a Jew's G-dly soul is strengthened and "rises up," he does
not have to fight his Evil Inclination in a direct manner. Rather, the
animal soul automatically "falls" in its presence, in the same way that
darkness is automatically dispelled in the presence of light.

                                                 (Sefer HaMaamarim)

                                *  *  *


And these are the generations of Isaac...and the first came out...and
they called his name Esau (Gen. 25:19;25)

Esau is symbolic of the forces of evil and impurity, which were created
for the purpose of the Jew transforming them into goodness and light.
(In fact, it is due to this inner, positive reason that the Torah refers
to Esau as "the generations of Isaac.") The Hebrew name Isaac is related
to the word for laughter. When "Esau" is successfully changed into good,
G-d "laughs," as it were, and derives great pleasure from the
transformation.

                                            (Sefer HaMaamarim 5738)

                                *  *  *


And after that came forth his brother, his hand holding on to Esau's
heel (Gen. 25:26)

Esau, symbolic of the animal soul and the evil inclination, was born
first, as chronologically, a person possesses an evil inclination for a
long time before he has a good one. (The good inclination is acquired
upon Bar/Bat Mitzva.) Jacob symbolizes the Jew's G-dly soul and his good
inclination. The Divine service of Jacob thus consists of keeping his
hand on Esau's "heel," as the true reason the G-dly soul descends into
this world is to achieve the correction of the animal soul.

                                                   (Likutei Sichot)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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All his life, the rabbi had longed for one thing only: to live in the
holy land of Israel. There was no doubt in his mind that the time had
now come to move to the Holy Land. Of course, just how he would manage
it wasn't so clear, but G-d would surely help. The rabbi was sure that a
trip to obtain the blessing of the great tzadik Reb Meir of Premishlan
would facilitate his plans, and so the rabbi packed a bag and started
off by foot.

When he finally arrived in Premishlan and was led into Reb Meir's study,
the tzadik asked, "How will you raise the money for the journey?"

"Well," the rabbi began, "I have many relatives, and I am sure that when
I explain the situation to them, they will be generous enough to help
me."

Reb Meir didn't respond, but he appeared to be lost in thought. Finally,
he said, "It would take many months to accumulate so much money - months
which would be better spent devoted to Torah study. There is a different
way. Remain here and you will obtain all the money you need for your
journey and to set up your household." Needless to say, the rabbi
readily agreed.

When the meeting ended, Reb Meir didn't dismiss his visitor as was
usual. Instead, he had the next petitioner admitted to his study while
the rabbi was still there. This man was a very wealthy person, and when
he entered, Reb Meir said, "I would like to tell you a story, but I want
the rabbi to listen as well for it will contain meaning for both of you.

"There was once a man named Moshe, who was very rich, but was a cruel
and selfish person. Although G-d had provided him with great riches, he
was the stingiest person you would ever have the misfortune to meet.
Whenever a poor man came to his door asking for food or money, he would
throw a veritable tantrum, screaming and cursing the hapless beggar.
'What do think this is?' he would thunder, 'a charity institution? Get
out of here before I break every bone in your body!' And that beggar
would be directed to the home of Moshe's neighbor, Reb Matisyahu. Now,
this neighbor was not wealthy, far from it. But he had a kind and
generous nature and never refused a fellow Jew in need.

"This scene occurred many times over the years, and Reb Matisyahu never
failed to rise to the occasion. You might think that Moshe's reputation
had gone as low as possible, but you would be wrong. For, since he was a
very rich man, there were always those who sang his praises in order to
ingratiate themselves with him - maybe there would be some gain in it
for them.

"Reb Matisyahu's interminable kindnesses went unnoticed; after all, he
was a nice guy and people expected him to be kind. The inequality of the
situation may not have drawn notice down here, but in Heaven, it
provoked the angelic host to fury. It was decided that Moshe's great
wealth should go instead to Reb Matisyahu. The sentence was about to be
carried out, when Elijah the Prophet spoke up. 'It's not right for a
person to be judged on hearsay. I propose to go down to earth and test
Moshe. Perhaps he isn't as cruel as we have heard.'

"This proposition was accepted, and soon an emaciated Elijah stood at
the door of Moshe, knocking and begging for help. Moshe's reaction was
the same as usual. First he berated the beggar for coming, and then he
threw him outside into the bitter cold night. Elijah didn't give up so
easily, though. He knocked again and with tears streaming down his face,
he begged for a bit of food, a drop of warmth. But all to no avail, and
the prophet realized that Moshe had forfeited his chance. The tears
which continued to stream down his face were being shed for Moshe's lost
soul."

The rabbi and the rich guest listened with rapt attention to the story,
and as Reb Meir paused for a moment, they looked at him anxiously,
wanting to hear the conclusion of the story. "When I heard about the
terrible verdict that had been pronounced against Moshe, I felt very
sorry for him. How could a man be condemned without fair warning, I
thought. And so, I took it upon myself to provide Moshe with one last
chance to redeem himself. If Moshe would provide the money necessary for
the rabbi's move to the Holy Land, then he would be worthy of
redemption. But, if, G-d forbid, he lost this one last opportunity, his
soul would be lost. He would lose his fortune and be condemned to wander
for the rest of his days, at the mercy of everyone he would meet."

Then, Reb Meir turned and his eyes met the terror-stricken eyes of the
very Moshe of his story, but just for a split second, for Moshe fell to
the floor in a dead faint. When he came to, he tearfully said to Reb
Meir, "You are so right about me, and yet you have given me another
chance to live and redeem my soul. He reached into his pocket and took
out a heavy purse which he offered to the rabbi.

"Here, please take this, and when you reach the holy city of Jerusalem,
please pray for me," said Moshe through his flowing tears.

The rabbi and his family were soon in Israel, living the fulfillment of
their dreams. And Moshe completely turned his life around. In fact,
every beggar or traveler who passed through his village was directed to
his home, which was a comfortable haven for them all until the end of
his days.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
*********************************************************************
When Moshiach comes there will be a trial to determine who is to arise
at the Resurrection of the Dead. Presiding over this trial will be
Moshiach. However, unlike an ordinary judge, "not according to the sight
of his eyes will he judge, nor will he rebuke according to the hearing
of his ears." Rather, he will see and feel the factors that caused the
sinner to transgress. He will weigh and consider the bleak life that
Jews have lived in exile. He will intercede on their behalf and seek out
their merits, pointing out that they did not want to sin: they were
unable to overcome their Evil Inclination.

                                                  (Likutei Diburim)

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                END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 946 - Toldos 5767
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