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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1023
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                           Copyright (c) 2008
                 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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        June 6, 2008             Nasso             3 Sivan, 5768
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                            Me, Myself and I

Location, location, location. Whether it's real estate, the venue for a
party, or the site of a momentous occasion in one's life, the choice of
location is exceedingly important.

The Midrash relates that G-d chose Mt. Sinai for the giving of the Torah
(commemorated on Shavuot, this year Sunday evening June 8 - Tuesday
evening June 10) because it was "the smallest of all mountains,"
emphasizing the importance of humility. If so, however, one might ask:
Why didn't G-d give the Torah on a plain or in a valley?

Implied is that the choice of a mountain indicates the need for a
certain degree of self-esteem. For both these qualities - humility and
self-esteem - are necessary for our acquisition of Torah.

An individual who is beset with egotism cannot connect with G-d. As the
Talmud states, "[With regard to] any person who possesses haughtiness of
spirit, the Holy One, blessed be He, declares, 'I and he cannot both
dwell in the world.' " In our daily prayers, we express the link between
humility and Torah study by requesting in direct succession, "Let my
soul be as dust to all; open my heart to Your Torah."

Nevertheless, humility alone is insufficient for the acquisition of
Torah. A person who lacks strength of character and self-esteem will be
unable to overcome obstacles that may obstruct his way to the observance
of the Torah.

Humility and pride need not be mutually exclusive. Pride and self-esteem
do not always stem from self-concern, nor are they always the result of
an individual's perception of his personal virtues. A positive
self-image and feelings of self-esteem flow naturally from a healthy
outlook on life. No one needs a reason to feel good about himself. The
very fact that he exists and that G-d created him is reason enough for
one to experience self-worth.

These feelings are enhanced by our awareness of the connection to G-d we
are able to establish through the Torah. The knowledge that we can
fulfill G-d's will through the observance of mitzvos is the greatest
possible source of personal strength.

From this perspective, the qualities of humility and pride may be seen
as complementary. Humility encourages the development of an ever deeper
connection to G-d, which, in turn, increases the above-described mode of
self-esteem.

The feeling of pride produced by a connection to G-d is more powerful
than the feeling generated by the appreciation of one's positive
virtues. Self-centered pride is limited by the finite scope of one's
qualities and can be dampened by a formidable individual or challenge.
The personal strength derived from a commitment to fulfill G-d's will,
by contrast, is reinforced by G-d's infinity. No obstacle is able to
stand in its way.

Shavuot also shares a connection to the culmination of the initiative
begun at the giving of the Torah: the era of the Redemption. Our Sages
compare the giving of the Torah to the forging of the marriage between
G-d and the Jewish people. The era of the Redemption, they explain,
serves as the consummation of that bond.

      From Keeping in Touch by Rabbi E. Touger, published by Sichos
                                                        in English.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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The Torah reading, Nasso, contains the portion of the sota - a wife
whose behavior is indiscreet. A deeper examination of the concept
reveals the symbolism behind the Torah's words, alluding to G-d as
Husband, and the Jews as His wife.

On the verse, "If the wife of any man goes aside," our Sages comment:
"One does not commit a sin unless the 'spirit of folly' has entered
him."

The Hebrew word for "folly" is related to the word that means straying
from the path.

With this statement our Sages sought to explain the seemingly
incomprehensible phenomenon of a Jew who commits a sin.

How can such a contradictory state of affairs occur? Is not every Jew,
by virtue of his G-dly soul, connected to G-d on the very deepest level?
How then can he possibly allow himself to commit a transgression which
separates him from his Source Above?

The answer to this is the "spirit of folly," an outside, external force
that temporarily gains control and obscures the Jew's faith.

Because of this "spirit of folly," the Jew cannot perceive the true
consequence of his actions - the disconnection from G-d that his sin
actually causes. Were he properly aware of this at all times, the Jew
could never bring himself to disobey the commandment of G-d under any
circumstances.

What exactly is this "spirit of folly"?

Nothing but the desire for physical gratification, which causes a
lessening in spiritual perception.

Consequently, a person imagines that nothing will happen if he commits
the sin, and that he will remain just as connected to G-d as he was
before. His desire for gratification blinds him to the fact that even
the tiniest of infractions is detrimental to his bond with G-d.

The reverse side of this principle is that even when a Jew does sin, G-d
forbid, it does not mean that the Jew himself is bad; rather, every Jew
is inherently good, and his innermost desire is to obey G-d's will. It
is the "spirit of folly" that is to blame, an outside factor that is
incongruent with the Jew's true nature.

In the symbolic sense, G-d is referred to as the "Husband" of the Jewish
people.

A Jew who commits a sin is likened to a wife whose indiscreet conduct
arouses the suspicion of her husband.

The sota has not committed a sin with certainty; she has merely behaved
in a manner which raises doubts. And just as the sota is rewarded when
she is found to be innocent - "but if she is pure she shall conceive
seed" - so too does G-d promise that every Jew will ultimately repent
and return to Him, for the Jew's inner essence always remains untouched
by sin.

                   Adapted from Likutei Sichot of the Rebbe, Vol. 2

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                       Hamantaschen for Shavuot?

In 1967, a young Lubavitcher chasid from Australia traveled to New York
to spend Shavuot with the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Brooklyn. He arrived a
few days before the festival, just a short time after the outbreak of
the Six Day War when the Rebbe had inaugurated the campaign to encourage
all Jewish males to wrap tefilin.

Our young Australian decided one day after morning prayers to accompany
some of his peers in the new tefilin campaign. At the last moment,
before entering the waiting car, he decided to duck into the nearby
grocery store to get some food to take along as he hadn't eaten anything
yet that day. He grabbed a random selection of baked goods from the
first shelf he saw, paid for them, and ran to the waiting car.

As they drove, he pulled out his bag to take something to eat and
offered his companions some as well. Suddenly they all burst into
laughter. Among the baked good were hamantaschen! "Hamantaschen now! On
the eve of Shavuot?"

The cakes and cookies disappeared quickly. Only the hamantaschen
remained. How could they possibly still be edible?

After three quarters of an hour they reached their destination: a large
hospital in Manhattan. There, they split into pairs and assigned
themselves different wards to visit. In each one there were many Jews.
They invited each Jewish man to wrap tefilin, and most of them agreed to
do so.

As the end of the time approached, the Australian and his partner went
into one more room, and found that another pair of their friends was
already in the room. In the room were two Jewish men. One of them
accepted the offer of tefilin right away, but the other firmly refused.
He even broke into a rage, exclaiming, "I am as connected to G-d as you
are."

The students tried to calm the elderly man with gentle words, but he
refused to be pacified. Indeed, their words only seemed to make him
angrier. His fierce objection to the idea of performing the mitzva of
tefilin aroused their curiosity. After all, here was a man clearly very
advanced in years, sick in bed in a hospital, with the name of G-d
coming easily to his lips; it didn't make sense that he should refuse so
adamantly to don the tefilin. Even his roommate tried to persuade him to
do it, but he wouldn't listen.

After a while they were ready to give up. Anyway, it was time to leave.
Then one of them addressed the old man again, this time offering him a
piece of fruit. "Here, eat this. At least you will get to recite a
blessing."

The man turned his face to the wall, ignoring them. But then he suddenly
swiveled in their direction and said sarcastically, "Fruit you present
me? Bring me a hamantaschen and then I'll put on your precious tefilin."

They couldn't believe their ears. As if at a signal, three pairs of eyes
swung towards the visitor from Australia. A broad smile stretched across
his face. Gazing fondly at the elderly patient, he replied to him, "If
in order to put on tefilin you require hamantaschen, so okay, we'll get
you some hamantaschen!"

The old man stared back incredulously. "Hamantaschen now? I don't
believe it!"

The other three boys said whatever they could think of to keep the
ornery patient occupied. In the meantime, the Australian had already
zoomed out of the room and was making his way to the hospital's parking
lot.

With a broad smile, the young man took out the little package of
hamantaschen from his bag, the presumably stale Purim pastries that just
a short while ago had been scorned by all.

As he made his way back up the steps he wondered to himself how long a
time had gone by since this elderly Jew had last wrapped tefilin.

Re-entering the room, he went over to the patient's bed and extended to
him the hamantaschen. The old man's eyes filled with tears.
"Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. Hamantaschen after Passover? Right
before Shavuot? Who would have thought...?" He stretched out his hand
and gingerly lifted one to his mouth. One of the yeshiva boys helped him
to say the correct blessing. He closed his eyes and chewed slowly.

After, without a word being said, he rolled up the sleeve of his left
arm to fulfill his side of the deal that, strangely, he himself had
"proposed." When the tefilin were on, he began to cry silently; tears
were streaming down his cheeks. Nor was he the only one - there wasn't a
dry eye in the room.

The young Chasidim drove back to Lubavitch World Headquarters at 770
Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn. They were filled with wonder at the
extraordinary combination of events that had meshed together. The whole
way back in the car they couldn't stop discussing it. Clearly everything
had been arranged directly from heaven!

Before returning to Australia, the young man was able to have a private
audience with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He told the Rebbe the entire story.
(In fact, it is from this Australian chasid, who wishes to remain
anonymous, that we know this story). The Rebbe smiled and replied, "Nu,
if that is what it takes, let someone bring him hamantaschen every day."

           Translated and adapted from Sichat HaShavua by Yrachmiel
      Tilles, co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed,
       and editor of Ascent Quarterly and the AscentOfSafed.com and
                                        KabbalaOnline.org websites.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                               Be There!

Each year on the festival of Shavuot we relive the giving of the Torah
to the Jewish people by G-d at Mount Sinai by hearing the Ten
Commandments read in the synagogue from a Torah scroll. It is a special
mitzva (commandment) for every man, woman and child to be in the
synagogue on Shavuot to hear the Torah reading. This year, the Torah
reading that tells of the giving of the Torah will be read on the first
day of Shavuot, Monday, June 9, in synagogues around the world. Many
Chabad-Lubavitch Centers sponsor "ice cream" parties (in keeping with
the ancient tradition of eating dairy products on Shavuot) for the young
and the young at heart. To find out about the closest Shavuot ice cream
party call your local Chabad-Lubavitch Center.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                           Freely translated

Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5715 [1965]

It is surely unnecessary to elaborate on the close relationship between
the physical and the spiritual, which even modern science has become
convinced of.

Physically, at this time of the year, we find Nature again in full
bloom. After a period of hibernation, it springs back to life with
renewed vigor and vitality, faithfully reproducing the same elements
which characterized the same period a year ago, and two years ago, and
all the way back to the first seasons of the Nature cycle.

In our religious and spiritual life, also, we have the seasons and
festivals which recur year after year, and reproduce the same spiritual
elements which first gave rise to them. Thus, at this time of the year,
with the days of Sefirah connecting the festival of Passover (physical
freedom) with its culmination in Shovuos (spiritual freedom), we can -
if we are sufficiently prepared and attuned to it, relive the
experiences of our ancestors who actually witnessed the Revelation and
accepted the Torah at Sinai. What a long way our ancestors covered in
the course of but 50 days; from the abominations of Egyptian "culture,"
in which moral depravity and polytheism reigned supreme (as recent
archeological discoveries have amply brought to light) to pure
monotheism at Mount Sinai, where the Jew receives the Torah with the
call of Na'aseh v'nishma [we will do and (then) we will understand].
Na'aseh first, i.e. complete surrender of man to G-d.

Through the medium of the Torah, G-d "descends" on Mount Sinai and the
Jew ascends to G-d. The soul is released from all its fetters tying it
down to earthly things, and on the wings of fear of G-d and love of G-d
unites with the Creator in complete communion. It is then that it can
fully appreciate the inner meaning of "I am G-d thy G-d, who brought
thee out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage," and the rest of
the Ten Commandments, till "Thou shalt not covet," i.e. not only refrain
from taking what is not yours, but not even desire it.

This great rise from the abyss of Egypt to the sublime heights of Sinai
was attained by pure and simple faith in G-d, from the day when parents
and children, women and infants, several million souls in all, set out
on the trek through the desert, not dismayed by the irrationality of it,
but simply obeying the Divine call with absolute trust. This won special
Divine favor in the words of the Prophet: "I remember unto thee the
kindness of thy youth, the love of thy betrothal, thy going after Me
into the wilderness." It is this faith that carried the Jews through the
ages, an insignificant physical minority in the midst of a hostile
world, a spot of light threatened by an overwhelming darkness. It is
this absolute faith in G-d that we need nowadays more than ever before.

It is said, the whole sun is reflected in a drop of water. And so the
whole of our nation is reflected in each individual, and what is true of
the nation as a whole is true of the individual.

The core of Jewish vitality and indestructibility is in its pure faith
in G-d; not in some kind of an abstract Deity, hidden somewhere in the
heavenly spheres, who regards this world from a distance; but absolute
faith in a very personal G-d, who is the very life and existence of
everybody; Who permeates where one is, or what one does. Where there is
such faith, there is no room for fear or anxiety, as the Psalmist says,
"I fear no evil, for Thou art with me," with me, indeed, at all times,
not only on Shabbos or Yom Tov, or during prayer or meditation on G-d.
And when one puts his trust in G-d, unconditionally and unreservedly,
one realizes what it means to be really free and full of vigor, for all
one's energy is released in the most constructive way, not only in one's
own behalf, but also in behalf of the environment at large.

The road is not free from obstacles and obstructions, for in the Divine
order of things we are expected to attain our goal by effort; but if we
make a determined effort success is Divinely assured, and the obstacles
and obstructions which at first loom large, dissolve and disappear.

I wish you to tread this road of pure faith in G-d, without being overly
introspective and self-searching, as in the simple illustration of a man
walking: he will walk most steadily and assuredly if he will not be
conscious of his walk and not seek to consciously coordinate the
hundreds of muscles operative in locomotion, or he would not be able to
make his first step.

Wishing you success in all above, and hoping to hear good news from you
and yours,

With the blessing of a happy Yom Tov of Receiving the Torah with inner
joy,

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                                CUSTOMS
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                Why do we stay up all night on Shavuot?

On the day of the Giving of the Torah, instead of arising early to
properly prepare for the momentous event, the Jewish People slept in. To
make amends for this, it is customary to remain awake throughout the
first night of Shavuot. We read the "Tikkun Leil Shavuot," which
contains selections from all areas of the Torah. Others have the custom
of simply studying any topic in Torah throughout the night.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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As Shavuot approaches, we are reminded of the beautiful Midrash which
teaches that the Jewish children of every generation are the reason why
G-d gave us the gift of the Torah:

When G-d asked what assurance the Jewish people were offering that the
Torah would be studied, loved and cherished, the Jewish people offered
our Patriarchs as security. But this was not accepted. We then offered
the Torah scholars as the guarantors. This, too, was not acceptable. It
was only when we offered our children as guarantors that G-d approved
our proposal and gave us the Torah.

On the anniversary of an event, the "spiritual energy" that was infused
by G-d into that event is at its strongest. This is the reason why, for
example, we should do our utmost to celebrate our birthdays properly
each year. This is true, too, concerning every Jewish holiday. Which
means that on Shavuot - the celebration of the Giving of the Torah - the
spiritual energy that was invested into that day over 3,000 years ago is
at its strongest.

What is the special spiritual energy of Shavuot and how can we benefit
from it? It was on Shavuot that our ancestors proclaimed, "We will do
and then we will learn." So this is the time when we recommit ourselves
to the actual performance of mitzvot - even if we haven't yet learned or
don't yet understand their reasons.

Shavuot is also the time when the spiritual energy of our children,
being the guarantors for the Torah, is at its strongest. This is the
time when we must renew our commitment to providing our children with a
proper Jewish upbringing and education as well as facilitating the
proper Jewish education of all Jewish children, wherever they may be.

We can begin doing both of the above by going to the synagogue this
Shavuot to hear the reading of the Ten Commandments and by bringing
along with us Jewish children of all ages - children in age, children at
heart, or children in Jewish knowledge. Be there, and be a part of a
3,000-year-old unbroken chain of Jewish commitment and pride.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, "Thus shall you bless the children
of Israel" (Num. 6:23)

The portion of the Priestly Blessing follows the discussion of the
Nazarite in the Torah. Why? To teach us that just as the Nazirite
abstains from wine, so must the priest abstain before blessing the
Jewish people.

                                                   (Talmud, Taanit)

                                *  *  *


Why do kohanim (priests)  raise their hands when blessing the Jewish
people? Our Sages taught that while giving blessings is both proper and
appropriate, when someone is in need it is not enough. It is essential
that we also "raise our hands" and do something to actually help the
person in need.

                                *  *  *


This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon... their
charge shall be supervised by Itamar, son of Aaron the priest (Num.
4:28)

The name "Gershon" is derived from the word meaning "to expel," alluding
to the expulsion of evil. "Itamar" is related to the word for speech,
alluding to words of Torah. The juxtaposition of the two names teaches
that speaking words of Torah severs evil from good and expels it.

                                                      (Ohr HaTorah)

                                *  *  *

                                Shavuot


Two Shavuot - Two Promises

The word Shavuot, along with meaning "weeks," for it is the holiday that
comes after counting the omer for seven weeks, also means oaths. On this
holiday two promises were made. First, G-d promised that He would not
exchange the Jewish people for any other. Second, we promised that we
would not exchange G-d for another.

                                             (Book of Our Heritage)

                                *  *  *


A Time to Eat and Rejoice

Passover and Sukkot, which commemorate physical events, may be
celebrated in a purely spiritual manner, while Shavuot, which celebrates
a spiritual event, must be celebrated in both a spiritual and physical
manner. This is to teach us that at the time G-d gave us the Torah, the
entire physical world was affected, and holiness permeated every corner
of the world.

                                                   (Likutei Sichot)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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When the second Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Dov Ber (known as the "Mitteler
Rebbe") passed away, there were three prospective successors.

Though all three were immensely qualified for the leadership of the
Chabad movement, all three unanimously declined the importuning of the
Chasidim. These three were: Reb Chaim Avraham, the brother of Rabbi Dov
Ber and youngest son of Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of Chabad
Chasidism, Reb Menachem Nachum, the Mitteler Rebbe's son, and the
Tzemach Tzedek, the son of Rabbi Shneur Zalman's eldest daughter.

As time passed, the pressure among the Chasidim to find a successor
escalated, though it seemed that no solution was in sight. Finally,
despairing of a solution being found, two of the Chasidim declared, "It
is impossible to be without a Rebbe!" They decided to travel to Ruzhin
with the intention of accepting the Ruzhiner Rebbe as their Rebbe.

The Ruzhiner Rebbe, Reb Yisrael, was the grandson of the Mezritcher
Maggid, and so highly thought of for his enormous piety that he was
called the "Holy Ruzhiner."

These two Chasidim travelled to Ruzhin for Shavuot. As was the custom
there, (as well as among many other Chasidim) the Ruzhiner distributed
shirayim - food from his table - to his Chasidim. It was Yom Tov and the
Ruzhiner began to distribute wine from his own cup to each of the
Chasidim. The two Chabad Chasidim also wanted to participate and receive
wine from the Ruzhiner and they proffered their cups for the "cup of
blessing."

The Ruzhiner, however, refused them, saying, "If you want some wine, you
may take it yourself, but I will not give it to you."

The two were very surprised and protested, "Why won't you give it to us,
after all we have come here in order to accept you as our Rebbe?"

Upon hearing those words, the Ruzhiner sat down at the table and began
to deliver a deep Chasidic discourse based on the theme, "The Giving of
the Torah began, not at Mount Sinai, but at the burning bush."

He explained in great depth that when G-d gave Moses the task of taking
the Children of Israel out of Egypt, G-d told Moses to "tell the Jews
that I have remembered you and want to take you out of Egypt."

Moses' reaction was strange. He replied that he was afraid the Jews
would ask him what is G-d's name. To this G-d replied, "Tell them My
Name is, 'I will be what I will be.' "

The Ruzhiner posed the question, "Why did Moses ask this question of
G-d? For Moses did know G-d's name as he had been handed down a
tradition that it was spelled Yud-Kei-Vav-Kei*! And why did G-d answer,
'I will be what I will be.'"

The Ruzhiner elucidated the point through the use of numerical
equivalents which are often used to explicate texts. He explained that
the numerical equivalent of Yud-Kei-Vav-Kei is 26, while that of the
words "I will be what I will be" equals 441 which is "emet" - truth. G-d
desired that Moses be able to reveal to the Jews the truth.

"The word 'emet'," continued the Ruzhiner, "is also an acronym for,
"Torat Menachem Emet" ["the Torah of Menachem is truth"].

When the two Chabad Chasidim heard these words being spoken by the Holy
Ruzhiner, they realized that he was intimating that they should return
home to the city of Lubavitch and that the Tzemach Tzedek, whose name
was Menachem Mendel, should become Rebbe.

Upon arriving in Lubavitch two weeks later, the Tzemach Tzedek had
already acquiesced. The returning Chasidim repeated to their fellows the
discourse they had heard from the mouth of the Holy Ruzhiner in regard
to the word "emet," intimating that the Tzemach Tzedek should be the
Rebbe.

The Chasidim recalled with amazement that the Tzemach Tzedek had
delivered the same discourse that very same Shavuot, but when he reached
the part which identified the acronym of emet with his name, Menachem,
he merely hesitated and smiled to himself. Now, they all understood why
he had smiled.

*) The Hebrew letter "hei" has been represented by "kei" here because of
the prohibition of pronouncing G-d's name.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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If a king arises from the House of David who meditates on the Torah and
occupies himself with the commandments like his ancestor David, in
accordance with the written and oral Torah, and he will prevail upon all
of Israel to walk in [the ways of the Torah] and strengthen its
breaches, and he will fight the battles of G-d - it may be assumed that
he is Moshiach.

                          (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah Laws of Kings)

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                END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1023 - Nasso 5768
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