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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 988
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                           Copyright (c) 2007
                 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 21, 2007     Yom-Kipur         9 Tishrei, 5768
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                          The Lion and the Fox
                          by Yosef Y. Jacobson

It's been a long-standing tradition in Jewish communities the world
over, to employ for the High Holiday services cantors, often accompanied
by choirs, to engage, inspire and entertain the multitudes flocking to
the synagogue.

Especially if the musical presentation is coupled with a rabbi who knows
how to tell a good joke or bring a tear to the eye, it is a hands-down
success story.

A moving parable from the Baal Shem Tov concerning this "cantor" and
"rabbi" phenomenon may be worthwhile for all of us to reflect upon.

Once, long ago, the lion grew furious with all of the other jungle
animals. Since the lion is "the king of animal life," and is most
powerful, his ire evoked deep fright in the animals.

"What should we do?" murmured the animals at an emergency meeting. "If
the lion lets out his fury, we are all finished."

"No worries," came the voice of the fox, known as the wiliest of
animals. "In the reservoirs of my brain are stored 300 stories. When I
present them to the lion, his mood will be transformed."

The animals joyously embarked on a march toward the lion's home, where
the fox would placate him and restore the friendly relationship between
the lion and his subjects.

During the journey, the fox suddenly turned to one of his animal friends
and said, "You know, I forgot 100 of my entertaining stories."

Rumors of the fox's lapse of memory spread immediately. Many animals
were overcome with trepidation, but soon came the calming voice of Mr.
Bear.

"No worries," he said. "Two hundred vignettes of a brilliant fox are
more then enough to get that arrogant lion rolling in laughter and
delight."

A little while later, Mr. Fox suddenly turned to another colleague. "I
have forgotten another 100 of my anecdotes," lamented the fox.

The animals' fear became stronger, but soon came the reassuring voice of
Mr. Deer. "No worries," he proclaimed, "One hundred fox stories will
suffice to capture the imagination of our king."

Moments later, hundreds of thousands of animals were at the lion's den.
The lion rose to his full glory and cast a fierce gaze at his subjects,
sending shivers through their veins.

Expectantly, all of the animals looked up to their bright representative
the fox, to approach the lion and accomplish the great mission of
reconciliation.

At that very moment, the fox turned to the animals and said, "I am
sorry, but I forgot my last 100 stories. I have nothing left to say to
the king."

The animals went into hysteria. "You deceived us completely. What are we
to do now?"

"My job," responded the fox calmly, "was to persuade you to journey from
your own nests to the lion's lair. I have accomplished my mission. You
are here. Now, let each and every one of you discover his own voice and
rehabilitate his personal relationship with the king."

This story, concluded the Baal Shem Tov, illustrates a common problem in
institutionalized religion. We come to the synagogue on Yom Kippur, or
any other time of the year, and we rely on the "foxes" - the cantors and
the rabbis - to serve as our representative to the King of Kings.

Yet, sooner or later, each of us must discover his or her own inner
voice, inner passion and spirit, and speak to G-d using that unique
voice.

The function of cantors and rabbis is to persuade and inspire people to
leave their own self-contained domains and embark on a journey toward
something far more deep and real. But each and every one of us must
ultimately enter the space of G-d alone.

So this Yom Kippur, don't rely on any foxes. Speak to G-d directly. With
your own words, with your own soul.

              Reprinted with permission from The Algemeiner Journal
      (www.algemeiner.com). To subscribe to Rabbi Jacobson's weekly
                                   essay, e-mail YYJacobson@aol.com

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is a day that is entirely dedicated to
returning to G-d in teshuva (repentance). Among the many mitzvot
involved in teshuva is the act of confession, as the Torah states, "You
shall confess your sin." Indeed, this is the basis for the "Al Cheit"
("For the Sin of...") confessional recited on Yom Kippur, which
enumerates the various sins a person may have committed.

In the Jerusalem Talmud, the question of whether or not this generalized
confession is sufficient is debated. Rabbi Yehuda Ben Betaira maintains
that in addition to reciting "Al Cheit," a detailed admission of
personal sins is required. Rabbi Akiva, by contrast, opines that "It is
not necessary to go into detail about one's deeds."

But what exactly is the crux of their argument? As the Tosefot explains,
Rabbi Yehuda's insistence on a detailed account is for the purpose of
arousing a deeper sense of remorse. The more a person is ashamed of his
misdeeds, the deeper his repentance will be. Rabbi Akiva, however, takes
the human factor into consideration, and asserts that if a person's
individualized confession is overheard by others, "he might be suspected
of other sins as well." In other words, the way people think about him
might be negatively affected.

In essence, the argument revolves around where the emphasis should be
placed: on the present, or on the future. When the present is emphasized
- the fact that today is Yom Kippur - it is preferable to enumerate
one's sins in order to achieve a higher level of teshuva. When the
stress is on the future, the determining factor is to avoid any possible
negative repercussions.

On a deeper level, there is another basis for their disagreement. Rabbi
Yehuda views the individual in his present state, as one who is just
beginning to do teshuva and draw closer to G-d. There are two basic
motivations for doing teshuva: an initial stage, in which a person
repents out of a sense of fear, and a higher level, on which the
motivation is love for G-d. When a person enumerates his every little
sin, it produces in him a stronger feeling of fear and awe of G-d.

Rabbi Akiva, however, looks at the larger picture, and anticipates that
the person will eventually reach the higher level. In fact, his entire
approach is to always perceive the hidden good in everything. When a
person repents out of love for G-d, it makes no difference whether the
sin is great or small; for he knows that every sin creates a distance
between himself and G-d, and he will avoid committing even the smallest
transgression.

       Adapted from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Likutei
                                                    Sichot, vol. 24

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                       A Yom Kippur in Greenland
                            by Yehudis Cohen

Long, long ago, in the days before cell phones and instant messaging,
even before beepers, faxes and direct-dial, long-distance, a request
came into the office of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. It was less than a week
until Yom Kippur in 1964 and dozens or even scores of Jewish servicemen
at Thule Air Base in Greenland, had no one to lead services on the
holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

The Jewish agencies responsible to supply chaplains for Jewish members
of the armed forces required several weeks to process requests and work
within government protocol. This request from Thule had simply come in
too late. But how could Jews be left without a rabbi for Yom Kippur?

The Rebbe's secretariat reacted swiftly, contacting government officials
and military officers. They needed all the help they could get to cut
through red-tape and get a rabbi to Thule in the few days left until Yom
Kippur. The Rebbe chose Rabbi Shmuel Lew to be his emissary for this
special mission.

It was Friday afternoon when the Rebbe's office learned that the formal
reservation on the United States Air Force jet leaving for Thule on
Sunday, and the only means of transportation to Greenland before Yom
Kippur, could not be obtained from the Pentagon until the following
Monday.

Another flurry of phone calls reaped results. Saturday night, after
Shabbat, Rabbi Lew received a telegram from Secretary of the Air Force
Eugene Zuckert stating that all normal protocol had been waived for him.
The telegram would serve as his "ticket" on the air force flight. It
also stated that immunization requirements had been waived, security
clearance had been waived, and an excess baggage allowance had been
approved.

Earlier that day, on Shabbat, Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, the Rebbe's
mother, had passed away. The Rebbe stayed in Rebbetzin Chana's hospital
room until evening when members of the holy burial society came. When
Rabbi Hodakov, the Rebbe's senior secretary, came out of the hospital
room, he told another member of the secretariat to inform Rabbi Lew,
"For Shmuel, there is no funeral." Though thousands of Chasidim dropped
everything when they heard the news and were already traveling to New
York to be at the funeral, Rabbi Lew had a mission to accomplish and any
personal desires had to be set aside.

On Sunday, Rabbi Lew traveled to McGuire Air Force Base where he would
take a flight to Thule. In his excess baggage, as per the Rebbe's
suggestion, he had 200 pairs of paper slippers for the Jewish military
personnel, as it is forbidden to wear leather on Yom Kippur. Rabbi Lew
also had with him 200 copies of the Rebbe's Rosh Hashana message, as
well as booklets about Shabbat and tefilin published by Lubavitch in
Danish that he had been told to take.

Rabbi Lew was met at Thule Air Base by the base's chaplain. He was shown
the sizeable chapel where Yom Kippur services would be held, as well as
the closet that contained all of the religious items. Rabbi Lew was
eager to see the condition of the Torah scroll that the Rebbe's office
had been assured was on base. The chaplain brought out of the closet a
small ark and brought it to the front of the chapel. Rabbi Lew opened
the ark and was utterly shocked to see that the Torah scroll inside was
nothing but a child's toy, a paper copy.

"I remember that moment to this day," recalls Rabbi Lew. "It was a
pivotal moment in my life. Tears sprang to my eyes and a half a cry
escaped my lips. I felt so utterly far away from the Rebbe. But in the
next half a second, an invigorating and empowering thought filled my
mind, one that gives me strength in my shlichus (mission) to this day:
Shmuel, the Rebbe has a minyan without you! This is where the Rebbe
wants you to be."

People dropped by to meet Rabbi Lew and get information about the
holiday schedule. They were curious about what Rabbi Lew had brought
with him in the way of supplies and even more curious when he told a few
of them about the booklets in Danish. "There are no Jews here who read
Danish," Rabbi Lew was told emphatically. But Rabbi Lew wasn't surprised
when he found out that the mother-tongue of one of the people who turned
up for services, someone that no one on the base even knew was Jewish,
was Danish.

Rabbi Lew returned to New York on Friday. That Saturday evening, Rabbi
Hodakov asked him why he had not yet submitted a detailed report to the
Rebbe regarding his activties in Thule. Rabbi Lew spent the entire night
writing up an account of his four days in Greenland that he submitted to
the Rebbe the following day, the eve of Sukot.

And on the eve of Sukot, the Rebbe composed a letter of thanks to one of
the people who had taken an interest in the Jewish servicemen at Thule:

    The Honorable Lyndon B. Johnson

    Greeting and Blessing:

    I have been informed of your taking a personal interest in the
    situation of the Jewish personnel at Thule Air Base, who had been
    left without a Jewish Chaplain for Yom Kippur....

    Thanks to the kind cooperation of the honorable John W. McCormack
    and Air Force Secretary Eugene M. Zuckert, permission and all
    facilities were speedily granted to our emissary Rabbi Shumel Lew to
    fly to Thule for Yom Kippur.

    Our emissary has now returned from his spiritual errand, his mission
    successfully accomplished. He praised very highly the courtesy and
    cooperation extended to him both at McGuire and Thule. Rabbi Lew
    particularly emphasized the profound gratitude of the Jewish
    personnel at Thule to you and to all concerned for having remembered
    them in connection with this most solemn day in the Jewish calendar.
    It has given them a great spiritual uplift and a warm feeling of
    "at-homeness" even in that remote, arctic outpost.

    Please be assured of our grateful appreciation.

    With prayerful wishes for your wellbeing

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                             New Emissaries

Rabbi Aharon Dovid and Chava Rivka Backman are joining the dynamic
founder of Chabad at the University of Maryland, Rabbi Eli and Nechama
Backman, as emissaries of the Rebbe in College Park, Maryland. Rabbi
Bentzion and Chani Shemtov will be establishing a new Chabad House in
Chicago, Illinois to serve the needs of the Jewish students and faculty
at University Village (Chicago) and the University of Illinois at
Chicago Campus (UIC). Rabbi Mendy and Dini Avtzon recently moved to
Marina Del Rey, California where they will be focusing on adult
education. Rabbi Levi and Rivky Gansburg moved with their newborn baby
to Toronto, Ontario, where they have established Chabad Lubavitch of
York Mills serving the Jewish community of Bayview - York Mills.

*********************************************************************
                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                     Freely translated and adapted

                      6th of Tishrei, 5750 [1989]
            To the Sons and Daughters of Our People Israel,
                     Everywhere, G-d Bless You All!


Greeting and blessing:

It is customary to "open with a blessing," in this instance, a blessing
for a chasima (sealing) and g'mar chasima (final sealing) for a good and
sweet year.

It is after Rosh Hashana and we have already entered the new year. At
all times, even when a person's knowledge and actual conduct are
satisfactory, he should constantly strive to invest his time in further
study, and thus to improve his conduct (his thought, speech, and
action). Surely this applies at the threshold of a new year, which
reminds us that it is necessary to strive toward a new and more elevated
level of perfection in our daily life.

...Both miracles and nature are expressions of G-dliness. Nature too
emanates from G-d. He created and fixed the laws of nature and uses them
as a means to control the world. What distinguishes miracles from nature
is that miracles are out of the ordinary, a higher order of existence
than G-d usually reveals. The Hebrew word for miracle, "nes," also means
"uplifted," raised above and exalted. Thus, a miracle is an occurrence
which introduces a higher frame of reference into creation, elevating
the world beyond its natural limitations.

These two approaches, the natural and the miraculous, must be reflected
in the behavior of every Jew. We must exhibit both a natural pattern of
behavior and a miraculous pattern of behavior.

Even a Jew's natural pattern of behavior involves absolute adherence to
the directives of the Torah. However, inasmuch as it is his ordinary
conduct, it is limited by the bounds of his human potential.

G-d, however, grants a Jew an additional potential to serve Him through
a miraculous pattern of behavior, allowing him to transcend his natural
limits. This does not mean that a person merely improves himself
slightly or even greatly, in the spirit of the directive that "in holy
matters, one should always ascend higher," by increasing his commitment
to sessions of Torah study, undertaking a new hiddur (enhancement) in
the performance of a mitzvah (commandment), or the like. Rather, it
means that he changes entirely, adopting a totally new and more elevated
pattern of behavior.

"All Jews are presumed to act in an upstanding manner." Thus, we can
assume that each Jew utilized the month of Elul, the month of
stock-taking, to correct all his deeds of the previous year and to
elevate them to the level of completion and perfection.

We can also assume that he was granted a full measure of pardon,
forgiveness, and atone-ment, and was inscribed - and that inscription
was sealed - for a good year in all matters....

It is now demanded of each Jew - man, woman, and child - that he work
with himself and elevate himself to a plane so new and so high that his
conduct in this year will be miraculous when compared to his conduct in
the previous year.

This miraculous pattern of behavior - serving G-d (through Torah,
prayer, and mitzvos) in an unlimited manner - must pervade every aspect
of our conduct, including the mitzvos between man and G-d, the mitzvos
between man and his fellowman, beginning with the mitzvah to "love your
neighbor as yourself," and also the mitzvos that are connected with
non-Jews and with the world at large.

G-d relates to the Jewish people "measure for measure." Accordingly, it
is understood that a miraculous pattern of behavior on the part of a Jew
arouses a miraculous pattern of Divine behavior and draws down unlimited
Divine blessings upon himself, both as an individual and as a part of
the Jewish people as a whole, and upon the world at large.

May each individual's acceptance of firm and powerful resolutions
regarding all the above be considered by G-d as if these resolutions
have already been carried out. In particular, this is true, since we
have already experienced several days of the new year and one can assume
that the above has already begun to be carried out. And may the meaning
of the acronym resulting from the name of this year be fulfilled quite
literally, so that "this will be a year of miracles."

May it also include the most vital miracle, the miracle of the true and
complete redemption led by our righteous Moshiach, when there will be
even greater miracles than those which occurred during the exodus from
Egypt. Thus our Sages interpret the verse, "As in the days of your
exodus from Egypt will I show you wonders" - the miracles of the
Messianic age will be "wonders" when compared to the "days of your
exodus from Egypt."

May G-d fulfill the heartfelt prayer of each Jew and of the Jewish
people as a whole - and bring the true and complete redemption in the
immediate future.

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                                CUSTOMS
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        What and how much is customary to eat on Yom Kippur eve?

On Yom Kippur eve we eat two meals before the fast.  This is based on
our Sages' statement that whoever eats and drinks on the ninth of
Tishrei is considered as if he fasted for two days. It is customary to
eat fish at the first meal, a meal that has more of a festive
atmosphere, though not at the pre-fast meal. At the second meal
preceding the fast, it is customary to eat kreplach, chicken or
vegetable filled squares of dough served in soup.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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Our Sages said that Moshiach will come to a particularly lowly
generation. As to how a generation with such spiritual limitations will
be able to cope with the intense light of the Final Redemption, two
explanations are given: one, when Moshiach comes, everyone will be
aroused to complete repentance, and two, G-d Himself will wipe away all
our sins and spiritual defects, rendering us worthy.

The second explanation is similar to what happens on Yom Kippur, the Day
of Atonement (this Shabbat). As our Sages put it, "the essence of the
day provides atonement." But if doing sins causes a defect in the soul,
how can the fact that it's a certain day on the calendar make everything
all right again?

Chasidut explains that a Jew's connection to G-d exists on many levels.
The outermost level is achieved through observance of Torah and mitzvot.
But the very deepest level of connection is independent of a Jew's
actions. This G-dly spark, known as the level of yechida, makes it
impossible for a Jew to be separated from G-dliness. He can't be
separated, he doesn't want to be separated, and he would even give up
his life to retain that connection if he had to.

This level, also known as the "essence of the soul," is always pure and
holy. A Jew can commit all the sins in the world (G-d forbid) and his
essential connection to G-d remains untouched.

On a day-to-day basis, of course, we're unaware of this. And because the
outer levels of the soul are affected by our bad behavior, repentance is
indeed necessary.

Nonetheless, on Yom Kippur the "essence of the soul" is revealed. Always
perfect and complete, it is so powerful that any defects in the lower
levels of the soul are "automatically" corrected.

Similarly, when Moshiach comes, this essential nature of the Jew will be
uncovered, revealing that we were always connected to G-d with an
eternal bond. May it happen immediately.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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                  Weeping over the Exile on Yom Kippur

Once, on the eve of Yom Kippur, when the tzadik Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael of
Kremenetz was blessing his children, he noticed that one of his grown
daughters was overcome with emotion and began to softly cry. The young
child that she was holding also began to weep.

"Why are you crying?" Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael asked his grandchild.

"My mother is crying, so I am also crying," the child explained.

In shul that evening, before the Kol Nidrei prayer, Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael
related to his congregation what had transpired earlier that day in his
home and what his grandchild had told him. He then burst into tears and
cried out emotionally, "When a child sees his mother weeping, he too
weeps even though he may not understand the reason for his mother's
tears.

"Our mother is also weeping. Our Sages tell us that the Shechina, the
feminine aspect of the Divine Presence - the source of all of the souls
of the Jewish people - 'Keens like a dove and cries: "Woe to My
children, that becasue of their sins I have destroyed My home, set fire
to My sanctuary, and have exiled them among the nations.'"

Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael concluded, "So even if we, her children, have
become desensitized to the pain of exile, at least we should weep
because our mother is weeping!"

                                *  *  *

        You shall afflict your souls [fast] on the ninth day of
                          the month at evening



A question is asked in the Talmud (Yoma 81b): "Why does the Torah state
'on the ninth day,' when we actually fast on the tenth of the month, on
Yom Kippur? To teach that a person who eats and drinks on the ninth [in
preparation for the fast] is considered to have fasted on both the ninth
and the tenth." And why is eating on the day before Yom Kippur deemed so
important? For, eating for the sake of heaven is far more difficult than
fasting for the sake of heaven.

                                                           (Malbim)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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As Yom Kippur approached, Reb David of Michaelov, one of the Baal Shem
Tov's most illustrious Chasidim, would begin his annual journey to the
Baal Shem Tov in Medzhibozh. His sojourn with the Baal Shem Tov, which
would last from Yom Kippur until the end of Sukot, gave Reb David the
spiritual sustenance he needed for the entire year.

One year, Reb David traveled through a small village which had a tiny
Jewish community. They begged Reb David to spend Yom Kippur with them so
they could have a minyan (quorom) for the holy day. Reb David was torn.
He would have liked to agree to their request, but how could he forgo
the exalted experience of Yom Tov with the Baal Shem Tov? No, he simply
couldn't remain.

When Reb David finally arrived in Medzhibozh and entered the Baal Shem
Tov's synagogue he immediately felt a distinct lack of warmth from the
Baal Shem Tov. Try as he might, Reb David couldn't figure out the reason
he was being ignored.

When Sukot drew to a close, the Baal Shem Tov finally explained himself.
"Reb David," he began, "by not remaining in the village over Yom Kippur
you have caused great damage. In that village there was a soul which had
been waiting seventy years for your arrival in order to be redeemed. And
not only did that soul suffer, but your own soul suffered as well, for
your two souls come from the same root source." The Baal Shem Tov
explained that the only way for him to repair the damage would be to go
undergo an indefinite period of wandering.

Reb David asked, "How will I know when the period of exile has ended?"

"You will receive a sign, and it will be clear to you," the Baal Shem
Tov replied.

Reb David was soon on the road. Although he was a well-known figure, he
passed unrecognized through towns and villages. Posing as a "maggid," a
simple preacher, he spent a few days in a location, delivered an
inspiring sermon and then moved on. After two years, Reb David arrived
in the town of Slonim, where he was to deliver his sermon on Shabbat.
However, a renowned preacher arrived that same week, and Reb David's
sermon was postponed.

Both preachers were lodging in the home of the town elder. When the
famous preacher met Reb David, he asked, "And who are you?" to which Reb
David replied, "I am a simple traveling preacher. I was to deliver my
speech this Shabbat, but in deference to you, I will wait until next
week."

"Is that so! Let's hear what you can say right now!" the preacher said
condescendingly. The town elder pressured Reb David as well and he had
no way out. After Reb David made a few short remarks on the weekly
portion, the famous preacher bellowed, "This fellow's an ignoramus!" An
embarrassed silence ensued after which everyone retired to their rooms
for the evening.

The following day, the host was horrified when he realized that all of
the family's valuables had been stolen. Suspicion fell on Reb David as
he was a total stranger, although in truth, the thief was none other
than the "famous" preacher!

That Shabbat, the preacher addressed the crowd with words of rebuke and
chastisement which could shrivel the heart of the most hardened
criminal. When Shabbat ended, Reb David was brought into the shul and
openly accused of the theft. Reb David said nothing to defend himself.
Suddenly a voice was heard coming from outside the shul, saying, "Is Reb
David Michaelov among you?" People ran outside to see who was speaking,
but no one was there. Once more, it was demanded of Reb David that he
admit his guilt. Again, a voice asked, "Is Reb David Michaelov there?"
Still, there was no one outside. Finally the voice shouted: "Reb David,
why don't you answer your accusers?"

At that, Reb David remembered the words of the Baal Shem Tov, and he
knew that his penance had been accepted. Now Reb David movingly
explained to the spellbound assemblage the events of the past few years.
He began with the story of how he had made the mistake of spending Yom
Kippur with his Rebbe rather than with the small Jewish community. He
continued with an inspiring appeal to seize every opportunity to do a
mitzva (commandment). He described how the past two years had served as
a spiritual cleansing and had repaired the damage to his soul and that
of the villager.

Soon, the "preacher" confessed to the theft. The entire community begged
forgiveness of Reb David for wrongly accusing him and he gladly forgave
them.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
*********************************************************************
All of the Prophets prescribed teshuva (repentance, return), and the
Jewish people will be redeemed only through teshuva. The Torah has given
assurance that Israel will do teshuva - at the end of its exile-and will
be redeemed immediately, as it says (Deut. 30): "It will be when all
these things have happened... you will return to G-d... and G-d will
return your captivity and will gather you from among all the nations
where He dispersed you."

                                      (Maimonides, Hilchot Teshuva)

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               END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 988 - Yom-Kipur 5768
*********************************************************************