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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1246
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                           Copyright (c) 2012
                 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 16, 2012        Toldos           2 Kislev, 5773
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                            Hurricane Sandy

In the wake of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy, we present
this article penned by Rabbi Simon Jacobson as its furious winds were
thrashing New York and surrounding areas.

While caution is in order for protection from any potential damage at
the hands of  a Hurricane, let us not forget that everything carries
deeper messages.

Winds in general and especially strong winds are powerful reminders of
forces beyond our control. And like any formidable force, they can
either wreak havoc or bring us opportunities.

When was the first powerful wind? The second verse in the Torah reads:
"The Divine wind hovered over the face of the water." The Midrash says
that the Divine wind (or spirit), "ruach" in Hebrew, refers to the
spirit of Moshiach.

The second time ruach is used in the Torah is equally fascinating: After
Adam and Eve sinned by eating from the Tree of Knowledge, "They heard
G-d's voice moving about in the garden with the wind of the day. The man
and his wife hid themselves from G-d among the trees of the garden. G-d
called to the man, and He said, 'Where are you?'"

In the "wind of the day," the Divine voice called out: "Where are you?"
Where is your soul - your windy spirit?

This is similar to the story of Jonah: "G-d cast a mighty wind into the
sea, and there was a mighty tempest, and the ship threatened to break
up. The sailors were frightened, and each one cried out to his god...
Jonah went down to the ship's hold, lay down, and fell asleep.

"The captain approached him and said to him, 'Why do you sleep? Get up,
call out to your G-d, perhaps G-d will think about us, and we will not
perish'."

The storm subsided only after Jonah declared that the tempest came
because he was fleeing his Divine calling.

Jonah's immortal words ring true today as they did then - and as they
did for Adam and Eve who were trying to hide from their Divine calling
as well: "For I know that, because of me, this mighty tempest is upon
you."

To be clear, we don't blame natural disasters on anyone; yet we are
sensitive to events around us - especially those disrupting millions of
lives - and we try to derive personal lessons in our lives.

I learned one such powerful lesson from a colleague in New York, who
teaches a weekly Monday night Torah class. The class was during the
height of the storm. Everyone assumed the class was cancelled but just
to make sure a few regulars texted my friend.

My colleague texted back: "If Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Titus, Stalin,
and Hitler didn't stop us from enduring as Jews, surely Sandy won't stop
us! The class is on!"

As you can imagine, everyone attended the class. (For the record, they
all lived nearby and did not place themselves at risk to join the
class). As the winds roared outdoors, they learned Torah like they never
learned before...

With one short text my friend taught me what I believe is a priceless
lesson for us all: When it comes to our eternal values nothing can stop
us.

And the credit goes to Hurricane Sandy. Were it not for her raging
winds, my friend and those who attended the class would not have
discovered and appreciated the depth of their inner winds (spirits) and
commitment.

What lessons will we learn from Sandy? Are they howling out to us with
the eternal question asked to Adam and to every human being: "Where are
you?"

Or are they conveying Jonah's enduring words: "For I know that, because
of me, this mighty tempest is upon you." Are they waking us up, crying
out to us, as the captain did to Jonah: Why do you sleep?

Are they a harbinger of the wind and spirit of a global revolution in
spiritual consciousness (i.e. Moshiach)? And will we absorb the lessons
and create a spiritual storm of our own, that will bring fresh winds of
growth in our own lives?

Will we then join together and sweep across the universe with a new wind
of divine awareness, that will finally usher in the "wind (spirit) of
Moshiach"  - a world filled with divine wisdom as the waters cover the
earth?

              Reprinted with permission from www.meaningfullife.com

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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In this week's Torah portion, Toldot, we read of our Matriarch Rebecca's
barrenness; the subsequent birth of her and Isaac's twin sons, Esau and
Jacob; the twins' growth into adulthood; and the blessing of the
firstborn which Isaac bestows upon Jacob.

Isaac became blind in his old age, as it states in this week's portion:
"And it came to pass, when Isaac was old, and his eyes were too dim to
see." Isaac remained sightless for many years, unable to even leave his
home because of his infirmity. One explanation offered by Rashi (the
foremost Torah commentator) for Isaac's blindness is that he lost his
sight "so that Jacob could receive the blessings."

Isaac did not know that his son Esau was an evil person; thus when he
grew old he wanted to bless him. G-d, however, knew that Esau was
unworthy and that the blessings should go to Jacob. What did He do? He
caused Isaac to become blind, allowing Jacob to come to him in stealth
and receive the blessings that were intended for Esau. Had Isaac been
sighted he would have been able to distinguish between his sons, and
Esau would have ended up the recipient of his blessings.

A question is raised: Why was it necessary for Isaac to suffer for so
many years just to ensure that Jacob received the blessings? Couldn't
G-d have arranged for Jacob to receive the blessings in another manner?
Indeed, Isaac knew that Esau was not as virtuous as his brother; he
realized that "the name of heaven" was not usually on Esau's lips.
Surely G-d could have simply told him that Esau was an evil person;
Jacob could then have received the blessings without Isaac's becoming
blind. Why didn't G-d simply reveal the truth to Isaac?

The answer has to do with G-d's reluctance to speak lashon hara
(slander), even against as evil an individual as Esau. Despite the fact
that Esau was evil, G-d refrained from saying so outright. The Torah
thus emphasizes the degree to which we must avoid committing this
transgression.

If G-d could restrain Himself from speaking lashon hara against Esau,
how much more so must we be careful to avoid speaking lashon hara about
any Jew! For every Jew, in his heart of hearts, is good.

By emulating G-d's ways and being careful in what we say, we fulfill the
mitzva (commandment) of safeguarding our tongue.

             Adapted for Maayan Chai from Likutei Sichot, Volume 15

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                           A Barn and a Dream
                      by Rabbi Raphael Jaworowski

According to his own description, Mr. Abe G. is not a very spiritual
person. Although he was raised in an Orthodox home, as the years passed
he steadily moved away from religious observance.

As an adult, Abe immerses himself in business and science, does not
trust emotions, and meets any suggestion of the "supernatural" with the
utmost skepticism. While he and his wife identify as Jews and attend
family functions, they do not allocate any regular time, effort or funds
to Jewish study or practice.

Naturally then, when Abe's family purchased a new (second) home in the
countryside, they did not entertain any thoughts of affixing mezuzot to
the door posts. But the mystifying events that unfolded less than a
month ago gave Abe and his wife a new perspective on religion in general
and on the mitzva (commandment) of mezuza in particular.

As Abe relates, one of the items on his "to-do" list was to spray
insecticide on a bee-hive that was nestled up high in the eaves of the
new home's barn. Unfortunately, this task required Abe to climb onto the
rotting wooden boards of the barn's unsafe second-story deck. Despite
planning and executing his movements with great caution, Abe's first
step out of the barn's second floor on to the deck was met with the
sound of horrible groaning, creaking, and shrieking. With his entire
weight resting on the ailing structure, Abe was horrified to see the
deck's rotten wood and tortured metal inexorably twisting and tearing
further and further away from the barn's support wall.

"This is it," Abe thought. In another moment the deck, with him on it,
would crash to the ground, resulting in untold pain, injury, or even
death, G-d forbid. But as the entire deck disengaged completely from the
wall and began to plummet towards the ground below, its precipitous
plunge was abruptly and inexplicably interrupted.

Instinctively, Abe launched himself backwards, and somehow managed to
scramble safely (if rather ungracefully) inside the barn's second floor
doorway. After counting his limbs and collecting his wits, Abe safely
exited the barn. Looking 15 feet up towards the sky, he was astounded to
see that the source of his highly improbable salvation was an open
chain-link gate that had gotten in the way of the deck's fall. The
incredible spectacle of the gate's flimsy metal hinges and top bar
propping up the imposing weight of a huge wooden deck (measuring 50 x 20
feet!) was simply astonishing.

But Abe's sense of wonderment was compounded even further as he realized
how unusual it was for the gate to be in its current open position at
all, as the section of land behind the gate was hardly ever used. But as
marvelous as it was, Abe's story was not at all complete.

After suffering a very near-miss, Abe and his wife were pleased to be
able to return to their old home that evening, sad about losing a deck
but extremely thankful to remain intact in life and limb. They tried to
have as normal an evening as possible, walking the dogs, eating dinner,
and preparing for work the next day. Now that the events of the day were
behind them, life would go on as normal - or so they thought.

That night however, Abe had a very vivid and memorable dream, in which
he envisioned himself hanging mezuzot in his home. The dream was
completely unexpected, and impacted him greatly. "I can't explain it,"
Abe says. "Of course, I remember mezuzot from my childhood. And I still
see them on occasion when visiting my mother's home or attending the
synagogue for a wedding or bar-mitzva. But I had not recently read,
heard, or spoken about mezuzot. Prior to this dream I cannot even recall
the last conscious thought I gave to the topic of mezuzot or their
somewhat mysterious reputation for protecting a home and its occupants.
Yet, after all this time, and following a near-catastrophic experience
with our new home, that very evening I dreamed of mezuzot."

By nature, Abe is a skeptic, and certainly doesn't believe in dream
interpretation. In this case however, no interpretation was needed.
There he was, hanging mezuzot in his home; plain as day, albeit while
sleeping at night. Following his brush with disaster and subsequent
dream, Abe decided that the time had come to affix mezuzot to his homes.
But he knew that if he was going to take the plunge for mezuzot, he
wanted them to be kosher.

After searching the internet he discovered the Chicago Mitzvah Campaign
and called Rabbi Aron Wolf, the organization's founder and director.
Although the rabbi promised to bring Abe enough mezuzot for his two
homes the very next day, Abe felt that his newfound spiritual awakening
was pushing him to do something Jewish even more immediately. He right
away searched for and put on his tefilin, which had previously lain
dormant in a closet for two decades.

While he has chosen to share his story with the public, Abe does not
claim to have made any conclusive judgments. "I have no explanation for
what happened," he says. "I have no ulterior motives, and I have no
desire to convert you to any belief. And although I assure you that I
relay my story without exaggeration, frankly I sometimes find it hard to
believe myself."

Nevertheless, Abe's new inspiration has driven him to take further steps
in his relationship with Judaism. Nowadays, he keeps his tefilin out on
top of his desk, and remembers to put them on periodically. And when he
goes out of town, he takes along a special "religious bag" containing a
kipa and tefilin, a prayer book and a Tanach (Bible).

            Reprinted from the Chicago Mitzvah Campaign newsletter.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                             Clarification

Concerning the Slice of Life article of L'Chaim #1243, it should be
clear that the Chabad movement welcomes every Jew regardless of
affiliation or level of observance. While it does not require full
observance as a prerequisite to participating in its programs, Chabad
inspires, teaches and works with each individual to reach a full level
of  commitment to observe all of G-d's commandments and the study of
Torah "For they are our life and the length of our days."

                             New Emissaries

Rabbi Yaakov and Chaya Wilansky will be moving soon to Roslyn Heights,
New York  where they will be directing the Friendship Circle and Teen
Programming at Chabad of Roslyn.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                      11 MarCheshvan, 5722 [1961]

... in connection with your writing that your children had been
attending a Hebrew Day School, but that you took them out from there and
have engaged a private teacher instead. I need hardly point out to you
that Jewish education is not confined to the acquisition of a certain
level of knowledge and information about Jewish life, but rather that
the child should be brought up within such a life and within an
atmosphere which is permeated with this kind of life. This is something
that a private teacher cannot replace by teaching just a number of hours
a week.

Besides, when the Hebrew lesson comes after the boy has spent most of
the day in public school, where he is given tests and homework, the
Hebrew lesson cannot have the same importance in the mind of the boy as
the public school, not to mention other factors such as the effect of
classroom, discipline, community with other children, etc., etc. All
this relegates the Hebrew lesson to a third or fourth place in
importance, so that it often comes to be regarded altogether as an
unnecessary burden.

                                *  *  *

                      12 MarCheshvan, 5722 [1961]


... I believe that during our conversation we touched upon the subject
that, as the Torah has always been called Toras Chaim, the Law of Life,
and has always been both the source of our life and existence as well as
the guide in our daily life, it is infinitely more so in the present day
and age. The danger to Jewish life and existence in the free countries,
especially in these United States, is not the danger of physical
extermination, G-d forbid, from another Hitler or Eichman, but there is,
nevertheless, a danger which is no less destructive, the danger of
assimilation.

Precisely because there is no external antagonism and discrimination
against the Jews, especially on the middle and lower class level
(although in the upper classes, the tendency towards assimilation is
checked by prejudice), the danger of mass assimilation is a very real
one.

In addition, such factors as compulsory education and social and
economic pressures of conformity, etc., coupled with the widespread
ignorance of Jewish values, greatly increase the danger of assimilation
from one generation to the next. If allowed to continue unchecked, who
knows to what it might lead.

It is, therefore, the duty of every conscious and conscientious Jew to
do everything possible to stem the tide of assimilation, and it is truly
a matter of saving a life.

It is self-evident that such an effort should not be limited to the
adult and older generation, but especially in regard to the younger
generation, and the very young in particular. And needless to say, a
person on whom Divine Providence has bestowed special capacities for
influence, is especially duty-bound to use these capacities in the
direction outlined.

This is not the time to engage in theoretic research as into all the
aspects of the situation, and postpone action pending the results of
such research. For, when a house is on fire, there is no time to study
the laws of combustion and methods of fire extinguishing, but everything
must be done to extinguish the fire before the house is destroyed, with
possible loss of life.

... Similarly, you have the capacity to extend your influence beyond
your immediate surroundings at home, to the community at large. This you
can do both in a direct way and perhaps even more so in an indirect way,
by raising the standards of your religious and spiritual living.

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                               WHO'S WHO
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Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Halevi Edeles, known as the Maharsha, was born in
Posen in the 16th century. He became renown as a brilliant scholar at an
early age, and was chosen as a son-in-law by Rabbi Moshe Ashkenazi. His
in-laws founded a yeshiva and placed it under his leadership. His
mother-in-law, Edel, supported the students and he took on the last name
Edeles in appreciation. His commentary on the Talmud has become so
popular, that it is printed in all the standard editions of the Talmud,
and is regarded as a "must" for all Talmud scholars. He passed away on 5
Kislev, 1631.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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This week (on Thursday) we began the new month of Kislev, the third
month of the Jewish calendar. Is there a special connection between the
beginning of the new month ("Rosh Chodesh") and specifically this month
of Kislev?

In a talk, the Lubavitcher Rebbe pointed out a unique connection. Rosh
Chodesh represents the renewal of the moon. This renewal does not occur
unearned, but comes about through its previously carried out service of
self-diminution.

As the Rebbe explained, this is alluded to in our Sages' statement that
G-d told the moon, "Go and make yourself small." Why did G-d have to say
"Go," rather than just "Make yourself small"? To emphasize that in order
to "go," to make genuine progress and rise to a level that is completely
above those already achieved, it is necessary to "make yourself small."

This same idea is alluded to in the book of Samuel: "Tomorrow is the new
moon, and you shall be taken notice of because your seat will be empty."
This implies that the path to receiving "special attention" is
self-diminution, "making one's place empty."

Symbolically, this corresponds to the service of the soul in the
physical world. Although the process itself involves descent and
self-diminution, it ultimately generates the potential for the soul to
reach previously unattainable heights, had the soul remained on the
spiritual level.

Moreover, the name Kislev represents a fusion of opposites. "Kis" refers
to a state of concealment, whereas "lev" (lamed-vav) is symbolic of the
ultimate in revelation. (Lamed-vav, numerically equivalent to 36, six
times six, represents the highest level of revelation of our six
emotional powers.)

Kislev is also called "the month of redemption." May the coming month
truly be a time of thanksgiving and redemption for the entire Jewish
people, with the coming of Moshiach and the Final Redemption.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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And he called his name Jacob (Gen. 25:26)

When Jacob was born, the singular verb "he called" is used; by Esau's
birth, the Torah states, "and they called his name Esau." This alludes
to the fact that the paths of evil are many, but there is only one truth
in the world - the truth of Torah. Throughout his life Esau was
surrounded by many sympathizers and friends. Jacob, however, was
supported only by the tiny number of rare individuals who appreciated
his worth.

                                                        (Kli Yakar)

                                *  *  *


And his hand was holding onto Esau's heel (Gen. 25:26)

The Hebrew word for "heel" - ekev - is related to the word "ikveta" -
literally "footsteps," the End of Days, when the "footsteps" of Moshiach
will usher in the Era of Redemption. At that time, the verse, "and his
hand was holding onto Esau's heel" will find its ultimate fulfillment,
and the final victory will belong to the Jewish people.

                                                 (Asefat Chachamim)

                                *  *  *


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)

                                *  *  *


He moved on from there and dug another well, and they did not fight over
it. He called it Rechovot (lit. "spacious") saying, "Now G-d has made
room for us" (Gen. 26:22)

The three wells Isaac dug are symbolic of the three Holy Temples. These
are the wells of "living waters" which give us our spiritual life. The
first well Isaac dug proved to be a source of strife, just as the first
Temple was destroyed in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. The second Holy
Temple, like Isaac's second well, was also eventually destroyed, by
Titus and his armies. But the third well remained, just as the Third
Holy Temple which we eagerly await, will be eternal.

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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At his grandson's circumcision celebration, the great Chasidic master,
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (1740-1810), recounted the following
episode:

"This morning I arose very early to prepare myself to perform the brit
mila (circumcision) of my dear grandchild. At daybreak I opened the
window and saw a penetrating darkness in the heavens. As I wondered
about the blackness before my eyes, it was made known to me that this
very day a prince of Israel, the holy Tzadik (righteous person), Rabbi
Moshe Yehuda Leib Sassov, had passed away.

"As I mourned for that master of Israel, I heard a voice cry out: 'Make
way for Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Leib!'

"When Rabbi Moshe entered the celestial realms, the Tzadikim and
Chasidim formed a joyous circle around him. Suddenly, he heard a voice
reaching from one end of the world to the other. Intrigued, he began
following it until he found himself at the gates of Gehinnom
(Purgatory).

"Without waiting for permission, Rabbi Moshe entered Gehinnom. The
guards saw him walking back and forth as if looking for somebody. They
were certain that he had come there by mistake and they politely asked
him to ascend to his proper place in Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden).

"Rabbi Moshe said nothing. The guards repeated their request, but he
remained silent and did not move. They didn't know whether to drive him
out or permit him to remain. They decided to confer with the Heavenly
Court, but even it was puzzled. Never had a Tzadik descended into
Gehinnom of his own desire. Rabbi Moshe was summoned before the Throne
of Glory where he made his request known.

"Rabbi Moshe began, 'Master of the World, You know how great is the
mitzva (commandment) of redeeming captives. I have occupied myself with
this mitzva my entire life, and I have never differentiated between
wicked captives and righteous captives. All were equally beloved by me,
and I had no peace until I had succeeded in freeing them. Now that I
have entered the World of Truth, I find that there are many captives
here, too. I wish to fulfill this mitzva here, as well.

"'I will not leave Gehinnom until I have fulfilled this mitzva. So dear
are Your commandments to me that I have observed them no matter what the
place or time or penalty might be. If I cannot bring these wretched
souls to freedom, I would rather remain with them in the fires of
Gehinnom than to sit with the righteous and bask in the light of the
Divine Presence!'

"Rabbi Moshe's words flew before the Throne of Glory, and the Holy One,
Blessed be He, uttered the decision: 'Great are the Tzadikim who are
ready to relinquish their share in the Gan Eden for the sake of others.
Because this mitzva is so noble, let it be calculated how many people
Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Leib redeemed during his lifetime, both they and
their children, and their children's children until the end of time.
That number he may redeem here, also.'

"The Book of Records was immediately brought, opened and read. The names
of all those who had been redeemed by Rabbi Moshe were counted and their
children and their children's children. The final figure arrived at was
60,000 souls from Gehinnom to Gan Eden.

"Rabbi Moshe began to walk through Gehinnom, looking into countless pits
and caves where he found souls who had suffered for a long time. One by
one he gathered them and when he was finished, he found their number to
be exactly 60,000. Column after column emerged from Gehinnom, marching
with them at their head, until they arrived at Gan Eden.

"When all 60,000 souls had entered, the gates were closed."

After recounting this story, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak named his little
grandson Moshe Yehuda Leib and blessed him to grow up to emulate the
holy Tzadik, Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Leib of Sassov.

        From The Crown of Creation, by Chana Weisberg, published by
                                                       Mosaic Press

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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Isaac intended to reveal to Esau the day Moshiach would come, in the
hope that it would cause him to leave his evil ways. At that very moment
G-d hid it from Isaac and said, "In the future I will conceal this
information from Jacob's sons because they aren't deserving, and I
should let it be known to this wicked man, Esau?"

                                                 (Sefer HaParshiot)

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                END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1246 - Toldos 5773
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