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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1266
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                           Copyright (c) 2013
                 Lubavitch Youth Organization - L.Y.O.
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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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        April 12, 2013       Sazria-Metzora        2 Iyyar, 5773
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                           Weeding the Garden

With the arrival of spring, the thoughts of many turn to gardening. For
those who have the talent and the perception, gardening does indeed
evoke a time of innocence, a youthful obliviousness to the demands and
distractions of an acquisitive and material world. To borrow a pun,
gardening provides an opportunity for the most jaded, the most obdurate,
the most detached - that is, the driven, go-getters devoted to buying,
selling, achieving climbing, moving, shaking, etc - it gives them a
chance to get back to their roots.

You can't impose your will on a garden. It just won't work. For one
thing, there are too many variables. Soil conditions, weather
conditions, insect conditions - even for a small garden too many
conditions exist for the weekend warrior to combat. Rather, the
successful gardener listens, planting according to subtle aesthetic
variables. How much space do the petunias need? Will the violets thrive
so close to the house? Will tomatoes attract too many insects?

Of course, one of the most vital gardening tasks is weeding. Weeding
involves uprooting the undesirable. To weed properly requires insight,
fortitude and discernment. Weeds disguise themselves, masking as grass
and even flowers. One must be able to recognize a weed, be able to
distinguish between a flower and a fake. And one must not only have the
courage to dig deep - for weeds are unfortunately deeply rooted, one
must also be willing to examine the garden again and again. A gardener
must be as tenacious and persistent as a weed. Though rooted out once, a
weed will come back, or try to, year after year. Weeding is not a
one-time task, but requires a constant vigilance.

And without weeding, the beauty, the harmony, in a sense the very
purpose of a garden - creation of tranquility, meaning and order - will
be, if not destroyed, marred.

Each year in the spring of the Jewish people, we do some spiritual
weeding as we prepare for the blossoming of our spiritual garden, that
is, receiving the Torah. What are our weeds? What are the spiritual
impediments to the mitzvot - the Torah's commandments? What acts, words
or thoughts dissemble, interfere with our gardening?

Our Sages tell us to use the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot to do
some spiritual gardening, to weed out the negative character traits that
interfere with our zealous attachment to and zealous fulfillment of the
mitzvot. We know that our mitzvot, our Divine service, harmonizes the
world, reveals the G-dliness within, prepares the world for the
perfection of the days of Moshiach.

Our negative character traits are the weeds and must be uprooted.

The emotional attributes are seven in nature - lovingkindness,
discipline, compassion, endurance, humility, bonding and nobility. As
each of the seven is further composed of all seven, there are forty-nine
fundamental combinations. Each day of the forty-nine days, as we count
the Omer, count from Redemption to Torah, we focus on refining and
elevating one of the attributes.

It is a yearly task, for the negative aspects of our character are
deeply rooted, often resprouting in different forms. Fortunately,
though, our Sages gave us a "spade" with which to dig -Pirkei Avot - the
Ethics of the Fathers. Reading a chapter a week on Shabbat afternoon,
during the six weeks between the end of Passover and Shavuot, is like
"weeding the garden."

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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This week we read two Torah portion, Tazria and Metzora. Metzora
continues with Tazria's discussion of spiritual purity and impurity.
Although not applicable today, after the destruction of the Holy Temple,
the specific instructions how to purify ourselves after becoming
spiritually impure will once again be followed when the third Holy
Temple will be established, after the coming of Moshiach.

The first form of impurity to be dealt with is the plague of leprosy, a
disease which was visited upon an individual because of the sin of
slander. This leprosy bore no resemblance to the modern-day affliction
with the same name, but was a Divine punishment sent to make an
individual aware of his transgression and afford him the opportunity to
repent. This leprosy could affect the person's skin, or even spread to
his garments, his furnishings, or the walls of his house. The only
authority qualified to determine whether or not a suspicious spot was
indeed leprosy was a priest, who then bore the responsibility of
effecting the leper's purification, by following the procedure outlined
in the Torah.

Once the determination that a person was leprous was made, the
individual was sent outside the camp of the Children of Israel, and made
to dwell in absolute seclusion for seven days. After rending his
garments, he was forbidden to cut his hair or wash his clothes, much
like a person in mourning, until the leprosy was healed. Only the priest
could pronounce the leprosy cured. The Torah then details the
appropriate sacrifices which were to be brought, and the proper way of
offering them. Only after the leper did this and immersed himself in a
mikva was he allowed to rejoin the rest of society.

The leprosy which affected a garment took the form of either a red or a
green spot. If, after two weeks, the leprosy persisted, even after the
garment was laundered, it had to be burned. When the plague appeared on
the walls of a house, the entire household had to be emptied of its
vessels. If the leprosy did not disappear after a certain time, as
determined by the priest, the stones of the house had to be removed, and
the wall itself dismantled. In the most extreme cases, if the plague
persisted, the entire house had to be destroyed. All these regulations
pertained only to houses in the Land of Israel.

The affliction of leprosy followed a certain progression. Appearing
first on the person's skin, it spread to his garments, vessels and house
only if he did not repent of his misdeeds. G-d thereby granted the
individual the opportunity to begin with a clean slate after each step,
and only sent the next stage of the plague if he persisted in his evil
ways.

                   Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                      To Battle with Your Enemies
                        by Rabbi Itche Gasnburg

                 From the diary of Rabbi Gansburg o.b.m

Let us look back a little to the time of the Six Day War, that took
place in 1967. The war was a pre-emptive strike by Israel fought against
Egypt (who had been planning an attack), Jordan and Syria, with the
support of Iraq (and the Soviet Union). With the help of Heaven and with
wondrous miracles, the war ended within six days, having begun on the
5th of June and ending on June 10th. It was the triumph of the few
against the many. At its conclusion, Israel had conquered the great
expanses of the Sinai Desert, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, the Golan
Heights, and East Jerusalem.

It was in the last few days before the war. There was a great tension
constantly in the air. The whole country was in turmoil. The soldiers
had been mobilized. I, meantime, kept up my work of travelling around
the country speaking about Judaism and Chasidism, with programs called
"Erev Chabad" (an "Evening with Chabad") taking place in the
agricultural communities.

A journalist by the name of Dan Raviv knew me from when we were
recording the program "Yom Bayishuv," and he liked my style of speaking.
He held an appointment in the Army as Cultural Officer. In the days
before the war he came to me with the request that I should also speak
for the soldiers. So it happened that I addressed a number of groups of
soldiers, up to and including the night before the outbreak of the war.

Mr. Raviv asked that I should come to speak for a group of soldiers in
the late night hours of Monday 27 Iyar (June 4), and that I should bring
along several more Lubavitchers. At the appointed time, a military
vehicle came to pick me up, together with several colleagues, Rabbis
Tzvi Greenwald, Chaim Rifkin. Yisrael Naparstak, Meir Friedman, and
others. They drove us to a Kibbutz in the South, near Kiryat Malachi.

In the dark of night they lead us into a pitch black wooded area. Rabbi
Greenwald spoke first for several minutes. Then the jeep drove up onto a
mound about three feet high. That was like the "Speaker's Platform." It
was completely dark all around. You could hardly make out the trees.
They asked me to climb up onto the jeep. It was as if the words were
descending from Heaven on an unseen audience. I began with the words of
the Biblical verse that the Kohanim (Priests) were to deliver to armies
of old that were about to enter battle, "Hear O Israel! You are drawing
close today to do battle with your enemies. Do not fear and do not
tremble, let your heart not be weak."

My talk lasted about half an hour, and I delivered it with all my heart.
I wanted to encourage the soldiers, to infuse them with belief and
trust, and to lift their spirits. When I finished I got down into the
jeep, and we continued to a military tent that had been erected close
by. There we met Lieutenant General Motti Gur, the Commander of the
Paratrooper Brigade. I was told that it was his brigade that I had
addressed. The evening came to an end and we agreed that the next night
I would speak for a different group of soldiers.

When Mr. Raviv called me the next day, it was to tell me that our plans
for me to give over words of inspiration to more groups of soldiers had
been cancelled. War had broken out.  Three days later the Jewish nation
found out that the Paratrooper Brigade, led by Motti Gur, had conquered
the Western Wall and the Temple Mount. Those were the same young
paratroopers who had heard my words in that totally dark woodland.

A few days after the war, General Gur invited me and my family to be
among the first to tour the newly recaptured Western Wall. Shortly
thereafter I was among those who were involved in setting up a Tefilin
Stand at the Wall that exists until today.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                        Chasidic Heritage Series

Two new works in the Chasidic Heritage Series brings the series to 30
volumes. Each book features an extensive introduction and summary, a
vowelized Hebrew text facing the translation, footnotes and commentary
and source references for further study. The first is Faith and
Knowledge, a translation of a discourse delivered more than 200 years
ago by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad and author
of the Tanya and Shulchan Aruch Harav. The second is All for the Sake of
Heaven, a translation of a discourse by the fifth Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom
DovBer Schneersohn. Published by Kehot Publication Society.

                           What Did Pinny Do?

A new laminated book from Hachai Publishing written especially for
little boys before their traditional first hair-cut at age three.
Written by Nechama Sittner, illustrated by Tova Leff.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                        5th of Iyar, 5721 [1961]

Greeting and Blessing:

This is to acknowledge receipt of your letters of the 1st [of] Iyar,
14th of Nissan, and the previous ones. No doubt you have, in the
meantime, received my letter. I hope you will continue to have good news
to report.

Needless to say, every additional measure of trust in G-d, and every
additional effort in all matters of Torah and Mitzvoth [commandments]
with joy and gladness of heart, will increase your personal contentment
and also the success of your activities in behalf of others. This will
also help you to understand the inconsistency of your writing that
everybody seems to be against you, which cannot be true, in view of the
fact that our Sages taught "All that G-d does is for the good." And when
we speak of "good" we do not mean only the good in the hereafter, but in
the here and now. As I have written before, with every obligation and
duty, comes the ability to fulfill them, for "G-d does not deal
despotically with His creatures," and does not impose on anyone anything
which cannot be fulfilled.

I hope you have read the Pesach message carefully and have found it
useful in clarifying your mind and approach.

Hoping to hear good news from you,

With blessing,

P.S. You do not mention anything about the dental situation, from which
I gather that all is well.

With regard to the question of "a holy soul" I refer you to the
beginning of Chapter 2 of the Tanya, where it is explained that the soul
of every Jew is a part of G-dliness, mamash [literally]; and see also
Chapter 4 of Iggeres haTeshuva there.

On the question of Moshiach, the Rambam [Maimonides] has clearly
described everything pertaining to the Moshiach (Hilchos Teshuva 9:2.
Melochim 11:4), his qualifications, ancestry etc. and that solves your
problem.

You have been remembered, and will be remembered again at a propitious
time, in prayer at the holy resting place of my father-in-law of saintly
memory, with regard to all your needs materially and spiritually,
including a greater measure of your trust in G-d and growing success in
your activities to strengthen Yiddishkeit [Judaism], with joy and
gladness of heart.

                                *  *  *

                          22 Iyar, 5721 [1961]


I received your letter of April 24th, in which you write about the
apparent contradiction between the latest scientific attempt to
penetrate outer space, especially reaching the moon, which seems to you
to contradict the statement in the Torah, "The Heavens belong to G-d and
the earth He gave to the children of man."

Actually it is no contradiction at all, if you consider the term "earth"
not in the narrow sense as referring only to our globe, but in its
proper sense as meant in this verse, which includes also the atmosphere
and the entire physical universe with which mankind is concerned and
directly affected by.

We must not confuse the terms "heaven" and "planets."

The stars, planets, moon, etc. are not called "heaven," since "Heaven"
is something spiritual, whereas the planets are physical and belong in
the physical universe.

The fact that G-d created the so-called heavenly bodies to serve our
world, to give light, warmth, and energy to it, and placed them in the
firmament of the sky at a certain distance from our earth, does not
preclude man's attempt to learn all about them.

Similarly, when the Torah states that G-d placed the moon in the sky to
give light to the earth, it does not exclude the possibility of man's
landing on it at some future time.

The meaning of the verse, "The Heavens belong to G-d," etc. is in the
sense that while G-d is everywhere, including the heavens; man was
placed in the physical universe, and is part of it, and, therefore must
make the most of it, as long as there is life on this earth.

There is nothing in actual scientific experiments and accomplishments
that contradict the Torah, nor is there such a possibility since the
Torah is Truth.

Judging by your writing and background, I firmly hope that you are
conducting your daily life in strict accordance with the Torah, which is
called Toras Chaim, the Law of Life, and the Mitzvoth whereby Jews live,
and that you attempt to make steady advancement along this road, in
compliance with the principle that "All things of Holiness should be on
the upgrade."

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                               WHO'S WHO
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Shlomtzion (Salome) Alexandra (139-67  b.c.e.) was the only Jewish queen
of her people. She was the sister of the great sage Shimon ben Shatach.
Her first husband, King Yehudah Aristobolus, died childless. She then
married his brother Alexander Yannai in a levirate marriage. When
Alexander Yannai died,  Shlomtzion was coronated and reigned for ten
years. She led Yannai's army in a successful war against Jordan. She
brought peace and prosperity back to the troubled land with her fair
reign. She established the first public Jewish school system. During her
reign the grains grew to extraordinary size; they were kept to show
future generations what piety could achieve.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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This Friday we celebrate the birthday of Rabbi Shmuel, the fourth Rebbe
of Lubavitch, known as the Rebbe Maharash.

In one of his many writings, the Rebbe Maharash quotes an interesting
Midrash on the attitude of the Jewish people when G-d will send
Moshiach:

"It says in the Midrash on the Song of Songs that when Moshiach comes,
he will say to them, 'In this month you will be redeemed.' But the Jews
will protest that G-d told us we would be enslaved to the 70 nations
[and we were not yet enslaved by all 70 nations].

"G-d will reply to them, 'One of you was exiled to the Barbary Coast,
and one of you was exiled to Samatry, etc. So it is as if you were all
enslaved to the 70 nations of the world. Therefore, in this month, you
will be redeemed.'"

The Midrash quoted by the Rebbe Maharash touches a very tender spot.
There will come a time when G-d is ready to send Moshiach to redeem the
Jewish people and some Jews will protest that it's not the right time!

Unfortunately, this will not be the first time that such an occurrence
has taken place in Jewish history.

For some commentators state that at the time of the Exodus from Egypt,
some of our brethren protested to G-d, "But You said we would be
enslaved for 400 years, and we have only been here for 210 years!" G-d
explained to them that because the servitude had been so difficult, the
210 years counted as 400.

Can you imagine? They were being worked to the bone by the Egyptians,
and yet, there were some who preferred staying in Egypt. Whether because
we prefer the known to the unknown, or because they had become used to
the Egyptian lifestyle, etc., they preferred Egypt to the Redemption!

It is time we stop making excuses for G-d or to G-d.  As the Rebbe said
so many times, everything has already been done. Let us not be act as
our own prosecutors and place the blame the continued exile on a lack of
unity, or mitzvot, or faith. Let us judge each other and the entire
Jewish people meritoriously.

And let us cry out to G-d from the bottom of our hearts, "Ad Mosai --
how long?"

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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And the priest who is cleansing shall cause the man that is to be made
clean to stand...at the door of the Tent of Meeting (Lev. 14:11)

The leper who is undergoing purification is allowed a privilege not
extended to others who have become spiritually unclean: He was brought
to the Holy Temple's Gate of Nikanor and allowed to stick his hand and
foot into the inner Temple court, to participate in the offering of the
sacrifice he had brought. What was so special about the leper, who had
committed so grave a sin as slander against his fellow Jew? After the
seven days of seclusion and repentance, the leper was now a baal
teshuva, a penitent, and was considered free of all sin. A new "door" in
life had opened for him, and thus he was permitted to stand in the very
door of the Temple court.

                                                  (Der Torah Kvall)

                                *  *  *


When a woman conceives and gives birth... (Lev. 12:2)

Giving birth to a child is compared by the Prophet Isaiah (66:8) to the
Redemption. Just as birth takes place in a day, the Redemption can come
and the Jewish nation be "reborn" in a moment.

                                *  *  *

                                Metzora


The Torah portion is called Metzora - "Leper" - though it deals
primarily with the purification process of an afflicted individual. This
teaches us that the affliction was not only a punishment for slander,
but to cause one to repent. Accordingly, the leprosy was actually part
of the purification process, for once detected one was prompted to
change.

                                                (Lubavitcher Rebbe)

                                *  *  *


He shall slaughter the sheep in the place where the sin-offering and the
burnt-offering are slaughtered (Lev. 14:13)

Even though the burnt-offering was of a much higher sanctity than the
sin-offering, they were brought in the same place to avoid embarrassing
penitents who might hesitate to publicly proclaim their transgressions;
onlookers would not know which offering was being brought.

                                                        (Sotah, 32)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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A Chasid of the Rebbe Maharash (Rabbi Shmuel, the fifth Rebbe of
Chabad-Lubavitch) was summoned before the Rebbe. The Chasid was a
shochet living in Petersburg and had just arrived a few days earlier.

"I need you for a special mission," the Rebbe said as the Chasid
entered. "I must have the official government transcript of the
interrogation of the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of Chabad
Chasidism) during his imprisonment." The Rebbe then went on to describe
the government library building in precise detail - the location of the
archives, the exact room where to find the file, the placement of the
bookcase, the exact shelf and file.

The Chasid left Lubavitch and returned to Petersburg. With feelings of
trepidation he inquired as to the location of the government library,
the watch schedule of the guards, and the various entrances to the
grandiose building.

The Chasid waited for an appropriate time and slipped through the main
gate. He entered the building and found the layout to be just as the
Rebbe had described. He made his way through the various hallways, up
the prescribed staircase, and into the great hall that held thousands of
manuscripts. He found the exact bookcase, located the needed file and
took it off the shelf.

Suddenly a government official appeared "Miserable vermin!" he sputtered
in rage. "Who gave you the authority to enter this place and remove such
highly classified information? Stealing from the government library is a
grave crime. You will be sentenced to hard labor in Siberia."

"Who sent you here?" the official fumed. "Give me all the details or
your end will be bitter. Who told you where to find this file? Only
someone with inside information could have directed you here. Tell me
the whole truth and I will minimize your punishment to the lowest
extent."

The Chassid paled, and shook in fear. "I'll tell you everything," he
said. "I won't hide anything. There is a village called Lubavitch, and a
holy Sage lives there. He is called the Rebbe. He is a grandson of the
individual whose file I hold. I am a follower of the Rebbe. He had asked
that I do everything possible to obtain this file, as he is interested
in the entire interrogation endured by his grandfather during his
imprisonment. He described exactly where I could find the file."

Surprisingly, the official looked appeased. His anger vanished and his
tone became almost conciliatory. "Well, that certainly changes things,"
he said quietly. "If Rabbi Schneersohn sent you - well then, I will set
you free and not hand you over to the authorities."

Taking note of the official's respectful attitude, the Chasid seized the
opportunity to ask for an explanation. "You must be acquainted with the
Rebbe," he said. "Your tone changed drastically when I mentioned his
name. Probably you are aware of his saintliness, his holy way of life."

"I have never met the Rabbi Schneersohn who lives now in Lubavitch. I
do, however, remember his father when he attended the conference known
as the Commission of Rabbis. The government proposed sweeping changes in
the Jewish education, and the rabbis, with your rabbi among them,
debated the issue at length.

"The Czar at that time enjoyed disguising himself in the clothes of a
commoner," the official continued. "He would walk the streets and enter
different gathering places to gather first-hand information. The
conference was no different, and the Czar, disguised as a notable,
appeared at some of the sessions.

"Minister Uvarov led the conference. It was he who harassed the rabbi
for his steadfastness in not changing a single iota in the Jewish
educational system. Though the rabbi used only Yiddish, he had
interpreters at his command. At one point after the Rebbe had spoken and
the interpreter translated the Rebbe's words into Russian, the Rebbe
interrupted, 'You did not translate everything I said.'

"'Repeat once more,' Uvarov demanded sternly. 'Translate everything he
said.' The interpreter repeated the speech and, once more, the Rebbe
expressed displeasure. 'You missed something.'

"'What games are you playing with us?' Uvarov roared at the interpreter.
'Translate every word the rabbi said, without exception.'

"The interpreter turned white in fear. He stammered, 'The rabbi says
that if the government will force the Jewish community to adopt the
changes put forth by the Enlightenment and apostates regarding Jewish
education, then a powerful revolution will rock Russia in 50 years.'

"The Czar immediately made a motion with his finger, and Uvarov, who
recognized the Czar, ordered the Rebbe arrested and executed for
treason. I was an ordinary soldier at the time, one of the many guards
in the conference hall. For whatever reason, I was the guard chosen to
carry out the Czar's instruction. Hardly had I taken the Rebbe out when
he asked if I could render him a favor. Rabbi Schneersohn asked, 'Let me
recite the confession reserved for those about to die.'

"I agreed and let the rabbi pray. Suddenly an order from the Czar
arrived, commanding me to release the rabbi. I was hardly surprised; the
Czar was known for his fickle nature. I released the rabbi and as he
left, he blessed me. 'May you go up in rank,' he said kindly.

"Since then," concluded the official, "I have been promoted ever higher.
I attained the status of general, and in my old and weakened state  I
was appointed as chief officer of the library. Now do you understand?
Though you well deserve punishment for your gall, I shall set you free."

The officer took the file, replaced it on the shelf, and the Chassid
fled for his life.

                             From Beis Moshiach, by Rabbi E.Lesches

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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Certain commandments only pertain to the land of Israel, and are not
applicable outside of its borders. Despite the admonition of the Tzemach
Tzedek - the third Lubavitcher Rebbe - to "make here the land of
Israel," we should not feel that it is acceptable to languish in exile
for even one minute more than necessary. Our goal remains the physical
land of Israel and the ushering in of the Messianic era through the
coming of Moshiach.

                                            (The Lubavitcher Rebbe)

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            END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1266 - Sazria-Metzora 5773
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