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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1285
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                 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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        August 23, 2013         Ki Savo            17 Elul, 5773
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                               Thank G-d

What a lovely necklace!

Thank you. My children gave it to me. Aren't they wonderful?

That's a great set of golf clubs you've got there!

Yeah, I would never have gotten it for myself but my wife gave it to me
for my birthday. Nice of her, wasn't it?

Hey, can we use your car? I can't believe your parents gave it to you
for graduating college.

Sure you can use it. You're right, my parents really are generous.

The comment of a friend or acquaintance can trigger renewed appreciation
for something that one might have long-since taken for granted or never
appreciated to begin with. Whereas the purpose of the compliment is not
to bring forth this appreciation, it is certainly a by-product of the
compliment.

The Baal Shem Tov, whose every action was bursting with import, meaning
and significant teaching, used to ask the simple Jews whom he
purposefully sought out, "How are you today, dear brother?" "How are
your little ones, my good woman?" "How have your egg sales gone this
week?"

To each of these questions, the usual response was, Boruch Hashem -
"Thank G-d, I am feeling well." "Through G-d's goodness, the children
are healthy." "With G-d's help, the eggs are selling like hotcakes." In
this manner, the Baal Shem Tov encouraged people to have praises for
G-d, and gratitude and thankfulness to the Almighty, continually on
their lips.

Once, the Baal Shem Tov heard that there was a Torah scholar who was so
intent on his studies that he would not even take a moment to respond to
the greeting of a fellow Jew.

The Baal Shem Tov decided to remedy the situation. "How are you doing?"
the Baal Shem Tov asked the scholar. But no response was forthcoming.

"Are your studies going well today?" the Baal Shem Tov persisted. Still
no acknowledgment of his presence.

"How is the family?" the Baal Shem Tov asked, leaning closer to the
scholar's ear.

Question after question the Baal Shem Tov rattled off, but no words were
heard from the scholar's lips save those that were being read from the
page in front of him.

"Why are you depriving G-d of His livelihood?" the Baal Shem Tov
reproached the scholar.

With this accusation the scholar lifted his head.

The Baal Shem Tov continued, "Doesn't the Psalmist state concerning G-d,
'And You, Holy One, are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.' The
Almighty is, so to speak, dependant upon the praises of the Jewish
people. But you are denying G-d His very sustenance by refusing to
praise Him and thank Him for all He has done for you!"

So, the next time you're asked a question, try one of the following
responses:

Wow, you're in great shape. How do you do it? Diet, exercise and G-d's
kindness.

How's business? It has its ups and downs. G-d willing, it'll pick up
soon.

It's wonderful that your grandchildren remember to send you birthday
cards.

Yes, I'm a lucky person. G-d has been good to me.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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The Torah portion of Ki Tavo begins by saying: "When you come to the
land that G-d your L-rd is giving you as a heritage, occupying and
settling it, you shall take of the first fruits...and go to the site
that G-d will choose as the place for the indwelling of His name." Rashi
comments: "This teaches us that [the Jewish people] were not obligated
to bring the first fruits until they conquered and divided the land."

Offering the first fruits served for the Jewish people as a gesture of
thanks to G-d for leading them into the Land of Israel and allowing them
to enjoy its bounty. It thus indicated that they were not ingrates.

The above is also related to Chai Elul, (the eighteenth day of Elul),
which occurred this past week. For it is the birthday of two great
luminaries--the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic Movement, and
Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch segment within
that movement. Among the fundamental principles they taught are the
obligation to love one's fellow Jew and the concept of the intrinsic
unity of the Jewish people which are alluded to at the beginning of this
week's Torah portion, the week in which Chai Elul occurs.

How are love and unity among Jews best achieved? When two or more people
unite, then no matter how strong their bond may be it is not absolute
unity, since they are intrinsically disparate entities; their union is
but an extension to their essential being. We thus understand that the
unity of the Jewish people, which is an absolutely true and essential
unity stems from the fact that all Jews, by virtue of the common Source
of their souls, are truly one.

Nevertheless, the true unity of the Jewish people finds expression
specifically when Jews, existing as distinct and separate individuals,
are even then, truly united as one. Indeed, if the unity of the Jewish
people were not to find expression among Jews who exist as distinct
individuals, this would prove that their`unity does not stem from the
essence of their being, for an individual's essence must be found in all
his particular and detailed aspects.

This, then, was the deeper reason as to why the Jewish people were not
obligated to bring their offerings of the first fruits until they had
conquered and divided the land--for it served as an indication of the
true and absolute love and unity that existed among them, to the extent
that no individual could be truly joyful so long as tHere existed one
fellow Jew who did not yet have a portion in Israel.

And as to ourselves, by truly loving our fellow Jews, we can once again
merit to "come to the land" of Israel - through our Righteous Moshiach,
speedily in our days.

       From The Chasidic Dimension, adapted by Rabbi S. B. Wineberg
                           from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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The Lubavitch network of day and overnight summer camps was established
in 1956 by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Today, the largest camp network in the
world spans 40 countries. In the former Soviet Union alone there are 40
camps attended by nearly 9,000 children. "Friendship Circle" camps, for
special needs children, are often run in tandem with the local
Chabad-Lubavitch camp or are sometimes a special division in the camp.
We present you with a small sampling of some of the Chabad-Lubavitch
affiliate summer camps world-wide.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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              Freely translated from a letter of the Rebbe

                          27 Elul, 5707 [1947]

Greetings and blessings,

...I will conclude with subjects of contemporary relevance which I wrote
to another person: At the farbrengen of Chai Elul [the anniversary of
the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov - founder of general Chasidism and
Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi - founder of Chabad Chasidim], my revered
father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, related that the early chassidim would
say: "Chai Elul injects vitality into the Divine service of 'I am my
Beloved's and my Beloved is mine.'" (The first letters of the words of
that verse combine to form the name Elul.)

It is possible to explain that a living person and a person who is not
alive both possess all 248 limbs. The difference is that a living person
also possesses a soul that enables the body to grow from childhood to
maturity and enables him to move from place to place.

Our Rabbis (Tanya, ch. 38) explain that the intent of the mitzvos
[commandments] - to cling to G-d - resembles the soul for the body of
the mitzvos. This comes through generating or uncovering one's love and
fear of G-d. This comes through the study of pnimiyus haTorah [the inner
teachings of the Torah] in general, and in particular through the study
of Chasidus, as explained in several sources.

Through the intent of clinging to G-d, one comes to the greatest growth
and movement possible. Indeed, this alone represents true movement, as
is well known with regard to the concept of "one who progresses" and
"those who stand."* This progress comes about when a limited created
being clings to the Creator who is unlimited, as it is written: "And you
who cling to G-d, your L-rd, are living...."

This is the interpretation of the adage that Chai Elul, the birthday of
the Baal Shem Tov, the day when his teachings were revealed, and the
birthday of the Alter Rebbe, injects vitality into the Divine service of
"I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine," i.e., enabling the created
beings to cling to the Creator.

On a deeper level, it is possible to explain as follows: Even a limb
that is not alive has flesh, sinews, and bones. All of these serve as
analogies within our Divine service. The bones refer to the Divine
service of the mind, the flesh, to that of the heart and the sinews, to
the connection between the two, as explained in Likkutei Torah, Parshas
Pinchas, the second discourse entitled Tzav... Korbani Lachmi.
Nevertheless, as they exist in their own right, they do not represent
true vitality. That is achieved only through the preface of kabbalas ol,
the acceptance of G-d's yoke. In particular, this refers to the kabalas
ol of Rosh Hashana. See the discourse published for Rosh Hashana this
year with regard to the concepts of individual life-energy, general
life-energy, vitality that exists to grant life to others, and essential
vitality.

Even a limb that is not alive has flesh, sinews, and bones. All of these
serve as analogies within our Divine service.

With wishes for a kesiva vachasima tova [may you be inscribed and sealed
for good],

* As explained in Torah Or, Bereishis, p. 30a, et al., the verse
(Zechariah 3:7): "I will make you one who proceeds among these who
stand" highlights the difference between the souls of the Jewish people
("one who proceeds") and the angels ("these who stand"). For when the
Jews descend to this material world and observe the Torah and its
mitzvos, they are endowed with an infinite quality. This represents true
progress.

      Reprinted from I Will Write It In Their Hearts, translated by
                  Rabbi Eli Touger, published by Sichos In English.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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This Shabbat is Chai (the 18th of) Elul, the birthday of both the Baal
Shem Tov (founder of the Chasidic movement) in 5458-1698 and the Alter
Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of Chabad Chasidism in 5505-1745. In
the same way that the Chasidic movement revitalized Jewish life and
introduced a new path in the service of G-d, so too does Chai Elul
("chai" - from the Hebrew word meaning "life") introduce an element of
liveliness and vitality into our Divine service in the month of Elul,
the main theme of which is repentance.

A basic fundamental of Chasidut is the joyful service of G-d. As
surprising as it may seem, Chasidic philosophy teaches that even the
mitzva of teshuva (repentance) should be approached with happiness
rather than trepidation. If all of the Torah's mitzvot should be
fulfilled with joy, how much more so the mitzva of teshuva, which is so
great it has the power to perfect all other commandments!

At first glance, the pairing of teshuva with joy appears unrealistic.
Repentance is serious business: conducting an honest assessment of one's
past behavior, feeling remorse for one's misdeeds, and begging G-d for
forgiveness for transgressing His will. How are we to do this out of a
sense of joy?

The answer is that joy, as defined by Chasidut, is not the opposite of
seriousness. Joy does not mean frivolity, a life without
responsibilities or mindless revelry. Rather, joy itself is serious
business, a deep feeling created when a Jew contemplates the enormous
merit he has to have been born Jewish, to be able to study G-d's Torah
and to fulfill His commandments. When a Jew appreciates that he is never
alone and that G-d is always with him, his joy becomes the impetus to
draw even closer to the Infinite.

With Rosh Hashana approaching, what could make us happier than the
knowledge that doing teshuva during Elul is easier than at any other
time of year? For the gates of repentance are always open, and G-d
always gives us the opportunity to return to Him.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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And it shall come to pass, when you come into the land which the L-rd
your G-d is giving you (Deut. 26:1)

The Jews' entrance into the land of Israel is symbolic of the soul's
descent into the body and its being forced to live in the physical
world. The Midrash teaches that the words "and it shall come to pass"
are always used to denote something of great joy. Though the G-dly soul
is saddened when it temporarily leaves its place under G-d's throne to
dwell in a Jewish body for a certain number of years, it is a joyous
occurrence, since the descent is to elevate the corporeal world through
doing mitzvot (commandments).

                                            (The Lubavitcher Rebbe)

                                *  *  *


And it shall be, when you come into the land...and you shall take of all
the fruit of the earth...and put it in a basket... and you shall go to
the priest (Deut. 26:1-3)

Fourteen years elapsed after the Jewish people entered the land of
Israel until they were able to fulfill the second half of the verse -
the bringing of their first fruits to Jerusalem. Seven years were spent
in conquering the entire land from its inhabitants; seven more years
were spent dividing the land among the 12 tribes. Our generation, which
will very soon enter the promised land with the coming of Moshiach, will
not need to wait any period of time before we are able to bring our
first fruits to the Holy Temple. Not only will there be no need to
conquer and distribute the land, but the fruits themselves will grow
with such rapidity that their harvesting will take place simultaneously
with their planting.

                                              (Sichot Kodesh, 5751)

                                *  *  *


Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field
(Deut. 28:3)

A city has certain advantages over rural life, among them the pleasure
of others' company and the availability of places of Torah and learning.
Rural life also has its advantages, such as a more relaxed life style,
fresher air, and warmer relationships between neighbors. G-d's blessing
is that we should be equally blessed in both locales.

                                                     (Chatam Sofer)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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The eighteenth of Elul is the birthday of Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder
of Chabad Chasidic philosophy and Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, founder
of the Chasidic movement in general. The following story describes how
Rabbi Shneur Zalman became involved in the fledgling Chasidic movement.

At the age of twenty, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, decided to leave home for a
period of time in search of a teacher and guide. Two centers of learning
beckoned his attention. One was Vilna, the Lithuanian capital, the
center of the Talmudic scholarship, with the famed "Vilna Gaon," Rabbi
Eliyahu at its head. The other was Mezritch, the seat of Rabbi Dov Ber,
the "Maggid of Mezritch, heir to Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, the leader
of the still young Chasidic movement. For Rabbi Shneur Zalman, Mezritch
was both geographically and intellectually the more distant place, but
he had heard about the great scholarship of Rabbi Dov Ber, and the new
way of Divine service which he was teaching. Rabbi Shneur Zalman had to
make a momentous choice. He thought, "I have already been exposed to
Talmudic discipline; I have yet to learn the discipline of prayer," and
he decided in favor of Mezritch. The decision was, of course, the
turning point of his life.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman's decision to go to Mezritch aroused his
father-in-law's vehement opposition, to the extent of depriving his
daughter and son-in-law of any further financial support. But Rabbi
Shneur Zalman's wife stood by him, and agreed to his going there on
condition that if he decided to stay, he would not extent his stay
beyond 18 months.

His first impressions were not encouraging. Rabbi Shneur Zalman closely
observed the Maggid and his senior disciples. He discovered that they
devoted considerable time to the daily prayers, and in preparation
before the prayers, inevitably reducing the time left for Torah study.
To the intellectual that he was, this emphasis on prayer seemed
extravagant. He decided that Mezritch was not for him. The Maggid made
no attempt to detain him.

As Rabbi Shneur Zalman left Mezritch, he remembered that he had
forgotten one of his belongings in the synagogue of the Maggid.
Returning there, he found the Maggid engaged in the examination of a
question of Jewish law. The brilliant analysis by the Maggid of all
aspects of the question, which displayed his extraordinary erudition in
the realm of Halacha, made a profound impression on Rabbi Shneur Zalman,
and he decided to stay a while longer in Mezritch. Thereupon, the Maggid
told Rabbi Shneur Zalman that his saintly master, the Baal Shem Tov, had
revealed to him that one day the son of Rabbi Baruch would come to him,
would leave him, and then return again. Then he - the Maggid - was to
tell him about the great destiny that was linked to Rabbi Shneur
Zalman's soul. The Baal Shem Tov further predicted that Rabbi Shneur
Zalman's path in life would be hazardous, but that he, the Baal Shem
Tov, would intercede in his behalf, and in behalf of his followers, so
that "his end would be exceedingly great."

Rabbi Shneur Zalman was deeply moved by what he heard, and he decided to
cast in his lot with the new Chasidic movement.

But what mostly impressed Rabbi Shneur Zalman was Rabbi Dov Ber's
demonstration of the perfect equilibrium and harmonious synthesis of the
mystic and rationalist which was the object of Rabbi Shneur Zalman's
quest. To quote Rabbi Shneur Zalman: "Two things I saw: The sublime
ecstasy of the Holy Society on the one hand, and the remarkable
composure of our master Rabbi Dov Ber on the other, which enthralled me
completely. That is when I became a Chasid.'  Once the young "Litvak"
(native of Lithuania) became attached to Rabbi Dov Ber, the latter began
to give him  special attention, though he was the youngest and newest of
the  disciples. Rabbi Dov Ber arranged that his son, Abraham, (who
because of the saintliness of his character had earned the appellation
Malach ["Angel"]), initiate the new disciple into the esoteric doctrines
of the Kabbala and Chasidut, as had been taught by the Besht and
himself, in return for instruction in Talmudic study. Rabbi Shneur
Zalman's time was now equally divided between the study of the Talmud
and Chasidut, which he studied with his customary diligence. He also
closely observed the master, Rabbi Dov Ber, and his distinguished
disciples, in an effort to emulate their day-to-day behavior and
refinement of character. Here was a group of scholarly mystics who
exemplified Chasidut at its best. This is what Rabbi Shneur Zalman had
been looking for.

When Rabbi Shneur Zalman returned home after 18 months had elapsed, he
was asked by his erstwhile colleagues in Vitebsk whether he had found it
worth while to go so far away while Vilna was so much nearer. Rabbi
Shneur Zalman answered, "In Vilna you are taught how to master the
Torah, in Mezritch you are taught how to let the Torah master you."

       Excerpted from The Philosophy of Chabad: Rabbi Shneur Zalman
                               of Liadi, Kehot Publication Society.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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Ki Tavo begins, "When you will enter the land" refers to the Era of
Moshiach, when every Jew will enter the Holy Land that G-d has promised
to the Jewish people. At that time, the Jews will surely conduct
themselves in a way that will emphasize the holiness of the land and its
connection to the Jewish people. From the Land of Israel, the Redemption
will spread throughout the world and to all  nations. There will be
peace among nations as the prophet declared, "Nation will not lift up
sword against nation." There will be no more war and G-dliness will be
drawn down to every creation in the world. This Era will be hastened by
the Jews' efforts to prepare themselves to greet Moshiach, studying
about his coming and anticipating his coming at every moment.

                                    (The Rebbe, 17 Elul, 5751-1991)

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               END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1285 - Ki Savo 5773
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