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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1322
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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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        May 23, 2014            Bamidbar          23 Iyyar, 5774
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                          Such a Little Thing

It's like a particle of dust in your eye, or a speck of coal in a
diamond. Sometimes even the tiniest thing make big problems.

Which is why, when you think about it, it's not at all surprising that
the ego can wreak havoc. Of course, you and I know that it's not our
egos making the problems. We only have little egos, just big enough to
encourage us to be goal oriented, take pride in our work, not be
someone's doormat. But the other guy - our neighbor, spouse, boss,
co-worker - now he/she has a real ego problem!

This Shabbat afternoon, in Ethics of the Fathers (5:21) we read:
"Whoever causes the many to have merit, no sin shall come through him;
but one who causes the many to sin shall not be granted the opportunity
to repent. Moses was himself meritorious and caused the many to attain
merit, therefore, the merit of the many are attributed to him....
Jeraboam ben Nevat himself sinned and caused the many to sin, therefore
the sins of the many are attributed to him."

Our Sages have taught: "G-d disqualifies no one, but welcomes all; the
gates of repentance are open at all times; whoever wants to enter may
enter."

Yet, so great a travesty is it when one leads others to sin that "one
who causes the many to sin shall not be granted the opportunity to
repent." There was, however, one exception - the very same Jeraboam ben
Nevat mentioned above!

The prophet Achiya prophesied to Jeraboam that he would eventually be
the king of ten of the tribes of Israel. Upon King Solomon's death,
Jeraboam successfully led a revolt against the king's successor.
Eventually, to distance his kingdom from the other two tribes, Jerusalem
and the Holy Temple, Jeraboam set up altars and encouraged idol worship.
Thus, "Jeraboam ben Nevat himself sinned and caused the many to sin."

For various reasons which we won't go into now, G-d chose to give
Jeraboam the chance to rectify his sins. But this unique opportunity was
not all that G-d was offering. "Repent," G-d urged Jeraboam. "And then
I, and you and the son of Jesse [King David] will walk together in the
Garden of Eden." (Talmud, Sanhedrin) G-d was offering Jeraboam that He
would bring Moshiach if the wicked king would only repent!

And here's where the ego comes in. For, though Jeraboam should have been
overwhelmed with gratitude to G-d for giving him this unprecedented
opportunity to repent, though he had led millions of Jews astray, he
asked one very simple but very egotistical question. "Who will go first?
I or the son of Jesse?"

Hadn't Jeraboam just been told by G-d that he would go first? Hadn't he,
for that matter, just been given the most amazing opportunity to repent?
And, in addition, to walk together with G-d and King David in the Garden
of Eden?

From Jeraboam's query we see that he didn't have a problem with
repenting per se, nor with belief in G-d versus idols. His problem was
his ego. Jeraboam was demanding assurance. "Who will go first? I or the
son of Jesse?"

So G-d told Jeraboam, "the son of Jesse will go first."

And Jeraboam replied, "Then I will not repent."

Jeraboam had it all! He had the unheard-of opportunity to repent. He had
the opportunity to bring his entire generation to repentance. He had the
opportunity to walk together with G-d and King David in the Garden of
Eden.

But he could not put aside his ego long enough to accept G-d's offer.

"Who will go first? I or the son of Jesse?"

Jeraboam was the proverbial "other guy" with the ego problem. But, of
course, you and I would never have let our egos get in the way. Let's
not let our egos get in the way of accepting G-d's magnanimous offers
that He presents to us each day. Like the chance to be genuinely happy
for someone else; to hold one's tongue; to smile instead of responding;
to do any of dozens of good deeds and mitzvot (commandments) that come
our way each day. And then, very soon, you and I will walk together to
greet Moshiach, may it happen now!

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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With this week's Torah portion, Bamidbar, we begin the fourth of the
Five Books of Moses, known as "Numbers."

Although the Hebrew word "bamidbar" means literally "in the wilderness,"
the name of the entire book is derived from the fact that it opens with
the commandment to count the number of Jews in the Sinai desert.

Obviously, G-d did not need the results of a census to know the exact
number of individuals, as Rashi, the foremost Torah commentator
explains, the real reason behind the census was to "demonstrate how much
they are loved" - to express G-d's love for the Jewish people.

This seems like an illogical premise. How does conducting a census
demonstrate G-d's love for His people? On the contrary, when a census is
taken, no consideration is given for differences. The illiterate and the
scholar are both counted as one, no more and no less. The rich and the
poor, the virtuous and the not-so-virtuous are equal in the eyes of the
census taker.

In truth, however, it is precisely here that G-d's immeasurable love for
every single Jew - without exception - is most amply demonstrated.

As far as G-d is concerned, a person's individual talents, personality
traits or other external characteristics are unimportant. What is
significant to G-d is only the essential inner quality of every Jew -
his soul - in which respect all Jews are truly equal.

As human beings, the way we judge our fellow man is sometimes predicated
on various conditions: wealth, intelligence, social standing, etc.
Because our opinions are based on qualities that are temporary and
subjective, they too are subject to modification if circumstances
change, i.e., if the rich man loses his wealth or the wise man's
knowledge is no longer pertinent.

If, however, we ignore external factors and value our fellow Jew solely
because of his essential nature, all Jews will be equal and truly worthy
in our estimation.

With this in mind, we can understand how a census is an explicit
statement of G-d's unconditional love: G-d does not love us because of
our superior qualities or good deeds, or because we agreed to accept and
obey His Torah at Mount Sinai. If this were the case, His love would be
conditional and would cease, G-d forbid, if we stopped fulfilling His
commandments.

The command to conduct a census emphasizes that G-d's relationship with
the Jew transcends all external considerations and stems solely from the
essential bond with Him that exists by virtue of the Jewish soul.

                   Adapted from Likutei Sichot of the Rebbe, Vol. 8

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                          The Binding of a Jew
                             by Zev Gotkin

I was 16 years old and I was in the city of Venice, Italy, on a family
vacation. After having lunch with a wealthy Kuwaiti family whom I had
met during my travels, I thought to myself: "I doubt anything more
interesting is going to happen today." It was with that frame of mind
that I decided to walk back to the hotel where my family was staying.

As I made my way out of San Marco's square and walked alongside the
famous Doge's palace, I noticed two men in the garb of Chasidic Jews
walking past me. Despite their black hats, dark suits, and long beards
and my jean-shorts and oversized t-shirt sporting an image of Bob
Marley, I felt a sense of Jewish connection with them. As they strode
past me I gave them a subtle nod.

The two men stopped abruptly. "Are you Jewish?" one of them asked me
excitedly in a thick accent I could not place. I was taken aback. Why
were these two men hovering around me and asking if I was a member of
the tribe?

"Yes..." I replied nervously.

"And is your mother Jewish?"

"Yes..." I replied.

"Would you like to put on tefillin today?" One of them reached into a
bag he was carrying and took out two small black leather boxes attached
to black leather straps.

"What is that?" I asked, curiously.

The two men looked at each other before proceeding to explain this
classic Jewish ritual."Were you given a Bar Mitzva?" one of them probed.

"Yes, I had a Bar Mitzva," I replied.

"Really?" one of them asked in surprise. "You had a Bar Mitzva and you
don't know what are tefillin?"

"Ok," he said. After making sure one more time that my mother was
Jewish, he asked me again if I would like to put on the "tefillin." He
explained that he and his friend would help me to put them on. "It will
not take long," he cajoled.

Crazy thoughts swirled around in my head. Why were these two bearded
individuals so interested in my Jewishness and why did they want to wrap
leather boxes around me? Maybe these two men were thieves that wanted to
tie me up with the leather straps so that they could then easily go
through my pockets and snatch my wallet or whatever else I had on me.
After all, Venice was notorious for pickpockets. Or perhaps they were
terrorists...It was a post-9/11 world so this was a notion to be taken
seriously. "A terrorist would never be caught dead dressed like that," I
convinced myself. I glanced around. There had to be hundreds of tourists
and other people of various walks of life milling about. I hesitantly
agreed to humor these two gentleman. I reasoned that since I was in a
public place and there were many people in the vicinity, I could call
out and receive assistance if I found myself in danger.

They slowly wrapped me up with the Jewish ritual prayer objects. It felt
sort of awkward and uncomfortable in the hot Mediterranean sun to be
having such foreign-looking objects bound tightly to my arm and head.
One of the Chasidim told me that now we were going to recite a short
Hebrew prayer known as the "Shema." Shema literally means "hear" and the
prayer is best described as the credo of the Jewish faith. Luckily, I
already knew the first line by heart - something I remembered from my
Hebrew school days. I recited the paragraph that follows the first line
responsively with one of the individuals who had helped me wrap the
tefillin.

"Mazel tov," the two Chasidim exclaimed as they placed the tefillin back
in their cases. "You just did a mitzva (commandment)! Where do you
live?"

"New York, " I replied, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment mixed
with confusion about what had just taken place.

"Oh, New York," one of the black-hatters said enthusiastically. He
reached into his sport jacket pocket and handed me a card. The card
displayed a photo of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Below the photo was printed
the address: 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY. On the back of the card
was the traditional Jewish prayer for travelers, in English.

I took the card, unsure of what to do with it, and placed it in my
wallet. I bid the men farewell and I went on my way.

It was not until about three years later that I would come in contact
with the mitzva of tefillin again. For a long time I didn't quite
understand what had happened to me that afternoon in Venice.
Nevertheless, I saved the card and whipped it out as a conversation
piece when telling interested parties about my 'random' Jewish
experience. Sometime later I began to recite the first line of the
"Shema" prayer before going to sleep for reasons that I cannot really
explain to this day.

I later discovered that my experience of being asked to wrap tefillin by
a couple of strangers was not so unique. Chabad-Lubavitch is known for
stopping Jews in public and asking them if they would like to
participate in certain mitzvot such as putting on tefillin or lighting
Shabbat candles.

During my college years I began to grow increasingly interested in my
Jewish heritage and I attended classes and Shabbat dinners sponsored by
various Jewish organizations. Initially, I did not think there was any
connection between my newfound love for Judaism and my experience in
Venice several years prior. However, Chasidic thought teaches that
everything that happens to us in our daily lives is connected and
happens for a good reason. Nothing is "random." Today, I am an observant
Jew. During my journey of becoming observant, I kept the card with the
picture of the Rebbe in my wallet.

On occasion I will now ask a fellow Jew if he would like to put on
tefillin. I never pressure, but if the other person is willing, I help
him fulfill this important mitzva. Sometimes we never know how one small
act will impact another person or the world around us. Therefore, we
should never think we are powerless to affect positive change. I wonder
if those two rabbinical students in Venice know whatever became of that
kid from New York.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                             New Emissaries

Rabbi Yehuda and Chaya Matusof got off to a running start at Chabad
House of Greater Hartford, Connecticut as youth directors. Camp Gan
Israel is their first major project.

Rabbi Mendy and Mussy Posner have arrived in Boston, Massachusetts where
they focus primarily expanding activities at Northeastern University as
well as serving Jewish students Wentworth College, the New England
Conservatory, Massachusetts College of Art, MCPHS, and the MFA.

                              New Facility

The Mesivta High School of Coral Springs, Florida, recently moved into a
newly renovated 7,500 square foot, two-story building. The facility
boasts a spacious Beis Midrash/Study hall, classrooms,
cafeteria/assembly space, Judaica library and recreation lounge.


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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                       20th of Sivan, 5721 [1961]

Greeting and Blessing:

I received your recent letter, as well as the previous two.

With regard to your study program, I believe I have already suggested to
you that you should discuss this matter both with . . . as well as with
your friends who know you and can also evaluate the efforts that may be
entailed, etc. It has been said that a good solution comes as a result
of many consultations.

You write that you wonder why G-d does not help you, etc. This surprises
me, for surely you have had many occasions to recognize G-d's kindnesses
to you. Every one of us receives G-d's blessings daily and that is why
we recite in the morning prayer twenty blessings to thank G-d for His
daily kindnesses. On the other hand, the fact that you feel some
dissatisfaction could be applied to good use, in making growing efforts
to improve your spiritual position as well as to increase the benefits
bestowed on others.

With regard to your question about a Jewish girl who wants to learn in
Gateshead or in Beis Yaakov in London, I do not understand why you
should be opposed to this. For, at her age, it is just as important, and
perhaps even more important, to learn in an environment which is
permeated with the utmost degree of Yiras Shomayim [awe of Heaven], and
where she would have good friends of her own age, etc. For all these
reasons Gateshead would be the ideal place for her.

On the question of translation and the changes which you find necessary
to introduce this is also something which would be well to discuss with
other people locally. Above all, a translation must always be a free
translation, which is also the case of all translations that are made
here, for the important thing is to convey them in a fluent and readable
language.

There was no general message for Shovuos, but there was a special
message for the delegates of the Convention of N'shei Chabad, a copy of
which is enclosed, and which it is hoped you will make ample use of.

18th of Sivan, 5719 [1959]

Greeting and Blessing:

After the long interval, I received your letter of June 15th, and I was
pleased to read in it that all is well with you, and that you are
maintaining the study period of which we spoke when you were here.

Needless to say, I am sorry to note that nothing has materialized as yet
in the matter of a Shidduch [marriage match]. I hope, however, that you
will be able to concentrate on it from now on, and in a way that accords
with the teachings of our Torah, Toras Chaim [the Torah of Life].

With regard to the question of a vacation trip to the Holy Land, it
would be advisable if you have friends and acquaintances there who would
be helpful in the matter of a Shidduch, if by then, nothing materializes
here. As for the question of vaccination, etc., which you would require
if you make the trip in November, there is no basis for any anxiety in
that respect. However, as indicated, if a suitable Shidduch should
present itself here before that time, the trip would not be advisable at
this time for many reasons.

You ask when is the proper time to say the daily quota of Tehillim
[Psalms]. Generally speaking, the best time to say it is immediately
after the morning prayers. However, if for some reason you are pressed
for time, it could be said throughout the day, from sunlight to
sunset....

With blessing,

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                              TODAY IS ...
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                                24 Iyar

"If you go in My statutes."Our Sages interpret the word "if" as a plea,
in the sense of "if only you would go in My statutes." G-d's pleading
(as it were) with Israel to keep the Torah, in itself aids a Jew and
gives him the ability to remain steadfast in his choice of the good.
Moreover, "...you go in My statutes" - the soul then progresses.

                                *  *  *


With the advent of Moshiach, there will be revealed the superior quality
of the traits of simplicity and wholeheartedness found in the avoda of
simple folk who pray and recite Psalms with simple sincerity.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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The 12 months on the Jewish calendar each correspond to one of the
Twelve Tribes. Sivan, the month that we bless this week, corresponds to
Zevulun.

The name Zevulun means a "permanent residence," which is an allusion to
the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Symbolically, it stands for the holy abode
that all Jews who are involved in worldly affairs establish in the
world.

Our Patriarch Jacob gave all his sons a blessing before he passed away.
The tribe of Zevulun, he said, would dwell on the coast of Israel and be
involved in maritime affairs. Moses said that they would conduct their
business with joy, and provide financial support to the tribe of
Yisachar. In fact, the tribes of Zevulun and Yisachar enjoyed a
symbiotic relationship: Yisachar sat and studied Torah all day, while
Zevulun engaged in business to support him. However, the Torah mentions
Zevulun's blessing even before Yisachar's to emphasize how important and
honorable it is to subsidize the study of Torah.

The flag of Zevulun bore the emblem of a ship, through which G-d's
message was brought to the world. All of Zevulun's business transactions
were conducted according to Torah law, in fulfillment of G-d's desire
for a "dwelling place in the world." The tribe of Zevulun had a profound
impact on the non-Jewish merchants with whom they came in contact, many
of whom were moved to convert to Judaism.

The Baal Shem Tov used the analogy of a ship and the ocean to refer to
the descent of the soul into a physical body. In the same way that the
sea conceals everything that lies underwater, so too does the flesh
cover and obscure the soul. A Jew must break through the limitations
imposed by the body in order to experience his connection with G-d.

Some seafarers are fortunate to have vessels that provide security and
protection, while others are more vulnerable to the water's danger.
Similarly, while some Jews are privileged to grow up in an authentic
Jewish environment, others lack the opportunity to benefit from a
traditional Torah education. It is therefore incumbent upon those who
possess the "boats" and "life preservers" to descend into the murky
waters, and reach out to those who are less knowledgeable.


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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham to indicate how great is
His patience...until Abraham our father came and received the reward of
all of them (Ethics of the Fathers, 5:2)

The generations before Noah had no redeeming virtues whatsoever. They
"repeatedly angered G-d" and lived in constant friction, conflict and
discord. In contrast, although the generations before Abraham also
"repeatedly angered G-d," they at least shared a kindred spirit and
treated each other with love. But although their conduct generated
reward, they themselves were unfit to receive it. Because Abraham,
unlike Noah, sought to influence the people around him for good, he
"received the reward" of all the comradely deeds of the generations that
preceded him.

                                         (Likutei Sichot, Vol. III)

                                *  *  *


A 20-year-old should pursue a living (Ethics, 5:22)

The first 20 years of a man's life should be largely devoted to toiling
in Torah (beginning at age five): five years dedicated to Scripture,
five years entirely Mishna, and five years devoted to Talmud. This
method of learning is not designed to have an effect on the world, as
such, but rather on the person himself, so that he will develop
properly. From the age of 20, a man's duty is to be a "soldier." He must
go to war to conquer the world and make it a fitting dwelling place for
G-d by fulfilling the mitzvot (commandments).

                                             (Biurim L'Pirkei Avot)

                                *  *  *


The world was created by means of ten [Divine] utterances (Ethics, 5:1)

According to the principles of Torah numerology, five represents a level
of G-dliness above all limitation, while ten reflects the structure of
our finite, material world. The intent of this chapter of Ethics of the
Fathers is to reveal the G-dliness which transcends all limitations
within the context of our material existence.

                                     (Sefer HaSichot 5751, Vol. II)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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The sad and often tragic history of the Marranos of Spain and Portugal
began more than a hundred years before the Expulsion in 1492, and
continued for several hundred years after. The bloody pogroms that
started in Spain in 1391 forced many Jews to accept Christianity in
order to save their lives. These Jews were, from that time forth, under
the watchful eyes of the Inquisition, a clerical tribunal set up to
apprehend backsliding "New Christians."

On the slightest evidence, people were arrested, tortured, and often
burned at the stake for the "sin" of secretly practicing Judaism. In
spite of the terror of the Inquisition, many Jewish families continued
observing the mitzvot (commandments) in secret. One such family was the
Nunez family of Portugal.

Over the generations, the secret of their Jewishness had been handed
down from father to son and mother to daughter. Three members of the
family had paid with their lives for their loyalty to their faith:
Clara, Isabella and Helen were all sentenced to death in 1632.

The family had branches in Spain and Portugal. The Portuguese family was
considered among the aristocracy of that country. The head of that
family, Samuel, or as he was known in Portuguese, Ribiero Nunez, was the
court physician.

On the surface Samuel was a loyal Catholic, never arousing the slightest
suspicion that he was a secret Jew. But the Inquisition set about to
discover his secret.

One fanatical member of the tribunal succeeded in planting a spy in his
household - a servant who was instructed to note all of the family
activities and report back with his findings. Indeed, he returned to the
tribunal with the news that the Samuel Nunez family was seen observing
certain Jewish rituals.

Samuel Nunez's arrest caused a sensation in the land. A personal friend
as well as physician to the king, Dr. Nunez was widely admired by the
nobility. Although the king normally refrained from interfering with the
actions of the Inquisition, he now used his influence to free the
doctor.

The Inquisition freed him, but on the condition that an observer be
installed in his home to watch for any questionable activities. Samuel
Nunez decided that he had better plan an escape. It would be difficult
to elude the spying eyes in his household, but Dr. Nunez seized upon a
brilliant idea. Dr. Nunez invited many of his distinguished friends to
an elaborate banquet at his home. After the meal he announced that a
grand surprise awaited them. His yacht was anchored outside his home on
a nearby river, and he would be treating them to a lovely after-dinner
cruise.

The tipsy guests boarded the ship in happy expectation of more
entertainment. By the time they sobered up and realized they were far
from shore, the Nunez family was well on their way to freedom in
England. For, the "yacht" was a well-appointed British battleship
commissioned by Dr. Nunez for the purpose of bringing his family to
freedom. The surprised passengers were assured that provisions were in
place for their return voyage, but the Nunezes would be remaining
abroad, since their lives were in jeopardy in Portugal.

Careful planning had led to the success of his secret plan. Relatives in
England were waiting for the Nunez family, and when they arrived there,
they joined a group of Jewish refugees bound for the British Colonies of
America.

In the summer of 1733 the Jews arrived in Savannah, Georgia, where
Governor James Edward Oglethorpe provided them with the land they would
need for homes and farming. When a protest was lodged by English
trustees of the colony, saying, "We do not wish to make the American
Colonies a Jewish settlement," Oglethorpe, an honest, liberal-minded
man, ignored it.

Angry protests continued to issue from England to disenfranchise the
Jews, and although the governor made a pretense of obeying, land records
from that time show the Nunez family received the deed to six farms in
the Savannah area.

Due to the continued anti-Jewish pressure, Dr. Nunez moved his family to
Charleston, South Carolina for a time, later returning to Georgia, where
he lived out his life. The doctor's son-in-law located in New York,
where he became one of the leading members of the Spanish-Portuguese
congregation there.

            Adapted from The Storyteller, Kehot Publication Society

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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The exile has caused us travail in regard to our material welfare, and
similarly, has prevented us from reaching our true potential in the
service of Gd. Indeed, it is impossible for us to appreciate how much
the exile has hindered us, for we are all children of the exile. We have
grown up in exile and it dominates our thought processes. This, however,
will be brought to an end in the near future. Through teshuva (returning
to our source), each person will establish a connection with the essence
of his soul. And this will lift us and the entire world above the
limitations of the exile, into "the era which is all rest and Shabbat
for eternity."

                    (The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Shabbat Bamidbar, 1991)

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               END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1322 - Bamidbar 5774
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