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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1333
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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 8, 2014         Vaeschanan            12 Av, 5774
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                            Winning Numbers

Nothing happens by chance. Whether you choose your own number for your
lottery ticket or let the computer do it for you, the fact that you won
(or most likely didn't win!) didn't happen by chance. It's all part of
G-d's Divine plan.

The idea that nothing happens by chance is a primary teaching of the
Baal Shem Tov, founder of Chasidism. He goes even further and says that
everything that happens in the world is for a purpose. The Baal Shem
Tov's most famous example of this precept is a leaf that falls from a
tree in order to shade an ant from the beating sun.

If this is true of a leaf falling from a tree, a blade of grass swaying
in the wind, a bird flying through the air, how much more so is it true
of the movement of the planets and stars in the constellations which
affect the lives of hundreds of billions of people and an almost
unlimited number of creatures.

The Jewish calendar is reckoned according to the lunar cycle. It is not
by chance that 15 is a "winning number" in the Jewish calendar, i.e.,
the day on which many of our Jewish holidays fall. On the fifteenth day
of the month, the moon is whole. It "shines" at its fullest potential.
And for the Jewish people, who are likened to the moon which waxes and
wanes, the wholeness of the moon is very significant:

G-d has implanted a soul within each one of us. Chasidic philosophy
defines the soul as "an actual part of G-d." We are expected to help our
souls shine brightly, to their fullest potential, thereby lighting up
our surroundings.

The full moon on the fifteenth of the month teaches us that it's not
enough if only a part of us, half or three-quarters, shines. We must
illuminate fully and perfectly.

And the light we give off must shine in every way possible - through
luminous thoughts, with bright words, and by way of shining actions. Our
"moon-shine" should light up our homes, offices, communities, until we
light up the whole world.

We are now in the Jewish month of Av. From the fifteenth day of Av on,
the nights become longer. Jewish teachings explain that the longer
evenings should be used to delve into Torah. G-d even gives us an
incentive to study more Torah beginning on the fifteenth of Av, saying
that if we pursue Torah studies at night, G-d will "add on to our
lives"; He will give us more energy and enthusiasm than we had before.

Nothing happens by chance. The seasons change and the nights become
longer for a reason: so that we can become more involved in Jewish
pursuits; so that we can learn how to help our soul shine; so that we
can get closer to G-d.

Pick a winning number this month by participating in an evening Torah
study class. Or log into torahcafe.com for an at-home audio  lecture,
lchaimweekly.org or chabad.org for edifying Torah articles,
sichosinenglish.org for books on-line, or just old-fashioned open a
Jewish book!

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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In this week's Torah portion, Va'etchanan, Moses recounts the great
revelation of G-dliness that occurred at Mount Sinai. Recalling the
momentous event, Moses describes G-d's voice, heard by the entire Jewish
people, as "a great voice which did not cease."

The Midrash explains these words as follows: G-d's voice was "divided
into seven voices, which were then divided into the 70 languages of the
world."

Furthermore, this Divine voice did not cease - it continues to be heard
in every generation through our Sages and prophets.

What are we to learn from the Torah's choice of the words "a great voice
which did not cease"?

The Talmud explains that the revelation at Mount Sinai was unique
because of its sublime degree of G-dly manifestation. The Talmud points
out that the Hebrew letters of the very first word of the Ten
Commandments, "Anochi" - "I" - stands for "Ana nafshi katvit yahavit" -
"I have written down My essence and given it." G-d's very essence, as it
were, was revealed when He gave the Torah at Sinai.

Yet one must not mistakenly conclude that this intense revelation was a
one-time event, and that all subsequent revelations through our prophets
are only second-best. For every word uttered by our leaders is
Divinely-inspired - "the spirit of G-d speaks through them, and His word
is on their lips" - and expresses the same manifestation of G-d's
essence as did His utterances at Sinai.

"A great voice which did not cease" - G-d's message to mankind is
continually revealed in every generation, in all parts of the Torah, not
just the Ten Commandments.

Every ritual law, every Jewish custom established by our sages, is a
continuation of the revelation of G-dliness that was begun at Mount
Sinai, and is equivalent to G-d's having expressed His will to us
directly.

In His Divine wisdom, G-d decreed that certain aspects of Torah be
revealed only in later generations, but the "great voice" that issues
forth is always the same.

Additionally, the "70 languages" is also an allusion to our exile, when
Jews will be dispersed all over the world and speak every known tongue.

The inner purpose behind this is the sanctification of the world through
our usage of those languages, and the elevation of the hidden sparks of
holiness that are scattered throughout creation.

For no matter the language a Jew speaks, when his speech is in keeping
with Torah and for the sake of heaven, he too is imbued with the power
of the "great voice," and he helps make this world into a "dwelling
place for G-d" - the ultimate completion of which will take place in the
Messianic Era.

                  Adapted from Likutei Sichot of the Rebbe, Vol. IV

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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When Rabbi Leibel Alevsky and his wife, Devorah, were sent to Cleveland
in 1972 by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson to establish the first
Chabad house in Cleveland and eastern Ohio, they could not have imagined
how the movement would grow regionally under their leadership.

Today, in addition to the Waxman Chabad Center in Beachwood, there are
eight Chabad branches in Northeast Ohio.

Rabbi Alevsky said the goal for all of these Chabad houses is the same:
"To reach out to Jews young and old, to welcome them warmly without
judgment and to expose them to Jewish values."

The Chabad torch was passed to the Alevskys by Devorah Alevsky's
parents, Rabbi Zalman and Rebbetzin Shula Kazen, who started the
movement locally when they moved to Cleveland from Paris in 1953. The
Kazens operated out of Congregation Zemach Zedek in Cleveland Heights,
where Rabbi Kazen served as spiritual leader for more than 50 years.

"We have 10 children, and all of them are involved in the Chabad
movement," Devorah Alevsky said.

Four of the children are Chabad shluchim in Greater Cleveland, and a
fifth helps lead a Chabad in Akron-Canton. The remaining five children
work in the movement elsewhere, including sites in New York; Maale
Efraim, Israel; London; Shanghai, China; and Argentina.

Rabbi Leibel Alevsky was 33 and his wife was 28 when they arrived in
Cleveland. "We started our activities that summer at the Case Western
Reserve Hillel House," Rabbi Alevsky said. "Mrs. Kazen had arranged with
Hillel that I would address a group of students interested in Judaism
once a week for 13 weeks, and we would answer their questions."

The classes started with four or five students per class. But within a
couple weeks, 80 to 90 students were flocking to the class, Rabbi
Alevsky said.

"The program was called 'Stump the Rabbi,'" he said with a smile. "Kids
could ask anything they wanted. They sat from 9 p.m. until (sometimes) 3
a.m. with us."

The Alevskys were living with the Kazens in Cleveland Heights at the
time, and on days when class was not held, many students would come over
to them and ask more questions, Rabbi Alevsky said.

Irving Stone, a former CEO of American Greetings known for his
philanthropy, saw the Alevskys in action and "was very impressed," Rabbi
Alevsky said.

"He said he wanted to open a Chabad house," he said. "I said, 'If you're
willing to underwrite the salary and expenses of the program, I will
bring you someone here.' I was not thinking of myself. I had an
important position in New York; I was national director of the central
Lubavitch youth organization."

Stone, a former Beachwood resident who died in 2000, offered to
underwrite the entire budget for the first three years of Chabad of
Cleveland, but under one condition: that the Alevskys move to Cleveland
and run the program.

So Rabbi Alevsky consulted with Rabbi Schneerson, "and he told me to
come to Cleveland to open a Chabad."

In 1981, Rabbi Alevsky decided the Chabad House needed a pulpit rabbi,
as the community had grown to more than 50 people. So Rabbi Sholom Ber
Chaikin was brought in from London to serve as the Chabad's spiritual
leader and halachic authority - a position he still holds.

Rabbi Zushe and Miriam Greenberg launched the Chabad Jewish Center of
Solon in 1991. The Greenbergs met in Brooklyn, N.Y. Zushe Greenberg, who
grew up in the Tel Aviv area of Israel, arrived there at age 19 to study
under Rabbi Schneerson at the Lubavitcher Yeshiva.

"I was with the Rebbe every day, three services a day ... it was the
best six years of my life," Zushe Greenberg said. "Being around the
Rebbe felt like being in a different atmosphere. The Rebbe constantly
spoke about wanting all the students to go out and share their Judaism
with other Jews," he added.

"The Rebbe said we cannot afford in our generation just to stay in
yeshiva forever and study Torah," he said. "We must go out and reach out
to other Jews. The Rebbe's love for every Jew rubbed off on us, and I
hope that I'm at least a little bit of a reflection of the Rebbe's love
for another person."

"My father-in-law (Rabbi Leibel Alevsky) told me there is a place called
Solon with a lot of young Jewish families moving in, and no Jewish
presence, so it would be a good idea to start a Chabad there," Zushe
Greenberg said. "Before we moved, I asked for the Rebbe's approval and
blessing, and he gave me the blessing that the move should be in a good
and auspicious time. Since then, every day in Solon is a good,
auspicious time."

A year ago, the Greenbergs' daughter, Mushkie and her husband, Rabbi
Shimon Galperin, were hired to coordinate youth programming at Solon
Chabad.

The Chabad Family Center in Lyndhurst, established in January, operates
out of the home of Rabbi Mendy Freedman and his wife, Chaya.Freedman,
who was raised in Argentina as a child of Chabad emissaries, said he
learned from a young age to devote his life to spreading Judaism and
helping all Jews. His mother, Sarah Freedman ¬ Rabbi Leibel and Devorah
Alevskys' oldest daughter - helps run a Chabad house in Argentina with
her husband, Rabbi Moshe Freedman.

"During my last years at the yeshiva in Israel, I started doing my own
outreach at other Chabad centers (around the world)," Mendy Freedman
said. "I really loved doing this outreach work. It all comes from what
the Lubavitcher Rebbe taught us: love your fellow Jew as yourself, the
unconditional love he gave out to every single person."

Rabbi Leibel Alevsky said Chabad of Cleveland looks forward to more
growth in the future.

          Excerpted with permission from The Cleveland Jewish News.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                        New Facilities Dedicated

A sprawling 15,000 square feet facility, Beth Menachem-Chabad, was
recently dedicated in Newton, Massachusetts. The center includes a
beautiful synagogue sanctuary and function hall, library, men and
women's mikvaot (ritual baths) and a large number of classrooms.

The Chabad Jewish Center of Chengdu, China, the capital of the Sichuan
province in Southwest China, has inaugurated its new and more central
location to better serve its regulars and visitors. The Chabad center
has gained a reputation as an address for all things Jewish in the
providence known as the "Heaven State."

                        European C-Teen Shabbat

Two hundred teens from 12 cities across Europe gathered in London,
England recently for a C-Teen Shabbaton. The common language at the
Chabad teen youth movement event was Jewish pride and friendship!

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                          5 Kislev 5729 [1968]

Blessing and Greeting:

I duly received your letter postmarked November 20th, as well as your
previous letter.

In reply to your correspondence, and pursuant to our conversation during
your visit here, I want to reiterate that every person, in order to be
able to express himself fully and be successful in his work, must have a
certain measure of independence. This is particularly true in the case
of a person whose main activity is intellectual and spiritual,
especially in the field of research, where independence of thought and
decision is a basic condition of the scientific approach. And inasmuch
as a human being is a single entity, it is inevitable that inhibition in
one area is bound to have an effect on other areas of one's activity.

The above does not imply that a wife should completely withhold her
opinions or suggestions which she considers it her duty to express to
her husband. On the contrary, no person should withhold any idea that
can be beneficial to any Jew, not to mention when it concerns the best
interests of husband and wife, both of whom are like one entity.
Nevertheless, you ought to leave your husband a considerable measure of
independence in making final decisions. And knowing you and him, I am
certain that the proper decisions will be made.

I am gratified to note from your writing that your husband has resumed
his research in earnest, and may G-d grant that it be with much
hatzlocha [success].

As for the question of taking time out as a consultant, etc., it is my
opinion, as I mentioned in our conversation, that if this will not
interfere with his research work, it would be all right. For, as I have
emphasized, his essential work lies in the field of research, and it
should have primary attention, all the more so since there has been a
considerable interruption.

With regard to the question of stocks, my opinion is that they should
not be sold if there would be a loss, G-d forbid. Otherwise stocks
should be sold on the advice of an experienced broker at such time the
broker thinks is right for the particular stock.

Generally speaking, I have no right to withhold my general opinion that
it is not a good idea to invest in stocks the major part of one's
savings. In addition to the consideration that such an investment would
be of questionable financial prudence, there is also the factor of the
nervous strain that the stock market fluctuations cause to the investor.
Also because such a situation is completely independent of the
investor's intelligence and judgment, or at any rate, largely so.
Finally, the present day and age is full of unpredictable developments,
and the market is highly sensitive to national and international events.
In view of all this, those who ask my advice with regard to the stock
market, my usual advice is to rather forgo a percentage of dividends,
and invest in more secure and suitable investments.

I emphasize "those who ask my advice." However, since you have not asked
my advice, I will not say that you should necessarily act accordingly.
May G-d grant that whatever you decide should be with hatzlocha to enjoy
your parnosah [livelihood], and to use your earnings on good, wholesome,
and happy things, especially in the advancement in matters of
Yiddishkeit [Judaism] in general, and the Torah-true education of the
children in particular, and that you and your husband should bring them
up to a life of Torah, chuppah [marriage], and good deeds, in good
health and ample sustenance.

May G-d grant that you should have good news to report, including also
good news about having been successful in finding a suitable apartment
in a desirable neighborhood, as you mention in your letter.

With blessing,

P.S. While the letter was addressed to you, since it is in reply to your
letter, it goes without saying that you may show it to your husband, and
convey to him my best regards at the same time.

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                              TODAY IS ...
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                             12 Menachem Av

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad Chasidic philosophy,
repeated what the Mezritcher Maggid said quoting the Baal Shem Tov:
"Love your fellow like yourself" is an interpretation of and commentary
on "Love Hashem your G-d." He who loves his fellow-Jew loves G-d,
because the Jew has with in himself a "part of G-d Above." Therefore,
when one loves the Jew - i.e. his inner essence - one loves G-d.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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In Judaism, each and every Jew is important, and all of his actions are
significant in the absolute sense. What a Jew does matters - a point
that is underscored this coming Monday, the Fifteenth of Av (Tu B'Av).

It states in the Talmud (Taanit) that, beginning from the Fifteenth of
Av, a Jew should increase the time he devotes to nighttime Torah study.
To reward us for our additional learning, G-d extends our lives and
grants us additional years. Our Sages explained that Tu B'Av is the date
on which we can see the nights begin to be longer and the days shorter.
Generally speaking, the daylight hours are reserved for work, whereas at
night, people have more free time to spend as they please. The shorter
the day, the more hours are left over at night - and nighttime is
especially conducive to learning Torah.

Of course, the length of the days and nights on earth is variable,
changing according to the movement of the sun. On the Fifteenth of Av,
the sun begins to experience a change in orbit.

Now, the world might think that there's a perfectly "natural"
explanation for this, but the Talmud provides us with the true reason
for this planetary phenomenon: to enable the Jew to spend more time
learning Torah! For the sake of the Jew, G-d actually alters the course
of the sun in the sky - a cosmological change of fantastic proportions!

Just think about how important it must be to G-d that we study His
Torah, to the point that He literally moves heaven and earth on our
behalf!

In fact, the entire universe is orchestrated by G-d for our sake, that
we learn His Torah with eagerness and enthusiasm, and express it in
actual deed. So if G-d can move the stars and planets for our sake,
certainly we can "move" ourselves to learn a little more Torah each
evening!

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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Hear O Israel, the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is One (Deut. 6:4)

Our Rabbis said: "Hear - in every language." One can accept the yoke of
heaven in any language, not just in the Hebrew tongue. Likewise, in
every object that a person sees and every sound which reaches his ears
he must strive to see that "the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is One." We can
find G-d's greatness and absolute unity reflected in every single thing
which occurs in the world.

                                                       (Sefat Emet)

                                *  *  *


And these words which I command you this day shall be in your heart
(Deut. 6:6)

"These words" of Torah should be always at the ready; all one must do is
open up one's heart for a second and they will enter.

                                   (Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk)

                                *  *  *


And you shall teach them to your children..."(Deut. 6:7)

It is the duty of Jewish educators to remove from the child any vestige
of inferiority complex about his Jewishness in a predominantly
non-Jewish environment, until he understands that democracy and freedom
are not cauldrons of assimilation, but rather the contrary; they offer
everyone the privilege to have his place, to enjoy his rights, and to
live according to his faith without compromise, the opportunity for the
Jew to fulfill his life's destiny.

                                                    (Sichot Kodesh)

                                *  *  *


And He repays those who hate Him to their face (Deut. 7:10)

G-d repays the wicked in their lifetime for any good they have done,
thereby depriving them of the spiritual rewards in the World to Come.

                                                            (Rashi)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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Napoleon personally commanded his mighty army in order to realize his
dream of capturing India and other lands in the Far East. He captured
Egypt and from there marched into the Land of Israel.

About the same time, in the year 1798, a great-grandson of the Baal Shem
Tov, Rabbi Nachman, arrived in Israel. His hope was to quench his thirst
for Torah from the great saintly Sages living in the ancient city of
Safed.

Once, after concluding his prayers with great concentration and
devotion, he lay down on the grass to rest and fell asleep. Suddenly, in
his dream, he beheld an old man who told him to go to Tiberias where he
had an important mission to carry out on the banks of Lake Kinneret.

Reb Nachman wasted not a moment. He gathered his things and hurried off
toward Tiberias. There, he rented a room in the house of a fisherman.
Napoleon, in the meantime, had made his headquarters on the east bank of
Lake Kinneret. He was receiving reports that there was much unrest in
France, and that his opponents were seeking an opportunity to dethrone
him. In this unsettling atmosphere, it was not easy for Napoleon to
maintain the strict military discipline upon which the success of his
armies depended.

One day, a thieving band of soldiers set out on a rampage, raiding the
homes of the poor fishermen near Lake Kinneret. Three soldiers dashed
into the home where Reb Nachman lived and demanded from the old Jewish
fisherman all his money.

"I am too old to go fishing anymore and my only son supports me,"
explained the elderly man. "I have no money."

The disappointed soldiers began beating the old Jew mercilessly. Reb
Nachman heard the commotion from his attic room and hurried to the
rescue. "Leave the old man alone!" Reb Nachman called out in a
commanding tone.

The soldiers let go of their victim. But seeing the intruder was a thin,
pale, young Jew, they turned their attention on him. "So, you would like
to have a taste of this beating?" one of the soldiers called out
contemptuously. He took off his belt and approached Reb Nachman.

Rabbi Nachman shot a piercing glance at the soldier who remained
standing with his arm paralyzed in the air. The two other soldiers tried
to help their friend, but they, too, were quickly made helpless by the
sharp look of Reb Nachman.

Reb Nachman ordered them to put the old man on his bed and ask his
forgiveness. "Now, get out of here at once and don't let your foot enter
any Jewish home if you value your lives," he warned the soldiers.

Terrified and in deadly silence, the soldiers ran out. Arriving at their
barracks, they told their friends about the terrible experience with the
holy young Jew who had magical powers.

The story spread throughout the entire French Army camp until it reached
Napoleon. Napoleon had the soldiers brought to him. He questioned them
and then decided to meet this unusual rabbi, who might be able to
foretell what the future had in store for him.

"That is the man," Reb Nachman heard a familiar-looking soldier say.

As Napoleon approached Reb Nachman, the rabbi rose and greeted him with
great respect, saying, "Good evening, your Majesty. Blessed are you in
your coming."

Amazed, Napoleon asked, "How do you know who I am?"

"Our Torah enlightens the eyes of those who follow its teachings," Reb
Nachman replied.

As they talked, Napoleon realized that he was conversing with a
distinguished spiritual personality, who also had a deep understanding
of worldly problems and events.

"Do you think I should continue my military expedition through the
countries of the Middle East to reach India, or should we return to
France?" he asked Reb Nachman.

Reb Nachman pondered the matter for a while then said, "The Creator has
blessed you with exceptional qualities which you should use for the
benefit of mankind. The way to achieve this is not through wars and
bloodshed. Do not allow your military victories to mislead you. They
will not bring peace to the world, and without peace you have nothing.
Return home and help to create in your own country an exemplary order of
justice and righteousness."

Napoleon shook his head and said, "Such a mission is not for me. I would
rather live a short life full of triumph and power than a long life
without them."

"Everyone has freedom of choice in the way he wishes to live," said
Rabbi Nachman respectfully.

Napoleon invited Reb Nachman to accompany him as his adviser, despite
the fact that he hadn't followed Reb Nachman's advice.

But Reb Nachman demurred the honor, saying, "My only wish is to serve
the Alm-ghty with all my heart and with all my soul."

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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Our Sages said, "The Jews never had festivals like the 15th of Av and
Yom Kippur." The 15th of Av, this reflects the transformation of
darkness into light. It reflects the fullness of the moon of Av, the
time when the positive intent hidden within the negative factors of that
month will be revealed. This is emphasized by our Sages' statement that
the Holy Temple  was destroyed in Av "so that" it be rebuilt in Av.

                (The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Shabbat Nachamu, 5749-1989)

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              END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1333 - Vaeschanan 5774
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