Holidays   Shabbat   Chabad-houses   Chassidism   Subscribe   Calendar   Links B"H
 
 
 
The Weekly Publication for Every Jewish Person
Archives Current Issues Home Current Issue
                                  B"H
                                 -----
                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1376
*********************************************************************
                           Copyright (c) 2015
                 Lubavitch Youth Organization - L.Y.O.
                              Brooklyn, NY
                             --------------
                  Electronic version provided free at:
                          www.LchaimWeekly.org
                          --------------------
                  Palm-Pilot version provided free at:
                www.LchaimWeekly.org/lchaim/5775/1376.prc
                          --------------------
                    To receive the L'CHAIM by e-mail
                  write to: listserv@LchaimWeekly.org
                              Subscribe W1
*********************************************************************
             THE WEEKLY PUBLICATION FOR EVERY JEWISH PERSON
   Dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson N.E.
*********************************************************************
        June 19, 2015            Korach            2 Tamuz, 5775
*********************************************************************

                               We Want...

We want Moshiach now. A simple yet powerful phrase coined and made into
a song at a gathering of young children with the Rebbe. The word "want"
has two usages - to desire something and to lack something - and the two
meanings are intimately connected.

We want that which we are wanting; we desire that which we are lacking.
Our will is drawn toward the things that give us profound pleasure, such
as love, wisdom or new experiences. However, more often than not, the
decision-making process focuses more on avoiding pain than on acquiring
pleasure; we decide to do something in order to avert the consequences,
such as shame or guilt, of not doing it.

Ironically, we accomplish the avoidance of suffering using the faculty
that is most suited for generating pleasure. Similarly, we are attracted
to things that we are lacking; the recognition of the deficiency awakens
a greater desire and propels us to work harder to achieve it. That's why
there is nothing more lacking than someone who thinks that she or he is
lacking nothing. Without recognizing what we are missing, what is the
incentive to grow?

So when we say that we don't want something, it often means we think we
are not lacking it; when we want something, we are acknowledging that
which we are lacking.

There is no greater pleasure than getting something that you feel you're
missing, and no greater recipe for complacency than someone who wants
nothing because he thinks he has it all.

We want Moshiach now. We desire Moshiach because of our awareness that
we are lacking it. The world is incomplete. I am incomplete. Each
individual and all of us collectively feel a lack of love, a lack of
harmony, a lack of happiness. We want all of these things. And therefore
we want them. Now.

                                *  *  *


We live in a state of dichotomy, hovering somewhere between the ideal
and pragmatic self. The ideal self would rather spend more time playing
with our children than placating our thirst for superficial pleasures,
and exert more energy on pursuing spiritual purpose than chasing the
mighty dollar. But we get caught up because of the wall that separates
us from this deeper, truer self. We get distracted from the ideal
because these stones cut us off from our hearts.

The world at large operates under a similar dichotomy. On one side, the
world and all its inhabitants really want to live in peace with each
other and with the earth. On the other side, "reality" dictates that
wars have to be fought, children have to get caught in the crossfire and
natural resources need to be plundered and burned.

But what we really want, what the world really wants, is for this wall
to come crumbling down. We want to live in peace. Moshiach is standing
on the other of this wall, looking through the windows, peeking through
the cracks and crevices, waiting for us to make it happen.

But it doesn't take a large-scale revolution to bring it down. Just as
the wall was built by human thoughtlessness, so too every action taken
with sincerity and sensitivity has the potential to chip away at the
wall, bringing our real dreams that much closer to fruition.

*********************************************************************
           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
*********************************************************************
In this week's Torah portion, Korach, we read of Korach's questioning
and eventually rebelling against Moses and G-d. Korach's first question
to Moses was, "Does a garment made completely of turquoise wool still
require a single turquoise thread in its tzitzit - fringes?" Moses'
answer was "yes." Korach believed Moses' response was absurd.

Why the commandment for one strand of turquoise wool in the tzitzit? The
Talmud explains because turquoise is a spiritual color. It resembles the
oceans and the heavens, reminding a human being of G-d's majesty.

In truth, Korach and Moses debated the nature of spiritual leadership,
the question of how to inspire human beings toward idealism and
holiness. Korach believed that you need to overwhelm people with the
magic and majesty of your message. Let their entire "garment," their
entire identity, become all-turquoise, melting completely in the "blue"
of heaven.

Moses disagreed; to let people's spirits soar is splendid, but never
enough. For inspiration to leave a lasting impact, it must find
expression in individual specific acts, words and thoughts. To make a
real transformation in people's lives, you must give them a single act
through which they can connect to G-d and bring His morality into the
world on a daily basis. You need to inspire people to make one strand of
their lives blue.

This was an argument about what should become the great emphasis of
Judaism. According to Korach, Judaism was about awakening a passion to
revolutionize the universe. But Moses understood that in order to
accomplish this goal, the primary focus of Judaism needed to be on
individual daily behavior, changing the world one mitzva at a time.

Korach's message seemed logical. If we can electrify a soul with a
passion for making the world a G-dly place, is the individual mitzva
ultimately relevant? Let us talk about changing people and changing the
world, not about small individual acts!

Korach felt that Moses was misrepresenting G-d's true intent. By
focusing so much on mitzvot, Moses was stifling the spiritual creativity
in the souls of Israel. Moses was robbing the community of its grandeur.

Korach was a revolutionary,  a soul on fire. But Moses was a leader, a
shepherd. Moses, to be sure, deeply identified with Korach's message. If
anybody understood the value of impassioned idealism, it was Moses, a
man who left everything behind in his quest for truth. But a leader is
not an individual lofty soul; a leader is a person who encompasses
within his own heart an entire nation, and who is deeply in-tune with
human nature.

Moses knew that a message that inspires boundless awe and excitement,
but that does not demand individual life changes, won't have a lasting
impact.

When an idealistic spirit speaks of transforming the universe and
uplifting all of humanity, but fails to focus on building this universe
through daily actions and words, at the end, he might fall very low,
perhaps even become swallowed by the abyss. This indeed occurred to
Korach and his men.

The lesson is clear: Living a Jewish life on a daily basis, saturated
with Torah study and mitzva observance, and passing on these sacred
deeds to our children - is what will secure Jewish continuity and heal
the world.

              Adapted by Rabbi Yosef Y. Jacobson from a talk of the
            Lubavitcher Rebbe, June 16, 1974. To subscribe to Rabbi
                  Jacobson's weekly essay, visit www.theyeshiva.net

*********************************************************************
                             SLICE OF LIFE
*********************************************************************
                  How a Box of Tissues Changed My Life
                         by Sara Esther Crispe

I was a junior in college when I decided to spend my year in Israel
studying abroad. It was an intense time on many levels. A major
disagreement with my parents had resulted in almost a year with no
contact. I was financially independent and struggled to support myself.
I was working 40 hours a week while taking a full load of courses. And I
was seriously exploring, for the first time in my life, who I was, where
I came from and where I wanted to go.

During my search I had started to learn and connect with Chassidic
philosophy and had been introduced to the teachings of the Lubavitcher
Rebbe. As a student of literature, I was astounded by the depth of
meaning and symbolism that his teachings offered and the way
foundational and conceptual ideas in Jewish philosophy had such profound
relevance to my 20 year old self.

I was filled with questions. Pained by turbulence in my relationships.
And overall in need of guidance and direction. I had hit a crossroads. I
desperately wanted to stay in Israel and continue my Jewish exploration.
But I only had one year left to graduate. As short as a year is, at the
time it seemed like an eternity and I didn't necessarily trust myself in
an environment that had created more confusion and questions than
stability.

It was suggested that I write to the Rebbe for advice. I had never met
the Rebbe but felt a very strong connection. I knew he knew me. I knew
he would understand and give me guidance that I desperately needed. And
so I wrote my first letter. I don't remember all the details but I
explained my situation and asked for advice. My main question was
whether I should stay in yeshiva at that point and continue my Jewish
learning or return to college and attain my degree.

While I was visiting Crown Heights, New York, I handed my letter to
Rabbi Binyomin Klein, one of the Rebbe's secretaries. The second I saw
him I liked him. He had these warm, brown eyes and his smile was
welcoming with an "I totally get you" type feeling. I gave him my letter
and was told that he would be in contact after the Rebbe responded.

A few weeks went by. I wasn't exactly sure how the process worked but I
was worried that maybe my letter had been forgotten. So I went to 770 to
find Rabbi Klein and follow up. When he saw me he started excitedly
saying that he had been looking all over for me and couldn't find me.
Then in his humorous way he reminded me that when I wrote the Rebbe I
never included my personal information such as my name or phone number.
He was laughing as he gently reminded me: "The Rebbe knows who you are!
But you need to include your details for me. I don't know who you are!"

Now by the time I came for my response, my circumstances had greatly
changed. My plan had been to return to California and live with the
family of the Chabad emissaries near my parent's home. However by the
time I came to Rabbi Klein I had discovered that the only way I could
return to college was if I agreed to live at home. As I knew my parents
were less than thrilled with my interest in living an observantly Jewish
life, I did not think living at home was a wise move. To put it lightly.

Rabbi Klein immediately began to tell me that the Rebbe was adamant I
return to California and get my degree. As he put in, I was to "finish
what I started." Now half of my dilemma was solved as having that
guidance and support to return to college was exactly what I needed to
believe it was the right move. However, being that this plan required
moving back home was the part that I didn't know how to handle.

I started to explain that I couldn't go back home. I needed Rabbi Klein
to ask the Rebbe again with my new circumstances explained. There was
simply no way the Rebbe would send me back to California knowing what I
now knew to be the situation. But Rabbi Klein was insistent. He said he
had never seen the Rebbe so clear in a response. There was no question
that the Rebbe wanted me to return.

I tried again to say that it wasn't so simple. Now generally I can be
fairly calm and eloquent when trying to make a point. But for whatever
reason before I knew it I was on the verge of sobbing. I started to say
that I really needed him to ask again when out of nowhere the
wellsprings opened and I was full on bawling. Not crying. But completely
shaking and hyperventilating with tears pouring down my face. I was a
mess. Literally.

Poor Rabbi Klein had not signed up for this. We stood in his office and
he wasn't exactly sure what to do with this hysterical girl. At first he
tried to console me with words, but it wasn't working. I recall other
rabbis entering his office, only for him to shoo them away to give me
the privacy I needed. He then grabbed a box of tissues and handed me one
after the other while I tried to gain some sense of composure.

I kept going for quite some time before I could even catch my breath.
Rabbi Klein did not know me. I certainly did not come across as terribly
stable in this incident, and yet he stood there, giving me all the time
I needed, handing me tissues and telling me things would be ok, as if
nothing else was on the calendar of one of the busiest men in Crown
Heights, none other than the personal secretary of the Rebbe.

When I eventually calmed down, Rabbi Klein assured me that the only
reason he didn't feel the need to ask the Rebbe again was because he was
confident that the Rebbe's advice still applied. Then he gave me his
contact information. He told me that if for any reason I found myself in
California and crying like this, I was to give him a call and he would
pay for my plane ticket back to Crown Heights. He made it clear that he
would take care of me.

And take care of me he did. I returned to California. I moved back in
with my parents, and while challenging, it was an important part of the
much-needed reconciliation. Then I returned to college at UCSD, a few
hours south of my parent's home in Los Angeles.

It was a few weeks later that it was pretty apparent why the Rebbe was
insistent that I return back to California. While an entire story in
itself, the brief version is that because I was returning to school, my
family decided to spend the first long weekend of my return with me in
the gorgeous area of La Jolla near my campus. It was the end of January,
1994, and they were staying at a hotel when the earth shook violently.
We soon discovered that one of the largest earthquakes to ever hit
California had just taken place in Northridge, where my parents lived.
Their very intersection was the epicenter of this quake.

Weeks later when it was finally safe to return and survey the damage it
became clear that had my family been home at the time, they may not have
survived the quake. Our house was totaled. The damage was unbelievable.
And yet everyone was safe. Because they were visiting me in college.
Because I had returned back to college from New York. Because the Rebbe
had guided me to. And when I hadn't wanted to listen, Rabbi Klein
insisted. Because he told me it would be OK.

He was right.

Soon after graduation I moved to Crown Heights, this time to dedicate
myself full time to my Jewish studies. Rabbi Klein's home became a
second home to me. I would spend many a Shabbat meal there and soon
became very close with one of his daughters as well. Every time Rabbi
Klein would see me he would smile, ask if I was ok and if I needed a
tissue. He was always joking and yet through his humor could get to the
deepest part of an issue or concern.

Rabbi Klein and his wife Laya always made me feel like I was their most
important guest. They were so excited when I entered and treated me with
such love, care and focus. When I moved to Israel soon after getting
married, they called me when they were visiting and had me come see them
in Jerusalem. Even when years would go by and we wouldn't see each
other, if I called they would know me by my voice, before I could even
introduce myself.

It has been just over 21 years from my first meeting with Rabbi Klein.
Last year I was fortunate enough to spend a Shabbat with the Kleins and
stayed in their home. This past Sunday I was in Crown Heights for just a
few hours before taking a train back to our home in Vermont. I didn't
have any time to visit people. But I did make sure to stop by the
Kleins. I was immediately welcomed by Mrs. Klein who is always so calm,
composed and positive. She joked about how she still quotes something I
told her right after I got married 18 years ago. She asked about my
kids, our move to Vermont, and as always, was uplifting and supportive.

It is now less than a week later. I am once again on the same train,
this time back to NYC. I just opened a news site. There was Rabbi
Klein's picture. And above it the words, "Baruch Dayan Ha'Emet - Blessed
is the True Judge."

So I sit here and type and cry. The world has lost such an unbelievable
soul. He has left behind so many children, grandchildren, great
grandchildren and a generation that he has impacted and uplifted. And
yet, as devastated as I am, through my tears, I also smile. Because when
I close my eyes I see his face, with the warmest, most loving smile, and
hear his voice as he asks: "Nu, do you need a tissue?"

                          Reprinted with permission from chabad.org

*********************************************************************
                            THE REBBE WRITES
*********************************************************************
                       28th of Teves, 5721 [1961]

I received your recent letter, and the previous one. Needless to say, I
was somewhat taken aback by the tone. It is a good illustration of how
it is possible for a person to read and to learn and to receive
instruction from books and teachers, and yet when it comes to actual
experience, all of this instruction goes by the wayside.

I refer to the things which you have surely learned in books of Mussar
[ethical works], and especially Chassidic teachings, about the tactics
of the Yetzer Hara, the evil inclination, to instill a spirit of
depression, discouragement and despondency in order to prevent a Jewish
person from fulfilling his Divine mission. This is the most effective
approach. If the Yetzer Hara would attempt to dissuade the person
directly from fulfilling his mission, he would not be easily misled.
However, instead, the Yetzer tries to discourage the person in all sorts
of ways, using "pious" arguments, which unfortunately, often proves
effective, at least in some degree.

This is exactly what has happened in your case, and I'm surprised that
you do not realize it. The proof is that from the information I have
received, I can see that you have accomplished a great deal more than
you can imagine....

Let me also add another important and essential consideration. You
surely know of the saying of the Baal Shem Tov that a soul comes down to
live on this earth for a period of 70-80 years for the sole purpose to
do another Jew a single favor materially or spiritually. In other words,
it is worthwhile for a Jewish soul to make that tremendous journey and
descend from heaven to earth in order to do something once for one
fellow Jew.

In your case the journey was only from the USA to Milan, and can in no
way be compared with the journey of the soul from heaven to earth. And
however pessimistic you might feel, even the yetzer hara would have to
agree that you have done not only a single favor, but numerous good
deeds, and even only your work with the children of the gan
[kindergarten] would have justified it.

Considering further that every beginning is difficult, especially where
there is a change of place, environment, language, etc., and yet the
beginning has proved so successful, one is surely justified in expecting
that as time goes on and the initial difficulties are minimized and
overcome, there will be a more than corresponding improvement in the
good accomplishments....

As for your mentioning the fact that no one seems to be interested in
your work, etcetera, surely you will admit that G-d, whose knowledge and
providence extends to everyone individually, knows and is interested in
what you are doing. especially as you are working in the field of
education of Jewish children, boys and girls, which is so much
emphasized in the Torah. After all, to teach children to make a beracha
[blessing] and to say the prayers, etc., this is living Yiddishkeit
[Judaism]. (I need hardly mention that I, too, am interested in your
work.)

If it seems to you that you have been left to carry the ball yourself,
it is surely only because there is confidence in you, and that since you
have been sent to Milan, you undoubtedly have the ability,
qualifications and initiative to do your work without outside
promptings, etcetera.

Since one is only human, it is not unusual to lapse occasionally into a
mood of discouragement. But as has been explained in the [book of] Tanya
and in other sources, such a relapse should only serve as a challenge to
bring forth additional inner reserves and energy to overcome the tactics
of the Yetzer Hora and to do ever better than before.

I trust that since you wrote your letter, your mood and outlook have
considerably improved and that this letter will find you in a completely
different frame of mind. Nevertheless, I am sending you this letter
since one is only human and subject to changes of mind as mentioned
above.

Finally I want to say that the above should not be understood to mean
that if you do find yourself in such a frame of mind, you should not try
to conceal it and not write about it, for our Sages have said when a
person has an anxiety he should relate it to others, for getting
something off one's chest is in itself already a relief.

One should also bear in mind, as the Alter Rebbe [Rabbi Shneur Zalman,
founder of Chabad Chasidism] has stated most emphatically in the laws of
learning and teaching Torah, that a person who is engaged in teaching
children should especially take care of his health since it directly
affects the success of the work. I trust therefore that you are looking
after yourself in matters of diet and rest, etcetera, and that you will
always be in a state of cheerfulness and gladness. Hoping to hear good
news from you.

With blessing...

*********************************************************************
                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
*********************************************************************
A basic teaching of Chasidic philosophy is that everything that happens
in this world is guided by Divine Providence.

The book "Hayom Yom - From Day to Day," was compiled by the Rebbe in
1942 at the behest of his father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe, and
contains short thoughts for each day from the teachings of the Previous
Rebbe.

The thought included by the Rebbe for this Shabbat, Gimmel (the third
of) Tammuz, reads:

"A Jewish groan which, G-d forbid, arises from physical misfortune, is
also a great repentance; how much more so then, is a groan arising from
spiritual distress a lofty and effective repentance. The groan pulls him
out of the depths of evil and places him on a firm footing in the realm
of good."

Though Gimmel Tammuz is actually the day in 1927 on which the Previous
Rebbe's death sentence by the Russian government was commuted to life in
exile -- thus marking the beginning of his liberation -- the Rebbe chose
not to include a message appropriate to these happy tidings, but rather,
a thought about the tremendous power of a Jewish sigh.

How many Jewish groans were emitted on Gimmel Tammuz 21 years ago for
the spiritual distress of the Rebbe's passing? How many sighs are
uttered each day, each year, that passes that we still find ourselves in
exile?

But, as the Rebbe himself asked a chasid after the passing of the
Previous Rebbe, "What good are your tears?" i.e., crying will not help
the situation, it is action that is demanded and required to bring
Moshiach.

By each one of us adding on or enhancing in mitzva observance, surely we
will all be placed on a firm footing in the realm of good, the ultimate
good of the Redemption, may it commence immediately, NOW!

*********************************************************************
                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
*********************************************************************
The Torah portion of Korach

How is it possible that a portion of the Torah is named after a sinner
as great as Korach? The Torah wants to emphasize that we can learn
something constructive even from Korach's bitter controversy. Just as
Korach wanted to be a High Priest, every Jew should similarly desire to
draw near to G-d.

                                                   (Likutei Sichot)

                                *  *  *


And Korach took [a bold step]...together with Datan and Aviram...and
Ohn, the son of Pelet (Num. 16:1)

The Torah criticizes Datan and Aviram more than any other participants
in Korach's rebellion as they mixed into a controversy that was none of
their business. They weren't firstborn sons who might have resented
having the priesthood taken away from them, nor were they even from the
tribe of Levi. The priesthood was none of their concern.

                                                   (Machane Belula)

                                *  *  *


And Moses sent to call Datan and Aviram (Num. 16:12)

It states in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 106): "From this we learn that one
should not 'hold on' to controversy." Even if several attempts to make
peace have been made without success, it is forbidden to throw up one's
hands and assume that nothing more can be done. Rather, one must
continue one's efforts until peace is attained. Thus despite the fact
that Moses had already spoken to Datan and Aviram several times, he
attempted one more time to dissuade them.

                                          (Rabbi Yitzchak of Vorky)

                                *  *  *


And you shall give there of the heave-offering of the L-rd to Aaron the
Priest (Num. 18:28)

If, as we read in the Torah, Aaron the Priest passed away in the desert
before entering the Land of Israel, how would the Jews be able to
fulfill this commandment? Rather, this is an allusion to a time after
the Resurrection of the Dead, when Aaron will again be alive and able to
receive his due.

                                                  (Peninei HaGeula)

*********************************************************************
                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
*********************************************************************
                           by Nosson Avraham

Matan Yehoshua Sadovnik is an expert in Shiatsu and Chinese medicine and
practices in the Maccabi Health Services in Safed, Israel.

Matan shared a story that happened to him three years ago. "I had built
our house myself in the Baal Shem Tov woods in Miron. I did everything
with my own hands. Toward the end of the building process, I began to
feel agonizing pain in my back. I naively thought that these pains would
dissipate as quickly as they came, but unfortunately, I was quite
mistaken. The back aches became more intense. I had never encountered
such acute pain before.

"I lay in bed at home for three days, unable to move a muscle. Every
movement was accompanied by sharp pain. After three days, when I saw
that there was no change, I decided to do something. I turned to a
highly regarded and professionally trained healing expert who had taught
me the art of Shiatsu medicine. After explaining the situation to him he
proceeded to begin treatment. While he tried to the best of his ability
to relieve my pain, regrettably, his efforts proved unsuccessful.

"The pain remained quite intense and I almost began to despair. After
another couple of days with no change in my condition, I decided to make
the supreme effort and travel to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai,
located not far from my home, and pour out my heart in prayer for
personal salvation.

"Walking into the sanctuary from the car was extremely difficult for me.
The pain grew worse with every step and I had to sit down for a moment
before going in.

"At that same time, a young Chabad chassid passed by me and placed a
booklet on the table. It was open, apparently, he wanted to come back
later and start reading from the point where he had left it open. I
looked at the booklet and then picked it up and started to read.

"The text on the page before me was a letter of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
that included a lengthy discussion on the vertebrae. The Rebbe noted
that while the vertebrae are an important part of the human body,
enabling a person to stand upright, they are not counted among the
limbs. Similarly, we find regarding prayer: While it connects a Jew to
his Creator, it is not considered one of the 613 mitzvos of the Torah.

"I read all this with incredulous eyes. Here I am, right now, suffering
from terrible back pains. I could see the incredible Divine Providence.
Eager to find the answer to my nagging problem, I continued to read. "In
the following letter, the Rebbe mentioned the importance of checking
one's tefillin. Suddenly, I thought, 'Now was the time to have my
tefillin checked, something that I had never done before.' I hadn't been
able to stand up straight for Shmoneh Esrei. Maybe there's some problem
with my tefillin?

"I didn't waste any valuable time. Despite the physical pain and
discomfort, I immediately made my way from the Rashbi's tomb straight to
the home of a very devout Torah scribe living in Safed. I asked him to
open my tefillin and have them checked as soon as possible. He agreed to
do so in my presence without delay. When he opened them up and removed
the parchments, he said emotionally, 'Your tefillin are not kosher!'

"It turned out that a worm, of all things, had somehow managed to
wriggle its way into one of the compartments and rendered the script on
the parchment unfit. It was a shocking sight.

"The scribe lent me one of his spare pairs of tefillin to use in the
meantime. As I was making my way home my mind was a complete jumble. On
the one hand, it was very disturbing to realize that I had been putting
on non-kosher tefillin all this time. On the other hand, it was also
quite amazing how the Creator had arranged for me to come across a
letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe that led me to get my tefillin checked
and start putting on kosher t'fillin from now on. Yet, even I couldn't
imagine what was about to happen.

"When I arrived home, I quickly donned the tefillin and started to pray.
I stood up with great difficulty and held on to a chair placed in front
of me to pray the Shemona Esrei, silent standing prayer. When I came to
the last section, 'Oseh Shalom Bimromav,' when one customarily bows the
body in various directions, I turned my body to bow to the right,
center, and left, and realized that I had done so without any sharp
pain.

"Since that moment, the pains in my back disappeared as if there had
never been a problem.They went as quickly as they had come. It was a
miracle. I attribute this to the great virtue of G-d's emissary, the
Lubavitcher Rebbe. I don't want to think about what my situation would
be like today if I hadn't come across the Rebbe's letter recommending
that I check my tefillin."

                              Reprinted from Beis Moshiach Magazine


*********************************************************************
                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
*********************************************************************
Even if a single individual carries out his service in a perfect manner,
what effect can such activity have on the world at large? On the
surface, the world seems to be going on without being affected by a
Jew's service in spreading the wellsprings of Chasidic teachings outward
or preparing for Moshiach's coming. This, however, represents a very
narrow view of what is going on in the world. In truth, the world is
ready for Moshiach's coming and when a Jew carries out his service in
the proper manner, the world itself and the gentile nations will assist
him. In practice, from the Third of Tammuz onward, efforts must be made
to intensify our service of spreading the wellsprings of Chasidic
teachings outward.

                                   (The Rebbe, 3 Tammuz, 5751-1991)

*********************************************************************
                END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1376 - Korach 5775
*********************************************************************

Current
  • Daily Lessons
  • Weekly Texts & Audio
  • Candle-Lighting times

    613 Commandments
  • 248 Positive
  • 365 Negative

    PDA
  • iPhone
  • Java Phones
  • BlackBerry
  • Moshiach
  • Resurrection
  • For children - part 1
  • For children - part 2

    General
  • Jewish Women
  • Holiday guides
  • About Holidays
  • The Hebrew Alphabet
  • Hebrew/English Calendar
  • Glossary

    Books
  • by SIE
  • About
  • Chabad
  • The Baal Shem Tov
  • The Alter Rebbe
  • The Rebbe Maharash
  • The Previous Rebbe
  • The Rebbe
  • Mitzvah Campaign

    Children's Corner
  • Rabbi Riddle
  • Rebbetzin Riddle
  • Tzivos Hashem

  • © Copyright 1988-2009
    All Rights Reserved
    L'Chaim Weekly