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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1384
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                           Copyright (c) 2015
                 Lubavitch Youth Organization - L.Y.O.
                              Brooklyn, NY
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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 14, 2015          Re'eh               29 Av, 5775
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                                The Spin

These days you can't read an article, listen to a radio report, or watch
a news broadcast without wondering what's the spin.

Who was responsible for turning a point of interest in a particular
direction, and how was it done are also questions that come to mind.

Lastly, we ask if someone was specially hired - a spin doctor - to turn
an event or news item toward a particular path.

Spinning isn't new; in fact, it's as old as the Torah itself.

We spin and turn the Torah scroll each time we read it, rolling the
parchment from one stick to the other. This action serves as a reminder
that a Torah spin is constant and eternal.

The Torah Sage, Ben Bag Bag said, "Turn it and turn it [the Torah], for
everything is within it. Look deeply inside it; grow old and gray with
it, and do not stir from it, for there is nothing more edifying than it
for you."

In this week's "Ethics of the Fathers," Ben Bag Bag, enjoins us to turn
and turn the Torah, to sift through it as one would sift through sand in
which precious gems are buried. And then, to use the wisdom gained to
understand events big or small through a Torah spin.

Without exaggeration, everything is in the Torah.

Stories abound of Torah scholars who were proficient in every area of
the arts and sciences, solely through their expertise in Torah.

Rabbi Irving Bunim writes in his commentary on this verse, "Invariably,
our great sages and scholars, nurtured on Torah alone, did not find
their understanding faulty or their knowledge incomplete because they
did not attend a university.

"In the time of the Sages, a philosopher in Rome fortuitously
discovered, by empirical means, the gestation period of the serpent.

"On a visit of some Sages to Rome, he asked them tauntingly how long
this period was. Rabban Gamliel, the head of the delegation, could make
no reply, and his face grew ashen with shame.

"When Rabbi Joshua (who was absent at the conversation) met him, he yet
looked ill, and Rabbi Joshua immediately asked the reason.

"Once told, Rabbi Joshua showed Rabban Gamliel how the answer could be
inferred from the Almighty's words to the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

"That very evening, Rabban Gamliel went and gave Rabbi Joshua's answer
to the philosopher, who thereupon began beating his head against the
wall. 'All that I struggled for seven years to discover,' he cried,
'this man comes and casually dangles before me at the end of a reed!' "
(Ethics From Sinai)

Like a diamond, the Torah has many facets.

A cursory glance at a diamond reveals nothing more than a piece of
glass. But when we turn and turn a diamond, we begin to appreciate its
full beauty.

Secular wisdom, esoteric teachings, medical advice, good eating habits,
stress management, meditation techniques, social etiquette, obligations
toward G-d, the secrets of the universe.

These and more are contained within the Torah.

Turn and turn the Torah. Look deeply into it. Even if you have studied
Torah for many years, continue to study and grow old and gray with it.
For everything is within it.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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The Torah portion of Re'ei is always read on the Shabbat preceding the
month of Elul, or on the first day of Elul. Elul,  the month before Rosh
Hashana, is dedicated to repentance and seeking forgiveness for our
sins. This portion illustrates the great power that teshuva, or
returning to G-d, can have.

In general, the Torah is very stringent when it comes to laws concerning
idolatry. Indeed, idol worship is one of the three transgressions, along
with incest and murder, for which we are required to give up our very
lives rather than commit. And in certain circumstances, the Torah
decrees capital punishment for those who worship idols. Re'ei discusses
the possibility of an entire town that has been lead astray and is
engaging in this transgression, and refuses to repent of its evil. In
such a case, the entire village is destroyed.

Maimonides explained that if the inhabitants do teshuva and return to
the One True G-d, then the town is not destroyed.

There is something very unique about this law. In every other instance
of wrong-doing where a Jewish court is empowered to mete out punishment,
the sinner's repentance has no bearing on and in no way prevents the
sentence from being carried out. But in the case of the "town which was
led astray," if the people do teshuva the town is allowed to remain in
existence.

The explanation for this lies in the unique category created by the
"town which was led astray." When an entire populace is misled to serve
false gods, the town attains the status of an idolatrous community. No
longer are the inhabitants viewed as individuals who are sinning, but
rather the entire community, as a community, is considered as deserving
the harsh punishment entailed in the Torah. But if all the people
sincerely repent, they revert to their former status as individuals, and
their town therefore avoids having to be destroyed.

This underscores the immense power of repentance, which can nullify even
the harshest of decrees. We also learn from this chapter, if albeit in a
negative fashion, the power inherent in unity. When we stand united and
dedicate ourselves to good and positive causes, we can attain great
heights. Conversely, when a group of people join together and unite to
do evil, it causes the greatest damage and destruction.

The Jewish People draw their solidarity from the fact that all Jews the
world over comprise one entity. We are likened to one soul which is
divided and then put into the several million physical bodies which we
inhabit. True repentance therefore reveals a Jew's inherent unity with
his fellow Jews and with G-d Himself.

                   Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                             With One Heart
                         by Rabbi Uriel Vigler

This week I had dinner with Daniel and Tal Fish. The Fish brothers are
alumni of our annual Belev Echad program that brings severely wounded
IDF soldiers to New York for ten days of excitement.

Daniel was severely wounded by Hamas terrorists in Operation Protective
Edge last summer. He was in a UN clinic near Khan Younis when a huge
explosion collapsed the building, killing three soldiers and wounding
26. Later, a tunnel filled with explosives was discovered directly under
the building.

Shortly after Daniel was rescued from the rubble, he lost consciousness,
and a respiratory path was opened in his throat to help him breathe. The
rescue was incredibly quick but very complicated, because Hamas
terrorists continued firing mortars at them, causing yet more injuries
and putting the rescuers' lives in danger as well.

Daniel, and his brother Tal who has taken care of him since his injury,
were back in New York, so we had dinner together. I had recently had
albums of our trip printed, and after dinner I gave 15 copies to Daniel
and Tal to bring back to Israel for the rest of the group.

We said our goodbyes, and they hopped in a taxi and headed to their
hotel. Their driver's name was Mohammed Islam, a religious Muslim from
Bangladesh. Seeing Daniel's wheel chair, the driver asked him about his
injury, and when Daniel shared that he was injured in the war, he was
visibly shaken.

Back in their hotel room, Daniel and Tal suddenly realized they'd left
the box of albums in the back of the taxi! Hands full with the
wheelchair, they'd simply forgotten.

Daniel panicked. This wonderful gift that would allow him and the rest
of the soldiers to relive their trip over and over was gone. He called
me and apologized profusely.

Based on my own experience losing cell phones in taxis, and knowing that
Daniel had paid cash and not taken a receipt, I knew the likelihood of
tracking down the albums was close to zero.

But, by Divine providence, the albums were sponsored by a woman in Texas
who had flown in to participate in the Belev Echad trip in May. Her
phone number was on the back of each album, so that the soldiers could
thank her.

I called her and explained the situation, in case by some miracle the
taxi driver called her. And, indeed, that's exactly what happened.
Mohammed Islam, the taxi driver, called the woman in Texas, who gave him
my address. He made a special trip all the way from his home in Queens
to deliver the albums personally. Thank you, Mohammed!

We chatted for a few minutes, and he told me that he feels strongly that
Jews and Muslims should not be at war with one another.

Israel and the West are currently fighting radical Islamic terrorism. We
are used to seeing Jews and Muslims fighting against each other. Almost
weekly there is another terror attack against us in Israel. What a
breath of fresh air to meet this lovely gentleman, Mohammed Islam. May
the world be blessed with many more righteous people, and may we all get
along just fine!

                                *  *  *


What follows is a letter I penned to participants in this year's Belev
Echad program:

Dear Amit, Nir, Daniel, Dvir, Amit, Ohad, Amir, Shai, Elnathan and Meir,

You have been back in Israel for several weeks now, but we continue to
feel the impact of your visit. You thanked us for the trip, but you have
made a tremendous difference to our community, and for that I thank you.

Let me tell you a story:

John* is a 53-year-old Jew who grew up in New York with very little
Jewish upbringing. No day school, Hebrew school or Bar Mitzva. Despite
growing up in one of the most vibrantly Jewish cities in the world, John
grew up with virtually no Jewish experiences or education.

When he heard that we were bringing a group of severely wounded IDF
soldiers to New York through our Belev Echad program, John decided to
attend one of the events. He wanted to hear your stories of bravery and
heroism. When he found out how young you all were when you joined the
army to protect us and our land, he was in awe.

Although John had never before attended any of our programs or stepped
foot in our synagogue, when he heard about you guys, he came right in.
You caused a Jew to step foot in our doors - somebody who would never
otherwise have attended. If not for you, John and I would likely never
have met. So, thank you!

After chatting with John for a while, I realized he had never had a Bar
Mitzva. When I offered him one, he said, "I'm 53 years old! How can I
have one now?

But, as we know, it's never too late.

We met at Starbucks this week and started learning Torah. John
thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and we made plans to learn together
regularly. Then we stood up, in the middle of Starbucks, and John put on
tefillin and recited the Shema. I explained to John that by doing so, he
is helping the IDF soldiers, because it says in our Torah that, "...when
the nations of the world see that the name of the L-rd is upon you they
will fear you." So, he is, essentially helping the IDF from thousands of
miles away.

Starbucks was quite crowded, and when I explained to the curious
onlookers that we were celebrating John's bar mitzvah, they cheered
proudly and respectfully.

So thank you Amit, Nir, Daniel, Dvir, Amit, Ohad, Amir, Shai, Elnathan
and Meir for providing us with the opportunity to host you, and thank
you for inspiring us and our community. Thank you for leading John to
his bar mitzvah, and thank you for all the other mitzvot you inspired us
to perform.

    Rabbi Uriel and Shevy Vigler run Chabad Israel Center of the Upper
    East Side. For more info visit chabadic.com

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                             New Emissaries

Three new couples will be serving the growing Jewish population in New
York's Long Island region.

Rabbi Yisroel and Suri Halon and are leading the new Chabad of East
Meadow located within the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County.

Rabbi Aizik and Musia Baumgarten have already moved to East Hampton to
join Rabbi Baumgarten's parents at Chabad Lubavitch of the Hamptons.

Rabbi Zevy and Shani Geisinsky are moving to Great Neck to work with the
team of emissaries led by Rabbi Geisinsky's parents.

                            Sparks of Tanya


Sparks of Tanya introduces the novice to the world of the Tanya, the
basic book of Chabad Chasidic philosophy. Tanya is about realizing one's
potential and improving one's immediate environment - and ultimately
that of the world. Each chapter of the Tanya is presented in simplified
form enabling greater access. The recently released Volume II covers the
second and third sections of Tanya. By Robert Kremnizer, published by
Kehot Publication Society.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                            Free Translation

                     Rosh Chodesh Elul, 5735 [1975]
            To the Sons and Daughters of Our People Israel,
                     Everywhere, G-d bless you all!


Greeting and Blessing:

The month of Elul, bringing the current year to a close, is - as is well
known - the Month of Divine Mercy and Grace. It is also the time for
every Jew to make a soul-searching self-evaluation (cheshbon hanefesh)
in regard to the outgoing year - of all the achievements and failures
and missed opportunities; it is the month of Teshuva (Repentance) -
regret for the past and good resolutions for the future, by way of
preparation for the coming year, with a view to making certain that the
new year will be a better one in every respect.

The auspicious nature of the month of Elul is explained by the Alter
Rebbe [Rabbi Shneur Zalman], author of the Tanya and Shulchan Aruch, by
means of the parable of the 'King in the Field':

When a king is about to return to his royal city, the inhabitants of the
city go out to meet the king and to welcome him in the field. Then
everyone who so wishes may come out to greet the king, and the king
receives everyone graciously and shows a friendly face to everyone...
Later on, when the king proceeds to the city, they follow... So in the
month of Elul. G-d makes His countenance to shine on you, which refers
to the emanation of the Thirteen Attributes, that it be in a manner of
face to face.

Thus, the month of Elul is a time of (great responsibility as well as
of) great opportunity, since this is the time of the year when G-d
causes His Thirteen Attributes of Mercy to shine forth, making it
possible for every Jew - regardless of how the situation was in the past
- to attach oneself to G-d with heart and soul, in a way that induces
action, expressed in a substantial increase (in quantity and quality) in
the study of the Torah and in the fulfillment of its mitzvoth
[commandments].

May G-d grant that each and all of us should take the fullest advantage
of this auspicious period in all that has been said above,

Elul is a time of great opportunity, since this is the time of the year
when G-d causes His Thirteen Attributes of Mercy to shine forth, making
it possible for every Jew to attach oneself to G-d with heart and
soul...

And reflect with a soulful reflection, to the extent of it permeating
and guiding the daily conduct, on the words of David, the Sweet Singer
of the Songs of our People Israel, in the Psalm that we begin to recite
on Rosh Chodesh Elul, twice daily [chapter 27 of Psalms]:

'G-d is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?... my oppressors
and enemies have stumbled and fallen; if an army besiege me, my heart
shall not fear... now my head is raised... teach me, O G-d, Your way...
hope unto G-d, be strong and let your heart be fortified and hope unto
G-d...'

And G-d our King since the days of old will work salvation in the midst
of the earth, including that in the radiance of the countenance of the
King the Source of Life everyone will be blessed with a good and sweet
year, both materially and spiritually,

With esteem and blessing for being 'written and sealed for good, for a
good and sweet year.'

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                               TEACHINGS
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Yehuda ben Taima said: Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as
a deer, and strong as a lion, to carry out the will of your Father in
Heaven.... May it be Your will that the Holy Temple be rebuild speedily
in our days, and grant us our portion in Your Torah. (Ethics 5:20)

Not only does the rabbi deliver a nice sermon regarding alacrity, he
follows his words with immediate action - praying for the rebuilding of
the Holy Temple! G-d's will is that, "they shall make Me a holy place,
and I will dwell among them." He therefore prayed that the will of his
Father in Heaven would be fulfilled speedily in his (our) days! (Biurim
l'Pirkei Avot)

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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The month of Elul begins this Shabbat. Elul is a time of introspection
and soul-searching. As the old year draws to a close, we take stock of
our behavior and make amends for any wrongs we may have committed. In
preparation for the New Year, we conduct an honest assessment of our
conduct, that we may be aroused to repentance and improvement of our
Divine service.

During Elul, a Jew can almost sense the difference in the air. Everyone
feels an inexplicable urge to draw closer to G-d, to increase in Torah
and mitzvot.

The G-dly soul that every Jew possesses automatically pulls him in the
direction of holiness. However, there are two basic ways to motivate a
person: the "carrot" and the "stick." Fear of punishment may yield the
desired results, but it usually causes more damage than benefit.

Historically, it was against this backdrop that the Baal Shem Tov and
his disciples first arose. In those days, itinerant preachers would "put
the fear of G-d" into simple Jews by vividly describing the punishments
that would befall them if they did not walk the straight and narrow.

The Chasidic approach, however, is the exact opposite. The Baal Shem Tov
emphasized the innate worth of every Jew, the value of serving G-d with
purity of heart, the immense power of prayer and the beauty of the
Jewish soul.

In Elul, G-d's Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are manifested with
particular intensity. It should thus be a time of only emphasizing the
positive and increasing our love for our fellow Jew. In the merit of our
good deeds (especially the mitzva of charity), each and every one of us
will be found deserving, and G-d will inscribe us together with all the
righteous.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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And G-d will allow you rest from all your enemies around and you will
dwell in security (Deut. 12:10)

The usual precision in the wording of the Torah gives way here to an
apparent redundancy. Obviously rest from our enemies will result in
security. However this verse may in fact be giving us instruction on how
to achieve "rest from our enemies." If "you shall dwell in security"
between one Jew and the next, without infighting and fragmentation, we
will have no reason to fear from our enemies around us.

                                                     (Glilei Zahav)

                                *  *  *


And you will say, "I wish to eat flesh," because your soul longs to eat
flesh (Deut. 12:20)

The desire to eat meat originates in a person's soul. A Jew's G-dly soul
"longs" to purify and elevate the spiritual sparks of holiness that are
present in physical objects. The Torah states, "Not by (physical) bread
alone shall a man live, but by each utterance of G-d (the G-dly spark
which is hidden in it), shall a man live." Eating flesh, or eating
bread, is just one way in which the concealed sparks in the physical
world are purified by a Jew. The Baal Shem Tov explained that when a
person gets a sudden desire to eat or drink a particular food or
beverage, the reason is that his soul desires to elevate the spark
within that food, as it states in Psalms, "Hungry and thirsty, their
soul shall be enveloped in them."

                                                        (The Rebbe)

                                *  *  *


You shall not shut your hand from your needy brother (Deut. 15:7)

The first letters of this verse in Hebrew spell out the word "Tehillim"
- Psalms. Reciting Psalms on behalf of a poor person is not enough; one
must open his hand and give him material sustenance as well.

                                          (Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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Many years ago there lived in the city of Luchitz, Poland, a saintly man
by the name of a Reb Aron and his wife.  Together they managed an inn
that they rented from the local duke.

It happened that for quite some time Reb Aron was not able pay the rent.
And so the duke, becoming more and more impatient, threatened that if
the money was not paid immediately, Reb Aron and his wife would both be
thrown in jail.

Despite all their efforts, the sad couple were not able to meet the
payments and they were taken to prison.  The duke gave express orders to
all the guards not to give Reb Aron and his wife any food or even water
to drink.

Reb Aron's wife was pregnant at the time with their first child.  Reb
Aron cried out to G-d for help from the depth of his heart.  His prayer
was answered in the form of a servant who had pity on them.  Daily,
without anyone seeing or knowing, he would pass by the prison window and
throw in a package of food.

Six months passed.  Then, one day, Reb Aron's wife gave birth to  a
beautiful baby boy whom they named Shlomo Efrayim. Once, when the kind
servant passed by the window, he heard the cry of the baby.  "Is this
your child?" he called out.

Reb Aron's wife picked up her son toward the window so the servant could
see him.  The servant had never beheld such a beautiful child.  He
determined to help the little family in a more substantial way as soon
as he could.

A few days later, the duke made mention of Reb Aron and his  wife,
saying, "Surely they must be long dead by now."

The servant, hearing these words and remembering his promise, spoke up.
"Not only are Reb Aron and his wife not dead, they have a beautiful baby
boy."

The duke was astounded. "I have heard that the G-d of the Jews has
performed such miracles before," said the servant. The duke immediately
went with his wife to see this miracle.

"Are you alive?" the duke called out.

"Yes, thank G-d, we are alive and well," Reb Aron answered.

"And what is this I heard of a son that you have?" the duke questioned
further.

Reb Aron picked up his son and showed him to the duke.

"Listen," said the duke.  "My wife and I have no children. I could do
with you whatever I want.  But I have a proposition for you.  Give me
your son to raise as my own, and I will permit you to leave this
dungeon, live as free people, and give you your inn as a gift.  If you
do not agree, I can kill you and take this child anyway."

Reb Aron and his wife realized there was no choice but to give the duke
and duchess their son.  They were freed from jail and lived another
dozen years in relative comfort, but never again saw their son.

Shlomo Efrayim grew up in the duke's mansion as the son of the duke and
duchess, not knowing that he was Jewish.  He was a  remarkable student
and caught on quickly to everything he was  taught.

One night, a few weeks before his thirteenth birthday, he had a  strange
dream.  An old man came to him and said "You are my son, a  Jewish boy.
In a few weeks you will be duty-bound to fulfill G-d's  commandments.
Until this time, I did not appear to you, but now I  have come to tell
you that you must escape from here very quickly  and go to a place where
there are many Jews."

The boy woke up from his dream, sobbing.  He had the same dream for
three nights.  The duke and duchess saw the change in their son and
asked him what was wrong.  He did not tell them, though. The night
before his thirteenth birthday his father came to him again and told
him, "My son, tonight is the night of your Bar Mitzva and I cannot
permit you to remain here any longer."

Suddenly he felt as if he were being carried away, but he didn't know to
where.  When he opened his eyes, he found himself before the gates of a
synagogue.

His father said to him, "You are now in the city of Prague.   When a man
will come to open the synagogue, he will ask you who you  are.  Do not
answer.  Tell him you want to see the Rabbi of Prague,  the great
Maharal.  Then tell the Maharal all that has transpired."

Shlomo Efrayim did as he was instructed.  The Maharal  immediately made
a place for Shlomo Efrayim in his home and arranged for a teacher who
would teach him Torah.  Because of the brilliance of his mind, Shlomo
Efrayim was able in a very short while to learn with the great scholars
of the Maharal's Yeshiva.

The Maharal had great pleasure from Shlomo Efrayim.  Amongst all of his
students, he did not have any who could compare with the  boy's
remarkable mind and deep understanding of Torah.


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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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"See! This day I place before you a blessing" (Deut. 11:26) The blessing
in this verse does not refer to anything specific; rather, it is a
comprehensive statement which includes all the blessings G-d confers on
every Jew. First and foremost, therefore, it refers to the ultimate
blessing of all  the complete Redemption through Moshiach. By using the
emphatic "See!" the Torah stresses that the Messianic Redemption is not
something theoretical or academic, but rather something that will be
evident with our eyes of flesh - and this very day!

                           (The Rebbe, Shabbat Parshat Re'eh, 5751)

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                END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1384 - Re'eh 5775
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