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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 802
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                           Copyright (c) 2004
                 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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        January 9, 2004         Vayechi           15 Tevet, 5764
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                              Busy Signal

It used to be that the most annoying thing about a telephone was the
busy signal. In the olden days, one moved on, tried someone else and
tried again later. But now, in an era of more instantly instant
gratification, a sound intensely and intentionally obnoxious has become
a personal insult. Ha-ha! We're too busy talking to someone else.
Someone really important.

Bad as the busy signal was - and is - now the automated operators
probably take its place. Press 1 if you want to go to menu 2. Press 2 if
you want to go to menu 3. Press 3 if you want to go to menu 4. Press 4
if you want to go to menu 1. You may not hang up until you've been
through the menu five time. If you try to hang up, we will automatically
call you back until you enter each menu item.

Then there's voice mail. Phone tag. You're it. Some of us try to
camouflage voice mail with cute or half-witty messages. Like
commercials. But the real message gets through. We're not available.
Even if we're home, even if we're watching the caller ID - we know who
you are - we're not available.

The busy signal, the automated operator, voice mail - they all delay
communication. There's no one to talk to. No one who will pay attention.

Sometimes it doesn't matter. The question was trivial, the answer can
wait. Sometimes, though, it matters a lot - important news,
life-altering decisions - these have to get through.

But the line is busy.

Prayer has often and famously been compared to a phone line with G-d,
the difference being that you never get a busy signal when you call G-d.
He's always available and always answers the metaphoric phone.

But let's look at our phone analogy from a different angle. Let's keep
it between people.

What would it take to guarantee no busy signal, that you'd get through
every time? Some sort of mental telepathy, obviously. Or some
indication, some way of alerting the other person we want to talk or
arrangement by which we'd know when both of us are free.

No such indicator exists because, well, we can't see the other person.
Nor does the other person see us. Unless we arrange the call beforehand
(see videoconferencing), we're talking blindly.

Too often, though, we get a busy signal when we "phone" the person next
to us, a co-worker, a member of the family - even a stranger in line.
Too often the person is tuned out, oblivious to those around.

And too often, those calling us get a busy signal. We come home from
work, sit down with the paper or a good book and the child who wants to
prattle on about how high the swing went or the discussion she had over
fractions - gets a busy signal. Or the spouse, or the friend, or the
neighbor signals - by expression, gesture and muttered words - the need
to be heard. But we're too busy.

And a fellow Jew signals, by virtue of meeting us. And he wants to share
with us a Torah thought, or ask us where a kosher restaurant is, or play
Jewish geography. And we, well, of course we answer the "hotline," the
"mitzva phone."

These small turnings, these trivial respondings, this conscious removal
of our internal busy signal - these are the acts of goodness and
kindness that transform the world.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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In this week's Torah portion, Vayechi, we witness a conversation between
the aged patriarch Jacob and his son, Joseph. Joseph brought his two
sons to Jacob for his blessing. He placed Menashe, the first born, near
Jacob's right hand and Efraim, the younger of the two, near Jacob's left
hand. However, when Jacob blessed the youngsters, he crossed his hands
over and placed his right hand on Efraim's head and his left on
Menashe's head.

Joseph explained to Jacob, "It is not so, my father." Moving Jacob's
hands, he continued, "for this is the first-born."

"I know, my son, I know," was Jacob's reply. "Also he [Menashe] will
become a people. He, too, will be great. But his younger brother will be
greater than him."

According to our Sages, neither Jacob nor Joseph made a mistake. Rather,
their priorities were different.

Menashe and Efraim symbolize two distinct aspects of a Jew's G-dly
service. Joseph believed that the G-dly service represented by Menashe
was more advantageous, whereas Jacob felt that Efraim's was higher.

Joseph named his oldest son Menashe - "For G-d has caused me to forget
("nashani") all of my toil and all my father's house." This name
intimates Joseph's anguish over being distanced from his father's home
and his native lifestyle. His younger son, he called Efraim - "For G-d
has caused me to be fruitful [hifrani] in the land of my affliction."
Here, Joseph thanks G-d for the benefits that he reaped specifically
because he was living in exile.

When Joseph brought his sons for his father's blessing, his feelings of
sorrow over being separated from his family ruled. The spiritual service
this parallels is the desire to cleave to G-d, even in exile. Jacob,
however, viewed the exile differently, represented by the name Efraim.
He saw that there is an "advantage" of exile; in exile, one changes
darkness into light. And the light which follows darkness is much
brighter, much more noticeable.

The paths of Joseph and Jacob should both be manifested in our lives. We
must realize that we are far away from our "father's house"; we are
still in exile and the final Redemption has not yet come. Just as
important, or possibly more important, is to realize that we can
actually light up the darkness of exile. This comes about through
studying Torah and observing the commandments.

When a Jew finds himself in a situation or surroundings which are
uncomfortable, he must not only be troubled by it and think of the day
when he can escape. Rather, he should work to his utmost ability to
change that which is bad to good, the dark to light, for this is the
entire purpose of being in exile.

                    Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                              Yaakov Weiss
                            by Howard Kaplan

Yaakov Weiss, a young Lubavitch Hasid, would love to meet up with fellow
Jew, Mayor Bloomberg. Weiss has a picture in his head of such a meeting.
"I'd help him put on tefilin."

This isn't just talk. Weiss calls at the mayor's office every Friday
afternoon, toting a black briefcase with tefilin inside. Not the mayor's
main office, the one housed in City Hall, but the one set aside for him
across the street in the Municipal Building.

Bloomberg is never there, but Weiss stops anyway and drops off a
Lubavitcher bulletin called L'Chaim. The mayor's office is only one stop
along Weiss' route, which starts on the 24th floor of the Municipal
Building and ends on the 15th. It takes Weiss about three hours to do
his route.

That's what all the lads call them - routes. They set out in pairs every
Friday from Crown Heights, hundreds of boys in their teens and young
twenties, each wearing the trademark hat of the Lubavitch: the black
borsalino with the crown pinched just-so in direct emulation of the
Rebbe's special pinch. Rabbi Schneerson - the Rebbe, as he is called -
bid his young followers to go with their tefilin and seek out
assimilated Jews in their workplaces. By putting tefilin on a Jew, one
is nudging forward the coming of Moshiach.

Around three o'clock, when the boys start coming back, the No. 3 train
is filled with their borsalinos and the question that passes as a
greeting among them: "Did you have success?"

On a recent Friday afternoon, during the height of the lunch hour, Weiss
was finding a lot of empty cubicles as he roamed the aisles. He only
stuck his head in those cubicles that mattered to him. He knows where
every Jew is secreted on a given floor.

For each Jew who wasn't in, he reached inside his black coat and pulled
out one of his copies of L'Chaim. Like any savvy marketer, he knew where
to put it. "The best place is right on the chair," he said. "Even if
they don't read it, I would still leave it to show them that someone is
thinking about them."

He had his best run on the 18th floor, in a single block of cubicles on
the north end of the building. His three regulars in this one block were
all in.

One of them was a bald man with glasses named Richard. Weiss asked, "May
I help you put on tefilin first?"

On getting the nod, Weiss stepped into Richard's cubicle. As Richard
started rolling up the sleeve of his left arm, Weiss got out a yellow
pushke from his briefcase. Richard eyed the little yellow tin can in
Weiss' hand and asked if he should give money before putting the tefilin
on.

He should, said Weiss. "You know why?" he asked. "As one goes and asks
requests from kings, before he asks, he gives the king a gift. So, too,
before we pray there's a custom to give charity, which is the gift to
G-d. This mitzva of charity, of tzedaka, makes G-d very happy. Now He's
more willing to accept your prayers."

Richard gave a dollar, and the ceremony proceeded. Weiss lifted his
borsalino, revealing a black yarmulke, which he took off and clapped
onto Richard's bald head. Then he helped Richard on with the tefilin -
the pair of black boxes, with straps hanging off them, worn during the
morning service by the pious. Weiss kissed both boxes as he took them
out of his briefcase.

Two minutes later he stepped back from Richard, who stood there with one
box strapped to his left arm and the other box strapped into place on
his forehead. Everything was done according to ritual - for instance,
the number of times (exactly seven) the strap of the hand tefilin was
wrapped around Richard's arm.

Weiss led Richard through a prayer in Hebrew, and then switched to one
final entreaty in English.

"We." - "We."

"Want." - "Want."

"Moshiach." - "Moshiach."

"Now!" - "Now!"

Weiss has a handful of women on his route, and with them he has a
different routine, by necessity. (Only males over the age of thirteen
don tefilin.) On one floor, he looked in on a woman named Nancy. He told
her the time for candle lighting. "You gonna be able to get home in time
for that?"

The high point of Weiss' afternoon came at the end, after he'd put away
his tefilin for the last time, on his way down to the lobby. He got on
the elevator at the same time as another man, a heavyset fellow who
looked around sixty. A watchcap was pulled down all the way to his
eyebrows. As the elevator doors closed, Weiss addressed the old guy.

"Excuse me. Excuse me, sir. Are you Jewish, by any chance?"

The man was staring up at the elevator dial and he kept on staring at it
even when he answered. His voice came out in a whisper: Yeah.

"Hi, how are you? My name is Yaakov. What floor are you on? You work
over here?"

The heavyset man gave the smallest of nods.

"Which floor?"

"Twenty."

"What's your first name?"

"Lester."

"Lester. Twentieth floor. Where do you work?"

"On the north end of the building."

Okay, I'll visit you next week, Lester."

"You don't need to visit me. It's okay."

Weiss whipped out a copy of L'Chaim. "This is for you. Something for
Shabbos to read."

Lester took the literature but continued to protest. "It's okay. There
are more important people who need your help."

But Weiss had the last word as the elevator doors opened and he stepped
into the lobby. "I'll see you next week. Have a good Shabbos," he called
over his shoulder.

                 Reprinted with permission from the New York Press.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                              New Centers

Three new Chabad-Lubavitch Centers recently opened in diverse parts of
the world. Programming at the centers will include adult education,
holiday events, Shabbat programs, activities and classes for children,
and more:

Rabbi Mendel and Esther Lifshitz have established Chabad-Lubavitch of
Idaho. They will be based in the capital city of Boise.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman and Rochel Schneersohn have moved to Rovno, Ukraine.
The Jewish population of Rovno is approximately 4,000.

Also new to Ukraine are Rabbi and Mrs. Benyamin Wolf, who arrived
recently in Sevastopol. Sevastopol's Jewish population is about 10,000.
Rabbi Wolf will be the first rabbi in that city in over 70 years.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                       Freely Translated Letters
                  21 Kislev, 5729 [December 12, 1968]

Rabbi Moshe Levinger

Greetings and Blessings!

In answer to your letter of 7 Kislev, in which you make mention of your
earlier letter: the reason that I did not answer you is because of the
instruction of our Sages: "One should not respond to malediction." You
wrote regarding the fate of the Holy City, Hebron, and how, to our great
anguish and also embarrassment, there is doubt over what will be with
it. Of course, I do not mean the city's true fate, because it is the
city of our forefathers and the site of the Cave of Machpeilah, one of
the four Holy Cities in the Holy Land. This is especially highlighted by
the Rebbes of Lubavitch throughout the generations. Among them, one
finds a letter printed in the Epistles of the Mitteler Rebbe -  the
successor of the first Lubavitcher Rebbe, author of the Tanya and
Shulchan Aruch - from the time he established the community in Hebron in
1822 (the letter was printed lately in the book Mea Shearim, p. 15). He
ends off the letter saying, "He himself bought the small synagogue in
that Holy City under his own name, in order that he should have property
there as an inheritance." The Lubavitcher Rebbes after him acted in a
similar manner.

As I said, I was not referring to the City's true fate, but to the
secret bargaining which is taking place in the inner diplomatic circles
- which is quite publicized amongst the gentiles - regarding which part
of the liberated territories to surrender, and which parts not to
surrender. Though they have been carrying out this perilous bargaining
for over a year, and even at the outset there were many who were of the
opinion to return it, lately this belief has become more rampant. I do
not wish to expand upon this terrifying prospect. It was not my wish to
put this in writing at all, especially since it is forbidden to imply
that the power of G-d is limited. Just as until now it has not
materialized - due to the open miracle of the non-Jews refusing to enter
into discussion about surrendering territory. This occurred even though
the only condition requested of them was to orally agree to make peace
(and everyone knows that such oral concessions will have absolutely no
bearing on their future behavior). This refusal is nothing but a clear
miracle from Heaven, which totally transcends the usual workings of
nature.

However, our sages have said that one is not to rely on a miracle
(although I wish the miracle would continue ...). I am therefore not
able to fulfill your request which you wrote to me. It is not the
non-Jews I fear, for they have no free will, but rather the Jews, who do
have free will, who are misled. It makes no difference if the delusion
is unintentional, or forced upon them, for this does not change the
practical outcome. There are even those Jews who have wrapped the
deluded notion in the garment of a mitzva (you understand my meaning).

As I mentioned, there is room to expand on this subject in many ways,
but I do not in any way wish to weaken you (and those with you in the
territories), in your views and endeavors. Everything I have written
here is only for the purpose of "being blameless before G-d and people
of Israel" - in answer to the content of your letter.

Out of Respect and with Blessing ...

                                *  *  *


                 21 Cheshvan, 5731 [November 20, 1970]


Concerning your letter dealing with my words regarding Jerusalem, which
were challenged, saying that there is no basis for what I said ... I
only wish it were true. But to my sorrow, the present situation clearly
refutes the contention, that there is no basis for my words. What
aggravates this impression is that they (the Israeli government) are
numbing public opinion - with the usual slogans. I warned about this
also, and they know that the only thing which is holding them (the
Israeli leaders) back now is lack of convincing propaganda, which will
satisfy the Jewish masses. Now with regard to the politicians, they have
already toyed with many different phraseologies, among them one which I
mentioned (they want to turn The City of the Great King into "The City
of Three Kings").

There is presently "no King over the Jewish people, and each man does
according to what is right in his eyes," since we are, after all, living
in a democratic society. [They will then decide the issue of Jerusalem]
as "three partners," in order of quantity, of course, which is the
deciding factor in a democracy; first come the Christians, then the
Muslims, and only then ... (Yesterday, the most important newspaper
here, the New York Times, printed the latest approach, which was taken
from the words of the Foreign Minister in the name of the Government:
"It is the desire of the Israeli Government to retain 'political
control' over Jerusalem, and not to compromise on places upon which
Israel's security depend, like the Golan Heights and certain other
points on the West Bank of the Jordan." This is sufficient evidence for
whoever understands.)...

Respectfully, with blessings for true health and good news in all
mentioned here and with blessings of Mazal Tov on the birth of your
grandchild, may he live and be well,

                     Reprinted with permission of www.truepeace.org

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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15 Tevet, 5764 - January 9, 2004

Positive Mitzva 212: To Be Fruitful and Multiply

This mitzva is based on the verse (Gen. 1:28) "Be fruitful and
multiply." This Positive Mitzva commands us to have children.

                                *  *  *


17 Tevet, 5764 - January 11, 2004

Positive Mitzva 222: Divorce Procedure

This mitzva is based on the verse (Deut. 24:1) "Then let him write her a
bill of divorce and place it in her hand." The Torah teaches us the
proper manner through which a Jewish marriage becomes a union of
holiness. If for some reason a marriage must be ended, there are
specific laws that must be followed. This Positive mitzva details the
manner in which a couple may divorce.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
*********************************************************************
The 20th of Tevet, this year January 14, marks the yartzeit
(anniversary) of the passing of the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon),
Rabbi Moses Maimonides, 800 years ago. The Rambam was an outstanding
codifier, commentator, philosopher, physician to the Sultan and leader
of Egyptian Jewry.

Approximately 20 years ago, the  Lubavitcher Rebbe urged all Jews to
study every day a section of the Rambam's Mishne Torah, or at least the
briefer Sefer HaMitzvot. Hundreds of thousands of Jews undertook this
great endeavor and are studying one of the above-mentioned works.

Although the Rambam passed away so long ago, he and his great wisdom are
still with us. When a person sits down to study a chapter, or a law from
one of the Rambam's works, his spirit and teachings remain alive.

About the Rambam, our Sages have said, "From Moses to Moses, there was
none like Moses!" This means that from the time of the Moses who took us
out of Egypt, there has never lived a person who exhibited all of the
Rambam's unique qualities.

Throughout the 50 generations from Moses our Teacher until Moses
Maimonides, there was not even one person similar to Moses our Teacher
in terms of transmission of the Torah until the arrival of the Rambam.
This saying is engraved on Maimonides' gravestone, which implies that it
was accepted by all of our Sages from all circles who came to visit the
Rambam's resting place.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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He blessed Joseph, and he said, "G-d...bless the lads..." (Gen. 48:15,
16)

This verse opens by saying that Jacob blessed Joseph. Yet, we see from
the next verse that Jacob blessed Joseph's children! However, "G-d bless
the lads" is really Joseph's blessing. For what greater blessing can one
have than that one's children would be blessed?

                                                        (The Zohar)

                                *  *  *


I have given you one portion...which I took out of the hand of the
Amorite with my sword and my bow. (Gen. 48:22)

The great commentator, Rashi explains that Jacob's words "my sword and
my bow" are referring to "my wisdom and my prayers." A war takes place
in the soul of every person. The "Amorite" is the tendency toward evil
which is strengthened through speaking ("amira" in Hebrew) about
non-holy matters and idle chatter. How does one overcome this "Amorite?"
Through speaking words of Torah - "my wisdom" - and words of prayer -
"my prayers."

                                                        (Torah Ohr)

                                *  *  *


Gather yourselves together, and I will tell you what will befall you in
the last days. (Gen. 49:1)

Jacob spoke to his sons in a seemingly spontaneous manner. This is the
manner in which Moshiach will arrive - with people paying no attention,
seemingly by chance. A person will be involved with his work, and all of
a sudden, he will see that Moshiach has arrived.

                                                    (Baal Shem Tov)

                                *  *  *


And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Efraim's head,
who was the younger. (Gen. 48:14)

It is precisely because he was the younger one that he needed the
stronger right hand to be placed upon him. Our youth require
supervision, and special attention and dedication, to encourage and
strengthen them as much as possible.

                                                 (Techiyat Yisrael)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch
dynasty, expected all members of his household to be sparing when it
came to the way they spent money. "Since my household is supported by
the public, and our Sages teach that the Torah looks askance at wasting
Jewish money, it is only proper that we live frugally," he would
explain.

One time, when one of his grandchildren came to him wearing an expensive
belt, Rabbi Shneur Zalman questioned him, "Are you such a rich man that
you should be wearing such an expensive belt?"

The grandson was silent so Rabbi Shneur Zalman continued questioning him
concerning money matters. "How much money did you receive as a dowry?

"Two thousand rubles," answered the grandson.

"What are your plans for this money?" asked Rabbi Shneur Zalman further.

"I am planning on giving it to a successful merchant. In this way I will
be able to earn something on it."

"Perhaps," countered Rabbi Shneur Zalman, "he will neither return you
your capital nor any gain?"

"That is impossible," argued the grandson. "This  merchant is very
wealthy and reliable."

"What difference does it make if he is wealthy now?" argued Rabbi Shneur
Zalman. "The wheel of fortune turns. In time, he could become poor."

"What do you suggest I do with my money?" asked the grandson,
hesitantly.

"My advice to you," said Rabbi Shneur Zalman seriously, "is to put the
entire sum into this box." And with that, the Rebbe motioned to a
charity box.

The grandson was certain that the Rebbe was joking. Two thousand rubles
was a tremendous sum of money. He didn't think his grandfather was one
to joke about such things, but still...

"I really mean what I said. I suggest that you give the entire sum to
charity. In this way, the 'capital' and the 'interest' will remain
intact. I am afraid that if you invest with some wealthy merchant, you
might lose both."

The grandson heard what the Rebbe said and nevertheless, decided to
invest his money with a merchant who was not only trustworthy and
wealthy, but a scholar, too. Several months later, however, a fire
destroyed everything the merchant owned and he was reduced to poverty.

Later, when the Rebbe asked his grandson how his investment had fared,
the young man related the catastrophe which had befallen the merchant.

"Why didn't you listen to my advice and put the money in this charity
box?" admonished the Rebbe. "Had you done that, then the capital and the
interest would have remained intact. Why do my Chasidim not trust the
advice of their Rebbe? Let me tell you a story about the simple faith of
the people of Volhynia.

"Once, in the midst of the bitter cold of winter, I was on my way home
from visiting my Rebbe, the Maggid of Mezritch. I was nearly frostbitten
by the time we reached a Jewish inn.

" 'How long have you been living here?' I asked the elderly innkeeper.

" 'For nearly fifty years,' he answered me.

" 'And are there other Jews nearby? Do you have a quorom to pray with,
people with whom to celebrate the holidays?'

" 'Only on the High Holidays do I go to a nearby village to pray
together with a congregation.'

" 'Why don't you live in that village so that you can be together with
other Jews?' I asked.

" 'How would I make a living?' he questioned me.

" 'If G-d can sustain a hundred families, don't you think He can sustain
one more?' I asked him. I also happened to mention to him that I am a
disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch.

"He left the room immediately. Not more than one half hour later, I saw
a few wagons parked in front of the inn, loaded with all kinds of
household items and furniture. I saw the innkeeper near the wagons and
asked him, `What is going on here?'

" 'I am moving to that other town, just as you told me," the innkeeper
answered simply.

"You see what strong faith that old man had in my Rebbe?" Reb Shneur
Zalman challenged his grandson. "I only had to mention that I was a
disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch and he dropped everything
immediately, including his home and livelihood for fifty years. He was
not even a chasid. And you heard from me twice that you should place the
money in the charity box and yet you did not listen.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
*********************************************************************
G-d told Abraham, "Listen to whatever Sara your wife tells you," for to
quote our Sages, "Abraham was subordinate to Sarah in regard to
prophecy." Similarly, in the Era of the Redemption, "a women of valor
will be the crown of her husband," i.e., the feminine dimension will
surpass the masculine. In Kabalistic terms, this is interpreted to mean
that the Sefira (a channel of Divine energy or lifeforce) of Sovereignty
will ascend higher than the other Sefirot. Since G-d "gave the
Patriarchs a foretaste of the World to Come," they were also given the
potential to anticipate the supremacy of the feminine dimension. (The
Lubavitcher Rebbe, Parshat Vayechi, 5752-1992)

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                END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 802 - Vayechi 5764
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