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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1054
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                           Copyright (c) 2009
                 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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        January 16, 2009         Shemos           20 Tevet, 5769
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                                 Parade

Everyone loves a parade. We don't need much of an excuse to celebrate.
The Fourth of July? Have a parade. Your team just won a championship?
Have a parade. A dignitary is coming to town? Have a parade.

There's nothing quite like a parade to stir the hearts, to instill a
sense of pride - be it for country, team, organization, whatever. The
rousing music, the colorful floats, the marchers so well choreo-graphed,
the specialty acts - parades gather a community together, makes it feel
unified and triumphant.

We have Jewish parades, too. On Purim, Lag B'Omer, even Chanuka. And
these stir our Jewish pride, raise our Jewish awareness, increase our
Jewish identity and association with things Jewish.

So parades are good things, and Jewish parades are really good things.
But what is it about parades? What makes them special? We have other
gatherings, other rallies, other ways of expression our enthusiasm,
celebrating our victories, etc. But everyone will agree, there's
something special about a parade.

If we think about it, we'll realize that two things separate a parade
from a rally or party or other form of celebration. One is that a parade
is always moving, and the other is that the leader is always in front.

At a rally, or a party, or a circus, or any other gathering, the leader
is either in the center or opposite everyone else, like on a stage. So
even when everyone else is a participant - not just an audience
watching, but engaged in the rally - there's a difference between what
the leader's doing and what everyone else is doing.

And so you might think you're part of the action when you're not, or
vice versa.

But in a parade, you can't make that mistake. You're either in the
parade, or you're watching the parade go by. (And most of us, if it's a
really good parade, don't want to just stand and watch. We want to get
in line and march along, even if we have to join in at the end.)

And you can't make that mistake because if you're in the parade, you've
got to play "follow-the-leader." The leader is always out in front, and
the parade goes where he wants it to. You can't be opposite the leader
of a parade; you have to be behind him.

The other unique thing about a parade is that it's always moving
forward. Oh, it may pause for a rest, but it's a temporary pause - like
the encampments of the Jewish people in Sinai on their way to Israel.
Unlike some other gatherings, whose beginning, middle and end may not be
well-defined, a parade always starts in a specific place and proceeds,
even if the route's a bit crooked sometimes, to a definite end and well
known destination.

And, in a spiritual sense, that's why everyone loves a parade. Because
we are part of the great march of Jewish history. The Leader of the
parade is, of course, G-d - it is His pathway and route that we follow.

But isn't it exciting knowing that, even if we are the last "float" in
the parade, we're part of it and we're nearing the finish, the end of
the parade route, the time when "the whole world will be filled with
knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the ocean bed"?

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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"I will give this people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and when
you depart, you will not go empty," G-d tells Moses in our Torah
portion, Shemot.

According to the Midrash, G-d promised that the Egyptians would
willingly pay the departing Jews with gifts of gold and silver "so that
Abraham would not be able to claim that G-d had fulfilled the first part
of the covenant - 'and they will be enslaved and tortured' - but not the
second part - 'and afterward they will leave with great wealth.'"

This explanation, however, is insufficient. How could this be the only
reason G-d fulfilled His promise? Doesn't G-d fulfill His promises all
the time, as it states, "For G-d is not a man who tells falsehoods"?

To explain:

The huge amount of gold and silver that was given to the Jews just prior
to the Exodus served a dual purpose: to punish the Egyptians for their
cruelty, and to reward the Jews for their 210 years of suffering. But
which one of these was the primary purpose - reward or punishment?

Was the benefit derived by the Jewish people secondary to the main
objective of punishing the Egyptians, or was their enrichment the
primary goal, and the loss it represented to the Egyptians only
secondary?

The Talmud relates that in the time of Alexander the Great, the
Egyptians demanded that the Jews return the riches they had acquired
generations before.

The response of Geviha ben Pesisa, the leader of the Jews, was that the
gold and silver rightfully belonged to the Jews as "the wages of the six
hundred thousand whom you enslaved in Egypt."

This answer provides us insight into why it was necessary that the Jews
"find favor in the eyes of the Egyptians," and why Abraham's potential
claim had to be refuted:

For there to be the fullest measure of justice, G-d wanted the Jewish
people to be rewarded in the same open manner as Abraham's service was
conducted in the world.

Just as all mankind was witness to the Jewish people's enslavement, so
too was it necessary for the entire world to see the Egyptians making
reparations of their own free will.

Chasidic philosophy explains that the inner meaning of the "great
wealth" that was taken by the Jews when they left consisted of the
"sparks of G-dliness" that were hidden in Egypt. The service of the
Jewish people enabled these sparks to be redeemed and restored to their
G-dly source above.

Nonetheless, the primary objective of the entire experience in Egypt was
the betterment of the Jews themselves, whereas the elevation of the
sparks was only secondary. For the inner purpose of the exile was the
spiritual elevation that was achieved thereby, the main reason for the
Jews' going into exile in the first place.

                  Adapted from Likutei Sichot of the Rebbe, Vol. 21

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                             Torah on Board
                             by Mina Gordon

It was the night before Rosh Hashana. My teenage son Mendel was excited
but a bit apprehensive. He was scheduled to fly from Melbourne to
Adelaide, a one-hour flight, to help Rabbi Yossi Engel for the High
Holidays. This was the first time he would be going to Adelaide, and he
was asked to bring a Torah scroll. "Ma," he asked, "what if the airline
gives me trouble about taking the Torah on the plane? I've heard that
they've become very strict lately. I don't want to have to send it with
the luggage."

I tried to reassure him. I reminded him of the time his father had taken
a Torah scroll to Tasmania, and how the non-Jewish man sitting next to
him on the plane was so excited to see the Torah that he offered to
drive him wherever he wished to go upon landing.

"But that was years ago, before all these security regulations. I've
been told that the airline might give me a hard time."

There wasn't much I could answer, so I wished him success and reminded
him that he was acting as the Rebbe's emissary and that he had the
Rebbe's blessings.

The next afternoon, in the midst of a flurry of preparations for Rosh
Hashana, Mendel called to tell me how things had gone.

"You won't believe what happened. As I walked through the airport,
people came over to kiss the Torah and wish me a 'Shana Tova' (a good
year). When I got to the gate, however, the Qantas airline employee
asked if I was planning on carrying that large item into the cabin. She
wanted it to go underneath with the luggage. I explained that this is a
very holy object, and I must carry it on board with me. She said that
she's not sure if this could be allowed.

"I waited to see what would happen, knowing I had tried my best and the
rest was in G-d's Hands. A few minutes later she called me over. 'Go
down the corridor and through that door. Someone wants to talk to you.'
A man in a pilot's uniform was waiting for me. I wondered what would
happen next.  The pilot looked at me and looked at the precious Torah in
my hands, and gave me a big grin. 'Shana Tova!' he said, 'I'm Mordechai.
Shall we put the Torah in the cockpit next to my tefilin?'"

It turned out that Mordechai, a.k.a. Captain Mark DiVeroli, probably the
only commercial pilot in Australia who flies with his talit and tefilin
next to him, just "happened" to be flying the plane my son was taking.

Even though Mordechai offered to keep the Torah in the cockpit, Mendel
preferred to hold it for the duration of the flight or keep it next to
him. Mordechai agreed, and arranged for Mendel to have a spare seat next
to him for the Torah. After landing, the pilot told Mendel that he'd be
back in Melbourne in time for Rosh Hashana, and that he would be at the
shul of Rabbi Motty Liberow, the Chabad Rabbi of Hamerkaz Shelanu
Community.

Mordechai also told him that he usually stays in the cockpit before the
flight, and for some reason this time decided to walk over to the
galley, where he heard the cabin crew talking about the Jewish boy who
wanted to bring a large holy object onto the plane. "If I had stayed up
front as I usually do, I would not have known about it," he said, "and I
could not have helped."

"Well," I thought to myself, "G-d has a way of sending us little love
notes to let us know that He is always with us. I must share this."

As soon as I finished speaking to my son, I called Dini Liberow and told
her what had happened. The pilot was a more than a bit surprised when
Rabbi Liberow told the story to his congregation that Rosh Hashana, and
then pointed to Mordechai, sitting among them, as the hero of the story.

After Mendel came back to Melbourne, he kept in touch with Mordechai the
pilot. Before Chanuka, he called him to ask if he wanted a menora sign
for his car. Mordechai was happy to comply. "I was actually involved
many years ago in the Rebbe's menora campaign," he said. "I used to live
in Adelaide, working for a small airline company. I had always dreamed
of getting a job with a large commercial airlines like Qantas, but I
never managed to get an interview.

"One year, about 20 years ago, a yeshiva student came to Adelaide to put
up a public menora. The student needed someone to help him out, and as I
always had my day off on Wednesdays, I was happy to volunteer. I didn't
know much about Chabad or the Rebbe, but it sounded like a nice idea for
a place like Adelaide. I mentioned to my boss that I was planning to
help put up a public menora on Wednesday, my day off. 'Don't count on
it,' he said, 'I want you to come in to work this Wednesday.'

" 'But I made a commitment, because I always have Wednesdays off!' I
pleaded.

" 'If you don't come in on Wednesday, then don't come in on Thursday,
either,' he said.

"I helped the student install the menora on Wednesday, and went to work
on Thursday. 'What? You're here? I told you not to come in if you miss
Wednesday.' And I was fired.

"I wasn't very happy about losing my job, but wanting to make the best
of it, I called the student, and offered to help out some more, as now I
had plenty of time on my hands. The student really felt bad about my
situation, and immediately asked me for my full Hebrew name and my
mother's name. He sent a fax to the Rebbe's office asking for a blessing
for a job for me. A little while later he told me, 'Don't worry, you've
got a blessing from the Rebbe; it will all work out." Shortly
afterwards, I received a totally unexpected phone call. Qantas airlines
wanted me to come in for a job interview. Thanks to the Rebbe's
blessing, I landed the job that I had always wanted!"

          Reprinted with permission of the N'Shei Chabad Newsletter

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                   Spice and Spirit of Kosher Cooking

Affectionately referred to as "The Purple Cookbook," the Spice and
Spirit of Kosher Cooking was recently published in Russian. Spice and
Spirit has over 800 recipes ranging from traditional favorites such as
blintzes and chicken soup to Szechuan chicken, aduki-squash soup and
many other international, gourmet and natural specialties. All in a
clear, easy-to-use format with helpful symbols and numerous charts and
illustrations.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                     Freely adapted and translated

                         26 Teves, 5725 (1965)

This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter with the enclosure, in
which you write about your problem of acute anxiety and ask my advice.

The best and most effective thing to do in a situation such as yours is
to study thoroughly those sections and chapters in our sacred books,
such as Chovas HaLevavos, Shaar HaBitachon and the like, where the
topics of hashgacha pratis (individual Divine providence) and bitachon
(trust in G-d) are discussed.

It is well to keep in mind those chapters and verses in Tehillim
(Psalms) that speak of these subjects, as well as the Midrashim and
commentaries of our Sages on them.

These topics should be studied in such depth that they become part of
one's thinking. In this way there will be no room left for any kind of
anxiety or worry and, in the words of King David in Tehillim:  "G-d is
with me, I shall not fear. What can man do to me?!"

As you well know, belief in hashgacha pratis is the basis of true
monotheism, a concept which for us implies not only that G-d is One, but
that there is oneness in the whole of Nature.

In other words, the whole universe has one Supreme Being, Who not only
is the Creator of everything, but is also the Master, continually
supervising every detail of His handiwork.

The corollary of this is that there cannot be a single thing in the
whole world that is separated from the Supreme Being, or in any way not
subject to His control. At the same time, it is obvious that the Supreme
Being is also the Essence of Perfection and Goodness.

And although many things in the world seem imperfect, requiring
completion or perfection, there can be no doubt that there is a perfect
order in the world: even that which is lowest in the scale of Creation,
namely inanimate objects, display wonderful perfection and symmetry, as
can be observed in the atoms and molecules of inorganic matter.

Hence the conclusion must be that even those things that require
completion are also part of this perfect order and necessary for the
fulfillment of the good, all of which is explained at length in the
teachings of Chassidus.

It is further explained that in order for man to attain perfection, it
is also necessary that he should have the feeling that he is not only a
reci-pient and beneficiary of the Divine order, but that he also plays
an active role in contributing to it.

Indeed, according to the expression of our Sages, of blessed memory, man
has the ability and option of becoming "a partner in creation."  This is
why many things have been left in the world for man to improve and
perfect.

I also want to make a further observation - and this is also essential
for your peace of mind - that there really is no basis for anxiety at
any time, and as you yourself mentioned in your letters, that you find
no reason for it.

Even in such cases where you think you know the reason for your anxiety,
the reason is undoubtedly imaginary, or at any rate, not the real cause.
For the real cause is that one's daily life is not in complete harmony
with the true essence of a Jew.

In such a case, it is impossible not to have an awkward feeling that
somehow things do not seem to fit, and it is this disharmony that is at
the bottom of the anxiety. Moreover, this anxiety is in direct
proportion to the discrepancy between a person's lifestyle and his true
and natural self.

We all recognize that anxiety has to do with the psyche. But in the case
of a Jew, the so-called psyche is really the neshamah, the soul. Some
Jews have particularly sensitive souls, in which case the
above-mentioned disharmony and discord creates an even greater degree of
anxiety, and even subtle and "minor" infractions suffice to bring it on.

But even in the case of an ordinary soul belonging to the average Jew,
some anxiety must inevitably be created if there is a failure to observe
the fundamental mitzvos (commandments). It is very possible that the
above may have a bearing on your situation.

If this is so, then all that is necessary is to rectify this matter,
bringing your daily life and conduct into complete harmony with the
essence of your soul through strict adherence to the Torah and mitzvos.
Your symptoms will then disappear by themselves.

It is also necessary to mention that in your case, where your position
gives you a great deal of influence over those around you, your
influence must be an integral part of your harmonious life, and it is
therefore essential that your influence too should be in harmony with
the Torah in the fullest measure.

I would also suggest that you have the mezuzos of your home checked, as
well as your tefillin, and that before putting on your tefillin every
weekday morning, you put aside a small coin for tzedakah (chairty).

      From Healthy in Body, Mind and Soul, compiled by Rabbi Sholom
                        B. Wineberg, published by Sichos in English

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                            A CALL TO ACTION
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                   Acquire a letter in a Torah Scroll

The very last commandment in the Torah is for one to write a Torah
scroll for him/herself. The Lubavitcher Rebbe highlighted this
commandment when he established the Sefer Torah Campaign in 1981,
partially in response to a heightened threat on Israel by her Arab
neighbors. Jews the world over would, for a nominal fee, "purchase"
letters in a Torah scroll, thereby enhancing Jewish unity. To date,
millions of Jewish men, women and children have participated in this
mitzva. Contact your local Chabad-Lubavitch Center to participate. For
the children's Torah scroll visit kidstorah.org

    In memory of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg and the other
    kedoshim of Mumbai

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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The yahrzeit of Rabbi Moses Maimonides, known as the Rambam, is 20 Tevet
(coinciding with Friday, January 16 this year). On numerous occasions,
the Rebbe discussed the connection between the Rambam, his magnum opus
Mishna Torah, and the Redemption.

"The name Rambam is an acronym for the Hebrew words meaning, 'I will
multiply My wonders in the land of Egypt,' an allusion to the wonders
associated with Redemption. Similarly, the Rambam's spiritual service
involved giving Jews in Egypt - in the night of exile - a foretaste of
the Redemption.

"Firstly, he lived in Egypt and it was there that he composed his magnum
opus, the Mishna Torah. As he explains in his introduction, the Mishna
Torah was composed because of the difficulties of exile, because the
Jews were unable to derive halachic rulings from the Talmud and needed
an auxiliary source.

"Nevertheless, the text that the Rambam composed gave the Jews a
foretaste of the Redemption - reflected in the fact that it includes
laws which will only be relevant in the Era of the Redemption when the
Holy Temple will be rebuilt, and in the conclusion of the text which
focuses directly on the Era of the Redemption.

"Since on the yahrzeit of a tzadik, 'the totality of his deeds,
teachings, and service is revealed and... "brings about salvation in the
depths of the earth," '  it follows that the Rambam's yahrzeit grants us
further potential to anticipate the Redemption.

"This particularly relevant in the present age when the Jewish people
have completed the service required of them in exile. Everything is
ready for the Redemption - all that is lacking is for G-d to open our
eyes and allow us to realize that we are sitting at the feast of the
Redemption

The Rebbe concluded: "As a catalyst for this, we must reflect an
attitude of Redemption in our lives, showing how even within the exile,
we can experience Redemption."

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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And depart (lit. "go up") out of the land (Ex. 1:10)

It is only when the Jewish people reach their lowest level that their
ascendancy begins, alluded to in this verse: The Jews will "go up" when
they have fallen to the level of "land," the earth, upon which everyone
treads. King David voiced a similar sentiment in the Psalms when he
said, "For our soul is as low as the dust, our bellies have cleaved to
the earth," only to immediately declare, "Rise up and help us, and
redeem us for the sake of Your graciousness."

                                                 (Midrash Tanchuma)

                                *  *  *


And he saw an Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew man (Ex. 2:11)

Every word in the Bible has an eternal, spiritual meaning as well as a
literal significance. The word "Egypt" (Mitzrayim) is linguistically
related to the word for limitations and boundaries; the "Egyptian man"
therefore, symbolizes the physical body, which does all in its power to
gain control over the soul, the "Hebrew man." Moses' actions teach us
that when one sees a Jew in danger of losing the battle between body and
soul to his lower, physical nature, one must not remain silent. The
Moses in every generation gives us the strength to overcome all
obstacles and save the Jewish soul.

                                    (Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye)

                                *  *  *


G-d heard their groaning, and G-d remembered His covenant with Abraham,
with Isaac and with Jacob (Ex. 2:24)

When the Israelites were unable to endure the harsh exile in Egypt, they
cried out to G-d. Indeed, G-d heard their cry and sent Moses to redeem
them. So it is with us in our present exile. When we cry out, "Take us
out of exile and bring Moshiach!" G-d will certainly hear our cry and
send the Redeemer. Moreover, our state of readiness to call upon G-d is
already enough for Him to respond, as it states in Isaiah, "Before they
call, I will answer, and while yet they speak I will hear."

                        (The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Parshat Tavo, 5751)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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    This coming Tuesday is 24 Tevet, the anniversary of the passing of
    Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of Chabad Chasidism.

Anticipating Napoleon's evil designs to attack and conquer Russia, Rabbi
Shneur Zalman (the first Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as the Alter
Rebbe), instructed his family to be ready to flee at a moment's notice.

The famous spiritual mentor, Rav Shmuel Gronem, noted: "The Alter Rebbe
said, 'Napoleon is a very powerful evil force, and I fear that I will
have to have self-sacrifice in order to humble him."

Secretly the Alter Rebbe instructed his Chasidim to spy against
Napoleon's army. The Alter Rebbe wanted nothing less than a total
collapse of Napoleon's power.

In his eyes, the French leader was the greatest threat to the heart and
soul of Judaism. Behind his abolishing the restrictions that existed was
a veil hiding his true intentions. What Napoleon wanted to accomplish
with his revolution was a refusal to accept any authority, which in turn
would weaken religious adherence.

For this reason, the Alter Rebbe refused to live in Napoleon's conquered
domain for even a short period of time. When he heard of the approach of
the French army he fled with his entire family, assisted by the Russian
forces.

The Alter Rebbe insisted that every possession of his be removed from
his house, no matter how insignificant; he then gave instructions that
his house be burned down. Some say that the Alter Rebbe had reason to
believe that Napoleon engaged in sorcery, and so he took stringent
precautions that none of his things would fall into Napoleon's hands.

The rapid advance of Napoleon's army made it impossible for the Alter
Rebbe to rest, and he was forced to constantly be on the run. His hope
was to reach the Jewish community of Poltava before Rosh Hashana.

In his diary, the Alter Rebbe's son and successor, Reb Dovber, wrote:
"On the eve of Rosh Hashana my father, the Alter Rebbe, confided to me,
'I am extremely pained and worried about the battle of Mazaisk [known as
the battle of Borodino], since the enemy is becoming stronger, and I
believe he [Napoleon] is also going to conquer Moscow.' He then wept
bitterly, with tears streaming down his face.

"On Rosh Hashana, my father again called me to him and happily told me
the sweet and comforting news: 'Today, during my prayers, I had a vision
that the tide has changed for the better and our side will win. Although
Napoleon will capture Moscow, he will eventually lose the war. This is
what was written today in Heaven.' "

With the rout of Napoleon's army, the Alter Rebbe could proceed toward
Poltava. On Friday, the eighth of Tevet, the entourage arrived in the
city of Piena. As soon as he arrived there the Alter Rebbe changed his
plans. He began organizing a relief campaign to aid all Jews who had
been affected by the war, sending out emissaries to raise funds and
organize and coordinate efforts.

No one could foresee the rapid deterioration of the Alter Rebbe's
health. As the Rebbe for many thousands of Chasidim, the Alter Rebbe
finally paid the heavy price of worrying about the sufferings of the
Jewish community, the difficult traveling conditions (especially for
someone of advanced years) in an unusually cold winter and his anguish
in general about Napoleon's influence and effect on the Jewish nation.
On Monday, the 18th of Tevet, he became bedridden.

Five days later, on Saturday night, the 24th of Tevet, he wrote a note
stating that one of the main purposes of a soul's descent into this
world (in addition to Torah study) is to do a favor for another Jew in
whatever way possible. A short while after writing this he passed away.

Rabbi Dovber noted that in one of the greatest acts of self-sacrifice,
the Alter Rebbe put his own life in mortal danger against the evil ways
of Napoleon.

Indeed, the Alter Rebbe's ill-fated prophecy about Napoleon came to be,
for the humbled last remnants of Napoleon's army retreated from Russia
the exact time of the Alter Rebbe's passing.

Shortly before his passing, the Alter Rebbe said: "Anyone who will hold
on to my door handle, I will do him a favor in this world and the World
to Come."

The third Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, the Tzemach Tzedek, explained that
"my door handle" does not merely mean studying the Chasidic teachings of
the Alter Rebe, but also practicing ahavat Yisrael (love of a fellow
Jew) - in this manner one must also follow the Alter Rebbe.

      Excerpted from "Dates in Lubavitch" by Rabbi Sholom D. Avtzon

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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At the end of the exile, the negative forces that reject the existence
of G-d are strengthened (the "klipa" of Apikorsus). That is what the
prophets meant when they foretold a war between Gog and Magog, a battle
over the reality of G-d's presence on earth.

                                       (Keter Shem Tov Hosafot 400)

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                END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1054 - Shemos 5769
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