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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 691
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                           Copyright (c) 2001
                 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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        October 26, 2001       Lech-Lecha       9 Cheshvan, 5762
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                      Providence for Leaf Peepers

Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, even parts of New York State are
deluged at this time of year with "Leaf Peepers"-people who travel
specifically to view the awesome color changes in the fall foliage. Red,
yellow, orange, burgundy and purple, a whole spectrum of color unfolds
in front of our eyes.

While it's easy to get caught up in contemplating the beauty of nature,
it might be even more interesting to consider the Divine destiny of a
leaf.

The Baal Shem Tov, founder of Chasidism, told the following story
illustrating the extensive role Divine Providence plays in our lives:

A person walks down a path and notices a leaf fall from the branch of a
tree. "Leaf, leaf," he whispers, "why did you fall at this very moment?"

The leaf replies, "The branch shook and I fell. Go ask the branch."

The person asks the branch and is answered, "A wind came and made me
shake... go ask the wind."

The wind gives a similar answer: "I don't know why, but the source of
the Wind made me shake the branch, go ask it."

When the person asks the source of the wind, it says, "I am not the
master. I just follow orders. Go ask G-d and surely He can tell you
why."

Finally the person addresses the question to G-d. "Why did the leaf
fall?" he asks simply.

"Lift up the leaf and you will understand why."

The person raises the leaf and sees an ant carrying a large piece of
food. He questions the ant, who explains, "I was tired and hot. This
leaf came down, shaded me, and allowed me to rest before continuing my
journey."

G-d's kindness and care is exercised for the benefit of His entire
creation. Even the smallest ant is included in His master plan.

Another leaf story for the avid peeper:

Once, when Rabbi Shalom Ber of Lubavitch was strolling with his son,
Yosef Yitzchak (later to succeed him as Rebbe), they passed through
fields of grain. "Every movement of each stalk is actualized by Divine
Providence for the sake of a purpose known to heaven," exclaimed Reb
Shalom Ber. Yosef Yitzchok became engrossed in contemplating this
concept of Divine Providence. Deep in thought, he picked up a leaf and
tore it into little pieces as he walked.

"How can you treat an object created by G-d so casually?" his father
rebuked him. "Just now we were speaking of Divine Providence. The leaf
you tore was created by G-d for a particular purpose. In what way is the
leaf less significant than you? Just as the human being has his own task
to fulfill, so has this representative of the vegetable kingdom its
function to perform-and both have a Divinely-directed purpose."

So the next time you're looking at leaves, consider these stories and
how concerned G-d is with every aspect of all creation.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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In the Midrash, our Sages tell us that Abraham "recognized his Creator"
at the age of three, after which he began to disseminate the belief in
One G-d. As a result of his faith, Abraham was even thrown into the
"fiery furnace." Yet the Written Torah completely ignores these
incidents. Rather, we are introduced to Abraham in this week's Torah
portion, Lech Lecha when Abraham receives the command from G-d at the
age  of 75: "Go out (Lech lecha) from your country, and from your
family, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you."

As in everything else in the Torah, the omission of Abraham's early life
is deliberate. Indeed, we learn from this that it wasn't until he
received this Divine command that the Jewish people embarked on its
unique existence.

Until that point Abraham was like any other human being, distinguished
only by the fact that his superior intellect had led him to recognize
the Creator. Nonetheless, the essential nature of his connection with
G-d was still finite, as it was limited to the capacity of the human
mind. Even Abraham's willingness for self-sacrifice was based on
intellectual (and therefore limited) calculations on its necessity.

The Jew's connection with G-d, however, is not based on a rational
acceptance of His existence. Rather, it is a connection that is deeply
embedded in his essential being. The bond between the Jew and G-d is
analogous to that of parent and child, i.e., simply because the child is
part of the parent.

A human being does not have the ability to forge a connection of such
magnitude. Only G-d, Who chose the Jewish people, can create a
phenomenon of this nature.

When G-d commanded Abraham to "go out" of his country and birthplace, He
was telling him to abandon his prior existence and acquire a brand-new,
higher essence. With this command, Abraham was transformed into a Jew -
a person connected to G-d simply by virtue of his essential make-up.

This radically alters the way we should look at and interrelate with our
fellow Jews, as the change that was initiated with Abraham affected
every single Jew throughout the generations. Every Jewish person,
regardless of external factors, is connected to G-d with a
super-rational bond that transcends even personal awareness of it.

In practical terms this means that it is not necessary for a Jew to wait
until he learns enough to acquire an intellectual understanding of Torah
and mitzvot. Rather, because he is already connected to G-d by virtue of
his Jewish soul, he can immediately begin to observe G-d's commandments,
which will in turn lead him to the proper understanding.

                           Adapted from Volume 25 of Likutei Sichot

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                               Hotel Open
                             by Joseph Rice

When I was a young boy, I would spend many Sabbaths at the home of my
grandparents on Park Heights Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. Every
Saturday, I would walk with my grandfather, Isadore Rice, to services
two blocks around the corner on Quantico Avenue, where there was a
Chabad Lubavitch Center. I had little idea as to what was occurring
during services but I loved being there and looked forward to it every
time. I remember Grandpop Rice poking me in the sides and saying, "READ!
READ!"

After services, the entire congregation would gather outside and greet
each other. I remember how proud Grandpop was to introduce me to many of
his friends, saying over and over again, "This is my grandson, Joseph."
I was certain this made up for my inability to "READ! READ!"

Now, I do not know why it took me nearly 50 years to pray again at a
Chabad Lubavitch synagogue, but this is so.

A few years ago, I saw three people walk past me, obviously on their way
to Saturday morning services. I wondered where they could be going. The
next day I drove in the direction they had walked to search for their
destination. Looking carefully, I noticed a large menora in front of
Chabad Lubavitch of Upper Montgomery County.

The following Friday night I attended the service that Moishe Hoar was
leading in place of the Rabbi, Shalom Raichik, who was out of town and I
was made to feel as welcome as if I had been there before many times.

Over the next few years I began attending the services at Chabad
regularly. And during that time I have been involved in many interesting
situations that have allowed me to make others feel welcome as I was
made to feel welcome. This is the story of one of those circumstances.

During the summer of 2000, I was on a temporary assignment for a hotel
management company. I was to be the General Manager of a transition
property. The location was Fayetteville, North Carolina, a long 350-mile
drive from home in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Since my background includes
over 30 years in the lodging/hospitality industry, I was often asked to
assist former employers and friends with new hotel purchases and
acquisitions as well as franchise conversions.

One of the things I learned about Fayetteville, N.C. is that it is
located approximately half way between Crown Heights and Florida,
directly off of Interstate 95.

One time I was in attendance at a meeting between the owners of the
hotel and the representatives of the management company that was
operating it. It was after 7 p.m. and I decided to take a break, since
little had been resolved and the meeting began to take on an air of
hostility between both sides. Exiting the meeting room I noticed an
unattended bellhop luggage cart in the hallway. I decided to deliver the
cart to the lobby area and began to head in that direction.

When I arrived in the lobby I saw Rabbi Pinny Andrusier from Chabad of
South West Broward, Florida. Barbara, the desk clerk, explained that
Rabbi Pinny writes for various Jewish publications and would perhaps be
interested in writing about his experience at our hotel. I instructed
Barbara to offer Rabbi Pinny a 50% discount as I approached to greet and
meet him. After a few moments of conversation, I discovered that Rabbi
Pinny knew and had even been a roommate of my Chabad Rabbi from back
home, Rabbi Shalom Raichik. This qualifed Rabbi Pinny for another 50%
discount bringing his room charge to zero, or as we say in the business,
comp.

I asked him how it was that he came to be in the lobby of this
particular hotel and at that exact time. Since we were still in the
process of converting from one franchise to another we were calling
ourselves "Hotel Open." (We couldn't legally use the franchise we had
dropped and we were not yet ready for the new one.) Rabbi Pinny said he
went across the street to another hotel he usually stays in on his way
from Crown Heights to Florida but they informed him that not all of
their amenities were working and the desk clerk suggested he try the
"Hotel Open"! After our little talk, and at Rabbi Pinny's suggestion and
direction, we went to the balcony of my suite and said the afternoon
prayers before sunset.

I returned to the Fayetteville "Hotel Open" a few weeks after Rabbi
Pinny left. When I arrived at my office the desk person called to say
Rabbi Schneur Kaplan of Chabad of Downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was
in the lobby to see me. Who could this be? I wondered. I went offer
Rabbi Kaplan accommodations, but he informed me that he arrived last
night while I was away. Rabbi Pinny had recommended the "Hotel Open."
The same desk person who worked the evening Rabbi Pinny visited had
already made arrangements to "comp" the same suite for Rabbi Kaplan and
his family. Rabbi Kaplan was on his way back from Crown Heights to
Florida, and of course we davened (prayed) together prior to his
departure.

I decided to rename the suite the Chabad Suite. A number of staff
members asked what the name meant and appeared curious. Sometime later I
received a call from Rabbi Pinny and was then treated to the priviledge
of hosting Rabbi Sholom Korf (Chabad of Delray Beach, Florida) and his
family in the Chabad Suite while they were on their journey north from
Florida to Crown Heights. And again we davened on the balcony of my
suite prior to Rabbi Korf's departure.

I have been long gone from the "Hotel Open" and the place called
Fayetteville, North Carolina. But I will never forget the experiences,
the conversations, the davening and the joy of hosting three Rabbis and
their families in a hotel with no name in a place so far from everywhere
I had ever been familiar with and so far from Crown Heights and Florida!
I choose to believe my Grandpop Isadore is looking down from above and
saying to his friends, "That's my Grandson, Joseph."

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                         General Assembly Year

This Jewish year is a unique one, the General Assemply or "Hakhel" year.
In the times of the Holy Temple, the entire Jewish nation would gather
every seven years during the festival of Sukkot to hear special portions
of the Torah read. The purpose of this gathering was to foster Jewish
unity, and to strengthen the Jewish people's dedication to Torah and
mitzvot. Although the Holy Temple has not yet been rebuilt, the goals of
Hakhel-Jewish unity and dedication to Torah and mitzvot-apply today as
in those days. Especially during this year it is of central importance
for Jews to gather together and to encourage one another in Torah study
and mitzvot observance. If you would like to participate in a "Hakhel"
gathering or would like information on how to organize one, call your
local Chabad-Lubavitch Center or send your name, address, phone number
and email address to: Hakhel/LYO, 770 Eastern Pkwy, Bklyn, NY 11213

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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            3rd day of Weekly Sidra Lech Lecho, 5728 [1967]

To All Participants in the Annual Dinner
of the Yeshiva "Achei Tmimim" in Newark, NJ
G-d bless you all

Greeting and Blessing:

I send greetings to all participants in the Annual Dinner, together with
prayerful wishes for utmost success.

In accordance with the well-known saying of the Alter Rebbe [Rabbi
Shneur Zalman, founder of Chabad Chasidism], author of the Tanya and
Shulchan Aruch, that "a Jew should live in the spirit of the time" -
meaning the current weekly Sidra [Torah portion], it is to be hoped that
the Dinner taking place this week will be anima-ted and inspired by the
content and spirit of this week's Sidra - the Sidra which begins with
the history of our Father Abraham, the first Jew and father of our
people.

One of the first experiences of our Father Abraham was to learn that
"thy children shall be strangers in a land not theirs." However,
together with this came the everlasting covenant between G-d and Abraham
assuring the survival of our people at all times and under all
circumstance. This eternal quality of our people was coupled with the
condition that our children would be brought up in the way of G-d and
would maintain this bond with G-d from birth on; a bond which is not
only impressed in the soul but also sealed in the flesh, dedicating body
and soul to G-d.

Our Sages say that "the experience of the fathers is a guide for the
children."

What happened to our Patriarchs reflected events that would repeat
themselves in the history of our people, both of the individual and of
the nation as a whole. The eternity of our Jewish people is bound up
with the upbringing of our children, and the upbringing of each child is
vitally connected not only with the child's own future, but also with
the future of our people as a whole.

Herein lies the significance of Torah-true education in general, and of
the Yeshiva "Achei Tmimim" in particular. It clearly emphasizes the
responsibility - and privilege - of parents and of communal workers and
laymen to strengthen and expand the sacred educational institution of
the Yeshiva "Achei Tmimim".

May the Alm-ghty bless each and every one or you individually and
collectively, with Hatzlocho [success] in the fullest measure.

      With esteem and with blessing for Hatzlocho and good tidings,

                                *  *  *


                        5th of Iyar, 5721 [1961]

Greeting and Blessing:

This is to acknowledge receipt of your letters of the 1st [of] Iyar,
14th of Nissan, and the previous ones. No doubt you have, in the
meantime, received my letter. I hope you will continue to have good news
to report.

Needless to say, every additional measure of trust in G-d, and every
additional effort in all matters of Torah and Mitzvoth with joy and
gladness of heart, will increase your personal contentment and also the
success of your activities in behalf of others. This will also help you
to understand the inconsistency of your writing that everybody seems to
be against you, which cannot be true, in view of the fact that our Sages
taught "All that G-d does is for the good." And when we speak of "good"
we do not mean only the good in the hereafter, but in the here and now.
As I have written before, with every obligation and duty, comes the
ability to fulfill them, for "G-d does not deal despotically with His
creatures," and does not impose on anyone anything which cannot be
fulfilled.

I hope you have read the Pesach message carefully and have found it
useful in clarifying your mind and approach.

Hoping to hear good news from you,

                                                     With blessing,

P.S. You do not mention anything about the dental situation, from which
I gather that all is well.

With regard to the question of "a holy soul" I refer you to the
beginning of Chapter 2 of the Tanya, where it is explained that the soul
of every Jew is a part of G-dliness, mamash; and see also Chapter 4 of
Iggeres haTeshuva there.

On the question of Moshiach, the Rambam has clearly described everything
pertaining to the Moshiach (Hilchos Teshuva 9:2. Melochim 11:4), his
qualifications, ancestry etc. and that solves your problem.

You have been remembered, and will be remembered again at a propitious
time, in prayer at the holy resting place of my father-in-law of saintly
memory, with regard to all your needs materially and spiritually,
including a greater measure of your trust in G-d and growing success in
your activities to strengthen Yiddishkeit, with joy and gladness of
heart.

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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11 Marcheshvan 5762

Positive mitzva 201: an employee to be allowed to eat of the produce
among which he works

By this injunction we are commanded that a laborer must be allowed to
eat in the course of his work of the produce among which he is working,
provided it is still attached to the soil. It is derived from the
Torah's words (Deut. 23:25-26): "When you come into your neighbor's
vineyard, then you may eat your fill of grapes...when you come into your
neighbor's standing corn, then you may pluck the ears with your hand."

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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We are now in the month of Marcheshvan, the eighth month on the Jewish
calendar. After the incredibly intense spiritual experience of the High
Holy Days - Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and
Simchat Torah - we are commanded to imbue the "regular" days of the year
with the same spiritual energy, in order to elevate them to a higher
level. By sanctifying even the most mundane aspects of our daily lives,
we bring Moshiach's arrival closer and closer.

Indeed, Marcheshvan is the time when we begin to fulfill our Divine
mission of "And Jacob went on his way." Jacob is symbolic of every Jew.
In Marcheshvan, we must all strive to utilize the spiritual strength we
acquired during the previous month of Tishrei. As the weather changes
and the temperature drops outside, the lack of physical warmth should
remind us of the need to "turn up the thermostat" in the spiritual
sense. Emulating our forefather Jacob, who left his father's house and
traveled on his own, we should all strive for spiritual growth
regardless of the warmth or hospitality of our surroundings.

Every month of the year corresponds to a different one of the Twelve
Tribes, Marcheshvan corresponding to the tribe of Menashe. Menashe was
the firstborn son of Joseph, who gave him that name as a reminder to
remember his Jewish identity. ("For G-d, said he, has made me forget all
my toil, and all my father's house.") After the powerful holiday period
of Tishrei, a Jew might find himself in a spiritual vacuum. Especially
during Marcheshvan, we must always be aware of our roots and try to
avoid negative influences.

When the letters of the name Menashe are rearranged, they spell the word
"neshama," soul. For when a Jew is in touch with his neshama, he will
never forget his Father in Heaven.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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Go out from your country, and from your family, and from your father's
house, to a land that I will show you (Gen. 12:1)

According to Rashi, the command implied "for your own benefit and to
your own advantage." Yet despite the fact that Abraham knew this, he
obeyed G-d simply because he had been so commanded, rather than out of
any personal advantage it would bring him.

                                                   (Der Torah Kval)

                                *  *  *


A person must overcome his natural inclinations in order to draw closer
to G-d. This is alluded to in "Go out of your country ("eretz," related
to the word "ratzon" or will; "your family" ("molad'tcha," an allusion
to the intellect which "gives birth" to the emotions); and "your
father's house" (the word "av," "father," related to "taava," lust and
appetite). Only then can one arrive at "the land that I will show you."

                                                  (Sifrei Chasidut)

                                *  *  *


I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you (Gen.
12:3)

Why are those who bless Abraham referred to in the plural, and those who
curse him in the singular? Because when people will see that those who
bless the Jews are themselves blessed, and those who curse them are
themselves cursed, there will naturally be a surfeit of well-wishers and
very few cursers...

                                                  (Meshech Chochma)

                                *  *  *


And Abram took Sarai his wife...and all their possessions that they had
gathered, and the souls that they had made in Haran (Gen. 12:5)

If all of the nations joined together for the purpose of creating a
mosquito, they could never succeed in inducing it with a soul. How,
then, can the Torah refer to the souls that Abraham and Sarah "made" in
Haran? Rather, the verse refers to the people they "brought under the
wings of the Divine Presence. Abraham proselytized the men, and Sarah
proselytized the women." Accordingly, they are credited as if they had
"made" them."

                                                      (The Midrash)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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During the times of the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of
Chabad Chasidism) a law was passed to forcibly relocate Jews from rural
villages to larger towns. This particularly harsh decree left many Jews
destitute, without a source of livelihood, and a great deal of money was
needed to alleviate their plight. Not only were many poor families
without basic necessities, but officials had to be bribed to leave the
Jews in peace. To this end, the Alter Rebbe began traveling extensively
throughout the region asking for donations.

One such mission took the Alter Rebbe to the district of Vohlin, not far
from the city of Toltshin, where Reb Boruch, the Baal Shem Tov's
grandson, resided. The Alter Rebbe decided to pay Reb Boruch a visit,
and Reb Boruch was delighted by the honor.

"What brings you here?" Reb Boruch asked.

"Well," the Alter Rebbe replied, "I am raising funds to bribe government
officials to leave the Jews alone. The pitiful plight of my brethren is
too much to bear."

Reb Boruch was surprised. "But surely you could have averted the decree
on the spiritual level!" he countered. "Why are you actually going
around collecting money?"

The Alter Rebbe elucidated: "I am only following a precedent. When our
Patriarch Jacob was in danger, no doubt he could have alleviated the
harsh decree in a spiritual way, without having to placate his brother
Esau with gifts. Yet we see that he declared, 'I am sending a present to
my lord Esau...that he be appeased.'"

Reb Boruch remained unconvinced. The Alter Rebbe was a great tzadik; why
did he have to lower himself to act within the natural order? "But why
didn't you just teach them the meaning of 'Echad' ('One') according to
my grandfather's teachings? The decree would then have been
automatically nullified!"

"It was your grandfather's 'Echad' that caused this decree in the first
place,' the Alter Rebbe replied. He then revealed the following:

After the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, there was not one
country willing to take them in. The reason for this (as with everything
else that happens in the physical world) originated in the higher
spheres. In heaven, the ministering angels representing the various
nations were arguing among themselves. "We don't want the Jews to live
in our land!" each angel cried. "The first thing they'll do is build
synagogues and houses of study. They'll learn Torah and they'll pray. We
don't want them to declare 'Hashem Echad - G-d is One!' "

The angels were afraid that this declaration of G-d's unity would
nullify their very existence, much as darkness is dispelled in the
presence of light. This spiritual reality was reflected down below, and
the leaders of each nation refused to accept the Jews. There was only
one angel who was not afraid, the ministering angel of Poland. In fact,
he saw this as a golden opportunity to increase his own impure powers.

"They don't scare me," he declared. "I will take them in and it will be
to my advantage. It is true that they'll build yeshivas and study Torah,
and they will declare 'G-d is One.' But they will not have the proper
intentions, and I will grow stronger."

And so it came to pass. The king of Poland agreed to accept a bribe-a
pile of money as high as a mounted Cossack holding a spear upright.

Indeed, the Jews arrived in Poland in droves. They built synagogues and
houses of study, established businesses, learned Torah and recited the
"Shema" ("Hear O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One"). And, as
the ministering angel had predicted, they did not have the proper
intentions. The angel was delighted that his plan was working. His own
powers were increasing from day to day. Unfortunately for him, however,
the Baal Shem Tov came along and taught the Jews a dimension of "Echad"
that was entirely different.

"That's not fair!" the angel of Poland cried. "The deal is off-the
bargain is null and void! I only agreed to accept them under the terms
of the old 'Echad,' not the new one!"

Down on earth, the Jews would have to find another home. The noose was
tightened around the throat of European Jewry, and many Jews were
expelled from their villages.

"Now do you understand?" the Alter Rebbe concluded. "The new law is a
direct result of your grandfather's 'Echad,' and that is why money is
once again needed to avert the harsh decree..."

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
*********************************************************************
When the Israelites enter the synagogues and houses of study, they say
to the Holy One, blessed be He, "Redeem us!" He responds to them: "Are
there G-d-fearing people among you?" They reply: "In the past... there
were... Nowadays, however, as we go from generation to generation it
grows darker for us..." The Holy One, blessed be He, then says to them:
"Trust in My Name and I shall stand by you... for I shall save whoever
trusts in My Name."

                                             (Midrash Tehilim 31:1)

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              END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 691 - Lech-Lecha 5762
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