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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1036
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                           Copyright (c) 2008
                 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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        September 5, 2008       Shoftim             5 Elul, 5768
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                          It's in the Clothes

We're about to tell you a story. But first we have to familiarize you
with a few terms.

The first is decorum. It means, in our context, dressing appropriately,
specifically, how one dresses for prayer. We're not talking about coats
and ties, or dresses - though of course there's nothing wrong with
"dressing up" for services. Rather, we're talking about customs.

If you've ever been to a Chabad House you might have noticed that the
Chabad rabbi dresses rather formally on Shabbat - a long, black coat
(called a kapota), a hat, a cloth belt (called a gartel). And you may
have seen pictures of other groups with specific, custom-based modes of
dress.

There's a reason for wearing a kapote on Shabbat or a special belt
(gartel) for every service. It enhances one's awareness that the moment
- the day, the service - is special, ought to be treated differently
than "ordinary time." When meeting an important person - a potential
employer, a dignitary, etc, - we "dress up." So, too, Chasidim and many
other Jews want to have a special decorum on Shabbat or during prayer.

Now, the story: A Chasid was away from home on business. As the time for
mincha - the afternoon service - drew near, he realized he'd forgotten
to pack a gartel - the cloth belt we mentioned, used as a reminder to
focus on the "upper half" - the heart and mind - during prayer. He went
to the local Chabad House, sure someone would have an extra gartel he
could borrow.

But, alas, that day no one did. So he resigned himself to praying
mincha, the afternoon service, without a gartel.

However, one of the people he'd asked began thinking to himself: How can
I let a fellow Chasid daven (pray) without a gartel? Am I better than
him? On the other hand, if I give him mine, I'll have to daven without a
gartel. How can I pray without one?

It was a dilemma, until he thought a little deeper. Why was he praying,
anyway? Because it was what G-d wanted him to do. And why did he wear a
gartel? To help him focus properly during prayers.

But was that all G-d wanted? No, of course not. G-d also wanted Ahavat
Yisrael - manifest expressions of love of one Jew for another.

So, he thought, let's analyze. G-d will get two prayer services
regardless - mine and the other Chasid's. And he'll get one gartel, as
well.

But, he thought, if I keep the gartel, that's all G-d will get. If I
give my fellow Jew the gartel, though, then, G-d will get not only two
minchas and one gartel, he'll also get an Ahavat Yisrael!

There's a basis for this story in the Mishna. Ethics (5:10) states,
"There are four qualities among people... one who says what is mine is
yours, and what is yours is yours - is a Chasid." How so? How is such an
attitude possible? For an answer, we have a line from Tanya (ch. 32):
"We all have one Father, and therefore all Israel is called siblings in
reality since the source of their souls is in the One G-d and they
differ only in their physical being."

It's a lofty state of awareness, yes, but one attainable by each and
every one of us.

    With thanks to Rabbi Berel Zaltzman for the story and his son Rabbi
    Mendel Zaltzman for a practical example.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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The end of this week's Torah portion, Shoftim, deals with the egla
arufa, which atoned for a murder whose perpetrator was unknown. If a
body was found out in the open and it was not known who had killed the
person, the Torah commands the elders of the nearest city to take a
year-old calf down to the river and proclaim, "Our hands did not spill
this blood, and our eyes did not see." The calf was then slaughtered
both to atone for the death and to publicize the matter, so that the
true murderer could be found.

It seems odd at first that any culpability is ascribed to the elders of
the city which just happened to be closest to the discovery. They may
not have even known of this person's existence during his lifetime. What
possible role could the city's leaders have played in his death? Why
does the Torah involve the city's rabbinical court, when obviously the
real murderer is the one who needs to be punished?

The mitzva of the egla arufa serves to underscore the dictum: "All Jews
are guarantors for each other." The responsibility for the death lies
not only upon the shoulders of the cold-blooded murderer, but also upon
the inhabitants of the nearest town and most specifically, on the
community leaders, the elders who served on the supreme court.

The innocence of these leaders must be publicly proclaimed, for it was
their responsibility to ensure the high moral caliber of their flock.
Had they instilled Jewish values properly, such a situation would have
never arisen. The fact that this murder happened in their domain shows
that something is indeed wrong with their leadership.

The concept of bloodshed may also be applied to the Jew's spiritual
life. When a person transgresses Torah law he is ostensibly "murdering"
his G-dly Jewish soul with the degradation it must endure. With the
repetition of such actions a Jew in this spiritually reduced state can
even appear to be a lifeless corpse, where he too is found in an "open
field," the domain of the non-Jewish world.

Whose responsibility is this Jew's present condition? Is he not
responsible for his own actions which led to his spiritual downfall?
Could he not, of his own free will, have abandoned the "open field" and
returned to the "city," the embracing fold of the Jewish way of life?

The Torah clearly states the duties of the Jewish leaders: "The members
of the greater court were to gird themselves with ropes of iron...and
make the rounds in all the inhabited places of Israel... and teach all
of Israel." Their function was to ensure that this individual would not
fall through the cracks and abandon the proper path of the Torah.

Being responsible for our fellow Jew is a lesson which should be noted
by every Jew, especially during the month of Elul, when the thoughts of
the entire Jewish People turn to repentance and return to G-d before the
advent of the new year. During this propitious month for repentance,
when G-d goes out into the "field" to make our return to Him that much
easier, let us truly exemplify the love of our fellow Jew so we can all
enter the G-dly palace on the Day of Judgement.

                   Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                        There's Nothing Like It
                            by Yehudis Cohen

I drive under the redwood arch one last time this camp season. The
yellow and green sign proudly stating "You can take a girl out of
Emunah, but you can't take Emunah out of a girl" is now behind me. This
summer, my sixth as a staff member in Camp Emunah, has had many
unexpected and inspiring experiences. I wonder to myself if it is
possible to give a feeling of what goes on in Emunah to someone who has
never stepped foot on camp grounds.

I decide to try my hand at conveying the sense of fun, adventure,
family, spirit and Jewish pride that make this Jewish girls' overnight
camp nestled in the Catskill Mountains, so special.

My mind wanders back over the last few weeks of camp. By now, the
campers and staff, who hail from France, Chile, California, Las Vegas,
London, Iowa, Florida, Delaware, Chicago, Montreal, Mexico, Costa Rica,
New York and all points in between, have had a chance to get into shape.
In fact the summer's theme is just that: "Get in Shape with Emunah 68."

But how exactly are they getting in shape? Through G.Y.M. - Geula
(Redemption) Your Mission - an awareness that everything we do should be
to bring Moshiach now. The dedicated and high-spirited head counselors
have devised a personal "work out" plan for each camper to foster growth
in interpersonal skills and Jewish pride. The bunk competition chart
adorning the massive dining room depicts a girl holding a barbell in one
hand, a Jewish book in the other.

There is tremendous excitement in camp one one Tuesday as the events of
the day unfold. In the morning, the camp is prepped for the arrival of a
group of special needs campers from Friendship Circle. Camp Emunah's
program director (who is serenaded with "We love Baila, Baila Rochel"
every time she gets up to speak) eloquently explains that even though
the new campers might look or even act differently, they are in camp for
the same reason: to have fun, to grow in Judaism, to make new friends,
to laugh and to sing.

The excitement heightens later in the morning as the 7th grade "VIP"
division starts loading the busses for a two-day "Shlichus Trip" to
Monsey, New York. As part of their trip, they will be running a carnival
for campers in the local day camp. They are learning community service
and outreach first-hand, even during their vacation.

Lunch is scheduled earlier than usual and campers "ooh" and "aah" as
they enter the dining room that has been gaily decorated to coordinate
with the festive occasion soon to take place. The 6th grade Bat Mitzvah
Division comes down from their hilltop hideaway to honor all of the
campers whose Bat Mitzvahs are in the summer. The event is sponsored by
Rabbi Naftali Estulin, the Lubavitcher Rebbe's emissary for Russian Jews
in Los Angeles. A campers who recently celebrated her Bat Mitzvah makes
a presentation and then Rabbi Estulin speaks. He tells the campers about
the great privilege that they have to be in Camp Emunah. He points out
that the camp was founded 56 years ago by Rabbi J.J. Hecht, whose 18th
yartzeit will be on Shabbat. Since Rabbi Hecht's passing, the camp has
been under the active and able leadership of Rebbetzin Chava Hecht.
"When you go back home, if you hear your grandmother give a krechst
(groan), tell her about how Rebbetzin Hecht keeps on doing, building,
adding, touching more lives!"

The Friendship Circle campers arrive later in the afternoon. They adapt
well to the hectic pace of camp, the cheering of nearly 200 campers in
the dining room, the 8:00 a.m. wake-up announcements and the 9:30 p.m.
lights out. They enjoy swimming, crafts, hiking, ball games, jumping on
the trampolines, ordering ice cream at the canteen, and being with other
Jewish girls from around the world. With exuberance they pray every day,
each in her own unique way or place; one Friendship Circle camper's
regular location for davening (praying) is on the swings, another
prefers davening and singing out load with the rest of the camp, though
she is never in sync with them.

A few days later I finally get up the nerve to ask one of the
maintenance workers, Miguel, a question. In his long ponytail and
atypical mode of dress, he hardly "looks" Jewish. But in his demeanor,
Miguel is a perfect example of our Sages' teaching that one should
always great others with a smile. He has put on tefilin a number of
times during the summer and joined Shabbat services once or twice. I ask
Miguel his feelings about being in Camp Emunah. With deep pride, he
tells me, "I've always known that I was Jewish 'cause my mother's
Jewish. I'm not ashamed of where I come from."

"Has it had any impact on you that Camp Emunah is a Jewish camp?" I ask
him. "I'm learning so much about Judaism just by being here," Miguel
answers, with his ever-present smile. "And I don't work on Shabbos
here!" Miguel adds, with a twinkle in his eyes. "I was working in a
different camp, but they didn't treat the workers well. Here, I'm
treated with respect."

I remember the story a counselor's father, a Chabad rabbi involved in
Jewish education, told me the previous summer. He had approached the
parents of school-age children to ask them about Jewish day school. "But
we are sending them to a Jewish summer camp. And studies have shown that
a high percentage of Jewish kids who go to Jewish camps opt to be
involved in Judaism as adults because their whole Jewish experience is
filled with fun and excitement."

"Camp Emunah, there's nothing like it," I hear a group of campers
singing in the background. Yes, Camp Emunah is an extraordinary place.
But don't despair! Wherever you are in the world, you will find a
Chabad-Lubavitch day or overnight camp (most often called "Gan Israel")
that will offer your child or your friend's child a unique summer
experience of fun, friendship, Jewish pride, and much, much more. It's
never too early for next summer!

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                         The King in the Field

Five good friends spend an afternoon together in the field, wishing they
could somehow enter the palace for a meeting with the king. What kind of
surprise is in store for them, and for all of us? This latest release
from HaChai Publishing is written by Dina Rosenfeld and illustrated by
Jessica Schiffman. The rhyming text is masterfully executed and the
illustrations will delight the youngsters as they learn how to prepare
for the upcoming High Holidays.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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         Freely adapted from a letter of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

...The general and essential nature of the resolution [to observe G-d's
commandments] is: to order one's life, in every aspect of daily life, in
accord with the purpose of man's creation. This purpose is, to quote the
succinct formulation of our Sages: 'I was created to serve my Master,'
and to serve Him with joy, as it is written, 'Serve G-d with joy.'

The nature and end-purpose of this service is: 'to make an abode for G-d
in the lowest world.' This means, to conduct oneself in such a way that
every detail in the surrounding world, and certainly every detail of the
individual's personal life, becomes an 'abode' for G-dliness. And this
is achieved through the everyday observance of Torah and mitzvoth
[commandments] which permeate every aspect of life.

All this is required of every Jew, man or woman, young or old,
regardless of position and stature, as this is also indicated in the
verse alluding to Rosh Hashanah: 'You are standing firmly this day, all
of you, before G-d your G-d: your heads... down to the drawer of your
water.' Every Jew, without exception, is required and expected to rise
to the level of 'standing before G-d, your G-d,' regardless of how it
was in the past year.

The question arises: How can one expect every Jew to attain such a
level, and to attain it truly and with joy, considering that it has to
do with an 'abode in the lowest world,' a world that is predominantly
materialistic; a world in which Jews are - quantitatively - 'the fewest
among all the nations'; and, moreover, to expect it of the Jew when his
indispensable physical requirements, such as eating, drinking, sleeping,
making a living, etc., occupy the major part of his time and energy,
leaving but little time for matters of spirit and holiness?

The explanation of it - in terms understandable to all - is to be found
in the concept of bitachon, trust in G-d.

The concept of bitachon is the underlying theme of Psalm 27 which is
recited throughout this month, the month of Elul, the month of
preparation for the new year, and continued into the beginning of the
new year, during the greater part of the month of Tishrei:

'A Psalm by David: G-d is my light and my help; whom shall I fear?' This
trust in G-d, which King David expresses on behalf of every Jew, namely,
complete confidence in G-d's help, embraces both the material and
spiritual aspects of life, to the extent of attaining the highest level
of Divine service, as is also evident from the subsequent verses of the
above Psalm, down to the concluding verse: 'Hope in G-d, be strong and
let your heart take courage, yes, hope in G-d.'

The idea of bitachon is to feel reassured and convinced that G-d will
help overcome all difficulties in life, both material and spiritual,
since 'G-d is my light and my help.' It is especially certain that
everyone, man or woman, is able to carry out his or her mission in life,
and do so with joy, reflecting on the extraordinary privilege of having
been chosen by G-d to be His emissary on earth for the purpose of
'making for Him an abode in the lowest world,' and with the assurance of
having G-d's light, help and fortitude to carry out this mission.

The joy of it is further increased by contemplating the nature of this
help from G-d, which comes to him in a manner of 'I turn to my loving
G-d and my loving G-d turns to me' - the G-d Who loves me with infinite
Divine love. And this love is bestowed particularly from Rosh Chodesh
Elul through Yom Kippur, as explained by our Sages.

Hence, during this time, as well as throughout the coming year, this
extraordinary Divine love must evoke in the heart of every Jew a
boundless love for G-d, as the Psalmist expresses it: 'Whom have I in
heaven? and on earth I desire nothing but You; my flesh and my heart
languish for You, O G-d.' Here, too, the love and trust in G-d are
underscored in all aspects of life: 'in heaven' - the spiritual, and 'on
earth' - the material.

Bitachon in G-d is, for every Jew, an inheritance from our Patriarchs,
as is written, 'In You our fathers trusted; they trusted - and You
delivered them.' It is deeply ingrained in the Jewish heart and soul;
all that is necessary is to bring it to the surface so that it permeates
all aspects of daily life.

In light of the rule enunciated by our Sages of blessed memory, that 'By
the measure that a person measures, it is measured to him,' it follows
that the stronger and more embracing one's bitachon, the greater, more
evident, and more inclusive is the fulfillment of this truth, through
the blessing which G-d bestows, materially and spiritually.

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                                CUSTOMS
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   Are there additional prayers in preparation for the High Holidays?

From Rosh Chodesh Elul (the first day of the month of Elul) through
Hoshana Rabba (the 7th day of Sukkot) the psalm L'David Hashem Ori
(Psalm 27) is recited at the end of the prayers twice a day. The psalm
begins, "G-d is my Light" and in these 50 days of introspection and
growth it is fitting to add a prayer that makes us aware of G-d's
guiding light that shines on us and enables us to see clearly.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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Sometimes - simply because Elul and the High Holidays occur with yearly
dependability - we don't pay enough attention to a very radical concept
in Judaism.

During the month of Elul a Jew is supposed to stop what he's doing,
honestly and objectively assess his spiritual condition, and take
whatever steps are necessary to improve it. But how much can an older,
set-in-his-ways person really change?

Realistically speaking, each of us has his own strengths and weaknesses,
things we are willing to do and things that are just not for us. Aside
from minor adjustments, aren't we destined to remain basically the same
till 120?

To this, Judaism responds with a resounding "No!" You too can change and
do teshuva, the Torah tells us, regardless of your experience or
maturity. Whatever happened before is past history. No door is closed,
no bad habits so ingrained that they cannot be overcome. A Jew always
has the potential to draw nearer to G-d, and during the month of Elul,
is granted special powers from Above to assist him.

This principle, that a Jew is a perpetual "work in progress" and that
it's never too late to improve, is the result of the unique nature of
the Jewish soul. The Jewish soul is eternal, unlimited by any
boundaries. Nothing can stand in the way of a Jew's sincere desire to be
close to G-d - neither logic, emotion, environment or inclination. The
moment he resolves to change course ever slightly (in the right
direction) he becomes invincible.

Each day of his life, a Jew has the capacity to revolutionize his
existence and imbue it with ever-increasing holiness. It's just easier
during Elul, when our hearts are naturally aroused to doing teshuva and
spurred on by G-d's greater proximity among us.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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Neither shall you set up for yourself any pillar (matzeiva), which the
L-rd your G-d hates (Deut. 16:22)

The word "matzeiva" comes from the Hebrew root meaning constant, steady
and permanent. Do not look at this world as an end unto itself, the
Torah counsels. Regard it merely as a passageway to be navigated and a
preparation for the World to Come.

                                                    (Kedushat Levi)

                                *  *  *


The first fruits of your grain...shall you give him (Deut. 18:4)

As Rashi explains, "This refers to the teruma contribution set aside for
the priests. [The Torah] does not specify any amount, but our Rabbis
said that a person of good will gives one in forty." Symbolically, "one
in forty" is an allusion to Yom Kippur. Moses ascended Mount Sinai on
the 1st of Elul, where he remained for 40 days, until Yom Kippur. Yom
Kippur is thus the most auspicious time of this 40-day period.

                                                      (Ohr HaTorah)

                                *  *  *


But if any man hates his fellow, and lies in wait for him (Deut. 19:11)

Although literally referring to a killer who has fled to one of the
"cities of refuge," the verse allegorically alludes to the Evil
Inclination, which disguises itself as a person's "fellow" while really
"hating" him. One must therefore be aware that the Evil Inclination is
constantly "lying in wait," watching his every step and hoping to trip
him up.

                                                      (Ohr HaChaim)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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A Chabad Chasid from the Slonim family in the Holy Land once sailed to
White Russia to visit the Lubavitcher Rebbe of that time, the Rebbe
Maharash (Rabbi Shmuel, the fourth Rebbe), who was also his relative.
The Rebbe asked him many questions about the situation of the Jews in
the Holy Land. While answering, the Chasid commented, "I don't
understand what is written in certain books that in the Holy Land dwell
lofty souls. I know the Jews there, and I haven't seen that they are
more special than the Jews here."

"Oh, are you qualified to recognize lofty souls?" remarked the Rebbe.
"Here, let me tell you a story that I heard from my father about a
simple Jew in the Land of Israel:

"There was once a Jewish farmer who lived just outside of Jerusalem. He
did not know how to study Torah, nor did he understand the words of the
prayers he said every day. In fact, even the order of the prayers and
that some prayers are added on certain days and left out on others left
him hopelessly confused. So, once a week, when he came to the city to
sell his produce, he would go to a certain local rabbi, who would write
down for him the order of the prayers for each of the seven days to
come.

"One year, in the month of Cheshvan, when the rainy season usually
begins, he asked the rabbi to make the list for the next two weeks. He
explained that because of the bad road conditions caused by the winter
rains, he would now come only once every two weeks.

"It turned out, however, that he came to Jerusalem the next week anyway.
He had something pressing to attend to, and besides, it hadn't rained.
When he arrived, he halted his donkey in shock: all the Jewish stores
were closed!

"The simple fellow was seized by anxiety. Could he possibly have
miscounted the days? G-d have mercy! Was it Shabbat today? He stood
motionless. What to do?

"Looking around, he saw a solitary Jew on the street, walking along with
his talit (prayer shawl) and tefilin under his arm. 'Thank G-d!' the
farmer intoned; 'It can't be Shabbat if he is carrying tefilin!'

"But if so, why were the stores closed and the street deserted? He
approached the strolling Jew he had spotted and asked him what was going
on. The man told him that it was a public fast-day.

"Now he felt distressed again. A fast day? But he had already eaten! And
failed to say the appropriate extra prayers too. Why hadn't the rabbi
warned him the week before?

"Abandoning his donkey and wagon right in the middle of the marketplace
where he had stopped, he rushed over to the rabbi's house. There he was
told that the rabbi was still in the synagogue, so off he ran again, his
heart pounding from both fear and exertion. 'Rabbi!' he cried out,
bursting into tears. 'How could you do this to me!'

"The sage couldn't understand why he was so upset. 'What happened, my
friend?' he asked gently.

" 'What happened?' you ask. 'Today is a fast day, I just found out, but
your honor didn't write it down or even mention anything about it to me
last week, and so I already ate and said the wrong prayers. Woe is me!"

"The rabbi smiled, relieved. 'You can relax, my friend. This is not a
regular fast day. We just recently decreed this special fast-day for the
residents of Jerusalem because of the possibility of a serious drought
due to lack of rain, but you don't live here and so were in no way
obligated.'

"The farmer looked perplexed. 'When you need rain, you decree a fast?'
he asked, puzzled.

" 'That's right,' the rabbi replied.

" 'Really?'

" 'Of course. Why? What do you think we should do?'

" 'Well,' answered the farmer, innocently, 'when my fields don't have
enough rain, I go out there and say to the One Above, "Father! I need
rain." And then it starts to rain.'

"The rabbi looked at the simple fellow intensely and saw that he was
sincere. 'If that's so, why don't you try and see if your methods will
work here in the city, too!?'

"The farmer turned and went outside to the courtyard. He began to weep.
Through his tears he cried out, 'Father! Can it possibly be that the
people of Your holy city will expire from famine? Don't You see that
they need rain?'

"Immediately the sky darkened and rain began to fall.

As he completed the story, the Rebbe Maharash said to his visitor from
the Holy Land, "So do you really think you are able to distinguish who
in the Holy Land is a lofty soul?"

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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"And I will return your judges as in former times, and your advisers as
at the beginning. Afterwards you shall be called the city of
righteousness, the faithful city."

                                                      (Isaiah 1:26)

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               END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1036 - Shoftim 5768
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