***************************************************************** L'CHAIM ISSUE No. 2 ***************************************************************** 29 Adar, 5748 Parshat Vayikra March 18, 1988 ***************************************************************** THE WEEKLY PUBLICATION FOR EVERY JEWISH PERSON Dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson N.E. ***************************************************************** ROBOTICS Don't Get Caught In The Rain Do you remember watching the antics of Rosey, the motherly robot on the Jetsons cartoon? It all seemed so preposterous; twenty years ago, who could have imagined the great advancement in technology--computers, robotics, artificial intelligence. Today, we don't have to imagine, the age of machines that can duplicate the thinking process has almost arrived! Yet, the further researchers get in imitating human reasoning, the more they realize that a mechanical version of the mind may always be a distant goal. In a radio interview a few months ago, Isaac Asimov, master of science fiction, discussed his three absolute rules that would have to be programmed into future "generations" of robots. One of these "commandments" was that the robot would not do anything to hurt itself. This, of course, was as long as in so doing, it did not hurt its creator (a second rule). How could a robot know what was self-destructive? Most likely, it would have to be programmed with such knowledge. For instance, in the event that a robot would be designed out of steel, it would certainly have to be programmed not to stay out in the rain! And if somehow, the robot disobeyed, eventually there would be disastrous results. People, too, have been given rules to live by. The Jews received the Torah with all of its commandments, and the non-Jews were given the Seven Laws of Noah to follow. We, however, were never programmed. G-d gave us free choice. And although He, as the Creator, knows by what rules we can and must live, we have the ability to make our own decisions of whether or not to follow them. One way to become more versed in our rules is to learn the Torah, the blueprint with which G-d made us. Read a Jewish book, today. Hook up with a teacher who can guide you through user's manual. And please, don't get caught out in the rain! ***************************************************************** LIVING WITH THE TIMES ***************************************************************** THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION ***************************************************************** With the reading of the Torah portion this Shabbat, we begin the third book of the Torah, Vayikra (Leviticus).The Torah portion, also named Vayikra, is about sacrifices: the offerings that were made in the Sanctuary, and the procedures that surrounded them. What does all this mean to us today, when there is no Sanctuary or Holy Temple? Two Temples were destroyed, but many millions were not, and could not be. These are the temples within every Jew, the holy place of the soul where worship of G-d takes place. Judaism has as many Sanctuaries as there are Jews. Every instruction in this portion has a double significance: firstly, to guide the priests in their service, and secondly, to guide us in ours. The private Sanctuary of the present is a precise counterpart of the public Sanctuary of the past. Similarly, there is an inward act of sacrifice in the life of a Jew that precisely mirrors the outward act which took place in the Sanctuary. When a Jew wishes to come closer to G-d he must make a sacrifice to G-d of his very self. The first thing that had to be done when an animal was to be sacrificed on the altar, was to see that it was whole, perfect, without blemish. Only then could it be offered. So, too, with a Jew; the "animal" within him must be flawless before it can be sacrificed. The first step is self-examination. We must search the recesses of our soul for faults, and having found them, must set them right. After correcting the faults or blemishes in our way of life, the "animal" must be killed--the life-energy must be redirected toward G-d. Finally, just as the sacrifice was consumed by fire, our physicality must be infused with the fire of our Jewish soul and our love for G-d. ***************************************************************** SLICE OF LIFE ***************************************************************** An Interview with Naturopath MEIR ABEHSERA In the mid-'60s, Meir Abehsera, naturopathic doctor and noted author, was busy covering 10,000 miles a month, doing lecture tours on the macrobiotic diet and natural medicine. A Sephardic Jew raised in France, and a scion of the saintly Abuchatzera family, Meir Abehsera is a Jew who returned to his own tradition. Through him, macrobiotics became a doorway used by many Jews to encounter their traditions. Today, in the late '80s, Meir offers private consultations in health, and of course, he is still a naturopath. Only now, when lecturing, his focus has shifted from food to the delicate art of helping Jews come back to Judaism. Asked why it is that so many Jews came back to Judaism through acrobiotics, Meir explains: "If a Jew is not involved in Yiddish-keit [Torah Judaism}, it is because he is not thinking. A person comes into macrobiotics to follow a law. Although the difference [between macrobiotics and Judaism] is like the difference between darkness and light, macrobiotics, nonetheless, presents a person with a thinking method." Macrobiotics is originally a Greek word meaning "long life." It was the name given to a discipline of eating from Japan, supposedly designed to promote optimum health and long life. It gained popularity in America in the '60s and '70s. According to Meir, macrobiotics is a way of eating that is clean, and "when you are eating clean it cleans your thinking." "So," continues Meir, "when a person comes into macrobiotics, he starts thinking. But where does it lead him to? Does it lead him to G-d? " No, he answers. "Macrobiotics doesn't speak about something personal, something that takes care of every second of your life with compassion and kindness," he says, referring to the Jewish concept of G-d. Meir implies that the Jew who is thinking cleanly cannot help but find his way home, and clean eating offers preparation for the journey. Asked to comment on products that may be 100% kosher and yet are 100% chemical with little nutritive value, he replies: "Today the vegetarians are saying, 'Clean is kosher.' And there is some truth to that. If it keeps your body healthy, they say it's kosher. But kosher is not only about the physical ... You are making a statement that Heaven wants you to agree on one thing, that keeping kosher is not just for the well-being of your body, but also for the well-being of your soul." According to Meir, keeping kosher "creates chambers, areas of cleanliness" that impact not only your physical being, but also on your thinking as well. For instance, there must be some separation between meat and dairy, he says, "like a comma, or a period ... When a person doesn't eat kosher, he will come to mix up the holy and the profane." Meir would agree that "the way to a person's heart is through his stomach" is not just a trite saying. "It's the food that brings a person back to himself, not words. On our level, food makes the point of our essence. Food represents our kindness." In the case of a *tzadik* (a great, righteous person), however, it's different. "His food is his words, his gestures. His words and gestures feed your soul." Meir speaks easily about *tzadikim* and attributes this in part to his Sephardic heritage. "This concept of a *tzadik* is not much known by the Askenazim [Jews from European ancestry], but we Sephardim have never had any problems with it." Meir's own family is filled with *tzadikim*, including the late Baba Sali, spiritual leader of Sephardic Jewry. Asked if he had contact with him, he tells the story of being on his way to visit Baba Sali when he met the Lubavitcher Rebbe for the first time. "The Rebbe was not my rebbe yet," he explains. "I just came by to say hello. I was going to Israel and I wanted to see him. But he told me I shouldn't go to Israel. I should stay here and work with other Jews." So Meir contacted his parents and asked that they speak with Baba Sali. "Tell him I got stuck here." His parents called Baba Sali and asked for a blessing for Meir to come to Israel. The reply was that he should stay there with the Rebbe. "That was two against me," Meir says with a smile. While Meir speaks about *tzadikim*, snatches of songs drift in from other corners of the house. The phone doesn't stop ringing, children laugh in the background, people come in and out singing, laughing, praying. His home is an open one, always filled with guests. The guests see that his house is a kind house, and they eat of his food--macrobiotic or not--the essence of his kindness. Excerpted from "Wellsprings" Magazine. ***************************************************************** WHAT'S NEW ***************************************************************** NEW CAMPUS On Sunday, March 13, Beth Rivkah Schools-Lubavitch had a ground-breaking ceremony for a new campus in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. The new facility will be called the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson Campus and will be dedicated to her memory. TORAH SCROLL COMPLETED The last letters were inscribed in a special Torah scroll this past Thursday, March 10, 1988. The unique Torah was a project of emissaries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe around the world, who "purchased" words in the Torah for themselves and their families. Hundreds of rabbis participated in the writing of the Torah, which will be used in World Lubavitch Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. NEW "TANK" BOUGHT A custom designed and decorated mobile home, popularly known as a "Mitzvah Tank" was purchased this past week by Lubavitch Youth Organization. These Tanks, manned by enthusiastic and knowledge-able, young men, are helping win the "war" against assimilation. ***************************************************************** INSIGHTS ***************************************************************** CONCEPTS FROM CHASIDUS From the abundance of self-improvement manuals on the market, one might rightly conclude that people have an inborn desire to improve themselves. The Torah makes this desire a personal respon-sibility. Changing one's personality is, of course, easier said than done. Chasidic philosophy, with its detailed description of personality structure and spiritual makeup, helps direct this process of personal growth. What follows is a short lesson in "spiritual anatomy," so to speak, taken from Chasidic works. First, one must make a general distinction between what a person is and what he does. Chasidic philosophy refers to this latter category, which includes a person's speech and actions, as "garments." Garments are external to the person; they are not "him," but rather what he wears. Unlike the person himself, who is constant, his "garments" can be worn or shed at will. Because clothing is external, it may convey a deceiving, or even contrary impression of the person's true self. Dressing like a king or queen does not necessarily make you one. In a similar way, a person's speech and action are only external. He will use them only when he desires, and in the way he desires. These "garments" do not necessarily reflect the person's inner self; a person can speak or act in a way that directly contradicts his true being. I LIKE IT, I LIKE IT A person's personality, however--his feelings, his way of understanding, and his outlook on the world--are closer to his essence. Therefore, they can not be changed at will as easily or quickly. If you make a firm resolution to enjoy brussels sprout, for example, your chances for success are slim (unless you already liked them in the first place). Just imagine grudgingly carrying out a resolution to love brussels sprout, dutifully smiling while chewing the despicable green things. In such a case, the action has changed, but the attitude has not. Rather than refrain one eats; and instead of frowning one smiles. These are both in the realm of action. Willpower can only help you eat the food, but it can not help you enjoy it. In this respect, intellect is similar to emotion. A person accustomed to understanding things one way will find it difficult to change his perspective. A mere desire to understand things differently will not in itself be successful. A desire to believe, for example, that 2 plus 2 equals 5, can not be fulfilled. One might mentally repeat, "2 plus 2 is 5," but this is not understanding; it is just a mental type of action. The "faculties" of feeling and intellect are closer to the person himself, and are therefore less responsive to change. Unlike the "garments" of speech and action, they are part of the person. However, intellect and feeling are not the person's essence. They can be changed albeit With great effort. Dwelling on a person's faults might evoke a feeling of disgust or hatred. One can develop a feeling of love for someone by contemplating their positive qualities. Study and meditation can also change one's mental outlook. PLANT OR PERSON? What a person really is, however, is in no way subject to change. Since he is a person, even the most stupendous effort will not change him into a plant. So too, the soul of a Jew is part of his essence, and essence is, by definition, unchangeable. Of these three areas--the external "garments," the faculties of intellect and emotion, and the essence of the soul--the essence of the soul has an advantage over the other two. Although the "garments" are superficial and easily changed, it is through them that a Jew does a mitzva and achieves a direct bond with his Creator. Few mitzvot are fulfilled through the faculties of emotion and intellect; they are also more difficult to perform. But through developing deeper feeling and understanding, our actions become infused with life and vitality. The essence of the Jewish soul can not be touched or altered. However, therein lies its eternal strength and beauty. Even should a Jew externally stray from his Jewishness, his essence remains pure and unchanged. ***************************************************************** WHAT'S IN A NAME? ***************************************************************** AHARON Aharon (Aaron) was Moses's elder brother. He was the high priest (Cohen in Hebrew) and father to all future priests. There are various opinions as to the origin of the name. One is that Aharon's mother, lamenting her pregnancy since Pharaoh had decreed that all Jewish males were to be thrown into the Nile, said: "I'herayon" ("Woe unto this pregnancy"). ELISHEVA The name "Elisheva" is first mentioned in Exodus (6:23). It means, "G-d is my oath." Elisheva was Aharon's wife and sister of Nachshon--the prince of the tribe of Judah. She raised four out-standing sons, Nadav, Avihu, Elazar and Itamar. ***************************************************************** A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR ***************************************************************** Thank G-d, the inaugural issue of "L'Chaim" was very well received by the thousands who obtained it through the "Mitzvah Tanks," routes and elsewhere. It is an honor to be of service to the "Tankistin"--the young, dedicated army of Mitzvah men who spend Friday afternoons, their only free time off from their Torah studies, visiting Jews in stores, factories, and offices. As one Tankist put it, "This is added ammunition in the Mitzvah Campaign." The "Mitzvah Tanks" and the Friday routes are designed to give thousands of Jews an opportunity to learn about their heritage in a most practical way: put on *Tefillin*; read the *Shema*, study the weekly Torah portion, the *Mishna* or the Talmud. These young men do their work with love, dedication and enthusiasm, so characteristic of young people in the Rebbe's "army." To these dedicated, caring, spear carriers, we say "L'Chaim. May you go from strength to strength and may you continue to be a source of *nachas* to the Rebbe, and all Jews." And, speaking of these Mitzvah Men, it is my unique pleasure to thank Zalmen Leberov and Mendel Scharfstein, who have advocated the printing of such a publication for a long time. Rabbi Shmuel Butman ***************************************************************** IT HAPPENED ONCE ***************************************************************** The Spice of Life A distraught couple once came to a famous Rebbe for assistance. "Saintly Rebbe," the man appealed, "we ask for your help in the following matter. The other night, thieves broke into our house and stole my wife's jewelry and all of our cash. Please, help us recover our valuables." The Rebbe looked searchingly at the couple and then said, "Why did you come to me? I have not stolen your valuables. Everyone knows that I do not go out at night to rob people's homes..." "G-d forbid that we should suspect the holy Rebbe of such a thing!" the man interrupted. "But we have heard that you can perform miracles. You are the only one who can help us recoup our losses!" "I know nothing about the theft," replied the Rebbe. "It is a job for the authorities." "We have already reported the incident to the police, but only you can help us," insisted the man. He then place money on the table as a donation for one of the Rebbe's charities, and looked hopefully at the Rebbe. The Rebbe glanced briefly at the money. "Is that all you can spare for the recovery of such a large loss?" he asked. The man reached into his pocket again and drew out another bill, placing it on top of the first. "I've doubled the amount," he said, looking even more hopeful than before. It's still not enough," the Rebbe said sternly. The man added some more money, but the Rebbe was still not satisfied. At this point, the woman, who had watched the proceedings in awed silence, grabbed the money and handed it back to her husband, saying, "Come, let's go home. G-d will help us without the Rebbe!" A broad smile appeared on the Rebbe's face as he said to them, "This is just what I wanted to hear. You see, you came here putting all your trust in me, forgetting altogether about G-d. So long as you left G-d out of your thoughts, I could not help you. But now that you put your trust in G-d, go home and rest assured that G-d will not let you down." A few days later the man returned to the Rebbe. He was all smiles now, and told the Rebbe the good news. "No sooner had we come home than the police came to tell us that they had caught the thief and had recovered the stolen jewelry and cash!" The man drew out a wad of bills and placed them on the table. But the Rebbe only accepted the original amount the man had offered for charity in the first place. Then the Rebbe said, "Let me offer you some good advice, my friend. Don't wait until you are faced with a loss, G-d forbid, to give charity. Our sages say, "Money needs salt." This means that in order for a Jew to be able to keep his money and enjoy it--by spending it on good and healthy things--he must "season" it with charity which is like salt that preserves food and makes it tasty." The man went home, feeling richer and wiser than ever before. ***************************************************************** THOUGHTS THAT COUNT ***************************************************************** "And He (G-d) called to Moshe" (Leviticus 1:1). As a young child studying the current Torah portion for the first time, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, later to be the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, asked his grandfather, Rabbi Schneur Zalman, "Why does the first word of the portion--'*Vayikra*'--end with a miniature *Alef*?" Rabbi Schneur Zalman meditated deeply, then replied, "Moses spoke directly with G-d. Nevertheless he did not become haughty. Though he was aware of his great qualities, he reasoned that another person, given his background and gifts, would have surely reached greater heights." (The Lubavitcher Rebbe, shlita) *** "A person who offers from you a sacrifice" (literal translation from Leviticus 1:2). Grammatically, "a person from among you who brings close," would have been more proper. But, the Torah teaches us a lesson from the order of the words. If you wish to be close, it comes "from you"--it is only dependent on you. Any Jew who wishes, can reach the lofty heights of closeness to G-d attained by our great forebears. (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch) *** "Do not leave out the salt" (Leviticus 2:13). The salt was an integral part of the sacrifices. Though not particularly tasty on its own, salt adds flavor to the entire meal. The same is true regarding Torah. Chasidus, the inner secrets of Torah, though not widely known alone, provide the flavor and background for the remainder of the Torah. (Rabbi Schneur Zalman, the first Chabad Rabbi) *****************************************************************