LIVING WITH MOSHIACH, Parshat Eikev - Shofrim B"H LIVING WITH MOSHIACH Weekly Digest About Moshiach PARSHAT EIKEV - SHOFRIM, 5780 17 Menachem-Av - 1 Elul, 5780 August 7 - 21, 2020 SPECIAL FEATURES: 1. Chassidus In Braille: Lighting Up the Path to the Redemption 2. Chof Menachem-Av 3. The New Hebrew Month, Elul 4. The Rebbe's Prophecy ******************************************** * Bring Moshiach now * * by adding in acts of goodness & kindness * ******************************************** ********************************************* * This week's issue of Living With Moshiach * * is dedicated in loving memory of * * Mrs. Aita Leah bas Reb Meir Michel * * Stayer * * Passed away on 29 Nissan, 5774 * * * * * May her Soul Merit Eternal Life * ********************************************* ************************************************* * This week's issue is sponsored in part by: * * Holy Sparks - "http://www.holysparks.com" * * * * * Your premiere site for Jewish spirituality. * * * * * 5,780 Years of the Most Amazing Jewish Wisdom * * recorded in calligraphy, especially for you! * * * * * Explore your potential: * * Jewish Books, Art & Wisdom For Our Time. * * FREE art! * ************************************************* >> A Jewish Response To Terrorism << http://www.torah4blind.org/lwm-5762/269.htm *************************************************** * Visit TruePeace.org * * "http://www.truepeace.org" * * Dedicated to educating the public regarding the * * current situation in Israel, based on Torah * * sources, with special emphasis on the opinion * * and teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe * *************************************************** Published Weekly By Lubavitch Shluchim Conferences On The Moshiach Campaign, Committee For The Blind * * * 5780 **************************************************** * VISIT US ON THE WEB, AT: * * http://www.torah4blind.org * **************************************************** * TO RECEIVE THIS PUBLICATION VIA INTERNET: * * E-Mail: info@torah4blind.org * * or: * * http://www.torah4blind.org/subs.htm * **************************************************** * JEWISH CHILDREN: * * Get your own letter in a Sefer Torah! * * http://www.kidstorah.org * **************************************************** * Kids! We Want YOU To Join * * Tzivos Hashem (The Army of G-d) * * http://www.torah4blind.org/tzivos-h.htm * **************************************************** * MOSHIACH - CHILDREN'S PAGE * * http://www.torah4blind.org/children/index.htm * **************************************************** * THE SEVEN UNIVERSAL LAWS OF NOAH: * * http://www.torah4blind.org/noahide.htm * **************************************************** THIS PUBLICATION IS DEDICATED TO THE REBBE, RABBI MENACHEM M. SCHNEERSON OF LUBAVITCH "I BELIEVE WITH COMPLETE FAITH IN THE ARRIVAL OF THE MOSHIACH. "AND THOUGH HE MAY TARRY, I SHALL WAIT EACH DAY, ANTICIPATING HIS ARRIVAL." Maimonides, Principles of the Faith, No. 12 ********************* * TABLE OF CONTENTS * ********************* * Introduction. * Customs Corner. * Chassidus In Braille: Lighting Up the Path to the Redemption. Spreading the Wellsprings Outward. Windows for the Soul. The Ultimate Purpose of Sight. Making Accounts: Moshiach's Coming is Past Due. Catalysts for the Redemption. * The Mitzvah of Mezuzah. * The Rebbe's Father. * Moshiach Matters (I). * Elul and Parshat Re'eh. * The Hebrew Month of Elul. * What Is Elul? * Some Laws of Elul. * Moshiach Matters (II). * It Happened Once (I). * The Rebbe's Prophecy. * Prophecy Today. * Some of The Rebbe's Prophecies. The Six-Day War. The Yom Kippur War. Russian Immigration. The Collapse of Communism. * It Happened Once (II). * Time for Unity; Time for Strength! * A Call to Action. * The Weekly Shabbat Calendar. * "Let There Be Light" - The Jewish Women's Guide to Lighting Shabbat Candles. * Laws of Shabbat Candle Lighting for the Blind. * Shabbat Candle Lighting Blessing. * Moshiach Information Hotlines. * Moshiach In The Air -- Electronic Media. * Subscription Information for this Weekly Magazine: Living With Moshiach. **************** * INTRODUCTION * **************** We are pleased to present, to the visually impaired and the blind, the 1194-1196th issue of our weekly publication, Living With Moshiach. * In this week's issue we focus on: 1) Chof Menachem-Av, the 20th of Menachem-Av, Monday, August 10 -- when we commemorate the 76th yahrtzeit of the Rebbe's father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok. 2) The new Hebrew month of Elul, as on Shabbat Parshat Re'eh we bless the new Hebrew month of Elul. (Rosh Chodesh Elul is celebrated on Thursday, Aug. 20, and Friday, Aug. 21). * 29 years ago, on Shabbat Parshat Eikev, 5751, (Aug. 3, 1991), the Rebbe spoke about the printing of Chassidus for the blind, in Braille. The full text of the Rebbe's sichah (talk) is reprinted in this issue, with the kind permission of "Sichos In English." ("https://www.sie.org") * In this week's issue we also focus on Shabbat Parshat Shoftim, that is 29 years since the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of Lubavitch, issued a call that "THE TIME OF OUR REDEMPTION HAS ARRIVED!" and "MOSHIACH IS ON HIS WAY!" The Rebbe stressed that he is saying this AS A PROPHECY, and asks us all to prepare ourselves for the Redemption, through increasing acts of goodness and kindness. LET US ALL HEED THE REBBE'S CALL. * We take this opportunity to wish you and yours a K'Siva Vachasima Tova, a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. [*] * Our sincere appreciation to L'Chaim weekly publication, published by the Lubavitch Youth Organization, for allowing us to use their material. Also, many thanks to our new copy editor, Reb Benyomin Hoffman, for his tireless efforts,. and, many thanks to our former copy editor, Reb Mordechai Staiman, of blessed memory ("http://www.torah4blind.org/staiman"), for his tireless efforts. * It is our fervent hope that our learning about Moshiach and the Redemption will hasten the coming of Moshiach, NOW! Rabbi Yosef Y. Shagalov Executive Director Enlightenment For The Blind, Inc. E-Mail:yys@torah4blind.org 15 Menachem-Av, 5780 Los Angeles, California P.S.: As we are eagerly awaiting the immediate arrival of Moshiach, at any moment, we have included the five blessings that (according to many opinions) will be applicable when Moshiach comes. _______________ *. This year, Rosh HaShanah is celebrated on Sat., Sept. 19, 2020, and Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. ************************************************* * IN LOVING MEMORY OF * * Horav Schneur Zalman Halevi * * ben Horav Yitzchok Elchonon Halevi * * Shagalov * * Passed away on 21 Tamuz, 5766 * * * * Reb Dovid Asniel ben Reb Eliyahu * * Ekman * * Passed away on 5 Sivan - Erev Shavuot, 5765 * * * * Mrs. Devora Rivka bas Reb Yosef Eliezer * * Marenburg * * Passed away on the second day * * of Rosh Chodesh Adar, 5766 * * * * Reb Yitzchok Moshe (Ian) ben Reb Dovid Asniel * * Ekman (Santiago, Chile) * * Passed away on 24 Shevat, 5769 * * * * May Their Souls Merit Eternal Life * * * * AND IN HONOR OF * * Mrs. Esther Shaindel bas Fraidel Chedva * * Shagalov * * * * * Dedicated by * * Rabbi & Mrs. Yosef Yitzchok and Gittel Rochel * * Shagalov * ************************************************* ****************** * CUSTOMS CORNER * ****************** Are there special blessings that we will recite when Moshiach comes? According to many opinions there are five blessings that will be applicable when Moshiach comes. [*] #1 BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU ME-LECH HO-OLOM GA'AL YISRAEL. Translation: Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, Who redeems Israel. #2 BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU ME-LECH HO-OLOM SHE-HECHE-YO-NU VE-KI-YE-MO-NU VE-HIGI-O-NU LIZ-MAN HA-ZEH. Translation: Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, Who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion. #3 BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU ME-LECH HO-OLOM SHE-CHA-LAK M'CHACH-MA-TO L'REI'AV. Translation: Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, Who has given wisdom to those who fear Him. #4 BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU ME-LECH HO-OLOM SHE-CHA-LAK M'KI-VODO L'REI'AV. Translation: Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, Who has given honor to those who fear Him. #5 BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU ME-LECH HO-OLOM CHA-CHAM HA-RA-ZIM. Translation: Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, the Wise One of secrets. _______________ *. Adapted from "L'Chaim weekly" publication, Issue #1003, published by the Lubavitch Youth Organization, Brooklyn, NY. "www.lchaimweekly.org". ********************************************* * IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR GRANDPARENTS,* * * * Reb Shmuel Pesach Ben Reb Yaakov Dovid * * Passed away on 3 Tishrei, 5755 * * * * Mrs. Fraidel Chedvah Bas Reb Zev Wolf * * Passed away on 4 Adar II, 5755 * * Pais * * * * May Their Souls Merit Eternal Life * * * * * Dedicated by their grandchildren * * Rabbi & Mrs. Yosef Y. and Gittel Rochel * * Shagalov * ********************************************* ************************************************* * CHASSIDUS IN BRAILLE: * * Lighting Up the Path to the Redemption * * * * An [1] Adaptation of an Address of the Rebbe, * * on Shabbat Parshat Eikev, 5751/1991 * ************************************************* "Publisher's Foreword:" One of the unique aspects of Chassidus is that it generates the potential to see any incident in a larger scope. An idea is thus appreciated not only for its individual message, but also as a part of a more inclusive whole. The Rebbe gave expression to this quality in his sichos (talks) on Shabbat Parshat Eikev. He focused on a unique development: the publication of the Tanya in [Hebrew] braille, emphasizing the important breakthrough it represented -- bringing the teachings of Chassidus to people who had never previously had the opportunity to taste this spiritual knowledge independently. Nevertheless, beyond this important dimension, this development can be seen as part of a process of yet greater scope -- as both a foretaste of, and a catalyst for, the coming of the Era of the Redemption. Accordingly, the Rebbe encourages us here to continue this pattern, to "live with the Redemption," to conduct ourselves in its spirit, and in this manner, to precipitate its coming even sooner. * * * SPREADING THE WELLSPRINGS OUTWARD Recently, a new printing of the Tanya was brought to this building, the Previous Rebbe's shul and House of Study, an event that is noteworthy in its own right, and of even greater significance when viewed as part of a cosmic canvas. The Tanya, which has been described as "the Written Torah of Chassidus," [2] has been reprinted many thousands of times all over the world. Indeed, the Baal Shem Tov taught that the coming of Moshiach is dependent on "the spreading of the wellsprings of Chassidus outward." [3] Ultimately, in the Era of the Redemption, "the knowledge of G-d will fill the earth as the waters cover the ocean bed." [4] And to prepare for this revelation, it is necessary to spread G-dly knowledge, the teachings of Chassidus, throughout the world at large. When seen in this context, the printing of the Tanya in so many different cities is significant, for it has transformed them into "wellsprings," centers and sources for the spreading of Chassidus. [5] Windows for the Soul The new printing of the Tanya mentioned above is unique, however, for it represents the spreading of the teachings of Chassidus to a group of people who had previously had no potential to study these teachings unaided. For this the Tanya was printed in braille. In recent generations, Chassidus has been explained in ever-increasing depth and breadth, and these explanations have been communicated to people from different backgrounds and walks of life in many languages. Unfortunately, however, the physical handicap of the blind prevented them -- until now -- from reading these texts independently. The significance of this printing is magnified by the fact that, as mentioned above, the Tanya is known as "the Written Torah of Chassidus." Just as the Written Torah includes the entire Oral Law, for "there is no teaching which is not alluded to in the Torah," [6] so, too, the Tanya includes in seminal form all the teachings of Chassidus revealed in later generations. [7] In this sense, this Tanya makes the totality of the teachings of Chassidus accessible. The Ultimate Purpose of Sight There is an intrinsic connection between the blind and the study of Chassidus. Chassidus -- the medium in which pnimiyus HaTorah (the inner dimensions of Torah) is revealed in the present age -- is known as [8] "the Light of the Torah." Similarly, in Lashon HaKodesh, "The Holy Tongue," it is common to describe the blind by the euphemism sagi nahor, which means "of great light." And indeed, historically, there is a connection between the two. One of the great sages of the kabbalistic tradition, Rabbi Yitzchok Sagi Nahor, [9] was blind. There is also a connection between the blind and the Future Redemption, because in that era the dimension they possess, which is associated with "great light," will be revealed. At that time, G-d will heal the entire world and the blind will be healed first. [10] (The significance of the blind becoming sighted is also connected to the revelation of the "knowledge of G-d" in the Era of Redemption. Moshiach will teach the people, using the power of sight [11] and thus, this faculty will be necessary to appreciate the new dimensions of Torah knowledge that will be revealed at that time.) Moreover, the study of the Tanya by the blind will hasten the advent of this era, for this represents the opening of an entirely new sphere in the spreading of the teachings of Chassidus. And in this context, we can appreciate the greater significance of this printing. Making Accounts: Moshiach's Coming is Past Due Moshiach's coming is long overdue; "All the appointed times for the Redemption have passed." [12] Furthermore, from the perspective of the Jewish people, we have already completed the spiritual service demanded of us. To borrow a phrase from the Previous Rebbe, "We have even polished the buttons," [13] for the teachings of Chassidus have been presented in a manner in which they are accessible to every Jew. The printing of the Tanya in braille thus reflects the nature of the spiritual service required in the present age -- making the teachings of Chassidus accessible to others who for various reasons have not yet been exposed to them. And in doing so, there must be a consciousness that these teachings are a foretaste of the revelation of "the knowledge of G-d" in the Era of the Redemption. Moreover, a study of these teachings will lead to that revelation. In this manner, studying Chassidus reflects our efforts to "live with the Redemption," and make the Redemption an active force in our daily conduct. The above concepts are particularly relevant in the present month, the month of Elul, when it is customary to review and take stock of our spiritual service in the previous year, and in this manner, prepare for the new year to come. This stocktaking should also focus on the imminence of the Redemption and on our efforts to make the Redemption an actual reality. Catalysts for the Redemption A Jew has the potential to arouse himself, to arouse others, and to arouse G-d Himself, as it were. According to all the signs given by our Sages, [14] and definitely in the light of the miracles which we have witnessed recently, the ultimate Redemption should have come already, and in this present year. For the miracles described in the Yalkut Shimoni [15] are to take place in "the year in which the King Moshiach will be revealed." We must cry out "Ad Masai!" - "Until when must we remain in exile?" And furthermore, this outcry must be coupled with actions that grant us a foretaste of -- and thus precipitate -- the Era of the Redemption. And these efforts will doubtless bear fruit, particularly in the present time. The month of Elul is a time when G-d accepts the requests and grants the wishes of the Jewish people. And surely this is an appropriate time for Him to grant our truest and most essential wish -- that the Redemption come about immediately. _______________ 1. Adapted from the book, Sound the Great Shofar (Brooklyn, NY: Kehot Publication Society, 1992). 2. Igros Kodesh (Letters) of the Previous Rebbe, vol. IV, p. 261ff. 3. For the relevant sources see footnotes 12, 13 and 14 to the above Overview. 4. Yeshayahu 11:9, quoted by the Rambam at the conclusion of his discussion of the Era of the Redemption in the Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Melachim 12:5. 5. See sichah of Parshas Bo, 5744, and the essay, "The Printing of Tanya," in Sichos In English, vol. XIX, pp. 113-119. 6. Zohar III, 221a. 7. Furthermore, the final portion of the Tanya, Kuntres Acharon, is an explanation of certain passages found in the previous four portions of the Tanya. In this it resembles the Oral Law, which is an explanation of the Written Law. Indeed, there is a close similarity between this fifth portion of the Tanya and the Book of Devarim, which is called Mishneh Torah, a restatement of the Torah, and thus shares a connection with the Oral Law. 8. See Yerushalmi, Chagigah 1:7, and commentary of Korban HaEdah. 9. See Shmos HaGedolim and also Recanati, Parshas Vayeishev. 10. Midrash Tehillim 146; see also Yeshayahu 35:5 and Bereishis Rabbah 95:1. 11. See Likkutei Torah, Tzav 17 a, b. 12. Sanhedrin 97b. 13. Sichah of Simchat Torah, 5689/1928. 14. See the conclusion of Tractate Kesubbos. 15. Vol. II, sec. 499, commenting on Yeshayahu 60:1, with reference to events having worldwide repercussions in the Persian Gulf. ******************************************************* * IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR FRIEND AND COPY EDITOR * * Reb Mordechai ben Reb Shaul * * Staiman * * Passed away on 22 Tamuz, 5763 * * * * May His Soul Merit Eternal Life * ******************************************************* ************************** * THE MITZVAH OF MEZUZAH * ************************** About the mitzvah of mezuzah, which is found in the Torah portion of Parshat Eikev, the Talmud relates that Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi once sent a mezuzah as a gift to Artaban, king of Persia, explaining that the small scroll would protect him from harm. At first glance, Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi's gesture seems odd. The commandment to affix a mezuzah upon one's doorposts was given only to the Jewish nation. A non-Jewish king, therefore, would not be fulfilling a religious precept by possessing a mezuzah. As such, he would also be ineligible for any reward resulting from the performance of a mitzvah. Why then did Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi promise the gentile king that the mezuzah would guard and protect him? A similar question may also be asked about the common practice, dating back to the time of the Mishnah, of inserting a mezuzah scroll into one's walking stick, also done for the sake of the protection it afforded. A walking stick is certainly not included in the commandment of mezuzah. If there is no commandment, there is certainly no reward. How, then, did the mezuzah afford protection? A distinction must be made between the reward a person receives for performing a mitzvah and the intrinsic attribute of the mitzvah itself. When a person obeys G-d's command by fulfilling a mitzvah, the reward he earns is a separate and distinct entity, additional to the essential nature of the mitzvah. For example, the Torah states that the reward for the mitzvah of mezuzah is long life: "That your days be increased and the days of your children." Yet besides the reward promised by the Torah, each mitzvah has its own special attributes and characteristics that have nothing to do with reward, but are integral parts of the mitzvah itself. The mezuzah's attribute is protection. Our Sages explained that when a kosher mezuzah is affixed to the door post, G-d Himself watches over the occupants of the house, even when they are not at home. A mezuzah is written solely for the purpose of protection, and, by its nature, it protects. With this in mind, it becomes clear that even when no fulfillment of a religious precept is involved, a mezuzah still possesses this attribute of protection, at least to some degree. It was for this reason that Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi sent the mezuzah as a gift to the Persian king and that Jews took mezuzot with them wherever they went inside their walking sticks. In a similar vein, speaking about and studying the laws of mezuzah afford similar protection. The Talmud relates that in the house of one Jewish king a special sign was made on those door posts that were exempt from having a mezuzah. From this we learn the crucial importance of having kosher mezuzot. The Jewish people, likened to "one sheep among seventy wolves," are always in need of special defense. Every additional mezuzah affixed to a Jewish home extends G-d's Divine protection to the entire Jewish nation, for all Jews are ultimately responsible for one another. * For more information about the mitzvah of mezuzah, contact your local rabbi, or Chabad-Lubavitch Center. ********************** * THE REBBE'S FATHER * ********************** On Chof Menachem-Av, the 20th of Menachem-Av, Monday, August 10, we commemorate the 76th yahrtzeit of the Rebbe's father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneerson, known affectionately as Reb Leivik. [16] A Torah prodigy from his early youth, he was granted rabbinic ordination by some of the greatest rabbis of his time. A great scholar, teacher, and community leader, much has been written about his books, commentaries and letters, which he wrote under most unusual circumstances. Very little, however, has been written about his great personality, partly because few who knew him survived the Russian conditions and the war. Partly, too, because his is an enigmatic personality whose essence it is difficult to grasp, for there was a certain simplicity about him that belied his inner grandeur. He was an outstanding scholar in Kabbalah, an area that is "closed" even to most accomplished scholars. His knowledge of Kabbalah was quite unusual in that it was not just a theoretical or esoteric scholarship, but had practical application. Not that Reb Leivik used it to perform miracles, although some earlier great kabbalists had demonstrated that that was possible. He used it to better understand various halachic and talmudic passages and coincidences that are usually not included in ordinary scholarly discussions. Reb Leivik was concerned with these minute "abandoned" phenomena in Torah. He knew the reasons and the explanations so well and so clearly that the reader of his works cannot help marveling as he learns the Torah secrets that are revealed on every page of our sanctified texts. Reb Leivik was also able to explain various events that transpired in his life according to Kabbalah, including when he was imprisoned in 5699/1939, for teaching Judaism in Stalinist Russia, and was moved from prison to prison and from city to city. This is only one of the many rare aspects of this great tzaddik. A man who, suffering great thirst and hunger because of water and food scarcities, took the small ration of water and used it to wash and sanctify his hands, a man who, after standing in a breadline with other prisoners during a famine, came home and cried that he wasted so much time waiting for a tiny piece of chametz, instead of preparing for the impending festival of Passover -- this was Reb Leivik. Throughout his entire stay in prison, in fact, Reb Leivik's greatest anxiety was not food, clothing, or shelter, but paper and ink. His greatest need was to write, to reveal more and more secrets of Torah so that others might share and draw inspiration from the depths and beauty of the words of our sages. That urge to give of what was dearest to himself -- his kabbalistic Torah insights -- he expressed in the long talks that he delivered at every occasion. But in prison and in exile he was in isolation; this exacerbated his suffering and made his need to write down his thoughts even stronger. When he was blessed with his Rebbetzin's arrival to share his exile -- a long and excruciating episode recorded in detail in her diary -- he was extremely happy with the holy books she was able to bring with her. Even before, though, he had quoted from them in his writings, citing exact chapter, page, etc. [17] His joy at getting his beloved books was doubled, now, for besides being able to study them, he would use their margins to write his insights, which poured forth in tremendous volume. But he lacked ink, which was unavailable in the area. Thanks to his Rebbetzin's genius and devotion, some ink was manufactured from local herbs and plants. Reb Leivik's unpretentiousness is also found in his writings, where he almost never uses the style common to most scholars. Reb Leivik made his comments directly, without any remarks or apologies, without elaborating on the difficulty inherent in the quoted passage. But what he said in his commentaries and in his letters is so profound and so brilliant that one can feel justifiably proud just understanding it. One must be a substantial scholar to merely comprehend even his simpler remarks, let alone to question or analyze them. While Reb Leivik accepted the Divine will that allotted him suffering Soviet incarceration, he was not depressed or paralyzed spiritually. On the contrary, he flourished spiritually under the most adverse conditions. Reb Leivik concentrated on accomplishing the utmost in Torah learning and interpretation. Chasidic philosophy teaches that from the nature of the reward for a mitzvah we may glimpse the meaning of its essence. This is perhaps true of people; from their reward we may perceive their greatness. Reb Leivik's reward is his son, the present Rebbe. _______________ 16. He was the great-grandson of the third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, known as the Tzemach Tzedek, and was born on Nissan 18, 5638/1878. He served as Chief Rabbi of the city of Dnepropetrovsk (Yekatrinislav) in the difficult years of communistic, anti-Jewish persecution. He was arrested in 5699/1939, and then exiled to Asiatic Russia where he endured terrible suffering for his staunch, uncompromising stand on all matters of Jewish religious observances. He passed away Menachem-Av 20, 5704/1944, while still in exile. 17. See "The Rebbe's Mother," Printed in "Living With Moshiach" Vol. 1152: http://www.torah4blind.org/lwm-5779/1152.txt ************************ * MOSHIACH MATTERS (I) * ************************ "Some people are apprehensive about having the Redemption arrive so suddenly. What will come of all the businesses that they have set up, the property and possessions they have accumulated, the friendships and the contacts that have been established, and so on? "They need not worry. The Redemption does not imply the annulment of the natural order nor the loss of the good things that came into being (in the spirit of the Torah) during the exile. Indeed, these very things will be comprised in the Redemption, and will be elevated to a state of Redemption, to the level of their true consummation." (The Rebbe, 5751/1991) ************************** * ELUL AND PARSHAT RE'EH * ************************** On Shabbat Parshat Re'eh we bless the new Hebrew month of Elul, a particularly auspicious month that possesses a unique dimension. For during this month, G-d is especially close to us and we are granted an extraordinary capacity for teshuva -- "return." As every Torah portion has particular relevance for the time of year in which it is read, let us examine the connection between the month of Elul and the Torah portion, Re'eh, which we read this Shabbat. Our portion begins with the words, "See! This day I give to you a blessing and a curse." Every word in this verse contains an allusion to the special nature of the service of the month of Elul, and the Divine assistance we are given to fulfill it. "SEE!:" The first thing a Jew must do is to open his eyes. Our sense of sight affords a much more definitive verification of facts than does our sense of hearing; when a person sees something with his own eyes he cannot be dissuaded. A Jew's G-dly service must be performed with this same level of absolute confidence and conviction. But how are we, mere human beings living in a physical world, supposed to attain this level? G-d provides the answer in the next word of the verse: "I" ("ANOCHI"): The word Anochi relates to the Essence of G-d, an aspect of G-dliness that is higher than Names. The reason we are able to achieve these lofty spiritual heights is because the power to do so is derived from this highest of Sources. The Torah continues: "GIVE:" G-d gives us this Divine assistance according to the principle of "He who gives, gives generously;" His gifts are bestowed willingly and in great abundance. "TO YOU" ("LIFNEICHEM"): This word is related to the Hebrew word penimiyut, meaning "inside" and "within." The special boost we receive from G-d during Elul is not superficial, but involves the sum and substance of the Jew and enables him to connect with G-d on the deepest level. "THIS DAY:" Lest anyone think that this Divine assistance is granted only once, the Torah tells us that G-d's help is ongoing, enabling us to serve G-d with renewed strength every day of the month. And how are we to properly utilize this added dimension in our service? "A BLESSING AND A CURSE:" This refers to the observance of the Torah's positive commandments and the avoidance of its prohibitions. Directing our added capacity for teshuva in these two directions will result in a good and sweet new year and a favorable inscription in the Book of Life. **************************** * THE HEBREW MONTH OF ELUL * **************************** This year, Rosh Chodesh Elul is celebrated on Thursday, Aug. 20, and Friday, Aug. 21 In addition to being the name of a Jewish month, the word Elul is an acronym for five verses from the Torah which are connected to the five different types of service, each identified with our new month. The Rebbe enumerated these five verses: PRAYER -- "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine." For it is through prayer, the "duty of the heart," that our relationship with G-d is enhanced and intensified. TORAH STUDY -- "It chanced to happen and I set aside for you a place." This verse describes the Cities of Refuge to which a person who killed unintentionally can flee. But it also refers to Torah study for "the words of Torah provide refuge." DEEDS OF KINDNESS -- "A person [gives presents] to his friends and gifts to the poor." In this verse the concept of deeds of kindness is clearly expressed. TESHUVA -- "And G-d your L-rd will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants." For the service of teshuva -- returning to G-d wholeheartedly, is primarily the service of changing one's inner self, the feelings of one's heart. REDEMPTION -- "And they said, 'We will sing to G-d'" This phrase is taken from the Song of Redemption sung at the Reed Sea. The first three services are identified with the three pillars of man's service. These services must be permeated by the service of teshuva and by the service of redemption and thus, they will be endowed with a boundless quality that surpasses the limits of a person and the world at large. ***************** * WHAT IS ELUL? * ***************** A Month of Mercy In the generation of the Exodus from Egypt, Moses ascended Mount Sinai three times. The first was to receive the Torah. The second was to plead with G-d for His forgiveness, after the Jewish people sinned in worshipping the golden calf. Then, on the first day of Elul -- the month immediately preceding Tishrei -- Moses ascended the mountain a third time, to invoke G-d's abundant mercy for our complete atonement. He remained there for forty days, until Yom Kippur, when G-d cleansed us completely, as though we had never sinned. Since then, these days are marked as a special period of Divine grace, during which our sincere prayers are sure to find favor in the eyes of G-d. ********************* * SOME LAWS OF ELUL * ********************* * The Shofar [18] is sounded every weekday morning, except on Shabbat, and the last day of Elul, Erev Rosh HaShanah [19] (Friday, September 18). * Psalm 27 is added to the daily morning and afternoon prayers. * It is customary to give additional charity each weekday. * During the entire month of Elul we greet friends with the traditional blessings of, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet year." It is customary to send friends and relatives New Year's greetings with blessings for the coming year. * It is customary to have our mezuzot and tefillin checked to make sure they are still fit. * To be more careful about keeping kosher. * Beginning Saturday night, September 12, and on the following weekday mornings until the eve of Rosh HaShanah, Selichot [20] (special penitential prayers) are recited. * Elul is an appropriate time to reflect on our actions and attitudes of the previous year, and resolve to correct our shortcomings. We increase our good deeds and try to be more meticulous in our observance of those mitzvot that we already perform. * * * Why do we do all of this in the month of Elul? Can't it wait until we're closer to Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur -- most of us "work" better under pressure anyway! These questions can be explained by a beautiful parable given by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch: Once each year, a very mighty king leaves his palace, his guards, his finery, and goes out into the field to meet with his subjects. At that time, they can ask of him anything they wish. They do not need to wait in long lines, go through security checks, be announced ceremoniously. They can speak with him without hesitation. When the king returns to his palace, his subjects will once again have to go through all kinds of protocol to meet with him. So, of course, his subjects make the most of the opportunity. During the month of Elul, G-d is "in the field." We don't need to go through all kinds of red tape to reach Him. We need only to come out to meet Him, as it were, with a humble heart, and He will listen to us. He will accept our repentance and consider our requests most carefully. The King will soon be in the field. Make sure not to miss this opportunity. _______________ 18. Maimonides explains that the shofar is blown as the means of stirring the Jew to repentance. He says the call of the shofar is: "Awaken, you sleepers, from sleep, you slumberers from slumber; search your actions and return in penitence." 19. To differentiate between the shofar sounding of Elul, which is custom and that of Rosh HaShanah, which is prescribed by the Torah. 20. The Sephardic custom is to recite them during the entire month of Elul. According to the Ashkenazic custom, they are recited beginning on the Saturday preceding Rosh HaShanah after midnight and thereafter each morning until Rosh HaShanah. ************************* * MOSHIACH MATTERS (II) * ************************* A Chasid once asked Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the third Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as the Tzemach Tzedek, whether he should settle in the land of Israel. There he would devote his life to Torah study and mitzvah observance. The Tzemach Tzedek replied, "Make the place where you are into the Holy Land." What does that response mean? To answer, we must first understand what is Eretz Yisrael, the Holy Land. The Holy Land is a place where G-dliness, holiness and Judaism are openly revealed. In an ultimate sense, this will be realized in the Messianic era when the third Holy Temple will be rebuilt and the observance of all the commandments associated with holiness of the land will be restored. This is the essence of the Messianic Era. The relationship between man and G-d will no longer be based on faith alone, but will also be nourished by a first-hand awareness of G-d's Presence here on earth. The physical setting of the world will not change in the era of Redemption. What will be different is our knowledge and awareness of G-d. The directive "Make this place the Holy Land" means that every individual should and can draw G-dliness into his life and into his environment. Each of us should know that one's "place," that is, each dimension of our environment and each moment of time we experience can be transformed into the Holy Land, into a place where G-dliness is openly revealed. ************************ * IT HAPPENED ONCE (I) * ************************ "The Holy Temple will be destroyed, and the Jews will be exiled from their land!" a Heavenly voice decreed. "But the Western Wall of the Holy Temple will not be destroyed," said G-d, "so that there should always be a reminder that G-d's Glory resides there!" The Jews would not forget the Holy Temple. Every year on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Menachem-Av, the day on which the first and second Holy Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed, the Jews assembled at the Western Wall. There, standing next to the only visible remains of the Temple, they poured out their hearts over the destruction and beseeched G-d to rebuild the Holy Temple. The Romans, the destroyers of the second Temple, could not bear to see how resolutely the Jews kept to their religion, and how holy they regarded the Western Wall. The Romans hit upon a plan of how to remedy the situation; they issued an order that all gentiles who lived in Jerusalem must dump their garbage daily near the Wall. Day in, day out, the heap of garbage grew. Bit by bit the entire Wall was buried under a massive grave of garbage. The Jews mourned anew. Many years went by. A very righteous Jew from outside of Israel came to Jerusalem to pour out his heart to G-d over the destruction. He walked through the streets of Jerusalem, seeking the Wall, but he could not find it. Everyone he asked shrugged their shoulders; they had never in their lives seen the Wall. The Jew, however, did not give up hope. Day and night he looked for the Wall. Once, he came upon a huge hill of rubbish and wondered how so much garbage came to be accumulated at this place. He noticed a very old woman carrying a heavy sack on her back. "Old woman, what are you carrying?" the Jew asked her. "I am carrying a sack of garbage to throw on the hill." The Jew inquired, "Do you have no place closer to home for garbage, that you are forced to bring it here?" "It is an ancient custom for us to bring the garbage here. Once, in this place, there stood a huge, magnificent stone wall. The Jews regarded the wall as holy. Their conquerers, the Romans, ordered all of the city's non-Jewish inhabitants to dump their garbage. So generations ago, we were ordered to cover the wall." She emptied her bundle and returned home. The Jew wept and pledged to himself: "I will not move from here until I figure out how to remove the garbage and reveal the Western Wall." Suddenly an idea came to him. He began walking in the streets of Jerusalem and whispered to everyone he met, "They say that a treasure lies buried beneath the hill of garbage over there." The man himself took a shovel and began digging in the dirt. A short while later people began arriving. The whole city of Jerusalem was abuzz with the announcement of a treasure lying beneath the hill of garbage. People streamed to the hill with shovels and buckets. They dug for a whole day until the upper stones of the Wall came into view. The sun set and people left, eagerly anticipating the dawning of a new day. The Jew then took some gold coins from his pocket, covered them with dirt and left. Early the next morning, soon after dawn, there was an uproar at the hill. Someone had found a gold coin. A second person found a golden coin and then a third. The people started to dig with even more enthusiasm. Every day they dug deeper and deeper. Every day a few golden coins were found. But, they were certain the real treasure lay at the bottom. The Jew spent his entire fortune on his mission to uncover the Western Wall. For forty days the people dug near the Wall, seeking to unearth the buried treasure. Finally the entire Wall was cleared of garbage. They did not find the treasure, but in front of their eyes a big stone wall loomed. Suddenly a great storm broke out and a torrent of rain came down. It rained for three days, washing the Wall clean of any traces of dirt. When the people came out to see what they had unearthed, they saw a handsome wall with huge stones, some as tall as ten feet high. On the spot where the earth from which Adam was formed was gathered by G-d's "hand," where Abraham brought Isaac to be sacrificed, where the first Holy Temple built by King Solomon stood, and the second Holy Temple built by Ezra and Nechemiah stood -- on this very spot the third and final Temple will be built, when Moshiach comes. ************************ * THE REBBE'S PROPHECY * ************************ 29 Years Ago, Torah Portion: Shoftim (Chapter 18, Deuteronomy) Miracles, foretelling the future, and an uncanny understanding of every individual and situation were always associated with the Rebbe, but the week of the Torah portion Shoftim, 5751/1991, saw the Rebbe's open acknowledgment that he is a prophet and that as a messenger of G-d, he is delivering the unprecedented news, "Behold, Moshiach is coming." His words are all the more remarkable since in all the years of his leadership, he did not even refer to himself as the Rebbe, speaking of his father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe, as leading the generation. Nor was it the Rebbe's way to acknowledge as such the many miracles or prophecies which came through him. In one instance, when someone had the nerve to ask the Rebbe how he knew to announce during the Gulf War that "Israel is the safest place in the world," he is said to have responded, "I looked into the Torah and saw what it says, that G-d's eyes are on it from the beginning of the year to the end." Yet none of us would ever dare to take the same responsibility from reading that same Torah passage! The miracles and prophecies of the Rebbe are legion, and have appeared in national and international media. Everyone knows the miracles of the Rebbe were accomplished without fanfare, with a wave of the hand, or clothed in "advice." Yet the only time the Rebbe openly alluded to himself as a prophet was the week of the Torah portion, Shoftim, which includes in it the commandment to the Jewish people to listen to their prophets. It was this week that the Rebbe delivered what he called his most essential prophecy, that Moshiach is actually coming, and asked that it be publicized to the entire world. He also reminded the Jewish people of the Torah laws regarding a prophet, how a true prophet must be obeyed, and should not be overly tested. The Rebbe begins his talk with a discussion of the Torah commandment from Shoftim (Judges), "You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates," and how this is similar to what is said in the daily prayers, three times a day (from Isaiah), "Return our judges as of old, and our advisors as in the beginning," which will take place in the final Redemption. He elaborates extensively about the differences between a judge and an advisor and how both are needed in terms of Divine service. A judge is on a level above the litigants and delivers rulings from an elevated plane of authority. On the other hand, an advisor is like a friend, similar in level to the person, and is able to communicate that it is in the person's own best interest to accept the directive from above. The judge represents the authority of the Torah. The advisor represents the internalization of the Torah ruling which the person sees is for his own good. Torah service is only complete with both: a decree from above, and the ability to internalize it so that the person accepts it willingly and gladly, and not because it is forced on him. Then the Rebbe draws a parallel between judges and advisors and Torah and prophecy. Torah, like the judge, issues rulings that come from above, endowed with Divine power and assistance. Prophecy, which is G-d's message as He chooses to communicate it through His spokespeople, is given in a way of advice, first to the prophet, becoming unified with his mind and speech, and then announced to the people in a way that they can grasp it. In the Rebbe's words (translated from the Hebrew): [21] "Torah transcends the world, for it is the will and wisdom of G-d. Thus in the same way one cannot grasp the being of G-d in any way, the real essence of Torah is above our comprehension. "In contrast, prophecy -- even though it is the word of G-d, 'the spirit of G-d spoke to me,' -- is the revelation of G-dliness to man. 'He revealed his secrets to his servants, the prophets,' according to their limits that it should be absorbed in the knowledge and mind of the prophet. A prophet becomes as one with the prophecy communicated to him and the vision of prophecy becomes clothed in his mind and understanding and also in his thought and speech, as it is written, 'The spirit of G-d spoke in me, and His word is on my tongue.' "Moreover, prophecy is intended to be revealed through speech. The very term in Hebrew for prophecy, nevuah, implies that it is a subject proclaimed and announced to the people as in the term niv s'fosayim ('the expression of the lips'). This contrasts with Torah which can remain in one's thoughts. Also, the import of prophecy has connection with the events of the world. To quote the Rambam, 'A prophet is only there to inform us of what is going to happen in the future of the world.' "Thus, the Torah and prophecy reflect the difference between 'your judges' and 'your advisors.' The task of the judge is to rule on the laws of the Torah, which is done by way of demand and decree. The advisor gives his advice 'clothed' in language acceptable to the advised, which he can understand, as is the way of a prophet." Like an advisor, the Rebbe is coming to us in a way that takes into account our state of being, our readiness to hear G-d's message about the Redemption, and in a way that we are able to accept and internalize it. However, there is another dimension to it. It is a commandment from the Torah to obey the prophets. Thus when we listen to a prophet, we are combining the two elements of Divine service: accepting the decree from above, and internalizing it of our own free will. In the Rebbe's words: "Just as there is a command to obey 'your judges' at all times, as is written in our Torah portion, Shoftim, so there is a command to obey the prophets, as is written separately in the Torah portion (18:15), 'G-d will set up for you a prophet from your midst, from your brothers, like me, and you shall harken to him.' "In this context, the Rambam explains, 'One of the fundamentals of the religion is to know that G-d sends His prophecies through people.' "In his Iggeres Taimon, the Rambam writes that 'as a preparatory step for Moshiach's coming....prophecy will return to Israel.' This can be understood in connection with the explanations above. To prepare us to be able to receive the revelations of the Era of Redemption, we must experience through prophecy a foretaste of the 'advice' that will be communicated in that era. "It is therefore important for later generations to know that it is 'one of the fundamentals of the religion is to know that G-d sends His prophecies through people.' Always, in all generations, the revelation of prophecy is possible. Moreover, this will include even a level of prophecy which is akin to the prophecy of Moshe as implied by the verse, 'I will set up for them from their brothers like you.' Moshe's level is the zenith of prophecy, as the Rambam explains at great length. Nevertheless it is not exclusive to him, but reflected to others as well. "In all generations, even before the Resurrection of the Dead, it is necessary to know that Torah law prescribes that G-d sends his prophecies through men, that the verse, 'I will set up a prophet...like you (Moshe)' applies in every generation. Every prophet is a continuation of the prophecy of Moshe and his Torah (except that in regard to revelation, there are different levels, as the Rambam explains)." The Rebbe goes on to explain that we already have a foretaste of our "judges as of old" and our "advisors as at the beginning" in the generations of the Chabad Rebbes. "These leaders are the individuals through whom 'prophecy will return to Israel.' They are the prophets of our generation, 'like me (Moshe),' i.e. they are the 'spark of Moshe' that exists in every generation." The Rebbe elaborates: "They are 'your judges.' This is reflected in their function as nesi'im (leaders). This term, related to the word hisnasus, 'uplifted,' reflects how they are elevated above the people. In this capacity they serve as teachers of the Torah to the people. Similarly they serve as 'your advisors,' giving counsel in connection with our Torah service, and also giving advice in worldly matters, which is the function of prophets." Coming closer and closer to the main point of his talk, the Rebbe urges every person to accept upon himself the rulings and advice of the judges and advisors of our generation, our Rabbis in general, and in particular, "the leader of our generation, the judge, adviser and prophet of our generation," (meaning himself!). Our acceptance of the "judge, advisor and prophet of our generation" helps this aspect of Redemption, which we pray for three times a day, to bloom. The Rebbe emphasizes that we believe him, not only because of what we have seen with our own eyes, but because of the Divine command from the Torah to heed a prophet. He says that G-d has chosen an individual to serve as judge, advisor and prophet to the generation. Notably, this leader brings not only the Jews closer to Divine service, but indeed, "all the people of this generation." Then he delivers the prophecy that we will see Moshiach with our own eyes. The Rebbe's words follow. "When a person has the merits and individual perfection required of a prophet, and he performs signs and wonders -- as we saw and see continually in the fulfillment of the blessings of the leader of our generation, the Previous Rebbe, 'we do not believe in him only because of the sign [he performed]..., but because of the commandment which Moshe gave in the Torah.' "Furthermore, a prophet about whom another prophet testifies that he is a prophet -- as in the case with the Previous Rebbe, and is continued in the next generation through his disciples --, he is accepted as a prophet and requires no investigation. He has to be obeyed immediately 'even before he performs a sign.' 'It is forbidden to disparage or criticize his prophecy saying that it is perhaps not true.' There is a specific negative commandment forbidding us to test a prophet more than necessary. After it has become known that he is a prophet, the people should believe in him, and they should not disparage or criticize him. Their belief should not be in the prophet as an individual, but as a messenger charged with communicating the words of G-d. "This concept has to be publicized to everyone in this generation. It must be made known that we have merited that G-d has chosen and appointed a person who of himself is far greater than the people of his generation, to serve as a judge, adviser and prophet to the generation. He will grant rulings and advice in connection with the service of the Jews and indeed, of all the people of this generation, in all matters of the Torah and its mitzvos, and in their general day to day behavior, allowing them to 'know Him in all your ways,' so that 'all your actions should be for the sake of Heaven.' "SURELY THIS INCLUDES THE FUNDAMENTAL PROPHECY, 'TO REDEMPTION IMMEDIATELY,' FOR 'BEHOLD, MOSHIACH IS COMING.'" Adapted from the Rebbe's talk, on Shabbat Parshat Shoftim, 5751/1991 * * * What makes the Rebbe's declaration -- that Moshiach's arrival is imminent and the time for the Redemption has arrived -- different from those of great leaders of previous generations? The Jewish people have believed in and awaited Moshiach's coming since the beginning of our nation. In numerous instances throughout Jewish history, tzaddikim (righteous people) of various generations pointed to hints in the Torah that the promised Redemption was near at hand. Sensing the special opportunity for Moshiach's coming, they motivated the Jewish people to study more Torah, do more mitzvot and repent in the hope that these actions would be what was needed to make the Redemption happen. In the times of the Previous Rebbe, the anticipation for the Redemption was truly tangible. The Previous Rebbe issued an urgent call to world Jewry: "Immediate repentance brings immediate Redemption." Even when the Rebbe accepted the leadership in 1950, though he said unequivocally that our generation is the last generation to live in exile and the first generation of the Redemption, he did not say that we had yet reached the moment of Redemption. Only forty years later, after sending thousands of emissaries around the world, initiating the Mitzvah Campaigns to reinvigorate Jewish observance, and inspiring millions, did the Rebbe proclaim, "The time of our Redemption has arrived." This is a totally different message that has never before been enunciated in the history of the Jewish people. The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni) tells us that in a time when we will witness an event like the Gulf War, Moshiach will tell the Jewish people that the time of the Redemption has arrived. THIS IS NOT A HOPE, A WISH, OR A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY, BUT A CALL TO PREPARE TO GREET MOSHIACH! The Rebbe has said that the time is now. The question each of us must ask ourselves is not, "When is Moshiach coming?" but rather, "Am I ready for Moshiach's coming today!" _______________ 21. Adapted from the Rebbe's talk, as edited by the Rebbe, and printed in "Sefer Hasichot 5751," Vol. 2 (pp. 780-795). For the full text of the Rebbe's talk, in Hebrew: http://www.torah4blind.org/hebrew/softim51.htm *************************************** * PROPHECY TODAY * * Adapted from the Works of the Rebbe * *************************************** Of [22] all the prophecies in Scripture that refer to the messianic era, the one contained in the Torah portion of Balak, is most unusual in that it came from Bilaam, a gentile prophet. Bilaam, the foremost prophet of his time, was forced against his will to foretell the downfall of the nations of the world and the ultimate ascendancy of the Jewish people. The very fact that this prophecy is included in our holy Torah indicates its special significance; indeed, it contains a distinct advantage precisely because it was said by a non-Jew. For when Moshiach comes, the Jewish people will no longer be subservient to the nations; on the contrary, the gentile leaders will vie with one another for the privilege of serving the Jews! Thus, the prophecy of Bilaam concerning the Final Redemption not only gave the Children of Israel cause for rejoicing over their future, it actually afforded them a "taste" of the way things will be in the messianic era. As far as prophecy itself is concerned, our Sages foretold its reoccurrence among the Jewish people before Moshiach's arrival according to the following chronology: Commenting on the verse in the Torah portion of Balak, "At the proper time shall it be said to Jacob and to Israel, what G-d has wrought," Maimonides noted that prophecy would return to Israel after "the proper time" had elapsed after Bilaam, i.e., after the same number of years as had passed since the creation of the world until his prophecy. Bilaam's prophecy was said in the year 2488; 2488 years after that, in the year 4976 (we are now in the year 5779), prophecy was destined to return to the Jewish people. In fact we find that this was indeed the case, for it was then that prophetic luminaries began to appear on the Jewish horizon -- Rabbi Shmuel Hanavi, Rabbi Elazar Baal "Harokeach," Nachmanides, the Ravad (Rabbi Abraham ben David), Rabbi Ezra Hanavi and Rabbi Yehuda the Chasid, and others. More generations passed until the birth of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Chasidus, and his successor, the Maggid of Mezeritch, about whom it was said that they "could see from one end of the world to the other." The following generation produced Rabbi Shneur Zalman, who formulated Chabad Chasidus. Had he lived in the times of our prophets he would have been on a par with them; moreover, this chain of prophecy continued from one Chabad leader to the next, until the present day [when the Rebbe has prophesied that Moshiach's arrival is imminent]. The return of prophecy to the Jewish people is therefore both a prerequisite and preparation for the messianic era, which is due to begin at any moment. _______________ 22. Adapted from the Rebbe's talk, on Shabbat Parshat Balak, 5717/1957, as edited by the Rebbe, and printed in "Likutei Sichot," Vol. 2 (pp. 588-9). ********************************** * SOME OF THE REBBE'S PROPHECIES * ********************************** Before the Gulf War, on the second night of Sukkot (October 5, 1990), the Rebbe began to quote an ancient passage from the Yalkut Shimoni, a 14th century anthology of Midrashic litrature: "In the year that Moshiach will be revealed, nations will challenge one another. The King of Paras will challenge the King of Aram ... and the entire world will panic and will be stricken with consternation ... Israel will also panic and will be confounded." The Rebbe went on to explain that the King of Paras refers to the present-day Iraq. The King of Aram refers to the world's superpowers (for Aram is related to the word "rom" which means "uplifted"). This ominous situation, however, herolds the ultimate good -- the coming of Moshiach and the final Redemption. Acording the Yalkut Shimoni, G-d tells the Jewish people: "My children, have no fear. Whatever I have done, I have done only for your sake. Why are you afraid? Have no fear; the time for your redemption has arrived!" Moshiach will stand on the roof of the Holy Temple and proclaim, "Humble ones: The time for your redemption has arrived!" On December 29, 1990, just weeks before the official declaration of war, the Rebbe stated unequivocally, that there is no safer place in the world today than the Land of Israel. He went on to say that no one living in the Holy Land should think of leaving at this time. On the contrary, whoever is planning to visit the Holy Land should go without fear and should let others know of his trip as well, for this will raise the confidence of the Jewish people throughout the world. The Rebbe, of course, as he always does, based his words on the Torah. In particular, he quoted the verse in Deuteronomy: "It is a land constantly under G-d's scrutiny; the eyes of G-d are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to its end." As the world foundered in panic and consternation over the events in the Persian Gulf, the Rebbe announced that this would be a year when "I will show you wonders," when G-d would perform miracles for the Jewish people. His words of encouragement and inspiration were repeated time and again on Israeli radio and in the newspapers. And the Rebbe called on everyone to continue with their plans. More than one family asked the Rebbe if they should switch the location of upcoming weddings from Israel to New York, but the Rebbe was adamant that everything should go ahead as planned. The weddings scheduled in Israel took place amidst great rejoicing. As the SCUDS flew overhead, most Israelis were calm. Not because they were issued gas masks or sat in sealed rooms. But because they heard the Rebbe's message on the radio, over and over again, saying, "Israel is the safest place in the world because the eyes of G-d are always upon it." Thirty-nine SCUDS fell on Israel. Although there was amazingly little damage, even more miraculous was the fact that there was no loss of life directly from a SCUD. But in Saudi Arabia, when a single SCUD fell on Desert Storm troops, people perished and the damage was devastating. Step by step, the Rebbe is showing us how to recognize the miracles that are happening here and now. As we watch events unfold, we can wholeheartedly say: Thank G-d for the Rebbe's foresight and vision. For the ultimate wonders are yet to come. The Six-Day War On May 28, 1967, a giant Lag B'Omer parade and rally of tens of thousands of children from all over the New York area took place at the World Lubavitch Headquarters. Among other things, the Rebbe spoke about the tense situation in the Middle East and explained to the children what they could do to increase G-d's protection of the Holy Land. Barely a week later, on June 5, the "Six-Day War" broke out. In his address, the Rebbe told the children about the lesson to be learned in connection with the state of affairs in the Holy Land. They are currently in a situation where G-d is protecting and bestowing His blessings and His deliverance upon them in an increased measure so that they may emerge -- and they will emerge -- from this situation with success. The Rebbe told the children that they could help by learning an extra verse of Torah, by doing another mitzvah and yet another, and not letting any opportunity slip by in the fulfillment of mitzvot. He also encouraged the children to influence their friends and family to utilize all their opportunities to increase Torah study and mitzvah observance. As a consequence of the children's efforts, the Rebbe said that we should see the fulfillment of the assurance in the Torah portion read the previous day, "And you will dwell securely in your land ... and I will give peace in the land." A cassette of the Rebbe's talk was rushed off to Israel where copies were made and it was listened to by people all over the trembling country. In addition, on the Shabbat before the war broke out, the Rebbe launched the by-now famous "Tefillin Campaign," as a safety measure for the Jewish people in general, and Jewish soldiers in particular. This campaign, too, is based on the Torah, for the Torah declares concerning tefillin, "And they shall fear you" -- specifically relating to the fear that is instilled in the hearts of the enemies of Israel as a result of the observance of this mitzvah and particularly upon defenders of Israel to vanquish the enemy in the course of battle. Before and during the war, every soldier -- observant and non-observant -- put on tefillin. And every newspaper in Israel carried the Rebbe's telegram sent just days before the war began: "To the leaders of Kfar Chabad and the Head Rabbi who are privileged to find themselves among tens of thousands of Jews in the Holy land where 'the eyes of G-d are constantly upon it' and certainly, most assuredly 'the Protector of Israel does not sleep or slumber,' 'G-d is on our right side' and G-d will guard them and all of the Jewish people from now and forever. I am awaiting good news, good in a recognizable and revealed manner, soon." The Yom Kippur War In the summer of 1973, life in Israel couldn't have been better. To most, it seemed like the best of times. Israel was at "peace" with Egypt and the financial situation in Israel was the best it had been for a long time. So when the Rebbe started speaking about a great danger that was threatening the Jewish people, everyone was confused. The Rebbe quoted the verse from Psalms, "Out of the mouths of babes and infants You have established strength ... to destroy the foe and avenger," and issued a call for all Jewish children to receive a Jewish education. The Rebbe declared that this was of utmost importance and must be implemented immediately. He asked that more day-camps be opened all over the world and gatherings for children be organized everywhere. On three separate occasions during the ensuing months the Rebbe urged there to be gatherings at the Western Wall. And in the Rebbe's annual letter of the Sixth of Tishrei, addressed to all Jews all over the world, the Rebbe added a footnote before it was published. The footnote, which seemed to come from nowhere, read: "The Metzudat David [a commentary] explains that the Jewish hand will be superior." And then came Yom Kippur, 1973. Anyone who was more than a mere toddler at the time will never forget Yom Kippur of 1973. On the Sunday after the war began, when two chasidim asked the Rebbe what would be, the Rebbe answered, "There will be a great victory, a victory greater than was in the previous war." When the war was over, Israeli papers were emblazoned with the headline, "The Lubavitcher Rebbe saw the war and its outcome." The Rebbe, in his humility, answered with a verse from the Prophets, "I prophesied but did not know what I prophesied." Russian Immigration In 1987, when the Iron Curtain was impenetrable, the Rebbe made a startling request. He asked that settlements be built to accommodate the tremendous influx of Russian immigrants who would soon be arriving in Israel. At the time, the border of the Soviet Union was virtually sealed. It was next to impossible for Jews to leave. Yet the Rebbe announced, "It is proper for all Jews to participate in building dwellings in Jerusalem for the Jews from Russia who will soon be coming out. Those who have already been appointed to head this project should do so with great haste and energy, and this should be the main point in their lives from now on." In June of 1987 the Shamir neighborhood in northern Jerusalem was born. Within the Shamir neighborhood SATEC -- the Shamir Center for Advanced Technologies -- was established. It is a commercial enterprise that allows highly skilled Soviet Jewish scientists and engineers to find high-level jobs. Two years later, in 1989, the doors of the Soviet Union suddenly sprung open. Millions of Jews streamed into Israel. The housing prepared for them was barely enough! The Collapse of Communism Well before the advent of the year 5750 (September 1989 through September 1990), the Rebbe announced that the Hebrew letters whose numerical equivalent equals 5750 are an acronym for "This will be a year of miracles." Indeed, the Rebbe spoke many times throughout the year about the miraculous nature of 5750, including the collapse of the communist regimes of Eastern Europe and the freedom granted to Russian Jews to emigrate to Israel. The fall of Communism happened almost overnight. No war, no revolution, no bloodshed. Never in the history of the world had an empire tumbled so quickly, so silently. The Rebbe clearly saw this event in 1966, when he said that the victory over the "evil rulership" will be when "tens and hundreds of thousands of Jews will leave Russia." ************************* * IT HAPPENED ONCE (II) * ************************* The following story was related by Rabbi Zalman Notik, the mashpia -- spiritual advisor -- of Yeshivat Torat Emet in Jerusalem: [23] A group of yeshivah students were on their regular Friday afternoon schedule of helping Jewish boys and men put on tefillin. The students met a group of recent immigrants from the Soviet Union. The students were teaching the men how to put on tefillin when all of a sudden an old Russian-born Jew approached them excitedly: "You're from Lubavitch?" he asked them. "Do I have a story to tell you! "When I was a youth back in Russia," he began, "I used to attend the secret Torah gatherings (farbrengens -- chasidic gatherings) of the Lubavitchers. I also used to pray with them and went to their classes. "At one farbrengen I will always remember, the main discussion was the desire to be reunited with the Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok (the Previous Rebbe). We sang 'G-d should give us good health and life, and we will be reunited with our Rebbe.' Our intense yearning to be with the Rebbe was almost palpable, and was growing from minute to minute. "In the middle of the farbrengen, a few of the Chasidim suddenly stood up and decided to 'take action.' Grabbing some chairs, they turned them upside-down and arranged them in a row to make a 'train.' Just picture it -- grown men behaving like kindergarten children, sitting on overturned chairs and making believe they were going to the Rebbe! "Most of the others, myself included, stood around watching. We laughed at them and told them they were crazy. What ridiculous, childish nonsense! "But, do you know," concluded the man in amazement, "within a short time, all of the Chasidim who rode the 'train' received permission to leave Russia, and actually did go to the Rebbe. Whereas the rest of us, the 'normal' ones, were left behind. As you can see, most of us did not have the strength to keep up our observance of Torah and mitzvot (commandments), and are only now beginning to catch up..." _______________ 23. Adapted from Beis Moshiach Magazine. ************************************** * TIME FOR UNITY; TIME FOR STRENGTH! * ************************************** The most important principle in the Torah is the protection of Jewish life. It's more important than Shabbat, more important than holidays, even fasting on Yom Kippur. Right now, in Israel, and everywhere, Jews must stand together in unity and do whatever possible to protect Jewish life. The Rebbe teaches that there are TEN important MITZVOT we can do to protect life. See what you can do: 1) AHAVAT YISROEL: Behave with love towards another Jew. 2) LEARN TORAH: Join a Torah class. 3) Make sure that Jewish children get a TORAH TRUE EDUCATION. 4) Affix kosher MEZUZOT on all doorways of the house. 5) For men and boys over 13: Put on TEFILLIN every weekday. 6) Give CHARITY. 7) Buy JEWISH HOLY BOOKS and learn them. 8) LIGHT SHABBAT & YOM TOV candles. A Mitzvah for women and girls. 9) Eat and drink only KOSHER FOOD. 10) Observe the laws of JEWISH FAMILY PURITY. In addition the Rebbe urges that: Every Jewish man, woman and child should have a letter written for them in a SEFER TORAH.* Every person should study either the Rambam's Yad Hachazakah -- Code of Jewish Law -- or the Sefer HaMitzvos. Concerning Moshiach, the Rebbe stated, "The time for our redemption has arrived!" Everyone should prepare themselves for Moshiach's coming by doing random acts of goodness and kindness, and by studying about what the future redemption will be like. May we merit to see the fulfillment of the Rebbe's prophecy now! _______________ *. There are several Torah scrolls being written to unite Jewish people and protect Jewish life. Letters for children can be purchased for only $1. Send your Hebrew name and your mother's Hebrew name plus $1 to: "Children's Sefer Torah," P.O. Box 8, Kfar Chabad, 6084000, Israel, or via the Internet, at: http://www.kidstorah.org ******************** * A CALL TO ACTION * ******************** The Rebbe's slogan is: "The main thing is the deed." We therefore present from the Rebbe's talks, suggestions of what we can do to complete his work of bringing the Redemption. FACILITATE AN INCREASE IN JEWISH EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN A few years ago, near the end of the month of Menachem-Av, the Rebbe explained: "We are nearing the close of the month of Menachem-Av, a month associated with the destruction of the Holy Temple. Removing the cause of the Holy Temple's destruction -- 'Jerusalem was destroyed solely because the Torah study of the children was nullified' -- will cause the effect, the destruction and the exile, also to cease, and bring about the revelation of the Third Holy Temple. One should assure an increase in the area of the education of Jewish children." You can start by enrolling your child in a Jewish day school or afternoon school program or giving a donation to an institution dedicated to Jewish education. * Preparations for the High Holidays: "Our Sages state that thirty days before a holiday, we should learn the laws pertaining to it. It is already less then thirty days before the holidays of Tishrei begin and in this context, it is necessary to mention the importance of providing Jews with their holiday needs so that they will be able to celebrate Rosh HaShanah [24] and the holidays that follow in the manner stated in the Bible, 'Eat sumptuous foods and drink sweet beverages and send portions to those who do not have them prepared.'" The Rebbe, Elul, 5750/1990 _______________ 24. This year, Rosh HaShanah is celebrated on Sat., Sept. 19, 2020, and Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. *************************************** * In loving memory of * * HORAV CHAIM YEHUDA KALMAN * * Ben Horav Avrohom Yehoshua * * Marlow * * head of the Bet-Din (Rabbinical * * Court) of Crown Heights, * * Passed away, on Friday Morning, * * 20 Sivan, 5760 (June 23, 2000) * * * * May His Soul Merit Eternal Life * *************************************** ******************************* * THE WEEKLY SHABBAT CALENDAR * ******************************* ** JEWISH WOMEN AND GIRLS LIGHT SHABBAT CANDLES ** ******************************************************* * FOR LOCAL CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES: * * consult your local Rabbi, Chabad-Lubavitch Center. * * or: * * http://www.candlelightingtimes.org/shabbos * * * * FOR A FREE CANDLE LIGHTING KIT: * * contact your local Chabad-Lubavitch Center. * * * * FOR A LISTING OF THE CENTERS IN YOUR AREA: * * http://www.chabad.org * ******************************************************* >>>> Times Shown Are for Metro NY - NJ <<<< FRIDAY, AUG. 21, EREV SHABBAT PARSHAT SHOFTIM: * Second day of Rosh Chodesh Elul. [25] * Light Shabbat Candles, [26] by 7:26 p.m. SATURDAY, AUG. 22, SHABBAT PARSHAT SHOFTIM: * On Shabbat following the afternoon prayer, we read Chapter 6 of Pirkei Avot -- Ethics of the Fathers. * Shabbat ends at NIGHTFALL, at 8:26 p.m. _______________ 25. See above. 26. The Shabbat candles must be lit 18 minutes *BEFORE* sunset. IT IS PROHIBITED AND IS A DESECRATION OF THE SHABBAT TO LIGHT THE CANDLES *AFTER* SUNSET. ********************************************* * May the Shabbat candles, of the millions * * of Jewish women and girls around the * * world, illuminate our way, until we very * * soon see the fulfillment of G-d's promise * * (as it is written in the Midrash * * (Yalkut Shimoni, Beha'alotecha)): * * "If you will observe the kindling of the * * Shabbat lights, you will merit to see * * the lights of the redemption of the * * Jewish people," speedily in our days, * * NOW! * ********************************************* *************************************** * "LET THERE BE LIGHT" * * - The Jewish Women's Guide * * to Lighting Shabbat Candles * * http://www.torah4blind.org/ltbl.htm * *************************************** *********************************** * LAWS OF SHABBAT CANDLE LIGHTING * * FOR THE BLIND * *********************************** Edited by Rabbi Y. K. Marlow O.B.M.* * A blind woman who lives alone should light her Shabbat candle(s) with a blessing. * If she is married to a non-visually impaired person, HER HUSBAND SHOULD LIGHT THE SHABBAT CANDLES WITH THE BLESSING. * If she is eating and lighting in the company of others who are non-visually impaired, and they lit the Shabbat candles, she should light her own Shabbat candle(s), BUT WITHOUT SAYING THE BLESSING. * (If at all possible, she should not be the last one to light the Shabbat candle(s), so that she can be absolved by the latter's blessing.) _______________ *. Head of Bet-Din (Rabbinical Court) of Crown Heights. ************************************ * SHABBAT CANDLE LIGHTING BLESSING * ************************************ * First light the candles. Then spread your hands out around the candles, drawing your hands inward in a circular motion three times to indicate the acceptance of the sanctity of Shabbat. You then cover your eyes and recite the following blessing: BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU ME-LECH HO-OLOM A-SHER KI-DE-SHO-NU BE-MITZ-VO-SOV VE-TZI-VO-NU LE-HAD-LIK NER SHEL SHA-BOS KO-DESH. Translation: Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holy Shabbat. * Uncover your eyes and behold the Shabbat lights. * The time of lighting is considered especially propitious for praying to G-d for health and happiness. The prayer is readily acceptable because it is offered during the performance of this great mitzvah of lighting Shabbat candles. CAUTION: The candles must be lit 18 minutes *BEFORE* sunset. IT IS PROHIBITED AND IS A DESECRATION OF THE SHABBAT TO LIGHT THE CANDLES *AFTER* SUNSET. ******************************************* * MOSHIACH INFORMATION HOTLINES * * http://www.torah4blind.org/hotlines.htm * ******************************************* ****************************************** * MOSHIACH IN THE AIR - ELECTRONIC MEDIA * * http://www.torah4blind.org/e-media.htm * ****************************************** ******************************** * LIVING WITH MOSHIACH * * Weekly Digest About Moshiach * ******************************** Annual subscription (for the 18-point, large type edition) $18.00. For a one-year subscription, make your check payable to: "Enlightenment For The Blind" and mail it to: 602 N. Orange Drive. Los Angeles, CA 90036 USA Name:__________________________________ Address:_______________________________ City:__________________________________ State:___________ Zip:_________________ Telephone: ( )____________________ Due to the generosity of our donors, we offer free subscriptions to all blind and handicapped people, public service libraries and non-profit organizations. **************************************************** * TO RECEIVE THIS PUBLICATION VIA INTERNET: * * E-Mail: info@torah4blind.org * * or: * * http://www.torah4blind.org/subs.htm * **************************************************** ====================================== = End of Text: Living With Moshiach, = = Parshat Eikev - Shofrim, 5780 = ======================================