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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1372
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                 Lubavitch Youth Organization - L.Y.O.
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             THE WEEKLY PUBLICATION FOR EVERY JEWISH PERSON
   Dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson N.E.
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        May 22, 2015            Bamidbar           4 Sivan, 5775
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                           Finding Direction

                           by Izzy Greenberg

A young man came to his rabbi looking for a wife. The rabbi arranged for
the young man to meet several fine young women as potential matches, but
he was not satisfied. In each of the women he immediately found a fault
that made her undesirable.

"I think you need to focus on becoming more humble," the rabbi counseled
the young lad. "Perhaps then you will be more ready to find your match."

So the young man engrossed himself in concentrated learning and prayer
in order to become more humble. After several months, he came back to
the rabbi for potential matches. The rabbi immediately suggested one of
the young women that the young man had previously rejected.

The young man was taken aback. "If she wasn't good enough for me before,
how could she be good enough for me now that I have become so humble!?"

If we pay attention, the natural world can teach us the most profound
lessons in life. Look at the earth at your feet (you might have to go
outside for this one). The dust of the earth is perhaps the lowliest
element within all of creation. It is hardly valued. It is trampled on,
taken for granted, and altogether disregarded, especially in our
increasingly urbanized existence. But one thing is for certain: The
earth is the source of life. Everything that lives depends on the
nurturing power of the earth to feed it.

This is the way humility operates. On the one hand, it is the
subjugation of the ego by the spirit, a feeling of intense meekness
betrayed by an unassuming nature. On the other hand, humility is, in a
more metaphysical sense, the source of all life. Through humility we can
truly love, because only a love stemming from humility can be truly
unconditional. Through humility we can experience pure joy without the
ego's interference. With humility as the foundation, the recognition
that everything comes from Above, the individual can appreciate life and
accomplish more with the gifts that she or he is given.

This is, perhaps, the greatest challenge of attaining humility. To admit
your greatness without letting it get to your head. Because it's easy to
ignore who you are, and assume the identity of some alter ego that is
more humble, or, alternatively, to deny the importance of being humble
altogether and coast through life completely self-absorbed. In both
cases, you miss the point. The challenge is to be yourself and to be
humble; to recognize that you are unique (just like everyone else) and
acknowledge the Source of that uniqueness. Then the greatness you have
is not just a privilege that you can exploit as you see fit, but a
responsibility - a mission - that is uniquely yours to fulfill.

This is why the Torah was given on Mount Sinai, the lowest of
mountains. The Torah is, among other things, the tool with which we
unite the spirit and the matter of our lives. The starting point of this
quest must be humility: You are a mountain of an individual, but because
your special stature comes from Above, you are a small mountain- but a
mountain nonetheless. And it is humility that allows us to appreciate
the true nature of our qualities and talents, and those of others, and
utilize them for their proper purpose.

    Izzy Greenberg, a writer, scholar and teacher, and the Creative
    Director of Tekiyah Creative.   To learn more and to read his
    writings, visit izzygreenberg.com

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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In this week's portion, Bamidbar, we read about how Moses, Aaron and the
leaders of the tribes conducted a census of the Jewish people at G-d's
command. "Take a census of the congregation of the Children of Israel...
you and Aaron... and with you there shall be a man of every tribe."

Counting the number of citizens who reside in a particular country is
something that is done all over the world. There are no stringent
requirements for becoming a census-taker; anyone may do so.

A census-taker goes to each house writing down the number of residents
on a special form. Other pertinent details are also recorded: a person's
age, his occupation, etc. After tabulating all the data, the exact
number of residents in the country is arrived at.

The census of the Jewish people in the desert, however, was conducted in
an entirely different manner. The census-takers were not unemployed or
simple folk; rather, they were the most important people in the entire
nation - Moses, Aaron, and the heads of each tribe!

Moses was asked by G-d to conduct the census. G-d wanted Moses, the
consummate Jewish leader and teacher of Torah, to abandon all his other
affairs and go from tent to tent, counting the number of Jews over the
age of 20!

But why was Moses chosen for the task? Why did it have to be Moses,
Aaron and the tribal leaders - the Jews with the highest status - who
conducted the census?

The answer is that appointing only the most prominent individuals
expressed the intrinsic value and tremendous significance of the Jewish
people. Counting Jews is an act of great consequence; not just anyone is
permitted to do so. Each and every Jew is so precious that only people
with the stature of a Moses, an Aaron or a leader of a tribe may take
their number.

Conducting a census of Jews is not a secular activity, it is a holy one.
Every single Jew is holy, a "veritable part of G-d above," and counting
the members of a holy nation is a mitzva (commandment). This was
reflected in the way the census was taken. The census-takers were
required to wear their Shabbat finery as they made their rounds from
tent to tent. The census was a serious affair.

Counting, in and of itself, is a mundane task, but when it comes to
counting Jews it is a holy matter.

So too is it with all the worldly affairs and daily activities of the
Jew. Because of his unique spiritual nature, even his mundane activities
take on a higher significance. Eating, drinking, managing a Jewish
household and educating one's children - all these are uplifted and
transformed into holy pursuits, for each and every Jew is invaluable to
G-d.

                     Adapted for Maayan Chai from Hitva'aduyot 5745

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                       A Seven Mile Walk Pays Off

Before the holiday of Shavuot, Rabbi Sholom Leverton from Chabad in West
Windsor, New Jersey, had called a number of Jews in his area, inviting
them to attend services and hear the reading of the Ten Commandments.

One of them, "Dr. Fischer," had firmly declined. "I'm in a large medical
center," he explained, "It's too hard to take off time in the middle of
the week, even just a few hours."

So on Shavuot morning, the rabbi was shocked to see Dr. Fischer walk
into the synagogue in time for the Torah reading. What could have
changed his mind?

At the kiddush after the services, the doctor stood up and asked if he
could say a few words. "I was driving to the hospital this morning and I
saw something I'd never seen before" he said. "Three Chabad young men
were walking on the side of the highway.

"I stopped and asked them what they were doing there. Surely there's no
shul in this area? They explained that they were going to make a minyan
at the local jail so that the Jewish inmates could hear the Ten
Commandments read from the Torah."

The doctor paused. "I thought to myself, am I more imprisoned than those
prisoners? If they can have a minyan, I can go and pray too! I turned
around and came to shul (synagogue) right away - work can wait."

Rabbi Leverton shared the story on an online forum for emissaries
(shluchim) of the Rebbe and received impressed responses. A few hours
later, the story got even more interesting...

Rabbi Avi Richler, the emissary in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, works with
the Aleph Institute, an organization that helps Jewish prisoners. He
posted the following comment:

"I want to share the other side of the story," he wrote.

"I was involved in assigning those boys to visit that prison. Usually,
yeshiva students who come to help out for weekends and holidays stay at
the hotel in Fort Dix, a few minutes' walk from the prison.

"I got a call last Friday that two weeks ago a wall had been erected
between the military camp and the prison, and the boys would have to
walk out of the base and around to the prison (seven miles each way).

"At the last second I spoke with the associate warden at the prison, and
we found another hotel about two-and-a-half miles up the road where they
could stay. The only problem was they had to walk on the highway...

"It seems G-d has a plan for all of this. Perhaps this doctor would
never have made it to shul without that fence being built!"

                                *  *  *


From the very beginning of the Rebbe's leadership, the Rebbe instituted
that at a very minimum, on the holidays of Simchat Torah, Passover and
Shavuot, his Chasidim to walk to other synagogues - even if they were
miles/kilometers away - to celebrate with them and share words of Torah.
These walks are known in Chabad vernacular as "tahalucha," a parade. The
following is from a talk of the Rebbe on Shavuot, 1984

When a Jew leaves his shul in order to make Jews in other shuls rejoice,
this is like the trip from Mount Sinai. Indeed, since his shul is
likened to Mount Sinai, his trip is comparable to traveling from Mount
Sinai. As he walks he cannot say the Tikkun (a book compiled of
different parts of the entire spectrum of Torah recited on the first
night of Shavuot), and he cannot be properly involved in Torah study!

They go far distances in order to make other Jews rejoice with the joy
of Yom Tov (the holiday). On the Yomim Tovim, when there is a need to
include others in the joy, "he, his children, and his wife and his
grandchildren and all those who accompany him," including "the convert,
the orphan, and the widow, etc." one must go and make other Jews rejoice
with the joy of Yom Tov; Jews whom he does not know and whom he never
saw before, but since he heard that in a certain place there is a shul
in which Jews gather, he drags his feet to that place without
considering how far away it is, in order to increase the joy of Yom Tov
for these Jews.

We see how great is the joy of these Jews when they realize that a Jew
put himself out on their behalf, with no benefit to himself, to the
point that he did not avoid the bother of going far away in order to
make them rejoice. This itself increases their joy.

One cannot take his wife and household on Tahalucha for then one would
not be able to go... So he goes alone, and takes only those children who
are old enough. He brings even the smallest children to shul to hear the
Ten Commandments, but not on Tahalucha, for there is no purpose in
wearying a Jew just like that. However, when one goes to make another
Jew happy, then, on the contrary, not only does the physical discomfort
not deter him, G-d forbid, from doing a Jew a favor, but this is a true
benefit for the body!

This is the idea of Tahalucha - that despite the fact that during the
walk there will be a period of time in which he will not delve into
Torah, in any case he is going from Mount Sinai to fulfill the mission
of the leader of the generation, as mentioned earlier about the travels
of the Jewish people from Mount Sinai, which is the content of the Torah
portion of "the time of the Giving of our Torah," as it comes out this
year.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                               Be There!

Each year on the festival of Shavuot we relive the giving of the Torah
to the Jewish people by G-d at Mount Sinai by hearing the Ten
Commandments read in the synagogue from a Torah scroll. It is a special
mitzva (commandment) for every man, woman and child to be in the
synagogue on Shavuot to hear the Torah reading. This year, the Torah
reading that tells of the giving of the Torah will be read on the first
day of Shavuot, Sunday, May 24, in synagogues around the world. Many
Chabad-Lubavitch Centers sponsor "ice cream" parties (in keeping with
the ancient tradition of eating dairy products on Shavuot) for the young
and the young at heart. To find out about the closest Shavuot ice cream
party call your local Chabad-Lubavitch Center.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                       22nd of Iyar, 5726 [1966]

Greeting and Blessing:

I send greetings and best wishes to the esteemed chairman, committee
members, and all participants in this annual event. May the Alm-ghty
bless your efforts to make it the success it deserves in every respect.

It is noteworthy that this year's Anniversary Dinner takes place in the
meaningful days of the counting of the omer which serve as a preparation
for Shavuos, the festival of Mattan Torah [the Giving of the Torah].

Our Sages tell us that when G-d was about to give the Torah on Mount
Sinai, He requested guarantors to ensure that the Torah would be studied
and observed. All guarantees were rejected, until Moshe Rabbeinu [our
teacher] declared, "Our children will be our guarantors!" Without this
guarantee, not even Moshe Rabbeinu could have received the Torah.
Henceforth it became the responsibility of Moshe Rabbeinu, and, indeed,
of all Jews to see to it that the Torah and Torah-way of life would be
perpetuated through our children.

Thus we are taught that no matter how great a man may be, and however
important the task in which he is engaged, the Torah education of our
children takes precedence, and none may be excused from participating in
work and effort dedicated to Torah-true Jewish education.

It is also significant that this year's Annual Dinner is taking place in
the week of the sedra [Torah portion] Bamidbar, "Numbers" as this fourth
Chumash is called after the sedra, because it begins with the Divine
commandment to number the Children of Israel.

This portion of the Torah is always read on the Shabbos before Shavuos -
an indication that when it comes to receiving the Torah, all Jews must
stand up and be counted, for each and every Jew has a Divinely given
share in the Torah and is soulfully bound up in the holy Torah. We are
also forcefully reminded that no single Jew must ever be given up as
"lost."

The above-mentioned basic tenets are truly exemplified in the work of
the Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch in many parts of this country and the world
over. Fortunate indeed is the Jewish community of Detroit to have the
Merkos in its midst, and to have also many devoted friends and dedicated
partners in this very vital endeavor.

May the Alm-ghty bless each and every one of you with success in your
efforts in behalf of our children - "our guarantors" for the
perpetuation of our Jewish way of life and, indeed, for our survival and
happy future.

                                *  *  *

                    Isru-Chag HaShavuos, 5739 [1979]


Blessing and Greeting:

I received your correspondence, and may G-d grant the fulfillment of
your heart's desires for good in the matters about which you wrote.

I trust you had an enjoyable Shavuos - Z'man Mattan Toraseinu, the
Season of the Giving of Our Torah - in that the inspiration will be with
you in all the days ahead throughout the year.

The designation of Shavuos as the Festival of Mattan Torah is
significant in that - among other things -- it conveys the concept that
the Torah was given as a "matana," a gift. For unlike a sale or barter -
involving an exchange of value for value, or an award or prize - for a
special effort or merit, a gift is given freely and graciously, without
previous effort on the part of the receiver.

Needless to say, if the giver of the gift is a very distinguished person
and, moreover, the receiver is a person of humble station, it makes the
gift even more precious, and the receiver cherishes it all the more,
treats it with honor and pride, and takes good care of it.

Reflecting on the above, and remembering that the Giver of the Torah is
G-d Himself, and the Torah and Mitzvoth [commandments]are the most
precious gift which G-d gave us to keep as our Torah, and that we
received it out of pure love, without effort on our part - should surely
make every one of us most appreciative and grateful, and absolutely
determined to cherish and honor it.

As to how we have to honor the Torah - this is clearly indicated in the
Torah itself: by conducting our everyday lives in full accord with the
spirit and letter of the Torah, with the accent on the actual
fulfillment of its Mitzvoth, for the essential thing is the actual deed.

May the inspiration of Z'man Mattan Toraseinu permeate every aspect of
your daily life in an ever-growing measure.

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                               TEACHINGS
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Rabbi Meir said: Whoever occupies himself with [the study of] Torah for
its own sake merits many things (Ethics, 6:1)

The Hebrew word for "occupies - osek" relates to the word for
"businessman," "baal esek." A person's occupation with the study of
Torah must resemble a businessman's preoccupation with his commercial
enterprise. Just as his attention is never totally diverted from his
business, so too should the Torah always be the focus of our attention.
(Likutei Sichot, Vol. XVII)

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
*********************************************************************
Shavuot begins this Motzei Shabbat/Saturday evening. At this time, we
are reminded of the beautiful Midrash which teaches that the Jewish
children of every generation are the reason why G-d gave us the gift of
the Torah:

When G-d asked what assurance the Jewish people were offering that the
Torah would be studied, loved and cherished, the Jewish people offered
our Patriarchs as security. But this was not accepted. We then offered
the Torah scholars as the guarantors. This, too, was not acceptable. It
was only when we offered our children as guarantors that G-d approved
our proposal and gave us the Torah.

On the anniversary of an event, the "spiritual energy" that was infused
by G-d into that event is at its strongest. This is the reason why, for
example, we should do our utmost to celebrate our birthdays properly
each year. This is true, too, concerning every Jewish holiday. Which
means that on Shavuot - the celebration of the Giving of the Torah - the
spiritual energy that was invested into that day over 3,000 years ago is
at its strongest.

What is the special spiritual energy of Shavuot and how can we benefit
from it? It was on Shavuot that our ancestors proclaimed, "We will do
and then we will listen/study." This is the time when we recommit
ourselves to the actual performance of mitzvot - even if we don't yet
understand their reasons.

Shavuot is also the time when the spiritual energy of our children,
being the guarantors for the Torah, is at its strongest. This is the
time when we must renew our commitment to providing our children with a
proper Jewish upbringing and education as well as facilitating the
proper Jewish education of all Jewish children, wherever they may be.

We can begin doing both of the above by going to the synagogue this
Shavuot to hear the reading of the Ten Commandments and by bringing
along with us Jewish children of all ages - children in age, children at
heart, or children in Jewish knowledge. Be there, and be a part of a
more than 3,000-year-old unbroken chain of Jewish commitment and pride.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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Take a census of the entire congregation of the Children of Israel (Num.
1:2)

Our Sages note that the giving of the Torah at Sinai required the
presence of all 600,000 Jews; if just one had been missing, the Torah
would not have been given. The Torah portion of Bamidbar is always read
before Shavuot, the day on which the Torah was given, to remind us of
this principle. Furthermore, it reminds us that it was not enough for
all Jews to be present; it was necessary that the Jewish people be
united in love for one another. "Israel camped there [before Mount
Sinai] as one man with one mind." This peace and unity is the channel
for all Divine blessings, including the greatest of all - the coming of
Moshiach.

                                                  (Peninei HaGeula)

                                *  *  *


Jewish law teaches that once something has been counted it can never be
nullified, even if it is only one out of a thousand. G-d likewise
counted the Jewish people, so that although they are far outnumbered by
the nations of the world, they can never be nullified.

                                                  (Chidushei Harim)

                                *  *  *


And the charge of the Children of Israel (Num. 3:8)

The function of the Levites, to "guard the honor of G-d," also serves to
protect the Jewish people as a whole, as it states, "G-d is your
guardian, G-d is your shadow." Why a shadow? Because G-d conducts
Himself with man in the very same manner as He is served...

                                                 (Kiflaim L'Toshia)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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Shavuot is the anniversary of the passing of the Baal Shem Tov, founder
of the Chasidic movement.

There was a wealthy Jew, whose only daughter was becoming of
marriageable age. While there were many promising young Torah scholars
in his own town, he desired to have an exceptional Torah scholar as a
son-in-law. After much effort, he indeed found one such young man. The
couple were married, settled down and were extremely happy. The young
man learned in the yeshiva study hall and grew in his learning and Torah
knowledge. Everything was going as desired.

Some years passed, and the wealthy father-in-law began noticing small
changes in his son-in-laws conduct and observance of mitzvot
(commandments). At first, he tried to dismiss them as insignificant
changes, and perhaps his learned son-in-law has reasons to conduct
himself in this new manner. After all he knows much more than I do, so
who am I to question him!

But as the weeks and months passed, he began noticing that he was taking
off much more time from his learning and was seen in the company of
others who were known to be completely non-observant. This was a
situation that he was no longer able to ignore and pretend all is well.

So one day, he sat down with his son-in-law and asked him, "What caused
this drastic change. Are you perhaps unhappy about something or is
something or someone bothering you?"

The son-in-law replied, "I am extremely happy and fortunate. Your
daughter is an excellent and kind hearted person. She is the perfect
wife, and you are very gracious to us. A man couldn't ask for more.

"But you want to know if everything is perfect, what caused these
changes? I began having some questions about G-d's ability to do certain
things that our sages stated had happened. I noticed that some of the
great commentators also wrote that these things are exaggerations. So I
no longer knew what is real and what is being said as a way of a parable
or metaphor.

"Whoever I asked either replied that those are dangerous questions, that
one is not allowed to ask, or gave me such weak answers and
explanations, that they themselves admitted weren't complete answers,
they weren't satisfactory. So now I have my doubts about many things,
such as does G-d really care about such minute details, for example,
when you wash your hands for bread, does it have to go until the wrist
and a drop off makes it invalid or it isn't so important. And therefore
I decided not to do it all."

The father-in-law was torn with grief. This is the son-in-law that he
had hand-picked for his wonderful daughter, who is so proper in her
observance of every mitzva (commandment).  Is everything lost G-d
forbid? "No! It can't be," he told himself. "I must find a way to
correct this."

Turning to his son-in-law he said, "My dear son-in-law, you are much
more learned than I, and if the great Torah scholars of the town
couldn't answer your questions satisfactorily, I for sure don't have the
ability. However, I am asking you one thing, please come with me to a
great sage and allow him to answer and clarify everything."

Wanting to please his father-in-law, especially as he always has the
ability to say that the answer this sage gave was not a convincing or
even good answer, he agreed.

The father-in-law didn't waste any time, but immediately set out with
his son-in-law to see the Baal Shem Tov. They arrived in Mezibuzh on a
bright sunny day and the father-in-law poured out his troubled heart to
the Baal Shem Tov and pleaded with him that he does whatever is in his
ability to bring the son-in-law back to the ways of G-d.

The Baal Shem Tov asked them to join him on a small journey. With the
father-in-law sitting on his right and the son-in-law sitting on his
left, they left Mezibuzh. Once they were out of the city and on the road
in midst of an open field, the Baal Shem Tov turned to the son-in-law
and said, "Young man can it rain now?"

Looking at the clear blue sky, the young man replied, "No, there isn't a
cloud in sight."

The Baal Shem Tov said, "And I say it can rain!"

Looking up once again, the young man peered in all directions to make
sure that he saw correctly and indeed there wasn't a cloud in sight. So
he smugly retorted and said, "It is impossible! No way in the world can
it rain here at this very moment."

The Baal Shem Tov smiled and said, "And I say it will rain momentarily!"
A few seconds later the heavens opened and a deluge of rain came pouring
down. The young man was bewildered at this happening. Not only is it
pouring from a cloudless sky, but the Baal Shem Tov's wagon is remaining
completely dry. This is truly miraculous and beyond human comprehension.

Being an extremely intelligent person, he realized why the Baal Shem Tov
showed him this and didn't try to answer his questions verbally. Far be
it that the Baal Shem Tov was merely showing off to him his miraculous
powers. It was much more than that; he had clearly demonstrated, that
stories of our sages that are beyond human comprehension, doesn't mean
that they never occurred or are not real. There are many happenings that
human intellect says one way, but in actuality they happened the
opposite way - the way he thought was impossible.

Once this question was answered, he realized that all of his other
questions and doubts were based on this premise. And therefore if this
was resolved they all have nothing to stand on.

Full of remorse he turned to the Baal Shem Tov and beseeched of him, to
guide him back to the way of G-d.

During the first year after his passing, the students of the Baal Shem
Tov gathered and many of them related a miraculous story of the Baal
Shem Tov that they personally were privy to. That night the Baal Shem
Tov came to one of his students and said, "My greatness is not my
ability to do miracles, it is my awe of heaven for even the smallest
detail of a mitzva.

                             As told by Rabbi Shalom Dovber Avtzon.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
*********************************************************************
The census of the Jewish people as conducted by Moses caused the Divine
Presence to dwell among them. Each and every Jew's "head was raised"
with the knowledge that the individual possesses the power to determine
the future of the entire world. Similarly, Maimonides writes that "Every
person should regard himself as if he is half innocent and half guilty,
and the whole world as if it is half innocent and half guilty. By doing
one good deed, he can tip the scales for himself and the entire world to
the side of merit, and bring salvation and deliverance."

                                                        (The Rebbe)

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               END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1372 - Bamidbar 5775
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