keeping in touch vol 2

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**KeepingIn TouchT O R A H T H O U G H T S

I N S P I R E D B Y T H E W O R K S OFT H E L U B A V IT C H E R R E B B E ,

R A B B I M E N A C H E M M . S C H N E E R S O N

Volume II

Adapted by Eliyahu Touger

Published and Copyrighted bySichos In English

In Touch. A Division of Fax A Sicha788 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, N . Y . 11213

5762 2002

www.hebrewbooks.org
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/http://www.hebrewbooks.org/


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Keeping In TouchVolume I I

Published and Copyrighted bySichos In EnglishI n Touch. A Division of Fax A Sicha

788 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, N. Y. 11213Tel . ( 7 1 8 ) 778-5436

A l l rights reserved. No part o f this publication maybe reproduced in any f o r m or by any means,

including photo-copying, without permission inw r i t i n g f r o m the copyright holder or the publisher.

I S B N 1-8814-0063-8

First Printing 2002 5762Second Printing 2006 5767


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Table of Contents

Publisher's Foreword vEditor's Preface ixBereishis 1Shmos 41Vayikra 75Bamidbar 101Devarim 131Festivals 162


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Publishers ForewordThis book was written for people who w i l l probably not look for it.There's Brad, a lawyer in Manhat tan , Joan, a consultant w i t h acomputer networking f i r m in California, P h i l , an advertising executivei n Con necti cut, and countless others.

W e kn ow them all too w e l l . At one point in their lives, almost allo f them sought contact w i t h some sort o f Jewish involvemen t, andJudaism di d no t come thr oug h for them. I t wasn't mean ingful,exciting, and j o y f u l enough to maintain their interest. The y can't beblamed for no t con tin uin g to identify as Jews; they're being honest.H a d Judaism presented a message that they f e l t was viable, they wouldhave listened.

Brad, Joan, and Phil have not closed their doors. Although theymay be involved w i t h other pursuits, they are s t i l l w i l l i n g to listen. I fJudaism presents a message that they can relate to, they w i l l respond. I tis for them that this book was written.

B u t we sho uld not set up differences between "we" and "t hey ."First o f all, no one sho uld ever draw lines of demarcation separatingone Jew f r o m another. But more impor tan t, to inspi re them, we have toinspire ourselves. Had they seen more vibrant, purposeful, happy Jews,their feelings of disillusionment and alienation would never havearisen. Reaching out to them, therefore, must involve reaching intoourselves. We must look inside in to our core being and int o thecore o f our To ra h heritage. We hope the book serves thi s purpose asw e l l .

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The Book's StructureThe book centers on the weekly Torah readings, for they conveylessons o f timeless relevance. 1 Year after year, century after century, afive-year-old c h i l d and a venerable sage have studied the same Torahpassages, and year after year they have both discovered depth andmeaning. This is an ongoing process. The truths that have generatedhappiness, depth, and purpose for our people for centuries continue todo so at present.

The very word "Torah" relates to the Hebrew word horaah,meaning "i ns tru ctio n" or "guidance." G-d gave us the Torah to guideus in our day-to-day lives. I n that vein, every weekly po rt io n can beseen as a bulletin o f immediate relevance con tain ing new insights tohelp us advance in our Divine service.

W e have prefaced these lessons w i t h stories, illustrating how theideas are not merely theoretical constructs , but t rut hs that areexpressed in actual experience. Moreo ver, in tell ectual concepts aremeant to be grasped and understo od, to fi t in to the pockets o f ourminds, as it were. A story, by contrast, conveys a mult i- dimens io na lmessage that embraces us and allows us to experience the concept i nheart as w e l l as in mind.

After each o f the lessons f r o m the Torah readings, we draw aconnection to Mashiach and the Redemption that he w i l l initiate, forthe coming o f Mashiach is the fundamen tal goal o f our existence.

O u r w o r l d is essentially goo d. It is at least in potent ial G-d's dwelling. I n the era of the Redemptio n, this poten tial w i l lblossom into actuality and G-d's presence w i l l permeate everydimension of our environment.

A s is explained in several places in the book, t he era o f theRedemption is not a dream of a f a r - o f f future, but a reality that is

1 . This is the second volume of Keeping In Touch. The f i r s t volume was somewhatsmaller, containing only insights on the Torah reading and on festivals and didn o t include the in troduct ory stories or related ideas concerning Mashiach that havebeen added here. In keeping w i t h our Sages' directive (Berachos 28a, et al): "Oneshould always advance in holy matters," and in order to give our readers a morecomplete picture of the guidance the Torah offers, we made these additions.

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beco ming manifest in our lives at present. T o heighten our awarenessto the shifting paradigms that characterize our society, we highlightMashiach's coming in each o f the readings.

Similarly, we included readings that focus on the Jewish festivalsand fast days, for these are far more than mere dates on the calendar.Each one of them prompt s a different mode of spi rit ual activity,beckoning us to explore and experience inner gro wt h and developmenti n a unique way.

What is the In TouchHo w should we respond to loss? It's almost natural to d r i f t into apowerless state o f grief. After all, the anguish is great and hard toovercome. A proactive person, however, endeavors to transform thepain in to a posit ive force leading to gro wt h and development.

O n the 3rd o f Ta mmuz 57 54 (June 12, 1994), the Lubavitchcommunity, w o r l d Jewry, and indeed, mank in d as a whole f e l t pangs o fpain as it heard o f the passing o f the Lubavit cher Rebbe, RabbiMenachem M . Schneerson. A l l of the millions whose lives verytouched by the Rebbe f e l t the magn itud e o f the loss.

But those who had assimilated the Rebbe's teachings refused toremain mired in sadness. Rather than bemoan the darkness, theywould create l i g h t . Instead, o f lament ing the loss of the Rebbe, theywould spread his insights outward.

This spirit motiv ated a small group o f people t o begin a bi-weeklyfax service sharing the Rebbe's teachings w i t h a cross-section o fbusiness, legislators, and professionals in the legal, medical , andentertainment fields. The overwhelming majority o f the recipients didnot identify as Lubavitcher chassidim. By and large, they were Jewish,but they were also contemporary Americans and they wanted to hear amessage o f ideals and values that bo th dimension s o f theirpersonalities could accept w i t h integrity. Some o f the recipien ts werenon-Jews, but they unders too d that moral prin ciples and spi rit ualtruths were impor tan t in mol di ng the face o f our society. They becamethe core o f the In To uc h Family .

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Every other week, they received by facsimile, a message sharing theRebbe's teachings o n the weekly To ra h readings and the Jewishholidays, written by the celebrated author and translator, EliyahuToug er and edited by Yossi Mala mud.

The In Touch f a m i l y has grown rapidly since its inception in1994 and is curr en tly circulated in over 12 countries and 150 citiesworldwide without cost or obligation to anyone who desires to beincluded among the recipients. T o keep I n To uc h and receive this freeTorah fax, send us a fax (o n company let terhead i f applicable) w i t hyour name, address, telephone and fax number to (71 8) 95 3- 30 00.

Sichos In Englis hCrown Heights, N.Y.Y u d Aleph Nissan, 5762

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Editors PrefacePerhaps today more than ever before, each one o f us feels a centr ifugalforce scattering our energies out ward among many diverse types o fcommitments. Ou r workplaces, our families, our investments, and ourdiversions al l make thei r demands upon us. By and large, we are happyw i t h what we are doin g; i f we weren't, we woul dn 't contin ue doi ng it.We'd simply choose other options. But despite these differentinvolvements, we're looking for something more.

We're not looking for just another activity or possession. What wewant is somethi ng in tern al, somethi ng that gives dept h and meaning towhat we're doi ng , somethi ng that prompt s the satisfaction andhappiness that w e l l up f r o m w i t h i n when we know that l i f e has valueand purpose.

Fo r centuries, our people have found that satisfaction in theTorah.

I n our material environment there are certain immutable laws,principles that are embedded in the fabric o f nature. Ask any farmerand he w i l l explain to you that t here are certain "laws of the farm" thathe cannot violate. I f he wants a viable crop, he must con for m to them.

There are also laws o f the soul, pri nci ples equally v a l i d and equallyembedded in to the fabric o f our lives. These laws govern ourrelationships w i t h G-d and our relationships w i t h our fellow man.These are the Torah insights that we should reach for.

A Story and Its AnalogueOnce R. Shmuel, the fourth Lubavitcher Rebbe, emerged f r o m hisstudy after ho ld in g private meetings w i t h his followers. His attendantwas surprised to see the Rebbe dripping w i t h sweat. The Rebbe had satw i t h about f i f t y individuals in a l i t t l e bi t less than two hours, so the

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attendant could understand that the Rebbe would be exhausted, butwhy the rivers o f perspiratio n?

When he questioned the Rebbe about i t, R. Shmuel explained:"When a person comes into my roo m w i t h a d i f f i c u l t y , I realize that heis looking at the w o r l d differently than I do. T o understand the way hefaces his problem, I can't sit back and abstractly consider the issue; Ihave to put myself in his clothes. But after I put myself in his clothes, Iwon't be able to focus on the issues objectively . T o do that, I mustreturn to my own clothes and f i n d appropr iate advice. An d then t oconvey the message to the listener, I must enter into his clothes again.I f you switched clothing 150 times in less than two hours, you wouldalso be sweating."

I n this book, we have tried to f o l l o w a similar process, taking theinner dimensi on of the Torah's in sights and clothing them to fit theintellectual and emotional tastes of contemporary America. 2

A Man and a MissionAlthough the readings in this book are original compositions, they area l l based on the in sights o f the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rab bi M . M .Schneerson . T her e are many people who describe the Rebbe insuperlatives: a To ra h genius, a visionary leader, a miracle work er, orsimply a caring and sympathetic listener and counselor. What draws usmost is the quality that can only be described by the ter m "Rebbe" a limitless, unique energy and v i t a l i t y that comes f r o m the G-dlinesswhich we all possess and which the Rebbe revealed in a distinctive way.

2. We have also tried to have the text appear as "easy reading," even in its externalf o r m . For that reason, although the tex t makes copious references to B i b l i c a lverses and Talmudic passages, those sources were not cited, lest the text appear totechnical in nature.

Similarly, when referring to Rabbinic leaders, rather than enter the quagmireo f trying to determine what is the proper t i t l e Rav, Rebbe, Reb, or Rabbi, wehave employed a uniform R. We hope that single abbreviation w i l l save ourreaders the d i f f i c u l t y of questioning why a particular sage was described as Rebbe,this as Rav, and the t h i r d as Reb.

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Th e Rebbe would cry and laugh. What made hi m special, however,was what he cried and laughed about. Coming into his presence, youbecame aware that he l i v e d for a goal beyo nd himself. An d moreimportantly, he was able to awaken the spark inside each o f us whichlikewise seeks to l i v e for goals bey ond ourselves.

While f u l l y in touch w i t h the present, he also gave us a promiseand a picture o f a deeper and more meaningful future. While incontact w i t h the Rebbe, the peace, love, and spiritual awareness thatw i l l characterize the era o f the Red empti on are not jus t abstract goals.Y o u understand them, because you relate to a person who hadanticipated and foreseen the m in his day-to-day l i f e .

He gives others tools to share in this awareness, and in that way,endows them w i t h a sense o f missio n and purpose. Fo r, havingsampled these qualities, a person want s no th in g more than t ocommunicate them further and in that way, help bring the w o r l d to itsultimate f u l f i l l m e n t .

That is our intent in publishing this volume: to allow the waves o finsight the Rebbe generated t o ripple further th ro ughout our societyand by doin g so, empower us all to draw on the self-gen erating sparko f G-dly f i r e found w i t h i n our hearts and w i t h i n the Torah.

In ThanksT o communicate w i t h others, a person must go beyon d his ownsubjectivity. For that reason, the I n Tou ch is a team effort, involvingthe con trib ution s of many different in dividuals. Warr ant in g specialrecognition are my mother , Rosaly nn Mala mud , for her con tin uoushelp in editing a product worthy of taking pride in, and my w i f e , K a y l i ,who has made the In Touch f a m i l y part o f our f a m i l y , sacrificing hertime and bearin g w i t h my late hours to make sure that eachperson on our l i s t receives thei r bi-weekl y fax on t ime. An d specialthanks to Rochel Chanah Riven who labored over the edit ing o f thetext, harmon izin g chassidic ideas w i t h elegant wording.

Also, I would l i k e to thank you, our readers. Your encouragement,questions, and occasional corrections makes us the In To uc h an

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interactive dynamic, where your response prompts us to deeperunderstanding.

W i t h i n the chassidic communit y , i t is not accepted fo r a chassidto than k his Rebbe. Nevertheless, it is impossible to conclude withoutmentioning his continuous contribution. The In Touch is not merely"established i n his memor y" or "a perpetuatio n o f his teachings."Instead, i t is our way of staying I n To uch w i t h hi m and the missio n hegave us: to prepare ourselves and the w o r l d at large for the comin g o fMashiach, no t as a dream of the future, but N o w .

Yossi MalamudFax A Sicha

Crown Heights, N.Y.Y u d Aleph Nissan, 5762

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Shortly after the Rebbe assumed leadership of thechassidic movement, Charles Raddock, a secular Jewishhistorian and journalist, asked h i m : "How can chassidismfunction on the heathen soil of my America?" and "Whatanswers does chassidism have for my own lost, 'atomic'generation?"

The Rebbe replied: "America is not lost . Americanssincerely crave to know, to learn. They are inquisitive. TheAmerican mind is simple, honest, and direct. This is good,tillable soil for chassidism, or for just plain Judaism."

"Where a person starts is not important. Ideally, aperson should f u l f i l l all the responsibilities Judaism placesupon h i m , " the Rebbe would often say. "But at the sametime, we welcome doing even a part."

A n d the Rebbe taught his followers to reach out andcommunicate w i t h others, confident that the depth ofawareness and spiritual consciousness the chassidic lifestylespawned would have a message to which every Jew canrelate.

Parshas BereishisThis week's To ra h reading recounts the narrative o f creation; how G- dbrought the w o r l d into being f r o m absolute nothingness. This is notmerely a story o f the past. Firstly, on an mystic level, creation is acontinuous process. Since the w o r l d was brought into being f r o mabsolute nothingness, n othingness is its true nature. Th e fact that itexists comes only as a result o f G-d's k indness. He bri ngs the ent irecosmos in to being every momen t, an d every mome nt o f existence is areenactment o f the very f i r s t moment of creation.

B u t beyo nd the abstract, this concept prov ides a practical lesson inthe personal w o r l d o f every individual. Parshas Bereishis is an experienceo f renewal. Every person has the chance to recreate himself anew, toestablish a new outlook on the way he approaches l i f e experience. I nthat vein, our Rabbis said: "The stance which a person adopts onShabbos Bereishis determines the manner in which he w i l l proceedthroughout the coming year."

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2 KEEPING I N TOUCH

Our Sages teach: "G-d looked into the Torah and created theworld. Man looks into the Torah and maintains the world." TheTorah serves as the blueprint for creation; it is the treasure store fo rthe principles and patterns on which our existence is based. Similarly,i n the personal sense, the Torah can provide us with guidelines for ourindividual process o f renewal. Each one o f us can use the To ra h to helpus redefine our existence and develop a new means o f relatin g to ourenvironment.

Wh en we study a po rt io n of the Torah' s wisd om, be it a law, astory, or a philo sophi cal or ethical concept, we are not just collectinginformation. Instead, we are un it in g our minds with G-d's wisdom. Heis the author o f those laws, stories, and concepts. Through this study,we are align ing our minds and thr oug h them, our ent irepersonalities to fun cti on in accordance with G-d's wisdom anddesires.

For learning brings about, and on a deeper level, is itself a changei n behavior. Just as learning to talk gives a child new tools for self-expression, learn ing such wi sd om gives a person new tools forappreciating the nature o f the world we live in and relating to thepeople and situations around him.

I n this manner, studying the Torah gives a person the means to gobeyond his ind ivid ual subjectivity. He becomes less concerned withwhat he wants and what he thinks is correct, and instead, focuses onwhat is true. H e begins defining the way he responds to othersaccording to the objective standards that G-d has laid down. Our ownhorizons o f gro wth are limited, for on his own, a person is capable o fseeing on ly so far. Th e study o f the Tor ah opens us up to new vistasbeyon d our ow n conceptions and enables us to internalize these levelswithin our personalities.

Moreover, this study grants a person new vitality and energy thatextends far beyond the intellect. G-d has invested Himself in theTorah; therefore, when a person is studying the Torah, he is notmerely establishing a conn ection with G-d's w isdo m, he is establishinga bond with G-d Himself. This taps an un limit ed fount ain of energythat enriches all o f his activities and purs uits .


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Looking to the HorizonThe world was created with a purpose, as our Sages say: "The worldwas created solely for Mashiach." The reason G-d brought our existencein to being was so that mankind would live in the environment o fknowledge, peace, and love that w i l l characterize the era o f Mashiach.

G- d did not desire that this in ten t be achieved o n Hi s initiativealone. Instead, H e wanted this inten t to resonate within the world andentrusted that purpose to mank ind , allowing it to assume the role o fbeing G-d 's part ner in creation. Each one of us has to do his part tomold the world to conform with its intended purpose.

W i t h patien t love, G- d is guid in g mank in d to the acceptance o fthis mission. Just as on a person al level H e charts a course fo r eachindividual to achieve self-realization; so, too, the world at large is beingled to the fulfillment o f its ultimate int ent , the era of Mashiach.

This, moreover, is no t a dream for the distan t fut ure, but acontemporary reality. We each have the potential to experience aforetaste o f this era in our present lives. As we do so, we hasten therealization of this intent in the world at large.


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I n Berditchev, a small town just outside of K i e v , therel i v e d a Jew who did not believe in G-d. From time to timehe would meet the holy Berditchever Rebbe, Reb L e v iYitzchak, and they would talk. Once the Rebbe t o l d thenon-believer, "You know, that G- d that you don 't believei n , I don't believe in either."

O f course, the Rebbe believed in G-d . What he wastelling the non-believer is that the non-believer's lack off a i t h was due to an underdeveloped conception of who G-dis. No one would want to believe in such a deity . Were heto expand his awareness and reach deeper w i t h i n his soul,he would discover a G-d that he could and would desire torelate to.

This illuminates, also, the unique contribution of theRebbe. When he assumed leadership, many questioned theplace of Judaism in contemporary society. And to them,the Rebbe said: "Yes, i f you look archaically at Judaismthen it has no place. But who says Judaism has to bearchaic?! Open your eyes and see how r i c h andcontemporary Judaism can be." Moreover, the Rebbedidn't allow us to remain content w i t h our ownunderstanding and relationship w i t h G-d, he pushed us toopen ourselves up to others and share our understandingw i t h them.

Parshas NoahThe begin nin g o f this week's To rah reading relates how G- d tellsNoah that because he was righteous, he and his f a m i l y would be saved.Although all mankind would be pun ished for their wickedness andannihilated in a terrible f l o o d , Noah and his descendants would notperish.

Fo r that purpose, Noah b u i l t an ark according to G-d'sspecifications and when the rains came, he and his f a m i l y entered. Buttheirs was far f r o m a pleasure cruise. Fo r toget her w i t h Noah and hisf a m i l y were gathered into the ark one pair each of all the exi stin g non -kosher animals and seven pairs o f each of the kosher animals.

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N O A C H 5

What d id No ah do f or the ent ire year he was in the ark? H ebrought food for the animals, cleaned their stalls, and took care o ftheir needs. N o r were the animals part icular ly appreciative. Our Sagesrelate that once when Noah delayed bringing food to one o f the lions,the beast to ok a swipe at h i m and woun ded h im . Is this a befittingreward for a person whom G- d told was righteous?

Herein lies a fun damen tal lesson. N o person exists for himself .W e were created for service. Th e Jewish ideal is not a world where "therighteous sit crowned with their knowledge." That is a description ofthe Wo r l d to Come, the afterlife, where the souls bask in Divine light.B u t unt i l a person reaches that state, he must work.

W e have all been given a missi on to prepare the world to be adwelling for G- d. An d to be complete, that dwelling must encompassevery element o f creation . Ther efor e every element o f our envir on mentis impor tan t and deserving of our concern and atten tion .

Simply pu t, a person cannot seclude himself i n a synagogue or ahouse o f study and claim that he is creating G-d's dwelling. For i f allG - d wants is prayer and study, H e would not have created a phy sicalworld. H e would have made us spiritual beings with heightenedintellectual potentials.

H e did not do this. Instead, He made us mortals and placed us ina material environment. As such, our lives should be dedicated to theabove mission, caring for every entity created within the world andrevealing the G-d ly spark it contain s and the in ten t for which it wascreated. Man's task in l i f e is to take that abstract ideal and make itactual.

Looking to th e HorizonThe ro ot o f the Hebrew name "Noach" relates to the concepts o f restand satisfaction. Indeed, our Torah port ion foreshadows the ultimatestate o f repose and satisfaction that w i l l be reached in the era when, asMaimonides relates, "there w i l l be neither famine nor war, neither envyn o r competi tio n, for good things w i l l flow in abundance." I n Noah' sa rk were lions, tigers, and other predators, and yet they dwelt in peacewith other animals, ant icipat ing the fulfillment o f the prophecy, "T he


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w o l f w i l l dwell with the lamb, and the leopard w i l l lie down with theyoung goat."

This moti f can be detected as taking form already as evidenced bydevelopments that are begi nn in g to shape the contemporary businesslandscape. Rather tha n the dog-eat- dog co mpet it io n that characterizedprevious generations, corpor atio ns are begi nn ing to appreciate howeach can gain more when two companies pool their efforts to bringabout a greater goo d for mank in d. We al th is being gained, n ot bytaking from others, but by combining care and kno w-ho w to produceproducts that w i l l benefit others, compelling their desire to purchasethem.

Similarly, in a personal sense, the time has come when we cangraduate from the scarceness mentality that says that when one personhas, the o ther lacks. Th e pie is big enough for all o f us. A n d uni quely ,i t is the individuals who help others get their share who receive thelargest pieces. Th is approach w i l l precipitate the coming of theultimate age o f peace and cooperation that Mashiach w i l l initiate.


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Once a renowned cardiologist visi ted the Rebbe. "Youshould devote your attention to treating healthy people,not only the sick," the Rebbe t o l d him.

" A m I to improve on what the A l m i g h t y has done?"questioned the doctor.

"Yes," responded the Rebbe. "An ordinary laymen, andhow much more so a doctor, should be able to improve onwhat the A l m i g h t y has done."

"Are you asking me to make man perfect?" answered thedoctor.

"No," the Rebbe responded. "Maki ng people perfect isa job for Mashiach. But every person should t ry to make hisl i f e and those of the people around him a l i t t l e bi t better."

As the f o l l o w i n g concepts emphasize, each of us has hisor her own mission in making our portion of the w o r l d "al i t t l e bit better." Often, our missions are intertwined, andas one person steps forward, he takes others w i t h him.

Parshas Lech LechaThis week's Torah portion is named Lech Lecha, recalling G-d's f i r s tcommand to Abraham. Lech means "go." G-d was telling him to go out,to leave his native land and his father's household, to emerge f r o m thecocoon o f protected existence and set ou t on his own path i n thew o r l d .

Our Rabbis interpret the second word lecha as meaning "foryourself." Rashi explains that set tin g out on such a jour ney is fraughtw i t h danger, and there was a possib ilit y that Abraham woul d loseeverything he had. Therefore G- d promised hi m that the j ourneywould be to his benefit . Hi s wealth, his f a m i l y , and his reputationwould increase.

R. Mosh e Alsh ich offers a deeper interpretation. Lecha means "toyourself." By journeying throughout the w o r l d , Abraham was settingout on a pat h o f self-discovery. T he purpose of his journey to Eretz^Yisrael, his descent to Egypt, his return to the land, and all his

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wanderings was intended to enable him to understand his own identityand express his positiv e qualities in his surr oun din g envir onment .

Abraham's story is not merely a page from a history book. O n thecontrary, as our Rabbis teach, "The deeds o f our forefathers are a signf o r their children." Abraham was a singular individual, one man whotaught the belief in G-d to a world that di d no t want to listen.

We are, however, all sin gularly uniq ue. Th e Baal Shem Tov taughtthat G-d loves every Jew with the love parents lavish on an only childborn to them in their old age. Just as He commanded and guidedAbraham on a journey to his true self, so, too, with loving patience, H eguides each one of us on our ow n jour ney thr oug h l i f e . Through a webo f interlocking designs, He directs us all to a common i nt en t thatwe each reveal to ourselves and to others the unique G-dly potentialsthat we have been granted.

The Baal Shem T ov teaches that everything which a person sees orhears serves as a lesson for hi m in his relation ship with G-d. Sinceeverything that happens in this world is controlled by Divineprovidence, and man was "created solely to serve his Creator," itfollows that any and every event or entity that a person encounters isintended to help him advance his relationship with G-d.

For that purpose, G-d leads us all from the cradle onward, step bystep, thr oug h a variety of experiences the sum tota l o f which areintended to enable us to discover and express our inner G-dlypotential.

When Abraham set out on his journey, he took with him "thesouls he had made in Charan": the people he had motivated to j o i nh i m in his mission. This too is a lesson. Man's journey through l i f e isno t inten ded to be a lonely trek on mount ain crags or in desertsettings. Quite the contrary, G-d leads us through a world with otherpeople with whom we interact in synergy, both giving and receiving.For they are on similar journeys, parallel in purpose i f not necessarilyi n route.

A s a person grows to appreciate these concepts, he w i l l be able tomaximize his opportunities in l i f e , making his experiences happier andmore f r u i t f u l . He w i l l not be encumbered by fear or worry, because hew i l l realize that at every momen t, a wat chin g hand is gui di ng hi m,


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directing hi m to encounters in tended to advance his personal growthand his cont rib ut ion to the world.

Looking to th e HorizonA s Abraham's descendants, we are all in the mi ds t o f following asimilar journ ey. W e are traveli ng to Eretz^ Yisrael, preparing ourselvesand the world at large for the time when we w i l l return to that land ledb y Mashiach.

W e like our forefather Abraham are goin g "t o the land thatI w i l l show y ou ." For the nature o f our people's pat h thro ug h thegenerations is one that confoun ds all students of history because it isG-dly a chronicle that n o man could or would logically devise orforesee.

A n d through identifying with this process, a perso n develops aun ique ap precia tion o f his or her ow n self. " I , [i.e., G-d,] w i l l revealy o u , [i.e., the spiritual core that we all possess]." Th ro ug h seeing thisjourney as one's own and accepting one's role in it, each o f us can riseabove his own individual concerns and endow his l i f e with significancethat is truly cosmic in nature. As one strives to achieve these goals, heo r she w i l l discover a new and deeper under stan din g o f who he or shereally is.


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Reb Binyamin Kletzker was one of the followers of theAlter Rebbe. He was both a very successful t imbermerchant in Russia and a mystic who was known tomeditate for hours on end.

Once after laboring over his annual budget and arrivingat the bott om line one which sported quite a heftyp r o f i t he wrote in Hebrew: Ein od milvado, "There isnothing apart f r o m H i m . "

A n associate took h im to task for this; it was notappropriate for him to try to "show off" his spiritualityw i t h such pronouncements.

Reb Binyamin explained that he was not trying to showo f f , it was simply how he had f e l t at that moment.Responding to the look of amazement on his associate'sface, he continued: "Just as f r o m time to time we think ofour business in the midst of prayer, so, too, at times, wecan think of prayer in the midst of business."

The awareness that "There is nothing else apart f r o mH i m , " that we are l i v i n g in G-d's w o r l d , is a fundamentalJewish concept. A nd it is not merely an abstract principle,i t can serve as a directive to guide our conduct on a day-today basis.

Parshas VayeiraThis week's Torah reading relates that Abraham established an inn forguests, and there he "called upo n the name o f the eternal G-d. " Ou rRabbis interpret this phrase, explaining that the in ten t is no t that onlyAbraham himself called to G- d, but that he moti vated others toproclaim G-dliness as w e l l .

What did he do? He established his tent at a crossroads in thedesert and generously provided food and drink to wayfarers. After theycompleted t heir meal, he asked them to: "Bless the One who provi dedyou w i t h food and drink."

When the guests began to bless him, Abraham t o l d them: "Was itI who provided you w i t h food? Bless He who spoke and brought the

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world in to being." By providing people with their physical needs, hemade th em conscious of the spiritual reality.

The Hebrew term translated as "the eternal G-d," has alsoattracted the atte nti on o f the commentaries. would mean"G-d of the world," i.e., there is a G-d and there is a world, and eventh e world recognizes that G-d is Almighty and in control.But represents a different and deeper insig ht. Ther e is nodifference between G-d and the world; everything is an expression o fG-dliness. Thi s is the int ent o f the phrase "G-d is one" that we recitei n th e Shema prayer: not only is there only one G-d, but everythin g inthe world is at one with H i m .

This is not only an abstract conce pt. I t affects a person'sfundamental approach to his l i f e . When he sees G-d as "G-d of theworld," he understands that he has obliga tions to Hi m . After all, i fG- d is the Ru ler o f the world, a person has to pay his dues.

But tha t he th in ks is all he is obl iga ted to do . I n the rest o fhis affairs, his l i f e is his ow n. It' s like paying taxes. Yo u have to givethe governme nt a percentage o f you r income, but afterwards, you canspend the rem ainder o f you r money however yo u like. Similarly, i n aspiritual sense, such a pers on recognizes tha t he owes somet hin g toG-d, but his l i f e is primarily his ow n; he can do with it whatever hewants.

When we appreciate the world as one with G-d, by contrast, ourentire relationship with H i m changes. Religion is not merely going tothe synagogue or carrying out a certain body o f laws, bu t an al l-encompassing experience, affecting every elemen t o f our lives.

Every situation in which we are found, every person whom wemeet gives us an op po rt un it y to advance in our knowle dge of G-d a ndour connection to Hi m .

This is the heritage that Abraham gave to his descendants tospread the awareness that we are l i v i n g in His world, that our lives arenot intended merely to provide ourselves with a l i t t le bit of enjoymentand satisfaction, but are instead mediums to make His presence knownto others.


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Looking to th e HorizonThere is a forward looking ori en tat ion to the above concepts. Fo rwhile, in our present mindset , we may believe that G-dli ness permeatesevery element o f worldly existence, at best, we w i l l gain merely anintellectual awareness o f that concept. It w i l l not be perceived overtlyas actual fact.

I n the era of the Rede mpt ion , this w i l l change. In that age,mankind as a whole w i l l have a dir ect experience o f G- d. . As thepro phet declares: "N o long er w i l l one man teach his fellow... saying:'Know G-d,' for they w i l l al l know Me , from the great to the small."

I n that era, "The earth w i l l be f i l l e d with the knowledge of G-d,as the waters cover the ocean bed." Implied by the simile is that just asthe ocean contain s a mul ti tu de o f beings, so, to o, in the era of theRedemption , all entities w i l l continue to exist. However, just as when aperson looks at the ocean and sees the water he does not notice all thedifferent beings it contains, so, to o, in the era o f the Red empt io n,when we w i l l look at the world in which we live we w i l l appreciate theG-dliness that encompasses all existence. Every entity w i l l besubsumed in the consciousness o f H is presence.


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A peasant was once laboring in the f i e l d , harvesting hiswheat. He proceeded w i t h vigor, his sickle cutting throughstalk after stalk of grain. A count driving by saw the graceand energy o f his cutt ing strokes and was struck by itsbeauty. "Can I hire you to work for me?" he asked thepeasant.

"Thank you, but I have my own f i e l d , " said the peasant,refusing the offer.

" H o w much can you earn f r o m the sale of your grain?"asked the count.

"Five hundred ruble."" I w i l l give you a thousand ruble i f you work for me."unable to refuse the offer, the peasant agreed. The

count t o l d him to present himself at the palace w i t h hissickle at ten o'clock on the f o l l o w i n g morning and droveo n .

A t ten, the peasant came to the palace and was usheredi n to the count's drawing room. "Now cut wheat," thecount said. "so I can watch your graceful movements."

" B u t there is no wheat," the peasant answered."So swing your sickle as i f there were. I ' l l pay you the

thousand ruble I promised y o u . Start cutting."A t f i r s t the peasant was pleasantly amused. I t was far

easier to cut imaginary wheat i n the palace than to sweatunder the hot sun and cut real grain. But slowly, he beganto tire. After an hour, he t o l d the count that he wanted toquit. "Why?" asked the count. "Aren't the work conditionshere better than out in the field?"

The peasant had one simple answer: "When you don'tsee the fruits of your labor, you don't feel you're doinganything."

A sense of worthless effort is one of the hardest thingsfo r man to bear, something no amount of money canrecompense.

W e all have the potential for achievement, and a missionfo r which we were brought into being to f u l f i l l . There isnothing more satisfying than working hard and seeing thatmission blossom into f u l f i l l m e n t .

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Parshas Chayei SarahThis week's Torah reading describes Abraham as being "old, advancedi n years." The Midrash notes the seeming repet iti on and explains thatthere are some men who are ol d, but do n ot appear advanced in years,and others who appear advanced in years, bu t are no t ol d. Abraham'sadvancement in years paralleled his age.

o n a simple level, the Midrash is speaking about physicalappearance: There are some older people who look young and someyounger people who look ol d. Bu t there is a deeper poi nt to theteaching o f the Midrash: often people function on a level of maturity farbelow thei r chronol ogi cal age. Wh at i t says on the person's birthcertificate is one thing, but the degree o f intellectual and emotion aldevelopment he shows may be something else ent irely. Indeed , hemight be a white-bearded child. Abraham, the Midrash teaches, grew ashe aged. His personal and spiritual development went hand in handwith the passage o f time.

Chassidus develops this concept further. Abraham "advanced" in to"his years." He put himself into the days that he lived; each o f his dayswas f i l l e d with a deepening o f his connection t o G- d.

T o explai n: An y one o f us wh o has to take tests knows what it isto cram. Y o u try to cover an ent ire course in tw o weeks. o r inbusiness, yo u kn ow the end o f the mon th is coming and yo u try topush in a few more sales to improve the bo tt om line.

Ther e is somethi ng un nat ural in such an approach. Tr y crammin gthe growth cycle o f a crop on a farm: not working for most o f theseason and then plowing, sowing, watering, and harvesting i n a mont h.Wouldn ' t be very successful, would it ?

Well neit her in the long te rm is crammin g for any thi ngelse. What was remembered for the test is forgotten two weeks later.For a business to be maintained, sales must be steady.

The same thing applies spiritually. T o o often, we cram. O n Ros hHashanah and Y o m Kippur, suddenly we get very involved. W e like tofocus on peak experiences. What Abraham teaches us is to take each


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day one day at a time, and to live it to the ultimat e. N o t to haveoccasional spiritual heights, but to relate to G-d earnestly each day, totake that day seriously and use it in the fullest and most complete waypossible.

There may be some who think that l i v i n g such a l i f e is drab; theyare afraid o f consistency lest it become mon ot on ous . But those wh oemulate Abraham's example appreciate the energy and vitality it brings.For in t ru th every day is f i l l e d with a variety o f dif fere nt experiences.When a person focuses his atten ti on and relates to each o f the eventsand every person he encounters thoughtfully, his l i f e becomes f i l l e dwith genuine colo r and variety. Each day contri butes somethi ngdifferent and new.

Looking to the HorizonI n his commentary to the Torah, the great Jewish philosopher andmystic Nachmanides writ es that each o f the seven days o f creation isparalleled by a millennium in the spiritual history of the world. Forexample, the first day is associated with the creation o f light, anunb oun ded source o f posit ive energy. Similarly, in the first millenniumo f existence, animals reached immense sizes; men and women lived fo rhundreds o f years and received manifold unearned G-dly blessings.

The second day was characterized by the division o f the waters.Similarly, the second millennium o f existence was characterized by anawareness o f the g u l f between man and G- d. An d it was permeated byseverity t he flood and the dispersion o f human it y at the To wer ofBabel.

The third day o f creation was characterized by the emergence o fdry land and the creation o f plan t l i f e . Similarly, the third millenniumsaw the emergence o f spiritual l i f e within the world with Abraham'sdiscovery o f G-d, the giving o f the Torah, and the construct ion of theTemple.

An d so the cycle continues unt i l the seventh day, which is Shabbos,and the seventh millenn ium which w i l l be "the day which is all Shabbosand rest for life-everlasting ," the era of the Rede mpti on .


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I f we extrapolate this concept to chart a millennium in a twenty-four hour microcosm, it follows that at present, we are already morethan three-quarters into the sixth millennium, that is, three-quarters o fthe Jewish day which begins at sunset has passed. It 's like thebeginning o f Friday afternoon .

N o w ask anyone in a traditional Jewish househo ld what a Frid ayafternoon is like. They' ll tell you that you can sense Shabbos in the air.It 's what's on everyone's mind and what everyone is busy preparing for.That's what our spiritual climate is like now. That's why the Rebbetold everyone to wake up and begin preparin g, that the t ime for theRedemption has come.


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Reb Isaac of Krakow wanted to b u i l d a new synagoguefor his community but lacked the financial resources. on enight he dreamt that there was a treasure buried under abridge in prague. The f o l l o w i n g day he arranged his affairsand set off, shovel in hand, for the Czech capital.

When he reached the c i t y he was overjoyed. The bridgeappeared exactly as it had in his dream. But as he starteddigging, he f e l t a strong hand on his arm. "What are youdoing? You can't dig here," a guard t o l d him.

Reb Isaac t o l d the guard the entire story: his desire tob u i l d the synagogue, his dream of the buried treasure, andhis journey f r o m Poland. " S i l l y man," the guard t o l d him."For several nights I've been dreaming about a treasureburied under the stove of a Jew called Isaac who lives inKrakow. Now do you think that I 'd travel all the way toKrakow to look for this treasure?"

Reb Isaac smiled and returned home. He dug under hisstove, found the treasure, and b u i l t his synagogue. What hehad been looking for had been buried right in his ownhome.

Parshas ToldosThis week's Torah reading focuses on the Patriarch Isaac. O f all thePatriarchs, Isaac was unique. He was the only one who never l e f t theH o l y Land of Eretz^ Yisrael. Even when he considered departing during atime o f great famine, G-d gave h i m a specific missive: " D w e l l in thisland and I w i l l be w i t h you."

Wh y was Isaac commanded to l i v e in Eretz^ Yisrael? Our Sagesexplain that after being bound as an offering on Mount Moriah, hebecame consecrated as a sacrifice and coul d no t be taken bey ond theboundaries o f holiness.

W i t h i n this story there is a personal message. Isaac w i l l i n g l yallowed his father to bind hi m as a sacrifice; he was ready to sacrificeeverything, even his l i f e , for the sake of G-d. ult imate ly G-d di d notdesire that sacrifice. He wanted Isaac to l i v e in this w o r l d : to marry,raise children, and become wealthy. But once Isaac had been

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consecrated as a sacrifice once he had been prepared t o giveeverything away for G- d the way he related to these matters wasdifferent. He had to live i n Eretz^ Yisrael; i.e., even his externalenvi ronmen t the way he relates to his work environment and hisfamily had to be characterized by holiness.

B u t unlike others who heed a calling to holiness, he would not liveas a hermi t. o n the contrary , the Tor ah reading describes the richnesso f his family l i f e and how he became fabulously wealthy, but thesewere all externals. A t the heart o f his existence was the ful l-heart edcommitment to G-d he made at M o u n t Moriah. But instead o f "dyingf o r G-d," he was l i v i n g for G-d, extending his bond with H i m intoevery element o f l i f e . H e lived in the material world, but his actionswere spiritual, infusing everything he di d with Divine intent.

This concept is reflected i n one o f the tasks that our Sagesdescribe h i m as perf ormi ng : the digging o f wells. When one digs aw e l l , he penetrates beneath the external, earthy surface and taps thefountain o f l i v i n g water that lies hidden below.

I n every being there is such a fountain. Isaac was able to f i n d waterwhere others couldn't. Because he was focused on G-dliness, he coulddiscover the G-dly core in every created being.

Every day in prayer, we recall Isaac's sacrifice. For prayer is a timewhen, like Isaac on M o u n t Moriah, we should make a commitment toG-dlin ess. Th e streng th of that co mmit men t influences the manner inwhich we cond uct ou r lives th rou gh out t he remainder o f the day. I nthat mann er, even as we carry ou t our day -to -day activi ties after prayer,spiritually, "we w i l l n ot leave Eretz^ Yisrael!' W e w i l l "live for G-d,"bringing all the awareness of G-d in to all o f our concerns. A n d we w i l ld i g wells, discovering the fount ain of l i f e in every person and setting.

Looking to th e Horizono u r Sages tell us that after the Resurrect ion o f the Dead, when theentire Jewish people arise, we w i l l point to Isaac and tell hi m no tAbraham or Jacob " Yo u are our Patriarch."

W h y Isaac? Each o f the patriarchs embodied d ifferen t spiritualcharacteristics: Abraham, love, Isaac, awe, and Jacob, mercy. The era o f


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the Resurrection w i l l be characterized by striking revelations o fG-dliness. They w i l l be so powerful that mankind w i l l "enter the cleftso f the rock s and cracks o f the crags because o f the awe o f G- d and theglory of His splendor." Isaac, whose Divine service embodied thequality o f awe, w i l l teach us how to conduct ourselves in that era.

Moreover, Isaac's Divine service provides us w i t h an example ofh o w to precipitate that era. Through his service, Isaac was able toexperience a foretaste o f the W o r l d to Come. As he existed andfunctioned in our w o r l d , he could appreciate the true reality o fspiritual existence. T hi s is a lesson for us to realize, at leastintellectually, how every circumstance in which we are found is theouter shell o f a fundament al spiritual truth. This should inspire us tod i g beneath the surface and bring that truth into overt revelation.


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Once the Baal Shem Tov spent the night at an inn in aforest. When he arose the next morning, he noticed thathis host had gotten up before hi m and was alreadyimmersed in prayer. After he had finished his own prayers,the Baal Shem Tov noticed that his host was s t i l l praying.

This surprised h i m . His host had appeared to be asimple man. Why would he take such a long time to pray?The Baal Shem Tov decided to wait and speak to his hostafter he had finished.

When approached by the Baal Shem Tov, the hostexplained why it took him so long to pray. He wasunlearned and did not know the order of the daily prayerservice. So each day, he would recite the entire siddur.

Hearing this and seeing the man's sincerity, the BaalShem Tov volunteered to teach the man how to pray.Painstakingly, the man took notes as the Baal Shem Tovt o l d him which prayers to recite in the morn ing, in theafternoon and in the evening, what to say on Shabbos, andwhat to say on the festivals. The man put the notes in hissiddur,each note on the appropriate page, happy that hewould now be able to pray in the proper manner. He putthe siddur on the window shelf and wished the Baal ShemTov goodbye.

Some time after the Baal Shem Tov l e f t , a strong w i n dblew the window open and knocked the siddur to the floor.A l l the carefully placed notes f e l l out and scatteredeverywhere. The innkeeper tried to put them back in place,but was at a loss. He did not know what to do; he was backwhere he had started.

u n w i l l i n g to accept the situation, he ran down the roadon which the Baal Shem Tov had set out, hoping to catchup w i t h h i m . W i t h i n a short while, he caught sight o f hi mstanding at the shore of a river. Although there was nobridge, the Baal Shem Tov did not pause. He took out hishandkerchief, spread it on the waters, uttered a mysticincantation, and rode to the other side.

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When the innkeeper reached the river, he did the samething. He took out his handkerchief, placed it on the river,and rode it across. Soon he reached the Baal Shem Tov.

Puzzled to see his host, the Baal Shem Tov asked whyhe had followed him.

" M y siddur," the inn-keeper explained, telling hi m howthe notes had gotten jumbled.

" I ' l l be glad to help you," said the Baal Shem. "But wait,how did you get here? How did you cross the river?"

" I did what you did . I put down my handkerchief androde it across."

" I f so, you don't need my help. It appears that G- d likesyour prayers just the way you've been saying them."

Parshas VayeitzeiOur Torah reading relates that as Jacob our Patriarch left Eretz^ Yisraelto journey to Lavan's home where he would marry and establish hisow n household, he "encountered the place." Our Rabbis interpret thisas referring to M o u n t Moriah, the site o f the Te mpl e i n Jerusalem.There Jacob prayed.

Jacob had lived i n his father's ho me and afterwards had stud iedunder Shem and Ever, the spiritual lumin arie s o f the age. N o w he wasgoing to Charan , an ido latr ous env iron ment, where he would labor, notstudy. Faced with such an awesome transition, Jacob turned to G-d,asking fo r success in the new phase o f activity he was undertaking.

There is no way a person can insure success on the basis o f hisow n efforts alone. Material reality reflects only one dimension o f ourexistence. Prosperity is a multi-faceted Divine blessing and cannot beguaranteed through mortal efforts alone. Even when all thefundamentals add up, there are times when a business deal doesn'twork out an d other sit uation s, where for no apparent reason, one'sefforts bring h i m success.

This is not mere chance. T he Baal Shem To v taught us that even aleaf turning in the wind is directed by G-d's w i l l . Cert ainl y it is truewhen speaking o f what happens to man . In every phase o f our lives,


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there is an Eye watchi ng over us and a Ha n d di recti ng our future.Therefo re, p articu larly when we set ou t on a new road, we ask G-d'sassistance through prayer.

O n the surface, however, such prayers are self-serving. Ma n isasking G- d for something for his own self. He is no t prayin g for G-d'ssake; he is praying because o f his own needs or wants.

Is that spiritual? A n d is this what G- d desires?Yes. G-d's in ten t in creating our world was to have a dwelling

place in the lower worlds; that His presence be revealed within therealm o f material things. He did n' t create angels to inhabit thisphysical world. He wants a world where man interacts with thephysical and in so doing, understands that it is controlled by G-d.

Th at is precisely the awareness generated when a person prays fo rhis material well-bein g. He is concerned with everyday things, and Heis asking G- d to grant H i m success in this realm. Instead o f relying onhis own resources, he is looking to Him.

These prayers are extremely sincere. Wh en a perso n asks fo rspiritual things, his requests may not come from his inner core. Butwhen he prays for his material well-bein g, he puts his whole heart in tohis prayer. He is tu rn in g to G -d with all o f his atten tio n and asking fo rHis help. In do in g so, he consummates the purpose o f creation,connecting G-dliness with the most mundane dimensions of worldlyexistence.

Looking to the HorizonOne o f the primary focuses o f our daily prayers is the Red emption .More than 100 times each day, we turn to G-d with requests like:"Sound the great shofar for our freedom," " Ret urn i n mercy toJerusalem You r city," and "Speedily cause the scion o f David You rservant to flourish."

These requests should be made with the same sincerity as "G ran tcomplete cure and healing," and "Satiate us from Your bounty."Simply put, Redemption is just as real a need for us as physical healthor material well-being , and i t should be felt as strongly.


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We should not ask for the Redemption only because o f hardship,or because we have problems and difficulties that we don't havesoluti ons for . W e should ask for the Redemp tio n because this is ourpurpose and our raison d'etre. Wi t ho ut it, our lives are simply notcomplete ; we are no t l i v i n g to o ur fullest. Even when a person prospersand enjoys g oo d health, he is lack ing . He is missi ng the fullness o f l i f ethat the Redemption w i l l grant hi m. He s hould pray for hims elfand o n behalf of all those aroun d hi m t hat G-d grants us thisfullness w i t h the coming o f Mashiach.


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Rabbi Avraham Gluck was a successful English lightingcontractor w i t h interests in many European countries. Hewas also a dedicated follower of the Rebbe. A t yechidus (aprivate audience), the Rebbe t o l d hi m that every Jew is l i k ea l i g h t bulb, waiting for another Jew to help him glow. Hismission, the Rebbe emphasized, was to spread spirituall i g h t as w e l l as electric l i g h t throughout the continent.Rabbi Gluck dedicated himself to this purpose w i t h self-sacrifice and as result there are chabad Houses inHungary, Germany, and Spain.

Once Rabbi Gluck found himself confronted by aparticular d i f f i c u l t y . His natural reaction was to consultthe Rebbe, and the Rebbe responded w i t h a letter offeringblessing and advice.

I n addition to his business acumen, Rabbi Gluck wasalso a devoted father. He kept up a steady correspondencew i t h his son Herschel who at the time was studying inFrance. One of the points he sought to share w i t h him wasan understanding of the Rebbe-chassid relationship and hewanted to show his son the letter the Rebbe had sent him.

He did not feel comfortable sending the Rebbe's letterby ordinary m a i l , so when a Frenchyeshivah studentappeared in England, he asked him to hand-deliver theletter to his son.

The yeshivah student agreed and took the letter. But as ithappens, he did not have the opportunity to deliver theletter immediately. I t was put aside, placed in a book andthen forgotten.

Almost twenty years later, and about six years afterRabbi Gluck 's passing, his son was troubled by the samed i f f i c u l t y . As a dedicated chassid, despite the fact that it ismore than f i v e years after the Rebbe's passing, he toowrote a letter to the Rebbe.

About that time, a French chassid was putt ing the booksi n his study in order. While doing so, he noticed a letterinserted between the pages.

On his next t r i p to England, he somewhat sheepishlymade his way to the home of Rabbi Gluck's son. He knew

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o f Rabbi Gluck's passing, but felt that his son wouldappreciate having the letter the Rebbe had sent his father.

He apologized profusely and gave Rabbi Gluck's sonthe letter. Rabbi Gluck's son accepted his apologies andthanked him. He then curiously opened the letter theRebbe had sent his father. There was a blessing and advicethat served as a most appropriate response to the letter hehad so recently written.

There is no way we can f a i l to appreciate the HashgachahProtis, the working of G-d's hand, i n this narrative. An d onecan only be amazed at how the Rebbe "answers" those whoseek to connect to him.

After the passing of his father-in-law, the PreviousRebbe, the Rebbe urged the chassidim to continue writingto the Previous Rebbe as they had done before. "Don'tworry," the Rebbe assured them, "the Previous Rebbe w i l lf i n d a way to answer." And seemingly, the Rebbe also findshis ways. Let's not belabor the issue, because it is notmiracles of this nature, but rather his insight and visionthat motivate our connection to the Rebbe. That said, itsure is a nice story.

Parshas VayishlachThis week's Torah reading relates tha t after leaving Lavan's house holdwhere he had lived for twenty years, Jacob set out for Eretz^ Yisrael.u p o n hearing that his brother Esau was preparing to attack him, herelocated his family to protect them against Esau's advance. Thatnight, Jacob remained alone in his camp. He was met by an attackerand "wrestled with h i m unt i l the morn in g. " Ou r Rabbis explain thatthe attacker was no t a mere mortal, but rather the personification ofEsau's archangel. Jacob was able to withstand his challenge. Althoughthe angel dislocated Jacob's hip, Jacob held his own until, at day break,the angel conceded defeat and blessed Jacob.

I n commemor ati on of this encounter, the Jewish people do no t eatthe sciatic and the peroneal nerves or the tendons on an animal's hip


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socket (gid hanesheh; this is the reason that there is no kosher sirloinsteak).

The Sefer HaChinuch explains the reason for this prohibit ion,explaining that it alludes to the fut ure o f the Jewish people. Althoughthey w i l l endure many difficulties in exile ("night") from the gentilesand from Esau's descendants, Jacob's victory teaches them to remainconfident and secure that they w i l l not perish and that theirdescendants w i l l endure forever.

O u r Rabbis ask: W h y is thi s concept, an idea o f sweepingrelevance, commemorated by a prohibit ion that focuses on only oneelement o f the encounter? Moreo ver , why does the commemorationseem to focus on an undesirable element, a wo un d that Jacob suffered?

I n response, they explain that this moti f t hat one particu lardetail enables us to relate to a general prin cip le o f fund amentalimportan ce lies at the core of the confidence and tru st we musthave that G-d's providence w i l l protect us and guide us through thechallenges o f exile.

The int ent is that every detail is import ant . N o t only w i l l theJewish people as a who le be led th ro ug h exile, bu t each individual w i l lfeel G-d's providence. G-d cherishes every individual Jew as a fathercherishes an only son born to him in his old age. W i t h patience andcare, G- d charts no t only the pat h o f our people as a who le, bu t that o fevery individual, guiding and directing each o f us to attain the greatestgood that we could possibly reach and enabling us to make our specialcontribution to the consu mmation o f G-d's desire in creation.

The manner in which G-d manifests His providence upon eachindividual is not meted out according to any scale of importance whichlogic could conceive. For because o f G-d 's desire and choice o f theJewish people, every person enjoys unique importance. Each one f u l f i l l sa dimen sion o f G-d's master plan that ano ther could not possiblyf u l f i l l . Therefore He lavishes on each person a unique measure o fpatience, care and love, enabling that individual to play his part inpainting a picture that far surpasses any of his personal aspirations.

T o emphasize these concepts, we commemorate Jacob's encounterb y focusin g on one det ail. For thi s teaches that there are no mereparticulars; everythin g plays its part in the whole. Moreo ver, t he


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V A Y I S H L A C H 27

commemoration focuses on something that appears undesirable,teaching that what we call evil is sometimes the most efficient andperhaps the only means through which f or the person and hiscondition at the time G- d can convey the ult imate good.

Looking to th e HorizonThe Torah reading relates that, at their encounter, Jacob promised tovisit Esau at his home i n Seir. In fact, however, he never made thatjourney. Our Sages ask: W o u ld Jacob, the embodiment o f the attribut eo f truth, lie?

They explain that Jacob's words were future-oriented. Whenwould he keep his promise? I n the era o f the Re de mpt io n, whe n"saviors w i l l ascend Mo u n t z io n to judge the mou n ta in of Esau."

Th e int en t is that the int eract ion between Jacob and Esau is o fcosmic signi ficance. Fo r the ult imat e o f existence is not f or thespiritual and the physical to remain as separate realms, but for the twot o be in tert win ed and for spiritual awareness to encompass the worldlyrealm. So while Esau material reality is dominan t, Jacob w i l l notvisit Seir. But ultimately, after the world w i l l be refined and itsspiritual content brought to the surface, he w i l l also go to Seir. Forevery element o f our existence must be broug ht into contact withessential G-dliness.


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The Alter Rebbe, the founder of the Chabad-Lubavitchmovement, l i v e d in the bot to m story of a two-story homei n L i a d i . His son, later to become the Mitteler Rebbe, l i v e do n the upper floor.

Once the Mitteler Rebbe's son f e l l out of the cradle inwhich he was sleeping and began to cry. The MittelerRebbe was so absorbed in his studies, he did not even hearthe baby's cries.

The Alter Rebbe was also study ing. Nevertheless, heheard the baby and went upstairs to calm h i m . Afterwards,he reprimanded his own son. "How could you leave thebaby crying?"

The Mitteler Rebbe had what he thought was alegitimate excuse and explained to his father that he simplyhadn't heard. He had been so enwrapped in the subject hewas studying that he was oblivious to everything else.

The Alter Rebbe refused to accept the excuse. "Yo ushould never be so involved in your own spiritualendeavors that you f a i l to hear the cry of a Jewish c h i l d , "he t o l d his son.

When the Rebbe repeated this story, he explained thatthere are children who cry out because of physicaldiscomfort and others whose pain is spiritual. Sometimes,the c h i l d himself may not consciously know that he is inpain. We must, however, listen carefully and heed his c a l l .W e should never be so involved in our own spiritualrefinement that we remain insensitive to the cries ofothers.

Parshas VayeishevThis week's To rah reading mention s the selling o f Joseph into slaveryb y his brothers. Whe n discussing this puzz lin g narrative, our Sagesno te that Reuven t he oldest of Jacob's sons had originallyprotested against selling Joseph and after discovering that he had beensold, bemoaned the pain that this would cause their father Jacob.

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V A Y E I S H E V 29

So where was Reuven when Joseph was being sold? Some of theRabbis explain that he was involved in fasting and repentance insolitude. He had seriously offended his father's honor previously, andfrom time to time would go of f to lament t he gravity o f his offense.While he was away t rying to atone for his deeds, his brothers soldJoseph.

This narrat ive gives us a clear perspective on ho w a person sho uldorder his priorities. Because Reuven was crying over his sins, Josephwas sold in to slavery. By mourning the past instead o f acting to correctthe present, Reuven allowed his brot her to be taken t o Egy pt.

certainly, a perso n mus t be concern ed with his own spiritualdevelopment and he must seek to correct his personal failures. But thisconcern sho uld never stand in the way of steps that are immediatelynecessary to help his fellow man. Whe n a person realizes that someoneelse is in danger wh ethe r physica lly or spiritually he shouldtemporarily put aside his striving for self-development and deal withthe pressing problem at hand.

Looking to th e HorizonThe importance with which we must regard every individual alsorelates to the future Redempti on . I n the redemption from Egypt, ourSages explain, only one Jew out o f five left. Four-fifths o f the peopledied in the plague of darkness. I n the Futur e Redemp tio n, by cont rast,no Jew w i l l be left behin d. Every member o f our people w i l l share inMashiach's coming.

W h y the difference? Because at the time o f Mashiach's coming, thet ru th o f G-dliness w i l l be revealed. At the core o f every Jew lies a soulthat is "an actual part o f G- d, " a spark o f Hi s being. Wh en the t ru tho f G-dliness w i l l be revealed, every Jew w i l l realize that G-dliness is thet ru th o f his own being.

B y anticip ating the Redemptio n and applyin g its truths to o uro w n lives now, we can bring it closer. Realiz in g and focusin g on theG-dly spark within ourselves serves as a catalyst fo r the revelat ion ofG-dliness throughout existence.


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Parshas Mikeitz is always read during or directly beforethe festival of Chanukah. As such, it is appropriate to shareone of our favorite contemporary Chanukah stories. It hasthree heroes: the f i r s t is an unnamed Lubavitcheryeshivahstudent handing out menorahs in the M i a m i airport. Thesecond is David Shapiro, a successful M i a m i lawyer, andthe t h i r d , Sean McDonald, a wealthy land-owner inGuatemala (not their real names).

David has made a habit o f spending one week each yeardoing welfare work w i t h the poor and homeless inGuatemala. He goes in the middle of the winter and lodgesat Sean's home, but spends most o f his time in the c i t y ,getting down to the n i t t y - g r i t t y of helping humanity insome of the places where it is most needed.

One year, his annual t r i p happened to include the f i r s tdays of Chanukah. Now David is an observant Jew and hadsecond thoughts about spending the holiday away f r o m hisf a m i l y . On the other hand, he had made the arrangementsw e l l in advance, before he had realized when the festivalwould f a l l and he would have much d i f f i c u l t y reschedulingeverything. "Anyway, I ' l l be home for the last days of theholiday," he thought to himself, opting to make the t r i panyway.

As he was waiting in the airport for his f l i g h t , theLubavitcher student came up to him and offered him aChanukah menorah.

"Mine's in my luggage," David replied." A lot of people have t o l d me that," replied theyeshivah

student. "But after a while, they get over theembarrassment of admitting they haven't packed a menorahand they take one. Listen, Chanukah is an importan tholiday. Even i f you won't be at home, you shouldcelebrate it "

After a few minutes, David saw that it would be easierto take the menorah than to convince the student that hehad his own. Stuffing it into his carry-on bag, he ran tocatch the plane.

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M I K E I T Z 31

I t was a very busy week. On the first night of Chanukah,he did not get back to light the Chanukah menorah untilwell past nightfall. After he showered, he placed his menorahi n the window of his room and sat down to watch thecandles.

Soon he saw Sean, who had taken an evening stroll, stopand stand outside, transfixed by the light of the candles.

"What's this?" he asked David.David explained to him the story of the holiday and the

miracle behind the lighting of theMenorah."It's coming back to me," Sean said with a faraway look

i n his eye. "My grandmother used to light these.""Your grandmother?""Yes. My grandmother was Jewish. She married a good

Irish Catholic and didn't keep too much of her religion.But she would light these candles."

"Was it your mother's mother or your father's mother?"" M y mother's.""D o you know that you're Jewish?"An d after a little more conversation, Sean asked David i f

he had another one of those candelabras. After a l l , i f he wasJewish, he might as well do what his grandmother did.

Now would the Lubavitch student ever dream that themenorah he handed out at the airport would be used by SeanMcDonald to f u l f i l l his first mitzvah?

Parshas Mikeitz.Tr y to put y ourself in Joseph's shoes. He was sitting in an Egyptianprison after being framed by his master's wife. From being a free man,his father's most cherished son, he had sunk to being a slave, and thento a prisoner in a brief amount of time. Year after year he languishedi n pri son . There had been a brief window o f hope when he had help edPharaoh's butler, but that had been two years ago and he had obviouslyforgotten all about Joseph.

Joseph probabl y was no t down cast. O n t he contrary , i f he had anytendency to depression, he probably would have been overcome by


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gloom years ago. But how could he be happy? He had little room foroptimism. How in the world would he ever leave th is dungeon?

Moments later, a messenger came run ni ng for him. He was beingsummoned by Pharaoh. T hey washed h im , gave hi m fine clothes, andushered him into the presence o f the most powerful man in the world.Momen ts later, that man thanked h im for interp retin g his dreams andmade him his viceroy.

Wh at 's at the core o f thi s dyn amic? Firstly, never to despair. Aperso n mus t realize tha t no matte r how low he has sunk , hiscircumstances can change, and at a momen t' s no tice. Th e most radi calshifts in position and power are not only possible; they happen, morefrequently than we realize.

Secondly, prepare yo ursel f to benefit from these changes whenthey come. There are people who win million-dollar lotteries andseveral years later are little better off from i t . Joseph became a viceroybecause even in priso n he had the mindset o f a king. He possessedinsight, self-cont rol, a willingness to help others. Mo st import ant ly , hehad faith in G-d and an awareness o f His providence, realizing thatwhether we are riding the crest o f a wave, tread ing water, ortemporarily going under, it is He who is motivating that process o fchange.

These and other qualities made h i m capable of maximizing thebenefits from the change in fortune visited upon him.

Joseph was n ot ang ry with his brothers for selling hi m in to slavery.On several occasions, he told them: "I t was no t y ou who sent me here,bu t G-d." He was not merely consoling them; he was informing themo f the understan din g that had accompanied hi m th rou gh l i f e . When aperson understands that he is l i v i n g in G-d's world, he can f i n d peaceand satisfaction in whatever framework he find s himself.

An d he lives with hope not a dream o f faraway good , bu t aninternalized understanding that since it is an all-good G-d who iscontrolling my l i f e , "nothing evil descends from heaven." Whatappears to be evil is in itself hid den goo d, and what's more, it is part o fa process leading to overt and apparent good . For what G- d inten dsfor each individual and the world at large is a greater go od th an ourmortal in tel lect can poss ibly appreciate.


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M I K E I T Z 33

Looking to the HorizonParallels to Joseph's circumstance exist for us as a whole, for prison isone o f the metaphors used t o describe exile. W e must realize that exileis only temporary. It is not what G-d really wants; it covers up whoman really is and what the world really is .

H o w surprised would we be i f the exile were to end tomorrow ? I fthe present-day equivalent of Pharaoh would call upon us and ask usfor guidance, would we be ready to respond?

Th e three concepts men ti on ed above are all relevant in our p resentlives:

a) W e must realize and tru st tha t thi s is possible. As Mai mon id essaid: "Every day, I wait for him (Mashiach) to come."

b) W e must prepare ourselves and develop the inn er str en gt h to beready for thi s change. It is n ot t he world outside that must change forMashiach to come. On the contrary, the most pr ofo un d changes musttake place inside, in our hearts and minds.

c) W e must realize that thi s is G-d's in ten t. Th e spiritual historyo f man k in d has a goal to which it is being led by a guiding hand. Stepby step, G-d is directing our progress t o the comi ng o f Mashiach andthe dawn in g o f the age when "the earth w i l l be f i l l e d with thekn owled ge o f G- d as the waters cover the ocean bed. "


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Once a group of Jewish educators came to the Rebbe,proudly telling him that the number of children in Jewishschools had increased, and now h a l f the Jewish children inthe New Y o r k area were receiving a Jewish education. TheRebbe's response was immediate: "D on 't pat yourselves onthe back. What about the other half?"

When focusing on another person, Chassidus emphasizeslooking at the person's positive qualities and not his or hershortcomings. But when it comes to confron ting a task,instead of resting on one's laurels, one should appreciatewhat must be done and set about doing it .

Once the Rebbe Rashab, the f i f t h Lubavitcher Rebbe,was sitting at a strategy session w i t h some other Jewishleaders. The Russian government was trying to imposecertain restrictions on Jewish education and many peoplei n the Jewish community f e l t that there was no alternativebut to give i n . The Rebbe Rashab differed, and togetherw i t h a handful o f other devoted Rabbis, he set out to wi nthe others over to his perspective. As they were consideringdifferent alternatives, the Rebbe Rashab broke down andbegan to cry. One of the other Rabbis tried to comforth i m , saying: "Lubavitcher Rebbe, why are you crying?You've done all you can. You have f u l f i l l e d yourobligation. No one can hold yo u responsible." The Rebbeanswered: "But the objective is s t i l l to be accomplished."He was not concerned w i t h his own personalresponsibility; he was focused on the mission.

Our people have been given a task: to prepare the w o r l dfor the Future Redemption. Each one of us has been givena unique role w i t h i n that greater goal. In moments o ftruth, the question that we must ask ourselves is not:"How are we doing? Do we deserve a pat on the back?" butrather: "What can be done to complete the mission oneday earlier?"

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V A Y I G A S H 35

Parshas VayigashThis Torah reading tells us how Jacob and his family made theirjourney from the L an d of Israel to meet Joseph in Egypt. Jacob washesitant about leaving the Holy Land, and it was not unt i l he receiveda pledge o f assurance from G-d that he resolved to do so.

W h y was he hesitant? It's obvious. Eretz^ Yisrael is the Holy Land,"the land on which the eyes o f G- d are [focused] from the beginningo f the year to the end o f the year." That is certai nly where Jacob ou rPatriarch would like to have spent his final days.

so why did he go to Egypt ? Our sages answer t hat i t was predestined. I f necessary, Jacob would have been led to Eg yp t in chains o firon. Bu t out o f G-d's kin dness, He ordain ed that Jacob's son becomethe viceroy and that Jacob make his journey to that land by royalinvitation.

But that just deflects the question: Jacob went to Egypt becauseG-d wanted h im to. But why di d G-d want h im to? An d why does Hewant us, Jacob's descendants, to continue l i v i n g in the different Egy ptso f our widespread Diaspora?

The Jews were created with a mission: to make this world adwelling for G-d. An d that does not mean only the Lan d o f Israel. Onthe contrary, since Erttz^ Yisrael has an inherent d imens ion o f holiness,the essence of that mission is directed to places outside its borders.

Wi t h i n the material substance of the world are contained sparks o fG-dlin ess. Every piece o f food we eat, every person we meet orsituation we encounter is maintained by G-dly energy. Our mission isto tap tha t energy and use it for a pos iti ve purpo se. Fo r example, whenwe recite a blessing before or after eating and use the vitality that thefood generates for a G-dly intent, we f u l f i l l G-d's objective in creatingthat food.

It 's like a f r u i t and a peel. The f r u i t i n the analogue, the G- dl yspark is what is of pri mary importance, but for that f r u i t to exist inour material world, i t needs a peel the mater ial substance of ourworld.

This is the int en t o f the Jewish people i n the world to refinethe world by highlighting the existence o f thi s spiritual dimension, to


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show ourselves and others that there is a f r u i t beneath the peel.For t his purpose, the Jews have wandered from continent to continentand from land to land, seeking to reveal the G-dly life-force hidden inthese places.

This process began with Jacob's descent to Egypt. Wh en G- d toldAbraham that his descendants would be slaves in Egypt, He told him:"Afterwards, they w i l l leave with great wealth. " W h y would Abrahambe interested in knowing that his descendants would receive thiswealth? seemingly, he would have desired t hat the y leave earlier, even i fthey would not receive those riches.

Th e wealt h Abrah am was pro mised was the elevation o f the Divinesparks enclot hed in the wealth of Egy pt. Th is is the spiritual motivefor Joseph's coll ectin g all o f Egy pt's wealt h dur in g the famine sothat afterwards, through the Jews' labor and t o i l , they could elevatethese Divine sparks and depart Egy pt heavily laden with gold andsilver. The process was consummated when they used that gold andsilver t o build the sanct uary in the desert, establishing a dwelling fo rG-d in this world.

Looking to the HorizonMaimonides mentions the belief i n Mashiach and the belief in theResurr ecti on o f the Dead as two o f the thirt een fund amentalprinciples o f the Jewish faith. He cites prophecies from the Biblewhich point to their importance and says that a person who deniesthese principles is not merely rejecting one aspect o f the To rah , he isrenouncing the Jewish faith in its entirety.

W h y is Mashiach so important to our faith? Because in the presentera, our religious and spiritual lives are secondary elements o f ourexistence. We are far more con cerned with our material well-being.An d this is not a fault. I f we weren' t concerned, n o one else would be,and we would n ot be able to main ta in our existence.

But this is no t the purpose o f our lives. These efforts areintermediaries, necessary only to create a setting for our spiritualservice. Th e purpose o f our lives is our service o f G- d, expressing thespiritual potential that we all possess.


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V A Y I G A S H 37

Just as these concepts are true i n an individual sense, they apply tomankind as a whole. G-d desired that after thousands o f years of ourfocusing on the materia l elements o f our existence, there would come atime when the spiritual dimension s o f existence would receive theprominence that they deserve.

This is the core o f our belief in Mashiach and the Resurrection:that ultimately we w i l l live in a perfected world where our fundamentalenergies w i l l be directed toward spiritual and G-dly ends.


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A young man f r o m an observant home was presentedw i t h many challenges as he tried to integrate himself intoAmerican l i f e . His encounters w i t h the chassidim and thephilosophy of Lubavitch helped him overcome thesehurdles.

Once, at a private meeting w i t h the Rebbe, he askedwhether he could consider himself a chassid. " I amattracted to the chassidic way of l i f e , " he explained, "butcan never see myself donn ing a black hat or chassidic garb.Does this disqualify me?"

The Rebbe responded: "When every day a personendeavors to take a step forward in the service of G-d andthe love of his fellow man, I am happy to consider him mychassid."

Advancing w i t h i n our Jewish heritage does notnecessarily mean adopting the clothing or the lifestyle ofthe past. Instead, it has to do w i t h l i v i n g in the present and looking toward the future in the most completemanner a Jew can.

Parshas VayechiThis Torah reading relates that Jacob blessed Joseph's sons, Ephraimand Menashe, saying: "Thr ou gh yo u Israel shall bless, saying, 'M ayG- d make you l i k e Ephraim and Menashe.'" This is the blessing thatevery father gives his son o n Frid ay ni ghts , on the day before Y o mKippur, and on other occasions when blessing is appropriate.

Implied is that Ep hrai m and Menashe are proto type s. They bo threpresent Jewish children born i n exile, away f r o m the H o l y Land.Nevertheless, they point to two different motifs.

Th e name Menashe was given h i m because: "G-d has made meforget... my father's household." Implied is that a Menashe Jew isconcerned about los ing the l i n k to his father's household. He realizesthat he lives in Egypt, in exile, and does not have the awareness of G-dinherent to those wh o l i v e in the H o l y Land. Th at bothers hi m. He isconcerned about his forget ti ng and that makes hi m remember.Although he lives in exile, he is looking back to the time when his

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V A Y E C H I 39

ancestors lived i n Eretz^ Yisrael. This keeps hi m conn ected t o his Jewishheritage.

Th e name Ep hr aim was given h i m because "G - d made me f r u i t f u li n the land of my oppression." E phr aim does not look back; he looksforward. He takes exile, "the lan d o f my oppression ," and makes itf r u i t f u l , transforming it into a med iu m for the expression o f G-d 'sintent. Certainly, l i v i n g i n exile is different from l i v i n g in Eretz^ Yisrael.B u t there is a Divine purpose in that circumstance as w e l l . While aperson is in exile, he need n ot spend a ll his effort trying to recall Eretz_Yisrael. Instead, he should do what he can to spread G-dliness in hissurroun din gs, show ing ho w there is no place and no sit uat ion in theworld apart from H i m .

F o r this reason, Ephraim is given the greater blessing. For the patho f Divine service his name connotes is more comprehensive, allowingus to appreciate how His presence permeates every element o fexistence.

Looking to th e HorizonThe Torah reading relates that before Jacob passed away, he told hissons: "Gather together and I w i l l tell you what w i l l happen to you inthe End of Days." Our sages tell us that Jacob wanted to tell hischildren when Mashiach w i l l come. Nevertheless, G -d d id n ot desirethat he reveal this information and so He removed the spirit o fprophecy from him. Realizing this, Jacob spoke to his sons aboutother matters.

There are several lessons from this narrative; most obviously, thatG - d does not want the time for Mashiach's coming to be known. Somecommentaries have explained the reason being that it might lead todespair. I f people know that they w i l l have to wait fo r Mashiach, theymight lose hope.

Others explain that it might make people lazy. I f they know thatMashiach won't come unt i l this and this time, they might be lessinclined to apply themselves to their Divine service. T o put it in t hevernacular: "Let's relax and have a good time unt i l he's ready to comeand on the day before, we'll get everythin g in ord er."


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Maimonides says: " I await for his (Mashiach's) coming every day,"i .e . , that any day and every day Mashiach can come and indeed, weare looking forward to him doing so.

Ther e is no appo int ed date on which Mashiach must come. Thereis , however, a desired state within the world. When the world reachesthat state o f awareness and that level of conduct, Mashiach w i l l come.

There fore, there is no cause for despair. The matter is in ourhands. I f we apply ourselves, Mashiach's coming can become a reality.conversely, there is nothing to be lazy about. unless we applyourselves, the world w i l l n ot be prepared an d Mashiach w i l l be delayed.

The Biblical narrative also provides us with insig ht regarding oneo f the important preparatory steps. Jacob tells his sons: "Gathertogether." u n i t y is one of the fund amental breakt hroughs Mashiach w i l lintroduce. By anticipating this oneness and mak in g it part o f our livesat present, we can precipitate the diffusion o f this idea thro ugho ut theworld and hasten Mashiach's actual arrival.


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The w i f e of one of New York 's distinguished Rabbiscame to the Rebbe one sunday to receive a dollar forcharity. The Rebbe greeted her warmly, saying: "It's sonice to see you. You have not been here for a while. Butthat's the way it is w i t h really precious things. You seethem only f r o m time to time."

Each person is t r u l y precious, possessing gifts that n

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