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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 693
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                           Copyright (c) 2001
                 Lubavitch Youth Organization - L.Y.O.
                              Brooklyn, NY
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             THE WEEKLY PUBLICATION FOR EVERY JEWISH PERSON
   Dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson N.E.
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        November 9, 2001      Chayei Sara      23 Cheshvan, 5762
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                               Stone Soup

"What you put in the pot is what you'll get out." This oft repeated
adage makes a pretty strong statement and it can be applied to nearly
every aspect of our lives, especially our interpersonal relationships.

How so?

In the darkest, most cobwebby recesses of your memory, do you recall the
story of "Stone Soup?" It's a tale of international renown and it
perfectly illustrates the above mentioned statement. In short: Two
weary, hungry travelers stop in a town where no one will give them a
meal. No problem. They'll make a hearty pot of stone soup, right in the
village square. "Could we please borrow a big pot from someone?" they
inquire. "We"ll fetch the water, collect the wood, gather the choicest
stones, and share our unique soup with all of you."

A big pot appears. The water boils, the stones are added and the
"chefs," now being watched by all the townspeople, taste the broth.
"Delicious," they exclaim. "But oh, wouldn't it be even better with an
onion added for flavor," they comment to each other. An onion is
promptly pulled out of a peasant's apron pocket and added to the unusual
soup.

This scene repeats itself with carrots, potatoes, turnips, salt, and
even a few bones and a bit of meat. When everyone is invited to join in
and taste the soup, they murmur their amazement that such delicious fare
was created from mere stones!

"Fools," we say about the townspeople. For even as children we knew that
what you put in the pot is what you get out.

How often do we take the time to think about what we've added to the
various pots in our lives to assure us they'll be delicious and
satisfying. Concerning relationships-with friends, relatives and
co-workers-it's obvious that we won't get anything out of a relationship
if we don't put in time, energy, caring.

In truth, laws of logic insist that we put more into the pot than we
expect to get out to account for evaporation, "tasting," and sneaky
nibblers. If you're hoping to cook up a good relationship, You have to
watch it carefully lest it evaporate into nothing, "taste" it once in a
while to make sure it's just right, and add a little bit of this and
that, maybe even something new once in a while to spice it up.

There's another "pot" in our lives that is often, unfortunately, put on
the back-burner. What can we hope to gain from Judaism, how do we expect
it to be nourishing for us, our children, and future generations if all
we are willing to toss in are a few choice stones? The nourishing
aspects of Judaism go far beyond kugels, matza ball soup, and latkes .
Our beautiful, rich religion, which has stood the test of time for
thousands of years, can sustain us in ways many of us never imagined
possible. But, what you put into the pot is what you'll get out.

In about a month, during Chanuka, we'll be singing Maoz Tzur-Rock of
Ages. G-d, the Rock of Ages, the choicest of "stones" has given us the
water-for water is symbolic of Torah. He has placed within each Jew the
spark of a holy soul which can be fanned into a blazing flame. It is up
to us to add the rest of the ingredients to make a delicious, hearty,
and unique soup.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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As we read in this week's Torah portion, Chayei Sarah, after Sarah
passed away and Abraham wanted to bury her in the Cave of Machpelah, the
sons of Chet offered to give him the land for free. "A mighty prince you
are among us," they said, "in the choice of our tombs bury your dead."
However, Abraham refused their offer, and insisted on paying "the full
price."

As Rashi comments, "the full price" means "its full value." Abraham was
adamant about paying the full value of the field in order to completely
dissociate it from its former owner, Efron. Had Abraham received it as a
gift, Efron would have still retained a certain claim on the land, even
though it now officially belonged to Abraham. By paying "the full price"
for the Cave of Machpelah, Abraham severed any connection it might have
had to its previous owner.

King David did the same thing many years later after he conquered
Jerusalem. Jerusalem had been already captured and was under his
control, yet David did not wish to receive it as a gift from Aravna.
Like Abraham, David insisted on paying "the full price" for the site, in
order to possess it in the absolute sense.

                                *  *  *


The spiritual service of every Jew is to refine and elevate his
surroundings, through learning Torah and observing mitzvot, to the point
that he becomes the true "owner" of his particular corner of the world.
Just as Abraham paid "the full price" for the field he bought from
Efron, so too is it necessary for every Jew to pay "the full price" - to
expend real effort and exertion - in his service of G-d.

A Jew must never say to himself, "I have been blessed with a good head
and many talents. Why should I have to work hard if everything comes to
me easily? Even my Evil Inclination isn't so powerful that it has to be
fought all that vigilantly."

In the same way that Abraham and David refused to accept what was easy,
rejected "gifts" and insisted on paying "the full price," so too must we
invest real effort on the spiritual "labor" of Torah and mitzvot. For it
only through hard work and a little "elbow grease" that we will truly
succeed in refining our surroundings and by extension, the entire world.

                           Adapted from Volume 10 of Likutei Sichot

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                           A Visit to Hebron
                             by Aliza Karp

After a week of visiting Jerusalem and Tzfat (Safed), I was flying back
to America with my mother. My daughter Tirtza, who had been travelling
with us, was meeting up with a group of girls who would be spending two
weeks living in a war zone, the holy city of Chevron (Hebron).

The group was sponsored by Friends of Families in Chevron, an
organization based in Crown Heights that supports the Jewish community
in Chevron.

For safety, Tirtza had with her a prayerbook, Psalms, Tanya (the basic
book of Chabad Chasidism) and a charity box, as per the Rebbe's advice
that traveling with these items enhances Divine blessings for one's
safety.

The participants had been warned of the real dangers involved. However,
it was a chance of a lifetime to experience Jewish history, an
opportunity to expand one's faith and to build character in ways that
might only be revealed in years to come.

The girls were going to help out in the community in any way they could.
Their visit, in and of itself, would show support to the residents of
Chevron who are under tremendous pressure. Another goal of the trip was
to restore dignity to the burial place of Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel
Slonim, granddaughter of Rabbi Shneur Zalman and cornerstone of the
Chabad community in the Holy Land in the 1800's, who is buried in the
ancient Jewish cemetery in Chevron. The cemetery had been defaced
numerous times in the past few years by Arabs.

Tirtza told me that everyone in Chevron welcomed them warmly and truly
appreciated that they had chosen to come to Chevron.

As soon as the girls arrived they were briefed on how to respond when
they heard shooting:

If the shots sound very loud, it is the army shooting at the terrorists.
The more distant shots are the terrorists trying to kill Jews. When
shooting begins, stay calm and do not expose yourself. Look around to
see what is happening. Follow all instructions from the army. If
soldiers are taking cover, do the same.

They were also told things that they would soon witness first hand. The
Israeli soldiers are there to protect the Jews from the Arabs, the
Israeli police are there to protect the Arabs from the Jews. Both have
been known to be rough with Jewish men, women and children.

The first few days were quiet. Then the shooting started, mostly at
night, but also during the day. Time and again they saw Arabs throwing
stones at Jews without any compunctions. As soon as a Jew picked up a
stone to "return" to the Arab, he was arrested.

Their very first night in Chevron the girls witnessed the midnight
arrest of Oren Zar. Earlier in the day Zar had walked on Jewish property
that is not yet inhabited by Jews because of government prohibitions.
Arabs were upset to see a Jew walking there and called the police. To
placate the Arabs, the police arrested Zar.

Tirtza was describing the scene to me on the cell phone as it was
happening. Zar was brutally taken from his home and put in a police van.
In no time, the residents of Chevron encircled the van. Anat Cohen,
Zar's sister, called government officials. Chevronites began shouting at
the police. Children surrounded the van so that it could not move. After
about half an hour Zar was released, whereupon he was immediately taken
by ambulance to the hospital to treat his police-inflicted wounds.

But the two weeks were not only filled with terror and warfare. At least
once a day the girls visited Me'arat HaMachpela (the Cave of Machpela),
the oldest Jewish property, purchased by Abraham as a burial place for
Sarah. It is the second holiest Jewish site in the world. At Me'arat
HaMachpela they prayed near our Matriarchs and Patriarchs, feeling
comfortable and safe.

Much of their time was spent cheerfully getting to know the community,
especially the children, for whom they organized afternoon programs. The
girls would play with the children, read them stories, and talk to them
in the playgrounds.

When the Chevron day camp went on its overnight trip the girls went
along and had a great time rafting, visiting a kibbutz and swimming.
"The kids have a lot of fun together. They can be very wild, but they do
not bicker. They care a lot about each other," reported Tirtza.

As mentioned above, one of the goals of the girls' visit was to show
honor to Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel. In 1998, philanthropist Yosef Gutnick
restored Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel's gravesite. Since then, Arabs have
desecrated the site, as well as the entire cemetery, 17 times. Appeals
have been made requesting a guard, but to no avail.

Accompanied by soldiers, the girls came to the cemetery equipped with
heavy duty cleaning equipment. Day after day in the sweltering summer
heat, the girls filled garbage bags with debris, old shoes, teeth,
bones, and the remains of Molotov cocktails. They scrubbed the surfaces
where fire-bombs had turned white stones to black. They picked up chips
of gravestones that had been hammered off by Arabs.

By the end of the two weeks, the difference the girls had made in the
cemetery was noticable. On their last day of work, they planned a
farewell gathering near Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel's grave. Mrs. Miriam
Wolfson came to speak to them there.

Before the girls reached the building adjoining the cemetery where they
were gathering, shooting broke out. The girls were under fire.

Suddenly, dozens of soldiers were everywhere. They rushed the girls to
the small building for shelter. A bullet shattered a stone arch and one
of the large chips hit Mrs. Wolfson in the forehead. She was taken away
by ambulance and treated. Soldiers took the girls in armored vehicles
back to one of the homes in Chevron.

The day after the incident, a military post was finally established to
guard the ancient cemetery. What had eluded diplomats and community
activists for years was implemented in the merit of a group of young
women from Crown Heights who visited Chevron.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                            Once Upon A Time

For very young children, this newest release from Hachai Publishing is
simply an enjoyable story about the value of time in Jewish life. For
older children who are ready to learn how to tell time, this book is
also a comprehensive teaching guide. Whimsical illustra-tions by Vitaliy
Romanenko accompany the humorous rhymes by Draizy Zelcer..

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                     continued from previous issue

The above provides an insight also into the meaning of the Golus (the
exile and dispersion [of the Jews] among the nations of the world) which
is at the root of most, if not all, the difficulties and obstacles
confronting the Jew in his desire to live his G-d-given Torah-way of
life.

To be sure, we recognize the Golus as a punishment and rectification for
failure to live up to our obligations in the past as, indeed, we
acknowledge in our prayers: "For our sins we were banished from our
land." But punishment, according to our Torah, called "Toras Chesed" (a
Torah of loving kindness), must also essentially be Chesed. Since G-d
has ordained a certain group, or people, namely the Jewish people, to
carry the difficult and challenging task of spreading - in all parts and
remotest corners of the world - the Unity of G-d (true Monotheism)
through living and spreading the light of Torah and Mitzvos, a task
which no other group was willing or capable of carrying out, the
greatest reward is the fulfillment of this destiny, or, as our Sages put
it, "The reward of a Mitzvah is the Mitzvah itself." Thus, the ultimate
purpose of the Golus is linked with our destiny to help bring humanity
to a state of universal recognition of G-d.

Our Divine Prophets and Sages explained at length the state of the ideal
world which will eventually be attained, when all evil will be
eradicated and "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb," etc., "they shall
not hurt nor destroy," etc. Here again, at first glance, one may ask:
"Why was it necessary to create vicious beasts in the first place, if
they were ultimately - when the world will be filled with the knowledge
of G-d - destined to be turned into docile and peace-loving creatures,
so that 'a small child shall lead them' "? But the answer is the same as
above.

Paving the road to the gradual achievement of the said destiny has
always been the persevering and indomitable work of determined
individuals and groups conscious of their responsibility. They dedicated
themselves to the vital need of strengthening and spreading the Torah
and Mitzvos among the widest sections of our people.

In recent generations, more than ever before, the main emphasis has been
on the need to bring the knowledge and practice of the Torah and Mitzvos
to the widest possible segments of our people, in the greatest number of
locations, without waiting for them to seek it - in the hope that they
will sooner or later realize the need of it themselves. The most
effective way to accomplish this is, of course, is through organized
Torah-true education of the young, the young in years and "young" in
knowledge. The pattern has been set by the founders of Chasidus and of
Chasidus Chabad, who exemplified this approach with dedication and
selflessness.

The Baal Shem Tov, before revealing himself and his way of life, was a
Melamed - a teacher of small Jewish children. Similarly, the Alter
Rebbe, founder of Chabad, a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov's disciple and
successor, began his work by founding his well known three "Chadorim."
This road has been followed also by his successors, the heads of Chabad,
each in his generation.

They personified an indomitable spirit and a disdain for any and all
difficulties and obstacles in their work for the dissemination of the
Torah and Mitzvos. They also made it plain for all to see that whatever
the difficulties, these are nothing but a challenge, to be expected and
overcome. And by facing up to, and eventually overcoming, all obstacles,
they had verified the truth of the basic tenets of our faith, namely
that G-d's Providence extends to each and everyone individually, and
that "He who is determined to purify himself and others, receives aid
from On High."

It is a matter of common experience that when there is a firm will and
unshakable determination, it soon becomes apparent that the difficulties
are often largely imaginary, and even when real - not insurmountable.
The forces of good are cumulative and self-generating, as our Sages
indicated in their well known dictum, "One Mitzvah brings another in its
train." If evil can be contagious, good is certainly much more so, and
many who stand at the sidelines are inspired and willing to join in
constructive and positive action, provided the lead is given and the way
is shown.

The challenge of our time is to spread the knowledge of the Torah and
Mitzvos, particularly through the education of our young, until each and
every Jew will attain the level of "Know the G-d of your father and
serve Him with a perfect heart," and the fulfillment of the prophecy:
"They all shall know Me, small and great, and the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of G-d, as the waters cover the sea."

With blessing,

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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23 Marcheshvan 5762

Prohibition 237: participating in a loan at interest

By this prohibition we are forbidden to take any part in a transaction
between borrower and lender involving a loan at interest, whether as
surety, witness or notary. It is contained in the Torah's words (Ex.
22:24): "Neither shall you lay upon him interest."

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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This Shabbat we will bless the new month of Kislev, the third month on
the Jewish calendar. Ten years ago, on Rosh Chodesh ("the head of the
month") Kislev 5752, the Rebbe spoke about the connection between Rosh
Chodesh and this particular month.

Rosh Chodesh, the Rebbe stated, represents the renewal of the moon. This
renewal does not occur unearned, but comes about through its previously
carried out service of self-diminution.

As the Rebbe explained, this is alluded to in our Sages' statement that
G-d told the moon, "Go and make yourself small." Why did G-d have to say
"Go," rather than just "Make yourself small"? To emphasize that in order
to "go," to make genuine progress and rise to a level that is completely
above those already achieved, it is necessary to "make yourself small."

This same idea is alluded to in the book of Samuel: "Tomorrow is the new
moon, and you shall be taken notice of because your seat will be empty."
This implies that the path to receiving "special attention" is
self-diminution, "making one's place empty."

Symbolically, this corresponds to the service of the soul in the
physical world. Although the process itself involves descent and
self-diminution, it ultimately generates the potential for the soul to
reach previously unattainable heights, had the soul remained on the
spiritual level.

Moreover, the name Kislev represents a fusion of opposites. "Kis" refers
to a state of concealment, whereas "lev" (lamed-vav) is symbolic of the
ultimate in revelation. (Lamed-vav, numerically equivalent to 36, six
times six, represents the highest level of revelation of our six
emotional powers.)

Kislev is also called "the month of redemption." May the coming month
truly be a time of thanksgiving and redemption for the entire Jewish
people, with the coming of Moshiach and the Final Redemption.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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And Sarah died (Gen. 23:2)

At the end of the previous Torah portion, Vayeira, we read, "And Betuel
begot Rivka." Commented our Sages: "Before Sarah's sun set, the sun of
Rivka began to illuminate." Rivka had to be born before Sarah could pass
away.

                                                  (Midrash HaGadol)

                                *  *  *


And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field
of Machpelah (Gen. 23:19)

Till today, Ishmael's descendants claim that the Cave of Machpelah (in
Hebron) belongs to them, by virtue of their being the children of
Abraham. Among the rejoinders: 1) Ishmael did not have the right of
inheritance, as he was the son of a maidservant and not Abraham's wife.
2) Ishmael had no connection to Sarah, so obviously he has no
entitlement to a property that was bought as her burial place. 3) In the
modern era, the majority of Arabs living in the Middle East are not
ethnical descendants of Ishmael.

                                                   (Likutei Sichot)

                                *  *  *


And Abraham was old, and well advanced in age (literally "along in
days") (Gen. 24:1)

The physical manifestation of day is associated with light and
illumination, as it states, "And G-d called the light day." In other
words, Abraham's life was completely illuminated, as he did not squander
any light of even one day of his existence.

                                                  (Chidushei HaRim)

                                *  *  *


And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening time ("lifnot
arev") (Gen. 24:63)

As Rashi explains, "meditating" denotes prayer. If the vowels under the
words "lifnot arev" are changed slightly, the Hebrew reads "lefanot
areiv," literally "to remove sweetness." Isaac prayed to G-d to remove
from his heart the desire for gratification from the physical world,
which is perceived as sweet.

                                              (Ma'ayanot HaNetzach)

                                *  *  *


The word for meditation, "siach," also means bush or shrub. Isaac's
prayer incorporated and included within it all the plants and vegetation
of the field.

                                         (Rabbi Nachman of Breslov)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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About 600 years ago a religious movement began in Transylvania whose
adherents, although not Jewish, observed certain Jewish commandments. In
addition to keeping the Sabbath and the laws of kashrut, they celebrated
Passover and had their own prayer book, an almost literal translation of
the Jewish siddur into Hungarian.

For many years the group was persecuted and its leaders imprisoned,
tortured and even killed. Some of its members escaped to Turkey, where
they formally converted to Judaism. The most bloodthirsty enemy of the
"Sabbath Observers," as they were called, was Queen Maria Teresa, who
was known for her hatred of anything Jewish. Nonetheless, the sect
stubbornly held on to its beliefs.

In the times of Kaiser Franz Josef the members of the sect underwent
mass conversion and became full-fledged Jews. The following was written
by a Jewish journalist who visited their village shortly before the
outbreak of World War II:

"We entered the converts' synagogue. There we found a congregation
consisting of a few dozen men praying the afternoon service, reading
intently from small prayer books. Their appearance is dignified and
serious, and they pray with great devotion. The person who led the
service appeared to be the embodiment of the words, 'Know before Whom
you stand.' These were never common people, as their lineage goes back
over 1000 years to the founding of Transylvanian society. Today,
however, they all have long beards and long side curls...

"At the end of the service they clustered around us and gave us a hearty
'Shalom Aleichem.' It did not take long until the conversation turned to
a subject that is obviously very dear to them, their conversion to
Judaism. This story is a glorious chapter in their history, and they do
not conceal their pride in their ancestors' decision, in the times of
Franz Josef, to join the Jewish people...

"'And not only that,' they add modestly, 'many of our forefathers were
already quite old when they willingly underwent the mitzva of brit mila
(circumcision). Surely that in itself is no trifling matter!'

"As they tell it, the first member of their group to be circumcised was
over 60 years old. He insisted that the Rabbi and the mohel (ritual
circumciser) promise that if he died during the procedure, they would
bury him as a Jew. In fact, everyone was clamoring to be circumcised
first, as they all wanted to become Jewish as soon as possible. Even the
youngsters were impatient...

"The new Jews suffered greatly because of their faith, but to them, all
the pain and anguish was welcome. 'We knew that we had done a great
thing,' they say, 'and we waited patiently for the reaction of the
non-Jewish community.'

"The reaction was not long in coming. 'We were ordered to assemble at
the courthouse. We were not afraid. We thought, what could do they do to
us? Put us in jail? Our ancestors had also been imprisoned. Maybe we
would be forced into the very same cells...'

"The date of the court appearance arrived. Everyone in the entire
village put on his finest Sabbath clothing ...

"The chief magistrate turned to an elderly gentleman and demanded to
know what had gotten into his head. The man replied that as his family
had already been observing the Sabbath and eating kosher for several
hundred years, the time had come to complete the process and not be
satisfied with halfway measures. The judge then asked if anyone had felt
compelled or coerced to convert, to which they all answered no, they had
become Jews of their own free will. The judge then declared that he
would announce his verdict in two days. The fledgling Jews were ready to
accept whatever punishment he decreed...

"Two days later the verdict was announced: Whoever wished to remain a
Jew would be obligated to turn over all his property to the royal
treasury!

"A vast sigh of relief filled the courthouse. That was to be their
punishment? Joyfully they went home and returned to the courthouse with
all of their cows and oxen, jewelry and fine clothes. Everything was
piled into a huge mound in front of the building. The judge, who had
been watching the proceedings, then declared, 'In the name of the Kaiser
Franz Josef, you are hereby granted permission to embrace your new
faith. I just wanted to see how much you were willing to sacrifice on
behalf of your beliefs...' "

For the next 75 years the community flourished. Jews from the
surrounding areas built them a synagogue, and sent them a Rabbi and a
shochet (ritual slaughterer) to attend to their needs.

Unfortunately, the Holocaust perpetuated by the Nazis, may their name be
erased, did not leave these righteous converts unscathed. When the time
came they entered the ghettoes and concentration camps with the rest of
their brethren, where they publicly sanctified G-d's Name.


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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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Abraham built three altars. The first was in Shechem, in gratitude for
the tidings that he would have children and that they would be given the
Land of Israel. The second he built near Ai, as an intercession for his
descendants. The third he built in Hebron, for the actual possession of
the Land of Israel. The three altars allude to three stages in the
worship of G-d and three corresponding eras in Jewish history: the times
of the First and Second Holy Temple, and the time of the Third Holy
Temple that will be with the coming of Moshiach.

                      (Living With Moshiach by Rabbi J.I. Schochet)

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              END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 693 - Chayei Sara 5762
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