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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 694
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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 16, 2001        Toldos           1 Kislev, 5762
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                   The Spiritual Deficiency Syndrome
                     by Rabbi Abraham Twerski, M.D.

In medicine, we are familiar with a number of "deficiency syndromes,"
i.e., conditions that result when any of the body's nutrients are
lacking. Each syndrome has specific symptoms. For example, vitamin C
deficiency causes easy bruising and bleeding gums. Lack of vitamin D may
cause defective bone growth. Each syndrome can be corrected only if the
specific missing nutrient is provided. Vitamin C deficiency will not be
cured by mega doses of vitamins A, B, D, and E. Symptoms will persist
until the missing vitamin C is provided.

The human being is a composite creature, comprised of a body and a
spirit. For all intents and purposes, the human body is essentially an
animal. The uniqueness of the human being is not in his body, but in his
spirit. The body is easily accessible to study and throughout the ages
medical scientists have learned much about the body's needs. The spirit,
however, is intangible, and therefore, much less accessible for
analysis.

Our Sages have stated that the neshama, or spirit, has specific
"nutritional needs" just like the body. The neshama's nutrients are the
mitzvot of the Torah. Failure to provide the neshama with its essential
nutrients will result in a "spiritual deficiency syndrome." The most
prominent symptom of this syndrome is a feeling of discontent.

Because the spiritual needs of the person cannot be examined in a
laboratory, the cause of discontent frequently goes unrecognized. The
person who feels discontented will, of course, look for a way to relieve
this uncomfortable feeling. One person may try to make more money;
another will look for acclaim; another will turn to food; and another to
alcohol, tranquilizers, or other drugs. None of these are the specific
nutrients the neshama is lacking, which is why these outlets cannot
provide more than very temporary relief. The person who feels a bit
relieved of his discomfort after eating will soon find the annoying
feeling has returned and will reach for more food.

Whether the person seeks relief in food, money, honors, alcohol, drugs
or in any other way, the recurrence of discontent will result in further
recourse to his manner of relief. This is how "workaholism" develops.
The courses of work addiction, food addiction, alcohol addiction, and
drug addiction are all similar. There is no end. There can never be any
lasting satisfaction because none of these supply the missing spiritual
nutrient. The spiritual deficiency syndrome cannot be relieved by any of
these any more than providing vitamins A, B, D, and E can cure vitamin C
deficiency.

In Jewish ethical works, we find reference to the concept of simcha shel
mitzva. This is usually translated as "the joy of fulfilling a mitzva."
But simcha can have several meanings. It can indeed mean "joy" or
"gladness," but can also mean "satisfaction," as when the Talmud says
that a truly wealthy person is one who is sameach bechelko-satisfied
with his portion. This does not necessarily mean that the person is
expected to be joyous if he is living under very austere conditions.
But, while he may not be euphoric, he can be satisfied with his portion.
Similarly, not everyone is at a level of being elated with the
performance of a mitzva, but one should feel a sense of satisfaction,
which is the relief of the discontent of the spiritual deficiency
syndrome.

Spiritual hunger is not much different from physical hunger. One's
appetite can be satiated with any food, but there is certainly a
difference whether one eats tasteless foods or delicacies. Fulfilling a
mitzva indeed provides the missing nutrient to the neshama, but there is
a difference between whether one does the mitzva in a rote, "tasteless"
way, or as a "delicacy," with proper kavana-intention. If we find
ourselves persistently discontented, we would be wise to re-evaluate the
quality of our mitzvos.

      Reprinted with permission from Jewish Action, the magazine of
                                                 the Orthodox Union

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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In the Torah portion of Toldot our ancestor Isaac declares, "For now G-d
has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."

Commenting on the Hebrew word for "fruitful," "ufarinu," Rashi explains
that it means "to increase," to spread out, and expand.

The above verse can be divided into two parts. The first half, "G-d has
made room for us," refers to the strengths and abilities G-d bestows
upon an individual. The second part, "we shall be fruitful in the land,"
refers to the obligation it implies to utilize those gifts by working to
make the world a better place.

The Torah teaches, "Man is born to labor." G-d created the world in such
a way that man has the potential to improve upon creation and add to it
through his efforts. To the naked eye, G-dliness is hidden and
concealed. However, when man acts according to G-d's will, the true
underlying G-dliness of creation becomes revealed. Man becomes a
"partner" with G-d in the act of creation, as it were, by uncovering the
G-dly light that sustains all existence.

A question is asked: How can human beings improve on something G-d
Himself created? Is man really "superior" to G-d in this respect? Of
course not, as we see from the first half of the above verse, "For now
G-d has made room for us." Everything ultimately originates from G-d.
Were it not for the strengths and abilities He gives us, we could never
accomplish anything. It is only through the merit of these
Divinely-given powers that we are able to reveal G-dliness in the world
and elevate creation to a higher level.

It also follows that once these powers have been granted, we are
expected to make proper use of them. As we learn from the text of our
holy Torah, "For now G-d has made room for us" is immediately followed
by "and we shall be fruitful in the land," indicating the need for
practical action.

This same concept is expressed by a verse in Psalms, "I am the L-rd your
G-d, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and
I will fill it." The first step  is the  G-dly influence that comes from
Above, i.e., G-d taking the Jewish people out of Egypt. Only afterwards
does man's service come into play, "open your mouth wide." By telling us
to "open wide," G-d is exhorting us to "add" to what He has created,
improving and enhancing the state of the world. We can then be assured
that "I will fill it": not only will G-d grant us the power to act, but
He will also assist us in our Divine service, thereby ensuring our
success.

                           Adapted from Volume 10 of Likutei Sichot

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                          Why I Put On Tefilin
                       by F. Gary Toback, MD, PhD

My path to putting on tefilin has been long and convoluted. Even now as
I look back on my journey it is not clear why I traveled as I did.

In the home of my childhood we observed the High Holidays, Passover, and
Chanuka, and I attended an Orthodox afternoon Hebrew school. My family
did not observe Shabbat nor keep kosher.

Most of my friends were Jewish. Playing baseball and following the
Brooklyn Dodgers were my passions, and memorizing baseball facts was
study I enjoyed.

My bedroom in my family's Brooklyn apartment overlooked an Orthodox
synagogue that I remember entering only on the day of my Bar Mitzva. I
was required to put on tefilin before my bar mitzva by the rabbi who
treated his students as if we were living in a shtetl in eastern Europe,
whence he had come. I did not understand why I had to put on tefillin.
It felt like another indignity heaped upon me by adults.

The rote learning of Hebrew was demanded of me for my Bar Mitzva to
satisfy my parents and teachers, without understanding the meaning of
the text. This experience held me distant from my Jewish roots for
decades. As a teenager, however, I met my future wife, Phyllis, a
knowledgeable and observant Jew. During our courtship I eventually
agreed to attend High Holiday services with her. To my surprise I
enjoyed the sermons by the rabbi who radiated kindness and wisdom, and
who later performed our marriage ceremony. But putting on tefilin would
not have occurred to me at that time.

After marriage we kept a kosher home, although my role was largely
passive. I trained in medicine and biochemistry, helped raise a family
of three wonderful children, and eventually became successful as an
academic physician doing research, teaching and patient care.

Over time my life slowly found an opening to seek attachment to my
Jewish roots. I began to observe Shabbat during a sabbatical year in
California in the laboratory of a Nobel laureate, and upon returning to
Chicago I regularly attended services with my children.

At about age 40 I developed an inexplicable need to go to Israel.
Somehow I found a way to go three times during a five-year period with
my wife and children; experiences that amaze and enrich me still.

Eventually I found that study of the weekly Torah portion had meaning
for me. I attended, mostly as my wife's companion, summer meetings of a
Chavura and Jewish retreats in upstate New York. One of the rabbis
taught mystical stories, especially those of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav.
They often left me with an appetite to learn more about G-d, a hunger
that surprised me by its persistence.

I also became an avid student of an American mythologist, whose analysis
of myth on television and in print uncovered a burning interest within
me to know more about mysticism and Oneness.

After a particularly enriching course two years ago with my teacher at
the Chavura, I asked him how to continue learning when I returned to
Chicago. He suggested I seek out the Lubavitchers in my community
because they would teach me. I did this, and found myself in a class
learning Tanya, the basic book of Chabad Chasidism, with Rabbi Aron
Wolf.

As I learned more I began to understand that I was confronting major
issues in my life. I was achieving my long-term life goals: family,
professional, and economic. But I felt that something important was
missing. I had a sense that my aspirations were not great enough. I
needed to create a new life structure for myself. I decided to refocus
my energies by employing a new set of values to guide me towards living
a G-d-centered life.

More than a decade ago I had read about the Crown Heights community in
Brooklyn and the Lubavitcher Rebbe in a series of articles in The New
Yorker by Lis Harris (later published as the book Holy Days). I was much
impressed by the rich spiritual life there. Though I didn't know how to
live a G-d-centered life, I believed that learning Tanya with Rabbi
Wolf, and studying diverse aspects of Chasidut with a Lubavitcher
graduate student at the University of Chicago, were a good start.

The new ideas were very appealing and I found learning Chasidism
remarkably enriching. A trip with Rabbi Wolf to Crown Heights to
experience how people do live in a G-d-centered community made these
ideas come alive. Slowly, as my knowledge of Chasidism increased, I
found myself eager to move closer to G-d through study, which I enjoyed.
But practicing a daily ritual of formal prayer was of less interest. I
had developed my own practice of daily meditation and prayer: an early
morning run, at sunrise when possible, as a way to experience the wonder
of the natural world.

However, after 18 months of study of Chasidism I began to understand
that there was a well-traveled path available to me that Jews have used
for millenia to live a G-d-centered life. I became aware that putting on
tefilin was part of this, so I began to consider fulfilling this
obligation spelled out in the Torah as a way to move closer to G-d.

Just before Passover this past year, I learned that  Passover is a
particularly favorable time to "pass" over obstacles in order to reach
new spiritual heights. While studying the weekly Torah portion (Exodus
13:9) I suddenly realized that G-d's commandment articulated by Moses
that the Israelites put on tefilin included me. The sense of G-d
communicating via Moses to me felt so direct that it was hard to ignore.
Reading this Torah portion for years I somehow never understood that the
command was also addressed to me, not just the Israelites in the desert.

Clearly the text of the Torah had not changed, but I had. This sense of
being commanded, together with Rabbi Wolf's teaching that this was a
special time in which I was enjoined to "leap over" obstacles, made my
previous unwillingness to put on tefilin seem at odds with my new view
of life. Clearly I had been asked to put on tefilin every year when I
read this portion, but had not responded. This was different from the
baffling demand of the rabbi of my childhood that felt like I should put
on tefilin for him; now I would put on tefilin simply because I had been
asked directly by a Higher Authority.

Putting on tefilin and saying the morning prayers, in addition to my
morning run and study, continue to bring me closer to living a
G-d-centered life.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                        Convention of Emissaries

This past weekend, the annual Kinus HaShluchim-convention of over 2,600
emissaries of the Rebbe-took place at Lubavitch World Headquarters in
Brooklyn, New York. Participants included chief rabbis from cities
throughout Israel and the F.S.U., Jewish day school principals, deans of
Yeshivot, Chabad-Lubavitch Center directors, college campus outreach
workers and synagogue rabbis. Topics of presentations and workshops
range from employer/employee relations, dealing with tragedy, using
technology to teach Torah, Moshiach, and many others. The Kinus
HaShluchot-convention of women emissaries takes place in Februrary.

*********************************************************************
                            THE REBBE WRITES
*********************************************************************
                the date of this letter was unavailable

I am in receipt of your letter, in which you outline your personal views
on what you consider the right approach to Judaism. As you see it, the
right road is to be reached in two phases: first, the understanding, by
reason and intellect, of the "language" of the Torah, etc., and second,
the eventual acceptance of the Divine Covenant and Yoke.

My view, which radically differs from yours, has been made known on
several occasions in the past, and I will restate it briefly again.

The world is a well-coordinated system created by G-d, in which there is
nothing superfluous and nothing lacking, with one reservation, however:
For reasons best known to the Creator, He has given man free will,
whereby man can be cooperative with this system, building and contribute
to it, or do the reverse and cause destruction even of things already in
existence. From this premise it follows that a man's term of life on
this earth is just long enough for him to fulfill his purpose on this
earth; it is not a day too short, nor is it a day too long. Hence, if he
should permit a single day, or week, let alone months, to pass by
without his fulfilling his purpose, it is an irretrievable loss for him
and for the universal system at large.

The second thought to bear in mind is that the physical world as a
whole, as can be seen clearly from man's physical body in particular, is
not something independent and separate from the spiritual world and
soul. In other words, we have not here two separate spheres of
influence, as the pagans used to think; rather is the world now
conscious of a unifying force which controls the universal system, what
we call monotheism. For this reason, it is possible to understand many
things about the soul from their parallels in the physical body.

The physical body requires a daily intake of certain elements in certain
quantities obtainable through breathing and food consumption. No amount
of thinking, speaking and studying all about these elements can
substitute for the actual intake of air and food. All this knowledge
will not add one iota of health to the body unless it is given its
required physical sustenance; on the contrary, the denial of the actual
intake of the required elements will weaken the mental forces of
thought, concentration, etc. Thus it is obvious that the proper approach
to ensure the health of the body is not by way of study first and
practice afterward, but the reverse, to eat and drink and breathe, which
in turn strengthen also the mental powers of study and concentration,
etc.

Similarly in the case of the soul and the elements which it requires
daily for its sustenance, known best to its Creator, and which He
revealed to all at Mount Sinai, in the presence of millions of
witnesses, of different outlooks, walks of life, character, etc., who in
turn transmitted it from generation to generation, uninterruptedly, to
our day, the truth of which is thus constantly corroborated by millions
of witnesses, etc.

Thirdly. It is told of a famous German philosopher, the author of an
elaborate philosophical system, that when it was pointed out to him that
his theory is inconsistent with the hard facts of reality, he replied,
"so much the worse for the facts." But, the normal approach of a person
is as expressed by Maimonides, that opinions are derived from reality
and not reality from opinions. No theory, however cleverly conceived,
can change the facts; if it is inconsistent with the facts it can only
do harm to its adherents.

The conclusion from all the above, in relation to your suggested
approach and order of the two phases, is clear enough. And from the
practical point of view, the essential point is this: every day that
passes for a Jew without practical living according to the Torah is an
irretrievable loss for him and for all our people, hurting them,
inasmuch as we all form a single unity and are mutually responsible for
one another - and also for the universal order, and all theories
attempting to justify it cannot alter this in the least.

Finally, I want to note that there is a difference in how all the above
should affect the individual concerned and his friend who wishes to help
him and put him on the right path. Again, the following analogy may be
useful. Where a patient places conditions before taking the treatment
prescribed by the physician, then notwithstanding the fact that these
conditions are detrimental to the complete therapy, yet, if by going
along with the patient at least some measure of success may be achieved,
it is necessary to do so, if the patient is quite adamant, for besides
the partial help that can be given him this way, there is the hope that
the patient may sooner or later see reason. This is why I have
repeatedly reasoned with you that your approach is wrong and that you
are losing valuable time and causing much harm to yourselves by your
approach, and though you still do not see eye to eye with me, I try to
help you if I can, although for the present you still follow your own
view.

May G-d help you and your friends to see the light and place yourselves
on the path of Torah and Mitzvos which ensures the true happiness for
both the body and soul in complete harmony.

With blessing,

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                            RAMBAM THIS WEEK
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1 Kislev 5762

Positive mitzva 248: the law of inheritance

By this injunction we are commanded concerning the law of inheritances.
It is contained in the Torah's words (Num. 27:8): "If a man dies and has
no son, etc." One provision of this law is that the firstborn son
inherits a double portion.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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Ten years ago, on Rosh Chodesh Kislev and the following Shabbat, the
Rebbe spoke about how "All the days of your life should be directed
toward bringing the era of Moshiach." Every waking moment of a person's
life, the Rebbe stated - indeed, even during the time he sleeps, for he
is alive then as well - must be devoted to this goal. This should
include not only his conscious activities (thought, speech and deed),
but also his every essence. In other words, the very core of a Jew's
being must be focused on bringing about the Final Redemption.

In this context, the Rebbe explained what it means to "breathe the air
of Moshiach." The essence of a person's life is reflected in his
breathing processes. In fact, the Hebrew word for breath, "neshima,"
shares the same letters with the Hebrew word for soul, "neshama." The
service that is necessary at present, the Rebbe explained, is to connect
the core of our being to the core of Moshiach. This will ultimately
awaken a pattern of conduct that will permeate every dimension of our
being.

In practical terms, this means having a concern for the fundamental
existence of every Jew, and providing our fellow Jews with the required
necessities to celebrate the holidays of the month of Kislev with
happiness and joy. Additionally, every Jew should also have the means to
fulfill the custom of giving Chanuka gelt (money) to the members of his
household.

As the Rebbe concluded, these activities will bring about the advent of
the ultimate Redemption in this month, which is also called "the month
of redemption." At that time, we will merit to see not only the essence
of Moshiach, but also the revelation of Moshiach in the world at large,
when Moshiach will "perfect the entire world, [motivating all the
nations] to serve G-d together, as it is written, 'I will make the
peoples pure of speech, so that they will all call upon the name of G-d
and serve Him with one purpose.' "

May it happen immediately.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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And Isaac prayed to G-d ("vaye'tar") for his wife, because she was
barren (Gen. 25:21)

As Rashi explains, the Hebrew word "vaye'tar" implies a tremendous
amount of prayer: "He engaged [in prayer] much and urgently." Why did
Isaac have to pray so much? Because not only was Rivka childless, she
had been born without a uterus (as described by the Midrash). In order
for her to give birth, the G-dly influence would of necessity have to
come from a higher spiritual source; thus "he engaged [in prayer] much
and urgently."

                                                      (Ohr HaTorah)

                                *  *  *


And Jacob cooked a pottage of lentils (Gen. 25:29)

That which Jacob was eager to sell, Esau was eager to buy, and vice
versa. Jacob wished to divest himself of the desire for worldly
pleasures, symbolized by the pottage of lentils. (In the same way that a
lentil is round, so too are all lusts and desires "round" in that they
revolve like a wheel.) This was something that Esau wished to acquire.
At the same time, Esau sought to free himself from the birthright,
symbolic of a higher level of attachment to G-d (the firstborn is
considered "holy unto the L-rd"), which Jacob desired.

                                                  (Rabbeinu Bachya)

                                *  *  *


Because Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge (Gen. 26:5)

Why did G-d bless Isaac in Abraham's merit rather than in his own, as He
did with the other Patriarchs? Isaac is associated with the attribute of
"gevura" (severity), the nature of which is to withhold. Thus the Divine
blessing and influence had to come through Abraham, who is associated
with "chesed" (loving-kindness), the attribute that bestows an abundance
of blessing.

                                            (Likutei Levi Yitzchak)

                                *  *  *


The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau
(Gen. 27:22)

The fact that the above statement was made by Isaac in wonderment - how
can these two things go together? - implies that it is indeed
impossible. For the "voice of Jacob" and the "hands of Esau" are
diametrical opposites.

                                                       (Avnei Ezel)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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Don Pedro I, who ruled Castile some 600 years ago, was known as a good
friend to the Jews. And it was no wonder, as everything he had - his
wealth, his monarchy and even his life - he owed to them, especially to
his Jewish minister of finance, Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir Abulafia.

Rabbi Shmuel Abulafia was such an efficient government minister that Don
Pedro became one of the richest kings in all of Spain. When a civil war
broke out among the populace and Don Pedro was imprisoned, the
insurgents made sure his Jewish minister was jailed along with him.
Rabbi Shmuel ransomed not only himself but also the king for a huge sum.
Don Pedro was restored to the throne, and Rabbi Shmuel resumed his
duties as head of the royal treasury.

Rabbi Shmuel Abulafia was a pious and G-d-fearing Jew who observed the
commandments and inspired his Jewish brethren to do the same. He built
several synagogues and yeshivas, many of which are famous until today.
He and his family lived in a palace in the city of Toledo, which is
still known as "the palace of the Jews."

In 1360 Rabbi Shmuel became the target of a libelous plot, in which his
enemies accused him of revealing state secrets to a foreign power. The
Jewish minister was arrested, his wealth was confiscated, and he was
tortured to death at the age of 40.

Rabbi Shmuel Abulafia died for the sanctification of G-d's Name, and he
was greatly mourned by the Jews of Spain for a very long time.

Don Pedro knew that the charges against Rabbi Shmuel were without merit,
but he was too politically powerless to save him. Later, after another
bloody war in which he defeated a stepbrother who had tried to depose
him, Henrik the Second, he resolved to distance himself from the
fanatical Christian element in the country and their rabid
anti-Semitism. This, of course, did not endear him to everyone, and he
was given the nickname "Don Pedro, king of the Jews."

In the medieval work "Shevet Yehuda" (the "Staff of Judah"), the
following dialogue is recorded between Don Pedro and one of his
Christian advisors, Nicholas of Valencia.

Addressing the king, Nicholas asked, "Why does Your Excellency wage war
against the unbelievers [the Arabs and Moors] who live outside the
boundaries of our kingdom, when there are unbelievers living right here
amongst us, the Jewish people, who detest us with a mortal hatred? Is it
not taught in their Jewish books that they are forbidden to bless
Christians or wish them well?"

"Where did you ever get that notion?" the king responded.

"I was told this by a former Jew himself, a convert who renounced his
religion and adopted the Christian faith."

"It is impossible to rely on the words of someone who renounced his
faith," the king insisted. "An apostate who changes his religion can
change other things as well, for he is motivated by self-hatred and
hatred for his own people."

"But your Majesty," Nicholas defended himself, "it is accepted practice
all over the world that a ruling monarch must force all followers of
minority religions in his kingdom to accept the dominant one."

"I will not resort to methods of coercion," Don Pedro declared. "I do
not believe that compulsion is successful in the long run. As soon as
the outside threat disappears, everything returns to its former state.
You can see this for yourself in the physical world," he went on to
explain. "When a rock is tossed into the air, it continues to rise
upwards only as long as the force that propelled it can sustain its
flight. As soon as the energy is dissipated, the rock will immediately
fall back to earth."

"No," the king reiterated, "I do not believe in coercion. This will
never succeed among the Jews. The only possibility of convincing them
would lie in a long-term campaign of dialogue and discussion, day after
day, like an endless deluge of rain. Pleasant words would surely enter
their hearts more effectively. Is it not true that a steady stream of
droplets can bore a hole in stone if it is sustained over time? No, my
friend, pleasantries are ultimately more successful than force and
coercion."

"Your Majesty, I fear that that would also never work among the Jews,"
an anguished Nicholas replied. "They are very stubborn, and do not wish
to listen to what they are told. I am afraid that it will never be
possible to convince them, neither by force nor by more agreeable
means..."

"If such is the case," Don Pedro concluded, "why should we become
involved in the first place? Let us leave the Jews in peace and instead,
focus inwardly. For we ourselves are surely in need of correction and
improvement..."

With these words the dialogue was ended, and the Jews of Castile
breathed a sigh of relief.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
*********************************************************************
Yehuda ben Tema said, "Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as
a deer, and strong as a lion, to carry out the will of your Father in
Heaven. He used to say: "The brazen is headed for Purgatory, but the
shamefaced for heaven. May it be Your will, L-rd our G-d and G-d of our
Fathers, that the Holy Temple be rebuilt speedily in our days, and grant
us our portion in Your Torah."

                                       (Ethics of the Fathers 5:20)

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                END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 694 - Toldos 5762
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