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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1470
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                           Copyright (c) 2017
                 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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        May 5, 2017       Achrei Mos-Kedoshim      9 Iyyar, 5777
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                           Who is the Enemy?

                         by Rabbi Uriel Vigler

Itchy eyes...runny nose...scratchy throat...in the springtime...

No doubt about it, it must be allergy season.

At first, I tried to ignore it. After all, I've never been one of those
people who walk around with swollen, watery eyes from the first whiff of
a springtime blossom. In fact, I've never experienced any pollen-related
ill effects at all.

Until now.

After several days of denial, I finally came to the realization that I
have now joined the ranks of the 50 million Americans who suffer from
pollen. I've managed to keep it under control with eye drops and
Claritin, and in the process I've learned a whole lot more about
seasonal allergies than I ever thought I would.

Apparently, many people's bodies mistakenly recognize pollen as a
danger, rather than the benign substance it actually is. In response to
this perceived threat, the immune system rallies to neutralize the
invading allergen by releasing histamines into the blood. It's the
histamines which cause the runny noses, itchy eyes and other unpleasant
symptoms.

There is currently no known cure for allergies, just multiple ways to
manage it, from over-the-counter nasal sprays to acupuncture to
doctor-prescribed steroids. With an estimated 50 million sufferers, it
is the country's most common disease and approximately $18 billion are
spent on it each year.

All this, and what is the root cause? Misidentifying the enemy. Our
body's inability to differentiate between a real threat and those cute
little pollen particles, that only want to help invigorate floral
growth, leads to chronic suffering for millions of people for a
significant chunk of time each year.

What can we learn from all this?

Like our physical bodies, our souls also react to friendly and harmful
substances, but we are the gatekeepers. It's our job to identify which
things to keep out, and which to allow in.

Going to shul, studying Torah, keeping kosher, putting on tefillin,
giving charity, lighting Shabbat candles-superb for the soul. Gossip,
lying, cheating, slander-extremely harmful.

It's our responsibility to weed through all the opportunities and
temptations that come our way, hand-picking the things we allow in, so
that our souls remain healthy and strong.

And in this way we will fulfill the first commandment of this week's
Torah portion "You shall be holy."

     Rabbi Vigler co-directs Chabad Israel Center of the Upper East
     Side in New York City with his wife Shevi. From Rabbi Vigler's
                                           blog at www.chabadic.com

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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This week we read two portions, Acharei and Kedoshim. In the portion of
Kedoshim we find the mitzva (commandment)  of making and keeping honest
measuring tools. This mitzva applies whether measuring weight, dry
measure, or liquid. It is forbidden to make or have in your possession
inaccurate measuring tools, even if you have no intention to use them.

After this mitzva is commanded, G-d declares, "I Am G-d your G-d who
took you out of Egypt." What is the connection, between honest weights
and measures, and the exodus from Egypt? Another question, why is it a
sin to merely own them, even if you have no intention to use them?

Rashi explains that G-d took us out of Egypt so that we can be a paragon
of honesty in business dealings. As well, just as G-d discerned in Egypt
who is a first born and who is not; similarly He discern if someone
falsifies his weights or is dishonest in business.

But there is a deeper reason. False weights and measures are the tools
of the evil inclination. The evil inclination doesn't tell you to steal
or rob. You would never go for that. First he says, "What is so bad
about owning false weights, you would never use them." Then he goes a
step further. "What is the big deal about using them, they are just a
drop off." And step by step he drags you down until he's made a thief
out of you.

Owning false weights and measures are the first steps. It is the
beginning of dishonesty, though no action was done with them, they
represent ill intent and bad choices, the prelude to dishonesty.

And this is where Egypt comes in. Though G-d decreed that the Jewish
people would suffer by the hands of the Egyptians, each Egyptian had
free choice to bring suffering upon or not to oppress the Jews. The
Jewish people would have been oppressed without their involvement. It
was each individual Egyptians bad choice or evil intent to heap
suffering upon a Jew and that is why the Egyptian was ultimately
punished by G-d.

It all begins with ill intent and bad choices.

After commanding us to use honest weights and measures, G-d declares, "I
took you out of Egypt, the place of ill intentions and bad choices. I
want you to be better than them. I want you to be a beacon of goodness
and honesty. That is why I took you out of Egypt."

Honesty is the basis for the mitzvot and defines us as G-d's people.

To dispel dishonesty, we need to first dispel ill intent and bad
choices. Get rid of bad influences and temptations. You will find it
liberating, like a weight removed from your shoulders. Honesty in
business and with your acquaintances, is how you influence them to want
to be more like you and to follow in G-d's ways.

Additionally, by connecting honesty with the exodus from Egypt, G-d
gives us a clear indication that honesty is a prerequisite to bringing
the future redemption. May it come soon.

           Adapted by Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz from the teachings of the
            Rebbe, yitzihurwitz.blogspot.com. Rabbi Hurwitz, who is
       battling ALS, and his wife Dina, are emissaries of the Rebbe
                                                   in Temecula, Ca.

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                            Souls on the Don
                            by Yanky Ascher

"My name is Yuri Zuzin," he began, "but you can just call me George."

"Did you always know that you were Jewish?" I asked.

"When I was 14 years old, some of my friends called me a 'jid' (kike). I
never heard the word before, and didn't know why they were calling me
that. So I asked my mother. She told me that we were Jews and that we
should not feel bad about it. On the contrary, it is something special.
That was about the extent of my involvement in Judaism during communism.
It wasn't until after the fall of the Iron Curtain that I started coming
to the synagogue."

"Is there a message you'd like to give the youth in the community?" I
asked.

"Don't forget who you are and never be ashamed of it. We don't live in
the Soviet times anymore."

                                *  *  *


"I was seven when Stalin died," said Oleg, a retired sports trainer. "I
was never able to receive a Jewish education, but my mother made sure I
knew that I was a Jew."

Oleg never knew who his father was and didn't want to ask. When told
that he couldn't open a bank account without his father's name, he went
home and decided to broach the subject with his mother. She began to
cry. "That was the last time I ever asked," he said.

"In the 70's, my mother took ill, and we came to Rostov to get proper
care. When the doctors told her that she'd have to have her leg
amputated, my mother called me in. 'Oleg,' she said. 'I want you to
cover your head and go to the synagogue. Pray for me.'"

"I did as she asked," he said, looking up at the Torah ark. "That was
the first time I prayed here."

Oleg had no siblings. He married late and never had children. "I am the
end of the line," he said, holding back tears.

Slowly, Oleg pulls something out of his bag. He unwraps a newspaper to
reveal a Chumash. "This is not Tolstoy. You don't just read it. The
Torah must be kept close. You need to live it."

                                *  *  *


Meet Miriam.

"I thought I heard a helicopter approaching," she began, "but
helicopters weren't common in Lugansk. The sound kept getting louder and
louder, as the chopper hovered over my building."

June 2, 2014

"I woke in a panic. 'Thank God,' I thought. 'It was just a dream.' But
it wasn't. Military aircraft began flying over our home. I could feel
the walls shaking.

"When the fighter jets stopped flying overhead, we were able to hear the
firefighting in different neighborhoods around us. Our quiet city had
become a war zone, with the constant sounds of bombings and sirens. I
was afraid. I thought about God. For the first time, I realized that I
really believed in Him.

"When the tanks came and parked in the soccer field across the street
from us, we knew it was time to leave. It's good we did because all the
buildings that surrounded our home were bombed. So when our grandfather
found a job opportunity in Rostov, we all packed our bags and crossed
the border, leaving the country we once called home behind.

"Can we talk about something else?" Miriam asked.

"Sure," I said. "Can you share any happy memories from your childhood?"

Miriam thought for a moment.

"When I was in the first grade, my teacher asked me what I wanted to be
when I grew up. 'I want to be a boss,' I said. But my teacher told me
that a boss was not a profession. Later, I was visiting our synagogue,
and there was a woman there who organized all the holiday events.
'That's it,' I thought to myself. 'That's my dream. That's what I want
to be."

"It took a war and a difficult move, but today my dream has come true.
I'm so happy that I was able to join the Jewish community here, and I'm
excited to be working with our youth club, RoshTov. I found my place.
I'm a very proud Jewish girl and every time we organize an event or
celebrate a holiday, I get to share that with my community. What could
be better?"

                           To read more visit www.SoulsOnTheDon.com


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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                          New Campus Approved

The Chabad Center in Berlin has been consistently growing since it was
established two decades ago. Chabad of Berlin has a synagogue, an
educational center, a kindergarten, an elementary and high school spread
over the city. They recently purchased and had plans approved for a  new
7,000 square-meter (75,300 square-feet) campus that will unite all
Chabad schools under one roof. In addition, there will be a library,
cafeteria, movie theater, concert hall, ballroom, sports center and
outdoor playground and garden.

                           New Nursing Center


The Moscow Shaarey Tzedek Chesed Center recently dedicated a nursing
center for the elderly, many of whom are  Holocaust survivors. To date,
it is the largest center of its kind in all of Russia, and provides
dedicated and professional nursing care to about 2,000 elderly Jews free
of charge.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                        Rosh Chodesh Iyar, 5731

         To all participants in the "Evening with Lubavitch" in
                           Philadelphia, Pa.

                             G-d bless you-

Greeting and Blessing:

I am pleased to extend greetings and prayerful wishes to all
participants in the Evening with Lubavitch, and particularly to the
honored guests.

Inasmuch as the event is taking place in the days of Sefirah ("Counting
of the Omer"), it is well to reflect on the significance of this Mitzvo
[commandment].

At first glance, the counting of days seems to be of no consequence,
since the flow of time is beyond man's control. Yet, it is obviously
very significant in that it lends emphasis to the period connecting the
two most important events in Jewish history: Pesach - the liberation
from Egyptian bondage, marking the birth of the Jewish people; and
Shavuos - the Receiving of the Torah at Sinai, where the Jewish people
became a truly free and mature nation.

Like all things with Torah, the Counting of the Omer has many aspects.
To one of them I will address myself here.

Generally, the counting of things by the unit, rather than by
approximation of the total, indicates the importance of the thing. The
fact that each day, day after day for forty-nine days, a Brocho
[blessing] is said before the counting further emphasizes the importance
of this thing - in this case, the value of time. The Brocho we make
expresses not only our gratitude to G-d for giving us the Mitzvo of
Sefira, but also our gratitude for each day which He gives us. We must
learn to appreciate the precious gift of each day by making the proper
use of it. The tasks we have to accomplish today cannot be postponed for
tomorrow, since a day gone by is irretrievable.

Secondly, while it is true that the flow of time is beyond our control,
since we can neither slow it or quicken it, expand it nor shrink it, yet
in a way we can directly affect time by the content with which we fill
each day of our life. When a person makes a far-reaching discovery, or
reaches an important resolution, he can in effect put "ages" into
minutes. On the other hand, time allowed to go by without proper content
has no reality at all, however long it may last.

Correspondingly, the Torah tells us that man has been given unlimited
powers not only in regard to shaping his own destiny, but also the
destiny of the world in which he lives. Just as in the case of time, the
real length of it is not measured in terms of quantity but in terms of
quality, so also in regard to a man's efforts. Every good effort can
further be expanded by the vitality and enthusiasm which he puts into
it. Indeed, the period of seven weeks connecting the abovementioned two
greatest historic events in Jewish life illustrates the Torah concept of
time and effort as indicated above. In the course of only seven weeks, a
people which has been enslaved for 210 years to most depraved
taskmasters were transformed into a "KinG-dom of Priests and Holy
Nation," who witnessed the Divine Revelation at Sinai and received the
Torah and Mitzvoth from G-d Himself.

"Lubavitch" teaches and exemplifies the principle of the predominance of
form over matter, of the soul over the body. It is not the quantity-in
terms of physical capacity and length of time-that is the essential
factor, but it is the quality of the effort and the infinite capacity of
the soul that determine the results.

I trust that the spirit of Lubavitch will stimulate each and all of the
participants to ever greater accomplishments in all areas of Jewish
life, both personal and communal.

With blessing for Hatzlocho [success],

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                              ALL TOGETHER
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                         What is Pesach Sheni?

The 14th of Iyar is Pesach Sheni, the Second Passover. When the Holy
Temple stood in Jerusalem, all those who weren't capable of offering the
paschal lamb in its proper time on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Nisan
(due to impurity or distance), would offer the Paschal Lamb exactly one
month later, on the 14th of Iyar. It is customary to eat matza on the
day of Pesach Sheni. There are also those who partake of matza on the
evening following Pesach Sheni.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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The Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, wrote:
"The theme of Pesach Sheni is that it is never too late! It is always
possible to put things right. Even if one was ritually impure, or far
away, and even in a case when this impurity or distance was deliberate -
nonetheless it can be corrected."

Wednesday (May 10 this year) is Pesach Sheni.

It's never too late! We can always make up for a past misdeed, omission
or failing through sincere desire and making amends.

It's never too late! What an inspiring and optimistic thought! There's
always a chance to improve, to become better, to learn and do.

This is truly a motto worth memorizing (and hanging on the
refrigerator). Rather than muttering about yourself or another person,
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks," realize that it's never too
late.

You didn't put on tefilin yesterday? Today's a new day and it's never
too late.

You didn't light candles for Shabbat last Friday night? Do it this week;
it's never too late.

You never went to Hebrew school, so you can't read Hebrew? Enroll in an
adult education course; it's never too late.

You haven't yet enrolled your own children in Hebrew school (or Jewish
summer camp)? Do it now, it's never too late.

You never knew that Judaism had so much to offer? Now that you know, do
something about it, because it's never too late!

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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Akavya ben Mehalel said: "Reflect upon three things and you will not
come near sin: Know from where you came, and to where you are going, and
before whom you are destined to give an accounting..." (Ethics 3:1)

Reflect upon three things - all three together. If you reflect on only
one, or some of them, not only will they be ineffective, but such a
meditation could even cause harm. If you reflect only on the first, you
will come to the conclusion that you are not to blame for anything. If
you reflect only on where you are going you might mistakenly believe
that there is no ultimate judgment and accounting. Therefore, we are
told to also reflect on "before Whom you are destined to give an
accounting." All three aspects of this mediation are dependent upon each
other.

                                                   (Midrash Shmuel)

                                *  *  *


This Mishna teaches a person that he must have three entities in mind
and when he does so, he "will not come to sin." Generally, a person
thinks about two entities, himself and G-d, for "I was created solely to
serve my Creator." We must be aware of a third entity, the world at
large. The world was created by G-d for a Jew to use in service of Him,
i.e., that a Jew should refine his body and his soul, and spread
refinement in the world at large, transforming it into a dwelling for
G-d.

                        (The Lubavitcher Rebbe, 13 Iyar, 5751-1991)

                                *  *  *


Rabbi Shimon said: "... three who ate at one table and did speak words
of Torah there, it is as if they had eaten from the table of G-d..."
(Ethics 3:3)

Three together can recite "let us bless," the opening phrase of the
zimun, and in this way they form a "pool" of blessing so that each
person partaking of the meal can draw off water according to his needs.
But this must be preceded by words of Torah which enable them to form
this pool of blessing.

                                      (Tzemach Tzedek's Or HaTorah)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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The wife of the Baal Shem Tov was awakened with a start when she heard
her husband cry out in the middle of a Shabbat nap. She ran to his side
and shook him, asking, "What is the matter?" "Thank G-d you woke me up,
because if you hadn't I might never have woken up again. Please call my
students right now, so that I may relate to them the wondrous things
which I just saw when my soul ascended to the Heavenly Academy."

When they arrived and stood around his bed, the Besht proceeded to tell
this tale:

"Every Shabbat when I pray the Musaf prayer my soul rises to the upper
realms, and there I can hear how Torah is being studied there. When I
return to my body, I am able to transmit many of these teachings to you,
my students, when we eat the third Shabbat meal.

"I have a certain friend, Reb Nachman Kassover, a great Tzadik, who
passed on, and I miss terribly. I have tried many times to find him in
the world of souls, but I never succeeded.

Today, when my soul ascended Above, I found myself in a part of the
Heavens which I had never seen before. There I saw palatial structures
which shone with precious diamonds and rubies. There were towers of
sapphire and houses of study which shone like the sun. When I entered
them, they were occupied with dazzling souls that sparkled like angels,
and each of them was busy in his own realm of Torah study.

"I asked one angelic soul, 'To whom does all this belong?' And he
replied, 'All of this is the glory of Reb Nachman Kassover.' I asked to
see him, and before me was a soul that sparked fire and whose brilliance
outshone anything I had ever seen. 'My dearest brother,' he said, 'these
are the souls of those people I brought to the study of Torah and the
ways of righteousness while I was on earth.' And he continued, asking me
if I would like to remain there with him.

"'If you remain here with me, you will never have to experience the
pangs of death, and you will enjoy the bliss of the Divine Presence. The
decision is yours to make.'

"I thought for a moment, torn as to which decision to make. Finally I
replied, 'I would like to stay, but I want to be buried in the Land of
Israel.'

"'You are destined to be buried outside of the Holy Land,' he replied,
'for reasons I cannot reveal. But if you decide to remain here, many
things will be revealed to you.'

"I stood there confused and unable to decide. If I remained, I would be
deserting my wife, my son and daughter, and all of my students and
disciples. How could I leave so quickly without even a last will and
testament? No, I decided, I must return. Before I die I must prepare for
my departure, not just abandon my loved ones.

"My good friend didn't want to take no for an answer. He continued to
beg and plead with me to remain there with him. Finally, I couldn't
stand it one more second, and I uttered a loud cry. This is the cry
which woke you up. If you hadn't run to me and awakened me when you did,
I would have lost my will to return and my soul would have remained
Above."

The power of prayer is not completely understood by us, but in the words
of one of the Rebbes of Lubavitch, "If you knew how the words of Psalms
ascend to the highest Heavens you would never stop reciting them."

Through his holy vision, the Baal Shem Tov saw that a decree was made
Above against a certain Jewish settlement. Summoning two of his
companions, Reb Mordechai and Reb Kehos, the Besht set about to annul
this terrible catastrophe.

Ascending to the upper realms, the Besht learned that this decree was
firm and could not be rescinded. As his soul descended to earth, he
passed by the "palaces" of many saintly individuals. These palaces
represented the accumulated good deeds which awaited their soul when
their earthly lives had ended. One palace in particular attracted his
attention, for it sparkled so brilliantly. He approached it to see to
whom it belonged, and discovered that it was the palace of a certain
simple villager.

What, he wondered, had this man done to merit such a reward in the next
world? It was the custom of this uneducated, but pious Jew to recite the
entire book of Psalms five times every day as he went about his work.

When the Besht returned to earth, he traveled to the village of that man
and asked, "If you knew that your reward in the World to Come could save
an entire community of Jews, would you be willing to give it up?"

The unassuming fellow replied, "If I have a portion in the next world, I
would certainly give it away to save my fellow Jews."

With that utterance, the decree was abolished, and for his total self-
sacrifice, the simple villager won the admiration of all the Heavenly
host.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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Currently, we connect to G-d volitionally: in thought, speech and action
we attempt to fulfill G-d's commands. In the times of Moshiach, the
connection will be innate and automatic: as a matter of course we will
be aware of and fulfill G-d's Will, because the mitzvot (commandments)
will express not just the relationship between G-d and the Jewish
people, but their unified essence.

      (From Reflections of Redemption by Dovid Yisroel Ber Kaufmann
                          o.b.m., to whom this column is dedicated)

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         END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1470 - Achrei Mos-Kedoshim 5777
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