Editor's Note:
Dear Friend,
With the 18th of Elul afoot, I think about my sweet parents. One of the great blessings of having parents is that it gives us the single best metaphor for our relationship with G‑d.
Heaven protect us, Heaven protect everyone, from being orphaned at a young age! Is there any suffering that puts the soul in greater peril of despairing of the presence of G‑d?
It is only the greatest of souls that can reconfigure such a personal apocalypse into an opportunity to experience the metaphor in its purity and as a flesh and blood reality. “A father to the fatherless ... is G‑d” (Psalm 68:6).
Such an extraordinary soul belonged to Yisrael the son of Eliezer and Sarah of Okopy, who came to be known as the Baal Shem Tov.
Only the Holy One, blessed be He, knows whether the Baal Shem Tov “needed” this terrible ordeal to come to his wisdom. All that we know is that he did not keep the wisdom to himself (read an exquisite story about that here). As we celebrate the birth of this extraordinary soul on 18 Elul, may we experience profound gratitude for the life of a man who, through his orphanhood at the age of three, was able to experience the sweet word Tatteh, “Daddy,” as a Divine Name -- and who taught all of us how to get to know G‑d on such intimate terms.
Michael Chighel,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team.
Heaven Desires Earth
There are those who chase all things of heaven—and find they cannot live.
There are those who chase all things of earth. Their life is not worth living.
Heaven desires the earth, and the earth is lost without heaven. Make your life a marriage of the two, as lovers that never part, and you will find peace.
This Week's Features:
Printable Magazine
Starting Early This Sunday Morning: Selichot
By Menachem Posner
You walk into synagogue. It’s well past midnight, but there are dozens of fellow Jews gathered there. In the front, cloaked in a tallit, the leader is about to begin the service. You quickly open your book to “Selichotfor the first day.” But what exactly are Selichot? Let’s have a look together.
Selichot (alt. Selichos) n.communal prayers for divine forgiveness, said during the High Holiday season or on Jewish fast days.
In a Nutshell
While most Jewish services are held during the day or early evening, High Holiday Selichot are the exception, held in the wee hours of the morning. Drawing from a plethora of biblical verses and rabbinic teachings, they are a soul-stirring introduction to the Days of Awe.
In Ashkenazic tradition (the focus of this article), the first night of Selichot is the biggie, held after midnight on a Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah.1 In some larger congregations, this service is led by a cantor and choir and can take well over an hour. In smaller, more informal congregations, it may take less time than that. All subsequent Selichot are conducted just before morning prayers, generally with less fanfare.
The liturgy for Selichot is not found in most prayerbooks; rather, it is found in special Selichot booklets, with a different selection for each day. You can see the complete Hebrew service here.
The actual Selichot are a collage of Torah verses and poetically written Hebrew works in which we ask G‑d to forgive us on a personal and communal level. An oft-repeated phrase is the “13 Attributes of Mercy,” which G‑d revealed toMoses at Sinai as the key to forgiveness. This is the core of the entire service, and since it is considered a communal prayer, you may only say this line when praying with a congregation.
For most of Selichot, the leader chants the first and last line of each paragraph, allowing the congregation to read most of the paragraph to themselves.
Here are some landmarks:
Most Jewish communities continue reciting Selichot throughout the Ten Days of Repentance, the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. According toChabad custom, however, Selichot are not said during these days, with the exception of the third of Tishrei, when Selichot are recited as part of the commemoration of the Fast of Gedaliah.3
The fourth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch, once asked his illustrious father, the Tzemach Tzedek, why Chabad communities do not continue saying Selichot during the Ten Days of Repentance. “My son,” he responded, “now is no longer the time for words. Now we must translate words into deed . . .”
More on the Selichot Liturgy
Unlike a conventional service, Selichot does not include the Shema or theAmidah, but it does have some of the same characteristics of a typical (afternoon) service: it begins with the Ashrei (Psalm 145) and Half Kaddish and ends with a Full Kaddish.
The introductory and concluding sections of the Selichot text are the same every day, consisting essentially of biblical passages and ancient prayers. The middle section varies; it contains selections of prayers (piyutim) for each day in a special order, with common supplications such as the repeated appeals to the divine attributes of mercy. The middle section also has a special pizmon (hymn with refrain) for each day.
The piyutim were composed in the Gaonic period and shortly thereafter (approximately between the 9th and 12th centuries of the common era). Their authors include some of the greatest authorities of that time, such as RavSaadiah Gaon, R. Gershom Meor Hagolah, R. Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi), and members of the group of Ba'alei Tosafot. Most of them inserted their names by way of acronyms or acrostics. Their compositions invariably use biblical phrases or paraphrases, and oftentimes references to, or paraphrases of, rabbinic teachings. Another common feature of the piyutim is their poetic structure, and most of them follow the order of the Hebrew alphabet. (This is also true of several prayers in the concluding section.)
There are many more piyutim than those that appear in any given service. Different communities made their own selections of which piyutim to recite, and thus evolved a variety of customs or versions for the Selichot. The various texts were originally local choices, but once a custom is adopted on a communal level, one is bound to follow his community’s custom and cannot change it by omitting, adding or exchanging piyutim.4
The Midrash relates that King David was anguished when he prophetically foresaw the destruction of the Holy Temple and the cessation of the offering of the sacrifices. “How will the Jews atone for their sins?” he wondered.
G‑d replied: “When suffering will befall the Jews because of their sins, they should gather before me in complete unity. Together they shall confess their sins and recite the order of the Selichot, and I will answer their prayers.”
FOOTNOTES
1. The time varies depending on the season, and usually doesn’t concur with our clocks (see Hours). According to Jewish law, “midnight” is exactly halfway between sunset and sunrise. In the USA, because Rosh Hashanah is observed during Daylight Savings Time, “midnight” is often closer to 1:00 a.m. than to 12:00 a.m.
2. Due to technical calendar reasons, the first day of Rosh Hashanah cannot fall out on Sunday, Wednesday or Friday.
3. Selichot are also recited on Jewish public fast days. The fast-day Selichot are incorporated into the morning prayers.
4. This section is mostly paraphrased from Rabbi Jacob Immanuel’s Introduction to Selichot According to Chabad Custom (Kehot, 2006).YOUR QUESTIONS
MULTIMEDIA
A Classic Chabad Melody for Selichot
This melodies opening reveals the remorse of the remorseful spirit, while the conclusion voices a strong hope for the acceptance and fulfillment of the worshippers' petitions to the Almighty
Listen (3:42)
Starting Early This Sunday Morning: Selichot
By Menachem Posner
You walk into synagogue. It’s well past midnight, but there are dozens of fellow Jews gathered there. In the front, cloaked in a tallit, the leader is about to begin the service. You quickly open your book to “Selichotfor the first day.” But what exactly are Selichot? Let’s have a look together.Selichot (alt. Selichos) n.communal prayers for divine forgiveness, said during the High Holiday season or on Jewish fast days.
In a Nutshell
While most Jewish services are held during the day or early evening, High Holiday Selichot are the exception, held in the wee hours of the morning. Drawing from a plethora of biblical verses and rabbinic teachings, they are a soul-stirring introduction to the Days of Awe.
In Ashkenazic tradition (the focus of this article), the first night of Selichot is the biggie, held after midnight on a Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah.1 In some larger congregations, this service is led by a cantor and choir and can take well over an hour. In smaller, more informal congregations, it may take less time than that. All subsequent Selichot are conducted just before morning prayers, generally with less fanfare.
The liturgy for Selichot is not found in most prayerbooks; rather, it is found in special Selichot booklets, with a different selection for each day. You can see the complete Hebrew service here.
The actual Selichot are a collage of Torah verses and poetically written Hebrew works in which we ask G‑d to forgive us on a personal and communal level. An oft-repeated phrase is the “13 Attributes of Mercy,” which G‑d revealed toMoses at Sinai as the key to forgiveness. This is the core of the entire service, and since it is considered a communal prayer, you may only say this line when praying with a congregation.
For most of Selichot, the leader chants the first and last line of each paragraph, allowing the congregation to read most of the paragraph to themselves.
Here are some landmarks:
- As we will discuss, there are certain hymns, known as pizmonim, which are read responsively, with the congregation reading a line and the leader chanting it after them. There is a different pizmon at the heart of the service each day.
- Toward the end, the ark is opened, and a series of verses, beginning with the words “shema kolainu (hear our voice),” are recited responsively,first by the leader and then by the congregation.
- Close to the end, there is the Ashamnu confession, in which we list an alphabetical litany of sins that we (as a community) have committed. We strike our chests when saying each of these sins.
- When Are Selichot Said?
- We start saying Selichot several days before Rosh Hashanah. According to Ashkenazic custom, the first Selichot are recited on Saturday night after “halachic midnight,”and a minimum of four days of Selichot must be observed. Therefore, if the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Thursday or Shabbat, Selichot start on the Saturday night immediately preceding the New Year. If Rosh Hashanah falls on Monday or Tuesday,2 Selichot commence on the Saturday night approximately a week and a half before Rosh Hashanah. Starting on the Monday morning following the first midnight service,Selichot are recited daily before the morning prayers until Rosh Hashanah (except on Shabbat, since the penitential prayers are inconsistent with this peaceful, joyous day).
Most Jewish communities continue reciting Selichot throughout the Ten Days of Repentance, the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. According toChabad custom, however, Selichot are not said during these days, with the exception of the third of Tishrei, when Selichot are recited as part of the commemoration of the Fast of Gedaliah.3
The fourth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch, once asked his illustrious father, the Tzemach Tzedek, why Chabad communities do not continue saying Selichot during the Ten Days of Repentance. “My son,” he responded, “now is no longer the time for words. Now we must translate words into deed . . .”
More on the Selichot Liturgy
Unlike a conventional service, Selichot does not include the Shema or theAmidah, but it does have some of the same characteristics of a typical (afternoon) service: it begins with the Ashrei (Psalm 145) and Half Kaddish and ends with a Full Kaddish.
The introductory and concluding sections of the Selichot text are the same every day, consisting essentially of biblical passages and ancient prayers. The middle section varies; it contains selections of prayers (piyutim) for each day in a special order, with common supplications such as the repeated appeals to the divine attributes of mercy. The middle section also has a special pizmon (hymn with refrain) for each day.
The piyutim were composed in the Gaonic period and shortly thereafter (approximately between the 9th and 12th centuries of the common era). Their authors include some of the greatest authorities of that time, such as RavSaadiah Gaon, R. Gershom Meor Hagolah, R. Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi), and members of the group of Ba'alei Tosafot. Most of them inserted their names by way of acronyms or acrostics. Their compositions invariably use biblical phrases or paraphrases, and oftentimes references to, or paraphrases of, rabbinic teachings. Another common feature of the piyutim is their poetic structure, and most of them follow the order of the Hebrew alphabet. (This is also true of several prayers in the concluding section.)
There are many more piyutim than those that appear in any given service. Different communities made their own selections of which piyutim to recite, and thus evolved a variety of customs or versions for the Selichot. The various texts were originally local choices, but once a custom is adopted on a communal level, one is bound to follow his community’s custom and cannot change it by omitting, adding or exchanging piyutim.4
The Midrash relates that King David was anguished when he prophetically foresaw the destruction of the Holy Temple and the cessation of the offering of the sacrifices. “How will the Jews atone for their sins?” he wondered.
G‑d replied: “When suffering will befall the Jews because of their sins, they should gather before me in complete unity. Together they shall confess their sins and recite the order of the Selichot, and I will answer their prayers.”
FOOTNOTES
1. The time varies depending on the season, and usually doesn’t concur with our clocks (see Hours). According to Jewish law, “midnight” is exactly halfway between sunset and sunrise. In the USA, because Rosh Hashanah is observed during Daylight Savings Time, “midnight” is often closer to 1:00 a.m. than to 12:00 a.m.
2. Due to technical calendar reasons, the first day of Rosh Hashanah cannot fall out on Sunday, Wednesday or Friday.
3. Selichot are also recited on Jewish public fast days. The fast-day Selichot are incorporated into the morning prayers.
4. This section is mostly paraphrased from Rabbi Jacob Immanuel’s Introduction to Selichot According to Chabad Custom (Kehot, 2006).YOUR QUESTIONS
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You’re going to have to clue me in on this one, rabbi. I’ve been reading up on Selichot (penitential prayers) and the schedule seems so strange to me. First of all, why are there different possibilities of when to begin? There are some years, like when Rosh Hashanah is on Thursday or Shabbat, that we say Selichot from the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah. Other years, when Rosh Hashanah is on Monday or Tuesday, we start on the Saturday night about a week and a half before Rosh Hashanah. Why must it start on a Saturday night in the first place? Lastly, why is the first Selichot held in the middle of the night, and the later ones are in the early morning before services?
Oh, and just to top it all off, why do Sephardim start way back on the first of Elul? ReplyLet’s break your question up into a number of bite-sized pieces.You'll note that we make sure to say Selichot for a minimum of four days. Why?The ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur are known as the Ten Days of Repentance. Many used to have the custom to fast during this period. However, there are four out of these ten days when it is forbidden to fast: the two days of Rosh Hashanah, Shabbat, and the eve of Yom Kippur. To make up these four fasts, they would fast and recite Selichot for four days before Rosh Hashanah. Nowadays, although most people don’t fast, we still recite Selichot on those days.1On a more mystical level, we are offering ourselves to G‑d on Rosh Hashanah. When the Torah tells us to bring an olah sacrifice in the Holy Temple on Rosh Hashanah, the verse says, "You shall make an olah,"2 a departure from the more common term “you shall offer.” This can be read to mean that on Rosh Hashanah, we need to make ourselves into an olahoffering.3 Now, I am not suggesting that anyone set himself on fire. However, we can apply some aspects of the Temple sacrifice to our personal Rosh Hashanah service: Just as every offering brought to the Temple was inspected for blemishes for four days before it was offered, as we say Selichot (at least) for four days before Rosh Hashanah, we inspect ourselves for any spiritual blemishes we may have gotten during the past year.4 Why start on Saturday night/Sunday morning?Sunday is the first day of creation, an appropriate time to begin our preparation for Rosh Hashanah, which celebrates the creation of man, the culmination of the process of creation.5(The 25th of Elul, the anniversary of day one of creation, was not selected as the Selichot start, since it would be delayed in the event that it coincided with Shabbat, and a fixed start is preferable.)6Additionally, our sages say that the divine presence only rests on one who rejoices. Therefore, we commence our Rosh Hashanah preparatory prayers after Shabbat, a day of delight and rejoicing.7 This is reflected in the "B’motzei Menucha (At the End of the Day of Rest)” prayer we say that night.8 Why is the first Selichot service at midnight and the others at daybreak?Well, ideally, we’d want to say the first Selichot right after Shabbat, when our joy is still fresh. However, the Zohar explains that the time from “halachic midday” until “halachic midnight” (both referred to as chazot) is a time of judgment, and the time from halachic midnight to halachic midday is a time of mercy.9 Accordingly, the Arizal cautioned that one shouldn’t recite Selichot prior to halachic midnight.10 Additionally, the holiness of Shabbat continues until chatzot Saturday night, so one does not recite Viduy (confession of sin) during that time.11 Therefore, we wait until after chatzot of Saturday night to recite Selichot.Regarding the subsequent days, Rabbi Yaakov ben Moshe Moelin, known as the Maharil, explains, based on the Talmud,12 that the last third of the night, G‑d especially focuses on the needs of his creations, and it is therefore an auspicious time for Selichot.13 Regarding SephardimYou may notice that Sephardim say Selichot during the 40 days between the first of Elul and Yom Kippur. These are the same 40 days when Moses was up on Mount Sinai getting the second set of Tablets, which culminated with G‑d fully forgiving His people on Yom Kippur.14 15 16
Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin responds to questions for Chabad.org's Ask the Rabbi service.
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Your Questions
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Question:
I have been studying Judaism for some time and am deep into the conversion process. I love this religion and cannot picture my life without it. I can’t help but wonder why a person like me, who loves Judaism, was born a gentile. Why wasn’t my soul worthy enough to be born into the Jewish nation? I am upset that I had to be born into the situation I was, and not as a Jew. Answer: Thank you for your email. It was refreshing to read about your passion for Judaism! There is an episode in the Torah that reflects your dilemma. The circumstances aren't exactly the same, but the way I understand the story, I believe its message is quite applicable to your situation. The verse (Leviticus 24:10) reads: Now, the son of an Israelite woman, and he was the son of an Egyptian man, went out among the children of Israel, and they quarreled in the camp - this son of the Israelite woman, and an Israelite man. And the son of the Israelite woman pronounced the [Divine] Name and cursed. What happened? Here we have a man born to a Jewish mother and a non-Jewish father who became extremely angry and blasphemed in the encampment. Our Sages explain the reason for his anger. Apparently, the man was told that he was tribe-less, and hence, unable to pitch his tent together with the tribe of Dan.1 The reason: tribal lineage runs through the paternal line, and his non-Jewish father was of course not part of any tribe. He understandably wanted the right to pitch his tent where he preferred, and when told that he could not, he blamed everyone for the seeming injustice - G‑d, his mother, his father, the tribe of Dan, etc. Unfortunately, there was one very important thing the man didn’t realize: Every soul is sent to this world with a unique mission and purpose. Our job is to ask, "What am I needed for?" not, "Why can't I have that?" for G‑d gave each of us exactly what we need in order to fulfill our mission in this world. In short, the Torah is responsibility-based and rights-based. This is why in the Torah not everyone can fulfill every Divine precept. There are commandments that only a male can do, and there are ones that only a female can fulfill. There are rules relating to the Priests and Levites and converts. An Israelite may have a beautiful voice, but according to the Torah it is the role of the Levite, not Israelite, to sing in the Temple. Together we are on a collective mission, and G‑d decides the role each person is to play in our great destiny. G‑d simply tells us to look at our lives and use Torah as the compass to guide us in our decisions. Back to the episode in Leviticus. This individual could have looked at his situation and said, "For whatever reason my father was not Jewish... obviously I have a unique role to play that only someone in my position can accomplish... There must be things I can accomplish, a mission to fulfill, that only I can do." But he didn't. He simply blamed everyone for his situation. Instead of recognizing that for whatever reason he was not meant to camp amongst those in Dan, he cursed the source of the rule – the Torah and G‑d. Instead of looking at Torah and allowing that to dictate his role in life, he decided which role he wanted to play in life, and got upset at the Torah. Let's return to your question. You have a unique mission to play in this world that no one else can do. You were born exactly where you were supposed to be born, and to the parents you needed to be born to. Your talents, weaknesses, profession, place of living... all these too are clues as to your mission in the world. Now, what you destiny is... that is something I don't know. Are you meant to be a righteous gentile and fulfill a unique mission in that role? Or are you of one of those Jewish souls that somehow "got lost" along the way and now has to find the way back home and convert? What I do know is that you ended up exactly where you needed to be. Your job is to "bless" those circumstances and then try to fulfill your mission as best you can. With blessing, Rabbi Yisroel Cotlar Ask the Rabbi @ The Judaism Website – Chabad.org
Rabbi Yisroel Cotlar is a Chabad rabbi in Cary, North Carolina. He is also a member of the Chabad.org Ask the Rabbi team.
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Parshah
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Naomi is married to a very busy, goal-oriented individual. She often laments how due to his overloaded schedule, they rarely spend quality time with each other.
One day, Naomi phoned her husband to tell him that a very important client, who had been trying to meet with him for a long time, had called. She had taken the initiative and scheduled a meeting for 8:00PM that evening at an elegant restaurant in a downtown hotel.
Naomi's husband thanked her for her efforts and assured her that he'd rearrange his schedule to make the meeting.
Bikkurim teaches us to establish priorities in our life
At 7:45PM, Naomi's husband drives up to the hotel; by 7:55, he's seated in a quiet corner of the restaurant, at a discreet table conducive for discussion. By 7:57PM, he has smoothed his tie and ordered drinks for himself and his client. At a minute to 8:00, he clicks off his cell phone and clears his mind from all the day's issues, so nothing would distract him.
A few moments later, to his utter astonishment, Naomi enters the restaurant dressed in an exquisite outfit. He watches as she purposefully makes her way to his table and gracefully sits down opposite him.
His perplexed expression briefly turns to annoyance then to anger, but finally settles on admiration as it dawns on him that his wife is the "important client who had been trying to meet him for a long time." She has gone through this elaborate scheme just to make him appreciate that she was no less worthy of his time and attention than any lucrative client.
Their hour together in the quiet corner of that elegant hotel, with his cell phone turned off and all other appointments cancelled, was productive and enjoyable for both of them. So much so, that hopefully, Naomi won't have to rely on such ruses to make it happen again--more regularly...
This week's Torah reading begins with the mitzvah of Bikkurim, the "first fruit" offering: And it will be, when you come into the land which G-d gives you for an inheritance... that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the earth. And you shall put [them] into a basket and go to the place which your G-d will choose to have His Name dwell there. And you shall come to the kohen who will be serving in those days, and say to him, "I declare this day to G-d, that I have come to the land which the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us." (Deuteronomy 26:1-3)The bikkurim had to be the very best quality, produced in the Holy Land, from the very first fruits to ripen. Before partaking in any fruit for oneself, these fruits were brought to the Holy Temple to express gratitude to G-d for the opportunity of settling in the Land of Israel and for the blessing of this produce. 1 Maimonides explains that, "everything that is for the sake of G-d should be of the best and most beautiful. When one builds a house of prayer, it should be more beautiful than his own dwelling. When one feeds the hungry, he should feed him of the best and sweetest of his table. Whenever one designates something for a holy purpose, he should sanctify the finest of his possessions; as it is written (Leviticus 3:16), 'The choicest to G-d.'"2 The Modeh Ani prayer represents the unassailable unity between G-d and the Jewish people, our inner and unbreakable connectionIn devoting the "first-ripened fruits" of his life to G-d, a person, in effect, is saying: Here lies the focus of my existence. Quantitatively, this may represent but a small part of what I am and have; but the purpose of everything else I do and possess is to enable this percentile of spirit to rise above my matter-clogged life. Bikkurim teaches us to establish priorities in our life. In the myriad responsibilities of the "daily grind" it reminds us to give precedence--and devote our strongest, freshest resources--to those people and to those values that we most cherish. How often do we neglect to schedule quality time with our spouses, to reignite the spark that originally attracted us to each other? Instead, how much of our time together is wasted on listing all the mundane chores that need to be completed? How often do we allocate time for our children at the end of our day, after we've been depleted of energy or initiative to really relate to the issues of their lives? How often are we so occupied with our pursuit of material success that we leave but a few crumbs of energy to satiate our spiritual growth? Do we connect with our Creator in only a few rushed moments of distracted prayers, just to assuage our guilt before tackling the "real" tasks of our day? Bikkurim teaches us to take a step back and prioritize--that the first and best of our fruit, of our time, energy and resources, must be devoted to G-d. To realize what's important in our life and schedule that first. To recognize who we cherish most in our life, and connect regularly with those individuals. The other, marginal details of life will somehow find their rightful place. In this way, the Bikkurim is similar to the modeh ani prayer recited the moment we open our sleepy eyes, thanking G-d for restoring our soul and enabling us to serve Him yet another day.3 From the youngest child to the oldest senior, the wisest sage to the unlettered layman, we all begin our day with these first words. In our eagerness to declare our gratitude to our Creator, we dare to address G-d with ritually unclean hands. Only after having uttered our short prayer of thanks do we ritually wash our hands and recite other prayers, which basically reiterate the Modeh Ani. At first glance, our sequence of prayers seems superfluous. The Modeh Ani contains no mention of any of G-d's holy names because we are forbidden to pronounce any of these names in a state of ritual impurity. This being the case, shouldn't we rather wait before reciting the Modeh Ani so that we can address our Creator properly?4 The Rebbe explains5 that the Modeh Ani prayer represents the unassailable unity between G-d and the Jewish people, our inner and unbreakable connection. Our gestures, even if imperfect or defective, are an indication of what truly matters to usThat is why it is so important to recite this prayer the moment we wake up. By pronouncing this upon our first moments of consciousness, even with impure hands, we are stating that all the impurities or negativities of the world cannot separate our inner connection with G-d. We are declaring unequivocally that this bond is indispensable, remembered upon our first waking moments, despite any state of impurity or defect. This is the deeper reason why the Modeh Ani prayer does not mention any of the names of G-d. Rather than with a "name"--in a removed, third-person context--we addresses G-d directly and intimately in second person, as "You." Since the Modeh Ani originates from the essence of the soul, it is likewise directed intimately to the essence of G-d, which cannot be alluded to by any particular name. This is precisely the uniqueness of the Modeh Ani. While other prayers address G-d through divine names reflecting particular attributes, the Modeh Ani addresses our inner, quintessential and indestructible bond with Him. Like the Bikkurim, the Modeh Ani, teaches us the importance of establishing our priorities in the order of our day and of our life. But the Modeh Ani also teaches us that when we show what's truly valuable to us--when we establish what takes precedence in our first waking moments--it's all right if we don't do so perfectly or most eloquently. G-d ignores our ritual impurity because we are demonstrating the strength of our absolute commitment to Him. Similarly, a husband who takes out a few moments from his tight schedule to phone his wife and ask her how her day is progressing doesn't need to worry about expressing himself with the most poetic or endearing words. He doesn't have to have a long or deep discussion with her; his thoughtful short call alone is evidence enough of his love. A mother who empathizes with her hurt child doesn't need to consult a psychology book to find the right words or method. Just her sitting attentively with her child makes him realize her devotion. A person who undergoes a long trip to comfort his friend after the loss of a beloved, doesn't need to worry about what words of wisdom he will offer. He need not say anything at all; his very presence indicates his care. Similarly, the modeh ani prayer, said upon our arising in the morning, can be said with ritually impure hands. The very fact that this is the first thing that we utter is enough of an indication of where our priorities lie. By saying the modeh ani prayer in our first conscious moments, or by offering the bikkurim from the first of our produce, we are demonstrating our priorities. Our gestures, even if imperfect or defective, are an indication of what truly matters to us. But most importantly, the bikkurim reminds us not to allow our lives to become so entangled with trivialities that we forget the main purpose of why we're actually here.
Chana Weisberg is the editor of TheJewishWoman.org. She lectures internationally on issues relating to women, relationships, meaning, self-esteem and the Jewish soul. She is the author of five popular books.
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Parshah
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David was driving down the highway one day when he noticed a man sporting a kipah standing near a broken-down car. He pulled over to see if he could help. While assisting the fellow, he was surprised to see a cross dangling from his neck. Unable to contain his curiosity he asked, "Are you Jewish, by any chance?"
The fellow responded, "No, not at all." "So what's with the skullcap?" David asked. "Oh, that. My mother gave it to me years ago saying that if I ever got stuck on the highway and needed help I should put this on and I'd get help in no time. Hasn't failed me yet…" Part of a WholeWe are each but one musical note in the haunting and moving melody of our peopleSome mitzvot are communal obligations; others bind the individual. Some highlight the collective whole of our people; others draw attention to each unique piece of the Jewish puzzle.(An example of a community-based mitzvah is the biblical command to appoint a king. Far from a personal expression of faith and commitment, like Shabbat or kosher for example, this mitzvah focuses on, services, and obligates the nation as a whole.) There is, however, one particular "personal" mitzvah that teaches that even as we explore our individual path towards G‑d, our personal journey and destiny is deeply intertwined with, and part of the process and progress of our nation. We are each but one beautiful tree in a breathtaking forest, one musical note in the haunting and moving melody of our people: indispensable, perhaps, but part of a blessed whole. Sweet GiftsIt will be when you enter the land that G‑d, your G‑d, gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, that you shall take of the first of every fruit of the ground that you bring in from your land that G‑d, your G‑d, gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and bring it to place that G‑d, your G‑d, will choose to make His name rest there. Then you shall call out and say before G‑d… [The following verses can be summed up in two words:] "Thank you!"The mitzvah to bring the best fruit of our land as a display of gratitude towards G‑d for all that He does for us – as a community and as individuals – is by all means a deeply personal one. We each have so much to be thankful for in our lives. Upon reflection, life is much better than we (often) make it out to be. Just take a moment to think about how many of life's important gifts you possess. Journeying to the Temple was an annual moment of pause which provided a necessary shift of focusJourneying to the Holy Temple was thus an annual moment of pause which provided that necessary shift of focus. Figuratively, it represents the moments in our lives when we stop to put things into perspective and think about how much there is to be grateful for. Our sages break down the opening verse quoted earlier: "It will be when you enter the land that G‑d gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it." There's entering, possessing, and dwelling in a land. Entering it is the equivalent of passing through border control. One enters a land when his feet walk its soil. Possessing it means owning it. In the case of the Land of Israel, this came about through its conquest. Dwelling in it means apportioning the land to the people, without which the land's acquisition through conquest is meaningless. One can practically enjoy the land only when he can call a piece of it his own. For this reason, the obligation to bring of the land's fruit as a token of appreciation was reserved until after the land was apportioned. Until that point the joy and gratitude that people felt were incomplete. And here's where things get strange. Historically, the land's conquest took seven years, which was followed by seven years of apportioning. Both processes were gradual: as land was conquered it was allocated. It would be expected, then, that immediately upon receiving their piece of real estate, each family's obligation to express thanks would commence. It would be expected, that immediately upon receiving their piece of real estate, each family's obligation to express thanks would commenceAnd yet, according to the biblical commentator Rashi, that was not the case. The obligation of Bikkurim (bringing the first fruit to the Temple) began only after the very last piece of the land was distributed, when the land was settled in its entirety. The reasoning and message here is extraordinary. The Jewish people are not individuals of a community or a community of individuals; they are like limbs of a single body. When one limb – big or small, primary or secondary – is hurting, the entire body hurts. If even one faculty of a body is faulty, the body in its entirety is incomplete. In Judaism, one can have much, but not all, until every last member of the family is tended to. Until then, our joy and gratitude is lacking. The collective security and comfort of every last one of our people, no matter his level of affiliation or contribution, is essential to the happiness we each experience on a personal level. For this reason, in biblical times each individual Jew's personal show of gratitude was not made until every last family was provided for.1 The story is told of Rabbi Yechezkel of Kozmir, a great Chasidic master, who once visited his colleague, the legendary Rabbi Bunim of P'shischa. Towards the end of their conversation, Rabbi Yechezkel took out a box of snuff and offered some to his friend. After delighting in a whiff, Rabbi Bunim asked, "Tell me, Yechezkel, how did you know that precisely at this moment I needed some snuff?" Rabbi Yechezkel replied, "Tell me, Bunim, how the hand knows when the nose desires a bit of snuff…?" What's in It for Us?Did you know that only 15% of Jewish contributions go to Jewish causes?Does that shock you? It should. When it comes to giving charity the Talmud says,2 "Your poor [i.e., your impoverished relatives] take precedence over the non-related poor." Family comes first. What's in It for Me?Before tending to his own needs, the Rebbe participated in providing for the needs of anotherRabbi Chesed Halberstam would often help out in the Rebbe's home. He relates that he was once present when the Rebbe came home for dinner, and noticed that before sitting down to eat, the Rebbe walked over to a charity box stationed near the dining room table and placed a few coins inside.He eventually came to realize that this was a nightly routine of the Rebbe. Before tending to his own needs, the Rebbe participated in providing for the needs of another. What a beautiful custom.
Rabbi Mendel Kalmenson is the rabbi of Beit Baruch and executive director of Chabad of Belgravia, London, where he lives with his wife, Chana, and children.
Mendel was an editor at the Judaism Website—Chabad.org, and is also the author of a popular book titled Seeds of Wisdom.
© Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.
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Chai Elul
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The Jews in the shtetls were simple, but careful to keep mitzvot to the best of their knowledge. They set times for daily prayers and respected Torah learning. They were sincere Jews who tried their best.
But, for many, an ice had formed around their hearts. They did the right acts, but coldness permeated their souls. The hardships of life, the constant persecutions, the daily drudgery had wiped away their joy and grinded at their sense of purpose. The Jewish body was doing what it needed, but the Jewish soul was lethargic, semi-conscious. This was the state of world Jewry when the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the chassidic movement, began publicly disseminating his teachings on the 18th of Elul, 36 years after he was born on this day in 1698. This special day, which falls this week, also marks the birthday of his spiritual successor, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, who later established the “Chabad” branch of Chassidism. So, how did the chassidic movement rejuvenate the Jewish spirit? The Baal Shem Tov’s teachings are vast, but I want to focus on these three simple but profoundly deep ideas: 1) The Baal Shem Tov taught about the soul’s infinite power. Every individual—no matter how simple or learned, no matter your lineage, state of observance, talents, or where you fit into society’s hierarchy—is a child of G‑d, completely bound to G‑d, whose love for you is infinite and unconditional. And since you have this ongoing dynamic bond and relationship with G‑d, you too have infinite capabilities. 2) Since G‑d loves you so much, it follows that He constantly watches over you, and in fact watches over and determines even the minutest aspect of all of creation. Divine providence means that everything in our world, as well as every encounter we have, the good and the bad, is exactly as it is supposed to be, for a positive growth experience. 3) Knowing that everything is predetermined by G‑d, who has such overwhelming love for us, naturally creates a life filled with tremendous joy. Think about how G‑d is all goodness and wishes only good for you. Celebrate G‑d’s love for you and feel the joy in doing His will. It’s now the 21st century. We’re no longer living in shtetls across Europe, but in large skylined metropolises. We may be more sophisticated, but the hardships of life, the constant struggles, the daily drudgery wipe away our joy and grind at our sense of purpose. Our souls, too, feel lethargic. In the month of Elul, in preparation for the upcoming High Holidays, the Jewish soul begins to shine. Eighteen, in Jewish numerology, stands for life, chai. What an appropriate time to revitalize our souls, to infuse ourselves with lifegiving warmth, faith and purpose by focusing on these ideas and studying these teachings, so vital for our times.
Chana Weisberg is the editor of TheJewishWoman.org. She lectures internationally on issues relating to women, relationships, meaning, self-esteem and the Jewish soul. She is the author of five popular books.
© Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.
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Chai Elul
Who gave permission to reveal the secrets of millennia? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Adapted from Likkutei Sichot, vol. 30, pp. 170–175.
On Wednesday, September 2nd, at 8 PM Eastern Time, Chabad.org and JNet will be hosting an online talk by Rabbi Freeman on this maamar. Click here for the video page, which includes a chat box for your questions and discussion with other viewers. From Dawn to SunriseOn the 18th day of the Jewish month of Elul, two great luminaries entered the world. In 1698, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov was born in Okup, a fortress town in the Ukraine.1 Forty-seven years later to the day, in 1745, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi was born near Liozna, a town in present-day Belarus.2The Baal Shem Tov's star began to illuminate the Jewish world primarily after he settled in Medzibuz in 1740. Rabbi Schneur Zalman composed the revolutionary work for which he is best known, the Tanya, fifty years later.  The timing is significant: Jewish tradition divides history into six one-thousand-year periods, taking a cue from a verse in Psalms, "For a thousand years are in Your eyes as a day that has passed."3 The sixth millennium of the Hebrew calendar began in the fall of 1239 according to the secular calendar.A day has its turning points—sunset, nightfall, midnight, dawn, sunrise, noon. Dawn is the focal point, when the sun’s light begins to overcome the darkness of its absence. It comes out that the Baal Shem Tov’s arrival in Medzibuz was smack at dawn.4 The Baal Shem Tov arrived smack at dawn, Rabbi Schneur Zalman at sunrise.Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov taught that every person could serve G‑d out of humility, love and joy, drawing upon the esoteric teachings of the Kabbalah. His ideas spread rapidly, igniting the hearts of both simple Jews and scholars. And indeed, we have a tradition that if a person is in a coma, you must whisper that person's name into his ear. The core of his being will resonate with the call of his name and he will awaken. Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, then, was G‑d whispering our name, Israel, to awaken the entire Jewish nation from our slumber of centuries. Halachah places dawn 72 minutes before sunrise. With a little more math, we discover that fifty years later corresponds to sunrise. If so, the Baal Shem Tov’s light began to shine at dawn, while Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s began at sunrise.5 That’s significant. There must be some connection between the progression from dawn to sunrise and the succession of Rabbi Schneur Zalman to the Baal Shem Tov.6 The Prince and the Crown JewelTo find this connection, let’s look at two key stories of R. Schneur Zalman that tell us much about his relationship to the Baal Shem Tov and his innovation.The first story7 occurred during the lifetime of the Maggid of Mezeritch, the principal successor to the Baal Shem Tov. The Maggid was a master teacher, a genius in both Talmud and Kabbalah. He attracted an inner circle of tzaddikim whom he planted in positions of leadership throughout Eastern Europe—Rabbi Schneur Zalman being the youngest of them. Rabbi Schneur Zalman himself told this story. The Maggid had called for him, along with his colleagues Rabbi Leib Cohen and Rabbi Zusia of Anipoli, asking, “Please tell me what occurred at the time I was sleeping.” So Rabbi Schneur Zalman told him. A visitor had come to Mezeritch, one who had been a senior disciple of the Baal Shem Tov—the holy Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz. A strong difference of opinion divided the Maggid and Rabbi Pinchas. The Maggid taught all that he had received from the Baal Shem Tov openly, while Rabbi Pinchas was opposed to this practice, saying that such lofty matters must be treated with great caution. That day, Rabbi Pinchas had found two sheets of paper tossed about by the wind in the courtyard. Upon them were written the teachings of the Maggid. To him this was an outrage, and he let that be known. When Rabbi Schneur Zalman saw how seriously Rabbi Pinchas was taking the matter, he responded to him with a parable: There was once a mighty king who had an only son. When the king desired that his son rise in his stature of wisdom and might, he sent him to a remote island in a distant land. There he would study the natures of various plants and animals, and learn to hunt wild beasts and birds in dangerous places.When Rabbi Schneur Zalman completed his parable, Rabbi Pinchas began to laugh. He exclaimed, “What you say is right! You have provided a justification for this practice of teaching the inner secrets of Torah openly. How fortunate is the teacher who has such students!” All this Rabbi Schneur Zalman related to the Maggid in brief. The Magid then told his student, “You saved me. For in my sleep, I saw that there was a great accusation against me in the heavens—against me and against the teachings of my master, the Baal Shem Tov. But then I saw that you were standing and arguing on my behalf, justifying my actions. Your words were accepted and you brought merit to my teachings and the teachings of our master, the Baal Shem Tov.” The parable is deep and rich. Every detail alludes to something that a man with Rabbi Pinchas’ knowledge and wisdom would understand. The rest of us need it to be unpacked for us. But before we do that, let’s first visit another story. Visitors to the Prison Cell
Jail Hallway of the Petropavilovski Fortress Prison
These were politically turbulent times. Royal heads were rolling in the streets of Paris during the Reign of Terror that followed the French Revolution. The czarist regime was highly suspicious of anyone who might be inciting rebellion. In the fall of 1798, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was arrested on charges that his teachings and activities threatened the imperial authority of the czar. He was imprisoned in the Petropavlovski Fortress on an island in the Neva River in Petersburg. In his interrogations, he was compelled to present to the czar’s ministers the basic tenets of Judaism and explain various points of chassidic philosophy and practice. After 53 days, he was exonerated of all charges and released. During this imprisonment, Rabbi Schneur Zalman received two visitors from the World of Truth: his teacher, the Maggid of Mezritch; and his teacher’s teacher, the Baal Shem Tov. A long conversation ensued. The visitors provided their student answers to the questions of his interrogators and relieved him with the knowledge of his imminent release. Rabbi Schneur Zalman understood that whatever was happening in this world was only a reflection of happenings in a higher world. If there were accusations against him here, even though they were false, it must be that there were accusations against him above, in the World of Truth. Now that he had visitors from that higher world, he wished to determine why he deserved this, what had he done wrong, and what should be corrected. His esteemed visitors explained to him, “An accusation was made in the heavenly court that you are publicly revealing secrets of Torah, the crown of the King.” Rabbi Schneur Zalman then asked them, “How should I continue when I leave this place? Should I stop teaching Torah in this way? Or should I continue?” “When you leave here,” they told him, “you must continue as you did before. On the contrary, you must go even further.”“When you leave here,” they told him, “you must continue as you did before. On the contrary, you must go even further.” Which is just what Rabbi Schneur Zalman did. After returning from Petersburg, his teachings became yet more open and accessible to the human mind. Everything now came with an explanation and a clear metaphor, so that even simple Jews could grasp the divine. Telling SecretsYet the story raises a difficult question: How could Rabbi Schneur Zalman have had any doubts? How could he ask, “Should I continue or perhaps not?” This is the very same prodigy who had already defended his teacher, explaining why it was not only necessary but vital for the survival of the Jewish people to spread these teachings. With the passing of time, undoubtedly the situation of the prince of his parable had further deteriorated. If it was so vital back then to grind the crown jewels, how much more so now.What had changed now that his original argument was no longer effective? And why was there a new accusation, after the previous one had long been put to rest? To answer that, let’s go back to Rabbi Pinchas’s dispute with the Maggid. Let’s ask a simple question: Why should anyone have an issue with his teacher’s words being spread as widely as possible? Indeed, we find the Talmud placing strong restrictions on teaching “the hidden wisdom.” Even among the great scholars of the Mishnah, there were those who never felt ready to approach these teachings. Maimonides summarizes the statements of the Talmud in his ruling: The sages of the early generations commanded that these matters should be explained to only one individual at a time. He should be a wise man, who can reach understanding with his own mind. In such an instance he is given fundamental points, and an outline of the concepts is made known to him. He is expected to continue to contemplate until he reaches understanding with his own intellect, until he realizes the ultimate meaning and depth of the concept.And yet we find that the Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, greatest of all the Kabbalists, told his students that now in these later generations—he lived in the 16th century—it is not only permissible but a responsibility to reveal these teachings.11 How can a halachah change to such a degree? All of TorahEvery part of Torah, including its innermost secrets, belongs to every Jew.The answer is really quite simple: These teachings are Torah. All of Torah belongs to every Jew, and every Jew is obliged to learn the entirety of it. The first thing we teach a child, as soon as he or she begins to speak, is, “The Torah that G‑d commanded Moses is an inheritance to all the Jewish community.”1213 That includes every part of Torah, including its innermost secrets.The issue with the “hidden wisdom” is not the teachings, but the person who will be studying them. After all, these are highly abstract concepts delivered in metaphor and delicate allusions—yet they deal with issues at the very core of Jewish belief. As Nachmanides writes,14 when a person approaches such lofty concepts without the proper guidance—or is not open to such—he inevitably makes his own distorted and fallacious conclusions. Not only does he lose all the benefit the teachings contain, but his distorted ideas are liable to be harmful—both to himself and to others. Actually, this applies to the study of any part of Torah. The Talmud compares the Torah to a potion. What sort of potion? That depends. If a person merits, it is as a potion of life. But if he does not merit, G‑d forbid, then it is the opposite. How could the Torah, a tree of life, be a poison? The Zohar, Rabbi Chaim Vital and others describe at length how people who study Torah to feed their own pride and to attain honor and fame are like those who eat the shell of a nut and discard the fruit. The fruit is the closeness to G‑d achieved when immersed in this Torah that He gives us. But this person sees the Torah only as a means to display his own intellectual prowess. The Torah that was meant to provide him a sense of awe and bond him with G‑d instead becomes a source of yet greater arrogance and self-centeredness. In the case of the “outer wisdom” of Torah, the ruling is that he should study nevertheless. He is capable, after all, of learning with the right attitude, and eventually the Torah itself will lead him to discover that the fruit is better than the shell. At that point, all that he has learned will be redeemed. The same concern applies to the inner wisdom of Torah—but much more so, since he now prides himself on knowing the secrets of the cosmos when in truth he is spewing nonsense and even heresy. The difference is that in this territory there is no reason to believe that eventually he will have a change in attitude—in most cases, it is simply beyond his capacity to grasp the true meaning. Yet, eventually, knowing these innermost secrets of Torah will be the principal occupation for all of us. Maimonides writes this explicitly,15 describing the times of Moshiach: In that era there will be neither famine or war, envy or competition, for good will flow in abundance and all the delights will be freely available as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G‑d. Therefore, the Jews will be great sages and know the hidden matters, grasping the knowledge of their Creator according to the full extent of human potential, as it says: “The world will be filled with the knowledge of G‑d as the waters cover the ocean bed.”16  Quite clearly, at that time, knowing G‑d and all the hidden matters will take precedence over the study of the laws of Torah. If the entire world is filled with this knowledge as waters cover the ocean bed, obviously there will no longer be the restrictions of who can study and how many, etc.Keep in mind that this is the same Maimonides who presented us earlier with all the restrictions on the study of this wisdom—and who also writes categorically that all rules of the Torah apply forever. Obviously then, he also holds that these restrictions are a phenomenon of our times, when most people do not have the mind to fathom these things. In the times of Moshiach, when we will be free of the distractions of “famine or war, envy or competition,” and when “good will flow in abundance," then everyone will be capable of putting their mind to understanding these matters in all their depth—and so that will become the occupation of the entire world. But how about us? What makes it not only permissible but obligatory to publicize these teachings in our times? Needs of the TimeThere are two ways to answer this question:The first is that it is a responsive, emergency measure. Maimonides himself uses this rationale to justify his Guide for the Perplexed—containing what he himself calls “hidden matters.” In his preface, he writes that he is pressed to compose this work due to the number of Jews who have become confused and lost their path. Maimonides has a precedent. Originally, the twenty-four books of the Hebrew Bible were meant to be studied exclusively from a written scroll, and their commentary and explanation was to be transmitted exclusively as an oral tradition. There were, and still are, many reasons why this had to be the case. The absence of a written text compels the student to review the material until he has gained complete fluency, and to come to a much deeper understanding than he could through book learning;17 it retains the unbounded nature of the oral tradition that is ever expanding through discussion and new applications18—and more. But when the rabbis saw that Jews were spread throughout many lands, were unable to study with the same focus and clarity, and that these oral teachings were liable to be forgotten, they invoked the words of the Psalmist,19“It is a time to do something for G‑d, they have made void Your Torah.”20 That certainly doesn’t mean that they overrode any prohibition. To paraphrase Rashi’s explanation: When the times warrant special measures for heaven’s sake, the rabbis will adapt the way we learn Torah. What was good for the student at one time is not what is good for the student at another time, and taking that into account preserves the integrity of Torah. The same can be said about the restrictions on teaching esoteric matters of Torah: It is also a “time to do something for heaven’s sake.” The rabbis write of the tremendous descent of later generations. We are like a person in a deep slumber or coma, unaware of and unattuned to the holiness of G‑d and His Torah. Our environment—the world at large—has also descended into a much stronger spiritual darkness. The inner light of Torah has the power to awaken the inner, hidden powers of the human soul.Under such conditions, the only antidote is to unleash the power of the inner light of Torah—the centerpiece of the crown jewels. That light alone has the power to awaken the inner, hidden powers of the human soul. It empowers us to overcome the increasing darkness of our environment and to ride above our personal challenges from within. And it awakens our innate love for G‑d and awe of Him, so that we can serve G‑d with a whole heart. So at this point, the Baal Shem Tov arrived—a specially gifted soul who had tapped into the very core of the inner Torah, who had grasped the true meaning of the esoteric wisdom and saw how it applied to everyday life. He shared those insights in a manner that preserved their integrity while making them clear and accessible. As long as the messenger remained faithful to the Baal Shem Tov’s newly beaten path, to his explanations and metaphors, the danger of distorting the message was eliminated. And it was vital to spread this message as much as possible, to awaken the Jewish soul and to prevent spiritual disaster. Needs of the FutureThen there is a second reason: Moshiach doesn’t come without preparation.Indeed, there is a widespread Jewish custom, cited in Shulchan Aruch, that aside from preparing all our food on the eve of Shabbat, we should taste a little of each dish.21 In this way we fulfill the words of the Shabbat Musaf prayer, “Those who taste of it will be privileged to life.” By tasting of the Shabbat before Shabbat, we are privileged to enjoy Shabbat. By tasting of the times of Moshiach before Moshiach’s times, we are privileged to enjoy life in those times. Without preparation, the transition into the messianic era would require a drastic change to the natural order.Maimonides takes this very practically when he discusses the arrival of Elijah the prophet “to straighten up the Jewish people and prepare their hearts” for the times of Moshiach. That fits very much with his conception of Moshiach’s arrival—he is of the opinion that Moshiach can arrive without drastic change to the natural order. But for us to suddenly be thrown into a world of wisdom and divine revelation without preparation would certainly require a sudden and radical change of nature. Elijah’s arrival is then crucial, so as to create a transitional stage. Certainly this applies to the most central element of the messianic era—total immersion of the entire human capacity in the divine knowledge. Again, as described by Maimonides:22 The sages and the prophets did not yearn for the messianic era in order to have dominion over the entire world, to rule over the gentiles, to be exalted by the nations, or to eat and drink and celebrate. Rather, they desired to be free to immerse themselves in Torah and wisdom without any pressures or disturbances…Which means, as he proceeds to explain, that they will be able to immerse themselves in “grasping the hidden matters of the knowledge of their Creator.” For this, certainly there has to be some sort of transitional stage. And that is through openly teaching those aspects of the Torah’s innermost wisdom that have been revealed specifically in these later generations. Two Reasons Make Two Modalities Now, just as there are two reasons for this opening up of inner Torah in later generations, so there are two modalities by which it is to be delivered. Let’s compare these two modalities to two modalities of Torah study: Mishnah and Gemara.23These two are not simply two different texts—they are two different ways of engaging the mind. Mishnah is composed of tight little packages of dense information. It’s mostly about knowledge and basic comprehension. Gemara unfolds that information at great length, taxing the human mind to see this knowledge from all angles and all possibilities. if you just memorize what the Gemara says, even if you comprehend its meaning, you can’t be really said to have learned Gemara. You need to engage higher intellectual skills of abstraction and critical thinking—all of your mind. The same applies to the inner Torah. It too can be delivered in small, potent packages, or with extensive explanation that engages and nourishes the mind. That’s the term the Zohar uses. In the Zohar, Elijah the prophet tells Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai that when the Jewish people will be nourished from his book, they will be taken out of their exile with compassion.24 Just as it is with food, so with Torah: In order to nourish the person, it has to be well prepared, chewed and digested. As Rabbi Schneur Zalman wrote in his classic work, the Tanya, when you learn Torah with such mental focus that your mind grasps it, bonds with it and becomes one with it, then the Torah becomes nourishment to the soul. Rabbi Schneur Zalman introduced a way to fully digest, metabolize and bond with the inner wisdom using human intellect and intuition.And just as the Baal Shem Tov had introduced a style of precision-aimed droplets that eliminated the hazards of spreading this wisdom, so Rabbi Schneur Zalman introduced his method of Chabad—a way to share the full understanding and depth of the most esoteric teachings so that we can fully digest, metabolize and bond with it using human intellect and intuition. As for the original, raw texts of the Zohar and the Kabbalists, including the Arizal, these remain in their original status. The Baal Shem Tov himself warned against studying directly from them.25 Without the guidance of the teachings of chassidic masters, it is all too easy to grasp a superficial understanding alone—with all the hazards involved that we discussed above. …With a Difference Between ThemNow if the whole point of opening the floodgates of inner Torah in our times is spiritual resuscitation of the Jewish people, to counter the progression of darkness and descent of the generations, then all that’s needed is to reveal the basic points, paraphrased as much as possible. Because these tiny points of light also reveal the inner luminary of Torah, and that luminary has the power to revive souls. And if that is enough, no more should be revealed.But what if the inner Torah is being opened up in order to “to straighten up the Jewish people and prepare their hearts” for the revelations of the teachings of the messianic times—a time when we will have a complete grasp in knowledge of G‑d? That is the meaning of the Maimonides’ words, “according to the full extent of human potential.” His intent is not to limit the grasp we will achieve then, but to say that this grasp will envelop the entire human being with all his potentials and faculties. Similarly, the meaning of his words “as the waters cover the ocean bed” is that just as the ocean is the water that covers its bed, so the very reality of our world will be our comprehension of G‑d. In that case, then certainly the preparation must be in the same modality—engaging and encompassing the entirety of human capacity. Which is what is accomplished with Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s method, which he called Chabad. Back to the Stories Now let’s get back to our question about the two stories: If Rabbi Schneur Zalman had already provided an effective rebuttal to the first accusation, why did he have to answer to another years later? And how could he question whether he had taken the right path?The answer is that Rabbi Schneur Zalman had not just gone further than the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid, and their students—he had jumped to a whole new track, steam engine and locomotive included. This was sunrise, not just dawn. Not only was it time to awaken Jews from slumber, it was time to begin to greet the new day. The earlier teachings had been fine, precision-aimed droplets. But now was time for a flood—for total immersion.You can see this openly in their respective teachings. The content is much the same, but the mode of instruction is entirely different. The earlier teachings had been fine points of light, tightly focused and intense. Rabbi Schneur Zalman began Chabad—an acronym for Chochmah, Binah, Da’at (Conception, Comprehension and Consciousness), the three faculties of the mind. Everything was to be explained at length, looking from all sides and angles. Everything was to penetrate as fully possible into the realm of the human mind—not just the soul’s intuition, but a rigor of intellect to tax and penetrate the human brain. This new direction brought with it a new opposition from heaven. The parable of crushing the crown jewel for the dying prince was no longer an effective retort. Why? Because that parable is all about getting “just a drop” of the potion into the mouth of the prince to save his life. The teachings of the Baal Shem Tov were just that—the crown jewel of Torah, G‑d’s most precious gem. As we said, even a drop from this gem is enough to revive the prince. And it worked: The chassidus of the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid, their students and their students’ students for generations revived the prince. It’s thanks to those teachings that there are thousands and tens of thousands of whole-hearted, G‑d fearing Jews. So that was good. But now Rabbi Schneur Zalman began to reveal more than just droplets of Chassidus. He opened up rivers. Now the protests in heaven were renewed. After all, revealing Chassidus so expansively, to the degree of human comprehension that Chabad offers, goes far beyond what is necessary to save the life of the prince. Now it makes sense that Rabbi Schneur Zalman should once again have some doubts. Perhaps he should not have gone so far. Perhaps this is a sign from heaven that he has to stop. But his teachers told him otherwise. Through the self-sacrifice he showed sitting in prison, he had won his case Above. Now he could freely reveal Chassidus yet more expansively. Because this would be the preparation to “straighten the Jewish people and prepare their hearts” for the revelation of the hidden reasoning and depths of Torah that would be revealed with the coming of Moshiach, “as the waters cover the ocean bed.” Therefore:As always, the main thing is how this translates into practice. The Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid instructed their student Rabbi Schneur Zalman that he shouldn’t stop teaching Chassidus in his new, open style. Rather, he should take that even further. What does that mean for us?We have to immerse ourselves now in this inner wisdom in a mode similar to the time to come.For one thing, it’s a display of how vital it is for us to prepare ourselves for a time soon to come when the world’s entire occupation will be nothing else but the knowledge of G‑d. And the way to do that is through studying the inner Torah in a mode similar to those times—with understanding and comprehension. If so, we could be speaking even of someone who feels no vital need to study this inner Torah—and certainly not to sink his teeth into it and be nourished by it. He claims he can live without it and be a good Jew. He has halachah, he has Talmud, he has mussar. He reads the chassidus of the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid and their students. For him, that’s adequate to overcome the manifold darkness of the times immediately before Moshiach. Even if he is correct, how will he answer to the clear, practical ruling in the Laws of Torah Study that every Jewish soul must learn the entire Torah, “both the basic halachot and the allusions, exegeses and secrets?”26 In another generation, at another time, he had an excuse—a good excuse. He would not have been able to learn it then. But now that it has been made accessible, studying it has become incumbent upon every Jew. In a letter to his brother-in-law, the Baal Shem Tov told how he had ascended to the chamber of Moshiach in the heavens above, and asked him, “Master, when will you arrive?” The reply: “When your wellsprings will spread to the outside.” Which means that we must publicize and propagate the wellsprings of chassidus to every place, reaching even to the outside. And then we will soon be privileged with the coming of Moshiach and fulfillment of the prophecy, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of G‑d as the waters cover the ocean bed.” May it be very soon in our days, mamash. 
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, a senior editor at Chabad.org, also heads our Ask The Rabbi team. He is the author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth. To subscribe to regular updates of Rabbi Freeman's writing, visit Freeman Filessubscription.
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Chai Elul
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"My sheaf arose and also stood upright, and your sheaves formed a circle and prostrated themselves to my sheaf." Detail from "Joseph's Dreams" by Shoshannah Brombacher; pastel and ink on paper , 24 X 18 inches, New York, 2008. In the rabbinic tradition, and in the teaching of the second refinement, Joseph symbolizes the tzadik.
* * * A Tale of Two EditionsBeis Rebbi is one of the most enduringly influential and authoritative works of Chassidic historiography.1 Its author, Rabbi Chaim Meir Hillman (1855-1928), combined his knowledge as a consummate Chabad insider with the discriminate methodology of the modern historian. “It is now approximately thirteen years,” he wrote in the introduction, “that we have been searching, meticulously seeking, to clarify each thing definitively, by word of books and writers, and according to trustworthy sources.”2Hillman’s research relied on the documentary record to corroborate oral sources and assess their reliability, which allowed him to combine historical exactitude with the rich insight of well founded traditions. His documentary sources included letters in the handwriting of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812), the founding Rebbe of Chabad. His oral sources included the descendants and successors of Rabbi Schneur Zalman; the Rebbes of the different branches of Chabad Chassidism that flourished between 1866 and 1923. His native immersion in the culture and teachings of Chabad - an integrated synthesis in which knowledge of printed texts and extant manuscripts is deeply grounded in oral lore - lent a further edge to his historical sensitivity.3 In its time Beis Rebbi cast much light on the origins of Chabad, and on the life and times of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, also known as the Alter Rebbe, in particular. More than a century later it continues to stand as one of the most comprehensive, reliable and insightful resources available, even as new research and publications have done much to broaden the documentary record and enhance Beis Rebbi cast much light on the origins of Chabad, and on the life and times of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi in particular.our understanding of Chassidic history.4 The original Hebrew edition of Beis Rebbi is complemented by the two volume Yiddish version. Though much of the material overlaps, each contains hidden gems that cannot be found in the other.5 Rabbi Schneur Zalman was a disciple of Rabbi DovBer, the Maggid of Mezritch. But another important influence on his path as a master and teacher of the Chassidic tradition was the Maggid’s son, Rabbi Avraham, who was just a few years R. Schnuer Zalman’s senior.6 In two separate instances the Hebrew edition of Beis Rebbi mentions an episode concerning this relationship without fully sharing it with the reader: Initially he would avoid studying with the holy R. Avraham because he underestimated his greatness. Afterwards he recognized his greatness through an episode that occurred (and this is not the place for it), from then on he was drawn close to him and they studied together.7 Our Rebbe [i.e. R. Schneur Zalman] said that he learned the matter of the second refinement, which is explained in Chassidic teachings, from R. Avraham. And one of the rabbinic descendants of our Rebbe related a wondrous episode in this regard, and this is not the place for it.8Ostensibly, these references could be to two different episodes. One concerning the genesis of Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s relationship with R. Avraham, and another describing how the teaching of “the second refinement” was imparted to him. But an examination of the Yiddish edition reveals that these two episodes are actually one: When the Rebbe came to Mezritch, his teacher the Maggid told him to study together with his son Rabbi Avraham. The Rebbe was not pleased by this. He believed that R. Avraham was not such an immense personality, and therefore he deterred him till the following episode occurred. At that time, the Rebbe was very poor. More than the one shirt that he wore, he did not have. He would go to the river, where no one else was. There he would take off his shirt and wash it in the water until it was soaked. He would put on his coat [while waiting for his shirt to dry, and on one such occasion] sat down to review the Talmudic tractate Bava Metzia [from memory]. By the time the shirt was dry he had studied many folios of the Talmud. Then he put on his shirt and went home. As he went past the house where R. Avraham lived, R. Avraham opened the window and said to him, “It is frightening how crass the deeds of lowly creations are, they are not accepted on high! What could be better than a Jew who doesn’t have more than one shirt, and who goes alone to the river to wash it out, and who studies Bava Metzia till it dries - and yet this too is crass.” The Rebbe was very deeply affected by this. Firstly from the fact that R. Avraham knew of a thing that he had not seen. And secondly, from his words he understood that there are more ways to serve G‑d, finer and even more refined, which he does not yet know. He must learn them from R. Avraham who does know of them. Directly after this he drew himself close to R. Avraham and learned a great deal from him, ultimately following in R. Avraham’s path [of divine worship]. Regarding this episode he later said that he learned the matter of the second refinement from R. Avraham.9As recorded in Beis Rebbi, R. Schneur Zalman initially traveled to Mezritch because he wished to learn how to pray, and stayed once he was satisfied that the Maggid was an innovative Halachic scholar as well as a Kabbalistic master.10 But this episode about his relationship with R. Avraham seems especially significant, opening the way for a deeper understanding of the particular "...he understood that there are more ways to serve G‑d, finer and even more refined, which he does not yet know."kind of wisdom he ultimately found there. Unlike the other accounts about the factors he took into account when he traveled to Mezritch, this one depicts a distinct change in attitude. Before this episode R. Schneur Zalman avoided studying with R. Avraham, and in doing so was also not entirely receptive of the Maggid’s authority. It is further suggested that his scholarly diligence and accomplishment in the face of extreme poverty led him to underestimate just how much he had yet to learn, and how much more could yet be achieved in the personal and collective service of G‑d. More earth-shattering than R. Avraham’s awareness of how he had occupied himself at the riverbank was the revelation of a higher perspective from which his previous achievements could be considered crass. Even more intriguingly, while the other accounts cite more general concerns, this one links R. Schneur Zalman’s discovery of new paths in the service of G‑d to a specific Chassidic teaching. “The matter of the second refinement” might sound obscure and esoteric, but it actually refers to a teaching about one of the most identifiable features of Chassidism - the unique role of the righteous leader (the tzaddik). * * * A Different Kind of WisdomJews have always turned to their rabbis and scholars for instruction and advice, and often revered them as paradigms of piety and holiness. But the relationship between leadership and laity, between the individual and the community, can generally be seen as a pragmatic one, which remained peripheral to the personal service of G‑d. Chassidism, however, established the bond between the tzaddik and his followers as the beating heart of religious life. It is only through their relationship with the rebbe that ordinary people can draw the inspiration to fulfill their individual purpose, and only through his relationship with them that the rebbe can fulfill his purpose as a leader of the Jewish nation.11The elevated stature of the tzaddik, and the deep bond between the rebbe and the chassidim, is a central feature of every strand of the chassidic movement.12 But different Chassidic leaders and traditions construed the precise contours of the tzaddik’s role, and its many different aspects, in ways that vary R. Schneur Zalman’s approach was most distinguished by his insistence that the role of the tzaddik was not simply to inspire the general public, but to educate them.both subtly and substantively.13 These distinctions came to the fore as the Maggid’s disciples began to establish their own Chassidic courts, and intensified following his passing in 1772.14 Over the course of the following decades what began as a loose-knit group of scholars and mystics was transformed into a broad-based movement with vast popular appeal. R. Schneur Zalman’s approach was most distinguished by his insistence that the role of the tzaddik was not simply to inspire the general public, but to educate them. His foundational work, the Tanya, makes the esoteric knowledge and mystical practices taught by the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid systematically accessible to each individual according to their ability.15 The role of the tzaddik as a teacher is exemplified by Moses, as explicated in Chapter 42 of that work: Moses… is called shepherd of faith, meaning that he draws the aspect of knowledge to the community of Israel, that they shall know G‑d, each one according to the comprehension of his soul… Sparks of Moses’ soul descend and are vested in the bodies and souls of the wise men of the generation, the visionaries of the community, to teach knowledge to the people, that they may know the greatness of G‑d and serve Him with heart and soul, for service of the heart is in accord with knowledge…This passage describes the relationship between the community and the tzaddik in distinctly educational terms. But an earlier passage, which has sometimes been overlooked by scholars, implies that the relationship with the tzaddik is actually the source of all spiritual vitality. The sustenance and vitality of the life, spirit and soul of the masses is from the life, spirit and soul of the tzaddikim and wise men, the heads of the Jewish people in their generation. This explains the saying of our sages on the verse “and to cleave to Him” (Deuteronomy, 30:20), that “anyone who cleaves to a Torah scholar is considered as if attached to the divine presence itself.”16 For through cleaving to Torah scholars, the life, spirit and soul of the masses are bound and united with their primordial being and their root in [G‑d’s] supernal wisdom, and He and His wisdom are one… Even those who sin and rebel against the Torah scholars, the sustenance of their life, spirit and soul is from the external extremity of the Torah scholar’s life, spirit and soul.17The terms tzaddik, wise men, and Torah scholar are used interchangeably, echoing R. Schneur Zalman’s general emphasis of the rebbe’s educational role. But it is clear that the kind of vitality that the tzaddik transmits far exceeds the bounds of conventional knowledge, and that even those who consciously reject the tzaddik’s authority continue to receive it. Whether they know it or not, it is through the tzaddik that they are connected not only with their primordial selves, Through the tzaddik they are connected... with divine wisdom, which is utterly one with G‑d’s essential being.but with divine wisdom, which is utterly one with G‑d’s essential being.18 The true depth and breadth of the tzaddik’s educational project is better illuminated by R. Schneur Zalman’s discussion, elsewhere in Tanya, of the nature of wisdom as a deeply suprarational apprehension of the all-encompassing exclusivity of divine being: “Who is wise? The one who sees that which will be born [i.e. the future consequences].” (Talmud Bavli, Tamid 32a.) This can be interpreted to mean that he sees how each thing is born and created from nothing to something by the word of G‑d and the breath of his mouth… and that therefore the very existence of heaven and earth and all their hosts are utterly annulled… and considered literally as nothing… as the sun's rays are obliterated within the globe of the sun itself. And the person must not extract himself from the universal rule, his body, and his life, spirit, and soul are existentially nullified…19It is this kind of wisdom that the tzaddik embodies. It is this sense of selflessness in the presence of G‑d that the tzaddik transmits to all the people of the generation, and which has the power to inspire even the most lax of Jews to sacrifice their very life for their Judaism. Wisdom… far transcends understanding and comprehension… Therefore the revelation of the infinite, blessed-be-He, is vested in it, which no thought can grasp at all… Therefore even the most lax, and the sinners of Israel, will usually give up their lives to sanctify G‑d’s name, and endure torturous pain rather than deny the one G‑d… Because the one G‑d shines and vitalizes each soul through being vested in its aspect of wisdom, which transcends knowledge and rational that can be grasped and understood.20This last passage depicts an extreme scenario in which the aspect of wisdom is awakened even in the ignorant and the rebellious. But the ultimate goal of the tzaddik is to awaken that same sense of wisdom, of selflessness in the presence of G‑d, on a more constant basis. At the core of the relationship between the tzaddik and the community is his ability to connect them with the transcendent perspective embodied by the supernal aspect of wisdom.21 His educational role is to articulate this wisdom in terms that can be progressively internalized by each individual, such that their lowly sense of self is replaced with a sense of their dissolution within the all-encompassing being of G‑d. * * * Shattered SingularityAs has been discussed elsewhere, the Tanya is a tightly organized work, a systematic guide to Chabad’s methodological approach to the personal service of G‑d, presented in terms accessible to the widest possible audience.22 Accordingly, the above passages from Tanya highlight the seminal role the tzaddik plays in the divine service of each individual, and as the conduit through which divine wisdom flows to the entire community of Israel.R. Schneur Zalman’s oral discourses, in contrast, were often delivered to audiences who were already initiated in the methodology of Chabad, and in the more esoteric teachings of Kabbalah, which use anthropomorphic and gendered terminology to discuss the relationships between G‑d, the Jewish people and the world. In one sense the focus of these discourses is more localized, entering into concentrated discussions of specific themes and concepts. But in another sense the focus is more The second refinement invokes the Kabbalistic narrative of the shattered vessels and their repair, and uses gender to recast the role of thetzaddik within the universal hierarchy of the cosmos.universal, emphasizing the cosmic role that each individual plays. This brings us back to the teaching that R. Schneur Zalman learned from R. Avraham. The concept of the second refinement invokes the Kabbalistic narrative of the shattered vessels and their repair, and uses gender to recast the role of the tzaddik within the universal hierarchy of the cosmos. The Talmud describes the biblical figure of Joseph as a completetzaddik,23 and this teaching unpacks the symbolism of a dream that he narrates to his brothers: We were binding sheaves in the midst of the field. Then my sheaf arose and also stood upright, and your sheaves formed a circle and prostrated themselves to my sheaf.24The binding of the sheaves, and the subsequent prostration of the brother’s sheaves to Joseph’s sheaf, each represent a phase in the cosmic process of refinement. The first phase is the ingathering of all the diverse aspects of reality within the unified service of the one G‑d, as many stalks bound in a single sheaf. The second phase is the utter dissolution of all reality within the all-encompassing being of G‑d, which can only be achieved through submission to Joseph, the tzaddik.25 What is the difference between these two phases of refinement? And why can the second phase only be achieved through submission to theEntering the creative project, and extending into the realm of otherness, the formless singularity of G‑d shatters into the infinitely varied phenomena of finite reality.tzaddik? The answer to these questions, as explained by R. Schneur Zalman, lies in his conception of the entire cosmos as a series of divine refractions, or emanations. G‑d essentially transcends any limitation, form or duplicity. “In order that the phenomena of creations should come to be - which are in great multiplicity and separation… existing as independent entities, which literally contradicts the singularity of G‑d, beside whom there is nothing - [creation] needed to be through the shattering of the vessels…”26 Entering the creative project, and extending into the realm of otherness, the formless singularity of G‑d shatters into the infinitely varied phenomena of finite reality. This shattering gives birth to a vast cosmic spectrum, a hierarchy of being that is at once chaotic and orderly.27 At the apex of this hierarchy stands a divine realm of unity (olam ha-achdut, atzilut), a harmonious collaboration of distinct divine capacities, which yet represents an immense departure from G‑d’s essential singularity. At the hierarchy's nadir is the deep sense of otherness, the chaotic and fractured physicality of our own worldly experience (alma de-pruda, asiya), in which the scattered sparks of G‑d’s shattered singularity are yet embedded. 
"A hierarchy of being that is at once chaotic and orderly." Detail from "Darkness Dancing Into Light" by Yitzchok Moully, Acrylic and Ink on Canvas, 2013.
The distinction between the essential singularity of G‑d and the unity of the divine realm of atzilut is immensely significant.28 Singularity implies a single entity, undivided and indivisible. Unity implies a union of distinct parts, units integrated in a harmonious whole. The singular being of G‑d stands beyond any concept of the creative process, beyond any notion of otherness or multiplicity. It is only in stepping down from the singular essence of divine being that G‑d enters the narrow role of Creator and adopts the ten general attributes (sephirot, modes of divine capacity and manifestation) through which creation is orchestrated. It is due to the harmoniousOur service of G‑d in the physical domain extends the authority of divine kingship, and the unity that atzilut embodies, throughout the fractured hierarchy of being.collaboration of these attributes in the orchestration of creation that atzilut is referred to as “the realm of unity.”29 More specifically, the role of G‑d as Creator is symbolised by the lowest attribute of atzilut, malkhut, which translates as majesty or kingship; G‑d as majestic overlord of the entire universe, as the king to whose authority all existence must ultimately submit. The Torah and its commandments articulate G‑d’s unified vision for creation. The specific mission of the Jewish people is to transform the chaos of our this-worldly experience through the all-encompassing realization of that vision. Our service of G‑d in the physical domain extends the authority of divine kingship, and the unity that atzilut embodies, throughout the fractured hierarchy of being. The binding of the sheaves in the first part of Joseph’s dream, R. Schneur Zalman explains, symbolizes the reconstitution of unity from the chaos of creation: This is the meaning of “binding sheaves…” you gather a great many stalks, collecting them and binding them in one bundle… Initially the stalks were separated from one another and through this binding they become united. Exactly so is the concept of cosmic refinement and the raising of the aforementioned sparks when you raise them from the peaks of separation to become included in… the unity of G‑d, …in the aspect of literal oneness, having initially been in the aspect of separation and multiplicity… All this was the work of Joseph’s brothers who are of the realm of creation, and are accessories to malchut of atzilut…30As noted above, the unity of disparate entities in the service of the one G‑d remains a far cry from the utter singularity of G‑d’s essential being. Accordingly, the raising up of created reality to be incorporated within the domain of divine kingship, as achieved through the binding of the sheaves, is but the first step towards the ideal repair of the shattered cosmos. The earthly perception of G‑d as the majestic overlord of the universe, of G‑d and creation as distinct identities, can only be overcome by the apprehension of the all-encompassing infinitude of G‑d’s essential singularity, Wisdom is the emptying of all sense of self in the apprehension of the utter exclusivity of divine being.which is embodied by the loftiest rung of atzilut; the divine attribute of wisdom.31 In Tanya, as we have already seen, the soul’s faculty of wisdom, in which resides “the revelation of the infinite, blessed-be-He,” is identified as the catalyst for suprarational acts of selfless dedication to G‑d, even to the point of give up one’s very life. Truly selfless dedication, in other words, is not derived simply from a sense of G‑d’s majestic authority, nor from a sense of unified purpose. Authority is experienced as an imposition upon the individuated self. Unity is experienced as the integration of the individuated self within a greater whole. Both might motivate tremendous dedication, but neither can achieve the utter dissolution of all sense of self. Wisdom, however, sees beyond the self, beyond any hierarchical distribution of authority, beyond the differentiation that unity must wrestle with. Wisdom apprehends G‑d’s essential singularity. Wisdom is the emptying of all sense of self in the apprehension of the utter exclusivity of divine being.32 Here, this understanding of wisdom is extended beyond the realm of the individual and applied to the entire cosmos. The cosmic aspect of divine wisdom, hokhmah, apprehends G‑d’s transcendent singularity, extending a sliver of its unshattered manifestation into the differentiated realm of atzilut. The first phase of cosmic refinement raises all of creation into the divine aspect of kingship and unity; malkhut. The second refinement is achieved when hokhmah, and its selfless apprehension of divine exclusivity, is subsequently drawn into the realm of malkhut, so that unified existence becomes submerged in the ultimate state of cosmic singularity.33 * * * Dialectic UnionThis dialectical process of cosmic repair - with creation and hokhmah respectively ascending and descending into malkhut - is also described in the gendered terms of sexual union. In the kabbalistic tradition the cosmic shattering of divine singularity is paralleled with a cosmic reading of the Torah’s account of G‑d’s creation of the first woman.34 Initially, “male and female He created them,” that is, as a single entity incorporating both genders.35 But “it is not good for man to be alone,” and G‑d therefore performed an operation, separating the female from the male. It is because woman is of man’s flesh, the Torah tells us, that “man shall leave his father and his mother, and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” It is only as individuated selves that they can enjoy a reciprocal relationship, which climaxes in their ultimate union as one flesh.36In cosmic terms this narrative is read as the primordial divorce, the initial emergence of the hierarchy of being, of creation, otherness and duality, from the essential singularity of G‑d. The implication in this teaching is that the undoing of this divorce, the repair of the cosmos, can only be achieved when the masculine creator and the feminine creation turn towards one another in reciprocal arousal and once again unite in the ultimate The emotionally responsive experiences of the dance of human separation, courtship and unity are a model by which we can better appreciate the cosmic process of shattering and repair.dissolution of their separate identities.37 It is important to note that R. Schneur Zalman’s point here is not simply to dress up Kabbalistic theory in gendered terminology. Explicitly referring to the “physical analogy” of sexual union (mashal gashmi b’zivug zachar u’nekevah),38 his intention is to use the emotionally responsive experiences of the dance of human separation, courtship and unity as a model by which we can better appreciate the cosmic process of shattering and repair. This process, though achieved through the study of Torah and fulfilment of the commandments, is not simply a mechanical one. Like the dance of human courtship it is rather a living experience, marked by passionate love, awe, excitement and ecstasy, the interplay and merging of G‑d, humankind, and creation.39 Following this paradigm, the ascent of creation into malkhut and the corresponding descent of hokhmah are respectively referred to as feminine and masculine arousal. In the context of Joseph’s dream, R. Schneur Zalman explains, his brothers belong to the created realm, and their role is to “raise feminine arousal into malkhut of atzilut,” whereas Joseph is the tzaddik“who draws forth the masculine arousal, which is the revelation of the infinite that is vested in hokhmah… And in hokhmah the second refinement is refined.”40 The assignment of distinctly masculine and feminine roles to the tzaddik and the broader community respectively is not as clear cut as might be supposed. Though “the refinement of Joseph is far loftier than the refinement of his brothers,” R. Schneur Zalman emphasizes that: Since he was vested below, in a body, he was required to refine this lower refinement too, like the rest of his brothers. Accordingly it says “We were binding sheaves,” for we are all equal in this [obligation] to raise feminine arousal into malkhut. Only that after this refinement [Joseph says] “my sheaf arose etc.” meaning that he has an additional advantage due to his root… to draw down masculine arousal to refine with a second refinement the feminine arousal that has already been raised into malkhut.41Despite his masculine stature, in other words, the tzaddik must also participate in the feminine service along with the rest of the community. It is precisely because tzaddikim are vested within the physical world, the nadir of the fractured hierarchy of being, that they can restore it to its essential state of divine singularity. Accordingly, they too must participate in the first step along the path of repair, collaboratively submitting to the authority of Despite his masculine stature... the tzaddikmust also participate in the feminine service along with the rest of the community.divine majesty through Torah study and mitzvah fulfillment. Just as the masculine tzaddik also participates in the feminine service of the wider community, so the wider community participates in the service of the tzaddik. Too bound by earthly constraints, they cannot apprehend the utterly selfless perspective of hokhmah on their own. But, as symbolized in the second phase of Joseph’s dream, the second refinement is not left entirely to the tzaddik either. It is rather a relational process. In their receptive submission to Joseph his brothers also become receptive of selfless sublimation within the singular essence of divine being. After all, it is only when the distinctly masculine and feminine aspects of the cosmos become seamlessly one that the ultimate repair is complete.42 In R. Schneur Zalman’s words: This refinement is not within the power of the other brothers, for their station is in the realm of creation, which is far lower than atzilut. Accordingly it says “your sheaves formed a circle and they prostrated themselves to my sheaf” in the aspect of utter nullification, for without the masculine arousal of Joseph their feminine arousal will not be totally incorporated within divinity. Only through the masculine arousal of Joseph who refines them a second refinement are they sublimated in true selflessness, and this is the meaning of “and they prostrated themselves…”43A close reading of this passage reveals that the phrase “and they bowed themselves” is vested with a dual meaning. Initially it represents their “nullification” or submission in the face of Joseph’s superior station; without his mediation they cannot become fully incorporated within G‑d’s essential singularity. But in its second occurrence this prostration comes to represent their ultimately successful sublimation within the “true selflessness” of the second refinement. In a further exploration of the symbolism of prostration, or bowing, R. Schneur Zalman highlights the inherent reciprocity of this dialectical union: Bowing includes two aspects. The first is the aspect of submission, that one submits and prostrates oneself… The second is the aspect drawing down, that one inclines one’s head, drawing it downward. And in truth each of these aspects is dependent on the other…44Individual and communal submission to divine authority remains an incomplete process of refinement without the tzaddik’s communication of divine wisdom. “When the brothers raised feminine arousal into malkhut they needed to arouse the descent of masculine arousal in atzilut, because through this is the The tzaddik’s transmission of divine wisdom is... an intentionally directed response inspired by the initiative of the community.primary refinement.” Accordingly, the initial process of submission is not only endowed with a sense of preparatory anticipation and receptivity, but also with the express intention of initiating the ultimate union mediated by the tzaddik. The tzaddik’s communication of divine wisdom is likewise ineffective except when contextualized by a receptive community. R. Schneur Zalman illustrates this point by invoking the ideally intentional and reciprocal nature of the physical union of man and woman. “There is no arousal without intention,45 and the masculine arousal is not manifest except after there is a feminine arousal.”46 It follows that the tzaddik’s transmission of divine wisdom is not simply prefaced by the community’s submissive receptivity to divine authority, but is actually an intentionally directed response inspired by their initiative. Neither the tzaddik nor the individual members of the community can achieve their purpose in a vacuum. It is only through their complementary relationship, through their mutual receptivity and initiative, that ultimate refinement and singularity can be apprehended.47 * * * Chassidim Are Not AloneThis teaching, as transmitted by R. Schneur Zalman, has reached us in two versions. The passages cited above are drawn from the longer of them, which presumably dates from a later period of his leadership.48 The shorter version is far more cryptic, but one of its manuscript variations is headlined “a teaching of our master, teacher and rebbe, may he live,” indicating that it was transcribed during R. Schneur Zalman’s lifetime, apparently by someone who had heard the teaching from him first hand. It also includes a postscript, “all this [was taught] in the name of the rabbi, our great master, the master of our master, Avraham, the tzaddik who is remembered for life in the world to come.”49Rabbi Schneur Zalman famously titled Tanya, his magnum opus, “a collection of sayings,” attributing his teachings to the chassidic masters he had received from.50 But he only rarely provides specific attributions for specific teachings.51 The fact that he attributes this particular teaching to R. Avraham lends support to the implication in Beis Rebbi that it was the concept of the second refinement that marked the transformative genesis It was the concept of the second refinement that marked the transformative genesis of R. Schneur Zalman’s relationship with R. Avraham.of R. Schneur Zalman’s relationship with R. Avraham.52 In light of the substance of this teaching it is worth revisiting the episode recorded in Beis Rebbi. While waiting for his only shirt to dry at the river bank, R. Schneur Zalman diligently studies many pages of the Talmudic tractate Bava Metzia from memory. When he returns to the town he encounters R. Avraham, who he has been avoiding in defiance of the Maggid’s instruction that he learn with him. In a direct assault on R. Schneur Zalman’s sense of security, accomplishment and self-worth, R. Avraham expresses dismay that even R. Schneur Zalman’s deeds “are not accepted on high,” relegating them to the category of “crass… deeds of lowly creations.” It is this assault that brings R. Schneur Zalman to recognize “that there are more ways to serve G‑d, finer and even more refined, which he does not yet know,” and to learn “the matter of the second refinement” from R. Avraham. It seems reasonable to suggests that this episode was not simply one step along R. Schneur Zalman’s path from Talmudic scholar to Chassidic devotee, and ultimately Chassidic master. It was, rather, the pivotal moment in which he apprehended the central distinction of the Chassidic path, the moment he realized that true service of G‑d can never amount to the achievements of any one individual. Without submitting to the authority of the Maggid, without becoming receptive to R. Avraham’s instruction, his service of G‑d could never be more than the “crass deeds” Alone, we are fractured shards, mired in crassness, unable to extricate ourselves from the physicality of creation.of a “lowly creation.” The central tenet of Chassidism, that without a committed relationship to the tzaddik the service of the individual can never be complete, had previously eluded R. Schneur Zalman. But R. Avraham’s harsh words shattered his complaceny and opened the way for him to embark on an entirely new path of divine worship. As his own disciples and successors would later express it: “The path of Chassidism… is the great G‑dly accomplishment that the rebbe is not alone, and the chassidim are not alone.”53 Alone, we are fractured shards, mired in crassness, unable to extricate ourselves from the physicality of creation. The tzaddik may be a visionary, a seer of singularity and repair, but alone his vision must remain a dream. It is only when the tzaddik shares his wisdom with us, and only when we open ourselves to share his vision, that mutual empowerment can be obtained.54 The scope of R. Schneur Zalman’s educational project is pithily captured in saying attributed to his great-grandson, Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn of Lubavitch (1834-1882, known as the Rebbe Maharash): To [cleave to] the Baal Shem Tov it was enough to be connected (mekushar). That is to conduct oneself in practice according to his directive… To [cleave to] the Maggid you had to learn. Connection was insufficient, rather you had to be in his proximity, to see him and to learn from him and from his conduct. With my grandfather the Alter Rebbe, connection was not enough, neither was seeing and learning from his ways. You had to understandhim. And those who understood him were very different from other Chassidim who were connected to him, and even from the great conceptualizers [of Chassidic thought].55Though not explicated in either version of R. Schneur Zalman’s teaching, the encircling of the brothers’ sheaves around the sheave of Joseph might symbolize the sense of communal togetherness experienced in the presence of the “The path of Chassidism… is the great G-dly accomplishment that the rebbe is not alone, and the chassidim are not alone.”tzaddik. What R. Schneur Zalman does explicate is that the relationship with the tzaddik goes far deeper. The chassid cannot simply ride the wave of the tzaddik’s visionary inspiration. The chassid must toil to unite all aspects of life in submission to the majestic authority of G‑d, and ultimately to assimilate the tzaddik’s apprehension of selfless wisdom and the dissolution of all things within the utter singularity of G‑d’s essential being. The tzaddik’s role is to lead the individual away from selfish loneliness, along the path of community, unity, and cosmic wholeness, to the boundless selflessness of G‑d alone.
Eli Rubin is a writer and researcher. He is chiefly interested in chassidic thought and history, rationalism and mysticism, as well as general Jewish studies.
Image by chassidic artist Shoshannah Brombacher. To view or purchase Ms Brombacher's art, click here
Artwork by Yitzchok Moully.
© Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.
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Chai Elul
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What are the ABC’s of Chassidism?
Many chassidim would respond with the classic story1 of the Alter Rebbe’s chassid Reb Moshe Meisels, who served as a French translator but was a hidden spy for the Russians in the war against Napoleon. Once, while Reb Moshe was sitting in the French war room, Napoleon rushed over to him, put his hand on his heart and said, “You are a spy!” Ordinarily, someone who was so accused would have sudden heart palpitations. But Reb Moshe’s heart-rate didn’t change, and the charge was dropped. Later, Reb Moshe said, “The alef of Chassidus saved my life.” The way the story is usually told, the alef (the ABC’s, or the most foundational aspect) of Chassidus refers to the Alter Rebbe’s dictum in the Tanya that the mind should rule the heart—we ought to have intellect govern our emotion. Reb Moshe’s mindfulness and self-control in that sudden and stressful moment kept his heart from racing. Chabad Chassidus, while passionate, engaging and heartfelt, is a deeply intellectual philosophy. The name “Chabad” is actually an acronym for the three faculties of intellect as explained in Chassidus. The “mind over heart” principle is a core teaching of the Tanya and no doubt was the chassidic training that saved Moshe Meisels’ life. But if you take a closer look at how Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880-1950) tells the story,2 the ABC’s of Chassidus are something different: The well-known chassid Reb Moshe Meisels of Vilna, one of the younger students of the Alter Rebbe, told the great scholar and famous chassid Reb Isaac of Homil: “The alef of Chassidus saved my life. The (Alter) Rebbe taught us that the alef of Chassidus is to utilize one’s nature in the service of G‑d. The outset of one’s spiritual efforts is to employ the nature of one’s abilities; for example, the way the mind rules the heart by its very nature.”So in truth, the alef of Chassidus is to utilize one's nature—the natural processes of human psychology, one’s inborn characteristics and emotions, talents and abilities—in the service of G‑d. “Mind over heart” is just one example of that. At the most elementary level, we do not need to go beyond ourselves in order to serve G‑d, we just need to dedicate ourselves to G‑d as we are. As the Alter Rebbe urged Reb Shlomo Karliner: “Don’t speak disparagingly of those with natural fear of G‑d.”3 We ought to take advantage of our natural gifts and not dismiss them. The stories and teachings of the Baal Shem Tov reflect this. There’s the story of an illiterate farmer boy who couldn't find his way in the prayerbook on Yom Kippur, so instead he cried out a rooster call: “Cock-a-doodle-doo!” The Baal Shem Tov extolled it as a heartfelt prayer that pierced the heavens.4 Once, in a marketplace, the Baal Shem Tov shared the Midrash of a poor Jew who used a bundle of greens to lead the fattened ox of a wealthier man to the Temple. The poor man’s greens may only have been an accessory to the rich man’s sacrifice, but the natural joy and devotion that he expressed was far more desirable to G‑d than any fattened ox. A water-carrier who overheard the Baal Shem Tov’s tale was in turn inspired to serve G‑d joyfully, deciding to sacrifice some of his income from serving wealthy clients and instead carry water for the lower-paying synagogues.5 The Baal Shem Tov helped people realize they could serve G‑d with what was natural and familiar to them. The Rebbe often encouraged people to make the most of their talents and abilities, skill sets, training and circumstances. “If you were given this, then it is a sign you must do something with it” was an oft-repeated reply of the Rebbe to many people seeking advice. As the Rebbe’s HaYom Yom states: Each individual’s avodah (life’s work) must be commensurate with one’s character and innate qualities. One who can drill pearls or polish gems and instead works at baking bread can be considered a “sin,” though baking bread is a most necessary craft.6Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn recalled a Simchat Torah farbrengen (chassidic gathering) of his father, Rebbe Shalom DovBer, where he used a wordplay on two meanings of the Hebrew word maalah, which means both “an advantage or virtue” and “a step on a staircase”: Just as one may not delude oneself concerning one’s weakness, so one may not delude oneself concerning one’s own strengths. . . . Just as the knowledge of one’s weakness affects his labors, for this flaw needs to be rectified, so should a maalah, one’s strengths, bring about benefit and growth.Think of this in terms of education: students should know their strengths, and they should build on those strengths. As we learn in Proverbs, “Educate a child according to his way”9—we should recognize each student’s unique path and reach him or her through that focus. The ABC’s start from within ourselves, like Jacob’s ladder—standing on the ground and reaching for the heavens. It begins with our personal nature, with all of its strengths and shortcomings. Traditional Jewish texts refer to the good and bad inclinations within a person, one to be followed and one to be rejected. But the Tanya uses the term “animal soul” instead of “evil inclination.” The goal is not to reject the animal soul, but to harness its energies and channel its strength. Ideally, we are to love G‑d with both our animal soul and our G‑dly soul, incorporating all aspects of ourselves into our service. The alef of Chassidus is validating and empowering: true service of G‑d is natural and accessible. As the verse on the Tanya’s title page expresses it, “It is very near to you.”10 There’s no need to go far. You already have it within.
Rabbi Mendel Rubin and his wife, Raizy, co-direct the Shabbos House Rohr Chabad Jewish Student Center in Albany, New York. He also teaches at the local Maimonides School.
© Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.
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Jewish Geography
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As a journalism student in the late 1970s, I was given an assignment to write about a minority group. I chose to write about a group far from the mainstream at UC Berkeley. The campus in those days, right after the end of the Vietnam War, was full of freethinkers, dedicated to doing what felt good. The Berkeley Chabad House was a bastion of solid Torah values mixed with an openness to all, as well as delicious Shabbat dinners. Join me in a stroll down memory lane, as we read a shortened version of that feature.
Late Friday afternoon, the sun begins to set behind the San Francisco Bay, turning blue skies to pastel pinks and fiery oranges. The sunset will summon the Orthodox Jews who pray at the Chabad House in Berkeley to begin the observance of Shabbat. Chabad House, established here five years ago, used to be a fraternity house, and is located in the heart of “frat row” on Piedmont Avenue. Now it is a house of prayer, with offices upstairs for the Chabad staff, and rooms for several male residents downstairs. Outside, a “Chabad” sign adorns the door, and an eight-foot-tall wooden menorah stands proudly on the front porch. To the side of the house is a garden. As the sun sinks lower, people begin to arrive, alone and in groups, donned in their Sabbath best. Before sunset, a few women light Sabbath candles. Rabbi Chaim Zev Citron, 29, one of the three Chabad rabbis in Berkeley, pulls a chair up in the front of the main room. People begin to gravitate toward the couches and chairs formed in a semi-circle, to hear Rabbi Citron speak. First, Rabbi Citron asks for questions. They need not deal with the portion of the week, he emphasizes. “You know,” he says, “harboring a question is a federal offense.” Everyone smiles, and someone asks a question about different interpretations of the Garden of Eden. The rabbi pauses, gives several interpretations, jokes a little, and takes on other questions. He is a learned man with a quick sense of humor. One might be surprised at his liveliness, since he gives the appearance of being very serious, with his dark clothing, hat and full beard. His four-year-old son, Arieh, climbs onto his lap. “What is that?” he inquires, pointing to his father’s wristwatch. “It’s a watch, Arieh,” the father responds. “Is it muktzeh (an item that should not be handled on Shabbat)?” Arieh asks with eyes wide. Upon receiving a negative answer, Arieh goes off to play, and Rabbi Citron realizes it’s time to daven (pray), as the sun has been set for some time. In the part of the room where the prayer service commences, the men and women are separated by a curtain. It is open at the front, so all can see the rabbi who leads the prayers. The leader is Rabbi Chaim Itche Drizin. He has a beautiful voice, and the congregants rock back and forth as they join him in the singing parts of the service. At one point, all turn around toward the west, to symbolize turning to welcome the Sabbath bride. After the prayer service, one of the rabbis invites everyone to stay for dinner, and about half of the crowd does. The majority are students. Two are professors with their wives. Most of the crowd is young—under 30. The oldest rabbi is Yosef Langer, 31. Recently, I was invited to the Citrons. As I had not been observant for long, I was a little nervous, but they made me feel right at home. When I was passed a small cup of kiddush wine, I made the mistake of passing it to the person next to me, as a sign of courtesy to my neighbor. Rabbi Citron smiled as he said, “Our custom is not to pass up a mitzvah, so when you get the cup, you drink and you just send the next one along to your neighbor.” Surprisingly, I did not feel reprimanded at all. I just felt like here was someone who loved all Jews, who was educating me non-judgmentally. After Shabbat, I sent the Citrons a thank-you note (a “bread and butter note,” as my mother called it, which for her was obligatory when you went to someone’s home for a meal). The next time I saw Rabbi Citron, he smiled as he said to me, “Your thank-you note was very nice. But please know that although we have many customs, it’s not a custom to send a thank-you note for a Shabbat meal. It’s our pleasure to do the mitzvah of having guests, and you help us to do it!” Rabbi Yosef Langer is in charge of the Chabad House. He explains that it is run for traditional (Jewish) purposes for non-traditional students. It gives young men a chance to live in a totally Jewish environment while learning about Judaism. Rabbi Citron explains, “In this day and age, there is a need to reach Jews. We’re so materialistic and secular. Chabad’s response to [this] basic need has to do with theology. We believe that there is an inherent connection with G‑d that can’t be lost, only obscured. Chabad is making a conscious effort to bring Jews back to Judaism. It’s unique in all of Jewry today.” After dinner, the group breaks up into geographical clans, bound for different directions. Most will return for Saturday morning services, and will stay for lunch, and perhaps will come back for the afternoon class on the portion of the week, followed by the afternoon service, a third meal, the evening service, and finally havdalah, the service which concludes the Sabbath. The small group that stays through havdalah will exit together. Shabbat is over. The faithful will be back next Shabbat, and the next, and the next. This was my Berkeley Chabad House experience. For me, the Chabad House helped me keep my commitment to live as an observant Jew. As a busy student, it would have been difficult for me to put together my own Shabbat meals, and I would have not have had the sense of community that was so rich at the Chabad House. My experience at the Chabad House stays with me, as I myself try to welcome guests to my home for Shabbat who would otherwise not have a place to go. Even all these years later, I remember things I learned from Rabbi Citron and Rabbi Drizin’s wife, Leah. I repeat them at my table. And when I don’t make it to the synagogue on Friday nights and I pray at home, I sing the old tunes from Berkeley, which are still my favorites.
The rabbis mentioned in this article are no longer at Chabad of UC Berkeley, and have since moved on to other positions.
Jolie Greiff is a journalist and a mother. She lives with her husband and two children in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel.
© Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.
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How could they rejoice? If the centerpiece of the king’s royal crown were to be removed, the crown would lose its beauty. Nevertheless, they were compelled to tell the king what they had found—and where.A Classic Chabad Melody for Selichot
This melodies opening reveals the remorse of the remorseful spirit, while the conclusion voices a strong hope for the acceptance and fulfillment of the worshippers' petitions to the Almighty
Listen (3:42)
http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/140676/jewish/Rachamono.htm
http://www.chabad.org/140676
Lyrics:
Transliteration:
Ra-cha-ma-nah de-on-yei la-a-ni-yei a-nei-nu, ra-cha-ma-nah de-an-yei le-te-vi-rei li-bah a-nei-nu.
Translation:
O Merciful One, Who answered the poor, answer us; O Merciful One, Who answered the broken-hearted, answer us.
Liturgy
From a concluding prayer in theSelichot service. The opening bars reveal the remorse of the remorseful spirit, while the conclusion voices a strong hope for the acceptance and fulfillment of the worshippers' petitions to the Almighty. The melody was introduced by the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, on the holiday of Simchat Torah in 1959.
Composed or Taught By
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
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• Preparing for Judgment Day with Joy? (By Moishe New)
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http://www.chabad.org/140676
Lyrics:
Transliteration:
Ra-cha-ma-nah de-on-yei la-a-ni-yei a-nei-nu, ra-cha-ma-nah de-an-yei le-te-vi-rei li-bah a-nei-nu.
Translation:
O Merciful One, Who answered the poor, answer us; O Merciful One, Who answered the broken-hearted, answer us.
Liturgy
From a concluding prayer in theSelichot service. The opening bars reveal the remorse of the remorseful spirit, while the conclusion voices a strong hope for the acceptance and fulfillment of the worshippers' petitions to the Almighty. The melody was introduced by the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, on the holiday of Simchat Torah in 1959.
Composed or Taught By
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
More in Multimedia:
• Preparing for Judgment Day with Joy? (By Moishe New)
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://embed.chabad.org/multimedia/mediaplayer/embedded/embed.js.asp?aid=3031459&width=auto&height=auto"></script><span style="clear:both;" class="lb" id="lbdiv">Visit <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish.TV</a> for more <a href="http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/default_cdo/aid/591213/jewish/Video.htm">Jewish videos</a>.</span>
• The Rebbe's Campaign for Jewish Education (By Mendel Kaplan)
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NEW YEAR
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NEW YEAR
Starting Early Sunday Morning: Selichot | ||||||||||
You walk into synagogue. It’s well past midnight, but there are dozens of fellow Jews gathered there. In the front, cloaked in a tallit, the leader is about to begin the service. You quickly open your book to “Selichot for the first day.” But what exactly are Selichot? Let’s have a look together.
Selichot (alt. Selichos) n.communal prayers for divine forgiveness, said during the High Holiday season or on Jewish fast days. In a NutshellWhile most Jewish services are held during the day or early evening, High Holiday Selichot are the exception, held in the wee hours of the morning. Drawing from a plethora of biblical verses and rabbinic teachings, they are a soul-stirring introduction to the Days of Awe.In Ashkenazic tradition (the focus of this article), the first night of Selichot is the biggie, held after midnight on a Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah.1 In some larger congregations, this service is led by a cantor and choir and can take well over an hour. In smaller, more informal congregations, it may take less time than that. All subsequent Selichot are conducted just before morning prayers, generally with less fanfare. The liturgy for Selichot is not found in most prayerbooks; rather, it is found in special Selichot booklets, with a different selection for each day. You can see the complete Hebrew service here. The actual Selichot are a collage of Torah verses and poetically written Hebrew works in which we ask G‑d to forgive us on a personal and communal level. An oft-repeated phrase is the “13 Attributes of Mercy,” which G‑d revealed to Moses at Sinai as the key to forgiveness. This is the core of the entire service, and since it is considered a communal prayer, you may only say this line when praying with a congregation. For most of Selichot, the leader chants the first and last line of each paragraph, allowing the congregation to read most of the paragraph to themselves. Here are some landmarks:
When Are Selichot Said?We start saying Selichot several days before Rosh Hashanah. According to Ashkenazic custom, the first Selichot are recited on Saturday night after “halachic midnight,”and a minimum of four days of Selichot must be observed. Therefore, if the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Thursday or Shabbat, Selichot start on the Saturday night immediately preceding the New Year. If Rosh Hashanah falls on Monday or Tuesday,2 Selichot commence on the Saturday night approximately a week and a half before Rosh Hashanah. Starting on the Monday morning following the first midnight service,Selichot are recited daily before the morning prayers until Rosh Hashanah (except on Shabbat, since the penitential prayers are inconsistent with this peaceful, joyous day).Sephardim recite Selichot throughout the entire month of Elul. Most Jewish communities continue reciting Selichot throughout the Ten Days of Repentance, the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. According to Chabad custom, however, Selichot are not said during these days, with the exception of the third of Tishrei, when Selichot are recited as part of the commemoration of the Fast of Gedaliah.3 The fourth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch, once asked his illustrious father, the Tzemach Tzedek, why Chabad communities do not continue saying Selichot during the Ten Days of Repentance. “My son,” he responded, “now is no longer the time for words. Now we must translate words into deed . . .” More on the Selichot LiturgyUnlike a conventional service, Selichot does not include the Shema or the Amidah, but it does have some of the same characteristics of a typical (afternoon) service: it begins with the Ashrei (Psalm 145) and Half Kaddish and ends with a Full Kaddish.The introductory and concluding sections of the Selichot text are the same every day, consisting essentially of biblical passages and ancient prayers. The middle section varies; it contains selections of prayers (piyutim) for each day in a special order, with common supplications such as the repeated appeals to the divine attributes of mercy. The middle section also has a special pizmon (hymn with refrain) for each day. The piyutim were composed in the Gaonic period and shortly thereafter (approximately between the 9th and 12th centuries of the common era). Their authors include some of the greatest authorities of that time, such as Rav Saadiah Gaon, R. Gershom Meor Hagolah, R. Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi), and members of the group of Ba'alei Tosafot. Most of them inserted their names by way of acronyms or acrostics. Their compositions invariably use biblical phrases or paraphrases, and oftentimes references to, or paraphrases of, rabbinic teachings. Another common feature of the piyutim is their poetic structure, and most of them follow the order of the Hebrew alphabet. (This is also true of several prayers in the concluding section.) There are many more piyutim than those that appear in any given service. Different communities made their own selections of which piyutim to recite, and thus evolved a variety of customs or versions for the Selichot. The various texts were originally local choices, but once a custom is adopted on a communal level, one is bound to follow his community’s custom and cannot change it by omitting, adding or exchanging piyutim.4 The Midrash relates that King David was anguished when he prophetically foresaw the destruction of the Holy Temple and the cessation of the offering of the sacrifices. “How will the Jews atone for their sins?” he wondered.
Rabbi Menachem Posner serves as staff editor for Chabad.org.
© Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.
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New Year
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My almost three-year-old twin grandsons came running inside calling for "Bubbe." I couldn't understand what they were jabbering about, but they were practically breathless. My daughter Elkie was able interpret that they wanted to show me the hentie, Yiddish for "hand."
Together, Betzalel and Levi pulled me out the front door of their house and led me down the street to a parked car. There was an arm hanging out of the trunk. "It'sThere was an arm hanging out of the trunk not real—look!" I assured them with complete, adult confidence. As I moved closer to touch it, the twins screamed in terror. I must admit that my heart skipped a tiny beat when I picked up and squeezed the hentie; it was lifeless, but eerily complete with knuckles and fingernails. It took me a split second to remind myself that I had nothing to fear "See? It's not real!" I repeated, shaking the hand up and down. Both boys inched toward the car and tapped the hand, first one twin, then the other. Thrilled by their own bravery, they each gushed, "Not real!" and "Me touch it!" all the way home. I wondered what their young minds processed. Were they scared that the arm belonged to a person stashed in the trunk, or were they just troubled by the sight of an arm without a body? I tried to explain to them that we don't have to be afraid of things that aren't real, but as I was about to say that we only have to be afraid of things that are real, I stopped myself. Instead I told them firmly, "You're Jewish, so you don't have to be afraid of anything except Hashem (G‑d)." It was a bold statement, I admit. I figured they will get plenty of lessons on what they need to be careful with in the physical world, whether it's crossing the street or talking to strangers; everyone knows that protecting our bodies comes first. But I wanted to strengthen their spiritual world, which is why I still talk about seeing the hentie and what we learned from it. I do that in order to remind myself as well. So that all three of us can remember that the physical world is a vehicle, but never an obstacle, to serving G‑d. (The fact that these two boys look like they're on their way to being built like linebackers is beside the point; they need to understand that a Jew's true strength is spiritual, not physical.) G‑dOnly recently has fearlessness taken root in my soul willing, these boys will get a Jewish education that also inculcates "fearlessness." Fearlessness that grows from learning that G‑d created the world as a vehicle for Torah and the Jewish people. Fearlessness that stems from knowing that G‑d has a "desire" for His "Chosen People," and that everything we see in the world is an outgrowth of this love, a love that will be fully expressed in the messianic era. Fearlessness that comes from understanding that G‑d is not just with them, but in them. I had to wait until I was an adult to learn about life from this perspective; only recently has fearlessness begun to take root in my soul. And even when I am feeling fearless, I often find myself asking what I should do with it. The good news is that it's a new year. G‑d is adding more light to the world, making it easier for the fearlessness within every Jew to surface. It's available to all of us, if we aren't afraid to access it.
Lieba Rudolph lives in Pittsburgh, PA, and writes a weekly blog about Jewish spirituality.
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Lifestyle
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If you have memories of eating your bubbe's teiglach, I hope this recipe will excite you. If you're not yet familiar with the Rosh Hashanah classic, allow me to introduce you: Teiglach are treats made from small pieces of dough, doused in a sticky, sweet honey syrup, mixed with nuts and dried fruits and formed into little mounds.
 Some of you might be scratching your heads about this recipe, because of the nuts. There is a strong custom to avoid nuts on Rosh Hashanah. You can read more about that here. If you do not eat nuts on Rosh Hashanah, you can make these as a pre-Rosh Hashanah treat, or you can just leave out the nuts and add some extra dried fruit. I wouldn't call this recipe difficult, just a bit messy and possibly time-consuming. The sticky syrup can leave you with quite a clean-up job, so keep it mind from the get-go that you want to keep it contained as much as possible. Traditionally the dough is shaped into balls, but I used squares to make it quicker. This way you can just roll the dough out and cut with a knife. If you want to stick with the round shape, you can roll the dough into ropes and then cut the ropes into pieces.   There are three ways to cook the dough: fried, baked or actually cooked in the honey syrup. I found it easiest to bake and then mix the pieces into the syrup.  You can mix in the nuts and dried fruit of your choice. That part is up to you. You can see I used quite a variety. Also, do not skip the lemon zest or ginger in this recipe.  The syrup is tooth-tinglingly sweet, and the lemon and ginger help cut through that, providing fresh undertones and making it more palatable.  Just look at that oozy stickiness! Ingredients:
Directions:
 Did you eat teiglach as a child? Share your memories below!
Miriam Szokovski is the author of the historical novel Exiled Down Under, and a member of the Chabad.org editorial team. She enjoys tinkering with recipes, and teaches cooking classes to young children. Miriam shares her love of cooking, baking and food photography on Chabad.org’s food blog, Cook It Kosher, and in the N’shei Chabad Newsletter.
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Lifestyle
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Robert Kremnizer is a successful lawyer with a private practice, having specialized in Commercial Law and real estate, now evolved into a large private Mortgage Fund. He is also a well-known teacher and author who has published four books on Jewish philosophy. Eight years ago after a health scare, Robert was inspired to reconnect with his art practice after a hiatus of thirty years. He trained intensively with the Julian Ashton teacher Ben Smith and has emerged realizing his potential as a talented artist. With a distinctive style and use of color, Robert produces contemporary realistic portraits and figure paintings which are both vigorous and dynamic, using paradoxical graded color to express three dimensional volume.
© Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.
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Jewish News
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Rabbi Yale and Rickelle New began Friendship Circle of Atlanta in December 2011, soon after the couple married. From their home in the Toco Hills neighborhood near the heart of Georgia’s capital city, they have worked tirelessly to grow the program from its infancy to a thriving resource, matching teenage volunteers with children who have special needs.
“When we first started, we had about 10 participants and 20 volunteers,” says Rickelle New. “We now have 80 participants and 120 volunteers!” A native of Atlanta, the rabbi grew up 25 minutes north in the suburb of Sandy Springs, Ga., where his parents, Rabbi Yossi and Dassi New, have run Congregation Beth Tefilah and Chabad Lubavitch of Georgia for the past three decades. Rickelle New is originally from Melbourne, Australia. Friendship Circle is one of the fastest-growing Jewish organizations for children with special needs. With 79 locations around the world and growing, it has forged friendships between 5,000 kids and nearly 11,000 teen volunteers. “The teens are craving to make a difference,” says Rickelle New. “They are so dedicated to their special friends. Some started for the community-service aspect, but they continued for that unparalleled feeling of impacting someone’s life in a positive way. It changes not just their special friend, but themselves as well.” A Community Opens Its DoorsThe young Chabad couple also works to spread the word about their mission. “One of our challenges is getting Friendship Circle out there. We want to make it a household name,” explains New, “so that even if you don’t have a child with special needs or don’t volunteer, you still know who we are and what we do.” 
Volunteer Ruthie Tanenbaum and Etai
And, of course, part of the program is also intended to offer some respite to the parents. “Receiving calls from parents describing the impact their volunteer has had on their family goes beyond words, and email from volunteers and their parents expressing how much volunteering has brought to their lives makes it so rewarding,” she says. “It’s this kind of feedback that makes the hard work, late nights and challenges well worth it.” And one of the highlights, she adds, is being at the programs and “seeing those smiles.” During their annual volunteer recognition event, the 300 attendees gave thunderous applause and a standing ovation to guest speaker Richard H. Bernstein of the Michigan Supreme Court, the first-ever blind man to be elected to such a position. He took office on Jan. 1 of this year. His being there, affirm the News, was “a true celebration of overcoming adversity.” 
Rabbi Yale and Rickelle New, co-directors of Friendship Circle of Atlanta
‘He Can Be Himself’One mother (parents asked that their names not be used out of concern for their children’s privacy), says of her daughter’s experience with Friendship Circle: “Rachel loves belonging to a warm and caring group of people. This has given her a feeling of self-confidence when she approaches others in the community, as well as new situations. “She’s not as shy, and she is willing to strike up a conversation more freely,” says this parent from Atlanta. “She lights up when she sees someone from Friendship Circle outside of one of the programs, whether it’s in shul or at the store.” Another mom from Cobb, Ga., writes: “My son, Zach, has a group to go to that accepts him as he is. He doesn’t have to worry about saying or doing something odd, and he can be himself.” Indeed, the program is equally beneficial for the volunteers, with lots of similar testaments as to how their lives have changed through their involvement. “Through this program, I have had the chance to get to know Marla, and learn about the obstacles she and her parents face,” says volunteer Michelle Nelkin. “I believe that forming a relationship with Marla has made me a better person because she and her loving family inspire me to be more accepting, caring and patient. In all, I’ve gained perspective, appreciation and a whole lot of friends!” 
Volunteers like Jules Shelkoff, center, also work with adults, inluding Erica St. Lifer, left, and Beth Lafferman.
As Rickelle New explains of the teen volunteers: “Some started for the community-service aspect, but they continued for that unparalleled feeling of impacting someone’s life in a positive way. It changes not just their special friend, but themselves as well.” From left are Ben Massey, Avi Greene, Michelle Nelkin, Robyn Fox, Rachel Colonomos, Menucha Sperlin and Chaiky Lipskier.
© Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.
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Jewish News
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The Myer and Ann Cohen Chabad House at the University of Pittsburgh, co-directed by Rabbi Shmuel and Sara Weinstein, will celebrate its 27th anniversary at a dinner event on Tuesday, Sept. 1—on Chai Elul, the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Elul (and when the Chabad House became official in 1988). It is an auspicious date on the Chassidic calendar; the founder of Chassidism, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, was born on this date in 1698, and on the same day, 36 years later, he began to disseminate his teachings publicly. It is also the birthday, in 1745, of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder and first Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, who often referred to himself as the Baal Shem Tov’s “spiritual grandson.”
This year’s honoree is Dr. Kathy W. Humphrey, the university’s senior vice chancellor for engagement and chief of staff, who arrived on campus in 2005. Of her numerous honors and awards, she has been chosen Pitt’s “Administrator of the Year” for the past four years by the student body. More than 300 people are expected at the dinner. Some 17,694 undergraduates are enrolled at the university for the 2015-16 academic year, with an estimated 10 percent of them Jewish, approximately 1,800 students. The Weinsteins are assisted in their work by two other couples: Rabbi Shmuel and Chasi Rothstein, who work with undergraduates; and Rabbi Shua and Shoshana Hoexter, who run graduate-student programs. Humphrey, 53—married to husband Lyle and the mother of two grown twin sons, Daniel and David—grew up in Kansas City, Mo. She earned her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate in the state, and held various positions at Saint Louis University and at the University of Central Missouri before coming to Pennsylvania. Sara Weinstein says of Humphrey: “She is a friend of Chabad who connects and cares and gets the job done. She holds one of the highest seats at the university, yet she is always looking to include more voices. When appropriate, she calls to ask us for our perspective on certain issues. That’s crucial today on college campuses.” 
Dr. Kathy W. Humphrey
One example, explains Weinstein, is that this past year, Humphrey was instrumental in helping bring in a line of freshly cooked hot kosher food as part of the meal plan served in the university dining hall at the highest level of kashrut (under the supervision of the Vaad of Pittsburgh with a Chabad mashgiach.) “This was a big step,” she notes, “and a diversion from compromising policies at other universities.” Q: Dr. Humphrey, when did you first meet the Weinsteins, and what were your initial impressions? A: I remember asking to meet with them early on, and we talked for a long time. I wanted to be a real partner with them. I was impressed by the effect they have on students’ lives as a niche organization. They’re there to help better connect students with the university, with the community and with a sense of home life. It was natural that I fall in love with them because they fall in love with my students. 
Humphrey with Rabbi Shmuel Weinstein and students at the school as they hold a “Mitzvah Marathon.”
A: At the Chabad House, students have a place to go to remind them of who they are and to keep them culturally connected, as well to offer them a taste of home. This opportunity is there for our students, and that really connected me to the Weinsteins. Each week for Shabbat, they cook a meal not knowing how many people will come, and the meals are open to every student, Jewish and non-Jewish. They do this every single week. That’s an amazing commitment. Q: It seems you were so enthralled by Shabbat dinners that you now make this an annual event that you host personally? A: I do. The Weinsteins come and transform my home. They move the furniture and set up places for about 40 people in the living room. They bring in all the food and run the service. I don’t prepare a thing, and my kitchen is not used at all; everything that comes in is strictly kosher. Sometimes, I help set the table. It’s the easiest reception I ever host because all I do is open up my home. When students come to my home like this, I learn so much about their experiences at the university. They open up. Once they start eating, they tell you a lot of things. And that’s how you get to know and connect to people, one conversation at a time. Q: What else do you like about these dinners? 
Humphrey with students before Passover, encouraging participation in seders there.
Q: Speaking of food, you were integral in getting the highest-standard kosher dining options available to students in the 2014-15 school year. Can you explain the hows and whys of going about this? A: Our goal at Pitt is to provide as inclusive and as diverse an experience as possible. We believe that every person here plays a vital role in the community, and we want to make sure that every person here is welcomed. So when a group of students came to me and expressed concerns about the lack of kosher-food options, we aspired to find a solution. I approached the Hillel Jewish University Center and Chabad Rabbi Shmuel Weinstein to ask for their help. We learned that neighboring Carnegie Mellon University offered some kosher options, so we took a tour of their facilities. Next, we turned to Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Dr. Jim Earle, who oversees our housing department, and he—along with Abdou Cole in dining services, Associate Vice Chancellor Eli Shorak and some of our Jewish students—worked to create a kosher option that met the needs of all Jewish students. Dr. Earle and dining services were instrumental throughout this process and deserve to be recognized. On that trip to Carnegie Mellon, we also reviewed their reflection space and decided to create a similar space for our students. The William Pitt Union now features the “Mind, Body, and Soul Center,” where students can relax, reflect, pray, workout or study as they see fit. It’s a priority that students feel at home while they’re here—from the housing, to the study spaces, to the recreation facilities, to our dining options. So this was important for us to address, and I’m glad that we were able to find a solution. 
Rabbi Shmuel Rothstein, left, and Chasi Rothstein, right, work with Jewish undergraduates at Pitt. Another couple, Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries Rabbi Shua and Shoshana Hoexter, run graduate-student programs.
A: Honestly, none before here. There were no large populations of Jewish students at the other universities where I worked, not like in Pittsburgh (where the university is adjacent to the Jewish neighborhood in Squirrel Hill). I’ve learned so much about the Jewish faith since meeting the Weinsteins. In fact, I was just at their son Levi’s bar mitzvah; I’ve seen their kids (11 of them) grow up. I have a real friendship with this family. And I am constantly amazed at how well the children are able to participate in services, ceremonies and events. Although I am Christian, I am familiar with the scriptures; they resonate with me. The Weinsteins, they are living out these scriptures every day. I’ve learned so much about the Jewish faith since meeting them. I remember one Shabbat dinner when we were talking about Noah, and the lessons of rain and water, and a huge rainbow appeared outside where we were having the meal. It connects. They are providing a nurturing mechanism for students to worship, to create a stronger belief for themselves and to evaluate that belief at the same time. Students are trying to find their way. The first year, they just attempt to acclimate. Their next task is to figure out: “Who am I, and what am I to do with who I am?” They find answers everywhere—sitting in classes, chatting on the floor of a residence hall, talking with a staff member. It’s part of the growth and development process. Faith-based organizations also offer an environment to ask such questions. Students need a place where they know they are not alone, even though sometimes that’s how it feels. 
Rabbi Rothstein with students at a cookout. Kosher dining options have increased at the university as a direct result of the involvement of Humphrey and other staff members.
A: A university is a microcosm of the larger world. We try to help them understand and care for one another, to learn. It’s a place where all thoughts are examined. We have had controversial speakers; we don’t censor them. I remember being worried about one in particular—I can’t even remember who—we thought might say anti-Semitic remarks, and we wanted to calm things down first. When I have a concern or a question in regards to the Jewish community, I’m going to call the Weinsteins. They are my experts, and I use them as resources. Sometimes, I call them first to see how something will sound. I want to make sure the message I send out is appropriate; there’s no sense in making mistakes when I have friends. I will call Hillel, too. I use all my resources. As a note, at Pitt, we focus on civil discourse. In fact, we ask students to make a “promise of civility.” They need to have a respect for others. Q: What was your reaction to being honored at the upcoming Chabad annual dinner? A: I was absolutely floored! Really. It’s funny being awarded for something you truly love to do because it seems like you are already awarded in your work; it’s like double-dipping. More importantly, we can’t do it alone. We need everybody to help us raise a generation of successful young men and women. I’m constantly looking for those who will partner with me to do so, and if you have a partner out there like the Weinsteins, you’re in great shape. We are not just educating the mind, but the whole person, the whole student. Every year at this time, you get new life coming to campus—new opportunities, a rebuilding. Every year, it’s different. You never know what’s going to happen, but what we do know is that you have to serve these students where they are. 
From left: Rabbi Weinstein, University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Patrick Gallagher and Rabbi Rothstein
The extended Weinstein family
Making challah at the Chabad House are, from left: Sara Weinstein; Mylynda Massart, faculty advisor to the Chabad House; Humphrey; and Shoshana Hoexter, who directs graduate-student programs on campus with her husband, Rabbi Shua Hoexter.
Humphrey kneads the dough.
Braiding the dough
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Jewish News
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While sports players and other celebrities often visit children in hospitals, it’s rare that the two end up putting tefillin on together. It’s rarer still that the experience becomes the start of a long-term plan to spread awareness and raise money for other sick kids.
Avi Newhouse, 13, from the New York metropolitan area, is currently in the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital undergoing treatment for a rare form of lymphoma that has robbed him of the ability to ingest food and has pretty much put his life on hold. Jon Moscot, 23, a California native, is a rookie pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. Together, the two are busy making plans to encourage athletes to wear gold this September to draw attention to pediatric cancer. They were brought together by two Chabad rabbis: Yisroel Mangel of Cincinnati and Eli Baitelman of the Pacific Palisades, Moscot’s hometown. “It all began,” explains Mangel, “when I saw a post on social media from Avi’s mother, Leah Newhouse, asking if anyone knew of a professional athlete who would be able to visit her son, an avid Yankees fan who could use a bit of cheering up. I immediately thought of Jon, whom I had been introduced to by his rabbi, Rabbi Eli Baitelman.” Moscot says his inspiration for visiting children in the hospital—something he has done before—and reaching out to others in need is a value he learned as a child attending Hebrew school, services and other celebrations at Chabad of Pacific Palisades, directed by Rabbi Zushe Cunin. 
Moscot says at first, Avi was lying lethargically in bed, though he lit right up and started talking baseball.
‘He Perked Right Up’Before the visit, Mangel, director of the Chabad Jewish Center in Cincinnati, told Moscot that he would be bringing tefillin for him to put on—something the ball player admits he had neglected in the years following his bar mitzvah at Chabad.When the rabbi came into the room with the tefillin bag, Leah Newhouse turned to him and said with surprise, “How did you know?” Avi had been putting on tefillin every day with the help of his father in the months since his bar mitzvah. But since his father was not present that time, she had been wondering who would help her son do so that day. 
Putting on tefillin, which Moscot admits he has neglected in the years following his bar mitzvah.
Moscot would later learn from Leah Newhouse that their visit was the first time Avi had smiled in a week. Then the two strapped up in tefillin and took a few minutes to say the Shema prayer. In the days since their meeting, Moscot says the two have been in regular contact via text as they coordinate Avi’s effort to enlist athletes to wear special wristbands and gold colors next month in support of pediatric cancer. “Going through chemo tires you out, makes you nauseous, makes you weak,” Newhouse posted on Instagram. “Most people just see pediatric cancer as ‘the cute bald kids running around in Disneyland,’ but trust me, it’s really not like that.” 
Rabbi Yisroel Mangel, director of the Chabad Jewish Center in Cincinnati, with Moscot and Avi.
© Copyright 2015, all rights reserved.
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Jewish News
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For many young adults, college is a time to find themselves, making decisions on everything from their academic majors to their peer groups, social lives and daily schedules. For some, it’s also the first time they have been in charge of one of their most basic necessities: what to eat.
Once they get to campuses in the United States and around the world—specifically, those schools with significant Jewish student populations or the presence of a campus Chabad center—young Jewish men and women can grapple with the idea of eating kosher. Chabad on Campus International can help them do so, by giving them the tools they need to learn about this mitzvah and how to go about observing it. To that end, Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries are distributing 2,500 free paperback copies of Going Kosher in 30 Days! by Rabbi Zalman Goldstein to college students at various locations across the country. It’s timed to the start of the new academic year. “We are delighted to be able to offer this practical resource to students who seek to explore this fundamental mitzvah of eating kosher,” says Avi Weinstein, director of administration at Chabad on Campus International. The giveaway, which is being underwritten by the Rohr Family Foundation, comes as the Chabad movement marks the 40th anniversary of the kashrut campaign launched by the Lubavitcher Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—back in 1975. “A person’s nature depends in a very large extent upon the foods and drinks that he consumes for they become transformed into one’s flesh and blood,” the Rebbe declared in a speech on June 25, 1975. He went on to say that “in order for the mind to be lucid and to reach clarity in its comprehension, one’s food must not be coarse and crude, for that would affect one’s intellectual powers.” Breezy, Comprehensible, Relatable
Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries are distributing 2,500 free paperback copies of this book to college students across the country.
Still, it does break down the rules about what kosher is and isn’t in a breezy, comprehensible and relatable manner. In the book, the author notes that living on one’s own is perhaps the easiest time to make the move to keeping kosher because “you can shop and prepare your food any way you want.” He provides readers with different steps to take each day as they move forward in their journey to keeping kosher. That way, notes Goldstein, kashrut can be gradually introduced into people’s lives. There is also a section on eating out, with practical tips and guidelines. 
Author Rabbi Zalman Goldstein
Given how much juggling college students do already, the gradual approach seems like a sound approach, speaking to students one lesson at a time.
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Chabad.org Magazine - Editor: Yanki Tauber
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