***************************************************************** L'CHAIM ISSUE No. 22 ***************************************************************** 29 Av, 5748 Parshat Re'ei August 12, 1988 ***************************************************************** THE WEEKLY PUBLICATION FOR EVERY JEWISH PERSON Dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson N.E. ***************************************************************** TRENDS IN EDUCATION Accountability, whole language experiences, individualized guided instruction. Even though it's summertime, topics in education still find their way into the news, reminding us how important we consider education in this country. Even if we don't have school-age children, we are often at least familiar with some of the trends in the field. Take, for instance, a teaching method that has been receiving praise, known as "peer tutoring." In peer tutoring, both students involved are expected, even required, to play an active role in their own education; one student teaches and the other student learns from him. In the end, both students benefit from this one-on-one arrangement. A slightly different version of peer tutoring, appearing in the Gemara, credits its founder with keeping Judaism alive! Rabbi Chiya succeeded in keeping Torah alive among the Jewish people. How did he accomplish this? He sowed and reaped flax, then spun the flax into threads which he wove into nets. With the nets he trapped deer, feeding orphans with its meat and preparing the skins into parchments. Onto the parchment, Rabbi Chiya wrote out the entire Torah. After all this was completed, he still was not finished. Rabbi Chiya, himself a great sage and scholar, went to a town that had no teachers and taught a different one of the five books of the Torah, and the six books of the Mishna to 11 different children. Then he said to them, "Until I return, teach each other the Torah and the Mishna." Rabbi Chiya enjoined the children to teach each other even before they themselves had mastered all the other parts of the Torah and Mishna. Each child's first obligation was to teach what he knew to his friends. Today, we must be the Rabbi Chiyas and his students. There are many Jewish children without even a minimal Jewish education. By using Rabbi Chiya's methods, we can be instrumental, in our own way, in keeping Judaism and Torah alive. If we know the alef-bet, or a bit of Jewish history, a brocha, or a Jewish law, we should find someone who doesn't have this knowledge, a child or even a peer, and "tutor" him. Then, we should feel free to study more ourselves. ***************************************************************** LIVING WITH THE TIMES ***************************************************************** THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION ***************************************************************** The Torah portion of *Re'ei* opens with a foundation of the Jewish religion--free choice. G-d says to the Jewish people, "Look, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: the blessing, that you will hearken to G-d's commandments...; and the curse, if you will not hearken to G-d's commandments..." (Deuteron-omy 11:26-28). Why did G-d create the world so as to necessitate blessings and curses? Why did G-d create something to stand in the way of good, to make it difficult for us to do what is appropriate and right? Evil alternatives exist to allow for free choice. If there was only good in this world--no chance for a person to behave in a questionable manner--he couldn't freely choose to do good; he would be forced to do good for lack of alternatives, by default. In order to have options, there have to be at least two different routes. Then, a person can use the free choice to choose the correct path. Freedom to choose one path of action over another is a fundamental principle of Judaism. It is at the very core of the advantages of a human over other created beings. Other creatures don't have this option of free choice; their actions are based on natural instincts and environmental training. Only man has such an advantage. The concept of reward and punishment revolves around choice. If there is no choice, there is no room for reward and punishment. A person can receive a reward for his good deeds because he has free choice. It is therefore understood that the existence of the opportunity to do "bad" is not to make a person evil, but the opposite. Wrong exists only to allow a person to choose right. The opportunity to do bad, therefore, wasn't created to prevent a person from accomplishing what he needs to. In fact, it is to push the person toward the correct path, a path to be traveled on in the midst of freedom of choice and desire. Knowing that "bad" exists only to encourage us toward the good, also gives us the ability and strength not to be intimidated or overwhelmed by the bad. Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. ***************************************************************** SLICE OF LIFE ***************************************************************** THE COMPETING "RABBI" When Tuviyah Kaplan came to Berkeley, California, he was searching for a trainer who would add 10 meters to his javelin throw and 50 centimeters onto his long jump. But he found much more. He rediscovered his spiritual being at Berkeley's Chabad House, where he had come to stay when he was broke and homeless. "I didn't know how to spell Chabad five months ago," says the 49-year-old bald-headed weight lifter with piercing blue eyes, a trace of a South African accent and a hearty laugh. "Then I met Rabbi Yehudah Ferris who helped me discover my spiritual being." The Israeli real estate salesman turned master of sports came to Chabad House and within a month, became house manager, juggling his duties with sports, training and intensive Torah study. At Chabad House, Kaplan says he discovered that winning gold medals wasn't as important as being an observant Jew. And he could do both. "I want to become known as the competing rabbi," he says with a broad smile. "I want to bring as many Jews back to Judaism as possible. To become a world champion is easier than becoming a rabbi." Kaplan plans to use his athletic abilities to show the world that Judaism and championship sports go hand in hand and to use the sports arena to reach more Jews than he could within the four walls of a synagogue. And the double image is evident in his life: Wearing a grey sweatshirt and navy sweatpants, he dons talit and tefilin to pray. A few hours later, he is sprinting with a yarmulke on his head. A self-proclaimed "sportsaholic" who twice nearly made the Olympic team, he has learned that spiritualism supersedes physical prowess. Last fall, he jumped, sprinted and threw discus and javelin to compete in the pentathlon in the World Masters Track and Field Championship in Puerto Rico only to tear his leg muscles minutes before his moment of glory. His most harrowing experience, however, was not as a competitor but as a spectator. After losing out to the newly immigrated David Berger and Josef Romano, who represented Israel in the 1972 Olympics, he visited them in Munich. They invited him to share their room in the Olympic Village but he decided not to move in that night, as he had already unpacked his bags at the hotel. That night, Arab terrorists struck, murdering 11 Israeli athletes, including Kaplan's two friends. At that time, he felt lucky. But it took 12 years for his life priorities to change. "I never liked being number two," he says. "But now when I pray to G-d, it's not to win, it's that I get to yeshiva and that yeshiva and I get on well together." His dream is to study at the Yeshiva at Kfar Chabad in Israel. Ironically, it took a sports injury and a stay at the Chabad House in Berkeley to plug an Israeli into his roots and imbue traditional Judaism within him, says Kaplan. That spark came from the spirituality, warmth and fervor at Chabad House. "Rabbi Ferris was my inspiration," says Kaplan. "After Friday night services, I went to his house for a meal. I told a friend, 'There is no man in the whole world I love like Rabbi Ferris, he's young enough to be my son and I'd rather be like him than a world champion.'" Now, Kaplan no longer trains on Shabbat. Instead the 5'6", 148-pound weight-lifter, who can lift 250 pounds and run like the wind, *davens* and studies Torah on the Sabbath. He feels at home with himself as a Jew who has rediscovered his roots and the *pintele yid* (spark of Jewishness) within him. ***************************************************************** WHAT'S NEW? ***************************************************************** SUMMER RESORT MITZVA BOUTIQUE Tourists to the popular Lake George Village, in upstate New York, are being surprised by an unusual store located among the arcades, boutiques, restaurants and other tourist attraction. It is a "Mitzva Boutique," displaying Judaica items and information, and sponsored by Chabad. Rabbi Israel Rubin of Albany, director of Chabad of the Capital District, said, "We serve the people, and go where they are. The point of being at Lake George is that, though we get away on vacation, we don't get away from Jewish tradition. The boutique is staffed by two rabbinical students, who also organized a Tisha B'Av servie at the request of area tourists. CHABAD HOUSE DEDICATIONS A new Chabad House is being dedicated this Sunday, August 14, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The many Chabad activities taking place under the direction of Rabbi Yosef and Sarah Weingarten, will finally be housed in one building; a nursery and preschool, day camp, Shabbat serrvices and meals, classes, and a new lecture series will find their home there. In addition, a mikva, built on site and dedicated to the memory of Rebbitzen Chaya Mushka, was oprene at the beginning of the summer. LAST WEEKEND OF THE SUMMER Summer Yeshiva '88 at the Shaloh Center in the Catskill Mountains is open through August 25. Study Torah in a serene and beautiful atmosphere for a two-week session, one week stay, or just a weekend. The learning program is designed for men, but couples and families are welcome. A special Shabbaton, "Last Weekend of the Summer," still has some space available. For more information, contact Hadar HaTorah at (718) 735-0250. ***************************************************************** INSIGHTS ***************************************************************** MITZVOT: FREE CHOICE AND DISCIPLINE Mitzvot control so many aspects of human life from the most sublime thoughts and acts to the minutiae of daily existence. They present a network of obligations and prohibitions at every turn. What then becomes of human freedom, the freedom to choose. Today's society is probably less bound by religious strictures than any other in history. And yet it appears that even when they have abandoned religion, men continue to conform. Conformity still seems to be the rule, for bankers and counter-culture alike. Freedom from religion does not automatically confer freedom to be oneself. Religion and personal freedom are not antithetical and freedom is not identical with libertinism. Compulsion may come from without, from family or society, but it may also be imposed from within, by the drives and desires that compel man to act to satisfy them. A free man is one who has options, who has the ability to choose from among alternatives. Note: I am saying "one who has the ability," not only the right, to make his own choices. A color-blind man has the right to choose from among many colors, but his lack of ability precludes any meaningful choice. He is not, in any true sense, free to choose intelligently even between two ties! Torah offers man an option. His own desire tells him, "Do it!" but the Torah tells him, "Thou shalt not..." Thus man is rendered free, for he now has alternatives and the freedom to select between them. He can now reason about the alternatives and decide. It is not a matter of weighing advantages of one course over the other, of prudence or utilitarian values, but a moral choice, based on considerations of right and wrong, even in cases where honesty is not the obviously best policy. Our society regards certain words, and the concepts they convey with distaste. "Discipline" is a "dirty" word, evoking visions of a Prussian martinet, and the resulting distaste leads to disdain for any form of discipline when the fashionable goal is a blithe and free spirit. The mitzva-observing Jew trains himself to act in accordance with a Will superior to his own, to control his personal desires, to live by a moral code even when it may appear to be a burden. Then, without warning, he is catapulted onto the "concert stage." He is tested; he faces a moral problem. He will act properly, we hope. He will not have to fret about what to do, whose lead to follow, because he has already had long and diligent practice. He has lived by a moral code and he will continue to live by it. He is not afraid of being "different," nor will he be overwhelmed by temptation. No matter how complex the situation, how difficult the problem he faces, he will not have to meet the test without guidance. Interestingly enough, the blandness and uniformity of our society is not characteristic of the Torah community. Within the framework of Torah there is wide latitude for individuality, for uniqueness, for personal expressions of thought and feeling. The same paints, brushes and canvas do not result in the same painting. The same *mitzvot* and observance do not yield the same personality. Some people are intellectually inclined; among Jews this type is honored and not uncommon. In turn, even intellects vary, there are different fields of endeavor; there are analytic minds, retentive minds, profound, creative minds -- the list has no end. All these minds are generously accommodated within Torah study itself. The "mystic," the passionate worshipper, the socially conscious, the extrovert, the introvert, the aesthetic, and the practical, he who is isolated from all alien cultures and he who drinks deeply of all schools and ideas -- all those have their place within the Torah community. They appear to have nothing in common, but they all live by the same Book. They all use the same instruments, yet each produces a melody uniquely his own. Implicit in all this is the assumption that every Jew has the potential of being a Rembrandt of the soul. From the book "Think Jewish" by Zalman I. Posner. ***************************************************************** WHAT'S IN A NAME? ***************************************************************** CHAIM means "life." The name is often given as an additional name to one who is critically ill. CHAVA means "life." She was the first woman, mother of all humanity, the wife of Adam (Genesis 2:23). ***************************************************************** A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR ***************************************************************** Who is obligated to educate a Jewish child? The most obvious and correct answer is the parents. However, in the event that the parents are not fulfilling their duty, Jewish law insists that society--the community at large--must worry about the education of our youth. Today, many parents are not fulfilling their obligation toward educating their children. Jewish boys and girls are not even receiving a minimal Jewish education. They are getting absolutely no Jewish education at all. Should the children suffer for their parents' irresponsibility? No! As part of the greater Jewish community, we must ensure that every Jewish child receive a Jewish education. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, *shlita*, has issued an urgent request that, effective immediately, this year become "The Year of the Boy and the Girl." "Immediate, urgent action must be taken to see to it that every Jewish child receives a Jewish education," said the Rebbe on several occasions this past month. An unfortunate situation exists currently in the United States and throughout the world; hundreds of thousands of Jewish children are not receiving any kind of Jewish education--they are growing up in a spiritual void. Every one, man, woman and child, should work attentively and with increased devotion to ensure that our children receive their rightful inheritance, a proper Jewish education. Rabbi Shmuel Butman ***************************************************************** IT HAPPENED ONCE ***************************************************************** In the marketplace of a little village stood two shops, side by side. The first, a spice store, was attached to a second, an oil store, by a thin wall. The oil shop was always busy. The honesty of its proprietor and his gentle manner attracted many customers. Business flourished and he became a wealthy man. The spice shop, however, was always empty, for the spice-dealer often swindled his customers. The spice dealer was envious of his neighbor's wealth. "Why should he have so much money?" he asked himself. And so he began to think of plans and ways to steal the oil seller's money. Late one night, the spice-dealer went to his shop. He brought with him a hammer and a chisel in the hope of making a hole in the wall dividing the two shops. With the hole completed, the spice-dealer was able to peep into his neighbor's shop whenever he wished. One day, when he was looking through the hole, he saw the oil-seller counting his money. "One hundred, one hundred and fifty, one hundred and sixty gold dinars," he counted out. The spice-dealer held his breath as he saw his neighbor hiding the money in a red cloth. And then it occurred to him how he could get the money. "I'll claim that one hundred and sixty gold dinars have been stolen from me, and that they were wrapped in a red cloth," he proudly told himself. With that, the spice-dealer ran out into the streets, shouting, "Help, help, I've been robbed. All my money has been stolen." Soon, with a crowd of people and the police surrounding him, he grudgingly admitted that it must have been his neighbor. "How can you accuse me of such a deed?" asked the astonished oil-seller. "Surely you know that it is my money!" But no one believed the oil-seller and he was taken to prison. The day of the court case arrived. The judge questioned both sides but could not decide who was innocent and who was guilty. Both claimed that the money was his. The judge decided to give the case over to the higher court; the mayor of the town would be the judge. The case of the oil-seller and spice dealer was the talk of the town. Everyone was speaking about the difficult judgment which must be reached. One evening, while the mayor was going for a walk, he saw a group of Jewish children playing. As he walked closer, he heard them mimicking the court case upon which he presided. The children were in a circle. The boy playing the "judge" stood on a big stone in the center. Said the "oil-seller," "The money in the red kerchief is mine. It is my day's earnings." "Liar," shouted the "spice-dealer," "the money is mine. I myself tied it in a red cloth and this thief stole it from me." The "judge" then stood up straight and declared, "Bring a bowl of hot water to me. We will put the gold dinars in the water. If spots of oil rise to the top, the gold surely belongs to the oil-seller. If, however, there is no oil, then it certainly belongs to the spice-dealer," he concluded decisively. When the mayor heard these clever words, he came out into the open and patted the little judge on the forehead. "You were very perceptive to come up with this method. The days of waiting were over. The mayor finally had an idea of how to proceed with the case. He called the oil-seller and the spice-dealer to the courtroom. Many people were packed inside, waiting to see what the mayor would decide. After hearing both sides, the mayor called for a bowl of hot water. He placed some of the gold dinars inside and, lo and behold, oil rose to the surface. The spectators marvelled at the mayor's wisdom. But the mayor only pointed to a young Jewish boy sitting in the wings. "It is this young boy whose wisdom taught me how to judge the case correctly." The money was immediately returned to the oil-seller and the spice-dealer was taken off to prison. ***************************************************************** THOUGHTS THAT COUNT ***************************************************************** "See I place before you today blessing and curse...The blessing when you will listen to the commandments...and the curse if you will not listen" (Deuteronomy 11:26-28). Just as blessing and curse are two complete opposites so one should also be aware not to embark on a path of compromise between full and non-observance of the Torah and its commandments. One should realize that it is either blessing or the opposite. The path of compromise cannot endure. (Sforno) *** "And GÄd will allow you rest from all your enemies around and you will dwell in security" (12:10). The usual precision in the wording of the Torah gives way here to an apparent redundancy. Obviously rest from our enemies will result in security. However this verse may in fact be giving us instruction on how to achieve "rest from our enemies. If "you shall dwell in security" between one Jew and the next, without infighting and fragmentation, we will have no reason to fear from our enemies around us." (Glilei Zahav). *** "From when the sickle begins to cut the upright corn" (16:9). Once a group of chasidim complained to the Rebbe, R. Shmuel of Lubavitch, that their spiritual guide was being unduly harsh. The Rebbe told the spiritual guide later in a personal interview, "True one must attack all wanton pride in accordance with the verse 'when the sickle begins to cut the upright [corn].' However that is only with regard to one's own character. Otherwise apply the verse, 'You shall not wave a sickle on the upright [corn] of your neighbor.'" *****************************************************************