***************************************************************** L'CHAIM ISSUE No. 30 ***************************************************************** 26 Tishrei, 5749 Parshat Bereishit October 7, 1988 ***************************************************************** THE WEEKLY PUBLICATION FOR EVERY JEWISH PERSON Dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson N.E. ***************************************************************** FOOTBALL SEASON We know the days are getting shorter and the nights longer when the football season starts. For some of us, Monday Night Football has become sort of a tradition. We devote not a little time to watching a bunch of burly men run with an odd-shaped brown ball across a big field. There's a Jewish tradition, too, when the days get shorter and the nights get longer. We devote more time to studying Torah. Our rabbis explain that as early as the end of the summer, when the nights start getting longer, it's a time to increase our commitment to Jewish learning and action. They comment, "One who adds the nights to the days (to use them for Torah study) adds life to his life." The idea of increasing in our commitment is not just limited to our Jewish stuidies. It also applies to increasing in all things Jewish. And, this new commitment must grow day by day, as do the nights, each one slightly, but measurably, longer than the one before it. But, getting back to football, try explaining the game to someone who is unfamiliar with it, say, someone from England who knows more about English football (soccer) than the American version. You explain the rules, the point of the game, all of the equipment involved, and still, until that person actually sees a game, watches the players in action, he doesn't quite understand what it's all about. If he plays a game of football, though, he'll understand it better. This applies to Judaism as well. All of the studies, explanations and even purchasing of the equipment doesn't make Judaism as accessible as actually seeing or, better yet, experiencing it. Once you're playing "by the rules," it's your ball--so run with it. ***************************************************************** LIVING WITH THE TIMES ***************************************************************** THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION ***************************************************************** This week's Torah portion, *Bereishit*, is the first portion of the entire Torah. It contains the account of the creation of the world, and Adam and Eve--the first people. When Adam was created, G-d immediately made him aware of what his purpose purpose in life would be: "Till the earth and conquer it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." Man was given the power to conquer the whole world and to rule over it; not only was he given the power to conquer, he was also *commanded* to do so. This was his life's task. What was Adam's reaction to this command and how did he go about achieving this objective? The Midrash states that when G-d created Adam, his soul permeated his whole being. All the creatures of the world, sensing Adam's G-dly spirit, thought that he had created them. So, they gathered to serve him and crown him as their creator. But Adam pointed out their error and said to them: "Let us all come and worship G-d, our Maker." The "world conquest" given to man as his task and mission in life is to bring all of Creation to the realization that G-d is our Maker. This is accomplished by "elevating" all of nature in the service of G-d--by utilizing every part of nature to serve G-d. From the hide of an ox one can make shoes and *tefillin*. If the shoes are worn on feet that make their way to do a mitzva and the *tefillin* are used daily, then the leather (and therefore the ox) has been "elevated" by its use as a means to serve G-d. Nature is used in the service of G-d and man is fulfilling his purpose. *** The Torah relates that after Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, they "hid themselves from the presence of G-d." In response to their concealment, G-d asked them, "Where are you?" The following story furnishes an interesting inter- pretation of that incident: During his imprisonment on libelous accusations of disloy- alty to the government of the czar, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the first Chabad Rebbe, was subjected to many interrogations. A high-ranking minister, well versed in the Bible, asked Rabbi Shneur Zalman to explain the verse in *B'Reishit*: "And the L-rd G-d called to Adam and said to him, 'Where are you?'" "Didn't the Omniscient G-d know where Adam was?" asked the minister. "Do you believe that the Bible is eternal and has a message for every age, every generation, every individual?" asked Rabbi Shneur Zalman. The official answered in the affirmative. "Then," said Rabbi Shneur Zalman, "this is the explanation of the verse: In every age, to every individual, G-d calls and asks, 'Where are you?'; 'Where do you stand in the world?' Every person is destined to live a certain number of years, to be used in doing good for man as well as for G-d." Do you know what you are supposed to accomplish and what you have accomplished? From "A Thought for the Week,"--Detroit. Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. ***************************************************************** SLICE OF LIFE ***************************************************************** A HELPING HAND--UNOFFICIALLY One case particularly stands out in Rabbi Avraham Levitansky's mind. A semi-bag lady, 55 maybe, came to him needing a place to sleep. "Something told me, my gut feeling was, that this lady was just down and out. She wasn't there perhaps 100 percent, but she wasn't far from there," he said. "So I got her this place over near Fairfax [Avenue, in Los Angeles] for a couple of weeks while she got on her feet." Then, he says, he didn't hear from her for a few months. One day, he was in the Fairfax area for a *brit*, and a nicely dressed, very well-groomed lady walked over to him. "I didn't recognize her. She said she just wanted to thank me for everything I had done. She had gotten a little job and was living her life." Levitansky, director of Chabad of S. Monica, has been particularly struck by the number of women, not old but middle aged, 50-55, who have usually worked all their lives, and then get sick, lose their job and can easily join the ranks of the homeless. "These are people who, for one reason or another, just hit some bad luck. I've had a good number of such women. They can't get a job that fast, they're not young anymore, they don't know computers." The help he extended to this woman was nothing fancy, or part of a program. It was certainly nothing official. The place he found her to stay in was a rooming house in the Fairfax area that charged very little. Like most Chabad rabbis in Los Angeles, Levitansksy has noticed an increasing number of down-and-out folks. Levitansky doesn't know "where they are coming from, but there is an increased number of them." They're all ages, too, people who just want something to eat. Some are not normal, some are. Many hungry have found their way to Levitansky's Chabad of S. Monica (or Simcha Monica as they call it) in the former American Legion Hall. A lot of it seemed to have begun after a Jewish newspaper editor wrote about the fact that an increasing number of the homeless and hungry congregating on the S. Monica beach under the pier have taken to dropping by to get something to eat at Rabbi Levitansky's Chabad House. "Everyone came out to get fed, which is quite all right," Levitansky said. "But this is unofficial, I'm not looking for business." Levitansky has been known for passing out hundreds of free kosher chicken, challah, gefilte fish, cookies and bottles of grape juice to the seniors at Israel Levin Center on the boardwalk in Venice for the holidays. But that is an "official program." Some of the pier homeless as well as many others still come by Levitansky's house. Some are regulars, some just find their way to him. They know they won't be turned away even from his personal home, the front door of which has a sign that says, "This is a Chabad House." Levitansky used to serve coffee and cake right out of his garage when the only Chabad House in town was his house. In case you thought otherwise, Levitansky tells you, he's "no City Hall" --he doesn't keep records. He doesn't even know all about those he helps, or even where they come from. He just does what has to be done--quietly, unofficially. Lots of times, he finds that things have to be done quickly, unofficially. "There are times in some people's lives when some coffee and cake are a G-d-send. This doesn't require policy and committees and grants. It's just the Jewish thing to do." From "People Helping People," Los Angeles, CA. ***************************************************************** WHAT'S NEW? ***************************************************************** SIMCHA AND TESHUVA GATHERING A special gathering was held at Carnegie Hall during the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Inspiring speakers encouraged the audience toward introspection in the final days before the holy day of Yom Kippur. Afterward, singers Avraham Fried, Moshe Yess and Cantor Ben Zion Miller entertained with lively renditions of old favorites and new songs, helping the audience attain a joyous mood with which to finish the final "Ten Days of Repentance." CANDLE LIGHTING CALENDAR A new candle-lighting calendar for the year 5749 is now available from the Candle Lighting Committee of the Lubavitch Women's Organization. The calendar contains times for major cities, and translated and transliterated blessings. For your calendar call (718) 774-2060 or write to: Calendar 603 Lefferts Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11203 ENCOUNTER THE JEW IN YOU A weekend of Jewish Self-Discovery is planned for October 21-23 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The weekend will explore questions about how to define and express one's Jewishness. Seminars, informal discussion and study groups will be held throughout the program. The weekend will include three festive Shabbat meals. Accommodations are available at the Crown Palace Hotel or with a Lubavitcher family in the neighborhood. The weekend is open to singles and married couples. Call (718) 953-1000 for registration and more information. ***************************************************************** INSIGHTS ***************************************************************** BEYOND BELIEF Today, in most circles, talking about G-d is considered unsophisticated. Most people never go beyond mere verbal mention of G-d in prayers, nor do they involve themselves in deep thought and discussion. But, actually, we can and must use our minds to understand our Creator. In Maimonides' Mishne Torah, there are six concise statements listing those aspects of G-d that we can (and are required) to understand. For, to believe in G-d's existence is not really sufficient. One must go beyond belief and achieve an intellectual understanding of G-d existence. The point is not merely that He exists, but rather to understand HOW He exists--that is, what is the nature of His existence. BIG IS REALLY SMALL The first of Maimonides' six statements begins: The most basic of all foundations and the pillar of all knowledge is to know that there is a First Existence; and that He creates all existence." The phrase "First Existence," however, is extremely puzzling. Firstly, the word "existence"--*motzui*--does not in itself indicate that we are talking about a Divine being (in Hebrew there are no capital letters to even give us a hint). The same word is in fact used immediately after to refer to the things He creates! If Maimonides would have said that the commandment is to "know that there is G-d," we would know clearly to whom we are referring and know automatically that He exists. The word "First," however, seems to remedy this problem by stressing that we are not talking about just any existence, but the First one. However, in a way it really only confuses matters further. Since Maimonides immediately explains that "He creates all existence," obviously we know that He is the "First." Therefore, the word "First" is extra. Furthermore, "first" seems not only extra, but misleading. "First" implies that there is a "second" which is related to the "First." Clearly Maimonides does not mean to say this since he later stresses that nothing whatsoever can be compared with Him. To even say that G-d is the "First" Existence seems to place Him in the same category as all finite existence. Maimonides uses these terms which relate G-d to His creaions to teach a basic point. G-d transcends the creation and is truly beyond comprehension. He chose to "limit" Himself, so to speak, by creating a limited world. For Him, the creation of such a world is not an expression of His greatness. As our Sages say, "In the place you find His greatness (since from our perspective the creation is called "great") you really find His humility." Only after He has "lowered" imself by creating this world can we even refer to His greatness. Chasidic and Kabbalistic works describe in detail the many stages of concealment, contraction, and reduction of G-d's revelation that were necessary this world could come into being. DOWN, DOWN, DOWN These steps are necessary because otherwise the world would be a direct expression of the Infinite, and would also have infinite characteristics. There was, therefore, a concealment of G-dliness that made finite existence possible. This is the idea that is conveyed by using the expression "First Existence." As mentioned previously, Maimonides is not telling us that G-d exists. We knew this previously, before we attempted to fulfill the commandment of understanding G-d. Maimonides is telling us that we are incapable of "knowing" G-d as G-d is in His Essence. It is only after He contracts Himself to a level from which creation can occur that we can appreciate G-d's revelation. Before this, He was beyond the whole idea of "existence" as we, finite being, relate to. Only after this concealment can we refer to Him as being close to our framework of "existence," and therefore, *motzui*, an "existence." Furthermore, the contraction reached such a level where not only was the creation possible but it actually occurred. We call Him the First Existence, though even after such concealment, He is still infinitely superior to His creations. Nevertheless, He made Himself close enough that we can call him the First Existence, by which we can attain an understanding of one of His aspects. ***************************************************************** WHAT'S IN A NAME? ***************************************************************** AVRAHAM means "father of a multitude." Avraham (Genesis 11:26) was the first person to recognize, on his own, that G-d is Creator of the whole world. Avraham was tested ten times by G-d to determine how strong his faith was. AVITAL means "father of dew"--referring to G-d as sustainer of all creation. Avital (II Samuel 3:4) was one of King David's wives. Her son, Shefatia, was born in Hebron. ***************************************************************** A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR ***************************************************************** The holiday season has come to an end. We are slowly returning to a more regular schedule. There is a beautiful parable about this return to the day-to-day life. In olden times, people went to Leibtzik, Germany, once each year for the annual market. Merchants gathered from all over the area. Once there, each merchant bought goods which he sold back in his own town. During the month in Leibtzik the merchants bought their wares. When they came back home, they started unpacking. Little by little they unloaded and sold the merchandise they had purchased in Leibtzik. Merchants and Leibtzik are similar to a Jew during the holiday month of Tishrei During the holidays, a Jew acquires inspiration, enthusiasm, goodwill, proper resolutions. Then, as the month of Cheshvan begins he starts unpacking what he acquired over the holidays. He takes everything and applies it to his day-to-day life. May we all "unpack our bags" in the appropriate spirit, channeling all of our newfound inspiration into increased involvement in Judaism and our regular schedule of activities. Rabbi Shmuel Butman ***************************************************************** IT HAPPENED ONCE ***************************************************************** Ptolemy II ruled over the Land of Israel with a friendly attitude toward his Jewish subjects. He was a great friend of books, and his gigantic library contained hundreds of thousands of volumes of all the creative authors of ancient times. At the suggestion of his librarians, he approached the Jewish people for a Greek translation of the books of the holy Bible. Eleazer, the High Priest, who was then at the head of the Jewish state in the Holy Land, sent him seventy of the greatest Jewish sages. They were well versed in the Greek language and knew all the meanings and interpretations of the text of the Bible in the Written and Oral tradition. When the sages arrived at his palace, King Ptolemy gave them a royal welcome. He honored them with feasts and gifts. He then sent them off to a small island not far from Alexandria. There, each sage was placed in a separate room. "Write for me the Torah of Moshe, your teacher," he commanded each one. They were to translate the Bible into Greek while confined to their rooms. None of the sages was allowed to communicate with each other. Miraculously, each individual translation agreed on every point, even on the most difficult passages in the Bible. There were a number of places where each sage intentionally altered the literal translation. Yet, in the end, all of the sages had made the same changes despite the fact that they could not communicate with each other. For instance, the first verse of the Torah, "*B'reishit Bara Elokim*" could have been translated literally--"In the beginning created G-d." This might easily have been misinterpreted to mean that a deity "In the beginning created G-d." However, every sage translated the verse: "G-d created in the beginning...." They also translated "we will make man" to "I will make man," lest people say that G-d has a dual nature. The Egyptian ruler and his scholars were amazed at the miraculous feat, and they rightly honored the scholars upon the completion of the translation. The "Septuagint" (Latin for seventy) became one of the most important documents of Jewish and world literature. It contains not only all the books of the Bible, but also works not included in the Bible that were largely lost in their original Hebrew. The Jews of Egypt were greatly elated by this translation of the Bible into Greek. For many centuries they celebrated the day of completion, the eighth of Tevet, as a Jewish holiday. However, the sages of the Holy Land considered the eighth of Tevet as a day of sorrow for the Jewish people. They all saw an awesome act of G-d in it, yet the matter evoked general wonder in non-Jewish eyes. The day was nevertheless considered a day as tragic as the day on which the golden calf was made. According to the Talmud, the matter was likened to a lion captured and imprisoned. Before his imprisonment, all feared the lion and fled from his presence. Once imprisoned, all came to gaze at him, saying, "Where is his strength now?" As long as the Torah was in the hands of Israel and was interpreted by the Sages in its own language--Hebrew--it evoked reverence, and many feared to cast blemish upon it. Even a non-Jew who desired to study the Torah had no contact with the Torah until he had acquired a knowledge of the Holy tongue and the prescribed ways for understanding the Torah. Once the Torah was imprisoned in Greek translation, it was as if the Torah were divested of reverence. Whoever wished could now come and gaze at her. Whoever wished to fault her, could now do so. ***************************************************************** THOUGHTS THAT COUNT ***************************************************************** "In the beginning G-d created..." (Genesis 1:1). Rabbi Yitzchak said that it was not necessary to begin the Torah with this verse. However, He did it so that if any of the nations would come to the Jewish people later and claim that they had stolen the land of Canaan, the Jewish people could say, "The entire world belongs to the Holy One, Blessed Be He, He created it and gave it to whomever it was right in His eyes." (Rashi) *** "And on the seventh day G-d finished His work which he had made" (2:2). This seems to imply that G-d finished his labor on the seventh day itself. How is this to be understood? The world was established in its beauty and perfection, but an essential ingredient was lacking--Shabbat, rest! Only when Shabbat came to the world, did rest come to the world. It was the Rest which G-d created on the seventh day. *** "And G-d created the man: (127). G-d created one person, singly, individually, to teach us that if anyone who saves a Jewish soul, it is as if he saved the entire world. (*Sanhedrin*) *** "I have gotten a man with [the help or G-d]" (4:1). Eve commented that when G-d created Adam and herself, He created them by Himself. But with their child, Cain, they were partners with G-d. (Rashi) The Talmud states: There are three partners in man: the Holy One, blessed be He, the father, and the mother. The father and mother supply the bodily characteristics while G-d gives life and intelligence. When one's time comes to depart from the world, G-d takes away His share and leaves the share of the father and mother. *****************************************************************