Living With Moshiach, Parshat Eikev, 5755 B"H LIVING WITH MOSHIACH Weekly Digest About Moshiach PARSHAT EIKEV Av 22, 5755 Aug. 18, 1995 * Published Weekly By Lubavitch Shluchim Conferences On The Moshiach Campaign, Committee For The Blind * * * 5755 "Year of Hakhel" *********************************************** * TO RECEIVE THIS PUBLICATION VIA INTERNET: * * E-Mail: yys@dorsai.org * * FOR CHABAD-LUBAVITCH IN CYBERSPACE: * * E-Mail: info@chabad.org * *********************************************** THIS PUBLICATION IS DEDICATED TO THE REBBE, RABBI MENACHEM M. SCHNEERSON OF LUBAVITCH "I BELIEVE WITH COMPLETE FAITH IN THE ARRIVAL OF THE MOSHIACH. AND THOUGH HE MAY TARRY, I SHALL WAIT EACH DAY, ANTICIPATING HIS ARRIVAL." Maimonides, Principles of the Faith, No. 12 ********************* * TABLE OF CONTENTS * ********************* Introduction The Weekly Torah Portion The Rebbe's Prophecy Chof Menachem-Av The Month Of Elul A Call To Action **************** * INTRODUCTION * **************** We are pleased to present, to the visually impaired and the blind, our weekly publication, Living with Moshiach. * In this week's issue we focus on Chof Av, the 20th of Av, Wednesday, Aug. 16--when we commemorate the 51st yahrzeit of the Rebbe's father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok. * Our sincere appreciation to L'Chaim weekly publication, published by the Lubavitch Youth Organization, for allowing us to use their material. Also, many thanks to our copy editor, Reb Mordechai Staiman, for his tireless efforts. * It is our fervent hope that our learning about Moshiach and the Redemption will hasten the coming of Moshiach, NOW! Rabbi Yosef Y. Shagalov Administrator Committee for the Blind E-Mail: yys@dorsai.org 12 Menachem-Av, 5755, Year of Hakhel Brooklyn, New York *************************************** * THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION * * Adapted from the Works of the Rebbe * *************************************** Parshat Eikev About the mitzvah of mezuzah, which is found in this week's Torah portion, Eikev, the Talmud relates that Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi once sent a mezuzah as a gift to Artaban, king of Persia, explaining that the small scroll would protect him from harm. At first glance, Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi's gesture seems odd. The commandment to affix a mezuzah upon one's door posts was given only to the Jewish nation. A non-Jewish king, therefore, would not be fulfilling a religious precept by possessing a mezuzah. As such, he would also be ineligible for any reward resulting from the performance of a mitzvah. Why then did Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi promise the gentile king that the mezuzah would guard and protect him? A similar question may also be asked about the common practice, dating back to the time of the Mishnah, of inserting a mezuzah scroll into one's walking stick, also done for the sake of the protection it afforded. A walking stick is certainly not included in the commandment of mezuzah. If there is no commandment, there is certainly no reward. How, then, did the mezuzah afford protection? A distinction must be made between the reward a person receives for performing a mitzvah and the intrinsic attribute of the mitzvah itself. When a person obeys G-d's command by fulfilling a mitzvah, the reward he earns is a separate and distinct entity, additional to the essential nature of the mitzvah. For example, the Torah states that the reward for the mitzvah of mezuzah is long life: "That your days be increased and the days of your children." Yet besides the reward promised by the Torah, each mitzvah has its own special attributes and characteristics that have nothing to do with reward, but are integral parts of the mitzvah itself. The mezuzah's attribute is protection. Our Sages explained that when a kosher mezuzah is affixed to the door post, G-d Himself watches over the occupants of the house, even when they are not at home. A mezuzah is written solely for the purpose of protection, and, by its nature, it protects. With this in mind, it becomes clear that even when no fulfillment of a religious precept is involved, a mezuzah still possesses this attribute of protection, at least to some degree. It was for this reason that Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi sent the mezuzah as a gift to the Persian king and that Jews took mezuzot with them wherever they went inside their walking sticks. In a similar vein, speaking about and studying the laws of mezuzah afford similar protection. The Talmud relates that in the house of one Jewish king a special sign was made on those door posts that were exempt from having a mezuzah. From this we learn the crucial importance of having kosher mezuzot. The Jewish people, likened to "one sheep among seventy wolves," are always in need of special defense. Every additional mezuzah affixed to a Jewish home extends G-d's Divine protection to the entire Jewish nation, for all Jews are ultimately responsible for one another. ************************ * THE REBBE'S PROPHECY * ************************ The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of Lubavitch, issued a call that "THE TIME OF OUR REDEMPTION HAS ARRIVED!" and "MOSHIACH IS ON HIS WAY!" The Rebbe stressed that he is saying this AS A PROPHECY, and asks us all to prepare ourselves for the Redemption, through increasing acts of goodness and kindness. LET US ALL HEED THE REBBE'S CALL. ********************************************* * IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY DEAR GRANDPARENTS, * * * * Reb Shmuel Pesach Ben Reb Yaakov Dovid * * Passed away on 3 Tishrei, 5755 * * * * Mrs. Fraidel Chedvah Bas Reb Zev Wolf * * Passed away on 4 Adar II, 5755 * * Pais * ********************************************* ******************** * CHOF MENACHEM-AV * ******************** The weekly Torah portion is divided into seven readings, each reading being associated with one of the seven days of the week. Thus, this Wednesday, the 20th of Av, Aug. 16--when we commemorate the 51st yahrzeit of the Rebbe's father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneerson [1]--we read the fourth portion of the Eikev where it describes the uniqueness of the tribe of Levi. Maimonides explains that this uniqueness is not reserved only for those whose lineage is from that tribe, but includes, "each and every person...whose openness of his heart dictates to rise above the material concerns of this world and make 'G-d his portion and his inheritance,'" i.e., to dedicate himself to the study of the Torah and the performance of the mitzvot. At a gathering, the Rebbe described how his father's life exemplified the desire to make G-d his portion and his inheritance: "Although the Russian government at that time pressured rabbis to issue proclamations declaring their support of the government and their willingness to accept its authority, my father conducted himself as a rav did in previous generations [and did not succumb to the pressure]. "Furthermore, he did this with mesirut nefesh--self-sacrifice. In particular, this is reflected in his journey to the Russian capital to receive permission to bake matzos in a kosher manner. This journey was successful and they agreed to accept his rulings regarding the kashrut of these matzos. Although this caused financial loss to the government--and that was considered a very serious matter at that time--my father refused to authorize the use of any flour that was not supervised by his supervisors, supervisors who would not bend despite the pressure they were subjected to. The matzos that were baked under his supervision were then distributed throughout Russia. "Although he knew of the possibility of severe punishment, he continued his efforts to spread Yiddishkeit, and, furthermore, did so while in exile itself. Moreover, he was recognized for his wisdom by non-Jews, and when they asked him for advice, he also endeavored to influence them to fulfill their seven [2] mitzvot, and to the extent possible at that time, he achieved this.... My father's desire was to spread Judaism in his own community and throughout the entire Jewish people and to do so with mesirut nefesh." May we truly learn from Reb Levi Yitzchok's mesirut nefesh and incorporate it into our daily lives until the complete revelation of Moshiach. --------------- 1. He was the great-grandson of the third Rebbe, and was born on Nissan 18, 5638 (1878). He served as Chief Rabbi of the city of Dnepropetrovsk (Yekatrinislav) in the difficult years of communistic anti-Jewish persecution. He was arrested in 1939, and then exiled to Asiatic Russia where he endured terrible suffering for his staunch, uncompromising stand on all matters of Jewish religious observance. He passed away Menachem-Av 20, 5704 (1944), while still in exile. 2. The seven universal laws commanded to Noah and his descendants. These include the prohibitions against, adultery, murder, theft, eating the limb of a living animal, and saying G-d's name in vain; and the obligation to establish a system of justice, and belief in one G-d. ********************* * THE MONTH OF ELUL * ********************* This Shabbat we bless the month of Elul, and we celebrate Rosh Chodesh Elul, on Saturday, Aug. 26, and Sunday, Aug. 27. In Elul, we prepare for the upcoming High Holidays by blowing the shofar each morning (except on Shabbat, and the last day of Elul, Erev Rosh Hashanah), having our mezuzot and tefillin checked to make sure they are still fit, being more careful about keeping kosher and saying special selichot (penitential prayers) toward the end of the month. Why do we do all of this in the month of Elul? Can't it wait until we're closer to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur--most of us "work" better under pressure anyway! These questions can be explained by a beautiful parable given by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch: Once each year, a very mighty king leaves his palace, his guards, his finery, and goes out into the field to meet with his subjects. At that time, they can ask of him anything they wish. They do not need to wait in long lines, go through security checks, be announced ceremoniously. They can speak with him without hesitation. When the king returns to his palace, his subjects will once again have to go through all kinds of protocol to meet with him. So, of course, his subjects make the most of the opportunity. During the month of Elul, G-d is "in the field." We don't need to go through all kinds of red tape to reach Him. We need only to come out to meet Him, as it were, with a humble heart, and He will listen to us. He will accept our repentance and consider our requests most carefully. The King will soon be in the field. Make sure not to miss this opportunity. ******************** * A CALL TO ACTION * ******************** The Rebbe's slogan is: "The main thing is the deed." Hence, we present suggestions from the Rebbe's talks of what we can do to complete the Rebbe's work of bringing the Redemption. FACILITATE AN INCREASE IN JEWISH EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN A few years ago, near the end of the month of Av, the Rebbe explained, "We are nearing the close of the month of Av, a month associated with the destruction of the Holy Temple. Removing the cause of the Holy Temple's destruction--'Jerusalem was destroyed solely because the Torah study of the children was nullified'--will cause the effect, the destruction and the exile, also to cease, and bring about the revelation of the Third Holy Temple. One should assure an increase in the area of the education of Jewish children." You can start by enrolling your child in a Jewish day school or afternoon school program or giving a donation to an institution dedicated to Jewish education. =========================================================== = End of Text: "Living With Moshiach" Parshat Eikev, 5755 = ===========================================================