Living With Moshiach, Parshat Re'eh, 5755 B"H LIVING WITH MOSHIACH Weekly Digest About Moshiach PARSHAT RE'EH Av 29, 5755 Aug. 25, 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 What Is Elul? Some Laws Of Elul The King Is In The Field 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 the Hebrew month of Elul. Rosh Chodesh Elul is celebrated on Saturday, Aug. 26, and Sunday, Aug. 27. * 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 20 Menachem-Av, 5755, Year of Hakhel Brooklyn, New York *************************************** * THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION * * Adapted from the Works of the Rebbe * *************************************** Parshat Re'eh This Shabbat is the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul, a particularly auspicious month that possesses a unique dimension. For during this month, G-d is especially close to us and we are granted an extraordinary capacity for teshuva--"return." As every Torah portion has particular relevance for the time of year in which it is read, let us examine the connection between the month of Elul and the Torah portion, Re'eh, which we read this Shabbat. Our portion begins with the words, "See! This day I give to you a blessing and a curse." Every word in this verse contains an allusion to the special nature of the service of the month of Elul, and the Divine assistance we are given to fulfill it. "See!": The first thing a Jew must do is to open his eyes. Our sense of sight affords a much more definitive verification of facts than does our sense of hearing; when a person sees something with his own eyes he cannot be dissuaded. A Jew's G-dly service must be performed with this same level of absolute confidence and conviction. But how are we, mere human beings living in a physical world, supposed to attain this level? G-d provides the answer in the next word of the verse: "I" ("Anochi"): The word Anochi relates to the Essence of G-d, an aspect of G-dliness that is higher than Names. The reason we are able to achieve these lofty spiritual heights is because the power to do so is derived from this highest of Sources. The Torah continues: "Give": G-d gives us this Divine assistance according to the principle of "He who gives, gives generously"; His gifts are bestowed willingly and in great abundance. "To you" ("Lifneichem"): This word is related to the Hebrew word penimiyut, meaning "inside" and "within." The special boost we receive from G-d during Elul is not superficial, but involves the sum and substance of the Jew and enables him to connect with G-d on the deepest level. "This day": Lest anyone think that this Divine assistance is granted only once, the Torah tells us that G-d's help is ongoing, enabling us to serve G-d with renewed strength every day of the month. And how are we to properly utilize this added dimension in our service? "A blessing and a curse": This refers to the observance of the Torah's positive commandments and the avoidance of its prohibitions. Directing our added capacity for teshuva in these two directions will result in a good and sweet new year and a favorable inscription in the Book of Life. ************************ * 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 * ********************************************* ***************** * WHAT IS ELUL? * ***************** A MONTH OF MERCY In the generation of the Exodus from Egypt, Moses ascended Mount Sinai three times. The first was to receive the Torah. The second was to plead with G-d for His forgiveness, after the Jewish people sinned in worshiping the golden calf. Then, on the first day of Elul--the month immediately preceding Tishrei--Moses ascended the mountain a third time, to invoke G-d's abundant mercy for our complete atonement. He remained there for forty days, until Yom Kippur, when G-d cleansed us completely, as though we had never sinned. Since then, these days are marked as a special period of Divine grace, during which our sincere prayers are sure to find favor in the eyes of G-d. ********************* * SOME LAWS OF ELUL * ********************* * The Shofar [1] is sounded every weekday morning, except on Shabbat, and the last day of Elul, Erev Rosh Hashana. [2] * Psalm 27 is added to the daily morning and afternoon prayers. * It is customary to give additional charity each weekday. * During the entire month of Elul we greet friends with the traditional blessings of, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet year." It is customary to send friends and relatives New Year's greetings with blessings for the coming year. * It is customary to have our mezuzot and tefillin checked to make sure they are still fit. * To be more careful about keeping kosher. * Beginning Saturday night, September 16, and on the following weekday mornings until the eve of Rosh Hashana, Selichot [3] (special penitential prayers) are recited. * Elul is an appropriate time to reflect on our actions and attitudes of the previous year, and resolve to correct our shortcomings. We increase our good deeds and try to be more meticulous in our observance of those mitzvot that we already perform. --------------- 1. Maimonides explains that the shofar is blown as the means of stirring the Jew to repentance. He says the call of the shofar is, "Awaken you sleepers from sleep, you slumberers from slumber: search your actions and return in penitence." 2. To differentiate between the shofar sounding of Elul which is custom and that of Rosh Hashana which is prescribed by the Torah. 3. The Sephardic custom is to recite them during the entire month of Elul. According to the Ashkenazic custom, they are recited beginning on the Saturday preceding Rosh Hashana after midnight and thereafter each morning until Rosh Hashana. **************************** * THE KING IS IN THE FIELD * **************************** When the king is enthroned in his palace, he is not easily accessible; audience is granted only to those who have merited his attention. But when the king is in public, anyone may approach him. Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, compared the month of Elul to a time when a king, returning to his palace, passes through the surrounding fields and greets his subjects with a shining countenance. [4] During Elul, G-d--the "King of the Universe"-- is available to anyone who turns to Him...and He graciously accepts our petitions and grants our requests. --------------- 4. See Living With Moshiach, Vol. 38. ********************* * THE MONTH OF ELUL * ********************* This Shabbat is the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul. In addition to being the name of a Jewish month, the word "Elul" is an acronym for five verses from the Torah that are connected to the five different types of service, each identified with our new month. The Rebbe enumerated these five verses, on this Shabbat, at a gathering a few years ago: Prayer--"I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mind." For it is through prayer, the "duty of the heart" that our relationship with G-d is enhanced and intensified. Torah study--"It chanced to happen and I set aside for you a place." This verse describe the Cities of Refuge to which a person who killed unintentionally can flee. But it also refers to Torah study for "the words of Torah provide refuge." Deeds of Kindness--"A person [gives presents] to his friends and gifts to the poor." In this verse the concept of deeds of kindness is clearly expressed. Teshuva--"And G-d your L-rd will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants." For the service of teshuva--returning to G-d wholeheartedly, is primarily the service of changing one's inner self, the feelings of one's heart. Redemption--"And they said, 'We will sing to G-d'" This phrase is taken from the Song of Redemption sung at the Red Sea. The first three services are identified with the three pillars of man's service. These services must be permeated by the service of teshuva and by the service of redemption and thus, they will be endowed with a boundless quality that surpasses the limits of a person and the world at large. ******************** * 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. TAKE STOCK: This Shabbat is the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul. Our spiritual workout for the month of Elul involves stocktaking and personal evaluation. Part of this stocktaking, in which we review our conduct in the previous year--includes the realization that we should appreciate Torah and mitzvot, "not as an obligation which we must fulfill, but as an expression of a loving relationship with G-d." =========================================================== = End of Text: "Living With Moshiach" Parshat Re'eh, 5755 = ===========================================================