LIVING WITH MOSHIACH, Parshat Ha'azinu 5757 B"H LIVING WITH MOSHIACH Weekly Digest About Moshiach PARSHAT HA'AZINU Tishrei 7, 5757 September 20, 1996 SPECIAL FEATURE: Your Yom Kippur Guide * Published Weekly By Lubavitch Shluchim Conferences On The Moshiach Campaign, Committee For The Blind * * * 5757 ********************************************* * 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 Shabbat Shuvah The Rebbe's Prophecy The Rebbe's Mother Your Yom Kippur Guide What is Yom Kippur The Yom Kippur Service The Yom Kippur Calendar Candle Lighting Blessings Visualize Whirled Peas It Happened Once **************** * 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 laws of the upcoming High Holiday of Yom Kippur, "Your Yom Kippur Guide," [*] and other related material. * 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. * We take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very sweet, happy, healthy and successful new year. * 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 25 Elul, 5756 Brooklyn, New York ------------------ *. Published by Prestige Litho. *************************************** * SHABBAT SHUVAH * * Adapted from the Works of the Rebbe * *************************************** This Shabbat is known by two names: 1) Shabbat Shuvah, derived from the opening words of the Haftorah that is read in synagogue, "Shuvah Yisrael"--"Return, O Israel," and 2) Shabbat Teshuvah, as it falls out in the middle of the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance. This name is also connected to the Haftorah, the theme of which is likewise the return to G-d. The two names of this Shabbat reveal a timely lesson. The word shuvah--"return" is the command form of the word lashuv--"to return." G-d commands us to return to Him in teshuvah. Teshuvah, by contrast, is a noun denoting the action itself, the actual return to G-d. The name shuvah relates more to the One Who is issuing the command than the person being addressed. Shuvah alludes to a situation in which the command has already been issued, but not yet carried out. The command itself imparts a measure of strength but does not ensure that it will necessarily be fulfilled in the future. The name teshuvah, on the other hand, implies that the action has already been taken, i.e., teshuvah has already been done. In that case, however, why do we continue to refer to this Shabbat as Shabbat Teshuvah? The answer is that the act of teshuvah consists of both the command to return to G-d and its subsequent implementation. Shuvah teaches us that even after a Jew has done teshuvah, he still needs to work on himself to an even greater degree. No matter how much teshuvah a person has done, it is always possible to rise higher; hence the directive, "Return, O Israel unto the L-rd, your G-d." In fact, our teshuvah must be "unto the L-rd, your G-d." Thus it is understood that there is always room for improvement--for an even deeper and infinite teshuvah--as G-d Himself is Infinite. This is the lesson of Shabbat Shuvah: A Jew must never content himself with his previous Divine service and spiritual advancement. He must never think that because he has worked on himself a whole week he is now entitled to rest because it is Shabbat. No, today is Shabbat Shuvah! Even after one has done teshuvah, more work is required! For the service of teshuvah is continual and without end. ************************ * 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 * * On the occasion of his second yahrtzeit, * * 3 Tishrei, 5755 * * * * Mrs. Fraidel Chedvah Bas Reb Zev Wolf * * Passed away on 4 Adar II, 5755 * * Pais * ********************************************* ********************** * THE REBBE'S MOTHER * ********************** Thursday, Sept. 19, the sixth of Tishrei, marks the 32nd anniversary of the passing of Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, mother of the Rebbe. What follows is a very brief biography of her amazing life. Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson was born on the 28th of Tevet, 5640/1880, in Nikolaiev, a city near Odessa. In 1900, Rebbetzin Chana married the renowned scholar and kabbalist, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneerson. They had three sons, the eldest of whom was the Rebbe. The second son, Dov Ber, was killed by the Nazis and her youngest son, Yisroel Aryeh Leib, passed away in England in 1952. In 1907, the couple moved to Yekatrinoslav (presently Dnepropetrovsk), where Rabbi Levi Yitzchok had been appointed to the prestigious post of Rav of this major Jewish community. For all practical purposes he was the spiritual leader of the entire Jewish population of the Ukraine. Throughout the 32 years that her husband served as Rabbi of Yekatrinoslav, Rebbetzin Chana stood at his side, assisting in his holy work. The Rebbetzin had a good rapport with the members of their sophisticated congregation, and she communicated especially well with Jewish university students, in whom she took special interest, befriending them and trying her best to imbue them with the spirit of Torah. In 1939, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok was arrested because of his energetic work to preserve religious observance; a year later, he was exiled to a small village in the Republic of Kazakhstan. When Rebbetzin Chana learned of her husband's location, she joined him, paying no heed to the difficulties and danger involved. Rebbetzin Chana made a valuable spiritual contribution to her husband, one from which the entire Jewish people benefited. Her son, the Rebbe, described this special contribution: "In the remote Russian village where my father was exiled, there was no ink available. After my mother was permitted to join him, she gathered various herbs in the fields, and by soaking them made a sort of ink, which enabled my father to record his original Torah commentaries. My mother devoted her energies to this task despite their lack of even minimally sufficient amounts of bread and water." Rabbi Levi Yitzchok passed away in exile in 1944. In 1947, Rebbetzin Chana succeeded, with tremendous difficulties, in emigrating from the Soviet Union. At the same time, she also managed to smuggle out her husband's writings at great danger to herself. Later that year she arrived safely in Paris where she was reunited with her eldest son, whom she had not seen for twenty years. The two traveled by ship to New York, where the Rebbetzin lived for the last seventeen years of her life. Rebbetzin Chana passed away in the late afternoon on the Shabbat between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, the sixth of Tishrei, 5725/1964, at the age of 85. * * * In a talk following his mother's yahrtzeit, the Rebbe noted that all women named Chana share a connection to the first Chana. The biblical Chana was a prophetess and the mother of one of our greatest prophets, Shmuel. Chana was the wife of Elkanah, a Levite. Chana suffered greatly from the fact that she had no children. She vowed that if G-d granted her a child, she would consecrate him to service in the Sanctuary. Her ardent prayers were heard and she gave birth to Shmuel, who, at the age of two, was brought to live and study under the tutelage of the High Priest, Eli. Shmuel grew to become one of the greatest prophets of the Jewish people. The portion from the Book of Shmuel about Chana, her prayer and the birth of Shmuel are read as the Haftorah on the first day of Rosh HaShanah. Two stories recounted by the Rebbe at gatherings in honor of his mother's yahrtzeit illustrate a fundamental concept. The first anecdote took place when the Rebbe's father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok, was in exile. Rebbetzin Chana ingeniously managed to produce different color inks from wild plants for Rabbi Levi Yitzchok to use in writing his Torah innovations, as he was not even afforded ink with which to write. The second incident related by the Rebbe took place after Rabbi Levi Yitzchok's passing. Rebbetzin Chana miraculously succeeded in smuggling Rabbi Levi Yitzchok's writings out of Communist Russia. The Rebbe explained that these two incidents teach us that when, by Divine Providence, a mission is given to an individual --even if that mission seems utterly futile or impossible--one's efforts will ultimately be crowned with success. Though one must work within the confines of nature, one must not be constricted by nature, for it is the infinite and supernatural G-d who has presented one with this mission. As our Divinely appointed mission in these last moments of exile is to hasten the Redemption's arrival and prepare ourselves for the long-awaited Messianic Era, we can look to the prophetess Chana and her namesake, the Rebbetzin Chana, for inspiration. And, as the Rebbe concluded a letter written on Rebbetzin Chana's yahrtzeit: "May G-d grant that everyone actively strive for the above, in accordance with the prayer of the prophetess Chana: 'My heart rejoices in G-d, my strength is uplifted through G-d... I rejoice in His help... and He will raise the horn of His Anointed one (Moshiach).'" *************************************** * YOUR YOM KIPPUR GUIDE * * Tishrei 10, 5757 * Sept. 23, 1996 * *************************************** Shabbat Shuvah The seven days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are an opportunity to do teshuvah with respect to each of the seven days of the week--i.e., on the Monday, we can make amends for whatever wrongs we may have done on all the Mondays of the previous year... and so forth. Shabbat--from the evening of Friday, Sept. 20, until nightfall on Saturday, Sept. 21--is called Shabbat Shuvah, after the Haftorah [prophetic reading] for that day: "Return, O Israel... for you have stumbled..." The Eve of Yom Kippur On the day preceding Yom Kippur, on Sunday, Sept. 22, in the early morning we do the Kapporos Service. [**] Also, in the early afternoon, we eat festive meals, to demonstrate our faith and confidence in G-d's mercy. Another beautiful custom for this day is that of parents blessing their children with the priestly benediction: "May G-d bless you and guard you. May G-d shine His countenance upon you and be gracious to you. May G-d turn His face toward you, and grant you peace." Yom Kippur atones for sins against G-d, but not for wrongdoings between man and man. It is, therefore, important, on the day before Yom Kippur, to apologize and seek forgiveness from friends, relatives, and acquaintances, to heal any ill feelings that may have arisen. --------------- **. Literally, kapparot means "atonement." Customarily on the eve of Yom Kippur, a man or boy takes in hand a rooster, a woman or girl takes a hen, and passes the fowl over the head three times while reciting a special prayer. The chicken is then ritually slaughtered and often given to the poor to use for their pre-Yom Kippur meal. The purpose of kapparot is to invoke sincere repentance through the thought that a similar fate as that awaiting the fowl might be due us for our sins, but through G-d's mercy and our true repentance it is averted. The Custom of "Lekach" There is a custom on the eve of Yom Kippur to eat "lekach" --honey cake. The reason for this custom is that honey cake is a sweet dessert. By eating it, we express our desire and hope that G-d will bless us with a sweet, pleasant, good year. There is also a custom to give (and receive) honey cake. The reason for this is much less well known. When we receive honey cake from someone we do it with this thought in mind: Let the honey cake be the only thing this year that we have to take from someone else. Let us be self-sufficient, self-supporting, even being able to help support and provide for others, with G-d's help. Thus, if there was any possible heavenly decree that the person would have had to ask another for his food during this year, when one asks for lekach the decree has been fulfilled and there will be no further need to ask; all one's needs will be provided for by G-d. On a deeper level, even the lekach is not really being received from a person! In reality, all food comes from G-d, and therefore a poor person who receives food from a person thanks G-d, Who "provides nourishment and sustenance for all." This is because the person is only an intermediary for delivering G-d's blessings. However, both parties still feel that a transaction has taken place between two human beings. The giving of lekach on the eve of Yom Kippur is not like this, however. Since these are the days when G-d is "close," all parties involved feel that G-d Himself is doing the giving, and the giver is no more than a messenger. Even more so, the giver is not even seen as a messenger, but just a link enabling G-d's gift to come to the person. May we, this very Yom Kippur and even before, see with our own eyes that G-d is truly the Giver and that He gives only good, with the complete revelation of King Moshiach NOW! Five Prohibitions Yom Kippur is from Sunday evening, Sept. 22, through Monday night, Sept. 23. In addition to the prohibition of work, as on the Sabbath, there are five activities specifically prohibited on Yom Kippur: eating and drinking, anointing oneself with perfumes or lotions, marital relations, washing (for pleasure), and wearing leather shoes. *********************** * WHAT IS YOM KIPPUR? * *********************** An Eternal Bond Though these Days of Awe, as they are often called, are solemn, they are not sad. In fact, Yom Kippur is, in a subtle way, one of the happiest days of the year. For on Yom Kippur we receive what is perhaps G-d's most sublime gift: His forgiveness. When one person forgives another, it is because of a deep sense of friendship and love that overrides the effect of whatever wrong was done. Similarly, G-d's forgiveness is an expression of His eternal, unconditional love. Though we may have transgressed His will, our essence, our soul, remains G-dly and pure. Yom Kippur is the one day each year when G-d reveals most clearly that our essence and His essence are one. Moreover, on the level of the soul, the Jewish people are all truly equal and indivisible. The more fully we demonstrate our essential unity by acting with love and friendship amongst ourselves, the more fully G-d's love will be revealed to us. Jonah Swallowed By the Fish The Haftorah that is read on the afternoon of Yom Kippur tells the story of how G-d commanded the prophet Jonah to go to the city of Ninveh and warn the people there to repent, lest G-d destroy their city. Jonah did not want to fulfill this mission and ran away on a ship. G-d caused a terrible storm to occur and eventually the sailors threw Jonah off the ship, as the only way to make the storm abate. G-d caused a great fish to swallow up Jonah. Eventually Jonah was saved from the fish and went to do G-d's bidding in Ninveh. Why was this story chosen to be read on the holiest day of the year? And why did Jonah "run away" from G-d rather than carry out his mission? To teach us how much our love of our fellow Jew needs to be. Jonah knew that if he went to Ninveh the people there would repent. He also knew that the Jewish people had not repented in spite of all the chastising the prophets had given them. Rather than make the Jewish people appear bad in G-d's eyes, Jonah chose to "run away." This lesson is so important that we read it every year on Yom Kippur. ************************** * THE YOM KIPPUR SERVICE * ************************** A Day of Prayer On Yom Kippur we are freed from all material concerns, and can devote the day to prayer. We begin the evening service with the chanting of "Kol Nidrei," which absolves us of any vows we may make in the coming year. During each main prayer throughout Yom Kippur, we recite the "Viduy" (confession), enumerating all the sins we may have committed, and ask for G-d's forgiveness. The final prayer of the day, as our judgment for the coming year is being sealed, is called "Ne'ilah." Ne'ilah is the only service of the entire year during which the doors of the Ark remain open from beginning to end. This signifies that the gates of prayer in heaven are wide open to us at this time. Ne'ilah culminates with the "Shema Yisrael" and other verses said in unison, and the final blowing of the shofar. A Threefold Holiness One of the most moving parts of the Yom Kippur service is the recounting of the Service of the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest. On this, the holiest day of the year, the holiest man in the world would enter the holiest place on earth--the Kodesh HaKadoshim [Holy of Holies] of the Temple in Jerusalem--to pray on behalf of his people. When he emerged from the Holy of Holies, the liturgy tells us, he was radiant, "like the iridescence of the rainbow... like a rose in a garden of delight... like the morning star sparkling on the horizon..." Call your local synagogue, or Chabad-Lubavitch Center for the time of the Yom Kippur services. *************************** * THE YOM KIPPUR CALENDAR * * 5757/1996 * *************************** >>>> Times Shown Are for Metro NY - NJ <<<< ** JEWISH WOMEN AND GIRLS LIGHT THE SHABBAT SHUVAH, AND ALSO THE YOM KIPPUR CANDLES ** * For local candle lighting times, consult your local Rabbi, Chabad-Lubavitch Center, or call: (718) 774-3000. * For a free candle lighting kit, contact your local Chabad-Lubavitch Center. * For a listing of the Centers in your area, call: 1-800-Lubavitch (1-800-582-2848). FRIDAY, SEPT. 20, EREV SHABBAT PARSHAT HA'AZINU: * Light Shabbat Candles, [1] by 6:38 p.m. Say blessing #1. SATURDAY, SEPT. 21, SHABBAT PARSHAT HA'AZINU: * Shabbat ends at NIGHTFALL, at 7:37 p.m. SUNDAY, SEPT. 22, EREV YOM KIPPUR: * Kapporos service in the early morning. * Festive meal in the early afternoon. * Light Yom Kippur Candles, [2] by 6:35 p.m. Say blessings #2 & 3. * Fast of Yom Kippur begins at 6:48 p.m. MONDAY, SEPT. 23, YOM KIPPUR: * Yizkor memorial prayers. * Yom Kippur ends at NIGHTFALL, at 7:34 p.m. --------------- 1. The Shabbat, and also the Yom Kippur candles must be lit 18 minutes *BEFORE* sunset. IT IS PROHIBITED AND IS A DESECRATION OF THE SHABBAT AND YOM KIPPUR TO LIGHT THE CANDLES *AFTER* SUNSET. 2. See footnote #1. ***************************** * CANDLE LIGHTING BLESSINGS * ***************************** After lighting the candles, recite: #1. BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU ME-LECH HO-OLOM A-SHER KI-DE-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-SOV VE-TZI-VO-NU LE-HAD-LIK NER SHEL SHA-BOS KO-DESH. Translation: Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the light of the holy Shabbat. #2. BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU ME-LECH HO-OLOM A-SHER KI-DE-SHO-NU BE-MITZ-VO-SOV VE-TZI-VO-NU LE-HAD-LIK NER SHEL YOM HA-KI-PURIM. Translation: Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Yom Kippur light. #3. BO-RUCH A-TOH ADO-NOI E-LO-HEI-NU ME-LECH HO-OLOM SHE-HECHE-YO-NU VE-KI-YI-MO-NU VE-HIGI-O-NU LIZ-MAN HA-ZEH. Translation: Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion. ************************** * VISUALIZE WHIRLED PEAS * ************************** Whether it's a t-shirt suggesting "Visualize Whirled Peas" (Get it? "Visualize world peace"), or a bumper sticker with a `60s peace sign announcing: "an idea whose time has come," everyone wants peace. People have always wanted world peace. But the desire and drive to make peace a reality continues to intensify. And this heightened yearning for world peace comes at a time when the possibility seems even more remote, when weapons of war and terrorism have become ever more sophisticated and deadly. As we approach the holiest day of the year, our thoughts--though rightfully turned inward toward personal improvement--are still juxtaposed with consideration of the world in which we live. But maybe, just maybe, the two are intimately intertwined. For, as the Talmud teaches, every person is a miniature world. And the fact that the first person was created as a lone individual, unlike the other creations which were created in multitude, teaches us about the power and importance of each individual. So, this Yom Kippur, as we contemplate our miniature world and the world at large, let us contemplate a practical idea as to how we can help bring about world peace. Esoteric Jewish teachings relate the following story, which might prove very helpful in our quest for peace, not only in the world at large, but in our own communities, family units and within ourselves. It once happened that Rabbi Abba was sitting in the gateway to the city of Lod, and saw a fatigued person approach from the road. The stranger entered a ruin, sat down beneath a tottering wall and fell asleep. Rabbi Abba observed a serpent approach the slumbering stranger, but suddenly an animal emerged from the ruin and struck the serpent down. When the sleeper awoke and saw the dead serpent close by, he rose to leave. As he walked away, the wall collapsed directly upon the place where he had slept. Rabbi Abba approached him and asked, "Tell me of your behavior. For G-d has wrought two miracles on your behalf. And not for naught did you merit them." The stranger said, "Never did anyone inflect harm upon me without my effecting a reconciliation with him, and extending him my immediate forgiveness. If it happened that I was unable to effect an immediate reconciliation, I did not sleep till I had forgiven him, and I never paid attention to any harm he inflicted on me. Also, from that day I sought ways to extend him favors." Rabbi Abba thought: He is indeed worthy that G-d should perform miracles on his behalf. Rabbi Abba wept and said, "This man's conduct is even greater than that of Joseph. For Joseph was dealing with his own brothers, and it is normal that he would have been merciful toward them. Thus, this person's interaction with his fellowman excelled even over Joseph." May we all be completely successful this year in actualizing the dream of the entire human race for all time, a world truly at peace, led by Moshiach. ******************** * IT HAPPENED ONCE * ******************** The day before Yom Kippur the air in the city of Lubavitch was already permeated with the holiness of the day. Reb Shmuel, a respected scholar and chasid, sat in a corner of the shul swaying in prayer when the door swung open and a peddler entered the room. He threw himself down on a bench and tossed his pack on the floor. Reb Shmuel inquired, "How are you, brother?" "Oy," sighed the man. "The exile is dark and terrible. Just today I was walking past the mansion of Squire Lobomirsky. Everyone knows his evil reputation. Whenever I pass that place, I walk as fast as I can to get away from it. Suddenly, someone cried out, `Hey, Jew!' My blood ran cold. Thank G-d, it was only the squire's servant, who wanted to buy a scarf from me. He told me about a Jewish family imprisoned in the squire's dungeon. They owe him rent, and if they don't pay by tomorrow, they'll all be killed. If only I had that money...what a terrible and dark exile." By the time the man had finished his tale, Reb Shmuel had left the shul; soon he was knocking at the gates of the squire's mansion. "I must speak with His Excellency," he said to the guard. He was allowed to enter and he proceeded to the room where Lobomirsky sat. When the squire saw the Jew, he was infuriated: "How dare you enter my house! What do you want, Jew?" "I want to know what is the debt of that poor, unfortunate family you have imprisoned." The ruthless landowner's eyes lit up with the thought of lining his pockets with the money. "Let me think about it," he smiled slyly and began to calculate: "Well, there's the debt, then there's all the money I put out to feed the whole brood, then there's the penalty payment; there's also the money required to cancel their hanging--it would have provided good entertainment." At the end of his "calculations," Reb Shmuel was faced with an exorbitant sum. "Somehow G-d will help me raise that sum," Shmuel replied to the smirking Lobomirsky. It was getting late. Reb Shmuel went from door to door, telling everyone about the plight of the imprisoned family, and although they were as generous as possible, they themselves were poor. When he had finished his rounds, Reb Shmuel had a pitifully small sum in his hands. "This will never do," he thought to himself. "I must do something else, and fast." He was walking aimlessly, thinking of his next move, when he looked up and found himself in front of a tavern. The sound of loud, drunken voices emerged from within, and Shmuel was seized with the thought that just perhaps his money was waiting for him inside, if only he could figure out how to get it. As soon as he entered, he was sickened by the smell of liquor and stale smoke. A group of card players looked up, surprised to see a chasidic Jew in their midst. "What do you want, Jew?" "I am here on a mission of mercy. The lives of an entire family hang in the balance. I must raise a large sum of money." One of the players replied, "Well, if you can down this beaker of vodka, I just might give you this money," and he pointed to a towering stack of gold coins. Reb Shmuel was never much of a drinker, but what choice did he have? He downed the vodka, and true to his word, the card player handed over the money. In quick succession, the other players offered their winnings if he would drink two more huge cups of vodka. Reb Shmuel's eyes were beginning to cross, but the glimmering piles of coins steadied his resolve. An hour after he had entered the tavern, he staggered out with his pockets bulging and stumbled in the direction of the squire's mansion. The squire couldn't believe his eyes, but he greedily accepted the gold and released the grateful family who had barely escaped death. Reb Shmuel could barely put one foot in front of the other; his eyes no longer focused, but, he still remembered the holy day. He managed to get to the shul, where he promptly collapsed in a heap. The worshippers were dressed in their white robes, looking so much like the ministering angels. They were startled to see Reb Shmuel snoring away, dressed in his weekday clothes that showed evidence of his tavern experience. "What could have come over him?" they wondered. Reb Shmuel lay asleep throughout the evening of prayers that marked the beginning of the holiest day. His snoring provided a constant accompaniment to the heartfelt prayers rising from the congregation. The prayers ended, Psalms were recited, and the shul emptied out. Reb Shmuel slept on. At the first morning light, the worshippers returned to the shul for the long day of prayers. Reb Shmuel was beginning to stir. They watched curiously as he opened his bleary eyes and stood up. Walking straight to the bimah, Reb Shmuel banged on the wood with his fist, and in a booming voice, exclaimed: "Know that G-d, He is the L-rd; there is none other than Him." The congregation fell into confusion. What was Reb Shmuel doing reciting the words of the Simchat Torah prayers?! Why, didn't he realize that today was Yom Kippur? Suddenly the rabbi rose and turned toward the congregation: "Leave Reb Shmuel alone. He has far outpaced us. With the great deed he has done, his atonement is complete, and he is waiting for us at Simchat Torah!" ============================================================ = End of Text: Living With Moshiach, Parshat Ha'azinu 5757 = ============================================================