The Meaningful Life Center

Tag: divine providence

  • The War of Water and Land

    The War of Water and Land

    When Water and Land Collide

    The Bible tells us that G-d decreed upon the sea that it should never cross over onto land. “This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt” (Job 38:11).

    He created a “line in the sand,” as it were, which serves as a boundary between water and land, never to be crossed.

    “Do you not fear me? Says G-d: will you not tremble at My presence, which has placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it. And though the waves toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?” (Jeremiah 5:22).

    How then can tsunamis and floods exist, when the waters cross over this seemingly impassable boundary? What happened to the decree that the “proud waves” go no farther that their own domain?!

    The explanation requires a fuller understanding of water and land – the two global entities that Earth is comprised of.

    In the beginning of time all of Earth was submerged in water. Then came a “divide between water and water,” separating the “waters above” from the “waters below” (Genesis 1:6), and the waters below were “gathered to one place,” allowing dry land to emerge, thus creating the distinction between “earth” and “sea” (1:9).

    Ever since water and land have had a tenuous relationship, at times even being at war with each other. On one hand land is in need of water for its sustenance. Yet, too much water can cause destruction. We are drawn to beaches and waterfronts, yet we fear the awesome power of the sea.

    The mystics explain, that the material nature of the universe is but a manifestation of its spiritual personality. Water and land embody two forms of consciousness: Water is the unconscious, “hidden worlds,” and land is the conscious, “revealed worlds.” Water reflects utter unity, where all its creatures are submerged and always feel connected to their source. While land symbolizes fragmentation, with its creatures feeling separate from their source and from each other.

    The universe began submerged in water to ingrain in its “psyche” its fundamental unity. But the purpose of creation is to separate the “upper” from the “lower” and “land” from “sea,” and that human initiative should reunite our seemingly “disconnected” world of “land” with its source and purpose.

    When our work in doing so is complete, there will no longer be “evil and destruction” because the “universe will be filled with Divine knowledge as the waters cover the sea.” The evil and destruction that humans can perpetrate against each other is only possible when we do not feel our integral unity. But when we perceive that we are all like “fish in the sea,” submerged in and indistinguishable from our source (Divine knowledge), our interconnectivity will prevent any destruction.

    Microcosm macrocosm. Each of us humans – mirroring the larger universe – begins life submerged in the watery womb. Nine months we spend there before we enter “dry land” upon birth. During this time our psyches develop a profound internal unity, which prepares us to face the existential loneliness of life on “land.” Then, upon birth, that “water” consciousness recedes into the background of our unconscious, and our conscious lives follow the psyche of “land mammals,” each of us self-contained in the here and now, living out our fragmented lives.

    So the big question is this: Are we “water” people or “land” people? The answer is that in essence we are “water” people, integrally united with our source, but on our conscious level we have a “land” personality, with the purpose being that we discover the “water” within.

    But here is the dilemma. Once land and water were separated, a primal and deep-seated tension separates them. The fragmented conscious universe becomes so consumed with its own immediate survival and self-gratification that it does not relate to the integral unity of “water consciousness.”

    True, this division was initiated by the Creator who separated “land” from “water,” but the purpose of the separation was that we should emerge from the “womb” as independent entities, and transform the conscious world of “land” into a “world filled with Divine knowledge as the waters cover the sea.”

    Indeed, the spiritual root of the separation between “earth” and “sea” is the tzimtzum itself. In order for us to exist as individuals we cannot be (at least consciously) submerged in the all encompassing “light-energy” of the Infinite. The divine decree therefore dictates that there be a boundary between “water” and “land.”

    Yet, there are times when a door opens up between these two worlds. Sometimes it’s a healthy door, and sometimes it’s a devastating one.

    This water/land dichotomy is a recurrent theme throughout the Bible. Take this week’s Torah portion. Moses is so named for he “was drawn from water.” The very water (River Nile) that could have caused the child Moses’ demise, as so many newborn males were tragically drowned in the River, becomes his savior. The very idol of Egypt comes to protect the one who would destroy this idol. Later Moses would part the sea, another manifestation of land/sea interaction.

    The mystics explain that Moses was a “man of no words” because his soul originated from the “hidden worlds” of water, the intimate world of the unconscious, which is more profound and intense than any words of land can express. But for this exact reason Moses introduced unprecedented revelation to Earth. Precisely because Moses is a “water man” living on Earth, he is able to draw from the inner worlds, and bridge and express the language of the Divine and communicate it to the land people.

    This only goes to show us how the two worlds of “land” and “sea” are so dichotomous, and we need Moses to help us bridge the two.

    But even as they are bridged by Moses an inherent tension remains between “water” and “land.” A battle rages between them.

    A tsunami is perhaps the strongest manifestation of this battle. What’s strange is that the force of a tsunami – a water surge that can travel up to 500 miles an hour – is not felt at sea. Ships in the open sea will barely notice the one or two foot waves generated by a tsunami. Its savage impact is experienced only as the tsunami strikes shore.

    In other words water is not affected by water, no matter how powerful its force. Only land is affected, and… devastated.

    Another fascinating fact is that a tsunami does not originate from water alone. Unlike wind-generated waves – the conventional sort that we are accustomed to – tsunamis are generated from the imbalance between… land and sea. Only a violent disturbance of the seabed – caused by an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, explosion, or the impact of a meteorite – can generate tsunamis. When an impulsive disturbance vertically displaces the water column, it pushes a huge bulge of water to the surface, which results in a tsunami racing toward the shore.

    A possible cosmic parallel to a tsunami is the Kabbalistic “breakage of the vessels” caused by the tension created between the imbalance of too much energy (“water”) and too little containers (“land”). This break (”shevirat ha’keilim”) is devastating; it releases chaos (“tohu”), hurtling “sparks” in all directions, embedding them in the deepest recesses of our material world.

    However, the breakage is a necessary step in helping realign a misaligned universe. By exploding it releases the tension created by the tzimtzum between the energy and the containers – the dichotomy of the two realities, our independent one and the underlying unity that lies within.

    The breakage is only a step toward repair (tikkun). We are charged with the mission to search and discover the scattered sparks within our material lives. Our calling is to gather, reconnect and elevate the sparks back into place, by integrating matter and spirit, land and water, in a healthy, balanced way.

    Similarly, a tsunami results from the disparity and imbalance between land and water.

    Yes, there is an impenetrable barrier that separates water from land – a Divine decree declaring “This far you may come and no farther.” However, the purpose of this boundary is that “land” should learn to reconnect with the “inner water” of our unconscious, in a healthy and balanced way. As Moses – “drawn from water” – led the way.

    As long as they are not aligned, from time to time the rift will explode in an enormous surge of water overwhelming land.

    *****

    Psychologically speaking, the unconscious (water) and the conscious (land) must make their peace; they need to become aligned in one seamless flow, as they were always meant to be. As long as they do not, the untamed unconscious can occasionally explode in all its wildness; in a ferocious display of unfettered energy.

    Another manifestation of this phenomenon in our modern age is the information revolution. Knowledge is likened to water. But like water, knowledge can work both ways: As a powerful force for growth, or as a force that devastates lives. The information revolution of today – in which we can immediately access (google) enormous amounts of information – can be a blessing or a curse.

    How many of us have become swamped by the waves of information flooding our lives? The constant media stream – via TV, the Internet, hand-helds, I-pods, and you name it – has inundated our lives, creating information addicts and may be causing more damage than growth.

    This flood of knowledge with its assault on our psyche, is in many ways worse than any physical flood. Yet, within the curse lies the cure. This flood of information alerts us to the dangers of knowledge without focus; information without integration. And it reminds us that we must embrace Divine knowledge – knowledge that lifts and empowers us to be proactive and take control of circumstances, instead of knowledge and information that turns us into robotic observers and victims as it demoralizes and makes us anxious.

    Water and land – two worlds that live side by side. So different, yet so intertwined.

    Two worlds in our eyes. But really one and the same. They were once one – at the beginning of it all. And they will become one once again – at the end of days, when the world will be “filled with Divine knowledge as the waters cover the sea.”

    From time to time we are reminded of their interdependence and of their imbalance – a reminder that is meant to make us aware of the need to align the two consciousnesses of water and land and relieve their tension once and for all. It’s up to us to unite them in a way that maintains the personality of each.

    Water reminds us that we are all one, originating and being sustained by one uniting source. Some scientists have pointed out the fact that after a major earthquake, the whole world resonates like a bell that has been struck. Even more intriguing is that a big piece of the planet’s mass has been moved around, which actually altered the axis of the earth’s rotation.

    May we determine to integrate healthy “water” into our parched land lives. Let us learn from Moses, the man of “water” how to draw into our lives Divine water.

    May we do our part in filling our lives and this world with Divine knowledge and behavior, “as the waters cover the sea.”

  • Beyond Structure

    Beyond Structure

    We must believe in free will; we have no choice – an old saying

    Is the universe indeterministic or deterministic? Random or designed? Are our lives predestined or not?

    At first glance, one would assume that the answer to these questions is dependent on belief in G-d. Acceptance of G-d as Creator of the universe would seem to imply that the universe was created with design and purpose. If however, one does not accept that premise, than existence could very well be a result of a random set of circumstances, with no particular plan and direction.

    Religion too would appear to be predicated on a clearly defined and even absolute structure: Immutable laws that define and regulate human behavior. By contrast, many secular schools of thought embrace a more relativistic approach, e.g. moral relativism, which rejects rigid guidelines.

    Yet, upon further thought the lines are not that clearly drawn; both approaches overlap. Even according to the circumstantial argument, the universe is clearly driven by an extraordinary inflexible order. From the physiological to the cosmological, we live in a world of fundamental systems ruled by defined and unwavering laws (the so called “laws of nature”). Conversely, belief in G-d and religion dictates the concept of free will, that our choices are not predestined, allowing for surprises and an unexpected future.

    Indeed, a strong argument could be made that a world controlled by “natural law” is airtight with no room for spontaneity. As French philosopher Laplace and others have written in advancing the probability theory, if we were to know all the data about any phenomenon we could accurately predict all the events that were yet to come. Since we live in a causal world, defined by cause and effect, there is no room for true randomness. In other words, randomness and probabilities are not an objectively measurable phenomenon but rather just a measure of our lack of knowledge. A coin toss, for example, is not necessarily characterized by randomness: if we knew the shape and weight of the coin, the strength of the tosser, the atmospheric conditions of the room in which the coin is tossed, the distance of the coin-tosser’s hand from the ground, etc., we could predict with certainty whether it would be heads or tails. However, as this information is not available to us, it is convenient to assume it is a random event and ascribe probabilities to heads or tails.

    Yet, paradoxically there are those that use this same scientific approach to see all of existence as random. It would seem logical that thinkers who leave no room for randomness in existence should also embrace the fact that existence itself was put in place by a Grand Designer…

    Ironically, a G-d based approach to life allows for indeterminism based on free will more than a scientific approach does.

    So how do we make sense of these contradictory approaches? What part of our lives is predetermined and what part is determined by our choices?

    The question most relevant to us, of course, is whether we are victims of circumstances or whether we can control the destiny of our lives.

    Purim provides us with the fascinating answer. Purim – the name of the holiday – is so called because Haman cast lots to determine the date to kill the Jews. “Pur” in Persian means “lot.”

    Strange name to call a holiday: Lots. Is there anything more random than a lottery? Why would we give such a name to a holiday that commemorates the salvation of an entire people from genocide?

    It is because Purim teaches us a radical message. Not order but indeterminism is the essence of existence. G-d, Creator of the cosmic order and of all rules of nature, is not bound by these or any laws and structures. On His essential level, G-d transcends any form of structure and definition. Yet, this same G-d and His inherent indeterminism chose to create and manifest in a highly deterministic universe. Indeterminism chose a very determined set of laws. The essence of G-d is beyond determinism and indeterminism, and therefore can combine both.

    There is randomness and there is randomness. There is a randomness that is beneath structure and laws – when things get out of control and result in an arbitrary type of existence, directionless. This is what we call being a victim of circumstances – circumstances have taken control of your life and you are left lost and aimless. But then there is a randomness that comes from a “place” that is not bound by laws, a place that transcends and is beyond structures.

    The structure of existence, the mystics tell us, originates from the Essence of Reality that is beyond any structure. Sometimes our own structures block us from seeing that essence. Our plans, schedules, organized systems can get in the way of experiencing the core. Our challenge is to discover the transcendent within the systems.

    Purim embodies this power. Purim reaches a place that is “beyond our structured perception” (“ad d’lo yoda”). Logic and the rules of existence should have dictated a tragic end for the Jews in Persia. After all Haman was in power and he had persuaded the King Achashveirosh to annihilate the Jewish people. Yet, it doesn’t work out that way. Despite all odds, defying all logic, the tables are turned and instead of tragedy the day becomes one of great celebration, with Haman hung on the gallows he built for Mordechai. Suddenly, unexpected, darkness is transformed to light.

    Purim is the true story of life – as it is behind the scenes. Not man-made plans but a Divine hand is at work. Amidst the seemingly random events of life, underlying forces are the true shapers of destiny.

    The same Purim force has been working throughout history. Many great nations have come and gone. They had great plans, powerful armies, super wealthy coffers, breathtaking culture – each empire in its heyday thought that it had it made. Yet, not one has survived. Not the Egyptians, not the Assyrians, not the Babylonians, not the Persians, not the Greeks, not the Romans, not the Byzantines, not the Spanish, not the Portuguese. What happened with all their structures, systems and plans for permanent world dominance? Man-made mortal plans can only create mortal, impermanent structures. Survival, eternal survival is dependent on a force that originates from a place that is beyond logic, beyond the odds, beyond defined structures.

    The consequences of this idea are far reaching. No matter how your life has been shaped, no matter how you may have been scarred by parents, peers and social attitudes, no matter what experiences have defined you – you are never a victim of circumstances; you always have a window to a place that defies structures. With all the determinism of life, with all its causes and effects, there is no conclusive, airtight determinism that controls your life. You always have an opening to an indeterministic place that opens you up to new possibilities.

    Purim tells us that it is not our logic and plans that runs the world. It is a higher force that may manifest in random experiences, but within the randomness lies the greatest power of all.

    Yes, we live in a world of structure. Yes, we are bound by its rules. But, at the same time when we learn to navigate we can use the structure to transcend structure. We must do everything we can within the laws of nature, within our parameters. Yet, simultaneously we must remember that the essence within is beyond our plans. When we do everything in our natural power, the deeper essence emerges.

    That’s what Purim is all about: Take your structures, take your defined reality and turn it inside out and upside down, and see new things emerge.

    Your life is dark, truly dark. Purim teaches us that in one moment darkness can be transformed to light.

    You feel limited, locked. Purim opens up new opportunities.

    You feel hopeless. Purim suddenly give you hope.

    You have a great life, but you wonder how high can you reach? Can we mortals touch the sky? Can we achieve immortality, create eternity? Purim tells us we can.

    All this – because within the inflexible structure lies a fundamental indeterministic freedom, that is not bound by any structures, laws and definitions.

    This paradox has now become recognized in modern physics. According to quantum mechanics a fundamental indeterminism exists on the microscopic level. On that level entities don’t have shape or form, they are in a “state of probability,” with the potential to go different ways. This probability or uncertainty is not a result of lack of knowledge, but it has been proven to be an inherent probability.

    What makes this even more fascinating and strange is the fact that, while the basic, subatomic structure that comprises all of existence is fundamentally indeterministic, simultaneously macroscopic existence is fundamentally structured and deterministic! How is it possible that an indeterministic core should produce such deterministic results? A key component, for instance, of computer chips is driven by the uncertainty principle of subatomic indeterminism. Yet, the computer chip produces absolutely deterministic results that we depend on daily.

    Where do the two worlds of determinism and indeterminism meet? Science has yet to find out.

    What science does not yet know, Purim has always known.

    So where does indeterminism meet determinism? At your doorstep. And on Purim the door opens between these two realities.

  • A Feast and a Fast: The Fast of Esther

    A Feast and a Fast: The Fast of Esther

    Why was annihilation decreed on the Jews of that generation? Because they enjoyed the feast of the wicked [King Achashverosh]

    Talmud, Megillah 12a

    Was participating in the feast of Achashverosh so grave a sin that it deserved a decree of annihilation, G-d forbid? Indeed, the Book of Esther implies that it was no sin at all, even desirable and necessary. We are told that Achashverosh had instructed that no man be pressured to partake of any food or drink that did not agree with his constitution or his religious beliefs. He had even arranged for kosher food for his Jewish subjects, in full conformity with the exacting standards of none other than Mordechai himself![1]

    And the Jewish people had many compelling reasons to attend the week-long banquet thrown by the king to celebrate the consolidation of his rule over the 127 provinces of the Persian Empire. All residents of the capital were invited, and to turn down the royal invitation would have been a grievous insult—something that a small minority, scattered throughout the empire and threatened by many enemies, could ill afford to do. It is true that the Jews are not like the other nations of the world, whose fortune rises and falls with the political tide. In the words of the Talmud, “the people of Israel are not subject to ‘fate,’”[2] for they are under the singular province of G-d. Indeed, our millennia of survival as a “lone sheep surrounded by seventy wolves”[3] belies every law of history. But it is also true that we are commanded to construct a natural “vessel” through which the divine protection and blessing might flow.[4] Surely the Jews of Persia recalled the words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah seventy years earlier, when they were first exiled from their homeland: “Seek the peace of the city to which I have exiled you, and pray for it… for in its peace shall you have peace.” [5]

    In any case, even if there were something amiss in the Jewish attendance at the feast of Achashverosh, was this a transgression so terrible that it warranted Haman being given the prerogative to “annihilate, slaughter and destroy every Jew, young and old, women and children, in a single day”[6]?

    Jews in Politics

    But the problem was not that they participated in the feast; it was that “they enjoyed the feast” of the Emperor of Persia.

    Certainly, the Jew in exile is commanded to employ the tools that, by natural criteria, aid his survival under foreign rule. But he must always remember that this is no more than a “vessel” for G-d’s protection. Politics, business, natural law—these are no more than a front, an elaborate façade which G-d desires that we construct to encase and disguise His supra-natural providence of our lives; they are not something to be revered, much less to get excited about.

    But the Jews experienced joy at having been invited to Achashverosh’s feast. As they took their places among the Persians, Medians, Babylonians, Chaldeans and the other nationalities of the realm, they felt content and secure. After seventy years of exile, they had “made it”; they were now a member of equal standing in the family of nations at Achashverosh’s table, with glatt kosher dinners issuing from the royal kitchens.

    With their joy, the Jews disavowed their uniqueness as a nation under the special protection of G-d. Their feelings demonstrated that they now perceived the niche they had carved for themselves in the good graces of an earthly emperor as the basis for their survival. But the world they so gleefully entered is a capricious one. One day a Jew, Mordechai, is a high-ranking minister in Achashverosh’s court and another Jew, Esther, is his favorite queen; a day later, Haman becomes prime minister and prevails upon Achashverosh to sign a decree of annihilation against the Jewish people.

    The Reversal

    When Mordechai informed Esther of Haman’s plans and enjoined her to use her influence with the king to annul the decree, Esther told him to

    “gather all the Jews who are in Shushan, and fast for my sake—do not eat or drink for three days, night and day; I and my maidens will likewise fast. Thus I shall go to the king, against the law…”[7]

    It was forbidden, on pain of death, for anyone to go to the king unsummoned. Esther’s only chance was to charm the king into not killing her and to turn him against his favorite minister in favor of her people. The last thing for her to do under such circumstances was to approach the king looking like a woman who had not eaten for three days!

    So dictate the norms of human nature and palace politics. But Esther recognized that the key to saving her people was to reestablish the relationship between G-d and Israel on its original, supra-natural terms. The Jews must repent their regression to a political people; they must draw on their only true resource—G-d’s love for them and His commitment to their survival. They must storm the gates of heaven with their fasting and prayer, and rouse His compassion for His people.

    Of course, she must go to Achashverosh and do everything in her power to make him change his mind. But this is merely a formality. She must go through the motions of doing things the “normal” way because that is what G-d wants her to do—because this is the garment in which He chooses to cloak His salvation. But she will not appeal less fervently to G-d because she fears it will make her less attractive to Achashverosh—that would be like a soldier discarding his rifle because it creases his uniform.

    Thus Esther rectified the error of those who enjoyed Achashverosh’s feast. They had exalted the façade, abandoning the essence of Jewish survival for the sake of the superficial vessel. Esther’s approach to dealing with the threat of Haman’s decree reiterated the true priority of the Jew, and evoked G-d’s reassertion of His singular providence over the fate of Israel.
    Based on the Rebbe’s talks on Purim 5722 (1962) and 5727 (1967)[8]

    By Yanki Tauber.

    ______________________

    [1]. Esther 1:8; Targum ibid; Talmud, Megillah 12a.

    [2]. Talmud, Shabbat 156a; et al.

    [3]. Midrash Rabbah, Esther 10:11; et al.

    [4]. Cf. Deuteronomy 15:18: “G-d will bless you in all that you will do”; see discourses on this verse by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (Sefer HaMaamarim 5565, vol. II, p. 648; 5568, vol. I, p. 165), Rabbi DovBer of Lubavitch (introduction to Derech HaChaim), Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (Derech Mitzvotecha, Mitzvat Tiglachat Metzora, ch. 2), and Rabbi Sholom DovBer of Lubavitch (Kuntres U’Maayan, Maamar 17).

    [5]. Jeremiah 29:7.

    [6]. Esther 3:13.

    [7]. Ibid., 4:16.

    [8]. Likkutei Sichot, vol. XXXI, pp. 170-176.

  • Reeh: Israel Oh Israel

    Reeh: Israel Oh Israel

    Behold, I place before you today a blessing… These are the laws you must carefully keep in the land that G-d, Lord of your fathers, is giving you to settle in it all the days that you live on Earth – Opening of this week’s Torah portion (Deuteronomy 11:26; 12:1)

    All your children will be taught about G-d; great will be the peace of your children… They may gather to attack you, but it will not be from Me; whoever comes to fight you shall fall because of you. Behold, it is I who created the smith who blows beneath the forge, and makes a weapon for his work. I have also created the ravager to destroy. No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper – This week’s Haftorah (Isaiah 54:13-17)

    If I was a supporter of Hezbollah and Iran I would be elated. The so-called “cease-fire” allows Hezbollah many new opportunities: To declare victory; to announce that it will be rebuilding Lebanon and thus be heralded as hero and savior; to replenish its supply of depleted missiles, arms and resources; a source of newfound respect pride for the Muslim world; to forge an ever-deeper relationship with its sponsors, Iran and Syria; most chilling of all – to get one step closer to its stated goal: the destruction of Israel.

    Emboldened with all these victories, Hezbollah – an extension of Iran (and Syria) – is a stronger force than ever. With Iran’s bottomless coffers, fueled by the Western World’s addiction to oil, its equally endless hatred of the Jewish Land and unlimited brazenness – what does the future hold?

    Iran – via Hezbollah – has now only tested the mettle of Israel and the world. And Israel and the international community have blinked, badly. Now Iran and its cohorts can plan accordingly and prepare themselves for an all-out attack, at the time and place of their choosing.

    Israel, on the other hand, has suffered a great loss. Not only have they not achieved any of their stated goals – Hezbollah remains an armed force, fully capable of attacking with impunity and even the two kidnapped soldiers haven’t been returned. They have also lost credibility, billions of dollars, not to mention hundreds of lives and shattered homes, families and communities. All for what?

    Above all, how does the cease-fire address the continuing declaration of war against Israel? What is Israel’s response to this deceleration of war? Either you eliminate the enemy or you have them surrender and rescind their call for your annihilation.

    Since Israel did neither, the question on everyone’s lips is: Why? Either Israel does not take their threats seriously (hard to believe), or arrogantly feels that they would never dare in fear of Israel’s military might (stupid), or is just buying time (even stupider), or is choosing to ignore the threat for some other reason. Most ominous of all – perhaps Israel does not have the capability or the will to fight this war (G-d forbid).

    Bluntly put, the “cease fire” was a victory for Hezbollah and a capitulation for Israel. Hezbollah now has a time-out to regroup, rebuild and rearm (does anyone believe that they aren’t doing that already?). Israel suffered an ambush no less than the ones they faced in confronting the guerillas in Southern Lebanon, and now enters a future even more uncertain than before this last ill-fated battle.

    From Israel’s end the cease-fire was supposed to secure its boundaries, protect Israeli cities from being attacked and disarm Hezbollah. None of these goals were achieved. The Lebanese Army, UN and multi-national force are now supposed to assure this – whom are we kidding?! Neither Lebanon or the UN have even attempted to disarm Hezbollah in the past – and are now announcing that they will not do so in the future – so what did Israel gain from this arrangement?!

    And if Israel whose very survival is at stake was unable or unwilling to disarm them, how and why in the world will a multi-national force do so??!!

    The entire cease-fire, under the farcical cover of “multi-national forces” replacing the Israeli ones, seems more like a “face-saver” for Israel – if even that – covering up the humiliation of outright defeat. As one top Israeli official stated (I believe it was Shimon Peres) that Israel cannot win this war militarily, and cannot withstand international pressure. How then does Israel exactly propose to win the war against its very existence?!

    I’m sorry if all this sounds depressing. But the cure to any disease or problem is not to minimize its impact and significance but to face it head on, acknowledge the mistakes, make sure not to repeat them, and devise a powerful strategy with newfound wisdom and fortitude.

    But before we get to the good news, some more sobering confessions are necessary.

    Everyone can make a mistake once, twice, three times. But for heaven’s – and earth’s – sake: Why How can Israel keep repeating the same mistake again and again. The mistake is: Concession after concession, with nothing to show in return.

    Since the miraculous Israeli victory of the Six-Day War in 1967, the policy of every Israeli government has been one of appeasement. Instead of negotiating from a position of strength, the Israeli leadership time and again showed weakness. This may have been due to overconfidence or arrogance, or a misplaced fear of “what the world will say.” But the tragic results are undeniable. Every Israeli conciliatory gesture was met with more aggression and demands.

    Every piece of land returned has been used to build a launch pad and tunnels for future attacks. Though the return of Sinai – and the billions of US aid pledged to Egypt – has brought peaceful relations between Egypt and Israel, no one can guarantee what the future holds for that region. Regimes rise and fall, and the climate of radicalism can easily overtake Egypt as well.

    When you return land for an agreement on paper, when your actions are in return for verbal promises, there is a fundamental disproportion that reflects weakness. Your land is gone, and all you are left with is a hollow promise. Action must always be met with equal action, or else any agreement is bound to fail. Take the current cease-fire: Israel has stopped its defensive for a verbal and written UN agreement that is now unraveling at the seams. What does Israel do now once it has agreed to a cease-fire and Hezbollah rearms itself and rebuilds its fortifications in Southern Lebanon?!

    No one wants war or bloodshed, but how can you negotiate with a party whose “no-starter” axiom is your destruction?

    What do all these concessions show? They reflect fundamental core errors or delusions, or perhaps even worse – unwillingness to acknowledge and face the true enemy.

    Concessions make sense when both sides are committed to the same goals. Not when one side calls for the destruction of the other, and makes no effort in hiding the fact.

    They are calling for your destruction. What is your response?

    They say they will not disarm. What is your response?!

    It’s simply not enough to reply that all we want is that you do not kill our civilians. Why are they killing your civilians? Because they firmly believe that Israeli civilians are illegitimately occupying Palestinian territory, which they absolutely feel belongs to them.

    What is Israel’s response to that statement?

    In time of war the best insights can often be found by the enemy (“my enemies make me wise”).

    Much can be learned from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Iran, after all, is the powerful force behind the latest battles. As abhorrent as some of his statements may be, Ahmadinejad comes across as chillingly calm, confident and absolutely convinced in the justness of his cause. When you read his writings – he subscribes to the philosophy of the late Ayatollah Khomeini – he talks about the Divine vision of Islam and its need to bring justice and peace to the world, to bring about a “Second Islamic Revolution.” Britain and America, with their godless Western liberalism, attempted to corrupt and hijack Iran – which has been at the center of civilization for over two millennia – as well as the rest of the world, and they remain the Great Satan that needs to be vanquished.

    Essentially Ahmadinejad’s vision is a religious one, and he is certain that Iran and all its satellites will prevail, because G-d is on their side. In a speech last Tuesday in Teheran, Ahmadinejad declared that Hizbollah had emerged the winner in Lebanon. “God’s promises have come true,” Ahmadinejad told a huge crowd waving Hezbollah banners and Iranian flags.

    “On one side, it’s corrupt powers of the criminal US and Britain and the Zionist…with modern bombs and planes. And on the other side is a group of pious youth relying on God.”

    To further understand this thinking, listen to the speech Ahmadinejad delivered last September before the General Assembly of the UN (click here for the full text):

    “With the passing of the era of agnostic philosophies, today humanity is once again joined in celebrating monotheism and belief in the Creator as the originator of existence. This is the common thread which binds us all. Faith will prove to be the solution to many of today’s problems. The Truth will shine the light of faith and ethics on the life of human beings and prevent them from aggression, coercion and injustice and will guide them towards care and compassion for fellow beings.

    “Another hope is the common global appreciation of the sources of knowledge. Although reason, experience and science are among valuable sources of knowledge, the darkness of the Middle Ages deprived major portions of the Western world of appreciating [true knowledge]. This reactionary tendency deprived many of access to various scientific findings and knowledge and led to the exclusion of other sources of knowledge namely God and knowledge based on revelation from the life of human beings in the West; Divine knowledge that was carried and disseminated by such prophets as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammad (peace be upon them).

    “Today, agnostic thinking is on the decline and presently humanity is equally enamored with religion knowledge and spirituality. This is an auspicious beginning. Divine prophets teach us about proper regard for the exalted state of human beings on earth. The human being is blessed with dignity, most importantly manifested in being the viceroy of the Almighty on earth. The Almighty placed humans on earth to develop it, institutionalize justice, overcome their egoistic tendencies and praise no lord but the Almighty.

    “Faith and good deeds can bring deliverance and the good life even in this world. Attaining this depends on human will, that is the will of each and every one of us. We must heed the call of our common primordial nature and achieve the realization of this good life…

    “How can we influence the future of the world? When and how will peace, tranquility and well-being for all come about?… We believe that a sustainable order, nurturing and flourishing peace and tranquility, can only be realized on the two pillars of justice and spirituality. The more human society departs from justice and spirituality, the greater insecurity it will face, so much so that a relatively small crisis, such as a natural disaster, leads to various abnormalities and inhuman behavior.”

    And in conclusion Ahmadinejad stunned the audience with his Messianic vision: “From the beginning of time, humanity has longed for the day when justice, peace, equality and compassion envelop the world. All of us can contribute to the establishment of such a world. When that day comes, the ultimate promise of all Divine religions will be fulfilled with the emergence of a perfect human being who is heir to all prophets and pious men. He will lead the world to justice and absolute peace.

    “O mighty Lord, I pray to you to hasten the emergence of your last repository, the promised one, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace.”

    Later Ahmadinejad reflected on his speech: “On the last day when I was speaking before the assembly, one of our group told me that when I started to say ‘In the name of God the almighty and merciful,’ he saw a light around me, and I was placed inside this aura. I felt it myself. I felt the atmosphere suddenly change, and for those 27 or 28 minutes, the leaders of the world did not blink. When I say they didn’t bat an eyelid, I’m not exaggerating because I was looking at them. And they were rapt. It seemed as if a hand was holding them there and had opened their eyes to receive the message from the Islamic republic.”

    This is the enemy speaking.

    Now, what is our response?

    The secular, Western world – which has deeply affected many Israelis, including those in power – is loath to accept the religious nature of this war, as so clearly stated in Ahmadinejad’s own words.

    Many reasons can be posited to explain this resistance, but two are most noteworthy: The effects of the war of Enlightenment against religion, or more broadly, the centuries of persecution in the name of religion, continue to haunt the West, and they remain convinced that religion is backward and unworthy of legitimate recognition. This profound condescension does not allow the West – and Israel – to acknowledge the true magnitude of the Muslim animosity to secular values and its impetus to Jihad.

    The second factor is simpler but equally crucial: Western prosperity has created a deep complacency and wishful hope that these problems are just passing clouds, which will soon drift away and then we can return to our movies and sports. A sense of entitlement has spoiled the Western world to the point that it refuses to accept that there is a new world war being waged, and a spiritual one at that.

    Thus, negotiations and concessions, diplomacy and UN resolutions are the options of choice. And when that fails – military options are employed. But no matter how well intended Western diplomacy may be, we cannot forget that a large majority of Muslims see their cause in absolute terms, as a Divine battle for the “two pillars of justice and spirituality.”

    True, the Muslim world is angry, humiliated and full of hatred to Israel and the West. Many are plain Jew haters. But it would be a grave mistake to dismiss the Muslims with these negative, primitive representations (even if they may be true), and forget that they are also educated with deep religious conviction. And even if some (or much) of their religious indoctrination is radical in its worship of martyrdom and turns young children into murderers, we must remember that the spiritual vision behind it all (no matter how reprehensible) is compelling and seductive, especially in comparison to the lame alternatives of the West.

    Military might, diplomatic channels, dillying and dallying political rhetoric – all the newfound tools and toys of the West – are simply no match for a powerful spiritual message (no matter how distorted).

    Our only true response – and our most powerful, unwavering weapon – will be a majestic spiritual vision that will speak to all peoples of the world.

    Historically this has always been the role of Israel and the Jewish people – the people of the book, who brought us the great prophets beginning with Abraham and Moses – and who delivered the Divine message of universal justice, spirituality and peace at Sinai.

    This same book also declares the Divine covenant of the Promised Land, in which G-d promises the Land of Israel to the Jewish people.

    This is the question I would have liked Mike Wallace to have asked President Ahmadinejad in his 60 Minutes interview: What do you think about G-d’s promise in the Bible to give the Land of Israel to the Jewish people? In light of that, how can you call for the destruction of Israel?

    Ahmadinejad may have his Islamic viewpoint as he articulated before the UN, but the original Divine vision for mankind was delivered to Abraham and Moses. Sinai brought civilization to this world and offered us a blueprint how to transform the material world into a spiritual environment.

    The time has come that a leader in Israel should rise and passionately declare Israel’s spiritual vision for the world; A global view that charts a course for the future; A powerful appeal that will resonate from one end of the world to the next.

    Sadly, until that day comes, military force will be the only remaining power we have to keep the Islamic radicals at bay, and buy us some more time…

  • Shoftim: Katrina And Gaza

    Shoftim: Katrina And Gaza

    What We Know and What We Don’t

    Dear Rabbi Jacobson,

    I have heard some people suggesting that there is link between the recent Israeli evacuation from Gaza with the catastrophic devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast. Citing Biblical statements they are claiming that throughout history nations of the world have been punished for hurting the Jewish people. Since the United States pressured Israel to disengage from Gaza, which is against the will of G-d according to this theory, this country was punished, tit for tat, with the worst natural disaster in the USA that forced the evacuation of millions of people from Southern United States, and continues to be plagued by inept rescue efforts, rendering this mighty nation as helpless as a third world country.

    Some are even comparing the recent order to forcibly evacuate the 10,000 remaining residents in New Orleans with the forcible evacuation of approximately the same number of Jewish residents in Gaza.

    Here are some links where these issues are discussed.

    Messiah Truth Forum

    Eight Major “Acts Of God” That Coincided With The Timing of US Pressure On Isr

    US pressure Israel, storms

    Sultan Knish – Hand of G-d, Flood

    Mind you, not all are arguing that this correlation needs to publicized or discussed. Rather they see it as unspeakable concern among the faithful.

    I would like to have your opinion on this matter.

    Thank you,

    [signed]

    Dear,

    While it’s true that Torah way of thinking see the entire universe as one integral whole and that our actions in one place of the world affects events in another, great care must be taken before drawing any direct parallels between events, especially catastrophes that have taken the lives of many innocent people.

    None of us know G-d’s mysterious ways and it is therefore quite presumptuous, if not outright arrogant, to definitively state that any particular catastrophe is a result of any given act, either on or off location.

    If we were to take such license, just where do you stop? What about the six million who perished in the Holocaust – is that too a direct result or punishment of some human action?

    What would prevent us from “finger pointing” every time a disaster happened, looking to lay blame on sinning scapegoats?

    Whether it be a “natural” disaster or one perpetrated by men, the Torah advocates that we cry out to G-d when innocent people die. The entire basis of prayer essentially is stating that we pray for healing the sick and the dying, and do not attempt to “justify” their suffering by attributing it to their or someone else’s sins. If we were to correlate every illness to a direct punishment, we then should not have the right to pray for anyone and try to change the course Divinely destined upon the ill.

    You may then ask the question: Isn’t every event in the world controlled by Divine Providence, even a leaf blowing in the wind, definitely a major hurricane that killed and misplaced so many people? And isn’t it true that the concept of Divine reward and punishment is a form of cause and effect (totally unlike the superficial and circumstantial nature of human reward and punishment)? Just as a hand gets burned when placed in fire, so too do our actions bring upon us various consequences.

    And what about the words of Maimonides:

    “When a calamity strikes the public we must see it as a result of our evil actions. We must cry out, examine our lives and correct our ways. To say that the calamity is merely a natural phenomenon and a chance occurrence is insensitive and cruel (Laws of Fasting 1:2-3)?

    Doesn’t it then make sense to conclude that a tragedy like Hurricane Katrina is an effect of our own actions? Why then can’t we say that the Gulf coast disaster was caused by Israel’s disengagement from Gaza?

    The answer, my friend, lies in the very words of Maimonides. Maimonides does not say that a calamity should elicit a “witch hunt” to find the wicked culprits that brought the tragedy upon us. He says the exact opposite: Every individual that witnessed, experienced or heard about a calamity must not ignore it, but see it as a personal wake up call for introspection, to “examine our lives and correct our ways.”

    So, yes, Hurricane Katrina should not be seen merely as “a natural phenomenon and a chance occurrence;” that would be “insensitive and cruel.” It should serve as a wake up call – to wake ourselves up, not for us to wake up others and clamor for a scapegoat to blame. That would defeat the entire purpose: Instead of focusing on our personal behavior we deflect the entire experience as someone’s else’s problem and caused by another’s sins. That’s the easy way out: Hey, it’s not my problem; it was caused by the Israelis and the American government.

    Maimonides is telling us, no! It is your problem. When a calamity strikes, you have to look into your own heart, examine your own behavior and repair your ways. Is there a more sensitive thing we can do for the suffering? The greatest honor we can bestow on those that have tragically died or been misplaced is to become better people because of them…

    In conclusion: The Gulf Coast disaster should cause us to privately and discreetly look at our own lives and improve our ways. But it should not become a mud slinging contest looking for whom to blame.

    There are things we know and there are things we don’t know. There are events that the Torah specifically tells us happened because of human sins, like the great flood in the times of Noah, or great fire that destroyed the city of Sodom. The Torah has the authority to tell us that. But in all other situations, where we do not have a Divine authority informing us otherwise, we simply do not have enough information or insight to determine the exact cause for any given catastrophe.

    And that lack of knowledge should not be seen as a liability. Our sages teach that we are not given a challenge that we cannot face. What we know – and what we don’t know – is exactly what we need in order to fulfill our mission in life. The fact that we do not know the correlation of different events in life means that we don’t need to know that information to achieve our calling.

    Hurricane Katrina, perhaps the greatest natural disaster in modern American history, should definitely make us think. I for one cannot say that events in the Gulf Coast are not related to events in the Gaza coast or for that matter anywhere else in the world. But we surely cannot say that it is definitely connected.

    What we do need to know is that we must always feel responsible and see that our actions affect the world around us.

    “A person must see himself and the world as equally balanced on two ends of the scale; by doing one good deed, he tips the scale and brings for himself and the entire world redemption and salvation” (Maimonides, Laws of Repentance, 3:4). A person is responsible to say that the entire world was created for me; when you save a life you save the universe” (Mishne Sanhedrin 37a).

    When a calamity strikes, especially one that affects large numbers of people, we need to know that we must look into our selves and become better people.

    Beyond that is G-d’s domain.

  • A Jew in Madagascar

    A Jew in Madagascar

    The following is a freely-translated excerpt from a letter the Rebbe wrote in the fall of 1961 to a Jewish woman living in Madagascar:

    …It was with pleasure that I received regards from you and your husband, through Rabbi Joseph Weinberg, upon the latter’s return from his visit in your community. It was a double pleasure to hear from him about your and your husband’s warm and willing response to the task of unifying the Jewish families in your area and bringing them closer to the practice of Judaism; especially that your husband has taken it upon himself to teach the children, which is of increased importance in our times, for today it is the children who influence their parents.

    Certainly you and your husband are aware of the principle of “specific divine providence”—a principle that is a mainstay of our faith in general, and of the teachings of Chassidism in particular. “Specific divine providence” means that every event, great or small, that occurs in the world, whether involving an inanimate object, a growing thing, an animal or a human being, in its every detail and sub-detail, does not occur by chance, G-d forbid, but is specifically ordained by G-d as part of His intentions and purpose in His management of the world.

    Therefore, it goes without saying that when a Jew finds himself in a distant corner of the world, far from his homeland, far from any established Jewish community, this is certainly not by chance. This Jew should see himself as an emissary of the Omnipresent through whom G-d’s word may reach also this corner of the world, bringing about an increase of justice and righteousness among all its inhabitants, and spreading the teachings and observances of Judaism among its Jews.

    In such a case, one should not look upon the number of individuals that one has the opportunity to influence. Our sages have said, “Whoever upholds a single Jewish soul, it is as if he has upheld an entire world.”[19] If this is true at all times, how much more so does it apply to our generation, after the destruction, Heaven forfend, of such a significant portion of our people. Today, every surviving Jew is a “brand salvaged from the fire”[20] who must not only fulfill his own role, but also take the place of those who perished in sanctification of G-d’s name…[21]

    Adapted from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Yanki Tauber.

    ________________________________________________

    [19]. Talmud, Sanhedrin 37a.

    [20]. Zechariah 3:2.

    [21]. Igrot Kodesh, vol. XXII, pp. 9-10.

  • The Third Wagon

    The Third Wagon

    When Napoleon’s armies approached Liadi in the summer of 1812, Rabbi Schneur Zalman, who had been active in his support of the Czar against the French emperor,[17] was forced to flee. The Rebbe left Liadi with sixty wagons carrying his extended family and many of his Chassidim, escorted by a troupe of soldiers attached to his convoy by express order from the Czar.

    The Rebbe rode in the third wagon. In the first wagon sat the Rebbe’s grandson, Rabbi Nachum, with two military officers. Whenever they would arrive at a crossroads, the entire procession would halt while Rabbi Nachum walked to the third wagon to ask Rabbi Schneur Zalman which way to proceed. At times, the Rebbe would reply without moving from his seat; other times, he would walk to the crossroads, lean on his staff, and meditate for a while before issuing his directive.

    On one occasion, Rabbi Nachum erred in his understanding of the Rebbe’s instruction, and the convoy took the opposite turn. When the error was revealed, Rabbi Schneur Zalman instructed that they continue along the road already taken, but said with great regret in his voice: “How fortunate it is when the grandson follows the grandfather; how unfortunate it is when the grandfather must follow the lead of the grandson.”

    Many trials and tribulations followed that wrong turn in the road, culminating in the passing of Rabbi Schneur Zalman that winter in the town of Pyena.


    Adapted from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Yanki Tauber.

    __________________________________________________

    [17]. See WIR, vol. VI, no. 26.

  • A Sincere Apology

    A Sincere Apology

    Most of us have experienced some form of hurt, slight or loss at the hands of another human being. Sometimes we feel anger. At other times we find it within ourselves to rise above our pain and be accepting and forgiving.

    But most of us, unfortunately, have also been on the other side of the fence. We were not the victims, but the perpetrators of some form of abuse. When we realized, with a sense of guilt, that we actually inflicted harm on someone else, which emotions did we experience then? Perhaps we felt shame, at first, but all too often, that shame slowly subsides into a feeling of complacency. The world goes on, our life returns to normal, and our friend is left to nurse the wound and wallow in resentment. Which one of us has some growing up to do?

    “If a person will sin and commit a trespass against G-d and be deceitful toward his friend regarding a pledge or a loan or about robbery; or he deprived his comrade; or he found a lost item and denied it–and he swore falsely about any of all the things…. He shall repay by its capital and its fifth [1]; he shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day he admits his guilt.”[2]

    On the words “to whom it belongs,” Rashi [3] comments:

    “To the one to whom the money belongs.”

    Seemingly, Rashi’s interpretation is obvious and redundant. To whom would you assume that the money should be returned, if not to the original owner? This is precisely the question on the verse that Rashi wishes to address. Why does the verse find it necessary to add the words “to whom it belongs”?

    It is possible to argue that the additional fifth is a fine imposed on the thief as a punishment for his violation, and therefore, by rights, need not be paid to the victim. The thief may well be obligated to pay it to the court, or perhaps donate it to charity. To emphasize that it must indeed be paid to the target of the theft, the verse stresses, “to whom it belongs.”

    This seemingly simple verse addresses a deeper underlying theme in human relationships. There is a concept in Jewish mystical thought that when one suffers a loss or damage at the hands of another human being, he should not feel anger towards that person, since the loss was decreed upon him from Above. Even had the aggressor chosen not to do harm to him, G-d could have sent the negative experience his way through other means.[4]

    According to this line of thinking, a thief can absolve himself of the duty to make amends to the victim of the theft. He could easily argue that the theft is only an issue between him and G-d. His argument may run as follows: “I have full faith in G-d’s justice; my issue is between me and G-d alone. My fellow’s loss does not particularly tug at my heartstrings, for after all, G-d has decreed it upon him. I am indeed concerned for the breach of my trust relationship with G-d. I have violated His command, and have taken His name in vain. I will therefore take upon myself penance and supplications to restore our relationship. I will dutifully fulfill the biblical obligation incumbent upon me to restore the loss, and even tack on the penalty. But the wrong inflicted upon my fellow is hardly my concern. I feel no duty to go to particularly great lengths to restore my shattered trust with him; he is a nonentity to me.”

    Such a skewed view of interpersonal relationships reflects on a lack in the human-Divine relationship as well. Were we to fulfill our interpersonal relationships merely to please G-d, this would indicate a basic self-centeredness. We want to feel right and justified. We are uncomfortable with the unsettling feeling of being in the wrong, and therefore we feel compelled to make amends. Our acceptance of the Divine commandment to appease our fellow stems essentially from our own need for personal vindication.

    Yet a true relationship with G-d entails being thoroughly permeated with Divine compassion and sensitivity. We are careful with other people’s feelings not so much for the sake of fulfilling our own obligations, but out of a sincere interest in the needs of the other person. Upon discovering or regretting the wrong I have committed against my friend, my sole concern is to ease his pain and lighten his burden. My personal obligation and blight vis-à-vis G-d is secondary. What is primary to me is that my friend’s loss, and peace of mind, be restored. I want not only to return the theft, but even add on an extra amount to make up for the emotional distress I caused, and any possible profit that he may have lost out on during the time that his money was in my possession.

    The commandments regulating interpersonal relationships, such as those concerning slander, honesty in business dealings, or charitable obligations, fall in the category of “mishpatim,” or laws which have a logical basis. Although they are in concordance with human understanding, we are nevertheless obliged to fulfill them out of a sense of kabbalat ol, (acceptance of Divine authority). G-d is aware of the all-too-human tendency to rationalize and justify our transgressions. The Torah therefore institutes a code of conduct that is not subject to the rules of human rationality, to prevent a person from absolving himself of blame when that should suit his agenda. Yet it is far from G-d’s intention that we fulfill our obligations towards our fellow man out of a sense of duty towards G-d, and forget the human dimension. The ultimate expression of kabbalat ol is when it takes root in all levels of the personality.

    A G-dly person refrains from gossip and evil speech, is scrupulous in his business dealings, and avoids to the utmost taking any property that does not belong to him. But what is his motivation? Does he really care that much for the feelings and needs of his fellow human beings, or is he trying to score points in heaven? The intent of the mishpatim is to mold the human character, and to guide a person to become more humane, more sensitive and more loving. We subject ourselves to the Divine will so that we can transcend our own selfish nature, and thereby become truly G-dly and loving individuals.

    Based on Likkutei Sichos, Shabbos Parshas Vayikra, vol. 7, pp. 9-19

    Adapted from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Chaya Shuchat.

    [1] Meaning, that the thief is obligated to repay the amount that he stole, plus one fifth of the total added on as a penalty. This refers to a case where the thief regretted his action and admitted it in a court of law.

    [2] Vayikra 5:21-24.

    [3] Rashi’s commentary on Vayikra 5:24.

    [4] Tanya, Iggeret Hakodesh, ch. 25.

  • Electric Light

    Electric Light

    The 19th of Kislev is celebrated by the Chabad community as the “Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism.”[8] Farbrengens—informal gatherings at which expositions of Chassidic teaching and words of inspiration mingle with melody, dance and l’chaims—are held in every community, and chassidim wish each other a “good year in the learning of Chassidut and the ways of Chassidut.” [9]

    The 19th of Kislev marks the day, in the year 5559 (1798), that the founder of Chabad Chassidism, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, was released from imprisonment in Czarist Russia. Rabbi Schneur Zalman had been arrested on charges, put forth by opponents of Chassidism, that his activities, and the movement he founded, contained treasonous elements. His exoneration and release marked Chassidism’s victory over those who sought to destroy it; following the 19th of Kislev, the movement gained many new adherents, and its teachings were far more broadly and freely disseminated. Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s style of teaching also assumed a new form: he now expounded on the “soul of Torah,” previously presented only in the form of terse Kabbalistic formulas, at greater length and in a manner that more readily allowed their intellectual assimilation.[10]

    On a deeper level, the arrest and liberation were interpreted by Rabbi Schneur Zalman and his followers as the earthly speculum of a supernal drama, in which the movement itself was on trial before the Heavenly court. Is it proper to reveal the most intimate secrets of Torah, which had been the exclusive province of a select few in each generation, to the public at large? Is it proper to clothe them in garments of reason, so that these essentially supra-rational truths should take the form of a rational philosophy and creed? Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s release from earthly prison signified his vindication above: the Heavenly court had ruled that the time had indeed come for the inner light of Torah to be revealed and to illuminate the world.[11]

    The following is a freely-translated excerpt from a letter by the Rebbe to Mr. Shneur Zalman Shazar (president of the State of Israel in the years 1963-73),[12] dated Tevet 14, 5714 (December 20, 1953), in which the Rebbe touches on the parallels between the spiritual light unleashed on Kislev 19 and modern-day lighting methods.

    “It was with pleasure that I received the news that electrical power has been installed in Kfar Chabad, and that  farbrengens were already held by its light on the luminous day of the 19th of Kislev. I am told that the matter was arranged thanks to your effort and vigor, and I thank you and congratulate you on this.

    It is an age-old Jewish custom to seek a deeper meaning and instruction in every occurrence, as per the saying of the Mishnah, “Who is wise? He who learns from every man”;[13] to which the Baal Shem Tov adds that one must also learn something from every event and its every detail. From the day of his redemption on the 19th of Kislev, the double [14] light of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi began to spread, free of all disturbances and obstructions, and in a manner that could reach also the simplest of folk. Indeed, this is the elementary principle of Chassidism: to draw down and connect the ultimate heights with the lowest depths…

    The electrical force is one of the hidden forces of nature. It cannot be perceived by any of the five senses—we know of its existence only through its causations and effects. Yet this hidden force most potently banishes darkness and illuminates the night. Thus, electricity is a physical analog for the spiritual force of Chassidism, whereby the hidden element of Torah and its most arcane secrets—as revealed via Chassidic teaching and the Chassidic way of life—banish the darkness of the material world and illuminate the murkiness of the physical existence.”[15]

    Adapted from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Yanki Tauber.

    __________________________________________________

    [9] HaYom Yom, p. 113.

    [10]  Likkutei Dibburim, vol. I, pp. 21-28. See also Sefer HaToldot Admor HaZaken, pp. 771-787.

    [11] Torat Shalom, loc. cit.

    [12] ] As his name indicates, Mr. Shazar was a descendant of Chabad chassidim. He maintained a close relationship with the Rebbe and greatly assisted the Chabad community and its institutions in Israel.

    [13] Ethics of the Fathers 4:1.

    [14] The name “Schneur” is an acronym of the Hebrew words shnei ohr (“two lights”), a reference to Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi’s achievements in both the exoteric element of Torah (Halachah) and its esoteric dimension.

    [15] Igrot Kodesh, vol. VII, pp 101-102

  • His Daughter’s Son

    His Daughter’s Son

    The Chabad-Chassidic movement was founded in 1772 by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. Upon Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s passing in 1812, the leadership of Chabad was conferred upon his eldest son, Rabbi DovBer.

    When Rabbi DovBer passed away fourteen years later, another of Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s children, the venerable chassid Rabbi Chaim Avraham, was still among the living. Rabbi DovBer also left two sons. Nevertheless, the Chabad community instead chose Rabbi Menachem Mendel (the “Tzemach Tzedek”) as their third Rebbe. Rabbi Menachem Mendel was a grandson of Rabbi Schneur Zalman—the son of his daughter, Devorah Leah. He was also a son-in-law of Rabbi DovBer, having married his first cousin, the Rebbetzin Chayah Mushka.

    Many years later, the chassid Rabbi Peretz Chein related the events of that crucial time in Chabad history:

    “At a conference held by the elder chassidim of Rabbi DovBer, it was decided to place the crown of leadership upon the head of his son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel. The conference appointed a delegation of chassidim to notify Rabbi Menachem Mendel of its decision.
    “The delegation consisted of eighteen chassidim, including Rabbi Hillel of Paritch, Rabbi Yitzchak Aizik of Vitebsk, Rabbi Yitzchak Moshe of Jassy, and myself.
    “When we came to the Rebbe to tell him of our decision, he refused to accept the leadership. So passed many months of uncertainty. Finally, on Passover of 5590 (1830), it was decided that the elder chassidim would all converge on Lubavitch for the festival of Shavuot to press for the Rebbe’s acceptance.
    “When I arrived in Lubavitch some two weeks before Shavuot, I found many of the guests already there. Within a few days, Rabbi Yitzchak Aizik of Vitebsk, Rabbi Hillel of Paritch, Rabbi Yitzchak Aizik of Homel and the others had arrived, and the conferences and delegations began. Still, the Rebbe refused us, suggesting that we choose Rabbi Chaim Avraham or Rabbi Menachem Nachum, the son of Rabbi DovBer. The community of the chassidim was in great distress.

    “On Tuesday, the first of the ‘Three Days of Preparation’ before Shavuot, I was inspired by a spirit of G-d. Standing with Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Yitzchak Aizik as we pleaded with the Rebbe in the name of thousands of chassidim that he accept the leadership, I said to the Rebbe that I had a clear proof from a saying of the Sages that he, as the grandson of Rabbi Schneur Zalman, was the one for whom the leadership is designated.

    “To this, the Rebbe said: ‘One does not play around with a saying of the Sages. Say what is in your mouth and I will hear you out.’
    “I then said: ‘It is written: “If a woman shall give seed, and give birth to a male…”[1] From this, the Sages derive: ‘If the woman gives seed first, she gives birth to a male; if the man gives seed first, she gives birth to a female.”[2] It therefore follows that your mother was born from the first seed of your grandfather, and you were born from the first seed of your mother. As his daughter’s son, you are the most fitting heir of our first Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman. As such, you must fulfill the will of the chassidim and accept the leadership.’
    “The Rebbe thought for a while, and then said: ‘Agreed, on the condition that I will not be bothered by those seeking advice on material matters.’ ‘Chassidim want to hear Chassidus,’ responded Rabbi Hillel.

    “A short while later, the Rebbe appeared dressed in white garments—inherited from his grandfather—sat down on the podium, and began delivering the discourse, The World Stands on Three Things.”[3]

    Based on the writings of the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn[4]

    Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe by Yanki Tauber

    [1]. Leviticus 12:2.

    [2]. Talmud, Niddah 31a.

    [3]. Traditionally, a Chabad Rebbe’s delivery of a discourse (maamar) of Chassidic teaching indicated the formal assumption of leadership.

    [4]. HaTamim, no. 3, pp. 22-23 [254-255].