Keeping In Touch

Torah Thoughts Inspired By The Works Of The Lubavitcher Rebbe,
Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson

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ISBN 1-8814-0037-9

On the 3rd of Tammuz 5754 (12 June, 1994), the world caught its breath and shed a tear as it heard of the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. At that time, millions of people shared the same thought: "If there is anything I could do for the Rebbe, I would."

In the period before suffering the stroke that led to his passing, the Rebbe said exactly what people should do for him: Everyone should realize the uniqueness of the present time. We are on the verge of the dawning of an era of peace, prosperity, and knowledge to be introduced by the coming of Mashiach. Everyone can hasten the coming of this era by sharing this awareness with others and increasing their deeds of goodness and kindness.

This spirit motivated a small group of people to begin a bi-weekly fax service sharing the Rebbe's teachings with a cross-section of businessmen, legislators, professionals in the legal, medical, and entertainment fields. The over-whelming majority of the recipients did not identify as Lubavitcher chassidim. By and large, they were Jewish, but they were also contemporary Americans and they wanted to hear a message of ideals and values that both dimensions of their personality could accept with integrity. Moreover, some of the recipients were non-Jews, but they understood that moral principles and spiritual truths were important in molding the face of our society. We began sending a fax sheet called In Touch.

Why the name? Because the Rebbe was In Touch.

In the 80's, the Rebbe spoke frequently on the subject of prayer in public school, explaining the contribution it would make to maintain the moral fiber of our children. Nor did the Rebbe remain content with words, efforts were launched to secure a constitutional amendment enabling such worship.

Many of the opponents to this campaign were Jewish. Once a Jewish communal leader from the opposing front attended a farbrengen, a public gathering, where the Rebbe spoke. At that gathering, the Rebbe also focused on the subject of prayer in schools. Afterwards, the communal leader explained that she had not changed her views on the subject. "Nevertheless," she had to admit, "at the time the Rebbe was speaking, there was no possibility of rebuttal. Everything he said rang so true. It was as if there was no other way of looking at the situation."

When listening to the Rebbe, you would always feel that this is something real, genuine. When he spoke, there was never any window dressing involved. He was focused, over-poweringly so. And his words made his listeners focused. They compelled you to look within, to concentrate on the very core of who you are and what you live for. He brought you In Touch.

There is a classic Chassidic narrative involving the Rebbe's ancestor, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidic approach: When Rabbi Zalman began to spread Chassidism throughout Russia, the government thought he wanted to lead a revolution against the Czar, so Rabbi Zalman was arrested and held for questioning.

As the interrogation went on, many Russian officials were impressed by his wisdom, and arranged informal meetings with the prisoner. One of these officials, the Minister of Culture, was a learned man who had studied the Torah. He had a question.

"Why," he asked, "when G-d came to punish Adam after he ate from the Tree of Knowledge, did He ask him 'Where are you?' G-d is omniscient. Why did He have to ask Adam where he was?"

Rabbi Zalman looked the minister in the eye and told him: "The Torah is eternal. G-d's question to Adam is addressed to every man, at every point in his life. At all times, G-d is asking us: 'Where are you? What are you doing to fulfill your purpose?'

"For example, you are so and so many years old [Rabbi Zalman mentioned the minister's exact age, although he had no ordinary way of knowing it]. G-d comes to you and asks: 'Where are you in your mission in life? Do you know what you are expected to accomplish?'�"

Deeply moved, the minister was very helpful in clearing the sage of the charges for which he had been arrested.

The Rebbe would tell this story often and ask people "Where are you?" And even when he did not tell the story, he was making that point. There was something powerfully pressing about him that made you feel both petty and important simultaneously. Petty, because you realized how shallow most of your ordinary concerns were. And important, because you felt the power of truth, and you felt that you could do something to make that truth heard more universally. He imparted a tremendous sense of the urgency of the moment, how every minute of time was a unique Divine gift to be used, not wasted.

By sharing his thoughts with others, we wanted to give our readers the opportunity to keep In Touch, to maintain the mindset which he engendered.

And this relates to the objective mentioned at that outset: making Mashiach's coming a reality. Mashiach is going to be a human being. He will be heir to the virtues of Jewish monarchy, and will actualize these virtues in his own life, in both study and deed. Working inside out, he will spread these positive qualities, affecting first the Jewish people and then the world at large.

What lies at the heart of this dynamic? That man will come face to face with the spiritual purpose that lies at the core of his being and is his destiny. When one man, Mashiach, actualizes his spiritual potential and turns it outward, the effects will begin to snowball. And as more and more individuals begin to emphasize these values, society as a whole will change. For ultimately, what we are all looking for is a life filled with purposeful and meaningful achievement and satisfaction.

As each one of us becomes more In Touch, more aware of who he is and what the world is, his life will become an example that inspires others. And as they emulate his model, the chain will continue to spread. This dynamic will grow and expand until Mashiach "perfect[s] the entire world, [motivating all the nations] to serve G-d together."

Sichos In English

Crown Heights, New York

Erev Gimmel Tammuz, 5758

Editor's Preface

Once, R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Alter Rebbe, founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, told his chassidim: "We have to live with the times."

The chassidim, trained as they were in holding fast to the unchanging standards of the Torah despite the shifting patterns of contemporary life, reacted with puzzlement. They asked R. Yehudah Leib, R. Zalman's brother, to find out what the Rebbe had meant.

In reply, the Rebbe answered that he had meant that the chassidim should "live with the weekly Torah portion." Now the Rebbe was not merely stating that the chassidim should study the weekly Torah portion. That was a given, required by Jewish law. What he meant was that they should integrate their lives with the lessons of the weekly portion, that it should be studied not as an abstract, theoretical text, but as a collection of practical and down-to-earth suggestions for living a more meaningful and satisfying life.

As a person tries to "live with the times" in this manner, he gains the awareness that the Torah is not a "religious" book. It is not merely an assortment of dos and don'ts regulating observance. It is a book which penetrates to the core of our beings and helps us live more In Touch with ourselves, our families, and the people and situations around us.

That's the type of book, everybody would like to read.

Unfortunately, we don't always understand the Torah in such a manner. Too often, we interpret it with a narrow, parochial slant. And then we're surprised when people tell us that they don't relate to what we're saying.

The Rebbe didn't let you look at the Torah that way. Torah was real for him, alive. And he made it real and alive for others. He kept you In Touch.

In presenting this sampler based on his teachings, we wanted to provide a reader with tools. The Shabbos table is an important touchstone for Jewish life. It's a time where the entire family get together and share in a meaningful experience. At that time, it is customary to share a thought from the weekly Torah portion.

When two Jewish businessmen meet, wouldn't it be nice for them to have a message of serious content to share: For these and similar situations, we composed the In Touch.

We wanted to provide a Torah message that spoke from the heart, that was straightforward, easy to read and easy to relate to. We want the message to be short, but with content. By no means did we want to produce a scholarly text. Indeed, to prevent the text from looking scholarly, we dispensed with references, sources, and footnotes. Although these can enhance the comprehension of the depth of a text, they often hinder its readability. The impression they create is itself a message.

We wanted to make the Torah's teachings - and the Rebbe's insights on them - accessible to the broadest possible audience. We wanted it to be easy reading, so we sacrificed these scholarly trappings.

A word of clarification is necessary. It is difficult to write "he or she" all the time. The Torah's teachings are for women as much as they are for men. Using the term "he," should not be considered as restrictive. Instead, it should be understood as applying to all people, regardless of gender.

Ideas lead to actions. Appreciating the guidance the Torah can grant us helps us mold our lives in that direction. Understanding the values and principles the Torah teaches encourages us to apply them. Simply put, that means doing one more mitzvah and/or extending oneself one more step to help our fellow man.

Making such changes in our personal lives will lead to changes in the world at large. When the Rebbe accepted his position, he stated that our generation has the mission of bringing Mashiach. That wasn't a dream. It was the vision of a leader who set a goal for himself and his people. That vision is very real today. As we look at the developments in science and technology, we cannot help but acknowledge how Messianic the world is beginning to look. Our parents - and indeed, ten or fifteen years ago, we ourselves - could never have dreamed of all the comforts and conveniences we have or the abundance of benefits available to us. What is lacking is only the human element, that we be more In Touch with who we are and what G-d intended us to do.

And so, let's Keep In Touch.

What Is In Touch

In Touch is a bi-weekly fax-service which communicates a message inspired by the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, focusing on the weekly Torah readings and the Jewish holidays. It is faxed out without cost or obligation to anyone who desires to be included among the recipients.

It is written by the noted author and translator, Eliyahu Touger, and edited by Yossi Malamud.

To Keep In Touch and receive this free service either call 718-363-1619, or send a fax (on company letterhead if applicable) with your name, address, telephone and fax number to 718-953-9720 or 718-735-5464.

In Thanks

Compiling the In Touch is a team effort involving the efforts of many individuals. Deserving of special acknowledgment are my mother, Rosalynn Malamud, for her daily assistance in editing a product worthy of taking pride in, and my wife, Kayli, who has given of her time - and borne with my late hours - to make sure every member of the In Touch fax list receives their bi-weekly inspiration on time.

A chassid does not thank his Rebbe. On the other hand, there is no way to conclude without acknowledging his constant contribution. The In Touch is not "established in his memory," nor is merely "a way to perpetuate his teachings." We view it as our way of staying In Touch with him and with the mission he gave us: to prepare ourselves and the world for the coming of Mashiach Now.

Yossi Malamud