Torah Thoughts Inspired By The Works Of The Lubavitcher Rebbe,
Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
Published and Copyright (c) 2002 by
Sichos In English
In Touch. A Division of Fax A Sicha
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ISBN 1-8814-0063-8
This book was written for people who will probably not look for it. There's Brad, a lawyer in Manhattan, Joan, a consultant with a computer networking firm in California, Phil, an advertising executive in Connecticut, and countless others.
We know them all too well. At one point in their lives, almost all of them sought contact with some sort of Jewish involvement, and Judaism did not come through for them. It wasn't meaningful, exciting, and joyful enough to maintain their interest. They can't be blamed for not continuing to identify as Jews; they're being honest. Had Judaism presented a message that they felt was viable, they would have listened.
Brad, Joan, and Fred have not closed their doors. Although they may be involved with other pursuits, they are still willing to listen. If Judaism presents a message that they can relate to, they will respond. It is for them that this book was written.
But we should not set up differences between "we" and "they." First of all, no one should ever draw lines of demarcation separating one Jew from another. But more important, to inspire them, we have to inspire ourselves. Had they seen more vibrant, purposeful, happy Jews, their feelings of disillusionment and alienation would never have arisen. Reaching out to them, therefore, must involve reaching into ourselves. We must look inside - into our core being and into the core of our Torah heritage. We hope the book serves this purpose as well.
The book centers on the weekly Torah readings, for they convey lessons of timeless relevance.
[1] Year after year, century after century, a five-year-old child and a venerable sage have studied the same Torah passages, and year after year they have both discovered depth and meaning. This is an ongoing process. The truths that have generated happiness, depth, and purpose for our people for centuries continue to do so at present.
The very word "Torah" relates to the Hebrew word horaah, meaning "instruction" or "guidance." G-d gave us the Torah to guide us in our day-to-day lives. In that vein, every weekly portion can be seen as a bulletin of immediate relevance containing new insights to help us advance in our Divine service.
We have prefaced these lessons with stories, illustrating how the ideas are not merely theoretical constructs, but truths that are expressed in actual experience. Moreover, intellectual concepts are meant to be grasped and understood, to fit into the pockets of our minds, as it were. A story, by contrast, conveys a multi-dimensional message that embraces us and allows us to experience the concept in heart as well as in mind.
After each of the lessons from the Torah readings, we draw a connection to Mashiach and the Redemption that he will initiate, for the coming of Mashiach is the fundamental goal of our existence.
Our world is essentially good. It is - at least in potential - G-d's dwelling. In the era of the Redemption, this potential will blossom into actuality and G-d's presence will permeate every dimension of our environment.
As is explained in several places in the book, the era of the Redemption is not a dream of a far-off future, but a reality that is becoming manifest in our lives at present. To heighten our awareness to the shifting paradigms that characterize our society, we highlight Mashiach's coming in each of the readings.
Similarly, we included readings that focus on the Jewish festivals and fast days, for these are far more than mere dates on the calendar. Each one of them prompts a different mode of spiritual activity, beckoning us to explore and experience inner growth and development in a unique way.
How should we respond to loss? It's almost natural to drift into a powerless state of grief. After all, the anguish is great and hard to overcome. A proactive person, however, endeavors to transform the pain into a positive force leading to growth and development.
On the 3rd of Tammuz 5754 (June 12, 1994), the Lubavitch community, world Jewry, and indeed, mankind as a whole felt pangs of pain as it heard of the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. All of the millions whose lives very touched by the Rebbe felt the magnitude of the loss.
But those who had assimilated the Rebbe's teachings refused to remain mired in sadness. Rather than bemoan the darkness, they would create light. Instead, of lamenting the loss of the Rebbe, they would spread his insights outward.
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 business, legislators, and professionals in the legal, medical, and entertainment fields. The overwhelming 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 personalities could accept with integrity. 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. They became the core of the In Touch Family.
Every other week, they received by facsimile, a message sharing the Rebbe's teachings on the weekly Torah readings and the Jewish holidays, written by the celebrated author and translator, Eliyahu Touger and edited by Yossi Malamud.
The In Touch family has grown rapidly since its inception in 1994 and is currently circulated in over 12 countries and 150 cities worldwide without cost or obligation to anyone who desires to be included among the recipients. To keep In Touch and receive this free Torah fax, send us a fax (on company letterhead if applicable) with your name, address, telephone and fax number to (718) 953-3000.
Crown Heights, N.Y.
Yud Aleph Nissan, 5762
Perhaps today more than ever before, each one of us feels a centrifugal force scattering our energies outward among many diverse types of commitments. Our workplaces, our families, our investments, and our diversions all make their demands upon us. By and large, we are happy with what we are doing; if we weren't, we wouldn't continue doing it. We'd simply choose other options. But despite these different involvements, we're looking for something more.
We're not looking for just another activity or possession. What we want is something internal, something that gives depth and meaning to what we're doing, something that prompts the satisfaction and happiness that well up from within when we know that life has value and purpose.
For centuries, our people have found that satisfaction in the Torah.
In our material environment there are certain immutable laws, principles that are embedded in the fabric of nature. Ask any farmer and he will explain to you that there are certain "laws of the farm" that he cannot violate. If he wants a viable crop, he must conform to them.
There are also laws of the soul, principles equally valid and equally embedded into the fabric of our lives. These laws govern our relationships with G-d and our relationships with our fellow man. These are the Torah insights that we should reach for.
Once R. Shmuel, the fourth Lubavitcher Rebbe, emerged from his study after holding private meetings with his followers. His attendant was surprised to see the Rebbe dripping with sweat. The Rebbe had sat with about fifty individuals in a little bit less than two hours, so the attendant could understand that the Rebbe would be exhausted, but why the rivers of perspiration?
When he questioned the Rebbe about it, R. Shmuel explained: "When a person comes into my room with a difficulty, I realize that he is looking at the world differently than I do. To understand the way he faces his problem, I can't sit back and abstractly consider the issue; I have to put myself in his clothes. But after I put myself in his clothes, I won't be able to focus on the issues objectively. To do that, I must return to my own clothes and find appropriate advice. And then to convey the message to the listener, I must enter into his clothes again. If you switched clothing 150 times in less than two hours, you would also be sweating."
In this book, we have tried to follow a similar process, taking the inner dimension of the Torah's insights and clothing them to fit the intellectual and emotional tastes of contemporary America.[2]
Although the readings in this book are original compositions, they are all based on the insights of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi M. M. Schneerson. There are many people who describe the Rebbe in superlatives: a Torah genius, a visionary leader, a miracle worker, or simply a caring and sympathetic listener and counselor. What draws us most is the quality that can only be described by the term "Rebbe" - a limitless, unique energy and vitality that comes from the G-dliness which we all possess and which the Rebbe revealed in a distinctive way.
The Rebbe would cry and laugh. What made him special, however, was what he cried and laughed about. Coming into his presence, you became aware that he lived for a goal beyond himself. And more importantly, he was able to awaken the spark inside each of us which likewise seeks to live for goals beyond ourselves.
While fully in touch with the present, he also gave us a promise and a picture of a deeper and more meaningful future. While in contact with the Rebbe, the peace, love, and spiritual awareness that will characterize the era of the Redemption are not just abstract goals. You understand them, because you relate to a person who had anticipated and foreseen them in his day-to-day life.
He gives others tools to share in this awareness, and in that way, endows them with a sense of mission and purpose. For, having sampled these qualities, a person wants nothing more than to communicate them further and in that way, help bring the world to its ultimate fulfillment.
That is our intent in publishing this volume: to allow the waves of insight the Rebbe generated to ripple further throughout our society and by doing so, empower us all to draw on the self-generating spark of G-dly fire found within our hearts and within the Torah.
To communicate with others, a person must go beyond his own subjectivity. For that reason, the In Touch is a team effort, involving the contributions of many different individuals. Warranting special recognition are my mother, Rosalynn Malamud, for her continuous help in editing a product worthy of taking pride in, and my wife, Kayli, who has made the In Touch family part of our family, sacrificing her time - and bearing with my late hours - to make sure that each person on our list receives their bi-weekly fax on time.
Also, I would like to thank you, our readers. Your encouragement, questions, and occasional corrections makes us the In Touch an interactive dynamic, where your response prompts us to deeper understanding.
Within the chassidic community, it is not accepted for a chassid to thank his Rebbe. Nevertheless, it is impossible to conclude without mentioning his continuous contribution. The In Touch is not merely "established in his memory" or "a perpetuation of his teachings." Instead, it is our way of staying In Touch with him and the mission he gave us: to prepare ourselves and the world at large for the coming of Mashiach, not as a dream of the future, but Now.
Yossi Malamud
Fax A Sicha
Crown Heights, N.Y.
Yud Aleph Nissan, 5762
Notes:
- (Back to text) This is the second volume of Keeping In Touch. The first volume was somewhat smaller, containing only insights on the Torah reading and on festivals and did not include the introductory stories or related ideas concerning Mashiach that have been added here. In keeping with our Sages' directive (Berachos 28a, et al): "One should always advance in holy matters," and in order to give our readers a more complete picture of the guidance the Torah offers, we made these additions.
- (Back to text) We have also tried to have the text appear as "easy reading," even in its external form. For that reason, although the text makes copious references to Biblical verses and Talmudic passages, those sources were not cited, lest the text appear to technical in nature.
Similarly, when referring to Rabbinic leaders, rather than entire the quagmire of trying to determine what is the proper title Rav, Rebbe, Reb, or Rabbi, we have employed a uniform R. We hope that single abbreviation will save our readers the difficulty of questioning why a particular sage was described as Rebbe, this as Rav, and the third as Reb.
