LIVING WITH MOSHIACH, Parshat Vaeira, 5755 B"H LIVING WITH MOSHIACH Weekly Digest About Moshiach PARSHAT VAEIRA Tevet 27, 5755 Dec. 30, 1994 * Published Weekly By Lubavitch Shluchim Conferences On The Moshiach Campaign, Committee For The Blind * * * 5755 "Year of Hakhel" ********************************************* * TO RECEIVE THIS PUBLICATION VIA INTERNET: * * E-Mail: yys@dorsai.org * * FOR CHABAD-LUBAVITCH IN CYBERSPACE: * * E-Mail: info@chabad.org * ********************************************* THIS PUBLICATION IS DEDICATED TO THE REBBE, RABBI MENACHEM M. SCHNEERSON OF LUBAVITCH "I BELIEVE WITH COMPLETE FAITH IN THE ARRIVAL OF THE MOSHIACH. AND THOUGH HE MAY TARRY, I SHALL WAIT EACH DAY, ANTICIPATING HIS ARRIVAL." Maimonides, Principles of the Faith, No. 12 ********************* * TABLE OF CONTENTS * ********************* Introduction The Weekly Torah Portion The Rebbe's Prophecy Court Case In Gomel **************** * INTRODUCTION * **************** We are pleased to present, to the visually impaired and the blind, the eleventh issue of our weekly publication, Living with Moshiach. * This Wednesday, the 25th of Tevet, Dec. 28, is the 56th yahrtzeit of my grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchok Elchonon Shagalov, who literally gave his life to spread Yiddishkeit in Russia. Therefore, in his memory, our feature presentation this week highlights a famous incident in his life. * Our sincere appreciation to L'Chaim weekly publication, published by the Lubavitch Youth Organization, for allowing us to use their material. Also, many thanks to our copy editor, Reb Mordechai Staiman, for his tireless efforts. * It is our fervent hope that our learning about Moshiach and the Redemption will hasten the coming of Moshiach, NOW! Rabbi Yosef Y. Shagalov Administrator Committee for the Blind E-Mail: yys@dorsai.org 18 Tevet, 5755, Year of Hakhel Brooklyn, New York *************************************** * THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION * * Adapted from the Works of the Rebbe * *************************************** Parshat Vaeira One of the main reasons that the Exodus from Egypt occupies such a central role in Judaism (we mention it daily in our prayers) is that this original exodus symbolizes the daily spiritual exodus that must take place in the life of a Jew. The Hebrew word for Egypt, Mitzrayim, comes from the root word meitzar, meaning limitations and obstacles. It is up to every individual to liberate himself from his own internal limitations and boundaries, thus freeing his G-dly soul to express itself and seek spiritual fulfillment. This week's Torah portion, Vaeira, tells of the very beginning of the events that led up to the Jews' triumphant liberation from bondage. By studying the circumstances of the Egyptian exodus, we see how we can apply these lessons to our own personal and spiritual journey as well. The first plague to afflict the Egyptians was blood; every drop of water in the land was affected. Therefore, the first step toward spiritual liberation must also somehow be connected with transforming water into blood. Water symbolizes tranquility, coldness, and lack of emotional excitement. Blood, on the other hand, is a symbol of warmth, enthusiasm and fervor. The Torah asks every Jew: Do you truly want to leave "Egypt," to overcome your self-imposed limitations? The first thing you must do is turn your water into blood. Transform your apathy and inertia into enthusiasm and love of Torah and mitzvot. Infuse your life with a warmth and fervor directed toward G-d and holiness. A person may claim, "Is it not enough that I simply perform the mitzvot, learn Torah, and avoid that which is forbidden? Am I not a good Jew even if I don't feel any enthusiasm for what I do?" Chasidic philosophy explains that coldness and apathy are the source of all evil. When one is cool toward something, it means that he is totally uninterested in it. We see that when something truly close to the heart is mentioned, our pulse quickens and we warm to the subject. Coldness signals the mechanical performance of the commandments and leads to eventual spiritual deterioration. The first action to be taken toward spiritual liberation is to replace our lukewarm dedication to Judaism with warmth and enthusiasm. We should be at least as equally enthused about Judaism as we are about other facets of our lives. One of the practical ways this expresses itself is when we perform a mitzva in a particularly nice way. The desire to enhance our observance leads to our observing the precepts of Judaism out of love. This, then, is the first step towards going out of our own personal Egypt and ending our collective exile. ************************ * THE REBBE'S PROPHECY * ************************ The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of Lubavitch, issued a call that "THE TIME OF OUR REDEMPTION HAS ARRIVED!" and "MOSHIACH IS ON HIS WAY!" The Rebbe stressed that he is saying this AS A PROPHECY, and asks us all to prepare ourselves for the Redemption, through increasing acts of goodness and kindness. LET US ALL HEED THE REBBE'S CALL. ******************************************* * IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY DEAR GRANDFATHER * * * * Reb Shmuel Pesach Ben Reb Yaakov Dovid * * Passed away on 3 Tishrei, 5755 * * Pais * ******************************************* *********************** * COURT CASE IN GOMEL * *********************** The following is a true story related by a Russian Jewish woman who was present at the court case described below: In 1924, the Russian masses, most of whom had been fervently religious before the Revolution of 1917, were in the process of being weaned away from their religion. But, there were many--even Communist party members--who remained faithful to their religions. Many Jews retained outward appearances to show that they were good communists, but deep within them burned the eternal Jewish spark. One such man created a sensation in Gomel. Soon after his wife gave birth to their first child, a son, he said that he was suing for divorce. The reason: his wife had the baby circumcised! The communists had a chance to display to Gomel's Jewish population how a young man was prepared to sacrifice family ties for his party. They immediately planned a public trial. The trial was well publicized and when the day arrived the galleries were filled to overflow. The judge, who was himself Jewish, called the husband first. "Tell me, Comrade, are you a loyal party member?" he asked. "I am indeed." And the husband described his important post in the governmental hierarchy. "Until now, have you loved your wife? Have you been on good terms?" asked the judge. The husband answered in the affirmative. "What then, Comrade, has happened that you wish to divorce her?" the judge asked. "Comrade Judge, my wife gave birth to a son. I looked forward to bringing him up as a true communist. One day, I came home and to my utter consternation found that he had been circumcised! Was I supposed to stand guard all day, neglecting my important work for the advancement of communism? I hold her responsible!" The husband said emotionally. "Let the wife step forward," the judge ordered. "Comrade, are you guilty of perpetrating this heinous crime?" "Comrade Judge," she wept, "it isn't true. He won't listen to me. We live in a single, rented room in someone else's house. One day I had to go shopping for food and I left my baby sleeping in his crib. I made sure to lock the door before I left. It took me longer than I expected. Just imagine how frightened I was when I found the door of our room wide open! I looked around and saw that nothing had been touched. But suddenly, I realized that my baby was gone! "There was no one else in the house, no one to ask, no sign of any theft. I ran out into the street like a madwoman when I suddenly saw my parents and my husband's parents. Imagine my relief when I noticed my mother carrying the baby. She tried to calm me; they had just taken the baby for a walk, she told me. "I believed them. But when I brought him home and changed his diaper I had a fit. How could my parents do this to me?" she screamed. "Terrible," the judge shook his head. "Unbelievable that in the modern Soviet Republic these religious practices still exist. Let the child's grandparents come forward." All four grandparents stood together. Both grandfathers had gray beards and wore long black coats. The grandmothers' heads were covered with kerchiefs. One of the grandmothers, who knew a little more Russian than the others, spoke for them all. "Honorable Comrade, I admit that I can't see what's wrong with our grandchild having a bris like all Jewish boys. But you should know that we didn't mean to do it. It just happened." The public galleries reverberated with howls of laughter. The judge called for silence and asked sarcastically. "How, Babushka, does a circumcision Just happen?" "We took our little grandson out for some fresh air. We came to streets where we hardly ever go. Suddenly a young Rabbi walked over to us whom we never saw before and asked, 'Do you want your grandson to have a bris like every Jewish boy?' 'Of course,' we answered. So he quickly took out a knife and before we knew what was happening our grandson had a bris!" The gales of laughter from the galleries couldn't be contained. "Babushka, have you finished your ridiculous story?" asked the judge. "I have told you all," said the grandmother. "But I want you to know that I am very happy." "Happy?" roared the judge. "About what?" "Happy that our dear little grandson had a bris. Just like you, your honor! Aren't you proud to be a Jew?" Try as he might, the judge could do nothing to stop the titters and snickers. Eventually the courtroom was brought to order. The husband was called back to the witness stand. "Tell me, Comrade, hero of communism, if not for this most unfortunate affair, is there any other reason you have for divorcing your wife?" "No, Comrade Judge, none whatsoever." "If I tell you that she is not guilty, will you consider returning to her?" "Of course, Comrade," said the husband. "Then, here is the decision. Your wife is innocent. It is entirely the fault of the grandparents who persist in observing these religious practices. They will be fined 50 rubles. This is the decision of the Soviet Court of Gomel." As the spectators filed out of court, they couldn't help but admire the ingenious plan of the young party-member and his wife to have their son circumcised while still retaining his high-ranking job and party membership. The bizarre story about the stranger was, of course, to protect the mohel's identity. But, it was no secret to anyone; everyone knew the one mohel left in the city, Rabbi Yitzchok Elchonon Shagalov, a young Rabbi who had studied for ten years in the famous yeshiva in Lubavitch, and was one of the chasidim left in Russia by the previous Rebbe to continue with Lubavitcher activities at great personal sacrifice. * In the early hours of the morning, on the 4th of Tishrei, 5698 (September 9, 1937), while still up and learning Chasidut, as was his nightly custom, Rabbi Yitzchok Elchonon Shagalov was arrested for spreading Yiddishkeit in Russia and shot to death (at the age of forty) in prison less than five months later, on the 25th of Tevet, 5698 (December 29, 1937). In 1953, his wife Rebbetzin Shagalov settled in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. Thank G-d, she has many descendants (including a number of great-great-grandchildren), all of them Lubavitcher chasidim, and many of them emissaries of the Rebbe on all five continents. =========================================================== = End of Text: Living With Moshiach, Parshat Vaeira, 5755 = ===========================================================