From: Murray Kahl <kahl@cybernet.cse.fau.edu>
Subject: VYESHV-W
Originator: scj@israel.nysernet.org
Reply-To: <Murray Kahl <kahl@cybernet.cse.fau.edu>>
Organization: Nysernet
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 04:03:26 GMT

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> BH
> THE WEEK IN REVIEW
> >From The Works And Talks Of The Lubavitcher Rebbe Shlita
> Vol IV No. 12
> Vayeishev 5753
> 12/13/92
> Published by Vaad Hanochos Hatmimim To receive by fax or mail contact:
> (718) 774-6448/ Fax. 774-7FAX/ BBS 771-2924
>  
>  
> SYNOPSIS    a weekly essay of chassidic thought
> For  Real
> In his  commentary on the Mishnah, Maimonides enumerates the thirteen basic
> principles of  the Jewish  faith. The  first four  principles deal with the
> belief in  G-d as  the Original  Cause upon which every creation is utterly
> dependent  upon   for  its   existence,  His  absolute  oneness,  His  non-
> corporeality and timelessness.  The fifth principle establi-shes man's duty
> to serve Him and fulfill the purpose for which he was created.  Princi-ples
> six to  eleven establish that G-d relates to humanity: that He communicates
> His will  to man;  that every  word of  the Torah was transmitted by G-d to
> Moses; that G-d observes and is concerned with the behavior of man; that He
> punishes the  wicked and  rewards the  righteous.  The final two principles
> deal with  the era  of Moshiach:  the belief that there will arise a leader
> who will  bring the  entire world  to  recognize  and  serve  the  Creator,
> ushering in an era of universal peace and divine perfection.
>  
> Foundations
> What does  it mean  when we  say that something is a ``basic principle'' in
> Judaism?   A simple  definition would  be that  in order  to qualify  as  a
> ``believing Jew''  one must  accept the  truth of  these thirteen precepts.
> But this  is not  so.   The Torah  clearly makes  no such distinctions.  As
> Maimonides himself writes in his 8th principle:
>  
> ... This  entire Torah,  given to  us by  Moses, is  from the  mouth of the
> Almighty -  namely, that  it was  communicated to him by G-d... There is no
> difference between  the verses  `The sons  of Ham were Kush and Mitzrayim,'
> `The name  of his  wife was  Meithavel' and `Timna was a concubine' and the
> verses `I  Am the  L-rd your G-d' and `Hear O Israel, [the L-rd is our G-d,
> the L-rd  is One]'  - for  all is  from the  mouth of the Almighty, all the
> Torah of  G-d, perfect,  pure, holy and true... Our sages have said: Anyone
> who believes that the entire Torah is from the mouth of the Almighty except
> for a single verse, is a heretic...''
>  
> So a ``basic principle'' is more than a required set of beliefs or a set of
> beliefs which are crucial to Judaism.  This would apply to each word in the
> Torah.   Rather, these  are thirteen  principles upon which everything else
> rests.   The Hebrew word used to describe them is yesodot, ``foundations''.
> While different  parts of  an edifice could conceivably exist independently
> of each  other, without  the foundation the entire building would collapse.
> So, too,  each of  these thirteen  principles is  a ``foundation''  to  the
> entire Torah upon which all else depends.
>  
> In other  words, while  every word in the Torah is equally important to the
> believer as  a person, these principles are crucial to the faith itself.  A
> person who does not accept that ``Do not steal'' is a divine commandment is
> no less  a heretic  than one who denies the    existence of G-d; but belief
> in the  rest of  the Torah is not dependent upon the fact that G-d said not
> to steal.   On  the other  hand, things  like the  existence  of  G-d,  His
> absolute and  exclusive power,  His involvement  in the affairs of man, and
> the fact  that the  Torah is  the communication of how He wishes life to be
> lived,  obviously   prerequire  the   whole  of  Judaism.    Without  these
> ``foundations'' the rest is virtually meaningless.
>  
> Why Moshiach?
> However, there  remains one  difficulty with  this explanation:  why is the
> believe in  Moshiach included  among the  foundations of  the Jewish faith?
> Obviously, the  era of Moshiach is an important part of Judaism.  The Torah
> speaks of  it (in Deuteronomy 30 and Numbers 24 among others), the prophets
> are full  of it.   But could one not conceivably believe in the rest of the
> Torah without accepting its vision of a future perfect world?
>  
> Furthermore, belief  in Moshiach  entails more  than the conviction that he
> will eventually  arrive.   It mandates  that one  await and  anticipate his
> immediate coming.   In  the words  of Maimonides,  ``The Twelfth  Principle
> concerns the era of Moshiach: to believe and to validate his coming; not to
> think that  it is  something of the future - even if he tarries, one should
> await him...''   This,  too, is  an integral  part of the ``foundation'' to
> Judaism provided  by the principle of Moshiach.  Again, one is compelled to
> ask: how does the validity of the entire Torah depend on this?
>  
> Not In Heaven
> The Torah  details a  most exacting  and demanding  code of  behavior.  Its
> edicts and  ethics govern  every hour  of the day, every phase of life, and
> every aspect  of the  human experience.   For  the average  man, it takes a
> lifetime of  committed labor, tremendous self-discipline, and every iota of
> his intellectual, emotional and spiritual faculties to attain this ideal.
>  
> Thus, a  person may conceivably argue that the level of perfection expected
> by Torah  is beyond  feasible reach  for the  majority of  people.  To him,
> Torah is an ideal to strive towards, a vision of absolute goodness designed
> to serve  as a  point of reference for imperfect man.  If a person seeks to
> attain this ideal - although he will probably never reach it - he will much
> improve himself in the process.
>  
> A second  view takes  Torah at its word: each individual is capable of, and
> expected to  attain, perfection.   In  fact, the Torah itself leave no room
> for doubt  on its  view of  the matter.   In  Deuteronomy (30:11-14)  Moses
> states: ``For  the mitzvah  which I  command you this day, it is not beyond
> you nor  is it  remote from  you.  It is not in heaven...  nor is it across
> the sea...   Rather,  it is  something that  is very  close to you, in your
> mouth, in your heart, that you may do it.'' Torah is not an abstract ideal,
> but a practical and implementable blueprint for life.
>  
> These two  views reflect two different ways of looking at the essence of G-
> d's creation.   If man is inherently or even partially evil, then obviously
> he can  go either  way.  There is no reason to assume that he will, or even
> can, attain a state of perfect righteousness.  To envision a humanity which
> is utterly  committed to goodness, a world in which every single individual
> acts in  concert with the purpose for which he was created, can only be the
> dream of a chronic optimist hopelessly out of touch with ``reality''.
>  
> However, if one believes that the world is intrinsically good, that G-d has
> imbued His  every creation  with the  potential  to  reflect  His  absolute
> goodness and  perfection -  then one's  concept of  reality  is  completely
> different.   Then, our  current ``harsh  reality'' is  the anomalous  state
> while the  reality of  Moshiach is  the most  natural thing  in the  world.
> Then, one  not only  believes in  a ``future'' Moshiach but sees him in the
> here and  now, understanding  that the  world is capable of instantaneously
> responding to  his call.   Indeed, that fact that he is not already here is
> less in  keeping with  the true  nature of  things than  the  fact  of  his
> imminent arrival.
>  
> Of course,  man has  been given  the freedom  to choose.   But  the  choice
> between good and evil is not a choice of what to be - man cannot change his
> quintessential self  - but the choice of how to act: man can either express
> his true  essence in his behavior or suppress it.  Ultimately, however, the
> truth, by  nature and definition, always comes to light.  So, while man can
> choose how to act in any given moment, the very nature of his soul mandates
> that it not only can but will attain the perfection of the era of Moshiach.
>  
> Moshiach means  that the  true nature of creation will come to light.  That
> ``evil'' is  but the  shallow distortion of this truth, and has no enduring
> reality.  That man will free himself of hate, jealousy and ignorance.  That
> every human  being will  fulfill his  divinely ordained role as outlined in
> the Torah,  transforming the  world into  a place suffused with the wisdom,
> goodness and perfection of its Creator.
>  
> Moshiach means that the Torah is for real.
> Based  on   Likkutei  Sichos   (collected  talks   of  the   Rebbe  shlita)
> Vol. XVIII p. 280 and on other talks by the Rebbe.
>  
>  
> Man as Bundler
> Joseph dreamed  a dream,  and told  it to  his brothers...  We were binding
> sheaves in  the field.   Suddenly,  my bundle  arose and stood upright; and
> behold, your bundles surrounded and bowed to my bundle (Genesis 37:5-7).
>  
> We live  in a  disjointed and  fragmented world.   Its countless components
> each seem  to be  going its  own way,  each creation  seeking only  its own
> preservation and  advancement.   Our own lives include countless events and
> experiences,  espousing  different  priorities,  pulling  us  in  different
> directions.
>  
> But this  is but the most superficial face of reality.  The deeper we probe
> nature and  its laws, the more we uncover an underlying unity.  The more we
> assimilate the  lessons of life, the more we discern a ``guiding hand'' and
> a coherent destiny.  The more we utilize our talents and resources, all the
> more do the various aspects of our uniquely individual role fall in place.
>  
> This is  the deeper significance of Joseph's dream.  We are all bundlers in
> the field  of life.   Here,  each stalk  grows in  its own  distinct little
> furrow; our  challenge is to bring focus to this diversity, to gather these
> stalks together and bind them as a single sheave.
>  
> But this  alone is  not enough.   In  the words  of our sages, ``the entire
> world was  created only  for my  sake, and  I was  created only to serve my
> Creator.''   True, every  person should  view his entire ``world'' -the re-
> sources and  opportunities which  Divine Providence  has sent  his way-  as
> being there  for him;  no a  single thing  is distinct  or arbitrary, every
> stalk has  a place  in his bundle.  But the piecing together of his life is
> not an end in itself, but the means to achieve a higher goal:  to serve his
> Creator, to fulfill his divinely ordained mission in life.
>  
> The Torah  is G-d's communication of His will to man, and charts the course
> for man  to serve  his Creator.  And each generation has its ``Joseph'', an
> utterly righteous  individual who's  life  is  the  perfect  embodiment  of
> Torah's ethos  and ideals.  This is the tzaddik whom the ``bundles'' of the
> various tribes  of Israel  surround and subjugate themselves to, turning to
> him for guidance as how best to realize the purpose of their lives.
> Adopted from  an address  by  the  Rebbe  shlita,  Shabbos  Vayeishev  5720
> (December 26 1959)
>  
>  
> A Telling Story
> Second Thoughts
> Once, a  chassid came  to the  rebbe of  Cher-nobyl,  Rabbi  Nochum,    and
> bemoaned his  bitter plight.    The  marriage  of  his  daughter  was  fast
> approaching, and  his pockets  were empty.   He  required a  minimum of 300
> rubles to  make the wedding and to provide the young couple with their most
> basic needs.
>  
> Rabbi Nochum  asked to  be left  alone.   While the  many  audience-seekers
> waited  outside,   the  Rebbe   secluded  himself  in  his  room  and  long
> contemplated the  matter.   Finally, he  summoned  the  destitute  chassid,
> opened a drawer in his desk, and gave him 300 rubles.
>  
> Later, the Rebbe explained what had happened:
>  
> ``Immediately before  this poor  chassid came to see me, I was visited by a
> wealthy chassid  who brought  me a  gift -  exactly 300  rubles.    As  you
> certainly know, my own household has long suffered poverty and want, and I
>  
> have many debtors who are constantly pressing me for payment.   So my first
> reaction was one of gratitude to the Almighty for providing me some respite
> from my financial struggles in such an unforeseen manner.
> ``Then, when  the impoverished  chassid came,  and I learned that he needed
> exactly 300  rubles in  order to  marry off his daughter, I was filled with
> joy: what  an open  display of  G-d's providence!   Obviously,  I had  been
> selected to  act as  the messenger from heaven.  I had merited to be chosen
> as the vehicle through which the Almighty wished to help this man.
>  
> ``But then,  another thought  entered my mind: why give the entire sum to a
> single individual?  With such an amount, one could sustain six impoverished
> families for a full year!
>  
> ``I was  faced with  a dilemma.  Both these options - a) to give the entire
> sum to  the one chassid, and b) to divide it between several needy families
> - seemed  righteous and  correct.   I couldn't  decide between  them, so  I
> locked my door in order to contemplate the matter and reach a decision.
>  
> ``Upon contemplation,  I came  to recognize  that these  two opinions  were
> coming from  the two  `judges' within  me, the  `Good Inclination'  and the
> `Evil Inclination.'   I  also realized  that the argument to divide the sum
> among  several   families  was   definitely  not   coming  from   my  `Good
> Inclination.' For were this indeed my Good Inclination speaking, why didn't
> he speak  up immediately?   As soon as I received the money, he should have
> said: ``Nachum,  300 rubles  were brought to you. Take the money and divide
> it into  six parts,  distribute five  parts to  needy families and take the
> sixth for  yourself.'' But  no, this voice spoke within me only after I had
> decided to give away the entire sum.
>  
> ``This gave  him away.  When at first I had assumed that the entire sum was
> meant for me, he was silent.  No wonder: he was perfectly satisfied with my
> decision.   Only after  the Almighty had privileged me to realize why I had
> been given this money did he wake up.  Obviously, he did not say ``Keep the
> money!'' - Oh no, he is far too experienced at his craft for that - he knew
> that I  would  recognize  the  source  of  such  a  desire  and  reject  it
> immediately.   So along  he comes,  this master  of cunning, with a utterly
> pious and  logical suggestion  - anything  to prevent  me from assuming the
> role which Divine Providence had so clearly designated for me in delivering
> a bride from distress.
>  
> ``So I called back the chassid and gave him the 300 rubles.''
> Told by the Rebbe shlita, Iyar 2 5746 (May 11 1986)
>  
>  
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