The Infinite Celebration

B"H


We are now sitting in the middle of the high-holiday of "Sukkot." Having already experienced the long prayer sessions and fasting of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, our close connection to G-d comes out into the open and is expressed during Sukkot in a way of joy. At the end of Sukkot, we celebrate one more special day (outside of Israel=2 days) known as "Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah"-the joy/celebration of the Torah. Our sages say that dancing with the Torah in shul on Simchat Torah is equal in greatness and holiness to fasting on Yom Kippur. "Joy breaks all boundaries" our sages tell us, and if you don't feel happy...then dance! Because by dancing and "pretending" to be joyful, one is led to a true joy. G-d Wants us, as Jews, to be joyful: "Serve G-d in joy"-Psalm 100, and this week of Sukkot, known as the happiest of festivals, is a good time to start!

But what about "Simchat Torah"? What's so special about this day over the 7 days of Sukkot and even Yom Kippur, that we celebrate to such an extreme? I mean, it's easily understood why we should be joyful; we're celebrating our Torah, in which G-d has given us DIvine Laws of justice and righteousness and a true guide to life. A book that, by shaping our lives to it, brings us to true happiness.
But why now? why the day after Sukkot specifically?
The Torah says: "On the eighth day you will have a holy convocation...it is an atzeret." Our Rabbis of old explained why this day had to come immediately after Sukkot ended; G-d is Saying: "I have detained you with Me, like a king who invited his children to a feast for a certain number of days, and when the time arrived to take leave, he said, 'My children, please remain with me for yet another day' your separation is difficult for me." G-d can't bear to see us go. (The Lubavitcher Rebbe adds: If one looks closer at the words, it says "your separation", b/c only in our eyes does it appear that we have been separated from G-d after the holidays end. But it doesn't say "Our Separation," for G-d Never leaves His children)**
SO this Tuesday night, let's go to a Chabad House or wherever we are, and let's celebrate G-d's Torah that He Gave to His Beloved Children. And let's also remember that even when the holidays have ended, that the whole pt. was to bring the joy and message of Sukkot, to our entire year, to our day to day life. That G-d is always with us. Chag Sameach!

-Daniel

{To find your local Chabad House and it's schedule for the festivities, check: http://www.chabad.org/centers/default_cdo/jewish/Centers.htm

--

**A 2nd interpretation by the Rebbe: "your separation"=G-d Is Pained when one Jew separates from another.

"Where Are You?" - Y. Kippur Meditation

B"H

In the yr. 1800, the founder of Chabad Chassidism, Rabbi Shneur Zalman
of Liadi (ca.1745-1812), was arrested on false charges of treason in
Russia,
and spent nearly a yr. in a St. Petersburg prison. During this stay,
many ministers & high ranking officials (knowing the holy Rebbe's
stature & great knowledge)
spent much time asking Q's to the 'Alter Rebbe.' There was one
minister who happened to have a thorough knowledge of the Torah, even
though he wasn't Jewish. One night he approached the Alter Rebbe in
his cell, and asked: "It says in Genesis, that after Adam sinned
through eating the forbidden fruit, he hid. G-d then Called to him
'Ayeka?'-'Where are you?' Why did G-d Ask such a question when He is
Everywhere and Knows all!? And don't tell me Rashi's explanation, that
G-d only Wanted to Open up a conversation with Adam with these words;
I know that explanation already."
The Alter Rebbe looked him in the eyes and said: "Do you believe that
the Torah is eternal and is relevant to each person at all times?" The
minister answered "yes." Continued the Rebbe: "Then what G-d is
Telling Adam, is really being told to each and every one of us, at all
times. 'Where are you?'
Each person is allotted a certain amount of years, days, and hours in
this world in order to do what Hashem wants of us. Are we fulfilling
our mission?" The Rebbe gazed at the minister and continued: "You have
lived such and such amount of years," (the Rebbe said exactly the age
of the minister), "what have you done in your lifetime? Have you done
good deeds to others? Have you been fulfilling your mission?" The
minister thanked the Rebbe for the explanation, and left deeply
impressed by his encounter.

As we reach Yom Kippur, this call to each and every one of us "Ayeka?
Where are you?" should be contemplated. Have I been fulfilling, or
trying to fulfill, my role in this world? the purpose of my unique
Jewish soul here? Many have the custom of taking on a new resolution
for themselves on Yom Kippur. Maybe lighting candles Fri. afternoon if
your a girl, or putting Tefillin as a boy. Maybe saying Shema before I
sleep and when I awake. Maybe giving 10% of my earnings to charity as
our sages teach. Any 'Mitzva' that will sensitize myself to my soul's
mission. Good luck to all of you! May you be inscribed and sealed for
a sweet year, in all physical and spiritual matters, together as 1.

-Daniel

As Accessible as Air

B"H

"In our town of Lubavitch, When the month of Elul came, one could feel it in the air."-Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch

Here's a short story to help understand this quote:

During the times of the Alter Rebbe (1745-1812) there lived a famous chosid by the name of Shmuel Munkis. Now as the

high holidays of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot approaching, Reb Shmuel knew he had to travel to be by his beloved Rebbe

for these special days. But there was only 1 problem: Reb Shmuel had no money. A poor Russian in the winter time who wanted to travel had only one

way of going, and that was by foot- in the snow. So Reb Shmuel, undeterred, set off for the town of Liadi to be by his Rebbe. As he trudged along freezing

by the side of the road, a wagon pulled up suddenly beside him. A fellow Jew called out to Reb Shmuel, asking him his destination. "Liadi? that's is in our direction. Hop on!" Unfortunately for Reb Shmuel, there was only room for him in the back, wedged among barrels of vodka.

Still freezing, Reb Shmuel asked his driver if he would be able to take a small drink from a barrel. Ah! Finally Reb Shmuel felt warmed up a bit. After arriving finally in Lubavitch, Reb Shmuel had a 'farbrengen' with his fellow Chassidim and told them like this: "One can be surrounded by warm things. But if he doesn't take it into himself in an internal way, he can remain cold."

We are now standing on the 23rd day of the Hebrew month of Elul, 1 week before Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that

the use of the word 'air' in the above quote is significant, and directly connected to our upcoming High Holidays. Chassidic Thought explains an amazing fact of life: whatever is more essential to our lives as humans, is also more accessible to us! Take water as opposed to food for instance: a person can live longer w/out food than he can w/out water; therefore water is more accessible and bountiful in this world. Clothing is less needed on an hourly or daily basis, and therefore less common and harder to come by. A house is even harder to get. The most accessible and bountiful commodity, and also most important for us though in this world, is air. One cannot go a minute without it. Thank G-d, it's not hard to find! :)

But there's one small catch: one has to actually breathe. W/out this simple, easy action, there's nothing to talk about.

At this holy junction in our yr., Chassidic thought teaches us that G-d is very 'Close' to us, and very easily accessible. Hashem is actually close yr. round, but the obstacles spiritually blocking sometimes are gone at this time. With our long prayer sessions, blowing of the shofar, living in a Sukkah, and all the other spiritual activities we do in Jewish tradition at this time of the yr., connecting to G-d seems so easy. G-d Literally sets us up for success. But like the story with Reb Shmuel Munkis and the barrels of vodka, there's one small thing we have to do on our part: Drink. Take it in internally. If not, all of these wonderful practices and prayers can just encompass us and leave as soon as the holidays pass. Closeness to G-d is a fact in every Jew's life: "the soul of a Jew is literally a part of G-d."-Tanya, beg. of Ch. 2. But one has to reveal this fact and internalize it always. The time we are in now, and the upcoming holidays, say our sages, help us to reveal this fact. We must only internalize this within us. To make it a true part of our lives, to identify with it. This closeness and connection to our G-d at this time of yr. surrounds us, like air. All we have to do, is 'breathe' it in.

K'sivah V'chasimoh Tovah, L'shanoh Tovah U'mesuka! ('May you be inscribed and sealed, for a good and sweet year!')

-Daniel