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Women in Judaism - The Wife of Pinchas 03.30.06 (8:49 pm)   [edit] The Book of Samuel: The Wife of Pinchas The next several classes focus on four women in the Book of I Samuel. While the narrative of I Samuel itself follows the lives of three men - Samuel, Saul and David - the women we will explore exert a significant influence over the course of events and set important examples of feminine strength. The accomplishment of each woman is unique in time, place and circumstance, yet beneath this diversity runs a current that connects each to the other and to Jewish women of all generations. This first installment in our series concerns a figure referred to in I Samuel as, "the wife of Pinchas." Pinchas - one of the leaders of his generation - is a priest (Hebrew: "kohen") in the Temple. His brother, Khofni, also serves as priest, while their elderly father, Eli, holds the position of high priest ("kohen gadol") at the helm of the Jewish people. Thus, the wife of Pinchas (who is also the daughter-in-law of Eli) is related to such luminaries as indicate she must be exemplary in her own right. Her character is worth examining, since its components persist as an inheritance for today's Jewish woman. I Samuel relates that Pinchas and Khofni die in battle against the Philistines and that the enemy makes off with the ark holding the Torah: "And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent; and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Khofni and Pinkhas, were slain" (I Samuel, 4: 10-11). Upon hearing of this disaster, Eli collapses and dies. The wife of Pinkhas, in her ninth month of pregnancy, is informed she has lost her father-in-law, her husband and her brother in law - and that the Philistines have absconded with the ark which, as a dwelling for the Divine, had been a source of strength for the Jewish army. The traumatic news induces in her labor and untimely death: "And his daughter-in-law, Pinchas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered; and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and brought forth; for her pains came suddenly upon her." The midwives try to comfort the wife of Pinchas by informing her she has had a son. She disregards them and chooses a name for her infant: "And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her: 'Fear not; for thou hast brought forth a son.' But she answered not, neither did she regard it. And she named the child Ichabod..." In Hebrew, Ichabod means, "no glory," or "where is the glory." Through this name, the wife of Pinchas conveys her grief over the fact that, with the abduction of the ark, the honor and glory of Torah have temporarily departed Israel. On her deathbed, one might have expected the wife of Pinchas to be consumed less with national tragedy and more with the loss of her family and the birth of a son she will never know. To be sure, as would anyone, she is pained in this regard. Her sorrow, however, is incorporated into the name Ichabod, and as such becomes part of her profound anguish over the national tragedy that has just taken place: "And she named the child Ichabod, saying: 'The glory is departed from Israel'; because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said: 'The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken' " (I Samuel 4: 21-22). For the wife of Pinchas, the ark of God is a point of convergence, within which the deaths of Eli and Pinchas, and the birth of Ichabod, find deepest expression. The text itself reinforces the idea of this "focal point," as it becomes successively smaller in scope - moving from the panorama of the battlefield, through the city gates, towards the very intimate moment of birth, and ultimately to a portrait of one woman, whose final words are: "...the ark of God is taken." The ark is known to contain the Written Torah, which includes the Ten Commandments, and the Torah scroll dictated by God to Moses. The second essential part of the Torah - that is, the Oral Torah - is said to have been embodied by Eli and Pinchas, who were responsible for its transmission to future generations. The wife of Pinchas understands that her father-in-law and husband are living transmitters of Torah. As such, their deaths create a depletion of national glory, a loss of leadership and a longing for the physical and spiritual sustenance of Torah. The wife of Pinchas remains steadfast in her clarity that Torah is the lifeline of the Jewish nation, and that its dispossession amounts to no less than catastrophe. She regards her family tragedy as a part of this national loss and, through the name Ichabod, she establishes her newborn son as living reminder to his people of their unique connection to the Divine. Through the prism of Torah, the wife of Pinchas discerns what is everlasting about her husband, her father-in-law and her child. While the loss of her family no doubt causes personal pain, she reserves her deepest anguish for what their loss means to the Jewish people. As living personifications of Torah, Pinchas and Eli exemplified the spark of eternity in every Jew. The name "Ichabod" elegizes them on this level. The wife of Pinches teaches us to appreciate others, and ourselves, as individuals with a potential for greatness beyond our perceived capabilities. While we may not be able to relate to the magnitude of her tragedy, the message of the wife of Pinchas is that, above and beyond physical existence, life's most profound meaning lies in the pursuit of spiritual growth through our relationship with the Divine. Torah, itself, embodies this potential. Its timelessness connects the wife of Pinchas to today's Jewish woman, while its wisdom inspires us to live with a sense of life's highest purpose.   Arutz Sheva's All Nite Election Coverage - Up To Minute Election Results! 03.30.06 (1:22 pm)   [edit] Arutz Sheva's All Night Election Coverage Up-to-the-minute Election results Tuesday Night From 10pm-8am (3pm-1am EST) IsraelNationalNews.com ~ IsraelNationalRadio.com All night radio coverage includes analysis and call-ins. 10pm-Midnight: Tamar Yonah & Malkah Fleisher; 12am-2am: Avi Hyman; 2am-5am: Alex Traiman & Yishai Fleisher; 5am-8am: Tovia Singer   Nissan: Blossoms of Redemption 03.30.06 (12:08 pm)   [edit] The month that moves us out of being enslaved to our egos. Nissan! The name itself evokes a sense of freshness and renewal. From the very beginning of Jewish history, Nissan has been synonymous with a longing for redefinition and hope. The Talmud tells us that Abraham observed Passover. Obviously it was not to commemorate the Exodus, which only took place centuries later. Maharal explains that the Nissan season ‘spoke to him.' The more Abraham saw physical evidence of God's love and creativity, the more humble he felt. So during the Passover season, Abraham chose to eliminate everything from his life that was puffed up -- a semblance of the over inflated ego. This included all leavened food. It was Abraham's way of holding on to his recognition of what renewal really means and where it comes from. Flock of Sheep The astral sign of Nissan is the lamb. Lambs graze in a flock, faithfully following the shepherd. Being a follower is sometimes a mature choice, not a passive failure. The Jewish people made the choice to follow God, and not our own inflated egos as people. In Egypt, as we seesawed between the twin forces of assimilation and oppression, we came to realize that relying on transient humans for our self-definition was national suicide. We chose to follow God. We also came to realize that no amount of autonomous political action would bring us the spiritual freedom we craved. We finally humbled ourselves to acknowledge that the only possible way we'd ever get out of Egypt would be by God's mercy. Something within us moved, enough for us to follow God into the desert, and later accept His Torah. We were like lambs that finally discovered the shepherd who cares for them. How appropriate that the liberation from Egypt took place in the month of the lamb. Nissan is referred to in the Torah by three names, each one of which opens a door to a deeper understanding: 1) "The First Month" -- The month of redemption is considered even greater than Tishrei, the month of that the universe came into being. The world was created with a purpose, which is that we humans imbue it with purpose, in order to rectify ourselves individually and the world at large. Nissan is the month in which our people emerged with this goal as their national definition. Nachmanides, the great 13th century sage and commentator, goes so far as to say that when assigning a number to each month, it is a mitzvah to count beginning with Nissan, to increase our awareness of the miracles that led to our liberation. From his perspective, it's better, when possible, to refer to the secular months by their names -- January, February, etc. Assigning numbers would dull our sensitivity that "month number one" is number one is reserved for that month which leads us toward national self-definition. 2) "Aviv" -- This name means spring, the time when the physical and spiritual messages of rebirth meet and blossom. 3) "Nissan" -- Although this name is technically of Babylonian origin, the Aramaic word Nissan is related to the Hebrew word, nitzan, meaning bud. In Song of Songs, King Solomon's epic poem in which he depicts the love that bonds us to God, redemption is symbolically referred to as "the time that the buds were seen in our land," which means that the inarticulate earth gave birth to a people who soon would flower. Special Days Besides Passover, other days in Nissan carry deep significance. The first day of Nissan marks the inauguration of the Mishkan, the portable tabernacle that accompanied the Jewish people during 40 years of wandering in the desert. The Mishkan served as a visual allegory of how the macrocosm and microcosm can both be transformed as a sanctuary for God. In the Mishkan, each vessel, material and metal was carefully selected to symbolize specific ways in which the animal vegetable and mineral worlds can be uplifted. Years later, the first of Nissan was when the Jews of the Babylonian exile began their return to Israel. The buds had begun to blossom. Amazingly, Nissan is the time when Jews make a special blessing over new blossoms. Upon the first sighting of the new blossoms of fruit trees at the start of spring, the following blessing is recited: Blessed are You, God, our Lord, King of the Universe, for nothing is lacking in His universe and He created within it good creatures and trees, with which to provide pleasure to mankind. The first of Nissan is also the time that most congregations begin their fundraising campaign for Kimcha DiPischa (literally, "flour for Passover"). No Jew can fully experience the freedom of these days while in isolation. The Exodus was the liberation of an entire nation, not of any one individual. No one is free when he knows that his fellow Jew doesn't have what he needs. In earlier times, the rabbi of the town had the legal authority to mandate contributions. While this is no longer the case, the underlying premise hasn't changed: that true freedom comes through giving, not taking. Shabbat HaGadol When God created the world, His plan was that we choose to know Him. When we internalize His presence by choosing goodness, in a certain sense we receive the greatest gift of all: God Himself. The kabbalists state this idea as: "An awakening [of Divine mercy] from above, must be preceded by an awakening [of commitment] from below." For this reason, God didn't free us from Egypt without challenging us to make a commitment to Him, so that we would share in the process of redemption. The way that God challenged us was by requiring each family to take a sheep, an important symbol in the pantheon of pagan belief that characterized ancient Egypt. Each family tied the sheep to their bedposts for four days, and then offered it as a sacrifice to God. The day they took the sheep was Shabbat, the 10th of Nissan. We see this day as the beginning of the redemption, for it is on this day that we followed God's instructions, to later slaughter the sheep, even at the risk of enraging our Egyptian captors. But our trust in God made this act possible. On Shabbat HaGadol, it is a well-established custom to read those sections of the Haggadah that deal with the miracles of the liberation -- i.e. from "We were slaves" until "You brought us to the Temple to atone for our transgressions." It is also a custom for the rabbi of every synagogue to deliver a major sermon on this Shabbat. Bedikat Chametz The deadline for removing all leavened ("inflated") food from one's house is the evening, one day prior to the Seder. The idea of ridding our homes of chametz is that it is a tool to simultaneously rid ourselves of its spiritual counterpart, egotism. Egocentricity is the source of all evil. God infused these times with the spiritual power to destroy the ego's grip on our personalities. Getting ready for this night requires quite a bit of physical and spiritual preparation. For some people, "Passover cleaning" begins at least a month before the holiday arrives. They spend days removing every trace of leavened food from the home, sometimes getting involved with general spring cleaning and possibly even a tad of redecorating or painting. It is important to realize that the religious requirements are relatively simple, and in situations where doing a great deal of cleaning is just not feasible, it is best to stick to the basics. The focus should be on doing God's will -- getting rid of leavened food and negating the ego. Indeed, freshness and renewal most easily comes when we let go of the heaviness of self-importance and give ourselves permission to be simple. For the more we open our hearts to God's presence and love, the more ridiculous our pomposity feels. The formal act of searching to remove chametz is called Bedikat Chametz. The examination begins at night. Every nook and cranny has to be checked. The examination must be done by direct light -- i.e. using a candle or flashlight. It is customary to hide 10 pieces of bread (remember where you put them!), which symbolize the 10 mystical Sefirot in reverse. The kabbalists use the Sefirot to describe the ways in which God reveals His presence to us, for instance through his continual outpouring of goodness. Since we live in a world in which free choice is authentic, we acknowledge that if it is possible to be good, and we find it attractive, we will find doing evil equally as compelling. Each one of the 10 Sefirot has a negative counterpart. Passover is a time that all the forces of evil can be defeated, just as they were in Egypt over 3,000 years ago. The timing is critical. Rabbi Chaim Vital tells us that the first 13 days of Nissan hint at the first 13 years of one's life. When the 13th year is over, and the 14th year is about to begin, something crucial happens to us. The yetzer tov (positive impulses) becomes just as forceful in the battle for one's personality as the yetzer hara (negative impulses). It is then that the ability to examine and introspect begins, in the same way that when the 13th day of Nissan ends, we now can search, discover and ultimately destroy the actual chametz that is so much part of our lives. Bitul Chametz The climax of our search for chametz is our stating that "whatever chametz is in our possession, is now considered to be as ownerless as the dust of the earth." The next day, the 10 pieces of bread, plus any residual chametz, must be destroyed. As you sit down to the Seder, to relive the enslavement and the Exodus, you will eat the matzah and drink the wine. These are tools to help you write your own personal story of redemption, added to the millions of stories that are part of our unwritten history. May we all merit to see the buds of Nissan blossom into full and genuine redemption. And may we spend the next Seder together, in a free and rebuilt Jerusalem. This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/literacy/...   Growing Each Day - Nissan 1 03.30.06 (12:04 pm)   [edit] Nissan 1 This month shall be unto you the first of the months (Exodus 12:2). The Jewish calendar has two New Years. Rosh Hashanah, the first day of Tishrei, which marks the beginning of the calendar year, is a day of judgment, signifying that we are held accountable for our behavior. The first day of Nissan marks the beginning of the month of our liberation from Egypt, an event which teaches us that God watches us, that He cares about us, and that even distressful experiences, such as the bitter enslavement in Egypt, are part of a Divine master plan. Six months separate the two New Years. The personal inventory and the analysis of our mistakes and character defects which we do during the solemn days of Tishrei are very sobering tasks. On the other hand, realizing that we hold a lofty status as children of God and that we are constantly under His vigilance, which is emphasized in Nissan, is exhilarating and elating. Both attitudes are indeed essential, but if one tries to achieve them simultaneously, one may end up in a state of confusion. In the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, Solomon points out that we should dedicate appropriate times in life for conflicting acts and attitudes. He says, "There's a time to plant and a time to uproot" (3:2), and "There is a time to cry and a time to laugh" (3:4), etc. A healthy adjustment to life is a delicate balancing act. With proper learning and guidance, we can learn to determine appropriate times for what we are supposed to do. Today I shall ... ... give thought to scheduling my hours and days, so that I can achieve a healthy balance of diverse attitudes.   Manhigut-Yehudit Weekly Update 03.30.06 (12:00 pm)   [edit] Weekly Email Update: for the 1st of Nissan 5766 (Mar 30) Volume 66 Number 23 Visit the Jewish Leadership Website: www.jewishisrael.org ------------------------- ------------------------- --- In this Week's Update: A Quick Analysis by Moshe Feiglin What Do the Election Results Say About the Israeli Public? The Good News What Does this Mean for Manhigut Yehudit? Who Won?-- The Powerful Hand by Moshe Feiglin Analysis of the Israeli Elections by Shmuel Sackett Latest Video Clips What Can I Do? Torah Sparks This week's update is our initial analysis of Israel's election results -- their national significance as well as their significance for Manhigut Yehudit. As this analysis is being written, the dust has not yet settled and the final picture is still unclear. A more in-depth analysis will have to wait for the coming weeks, as we see how the political picture develops. A Quick Analysis by Moshe Feglin For those of you who were horrified with the election results, let us remind you of the great "victory" of the Jewish camp in the previous elections. In those elections, the ultimate Right wing leader won an overwhelming 38 mandates and built a large and strong coalition with all the Right wing parties. No, we are not trying to say that Olmert is not dangerous. We are just trying to keep things in proportion. The elections are important as a reflection of the state of mind of the Israeli public. They reveal deeper tendencies in the public consciousness that had not as yet surfaced. However, the power of the Knesset in the crucial decisions that are made in Israel is very small. Olmert's advisor Dov Weisglass, Chief Justice Aharon Barak and the family that controls Israel's largest newspaper, Yediot Acharonot, have much more power than all of Israel's elected officials -- including the Prime Minister and the cabinet. Manhigut Yehudit is on the political playing field to achieve what is possible in that arena -- public awareness. We are not deluding ourselves with the belief that we can use the political tool to achieve much more than that. But "if you will it, it is no dream," and as we proved in the Likud primaries three months ago, we can effectively use the political tool to awaken the will of the people. When that will is awakened, Manhigut Yehudit's goal of Jewish leadership for Israel will no longer be a dream. On the eve of the month of Nissan, traditionally the month of liberation for the Jewish People, let us pray that G-d will illuminate our path in this complex reality. May we successfully break the bonds of those forces that enslave both our souls and our society and may we quickly climb onto the track of true freedom -- the track of Jewish leadership for the nation of Israel. Moshe Feiglin You can turn the State of Jews into the Jewish State. Now is the Time! Join Manhigut Yehudit Today Joining Manhigut Yehudit is much more than just a donation. Now you're part of the team! Learn about our special Members Club What Do the Election Results Say About the Israeli Public? The Religious Jews and the Arabs are the only stable populace in Israel. If we just consider the Jewish population, the only sector that did not have any significant change is the religious sector. The ultra-Orthodox (6 Knesset seats) the Sephardic/Relgious Shas party (13 Knesset seats) and the Nationalist Religious (9 Knesset seats) make up the 25% of the Israeli public that remains politically constant. The rest of the Israeli public -- a whopping 75% -- are in complete turmoil. Kadimah, Leiberman's party and the Pensioners party that make up 55% of the Jewish electorate are all default parties. In other words, more than representing a coherent ideological stand, they represent aversion to the present political reality. Very few people even know who is the number 2 Knesset member on the Pensioners list. The Labor party came in second with a significant achievement, but it is not the party of yesteryear. People who voted Labor were also voting for a basically unknown entity. There is one thing that these elections clearly tell us about the Jewish public in Israel. 75% of the public has no real political anchor. There are no more political "homes," for which entire families vote because that is their tradition. There is no more ideology, there is no one that can be believed and there is nothing in which to believe. The only constant in three quarters of Jewish Israel is apathy and essentially -- deep despair. Nobody seemed to have noticed, but in the week that Iran's President, who publicly calls for Israel's destruction, announced that he will have atomic weapons within the year, elections were held in the country targeted for destruction -- and the person elected to lead the sheep slated for slaughter did not relate to the subject at all. And actually, why should he relate to it? No other party gave it any notice either... The Good News The bad news is plain to see. The deep despair played into the hands of the most senseless political powers in Israel. But the good news is that the potential for a true revolution is tremendous. If in the past we were accustomed to Right and Left wing blocs with inconsequential percentages of people open to new ideas, today the calm winds of change have become a virtual storm. Anything is now possible. Tens of Knesset seats move from here to there and essentially do not go anywhere. Olmert's scheming arrogance ("Living here is going to be great") will quickly shatter on the rocks of reality and the option for a belief based revolution for leadership of the country will be closer than ever. What Does this Mean for Manhigut Yehudit? Two weeks ago Manhigut Yehudit held its annual dinner in New York. While Moshe Feiglin was waiting in line for his flight back home, a typical Israeli Likudnik turned to him and said, "Feiglin, Bibi made a big mistake by rejecting you. If he would have called on you to join him after the primaries, all the votes that will be going to Leiberman and the National Union would have gone to the Likud." It turned out that he was a famous activist for Israel's impoverished. He has already surrendered to the current Israeli despair, and has been living in Florida for the last five years. He was flying to Israel so that he could vote, and it seems that from his vantage point out of Israel, he could clearly see what Netanyahu failed to fathom. Unlike Labor, the Likud fought against the new ideological forces that joined it -- and painted itself as a tired, estranged party, devoid of ideology ("faceless" -- see the film clip from Manhigut's dinner: "Campaign 2006"). As a result, it has shattered. The big question that we must ask ourselves is if the Likud is still the appropriate platform to advance Manhigut's goals. In potential, the Likud could recover and again become the Nationalist leadership tool. But it depends on the ability of its leadership to be open and accept new ideas and people, as the Labor party has done. If it becomes clear that the Likud has not learned its lesson, we may forgo the pointless struggle with its party system. We may create a new nationalist party that is geared for national leadership. We may choose other alternatives. On one hand, our political tool looks shoddier than ever, but on the other hand all the options are open before us and the potential to realize our ideals is more promising than ever. In the upcoming weeks, we will carefully and critically consider our options. One thing is for sure. The question is not what will happen with the Likud, but what will happen to Israel. If it continues in its current direction, Israel has no chance for long term existence. A total, belief based revolution is crucial to its very survival. Israel does not need religious leadership that is disconnected from reality, but rather belief based leadership -- with its feet on the ground and its heart with our Father in heaven. Manhigut Yehudit is the only movement in Israel that is working to create such leadership. We do not have the luxury of abandoning our efforts for even one moment. It is clear to us that when the Creator locks one door, He opens new doors for us. We will simply try every doorknob until we find the entrance. We have no other choice. Jewish leadership for Israel is a sure thing, as is the demise of our enemies. The reason is simple. G-d never lies. Keep up to date with the latest articles and audio updates. Visit our "What's New?" web page. Who Won? Moshe Feiglin originally answered this question in an article that he wrote after Labor defeated the Likud in the May 1999 elections. The article, that appears in Moshe's new book, "The War of Dreams," is more pertinent today than ever. The Powerful Hand by Moshe Feiglin 5 Sivan, 5759 (May 20, ‘99) On Election Day, I was reminded of the prophet Jonah. We find the sailors, full of good will, frantically attempting to steer the ship to safe waters. In the meantime, Jonah, who understands that the ship's direction is being determined in a completely different place, compensates for lost sleep in the ship's hold. This article is dedicated to all the good-hearted soldiers, who think that their fate is determined on Election Day. We can compare the forces currently ruling Israel to a powerful hand, gripping the state by its throat. The hand accomplishes this with its five fingers, the elites. The strongest finger is the thumb. The thumb represents the cultural elite -- publishers, writers, playwrights, actors, other artists and above all -- the media. The cultural finger is not only the strongest, but it is also the glue that binds all the other forces together. Just like the thumb of a hand, it can freely move between the other fingers. The thumb gives the other fingers the support they need to grasp whatever they want. This elite is our "thought police." It determines what we read (try to buy a copy of "The Rabin File" by Uri Milstein in Israel's bookstores), what we watch on television, what is true and what is false, what is legitimate and what is fanatical, what is incitement and what is freedom of speech. The index finger is next. This finger represents the security elite that controls the army, the police and the Internal Security forces. The typical mediocrity of this elite is irrelevant. In Israel, it makes no difference who you are, and even what you did for the country. In Israel what is important is how high you managed to climb in the security hierarchy. This elite determines against whom to open investigations, whom to arrest, whose phones must be bugged, who must be beaten at demonstrations and who must be ignored. The second finger is the tallest of all. This finger represents the judicial elite and the State prosecution. It is almost as strong as the thumb, but much more lofty and esteemed. The judicial elite scorns the will of the people, as expressed by their elected representatives. It imposes its values on the people through a pseudo-parliament that overrules the elected parliament. If one dares criticize this elite, the thumb will hurry to crush him and portray him as a threat to the rule of law. Unruly Knesset members are quickly channeled to the attentions of the State Attorney (again, with the encouragement of the cultural elite and its pre-trial verdict). If these hapless politicians choose to opt for self-preservation, they quickly adopt the stands of the elite. A prime case in point is Tzachi Hanegbi, once a lion of the Right, who has become a marionette, strung up from his second finger. The third finger is the economic elite. It supplies the fuel that turns the wheels of all the other elites, and is, of course, empowered by them. An army general who towed the line when he was part of the security elite, will be rewarded by the economic elite with an appealing job. This is but a small example of the symbiosis that exists between these elites. Finally, we reach the pinky. This is the smallest and weakest of all the fingers -- the political elite. It has little power. When it opposes the other elites, it will always lose. In order to survive, the politicians are totally dependant on the good will of the other elites. Nobody has ever seriously dared to use the power that he received from the people to attempt to combat these elites. When the Left takes power, it quickly implements the ideology of Peace Now, not because that is what the public dictated, but essentially because it is what the elites dictate. When the Right takes power, it also hurries to implement the ideology of Peace Now... for the same reason. So, for all the sailors that thought that the elections were an opportunity to take hold of the ship's helm, and for all the frustrated voters, it is important that you know: The illusion that you have been fed -- the illusion that you can have influence -- really contracts to just one choice -- the right to choose the pinky. Analysis of the Israeli Elections by Shmuel Sackett The votes are in, the deals have begun and the finger pointing has started. The coming days will bring us the winners trying to push their way into the government, the losers blaming everybody in the world except themselves and Israel's sea of self-proclaimed political experts writing about an election that few even cared about. The winners; Kadima, Labor, Yisrael Beitenu (Lieberman's party), Shas and the Retirees will try forming a government that will, first and foremost, focus on themselves. As usual, they will neglect their voters, forget their campaign promises and will push for cushy jobs and ministerial positions. Hey, this is Israeli politics, where the Tamudic teaching; "If I am not for myself, who will be for me?" is held in high regard. The losers; Likud, National Union/NRP and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) will blame the low voter turnout, the anti-religious and anti-right wing media, the pre-election polls and the public's sympathy for Ariel Sharon as the reason for their miserable failure. They will not do any soul searching, not change direction nor realize that their days are numbered. They will continue with life as usual. And finally, Israel's self-proclaimed political experts will analyze, dissect and delve deep into every facet of this election. They will interview Knesset members whose careers are over and introduce us to ones whose careers have just begun. They will place Ehud Olmert high on a pedestal and will call him a modern day savior. They will work hand-in-hand with the leftists to make their victory twenty times bigger than it really was. The bottom line of all this is that it really doesn't matter. Israeli politics is like nothing else in the world. A historic landslide victory in the previous election by Ariel Sharon turned into a nightmare for the people he swore he would protect. Victories by left wing politicians have traditionally failed to produce anything concrete for their agenda and Shinui's famous revolution of 15 seats just a few years ago quickly turned into a big, fat ZERO in this current election. Therefore, when all is said and done... more is said than done. In a word, Israeli politics is "unpredictable". Therefore, before you get all upset over the results and begin a period of mourning or before you start hosting wild parties to celebrate, consider the following; G-d runs the world. If, for whatever reason, He wants Gush Katif to be ripped away from His people, this will happen even if Ariel Sharon has promised otherwise and if He wants Jewish life to thrive in Shilo and Elon Moreh it will... even if Ehud Olmert says it won't. The question is not, "what will happen now" but rather, "what does God want from us?" We must constantly ask ourselves that question and pray with all our heart for the wisdom to find the right answer and the courage to act upon it. As for me, I am continuing in my work. Five years ago Moshe Feiglin and I started Manhigut Yehudit with the dream of bringing about true and authentic Jewish Leadership to the State of Israel. We want the modern state to be filled with Jewish pride, based on Jewish values and dedicated to educating every Jewish child in his/her traditions. We want a Jewish based economy where Jewish poor are taken care of with respect and dignity. We want a court system based on our rich heritage and an aliyah revolution which the Jewish world has never seen. Finally, we want a proud and mighty Jewish army that sanctifies the Name of G-d and brings honor to His people. This will continue regardless of whom the Prime Minister is and how he sets up his government. We at Manhigut Yehudit pledge to continue our struggle to gain control of Israel's leadership and once and for all, turn the state of the Jews into the Jewish State! Latest Video Clips "Campaign 2006" Click on the following links to watch the speeches from the Manhigut Yehudit annual dinner in NY: Moshe Feiglin Shmuel Sackett Avi Bieber Yehudit Dasberg Click here for a photo update of the Manhigut Yehudit Annul dinner What Can I Do? If you are in Israel, be sure to keep in contact with the Likudniks that you met and spoke with over the primaries campaign. Don't abandon them to the lies and manipulations of the media until the next elections. In addition: Create or join a permanent forum of activists to further Manhigut goals and activities. Invite Likud branch members in your area to various activities. Sign up new members for Manhigut and the Likud. Become more involved in your local Likud branch and on the national level. If you are not in Israel, join the team and become a Manhigut Yehudit International Member and be part of turning Israel from the state of the Jews into the Jewish State!!! Click Here to Become a Manhigut Yehudit International Member Today or call 516-295-3222 (USA) If you've already joined, persuade relatives and friends to do so. Introduce your friends to our website, or have them subscribe to our weekly email update, so that they can be familiarized with our ideology. Arrange educational meetings in your area. We will send speakers and help you set up a successful meeting. For more information email us at: office@jewishisrael.org So what are you waiting for? Now is the time to join! Torah Sparks: "If the anointed priest does sin to the guilt of the people" (Leviticus 4:3). When a leader sins, this becomes the excuse for everyone else's wrongdoings (The Gaon of Lissa). The Jewish Leadership On-line Web Forum Join an online community of people interested in understanding and spreading the messages and goals of Manhigut Yehudit. Join us in the the development of constructive discussions regarding all topics dealing with Manhigut Yehudit its purpose and its direction. Exchange ideas, views and thoughts. Share personal opinions, send feedback, and requests for clarifications or explanations. Join us and participate in a forum today: Should Manhigut remain in the Likud? Should Diaspora Jews try to influence Jewish Leadership in Israel? and more... Our aim: To perfect the world in the kingdom of the Almighty ------------------------- ------------------------- -- Your Feedback is Important to Us Click here to send us your comments ------------------------- ------------------------- --- This email has been dedicated to the blessed memory of: Pesah (Beti) bat Moshe ------------------------- ------------------------- ---   Daily Lift # 635: Live Your Dreams 03.30.06 (11:51 am)   [edit] Daily Lift #635 Live Your Dreams Others cannot know the full extent of your goals, aspirations, dreams, visions, wishes, hopes, and prayers. These can be much more courageous than anyone else might imagine. Here it is important to have a mixture of present reality, with believing that the Almighty can enable you to accomplish and become much more than anyone can know. (From Rabbi Pliskin's book, "Courage")   Daily Dose: Healing & the Mind 03.30.06 (11:49 am)   [edit] B"H Healing and the Mind -------------------- The worst thing you can do to recover from illness is to dwell upon it. To ponder, "Perhaps I would be better off with this remedy or with that; perhaps I should read up on what happens to people with this sort of thing; perhaps my doctor doesn't know what he's talking about and I'm going to get worse instead of better; perhaps..." Find a good, caring doctor and follow his advice. Remove your mind from the illness and trust in the One Healer of all creatures, that He will send His healing energy through this doctor. Be confident you will be healed. And then let your mind rest on good and healthy thoughts that have direction and purpose to them.   Essay: Did G-d Create Evil? Adar 29, 5766/March 29, 2006 03.30.06 (3:03 am)   [edit] B"H Adar 29, 5766 * March 29, 2006 ========= E S S A Y ========= Did G-d Create Evil? By Aron Moss -------------------- Question: Did G-d create evil? Surely G-d made everything. So although it is people who actually do evil, it was G-d who must have created the idea of evil. But if G-d is good, how could He create evil? Answer: Here's the paradox: Goodness exists because G-d desired it; evil exists because G-d doesn't want it. If a human wants something, but doesn't actually do anything about it, nothing happens. You may want a piece of cake, but a cake will not materialize unless someone bakes it. But when you're a Divine Being, your desires create reality. With G-d, just wanting something makes it exist. After all, He is all-powerful; if He wants it, what can possibly stop it from being? He wanted a world, so it was. He wanted goodness, so it was. Now the same applies to G-d not wanting something: it too becomes reality. If G-d decides He doesn't want something, then that decision itself makes that thing exist. G-d's all-powerfulness means that even His not-wanting creates. Evil is what G-d doesn't want. So it exists. But evil doesn't exist in the same way that goodness exists. G-d wants goodness, so its existence is true and everlasting. Evil exists as a negative, something G-d doesn't want, so its existence is flimsy and temporal. Evil is no more than an undesirable non-entity, a path not to be taken. By doing evil acts, we give evil more credit than it deserves. Our bad choices make evil into a truer existence than it really is. In the end, evil can't prevail. It is an unwanted ghost, a temporary illusion, a thin facade. Over time evil dissipates, no matter how menacing it may seem. Wicked empires crumble, rotten ideas become exposed, and goodness eventually shines through. That's what G-d wanted all along, but He leaves it to us to achieve. The only way to banish the ghost of evil is to turn on the light of good. - Rabbi Aron Moss teaches Kabbalah, Talmud and practical Judaism in Sydney, Australia. (To view this article on the Web, and to post a comment, please click here: http://www.chabad.org/367867)   Today in Judaism Nissan 1 5766/March 30, 2006 03.30.06 (3:01 am)   [edit] B"H Nissan 1, 5766 * March 30, 2006 ========================= ======== T O D A Y I N J U D A I S M ========================= ======== * Laws * Customs * Jewish History * Daily Quote * Daily Study * Today is: Thursday, Nissan 1, 5766 Rosh Chodesh Nissan ====================== Today's Laws & Customs ====================== . Rosh Chodesh Observances Today is Rosh Chodesh ("Head of the Month") for the month of Nissan [http://www.chabad.org/39694]. Special portions are added to the daily prayers: Hallel (Psalms 113-118) is recited -- in its "partial" form -- following the Shacharit morning prayer, and the Yaaleh V'yavo prayer is added to the Amidah and to Grace After Meals; the additional Musaf prayer is said (when Rosh Chodesh is Shabbat, special additions are made to the Shabbat Musaf). Tachnun (confession of sins) and similar prayers are omitted. Many have the custom to mark Rosh Chodesh with a festive meal and reduced work activity. The latter custom is prevalent amongst women, who have a special affinity with Rosh Chodesh -- the month being the feminine aspect of the Jewish Calendar [http://www.chabad.org/1208]. Links: The 29th Day [http://www.chabad.org/2764]; The Lunar Files [http://www.chabad.org/1209] . Blessing on Blooming Trees A special mitzvah, which can be fulfilled only once a year, is to recite the berachah ("blessing" or prayer) made upon seeing a fruit tree in bloom: Blessed are you G-d our G-d, king of the universe, who left nothing lacking in His world, and created within it good creatures and good trees with which He gives pleasure to people. Today is the first opportunity to make this blessing, but it can be done anytime during the month of Nissan (referred to by the Torah as "the month of spring" ). Many visit botanical gardens during this time, so as to avail themselves of an opportunity to observe this beautiful mitzvah. Link: Trees [http://www.chabad.org/search/...] . 'Nasi' of the Day Beginning today, and continuing through Nissan 13, we recite the verses (from Numbers ch. 7 [http://www.chabad.org/9935]) describing the offerings made by the "princes" (nesi'im) of the 12 tribes of Israel (see "Mishkan inaugurated [http://www.chabad.org/272048]"). Today we read of the gift bought by Nachshon ben Aminadav, the nasi of the tribe of Judah [http://www.chabad.org/search/...], on this date. Tomorrow we read of Issachar's gift, and so on for the 12 tribes. On the 13th of Nissan we read G-d's instructions to Aaron regarding the kindling of the menorah, which represents the participation of the priestly tribe of Levi. Following the verses of the day's "Nasi," we recite a short prayer in which we say, "...if I, Your servant, am from the tribe of ___ whose section of the Nasi I have read today in Your Torah, may all the holy sparks and holy illuminations that are included within the holiness of this tribe shine upon me, to grant me understanding and intelligence in Your Torah and my awe of You, to do Your will all the days of my life...." Links: Tribes [http://www.chabad.org/2533]. ======================= Today in Jewish History ======================= . Creation of man (in thought) (3761 BCE) The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 10b-11a) cites two opinions as to the date of G-d's creation of the universe: according to Rabbi Eliezer: "The world was created in Tishrei" (i.e., the sixth day of creation--the day on which Adam and Eve were created--was the 1st of Tishrei, celebrated each year as Rosh Hashanah); according to Rabbi Joshua, "The world was created in Nissan." As interpreted by the Kabbalists and the Chassidic masters, the deeper meaning of these two views is that the physical world was created in Tishrei, while the "thought" or idea of creation was created in the month of Nissan. (see "Links" below) Link: Our Other Head [http://www.chabad.org/39694] . The Patriarchs (1813-1506 BCE) According to the Talmud, the three Patriarchs of the Jewish people-- Abraham [http://www.chabad.org/search/...] (1813-1638 BCE), Isaac [http://www.chabad.org/search/...] (1713-1533 BCE) and Jacob [http://www.chabad.org/search/...] (1653-1506 BCE)--all were born and passed away in the month of Nissan. . First Mitzvah; "Head of Months" (1313 BCE) On the first of Nissan of the year 2448 from creation (1313 BCE--two weeks before the Exodus), "G-d spoke to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt" instructing them regarding the setting of the Jewish calendar [http://www.chabad.org/1208] and that "this month shall be for you the head of months [http://www.chabad.org/39694], the first of the months of the year" (Exodus 12:1-2); this was the first mitzvah [http://www.chabad.org/2857] (divine commandment) given to the people of Israel. On that occasion G-d also commanded them regarding the Passover offering and the various observances of the festival of Passover. [http://www.chabad.org/6222] Link: The First Creation [http://www.chabad.org/39694] . Mishkan Inaugurated (1312 BCE) On the eighth day [http://www.chabad.org/2868] following a 7-day training and initiation period, the portable Mishkan ("Tabernacle" or "Sanctuary") built by the Children of Israel in the Sinai desert was erected, Aaron [http://www.chabad.org/search/...] and his sons began serving as priests, and the Divine Presence came to dwell [http://www.chabad.org/68681] in the Mishkan; special offerings were brought, including a series of gifts by Nachshon ben Aminadav, the Prince of the Tribe of Judah (similar offerings were brought over the next 12 days by the other tribes of Israel). Link: The Mishkan [http://www.chabad.org/search/...] . Death of Nadav and Avihu (1312 BCE) On the day the Mishkan was inaugurated (see above), "Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and offered strange fire before G-d, which He commanded them not. A fire went out from G-d, and consumed [http://www.chabad.org/2869] them, and they died before G-d" (Leviticus 10:1-2). Link: The death of Nadav and Avihu: The biblical account, with commentary [http://www.chabad.org/39684]; the mystical insights [http://www.chabad.org/search/...] =========== Daily Quote =========== May it be Your will... that if I, Your servant, am from the tribe of ___ whose section of the Nasi I have read today in Your Torah, may all the holy sparks and holy illuminations that are included within the holiness of this tribe shine upon me, to grant me understanding and intelligence in Your Torah and my awe of You, to do Your will all the days of my life.... - Prayer recited after reading the "Nasi of the Day" =========== Daily Study =========== Chitas and Rambam for today: Chumash: Vayikra, 5th Portion Vayikra 4:1-4:26 with Rashi . English Text: http://www.chabad.org/parshah... Tehillim: Chapters 1 - 9 . Hebrew text: http://www.chabad.org/dailyst... . English text: http://www.chabad.org/dailyst... Tanya: Likutei Amarim, end of Chapter 37 . Lesson in Tanya: http://www.chabad.org/dailyst... . RealAudio: http://www.chabad.org/dailyst... . Windows Media: http://www.chabad.org/dailyst... Rambam: . Sefer Hamitzvos: http://www.chabad.org/dailyst... . 1 Chapter: Malveh veLoveh Chap. 5 http://www.chabad.org/dailyst... . 3 Chapters: Tum'at Tsara`at Chap. 5, 6, 7 http://www.chabad.org/dailyst... Hayom Yom: . English Text: http://www.chabad.org/dailyst...   Today's Day Nissan 1, 5766/March 30, 2006 03.30.06 (3:00 am)   [edit] B"H Nissan 1, 5766 * March 30, 2006 ======================= "T O D A Y ' S D A Y" ======================= Tuesday, Nissan 1, Rosh Chodesh 5703 We do not say Tachanun all month. After saying the Nassi (p. 368), we say the Yehi Ratzon (p. 371)which is printed in Torah Or Siddur. Kohanin and Levi'im also say it. (1) Torah lessons: Chumash: Tazria, Shlishi with Rashi. Tehillim: 1-9. Tanya: But as for him (p. 193)...the Esoteric Discipline (p. 193). My father instructed his brother-in-law, R. Moshe Horenstein, a Kohein, to say Yehi Ratzon after the Nassi, noting that even a Kohein or Leivi must say it, for it is related to Ibur. (2) Footnotes: 1. The Nassi describes the offering brought by the Prince of each tribe during the twelve days of dedication of the Sanctuary. 2. See Glossary to Tanya I. Ibur is "gestation," the undifferentiated state prior to the appearance of organs. In the Yehi Ratzon prayer, we say, "..if I am of the tribe of .....," indicating the possibility of any of the twelve tribes (including Efrayim and Menasheh; excluding Levi). This would seem inappropriate to a Kohein or a Leivi, who are by definition from the Levi tribe. However, the concept of Ibur indicates an initial state of total merger, coalescence - in this context the coalescence of all souls. The Kohein then, is not absolutely unrelated to the other tribes of Israel.   03.30.06 (2:57 am)   [edit] B"H Nissan 1, 5766 * March 30, 2006 ========================= ========================= D A I L Y M I T Z V A H (M A I M O N I D E S ) ========================= ========================= Today's Mitzvah (Day 209 of 339): Positive Mitzvah 112 ------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------- Positive Mitzvah 112: Proclaiming the Impurity of a Metzorah -Leviticus 13:45 "His clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall grow long and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry; Impure, impure" Do you like to play detective? Do you try to gather facts about people by their looks? Do their clothes provide a clue to their personalities? Does their appearance give you information about them? The Torah makes it easy for others to recognize a person considered to be impure. In order to prevent the impurity from being transferred to another person, it is necessary that the impure person stand out so others will take notice and be careful. A person who has become impure by Tzara'at is commanded to have a tear in his clothes, grow his hair long and let people know - by declaring himself impure. Other types of impurities must also be made known to the public.   Voices - My Pesach Story; a Letter from Jerusalem Adar 29, 5766 * March 29, 2006 03.30.06 (2:54 am)   [edit] B"H Adar 29, 5766 * March 29, 2006 =========== V O I C E S =========== My Pesach Story a Letter from Jerusalem By: Illana Attia ----------------------- My grandmother died on Shavuot when I was sixteen years old. She had chest pains while cleaning for Passover but didn't stop working for a moment. Up and down the four flights of stairs to her attic apartment, she carted out debris and brought up fresh new surfaces and food for the holiday. Her death by heart attack angered me. Why did she succumb to the pressure of tradition? Why didn't she complain? Why didn't she rest? Now that I have a home of my own and have made peace with Bubbie's tradition, I, too, do the Passover overhaul. But I hire someone for the hard jobs and enjoy my husband's help. When Jews wish one another Pesach kasher vesameach ("A kosher and joyous Passover") they are conveying a great blessing. May you be healthy enough to make a kosher Passover with the spiritual strength to be truly happy doing it. The philosophical conclusion of quantum physics is that physical reality is determined by a human observer. Halachah (Torah law) requires me to check every corner of my home. Corrective observation. I move my desk and refrigerator and look. I don't look only for half-eaten pretzels and candies ingeniously implanted by little hands. I look at how I lived my life this year and reconstruct it. All those unused extra dishes. I should invite more guests. Oy, my file cabinet. Worse, my inbox. Did I answer every message? Maybe I was proud or impatient in my correspondence. How many times did I take offense when I could have laughed? Outside in the streets, on the roads, Jewish blood is being spilled. A baby in her mother's arms in Hebron. Two yeshiva boys in the Sharon. It is usual to suffer a terrorist attack in Israel during the pre-Passover heat waves. But this is a horrendous spiraling plague. How many drawers do I have to empty, clean, and reorganize? How many mattresses do I have to overturn to get to the point? Where have I violated G-d's will? What is my part in this boomerang of violence? How can I clean up my dark inner corners so that next year we shall be free in Jerusalem, celebrating the final redemption? - Ilana Attia is the managing editor of B'or Hatorah a "Journal of Science, Art & Modern Life in the Light of the Torah". (To view this article on the Web, or to post a comment, please click here: http://www.chabad.org/272517)   Lessons in Tanya: Nissan 1, 5766/March 30, 2006 03.30.06 (2:52 am)   [edit] B"H Nissan 1, 5766 * March 30, 2006 ========================= ====== L E S S O N S I N T A N Y A ========================= ====== Today's Lesson: Likutei Amarim (Conclusion of Chapter Thirty-Seven) -------------------- [Until here the Alter Rebbe has discussed the superiority of Torah study over other mitzvot in terms of its greater influence on the soul. He now begins to describe a far greater quality found in Torah study. Of all the mitzvot, only Torah study is described as "calling to G-d,as one calls to his friend, and as a son calls his father," as the Alter Rebbe will state shortly. Whereas mitzvot have the effect of drawing the light of G-d (i.e., of His Will) upon the soul, Torah study "calls" G-d's essence to man, as is implied in the analogy of one who calls to his friend: the friend will turn with his entire "essence" to face his caller. Furthermore: As a means of "calling" G-d, Torah study is superior even to prayer. For this reason, in the verse, "G-d is near to all who call Him, to all who call Him in truth," the first part of the verse refers to prayer and the latter to Torah. The difference between the two forms of "calling G-d" is that prayer effects a change in material matters: healing, prosperity, etc., whereas the effect of Torah is in the soul, on the spiritual plane. In the Alter Rebbe's words]: This influence and illumination [generated by one's Torah study], which man draws from the radiance of the Ein Sof-light upon his soul and upon the souls of all Israel, [meaning, as will be explained later, that the light is drawn into the spiritual level known as "the Shechinah, Knesset Yisrael" - the source of all the souls of Israel - and thereby the Ein Sof - light reaches not only the soul of the person studying Torah, but also that of every Jew; - This illumination which one draws] through his Torah study is referred to as "calling" [as in the Talmudic expression concerning a Torah student Koreh BaTorah (usually translated as "One who reads (studies)the Torah," but reinterpreted here as "One who calls [G-d] through the Torah"). Just as calling in its usual sense means that the caller causes the person being called to come to him, to turn to him with his entire being, similarly in the context of "calling through Torah"]: This [phrase] means that in Torah study one calls G-d to come to him, so to speak, as a man calls to his friend to come to him, or as a child will call his father to come and join him and not to part from him, leaving him alone, G-d forbid. [The former analogy pertains to those Jews designated as "brethren and friends" of G-d; when they study Torah they call their "friend". The latter analogy pertains to those designed "children of G-d"; when they study Torah they are calling their "father"]. This is the meaning of the verse: (15) "G-d is near (a) to all who call Him, (b) to all who call Him in truth," (16) and (17) "There is no truth but Torah," indicating that [one "calls G-d with truth" as opposed to simply "calling G-d]," only by calling G-d through Torah study, in contrast to one who does not call Him through Torah study, but merely cries: "Father, Father!" [This refers to the service of prayer, in which one calls G-d, out of love for Him, saying "Father...!" Such a call is not considered "calling with truth," and thus the illumination of G-dly light generated by this call cannot compare with that generated by Torah, as explained above]. Over him [who thus calls G-d] the prophet laments: (18) "There is none who calls by Your Name," as is written elsewhere. [Since he does not say simply: "There is none who calls You," his intention must be that although there are indeed those who "call" G-d, yet they do not do so "by His Name," meaning through Torah, "whose words throughout are the Names of G-d" (Ramban, Introduction to his commentary on the Torah, based on the Zohar). By dwelling on this matter, the intelligent person will derive means of drawing upon himself a great awe [of G-d] when he engages in Torah study, as explained above (in chapter 23). (19) [There it is stated that one's Torah study must be permeated with awe of G-d (despite the apparent incompatibility between the intellectual boldness that characterizes study, and the constraint engendered by awe); this awe, moreover, is the goal of Torah study, while study is merely the "gateway". The thought that in Torah study one "calls" G-d to himself, just as, for example, one calls his friend to come to him, will surely arouse in the student a feeling of intense awe of G-d. Footnotes: 15. Tehillim 145:18. 16. The division into (a) and (b) is by the Rebbe, who notes that this accords with the explanation given in Sanhedrin 39b, and in the Siddur [with chassidic commentary] on this verse. 17. Tanna devei Eliyahu Zuta, chapter 21. 18. Yeshayahu 64:6. 19. The Rebbe asks the following question. What reason is there for the Alter Rebbe to refer the reader back to chapter 23, when arousal of great reverence is achieved only by meditating on that which is stated in this chapter, and not in chapter 23? For in this chapter the Alter Rebbe stresses that through his Torah study a person is able to draw down G-d Himself, as it were, like a person calling his friend to come to him. In chapter 23, however, we find only that Torah study enables the person to draw down the Supernal Will and Light; it mentions nothing of drawing down G-d Himself. Why, then, does the Alter Rebbe connect chapter 23 to that which is being discussed here? We must say, writes the Rebbe, that the Alter Rebbe does so in order to stress that great reverence is indispensable during Torah study. Since fear is an emotion that leads to withdrawal and contraction it would seem to be inimical to Torah study, which requires openness and expansiveness. The Alter Rebbe therefore cites chapter 23, wherein he explained that great reverence must be felt during one's study of Torah. Furthermore, by citing the above-mentioned chapter the Alter Rebbe indicates that one should ponder the statement there - that Torah study is "secondary" to reverence, and serves to arouse it. This is the meaning of the verse, "And G-d commanded us [to obey]all these statutes, in order to fear G-d..." This, explains the Alter Rebbe at the end of chapter 23, implies that (a) the ultimate purpose of the Torah - "commanded us" - is "in order to fear G-d"; (b) that Torah is called "a gateway to the dwelling" of fear. Thus Torah in relation to fear is a matter of secondary importance, a mere gateway to the house itself. All the above is discussed in chapter 23, and it is this that the Alter Rebbe intended to convey when he cited that chapter. New on Chabad.org: The Jewish Woman http://www.TheJewishWoman.org... This site was created for the undefinable Jewish woman. We hope to challenge your mind, tug at your heart, stimulate your soul and ease your life. Features: - Spirituality and the Feminine - Women's Narrative: Past to Present - Acts of Transformation - Relationships & Marriage - Pregnancy & Birth - Motherhood & Childrearing - Women's Health & Concerns - Practical Tips & Recipes - Creative Corner - Dear Rachel Join us on this journey of discovery, fulfillment and empowerment. http://www.TheJewishWoman.org... To listen to an audio version of today's lesson, please click one of the following links: MP3: http://www.chabad.org/dailyst... Real: http://www.chabad.org/dailyst... 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