Weekly Bulletin. Inside: Let s Talk Turkey. New West Side Mikvah Celebration. Reflections on the Chabad Shluchim convention 2006

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1 Shabbat Toldot Kislev 3-4, 5767 November 24-25, 2006 Candle Lighting: 4:14 PM Shabbat Ends: 5:16 PM Chabad of the West Side & Chabad Early Learning Center Weekly Bulletin s xc V OLUME I FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, KISLEV, 5767 ISSUE X New West Side Mikvah Celebration 75th Street. The entire community is invited to the grand opening celebration of the new Mikvah of the West Side. The celebration will begin at 11 AM on Sunday morning December 3, 2006, at Manhattan Day School, 310 West 101 WEST 92ND STREET NEW YORK, NY chabad@chabadwestside.org The formal dedication ceremony at 12:00 will feature divrei bracha by Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, Rabbi Haskel Besser and Rabbi Haskel Roth followed by a ribbon cutting and tours of the Mikvah building. The new mikvah, located at 234 West 74th Street between Broadway and West End Avenue, incorporates the highest standards of halacha, in a beautiful, elegantly appointed physical site. The new building will, G-d willing, be open for use as of December 18th and the new phone number will be (212) As we celebrate the mikvah, we want to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Lobel for her dedication to our community for over twenty-five years. We wish her and her family all the best as she retires from her position at the mikvah. Finally, we want to express our appreciation and gratitude to all the people who were instrumental in the building of our new mikvah. The project was spearheaded by Elliot Gibber whose indefatigable energy turned this dream into a reality. From community leaders to construction workers, the mikvah team worked together to create the first new mikvah building Rabbi Levi Brackman from ynetnews.com continued on page 2 Reflections on the Chabad Shluchim convention 2006 (l to r) Tobie Tugendhaft, Rabbi Meir Ossey, Dr. Stephen Brenner and Rabbi Shlomo Kugel at the International Conference of Shluchim Banquet last Sunday Night. Eating dinner with three thousand rabbis is indeed an experience to write about. This week for the first time I attended the International Convention of Chabad Emissaries. Over three thousand Chabad Rabbis from all corners of the globe came together to share inspiration, camaraderie and love of Judaism. Chabad is arguably the largest continued on page 4 Inside: Let s Talk Turkey Thanksgiving Thoughts - A Recap of Rabbi Fried's Wednesday Evening Class In addition to Thanksgiving, the day we thank G-d for the freedoms we enjoy in America, Judaism provides many other opportunities for thankfulness. We begin each day by saying Modeh Ani - "I thank you Hashem for the soul you have returned to me." In addition to the inherent message of appreciation, Chassidic thought focuses on the word Modim (Hebrew for "we thank" or "we admit"). In the Talmud, when one rabbi or group of rabbis argues with another and ultimately "gives in" or admits that the other party is correct, the term Modim is employed. In other words, even though group A has its angle and agenda on continued on page 2 Chabad ELC Chabad Shul Section Torah Fax: Blinded by the Light Upcoming Events Happy Birthdays Ads , 12

2 CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 2 TURKEY Continued from page 1 how a certain issue should be approached, they agree to allow Group B's understanding to take precedence. For example, at the end of a discussion, the Talmud will state, " Modim Beit Shammai L'Beit Hillel." Each morning when we wake up, in addition to being thankful to Hashem, we say to G-d, "I may not be in the mood to do everything You request of me, I might have my own agenda or distracting interests - but I am Modeh, I give in to You and Your will. I will try to put my personal desires aside and do what You want - even though I don't always understand You." This exercises the Chassidic concept of bitul (self-abnegation). We connect with G-d on a level above and beyond the demands of our emotions or intellect. In the Modim prayer of the Amida, this concept is illustrated as well. During the Amida we stand with our feet together at full attention, silently articulating the words. Kabbalah teaches that during the Amida, more than any other prayer, we express our bitul and selfless devotion to G-d. Our ego and feelings of self are totally put to the side. But of all of the moments in Shemoneh Esrei, our bitul is most pronounced when we bow down and humbly show our subjugation to Hashem. Therefore, during the recital of Modim, in the second to last blessing of the Amida, we bow. some level, during the course of the harrowing and hectic workweek, undergoes these four experiences of sickness, prison, sea and desert. We say Psalm 107 in gratitude to Hashem that we have finally arrived at the peace, serenity and safety of Shabbat. Mikvah Continued from page 1 on the West Side in over 50 years. This is indeed an exciting moment for the Jewish community of Manhattan and I look forward to seeing you at Manhattan Day School on December 3rd for the gala opening ceremony. Rabbi Shlomo Kugel P.S. For some great essays and info on mikvah, visit ADVERTISING RATES FOR THE CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN Size of Ads and Rates Full Page $1,000 (min 4 $250 per week) Half Page $520 (min 4 $130 per week) 1/4 Page $910 (min 13 $70 per week) or $325 (min 4 $81.25 per week) Bus. Card $325 (min 13 $25 per week) Jewish law lists four categories of people who experience life threatening events and have to thank Hashem. In the times of the Temple, these people would bring a Korban Todah, a thanksgiving offering. They are identified by the acronym "Chaim". Chet - Choleh, a person who recovered from a life threatening illness. Yud - Yotzeh, a person who left a prison or dungeon. Yud - Yam, a person who crossed the sea. Mem - Midbar, a person who crossed the desert. Nowadays, people that experience events similar to these, including flying overseas, recite the HaGomel blessing after receiving an Aliyah to the Torah. This blessing thanks Hashem for bestowing His kindness upon us. These four people and the perils they face are beautifully described in Psalm 107. The Ba'al Shem Tov established the custom of saying this psalm on Friday afternoon, before the arrival of Shabbat. Each of us, on

3 Upcoming Events CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 3 A bundle of lulav, aravot and hadassim with an etrog, on the right, in the mosaic floor of the synagogue of Hamat Tveria, dated from the 6th century BCE. Chabad Women s Circle Touching the Divine: Connecting Spirit, Matter and Me Shimonah Tzukernik, Writer, Artist & Acclaimed Lecturer *** Incredible, Edible Fruit Art Faya Lipskier, Co-Director, Chabad of the West Sixties ******* Hosted by Rebecca Lindenbaum * 14 West 83rd Street Tuesday, December 5, 2006 * 8:15-9:45pm * $5.00 couvert R.S.V.P. * cwc@chabadwestside.org * x10 Looking forward to seeing you there! Co-sponsored by CELC Parents Association JOIN OUR NEXT EVENT! Giant Menorah Lighting & Chanukah Give-and-Get TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19 5:00-6:30 PM Would Moses Recognize Judaism Today? Discussing the chain of Jewish tradition and the development of Halacha with Rabbi Yisroel Fried A Chabad Shabbaton at Darna Shabbat Chanuka Friday, December 15, 2006 Kabbalat Shabbat at Chabad: 5:00 pm Shabbat Dinner at Darna: 5:30 pm Cost: $36 per person to reserve: or call x 14 Ongoing Classes Please join us for one or more of our weekly classes. Monday Evenings 8:15 pm IN-DEPTH TANYA with Rabbi Meir Ossey AT THE CHABAD SHUL Chassidic Farbrengen - Melave Malka Saturday Evening December 9, :30 pm at Chabad W 92 Men & women are invited. Wednesday Mornings 10:45 11:30 PATHWAYS TO THE SOUL a Class for Women with Rabbi Shlomo Kugel Yud Tet Kislev, the 19th of Kislev, commemorates the liberation of the first Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman, from Czarist imprisonment in This is an auspicious time to share insights, stories and connect with Hashem and each other. There will be plenty of Lchaims, refreshments, soulful niggunim and food for thought. Wednesday Evenings 8:30 pm PRACTICAL HALACHA with Rabbi Yisroel Fried AT THE HOME OF NAAVA & DANNY ECKSTIEN 20 WEST 87TH ST. APT. #1B Shabbat Afternoons 1hour before Mincha RAMBAM SHIUR with Rabbi Yisroel Fried AT THE CHABAD SHUL Dinner Hosts Daniel & Leah Seliger Coffee & Discussion AT THE HOME OF DEBORAH & DAVID SHIMKO 500 WEST END AVE. APT. #8C Shabbat Mornings 9:00 am THE CHASSIDIC PARSHA with Rabbi Yisroel Fried AT THE CHABAD SHUL

4 CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 4 Shluchim Convention Continued from page 1 Jewish organization in the world. At the convention it was announced that this year three new countries, Vietnam, Laos and Guadeloupe, were added to the list of countries that are served by Chabad Centers. There is now virtually no place in the world that is not served by Chabad. It was incredibly moving to sit in a room with so many people who have dedicated their entire life to Jewish continuity. When a young Chabad couple moves to a place like Vietnam they make a lifetime commitment. Often there is no permanent central funding for them and they know that within a few years they will have to become financially self sufficient. In addition to this because in many far-flung places there is no adequate religious education for their children the parents have to make the heart wrenching decision to send their young kids thousands of miles away for school. Children on a mission This feeling is thankfully shared by Chabad s major patrons including the Rohr family who have donated tens of millions of dollars to Chabad over the last few years and were thus honored at the convention s grand banquette. When George Rohr was asked why his family supports the work of Chabad so heavily he answered because at Chabad he gets the most value from his charitable dollar. Exponential growth Twelve years ago, after the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneershon, experts predicted the demise of the Chabad movement. They could not have been more wrong. In fact during the grand banquet those who became emissaries in the twelve years since the passing of the Rebbe were asked to rise and nearly half the room stood up. This international convention of three thousand Chabad Rabbis shows that, against all odds, not only is Chabad alive, it continues to grow exponentially. This takes us to, what was for me, the most moving part of the entire convention. There was a presentation given about the children of Chabad emissaries who live in the Ukraine. The children expressed how they themselves felt that they were on a mission to spread a love for Judaism. Whereas in normal circumstances one would worry that without a proper Jewish environment and friends the children s Jewish identity would suffer. Amazingly however, this presentation proved that the opposite is true. The children of Chabad emissaries living in places with little or no religious infrastructure are just as dedicated to spreading Judaism to fellow Jews as their parents are. Upon seeing the unity of purpose and the dedication of the Chabad rabbis who took part in this convention it is impossible not to walk away with a feeling of immense pride and optimism for the future of Judaism. Recently Dr. Ron Wolfson of the University of Judaism in Los Angeles wrote that other Jewish organizations must learn from Chabad, the "radical hospitality experts" of the Jewish community (as quoted by Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism in an article he wrote in Reform Judaism Magazine). The growth of Chabad over the past twelve years, showcased at the convention, shows that its success is not just the result of a charismatic leader or a successful business model. Integral to Chabad is a philosophy of unconditional love for each Jew and the belief that intense spirituality is to be found not within the enclave but especially outside of it. Clearly the passionate dedication and love which this ideology breeds in its followers will be difficul to replicate without replicating the philosophy itself. Happy Birthday to the children of CELC! Name Hebrew Date Occurs On Logan Abramowitz 3 Kislev November 24 Sofia Allison 5 Kislev November 26 Shoshana Blum 7 Kislev November 28 Forrest Lee Denker 7 Kislev November 28 Siona Eli Ely 3 Kislev November 24 Sophia Gabriella Freed 7 Kislev November 28 Alexander Gage 8 Kislev November 29 Lauren Gage 8 Kislev November 29 Name Hebrew Date Occurs On Einav Kaplan 8 Kislev November 29 Sivan Kotler-Berkowitz 3 Kislev November 24 Lev Kotler-Berkowitz 3 Kislev November 24 Mendel Metzger 4 Kislev November 25 Itamar Oelsner 6 Kislev November 27 Elana Rappaport 7 Kislev November 28 Avi Rosen 5 Kislev November 26 Molly Elaine Sandler 8 Kislev November 29 Jakob Noah Teplitsky 6 Kislev November 27

5 Chabad ELC Chabad ELC 101 West 92nd Street 166 West 97th Street Phone: Fax: Rosh Chodesh Kislev This week we celebrated Rosh Chodesh Kislev, the beginning of the new Jewish month of Kislev. Although the Torah does not designate the beginning of the new month as a holiday, the days are observed with extra prayers and Torah readings. In addition, it is customary to partake of a festive meal on Rosh Chodesh. Liam (PN3) In our classrooms, we celebrate by decorating hats that tell us about the holiday or season the new month brings. The children also enjoy a special Rosh Chodesh dessert. Happy Rosh Chodesh Kislev! We look forward to sharing a delightful month of joyous holiday celebrations and many meaningful moments. Next Week at CELC Monday, November 27 Music 92 Tuesday, November 28 Wednesday, November 29 Thursday, November 30 Moms Coffee & Class 97 Yoga 92 Music 97 Creative Dance PK Bookworms PK Kinderdance 97 Yoga 97 Kinderdance 92 Rachel (PN97)

6 Save the date, because you don t want to miss the... Chabad Chanukah Celebration! Monday, December 18 Grand Menorah Lighting - Puppet Show - Dancing - Pizza Dinner Spotlight on PN2 PN2 has been busy learning, singing, shopping, discussing and cooking Thanksgiving all week long. The children enjoy singing / reading the text of their mini Thank You Hashem books and look forward to sharing them with their families. The class walked over to Supersol to purchase ingredients for pumpkin pies and then had a great time mixing it all together upon their return to school. Thanksgiving is a holiday that reminds us to appreciate all the many blessings G-d has graced us with and the children in Pre N2 have quite a list! Alex - sharks Charles - cherries Noam - fishies Zachary - cars Maya - berries Talia - a cow and a tree Zevi - cars Emma - blueberries Mya - butterflies Matan - food Becky - French fries Elle - Dora stickers CHABAD ELC

7 Furniture Search A Chabad ELC family is looking to borrow a baby high chair, a baby park and an Ergo baby carrier. If you are able to lend any of these items, please contact Karen at /dknaggar@yahoo. com Judaica Shopping? Shop at West Side Judaica (2412 Broadway between 88th and 89th Streets)? When you re ready to pay, tell them you re a CELC parent and 10% of your purchase is sent directly to our school! Celebrate Black Friday! Log on to select Chabad ELC PTO and then click on the links leading to your favorite shopping sites. Shop away and have a percentage of your purchase go directly to CELC. Online shopping provides great kickbacks for our Boxtops earnings so shop away - guilt free! Have any questions, comments or PR ideas for our Boxtops Campaign? Get in touch with Tova Epstein (Shoshana, PN3), our Boxtops Coordinator at / tovabe@hotmail.com. And of course, remember to send in your Boxtops! Anna Friedman, OT and Marlene Noveck, ST have visited all the classrooms in our school. Please join us for follow-up discussion. Wednesday, December 6 Following drop-off - beginning at 9:45 am In the home of Jeannie & Scott Fisher (Sophie, N1) 150 West 95th Street #4B RSVP to the school office by Monday, December 4

8 At the Well Much of this week s Parsha story takes place near a well. Since we are generally accustomed to seeing water come from faucets and bottles - the concept of different water sources was discussed at length in many of the classrooms. While the classroom wells were made of paper, buckets, plastic cups and even garbage cans(!) - our students can tell you about the workings of the real thing. Yaniv (N2) Jumpstart your day! Join ELC moms for a post drop-off Parsha discussion with Rabbi Fried. Tuesday, November 28 at 9:45 am at 97th Street Save these December Dates Follow-up Child Development Q&A - Wednesday, December 6 Anna and Marlene have visited all the classrooms in our school. Join us for follow-up discussion in the home of Jeannie & Scott Fisher (Sophie, N1) 150 West 95th Street #4B Visit to the Jewish Home for the Aged - Monday, December 11 The N2 and PK classes will bring Chanukah spirit and joy to the residents of the Home. Lifesaving Skills for Infants and Children-Thursday, December 14 Get American Red Cross certification in Infant & Child CPR. Following drop off at 97th Street Chanukah Olive Press - Monday, Tuesday, December Watch and participate in the from olive to oil process. Chabad Chanukah Celebration - Monday, December 18 Grand Menorah lighting, Chanukah puppet show, dancing, singing and pizza dinner. 4:30-6:00 pm Winter Break - Wednesday, December 20 There will be 12:30 dismissal for all classes on Wednesday, December 20 Winter Break-Thursday, December 21-Monday, January 1 There will be no sessions beginning Thursday, December 21 - Monday, January 1 School Resumes-Tuesday, January 2 Regular sessions for all classes resume on Tuesday, January 2

9 TORAH FAX Blinded By The Light CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 9 Our Parshah tells us the fascinating account of Jacob receiving his father Isaac's blessings. The blessings, which were key to guaranteeing the ultimate success of Jacob's heirs, the Jewish people, did not come easily. Isaac originally wished to bless the wicked Esau. Rebecca felt that Jacob deserved to receive the blessings. She commanded Jacob to pretend he was Esau and go to his father to receive the blessings instead of his elder brother. Isaac, whose vision had been impaired, was not able to discern whether it was Jacob or Esau and conferred his blessings on Jacob. Commentators deal with the issue of Jacob "deceiving" his father to receive the blessings at great length. We will just mention a few points here. The commentaries note that Esau was in fact the real deceiver. He had sold his birthright to Jacob for a pot of lentils and, since Isaac wanted to bestow the blessings upon the firstborn, Esau had no legal right to them. Esau spent his entire life deceiving Isaac, acting like a loyal son and - our sages note - he even put on the facade of a Torah scholar. All the while he spurned all things spiritual and was far from being the spiritual heir to Abraham's legacy. Esau was the ultimate deceptive hypocrite and Jacob was rightfully the firstborn both from a legal standpoint as well as from a spiritual one. What is noteworthy, however, is that Jacob's receiving the blessings hinged on the fact that Isaac's eyesight had dimmed. Had Isaac been able to see, he would have known it wasn't Esau and he would not have blessed him. Why does blindness seem to play such a pivotal role in Jacob's receiving of his father's blessings? Let us take a step back and see how Isaac originally lost his sight. According to one opinion, when Abraham had put Isaac on the altar and was about to sacrifice him, as G-d had commanded, the heavens opened up and myriads of angels wept at the sight. Some of their tears feel into Isaac's eyes and blinded him. According to another opinion, Isaac inability to see was a result of the smoke from the incense that Esau's idolatrous wives burned to their pagan deities. Clearly, the effect the smoke had on Isaac was not due to the physical irritation; if that were the case, any smoke would have caused the loss of sight, yet the sages note it was specifically the smoke from the idolatrous incense. His blindness came rather from the utter disgust and rejection he had of Esau's wives' evil practices. In addition, one might wonder how the angel's tears, which were not physical in nature, could eventually cause a loss of sight. Upon deeper reflection, we will see that these two events are related and both contributed to Isaac's loss of sight. Isaac, more than any other Patriarch, was spiritually sensitive to any form of evil. It is for this reason that Isaac was not allowed to leave Israel. Thus, we read in last week's Parshah how Eliezer, Abraham's servant, was sent to find Isaac a wife in Aram though Jacob, in a subsequent Parshah, travelled himself to Aram in search of a wife. Similarly, in this week's Parshah, when famine strikes, G-d tells Isaac that he must not go down to Egypt as his father had done in an earlier famine. When Isaac was ready to be brought as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah, his spiritual sensitivity was heightened even more. The tears of the angels symbolize the angelic purity that was instilled in him at that time. As he matured, his intolerance for anything negative grew to the extent that he literally could not see evil. His physical blindness was a reflection of the fact that he was blind to spiritual shortcomings - evil was outside his world. Thus, he could not tolerate to see his daughters in law burning incense to idols, and his sight was lost entirely. Isaac thus had no problem giving Esau the blessing because he was "blind" to Esau's evil nature. It was indicative of Isaac's own spiritual greatness - his inability to relate to evil - that put him in a position where he could not discern between Jacob and Esau. This left Jacob no choice but to take the blessings through subterfuge. In the Messianic Age, when "the spirit of impurity will be removed from the land," we will be able to lay claim to the greatest blessings without the need for subterfuge or deception. Then it will be clear to all that Jacob, meaning the Jewish people, are truly deserving of all great blessings. Our sages tell us that preparing for the redemption, looking forward to it and working towards its materialization, actually hastens Moshiach s arrival. When he comes, each and every one of us will want to feel that we have participated and done our part in bringing about that great revelation. (From Moshiach - It s a Jewish issue. For more info, visit

10 CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 10 Halachic Times Week of - November Earliest Tefillin (latest of the week) :05 AM Latest Shma (earliest of the week) :15 AM Torah Reading:......Toldot (Genesis 25:19-28:9) Haftorah Malachi 1:1-2:7 Rosh Chodesh Kislev is Tuesday and Wednesday, 11/24 & 25 Shabbat Parshat Toldot FRIDAY, November 24 Candle Lighting :13 pm Mincha :25 pm Dvar Torah Rabbi Kugel Kabbalat Shabbat :55 pm SHABBAT, November 25 Parshah Shiur :00 am Shacharit :45 am Dvar Torah Rabbi Ossey ***Kids Shul & Junior Minyan :00-12:15*** Kiddush: approx. 12:30 PM Kiddush is sponsored by Daniel Rubinoff in honor of his Ufruf and his upcoming marriage to Ronit Klein Rambam :15 pm Mincha :15 pm Ma ariv & Havdallah :16 pm Each week, a Video of the Rebbe is shown after Havdallah. Daily Minyan: Sunday: AM Monday & Thursday: :15 AM Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: :30 AM Rosh Chodesh & legal holidays: AM Learn Rambam everyday at NEXT WEEK AT A GLANCE Shabbat Parshat VaYeitzei...DECEMBER 1-2 Friday, November 17 Candle Lighting...4:10 PM Saturday, November 18 Shabbat ends...5:14 PM Reminder: Monday night December 4 in Ma ariv begin saying V Tein Tal U Matar Double Mazel Tov and Mazel Tov We wish Mazel Tov to two members of the Chabad Shul on their upcoming marriages. Ilana Bamdad will be marrying Zindel (Jeff) Bander and Daniel Rubinoff will be marrying Ronit Klein. May they both, together with their spouses, merit to build a Binyan Adei Ad, an everlasting edifice in Israel. Mazel Tov to Alessandra and Lloyd Harmetz on the birth of a baby boy on November 20th (29 Cheshvan). May they have much nachas from him and merit to bring him into the Brit of Avraham Avinu in a good and auspicious hour. Wanted: Torah Readers Chabad is looking for volunteer Ba al Korehs. If you or someone you know can layn a Parshah - we would love to have you layn at Chabad. Whether you want to refresh your Bar Mitzvah Parshah and want to prepare a new one, please call our office. The following Parshahs are already reserved: VaYigash, December 30 Jeremy Sanders Shemot, January 13 Avi Friedman Bo, January 27 Avremel Kugel Mishpatim, February 17 Jeremy Sanders

11 KIDDUSH SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Sponsoring a Kiddush is a great way to share you Simchah or special family event with the community! Kiddushim can be sponsored to celebrate a birthday, graduation or to commemorate the Yahrzeit of a loved one. Kiddush sponsors are encouraged to share some words of Torah at their Kiddush. Kiddushim cost $300, $400 or $500. To sponsor a kiddush, please Rabbi Fried at ryf@chabadwestside.org, or call at x 14. Kiddush Schedule: Shabbat Toldot, November 25,... Kiddush is sponsored by Daniel Rubinoff in honor of his Ufruf and his upcoming marriage to Ronit Klein Shabbat VaYetzei, December 2,... Kiddush is sponsored by Moshe and Levana Kirschenbaum in honor of the wedding of their daughter Bella to Meir Pliskin. Shabbat VaYishlach, December 9,... Kiddush is sponsored by Shelly Leibenstern in honor of the Yahrzeit of his father Rubin Leibenstern, Reuven Natan ben Aryeh Leib, 19 Kislev Shabbat VaYeshev (Shabbat Chanuka), December 16,... Kiddush is sponsored by Ilan Nordmann in honor of his Bar Mitzvah Parshah and with thanks to Hashem. Shabbat MiKetz (Shabbat Chanuka), December 23,.. Kiddush available Important dates on the Chabad calendar Rosh Chodesh Kislev (this year, 11/21 & 22) On this date, in 1977, the Rebbe finally went home after suffering a heart attack on Shemini Atzeret in 770. This day is celebrated by Chabad chassidim as a milestone in the Rebbe s recovery from that tragic event. Here is an excerpt from Chabad.org. On the night of the joyous festival of Shemini Atzeret of the Jewish year 5738 (October 4, 1977), while celebrating with thousands of his Chassidim in his synagogue, the Rebbe suffered a massive heart attack. Following that episode the Rebbe was confined to his office, and it was not until five CHABAD WEEKLY BULLETIN PAGE 11 weeks later, on the first day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, that he returned home. This date was duly designated by his Chassidim as a day of celebration and thanksgiving. The doctors had warned the Rebbe of a sixty percent chance re-occurrence if he continued his vigorous daily routine. But the Rebbe heard positive news: The doctors were of the opinion that there's a forty percent chance that there's nothing to worry about. **** Two years earlier, in the summer of 1976, a group of disabled Israeli war veterans touring America on a program sponsored by the Israeli Defense Ministry came to the Rebbe. Ten large commercial vans transported their wheelchairs from their New York hotel to the Rebbe s synagogue at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. For several minutes the Rebbe walked among them, shaking hands, smiling and making light conversation. Then he addressed them, apologizing for his accented Hebrew. If a person has been deprived of a limb or a faculty, he said, this itself indicates that G-d has given him special powers to overcome the limitations this entails, and to surpass the achievements of ordinary people. You are not disabled or handicapped, but special and unique, as you possess potentials that the rest of us do not. I therefore suggest that you should no longer be referred to as disabled, but as special, which more aptly describes what is unique about you. In 1976, the benefits of such an approach had yet to be widely disseminated, and the official nomenclature for challenged persons, even among doctors and therapists, was still couched in negative terms. But the Rebbe was applying an generations-old Chassidic dictum: Think positive, and it will be positive. Indeed, the face that the Rebbe showed the men who had lost their limbs in the defense of their people was warm, cheerful and optimistic. A number of them later said that this was the first time since their injury that they were met with such a natural response from another person, rather than a look of pity, guilt or revulsion. But when the Rebbe returned to his room, his personal secretary saw how shattered he was by the encounter. It was a full week, the secretary later told, before the Rebbe recovered from the experience.

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