a project of www.Chabad.org Shoftim 5763 (2003) Life After Terror It is like a king who, before he Current Terror can become imbedded in the bone and tis- enters the city, the people of the sue. It can go right down to the cellular level and city go out to greet him in the field. be held there, embraced there, entrapped there There, everyone who so desires is for a lifetime. What can we do for those who are permitted to meet him; he receives already its victim? them all with a cheerful counte- nance and shows a smiling face to them all. And when he goes to the Story Praying In Kharkov city, they follow him there. Later, His one hand held a wooden cane, the other some- however, after he enters his royal how was suddenly on my shoulder. "Can you palace, none can enter into his davven?" he whispered presence except by appointment, and only special people and select individuals. So, too, by analogy, the month of Elul is when we meet What is Prophesy? G-d in the field... (Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi) Question How does one become a prophet? What is it like to experience prophesy? Does prophesy exist today? Thirteen Attributes of Mercy: an Elul Seasons of the Anthology A History of Elul... A Haven in Time... Month of Soul the Bride... I and My Beloved... How to grant a blessing... The King in the Field... all about Elul - - the month that G-d feels closer to us and we feel closer to Him The System The common conception of how Shoftim — Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9 the system works is faulty. Parsha "Justice" -- the very concept is said to be a They see a career as "making a Jewish contribution to the world. A glance at living". A career doesn't "make" this week's Parshah (equality before the law, anything. What you receive is gen- due process, protection of criminals from erated above, in a spiritual realm. vigilante vengeance, curbs on the behavior Your business is to set up a chan- of kings, rules and ethics in warfare...) nel to allow all that to flow into the shows why material world. For more information or to subscribe new material to one of our many insipiring added daily! periodicals log on to: This magazine contains sacred Torah www.Chabad.org material. Please do not discard. www.Chabad.org Current Prime Minister Ariel Sharon termed them, animals) You Have Made Us Proud who claim to be religious. They claim to live by the let- ter of G-d’s law. In fact, Raed Abdel Misk (may his By Levi Brackman name be blotted out) — the murderer who carried out the “Massacre of the Children” — was an Islamic reli- gious scholar, whose relatives said that he had been driven to “martyrdom” by “a deep knowledge of the Koran” and that “he would have had no regrets” seeing the dozens of children in the crowded bus before he blew it up. Heaven help us; this is reminiscent of the crusades of 1096 and 1140. Once again, G-d and reli- We Jews have tremendous coping power. This gion have become a cause for the slaughter of Jewish week, this was yet again put to the test. children. The pain and suffering that the “Massacre of the Yet, the response to the massacre by our brothers and Children” caused is beyond belief. Like all of us, I sisters in Jerusalem could not have been more digni- was deeply pained that once again our people are fied. Amazingly, Bracha Toporowitch, whose three- being slaughtered by Arab-Islamic Jew-hating mur- year-old granddaughter Tehilah was massacred on derers. Amongst the blackness of tragedy I was Tuesday, said that she does not hate the homicide yearning for some hope and light. I did not have to bomber. She is bolstered by her faith in G-d and is too wait long. In reading the news reports from Israel in busy caring for wounded survivors, her daughter, the last few days, I found myself repeatedly saying: Chana Nathanson, 26, and another granddaughter, Thank G-d for making me part of this great nation of Shoshana, who is only five months old. Israel. The contrast could not be starker. She explained: “I don’t even think for one minute I On Thursday, Israel assassinated Ismail Abu had any feelings of hatred toward the murderer. I was- Shanab, one of the top five leaders of the murderous n’t even thinking about it. I was thinking about what group that carried out the “Massacre of the we have to do within ourselves, what is the message for Children.” us. What do we want to change to become a better per- The Arab response was tens of thousands march- son? How do we reach out to people, how do we con- ing through the streets of Gaza City chanting nect more closely to G-d?” “Revenge, revenge,” and “Sharon and Mofaz listen Her granddaughter’s name, she pointed out, was very well; our retaliation will send you to hell.” Tehilah, which means praise. “If people can learn even About 15 men marched in long robes, signaling their in the midst of the tragedy to thank G-d for everything willingness to become suicide bombers. He gives us, then I think that it is the high point for the A senior member of another group of murderers human being to reach. If people can live like that, then and terrorists, the Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades, said their whole lives will be changed, and maybe hate will that due to Israel’s killing of Ismail Abu Shanab, disappear.” Israelis should expect “many suicide attacks.” He Instead of becoming a breeding ground for hate, the added that “the price will be very heavy.” Hamas religious neighborhood where the bombing took place founder, spiritual leader and head terrorist Sheik sported hastily printed posters calling for soul-search- Ahmed Yassin also said that his group would take ing and repentance, “especially for wrongs committed revenge. “This crosses all red lines,” Yassin said of against one’s fellow man.” Smaller notices announced the missile strike. Addressing Israelis, he said: “You that a prayer rally would be held that afternoon at the will pay the price for these crimes.” The cynicism is site. Other notices asked that passers-by pray for the sickening. Murdering Jewish babies is perfectly recovery of the wounded and for the souls of the dead. moral for Yassin, but when Israel kills a known ter- rorist who orchestrated the attack and was working In this past Shabbat’s Torah portion we read: “For on the next suicide bombing, it is “crossing all red the L-rd your G-d blesses you, as He promised you... lines.” and you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you” (Deuteronomy 15:6). Being Let us not forget that these are people (or rather, as Current | Story | Question | Seasons of the Soul | Parshah | Week at Glance 2 2 www.Chabad.org current You Have Made Us Proud reigned over is as much a state of mind as a state of being. By not allowing hate and the desire for revenge to consume them, by not allowing them- selves to be intimidated by the cowardly and evil murderers, the people of Jerusalem are not allowing themselves to be defeated. Using this tragic event as a springboard for growth is the best type of revenge. This is the Jewish way. We battle our adversaries — Torah law commands that “If someone comes to kill you, be quick to kill him first” — but refuse to succumb to victimhood, vengefulness and hate. It is an attitude that has kept us going throughout genera- tions of suffering. Although the Jewish people have repeatedly been victims of oppression and injustice, we have never allowed ourselves to remain the vic- tim. Because of this mindset the Jewish people have always been able to bounce back from trauma. Many mighty nations have come and gone but we, G-d’s people, have prevailed. The ability to respond to tragedy in this way is truly a blessing from G-d and one that helps us to cope. By tapping in to this response we know that we shall prevail and our morally defunct and godless enemy will be defeated. Rabbi Levi I. Brackman serves as spiritual leader of the www.myshul.co.uk in London, England Current | Story | Question | Seasons of the Soul | Parshah | Week at Glance 2 3 www.Chabad.org Current the feeling that if this person can die, and that person Life After Terror can die, and this can happen and that can happen... well, then, what exactly is preventing everything from By Jay Litvin happening to this person, he around whom everything else happened? If people are dying, why won’t he?...a black sort of outlook one is handed when all the rules of impossibility and propriety are thrown out. Thus, one starts to feel that death is literally around each and every corner... that whatever is out there that snuffs out life is probably sniffing around for him...” For many terror victims, faith and trust in the very Terror and trauma can, we know from experts like safety of the world, in the very goodness of the world, Dr. Peter Levine and his work on Somatic has been shattered. And while “diplomatic solutions” Experiencing, become imbedded in the bone and tis- are sought to end this possibility for the future, for the sue.