Lmpk Chanukah 2014

Visit Our Website www.BikurCholimPS.com December 2014/Kislev 5775 VOL. 18 NO. 2

Let My People Know

Published and mailed 5 times a year to 3,500 homes in Palm Springs

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Bikur Cholim of Palm Springs A Project of Chabad of Palm Springs P.O. Box 2934 Palm Springs, CA 92263 Rabbi Yankel A. Kreiman

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Happy Chanukah

Dedicated to the Lubavitcher Rebbe Whose Influence Has Spread Around The World

The Obligation to Illuminate the World Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, The Lubavitcher Rebbe By the Grace of G-d On the eve of Chanukah, 5741 [1980] Brooklyn, NY To all Participants in the Public Lighting of the Chanukah Menorah in the USA Greeting and Blessing!

Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, recalls the victory—more than 2100 years ago—of a militarily weak but spiritually strong Jewish people over the mighty forces of a ruthless enemy that had overrun the Holy Land and threatened to engulf the land and its people in darkness.

The miraculous victory—culminating with the dedication of the Sanctuary in Jerusalem and the rekindling of the Menorah which had been desecrated and extinguished by the enemy—has

been celebrated annually ever since during these eight days of Chanukah, especially by lighting the Chanukah Menorah, also as a symbol and message of the triumph of freedom over oppression, of spirit over matter, of light over darkness.

It is a timely and reassuring message, for the forces of darkness are ever present. Moreover, the danger does not come exclusively from outside; it often lurks close to home, in the form of insidious erosion of time-honored values and principles that are at the foundation of any decent human society. Needless to say, darkness is not chased away by brooms and sticks, but by illumination. Our sages said, “A little light expels a lot of darkness.”

The Chanukah Lights remind us in a most obvious way that illumination begins at home, within oneself and one’s family, by increasing and intensifying the light of Torah and Mitzvos in the everyday experience, even as the Chanukah Lights

are kindled in growing numbers from day to day.

But though it begins at home, it does not stop there.

Such is the nature of light that when one kindles the Chanukah Lights are expressly meant to illuminate the “outside,” symbolically alluding to the duty to bring light also to those who, for one reason or another, still walk in darkness.

What is true of the individual is true of a nation, especially this great United States, united under G-d, and generously blessed by G-d with material as well as spiritual riches. It is surely the duty and privilege of this Nation to promote all the forces of light both at home and abroad, and in a steadily growing measure.

Let us pray that the message of the Chanukah Lights will illuminate the everyday life of everyone personally, and of the society at large, for a brighter life in every respect, both materially and spiritually.

With esteem and blessing in the spirit of Chanukah M. Schneerson

Chabad of Palm Springs invites you to join us

Thursday, December 18th, at 7:00 pm

DESERT HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL

at the Palm Spring Village Fest for a Community Candle Lighting, Sing-Along, and Chanukah Treats!

The Dreidel

The classic dreidel is a four sided spinning top made of wood, plastic, or the proverbial clay. On the four sides of the dreidel appear four letters from the Hebrew alphabet—nun ( ), gimmel ( ), hey( ), and shin ( ). These four letters are an acronym for "nes gadol hayah sham"—"a great miracle happened there."

The Desert Holocaust Memorial is located in the Palm Desert Civic Center Park at San Pablo Avenue & Fred Waring Drive.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to visit this moving memorial, a place of remembrance and monument of hope.

2 n LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775

The letters that appear on four sides of the Dreidel.

In Israel, the actual setting of the Chanukah miracle, the last letter, shin, is substituted with a pey ( ), which stands for "po"—"here."

‘A Message From the Rabbi’

Dear Friends, Did Chanukah happen years ago, or is it happening now? Looking at the events today, you start to wonder. The story of a little candle pushing away the monster of frightening darkness, of human sensibility overcoming terror and brute force, of life and growth overcoming destruction - the battle is very much alive within each of us, and in the world outside of us.

With every breath of life, every cry of a newborn child, every blade of grass that breaks out from under the soil, every decision to do good in the face of evil, to be kind where there is cruelty, to build where others destroy, to move humanity forward when others pull us toward chaos and that is Chanukah.

Chanukah is an eight-day spiritual journey. Many people know the story of Chanukah- but only as a historical pretext to give gifts and eat latkes. We can call that the body of Chanukah. The soul of Chanukah is its meditation, joy warmth and light. Not only in our homes with our loved ones, but with the entire world. Our hope is that by igniting our souls, everybody will follow and light the world, one candle at a time.

Please enjoy this special Chanukah edition of Let My People Know. Best wishes for a very happy, healthy & bright Chanukah to you & your family.

Happy Chanukah to You and Your Family!

Rabbi Yankel & Rochel Kreiman

Happy Chanukah Dr. Amy Austin Lenore Leon Sara Lee Austin Ruth & Herb Levitsky Judge Jacqueline Harriet Lindsay Drucker Art & Joan Markovits Isaac & Selma Arlene Morse Friedman Celia & Sandy Norian Judy Gornbein Howard Schreiman Joan & Harold Kramer Joyce & Irwin Yarmo LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775 n 3

The Candle That Burned for 70 Years

By Rabbi Shlomo Wilhelm

As the Chabad emissary in Zhitomir, Ukraine, I visit Paris occasionally to fundraise and purchase supplies. In between appointments, I often step into the synagogue for a few precious moments of Torah study.

During one of these brief respites, the local shliach came in with two strangers—an older man, and a long-haired American student in his early twenties. The rabbi asked the older man if he would like to put on tefillin. At first he refused, but with a little persuasion he was soon rolling up his sleeve and allowing me to wrap the tefillin around his arm and head.

Meanwhile, the young student began walking around the shul. In one corner he stopped, took out his cell phone, and took a few pictures. Could he possibly know that seventy years ago, in that corner, the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, gave a weekly Torah class? Yes indeed, on those very benches Jews had gathered to learn a tractate of Talmud from the future Rebbe.

In the 1930s, when he was living in Paris and studying at the Sorbonne, the Rebbe attended the synagogue at 17 Rue des Rosiers, where he also offered a Torah class to the small congregation.

One of those classes was on the topic of Mai Chanukah, “What Is Chanukah,” the portion of the Talmud that discusses the significance of Chanukah. The Rebbe spoke about the well-known dispute between the Greek philosophers and the sages of Israel, and the fundamental difference between Hellenistic philosophy and the wisdom of Torah.

In Jewish thought, wisdom—particularly Torah wisdom—is compared to pristine water. By contrast, he explained, the Greeks mixed the pure, spiritual water of intellect with the dust of materialism, resulting in mud, a quicksand that drags one down in a gradual but endless descent into the depths. When intellect becomes the tool of materialism rather than spirituality, it feeds egoism and selfishness.

The Rebbe noted that in Psalms Yavan, the Hebrew name for Greece, is associated with mud—(Tit ha)Yavan. He pointed out that the very letters of Yavan provide a visual image of graded descent, beginning with the elevated yud that represents wisdom, moving down to the vav that reaches the baseline, before the final nun that

descends below the baseline, i.e., to the depths. Greek philosophy embodied this descent from the loftiest to the lowest moral plane.

The Greeks had wisdom; indeed, many great sages of Israel (including the Rebbe) were well-versed in secular knowledge. Their error was in its application. They used it to exalt the body and its desires above the soul, and that this is what led to their moral decline. Even the study of Torah can become like the wisdom of Greece, the Rebbe said, if one does not approach it with purity of spirit and humility. One can exploit the Torah, too, to justify his crassness.

The Greeks defiled not only the pure oil for the Temple menorah, but also the pure spiritual oil in the Jewish heart. And the miracle of Chanukah reestablished that purity—our absolute devotion to G‑d and His Torah.

This was what the Rebbe taught in Paris in 1935.

Back in the synagogue, I watched the American boy take pictures. Something was strange about the scene. Who was he, and what connection could he possibly have with this place?

“Have you put on tefillin today?” I asked him. The reply was astonishing. “Yes, I did,” he said. “I put on tefillin every day. It is the only mitzvah I still keep. Just yesterday I considered dropping it, but I decided to continue for the time being.”

It dawned on me that this young man might be a lost sheep who had once been part of the Chabad-Lubavitch community. The combination of tefillin observance and photographing an obscure setting in which the Rebbe had taught couldn’t be a coincidence.

Indeed, this was the case. He had been a student in a Lubavitcher yeshivah, where he thrived until his late teens. “But then I decided I wanted a university education. I just wanted to broaden my horizons,” he told me. “And then one thing led to another, and before I knew it, I’m observing nothing except tefillin.”

I suggested that we sit down and learn something together. Perhaps something the Rebbe taught while he was in this very place. He agreed, and we sat down to study the discourse on Mai Chanukah.

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We opened the Reshimos, the posthumously published collection of the Rebbe’s private notes where the talk is recorded. The conversation proceeded in fluent Yiddish, as the young man cut into the difficult discourse with the ease of the young chassidic scholar he had once been.

“And so the whole idea of Greece, of Yavan, is represented by the very Hebrew letters for Yavan,” he explained. “Even Torah learning, when mixed with material motives, becomes a downward spiral, descending from the lofty yudto the depths represented by the dangling final nun. Step by step it makes us arrogant and conceited, turning our pursuit of knowledge into a lethal poison, a viscous quicksand from which we cannot extricate ourselves.”

Suddenly the young man stopped and closed the book.

He seemed overcome with emotion.

“Rebbe!” he shouted, and remained silent for several long minutes. Finally he looked me in the eye and said, “Do you understand what is going on Do you understand what is going on here?here? The Rebbe is talking about me.

“At first there was just the yud of Yavan, the wisdom of philosophy. I just wanted to expand my knowledge. But in college, I found most of the students were more interested in having a good time than in acquiring knowledge. It was hard to separate the ideas I was studying from the moral atmosphere around me. I descended one nearly imperceptible step at a time, until I reached the depths, the final nun. The entire process was so gradual, I didn’t realize it was happening.

“The Rebbe sat here seventy years ago, and gave this lesson for me! The Rebbe is telling me, ‘I see you. I am following you. I understand the entire process you are undergoing.’”

He opened the book again and scanned the entire discourse with his cellphone, page by page.

“I can’t continue here,” he told me. “This is too big for me. I will continue later, by myself.”

His parting words to me as he left: “The Rebbe has turned over my soul.”

The Miracle

Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Courtesy of MeaningfulLife.com

What is Chanukah? ... When the royal Hasmonean family overpowered and was victorious over [the Greeks], they searched and found only a single cruse of pure oil... enough to light the menorah for a single day.

A miracle occurred, and they lit the menorah with this oil for eight days.

On the following year, they established these [eight days] as days of festivity and praise and thanksgiving to G-d.

Talmud, Shabbat 21b Many miracles, great and small, accompanied the liberation of Israel from Hellenic dominance and the reclaiming of the Holy Temple as the lighthouse of G-d. But there is one particular miracle, the Talmud is saying, that is the sum and substance of Chanukah: the miracle of the small cruse of pure oil that burned for eight days.

The challenge faced by the Jewish people at that time was unlike any that had confronted them before.

Hellenism, a noxious blend of hedonism and philosophy, could not be resisted by the conventional tools of Jewish learning and tradition. Only the cruse of pure oil-the supra-rational, supraegotistical essence of the Jewish soul, from which stems the Jews intrinsic self-sacrificial loyalty to G-d could illuminate the way out of the mudswamps of Hella. Only by evoking this inner reserve of incontaminable oil were we able to banish the pagan invader from G-d's home and rekindle the torch of Israel as a light unto the nations.

But this was oil sufficient for only a single day. By nature, man's highest powers flare brightly and fleetingly, soon receding to the supra-conscious, supra-behavioral place from which they have come. When a person's deepest self is challenged, the essential oil of his soul is stimulated, and no

force on earth can still its flame; but then the moment passes, the cataclysmic levels off into the routine, and the person is left with his ordinary, mortal self.

The miracle of Chanukah was that they lit the menorah with this oil for eight days--that the flame of selfless sacrifice blazed beyond a moment of truth, beyond a day of reckoning. That the small pure cruse of oil burned beyond its one-day lifespan for an additional week, illuminating the seven chambers of the soul (Kabbalistic teaching enumerates seven middot or basic character traits-love, restraint, harmony, ambition, devotion, bonding and receptiveness--from which stem all feelings and motivations of the heart). This was no mere flash of light in a sea of darkness, but a flame destined to shed purity and light for all generations, under all conditions.

Thus the Talmud relates that it was only on the following year that these eight days were established as the festival of Chanukah. A year is a microcosm of time, embodying all of times seasons and transmutations. So it was only on the following year, after it had weathered all fluctuations of the annual cycle, that the victory of Chanukah could be installed as a permanent fixture in our lives.

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Candles Behind Bars

By Eli & Malka Touger

Rabbi Shabsi Katz, the Rabbi of Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, and the Jewish Chaplain for the Department of Prisons in that country, maintained a relationship with the Lubavitcher Rebbe for many years.

In December of 1978, he came to visit the Rebbe for the third time. At a private audience with the Rebbe a few days before Chanukah, the Rebbe asked Rabbi Katz what was being done for Jewish prisoners in South Africa. Rabbi Katz explained that conditions in South African prisons were much harsher than in New York, but that Jewish prisoners were not obligated to work on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur or Passover, and on Passover, they were given food certified kosher for the holiday by Pretoria's rabbinate.

The Rebbe asked: "And what about Chanukah? Can the inmates light Chanukah candles?" One must appreciate, the Rebbe said, how important it is for a person sitting alone in a cell to light a Chanukah menorah. One cannot fathom the warmth and hope this brings, and how this will uplift his spirits in such a dark environment.

Rabbi Katz promised that when he returned to South Africa he would begin working on the project, so that next year the inmates could light Chanukah candles.

The Rebbe, however, was not satisfied, and inquired: What about this Chanukah?

Rabbi Katz pointed out that Chanukah was only a few days off. Since he was in New York, he doubted it would be possible to do anything. The Rebbe replied that as soon as their meeting ended, Rabbi Katz should use the telephones in the outside office to make any calls that were necessary.

Rabbi Katz then reminded the Rebbe that in South Africa it was four o'clock in the morning; at that hour, he dared not wake the general in charge of correctional facilities.

The Rebbe did not accept Rabbi Katz's reply, saying that, on the contrary, when the general saw that the matter was so important that he was called from overseas in the middle of the night, he would be impressed, and would appreciate the need for Jewish prisoners to light candles this year.

As soon as Rabbi Katz left the Rebbe's office, one of the secretaries led him to the small side office across the hall from the Rebbe's. He showed him the phones and told him to make himself at home.

Rabbi Katz first called his secretary in Pretoria to find the home number of General Sephton, who was a Dominee of the Dutch Reformed Church and Religious Director of Prisons. At the same time, he asked his secretary to call the general and tell him he would soon be receiving a call from overseas. And so, when he called General Sephton a few minutes later, the general was not upset, but instead, inquired how he could help.

6 n LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775

Rabbi Katz explained that he had just completed a private meeting with one of the leaders of world Jewry, who had expressed concern about the Jewish inmates in South African prisons.

The leader had explained how important it was for the prisoners to light Chanukah menorahs, and how this would bring them warmth, light and hope.

General Sephton was moved. In spite of the fact that his office was due to close that day -- it was December 24 -- he said that if Rabbi Katz was calling at that time of night from overseas, he could understand how urgent the matter was, and that as soon as he got to his office in the morning he would send a telex to all the prison facilities in South Africa telling them to make it possible for all Jewish prisoners in South Africa to light candles this Chanukah.

Next morning, when the Rebbe came to Lubavitch headquarters at 770 Easterm Parkway, Rabbi Katz was in the foyer. "Nu?" motioned the Rebbe. When he heard that the mission had been accomplished, the Rebbe gave him a broad smile and told Rabbi Katz that he wanted to see him after the morning prayers.

When Rabbi Katz entered the Rebbe's room, the Rebbe told him that there are 50 states in the US, and all but one allowed Jewish inmates to light Chanukah candles. "Would you believe it," said the Rebbe, "it is only here -- in New York State -- that prisoners cannot light menorahs for Chanukah!"

The Rebbe asked that Rabbi Katz see to it that the inmates of New York State prisons lit Chanukah candles that year. "Tell them what you did, that they should learn from South Africa, and do the same here," he advised.

Rabbi Katz did not know where to start; he told the Rebbe that he did not know whom to contact first.

"Rabbi J. J. Hecht has been working hard on this project, and will know whom to turn to," the Rebbe answered him.

When Rabbi Katz sought out Rabbi Hecht, it was Rabbi Hecht's turn to be astonished. He pointed out that it was December 24, and already past noon; nobody would be at their desks at that time. Could officials be reached at their office parties?

But after Rabbi Katz told him about his audience with the Rebbe, and his personal call to General Sephton in South Africa, Rabbi Hecht relaxed. Past experience had told him, he said, that if the Rebbe asked someone to do something right away, things worked out well even if the timing seemed bad.

After a few calls, Rabbi Hecht was able to locate the director of the New York State Correctional System, and found him in a jovial mood. Rabbi Hecht then introduced Rabbi Katz, who informed the director that Jewish prisoners in South Africa would be lighting Chanukah candles that year, and suggested that if this could happen in South Africa, surely it should happen in New York. The director agreed, remarking that if in South Africa, where Jews are such a minority, the prisons gave them permission to light candles, there was no reason why it shouldn't happen in New York. He promised to attend to the matter in time for Chanukah.

Rabbi Katz looked at his watch. It was several minutes before three, and the Rebbe would come out for the afternoon minchah prayers at 3:15. He hurried back to 770 and positioned himself outside the Rebbe's room.

When the Rebbe came out for the afternoon prayers, he saw Rabbi Katz and motioned "Nu?" Rabbi Katz indicated that the mission had been accomplished. "I want to see you after minchah!" the Rebbe smiled.

Rabbi Katz was surprised. What mission would be waiting for him after minchah? When he entered the Rebbe's room, however, the Rebbe did not have another project for him. Instead, the Rebbe said that as he had done him a personal favor, he would like to do something in return.

Rabbi Katz was bewildered. He told the Rebbe that it had been a privilege and an honor to do what he had done. He had received so much in blessings and guidance from the Rebbe throughout the years that he certainly did not expect anything more.

The Rebbe did not accept this answer. So Rabbi Katz thought quickly, and asked the Rebbe for a Tanya (the book authored by the founder of Chabad, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, and regarded as the "bible of Chassidism") for his son, who would certainly appreciate it. The Rebbe told him that one would be in the outer office shortly. When Rabbi Katz returned to pick it up, he found a Hebrew Tanya waiting for Rabbi Katz himself, a leather-bound, deluxe Hebrew/English Tanya for his son, "Challenge" (a book on Chabad) for General Sephton in South Africa, and "Woman of Valor" (an anthology of Chassidic teachings on women) for the general's wife.

When Rabbi Katz returned to South Africa, he called General Sephton. Before he could say anything, the general reassured him that he had sent the telexes the day he had received the call from America, and that the Jewish prisoners had indeed kindled Chanukah candles that year. When Rabbi Katz told the general that the Rebbe had sent gifts for him, the general said he would be right over to pick them up.

Indeed, within an hour, the general was sitting in Rabbi Katz's living room. Asked why he had hurried so, he replied that when a person sitting in New York thinks about somebody living on the other side of the globe -- especially somebody imprisoned for wrongdoing -and seeks out someone to bring him light and warmth, he is a genuine leader.

"And if such a leader sends something for me, I want it as soon as possible," said the general.

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Why Couldn't the Jews and Greeks Just Get Along?

By Tzvi Freeman

Question: It's hard for me to get into Chanukah. As far as I can see, the whole thing was a major disaster. Here we have a meeting of two rich cultures, with so much to share, so much to contribute to the world together, so much synergy that could happen, and instead, BOOM! -- the extremists of both sides hit the battlefield.

I don't get it. The Greeks were universalists. They were open to new ideas from wherever they came. They spread knowledge and understanding throughout the Mediterranean. Here was an opportunity to take Jewish values to the world, to go public. Why couldn't those Maccabee hotheads work out some sort of compromise?

The Short Answer: Actually, this was the greatest thing that could have happened to the Greek mind: To discover that one thing it could not tolerate -- something like the massage therapist who helps you to find that one trigger point where you can't be touched.

For the Jew, as well, this was a defining experience. The red lines became clear, and with those guidelines, the essential Torah was made able to survive to this day.

The Long Answer: You're right about one thing: The whole Chanukah story was completely out of character for Ancient Greece. I don't believe there was any other culture they ever oppressed or forbade. Every new culture had its set of gods and rituals, and that was just great. "Hey, you got gods?

We got gods, too! Here, let's trade god cards! How 'bout mix and match? You got rituals? You got belief-systems? We're into all that stuff! We'll even help you make big, pretty statues!" Greeks were great syncretists -- meaning, they could jerry together every culture of the known world and make one big tzimmes out of all of it.

So what on earth did they have against the Jews?

Sure, there were political power-plays going on that were the ostensible reasons for the conflict. But it's obvious there was something deeper at play. Some subliminal annoyance that brought out the worst in the Greek and pushed the Maccabees to revolt. Apparently, there was something about the Jewish mind that didn't mix and match.

Jew: Um, that's singular.

creates them. Out of nothing.

Greek: Okay, tell me about your gods.

G: Now you're getting silly. You can't make something out of nothing. You need stuff to make it out of.

Jew: No, not you. G-d. G-d is singular.

Only one god.

Greek: Don't worry, we've got so many I'm sure we can spare a few.

Jew: That's okay, one is enough.

Greek: So, this one G-d, what does He look like? We'd love to make some nice statues for you. You poor, uncultured people, you have no statues!

Now look at it from the Jewish side: Jews have also borrowed from every culture they've come in contact with. Whatever your grandmother tells you, Abraham did not smear his gefilte fish with chrane. One culture we borrowed more from than perhaps any other was that of Ancient Greece. The Talmud tells us that the only language the Torah could be translated into elegantly is Greek. They said it was a beautiful language. They say that of all peoples, the Greeks had ideas closest to ours. They praised many of the Greek philosophers. Maimonides wrote that Aristotle was half a prophet. The Seder Hadorot, a kind of classic Jewish history book, claims that Aristotle was really Jewish!

So what is going on here? Why such a violent clash? Why were the Jews unable to work out some sort of compromise with a Hellenist ruler?

We need to know because in a very real way, Chanukah lives on. Our society today is a bizarre grafting of these two cultures, the Hellenist and the Jewish.

If this conflict existed back then, the question is, has there been some resolution over time? Or are we still fighting Greek elephants? Simply put: Is our society schizoid?

Head-To-Head -- and Beyond So here's how the conversation goes.

Which conversation? The conversation that's been going on ever since the Greek mind and the Jewish mind met one another, almost two and a half millennia ago. Where does it happen? Mostly, somewhere deep inside Jewish minds: Greek: So tell us about your gods, Mr. Maccabee.

10 n LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775

Jew: That's because He doesn't have looks.

Greek: No looks? Ugly? That's cool! A god of ugliness! Don't worry, we can make ugly statues, too.

Jew: No, no. He has no looks at all. You can't see Him. Greek: An invisible G-d? Well, maybe we can do that in glass. But you have to give us some description.

Jew: Nope. Sorry. No description.

Greek: You mean nobody ever saw Him? How can you worship something if you don't know what it looks like? I mean, how do you know He exists in the first place?

Jew: It's not that we don't know what He looks like. He doesn't have any looks.

He has no image.

Greek: Well, I'm sorry then. If He has no image, we can't make a statue.

Jew: That's fine with us.

Greek: But we'd like to write books about Him. So just give us some definition and we'll work around it.

Jew: Oh, our G-d can't be defined.

Greek: Come, now. Everything has to have a definition. Or else it's not a thing.

J: But G-d is not a thing. He creates things. But He isn't a thing.

J: But there wasn't any stuff when things began.

G: There was always stuff. How else could the Cosmic Mind make anything?

J: Out of nothing!

G: Look, you Jews don't really think straight. But that's okay. We've conquered all sorts of primitive cultures. You'll learn, too. So, you worship the Cosmic Mind -- you'll get along just great with Aristotle and‌ J: No, He's not just the Cosmic Mind.

G: Well, nothing's higher than the Cosmic Mind.

J: Because that's not who He is. I mean, even if He didn't make a world, He would still be G-d. So you can't say, "that's who He is -- the One that makes a world." There doesn't have to be a world for Him to exist.

G: Of course there has to be a world.

Otherwise, why is there a world if there doesn't have to be one? The world makes sense. The Cosmic Mind makes sense.

That's what it's all about. Reason. The highest and most perfect of all things.

We Greeks will teach you all about that.

So, now tell me about your rituals. We Greeks really dig rituals. Any that have to do with wine? Parties?

J: Sure, we make kiddush on Friday night to commemorate the Creation of the world from nothing.

G: Well, you can give up that one now, since I've just shown you that creation of the world from nothing makes no sense whatsoever.

J: We don't eat milk with meat.

G: Why not?

J: G-d says so.

G: For what reason?

G: Oh! So He is the Cosmic Mind Who conceives and shapes all forms from the primal essence-matter.

J: Reason? He needs a reason? For the same reason He created heaven and earth!

J: No, He doesn't just form them, He

G: Which is?

J: He just wanted to.

= A. That is an absolute Truth. It must be.

G: That's not a reason!

J: Why?

J: Sure it is. He decided He would like a world where there would be milk and meat and He would tell people, "Don't eat that milk and meat together!" and they would listen.

G: Why?! Because if they don't have to be, then I and you and this whole world have no real substance! And that cannot be!

G: That makes no sense. That's not a reason!

J: Reason is just another of His creations.

G: Reason is the ultimate! There is nothing higher than Reason!

J: Okay then, explain to me why the world is the way it is. Why does one plus one equal two? Why does the square of the length of the hypotenuse equal the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides? Why do parallel lines never meet?

G: Because those are the rules of geometry!

J: So why does the Cosmic Mind, as you call Him, have to follow your rules of geometry?

G: They're not our rules! They are the selfevident truths of nature!

J: Why are these the truths and not something else?

G: You stubborn Jew! Don't you see that this is the most elegant, rational way things could be?

J: I'll bet you He could break them. I'll bet our G-d could make a world where parallel lines meet. He could break any of the laws of nature.

J: That's just what I was trying to tell you.

This world has no real substance. They only truth is‌ G: Don't say it, Mr. Maccabee! You people are downright dangerous.

And that is why the Greeks did not forbid Jewish practice altogether. What they (initially) forbade were those practices that they saw as irrational. Those practices that Jews do simply because they believe they have a relationship with a Being who is higher than reason. That, they could not tolerate.

Of course, as you know, eventually some bright boys came up with geometries where parallel lines meet; cause and effect got bumped out of quantum physics; the world was discovered to have had a beginning; and even now it still is really nothing because the sum of all radiant energy minus all of the universe's mass equals zero. Most of us today have accepted that there are things that are the way they are not for any reason, but just because that's the way they are. Nothing has to be the way it is. Why do masses attract? Why is the grass green? Why is there anything at all? There doesn't have to be a reason for everything, because reason is not the foundation of reality. So what's so absurd about connecting to the Foundation of Reality through mitzvot that are beyond reason?

Mind Under Matter

J: Nothing has to be. Nothing but the Source of Being. But He could be any way He wants.

Nevertheless, the battle continues. You see, as mentioned above, the Greek mind, aside from worshipping human intellect, is also a great syncretist. That means it can hammer together the most incongruous ideologies without blinking an eyelid.

You've heard of Rice-Christians? PeyoteCatholics? The Greek mind could do any of that, and more.

G: Geometry has to be. Cause and effect has to be. Logic has to be. If A = B then B

The two characteristics go hand in hand: When there's nothing higher than intellect,

G: You can't break laws of nature! They're not like laws of the state or like your silly laws about cheeseburgers. They are truths.

They are perfect. They are the ground of reality. They are because they have to be.

intellect has no guiding light. Everything, even the stupidest thing -- as long as it doesn't deny intellect -- can be tolerated.

Aristotle knew that the pantheon of Athenian gods was nonsense. But what's wrong with the common people, who cannot understand any better, having their way?

nothing to hold it in place, sinking further and further.

You can easily see that a knowledge of an absolute Divine Will beyond reason has become a necessity for human survival.

Without the supposition of a Divine Will, whatever you wish to make sense can make sense. If your system of logic cannot support an idea, just change the postulates and rethink the data. Anything can be made to make sense when you determine the assumptions. Every society has had its philosophers and philosophers have justified everything imaginable -- from coliseum killing games to gas chambers.

Materialism is the ultimate of Greece stuck in the mud. It is the idea that all that exists is that which can be observed, described and explained. Evolutionism, for example, is a materialistic explanation of existence.

When people became disillusioned with the church and with faith, they needed an explanation of existence that relied on Chance and Necessity alone, without recourse to G-d. Darwinism and current cosmologies provide just that. So do the standard interpretations of history we are taught today.

Strangely, this may have worked to humanity's advantage in one regard: The Greek mind applied itself to figuring out the material world. When your belief system begins with Divine revelation you don't necessarily apply yourself to mundane matters of how things work. So technological progress became chiefly the domain of the Greek mind throughout history.

But it also has some nefarious consequences. Because when you marry intellect and materialism (a good description of Stalin's Russia and Hitler's Germany), you've entered a bottomless pit of quicksand.

Which brings us to a fascinating point.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out that in Hebrew, the name for ancient Greece, Yavan, has another meaning: quicksand (as in Psalms 40:3 and Talmud, Eruvin 19a). Water mixes with sand, dirt and clay. You step in it and you can't get out.

The more you try to climb up, the further down you go.

Take a look at the letters that spell Yavan in Hebrew. It starts with a small point of a yud -- representing wisdom. That stretches down to become a vav. And the vav stretches even further down, below the line, to become a long nun. It's all a description of the process of intellect sinking into the material world and, with

A Donkey and an Ox Today, we have those syncretists who wish to marry materialism with Torah.

And nothing is less congruous than that.

Torah is an understanding that behind the world lies a Divine Will, unhampered by the limitations of nature or human logic -- because it is the source of all this. Why are there laws of nature? Because G-d generally chooses to work in consistent ways. Why did history unfold the way it did? Because that is all in G-d's plan.

When someone tries to provide a materialistic explanation for Torah and mitzvot, they are creating a Promethean bed, killing all sense of Torah in the process. So too, attempting to resolve conflicts between evolutionary doctrines and Torah makes less sense than marrying a donkey to an ox.

Yes, we try to understand as much as we can. The Torah commands us to think deeply, to immerse our intellects in study and comprehension. Whatever we can fit into intellect, we must strive to do so.

Whatever explanation we can give, we must give it. But always with the sense that with every new grain of understanding, we have expanded the seashore of the Infinite Unknowable.

We can have a thousand reasons for not mixing meat and milk, but when it comes down to it, we do it because that is our personal connection with the Divine Will, the Life of All Things. And that is the victory of Chanukah.

Tr a d i T i o n a l r i T u a l C i r C u m C i s i o n Rabbi Nachman B. Kreiman Certified Mohel

Alona & Josh Salama & Family

180 South Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Home 323-934-9329 Cell 323-896-5098 LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775 n 11

GUIDE 2014 • 5775 Chabad-Lubavitch), so that the two mitzvot of mezuzah and Chanukah surround the person. Others place it on a windowsill facing a public thoroughfare. (If placed on the windowsill, it should be no higher than 20 cubits—about 29 feet— above street level.)

The Chanukah lights are lit in the evenings preceding each of the eight days of Chanukah, beginning with Tuesday night, December 16, 2014, after nightfall. Please see the section “Special Shabbat Requirements” for special instructions regarding lighting the candles before Shabbat.

Both men and women are obligated to light the Chanukah menorah, or to participate in the household menorah lighting. Children should be encouraged to light their own menorahs. Students and singles who live in dormitories or their own apartments should kindle menorahs in their own rooms.

Many have the custom to place the menorah in a doorway opposite the mezuzah (such is the custom of

The Chanukah lights should consist of lamps or candles—i.e., a flammable fuel that feeds a visible flame via a wick. The most ideal way to fulfill the mitzvah is with cotton wicks in olive oil, or beeswax candles; paraffin candles or other types of candles or lamps are also acceptable, but not gas lights or electric lights. (If circumstances do not allow the use of an open flame, a proper rabbinical authority should be consulted.)

The lamps or candles must contain enough fuel, at the time of the lighting, to burn until half an hour after nightfall. (“Nightfall" is the point at which it grows dark enough for three average-sized stars to be visible—about 20–30 minutes after sunset, depending on the location.)

12 n LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775

The lamps or candles should be arranged in a straight row, and should be of equal height. The shamash—the “servant” candle that kindles the other lights— should be placed apart from the rest (higher, outside the row, etc.).

On the first night of Chanukah, one light is kindled on the right side of the menorah. On the following night add a second light to the left of the first, and kindle the new light first, proceeding from left to right, and so on each night.

The Chanukah lights are kindled in the evening preceding each of the eight days of Chanukah. The custom of many communities (and such is the Chabad-Lubavitch custom) is to light the menorah shortly after sunset; other communities light it at nightfall. In either case, the menorah must contain enough fuel at the time of the lighting to burn until 30 minutes after nightfall.

Note: The standard Chanukah candles last only approximately 30 minutes. If using those candles, then light after nightfall every night (aside from Friday—see below).

If one did not kindle the Chanukah lights early in the evening, they can be kindled later, as long as there are people in the streets (or others awake in the house).

IMPORTANT: It is forbidden to light a fire on Shabbat, which extends from sunset on Friday evening until nightfall on Saturday night.

Therefore, on Friday evening, December 19, the Chanukah lights should be kindled early, before the Shabbat lights, which are lit 18 minutes before sundown.

Additional oil or larger candles should be used for the Chanukah lights, to make sure they will last a full half hour after nightfall—the standard 30-minute Chanukah candles cannot be used on Friday.

From the time the Shabbat candles are lit (Friday evening) until Shabbat ends (after nightfall Saturday night) and until the havdalah prayer (separating Shabbat from the weekday) is recited, the Chanukah menorah should not be relit, moved or prepared.

Chanukah lights for Saturday night are kindled only after Shabbat ends after nightfall.

On the first night of Chanukah (Tuesday, December 16) , recite all three blessings. On all subsequent nights, recite blessings number 1 and 2.

1. Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.

1. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai Eh-lohei-noo Meh-lech Ha-olam A-sher Ki-deh-sha-noo Beh-mitz-vo-tav Veh-tzi-va-noo Leh-had-lik Ner Cha-noo-kah.

2. Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.

3. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai Eh-lohei-noo Me-lech Ha-olam Shehheh-cheh-ya-noo Veh-kee-yeh-manoo Veh-hee-gee-a-noo Liz-man Ha-zeh.

After kindling the lights, the Haneirot Halalu prayer is recited.

One is not to benefit from the light of the candles, only from the shamash and other sources of light.

For the first half hour when the candles are burning, it is customary to sit by the candles and tell stories relating to the holiday.

The complete Hallel prayer (see your prayerbook) is also said in the morning service.

Chanukah gelt is given to children after lighting the menorah. The children should be encouraged to give charity from a portion of their money.

A portion of the Torah is read daily in the synagogue during morning prayers.

It is customary to increase one’s daily giving to charity. On Fridays we give double the amount, to account for Shabbat.

Because of the great significance of oil in the story of the Chanukah miracle, it is traditional to serve foods cooked in oil. Among the most popular Chanukah dishes are potato latkes (pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts).

Work should not be done in the proximity of the burning candles.

Women have a custom to refrain from household work during the half hour that the lights are burning, to honor the brave Jewish women who played a significant role in the Chanukah story.

It is traditional to give all children Chanukah gelt (money).

2. Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai Eh-lohei-nu Meh-lech Ha-olam Sheh-asa Nee-sim La-avo-tei-noo Ba-yamim Ha-hem Bee-z’man Ha-zeh.

3. Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.

the amidah (daily silent prayer) and the Grace After Meals.

During the eight days of Chanukah, we add the Al HaNissim liturgy to

Of course, this beautiful custom adds to the children’s happiness and festive spirit. In addition, it gives adults an opportunity to give the children positive reinforcement for exemplary behavior, such as diligence in their studies and acts of charity.

LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775 n 13

At Work Bikur Cholim

A HAPPY Chanukah to everyone from BIKUR CHOLIM of PALM SPRINGS!

We would like to thank the Jewish Federation of the Desert for their generous help and support toward our ongoing activities.

14 n LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775

We invite you to be a partner in Bikur Cholim's programs.

Please use the enclosed envelope to send in your CHANUKAH donation.

You can also visit our Website: BikurCholimPS.com Once again, may G-d bless you and your family.

LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775 n 15

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ecipes

Potato Latkes

Overcoming the Fear of Frying, By Levana Kirschenbaum

You may have guessed it: I have nothing nice to say about frying. Years ago, while fishing for a stubborn schnitzel in the frying pan, I burned my hand. While a scar reminds me of my aversion to frying, I will be the first to admit that there is no Chanukah without latkes.

In my catering career and for my friends and family at home, I have made thousands upon thousands of them and always watch them disappear at a flatteringly alarming rate. There is no doubt about it: latkes are a wonderful treat, and once we enter a house where their heavenly fragrance wafts through the kitchen, even a Spartan dieter will sheepishly watch his or her noble resolution turn to dust.

Frying (stir-frying does not fall into this category, as it requires very little oil and minimal cooking) is the nemesis of every health-conscious cook, me included.

However, on special occasions such as Chanukah that call for fried foods, I follow these guidelines to efficiently and safely fry holiday treats.

Keep it dry: Too much moisture will steam food instead of frying it, yielding soggy results. Before you begin, be sure to dry whatever you are frying thoroughly with paper towels.

Keep it thick: Use a firm (not runny) potato batter to form thick patties, which will absorb much less oil than thinner ones. The outside will be crisp and the center will be tender, yet cooked through.

Keep it hot: Less-than-hot oil will seep into your food, making it indelibly greasy. If you add oil to the pan while frying, chances are the oil was not hot enough to begin with. If you wait for the oil to get hot, you will need to add very little, if any, to finish frying an entire batch of food. How hot is hot enough? Drop a smidgen of batter into the oil. If it sizzles and rises to the surface, the oil is hot and ready for frying.

Keep it steady: Do not crowd the pan. First of all, you will make handling the food more difficult. Also, crowding will bring down the temperature of the oil. Adding what you are frying at steady intervals ensures that the oil has time to return to the desired temperature.

Keep it lean: Rather than using spatulas or slotted spoons which sop up unnecessary oil, work with two forks when removing items from the pan. Lift each fried item with a fork on each side, and hold it vertically for a second or two over the frying pan: You will be surprised by how much oil drips off it. Immediately place the items on a plate lined with several layers of paper towels, which will absorb any remaining unwanted grease.

Keep it white: Peeled potatoes oxidize when exposed to air and turn an unappealing gray color. So when making latkes (or a potato kugel), get everything ready before your peel and grate the potatoes, adding them immediately to the otherwise finished batter.

Keep it fresh and hot: If you are entertaining a large group, it won’t be enormous fun spending the afternoon frying while everyone is having a good time. If you must fry in advance, follow all the above guidelines, but fry each item until it is ninety percent cooked through, no more. Store it in a shallow pan in one layer. You can also place the latkes in the pan vertically, like a deck of cards; you will be able to fit quite a few in a pan in this position (again, one layer). Cover tightly. Refrigerate or freeze, depending on how long in advance you are preparing the dish. Reheat uncovered, at about 350*F, for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until heated through.

Levana’s Perfect Potato Latkes

(yields 24 latkes) Ingedients: vegetable oil for frying 1 cup flour 4 eggs 1 medium onion, grated in a food processor salt and pepper to taste pinch nutmeg 8 large Idaho or russet potatoes, peeled

Happy Chanukah

Heat 1/3 inch oil in a heavy frying pan until very hot. While the oil is heating, place the flour, eggs, onion, salt and pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl, and mix thoroughly. Quickly grate the potatoes in a food processor, using the thin grating blade for soft latkes or the thick grater blade for crunchier latkes. Immediately add them to the batter, mixing with a spoon and without pressing on the solids in order not to draw unwanted moisture. Work very quickly so they do not have time to get discolored. Form small patties with both hands without ever squeezing, and lower them into the hot oil (at this point reduce the flame just slightly: leave it on high but not the highest), or drop the batter by heaping tablespoons. Fry until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Serve with applesauce, yogurt or sour cream.

Variations: Vegetable latkes: Replace the potatoes with a mixture of zucchini, carrots and parsnips. Add seasonings of your choice such as oregano, garlic and basil.

Sweet potato latkes: Substitute sweet potatoes for the regular potatoes, and add brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger to taste.

Potato Kugel: Add 1/3 cup of vegetable oil to the potato latke batter. Pour the batter into a greased loaf or square pan, and bake uncovered in a preheated 375 degree F oven for one hour or until the top is golden brown.

Chanukah Doughnuts (Pareve or Dairy) Serves 12 1/4 cup warm water 1 tablespoon sugar 2 packages dry yeast 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 pound margerine or butter 5 tablespoons sugar dash salt 2 eggs lightly beaten 3 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve 1 Tablespoon sugar in water and add yeast. To proof mixture, put in a warm, moist place. You can create an ideal place for the yeast to proof by placing a bowl of hot water in your oven or microwave, then placing the yeast mixture inside and shutting the door. You do not need to turn on the oven/microwave While yeast proofs, heat the orange juice together with the margerine or butter, 5 Tablespoons sugar, and salt in a small pan.

When cooled to lukewarm, pour into bowl and add beaten eggs and proofed yeast mixture. Stir to mix. Add flour and make into a pliable dough. Knead on floured board. Place in greased bowl and allow dough to rise in a warm, moist place for about a half hour.

Punch down.

Lightly roll out dough, enough that it can be cut easily but without rolling it out into a thin sheet as you would for cookies. Cut dough in strips or into circles. Place on greased, floured cookie sheet at least one inch apart. Return to warm, moist place to rise. Allow to rise for 20 minutes. or longer.

In a heavy pot, heat oil to 350 to 375° F. Fry the donuts until nicely browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar or cinnamon and sugar mixture. These may also be served with honey or jam and may be reheated to restore freshness.

Chanukah Honey and Spice Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, softened 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar1/2 cup honey 1 egg 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Icing: 2 egg whites 3 cups confectioners' sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon salt In a large mixing bowl, cream margarine and brown sugar until well combined, and then beat in honey and egg. In a small bowl, combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves; add to honey mixture. Beat on low speed until well blended.

Cover dough and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Grease cookie sheets and set aside.

Working with 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll out on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Using a spatula, place on prepared cookie sheets l inch apart. Reroll and cut scraps.

Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 7 minutes, or until done.

Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the icing. In a large mixing bowl, combine egg whites, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and salt. Beat on high speed until mixture holds soft peaks. Makes about 2 cups. Decorate cooled cookies with icing around edges, using a pastry bag fitted with tube.

Makes about 4 dozen.

LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775 n 19

�hank �ou!

We would like to thank the following for enhancing and sponsoring all of our Chanukah Events:

Dr. Paul & Stephanie Ross Doughnuts Richard Bacal- In Memory Of Josef, Maria & Teddy Bacal Dreidels & Prizes Libby Aaronson- In Loving Memory Of Alfred Irving Aaronson Chanukah Gelt

20 n LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775

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LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775 n 21

Please Join us for our 9th annual Desert Hot Springs Chanukah Dinner Extravaganza Glatt Kosher Chicken Dinner with all the trimmings Potato Latkes, Chanukah gelt & Dreidels galore.

Entertainment Sunday, December 21, 2014 At Desert Crest Country Club 69-402 South Country Club Dr. Desert Edge, Ca. 92241

4:00 P.M. • FREE for Residents of DHS

A Special Thanks To Judie & Mitchell Atlas & To Nikki Engel Who Helped A Great Deal To Make This Event Take Place Photography by: Yisroel Nisan Studios

Sponsored by: Jewish Federation of the Desert and Bikur Cholim of Palm Springs Please call to R.S.V.P.: Bikur Cholim 760-325-8076 or Nikki Engel @ 949-751-8383

22 n LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775

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Donate your gently used clothing, furniture, lamps, jewelry, books, musical instruments, plus cars, trucks, boats and planes!

Call to arrange pick ups 760-770-7786.

69-550 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage (between Date Palm and Frank Sinatra, next to Palm Springs Ford) Open Sunday - Thursday 10:00 am - 5 pm, Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Closed Saturday

Caring • Committed • Convenient

With more than 100 years of experience, you can count on Forest Lawn for superior service and only the highest degree of integrity. Our informative, well-trained staff is here to assist you with a full range of on-site services. Whether you would like to plan for the future or are in a time of need, Forest Lawn is here for you.

Serving the Jewish Community with Dignity & Understanding

Chevra Kadisha Services Available

Call 800-204-3131 or visit ForestLawn.com today and discover a new trusted resource.

Cathedral City FD 1847 69855 E. Ramon Road Cathedral City, CA 92234

Coachella FD 640 51990 Jackson Street Coachella, CA 92236

Indio FD 967 82975 Requa Avenue Indio, CA 92201 LET MY PEOPLE KNOW • December 2014/ Kislev 5775 n 23

Chanukah Party at Monday, December 22nd, 2014 at 5:00 pm EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Fresh Doughnuts Dreidels for Everyone Chocolate Chanukah Gelt FREE Game Tokens

FREE Admission

while supplies last

Special Discounts for All Attractions

Lots of Fun-For children of ALL ages!!

($18.99 wristbands, 5-8pm only)

BOOMERS • 67-700 East Palm Canyon Drive • Cathedral City For More Information call 760-325-8076 Sponsored By The Following

Chabad of Palm Springs ‘Photography courtesy of Yisroel Nisan Studios’