FEBRUARY 12, 1999 VOL 2, ISSUE 21 26 SHEVAT 5759

Every Jew is entrusted with a unique Divine mission that he is to accomplish during his lifetime. He is allotted a specific time in which to accomplish that task - not one day more and not one day less. When a Jew fails to make use of a day, an hour, or even a moment, in pursuit of his mission, he not only fails to achieve his fullest spiritual potential, but more importantly, he has failed - during those moments - to accomplish his entrusted task.

R. Yochanan ben Zakkai spent every moment of his life totally immersed in his mission, so much so that he simply did not have time to pause and contemplate his own spiritual level. It was only at the conclusion of his mission - just prior to his demise - that he was able to ponder his own status. The importance of absolute dedication to one's mission is also alluded to in the Torah portion of Mishpatim, wherein Scripture states: "You will serve G-d... No woman will miscarry or remain childless in your land; I will make you live out full lives."

In spiritual terms, the above verses mean that when performed with proper intent, Divine service leads to ever greater spiritual heights -  it "bears children." When, however, a person is self-satisfied in his service, it fails to produce the desired results -  he "miscarries" and is spiritually "barren." One can guard against this by "living out a full life." I.e., a person should realize that he is granted a specific number of years. Every moment wasted on something other than his appointed task constitutes an act of rebellion against G-d, who entrusted him with his sacred mission.

When a person realizes this, he will gladly sacrifice all sense of ego, and concentrate solely on completing his assignment. Eventually he will become so absorbed that he will even forget that it is he who is fulfilling it; the mission in general and the task at hand will fill his mind completely. When someone else inquires about such a Jew's spiritual state, he will respond: "How can I possibly think about myself when I have been granted only a limited number of days in which to fulfill my purpose in life? I must constantly be on guard to assure that not one precious moment is lost; I simply do not have time to think about my spiritual achievements!"

"We will do and we will obey." (24:7) The Midrash tells us that before the Jewish People accepted the Torah, G-d offered it to all the other nations one by one and they rejected it. He offered it to the nation of Esav. Esav asked what was in it. G-d said "You mustn't kill." "We live by our sword" was their reply. G-d offered it to Yishmael. They too asked G-d what was in it. "Don't commit adultery." So Yishmael also turned it down. It wasn't congruent with their lifestyle. Finally G-d offered the Torah to the Jewish People and they said "We'll do and we'll hear."

There's something about this Midrash that is hard to understand: All those nations who then rejected the Torah now have laws against killing and adultery. If they themselves incorporated these laws into their legal systems, why was the Torah so difficult for them to accept? Seemingly, the

As with any Torah prohibition, one cannot justify speaking loshon hora on the basis of personal need or practicality. A Jew must be prepared to forego his comfort, social status, and even livelihood rather than transgress Torah Law. Needless to say, it is forbidden to speak loshon hora to gain popularity or win friendship. One must not succumb to social pressure and engage in gossip, in the same way that one would not compromise his kashrus standards due to social pressure. It is forbidden to comply with an employer's demand that one reveal information which is loshon hora -- even if such failure means the loss of one's job.

Similarly, the commandment to honor one's father and mother does not justify speaking loshon hora. One must respectfully refuse a parent's request that derogatory or harmful information be related.

The Rebbe explains the above teaching as follows: The coming of Mashiach will be brought about by avodah on the level of Echad (as defined below), and the power to carry out this avodah is given to us by Moshe. This is why the letters of the name Moshe plus the letters of the word Echad (referring to the avodah itself) is the gematria equivalent of (Mashiach). To clarify: The Redemption will come by virtue of our endeavors (throughout the era of exile) in refining and purifying the material world to the extent that the world itself, worldly and material as it is, becomes refined and elevated. The concept of Echad really means that even though the world has a tangible existence, it is nevertheless incorporated within its Maker in an indivisible unity. This inseparability is hinted at in the very letters of the word Echad, in which the daled represents the four directions of the world, the ches represents the seven heavens and the earth, and the alef represents G-d Himself, Who is known as Alufo shel Olam ("the L-rd of the World").