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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1112
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                 Lubavitch Youth Organization - L.Y.O.
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             THE WEEKLY PUBLICATION FOR EVERY JEWISH PERSON
   Dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson N.E.
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        March 12, 2010      Vayakhel-Pekudei       26 Adar, 5770
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                       Stay Healthy, Eat "Fruit"

Fruit. It's come a long way. In years gone by we were advised, "An apple
a day keeps the doctor away." Today, the U.S. Government food pyramid
recommends that people eat at least five servings of fruit (and
vegetables) each day. Fruit is naturally sweet and delicious - and often
provides lots of vitamin A and C, folic acid, and other vitamins and
minerals. Fruit also provides fiber and the phytochemicals that appear
to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

So, except for when it's been tampered with by people, fruit is a
healthy choice. The numerous varieties of fruit also share two other
qualities: they are naturally sweet and delicious, and they have seeds.

Jewish teachings refer to mitzvot (commandments) as "fruit."

In order for our mitzvot to be like edible fruit, they too have to be
healthy, free of additives - untainted by ego, one-upmanship or a
holier-than-thou attitude.

The fact that a fruit contains seeds means that it can reproduce. This
happens when seeds from the fruit grow into a tree, for instance. The
tree then bears fruit and eventually these new fruits decompose,
allowing the seeds to germinate. They grow into saplings and eventually
into new, fruit-bearing trees. This chain, the first link of which goes
all the way back to the beginning of the world, continues eternally.

Mitzvot must "contain seeds." Our mitzvot should produce other mitzvot -
they should inspire within us and others the desire to increase in
Jewish living.

Moreover, mitzvot are eternal. And, like fruit trees, they link us not
only to the future but to the past, as well.

It is not for naught that the first mitzva in the Torah, given to the
first people, was "Be fruitful and multiply." For, it is truly a basic
and prime mitzva to bring forth another Jew, to create - physically or
spiritually - another person who him/herself will do fruit-bearing
mitzvot, ad infinitum.

Finally, mitzvot like fruit, are sweet. They satisfy our "craving" for
the most delicious things in life-loving kindness, a relationship with
G-d, a sense of community, transcending our mundane existence, wisdom.

In the Garden of Eden, all trees bore fruit. The Midrash teaches that in
times of Moshiach, when all of creation will return to its perfect
state, all trees will once again bear fruit - healthy fruit, sweet and
delicious fruit, fruit producing fruit.

There is no "Institute" or "Association" that has set limits to or
recommended daily allowances for our mitzvot observance. Surely if we
attempt to perform as many mitzvot as possible each day, and even more,
we will soon merit to experience the perfection of the world in the
final Redemption.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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For the past several weeks the Torah readings have dealt with the
Sanctuary and its numerous vessels. The requirements were very exacting,
involving many different types of building materials and complicated
instructions on how to make the Sanctuary's various parts.

The Torah portions of Teruma and Tetzaveh contained G-d's detailed
command to erect the Sanctuary and fashion its components. Immediately
afterward, the portions of Vayak'hel and Pekudei, which we read this
week, speak of its actual building.

A question is asked: Why is it necessary to devote four separate Torah
portions to the subject of the Sanctuary?

Every word of the holy Torah is deliberate and precise; not one word or
letter is superfluous. If so, why does the Torah devote so much space to
what seems to be a repetition? Surely the Torah could have enumerated
all the details of the Sanctuary and then simply stated that the Jews
followed them to the letter. From this we would have understood that the
Sanctuary was built according to G-d's instructions.

However, in his commentary on the Torah (Gen. 24:42), Rashi explains a
general principle: Whenever something is particularly beloved to G-d,
the Torah goes to great length in its description, and indeed may repeat
itself several times, even if nothing new is added by the repetition.

The Sanctuary and its vessels were extremely beloved by G-d. The
Sanctuary was also especially important to the Jews, for it was the
means by which G-d's Presence rested among them, as it states, "And they
will make Me a Mikdash (Sanctuary) and I will dwell among them."

Moreover, to the Jews the Sanctuary was particularly beloved, for it
testified that G-d had forgiven them for having made the Golden Calf.
That is why it was called "the Mishkan of Testimony."

Precisely because of the Sanctuary's great significance, both to G-d and
to the Jewish people, a full four Torah portions are devoted to the
Sanctuary: Teruma, Tetzaveh, Vayak'hel and Pekudei.

The Jewish people's dedication to the Sanctuary expressed itself in
their overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the call for donations. In
fact, they contributed so much of their personal wealth and possessions
that an order had to be given for them to cease!

In a like manner, it is not enough to be content with the simple
performance of mitzvot. Each one of G-d's commandments must be precious
and dear to us, observed with willingness and devotion, and performed
with alacrity and love.

                             Adapted from Likutei Sichot, Volume 16

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                         A Matter of Principal
                            by Arnie Gotfryd

Nobody will be surprised if Shimon Waronker goes on to lead one of
America's largest school districts. Never mind that he's just in his
early forties and relatively fresh in the field. Put aside the fact that
he's a strictly orthodox, Chabad Chasidic Jew. That, for those who know
him, just makes him a more likely candidate.

Waronker captured the heart of a nation and became a darling of the
media for transforming a school known as "hell on earth" into a shining
example of academic and social wellness. Not bad for a first time
principal.

His first day on the job, there was a beating. The victim, a young
teenager, suffered brain damage, vision loss and more. After having the
perpetrator arrested for assault (with the help of some of the two dozen
police officers assigned to the school), Waronker got a personal death
threat from the incarcerated student's father, a man who had just been
released that day from prison.

Five gangs controlled the neighborhood and their headquarters was the
school, Middle School 22 in the Bronx, where they had taken over the
halls, the classrooms and sometimes even the administrative office.
That's a pretty impressive feat for students from grades 5 through 8,
until you factor in the failure rate, which puts some of those Grade 8
students as old as 18. The older students would rake in magnificent
"salaries" by roping in the younger ones to do the bulk of their dirty
work - drug dealing and other crimes - because under 16, a kid doesn't
do time.

Most people, like the previous six principals, would have quit but not
Shimon: He had a vision and he was going to implement it. Today, just a
few years later, the gangs are gone, the drugs, crime and violence are
negligible, the kids are learning, the staff is cheerful and the parents
are grateful and optimistic. But how did he implement this unprecedented
miracle?

That's the question I asked Shimon Waronker. He said it comes down to
three things: Bitachon, Dira b'Tachtonim, and Simcha. In English that's
absolute trust in the Creator, an unswerving commitment to doing what's
right in the eyes of G-d and man, and indomitable joy.

This was no textbook recipe for social and academic remediation. His
answer left me confused and, I admit, a little irritated, because I
thought he was being evasive. But the more he spoke about it, the more I
understood that he wasn't kidding. It's a classic case of "Where there's
a will, there's a way."

What is Bitachon (trust)? It's like a supercharged faith. Regular faith
is when you know that whatever G-d has in store for you is for your own
good, even if it is not apparent how it is good. Trust is when you know
that it will turn out good in the revealed sense as well. How can we be
so sure? If even the patriarchs feared that they may not deserve to see
their divine blessings fulfilled, on what basis are we so sure?

The answer is that absolute trust changes our destiny. To illustrate,
once, two women were blessed by the Lubavitcher Rebbe to conceive after
many years of childlessness. After about a year, one of the women gave
birth and the other had not even become pregnant. This second woman
brought her complaint to the Rebbe who responded, "Upon receiving her
blessing, your friend went out and bought a baby carriage!"

Shimon Waronker, in effect, told himself "The good L-rd put me into this
situation, so it has to work out well." Believing that was the first
step in making it happen.

What is Waronker's second principle - Dira B'Tachtonim (making the world
G-dly)? It's about the world living out its purpose. The rules of
decency, morality, goodness and kindness don't change depending on race,
creed or culture. They don't change with or without drugs or firearms.
Each and every person has a purpose in the world and in general it's the
same purpose for all of us: To make the world better according to Torah.

What will the world be like when Moshiach comes and G-d is revealed?
Will there be mutual respect and peaceful coexistence? Pride and
dignity? In that case, it's our duty to make it that way now, to the
best of our ability. Shimon Waronker saw the plight of today
superimposed on a vision of tomorrow and realized that it's time to get
to work. It is not possible that G-d's plan for society is unworkable,
and it's not His will to do it on His own.

The third element is Simcha (joy). Here's an example of this principle
in action. One day Shimon Waronker returned to MS 22 from a conference
to find that a gang had taken over the school's administrative office -
literally. The indomitable principal greeted the situation with his
characteristic smile, but that only served to irritate one the faculty
who said, "How can you smile at a time like this?"

"First of all," Waronker responded, "We know exactly who's involved
because the whole thing is on camera and we'll get those guys. Second of
all, if I start crying, what's everybody else going to do?"

Waronker is a case study in the Chasidic adage, "Tracht gut, vet zein
gut - Think good and it will be good." The way he figures it out, there
are only two possibilities: Either Sartre, Camus and Nietzsche were
right and life is amoral, meaningless and purposeless, or, there is
another way and Judaism is onto something real. Realizing the latter is
the only viable option, he's thrown himself into it wholeheartedly and
his passionate faith in G-d and human nature is contagious.

Shimon Waronker is a living lesson for all of us, that first of all, you
can be successful as an orthodox Jew and a proud Chasid. Second, with
the right attitude you can overcome all difficulties, and finally, there
is no situation that can't be fixed.

    Dr. Aryeh (Arnie) Gotfryd, PhD is a chassid, scientist, author and
    educator living near Toronto, Canada. For more info or to book a
    talk, call 416-658-9868, or visit www.arniegotfryd.com.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                             New Emissaries

Rabbi Levi and Michal Mendelow are moving to New Canaan, Connecticut
where they will establish a new Chabad House serving the needs of the
local Jewish community. Rabbi Yitzi and Chavi Steiner recently arrived
in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where they are starting a new Chabad House
serving the Jewish students and faculty at the University of Minnesota.
Rabbi Moshe and Libby Lazaros are opening a new Chabad House in
Lakeland, Florida, to serve the needs of Jews throughout Polk County.
Rabbi Chanoch and Bassie Chaskind will be joining the emissaries in the
Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York to strengthen the work of
Chabad of Flatbush.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                        21 Adar II, 5738 [1978]

Sholom uBrocho [Peace and Blessing]:

Thank you for your letter of 13 Adar II. I appreciate your comprehensive
response to my letter and memorandum on the need to organize widespread
use of T.M. and similar techniques in psychotherapy compatible with the
Torah with the double objective of making such therapy available to
Jewish patients in a kosher way and at the same time saving numerous
Jews from getting involved with Avoda Zora [idol-worship] as now
commonly practiced in the USA.

Needless to say, I noticed your suggestions and observations in this
connection with understandable interest.

In reply, let me first say that, as a general principle, so long as the
said two objectives can best be served, whatever project is determined
to be most effective is most desirable, and, of course, acceptable to
me.

There are, however, some points in your response which need careful
assessment. For instance, the suggestion that an Institute employing the
said healing techniques might be linked with a strictly orthodox, even
Lubavitch, orientation should be examined in light of it being a
possible, or even likely, deterrent for many candidates who might
hesitate to turn to such an Institute for fear that it may impose upon
them religious demands and commitments which they are not yet prepared
to accept.

The above is not to say that the idea should be rejected out of hand,
since there may be individuals who would not be deterred by it. But I
believe that if the project is to attract a wider circle of candidates
for therapy, it would have a wider acceptance if it is not overtly tied
in with such an orientation, or discipline; at any rate, not in the
initial stage.

Needless to say, the emphasis is on the overt orientation of the
projected Institute, which should have no religious or other
preconditions for anyone seeking its services. But the Institute itself
should, of course, be run in strict keeping with the Torah, with a
kosher, indeed glat-kosher, kitchen, strict Shabbos [Sabbath]
observance, with Mezuzos on all doors - just as there are glat-kosher
Hotels and institutions.

With regard to the basic point you make in your letter, namely, that
most people for whom our plan is envisaged consider themselves "normal"
and would not be interested in a program that offers professional
(medical) services, but would prefer a more simplistic setup for
relaxation, etc., -  this should certainly be taken into account, since
the ultimate goals of our plan would not be affected.

And, if as you suggest, this would be the more practical setup for
attracting more people and achieving our two objectives - healing and
elimination of Avoda Zora - then by all means, this method should be
given due consideration.

I would like to make a further point, though entirely not in my domain,
namely, in reference to hypnosis as one of the techniques used in
psychotherapy, as mentioned in your letter.

I have always been wary of any method that deprives a person of the free
exercise of his will, and which puts him in the power of another person,
even temporarily - except, of course, in a case of Pikuach-nefesh [the
preservation of life]. Certainly I would not favor the use of such a
method on a wider scale, least of all to encourage psychologists and
psychiatrists enrolled in our program to use it.

Finally, a point which for understandable reasons I did not want to
mention in my letter accompanying the memorandum: If in the first stage
of implementing the program there would be need for funding the initial
outlay, my Secretariat would make such funds available.

Your further comments will be welcome, and many thanks again.

With blessing,

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                            WHAT'S IN A NAME
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DAVID is from the Hebrew, meaning "beloved."  David, son of Jesse (I
Samuel 17:12), was the second king of Israel and G-d promised David that
all future kings, including Moshiach, would be descended from him. He
was the compiler/ author of the Psalms.  He soothed the troubled King
Saul with his harp and battled Goliath.

DEVORAH (Deborah) is from the Hebrew, meaning "bee." Devorah was a great
prophetess and the only female judge (Judges 4:5).  She and general
Barak led a successful campaign against the Canaanites.  The "Song of
Devorah" is her victory poem following the battle.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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Have you started getting ready for Passover yet? After all, in a little
over two weeks, the festival of Passover begins.

In the Mishna, two different opinions of our Sages are stated as to how
much before Passover one must begin one's preparations for the holiday.

According to one opinion, we study and inquire about the laws of
Passover a full 30 days before the holiday. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel
says that one begins two weeks before the holiday."

Although the halacha (Jewish legal ruling) was decided according to the
former opinion, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel's view is also significant as
our Sages teach, "These and these are the words of the living G-d."

So, if you'll just be starting your Passover preparations this coming
week, you're just in time.

Interestingly, it is actually possible to fulfill both opinions. To
explain: One should start preparing by reviewing the laws of Passover 30
days before the holiday. As the holiday approaches, however, one should
reassess one's situation and increase both the quality and the quantity
of one's preparations.

Just as we must make an effort to prepare for Passover, we must also
make efforts to provide others with their Passover needs, giving "maot
chittim" - the special charity associated with Passover. Here too, even
if one gave 30 days before Passover, as the Passover holiday grows
nearer, one must reassess and increase his donations.

As G-d sees the extent of one's generosity, He will provide one with
more blessings. A person who gives without reservations and limitations,
will likewise receive Divine blessings that know no bounds.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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Every one with a willing heart brought earrings and nose rings, and
rings, and bracelets, every article of gold (Ex. 35:22)

Earrings: Jewish parents must listen to the Torah's directives
concerning the Jewish education of their children. They should also
overhear their children's conversations with their friends, in order to
guide them properly. Nose rings: Parents should develop a keen sense of
"smell" to make sure their children's playmates are appropriate. Rings:
Parents must be able to "point" their children in the right direction.
Bracelets: In addition to explaining things in a pleasant manner,
parents must also stand firm (symbolized by the arm) when it comes to
Jewish education. The child should always feel that this is his parents'
priority.

                                                  (Likutei Diburim)

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And Betzalel made the ark (Ex. 37:1)

Of all the components of the Sanctuary, why is Betzalel's name
associated specifically with the ark? At different times in history, all
of the other vessels were also fashioned by other people (i.e., for the
First and Second Holy Temples; they will also be made for the Third Holy
Temple when it is reestablished). However, there has always been only
one ark, made by Betzalel. Although hidden away after the destruction,
in the future it will be revealed.

                                                  (Meshech Chochma)

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And Moses saw all the work... and Moses blessed them (Ex. 39:43)

According to the Midrash, what Moses saw was all the angels that had
been created by the Jewish people's fulfillment of G-d's command to
bring contributions for the Sanctuary, as it states: "He who does one
mitzva acquires one advocate." Moses thus understood that the mitzva had
been done with sincerity and pure intent, "and he blessed them"

                                                  (Birkat Shamayim)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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One day, she awoke early with a nebulous feeling that something was very
wrong. Maybe it was just that everything looked so desolate in the stark
grayness of the morning. She got out of bed and looked around the one
room dwelling. The children were sleeping soundly, huddled under the
ragged blanket like a litter of kittens in the one bed they shared.

She never expected that her husband would leave, and without warning...
She opened the heavy wooden door and allowed her eyes to wander across
the empty yard. The fear in the pit of her stomach made her nauseous,
and she walked inside and sat down on a chair. It was true - he was
gone.

The next day it was a little easier to think, to plan. She would travel
to the Rebbe Rashab (the fifth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch). Only the holy
Rebbe would know how to help her out of this terrible situation.
Sympathetic neighbors watched her little ones, and even lent her the
money for the trip, and soon she was sitting nervously on the train
traveling to the Rebbe's court.

When she alighted from the train, she had no trouble finding the Rebbe's
synagogue, but gaining a private audience with the Rebbe was another
thing altogether. Some had been waiting for days, some for weeks, some
even longer. Finally, one man told her, "Your best chance is to write
the Rebbe a letter. Explain the whole situation, and he will surely
answer you."

The poor woman, now even more distraught, wrote the letter. The Rebbe's
shamash (assistant) took it and promised to present it to the Rebbe at
an opportune moment. Not more than a couple of days passed when the
woman was called to the shamash . "Come quickly," she was told, "The
Rebbe has answered your letter."

The woman came running to the Rebbe's residence. "Here," said the
Rebbe's shamash, "here is your answer." She unfolded the sheet of paper
and on it was written but one sentence: "Go to Warsaw."

What could it mean? she wondered. And how in the world would she get to
Warsaw? It was wartime; she had no money; she had small children.

Perplexed, she returned to her town and showed the Rebbe's answer to the
Chasidim there. "If the Rebbe says, 'Go to Warsaw,' then go to Warsaw
you must," they concurred. They gathered money for the woman and soon
she was sitting on the train to Warsaw.

When she arrived in the metropolis, she had no idea where to go or what
to do, for the Rebbe had given her no further direction. Suddenly, she
was stopped by a Chasid.

"What do you need?" he asked. She replied that she had come to find her
husband. The Rebbe had sent her to Warsaw, but she had no clue where to
begin her search. "Go to - Street. There is a factory where many
immigrants go to work. You will most likely find your husband there."

With nothing to lose, she made her way to that street and asked to speak
to the foreman. He was a kind-hearted man and, after hearing her story,
allowed her to search through the list of workers. Her eyes widened with
shock as her husband's name leaped up at her from the page. She went to
him and pleaded with him to return home with her. He remained adamant
until she told him how she had managed to find him. If the Rebbe had
sent his wife to him, then he would return home with her.

She decided it was only right to return to the Rebbe's court and thank
him for the miracle he had done for her, and so she traveled there once
more.

This time, as well, she was not permitted to enter the Rebbe's chambers.
"Wait until the Rebbe comes out to pray, and then approach him," she was
told. So, she waited by the door, mentally composing the words she would
use to thank the Rebbe. Suddenly the door opened. Upon seeing the
Rebbe's face she fell down in a dead faint.

The Chasidim surrounded her, all wanting to know what had happened. When
she was revived she told them, "When I saw the Rebbe's face, I realized
that the chasid who had suddenly appeared and helped me on the street in
Warsaw was the Rebbe!" Word of this amazing happening spread like
wildfire. The Chasidim calculated and figured and finally determined the
exact time that this strange meeting had occurred.

It had been on a day when the Rebbe had not prayed publicly with the
minyan as usual. The Chasidim had been concerned about his welfare, and
one young student had gotten up the nerve to climb up a tree and peer
into the Rebbe's room. He put his face near the window, and looked in.
There stood the Rebbe, looking like nothing he had ever seen. The
Rebbe's face was aflame and his eyes were peering into the distance,
totally unseeing. The boy was so overcome by the sight that he lost his
balance and fell to the ground.

This story was related by the one who had been that young student during
World War I and had himself witnessed the events described here.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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One should trust in the coming of Moshiach with unwavering certainty,
"awaiting his coming every day" - anticipating that he will come at
once, even if reason and nature offer no grounds for believing so. And
this certain trust in itself will speed his coming.

                                  (Likutei Sichot, Vol. VII, p. 57)

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           END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1112 - Vayakhel-Pekudei 5770
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