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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1010
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                           Copyright (c) 2008
                 Lubavitch Youth Organization - L.Y.O.
                              Brooklyn, NY
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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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        February 29, 2008       Vayakhel         23 Adar I, 5768
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                            Learning to Walk

Have you ever watched a baby learn to walk? There's a lot of hesitation,
a lot of trial-and-error, a lot of holding on, letting go, reaching out
- and falling down.

How does it work?

After crawling around for a few months, the baby can pull herself up to
a kneeling position. That seems like a lot of fun, especially when the
parents make a big deal out of it. But having figured out how to kneel,
the baby goes back to crawling.  There's a lot of experimenting with
pulling herself up, using a table leg or the couch, to kneel before
moving on to standing up.

Now this one's a bit harder. The legs are wobbly. As soon as she's up,
plop, down she goes. And sometimes she's so unsteady on her feet that
instead of plopping down, she becomes disoriented, and forgets how to
plop. So she lets go and falls over, startling herself.

Once she's learned how to stand and keep standing without knees
buckling, she begins to figure out how to slide along the edges of
furniture, keeping a firm handhold as she gets her bearings and masters
the art of walking.

Then she ventures across the gap - a hand reaches from nightstand to
bed, or coffee table to couch. It doesn't quite make it and, plop, down
she goes. After figuring out how to negotiate the space between, she's
ready to launch into uncharted waters - walking by herself.

Watching an infant learn to walk teaches us much about faith in and
knowledge of G d, what they are, and what's the difference between them.

There are two parts to the process of learning to walk: the innate
impulse, the instinctive faith that one can walk, and the personal
effort, the trial and error of learning how, so that one does not
imagine or believe or dream or hope one can walk; one walks because one
knows how.

The same applies to the concepts of faith in G-d and knowledge of G-d.
We have an instinctive faith, a belief we receive as an inheritance, as
Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of Chabad Chasidism stated unequivocally,
"We are believers, the children of believers." At first, we believe in
G-d simply because we're told by those we trust that G-d exists. But we
don't really experience G-dliness; we don't know G-d.

Only through trial-and-error, only through effort and concentration, can
we come to have a knowledge of G-d. Just like learning to walk, or
getting to know someone so well (a spouse) that the relationship becomes
a bond, a unity, so too knowledge of G d takes time, reflection and all
the other mental work it takes to get to know anything or anyone.

The "classroom" that teaches us is prayer, and the "text" is the prayer
book. When we really "get into" the words of the prayers, we can begin
to understand concepts related to knowledge of G-d - His omnipotence,
His being Infinite, G-d as Creator, and so forth.

So we begin with faith (an inherited instinct) and grow into knowledge
(irrefutable experience, gained through effort and trial and error).

But we don't stop there. We come back to faith, a faith that transcends
intellect - much as, once we've learned to walk, we no longer think
about walking, or how to walk - we simply walk.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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In the previous Torah portions of Teruma and Tetzaveh, G-d commanded
Moses to build the Mishkan (Sanctuary) and make all its vessels. This
week, in the Torah portion of Vayakel (and next week in the portion of
Pekudei), G-d's command is transmitted to the Jewish people and carried
out in full.

Without exception, everyone participated in the building of the
Sanctuary. Their contributions, however, were not equal in value. As no
specific amount was required, some donated less and some donated more,
according to their individual inclination and financial ability. Thus
there were contributions of gold and silver and contributions of oil and
wood, if that was all a person was capable of donating.

Significantly, the type of contribution a Jew offered had nothing to do
with his connection to the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary belonged to every
Jew in equal measure: the rich man whose donation was extremely
valuable, and the poor man whose donation was more humble. Every Jew was
connected to the Sanctuary to the same degree.

"Both the one who gives more and the one who gives less, provided that
he does so for the sake of heaven." Although the individual
contributions may have varied, the intention behind the offering was
always the same. All Jews wanted to build a House for G-d; all Jews
therefore shared an equal portion in its construction.

Moses emphasized this equality among Jews, regardless of their
donations, when he said, "See G-d has called by name Betzalel the son of
Uri, the son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah... and Oholiav the son of
Achisamach, of the tribe of Dan... He has filled them with wisdom of
heart...of those who do any work, and of those who design artistic
work." Betzalel and Oholiav were both in charge of all the artisans who
worked on the Sanctuary.

Betzalel came from a very well-connected family. The grandson of Miriam,
his tribe of Judah was one of the most prestigious. Oholiav, by
contrast, was not distinguished by his lineage. A grandson of one of the
maidservants, his tribe of Dan occupied a much lower rung on the social
ladder.

And yet, both men were appointed to oversee the holy work, as it states,
"Betzalel and Oholiav, and all those filled with wisdom of heart... did
all kinds of work for the service of the Sanctuary."

In building the Sanctuary and  all Jews are equal. It makes no
difference whether one is rich or poor, a descendent of the most exalted
parentage or a child of the simplest people. The only qualifier is that
the Jew's heart be directed toward heaven!

                             Adapted from Likutei Sichot, Volume 26

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                          Vibrancy Through Art
                              by Bob Makin

For the youth director of the Chabad Jewish Center of Basking Ridge, New
Jersey, the photo freezes a moment in a dichotomous world, where the
bright colors of Yitzchok Moully's Andy Warhol-influenced art applied to
the black-and-white of his Chasidic Jewish faith are balanced with and
grounded by a growing family.

"My family really grounds me and makes me focus on the important
things,'' Moully, 29, said. "Without that, I would be a drifter.

"After the kids go to bed, I paint,'' he added. "It is within a healthy
structure. Sometimes it is hard with a full-time job and a full-time
family, but it is a healthy balance.''

Raised in Australia and Brooklyn by hippies turned Chasidim, Moully
developed a love of Judaism, family and art at a young age. While living
in the Australian Outback, he also fell in love with nature, which he
often depicts in his art, including photography.

One of his 20 pop-art works at his most recent show, "Tree of Life,'' is
based on his photograph of a massive tree in the Great Swamp Basin that
divides Somerset and Morris counties in New Jersey.

"Every Sunday after Hebrew school, we just take off somewhere and enjoy
nature together as a family,'' said Moully, whose mini van, littered
with remnants of snacks from last weekend's family ski trip, recently
transported to the gallery about dozen works, as well as his two sons,
also Mendel, 4.

His wife of five years, Batsheva, was home with infant daughter, Miriam.

"I wanted to give her a break, so I took the boys with me,'' he said.

The Moully home in Basking Ridge is a 10-minute walk and two-minute
drive to the Chabad House, which also sports much of the rabbi's
pop-art. In the basement of his home are art and photography studios.

Batsheva, co-director of the youth programs, is supportive of his art,
Moully said.

"It is wonderful to have her constant input,'' he said.

"When you find the talent that you have been given, then it's important
to use it and express it,'' Batsheva added. "His ability to portray the
life of Judaism in such a happy medium and to be able to share that with
so many other people is a talent he has found within himself. That makes
me want to support it.''

In addition to the work hanging on the walls of the synagogue, Moully's
visual skills often come in handy there.

Serving not only as co-youth director but also promotions guy, his
photography and videos can be seen throughout the Chabad House's web
site, chabadcentral.org.

"At Chabad, we have to wear many hats,'' he said.

For Moully, those hats either are an edgy pink yarmulke or a black felt
Stetson-style brimmed hat.

"I wear a pink kipa because a rabbi in pink kipa is far less
intimidating for those not used to interacting with a rabbi,'' he said.
"It breaks down the barriers. My work does the same. Everyone can find
something they can relate to in it without feeling out of place.

"Chasidic culture is perceived as very rigid and old world, with very
little wiggle room for personal expression within that world, which is
completely not the case,'' he added. "Pop art to me is vibrant colors
with a positive lift, open and accessible to all. Bringing the two
together was about finding the bold colors in the Chasidic world and
bringing them to the front."

Whether Chanuka dreidels (spinning tops), gelt (chocolate coins) or
dancing rabbis, the Jewish images in Moully's work are black and white
on vibrant colors.

Brian Hanck, owner of ArtisZen, the venue for Moully's latest show said
that when patrons see the large dreidels Moully depicts, they are
stopped in their tracks and immediately smile.

"I believe it is the special way he pays homage to his religion and then
presents his pursuit through iconic images that captures the spirit of
his heart and touches many others,'' he said.

It's all about energy, Moully said, not only in regard to his art but
also in working with the youth.

Both are fun, he said.

"Life is full of energy, and I want to express it and share it,'' he
said. "I enjoy working with the energy of the youth and broaden their
understanding of their heritage in a fun, exciting way, not just sitting
down with the books.''

Moully also makes Judaism fun with a giant Dreidle House, where temple
youth hold a Chanuka party each year with their families.

His entertaining art soon will be display in New York City, having been
seen previously in galleries and synagogues in Philadelphia and
throughout New Jersey. He's also interested in using his art for
fund-raising purposes, he said.

"Art is a great communicator," Moully said. "I'm thankful I get to
communicate my faith through my art."

    Visit Rabbi Moully's web site at ChassidicPopArt.com. Reprinted with
    permission from Courier News Online edition, www.c-n.com

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                       Torah Scroll Brings Solace

A Torah scroll that is being written for and dedicated to all of
Israel's victims and survivors of terror was brought to the Chabad House
in Dimona, a desert town in Israel, on the week anniversary after a
suicide bomber murdered a Dimona resident and wounded and traumatized
many others. The Torah Scroll was brought by the scroll's sponsors,
Chabad's Terror Victims  Program.

                    School Opened in Parents' Memory

Chabad of Camarillo, California, under the leadership of Rabbi Aryeh and
Leah (Simon) Lang, is opening a preschool in memory of Leah's parents
who died tragically in a car accident this past December. The Simons
were extremely devoted to Jewish education.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                       Freely translated letters

                          11 Iyar, 5718 [1958]

Greetings and Blessings!

Your letter arrived after a long break. There you write about the state
of affairs in your business, and say that you are worried about what the
annual balance will look like.

There is certainly no need for me to expound at length on the subject of
the attribute of bitachon [trust in G-d]. To have bitachon does not mean
being content with studying about it in the holy books: it means
trusting, actually and practically. It means that when there arrives a
moment that is not as one would have liked it to be, one should firmly
trust that it is no more than a passing thing. As the Torah writes, "For
the L-rd your G-d is putting you to the test." And when G-d sees that
one has withstood this trial, one then sees even with fleshly eyes that
it was all no more than a trial - a disguise without any substance....

                                *  *  *

                         13 Nissan, 5711 [1951]


Greetings and Blessings!

Your letter duly arrived, but numerous preoccupations did not allow me
to reply until now. As a matter of fact you don't need my reply, because
you received a reply from my revered father-in-law, the [Previous]
Rebbe, when you were here.

Nevertheless, I would like to reiterate something that I have already
said a few times:

One ought to know, once and for all, that faith is not something that is
meant to remain only in one's thoughts; it must permeate the whole of
one's life.

You are, without any doubt, a believer. So, the very first point of
belief is that G-d directs the world. And if He is capable of directing
one-and-a-half billion people, then your own affairs will certainly see
the fulfillment of the verse, "I have made you and I will carry you; I
will sustain you and deliver you."

Now, think this over. G-d promises, "I will sustain and deliver you." So
think: Can someone from this or that land disturb G-d from fulfilling
His promise (G-d forbid)? Having thought that, now consider: Is G-d
really in need of your worry as to how He is going to run your affairs
and solve your problems? Or will He succeed in finding good solutions
even without your worrying?

After all is said and done, you must remember that the Rebbe - that is,
my revered father-in-law, of saintly memory - gave you his blessing, and
the blessing of a tzaddik [righteous person] is certainly fulfilled. So
the blessing you received will also be fulfilled.

However, until you see the fulfillment of the blessing, you have been
given two options:

Either (a) you will walk around worried in case (G-d forbid) the
blessing won't be fulfilled. And then, when the blessing is fulfilled,
you will have a fresh worry: Why did you have to waste so much vital
energy in vain?

Or (b) you will be staunch in your trust and faith in G-d - that He will
lead you along the right path and will fulfill all the blessings that
you have been given. And then, when you see them being fulfilled in
actual fact, you will able to tell yourself: "Just look how well I
handled this deal! I didn't worry about things that were no cause for
concern."

This is one of the meanings of my father-in-law's blessings to you, and
not only as a blessing but also as a directive. Be happy, because - with
G-d's help - the problems that you imagine to be so serious will be
solved. You have nothing to worry about. You can be happy, and you can
fulfill the directive of the verse, "Serve G-d with joy."...

     From In Good Hands, translated by Rabbi Uri Kaploun, published
                                               by Sichos In English

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                                CUSTOMS
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        What customs are associated with the Sabbath on which we
                          bless the new moon?


The Shabbat on which we bless the new moon is known as Shabbat
Mevarchim. A special blessing is said after the Torah is read and before
the additional Musaf prayer is recited. In the blessing, known as
"Birkat HaChodesh," we ask G-d to bring the redemption, as well as
requesting life, peace, gladness, joy, deliverance and consolation in
the upcoming month. The Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe instituted the custom
of saying the entire book of Psalms (Tehillim) before the morning prayer
on Shabbat Mevarchim, saying that doing so will bring blessings not only
to oneself but to one's children and one's children's children.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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In talks delivered immediately preceding and during the first month of
Adar in 1992, the Lubavitcher Rebbe emphasized the importance of simcha
- happiness - in turning the darkness of exile into the light of
Redemption.

The Rebbe also stressed that, being as there were two months of Adar in
that year, there are 60 days during which we are to increase our simcha.
More importantly, in Jewish law, the quantity of 60 has the ability to
nullify an undesirable presence.

Specifically, this concerns food, as we see that if a quantity of milk,
for instance, has accidentally become mixed with meat, if the meat
outnumbers the milk by a ratio of 1:60, the milk is nullified and we may
eat the meat.

Similarly, explained the Rebbe, 60 days of simcha have the ability to
nullify the darkness of the present exile, allowing us to actually turn
the darkness into light.

Concerning the kind of things that should be done to arouse simcha, the
Rebbe suggested that each person should proceed according to his level:
a child, for instance, should be made happy by his parents; a wife by
her husband, and visa versa. The bottom line, my friends, is that the
Rebbe did not let up on encouraging an increase of simcha in all
permissible manners during the entire month.

We should hearken to the Rebbe's words and utilize simcha, especially
during the rest of this first month of Adar and the upcoming month of
Adar II, to turn darkness into light, sadness into joy, and pain and
tears into rejoicing with Moshiach in the Final Redemption, may it take
place, as the Rebbe so fervently prayed, teikef umiyad mamash -
immediately, literally.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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These are the things that the L-rd has commanded you to do (Ex. 35:1)

Why is the plural "things" used, when what followed was only one
commandment, the mitzva to keep Shabbat? These "things" refers to the 39
categories of creative work that are forbidden on Shabbat. During the
week, a Jew's service consists of elevating and refining the material
world by engaging in these tasks. On Shabbat, his service is to refrain
from them, thereby completing the process of elevation. The mitzva of
Shabbat thus contains all of the Torah's mitzvot within it, the
underlying purpose of which is to elevate the physical realm and make it
spiritual.

                                                      (Ohr HaTorah)

                                *  *  *


You shall not kindle any fire throughout your habitations (Ex. 35:3)

The main reason we observe Shabbat is in remembrance of the Six Days of
Creation. As fire was not created until after the first Shabbat ended,
the Torah specifically singles it out - lest anyone think it isn't
included in the 39 prohibited labors.

                                         (Rabbi Yonatan Eibeschutz)

                                *  *  *


They came, the men with the women, whoever was generous of heart, and
every man who waved a wave offering of gold unto G-d (Ex. 35:22)

The Jews were so eager to make donations to the Sanctuary that they
didn't stop to calculate the amount of gold they were contributing.
Rather, they "waved it about" and gave with an open hand, like a rich
benefactor who disburses his charity liberally.

                                                (Be'er Mayim Chaim)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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When he was a youngster, Rebbe Naftoli Katz, the head of the Rabbinical
Court of Posen, was once playing outdoors with his friends. They were
throwing rocks, and Naftoli accidentally hit the passenger of a fine
carriage that was nearby. Unfortunately, that passenger was none other
than the High Prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The prince's guards
arrested the boy for this act of "rebellion." He was brought to court
and found guilty. His sentence: public execution.

Naftoli was to be escorted by a guard to the empire's capital, where his
sentence was to be carried out. It was a difficult journey, and the
stormy weather they encountered made travelling almost impossible. At
one point they stopped at an inn that was owned by a Jew.

While the guard made himself comfortable in a corner by the stove, young
Naftoli sat and listened to the innkeeper's sons studying Talmud with
their tutor. Naftoli knew this tractate by heart, and when the boys and
their tutor were stumped by a question in the tractate, Naftoli supplied
them with the answer.

The innkeeper realized that this was a brilliant boy, and when he found
out why Naftoli was being kept in custody, he thought of a plan to save
the boy's life. The innkeeper offered the guard free food and drinks,
thus convincing him to stay at the inn for a few days until the weather
cleared up.

After a while the innkeeper approached the guard casually: "What would
happen if a prisoner was to die in custody as he was being escorted from
one city to another?" he inquired.

Replied the guard, "The escort would simply have to present a document
testifying to the prisoner's death, signed by the local authorities."

Using his connections, the innkeeper obtained the required document and
handed it to the guard, along with enough money to bribe him. The guard
left Naftoli with the innkeeper, who took the boy in and raised him as
if he was a member of his own family.

Years passed. Naftoli was of marriageable age, as was the innkeeper's
daughter. The innkeeper proposed a match between the two young people
and they both agreed. The wedding date was set.

One night, some time later, the innkeeper passed by Naftoli's room and
heard him talking. He peeked through the keyhole and saw Naftoli
sprawled on the floor, begging and pleading. "What can I do?" Naftoli
was saying, "these people saved my life."

The scene repeated itself the next night. The innkeeper could not
contain his curiosity, as he knew no one was in Naftoli's room, and he
asked Naftoli for an explanation. "My parents keep appearing to me and
telling me that your daughter is not my intended mate."

The innkeeper, realizing that a Heavenly hand was guiding the young man,
told him to obey his parents' wishes, and that he bore Naftoli no ill
will.

Before Naftoli left, he requested that the innkeeper give him a written
account of the money paid on his behalf to bribe the guard so many years
before.

"I have merited to fulfill the commandment of redeeming a hostage, and
seek no reimbursement," exclaimed the righteous innkeeper.

Naftoli insisted and the innkeeper finally gave him a paper stating the
sum paid to the guard. Naftoli left and became famous for his
exceptional qualities. He married and was appointed the rabbi of the
city of Posen.

The innkeeper's daughter married a storekeeper, and settled in a town
near Posen. One night, as she was walking home from the store, she was
kidnapped by a wealthy landowner and brought back to his estate with
obvious intentions. Despite the dangerous situation, the young woman
maintained her composure. "I will go along with all your wishes," she
told the landowner, "but first you must go to town to purchase some fine
liquor for me." The landowner readily agreed.

While he was in town, the clever woman looked for a means of escape from
the mansion. The only window she found unbarred was very high up.
Realizing the jump was dangerous, she looked for something to cushion
her fall. She found the landowner's heavy lambskin overcoat and,
wrapping herself in it, offered a prayer and leaped out the window.
Miraculously, she was not hurt. She fled home, still wrapped in the
coat.

The husband was thankful for his wife's narrow escape. He related the
entire incident to the rabbi of Posen.

Rabbi Naftoli told the husband, "Your wife is a righteous woman and her
level-headedness is admirable. G-d is truly with her. Open the seam of
the landowner's coat, and you will find money that rightfully belongs to
you and your wife."

A few days later, the landowner came into the husband's store to make a
purchase. He complained about "some Jewish woman" who had not only
outwitted him, but had managed to steal his overcoat that had a large
sum of money sewn inside it. The husband returned to Rabbi Naftoli and
told him what the landowner had said.

"This finally concludes a much longer story," Rabbi Naftoli replied, and
proceeded to tell the husband the whole story of his arrest and ransom.
"That landowner," he concluded, "was the guard who had escorted me. The
amount of money in the coat is the sum that your father-in-law paid for
my release. Here, I will show you a bill which confirms the figure
exactly."

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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Unity is the key to G-d's blessings. Thus, in our daily prayers, we say
"Bless us our Father, all as one." Chasidism explains that the very fact
of being together "all as one," makes us worthy of blessing. And this
unity will lead to the ultimate blessing - the coming of the time when
G-d will "sound the great shofar," and together "with our youth and with
our elders... with our sons and with our daughters," the entire Jewish
people will proceed to the Holy Land, to Jerusalem, and to the Third
Holy Temple. May this take place in the immediate future.

         (From the last public address of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, 25
                                                      Adar 1, 1992)

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               END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1010 - Vayakhel 5768
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