Holidays   Shabbat   Chabad-houses   Chassidism   Subscribe   Calendar   Links

                                  B"H
                                 -----
                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1011
*********************************************************************
                           Copyright (c) 2008
                 Lubavitch Youth Organization - L.Y.O.
                              Brooklyn, NY
                             --------------
                  Electronic version provided free at:
                          www.LchaimWeekly.org
                          --------------------
                  Palm-Pilot version provided free at:
                www.LchaimWeekly.org/lchaim/5768/1011.prc
                          --------------------
                    To receive the L'CHAIM by e-mail
                  write to: listserv@LchaimWeekly.org
                              Subscribe W1
*********************************************************************
             THE WEEKLY PUBLICATION FOR EVERY JEWISH PERSON
   Dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson N.E.
*********************************************************************
        March 7, 2008           Pekudei          30 Adar I, 5768
*********************************************************************

                        An Aquarium of the Soul

Have you ever sat and watched an aquarium? Whatever - or whenever - the
source of the encounter, almost everyone agrees that aquariums are
relaxing. The rippling of the water in and out of the tank, the waving
of the fronds and little plants (real or not), the easy glide of the
fish themselves, in and out of whatever cave or tunnel one dropped in,
the swirl of colors, dappling through the spectrum as the bodies swish,
a constant, rather random, motion - smooth movement for its own sake -
all this calms the mind, eases tension and, according to studies, even
lowers blood pressure.

Of course, we know that fish never sleep, never stop moving, never leave
their environment. And they're prolific. Jewish teachings have made many
references to fish, as metaphors, and analogies between fish and the
Jewish people.

Perhaps the most famous analogy is that made by Rabbi Akiva. During the
time following the destruction of the Second Temple, when the Roman
persecution became so intense that study of Torah was forbidden upon
pain of death, Rabbi Akiva, already the leading scholar of his day,
continued to teach Torah openly, in defiance of the Roman decree. Some
colleagues, friends, students came to him, concerned that if caught, as
surely he would be if he continued, he would be executed.

In response he told them the following: a fox saw some fish swimming
furiously downstream. He asked them why, and they said they were fleeing
the fisherman's net. The fox invited them onto dry ground, where they'd
be safe from the net and he'd protect them. They responded, "foolish
fox, if in the water, which is our very life, we are not safe, can we
survive out of it?" So, too, Rabbi Akiva said, Torah is our "water," our
very life, and like fish we cannot survive out of it, even if there is
danger in it.

It was a clever analogy on another level, for fish - all fish with fins
and scales - are kosher, and Jews are a kosher people.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe finds another analogy, a spiritual or mystical
lesson for the "kosher people" learned from the characteristics that
make fish kosher.

Water, as already mentioned, is akin to Torah - the waters of life, the
waters of the soul, the waters of holiness. What makes a fish kosher?
Fins and scales. So we can say that the spiritual equivalent of fins and
scales enable us to navigate these "waters of holiness."

That is, just as fins and scales enable a fish to survive - and be
kosher - in water, so our spiritual "fins and scales" - whatever they
are - enable us to navigate and survive the waters of Torah and
holiness.

We mentioned that fish have to move constantly - otherwise,
biologically, they drown. And their fins enable them to move. Similarly,
then, in order to survive, to thrive in holiness, and navigate the
Torah, we must be constantly moving, constantly learning, constantly
searching for new understanding, new meaning.

And scales? Scales protect the fish, obviously. But, then, in the
"waters of holiness" why would we need protection? And from what? They
protect us - from not being us. Scales (like skin) define our being.
They keep us pure by keeping us true to ourselves - keeping out elements
that would corrupt us, make us "non-kosher."

"Ambition and Integrity": the "fins and scales" with which we survive in
the aquarium of our soul.

*********************************************************************
           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
*********************************************************************
This week's Torah portion, Pekudei, relates how Moses made a personal
account of all the silver and copper that was donated to build the
Sanctuary. The purpose of this inventory was to remove any doubt that
the donations were not being utilized for their intended purpose.

The Midrash, however, relates that Moses came up short when tallying the
amount of silver: 1775 shekalim of silver were unaccounted for. At that
moment, a heavenly voice rang out and proclaimed, "The 1775 [shekalim of
silver] were used to make the hooks of the pillars." In this way G-d
declared Moses to be beyond all suspicion, as it states, "Not so My
servant Moses; in My entire house he is [the most] faithful."

A question is asked: If G-d's sole intent was to attest to Moses'
honesty, why was it necessary for him to make an account in the first
place? Why couldn't a "heavenly voice" have proclaimed Moses'
faithfulness without his having to actually go through the process of
counting?

We learn from this that there was a deeper intent behind Moses' taking
inventory, a purpose that went beyond merely tabulating the amounts of
precious metals that were donated or to remove suspicion.

Rather, Moses played an integral role in the function of the Sanctuary
itself, as will be explained.

Although the Sanctuary was erected with the contributions of
individuals, at the same time, it was a product of the Jewish people as
a whole. This transformation - from a collection of donations made by
disparate individuals into an entirely new, collective entity - was
brought about by Moses, the leader of the generation.

When an individual Jew makes a contribution, his state of mind is an
important factor. Some people make a donation willingly and with all
their heart, while others are more hesitant. Moses, however, the Jewish
"king," whose "heart is the heart of the congregation of Israel," was
able to combine and unite the singular contributions and turn them into
a collective whole.

One of the reasons the Sanctuary is called "the Sanctuary of testimony"
is that the Divine Presence resting within it attested to G-d's having
forgiven the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf.

Moses, the only Jew who remained absolutely untainted by the sin, was
thus the only person who could effect this transformation and cause
G-d's Presence to dwell in the physical world.

                   Adapted from Likutei Sichot of the Rebbe Vol. 26

*********************************************************************
                             SLICE OF LIFE
*********************************************************************
                        It's All in Perspective
                         by Rae Ekman Shagalov

Last Thursday night a wonderful thing happened, but it did not look so
wonderful in the beginning. I was driving home on my 10-mile commute
after a long day at work. After a mile or so, my car began to lose power
and then it died altogether. Fortunately, I was able to glide off the
main road as I was losing power and stopped in a quiet neighborhood. I
had a sinking feeling...

"Oh no," I thought, "What if my clutch just went out. Maybe it's the
generator or something in the electrical system. Maybe the head gasket
blew and I'll need a new engine. Maybe I'll have to get a new car
altogether. Where am I going to get the money for expensive repairs or a
new car?" I called my husband to get the card number for the towing
service because I didn't even have the card with me. "Guess what," I
said, "my car just died!" Just then, the tow truck arrived, so I hung up
the phone. The driver got into my car and tried to start it up without
success.

"Lady," he said, "I think you ran out of gas."

"Out of gas?" I shouted, "I never even thought to check the gas!"

I called up my husband right away, "Good news!" I said, "Thank G-d, I
just ran out of gas." Then I thought about what I had just said. If,
when my car had first stalled, I had thought to look at the gas gauge
right away, my reaction would have been completely different, something
like this:

"How could I have been so dumb? Why didn't I check the gas? What a
drag..." and so on. But because I had imagined so much worse, the idea
of running out of gas was delightful, good news - but it got even
better!

As it turned out, my husband was returning from an errand and was only
five minutes away. When I was up and running again, we went out to
dinner, enjoying a lovely unplanned date in the middle of a busy week.

The incident reminded me of the following Chasidic story. It reveals the
amazing secret of happiness that is present in every situation in life.

The two saintly brothers, Rebbe Zushe and Rebbe Elimelech, who lived in
18th century Poland, wandered from town to town for years, disguised as
beggars, seeking to refine their characters and encourage and teach
their fellows.

One day, while traveling with a group of vagabonds, one of the beggars
was accused of stealing. Since justice then was not like justice today,
the entire band of beggars was thrown into jail. When it came the time
to pray Mincha, the afternoon prayers, Rabbi Zushe noticed his brother
weeping silently.

"Why are you crying?" asked Rabbi Zushe.

R. Elimelech pointed to the pail situated in the corner of the room
which the inmates used for a toilet. "As you know, Jewish law forbids
one to pray in a room with such a repulsive odor," he told his brother,
"This will be the first time in my life in which I will not have the
opportunity to pray the afternoon prayers."

"And why are you upset about this?" asked R. Zushe.

"What do you mean?" responded his brother, "How can I not pray the
mandatory Mincha prayers?"

"By not praying in this room," said R. Elimelech, "you are also doing a
mitzva (commandment)! The same G-d who commanded you to pray Mincha
commands you not to pray under these circumstances. True, it is not the
mitzva connection that you had sought, yet, if you truly want the Divine
connection, you would be happy that G-d has given you the opportunity to
obey His law at this time, no matter what it is."

His brother's perspective elated R. Elimelech's heart. The awareness
that the waste-filled pail in the corner of the room allowed him the
opportunity to enjoy an intimate, though different type of relationship
with G-d, inspired him so deeply that he began to dance.

The two brothers were now holding hands and dancing in celebration of
their newly discovered relationship with their Father in heaven. The
non-Jewish inmates imprisoned in the same cell were so moved by the
sight, that they soon joined the dancing. It did not take long before
the entire room was swept away by an electrifying energy of joy, as
dozens of prisoners were dancing and jumping around ecstatically. The
guards heard the commotion and came running. They asked the other
prisoners what had happened.

"We have no idea!" they answered, "Those two Jews were discussing the
pail in the corner when, all of a sudden they came to some happy
conclusion and began to dance."

"Is that right?" sneered the guards, "They're happy because of the pail,
are they? We'll show them!" They promptly removed the pail from the
cell.

Rebbe Zushe turned to his brother and said, "And now, my brother, you
can begin your prayers."

So, what do these two stories have in common? I've come to recognize
that the art of happiness is largely a matter of perspective. We don't
always have the choice of our circumstances, but we do always have the
ability to choose to be happy. We may not be happy about our situation,
but we can always be happy to connect with G-d. May you be blessed to
always be happy and to serve G-d with joy!

Dedicated in memory of my dear mother, Devorah Rivka bas Yosef Eliezer
and her father, Yosef Eliezer ben Moshe of blessed memory whose
yartzeits are on Rosh Chodesh Adar, may their souls have an elevation in
Heaven. Rae Ekman Shagalov can be reached at www.holysparks.org

*********************************************************************
                               WHAT'S NEW
*********************************************************************
                           New Torah Scrolls

The Chabad Center for Jewish Discovery in Manhattan commenced the
writing of a new Torah scroll this month, dedicated in memory of Asaf
Tessler. In Hadera, Israel, a Torah scroll was completed and
accompanied, amidst great rejoicing, to the Chabad House in that city.

                          New Children's Home

In Krivoy Rog, Ukraine, the Ohr Avner Chabad Day School hosted a
celebration to mark the opening of a home for children from impoverished
families. The new Children's Home currently accommodates 12 children and
the number is likely to be increased in the future.

*********************************************************************
                            THE REBBE WRITES
*********************************************************************
                     Freely translated and adapted

                         3 Tammuz, 5716 (1956)

I was pleased to receive your letter of May 15th. I also enjoyed reading
there about your interest in Chassidus, as well as some of your comments
and views regarding the above, particularly in reference to the quality
of joy.

To comment on that which you write, that the feeling of joy is related
to the glandular excretion of hormones, etc., that reach the brain
together with the flow of blood, and so on:

Since body and soul are totally connected and united, forming one
entity, it follows that every phenomenon in the spiritual realm will
also result in a physical phenomenon.

I trust that you will agree with me that such a unity within the
microcosm of man, serving as it does as an analogy and illustration of
the true unity found within the macrocosm of the universe as a whole, is
not at all similar to the philosophy of pantheism - which posits that
everything is natural and physical - but that the true definition of
unity is the very opposite: that all is spirituality, and moreover, that
all is G-dliness.

In keeping with this, on the verse"one nation on earth," Rabbi Shneur
Zalman briefly comments: "This means that even in mundane 'earthly'
matters the Jewish people will not be separated - G-d forbid - from
G-d's true unity and oneness" (Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle IX, p. 114a).

It is worth noting that followers of the philosophy of materialism would
rejoice - as if they found a great treasure and as if they found proof
to their approach - whenever they would find something relating to the
psyche which they felt to be wholly related to physical phenomena, such
as electronic responses, e.g., brainwaves, etc.

In truth, not only is there no contradiction between spiritual and
physical phenomena, the contrary is true - that this is the logical
result of the absolute truth of G-d's unity, that G-d is One and there
is nothing besides Him which also causes the unity between spiritual and
physical phenomena.

This means, not only is there no G-dliness - Heaven forbid - aside from
Him, there is also no true existence other than His - this being one of
the fundamental concepts of Toras HaChassidus, as explained in Rabbi
Shneur Zalman's Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah....

You do not write about what area of medicine you practice, and I would
like to know what it is. In any event, it is my hope that when you heal
the physical ailments of your patients, you also take into account
aspects of their spiritual healing - particularly for those who do not
know that they are ailing spiritually, which makes them in even greater
need of healing.

                                *  *  *

                         20 Shevat, 5716 (1956)


When someone becomes spiritually healthier he automatically becomes
physically healthier as well, for Jews are "the one nation on earth,"
which is to say that wherever they are, they implement the concept of
oneness, and included in that is the conception of the overall unity of
matter and spirit, body and soul.

This, too, is one of the explanations of the philosophical system of the
Baal Shem Tov, that of serving G-d joyfully together with the body - not
by afflicting the body, but by using the body as an active partner in
one's Divine service.

We readily observe that when the body is healthy - understandably, in a
Jewish manner, by eating kosher foods, etc. - the body does not hinder
the study of Torah and performance of mitzvos, should the person truly
desire to do so.

According to the well-known saying of our Sages, of blessed memory,
regarding achieving peace between body and soul, and within the soul as
well: peace between the Divine soul and the animal soul, this peace also
leads to peace in one's own immediate and close surroundings, as well as
to peace in distant places, and ultimately to world peace.

All the above leads to the true state of peace that will take place with
Moshiach's arrival, concerning which time the prophet Isaiah states:
"Nation will not lift sword against nation, and they will study warfare
no more." ...

      From Healthy in Mind, Body and Soul, translated by Rabbi S.B.
                             Wineberg, printed by Sichos in English

*********************************************************************
                                CUSTOMS
*********************************************************************
         Why do people say, "bli ayin hara," or "kenina hora"?

An "ayin hara" means an evil or begrudging eye. It is believed that an
envious or begrudging glance is able to cause evil to the person at whom
it is directed. According to a statement in the Talmud, 99 out of 100
die of an evil eye. Hence, we use the expression in Hebrew "bli ayin
hara," or in Yiddish "kenina hora" - meaning, without a begrudging eye,
when a person's health, wealth, intelligence, success, etc., are being
admired.

*********************************************************************
                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
*********************************************************************
This Shabbat is unique as reflected by the fact that three Torah scrolls
are taken out for the Torah reading; we read the weekly Torah portion of
Pekudei from one scroll, the Rosh Chodesh reading from another scroll,
and the special Parshat Shekalim reading from a third scroll.

The Rebbe spoke about this phenomenon. At that time he explained that
this is a very rare phenomenon. There are many occasions when two Torah
scrolls are taken out, but taking out three scrolls is extremely
uncommon.

The lesson to be learned from taking out a Torah scroll is reflected in
the prayers recited at that time which begin, "Whenever the ark set out,
Moses would say, 'Arise, O G-d, and Your enemies will be dispersed; Your
foes will flee before You.' "

This verse is relevant to every Jew, even in the present era when the
ark is entombed. Every Jew possesses a spark of Moses within his soul.
This spark brings about a increase in the service of holiness and the
nullification of undesirable influences. Thus, taking out the Torah
scrolls reflects both the services of "turn away from evil" and "do
good," the two prongs of our service of G-d, and endows that service
with new strength and vigor.

Thus, taking out three Torah scrolls represents a chazaka - a
strengthening and reinforcement of the above concepts.

In particular, there are two types of chazakot:

 1. a chazaka that is necessary to maintain our everyday service of
    G-d. This is brought about by taking out three Torah scrolls on
    Simchat Torah.

 2. a chazaka that is intended to endow the Jewish people with new
    and additional powers. This comes about only at special times among
    them our present circumstances.

May the chazaka established by taking out three Torah scrolls lead to
our service in the Third Holy Temple, where "we will partake of ...the
festive offerings... and give thanks to You with a new song for our
Redemption and for the deliverance of our souls."

*********************************************************************
                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
*********************************************************************
These are the accounts of the Sanctuary (Mishkan), the Sanctuary of the
testimony (Ex. 38:21)

Our Sages said that G-d did not take the Holy Temple from the Jewish
people permanently, but is holding it as a "mashkon" (collateral - a
play on words) which will one day be returned. Furthermore, the
repetition of the word "Sanctuary" in the verse alludes to the two
Temples that would be destroyed before Moshiach establishes the third,
eternal Holy Temple, speedily in our day.

                   (The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Shabbat Mishpatim, 5752)

                                *  *  *


The Hebrew word for testimony - eydut - alludes to the adiyim, or
heavenly crowns, the Jewish people received when the Torah was given.
When the Children of Israel sinned by making the Golden Calf, their
crowns were taken back, and with them their extra measure of
spirituality. When the Tabernacle was erected, G-d forgave them their
sin and their crowns were returned to them.

                                                      (Ohr HaTorah)

                                *  *  *


And they beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work
it into the blue and into the purple (Ex. 39:3)

Rashi explains how this was done: "They used to spin the gold together
with the threads...making them intertwined with every kind of
material...the threads of all the kinds were six-fold, and the gold was
the seventh thread." This teaches that people whom G-d has blessed with
gold and riches should not separate themselves from their poorer
brethren. Rather, they should act humbly and freely "mix" with the more
common threads.

                                                    (Siftei Tzadik)

*********************************************************************
                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
*********************************************************************
The disciples of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Chabad Rebbe,
were often sent by him to distant places in order to inspire Jews in
their G-dly service. While on these missions, the Rebbe's emissaries
collected funds for scholars in the Holy Land, a charity to which the
Rebbe was devoted from his youth. One such emissary was the chasid Reb
Zalman Zezmer.

When Reb Zalman came to the Rebbe to receive his blessing for the
success of his mission, the Rebbe added the unusual words: "Don't spend
the night in a house whose door faces east."

True to the Rebbe's blessing, Reb Zalman was highly successful in his
travels, touching the hearts of hundreds of Jews. He also managed to
collect a handsome sum of money to be sent to the Holy Land to sustain
Torah scholars there.

Reb Zalman was happily on his way home, having fulfilled the command of
his Rebbe, when he noticed that the wagon was traveling off the beaten
road. The driver too had realized the error, but in the blackness of
night he had no idea how to get back to the main road. They continued on
their way, allowing the horses to blindly proceed when suddenly in the
distance they saw a light. Following the light, they soon arrived at a
house. They knocked on the door and were warmly received by the elderly
resident.

Reb Zalman and his driver were exhausted by the trip and their
frightening experience of being lost in the darkness. Reb Zalman washed
his hands in preparation for praying the evening service, and turned to
his host to inquire which direction was the eastern wall, the direction
of prayer. When the old man pointed to the door, Reb Zalman froze in his
place, the words of the Rebbe sounding in his ears, "Don't stay in a
house which has the door in the east."

He immediately called the driver and in frantic tones told him, "Prepare
to leave at once!" The driver looked at him in astonishment. "What?
Leave now? Why we've only just arrived and besides, we have nowhere to
go and don't even know where we are!" Still the appearance of Reb Zalman
and his tone of urgency left no room for question.

He began to gather their belongings and was headed for the door when he
was stopped by the booming voice of their host who screamed at the top
of his lungs: "Where do you think you're going? I take guests into my
house, but I don't let them go so fast! Put down your belongings, you're
not leaving this house!"

With that frightening announcement, the man left the room and bolted the
door behind him. The two prisoners just stared at each other, wondering
what to do. Rough voices were heard as a group of men entered the
adjoining room behind the locked door. "What's that carriage outside?"
roared one of the voices. "Look's like you've managed to snare a pretty
fancy one this time."

"You've hit it on the head there," snickered the erstwhile host. "Why,
they're loaded; I could hear the coins jingling all the way across the
house."

"I'm gonna get a look for myself," said one of the band, and with that
the door swung open. Greeting the eyes of the prisoners was quite a
vision: six gangsters with blood in their eyes. "Ha!" one barked, "I
guess these ones won't escape while we eat. It looks like they're here
to stay." A variety of grunts and laughs followed as the murderous gang
proceeded to crowd around a table.

But Reb Zalman, having been sent to perform a mitzva (commandment) by
his Rebbe, was undaunted by their threats. "Listen to me," he cried. "I
have been sent by a very holy man, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, a saint
who knows many secret things, and you will never get away with your evil
plans, for his merit protects me. My master warned me not to spend the
night in a house whose door faces east. Your fellow thief can attest
that as soon as I realized that the door of this house faces to the east
I tried to flee, but he prevented me from leaving. And now, I warn you,
if you don't allow us to depart in peace, my holy master will avenge our
blood and you will live to regret your deed!"

The gang members burst out in raucous guffaws...all except one - the
owner of the house whose countenance seemed to change as soon as he
heard those words pronounced.

At nightfall, Reb Zalman and his companion were again closed behind the
heavily barred door and, imprisoned in the darkness, they recited Psalms
with much weeping and pleading for Divine mercy. At the crack of dawn
they heard furtive footsteps approaching from the other side of the
door. When the door opened they saw the owner of the house standing
before them, his fingers to his lips, warning them to be quiet,
motioning to them to follow him.

When they stepped into the main room, the man said in a low voice,
"Hurry, I will help you escape." He led them to their wagon and as they
were readying the horses for the escape he whispered, "I saved you
because of your Rebbe. Take these fifty rubles to give to the holy man."

They urged on the horses and sped toward Liadi. When they arrived, the
Rebbe said to them: "I didn't sleep the entire night on your behalf." He
then took the fifty ruble note and stuck it into a crack in the wall,
and there it remained. Years later, an elderly man arrived in Liadi and
requested to see the Rebbe. The Rebbe refused to admit the man, but
removed the fifty ruble note from the crack in the wall and ordered that
it be given to him.

*********************************************************************
                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
*********************************************************************
A Jew's service begins with gathering together the different aspects of
his own being. Afterwards, he gathers together with the entire Jewish
people, and then, gathers together every element of the world and shows
how their entire existence is intended to carry out G-d's will. In this
manner, every moment of a Jew's life should be one in which he "wakes up
from sleep," and begins with thanking G-d for returning his soul. And
this will lead to the ultimate process of ingathering, the ingathering
of the dispersed Jewish people. G-d will "bring us together from the
four corners of the earth into our land."

                           (The Lubavitcher Rebbe, 25 Adar I, 1992)

*********************************************************************
               END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1011 - Pekudei 5768
*********************************************************************