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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1310
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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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        February 21, 2014       Vayakhel         21 Adar I, 5774
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                           Fast Food Judaism

Long before WHO recommended that governments have tighter regulation of
fast-food advertising to curb obesity, before Fast Food Nation examined
the local and global influence of the United States fast food industry,
and even before fast-food emporiums began to dot the landscape like
mushrooms after a rain, the Jewish Sages suggested we implement
fast-food mentality into our lives. With a Jewish twist, of course!

"Grab and eat, grab and drink," Rabbi Shmuel told his student Rabbi
Yehuda Shenina (as recorded in the Talmud). "For life is like a party
which will soon be over."

Far from being a fatalistic outlook, or one that places the emphasis on
physicality, Rabbi Shmuel's words teach us how to define our goals and
motivate ourselves Jewishly.

Mitzvot (commandments) are likened to food and the Torah is likened to
water, in Chasidic philosophy. "Do mitzvot, study Torah," Rabbi Shmuel
taught. "For life - in this world - will soon be over and in the World
to Come those same opportunities to do mitzvot and study Torah will no
longer be available."

Picture yourself in a fast-food line (kosher, of course!). Are you going
to stand there leisurely contemplating the menu as you would in a fine
restaurant, discussing it with the people joining you, maybe even asking
the waiter what he suggests? Or would you order quickly from the list on
the wall (after you've determined what is the healthiest choice) and
hungrily gobble it down? Most likely you would do the latter, since
expedience and swiftness are major reasons for your choice of restaurant
styles.

Similarly, Chasidut explains that since we are getting closer every day
to Moshiach, we shouldn't spend time contemplating a menu of mitzvot. We
don't have time any longer to sit and relax at a fine restaurant,
dilly-dallying until we make our choice. Action is the main thing. Grab
and eat, grab and drink. Whatever mitzva comes your way, do it.
Whichever Jewish learning opportunity is available, benefit from it.
We're living life in the fast-lane, traveling on the express train.

A Jewish fast-food mentality means taking hold of every opportunity to
do a mitzva, regardless of whether or not we think it should be the next
one in our repertoire. Shabbat is approaching? There's no time for, "How
can I light Shabbat candles if on Saturday I ..." Someone offers to help
you put on tefilin? Don't start wondering, "Why should I put on tefilin
if I don't..." You hear about a class on a topic of Jewish interest?
Don't worry if you don't yet know the Hebrew alphabet. You pass by a
tzedaka (charity) box - drop in a coin.

"Grab and eat, grab and drink" means that these last few moments before
the Messianic Era need to be filled with action not contemplation, deeds
not meditations. Soon the party will be over, or will it just be
beginning?

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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"And he made the candlestick of pure gold," we read in this week's Torah
portion, Vayakhel. "And six branches were coming out of its sides: three
branches of the candlestick out of its one side, and three branches of
the candlestick out of the other side."

Surprisingly, a widespread misconception exists concerning the menora
that stood in the Holy Temple. This misconception, whose origin lies in
non-Jewish sources, has unfortunately filtered down into Jewish circles,
resulting in a faulty understanding of the genuine appearance of the
menora.

In truth, the six side branches of the seven-branched candelabrum rose
upward diagonally in a straight line from the center; they were not, as
is commonly pictured, rounded in a bow-shape.

What makes this error even more regrettable is that it is derived from
the famous Arch of Titus, may his name be blotted out forever. The Roman
emperor, seeking to memorialize his destruction of the Second Holy
Temple and his pillage of the Temple's vessels, commissioned a work to
secure his place in history. Its depiction of the menora, however, is
not an accurate representation of the one that was stolen from the Holy
Temple. Titus wished to "improve" upon the original and therefore
"beautified" it by rounding out its branches.

The Hebrew word for "branch" - "kaneh" - alludes to the menora's true
shape, for its literal meaning is "a reed" - a plant which grows at the
water's edge in an unbending, straight line. Both Maimonides and Rashi
concur that the branches of the menora were straight; Maimonides even
drew a picture of the menora so there would be no room for doubt.

This ancient forgery that, unfortunately, has found its way into many
synagogues and study halls, must be corrected once and for all, and the
true form of the holy menora be accurately depicted.

Another interesting feature of the menora was its "cups": "Three cups,
shaped like almond blossoms, were on one branch, with a knob and a
flower; and three cups, shaped like almond blossoms, were on the
other...on the candlestick itself were four cups, shaped like almond
blossoms, with its knobs and flowers" - a total of 22 cups in all.

In his drawings, Maimonides depicts these cups upside-down - the bottom
of the cup on top, the wider opening on the bottom.

What are we to learn from the cups' unusual configuration? The purpose
of the menora was to illuminate - not only the inside of the Holy
Temple, but the entire world.

This concept is also reflected in the fact that the windows of the Holy
Temple were constructed to be narrow on the inside yet wider on the
outside of the structure, thereby channeling the light of the menora
outward, to the world at large.

Similarly, a cup that is upside-down represents the act of pouring out
and providing sustenance, symbolic of the Jews' role as "light unto the
nations."

                   Adapted from the Rebbe's Likutei Sichot Vol. XXI

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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      Deaf Russian Jewish Group Experiences Israel for First Time
                           By Anav Silverman

It was an unusual sight on Friday night at Judaism's most sacred site,
the Western Wall. Amidst the multitudes of Sabbath prayer-goers, a group
of young adults were holding hands and dancing - in complete silence.

The group consisted of young deaf Jewish adults, many from Russia who
were visiting Israel for their first time thanks to a special trip led
by Chabad Rabbi Yehoshua Soudakoff*.

In a special interview with Tazpit News Agency after Shabbat, Rabbi
Soudakoff and group participants explained through sign language, an
interpreter, and typed-out responses, what their experience in Israel
had entailed.

"It was beautiful," wrote Irina Normatov, 34, originally from
Uzbekistan, who immigrated with her family to New York when she was
nine. "I felt a powerful energy praying at the Kotel (Western Wall) and
other Jewish holy sites including the Tomb of Rachel - like an
electrifying energy going straight to my soul."

"It was good to communicate in Russian Sign Language with the group and
learn some Israeli Sign Language as well," Normatov explained to Tazpit.
She demonstrated the sign language for Kotel, mishpacha (family), and
B'Ezrat Hashem (with G-d's help).

Rabbi Soudakoff believes that trips like this one are vital for the
Jewish deaf population from Russia. "It brings us together as a family,"
he signed through the interpreter. "We are a community spread far and
wide - there are people here on this trip from the United States,
Ukraine, and Russia."

"Here, we are not alone. We see that we have peers and a community
behind us. And just as important, visiting Israel and seeing the sights
have a powerful impact on our Jewish identity."

Rabbi Yehoshua Soudakoff, 22, grew up in Los Angeles and later attended
a Chabad-Lubavitch rabbinical school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where
he lives today. It is his first time leading a group of deaf people - 13
participants and three staff members - to Israel. The idea for the
unique trip began this past summer.

"I was working on a summer camp project for Jewish deaf boys in Moscow,"
explains Rabbi Soudakoff. "In the process of searching for deaf children
in Russia, I came across young adults who were too old for the summer
camp but still wanted to be part of some kind of program."

Consequently, the Israel trip was born but not without plenty of
challenges along the way and during the trip as well.

"We found out that we needed double the time for tours!" Rabbi Soudakoff
exclaimed. "People that hear can just look around and listen to the tour
guide speak. However, because we are deaf, we have to watch the tour
guide and only after the interpreter translates into sign language, can
we look around. That's just one example, but it slows things down."

The eight-day trip included visits and tours of Jerusalem, the Dead Sea,
Tel Aviv, Masada, and Hebron. The group's Russian Sign Language
interpreter, Bella, made aliya to Israel from Ukraine, 26 years ago. "I
hope to see some marriages come out of this visit," she teased the group
on their last day in Jerusalem.

The project was made possible thanks to Russia's Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar
and Rabbi Mendy Wilansky and Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky of the Chabad Global
Jewish Youth Initiative, which provided the funding for the trip.


                   Reprinted with permission of Tazpit News Agency.

* Rabbi Yehoshua Soudakoff, born in Los Angeles, California, is a second
  generation member of a Deaf family. He currently lives in the Crown
  Heights section of Brooklyn, New York. Among his many projects is a
  premier website for the Jewish Deaf community, called Jewish Deaf
  Multimedia (jewishdeafmm.org), which provides a wealth of videos, blog
  posts, and resources for the Deaf Jew.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                            Ten Day Yeshiva

Fifty young people from Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the FSU
spent ten days of break from university participating in a
"Yeshivaction" program. Lecturers from the U.S., Israel, Ukraine,
Germany and Russia taught and lead workshops. Participants also enjoyed
recreational activities such as snow-tubing, paintball shooting, and a
visit to the new Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center. in Moscow.

                               New Center

In Brush Park, an area in downtown Detroit that has some of that city's
newest development, an historic home is becoming the new Chabad of
Detroit. The new center is the former home of Albert Kahn who was the
foremost American industrial architect of his day, sometimes called the
architect of Detroit.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                           Freely translated
                      10 Mar-Cheshvan, 5716 (1955)

Peace and blessing!

You asked: What should be your response when told that science allegedly
has proof that the world has existed for more that 5715 years? Can this
be answered with the famous statement of our Sages that G-d "built
worlds and destroyed them?"

The meaning of that statement is not that G-d actually created earlier
physical worlds. Rather, the intent there is to spiritual worlds, as
recorded by the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of Chabad
Chasidism) - based on the writings of the Arizal (Rabbi Yitzchak Luria,
16th century Kabalist) - in his Torah Ohr on the Torah portion of
Shemot.

Their statement that science has proofs is absolutely false. Science has
no proofs at all, only estimations built on flimsy foundations. It is
hard to explain all of this in a letter of requisite length. The main
point is, however, that the statement in scientific texts with regard to
the world's having existed for several billion years, etc., is based on
the following theory:

Since a specific number of years are needed (according to today's
conditions, such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind movements,
the proportions of elements in the environment, etc. etc.) for every
hundred feet of sand accumulation at the banks of a river, and since
there are mountains of this sand which are several miles high, therefore
(if one is to assume that these mountains were gathered bit by bit from
grains of sand, by the movements of this same river, and that all of the
above conditions haven't changed in thousands of years) such and such
number of years would be needed. This number is far more than 5715.

When one asks, however, where these grains of sand came from, they have
no answer.

When one asks: Just as it is possible for grains of sand to have come to
be at a certain point on a flat plain, may it not be possible that
mountains too came into being all at once? Again, they have no answer.

When one asks: How do you know that five thousand years ago all of the
conditions, of water, wind, river patterns, etc. were exactly the same
as they are now? For this, too, they have no response.

When one asks, in addition to all of the above: If you are claiming that
your proofs are scientific, how can it be that the results of the
research into the age of the world according to astrophysics, according
to archeology, according to geology, and according to radioactivity, all
contradict each other,3 from one extreme to the other? For example, one
concludes that the world can be no more than half a billion years old,
while the other concludes that it cannot be less than two billion!

These contradictions are clear proof that all of these discussions and
research are only theories built on thin air. Here is not the place to
delve into this at greater length.

                  From Mind Over Matter, translated by Arye Gotfryd

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                              TODAY IS ...
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                               21 Adar I

Rabbi Sholom Ber of Lubavitch said: Truth is the middle path. An
inclination to the right, to be overly stringent with oneself and find
faults or sins not in accord with the truth, or an inclination to the
left, to be overly indulgent, covering one's faults or being lenient in
demands of serving G-d out of self-love - both these ways are false.

                                                   (From Hayom Yom)

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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As this year is a leap year on the Jewish calendar, there are two months
of Adar, known as Adar Rishon and Adar Sheini, or Adar I and Adar II.

In talks before and during the two months of Adar, 5752 (1992), the
Rebbe emphasized the importance of simcha in turning the darkness of
exile into the light of Redemption.

The Rebbe also stressed that, being as there are two months of Adar this
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, explains 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 must hearken to the Rebbe's words and utilize simcha, especially
during this month, 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, teichef umiyad mamash -
immediately, literally.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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Six days a week shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall
be to you a holy day, a Sabbath of rest to G-d (Exodus 35:2)

The Torah does not state "you shall do work," but rather, "work shall be
done," to teach us that our labors must always be viewed as if they are
accomplished by themselves, without our active participation. A Jew must
always strive to maintain this healthy attitude towards work to make it
easier for him to mentally divest himself of his business worries on
Shabbat. Investing an inordinate amount of mental energy into one's
business makes it harder for him to properly appreciate the spiritual
dimension of the Shabbat day.

                                                        (The Rebbe)

                                *  *  *


And 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)

                                *  *  *


He made the altar of incense of acacia wood (Ex. 37:25)

A Chasid once came to Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of Chabad Chasidism,
and asked him, "Is it possible that the real intent behind the incense
was only to dispel the smell of the animal sacrifices?" Rabbi Shneur
Zalman told him that this was not so. "Whenever a person offered a
sacrifice in the Temple," he explained, "the first thing he had to do
was regret his sins and return to G-d with a whole heart. Then and only
then were his sins atoned for. Sometimes, however, it happened that a
person didn't repent completely, and there was still a trace of sin in
the air. The purpose of the incense was to dispel its foul odor."

                                                 (Shmuot VeSipurim)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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The Chasidim wanted to call a doctor; maybe there was still something
that could be done to help their ailing Rebbe, Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda
Teitelbaum. But Rabbi Teitelbaum would not here of the suggestion.
Instead, he said, "Let me tell you a story."

Rabbi Yoel Sirkes, later to be renown as the "Bach" (for his book Bayit
Chadash) one day visited his son-in-law, Rabbi David ben Shmuel HaLevi,
later to be renown as the "Taz" (for his book Turei Zahav.)

When Rabbi Yoel arrived, the entire town went out to meet him and
welcome him with the traditional greeting of "Shalom" except for one
young scholar, who did not step forward.

"What nerve," Rabbi David objected to the young man.

"I was informed by Elijah the Prophet himself that Rabbi Yoel has been
placed in a ban of excommunication by the heavenly court, and for this
reason I did not extent a formal greeting to him," replied the young
man.

Rabbi David was shocked and asked the scholar for more details.

"Once, Rabbi Yoel was passing through a certain town. Two men were
arguing about a wagon full of wood that one man had sold to the other.
The purchaser claimed that he had agreed to a price of three gold coins
while the seller was adamant that he had sold it for 3 1/10 gold coins.

"When the two men saw Rabbi Yoel, they asked him if he would arbitrate
their claim.

" 'What among of money is under dispute,' asked Rabbi Yoel.

" 'One-tenth of a gold coin,' they responded.

" 'I should delay my journey and be inconvenienced for one-tenth of a
gold coin?' Rabbi Yoel remonstrated.

"The accusing angels in heaven had a heyday with the rabbi's flippant
comment, for our Sages teach, 'A suit involving one copper coin is to be
treated as earnestly as a suit involving a hundred coins.' "

Rabbi David hurried to his father-in-law to ascertain whether or not
this story was true. Indeed, Rabbi Yoel remembered the incident as it
was out-of-character for him to have made such a comment.

The two men realized that this young scholar had been brought by Divine
Providence into their midst on this day in order to help Rabbi Yoel do
teshuva (repent) and set things right. They convened a rabbinical court
that immediately annulled the heavenly ban.

Rabbi Yoel then approached the young man and asked him a favor. "I see
that you are an upright and G-d-fearing person in the eyes of heaven. I
therefore would like to give you my manuscript, a commentary on the Arba
Turim (a section of the Code of Jewish Law) that I plan to publish under
the title Bayit Chadash. Before I publish it I would like you to look it
over and give me your opinion."

The young man agreed. A little while later, Rabbi Yoel approached the
young man and asked him if he had had a chance to look over the
manuscript and was ready to return it.

"I will not return it to you even in twenty years," responded the young
scholar.

Shocked, Rabbi Yoel asked for an explanation. "Does my work not meet
your approval? If so, tell me what is wrong with it for I gave it to you
so that you would look it over with a critical eye."

The young man said, "Your book is good and does good. However, as soon
as you publish it and it is distributed around the world, you will have
completed your life's mission and there will be no reason for you to
live in this world. Therefore, I will do all I can to delay its
publication so that you remain here with us in this world."

"If that is the reason why you have withheld your comments, then I will
not delay its publication," said Rabbi Yoel. "For, as you yourself
noted, the world needs it."

The young man had no option but to return the manuscript to its author,
who set about publishing it, volume by volume. Over the course of nine
years it was published. In 1640, soon after the publication of the final
volume, Rabbi Yoel Sirkes passed away.

Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum completed his story. Then he added, "So
it is with me. If with G-d's help I have completed my mission here in
this world, then I have nothing to do here and do not want you to call
another doctor."

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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Jews today do not face decrees forbidding the observance of mitzvot
(commandments) or Torah study as in previous generations. However, our
generation faces a different kind of that is sometimes more difficult -
abundance and wealth. In order to withstand this challenge, we must
battle the yetzer hara (negative influence)fiercely. And since this is
the task of this last generation before Moshiach, we were obviously
given the ability to awaken the inner strength of in our souls, so that
we can dedicate ourselves to G-d, His holy Torah and its mitzvot.

                                         (Sefer Hamaamarim Melukat)

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               END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1310 - Vayakhel 5774
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