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                                  B"H
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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1000
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                           Copyright (c) 2007
                 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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        December 21, 2007       Vayechi           12 Tevet, 5768
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                                  1000

"If I've told you once, I've told you a dozen times... a hundred
times... a thousand times!"

Some things just never change! And right here in this thousandth issue
of L'Chaim, there are things that we've told you literally one thousand
times. But we'd like to emphasize them again today, as we celebrate the
publishing of our one thousandth issue:

L'Chaim is "the weekly publication for every Jewish person." Regardless
of one's level of religious observance, knowledge or affiliation -
regardless of age or stage or wage; L'Chaim is published with you in
mind. A story here, an insight into the Torah portion there, a thought
about Moshiach yonder, we try to make L'Chaim a peaceful island for
people, an upbeat, positive retreat where they can go for a few minutes
each week to unwind, feel good about Judaism, grow a little, feel their
souls being nourished.

But isn't it overly-confident to think that one publication can be for
"every Jew"? After all, two Jews three opinions...

However, at our very essence, we are all connected, we are all one. For
every Jew, no matter where, no matter who, has a divine soul, a G-dly
spark that binds him or her with every other Jew.

L'Chaim is "dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka
Schneerson." Precious little is known about Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, and
that's the way she wanted it! She purposefully stayed out of the
limelight, though respect, honor, and privileges could have easily been
hers as the wife of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and the daughter of the
previous Lubavitcher Rebbe. A most erudite woman, the Rebbetzin was once
speaking to a young girl. The girl was complaining that one of her
family's traditions was so different from that of most of her friends.
"But it's so modern to be different!" the Rebbetzin pointed out.

At times, living Jewishly requires that we do things differently than
friends, colleagues, or neighbors.  In those moments, remembering the
Rebbetzin's statement  - "It's so modern to be different!" - can be the
nod of encouragement that we need to ensure that we do what is required
of us.

"Please do not deface or discard." Did you ever notice these words in
the little box in the left-hand bottom corner of page two? Well, even
though they are intended regarding the L'Chaim publication in general,
we will take the liberty to address them to our Jewish souls, our Jewish
pride, our Jewish dignity. We must go to great lengths to ensure that
our great Jewish heritage, the traditions, wisdom and teachings handed
down from generation to generation, familial and national, are not
defaced or discarded. And we can only guarantee that these traditions
and teachings will be upheld through study and action.

So, L'Chaim, to 1001 with Moshiach!

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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In the Torah portion of Vayechi, Jacob blesses Joseph's two sons who
were born in Egypt, Menashe and Efraim. These names were chosen by
Joseph because they alluded to his circumstances in Egypt at the time
when they were born.

Joseph named his firstborn Menashe, "For G-d has made me forget
(nashani) all my troubles, and even my father's house." Far from home,
Joseph was in danger of assimilating. Yet he remained connected to his
people and to G-d. In choosing the name Menashe, Joseph indicated that
he had, in fact, not forgotten his father.

Joseph named his second son Efraim, "For G-d has caused me to become
fruitful (hifrani) in the land of my affliction." Not only have I not
been influenced by the Egyptians, Joseph was saying, but precisely here,
"in the land of my affliction," I established a family, became wealthy
and made spiritual progress.

Menashe is symbolic of the bond Joseph shared with his father and the
deep yearning he continued to feel for him.

Efraim is symbolic of Joseph's success in Egypt, a land that was vile
and depraved.

Our situation in exile is similar to that of Joseph in Egypt. In exile,
we are far from our Father's house - the Holy Temple - and G-dliness is
concealed. What can we do to overcome our predicament? How are we to
conduct ourselves during our sojourn in "Egypt"?

The answer is to learn from Joseph, and emulate him.

On the one hand we are obligated to remember our "Father's house," to
yearn for the Holy Temple and G-d's closeness. A Jew must never resign
himself to the exile. Rather, we must always look forward to the
Redemption, continue to observe Torah and mitzvot (commandments), just
as Joseph refused to acclimate himself to Egypt and named his son
Menashe.

On the other hand we must always remember that it is precisely in exile,
where poverty of the spirit prevails, that we must remain strong. Just
as Joseph remained righteous and flourished in the land of his
"affliction," so too must we spread Judaism and foster the belief in G-d
precisely in a world that does not recognize His greatness.

When Jacob blessed Joseph's sons he placed his right hand on Efraim's
(and not Menashe's) head, saying, "His younger brother shall be greater
than he." For even though Menashe was the firstborn, and the beginning
of our service must be the longing for our Father's house, the main
objective of our service in exile is expressed in the name Efraim: an
increase in Torah and good deeds, thereby causing G-d's Name to be known
in the world. By emphasizing this aspect we will merit G-d's light to
shine, even within the exile.

               Adapted for Maayan Chai from Likutei Sichot, vol. 15

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                    With Faith and a Sense of Humor
                             by Miriam Karp

Gershon Wachtel knows prayer and music, up close and personally. Through
deep prayer and music, Gershon has found the strength to live and even
flourish after the tragic drowning of his four-year-old son, some 13
years ago.

A classical pianist, Gershon has woven the fascinating story of the many
twists and turns of his life and journey into a one-man show,
"Overcoming Life's Difficulties with Faith and a Sense of Humor."
Combining masterful and sensitive musical interludes with an absorbing
narrative, both poignant and filled with humor, Gershon shares his
event-filled life, starting from his childhood in a non-observant family
of the 50s in the small Jewish community of Niagara Falls, New York.

When Gershon, then Gary, was ten, his mother enrolled him in piano
lessons, and he took off, flying into the world of music. "No matter
what was swirling around me, I could go to this magical world and just
be there... I would send myself off to faraway places and go to places
that no one's ever been to before. And I still go to those places."

Gershon poured out his soul through his music, but knew little about
Judaism. He describes the many small miracles and funny anecdotes that
shaped his growth. At 21, he suddenly "wanted to be more Jewish.
Something fell into my Jewish soul." About to leave for a tour of study
at the Mozarteum University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Salzburg, he
overheard some Hebrew while grabbing a bite at a Burger King. "Hebrew! I
should be going to Israel!" He nixed the Austria plans and headed for a
kibbutz. The bit of Hebrew he picked up, the glimpse into tefilin and a
new Jewish world, whet his appetite for more.

Gershon "had all these amazing Jewish feelings, and I didn't know what
to do with them. I would go and buy wine and challa and eat them on
Friday night not knowing there was any prayer involved." He happened to
meet Rabbi Nosson Gurary of the Buffalo Chabad House, and offered the
rabbi a challenge: "If you know the Torah, you know everything, because
everything is found in the Torah. I want you to teach me Torah."

Thus began a warm mentoring friendship that has stretched over 35 years.

Gershon met his wife Chaya in Buffalo, and they soon moved to Toronto to
have the resources of a larger Jewish community. They were busily
engaged with building their family of 12 children, celebrating holidays
and dealing with all the bumps and bruises of family life. Till one
summer's day in 1994, when visiting a child at summer camp, four-year
old Pinchas wandered away and drowned.

"Rivers of tears were cried." Gershon vowed he would never play again.
He reached the point where he knew with absolute certainty he would not
survive the pain. "I told my wife, 'I can't live.' And I really meant
it. But, guess what? I am alive!"

In his performances, Gershon makes it clear to his audience that he's
not looking for sympathy. He shares the personal tragedy to bring home
his message of hope and acceptance, and the power of the heart to heal.

While Gershon defined himself as a pianist, his daily life revolved
around his occupation as a kosher manager, later as the owner of an
insurance agency, and his rich family and religious life. Five years
ago, something changed. "I came to a standstill. I realized I needed
more than carpool, shul, kids, dinner, and homework week-by-week,
year-by-year. After several days of intensive introspection, I decided
to go back to piano lessons and get a Masters in piano.

"I found a very special Russian teacher who brought me to a whole new
level. I told myself, 'Don't be smart, drop what you think you know and
follow whatever she does.' She taught me different techniques. Most
important, she helped to emotionally understand what music really is. I
used to play with bravado and passion. Now I have a new sensitivity,
which is not the same thing.

"My son Pinchy had a smile that would light up the world. For years
after his death I was occupied with a question, 'Where does love go?
Where do all those smiles go after one leaves this world?" I asked many
people but never got a satisfactory answer. On Pinchy's 13th birthday,
what would have been his Bar Mitzva, we made a Torah dedication ceremony
and turned a difficult day into a simcha and celebration. At the
celebratory meal I asked this question to the audience. A unique friend,
a Hell's Angel biker with a very spiritual soul got up.

" 'Up there in heaven,' he said, 'there's a pool of smiles, love,
kindness. Sometimes there's a person who's especially good at one of
these things. They have the key to access that pool and draw them down
into this world. When they're gone, the smiles and love don't evaporate
or disappear; they return to the pool, from which someone else can
access them!' I just knew in my gut, he was right; this was the answer.

"I've come to see that music is the same way. Music is all around us,
it's universal and touches each person in a very deep place. What does a
musician do? He has that key, and can focus or be a channel for that
flow, it comes into the world through him, and comes out through the
other side of his soul.

"Music is a huge palette; everything is there. I'm really privileged to
be able to connect to G-d in this way. I often play for an hour before I
pray. When I play I can really feel my soul and I know I am connecting.
When something is really bothering me and I need help, I play, and I
pray.

Gershon feels his calling in life is to share his message of hope and
inspiration through the gift of his unique access to that heavenly pool
of soul music.

    This article first appeared in Mishpacha magazine.  Visit Gershon
    Wachtel's website at www.gershonpiano.com

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                             New Emissaries

Rabbi Shai and Chani Vaknin are the new youth directors for Chabad of
Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Rabbi Osher and Mussy Litzman will be arriving
soon in Seoul, South Korea, to open the first Chabad House in that
country. Rabbi and Mrs. Yehoshua Kaminetzky are opening a new
Chabad-Lubavitch Center to serve the Balkan States of Serbia  and
Montenegroto. Eight new emissary couples are dispersing throughout
Israel: the Habers in central Beersheva; the Cohens in Aderet; the
Deitschs in Beersheva; the Flass' in Ashkelon; the Lugassis as Torat
Chabad for Bnei Yeshivot; the Wolpos in Givatayim; the Francis' in the
Dead Sea Coast; the Feldmans in Ness Tziona.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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                     Freely translated and adapted
           Motzoei Shabbos Kodesh, of the week of Vayeitzei,
         9 Kislev - birthday and yahrzeit of the Mitteler Rebbe
                  [Rabbi Dov Ber, second Chabad Rebbe]

          Saturday night of the week of Vayishlach, 10 Kislev
         - Day of Redemption of the Mitteler Rebbe, 5752 [1991]

         To the Editorial Staff of "Kfar Chabad" [Magazine] In
         Our Holy Land, May it Be Rebuilt and Reestablished May
                            G-d Be With You


Peace and Blessing!

I was pleased to be informed that "Kfar Chabad" magazine will be
printing its five hundredth issue on the 10th of Kislev, G-d willing.
This represents almost twelve years of uninterrupted publication, and
testifies to the magazine's far-reaching influence among its readers.

I hereby send my heartfelt wishes and blessings to the editors, writers
and readers of this important publication, may they live and be well,
that G-d grant them continued success. May they go from strength to
strength, and may both the magazine and its content be widely
disseminated, that is, Judaism (the Torah and its commandments), and in
particular, the wellsprings of Chasidus.

The significance of the number five hundred, as explained by our Sages
and as elucidated by the inner light of Chasidus, is well known.* And
from five hundred may you merit to increase and double to one thousand
etc....

All of the above has a special emphasis now, during a leap year,
referred to in the Torah as "a complete year" because its months are
full (i.e., both Marcheshvan and Kislev have thirty days).

From this we learn (and indeed, it imbues us with strength) that each
and every individual must do all in his power whenever it comes to
Judaism, Torah and mitzvos (commandments).

So too is it with regard to this magazine, whose entire objective is the
dissemination of Judaism, Torah and mitzvos, and the wellsprings of
Chasidus in particular...

May the blessing and prayer of Moses our Teacher on behalf of all Jews
(end of Chapter 90 of Psalms) be fulfilled in you, together with all of
Israel: "May the pleasantness of my L-rd, our G-d, be upon us -
establish the work of our hands." May it be G-d's will that the Divine
Presence rest upon your handiwork, "and establish the work of our
hands."

And may this also refer to the building of the Third Holy Temple,
speedily in our day, with the true and complete Redemption by our
Righteous Moshiach.

                       Respectfully and with blessings for success,

                                *  *  *

          Erev Shabbos Kodesh Mevarchim Chodesh Nisan, Parshas
                         HaChodesh, 5747 [1987]

          To the Editors of "Di Yiddishe Heim" May G-d be with
                      them, Blessing and greeting:



In answer to the notification that the upcoming issue of "Di Yiddishe
Heim" will mark the 100th issue, I extend greetings and blessings to the
members of the editorial staff, co-workers, and readers (may they all
live many long, good years) of this worthy periodical.

Since one hundred is a significant number, because it is followed by a
new computation and a higher level, as is hinted in the Talmud, and in
the explanation in the holy book Tanya, about the difference between a
person who has studied his chapter (lesson) one hundred times and the
one who studied in one hundred and one times.

May the Almighty grant that the future issues of "Di Yiddishe Heim" may
grow ever more in quality and in quantity, and be ever more widely
distributed and bring the light of Torah, the "pnimius" [inwardness] of
Torah (Chasidus) into ever incr easing numbers of Jewish homes...

* In the footnotes to this letter, the Rebbe quotes from Torah
commentaries who describe a connection between the number five hundred
and one of G-d's names, as well as numerous references to the size of
one heaven and the distance between the heavens as being "as far as a
person can travel in five hundred years."

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                                CUSTOMS
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                           What is Gematria?

Torah can generally be interpreted on four levels: literal (pshat),
allegorical (remez), homiletic (drush), and secret or esoteric (sod).
Gematria, which involves assigning a numerical value to each Hebrew
letter, is in the category of remez. When Hebrew words or phrases have
the same numerical value, this alludes to the inner connection between
the two. For instance, one of G-d's names, "Elokim," has the same
numerical value as "hateva," meaing nature. When the name "Elokim" is
used in scripture to represent G-d's presence within nature.

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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The very first issue of L'Chaim was published nearly 20 years ago, in
time for the shloshim (thirty days after the passing) of our beloved
Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka of righteous memory.

L'Chaim was established upon the Rebbe's request that institutions be
founded bearing the Rebbetzin's name. Thus, L'Chaim is an acronym for
"L'zecher Chaya Mushka - to the memory of (Rebbetzin) Chaya Mushka."

Today, tens of thousands of Jews in the New York Metro area read L'Chaim
each week. "Across the border" in Montreal, Canada, over 10,000 Jews
received L'Chaim at their doorstep. And in Toronto, LChaim is also
printed and distributed. Across the Atlantic Ocean, in London and
Manchester, England, the students of the Lubavitcher Yeshivot in those
cities "translate" L'Chaim into "the Queen's English" for thousands of
Jews in Great Britain. South Africa and Australia also print L'Chaim for
their local communities. Many of our articles are translated into
Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, French and Russian for our fellow Jews
to enjoy in other languages.

L'Chaim is also available by subscription and our readers hail from
nearly every state in the United States and every continent in the
world. Enjoying the Chabad in Cyberspace version of L'Chaim via the
internet are readers in countries as diverse as: Jordan, China, Bosnia,
Congo, Poland, Russia, Japan, Czech, Sweden, Germany, Scotland... the
list goes on.

As the publisher of this important publication it gives me great
pleasure to thank the entire L'Chaim staff, including our writers,
editors and office staff, for their devotion, dedication and hard work.
In one thousand issues they've never missed a deadline!

Recognition goes, as well, to the Lubavitcher students the world-over
who spend their "free time" on Friday afternoons visiting people in
their work places, encouraging them to put on tefilin or light Shabbat
candles, and leaving them with the much enjoyed and appreciated L'Chaim.

It is my most fervent wish, and surely that of the L'Chaim staff and
readers, that even before we reach the 20 year anniversary of L'Chaim,
we will all be reunited with Moshiach in the final Redemption.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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Gather yourselves together that I may tell you what will befall you in
the end of days (Gen. 49:1)

As Rashi explains, Jacob wished to tell his children when Moshiach would
arrive, but "the Divine Presence departed" and he was thus unable to do
so. But why was it necessary to take away the Divine Presence? Why
didn't G-d just tell him that he was forbidden to reveal this
information? What happened, however, was that Jacob foresaw all the
suffering his children would be forced to endure throughout the exile,
and became saddened. As "the Divine Presence only rests on a joyful
person," it departed as a natural consequence of his mood.

                                     (Rabbi Chanoch Tzvi of Bendin)

                                *  *  *


The scepter shall not depart from Judah... until Shilo comes (Gen.
49:10)

"Shilo" is the numerical equivalent of "Moses" (345); "until Shilo
comes" is the equivalent of "Moshiach" (358).

                                           (Zohar and Baal HaTurim)

                                *  *  *


And let them grow into a multitude (v'yidgu) in the midst of the earth
(Gen. 48:16)

This blessing alludes to the fact that the existence of the Jewish
people is not dependent on the forces of nature, but is a supernatural
phenomenon. The word "v'yidgu" is derived from the Hebrew word for fish
("dag"), the intent being that there should be as many Jews as there are
millions of fish. Fish, however, cannot live "in the midst of the
earth"; Jacob's blessing therefore intimates that his children will
survive even under conditions that would annihilate another nation.

                                                     (Chatam Sofer)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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A prominent Jewish merchant, Reb Yaakov from Vilna, known to be an
accomplished Torah scholar, once passed through Mezritch. Having heard
of the greatness of the Mezritcher Maggid, Rabbi Dov Ber, Reb Yaakov
decided to visit him, although he was not an adherent of the Chasidic
movement. Reb Yaakov was eager to engage the Maggid in a learned
discussion, and he was not disappointed. But, as Reb Yaakov had no
interest in Chasidic philosophy, the subject was not broached.

As Reb Yaakov was about to leave, the Maggid suddenly said: "Remember
Yaakov, what our Sages of blessed memory said, that G-d sends His cure
to a patient through a particular doctor and a particular medicine.
Sometimes the One Above sends His cure not through the medication which
the doctor prescribes, but through the doctor himself. As you know, a
doctor receives his healing powers by authority of the Divine Torah, as
it is written, 'And he shall surely cure him.' Therefore, the doctor has
a healing angel at his side, and a very great doctor is accompanied by
the chief healing angel, Rafael, himself."

As he traveled back to Vilna, Reb Yaakov thought about this strange
parting remark, which seemed to come out of the blue. Reb Yaakov was,
thank G-d, in very good health. He had never needed a doctor before, and
he hoped he would not have to consult one in the future. He hadn't asked
the Maggid for medical advice, so why had the Maggid mentioned doctors?
Unable to solve this puzzle, he soon dismissed the entire episode from
his mind.

Several weeks later Reb Yaakov returned home and soon fell into his
normal routine. After a few days, he awoke feeling quite ill. His
condition worsened rapidly and although all the best doctors were called
in, each offering a different medication, nothing helped.

Word of his condition spread quickly. His friends and acquaintances were
devastated, for Reb Yaakov was a kind and charitable man. Then a ray of
hope appeared. The Jews of Vilna heard that the king would be arriving
in town, and his personal physician, who was a wayward Jew, would be
accompanying him. If only they could persuade the king's doctor to pay a
call on their beloved friend, maybe this great doctor could save his
life.

The community leaders dispatched a delegation to the king and petitioned
him to allow his royal physician to visit Reb Yaakov. The king received
them graciously and agreed to their request. The hopes of his family and
friends soared when the famous doctor entered the sickroom, but were
soon dashed. When the doctor looked at Reb Yaakov he said disdainfully,
"Am I G-d that you have brought me here to revive a dead man?"

To everyone's horror, the doctor turned to leave. The distraught family
begged him to prescribe some medication. "Nothing can help this man," he
replied brusquely, casting a parting glance at the dying patient. But
something caught his eye and he turned to look again. A slight bit of
color could be seen on the patient's pale face. The doctor quickly took
his notepad and scribbled a prescription. "Run to the pharmacy and bring
this medication at once!"

Hope sprang again into the hearts of the man's family and friends. The
royal physician remained at the man's bedside, his eyes fixed on the
sick man. He was amazed to see further signs of improvement. He pulled
out his pad and prescribed another medication. But no sooner had he
written it out than the patient's eyes began to flicker. The doctor had
never seen such a thing in all his experience. Suddenly, the erstwhile
dying man sat up in bed and addressed the physician, "I beg you, dear
doctor, don't go yet. Stay a while longer, and I'll feel much better.
The Angel Rafael must be at your side."

The physician was completely overwhelmed. He stared at the patient in
utter disbelief, and although he didn't believe in angels, he could
almost believe the patient's words. As if reading the doctor's thoughts,
Reb Yaakov began to relate his visit to the Maggid of Mezritch and
especially the Maggid's puzzling remark at the end of the visit.

"I can see now, that his remark was completely prophetic and true," Reb
Yaakov remarked.

The king's doctor, who had listened intently to the whole episode, sat
engrossed in thought. It occurred to him that, great healer though he
was, he needed a lot of healing himself - healing of a spiritual nature.

"I would like to meet this saintly man," he finally said. "When you are
fully recovered, I would like you to take me to meet him."

Not very long after, the two of them, Reb Yaakov and the king's
physician, traveled to Mezritch - Reb Yaakov to become a Chasid and the
physician to return to his faith.

                                       Adapted from Talks and Tales

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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Regarding the burnt offering, it says that it had to stay on the fire
"the entire night until the morning." The commentator Ohr Hachaim
explains, "Until when will Israel be in exile?... 'The entire night' is
a reference to the time of exile.... 'Until morning' refers to the time
when He will reveal His glory to us and then dawn will come.... This
will be after 500 years of the sixth millennium have passed, the shining
of the light of the sixth day, Moshiach will come. G-d's day is 1000
years long. The first five hundred years represent the night and the
next five hundred years, the day."

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               END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1000 - Vayechi 5768
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