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                         L'CHAIM - ISSUE # 1401
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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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        December 18, 2015       Vayigash           6 Tevet, 5776
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                            Do it, Jewish It

Judaism doesn't believe in asceticism. Torah does not consider it a
lofty goal to totally separate oneself from the world and its pleasures.
Rather, we are encouraged to enjoy life, but in a uniquely Jewish
fashion.

Maimonides writes in his Mishne Torah: "A person may desire... not to
eat meat, nor to drink wine, live in a pleasant home, or wear fine
clothing... This is a wrong path and it is forbidden to follow it... Our
Sages directed man to abstain only from those things which the Torah
forbids him and not to deny himself those which are permitted."

We are all going to partake of this world no matter what, as we should.
So we might as well do it Jewishly.

The Talmud states that when one is surrounded by beautiful objects and
furnishings it expands the mind and relaxes the person. One can
therefore study Torah more assiduously. So when you re-decorate or
purchase artwork, consider whether this color paint or that artist's
work of art, are mind expanding or stress reducing.

Don't deny yourself "meat" or "wine" or any of the delicacies
in-between. But do make sure that it's kosher. Additionally, remember
our body is on loan to us from G-d, so eating healthy enables us to
return it in as good shape as possible.

Wear fine clothes and keep up with the fashion - if you can afford to.
But while you shop, keep in mind that you want to dress Jewishly, with
dignity. And if you can't afford or have no interest in dressing on
fashion's cutting edge, dress with just as much dignity, but less
expensively.

At an international Chanuka gathering - connecting together people on
five continents by satellite - the Rebbe expressed the above concepts
and brought them one step further. With an awareness of the purpose of
creation for all material things, we can use them toward their proper
purpose. He said:

"Our involvement with material things should be motivated by more than a
desire for self-gratification. This involvement should be purposeful in
nature and ultimately directed toward serving G-d.

"In this manner, not only does this satellite-link communicate spiritual
truth: it expresses it itself. For satellite communication, like every
other creation brought into being by G-d, exists for a purpose. As our
Sages declare, `Whatever the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His
world, He created solely for His glory.' In this instance, G-d revealed
the wisdom for this and other technological advances that unite
different parts of the world so that we could better appreciate the
oneness that pervades all existence.

"But Judaism never allows anything to remain in the theoretical.
Practical application and an orientation toward action are the backbone
of Judaism:

"The oneness achieved through satellite communication allows one person
to share with another not only in the realm of thought, but also in a
tangible way. For example, charitable funds can be transferred from one
account to another regardless of the geographic distance, and in this
manner, a needy person can be promptly given the wherewithal to purchase
his physical necessities," the Rebbe concluded.

We are physical people in a physical world. That's the way G-d created
us and that's the way He wants it. But He also "wants" us to reveal the
true purpose of everything physical and use it for its G-dly purpose.

As we approach the Messianic Era, when the Divine purpose for everything
will be fully revealed, it becomes easier to achieve the goal of using
the pleasures of the world to bring pleasure to ourselves and ultimately
to G-d.

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           LIVING WITH THE REBBE  -  THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION
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The Jewish nation has endured four exiles: The first in Egypt, the
second in Babylonia, the third in Assyria. The fourth and final exile is
the one we have been in for the last two thousand years, the "exile of
Edom." (Edom stands for Rome, and symbolizes the countries of the
Western world.)

The Torah portion of Vayigash delineates the beginning of the Jewish
people's journey into exile. G-d appeared to Jacob and promised, "I will
descend with you into Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again."
Bolstered by this promise, Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt and
began the Jewish people's 210-year sojourn there.

In many respects the exile in Egypt was the harshest of all the exiles;
it occurred before the giving of the Torah, which afforded future
generations the strength to withstand the suffering. Also, as with other
painful experiences, the first time it occurs the wound is always the
deepest and the hardest to overcome.

In addition, the Jews' exile in Egypt differed from future ones in that
all Jews were involved. Later exiles found Jews scattered all over the
world, assuring that whenever Jews were discriminated against in one
country there were other lands in which they enjoyed relative freedom,
and could come to the aid of their brethren.

Furthermore, Egypt itself was a land that posed particular difficulties.
Not only was it spiritually corrupt, but our Sages describe it as a
fortified country from which not even one slave could escape.

This first and most difficult exile served one positive purpose - to act
as preparation for the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Egypt was the
crucible in which the Jewish nation was purified and made worthy of the
Torah.

We learn this from the Hebrew name for Egypt, "Mitzrayim," which comes
from the word meaning "limitation" and "constriction."

When water's flow is artificially blocked by placing an obstruction in
its path, the water flows even more forcefully because of the temporary
impasse. When one's thumb is held over the tap to partially obstruct the
flow, the water shoots out that much more forcefully from the faucet.

Such is the Divine purpose of our exile, to uncover within every Jew the
hidden strengths and stores of faith that are in the Jewish soul. The
difficulties and pressures of the exile cause these inner qualities and
self-sacrifice to be revealed.

The experience of exile can be used for our maximum benefit - to
strengthen our commitment to Torah and mitzvot (commandments). Just as
the Jews eventually left Egypt victorious and with "great wealth," and
were worthy of receiving the Torah, may we be worthy to usher in the
Messianic era, now.

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                             SLICE OF LIFE
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                         The Power of an Essay
                          by Esther Sternberg

Nearly four decades ago, the Rebbe told me to publish a book of essays
written by girls about the mitzva (commandment) of lighting Shabbat
candles. The Rebbe told me to make a contest to get the girls to write,
and to offer prizes to the winners.

Two years later, we again publicized a contest and offered prizes to the
girls who wrote the winning essays. The contest generated a lot of
excitement, we selected the winners, and I thought I was finished as I
had had no intention of publishing another book.

Then one day, my husband said, "We just got a call from the Rebbe's
office. The Rebbe wants to know, where is the second book? ...it must be
distributed before Rosh Hashana!"

It was just a little over a month until Rosh Hashana. How would we put
out a book in less than five weeks? I reviewed the compositions from our
last essay contest, and saw that we didn't have enough interesting
material to fill a whole book.

I called a friend who was in charge working at Camp Emunah, a girls'
overnight camp in the Catskill Mountains run by Lubavitch. At the time
there were many new immigrants from Russia and Iran attending Camp
Emunah. I explained the Rebbe's request to my friend, Yehudis Metzger. I
asked if she could get the girls to write compositions about lighting
Shabbat candles.

A little while later, I received a number of essays, including one from
a 12-year old girl named Laura. She had just come from Russia and wrote
that in camp she had learned to keep Shabbat for the first time. She
concluded, "I hope that when I come home I will continue to keep Shabbat
just like I did in camp."

We put together the book and it was printed in time for Rosh Hashana. We
printed Laura's essay in Russian and also translated it into English.
That was the end of the story. Or so we thought.

Thirty years later, a woman from Philadelphia called me. "My name is
Yanna. This past Shabbat, I was at the Chabad House and I noticed a book
called A Candle of My Own. I looked through it and saw an essay by a
girl named Laura, who wrote about how much she loved Shabbat and how she
hopes to continue keeping Shabbat when she gets home.

"I happen to know Laura. Her husband and daughter have been coming
around to the Chabad House and I think Laura is ready as well. I believe
that if I show her a copy of the book with her own essay in it, it could
change her life."

I had only two books left, and I was reluctant to part with one of them.
But if it could possibly change someone's life...

I agreed to give a copy to Yanna.  For three weeks I didn't hear from
her and thought maybe it had gone to waste. Then I received a call.

"Mrs. Sternberg, this is Laura Fisher. I used to be Laura Brovender. I
was in Camp Emunah and I wrote that essay. This past Shabbat I was
invited to a Shabbaton. There was a large crowd, and there was an easel
set up with a cloth covering. I thought maybe it was a painting that
would be unveiled during the Shabbaton.

"Suddenly someone got up and said, 'Laura, we have a surprise for you!'

"They took off the cover and on the easel was the book of essays, opened
to my composition. I read it and started to cry. It brought me back to
my childhood, when I loved Shabbat and wanted to keep it so badly. But
my parents made fun of me and wouldn't let me keep Jewish observance. I
still remember all the blessings I learned in camp."

Then her husband got up and showed a prayer book that his wife had
received that summer from her counselor in Camp Emunah. The counselor
had written a blessing to Laura. First the ink is strong, then the pen
is running out of ink and the letters look faded. Then apparently the
counselor got a new pen and the letters are strong again.

Laura's husband pointed out that this blessing from the counselor is the
story of Laura's life. The experience in Camp Emunah was like the bold
first ink, and left a strong impression on Laura. Then the letters
faded, but now they are coming to life again and Laura is newly inspired
to take on more Jewish observances.

Everyone at the Shabbaton was very moved, and Laura called to thank me
for my foresight in putting together that book.  I told her, "Don't
thank me, thank the Rebbe."

She said, "Do you see the vision of the Rebbe? He knew that years later
I would need inspiration and I would see this book again one day when I
was ready for it. Now I'm ready."

Laura and Yanna came to visit me together with their daughters, and I
told them many stories about the Shabbat Candle Lighting Campaign
initiated by the Rebbe in 1975 and about the Rebbe. I was also invited
to Philadelphia to speak to the Russian Jewish community there. I formed
a close relationship with Yanna and Laura.

One Shabbat I was hosting Yanna and Laura in my home in Crown Heights.
We were discussing the story and I said, "It would be so interesting to
find out the name of the counselor who taught Laura."

Laura said, "I don't even know how I ended up in Camp Emunah that
summer. I had just come from Russia in May, and by June I was already in
camp. My counselor made me feel so at home."

All we knew about the counselor was that her name was Yona, because that
was how she signed her letter in Laura's prayer book. Once again I
called my friend Yehudis Metzger and she told me that Yona was a friend
of her daughter Tova. I called Tova (Meizlish), now an emissary of the
Rebbe in Mexico, and she told me that Yona Hershkowitz was a wonderful
Russian woman. She had  tragically passed away in a car accident,
leaving behind four young children.

Yona had been only 16 years old that summer when she was Laura's
counselor, yet she had the depth and maturity to give her all to the
girls in her charge and to impact their lives significantly.

Hearing about Yona's passing, Laura committed herself to be more careful
in her observance of mitzvot in Yona's honor.

Every act ignites a spark. Maybe for the spark to burst into a flame
will take a week, or a few weeks, or even a few years or decades. But
every mitzva is a candle that will lead to another spark and flame.

                       Reprinted from The N'Shei Chabad Newsletter.

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                               WHAT'S NEW
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                             New Synagogues

The Jewish community of Ivanova, Russia, opened a new synagogue and JCC.
In addition to a synagogue, the facility includes classrooms,
Sunday-school facilities, a library, a kosher cafeteria and
social-service offices. There are also plans for the construction of a
mikva as well.

A special celebration took place recently in Miami Beach, Florida, with
the ground breaking and laying of the cornerstone for the new synagogue
and mikva of Bais Menachem of Miami Beach. Established in 1989, the
congregation had outgrown its current location.

Chabad of North Tel Aviv, Israel, dedicated a newly renovated Sanctuary
at the Chabad House and welcomed a new Torah scroll as well.

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                            THE REBBE WRITES
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             Freely translated, from www.meaningfullife.com

           3rd Day of Week, 5th of Teves, 5736 (Dec. 9, 1976)

Greeting and Blessing

... In reply to your inquiry and request for instructions in connection
with the forthcoming fast of Asoro b'Teves (10th of Teves), in view of
the situation in and around the Land of Israel -

You will surely be instructed by the rabbi of your congregation this
coming Shabbos, which is the eve of Asoro b'Teves, in his sermon, and in
practical terms, since the essential thing is the deed.

However, since you have also approached me in this matter, I will set
forth, at least, several suggestions - after the following introductory
remarks:

Regrettably, there are people who claim that it is necessary to think
and act "big," in terms of global dimensions and stupendous
undertakings, etc., etc.  Surely they mean well; and to the extent that
such resolutions are practical and are actually carried out - they are
very helpful to improve the situation.

Yet, we must never overlook - indeed, rather greatly emphasize - the
so-called "small and unsophisticated" things which each modest
congregation, or even each individual, can and must do - beginning with
the old, yet ever-new, Jewish way, collectively as one people and also
as individuals.  This is the action of "the voice is the voice of Jacob"
- Torah and prayer - which G-d himself has shown us to be the first
effective action to nullify the power of "the hands of Esau" - in
whatever shape or form they are raised against us.

Certainly this should find the fullest expression in a day which the
Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) declares to be a Day of Fasting, one
to which the prophet Isaiah refers as a "chosen fast ... a fast and time
favored by G-d."

Now, in answer to your inquiry, and since the Fast of Asoro b'Teves is
especially connected with Eretz Yisroel (the Land of Israel) and the
holy city of Jerusalem (recalling the siege of Jerusalem), my suggestion
- in addition to the regular "observances" on Fast Days, as set forth at
length and in detail in Jewish legal works and in books of Mussar and
Chassidus - is as follows:

During this Day - expressly for the sake of the security and
strengthening of Eretz Yisroel as well as in the Diaspora - and
particularly for the benefit of our brethren behind the "Iron Curtain,"
a special effort should be made in the spirit of "Old Israel" - in the
areas of Torah, Tefillah (prayer), and Tzedoko (charity),

Specifically: After the prayers (both in the morning and at Mincha [the
afternoon prayer]) to learn (and where there already are daily study
groups, to add) a subject in Torah, including a legal ruling,

Immediately following the prayers, even before learning, to say several
chapters of Psalms (in addition to the regular portion);

Before and after the prayers - to give charity (in addition to the
regular donation), including charity for a sacred cause or institution
in Eretz Yisroel, Eretz haChayim ("Land of the Living").

Needless to say, one who repeats the above again and again in the course
of the day, is to be praised, and each time - the more one adds in these
activities (in quantity and quality), is to be praised all the more.

And, as in all matters of Kedusha (Holiness), it is desirable that all
the above be done in a group (with at least a Minyan).

May G-d accept, and He will accept, the prayers and supplications of
Jews wherever they are, and soon, in our very own days, may the Promise
be fulfilled that "These days will be transformed into days of rejoicing
and gladness,"

With the true and complete Redemption through our righteous Moshiach.

With esteem and blessing,

                                *  *  *

           End of letter from previous issue regarding public
                 Menorah lightings in the United States



I hope and pray that everyone who has a voice and influence in Jewish
community affairs and is concerned for the preservation of Jews and
Judaism in this country no less than for the preservation of the
American way, will indeed act in the spirit of the basic principle of
"this nation under G-d, and government of the people, by the people and
for the people." Including also the Jewish people, and do everything
possible for the good of every Jewish child, that he and she remain
Jewish, marry a Jew and live Jewishly; and of course a good Jew is also
a good American.

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                               TEACHINGS
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Picture this scene: Millions of Jews - men and women, infants and
seniors, scholars and lay people - assembled in Jerusalem on the Temple
Mount. A hush falls over the crowd as the king of Israel ascends on to a
platform and reads sections of the holy Torah. The nation is inspired
and invigorated. A display of unity and a statement of purpose converge
to refocus the people. This scene repeated itself in ancient Jerusalem
on a septennial basis. When the Temple will soon be rebuilt, the
practice will be renewed, with Moshiach himself reading from the Torah.

                                                       (chabad.org)

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                        A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
                         Rabbi Shmuel M. Butman
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On the Shabbat following the writing of the letter printed on the left,
Shabbat Parshat Vayigash, the Rebbe gave more details as to how we can
aid the situation in the Land of Israel on the Tenth of Tevet (this year
Tuesday, December 22).

The Rebbe began by explaining that while he had intentionally not stated
details - as each person should fulfill the directives according to
their heart's desires - "nevertheless, since every inspiration requires
details in order for it to be actualized, we can find specific
directives based on the words of our Rebbes, our Leaders, in similar
situations and in the words of Sages in general":

Study of Torah. Specifically: The laws regarding fasting, and since the
ultimate purpose of a fast day is that it be transformed into joy and
gladness and to a holiday - we should also study the end of the Laws of
Fasting in Maimonides' Mishne Torah, where he discusses the fulfillment
of the promise that the fast days will be transformed to "holidays" and
"days of joy and gladness."

Prayer. Specifically, the three Psalms, 20 22 and 69 that the Previous
Rebbe had directed be said in 1941. Even though the present situation is
not at all as severe, G-d forbid, as it was then, yet it is still
appropriate to make an additional effort beyond the conventional

Charity: The siege of the walls surrounding Jerusalem began on the 10th
of Tevet. Accordingly, based on the words of our Sages "I am your wall -
this is Torah" - charity should be given to a Torah organization, and
more specifically - (also) to literally help build a 'wall' - charity to
construct a Torah building (or for the maintenance and repairs of an
existing building).

There is a virtue in the charity outside of Israel and a virtue in the
charity given for Israel. Its is therefore appropriate to give the
additional charity both for a Torah organization outside of Israel and
for a Torah organization in Israel, which will be rebuilt by our
Righteous Moshiach.

And, as the Rebbe concluded then, the more you add in these three
activities the better it is.

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                          THOUGHTS THAT COUNT
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You shall tell my father of all my honor in Egypt (Gen. 45:13)

"Tell my father not to worry," Joseph requested of his brothers. "All
the honor and respect heaped upon me by the Egyptians has not had a
negative effect. It has not made me lose the humility necessary to
worship G-d properly."

                                               (Gedolei HaChasidut)

                                *  *  *


And he saw all the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him (Gen.
45:27)

Rashi comments that with these wagons Joseph alluded to the very last
subject in Torah he had learned with his father Jacob before being sold
into slavery, that of the egla arufa (beheaded heifer). When Jacob saw
the wagons (agalot - the same root word as egla), he realized that his
son was sending the message that he had not forgotten all that he had
learned with his father so many years ago. We see from this that
seemingly insignificant actions of the righteous are fraught with
meaning and serve as lessons and examples for those who take heed.

                                               (Maayana Shel Torah)

                                *  *  *


Here is seed for you; and you shall sow the land (Gen. 47:23)

The righteous Joseph, the spiritual leader of every generation, gives
each of us the encouragement and strength we need to worship G-d. But we
must not rely solely on that which we receive from the tzadik; we must
also sow the seeds we are given.

                                                        (The Rebbe)

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                            IT ONCE HAPPENED
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The era of the First Holy Temple was replete with both the greatest
wonders and the greatest temptations. Although miracles were daily
occurrences, the people succumbed to the temptation of idol worship
which prevailed among the nations of the world at that time. Destruction
came upon the Jewish nation slowly, and though the prophets begged the
people to return from their sinful practices, it was to no avail.

In the year 3228 (533 b.c.e.), Menashe, the evil son of the righteous
King Hezzikaya, rose to the throne of Judea. Through his insidious
influence idol worship spread through the land. The next half century
saw the great struggle between the arch-rivals Babylonia and Egypt
encroach into the Jewish kingdom, as Judea became a vassal king of King
Nebuchadnezar.

The year 434 b.c.e. saw the first wave of exiles, the elite of
Jerusalem, leave for Babylonia. These men included the greatest leaders
and scholars of the time: Mordechai, Daniel and Ezekiel, men who would
be instrumental in bringing about great miracles in the future. Only the
poor were left in the land, and the future clearly pointed to the exiled
community which was to grow and flourish in Babylonia.

Eight years later, the end came as the forces of the Babylonian
commander besieged Jerusalem and battered its defences. The Holy Temple,
the king's palace, as well as the rest of the city was burned and laid
waste. The remaining leaders were executed and the people forced into
exile under torturous conditions.

Although the destruction had been bloody and crushing, the Jewish exiles
in Babylonia gradually rebuilt their lives and communities. The
Babylonian rulers permitted the Jews considerable independence to
reconstruct Jewish life in the new environment. The adjustment was made
easier by the fact that the earlier exiles were now well established.

The exiles thought that their stay in Babylon would be a short one. They
waited and longed for the day on which they would return to the Holy
Land. However, it was decreed differently: The prophet Jeremiah told
them that it was decreed in Heaven that they must remain in Babylon.
"Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their
fruit...Increase there...Seek the welfare of the city to which I have
exiled you and pray to G-d for her, because through her peace, you will
have peace."

And so, the exiled Jews settled down in Babylon. But how could they
retain their Jewishness in a foreign land, bereft of the Holy Temple and
its Divine service, and surrounded as they were by idol worshippers? The
guidance of the Sages of the time set the pattern for Jewish life for
all coming generations by establishing the foundations of Torah study,
assuring the continuation of the Jewish people both in and out of exile.

One of the early exiled Jews mentioned above was Daniel. Together with
three companions, the 15 year-old Daniel was amongst those chosen to
attend the king in the royal palace. True to their upbringing, Daniel
and his friends resisted the temptations of the royal lifestyle.
Refusing to partake of non-kosher food, they were given beans and water,
but in spite of this meager diet, they remained robust. The wisdom of
the Jewish youths attracted attention, and Daniel and his companions
were appointed to high positions in the royal court. Nebuchadnezzar had
reached the pinnacle of his power, but he began to worry about the
future.

One of the most remarkable episodes in the life of Daniel occurred when
the king had a terrifying dream. When he awoke, the king was unable to
remember the dream that had so frightened him. His terror and anxiety
mounted, and he summoned his advisors, and ordered them to reveal to him
both the dream and its meaning. But even under the threat of death, they
couldn't explain a dream which the king himself couldn't recall.

Then, the king called upon Daniel. In response to his prayers, G-d
enabled Daniel to describe and interpret the dream. His explanation was
as follows: The king saw in his dream a towering statue whose head was
made of gold. The golden head represented Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of
the known world at the time. The chest and arms were silver, which
symbolized Persia and Media, weaker kingdoms, which would, nevertheless,
replace Babylon. The thighs of the statue were copper, representing
Greece, the third and weaker empire in the chain. Its legs were of iron,
this symbolic of the cruel rule of Rome, the fourth empire. The statue's
toes were partly iron and partly earthenware. This represented the two
kingdoms which would follow Rome: the Holy Roman Empire and the Moslem
rule and the many smaller kingdom's which would result from their
fragmentation. As the dream continued, a small stone rolled toward the
figure and smashed it. Then, the small stone grew into a huge mountain.
This small stone represented the King Moshiach, who would overthrow
these kingdoms and rule in the end.

The king accepted Daniel's interpretation and raised him to even higher
rank. A succeeding king, Belshazzar was to have another, even more
astonishing need for Daniel's interpretive powers when Hebrew words
mysteriously appeared on the wall of his palace during a drinking orgy.
He interpreted those words correctly, as well, predicting the demise of
his kingdom, which occurred that same night.

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                            MOSHIACH MATTERS
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G-d, return to my tent, do not leave Your place - the Holy Temple; bring
to an end the days of my mourning; indeed, come to give me my reward...
L-rd , the portion of my heritage, hasten to my aid, loosen my sackcloth
and gird me with joy; light my darkness, and with Your light illuminate
the night of redemption for which I long, for You are my light... L-rd ,
redeem my soul from sorrow and sighing; grant relief to Your people, my
King and my Holy One; change to well-being the Fast of the Fifth, to joy
and gladness the Fast of the Fourth and the Fast of the Tenth.

                    (From the Penitential Prayers said on 10 Tevet)

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               END OF TEXT - L'CHAIM 1401 - Vayigash 5776
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