Rochel bas Tova Refuah Shlaima- Gut Shabbos

Please daven today for Rabbi Bolton's wife Rochel bas Tova. There is no school today due to snow. Shabbos is Parshas Zachor make sure you go hear Torah reading Shabbos morning. Megillah Motzoey Shabbos, & Sunday day make sure you hear both times.
A Freilichin Purim!

In last week's Torah portion we read about G-d's commandments to Moses to make a Tabernacle in the desert and its various vessels; The Menora, Altar, Ark etc.

This week's Torah portion deals with His commandment to make garments for the priests (Cohanim) who worked in the Tabernacle.

But there are many questions here. First why does the portion begin with G-d telling Moses to take pure olive oil for the Menorah and end with the commandment to build an 'inner' golden altar for burning incense? Neither of these have anything to do with the garments, which are the topic of the portion, and seemingly should have been dealt with in last week's portion with the vessels!

Also it is not very clear what exactly is the purpose of these garments and why did they have to be so detailed and precise? Why couldn't all the priests just dress in white plain robes? What difference could it possible make to G-d what they wear?

Also, this Shabbat is Parshat 'Zachor' when, in preparation for Purim, we add a paragraph (Deut. 25:17) to the Torah reading to remind us how Moses defeated the anti-Semitic nation of Amalek from which Haman stemmed.

Is there a connection between all these? To understand, here is a story (Stories of the Baal Shem Tov vol. 5 pg 155)

Some 300 years ago after the Chmilnitzki massacres and the Shabatai Tzvi False-Messiah-fiasco, Judaism was in a state of shock and regression. Like a patient in intensive care, the reigning Rabbis wanted only to protect Judaism by rejecting all change.

In this time lived one Rabbi Yechiel of Kovli. He was a great scholar and holy Jew, but when rumors began going around that there was a Jew called Rabbi Yisroel baal Shem (Baal Shem Tov or Besh't for short) who claimed to have special powers and was teaching a new type of rejuvenated Judaism called Chassidut he was suspicious. And so were the majority of Talmudic scholars.

But unlike most of them he decided to find out for himself whether this Baal Shem was another faker or a perhaps a true leader like Moses who also had big problems changing the mindset of the Jews of his time.

The more objectively Rabbi Yechiel investigated the more he realized that the latter was true and the reason for the opposition was that Chassidut was almost too good to be true.

He became a convinced, devoted follower of the Baal Shem Tov, but when he tried to convince others he found it was a different issue altogether, Jews just don't want to leave Egypt.

For instance, one Motzi Shabbat (Saturday night) he met a Jew who had spent a Shabbat by the Besh't and was totally turned off. He had been very impressed with the Baal Shem's erudition, deep insight, memory, total command of all aspects of the Torah and the communal prayers were incomparable to anything he had ever experienced. But he was repulsed at the fact that Besh't lost his temper!

And not just for a second or two. He related how, on Friday night, shortly after the Sabbath began, the Besh't called his gentile servant Alexi and began screaming and cursing him for not wanting to go out immediately into the cold and brush the horses! The servant was so shocked he almost fainted! He meekly tried to defend himself by saying that he had just brushed them a few minutes ago and it was freezing outside but the Baal Shem Tov just kept shouting that if he didn't go immediately he would burn in hell and become blind and crippled and similar things! It was just shocking. You could see that all the Chassidim, felt so bad for the poor gentile but the Baal Shem Tov just kept yelling "'Go! go! Leave NOW! I'll kill you! get out!" etc.until Alexi ran out into the cold to again brush the horses. "I mean, who cares about horses?! What type of tzadik is this?" the guest complained, "Why, it says clearly in the Talmud that getting angry is equal to idolatry; forgetting about G-d!"

Rabbi Yechiel tried to calm the fellow down, he assured him that the ways of the Besh't were hidden, that it was impossible that he 'lost' his temper etc. but it didn't help until promised he would personally go and ask.

The next day Rabbi Yechiel went to the Baal Shem's Synagogue, waited for him to finish the Morning prayers, took him aside and asked him to please reveal the secret behind his yelling and screaming the day before.

Immediately after he asked he regretted it. How could he mix in to things he had no understanding of? It was like asking Moses why he had a staff!

"Ahh that!" the Baal Shem replied to Rabbi Yechiel's surprise "Of course I'll tell you. You are right, it really was shocking but I had no choice. I'll explain.

"That Friday I noticed that about a hundred miles from here in the middle of the forest there was a simple Jew who had lost his way and, as he noticed that night was falling, had no choice but to stop his carriage and spend the Holy Shabbat where he was (it is forbidden to travel, carry in an open place or use horses on the Shabbat).

"But shortly after nightfall a band of robbers noticed his lone wagon and, not sure if he was armed or not, cautiously began to surround him. Of course the only weapon the poor fellow had except for the stick he used to ocassionally prod his horse was prayer and when he saw that he was surrounded and any second was about to be attacked, he began crying out to G-d for help.

"And that is why I yelled at poor Alexi. I saw that the Jew in the forest didn't have sufficient merits to save himself and I knew I had to do something to help. So I threatened my servant Alexi in order to project his fright on to the robbers! In other words I arranged it so that they felt the same fright he did! They became so insane with fear that they ran away in all directions and didn't dare approach him or his wagon again for the entire Shabbat."

Just as the Besh't finished talking the doors of his synagogue burst open and a wide-eyed Jew who looked as though he had just escaped the angel of death staggered in. He was out of breath, trying his best to say something but it was impossible to make out a word. Someone sat him down, someone else brought him a hot glass of tea, he took a few sips, calmed down, said thanks and began to tell his story to the large crowd of Chassidim that gathered around.

On Friday, just two days ago, he was on the way home driving his wagon through the forest and somehow got lost. So he stopped just before sunset to set up for Shabbat and a band of robbers surrounded his wagon! Then suddenly for no reason their eyes bolted open in fear, they began clutching the sides of their heads screaming 'No! No!' and ran away as though they were being chased by demons!"

This was the man the Baal Shem had saved! The story was verified before Rav Yechiel's eyes!

When Rav Yechiel returned, found the guest and explained what the Besh't had said and what he had seen with his own eyes the guest at first did not believe it, but after a few minutes of thought decided he needed a few more days to think.

Finally the guest became a follower of the Baal Shem Tov and admitted that when he had seen the Besht's scholarship and spirituality, although he had never seen anything like it, it wasn't enough to make him change his entire life. But now that he saw how he used anger to save that traveler it made him realize that the Besh't had the secret to making Judaism was more real than he had ever dreamed.

This answers our questions.

This week's portion deals with the priestly garments but begins with the oil for the Menorah and ends with the inner Altar. The garments were a correction for the sin of Adam which brought shame and egotism into the world. Preceding the commandment of oil accentuates that the reason for these garments is, like the Menorah, to illuminate the world with the awareness of the Creator.

In a more personal sense; the 'garments' of our soul are thought, speech and action (see Tanya Chapt. 4) . These three garments have the purpose of illuminating our surroundings.

Therefore our portion ends with the inner Altar to show that in every thought, word and deed there must be an inner purpose. Something like how the Besht's actions and words really contained the deeper intention of saving that Jew in the forest.

And that is the connection to remembering Amalek in preparation for Purim.

The purpose of the Baal Shem's miraculous transportation of fear a hundred miles away was not only to save the Jew in the forest (like Mordechi saved all the Jews from Haman) but also to save that visiting Jew from his own doubts.

As Chassidut points out that the Hebrew letters for 'Amalek' have the same numerical value as 'Safek' which means 'doubt'. Doubt can be the worst enemy of Judaism; Judaism is joy and love while and doubt is coldness and egotism.

This is the purpose of the Holy Temple, the priestly garments, the shining Menorah, the Inner Altar and Purim; to dispel all doubts about the goodness, closeness, omnipotence of G-d.

And so this is the job of the Baal Shem Tov and all the Chassidic masters after him; to dispel all doubts so the entire world will worship only the Creator; the G-d of Israel, with Joy.

We just have to have no doubts; we must do, say and think positively. Even one more good deed can tip the scales and insure that....the Joy of Purim will never cease!!!

Moshiach NOW!!Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Good Shabbos

This week's section is the first read in the month of Adar (the
happiest month of the year) and speaks of the building of the Mikdash,
the prototype of the Holy Temple.

There are many other religions with their various Bibles and temples
but none of them have anything like this.

Here G-d, the creator of all being, personally went into very minute
detail describing every precise measurement of this edifice including
the vessels used therein: the courtyard was exactly 100 x 50 Amas (an
Ama is 11/2 feet) the tent of meeting 30 x 11, the Ark 2 1/2 x1 1/2 x
1 1/2 etc..

But at first glance this makes no sense! What difference
could all these details possibly make to G-d? Why didn't He just let
the Jews build as huge and plush a Temple that they wanted? After all,
they had taken almost unlimited riches from Egypt why not let them put
it to holy use?

And does all this have anything to do with the joy of Adar?

To understand this, here is here is a story.

The Fourth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch (1834-1883); the 'Mahara'sh':
(Morenu HaRav Shmuel) had a Chassid of whose daughter became engaged
to a fine, learned, G-d fearing, charitable young man that had only
one fault; he was a 'misnaged'; a religious Jew that hated the
Chassidim.

He was quiet by nature and it wasn't hard for him to keep this hatred
concealed to the degree that, to satisfy his father-in-law before the
wedding , he even agreed to go to get a blessing from the Chabad
Rebbe. But after the wedding things changed. He became boss and
revealed that he abhorred the whole idea of Rebbes giving blessings to
the core his soul.

But except for this he was an idea husband. He and his wife lived in
peace and harmony and after a year were blessed with a beautiful child
with sparkling, happy eyes whom they called Shmuelik. But after a few
weeks they noticed that he was not moving his legs!

They visited one doctor then another, ran from professor to professor
until a depressing picture unfolded before their eyes. All the doctors
agreed that the child would be paralyzed for life. Nothing could be
done, all they could do was shake their heads sadly and say they were
sorry.

The years passed, the child grew. He was intelligent, had a pleasant
disposition with sparkling eyes but, in addition to being generally
frail, his legs just didn't work at all and all the prayers and good
deeds of his parents and everyone they knew didn't help. Everyone knew
the truth; the doctors were right… hopeless. But his wife thought
differently; she tried to convince her husband to at least ask the
Rebbe, Rebbe Shmuel of Chabad, to help. But when she plaintively
begged him he just replied,

"Feh! If the best professors and all our prayers couldn't help then
how can you still believe your 'Rebbe' can help? What, he's some sort
of  professor!? It's a waste of time! We must accept what G-d has
done."

But when the child turned sixteen years old his wife changed her tone.
 She refused to remain passive any longer.

"What will be?!" She would take her husband aside at least once a day
and scream at him in a whisper so her son wouldn't hear .

 "Just because of your boneheaded stubbornness our son has to suffer?!
Look at him! What will he do the rest of his life? Have you no mercy?
What have you got to lose?! You don't even know any Chassidim! Your
son is suffering for nothing!!"

Her complaining finally had its effect; one day her husband came home
from the Morning Prayers and announced that he was willing to go to
the Lubavitcher Rebbe ….. but only on the condition that if it didn't
work she would stop pestering him.

So, a few days later he arrived in the town of Lubavitch where the
Chabad Chassidim were, arranged an audience with the Rebbe and the
next evening he entered the Rebbe's room.

He closed the door behind him and as soon as he focused in on the
Rebbe's holy face he was stricken with awe. His tongue refused to move
and his mind became so confused that he didn't know what he had come
for. He had never been in the presence of such a man.  But the Rebbe
began the conversation

"You were here almost seventeen years ago before your wedding. How are
you? How is your wife?"

The friendly tone brought him out of his reverie. He regained his
senses and suddenly understood that maybe this Rebbe could help after
all. He began to pour his heart out about his sick son and ended his
sad monologue, tears streaming down his cheeks, with the words;
"Rebbe, the boy is paralyzed, he's hopeless, please save him. We don't
know what to do!!"

"You don't know what to do?!" The Rebbe smiled and answered. "Well
then I'll tell you what to do! Make him a shidduch!" (Find him a
bride!).

"A bride?" Stammered the boy's father. "A Shidduch? Who would marry
him? Who could he marry? I mean…."

But the Rebbe continued, "Find a poor orphan girl. I'm sure you must
know of such a G-d-fearing kind hearted girl. Appeal to her, speak
sincerely; after all, I hear that your son is a fine, intelligent
young man.  Buy her gifts, jewelry, tell her you will support her and
tell her of your son's good qualities.  Just be positive and, with
G-d's help, everything will work out."

He left the Rebbe's room a different man. The Rebbe spoke in such
detail that for the first time in sixteen years he felt that there was
really hope. He traveled to Minsk, bought jewelry and several days
later returned home.

On the way back it had occurred to him that the girl he was looking
for was living in his own house! He and his wife had taken a poor
orphan girl into their house over ten years ago and, although he never
had considered her for his son, suddenly it made sense.

When he got home he approached her with the idea and when she saw the
colorful boxes that contained the presents she became interested.

It was just as the Rebbe said. She was flattered to be considered as a
match for his son, happy to be part of his family and revealed she was
aware of Shmuelik's good qualities. In short… she agreed! It was a
miracle! His son would be married! He began regretting all he ever
said against the Rebbe!! Happy ending!!

But that isn't the end.

A day before the wedding, which was to take place in their home, the
preparations were in their height. Tables were being set, everything
was being cleaned and scrubbed and the pots were boiling on the stove.
The smell of cooking meat was so strong and appealing that everyone
was taking samples from time to time and Shmuelik was no exception and
asked his mother to bring him a taste.

At first she hesitated. Shmuelik was probably excited because of the
wedding, but he never ate meat, not even on Shabbat, it would make him
sick. He was a fragile, weak boy that ate only the lightest of foods.
But he repeated his request several times and she had no choice but to
comply against her better judgment.

And sure enough, after he finished eating the meat he felt strange.

They rushed him to his bed, his mother at his side and he began to
complain that legs felt light, tingling and … suddenly for the first
time in his life .....  he MOVED THEM!!

The next day, supported by two friends, he was able to walk down the
aisle and actually took the last few steps on his own! Everyone was
crying and the joy at the wedding knew no limits.

From that day on Shmulik walked normally and lived to see children and
grandchildren… the work of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

This answers our question. The day the Temple was built was called by
King Solomon G-d's wedding day (Song of songs 5:1). G-d, so to speak,
got 'married', unified in a revealed way to the Jewish people and to
the world.

And just as in our story the Joy of the wedding came from details
being fulfilled (especially the complicated functioning of Shmuelik's
legs), so also the joy of the Temple came only when every detail was
completed.

In fact this is the secret of joy: when every detail of life has meaning.

 And only the Torah tries to do it as we see in the details of this
week's section: details are important to G-d!!

And that is the secret of the Holy Temple; it was a complicated
building made from physical materials in THIS world exactly according
to G-d's specifications….to show us that G-d favors this PHYSICAL
world with all its details infinitely more than all the spiritual
ones!!

That is why Moshiach will rebuild the PHYSICAL holy Temple, bring all
the Jews to the PHYSICAL LAND of Israel and even bring the dead back
to PHYSICAL life!! Because that is the essence of life and of true
joy!!

Just as the Rebbe got Shmuelik married and on his feet… so Moshiach
will have the entire world dancing at the consummation of the marriage
of the Creator and His creation in the Third Temple in Jerusalem.

On that day we will see that G-d is ONE and there is nothing beside HIM.

It's up to us to make it happen even one moment sooner; just one good
deed can tip the scales to bring....

Moshiach NOW!!Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Vov Adar this Shabbos

Added significance to the above is added within the Lubavitch community by the fact that this week, Shabbos parshas Terumah falls on the sixth of Adar, the yahrzeit of the Rashag (Rav Shemaryahu Gourarie), the Previous Rebbe's son-in-law, and the person appointed by the Previous Rebbe to be the director of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim.

A yahrzeit represents a drastic ascent for the soul.[103] This ascent, however, also draws down influence to this earthly plane and in particular, to those who shared a connection with the person whose yahrzeit it is (in this instance, the students of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim).

This, the directorship of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim represented the Rashag's primary activity. He acted with the power invested in him by the Previous Rebbe, the first director of the yeshivah, who was appointed to that position by the Rebbe Rashab, the founder of the yeshivah. We see the fruits of his efforts, a multitude of students involved in the study of Torah (nigleh and chassidus[104]) and spreading the wellsprings of Judaism and Chassidus outward.

These efforts are related to the concepts described above since every yeshivah is "a Sanctuary in microcosm" and their activities cause the light to shine in an internalized and settled[105] manner as it will in the Messianic Bais HaMikdash. In particular, there is a connection to the Messianic era, since the students of Tomchei Temimim are characterized as "soldiers of the House of David," "candles to illuminate" the darkness of exile and hasten the coming of Moshiach.

In particular, the unity of the physical and spiritual which characterized the Sanctuary and its service is also reflected in the fusion of nigleh and chassidus as studied in the yeshivah. Nigleh, the revealed aspects of Torah, is related to those aspects of G-dliness which are revealed through creation. P'nimiyus HaTorah, the soul of Torah, is related to the hidden dimensions of G-dliness, the G-dliness which transcends creation.

The service associated with Tomchei Temimim is also reflected in the Rashag's name, Shemaryahu ben Menachem Mendel. The name Shemaryahu (àä-ëÿÄÖ) contains three of the letters of the word Neshamah (äÄÖÉ "soul"). The fourth letter, the nun, can be formed by placing the letter yud at the foot of the letter vav. This is related to P'nimiyus HaTorah, "the soul of the Torah." This name is also connected with the Messianic redemption as evidenced by the fact that it contains a mem in its midst.[107]

The connection to the Messianic redemption is also emphasized by the name, ben Menachem Mendel. Our Sages relate that Menachem is one of Moshiach's names and Mendel is numerically equivalent to Tzedek which is also one of the Moshiach's names. In this context, the word "ben" should be interpreted as a definition of the individual's nature as in the expression, ben chorin and not translated in its simple sense as meaning, the "son of." Thus, "ben Menachem Mendel" alludes to one whose nature is characterized by the efforts to [spread Chassidus which will] bring about Moshiach's coming.

Thus, it is appropriate that we make an increase in Torah study, in particular, an increase in the efforts to "gather people together on Shabbos to study Torah," which was initiated by Moshe. Also, it should be connected with the efforts to make "a Sanctuary in microcosm," as reflected by in an increase in Torah and mitzvos, and in particular, an increase in gifts to tzedakah.

In regard to the students of Tomchei Temimim, they should increase their study of Torah, both nigleh and chassidus and also increase their efforts to be "candles that illuminate" and spread the light of Chassidus throughout the world. [In this context, it is appropriate that a Chassidic discourse which deals with the Messianic era and the concept of resurrection be printed in memory of the Rashag.]

May these efforts hasten the coming of the Messianic redemption when we will serve G-d in the third Bais HaMikdash, "the sanctuary of G-d, established by Your hands."

Help us keep the doors of Tomchei Temimim open in honor of the Rasha"g, by sending your donations to U.L.Y. 841 Ocean Parkway Brooklyn, N.Y. 11230 or call (718)434-0795

RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

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