A MIXER OR A MIKVEH?

Transcription

1 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~January 30 2009
Newspaper
Community
‫כאן צוה ה’ את הברכה‬
January 30, 2009 | Shevat 5,
5769
‫ תשס”ט | בס”ד‬, ‫פרשת נא | ה' שבט‬
weekly vOL. Ii | NO 14 YUD SHEVAT
THE BEGINNING OF THE REBBE'S NESIUS PAGE 10
WHAT IS A REBBE? PAGE 11
YUD SHEVAT CUSTOMS PAGE 11
RABBI YOSEF YITZCHOK SHNEERSON PAGE 12
GOAL OF MIVTZOIM PAGE 12
A MIXER OR A MIKVEH?
Page 6
BORUCH...MATIR ASURIM
Hagaon Hachossid Horav
Chaim Meir Bukiet
OUR DAVENING HAS BORNE
FRUIT! SHOLOM RUBASHKIN
WAS RELEASED ON BAIL.
Beis Din of Crown Heights
390A Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Tel- 718~604~8000 Fax: 718~771~6000
Rabbi A. Osdoba: ❖ Monday to Thursday 10:30AM - 11:30AM at 390A Kingston Ave. ☎Tel. 718-604-8000 ext.37 or 718-604-0770
Sunday-Thursday 9:30 PM-11:00PM ~Friday 2:30PM-4:30 PM ☎Tel. (718) - 771-8737
Rabbi Y. Heller is available daily 10:30 to 11:30am ~ 2:00pm to 3:00pm at 788 Eastern Parkway # 210 718~604~8827 ❖ & after 8:00pm 718~756~4632
Rabbi Y. Schwei, 4:00pm to 9:00pm ❖ 718~604~8000 ext 36
Rabbi Y. Raitport is available by appointment. ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 39
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Rabbi S. Segal: ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 39 ❖ Sun ~Thu 5:30pm -9:00pm or ☎718 -360-7110
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4:54
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Rabbi Y. Osdoba ☎718~604~8000 ext 38 ❖ Sun~Thu: 10:0am -11:30am ~ Fri 10:am - 1:00 pm or
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Rabbi S. Chirik: ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 38 ❖ Sun~Thu: 5:00pm to 9:00pm
The Vaad Hakohol
REBBE'S STORY
Enhancing Achievement
Reprinted from the book
To Know and To Care - Volume 1
Published and copyright © by Sichos
in English
“W hen one tells a story about his Rebbe he connects to the deeds of the Rebbe”
(Sichos 1941 pg. 68)
“I consider it my pleasure and duty to
help others benefit from an association with the Rebbe, just as I have
benefited in both my business and
“For the past twenty-odd
years, since I had first met
the Rebbe, my life can be
described as a pocket full
of miracles,” says Mr. David
Chase, one of America’s foremost businessmen. “And I
don’t mean only in my business endeavors. To the contrary, the greatest miracle
of them may have been my
ability to appreciate the message that the Rebbe conveys.
My relationship with the
Rebbe has given me and many
others a sensitivity to matters
which are beyond ordinary
mortal understanding. For
this reason, over the years,
I have committed myself to
advancing the Rebbe’s work
in many areas and to different
people.
“The Rebbe’s directives are
so far-reaching and never ending.
The Rebbe himself once described
his ‘insatiable appetite’ for ongoing
Jewish activity. Perhaps it is the
Rebbe’s total lack of self-concern
and constant devotion to the welfare
of others that has motivated me to
regard my Lubavitch activity as a
cherished labor of love.
“As a Holocaust survivor myself,
I insisted that his statement be
forthright, without minimizing the
issue or covering it up with bland
diplomatic wording.
“Mr. Walesa surprised the Israeli
government with his non-evasive
statement of regret on behalf of
the Polish people. Subsequently,
former Prime Minister Shamir was
very demanding in several points,
including a change in the pro-Arab
approach that had been advocated
by Poland’s previous Communist
leaders and a cessation of arms sales
private life. My activities bring me
in contact with many public figures
around the world, and I do not hesitate to share my experiences with the
Rebbe and with his directives with
Jews and non-Jews.
“I often visit my native land, Poland,
where I have business interests.
Prior to one trip to Poland, I visited
“Once, at the annual meeting of the New York and asked for the Rebbe’s
Machne Israel Development Fund, I blessing. The Rebbe handed me
told the Rebbe how pleased I was to an additional dollar, saying: “Give
be one of the soldiers in his army. this to a person in Poland who will
benefit the Jewish people.”
“You are not merely a soldier,”
the Rebbe replied. “You are my “Due to my business endeavors, I
general.”
have various contacts in the Polish
government, and I contemplated
“Some time later, when I came to
who would be the proper recipient of
receive a dollar on Sunday, I received
the Rebbe’s dollar. One day I found
a promotion; the Rebbe told me, “I
myself aboard a domestic flight
regard you as a five-star general.”
with the newly elected President
Lech Walesa. I had several contacts
with Mr. Walesa in the past, and
it occurred to me that I would not
CommunityNewspaper be able to find a better person to
whom to give the Rebbe’s dollar. I
392 Kingston Avenue
approached him, handed him the
Brooklyn, NY 11225
dollar, and conveyed the Rebbe’s
chp5768@gmail.com
message.
Published & edited weekly by the Vaad Hakohol
of Crown Heights.
Moshe Rubashkin, Rosh Hakohol
Dr. Tzvi (Harvey) Lang, Chairman
Rabbi Plotkin, Secretary
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Composition responsibility: This newspaper will not
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consent of the publisher
“Though I was not inclined to accept
the invitation, I saw this as a further
step in enhancing the impact of the
Rebbe’s influence on ‘a person who
will benefit the Jewish people,’ and
I agreed. Mr. Walesa told me he
wanted to express the regret of the
Polish people for their inexcusable
behavior towards the Jews during
World War II.
“Mr. Walesa looked at me thoughtfully. “I sincerely hope I will be
able to live up to your Rebbe’s
expectation.”
“After this encounter, my acquaintance with Mr. Walesa grew and
we became quite friendly. Some
time later, Mr. Walesa personally
invited me to accompany him on
his upcoming visit to Israel. This
trip was a major breakthrough in
relations between the two countries,
and he felt that my inclusion in his
delegation would be helpful.
to countries hostile to Israel. Despite
Poland’s heavy financial loss, one
could almost see the Rebbe’s directive at work as Mr. Walesa agreed to
one concession after another.
“Later, I accompanied him on a visit
to the Diaspora Museum, where I
pointed out the picture of the Rebbe
which is displayed there. “Is this my
Rebbe?” Mr. Walesa asked bowing
his head in reverence. Mr. Walesa’s
response was striking. He was clearly
impressed and moved by the Rebbe’s
intense gaze. He actually lowered
his head as if acknowledging his
leadership.
“In many other instances, I have
been privileged to bring the Rebbe’s
message to people who might otherwise not have been exposed to them.
The best way we can reciprocate for
the good which the Rebbe showers
upon us is to express his teachings,
ideals, and principles in our daily
lives.”
January 30, 2009 ~ crOWN heights Newspaper 3
The Rebbe's Sicha Parshas Bo
A thought for the Week
Reprinted from A thought For the how one acts is all that matters.
Week
Torah declares that the ideal is unity.
By Rabbi YM Kagan
Man must strive for the perfection
that can be achieved only when head,
TEFFILLIN:
and hand function together in
I N S T R U M E N T F O R heart
harmony, in accordance with the
UNITY
Al-mighty’s wishes.
The Sedra closes with: “And it shall
This critically important inner
be as a sign upon your hand and as
harmony is expressed in the Mitzva
Tefillin between your eyes, for with
of Tefillin. Tefillin on the arm near
a strong hand G-d brought us out of
the heart, with Tefillin on the head,
Egypt.”( 1)
together fulfill the precept. Ideas,
A cardinal concept of Judaism is emotions and actions are to be
unity; first of course is Hashem harmonious, the heart’s feelings and
Echod — one G-d, and one Torah. the mind’s understanding and the
Then there is the ideal of an inner actions of the hand consonant with
unity and harmony within every each other. What is more, the very
person. There is an outlook that act of putting on Tefillin itself gives
encourages indulging the body an infusion of spiritual strength to
freely, completely ignoring the soul. the wearer, enabling him to live a
Another view is that the body should Torah-life with harmony of head,
be mortified to benefit the soul. Juda- hand and heart.
ism teaches that the purpose of the
TEFILLIN — IN THOSE
soul is to guide the healthy body in
DAYS
accordance with Torah; there must
It was at a time that wearing Tefilbe a unity of body and soul.
lin was punishable by death by
Narrowing the focus down to the
the foreign rulers of Israel. The
“life of the soul” in particular, again
Talmud complains that the level of
we find different opinions concernself-sacrifice for the Mitzva was not
ing the dominant principle of man’s
high enough — as demonstrated by
life and moral decisions: Some say
“Elisha of the Wings” who earned
that man should be guided by the
his nickname as follows: He was
dictates of his intelligence, rational
once walking in the street wearing
and objective logic. Others feel he
Tefillin, when an officer spotted him
should be guided by his heart and
and chased him. Elisha took off his
emotions. Another group is impahead-Tefillin and held them in his
tient with ideas and feelings, insisthand. When the officer overtook
ing that the crucial factor is action;
Adapted from Shmais.com
Engagements
him he asked “what is in your hand?”
Elisha replied “wings of a dove.”
Elisha than opened his hand, and
the Tefillin had miraculously been
changed to doves’ wings! Because he
did not have the moral strength to
say that they were Tefillin (though
this would have meant certain
death) it is apparent to the sages of
the Talmud that the feelings of the
Tzvi Yehuda Balbin (Melbourne, AU) Weddings
to Leah Moss (Sydney, Australia)
Shmuly Goldberg (CH) to Dina
Shlomo Frosberg (Lomita, CA) to Bryski (North Hollywood, CA)
Devorah Leah Hauck (L A, CA)
Shmuly Kirsh (Crown Heights) to
Eli Goldstein (CH/Dnepr, Ukraine) Chanie Minsky (Crown Heights)
to Lea Tonkonog (Ukraine)
Sholom Schochet (Toronto, Ont.)
Yehoshua Zelig Rivkin (Carmiel, to Goldie Engel (Denver, CO)
Israel) to Muki Simpson (CH)
Births – Boys
Yechiel Yosef Schanowitz (Chicago,
Yisroel & Sara Bernath
IL) to Sheina Schildkraut (S. Paulo,
- Montreal, Canada
Brazil)
Refoel & Etti Huisman
Shomie Schechter (C H) to Hindy
- Crown Heights
Chazanow (Manalapan, NJ)
Michoel & Zelda Lerner
Arele Teleshevsky (Melbourne,
- Crown Heights
Australia) to Mushka Hecht (Brent-
REFERENCES: Based on Likutei
Sichos Vol. VI pp. 279-281
Exodus 13:16
Shabbos 120a
HEAP
The HEAP Program Outreach Workers
The scheduled appointments are on
TUESDAY, February 3 -- 9:15 AM--3:30 PM.
at the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council,
387 Kingston Avenue (corner Crown St.).
Please come early -- First come, first served
GREAT NEWS. The outreach workers will accept BOTH regular
and emergency applications. (To apply for emergency heap you
must have a shut-off notice.)
Those families on Food Stamps with a child under 8 need not
apply unless you pay your own heating bill. You will receive it
automatically. All other families must apply. Persons 60 and over
can apply with DFTA 212-442-1000. Households on Section 8
are only eligible if they pay their own heating bill.
Please bring in the following documentation:
1) Proof of income, Soc. Sec., or support letter for the past two
months
2) Rent, mortgage or tax papers
3) Birth certificates and social security cards for family
members
4) Fuel or utility bills
5) Proof of Citizenship (Citizenship paper).
6) Letter for child 18 and over that he/she is in School.
Thank you
Mazal Tov!
wood, CA)
people towards Tefillin were not as
warm as the Mitzva deserved!(2)
Moshe Menachem & Shulamis
Levinson – Crown Heights
Shloimeh & Rivki Nathanson
- Melbourne, Australia
Shmuel & Chanie Pevzner
- Crown Heights
Gedalya & Bassie Shemtov
- Crown Heights
- Asuncion, Paraguay
Dovid Chaim & Racheli
Gurovich - Crown Heights
Yosef & Raizel Schapiro
- Crown Heights
Bar Mitzvah
Dovi Herman - Valley Village, CA
Menachem Mendel Liberow
- Manchester, UK
Yossi & Sara Touger - Monsey, NY
Saadia & Devora Yanni
- Crown Heights
Births – Girls
Eli & Nechama Backman
– College Park, MD
Levi & Miri Feigelstock
READ THE
CROWN HEIGHTS
COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
@
CROWNHEIGHTS.INFO
Our Heroes
Hagaon Hachossid Horav Chaim Meir Bukiet
1919-27th of Teves 1998
Part I
By Rabbi Michoel Seligson
Special thank s to R eb Dovid
Zaklikowski
Hagaon Hachossid Horav Chaim
Meir Bukiet was born on the 24th
of Menachem Av 1919 in Wislica,
Poland, the only child of Horav
Hachossid Reb Avrohom Shmuel
and Mrs. Rochel Bukiet.
The Previous Rebbe established
many small chadorim across the
Poland, including one in Chmielnik,
the town where Chaim Meir was
raised. One morning while passing
the cheder Chaim Meir’s mother
heard the Kol Torah and thought it
would be a proper place for her son
to learn. The young Chaim Meir
learned there for a few years until
his father sent him to Tomchei
Tmimim in Warsaw, having first
inquired about the yeshiva. Chaim
Meir grew to be a brilliant and successful student.
Concern for His Parents
know what was happening at the
borders [of Poland and Russia] he
While in yeshiva Reb Chaim Meir
would not tell the students to flee
toward the borders. My mother
asked me to stay.
I did not want to
leave my parents
a lone a nd not
knowing if the letter was accurate,
I stayed. After a
while I received
a telegram that
they were waiting for me in the
yeshiva, to leave
for Vilna according to the Rebbe’s
instr uctions. I
decided to go and
packed a few small
things. My father
and I left, headed
towards Russia.
My ailing mother
was unable to join
us.
Chaim Meir was a diligent student
as well. Once asked what his hobbies
were as a young child he answered, “I
liked to learn what I understood.” suffered from very bad headaches for
a number of weeks. He visited the
Chaim Meir continued to learn in
doctor in his town and was advised
the Lubavitch Yeshiva as he became
to get more sleep at night. He never
older and as the yeshiva moved from
told his parents, knowing that this
Warsaw to Otwock, Poland, where
would cause them concern and he
he was among the elite students. At
didn’t want to worry them.
the age of seventeen he wrote a Torah
discussion printed in Hatomim, a Living in Poland was not necessarily
magazine published under the direc- comfortable for Jews. Reb Chaim
torship of the Previous Rebbe.
Meir responded to the question
of whether he experienced antiIn later years, one of his grandsons
Semitism in Poland, with a personal
asked Reb Chaim Meir about the
experience. “I will share something
Torah article written at such a young
that happened to me when I was a
age. Reb Chaim Meir recalled. “I
bochur in yeshiva. I was once standwrote an essay on the Rambam and
ing in the courtyard of the yeshiva
someone passed it around the study
next to a tree, davening with deep
hall. It reached the hands of the
concentration. Out of the blue a rock
Rosh Yeshiva, the Gaon and Chossid
landed on my head. I turned around
Rabbi Yehuda Eber, who was also
and there was a Polish boy standing
one of the editors of Hatomim. He
there. I remember how they once
asked me if he could publish it and
surrounded the yeshiva and tried
I agreed.”
to break in. There were many other
The Rosh Yeshiva Reb Yehuda Eber such occurrences.”
would deliver a deep and analytical
Previous Rebbe’s Instruction to
shiur and immediately after the
Leave Poland
conclusion of the shiur Reb Chaim
Meir would review the shiur for the As WWII approached, Reb Chaim
Meir returned home in order that
other students.
his parents not worry about him. He
The students who were together
received a letter from a dear friend of
with him in the famous Lubavitch
his, Reb Menachem Zev Greenglas,
Yeshiva in Otwock, Poland attested
stating that the Previous Rebbe had
to how he would stay up throughout
instructed all the students to leave
the night learning with his study
Poland and head for Vilna, then
partners. Rabbi Moshe Baitch, who
under Latvian control.
was a student in the yeshiva, once
related that he remembered how Reb Chaim Meir spoke about those
Reb Chaim Meir and Reb Shmuel days. “When I got the letter I showed
Dovid Raichik used to learn together it to my mother. She went to a Rabbi
with great enthusiasm late into the in the neighboring community. The
Rabbi said that if the Rebbe would
night.
manner in which you act now?!” We
left immediately thereafter.
A few weeks later my father saw an ad
for another gathering in a different
location. After his previous experience he didn’t know if he should go.
We finally decided to go and this
time the meeting was composed of
observant Jews. We sat down and
they asked my father’s name, and
he responded ‘Chaim Meir Bukiet’.
Hearing the name, one particular
individual related the following. ‘I
was with your parents as we entered
the train to the concentration camp.
I remember I helped your father onto
the train, as he was an older man. As I
was helping him, he said ‘A dank G-t
az Chaim Meir iz nisht do’, ‘Thank
G-d that Chaim Meir is not here.’ I
remember seeing my father’s face
shine as he heard those words, and
a big weight [of sorrow] was lifted
from his shoulders.”
In an interview with the Kfar Chabad
weekly, Reb Chaim Meir described
his ordeal during WWII. In general,
the torture and humiliation that the
Leaving his
Warsaw Jews endured during the first
Family
days of the war was horrifying.
“It was snowing
Searching for the Prev ious
strongly that night. By the time we
Rebbe
left the town my father realized that
he couldn’t make it and told me that I “The Germans would persecute
should go on by myself. It was Purim families. For example, they would
Katan and on the way we met a few kidnap the husbands and send them
people. Together we experienced away to work in factories for the
great miracles as we passed by the German war effort. One night they
German soldiers. I arrived in Warsaw arrested any Jewish woman that
on Friday and stayed with a relative they found on the Warsaw streets.
who was a great scholar. His whole There were many acts of brutality
family was there and there was no against the Jews, collectively and
place for me to put down my head individually.
and sleep. After Shabbos I left his
The Previous Rebbe was then in
house and began wandering.”
Warsaw. When he heard that the
Reb Zalman Bukiet, the Rebbe’s Germans were searching for him,
shliach in Boca Raton, Florida he hid in the home of Reb Hirshel
recalled. “My father’s mother was Gurary.
not comfortable separating from
A messenger came with the news
her only child and she did not take
that they were looking for the Rebbe.
it well that he left. So great was her
The message was relayed to the
pain that she wrote a letter to the
Rebbe, including the information
Rebbe after my father left Chmielnik
that contacts had been established
stating, ‘Why did you take away my
with people in the United States to
only son?’ When my father came to
rescue the Rebbe. The Rebbe advised
New York, someone told him about
that if a messenger came they should
the letter and he took it to heart. He
allow him into the Rebbe’s room. It
always felt bad that he had left his
was Shabbos, a knock on the door
parents never to see them again.
was heard, and Reb Hirshel Gurary
In 1986 my father saw an ad publiciz- got up to open the door. Representaing a gathering of the members of tives of the U.S. were at the door.
the Chmielnik Jewish community. Right then German agents came to
My father decided to go hoping to the house as well. When they saw
meet anyone who had information the American representatives the
about his parents. He asked me to Germans left.
accompany him. We went and to
When I came to Warsaw the Previmy father’s astonishment, they were
ous Rebbe was still there. In order
eating non-kosher food. We sat down
to pass from Warsaw into Russia,
and my father was asked to speak.
one needed to cross the Buk River
He noted how they all had the merit
to the side under Russian control.
to be saved from the war and added
Rumor had it that the Russians were
in astonishment, “And this is the
arresting all Polish citizens who
crossed into Russia and were sending them to Siberia. We continued
on our way having been directed by
the Previous Rebbe.
We reached the boundary between
the German occupied territory in
Poland and Russia, around midnight.
The river which was entirely frozen
was the only way across. Suddenly
we heard screaming and we became
very fearful. We also could not locate
the guide who was supposed to lead
us across the border. Finally, a group
of people, all equally lost in the night,
gathered and decided to continue
together without the guide.
We crossed the border and eventually came to Brisk where a Jewish
woman, hearing that I was a student
of Tomchei Tmimim, immediately
invited me to her home. The family
Gelstein was a prosperous one that
owned a shoe and galoshes factory
which they later sold for a good
price.
We went through a cemetery into a
small village, having no idea where
we were. We knocked on the door of
a non-Jew, who came out to us but
did not allow us in. He informed
us that we were already in Russian
territory and we calmed down. He
gave us directions and warned us not
to be caught by the police.
Upon reaching the city of Ishishuk
we eventually found the house of
the Rav, also the town’s shochet, and
he gave us directions. We smuggled
Reb Avraham Shmuel Bukiet
ourselves into the train station, were
able to purchase food and drink on
W hen I entered their home, to
the journey, and arrived in the city
my surprise I found Horav Arye
of Slonim.
Leib Kramer and Horav Shloma
It was night and all the streets were Hochler, two of my friends from
dark. After some searching we were Warsaw who were also en-route
successful in finding a shul, where to to Vilna. The Gelstein’s hachnosas
our joy we found chassidim sitting orchim remains in my memory until
and Farbrenging in honor of Purim this very day. The hosting of three
students was a great risk but they
Koton. What a delight.
did not take that into consideration
At that Farbrengen, someone recalled
and sacrificed themselves to host us.
the Rebbe RaShaB’s Purim FarbrenI recall how Mrs. Gelstein told us,
gen in 1917. When the communists
‘Children, feel at home’.
took over Russia there were people
who said that it wouldn’t last long. After a short stay, we decided to
The Rebbe RaShaB then said, ‘When move although we did not know
they persecute a Jewish body [the where to go. Our host supplied us
Jewish nation], Hashem does not with food for the trip, as well as
have patience and does not remain some money to give to individuals
silent, but when they begin with him in Vilna, which we sewed into our
[Hashem alone], he is patient.’
garments.
Visit from a Russian General dur- We came to an agreement with
ing the Seder
smugglers who took people across
the border from Russia to Latvia.
From Slonim we walked along
They wanted me to shave my beard
the Russian border to Vilna. Prior
in order not to raise the suspicions
to my escape from Poland, I had
of the border guards. I objected and
corresponded with a student in
eventually they agreed that I didn’t
Gluboka. When I reached his village
have to. We designated a late hour
I thought to myself, a Lubavitch shul
of the night for the escape.
is not worse than anywhere else, and
decided to sleep there. A Russian At night we entered the forest and
general lived in the building that met the smuggler. He led us to the
housed the shul but we had nowhere middle of the forest where he handed
else to go. We remained in the village us over to a non-Jewish woman who
for Pesach and held the sedorim in was to guide us the rest of the way. As
the house of a chossid. The Russian soon as she saw us, she told us ‘You
general heard the sounds of the should pray that we are successful
seder, entered the house and began because it is a dangerous risk.’
crying. It turned out that he was a
It was Pesach Sheni when we came
Jew. Indeed, when a person needs to
out of the forest and already dayfulfill a mission, Hashem sends him
light. We saw people walking in the
to the right place.
distance. Fearing that they might
Arriving in Brisk & Unexpected shoot at us, we went back into the
Friends
forest and remained there until the
following evening.
That evening there was a full moon.
Until now we had been walking
in a desolate and abandoned area.
We approached a village and the
guide warned us to keep quiet
lest we awaken the dogs and alert
the border guards. That is how we
entered the central street
in the village. Suddenly
it began raining and the
guide pulled out a towel
and a stick and smoothed
out the footsteps that we
had left in the dirt. After
this risky but successful
ordeal, the guide thanked
Hashem because our safe
passage, according to all
logic, should not have
succeeded.
Boruch Ber Lebowitz. During WWII
students from many different backgrounds, such as the grandchildren
of Horav Boruch Kamenitz and
of the Chofetz Chaim, studied in
Tomchei Tmimim.
Hachossid Horav Reb Mordechai
Bryski remembered Reb Chaim
Meir in Vilna.
“The studies in the yeshiva in Vilna
continued in the Chabad Uptuv
Shul which had a kitchen on the
lower floor. The dormitory was in
the women’s section. The dormitory
made life easier, especially for the
Tmimim who became ill. A number
of diseases were circulating in Vilna
and many Tmimim were bed-ridden.
Reb Chaim Meir, who was always
engrossed in his studies, stood out
as an exceptionally generous person
Visas were obtained in and devoted himself to each of the
a remarkable way from students who needed assistance.”
the Japanese consul in
Japan
Russia, the illustrious and
righteous Mr. Chiune Hachossid Horav Reb Mordechai
Sugihara
Bryski recalled.
Vilna
Reb Cham Meir continued. “We finally reached
Vilna and felt comfortable enough to
breathe freely. We knew that prior to
WWII there was a Lubavitch yeshiva
in Vilna, founded by Hachossid
Horav Yitzchok Duber Ushpal,
later to become a Rosh Yeshiva in
the Lubavitch Yeshiva in Brooklyn.
This encouraged many students to
cross the border into Vilna. In total,
there were thirty-nine students who
managed to get through to Vilna.”
Horav Hachossid Reb Gershon Chanowitz, one of the students in Vilna,
recalled the yeshiva in Vilna. “The
Previous Rebbe sent the chossid
Horav Yehoshua Eizik Baruch to be
a mashpia in the yeshiva. When he
came to Vilna he told us that he felt
obligated to constantly repeat the
message of the Previous Rebbe to
chassidim in Poland. ‘I am not leaving. It is not an ocean that divides but
[rather one that] connects. Emuna
and hiskashrus are as they were, and
Hashem should help that we should
meet at the arrival of Moshiach.’
The mashpia Horav Baruch had
such a genuine belief in the Previous
Rebbe’s words, that two days before
Rosh Hashana he blessed us that we
should be with the Rebbe on Rosh
Hashana. When we asked him how
that was possible he responded,
‘How a telegraph and telephone
works you do understand?!’
The Gaon Horav Chaim Ozer, the
Rav of Vilna, who was also in charge
of the Vaad Hayeshivos, organized
places to house the students who
came to Vilna.
“Many Tmimim went from Vilna
to Japan. There was an American
consulate in Russia but not in Vilna.
Obtaining an affidavit for entry into
the United States was very difficult.
The students would request a visa
for a ten-day stay in Japan in order
to receive an affidavit, and when
the visas came they would apply to
extend their stay.”
Horav Chanowitz recalled. “The
students came in groups to Japan.
A lthough the community was
Ashkenazic, the American Joint
Distribution Committee worked
there and we knew that without
their assistance we would not be
able to remain. The community of
about thirty families supported and
sustained the thousands of refugees.
Most of the refugees were yeshiva
students primarily from chassidic
families, who stood out with the
Ahavas Yisroel that they displayed to
all. Lubavitch chassidim had a separate building which also contained
the yeshiva. The Amshinover Rebbe
lived on the top floor. The Previous Rebbe had already instructed
Lubavitch chassidim in Vilna to turn
to the Amshinover Rebbe when they
had questions or needed guidance
and to follow his advice.
W hen war between the United
States and Japan broke out in 1941,
the Japanese moved the Jewish
refugees to Shanghai. Among the
refugees who came to Shanghai was
Reb Chaim Meir who continued
his tradition of physically helping
people, as well as sitting and learning
with great diligence and davening with avoda, according to the
tradition of Chabad chassidim to
meditate and concentrate on every
detail of the tefila.”
One of the maggidei shiurim in
the yeshiva was Horav Zalman, a
nephew of the famous Gaon Horav To be continued
A Rabbi’s Northern Adventure
From the Heights of Alaska to the Golan Heights
Reprinted with special permission talking about was the mikvah which
by the author and Merkos L'Inyonei I had requested!
Chinuch
“I need a mikvah, not a mixer,” I
By Rabbi Yisrael Haber
said.
The mountain tops were frosted with
snow, and in many places the snow
extended far under the peaks. As
we came closer to our destination,
we wondered if Anchorage could
be covered with snow in the
beginning of September.
Neither of us had taken our
winter jackets on the plane.
Our worries subsided when
we circled over the Gulf
of Alaska’s Cook Inlet as
the pilot prepared to land.
Down below was a snow-free,
normal, honest-to-goodness
city.
There were tall buildings,
highways, automobiles, ships
in the harbor—and not one
igloo in sight! For people like
myself who had a lot of wild
notions about Alaska, the
pilot informed us that there
was no longer a single igloo in
all of the State of Alaska.
This was it. We had made it. We
were here. Alaska here we come.
We fastened our seat belts for landing, swooped low over the water
and touched-down smoothly on
the airstrip that jutted out into the
inlet leading to the terminal of the
Anchorage International Airport.
A crowd of people were waiting to
greet us at the modern terminal
building. The welcomers included
the Mayor of Anchorage; the Attorney General; my new boss, Chaplain
Colonel Luther Gabrielsen and his
wife, Dee; several other Protestant
chaplains and their wives; military
officials from Elmendorf Air Force
Base; and Jewish community leaders
from Anchorage.
They had all come out to meet
Alaska’s one-and-only rabbi. One
woman who greeted us on behalf
of the Jewish personnel stationed
at Elmendorf and the nearby Army
base, Fort Richardson, briefed us
by saying, “There are Jews here who
don’t observe the laws of Judaism,
and they want to make certain that
no one else does either. However,
my family and I are very happy that
you have both arrived and we hope
to learn many things from you.”
It was during the proceedings that
a military quartermaster came up
to me to ask if I wanted a Westinghouse or General Electric mixer.
As I mentioned, an order had been
sent from the Pentagon to provide
Chaplain Yisrael Haber with a mixer
upon his arrival in Anchorage. It was
only when I looked at the official
requisition form that he showed me
did I realize that the “mixer” he was
a holy awe, I carefully dressed into
my blue slacks, blue shirt, blue jacket,
blue tie, and blue hat. In my new Air
Force uniform, I felt more like a New
York City policeman than a rabbi.
But no, this wasn’t New York; this
was Alaska, and I was an officer in
the Air Force.
I had requested such an arrangement, and I was happy to see that
my request had been fulfilled. The
house was also directly across the
street from the building where my
“What’s a mikvah?” he asked.
office was located. That was also a
good deal, I thought, anticipating
With so many important people
the heavy winds and snowstorms “Is it Purim today?” Miriam joked,
around, I didn’t have time to explain.
gazing at me from the doorway.
which would come.
After the welcoming ceremony,
As evening began set- “Very funny,” I said.
tling over America’s
“You look great.”
l a r ge s t s t a t e , w e
shlepped our perish- “You really think so? It isn’t too
able food to the cha- tight?”
pel freezer for storage
“Mottel the tailor couldn’t have fit
until our furniture and
you better.”
household appliances
arrived by moving Satisfied that I passed the test, I
van.
rolled up my sleeve to put on tefillin. That morning’s prayer came
The temperature was
deep from the heart, and I took the
in the mid-fifties as
occasion to ask that G-d help me
Miriam and I walked
succeed in this strange and foreign
along the base, enjoylocation.
i n g e a c h o t h e r ’s
company.
Miriam stood at attention and
saluted as I walked out the door
We had done it. We
on my way to my first day of work.
had arrived.
“Good luck,” she said. “And rememSmiles graced our ber, I’m proud of you.”
faces. What a wonderChaplain Clay Kennedy, a Baptist
She must have read my mind, because
ful wife I had for following me to
chaplain, and his wife, Monica,
walking to the chaplain’s office I had
this faraway corner. What a patient,
drove us through Anchorage to
some second doubts.
loving woman, I thought. What a
Elmendorf Air Force Base which was
helper and friend. Who else would “Hey Yisrael, do you realize that you
located three miles from the center
have taken off with me on such a are the only kippah wearing Jew in
of the city. Anchorage, home of half
preposterous adventure? And what a distance of two-thousand miles?”
the state’s population and scenically
a crazy husband I have, she must I thought. The reflection caused me
set between the Cook Inlet and the
have been thinking. But I could see a shudder of loneliness.
Chugach Mountain Range, boasted
in her eyes that she was happy. She
On the base of thirty-five thousand
two universities, luxury hotels, a new
was proud of me and proud of herself.
museum, and several large shopping
servicemen, there were nine ProtAfter all, she was the wife of Alaska’s
malls—in other words, we hadn’t left
estant chaplains, three Catholic
Chief Rabbi!
civilization.
chaplains, and myself. Out of that
But much more than that, we were group, I figured I might be able to
“You look surprised,” the Baptist
together, and that made this strange, work up a bridge game, but I might
chaplain said.
beautiful new place feel like home. not be seeing a minyan for an awful
“I had no idea the city would be so Even if our dream house was on an long time. But if my wife was proud
modern,” I answered. “I figured we’d Air Force base. Even if our furniture of me, that was a sign that what I was
be met at the airport by a dog team was still on the way. Even if we were doing was right.
further away from our families than
and sled.”
I straightened my gait as I headed for
we had ever been in our lives. After
“In some places in Alaska, that may
the chapel a short walk away. Pracour long journey, we were closer
happen, but Anchorage is a modern
ticing the military greeting which I
together, united in life, helping one
city just like any other. We even
learned in my course, I walked into
another along the wonderful and
have two daily newspapers, three
the building, determined to be not
mysterious pathways of the Master
television channels, and ten radio
only a rabbi, but a first-class officer as
of Heaven and Earth.
stations.”
well. Walking as erect and militaryChapter 10
like as I could, I strode confidently
I asked him where the famous
through the office as if I had been
ROSH HASHANAH
Anchorage mountains were.
there a dozen times before.
“When the clouds lift and the sun Istayed awake most of my first
I knocked on the door of Colonel
comes out, I’ll take you on a tour night in Alaska thinking about my
Gabrielsen’s office, about to meet
outside the base, and you’ll see them new position and all of the things
the head chaplain on the base.
in all of their glory.”
I wanted to accomplish. Whatever
services and innovations I could “Come in,” a voice said.
He drove us to the quarters which
provide to the Jews of Alaska, it
Opening the door, I stood at attenwould be our home for the next three
would all have to be my doing, from
tion and saluted.
years. We were thrilled to discover
the idea stage to the execution of the
a two story house with three bedproject. I was no longer an assistant “Chaplain Haber is reporting for
rooms and a very large basement.
principal with a well-oiled Jewish duty, sir.”
The house was a short, five-minute framework around me; up here in
There, I had said it. The immortal
walk from the chapel where Jewish the woods I was the whole team—
words were out.
services were held. That would center, quarterback, running back,
History had been made.
facilitate getting to shul on Shabbat tackle and split end.
when traveling is forbidden.
When morning arrived, with almost
Parshas Hashavua
Vedibarta Bam ~ BO
By Rabbi Moshe Bogomilky
‫"ויפן ויצא מעם‬
"‫פרעה‬
“And he turned
his back and left
Pharaoh.” (10:6)
QUESTION:
Why concerning
locusts, the eighth plague, does the
Torah tell us that Moshe left immediately after giving the warning?
otah — this request for the children
to participate — atem mevakshim
passed since you left Egypt. I know
— is something which you want, and
the people better than you do. I do
which Hashem never asked for.”
not doubt your sincerity in wanting
to take them to serve Hashem, but When Pharaoh saw that regardless
I urge you stop your campaign of his consent to send the males he
because, mi vami haholchim — was plagued with locusts, he realwhich ones are going?! None of these ized that Hashem was not satisfied,
people are interested in leaving because He wanted the children’s
Egypt to go seek a new way of life.” participation. Therefore, he quickly
called Moshe and Aharon and told
Moshe smiled and replied, “You
them, “Now I have not only sinned
are greatly mistaken. Just open the
against G d, but also against you,
doors and give them freedom, and I
because I accused you falsely.”
assure you that young and old, men
)‫(שו"ת תירוש ויצהר סי' קי"ט‬
and women will eagerly run to serve
Hashem.”
‫"ויהי חשך אפלה בכל ארץ מצרים‬
ANSWER: Moshe always came to
Pharaoh as Hashem’s messenger to
inform him of the coming plague.
Moshe thought that Pharaoh was ‫"ויעל הארבה על כל ארץ מצרים וינח‬
an extremely stubborn man and,
"‫בכל גבול מצרים‬
therefore, he always pleaded with
“The locusts went up over the entire
him to relent and listen to Hashem
land of Egypt and rested in all the
about letting the people go.
borders of Egypt.” (10:14)
Before the plague of locusts, Hashem
QUESTION: Why does the Torah
said to Moshe, “Go to Pharaoh and
repeat, “all the borders of Egypt”
warn him, for I have hardened his
after it already says that the locusts
heart” (10:1). Moshe now realized
“went up over the entire land of
that it was not Pharaoh’s stubbornEgypt”?
ness, but Hashem causing him not to
listen. Thus, there was no purpose in ANSWER: The Jews of Egypt lived
his pleading with Pharaoh to let the in the city of Goshen and were not
people go. Therefore, after delivering affected by any of the plagues. The
the message of the coming plague of locusts were meant to destroy all veglocusts, he immediately turned his etation not previously destroyed by
(‫)שער בת רבים‬
back and left.
the hail. Knowing that very shortly
the Jewish people would be leaving
‫"ויאמר אליהם לכו עבדו את ה' אלקיכם‬
Egypt, Hashem sent the locusts.
‫ ויאמר משה בנערינו‬:‫מי ומי ההלכים‬
They covered Egypt from border to
"‫ובזקנינו נלך‬
border — including Goshen — in
“And he said to them, ‘Go and serve order to ensure that the Egyptians
G d your G d; Which ones are going?’ would have no benefit from the proMoshe said, ‘With our young and .duce of the Jewish fields in Goshen
with our old shall we go.’ ” (10:8-9)
)‫(שער בת רבים‬
QUESTION: Moshe’s request to ‫"וימהר פרעה לקרא למשה ולאהרן‬
Pharaoh was very explicit: “Let my
"‫ויאמר חטאתי לה' אלקיכם ולכם‬
people go!” Why now, after having
“And Pharaoh called for Moshe and
endured seven plagues, did Pharaoh
Aharon in haste and said, ‘I have
ask, “Which ones are going?”
sinned against G d and against you.’
ANSWER: The words, “mi vami ” (10:16)
haholchim” (‫ )מי ומי ההלכים‬have the
QUESTION: Why did Pharaoh then
numerical value of 216, the same
confess that he also sinned against
as “Kaleiv uBin Nun” (‫)כלב ובן נון‬.
Moshe and Aharon, in contrast to
Pharaoh was telling Moshe, “I know
his confession after the plague of
your ultimate plan is to bring the
hail, “I have sinned this time; G d is
Jews to Eretz Yisrael, but you should
righteous” (9:27)?
know that you are wasting your
time, because they will all die in the ANSWER: Moshe told Pharaoh
wilderness and only Kalev and Bin to release the Jews in order for
Nun (Yehoshua) will live to reach them to worship Hashem. Pharaoh
Eretz Yisrael.”
inquired, “Which ones are going?”
Moshe responded, “We will go with
Moshe replied, “Binareinu uvizkeiour young and with our old, with
neinu neileich” — “Do not worry, all
our sons and with our daughters.”
those who are now under 20 or over
Pharaoh became enraged and chased
60 will also survive the wilderness
them out, saying, “Not so, let the men
and come to Eretz Yisrael.”
go now, ki otah atem mevakshim —
)‫(בעל הטורים‬
for this you are seeking.” One may
question, why was it necessary for
Alternatively, Pharaoh, slowly but Pharaoh to add the words, “ki otah
surely, began to realize that fighting atem mevakshim” — “for this you
Moshe was a lost cause. Instead of are seeking”?
being stubborn and refusing to let
Pharaoh accused Moshe and Ahathe Jewish people go, he decided to
ron of unjustly seeking to take the
use reverse psychology. Pharaoh said
children on a pilgrimage to serve
to Moshe, “I am your friend who
Hashem: “Undoubt¬edly, your G
would not want to see you as an
d only wants the adults. However,
outcast or a failure. Many years have
does not know you.” Disappointed
and hurt, he told the doorman to tell
his master, “I advise him to make a
will immediately, because he does
not have much time left to live.”
Petrified, the brother rushed to the
door and asked in alarm, “How can
you make such a statement? My
doctor proclaimed me in excellent
health!” The immigrant brother
looked his brother in the eyes and
said, “The city in which we grew up
as brothers was very small and poor.
The townspeople were unable to
afford a full-time physician. I studied
first-aid and administered their
medical needs. From my experience
"‫שלשת ימים‬
I learned that when a patient can no
“And there was a thick darkness in all longer ‘recognize’ his own brother,
of Egypt for three days.” (10:22)
his situation is extremely serious and
he has little time left to live.”
QUESTION: Rashi explains that
during the first three days of dark- Some aspects of the plague of darkness, no one was able to see anyone ness are unfortunately prevalent in
else. During the succeeding days, contemporary times. Sadly, there
the darkness was so thick that if an may be Jews enveloped in darkness
Egyptian was sitting, he was unable who do not recognize fellow Jews
to stand up, and if he was standing, as their brothers and deserve to be
helped materially and spiritually.
he was unable to sit down.
Such conduct endangers the contiEvery plague lasted seven days
nuity of the Jewish community.
(except the plague of the firstborn).
Why did the plague of darkness last Hopefully, like the Jews of Egypt we,
only six days?
too, will merit, “For all the Children
of Israel, there was light in their
ANSWER: W hen the Jews left
dwellings.” Everyone will see the
Egypt and traveled in the desert,
true light and do the utmost for his
clouds of glory accompanied them.
brother — his fellow Jew.
During the day the clouds would
)‫ פרדס יוסף‬- ‫(מיוסד על אשכול ענבים‬
clear a path in the desert, and at
night a pillar of fire lit up the camp. "‫"כשלחו כלה גרש יגרש אתכם מזה‬
When the Egyptians pursued the
“When he lets you go, he will drive you
Jews, the Torah says, “There was a
out from here altogether.” (11:1)
cloud of darkness [for the Egyptians]
and the night was illuminated [for QUESTION: Why did Hashem tell
the Jews through a pillar of fire]” Moshe that Pharaoh would drive the
(14:20). Thus, Hashem reserved the Jews out?
remaining seventh day of darkness
ANSWER: Hashem told Avraham,
to punish the Egyptians when they
“Your children will be enslaved in
chased after the Jewish people.
a strange land for 400 years and
)'‫ ג‬,‫(מדרש רבה שמות י"ד‬
afterwards leave with great wealth”
‫( "ויהי חשך אפלה בכל ארץ מצרים‬Bereishit 15:13-14). The Jewish
"‫ שלשת ימים לא ראו איש את אחיו‬people slaved for many years under
Pharaoh without any compensa¬tion.
“There was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt
As the time for their departure was
for three days. One did not see his
arriving, Hashem instructed Moshe
own brother.” (10:22-23)
to tell the Jewish people to borrow
QUESTION: Since they were unable gold and silver from the Egyptians.
to see anything; why is there an Eventually, they would keep this as
emphasis on not seeing one’s own payment for 400 years of work and
brother?
as a fulfillment of the promise of
great wealth.
ANSWER: Many years ago a man
emigrated from a small town in Rus- Moshe hesitated since it resembled
sia to the United States. His business trickery. “After all,” he argued, “they
enterprises were blessed with success did not complete their servitude,
and he became very wealthy. A few and thus, are not entitled to such
years later, his brother arrived, found wealth.”
his way to the successful brother’s
Hashem ex plained to Moshe,
house, and presented himself to
“According to halachah, when one
the doorman as the brother of his
hires a worker and fires him in the
master. The doorman directed him
middle of the day, he is obligated to
to the waiting area and afterwards
pay him for the full time. Similarly,
came back with a message that his
Pharaoh will drive out the Jewish
master had no brother. He sent back
people in the middle of their period
a number of signs hoping that his
of service. Therefore, they are rightbrother would recognize him. Again
fully entitled to be paid for 400 years
the doorman came back: “Sorry, my
of serving Egypt.” (‫)חנוכת התורה‬
master says he has no brother and
Shevat Yahrzeiten
This week we continue with the Yahrzeiten of people who lived in our in Mlava, Poland and was nifter in
shechuna. We are also including the Yahrzeiten of Shluchim. In mention- 1998.
ing them we come to “v’Hachai yiten el Libo”. We learn from their lives,
9th of Shvat
lessons that we can incorporate into our own. This column includes the
Horav Hachossid
Yahrzeiten from the 6th through 11th of Shvat. The respective resting
places of the individuals noted in this column are near the holy Ohel,
Reb A haron
unless otherwise specified.
Hakohen Klein
Men
6th of Shvat
Horav Hachossid
Hatom i m R eb
Moshe Zev
Yaroslavsky
for approximately eighty years and
many great chassidim benefitted
from his advice. His home was
open to all and he excelled in acts of
generosity and kindness, sacrificed
himself for the Jews in Russia, and
in an unusual manner supported
the students of Tomchei Tmimim
contributing money to enable them
to leave Russia. He was also a primary activist in the shechuna and
participated in a shiur until his last
day, especially the shiur on the
chassidic discourses of Torah Ohr
and Likutei Torah. He merited
seeing children, grandchildren and
great-grandchildren serving as the
Rebbe’s Shluchim worldwide. He
was born on the 17th of Sivan 1906
in Beshenkowitz and was nifter in
2004.
The son of Horav
Hachossid Reb
Aharon,hefounded
the Tishrei Eshel in Crown Heights,
hosting and feeding thousands of
guests who visited the Rebbe during
the month of Tishrei. He maintained
it for 23 years and merited many
kiruvim from the Rebbe. Reb Moshe
also conducted the network of the
Talmud Toras Chadrei Torah Ohr
in Israel for 30 years. He was born
in 1915 in Barditchov and was nifter
in 1994. His resting place is on Har
8th of Shvat
Hazeisim.
Horav Hachossid
Hatom i m R eb
Chaikel Chanin
The son of Horav
Hachossid Reb
Schneur Zalman
Yitzchok, he was
a descendent of
chassidim of the city Beshenkowitz. He studied in Yeshiva Tomchei
Tmimim in Lubavitch, and worked
with selfless devotion for the benefit
of the yeshiva in Samarkand, Poking,
Brunoy, Kfar Chabad and Brooklyn.
He was a unique communal activist
Tiferes Bochurim in Morristown
New Jersey for more than twenty
years, successfully raised many
students and was beloved by all. He
was born on the 6th of Elul 1950
and was nifter in the midst of his
life in 1995.
The son of Horav
Reb Yitzchok
Hakohen, he
implemented the
purchase and the
broadening of the 770 Shul, as well
as establishing a mitzva mobile in
1963 in which he would put on
Tefillin with people. He was
born on the 19th of Sivan
1916 in Vienna and was
nifter in 1998.
Women
6th of Shvat
Mrs. Brocho Nemes
The daughter of Horav
Hachossid Reb
Nochum Meir, she
sacrificed herself
for the fulfillment
of mitzvos and was
nifter in 1987.
R eb Chaim Halev i
Kanner
The son of Reb Yitzchok
Halevi, he was mekushar
to the Rebbe and was a
talented person who was
nifter in the midst of his life
in 2000.
10th of Shvat
Reb Yisroel Yitzchok Greenstein
Horav Hachossid
Hatom i m R eb The son of Reb Menachem, he was
Shmuel Dov id among the steady members of the
Halevi Raichik Maple Street Shul and was nifter
in 2007.
The son of Horav
Hachossid Shimon 11th of Shvat
Halevi, he was a
Horav Hachossid
shliach of the PreHatom i m R eb
vious Rebbe and the Rebbe for
Yosef Yitzchok
more than fifty years in California
Lipsker
where he planted Chabad. He was
appointed by the Rebbe as a member
The son of Horav
of the universal Agudas Chassidei
Hachossid Reb
Chabad and Machne Israel. He
Yaakov, he was a
was born on the 2nd of Iyar 1918 mashpia and educator in Yeshiva
8th of Shvat
Mrs.
Plotkin
Doba
The daughter of Horav
Avrohom Yisroel, she
was nifter in 1998.
11th of Shvat
Mrs. Vita Pinson,
She was the wife of Horav Hachossid
Reb Yechezkel from Kfar Chabad
and was nifter in 2008.
*Dear Readers:
Anyone who would like to have their
relatives mentioned in the yahrzeit
column should email the name, father’s
name, date of the ptira and some
details to chp5768@gmail.com. A
picture may be included.
‫בס”ד‬
You are invited to
Participate in a Workshop
on Life/Career Visions,
led by Career Counselor (25 years experience) on
Sunday, February 8, 2009 from 1-3PM
Walk away with a Posterboard
and a clearer life vision!
Where: Crown Heights Center
305 Kingston Ave.
between Eastern Parkway and Union Street
Brooklyn, NY
When: Sunday, February 8, 2009
from 1-3 PM
Cost: $36.00
Interested? Please register no later
than Wednesday, Feb. 4th at 12 Noon
through email: jherman44@hotmail.com
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Tznius: "America Is Nisht Andersh”
All the News that’s Fit for Lubavitch Cyberspace
By Mrs. M. Resnick
merit is that it had the fortune to
Lubavitch has always been a pioneer have the word Chabad or Lubavitch
of dissemination. The Rebbe was the remotely connected to it.
first to use the airwaves as a medium
“Hamodia” has a permanent Mashfor his Farbrengens even while he
giach on premises; the “N’Shei
strongly opposed us watching or
Newsletter” has a guiding Rabbinical
bringing in any Goyishe programboard, as did the “Yiddishe Heim”.
ming into our homes.
Should our news sites, from which
In the 1960’s the Rebbe contributed we obtain all our vital information,
thousands of dollars towards keep- be any different?
ing the Satmar periodical, “Der Yid”
Reporting the news does not give
afloat so as to maintain a kosher
one license to publicize any and
means of transmitting news and
every story. Even the First amendinformation to the Jewish public and
ment which guarantees freedom of
prevent good Frume Yidden from
speech and of the press in America
resorting to Goyishe newspapers.
has certain restrictions. For example,
So the dissemination of information
one may not cry ‘fire’ in a crowded
can be perfectly Kosher.
theatre, nor can one publicize the
However, “can be Kosher” doesn’t departure of ships during time of
mean “always Kosher.”
war.
community leaders this task? Why
must all of Lubavitch be aware and
For those of us who use the Internet,
involved?
and that probably means everyone
who is reading this article (since the Yidden have always had to answer
Crown Heights Community News- to the world. The phrase “Dah Mah
letter currently does not appear in Lehoshiv…” - Know what to reply…,
hard-copy format), I present the fol- has been part of our PR Lexicon
lowing question: What is the “news from the time of the Mishna.
that’s fit to print” on our Lubavitch
Both Mrs. Sara Esther Crispe, editor
news sites: Shmais, COL and Crown
of the Womens’ page on chabad.org
Heights.info and Shturem?
and Mrs. Baila Olidort of Lubavitch.
I raise this question in the wake of com have offered and found ways to
a story that has been making a lot have the wrong addressed.
of waves on some of the above sites
But it would seem to me that the best
about the uncomplimentary manner
manner of tackling such a situation is
in which Lubavitch women were
to have our supporters and admirers
described on a prominent secular
go out for redress and restitution.
media outlet. (I must complement
Their independent positions provide
those same Lubavitch sites for doing
our cause with a far better view and
their utmost to cover the un-Tznius
A Rov, and Shliach in California told
presentation.
attire of those portrayed in the
me that the Rebbe always required
picture).
that material first be checked by a
I ask: W hat merit was there in
Rov or a Mashpia before going to
bringing this story to our people?
print.
Why do we have to know that it
I would like to recommend that our
happened altogether? Why do our
Lubavitch news sites voluntarily
people have to be introduced to the
undertake the responsibility of going
name of a program they are better
under the aegis of some regulatory
off remaining ignorant of? What do
rabbinic or mashpiadike board, so
we gain by knowing that there is a
that in the future they are not lulled
story about a Lubavitch woman who
into covering a story whose sole
is set to enter a (nonexistent) levirate
marriage? What is the use of having
our youth exposed to derogatory For example, when Chabad of East
remarks that a secular outlet made Hampton (the renowned summer Shidduchim
about the way our women look? playground of the American rich and
What was the purpose of publicizing famous), was encountering zoning Profile or Resume?
the entire episode?
Tzores because of Shabbos services
from irate brotherly neighbors, it By Sarah Junik
When I raised this issue with a
was the support of the non-Jewish
renowned Mechanech, he asked me,
Martha Stewart that tipped the Shidduchim are such a maze that we
“Since when do we care what Goyscales in our favor.
will grasp any idea that might make
ishe outlets think of us? Would we
the process easier.
also bring up questions of ‘Emunah’ Journalist Jonathan Marks, a great
or the lack thereof that are raised friend of Lubavitch just came out in Our lives are so busy B"H, between
in their programs and then answer defense of our honor, on our current bringing up our kids, working,
them in public, in full view of our subject, in a very eloquent way in mivtzoim, learning, chessed etc that
Kohol and youth?”
“The Jewish Week”:
even if we did not reach the dreaded
senior moment stage, we cannot
It seems to me that unless there is “I remember the photo of Rivka
keep everything in mind.
a positive, redeeming value to the Holtzberg, the Chabad woman who
information non-Jewish outlets was murdered in Mumbai. She wore The shidduhim solution to this is the
disseminate we have no reason to a wig, like the ones mocked (on the "profile". What is a profile?
share it with our holy audience.
program).” She was attractive….all
A profile is a short description of our
the more attractive for the dignity
Some people may argue that we
young man or woman, that describes
she exuded precisely because of her
need to defend out honor and can
the essentials without giving a name.
wig and modest style of dress.”
only do so if we know that we were
The profile lets people know the
insulted in the first place; that these So why allow this subject into our age, the height, family background
‘popular’ outlets need to hear our homes when our friends and admir- i.e. FFB, BT, etc. the level one is at,
people express their dissatisfaction ers are so capable of responding for Chassidish, relaxed, modern and a
with such an unfair portrayal.
us?
description of the characteristic of
the young man or woman such as
And yet, I find this answer far short During the recent war in Gaza
kind and giving, very involved in ....
of convincing.
and the murders in Mumbai, all of
quiet and eidel, ambitious, go getter
our Lubavitch news sites served as
First, as one Crown Heights Rov
etc. Last but not least a description of
wonderful sieves, bringing us many
pointed out to me, Lubavitch’s miswhat one is looking for such as only
anecdotes of the emergence of the
sion is generally Torah, Mitzvos and
shlichus, yiras shamayim, tznius,
Pintale Yid and Kiddush Hashem
Chinuch, not protests.
outgoing, organized etc.
stories. In a sense they served as
Second, in those cases where protest ‘airwaves- sterilizers’ and brought in At the end write in a contact name
is called for – the same Mechanech only Kosher material which, together and phone number and or email
pointed out that in some cases a with our youth, we could watch and address.
tarnished image of Lubavitch might kvell over with tears and pride.
What you have accomplished with a
prevent us from bringing people
It should therefore be clear that I am profile is to describe your child and
closer to Yiddishkeit – could we not
not attacking our media as a medium. what you are looking for on paper
assign a community leader or several
The New York Times has as its
motto “All the News that’s Fit to
Print” emblazoned on its masthead. L’havdil, could we not ask
our news sites to start consulting
Rabbonim and Mashpiim so that
they can proudly emblazon above
their own virtual mastheads, “All
the News that’s Fit for Lubavitch
Cyberspace”?
Comments & Questions:Tznius1@
verizon.net
for easy reference of your friends
and contacts.
They in turn can send on or show
your profile to others with possible
matches without compromising your
privacy as you did not disclose your
name and address.
If a promising match is found then
you can send a full resume which
would have the family data such as
how many siblings, the schools and
camps attended and/or shlichus,
references etc.
If you attend a shidduch group
meeting or if you want someone to
present your child to such a group
a profile is indispensable.
Send one to all your relatives so they
are reminded that you are looking
for your son or daughter and what
exactly you are looking for.
A profile is perfect for these days
where we do not want the names
of our children to float around as a
conversation piece until we get them
married on the other hand we do
want people to remember that we
have a wonderful son or daughter
just brimming with qualities and
waiting to get married to that right
one.
So c'mon everyone, take paper and
pen or laptop and desktop and let
us see those profiles! (And yes that
means you too mother or boys!!!)
Basmelech@gmail.com
Shidduchim101.blogspot.com
YUD SHVAT
The story of the Beginning of the Rebbe’s Nesius (5711-1951)
Reprinted from the book “a day to chassidim and would accept the prior to the Farbrengen: The disrecall a day to remember”
mantel of the nesius upon himself. tinguished Rabbi, Rabbi Ephraim
Yolles was in the Rebbe’s room.
By Rabbi Sholom Ber Avtzon with- The next day the Rebbe called him
When Rabbi Yolles saw the crowd
more additions
into his room and told him that he
assembled, he asked the Rebbe
must put in, in the very next publicaAfter the histalkus, chassidim turned
how he will manage to get in to the
tion, a notice of retraction.
to the Rebbe, beseeching him to
Farbrengen. The Rebbe answered:
accept upon himself the nesius Rabbi Kazarnovsky asked the Rebbe “You will hold unto my gartel”!
(mantle of leadership). Although the if he might say something, to which
At 8:45, the Rebbe came to 770,
Rebbe initially declined (until the the Rebbe said yes.
which was packed with chassidim,
following Yud Shevat), some changes
Rabbi Kazarnovsky then said: “Last and at 9:45 he came out to farbreng.
were immediately noticeable. Not
night I had a dream in which the The Rebbe began by saying two
only did he continue to farbreng
Previous Rebbe came to me and said: sichos. In the first sicha, the Rebbe
every Shabbos Mevorchim as he
‘Tell my son-in-law, [mentioning expressed the need of strengthening
had started doing in 5702 (1942)
the Rebbe by name] the following our bond to the Previous Rebbe.
on the instruction of the Previous
[explanation]. It says in the possuk, Then in the second sicha the Rebbe
Rebbe, he also began to farbreng on
“And Hashem spoke to Moshe [the said, “Following the American
Yomim Tovim and other major days
leader of the Jewish nation], ‘Why custom of beginning a new era with
in the calendar. In addition, he began
are you crying out to Me; speak to a statement of intent, my statement
answering many people’s personal
the Jewish nation and they shall is “The love of Hashem, the love of
questions that until then had been
travel onward.’” Tell my son-in-law: His Torah and the love of every Jew
answered by the Previous Rebbe.
“Why are you telling everyone that is one thing and inseparable. If a Jew
During that year, many interesting I [the Rebbe Rayatz] am the Rebbe? is lacking in one of these loves, it
episodes took place relating to the You should speak to the Jewish should be strengthened, and through
Rebbe’s acceptance of the nesius, a nation and they will travel and be this love for every Jew, we will go out
few of which we will mention here. elevated with you until the coming of this bitter golus.
of Moshiach Tzidkeinu.”’”
Reb Avrohom Sender Nemtzov, an
Rabbi Eliyahu Simpson, who was
the mazkir (secretary) in charge of The Rebbe then said, “Thank you elder chassid, then stood up and
yechidus with the Previous Rebbe for the good tidings, and since you said, “The sichos are very good but
from hwwa,-aww, 1940-1950 (since told me good tidings, I shall give you chassidim want to hear a maamar.”
the Previous Rebbe came to Amer- good tidings.”
Silence reigned as everyone stood
with baited breath. The Rebbe’s
ica), had a dream.
The Rebbe then showed Rabbi
expression became very serious and
In his dream, the Previous Rebbe Kazarnovsky a telegram which
after a few moments began saying
appea red to h i m a nd asked, he had just received from Rabbi
his first maamar, which was based
“Why are the spirits of chassidim Herzog, the Chief Ashkenazic Rabbi
on and explained in great detail the
depressed?”
in Eretz Yisroel, congratulating and
ideas contained in the first chapter of
blessing the Rebbe on becoming the
Rabbi Simpson answered, “Because
Basi LeGani, the last maamar given
seventh Rebbe of Lubavitch.
we have no one to go to!”
out by the Previous Rebbe.
On Wednesday, Yud Shevat 5711
The Previous Rebbe replied, “Isn’t
In the middle of the maamar, the
(1951), the Rebbe went to the tzion
my son-in-law [mentioning the
Rebbe stopped and said, “We will
of the Previous Rebbe and read
Rebbe by name] with you?”
now pause and say l’chaim.” Reb
many letters of request, that the
Nemtzov stood up in great happiness
Rabbi Simpson said, “But he refuses Rebbe pray on their behalf. The
and exclaimed to all, “Let us say
to accept the nesius upon himself.” last one to be read was the michtav
the blessing of Shehechiyanu that
hahiskashrus, the letter signifying
To this the Previous Rebbe replied,
we have a Rebbe.” He then led the
the total bonding of a chassid to
“He [the Rebbe] was already comassembled in saying this blessing
the Rebbe, which was signed by
manded to do so.”
using Hashem’s name.
thousands of chassidim throughout
At the first opportune moment, the entire world. The letter declared The Rebbe then instructed that the
Rabbi Simpson told this dream to that they are accepting the Rebbe niggun Beinoni be sung, followed
the Rebbe, who said, “I have not as their Rebbe and committing by the Rebbe Rashab’s niggun
received such an instruction...”
themselves to energetically fulfill known as the Niggun Rostov. After
all his directives. When the Rebbe continuing the maamar, the Rebbe
Immediately, Rabbi Simpson and
began reading this letter, he broke instructed that a niggun of the
other elder chassidim went to the
out in deep sobs.
Rebbe Maharash be sung, followed
tzion (gravesite) of the Previous
by three niggunim of the Rebbe the
Rebbe and read a pidyon nefesh, When he returned from the Ohel,
Tzemach Tzedek.
requesting that the instruction everyone davened Mincha, and then
come.
they ate something. After Maariv it The Rebbe then concluded the maawas officially announced that the mar and tearfully related how the
Indeed, from then on, the Rebbe
Rebbe was going to farbreng at 8:00 love of the Rebbeim for their fellow
never said that he did not receive
in the shul upstairs. At the time, the Jew was unlimited. The Alter Rebbe,
such an instruction.
“downstairs” where the big shul is for example, on Yom Kippur left the
Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Raichik, of located, was a big yard.
shul and chopped wood in order to
California, would tell the following
prepare warm food for a women in
This was no surprise, as the Rebbe
need. He then mentioned an incident
story every Sukkos:
farbrenged throughout the year
of extreme ahavas Yisroel of every
Rabbi Aharon Kazarnovsky was one on all special occasions, and it was
one of the Rebbeim.
of the three chassidim who placed publicized in the newspapers that
a notice (on the 26th of Teves) in he would be doing so.
He explained that, as this was the last
some of the most prominent Yiddish
maamar the Previous Rebbe gave us,
The suspense was whether or not the
newspapers, announcing that on
undoubtedly there was guidance in
Rebbe would accept the nesius.
Yud Shevat, 5711 (1951), the Rebbe
it to help us during these last days
would accede to the request of the An interesting anecdote took place of golus.
The Rebbe further explained: The
Previous Rebbe’s maamar says that
because Moshe Rabbeinu was the
seventh generation from Avrohom
Avinu, he was able to bring down
and reveal Hashem’s glory in this
world.
So, continued the Rebbe, it is our
obligation and merit to bring the
ultimate revelation of G‑dliness
into the world, since we are the
seventh generation from the Alter
Rebbe, who began the dissemination of Chassidus in order to bring
Moshiach.
When the Rebbe finished saying
the maamar, Reb Nemtzov stood
up one last time, and blessed the
Rebbe. The Rebbe replied: “Now
please listen. The Rebbeim always
demanded from their chassidim that
they should work on their own and
not rely on the Rebbe to accomplish
everything for them.
“Therefore, now that I accept to
help you in every way possible, don’t
become complacent in your duties
and obligations. You must fulfill the
mission that my holy father-in-law,
the Rebbe, gave you.”
Thus began the tradition of explaining and expounding one chapter of
Basi LeGani a year on Yud Shevat.
It continued for the next twenty
years until Yud Shevat 5730 (1970),
when the Rebbe said a maamar on
chapter twenty, the last chapter
of the hemshech of Basi LeGani.
The following year, 5731 (1971),
the Rebbe started the cycle anew,
explaining a chapter a year, beginning with Chapter One.
After the Farbrengen, Reb Yudel
Chitrik obm approached and told
the Rebbe told him that the Maamor
was very positively accepted and
Chassidim are very pleased.
The Rebbe said to Rabbi Chitrik:
“Give me a Brocha”. Rabbi Chitrik
said: To give a Brocha, we need
mashke.
The Rebbe ordered to bring mashke
and when Reb Yudel said lchaim, he
continued: “Everything that all the
Rebbe’im intended and worked to
accomplish in all the generations,
should be fulfilled through the
Rebbe,
The Rebbe answered: Omen. Lang
leben zolt ir (you should have a long
life).
By now, we have witnessed the
fulfillment of the Rebbe’s Brocha.
Rabbi Chitrik lived up till 106!
What is a Rebbe
The Head
Reprinted from Chabad.Org
Editor’s note: The following is a free
translation of a letter written by the
Rebbe several months after the passing
of his father-in-law and predecessor,
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn of
Lubavitch. The letter was printed as an
introduction to a booklet of maamarim
(discourses of Chassidic teaching) by
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, and is dated
“Tammuz 3, 5710.”1
Many seek and propose to explain
the qualities and greatness of Chabad Rebbes in general, and, in particular, the Rebbe of our generation,
my father-in-law, hareini kaparat
mishkavo,2 in various areas: as a
man of self-sacrifice, Torah genius,
lofty character, prophetic ability, There are several types of nesi’im:
miracle-worker, etc., etc.
those who supply their constituents
with “internalized” nurture,4 and
These qualities are further magnified
those whose nurture is of a more
when viewed in the light of Chassidic
“encompassing” nature.5 This is
teaching, which explains what is true
further divisible into the particulars
self-sacrifice, true Torah genius, and
of whether they impart the teaching
so on.
of the “revealed” part of Torah, its
And yet, none of this addresses the mystical secrets, or both; whether
primary quality of the Rebbe--a they offer guidance in the service
quality which is not only primary in of G-d and the ways of Chassidism;
essence, but which is most important whether they draw down material
to us, his chassidim and followers, provision; and so on.
namely: the fact that he is a nassi,
There are also nesi’im who are chanand particularly a Chabad nassi.
nels in several of these areas, or even
A nassi, broadly defined, is a “head in all of them.
of the multitudes of Israel.”3 He
Such was the nature of the leadership
is their “head” and “mind,” their
of the nesi’im of Chabad, from the
source of life and vitality. Through
Alter Rebbe6 to, and including,
their attachment to him, they are
my father-in-law, who embraced
bound and united with their source
all these categories and areas: they
on high.
Yud Shvat Customs four hours. If possible, the candle
should be of beeswax.[673]
Directives and customs advised by
the Rebbe regarding the Yahrzeit: Five candles[674] should burn during the prayer services.
Adapted from Sefer Haminhagim
(Published by Sichos In English)
After each prayer service (and in the
morning, [this means] after the readBy the grace of G-d
ing of Tehillim), the sheliach tzibbur
Rosh Chodesh Shvat, 5711
should study (or at least conclude674
the study of) ch. 24 of Mishnayos
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Keilim and ch. 7 of Mishnayos
To Anash, to the students of Tom- Mikvaos. He should then recite the
chei Temimim, and to those who mishnah beginning “Rabbi Chananhave a bond or a relationship with yah ben Akashya...,” followed silently
my revered father-in-law the saintly by a few lines of Tanya,[675] and
Rebbe, of blessed memory:
Kaddish deRabbanan.
G-d bless you all.
Greeting and blessings:
In reply to the many questions that
have been asked about a detailed
schedule for the Tenth of Shvat, the
yahrzeit of my revered father-in-law,
the Rebbe, I would hereby suggest
the following:
On the Shabbos before the yahrzeit
[each chassid] should attempt to be
called for an aliyah to the Torah.
After Maariv, part
of the maamar
(Basi L eGa n i)
that was released
for the day of the
dem ise shou ld
be recited from
memory. If there
is no one to do
this from memory, it should be
studied from the
text. This should
also be done after
Shacharis, and the
maamar should be
concluded after Minchah.
If there are not enough aliyos the
Torah should be read [a number of
times] in different rooms. However,
no additions[672] should be made
to the number of aliyos [at each
Before Shacharis, a chapter of Tanya
reading].
should be studied. This should also
The congregation should see to it be done after Minchah.
that the Maftir should be the most
In the morning, before prayer,
respected congregant, as determined
charity should be given to those
by the majority; alternatively, the
institutions that are related to our
choice should be determined by
Nasi, my revered father-in-law, of
lot.
sainted memory. Donations should
The congregation should choose be made on behalf of oneself and
someone to lead the prayers on the on behalf of each member of one’s
day of the yahrzeit. It is proper to family. The same should be done
divide [the honor, choosing] one per- before Minchah.
son to lead Maariv, a second to lead
After Shacharis and the recitation
Shacharis, and a third - Minchah. In
of the maamar, each individual
this way a greater number of Anash
should read a pidyon nefesh. (It goes
will have the privilege.
without saying that a gartl is worn
A [yahrzeit] candle should be lit that during the reading.) Those who had
will burn throughout the twenty- the privilege of entering [the saintly
nurtured their chassidim in both the
“internal” and the “encompassing”
qualities of their souls; in Torah,
divine service and good deeds; in
spirit and in body. Thus, their bond
with those connected with them was
in all 613 limbs and organs of their
souls and bodies.
Each and every one of us must know-that is, dwell upon and implant the
awareness in his or her mind--that
the Rebbe is our nassi and head: that
he is the source and channel for all
our material and spiritual needs,
and that it is through our bond with
him (and he has already instructed
us in his letters how and by what
means this is achieved) that we are
bound and united with our source,
and the source of our source, up
to our ultimate source on high.
Rebbe’s study] for yechidus, or at
least of seeing his face, should - while
reading the pidyon nefesh - picture
themselves as standing before him.
The pidyon nefesh should then be
placed between the pages of a maamar or kuntreis, etc., of his teachings,
and sent, if possible on the same day,
to be read at his graveside.
for the young people who are not
yet observant - in order to explain to
them the warm love that the saintly
Rebbe constantly had for them. It
should be explained to these people
what he expected of them; they
should be told of the hope and the
trust that he placed in them - that
they would ultimately fulfill their
task of strengthening the observance
In the course of the day one should
of Judaism and disseminating the
study chapters of Mishnayos that
study of Torah with all the energy,
begin with the letters of his name.
warmth and vitality that characterIn the course of the day one should ize youth.
participate in a farbrengen.
If prevailing conditions allow, all
In the course of the above should of course be conthe day one should tinued during the days following
set aside a time the yahrzeit, and particularly on the
during which to following Shabbos.
tell one’s family
May G-d hasten the coming of our
about the saintly
Redeemer, and then “those who
Rebbe, and about
repose in the dust will awaken and
the spiritual tasks
sing joyful praises.” And our Nasi
at which he toiled
among them will give us wondrous
throughout all the
tidings, and lead us along the path
days of his life.
that leads up to the House of G-d.
In the course of
[Signed: Rebbe’s name]
the day, people
(to whom t h is (a) Miscellaneous:
task is appropri“I once heard from my revered
ate) should visit
father-in-law, the Rebbe, that before
synagogues and
visiting a resting place or ohel [i.e.,
houses of study in their cities and
the structure built over or around the
cite a statement or an adage drawn
grave of a tzaddik] it is customary not
from the teachings of the saintly
to eat, but one drinks something.”
Rebbe. They should explain how he
loved every Jew. [Furthermore,] they It is the custom of the Rebbe Shlita
should make known and explain the to make an appeal for Keren Torah
practice that he instituted of reciting (“the Torah Fund”) at the farbrengen
Tehillim every day, studying the of Yud Shvat.
daily portion of Chumash with the
(b) Yud Shvat 5711:
commentary of Rashi, and, where
appropriate, studying the Tanya On the tenth of Shvat, 5711 (1951),
as he divided it into daily readings in a favorable and auspicious hour,
throughout the year. If possible this the Rebbe Shlita undertook the
should all be done in the course of leadership [of the Chabad-Lubavitch
chassidic movement].
a farbrengen.
In the course of the day, people
(who are fit for the task) should visit
centers of observant youth - and,
in a neighborly spirit, should make
every endeavor to also visit centers
On this day, [the first anniversary of
the passing of his revered father-inlaw, the Rebbe Rayatz,] the Rebbe
Shlita publicly delivered the first
maamar, Basi LeGani.
Yud Shevat : A Day of Two Rebbes
The 10th day of the Jewish month of
Shevat (“Yud Shevat” in Hebrew) is
a most significant date on the Chassidic calendar.
Yitzchok Schneerson who passed
away in 1950, on Shabbat morning,
Shevat 10, in his apartment on the
2nd floor. Exactly one year later,
Rabbi Menachem Mendel SchneerIt is the yahrtzeit of the sixth
son held the historic farbrengen in
Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef
the first floor synagogue, at which
he formally accepted the leadership
of Chabad. with a historic maamar
(discourse).
See the story of the beginning of the
Rebbe’s Nesius (5711/1951)
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneerson (1880-1950)
6th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch
ried Nechamah Dina, daughter of
Rabbi Abraham Schneersohn and
A Brief Overview
granddaughter of the Tzemach
Reprinted from Chabad.org
Tzedek, the third Chabad rebbe.
During the week’s celebrations that
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerfollowed the wedding ceremony,
son, the sixth Rebbe of ChabadRabbi Sholom Dovber announced
Lubavitch, was one of
the most remarkable
Jewish personalities of
the twentieth century.
In his seventy years,
he encountered every
conceiv able cha llenge to Jewish life:
the persecutions and
pogroms of Czarist
Russia, Communism’s
war on Judaism, and
melting-pot America’s apathy and scorn
toward the Torah and
its precepts. The Rebbe
was unique in that he
not only experienced
these chapters in Jewish history -- as did
many of his generation
-- but that, as a leader
of his people, he actually faced them down,
often single-handedly,
the founding of Tomchei Tmimim,
and prevailed.
the Lubavitch yeshivah, and the
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak was the only following year appointed his son
son of Rabbi Sholom DovBer, the to be its executive director. It was
fifth Rebbe of Chabad, whose devo- there, in the hamlet of Lubavitch in
tion to the child’s education is pre-soviet White Russia, that Rabbi
lovingly chronicled in Rabbi Yosef Yosef Yitzchok trained the army
Yitzchak’s voluminous writings.1 of the faithful torchbearers who,
While still in his teens, the young under the impossible conditions of
Yosef Yitzchak he served as the the decades to come, would literally
right hand of his father. As the per- give their lives to keep the flame of
sonal secretary of the Rebbe, Yosef Jewish life ablaze throughout the
Yitzchak’s responsibilities included Soviet Union.
administrating the many civic and
Upon his father’s passing in 1920
communal activities in which the
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak assumed the
Rebbe was involved. The young
leadership of Russian Jewry just as
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, in full-length
Communism’s all-out war on Jewchassidic garb, was a familiar figure
ish life was moving into high gear.
in the receiving rooms of the governHis fight to preserve Judaism was
ment officials, ministers, and nobles
characterized by his all-consuming
of Moscow and Petersburg. In 5655
mesirat nefesh - an unequivocally
(1895) the young rabbi participated
selfless devotion to the physical
in the great conference of religious
and spiritual needs of a fellow Jew
and lay leaders in Kovno, and again
and unshakable faith in what he
in the following year in Vilna. At
stood for. He dispatched teachers
times soft-spoken and with words
and rabbis to the farthest reaches
coming from the heart, at times
of the Soviet Empire, establishing
audacious and threatening, but
a vast underground network of
always fearless and determined, he
schools, mikvaos, and lifelines of
demanded the repeal of anti-Jewish
material and spiritual support.
decrees, the stopping of pogroms and
Stalin’s henchmen did everything
the cessation of the government’s
in their power to stop him. In 1927
program of forced “enlightenment”
he was arrested, beaten, sentenced
of traditional Jewish life.
to death and exiled; but he stood his
On Elul 13, 5657 (1897), at the age ground, and by force of international
of seventeen, Yosef Yitzchak mar- pressure he was finally allowed to
leave the country. But in leaving the
boundaries of the Soviet Union he
left his emissaries and their infrastructure of Jewish life behind; these
continued to function and thrive,
preserving and even spreading the
teachings of Torah and chassidism to
this very day. When the all-powerful
communist regime began to crumble
in the closing years of the ‘80s,
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak’s network of
children’s schools, outreach centers,
and supply lines of kosher food and
religious services simply moved out
of cellars and attics into emptied
Communist Party buildings.
Upon arriving in New York after his
rescue from Nazi-occupied Warsaw
in 1940, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak took
on a no less formidable challenge:
the frigid spiritual atmosphere of
the western world. There was no
telling Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak that
his was a losing battle; from his
wheelchair, he rallied the Jewish
young of America under the cry that
“America is no different,” that also
in this bastion of materialism the
timeless truths of Torah can take
root and flourish. He established
yeshivas and day schools, a publishing house for Jewish books, a social
service organization and community
support networks throughout the
country. By the time of his passing
in 1950 he had laid the foundation
for the global renaissance of Torahtrue and chassidic-flavored Jewish
life, heralded by his son-in-law and
successor, Rabbi Menachem M.
Schneerson.
G o a l of M i v z t oi m : U lt i m a t e
redemption
By Rabbi Michoel Seligson
therefore, gave to the Jews two
Mitzvos. The same is true for all the
In one of the Farbrengens on Shabexiles. The mizvos are the vessels for
bos Parshas Bo 19771, the Rebbe
the Geula.
spoke an unusually emotional Sicha
in which he gave an insight into the The Rebbe continues: When a fire is
ultimate goal of the Mivtzoim. The burning a person will escape from
Rebbe was explaining a Rashi on the the blaze and grab anything that he
Parsha2. Rashi explains why Hashem can to save from the fire. He might
instructed the Jews to fulfill two not grab the clothing he needs, he
mitzvos prior to leaving Mitzrayim will grab a tie and put it on in order
(Egypt). Rashi quotes Reb Masya to save it from the fire.
Ben Charosh. Prior to redeeming
Why is this so? Because when a
the Jews from Egypt, Hashem saw
person finds himself in an emerthat they were bare of Mitzvos,
gency moment, he does not make
and were not ready to leave Egypt.
any calculations or think logically.
Hashem therefore gave them the
He grabs a tie and puts it on even
Mitzvos of bris mila (circumcision)
though he dosen’t even have a shirt
and Pesach.
on. When a fire is burning, G-d
The Rebbe asks the question, Why forbid, there is no time and patience
must Rashi cite who was the one that for Cheshbonos (calculations). Once
said this comment? What would be he has this one garment on him, this
lacking if Rashi would only mention will eventually guide him to don all
the above mentioned thought and his garments.
omit the source of the comment.
The same is with Mivtzoim. We meet
The Rebbe explains that when a Jew a person on a train or bus, although
asks a question about the unusually we know that in a short time the
long Golus, Rashi teaches a child person will be getting off, don’t leave
the answer. The answer for that is him bare of Mitzvos, the garments
relayed to us by the sage Reb Masya of the soul. “Throw something on
the son of Charosh. Who was Reb him” a “tie” or any other garment.
Masya Ben Charosh? Reb Masya Grab the occasion and talk with him
Ben Charosh lived in the Golus of about a specific Mitzva! Eventually,
Rome, a time of great oppression. this one Mitzva will bring another
His students approached and asked Mitzva. And this will prepare Klal
him, “It is already stated in the Yisroel for the Geula.
Talmud that all deadlines for the
We should all merit, that the Rebbe
Golus are over ! So why are we still
should lead us, very speedily, to
in such a bitter Golus ?!”
our holy land “together with the
Reb Masya Ben Charosh responded Mivtzoim and Neshek in our hands”
to his students, “Look at the first Bkorov Mamash.
exile, Mitzrayim. The deadline for
redemption had arrived but they
were bare of Mitzvos. Hashem
1
2
Sicha of Shabbos Bo 5737
Shmos 12, 6
Shaalos Utshuvos in Modern Times
Who made up the way we sing the Torah?
By Baruch S. Davidson
Question:
much of the insight provided by the
tunes affects aspects of our souls that
are beyond our understanding and
Is it important that the Torah be
conscious perception.7 Nonetheread in the traditional melody? Who
less, some of the implications of
made up these melodies anyway?
the specific tunes on some verses
Response:
are elucidated in the Kabbalah and
Chassidic teachings.
The actual Torah scroll contains only
letters. The printed editions, known So the next time you're in the synaas Chumashim, commonly contain gogue, tune in to the chords that
not only the vowel markings, but have influenced the soul of our
also cantillation marks. Each mark nation ever since we were married
signifies a different melodic phrase to the Torah at Sinai.8
with which to chant a word or group
Yours truly,
of words. In Hebrew, these marks
are called ta'amim—from the word Rabbi Baruch S. Davidson
ta'am, meaning taste—or in Yiddish,
FOOTNOTES
the trop.
1. Some accredit these as well to Mosaic
The trop is an integral part of reading
times. Others attribute the symbols to the
the Torah and has historical, mystiMen of the Great Assembly (2nd Temple
cal, as well as practical relevance.
History:
The use of the cantillation marks in
current use dates to at least the 9th10th century CE. This was the era
of the Masoretes, meticulous scribes
in Tiberias, Jerusalem and Babylon
who worked to establish a precise
common text, vowelization and
cantillation for the Tanakh.1 The
tradition of the ta'amim by which
the Torah is to be sung, however,
is as old as the Torah itself. It was
taught to Moses together with the
vowels, as it is integral to the correct
understanding of the Torah.2 3 It is
only that the system of notation may
have been developed later (and this
is also debated). Nonetheless, at one
point in history, some of the details
of the ta'mim were forgotten by much
of the Jewish community, and Ezra
the Scribe reintroduced them4.
Function:
In addition to the pronunciation and
emphasis guidance that the ta'amim
provide, which affects the meaning
and tense of the word, the ta'amim
also provides information on the
syntactical structure of the text. In
addition, it often provides commentary and insight to the text itself, by
musically highlighting noteworthy
ideas. Some of these insights have
been elucidated throughout the
generations. Nehemiah 8:8, where
we read how the Torah was read
and taught before the Jewish people,
concludes, "…and they explained
the reading to them." The Talmud5
comments that this expression refers
to the additional understanding
which the ta'amim provide.
Some point out that the Hebrew word
used for these melodies, ta'amim,
means "taste" or "sense,"6 indicating
that the ta'amim bring out the flavor
of the passage. The implication is
that reading words without correct
inflection and melody is like eating
a tasteless meal.
The Chassidic masters write that
Era).
2. See Pardes, Gate 28 (Moses Cordevero,
16th century Kabbalist). Some historians
opine that the ta'mim were introduced by
King Solomon (based on Talmud Eruvin
21b) or Ezra, but this is not so according
to the Zohar.
3. For this reason, the Talmud (Nedarim
37b) quotes one opinion that the ta'amim
have the Halachic status of Mosaic Law.
(The issue at hand there is whether the rules
of payment for the teaching of the ta'amim
would fall under the same category as the
teaching of the actual Torah or not.)
4. Ritva to Yoma 52a, and others.
5. Nedarim ibid. and elsewhere.
6. See Likutei Torah, Shir Hashirim 1:3.
7. Igros Kodesh, vol. 4, pp. 386-387.
8. The ta'amim for the reading of the prophets (such as when reading the Haphtarah),
as well as the trop used for the High Holiday readings, differ from the ta'amim used
for the standard Torah reading, though
they follow the same principles and use
the same marks. This is to the exception
of Job, Psalms, and Proverbs which have a
set of notes, symbols, and patterns of their
own. You will also find wide variations
in the melodies and modalities from one
community to the next, as these were
adapted to the local musical modes. Thus
an Iraqi Torah reading will sound quite
different than a Polish reading, although
both adhere to the same principles and
follow a the same set of ta'amim.
Husband Won't Stick
To A Budget
Dear Rachel,
I am very newly married and now
that we are sharing a bank account, I
see for the first time that my husband
is really spending more money than
he should be. He freelances so his
income is certainly not consistent,
but he buys things as if he has endless
resources. I always thought he could
afford his more lavish lifestyle but
now I see that his credit card debt is
mounting and I am worried that it
could get out of control. He spends
a lot of money on me which I neither
want nor need but he always says
From Chabad.org
he buys me things because he loves
me and wants to make me happy. It
is not that I don't like nice things,
but with today's economic situation
I just don't think it is practical to
spend like this. He tells me I worry
too much, yet I feel he is not being
responsible. Any advice?
making meals and trying new foods.
This can be something both fun and
financially wise. You will end up
spending more time together (as it
will include preparation and cleanup
time as well as the time spent eating)
and it will be both healthier and less
expensive.
Concerned Newlywed
If you take a good look at the extravagances in your lives and where the
money is being spent, there are often
much less expensive alternatives.
Instead of taking a week-long vacation go away for day trips. Instead of
hotels, look into swapping homes or
staying in places with kitchenettes so
you can bring food along and even
do some cooking.
Dear Concerned Newlywed,
It sounds like there are a few different dynamics going on here.
Leaving aside the current financial
situation for a moment, it appears
that for whatever reason he feels that
spending money, both on himself
and on you, is something he should
be doing. Perhaps he is concerned
that if he doesn't keep a certain
standard that you will be angry or
upset. Maybe he sees that his friends
are always buying things for their
wives and he either doesn't want
you to be jealous or he is trying to
keep up with them. Or perhaps this
is simply the lifestyle that he enjoys.
But if so, it doesn't sound like he can
afford it!
Often people buy things to make
themselves feel better. Shopping can
give someone a feeling of control,
of newness in their lives, of being
able to create the kind of image that
they want to have. If his shopping
is related to insecurities, the best
thing you can do is to try to reassure
him and make him feel secure, so
that he will not resort to shopping
as an outlet. Try to be conscious of
how you talk about material things.
Sometimes we are not even aware of
what we mention. Perhaps you talk
about how beautiful a particular
huge home is or what you would do
for a certain pair of earrings or outfit.
Often we make these comments
with no real intention of ever having
such things, but more as passing
comments. But if your husband hears
you talk about things he can't afford,
he could be feeling pressured that he
is not providing for you in the way
that you would like.
If his money spending is not really
unhealthy but more impractical in
today's market, then think about
ways you can help your overall
spending lessen. Look at the things
you do in your relationship and
where the money is spent. One big
money pit often is eating out. Going
to a nice restaurant can be romantic,
a little get away, relaxing…yet it can
also be quite expensive. If you see
that he spends a lot of money taking
you to dinner, try to create another
experience that is just as enjoyable
and less expensive. Surprise him
and cook a nice dinner for the two
of you or make a picnic. Pack him
great lunches (and for yourself as
well) when you go out for the day
so that you don't stop to pick up
food. You can suggest taking turns
You say you are recently married.
More important than anything else,
remind your husband both directly
and indirectly that you didn't marry
him for his money, and you do not
love him for the things he buys you.
While he may know this intellectually, emotionally he might feel that
he has a standard he needs or wants
to keep. He wants to take care of you
and make you feel secure and maybe
he feels that by providing for you
materially he is accomplishing this.
Remind him that what you need is
for him to be healthy and happy, not
for him to buy things for you.
If over time you see that there is no
way for the two of you together to
bring your (or his) spending under
control, you may want to consider
seeking the advice of a financial planner or even a therapist. Spending can
unfortunately become an addiction,
in which case professional help is
needed to curb it.
There is a beautiful tradition that
under the chupah, under the marriage canopy, that a man empties
his pockets and a woman removes
all her jewelry. The reason for this
tradition is to show that the bride
is not marrying this man for his
material wealth, for anything that he
has in his pockets. She is marrying
him for who he is on the inside. And
likewise, he is not marrying her for
her jewels or her riches or anything
external. He is marrying her for who
she is, not what she wears. So make
sure that this is a message that stays
in your marriage and becomes your
foundation.
May you be blessed in your marriage
and lives to have an abundance of
wealth, in the spiritual, emotional
and material sense, and may you
always know how to use it wisely!
Rachel
Notes
Perseverance
By Lieba Rudolph
The question I ask myself is, “if
Moshiach were to come right now,
would I be happy with what I was
doing?”
What I’m doing, of course, is as
much subjective as objective. For
example, if Moshiach were to come
and find me shopping in Filene’s
Basement, I could justify being
there by saying that a Jewish woman
always needs to dress appropriately,
and besides, they’re going out of
business so everything’s on sale. Or
would I be faced with the fact that
I had gone AWOL because I don’t
need anything at Filene’s? I think
my birthday hachlata should be no
more recreational shopping. This could be harder than previous birthday hachlatas. One year I
took on to always wear a seat belt,
another year I decided to give daily
tzedaka. How can it be that not doing something can be harder than doing
something? I guess that’s like trying
to say to the alcoholic that it’s not
that hard not to drink —just don’t
drink!
I’m not seriously addicted to shopping
by any stretch of the imagination, but
it’s a habit whose time has passed.
And I’m another year older, which is a
wonderful thing.
As I am quick to
tell people who
a s k how I ’m
doing, middle
age is not as bad
as I thought it
would be. Maybe
it’s because some
of the things
I’ve been trying to absorb all
these years have
actually sunk
in. Or maybe
it’s because I
have seen too
many friends
leave this world
before they
even got to
dream about middle age.
The later pages of the book of life
turn quicker, and I’ve always kept
a running commentary of what I
thought people would say about me
if mine were to close.
a way of keeping me on my toes.
What I know at this point in my life
is that I definitely wouldn’t care for
it, if people said that I was a great
dresser, or how
good I looked
for my age. shown.
Th a t b e i n g
the case, this
year I’ll try to
spend less time
in front of the
mirror. Would
I care if people
said they loved
my challah or
my cholent?
Only because
it would mean
that they were
guests in my
house and the
food reflected
t he w a r mt h
they were
So although I’m not planning to
spend more time in the kitchen,
I hope I don’t spend less time in
the kitchen, since food is such an
expression of love. But what I would
It’s a bit morbid, I know, but it has really want is for people to say that
Jewish History Personality
One time on a business expedition
Shalom found himself in a very
Nistalek: Jerusalem, Eretz Yisrael,
dangerous situation, and vowed
10th of Shvat 1777
that if God saved him, he would
Rabbi Shalom Sharaby was born move to the Holy Land. Indeed,
in the city of Sharab, where his
superior intellectual gifts were evident at an early age. Unfortunately,
the premature death of his father
prevented him from remaining in
Talmud-Torah, as the young orphan
was now the sole support of his
family. Shalom became a traveling
merchant and sold his wares from
door to door. This left him with only
his evenings free to pursue his one
true love: the study of Torah. He
would often remain in the study hall
till the wee hours of the morning
before going home to catch a few
hours of sleep.
God came to his aid, and he left his
But Shalom’s thirst for Torah
friends and family and embarked
knowledge was insatiable. Despite
on the long journey through the
his achievements, he still felt as if
Middle East. On his way he stayed
something were missing. It was
in India, Baghdad and Damascus.
then that he discovered the esoteric
There he left a strong impression on
realm of Torah - the Kabbalah and
the Rabbis.
its mysteries - as developed by the
sages of Yemen. Enthusiastically he Shalom’s joy knew no bounds when
plunged into the study of the higher he finally arrived at the Yeshiva of the
worlds and the Torah’s secrets, and Kaabbalists “Beit El” in Jerusalem,
distinguished himself in this realm headed by the famous Kabbalist
as well. But the young Rabbi Shalom Rabbi Gedalia Chiyun. His soul
insisted on working for a living, and longed to join the other students of
continued to peddle his notions as the inner aspects of Torah, but he
had no wish to reveal his already
before.
Lucky us. We have the Rebbe’s
guidance that actually keeps our
life purpose on track, so that every
day we are blessed to be alive can
actually accomplish something real
and eternal.
The Rebbe teaches us that the best
way to matter to others is to think
about others, to view them with
loving eyes and do for them with a
generous heart. To see that we really
are all one…wait, I think I want to
add having more ahavas yisroel as
a birthday hachlata. This may be
harder to measure, but it is all that
matters in the end. And the Rebbe
has assured us all that the end will
soon change, that the unpleasant
options of either old age or the
obituary page will be gone with the
coming of Moshiach.
In the meantime, I’ll stay on my
toes, not so I will matter to people
just in case I leave before he comes,
but also so I know that I am doing
everything I can to make sure he
comes now!
hovered over the study hall.
The Kabbalist Rabbi Shalom Sharabi - The Rashash
Born: Shar’ab, Yemen, 1720
they’d miss me, that I mattered to
them—isn’t that what everyone
wants? Apparently not, judging from
the way so many people in the world
live their lives.
extensive knowledge. Instead, he
presented himself as a simple Jew and
found employment as the shamash
(sexton) of the study hall.
It was a wonderful opportunity to
learn without being
observed. As a regular presence in the
Talmud-Torah, no
one paid any attention to Shalom, who
kept his eyes and
ears open to every
word. Thus he gradually increased his
knowledge until he
far surpassed everyone else. But his
greatness remained
a secret known only
to him.
One day Shalom came upon Rabbi
Gedalia weeping over an open
volume, begging and imploring
God to illuminate his mind. It was
impossible to ignore such a pitiful
sight. Later that night, when the
study hall was empty, Shalom wrote
the answer on a small piece of paper
and left it between the pages of Rabbi
Gedalia’s book.
The next morning the study hall was
in an uproar. The problem that had
appeared so difficult and complex
had been solved in a clear and logical manner. Everyone was curious
where the wonderful explanation
had come from, but it remained a
great mystery. The strange phenomenon repeated itself several times.
Whenever a difficult question was
raised in the evening, its answer was
found in Rabbi Gedalia’s book the
next morning. A thorough investigation was conducted, but the head of
One day a question came up in the the Yeshivah could not determine
Yeshivah that no one could answer. where the answers were coming
For days the Kabbalists consulted from.
their heavy tomes, but could not
The riddle was solved in a totally
come up with a satisfactory explanaunexpected manner, when Rabbi
tion. Rabbi Gedalia became almost
Gedalia’s young daughter Chana
obsessed with the problem, and was
happened to mention that she had
very perturbed by his inability to
noticed the Yemenite shamash
solve it.
flipping through the pages of one
R’ Shalom had been listening to their of her father’s books. In fact, she
deliberations and knew the answer. had noticed him doing so on several
But not wishing to reveal himself, occasions. The next time an unrehe remained silent. As the days solved question was raised in the
progressed, it was as if a dark cloud study hall the Rabbi made believe he
Continued on page 15
Shleimus Haaretz
An Analysis of the Camp David Peace Process
Adapted from Sichos by the Rebbe
published by:Sichos In English
Publisher’s Foreword
The body of the Jewish people — an
indivisible and sanctified unity — has
suffered a grievous blow: one limb
has cut off another. Every responsible remaining limb is now left to do
its lonely grief work, to ponder the
pent-up currents of mutual intolerance that ultimately erupted with the
tragic assassination of Prime Minister
Yitzchak Rabin.
an Israeli commission of inquiry was
instituted to investigate the killings
in the Lebanese refuge camps, the
Rebbe pointed out that since its sole
purpose was to determine Jewish guilt
in the matter, instead of determining
who were the perpetrators and who
issued the orders, this was a travesty
of justice.
The following synopses of some of the
Rebbe’s addresses on the above subjects were published at their respective
times by the undersigned publisher,
who trusts that they have done justice
to their author. We have chosen to
reprint them now, because at a time
when some individuals on all sides are
being distracted by mutual and collective accusations that are unprofitable,
unloving and unjust, the voice of the
Torah perspective should be clearly
heard.
At the same time, while lamenting and
deploring this divisive and unsanctified
deed, no thinking man will want to
lose sight of the basic issue that underlies the current ideological contest:
whether or not territory should be
surrendered in exchange for promises
of peace. For at the present critical
moment in its history, the Land of
Sichos in English
Israel — an indivisible and sanctified
unity — is tottering under a series of An Analysis of the Camp David Peace
grievous blows, and vital limbs are Process
being irreversibly cut off.
Since the Six Day War in 1967, the
In literally hundreds of public addresses Rebbe has unceasingly reiterated his
delivered since the Six Day War in opposition to surrendering any of the
1967, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi liberated territories. Most recently,
Menachem M. Schneerson, explained the Rebbe has time and again warned
why none of the liberated territories of the grave danger the Camp David
of the Land of Israel should be sur- accords pose to the security of Eretz
rendered. Time and again he warned of Yisroel.
the grave danger that the Camp David
This publication is a synopsis of the
accords pose to its security. With the
Rebbe’s many public addresses on
beginning of Operation Peace for the
the subject, translated and adapted
Galilee in 1982, the Rebbe called for
by Rabbi Yosef Loebenstein. While it
the campaign to be carried through to
is but a synopsis, every effort has been
its logical conclusion — the complete
made to give as accurate a representaelimination of the terrorist threat to
tion of the Rebbe’s views as possible.
Jewish lives. And soon after, when
The Rashash
Continued from page 14
was going home for the evening but
hid in a closet. Indeed, to his utter
shock, he observed the shamash
consulting the holy tomes and
secreting a piece of paper between
the pages of his prayer book.
The next morning the head of the
Yeshivah insisted on seating Rabbi
Shalom Sharaby at his right hand
side, and revealed to all the great
mystery. In fact, he later appointed
him his heir and successor, despite
his young age of only 27. Chana
the daughter of Rabbi Gedalia
Chayun became his wife. Rabbi
Shalom Sharabi ‘s greatness was thus
revealed to everyone in Jerusalem,
and many stories are told about his
wisdom. For 30 years he served as
head of the Beit El Yeshivah, until
passing away. During these 30 years
he also succeeded in protecting the
Jews of Yerushalayim from their
Moslem neighbors.
and Reb Gershon of Kitov (brotherin-law of the Baal Shem Tov). The
Chido (Rabbi Chaim Yosef David
Azulai) describes The Rashash as
a holy man who knew all the books
of kabbalah he was studying, orally,
and was using all the kavanot written
by the Ari. In his study of Kabbalah, the Rashash
would only study the Zohar, the
writings of the Ari and his student
Rabbi Chaim Vital. He would not
study books written by other students of the Ari or any other early
or late kabbalists.
Rabbi Shalom Sharaby wrote a
siddur called Siddur HaRashash,
a kabbalistic prayer book based
mainly on the teachings of the Ari
HaKadosh. The introduction to his
siddur is called Rechovot HaNahar.
This prayer book is still used today
by kabbalists for prayer.
1. The Halacha
has exacted a terrible toll. The Jewish
people have had to mourn for their
finest sons lost in battle over the past
years. How much longer must we live
in constant fear of war, unceasingly
vigilant of our very lives? All Jews
desperately yearn for peace, for a time
when guns will not be necessary for
our very survival.
The Camp David accords, which so
many Jews hoped would bring the
peace so long awaited, are in reality the
exact opposite. They constitute a grave
danger to the security of Eretz Yisroel,
and on the grounds of pikuach nefesh
Halachah forbids the surrender of any And so, when several years ago the
territory necessary for security.
prospect of peace suddenly seemed a
little less impossible, Jews world-wide
When it is a city close to the border,
began to hope and pray — maybe we
then, even if they want to come only
would finally be able to live in peace.
for the purpose of [taking] straw
The visit of President Sadat of Egypt to
and stubble, we desecrate the ShabJerusalem opened up new, undreamed
bos because of them; for [if we do
of, vistas. Were the Arabs really ready
not prevent their coming] they may
to abandon their unceasing hostility
conquer the city, and from there the
and recognize our title to our land?
[rest of the] land will be easy for them
to conquer. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Thus was born the Camp David peace
Chaim 329:6
process. The three major characters:
An American President who needed
The whole earth belongs to the Holy
peace and stability in the Middle
One, Blessed be He; He created it and
East region, a Jewish Prime Minister
gave it to whom He pleased. Of His
who desperately wanted peace for his
own will He gave it to them, and of His
people and country, and an Egyptian
own will He took if from them and gave
President who wanted...what? Genuine
it to us. Rashi, Bereishis 1:1
peace? Or a political means of obtain“Rabbi Yitzchak said: The Torah ing that which he could not win in
[whose main object is to teach com- battle? It doesn’t really matter, thought
mandments] should have commenced Jews. Peace is peace; and any peace is
from the verse (Shmos 12:2) ‘This better than no peace.
month shall be unto you the first of
But is it? The very word, peace, triggers
the months,’ which is the first comdeep emotions; and of all peoples,
mandment given to Israel. Why then
Jews, who have suffered so long and so
does it commence with [the account
much, yearn most for it. But because
of] Bereishis? Because [of the concept
we long for it so desperately, we can
expressed in the text] ‘He declared to
easily be blinded to reality. To put
His people the power of His works
it bluntly, the Camp David accords
[i.e. He gave an account of the work
do not spell peace, not even a small
of Creation] in order to give them the
step towards it. This agreement is an
heritage of the nations.’ For should
unmitigated disaster for Eretz Yisroel,
the nations of the world say to Israel,
and has placed over three million Jews
‘You are robbers, because you took by
in greater jeopardy than before.
force the lands of the seven nations [of
Canaan,]’ Israel will reply to them ‘The Such a statement is not made lightly.
whole earth belongs to the Holy One, But this is a matter which concerns
Blessed be He; He created it and gave the security of millions of Jews, and
it to whom He pleased. Of His own we cannot afford to close our eyes
will He gave it to them, and of His own and hope for the best. The Camp
will He took it from them and gave it David accords and their results must
be examined closely, logically, and
to us’” (Rashi, Bereishis 1:1).
unclouded by emotion. Above all, we
For more than thirty years now Eretz
must see what Halachah, Jewish law,
Yisroel has been in the hands of its
has to say. Jews govern their lives by the
rightful owners, the Jewish people.
Torah, and first and foremost we must
And even while exiled from our land
look to the Torah for direction.
we retained our ownership, an eternal
heritage from the eternal G‑d to His Before analyzing the Camp David
eternal people. No power on earth accords, let us first see exactly what
could change that.
are its terms. Eretz Yisroel will surrender the majority of the Sinai (in
The Arab people have, in recent years,
three phases, the first two already
been at war with the Jewish people,
completed). This encompasses a) the
seeking to wrest possession of the land
land, b) the oilfields, c) the advanced air
from us. They accuse us of robbery,
fields, d) evacuation of all Jewish settle
of taking the land by force from the
ments. In addition, the ‘Palestinians’
‘Palestinians.’ The text quoted above
will be given some form of autonomy.
is peculiarly apt for our times, is it not?
In return, Egypt extends recognition
For we are not robbers. The land has
to the Jews of Eretz Yisroel and signs a
always been Eretz Yisroel. Palestine is a
peace treaty, officially ending the state
foreign name, imposed upon it by othof war which has existed over the past
ers. To us it has always been the Holy
years. This, briefly, constitutes the main
Land, given by G‑d to His people.
point of the Camp David accords. We
Can There be Peace?
proceed now to the analysis.
The Rashash was buried at Har
HaZeitim (Mount Olives). He made
a promise before his death that
Some of Reb Shalom’s main students whoever will visit his gravesite and
were The Chido, Reb Yom-Tov will pray with a pure heart, his prayer
But while we may be determined to (To be continued)
Elgazy, Reb Chaim De La Roza will not go unanswered. keep that which is ours, constant war
Financial Interest
Teach Kids the Value of Money
From Kiplinger.com
chases are still beyond the child's
comprehension.
Here's how to encourage financial
responsibility and what you can Giving an allowance probably doesn't
expect of your children.
make sense at this age because children's concept of time isn't developed
A family money-management plan
enough to grasp the idea of receiving
with any hope of success will have
a regular income. Besides, you know
to include the kids -- which is easier
what they'd spend it on.
said than done. You can teach your
4-year-old to close the front door, but Nevertheless, there are a few specific
you can't expect him to understand money-related exercises that can
that you don't want to pay for air- benefit a preschooler. As your child
conditioning the whole neighbor- learns to count, you can demonstrate
hood. A teenager, on the other hand, the relationship between pennies
should understand that and more. and nickels, then dimes and quarters. Also, children like to play store
Lessons in financial responsibility
with play money. It's a good way for
must take into account a child's age
them to learn the role of money.
and level of maturity, but there are
general guidelines you can follow. Situations that don't seem to be
connected with money at all may
• Teach K ids the Value of
Money
Here's how to encourage financial responsibility and what you
can expect of your children.
• Allowance: When and How
Much?
Start at an appropriate age so
kids can start learning how to
handle money.
• Using Money to Reward or
Punish
Cash as an incentive should
only be used in small amounts
in select circumstances.
• Way s to Give Money to
be the most important influences. If
Children
preschoolers are encouraged to share
Custodial accounts and trusts
things, to take care of their toys and
are ways to transfer cash to your
pick up after themselves, their sense
kids.
of responsibility will be reflected
Your attitude toward money -- the in the attitudes they develop about
way you handle it and discuss it money. Psychologists generally
-- makes an impression on your chil- agree that a person's attitude toward
dren just as surely as your attitude money is really an extension of
attitudes toward other things.
toward other personal matters.
If you speak longingly of the neighbor's new car or television set, if
you spend impulsively, if you often
quarrel about money with your
spouse, the children will notice. Your
behavior reveals the place money has
in your life. It's unrealistic to expect
your children to develop an attitude
toward money that's more mature
than your own.
So what can you do to encourage
financial responsibility in children
of various ages, and how much can
you expect of a child?
W hat preschoolers can learn
about money
Three- and 4-year-olds aren't too
young to start learning about money.
At least they can be shown that
money is something you exchange
for something else. You might want
to give your child a few coins to
spend on a piece of penny candy or
fruit at the store. This will demonstrate the use of money, even though
the relative merits of different pur-
Thus, if children feel secure at home
and are given freedom to explore
their environment within reasonable
limits, then they are off on the right
foot where money is concerned,
too.
Good money habits for kids
Allowance.
Most kids are ready for a regular
allowance when they start school.
A weekly schedule is probably best.
The amount depends on what you
expect the child to buy. If he or she
has to pay for lunch and bus fare,
then the allowance must be bigger
than if you paid those expenses
yourself.
Either way, kids need free money, to
spend or save as they see fit. Handing
out exact change for lunch doesn't
teach children much if they merely
convey the money from your hands
to the hands of a cafeteria cashier.
Deciding what to do with an extra
dollar each week is a more valuable
experience than just carting lunch
money to school.
total family income or the size of
the mortgage, but they should know
With a little extra money at their
what pressures are on the budget.
disposal, kids in the elementary
grades become serious shoppers. A few cautions about including kids
Help them learn to compare quality in family financial affairs: First, don't
and prices of similar items. Allow expect them to shoulder the weight
them to make small choices on their of a financial crisis. Second, don't
own, such as gifts for friends or toys make them feel guilty about costing
for themselves. As they mature, give you money. If financial setbacks
them more say in buying clothes for make cutting some expenditures
school and play, pointing out why necessary, deciding where to trim
one purchase may be a better buy the family budget can be an educathan another because of quality, tional exercise.
appropriateness or price. This will
Saving.
equip them for making intelligent
choices.
Children also should learn to save
money on their own -- starting in
Allowing kids to do their own shopelementary school. The simplest way
ping means you have to expect some
is for you to open savings accounts
mistakes -- a cheap toy that breaks
in their names. For an account in
the first day, or too much candy,
the name of a very young child, you
or clothes that don't fit. Let your
can make deposits and withdrawals
child make mistakes like that. Then
on the child's behalf. Children who
do your best
have reached the age of "competence"
to ma ke it
-- a subjective standard that depends
a le a r n i n g
on state law -- can open and manage
experience,
their own accounts.
not si mply
an occasion Some banks charge stiff service fees
to say, "I told for small accounts but may make
an exception for minors' accounts.
you so."
If not, the service fees can be high
Family
enough not only to wipe out the
financial
interest earned each month but
discussions.
also to eat into the principal. That's
Includa valuable lesson to learn, but not
ing older
one that most young children are
elementaryready for.
school kids in
a few family The Young Americans Bank offers
financial discussions is a good way savings accounts, checking accounts,
to demonstrate the kinds of choices even credit cards and loans, to
adults face. For example, the cost of customers under age 21. Parents
a family vacation depends largely on of children younger than 18 must
where you go. Would the kids rather become joint owners of the accounts.
spend one week at the beach or two For your child to withdraw money
weeks in the mountains? Teenagers from the account, both of you have
should participate regularly in fam- to agree to it, or you can sign a
ily financial discussions. They still release allowing your child to make
needn't know every detail, such as withdrawals on his or her own.
To the Point of Self Sacrifice”
Told by the Lubavitcher Rebbe personally responsible for many of
Courtesy of MeaningfulLife.com the devastating pogroms which were
“arranged” for the Jews of Russia in
Reprinted from Chabad.org
those years.
It was during Rabbi Yosef YitzLiving in Petersburg was an elderly
chok’s younger years, when the
scholar, a former teacher and mentor
Czarist regime still ruled the Russian Empire. A new decree against
the Jewish community was in the
works, aimed at forcing changes
in the structure of the rabbinate
and Jewish education. Rabbi Sholom DovBer (the fifth Lubavitcher
Rebbe) dispatched his son, Rabbi
Yosef Yitzchok, to the Russian
capital of Petersburg to prevent the
decree from being enacted. When
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok asked how
long he was to stay in Petersburg,
his father replied, “to the point of
self-sacrifice.”
Upon his arrival in Petersburg,
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok learned that
the decree had already reached the
desk of Stalin, the interior minister of
Russia and arguably the most powerful man in the Russian Empire. The
ruling Czar’s intelligence (or lack
thereof) made him a virtual rubber
stamp for whichever minister the
prevailing political climate favored;
at the that particular time, His Highness was led by the nose by Interior
Minister Stalin, a heartless tyrant
and rabid Anti-Semite who was
of the Interior Minister. Rabbi Yosef
Yitzchok succeeded in befriending
this man, who was greatly impressed
by the scope and depth of the young
chossid’s knowledge. For many an
evening the two would sit and talk
in the old man’s study.
“To speak with him would be useless.
The man has a cruel and malicious
heart, and I have already severed all
contact with this vile creature many
years ago. But there is one thing I can
do for you. Because of my status as
Stalin’s mentor, I have been granted
a permanent entry pass into the
offices of the interior ministry. I need
not explain to you
the consequences,
for both of us, if
you are found out.
But I have come to
respect you and
what you stand
for, and I have
decided to help
you.”
When Rabbi Yosef
Y it z c hok pre sented the pass at
the interior ministry, the guard
on duty was stupefied: few were
the cabinet-level ministers granted
such a privilege, and here stands a
young chassid, complete with beard,
sidelocks, chassidic garb and Yiddish accent, at a time when to even
reside in Petersburg was forbidden
to Jews. But the pass was in order,
so he waved him through.
for directions could only stare at
the strange apparition confidently
striding the corridors of the interior ministry. Soon he located the
minister’s office at the far end of a
commanding hallway on the fourth
floor of the building.
As Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok walked
toward the office, the door opened
and Stalin himself walked out and
closed the door behind him. The
Rebbe’s son and the interior minister
passed within a few feet of each
other. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok made
straight for the office, opened the
door, and walked in.
After a quick search, Rabbi Yosef
Yitzchok located the documents
pertaining to the decree in Stalin’s
desk. On the desk sat two ink stamps,
bearing the words ‘APPROVED’
or ‘REJECTED’ above the minister’s signature and seal. Quickly,
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok stamped the
proposed decree ‘REJECTED’ and
inserted the papers into a pile of
vetoed documents which sat in a tray
on the desk. He then left the room,
closed the door behind him, and
walked out of the building.
One day, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok told
his new friend the purpose of his stay
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok entered the
in Petersburg and pleaded with him
building and proceeded to look for
to assist him in reaching the Interior
Stalin’s office. Those whom he asked
Minister. The old scholar replied:
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A MIXER OR A MIKVEH?

Transcription

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