38 | THE TRUTH COMES OUTShleimus HaAretz / Shai Gefen
42 | A ROLE MODEL FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLETAKEN FROM OUR MIDSTNews / Zelig Krymko
Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN1082-0272 is published weekly, exceptJewish holidays (only once in April andOctober) for $130.00 in Crown Heights,$140.00 in the USA & Canada, allothers for $150.00 per year (45 issues),by Beis Moshiach, 744 Eastern Parkway,Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Periodicalspostage paid at Brooklyn, NY andadditional offices. Postmaster: sendaddress changes to Beis Moshiach 744Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409.
Beis Moshiach is not responsible for thecontent of the advertisements.
421. Trans. note: During this week, the RebbeShlita also delivered sichos on Monday toThursday nights, the fourteenth to theseventeenth of Adar. Since the themes ofthese sichos related to the subject matter ofthe Rebbe’s talks on Shabbos (theeighteenth), they were synthesized into asingle text and reviewed by the Rebbe inthis form. Therefore, our translation also
follows this pattern.
422. From the context of the Torah reading, itwould appear that Moshe merited thisradiance only after the giving of theSecond Tablets. This is problematic, for inregard to the revelation of G-dliness, theFirst Tablets were on a higher level thanthe Second. Why then was it after thegiving of the Second Tablets that Moshe’s
face began to shine?
423. Similarly, one might ask a greaterquestion: Why does the Torah mention theundesirable events in this Torah reading?The Torah takes pains not to speakunfavorably about even an impure animal.Surely, it should refrain from doing sowhen the honor of the entire Jewish peopleis involved.
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 57634
SHABBOS PARSHAS KI SISA; 18TH DAY OFADAR I, 57521. [421] Parshas Ki Sisa describesconcepts that range across a broadspectrum, from one extreme to theother including the giving of the FirstTablets, the sin of the Golden Calf andthe destruction of the Tablets, Moshe’sprayers for forgiveness, Moshe’s visionof G-d’s glory, the Thirteen Attributesof Mercy, the giving of the SecondTablets, and the shining of Moshe’sface.[422]
A question arises. The Torah is nota historical record. Hence, althoughthese events all occurred withinchronological proximity to each other,we must understand: Why does theTorah mention concepts of suchextreme polarity in a directsequence?[423]
To clarify the radical nature of thechanges in sequence: The First Tabletsrepresent an extremely high spiritual
level, “the Tablets were the work of G-d and the writing, the writing of G-d.”[424] Conversely, the breaking ofthese Tablets (because of the sin of theGolden Calf), represents a mostextreme descent. Conversely, theThirteen Attributes of Mercy andMoshe’s vision of G-d’s glory representan extremely high spiritual level.Afterwards, the giving of the SecondTablets represents a further change, forthey were different in nature from theFirst Tablets (the most obviousdifference being as opposed to theFirst Tablets which were “the work ofG-d,” the Second Tablets were hewnby Moshe).[425]
Despite these differences, however,the fact that all of these concepts wererecorded in a single sequence in asingle Torah reading indicates that theyshare a connection. That connection isreflected in the name of the Torahreading Ki Sisa, which literally means
“When you lift up.” Herein, lies anobvious question. The sin of theGolden Calf represents anunprecedented descent. The impuritywhich had blemished the souls of theJewish people after the sin of the Treeof Knowledge, had departed after thegiving of the Torah, returned after thissin. This sin is the source and root ofall other sins, and all the punishmentssuffered by the Jewish peoplethroughout the centuries have aconnection to this sin. If so, how can ithave a place in the portion whichreflects the ascent of the Jewishpeople?
All of the above difficulties can beresolved within the explanation of aunique phenomenon that is present inParshas Ki Sisa:[426] G-d has imbuedthe world with the following pattern:The beginning, the head, reflects thepurpose and goal of the entire entity.Afterwards, the middle sets in motion
D’VAR MALCHUS
WHERE EVEN THECOMPLETELYRIGHTEOUS
CANNOT STANDSICHOS IN ENGLISH
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 5
a process leading to the achievement ofthat purpose and then, the conclusion,where the goal is actualized andconsummated.
These three stages can be definedas:
1) The Torah, “the beginning of thepath,” which preceded the world andwhich is the purpose of creation as ourSages commented on the wordB’Reishis;[427] b) The creationthrough which the world is broughtinto being and given a chance to fulfillits purpose; c) The Redemption, theultimate purpose of the world’sexistence.
These three stages are also alludedin the first three letters of the HebrewAlef-Beis. The Alef is the first letter ofthe Ten Commandments and includesall the Ten Commandments within it.The Beis is the first letter of the wordB’Reishis, the beginning of the Torah’snarrative of creation (and our Sagesrelate, “The world was created with aBeis”). The third letter, the Gimmel isthe first letter of the world Geulameaning “redemption.”
In Kabbalistic terminology, these
three phases can be described as: a)the Or Ein Sof, G-d’s Infinite Light,which encompassed all existence;
1) the tzimtzum, the process ofdivine self-contraction which left a
“vacuum and empty space;” and
2) the revelation of the Or Ein Sofwithin the vacuum created by thetzimtzum.[428]
All three stages of this process areopenly expressed in our Torah reading.The First Tablets refer to the Torah asit transcends the world (and thus theybegin with the letter Alef). The descentinto the context of worldliness isreflected by the sin of the GoldenCalf.[429] And the giving of theSecond Tablets reflect the ultimateelevation that comes after this descent.
To explain: Our Sages interpret thefinal words of the Torah, “before theeyes of the children of Israel,” asreferring to Moshe’s breaking of theTablets before the eyes of the Jewishpeople. They continue, explaining thatG-d acknowledged the positivedimensions of Moshe’s act and evencongratulated him for it.
Although the question is asked:What positive purpose did breakingthe Tablets have? In Chassidic thought,it is explained that breaking the Tabletsenabled a higher dimension of Torahto be revealed. Through the process of
Breaking the Tabletsenabled a higher
dimension of Torah tobe revealed. Throughthe process of sin andt’shuva, the Jews wereelevated to a higher
spiritual plane as ourSages declared, “Inthe place of baaleit’shuva, completelyrighteous men areunable to stand.”
There is also another question implicit inthe order of subjects mentioned in ourTorah reading: What is the significance ofthe mention of the three pilgrimagefestivals in the midst of this story?
424. The lengthy elaboration on theadvantages of the First Tablets in ourTorah reading is indeed problematic.Seemingly, it would have been much moreappropriate to include these concepts inthe description of Moshe’s ascent to MountSinai at the end of Parshas Mishpatim andto mention the matter in brief in ourportion. Indeed, since our Torah describesthe destruction of the Tablets, theelaboration on their positive virtuesappears out of place, appearing to mockthe Jewish people by telling them ofpositive factors no longer relevant to them.
425. Similarly, the two sets of Tablets weregiven in two different times of year. TheFirst Tablets were given forty days afterthe giving of the Torah, while the Second
Tablets were given on Yom Kippur.
426. Indeed, a similar idea can be found in theother Torah readings as well. Nevertheless,in the other Torah readings, the concept isfound in an allusion or in an innuendo,while in Parshas Ki Sisa, the concept isopenly expressed.
427. This stage also refers to the expression ofG-d’s will and His desire for creation, forthis desire is spelled out in the Torah.
In a more particular sense, since the Torahis “the blueprints through which G-dcreated the world,” all three stages arefound within the Torah itself. (This isalluded to in our Sages’ description of theTorah as “a threefold light given in thethird month by the third of Amram’schildren.”)
In this process, the Alef represents theaspect of the Torah which “preceded theworld” and the Beis, the dimension ofTorah which serves as the source for theworld’s creation. The conclusion of the
process, the Redemption is alluded to inthe conclusion of the Torah, the verse,“before the eyes of Israel,” which refers tothe miracles performed by Moshe. OurSages taught, “He was the first redeemerand he will be the ultimate redeemer.”Thus this verse can also be understand asa reference to the miracles of theRedemption when, “As in the days of yourexodus from Egypt, I will show youwonders.”
428. A similar three stage sequence is reflectedin Pirkei Avos. That tractate begins,“Moshe received the Torah on MountSinai,” i.e., the acceptance of the Torah asit is. The first teaching continues “and hetransmitted it” and mentions ourobligation to “raise up many students,”i.e., the communication of the Torahwithin the limitations of our worldlyexistence. And the tractate concludes,“And G-d will rule forever and ever,” theultimate of sovereignty which will beexpressed in the Era of the Redemption.
sin and t’shuva, the Jews were elevatedto a higher spiritual plane as our Sagesdeclared, “In the place of baaleit’shuva, completely righteous men areunable to stand.” And this higher levelis reflected in an increase of Torahknowledge. Thus our Sages relate thatif Moshe had not destroyed theTablets, we would have received onlythe Five Books of the Chumash andthe Book of Yehoshua. Only after thebreaking of the Tablets, were wegranted the other dimensions of Torahstudy.
The advantage of the SecondTablets is also reflected in the contrastbetween the First and Second Tabletsmentioned above: that the First Tabletswere the “work of G-d,” while theSecond Tablets were hewn by Moshe.It is true that the First Tabletsrepresented a higher level ofrevelation, but the advantage of theSecond Tablets lay in that theirholiness permeated the realm ofworldly existence. Thus the FirstTablets could be broken, for worldlyexistence represents a contrast andeven a conflict with their holiness. TheSecond Tablets, by contrast, areeternal, for they represent the fusion ofholiness with material existence.
This level is reflected in theultimate fulfillment to be experiencedby the Jewish people, the Redemption,which will follow the t’shuva of theJewish people. And at that time, it willbe revealed how the material
dimensions of the world will havebecome fused with their ultimatespiritual purpose, how they all exist,“for the sake of the Torah.”
Thus we can see how the totality ofthis threefold sequence is contained inParshas Ki Sisa. This also leads toanother concept, that the flow fromone stage to another is a sequenceestablished by G-d. And in thisprocess, to reach the third stage, onemust undergo the descent representedby the second stage.
This gives us a different perspectiveregarding sin: In Chassidic thought itis explained that sin is, to paraphrase averse, “an awesome intrigue devisedagainst man.” If a person’s yetzer ha’raovercomes him and makes him sin,this is because, from Above, the yetzerha’ra was prompted to bring him tothis sin. The Jews, by nature, are aboveany connection with sin. Nevertheless,G-d, however, devises “an awesomeintrigue” in order to elevate our peopleto a higher level by having themundergo a descent beforehand.
Since this descent is merely ameans to lead to a greater ascent, it isbrief-to borrow a phrase “I abandonedyou for a fleeting moment.” The ascentwhich follows it, by contrast, iseternal. This pattern will be expressedin the ultimate Redemption. It hasbeen preceded by an awesome descent,this present exile, but it will lead to agreat and eternal ascent,[430] “aredemption never to be followed by
exile.”
Thus when seen in this context, thedescent is not merely for the purposeof an ascent, but is itself a stage of thatultimate ascent. Thus our Sages relatethat the entire purpose of the sin of theGolden Calf was to allow for thepotential of t’shuva.
Accordingly, we can appreciatehow all three phases mentioned aboveare part of the sequence of Ki Sisa, theascent of the Jewish people. The givingof the First Tablets reflected the firstphase, the revelation of theintent.[431] It was followed by thesecond phase, the descent, the sin andthe breaking of the Tablets. This inturn motivated the Jewish people toturn to G-d in t’shuva, evoking thethird phase,[432] the revelation of theThirteen Attributes of Mercy and thegreat ascent that found expression inthe giving of the Second Tablets andthe shining of Moshe’scountenance.[433]
The above also enables us tounderstand the connection betweenthe Second Tablets and the shining ofMoshe’s countenance. The giving of theSecond Tablets followed the descentafter the sin of the Golden Calf. Thus,they relate to the world as it existswithin its own perspective. This isreflected in the fact that they werehewn by Moshe from stone in thisworld. Simultaneously, they areassociated with great revelation-indeed, quantitatively, a greater
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 57636
429. This connection is further emphasizedaccording to the Kabbala which explainsthat the tzimtzum is the source for thepotential to sin.
430. Furthermore, at the time, we will begin anever-ending pattern of ascents as it iswritten, “They will proceed from strengthto strength and appear before G-d inZion.”
431. Alternatively, it can be explained that thefirst phase is reflected in the command KiSisa, “Lift up the heads of the children ofIsrael.” For this reflects how the Jews are,like the Torah, the “head,” the purpose and
the goal of the world at large.
432. Based on the above, we can alsoappreciate the reason why the threepilgrimage festivals are mentioned in thisTorah reading. These three festivals alsofollow a similar pattern of three: Pesachrepresents a revelation from Above. (Thusit is associated with the spring, Aviv, theHebrew for “spring.” This word begins withan Alef and then a Beis, which indicates arevelation from Above.)
Afterwards, comes Shavuos, a holiday which isassociated with the wheat harvest whichreflects an emphasis on man’s service. And
then Sukkos, the harvest festival which isan allusion to the ultimate ingathering thatis connected with the Era of theRedemption.
433. In this context, we can appreciate whyParshas Ki Sisa follows the parshiyos,Truma and Tetzaveh which describe G-d’scommands to Moshe regarding theconstruction of the Sanctuary althoughchronologically, the events described inParshas Ki Sisa took place first. Theconstruction of the Sanctuary representsthe transformation of the world into adwelling for G-d, the ultimate purpose of
revelation than the First Tablets. Andthus, this revelation reflects a fusion ofmateriality and spirituality whichbrought about an elevation within thephysical person of Moshe himselfcausing his face to shine.
Indeed, this revelation was so greatthat it was necessary for Moshe toplace a veil over his face. This veil wasnecessary, however, only when Mosheand the Jewish people were involvedwith worldly matters, the refinementof the world at large. When Moshecommunicated G-d’s word to thepeople, he would remove this veil.
Moreover, even in regard to theworld at large, this concealment is nota permanent factor. Ultimately,through the Jews’ service in refiningand elevating the world, they make itpossible for there to be a revelation ofG-dliness within the context of ourworldly environment. This process willbe consummated in the Era of theRedemption when “Your Master willno longer conceal Himself and youreyes will behold your Master,” “theglory of G-d will be revealed and allflesh will see.”[434]
The three phases of servicementioned above are reflected in ourdivine service every day: We begin ourday with the first stage, the declarationof intent, Modeh Ani, in which wethankfully acknowledge ourconnection with G-d.[435] Thisdeclaration is then given expression
and allowed to take form in themorning prayers and the study sessionwhich follows them.
Afterwards, we proceed to thesecond stage, the descent intoworldliness, our occupation with oursurrounding environment through ourdaily business affairs. At theconclusion of the day, we reach thethird stage, the ingathering of all theactivities performed during the day.This is communicated in the final verseof the evening service, “Indeed, therighteous will thankfully acknowledgeYour name.” (Significantly, this verseemploys the same verb that is used inthe phrase Modeh Ani.) And in a moreparticular sense, the person’s givinghimself over to G-d is reflected in thefinal verse of the prayers recited beforeretiring at night, Krias Shma al HaMita,“In Your hands, I entrust my soul.”
The above is particularly relevantin the present generation, the lastgeneration of the exile and the firstgeneration of the Redemption. The
previous generations have completedthe service of refining the world andour generation is confronted with thetask of causing the third phase of theprocess, the Redemption, to actuallycome to fruition.
In this, we can take a lesson fromthe beginning of the Torah reading, thecommand to “lift up the heads” of theJewish people. Significantly, thiscommand was addressed to Moshe. Itis Moshe-and similarly, the extensionof Moshe that exists in everygeneration who infuses the Jewishpeople with the spiritual power toundergo this threefold process ofascent.
Similarly, the process of ascent isaccomplished through the spark ofMoshe that exists within everyindividual Jew.[436] The spark ofMoshe is identified with the power ofmesirus nefesh, the willingness ofevery Jew to give himself over to G-d.[437] This source of commitment,however, is openly revealed in souls ofthe leaders of the generations, and willreach complete expression in theperson of Moshiach.
May this be revealed in the verynear future and may the happiness ofthe month of Adar break through allbarriers and allow us to “joinredemption to redemption,” andproceed from the redemption of Purimto the ultimate Redemption. May thistake place in the immediate future.
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 7
The previousgenerations have
already completed theservice of refining the
world.
the world’s creation.
Therefore, after the commandment tocreate such a dwelling is given, beforeMoshe communicates it to the Jewishpeople, the Torah relates the three-phasedpattern through which the Divine intentfor this world can be fulfilled.
434. Furthermore, this revelation willpermeate even the physical substance ofthe world and therefore, “A stone from thewall will cry out.”
435. Modeh Ani begins “I thankfullyacknowledge.” It reflects how a Jew’s “I,”his individual identity becomes totallyfused with G-d; “Israel and the Holy One,
blessed be He, are all one.” And this isrelevant to every individual Jew, asindicated by the fact that all Jews evenyoung children recite Modeh Ani.
(This is reflected in the form of the Alef,the opening letter of the word ani, Hebrewfor “I.” The Alef contains a Yud below (theJew) and a Yud above (G-d) and a straightline which connects them. For the simplefaith of a Jew is one with the simpleoneness of G-d.)
436. Note the explanation in Tanya of ourSages’ interpretation of the verse, “Whatdoes G-d ask of you? To fear.” Our Sagesnote that this verse appears to imply that
fear is an easy level to attain and ask howit is possible for that to be said. Theyexplain that for Moshe, indeed, fear iseasy to attain.
The Alter Rebbe notes, however, that theverse is directed not at Moshe, but at theJewish people at large. Nevertheless,because every Jew contains a spark ofMoshe which is an active potential withinhis soul, fear is easily accessible to everyone.
437. Even when a Jew’s day to day conductdoes not reflect this will, this is his truedesire as the Rambam explains in HilchosGerushin 2:20.
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 57638
Many wonderful things have beensaid regarding visiting Beis RabbeinuSh’B’Bavel. The Rebbe MH”M mademany amazing and unique statementsin the sichos about 770, starting withthe idea that this building is wherethe Rebbe Rayatz established hispermanent residence for the last tenyears of his life, continuing with theadvantages of the physical place inwhich the nasi ha’dor davened andlearned (Likkutei Sichos, vol. 32, p. 25and on).
And then there are the incrediblestatements in the kuntres “BeisRabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel,” where the Rebbeexplains that 770 is the BeisHaMikdash in Galus, and it is fromthis place that Moshiach begins tobuild the Beis HaMikdash as thepreamble to the building of the thirdBeis HaMikdash in Yerushalayim.
When a chassid thinks about theseamazing expressions and the deepersignificance that lies behind them, theneed to visit 770, to see and be seen,becomes all the more imperative. Yet
the “clever one” can come with thescholarly claim: Even if we acceptthat 770 is the Beis HaMikdash inGalus, obviously our relationship to itdoesn’t need to be any greater than tothe actual Beis HaMikdash. Peoplewent to the actual Beis HaMikdashthree times a year, and took backinspiration with them for the entireyear, but that tremendous inspirationwas derived from the revelation of G-dliness in the Beis HaMikdash,which was expressed in ten constantmiracles. Therefore, concludes the“clever one,” even if we agree that770 is comparable to the BeisHaMikdash, that was true untilGimmel Tammuz when we openlysaw Elokus in the Rebbe, but now thatwe don’t see the Rebbe or therevelation of Elokus, there’s no reasonto go to 770, certainly not often. Ifyou want to be mekushar, if you wantto be a real chassid, stay home andlearn the Rebbe’s sichos and fulfill hisdirectives. This is the way the Rebbeestablished for us to becomemekushar to him. If you want to feel
really complete, the “clever one”continues, then learn sichos in inyaneiMoshiach and Geula; there’s no reasonto go to 770 today.
Some might say: It’s a fact thatthousands of bachurim come to 770for Tishrei, and you can literally seewhat a tremendous spiritual impact itmakes on them. The roshei yeshivosand mashpiim report an increase inchayus in learning, avodas Hashem,mivtzaim, and especially MivtzaMoshiach.
That’s true, but the “clever one”can still maintain that that issubjective. Perhaps certain bachurimwould acquire more chayus if theyremained at home and learned theRebbe’s sichos and maamarim. Abachur who stayed home and wentthrough all the sichos of 5752, saysthe “clever one,” will get more chayusin inyanei Moshiach and Geula thanhis friend who went to 770. It’s amatter of feeling, and you can’t insistthat everybody must go to 770.
The answer to all these claims canbe found in a sicha of the RebbeMH”M said on Shabbos ParshasTruma 5747 and printed a year ago inthe D’var Malchus of Beis Moshiach(issue #357).
Let’s focus on one point of thatsicha. The Rebbe asks why it wasnecessary for Yaakov to plant atzeiarazim (cedar/acacia trees) and to askthe Jewish people to take them alongwhen they left Egypt in order to usein constructing the Mishkan. Wouldn’tit have been a lot easier for theJewish people to buy the wood whenthey needed it? As the Midrash says,the nations set up booths near theJewish camp in the desert where theJews could have bought the neededwood.
The Rebbe explains that whenYaakov heard Hashem’s promise that,“I will take you up…,” he knew that inthe hardships of exile there would betimes when just the promise alonewouldn’t be enough to sustain the
THE HOUSE OFCEDARS – 770
EASTERNPARKWAYBY RABBI SHOLOM YAAKOV CHAZAN
There’s no difference between 770 before Gimmel Tammuzand 770 after Gimmel Tammuz. It is the actual makom
ha’mikdash of the future, and as such, every chassid mustbe oleh regel to the place from which we draw
encouragement, consolation, chayus and emuna, and theyearning for the immediate revelation of the Rebbe MH”M.
770
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 9
Jewish people. During the hard timesin Galus, the best prophecies aren’tenough; one needs somethingtangible. Therefore, Yaakov plantedthese trees so that later on the Jewishpeople would be able to see them andthink about how they would be usedto build the Mishkan after they wouldleave Egypt, and this would makeHashem’s promise all the more real tothem and would strengthen theiremuna.
(This sicha was said a few weeksafter Parshas VaYigash, when theRebbe announced that a new era hadbegun, the era of the building of thethird Beis HaMikdash.)
This sicha was published as a“compilation” to Shabbos ParshasTruma in 5748, a week after thepassing of the Rebbetzin, a”h (andthen it was published in LikkuteiSichos vol. 31). In the edited sicha,the Rebbe adds an interesting pointthat was not mentioned at thefarbrengen. The cedars Yaakov plantedare an allusion to the leaders of Israelwhom Hashem plants within everygeneration. It is the nasi who remainsabove the Galus who gives Jewishpeople the ability to get throughGalus and to build the Mishkan.
A few months after the likkut waspublicized, on 17 Elul 5748, therewas the cornerstone-laying ceremonyfor the expansion of 770. At that timethe Rebbe explained that laying thecornerstone was part of the Year ofBuilding campaign, since expanding770, which is the “general Chabadhouse,” gives ko’ach to all the mosdosand buildings in the world. At thattime it still wasn’t known that thiswas actually the cornerstone for theexpansion of the Beis HaMikdashduring Galus as a preparation for thethird Beis HaMikdash in Yerushalayim.
In 5751 the Rebbe announcedthat “the time for your redemptionhas arrived,” and he asked that hisprophecy of “behold, Moshiachcomes” be publicized. Shortly after
the publicizing of the b’surasha’Geula, the Rebbe revealed that 770is the Beis HaMikdash in Galus.
If you examine the sequence ofevents in light of the sicha in whichthe Rebbe explains the idea of thecedar trees, one can say that theRebbe was preparing us for a time ofconcealment. The Rebbe knew we
would experience the two Chaf-ZayinAdars and Gimmel Tammuz. TheRebbe knew we’d experience greatdarkness and that for some peoplethe b’suras ha’Geula wouldn’t beenough.
Therefore, at the same time thatthe Rebbe announced the b’surasha’Geula, he wanted to concretize forus the fact that Geula has begun. Sothe Rebbe prepared a physical thing,a structure of wood and stone, whichis the Beis HaMikdash of Galus andwhich will be the place of the futureMikdash. The Rebbe told us all this sothat when we would come to 770 wewould know that the walls are part ofthe third Beis HaMikdash, which willspeedily be built in Yerushalayim,and it would serve to furtherconcretize for us how soon the Geulawill be and will give us additionalenergy and strengthened emuna in theimminent revelation of the RebbeMH”M.
And this is the reason that it isspecifically here, in this place, thattens of thousands of Anash andT’mimim are strengthened in theiravodas Hashem and in their hiskashrusto the nasi ha’dor, and as a result ofthis they increase their mivtzaimefforts, especially that of spreadingthe b’suras ha’Geula and the identityof the Goel.
It’s interesting that just a fewhours before the Rebbe went out tothe cornerstone laying ceremony, theRebbe gave us instructions (written ina will and testament) as to how toconduct ourselves in a time ofdarkness. In light of this sicha theconnection between the events isobvious.
So it makes no difference whetherit’s 770 before or after GimmelTammuz. 770 is the makomha’Mikdash and as such, every chassidmust be oleh regel to this place fromwhich we draw encouragement,consolation, chayus and emuna, aswell as yearning for the revelation of
Therefore, at thesame time that the
Rebbe announced theb’suras ha’Geula, hewanted to concretizefor us the fact that
Geula has begun. Sothe Rebbe prepared a
physical thing, astructure of wood and
stone, which is theBeis HaMikdash of
Galus and which willbe the place of thefuture Mikdash.
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576310
the Rebbe MH”M.
This is aside from the emuna andfeeling that the Rebbe is right there in770, giving life to all those who enter,and that 770 is where the RebbeMH”M will be revealed first, as theRebbe himself said in kuntres “BeisRabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel.”
It should be noted that in LikkuteiSichos Truma 5752 (the sicha wasoriginally said on Shabbos ParshasTruma 5747 too, and then it was alsoprinted in Likkutei Sichos, vol. 36, p.123 and on) the Rebbe is mechadesh(innovates) that it is incumbent uponevery Jew to build a shul, primarilyBeis Rabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel. In footnote49 the Rebbe says that in a certainsense Beis Rabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel is morelofty than the Beis HaMikdash inYerushalayim, because regarding theBeis HaMikdash, the Sh’china restseternally only in that place but not inthe structure itself, whereas regardingthe Beis Rabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel theSh’china rests eternally in thestructure, too.
Based on all this it’s clear that evenone who says that he doesn’t feel theRebbe’s presence in 770, etc., mustagree that according to the Rebbe’steachings, 770 is the holiest place inthe world, the place where the Sh’chinarests within the building itself.
Rabbi Yitzchok Hendel, rav inMontreal, relates that he arrived at 770when the Rebbe Rayatz didn’t feel welland didn’t say sichos and maamarim.He wanted to leave 770, and when theRebbe Rayatz heard about this he saidthe time had come for them to “takefrom the walls of 770.”
This statement is even moresignificant today, when we know thatthe walls of 770 is where the Sh’chinaresides, and that these walls are the“cedars” that the Rebbe planted inour generation in order to make theGeula real and tangible to us.
* * *
Tes Adar is the day the Rebbe
Rayatz came to the U.S. andestablished his residence here. At thistime, having just come from Tes AdarI and preparing for Tes Adar II, it isworthwhile to examine the Rebbe’ssicha of Tes Adar 5750, marking fiftyyears since the Rebbe Rayatz arrived,in which the Rebbe explains that thefact that the Rebbe Rayatz arrived on
Tes Adar alludes to the advantage ofnine which comes after eight.
Eight is the number of Geula, andnine is a preparation for the tenthwhich also corresponds to Geula,which will have a number ofassociations with the number ten,“and the tenth will be holy.” (OnShabbos Parshas VaYikra 5741 theRebbe pointed out that Tes Adar isreckoned as the day the Rebbe Rayatzcame to the U.S. even though theRebbe Rayatz had already arrived on 8Adar, since the authorities did not
allow him to disembark until the 9th.)
Since accepting the nesius, theRebbe emphasized the fact that weare the seventh generation, and barelyreferred to the fact that we are theninth generation from the Baal ShemTov. It was in 5752 in the sicha ofParshas Bo that the Rebbeemphasized that the previousgeneration is called the eighth, andour generation is the ninth, and theRebbe explains the maala of the ninthat great length.
Perhaps this is a hint that despitethe fact that the Chabad headquarterswas established in 770 by the RebbeRayatz, the primary establishmentand dwelling of the Sh’china pertainsspecifically to the ninth generation, asthe Rebbe writes that the mainincrease of the Rebbe Rayatz’sactivities in the U.S. began after thefounding of Machne Israel andMerkaz L’Inyanei Chinuch over whichthe Rebbe was appointed director assoon as he arrived in the U.S. Sincethat day, the Sh’china resides in 770,and whoever wants to take pleasurefrom the radiance of the Sh’china, andreceive chayus and chizuk in emuna inthe revelation of the Rebbe MH”M,should come and visit the palace ofthe king, Beis Rabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel, 770Eastern Parkway, where the third BeisHaMikdash will speedily be revealed,and together we will go on heavenlyclouds to our holy land, to Mt. Moria,amen kein yehi ratzon.
Rabbi YitzchokHendel, rav in
Montreal, relates thathe arrived at 770when the Rebbe
Rayatz didn’t feelwell and didn’t say
sichos andmaamarim. He
wanted to leave 770,and when the RebbeRayatz heard aboutthis he said the timehad come for them totake from the walls of
770.
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576312
As I finished writing last week’sarticle [for Rabbi Jacobson’s weeklyemailing] citing a great leader that “as aglobal revolution brews and a new agedawns, we need to ‘open our eyes’ andsee its reality,” a very interesting thinghappened. I received a phone callnotifying me that someone I know wellhad her ‘eyes opened’ after years ofthem being tightly shut.
Here’s a miraculous story as I justheard it firsthand from the person withwhom it occurred.
Let me begin by introducing myfriend the same way I introduced her tomy Wednesday night class 6 years ago:
“I am honored to introduce to youMarcia, a very special soul who has hadto face many serious challenges in herlife. Her words will speak forthemselves; the only thing I want toadd is that Marcia sees more than mostpeople do.”
So here’s the story:I first met Marcia 6 years ago. It was
a warm June evening in 1997 when shecame to visit me, escorted by a friend.Marcia shared with me her life story.Briefly: As a child she became verydisillusioned with her education andher Judaism and began her searchthrough many religions, finally turningat age 17 to Christianity. After 10 yearsshe became a teacher, then a lecturerand finally 30 years later, reached the
pulpit. She spent 40 years in theChurch, before her Judaism came backat her, beginning with her cousinwishing her “Good Shabbos.”
One thing led to the next. Marciabegan reading and exploring. “A fewmonths ago,” Marcia tells me, “inFebruary of 1997, my cousin gave me aseries of tapes that changed my life.That is why,” Marcia continues, “I amsitting here with you today.”
As she spoke these words, Isuddenly realized that this storyactually began a year earlier. After oneof my weekly Wednesday night classesin New York City an elderly womanapproached me and asked me forpermission to record my book Towarda Meaningful Life on audiotape. Shewanted to give the tapes to her cousinin Boston who happens to be blind.She assured me that the tapes wouldnot be reproduced or sold, but aresimply being copied to allow hercousin to benefit from the teachings inthe book. Needless to say, I heartilyagreed.
Her cousin was Marcia – the Jewishwoman sitting before me today, tellingme how these tapes turned over her life– for the better.
At the time she was based inBoston, preaching Church doctrine.“These Toward a Meaningful Lifeaudiotapes,” Marcia tells me,
“amateurly recorded, with all the raspsand coughs, made me rethink all that Iwas doing, and essentially brought meback to my Jewish roots.”
“I am here tonight,” Marcia says, “tothank you. I spent 40 years in awilderness. Now I am ready to enterthe Promised Land.”
I was profoundly touched byMarcia’s story. Obviously touched byher dramatic journey, and the powerthat brought her back to her Jewishroots. I was naturally moved by the factthat the Rebbe’s teachings in the bookToward A Meaningful Life – in a roughaudio version – had such an impact onher. What a testimony to the eternalpower of Torah!
But something even deeper stirredme. Though Marcia was blind, shecarried herself with such dignity andgrace. As she joked with me, “I don’thave the liabilities that you seeing-eyepeople have. Darkness doesn’t frightenme. I don’t need a light to read.Superficial material sights don’t distractme. All I have is spirit; the only thing Isee is the soul in myself and in others.”
During her adult years Marciabegan losing her eyesight and wasdiagnosed with a genetic illness that lefther totally blind in 1991. Yet, Marciasees more than most of us. The materialworld does not distract her. Perhapsshe can see G-d better than those of us
PERSPECTIVE
OPEN YOUR EYES:A MIRACLE IN OUR TIMES
BY RABBI S IMON JACOBSON
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 13
who have to struggle with the sensorysights that conceal the truth within. Forthe first time I truly understand themeaning behind the fact that “all thepeople saw the sounds” at Sinai(Exodus 20:15), “they saw what isordinarily heard, and they heard whatis ordinarily seen” (Rabbi Akiva –Mechilta on the verse). Sight perceivesthe physical. Sound comprehends theethereal. At Sinai, there was acrossover: “they saw what is heard,”what is ordinarily abstract and spiritual,and “they heard what they saw,” theyperceived the inner spiritual realitywithin the physical. At Sinai the peoplewere not blind or mute. Yet, for amoment they were allowed a glimpseinto a deeper reality. Today apparently,only when undistracted by thephysical, Marcia could see what otherscan only hear and theorize about. Andshe hears the inner dimension of thesights.
As Marcia continued on herjourney, she moved to Crown Heights,changed her name to Lieba and beganlecturing and writing her inspiringstory. She titled her talks and articles:“More than the Eye Can See: A Journeyfrom Darkness to Light.” (Her articleswere published in the N’shei Journal).
Marcia/Lieba’s story would be aneye-opening inspiration even were it toend at this point.
But I have the privilege to sharewith you a miraculous sequel.
This week Lieba regained hereyesight!
Here’s what happened, as I heard itfrom Lieba just this morning.
Some sensitive, caring young girlsin the Crown Heights community visitLieba frequently. They read to her, helpher with various chores and assist herin any way she needs. One day Liebahears one of the girls praying quietly.She asks her what are you praying for.The little girl replies: “I am praying thatHashem [G-d] return your eyesight toyou.” A discussion ensues, and Lieba,motivated by the young girl’s sincerity,decides to open up a book of letters bythe Lubavitcher Rebbe. The book
(volume 1 of the English letters) opensup to page 115, where the Rebbewrites, “in regard to the question ofyour eyesight, you should consult agood specialist who should give youthe proper instruction as to what youhave to do in this connection.”
Lieba decides to visit a local doctorwho refers her to an eye specialist. Yetshe voices concern to the girl who visitsher that she has no money to pay for adoctor. What do you think happensnext? A few days pass and the girlpresents her with an envelopecontaining $154 that the girls collectedfor her!
She visits the specialist, who for a
period of 4 hours subjects her to abattery of eye tests, and then finallytells her, that her eyesight can berestored through surgery. Apparentlyher condition was misdiagnosed as agenetic illness. She takes out theenvelope with $154 and tells the doctorhow she received the money. Thestunned doctor says, “the girls will notput me to shame. I will do the surgeryat no cost.”
And so, last week Lieba’s lefteyesight was restored, and this weekher right eyesight is being restored.
This is exactly what happened as itwas told to me first hand!
Despite the deep sadness I always
felt for Marcia/Lieba, the onlyredeeming factor was that she couldteach us all about the true ‘sights’ weshould be looking for in life. Lieba’sstrength and dignity – never the victim– always inspires everyone she meets.
I always felt that it would remainthis way. A profound loss, yet doingour best to face the challenge withdignity and determination.
Now a miracle has occurred. And itcouldn’t have happened to a betterperson. Lieba’s journey from darknessto light is not just a spiritual one; it hasnow manifested itself in a very physicalway. With Lieba’s return from physicaldarkness she can now teach us how tobridge both worlds – the world of sightand sound, the world of spirit andmatter – to perhaps see what is usuallyheard and hear what is ordinarily seen.To truly see more than the eye can see.
And what timing! Today more thanever we are in need of precisely suchvision to see behind the scenes if thechaos our world is experiencing. Weneed to be able to see the forest fromthe trees and connect the dots to makesense of all the earth shattering eventsof our day, as I elaborated in last week’sarticle.
“The world is undergoingfundamental changes. As a globalrevolution brews and a new age dawns,we need to ‘open our eyes’ and see itsreality,” said the Rebbe. ‘Open our eyes’– what an interesting expression.
Frankly, I have often wonderedwhat it would take to get most peopleto ‘open their eyes.’ After all, history isfraught with but few ‘seers’ while themainstream remains blinded andclueless to the bigger picture.
The miracle I share with you todaygives us all hope. Hope that anyoneand everyone’s eyes can indeed beopened.
More than the Eye Can See: AJourney from Darkness to Light indeed.
Meaningful Life Center’s Weekly Thought; 788Eastern Parkway Suite 303 Brooklyn, NY11213; www.meaningfullife.com; E-mail:[email protected]. Phone: 718-774-6448
“Darkness doesn’tfrighten me. I don’tneed a light to read.Superficial materialsights don’t distract
me. All I have isspirit; the only thing I
see is the soul inmyself and in others.”
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576314
1. Over a period of several years –from 5609 to 5614 – the disagreementcontinued between the two brothers-in-law and mechutanim, my great-grandfather, the Rebbe the TzemachTzedek, and my great-grandfather, thetzaddik Reb Yaakov Yisroel (ofCherkassy),1 concerning where my[maternal] grandfather, Reb YosefYitzchok, should live. The TzemachTzedek wished him to live inLubavitch, while Reb Yaakov Yisroelwished him to settle in one of thetowns in Vohlynia and become a rebbe.
2. The chassidim had a saying: “TheRebbe2 is more frightened by athunderclap that he never heard thanby the Czar and his police.”
3. At the [rabbinical] conference3
held in the year 5603, the TzemachTzedek declared the following to thegovernment ministers: “Our forefather,Yaakov, said, ‘...which I took from theEmorites with my sword and my bow’[Unkelus translates ‘my sword and mybow’ as] – ‘my prayer and myentreaty.’ While the Beis HaMikdashstood, we Jews possessed a sword anda bow with which to conduct warfare.During our exile, G-d confiscated oursword and bow of warfare, but oursword and bow of prayer and entreatyG-d left with us Jews during the exile.And as a matter of fact, the sword andbow of prayer and entreaty is evenmightier than a sword and bow ofiron.”
4. At that same conference he alsodeclared to the ministers: “A personwho has been elected by thousands ofJews to be their rav receives fromthem the power of the multitudes.When thousands of Jews bestow uponsomeone their spiritual powers, theirsoul-powers, he becomes a nasi, and anasi must have mesirus nefesh infulfilling the Torah and its mitzvos.”
5. By “mesirus nefesh” I meanAvrohom Avinu’s way of mesirus nefesh– not the way of Haran, whopostponed his mesirus nefesh until hecould see what would happen withAvrohom, and whether he would besaved.
6. My great-grandfather, theTzemach Tzedek, was subjected tonumerous sanctions during therabbinical conference of 5603, onaccount of his anti-governmentspeeches and addresses regardingreligion and religious texts, as we haverelated on various occasions. Thesanctions continued for many years.
BIOGRAPHICAL
MIGHTIER THAN ASWORD AND BOW
OF IRON TRANSLATED BY RABBI SHIMON NEUBORT
Biographical SketchesFrom the sichos of the Rebbe Rayatz in America
Seifer HaSichos – Kayitz 5700Daytime Meal of Shabbos Parshas Chukas – Part 1
1. The Tzemach Tzedek was a son of the AlterRebbe’s daughter, Rebbetzin Devora Leah,and thus he was also the Mitteler Rebbe’snephew; he was married to the MittelerRebbe’s daughter, Rebbetzin ChayaMoussia. Reb Yaakov Yisroel was a son of
the Rebbe Reb Mordechai of Chernobyl,and was married to the Mitteler Rebbe’sdaughter Rebbetzin Devora Leah. Thus,the two were brothers-in-law, both beingsons-in-law of the Mitteler Rebbe. Theywere also mechutanim, as the Tzemach
Tzedek’s son Reb Yosef Yitzchok wasmarried to Reb Yaakov Yisroel’s daughter,Rebbetzin Chana.
2. I.e., the Tzemach Tzedek.
3. For details concerning this conference, seeThe Tzemach Tzedek and the Haskala
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 15
7. During the year 5614 thegovernment decreed that: i) schoolsfor Jewish children must beestablished; ii) the Tzemach Tzedekwould be the honorary president of allJewish schools in White Russia; iii) aschool must be established inLubavitch; iv) my great-grandfather,the Tzemach Tzedek, would becompelled to enroll two of hisgrandchildren as pupils in this school.
8. By lot, Reb Leib, son of Rabash,4
and Reb Baruch, son of Reb Schneur5
were chosen as the two grandchildrenthe Tzemach Tzedek was compelled toenroll in the school.
9. While that decree was in effect,my grandfather, Reb Yosef Yitzchok,and his family traveled toHornosteipel to live with his father-in-law, my great-grandfather, Reb YaakovYisroel, in order to rescue his youngsons from the decree of studying inthe school.
10. The maskilim labored forseveral years to prepare the textbooksthat had been decided upon at therabbinical conference of 5603. Over aperiod of ten years, my great-grandfather, the Tzemach Tzedek,found various ways to procrastinate,and postponed the matter until theyear 5613. In the year 5613 thecommittee of the maskilim began toprepare the textbooks, and once againthe Tzemach Tzedek invented variousexcuses for delay. But at the beginningof the year 5516 he was categoricallyforced by the police to affix hissignature to copies of the textbooks asa member of the committee of themaskilim.
11. By means of a public letterdisseminated by special agents, theTzemach Tzedek let it be known thathis signature had been obtained underduress, and that in fact he was
opposed to study in these abridgedtextbooks. He also suspected thatforged copies had been madeintentionally.
12. One of the maskilim, AharonYona, denounced the Tzemach Tzedekover this public declaration, andduring the summer of 5617 – in themonth of Tammuz – he was placed
under house arrest for one month’stime. [The conditions of this arrestwere that] no one was permitted toenter and visit him, not even his sonsor their families, except for those whoactually resided in his home with him(at that time my grandfather, theMaharash, and his family lived withhim). Praying with a minyan of tenwas also forbidden.
13. During the years 5614 to 5618my grandfather, Reb Yosef Yitzchok,and his family would come toLubavitch once in two years, andremain there for half a year. Theremainder of the time he resided inHornosteipel.
14. In the year 5619, Reb YaakovYisroel compelled his son-in-law, RebYosef Yitzchok, to settle in the town ofAvruch and become a rebbe. This wascontrary to the heartfelt desires of hisfather, the Tzemach Tzedek.
15. At the time my grandfather,Reb Yosef Yitzchok, settled in Avruch,there were numerous Chernobylerchassidim living there who wereadherents of Reb Yaakov Yisroel.Among them were some very oldchassidim who had merited in theiryouth to be chassidim of my great-great-grandfather, Reb Mordechai ofChernobyl, and they had known hisholy face.
16. One of the chassidim ofHornosteipel related to mygrandfather, Reb Yosef Yitzchok, thathis father had been an adherent of myancestor Reb Menachem Nachum ofChernobyl.6 Many times he had heardReb Menachem Nachum’s high praiseof the Alter Rebbe, and his admirationfor his holy text Likkutei Amarim andhis holy maamarim that wouldoccasionally reach Vohlynia.
(To be continued.)
“While the BeisHaMikdash stood, we
Jews possessed asword and a bow with
which to conductwarfare. During ourexile, G-d confiscatedour sword and bow of
warfare, but oursword and bow of
prayer and entreatyG-d left with us Jewsduring the exile. Andas a matter of fact,
the sword and bow ofprayer and entreatyis even mightier thana sword and bow of
iron.”
Movement.
4. Reb Baruch Shalom, the Tzemach Tzedek’seldest son.
5. He was a son of the Mitteler Rebbe’s son RebMenachem Nachum, and a son-in-law ofthe Tzemach Tzedek [he was married tothe Tzemach Tzedek’s daughter, Rebbetzin
Rada Freide].
6. The father of Reb Mordechai; he was anelder disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch,and a colleague of the Alter Rebbe.
THE RIGHT PLACEWhen some of the people
involved in printing the Tanya inRussia returned and told the Rebbethat they had printed the Tanya inthe room Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka,a”h, had been in when her fatherwas arrested, at which time she hadtold the Rebbe to get away from thehouse since unexpected guests hadcome, the Rebbe asked: “Are theretwo windows in the room?” Whenthey said that there was, the Rebbeasked whether they overlooked thestreet. When they said they did, theRebbe verified that this was theroom the Rebbetzin had been in.
NOT ABOUT SINSSomeone wanted to open a
Chabad house in Eretz Yisroel. Hewrote to the Rebbe about it anumber of times, but received noresponse. After some more time wentby, he wrote again, and againreceived no response. When hewrote yet again he said that perhapsthe Rebbe wasn’t answering himbecause “his many sins caused it.”
The Rebbe wrote, “I assumed youwere present at the farbrengen, and ifyou weren’t, you should asksomeone who was” (i.e., the Rebbe’sresponse was given at the
farbrengen). The Rebbe circled thewords “many sins,” and wrote, “notin existence.”
(From 5747, heard from T.T. who waspresent in 770 and heard when this answer came
out)
DOUBLE SIMCHAA shliach wanted to organize a
large farbrengen for Yud Shevat. Hewrote to the Rebbe about it andasked for a bracha. The Rebbecircled the words, “Yud Shevat,” andadded, “Yud-Alef Shevat” (i.e., thatas chassidim we should becelebrating the day of the Rebbe’s
accepting the nesius, and not onlythe yahrtzeit of the Rebbe Rayatz).
DREAMING ABOUT THEREBBE
A man dreamt of the RebbeRayatz a few times. This was afterthe histalkus. He was bothered by hisdreams, and asked the Rebbewhether they had any specialsignificance.
The Rebbe said, “It depends onwhether you went to sleep withKrias Shma Al HaMitta or with a ‘fullstomach.’”
This story is told in anotherversion. Somebody asked the Rebbewhat he could do in order to dreamabout the Rebbe Rayatz. The Rebbesaid, “It depends on whether you goto sleep with a full stomach or withKrias Shma Al HaMitta.”
CHAVRUSAIn 5735 a Tamim had a yechidus
and complained that he didn’t have achavrusa, and therefore, wasn’tlearning properly. The Rebbe said,“Nu, I also learned without achavrusa.”
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576316
CHASSIDIMDON’T PART
Brief stories about the Rebbe’s incredible relationship withAm Yisroel in general and his chassidim in particular. * Acompilation of stories, answers, yechiduyos, directives, and
guidance. * Taken from t’shuros distributed recently. *Part 1
STORIES
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 17
RECITING T’HILLIM WITHTHE TZIBBUR
A Tamim once asked the Rebbein yechidus whether he could sayT’hillim on Shabbos Mevarchim atdawn so that he could then learnchassidus and daven “b’avoda” beforethe farbrengen.
The Rebbe said, “Don’t do that,since reciting T’hillim on ShabbosMevarchim must be done with thetzibbur.”
TIME IS PRESSINGOn 7 Shevat 5710, three days
before the histalkus of the RebbeRayatz, the wedding of Rabbi YehudaLeib Dubov took place. After thechuppa, Rabbi Yitzchok Dubov askedthe Rebbe to stay for the meal. TheRebbe said, “Time is pressing and Imust learn with the Rebbe, myfather-in-law.”
(Heard from Y.L. Dubov)
SAYING T’HILLIMIn 5730 a Tamim had a yechidus
and asked the Rebbe that since hespent a long time davening and waslate for the nigleh seider in themorning, should he say T’hillim rightafter the davening the way oneshould, or could he say it later.
The Rebbe responded, “There arethose who cannot spend a long timelearning Torah right after davening,and so the Shulchan Aruch (OrachChayim) says that they should learnat least one halacha or one pasukafter davening, and later on they canfinish learning. From this we canconclude that the same thing appliesto saying T’hillim, that you can sayone perek and leave the rest forlater.”
ADDING FROM THE CHOLTO THE KODESH
Once, on a Motzaei Yom Tov, aman entered for yechidus after havingchanged out of his Yom Tov clothes.
The chassid R’ PinyeAltheus, z”l, was
about to travel, andhe waited for the
Rebbe to bless him.When the Rebbe cameout he said nothing.
R’ Pinye mustered hiscourage and said,
“I’m leaving already.”The Rebbe said, “I
know, but chassidimdon’t part.”
The Rebbe pointed out that theRebbe Rayatz was particular to wearShabbos clothes on MotzaeiShabbos.
THE CUSTOM OFCHASSIDIM
The chassid R’ Pinye Altheus, z”l,was about to travel, and he waitedfor the Rebbe to bless him. Whenthe Rebbe came out he said nothing.R’ Pinye mustered his courage andsaid, “I’m leaving already.”
The Rebbe said, “I know, butchassidim don’t part.”
THE REBBE’S RESTRebbetzin Chana once related
that when the Rebbe visited her hesat there with menuchas ha’nefesh andit was obvious that this was restfulfor him.
THE REBBE’S BUSINESSWhen the Rebbe got up to return
to his room to receive people foryechidus, he said to his mother, “Ihave to go back to business.”
THE SOUND OF A CHILDCRYING
At the beginning of the Rebbe’snesius, the Rebbe once left home for770. On the way, he saw a child in acarriage crying while the motherstood nearby talking to a friend. TheRebbe went over to the carriage androcked it so the child would calmdown.
On another occasion, in 5721,the Rebbe noticed a crying childlooking for his father. The child sawthe Rebbe, and thought he was hisfather and went over to him andtook his hand. The Rebbe gave himhis hand and walked with him for afew minutes until the fatherappeared.
G’MILLAS CHESEDThe Rebbe gave large sums of
money to tz’daka in a way of “mattanb’seiser,” so that even the recipients
didn’t know who had provided themoney. In 5744 there was a manwho was sick for a long time. At acertain point, the Rebbe inquired asto whether the family neededfinancial support. The Rebbe addedthat he had as much money availableas they needed.
It is also known that there wereRussian Jews who were extremelypoor, and every month the Rebbesent them checks until they were setup with appropriate jobs.
SHALOM BAYISOn many occasions the Rebbe
told his chassidim that before comingto him they had to receive theirwives’ consent. There were timesthat the Rebbe told chassidim in
yechidus to bring back a gift for theirwives.
One time Rabbi Glick (theperipatetic shliach) had a yechidus,and the Rebbe told him that he hadto thank his wife for her agreeing tohis frequent trips on his work aboutEurope.
THE REBBE ANDHACHNASAS ORCHIM
Rabbi Ben-Tzion Shemtov, z”l,once went to visit the Rebbetzinwhen the Rebbe suddenly walked in.R’ Shemtov wanted to get up andleave, but the Rebbe told him toremain seated and asked him whathe wanted to drink. R’ Shemtov wastongue-tied and felt extremely
uncomfortable. He finally said itmade no difference what he drank.
The Rebbe reacted in surprise,“What do you mean it makes nodifference? There are various typesof drinks and there are bigdifferences among them!”
R’ Shemtov finally specified adrink and the Rebbe asked, “A largecup or a small one?” And the Rebbecontinued to press him until heunwillingly agreed to accept a drinkfrom the Rebbe.
The Rebbe graciously said, “ARebbe is one thing, and hachnasasorchim is another thing.”
LIKE A SONA talmid entered for yechidus and
felt very confused. He asked theRebbe how he should speak to theRebbe since he didn’t know. TheRebbe said, “Like a son speaking tohis father.”
ENOUGH FOR HIS NEEDSIn 5724 a woman wrote to the
Rebbe about her financial problemsand how she lived in dire straits. Sheillustrated her plight by saying thather neighbors went to the mountainswhile she had to stay in the city.Some time later she received enoughmoney to enable her to go to themountains.
“ITALY IS OURS”On Simchas Torah 5731 when
the Rebbe enumerated 70 heads ofcountries, there was nobody torepresent Italy. Finally a Jew got upwho had some connection to Italy.The Rebbe said, “Italy is alreadyours!”
A TAMIM UNTIL THE ENDA chassid related: “My wedding
date was set. One day I was asked bythe hanhala of the yeshiva inMorristown to be a mashpia while Iwas still a bachur so I could have aninfluence on the young boys. Irefused because I didn’t want to
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576318
The Rebbe graciouslysaid, “A Rebbe is onething, and hachnasas
orchim is anotherthing.”
leave Tomchei T’mimim.
“I wrote to the Rebbe about itand the Rebbe said, “This is notconsidered leaving TomcheiT’mimim.”
COMPASSIONATE FATHEROnce, on a Friday night after the
meal, some bachurim were dozing inthe small zal. When the Rebbe wenthome he looked into the zal and sawthem. R’ Shmuel Levitin, who waspresent at the time, tried to defendthe boys. The Rebbe said, “If they’resleeping here already, they shouldhave negel vasser and blankets.”
COMMANDEDMany years ago there was a time
when the situation in Eretz Yisroelwas very dangerous and tense. At
that time, Rabbi Firon – then chiefrabbi of the IDF. – had a yechidus,and the Rebbe told him that sincethe situation was dangerous, heshould put up mezuzos on all thedoors in the army. The Rebbe evenpaid a large sum of money to buymezuzos.
SHE’S FINEA chassid once asked the Rebbe
for a bracha for his very sick wife.He described the situation to theRebbe, and the Rebbe just dismissedwhat he said with a wave of hishand, saying, “Ah, it’s nothing.”
The chassid asked whether theyshouldn’t go to yet another doctorand the Rebbe said, “Nu, go throughnatural means.”
The man went to another doctor
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 19
A talmid entered foryechidus and felt very
confused. He askedthe Rebbe how he
should speak to theRebbe since he didn’t
know. The Rebbesaid, “Like a sonspeaking to his
father.”
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576320
who checked his wife and said shewas fine. The chassid went to thesecretaries and told them what hadhappened and added, “How stupid Iwas for not listening to the Rebbe tobegin with. I could have savedmyself $550!”
* * *
NAASEH V’NISHMAA man who needed a kidney
operation asked the Rebbe for abracha. He said it in a way that madeit clear he didn’t want advice; he wasjust informing the Rebbe about theoperation and wanted a bracha.
The Rebbe gave him aconditional bracha, “Agree to an
operation only if a doctor checksyou again before the operation.”Although generally anotherexamination is done a few daysbefore an operation, the doctoragreed to check him right before theoperation. The examination showedthat the illness had disappeared.
(To be continued.)
Basement Apartment for Rent
on a daily basis
in Crown Heights2 bedrooms, Kitchen,
Dinning Room, Full Bath
(718) 778-8661
Office Space A V A I L A B L E
i n c l u d e s d e s k , c o m p u t e r , a n dh i g h - s p e e d D S L ,
Call (718) 613-1446
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576322
Among the immigrants to EretzYisroel on the daring ship “BrachaFold” that arrived on the shores ofTel Aviv from one of the displacedpersons’ camps in Italy, was a talldark-skinned young man. Asidefrom his piercing dark eyes and hisfiery spirit, he brought no otherproperty with him to his new land.The young man spent his first fewweeks surveying the length and
breadth of the land as one learning adifficult chapter in the “Laws ofLife”. It wasn’t long afterwards thatthe name of the young man whospoke a delightfully musical Yiddishwith a Serbian accent become knownas the head of a group of pioneers.He was none other than HaRavYaakov Peles, of blessed memory.
Rabbi Yaakov Peles, of blessedmemory, had a most exciting and
stormy life. He was born eightyyears ago in Talshenti, Serbia, to hisparents, HaRav Tuvia and Mrs.Fruma Peles. He received a properTorah education in his town’s localsynagogue. When he grew up, hetraveled to yeshiva in Kishinov,where he learned for several years.
Shortly before the outbreak ofthe Second World War, the yeshiva inKishinov closed and he returned tohis parents’ home in Talshenti.However, the war began shortlythereafter, and the Soviets conqueredthe area where he lived. As a result,he began to wander on the roadfrom city to city in search of a placeof refuge. The events of the warbrought him to remote Siberia,where he remained until the end ofthe war. While in Siberia, he workedin the establishment of factories thathas been transferred from centralRussia. “I worked there out in theopen in the intense cold which frozeme to the bone. We suffered frommalnutrition. We received 800 gramsof bread and a little sugar, but nomore,” he writes in his memoirs.
During these years, on the warfront, at the work camp, in thecrossfire between opposing enemiesof the Jewish people, he saw
HaRav Yaakov Peles, of blessed memory, was a lively andyouthful chassid. Despite his advanced age, he could be
seen until his very last day walking through the streets ofKfar Chabad to the great wonderment of those
considerably younger than him. He was a tremendouslyactive chassid with a rich and thrilling past of public
involvement in spreading Torah behind him. This beganwith greeting new immigrants during the sixties, andcontinued with the establishment of Yeshivas Tomchei
T’mimim in Kiryat Gat and Yeshivas Achei T’mimim inRishon Lezion, and concluded with his activities in
spreading G-d’s Name everywhere he went during his finalyears. On Shabbos Parshas Yisro, he returned his soul to
his Creator with a Divine kiss. He was 80 years old.
CHASSID
TO WALK IN THELIGHT OF G-D
BY CHAIM ZILBERMANTRANSLATED BY MICHOEL LEIB DOBRY
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 23
tremendous miracles with his owneyes that saved his life on numerousoccasions. On one occasion, thedanger was so great that he evenmade a vow: “The hardships, thedangers, the adventures, and themiracles made me think to myself ingreat depth. G-d has saved meseveral times. Why? For whatpurpose?
“The feeling within meintensified – that if G-d saves the lifeof one, whereas others did not somerit, G-d certainly has a particularpurpose for this. In spite of all thedangers, my life was not given to mefor nothing; life has a specialmeaning. So it entered my heart tomake a vow. I vowed that if G-d willbe with me and I will come to EretzHaKodesh, I will devote all mystrengths on behalf of our peopleuntil the coming of the Righteous
Redeemer, speedily mamash...”
And so it was that Rabbi Pelesemerged from the deep inferno. Hesmuggled himself over the Russianborder and reached the Romanian
city of Siret, where he continuedwandering until he came to Italy.Though broken and exhausted, heimmediately started Torah activitiesin Italy. He established a shul andorganized Torah classes for adults.
He wrote about his activities tothe Rebbe Rayatz, who respondedwith a letter. The Rebbe wrote, “Ithank G-d for His great kindness insaving you from the hands of evil,and I give you my bracha of MazeltovMazeltov.”
The Rebbe Rayatz continues inhis letter: “Surely you will strive tofulfill the holy shlichus that G-d gaveyou to strengthen Torah andYiddishkeit in general, and koshereducation in particular. May yourheart be strong with trust in G-d,Who will provide you with all thatyou lack, both materially and
“I worked there out inthe open in the
intense cold whichfroze me to the bone.
We suffered frommalnutrition. We
received 800 grams ofbread and a little
sugar, but no more.”
Closeness and influence:the Rebbe and Rabbi Peles
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576324
spiritually.”
In those refugee camps, he metR. Zusha Wilimovsky, the Partizan,and R. Zalman Levin, of blessedmemory. The three of them bondedin friendship and traveled togethervia ship to Eretz HaKodesh. En route,they swore to one another that thepurpose of their emigration to EretzHaKodesh would be the education ofJewish children.
After a six-month stay in Italy,Rabbi Peles organized a group offifty people called Lev Arye, andemigrated to Eretz Yisroel via theship Wingate, which en routereceived the name Bracha Fold. Itwas three weeks before the Festivalof Freedom, 5706. Rabbi Peles’dream had become a reality.
FROM MOSHAV TOMOSHAV, AND FROMKIBBUTZ TO KIBBUTZ
Upon his arrival in Eretz Yisroel,he went to learn in Yeshivas Chabadin Tel Aviv with Rabbi Chaim ShaulBrook, of blessed memory, andduring his free time, he began hisenergetic and tireless involvement inhis work reaching out to youngstersin the immigrant transit camps andbringing them closer to Torah andmitzvos.
After his wedding to the formerRochel Melov, he established hishome in Tel Aviv and was involvedfor most of his life in the field ofeducation. He began by working as ateacher in the Sinai School. Fromthen on, he devoted himselfcompletely to the education ofJewish youth in the ways of Torahand mitzvos. “I had seemingly cometo lay down my burden and pass thetorch,” he wrote in his memoirs. “Ilooked like a chassid, I had grown abeard, I learned chassidus, and Itaught at the Sinai Talmud Torah.Still, I had yet to find peace of mind.I constantly felt that I had to workwith our brethren who survived the
Holocaust, and to establish anewthat which had been destroyed. Ivowed that I would dedicate all mytime on behalf of our people.
“A change occurred in 5711,shortly after the Rebbe accepted theleadership. I heard that the Rebbehad written frequent letters to the
leaders of Chabad communities inEretz Yisroel in which he included aclear demand to expand Chabadactivities more and more. Iunderstood that it was simply notpossible to sit with arms folded. So Igot to work with great vigor. I knewthat the rehabilitation of the Judaismthat had been destroyed could beachieved through the establishmentof yeshivos, and I turned to activitiesin this area...”
His first such activity was theestablishment of Yeshivas AcheiT’mimim Chabad in Rishon Lezion.Afterwards, in 5719, he began tobuild Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim inKiryat Gat. The stories surroundingthe building of each of these twomagnificent institutions could fill ahuge book. Rabbi Peles wasprivileged to receive numerousletters from the Rebbe MH”M inconnection with his work, includinginstructions and guidance every stepof the way.
In 5722, when Rabbi Pelesvisited the Rebbe for the first time,the Rebbe honored him by invitinghim to speak – something extremelyrare! Rabbi Peles approached the
A newspaperreporter wrote about him once:
“The cars pass by quickly in both directions along the old Tel Aviv-Jerusalem freeway at all speeds, rushing along their way. They only stopwhen they come to the new traffic signal at Kfar Chabad Junction. Theycan’t miss the sight of the old man with the long beard standing there,summer or winter, rain or shine, holding large signs with bright letters,bringing the message to the travelers. To many of the drivers, he appearslike Eliyahu HaNavi...
“‘House of Yaakov, come and we will walk in the light of G-d,’ thelarge letters sprout forth from the signs. The elderly man calls out of thewords of the Prophet: ‘Dear Jews! Come, let us go and serve G-d with agreat illumination!’”
No driver remains apathetic from such a unique sight, and even afterthey continue on their journey, the image of “Eliyahu HaNavi” does notleave them for a very long time...”
“This is not mydesire; it’s the desire
of the Rebbe. TheRebbe once said to
one of the chassidim,‘I have many soldiers,
but not enoughgenerals.’ When I
heard these words, Iwas drawn to the taskof awakening others
as well...”
THE IMAGE OF A CHASSID WHOATTRACTED MUCH ATTENTION
platform and spoke briefly. “TheRebbe has succeeded in breaking allboundaries between one Jew andanother.” The assembled chassidimsaw clearly how the words gavegreat pleasure to the Rebbe.
In one of the conversation that Ihad with him, I asked him, “What isthe correct way to act?” Heanswered me in his typically patientmanner. “The way is according towhat the Rebbe instructed us: ‘thelights of Tohu in the vessels ofTikun.’ In other words, we mustbring the most lofty matters andenclothe them in simple humanintellect. To what can this be
compared? A store hit by a pogrom.None of the items are in their properplace, yet they are all there – in totaldisarray. Thus, even thougheverything is there, it is very difficultto find them. Similarly, in ourdiscussion, all the things are there;we just have to put them in order.Speak in an appropriate manner, andnot, ch”v, to yell things that will notbe accepted.
“This was the very substance ofwhat I heard from the Rebbe duringmy last visit during Nissan 5751,when the Rebbe cried out from thedepths of his heart, ‘Do everythingin your ability to bring Moshiach.’”
These two visits that Rabbi Pelesmade to the Rebbe –the first and thelast – symbolized for him thecontinuing direction of his path tospread the message of Jewish unityand Jewish redemption.
Rabbi Peles was also the firstperson in history to present theRebbe with the key to a city in EretzYisroel, a custom that has sincebecome widespread over the years.Since he had been deeply involvedin matters related to the yeshiva inKiryat Gat, he had established astrong connection with the thenMayor, Mr. Gidon Naor, and R.Yaakov convinced him to award thekey of the city to the Rebbe. At animpressive ceremony held on ChaiElul, 5722, the Mayor gave the keyto Rabbi Peles, who shortlythereafter traveled to the Rebbe, andpresented it to him in the middle ofa farbrengen. The Rebbe accepted thekey with much appreciation.
THE REBBE PARTICIPATESIN THE PRINTING OF HIS
BOOKRabbi Yaakov Peles was an
outstanding askan, who was blessedwith many talents. It can be said thathe dedicated his life on behalf of theoverall good, not only in the realmof his work in the field of education,
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 25
Yaakov Peles (L) organizes the Holocaust survivors in Austria
“The hardships, thedangers, the
adventures, and themiracles made methink to myself in
great depth. G-d hassaved me several
times. Why? For whatpurpose?”
Studying Torah in Italy. From left to right: Moshe Pollack, Zalman Levin, ZushaWilomovsky, Avrohom Danziger, Nechemia Sheingott. Standing at the right: Yaakov Peles
but also in connection with hisdynamic public activities. He wasalso a gifted writer and a magneticspeaker whose words were listenedto most attentively. He was alwaysrich with ideas and filled withcountless pearls of wisdom.
R. Yaakov Peles was a man ofinnovation. His heart was alwaysopen to any new idea and helistened to what was happening inhis surroundings and every newdevelopment – no matter how small.
He was a very modest andhumble man who lived only on whathe absolutely needed. His simplicityand modesty were for a purpose. Hisacquaintances say that this was partof his nature. Even in shul, hisregular place was at the far end, outof his extra modesty and humility.He conducted all his public activitiesby himself, without any elaboratesystem of offices, assistants, orsecretaries.
Rabbi Peles fully utilized histalents for his public activities.When his friends saw his activeinvolvement despite his advancedage, they would suggest that heshould rest since he had alreadyachieved so much in his life. R.Yaakov would smile and explainsimply: “This is not my desire; it’sthe desire of the Rebbe. The Rebbeonce said to one of the chassidim, ‘Ihave many soldiers, but not enoughgenerals.’ When I heard these words,I was drawn to the task ofawakening others as well...”
Rabbi Peles was heavily involvedin the publicity of his clarion call of‘House of Yaakov, come and we willwalk in the light of G-d,’ a pasukwhich he fervently believed couldawaken and kindle the flame in thehearts of thousands upon thousandsof fellow Jews. He would always cryout and even protest in order toarouse the hearts of others. “Wemust extinguish the fire in a mannerof ‘Do everything in your ability,’”
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576326
MY FATHER-IN-LAW, OF BLESSED MEMORYBY RABBI LEVI Y ITZCHOK GINSBERG
Chassidim are not accustomed to give eulogies, but the Rebbe shlita MH”Mestablished the general rule that we are accustomed to tell stories about thedeparted in order to learn from his good attributes, in a manner of “v’hachaiyitein el libo”.
I am left astounded by the unique character of my father-in-law, HaRavHaChassid R. Yaakov Peles, of blessed memory, based on the many years thatI knew him. A fearless man of truth, who fought with all his strength for thethings in which he believed, without looking to see what others might think,if they will agree or not or even whether they will mock him – he did hispart.
Every single day for months on end, even years, in the rain and cold orthe broiling heat, he stood for hours at intersections with handwritten signscalling the children of Avrohom, Yitzchok, and Yaakov to return to the pathof G-d with the slogan, ‘House of Yaakov, come and we will walk in the lightof G-d.’
In earlier years, when he would go out to put t’fillin on other Jews orregister them in the seifer Torah, etc., he wouldn’t be satisfied with just anhour or two. Instead, he would stay out literally for entire days, when otherswho were many years younger than him would have long since tired out. Forweeks and months, he would sit at Mt. Meron to learn portions of the innerdimension of the Torah.
He established two yeshivos – in Kiryat Gat and Rishon Lezion – literallywith his bare hands. Furthermore, not only did he not take a single grush forhimself, he and his wife, Rochel, of blessed memory, even dedicated all themoney that they had received as reparations to victims of Nazi war crimes forthis purpose. 10,000 liras, a considerable sum in those days, went entirelytowards the acquisition of a parcel of land for the yeshiva building in KiryatGat. It is told also that Rabbi Chadakov said in the name of the Rebbe shlitato numerous yeshiva students that they should learn from him how to act.
Together with this, he was a devoted family man. He made do with theminimum required, and the money that he saved, he dedicated to hisactivities and to help others. He would go out every day in the driving rainand the intense heat – and never let me take over for him – to pick up hislittle grandchildren from kindergarten, take them to the doctor, etc.
With tremendous – even extreme – devotion, he did everything possiblenot to trouble anyone. He came in quietly, took the little food that he ate byhimself, and did everything so that those around wouldn’t notice him, so thatno one would have to go to any inconvenience.
Indeed, even his passing was as if it were helped from Above – exactly aswith his wife nine years earlier – so not to trouble anyone. It was literally aDivine kiss, without any inconvenience. On Motzaei Shabbos, he wasbrought for burial to Tzfas. Among his final requests were to write his life’sideal on his gravestone: the pasuk, ‘House of Yaakov, come and we will walkin the light of G-d.’
May his soul be bound up in the bond of life, and very soon mamash,there will be fulfilled his customary and constant wish out of a sense ofintense longing and anticipation: “May Moshiach come now! NOW! Andthose who dwell in the dust will rise and awaken, and he will be amongthem.
Rabbi Peles once said. “And as theRebbe wrote me, ‘Even one hundredtimes – without exaggeration.’”
He first publicized his words
twenty-eight years ago, immediatelyafter the Yom Kippur War. He calledupon the Jewish people to stir itselffrom its sense of tranquility, open itseyes, discover the truth in the life of
Torah and mitzvos, and dedicateitself to the light of Yiddishkeit andchassidus.
Rabbi Peles was even privilegedto receive special expressions ofcloseness from the Rebbe MH”M.Among them, the Rebbe requestedon numerous occasions that he singhis songs before the thousands ofchassidim present at a majorfarbrengen. When the Rebbe receivedhis book of songs After the YomKippur War, he sent Rabbi Peles$1,000 to help cover his expenses.Only a rare few merited such a warmresponse.
It is interesting to note that eventhen, decades ago, Rabbi Pelesalludes in his book to the fact thatthe Rebbe is the person who willreveal himself in the future asMoshiach and the Redeemer of the
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 27
Kiryat Gat Mayor Gidon Naor hands the key of the city to R. Yaakov Pelesfor presentation to the Rebbe
Rabbi Yaakov Peles presenting the Rebbe with the key to the city of Kiryat Gat in the middle of a farbrengen
Jewish people, long before the issuebecame revealed openly amongChabad chassidim. In fact, RabbiPeles was the first to publicize thislofty matter and even received theRebbe’s bracha and approval throughhis financial participation in thebook’s printing.
He writes about this in thepreface to his book Al Harei HaGalil:
“Approximately twenty yearsago, I was walking on KingGeorge Street in Tel Aviv, whenRabbi D. Z. Zilberstein, ofblessed memory, came towardsme on the sidewalk andmotioned that I should come. Hesaid, ‘Listen, I want to tell yousomething interesting. I havebeen to the United States threetimes, and each time I visited theLubavitcher Rebbe. What doesthat tell you? While I am not aLubavitcher, nevertheless, thequalities that Moshiach mustpossess as detailed by theRambam and in all the s’farimwritten about the characteristicsof Moshiach – all this I found inthe Lubavitcher Rebbe.’
“I understood this to be a signfrom Heaven, and that Divineprovidence had placed upon mea new task, the most importantone for these times: to spread theteachings of chassidus and tohasten the revelation of MoshiachTzidkeinu...”
Before Gimmel Tammuz, heeven publicized a notice on thesubject of the identity of MelechHaMoshiach. “Since we havebeen privileged to have so great aneshama in our generation of thelevel of ‘to You, silence is praise,’ aJew whose entire conductthroughout his entire life has beenbeyond the realm of nature, and inwhom are seen all the qualities listedby the Rambam in relation toMoshiach, even his name and hislineage to Malchus Beis Dovid, we
therefore pray and plead before G-dAlmighty that He should hasten therevelation of this neshama...”
In 5748, shortly after the passingof the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, ofblessed memory, Rabbi Peles stood ata large farbrengen in the Rebbe’s holypresence and declared in hischaracteristically arduous mannerthat since the Rebbe is about to be
revealed as Moshiach, it nowdepends on us, the chassidim, andwe must ask that he reveal himself...
FAITHFUL TO HIS VOW TOTHE LAST DAY
He remained loyal to the vowthat he accepted upon himself whenhe was in Siberia to dedicate his life
on behalf of the Jewish people. Heneither rested nor sat still, and heendeavored to bring his message toevery Jewish home in every possibleway. He explained that this work isdue to the urgent and critical needto save the nation and to hasten theRedemption. “Dear brothers andsisters, we must shake the world andpersist in the call of ‘House of
Yaakov, come and we will walk inthe light of G-d’ – only in thelight of G-d until the coming ofMoshiach Tzidkeinu!”
Rabbi Peles spent many yearsinvolved with people. It seemedas if the more he added to hisactivities, the younger hebecame...
Once I asked Rabbi Peles howmuch longer will he continue hishard work and when will hefinally rest at home. Heresponded in a firm anddetermined voice: “All activitieswill continue with greater forceuntil the final moment of thecoming of Moshiach. At themoment that he comes, I will bereleased from my duties.”
On Shabbos Kodesh ParshasYisro, he participated in achassidus shiur at the “BeisMenachem” Synagogue in KfarChabad. At the conclusion of theshiur, he went to the home of hisson-in-law, Rabbi Levi YitzchokGinsberg, where he lived, inorder to take a short rest. He laydown, fell asleep, and did notwake up, as with a Divine kiss ofthe meritorious few...
He leaves behind his son,HaRav Tuvia, from Kfar Chabad,four daughters – Mrs. AyalaLevkivker of Tzfas, Mrs. YehudisGoldberg of Tzfas, Mrs. Miriam YaffaGinsberg of Kfar Chabad, and Mrs.Sara Perlstein of Kfar Chabad,grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576328
One of Rabbi Peles’ songs on the Redemptionand Moshiach’s identity
MIRACLE STORY
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576330
INFERNO – ANDTHE REBBE’S
ANSWERBY MENACHEM ZIEGELBOIM
The atmosphere on the bus waspleasant as dozens of passengers satpeacefully. The sweet giggling of achild brought smiles to some faces.And then, right before the entrance toEmanuel, an enormous boomingsound was heard which shook the busand hurled the passengers from theirseats.
* * *
It was 2:50 in the afternoon.Armored bus #189 made its way fromthe center of the country to Emanuelin the Shomron. Terrorists had placeddozens of kilograms of explosivesabout 200 meters before the entranceto Emanuel, and had attached two gastanks to it, causing a double explosion.
The three terrorists waited on theside of the road, dressed in Israeli armyuniforms and armed with automaticrifles. The terrorists shot at thepassengers through the upper windowswhich were above the bulletproofwindows. “The shooting was non-stop.We were terrified. They also threwgrenades at us,” reported one of thesurvivors. “They had murder in theireyes,” added a woman.
The tragic outcome: nine dead andeighteen wounded, three critically. Agrandmother, son-in-law. andgranddaughter killed, while the
daughter/wife was seriously wounded.A baby born prematurely fought for hislife and died that day – on the day ofhis birth.
A folded double stroller layforlornly near the bus. Around it werebloody stretchers and personalbelongings of the passengers.
R. Gross, a Lubavitcher girl fromB’nei Brak and a student at Beis Rivkawas there. This was the first time inher life that she was traveling toEmanuel, on the other side of theGreen Line, the quiet town which onceagain found itself engulfed in flamesand blood.
She was asked to be a counselor forthe Chabad camp sponsored by theChabad elementary school in Emanueland directed by Mrs. TovaOppenheimer. She agreed and traveledto a meeting of the counselors beforecamp began. “No, I wasn’t afraid totravel there,” she told Beis Moshiach.
As a chassidishe girl does, she usedthe travel time to open her Chitas andsay the Chumash, T’hillim, and theHaYom Yom. When she got up to theshiur in Tanya, she began the chapter,“Va’yilbash tz’daka k’shiryon, v’kovayeshua b’rosho” (and he wore tz’daka asarmor and a hat of salvation on hishead). Our Sages say that just as armor
is made of separate links of chainjoined together, every coin given totz’daka joins together to total one largesum.
R. read the words and took a fewcoins out of her purse and put them ina pushka, thus donning a hat ofsalvation ...
Then the explosion. The bus shookand the driver collided with a pillar,veered to the side, crashed into amountain, continued driving, crashedinto a pillar and turned over partwayon the road. The terrorists beganshooting at the bus, mainly at thosewho had managed to flee the inferno.
“I was lying under a seat,” R. says.“At first it was as still as death, andthen there were screams. Somebodyscreamed Shma Yisroel. Mostmurmured T’hillim. I said T’hillim, afew lines of Tanya, and Shma Yisroel.There was the sense of impendingdanger, deadly danger, yet I felt astrong feeling that I would make it.”
A quarter of an hour went by untilthe first Hatzala men arrived. “For thefirst time I felt what fifteen minutes are... it seemed like eternity.”
The doors of the bus were closedand one of the Hatzala membersclimbed in through one of the upperwindows. In the meantime, the
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 31
soldiers worked on breaking open thedoors, as the stench of blood, fire, andsmoke filled the air. The woundedwere removed one by one. Some weremore severely wounded, some less. Allwere in shock.
R. Gross got up on her own. Shewas stunned when she saw a livegrenade with its pin removed lying onthe seat she had been under all thattime. It was a miracle that preventedthe grenade from going off.
She spent the next long whilehelping the Hatzala forces with thewounded, classifying them and gettingthem out. Despite the circumstances,she didn’t lose her cool. She noticed agirl lying near the bus who was losinga lot of blood. She tore off a piece ofcloth and made a tourniquet, stanchingthe flow of blood.
The sound of the explosion and theshooting was heard in Emanuel. Oneof R.’s friends who was waiting for herand who had heard about whathappened, knew her friend was on thebus, and she quickly wrote a letter tothe Rebbe. Her hands shook as sheasked for a bracha for her good friend.
The answer she got was in the IgrosKodesh, volume 20, p. 190: Regardingyour writing that you don’t receivehelp, etc., first of all, certainly everysingle one of those who work inHashem’s work of chinuch al taharasha’kodesh, especially in the frameworkof our Rebbeim, our n’siim, activelyfulfills what it says, “ezri m’im Hashem,oseh Shamayim va’aretz” (my help isfrom Hashem, the One Who madeheaven and earth) (“Oseh” here is like“asiya,” and k’fiya, meaning that Heforces and breaks throughconcealments of nature until theybecome accessories, like in the days ofPurim from which we are coming, thenations of the earth were converting,etc., v’na’hapoch hu, etc., and certainlyfor one such as yourself who hasactually seen this in the recent past,there’s no need to go on about it andto bring a proof to somethingobvious.)
The words addressed to those “whowork in Hashem’s work of chinuch altaharas ha’kodesh” speak forthemselves…
“I called home immediately inorder to let them know I was fine, andthat I had survived the inferno on thebus,” says R. “Then I was taken to thehospital to make sure I was reallyokay.”
After things calmed downsomewhat, R. wondered whether she
should continue with her plans ofworking at the camp in Emanuel. “Onthe one hand, I was terrified. This wasnot something you easily forget. Onthe other hand, I knew it wasimportant for those living in Emanuelto carry on, and I also knew thatbecause of the terrorist attack theywouldn’t be able to find a replacementfor me too quickly.
“Just like you ask your father, I
wrote to the Rebbe. The answer Iopened to was in volume 9, p. 223and its continuation on p. 224. “Inanswer to your letter, which is notdated ... it’s surprising that after youliterally saw the chesed of Hashem, canit be that you don’t have sufficientemuna in His ability, that with absolutecertainty He will certainly guide themwith His kindness in the future andtake them out from constraints. Even iffor reasons not understood by us thisis delayed, only the Creator of theworld, Who knows the future and thetrue good, can decide which way isbest for a person and his household tobring them to true happiness, bothb’gashmius and b’ruchnius. And if this issaid even regarding those whosesituation has deteriorated from what itwas previously, and is worse off thanothers in their community and of theiracquaintance, all the more so is it trueregarding those whose conditionimproved over what it was in the pastand in these difficult months. Yoursituation is certainly better than quite afew around you, yet they do notdespair, and all the more so that youand your wife should not despair, ch”v,and be depressed. We’ve already seenthat the greater one’s bitachon and hishappy outlook for the future, thesooner these things actually happen.
I hope that you will soon make mehappy with good news in all theaforementioned, both regardingyourself and regarding your spouse.
“I shuddered. I read and reread theletter and felt I had gotten my ‘securitypass’ to carry on.”
* * *
Camp started on Yud-Beid Av withdozens of children attending. Peoplewant to get back to normalcy, and theydid so, aside from the fact that apsychologist came and spoke to thechildren briefly.
“I wanted this assurance to travel.Camp began today and there are 50children. We had a beautiful,interesting, and chassidishe program togive the Rebbe MH”M nachas.
“On the one hand, Iwas terrified. Thiswas not something
you easily forget. Onthe other hand, I
knew it wasimportant for thoseliving in Emanuel tocarry on, and I alsoknew that because ofthe terrorist attack
they wouldn’t be ableto find a replacementfor me too quickly.”
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576332
Recent events, for America andcertainly for the Jewish people, havebeen painful and frightening. On thesurface it looks like chaos andconfusion. But if we look again intothe prophetic words of the Rebbe,we can see that, far from beingrandom, these events are literalfulfillment of nevua and orchestratedby Hashem for the sake of the Jewishpeople and our Geula. Thisperspective will not only give usstrength, but will encourage us torenew and redouble our efforts tofulfill our ultimate shlichus: to bringMoshiach now.
YALKUT SHIMONI — THENOR NOW?
In light of the current worldsituation, where the king of Iraq hasreturned to global prominence, hereagain is the famous Yalkut Shimoni,which the Rebbe spoke of manytimes during the first Gulf War. Theprophecy is even more strikingtoday:
Rabbi Yitzchok said: In the yearthat the king Moshiach will be revealed,all the kings of the nations of the worldwill provoke each other. The king ofIraq will provoke the king of Arabia,and the king of Arabia will turn to theworld’s superpower for advice.
And the king of Iraq will return anddestroy the whole world... And all thenations of the world will be frightenedand panicked, and they will fall on
their faces with pains like the pains oflabor. And the Jews will be afraid andpanicked, and they will say, “Whereshall we come and go, where shall wecome and go?” And G-d will say tothem, “My children, why are youafraid? All that I have done, I did onlyfor your sake. What are you afraid of?Don’t be afraid! The time of yourRedemption has arrived...”
Our Rabbis taught: at the hour thatMelech Moshiach comes, he will standon the roof of the Bais HaMikdash, andhe will inform them – the Jews –saying: Humble ones, the time for yourRedemption has arrived.
(Yalkut Shimoni, Isaiah 6)
IRAQ AND THE SHAKING OFTHE WORLD
Rabbi Shalom Dovber Wolpo, inhis book Vitorah Yivakshu Mipihu,relates the following:
“Beginning in 1981, the Rebbebegan to speak about the fact that“the world is shaking,” and that thiswas in connection with the Iran-Iraqwar. At that time he came out withthe Seifer Torah Campaign for Jewishchildren, and afterwards for adults,as well. In the year 1986 heannounced that we should publicizethe saying of ‘Hareini mikabel...’before davening, and ‘Achtzaddikim...’ after, and said that thiswas in order that the world shouldstop shaking.
During the same period, Mr. BibiNetanyahu came to 770. At thattime, he was Israel’s ambassador tothe U.N. The Rebbe said to explainto Mr. Netanyahu the things he hadsaid in connection with the fact thatthe world was shaking – thatalthough the Iran-Iraq war wasapparently a local war, the fact thatIraq was not afraid of Iran – eventhough Iran was much bigger andstronger – gives cause to suspect thatvery soon Iraq would start a waragainst the whole world.”
AN UNFINISHED MISSIONDuring the Gulf War of 1991, the
Rebbe expressed disappointmentthat the war did not eradicate theevil completely. When questionedwhether to publicize parts of thesicha on this matter, the Rebbereplied, “od chazon la’moed” – “thisvision will yet be fulfilled...”
TWO DAYS AFTER THE ENDOF THE GULF WAR: THEREBBE’S BLESSING FOR
SUCCESSTwo days after the end of the
Gulf War, the Rebbe gave Americahis blessing for success in the waragainst Iraq:
“Our Sages note that even after thePurim miracle, we remained servants ofAchashverosh. Similarly, we are nowalso ‘servants of Achashverosh.’
Nevertheless, although we are in themidst of exile, the dominant nation inthis exile is a generous country, acountry that offers assistance to manynations and to its Jewish residents.
In appreciation, may G-d grant thatcountry success in its war against Basra(Iraq), and may we soon merit thefulfillment of the prophecy, ‘who is thatcoming in soiled (bloodstained)garments from Basra?’ with the comingof the Redemption.”
(Shabbos, 16th of Adar, Sichos in English vol.47, Parshas Ki Sissa)
LIVING WITH THETIMES: IRAQ ANDTHE REBBE MH”M
COMPILED BY N’SHEI U’BNOS CHABAD.
WAR IN IRAQ
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 33
From the above passages, it isclear that:
1) All of these events areorchestrated directly by Hashem,and for our own benefit.
2) The current situation wasclearly foreseen by the Rebbe
3) War with Iraq is in some waydirectly linked to the coming ofMoshiach.
NO FEAR, BUT MOREWONDERS AND GREATER
MIRACLESIn a later sicha, the Rebbe tells us
that in the aftermath of the previousGulf War, we can expect even moreand greater miracles. With the worldnow bracing itself for furtherconfrontation with Iraq, it seemsthat the time is now:
“The Jews have no need to fear theaftermath of this war. Indeed, thewonders will continue. We will see evengreater miracles, miracles which willcause the gentile nations toacknowledge G-d’s providence and torecognize that He controls not only thespiritual realms, but even this materialworld.
“The miraculous sequence wehave witnessed reflects how dearly
G-d loves every Jew. May weappreciate that lesson and reach outto our fellow Jews in love.”
MIRACLES NEED PUBLICITY– NATIONS NEED TOACKNOWLEDGE G-D
5751 forms an acronym for “Thiswill surely be a year when I will showyou wonders.” ... On Purim, we saw aclimax of such miracles. The individualwho personally threatened the Jewishpeople was routed entirely, to the pointwhere he had to flee for his own life.The war which was touted to becomethe most horrible of all wars took farless time and cost far fewer casualtiesthan could ever have been expected.The wondrous nature of these eventsdefies all explanation... Adequateattention is not being paid to thesemiracles... There is a need for clearerfocus. As the impact of the miraclesrecedes, there is a tendency to offerrationales and explanations for whathas happened; i.e., that there weresuperior arms, superior planning, andthe like.
We must publicize that these aremiracles which were performed by G-dand which came as a result of this beinga year when “I will show you wonders.”This will lead to a recognition that“sovereignty is the L-rd’s,” allowing thenations of the world to recognize and toacknowledge G-d’s presence. In acomplete sense, this awareness cannotcome about through bloodshed anddestruction, but rather must be taught.By peacefully spreading the message ofG-d’s sovereignty, the Jews will help thenations of the world attain their desiredspiritual fulfillment.
9/11 ushered in an era ofreassessment and heightened
sensitivity. The world’s old deitieswere hit hard. When the TwinTowers caved in, faith in tallbuildings caved in, as well. As WallStreet staggers, it strangles theworld’s belief in “almighty” money.At the same time, unholy scandals inthe Catholic Church give the faithfulsecond thoughts, while the greatcorporations, those giants amongmodern idols, collapse fromcorruption. Each of these is a signalto the world: acknowledge G-d’ssovereignty; there is no other.
AND NOW....It is the end of the Exile, and the
issues of the day – Iraq, terrorism,crisis in the Middle East, thestruggle between good and evil, andhow to secure G-d’s blessings for aworld of peace, goodness, andsecurity – are begging to beaddressed.
We can publicize to the worldwhat the Rebbe wants us to say. Theworld is ready to listen.
For comments or questions, please call 718-467-5106 or 973-267-5843
The world’s olddeities were hit hard.
When the TwinTowers caved in,
faith in tall buildingscaved in, as well...
This is a signal to theworld: acknowledgeG-d’s sovereignty;there is no other.
When questionedwhether to publicizeparts of the sicha on
this matter, the Rebbereplied, “od chazon
la’moed” – “thisvision will yet be
fulfilled...”
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576334
In the days prior to the Six DayWar, uncertainty generated fear andanxiety as the threat of war becamemore real with each passing moment.A chassid about to travel to EretzYisroel, consulted the Rebbe. TheRebbe advised him: “Do not fear. Donot influence others to become fearfuland do not succumb to fear that isbeing spread by others.”
In the days prior to the Gulf War of1991, the world was literally shaking.A woman informed the Rebbe that shewas planning to go to Eretz Yisroel.“Are you afraid?” he asked her. “Alittle,” she admitted. “A little is toomuch,” the Rebbe reassured her.
Two American yeshiva studentswere learning in Eretz Yisroel justbefore the Six Day War broke out. Oneasked the Rebbe if he should return toAmerica. The Rebbe answered thatthere was no reason to interrupt hisstudies. The other student asked hisrosh yeshiva, who told him to make uphis mind together with his parents.“My friend asked the Rebbe and hewas told to stay,” said the bachur. “TheRebbe’s shoulders are broader thanmine,” respectfully answered the roshyeshiva.
Where are those broad shoulderstoday? Can we rely on the Rebbe’sconfidence of years gone by and applyit to the current situation? The Rebbealways based his teachings on Torah.His teachings and advice apply todayas they did in the past and will in thefuture.
D’varim 11:12: “A land that Hashem,your G-d, seeks out; the eyes of Hashem,
your G-d, are always upon it, from thebeginning of the year to the year’s end.”
These words of the Torah are asrelevant today as they were thousandsof years ago. Surely they are as relevantas twelve years ago. When travelers
asked the Rebbe for a blessing beforesetting out to Eretz Yisroel in times ofdanger, he told them that Hashem iswatching the land from the beginningof the year to the end. They need noother blessing.
Citing the above pasuk, the Rebbestated that “Eretz Yisroel is the safestplace in the world today.”
Believing that Eretz Yisroel isindeed the safest place for a Jew, doesnot detract from a realistic view ofdanger and the need for self-defenseand pre-emptive military strikes.Jewish Law requires defense with allnatural means possible. However, afirm belief that Hashem is carefullywatching His land and His children,
dispels the fear associated with danger. Fear is contagious. It spreads from
one person to the next leading toanxiety and despondency, underminingthe determination to be victorious. Thebest defense against fear is confidence,trust, bitachon.
Our soldiers are much moreeffective when they proceed withconfidence and a positive outlook,knowing that Hashem will bring themsuccess and safety. An examination ofJewish military accomplishments in thelast 54 years actually documents thatour military victories have often comein the form of miracles, an actualverification that the pasuk fromD’varim is applicable in our time.
Bitachon leads from confidence tosimcha, and simcha is what breaksthrough barriers. Simcha Poretz Geder.The greater our confidence and simcha,the more our enemies will see that weare indeed not afraid of them, therebytaking the edge off of their confidence.
We are now in the month of Adarand we still have a month and a half togo. Our Sages associate the months ofAdar with good fortune and strengthfor the Jewish people. It is the monthin which the power of Haman wasnullified and Jews experiencedmiracles of good over evil.
The Mishna teaches us that “Onewho reads the Megilla in impropersequence does not fulfill his obligation.”The Baal Shem Tov interprets this tomean, that a person who mixes up pastand present, and reads the Megilla as astory of the past, misses the point. Justas Hashem destroyed Haman and hisfamily in ancient times, so will Hashemobliterate all modern Hamans and theirpower bases.
Media presentations compete withone another for spectacular news,escalating fear and anxiety. The Torahteaches us to have faith, to be calmand confident. “The eyes of Hashem,your G-d, are always upon it.” Ours isthe ultimate surveillance system,making Eretz Yisroel the safest place.
THE ULTIMATESURVEILLANCE
SYSTEMBY ALIZA KARP
Just as Hashemdestroyed Haman andhis family in ancient
times, so will Hashemobliterate all modern
Hamans and theirpower bases.
WAR IN IRAQ
THOUGHT
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 35
GRADUAL STEPSIN A MASTER PLAN
“And if not, blot me out from theBook which You have written” (Shmos32:32 ), says Moshe Rabbeinu, the greatoheiv Yisroel, who put his wholemetzius on the line for the sake of hissinful generation. (It is interesting tonote the parallel between this pasuk,
32:32, and the 32nd chapter of Tanya,called the “lev” heart of Tanya, alsodealing with ahavas Yisroel).
In a like manner, the Goel Acharon,Melech HaMoshiach, vis-à-vis ourgeneration, the last of Galus and thefirst of Geula, has stressed theimportance of ahavas Yisroel to anextreme, and is preparing the entireworld for a new era, replete with peaceand harmony.
In answer to a question posed by aCNN reporter in 1992, the RebbeMH”M stated that acts of goodness andkindness are the proper preparation forthe messianic era. The Rebbe’s answerwas thus directed to the world at large.
Now, the initial mivtzaim of theRebbe MH”M were mostly of the kindwhich are obligations of man to G-d.The Rebbe added the mivtza of ahavasYisroel, man-to-man obligation,towards the end of the ten mivtzaim.
One may venture an explanation:the realm of man-to-man obligationshas always been a forte of AmericanJews, as evidenced by the fact that theycontribute to charitable causes in greatmeasure. What was lacking in Americawas the unbending commitment toYiddishkeit. There had been a process ofslow erosion of that firm connection toJewish tradition, to the extent thatAmerica for a long time was referred toas “treif” by European Jews, who wouldthink twice before embarking for the“goldene medina”.
The process of reawakening thistype of commitment to Yiddishkeit wasbegun by the Rebbe Rayatz, whoeventually declared: “the American ice– of cold indifference to Yiddishkeit –has started to melt.” This wascontinued by the Rebbe MH”Mthrough the mivtzaim. Commitment toJewish tradition and observance wasthus kindled and trail blazed by theRebbe, with many Jewish organizationsfollowing suit in reviving Jewishobservance in America.
REFINING MIDDOSOne of the main thrusts of
chassidus is, in addition to theunflinching adherence to Torah andmitzvos and the joyful observancethereof, the refinement of one’s middos,
character traits.
This effort also serves as precursorof the Messianic era, which theRambam describes as a time when“there will be no hunger and no war,no jealousy and no competition” (Hil.Melachim 12:5). It is very significantthat, after mentioning the absence ofhunger and wars, he mentions jealousyand competition. This is not onlybecause these are the human traitswhich lead to war and hunger, but alsobecause, by definition, the Messianicera totally precludes them.
This would explain the eventualaddition of the mivtza of ahavas Yisroelto the other mivtzaim. While the initialmivtzaim were addressed mainly toJews who were unfamiliar with thosemitzvos, ahavas Yisroel, on the otherhand, being a Mitzva that is limitless inits potential for growth, is addressedeven to the most observant andknowledgeable Jews.
The Rebbe’s answer to the CNNreporter touched upon yet anadditional facet: acts of kindness in thewhole world. For these serve aspreparation for the Messianic era,when there will be no jealousy and nocompetition, but only warm,welcoming acceptance throughout allof humanity.
ACTS OFKINDNESS –
PREPARATIONFOR MOSHIACH
BY RABBI YEHESKEL LEBOVIC
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576336
ESPECIALLY CHASSIDIM –MESSIANIC PROTOTYPEThis is especially applicable to
chassidim who strive to refine theirmiddos in an inner way.
There is a relevant entry in HaYom
Yom, for Teives 24th, where we read:
“The Rebbe Maharash once askedhis father, the Rebbe the TzemachTzedek: ‘what did the Zeide (the AlterRebbe, author of Tanya) want toaccomplish with the Ways ofChassidus and what did he want withChassidus?
“The Tzemach Tzedek answered:‘The Ways of Chassidus – this is thatall the chassidim should be like onefamily, according to Torah, with love.Chassidus is life – bringing life andilluminating everything, including the‘not good.’ One should know aboutone’s own insufficiencies just the way itis, so one will be able to rectify it.”
At first glance, the obviousquestion arises: Isn’t the entire “Houseof Israel” supposed to be as “onefamily” according to Torah? However,while this is true, the fact is that theideal brotherly state within Jewry hasnot yet been achieved. Variousfactionalism has existed within Jewishranks throughout history. The BaalShem Tov and the Alter Rebbe wishedto pave the way for true brotherhoodwithin all of Israel, by developingchassidim into the “pilot” community,whose members would make theconcerted effort at mutualbrotherhood, whereby all chassidimwould reciprocate brotherly love toeach other. But, in general, the AlterRebbe certainly wanted his chassidim torelate in a brotherly manner to allJews, even their opponents, asevidenced in his writings. In thefamous epistle he sent to his chassidimright after his release from prison onYud Tes Kislev, where he had been sentbecause of libelous accusations by“misnagdim” he writes: “Therefore Icome with a general announcement to
inform all our followers...not tobecome haughty-minded in relation totheir brethren [the “misnagdim”]...notto speak defiantly against them or hissat them, Heaven forefend... Subdueyour spirit and heart beforeeveryone...with humility...and with arestrained spirit (Tanya IV: 2).
CHASSIDUS, CHASSIDICWAYS, AND MOSHIACHAs indicated in this passage of
HaYom Yom, the “Ways of Chassidus”are inextricably connected to“Chassidus,” for, as a rule, it is possibleto develop such brotherly love only by
becoming exposed to the teachings ofchassidus.
We read in Tanya (Chap. 32): “AllJews are called ‘real brothers’ by virtueof the source of their souls in the oneG-d ... [but for] those who give greaterconsideration to their bodies, whileregarding their souls as of secondaryimportance, there can be no true loveand brotherhood... The basis and rootof the entire Torah is to raise and exaltthe soul high above the body, reachingtowards the Source and Root of all theworlds... “Without proper exposure tothe teachings of chassidus, which delves
into the G-dly, spiritual components ofCreation, it is difficult to develop theattitude necessary to feel the exaltationof the spiritual over the physical. Andhence, difficult to achieve truebrotherly love.
The “Ways of Chassidus,” as well aschassidus in general, are also very muchconnected to Moshiach. The reasonwhy chassidus was revealed at a laterpoint in history is because it is meantto pave the way for the MessianicRevelation (Likkutei Sichos vol. 1p.70).
There is the well-known analogy:just as there is a custom to taste onFriday the food prepared for Shabbos,so does chassidus provide a foretaste ofthe great Torah revelation to berevealed by Moshiach.
The same applies to humaninterrelationship. The Gemara(Shavuos 39a) states that all Jews areareivim for one another. “Areivim” isusually translated as “responsible.” AllJews are responsible and guarantors foreach other before G-d. It is, however,the founder of chassidus, the Baal ShemTov, who applied another translation ofthe same Hebrew root, “arev” meaning“sweet,” to this Talmudic passage: allJews are sweet to each other. Forchassidus is meant to pave the way forthe Messianic era, wherein there willbe, not only great G-dly knowledge,but also a wondrous new type of sweethuman interrelationship.
Chassidim who internalize theteachings of chassidus and are thus ableto appreciate the tremendous gapbetween created physicality and G-dlyspirituality, can and should serve as theprototype of the kind of relationshipthat will eventually become the normthroughout the whole world!
And in preparation thereto we haveto engage in acts of kindness. Not onlybecause good traits of character remainhollow if not accompanied with action,but also because the practical way tostart this refinement is by constantlygoing through the motions of kinddeeds, which will inevitably generate
The Alter Rebbecommented on thispasuk: the “mind of
stone” can beremoved now, but for
the removal of the“heart of stone” we
have to wait forDivine interventionthrough Moshiach.
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 37
gradual feelings of loving-kindness.
WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT?At times it seems difficult to
generate feelings of brotherly love. Thereason for this is discussed in Tanya(chap. 37): it is more difficult to refinemiddos than intellect. Even when weintellectually understand a concept, itmay still be quite removed from itaffecting our feelings. This is why it theprophet states (Yechezkel 11:9), “And Iwill remove the heart of stone fromyour midst”. The Alter Rebbecommented on this pasuk: the “mind ofstone” can be removed now, but for theremoval of the “heart of stone” we haveto wait for Divine intervention throughMoshiach.
We are nonetheless obligated toapply serious effort at improving ourmiddos, especially now that we havebeen ushered into the Messianic era,with its new state of interrelationshipsoon to become normative. Is it merelya coincidence that nowadays there istalk about a new type of quotient: notthe I.Q., the Intelligence Quotient, but
the Emotional Quotient!
Another reason for the difficultiesrelated to achieving true brotherhoodis the extreme effort mustered by theforces of evil working against theMoshiach culmination, which will spelltheir eternal eradication. In Tanya(Chap. 28 ), the Alter Rebbe discussesthe analogy of two opponents pitted ina wrestling match and observes that, assoon as one of them starts to gain theupper hand, his opponent likewisestrives to prevail with all the resourcesof his strength.
Now, nearing the point ofmessianic culmination, withtumultuous events about to occurthroughout the world, and the forcesof goodness and holiness tipping thescale for the final showdown, theforces of evil are mustering extremeresistance. But things are improving,for a noticeable change has come overthe phenomenon of territorialism,which has so far governed humanity.Ever since the dawn of history, everycountry has zealously guarded itsborders and has gone to war in order
to protect them. Individuals, too, haveheld firmly to their turf, guarding itzealously. Wars have pocked the face ofearth because of imperialism, onecountry encroaching upon the territoryof another. However, a gradual changeis now occurring, with sharing andnetworking becoming more and morethe order of the day. Wars ofimperialistic expansion are becoming athing of the past. On the contrary,countries such as the USA, sent troopsto protect the innocent in a number ofcountries. This discernable decrease incompetition definitely indicates that weare indeed nearing the Messianicculmination, b’karov mamash!
Rabbi Yeheskel Lebovic is the spiritualleader of Cong. Ahavath Zion inMaplewood NJ, and the director ofMaplewood Mesifta for 14 year oldstudents. He and his wife Pearl have beendirecting Likrat Shiduch MatchmakingService since 1981. They can be reachedat 973-313-2391, at [email protected],and at the website:www.florida.com/shiduch. Rabbi Lebovicis also a certified Mohel since 1973.
B.H
8946 W. Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035 www.avivrentacar.com
Owner:
Yoram Cohen
Fleet includes:^ Subcompact to full size and our specialty "minivans". ^ Centrally located in Los Angeles,^ Close to Freeways, Hollywood and Beverly Hills ^ Service, Value, Convenience.
310 859-9660, 323 930-9660Fax: 310 859-0116
Get Shabbos for FREE
& FREE airport pick-up
on weekly rentalsu b h cr u u b r un u b b u st hj h
sg u ok ugk j hanv lkn
LUXURIOUS EFFICIENCY ACCOMMODATIONS
RECOMMENDED
FOR THE UPSCALE GUEST VISITING
C R O W N H E I G H T S
W I T H V E RY D I S C R I M I N AT I N G TA S T E
FOR RESERVATIONS PLEASE CALL
(718) 774-0088
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576338
A BELATED ADMISSION!For decades, the Rebbe MH”M
raised a hue and cry over thereligious and chareidi parties’ neglectof the issue of Mihu Yehudi. Thechareidi parties claimed that it wasn’tpossible to pass the law because ofopposition from the Left. We knew allalong that in exchange for theongoing shame of the deletion of theword “k’halacha” from the Law ofReturn and gentiles entering thecountry, the representatives of chareidiparties received “special monies” andother favors for “our people.”
The Rebbe yelled about this fordecades, but his call was not heeded.When the Rebbe demanded that thelaw be amended before it would betoo late, the chareidi Knesset memberspreferred involving themselves infunding another classroom or yeshiva– certainly important things, but notwhen compared to the pikuach nefeshof the entire nation!
Last week, a gutsy and honestmember of this group got up and toldthe truth. It was Rabbi Yosef BenPorat, who is considered one of theoutstanding lecturers in the Litvisheworld, who runs Kamta V’Alita. In afascinating article that he authored,which was printed in one of thechareidi weekly papers, he explainedthat the meteoric rise of the Shinuiparty was on account of the fact thatthe Law of Return was not amended.
“If we had said back then ‘either theLaw of Return or us,’ we would havegotten it. We preferred to focus on
short-term goals – another cheider,another class. If we thought morebroadmindedly, we would certainlyhave forty seats today! We didn’t fightfor the Law of Return,” he concludedthe article.
Thus, he blamed the loss of thatparty, which could have gotten manymore seats, on its stubborn refusal toamend the law of Mihu Yehudi. Itremained as it was.
Naturally, this distinguishedwriter, who is counted among theLitvishe, does not write or mention,or even hint at who did in fact wagethe war to amend the Law of Return.Rabbi Ben Porat also neglected topoint out how his rabbis mocked theamendment of the law and said itdidn’t affect them. Now we suddenlyhear one lone voice at the edge oftheir camp that is ready to make a
cheshbon ha’nefesh.
If they’re making a cheshbonha’nefesh already, isn’t it important tostate the facts so that people knowwho fought against amending theLaw of Return? And which“rabbanim” prevented the amendmentof the law in exchange for money?And who were the chareidi Knessetmembers (some of whom still servetoday) who did all they could so thatthe amendment wouldn’t pass, andfought the amendment along with theLeft solely because it was the Rebbewho demanded it?
If you, Rabbi Ben Porat, see theneed to begin apologizing for the factthat in exchange for “one cheider andone class” they agreed to sell thenation down the river and go against“d’var Hashem zu halacha,” it’simportant that you take another stepand strike “al cheit” for the membersof your k’hilla who continue to mockand slander those who fight for G-dand Torah. This goes on till this veryday, when we see where this shita andunfortunate hashkafa of your grouphas gotten us.
Now is the time to make acheshbon ha’nefesh and to ask howmany Jews were lost to us becauserepresentatives of your Rabbi so-and-
THE TRUTHCOMES OUT
By Shai Gefen
SHLEIMUS HA’ARETZ
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 39
so fought openly against the law?Why do his rabbis and Knessetmembers still support a Palestinianstate when we all see what tragedieswere brought upon us because ofperverting (or ignoring) ShulchanAruch siman 328?
We are erev ha’Geula, at a time of“yisbareru v’yislabnu b’yitzarfu rabbim”(many will be sifted out, clarified,and refined), and many of thepreconceived notions of Rabbi BenPorat’s chevra are being shattered tobits. With the perspective of decadesin hindsight, we see things far moreclearly regarding every area the Rebbefought for. So with all due respect forthe cheshbon ha’nefesh, the deliberateignoring of the one who waged thewar for shleimus ha’Am and shleimusha’Aretz on your part, and the part ofyour colleagues who are called“rabbanim” and “shlucha d’rabbanon,”ought to lead you towards a re-examination of the facts anduncompromising conclusions.
As to us, chassidei Chabad, wehave an important role to play, as wesee how the Rebbe’s prophecies arecoming to pass, and all of the issuesare coming to a head. We have anhistoric opportunity, for now theRebbe’s message is easier to explaineven among those who didn’tunderstand the Rebbe in the past,and even fought him, becauseeverything the Rebbe said ismaterializing before our very eyes.
Now we have one of the mostdifficult jobs to do. We ChassideiChabad have to wage war. We can’tdespair. We must stand tall and quotethe Rebbe about shleimus ha’Am,shleimus ha’Torah, and shleimusha’Aretz, because in the end, theRebbe’s message will prevail.
As opposed to those who fulfillDovid’s words in T’hillim, “who mockthe footsteps of Your anointed one,”we have to raise up “the horn of Youranointed one.” So this is the time to
publicize to one and all that theRebbe is the judge and prophet ofour generation, and he is the onewho prophesied all the national andinternational events while otherrabbanim and askanim twiddled theirthumbs.
We shouldn’t be ashamed ofspeaking of the Rebbe as a prophet.We need to be clear and repeat themessage again and again until ourshlichus concludes with the hisgalus ofthe Rebbe MH”M.
THE ATOMIC REACTOR AS AMETAPHOR
After the space tragedy in whichIlan Ramon, a”h, a man who made apublic kiddush Hashem, perished,President Bush said that he wouldfinish what Ilan Ramon began,referring to the Iraqi nuclear reactorthat Ramon’s bombing missiondestroyed.
For those who may haveforgotten, it pays to review whathappened at that time. After thebombing of the Iraqi nuclear reactor,the U.S. sharply censured Israel andeven placed an embargo on planesthat were supposed to be sent toIsrael. The entire world denouncedIsrael in the strongest terms. And ifyou think the vilification came onlyfrom the “enlightened” world, you aremistaken.
Even Shimon Peres condemnedthe attack, and the Rabbi from B’neiBrak wrote a letter criticizing theattack and calling it “hisgarus b’goyim”(provoking the nations).
Yet last week President Bush saidhe’d complete what Ramon started...How two-faced can a country be?There can be no greater illustration of“chesed l’umim chatas” (the kindnessof the nations is a sin). That verysuperpower reviled Israel at the timedue to its personal considerations,and now they announce they’ll finishoff what Israel started! And whatwould have happened if back then,
At a Knesset sessionlast week, DefenseMinister Mofaz saidthat they werestepping up the waragainst the transfer ofmoney to theterritories fromenemy sources. Thatwas Sunday’s news.On Friday theheadlines reportedthat Sharon continuesto send money to theP.A., and I didn’tknow whether tolaugh or cry. Whatdifference is there ifthe funding for rocketlaunchers aimed at uscomes from Al Qaedaand Iraq or from theIsraeli treasury?
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576340
Israel would have consulted with theU.S. as to whether to bomb Iraq ornot?
WHAT DOES ALL THISTEACH US?
The media, the various parties inIsrael, starting with the politicians ondownward to public opinion, thejournalists and diplomats, constantlytell us we need to reckon withAmerica. We have to listen to thembecause they support us. One of thefirst considerations in any politicalundertaking is “what will theAmericans say?”
This claim is unfortunatelywidespread, yet let us think for amoment what would happen if,chalila, the Begin government hadn’tbombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor, andBegin listened to “daas Torah” fromB’nei Brak or to Shimon Peres and theother countries of the world. Howwould the Gulf War have ended, thewar which took place a mere ten yearsafter the reactor was bombed? Canyou imagine what would havehappened to us?
The Torah tells us that when itcomes to lives and pikuach nefesh, wemust do all we can and not consider“what they will say” or anything else.The halacha in Shulchan Aruch states,“go out against them with weapons,lest the land be easily captured.” Wetend to forget, and our heart isremoved from things that are distantfrom us, but we may not forget whatwas. We must learn our lesson thatwhen it comes to security matters, wedon’t take anything else but securityinto consideration. Security comesfrom Hashem. When we conductourselves according to the wayHashem tells us to in the Torah thenwe come out on top.
STOP RELYING ON HIMThere are many of us who like to
have faith in human beings. Forexample, some believe that whateverSharon does is simply a strategy
against Arafat, and he certainlydoesn’t intend on giving away land.It’s just a show he’s putting on withBush. He is just using the conspiracyapproach.
Even if this is true, it’s better notto be optimistic, because when thereare talks, they usually end us up introuble. From talking about far lessserious matters, look how low we’vesunk. So where do you think talkabout a Palestinian state will lead us?
In a Knesset meeting last week,Defense Minister Mofaz said they werestepping up the war against thetransfer of money to the territoriesfrom enemy sources. That wasSunday’s news. On Friday theheadlines reported that Sharoncontinues to send money to the P.A.,and I didn’t know whether to laugh orcry. What difference is there, if thefunding for rocket launchers aimed atus, comes from Al Qaeda and Iraq or
from the Israeli treasury?
It’s been years now that ourleaders have been trying to misleadus, to blind us, to calm us when it’sbeen clear where they’re leading us.Sharon met with Abu-Ala, themurderer’s deputy, last weekend.Labor went wild praising Sharon.They still haven’t joined thegovernment, but the praise isbeginning already. The secretary of theLabor party spoke about the fact thatSharon adopted Labor’s policies. Perescontinues to rejoice over the fact thathis work is being done by others, andthe question is: How is it that all theparties on the Right are still waitingfor an official invitation from Sharonto join the Coalition at any price?Why is it that not even one religiousor chareidi party has made theirjoining the Coalition conditional onno Palestinian state?
They brought enough tragediesupon us in the previous parliament bybeing a partner to the building of thebasis for a Palestinian state, and nowthey’re ready to join the chanukasha’bayis for a Palestinian state?!
Those raised on the Rebbe’steachings, cannot be involved withthose parties and askanim. If this wastheoretical in the past, now it’s quiteclear that joining the government anda Coalition means takingresponsibility for the establishment ofa Palestinian state. Chabad chassidimcan only thank G-d that they have noinvolvement in those parties. Theshame will devolve on all the partiesthat go knowingly and intentionally tobe partners in the establishment of aPalestinian state.
No excuses down the road willhelp when they claim that it was inorder to “influence from within.” Weare very familiar with those excuses.What’s left for us to do is pray that, asthe Rebbe said many times, the goyimthemselves will not want to take whatthe Jews, of their own volition, wantto give them.
We must learn ourlesson that when itcomes to securitymatters, we don’t
take anything else butsecurity into
consideration.Security comes fromHashem. When weconduct ourselves
according to the wayHashem tells us to in
the Torah then wecome out on top.
BEIS MOSHIACH - 19 Adar 1 576342
The world has lost a pure neshama, awonderful person, and three kinderlachhave lost their mother. Dena Epstein Z”L,of Crown Heights, passed away lastmonth, after a nearly three year battlewith the yena machala. Even the doctorswere inspired by this wonderful, strongwoman, who always had a smile on herface, and an unbreakable optimism andbelief in Hashem’s hashgacha pratis. Theysaid they’d never had a patient with sucha tremendous will to live.
Born and raised in Albuquerque,New Mexico, Dena Epstein Z”L (Klein)came from a prominent family thatcontributed generously to and wasinvolved in every Jewish communitycause in New Mexico, and the primarybenefactor of all Chabad activities in thestate. She was the president of her highschool class, an accomplished gymnast,and was involved in Jewish youthmovements, notably Bnai Brith Girls, ofwhich she was the recipient of BBYO’smost coveted Anita Pearlman award andpresident of the New Mexico chapter,and of Young Judea.
She was the epitome of kindness andgenerosity. “When someone in her classwas cold, she would take off her sweateror coat and give it to them,” her motherRiva Klein recalls. Later in life, when shebecame a Lubavitcher, she showedboundless love and caring for her fellowJews. Randee, a friend in Manhattan,recalls, “I met her at a chiropractor’soffice, soon after she was married. Denawas walking around with a lulav, shakingit with the Jews in the office, politelycoming up to everyone and offeringthem to connect to their beautifulheritage. She was so proud of beingJewish, I remember her just walking
around with the lulav, and I thought‘wow- she is so proud of it.’ ”
Anything she put her mind to, shewas able to master. Everyone thoughtthat she would become a doctor, like herfather. She was incredibly bright and ontop of things. Dena read up on all themedicines and their side effects, andhardly took any pain killers at all, as shewanted to be fully awake and aware ofwhat was going on around her, andwanted to be fully there for her children.She even told the hospital that she wasallergic to morphine, so that even in thelast few weeks and days she would befully cognizant and able to interact withher family.
During her son Yosef’s bar mitzvah,which took place days before she passedaway, Dena was at home, as it wasexcruciatingly painful for her to walk oreven sit up. But she miraculously got upfor a family photo session, which was soimportant for her.
She didn’t want to ruin her son’s barmitzvah, and struggled through, with aniron will of a true Jewish woman ofstrength and valor.
A friend recalls how she viewed andexperienced the bar mitzvah via a livevideo camera, seeing everything as it washappening. A friend accidentally pusheda wrong switch, and Dena couldn’t seewhat was happening for around fifteenminutes. Instead of being frustrated, shewent out of her way trying to make herfriend not feel upset, telling her over andover that it’s ok, that it’s nothing to worryabout, until the problem was finallyfixed. Dena was so concerned that herfriend shouldn’t feel embarrassed anduncomfortable, even at a time and in asituation when many others would get
frustrated.Dena Epstein Z”L was devoted to her
and her husband’s mosad, the ChassidicDiscovery Center, which led group toursof Crown Heights. She gave mikva toursto thousands of visitors to the Rebbe’ssh’chuna. “Dena put so much of her heartand enthusiasm into her mikva tours,”recalls her friend Aliza Horowitz. “Shewas a very tznius woman, warm, quietand gentle. Yet when she gave the mikvatours, speaking about the inyanim ofTaharas Ha’mishpacha, her unbelievablecharisma came out. She was so goodwith the people. At the beginning of atour, sometimes women would becautious and intimidated about thewhole concept of a mikva, but afterDena’s heart to heart talk andexplanation, women would get soexcited about Taharas Ha’mishpacha andask, ‘nu, when can we start going tomikva already?’ ”
SAVING JEWS FROMINTERMARRIAGE
“Dena was the most wonderful,sweet person in the world,” recalls LouisSchleider, who first met the Epsteins as astudent at Pratt College in New York.Beryl Epstein was the rabbi at the JewishStudent Union, and Dena regularly camewith Beryl to the school. Mr. Schleider istoday a frum Jew, married to a Jewishwoman, and recently had a baby, and isgrateful to Dena for setting him on theright path. “Dena once told me that if Imarry a girl who isn’t Jewish, I’ll becommitting genocide against my ownpeople,” he says, “she put two fingerstogether like a cross, and said to me thatI may never marry a girl who wears oneof these. Then one day, when I wasworking at a radar installation with aPentecostal preacher as a coworker, Iwas about to come up to him and tellhim I’d go to church with him.Suddenly, I was overcome with thissudden fear that I’m about to make thebiggest mistake of my life.” That night Icalled the Epsteins, and Dena, who hadjust come from the hospital after havingher first baby, was on the phone with me
SHLOSHIM OF YOUNG MOTHER OF THREE IN CROWN HEIGHTS
A ROLE MODEL FOR THEJEWISH PEOPLE TAKEN
FROM OUR MIDSTBY ZELIG KRYMKO
NEWS
Issue Number 404 - BEIS MOSHIACH 43
for three or four hours, until Beryl camein and spoke to me the entire night,until daybreak. He ended off ourconversation with, ‘so when are wegetting you t’fillin?’ “
“Can you imagine, Dena just gotback from having a baby, and she gaveherself completely over to helping me,seeing I was in a very dangerousspiritual state, on the verge of leavingJudaism. Later on I met two girls, onewas Jewish and the other one wasn’t,and I had to think long and hard whatto do. The image of Dena putting herfingers together and telling me that if Imarry a girl who wears one of these, across, I’d be committing genocide, wentthrough my mind and was so powerful.She truly influenced me to make theright decision, and today I have a Jewishbaby thanks to her care and concern forme. If there’s anything you can learnfrom Dena Epstein, it’s that you can betznius completely and still be a verypowerful person that can really saveJewish lives.”
Dena always had a big smile, nomatter what, for everyone. Her childrenwere especially precious to her, and herfamily was the most important thing inher life. She would make things in thekitchen that the children couldparticipate in making, such as chocolatedecorations, that she would teach thechildren how to shape and form. Thechildren’s chinuch, Jewish education, wasof paramount importance to Dena, whowas exceptionally devoted that theywould get into the best and mostappropriate schools.
Dena Epstein Z”L went out of herway to help anyone in any way shecould. “I used to go to the Epsteins forShabbos throughout my years in HighSchool, while I was still becoming frum”recalls Zelig Krymko, a friend of thefamily. “Right before I went to Israel aftergraduating, I sat down with RebbetzinEpstein, and she gave me a list of all herfriends and connections in Eretz Israel,the Leiters in Tzfat, Uri Kaploun andRabbi Gershon Mendel Avtzon inYerushalayim, the Kramers inYerushalayim, and families in Kfar
Chabad. So when I went to Eretz Israel,all alone after high school, I called uppeople and introduced myself as a friendof the Epsteins, and got invited forShabbos and Yom Tov to people’shouses,” Zelig remembers.
“Once we invited Rebbetzin Epsteinto Stuyvesant High School’s Jewishstudent club to do a presentation to thegirls on the mitzvos that are shayach tothem. We called the event ‘JewishFeminists to Lead the World,’ and had ashowing of many girls that had nevercome to our meetings before. From whatI heard, Rebbetzin Epstein gave apowerful heart to heart talk on theimportance of Jewish women, and theirrole in Am Yisroel. She was received sowell,” Zelig recalls.
Feige Duchman, a close friend ofDena’s, recalls, “She comforted me, Ididn’t feel worried about her because ofthe way she spoke. I never heard hercomplain, even though she wasobviously very uncomfortable, and ingreat pain form the machala. She truly,completely believed that she was goingto live. She thought she would pullthrough this, she did not even entertainthe notion that she could pass awayfrom this. Struck with such an illnessthat most people can’t handle, Dena didit with such dignity. I came to lift herspirits, yet I am the one who felt upliftedwhen I walked out of that house.Wherever she went she was this warmlight, just a very lichtig person.”
DENA’S NICKELSPearl, Dena’s sister, experienced
something truly remarkable. After herfather, who was a coin collector, passedaway, she began to find pennies in theoddest of places, and they beganreminding her of him. She saw it as asign from him. Then, when she saw Denafor the last time, a few minutes before herpure neshama departed, she spoke toDena, and remarked that between herfather and her she had a communicationthrough pennies, which she wouldalways put in tz’daka. “What will it bebetween you and me, nickels?” shewhispered tearfully. Then she kissedDena, and felt a sudden shock, at whichpoint the machines she was hooked up toceased showing signs of life. The doctorsran in to try and resuscitate her, but wereunsuccessful. “She promised me that shewouldn’t leave without letting me saygoodbye to her, and she waited for me,she waited for me,” exclaimed Pearl. “Itold my mother that I had mentionedhaving a sign of nickels between us, and Iwonder if she’ll respond.” When we gotout of the car right after our conversation,suddenly I noticed a nickel right on theground near where we parked. Then afew days later, I was at the back of Dena’shome in Crown Heights with my othersister, Andrea, when suddenly I noticed apenny and a nickel right next to eachother on the ground. It was a sign for methat Dena is with us and connecting tous.”
Pearl has begun to light Shabboscandles every Friday evening now, andhas been encouraging her daughter to dothe same. One Shabbos her daughterdidn’t want to light, and Pearl told herthat it was really important. A fewmoments later, as she walked into thekitchen, it was almost as if the ceilingopened up, and a nickel flew to theground, out of nowhere. “I ran to mydaughter, exclaiming that Dena must behere and really wants her to light aShabbos candle. I felt that Dena’s pureneshama is definitely here watching overus and I felt at peace. I thank Hashemfor my sister. She was such a gift, such atremendous gift.”
