Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082-0272 is published weekly, except Jewish holidays (only once in April and October) for $160.00 in Crown Heights. USA $180.00. All other places for $195.00 per year (45 issues), by Beis Moshiach, 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY and additional offices. Postmaster: send address changes to Beis Moshiach 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Copyright 2014 by Beis Moshiach, Inc. Beis Moshiach is not responsible for the content and Kashruth of the advertisements. FEATURED ARTICLES 6 AN ENGINEER IN THE REBBE’S SERVICE R’ Yaron Tzvi 14 A MASHPIA FOR MOSHIACH AND SCIENCE Prof. Shimon Silman 16 THE REBBE’S GIFT OF A HOME AND CHILDREN Shneur Zalman Berger 22 STORMS IN THE SOUTH Shneur Zalman Berger 28 HOME AWAY FROM HOME Nosson Avrohom 28 CONTENTS 744 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409 Tel: (718) 778-8000 Fax: (718) 778-0800 [email protected]www.beismoshiach.org EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: M.M. Hendel HEBREW EDITOR: Rabbi S.Y. Chazan [email protected]ENGLISH EDITOR: Boruch Merkur [email protected]WEEKLY COLUMNS 4 D’var Malchus 13 Moshiach & Geula 19 Parsha Thought 36 Miracle Story 38 Tzivos Hashem 40 Crossroads 22 6
Transcript
Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082-0272 is published weekly, except Jewish holidays (only once in April and October) for $160.00 in Crown Heights. USA $180.00. All other places for $195.00 per year (45 issues), by Beis Moshiach, 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY and additional offices. Postmaster: send address changes to Beis Moshiach 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Copyright 2014 by Beis Moshiach, Inc.
Beis Moshiach is not responsible for the content and Kashruth of the advertisements.
FEATURED ARTICLES
6 AN ENGINEER IN THE REBBE’S SERVICER’ Yaron Tzvi
14 A MASHPIA FOR MOSHIACH AND SCIENCEProf. Shimon Silman
16 THE REBBE’S GIFT OF A HOME AND CHILDRENShneur Zalman Berger
DON’T DESPAIR OF THE GEULAPesach Sheini teaches us to never despair; if
there are areas of deficiency, we are always
empowered with the capacity to rectify them.
* From Chapter Six of Rabbi Shloma Majeski’s
Likkutei Mekoros (Underlined text is the
compiler’s emphasis.)
Translated by Boruch Merkur
LEARN ABOUT GEULA The Divine service during
the time of exile of revealing the Alufo Shel Olam, the Master of the Universe, within gola, within the state of exile, brings about the redemption. In fact, it is our generation, the last generation in exile, that will be the first generation of redemption.
With G-d’s help we shall see in current events how the world itself assists and brings about the redemption.
Practically, the avoda of bringing the Alufo Shel Olam into the gola amounts to, as discussed above, every Jew adding in “our deeds and service” in general, which brings about the geula. In particular this directive includes, as discussed in the last farbrengen, Torah study on the topic of redemption, learning from the Written Torah (regarding which [Rambam writes], “all the [holy] books are full with this matter”) as well as from the Oral Torah
– Mishna, Gemara, Midrashim, and so on.
PESACH SHEINI: NO DESPAIRING
To be more precise about how to approach the avoda of bringing the Alufo Shel Olam into the gola, we must take the lesson of Pesach Sheini to heart that “there is never cause to despair.” Rather, an accounting must be made as to whether we have properly corrected and perfected the avoda done in the past, or whether further efforts are required. Pesach Sheini teaches us to never despair; if there are areas of deficiency, we are always empowered with the capacity to rectify them.
The main thing is that everything in exile that appears to be slipping out of our grasp should be revealed to be attainable, rectifiable, and those things that have in fact been lost should be recovered and corrected. Moreover, may the positive sense of “lost” (which
is greater than the concept of revelation) be realized. Namely, the revelation of the keitz (the date of the end of the exile), regarding which it is said, “the heart does not find expression in the mouth.” The same applies to Moshiach Tzidkeinu himself, who is said to come “b’hesech ha’daas – unexpectedly” (as a surprising discovery), as it is written, “I have found Dovid, My servant” (in Mizmor 89 of T’hillim). This concept is apparent in the Mizmor Tzaddik, the 90th chapter of T’hillim, where it is written, “May the pleasantness of G-d our L-rd be upon us, and may the work of our hands be directed upon us, and the deeds of our hands may You direct,” in the Third Beis HaMikdash, with the true and complete redemption, the redemption of all Jews, “with our youth, our elders…our sons and our daughters.”
(From the address of Shabbos Parshas Acharei-K’doshim, 13 Iyar
5751; Seifer HaSichos 5751 pg. 518-519)
D’VAR MALCHUS
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AN ENGINEER IN THE REBBE’S SERVICE
When his friends were drafted into the US
army and sent to fight in Vietnam, R’ Yaakov
Stern began taking an interest in Judaism
and went to learn in Hadar HaTorah. * He
had yechidus and the Rebbe told him his
life’s mission: to spread Torah and mitzvos
in his job as an engineer. * The Rebbe
displayed rare signs of fondness to R’ Stern
and personally helped him with his parnasa
as well as with difficulties with his parents.
By R’ Yaron Tzvi
I met R’ Yaakov in 5767 when I went to the Rebbe for Tishrei for the first time. I ended up getting a ride with
someone who introduced himself as Yaakov. We got to talking and discovered we shared the same profession, engineering, albeit in different capacities. I was invited to the Stern family for the Friday night meal and we kept in touch afterward.
Over the years, I heard many stories from R’ Yaakov about his special relationship with the Rebbe and about people who he was mekarev through his work as an engineer for the city of New York. But when I interviewed him for this article, he revealed to me the innermost layers of his unique connection with the Rebbe.
A LIFE CHANGING LINER’ Yaakov Stern was born in
5703/1943 to a Jewish-American family in New York that was far from religious observance. In 5721/1961, after finishing high school, he decided to study engineering at Penn State. In hindsight, it was thanks to that decision that R’ Yaakov met with the Rebbe’s shliach who went to the university as part of Merkos
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Shlichus and opened the window to a new world for him, the world of Chabad.
The two young Lubavitchers who started Chabad outreach at the university were R’ Binyamin Klein, later the Rebbe’s secretary, and R’ Moshe Herson, later a shliach in Morristown, New Jersey. At the university their arrival was announced, “The Chassidim are Coming!” They
planted the first seeds and then invited students to a Pegisha, i.e. a Shabbaton in Crown Heights. R’ Yaakov was not aware of the first Shabbaton, but one of the students who had attended it, Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Hanoka, took a leave of absence from the university in order to attend yeshiva in Crown Heights. He later went back to school in order to complete his masters
and doctorate and to be mekarev other students.
R’ Yaakov Stern, who at that time was looking for spiritual meaning in life, was happy to join the Shabbos meals arranged by Dr. Hanoka at the university. That is where he first began hearing about the significance of being a Jew.
It was at that time that he heard a line that shook up his inner world and inspired him tremendously. “I spoke with a student who had attended the Shabbaton in Crown Heights. She mentioned the verse, Shma Yisroel. In order to display my Jewish knowledge, I said, ‘I think I know that.’ She gave me a very serious look and said, ‘Hundreds of thousands of Jews were killed with these words on their lips and you just think you know it?!’
“These words shook me up when I realized how superficial my knowledge of the fundamentals of Judaism was. Her pointed question rings in my ears till this day.”
R’ Yaakov began using his free time to study Judaism and Chassidus and within a short time his learning began to influence his behavior. At a certain point, he even began growing a beard while continuing his studies in engineering and in an officers’ course in the American army.
SAVED FROM THE VIETNAM WAR
The Vietnam War had broken out, and after the United States entered the war a mandatory draft was announced. R’ Yaakov joined the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps – a US Army program offered at various universities) program at the university, which granted all
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participants a draft deferment. At a certain point he was informed that since he was missing a certain engineering course, he could lose his exemption. He spoke to the people in charge of the officers’ course and asked what he could do to defer the draft.
“Until today, I don’t understand what happened there. But to me it was truly amazing. There was another student with me, from Reform circles, who asked for an exemption as a conscientious objector, while I did not give a reason. I was released immediately until the completion of my studies while he was asked for documentation from his rabbi, from professors at the university, and had many bureaucratic difficulties.
“Later on, when I successfully completed the last course in my engineering studies and got a high mark, I reported to the Rebbe about this and the Rebbe replied, thank you for the good news; it would be worthwhile to begin learning Chitas.
“I was amazed by this answer for it showed that the Rebbe knew I still wasn’t learning Chitas.
“From the ease with which I was saved from being drafted as compared to the other fellow, I realized that I was on the right path and that I was being watched from Above. After finishing my studies the fear of the draft hovered over me once again, so I took Dr. Hanoka’s advice and became a student in Yeshivas Hadar HaTorah.”
MY YECHIDUS WITH THE REBBE
“During the time I was learning in Hadar HaTorah, I asked for an appointment with the Rebbe to consult with him
about my future. Since I had a civil engineering degree, I wrote to the Rebbe that I wanted to move to Eretz Yisroel and use my profession to help build up the country. The Rebbe thought otherwise, however, and said, ‘First get married and establish yourself in your profession and then you can think of helping Israelis.’
“I was surprised by the Rebbe’s answer and realized that every person has his destiny. I asked whether the profession and direction I had chosen were right for me as a Chabad Chassid and the Rebbe said, ‘Your goal in this world is to be an engineer and show others that you can be successful and stringent.’
“I was in shock from the fact that the Rebbe revealed my mission in this world in such an unexpected way, but after hearing this from the Rebbe, I had no doubts. The Rebbe said and the Rebbe knows.
“Since I had finished my engineering studies, I considered taking the licensing exam so I could be a licensed engineer which would enable me to get better jobs. I asked the Rebbe about this and the Rebbe said it was a good idea and gave me his bracha for success in these tests which are not at all easy.”
R’ Yaakov explained to me that the examinations consist of two, eight hour exams, in which one must score at least a 75 in order to obtain a license. Part of the first test deals with American engineering rules and standards and part is comprised of questions on various scientific topics such as physics, mechanics, mathematics, etc.
“That morning, I was asked to complete a minyan at Chovevei Torah. I couldn’t leave on time so I was late for the first part of
the test. They barely allowed me to enter. I was not sorry about helping with the minyan and was confident in the fulfillment of the Rebbe’s bracha. The proctors let me in but after a short time they announced that another ten minutes remained to finish part one. I knew that I didn’t have the time to even read the rest of the questions in those ten minutes. Having no choice, I answered randomly. The miracle was that on the American part of the test I got a 73 and on the second part of the test, problem solving, I got a 77. That was an average of 75, exactly what I needed to pass!
“After working for five years I was able to take the second part of the licensing exam, and once again received the Rebbe’s bracha. At first I was licensed for New Jersey and then I was licensed for New York too.”
WHAT THE REBBE TOLD MY FATHER
Like every baal t’shuva, R’ Yaakov had to deal with his parents who did not understand what possessed their son to grow a beard and to dress as he did.
“While my mother just regarded it as something weird, my father was really opposed. As his son, I was torn between wanting to respect my parents who had raised me for twenty years and wanting to continue in the way I was convinced was right.
“After I married and we had children, my mother was so happy with the grandchildren that she was willing to ignore my way of dress and other practices. She compared her situation to that of her friends whose children had good jobs but did not provide them with any nachas. She had six grandchildren!
“My father maintained his
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opposition until one time, he met with one of my friends in Crown Heights, R’ Michoel Muchnik. They were both on the bus and they got into a conversation about the phenomenon of people becoming baalei t’shuva. R’ Michoel explained that the neshama yearns for something spiritual. My father, who had started looking into various spiritual ideologies at the time, said that there are other spiritual approaches such as Buddhism.
“R’ Michoel gave my father a look and said, ‘When I look at myself in the mirror in the morning, I see a Jew. If G-d wanted me to see a Buddhist, He would have created me a Buddhist! But I see a Jew because G-d wants me to be a Jew!’
“This straight talk moved something in my father’s soul. He did not become a baal t’shuva entirely, but not only did he stop bothering me about it, he even began putting on t’fillin every weekday. He did this for fifteen years and even occasionally went to daven in shul.
“Another significant event that caused my father to change his attitude was when I brought him to the Rebbe. One of the times that the Rebbe gave out something to the Chassidim in the doorway of his room, I think it was matza, when it was our turn the Rebbe held out his hand to my father. My father, who is not a Chassid, extended his hand to shake the Rebbe’s hand. Then something unusual and unexpected happened. The Rebbe grasped my father’s hand and drew him into his room and closed the door.
“I stood outside, stunned. Behind me waited a large crowd. After a few minutes, which seemed to me like an eternity, the door opened and the Rebbe and
my father came out. I looked at my father and saw a new man!”
R’ Yaakov did not readily tell me what the Rebbe told his father behind closed doors. It was only after I asked on behalf of all our readers who would be curious to know what caused this big change that R’ Yaakov told me the single sentence the Rebbe said. “I want to thank you for bringing such wonderful children into the world.” This moving, powerful statement melted the
remnants of opposition from his father’s heart.
WORK AND SHLICHUS After marrying and before
the birth of his first child, Yosef Yitzchok, R’ Yaakov got an engineering job in the Topographic Department of the city of New York and then in the Public Works Department. In accordance with the Rebbe’s instructions, he worked to spread
R’ Yaakov Stern
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Torah and Judaism among his colleagues.
“There was a Jewish socio-political organization which arranged events for Jewish employees. I used these events to repeat sichos of the Rebbe and to put t’fillin on with people.
“As time went on, I brought speakers and rabbis to teach there, like R’ Moshe Feller, who even brought a writer from The New York Times to one of his shiurim. I also brought R’ Sholom Ber Geisinsky. Slowly a group of regulars formed with an array of shiurim that took place in the city building every day during the lunch break and after work hours.”
One year, he reported to the Rebbe about a shiur that
he gave in Chumash B’Reishis and he wrote that he planned on continuing with a shiur on concepts in t’filla and a class in Yiddish. In response to this report, the Rebbe wrote: learn more Halacha l’maaseh (practical Halacha).
R’ Yaakov took out old letters from a drawer and showed me reports he had given to the Rebbe about outreach he did for Pesach, Chanuka etc. In his reports, he wrote in detail about how much matza was distributed, which shiurim were given and how many people attended each shiur. He showed me a letter in which he reported to the Rebbe about a shiur he arranged before Pesach 5753 with R’ Bentzion Schaffran about the upcoming holiday and inyanei Moshiach.
After Gimmel Tammuz, he continued his activities and continued connecting city employees with the Rebbe including by writing to the Rebbe through the Igros Kodesh. Gentiles also want the Rebbe’s brachos, says R’ Yaakov. He told about an Italian who wanted a bracha for a sleep problem he had.
“I told him to look at the Rebbe’s picture hanging on the wall of my office and to ask what he wanted. Then he put money in a pushka I have on the desk. We opened a volume of Igros Kodesh and he received the Rebbe’s bracha. A few days later he went for another exam and came back with good news. ‘The Rebbe’s bracha helped me and the problem disappeared!’ he said excitedly. It was a kiddush sheim Lubavitch.”
R’ Yaakov did not only do outreach among the employees of the department, but also in the neighborhoods he was sent to in the course of his work. When he was sent to Pitkin Avenue for a while, in the Brownsville neighborhood, he located some Jews. He developed a t’fillin route and helped them put on t’fillin.
“There was a young fellow named Andrei who would put on t’fillin and be inspired but then his inspiration would dissipate. The owner of the store, a Sephardic Jew with a warm Jewish heart, suggested that I bring the guy tzitzis that he could wear all day. I did as he suggested and it helped. He stopped working on Shabbos, and subsequently his entire family became baalei t’shuva.”
Today, R’ Yaakov works more from home but he hasn’t neglected his mivtzaim. He continues to spread Judaism and keeps in touch with his former
“LETTING” THE REBBE DO A MITZVAAfter the legal suits were concluded, as described in the article, R’
Yaakov had another yechidus. “In this yechidus, the Rebbe asked me, ‘Can I loan you money?’ At first I did not understand why the Rebbe was suddenly offering me a loan. My financial situation was fine and I did not need additional money. And yet, I was afraid that if I took a loan, I would not be able to repay it. So I politely refused.
“But the Rebbe persisted and asked, ‘Are you sure?’ I said yes, and added that I did not know when I would be able to repay a loan to the Rebbe. The Rebbe said, ‘That you cannot pay me back now does not mean that you won’t be able to repay it a while from now.’
“I felt uncomfortable and tried to beg off with various excuses and then the Rebbe said the following line, ‘You don’t want to let a Jew do a mitzva?’
“After a line like that, of course I could not refuse and I said that I would take the loan. The Rebbe wrote me a check for $500 and said, ‘Return it when you feel you can.’”
Time passed and R’ Yaakov dropped off a check at the secretariat to repay the loan. “I gave in the check but inside I felt that I was not yet ready to repay the loan. What happened was, the Rebbe did not cash this check. Later on, when I felt truly ready to repay the loan, I gave another check for $500 and the Rebbe cashed it.” R’ Yaakov expressed his amazement at the Rebbe’s ruach ha’kodesh and generosity.
“During the years to come, when I was a young man in the community, the Rebbe occasionally gave me envelopes with money. Once it was $350, once $500. I would be called by the secretaries and told they had an envelope for me. When I asked the ‘experts’ of that era to explain this, they said, ‘Apparently the Rebbe is giving you a lot of brachos.’”
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colleagues and is mekarev them through shiurim on the phone. Twice a week, he gives a half hour phone shiur to a group of his mekuravim. On Tuesday he focuses on Chumash, Moshiach and Geula, and the HaYom Yom. On Thursday it is mainly Chassidus. In this way, they keep in touch, the wellsprings are spread and the telephone enables them to overcome limitations of time and place.
THE REBBE: TAKE THE CITY TO COURT!
In the 70’s, when Crown Heights emptied out of Jews and was taken over by other ethnic groups, some violent incidents took place. Matters came to a head when an older neighbor of R’ Yaakov was beaten by hooligans. The police commander promised to put a police patrol car near the scene of the assault to protect the Jewish residents but the car never came and once again, fights broke out.
Soon after that incident with his neighbor, R’ Yaakov saw from his window how the gabbai of the Rei’im Ahuvim shul was fighting along with his sons against a group of black youth, and quickly ran down to help. Unfortunately, as soon as he got there he was hit hard over his left eye with a stick and he began gushing blood. In the midst of the commotion, R’ Yaakov was taken to the hospital where the doctors bandaged his head and said he was fine.
Ten days later, when he went back to the hospital to have the bandage removed, the doctor told him that his eye was in danger and he needed an immediate operation the next day, Shabbos. R’ Yaakov sent this urgent question to the Rebbe and was told to get a second opinion from a top doctor.
Although this was the summertime, when many Jewish doctors are away vacationing in the mountains over the weekend, he found a Jewish eye doctor. Upon examining him, the doctor said the cornea was damaged and although the next day was Shabbos, and as a Jewish doctor he understood the significance of this, the operation had to be done.
R’ Yaakov was operated on Shabbos and after being released from the hospital he had yechidus with the Rebbe. To his surprise, the Rebbe told him to file two lawsuits: one against the city of New York which failed to put a police car there despite knowing things would heat up again, and
one for medical negligence. They should not have released him without checking to see that no damage was done to the cornea.
R’ Yaakov called a large law firm, Fuchsberg and Fuchsberg, who handled both suits. The lawyer in charge of his file said they would definitely sue the hospital for medical negligence, but he couldn’t sue the police because there was no precedent for that and it was dangerous.
The founder of Hadar HaTorah, R’ Yisroel Jacobson, suggested that R’ Yaakov circumvent the lawyer he was dealing with and meet with the managing partner of the firm, Mr. Fuchsberg, in his fancy Manhattan office. However,
“The Rebbe told my father, ‘I want to thank
you for bringing such wonderful children into
the world.’ This moving, powerful statement melted the
remnants of opposition from my father’s heart.”
R’ Yaakov with his son Shmuel at kos shel bracha
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this meeting did not help. The lawyers did not dream that they could win a suit like this and did not even want to try.
(By the way, in another yechidus with the Rebbe, the Rebbe asked R’ Yaakov: Does Mr. Fuchsberg know that you are connected with Lubavitch? R’ Nissan Mangel, R’ Yaakov’s mashpia, explained to him that he had gotten a compliment from the Rebbe in that he referred to him as “connected to Lubavitch,” because there were people who lived in Crown Heights who were not mekusharim/connected. Likewise, the Rebbe’s question probably had to do with the fact that Mr. Fuchsberg himself came from a Lubavitcher background in earlier generations and even served as chairman of a Chabad dinner).
In the end, due to the insistence of the law firm, they only sued the hospital and not the police. The lawyer who represented R’ Yaakov in court was convinced of certain victory in the medical negligence suit. To his dismay, it was an utter failure with the defense counsel making the ridiculous claim that R’ Yaakov had cut himself and it wasn’t possible that the damage resulted from the blow he had sustained. The jury voted unanimously for the defense. The lawyer was shocked and
afterward said it was a mistake that they hadn’t listened to the Rebbe. It was very likely that if they had also sued the police, as the Rebbe said to do, it would have created a precedent that would have helped in many future cases.
In his next yechidus, R’ Yaakov asked the Rebbe his opinion about an operation to remove scar tissue from the cornea which interfered with his ability to see. The Rebbe told him: Why shouldn’t the scar just fade away and disappear?
“After that,” says R’ Yaakov, “I waited for this to happen and one day, the scar just vanished. By the way, I checked with doctors and today, doctors are not in favor of an operation like that because the chances of success are low and the recovery is exceedingly slow.”
WHY SHOULD WE LOSE OUT?
Toward the end of the interview, I asked R’ Yaakov whether he has a message for baalei t’shuva, something that can strengthen them in their journey filled with possible pitfalls and upheavals. Without thinking twice he said that when people become baalei t’shuva, they need to know that the baggage from the past does not disappear. It is necessary to work with it but at
the same time, a new, spiritual, wonderful dimension is added of Torah and mitzva observance and the world of Chassidus.
“Personally, I feel that being here in Crown Heights is like Gan Eden. There are rabbanim, mashpiim, shiurim in Nigleh and Chassidus, and most importantly, we have the Rebbe here!”
In conclusion, R’ Yaakov added an important insight. “A baal t’shuva needs to always feel ‘why should we lose out.’ A baal t’shuva cannot suffice with the existing situation. He must always strive to be better! If he identifies a good practice of Chassidim that he did not yet acquire, he should ask himself, why should we lose out? And he should make every effort to attain that level. The same is true for inyanei Moshiach and Geula. We need to strive to truly ‘live’ with inyanei Moshiach and Geula and as the Rebbe says, we need to open our eyes. And even before we succeed in truly ‘living’ it, not to delay reaching out to others and spreading the Besuras Ha’Geula and the Goel as the Rebbe wants.
“In the end, this cry of ‘why should we lose out,’ and the inspiration that results, will lead to the complete hisgalus of the Rebbe MH”M immediately.”
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28 NISSAN REDUXBy Rabbi Gershon Avtzon
Dear Reader sh’yichyehWe are all familiar with the words
that the Rebbe said on 28 Nissan 5751: From what has been said previously about emphasizing the subject of Redemption (especially) at this time – emerges the absolutely incredible: how is it possible that notwithstanding all these things – we have not yet accomplished the coming of our righteous Moshiach in actual reality?!... Something completely beyond comprehension!
Equally incredible – that when ten (and many times ten) Jews gather together, and in a worthy time with regard to Redemption, and nevertheless, they don’t create an uproar to cause the coming of Moshiach immediately and instantly, and it’s not inconceivable to them, G-d forbid, that Moshiach won’t come this night, and also tomorrow our righteous Moshiach won’t come and also the day after tomorrow our righteous Moshiach won’t come, G-d forbid!
Also, when they cry, “Ad Masai” it’s because they were told to. If they meant it and desired it and cried sincerely, with absolute certainty Moshiach would have already come! What more can I do so that all the B’nei Yisroel should create an uproar and cry sincerely and cause Moshiach to come in reality, since all that was done until now, has had no effect, and the proof is, that we find ourselves still in exile, and most essentially – an inner exile in Divine service. The only thing I am able to do – is to turn the matter [over] to you: do everything in your ability – things that are in
the nature of lights of Tohu, but, in vessels of Tikkun – to actually bring our righteous Moshiach immediately, instantly, in reality.
This Sicha sent waves throughout the world and all Chassidim were mobilized and energized to take this mission seriously. They just were not sure, what new thing – that they had not done until then – was the Rebbe demanding from them.
A few weeks later – Shabbos Tazria-Metzora 5751 – the Rebbe made it very clear: The question is: Since we’ve already completed “our actions and service throughout the duration of exile” – what is the “straightforward path” (the easiest and fastest among all the paths of Torah) that all the Jewish people, who have concluded their service, should choose to realize the revelation and coming of Moshiach?
… The increase in learning the Torah concerned with Moshiach and Redemption (“Malchus Sh’b’Tiferes”) is the “straightforward path” to actually cause the revelation and coming of Moshiach and Redemption.
I would like to point out, that this is not the first 28 Nissan that the Rebbe expressed such a deep yearning and desire for Moshiach. On 28 Nissan 5714, the Rebbe taught the famous Niggun “Tzama Lecha Nafshi.” The words of the niggun are a few P’sukim in T’hillim (chapter 63) which translates as, “My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You, in a dry and weary land without water. So may I look
for You in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory.”
This powerful Niggun describes the powerful thirst for spirituality that one feels when finding oneself destitute—the thirst that everyone, whether scholar or layman, feels on his or her own level.
Prior to teaching the melody, the Rebbe explained the verse as follows: When there is a thirst for G-dliness, the actual thirst for spirituality quenches, in part, the spiritual desire to connect to a Higher source, for as the founder of chassidism, Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov, said, “‘In the place where a person’s will is, there he is found.” As such, the one who thirsts to be in G-d’s presence is already in fact there.
These P’sukim actually express what our desire for Moshiach is all about. It is not about physical pleasures and benefits, rather a desire to connect our Neshama to Hashem in this physical world. In the words of the Rambam (Hilchos T’shuva 9:2) “For these reasons, all Jews, their prophets and their Sages, have yearned for the Messianic age so they can rest from the [oppression of] the gentile kingdoms who do not allow them to occupy themselves with Torah and mitzvos properly. They will find rest and increase their knowledge in order to merit the world to come.”
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati
and a well sought after speaker and lecturer. Recordings of his in-
depth shiurim on Inyanei Geula u’Moshiach can be accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com.
Issue 924 • � 13
MOSHIACH & GEULA
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A Mashpia for Moshiach and ScienceBy Prof. Shimon Silman,
RYAL Institute and Touro College
When my family and I moved to Crown Heights from Minnesota 22 years
ago, one of my first concerns was to find a mashpia. A good mashpia should not only know Chassidus but also live Chassidus and be a shining example by the way he lives. You can identify him more from his personality than from his intellect. And there’s one more thing. As Rabbi Moshe Feller (my mashpia in Minnesota) said, the mashpia should be someone who cares.
I kept my eyes open, looking for someone who would be right for me. In the area where I stood in 770 when the Rebbe MH”M came out on the balcony there was a chassid who caught my attention by his kind manner and the deep Ahavas Hashem, Ahavas Yisroel and Ahavas HaTorah that you could see on his face. This was Rabbi Yitzchok Springer z”l.
One afternoon I approached him and asked him if he would be my mashpia. He reacted with
surprise. He lowered his head somewhat and said simply, “You couldn’t find anyone better?” Rabbi Springer was my mashpia for 20 years until he passed away, and in some ways he is still my mashpia (even though I have a new one) because the example he set will always guide me. Sometimes when I have a mashpia-type question I ask myself, “What would Rabbi Springer say?”
One night in 5753 I came to 770 and Rabbi Springer called me over. He told me that he got an interesting call in response to his full page ad in the New York Times about the Rebbe MH”M. It was from a lawyer in Manhattan named Joel Grae who was the president of a corporation that was developing a new nuclear reactor. He read in the ad that the Rebbe MH”M said that the prophecy of Swords into Plowshares—the transformation of military technology to peaceful uses—had begun to be fulfilled. He said that their nuclear reactor
was a part of this since the whole novelty of their reactor was that it was non-proliferative. It could only be used to generate electricity; no atomic bombs could be made from it. (For the full story see my book Scientific Thought in Messianic Times, Chapter III.)
Thus began a close friendship between Rabbi Springer, Mr. Grae and myself that continues to this very day. When the Rebbe MH”M gave his haskama and bracha (consent and blessing) for me to establish the Rabbi Yisroel Aryeh Leib Research Institute on Moshiach and the Sciences (on 11 Iyar, 5753), I asked Rabbi Springer to be a board member and Mr. Grae spoke at our annual Moshiach & Science Conference a few times.
Rabbi Springer also spoke at these conferences a couple of times—giving the D’var Torah. On one occasion, at the conference of 5758, something very interesting happened. Rabbi Springer began his speech by asking, “What is a Rabbi doing speaking at a conference of scientists…?” Afterward Professor Branover (Yirmiyahu ben Devora—for a refua shleima) got up to speak and asked, “What is a scientist doing speaking at a conference on Moshiach? The speakers should be Rabbis and mashpiim…”
Here are some selections from Rabbi Springer’s D’var Torah at that conference:
“I just want to say one thing because this is a convention of scientists. The Rebbe MH”M brings in HaYom Yom for 12 Teves something that is extremely important for our time. He writes that the Rebbe Rashab was elected to be the head of the Chevra Kadisha. In accordance with the custom, on
14 � • 2 Iyar 5774
BIO
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Simchas Torah he was escorted by a big crowd of people to the shul where he said a maamer explaining that when Hashem asks something of a person he gets more power to do it. What did the Rebbe Rashab say at the end of this discourse—more than 110 years ago? That people have to put their intellect aside:
“‘Even the great intellectuals of our time have to put their intellect aside and not follow their reasoning because they can take a wrong turn by following their intellect and come to a bitter end. The main thing in this era preceding Moshiach (Ikvisa d’Meshicha) is not to follow one’s intellect, reasoning and knowledge but instead to fulfill the Torah and Mitzvos with sincerity and simple faith in the G-d of Israel.’
“You see that he says not just that the person may make a mistake but he goes further and says that the end will be…
“Not to go after the intellect—if people think they understand what is going on now they are mistaken. It’s better just to look at the positive side. We see that the world is ready for Moshiach and that people want Moshiach and we see open miracles…
“I want to share with you something that happened to me just before Pesach—a little story that demonstrates how the world is now ready, even the non-Jewish world. I was on the way to New Jersey together with Akiva Marshal to see my friend, Shloma Yaakov. While driving we got a flat tire. A non-Jew came out right away to help us. He drove us in his car to our destination.
“While we were in his car I spoke to him. I said to him, ‘You know, the Messiah is coming.’ He said he knows… So I say,
‘No, I am speaking about the real one’ and he says, ‘Oh, Rabbi Schneersohn.’ So we see what is going on in the world…
“I was in California for Pesach at my daughter and son-in-law in Agora Hills. On the Shabbos after Pesach a black man came to visit—to be at the table of my son-in-law for Shabbos—and this is the story that he told. He said that on the night of Gimmel Tamuz 5754 he had a dream that he should go to ‘Judaica,’ something ‘Judaica.’ He didn’t
know what it means ‘Judaica’ —no idea what it meant. The next day, on Gimmel Tamuz in the morning, he sees the picture of the Rebbe on all the television channels. He says, ‘Oh, this is the one who came to me in the dream and told me “Judaica.”’ He asked some Jewish people who this is but they didn’t know what to say.
“It was a big Hashgacha Pratis that in the end he came to my son-in-law. After investigating his family background, he found that his great-grandmother was a white Jewish woman from Europe but she married a black man. This man’s mother was the daughter of the daughter of that Jewish woman and he came to my son-in-law as a Jew to observe Shabbos…”
FOR GENERATIONS…There is a famous saying of
the Tzemach Tzedek that when something is printed it remains
for all generations to come.When I received the haskama
and bracha from the Rebbe MH”M in Adar 5753 to publish the proceedings of the Moshiach & Science Conference of 5752, Rabbi Yisroel Aryeh Leib’s 40th yahrtzait, I began working on the lectures from that conference. In the meantime the material was expanded upon in the conference of 5753 so I had more material to incorporate. This happened again the next year…and the next. I realized also that I had to
write a considerable amount of introductory material so that the book—it was already developing into an actual book—would be self-contained and accessible to the general reader.
Then I got an answer in Igros Kodesh to include footnotes. I had written some footnotes but now I had to go through the whole book and document everything. It started to get unmanageable and on occasion I wondered if the book would ever be completed. Throughout all this it was Rabbi Springer who continually coached me and pushed me and emphasized how important the book is to the Rebbe MH”M, both because of the material on Moshiach and because of the chapter on Rabbi Yisroel Aryeh Leib. It was finally completed in 5770, Boruch Hashem!
Rabbi Springer was truly the Mashpia of Moshiach & Science.
He read in the ad that the Rebbe MH”M said that
the prophecy of Swords into Plowshares had
begun to be fulfilled. He said that their nuclear reactor
was a part of this since the whole novelty of their reactor
was that it was non-proliferative.
Issue 924 • � 15
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THE REBBE’S GIFT OF A HOME AND CHILDRENBy Shneur Zalman Berger
“T here is no chance that you will have children. You don’t seem to
understand that there are cases in which treatments can help but there are cases when they don’t help.”
Dovid and Tzippora of Migdal HaEmek refused to believe the doctor. They were married for a number of years and did not yet have children. They had gone from doctor to doctor and they all said she suffered from a rare problem. Over the years, they underwent tests and many diagnoses until the doctor treating them concluded there was no way the wife could conceive.
Dovid and Tzippora left his office in tears, refusing to believe they would never have children of their own.
Dovid was a child when he made aliya from Russia. A few years later, his family immigrated to Belgium where he married Tzippora who was also from Russia. Both of them were Jews from irreligious
16 � • 2 Iyar 5774
STORY
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families. At a certain point, they met Mrs. Batsheva Zilberstein and through her they began to learn a bit about Torah and mitzvos.
It was only natural for them to report to her about the doctor visit. She tried to convince them to keep the laws of family purity as a way to merit the bracha of children. At first they were not interested in committing to rules that seemed complicated and hard to abide by, but after a while they gave in.
“A short while after we decided to keep the laws of family purity, my wife told me she was expecting a baby!” said Dovid excitedly. This miracle hastened the process of their becoming religious, and at the same time they decided to move to Eretz Yisroel.
They settled in Migdal HaEmek where they became part of the Chabad community. Their son was born and the couple was ecstatic.
A few months went by and Tzippora began dreaming of another child. But she and her husband knew that miracles generally do not repeat themselves. They prayed for a miracle but it wasn’t happening.
Then one day, Dovid told her that he heard that you could write to the Rebbe through the Igros Kodesh. Dovid wrote to the Rebbe that it was hard for them to make peace with the fact that they would not have more children. He put the letter into a volume of letters and the page he opened to was about being careful with tznius. The letter ended with a bracha.
Tzippora committed to being more careful about covering her hair throughout the day. “We had a feeling that the Rebbe had blessed us and we would be
witnesses to another miracle,” she said.
Tzippora attended a women’s shiur that took place in the home of Mrs. Penina Levy. The shiur was for Lubavitcher women and mekuravos. When the shiur ended, everyone went on their way and only Tzippora remained with Mrs. Levy. She told her about her request for another child. Mrs. Levy gave her a dollar from the Rebbe. “Over ten years ago, I got 24 dollars from the Rebbe. Take one of them as a segula.”
Some weeks went by and Tzippora was expecting another baby. She knew that the Rebbe’s bracha in the Igros Kodesh and the Rebbe’s dollar had brought about the miracle.
The months passed happily. The couple was hoping for a girl. “We even had a name for her, Rochel, for both of our grandmothers.”
A short while later, Dovid went to Kever Rochel where he prayed that the birth go easily. “I prayed and promised that if it would be a girl, we would name her Rochel.
“About two weeks before the birth, Tzippora suddenly did not feel well. Complications set in and we rushed to the hospital. I asked a friend to write to the Rebbe for her and put the letter into the Igros Kodesh. He did so and read the answer over the phone, ‘B’suros tovos to the entire family and also to Rochel!’ That was the ending of the letter he had opened to.”
Two weeks later, on Rosh Chodesh Kislev, their daughter was born and was named Rochel, of course.
“Rocheli was a few months old when a big problem developed with the apartment we were living in,” continued Dovid. “Having no choice, we moved to a tiny apartment. It was a nightmare that I prefer not to recall. Four people in one room. It was awful. It was during the hot summer months and we, who had lived in Russia and Europe, had not gotten used to living as four people in one little room, while choking in the Israeli summer heat.
“Since we were new immigrants, I tried in various ways to get an apartment through
the agency that deals with these things, but all my attempts failed. When we were on the verge of despair we wrote to the Rebbe again. In the Igros Kodesh there was an answer from which I understood we would have to wait until Chanuka, i.e. half a year. I did not see how we could wait until Chanuka but I believed that the Rebbe’s answer is always fulfilled.
“I asked my mashpia, R’ Yosef Segal, about it and he said we needed to make a ‘vessel.’ ‘Write to Amigur (the public housing management company) and the Housing Ministry and explain the terrible situation you are in, and with Hashem’s help, they will find you an apartment,’ he counseled.
“We wrote letters but nothing
“I did not see how we could wait until Chanuka
but I believed that the Rebbe’s answer is always
fulfilled.”
Issue 924 • � 17
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moved. We went to the Amigur offices in Migdal HaEmek and they agreed to give us a small two room apartment which wasn’t suitable. I insisted on a bigger apartment. To our surprise, we experienced a miracle once again and my wife was expecting our third child. This just strengthened my resolve to insist on a larger apartment.
“It was Kislev, Chanuka was approaching, and we knew we had to make a ‘vessel’ for the Rebbe’s bracha. I went to Amigur
and told them to give me what they have. ‘Will a two room 51 meter apartment be enough for you?’ Again, they were talking about a small apartment and I felt that I could not accept it. ‘I have two children and soon, G-d willing, will have a third. How can we live in two small rooms?’
“I left the place without knowing what to do. Then two days before Chanuka, we decided again that based on the Rebbe’s answer we had to take whatever apartment they offered us. I went
to the Amigur office again and was surprised. One of the clerks there decided to give us a four room apartment! She gave me two addresses in Migdal HaEmek where there were available apartments with four rooms.
“I went back home and told my wife that the Rebbe had said Chanuka and we had gotten an apartment. I wrote a letter to the Rebbe thanking him for the apartment and asking where I should live. The answer was clear. The Rebbe wrote about illuminating the place by being mekarev people to Judaism. I went back to the office and told them that I wanted to live in the apartment that was in a neighborhood where Russian immigrants live.
“We moved into the new apartment on Chanuka. After all these miracles thanks to the Rebbe, we thank the Rebbe for giving us the gift of children and a home to live in.”
Dovid and Tzippora (as of this writing) have five children and know from where they had the strength to insist on an apartment suitable for a large family. They are illuminating the neighborhood they live in with the founding of a shul for new immigrants in their building. They have also initiated shiurim and activities with new immigrants.
24 DOLLARS OF SALVATIONAs mentioned in the article, Dovid and Tzippora’s second daughter was
born thanks to a bracha in the Igros Kodesh along with a dollar from the Rebbe that Mrs. Penina Levy gave them.
In Tishrei 5750, Mrs. Levy went to the Rebbe as a representative of N’shei Chabad. She had won the annual raffle and her husband and her baby daughter joined her.
At some point, R’ Leibel Groner, the Rebbe’s secretary, asked her husband Avi to go to the office. When he got there, he was surprised when he was given 24 dollars. “These are dollars from the Rebbe meant to be given to N’shei Chabad,” said R’ Groner.
Some of these dollars were raffled off at N’shei Chabad gatherings. Other dollars were given to women who needed a yeshua. Some of them are women who are regular participants in the shiur at the Levy home.
Mrs. Levy’s father is R’ Yitzchok Yadgar from Taanachim who was mekarev many people to Judaism and Chassidus. Mrs. Levy was raised to do hafatza and this is why she hosts a shiur every week which is attended by many mekuravos from Migdal HaEmek and kibbutzim in the area.
“There have been instances,” she says, “where women took a dollar from me and saw a yeshua, whether it was women who had not had children, or there were problems with health or parnasa. Boruch Hashem.”
18 � • 2 Iyar 5774
STORY
924_bm_eng_BRM.indd 18 2014-04-29 1:27:10 AM
HOW OLD ARE YOU?
COMPLETE!We are now in the middle
of the period known as S’firas HaOmer, when we are obliged to count the days and the weeks from the second day of Passover until the Festival of Shavuos.
In this week’s parsha the Torah describes this commandment in the following manner:
“…[Y]ou should count for yourselves seven weeks. They should be complete.”
Commentators grapple with the word “complete.” What precisely makes counting seven weeks “complete?”
The Talmud, cited by Rashi, explains that it means we must begin counting in the evening; otherwise the counting of days would not be complete.
According to the classic work known as the Behag, if one missed counting the Omer on any one day, one can no longer fulfill the Mitzvah of counting the days.
The Midrash provides another answer. It asks rhetorically: “When are they complete?” And it answers: “When the [the Jewish people] perform the will of G-d.”
What does the Midrash mean by this? It is certainly true that when a person follows G-d’s will it could be said that he achieves a
measure of perfection. But, how does that translate into making one’s days complete?
HOW CAN YOU BE LIKE 70 YEARS OLD?
The following is an exposition based on the work Knesses Yechezkel, in his explanation on the well-known Mishna (quoted in the Passover Hagada):
“Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya said, ‘I am like 70 years old and I did not succeed in proving that the Exodus from Egypt should be mentioned at night…’”
What did he mean when he said “I am like 70 years old?”
The Talmud explains that, in truth, Rabbi Elazar was only 18 years old at the time. However, miraculously his beard had turned white overnight, so that he could be appointed head of the Sanhedrin. Thus, he was referring to that transformation when he said that “I am like 70 years old.” However, the question arises, if he was truly only 18 why was he so surprised that he could not convince his colleagues that his opinion was correct?
Yeshuos Yaakov answers that according to a Talmudic analysis, the average Jew whose life-span is 70 years actually spends only about 18 years in service of G-d. When we subtract the hours of sleeping, eating and other
mundane activities we are left with no more than 18 years.
However, when a Jew aligns all of his activities with G-d’s Will, even the time spent eating and sleeping are considered to be in service to G-d. This idea is contained in the Talmudic statement: “All your deeds shall be for the sake of Heaven.” This suggests that when one engages in mundane activities to have the energy and wherewithal to better study Torah and perform the Mitzvos, these activities are important accessories to the service of G-d. The mere intent to engage in any activity in support of a higher cause renders it a service, even if the activity itself is not innately spiritual.
Moreover, King Solomon states in Proverbs: “Know G-d in all your ways.” This implies that one can actually know G-d through all of one’s normal activities. The physical act is not only a means to an end, it becomes the end unto itself.
Either way, a person whose entire life revolves around serving G-d—directly or indirectly—can actually realize 70 years of life in a mere 18 years.
Thus Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya exclaimed: “I am like 70 years old,” to suggest that although he was only 18 he had the spiritual accomplishments of others who have lived for 70 years. Every
PARSHA THOUGHT
Issue 924 • � 19
PARSHA THOUGHT
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moment of his life—including his ordinary physical activities—was part of one continuum of service to G-d.
WHY WAS RABBI ELAZAR PUZZLED?
The question remains, why was he puzzled when he could not convince his colleagues that we ought to mention the Exodus from Egypt each and every night of the year? What was it about his being like 70 and the argument he made for mentioning the Exodus at night?
We can clarify this with a more basic question: Why do we have to mention the Exodus every day? Why does it not suffice to mention it at the Passover Seder, the anniversary of the Exodus itself?
The answer is that the Exodus reminds us that we are G-d’s servants and no longer subservient to Pharaoh. When
we say Pharaoh, of course, we mean any master, be it a monarch like Pharaoh or an ideal, movement, fad, discipline or societal convention; we are G-d’s servants exclusively.
This point is articulated clearly in Psalm 113, the first Psalm of the Hallel (psalms of praise that we recite on Passover and other Festivals, and is the Psalm that we are reciting this year daily in conjunction with the Rebbe’s 112th birthday). “Give praise, O servants of G-d…” The Talmud stresses that this psalm
underscores the reality that with the Exodus we have become servants of G-d and only of G-d.
We are thus compelled to remember daily that we are G-d’s subjects so that we devote as much of our day to His service as we can.
[Parenthetically, with this premise offered by Yeshuos Yaakov, we can understand why the obligation to remember the Exodus daily was not enumerated by Maimonides as one of the 613 commandments. It has been suggested that the reason for this omission is that Exodus remembrance is a natural extension of the Mitzvah to read the Shma daily, in which we accept G-d’s sovereignty. Remembering the Exodus is, likewise, a way of reminding ourselves of G-d’s exclusive authority and that we are exclusively His subjects. Thus, Exodus remembrance is not enumerated as an independent
Mitzvah because it is actually a corollary of and incorporated in the Mitzvah to read the Shma.]
Rabbi Elazar’s colleagues were not convinced that we must mention the Exodus with its message of exclusive service to G-d each night. After all, at night we are mostly asleep and cannot consciously serve G-d by either prayer, Torah study or the performance of a Mitzvah. Why then would it be necessary to remind ourselves that we are G-d’s servants exclusively at a time when it would not seem to
have any practical application?Rabbi Elazar had a rejoinder
to this argument based on his own situation and approach to G-d’s service. The fact that his 18 years of life were the equivalent of another man’s 70 indicates that it is possible for a person to transform even the time that he is asleep into a service to G-d. Rabbi Elazar was therefore convinced that there is no time when the message of the Exodus is not relevant. One must therefore mention the Exodus both day and night.
COUNTING YOUR DAYS, OR MAKING YOUR DAYS COUNT?
All of the above can be applied to the counting of the Omer that spans the seven weeks between the festivals of Pesach and Shavuos. These seven weeks are said to symbolize the 70 years of human life.
We can now understand the import of the Midrashic statement that these days are “complete” when we conform to G-d’s will. When we devote all of our activities, even our mundane activities, to serving G-d, our time in service to G-d is no longer whittled down to 18 years. Our 70, 80, 120 or more years become “complete” because every day and every moment of our lives is an integral part of serving G-d. With Rabbi Elazar’s approach, every moment of our lives are filled with meaning and G-dly wholesomeness.
WHY DID THE SAGES DISAGREE?
At this point one may wonder why did Rabbi Elazar’s colleagues continue to disagree with his contention that we must mention the Exodus every night? Shouldn’t one follow Rabbi
When we say Pharaoh, of course, we mean any
master, be it a monarch like Pharaoh or an ideal,
movement, fad, discipline or societal convention; we are
G-d’s servants exclusively.
20 � • 2 Iyar 5774
PARSHA THOUGHT
924_bm_eng_BRM.indd 20 2014-04-29 1:29:24 AM
Elazar’s example of serving G-d in all your ways, even during sleep?
The answer, perhaps, lies in the rejoinder mentioned in the aforementioned Mishna: Rabbi Elazar’s colleagues argued that the Biblical phrase “you must remember the day you departed from Egypt all the days of your life” implies that one must mention the Exodus from Egypt even in the future Messianic Age. Perhaps, this was meant to suggest that while Rabbi Elazar’s singular devotion to G-d—even at night—may be appropriate and manageable for him, it is a standard which
cannot be imposed on most other people. Obligations must be applied across the board, so one cannot be compelled to follow the more rigorous standard of Rabbi Elazar and mention the Exodus every night. For the majority of people, argued Rabbi Elazar’s colleagues, it suffices to remember the Exodus every day with the hope that the inspiration could last even through the night.
Rabbi Elazar’s colleagues therefore argue that if the Torah does require total devotion to G-d—day and night—it must be referring to the Messianic Age when everybody will be at the level of Rabbi Elazar. At
that time every aspect of our lives will be permeated with a realization of G-d, and we will all be able to fulfill the Mitzvah of remembering the Exodus even at night when we are asleep.
Nevertheless, the final decision in this dispute is that even today we must mention the Exodus at night. In these last moments of exile we are capable of emulating Rabbi Elazar’s approach of serving G-d for the sake of Heaven, and even more—we can serve G-d in all of our ways! In doing so we thus become eminently ready and worthy of Moshiach and the imminent Redemption!
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"The quickest way to reveal Moshiach is by learning the Torahsources about Moshiach & redemption" t"ab,wv grumnu ghrz, p"a
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& 1710 AM in parts of Brooklyn 24/6worldwide live broadcast: www.RadioMoshiach.org
Please give your generous supportto a special fund of $100,000For donations or dedications make checks payable to:
"Radio Moshiach & Redemption"383 Kingston Ave. #94, Brooklyn, NY 11213
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� Express service� Fully Computerized
(718) 493-1111Fax: (718) 493-4444
Get your tickets within minutes!
331 Kingston Ave.(2nd Flr) Brooklyn NY 11213
SAVE MONEY TODAY!!Get a FREE analysis on your credit Card Processing!
Call Today 888-468-3256 x 2770Better rates guaranteed – If we can’t save you money we will pay you $100For a limited time – get your CC Terminal or software set up absolutely FREE
It’s a matter of ONE minute and ONE fax. Contact Mendy Chanin at 888-468-3256 ext: 2770, [email protected], LLC 5th Floor 245 W 17th St, New York, NY 10011 New Businesses Welcome | Exclusive Referral Program | Organization Charities Partnership
"The quickest way to reveal Moshiach is by learning the Torahsources about Moshiach & redemption" t"ab,wv grumnu ghrz, p"a
Radio Moshiach & Redemption1620-1640 AM around Crown Heights & Boro Park
& 1710 AM in parts of Brooklyn 24/6worldwide live broadcast: www.RadioMoshiach.org
Please give your generous supportto a special fund of $100,000For donations or dedications make checks payable to:
"Radio Moshiach & Redemption"383 Kingston Ave. #94, Brooklyn, NY 11213
Rabbi Jacob SchweiMember of the RabbinicalCourt of Crown Heights
Issue 924 • � 21
924_bm_eng_BRM.indd 21 2014-04-29 1:27:11 AM
STORMS IN THE SOUTH To mark Beis Iyar, the birthday of the Rebbe
Maharash, we present this historical piece
about the lobbying efforts made by the Rebbe
Maharash in Petersburg in 5639-5642. * From the
book “Toldos Chabad B’Peterburg,” edited by R’
Shneur Zalman Berger. 3
LOBBYING TO STOP THE POGROMS
Pogroms. What horrors lie within that one word that speaks of the devastation wrought upon the Jews of Russia especially under the reign of the Czars. The incited masses vented their anger upon the Jews, breaking into homes and causing grievous bodily damage and death as well as ruination and theft of property. Pogroms were a recurring problem at this time and others, and each time many Jews were killed and maimed as anti-Semitism reared its ugly head.
Many efforts were made in the capitol city to quell these riots. The Rebbe Maharash traveled to Petersburg time after time, as well as to other areas, in
order to lobby for government intervention to stop the pogroms.
During the pogroms known as the Kiev-Niezhin pogroms which occurred in 1879, the Rebbe Maharash worked diligently to end them for they cost many lives and caused tremendous damage to Russian Jewry.
The pogroms began in the summer following a period of anti-Semitic incitement led by owners of forests in Smolensk, Paskov and Minsk. They were jealous of the successful Jewish lumber merchants and they provoked the peasants to start up with the Jews. This instigation was successful and pogroms soon began in a number of towns. They spread like wildfire and the Jews of Kiev, Niezhin and many other locations were hit hard.
In the winter of 5640, the Rebbe Maharash traveled to Petersburg and Moscow time after time in order to try to quell the pogroms. When he saw that these trips were unsuccessful, he went to Germany and France to meet with Jewish men of influence. He did not return home and to his Chassidim in Lubavitch after his trip to Western Europe. Instead he went directly to Petersburg, the capitol of Russia, in order to continue working on getting the pogroms to cease.
Upon arriving in Petersburg he met with some senior ministers, but to his dismay, as opposed to the previous times when they welcomed him warmly and promised to help, this time he was received coolly and received
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noncommittal responses. The Rebbe Maharash did
not give up. His next step was to arrange a meeting of Jewish activists and wealthy men who lived in Petersburg. He suggested they choose two men to join him in visiting the Interior Minister in order to ask him to arrange a meeting for them with the Czar.
A DIFFICULT MEETING After only one week, the
Rebbe was able to meet with the Interior Minister. He was accompanied by two distinguished Chabad Chassidim, R’ Chaim Mashayev and R’ Nachum Hermant. The meeting was particularly difficult. The minister was willing to meet with the Rebbe and was respectful, being impressed by the Rebbe’s
personality, but when it came to the Rebbe’s request to stop the pogroms, he spoke sharply. He censured the Rebbe for operating against the kingdom and even worse, traveling abroad to make Russia look bad to other nations, a move for which he deserved a severe punishment as a traitor.
The Rebbe listened to these harsh words and wasn’t intimidated. He responded firmly, “What does the government think, that our blood and the blood of our sons and daughters will be spilled and our property looted and we will yet bow and kiss the hands of murderers and robbers? No! We are citizens of the country who fulfill our obligations bodily and financially toward the government like all citizens, and how shameful it is that they prevented us from living
throughout the country and made a Pale of Settlement for Jews in limited districts, and in addition to this, the government will lend a hand of support to criminals and depraved people to carry out pogroms against our wives and children and us when we have no protection? As citizens of the country we demand that the government protect our lives and our property!
“The purpose of this meeting is to inform the Interior Minister in my name and in the name of all Jewish citizens of the country that I want an audience with the Czar to speak to his majesty about our situation and to hear clearly whether our sentence of death through murderers and robbers goes forth from him. For the words of ministers and their assurances have gone to naught and in our eyes they are worth... In the name of justice and righteousness I ask the Interior Minister to fulfill our request.”
The minister was taken aback to hear these sharp words and he remained silent. After a few moments of silence he said that in a few days he would have a response and he hoped the matter would end well.
HOUSE ARREST The Rebbe’s tough
stance aroused the ire of the government, which decided to place him under house arrest in the place he was staying, the Sierpinski hotel on Zablacanski Street. The intense encounter weakened the Rebbe and upon arriving at the hotel he was very weak. He sat on a chair to rest and said, “This visit cost me a lot in my health, but with Hashem’s help it will lead to the desired result and raise the honor of Israel.”
His feeling of weakness
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intensified over the next few hours, and in the evening the Rebbe fainted. Professor Dr. Bertenson, who was a big help in arranging the meeting with the Interior Minister, was called to see the Rebbe. He gave the Rebbe medication, and while treating him expressed his surprise over the Rebbe disregarding his health and doing things that adversely affected his health because even a bit of excitement was dangerous for him. The Rebbe said:
“We are not under our own control. Our bodies, our nefesh, our ruach, our neshama are given solely for what pertain to the Jewish people’s spirituality and physicality. True, the arrows of our enemies and foes and those who ostracize us break our bodies to pieces and embitter our lives, but in this way we save and defend the Jewish people.”
Dr. Bertenson told the Rebbe to leave the city immediately and
to stay in a nearby town where the air was good, because of his health. House arrest ended after a few days and the Rebbe traveled to a nearby village where he stayed for a few days. When he felt stronger he traveled to Tsarskoye Selo in the suburbs of Petersburg in order to wait for the minister’s response.
Ten days passed and the Rebbe Maharash had another meeting with the Interior Minister, who received the Rebbe with great respect. At the beginning of the meeting, the minister said he was unable to arrange a meeting with the Czar. However, regarding the position of the Jews, he said that the government had taken significant steps, and from here on in nothing bad would happen to the Jews.
The Rebbe remained in Tsarskoye Selo for an additional week to regain his strength and then he returned to Lubavitch.
He arrived on 12 Tammuz, the day his grandson, later to be the Rebbe Rayatz, was born. 47 years later it would also be the day of his release from prison.
The Rebbe Maharash’s efforts in the capitol city had immediate results. Within just two weeks, all district governors received orders to announce that if anyone was found instigating altercations among citizens of the realm, or if anyone was found calling for disturbances, i.e. pogroms, he would be severely punished. The pogroms ended and the Jews in all towns of Russia
breathed a sigh of relief.
INTERVENTION FOR THE UKRAINE
Just nine months passed and a wave pogroms began once again, later called “storms in the Negev,” because the pogroms spread quickly like a storm and they took place in the southwest of Russia. In Adar II 5641/1881, Czar Alexander II was assassinated in Petersburg. The Ukrainian newspapers reported that the Czar had been killed by Jews and this resulted in a wave of violence mainly against the Jews of the Ukraine.
The pogroms raged through the Ukraine, and Jewish Petersburg was in turmoil. Jewish activists in Petersburg tried through many channels to get things to quiet down. Alexander Cedarbaum, editor of HaMeilitz, was the first to lobby for cessation of the murderous pogroms.
Together with Dr. Abraham Drabkin, the government-appointed rabbi in Petersburg, Cedarbaum visited with the head of the Synod (an assembly of priests) and the two begged them
“This visit cost me a lot in my health, but with
Hashem’s help it will lead to the desired result
and raise the honor of Israel.”
HaMeilitz reporting about the convention of rabbanim
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to publicize an order to all priests in the country to act lovingly toward all creations and not to attack Jews.
They promised to follow through, and an order was given in Kiev to all priests in the Ukraine to order a halt to pogroms.
A MEETING WITH THE CZAR The next step was a meeting
with the new czar, Alexander III. A delegation of five distinguished Jews from Petersburg, including Baron Hirsch Ginsburg, met with the Czar. The meeting lasted only
seventeen minutes, while the Jews of Petersburg, who had gathered in shul, shed tears and pleaded to Hashem that the Czar do what he could to stop the pogroms.
In HaMeilitz, this is described in detail:
“At 12, they were called to come inside the palace and were led to the king’s office. They had nearly reached the room when, from the door facing them, emerged the Czar, dressed as a general. He approached the representatives, and Baron Ginsburg, after bowing to the Czar, introduced his colleagues.
The Czar asked each of them their work and occupation. Then Baron Ginsburg approached the Czar and said, ‘Our master the Czar, we are pleased to place before the feet of the Czar in the name of Russian Jewry our deepest feelings as loyal servants, and endless thanks for the stratagems that were employed to protect the Jews in this time of distress. One order of the king and the upheavals will cease. Your majesty, gaze with love and kindness upon all your faithful servants equally, without differentiating based on nationality and faith.’
The great shul in Petersburg
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“His majesty, in his abundant kindness, deigned to respond by saying he would gaze with truth upon all his loyal servants no matter their faith and nationality. He said that ‘with the terrible upheavals and crimes in southern Russia, the Jews were merely a pretext and all this was the work of rebels against the kingdom.’”
The Czar also heard from other members of the delegation and it was all done graciously. The Czar was told that it wasn’t good that the Jews lived in crowded conditions as a result of the laws of the Pale of Settlement. One member of the delegation said that the Jews were willing to be Russians of the Mosaic faith. The Czar was happy to hear this and told the delegation to submit their view of the matter under discussion in writing to the Interior Minister.
The Czar said that he assumed that the economic situation led the peasants to believe that the Jews exploited them and this was their excuse for the outbreaks of violence.
At this meeting, plans for a large shul in Petersburg were decided upon.
The members of the delegation and the leaders of the Jewish community were pleased, even though they did
not receive any explicit promise. The next day, the members of the community gathered in shul and thanked G-d for the Czar receiving them graciously and speaking against the hooligans.
Unfortunately, the hopes the Jews had pinned on the priests and the Czar were dashed. Not only didn’t the pogroms stop, they spread rapidly and even more cruelly throughout the Ukraine, Serbia, Podolia, Lithuania, and even reached Warsaw in Poland.
MEETING OF RABBIS IN THE BARON’S HOME Some maintain that these
pogroms were in fact outbreaks by anti-Semites who were incited by local leaders, but others think that it was organized by the central government that covered its tracks in various ways. R’ Yaakov Lifshitz, later the rav in Kovna, was a distinguished rabbi of the time. He repeatedly emphasizes in his memoirs that it was the government that organized and stood behind these pogroms.
The great rabbinic figures of the time worked intensively on this matter, with their goal to stop the pogroms at any cost. R’ Yosef Dov Soloveitchik called for a meeting of rabbanim in Brisk
in which they would try to seek ways of dealing with the terrible situation that pogroms brought upon Russian Jewry.
Baron Ginsburg received government permission to hold a convention of rabbanim and askanim from all over the country. With the consent of the great rabbis of Russia, Lithuania, and Poland a meeting was held. It began in Petersburg on Sunday, 17 Elul 5641/1881 with 56 rabbis in attendance including R’ Yitzchok Elchonon Spektor, Rav and Av Beis Din of Kovna. At his side throughout stood the rav of the Chassidic community in Petersburg, R’ Yekusiel Zalman Landau, one of the distinguished Chabad rabbis at the time.
At this convention, which took place at the baron’s house, there were rabbanim, government-appointed rabbis, top doctors, lawyers and others. The convention officially ended on 25 Elul after resolutions were made about how to stop the pogroms and the nonstop incitement against the Jews.
At the convention, it was decided that they speak once again to the Interior Minister. It was also decided to help Jews buy tracts of land so they could support themselves in dignity. As for the anti-Semitic incitement in the newspapers, it was decided that certain knowledgeable individuals would read all the newspapers and write articles in response to the anti-Semitic articles. In addition, they would occasionally publish booklets written in layman’s language which explained how the Jews were right and the complaints against them in the papers were false with no basis whatsoever. Aside from that, they made resolutions to strengthen chinuch.
HaMeilitz reporting about the convention of rabbanim
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On the day the convention ended, the rabbanim met with the Interior Minister and spoke to him about timely matters, the pogroms in particular.
Along with the activities done to prevent pogroms, Baron Ginsburg also provided much help for those who had been injured in the pogroms, many of whom remained maimed and penniless.
The results of the convention
did not have any noticeable impact since the participants were only religious and lay leaders and did not include recognized leaders or official representatives; at least that was the view of Baron Ginsburg. So half a year later, in Iyar 5642/May 1882, another convention was held. Jewish communities were asked to hold elections in which they would decide who would be their representatives at this convention.
The Rebbe Maharash went to Petersburg several more times to continue his work in quelling the pogroms and even stayed in that city for a long period of time. He held meetings and did a great deal of lobbying for the betterment of the Jews. The Rebbe Maharash and R’ Yaakov Lifshitz of Kovna corresponded and arranged how to choose the best representatives.
The second convention also took place under the direction of Baron Ginsburg, with the full cooperation of the Jewish leaders in Russia at that time. During the convention, one of the issues they raised was that of Jewish settlement and they discussed the question of whether to leave Russia or settle in other parts of the country which seemed to be relatively safer.
The pogroms quieted down. Petersburg continued to be a city that hosted conventions of rabbanim that were organized in the years to come by Baron Ginsburg and the industrialist Samuel (Shmuel) Polyakov. At these conventions, they discussed the burning issues of the day that pertained to Russian Jewry.
Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik of Brisk
Rabbi Yitzchok Elchanan Spektor
ADD IN ACTS OF GOODNESS & KINDNESS
TO BRING MOSHIACH NOW!
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HOME AWAY FROM HOME Buenos Aires is a large city that attracts
numerous tourists including Israelis and many
Jews. A Chabad house was opened just for them
by Menachem Sharabi and his wife Rochel.
By Nosson Avrohom
4:30 S u n d a y morn ing . B u e n o s Aires is
still sleeping. The streets are silent except for the occasional noise of rustling trees. A car drives by now and then with rowdy youngsters returning from a night of entertainment. The Rebbe’s shliach and director of the Chabad house for tourists, R’ Menachem Sharabi, has slept only a few hours, tired from a Shabbos packed with activities, and he is already heading
toward his Chabad house. Outside, it is still dark. Stars
twinkling in the sky and the faint light of the street lamps light his way. When he arrives at his destination, about a dozen mochileros (backpackers) will be waiting for him at the door. When the door opens, they will all go inside, some of them bleary-eyed after a night of no sleep and some alert after just waking up. They will all sit down and enjoy some coffee and cake.
After some pleasantries, they will turn to R’ Sharabi who will explain the importance of eating kosher food or he will talk about other relevant topics.
“This is the sixth week that this improvised shiur on Sunday morning is taking place. I decided to forgo some hours of sleep in order to make it happen,” said R’ Sharabi. He heard about a lot of tourists who spend Motzaei Shabbos out till the wee hours and then eat breakfast in treif
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restaurants, so he decided to do something about it.
“I was very perturbed by this. I can’t stop them from going out and having a good time but I can provide kosher food. At the Chabad house, we operate a restaurant and grocery store. We advertised among the tourists that they can come and eat at a bargain price while listening to a shiur in Chassidus. This week, twelve people came and last week there were fifty. Even if just one came, it would be worthwhile.”
This shiur, which starts the
week, is the first in a series of shiurim given every day. “Most of the shiurim are given one-on-one or in a group when one tourist poses a question and we turn the answer into a shiur.”
The Chabad house for tourists in Argentina has been in operation for six years with thousands of Israelis passing through. Buenos Aires is one of the most modern and beautiful cities on the South American continent. It has no less than ten Chabad houses that target different populations.
R’ Sharabi’s Chabad house is a three-story structure and it has a lending library, a shul, a restaurant and an office. It is a source of light for all Hebrew speaking people in the city.
On Shabbos, the Chabad house hosts about 150 backpackers. During the week, young people stop by and feel that the Chabad house is their home. The work increases over the Yomim Tovim. Pesach and Rosh HaShana are huge events for hundreds of tourists. “We emphasize good gashmius along with a program packed with ruchnius.”
SHLICHUS FROM DAY ONE R’ Menachem Sharabi was
born and raised in B’nei Brak, far from the experiences of a shlichus in Argentina. His strong commitment to shlichus developed right after his year on K’vutza, when he went on shlichus to Bangkok to help the shliach, R’ Nechemia Wilhelm.
“I was on shlichus for nearly a year in Thailand. We were a group of bachurim, most of whom are on shlichus today. We held the first seder in Laos. Along with the many difficulties on shlichus, there is tremendous satisfaction knowing that you are in the king’s army and can have an impact on Jews and draw them close to Torah and mitzvos. I was committed to returning to Thailand after I married.”
He ended up marrying Rochel Nacca from Buenos Aires, where they married and where the couple lived for the first year of their marriage.
“One day of Chol HaMoed Pesach, a Lubavitcher approached me and said he heard that I was looking for a place of shlichus and asked why I was
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looking to go to distant locales. For Pesach that year, they had koshered a hotel where wealthy people who are close to Chabad were staying. These wealthy men had decided together to fund a string of Chabad houses for Israeli tourists in South America. He proposed that I suggest to the shliach, R’ Tzvi Greenblatt, that I work on shlichus here in Buenos Aires, reaching out to Hebrew speaking people and tourists.”
R’ Sharabi liked the idea and after receiving the Rebbe’s bracha he spoke to R’ Greenblatt. Actually, even before that, he and his wife had started arranging Shabbos meals for tourists. The rest of the week, he went around to the hostels where Israeli tourists stayed, put t’fillin on with them, and spoke to them about Judaism.
His proposal was accepted and R’ Sharabi became a shliach. From the start he felt the growing pains, but along with the difficulties he saw divine providence and felt that he had the Rebbe on his side.
“A few weeks before Tishrei, we were already in touch with many tourists. We looked for a nice place where we could hold the t’fillos and meals on Yom Tov. The location had to be near where the Israelis are concentrated. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find anything. Either suitable places were not available or they were asking for a lot of money. R’ Greenblatt finally connected me to someone and through him we got to a run-down old shul which had been closed for a long time.
“The gabbai was happy to give me the place. When I went to check it out, two days before Rosh HaShana, I discovered a wreck and a lot of dust. Along with all the other things that had to be done Erev Rosh HaShana
like preparing the food, bringing Siddurim and Chumashim, borrowing Sifrei Torah, and doing massive publicity among the Israelis, we started working with some tourists who volunteered to help clean up the place. We scrubbed it, fixed the lighting, and made it presentable.
“Hundreds of Israelis came for the t’fillos and meals. This was our first significant activity on shlichus.
“It was very rainy on Yom Kippur. After a few hours of rain, we had an electrical short. We davened Mincha and N’ila with a few dozen tourists by the light of a yahrtzait candle. The atmosphere was magical and somber. The darkness only added to the mystique.
“I found out after the Yomim Tovim that the shul had been sold and stopped functioning as a shul. I felt that the sale was delayed until after Yom Tov so we would have it for that period of time.”
Right after Simchas Torah, they needed to find a building for a Chabad house where all activities could take place. A building was located after an intensive search and a Chanukas Ha’bayis was held a few weeks later with the participation of many tourists and members of the Chabad community.
“Our slogan, from our first day on shlichus, was: Beis Chabad – Your Home Away from Home. The idea is to have every Israeli who comes to Buenos Aires come to us not only if he needs something or has a question. In addition to all the usual services of a Chabad house, we provide tourists with lists of cheap hostels, products which can be bought in stores that are reputably kosher, which Chabad houses are on their route, and
even touring suggestions.” If you ask R’ Sharabi what are
the most moving moments at the Chabad house, he will tell you that they occur during unofficial times, in one-on-one discussions with tourists and random encounters on the street.
“Every Thursday we have a ‘meat night’ barbecue at the Chabad house. Argentina is known for its good meat, the restaurants here take pride in it, and our goal is to inform tourists that they can eat good quality meat which is also kosher. Dozens of tourists join us every week.”
COMING FULL CIRCLE R’ Sharabi told us the
following story which, to him, is a highlight of shlichus. It’s a story about hard work, ingratitude, but has a great ending.
“We had a girl staying with us who was spending a long time touring South America. Her family roots are in Argentina. She knew the language and had really integrated into the local culture. When she came to the Chabad house for the first time, she knew nothing about Judaism and Jewish traditions. The one who invited her to come was an Israeli she met who recommended it. She soon showed a tremendous interest in Judaism.
“I can’t forget how surprised I was when she did not even know what Sukkos is and what the mitzvos are. Even kibbutznikim know about the holiday but she needed everything explained. In the beginning, she would come and borrow books from the Chabad house. Then she came more frequently and became an integral part of the Chabad house.
“We had an Israeli staying with us at the time, who was
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the son of a rav of a yishuv in northern Israel. He had gone off the derech and began his reconnection to his roots with us. Despite the distance he had gone with us, it was amazing to see how he still retained remnants of opposition to Chabad which he had acquired in his previous ‘gilgul.’ Since we were not always available to explain things, the girl learned a lot from him. He knew all about Torah and mitzvos and he taught her and explained many concepts in Judaism.
“After a period of time, she began to really strengthen her involvement. I won’t forget the first hachlata she made, the Asher Yotzar bracha. She would say the bracha with great concentration. I wish that my N’ila on Yom Kippur looked like that … That year, we arranged a Moshiach Seuda for the first time. In previous years, the Israelis who celebrate just one day of Yom Tov, were busy with their weekday activities. But the way it came out that year, the eighth day of Pesach was on Shabbos.
“Bachurim from the local yeshiva came to the Chabad house and we held an unforgettable event. We sang the niggunim of the Chabad Rebbeim
with the tourists joining in. It was a very uplifting atmosphere. Usually, people are eager to end Yom Tov as soon as they can, but that year, we made Havdala three hours after the stars came out and the Chabad house was full of young people. The girl was also there and was very moved. Two days later, she had to return to Eretz Yisroel.
“Then, to my consternation, I overheard the wayward-returning young man tell her that he would check out for her where Litvishe rabbis, far from Chabad’s outlook, give lectures. I was really annoyed. She had heard about the Creator for the first time when she walked into the Chabad house, and she had become religious because she had walked into the Chabad house, and now this man is directing her to those who fight us at every opportunity?!
“My wife and I decided to take action. We invited her to a goodbye party. During the meal, we spoke a lot about the significance of a Nasi Ha’dor, what a Rebbe is, what Moshiach is, and what Chassidus innovated. I felt I had to do this and if, afterward, she would take a different path, that would be a
sign that her neshama was not chosen by the Chabad n’siim.
“Two days later she left for Eretz Yisroel and I decided it was time to deal with the guy. At the Yud-Beis Tammuz Chag Ha’Geula farbrengen, which took place two months later in Tomchei T’mimim, I asked him to join me. R’ Moshe Farkash, the mashpia, was farbrenging. As though in our honor, it was an outstanding farbrengen, the messages were powerful, the bachurim got up and danced at a certain point with incredible Chassidishe d’veikus, and he was very impressed. When we left, he told me that he did not know that there was such powerful depth in Chabad. After that farbrengen, he changed his views from one extreme to the other.
“We arranged to learn Chassidus together and he, who had already learned a thing or two in life, was astounded each time, more and more, until he became a Lubavitcher. He now lives in Buenos Aires and is a fine Chassidishe young man who learns in the kollel. He is married to a girl from a Chabad family in S Paulo, Brazil.
“The girl kept in touch with us. She had difficulties, mainly
Final preparations for the Seder for tourists
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with her parents who did not like her new religiosity. We guided her to respect them and not show disrespect in any way.
“Several months later, upon our suggestion, she went to learn at the Machon Alte School for baalos t’shuva in Tzfas and became a Chabad Chassida. But the story is not over yet. At that time, a certain bachur who we, along with R’ Ofer Kripor of Cuzco, had been mekarev, went to learn in yeshiva in Tzfas. The two of them knew one another from Argentina and had toured together. When they realized they were both in Tzfas and had become Lubavitchers, they decided to organize an evening for all their friends who had traveled in South America.
“They invited R’ Yair Calev and had a most uplifting Shabbaton. Throughout the Shabbos, friends pointed out how the two of them made a good couple, but she felt she hadn’t learned enough yet. That week, she wrote to the Rebbe about something else and the answer she opened to was enlightening. The Rebbe wrote that the goal of a Jewish person is to establish a home and he did not understand why this was being postponed. She knew good and well what the Rebbe was referring to.
“At the end of the week, the mashpia of that bachur called her and told her of an identical answer that the bachur had opened to, with the Rebbe importuning him not to wait to establish a Jewish home.
“They married on 29 Kislev this year in a Chassidishe wedding in Kfar Chabad. When they informed me of the upcoming wedding, I cried tears of joy. I remembered the journeys they had both made, having seen them at the outset with their
doubts and hesitations and was overjoyed at how it all came together.”
SUCCESS IS EVENTUAL There are successes and
hardships but R’ Sharabi doesn’t only focus on results; he also acknowledges the process which entails doing a favor for another Jew. That itself is satisfying.
“About six years ago, when we were just starting out, a couple came to see us. He was a Yemenite who grew up in a traditional home, while his wife came from a home cold to Judaism. At the Chabad house, they reversed roles and she was the one who pushed us to draw him close to Judaism.
“He was an intellectual type and he wanted to understand everything intellectually. I refused to give an inch (laughing) and I, who also grew up in a Yemenite home, was no less stubborn than he was. When they left the Chabad house I felt a sense of loss. I had invested so much and I felt that I hadn’t accomplished anything.
“A few months later, I called his parents’ because I wanted him to send a video message for a video compilation we were putting together at the time. His mother answered the phone and she asked who was calling. When I said who it was, she jumped for joy. ‘You should know,’ she said, ‘that thanks to you, our son is making Kiddush every week. He came back from Buenos Aires completely different.’ I was touched.
“In the video he made of himself, he said that at first he had gone to the Chabad house only because he thought the food on Shabbos was free, but after a few weeks the Jewish messages and values began to sink in.”
THE PLAGUE OF ASSIMILATION
The thing that most disturbs R’ Sharabi is the assimilation between Israelis and local gentile women. “Just last Shabbos, one of the mekuravim who is a close friend and has become like a brother to me, told me he had split up with the gentile woman he had been living with for five years. He thought I’d commiserate but I was so excited that I stood up and yelled, ‘mazal tov!’ He was taken aback and his face looked like the color of a tomato. I told him why I was so happy. He is a fellow in his thirties and my wife and I are trying hard to find him a good shidduch.
“The gentiles here look like Israelis and many of them are reminiscent of Israelis in personality. That is why they readily connect. This isn’t India or Thailand where most Israelis can’t truly relate to the locals. Here, the mentality is the same and that makes it much harder. Israelis don’t fully understand the problem of assimilation. At the Chabad house we have two young guys who have been with us for quite a while. They participate in programs, are traditional, but are married to gentile women.
“It is astonishing that they do not see the contradiction between keeping Shabbos and putting up a mezuza and living with a gentile. We recently established a Tanya shiur with them and I hope that will help.
“A few days ago, I was invited to put up mezuzos and to participate in a Chanukas Ha’bayis by one of the Israelis who comes from a traditional Sephardic home. He prepared for two days for the event, buying a lot of kosher food, bringing Siddurim and s’farim
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with sections from the Zohar which are customarily read on an occasion like this. He was so excited that he put on a kippa two days in advance. But with all this, he is married to a gentile woman.
“We can smile and be polite, but we have to be clear about assimilation being something bad. I don’t hide my pain from these Israelis. A few days ago, the owner of a local hostel called me. She is a gentile woman married to an Israeli. She said she was about to give birth to their first child and her in-laws were there and insisting on a circumcision. I explained to her the absurdity in what she was asking.
“‘Your son is not Jewish, so why should he undergo circumcision? If they still insist, a doctor should do it. I and the Chabad house won’t be involved. I do not know a religious ritual mohel who would be willing to circumcise your son.’ It wasn’t easy for me to talk in this way because she lets us come to the hostel and work freely with the Israeli guests who are there.”
MONEY FROM HEAVEN Last year, the Chabad house
was heavily in debt. “It was hard to make the
rental payments for the building we were in,” said R’ Sharabi. “Backpackers are not exactly known for their generous donations and we were facing a crisis. Donors who had generously given in the past limited their donations, and it reached a point where we had to leave the building before Yom Tov. Any attempt to negotiate with the owners or to set up a payment plan failed.
“Throughout this time I wrote to the Rebbe and each
time we opened to encouraging answers. One time, the Rebbe wrote that there were obstacles but they were a preparation for a personal Geula like the Geula from Mitzrayim. I waited for a miracle but it wasn’t coming and whatever was going on was the opposite of Geula. Two days before Rosh HaShana we received a court order saying we had to vacate the building, no postponements.
“When I saw it had reached this point, I didn’t want to get entangled with the courts and so I spoke to a lawyer, who davens by us, and told her the situation. She called the lawyer who was taking care of the case for the owners and was able to arrange
that we could stay there for Yom Tov. Immediately afterward we would have to fix the place up and within two months we would give it back to the owners, and then they would absolve the debt.
“After Yom Tov, we were miraculously able to raise a lot of money for renovations, and we began looking for a new place. First we found a big house in a quiet area, a place where we ourselves could live and save on expenses, but a day before we signed a contract, the real estate agent called and said that the municipality wanted the building and was offering more money for it.
“At the last minute, we found a nice house that perfectly met our needs with a big yard and in an excellent location. The renters wanted a ridiculously low price, half of what we were paying previously. In this respect, we really felt that it was a yetzias Mitzrayim. We breathed a sigh of relief. Last night, my wife and I passed by the house we almost rented and were amazed to see how Hashem had helped us. They
Top: R’ Sharabi with a mekurav. Bottom: Putting t’fillin on with tourists
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had asked for a lot of money which would have dragged us into debt and the building was far from where the Israelis congregate. How many would have bothered going there?”
Speaking of money, R’ Sharabi shared an amazing story of divine providence with us:
“A week and a half before Pesach of last year, the Chabad house coffers were empty. Every year we have provided a beautiful catered Seder. My in-laws who have a salad company give us the food at cost, and we rent a big hall, usually at a five star hotel. But we were afraid we would not be able to do it.
“One day, I went to fundraise in one of the wealthy neighborhoods of the city, but I didn’t make much. When I returned home, I told my wife that our plans were up in the air. In my heart, I asked the Rebbe for help. Despite my despondency, the work at the Chabad house must go on. I went to the Chabad house, this was a Thursday, and saw some tourists sitting there. They picked up on my mood even though I tried to hide it. They insisted that I tell them what was going on, but I did not see how they could help me and I said nothing. They were stubborn and after they pressured me, I told them what was on my mind.
“As I figured, they could do nothing but sympathize. Thursday night, at the barbecue, that group of tourists was there. A guy came over to me and asked to speak to me privately. He said he had just heard from some tourists about our financial woes before Pesach and he wanted to know what it would all cost.
“He said he owned a big lock company in New York and had the means. I gave him an exact
accounting and the total was tens of thousands of dollars. ‘I’ll give half,’ he announced. I was stunned. It was the largest donation I had ever received since I opened the Chabad house and till this day. I went home that night and said to my wife, ‘This year, we will have the nicest seder ever.’”
EMERGENCY SERVICES R’ Sharabi is up to his ears in
work. Even this interview, which took place late at night, was constantly interrupted by tourists and important phone calls. In addition to his daily routine, there are constantly unexpected situations that change his plans.
“We are on good terms with the Israeli consulate. One day, I got a phone call from them about an Israeli who was critically wounded in a bicycle accident. He fell into a deep ravine and received a severe head injury.
“As soon as we heard this, we got to work. It took two days until we were able to bring him to a better hospital in Buenos Aires. In the meantime, his parents came from Eretz Yisroel and we provided them with kosher food throughout their stay. We put a picture of the Rebbe near his head and asked for a bracha on his behalf. His father committed to putting on t’fillin as a z’chus for his recovery and his mother committed to lighting Shabbos candles. They were our guests throughout this time until their son was transferred to a hospital in Eretz Yisroel.
“We are still in touch with them and they update us about every positive development. He is in an outpatient rehab and he talks to us via the Internet. We have become family. It turned out that a few days before the accident he had visited the
Chabad house, but I did not remember him because of the many tourists that were there that week.”
One of the Chabad house services is visits to Israelis in jail.
“We have a special permit from the Argentine Justice Ministry, the kind that is given to diplomats, which enables us to freely enter prisons and visit prisoners in their cells. Whenever we hear about an Israeli inmate, we make contact with him and see how we can help him. We are in touch with some of them even after they are released.”
R’ Sharabi recounts a recent story:
“Two Israelis came to us for a Shabbos meal. ‘Where are you from?’ I asked. ‘We work in Brazil,’ they said, without elaborating. I did not ask anything further. On Monday that week, I was walking in the Jewish area of the city and saw a big commotion. There were a lot of police cars and people running. ‘What’s going on?’ I asked. Then I heard that the police were looking for me. I nervously approached the scene. There I saw those same two guys in handcuffs, on the ground, unwilling to budge until they called for R’ Sharabi.
“It turned out that they weren’t just working in Brazil; they were high-end smugglers who were arrested there and escaped Brazilian jail and were wanted by Interpol, which led to their second arrest in Argentina. They sat in jail in Buenos Aires for forty-five days, but without an extradition request from Brazil they were freed and became our guests until the embassy arranged their passports. These guys helped us a lot later on and were actually responsible for a number of positive activities that
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exist till this day at the Chabad house.”
I asked whether the shluchim are careful enough so that manipulative people won’t use them.
“Don’t worry. We are very careful. When tourists want to leave their bags at the Chabad house, we ask them to open them and show us what they contain. We tell them we don’t suspect anyone but we have to be careful.
“At the same time, even tourists who got involved with the law because of crimes they committed are still Jews. We will help them when necessary and won’t ignore them. While being careful we will continue to open our home and our heart to every Jew.”
I asked what the biggest challenge for shluchim who target tourists is. How is their work different than that of a regular Chabad house?
“The challenge is to understand that we will do the work and will usually not see the results. During the summer, we have hundreds of tourists on Shabbos. We put in a lot of work both spiritually and physically. We wash hands together, we say brachos, I say a d’var Torah and a Chassidic story with a message and on Motzaei Shabbos all these hundreds of people go on their way. You have no idea whether anything you said or did affected anyone. We recently opened a group forum on the Internet, but still, each one is far away and it’s hard to keep tabs.
“A person naturally wants to see the results of his efforts. At the beginning of the shlichus, this point was very hard for me, but I taught myself to think about the fact that the work we do is important in and of itself. The very fact that a tourist washes
and says a bracha over bread or hears a d’var Torah is enough to give you satisfaction.”
“Just this Shabbos, one of the tourists asked my wife and me when was the last time we had a Shabbos meal alone with our family. We said, six years. Private meals happen only when we visit my family in Eretz Yisroel.
“But what give us strength are the little stories. For example, a tourist from a kibbutz who works as a security guard told me that, despite the difficulty, he managed to fast the entire fast on Yom Kippur even though he was not in shul.
“Last summer, during one of the periods when the tourist season was a little slow, a tourist walked in to the Chabad house who wasn’t that young. He said that he was living in a local hostel and had come to Argentina mainly to relax. He asked whether he could borrow some reading material. I invited him for a cup of coffee and we sat for three and a half hours and talked about every topic under the sun. When we finished, he said he came from Yerushalayim and this was the first time he was talking
to a religious Jew. “We are still in touch and
we arranged that when I go to Eretz Yisroel we will meet in Yerushalayim. Even a little thing like that is gratifying.”
As a final question I asked how he manages to connect people to the Rebbe in the brief time they spend at the Chabad house. He said, “First, the shiurim I give to tourists are based on the Rebbe’s sichos. Even those who don’t attend the shiurim cannot miss the big picture of the Rebbe in the Chabad house under which there are quotes from the Rebbe which we collected from Toward A Meaningful Life. For most of the tourists, this is not the first time they are hearing about the Rebbe.
“Second, many of them ask to write to the Rebbe and they put their letter into a volume of Igros Kodesh. We recently had a girl here who was in a bad emotional state. She wanted to write to the Rebbe. I did not see what she wrote and what the Rebbe’s answer was but we saw the results: she changed from one extreme to another!”
One-on-one talks
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A LEAP YEAR SPRING FORWARD The bitterness within him grew more intense. Feeling that he had been deceived, he began to make problems for this esteemed Chassid. As the weeks passed, he went one step further: He took a chair and sat at the entrance of R’ Shmuel Betzalel’s inn, calling upon all passers-by not to patronize a business run by a liar and a fraud.
By Menachem Ziegelboim
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry
I heard the following story from my father-in-law, R’ Zushe Gross:
One of the most prominent Chassidic personalities in the Chabad community of Melbourne, Australia, was the Chassid, R’ Shmuel Betzalel Althaus, of blessed memory. He was a descendant of the famed Althaus family from Nikolayev. Divine Providence eventually brought him to the faraway continent of Australia, where he lived for many years.
R’ Shmuel Betzalel’s material livelihood came through a small inn that provided lodging for guests who came to Melbourne in search of a place to rest and relax.
Along with being a hotel proprietor, he acted like a Chassid in every sense of the
word. Whenever he met with a non-observant Jew, he would try and bring him closer to Torah and mitzvos with the sweet and pleasant ways of Yiddishkait and Chassidus.
One such acquaintance was a non-observant Jew in his sixties, married to a woman considerably younger than him. Regrettably, after several years of marriage, they had yet to be blessed with children. The man often turned to R’ Shmuel Betzalel, and told him about the troubles burdening his heart.
On one occasion when he was overwrought with concern, R’ Shmuel Betzalel told him:
“You know what? I suggest that you start putting on t’fillin, and I promise you that in the merit of fulfilling this great mitzvah, G-d will help you and
bless you with children of your own.”
He listened to R’ Shmuel Betzalel’s advice, and while he had rarely, if ever, put on t’fillin, he quickly went out and bought a stringently kosher pair of t’fillin. He then began putting them on every weekday with much devotion, as he hoped that G-d would reward his observance with the birth of a child.
Several months passed, and the situation remained the same. The disappointment slowly penetrated the man’s heart, and just as his hopes and belief in his personal salvation had begun to take root, the yetzer ha’ra suddenly came along and filled his mind with thoughts of cold hard reality.
From that moment on, every time he met R’ Shmuel Betzalel, he told him that there was no news, although the Chassid had promised him that G-d would answer his prayers if he would put on t’fillin.
One time after one of these comments, R’ Shmuel Betzalel suddenly turned to him and said:
“You know, my friend, I don’t think that it’s enough just to put on t’fillin. You should take on another important practical mitzvah.”
“Like what?” the man inquired.
Without a moment’s
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hesitation, R’ Shmuel Betzalel “shot from the hip” – “Kashrus! You should start eating only kosher food.”
The man didn’t skip a beat. He wanted to have children so much that he was prepared to take an unprecedented step on his part. When he asked exactly what was entailed, R’ Shmuel Betzalel explained to him at length about the significance of kosher food. He then added that as part of the process of kashering his kitchen, he would have to throw out all his dishes and buy new sets.
This Jew was extremely affluent. He had some very tasteful sets of chinaware, and it wasn’t so simple for him to make such a decision. In any case, he convinced his wife to join him and agree to accept eating only kosher food. While it wasn’t easy to convince her to dispose of all of her valuable dishes, she ultimately gave her consent. The staff of the local Chabad house came to their home one evening and kashered their kitchen in accordance with Jewish law and custom.
Several more months passed, and still there was nothing on the horizon. The Jew’s patience was beginning to wear thin, and every time he would meet R’ Shmuel Betzalel in the street, he would vent his frustration on him. “Nu, R’ Shmuel Betzalel, you made a promise, and I fulfilled my end of the bargain – but nothing’s happening.” For his part, R’ Shmuel Betzalel would reassure him by saying “Everything will be all right” – but the man remained unconvinced.
The bitterness within him grew more intense. Feeling that he had been duped, he began to make problems for this esteemed Chassid. As the weeks passed, he went one step further: He took
a chair and sat at the entrance of R’ Shmuel Betzalel’s inn, calling upon all passers-by not to patronize a business run by a liar and a fraud.
Naturally, the number of guests began to dwindle. Once they heard about the innkeeper’s “swindling,” they were hesitant to come inside. R’ Shmuel Betzalel’s financial losses became extremely serious.
Not knowing what to do, R’ Shmuel Betzalel finally turned to the Rebbe and asked for his advice and his bracha. At great length, he told the Rebbe the whole story about his financial difficulties resulting from his diminishing number of customers, and he fervently asked for the Rebbe’s help. In addition, he requested that G-d answer this Jew’s prayers for Divine mercy and personal salvation, particularly in the merit of his commitment to eat kosher and put on t’fillin every day.
A few weeks later, he received a letter from the Rebbe. This was a general correspondence written and sent “to all Jewish men and women wherever they are,” in honor of the upcoming days of Purim. Toward the end of the letter, the Rebbe wrote (not
verbatim): If they’re not willing to fulfill, why do they promise?
Then the Rebbe added a postscript: In spite of all the aforementioned, since this year is a leap year, G-d will give and G-d shall complete the days of her pregnancy properly and easily, and she will have an easy birth to a healthy child.
And so it was that at a good and auspicious hour, the couple
was blessed with the birth of a healthy and beautiful baby boy. The father was so happy that from the day of his son’s birth until the day of his bris, over a period of a full week, he arranged festive meals for all Anash in Melbourne – just like sheva brachos for a chassan and kalla.
The boy grew up and became a student in Melbourne’s Chabad Talmud Torah.
His father was aroused to a greater connection to Yiddishkait. He hired a melamed for himself, and began learning lashon ha’kodesh until he was able to study Chumash with Rashi on his own. He eventually became one of the most active members of the Chabad community in Melbourne.
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AN IMPORTANT
SHLICHUS Presented for Beis Iyar, birthday of the Rebbe
Maharash.
By Nechama Bar
Rivka held the rag and dipped it into the soapy water occasionally as she washed the window
shutters. Every now and then she
sighed heavily.
“Did something happen,
Rivka?” asked the lady of the
house. “Yes, I am worried, very
worried. My husband was
drafted. He was sent to the front
and I haven’t heard from him in
a long time. I don’t know where
he is and how he is. Who knows
… who knows if he is still alive …
and if he isn’t, G-d forbid, who
will inform me?”
What could the lady of the
house say? How could she
comfort the unfortunate woman?
“Oh! I have an idea,”
exclaimed Rivka. “Your husband
is a Chassid of the Rebbe and he
often goes to see him. Please, ask
him to tell my woe to the Rebbe
and ask for his blessing.”
The Chassid was happy to do
this and the next time he went to
the Rebbe (Maharash) he made
a mental note to bring up the
cleaning lady’s request.
Throughout the journey to
Lubavitch, the Chassid was in
an inspired state and he used
the time to learn Torah. Before
entering the town of Lubavitch,
he was surprised to see the
Rebbe’s carriage (for the Rebbe
would occasionally go for a ride
outside the town). The carriage
stopped near him and the Rebbe
invited him in. The Chassid
happily entered the Rebbe’s
carriage. As they traveled, the Chassid
remembered the lady’s request.
“Rebbe, I have an important
mission,” and he told the Rebbe
her story. The Rebbe said, “My father,
the Tzemach Tzedek, knew how
to help in cases like these, but I
don’t know anything. I will tell
you about an unusual incident
that happened with my father.”
This is what the Rebbe
Maharash said: My mother had a relative
whose husband had left her. My
mother was concerned about her
and brought her to our house
to help in the household duties.
Every now and then, my mother
would ask my father to help her,
but each time, the Rebbe did not
respond to her request.
One time, my mother insisted
and begged him to take care of
this matter. “She is a relative of
ours and we must help her!”
The Rebbe sighed. “Isn’t it
enough for me with all the people
who come with all their sorrows;
you want to add to them?”
My mother did not give up. “If
you cannot help, say so directly
and they will stop coming. But
if you can help, then help our
relative too!” The Rebbe said, “Nu, it’s not
a burning matter.”
“Not burning? But we must
do something. Tell me when.”
The Rebbe promised to deal
with the matter after the holidays.
On Chol HaMoed Sukkos,
Lubavitch was festive indeed.
Masses of Chassidim went to
spend Yom Tov with the Rebbe
and to rejoice on the “Day of Our
Rejoicing.” A leaseholder from
the Warsaw area also went to the
Rebbe, as he usually did. But this
time, a not so pleasant surprise
awaited him. “The Rebbe asked that when
you come, you should go to him
immediately,” said the gabbai.
The Chassid was taken aback
by this unusual order, and with
his heart beating quickly he went
to the Rebbe. “I would like you to do a
shlichus mitzva for me. I have an
important letter for someone by
the name of Chaikel who lives not
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far from you,” said the Rebbe.
“Gladly, Rebbe, I will do so
right after Yom Tov.”
“No, no, this is a very
important matter. Do it now and
you will be home for Simchas
Torah. Please see this through
quickly and fully.”
The Chassid’s face fell. This
was not why he had exerted
himself to go to the Rebbe, but of
course he would obey the Rebbe’s
wishes. He took the letter from
the Rebbe and promised to deliver
it and left the Rebbe’s room brokenhearted.
Chassidim, who were used to seeing those leaving the Rebbe’s room appear with glowing faces, were surprised to see his sad countenance. Upon being questioned, he told them that he was forced to spend Simchas Torah at home because of a shlichus the Rebbe gave him.
“You should rejoice!” they encouraged him. “You have the z’chus to give the Rebbe nachas. The
Rebbe chose you for an important
job. Do it happily.”
Their words cheered him up
somewhat, and that very day he
headed back toward home.
It was raining heavily and the
earth was muddy. It was with
difficulty that he finally arrived
home, trembling with cold and
with his clothing soaked. He
hurried to change his clothing
and to warm up at the stove.
A few minutes went by and the
servant came running, “A horse
died!”
The man tried to accept the
bad news graciously and said,
“Hashem will replace what I
lack.” A short time later, the servant
came running in a panic, “The
other horse died too!”
Before he could recover from
this blow, he learned that the mill
was up in flames.
He jumped up as though
bitten by a snake. “The Rebbe’s
letter! I did not rush to carry out
the shlichus and that is why these
terrible things are happening!”
The Chassid called for his
servant and told him to quickly
travel to Chaikel and give him
the letter. The servant was not
happy to do this because of the
bad weather, but for a nice sum
of money he was finally willing to
go. The man added his own letter
in which he warned Chaikel to
immediately carry out the Rebbe’s
order lest he too experience
losses. Chaikel received the letter,
which said he must tell his miller
to travel to the Rebbe immediately.
He hurriedly called for the miller
and relayed the message. At
first, the miller refused, but after
Chaikel threatened to fire him, he
had no choice. On Hoshana Raba the miller
was in the Rebbe’s room.
“Why did you leave your
wife?” said the Rebbe sternly.
The miller was frightened and
he said, “Rebbe, I have no money
with which to support her.”
“I will ask your employer to
give you good wages, and that
way you will earn a fine living.” “But Rebbe
…” The miller went on to give various excuses. The Rebbe dismissed them all and brought him to the kitchen and said, “Here is your wife. Go home together and live in peace.”
The couple did just that.
***The Rebbe
M a h a r a s h finished the
story and said, “My father knew
how to do miracles like these, but
I … I don’t.” “Still,” pleaded the Chassid,
“we must help the unfortunate
woman.” The Rebbe finally said, “Write
a letter to army headquarters in
Petersburg and ask them to find
out what happened to him.”
The Chassid hurriedly did
this, and after a short wait he
received news that the man had
died in battle. The beis din then
ruled that the woman was allowed
to remarry.
83 גליון מס' 786~
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AN UNANSWERED
CRY Now, of all times, as we face criticism from all directions regarding the path of Chabad in bringing all Jews closer to the Torah, or alternatively, the criticism thrown our way because we joined the ultra-Orthodox protests against drafting Torah scholars, we should be quite happy with our standing. We have a Rebbe who leads us according to the principles of Torah and the command of Alm-ghty G-d, not by passing trends and truths that change according to the shifting winds of coalition politics.
By Sholom Ber Crombie
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry
1. What exactly did we have
here? Another round of “peace” talks with the heads of the terrorist organizations, those who currently represent the “Palestinian leadership.” The truth is that there is no such nation as the “Palestinians” – it is pure fiction. Once there was a sovereign entity called “Palestine,” a.k.a. Eretz Yisroel. The Arabs living there have decided to define themselves as a people, despite the fact that there
has never been a “Palestinian people.” The Arabs are the same Arabs, and the sea they want to drive us into is the same sea.
Among the Jewish People, however, there are those who are determined to negotiate with the leaders of this fictitious body. They stubbornly seek to recognize that there is such a nation – and if it does exist, it is also entitled to its own country and acceptance as a sovereign state. Thus, they made yet another marathon round of talks.
Do you remember that there had previously been an Israeli foreign minister who said she was afraid to enter the room when they are talking about the division of Yerushalayim? This is the same government minister who today is responsible for these negotiations. This time, she has entered the room where they are discussing the division of Yerushalayim. And this time she carries a list of far-reaching concessions.
Something has happened. During the intervening time, terrorists who murdered Jews or who were involved in their murders have been released, construction projects in Yerushalayim, Yehuda, and Shomron have been frozen, and we have lost another degree of legitimacy to our claim on the Holy Land. As Dr. Michael Ben-Ari has said, anyone who conducts negotiations on Eretz Yisroel is comparable to someone who negotiates the handover of his son to a band of robbers. While his son might not be given over to them, he’s lost his legitimacy as a father.
2. It’s impossible to ignore the
fact that there was someone who foresaw it all – G-d’s chosen
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prophet, the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. Today, everyone understands that faith in the Tanach is the only truly rightful basis for our presence in Eretz Yisroel, and therefore, politicians who have lost their hold on the Tanach have also lost their hold on the land itself. To this day, many good people have followed this path. Virtually all politicians who have previously led the way along the ideological path of the Greater Land of Israel – including the incumbent prime minister – have crossed over to the other side. They haven’t decided yet whether this ideology was good at the time and now we have to play a little politics, or whether the situation has changed and this ideology no longer stands up to the test. So it is when you have a flexible barometer for truth, subject to fluctuation according to the passing trend.
However, there’s also been a tremendous return of sanity and soundness to the national conscience. People today understand that the only way to maintain “the avenue of leadership” is through one eternal truth – the truth that comes from leadership rooted in the traditions of our holy forefathers – Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, with a firm connection to Jewish history and faith in the One G-d.
On numerous occasions the Rebbe has noted that we must strengthen the sense of Jewish awareness among Israel’s politicians, enabling them to stand firm on the territorial integrity of Eretz Yisroel. The Rebbe also explained to Mr. Arik Sharon that he had to put on t’fillin in order to really be as strong as a lion. This begs the question: What is the connection between putting on t’fillin and standing firm on Eretz Yisroel?
The answer has been revealed today to anyone who considers the long line of politicians who have joined “the other side” because their hearts and minds remain untouched by the G-dly truth.
The Rebbe has linked faith in G-d and His Torah with a firm stance on our rights to the Land of Israel. There can be no separating the two. Today, everyone sees how accurate that really is. Those who tried to develop the hybrid concoction known as “secular nationalists” were forced to abandon this wild delusion. We eventually came to the tragic destruction of the Jewish communities of Gush
Katif, proving that there is only one means of guaranteeing our presence in Eretz Yisroel – the Jewish “deed of ownership,” the Tanach. This is also what can explain to the young people of Tel Aviv, why we have to be here – not just in Elon Moreh, but in Tel Aviv as well.
3. Once there was an ideological
argument between the Gush Emunim movement and Chabad Chassidim. They were certain that the mandated course of action for bringing the Redemption was to settle the Land of the Tanach. The old slogan was “another dunam, another goat.” Chabad
Chassidim had a different approach: winning the hearts of their fellow Jews, investing all their efforts in Chabad evenings on kibbutzim and igniting the Jewish souls in Tel Aviv coffee shops.
Today, the argument no longer exists. The orange forces came out in large numbers before the Gaza “disengagement” on a massive “face-to-face” public relations offensive, only to discover that the people simply were not with them. We must face the facts: In spite of all the tears and anguish, the people supported the disengagement. They supported the plan and saw Sharon as the man who
would liberate the settlers from the threat of mortar attacks. However, the people were cut off from reality, not due to a lack of familiarity with Gush Katif, but a lack of familiarity with the Torah. The orange forces quickly realized that you can destroy an entire street of homes in fifteen minutes. If the people are not with the Torah, the flourishing tourism and majestic coastal views of Gush Katif will do no good. Now, everyone is suddenly a Chabadnik.
The Rebbe’s clarion call to work unceasingly in spreading the light of Yiddishkait took a sharp turn eight years ago, when the next generation of what had once been Gush Emunim
In spite of all the tears and anguish, the people
supported the disengagement. They supported
the plan and saw Sharon as the man who would liberate
the settlers from the threat of mortar attacks... If the
people are not with the Torah, the flourishing tourism
and majestic coastal views of Gush Katif will do no good.
Now, everyone is suddenly a Chabadnik.
Issue 924 • � 41
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became spreaders of traditional Judaism at intersections and t’fillin stands all over the country. They realized that there was no such thing as nationalism without Torah. While there is no political right-wing without compromise, there is Judaism without compromise. For without belief in the Tanach, t’fillin in the morning, and recognition of the Creator, the path becomes totally one-sided. This is the path that many politicians have taken to the left side of the political map.
4. It appears that the wars
of Melech HaMoshiach are reaching their final stages. Slowly but surely, everyone realizes that there is only one way to live in Eretz Yisroel – as Jews. The first step was the painful acknowledgment – as a result of the Gush Katif tragedy – that there is no one on the Arab side with whom to speak. Indeed, they again tried another rounds of talks, and again the talks broke down. They again released terrorists, they again held the usual ceremonies, and again the results were another useless exercise. The negotiations were at a dead end and we achieved no tangible benefits by our misguided generosity. They say, “There is no partner,” when in fact they really understand that there will never be a partner. There is no partner because it’s impossible to live in Eretz Yisroel with peace and security – except in the path of Torah.
In the past, every meeting with the chairman of the “Palestinian Authority” received considerable media coverage. Today, no one really pins much hope on the talks – maybe four percent of the population. Everyone now understands that there is no
reason to chase after a peace of terror, for there will only be real peace in accordance with the path of Torah – from a position of strength and fortitude.
The second step unites a much wider cross-section of the religious and ultra-Orthodox community around the Rebbe’s leadership. Without even noticing it, they have all turned into shluchim. Furthermore, they aren’t embarrassed to say it in a clear voice: We are following in the path of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and we operate according to his vision. What the Rebbe began with a shlichus program of a few dozen lonely Chassidim has been transformed into an institution encompassing an entire generation. The Rebbe educated this generation to look inward to the Jewish People. Not just at Chabad Chassidim, but everyone. They call it “distributions” and they too establish “Jewish homes.” But in the final analysis, it’s the same activity, and above all, it’s guided by the same vision: preparing the world to greet the Redeemer and bring Moshiach Tzidkeinu in actual deed.
However, it’s also true that there remains one unanswered cry. We still confront a very problematic state of affairs regarding the deterioration of our firm stance on our rights to Eretz Yisroel, the result of weakness on the part of the country’s political leaders. It’s true that things aren’t so simple in Eretz Yisroel today, as we are at the height of one of the most serious struggles we have ever faced over the Jewish identity of Israeli society. The national debate revolves around the question whether this is a Jewish society or ch”v an Israeli society that also happens to be Jewish. However, the seeds planted by
the leader of the generation are growing in every direction. The Rebbe’s activities have today created the greatest sense of public awareness in decades, including on the leadership level and the realization that we have only one right to Eretz Yisroel – the Jewish right. As a result, more and more people have reached the understanding that we must strengthen our recognition of this Jewish right as a means of strengthening our Jewish identity.
5. Chabad Chassidim have a
vital role at this hour on the eve of the True and Complete Redemption. We are standing on guard, protecting our holy Torah and Eretz Yisroel, the only ones hoisting all the banners without one harming another: the Torah of Israel, the People of Israel, and the Land of Israel. We have been given the task of uniting all these banners into one flag of eternal truth.
Now, of all times, as we face criticism from all directions regarding the path of Chabad in bringing all Jews closer to the Torah, or alternatively, the criticism thrown our way because we joined the ultra-Orthodox protests against drafting Torah scholars, we should be quite happy with our standing. We have a Rebbe who leads us according to the principles of Torah and the command of Alm-ghty G-d, not by passing trends and truths that change according to the shifting winds of coalition politics.
This is the time to give a gift to the Rebbe and become full partners in the Rebbe’s great vision of bringing Moshiach Tzidkeinu in actual deed with joy and gladness of heart.
