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FEATURED ARTICLES

6 CHABAD AT INTELNosson Avrohom

14 TOTAL SELF SACRIFICEShneur Zalman Berger

22 SMOOTHING TRANSITIONSC Ben David

28 SOUL READER VS. PALM READERNosson Avraham

22

CONTENTS

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:M.M. Hendel

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WEEKLY COLUMNS 4 D’var Malchus5 Thought32 Thought35 Parsha Thought38 Crossroads41 Tzivos Hashem

14

6

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NO COINCIDENCE THE REBBE SPOKE ABOUT ETERNAL LIFEChapter 7 of Rabbi Shloma Majeski’s Likkutei

Mekoros discusses how the Rebbe taught us

in advance how to view the events of Gimmel

Tammuz 5754. (Underlined text is the compiler’s

emphasis.)

Translated by Boruch Merkur

The Rebbe said that the Rebbe Rayatz’s sichos just prior to Yud Shvat 5710 were meant to provide us with a message as to how to understand the events that were to follow. * In the most recent sichos of 5751-5752, the Rebbe reiterates in an unprecedented way that there will be eternal life as a soul in a body without any interruption (i.e., the Rebbe will live on forever without the need to experience histalkus).

1. It says in the Zohar that all days are blessed from Shabbos, meaning that all days of the week, beginning with Sunday, receive a blessing and vitality from the preceding Shabbos.

The power Shabbos has to affect the days of the week is one of the reasons why it is customary for chassanim (grooms) to have an aliya to the Torah on the Shabbos before their wedding. The custom is not that a chassan should get an aliya on the day of reading from the Torah that is closest to his wedding day but specifically on the preceding Shabbos, for Shabbos includes within it all the

days of the week that are blessed from it.

Now, since it is the Shabbos prior to 12-13 Tammuz, the Shabbos that blesses these days, the relevance of this holiday is already felt today. Thus, it is appropriate to begin with the words my revered father in-law, the Rebbe, הכ"מ, spoke on 12-13 Tammuz of last year, and to discuss its connection and relevance to the preceding Shabbos, Parshas Chukas (as well as its connection to the aliya to the Torah on this Shabbos Kodesh, on this parsha).

2. In his address of the 13th of Tammuz of last year, my revered father in-law, the Rebbe, spoke about the concept of life, long life, uninterrupted life (eternal life). And he discussed this concept in terms of avoda. Namely, in addition to the fact that each person has an individual life-force, he also enlivens others. And the Rebbe concluded by saying “True life is holiness, and holiness is Ein Sof [eternal].”

But first to preface: Since

everything is by Divine particular providence (as in the famous teaching of the Baal Shem Tov that the Alm-ghty causes wind to gust forth from its Heavenly storage house in order to [attend to even the seemingly inconsequential task of] turn[ing] a leaf or a piece of straw, etc. That is, Divine providence extends to the mineral, plant, and animal kingdoms as well, and certainly to mankind – and how much more so to the Jewish people, who are the crown glory of all of Creation. And how much more does G-d’s providence apply to a nasi (the leader or prince) of the Jewish people, upon whom everything depends, as reflected in Rashi’s commentary on this week’s parsha, where he writes that “the nasi is everything.”) [certainly then Divine providence keenly extends to] the words of my revered father in-law, the Rebbe, regarding eternal life, spoken on 12-13 Tammuz.

(From the address of Shabbos Parshas Chukas, 9 Tammuz

5710, pg. 119)

D’VAR MALCHUS

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WE DECIDED, FOR YOUR GOOD!A point from this week’s D’var Malchus with a relevant message. * Chinuch toward absolute kabbalas ol, a pluralistic chinuch, or a combination?

By Aryeh Yehuda

“Mommy, I have a question.”“Go ahead, honey. In Chabad we

are not afraid of questions because we know there are answers to all the questions. If I don’t know the answer, I will look for the answer and tell you later.”

“Mommy, why do we only eat the most mehudar hechsherim?”

“Why? Because that’s what Tatty said.”

“I know! But why? What’s the reason for it? And I have another question. Why don’t you let me eat at friends’ houses? Is that also because Tatty said? Why did he say that?”

***A shofet-judge. You can’t ask

why. There are no explanations, no understanding. Kabbalas ol. Period. When you get older you will understand. Kabbalas ol has its advantage, but the recipient has no real attachment or connection to the matter. He does not understand why he does something, and therefore will not have a deep connection to it.

Then there is this scenario:“My dear son, last night, very

late at night after you went to sleep, Tatty and I discussed the hechsherim we use in this house. We wondered whether we should be so strict or whether we could be more lenient. Tatty thinks that non-kosher food is like poison and we cannot compromise. Even if it’s a little bit of poison or there are those who maintain that there is poison, that is

reason enough to forbid putting this into our mouth. We love you and are concerned about your spiritual health no less than your physical health.

“I had a slightly different approach. That if Chabad rabbanim rely on a certain hechsher, we don’t need to be the greatest tzaddikim in the world and we can be a bit lenient. We certainly should not forbid you from eating at friends who rely on these hechsherim. We talked it through, examined all the angles, and came to a decision for our family. Our decision is ...”

That is the extreme version of the yoetz-advisor. It doesn’t have to be taken to such a degree but the recipient needs to understand that the idea is for his benefit. It doesn’t land on him from somewhere. He does it happily and willingly because it’s his. The disadvantage here is in the lack of kabbalas ol.

***In the D’var Malchus for

Shoftim, the Rebbe outlines a new approach, one which combines the judge and the advisor. The first thing we do is put the shoter-policeman aside. The policeman era is over. No physical threats, no uncompromising demands and no shutting of mouths. No policemen!

Then we combine the judge and the advisor. We need the strength from Above, the kabbalas ol to Hashem, and at the same time, we need to relate to the desire of the mekabel to understand. Not

everything must be explained and not everything needs to be done with kabbalas ol. But it is necessary to see how to implement both.

We always need to find the combination, with ourselves too, to see how we are doing things with kabbalas ol and also trying to understand, to feel, to be connected… The same with influencing others: children, students, mekuravim, etc. – to find the pathways to their heart so they don’t remain only with “so it was decreed on High,” but connect with and internalize the idea.

Excessive elaboration can cause us endless confusion. The point is not to spell out every step of the thought process I went through until I arrived at the conclusion, but not to be left with, “that’s the Jewish way.”

We should say, “I decided thus,” but add an explanation about why it is good for you. And don’t worry, they know how to accept opposites better than us. They were born in the generation of Geula, they are Meshichoi!

Moshiach himself contains the qualities of both judge and advisor. In one word: Navi. A Navi brings us bounty from Above in words we can understand. The epitome of kabbalas ol is when it’s with the feeling that it’s good for me. Not just good, but the best!

In Geula, it will be complete. We will do everything without complaint, with complete kabbalas ol, and with genuine pleasure. Our avoda now is to start behaving this way, each of us with ourselves and with those around us, and with the entire world. To influence everyone to accept the malchus of the greatest judge and advisor of all, Melech HaMoshiach. May we merit the immediate hisgalus!

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THOUGHT

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Chabad

CHABAD AT INTEL

In an open expanse facing the Yaar HaMalachim (Angels’ Forest) is the industrial area of the southern city of Kiryat

Gat. Many companies are located here but there is one that is bigger and more famous than the others and attracts the most attention, and that is the computer company Intel. The company employs about

4000 employees at this plant alone. The company, whose area of expertise is in manufacturing and selling processors and various computer parts, has employees from nearly the entire spectrum of the world of Israeli industry.

In its dozens of branches sit engineers, developers and program testers alongside

management; there is also the cleaning crew and those who provide other sorts of services. At precisely twelve o’clock, the thousands of employees leave the production lines and their computer keyboards and go out for a mandated break in order to refresh themselves for several hours more work that must meet

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CHABAD AT INTEL

R’ Dovid Geudj, R’ Alon Nevo and lately, also R’ Eli Devoras have

brought spiritual meaning to their work at the corporate giant Intel,

and have turned their Chabad activities at the company into something

that wouldn’t put even a large Chabad house to shame. * In addition

to the shiurim, they hold farbrengens with many participants and do a

tremendous amount of work around the holidays. * “People know that

just like any place in Eretz Yisroel and the world, there are Chabad

representatives at Intel too.”

By Nosson Avrohom

the company’s high standards.Many of the employees

choose to visit the sports gym that is built on campus. Some go to the fitness room and some pass the time chatting about this and that. But dozens of irreligious Jews choose something else entirely: spiritual rejuvenation.

Every Sunday, they go to a

special conference room which gets turned into a beis midrash. There they daven Mincha, which is followed by gathering around a table for a shiur in Tanya given by one of the employees, R’ Dovid Geudj, who serves as an unofficial shliach at the company. “We just finished Likkutei

Amarim,” he said excitedly. “Next week, we will have a siyum and bring someone special to farbreng before we begin learning Shaar Ha’Yichud V’Ha’Emuna.

“The participants in the shiur are mostly hi-tech people, educated, intellectual. Our learning is slow but deep and comprehensive,” says R’ Dovid,

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adding that the shiur began nine years ago and has continued ever since.

The impact of the Tanya classes on the participants is enormous, though it isn’t the only shiur or even the highlight of the Chabad outreach at Intel. Surprisingly, it is only the tip of the iceberg. During the week there are another two shiurim, one on Tuesdays on inyanei Moshiach and Geula and another on sichos of the Rebbe given on Thursday, also taught by R’ Geudj.

R’ Alon Nevo worked alongside R’ Geudj for the past seven years in spreading the

wellsprings, but he recently changed jobs. In his place, in incredible divine providence, came another Lubavitcher Chassid, R’ Eli Devoras.

Together, they have turned the outreach at Intel into something that even a large Chabad house wouldn’t be ashamed of. In addition to shiurim, they hold farbrengens with many participants and do a tremendous amount of work around the holidays. Said R’ Nevo who was interviewed for this article too, “People know that just like any place in Eretz Yisroel and the world, there are Chabad representatives at Intel too.”

FOCUSING ON THE STUDY OF CHASSIDUS

R’ Dovid Geudj is the first known Lubavitcher who went to work for Intel and began spreading the wellsprings. As a new immigrant from France, he took a job in that branch as a bookkeeper. He travels every day from Ramat Beit Shemesh where he lives in recent years, to Kiryat Gat.

“After our twins were born in 5753, we decided to leave France and settle in Eretz Yisroel. We lived in the Givat Zev neighborhood of Yerushalayim. I ended up at Intel with incredible divine providence. I was walking with my wife to one of the houses in the neighborhood where French speaking women gathered for a shiur that she was going to be giving. Later on, we learned that the host of the shiur is a senior employee at Intel.

“When the shiur ended, I and my wife sat and talked with the hostess and her husband and she said that the management was looking for a bookkeeper. I jumped because that is my area of expertise! The next day I submitted my resume and was interviewed and hired. Since then, for over a decade, I’ve been working for Intel. Later on, due to the distance between Yerushalayim and Kiryat Gat, we moved to Beit Shemesh where there is a French, Chassidic community.”

The wide-ranging Chabad outreach at Intel did not happen overnight. At first there was much apprehension and R’ Geudj approached it very warily. That first year, the outreach consisted of conversations with colleagues in the hallways about Judaism and faith, as well as a Tanya shiur in the shul.

A farbrengen with employees

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“The moment we decided to jump ahead and start operating on all fronts was when I met a young man in the hall, one of the employees, someone I knew as an ardent atheist. We got into a conversation and he said that he had just returned from a family vacation in Thailand. I asked how it was and thought he’d tell me about some exciting experiences, but he surprised me when he expressed amazement over the Chabad houses and said he visited there every day.

“I told him about the Tanya class that I give in the shul at Intel but he dismissed that with a wave of his hand. ‘Open a Chabad house and I’ll come,’ he said. He himself did not realize how what he said shook me up. I realized that there are Jews who need you to go to them. A class in a structure designated as a shul is fine, but it reaches only a limited number of people. On the spot, I committed to spreading the wellsprings west, east, north and south.

“We had R’ Menachem Mendel Groner of Kiryat Gat farbreng with us. He was surprised and impressed by the Tanya shiur participants’ knowledge of the s’firos and concepts in Chassidus.

“There is a regular participant, a new immigrant from Russia, who from the moment he joined the shiur has not missed a single one. Even if he’s on vacation, he tells his wife that he has something to take care of at work and he comes especially for the shiur and then returns home. He lives in Ashkelon and it takes him forty minutes each way.

“There is another participant who began his career at Intel in Kiryat Gat and then moved on to run the branch in Haifa. He arranges that all his meetings

and progress assessments at headquarters in Kiryat Gat are on Sunday so he can attend the Tanya shiur.”

The Tanya shiur is the longest running shiur but it’s not the only one. The Thursday shiur on Likkutei Sichos is fifty minutes long and is on the more complex sichos from the 60’s. The Tuesday shiur is a lighter one and is also on Likkutei Sichos. The rest of the week there are shiurim in Mishna, Gemara, and Pirkei Avos in the shul.

SPIRITUAL PROGRESS FOR THE EMPLOYEES

About two years after R’ Geudj joined Intel, another Lubavitcher, R’ Alon Nevo, joined too. Nevo, who trained as a project manager, was hired to run company projects. He soon became active in outreach alongside R’ Geudj, also after a conversation in the hallway with the manager of the branch he worked in.

“He is very knowledgeable, a scientist by profession, and also warm to Judaism. He enjoyed quoting p’sukim from Tanach

“The Rebbe’s answer had to do with selling a

house… This was no simple matter, especially for

his wife, but in the end they sold the house and bought

a smaller one in Ashkelon. Then, during Operation Cast

Lead, a missile landed directly on their previous home.

He and his wife heard about it and went to see what

remained of their former home. Nothing was left. The

missile had totally demolished it.”

R’ Alon Nevo at a Chabad activity in Intel

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and explaining them to me. He told me his beliefs about how a company ought to operate, saying that a workplace is not merely about a salary and professional advancement but a place where employees develop their inner world as well.

“I was conversing with him once and then, out of the blue, he dropped the following question on me: ‘What do you think about having a shiur on Thursdays, l’kavod Shabbos?’ I couldn’t believe my ears. What can I say…? I felt this was extraordinary hashgacha pratis since we had recently gotten a new shliach in our community in Beer Sheva, R’ Chaim Heber. He started a terrific project called B’Sod HaParsha. I would

take the booklets he produced each week, learn them well, and give a shiur at Intel. Most of the participants were not yet religious. The refreshments were provided by the company, costing hundreds of shekels every week.”

MIRACLES ABOUNDWe went back to R’ Geudj

who said that the Chabad presence is so accepted at the company that anyone with a problem in matters relating to the spiritual or emotional, talks to the shluchim and asks to consult with the Rebbe and receive his bracha.

“We write to the Rebbe on behalf of many people but don’t

always see the follow-up to the clear answers that people get. Recently though, we heard an incredible story. One of the participants at the farbrengen wanted to share a personal moment he had with the Rebbe. The man had gotten heavily into debt and did not know what to do. He came over to me to write to the Rebbe and the Rebbe’s answer had to do with selling a house.

“He understood from this that in order to cover his debts, he should sell his beautiful home and move to a more modest home. This was no simple matter, especially for his wife, but in the end they had to do it. They sold the house and bought a smaller one in Ashkelon.

“During Operation Cast Lead, a missile landed directly on their previous home. He and his wife heard about it and went to see what remained of their former home. Nothing was left. The missile had totally demolished it.

“The man added that the couple who had purchased the house from him were not at home at the time, and were saved. But he and his wife were saved from the anguish of having their home and possessions destroyed and they considered it divine providence that took them out of there before anything happened.”

***There is hardly an employee

at Intel who has not been

exposed to Chabad’s work. Many people tell of their strengthening of Torah and mitzvos.

“There is an employee I remember as being very distant from Torah and mitzvos,” says R’ Geudj. “I know him well because he also lives in Beit Shemesh and we would travel together to Kiryat Gat with the company’s transportation. We would sit next to one another on the daily commute and talk.

“One day, he told me that he had been learning kabbala for a long time. I was very surprised and suggested that he join us for t’fillos and shiurim at the shul. He refused and I realized that the kabbala that he learned came from foreign sources that corrupted the Torah. I did not let him off easy. I told him he was making a mistake and today he is a baal t’shuva.”

In addition to shiurim, farbrengens and holiday activities, the shluchim have a mailing list of hundreds of employees. Every week, they receive a Jewish message. At the beginning of every school year, a list of Chabad preschools in various cities circulates among hundreds of employees, as well as a few words about the importance of a Jewish education.

“There are many employees who, thanks to the outreach, decided to send their children to Chabad preschools,” says R’ Geudj looking pleased.

The Chabad Chassidim at Intel are also the ones to turn to for any questions relating to Jewish practice. “A few days before Tisha B’Av, I was home in bed with the flu. I got a call from R’ Nevo who was calling from an army base where he was doing his reserve duty. He told me that he had heard that one of the

“At dollars, my wife asked for a bracha for

children. The Rebbe gave her two dollar bills and

said they were for the children. One year later, in 5753,

we had twin boys. Since then we have not had more

children; the Rebbe gave two dollars for two children.”

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branch managers was planning a barbecue for the Nine Days for about a thousand employees. From a distance he was not able to take care of this and he asked me to get involved.

“Despite feeling sick, I called the manager. I asked him, ‘Would you arrange an evening like this on Yom HaShoah or Memorial Day for the IDF soldiers?’ He said no. Then I explained that the days of the churban are no less tragic for the Jewish people. He promised to get back to me. That night he called me back and said he postponed it to 10 Av. I suggested that he postpone it to 15 Av which is a joyous day. Thanks to the polite conversation we had, he agreed and the event was postponed.”

THE REBBE HAS HIS WAYR’ Nevo described how

the work of Chabad operates harmoniously with the activities of Jews from other groups who also want to use the shul for shiurim and memorials. Only one time over the years did the harmony seem in jeopardy but an answer and bracha from the Rebbe turned things around. Here’s what happened:

“When I started working at Intel, we were moved into the new building which had just been built, while most of the company’s business activities took place in the old building where the shul was. We had to open a new shul in the new building. Every day there was a minyan and before Mincha there was a shiur in Chassidus. After two years, the company decided to move our operations to another wing which was further away and since I could no longer regularly attend the Mincha minyan, I handed it over to a bachur, a Sephardic baal t’shuva,

AS A FATHER HAS COMPASSION ON HIS SONWhen the shliach, R’ Dovid Geudj,

speaks about the Rebbe, his voice chokes up and one can see he is very emotional. The concept of “Rebbe” burns in his bones.

“I had two incredible stories with the Rebbe. These stories are always with me, every moment of my life.

“I was raised in Nice, France in an irreligious home. We were traditional but nothing more. The ones who were mekarev me to Judaism and Chassidus

were the shluchim, R’ Yosef Yitzchok Pinson and R’ Yosef Cohen. I was eighteen at the time.

“That year, 5744, as a new baal t’shuva who had just been exposed to Chassidus and the Rebbe, I joined a group from Nice that went to spend Tishrei in 770. I found the stay in Crown Heights hard. One day followed another and each day was more packed than the one before, entire nights without sleep, farbrengens, and long lines to get dollars or lekach. The intensity was foreign to me. On Hoshana Raba, the Rebbe gave out lekach. I was sound asleep and missed it; the stress of the previous days had gotten to me.

“One of the guys who was with us in the group woke me up and said the Rebbe had just given out lekach and I had missed out. He tried to calm me down by saying it was just a piece of cake and he would share with me, but I was upset. I was on a t’shuva high and I raced to 770. I went straight to R’ Groner’s room and told him about the lekach I had missed out on and explained that it wasn’t fair because I had been so tired and I wanted some.

“R’ Groner didn’t know what to do with me. He told me that if I had missed out, that was by divine providence. I insisted and a loud argument ensued when suddenly the door to the Rebbe’s room opened and the Rebbe came out and said something to R’ Groner in Yiddish. I did not understand a word but afterward, the Rebbe returned to his room and R’ Groner told me that the Rebbe decided to give me lekach and asked me to go down to the sukka.

“A few minutes later the Rebbe left his room, wearing his coat, and gave me lekach. In retrospect, the real absurdity is that after receiving lekach I still had the nerve to complain to R’ Groner – what did he have against me that he didn’t want to give me lekach when the Rebbe himself agreed to give me… It was only later that I understood that I had been granted a special kiruv and how great the Rebbe’s Ahavas Yisroel is.

“The other story happened eight years after that. After being married for a few years and not having children, we began visiting doctors. We saw it was no simple matter and decided to fly to 770 and ask the Rebbe for a bracha. A group from France went to 770 in 5752 and we, a young couple, joined them.

“At dollars, my wife asked for a bracha for children. The Rebbe gave her two dollar bills and said they were for the children. One year later, in 5753, we had twin boys. Since then we have not had more children; the Rebbe gave two dollars for two children.”

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who mainly spoke musar.“We had a Chassidishe

farbrengen on every special day and before Yud Shevat we told that bachur that at the time of the shiur we would be having a farbrengen instead. I thought he would happily agree but instead, he said that a farbrengen does not cancel a shiur and he did not want the farbrengen to take place at that time. I responded firmly.

“The night before the farbrengen, I was feeling bad. The bachur had not even agreed to meet to discuss a solution. I wrote to the Rebbe and opened to a letter dated Erev Yud Shevat! The Rebbe wrote that you must explain that Chassidus pertains to every Jew and it makes no difference who he is.

“In the morning I decided to meet the bachur and convey this message. Before I could say a word, he said, ‘Alon, have the farbrengen; I’m the last one to stand in your way.’ I wondered what had changed all of a sudden and I asked him. He told me something astonishing.

“He said that every morning he davened in the shul where his rav, a well-known person in Kiryat Gat, davens. That day was a Torah reading and one of the talmidim bought the third aliya for the rav. Afterward, when the rav stepped down, he blessed the talmid that he should merit to be blessed by the Lubavitcher Rebbe for on that day he accepted the Chabad leadership, a day that is significant for every Jew. He then looked at me and said, ‘If my rav speaks that way, I will be the last one to interfere with a farbrengen that is made in the Rebbe’s honor.’”

R’ Geudj suggested that this bachur speak at the farbrengen and tell a story about the Baal Shem Tov. He agreed. So not

only wasn’t there a split but the same person who was an apparent opponent was one of the main speakers at the farbrengen.

Farbrengens at Intel are well known. They have had R’ M. M. Groner, R’ Ozer Alperowitz and other guests like R’ Zelig Wolpo come and speak. Refreshments are plentiful and delicious and people leave strengthened in Chassidishe practices and with good hachlatos.

THE REBBE SEES AHEADEvery year, on Purim, there

are three Megilla readings in different locations throughout the company.

“We make a big deal on Purim with giving out mishloach manos and readings of the Megilla,” says R’ Nevo.

“One year, before going to Intel with my children who were already in costume, I wrote to the Rebbe and asked for a bracha. The answer, which was in volume 18 p. 394, was about the necessity of a mechitza separating men and women and to explain its importance. I realized that the Rebbe wants a mechitza but did not understand why, when women never came to the company’s Megilla readings.

“I called R’ Geudj and the maintenance man right away and asked for mechitzos. To their credit let it be said that they arranged mechitzos without unnecessary questions. Then, what happened bowled us all over and was told and retold among the people at the company. That particular year, many women decided to attend the Megilla reading and there were actually more women than men!”

***R’ Geudj says that before

Pesach their outreach work is

busier than ever.“The past year, we gave out

a hundred packages of matza and sought out the people who seemed the most estranged from such matters. There is a fellow to whom I gave matzos who burst into tears. He said that for many years he did not eat matza on Pesach and I had reminded him of forgotten times. Another fellow, a new immigrant from France who came from a very liberal home, took the matza and told me later that he ate them the night of Pesach.”

As for Chanuka, in addition to three large menorahs in central locations in Intel’s buildings, there are many menorahs lit by employees in their offices.

“One Chanuka, we decided to widely publicize the miracle,” recalls R’ Nevo. “We obtained funding from the company to buy three big menorahs, two meters high, to be placed at the three entrances. One of the employees with a large vehicle volunteered to go with me to the Mamash offices in B’nei Brak to get the menorahs. Security is very tight at Intel and when we brought the menorahs the managers asked that they be approved by the security department. That same day they checked the menorahs and unfortunately, they were not approved.

“They said that if there would be a strong wind they would fall and cause a short. I was upset because I could see all our work going down the drain. I wrote to the Rebbe and the answer was, “Regarding the light poles, to consult with an expert in the field.” I wondered who I could consult with and remembered that among the people in shul was a young man who was an electrical engineer. I spoke to him and he said, ‘Alon, there is no

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way they will give their approval. In any case, the purpose of the menorahs is to publicize the miracle, so simply remove the wires and instead of bulbs add another candle every day.’

“I accepted his suggestion and we got the approval and everything was arranged quickly. Maintenance men came to put up the menorahs, the security guy came with the permits and thousands of employees who passed by every day saw the Chanuka menorahs and knew exactly how many candles to light.”

***R’ Nevo left Intel for a senior

position at another high-tech company.

“I really wanted to leave five years earlier. I live in Beer Sheva and the long trip exhausted me, especially as I felt burned out on the job, but when I wrote to the Rebbe the answer was to stay.

“The first time that I wrote to the Rebbe about it, I opened to an answer in which the Rebbe writes to a shliach who travels a lot and said he was happy to hear about his learning Torah while in transit for this purifies the air. I understood from this that the Rebbe wanted me to stay at Intel. I continued working there while simultaneously working in hafatza.

“Then it reached a point where I couldn’t do it anymore and I had a better offer closer to home. I consulted with my mashpia who told me to write to the Rebbe again. In the letter

I opened to the second time, the Rebbe gave brachos to someone before he began a new job and blessed him with ample parnasa. I understood that this time the Rebbe approved my leaving. As soon as I got this answer, two other Lubavitchers went to work for Intel, Adi Umaysi and Eli Devoras. They quickly became active in hafatza.

“I felt that as long as there were no replacements for me in my shlichus at the company the Rebbe wouldn’t let me leave, but when they came, the door was opened for me to move elsewhere.

“Two days before I left, R’ Devoras arranged a birthday farbrengen and invited me and everyone to say l’chaim. After the farbrengen, he wanted to show me an answer that he opened to from the Rebbe for his birthday. The Rebbe was writing to a shliach who went on

shlichus to Europe and gave him many blessings, in particular for diligence in shlichus. I looked at him and was moved; I felt that the Rebbe had passed the torch of shlichus along to him along with R’ Geudj and the other Chassidim.”

R’ Dovid Geudj and R’ Alon Nevo preparing for Pesach

Happy Chanuka at Intel

ADD IN ACTS OF GOODNESS & KINDNESS

TO BRING MOSHIACH NOW! Issue 940 • � 13

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TOTAL SELF SACRIFICER’ Shraga Elimelech (Meilich) Kaplan went

to Tomchei T’mimim and became one of the

diligent talmidim there. * For many years he was

persecuted because he spread Torah and he

was even arrested several times. He finally left

Russia for Eretz Yisroel where he was appointed

maggid shiur in the new Tomchei T’mimim in Lud

and the rav of the Chabad community there. *

Part 2 of 2

By Shneur Zalman Berger

As was told in the previous chapter, some T’mimim joined a group of Jews who arranged with a

professional smuggler to take them over the border to Turkey. The smuggler waited for them but together with him were NKVD agents who arrested them all. The group knew that they now faced the death penalty.

About two weeks after their arrest, one of the members of the hanhala of the network of yeshivos Tomchei T’mimim in the Soviet Union wrote a report to the Rebbe Rayatz who was in Riga. In his report are the names of the bachurim who were in the network of yeshivos

and where they were located. In the paragraph entitled tefisa (lit. grasp, synonym for jail) was written the names of the boys in this group: Michel Patchin, Michel Piekarski (who lived in New York for many years), Elimelech Kaplan, Zalman Levitin (he was the menahel and mashgiach of Tomchei T’mimim in Kutais in Georgia), Yitzchok Lippman, Shlomo Matusof (shliach in Morocco, a”h), Abba Levin, and two boys from Bukhara – Mendel and Yochai (their last name was not known to the person writing the list).

“Apparently, all these are studying in Batum in tefisa, may Hashem protect them.

Apparently, also in the group is the son of the Masmid (meaning R’ Eliezer, the son of R’ Itche der Masmid who was in the group), and the two rabbanim – R’ Avrohom Levi Slavin and R’ Mordechai Perlov.”

Their situation was not known to their families at first. R’ Meilich’s father, R’ Aryeh Leib, asked the Rebbe Rayatz to get involved but the Rebbe replied: “As of now, nothing is known about their situation and it would be difficult to do anything.” A few days later additional details became known and the Rebbe wrote about this to one of the Chassidim, “As was clarified, they are in prison in Batum and

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their situation is very difficult and entails danger to life, G-d forbid.” Then various possibilities were written about how to try to help them.

R’ Meilich suffered greatly in jail as his son R’ Nachum related:

“When he was brought to prison and put in a cell, the veteran prisoners immediately went over to him and boldly removed his yarmulke. He later said that he knew that he could not display anger, for then the inmates would bother him even more, so he remained quiet. It was only when he saw that they weren’t noticing that he took the yarmulke and put it back on. A

short while later they removed it again and he kept quiet. This happened a number of times until they stopped.

“He received a package from home with food. He gave all the food to the leader of the inmates and from then on, the attitude toward him changed dramatically. My father knew how to manage in every situation.”

The youngest prisoner of all was R’ Shlomo Matusof and this is how he described the imprisonment in his memoirs:

“I sat there for three months until the conclusion of the interrogations of all the accused

and their court cases for the crime of smuggling across the border which was against the law… We spent Pesach in jail. Representatives from the prisoners’ families came, as well as Georgian Jews, and supplied us with some holiday items… When all the interrogations were finished, they released some women who came from Bukhara and me too, because of my age. I was only 16 and not eligible for sentencing. The older prisoners remained in jail until their sentence was announced – three years in exile.”

Under the circumstances, exile did not mean Siberia but labor camps in the area. R’ Perlov was sent to Tbilisi in Georgia and R’ Eliezer Horowitz was sent to Tashkent in Uzbekistan.

R’ ITCHE DER MASMID MEETS THE SOVIET FOREIGN MINISTER

While they were in prison, international efforts were made to free them. R’ Shmuel Kosovitzky, R’ Meilich’s uncle, who lived in London, told the story to reporters in London and as a result, newspapers around the world began making a commotion about the injustice being done to innocent citizens who wanted to leave the Soviet Union and how people were arrested through a provocateur.

The head of the secret police was asked by Jewish figures from around the world to release the prisoners. In the end, these efforts were successful, in no small part thanks to R’ Itche der Masmid whose son was one of those arrested.

In those days, there were no diplomatic ties between the United States and the Soviet Union, and Russia very much

Sitting: R’ Meilich and his son Boruch. Standing from right to left: his son Nachum (with his child, Yosef Yitzchok), his son Leibel, his son-in-law

Moshe Yudelewitz

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wanted these ties. At precisely this time, the Russian foreign minister, Litvinov (who was a Jew) paid a visit to the US in order to try and arrange diplomatic ties.

R’ Itche Masmid was in the US at that time on shlichus for the Rebbe Rayatz and he was able to arrange a meeting with Litvinov with the aid of one of

the senators. At the meeting, he told him about the group who were arrested because the people wanted to cross the border and that his son Lazer (later the mashgiach in Tomchei T’mimim in Lud) was arrested along with the group.

The foreign minister did not feel comfortable in front of the Americans about having a group of young people sitting in jail because they wanted to leave the country. He immediately used his influence which led to their release within a short time.

ARRESTED AFTER BAKING MATZOS

When R’ Meilich left jail, he went to Kiev where his father was the rav and the rosh yeshiva of the local Tomchei T’mimim. R’ Meilich learned in this yeshiva together with R’ Meir Itkin, R’ Nachum Volosov, R’ Yisroel Yehuda Levin, and others.

A few months had passed since their release and once

again he was arrested, this time for baking matzos. It was before Pesach, and somehow his father had obtained some shmura wheat from Haditch in the hopes of baking matzos that would suffice, barely, not only for his own family but also for the Jews of the city.

One of the members of the Jewish community who managed

a mill for materials that were used as fillers in manufacturing cement, offered R’ Kaplan the use of the mill to grind the wheat. He made this illegal act conditional on their doing it under cover of darkness. He knew that if he was caught he would be subject to a severe punishment. R’ Kaplan agreed and late one night he sent his two sons, R’ Meilich and R’ Moshe Binyamin, to the mill. The two of them worked a long time cleaning parts of the mill and then they prepared to grind the wheat for matza. They finished their work late at night and walked home with a sack of flour on R’ Moshe Binyamin’s shoulder.

The street was pitch black and they did not notice a policeman standing on the other end of the street. When they finally saw him it was too late. He demanded to see their ID’s. R’ Moshe Binyamin showed his ID, but R’ Meilich did not have any, so he was arrested and sent to the police station. R’ Moshe Binyamin returned home alone and R’ Meilich’s family

were beside themselves. He had just been arrested a few months earlier and now he was in jail again. It was a small consolation that the policeman did not check the contents of the sack and at least the Jews of the city had the flour.

The chief of police in Kiev was a particularly cruel man and a virulent anti-Semite. So although he knew that R’ Meilich was a legal resident and had committed no crime, he sent him to the Lukyanivska prison to await his sentence there.

R’ Meilich’s worried father consulted with a lawyer who advised him to meet with the president of the Ukraine (in those days, the Ukraine was a republic of the Soviet Union and had its own local government), a Mr. Petrovsky, who was known as a nice man.

R’ Kaplan immediately went to Charkov where the president lived. Every morning, he stood at Petrovsky’s door in the hopes of meeting him. In the meantime, the Jewish community in Charkov used its connections in government circles and a meeting with the president was arranged.

Petrovsky listened to R’ Kaplan in a welcoming manner. R’ Kaplan explained how his son was sickly and weak and could not survive incarceration or exile. His words fell on receptive ears. The president decided to allow the prisoner to remain under arrest in Kiev and then would pardon him because of his weak, sickly state.

But this is not what happened. R’ Meilich was categorized as an illegal yeshiva student who never worked and this complicated matters. It was necessary to obtain documents that showed that R’ Meilich had a history of working in order for him to be

“When a Jew serves Hashem by learning Torah

and doing mitzvos and is completely devoted to

serving Him, spreading Torah to talmidim, and this is his

goal and his desire and his chayus, then Hashem sends

him his parnasa and the parnasa of his household like

bread from the heavens.”

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pardoned. After a short while, papers stating that R’ Meilich worked at a factory that made milk bottles were obtained. The documents reached the right people and the president pardoned him. R’ Meilich went back to yeshiva in Kiev. Shortly thereafter, he went to learn in Kursk.

FATHER, MOTHER AND SPIRITUAL MENTOR

In those difficult times, many melamdim, maggidei shiur and mashpiim were caught and sent to jail or exile. Their wives remained living widows and the children living orphans with no material and spiritual support. The situation was dire. As a result, it was decided that older bachurim who were not yet married would take these positions.

R’ Meilich became a maggid

shiur and he gave shiurim to boys just a few years younger than him. Fortunately for him, his beard was still short so that the secret police who sometimes went to where they were learning did not think he was the melamed. The talmidim themselves had beards and they claimed they were learning on their own, which was legal.

Despite this, he was arrested and jailed a few times for being a maggid shiur. He did not talk much about this era but his children heard just a bit from him. R’ Nachum said:

“For a long time, my father was responsible for a group of bachurim. He was the maggid shiur, the mashgiach, the mashpia, as well as the menahel gashmi of the yeshiva. He not only taught but took care of providing food, places to sleep, and was the father and mother

of the boys aside from also being their spiritual mentor.

“The government arrested my father a number of times and he was sent for brief stays in prison. On a rare occasion he confided how he survived Pesach in jail. Every day the inmates received a small ration of bread, but during Pesach, in order to torment them, they gave the Jewish prisoners plenty of white bread. For my father it was extremely difficult and he did not know whether he would make it through Pesach alive. Nevertheless, he resolved not to allow chametz to enter his mouth, come what may. He sufficed with sugar cubes and a few potatoes.

“On the last day of Pesach he fell deathly ill. ‘If Pesach would have been one more day, I would not have survived,’ he said.

“On another occasion he said that he managed to hide his

Shluchim of the Rebbe in 5716 giving out Tanyas to students in his class. On the right is R’ Meilich Kaplan and on the left is R’ Avrohom Maiyor, one of the menahalim of the yeshiva

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t’fillin in jail and every morning he would get up early and put them on in bed in a way that nobody would see. Despite his great care, one of the prisoners noticed the leather straps and decided to steal them.

“One morning, my father got up and to his great shock, the t’fillin shel yad had disappeared. He looked all over and then

realized they had been stolen. He was disconsolate and was determined to find them. After the daily bread was distributed (it was the only food they were given that day), he gave his portion of bread to a prisoner who was a boss in the cell and told him that in exchange for the bread he had to find the stolen goods. Within a short time his t’fillin were located and returned. He fasted that day, endangering his health, for the t’fillin.”

THE BOTTLE THAT SAVED HIM

In 5697/1937, R’ Meilich married Yehudis Segalov, from a family of rabbanim. They lived in greater Charkov.

With the outbreak of World War II, he was forcibly drafted despite the exemption he had, because during those emergency times all exemptions were void. He left his wife and baby Nachum at home. R’ Nachum told about an episode that occurred while his father was in the army:

“My father had to guard a military base. Since he was the only guard, his duty was that much greater. When Sukkos came, he decided that he had to eat in a sukka on the first night, no matter what. He somehow found out that the nearest sukka was in the home of someone who lived an hour’s walk away. He walked quickly so he could return

as fast as he could. He knew that once every few weeks there was a special inspection to ensure that the guarding was being done properly. The chances were slim but he still hoped that the inspection would not take place that night.

“When he arrived at the sukka, the owner wanted to serve him meat and fish but since he was in a rush, he quickly ate a k’zayis of bread and left. When he arrived back at the base, he saw at the gate his commander who screamed, ‘You left this base without a guard in wartime. We just had an inspection and they saw that there is no guard!’

“My father knew that if they judged him now, the sentence would be severe because it was desertion during wartime. He suddenly recalled that he had with him a bottle of vodka, a precious commodity in those days. He gave the bottle to his commander who immediately relaxed. He smiled and waved a finger in warning and said, ‘Make sure you don’t run away again.’

“After a short while he was able to return home. He packed his belongings and immediately left for Kazakhstan with his wife and baby where his father was already in exile.”

IN EXILE IN KAZAKHSTANHow did his father get to

Kazakhstan?As already mentioned, his

father was the rav of the Jewish community in Kiev and he led them fearlessly. One day he was arrested for the crime of spreading Torah. This was Adar 1939. They also arrested rabbanim, Chassidim and others in Kiev, Yekaterinoslav (where the Rebbe’s father was arrested), Chernigov and other cities.

After a long incarceration in which they were interrogated and tortured, the rabbanim were exiled, each to a different location. R’ Levi Yitzchok was sent to C’ili while R’ Kaplan was sent to a village called Yani-Kurgan (about 25 kilometers from C’ili) together with R’ Moshe Kolikov and R’ Bentzion Geisinsky. According to law, the prisoners were not allowed to leave the place where they were exiled, but R’ Kaplan and R’ Kolikov left many times for C’ili in order to meet with R’ Levi Yitzchok and to assist him.

R’ Moshe Binyamin, R’ Kaplan’s son, related:

“Since my father was a ben Torah and a great scholar, they had what to talk about and they enjoyed each other’s company. When my father and R’ Kolikov went to see him, they would bring food and arranged their visit so that they could stay with him for five or six hours every time.”

After a while, the families of the prisoners were able to go to Kazakhstan. R’ Kaplan’s wife joined her husband and R’

“Every day the inmates received a small ration

of bread, but during Pesach, in order to torment

them, they gave the Jewish prisoners whole loaves of

white bread. For my father it was extremely difficult

and he did not know whether he would make it through

Pesach alive.”

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Meilich with his family arrived afterward and joined his parents. He also visited R’ Levi Yitzchok and helped him in his final years.

At some point R’ Kaplan was forced to relocate to Kzyl-Orda where he underwent much suffering. On Yom Kippur 5704/1943, he davened in a private home which was turned into a secret shul. When they finished reciting Kol Nidrei and Maariv, everyone went home. R’ Kaplan and his son, R’ Meilich and R’ Kolikov remained to say T’hillim. The local worshipers warned them about the danger of walking in the street late at night because there were murderers roaming the streets.

Late at night, R’ Kaplan and R’ Kolikov returned home while R’ Meilich remained to rest on a bench. On their way home, ruffians beat them severely. R’ Kolikov, who was older than R’ Kaplan, fainted. They thought he had died and they left him alone while they continued beating R’ Kaplan.

With his remaining strength, he dragged himself home and managed to say that R’ Moshe was lying on the street, “Hurry and save him.” Those were his last words. He lost consciousness and throughout the holy day he was in critical condition. At the time of N’ila, he passed away, may Hashem avenge his blood.

After the passing of his father, R’ Meilich moved to Samarkand with his family. Many Chabad Chassidim went there during the war as they escaped from areas conquered by the Nazis.

The economy of the Soviet Union during the war was terrible and starvation felled many people. R’ Meilich and his family suffered from hunger, but he did not have anything to feed his wife and children. The situation grew worse until there wasn’t even a piece of bread in the house.

One day, he met the Chassid R’ Berke Chein who knew R’ Meilich’s situation and offered him a loan. R’ Meilich refused it. R’ Berke did not give up but

suggested that he consider taking it. After R’ Meilich refused him time and again, R’ Berke burst into tears and said, “Meilich, I know that the situation in your house is terrible and you have no money with which to buy food. If you don’t take the loan, I feel like I just won’t be able to survive!”

With the end of the war, R’ Meilich left the Soviet Union via Lvov and from there arrived in Poking, Germany. He lived there with his family in a large refugee camp with other Chassidim. A Chabad school was started right away and he was appointed the melamed. This time, he would be able to teach Torah to Jewish children without fear.

When R’ Meilich told the Rebbe Rayatz that he was planning on making aliya, the Rebbe Rayatz gave him an important assignment:

In response to your letter about preparing to travel with a large group of religious Jews... via the coast of Marseilles, surely you will try to urge the

Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim Lud – Pardes

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passengers and their households to try and settle in the company of G-d fearing people and as soon as they arrive, to arrange learning in Torah classes and for their children to arrange schools and yeshivos that are G-d fearing. I would take great pleasure in hearing about the welfare of all and about their settling in. (letter from 20 Cheshvan 5709)

PASSING UP A RABBINIC POST

R’ Meilich Kaplan arrived in Eretz Yisroel at the beginning of 5709 with his wife Yehudis and his children, Nachum, Boruch, Tova (later Yudelewitz), and Chana Sarah. Their youngest son, Aryeh Leib, was born in Eretz Yisroel.

At first they lived in a transit camp in Beer Yaakov. From there they went to Lud where some Lubavitcher families had settled. R’ Nachum tells of the difficulties of acclimating in Lud:

“My father was told that the place where we would settle was part of the city Ramle and neighborhoods would be founded there that would serve as the Chabad center of the country.

He eventually found out that the people in charge in Ramle did not know that this area was actually part of Lud.

“My father did not have a job. He got an offer from R’ Shaul Yisraeli (later rosh yeshiva of Merkaz HaRav and a member of the Beis Din HaGadol) who was a relative of his. He offered to appoint my father rav of the city. ‘Take the portfolio of HaPoel HaMizrachi and we will appoint you rav.’ He knew about my father’s scholarliness and wanted a suitable rav for the city as well as to help him with parnasa.

“My father, who was new in the country, did not know the significance of the portfolio of HaPoel HaMizrachi and so he consulted with his friend, R’ Avrohom (Drizin) Maiyor. R’ Drizin explained that this would mean he was aligning himself with the HaPoel HaMizrachi political party and he should say no. My father listened and declined the offer.”

A short while later, right after the founding of Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim in Lud in Shevat 5709, R’ Meilich was appointed as the first maggid shiur in the yeshiva.

On 19 Adar, about two

months after the yeshiva was founded, the Rebbe Rayatz wrote to R’ Meilich:

… I was pleased that, thank G-d, you obtained an apartment at Lud station and are regularly involved in public shiurim for adults, as well as arranging learning for the children of Anash.

R’ Meilich worked at the yeshiva for thirty years. Some of the years he worked as a maggid shiur and some of the years he was a mashgiach of the older talmidim. The talmidim found his appearance intimidating. It was enough for them to see him approaching the yeshiva building for them to run to the zal and start learning. At the same time, he treated the talmidim like a mother who is concerned for her child. When a talmid found the Gemara hard to understand, R’ Meilich would explain it to him again and again patiently. He would be especially mekarev those from North African countries whose parents were not Chabad Chassidim. He was like a compassionate father to them and he encouraged them throughout.

Even in later years, when he was sick, he continued to go to the yeshiva and served as a meishiv.

Throughout the thirty years, he never thought of a high salary or bonuses for seniority, on the contrary. He went abroad a few times to raise money for the yeshiva and after he passed away, R’ Efraim Wolf, the menahel, said R’ Meilich would donate most of his salary to the yeshiva.

RAV IN SHIKUN CHABAD LUD

Along with his work in the yeshiva, R’ Meilich served as rav

Summer 5740, a few months before his passing. Speaking at a siyum at the Chabad elementary school in Lud.

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in Shikun Chabad in Lud. Shortly after arriving in Lud, he was appointed rav of the tiny Chabad community which solidified and grew. He did not receive a salary for this. All his work in rabbanus was done voluntarily and with endless devotion. He would give shiurim and farbreng in the shuls of the neighborhood and also went to other shuls in Lud to give shiurim and speak to the congregants.

He would say: When a Jew serves Hashem by learning Torah and doing mitzvos and is completely devoted to serving Him, spreading Torah to talmidim, and this is his goal and his desire and his chayus, then Hashem sends him his parnasa and the parnasa of his household like bread from the heavens. For example, in our generation there is a Jew that Hashem sends him parnasa as if it was literally bread that fell from heaven because his thoughts, speech and actions are completely in the service of Hashem.

He initiated the founding of the elementary school in the neighborhood and was involved in building the mikva. When the mikva was being built he raised money for it and wrote to the Rebbe about this. The Rebbe

wrote him a letter which he ended with: May Hashem grant you success in this holy work and your work in the yeshiva which will consequently bring bracha and success in your personal matters as well. With blessings for success to all the participants in this holy work.

Whenever it was necessary to fill the rainwater pit again, he would do this taking great care with all the halachos.

Over the years he had a daily routine. He would daven Shacharis in the first minyan at the Chabad shul. Aside from his work at the yeshiva and the shiurim he gave in the neighborhood shuls, he also had chavrusas with whom he learned during the day and set shiurim that he learned on his own.

“All the shiurim and the eating and sleeping were done in an orderly way. I never saw my father idle. Even during a time when he found it hard to read due to a medical problem with his eyes, he listened to tapes with shiurim in Nigleh and Chassidus,” said his son R’ Nachum.

DEATH WITH A KISSA few years before his passing,

he had a stroke and he suffered greatly after that. Nevertheless, he continued going to yeshiva and responded to questions from people in the community.

On Shabbos Parshas Chayei Sarah 5741/1980, while his son Nachum was visiting him, he told him a d’var Torah: At the beginning of the parsha, Rashi says on the words, “the years of the life of Sarah,” that they were all equally good. How can he say this? Were all her years equally good – weren’t there ups and downs? The answer is that even when there are unpleasant things, they need to be accepted in the right way.

Two days later, on 24 Cheshvan, he went to the Georgian shul to daven Mincha. He always davened Mincha in this shul and occasionally he addressed the people with words of chizuk. R’ Meilich was standing next to the Aron Kodesh for Shmoneh Esrei when his siddur fell from his hands and his head fell back with him leaning against the Aron Kodesh.

That is how he passed away in a death befitting a Chassid who was completely devoted to others and to spreading Torah behind the Iron Curtain and in Eretz Yisroel.

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SMOOTHING TRANSITIONSThe new school year is about to begin. This

new beginning is more significant for those

who are about to experience a major change:

from preschool to first grade, from elementary

school to high school/mesivta, from high school/

mesivta to seminary/yeshiva g’dola.

By C Ben David

Life provides us with many transitions: moving to a new location, a new job, the birth of a baby, and

some less happy changes. Even an adult who experienced some sort of change is affected by it and goes through a period in which he has to adjust. For a child, the adjustment can be much more difficult.

The move from preschool to first grade, for example, is a big one. In preschool there was more freedom, more playtime. Just two months later, the children will be expected to sit in their seats for long periods of time and will have to listen to lessons, do class work and homework, and behave.

“In first grade, most of the children adjust easily,” says Leah, a veteran first grade teacher. “A few children find it hard and in most cases you can anticipate these difficulties; those children

who, in preschool, were introverts and shy or those who were not well-behaved. Sometimes, these are clingy children who are very attached to home.

“When a problem is anticipated in advance, it can be handled. If necessary, professionals—like the school guidance counselor or psychologist—can get involved. The rest of the children enjoy feeling ‘big’ and getting into the routine. What can help, besides preparing the children with the skills for reading and math, is introducing them to the new building, to the teacher, and telling them how school differs from preschool.”

Going from elementary school to mesivta is an even bigger change. Although these are older children, it’s a transition from a setting in which children are

home-based to a setting in which they are often dorming. Adjusting to the new routine, sleeping in a room with friends, yeshiva food, and feeling homesick while getting used to the new schedule and ways of learning, can be tough.

Even for those who don’t sleep in a dormitory, there is a huge difference between elementary school and high school. In elementary school there are longer breaks in which the children play and run around. They get to “air out” during the school day. In yeshiva, the breaks are fewer and the way they are spent are more low-key, as befits a yeshiva bachur.

“It’s really not easy,” says Yehudis, who has already sent four boys to yeshiva. “There are kids who quickly adjust but the beginning is always hard. Being

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out of the house and having to get used to many changes in daily routine requires a lot from a boy. In my experience, although for some of my boys it was easier and for some harder, it usually resolves itself with time. Even when there are adjustment problems, if they are not particularly severe, you shouldn’t put too much of an emphasis on them. Sometimes, parents convey to their child that he has a problem and the child adopts this label of ‘problem kid.’ That makes it much harder to handle the problem which wasn’t that big to begin with.

“It’s important to discuss it with the child openly and define the difficulty. Sometimes, when the child has a problem, he might feel that the school is the problem. Especially with younger

children, for example, a preschool child can find it difficult to point to a bullying child as the problem and might say he just doesn’t like school. When you talk to the child, you can pinpoint the problem.

“I think most children adjust to yeshiva life, though of course it depends on the relationship between them and the staff.”

Yisroel, an educator who works in a yeshiva, describes how they handle boys who are coming to mesivta:

“The staff keeps on eye on the bachurim and there are always those who have a hard time at first. We try to establish a personal relationship with each bachur who is having it hard, and we try to help him – first by talking to the bachur himself, then getting his parents

involved, by being flexible a bit with requirements and s’darim, and in special cases even getting professionals involved.”

What kinds of adjustment problems do you see?

Rochel, whose son is in mesivta, describes the difficulties her son had at first: “He found it hard to make peace with the fact that he was leaving home behind. We saw this with the phone calls when he repeatedly asked whether there was anything else we hadn’t told him and whether we were keeping him up to date on what was going on at home. It was very important to him to hear about every little detail, and when we did not tell him about something that seemed trivial, he was very offended. This problem was temporary and the more time passed, the more confidence he

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gained that even when he was in yeshiva, he wasn’t forgotten at home.”

Dovid is a talmid in mesivta and he tells of another difficulty: “In yeshiva, the schedule obligates me throughout the day. In elementary school I had to go along with the program but after school I went home where I had the freedom to play with my younger brothers or to read a book. At home I felt somewhat free with my brothers while in yeshiva I am in a room with peers. At first, I felt less comfortable, but over time I became friendly with my roommates and got used to the s’darim.”

Yehudis tells of a similar difficulty that came up with her second son: “I sensed very strongly that when he came home he really needed to unwind. Just being at home made him very happy and he would sit in front of the computer a lot or even played with games that were not age appropriate. It was only after a while that I realized what it was. It was hard for him to express it himself but we talked with him and after realizing what the difficulty was, it was easier to deal with it.”

Yisroel talks about common difficulties: “There are bachurim who find it hard to get used to

food that is different than home. Some complain about little things in the arrangements of the rooms. There are difficulties that are more apparent and are easier for us to notice but the bachurim don’t always articulate it immediately. Very often, boys of this age keep things to themselves and don’t say that something is bothering them and what it is.

“You can find out that a bachur is having a hard time adjusting when certain manifestations appear, such as extreme introversion, difficulties getting up in the morning, and failing academically. If these problems continue for long, for more than a month, or if the problem seems to get worse, the dorm counselor or mashpia speaks to the bachur and tries to help him. The parents are usually informed too (something the bachur does not always appreciate when he finds out, for he feels they don’t rely on him or they are talking about him behind his back). This is all, of course, besides the ongoing personal connection with bachurim which helps foster closeness and trust and a very supportive relationship to help overcome initial difficulties.

“However, there are bachurim who have real difficulties adjusting and these manifest as more serious problems or they last longer.”

What do you do in those situations?

“We talk with the parents to find out if there is any particular reason for the difficulty and we decide what approach will best help the child adjust.”

Miriam just sent her second son to yeshiva and she talks about his hard time adjusting to the new routine: “He is the youngest child in the family and maybe

A SHORT GUIDE FOR PARENTS – HOW TO HELP CHILDREN ADJUST TO A NEW SITUATION

Preparation: Prepare children for a transition, mainly by talking to them about it in an age appropriate way. What changes can they expect in the new setting? What might be difficult? When the child himself says what the difficulties might be (and they might be little things that we would never think of) you can think of solutions together. You can also arrange for a child to speak with a brother/neighbor/uncle etc. who are in the same situation the child is about to enter and they can provide guidance, advice, and support.

Keeping Tabs: It is very important to keep tabs on a child who starts a new program and be aware of how he or she is doing. There are children who adjust easily to a new place and new circumstances and there are other children who exhibit big problems. And then there are children who find it hard to adjust but it doesn’t show. Parents need to call the school and even visit now and then. They need to take a sincere interest and talk to their child even about the little things. This can help them discover whether the child is adjusting or has a problem and needs help.

Ongoing Support: Give the child the feeling that he has a listening ear. Give him the opportunity to talk and listen to his stories; let him see you’re interested. At the same time, don’t get overly involved so as not to create excessive dependency. It’s good to encourage their independence.

Sensitivity: Not all children let on when they’re having a problem and they don’t all show it in the same way. It’s important to be sensitive and to pay attention to even the most subtle messages that can indicate that a child is experiencing difficulty.

Communication: Be in constant touch, not only with the child but also with the teachers in the new place. This way, you can find out and be updated on how the child is acclimating from the perspective of an adult. Calling also shows that you care and builds a relationship of trust and cooperation.

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this is why he is more spoiled and very connected to home. He calls home very often, sometimes daily, with various excuses, to ask questions on trivial mattes or to tell me about things that happened. I felt he was exhibiting excessive dependency. He wanted to consult with me about every little thing like arranging his room, his clothes etc., simple things that a boy his age should mange on his own. He often complained about the shower which is different than the one at home or the noise in the room.

“The food was also something he complained about a lot and sometimes I got the impression that he did not eat all day. He said that at breakfast the plate did not look clean enough, at lunch they served something he does not like, and supper did not appeal to him.

“When these problems continued and we did not notice an improvement even after talking to him, we spoke to the mashpia and dorm counselor. I was happy to discover that the mashpiim had noticed his struggle and were working with him, talking to him about the difficulties and looking for solutions to problems. He got special permission to occasionally visit relatives who live near the yeshiva and sometimes for Shabbos too, aside from the usual off-Shabbasos. In the dining room, they sometimes gave him an additional portion of the food that he likes, knowing that he doesn’t eat a lot of the other things.

“With time and the cooperation and help of the staff, my son adjusted and learned to like yeshiva, but it definitely wasn’t an easy process and it took a long time and lots of energy.”

Helping a child adjust means to walk a fine line and to find the right balance. On the one hand, it is important to work with the child and to sometimes forgo certain requirements; on the other hand, the goal is for the child to adjust and fit into the system and its requirements, not that he should get used to a situation in which he needs special treatment. The staff needs to find the right balance between these two considerations.

Many factors determine the level of difficulty – the child’s nature, the general atmosphere in the school, whether the child is intense or more easygoing, the family background, etc.

A possible approach to finding the correct balance is doing things gradually. In preschool, for example, the first days of school are short in order

to habituate the child to gradually get used to the new program.

A similar approach can be used for yeshivos and other frameworks. For example, there are high schools/mesivtos where a bachur who finds it hard to be away from home can get permission to sleep at home some days of the week and be gradually expected to sleep in the dormitory all the time. The same for the transition to elementary school, if the child’s difficulty in getting used to school has to do with homework, he can be asked, sometimes, to prepare only part of it. The goal ought to be to achieve full compliance with the program and this goal should be clear to the child too, by telling him so directly and with indirect reminders.

We need to differentiate between more important

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principles that we can’t compromise on and those things that are more flexible. If a bachur finds it hard getting used to the daily s’darim of the yeshiva, it is important to let him know that they are non-negotiable and he must get used to it. But if the main problem is the food, there is room for flexibility and understanding.

“Sometimes, parents really want us to give in to their kids and compromise more,” says

Yisroel. “I try to convey to the parents that the goal we all have is for the welfare of the child, and for his good we need to find the right balance. There are instances in which a bachur gets permission to leave yeshiva more often or is excused from certain things, but the goal is to get him used to the requirements and the child needs an opportunity to handle it. It’s important for bachurim to get used to dealing with situations, to accustom themselves to comply with demands and develop

independence. There is usually cooperation on the part of the parents and together we manage to get the bachur on track.”

“The parents’ cooperation is always important,” emphasizes Leah, the first grade teacher. Often, the child’s difficulty in adjusting to the new program has to do with a problem at home or in how the parents relate to it, for example, parents who don’t give their child independence and create an unnatural dependency. In these cases, most of the time, a talk with the parents can greatly improve the situation.”

Rochel, with a son in yeshiva, is the wife of a teacher and she works in a girls’ dormitory. She provides another perspective from her experience in the dorm:

“Sometimes there is information that parents can provide which will help their daughter. It can be some emotional problem, or a health issue, sometimes a certain detail about the family background. This can help a lot and the earlier that happens the faster the improvement. If dealing with the problem gets postponed, the problem gets more serious and goes from a minor difficulty to a major problem.”

In connection with this Rochel adds, “Sending a boy or girl to a dormitory is definitely not a solution to problems. I see cases in which a girl with a social problem is sent to a dorm in the hopes that it will help her overcome the problem. In my experience, it only makes problems worse. When a girl is forced to deal with a problem in its most extreme form, when she is far from family and their support, it can affect her self-confidence and amplify the situation.

“There are also cases in

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which being in a dorm is a very good experience and helps a girl mature and become stronger. So you need to carefully weigh the options. In any case, if there is a problem or difficulty that can make it hard for a child to adjust, deal with it from the outset and don’t say it will work itself out in school.”

How can adjusting be made easier in yeshiva or any new situation? What preparations are needed to prevent problems?

Yehudis refers to preparations on the part of the parents, talking with the child and preparing him for the change. When the transition is to a yeshiva, the child can be reminded of previous transitions that he went through. This can help him handle the new change. Even when transitioning into first grade, you can tell a child: Last year you were also in a new school and you got used to it.

You can also tell them stories about children who went through the same thing. For a bachur who is starting mesivta, you can also involve a brother, neighbor, or relative who learns in that yeshiva

who can guide him and talk to him.

Miriam adds that some of the preparation has to do with the parents’ adjustment: “I caught on a bit late that some of a child’s difficulty in adjusting has to do with it being hard for me to send him since he is the youngest. Parents themselves need to make peace with the fact that their child is moving along to a new situation, especially when it entails leaving home. It can be hard, especially with the first or last child, and the parents’ difficulty is subtly broadcast to the child. When I began to overcome the difficulty myself I felt that my son started to improve too.”

Rochel points out something else: “Give the child lots of warmth and attention, especially before the transition takes place. When the child leaves home knowing that he has a warm, supportive family, it will make it easier. Research shows that many children who find it hard to adjust are those who left behind a problem or some difficulty at home. Warmth and love are vital

for a child at any time, but it’s more significant at this time.

“Afterward too, when a child comes home for Shabbos, give him special attention. It can be by preparing food that he likes or a warm note or sign on the door, or just by devoting time to talking about his experiences in yeshiva.

“The main preparations take place at home with the parents and the immediate surroundings but the preparations that take place in school are also important. There are places where they get the boys used to learning with a chavrusa, for example, or a yeshiva style farbrengen. There can also be general discussions with the children which happens more with the girls. Boys are not as emotionally expressive, but an opportunity can be set up in which they feel free to talk. Often, the revelation that their classmates are dealing with similar hardships can be helpful.”

The bottom line is to know that when a child is doing well in a new school situation, it can be an opportunity for new personal growth (especially for those who need a second chance).

In Crown Heights area: 1640/1700AM worldwide, online: www.RadioMoshiach.org

USA phone: 718 557 7701 In Israel (Nechayeg Venishmah): 08-9493-770 (press 1 # / 9 # / 3 #)

www.MoshiachForKids.comCheck it out!! Educational and Fun!!

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SOUL READER VS. PALM READERA Jew who gave a contribution to a Chabad

institution requested the Rebbe’s bracha to

find his bashert, after trying twice to establish a

Jewish home – and failing. In an amazing answer

from Igros Kodesh, the Rebbe reminded him

of an incident that took place decades earlier

when he was a young boy, thereby changing his

life and freeing him from a terrible emotional

trauma.

By Nosson Avraham

Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry

THE PURITY OF ‘BEIS CHINUCH LUBAVITCH’

For several years now in Kfar Chabad, alongside the two longstanding Talmud Torahs, there has been a third Talmud Torah al taharas ha’kodesh – ‘Beis Chinuch Lubavitch.’ The founders of this institution are a group of young avreichim, acting in accordance with clear answers they were privileged to receive from the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, via Igros Kodesh. “Our motto: The establishment

of an educational institution with its material and spiritual administration in accordance with the instructions of the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach,” explained school administrator Rabbi Nesanel Zeiss.

There are plenty of examples. In contrast to educational institutions required to meet government standards that occasionally go against the spirit of Chabad, Beis Chinuch Lubavitch is a private institution that requests no government assistance. It can have

classrooms with less than twenty-five students. Similarly, classes studying Gemara have only twelve students – according to the approach of the Alter Rebbe. These are just two among many examples. “The feeling is that it is the Rebbe who runs the institution,” adds Rabbi Zeiss.

It’s clear and quite obvious that running an institution according to such standards demands that the administrators are constantly involved with collecting money, a responsibility that mainly falls upon Rabbi

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Zeiss’ shoulders in his role as school administrator.

We now come to the amazing miracle story that became known several weeks ago, quickly spreading throughout many Chabad communities at farbrengens and other public events. Rabbi Zeiss says that he feels that the Rebbe is running the institution, and when you read the following story, you will properly understand that this is not just some emotional reaction.

PALM READING? TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE!

“We periodically publicize among our friends about a special collection to raise funds for the institution, promising to write to the Rebbe for each of them via Igros Kodesh in request of a bracha for all they require. Among our many friends and supporters is one of my relatives, a young Jewish man who has a secure material existence, though his personal life has been very difficult.

“During the previous decade, he has been married and divorced twice. Since then, he has been looking for his true life’s partner – without success. The trauma of two failed marriages and the long period of search had caused him much sadness. He would go around in a state of deep depression.

“Last year, shortly before the Holiday of Redemption, Yud Beis Tammuz, I sent out an appeal message to all our friends and supporters, including to this

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young man. He immediately got back to me and promised to make a generous contribution. However, he also asked me to write a letter to the Rebbe for him in request of a bracha to find his bashert.

“I happily agreed to oblige. Since we knew one another quite well, I didn’t need to ask him for any personal information. After he made a good resolution, I sat down to write a letter to the Rebbe on his behalf. The answer appeared in Vol. 9 on pg. 227. In his reply, the Rebbe mentioned that it is forbidden to rely upon the predictions of a palm reader, because we must act in a manner of ‘Be wholehearted with Hashem, your G-d.’ Therefore, we must act in accordance with G-d’s command, including the vigorous search for an appropriate spouse.

“When I receive an answer for someone, I don’t act as an interpreter. Instead, I let him read it for himself, as it was meant for him. Thus, I e-mailed him a copy of the answer, which reads as follows:

In reply to his letter from the 20th of Tammuz, I was shocked to read that he had heard the opinion of a Jew familiar with the art of palm reading, who told him that he saw in the lines of his hand that he has been troubled in matters of shidduchim, etc., and he had asked him for his opinion. His inquiry into this topic is most puzzling, since this is in contradiction to the Holy Torah, the Eternal Torah of Life, the only means by which all worldly matters can be brought together in both a general and specific sense. Each individual must strive to marry a wife, as is explained clearly in Talmud and according to the first and latter halachic authorities, and he should totally divert from all said and those who say in

contradiction to the Shulchan Aruch, for the Torah even governs reality, and in particular as he should do this with the appropriate vigor. Furthermore, all those who wish to purify [themselves] (a matter which is done by conduct according to Torah), they help him – in the plural, both Above and below, both beyond nature and within nature, and Alm-ghty G-d will grant him success in giving good news in this matter with joy.

“When I finished reading the letter with him, there was quiet on the line. After a few moments that seemed like an eternity, he gave a deep sigh. ‘How did the Rebbe know?’ he cried. ‘I don’t believe how an answer so clear can come out of a seifer?’

“Once he had calmed down from the shock that gripped him, he presented the details of his personal story. Twenty years earlier he had turned to an expert in palm reading and asked him to predict his future until the day of his death. After this person checked the lines of my hand, he looked at me and declared, ‘You will never succeed in getting married, and you surely will not establish a Jewish home.’ The young man departed from the palm reader very depressed.

“As time passed, he tried to forget about this prediction. Yet, the palm reader’s words continued to haunt him for years to come. Every argument he had with one of his wives was a painful reminder, eventually resulting in the break-up of his marriages. Subconsciously, he believed the prediction of the fortune teller that he would never have a normal family life.

“Suddenly, the Rebbe MH”M comes along and writes a letter rejecting this out of hand. He declares that a Jew does not act according to the predictions of palm readers – only according to

Shulchan Aruch. This world runs according to our Holy Torah, not palmistry. Therefore, he should totally forget about this false prophecy and begin looking with great vigor for a suitable wife with whom he can establish a proper Jewish home.

“The Rebbe’s answer had clearly filled him with a renewed sense of hope. Within a few days, he again began his search for a proper shidduch, and in accordance with the Rebbe’s instructions, he did so with much drive and vitality. A few months later, I got a phone call. I heard this young man’s voice on the line, and he wanted to share some very good news with me. It turned out that he had just become engaged, and he and his future wife were preparing to set a date for their wedding.

“When I heard who the kalla was I was shocked. I knew her, and the two of them were total opposites. Later, I spoke with this woman and she told me, ‘You know, Rabbi Zeiss, if people would have asked me a while ago if I could have envisioned building a life with my husband, I would have told them that the very idea was completely ridiculous. Our natures are as different as heaven and earth. Personally, I don’t know how it all happened.”

* * *Rabbi Zeiss concluded his

story with much emotion. “Today, several months after the couple got married, everyone around them is amazed how their lives together have gone so well and in an aura of such tremendous domestic harmony. Indeed, I know who’s responsible for that... Through his marvelous guidance and his bracha, the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, removed the ominous prediction of that palm reader.”

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940_bm_eng.indd 31 2014-08-26 2:08:26 AM

THE CHITZON AND THE P’NIMI GETTING READY FOR GEULAThere are two getting ready for the Geula, the chitzon and the p’nimi. Both want Moshiach to come already. What is the difference between them? How can a chitzon become a p’nimi when, if he has such an ambition, that too is driven by external factors?

By Nadav Cohen

AM I ALIVE BECAUSE I HAVE TO BE OR BECAUSE

I WANT TO BE?

Often, without paying attention, we get used to doing things because we have to, because we will gain in some way, because people are looking at us, because we enjoy it, because we need to protect our image, etc. All these are external reasons, not real reasons (try just once to spend an entire day without looking around, without checking to see what people are thinking of you, without checking your standing relative to others).

A chitzon is someone who lives and does mitzvos because he has to. The truth of the matter isn’t important to him, just the result or because it is important to him what people say about him. Even when he wants the Geula, it’s not a genuine want;

it’s because he knows he is supposed to or because he has already gotten used to asking for the Geula.

A p’nimi is genuine and is fully “there” in what he does. When he does something, he does it till the end because of the truth of the matter and because this is the way it’s supposed to be, and not because of some side or external reason. To a p’nimi, the preparation for something important is no less important than the thing itself. He does not treat the preparation as a means to an end. He knows that the preparation itself is a goal.

Take t’filla for example. The p’nimi treats t’filla as a special time in which he can pause from the daily hustle and bustle and connect to Hashem. Since this is a special opportunity, he needs to prepare for it properly because you can’t just abruptly start

praying. You can’t just walk into shul and start talking to Hashem. You need to make the requisite preparations.

Before davening you learn Chassidus in order to connect to and recognize somewhat “the One who spoke and the world came to be.” The way a chitzon looks at it, you learn Chassidus in order to daven, but to a p’nimi the preparation is also a goal. The preparation is important in and of itself and the preparation also needs to be done in a p’nimius’dike way. When a p’nimi learns Chassidus before davening in order to be ready to daven, he treats the learning as a goal in itself and while learning he is immersed in it and not thinking about davening.

The davening is also a preparation for the next stage. After davening, when sitting down to learn Torah, in order for the learning to be with bittul, in order for the learning to be permeated with the knowledge that the Torah is G-d’s Torah and not human intellect, G-d forbid, we daven first. Then we remember that everything is G-dliness and G-dliness is everything.

The davening and learning are preparations for going out into the world, starting with breakfast and then dealing with matters of

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the world. These things need to be approached properly so that we succeed in sifting out the sparks that are hidden within the physical world.

And so on, each stage is a preparation for the next stage. With a chitzon’s outlook, a person is constantly involved in the next stage because he is always involved in preparing for it. When he learns Chassidus he thinks about davening and when he davens he thinks about what he needs to do that day, and so on. He is never “here.” He does not experience the present moment; he is always somewhere else.

The p’nimi’s outlook is different. When a person learns Chassidus in the morning, he is fully there! When he davens, he is fully there! Even when he’s out in the world, he is fully involved in what he needs to do, namely, reveal the G-dliness and sift out the sparks wherever he goes.

HOW DO YOU START BECOMING A P’NIMI?

We have gotten used to living a life of chitzonius. How do we make the change to a life of p’nimius? It’s really not easy because if a person who is a chitzon tries to become a p’nimi, he is doing so with chitzonius. He is trying to be a p’nimi because of an external reason (that they will say he is a p’nimi); it’s not coming from a genuine place. So what’s the right approach?

There is no choice but to jump into the water, to skip ahead, not just to move upward in an orderly way from one rung to the next, but to jump. To realize that “emes” can only be found in p’nimius, when we internalize that whatever we are involved in is our task right now and devote

ourselves to it. Once we get that a p’nimi is another entity, we will understand that we have to make a leap, not a gradual one but a jump. And between one yesh and another there is an ayin in between.

The seed needs to rot before it starts to grow. A person needs to be nullified out of his current state in order to move to another reality. When we realize that we cannot remain chitzonim and that we have to make an essential change (and not a gradual one), we will take that plunge. The moment of jumping is the hardest, but the second afterward is much easier.

Of course, a person does not change in a second and he certainly doesn’t turn into a p’nimi in a second, and after the initial jump we still have a lot of work to do and it is possible

that even after the initial jump we might have to do it all over again each day.

Practically speaking, it’s a good idea to pick one area in which we want to be more genuine and start working on it, a few minutes a day, and then add a few minutes of being a p’nimi each time.

WAITING FOR THE GEULA

Am I waiting for the Geula because we’re supposed to wait for the Geula or because I really want the Geula?

With the chitzonius approach, we are waiting for the Geula because of a side reason; we are waiting because we were taught to do so, or because we want an end to tzaros and to the deficit in our bank account, and we want to enjoy the material abundance

Someone who truly looks forward to the Geula,

does not suffice with what will happen in the

future (that’s only stage one), but starts living Geula now,

in a way of shleimus in day to day life. Being immersed in

what he’s doing without looking around. And this is what

is important, to be in the here and now in everything we

do.

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that we were promised. With the p’nimius approach, the looking forward to Geula is completely different. The true and complete Geula, as it says, is about truth and completeness.

In the Geula, everything will be done with truth and p’nimius, not because we have to or because of what people will say about us. We will keep mitzvos in truth because that is the only way to connect to G-d, because this is the truth and this is what we desire. Our davening will be complete; our Torah study and our daily lives, every aspect thereof, all will be done in truth because it is the truth.

The preparation for Geula is the same way, it’s not in order to flee from galus. The preparation

for Geula is in a way that we start to live Geula even now, in the final moments of galus. We accomplish this by doing everything in a p’nimius’dike way, completely, our learning, davening, and so on.

This was the Rebbe’s complaint in his sicha of Chaf-Ches Nissan 5751 that even when you cry out “ad masai,” it’s because you were told to. If you cried out in truth then surely Moshiach would have come already. What more can I do so that all the Jewish people make a commotion and cry out in truth and take action to actually bring Moshiach?

The Rebbe wants the crying out not to be because we were told, out of habit, but because

the cry is genuine, and the Rebbe emphasizes this twice in the same sentence. To ask for the Geula – which is part of the command – is only step one, while step two involves starting to live Geula in order to hasten it.

In other words, someone who truly looks forward to the Geula, does not suffice with what will happen in the future (that’s only stage one), but needs to start living Geula now, in a way of shleimus in day to day life. Being immersed in what he’s doing without looking around. And this is what is important, to be in the here and now in everything we do. That is one’s personal Geula and from there we proceed straight to the true and complete Geula.

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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

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

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Rabbi Jacob SchweiMember of the RabbinicalCourt of Crown Heights

34 � • 3 Elul 5774

MIRACLE STORY

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JUSTICE OF THE FUTUREBy Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

REPETITION

In its admonition to judges to judge with integrity, the Torah, in the beginning of this week’s parsha, states: “Righteousness (Tzedek), righteousness (tzedek) shall you pursue, so that you will live and possess the Land that G-d, your G-d, gives you.”

The juxtaposition of righteous judgment with possession of the land will be better understood in light of an analysis of the nature of true justice, which itself emerges from an understanding of why the Torah repeats the word tzedek.

Much has been written about the Torah’s repetition of the word righteousness.

ONE TIER JUSTICE

According to Rashi this admonition is addressed to litigants rather than to judges and interprets this to mean that although one may go to any competent court, the litigants must make an effort to take their dispute to a court of the highest caliber. According to this approach, the repetition of the word serves to enhance the degree of righteousness one must pursue.

An important lesson can be derived from this interpretation. It is well understood that every

Mitzvah of the Torah can be performed on one of two levels. One can fulfill the basic requirements of the Mitzvah or one can enhance and embellish the same Mitzvah. In Jewish legal parlance the second level is referred to as hiddur Mitzvah –the beautification of the Mitzvah.

We are given the discretion to decide whether we are ready to proceed to the second tier. It is certainly desirable and praiseworthy to continually grow in one’s observance. However, the essential thing is to follow the basic and minimum requirements. One who does so can be considered a righteous person. One who goes to the next tier is given an even more honorific title: “chassid.”

However, as to judgment there is only one tier. It is the pursuit of unadulterated and unmitigated righteousness. If that means going to a more qualified panel of judges, then so be it. Pursuing the highest standards of justice is neither optional nor a moral luxury!

THE END DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS

The Chassidic master, Rabbi Simcha Bunim of P’shischa interpreted the repetition of righteousness in another, but related, fashion:

Even when you pursue righteousness, you must do so with righteousness. One may not apply the misguided and corrupt adage, “the end justifies the means” to the pursuit of justice.

Here too, the idea of unadulterated and uncompromising justice is underscored. In Rashi’s interpretation, the emphasis is on the integrity of the judges. In the Chassidic approach the focus is on the integrity of the judgment.

ALLUSION TO THE FUTURE REDEMPTION

Igra d’Kalah interprets the repetition of the word righteousness as an allusion to a Midrashic comment concerning five instances in which the Torah repeats a letter/word, all of which relate to a form of liberation. (These five letters are the only letters in the Hebrew alphabet which have two forms: the regular form and when they are placed at the end of a word.)

The first is the expression “Lech Lecha-Go for yourself” (where the letter chof is repeated) which G-d instructs Abraham. With this repetitive expression, G-d liberated Abraham from the constraints of his birth place and homeland and brought him to the Promised Land of Israel.

PARSHA THOUGHT

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The second instance is a repetition of the letter mem, addressed to Isaac when G-d saved him from the hands of the Philistines.

The third is the repetition of the letter nun, which G-d used in saving Jacob from the hands of his brother, Esau.

The fourth instance of this pattern of repetition is the double expression pakod pokaditi-I have remembered (with the Hebrew letter pei repeated), which contained G-d’s promise to redeem the Jews from Egyptian bondage.

The fifth is the repetition of the letter tzaddik-righteous (cognate to the word tzedek) in the verse “Behold, the days come, says G-d, that I will raise unto David a righteous shoot (tzemach tzaddik), and he shall reign as king and prosper, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” (Jeremiah 23:5) This verse repeats the letter tzaddik in relation to the promise of the future Redemption through the righteous Moshiach.

This verse affirms the general principle established by the Torah in many places that the Messianic Age will be characterized as the ultimate age of righteousness. The prophet Isaiah declares: “Zion will be redeemed through justice and those who return to her through righteousness.”

Here too, in the verse “Righteousness (Tzedek), righteousness (tzedek) shall you pursue,” Igra d’kalah writes, the repetition of the word tzedek is

meant to invoke Moshiach, who is described in the foregoing verse, as well as in many other verses, as the symbol of justice and righteousness.

Building on the above, we can conclude that Messianic justice and righteousness is one of the hallmarks of the Messianic Age and, indeed, describes the very identity and qualifications of Moshiach.

MESSIANIC JUSTICE

We live in a world beset with injustice. Even the justice systems of the most morally advanced societies are plagued by corruption and injustice. What will distinguish Moshiach’s form of justice? And how do we obtain real justice today?

The answer is provided in the Biblical book of Isaiah (11:3):

“He will be imbued with a spirit of fear of G-d and will not need to judge by the sight of his eyes nor decide by the hearing of his ears.”

The phrase “V’hericho-He will be imbued with a spirit of fear of G-d” is translated alternatively by the Talmud (Sanhedrin 93b) and many Bible commentators as “He will be imbued with the sense of smell.” The Talmud relates that Bar Kochba was rejected as the Moshiach because he could not “smell and judge;” he could not “smell” righteousness. The real Moshiach who possesses this keen olfactory capability, by contrast, will “sniff” out righteousness and mete out

justice accordingly. He will not have to rely on eyewitness or convincing arguments.

PRE-MESSIANIC JUSTICE

The salient difference between life today and life in the Messianic Age is the difference between virtual and real, relative and absolute.

When we see an event we may be convinced of its veracity but then again our eyes can fool us. Two eyewitnesses may have conflicting views of what they saw. Certainly when it comes to compelling logic, two people will frequently disagree about what is logical and reasonable. In the pre-Messianic Age, particularly in this period of exile, we try our

We live in a world beset with injustice. Even the

justice systems of the most morally advanced

societies are plagued by corruption and injustice. What

will distinguish Moshiach’s form of justice? And how do

we obtain real justice today?

36 � • 3 Elul 5774

PARSHA THOUGHT

940_bm_eng.indd 36 2014-08-26 2:08:28 AM

best to approximate what is right by pursuing the highest standards of justice available within the constraints of exile.

We accomplish this by going to the judges who are, at the very least, knowledgeable of Torah law, and guided by the “fear of G-d.” In this context, the Hebrew word yira used for fear implies a sophisticated awareness of G-d that engenders a sense of awe

and reverence for Him. A judge who is so inspired will be given Divine assistance in arriving at the truth, because his attachment to G-d allows him to tap into the higher level of consciousness that will occasion the Messianic Age.

All of our interpersonal relationships involve either seeking justice from others or acting as their judges. The only way we can be confident that our

judgment is true is by pursuing absolute and real justice, by seeking to connect to the Source of justice and righteousness, the one that will punctuate the Messianic Era.

A NOVEL TRANSLATION EMERGES

After considering the teaching discussed so far, we can provide a novel translation to the words, “Righteousness (Tzedek), righteousness (tzedek) shall you pursue.” The reason the Torah repeats the word tzedek is that there are two dimensions of justice: pre-Messianic and post-Messianic and that the former depends on the latter. The Torah’s admonition to both litigants and judges is to pursue righteousness (tzedek) with the intention of tapping in to the higher dimension of Divine righteousness (tzedek).

We can now understand the juxtaposition of righteous judgment with possession of the land in our verse: Rather than viewing the possession of the land as a reward for righteousness it is also a rationale for it. The Torah is, in effect, telling us that when we integrate the “inheritance of the land”, i.e., the dynamic of justice of the future Messianic Age when we will inherit the land, we have some hope of attaining a modicum of true righteousness and justice even today in these last moments of exile.

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INTERMARRIAGE: A CRISIS OF JEWISH IDENTITY“I hear that you are writing in the newspapers now,” the Rebbe said to Ms. Geula Cohen. “Nu, writing is also good, but it’s not the main thing. The main thing is the youth. You have to speak to the youth, not write to them. Why don’t you talk to young people? They’re waiting for someone to speak to them, but there isn’t anyone. People are giving speeches to them, yet everyone is so amazed why they fail to get excited.”

By Sholom Ber Crombie

Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry

1.The mixed “wedding” held

last week in Rishon L’Tziyon, which created a huge media storm in Eretz Yisroel, was no different than hundreds of other similar events that take place in the country. Most regrettably,

the phenomenon of Jewish girls socializing with Arab men has grown with increasing intensity. This isn’t just happening on kibbutzim or in remote towns; it’s occurring in Eretz Yisroel’s major cities, within the mainstream of Israeli society. This time, however, the situation

was quite different. Up until now, we have heard many stories about Arabs who kidnap Jewish girls, take them to their villages, and marry them there. Now, these mixed couples choose to tie the knot in the heart of Jewish cities, with hundreds of invited guests participating. This wedding was an event that openly challenged and defied the eternal nature of the Jewish People.

You can agree or express doubts whether the demonstration sponsored by the Lehava organization near the wedding hall was the most efficient way to prevent this unholy union. Apparently, there were more creative and less spontaneous methods that could have prevented the wedding. However, the bottom line is, if it wasn’t possible to stop this event, it would still be important – at the very least – for us to demonstrate our opposition. A protest may not have saved this young lady from making this tragic blunder — and with G-d’s help, we pray

38 � • 3 Elul 5774

CROSSROADS

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that she will soon return home to the Jewish People – but in the meantime, we must do everything we can to keep such events from acquiring any sense of legitimacy in Israeli culture.

It is specifically because there is such a wide consensus in Eretz Yisroel against intermarriage that it was so distressing to see the new president of Israel, Mr. Ruby Rivlin, join in the singing and dancing at this wedding as the media watched in delight, instead of denouncing an event where a young Jewish woman converts to Islam and gets married in a Moslem ceremony in the center of a Jewish city. Rivlin decided to hug the couple and turn them into heroes, while he vehemently condemned those protesting against them.

The big surprise this time was the minister of finance, Yair Lapid, who admitted quite frankly that he would not accept intermarriage within his own family. “If my son would come to me tomorrow and say, ‘Aba, I want you to meet Rona (not Rina), a Russian Orthodox or Catholic girl. I’m going to marry her and our children will not be Jewish.’ Would this bother me? It would bother me very much,” Lapid said in a radio interview with Galei Yisrael. “I think that the Jewish People is a small nation. We have a heritage and we must preserve it. This would bother me.”

2.

What really shocked the public this time was how such an event seemed to be accepted. It appeared like a regular wedding in an events hall in a Jewish city, with a standard and proper invitation displaying the names of the bride’s parents and the groom’s parents. The only

problem here was the bride’s name was Morel and the name of the groom (l’havdil) was – Mahmoud.

A few days before the event, Morel’s father publicized an emotional video clip, in which he cried from the depths of his heart and pleaded with his daughter to return to her people. The film clearly illustrated the tragedy engulfing this young woman, who ran away from her parents to live in the Arab section of Yafo and even convert to Islam. She did all this in order to get a little attention. While the price she has paid is simply incomprehensible, it explains how this phenomenon could not have been prevented through purely logical means, rather by filling the vacuum

created by the improper education provided to Jewish children in Eretz Yisroel. When schools teach the value of the make-believe harmony between Jews and Arabs, and Education Minister “Rabbi” Shai Piron expresses his desire to integrate Arab teachers into religious schools, it’s no wonder that our daughters feel free to get the attention they crave from sources outside a Jewish environment.

In the ideological division created last week between those identifying with the protestors and those celebrating at the mixed wedding ceremony, it’s quite clear that the vast majority of Israelis sided with

the demonstrators. The protest represented an important and symbolic statement, especially since most of those protesting had gone through their own painful stories on this issue. One of the demonstrators was a man who also had a daughter married to a Muslim and he spoke about his first-hand experience.

However, the demonstrations will not stop such incidents. Only love, not protests, will do the job. While demonstrations may raise the level of public awareness of this appalling trend, they also intensify the awareness of a situation that could affect thousands of Jewish girls, thereby possibly strengthening the likelihood of its occurrence. The hubbub in the state-run

media surrounding this event, in addition to the media’s automatic embrace of such an occurrence, also granted full legitimacy to the wedding and might even cause other couples in similar circumstances to get up the courage to take this step r”l.

3.

Forty-five years ago, not long after the Six Day War, future Knesset Member Geula Cohen, then a reporter with the Maariv daily, had a yechidus with the Rebbe and asked for guidance on what to do regarding the situation in Eretz Yisroel. Ms. Cohen was known as an activist

When schools teach the value of the make-

believe harmony between Jews and Arabs, and

Education Minister “Rabbi” Shai Piron expresses his

desire to integrate Arab teachers into religious schools,

it’s no wonder that our daughters feel free to get the

attention they crave from external sources.

Issue 940 • � 39

940_bm_eng.indd 39 2014-08-26 2:08:29 AM

dedicated to the preservation of the territorial integrity of Eretz Yisroel and one of the leading fighters in the Lehi underground movement during the days of the British Mandate. However, the Rebbe did not ask her to establish a new underground; rather he indicated what the real burning problem was: the situation with the young people in Eretz HaKodesh. In other words, the Rebbe explained to her that while Israel’s youth are wonderful, they need a commander, someone who can lead them to true Jewish values.

“I hear that you are writing in the newspapers now,” the Rebbe said to Ms. Geula Cohen. “Nu, writing is also good, but it’s not the main thing. The main thing is the youth. You have to speak to the youth, not write to them. Why don’t you talk to young people? They’re waiting for someone to speak to them, but there isn’t anyone. People are giving speeches to them, yet everyone is so amazed why they fail to get excited.”

“The talk that the youth is waiting for,” the Rebbe continued, “is an order, and it must be given with the same voice and in the same tone through which all the great commands the Jewish People have been given. The youth may or may not obey, but it is waiting for it. Yet, there is no commander… What happened to those for whom the holy fire of holy war had been burning, yet now they are dealing with small matters – arguments over income taxes, more or less, instead of thinking about pressing issues for the entire Jewish People? Where are those forces that once knew how to give the command?”

Just as it was in all other burning issues, here too, the Rebbe had already seen nearly half a century ago where Jewish youth were heading. The prevailing situation where thousands of young Jewish women are running around with Arab men from the Bedouin camps

and Arab villages is testimony to the poor state of the Jewish educational system in Eretz Yisroel. This growing tendency cannot be stopped with demonstrations. Rather, it requires a complete overhaul of the methodology affecting our young people, who were educated by a failed educational system devoid of any Jewish values. Today, Israeli youth know the local culture heroes and television stars better than the heroes of the Tanach and the kings of Israel. Instead of learning about Moshe Rabbeinu, they acquaint themselves with the champions of “the enlightened world.” If Morel had learned the meaning of being a Jewess connected to the eternal values of Am Yisroel, it stands to reason that she never would have cut herself off from the time-honored beliefs of her people.

Ahmed ben Sara is not just a name taken from a public relations campaign; it is a painful and harsh reality. The spiritual state of young people in Eretz Yisroel calls upon us to take effective action. If we want to prevent the next mixed marriage, we must start changing this situation, root and branch. We must embrace these youngsters, inundating them with love as a means of keeping them from following an improper path along dangerous avenues. We need to give them the foundation of Jewish tradition to help them feel what it truly means to be a Jew. As in all areas of concentration, here too, it’s impossible merely to say what’s forbidden for them to do – only “turn away from evil.” We must present them with an alternative, and it’s found only in a Jewish education that will connect them to authentic Jewish content.

4.

When the Rebbe discussed the issue of intermarriage, he didn’t just relate to the religious aspect. First, he touched upon the more human

dimension. This is literally a case of suicide, entering a life filled with constant disagreements that surely will not foster happiness. In a letter to a mother who wrote to the Rebbe about her daughter who wanted to marry a Gentile, the Rebbe replied:

“It’s quite simple that solving [this problem] in a satisfactory manner can be done only through a categorical rejection of the daughter’s marriage to a non-Jew. How to do this specifically depends upon her daughter’s emotional traits, etc., and therefore, they should seek the advice of friends who know her.

“Clearly, this is not as they had told her, i.e., intermarriage harms the parents,” the Rebbe continued. “First and foremost, this is one of the worst possible tragedies for the daughter (even if it’s because she’s emotionally involved or for other reasons she doesn’t recognize or doesn’t attribute to herself).

“Furthermore, their attitude must be that their daughter wants to commit suicide r”l and not just from a religious standpoint. This also pertains to a life of constant arguments, divisiveness, etc., and as is known, the results of intermarriage – due to the embarrassment, etc., those afflicted try to cover it up.”

In the face of an act of mass suicide, we must take drastic action to restore Jewish education and Jewish identity to our young people and put an end to this destructive practice. Anyone who understands that this is a matter of committing suicide also realizes the tremendous responsibility that falls upon our shoulders to save these people’s lives. In the spirit of the month of Elul, we can say this subject also demands a response of love – showering love upon our young people and cheerfully spreading Jewish education. Only in this manner can we avoid painful incidents such as what we saw last week in Rishon L’Tziyon.

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CROSSROADS

940_bm_eng.indd 40 2014-08-26 2:08:30 AM

THE MIRACLE IN THE

REBBE’S HOUSEBy Nechama Bar

Mendy went on mivtzaim as always. He chose a street and began going from building to building, home to home, knocking on each door and offering t’fillin. Boruch Hashem, the response was usually positive and many people did the mitzva.

At one home, the door opened and there stood someone who looked like a Breslover Chassid. I don’t need to offer t’fillin, Mendy thought, but maybe I will suggest learning Chassidus.

“Excuse me, would you like to arrange a shiur to learn Tanya, Chassidus? It is deep and greatly relevant to daily life. It’s very important to learn Chassidus ...” he trailed off. But he did not need to say any more. The man willingly agreed. “What a great idea! I would be happy to learn with you b’chavrusa.”

The man’s enthusiasm aroused Mendy’s curiosity.

Was there something that lay behind what he said? Why did the man get so excited as soon as he heard the mention of Chassidus?

Perhaps the man realized that Mendy was curious or he just felt like sharing his personal story. He invited Mendy to sit down and served him a drink and then began:

I will tell you why I so admire Chabad and the Rebbe. Not long ago, I was not at all religious. I come from an irreligious home and we had just a bit of tradition. I traveled the world and did as I pleased. I went to all kinds of interesting places and met all sorts of people. I was so far from Judaism that I was about to marry a non-Jewish girl.

Nearly everything was ready for the wedding. We had a date, a hall, invitations … We were in France and we looked for an apartment to rent and finally found one. A week

before the wedding we got the key. We arranged a time when we would meet and set up the apartment for our life together.

As soon as I entered the apartment, I felt something happening to me. Suddenly, I heard a voice speaking in my heart that said, “What are you doing? You’re a Jew! This girl is not Jewish. You can’t marry her!”

I had no idea what was happening to me. I tried to ignore those thoughts. After all, everything was ready for the wedding! We had planned it for so long. Should I just walk away at the last moment?

But the voice within me not only did not die down, it got stronger. “Leave this girl before it is too late! Now is the time!”

I suddenly found myself saying to her, “We can’t get married. I am Jewish and you are not.”

Her face changed colors.

TZIVOS HASHEM

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She did not know how to digest what I had just said. “You don’t mean that seriously, do you?” she tried to reassure herself. “You’re just joking, right?”

“No, I’m very serious. We can’t get married. It’s just not possible. A Jew cannot marry a non-Jew.”

She was stunned. “But what happened all of a sudden? You knew this all along! Maybe you don’t feel well. Take an aspirin, a drink of water …”

The more she tried to persuade me, the more firm I was in my decision. I myself could not explain what had come over me. We parted ways.

From that point on, I felt a strong bond with G-d and I soon became a baal t’shuva. I joined Breslov and slowly increased my observance of Torah and mitzvos, until I reached what I am today, thank G-d.

One day, I was on the subway and was leafing through a newspaper. I noticed an article about Chabad and the Rebbe. They told incredible stories about the Rebbe and about his once living in France. They even mentioned the apartment that he rented and I couldn’t

believe it. That address was

familiar to me. Very familiar. Yes, it was the same apartment we wanted to rent. That house where I underwent such a huge change. Was it a coincidence? Was this not divine providence? Perhaps this was another miracle from the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

These thoughts gave me no rest. I felt I had to find out. But who could I ask? If I asked

a Chabad Chassid, of course he’d say it was thanks to

the Rebbe that I did t’shuva. I wanted to ask someone neutral. I gave it a lot of thought and finally came up with an idea. I would ask R’ Mordechai Eliyahu, a G-d fearing man.

I arranged a meeting with R’ Eliyahu and told him the whole story as I told it to you now. Listen to what the rav told me. I shiver when I think about it.

He said, “The L u b a v i t c h e r Rebbe is no simple man. He is a great tzaddik. If you went to that house and had those thoughts of t’shuva, you should know that forty years ago, when the Rebbe lived in France and had to choose a home

to live in, he chose this house knowing that many years later a Jew would come there who would want to marry a non-Jew. That is why the Rebbe chose that house and lived there. The walls absorbed the holiness and with the power of that holiness you had thoughts of t’shuva. The Rebbe foresaw it all. Be assured that this is what happened.”

75 גליון מס' 802~

איור: רחליהודית

ן עם גויה". רי. ליהודי אסור להתחת י אפש לת ך. ב י ש

ל תאום, הרי ידעת את זה כ רה פ היא היתה המומה. "אבל מה ק

דור, ח כ ק יש לא טוב, אולי ת ה מרג מן. זה לא חדש לך. אולי את הזכוס מים..."

לעצמי ם ג י. דעת ב יותר נחרץ הייתי כנע, לש תה נס היא ש כל כ

י. אך תאום עבר עלי, איזה מן טרוף אחז ב יר מה פ י להסב לא ידעת

חתונה – נפרדנו. ורה הת ש ב

רך הד היתה אן ומכ עולם, לבורא עז ר קש י ת ש הרג רגע מאותו

לחסידות י רת התחב תשובה. ב לחזרה סלולה

תורה ב י הוספת אט אט רסלב, ב

י עת הג ש עד ובמצוות,

אני ש למה ה' חסדי בהיום.

ם ת לא וכאן פור. הס

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אוויטש? יוב י מל ל הרב נת? ואולי, אולי זהו עוד ספור מופת ש מכו

לברר מכרח אני ש י ת ש הרג מנוחה. לי נתנו לא לו הל בות חש המ

"ד, הוא הרי כה אל חסיד חב אל? אם אש בר. אך את מי אש את הד

זכות ן, ב יד: "אכן, כ אי יג וד י, הוא ב בילו זה הרב ש י, הכל ב ר לרב מקש

ניטרלי הו מיש צריך י. אמת ד מד לא הוא תשובה" ב חזרת י הרב

י ב הבריק ולבסוף רבות ך כ על י הרהרת החידה. את לי פענח י ש

ד ר וירא אלקים, מכב הו. איש יש כי אלי אל את הרב מרד רעיון: אש

ם. ל ל על כ ל אדם ומקב כ

הרב עם ה גיש פ י קבעת ואכן,

ל י לו את כ רת הו. ספ כי אלי מרד

י רת פ ס פי ש פור לפרטיו, כ הס

מה מע וש ת הסכ ה. עת לך

צמרמרת הרב. לי אמר

אני ל אימת ש גופי כ חולפת בכך. ר ב נזכ

י "הרב אמר: הוא וכך

אדם לא הוא אוויטש יוב מל

אם דול. ג יק צד הוא שוט. פ

ך ם עלו ב ה וש ית הז עת לב הג

שובה, עליך לדעת, הרהורי ת

עה ש נה, ב עים ש פני ארב ל ש

והיה צרפת ב הה ש י הרב ש

ית לגור בו, הוא עליו לבחר ב

ה, מתוך ית הז ב וקא ב חר ד ב

רבות נים ש עוד ב ש ידיעה

רצה י ש יהודי לכאן יע יג

יע ויג גויה, עם ן להתחת

י הרב ש ך כ ידי על לכאן.

והתגורר ית ב אותו ב חר ב

ה, קדש ספגו ירות הק בו,

ך ה הזו עלו ב דש ומכח הק

את שובה... הת הרהורי

מראש. י הרב חזה הכל

ך כ ש ובטוח סמוך היה בר..." הוא הד

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