Good Thing the Rabbi Needed Lumber

ב“ה For this week’s episode ערב שבת פרשת כי תבוא, י׳׳ט אלול, תשפ״א ISSUE of Living Torah, 450 Erev Shabbat Parshat Ki Tavo, August 27, 2021 visit 70years.com HERE’S my STORY GOOD THING THE Generously RABBI NEEDED LUMBER sponsored by the MR. RUDY BOSCHWITZ y relationship with Lubavitch started when Rabbi Moshe Feller, Chabad’s longtime representative in MMinnesota, came to my store, not long after I opened it, to buy some lumber for his sukkah. I had grown up around New York, before coming out to Minnesota to begin a business. Rabbi Feller is himself a Minnesotan, and he had returned there in 1962 as a Chabad emissary just a few years before I got there. I noticed him as he was leaving the store; beards were not unusual back then, but he wore tzitzit, so I recognized that he was an Orthodox Jew — and likely, a rabbi. I introduced myself, and that became the beginning of a very long and very satisfying relationship — not only for me, but also for my sons and my wife. At Rabbi Feller’s suggestion, my wife and I went to see the Rebbe and we met with him several times throughout the years. I also had the opportunity to attend a farbrengen in Actually, it was Jewish education that initially led me to 770 Eastern Parkway, which the Rebbe led with enormous become a real supporter of Lubavitch. I would go to many spirit, and I was invited to speak at a convention for Chabad of the small towns in Minnesota, where we had stores, and emissaries, where I addressed a crowd of some three there would be three or four Jewish families living there — thousand men. and sometimes even fewer than that. I found that Lubavitch The first time we met the Rebbe was in 1971. I was not yet had reached out to all of them, and sent them tapes so that a US senator. In fact, I was not yet in public life at all back they had their own little “Sunday schools” and their sons then. I was just a 41-year-old businessman starting to make could be Bar Mitzvah-ed. Rabbi Feller’s wife, Mindy, would my way in life. also go out to many of these small towns, which impressed me because the rest of the organized Jewish community When we entered his study at 770, I was struck by its did not. appearance. When one thinks of the leader of a global movement, one would expect an office that’s at least Later on, once I had become a member of the US Senate, somewhat grand. But the Rebbe’s office wasn’t grand at all. the Rebbe continued to speak about the importance of It was lined with books, and it was not very large. education, not only in Jewish schools, but for all children. He believed that even in the public schools there should The Rebbe spoke to my wife and I about education. He be an element of G-dliness. He frequently suggested urged us to teach our children Torah and to raise them as that there be a moment of silence — a moment for non- Jews. denominational silent prayer or reflection — at the outset This was the recurring theme of all our meetings with the of each day. Rebbe. He would always remind us that the future of our The moment of silence was something I believed in, and people is with our children and that it is essential for the I went on to advocate for it as a senator. In 1983, Senator younger generation to receive a Jewish education. He also Jacob Hecht from Nevada and myself introduced some spoke about the importance of creating Jewish schools, remarks the Rebbe had made on the subject into the Senate and that is something I have helped with in Minnesota. Congressional Record. continued on reverse Marking 70 years from the anniversary of the Rebbe’s leadership, each week, JEM will be focusing on one event, idea or personality in the Rebbe’s life. [email protected] | myencounterblog.com | © Copyright, Jewish Educational Media, 2021 continued from reverse As the Rebbe himself explained in those remarks, to Population growth was not the threat that this lady thought maintain the “civilized rules of law and order” that our it was. freedom and human rights depend on, children need to be raised with a moral sense. Personally, the Rebbe’s teaching about raising Jewish families was one we took to heart: We had four boys, one If we want our children to grow up to become “law-abiding, of whom is now quite observant. That may be small by ethically minded, productive citizens” they need to have a Lubavitch standards, but nevertheless they have caused us deeper sense of right and wrong. The moment of silence is to become proud grandparents many times over. And we meant to give them time to think about the Supreme Being have followed the Rebbe’s advice to provide them a Jewish who watches over how we act — “the Eye that sees and the education — we’ve raised them all to be very conscious of Ear that hears,” was how he put it — or, with the guidance our Jewishness, of Chabad, and of the Land of Israel and of their parents, to think about their purpose in life, or their what it means to our people. plans for the day. ______________ Unfortunately, the people who guide the education of Mr. Rudy Boschwitz is a former Independent-Republican United the United States don’t feel that any type of religious States Senator who represented Minnesota from 1978 to 1991. experience, or even the mere mention of religion, is He has also served as a United States Ambassador to the United appropriate in schools. That’s too bad, because religion, of Nations Commission on Human Rights. He was interviewed in May course, plays a most important role in society as a whole, as well as in the lives of individuals, so young children must of 2012. understand its significance. As the Rebbe said, a moment of silence at the beginning of the day would go a long way in “restoring this great land to its ethical moral ideals, thereby This week in…. enhancing the welfare and safety of all citizens.” לע“נ ר‘ ישראל יעקב וזוגתו מרת קריינא ע“ה לאקשין I had another interesting experience in the Senate under similar circumstances, but on a separate occasion. I had > 5733 - 1973, the Rebbe wrote to educators, been asked to read into the congressional record a talk the requesting that they assemble groups of children Rebbe had given about the commandment to “be fruitful and multiply.” At the time, many people were concerned about before and after Rosh Hashanah to speak about the country’s growing population, and were advocating for G-d’s unique closeness to each Jew during this time “zero population growth.” In response, the Rebbe spoke of year. He listed specific Torah passages and prayers about the importance of having large families. He had Rabbi that the children should recite, and requested that Feller ask me to read his speech into the record, which I was the following statement of the Baal Shem Tov be very pleased to do. read out loud: “Every Jew descends to this material This then caused the wife of one of the chief executive world for a particular mission of shedding the light of officers of General Mills, a large national corporation Torah…” The Rebbe continued, “Our wish for each of located here in Minnesota, to criticize me. In a very harsh letter, she called the Rebbe “an archaic religious leader,” them is to fulfill this mission in the proper time and and said that he knew nothing about the subject. with success.” Several weeks later, after the surprise attack of the Yom Kippur War, the Rebbe explained They were supporters of mine, and it was a difficult letter. But, I responded rather directly, and said that the Rebbe had that this initiative had been an “inadvertent a great sense of modern life and was not, by any means, prophesy” that helped forestall an enemy victory. 1 archaic. 18 Elul “The rabbi who saw in his lifetime the murder of a third > 5737 - 1977, as the Rebbe walked to the car waiting of his people,” I wrote to her, “has every right to speak about multiplying and increasing the number of the Jewish for him in front of his home on President Street, he nation.” (Though I should note, the Rebbe was speaking encountered the Israeli photographer, Levi Freidin, about all people and not only Jews.) who was snapping pictures. The Rebbe remarked, The Rebbe’s message was an important one and — “If only the yeshivah students would put as much as someone who knew a good deal about the subject effort into their studies as you put in to your — the Rebbe was fully justified in expressing those views. work, it would be good.” The Rebbe asked him to share this comment with the yeshivah students. 2 21 Elul In honor of the engagement of Leorah Traurig to Mutik Schusterman 1. Igrot Kodesh vol. 28 page 224 2. Sichot Kodesh 5737 vol. 2 page 691 Mazal Tov! While we have done our utmost to authenticate these stories, they reflect the listener’s recollection May they build a binyan adei ad together! and interpretation of the Rebbe’s words. Supported by members of In loving memory of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Sapochkinsky obm Elul 20, 5774 ואתה תצוה… להעלות נר תמיד You can help us record more testimonies by dedicating future editions of Here’s My Story Generously printed by .

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