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THE LOWEST ELICITS THE HIGHEST  D’var Malchus

TO LIVE REBBE!  Chassid

THE REBBE SENT A MESSAGE  Story | Nosson Avrohom

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Translated and adapted by Dovid Yisroel Ber Kaufmann

The Torah reading of Eikev is There is an association between the always read the second Shabbos Torah reading of Eikev and the month after Tisha B’Av. Sometimes, it is also the Shabbos before Rosh of Elul. Elul is a month of self- Chodesh Elul – the beginning of the month of Elul, the last month examination, prior to Rosh Hashanah. before Rosh Hashanah and the start of the New Year. (It is The name of the month is an acronym customary to say a special blessing for the new month on the Shabbos for the phrase, “I am for my Beloved before it occurs. That Shabbos is and my Beloved is for me.” This therefore known as Shabbos Mevarchim – the Shabbos of indicates that the relationship between blessing.) The month of Elul, being the the Jewish people and G-d has two last month before Rosh Hashanah, is generally considered a time for parts: an arousal from below – “I am for ‘soul-searching’ and making a ‘spiritual accounting’ of one’s my Beloved” – elicits an arousal from accomplishments and failures Above – my Beloved is for me.” The during the year. This is done as a preparation for Rosh Hashanah – name of the Torah portion has a double the Day of Judgment. Since nothing occurs by coincidence, but meaning; Eikev means both “heel,” everything happens by Divine Providence, there must be a reason indicating the lightest or lowest level of for the proximity of the month of Elul to the Torah reading of Eikev. mitzvos, and “for the sake of,” To understand the significance of indicating the end result of Divine the connection of Elul and Eikev, we first have to understand the service. This, too, parallels the two special nature of the month of Elul. Elul, as the last month of the methods of Divine service. The term calendar year, is an appropriate time to take stock of one’s spiritual “Eikev” also has a double meaning in state before entering Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe. regard to Redemption. Since Elul is the summation of the whole year, it must incorporate an individual’s entire Divine service,

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  as well. This concept of Divine service is expressed in and spiritual, needed to carry out his or her task. the well-known declaration of our Sages that a Now that we have touched on the unique nature of person should approach each mitzvah – indeed, every the month of Elul, we need to turn our attention to aspect of life – with the attitude that “I was created the weekly Torah reading that often introduces the solely to serve my Maker.” Every time we make a month of Elul, namely, the portion of Eikev. blessing, we acknowledge the nature of our The name of the Torah portion – Eikev – which is relationship with G-d with the words, “Blessed are also the first word, is used here in a somewhat You, King of the universe.” Similarly, all our actions unusual manner. As a noun, “eikev” means “heel.” should be simply “for the sake of Heaven.” Jacob – Yaakov in Hebrew – was so named because he The relationship with G-d can be expressed in one seized the heel – the eikev – of his brother. Rashi, the of two ways. When a Jew learns Torah and observes foremost Biblical commentator, explains the use of the mitzvos, this is an “arousal from below” that the word as follows: “If you will listen to the elicits a response from above. When a subject gladly commandments of minor importance, which one and enthusiastically offers the king the “work of his tramples with his heel.” This means, if one is careful hands” in fulfillment of the king’s command, the king with the mitzvos that tend to be treated lightly, then naturally responds with encouragement and all G-d will keep His promise to the Jewish people, as the manner of support for future endeavors. The rest of the verse indicates. response of the King – of G-d – is called an “arousal However, as a conjunction, Eikev means “for the from Above.” sake of” or “as a result of.” Other major It’s important to note the order of the service. commentators thus explain the beginning of the Torah First is the “arousal from below” – the effort of the reading as follows: “Eikev – For the sake of, as a result of – your listening to these laws, safeguarding and keeping ...We are like that servant, for we are in them, the Lord your G-d will keep in mind the covenant and kindness a position to demand – and therefore with which He made an oath to your fathers.” In this sense, Eikev are obligated to demand – from G-d, indicates the end or result – the concluding reward. how long? Until when will the Since both meanings of the Redemption be delayed? word – “heel” and “for the sake of” – appear in the same verse, obviously there must be a servant, the human being; second, is the “arousal connection between them. At first glance, however, from Above” – the response of the King, of G-d. these two meanings are contradictory: According to This relationship is alluded to in the name of the Rashi’s interpretation, “Eikev” indicates where one month of Elul. In Hebrew, Elul is an acronym for a starts, at the lowest level of Divine Service, referring phrase from Song of Songs. Each of the four Hebrew to the “lightest” mitzvos – the simple ones likely to be letters of the word “Elul” stands for one of the four trampled upon. On the other hand, according to the words in the following phrase: “Ani L’dodi, V’dodi other interpretation “Eikev” indicates the conclusion Li.” This means, “I am for my Beloved, and my – the result of the completion of the Divine Service. Beloved is for me.” (It is well known that the Sages This apparent difficulty can be resolved by considered the Song of Songs a metaphor for the referring back to the explanation of the dual nature of relationship between G-d and the Jewish people.) the relationship between G-d and the Jewish people. In the month of Elul, a month of t’shuva and The revelation of G-dliness, the reward for the reflection, the approach must first be “Ani L’dodi” – completion and perfection of our Divine Service, is a “I am for my Beloved.” Our thought, speech and response from above – “V’dodi Li” – “my Beloved is action must express our commitment to our King; we for me.” What elicits this response, arouses the King, must fulfill G-d’s commandments – the mitzvos – so to speak? Precisely the Divine service involved with renewed vigor and renewed strength. This with the lowest level, the mitzvos it’s easy to ignore naturally elicits the response of “V’dodi Li” – “my and “trample with the heel.” It is through the “Ani Beloved is for me.” G-d will then automatically, as it L’ D o d i ” – “I am for my Beloved” – the intense, were, grant each individual the assistance, material enthusiastic involvement in even the most seemingly

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& minor mitzvah – that one evokes the lowest, most unworthy enthusiasm and intensity of an the response “V’dodi Li.” generation, the one enmeshed in a “arousal from below.” A loyal The conjunction of Eikev and doubled and re-doubled darkness servant who has fulfilled the desire Elul, the Torah reading and the – a generation of chutzpah and of the King and is only waiting to month of preparation, reveals an arrogance. Eikev can also mean the see his King and receive his reward inner significance of both. end and completion, that is, the becomes impatient if there are Similarly, the conjunction of Eikev end of exile and the completion of obstacles and delays. He demands, and Elul reveals an important all the Divinely ordained tasks how long must I wait? We are like aspect of our contemporary necessary to prepare for the that servant, for we are in a situation – the time of the true and coming of Moshiach. position to demand – and final Redemption. For, according There is a practical lesson and therefore are obligated to demand to all signs and indications, now is implication to the above: In Elul, – from G-d, how long? Until when the time when the declaration, we must first perform our Divine will the Redemption be delayed? “Behold, here Moshiach comes,” Service in such a way to create an And we are assured that G-d will be a reality. “arousal from below” – Ani will respond, that there will be an Accordingly, Eikev can have a L’ D o d i . That will elicit an “arousal “arousal from Above,” and double meaning in regard to from Above” – V’dodi Li. In the immediately He will send our Redemption, for the phrase same manner, since the Divine righteous Moshiach. describing the time of Moshiach’s Service currently required of us is (Based on Seifer HaSichos 5751 Vol. II, pp. arrival is “Ikvisa d’Meshicha” – the to prepare the world for Moshiach, 750-763) Eikev of Moshiach. we must approach our task, that is, Here, Eikev can mean the heel, perform mitzvos, with the Raskin's Consistently “if it grows we have it” Superior Fruit and Produce Emporium WHOLESALE & RETAIL Michal & Aaron Raskin We Deliver 335 Kingston Ave. Brooklyn NY 11213 * Tel: (718) 756-3888 756-2221 * Fax: 756-2440

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  @E>PPFA TO LIVE REBBE!

expressions was, “come, let us Lessons in hiskashrus love for the connect to the Rebbe al emes (for Rebbe MH”M taken from a chapter in real).” In a shiur that he once gave in Raanana, he spoke with his rich a new book about the life of R’ Reuven style and used all his powers of persuasion to instill in his audience Dunin a”h. the idea that the Rebbe is Nasi Doreinu and he is the Head – the Rosh B’nei Yisroel. TO TRULY BOND “You have to live the inyan,” he One of the people present didn’t WITH THE REBBE would say in his unique style. “And care for this kind of talk, and began the inyan within the inyan is that arguing with him. R’ Reuven “When I was young and went to you have to live the Rebbe.” listened until the man finished and the Rebbe,” related R’ Reuven, “I In a number of sichos the Rebbe then said quietly but firmly, “When decided that I had to hear the says that all the Rebbeim are one I saw that the Rebbe addressed his Rebbe better at farbrengens and so continuation, a chain of revelation letters to ‘B’nei U’Bnos Yisroel I hid under his table. One time, of G-dly light in the world. R’ (Sons and Daughters of Israel) during a farbrengen, I saw that the Reuven referred to all the Chabad wherever they are,’ that was enough Rebbe’s shoelace was untied. I Rebbeim as “Rebbe.” He “lived” for me to understand that the crawled over and tied it. The them all to the same degree. You Rebbe is the Nasi HaDor.” Rebbe lifted the tablecloth a bit and could regularly hear him say, “The This was said so matter-of- said, “A dank” (thank you) and Rebbe writes this week in Likkutei factly and with such emuna p’shuta continued farbrenging. Torah …” when of course he meant that of course, the words had their “I said to myself: Thank you the Alter Rebbe, or “the Rebbe says effect. When you see the truth, you Hashem! I ask for nothing more. in Heichaltzu” when he was don’t need proofs. “Then I heard the Rebbe referring to the Rebbe Rashab. His student, R’ Yitzchok Ben- speaking about a Jew’s mission in “We have to absorb the Ami said, “I once went with Reuven this world and I thought: How understanding and awareness, deep to a farbrengen in Natzrat and he fortunate I would be, if only I were inside of us, that the Rebbe is our spoke about the Rebbe the entire a nail in the Rebbe’s shoe! (At a brain and head and just as the brain time. Some people were annoyed later time R’ Reuven said: That in the head is the source for all the and they left in the middle. On our thought that passed through my chayus of the body, so too, the way back to Chaifa, I asked him mind was somewhat arrogant for I Rebbe is the source of chayus for why he spoke so much about the do not even deserve to be a nail in all of us.” This is what R’ Reuven Rebbe when people left as a result. the Rebbe’s shoe. Maybe the dust emphasized repeatedly in his He said briefly, “It doesn’t matter stuck to the sole of his shoe, and farbrengens. how many stayed and how many maybe not even that …).” In connection with this he left. People have to know that the “The depth of a Chassid – is the would mention the Chassidic vort ikar (main thing) is the Rebbe!” Rebbe,” is a Chassidic aphorism. on the halachic expression, “spike Chassid and Rebbe are one entity reisha v’lo yamus” (can you cut off so that you can’t even separate the THEY SHOULD KNOW the head without it dying?!) and two. To a Chassid like R’ Reuven it say: Is it possible for a Jew to be WHO THE BALABUS IS was absolutely true and not merely cut off, heaven forbid, from his In a class on Chassidus that a saying. His subservience to the head – from the Rebbe – and took place in his house, R’ Reuven Rebbe was utterly true and serious. remain alive? once told about an experience he He was absolutely battul to every One of R’ Reuven’s oft-used had when he went to the Rebbe in word the Rebbe said. the 60’s which showed how the

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& Rebbe is the Rosh of everybody, in Rebbe is. As someone to whom the of a servant to his master and yet a way that goes beyond rational truth was his guiding light, R’ there was tremendous love like that explanation. Reuven Dunin was permeated with of a son for his father. There’s no “One night of yechidus I was in genuine bittul to the Rebbe. He question that when it came to 770 and waiting for the Rebbe to knew his place in relation to the influencing Anash in Eretz Yisroel leave his room and go home. Rebbe and before any step he took, about the inyan of love for the When it was after midnight already, he thought of what the Rebbe Rebbe, R’ Reuven was successful. I waited for the Rebbe outside of would want of him. This is what R’ Yosef Yitzchok 770. Suddenly, police cars blocked To Reuven, bittul was absolute. Gurewitz of Migdal HaEmek has to all approaches to 770, snipers went In other words, there was nothing say on this topic: up on the roofs all around and a in the world that had importance “The special thing I saw in R’ helicopter hovered above. Secret aside from the Rebbe. To a Reuven, what really ‘got’ to me agents set up a human blockade on mekurav who traveled with him to about his personality was his the steps leading to 770 and the Rebbe, R’ Reuven said on the tremendous love for the Rebbe. examined every inch. plane: You have to take into The first time I heard him farbreng, “Then a few Rolls Royces pulled account that when we arrive in I encountered a phenomenon that up and several men came out and went directly to the Rebbe’s room. Outside, the agents continued to keep guard and did not allow One of the people present didn’t care for anyone to approach the area. After this kind of talk, and began arguing about half an hour, they all left. “I was curious and so I went to with him. R’ Reuven listened until the the Rebbe (Reuven had the exceedingly rare privilege of man finished and then said quietly but unrestricted access to the Rebbe) and asked him who the people were. firmly, “When I saw that the Rebbe The Rebbe said they were from the Atomic Energy Commission. I addressed his letters to ‘B’nei U’Bnos asked the Rebbe what they wanted Yisroel (Sons and Daughters of Israel) and the Rebbe said they had a question that they were unable to wherever they are,’ that was enough for solve for a long time and so they came to consult with him. me to understand that the Rebbe is the “Did the Rebbe help them?” I asked. Nasi HaDor.” “Yes,” said the Rebbe. “Why? The dropping of the atom bomb was a terrible thing …” New York we are just with the was completely new for me, a “Three reasons,” said the Rebbe. Rebbe. Near the Rebbe, Reuven phenomenon I was unfamiliar with “First, their plans are for civilian Dunin does not exist. till that point. reactors that are used for peaceful By the same token, R’ Reuven “Every Chassid loves the Rebbe purposes. Second, the United said that once, at yechidus, he and this is expressed in carrying States is a country that does chesed suddenly began to feel his legs. “At out what the Rebbe wants. I always with Jews and I must help it. that moment, the moment I felt my felt that my love for the Rebbe was Third, so that they know who is the legs, i.e. myself, I knew that the expressed through all the routine balabus … (who is in charge).” yechidus had ended.” things I did every day in following This insight, that the Rebbe is the Rebbe’s instructions. But to not only a tzaddik and spiritual GENUINE BITTUL speak openly about feelings of love leader, but the head and brain of us EXPRESSED IN THE for the Rebbe – that I didn’t dare all and therefore, the balabus of do. I felt it in a powerful way in everything – was part of R’ FORM OF TRUE LOVE my heart but it never burst forth. Reuven’s basic awareness of what a R’ Reuven’s bittul was like that Deep inside, I even thought that it

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& was an inner Chassidic hergesh R’ Reuven once said the in ‘and they believed in Hashem (feeling) that could not be following at an Elul farbrengen: and Moshe His servant.’” expressed in words. Back then it “I heard the Rebbe say that in In connection with this he wasn’t standard practice to speak the month of Elul, the king is in the related an anecdote from the time about things like this at field and he has a smiling before he had become a baal farbrengens, and I was simply countenance. The Rebbe said the t’shuva and a Chassid: ashamed to do so. word shochakos with the letter shin “I was sitting on the tractor and “At that farbrengen, when I instead of the letter sin (which I had the urge to do a prank on my listened to R’ Reuven, I heard changes the meaning of the word friend who was standing nearby. I things that were music to my ears. from smiling to grinding). Since asked him to help me push the Ah, here was someone who finally the Rebbe does not make mistakes, tractor because the tractor was managed to say it. This was proof I think the reason is as follows. stuck. My friend knew that he that this hergesh could be spoken “Let us try and imagine how didn’t have the strength to push about in words. Then, for the first you would feel if you faced a king something so heavy and he time in my life, I understood that and the king smiled at you. When apologized and explained that a human being couldn’t move a tractor. But I convinced him to try and he went behind the tractor and began to push it. “At the same time, I released the clutch a bit and the tractor began to slowly move to the great amazement of my friend who was sure that he had been the one to move it.” R’ Reuven said that this is exactly what the Rebbe does with us. “The Rebbe does all the work for us. The neshamos we are mekarev to Judaism are ignited by the Rebbe. It is through the mivtzaim that the Rebbe gave us to do that he gives us the feeling as though we are making things happen.” One of his mekuravim, Nesanel (Yoni) Saadi, said that R’ Reuven never gave any of his mekuravim these things could be uttered you stand looking at the Rebbe and “marks” for achievement and there openly! That we could talk about the Rebbe smiles at you, do you did not exist the concept of our feelings of love for the Rebbe! suddenly feel like clapping? You “promotion in rank” for the simple It gave me a great feeling and from tremble in fear and you are more reason that when you work on the then on, I loved meeting R’ likely to cry than smile. So what’s Rebbe’s shlichus, there is no room Reuven.” the point? The Rebbe’s smile for talk about marks and the like. With his every move R’ Reuven ‘grinds’ you and cleanses you.” For the same reason, whoever expressed hiskashrus to the Rebbe. worked together with him never got “It’s not just what he said but WITHOUT MARKS, the feeling that he was satisfied, a mainly, how he said it,” said one of WITHOUT PROMOTIONS feeling that “I’m okay,” because he his mushpaim. “We literally felt his wasn’t the kind of person who gave bittul for the Rebbe, his feelings of “With all due respect for all the that kind of feeling. awe and love for the Rebbe. One other important factors,” he would “He always taught us that we could say that he was totally say, “we have to understand that have to progress in our spiritual ‘addicted’ to the Rebbe.” our success depends first and lives and that we cannot feel for an foremost on the degree of strength

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  instant that we have ‘arrived.’” “L’chaim, may we be the Rebbe’s donkeys!” Who would wish that if not Reuven Dunin? Hiskashrus to Then a few Rolls Royces the Rebbe, he would explain to his mushpaim, is not pulled up and several men limited to when one experiences a state of spiritual elevation. Even if you feel yourself to be on a low came out and went directly spiritual level, you still have to be mekushar to the Rebbe with all your might. to the Rebbe’s room. “Even if you’re a horse, at least be the king’s horse,” he would say in his colorful way. “What Outside, the agents happens when the king’s horse trots down the street with the king on his back? Everybody bows to the king continued to keep guard and and look in awe at the horse too. And when the horse did not allow anyone to defecates, the king’s servants run up with golden shovels to clean it up. It’s a horse, yes, but it’s the approach the area. After king’s horse!” about half an hour, they all TO FOLLOW WITH UTTER left. KABBALAS OL, LIKE SOLDIERS This was the main theme of all his farbrengens, the demand to be truly battul to the Rebbe. His message Along with the emphasis on the need to be devoted was clear: In order to live like a real Chassid, you have to the Rebbe, was the emphasis that the Rebbe is the to nullify all your desires and personal ambitions, both Nasi HaDor and the nerve center of the Jewish people. in the material and spiritual realms, and have one and This leads to the conclusion that just as the brain feels only one agenda – to connect with the true source of the pain in every limb, even a pain in the nail of the light, to the Rebbe, and carry out his wishes. This was little toe, so too, the Rebbe feels the personal pain of also the practical and main message of all his every Jew. To a Jew like R’ Reuven, this message farbrengens – the need to follow the Rebbe’s orders affected every moment and detail of his life. with kabbalas ol and utter bittul. At one of Reuven’s jobs, he worked with a grinding One of R’ Reuven’s friends who lived in New York machine. While operating it, his hand got caught. He sent him an invitation to the bar mitzva of his son yelled for help but nobody heard him. When he along with a plane ticket. R’ Reuven was happy at the realized that his hand was in danger of getting pulled opportunity to meet his friend and thrilled at the in, he shouted: REBBE! And he was able to extricate opportunity of seeing the Rebbe. As soon as he his hand from the machine. landed, he took a taxi to 770 in order to see the Rebbe. Someone once asked him whether he was taking Just as he arrived at 770, the Rebbe came from his proper care of his respiratory problems. R’ Reuven house and entered 770. When the Rebbe noticed R’ immediately answered, sure. When asked what he did, Reuven he asked him: How could you leave Chaifa R’ Reuven said, “I go to the Rebbe.” Indeed, people without a shliach? who were close to him say that whenever he returned For R’ Reuven this was enough. Within a few from the Rebbe, he had a long period of relief from his hours he was on the plane back to Chaifa. respiratory problems. He conveyed this message to his mushpaim. For When this is your relationship with the Rebbe, example, at a farbrengen he said, “You have to know needless to say, you ask the Rebbe’s advice about every that ‘Chayalei Adoneinu Moreinu V’Rabbeinu’ is not personal matter. Mrs. N. Crombie relates: just a nice song. When a Jew speaks, he ought to “At the end of 5740 my husband and I returned speak the truth and certainly this is true for a from a trip abroad. We had an apartment in Chaifa, Lubavitcher, which as the Rebbe once told me is not far from Reuven. We wanted to live in a new something that was never defined or tested. When we place, a place with quality of life. We considered one say we are soldiers of the Rebbe; that means we are of the yishuvim in the Golan Heights. soldiers! The Rebbe spoke many times about what it “At that point we wanted to know a little about means to be a soldier. Of course, this is expressed, Judaism but we didn’t know what it was exactly. An first of all, in kabbalas ol and discipline, which is the old friend referred us to the Dunin family from Chaifa foundation of avodas Hashem.” and we realized that we lived very close to them.

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& “I don’t recall precisely what the topic of conversation was. I only remember that it had to do with an instruction the Rebbe gave. R’ Mentlik, who was known for his soft, calm demeanor, was irate and he exclaimed, ‘Why isn’t the Rebbe’s horaa being followed?’ “R’ Reuven, on the other hand, was like ‘Rabbi Akiva who laughed’ and so R’ Mentlik asked in surprise, ‘I am so upset and you’re smiling?!’ “R’ Reuven replied, ‘I take pleasure in seeing a Jew who cares so much about the Rebbe’s horaa.’” R’ Dunin once heard one of the T’mimim who was called up for Maftir read the Haftora and say the words, “And My servant Dovid will rule over them and My servant The chair that Reuven Dunin prepared for the Rebbe Dovid will lead them forever,’ with a special emphasis. R’ Reuven When we told Reuven that we were reports of the outreach they did. enjoyed it very much and at the looking for a place to live that Reuven farbrenged then and said, farbrengen that took place after the would be a religious area out in “There are those who say that they davening, he said that when you nature, he opened his eyes wide don’t have to send a report to the read a verse that you believe in with and asked, ‘What do you mean? A Rebbe because the Rebbe knows all the inwardness of your soul, Jew has to live in a place where everything. ‘The Rebbe knows then this can be felt in the reading Divine Providence wants him to better than I do with how many itself. live. Only the Rebbe knows where people I put on t’fillin and what R’ Reuven always spoke about that is. You can’t decide this on effect I had on them and so why the need to make sure that if the your own, without asking the should I send in reports?’ Yet these Rebbe meets you, he should have a Rebbe. That same night, when it same people, if a member of their good reason to smile. He would was very late, we wrote to the household is sick or some other often wish, “L’chaim! May we see Rebbe.’ negative thing happens, are the Rebbe smile!” suddenly afraid that the Rebbe When he inspired people during TO REPORT TO THE doesn’t know all the details. They farbrengens to be stronger in REBBE ONCE IN TWO write to the Rebbe and even add the Chassidic practices, he almost word ‘urgent’ on the envelope …” always connected it to the subject WEEKS The Rebbe was R’ Reuven’s all- of hiskashrus to the Rebbe. “How R’ Reuven would demand that embracing existence. His entire life will you feel if you are immersed in his mushpaim write to the Rebbe revolved around the Rebbe and the stupidity in the privacy of your on a regular basis and report about Rebbe was the main topic of his home when you suddenly realize every mezuza they put up and every every conversation. When he that the Rebbe is waiting for you in kitchen they made kosher. R’ noticed someone truly living with the living room? Will the Rebbe Refael Levinson said, “Reuven once the Rebbe every minute, he did not have to wait for you a long time told me that we have to report to hesitate to openly express his until you are dressed like a the Rebbe about everything we do. pleasure. Chassid? The sorrow and pain you When I told him that I didn’t have Rabbi Dovid Drukman, rav of will feel at that moment is the time to write, he said, ‘And yet Kiryat Mochkin, recalls a humorous indescribable, so why not avoid it we want the Rebbe to have all the incident that took place in the to begin with?” time in the world for us!’” hallway of 770 when Rabbi When a fish head was brought There was a time when the Mordechai Mentlik happened to to his table on Rosh HaShana, R’ Rebbe asked that Chassidim send in meet R’ Reuven Dunin:

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  Reuven would interpret the wording Rebbe with our puny intellects – wrote to one of his children. “It’s of the request (that other groups only then, can this bond be a truly an unparalleled crime - our lack of have the custom of saying), “We lasting one,” he would explain. immersion in the Rebbe’s words. should be the head and not the At one of the yechiduyos, the Koshering meat begins with tail,” as follows. “We should be to Rebbe asked R’ Reuven to do soaking, as it says in the HaYom the head. And not – the tail!” In something and the Rebbe began Yom, to soak in the divrei ha’rav, other words, we wish ourselves that explaining why he wanted him to and only afterwards do you salt and we merit to be connected to the do it. R’ Reuven asked the Rebbe wash it. Rosh, i.e. the Rebbe who is the to stop explaining and said he “When I think of all the Rosh B’nei Yisroel. For if not, we wanted to do it only because the abundance, the quantity of talks are liable to be “tails.” Rebbe asked him to and not that the Rebbe pours out on us, because he understood why. and the entire inyan of ‘the earth THE REBBE’S CHAIR At a Yud Shevat farbrengen, to being full’ with ‘waters of pure mark the day the Rebbe accepted knowledge’ – isn’t it obvious that R’ Reuven’s belief in the Rebbe the Nesius, R’ Reuven referred to our entire existence should become and in everything the Rebbe said, the Rashi in that day’s Chitas in far more serious, with simcha and was absolute with not a smidgen of Parshas B’Shalach (Sheimos 14:4), goodness of heart, but obviously reservation and without mixing in that Moshe instructed the Jewish more spiritual?” his own opinion. people to return in the direction of In a corner of his house was a Egypt and they did not ask any special, royal chair that was for the HISKASHRUS THROUGH questions or say, “How can we Rebbe. R’ Reuven explained that FULFILLING THE return? We must flee!” They the Rebbe once said that he would listened to Moshe and said, “As for REBBE’S HORAOS come with Moshiach to Eretz us, all we have is what ben-Amram One of the horaos emphasized Yisroel. When he asked the Rebbe (=Moshe) says.” by the Rebbe is the enactment of whether he would come to Chaifa R’ Reuven explained at length the daily Chitas (Chumash, too, the Rebbe said, “G-d willing, I that we have to nullify our desires T’hillim, Tanya). Reuven would will come to Chaifa too.” Then the and follow the Rebbe’s orders even stress the obligation to learn Chitas Rebbe added, “It could even be if they don’t make sense to us. He every day and under all tomorrow …” would emphasize in his circumstances and he would explain When he returned to Chaifa, R’ farbrengens, “What the Rebbe how important this was to the Reuven thought: If the Rebbe wants to say, he says explicitly, and Rebbe. To support his point, he comes to our city, he will certainly what the Rebbe does not want to would observe how in many of the want to visit his house which is the say, he does not say. There is no Rebbe’s letters he directed the house of the Dunin family, and so I need to interpret the Rebbe.” addressee to learn Chitas. have to prepare a proper chair. Someone who returned from To him, Chitas was far more That’s the way R’ Reuven was, spending Tishrei with the Rebbe, than material to study; it was a without chochmas and without told R’ Reuven that on Rosh formula to run a proper life. He convoluted thinking. If the Rebbe HaShana, the t’kios were hard to considered the verses and sentences said so, then it would be so. blow. He said, “The Rebbe that appear, by Divine Providence, “Since belief in Hashem and managed to blow the shofar with in the daily portions as direct Moshe Rabbeinu is a positive difficulty.” guidance from the Rebbe. The way mitzva, this inyan must be R’ Reuven said, “The problem is Reuven would talk would be, “The ‘mesudar’ for us in our minds, at not with the Rebbe but with us. Rebbe emphasizes to us in Chitas,” all times, all places, and all Obviously, if someone like me gets or “the Rebbe writes us in Tanya.” circumstances. At the same time, it himself stuck in the shofar, the When the Rebbe established the is difficult to base one’s connection Rebbe would have to blow with daily study of Rambam, this added with the Rebbe solely on rational great effort to get me out of there.” another line to R’ Reuven’s foundations. It is only when we are “Just by learning the enormous repertoire, “The Rebbe recently permeated with pure belief that the amount of material the Rebbe gave explained to us in the Rambam …” Rebbe is the revelation of G-dly us,” Reuven would say, “should be Not to mention direct messages light in the world, with all that that enough to change us completely.” from the Rebbe like the broadcasts implies, and that we do not Here is an excerpt from a letter he of the Rebbe’s farbrengens. During understand anything about the

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& the time that the closest place to farbrenged on this topic, he said This is the answer to the group of hear the live broadcast was in that he used to know a newspaper frum ones who wanted to daven.” Chevel Taanachim, R’ Reuven and vendor who, during peak hours, if One of the Rebbe’s horaos that his mekuravim would pack into he had to use the bathroom, would Reuven did not stop demanding Reuven’s small car and drive an manage to do so in half his usual was the horaa of having a mashpia hour and a half each way in order time. The message R’ Reuven took to consult with on spiritual matters. to hear the broadcast. Reuven was from this was that when the Rebbe He once said, “I took a certain particular to never miss a single gives us an instruction to carry out, Chassid as my mashpia and I broadcast. we have to be fully immersed in it consult with him a lot. Believe me, At a later point, the broadcasts and if we have something urgent to sometimes he talks “not to the could be heard from R’ Reuven’s take care of, we should do so with point” and a thought comes to house. One time, someone called dispatch. mind that maybe … But then I tell to find out whether the broadcast This is an excerpt from a letter myself, you made him as your rav? was already over. He asked R’ that he wrote to one of his children You believe in Hashgacha Pratis? Reuven, “Did the Rebbe finish about the importance of going on Then do as he advises!” speaking already?” R’ Reuven’s mivtzaim. “Even if someone, for answer was, “The Rebbe did not whatever reason, does not see A HOUSE FULL finish; he paused.” himself as Moshe’s emissary, OF PICTURES All this led him to carrying out nevertheless, a soul in a body is on Chassidim treat pictures of the Rebbe with reverence and as a At one of the yechiduyos, the Rebbe segula. Some people carry the Rebbe’s picture at all times. The asked R’ Reuven to do something and interesting thing is that the Rebbe himself spoke about the advantage the Rebbe began explaining why he of having a picture of the Nasi HaDor (referring to the Rebbe wanted him to do it. R’ Reuven asked Rayatz) and said that it contains an the Rebbe to stop explaining and said inyan of “the shadow of the shadow” (a reference to the yechida he wanted to do it only because the of the soul). When R’ Reuven spoke about Rebbe asked him to and not because he the importance of having a picture of the Rebbe, he would explain it understood why. simply by quoting the verse, “and your eyes should see your teacher.” the Rebbe’s horaos with a mission from Hashem. So what In Reuven’s home, the walls tremendous devotion. For a few does it mean when someone has no were full of pictures of the Rebbe. years he owned a car that was a time for another? A visitor once asked why he had German make. When he was asked “The proper way to provide hung up so many. “What’s this? A why he used a car made by the goodness, help, consideration, and museum?” accursed nation, he said, “I think the utmost success, in our R’ Reuven wrote to the Rebbe that if those lowlifes make such a generation and situation, is only and asked whether he should leave good car, we should take and foremost according to the all the pictures up or not. The advantage.” Rebbe’s guidance. He informed us Rebbe answered, “Since you write Later on, he found out that the about mivtzaim which means there that you have done this until now Rebbe wrote someone that he was is no other way. Hashem closed and you see success in this, and I surprised that he bought German the mouth of the frum ones when receive good news from you, products, and he immediately the nation was already free of Egypt continue as you have been doing decided to get rid of his car. and were at Pi HaChiros and until now.” That is how he behaved and that Pharaoh drew their hearts to their R’ Reuven once explained it. is what he demanded of those Father in Heaven, and nevertheless, “To me, every picture is the Rebbe. around him. When he once they were told, ‘and you, be quiet!’ It brings back memories and therefore, all the talk in the house

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  begins and ends with the Rebbe. IF YOU’RE GOING house on 70 Hertzl Street for the It’s all the Rebbe.” TO 770 ALREADY, SEE first time, I said, ‘Hello, are you The following incident, told by THE REBBE! Rabbi Dunin?’ one of his mekuravim, explains this “He said, ‘Sit and don’t bother idea further: An inseparable part of me.’ “I once went to Reuven with a hiskashrus to the Rebbe is “I waited for two hours. Then problem and asked for his advice. traveling to see him. R’ Reuven he asked me what I wanted and I He was quiet for a long time and would farbreng about this said that I was sent there. He gave he looked at a picture of the Rebbe important subject and would me a look and said, ‘Tell me, will on the wall. I asked him why he explain the inyan at length with the you do everything the Rebbe wants didn’t answer me and he said, ‘I Chassidic homiletic interpretation of you?’ I had come from a Leftist don’t just want to talk. I want to of the Gemara that says, “Rebbi lo kibbutz and didn’t know anything know what to say.’” shana, Chiya minayin” (literally; If about the Rebbe. I said, ‘yes’ R’ Reuven considered a picture Rebbi did not record this in the weakly and he said, ‘Good, of the Rebbe as something very Mishna, where did Rebbi Chiya apparently I don’t have what to do important. He once went to know this from), “Whoever lets a with you – you have to go to farbreng in a dining room of a year go by without seeing the Tzfas.’ Chabad yeshiva and a large picture Rebbe – where does he have “We traveled together to Tzfas of the Rebbe was hanging there spiritual chayus from?” and on the way, on one of the that had become faded and He would also relate what he sharp turns, he gave me another creased over time. R’ Reuven heard from the mashpia, R’ Mendel look and asked, ‘Do you have a noticed this and began the Futerfas who saw a Chassid get off visa?’ I said, ‘I don’t even have a farbrengen with a complaint about a plane after seeing the Rebbe and passport.’ Less than a month it. “I am sure that nobody here immediately turn around and buy a later, I had a passport and a visa would want his own picture ticket to go back to the Rebbe. and within a few days I went to the crumpled like that.” One of the first steps that R’ Rebbe.” In his living room there was a Reuven would take for someone At the same time, he would huge picture of the Rebbe. R’ whom he helped bring close to emphasize that to a genuine Reuven would sit facing it and Judaism was to send him to the Chassid, the trip to the Rebbe nobody would sit with their back to Rebbe. The great light there required preparations and he it. He once went to farbreng in would do the rest of the work. insisted that you can’t go to the someone’s house and saw the host That was his view and that is what Rebbe without the proper sitting with his back to a picture of he did, as many talmidim can preparations as he learned from his the Rebbe. R’ Reuven made attest. mashpia, Rabbi Shlomo Chaim mention of this during the Rabbi Yigal Pizem relates: Kesselman. He did not like the farbrengen. “How could a Chassid “In the first stages of my idea of going to the Rebbe as part turn his back on the Rebbe? How getting involved with Chabad, R’ of a crowd activity. is it that you are not terrified of Reuven began convincing me at The following story is one this?” farbrengens to go to the Rebbe. Reuven told as a way of proving He analyzed the phenomenon He would say, ‘Think it over well. the seriousness of the trip: thus, “A Chassid sits with a picture Now we are in galus. The Geula is A Chassid wrote to the Rebbe of the Rebbe behind him. What coming immediately and then the that he was unsure whether to fly should I understand from this? Rebbe will come here and will ask to the Rebbe since he was very That whoever enters the house will you where you were until now. busy. The Rebbe said he did not understand that the person sitting What will you answer him?’ have to come. In the end, the in front of the picture belongs to “There were more farbrengens Chassid went anyway. When the the Rebbe! But it’s actually the and more farbrengens until it Rebbe saw him, he was obviously opposite. The picture should hang finally clicked for me and I happy to see him. Seeing this, the in front of the person so that he realized I had to go and see the Chassid dared to ask: If the Rebbe will remember to whom he needs Rebbe. He helped me financially is so happy to see me, why did he to be battul! Otherwise, the odor of too.” tell me I didn’t have to come? The yeshus (ego) wafts from it.” Another student of R’ Reuven Rebbe answered: If you were relates: unsure, it was preferable that you “When I went to his Chabad

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& stay home and there was no need YOUR BEHAVIOR: A REFLECTION ON THE REBBE to come. “At one of my yechiduyos, I don’t know how the conversation got onto It once happened that someone this topic but I told the Rebbe: You are Moshiach! And the Rebbe smiled.” said to Reuven that he had the In 5742, R’ Reuven Dunin was asked by one of his mekuravim opportunity to go to the Rebbe whether it was true that Chabad Chassidim say that the Rebbe is then and there, an opportunity that Moshiach. As he got into his car, R’ Reuven said, “Give me one good he wouldn’t have again. Reuven reason why not …” said, “Fine, a small change will When Chabad was promoting the slogan, “Hichanu L’Bias certainly take place in you, thanks HaMoshiach” (Prepare for the Coming of Moshiach), R’ Reuven once to this. Even someone who goes stood on a street of Chaifa where he could see these stickers on electric to the Rebbe like a donkey, returns poles etc. A religious Jew came over to him and began to argue with him a horse.” about it, asking what it was needed for. In a conversation he had with R’ Reuven asked him: Tell me, how long do we know one another? one of his mushpaim on the topic The man said: About forty years. of preparing for the trip, R’ R’ Reuven said: When was the last time you spoke to me about Reuven said, “Listen, if you’re Moshiach? If not for these stickers, we wouldn’t be talking about it today going to 770 already, it pays to either! stop in and see the Rebbe!” For many years R’ Reuven had a special button pinned to his lapel, When he saw that the person near his heart, on which it said “We want Moshiach Now.” He once didn’t know what he meant, he walked into a shul in Meia Sh’arim wearing it and one of the people there explained, “If you think that noticed and asked why he wore it. R’ Reuven said: Listen, this is a shul everybody there goes in for and in a shul people try not to lie … So tell me the truth – if not for this ‘yechidus’ (i.e. connects with the emblem, would you be thinking about Moshiach? Rebbe on a personal level), you are Along with seeing the positive aspect of these signs, R’ Reuven mistaken. I remember, my friend, emphasized that they were superficial, after all, and although they are that I was taken aback when I saw necessary, they must lead to the commensurate avoda p’nimis and not be people who went to the Rebbe with instead of p’nimius. This is an excerpt from what he said at a farbrengen empty suitcases and shopping lists on this topic: … all organized! Afterwards, they “When the Rebbe says, ‘and the earth will be filled with knowledge of explained to me that they had to G-d,’ what do you think? Do you think that you will hang up yellow cover the cost of the ticket … So posters from morning till night and this is what is meant by ‘filling the you see that there can be a earth?’ situation in which you are already “Boruch Hashem, all these superficial endeavors have caused a certain there with the Rebbe but you don’t measure of awareness, but what about the p’nimius of the inyan? Are the go in for yechidus because you external actions that are done without consideration for the people and have all this nonsense in your without consideration for Moshiach, adding to the inyan of ‘My servant head!” Dovid will rule them and be their leader?’ R’ Reuven would say, “You “Let us talk positively. There shouldn’t be a lack of understanding, could go to 770 to see the Rebbe’s heaven forbid. To me, the Rebbe was Moshiach from the very beginning, feet, his body, his head and even when I first saw him. So it makes me happy when this is spoken about in his hat, but the Rebbe himself is public, but do us all a favor: The Rebbe once told me personally, above all that.” ‘Whoever is connected to me and does not fulfill what it says in Shulchan When a visit to the Rebbe is Aruch – that means he suspects that I don’t fulfill what it says in Shulchan conducted in a superficial way, it Aruch.’ automatically affects what follows. “So whoever represents the Rebbe, as Moshiach yet, should be careful At a farbrengen in the yeshiva in that his conduct, even superficially, should be befitting the conduct of the Kfar Chabad, Reuven spoke about Rebbe himself. And a Rebbe – as part of being the Nasi HaDor, and as the need to be with the Rebbe. He part of being the Moshe Rabbeinu of the generation – is an Ohev Yisroel! grabbed one of the bachurim and First let us see genuine Ahavas Yisroel. If someone does not understand asked him, “Have you been to the you and still doesn’t agree with you etc… - let us not have a competition Rebbe?” The bachur said he had about who is more right and more Chassidish. The truth, the light, even a and Reuven went on to ask, “So little bit of it, will dispel a lot of darkness!” why did you return?”

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  PQLOV THE REBBE SENT A MESSAGE

By Nosson Avrohom Translated By Michoel Leib Dobry

weeks earlier, a matter of hours When the young man pulled the dollar before traveling to Newark International Airport for his flight out of his pocket and I saw the back to Eretz Yisroel, there occurred something simply amazing, out of handwriting on it, I jumped as if I had this world – something that made been bitten by a snake. I immediately him understand that the Rebbe is apparently asking him to accept a identified it as my handwriting. On the certain shlichus upon himself. All he had to do was to wait and he would dollar, there appeared the words “I realize what it all meant. When Rabbi Gordetzky called received from the Rebbe shlita on the him, the picture became crystal clear. R. Avraham Hershkop, who 14th of Iyar, Pesach Sheini 5744.” To works for a living as the manager of say that I was amazed would be an the Kosher L’Mehadrin Department of the Victory store network, is an understatement. I tried to remove the active member of behalf of Chabad community activities in southern dust from my memory. I couldn’t remain Israel. He is among the founders of the “Ezras Achim” organization, indifferent and tears poured down my which provides grocery assistance to needy families. He was also involved cheeks for several long minutes. in the establishment of the Areivim crisis intervention project within When Rabbi Avraham was totally surprised. Not because Chabad, and other programs for the Hershkop, better known by his he knew or suspected that such a benefit of the general public. nickname “Lemmy,” was called in thing was about to happen – on the “In the days prior to Yud-Beis by Rabbi Mordechai Gordetzky, the contrary, he knew nothing about it. Tammuz, our entire family (my wife, legendary chairman of the Nachlat Up until a month ago, when he our three children, and myself) set Har Chabad community in Kiryat traveled to the United States for a out on a visit to the United States Malachi, to inform him that he had family visit, including a stay at Beis for a family simcha,” R. Avraham been chosen for the fourth slot in Chayeinu – 770, he never imagined said as he began his story. “I am the joint list of candidates (the that he would be nominated for a very stringent about being in 770 second Chabad candidate behind realistic spot to win a City Council every year in order to get my Rabbi Chaim Steiner) for the seat, nor did he dream of praying for batteries charged to full strength upcoming municipal elections, Divine intercession on the matter. from the place that represents the headed by incumbent mayor Motti Yet, just before returning to source of vitality. This was also a Malka, it is impossible to say that he Nachlat Har Chabad from 770 three welcome opportunity to take my

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& children around who had never been from New York, I went past the and began putting on t’fillin with a privileged to see the Rebbe with their Rebbe’s holy room with my children, bracha during our visit to 770. own eyes and show them where the relating to them how the Rebbe “On Monday morning, at around Rebbe davened, where he made would stand there for hours on end half past nine, just a few hours farbrengens, and to bring up some to distribute dollars and give before our flight, I went into 770 golden memories from those sweet blessings for success to thousands of with one of my children to daven and wondrous days that we pray will Jews. quickly, while my wife waited for me return in all their glory and majesty. “The children were moved, and outside ‘Beis Chayeinu’. Regrettably, This was a wonderful chance to I’m not embarrassed to say that as I I would be unable to daven in the connect the children to the Rebbe. stood in the place where the Rebbe Rebbe’s minyan, as the car due to “Throughout the week that we gave strength to thousands of Jews take us the airport would be arriving stayed in Crown Heights, I made from all walks of life among the in about half an hour. Immediately certain to go to 770 every day with People of Israel chassidim and upon entering 770, the shul’s the children. We participated in the misnagdim, religious and secular, shamash, Rabbi Sholom Dovber Rebbe’s minyanim and the mayors, governors, government Kievman, met me and said, farbrengens, and it was quite ministers and heads of state, people ‘Hershkop, hold it a minute.’ He obvious that it left a powerful of great prominence alongside knew my name from the years when impression that accompanied them simple folk, I too felt a great flood of I was a regular guest in 770. all the way back to Eretz Yisroel. It emotion and I expressed my earnest “‘Who’s Avraham Hershkop?’ he was a wonderful thing to behold, hope before my children that with asked me. I was amazed by the and I jumped at the opportunity to G-d’s help, we will be able to see the question. ‘What do you mean instill a deep-rooted and inner Rebbe again. Looking back, my ‘Who’? That’s me; my first name is perception of what they learn words came from the depths of my Avraham.’ throughout the year – things that up heart and with an intense longing. “‘Do you know anyone else until now they had only heard about. The children were also greatly called Avraham Hershkop?’ I said “On Sunday afternoon, the day inspired, particularly my son who is no. To the best of my knowledge, before we were scheduled to depart about to celebrate his bar-mitzvah I’m the only Avraham Hershkop in

It’s never too late. The dollar that returned to its rightful owner after twenty-four years.

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  Chabad. “Today, twenty four years later, I “‘When are you leaving?’ he “Today, twenty was privileged to get back one of continued to inquire. I was a bit those dollars, which due to my confused. I didn’t understand the four years later, I shortcomings, I had managed to purpose of this interrogation. forget about. “‘In another half an hour,’ I was privileged to “I was in a state of tremendous replied. get back one of elation, as I went up to the office of “‘Did you lose something in the one of the Rebbe’s secretaries, Rabbi last few days?’ he continued with his those dollars, Binyomin Klein, and told him the questioning. whole story that had just happened, “At this point, I could no longer which due to my holding the dollar in my hand. Even restrain myself and I asked, ‘Rabbi he was deeply moved, and he told Kievman, why are keeping me in shortcomings, I me that he had heard many stories suspense? Is there something you about how dollars from the Rebbe want to tell me or ask me? Why beat had managed to found their way to their rightful around the bush? forget about.” owners, but to an actual story such “Then, he dropped his as this, he could only react with ‘bombshell’ on me. I never dreamed sheer amazement.” his pocket and I saw the handwriting anything like this would happen. In his heart, R. Avraham felt that on it, I jumped as if I had been “‘There’s a bachur here who the Rebbe is trying to convey some bitten by a snake. I immediately helps us gather the money that has message to him. He didn’t know identified it as my handwriting. On been collected in the shul’s pushkas. what, when, and how, but he knew the dollar, there appeared the words Yesterday, when we checked the that it would reach him sooner or ‘I received from the Rebbe shlita on pushka for the Siyumei Rambam, we later. th found a dollar with the name the 14 of Iyar, Pesach Sheini When Rabbi Hershkop returned Avraham Hershkop written on it. It 5744’. To say that I was amazed home to Nachlat Har Chabad and turns out that the dollar was would be an understatement. I tried was asked by Rabbi Mordechai received from the Rebbe shlita. to remove the dust from my Gordetzky to serve the interests of “The truth of the matter is that in memory. I couldn’t remain the Chabad community by running those initial moments, I was rather indifferent and tears poured down on the joint city council list of the confused. I didn’t recall that I had my cheeks for several long minutes. incumbent mayor, the feeling of lost any dollars, and surely not “I remembered that I had learned excitement intensified. His heart was dollars from the Rebbe. In the in Morristown that year, and I engulfed by the realization that this meantime, Rabbi Kievman called up would come to 770 quite often. This was the shlichus he had received that bachur and urged him to come included my participation in many from the Rebbe when he was in 770. to 770 as quickly as possible with farbrengens, among them this Indeed, the Rebbe continues with the dollar. He arrived within twenty farbrengen when I was privileged to greater strength and greater minutes. receive a dollar from the Rebbe’s fortitude to lead the flock that he “My son was standing near me, holy hand. Some time afterwards, tends, and the Jewish People in together with my nephew, HaTamim someone broke into my closet, and general, even in these times. His Yossi Hershkop, who was in 770 several of the dollars that I had been blessing had already been bestowed preparing for his wedding. When the privileged to receive from the Rebbe in a manner of “Before they call, I young man pulled the dollar out of had been stolen from me. will answer.”

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 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& PQLOV DO NOT READ PROMISED LAND, BUT LAND OF PROMISE

By C. Katz

his wife didn’t merit to have This timeless story shared by Tzfas children, but they would send packages and letters from America shlucha Rena Leichter, describes a with an underlying message – ‘why mother’s strength and courage to stand suffer in Israel — come to America!’ The little girl recalled her mother strong for Yiddishkait – a move which not wanting to hear any of it. “This (Eretz Yisroel) is the place for Jews,” not only spared her entire family from said her mother, with strong conviction. But her father, who assimilation, but led them to the carried the burden of parnasa, was always thinking about it... warmth and light of Chabad. “As a child, I don’t remember how much my parents would discuss In the late 1940’s and economic Talmud Torah, and the young girl it. But it must have been every time conditions in Eretz Yisroel were very was sent to Beis Yaacov. That was a they got a letter. And I guess one modest, to say the least. If you had a rare move; most of their neighbors day they decided the family was tomato, you were lucky. But for one had decided to lead a secular life going to America, where everything family, who left the Holy Land and after the devastation of the war. At would be great... sailed to America seeking a better that point the economic situation in “We were so excited and so was life, the only thing that was greener Eretz Yisroel was extremely tight — the whole neighborhood. It was the was the dollar. the stores were practically empty. greatest attraction – the Solomon It was 1948, and two neshamos, There was nothing you could buy family was moving to America!!! We Chaim and Masha, were among even if you had money and no one started selling things in our little those who had made their way to had money... apartment and packed. Eretz Yisroel, after losing most of You could only buy with food “We came to America by boat their families in the Holocaust. They stamps, which would allocate food after six or seven days at sea. We met, married and settled in Tel Aviv based on the number of neshamos arrived in January 1960. Our uncle where they had four boys followed per family. Still, that was hardly and aunt came to meet us. They by a beautiful baby girl, whom they sufficient. already rented an apartment for us. named after two of their Meanwhile, the little girl’s uncle It was huge – three rooms! In Israel grandmothers – Rishel and Rina — had immigrated to America and we had one room so the new who had perished at the hands of the would send letters to her mother apartment was like a mansion. Nazis, yimach shmam.. asking why she needed to live a “My uncle really put himself in The boys were learning in a difficult life in Eretz Yisroel. He and the position of the-uncle-that-was-

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  here-to-help-us. He helped my unpleasant to disappoint her. But I children were running around the father find a job and explained that didn’t know how to tell her here that house, enjoying themselves, trying to here in America it is as different I was a bright student bringing her guess what would be. from Eretz Yisroel as from the old nachas. My childish thoughts were – “I remember one of the evenings home in Poland. Here, he explained, how can I make her happy?! that she was looking around, my children get a proper education in “I told her I liked when kids uncle came over and told her, ‘what public schools. We were called the stood up and put their hand on their a chutzpah! I brought you over to refugees. In their eyes we were so heart and said something and sang a help you and you took the children outdated and primitive – according song. I thought that would make her out of school.” He threatened not to to the ‘sophisticated’ American life. very happy.” help anymore. The situation was “My uncle had already advanced The little girl apparently did not tense. His support was important. himself. He was a senior accountant. know that these actions she enjoyed “My mother told him, “they are my He asked why we didn’t “advance” were the Pledge of Allegiance and children and I’ll do what I want!” ourselves too. We were greenhorns. the singing of the American national She went to a school on Bedford, He said all the Jewish families were anthem. a Lubavitch yeshiva – and waited for sending their children to public “She (my mother) heard this and the speech about having to pay school. So we went to Public School was very, very, upset. She said ‘oy money she didn’t have in order for Number 67! I was seven, my oldest vey! I came to America to send my the children to be accepted. But the kids to the goyishe schools?’ It was speech never came. The boys were a national thing (the pledge and all accepted, given bus passes, told We were called song) but she was sure it was a they would be provided with meals prayer. She didn’t even ask what it at the yeshiva – and whenever the the refugees. In meant. She immediately understood mother had some money to pay, she their eyes we were that she came to America to improve could. Oh, and another thing, her her situation and brought her daughter could go to school with his so outdated and children – the only descendents of a daughter. family killed over there . . . and This was the principal of one of primitive – instead of learning Yiddishkait, they the yeshivos the Rebbe had opened were learning goyishkait.” to accept Jewish neshamos, Rabbi according to the Immediately, the mother stopped Altein, sh”y. And that is how the sending her children to the public family came to Lubavitch. And that “sophisticated” school. And while they were all at is also how they came to understand American life. home, playing and wondering what the concept of a step backwards in their mother was going to do next, order to launch forward. the strong woman boarded buses she Time passed and some years brother was maybe thirteen.” wasn’t even familiar with. She didn’t later, in 1973, the Rebbe sent 10 As time went on, the father was even know where there were Yiddish young couples on shlichus to Tzfas busy trying to earn a living, and the schools. She asked neighbors and to help Rabbi Aryeh Leib Kaplan, mother was busy trying to sort out a they said take this train and this a”h, make the first Lubavitch minyan new country, new lifestyle, new train and that train and go here... in the holy city in our times. A newly language and culture. Busy as she Well her mother found the married couple, Mrs. Rena Leichter was though, there was still time to yeshivos, but was quickly made to and her husband, Rav Aaron, a”h, sit down with her daughter to ask understand that in America, a Jewish were among that group and have her how school was going. school was completely private and raised Chassidishe children and For a little girl that had been didn’t get any money from the merited many Chassidishe used to giving her mother nachas government – and that she’d have to grandchildren. Yes, the beloved from her school in Eretz Yisroel, this pay tuition. She explained that she shlucha who tells the beautiful story was a difficult task. Instead of being didn’t have a penny to pay, but the of a mother’s mesirus nefesh, is in the third grade as she should have yeshivas – all of them —- said they none other than the little girl, Rena. been, she had been put back into the were sorry but she’d have to pay And she is sure that her mother, in first grade, as she hadn’t spoken or something. Gan Eden, is still getting much understood English. Back at the house, meanwhile, nachas from the fruits of her “It felt very awkward and the atmosphere was freilach. The connection to the Rebbe, MH”M.

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& MOLCFIB TOP DOCTOR AND PROUD CHASSID

By Nosson Avrohom

They prefer being treated by a Dr. Gad (Gadi) Ben-Dror was born to religious Jew.” The Lubavitcher dimension is an atheistic family and was completely not missing in his work. Although he dreamed about being a doctor in estranged from Judaism. The one who order to help people, he doesn’t set him straight was a Belgian gentile reject other options that could help his patients. In addition to how he woman. He began to search until he handles patients, according to the Rebbe’s advice, he always has a found Chabad and became deeply volume of Igros Kodesh on his desk through which many of his patients mekushar to the Rebbe. * Dr. Ben-Dror connect to the Rebbe. More and more, Dr. Ben-Dror is a top doctor in the internal medicine sees the Geula in the world of department of Ziv Hospital and is medicine. “The aphorism that the Rebbe promoted, ‘think good and it considered one of the greatest experts in will be good,’ is written about in countless articles in prestigious Israel in infectious diseases, a field he medical journals. They prove how a sick person’s attitude is a vital studied because of a miracle he had factor in his state of well-being.” with the Rebbe. CONFRONTED BY ANTI-SEMITISM SOUL DOCTOR which he dreamed about in his Dr. Ben-Dror was born fifty Within a few minutes of my childhood. years ago in the Ramat HaChayal interview of Dr. Gad Ben-Dror, he There are few people in Maalot, neighborhood of Tel Aviv which dispelled all the stereotypes many of Nahariya, and the surrounding used to be the northern exclusive us have of doctors. I quickly saw yishuvim who don’t know the area of the city. As a northern Tel that Ben-Dror is not a cold, beloved Lubavitcher doctor. In Avivian, he went to the Kol Yisroel impersonal type but a truly nice, addition to being sought after on Chaveirim School where he learned warm person. Dr. Ben-Dror works countless medical questions every French in addition to the usual in the internal medicine department day, he serves as a mohel who has subjects. of Ziv Hospital and is considered circumcised thousands of children. Aside from picking up some one of the biggest experts in the When I asked him what his traditional Jewish stories and tidbits country in infectious disease. He patients think of his Chassidic of Zionism, he was clueless about sees medicine as far more than a appearance, he smiles. “I am often Judaism. His mother is from profession. It is his life’s mission asked halachic questions because Hungary and his father from people think I’m the rabbi here.

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& Germany. His father made aliya in strong work ethic. He would get up feeling about Chabad and the the thirties. Upon doing so, he early every morning in order to Rebbe because the Chabadnikim changed his name from Sperlin to work as a locksmith at the Argaz would come to us with doughnuts Ben-Dror so he could enlist in the Company and he would return late and mishloach manos as well as British army where he served for a in the evening. coins for tz’daka from the Rebbe. few years in Africa. “At home as at school, the They were focused on their shlichus Dr. Ben-Dror reminisces, “In atmosphere was very atheistic and and had genuine simcha. I my childhood, I did not go to shul liberal. Judaism was not a strong remember one time, as we danced even though, at a later point, I point at home, to say the least. in a circle, the thought occurred to found out that my grandfathers “When I finished high school I me that if I were ever to become were very religious. But like many went to the army and served as a religious, I would be a Chabad of that generation, the children medic in the armored corps. I did a Chassid. were swept up in secular Zionism large part of my service at the Suez “When I finished my military and they abandoned the religious Canal. When I think about it today, service I decided to study medicine. life. My father was a man with a I remember that I had a positive I had always wanted to help people in this way and I went to university in Belgium where I spent three years. While there, I strayed even further from my Jewish roots. When you’re in Eretz Yisroel, even though at home and in school you don’t hear about Judaism, about Torah and mitzvos, the fact that you live in a Jewish country exposes you to Judaism: Whether through television or radio, whether in the army, you are exposed to kashrus and Shabbos. In Belgium there was none of this. “I used the French I had studied in school and devoted most of my time to the study of medicine. I felt a certain estrangement from my roots. The one who brought me back to reality was the gentile woman from whom I rented my apartment. One day, after arriving from vacation in Eretz Yisroel, I brought her some duty-free alcoholic beverages that she asked me to buy for her. “She forced a smile and said, ‘You see, although you’re a Jew, we respect and admire you.’ Her use of the word ‘although’ reminded me that it doesn’t matter how much we want to act like them; they will always remember that we are the ones they are not supposed to like. Her way of putting it made me confront the real face behind the smiles. “This didn’t stop me from

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  decided to return to Eretz Yisroel care what people said. Just at that I remember one and continue my studies at Tel Aviv time I was called up to the Reserves University. I still had questions and I decided that it would be time, as we about my identity and when I met easier to make the change while in my wife-to-be who worked in the the army. And that’s what I did. I danced in a circle, laboratory at Tel HaShomer, we left my beard unshaven like many wanted to explore Judaism further. soldiers do and when I returned to the thought We decided to take a course in Maalot I stopped touching it. I also kabbala.” switched my kippa from a knitted occurred to me one to a plain black one. that if I were ever ON THE WAY “My connection to the Rebbe TO CHASSIDUS and Chabad is really a process that to become is very hard for me to explain. Dr. Ben-Dror was a successful Today in Maalot there are several religious, I would sixth year medical student when he Chabad families, a shliach and a began to search for answers to the k’hilla. But back then, the religious be a Chabad questions that bothered him. His influence in the area came from a acquaintance with Chabad began successful Hesder yeshiva as well as Chassid. when he decided that he would do a wonderful knitted yarmulke his internship at the hospital in community. Nahariya. The couple bought a continuing for a fourth year of “Still, my neshama was drawn to home in nearby Maalot and Gad studies in a small near town Chassidus and to hiskashrus to the began working at the hospital in Hamburg, Germany. I felt very Rebbe. The first time I traveled to Naharyia. His first encounter with isolated there. I rarely met a Jew the Rebbe was in Tishrei 5748 with Chabad was with the shliach, Rabbi but I lived near a shul which was my oldest son, Yair and my Yisroel Butman, Pesach night where one of the only ones not destroyed chavrusa for Gemara, Rabbi Sinoni he and his wife spent the Seder and on Kristallnacht. who is a rav today, in Chadera. loved the atmosphere. “There were two Jewish families “My visit to the Rebbe was the “I can’t put my finger on the in town who were happy I had final step that transformed me into moment I decided I was becoming come so it was easier for them to a Chassid. I remember standing at a a Chabad Chassid. It was a form a minyan on Shabbos and farbrengen, stunned. I couldn’t protracted process which I didn’t Yom Tov. Other Jews came from a open my mouth; I was in shock. fully control. In Maalot back then, neighboring town so the tradition One day, when dollars were being there were hardly any Lubavitchers of prayer would not stop in this given out, I passed by with Rabbi except for Rabbi Dov Liron, a historic shul. Sinoni and when he asked the shliach who now lives in Kiryot. “Today I know that these Jews Rebbe for a bracha for children and Through him I began to get into the were not very knowledgeable but parnasa and the Rebbe looked at magical world of Chassidus and the they had a strong desire to hold him and answered ‘amen’ I was Chabad movement. I would join t’fillos in that shul. Every now and overcome with emotion. him at shiurim given by Rabbi then they would knock at my door “You quickly realize that the Shmuel Frumer of Kiryot and I on Shabbos morning and ask me to Rebbe is not just another rabbinic loved the Chassidus that was help form a minyan. figure. He is way beyond an taught. “It was in Germany that I began incredible genius, way beyond a “One of the moments that to think about my Jewish identity mekubal who does miracles. The shaped me as a Chabad Chassid and what the ramifications of my events of that Tishrei are engraved took place at one of these shiurim being Jewish are. The coldness of in me and I remember every minute when R’ Frumer said to me, ‘If you the Germans together with the I spent with the Rebbe.” grow a beard, you will get two thought that the murderers of many mitzvos – that of growing a beard of my people, including my family, and that of being able to put on THE REBBE SENT had come from them, made me t’fillin in those moments that you AN ANSWER WHEN wonder why we are persecuted. save by not shaving.’ I EMERGED FROM “It was hard for me to remain a “I took him seriously. I needed a long time in Germany and after a THE MIKVA lot of courage to carry it out, to not few months of tortured thoughts, I When Dr. Ben-Dror finished his

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& “From the tone of his questions I realized he was Jewish and then our conversation turned to matters of Judaism rather than medicine. He told me that he had recently retired and he had come to Eretz Yisroel in order to study in a yeshiva and to strengthen his Jewish identity. “At his request, I prepared a list of yeshivos for English-speaking baalei t’shuva for him, and that’s how my ‘interview’ ended. They called me from the university a few days later and asked whether I had met him. When I said that I had, they wanted to know where he was. “After he had received the list of yeshivos from me, he went that same day to one of the yeshivos and Dr. Gad Ben-Dror at a bris mila had completely forgotten that he was supposed to call the university residency at the hospital in expertise in infectious diseases. The back in South Africa with his Nahariya, he was certified as a full- way he became a specialist is impressions of me. In any case, fledged doctor. His spiritual search connected with an amazing miracle even if he had remembered, he was being fulfilled through which he tells us himself: could only give them religious becoming a Chabad Chassid. “When I worked at the hospital impressions, not medical ones. Whenever he had an important in Nahariya, I got an offer from “It suddenly struck me that this question, he asked the Rebbe. For Rambam hospital in Chaifa to do a was the reason why the Rebbe’s example, that year he wanted to residency in South Africa in the answer had been delayed until now. reduce the number of daily hours field of infectious diseases. This It was so that he would come to he worked at the hospital so he would take five years of study after Eretz Yisroel and speak to me about could spend more time with his which I would run their clinic. It Judaism and go to a yeshiva. This family, but his request was rejected. was a wonderful offer and I wrote assessment seemed to be verified The fear was that other doctors to the Rebbe about it, but I did not when a few days later I received a would ask for the same thing. receive an answer. phone call from Rambam hospital, When he saw that he had no other “I wasn’t going to South Africa telling me that I could do a recourse, he asked the Rebbe what if the Rebbe did not approve and so residency in infectious diseases with to do. I delayed giving a response and had them too. Now I had to ask for the A few days later he received a to come up with excuses for the Rebbe’s bracha again. response with a bracha and he administration of the hospital in “When the request became more presented his request again for Chaifa. One day, they called me realistic it was already 5757. The fewer hours of work. The incredible from South Africa and told me they Rebbe is not seen by us and so I happened. The department head wanted to know more about me and asked one of the shluchim in allowed him to work a ¾ day. since one of their professors was Nahariya, Rabbi Boruch Wilhelm, When the other doctors heard going to be in Israel, they asked who was going to the Kinus about this, they complained. Why him to contact me so he could meet HaShluchim, to ask the Rebbe to had they been refused and Ben- me. let me know what I should do. Dror approved? The department “I agreed, and after a few days He flew to 770 on Thursday and head admitted that he had no idea the professor arrived. When he saw Friday afternoon I went, as I always why he had done this, but Dr. Ben- me, he asked me whether I was do, to the mikva. When I came out, Dror knew the reason. religious and when I said that I I met one of the rabbanim, Rabbi The big story with the Rebbe is was, he said: You look like a baal Gurewitz, who said to me, ‘Dr. connected with Ben-Dror’s t’shuva, right?

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  conversation, he was reading my practitioners who made big request to the Rebbe.” promises but didn’t come through “He didn’t know for them. why my face A VIVID DREAM “The husband was a mekurav to Chabad and since he knew me, I Dr. Gad Ben-Dror began once suggested that he write to the changed colors. ‘I studying infectious diseases. For Rebbe through the Igros Kodesh. I two years he traveled every day am getting an told him: Many people were helped from his home in Maalot to Chaifa. with the Rebbe’s brachos in this Although medicine is a field which answer from the way and with Hashem’s help, you can look as though it contradicts will be helped too. faith, Dr. Ben-Dror has seen things Rebbe through you “He wrote and I wished him that, according to his professional that with the power of his belief in right now,’ I told knowledge, are supernatural. the Rebbe’s bracha, with the Every year, there is a conference addition of some good hachlatos, him, and this time of Lubavitcher doctors in Eretz that the bracha would be fulfilled Yisroel at Dr. Tal Nir’s where they it was he who was and he would have children. share their experiences and stories “A few days later, on a Friday, that they had in their work. taken aback.” he had a dream in which he was in “I have told this story numerous 770 and he went by the Rebbe and times but it moves me every time. got his bracha for children. The There was someone married for ten Gad, I must tell you something.’ I dream was vivid as though it was an years without children. The couple was surprised since I had never had actual vision, and he woke up and had gone to many conventional a conversation with him before. told his wife about it. She was doctors and when that didn’t help, Then he said: You are a doctor and skeptical and dismissed it as just a they turned to alternative I am learning the halachos of dream. healing with the Rishonim and Acharonim and I saw something interesting that I have been looking THE REBBE “GAVE IT” TO ME into. “I was curious to hear what he A few years ago, a young Lubavitcher came to me and told me that a had found interesting and then he shidduch had come up for her but the boy had a certain medical told me something that stunned problem. She asked me what the ramifications of this problem are and me. ‘One of the things that all the at what age do negative developments set in. poskim agree about is that if a I told her what I knew and said that at an older age the problem doctor can master a certain could become more acute. Despite my informed opinion, she wanted to specialty within medicine, he is write to the Rebbe through the Igros Kodesh. I was there when she obligated to do so.’ And he began opened to the answer and we were both taken aback by the Rebbe’s explaining this at length. answer. I had never seen anything like this. “He didn’t know why my face The Rebbe wrote that a doctor has permission to heal and not to changed colors. ‘I am getting an predict the future and it turns out in this case that he [the doctor] answer from the Rebbe through you spoke falsely. I remember the words which sent a chill down my back. right now,’ I told him, and this time The Rebbe had “given it to me” for giving my medical opinion about it was he who was taken aback. I what would happen twenty or thirty years later. The Rebbe went on to told him that just the day before I recommend a vegetarian diet which would make it likely for him to be had sent Rabbi Wilhelm to ask the healed. Rebbe for a bracha for me in order We were both stunned by this answer. I told her that as far as I to know whether to do the knew, the problem was not one that could be cured but the Rebbe said residency or not and here he was, otherwise. telling me about it … The next day, when I arrived at work, I heard people talking about “The most amazing part of all is research that would make it possible to transplant a healthy gene, thus that when Rabbi Wilhelm came eliminating the medical problem at the source. I walked around in a back he told me that at the very daze for quite some time. moment that we had our

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& operation. She couldn’t remain like that. On the other hand, it was likely to bring on labor and the baby wasn’t far along enough to be born yet. “She arrived at the hospital and they had her get ready for the operation. Yet, as time went by, the pains dissipated. The doctors decided to wait. The next morning, when the doctors came and looked at the pictures, they were shocked that she hadn’t been operated on yet. When they asked her how she felt, she said, ‘Better than yesterday.’ “They were incredulous since in these cases the pains only get worse. They decided to do another test before operating on her, because based on the previous “When he went back to sleep he being effective on something kept scans the situation was critical. saw the Rebbe again in a dream. hidden and he agreed to keep quiet. “The technician turned the The Rebbe’s face was shining and A year went by and his wife became ultra-sound device this way and his blue eyes penetrated to the pregnant again and she gave birth that and said in astonishment, ‘I see depths of his soul. The Rebbe said to a son they named Netanel. Many no inflammation that would justify that he wanted to give him a sign people attended the bris where they an operation.’ for his bracha so he would know heard the story of the dream. “She remained in the hospital that the dream was true. ‘Go to the “That man’s wife had another for another three days and then was Yahalom shul. The chazan will be amazing story. After their first released. It was an incredible Dov Glazer the lawyer and he will child, she was expecting their miracle for in the world of be up to P’sukei D’Zimra. When he second son when she experienced medicine, this just doesn’t happen. finishes Nishmas, they will ask you severe pain during her seventh When I told Dr. Singer, the man to continue as the chazan.’ month. When she went to their responsible for ultra-sound in “The next day, he woke up a bit family doctor, he sent her for an Nahariya, and the best in the later than usual, because of the ultra-sound test where they saw she country in this field, he was events of the night before. How had appendicitis. An operation had thunderstruck.” amazed he was when he entered the to be done immediately. The shul and saw Glazer serving as doctors said that this wouldn’t be chazan and he was davening the good for the baby and they had to POSITIVE THINKING P’sukei D’Zimra. inform her of this in advance. The fact that he is a Chassid in “A few minutes went by and “When her husband called me to addition to being a doctor, helps when he finished, the gabbai came consult with me, I told him: You him a lot in understanding his over to him and asked him to already experienced a miracle with patients. continue as chazan. He couldn’t the Rebbe and you know what you “We know that the one who restrain himself. He got up and told need to do. actually heals is the angel who everybody his dream then and “He wrote to the Rebbe and the accompanies every doctor. When there. Some of the people were answer was to check t’fillin and you realize that you have the power skeptical and some believed it. That mezuzos. I told him that whatever and the permission to heal, and not week, the city of Maalot buzzed happens he had to take her to the right to make pronouncements with the story of his dream. Rambam Hospital and in the about people’s fate, you relate “A month later, his wife was meantime, I sent his mezuzos and differently to your work. It’s more pregnant but she miscarried. I told t’fillin to be checked. On the one spiritual. him the Gemara about a bracha hand, she had to have the “A few days ago there was a

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  woman here from Kfar Veradim but these stories happen, and they korban becomes unfit. All the more who said she was suffering from demonstrate the power of the so with the positive, if a Jew thinks back pain. They sent her to me spiritual component of healing.” positive thoughts, it has power and because that day there was no Dr. Ben-Dror related a story it can change the situation.” orthopedist available. I examined that happened the day I interviewed her and gave her a prescription. him: BRIS KODESH “A half an hour later she called “Someone came in today from In addition to being a doctor, R’ and said that she hadn’t taken the one of the moshavim, completely Ben-Dror is known throughout the medicine yet but her pains had encased in a body cast and afraid northern settlements, kibbutzim and ceased. She asked me what for his future. I always have a moshavim as a mohel. Many treatment I had given her. I told her pushka on my desk, as the Rebbe families who are not religious are the story about the Maggid of said. I saw that he was very fearful willing to circumcise their sons on Mezritch who said that next to about his condition and I told him: condition that Dr. Ben-Dror does every doctor stands an angel who Put a coin in the pushka and it. He complies, no matter the guides him. She was amazed by everything will be all right. He put weather, summer and winter, on this. in a coin and left a lot more calmly Shabbos and Yom Tov as well as “Three months later her back than he had come in. weekdays. pain returned and she called me. “The line that the Rebbe “In recent years I have ‘Remember me with the back pain? repeated time and again is: Think circumcised thousands of babies It came back. Can you do over the good and it will be good. I always and it gives me great satisfaction. phone what you did the last time?’ say the Mishna that if a Kohen During the years after the gates of It may be an entertaining anecdote, thought invalidating thoughts, the the Soviet Union opened and thousands of Russian Jews began to arrive here, I was a doctor at the MY PERSONAL MIRACLE hospital in Nahariya. The rav of the Two summers ago, during the Second Lebanon War, my wife and I city, Rabbi Keller, would visit sick remained in Maalot even though most people left in fear of the missiles. people in different departments on The kids were in Kfar Chabad and we, as “shluchim,” did not leave. My Fridays. He would go from one wife is in charge of the mikva and I am a doctor. person to the next and give people One Shabbos, the children came to visit us. By that time we knew, hope and encouragement. more or less, when the terrorists shot their missiles. We were used to “We got to know one another the routine, the siren, thirty seconds, and then the missile landing. In and since many Russian Jews the half a minute between the siren and the missiles landing, we ran for wanted to be circumcised, and the shelter. mohel had to be certified as a Maalot was empty of people. All the shuls were closed and whoever surgeon too, he suggested that I had to stay davened in the one shul that remained open. study mila, and I did. I studied it at It pained me to see that out of hundreds of worshippers, only 13 Shaarei Tzedek Hospital in people remained who dared show up. Shabbos afternoon, after the Yerushalayim and since then, I have meal, I was taking a nap in the living room when I heard the siren. My circumcised hundreds of adults. wife called me to come inside but for some reason I decided to stay in “When the Russian aliya the living room. I didn’t want Nasrallah to disturb my Shabbos rest. dwindled, residents of Maalot, who While I was talking to my wife who was further inside the house, we knew that I am a mohel, began heard the sound of an explosion. It was before the thirty second grace asking me to circumcise their sons. period was over. Over the couch is a large window which had shattered. Now I meet many children whom I The new shutters which were made out of metal, flew out of the circumcised who ask me to window and landed right next to me. circumcise their own children. Two meters of heavy shutters, sharp as anything, flew by force of the “Near Maalot is a yishuv called explosion and landed near me. I quickly realized the enormity of the Kalil which is populated by mostly miracle that Hashem did for me. If I hadn’t been too lazy to get up, I young Jews who want to remove would have been struck. I don’t even want to think what would have themselves from modernity and live happened if the sharp metal and glass shards had penetrated my body. I in tents in the woods. Many of get goose bumps when I think of that attack. them have recently come from extended stays in India and the Far

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& East. I am the mohel for this yishuv another one had a horn and a third more than three hours. When I and I do brissin there occasionally. some unfamiliar instrument. The asked Dr. Gad Ben-Dror what It is there that I feel just how baby’s grandfather, an Ashkenazi his ambitions are, he was special every bris is. The people Jew very far from being religious, suddenly quiet and then he said: there, with their exotic clothes and said he too is a firstborn and he is To see the hisgalus of the Rebbe. long hair gather round me and certain that his parents did not do a He has seen how Chabad has every amen they say moves me. I Pidyon HaBen for him. We did a grown in his town. Today, the never heard a more emotional separate ceremony for him. outreach is not only based in Shma Yisroel than I heard from “Through brissin you can find Maalot but there are shluchim these young folk who are searching. the way to the hearts of all kinds of even in moshavim and kibbutzim “One week, I explained to young people. I am sometimes in the area. someone that in addition to doing a invited by kibbutznikim to do a bris “Today, everybody knows bris on a firstborn child, there is on Shabbos and what I do is invite what Chabad is and what it also a Pidyon HaBen ritual and I them to spend Shabbos with me in represents. In Maalot there are explained what it was according to Maalot, and they come. In addition several shiurim, also in inyanei halacha and the Rebbe’s sichos. The to a bris, they get to experience an Moshiach and Geula given by parents agreed and we decided to authentic Shabbos.” Rabbi Frumer which is well do it in our community. They all attended. Over here we don’t came to the Chabad shul in Maalot SPREADING THE hide the fact that the Rebbe is and it was definitely an unusual and BESURAS HA’GEULA Moshiach. We convey this moving event. message clearly and in a way that “One person had a guitar and A quick glance at a watch lets people can be receptive to it. us know that we have spoken for

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#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  PEIF@ERP PAVLODAR: READY FOR GEULA

By Nosson Avrohom

Bracha works with girls her age. The final words said by Rabbi Levi “As far as I’m concerned, there is Yitzchok Schneersohn were, “Ay, Your nothing more moving, there is no greater satisfaction, that this,” says footsteps are not known” … A few hours R’ Karnauch. This is the seventh year that he is later, he was buried in his exile in working in Pavlodar where he went, on very short notice from the shliach Kazakhstan * Shluchim of the Rebbe and rav of Kazakhstan, Rabbi Yeshaya Cohen. When I asked him have since gone to Kazakhstan to reach whether it wasn’t hard for him to go out to Jews there * One of these to such a spiritual wilderness he said that he himself had gotten involved shluchim is Rabbi Shmuel Karnauch who went to Pavlodar and began to collect Jews, one by one, formed them into a kehilla and began breathing life into the city’s hundreds of Jews * The fascinating story of a shliach who left a comfortable, Chassidishe life in Beitar Ilit for a very faraway city.

Sometimes you look for the big summer vacation. The two of them, stories in order to measure success Yossi and Bracha, are students in and to tell about communities and the mesivta and Project Children of big successful mosdos, but the Future. They became frum in sometimes, the measure of success Pavlodar and traveled thousands of is in the little stories. kilometers from home in order to Rabbi Shmuel Karnauch, the rav study. Today, they are 100% of the Jewish community in Pavlodar Lubavitch. in northern Kazakhstan, was very Upon their return, they help R’ excited when two children of his Karnauch out. Yossi participates in community, who learn in Moscow the shiurim and tefillos at the shul the rest of the year, were home for and is the rabbi’s right-hand man.

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& in Judaism from a “nowhere place.” As a polite constructive criticism he PAVLODAR added that when it comes to Jewish Pavlodar is a city in Kazakhstan 350 kilometers north-east of things you can’t say “spiritual Astana, on the banks of the Irtysh River. The population is 300,000, wilderness.” mostly ethnic Russians. The Kazakhs number only one third of the During the interview, I realized total population. There are smaller minorities of Ukrainians, Germans that this view is what gives him the and an even smaller community of Jews. strength to keep going despite the The city was founded in 1720 by Kazakhs and was called difficult circumstances. From the Kuryakovski for the lake from which they drew salt. In 1861 the name very start he thanked Rabbi Cohen was changed to Pavlodar (Pavel’s Gift) for Prince Pavel, the son of for his ongoing assistance. Alexander II, who was born then. At that point, the city was a small Is Kazakhstan hospitable to the oasis in the desert, lacking in importance until in 1955 when Jewish community? Khrushchev’s Virgin Lands Campaign, an initiative to open up large “Although Kazakhstan is a tracts of virgin land, began to pick up steam and hundreds of Moslem country, I would say that it thousands of people migrated there, and developed the city’s industries. has excellent ties with the Jewish Pavlodar grew to become a major industrial center, with tractor, people.” aluminum, and chemical plants and it became one of the biggest cities Up until six years ago, R’ in Kazakhstan. An oil refinery was completed in 1978 in Pavlodar. A Karnauch and his family lived in major tank factory was built there which is why it was a closed city warm, Chabad surroundings in until 1992. Declarations of independence led to the city’s further Beitar Ilit, completely oblivious to development. the great challenge that lay ahead of them. At the time that the offer came his way, he was enjoying life rav of the kehilla, Rabbi Asher heard in shul that Rabbi Yeshaya in Beitar, especially the shiurim by Lemel Cohen. Cohen was going to start a kehilla mashpia, Rabbi Dovid Offen and the One day, there was a rumor and shul in a city in Kazakhstan but

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  he hadn’t found the person to take the job. This was here with the majority of the Jews ignorant of everything the first time that he heard about the city Pavlodar. Jewish. The rate of assimilation is 90%. Many of the When he made some inquiries, he found out that it was Jews here, or their parents, were exiled to this city by located in the north of the country which meant that the the communists, or they are second generation temperature in the winter goes well below freezing. Holocaust survivors who fled to this city in fear of the The city was founded 250 years ago by Kazakhs. Nazis. Unlike most of the others, they remained to live There was no Jewish community at all, no religious there. Over the years, R’ Yeshaya Cohen would send institutions, no shul, no older Jews who remembered shluchim to the city for brief stays over Yom Tov. religious life, simply nothing. The shliach would have to “Despite the pathetic spiritual state of the Jews start from scratch in collecting the Jewish remnants here,” says R’ Karnauch, “there is one consolation. The living in the city and environs and build a kehilla shul that was built here was built on the ruins of the “something out of nothing.” youth club of the communist movement. It is more than “The fact that I would have to begin, from the a symbol and testimony that despite the decrees and ground up, did not bother me. I personally come from persecution, the Jewish people are chai v’kayam, while a completely irreligious family. I was mostly worried the communists and their supporters have declined. about the harsh climate.” Our shlichus is to try and restore Jewish life, to inspire Days went by and nobody jumped at this shlichus Jews to return to the ways of their ancestors.” Visitors to Pavlodar who did not see the city in several years cannot believe their eyes. The shul hums with activity. Every Shabbos and Yom Tov there are Months earlier, the Rebbe tefillos as well as farbrengens. A cemetery was set aside had known precisely what for Jews after years in which Jews were buried with gentiles. A beautiful Chabad mikva was built and is situation would arise and used by several families. On Lag B’Omer, the Jews of the city march proudly, proud of their Judaism. There he had asked that they not are other Jewish activities including shiurim on all kinds of topics. travel on Shabbos. She *** was very excited by this. When you hear R’ Karnauch’s life story, you understand where he gets his patience and persistence She saw with her own eyes from. He was born over thirty years ago in Odessa, Ukraine. The only Jewish connection his family had how the Rebbe runs the was that they knew they were Jewish. As a young man he met the shliach at that time, Rabbi Yeshaya Gisser show. and he became interested in Judaism through the influence of his uncle and cousin. His parents, who realized that his interest in his opportunity. R’ Karnauch decided it suited him and the heritage was not just idle curiosity but had practical difficulties couldn’t be allowed to stand in the way of the implications, tried to dissuade him but it was too late. fact that the Rebbe asked that every point on the globe One fine day he left his extended family and went to be prepared to greet Moshiach. Once he and his wife Eretz Yisrael where he studied at the Gutnick Center in were in agreement on this, they wrote to the Rebbe and Yerushalayim. opened to an encouraging answer. Less than two weeks “I wanted to expand my knowledge of Judaism in later they were in Pavlodar. general and Chassidus in particular. I felt an “We packed our stuff, parted from our friends, and inexplicable attraction to it. Even while I was in Eretz arrived in time for a grand Chanukas Beis HaKnesses. Yisrael, my parents continued to try to convince me to We knew that in a short while, the guests would leave leave yeshiva and attend university and make a career and our shlichus work would just be beginning.” for myself. The biggest shock for them was when they The Jewish population consists of only a few heard that I was Shomer Shabbos. They could not hundred families, most of whom are barely cognizant of understand the point. All my attempts at explaining their being Jewish. Every now and then, the shliach Judaism to them fell on deaf ears. In the meantime, I discovers another Jewish family that nobody knew about went on shlichus under the auspices of the yeshiva to before. The impact of the communist era is apparent Moldavia where the shluchim ran a summer camp. It

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& was there that I heard that my father was very sick and the doctors were pessimistic. “My mother told me that my father had undergone a complicated, eight hour operation and then the doctors said they did what they could do and they saw no reasonable chance for him to recover. In the meantime, I went back to yeshiva in Yerushalayim and wrote a letter to the Rebbe and put it in a volume of Igros Kodesh. I asked someone to read and translate the Rebbe’s answer for me. “The Rebbe wrote thanking someone who had been worried about the Rebbe’s health, and informed him that his health had improved and a doctor is given The philanthropist Moskowitz visiting the shul permission to heal. I was happy with this answer and I felt it was for me. “I told my mother about it and two weeks later she told me that my father, against all prognostications, had recovered from the operation and was out of bed and could even walk and run. “When the hanhala in yeshiva heard about my father’s health, they sent me on shlichus to Nikolayev which is near Odessa so I could visit my family. During those visits they learned to respect my new way of life and even identified with it. They saw that I hadn’t become primitive; on the contrary, the Torah refines a person and Chassidus purifies him. Rabbi Shmuel Karnauch with Rabbi Yeshaya Cohen at the site of the mikva My mother committed to lighting Shabbos candles and my father began putting on t’fillin every morning. “I eventually said goodbye again and returned to Eretz Yisrael where I became engaged and married my wife. My parents went to Eretz Yisrael and for the first time they experienced a Yiddishe simcha. “A short time after my parents returned to Odessa, I got a phone call from my mother saying that my father did not feel well again. My

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  flights and all the ships were booked for the next few months. Hundreds of thousands of non-Jews were When my father flocking to Eretz Yisrael that year in connection with complained that he Y2K, the new Millennium that was about to start. “The Jewish Agency, seeing that there was no space experienced discomfort available for new immigrants in the upcoming months hired a special ship for immigrants but … it was going when resting in a certain to set sail on Shabbos. My mother was not Shomer Shabbos at that point, she was just at the beginning of position, the doctor looked her spiritual journey, but she called me and told me this was an act of G-d. Months earlier, the Rebbe had at his medical file and known precisely what situation would arise and he had said, ‘You have asked that they not travel on Shabbos. She was very excited by this. She saw with her own eyes how the complaints? All the people Rebbe runs the show. “Short after, a Ukrainian family gave up their seats I know who were in your on a ship which would not sail on Shabbos, and my parents got those seats. I met my father at the port. He condition already passed was weak and exhausted and I took him straight to Hadassah hospital. The doctors who examined him said on!’ that his chances were slim. The cancer had spread to the small intestine and his condition was serious. “I did not get caught up in the doctors’ pessimism. I mother, who had become acquainted with the idea of told myself that I had written to the Rebbe on his behalf ‘Rebbe’ and the ability to receive brachos and guidance and the Rebbe had said not to travel on Shabbos. They from him, asked me to write to the Rebbe again. She withstood that test and had even begun taking on was afraid that my father would have to endure a mitzvos and now Hashem would do what He had to do. painful course of treatment all over again. The doctors did not understand where my great “The answer did not seem to have anything to do bitachon came from and they asked me to sign various with what I wrote. The Rebbe wrote: You are going to papers. your parents. Remember that you cannot travel on an “My father had a nine hour operation during which Israeli ship that travels on Shabbos. time the doctors walked in and out. When we asked “I didn’t see any answer here but since this was the them how my father was they avoided answering and I Rebbe’s answer, I conveyed it to my mother. My said Tehillim the entire time. After the operation, the mother told me they were actually planning on doctors said it was an unnatural medical success. They emigrating to the United States and perhaps the Rebbe’s had been able to clean out 90% of the malignancy and answer was about that. In any case, she promised me the remaining 10% could be dealt with in other ways. that they would not travel on Shabbos. A year later, my Boruch Hashem, my father had come out of it alive and father’s physical health deteriorated even more and my well. mother asked me to write to the Rebbe again. “After a few months we were asked to come to “I wrote another letter and asked for a bracha, Hadassah hospital for a medical follow-up. The noting that my father put on t’fillin every day. How surgeon who had been with us on all the previous visits shocked I was to open to the same answer as before, was not there that day. When my father complained about not traveling on the ship. I realized that that he experienced discomfort when resting in a certain something was afoot but I didn’t know what. I told my position, the doctor looked at his medical file and said, mother this answer and she did not understand it either. ‘You have complaints? All the people I know who were There were many ships in the middle of the week. Why in your condition already passed on!’ would they travel on Shabbos? “Today, my parents live in Karmiel and are Shomer “In that same conversation, my mother told me that Shabbos. My father is well aware of the miracle he had they had changed their minds and instead of the United which led him to keeping Shabbos.” States, they had decided to move to Eretz Yisrael. They had already submitted a request for visas. *** “Some days went by and they got their visas. My R’ Karnauch’s background and personality make him mother made some inquiries and found out that all the the right man for his shlichus position. He quickly

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& breathed life into the community. “At no point did we feel an estrangement from or resistance to Judaism. The people here are so distant from anything Jewish that they want to know more and more and they seek to feel and experience being Jewish. At the same time, most of the couples here are intermarried and this is our main job – strengthening Jewish identity. “From the very beginning we made house calls and invited people to come to our Shabbos meals. It was a way to make up, in a small way, for their abysmal lack of Jewish knowledge.” Rabbi Levi Cohen, Yeshaya’s brother, helped him a lot in the early Rabbi Karnauch and Rabbi Cohen with Chief Rabbi days in making connections with Shlomo Amar on his visit to Kazakhstan people in the community. “From my first day here until today, there has been no Shabbos or Yom Tov without a minyan in shul. NO JEW WILL BE LEFT BEHIND The results of our work are not In Pavlodar, the shliach can give many examples of the fulfillment of always apparent. Many of the the promise that “no Jew will be left behind.” people who took an interest left for “This is a story that happened last year. I had to go away for a few Eretz Yisrael or for other places with hours to the capitol, Astana. I did not dream how in a few hours there, I larger Jewish communities so that would be able to unexpectedly get a woman to reveal that she is Jewish. we have representatives in other This happened at the airport in Astana, a few minutes before I boarded locations.” the plane back to Pavlodar. A woman who works for a local company After making house calls and that did surveys came over to ask me some questions about my eating meeting many Jews, the shliach habits in Astana. began uniting people into a “I told her that I don’t eat in any restaurants because I am Jewish. community. In many cities of the ‘Not even a cup of coffee?’ she asked, and I said, no, and I explained the CIS there were Jewish k’hillos and problem with bishul akum and milk that is not watched during milking, the job of the shliach who showed by a Jew. The woman told me that she had a bit of a connection to the up on the scene was to provide Jewish people even though she wasn’t Jewish. She explained that her Jewish content, but in Pavlodar, the mother was Jewish but her father was a Kazakh. Jews first had to be found and “I got excited though she did not understand why. I explained to her united. that according to Jewish law, she is Jewish and I briefly explained the In addition to house calls, importance of mitzvos. shiurim were provided for men and “The woman, who wore a cross, told me that after her mother died, women. The first Tishrei, the Jews missionaries came to her house and told her that all Jews had to convert saw a mobile succa, a lulav and and that is what she did. She said she was afraid to go to a shul since esrog, a rabbi wearing a kittel and maybe they would be angry at her for doing so. other holiday-related things, for the “I felt I had a heavenly mission to help her and I gave her a Jewish first time. calendar that I had with me and I invited her to visit the shul in her city. “We sent all the Jews we knew a This conversation took place by ‘chance’ and lasted fifteen minutes, and Jewish newspaper called Shalom then the woman said she had to continue her survey. I realized that which is published by the center in Hashem directs us where we have to go and understood why I had had to Almaty (Alma Ata). It’s a colorful travel to Astana on such short notice in order to help the local shliach.” publication which is interesting and

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  street in his ‘uniform,’ and that answering because I was afraid, that “The subject of woke something up in her. She if he heard the price, he would give asked her son to locate me. up on the idea. Apparently though, Moshiach is part “It was the fifth Chanuka night a Jew’s connection to Hashem goes of everything we when he saw the menorah and far beyond what we think it does realized where I was. When I asked and he pressed me to tell him the do. I explain it and verified that the mother was price. He ordered a pair of t’fillin indeed Jewish, I told him that he which he tries to use every day. again and again. was Jewish too. “He comes to every tefilla, “The mother began telling me activity and farbrengen. One day he A shliach cannot about her past, relating memories came over to me and said, ‘Rabbi, and stories of her family. He was I’ll tell you the truth. I don’t know be successful very moved and explained that he what attracts me so much to without this. had always felt an attraction to embrace my Jewish heritage. It is Judaism but did not understand something internal which I have no Otherwise, how is why. He started a cell phone control over. It makes no difference company and he helps the Chabad what I’m doing or how I feel, I he different from house a lot. No question that cannot miss a Shabbos davening.’ proper Jewish behavior as well as “This man saw the fulfillment of any other Jewish pride managed to return an amazing bracha from the Rebbe another Jew to his roots. Now every which made a stir in town since he ‘outreach Shabbos Mevarchim he recites the is well known. When he left his job professional’? entire Tehillim and at work he has at the bank he took a loan from that recordings of shiurim which he same branch but when he left, he listens to whenever he has a chance. was asked to return the loan. He full of Jewish content. Many Jews “There’s a Jew by the name of came with this story to the Purim would meet me on the street and ask Binyamin Jacovitz who, up until farbrengen and said he could not me questions about Judaism. They recently, ran a branch of a bank possibly return all that money on began feeling proud of being Jewish here. His connection started with such short notice and he would have and that was only the beginning of Chanuka. When I heard his name to sell his house. He was very upset the Chabad-Jewish outreach.” from one of the people at the shul and didn’t know where to turn. Only seven years later and there who wondered whether he was “He wrote to the Rebbe and is a nice Jewish community. He is Jewish, I said that his name immediately afterwards went to greatly excited when he finds Jews indicated that he was definitely Almaty where the main branch of and takes them in after seventy years Jewish. I asked the man in shul that the bank is located in order to speak of estrangement from Judaism when the next time he met Jacovitz he to the ones in charge. I told him the city had no organized kehilla should tell him that the rabbi was that instead of staying at a hotel, he and no religious mosdos. looking for him. should stay at mosdos of the kehilla “I think a shliach has to be an “He did as I asked and the man and in his free time he should learn. example and so I make sure to wear came to shul and said he was He agreed and upon his return he a hat and jacket whenever I am in Jewish. I sat with him a long time excitedly said that not only did he shul or attend events. When I make and explained what it means to be a not have to return the full amount the two hour flight to Almaty, I Jew. He was very touched and said but the bank discovered that they daven or learn. People look at me. he didn’t know any of this before. owed him more severance pay!” Most of them are goyim. If there We quickly became friends and in R’ Karnauch is the kind of are Jews, my appearance and that very same conversation he shliach who is constantly looking for behavior might wake up their Jewish asked what he could do as a Jew. I new ideas to strengthen his sentiments. was amazed that he was ready for connection with the members of his “One day, a man came to shul this and I asked him to put on kehilla. Every Friday he tries to visit with an older woman who said she t’fillin. people at home and give them two was his mother. The son had no “I was even more amazed when challos which his wife makes. He idea that he was Jewish. He had he asked me how much it cost to also provides a Russian publication told his old mother about the Jewish buy t’fillin. I tried to avoid published by Rabbi Chavkin in Rabbi that he saw walking in the

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& Russian. throughout the CIS, Pavlodar did buried alongside gentiles. When “People open up and I am able to not have a Jewish cemetery and R’ necessary, I also serve as a member put t’fillin on with people who Karnauch asked the city council to of the Chevra Kadisha. The Jewish would usually refuse, and speak to set aside land for this purpose which section is sectioned off and guarded them about Jewish topics. I finish they did. 24 hours a day. I sometimes have these visits right before Shabbos. I “The land given to the kehilla to convince families to bury their recently bought a car which will enables us to do ‘chesed shel emes’ loved ones in the new Jewish enable me to double the number of with the Jewish departed. The city cemetery. So far, about ten Jews weekly visits.” never had a Jewish section of the have been buried there.” Unlike Jewish communities cemetery and it’s sad that Jews were If there was no kehilla and no Jewish cemetery, then there certainly was no mikva. The nearest mikva was in Almaty, a two and a half hour flight! A mikva was one of the first orders of priority. The speed with which it was built amazed even veteran shluchim. “It was very difficult to fly to Almaty every month and remain there, and sometimes it could be on Shabbos and other difficult times to be away, not to mention the cost of these flights. I decided we had to build a mikva here so that people in the community would learn about another aspect of religious life. But back in the early years, the idea was out-of-the-question because who would want to donate money to a mikva in a little, distant place? Who would think it was money well-spent Rabbi Karnauch lighting a public menorah in the center of town to build a mikva for so few people? “I spoke with Yeshaya Cohen who supported my decision and as always, he promised to help. He asked me to prepare plans for a mikva. I asked the company of the famous philanthropist millionaire Moskowitz to make me plans for a mikva. We sat for days and examined different types of mikvaos so we could choose what was best for us. “When Moskowitz visited our shul to celebrate our anniversary he was told about the plans to build a mikva and on the spot he promised to cover the costs. R’ Cohen supervised the halachic end of things and he came every so often in order to make sure that everything was being done properly. “When the mikva was first A large succa in the yard of the Chabad house

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  opened I saw how necessary it was. A Jewish couple in the community wanted to observe the laws of Family Purity and use the mikva. Many of the couples are intermarried but these two people were Jewish and so I was very happy with their decision. “Then I found out that the man had married twice, both time to Jewish women and he hadn’t given the first wife a proper Jewish divorce. I explained the situation to him and he was willing to give his divorcee a get. All that remained to be done was to marry his current wife according to halacha. “At that time, there was a convention of religions taking place in Astana, which was attended by all Publicizing the miracles of Chanuka the shluchim of Kazakhstan. I decided to make a big deal of the event. Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yona Metzger participated in the convention too. I went with this Jewish couple who was married publicly, in front of all the newspaper reporters and television journalists. Rabbi Metzger was the officiating rabbi. After the glass was broken, as is customary, I thought – it was worth building the mikva just for this. “This couple has been making great strides towards Torah and mitzvos and the husband’s children learn in Jewish schools in Moscow.” *** A big farbrengen is held on 20 Av, the yartzeit of the Rebbe’s father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneersohn, whose picture and A shiur-farbrengen at the shul story are disseminated throughout the country. There is hardly a Jew from any other ‘outreach we had shiurim on Hilchos Beis who has not heard of him. Many professional’? A shliach who wants HaBechira and we had siyumim. gentiles know about him too. the kochos of the meshaleiach has to The weekly shiurim for men and When I asked R’ Karnauch about live with the messages and the women during this time dealt with his work in spreading inyanei special chayus of the meshaleiach. the Beis HaMikdash.” Moshiach, he said, “The subject of “During the Three Weeks we had Seven years ago, before there Moshiach is part of everything we a good opportunity to talk about was a community in Pavlodar, who do. I explain it again and again. A Geula and Moshiach. Since the even thought of learning about the shliach cannot be successful without Rebbe said to learn about the Beis Beis HaMikdash? this. Otherwise, how is he different HaMikdash during this time period,

 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !& PEIF@ERP FUNDRAISING IN THE ERA OF MOSHIACH SECRETS OF NO-BUDGET FUNDRAISING: LET’S BUILD A BOARD

By Raanan Isseroff

WHY A BOARD? the same in structure and only For the wealthy in America, We will now discuss how to differ in name and mission. In the charitable board membership is make money using your board of end of the day, the Honorary something of a “must-do” activity. directors, building an honorary Board, the PTA and the Alumni Everybody who is anybody serves board of directors, the creation of a Association serve the same purpose on a few charitable boards and an PTA (Parent Teachers Association), of building our Chabad houses, invitation to join is considered an Alumni or Sisterhood, which are all giving our main supporters kavod honor. Their names appear on your takeoffs on the same idea of and letting them share in the stationary and website and their empowering a group of people in wonders that the Rebbe does names are dropped by the an honorary position to be involved through our efforts and becoming fundraiser and yourself to curry in your organization. not only more mekushar but they respect for what you are doing. Some might wonder why one become an actual part of our family Much fundraising is simply “who would ever do such a meshuga as well! you know.” If the wealthy people thing like to give control to anyone We will start with a discussion in your community respect the over the holy Daled amos of our of the Honorary board of directors, people on your board so this adds Beis Chabad! another article will be devoted to dignity to your cause as important The basis of the brotherly love building a working and involved people are championing it. People seen in the early beginnings of our PTA, Alumni Association or don’t have to know that the person holy brotherhood of Chassidim was Sisterhood as they each deserve is simply lending their name to help very much an “All For One and One their own special detailed you out! This is one aspect of what For All” atmosphere as we read discussions. a board is useful for. about in the early history of the A note: What we discuss here is Let’s understand something four Baalei Shem starting from how to involve outside people in from the outset: There are two Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem, Rabbi your Beis Chabad. The same boards in any charitable Yoel Baal Shem, Rabbi Adam Baal formula can also be used to involve organization. You have a controlling Shem and up to Rabbi Yisroel Baal “the uninvolved” of your executive board of directors, who Shem Tov and even until today. mekuravim as well. On the same are the legal founders of the Non- The Ahavas Yisroel in those days token, you can use this formula to Profit. Here we are talking about was so pure! Today, we too can wake up your present far-shlufener something different than a legal recreate such team effort, even if board as well. controlling board. one doesn’t see the Rebbe, but only The second kind of board is kochs’ in the ways and teachings of BUILDING AN called an “Honorary board” which our Rebbeim… HONORARY BOARD has no real control. An Honorary It is important to first Board is a group of people who What is an “Honorary Board of have no legal control over your understand what purpose such Directors”? For a Not-for-profit, honorary boards serve for a mosad organization but who out of the this is a group of people who are goodness of their pockets financially. This way we can fully invited to serve in voluntary appreciate what the sharing of our (“hearts”) put their respected name positions of leadership for a on the line to help your shlichus / fiefdom means. These charitable organization. honorary boards are all essentially organization to get ahead

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  navigated & finagled and your our brothers and we make them an In a sense, “WE” mission advertised and glorified. extension of our being the Rebbe’s In return, they get to have their arm. As the saying from Avos goes are the Rebbe’s name on your stationary, website that the Sh’china rests on ten Jews, and dinner party invites. Plus, their etc. Honorary Board name and pictures are freely Serving on the board of a bandied about the community in Charitable Non-profit is an honor taking his message association with your good work that some organizations even (and of course your picture!) Their charge for! Okay, your to the world. We friends pay good money for seats to organization is not the Guggenheim simply extend that come honor them when you have a or some famous museum that dinner and help in other smaller but anyone would give money for this relationship to invaluable ways as well. They help honor. you get that variance to build your bring in more extension, permits to have events, LEADING THE BOARD fight it out with the other local anti- In this vein, it is self understood family. Like the religious or anti-Chabadniks and that you must have a respectable stand up for your right to exist person managing the board. This is old song: “Really within the community. a whole craft in itself, building a If your board thinks what you every Jew is just board, running meetings and are doing is “just the most”, so then making it a huge source of income they invite their friends who bring our brother…” for your mosad. People give classes their money and wealthy friends, in this and write books on the which can mean quite a bit for your subject. The Federation here in charitably. They are honored by Chabad House in improving your New York City has fundraising being asked to serve and help public relations with the local seminars and one of their topics is financially with the charity. community. After all, building a the art of running and managing a These generous, wonderful building is not just a monetary board. In my humble opinion, it is people (who are usually connected, challenge. well worth it to hire someone to rich or just love what you are There is so much ko’ach in what train your fundraiser in this craft or doing) bring to your organization, a group can do as opposed to what send him for classes. I will give their good name. With their just you or I can do by ourselves. you a general overview of what is generous help, savvy, and In a sense, “WE” are the Rebbe’s involved and why you must have connections to the local community Honorary Board taking his message someone knowledgeable in this skill and their familiarity with the area to the world. We simply extend to be that person running, exciting customs and politics, they act as that relationship to bring in more and directing the board. your “memutza” (middleman) to family. Like the old song: “Really having money raised, local town or every Jew is just our brother…” [To be continued be”H] city services & ordinances safely But it’s true! They really are Raanan @shtetlfoundation.org

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 +BK>@EBJ S #'1 +-1&' !&