Dollars, AN INTERVIEW Kuntreisim, WITH RABBI Shlichus SHMUEL LEW LEBEN MITTEN REBBE’N $2.00 CHESHVAN 5776 ISSUE 37 (114) DerherContents CHESHVAN 5776 ISSUE 37 (114) Alone Against the World 04 DVAR MALCHUS To Where From Here? 05 KSAV YAD KODESH Dollars, Kuntreisim, Shlichus 06 LEBEN MITTEN REBBE’N The Road to 770 12 AN INTERVIEW WITH RABBI SHMUEL LEW A Momentous Gathering 30 a Timeless Message HAKHEL TODAY About the Cover: In the spirit of “Ve’Yaakov holach l’darkoi,” our cover features Financial Difficulties a photograph of orchim being received by the Rebbe for a on Shlichus “farewell” yechidus at the conclusion of the month of Tishrei. 32 Jewish Educational Media/The Living Archive ID #194239, 30 Tishrei, 5740 HORA’OS VEHADRACHOS DerherEditorial ושבת בראשית שבאה בסמיכות לשמח"ת . ואפשרות זו נתונה oming from the festive month of Tishrei and לכאו”א מדי יום ביומו, ועכ"פ — מדי פעם בפעם, ובפרט בזמני סגולה Cbeginning the new year—shnas Hakhel—we — להזכר אודות יהודים אלו שהיה ביחד אתם בימי חודש תשרי )ועד .present this current edition of the Derher Magazine שבת בראשית וער"ח מרחשון שהוא כבר לאחר שבת מברכים חשון( yechidus orchim — לחשוב במעלותיהם, שעי"ז יהיו מעלותיהם בהתעוררות יותר... In a to the who had come to spend Tishrei with the Rebbe in 5748, shnas Hakhel, the Rebbe ...ובכלל זה — השליחות המיוחדת, של כאו"א מאתנו, ושל כל כלל explained how the memories from celebrating Tishrei ישראל, בשנה זו, שנת “הקהל” )כאמור( — לחפש הזדמנויות לפעול together—marking all the yomim tovim together ב”הקהל”, דהיינו שלא להמתין עד שיעוררוהו פעם אחר פעם, אלא and farbrenging together in one sukkah—serve as a כאו”א, האנשים הנשים והטף, צריך ללכת ולחפש בעצמו הזדמנויות ,powerful tool for us to unite even later on in the year לאסוף חברים )והנשים — חברות( שביכלתו להשפיע עליהם… .when we are physically distant from one-another This, says the Rebbe, brings Hashem’s blessings into • our lives in unprecedented measures, thereby giving us the strength to fulfill our everyday shlichus. This current edition continues our line of new columns Especially, the timely shlichus of gathering Yidden alongside our classic ones and featured articles. together and inspiring them in the spirit of “Hakhel.” Most notably, we were privileged to have ,interviewed the veteran shliach and mechanech אע"פ שנוסעים ונפרדים, בכל זאת כל אחד ואחת צריך לזכור במחשבתו, .Rabbi Shmuel Lew from London, England את כל אלו שעימם נפגשו במשך הזמן שהיו כאן ביחד. ובפרט שהיו ביחד כמשך חודש תשרי וערכו ביחד הן את הימים הנוראים והן ימי Rabbi Lew presents his personal story of his spiritual השמחה, והתוועדו ביחד באותה סוכה, ובפרט בהשמחה דשמח”ת journey to Lubavitch, and the warm, caring attention he בס"ד The Approach of a Chossid 35 ARUM CHASSIDUS The Chossid’s Calendar 38 HAYOM YOM Polishing our Buttons THE DEEPER MEANING OF 48 A FAMOUS PARABLE 52 Change of Heart 50 A STORY Tracht Gut Vet Zein Gut 52 DARKEI HACHASSIDUS Conversation on 56 Eastern Parkway BEHIND THE PICTURE 59 Letters to the Editor 12 38 was zoche to have received from the Rebbe all the A Chassidisher Derher Magazine is a publication geared way through. Many of the Rebbe’s horaos to him are toward Bochurim, published and copyrighted by especially pertinent to the avodah of a bochur, and Vaad Talmidei Hatmimim Haolomi. All articles in this publication we are very grateful that he agreed to share many are original content by the staff of A Chassidisher Derher. of these points with us. His inspirational words Vaad Talmidei Hatmimim Printed by Rabbi Tzvi Altein The Print House resonate within his fascinating accounts, and we are Copy Editors Special Thanks to sure our readers will enjoy this treasure of a story. Rabbi Eliezer Zalmanov Rabbi Chaim Shaul Brook Rabbi Yosef Boruch Friedman Rabbi Mendel Gourarie Rabbi Moshe Zaklikovsky Rabbi Sholom Ber Lew • Rabbi Shmuel Lew Design Rabbi Pinny Lew Rabbi Mendy Weg As we prepare for the Kinus Hashluchim Rabbi Yossi Lew Photo Credits Rabbi Michoel Seligson towards the end of the month, we once Jewish Educational Media Rabbi Elkanah Shmotkin again recommit ourselves to the ultimate Kehot Publication Society Rabbi Sholom Ber Shuchat shlichus of our time, in the Rebbe’s words Raskin Family Archive Rabbi Levi Treitel Reproduction of any portion of this Magazine is not permissible without express permission at the farbrengen of the Kinus in 5752: from the copyright holders, unless for the use of brief quotations in reviews and similar venues. Submit your questions and comments: Call: (970) 680 3370 | Email: [email protected] אז די איינציקע זאך וואס איז איצטער געבליבן אין דער עבודת To subscribe, order a copy, or access back issues visit us at www.Derher.org השליחות, איז: צו מקבל זיין פני משיח צדקנו בפועל ממש… A Chassidisher Derher is honored to feature unique and historic photos from Jewish May it be teikef umiyad mammosh! Educational Media’s Living Archive photo collection. The Living Archive is a project to preserve, and provide access to the video, audio, and photographic recordings of the The Editors Rebbe. These photos are copyright by JEM and are available at TheLivingArchive.org שלהי תשרי ה'תשע"ו - שנת הקהל PHOTO: JEM/THE LIVING ARCHIVE / 104489 PHOTO: ALONE AGAINST THE WORLD At the farbrengen of Rosh Chodesh not knowing who will win, he can Whether or not a Yid sees his Mar-Cheshvan, 5743 the Rebbe spoke become disheartened. Even before triumph over the world is irrelevant about the lesson to be learned from explaining to him that he is not alone to his continued efforts in spreading Noach, who stood alone against a dark but together with many Yidden and goodness—“the good and just in the world and transformed it to good. with Hashem, he should be taught eyes of Hashem your G-d”—Torah At the beginning of Parshas the lesson to be learned from the and mitzvos. He is not the first Noach the possuk says: “These are beginning of Parshas Noach: standing alone against the world; the offspring of Noach, Noach.” The “Noach was a righteous man. He Noach did it too, and defeated it. double “Noach” refers to two types was perfectly righteous in (relation This does not mean that he needs to of rest—“naycha”—in the higher to) his generation.” Although the do Hashem’s will without caring about and lower worlds. The synonymy of way of the land was corrupt and the the outcome. Rather, that he must do Noach and “rest” is to the extent that opposite of why it was created—“He his part and then he is guaranteed the “days of old” mentioned in the created it to be inhabited”—Noach, that he will succeed; just like Noach. passuk about geulah—“Then shall the alone, remained a tzaddik—“a When he knows this, he will do his offering of Yehudah and Yerushalayim righteous and perfect man”—“I avodah with simcha; as the [Frierdiker] be pleasing to Hashem, as in the days saw you, a tzaddik before me.” Rebbe said, when going out to war, of old and as in bygone years”—are Furthermore: not only were soldiers already sing a victory march, associated with the “days of Noach.” the people corrupt, but also the before the victory even happened. Being that Torah is eternal, animals—“for all flesh had depraved This is also emphasized at the this is a lesson for every Yid. its nature upon the earth.” beginning of Parshas Noach. Even When a Yid looks around and sees Even so, through Noach’s avodah he before discussing the details of the that “darkness covers the earth and changed the world—“Hashem smelled flood that destroyed the world, the a [dark] cloud [covers] the nations,” the pleasant aroma” —in a manner Torah talks about “Noach, Noach”— and that he alone has to go out and that there was rest in the higher and rest in the higher and lower worlds. wage war against the whole world, lower worlds—“Noach, Noach.” (Hisvaaduyos 5743 vol. 1 p. 370) CHESHVAN 5776 4 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER Ksav Yad To Where From Here? This ksav yad kodesh was written by the Rebbe in response to a bochur who spent Tishrei with the Rebbe, and at the end of the month, he wrote to the Rebbe asking for guidance as to how to continue growing in avodas Hashem. בתוכן כתבו - ידבר ויבקש המשפיע שי’ שלו שיבארוהו פתגם נשיאינו - שלאחרי תשרי צריך פאנאנדערפאקען את החבילה שקיבלו בתשרי וכו’. ...Regarding what you write - you should speak with your mashpia and ask him to explain to you the phrase from our Rabbeim—that after Tishrei, one must unpack the “bundle” [i.e. spiritual hashpa’a] that one received during Tishrei, etc. For the sake of clarity, we quote the Frierdiker Rebbe’s sicha from Leil Simchas Torah, 5709: We once explained that on Simchas Torah, one must begin unpacking the bundles [of merchandise] he bought. Simchas Torah is the culmination of the avoda of the months of Elul and Tishrei; [their energy] can be deeply felt during Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah. This is similar to a merchant who travels to a fair, shelling out all his money, and pawning [his belongings] for borrowed money, in order to buy as much merchandise as possible. Later, when he returns home, he unpacks his bags and spreads out the merchandise to examine what he bought. Similarly: during Elul, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos, we “bought” lots of “merchandise”. On Simchas Torah, we must begin “unpacking.” But we need to account for how well we did with last year’s merchandise; is it justifiable to buy more now? What do we have to show for ourselves…? For further explanation of this concept, see the Rebbe’s letter in Igros Kodesh vol.