BH Preparing for 28 Sivan - 80 Years - and Gimmel Tammuz Urgent: Achdus of Chassidim Rabbonim speak at the Achdus farbrengen in 770 before Shavuos 5781

Horav Braun Horav Gluckowsky Horav Hecht The Meeting of Tohu and Tikkun Horav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita Mara D’asra & Member of Badatz of Crown Heights

It was 12:45 am one night in 5751, and message?” Rabbi Groner tells Rabbi not at all, and it is those who are closer Rabbi Binyamin Williger’s phone rings. Williger to share with the publishers to me—my annoying relative, my nosy A well-respected Chassid of Sanz- in the name of the Rebbe. “There are in-laws, my uppity neighbor who are Klausenburg, Rabbi Williger had, finally, many other topics about which the difficult to get along with. But true love just managed to go down for the night. Klausenburger Rebbe would speak. We demands not just winning the internal “Who is this?” he asks. are in a time when Yidden, and especially (and somewhat passive) struggle of the Klausenburger Chassidim, need lots overlooking the faults of others. It means “I’m calling on behalf of the Lubavitcher of chizzuk.” The Sanzer Rebbe was of that we actively care about another and Rebbe.” It was Rabbi Groner AH on the line. ill health at that time. “Please do not worry about them sincerely to the point Rabbi Williger was close to the Rebbe. continue to print such caustic material.” that because they are uncomfortable, I I knew him personally, as he davened in Rabbi Groner concluded his message. am unable to sleep. And to awaken those my grandfather’s shul, and was one of feelings for a stranger I have never met is We might think that an issue that impacts the witnesses at my chuppah. a true avodah. one small, select group of Chassidim “Who is responsible for the newsletter and an even tinier circle of readers of the Yesterday, erev Shabbos, my 10-year-old ‘Sanz”? Rabbi Groner asks Rabbi WIlliger. column, all of whom are firmly committed son was hit by a car. He flew several feet This is why he’s calling so late at night? Yidden for whom the content had little in the air upon impact, flipped over and Couldn’t it wait for morning? chance of alienating them, would not be fell on his head. He blacked out at the “I am not involved in its publication,” worth the effort to track down and wake moment and could later not remember Rabbi Williger answers. “It’s put out by up Rabbi Williger in middle of the night... anything that had occurred that day. some of the [Sanzer] Rebbe’s family.” but such is the Rebbe’s care for others. Slowly, his memory has returned and he is completely back to himself, coming to This is the true meaning of Ahavas “The Rebbe told me to tell you that if shul today as normal, Baruch Hashem. Yisroel. The possible angst of another Jew you are in charge, the following is issued Events such as these do not always when they are being criticized should as a command,” says Rabbi Groner, “If reverse themselves so quickly, lo aleinu, bother us personally to the point that we not, it is merely a request.” and we are very grateful to Hashem. cannot rest until we do something about “Sanz” includes a regular column of divrei it. It is said in the name of the At the time the accident occurred and he from the Klausenburg Rebbe from Tov that the love of our fellow applies was being checked out at the hospital, a past years. In the latest issue, there was a even when that fellow lives on the other stray thought entered my mind. Why is it, derasha from the Klausenburger in 5717 side of the world and you have never met I wondered, that I am so concerned about that was distinctly sharp and mussar- them. You might argue that the converse his medical prognosis, worrying over it so like. “Why must they print this particular it true: it is easy to love the person I know much more thoroughly than about our brothers in the Holy Land who are in the focusing on our relationship with the absolute unity we will have when direct path of missile attacks at this very Hashem? Because one who is lacking Moshiach is here. moment? There’s a disconnect here, that in this of Ahavas Yisroel is also The Rebbe has given us a big job: bring this situation is personal and the situation falling short of fulfilling the imperative Moshiach. He then tells us how: Take the in Eretz Yisroel seems so far away. of the Shema: “Hashem is One.” How great possibility and boundless energy can a person testify to Hashem’s unity, How to interact with our fellow Yidden, of the World of Tohu and contain it while simultaneously being the cause of the Mechilta tells us, can be learned within the vessels of our practical world dissension among the nation called His from the possuk, “And you should be, for of Tikkun. Unfortunately, when it comes only child, His most treasured people Me, a kingdom of Kohanim and a holy to topics associated with Moshiach, we who contain within them “a literal part of nation.” Every Jew belongs to Hashem! find that many people have aligned G-d”? If our “one” is deficient, the lack is They are as special as a Kohen, who can themselves with one of the two extremes: felt, chas v’shalom, in Hashem’s “One”. eat sacrificial meat! And more so, even on those who have been captured by the a level of a Kohen Gadol! Not only that, In this week’s chapter of Pirkei Avos, we quixotic realm of Tohu and those who they are holy, to be treated with care like learn that we must give respect to those reach no further than their narrow POV in the most elevated religious articles! who teach us Torah—”linhog kavod” Tikkun. Thirty years have passed since the even to one who imparts the shortest Rebbe handed us this mission and instead There, the Mechilta also mentions how lesson. The same term “lo nahagu kavod” of each person working toward the goal, Nevuchadnezzer likened the Jewish is brought in reference to the actions we are still debating the formula—the nation to a sheep; what follows from this of Rabbi Akiva’s students who lacked correct balance and proportion of the comparison is that we are all as part of a regard for each others’ opinions. The combination of Tohu with Tikkun! single body; when one limb is struck, all of Rebbe comments on the language used. Let’s just get moving--each person should us feel the pain. The Rebbe asks: Why does Linhog/nahagu share the same root work within the sphere they are strong— the Mechilta refer to Nevuchadnezzer’s meaning as the word “”—this or, perhaps the opposite, see which world representation of us? There are many teaches us to make respect a habit. you tend to occupy and push yourself instances throughout the Tanach where to get stronger in the aspect, Tohu or Am Yisroel are compared to a sheep. Yet, Tikkun, that you are lacking. here we see that even the evil dictator, ”The possible angst who destroyed the Beis Hamikdash, The Rebbe wrote in Tishrei 5742 that perceived the truth of Jewish unity. Moshiach is ready to come, but the of another Jew dissension between Anash is holding This feeling of sympathetic pain is back the geulah. “If all Chabad expressed in the most basic way for must bother us community leaders and activists would many of us when they hear about unite, Moshiach would already have some disaster in the world. A common personally.” come. Therefore, the Yetzer Hara agitated instinctive reaction is to ask: “Were any us, brewing dissent in a completely Yidden involved?” This sense of personal What is the difference between “love” illogical way, but which, rachmnana tragedy for Jewish victims who are and “respect”? The wedding kesubah litzlan, has until now been successful in complete strangers is not experienced refers to the obligations each half of the creating a war between brothers, Hashem in any other demographic. But to what couple has toward the other. A man is should have mercy on us.” extent do we feel it, and how long does required to support his wife financially. The Chassidim of the Tzemach Tzedek this feeling last? He is similarly called upon to give her approached the Rebbe and asked: “What The most basic tenet of Yiddishkeit is the respect. Love is not mentioned at all! will be when you are no longer with us?” verse, “Shema Yisroel.” We say it every Yet, you find many couples who may “There is an answer and an alternative. day when we awake and every night just love each other very much, yet there is a The answer is: I have sons. The alternative before we go to bed. This is the possuk severe lack of respect. is that the brotherly love that exists on Jewish lips as they take their last True Ahavas Yisroel demands of us not between Chassidim will accompany them breath, and the battle cry of millions who only to love, but to respect another even to the coming of Moshiach.” sacrificed their lives for our Faith. when we disagree with their outlook or The Rebbe repeated this story on the How do we prepare to utter these words, actions, and to do so consistently and thirteenth of Nissan 5726, on the 100th morning and night? In the nighttime habitually.And, as the Rebbe noted in anniversary of the Tzemach Tzedek’s Shema, we preface its recital with the the sicha of Shabbos Mattos-Maaei in passing with this addendum: “Today proclamation, “I hereby forgive all who 5751, the type of Ahavas Yisroel we are we do not have any sons. So only the have offended me…” In the morning working toward right now, as we stand Tzemach Tzedek’s alternative remains.” prayers we begin with the declaration: on the threshold of the geulah, is not Achdus among Chassidim is the only I hereby take upon myself the mitzvah just to ensure a lack of disunity, but to solution. May we merit the geulah in of loving my fellow as myself. Why foster an achdus that is a foretaste of actuality, now mamesh! mention our social interactions before The Unifying Factor Horav Yosef Hecht, shlita Member of Beis Din Rabbonei Chabad, Chief Rabbi & Shliach of Eilat

Why did Hashem wait until the second “place” and had traveled to reach the that the mon only began to descend of Sivan to instruct the Yidden about the place of his fellow. And this, in fact, was on the 16th of Iyar, it transpires (as is necessary preparations for Matan Torah? the first preparation for receiving the calculated also in Rashi) that the Yidden Why not start on Rosh Chodesh, since Torah: Achdus Yisroel. ate sixty-one meals of this matzah! It this was such a highly anticipated event? was nothing less than giluy Elokus! The The Rebbe is explaining an incredible A Gemara in Maseches Shabbos explains Rebbe concludes that the lesson is a mindset with which we can achieve that it was because they were still tired perspective with which to look at every looking at every Jew in a manner of and weak from travel, and therefore Yid, even one who at face value seems Ahavas Yisroel. The matzah that the Hashem waited until the next day to call not the most observant, that they are Yidden ate when they left Mitzrayim Moshe to the mountain to tell him what a descendant of an individual who ate had a special quality, hinted to in the to relay to the Yidden—“Ko somar l’Beis sixty-one meals from the matzos that way that the word is written in the !revealed Hashem Himself in His glory מצות Yaakov v’sageid l’Bnei Yisroel, etc.”—with Torah—in full, with a vav. all of the instructions for preparing for Perhaps we can take a lesson from Matan Torah. this in the way that we need to look There is a well-known sicha discussing ”Every Yid descends at every chossid today. Every chossid, the subject. The Rebbe asks: How is or his father or grandfather, received tiredness from travel a sufficient reason from someone who a dollar or kuntres or kos shel bracha to postpone the instructions for such a from the holy hand of the Rebbe. Within momentous occasion? Because when we ate sixty-one meals each of these things that the Rebbe say “travel”, we aren’t simply discussing distributed was a tremendous and lofty their trip from Refidim to Sinai. But the of Hashem’s glory.” revelation of Elokus. The same thing Yidden had to unite “k’ish echad b’lev applies to someone who has carried out echad—like on man with one heart” in the shlichus of the Rebbe or the like, for order to receive the Torah, so they had in that case the Rebbe most certainly These matzos had within them a massive to go on a different type of journey, a transformed the entire being of that revelation of Hashem Himself, as it says journey traveling out of themselves and chossid through revelations from Ohr Ein in the Haggadah, “This matza that we their own subjective experience, each Sof! We cannot look at any chossid at eat… that the dough of our fathers didn’t one leaving their “place” and uniting face value. We must be cognizant of the manage to rise before the King of all with the other, no matter how far their incredible light that the Rebbe has drawn kings, Hashem, revealed Himself to them fellow was in level and outlook. This down to each individual through all of and redeemed them.” This means that difficult avodah is what they were all the above, and this will lead to love and in these very matzos, Hashem Himself, busy doing that first day, working until unity among the chassidim that will bring in His glory, was manifested. And being each person had successfully left their us to the coming of Moshiach right now. A Call for Action Horav Menachem Mendel Gluckowsky, shlita S’gan Mazkir Beis Din Rabbonei Chabad & Rov of the Chabad Community of Rechovot

Currently, our enemies are sending There are two kuntreisim of the Rebbe “Love your fellow like yourself…” which rockets over the citizens of Israel. These that are on the topic of Ahavas Yisrael: is a positive commandment). This is a terrorists aren’t concerned which type of Kuntres Ahavas Yisroel and Kuntres strong reminder that in order to have Jews they are shooting; all they see is our Heichaltzu. One could suggest that true Ahavas Yisroel, only focusing on one common factor: that we are Yidden. each has a different focus. The maamer asei tov is not sufficient. One also has Likewise, with the terrible tragedy in of Heichaltzu is from the perspective to implement the idea of sur mayra, Meron on Lag B’omer this year—the of sur mayra (in accordance with the knowing how to be mevater, put yourself Yidden who perished were of all stripes. saying of Chazal: “Don’t do to others aside and forgo having things your way. Tragedy doesn’t differentiate. Events what you wouldn’t want done to In light of the recent rioting in Israel, like these, lo aleinu, need to teach us a yourself”, i.e., telling us what not to there is a story of the Rebbe Maharash lesson: We should notdifferentiate. When do), and the maamer Kuntres Ahavas that is fitting here. The Frierdiker Rebbe we look at a Yid, what we should see is Yisroel is from the perspective of asei relates that in the years 5639 and 5640, their Jewish spark within. tov (in accordance with the mitzvah the Russians were organizing riots rights as well. The Rebbe demanded The Rebbe Maharash explained to those against the Jews, their anger stemming government protection for the Jewish present at the conference that yes, even from jealousy and resentment towards communities by having the soldiers though the name Elokim represents the forest merchants and landowners. and police force stationed where they midas hadin, nonetheless, it is still a The Rebbe Maharash was extremely were needed. The Rebbe spoke with name of Hashem, and a conduit for involved in stopping the pogroms. At great mesiras nefesh, even demanding a G-dly revelation in this world. There are first, he received promises from the meeting with the Russian Czar himself. times when Hashem reveals Himself ministers in the region that the situation through midas hachessed, and then The self-sacrifice of the Rebbe Maharash would be dealt with, but there was no there are times that Hashem reveals boruch Hashem bore fruit. The Russian improvement. Himself through midas hadin, but all are government sent soldiers and police to a part of Hashem’s plan. When Hashem Eventually, events led to the Rebbe the Jewish communities throughout the expresses Himself through midas hadin, Maharash meeting with none other country in order to protect the Jewish it transforms the of a person into אני .than the Interior Minister of Russia. The lives from the rioters , leading to humility and bitul. “Ani el אין Frierdiker Rebbe describes how this Due to the Rebbe Maharash’s poor Elokim ekra,” is a call from the Elokim came to be: health, he had to travel to health resorts name of Hashem, asking of us to open When it became clear that the regional out of the country. All of the community our hearts and humble ourselves, ministers were doing nothing to solve activists were worried about what uniting with our fellow Jews, which will the issue, the Rebbe Maharash left would be when the Rebbe left Russia lead to the continuation of the passuk: Russia and met with French and German and the rioting would begin again. To “v’Hashem yoshieini” - salvation! bankers. He requested them to pressurize address their concerns, they organized Even in a case where we don’t know their governments who would, in turn, a large conference and asked the which path to take because every pressurize the Russian government to Rebbe Maharash about the impending direction is fraught with danger and risk, protect its Jewish citizens. This plan was situation. The Rebbe Maharash advised and we don’t even know what to daven so successful that negotiations for a loan them that they can relax, and that they to Hashem for, Dovid Hamelech has to Russia was denied by the German have the obligation to maintain a calm declared: “v’Hashem yoshieini”, Hashem government. This is what led to the atmosphere in their communities as well. will send us the yeshua, regardless of Rebbe Maharash’s encounter with the what path we take. Interior Minister of Russia. ”When we are The Rebbe Maharash taught this lesson The Rebbe called for a conference with to boost the morale of the community the non-Chabad community activists and humble and united, leaders so that they, in turn, could businessmen of Perterburg and asked encourage their communities. Rather for two representatives from amongst Hashem will send us than being concerned and afraid of the them to join him in his meeting with riots, they should unite and increase in the minister. Not one person agreed the yeshuah.” acts of goodness and kindness, and the to go with him. Everyone feared that yeshua of Hashem will come. this would have an unfavorable effect To strengthen his stance, the Rebbe on them, as the Rebbe Maharash was took the opportunity to expound upon We also find ourselves in a time of “Ani considered a traitor of the Russian the passuk from Tehillim, “Ani el Elokim el Elokim ekra”, in a time of judgment. government. The Rebbe announced ekra v’Hashem yoishieini—I will call to We need to cry out from within, a cry that in that case, he will go with two Hashem and Hashem will save me.” from a place of “ayin”, since “May- chassidim, who weren’t as cowardly and We have two questions on this passuk. ayin yavo ezri”, our help will come as faint-hearted. Firstly, if someone is asking for help, a consequence of our humility. Only should they not call to the name of then can we reach true unity with Klal When the Rebbe Maharash entered into Hashem that represents midas hachessed Yisroel that will, in turn, lead to increased the interior ministry, he was received in a (Havaye) rather than calling to the acts of goodness and kindness. And very respectful manner. However, almost name of Hashem that represents midas then, however we decide to proceed, immediately, the minister began to lash hadin (Elokim)? Also, it would seem that “Hashem yoshieini” - Hashem will send out at him. He accused him of treason following the words, “I call to Hashem,” us the yeshuah. May it be His will that and announced that he deserved a the passuk should continue: “and we should already see the yeshua gedola very severe punishment for humiliating Hashem will answer me”, the natural - the geula ha’amitis v’hashleima teikef Russia in front of foreign governments. response to being called upon, Why u’miyad mamesh! The Rebbe Maharash countered, “Jewish does it say, rather that, “and Hashem will blood is not hefker!” He argued that the save me”? Jews also pay taxes, and therefore have

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