A WEEKLY MAGAZINE • #4

The Hanachos: Recollections An Insider's From Perspective Hanhalah Reb Yosef Yitzchok Kalmenson Chief Choizer and Mani'ach Beis Dovid Shlomo, New Haven ב"ה

Vaad Talmidei Hatmimim Rabbi Tzvi Altein Foreword Hanachos As part of the Hanachos program currently taking Tzvi Alperowitz place in mesivtos, we are pleased to present the Boruch Ceitlin fourth edition of “Hanachos” — a weekly magazine designed to enrich this program.

Layout and Design This week we interviewed the 's chief chozer Mendy Drookman Reb Yoel Kahn. Reb Yoel was zoche to chazzer and transcribe the sichos from day one, and led the Efraim Davidoff chazara, hanacha, and publication of the Rebbe's throughout all the years that followed. Reb Yoel shared early memories and anecdotes with us, Special Thanks to as well as practical tips for hiskashrus today. Rabbi Tzemach Feller Rabbi Yossi Feller In the column “Recollections from Hanhalah,” we present an interview with Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Rabbi Mendel Gourarie Kalmenson, longtime Rosh of New Haven. Rabbi Shmuel Lubecki Rabbi Kalmenson shares his early memories of the Rebbe, guidance he received regarding the Levi Danow yeshiva and publishing seforim, and words of Naftali Wilhelm encouragement for today's bochurim.

Arik Shemtov With only two weeks left until Gimmel Tammuz, as each of us wants to strengthen our hiskashrus to the Rebbe, Reb Yoel's words ring ever deeper. Being that Torah is nitzchi - everlasting, we must connect to the Rebbe just as before. All the Rebbe told us about hiskashrus applies today more than ever.

Let us hope that in the z’chus of the current koch in watching and writing down the Rebbe’s farbengens, Hashem should take us out of galus and reunite us with the Rebbe. Then we will no longer need to hear zichronos of the past, for we will have our very own, teikef umiyad mamash.p

The Editors

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

The interviews in this magazine are original content of Hanachos Magazine [email protected] Reb Yoel Kahn Chief Choizer and Mani'ach The Hanachos: an Insider's Perspective

hen and how did you start Wwriting down the Rebbe’s sichos?

Let’s preface with how I came to the Rebbe altogether.

Shortly before the Frierdiker Rebbe’s histalkus, he gave his bracha that six bochurim from Eretz Yisroel should come to New York and learn in 770. I was one of these six bochurim. The group arrived in three shifts, the first one consisting of Reb Nosson Gourarie a”h and myself. We left Eretz Yisroel before the histalkus, but only arrived after 10 Shevat.

Being that we had come precisely in order to be by the Frierdiker Rebbe, we now had a dilemma, unsure if we should stay in New York or return to Eretz Yisroel. In the meantime the weeks went by, but Pesach was coming up, and we realized that we must decide if we are planning on staying in NY or returning to Eretz Yisroel, for it would make a difference whether we would keep one or two days Yom Tov. We turned to the mashpiya Reb Shmuel Levitin, and asked him Reb Yoel as a bochur 3 Reb Yoel leads the chazara after a . JEM / The Living Archive for advice. Reb Shmuel was a very should come for a few weeks and and I wanted to remember what intelligent individual. He told us then return?!" the Rebbe had spoken about, so I that such a question we must ask wrote down some of the nekudos “the Rebbe’s son-in-law,” referring The Rebbe then exclaimed with for myself. I never dreamt that it of course to the Rebbe. a strong tone I remember until would become a hanacha and the today “der Rebbe hot gevust altz Rebbe would be magiha. I came to the Rebbe and asked what frier - (the rebbe knew everything I should do regarding Yom Tov beforehand),” and nevertheless Shortly thereafter, Reb Berel sheni. The Rebbe said that there are he told you to come, so what’s the Chaskind approached and asked others who came from Eretz Yisroel question. me if it was true that I had written throughout the years, so why is down the farbrengen. When your case different, and what’s even So did you begin writing hanachos I confirmed, he requested the the question?! The Rebbe of course of the right away? hanacha. I asked him what for, but understood that I was asking if I he wouldn’t tell me, just brushing should stay in New York or return The Rebbe would farbreng each me off that I’m young and should to Eretz Yisroel and his decision Shabbos Mevorchim, as well as on just listen and give him what I have. was that we should stay, and keep Yomim Tovim. The farbrengens I never dreamt that he wanted it to two days like the bochurim had of Acharon Shel Pesach 5710 and be shown to the Rebbe. until that point. Shabbos Mevorchim Iyar were very special, leaving an impression on all That being said, Reb Berel was not The Rebbe then continued: “you the chassidim, and we truly realized the one who gave them to the Rebbe; asked the (Frierdiker) Rebbe, he that the Rebbe was no ordinary someone else did. Until today I said you should come (learn in person. As far as I remember it don’t know who it was. This person 770), do you think he meant you was after Shabbos Mevorchim Iyar, brought the hanacha to yechidus 4 and told the Rebbe that there are There was even one time during Rebbe okayed the hanachos. many chassidim from out of town that year that the Rebbe said that who would like to know what the if chassidim don’t stop pressuring Reb Moshe Leib Rodshtein - a Rebbe speaks at the farbrengens, him to accept the nesiyus, he would member of the Rebbe’s mazkirus and being that a hanacha had been go away, and nobody would know - was a very humorous man, written, the out-of-towners would where he is. sometimes using his humor even like to know if it's accurate. The when speaking with the Rebbe. Rebbe looked at it and gave his Writing hanachos on the sichos haskama. This was the first time a was always something done for the It was during the period when sicha was mugah by the Rebbe. And Rebbeim, so we were afraid that the there was hesitation to print the was really a reassurance for us that Rebbe wouldn’t be happy hearing Rebbe’s sichos, so Reb Moshe Leib the Rebbe agreed to us transcribing that we were writing hanachos. had an idea. He made some copies the hanachos. That's why I didn’t dream that Reb of the sichos on some really old Berel Chaskind wanted to show stencil paper of terrible quality; it What was the hesitation? Why them to the Rebbe. Likewise Reb was like the quality of the paper would you think the Rebbe might Berel himself was also hesitant back in Lubavitch. The next time not be happy? to present it to the Rebbe, and he came in to the Rebbe’s room, he therefore he got someone else to. showed the copies to the Rebbe and At that time, during the year after explained that it was not worth it the Frierdiker Rebbe’s histalkus, But after the hanacha was shown to for him to print the sichos normal the Rebbe very much turned away the Rebbe that time, was it totally quality, for soon the sichos would from anything that would make settled? anyway be in print, and printing it seem like he was accepting the them properly for himself would nesiyus. There was actually another incident be a waste of money. The Rebbe as well which reassured us that the smiled, and this was kind of a

The Rebbe gives Reb Yoel a piece of Lekach. JEM / The Living Archive 5 sign of approval that the hanachos was connected with the nesiyus, Gimmel Tammuz is approaching. would be printed. because one need not don a hat What is Hiskashrus for bochurim just to discuss something in nigleh today? Would you ever ask the Rebbe and chassidus. So this left a strong The Torah given at Har Sinai is questions on the Sichos during that imprint on us. forever. Today the bochurim can year? have complete hiskashrus to the When you would go in for yechidus, Rebbe, through learning, going on Once, during the summer of 5710, would the Rebbe make reference to mivtzoim, keeping the shiurim of the Rebbe discussed something your writing hanachos and Rambam, and behaving at the farbrengen and we couldn’t how one is supposed to. There is understand. Reb Leibel Groner told I wouldn't go in for Yechidus so nothing new. These things must me to ask the Rebbe. I didn’t want often, but it happened at times that all be strengthened. In addition to, so he said that he would come the Rebbe would ask me “vos hert bochurim should also feel a along with me. zich mit di hanachos - what is doing personal connection to the Rebbe. with the hanachos”. Specifically I This connection was already We came in and started saying recall the Rebbe asking me this formed by the Rebbe; the bochur “yesterday the Rebbe spoke…” when I came in for my birthday need only behave accordingly, and continuing to elaborate on what yechidus just a few days after the put himself aside, so this feeling of we didn’t understand. Now, when kabolas hanesiyus on 10 Shevat hiskashrus can be revealed. we came in, the Rebbe was not 5711. wearing a hat, but as soon as we Thank You! started saying “yesterday the Rebbe Thank you for sharing these spoke” he immediately put it on. zichronos. This was a big sign for us that it

The Rebbe pours Reb Yoel Kos Shel Bracha. JEM / The Living Archive

6 The Rebbe’s משפיע Ksav Yad

The Rebbe's written response regarding the position of a :

רבותינו נשיאינו תקנו משרת משפיע בתו"ת - בכדי שעמו ידברו וישאלוהו וכו' בכל כהנ"ל

Our Rabbeim established the position of a Mashpia in Tomchei T'mimim - in order that they [the bochurim] will speak with him and ask him questions etc. regarding everything which is like the above-mentioned.

משיח

and the Zechus to come next year [תקוה] In response to someone who wrote, “If I have the hope 5744 ... Then I will resolve with R' Shea Pinson (the gabbai of 770) to buy the Mitzvos before :and wrote תקוה Shabbos Bereishis,” the Rebbe crossed out the word

ב]אם[ תתעכב ביאת המשיח If Moshiach will be delayed

And at the end of the letter the Rebbe added:

לאחרי כל השטורם שלי ע"ד ביאת משיח - האב איך אויסג�ע פירט ששואל כנ"ל?!

After the whole Shturem I made about the coming of Moshiach - I accomplished that you ask as above?! 7 SHIUR ALEF

HATOMIM LEVI KAMMAN • MESIVTA LUBAVITCH, TORONTO

8

Scanned by CamScanner SHIUR BEIS

HATOMIM MENDEL LUSTIG • BEIS DOVID SHLOMO, NEW HAVEN

9 SHIUR GIMMEL

HATOMIM MENDEL BERGHOFF • LUBAVITCH MESIVTA, CHICAGO

10 Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Kalmenson Beis Dovid Shlomo, New Haven Recollections from Hanhalah

hat was hiskashrus to the Rebbe was saying. That was an incredible Wlike when you were growing up experience, as it was the first time ever Yes. The first time France was as a child in France? that we participated in the farbrengen connected directly to the farbrengen at the same time it was happening. was Purim 5731. All of Anash Although we had never seen the gathered together in the shul at 3 Rebbe, we were very in tune with After thefarbrengen finished, we all o'clock in the morning to be able to what was going on in 770. After every started dancing in excitement. Reb hear the farbrengen. You can imagine weekday farbrengen we would receive Ahron Yosef Belintzky would sleep the scene. And this is what took place a tape, which would arrive two weeks on the bottom floor of the yeshiva. each time there was a farbrengen, until after the farbrengen. I remember when While we were dancing, he suddenly we had the z’chus to come to the Rebbe the tape would arrive there would be came running up the stairs, still in ourselves. a big tumult, and the whole yeshiva the middle of putting on his clothing, would gather together and we would and shouted, “Did Moshiach come?!” When was the first time you came to listen to the farbrengen, and then As a chassid, waking up in the middle the Rebbe? afterwards we would farbreng. of the night to the sound of dancing meant to him that Moshiach must The first time I came to the Rebbe was Wouldn’t there be live hookups of the have come. for Tishrei 5731. At that time, I was farbrengens? a 15-year-old bachur. Themashpia Would France eventually have its own Reb preferred that Yes, but that only started later on. hookups? bochurim traveled only when they The first time we listened through a hookup was the famous farbrengen of 10 Shvat 5730. That was the first time there was a hookup connection to Eretz Yisroel. At that point France didn’t have its own connection, so we all gathered together in the dormitory of the yeshiva on the second floor where there was a phone, and we called Eretz Yisroel and listened to the farbrengen through their hookup! This was in the middle of the night in France.

We didn’t have a speakerphone, so one bochur listened on the handset and repeated to everyone what the Rebbe Rabbi Kalmenson on Mivtzoyim, during his year in 770. JEM / The Living Archive

11 were older, so they would be more prepared and make more hachanos before traveling to the Rebbe. That's why many of us had never yet been to the Rebbe despite being 15 years of age.

Every year, on his way to the Rebbe for Tishrei, Reb Mendel Futerfas would make a few stops in Europe. When he stopped in France, he came to Brunoy and he farbrenged with us. He told us that we must go to the Rebbe for Tishrei. I remember his expression when he heard that many of us had never been yet by the Rebbe. He exclaimed, “Bachurim of 14, 15 years old have never been to the Rebbe?! Receiving Kos Shel Bracha from the Rebbe. JEM / The Living Archive You must go immediately!” questions, while the second yechidus to share because it has relevance This was a little after my Bar , was a shorter one; more of a farewell. to the public. and I had put together some money, so I was able to get an airplane ticket. In When I went in for yechidus, I felt Does anything else stand out from that those days, it wasn't so simple to fly to very strongly how the Rebbe was Tishrei? New York, so I — together with other like a father. In the room there was bochurim from Brunoy — traveled to just me and the Rebbe, and it was a In general, that entire Tishrei by the London and joined a chartered flight very close feeling. The Rebbe read the Rebbe, I had an unbelievable time. It to New York full of chassidim. tzetel that I wrote and then answered was a whole new world for me, and each of the questions, one by one. At the entire month went by like a dream. What were the hachanos that bachurim the end, the Rebbe gave me brochos There were constantly new and exciting did before the trip? for my learning, davening and yiras things that the Rebbe was doing, shamayim. and we wanted to be there to see the Reb Nissan made sure we would do Rebbe. The Rebbe came out for many the proper hachanos. He told us that Is there something the Rebbe told you tefillos, there were many farbrengens. we must work on our machshava, during yechidus that you can share There was Vov Tishrei, Sukkos and dibbur and maase before travelling with us? Simchas Torah with hakofos, tahalucha to the Rebbe. I specifically recall him and more. That year, Simchas instructing us to daven better, and to One of the things I asked the Rebbe Torah was followed immediately say Krias Shema with more kavanah, in my first yechidus was that many by Shabbos Bereishis. From Erev as well as to learn maamorim in times when would I take on a certain Yom Tov until 4 a.m. on Motzei preparation for travelling to the hachlata, I would keep it for some Shabbos it was one big whirl of even Rebbe. time and then it would eventually ts. fade away. I asked the Rebbe what I When you came to the Rebbe, did you should do to assure I would keep the There was also an interesting thing go in for Yechidus? hachlata. on that took place on Simchas Torah when the Rebbe spoke about making Yes. At that point, all the guests The Rebbe told me that in the future, a U.N. of kedusha to counter the that came for Tishrei would go into when I make a hachlata, I should negative effects of the U.N. yechidus twice during their visit: once discuss it with a friend and this will at the beginning, shortly after they help me to keep it, because there When was the next time that you went came, and a second time just before would be someone else who knows to the Rebbe? they left. about it. I came to the Rebbe for Yud Aleph Usually, in the first yechidus the There were other things I wrote about Nissan 5732, which was the Rebbe’s individual would ask the Rebbe all his in my tzetel as well, but this one I want 70th birthday. The excitement in the 12 air when we found out the Rebbe in Iggeres Hateshuva perek 6 and would farbreng is indescribable. I Can you share something special from Kuntres Umaayan perek 16. In these stayed in New York for the next few the Rebbe’s letters to you during those sources it is explained that there is months until Tammuz, as my sister years? a difference between the time of the was getting married in New York. Beis Hamikdosh — when the Yidden I was planning on coming in for At some point during our shlichus got their chayus from kedusha — Tishrei regardless, so I thought it in Brunoy, there was a Shabbaton in and the time of Golus — when the would make sense that I should just Switzerland for Jewish students from Shechina is in golus and the Yidden stay in New York for that relatively all over Europe and the shluchim from can get their chayus from klipah. short time until Tishrei instead of Brunoy were invited to come speak to flying back and forth. When I was in the students and farbreng with them Would the Rebbe send a letter to each yechidus, this was one of the things about Yiddishkeit. One of the times of the Shluchim individually? I wrote in my tzetel. But the Rebbe we spoke, we chazzered the sicha told me that this is something that that explains that during the time of For Pesach we each received an the hanhala of the yeshiva needs to the Greeks before Chanukah, besides individual letter. The other times there decide. I asked hanhala, and they said for the harsh physical conditions we received one letter for all of us I should return to yeshiva after the they lived in, the spiritual state of together. We would each make a copy, wedding. I did so, and then I returned the Yidden was also bad, because by and make a raffle for the original. for Tishrei. Yidden, their gashmiyus and ruchnius are intertwined. There is one other interesting thing I Did you receive letters from the Rebbe recall from these letters: during your yeshiva years in Brunoy? At this Shabbaton, there was a diplomat from the Israeli embassy On Purim 5736, one of the places we I learned as bochur in Brunoy until in Paris. He came 5735, and for the next two years I over to us after the stayed on as a shliach in the yeshiva, speech and asked so for the final two years that we were that it seems that in Brunoy — 5735-5736 — instead of Yidden can live being regular bochurim in the Yeshiva, a wonderful life we became Shluchim. Every few weeks physically despite we would send a detailed report to the not keeping Rebbe of all the activities we did. Yiddishkeit. So it seems not to be In the summer of 5735 one of the connected. We put shluchim, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok this question in the Pewsner, showed the duch that we next kovetz haoros were about to send to the Rebbe to under his name Rabbi Gorodetsky, the Rebbe's “ba and the kovetz was koach” in Europe and Africa, who ran sent to the Rebbe. the “Lishka” in Paris. When he saw the duch he was very excited to read In the next letter we all the things that we were doing, and received from the he offered to personally bring it to Rebbe, the Rebbe the Rebbe. From then on, every time wrote regarding we sent the Rebbe a duch, we would this question receive a letter back from the Rebbe. (paraphrasing): בטח תסדר המעע This was a big chiddush, because רכת תשובה ע”פ until Reb Binyomin Gorodetzki’s המבואר באגה”ת intervention, we received very few פ”ו וקונטרס ומעיין ,letters for our group — in fact ,Certainly”,פט”ז the group of shluchim before ours received only two letters throughout the editorial their shlichus in Brunoy — but now board will find an we would receive a letter after each of answer based on our duchos. what’s explained Rabbi Kalmenson by dollars, 10 Sivan 5750. JEM / The Living Archive 13 went to on mivtzoyim was the Israeli the yeshiva in New Haven and that wrote to the Rebbe asking if I should consulate and the Israeli security based on what they were seeing from print mine, and the Rebbe gave his office in Paris. Before we went, we my brother in Brunoy, they felt that bracha. When it was printed, I gave had the idea that we should take I would be fitting for the position of it in to mazkirus, and I received an pictures of the events and send them . So I wrote the Rebbe, answer from the Rebbe: “Azkir al to the Rebbe together with the duch, and the Rebbe gave me a bracha for it, hatziun.” although we were not sure how the and so in the beginning of 5738 I went Rebbe would respond to the pictures. to New Haven, where I am until today. Sometime later, I received a letter When we got the letter in response from a Litvisher bochur who had seen The shluchim and I went there in the and used my sefer, in which he wrote נת’ הדו”ח to the duch, the letter read — “I received your duch” — and the beginning of Cheshvan, which was to me that the bochurim in his yeshiva Rebbe made an arrow to the side of shortly after the Rebbe had a heart were enjoying the sefer, and that it had and attack on Shmini Atzeres. On Shabbos caused a great kiddush Lubavitch in“ — והתמונות the letter and wrote the pictures”. We understood that the Parshas Noach, the Rebbe davened his yeshiva, and he encouraged me to Rebbe appreciated the pictures. shachris in the small zal upstairs in continue printing my seforim. 770 and only about 20 or 30 people Did you come in to the Rebbe during were allowed to be in there during When my next sefer was printed, those years besides for Tishrei? shachris. Since we were leaving to and I was preparing to send it in New Haven that week, we were able to the Rebbe, I thought the Rebbe One of the things we did as shluchim to be by shachris with the Rebbe that would enjoy reading that letter, and in the summer of 5735 was, we Shabbos. so I made a copy and sent it in to the organized a and we Rebbe together with the sefer. And lo wanted that it should be as a gift to the Were there any specific horaos you and behold: this time I received a long Rebbe. We asked the Rebbe if we can received in regards to New Haven? response from the Rebbe — relative give the Rebbe this gift and the Rebbe to the typical length of maanos in answered that we should present it Before we left for New Haven, the those years — with two full lines of at the Yud Beis Tammuz farbrengen Rebbe gave us many brochos. But one brachos, and wishing me hatzlacha in that was coming up. We prepared a of the things the Rebbe said when the hafatzas hatorah. golden key for the tank and we made yeshiva was established, was that we The The pleasure the Rebbe had from“ — צר לי המקום, a raffle for which one of the shluchim should always say should go to New York to present it place is too small for me” — there the Kiddush Lubavitch that had been to the Rebbe. I won the raffle. At the should always be a need to expand the caused through the printing of the farbrengen, after one of thesichos , a yeshiva building. And so it was that sefer was very noticeable. number of people went up to give after the first year we extended thezal the Rebbe various things and I gave to another room, and the next year, Do you have any words to share with the Rebbe the key after which the another room. After a little while we the bochurim who weren't yet zoche to Rebbe gave me some brochos for the started to rent the Young shul see the Rebbe? shlichus. The key later went to the nearby and eventually we bought that Rebbe's library. A few years ago, I was building. Since then we have bought We know that according to what is in the library exhibition in 770, and an entire campus. We can really explained in , hiskashrus is not I saw this key that I had given to the see how the Rebbe’s brochos were limited to before gimmel Tammuz, Rebbe. mekuyam. and that real hiskashrus is through learning Torah. And we see how the How did you end up going to New Would you present the sefarim you bochurim are involved with learning Haven? wrote to the Rebbe by dollars? the Rebbe's Torah; the sichos, the maamorim; they are going on Around Pesach time 5737, R’ Nissan No. I would give them in through mivtzoyim, and there are so many Nemanov spoke to the hanhala of mazkirus. There’s actually a very ‘mivtzahs’ to encourage the bochurim 770 about getting a rosh yeshiva for interesting story in connection to to learn and connect to the Rebbe. מה זרעו בחיים אף the yeshiva in Brunoy, and they sent one of the seforim. Over the years, I You see clearly how .הוא בחיים my brother Reb Yechiel. Towards the would write down my pilpulim, but I end of that year, R’ and wouldn’t print them. In the year 5748, the Hanholo of 770 called me into I believe, the Rebbe spoke about the Thank you very much, Rabbi their office and they told me that they importance of printing seforim and Kalmenson. were sending a group of bachurim to recording one's own chiddushim. I 14 15 מוקדש לחיזוק ההתקשרות לנשיא דורנו כ״ק אדמו״ר זצוקללה״ה נבג״מ זי״ע בקשר עם יום ההילולא - ג׳ תמוז

ומתוך תקוה ובטחון שנזכה בקרוב להתראות עם רבינו בעיני בשר

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Dedicated by Rabbi Mordechai and Simcha Abergel