BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY

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Bar Mitzvah Celebration of Bar Mitzvah Celebration of Levi Blesofsky Levi Blesofsky July 5, 2009 July 5, 2009

Thank you for joining me at my Bar Mitzvah Levi Thank you for joining me at my Bar Mitzvah Levi BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY

Dear Friends, What is a Bar Mitzvah ? With gratitude to the Almighty and joy in our hearts, ar-Mitzvah literally means “Son of Mitzvah,” we welcome you to the celebration of our dear son Levi’s B which describes the boy now responsible to do Bar Mitzvah. Your presence here today enhances our all Mitzvot (commandments). Simcha, making it a truly wonderful and memorable The G-dly soul enters man in its entirety at the age occasion. of 13. The boy then attains his religious maturity and becomes responsible to fulfill all Torah command- In Judaism, the Bar Mitzvah marks a most significant ments. moment. Levi has reached a milestone in his life. He is no This occasion is cause for great celebration and longer a mere boy, today he becomes a man! As a Bar gratitude to G-d, and hence the Bar-Mitzvah ceremo- Mitzvah, he makes an eternal commitment to follow the ny. One becomes Bar-Mitzvah automatically on one’s beautiful tradition of our ancestors, to serve the One thirteenth birthday, with or without a party! Above. Among his many new responsibilities, beginning from his Bar-Mitzvah day and onward, he must wrap In honor of Levi’s Bar Mitzvah, we are presenting you Tefillin every day of the week besides Shabbat and cer- with a Bar Mitzvah handbook containing information and tain holidays. commentary associated with the celebration. Included are The number 13 has the same numerical value as various short stories and helpful insights about the the word Echad — one. This demonstrates that at the Mitzvah of Tefillin. We hope that you find it interesting age of Bar Mitzvah the boy becomes one with his peo- and inspiring. ple, united in their task of making the world an abode With prayerful wishes for the imminent Redemption for the Divine. This unity is further demonstrated in through Moshiach, when in the words of the Prophet, “The that the boy may now be counted for a Minyan (quo- world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d, like the rum). waters cover the seabed.” May this take place speedily in The number 13 also shares the same numerical val- ue as the word Ahavah — love. It is therefore appro- our days! priate that the Bar Mitzvah boy dedicate his first ac- We look forward to sharing many Simchos together. tions toward happily helping another Jew in the spirit of Ahavat Yisrael. This applies to material assistance, Rabbi Yossi and Dina Blesofsky such as Tzedakah, as well as helping in a spiritual sense by positively influencing a friend in the perfor- “Mazal Tov! for the Bar Mitzvah” (Text of the Rebbe’s handwritten blessing) mance of good deeds. 23 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY

Traditionally boys are called up to the Torah on Mitzvah is obeying a command. It is an act of obedi- the day of their Bar-Mitzvah (or the Shabbat after- ence to a higher authority: G-d. ward), reflecting their new status as adult participants Bond: In its deepest sense, Mitzvah means ‘connec- in the prayers. In some communities, the boy reads tion’ or ‘bond’. The human spirit has a transcendent from the Torah and/or chants the Haftorah on the dynamic; the soul wants to escape the shallowness of Shabbat after he becomes Bar-Mitzvah. physical life. We want to connect with G-d. The Torah reading is not an obligation and does But how? How can a finite creature bond with an not replace the much more important Mitzvot ushered infinite G-d? in on the Bar-Mitzvah day. In fact, some consider the The answer is ‘Do a Mitzvah’. time needed to train a 12 year-old too precious and Each Mitzvah is another bridge to the creator, an- opt to use the preparation time to teach the young other connection with the divine. In this sense, Mitz- man about many of his upcoming responsibilities and vot are seen as opportunities not just obligations. their meaning. As a Bar-Mitzvah, the boy officially enters the ‘Mitzvah-system’. As a child, he wasn’t a full partici- 1 pant in this system. He was certainly able to perform good deeds, but What is a Mitzvah? he was still missing a crucial part of the Mitzvah con- cept. He didn’t have a true experience of the latter he idea of ‘Mitzvot’ is fundamental to the Jewish two Mitzvah definitions. experience and identity. We all know that Jews Why? Tperform Mitzvot. But what is a Mitzvah? G-d doesn’t expect more than we can deliver. Good Deed: In popular usage, to ‘do a Mitzvah’ is A child is not yet mature and lacks proper self- to do a good deed. The operative word is ‘deed’. To control, so it is not surprising when he acts out of be a Jew is to be actively involved in doing good line. We want him to perform, but we also understand things. Good ideas and speech are important, but that he can’t be fully expected to behave like an adult. good deeds must result from our thoughts and words; G-ds’ commands are real obligations, and a child the action is what counts. doesn’t have any religious obligations per se. It is only Commandment: Linguistically, ‘good deed’ is an in- post- Bar Mitzvah that a young man becomes obligat- accurate translation of the word ‘Mitzvah’. The He- ed in the Mitzvot. At a Bar Mitzvah, we celebrate the brew word ‘Mitzvah’ actually means ‘commandment’. fact that the commandment/bond elements of Mitzvot Mitzvot aren’t just acts that we deem to be impor- begin to apply. tant. They are G-d’s instructions for life. So fulfilling a 45 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY

Bar Mitzvah – Entering Adulthood to check if their voice cracks. But the change that hap- pens on the Bar Mitzvah day is much more subtle than By Aron Moss that. The maturity reached at age 13 is not one that al- his won’t be just another party,” we tell our- lows you to buy alcohol or decide your own bedtime – selves. We spend time and money to make it is a spiritual maturity. sure“T the Bar Mitzvah we are hosting will be an event What do you mean by spiritual maturity? that stands apart from the other 40 Simchas being cel- The definition of spiritual maturity is the ability to ebrated that week. experience the depth and complexity of life. Let’s ex- But perhaps the greatest challenge is to make the plore what that means. day unforgettable not for the guests but for the real A child can only see the world in one way. If his center of attention – the Bar Mitzvah boy. For many, parent forbids him to eat a chocolate, he says, “I hate the Bar Mitzvah experience determines their attitude you!” with venom. At that moment, he means it. You to Judaism. If the event is shallow and pretentious, can’t rationalize with him by pointing out that you al- they will see Judaism as shallow and pretentious. But ways buy him sweets and he will be able to have it af- if it is meaningful and inspiring, their Jewish identity ter dinner and it is for his own good and you are his will be reinforced and they will be proud of their heri- parent… These are meaningless words. There is only tage. What can we do to ensure that our children will one reality for him: you didn’t let him have the choco- be positively affected and transformed by the experi- late so you are BAD. Of course, if you give in and allow ence? him to have the chocolate, you are “the best parent in As for everything else, children look to their par- the world” and all is forgotten. For the child there are ents for guidance on how to view the Bar Mitzvah. only extremes. In his yet under-developed mind, every They take their cues from us, and our attitude will de- situation is simple and one-sided, black or white. fine theirs. By the parents taking time to understand There are no shades of gray. what a Bar Mitzvah really is, they can develop an ap- This is a reflection of the purity of childhood. Chil- proach that will highlight the uniqueness and power dren experience pure and unadulterated happiness, of their child’s special day. all-consuming sadness, extreme anger and uninhibited How can a 13 year old be considered an adult? excitement. This is a necessary stage for them to de- Some Bar Mitzvah boys expect to wake up feeling velop as wholesome beings. Each of these emotions different on the morning of their Bar Mitzvah. They must find its independent place in the child’s identity run to the mirror to see if any sign of a whisker has before they can start to work together. appeared on their chin, or start talking to themselves With maturity comes the ability to sense subtlety

67 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY and nuance. Our minds expand to be able to appre- choices as to how we want to live our lives. The factor ciate that even though something seems painful, there that most defines the type of life we will lead is our is a deeper good. And the things that feel good are value system. It will influence who we marry, our ca- not always good for us. An adult can say, “Although I reer choices, and our attitude to every aspect of life. am upset at you, I still love you.” Or, “Although I want Much of this system is developed in the years follow- it, I know it’s wrong.” We can see beyond the surface. ing Bar Mitzvah. The questions that accompany the Life is no longer one-dimensional; it has a depth and a onset of adolescence demand answers, and if we don’t complexity of which children are blissfully unaware. provide them, popular society will. What suddenly happens at age 13? Here’s where parents play a vital role. These newly The Kabbalah teaches that until age 13, we are pri- matured souls seek nourishment from their elders. marily conscious of our body and its needs. Our reality The Bar Mitzvah experience must be presented not as begins and ends with what we see in front of us, and an end to a long process of Hebrew lessons, but an ini- we are preoccupied with the demands and appetites of tiation into a lifetime of spiritual discovery. Once it is our physical nature. Suddenly at Bar Mitzvah another over, start giving your child opportunities to express voice is heard – the voice of our soul. The needs, yearn- his or her soul. Suggest ways they can give of their ings and feelings of our spiritual inner self are allowed time to help others, to volunteer for worthy causes – to emerge. We begin to seek meaning, fulfillment, con- to use their fresh young energy positively. Discuss nection, inspiration. We meet a side to our personality questions of morality with your child; bring up real is- that we never knew existed – a deeper side. sues such as G-d and the soul, the challenges of grow- This is what makes us an adult in spiritual terms. ing up, the pain and beauty of true love. Welcome We now have the tools to appreciate a multi-layered your child into the world of living thoughtfully. world because we ourselves are now multi-layered – You don’t need to know all the answers. Share we have an active body and an expressive soul. Until your own experiences. Find a book on Jewish values now our character was one-sided and shallow; only or Jewish wisdom, and set aside a time every week to the body had a say. From now on we can also see read a short section and discuss it together with your things through the eyes of our deeper self - our soul. child. Ask them how they think the ideals you read Then the choice is ours – to continue to live superfi- about can be applied practically. This can become a cially or to develop our spiritual awareness. family custom and be seen as a post-Bar Mitzvah privi- So if the child is now spiritually mature, what is lege. I can think of no more powerful way to guide the parents’ job? your child into adulthood. Once we reach spiritual maturity we begin to make When planning the Bar Mitzvah, remember that

89 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY the really important stuff begins after the fanfare has (c) Kadesh (Ex. 13:1-10) — the duty of the Jewish died down. People will forget who the caterer was a people to always remember the redemption from week after the event, and the table decorations will Egyptian bondage. mostly be destroyed by the time the main course is (d) Vehayah (Ex. 13:11-16) — the obligation of eve- served. But the values you pass down to your children ry Jew to inform his children on these matters. are eternal. That is a gift that they will cherish every One of the boxes (the “hand Tefillin”) is placed day of their lives – the gift of spiritual maturity. upon the left arm so as to rest against the heart - the seat of the emotions, and the suspended leather strap is wound around the left hand, and around the middle n finger of that hand. The other box (the “Head Tefillin”) is placed upon the head, above the forehead, so as to Tefillin and Its Significance rest upon the cerebrum. In this manner our attention is directed to the head, heart and hand. It teaches us By Alexander Cowen to dedicate ourselves to the service of G-d in all that efillin is one of the most important Mitzvot (pre- we think, feel and do. It is also to teach us not to be cepts) of the Torah. It has been observed and governed solely by the impulse of the heart, lest that Ttreasured for thousands of years, right down to the lead us into error and transgression. Nor are we to be present day. The Torah mentions it more than once, governed by reason alone, for that may lead to harsh but most explicitly in Deut. 6:8 “You shall bind them materialism. as a sign upon your hand, and they should be for a re- Placed on the arm opposite the heart, and on the minder between your eyes.” head, the Tefillin signify the submission of one’s mind, Tefillin consists of two small leather boxes at- heart and actions to the Almighty, as well as the rule tached to leather straps. The two boxes each contain of intellect over emotion. four sections of the Torah inscribed on parchment. A fundamental principle of Chabad Chassidic phi- These passages cite: losophy is that the intellect must control the emo- (a) The Shema (Deut. 6:4-9) — pronouncing the tions. Unfortunately, there exists a schism between Unity of The One G-d. the mind and the heart. Moreover, often the emotions (b) Vehayah (Deut. 11:13-21) — expressing G-d’s control the mind, and the intellect is utilized merely assurance to us of reward that will follow our obser- to provide justification, rationalization, and excuses vance of the Torah’s precepts, and warning of retribu- for this “instinct-emotion centered” existence. The tion for disobedience to them. Mitzvah of Tefillin and its practice facilitates the at-

10 11 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY tainment by the individual of unity of mind and heart, out to their freedom without having to resort to vio- intellect and emotion. lence. Not only were they freed, but their departure Most of life’s regrets, sorrows and pain could be was hastened by their erstwhile overlords, now terri- avoided if we would but learn this important lesson - fied lest more plagues be meted out to them by the the application of head and heart to our every day prob- retributive justice of the G-d of Israel. lems. Besides, such wholesome balance constitutes the All available historical records disclose nothing to very first step on the road to self-assurance, courage, equal this unique event. The case of a miraculous re- hopefulness and inner peace; those eternally precious demption of an entire people numbering over two mil- soul values the Jew must develop, the better to serve G- lion souls, each of them an eyewitness to the protect- d and mankind. Tefillin will cultivate these blessed char- ing benevolence of Divine Providence. It was this acteristics, if observed in a spirit of true reverence. event that convinced all the Jewish people, beyond the Tefillin and the Exodus from Egypt shadow of a doubt, that their faith in the G-d of their It has been pointed out that the four Torah ex- ancestors was well founded. It was the miracle of the cerpts to be found in Tefillin comprise the Shema and Exodus that gave emphatic meaning to the words of the Vehaya, while the other two have almost exclusive the Shema: “Hear, O Israel, The L-rd is Our G-d, The L- reference to the Exodus from Egypt. Some may won- rd is One.” Note carefully how the very first command- der why the Exodus should be assigned such signal ment connects the two. “I am the L-rd your G-d Who honor as to accompany the verses that pronounce our brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house very concept of G-d. Hence the following explanation: of bondage.” There can be no question that for the Jewish peo- ple the Exodus was to be an everlasting, unforgettable “Remembrance.” Our sages even went so far as to in- d corporate the words “In remembrance of the depar- ture from Eygpt” in the Kiddush that ushers in every Bindings Sabbath and Festival. Careful deliberation, moreover, By Zalman Posner will clearly show why they ascribed to it such singular significance. efillin is a distinctively Jewish way of worship; it The Exodus, it must be recalled, is the story of a is the central mitzvah with which boys are initiat- people enslaved for hundreds of years by a mighty na- Ted into Jewish manhood. It represents an act rather tion. Although they were unarmed and overwhelming- than a sentiment or a word. But what, you may ask, is ly outnumbered, this enslaved people finally marched the message of tefillin for our own day?

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The threat confronting civilization today is not One box of our tefillin is placed upon the left arm, rhetorical. Acts of violence are real and increasing in near the heart, symbolically the seat of our emotions. both frequency and intensity. Not too long ago, the There are certain emotions which the Torah prohibits. university, that exemplar of rationality, turned out to “Do not hate your brother in your heart,” for hatred is be a hotbed of terror. Professors of philosophy, gradu- a sin. “Do not harbor a grudge,” even when you have ate students, some of the finest minds America has been wronged. “You shall love the stranger” with all cultivated, engaged in indiscriminate violence, using his alien-ness, and certainly, “you shall love your fel- guns and bombs. Violence as such is nothing new, but low as yourself.” Our emotions are not beyond our that people of learning should engage in it is some- control. We are responsible for our emotions. We are thing new — and deeply disturbing. to be their master, not their pawn. This is another It is worthy of note that the first direct quotation message that our tefillin hold for us today. from Moses in the Torah is his protest against a Jew The tefillin give us a glimpse of the magnificent who had raised his arm to strike another. “Why do potential inherent in every one of us, not only to do you strike your fellow?” Moses is introduced to us as a what is right, but also to remain in control of our emo- protester against an act of violence. tions. That common but feeble excuse, “I couldn’t help What do the tefillin symbolize? The straps are myself,” is not acceptable to anyone sensitive to the wrapped around the arms. As a result, the arm loses message of the tefillin. A heart touched by the tefillin its freedom of movement; it can only move as the and fired with the command to “love your G-d with all straps permit. Man is not free to do as he wishes. He your heart” will reject such pettiness. can move his arm — that is, he can use his ability to The other box of the tefillin is placed upon the act — only in ways that are in consonance with the head, the seat of the mind. Man’s mind is his finest spirit of the tefillin, of the Sh’ma. Some acts, such as gift and at the same time the most ominous threat to taking that which belongs to another, or harming a fel- the world in which he lives. If he uses his mind proper- low man or an animal, or even willfully damaging inan- ly, he can create a paradise; if he does not, he can imate objects, are evil. Arms and hands have the pow- bring utter destruction to the planet. He must use his er to heal and help, to create and build, and they must mind in accordance with the teachings of the Torah, be used only for these purposes. This is what the tefil- his thoughts must be pure, he must not plot and lin tell us each morning, and the Bar Mitzvah youth en- scheme against others, and he must not utilize his ters life, just as we ourselves enter it anew each day, brain for self-aggrandizement at the expense of oth- with the reminder that all our actions must be in char- ers. acter with these principles. Almost everyone in the Western world today is

14 15 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY able to read and write, but when it comes to moral lit- tioned themselves at the barracks door to watch out eracy we are still scarcely beyond the caveman stage. for the Nazis. A member of my congregation was in The educated but immoral are not governed by their that group. intellect; their minds are enslaved by their base in- And then another picture appears before my mind: stincts. The tefillin declare to us that the mind must a line of thousands of Jewish students stretching for have direction; lacking such direction, it can lead man blocks around a Chabad House at a large American uni- to his ruin. versity, waiting for an opportunity to put on tefillin, The Torah tells us to place our tefillin “between unhurried, and without fear . . . Is it fantasy? Is there a the eyes.” How we use our eyes shows what sort of better way of demonstrating that the Jew who is free people we are. When the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, cares about his brothers — wherever they may be? Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880-1950), was still a little boy, he asked his father why G-d gave man two eyes. Would not one eye have been quite suffi- 1 cient? “G-d gave us two eyes, a right eye and a left eye,” his father replied. “The right eye is for seeing Spiritual Security the good, and the left eye is for seeing faults. Use your By Yossy Goldman right eye to look at others, and your left eye to look at yourself.” t was May 1967. Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Tefillin are a bond and a “sign” binding the Ameri- Nasser had mobilized his troops and was threat- can Jew, the Russian Jew and the Israeli Jew together eningI to “drive the Jews into the sea.” The United Na- into one inseparable whole, and at the same time ty- tions Peace-Keeping Force was dismissed and sheep- ing the hand, the mind and the heart of the Jew to G-d ishly left the region, prompting Abba Eban, Israel’s and Torah, to ideal and principle. The tefillin strap eloquent Foreign Minister, to question the purpose of spans oceans and continents, binding a scattered peo- an umbrella if as soon as it started raining one closed ple into one strong unit. the umbrella. Syria and Jordan, too, were preparing to An awesome picture: a barracks in Auschwitz, and join the war and Israel was once again threatened with inside it a line of Jews, hurriedly putting on a single annihilation by its neighbors. secret pair of tefillin, then taking them off again at I was in New York. Lag B’Omer that year fell on a once without a chance to recite the Sh’ma, because Sunday, the 28th of May. Thousands of Jewish school the Germans could come in at any moment. While children assembled on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn some of the inmates put on the tefillin, others sta- for the Lag B’Omer Parade. The highlight of the event

16 17 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY was the address to be delivered by the Lubavitcher Without in any way minimizing the heroic efforts Rebbe. The Rebbe spoke passionately about the mor- of our brave soldiers or the brilliant military strategies tal threat to Israel and her people. But his talk was of our High Command, this amazing, miraculous victo- filled with a fiery faith and unambiguous optimism ry surely pointed to a higher force. I firmly believe about the outcome. He assured us that Israel would that the protective cover of G-d was inspired by the prevail. Previously, he had instructed American Yeshi- many thousands of new mitzvahs performed by our va students in Israel to remain there and not return people. home although their parents were extremely — and But why tefillin? Of all mitzvahs, why should the understandably — anxious. At the same time, he Rebbe have chosen tefillin specifically to ensure Is- urged Jews the world over to do something practical rael’s security? to help Israel overcome this dire threat to her very ex- The answer is in the Parshah (weekly Torah read- istence. ing) of Ki Tavo: And all the nations of the world will What could we do? Besides material support for see that the Name of G-d is upon you and they will the war effort, and in addition to tanks and fighter fear you (Deuteronomy 28:10). What does it mean that jets, Israel also needed spiritual support. There is a “the Name of G-d is upon you”? The Talmud (Brachot spiritual defense system, too, said the Rebbe. It was 6a) quotes Rabbi Eliezer the Great who explained that then that he launched the International Tefillin Cam- the verse refers to the tefillin worn on the head, which paign. By as many Jews as possible observing this hal- bear the letter Shin symbolizing G-d’s name. These are lowed Mitzvah, it would contribute in a tangible way visible to the eye and have the spiritual power to in- to Israel’s security. He called upon Jews around the spire fear in the hearts of our enemies. Indeed, one of world to encourage their brethren to begin putting on the most powerful images of the Six Day War, still viv- Tefillin, even if they were not religious or hadn’t done id in my mind, is of the Egyptian soldiers fleeing the it since their Bar Mitzvah, or ever in their lives. People Sinai in total disarray. responded instantly and Jews, in unprecedented num- They may not be massing armies on our borders bers, embraced the campaign. today. But no one can deny that Israel’s security is still Nine days later, the battles began. Israel made mili- at very high risk. Thank G-d, since its launch the Tefil- tary history when it decimated the Egyptian Air Force lin Campaign has touched the lives of hundreds of and defeated the armed forces of Egypt, Syria and Jor- thousands of our brothers. If tefillin are not yet part of dan in lightning speed. Jerusalem was reunited under your daily routine, may this story inspire you to begin Jewish sovereignty and the Six Day War would be re- observing it now. If you are already a regular, then corded for posterity as Israel’s finest hour. share the mitzvah with a friend. Besides all the won-

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‰ÂˆÓ ¯·Ï Ú‚Â· ¯¢ÂÓ„‡ ˜¢Î ˙ÁÈ˘Ó Ú˘ when one becomes qualified to practice the Â¢Ë˘˙߉ ¨˘„ÂÁ‰ ßÙ ¨Ù¢˜È ٢˘ commandments of the Torah, which are the joy of the ‰‚ÂÓ È˙Ï· ‰Á‰ righteous...at the age of thirteen. On that day,” says ÌÈ˙Ú·˘ ßÈ‰È ‰ÓÁ‰ ¯Â‡Â ‰ÓÁÎ ¯Â‡Î ‰·Ï‰ ¯Â‡ ßȉ ˜ÂÒÙ ÔÙȇ the Zohar, “it is the duty of the righteous to celebrate ÔÙȇ ¯‰ÂÊ Ôȇ ËÈÈˢ ®‰Ê ÔÈÚ ˙„‡ ¯‡·˙ ¯Ó‡Ó‰·© ÌÈÓȉ ˙Ú·˘ ¯Â‡Î with joy of heart just like the day when one enters the Â˙Â˙Á ÌÂÈ· ÂÓ‡ ÂÏ ‰¯ËÚ˘ ‰¯ËÚ· ‰ÓÏ˘ ÍÏÓ· Æ Æ ‰ȇ¯Â ‰ȇˆ ˜ÂÒÙ „·ÚÈÓÏ ¯˘Îȇ„ ‡ÓÂÈ· Êȇ Ò¿„ Ê¡ ¯‰ÂÊ ¯Ú„ Ë‚¿Ê ¨Â·Ï ˙ÁÓ˘ ÌÂÈ·Â wedding canopy.” In other words, on the day that one ‰ÁÓ˘ È„ ÔÈÈÊ Û¯¡„ ‚¿Ë ÌÚ„ Ôȇ Ê¡ ¨‰ÂˆÓ ¯· ÔÂÙ ‚¿Ë ÌÚ„ ƉƄ ¨˙ÂˆÓ becomes bar-mitzva, he should rejoice just as at his ƉÂ˙Á ¡ ˆ È ÈÂÊ¡ ‡˙„Á wedding. Íȇ ¨Ú¢Â˘ Ôȇ ‘¿¯¡ ËÈ ÍÈÊ Ë‚Èȯ· Ò¿„ ҿ¯¡Ù ËÈ ÒÈÈ Íȇ I don’t know why this passage is not quoted in the ¡ ¯Ú Ë‚Èȯ· ¨‰ÂˆÓ ¯· Ô‚Ú ¯‰ÂÊ ¡ ‘¿¯¡ Ë‚Èȯ· ҿ ÏÏÂΉ ¯Ú˘ ¯Ú„ ȇÁÂÈ Ô· ˘¢¯ Ê¡ ¨Í¡ÏËÚÏ· ¯¿‘ ¡ ËÈÓ ¯Úȯ٠ÊȇßÒ Ò¿Â ¯‰ÂÊ ¯Ú„¡ Shulchan Aruch (code of Torah law). The Shaar Hakolel ÊȇßÒ ¨‰ÂˆÓ ¯· ÒßÔÂÊ ÔÈÈÊ ÔÂÙ ‚¿Ë ̈ ‰ÁÓ˘ ÚÒȯ‚ ¡ ËΡÓÚ‚ Ë¿‰ (commentary on the prayer book by Rabbi Avraham Ô˯¿„ ҿ ¨¯ÚËÚ‘˘ Í¡ÏËÚÏ· ¯¿‘ ¡ ËÈÓ ¯‰ÂÊ ¡ Í¿ Ô¡¯¡Ù ¯Ú·¿ David Lavut) quotes another passage in the Zohar, a ‰ÂˆÓ ¯· ÔÂÙ ‚¿Ë ÌÚ„ Ôȇ Êȇ Ԅȇ ÚÏ¡ ¡· Ê¡ ¨Ô„ȇ ÚÏ¡ Ô‚Ú ¯Ú Ë„Ú¯ few pages further back, that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai ƉÂ˙Á ¡ ¡· È ÈÂÊ¡ ‰ÁÓ˘ ¡ ÔÈÈÊ Û¯¡„ Êȇ ¨ÁÓ˘ ÔÈÈÊ Ô‡ Ô˙Á ÌÚ„ ÔÈÈÊ ÁÓ˘Ó ÚÏ¡ Í¿„ ÔÙ¯¡„ ‰Â˙Á ¡ ¡· (the Sage of the Talmud whose teachings comprise the ‰˘¯„ ¯Ú„ Ô‚Ú „Â¯Ë ÔÈÈÏ¡ Ô˙Á ¯Ú„ Í¿„ Êȇ ¨‰ÂˆÓ ¯· ¡ ¡· Íȇ Zohar), made a great celebration on the day of his Í¿ ˆ ËÓ˜ ÒÚ Ê¡ ¨ÁÓ˘ ÔÈÈÊ Í¿„ Û¯¡„ ÌÏÂÚ ¯Úˆ¡‚ ¯Ú„ ¯Ú·¿ ¨‡Ó˙ÒÓ son’s bar-mitzva. The Zohar passage quoted above, ƈ¢ÓÂ˙ ÔÈÈÊ ÌÈÈ˜Ó ËÚ ҿ ¨ËÏÚ ¯Ú„ Ûȇ „ȇ ¡ however, has the advantage of referring not only to ¨„·ÂÚ ¡ Í¿ ˆ ËÓ˜ ÒÚ ˙Ú˘· Ô‡ ¨‰Ê· ‰Ê ÌÈ·¯Ú Í¿„ ÔÚÈÈÊ Ï‡¯˘È Ô·˘Á ¡ Ò¿„ Í¿„ Êȇ ¨Ú˜È¯Ú·È‡ È„ Ûȇ ËÚ·¯¡ È„ ¯Ú‚ȯ‚ Í¿„ ˯Ú Rabbi Shimon’s son but to every Jew, that on the day ¡ Í¿ ˆ ËÓ˜ ÒÚ Ò¿Â ÌÚ„ „ˆÓ ¨‰ÁÓ˘· ÔÈÈÊ Ï¿Ê ÔÚÓ ˙ÂÈÓ˘‚ Ôȇ ßÈÙ‡ of his bar-mitzva he should rejoice just as at his ÆËÚ·¯¡ ¯Ú„ Ôȇ ÔÙÏÚ‰Òȯ¡ ËÚ ҿ „·ÂÚ wedding. ¡ Â‚È ¨˛‰ÂˆÓ ¯·‰ Ô˙Á Ï˘ Â˜Ê¸ ‰ÂˆÓ ¯· „Á‡ ßȉ ˙„ÚÂÂ˙‰‰Ï© At a wedding, everyone has a duty to make the ƮԂÈ ÔÎÚÏÈȯ٠bridegroom happy, and to be happy oneself. The same applies to a bar-mitzva. Probably, the bar-mitzva boy Free Translation himself is concerned about his speech. But everyone (Farbrengen of Shabbos Parshas Vayakhel-Pikudei, 5715 – else present should be happy for the additional Jew March 19, 1955) who has joined the worldwide Jewish community to On the verse (Song of Songs 3:11) “Go forth and observe the Torah and its commandments. gaze...at King Solomon, at the crown with which his Our Sages tell us that all Jews are responsible for mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, and each other. Therefore, when another “worker” joins on the day of the joy of his heart,” the Zohar (central in, the task gets easier for everyone else. This is a work of the Cabbala) explains it to refer to “the day reason even on the mundane level for rejoicing at a bar-mitzva, because another “worker” has joined us, 22 23 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY who will help everyone else in accomplishing our A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF G-d-given task. “ISSA B’MIDRASH TEHILLIM” (A bar-mitzva boy was present [grandfather of Levi], Rabbi Elazar says in Midrash Tehillim: The Jewish and everyone joined in singing a joyous melody.) people said before G-d, “Master of the universe! We would like to study Torah by day and by night, but we don’t have any time.” Hashem replied, “Fulfill the mitzvah of Tefillin 1 and I will consider it as if you have labored in Torah study by day and by night.” The Maamar It is self-understood that if one thing can substitute another thing, there must obviously be a Maamar is a Chassidic discourse regarding the common denominator which connects both of them. deep mystical theme of Tefillin. The maamar In our case, there must be a connection between the thatA Levi will deliver today was first delivered by the diligent study of the Torah by day and night, and the Rebbe Rashab, the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe at his Bar donning of Tefillin, so that wearing Tefillin can free Mitzvah, and repeated by his son, Rabbi Yosef Yitz- the Jewish people from the study of Torah. chak, the Previous Rebbe, at his Bar Mitzvah. This can be understood through the following In preparation for the maamar, the assembled sing introduction. It is written in Psalms (chap. 147): a moving melody, called the Nigun Hachanah. The Maggid devarav leYaakov chukav umishpatav leYisrael, maamar focuses on the unique spiritual influences which means, that G-d “tells His word to Jacob, His aroused by tefillin, explaining that the natural order of statutes and ordinances to Yisrael.” Our sages the world reveals the supernal middos, G-d’s emotion- comment on this verse: There are those who al qualities. Emotion has a limit. A person’s intellect, command others to fulfill their wishes, but they don't by contrast, enables him to expand and reach new ho- do so themselves, however that which G-d Himself rizons. So too, tefillin, which draw down G-d’s intellec- fulfills, He commands others to fulfill. This is why the tual faculties, elevate the person and the creation as a verse says “His words to Jacob, His statutes and His whole, to new heights. ordinances....” The word “His” implies that these are commandments which G-d also fulfills Himself. We can therefore conclude that since the Jewish people are commanded by G-d to wear Tefillin, G-d Almighty Himself also wears Tefillin. So, each time a Jew dons Tefillin, he causes that G-d dons His Tefillin. 24 25 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY

The concept of G-d wearing Tefillin can obviously effected by external surroundings. So, when we refer not be taken literally. We cannot portray G-d who is to a G-dly emotional characteristic, we are referring to infinite and indescribable, the same way we would an external level of G-dliness. When we refer to a refer to a human being, with a head, arm, feet, limbs, G-dly intellectual characteristic, we are referring to the etc. G-d does not possess an arm or head on which to internal, “essence” of G-d. wrap Tefillin. So, when it is said that G-d wears The world in which we exist was created for us by Tefillin, we are alluding to the effect that the wearing G-d in a physical and limited manner. Everything in of Tefillin by humans achieves. our world has its boundary and space. The world was When a human being puts on his tefillin, he puts formed this way since it was created through a them on his arm, close to his heart, and on his head, manifestation of the Divine emotional attributes. As it close to his brain. This forges a union between his says in Psalms (chap. 89) Olam chessed yibaneh, the intellectual capabilities (represented by the Tefillin on world was created with kindness, an emotional his head) and his emotional attributes (represented by characteristic. Should G-d have revealed His the Tefillin on his arm, near the heart). Similarly, when intellectual characteristic, i.e. His essence, during G-d “puts on” Tefillin, there is a connection made creation, the world could not exist in its current between the G-dly intellectual attributes — so to physical, finite state. speak — with His emotional attributes - so to speak. The Torah, however, is the intellectual The difference between “emotional” and manifestation of G-d. Since intellect is the essence of a “intellectual” capabilities in reference to G-d is similar person, as mentioned above, this means that the to the difference between them in human beings. An Torah would be connected with the essence of G-d. emotional characteristic is an external display. For Therefore, when a person existing in this finite world example, the performance of an act of kindness — a studies and fulfills the Torah, he is able to connect characteristic — can only be achieved with someone G-d’s essence, the Torah, with the world. or something else, which is external of oneself. [Just Due to lack of time, though, the Jewish people do like our father, Abraham, (the epitome of kindness) not have the opportunity to study Torah by day and by who was distressed when he didn’t find a passerby night, and cannot achieve this great synthesis and with whom to perform acts of kindness] bond between the finite and infinite. Therefore, G-d Intellect, on the other hand, the faculty of the tells the Jewish people, “fulfill the Mitzvah of Tefillin mind, is internal. The intellectual capabilities of a and I will consider it as if you had labored in Torah person’s mind are connected to the essence of the study by day and by night.” When a Jew puts on person. One may sit and think all day, and not be Tefillin, G-d is also wearing Tefillin, which also

26 27 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY achieves the fusion of G-d’s intellectual characteristic For your enjoyment, we have included various (through the "head" Tefillin) and His emotional stories connected with one of the central Mitzvos external characteristic (through the “hand” Tefillin). that Mendel will now be performing – Tefillin [This explains why only boys age 13 and up wear Tefillin, not a “Koton”, a young boy. Since Tefillin A Pair of Tefillin for Sandy Koufax essentially affect the intellect, the commandment is to wait until the child has achieved a degree of maturity By Dovid Zaklikowski in his intellect, which occurs at the thirteenth ctober 6, 1965, the first game of the ‘65 World birthday]. Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers versus the Min- It should be understood, though, that the donning nesotaO Twins. It’s Yom Kippur night at Metropolitan of Tefillin doesn’t fully achieve the same outcome as Stadium, 47,797 in attendance. Sandy Koufax, lead the study of Torah. When the Midrash presents the pitcher of the LA Dodgers, refuses to play. Mitzvah of wearing Tefillin as the G-dly substitute for Koufax’s refusal to pitch on Yom Kippur gained studying Torah day and night, it employs the word him the respect and admiration of many Jews. His cou- “keilu” or it is “as if” you studied Torah. The reason for rage gave many Jews the strength to not be ashamed this is that when a person studies Torah diligently, the of their Judaism. effects are felt in this world. The wearing of Tefillin, The day after Yom Kippur, Koufax received a visit however, only affects the spiritual source of creation in his S. Paul hotel room from Rabbi Moshe Feller, re- of the world and the person wearing the Tefillin. We gional director of the Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch — the must rely upon G-d almighty Himself to cause the educational arm of the Lubavitcher Hasidic movement. lower world, this world, to be effected through the Feller congratulated Koufax for not playing on Yom Mitzvah of Tefillin. Kippur and for “the great assist he gave Rabbis and Jewish educators the world over.” Rabbi Feller also brought Sandy a pair of tefillin. 5 “Since you bat right and throw left,” he told the pitch- er, “I wasn’t sure what type to get you.” (Tefillin are worn on the weaker arm — right-handed people wrap them around their left arm, and lefties on their right arm.) “But considering what your left arm has accom- plished, I decided to get you the type you put on your right arm.”

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Koufax accepted the gift and thanked Rabbi Feller told the pitcher that he would like to give him a for visiting. “The Talmud says that tefillin is represen- present. He gave him a pair of tefillin. The pitcher told tative of all the Mitzvot of the Torah,” Feller later ex- him that he still remembers tefillin, however, he did plained. “So I could not think of a better way to honor not want to put them at that time. The young man a person for enhancing Jewish values, than by present- left, and that day the pitcher lost the game... But at ing him with a pair of tefillin.” the end it turned out that he won the World Series, Two weeks later, at a Simchat Torah gathering, the and on his table there were the tefillin. In the end, Lubavitcher Rebbe spoke about the Jewish pitcher even ‘a distant individual will not be distanced’ and he who refused to play on Yom Kippur (the following is a will merit to put them on, and another Jew will be free translation from the Yiddish). “The first condition added to those who have donned tefillin...” in influencing a child,” said the Rebbe, “is that the child must see a living example by his parents. If the child sees the parent studying Torah at a time when d the parent would otherwise be involved in business dealings, thereby surrendering a few dollars of profit, Heart To Heart and perhaps causing that he won’t be written up as he bearded Chassidic Jew contemplated the pas- one of the top dealers — this is an example of self- senger sitting beside him on the airplane. A mid- sacrifice for the child. Tdle-aged man, balding slightly, and obviously Jewish. “Or when the parent gives up a half hour of watch- “I must try to get him to put on Tefillin,” thought the ing television, reading the newspaper and discussing Chassid. He turned to his neighbor, smiled, and tried politics... even though he thinks that knows what to strike up a conversation but the attempt failed, for [President] Johnson ought to do, and if Johnson would the Chassid, a recent immigrant to the new world, ask him, he would tell him to do it this way.... When knew very few words of English. He tried Yiddish-the he renounces all of this, and he doesn’t even know man looked at him blankly; he switched to German- what the World Series is, that’s an example for your the same result. In desperation he tried Russian-his child... (Those who don’t know what ‘World Series’ is fellow passenger just stared and shook his head. — good for them. I wish that I didn’t know...) The elderly Chassid furrowed his brow and stroked “There was a young man, and in fact he had a his beard in concentrated thought. Then, he reached beard, he went to see the pitcher who wouldn’t pitch into his suitcase and took out a small velvet bag. Un- on Yom Kippur and he told him that he does not play der the watchful eye of his neighbor he withdrew the baseball on Rosh Hashanah either. The young man black leather boxes of the Tefillin. The Chassid took a 30 31 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY deep breath, turned to his neighbor, and mustering all Hi-tech Connectivity his meager English vocabulary pointed his finger first By Tzvi Freeman at himself and then at the passenger. “I Jew, you Jew” he said. Then, pointing to the Tefillin he said, “I Tefil- his was back in the early sixties, when the first lin, you Tefillin.” It was a call from one Jewish heart to mainframe computers were being introduced another and a heart has no language barrier. Tinto business. Professor Abraham Polichenco, a pio- A few moments later the middle-aged businessman neer in computer technology, visited the Lubavitcher was allowing the bearded Chassid to wind the straps Rebbe and posed a question to him: of the Tefillin around his arm in the middle of the “I know that everything that exists in the world, crowded airplane and he was fighting back tears as he even something that we discover later in history, has realized that he had long forgotten how to do the its source somewhere in the Torah. So, where are Mitzvah himself. there computers in the Torah?” The businessman later discovered that his experi- Without hesitation, the Rebbe answered, “Tefillin.” ence had been shared by millions of other people all The professor was perplexed. over the globe as a result of the Tefillin Campaign “What’s new about a computer?” the Rebbe con- launched by the Lubavitcher Rebbe at the time of the tinued. “You walk into a room and you see many famil- Six Day Way in the Holy Land. A Tefillin booth has iar machines: A typewriter, a large tape recorder, a tel- been set up by the Lubavitcher Chassidim at the Wail- evision set, a hole puncher, a calculator. What is new? ing Wall in Jerusalem, and more than a million Jews “But under the floor, cables connect all these ma- from all walks of life, have performed the Mitzvah of chines so they work as one.” Tefillin at that booth alone. To say nothing of the daily The professor nodded enthusiastically. He hadn’t efforts by Chassidim all over the world to re-educate realized it before, but yes, this is all that a computer their fellow Jews in the fulfillment of this vital precept is: A synthesis of media and processing devices. of the Torah. “Now look at your own self. You have a brain. It is in one world. Your heart is in another. And your hands often end up involved in something completely for- 1 eign to both of them. Three diverse machines. “So you put on tefillin. First thing in the day, you connect your head, your heart and your hand with these leather cables — all to work as one with one in- tent. And then when you go out to meet the world, all

32 33 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY your actions find harmony in a single coordinated pur- reminding Jewish women to light Shabbat candles, pose.” and exhorting non-Jews to keep the seven Noahide commandments. Although my admiration for these stalwarts knows n no bounds, I am most definitely not one of them. I just do not have the genes. I abhor public display and I can The Bulkhead not bear to make a spectacle of myself, no matter how worthy the cause. It goes without saying that I am use- By Yaakov Brawer less on mitzvah campaigns, except in those instances here are Chassidim who relish davening on air- in which an adult is simply needed to drive the geta- planes. Immediately after takeoff, a Chassid of way car. Tthis breed stands up in the aisle (the farther forward, Thus, some years ago, while en route to LA, my the better), intones a thunderous brachah, and with a stomach knotted up as I realized that I would have to great sweeping motion, envelops himself in a tallit, daven on the plane on my return trip. The homeward causing nearby passengers to flinch as flying tzitzit flight left too early to pray the morning service before- miss their eyes by millimeters. He then prays with an hand and because of the time change, it would not ar- ardor rarely seen in shul, blocking the aisle and at- rive until well past noon. The fact that the flight was tracting the attention of everyone on the plane, and scheduled for the tenth of Tevet, a fast day on which that, of course, is precisely his intent. He is, after all, a the morning service is unusually protracted, didn’t Chassid, charged with the mission to reveal G-d’s pres- help. While pondering my predicament, I recalled that, ence within whatever niche of creation he happens to when our kids were small, my wife always asked for occupy at any given moment. Although the airline is the bulkhead seats when we traveled. As I remem- under the impression that it has staged the flight in bered, the bulkheads were partitions that separated order to make money, and the passengers think that the last five or so rows of seats from the rest of the they are on the plane in order to actually arrive some- plane. I looked down the aisle and confirmed that where, the Chassid knows better. The Chassid under- there were indeed panels partially isolating the back stands that the objective of the flight is to sequester end of the cabin, just as I had remembered. If I could 150 souls 50,000 feet above sea level so that they can secure a seat immediately behind a panel for the re- watch him daven and learn that there is a G-d in the turn flight, I could stand facing this partition and pray world. When finished davening, any Chassid worth his in relative privacy. Such an arrangement was not ideal, salt works the cabin, entwining Jewish men in tefillin, but I could live with it, and I began to relax.

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Immediately upon my arrival in LA I rushed to the off the seatbelt sign indicating that we had reached ticket counter and procured a boarding pass for a our cruising altitude. The moment of truth had ar- bulkhead seat for my homeward flight. Thus assured rived, and I had no choice but to pray as best I could. of a reasonable place to daven, I left for the city with a As I stood up and donned tallit and tefillin, I soon dis- light heart. covered that the doorway area afforded plenty of When I arrived at the departure gate for my return space in which to stand and I found that if I positioned flight, I glanced at my precious ticket to semi- myself hard by the door, I was visible only to a few for- invisibility and noted, with some unease, that the seat ward rows. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all. How- number seemed quite low for a position at the back of ever, the revelation that it would be so bad after all the plane. My uneasiness ballooned into anxiety when was not long in coming. I caught a glimpse of the plane. It was much larger Just as I finished Baruch Sh’amar, I felt a tap on my than the one on which I had arrived and it had an shoulder. I turned to confront two very impatient upper deck. I approached the agent at the gate who flight attendants standing by a mammoth mobile bar. examined my boarding pass and assured me that I did “Sir, you can’t do that here. This is the bar area”. “See indeed have a bulkhead seat. However, when I board- here young lady, it so happens that I am a servant of ed the plane and showed my pass to the flight atten- G-d and a Chassid of the great and holy Rebbe of Luba- dant, she indicated a seat right at the doorway, facing vitch, and I intend to sanctify this spot by reciting my the cavernous entry to the plane. I stared at her in dis- morning prayers here. So take yourself and your bar belief and explained to her that I had been assigned a elsewhere”. This is precisely what I did not say. In fact bulkhead seat. Just so, she replied, and pointed to the I didn’t say anything because I was between Baruch same seat. It began to dawn on me that the airline Sh’amar and Yishtabach, an interval in which speech is personnel and I did not speak the same language. An- not permitted. I couldn’t have spoken in any case be- other brief exchange with the attendant set me cause my stomach had lurched up against my dia- straight. The “bulkhead”, as the term applied to this phragm, and I began to wheeze and hyperventilate. I particular aircraft, was nothing other then the door to raised my eyebrows, which had become decorated the plane, behind which were endless rows of seats all with fine beads of sweat, and shrugged hoping that facing forward. the attendants would understand this gesture as an My davening that morning would be graced by a appeal for sympathy, help and understanding. Unfortu- captive audience of about 300 people. Pavarotti could nately, they were unreceptive. They were clearly an- have wished for no better. noyed that this apparition from the biblical era had The plane took off and soon the captain switched not only commandeered their bar area, but wouldn’t

36 37 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY even speak to them. “Sir, you can do whatever you are short by the flight attendants, now, openly hostile, doing at the back of the cabin near the rear galley.” who insisted that I must move at once. So there was a place at the back of the plane There was no way out. I picked up my tallit bag, where I could do whatever I do. A sense of relief took my prayer book and walked the full length of the surged through my distraught brain, and my stomach plane, resplendent in tallit and tefillin. My trek down let go of my diaphragm, allowing me to take a couple the aisle electrified the entire cabin. “What the...?” of normal breaths. I nodded vigorously at the flight at- “Mommy, what’s that ?” “Hey look Lucy, Moses is tendants, utilizing the opportunity to shake a drop of back” “Bizarre, man” “What’s that box on his head?” perspiration from the tip of my nose, and I began un- From the corner of my eye, I caught images of bewil- tying the strap of my tefillin in preparation for my es- derment, shock, and amusement. As for me, the death cape to the refuge at the back of the plane. of a thousand cuts would have been preferable. Some- Suddenly I froze with the dread realization that how I made it to the semisecluded haven at the back Providence was not about to let me off so easily. This of the cabin and tried to collect myself. I started to da- was simply one of those shlock disaster-movie inter- ven but the only prayerful thought that I could muster ludes, the moment of false hope, in which the poor was a fervent hope that the rear emergency door suckers about to be decimated by an inevitable and in- would blow open, and I would be mercifully sucked escapable catastrophe are deluded into believing that out of the aircraft. salvation is at hand. This would never do. I had to pull myself together I would remove my tallit and tefillin and walk to and daven properly. After all, the brain, by virtue of its the rear of the cabin, but what then? Did I need to re- innate superiority, rules the heart, right? I thought of cite a brachah upon re-strapping the tefillin or not? Reb Mendel Futerfas (of blessed memory), who man- Did a walk down the aisle of the aircraft imply hesech aged to perform mitzvot and daven with zeal in a Si- hadaat (loss of conscious attention from the tefillin)? If berian labor camp surrounded by the dregs of humani- it did, then a blessing was required. If not, and I recit- ty. I reminded myself of the parable in Tanya of the ed the blessing on the tefillin, it would be “a brachah “heathen” whose efforts to distract a Jew from praying in vain” - a severe halachic prohibition.. Although in- were really a Divine gift, intended to elicit from the af- stinctively I felt that a brachah was unnecessary, I flicted individual hidden spiritual strengths. I told my- wasn’t really sure. Just two weeks before I had lis- self that this episode presented a golden opportunity tened in on a complicated debate on just this subject to transcend my own personal limitations, and that I at the Yeshivah, and the situation was far from clear. should be overjoyed. None of it worked. The emotion- What should I do? My frenzied cogitations were cut al turbulence and the effects of caffeine withdrawal as

38 39 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY a result of the fast had dissipated whatever inner re- fulness. I was also more than a little ashamed of my- sources I might have had. My brain, despite its vaunt- self. The Almighty did not produce and direct this ed innate superiority, did not rule my heart, nor, for magnificently orchestrated comedy of errors only in that matter, any other part of me. I recited the prayers order to apprise 300 people of His eternal and all- like a zombie and removed my tefillin and tallit. I encompassing presence. It seems that the 301st pas- cringed at the thought of walking back up the aisle to senger, namely myself, was also in need of some seri- my seat, and I briefly considered crawling, until I real- ous instruction in this ultimate truth. ized that everyone would be able to see me anyway. I thought of the Kotsker Rebbe. When he was a I hunched my shoulders, stared at the floor and child someone jokingly told him “Mendel, I will give quickly proceeded up the aisle. The cabin was quiet you a penny if you tell me where G-d is”. The little boy and fairly dark. It was obvious that the in-flight movie answered “I will give you two if you tell me where He had begun. I glanced up at the movie screen and the is not.” marvel that met my eyes stopped me dead in my tracks. There on the screen were Jews, dozens of them, all wearing tallit and tefillin, and all davening. I 1 couldn’t get over it. I stood and watched until this ex- traordinary tableau faded to another scene, and I then A Telling Tale continued up the aisle. The movie, which as I later dis- lively young school boy went with his grandfa- covered was “The Jazz Singer”, had also apparently ther to see the Lubavitcher Rebbe one day in made quite an impression on the other passengers. 1954.A The purpose of the visit was to receive a bless- As I made my way, I attracted considerable atten- ing before his upcoming Bar Mitzvah. tion, but it was of a totally different kind than that He was surprised when the Rebbe asked him, in which I had received an hour earlier. The looks were English, “which sports do you like best?” those of admiration and respect. People nodded “Baseball” the boy replied. knowingly to each other and smiled. I saw one woman “Do you ever play baseball with your friends?” the pointing to me and explaining something to her small Rebbe asked him. child. People in aisle seats wished me good morning “Yes” the boy answered. and one man even stood up. When I arrived at my “And do you ever see professional games?” place the erstwhile testy flight attendants deferentially “Sure I do.” replied the boy. inquired after my comfort. “What’s the difference between your games and I was aglow with wonder, gratification, and thank- the professionals?” asked the Rebbe. 40 41 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY

“Rabbi, when we play, it’s just ‘kids stuff,’ but the historical record, but also because they reveal the inner professional games are for real” answered the young spiritual dynamic of his imprisonment and redemption. boy. From the beginning of his imprisonment, the Previous The Rebbe addressed the boy with a broad smile Rebbe resolved that he would not be affected by the au- and said “In your heart you have a big playing field. thorities who had imprisoned him. This resolution had im- The two teams are the yetzer tov, the good inclina- plications beyond his commitment not to compromise in tion, and the yetzer hara, the negative drive. Until Torah observance. The Previous Rebbe did not perceive the now they played ‘kids stuff,’ but from now on the Soviet authorities as having any power at all. In his eyes, game is for real! they were “utter nothingness and void.” He refused to Remember, just as in baseball, the side that plays cooperate under interrogation and responded to them with the best will win. If you only want to, you can always pride and integrity. Despite the physical discomfort and the overcome your yetzer hara.” blows he suffered at their hands, he was not intimidated, nor did he allow them to break his spirit. “Who Will Teach Whom” 5 On Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, guards entered his cell and The date of Levi’s Bar Mitzvah coincides with the ordered him to stand. He refused. The guards explained that they had information for him and that the prison rules anniversary of the redemption from Russian imprisonment required that he stand to receive it. He again refused. They of the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe of blessed memory in threatened to beat him, and when he did not obey them, 1927. they carried out their threat. We have included a talk by the Lubavitcher Rebbe This scenario was repeated three times. Before the last explaining the significance and message of this very special blows were administered, one of the exasperated guards day. told the Rebbe, “We’ll teach you a lesson!” The Rebbe re- sponded, “The question is, who will teach whom....” The Power Of Resolution Realizing that their attempts to intimidate him were in- The Prisoner Who Refused to be Intimidated effective, the Soviet authorities invited him into an office In Likkutei Dibburim, the Previous Rebbe — Rabbi Yosef and informed him of his sentence — three years’ exile in Yitzchak Schneersohn of Lubavitch — describes the details Kostroma. (On the desk before him, the Previous Rebbe no- of his imprisonment in 1927 by the Soviet authorities for ticed his file. He saw that his sentence had actually been his efforts to spread Judaism and Chassidism among his fel- commuted. He had at first been condemned to execution; low Jews. These recollections are significant not only as a the second sentence suggested was twelve years’ hard la-

42 43 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY bor; and only the final ruling, three years of exile, was deliv- the earth that our bodies alone were banished into exile ered.) and subjugated to the dominion of the nations. Our souls The date was Thursday, the first day of Rosh Chodesh were never exiled, nor were they subjugated to the na- Tammuz. He was informed that he would be granted sever- tions. al hours at home and then he would depart by train to Kos- It must be publicly declared that no one can exert any troma. He asked the prison authorities when he was sched- influence whatever on our faith, on the Torah, on its mitz- uled to arrive in Kostroma and was told that he would vos, and on Jewish custom. arrive on Shabbos. A Positive Spiral of Activity Gathers Momentum He refused to go. One of the officials warned that if he This message, its impact heightened by the circum- did not comply with their orders, he would not be granted stances under which it was delivered, made a profound im- another opportunity to leave prison. He replied that he was pression on the chassidim. Shortly afterward, on the prepared to stay in prison for as long as necessary; he Twelfth and Thirteenth of Tammuz respectively, the Previ- would not travel on Shabbos. ous Rebbe was notified of his impending release and in fact Shocked by the Rebbe’s defiance, the authorities released from exile entirely. As he himself later pointed paused for consultation with leading government officials. out, this series of events indicated that the Soviet govern- After some hours, they agreed to detain him in prison over ment had consented to his efforts to spread Torah obser- Shabbos and allow him to travel on Sunday, the Third of vance. Tammuz. The Previous Rebbe’s imprisonment thus bore rich “Our Souls Were Never Sent Into Exile” fruit, inspiring further efforts to spread our Jewish heritage. In preparation for his arrival, the Previous Rebbe dis- The positive effects of these events continue and are en- patched R. Michoel Dvorkin to Kostroma. There, this trust- hanced from year to year, as the commemoration of Yud- ed elder chassid promptly collected the local Jewish chil- Beis Tammuz encourages others to continue along the dren and established a cheder. He also inspected the local paths opened by the Previous Rebbe. mikveh and made it halachically faultless. Ironically, the very The lesson of the Previous Rebbe’s redemption is rele- activities for which the Previous Rebbe had been arrested vant in all situations. When a person resolves that all the were now being carried out with the knowledge and con- obstacles to spreading Torah have no substance, and he sent of the Soviet authorities. perseveres in his commitment in the face of all difficulties, Before setting out for Kostroma, the Previous Rebbe the truth of his resolution will be revealed to him. He will briefly took leave of his chassidim, urging them to continue come to understand that “the Torah, its mitzvos, and the their efforts to spread the practice of Judaism: Jewish people are eternal,” and that all the forces which ap- It must be made known to all the nations on the face of pear to oppose them are temporary challenges. When one

44 45 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY persists in one’s efforts to spread Judaism, these obstacles will disappear. Moreover, even the opposing forces them- selves will be transformed into influences which contribute to the dissemination of Torah. One Redemption Leading to Another The Previous Rebbe’s redemption on Yud-Beis Tammuz led to his coming to the United States, a change in location that had two effects. On the one hand, being in America en- abled him to disseminate Judaism and Chassidism without all the difficulties encountered in Europe. However, the American environment also confronted chassidim with a challenge — that of maintaining the intensity of commit- ment aroused by a threat to one’s existence when that threat no longer existed. THE PREVIOUS LUBAVITCHER REBBE, The Previous Rebbe withstood this challenge as well, RABBI JOSEPH I. SCHNEERSOH OF BLESSED MEMORY initiating trailblazing activities which ultimately established America as a major Torah center for our people. With untir- ing optimism and perseverance, he opened up new fron- tiers in his efforts to disseminate the observance of Torah. His redemption on Yud-Beis Tammuz was thus not a personal matter; it affected our entire people. As the posi- tive effects brought about by this redemption continue and grow, we are able to see openly, and not only appreciate on a spiritual plane, that his redemption served as a prepar- ation for the ultimate Redemption which we will experi- ence with the coming of Mashiach. May this take place in the immediate future. Adapted from Likkutei Sichos

THE LUBAVITCHER REBBE, RABBI MENACHEM MENDEL SCHNEERSOH OF BLESSED MEMORY

46 47 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY

PSALM 108 Á˜ ÌÈω˙ 1. A song, a psalm by David. 2. My heart is ÈœaœÏ Ô«Î · ∫„ÄÂ@ŸÏ ¯«Ó½ÊœÓ ¯È!÷ ‡ steadfast, O God; I will sing and chant praises ‚ ∫ÈD«·Ÿk≠ÛÇ ‰TŸnÁÊ⁄‡Á ‰TÈ!÷À‡ ¨ÌÈœ‰¿¤‡ even with my soul. 3. Awake, O lyre and harp; I shall awaken the dawn. 4. I will thank You „ ∫¯ÃÁ−g ‰TÈœÚÀ‡ ¯«pœÎ½Â ÏŒ·ÂpÉ ‰TeÚ among the nations, Lord; I will sing praises to ^YŒnÁÊ⁄‡Á ¨‰Â›‰½È ¨ÌÈœnÃÚÀ· ^E«‡ You among the peoples. 5. Indeed, Your kindness ¨^∆CŸÒÃÁ ÌÄÈÃÓ−÷≠ÏÃÚÕÓ ÏI‚≠È ‰œk ∫ÌÈœn‹‡ŸÏÃa reaches above the heavens; Your truth reaches to ÌÄÈÃÓ−÷≠ÏÃÚ ‰ÀÓe¯  ∫^ zœÓ⁄‡ ÌÈNÀÁ"÷≠„Ãڽ the skies. 6. Be exalted upon the heavens, O God,

[show] Your glory upon all the earth. 7. That Ê ∫^C«·Ÿk ıWÀ‡À‰≠ÏÀk ÏÃڽ ¨ÌÈœ‰¿¤‡ Your beloved ones may be delivered, help with ^½ÈœÓ½È ‰ÀÚÈ!÷«‰ ¨^ÈCÈD½È ÔeˆŸÏÀÁÂÈ ÔÃÚÃÓŸÏ Your right hand and answer me. 8. God spoke in ‰Ê¿¤ÚŒ‡ «÷EJŸa ¯Œa∆D ÌÈœ‰¿ Á¤‡ ∫ÈÄÂ⁄ÚÁ His holiness that I would exult, I would divide portions [of the enemies' land], I would Ë ∫„∆BÃÓ⁄‡ ˙«k‹Ò ˜ŒÓÕڽ ̌Î"÷ ¨‰JŸlÃÁ⁄‡ measure the Valley of Succot. 9. Mine is Gilead, Ê«ÚÀÓ ÌÄÈUŸÙŒ‡½Â ‰ gÁŸÓ ÈœÏ „ÀÚŸÏÄ‚ ÈœÏ mine is Manasseh, and Ephraim is the ¯ÈœÒ ·À‡«Ó È ∫ÈNO›ÁŸÓ ‰@e‰½È ¨È!÷‡] stronghold of my head, Judah is my prince. 10. ≠ÈÕÏ⁄Ú ¨ÈœÏ⁄ÚÁ _ÈœÏ"÷Ç Ì«„¤‡≠ÏÃÚ ¨ÈœˆŸÁU Moab is my washbasin, I will cast my shoe upon

Edom, I will shout over Philistia. 11. Who brings ¯ÈœÚ ÈÄÕÏœ·³È ÈœÓ ‡È ∫ÚÀÚ«¯"˙Œ‡ ˙ ÷ŒÏŸÙ me to the fortified city? Who led me unto ≠‡¿⁄‰ ·È ∫Ì«„¤‡≠„ÃÚ ÈÄÃÁ ÈœÓ ¨¯ÀˆŸ·œÓ Edom? 12. Is it not God, Who has [until now] ÌÈœ‰¿¤‡ ‡Õˆ ˙≠‡¿½Â ¨e−zŸÁÁ½Ê ÌÈœ‰¿¤‡ forsaken us, and did not go forth, O God, with ¨¯ÀvœÓ ˙T½ÊŒÚ eÀl≠‰À·À‰ ‚È ∫eÈ ˙›‡Ÿ·œˆŸa our armies? 13. Give us help against the adversary; futile is the help of man. 14. Through ÌÈœ‰¿‡Õa „È ∫Ì@À‡ ˙ÃÚe÷"z ‡½Â−÷½Â God we will do valiantly, and He will trample ∫eÈVÀˆ Òe·È ‡e‰½Â ¨ÏÄÈÀÁ≠‰ ◊⁄ÚÁ our oppressors. 17 16 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY

Ì«¯ÀnœÓ From heaven, may there be invoked upon him and ˙WŒÓ"÷œÓŸÏ ‡Õ‰"z ÷ ˙»Î½Ê »ÈÕÏÀڽ ÂÈÀÏÀÚ »„ŸnÃϽÈÌ«¯ÀnœÓ upon us such merit which will bring enduring peace. May we receive blessing from the Lord and kindness from God our ÈÕ‰¿¤‡ÕÓ ‰J@Ÿˆ» ÆÈ½È ˙Õ‡ÕÓ ‰ÀÎTŸ· ‡−rÄ½Â ÆÌ«Ï−÷ deliverer, and may we find grace and good understanding in ∫Ì@À‡½Â ÌÈœ‰¿¤‡ ÈÂÈÕÚŸa ·«Ë όΠ◊½Â ÔÕÁ ‡ÀˆŸÓÄ½Â Æ»ÕÚ"÷ÄÈ the eyes of God and man.

On Shabbat: ∫∫˙˙··˘˘·· ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One let us inherit that day which will be all ∫ÌÈœÓÀÏ«ÚÀ‰ ÈÂiÃÁŸÏ ‰ÀÁ»ŸÓ» ˙Àa×÷ «l‹k ÷ Ì«ÈŸÏ »ÕÏÈœÁ½ÁÈ ‡»‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ Shabbat and rest for life everlasting. ∫∫˘˘„„ÁÁ ˘˘‡‡¯¯·· On Rosh Chodesh: ∫‰ÀÎTŸ·œÏ½Â ‰À·«ËŸÏ ‰ÃÊÉ ÷C›ÁÉŒ‡ ˙ »ÈÕÏÀÚ ÷∆BÃÁ½È ‡»‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One renew for us this month for good and for ∫∫··ÂÂËË ÌÌÂÂÈÈ·· blessing. ∫·«Ë «l‹k ÷ Ì«ÈŸÏ »ÕÏÈœÁ½ÁÈ ‡»‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ On Festivals: ∫∫˙˙ÂÂÎÎÂÂÒÒ·· ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One let us inherit that day which is all good. On Sukkot: ∫˙ŒÏŒÙ«pÉ „ÄÂ∆@ ˙Ãk‹Ò ˙Œ‡ »ÀÏ ÌÈNÈ ÔÀÓ⁄‡»‰ÁUÀ‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One restore for us the fallen sukkah of David. ∫∫‰‰˘˘‰‰ ˘˘‡‡¯¯·· On Rosh HaShanah: ∫‰ÀÎTŸ·œÏ½Â ‰À·«ËŸÏ ˙‡³ÊÉ ‰−gÃŒ‡‰ »È˙ÕÏÀÚ ÷∆BÃÁ½È ‡»‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One renew for us this year for good and for blessing. ÌÀÏ«ÚÀ‰ ÈÂiÃÁŸÏ» ÃÁÈ!÷ÀnÉ ˙«ÓÈœÏ »ÕkÁÊ½È ‡»‰ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One grant us the privilege of ®Ï«c½‚œÓ ¯¯ÓÓ‡‡ ÓÓ¢¢‰‰ÂÂÁÁ ÁÁ¢¢¯¯Â ËË¢¢ÂÂÈÈ ˙˙··˘˘··© ÏÈ∆D½‚ÃÓ ∫‡ÀaÉ reaching the days of the Mashiachand the life of the World to Come. He gives great deliveranceOn (Shabbat, Festivals, Rosh Chodesh „ÃÚ «ÚYÁÊŸÏ» „ÄÂ@ŸÏ «ÁÈ!÷ŸÓœÏ „ŒÒŒÁ ‰ ◊›Ú½ÂŸÏà ӫk ˙«Ú»÷½È and Chol HaMoed substitute: He is a tower of deliverance) to His king, ÏÃڽ »ÈÕÏÀÚ Ì«Ï−÷ ‰ ◊⁄ÚÁÈ ‡»‰ ÂÈÀÓ«¯ŸÓœa −÷Ì«Ï ‰ ◊›Ú ∫ÌÀÏ«Ú and bestows kindness upon His anointed, to David and his descendants forever. He who makes peace in His heavens, ∫ÔÕÓÀ‡ »¯ŸÓœ‡½Â ÏÕ‡T"◊ÄÈ ÏÀk may He make peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen. »‡YÈ Fear the Lord, you His holy ones, for those who fear Him ÌÈXȜٟk ∫ÂÈÀ‡VÈœÏ ¯«ÒŸÁÃÓ Õ‡ÔÈ Èœk ÂÈ−÷«„O È½È ˙»‡¯Œ‡ ½È suffer no want. Young lions are in need and go hungry, but ∫·«Ë ÏÀÎ »¯ŸÒŸÁÁÈ ‡¿ ‰À«‰½È È ÷Y«„½Â »·ÕÚT½Â »÷T those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His kindness is everlasting. ^CÈ ˙ÃÁ Œ‡˙«t ∫«cŸÒÃÁ ÌÀÏ«ÚŸÏ Èœk ·«Ë ÈȽÈÃœk Ï »„«‰ You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living ‰ÈÀ‰½È½Èàa ÁÃËŸ·ÄÈ ¯ ÷⁄‡ ¯Œ·ÃbÉ _»¯Àa ∫Ô«ˆT ÈÃÁÃÚÈ Ïœa"◊ÃÀΟÏÓ» thing. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord will be his security. ∫«ÁÃËŸ·œÓ ȽÈ

∫∫ÒÒÂÂÎΉ‰ ÏÏÚÚ Íͯ¯··ÓÓ If the Blessing After a Meal was recited over a cup of wine, the followingberachah is said: ∫∫ÒÒÂÂÎΉ‰ ÏÏÚÚ Íͯ¯··ÓÓ _»¯Àa Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, ∫ÔŒÙbÉ ÈXŸt ‡V«a ÌÀÏ«ÚÀ‰ _ŒÏŒÓ »ÈȽՉ¿È¤‡ ‰ −zÇ_»¯Àa who creates the fruit of the vine. 13 12 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY

_»¯Àa Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Æ»Èœ·À‡ ÆÏÕ‡À‰ ÆÌÀÏ«ÚÀ‰ ŒÏŒ_Ó »ÈÕ‰¿¤‡ È½È ‰−zÇ_»¯Àa benevolent God, our Father, our King, our Strength, our » ÷«„O Æ»VŸˆ«È Æ»ÕÏ⁄‡«b Æ»Õ‡Y«a Æ»VÈ∆DÇ Æ»ÕkŸÏÃÓ Creator, our Redeemer, our Maker, our Holy One, the Holy One of Jacob, our Shepherd, the Shepherd of Israel, the King ·ÈœËÕnɽ ·«hÉ _ŒÏŒnÉ ÆÏÕ‡T"◊ÄÈ ‰ÕÚ«¯ »ÕÚ«¯ Æ·S⁄ÚÁÈ ÷«„O who is good and does good to all, each and every day. He has ‡»‰ »ÀÏ ·ÈœËÕÓ ‡»‰ »ÀÏ ·ÈÕ‰œËÈ ‡»‰ ÆÌ«ÈÂ Ì«È ÏÀΟa Ï›kÃÏ done good for us, He does good for us, and He will do good for us; He has bestowed, He bestows, and He will forever ÔÕÁŸÏ Æ„ÃÚÀÏ »ÕÏŸÓ½‚ÄÈ ‡»‰ »ÕÏŸÓ«‚ ‡»‰ »ÀÏÀÓ½‚ ‡»‰ Æ»ÀÏ ·ÈœËÈÂÈ bestow upon us grace, kindness and mercy, relief, salvation ƉÀÚ»÷ÈÄ ‰ÀÎTŸa ƉÀÁÀÏŸˆÃ‰½Â ‰ÀÏÀˆÃ‰ ÁÁÂWŸÏ» ÆÌÈœÓ⁄ÁUŒÒŒÁŸŸÏ» Ï»„ and success, blessing and deliverance, consolation, livelihood and sustenance, compassion, life, peace and all goodness; and Æ·«Ë ÏÀν ̫Ï−÷½Â ÌÈÄiÃÁ½Â ÌÈœÓ⁄ÁU½Â ƉÀÏÀkŸÏÃν ‰ÀÒYÃt ƉÀÓÀÁÃ may He never cause us to lack any good. ∫»VŸqÃÁ½È ÏÇ ÌÀÏ«ÚŸÏ ·»Ë ÏÀkœÓ»

ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One reign over us forever and ever. ∫„ŒÚ ÌÀÏ«ÚŸÏ »ÈÕÏÀÚ _«ÏŸÓÄÈ ÔÀÓ⁄‡»‰ÁUÀ‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One be blessed in heaven and on ∫ıWÀ‡À·» ÌÄÈÃÓ−gÃa _VÀa"˙ÄÈ ‡»‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ earth. „ÃÚÀÏ »Àa ¯Õ‡Àt"˙ÄȽ ÆÌÈX«c ¯«„ŸÏ ÁÃa×z"÷ÄÈ ‡»‰ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One be praised for all generations, and pride Himself in us forever and all eternity, and glorify ÈÕÓŸÏ«ÚŸÏ» „ÃÚÀÏ »Àa ¯∆AÉ"˙ÄȽ ÆÌÈœÁÀˆ½ÈÂŸ Ï»Á Himself in us forever and ever. ∫ÌÈœÓÀÏ«Ú ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One provide our livelihood with ∫„«·ÀΟa »ÕÒ½YÃÙ½È ‡»‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ honor. ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One break the yoke of exile from our ‡»‰½Â »V‡»Ãˆ ÏÃÚÕÓ ™˙»Ï‚ Ï«Ú ¯«aÔÀÓ⁄"÷ÄÈ ÁU‡»‰À‰ neck and may He lead us upright to our land. ∫»ÕˆYÇŸÏ ˙»iœÓŸÓ«˜ ÕÎÈ»œÏ«È ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One send abundant blessing into this ÔÀÁŸÏ%÷ ÏÃڽ ‰ÃÊ ˙ÄÈ÷Ÿa ‰Àa\ŸÓ ‰ÀÎTŸa ÁÃÏ"÷ÄÈ ‡»‰ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ house and upon this table at which we have eaten. ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One send us Elijah the prophet — ∫ÂÈÀÏÀÚ »ŸÏÃÎÀ‡ ÷ Ãʉ may he be remembered for good — and let him bring us good ·«hÃÏ ¯»ÎÊ ‡Èœ·pÉ »‰iœÏÕ‡ ÃÏ"÷Ä˙Œ‡È ‡»‰»ÀÏ ÔÀÓ⁄Á ÁUÀ‰ tidings, deliverance and consolation. Many follow the custom of adding: ∫˙«ÓÀÁÃ½Â ˙«Ú»÷½È ˙«·«Ë ˙«¯«◊Ÿa »ÀÏ rï·ÈÄ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One bless our master, our teacher, ∫∫¯¯ÓÓÂÂÏÏ ÌÌÈÈ‚‚‰‰ÂÂ ÌÌÈÈ„„ÈÈÒÒÁÁ‰‰ÓÓ ‰‰ÓÓÎÎ and our Rebbe. ∫»ÈÕaU½Â »V«Ó »Â«„⁄‡ ˙Œ‡ _VÀ·½È ‡»‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ May the Merciful One bless my father, my teacher, the ˙Œ‡½Â ‰ÃÊÉ ˙ÄÈÃaÉ ÏÃÚÃa ÈX«Ó Èœ·À‡ ˙Œ‡ _VÀ·½È ‡»‰ÔÀÓ⁄ÁUÀ‰ master of this house and my mother, my teacher, the mistress ˙Œ‡½Â Ì−˙«‡ ƉÃÊÉ ˙ÄÈÃaÉ ˙ÃÏŸÚÃa È!˙T«Ó Èœnœ‡ of this house; them, their household, their children, and all that is theirs; us, and all that is ours. Just as He blessed our ÏÀk ˙Œ‡½Â »−˙«‡ ÆÌŒ‰ÀÏ ¯ ÷⁄‡ ÏÀkŒ‡½ Â˙ ÌÀÚYÁÊ ˙Œ‡½Â −˙ÈÌ Õa forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, “in all things,” “by all Æ·S⁄ÚÁȽ ˜ÀÁŸˆÄÈ ÌÀ‰TŸ·Ã‡ »È ˙«·⁄‡Œ‡ ˙_UÕa ÷ «ÓŸk Æ»ÀÏ ¯ ÷⁄‡ things,” with “all things,” so may He bless all of us together „ÃÁÁÈ »Àl‹k ®˙ÈXŸa ÂŸÈa© »−˙«‡ _VÀ·½È ÕkÔ ÆÏ›k Ï›kœÓ Ï›kÃa (the children of the Covenant) with a perfect blessing, and let us say, Amen. ∫ÔÕÓÀ‡ ¯ÃÓ‡³½Â ƉÀÓÕÏ"÷ ‰ÀÎTŸ·œa ÌÈÄÈ«‚É Ï«Ú ∫‡¢ ®™ 11 10 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY

‰C« We offer thanks to You, Lord our God, for having given ıWŒ‡ »È ˙«·⁄‡ÃÏ −zŸÏÃÁ½œ‰ ÷ ÏÃÚ Æ»ÈÕ‰¿¤‡ È½È ^‰C«Ÿl as a heritage to our ancestors a precious, good and spacious land; for having brought us out, Lord our God, from the land »ÈÕ‰¿¤‡ È½È »−˙‡Õˆ«‰ ÷ ÏÃڽ ƉÀ·ÀÁY» ‰À·«Ë ‰∆@ŸÓŒÁ of Egypt and redeemed us from the house of bondage; for ^"˙ÈXŸa ÏÃڽ ÆÌÈDÀ·⁄Ú ˙ÈÕaœÓ »−˙ÈDŸÙ» ÄÈUÆÌŸˆœÓ ıWŒ‡ÕÓ Your covenant which You have sealed in our flesh; for Your Torah which You have taught us; for Your statutes which You ^È∆M‹Á ÏÃڽ ƻ−zEÃnœl ÷ ^"˙T«z ÃڽϠƻV−◊Ÿ·œa −zŸÓ×˙ÀÁ ÷ have made known to us; for the life, favor and kindness ˙ÃÏÈœÎ⁄‡ ÏÃڽ ƻ−z½Á«Á ÷ ŒÒŒÁ„  ÔÕÁ ÌÈÄiÃÁ ÏÃڽ ƻ−zŸÚA«‰ ÷ which You have graciously bestowed upon us; and for the food we eat with which You constantly nourish and sustain us ˙ÕÚ≠ÏÀΟ·» Ì«È≠ÏÀΟa Æ„ÈœÓ−z »−˙«‡ ÒÂYÃÙŸÓ» ÔÊ ‰−zÇ−÷ Ô«ÊÀÓ every day, at all times, and at every hour. ∫‰ÀÚ−÷≠ÏÀΟ·»

ÔÔÓÓÁÁ¯¯‰‰ ¯¯ÓÓ‡‡ÈÈ ÔÔÓÓÁÁ¯¯‰‰ Ïψˆ‡‡ ÚÚÈÈ‚‚ÈÈ˘˘ÎÎ ÈÈÊʇ‡ ÁÁÎ΢˘ Ì̇‡Â ÌÌÈÈÒÒ‰‰ ÏÏÚÚ ÔÔ‡‡ÎÎ ÌÌÈȯ¯ÓÓ‡‡ ÌÌÈȯ¯ÂÂÙÙ ‰‰ÎÎÂÂÁÁ·· ÌÈÒ‰ ÏÚ On Chanukah and Purim (and . . . for the miracles) is recited here. ∫∫ßßÂÂÎΠÈÈÓÓÈÈ·· ‰‰Êʉ‰ ÔÔÓÓÊÊ·· Ì̉‰‰‰ ÌÌÈÈÓÓÈÈ·· ÂÂÈÈ˙˙··‡‡ÏÏ ‰‰˘˘ÚÚ˘˘ ÂÂÓÓÎÎ ÌÌÈÈÒÒ ÂÂÏÏ ‰‰˘˘ÚÚÈÈ ‡‡Â‰‰ ÏÃڽ And [we thank You] for the miracles, for the redemption, for the ÏÃڽ Æ˙«Ú»÷"zÉ ÏÃڽ Æ˙«¯»·½bÉ ÏÃڽ ÆÔJY‹tÉ ÏÃڽ ÆÌÈœqÄpÉ mighty deeds, for the saving acts, and for the wonders which You have ÏÃڽ wrought for our ancestors in those days, at this time — ∫‰ÃÊÉ ÔÃӽʜa ÌÕ‰À‰ ÌÈœÓiÃa »È ˙«·⁄‡ÃÏ −˙È›!˘ÀÚ ÷ Æ˙«‡ÀÏŸÙÄpÉ On Chanukah: On Purim: ÈÕÓÈœa In the days of Matityahu, the son ÌÌÈȯ¯ÂÂÙÙÏÏ ‰‰ÎÎÂÂÁÁÏÏ ÈÕÓÈœa In the days of Mordechai and of Yochanan the High Priest, the ¯ zŸÒŒ‡½Â ÃÎ∆ÈEYÀÓ ÈÕÓÈœa Ï«„bÕ‰› kÔ ÔÀÁ«ÈŒa Ô»‰È"˙!zÃÓÈÕÓÈœa Hasmonean and his sons, when theEsther, in Shushan the capital, when wicked Hellenic government rose theup wicked Haman rose up against ƉTÈœaÉ ×÷»÷Ô Ÿa ‰@ŸÓÀÚ ÷Ÿk ÆÂÈÀ·» œ‡È «Ó"÷ÃÁ against Your people Israel to makethem, and sought to destroy, slaughter ÆÚ−÷TÀ‰ ÔÀÓÀ‰ ÌŒ‰ÈÕÏ⁄Ú „ÃÓÀÚ ÷Ÿk ÏÕ‡T"◊ÄÈ ^ŸnÃÚ ÏÃÚ ‰ÀÚ−÷YÀ‰ ÔÂÈ ŸÏÃÓ˙»Î and annihilate all the Jews, young and them forget your Torah and violate the ˙Œ‡ „ÕaÇŸÏ» ‚]⁄‰ÃÏ „ÈœÓ"÷ÉŸÏ ÷∆Lœa È∆L‹ÁÕÓ ÌTÈœ·⁄ÚÉŸÏ» ^ ˙T«z ÌÀÁÈœk"÷ÉŸÏ decrees of Your will. But You, in Yourold, infants and women, in one day, on abounding mercies, stood by them thein thirteenth day of the twelfth ÛÃË ÔLÊÃÚ½ „ ¯ÃÚÁpœÓ ÌÈD»‰½iÉ ÏÀk −zEÃÓÀÚ ÌÈœaUÀ‰ ^ÈŒÓ⁄ÁUŸa ‰−zǽ ∫^Ã«ˆY month, the month of Adar, and to take the time of their distress. You waged ¯−◊ÀÚ ‰−÷Ï"÷œa Æ„ÀÁŒ‡ Ì«ÈŸa ÌÈ!÷½Â−z½∆A ÆÌÀ·ÈX ˙Œ‡ −zŸ·U ÆÌ−˙TÀˆ ˙ÕÚŸa ÌŒ‰ÀÏ their battles, defended their rights andtheir spoil for plunder. But You, in avenged the wrong done to them. YouYour abounding mercies, foiled his ÷C›Á ‡»‰ Ư−◊ÀÚ ÌÈÂ"÷ ÷C›ÁŸÏ −zYÃÒÀÓ ÆÌ−˙ÀÓOÄ ˙Œ‡ −zŸÓK ÆÌÈ∆D Œ‡˙ delivered the mighty into the handscounsel of and frustrated his intention, ‰−zǽ ∫Ê«·ÀÏ ÌÀÏÀÏ"÷» Ư@⁄‡ ÆÌÈœhÃÚŸÓ „ÁÈŸa ÌÈœaU½Â ÆÌÈ!÷ÀlÃÁ „ÁÈŸa ÌÈX«aÄ‚ the weak, the many into the handsand of caused the evil he planned — to the few, the impure into the handsrecoil of on his own head, and they ˙Œ‡ −zYÃÙÕ‰ ÆÌÈœaUÀ‰ ^ÈŒÓ⁄ÁUŸa „ÁÈŸa ÌÈœÚ−÷Y» ÆÌÈX«‰ŸË „ÁÈŸa ÌÈœ‡ÕÓŸË» the pure, the wicked into the handshanged of him and his sons upon the Æ«zŸ·×÷⁄ÁÃÓ ˙Œ‡ −zŸÏKŸÏN½Â Æ«˙Àˆ⁄Ú ^ŸÏ» Æ^ ˙T«˙ ÈLŸÒ«Ú „ÁÈŸa ÌÈDÂʽ ÆÌÈNÈ∆DÈ the righteous, and the wanton sinnersgallows. into the hands of those who occupy themselves with Your Torah. You made a »Ï−˙½Â Æ«÷‡]Ÿa «Ï»Ó½b «l −˙«· ÷⁄‰Á ^ŸnÃÚŸÏ» Æ^ŒÓÀÏ«ÚÀa ÷«„J½Â Ï«„b ÷ Ì −˙È›!˘ÀÚ great and holy name for Yourself in Your world, and effected a great deliverance ∫ıÕÚÀ‰ ÏÃÚ ÂÈÀaŒ‡½ ˙ «˙«‡ ÔJY‹Ù» ‰ÀÏ«„½‚ ‰ÀÚ»÷"z −˙È›!˘ÀÚ ÏÕ‡T"◊ÄÈ and redemption for Your people to this very day. Then Your children entered the shrine of Your House, cleansed Your Temple, purified your Sanctuary, kindled ¯Èœ·EœÏ ^ÈÃÀ· »‡Àa _Ãk ¯ÃÁǽ ∫‰ÃfÉ Ì«iÉŸk lights in Your holy courtyards, and instituted these eight days of Chanukah to give Æ^ ÷EJ ˙«¯ŸˆÃÁŸa ˙«¯Â »˜ÈœÏEœ‰½Â Æ^ ÷∆@OœÓ ˙Œ‡ »¯⁄‰œË½Â Æ^ŒÏÀÎÈÕ‰ ˙Œ‡ »pœÙ» Æ^ ˙ÈÕa thanks and praise to Your great Name. ∫Ï«„bÉŸÓ!÷Ÿ ^Ï ÏÕlÉŸÏ» ˙«„«‰ŸÏ Æ»lÕ‡ ‰Àk¾⁄Á ÈÕÓ½È ˙Á«Ó"÷ »ÚŸ·J½Â

Æ_−˙«‡ ÌÈœÎYÀ·ŸÓ» _ÀÏ ÌÈD«Ó ŸÁÁ⁄»‡ »ÈÕ‰¿¤‡È½ È Ï›kÉÏÃڽ ÏÃڽ For all this, Lord our God, we give thanks to You and bless You. May Your Name be blessed by the mouth of every ∫„ŒÚ ÌÀÏ«ÚŸÏ „ÈœÓ−ÃÁz ÏÈÀk Ȝٟa ^ŸÓ!÷ _VÀa"˙ÄÈ 76 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY

Before washing the fingers, the following is said: ∫∫‰‰ÊÊ ˜˜ÂÂÒÒÙÙ ¯¯ÓÓ‡‡ÈÈ ÌÌÈÈ¯¯ÁÁ‡‡ ÌÌÈÈÓÓ ÌÌ„„˜˜ ‰ÃÊ This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage assigned to ∫ÏÕ‡ÕÓ «¯ŸÓœ‡ ˙ÃÏ⁄ÁÁ½Â ÌÈœ‰¿¤‡ÕÓ Ú−÷T Ì@À‡≠˜ŒÏÕÁ | ‰ÃÊ him by God. ∫∫‰‰ÊÊ ˜˜ÂÂÒÒÙÙ ¯¯ÓÓ‡‡ÈÈ ÌÌÈÈ¯¯ÁÁ‡‡ ÌÌÈÈÓÓ Èȯ¯ÁÁ‡‡ After washing the fingers, the following is said: ∫‰À«‰½È ÈÂŸÙœÏ ¯ ÷⁄‡ ÔÀÁŸÏ%gÉ ‰ÃÊ ÈÃÏÕ‡ ¯½ÈÁÂÕaA ¯ÕaA½ÈÁ And he said to me: This is the table that is before the Lord. ∫∫Íͯ¯··ÓÓ‰‰ ¯¯ÓÓ‡‡ ÔÔÂÂÓÓÈÈÊÊ·· ÔÔÈÈÎί¯··ÓÓ Ì̇‡ When blessing with a quorum of three or more, the Leader begins: Æ®Ô÷ŸË½ÚŒa ÔÏÚà¯ÈœÓ×˙«aU È ‡‡¢¢ÏÏ·· ‡‡© _ÈXŸ·Ä½Â ÔÀÏ ·Ã‰ È×˙«aU Gentlemen, let us say the Blessings. ∫∫ÔÔÈÈ··ÂÂÒÒÓÓ‰‰ ÔÔÈÈÂÂÚÚ The others respond: ÆÌÀÏ«Ú „Ãڽ ‰−zÃÚÕÓ _T›·ŸÓ È½È Ì ÷ Èœ‰½È Èœ‰½È May the Name of the Lord be blessed from now and to all eternity. ∫∫Íͯ¯··ÓÓ‰‰ ¯¯ÓÓ‡‡ ‰‰¯¯˘˘ÚÚ Ì̉‰ Ì̇‡Â ∫∫Íͯ¯··ÓÓ‰‰ ¯¯ÓÓ‡‡ ‰‰¯¯˘˘ÚÚÓÓ ˙˙ÂÂÁÁÙÙ Ì̉‰ Ì̇‡ The Leader [repeats the preceding response and] continues: ÆÈ×˙«aU½Â ÔÀ½Â aUÔÀÓT ˙»÷Yœa ÆÈ×˙«aU½Â ÔÀ½Â aUÔÀÓT ˙»÷Yœa When blessing with a quorum of less When blessing with a quorum of ten: than ten: ˙»÷Yœa With your permission, Æ«l gœÓ »ŸÏÃÎÀ‡ ÷ »ÈÕ‰¿¤‡ _VÀ·½ Æ«l gœÓ »ŸÏÃÎÀ‡ ÷ _VÀ·½ ˙»÷Yœa With your permission,esteemed gentlemen, let us bless our ∫∫ÔÔÈÈ··ÂÂÒÒÓÓ‰‰ ÔÔÈÈÂÂÚÚ ∫∫ÔÔÈÈ··ÂÂÒÒÓÓ‰‰ ÔÔÈÈÂÂÚÚ esteemed gentlemen, let us bless HimGod of whose bounty we have eaten. «l gœÓ »ŸÏÃÎÀ‡ ÷ »ÈÕ‰¿¤‡ _»¯Àa «Ï gœÓ »ŸÏÃÎÀ‡ ÷ _»¯Àa of whose bounty we have eaten. The others respond: The others respond: _»¯Àa Blessed be our God of whose Æ»ÈÄÈÀÁ «·»ËŸ·» Æ»ÈÄÈÀÁ «·»ËŸ·» _»¯Àa Blessed be He of whose bountybounty we have eaten and by whose ∫∫‰‰ÂÂÚÚ ÏÏη‡ ‡‡ÏÏ˘˘ ÈÈÓÓ ∫∫‰‰ÂÂÚÚ Ì̉‰ÓÓÚÚ ÏÏη‡ ‡‡ÏÏ˘˘ ÈÈÓÓ we have eaten and by whosegoodness we live. «Ó"÷ _T›·ŸÓ» »ÈÕ‰¿¤‡ _»¯Àa «Ó"÷ _T«·ŸÓ» _»¯Àa goodness we live. Those present who did not partake of the [The Leader repeats this response.] meal respond: Æ„ŒÚ ÌÀÏ«ÚŸÏœÓ−z „È Æ„ŒÚ ÌÀÏ«ÚŸÏœÓ−z „È Those present who did not partake of_»¯Àa Blessed be our God and praised ÔÈ‡Â˘Ï the meal respond: be His Name continually forever and ∫∫Íͯ¯··ÓÓ‰‰ ¯¯ÓÓ‡‡ ÔÔÈȇ‡Â¢˘ ˙˙„„ÂÂÚÚÒÒ·· _»¯ÀaBlessed and praised be His Nameever. ÆÈ×˙«aU½Â ÔÀ½Â aUÔÀÓT ˙»÷Yœa continually forever and ever. At a wedding feast, the Leader substitutes: Æ«l gœÓ »ŸÏÃÎÀ‡ ÷ ««ÚŸÓœa ‰ÀÁŸÓ!rÉ ÷ »ÈÕ‰¿¤‡ _VÀ·½ ˙»÷Yœa With your permission, esteemed gentlemen, let us bless our God ∫∫ÔÔÈÈ··ÂÂÒÒÓÓ‰‰ ÔÔÈÈÂÂÚÚ in whose abode there is joy, of whose bounty we have eaten. Æ»ÈÄÈÀÁ «·»ËŸ·» «l gœÓ »ŸÏÃÎÀ‡ ÷ ««ÚŸÓœa ‰ÀÁŸÓ!rÉ ÷ »ÈÕ‰¿¤‡ _»¯Àa The others respond: _»¯Àa Blessed be our God in whose abode there is joy, of whose bounty ÌÀÏ«ÚÀ‰ ˙Œ‡ ÔÊÉ ÆÌÀÏ«ÚÀ‰ _ŒÏŒÓ ¤‡»È È½Õ‰¿È ‰−zÇ_»¯Àa we have eaten and by whose goodness we live. Ô ˙« ‡»‰ ÆÌÈœÓ⁄ÁUŸ·» „ŒÒŒÁŸa ÔÕÁŸa «·»ËŸa Æ«l‹k _»¯Àa Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who, in His goodness, provides sustenance for the entire world with Ï«„bÉ «·»ËŸ·» ∫«cŸÒÃÁ ÌÀÏ«ÚŸÏ −◊ÀÈœka≠Ï Æ¯ÀÎŸÏ ÌŒÁŒÏ grace, with kindness and with mercy. He gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is everlasting. Through His great goodness to ÌÀÏ«ÚŸÏ Ô«ÊÀÓ »ÀÏ ¯ÃÒŸÁÃÈ Ïǽ »ÀÏ ¯ÕÒÀÁ ‡¿ „ÈœÓ−z »ÀnœÚ us continuously we do not lack [food], and may we never lack Ï›kÃÏ ÒÂYÃÙŸÓ» ÔÊ ÏÕ‡ ‡»‰ Èœk ÆÏ«„bÉ «Ó"÷ ¯»·⁄ÚÃa Æ„ŒÚ food, for the sake of His great Name. For He, benevolent God, provides nourishment and sustenance for all, does good to all, ∫‡TÀa ¯ ÷⁄‡ ÂÈ−˙«iXŸa≠ÏÀÎŸÏ Ô«ÊÀÓ ÔÈœÎÕÓ» Ï›kÃÏ ·ÈœËÕÓ» and prepares food for all His creatures whom He has created, as it is said: You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every _»¯Àa ∫Ô«ˆT ÈÃÁ≠ÏÀΟÏÃÚÈ œa"◊ÃÓ» ^CÈ ˙ÃÁ ˙«tŒ‡ Ư»ÓÀ‡Àk living thing. Blessed are You Lord, who provides food for all. ∫Ï›kÉ ˙Œ‡ ÔÊÉ ÆÈ½È ‰−zÇ

5 4 BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY BAR MITZVAH OF LEVI BLESOFSKY

On days whenTachnun is recited, the following is said before washing the fingers: ∫∫ÏÏ···· ˙˙¯¯‰‰ ÏÏÚÚ ¯¯ÓÓ‡‡ÈÈ ÌÌÈÈ¯¯ÁÁ‡‡ ÌÌÈÈÓÓ ÌÌ„„˜˜ ÏÃÚ By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept as we remembered Zion. There, upon the willows we hung our harps. For there our captors dÀΫ˙Ÿa ÌÈœ·T⁄Ú≠ÏÃÚ ∫Ô«iœˆ≠˙Œ‡ »VŸÎÊŸa œÎÀ»Èa≠ÌÁb »Ÿ·×÷−÷È ÌÏŒ·Àa ˙«¯⁄‰Á≠ÏÃÚ demanded of us songs, and those who scorned us — rejoicing, [saying,] “Sing to us of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the song of the Lord ‰ÀÁŸÓ!◊ »ÈÕÏÀÏ«˙½Â ¯È!÷≠ÈVŸ·∆D »ÈÕ·«÷ »»ÏÕ‡"÷ Ì−÷ Èœk ∫»È ˙«¯³œk »ÈœÏ−z on alien soil? If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its _ÕÁÀk"÷Œ‡ Ìœ‡ ∫¯ÀÎÂ ˙ÃÓEÇ ÏÃÚ ‰À«‰½È ¯È!÷≠˙Œ‡ ¯È!÷Õ‡ _È ∫Ô«iœˆ ¯È!gœÓ »ÀÏ »¯È!÷ dexterity. Let my tonge cleave to my palate if I will not remember you, if I will not bring to mind Jerusalem during my greatest joy! Remember, O ‰ŒÏ⁄ÚÇ ‡¿≠Ìœ‡ ÈœÎVŸk½ÊŒ‡ ‡¿≠Ìœ‡ ÈœkœÁŸÏ Ä«÷È ŸÏ ˜ÃaE!z ∫ÈÄÈœÓ½È ÁÃk"÷!z ÌÄÈÀÀÏ−÷»¯½È Lord, against the Edomites the day of the destruction of Jerusalem, when they said, “Raze it, raze it to its very foundation!” O Babylon, who are ÌÄÈÀÀÏ−÷»¯½È Ì«È ˙Õ‡ Ì«„¤‡ ÈÂŸ·œÏ ‰À«‰½È ¯›Î½Ê ∫È!˙ÀÁŸÓ!◊ ÷‡] ÃÚÏ ÌÄÈÀÏ−÷»¯½È≠˙Œ‡ destined to be laid waste, happy is he who will repay you in retribution for what you have inflicted on us. Happy is he who will seize and crush your ≠˙Œ‡ _ÀÏ≠ÌŒl×÷½i ÷ ÈV"÷Ç ‰@»„"gÉ ÏŒ·Àa≠˙Ãa ∫dÀa „«Ò½ÈÉ „ÃÚ »¯ÀÚ »¯ÀÚ ÌÈXŸÓ›‡À‰ infants against the rock! ∫ÚÃÏÀqÉ≠ÏŒ‡ _ÄÈÃÏÀÏ«Ú≠˙Œ‡ ıÕtÄ½Â ÊÕÁ‡³i ÷ ÈV"÷Ç ∫»ÀÏ "zŸÏÃÓb ÷ÕÏ»Ó _½b ÃÁÕvÁŸÓÃÏ For the Choirmaster; a song with instrumental music; a Psalm. May God be gracious to us and bless us, may He make His countenance shine ∫‰ÀÏŒÒ »−zœ‡ ÂÈÀtÕ‡ ¯ ÈÕÎY »À·ÈÄ »ÂpÀÁ½È ÌÈœ‰¿¤‡ ∫¯È!÷ ¯«Ó½ÊœÓ ˙«ÈÄ‚½œa ÃÁÕvÁŸÓÃÏ upon us forever; that Your way be known on earth, Your salvation among ^»„«È ÌÈœ‰¿¤‡ ÌÈœnÃÚ ^»„«È ˙À∫^Ú»÷½È ÌÄÈ«b≠ÏÀΟa ^ŒkY∆A ıWÀ‡Àa ˙ÃÚAÀÏ all nations. The nations will extol You, O God; all the nations will extol You. The nations will rejoice and sing for joy, for You will judge the ÌÕÁ½×z ıWÀ‡Àa ÌÈœn‹‡ŸÏ» &÷ȯ œÓ ÌÈœnÃÚ Ë›t"÷!˙≠Èœk ÌÈœn‹‡ŸÏ »½pUÈÄ »ÁŸÓ"◊ÄÈ ∫ÌÀl‹k ÌÈœnÃÚ peoples justly and guide the nations on earth forever. The peoples will extol You, O God; all the peoples will extol You, for the earth will have ÌÈœ‰¿¤‡ »ÕÎYÀ·½È dÀÏ»·½È ‰"˙Œ‡  ∫ÌıWÀl‹k ÌÈœnÃÚ ^»„«È œ‰¿ÌȤ‡ ÌÈœnÃÚ ^»„«È ÀÏŒÒ∫‰ yielded its produce and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us; and all, from the furthest corners of the earth, shall fear Him. ÆÆßß‚‚ ‰‰Îί¯··‡‡ ∫ıWÀ‡≠ÈÕÒŸÙÇ≠ÏÀk «˙›‡ »‡YÄi½e ÌÈœ‰¿¤‡ »ÕÎYÀ·½È ∫»ÈÕ‰¿¤‡

∫∫‰‰ÊÊ ÌÌÈȯ¯ÓÓ‡‡ ÔÔÂÂÁÁ˙˙ ·· ÌÌÈȯ¯ÓÓ‡‡ ÔÔÈȇ‡˘˘ ÌÌÂÂÈÈ ‡‡Â‰‰ Ì̇‡Â ¯È!÷On days when Tachnun is not recited, the following is said before washing the fingers: A Song of Ascents. When the Lord will return the exiles of Zion, we ‡ÕÏÀnÄÈ À‡Ê ∫ÌȜӟϛÁŸk »ÈÄÈÀ‰ Ô«iœˆ ˙÷È!÷≠˙Œ‡ È½È ·»÷Ÿa ˙«Ï⁄ÚÃnÉ ¯È!÷ will have been like dreamers. Then our mouth will be filled with laughter, and our tongue with songs of joy; then will they say among ˙«◊⁄ÚÃÏ È½È ÏÈ∆D½‚œ‰ÄÈ«b Ã·Ì »¯ŸÓ‡³È ÊÀ‡ ‰pX Â«÷»ŸÏ» »Èœt ˜«Á"◊ the nations, “The Lord has done great things for these.” The Lord has done great things for us; we were joyful. Lord, return our exiles as » ˙Èœ·"÷≠˙Œ‡ ȽÈÀ·»÷ ‰ ∫ÌÈœÁÕÓ"◊ »ÈÄÈÀ‰ »ÀnœÚ ˙«◊⁄ÚÃÏ È½È ÏÈ∆D½‚œ‰ŒlÕ ‡≠Ì∫‰ œÚ streams to arid soil. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed; he will surely return ‰›ÎÀ·» | _ÕÏÂÈ _«ÏÀ‰ ∫»¯›ˆOÄÈ ‰ŸapX ‰ÀÚŸÓDŸa ÌÈœÚY³fÉ ∫·Ã‚ÃpÃa ÌÈNÈœÙ⁄‡Ãk with songs of joy, carrying his sheaves. ∫ÂÈ−˙›n‹Ï⁄‡ ‡ ◊³ ‰Ÿ·pX ‡›·È≠‡›a ÚUfÉ≠_ ÷ŒÓ ‡ ◊³ ÈÂŸ·œÏ By the sons of Korach, a Psalm, a Song whose basic theme is the holy mountains [of Zion and Jerusalem]. The Lord loves the gates of Ï›kœÓ Ô«iœˆ ÈV⁄Ú×÷ ȽÈÕ‰› ‡· ∫÷CS≠ÈVYÉŸa «˙@»Ò½È ¯È!÷ ¯«Ó½ÊœÓ ÁUS≠ÈÂŸ·œÏ Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, eternal city of God. I will remind Rahav and Babylon ¯Èœk½ÊÇ ∫‰ÀÏŒÒ ÌÈœ‰¿¤‡À‰ ¯ÈœÚ _Àa ¯ÀaHŸÓ ˙«„ÀaŸÎÄ ∫·S⁄ÚÁÈ ˙«Ÿk"÷œÓ concerning My beloved; Philistia and Tyre as well as Ethiopia, “This one was born there.” And to Zion will be said, “This person and that Ô«iœˆŸÏ» ∫Ì−÷≠„Ãl¾È ‰ÃÊ ÷»k≠ÌœÚ ¯«ˆ½Â ˙ ÷ŒÏŸÙ ‰Âpœ‰ ÈÀÚE³ÈŸÏ ÏŒ·À·» ·Ã‰U was born there;“ and He, the Most High, will establish it. The Lord will count in the register of people, “This one was born there.” Selah. ÌÈœnÃÚ ·«˙ŸÎœa ¯›tŸÒÄÈ È½È ŸÏŒ∫Ô«ÈÚ À‰Ã½«Î½È ‡»‰½Â dÀa≠„Ãl¾È ÷Èœ‡½Â ÷Èœ‡ ¯ÃÓÀ‡ÂÈ Singers as well as dancers [will sing your praise and say], “All my inner thoughts are of you.” ÆÆßß‚‚ ‰‰Îί¯··‡‡ ∫_Àa ÈÁÈŸÚÃÓ›k ÏÌȜϟϛÁŸk ÌÈX−÷½Â ∫‰ÀÏŒÒ Ì−÷≠„Ãl¾È ‰ÃÊ Ï›kÉ ¯ÀÀ·∆@ Û«Ò œÙŸ∫Èa «˙Àlœ‰"z „ÈœÓ−z ˙ÕÚ≠ÏÀΟa ‰À«‰Œ‡½È≠˙‰ÀÎYÀ·⁄‡ ‰ÀÎYÀ·⁄‡ I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise is always in my mouth. ≠ÏÀk ‰ÃÊ≠Èœk ¯«Ó"÷ ÂÈ−˙«ŸˆœÓ≠˙Œ‡½Â ‡T½È ÌÈœ‰¿¤‡À‰≠˙Œ‡ ÚÀÓ"÷Ä Ultimately, all is known; fear God, and observe His commandments; for this is the whole purpose of man. My mouth will utter the praise of the ∫„ŒÚ ÌÀÏ«ÚŸÏ «÷EJ ÷ ¯Ì−◊Àa≠ÏÀk _VÀ·ÈÄ Ȝt≠¯ŒaA½È ‰À«‰½È ˙Ãlœ‰"z ∫Ì@À‡À‰ Lord; let all flesh bless His holy Name forever. And we will bless the Lord from now to eternity. Praise the Lord. ∫dȻϟÏÉÀÏ«Ú≠„ Ì Ãڽ ‰−zÃÚÕÓ d È À·½_V | »ŸÁÁ⁄‡Á 3 2