RABBI PINCHUS FELDMAN of Thesydney, Australiaway
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Every Step INTERVIEW WITH RABBI PINCHUS FELDMAN of theSydney, AustraliaWay MY EARLIEST MEMORIES Pittsburgh as a single girl to help the be shluchim and to be mekarev Yidden I was born in New York in 5705 newly established school there) was to Yiddishkeit and to Lubavitch. My father, Rabbi Mendel the daughter of Reb Elye Simpson, the Together with my parents, I .(תש"ה) Feldman, was a talmid chacham and mazkir and shadar of the Frierdiker merited to be in yechidus by the gaon who was niskarev to Lubavitch Rebbe. I received an education about Frierdiker Rebbe a number of times. as a bochur in the late 5690s and was shlichus from a very early age. After On one occasion, the Frierdiker from the nucleus of Tomchei Tmimim their wedding, my parents were sent Rebbe blessed me to be “a gezunte Yid in America. He was sent on a number on shlichus by the Frierdiker Rebbe un a shtarkeh Chossid, a healthy Jew of shlichusen and received many to Jacksonville, Florida and all I heard and a strong Chossid.” (It is worthy to kiruvim. My mother, Rebbetzin Rochel from them from my earliest childhood note that throughout my life, I’ve had Feldman (who was also a shlucha to was the great zechus that they had to numerous health issues but nothing ADAR I 5779 50 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER לע״נ הרה״ת ר׳ יהושע זעליג ע״ה בן הרה״ת ר׳ משה זלמן הכהן ע״ה כצמאן נלב״ע ח״י אדר ה׳תשנ״ח ולע״נ הרה״ת ר׳ קהת ע״ה בן ר׳ יחזקיהו שמואל ע״ה ווייס נלב״ע כ״ב אדר ב׳ ה׳תש“ס ת׳נ׳צ׳ב׳ה׳ נדפס ע״י משפחתם הרה״ת ר׳ יהודה בנימין וזוגתו מרת חנה ומשפחתם שיחיו ווייס that ever developed into anything “Baruch Hashem, vos machst du?” I wore that day, and when I grew older significant, baruch Hashem.) So sure enough, I duly responded, I also cherished it and carried it in my Another time, the Frierdiker “Baruch Hashem, vos machst du?” pocket until it totally fell apart. Rebbe told me, “Zolst lernen asach un My parents were mortified, but the shtifen asach.” Loosely translated, that Frierdiker Rebbe clearly enjoyed my UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES means, “You should learn a lot and be response and gave me a broad smile. I vividly remember the Motzei 'mischievous' a lot.” In one of these yechidusen, the Shabbos we received the call about One time, the Frierdiker Rebbe Frierdiker Rebbe placed his holy the Frierdiker Rebbe’s histalkus. asked me, “Vos machst du.” My parents hands on my head and blessed me Although I was only five years old, I’ll had just taught me to respond to with birkas kohanim. My parents never forget the sight of my parent’s someone’s “Vos machst du,” with, treasured and held onto the yarmulke devastation. ADAR I 5779 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 51 There was a severe fog that night inside the entire time, so after hours of and planes weren’t taking off, so we waiting I decided to step outside for a took a train from Jacksonville all the few short moments. way to Washington, D.C., and from To my mazal, just as I stepped there we flew off to New York for the out the Rebbe called out, “Pinchus levaya. Hakohen Feldman, vu iz er, where is During that time period, I he?” remained in my grandparents’ home Needless to say, I was quite in New York to attend school and my embarrassed, but I was rushed parents joined me in New York shortly back into the room and the Rebbe afterwards. We lived on Kingston graciously gave me challah and Avenue, and for the next eight years, bentched me in honor of the bar I merited to grow up in the Rebbe’s mitzvah. presence. In the years that followed, I would The Rebbe paid special attention send in questions to the Rebbe and I to us, the Crown Heights children in often received answers, brachos and those years, often singling us out to guidance. In general, the Rebbe was say l’chaim at farbrengens. On quite very involved in everything in our RABBI FELDMAN AS A BOCHUR. a number of occasions, the Rebbe lives; he really looked after “the boys.” called out to me, “Pinchus Hakohen On one occasion I was invited to TOMCHEI TEMIMIM Feldman, zog l’chaim!” a family bar mitzvah outside New Before I entered zal in Montreal, I York City, which was scheduled for a THREE ALIYOS FOR was in yechidus for my birthday (as I Shabbos Mevorchim. I was conflicted had every year after my bar mitzvah), MY BAR MITZVAH as to whether I should go; on one and I asked the Rebbe how to use My bar mitzvah took place on hand, the family would be hurt if my free time. The Rebbe directed Friday, Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan I didn’t attend, but on the other, I me to divide any extra time I had 5718*. Beforehand, the Rebbe didn’t want to miss the farbrengen. I between Chassidus and Shulchan instructed me to receive three aliyos: asked the Rebbe what to do, and he Aruch. So, each evening, I would one on Friday morning, a second responded that I should remain in 770. add an hour of Chassidus and then on Shabbos morning, and a third on It was very important to the Rebbe an hour of Shulchan Aruch. (The Shabbos afternoon. I received the that the bochurim be present at the Rebbe’s instruction to learn halacha, first and third aliyos in the Rebbe’s farbrengen. in retrospect, was the beginning of a presence, and the middle one in the During my years in 770, my uncle series of instructions that guided me shul where my father was the rav (in fell ill with yene machala. I consulted to where I am today, but at the time I Brownsville, where Eastern Parkway with the Rebbe and I also arranged was totally unsuspecting.) meets Lincoln Place), where we a yechidus for my aunt. During the After one year in Montreal, I celebrated the bar mitzvah. yechidus, the Rebbe spent a long “graduated” to 770, and I was zoche to The Rebbe informed me that he time counseling her regarding her learn near the Rebbe for several years, wanted to give me the brachos for husband’s treatment. through Pesach 5725*. my bar mitzvah in public, berabim, Several days later, during seder After that Pesach, I went to learn in during the closest farbrengen to the Chassidus on Friday night, Rabbi Kfar Chabad. occasion—the grand Simchas Torah Hodakov called me and informed me Before my journey, I had quite farbrengen. I was obviously very that the Rebbe would like to see me. a long yechidus and the Rebbe gave excited and I came to the farbrengen I was shocked; I went to Gan Eden me many directives. The Rebbe told anxiously waiting for the Rebbe to call Hatachton and nervously knocked on me that I was to be a shliach—not me. the Rebbe’s door. as a bracha but as a statement—(I In those years, the Simchas Torah The Rebbe called me in and asked understood that to mean that I would farbrengens lasted many, many hours. about my uncle and his treatments. He be a shliach throughout my life). The Hour after hour passed and still the wanted to know every detail. Rebbe said I should review maamarim Rebbe hadn’t called me. I was young That was the type of relationship we publicly at least once a month, and and it was difficult for me to remain had with the Rebbe. ADAR I 5779 z 52 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 5718-1958, 5725-1965 also that I should continue studying NEW PLANS Chayei Sarah, he said, “Kulan shavin 1 halacha. (I indeed learned halacha For Tishrei 5727*, I traveled to the litovah, they are all equally good.” with Rabbi Schneur Zalman Gorelik, Rebbe. The Rebbe wasn’t going to choose a the rav of Kfar Chabad at the time, Several days before Rosh Hashanah, specific name. and received semicha from him.) the Rebbe held the customary sicha A short time later, I received a The Rebbe also encouraged me to for women. In those days, the women suggestion from Reb Binyomin Klein write to him often and added that he were given the opportunity to pass and my uncle Reb Sholom Mendel would do his best to respond. If there by and have a mini-yechidus with the Simpson regarding a young lady was an urgent need for an answer, the Rebbe following the sicha. On that named Pnina Gutnick, the daughter Rebbe said, he would even send me a occasion, as my mother approached of Rabbi Chaim Gutnick of Australia. telegram. the Rebbe, the Rebbe told her, “M’dar f She was visiting New York at the time. In Kfar Chabad, I was considered zehn trachten vegen a shidduch, you Her father was well-known to have a one of the eltere bochurim, and I need to begin thinking about a special connection to the Rebbe. I later would spend a lot of time learning shidduch.” discovered that during her three years and farbrenging with the younger To be honest, I was quite of study in the Gateshead seminary, students. The mashpia Reb Shlomo disappointed. I was thoroughly the Rebbe had carried on significant Chaim Kesselman would arrange enjoying my time in Kfar Chabad, and written correspondence with her as groups of talmidim, and I would spend the prospect of marriage didn’t excite well.