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Jewish Story affected by the mention of some 's name? The woman had spoken with a Russian accent so Mrs. Estulin took the cue and By Rabbi Tuvya Bolton asked her in Russian, with as friendly a smile as she could muster Mrs. Raizel Estulin o.b.m. the mother of Rabbi Naftali Estulin in up, how she knew the Rebbe. L.A. California had recently arrived in Israel from Russia when she The woman first apologized for her outburst, tears began to fill her got a chance to visit the Lubavitcher Rebbe in New York. eyes and after she calmed down and dried them she began her story It was a lifetime opportunity and without hesitation she took it. In about her brother. Russia there were Chassidim that only dreamed of seeing the Reb- In Russia she and her brother had been very close. When they were be in person but never thought it would actually happen. There children their parents passed away and all they had in the world was were times that if someone succeeded in smuggling just a picture of each other. the Rebbe into Russia the Chassidim would make a minor celebra- tion. Her brother eventually attended medical school in Moscow, gradu- ated with honors and became a very successful doctor, almost the A few weeks later her dream came true; she was standing before head of an entire department in a hospital. But his wage was pitiful. the Rebbe in his office in 'Yechidut' (private audience) and it was Barely enough to live on and certainly not fitting for a doctor. infinitely more than she ever dreamed of. So he decided to try to get out of Russia. He had heard that in The Rebbe asked her many questions about her family, the situa- America, the land of opportunity, he could earn a fortune. There, it tion in Russia and her transition to Israel and after giving her many was said, doctors were in great demand and he would become rich blessings added that when she returned to Israel she should devote and respected. So some five years ago he decided to make the big time to the Candle Campaign (going out to encouraging move with the idea that and as soon as he was settled he would call Jewish women to light Shabbat candles). for her to join him. But Mrs. Estulin explained that she hadn't yet gotten used to the But he got a cruel surprise. and was very afraid that she wouldn't be under- stood or even might be misunderstood in the anti-religious attitude When (after much red tape and frustration getting out of Russia) he that prevailed in Israel. arrived in the Land of Opportunity he discovered that no one and no job was waiting for him. But the Rebbe just smiled and said, "You do what you have to and if anyone every gives you problems, just tell them that you are a All the hospitals he went to for work turned him flat down; his Chassid (follower) of the Lubavitcher Rebbe". degrees and experience in Russia meant almost nothing. He would have to go to university for at least another year in order to get a She returned to Israel inspired by the Rebbe's blessing and just a job anywhere… but he had no money for that. In fact, he barely day after she arrived, which happened to be Friday, she threw cau- had money for rent. tion to the winds and went to a local hospital with some other Cha- bad women; going from room to room, patient to patient passing He tried for several months to find some sort of hospital work or out Shabbat Candles. make some sort of connections or to find any sort of work at all, but with no success; he didn't know English well enough, he was But, as fortune would have it, she met up with exactly the wrong too old, he was unexperienced etc. until he began to give up. person. In another few weeks his money would be gone… then what The patient was a mean looking lady in her mid-sixties and the would he do?! He came on a one-way ticket and in any case before moment Mrs. Estulin entered the room her eyes narrowed and she leaving Russia he had to forfeit his citizenship and most of his pos- angrily snapped "What do you want here? Not here! You're in the sessions. He had no where to go, no friends, no job and soon… no wrong room!" money or place to sleep. She replied, "I have Shabbat Candles if you would...." He became depressed and his depression only brought more disap- The woman's face turned scarlet with anger, she sat up in bed and pointments. He aimlessly wandered the streets until he felt he was began to yell, shaking her finger in the air, "You get out! You reli- going insane. He simply couldn't take life any longer. gious people are all parasites! Superstitious rodents! Vermin!!! You After several sleepless nights he decided there was no solution oth- hear me!!? Get out of MY ROOM!!!" er than….. (G-d forbid) the worst. Mrs. Estulin jumped back in shock! This was exactly what she was It was early Sunday morning. He walked down the Manhattan afraid of! Instead of making people feel good she was making this street in a daze toward the Brooklyn Bridge. The honking of horns woman insane; any second she would either begin throwing things and the crowded streets around him seemed to be miles away, in or have a heart attack. just a few minutes he would be there. Over the deep rushing water. Mrs. Estulin stumbled back trying to make some positive gesture or The crowds seem to disappear as he got to the bridge. He would say something over the screaming so as to exit on a good note wait till no one was around. when suddenly she remembered what the Rebbe told her to say. Suddenly he heard from behind him a young man call out to him. "I am a Chassid of the Lubavitcher Rebbe!" She blurted out keep- "'Scuse me sir….. Are you Jewish? Did you put on Tefillin today?" ing her eye out for flying objects. "He sent me!" For some reason he glanced there briefly and saw a young bearded Suddenly the woman fell silent, a look of surprise covered her face man standing beside a small table holding out a small black box and she repeated, "The Lubavitcher Rebbe? Sent you?" with a leather strap attached to it. But he turned away and resumed Mrs. Estulin could not fathom what just happened. This woman walking. was obviously anti-religious… how could she possibly be so deeply But that glance was enough for the young Chassid. "Hey!" he yelled VOLUME 6, ISSUE 8 Page 3 as he approached Hey, Achi! My brother. "If you're a Jew then come "Well, I don't know what exactly happened in there or what the Rab- on take your Jewish blood pressure, heh heh! Hey! It's free! And bi said, but he talked to him for a long time, it was like a half an hour you'll feel good! You'll like it!! Everyone likes it!! And it only takes a and I know he encouraged him and even gave him some connec- minute! You're Jewish, right?" tions. But my brother came out a different man. "Well, to make a long story short" the lady in the hospital continued, "In fact, afterwards he wrote me a letter telling this entire story and "he didn't leave my brother alone till he put on the boxes for a few ended by saying "Just know and always remember my dear sister, minutes and they get to talking. that if today you have a living flesh and blood brother it is thanks to "Of course, my brother tells this Chassid his whole story and when the Lubavitcher Rebbe." he got to the part about why he was heading toward the bridge, well The woman dried her eyes and held out her hand to Mrs. Estulin. that's when the young fellow promised that he could get my brother "In Russia I was an atheist and I still am now. But maybe things will an audience with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. change… maybe give me those Shabbat Candles and tell me what to "And he did it! He took my brother with him to Brooklyn and that do." very night he got him in to talk the Rebbe!

Sefirat HaOmer Here's what I've come up with. This is the whole point of creation: ‑ We leave Egypt and are immediately placed on the 49-day plan: we merging apparent opposites and illustrating the singularity of G d in have seven weeks to rid ourselves of the filth of Egypt and arrive at the apparent diversity of all the stuff He made. When we can bring the heights of Sinai—literally and spiritually. the spiritual and undefined – personal growth – into the mundane – numbers – we have demonstrated the true infinity of G‑d. He is not Chassidic philosophy explains that these seven weeks are a meta- limited to the heavens nor bogged down by Earth, and neither are phor for the personal journey we each make as we build our own we. relationship with G‑d. G‑d does not leave us to find our own way. He provides a systematic process – the process of counting the Society bombards us with its mutually exclusive choices: do you Omer – and we are off and running, shedding 200 years of Egyp- send your child to a school that encourages dog-eat-dog competi- tian decadence on the way to Sinai purity. tion for academic success or one that focuses on win-win character development? Are you a Republican or a Democrat? Paper or plas- There seems to be a contradiction, though. There is nothing more tic? Choosing any option means another is rejected. personal than an individual's relationship with G‑d; that is the mes- sage of Divine Providence: G‑d customizes your world for you. On But having experienced Passover, the skipping out of Egypt – ready the other hand, there is nothing more absolute than numbers; two or not, deserving or not – we have been transformed from stiff is two—no "kinda, sorta, two-ish" about it. slaves of routine into graceful spiritual long jumpers, and we can channel that boundless energy right into the rigors of the ordinary. So how can inflexible digits chart the person-to-G‑d relationship? We all can do it – we all must do it – and as Torah tells us, despite And how can any method be standardized for all people? some bumps and bruises – we all did it. We got to Sinai, and we Let's say, for example, that today is the 9th day of the Omer. One accepted the Torah, demonstrating that the seemingly irreconcilable week and two days. Today we all are nine days along on the road to forces of boundless spirituality and bounded nature both emanate spiritual refinement. All of us?! What if the first week's focus from the same Single G‑d. (chesed, loving-kindness) was easier for me and I'm at step 14, We don't have to compromise, forego quality for quantity. while others' strength won't be reached until week five? Can't they The compels us from the perch of spiritual be allotted more time now and do some makeup work in a month? indulgence into the grind of the measurable, while uplifting the And then there is this: all this counting begins on Passover, named despair of "the same old same old" into inspiring sanctity – all at for the time when G‑d "skipped over," when G‑d shows us that we G‑d's pace. are not restricted by natural processes, and we move by leaps and Like the child on the swing set we need a push to get started (we're bounds, going out of order. So how does this work: G‑d shows us given that on Passover) and then it's up to us to keep pumping to that we are not restricted by process, that we can "skip to the head lift us beyond the drab, without leaving the everyday behind. of the line"—and then He compels us to follow a firm "color by number" pattern?

Jewish Joke Three sons left Israel and went to live in the USA, where they prospered. One day, they met and discussed the gifts they were able to give their old mother. David said, "I built a big house for mom." Henry said, "I sent her a Lexus - with a driver." Alan said, "You remember how mom enjoys reading the bible. Because she now can't see very well, I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the whole bible. All mom has to do is name the chapter and verse." Soon afterwards, a letter of thanks came from their mother. “David, the house you built is so huge. I live only in one room, but I have to clean the whole house. Henry, I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home, so I rarely use the Lexus. And that driver has shpilkas--he's a pain to have around. But Alan, the chicken was delicious.” The HINDA Institute Continued from front page All over the world, it is customary to spend the day 9401 W Margail Ave Des Plaines, IL 60016 outside, enjoying the natural beauty of G‑d’s world. During these outings, it is customary to play with bows and arrows. Phone: 847-296-1770 The mourning practices of the Omer period (see above) are lifted for this day. As a result: E-mail: @chabadandfree.com - music is playing and people are singing and dancing with abandon. - little boys who turned three during the Omer period but did not have their first haircut (upsheren) due to the mourning laws, have them today, often at Meron. - weddings are held. Recognizing the fiery spirit of the mystical teachings that are celebrated today, bonfires are kindled. Get some friends (and a guitar) together, and it becomes a wonderful opportunity for singing, sharing and enjoying each other’s camaraderie. Helping INDividuals Ascend Customary foods for the day include carob (which miraculously sustained Rabbi Shimon and his son when they were hiding from the Romans) and eggs (a sign of mourning). In loving memory of Lag BaOmer Parades Mrs. Hinda Scheiman OBM Beginning in the 1950s, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, encouraged Jewish children to join together in grand Lag BaOmer parades as a show of Jewish unity and pride. Held in front of the Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, the parades attracted—and still attract—thousands of children from all walks of life. In 1980 the Rebbe gave instructions that Lag BaOmer parades and children’s rallies should take place not only in New York, but across the world, especially in Israel. Thousands of children participated in the tens of rallies that took place that year, and to this day, Chabad organizes hundreds of Lag BaOmer parades around the world every year.

The holiday of Shavuot is a two-day holiday, beginning at sundown of the 5th of and lasting until nightfall of the 7th of Sivan (June 8–10, 2019). What Shavuot Commemorates The word Shavuot (or Shavuos) means “weeks.” It celebrates the completion of the seven-week Omer counting period be- tween Passover and Shavuot. The Torah was given by G‑d to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai on Shavuot more than 3,300 years ago. Every year on the holiday of Shavuot we renew our acceptance of G‑d’s gift, and G‑d “re-gives” the Torah. The giving of the Torah was a far-reaching spiritual event—one that touched the essence of the Jewish soul for all times. Our sages have compared it to a wedding between G‑d and the Jewish people. Shavuot also means “oaths,” for on this day G‑d swore eternal devotion to us, and we in turn pledged everlasting loyalty to Him. In ancient times, two wheat loaves would be offered in the Holy Temple on Shavuot. It was also at this time that people would begin to bring bikkurim, their first and choicest fruits, to thank G‑d for Israel’s bounty. How Is Shavuot Celebrated? Women and girls light holiday candles to usher in the holiday, on both the first and second evenings of the holidays. It is customary to stay up all night learning Torah on the first night of Shavuot. All men, women and children should go to the synagogue on the first day of Shavuot to hear the reading of the Ten Com- mandments. As on other holidays, special meals are eaten, and no “work” may be performed. It is customary to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. Menus range from traditional cheese blintzes to quiches, casseroles and more. On the second day of Shavuot, the Yizkor memorial service is recited. Some communities read the Book of Ruth publicly, as King David—whose passing occurred on this day—was a descendant of Ruth the Moabite. Some have the custom to decorate their homes (and synagogues) with flowers and sweet-smelling plants in advance of Sha- vuot.