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STRINGENT OBSERVANCE ENSURES  PEACE IN THE HOME The ’s Letter

DELAYS IN THE JOURNEY  D’var Malchus

YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN’T ASKED FOR A  BRACHA FROM A TZADDIK? Miracle Story | Nosson Avrohom

CHASSIDISHE MELAMED  Chassid

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#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  From the t’shura printed in honor of the wedding of Shmuel Simpson and Golda Chasdan sh’y

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& A¤S>OJJ>I@ERP

This week’s Torah reading, the last in the book of BaMidbar (Numbers), begins with the verse: “These are the journeys of the DELAYS IN children of Israel when they left the land of Egypt.” The Torah then enumerates all the encampments of the Jewish people throughout their travels in the wilderness. THE JOURNEY This raises an important question about the Torah’s choice of words. Translated and adapted by Dovid Yisroel Ber Kaufmann Since it enumerates the encampments, it should have said, “These are the encampments of Why is the Torah portion called the children of Israel.” Why does it say, “These are the journeys”? “journeys” when most of the time in the We are given a list of the Jewish people’s campsites, not told about desert they didn’t move? We learn that their travels. even “encampments,” interruptions or The question is more than semantics. The narrative of the obstacles, are part of the journey. The 42 Torah is the paradigm for all Jewish history. What happened to “journeys” in the wilderness parallel that generation – the Exodus, the giving of the Torah, the forty years those of the Jewish people. One can in the desert, and the entrance to Israel – happens in all ages and to advance, reach a higher level, without every individual. Especially in our going forth. To journey, or go forth, own day, as we stand on the threshold of the final Redemption, means to travel to a completely new the events of that time will be relived. state of existence. Similarly, the So, a more logical phrasing would have been, “These are the encampments – the sojourns of the encampments of the children of Israel,” especially since most of children of Israel among the various the time they weren’t traveling nations – are a descent into greater anyway. So when the Torah tells us, “These are the journeys,” it exile. Delays, even in friendly countries, indicates something about the whole process. What was the impede the fulfillment of our true goal, purpose of both the travels and encampments in the wilderness? transforming the world into a dwelling What was the entire process intended to accomplish? Clearly place for G-dliness. Nevertheless, the the intent was to reach the land of “encampments” are also part of the Israel. But an encampment is a resting place, the end of a journey, journey. Our descent into exile will lead or a particular phase of a journey. We might think that when the to an ascent into Redemption. Jewish people stopped, they had reached their goal, or if they Moshiach’s delay is an “encampment” traveled again afterwards, at least that should not discourage or depress us. one of their goals. When the Torah

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  says, “These are the journeys,” it tells us that each In general, we can distinguish between “going” – stage – the encampments and the traveling – are part the journeys – and “standing” – the encampments. of a greater whole. In and of itself, coming to a “Standing” means remaining in the same place. Even particular resting place accomplishes nothing, and when there is advancement, if we are still connected might even be a hindrance. Only as part of the to where we were, we haven’t really moved forward. ultimate goal, reaching the land of Israel, does a For example, one may be a beginning, intermediate particular encampment or journey have significance. or advanced student. Clearly, an “advanced” student But if this is the case, the Torah should have said, is at a higher level than a “beginning” student. But he “This is the journey,” not “These are the journeys.” is still a student; going from “beginner” to If it’s all one process, why does the Torah talk about “advanced” isn’t really moving forward. But when “journeys,” in the plural? the student becomes a rabbi or teacher, he is in a The Baal Shem Tov explains that the forty-two completely new state. He has “journeyed forth,” “journeys” of the Jewish people correspond to stages going into a status unrelated to his previous in the life of the individual Jew. The names of the situation. This is why the Torah says, “these are the stages indicate aspects or levels of personal growth. journeys,” plural, because a Jew must constantly be For example, for a while the Jewish people encamped moving forward. A Jew must always be going higher, and not just from one level to another in the same place; a Jew The encampments – our accomplish- must always be on a journey to a ments in Torah, mitzvos and Divine totally new stage, one without resemblance or comparison to the service – are only temporary resting previous position. Of course, there is a deeper places, way stations on the journey. We implication, one relevant for our current situation and efforts to must leave them behind and journey bring Moshiach. The statement “These are the journeys” means forth, go forward. We camp, as the Jewish both going forth and leaving people did, not to “stand still,” but to behind. That is, the journey to a new stage of existence, a gather strength and prepare for the next transformed state, a more elevated level, requires that we uproot journey – the next transformation on the ourselves from where we were. We must leave behind completely our way to Moshiach, Redemption and the former circumstances and situation. land of Israel. The Torah says, “These are the journeys of the children of Israel at “kivros ha’ta’avah,” literally, the burial of desire. when they left Egypt.” As the Alter Rebbe, founder of True wisdom leads to a great attachment to G-d. Chabad, points out, the Jewish people left Egypt as When wisdom overrules the emotions, the individual soon as they stepped foot outside the country. How deeply and fully attaches himself to G-d. As a result, many “journeys” does it take to leave? However, he has in effect buried his desire for material gain or since the word for “Egypt” in Hebrew also means pleasure. For this reason, the Jewish people camped boundaries and limitations, the Torah is telling us at “kivros ha’ta’avah.” something about our individual spiritual growth: in Of course, at the actual encampment of “kivros order to leave behind our limitations, the obstacles to ha’ta’avah,” the Jewish people angered G-d with our spirituality, we must take many steps, make their demand for meat. Before they buried their many journeys. Each phase, each ascent, is a leave- desire, it pushed them to challenge Moses and test taking, an uprooting and consequent elevation. And G-d. From this we see that even negative things, acts the encampments – our accomplishments in Torah, that violate G-d’s Will, are still part of the journey. mitzvos and Divine service – are only temporary They, too, contain holiness and lead to the ultimate resting places, way stations on the journey. We must goal, entrance to the land of Israel. leave them behind and journey forth, go forward. We

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& camp, as the Jewish people did, not to “stand still,” nations – we are still on the journey, still traveling but to gather strength and prepare for the next toward the land of Israel. journey – the next transformation on the way to The descent into exile is part of the process of Moshiach, Redemption and the land of Israel. Redemption. Through the descent – and only What relevance does this examination of the through the descent – the Jewish people ascend to a opening verse of the Torah reading have for us level higher than otherwise possible. The journeys today? It is well known that the forty-two journeys of through the desert – each of the forty-two the Jewish people in the wilderness allude not just to encampments – were a descent leading to the ascent an individual’s life, but also to the life of the Jewish into the land of Israel. Our descent into exile will people in exile. For we are currently journeying lead to an ascent into Redemption. through the “wilderness of the nations.” That being Thus, when we momentarily stumble – when the case, our encampments – the sojourns of the something obstructs our observance or doubts hinder children of Israel among the various nations – are a our devotion or our complacency impedes Moshiach descent into greater exile. So long as we tarry, – we should not despair. In our darkest moments, we however friendly and supportive the country, we have must increase light and joy, that is, Torah and interrupted and suspended our journey. Such a delay mitzvos. Moshiach’s delay is an “encampment” that impedes and obstructs fulfillment of our true goal, should not discourage or depress us. Rather we reaching the land of Israel, that is, transforming the should invest our anticipation, our joyful expectation world into a dwelling place for G-dliness. with more enthusiasm and more vigor, knowing that Nevertheless, the encampments, all of them, are we are in the final stage of our journeys toward also part of the journey. Even when we stop in Redemption. undesirable places, where we “anger G-d” by our (Based on 23, pp. 224-228) behavior – our assimilation or imitation of the

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#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  JFO>@IBPPQLOV YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN’T ASKED FOR A BRACHA FROM A TZADDIK?

By Nosson Avrohom Translated By Michoel Leib Dobry

traditions of his forefathers. “This is not just another miracle that We recently came to Mr. Hasson people say that they experienced,” he regarding the thrilling story that he experienced with his second explains at the very beginning of the daughter, in the merit of the blessing of the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. interview. “The miracle that we Despite the fact that this story took place twenty-one years ago, experienced is something that put me Mr. Hasson still has difficulty containing his emotions as he and my wife in an absolute state of describes those moments when he shock and amazement. It even led the understood that a wondrous miracle had been performed for him. “This professor who treated our daughter to is not just another miracle,” he explains at the very beginning of the become extremely excited, confessing to interview. “The miracle that we experienced is something that put us that he had never seen anything like me and my wife in an absolute state of shock and amazement. It even led this before in his life…” the professor who treated our daughter to become extremely The Hassons are a very familiar of the brothers last week, Mr. Shaul excited, confessing to us that he had and distinguished family in Ashdod. Hasson, he admitted to me that never seen anything like this before They run a wholesale fruit and while he is not overly stringent in his in his life… vegetable store, and are known to be religious observance, he is a “Prior to the birth of our second most charitable, making descendant of a large family of daughter, we honestly didn’t know considerable contributions to and kabbalists extending what it means to worry. Besides yeshivos and other Torah throughout the Diaspora, and he routine examinations at hospitals or institutions. When I spoke with one feels a tremendous closeness to the with our family physician at the

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& neighborhood health clinic, we had no conception of had an infection, we would race with her to the hospital, running around hospital corridors with concern, fear, where she endured great physical pain in order to clean and anxiety. Our first daughter was born healthy and out the infection. easily, and as with all young couples, we were happy and “The situation was absolutely unbearable, both for us fortunate to experience the great privilege of and the child. Besides the tension and fear that parenthood. accompanied every trip to the hospital for my wife and “This wonderful and special feeling was eventually myself, it was also deeply painful to watch our daughter replaced by heavy concern, constant tension, and the suffer so much with every hospitalization. When the suffocating burning sensation we felt when our second doctors explained to us that that she would eventually daughter was born. It’s hard to describe what we went have to undergo an operation, as this was not a problem through. that could be remedied through her body’s natural “At the time of her birth, a team of doctors had growth and development – we immediately began already diagnosed her as having a certain defect. This searching for an expert in the field in order that if she initial ‘dry’ diagnosis didn’t tell us much. We understood actually did require an operation, it would be performed from the doctors that our daughter had been born with by the best surgeon available with minimal risk and some problem, and we hoped that with the passage of discomfort. time, the matter would sort itself out and the problem “After making various clarifications and telephone would disappear on its own naturally. However, not only calls, we came to Professor Farkash, a very prominent did this not happen, we quickly understood that we were specialist in the field who was working at the time with facing a rather complicated battle. By the time our the Shaarei Tzedek Hospital in Yerushalayim. Everyone daughter had reached the age of three, she had already referred to him as the number one expert in Eretz undergone several hospitalizations in Kaplan Hospital, Yisroel on problems of this nature, and as parents located close to our home. When we detected that she genuinely concerned over the fate of their daughter, we spared no effort and brought our daughter to his ward in Yerushalayim. We presented him with all the diagnoses and the medical case history on our daughter. He conducted the standard examinations, and told us that based on what he could determine from his understanding of the test results, he was recommending that we leave her in the hospital in preparation for an eventual operation. “He fulfilled his medical obligation, and proceeded to explain to us with great precision about the procedure of the operation he was about to do. His descriptions alone were enough to strike us with fear, as our hearts pounded frightfully with the anguish of worried parents. We spent two weeks with our daughter in the hospital, while the medical staff did its utmost to make the accommodations there as comfortable as possible. A series of pre-op x-rays then began, and a date for the operation had already been set. “Those days were the most difficult we had ever experienced in our lives. All our thoughts revolved around one matter – the state of our daughter’s health. “The night before the scheduled operation, filled with anxiety as I thought about our daughter in the hospital in Yerushalayim, where my wife and I were staying, I quietly made my way back home to Ashdod. My wife remained at the hospital to sleep there, while I made plans to return to Yerushalayim the following morning, when the operation would commence. The doctors’ words about how this would be a complicated operation, scheduled to take more than four hours to complete,

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  “It was eleven o’clock at night. I here. I felt that I was in the midst of saw that Rabbi Tuito was looking for some mystical process. After all, I I remember the someone to ‘give him a lift,’ and so I had merely planned to drive back to intensity of the decided to stop. We were happy to my home in Ashdod after a fortnight see one another, and quickly began a of getting by on very little sleep. Yet, feeling that conversation. He asked me why I wonder of wonders, I stopped to looked so downcast, and I give Rabbi Tuito a ride as he was gripped me at the proceeded to tell him the whole story standing at a junction late at night, about my daughter and the and I thereby merited to send a moment that I complicated operation she was letter to the Lubavitcher Rebbe. I felt scheduled to have the next morning. that this was a marvelous case of understood that I admitted that I was very concerned Divine Providence. while there are whether the operation would be “I got into bed and fell into a successful. He looked at me in the deep sleep. The tremendous fatigue doctors and eye and asked, ‘Do you have a and exhaustion simply overcame me. bracha from a rav or a tzaddik?’ I I arrived at the hospital the following medicine, there is said that I didn’t. Suddenly, I was morning rather late. I estimated that filled with embarrassment. While I I had come in the middle of the also the was feverishly chasing after doctors, surgery, and I just couldn’t forgive I had forgotten to do what my myself for not seeing my child before Lubavitcher parents and grandparents would she was brought into the operating Rebbe, who can have done under similar room and to accompany her at those circumstances. final tense moments. bring about such a “He asked me if I wanted to “When I arrived at the entrance write a letter to a tzaddik. ‘Of of my daughter’s room, I was drastic change course,’ I replied, and drove with surprised to see my wife there. She him to the Nachlat Har Chabad walked towards me and said, ‘Shaul, with a single neighborhood in Kiryat Malachi, the doctors said that there’s no where he lived. As we made our way operation!’ Panic seized me. I was word. Not a there, he told me some amazing afraid that the situation was far bracha that the stories of wondrous miracles that more complicated than we had occurred in the merit of the thought at the outset, or there had operation will Lubavitcher Rebbe’s brachos. He been some complications in the gave me directions to the house operation itself. turn out from where we could send a letter to “My legs were shaking in fear. the Rebbe. The feeling of deep concern gnawed successful, but a “In those days, unlike today away at the last shreds of optimism I when almost every home has a fax had left. Suddenly, as I was talking bracha that there machine, we had to go the house of with my wife and trying to will be no need for the local director, understand the reason behind the Rabbi Lipa Kurzweil. I looked at my cancellation of the operation, the the operation watch and saw that it was already surgeon Professor Farkash came in half past midnight. Yet, despite the with a look of sheer amazement on whatsoever. late hour, Rabbi Kurzweil greeted his face and said, ‘Folks, you don’t me warmly. understand what happened. Look at “I gave him my daughter’s name, the girl’s x-ray from a week ago. You flashed in my mind continually her mother’s name, together with don’t have to be experts to see the throughout the journey home. our names, and he sent the fax to huge black stain in the photograph. “When I stopped at Bilu Junction the Rebbe’s office in New York. I Yet, here’s the picture we took today near Rechovot, I saw an impressive departed from Rabbi Tuito and just before the operation – it’s all looking Jew standing at the bus stop, Rabbi Kurzweil as I started on my white. The black stain simply someone who I had met before – way home, and I suddenly began to disappeared! In all of my work in the Rabbi Elazar Tuito from Kiryat understand what was happening medical profession, I have never Malachi.

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& seen anything like this. It’s a medical change and the request for a bracha that gripped me at the moment that mystery.’ that I had sent to the Lubavitcher I understood that while there are “The doctor was positively Rebbe. Due to the great joy that doctors and medicine, there is also thrilled and deeply affected in the engulfed us, I recalled nothing apart the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who can face of this discovery. If he had from the fact that three years of pain bring about such a drastic change previously maintained his and anguish had miraculously come with a single word. Not a bracha professional composure, he now to an end without any logical that the operation will turn out allowed himself to release his explanation. successful, but a bracha that there emotions. The staff of the entire “A few hours after we returned to will be no need for the operation ward, the doctors and nurses who Ashdod, the telephone rang. The call whatsoever. had accompanied us throughout our was from Rabbi Grossman of Migdal “The very next day, I ran to the two-week stay in the hospital, all HaEmek. He informed me that he Judaica store to buy a good quality gathered together in our room with had received a fax with an answer pair of kosher t’fillin, as per the expressions of total from the Rebbe’s secretariat meant Rebbe’s request, and I have put incomprehension. The professor for me. them on every weekday ever since. asked us to remain in the ward for “The Rebbe’s answer: ‘How can “Our daughter is now twenty- an additional day, as he wanted to there be a Jewish home without four years old, thank G-d completely arrange another x-ray for the girl in t’fillin?’ Suddenly, it all became healthy, as if she had never suffered order to confirm the results of the clear to me. The miraculous change from any medical defect,” said Mr. previous picture. had occurred in the merit of the Hasson, concluding his story. “This “We stayed one more day, the Rebbe’s bracha! incredible miracle will accompany next x-ray produced the same clear “With great emotion, I told my our family and me personally for the white results as before – and we wife, the rest of the family, friends rest of my life. The only thing were released. The feeling of and acquaintances, about the great remaining for us to await and hope concern, sadness, and sorrow had miracle we had been privileged to for is the imminent revelation of the been transformed to one of see in the merit of the blessing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe as Melech astonishment, joy, and happiness. Lubavitcher Rebbe. HaMoshiach and that he will redeem “During the first couple of days “Even today when I tell this us together with the entire Jewish before we came home, I didn’t make story, twenty-one years later, I People at the True and Complete the connection between the dramatic remember the intensity of the feeling Redemption.”

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#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  @E>PPFA latter generation,” until they, in turn, tell it to their children… I heard that when Anash left Russia and a few went to the United States still in the lifetime CHASSIDISHE of the Rebbe Rayatz, that the Rebbe asked them, “How is Yisroel Neveler? Does he still tell MELAMED stories as he used to do?” A STORY ABOUT A FARMER AND Rabbi Berel Mochkin tells fascinating A MISNAGED I remember a story that he told stories about the life of his father-in- us about the verse in T’hillim, “kindness and truth appoint, so law’s father, R’ Yisroel Neveler a”h. * that they will preserve him.” The Hebrew word “man” (appoint) About the learning in Samarkand, the doesn’t have an actual connection wonderful stories he told which to the content of the verse and it would be simpler without it. implanted in them a love for Chassidus. Regarding this, he told us about a Misnaged who said that * From a t’shura given in honor of the the word “man” was not part of the T’hillim but something that wedding of his son. someone wrote on the side, like a commentary on a verse, and that it IMAGE OF have at least one decent meal a referred to the manna that fell in the desert. The typesetter included A “MELAMED” day. I remember that he taught me the morning brachos with the it in the text. R’ Yisroel Neveler was my taitch (Yiddish translation). A Chassid, hearing this was melamed in my childhood. He was A bit later, when people were furious that the Misnaged could my first melamed who taught me able to settle down, chadarim were say such a thing and he related how to read when we were in created for all the children of this parable: Tashkent. By my reckoning, I must Anash and I learned in “classes.” I Hashem created plants and have been about four years old. remember that first time I learned seeds, flowers and trees and there He would come to our house to Gemara with R’ Yisroel. There is great wisdom in knowing how teach me. were two classes and when he to plant a field, which seeds or When my parents and other taught one of them, the other class flowers to plant near one another, families came to Tashkent during reviewed the lesson. I was six. etc. There was a famous the terrible times of World War II, The way it worked was, on agronomist who had students who there was no Jewish school for Thursday afternoon he would test studied this science and then children yet, since everybody was us on what we learned during the traveled to various provinces in starving to the point of dying of week and then he would tell order to plant their own fields. starvation. Nobody had the stories. R’ Yisroel was known not One of his students traveled to wherewithal to organize something only as a good teacher and man of distant parts, to a large field for the children. action but also as a terrific belonging to a nobleman. The Thank G-d, on account of my storyteller. He knew how to tell a student’s job was to plant the field brother’s efforts, we had what to story so that you could picture it, as he was asked to do. Since it eat. I’m nearly certain that the as though it was taking place was a big job and one which reason why my father took R’ before your very eyes. He fulfilled entailed great responsibility, he Yisroel to teach me a little Torah the verse, “so that you tell the was afraid to rely on his own during the day was so he would

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& knowledge and he sent a letter to circles open on the right and on said he was sent by the great his teacher, asking him to direct the left, vertical and horizontal agronomist and he was bringing a him what should be grown where, lines, long and short ones, straight map for his student. etc. and diagonal ones. He sent this “Let’s take a look at it,” said The teacher prepared a map for map to his student with a farmer the other farmers. When they him in which he explained where as his messenger. opened it up and saw the various each plant should go. He made a It was a long trip and on the marks, some of them said the lines mark on each seed or flower or way, the farmer slept in a roadside and circles weren’t appealing and tree which indicated what plant it inn. There were other farmers they changed half circles to whole was; the signs were circles or staying at this inn and each of circles, short lines into long lines, lines. There were whole circles them spoke about the purpose of etc. They did it in such a way that and half circles, there were half their trip. The farmer-messenger you couldn’t tell that someone had changed the teacher’s map. When the student got the map he was unaware of the changes that had been made and so he planted the field according to what he read on the map. Obviously, he made a big mess of it. That is how the Chassid explained to the Misnaged that his intellect was like that of the farmers when he offered his opinion about the holy words of the T’hillim. R’ Yisroel told us this story when we were his young students and it remains engraved in my memory. However, since I was young, I don’t remember more stories or things that he told us. He spoke beautifully and would tell us Chassidishe vertlach and explain concepts to us. It’s a pity that his pearls were not collected.

WHAT DOES A CHASSID THINK ABOUT WHEN HE TIES HIS GARTEL? What I will do is share some stories that I heard in his name, which I did not see written anywhere. One time, he said: What kavana does a Chassid have when putting on a gartel? He explained: When he wraps it once, he thinks: You lowlife, you’re going to daven?! When he wraps it a second time, he thinks: A chitzon like you, you’re going to daven?!

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  But when he wraps it a third forever.” He asked, how are we so Therefore, Hashem’s kindnesses time, he thinks: Still, I’m a Jew so confident that He will not are never-ending. From His part, I put on tallis and t’fillin and abandon us, perhaps our sins will He never abandons us. daven. cause us to be undeserving? * * * He explained it as follows: I WAS A FATHER I also heard something that he Until now, the fact that You TO ORPHANS said on the words in Nishmas, helped us is only because of Your Rabbi Aharon , “until now Your compassion has compassion and not in our merit; member of the Crown Heights beis helped us and Your kindness did that You did not depart from us is din, told me that when they were not depart from us, and do not only because of Your kindness and in Poking, Germany, they lived in abandon us, Hashem our G-d, not because of our deeds. the same building as R’ Yisroel Neveler. Since they were three young orphaned brothers, R’ RABBI DOVID ABBA LEVIN Yisroel devoted himself to them to R’ Berel Mochkin relates: encourage them, as well as their My father-in-law was Rabbi Dovid Abba Levin (may Hashem mother, and they felt close to him. avenge his blood), the son of R’ Yisroel Neveler. We don’t know The following story is much about him except that he learned in Tomchei T’mimim in interesting though not so Nevel as a chavrusa with R’ Meir Itkin. understandable: R’ Meir Itkin related that R’ Dovid Abba was younger than the The t’fillin belonging to his other boys but he had a good head and his father, R’ Yisroel Neveler, brother, R’ Isaac Schwei, wanted his son to learn in the older class. He was also good hearted. disappeared. Since he felt close to In those days, they did not celebrate bar mitzvas, but when R’ Meir R’ Yisroel, he asked to borrow his became thirteen, my father-in-law arranged a bar mitzva celebration t’fillin. R’ Yisroel gave R’ Isaac his for him because he was an orphan and t’fillin but told him not to wrap it had nobody to look out for him. up after davening but to bring He was drafted into the army in the them to him unwrapped. summer of 1941 when the war broke R’ Isaac thought that R’ Yisroel out and he was 27. In Tishrei they had said this to make it easier for received the only letter they ever got him and since he didn’t find it a from him in which he wrote that he was bother, he began to wrap them up near the city of Smolensk, surrounded himself. Then a strap tore. He was by the enemy and it didn’t look as very frightened and didn’t know though they would make it out alive. what to do. He ran to someone by Based on this letter, they later set his the name of Moshe who sold yahrtzait for 25 Tishrei. Jewish religious items and took a Nothing further was heard from him strap from him and put it in the or of him. He left two daughters and a t’fillin and began to wrap it, but pregnant wife. When his son was born, R’ Yisroel Neveler the strap tore again. the mohel was R’ Yisroel Neveler himself He was completely shaken by who also said the brachos. He wanted to this and didn’t know what to do. name the baby Dovid Abba for the baby’s father but since he didn’t Having no choice he went to R’ want to cause anguish to his daughter-in-law, he named him Yisroel and told him what Yehoshua Zelig for her father. happened. R’ Yisroel calmed him My mother-in-law remained alone and raised her children herself. down. Despite the terrible hardships she raised them to Torah, chuppa and I don’t know why he was told good deeds. The older daughter, Zelda a”h, married Rabbi Shlomo not to wrap them. Some say that Dovber Nemenov, the son of the famous , R’ Nissan, and is what the Rebbe Rashab did and they were on shlichus in Brunoy. Although they both died young, therefore, R’ Yisroel did too. they raised a beautiful generation of Chassidishe sons and daughters. My wife, her sister Sima, and her brother Yehoshua Zelig also THE REBBE’S CUSTOMS raised Chassidishe families. R’ Yisroel had some customs

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& that he would do like the Rebbe Kodesh vol. 9). In the first letter, knew his grandfather, R’ Yisroel Rashab. For example, he would the Rebbe wishes him, “Hashem Neveler, well, because when she move back in the Shmoneh Esrei should grant us the merit to meet arrived in Poking on the train with after the first “yehi ratzon.” He with much nachas, materially and many Lubavitchers, she was alone would look at the face of the spiritually,” but in the second and had nobody to help her with chazan during the Priestly letter the Rebbe does not mention her luggage. R’ Yisroel was Blessing, which is what all Anash that. From this he understood that schlepping his suitcases and when do today, but back then, people they would not see one another. he noticed her, he left his did not know this and he was the He knew that he would be passing suitcases and took the Rebbetzin’s only one who did this after seeing on from this world. luggage. He said that his two that the Rebbe Rashab did so. daughters would manage with his When he reviewed Chassidus, CHESED AT belongings but the Rebbetzin was he would hold a handkerchief, as THE TRAIN STATION alone. She always remembered the Rebbe did. this. R’ Yaakov Schwei remembers My brother-in-law Zelig Levin that on Pesach, during “Pour out told me that on Shabbos Mevarchim, Rebbetzin Chana MENTIONING Your Wrath,” he would say it very Z’CHUS AVOS loudly so that the entire building would stand on Kingston Avenue shook. and watch as Anash walked to 770 When I was in yechidus before R’ Yaakov Schwei also told me to her son’s . My I got engaged, I asked about a that there are two letters from the brother-in-law was a young certain shidduch proposal. The Rebbe Rayatz to R’ Yisroel from bachur at the time but she would Rebbe said: She is Yisroel the year 1948 (printed in Igros stop him and talk to him. Neveler’s grandchild… She once told him that she

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something real and deep today,” he explains. Gil grew up in a typical Israeli family in Petach Tikva. Art is very MY SHLICHUS important to the Akiviov family. Two of his brothers are artists and his older sister plays the piano. At a young age, Gil joined the world of music and often played piano at IN MUSIC home. He was the kid who sang for his friends at school at every By Nosson Avrohom opportunity. He spent hours upon hours listening to music and at a certain point he learned to play the At age 11, Gil Akiviov was discovered to piano. “The main focus was on my two be musically talented. He appeared in a brothers. My parents and family didn’t take my musical talent music festival for children and quickly seriously until I was 11.” “I participated in a contest at a became a star. He has spent his life children’s festival in search of young composing music which comes from his talent. Thousands of kids came to be tested and I was thrilled to be heart and soul. He became acquainted accepted. I participated in forty performances of the festival with Chabad and today he is a throughout the country. Part of the time I sang as a soloist. I realized Lubavitcher Chassid who composes that I loved the field of music and that I would devote myself to it. Jewish music whose lyrics draw on “I studied the piano and other teachings from Basi L’Gani and D’var instruments and composed and wrote songs. I built a studio in my Malchus. house where I composed music and recorded songs.” When Gil became of draft age, If you follow what is happening “Someone recently showed me he knew he wanted to be part of the in the music world, you can’t help an article written by a music critic in military band. He didn’t know much but observe the revolution taking the paper Zeman Tel Aviv where he about Judaism. He wasn’t for it or place along the lines that the Rebbe cynically notes the fact that if against it. He left the army in the spoke about, that the world is ready “Elokim” isn’t included in their beginning of the 90’s and looked for for Geula. More and more leading songs, their CD won’t sell,” said R’ a good studio that would be near his singers in Eretz Yisroel, whose songs Gil Akiviov, a Lubavitcher singer house where he could record the previously expressed estrangement and composer, who is one of the musical material he collected. from tradition, are dropping their people leading the revolution. He went to Kfar Sirkin, which is galus music and producing CD’s Gil is someone who urged his near where he lived, and he found a with pure sources. Some of the friend Ovadia Chamama to produce studio run by R’ Nissim Molgan. songs even express longing for the his song, “Ana B’Ko’ach,” which was “Although he did not look like a Geula. on top of the charts for weeks and Chabad Chassid at the time, he had The public, which is enthusiastic led other singers to join this genre. the fire of a Chassid in him. We over the change, is driving other He himself produced a CD that is became good friends and it went singers who still haven’t changed built entirely on texts from the way beyond a professional their musical approach to embrace sources, although people around him relationship. At that time he had just the new trend. If it’s what the public thought it would bomb. come from London and we is buying, then they will sell it. “People are longing for

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& developed a wonderful friendship. “He displayed astounding depth to my true self. He told me that he had gotten a big in the world of music too and he “When he said this to me, I was musical project and he wanted me to told me that it was explained in reminded of something that help him with the score. I agreed. Toras HaChassidus. The more I happened to me when I was eight When we finished late at night, delved into it, the more I realized years old. I had been critically we went to his house. I saw that the that there was something special injured in a car accident. A car walls of his home were decorated here. One day, when I arrived at the plowed into me as I was riding my with pictures of the Rebbe and the studio, I saw that a group of bike. I was unconscious for a while Rebbe Rayatz. I began asking Chassidim had come with Avi and I underwent complicated questions and got some answers. Piamenta to record a CD of operations to enable me to return to “From then on, we didn’t speak niggunim that the Rebbe had taught. normal life. The doctors called my only about music but also about the “Nissim told Piamenta to put recovery a medical miracle. Rebbe and Judaism. Every once in a t’fillin on with me. Avi, seeing that I “I remember having the very while he would play a song and tell was positive about it, put t’fillin on strong feeling that I was watched me, ‘This is from the Rebbe,’ or he me and I felt good. from Above and this is what would mention insights or “Avi looked at me with his implanted in me then, the will to aphorisms he learned from the famous smile and said, ‘You don’t prevail. When R’ Piamenta told me Rebbe’s teachings. I began to realize know what nachas you are causing that my putting on t’fillin caused that there was something very deep in Heaven. For years they have nachas in Heaven, he inspired me. in what he was saying. I felt that my waited for you to take this positive Sometimes we say things and don’t delving into music was a sort of action.’ He said this candidly, with realize what effect they have. On the search for meaning. I sought to find sincerity, and it made a tremendous spot I resolved to put t’fillin on every shleimus. We had deep discussions impression on me. He gave me the day. If it really causes nachas in and I felt I had discovered a feeling that I wasn’t discovering Heaven, I reasoned, I want to do it wonderful world. something new but was connecting every day.

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  cut him off from music. On the to take the next step was R’ Rom, “Avi looked at me contrary, now he had to take his who knew that I was on fire within talents and use them for negina. although I looked like a ‘good with his famous Gil had many exciting moments; Israeli’ on the outside. there were incidents of Divine “He told me, ‘It’s a pity…step on smile and said, Providence and spiritual experiences the gas – you’re standing in place,’ ‘You don’t know that led him to live as an observant and he sent me to the in Jew. Gil shares two of these stories: Ramat Aviv, which was just starting what nachas you “I have an aunt who lives in out. From there I went to learn in Canada, where she became a Tzfas. are causing in mekureves of the Rebbe and “Another amazing thing that Chabad. I always knew this but it happened at that time, a story that Heaven. For years didn’t mean anything to me until I gave me much chizuk had to do with myself became involved with my father. He had a tumor in his they have waited Chabad. esophagus and they had me come for you to take “She once came to visit Eretz home to communicate to me how Yisroel. When I told her that I was serious it was. I was worried and this positive also interested in Chabad, she was from what I had learned thus far, I glad to hear this and she said that knew that tz’daka is a mitzva that action.’ He said she would bring me a dollar she had can always help. I took a large sum gotten from the Rebbe. of money and donated it in my this candidly, with “Two weeks went by and I still father’s merit. did not have the dollar. I met her a “That day, I decided to ask for sincerity, and it few times during that time period the Rebbe’s bracha for my father. I made a but I sensed that she was hesitant wrote a letter but instead of putting about giving me the dollar. it into a volume of Igros Kodesh, I tremendous “I wasn’t willing to forego the put it into a . When I opened opportunity to get a dollar from the it, I saw that it was the Igeres impression on me. Rebbe and one of the times that I HaKodesh and the words that stood saw her, I urged her to keep her out for me on the page were, He gave me the promise. She brought me the dollar. ‘sowing tzadakos – brings forth “I don’t know how to explain it salvations.’ I was inspired with feeling that I but that night I dreamt an incredible tremendous hope.” wasn’t discovering dream. I’m not the type who has After learning for two years in dreams but that dream is etched in Ramat Aviv and in Tzfas, Gil met his something new but me. In the dream, I saw the Rebbe wife, who is also a musician. She accompanied by another Chassid, learned at Machon Alte for baalos was connecting to coming towards me with a smile and t’shuva in Tzfas. Before he married, with so much Ahavas Yisroel. I felt he went to 770. There he wrote to my true self.” that the Rebbe was taking me under the Rebbe and opened to an answer his wing and in my great excitement which made him feel that it was like “That was the beginning. From I said, ‘You have no idea how much the first yechidus a Chassid has in that point on, I began learning more I love you…’ I felt that this had to which the Rebbe tells him what his about the Rebbe and Chassidus. I do with the dollar. Since that day, mission in life is. The answer was in read a lot of stories about the Baal my connection to Chabad went into volume 18, p. 156, where the Rebbe Shem Tov and other Chabad leaders. high gear. wrote to someone who wanted to I attended and my talks “I began attending the Tanya take Chabad songs and use them in with Nissim delved deeper.” class given by Rabi Yariv Rom in a choir. The Rebbe approves the Some of Gil’s good friends began Petach Tikva. I also spent Shabbasos idea but brings up some caveats. becoming baalei t’shuva at that time. and special days with Rabbis Tuvia “My first songs, and those that What especially thrilled him at that Bolton and Avi Piamenta of Kfar followed, were influenced by that time was when he realized that his Chabad, where I attended letter. Today, this style of music is religious observance did not have to farbrengens. The one who urged me very common among recording

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& artists, but at that time, it wasn’t a mekarev Jews to Hashem and the for singers to produce songs from given that a CD with songs like purpose of Creation. I have the the sources. “Ashrei Ish” and “T’filla L’Ani” ability to do so and I need to use it “I began accompanying his songs would be popular enough to sell towards positive ends. Making songs on the piano and I became his well. That’s what captivated me from the maamer ‘Basi L’Gani,’ or musical director. I sat with him for about Chabad; you are a musician – from the words ‘to publicize to all days and explained the inyan to him don’t abandon your music. It’s your people in the generation’ from the and when he got it, he decided to shlichus. Elevate it and bring it to a D’var Malchus, songs that play on dedicate his fifth CD to songs of place of truth. That is what I did the popular music stations – that is Eretz Yisroel. That is what is meant after I got that letter from the my shlichus. by ‘the world is ready for Geula’– Rebbe. It’s the same classic pop, “There is a musician by the name that you can have a singer who guitars, drums, violins, and some of Ovadia Chamama, the one who doesn’t look religious, yet he can harp, but the words are from the produced ‘Ana B’Ko’ach.’ He was sing songs like these and have a sources and the style enables the the one who helped me out, at first, broad following. People want music depth of Chassidus to be expressed with the musical arrangements for to give them meaning in life. in these songs. some songs. He did not understand Everybody, all kinds of people, are “The shlichus that I see in music why I was taking all the words from looking for depth, because the world is first, to convey the Rebbe’s T’hillim, for this was a new genre of is ready for Geula.” messages through song, and to music and he thought it wouldn’t be publicize the Geula as well as be successful. Today, it is very common Raskin's Consistently “if it grows we have it” Superior Fruit and Produce Emporium WHOLESALE & RETAIL Michal & We Deliver 335 Kingston Ave. Brooklyn NY 11213 * Tel: (718) 756-3888 756-2221 * Fax: 756-2440 Y.S. MOVING Professional Yossi Reasonable Tel: 718-467-0171 24 hour service Boxes available upon request. Cellular: 917-805-7757

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#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  CB>QROB MIVTZA T’FILLIN BY BALABATIM

By Nosson Avrohom

tallis and t’fillin, davening Every week, numerous T’mimim stand Shacharis. The accountant, a Jew, on the street and visit offices and stores, arrived and we sat down to breakfast. All I had was orange putting t’fillin on passersby or their juice. The accountant asked the regular “customers.” In this article, we client why I didn’t eat and I said that I only eat kosher food. The focus on married men who drop accountant seemed surprised and the client told him that he had everything on Friday and “go on found me davening in a tallis and mivtzaim.” We heard from them how “something on his head.” The accountant said, “You put they started out, how they handle irate on t’fillin?” I said, “Yes, don’t you?” people, and some wonderful stories. * He said, “I haven’t put on t’fillin since my bar mitzva in New Part 1 of 2. York, fifty years ago. But I recently saw a picture of Jews R’ Ben-Tzion Reider, a Several years later, in 1974, I putting on t’fillin at the Kosel and businessman from London, told got a phone call from an I wanted to put on t’fillin.” the following amazing story: American businessman who had Those were the very words the When the Rebbe announced invested in business in England Rebbe had said to me seven years Mivtza T’fillin just before the Six and was a client of my accounting before! After the meeting he put Day War, an acquaintance office. The local accountant in his on t’fillin in my apartment. wondered why the Rebbe picked office asked to speak to me about * * * t’fillin over more “universal” a few things and he wanted to There are thousands of stories mitzvos, like kashrus. That year I know whether I would go to like these. Just as in the early had yechidus and I asked the Miami to meet with him. years, after the Rebbe announced Rebbe this question. A few weeks later I arrived in Mivtza T’fillin, also today, 41 The Rebbe gave me two Miami late at night. We arranged years later, thousands of men and reasons. First, in the tractate Rosh to meet for breakfast the boys are busy enabling Jews to put HaShana, the Gemara says that a following morning and I stayed in on t’fillin. All the people we Jew who puts on t’fillin, even one an apartment adjacent to that of interviewed for this article have time, is in an entirely different my client. In the morning, to my been involved in Mivtza T’fillin category. Second, the Rebbe said, surprise, the client who thought I since the Rebbe announced the “When a Jew who lives in Miami was asleep knocked at my door to campaign. Two of them began will see pictures of Jews putting wake me up. When I did not doing it at the end of the fifties! t’fillin on at the Kosel, he will respond and he got nervous, he The four of them say that today want to put t’fillin on too.” opened the door and found me in

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& people are far more receptive even When did you begin doing Rebbe added that it could also be among groups that in the past Mivtza T’fillin? given to a hospital. At that were known for their opposition, Rabbi Komer: Ever since I got moment I felt the Rebbe was such as members of kibbutzim. involved with Chabad in Canada addressing me, for one thing, Every week you can see and became aware of the because before I became a numerous T’mimim out on importance of enabling Jews to Chassid I considered studying mivtzaim, but we focused on put on t’fillin, as it is explained at medicine. balabatim this time, those married length in the Rebbe’s sichos and In my work at the hospital, I men with families who set letters. These days I do mivtzaim get to do another mitzva, bikur everything aside on Friday in on a daily basis at the Ziv hospital cholim, and people are very order to help people with this in Tzfas. agreeable about putting on t’fillin. mitzva. Back in Canada I also tried to When you visit a Jew who is The four men we spoke to are: do Mivtza T’fillin in hospitals. feeling down because of his Rabbi Boruch Menachem How come? Because one of the health, and you listen to him and Mendel Komer of Tzfas times I participated in a “yechida take an interest, he doesn’t refuse Rabbi Menachem Yaakov Reinitz klalis” at the beginning of the the t’fillin. of Lud 80’s, the Rebbe said at the end of Rabbi Reinitz: The first time Rabbi Shabtai Bloch of Tzfas the yechidus that everybody we began with Mivtza T’fillin was Rabbi Yosef Hartman of should pass by to take a dollar in 1958, when I learned in Toras Nachalat Har Chabad and it could be given to tz’daka or Emes in Yerushalayim. That year *** to a shul or gemach. Then the marked ten years since the

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  establishment of the State and the yeshiva so they would hear groups. The girls gathered in one many people from all over the about the Rebbe and Chabad. I’ll room and the boys went to the country went to Yerushalayim. never forget the first time I went beis midrash. We would buy They visited the area near our over to the leader who led a group drinks and food from Kiosk Isaac yeshiva, which was then on the of kibbutznikim, dressed as I was near the yeshiva. Rabbi Shmuel border and close to the in Yerushalmi garb and peios. I Halperin and Rabbi Herschel Mandelbaum Gate. This gate was invited him to come into the Eisenbach would speak to them a historic site. yeshiva. He was stunned by the about Chabad and the Rebbe. In When I saw the groups of idea at first. those days, the famous Chabad students coming, I decided to do Later, it became a regular niggunim were “Darkecha something and I invited them into practice for the leaders of these Elokeinu” and “Ki Anu Amecha,” and we would teach them to sing these niggunim. The highlight of the visit was HOW CAN I WORK ON SHABBOS?! their putting on t’fillin, of course. Rabbi Reinitz relates: The kibbutznikim from the south I got to know a policeman by the name of Yitzchok after his father and north were happy and passed away. By putting t’fillin on him one time we developed a enthusiastic about it. relationship. After a while, when he got more involved in religious A similar thing went on at the observance, he faced a dilemma. Hilula of Rashbi in Miron. We He was required to work according to a schedule established among would join the T’mimim who the policemen at the station which included Shabbasos. Once he came from the yeshiva in Lud. realized the importance of The Chassid R’ Zushe Partisan keeping Shabbos, he didn’t Wilyamovsky would be waiting know what to do about work. I there for us. He would stand on wrote a letter with him to the the roof of one of the cars, where Rebbe. The answer had to do the police made their with the 12 Tamuz farbrengen announcements, and in his unique that was taking place at that style he would explain the time. I invited him to join me significance of Lag B’Omer to the at the farbrengen in Shikun crowd. Chabad. We would stand down below While at the farbrengen, he and put t’fillin on the passersby. got a phone call from the An anecdote that I remember – I station commander who would ask people if they wanted promised to arrange work for to put on t’fillin. The Chassid, R’ him as an investigator for the Leib Cohen from police at Ben Gurion Airport, said to me: Don’t ask them that where the policemen do not way because that causes them to work on Shabbos. But that be evasive. Just say, Yehudi, come wasn’t all. His friends began put on t’fillin as a merit for mocking him since they didn’t Rashbi. I did that and got a much like the fact that he was given better response. preferential treatment. He Today we do Mivtza T’fillin at wrote to the Rebbe again and the entrance to the main Chabad as we wrote he found out that since he spoke Romanian, the upper house in Lud. Many Jews put on echelons at the police decided they need him to work as an immigration t’fillin and even enter the Chabad officer at Ben Gurion Airport, where you don’t work on Shabbos and house. Before we take off the Yom Tov. He was overjoyed. t’fillin I tell them to repeat after And this still wasn’t all. He was an older single and he wrote to the me, “We Want Moshiach Now,” Rebbe about finding his match. After some time, he got married to a and they’re all happy to do so. woman whose parents live in Chevron. Their children go to Chabad Rabbi Bloch: The first time I schools. joined in Mivtza T’fillin was in

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& 1974 when I went to learn in Miron. Tomchei T’mimim in The police there did not have Kfar Chabad. A car driven by loudspeakers and if they had to Rabbi Zalman Levin would set out announce anything they used our and we bachurim would join him loudspeakers. We would call out at the Central Bus Station in Tel to the masses, inviting them to Aviv. put on t’fillin. Remember that in These days I do Mivtza T’fillin those days, most of the people at an old age home in Tzfas as who went to Miron were well as by joining R’ Komer in his traditional. work at the Ziv hospital. For years Later on, in 1967, I lived in now, we’ve been doing mivtzaim Kfar Chabad. From there we went at Ziv. Many of the staff have every week to Tel Aviv and set up bought their own t’fillin and put a stand near the small shul them on themselves. located opposite the big shul. As It’s hard to say this, but people we traveled by train we would put with medical problems lying in the t’fillin on with the passengers so hospital realize how nothing we they would at least say Shma are in the face of Divine Yisroel. Providence. I’ll never forget this story. It I’ll never forget this story. One was two years after the Six Day time, I went into one of the War. I went over to dusty armored hospital rooms and a soldier was Rabbi Komer: soldiers who had obviously just lying there with a slipped disc. He Being involved in come from the Sinai. I went over said he was sorry he could not put to the toughest guy, a kibbutznik on t’fillin because he couldn’t mivtzaim brings whose views were anti-religious, move. I didn’t give up on him and and asked him to put on t’fillin. after I worked on convincing him, bracha and He said, “When you go to the he allowed me to put t’fillin on army, I’ll put on t’fillin.” He was him as he lay in bed. success to the upset and I said he was right. When he took off the t’fillin I When he heard that, he instantly went to other rooms in that wing person involved calmed down. and when I finished my rounds with it, more than Once he calmed down I told and went back to his room I was him, “I agree to make a deal with shocked to see him sitting on the one can imagine. you. We’ll go to the army and you bed with friends from his unit put on t’fillin. Do you really who came to visit him. When he When a Chassid agree?” saw me, he jumped up in He looked at me in excitement. He said he could not goes on mivtzaim, astonishment and agreed. Just explain it but after he put on that day, before I left the house, I t’fillin his pain subsided. a man’s emissary had gotten orders in the mail to Rabbi Hartman: I did Mivtza is like himself, and report to the Reserves in Beloza, a T’fillin long before the Rebbe dangerous outpost, especially officially announced it. It was you can feel how during that War of Attrition, when 1959 and I was a talmid in many soldiers had fallen there. Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim in the Rebbe is with When he saw it, he was Lud, which I went to from the shocked but he couldn’t get out of Hesder Yeshiva in Kfar HaRoeh. you and guiding it. His friends told him: You We would go every Erev Rosh promised! He put t’fillin on first HaShana and Yom Kippur to put you. and the others followed. t’fillin on with passersby on the For a long time I did mivtzaim streets of Tel Aviv. I remember we went with Rabbi Dovid at the army transport base [see that one year, Lag B’Omer night, Chanzin, Rabbi Berel Karasik, article in issue #573] near Kiryat and the driver Yisroel Kook, to

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  mentioned it often, that when you mivtzaim brought bracha, He said, “I are involved in communal work, parnasa, and health to the house. your mind and heart are refined a When a Chassid goes on haven’t put on thousand times over. That means mivtzaim, he can sense the that when a man goes out on “measure for measure,” how the t’fillin since my mivtzaim for an hour a week, it Rebbe gives him an abundance of refines his mind and heart and in brachos. bar mitzva in New one hour of learning he can grasp I can testify to it. We have a York, fifty years the learning of a thousand hours! large family and although my wife Chazal say that more than the and I worked at ordinary jobs, we ago. But I recently balabus does for the poor man, were able to support the family the poor man does for the and marry them off with dignity. saw a picture of balabus. Being involved in We always saw help from mivtzaim brings bracha and Hashem. The Rebbe pays back. Jews putting on success to the person involved Rabbi Bloch: A Chassid ought with it, more than one can to have the inner motivation to go t’fillin at the Kosel imagine. When a Chassid goes on on mivtzaim despite the and I wanted to mivtzaim, a man’s emissary is like difficulties. I got a lot of answers himself, and you can feel how the and encouragement from the put on t’fillin.” Rebbe is with you and guiding Rebbe to go on mivtzaim, so you. considerations about helping out Those were the When I was a new immigrant at home did not stand in my way. from Canada and my Hebrew As for Anash in general, it’s very words the wasn’t fluent I remember important to bring this up and to participating in a farbrengen in make the younger generation Rebbe had said to which the Rebbe complained aware of the importance of me seven years about a shliach being asked a mivtzaim. It depends a lot on the question and his not answering. chinuch in the home and what before! “What are you afraid about?” sort of role model the child had. asked the Rebbe. “Think for a In my humble opinion, the Rebbe minute and answer.” That’s what established that we have to go on Malachi until it closed. Now we I do. When they ask me a mivtzaim and this is one of the set up a stand in the center of question and I don’t know the things that has to do with the town as well as at the entrance to answer, I think a bit and the Rebbe-Chassid relationship. the main high school. answer comes to me and it is the There’s no question that when How does a man with a large right one. That’s not called having someone goes on mivtzaim, in family find the time to go on the Rebbe go along with you? addition to this connecting him to mivtzaim regularly? Rabbi Reinitz: When I had the Rebbe, he merits to see Rabbi Komer: It would be like small children at home I had less blessing in his work and his someone saying, I have children time to be involved with mivtzaim, children grow up in an to care for and I have to help out but even then, I helped a bit at atmosphere in which Abba goes at home and so I can’t set times home and in my free time I went on mivtzaim. Of course this has to learn Torah. It says in on mivtzaim. My wife and I were an effect on them. Chassidus, and the Rebbe convinced that my going on [To be continued be”H] ADD IN ACTS OF GOODNESS & KINDNESS TO BRING MOSHIACH NOW!

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& PEIF@ERP UP FROM THE DEPTHS

By Rabbi Yaakov Shmuelevitz

himself and raise up all the Jews, Moshiach himself comes from the from all over the world, to the true depths... Why is this so? So that and complete Redemption, just like a lever lift from the foundation. Moshiach can elevate and rectify all Moshiach himself comes from the depths, as the Midrash relates levels, including the lowest of all to the that Dovid HaMelech came from a family whose origin was Lot and his peak of holiness and the Geula. daughters, from Yehuda and Tamar, his daughter-in-law, from Boaz who In several places in Chassidus memory and then come up and married Rus the Moavite and from (Torah Ohr B’Reishis 4a) and in report what he saw. Yishai the tzaddik who shunned his sichos of the Rebbe (Likkutei Sichos Then other divers would go son Dovid. Why is this so? So that vol. 18, p. 33 ff.) the analogy of a down and tie ropes to every Moshiach can elevate and rectify all lever is used. In order to lift protuberance, based on his levels, including the lowest of all to something heavy, you use a lever to description. They would tie all the the peak of holiness and the Geula. lift it from underneath. If you would ropes to a huge balloon which they lift a building from the middle, the inflated, thus lifting the sunken ship SHLIACH OSEH SHLIACH foundation would remain below. to the surface of the water. – UP TO 100 SHLUCHIM In this column, we’ll see how R’ Mendel would say: This is shluchim are able to “lift the how Moshiach will come. All the A Tamim from Ramat Aviv is building from its foundation” and be Rebbe’s shluchim send out ropes, achieving incredible things in India. mekarev Jews, even those who are in which are tied to every corner of the This is not the place to describe the faraway places, physically as well as globe. The ropes are connected to decadence of India and its multitude spiritually. the Rebbe. When the moment of of houses of idol worship. Only the Geula comes, the Rebbe will lift Rebbe can find the shluchim to raise WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM A DIVER? I’ll begin with a story from the mashpia R’ Mendel Futerfas. During his many years in jail and exile in Russia, R’ Mendel met all sorts of people. Many of them told him their life stories and from every story, R’ Mendel learned a lesson in avodas Hashem. One day, R’ Mendel met a prisoner who used to be an outstanding soldier in the Russian army who served in the navy. His job was to dive deep under water, swim around and examine a sunken ship, commit every detail of it to The building where programs take place in Kasardivi, India

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  the sparks and errant souls from the Chabad house in Kasardivi. began keeping mitzvos. bottom of the barrel, as in the Following a house call that R’ analogy of the lever. A GAMBLING PARLOR Gliss made to her family, she began Ariel Rosenthal, a student in the THAT TURNED INTO davening “at my father’s place.” She Chabad yeshiva in Ramat Aviv went on to study at Machon Alte in relates: A SHUL Tzfas and married a Lubavitcher “One year ago I decided to go to A few years ago, the people of Chassid. As the Sages put it: From a India with a friend named Shneur to the Chabad house in Dimona were deep pit to a high place. find Jew in places where there are no looking for a suitable building for a Chabad houses. We went to Kasul, Chabad shul. Rabbi Yisroel Gliss, THE LOWEST – IN the shliach in Dimona, scoured the which is a magnificent place and a TERMS OF SECURITY popular tourist spot. The shliach neighborhood and found a large there, Danny Winderbaum, went to building built over a bomb shelter. Certain shluchim amaze us by Eretz Yisroel for a few weeks and He spoke with the landlord and how much they accomplish despite Tomer Gordo went to fill in for him. found out that the building is used the difficulties and special Tomer told us about Kasardivi, as a gambling parlor. circumstances. When you look at the another tourist village located 20 work being done by the Chabad hours away where there were many house of Sderot, it’s hard to believe Israeli tourists but no Chabad Today it’s very what is going on there. The presence.” conditions they work under are just Ariel and Tomer went there and popular to identify not to be believed. The situation is set up shop in a building in the so bad that even wealthy people, village. They let the word out among with and support who used to make donations to the the tourists that they could come for Chabad house, are standing in line t’fillos and shiurim. At that point, the residents of to get food packages and assistance neither Ariel nor Shneur were rabbis Sderot, but we from the Chabad house. or shluchim; they simply combined The municipal relief agency can’t touring with spreading Judaism. Chabad Chassidim handle the burden. The social Nevertheless, many tourists came workers stand and cry together with and they held conversations long have a brother the needy, who tell them their into the night. They all knew that a stories. The Chabad house, run by Chabad house had been opened there, a shliach of Rabbi Zev Pizem, bravely bears the under the administration of Ariel load and gladly and courageously Rosenthal and Tomer Gordo. the Rebbe who helps, under fire, all those in need. The next morning, a wealthy represents us all... Today it’s very popular to identify Canadian Jew showed up, a man with and support the residents of around fifty. He told them that he Sderot, but we Chabad Chassidim was in that village for years and his R’ Gliss explained to the landlord have a brother there, a shliach of the dream was to buy a building for a that if he gave the building for a Rebbe who represents us all. He is Chabad house. Chabad shul, in the future, when his there for us and in our place. Let’s Well, within a few days a deeds would be weighed on a scale, help him out. beautiful and spacious Chabad all the cement and iron with which This is not the purpose of the house was opened which included a the bomb shelter was built would be column, yet I can’t help but ask the huge yard. Unfortunately, at a placed together with his good deeds. dear readers to send a letter to the certain point the Canadian regretted The man agreed and in exchange Chabad house in Sderot with words his investment and he took his house for a token fee, the gambling parlor of encouragement, and if possible, back, but shluchim continue to work was turned into a Chabad shul. money. Be a partner is elevating the in the village and even hosted a Since by lifting a building from world from the low and difficult public seider for hundreds of underneath the entire building is place it is in now. Who knows, tourists. raised up, the next part of this story maybe from Heaven they will look Now, Tomer divides his time is no less elevating. The landlord’s down and see Chabad Chassidim between work with the tourists and daughter began to take an interest in helping out their brothers on the fundraising to support the new Judaism. She bought a siddur and battlefield and have mercy on a pitiful people.

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& @E>PPFA REB MENDEL: I HAVE NO CHOICE, I HAVE TO TELL IT

Prepared for publication by Avrohom Reinitz

able to discern, between the lines, Every year, as 7 Tamuz approaches, R’ his incredible devotion to the truth Mendel Futerfas’ yahrtzait, sweet and kabbalas ol. When he spoke about the importance of kabbalas ol, memories of this legendary Chassid he would strongly censure us about our lack of kabbalas ol. He would come to mind. His farbrengens, stories always conclude with: How does the Rebbe describe a Chassid in his and sayings contributed tremendously yoman (daily diary, which is how he referred to the )? That to the chinuch of bachurim and men in he knows who he is … and his Samarkand and many others in the deficiencies … and increases in discipline in the way of kabbalas western world. * R’ Hillel Zaltzman ol! He would repeat that last line tells us of R’ Mendel’s farbrengens. again and again: and increases in discipline in the way of kabbalas I had the privilege of farbrenging him in annoyance and disgust: That ol! for many hours with R’ Mendel, he’s frum is good, but he is overly when he was in Samarkand. I religious. R’ Mendel said that when WHERE IS MY visited him once every two weeks frumkait is obvious to all, it stinks. KABBALAS OL? and we would sit and farbreng, one R’ Mendel himself was a role When he told us off, he did not on one, for hours. model of what he demanded of exclude himself. He would often tell R’ Mendel was a rare others. He was a Chassid p’nimi how he also needed to improve in combination of a man of goodness through and through. Although he the areas he was talking about. One and kindness, as well as a man of was a baal mesirus nefesh and was time, when he spoke about the need truth and kabbalas ol. He could not punctilious in mitzvos and worked for kabbalas ol, he included himself tolerate blitos (displays of piety) and on his middos, on iskafia, etc., he in the reproof: superficial expressions were always considered himself a plain “R’ Berel Yaffe, (a Lubavitcher anathema to him. Jew. He once told me about himself: Chassid who lived in Samarkand There was a person in Am I a Chassid? I just play the role and was known for his precision in Samarkand who was punctilious in of a Chassid… Chassidic stories) once asked me to mitzvos but he did so in a showy It was only when we heard his sit and listen to his stories and I manner. R’ Mendel once said about ideas and aphorisms that we were didn’t want to. I thought to myself:

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& A pity to waste my time on listening to stories. son-in-law continued to fraternize with that girl. “R’ Berel once caught hold of me and forced me to According to inquiries he had made, he had found out listen to a story. After hearing the story I understood that the girl had an uncle in America and the couple how much you can lose by not listening to Chassidim was planning on fleeing there together. who are older than you. R’ Berel is a Lubavitcher The father-in-law was distraught over this news. He Chassid and he is older than me. Why didn’t I want to rushed to the Rebbe and asked the Rebbe what to do. If listen to him? Where was my kabbalas ol?” the couple fled, his daughter would remain an aguna for This is the story that R’ Mendel heard from R’ Berel: the rest of her life! The Rebbe did not respond. He just During World War I, many Jews were drafted into dismissed him by saying everything would be fine. the armies of the warring nations. There was a young The father-in-law couldn’t understand the Rebbe’s Jewish man who was drafted into the Russian army and equanimity and he returned home brokenhearted. A served in Odessa, where his father-in-law’s brother short time later he received another letter from his lived. brother who wrote that he heard that the son-in-law After some time, his father-in-law received a letter and the girl had bought tickets to sail to America. from his brother in Odessa in which his brother told This time, the father-in-law went to the Rebbe with him that he had seen his son-in-law walking around the letter and asked, “Rebbe, why don’t you advise me with a girl. The father-in-law was devastated by this as to what to do?” terrible news and although he wasn’t a Chassid, he went He placed the letter on the table and said, “Here is to the Rebbe Rashab, for he had heard of his greatness. the letter. You can read what my brother said for He told the Rebbe about the letter he had received from yourself.” his brother but the Rebbe did not react. The Rebbe moved the letter off his desk and said, “I Some time later, he received another letter from his hate reading other’s letters. These kinds of things brother in Odessa in which his brother wrote that his happen to soldiers. Everything will be all right.” The end of the story was that the couple boarded the ship which left for America, but at one of the stops the ship made along the way, the son-in-law disembarked and missed the ship when it left. Military police caught him and he was punished for deserting the army. After he finished his sentence, he returned home to his wife and remained a religious Jew for the rest of his days.

KABBALAS OL FOR THE DOCTOR When we spoke at farbrengens about iskafia, which Chassidus demands, he said, “If only we had the kabbalas ol to do what the doctor said.” In other words, we are not even holding by that low level of kabbalas ol.

“I” WITH BITTUL! I once spoke with R’ Mendel about communal work regarding something I was involved with. In discussing it with him I said, “I did,” and “I said.” After a few minutes, R’ Mendel stopped me with a reproving look and said: Every two words you say “I” three times… I continued to talk and since I was talking about something I was directly involved with, I wasn’t able to avoid the word “I.” Each time I used it, R’ Mendel stopped me and said: Again you’re saying “I.” Stop saying I! I apologized and said: I’m talking about myself and in order to tell you, I have to say I! R’ Mendel smiled and said: Right, sometimes you

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  went to the movies, her mother suggested that she tell This time, the father-in- the bachur that she was willing to accept all his religious practices but she still wanted to go to the law went to the Rebbe with movies. The bachur consulted with my father who told him the letter and asked, that they say in the name of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev that depression is not a sin but it can lead a “Rebbe, why don’t you person to places that the worst sin can’t lead him… Similarly, immersing in a mikva for a man isn’t a mitzva advise me as to what to but what immersion in a mikva can lead to, the greatest do?” He placed the letter mitzva can’t lead him to… It’s the same thing here, said my father. You can say on the table and said, about the movies that going there may not be a sin. But where going to movies can lead to, the greatest sin can’t “Here is the letter. You can lead to. The bachur thought perhaps he should compromise, read what my brother said since in those days, it was hard to find a religious girl, especially one who was willing to do everything the way for yourself...” he wanted, except for movies. When he discussed it with R’ Mendel, R’ Mendel reacted strongly: A bachur have to say I, but even then, the “I” doesn’t have to be of ours cannot agree to compromises. noticeable. It has to be with bittul! The bachur tried to explain, but R’ Mendel maintained that a bachur of ours cannot agree to compromises, it makes no difference about what. YES AND NO ARE EQUAL One time I went to visit him, R’ Mendel told me: I WHILE LEARNING CHASSIDUS wrote to the Rebbe that I submitted a request to leave Russia and once again, I was refused. In the answer I R’ Mendel had a shiur with R’ Abba Pliskin in received, the Rebbe demanded very hard avoda: that the Likkutei Torah. R’ Mendel once told me that on more avoda of a Chassid has to be as the Baal Shem Tov said than one occasion, as they sat to learn a maamer, they – that yes and no are equal to him. That means that I opened the Likkutei Torah, learned the beginning of the have to accept the refusal with the same joy I would maamer, and then a few minutes into the maamer they have if they let me go! recalled the suffering of a fellow Chassid. They would In that letter, the Rebbe encouraged him not to discuss how to help him. Then they would remember despair, for in the end he would get out of Russia. that they were in the middle of a maamer and would When I went to congratulate him over receiving the continue learning. visa, he reminded me of the Rebbe’s letter and said: Nu, A few minutes later, they would remember another it’s a very difficult avoda, to accept the refusal with the Lubavitcher who also needed help. They stopped same feelings as the visa. learning and discussed how to help him. That’s how they learned, with a few lines of the maamer and a few minutes discussing how to help people, until they got NU… halfway through the maamer and it was time to daven. R’ Mendel once said to me that when you reach the “But while learning the maamer we managed to age of 56 (Nun, Vav), the letters that spell “nu,” it’s a arrange several things,” concluded R’ Mendel with hint from Above. They are saying: Nu… In other words, satisfaction. when will you do t’shuva already? HOW DO YOU PREVENT A BACHUR A BACHUR OF OURS FROM DAVENING IN A MINYAN DOES NOT GIVE IN ON SHABBOS? A shidduch was suggested to a bachur. The girl’s In Samarkand, the bachurim and young men would mother told her daughter that he was a Chassidishe daven in a secret minyan that moved from place to bachur who was very particular about his mitzva place every few Shabbasos. R’ Mendel participated in observance. Since girls who weren’t quite Chassidic this minyan as well as the yeshiva bachurim. We tried to

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& keep the existence of the yeshiva the bachurim and they would lose MORE RELIGIOUS from becoming public knowledge. out on the minyan. So we decided WHEN YOUNGER There were times we had to that my sister-in-law would tell him Although my father was older make painful decisions. One that there was no minyan and that than R’ Mendel by fourteen years, Shabbos Mevarchim, the minyan she had no idea where it was. they were friends. R’ Mendel once was in my brother’s house. In the When R’ Mendel heard about said to my father: Abrashke middle of davening there were this, he was very upset and he said: (Russian for Avremel), tell me the knocks at the gate. My sister-in-law How could you do that? The truth. When were you more went out to see who it was and saw bachurim are occupied with Torah religious, in your youth or now? that it was an older bachur who had and avoda throughout the week, but My father thought a bit and said: become somewhat distant from the you are concerned that they have a Definitely in my youth. Chassidim. minyan on Shabbos too. Yet here R’ Mendel said: Me too. What’s He put on t’fillin and was comes a Jew who wants to daven the reason for that? shomer Shabbos, but he was cold with a minyan once a week, and you My father said: The Alter Rebbe when it came to Chassidishkait. turned him away?! writes in chapter 13 of Tanya that Consequently, we were afraid to In those days of terror, it wasn’t when a person uses his animal soul have him see the yeshiva bachurim. always possible to make the right for eating and drinking and other If we let him in, we’d have to hide decision. physical things, it makes him coarser. R’ Mendel liked this answer and said: You’re right. I never thought of that.

AVERSION FOR A TIE When R’ Mendel saw me in a tie, he told me that after his wedding they suggested that he wear a tie. He had occasion to watch an old man, over eighty, trying to tie his tie. He extended his neck and worked hard on getting it just so. This sight, said R’ Mendel, was so disgusting to me that it caused me to have an aversion for ties.

BEFORE 120 AND AFTER R’ Mendel once told me: Some worry about what will be with them after 120. In jail in Siberia they davened that at least they should merit Jewish burial. Believe me, I never worried what would become of me after 120; they’ll do whatever they want. Instead of thinking what will be after 120, a Jew ought to be busy thinking: What will I do until 120?

WIPE IT OFF AND CARRY ON There have been Chassidim who,

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  A few minutes went by and R’ in order to get a reward, you’ll do it This sight, said R’ Mendel said: It’s a story with a all your life. good message and I want to tell it. Of course, R’ Mendel did not Mendel, was so R’ Moshe said: Restrain yourself! mean that we should work for the In the end, R’ Mendel couldn’t sake of honor or reward, but that disgusting to me hold back and he said: I have no we shouldn’t think that we are big choice, I have to tell it: tzaddikim who do everything for the that it caused me A Jew once took a long time with sake of Heaven. to have an Kaparos and so, when he circled his head with the rooster, it left ARGUE WITHOUT aversion for ties. droppings on his head. What was he HATRED to do? R’ Moshe couldn’t keep back his At one of the last farbrengens during farbrengens, told it as it is, smile and he looked at R’ Mendel in before R’ Mendel left, some loaded without sugarcoating it. R’ Zalman anticipation of the continuation of topics came up and there were lively Moshe HaYitzchaki, for example, the story. arguments about them. R’ Mendel would often employ a spicy Said R’ Mendel: sat and observed from the side as vocabulary and manner of speech. There’s isn’t much you can do. the argument went on, and kept When he would sit on Shabbos and You have to wipe it off and carry quiet, as though he wasn’t noticing farbreng and would see men coming on… what was going on. from home after they had eaten R’ Mendel explained: When a After a long period of silence, R’ their Shabbos meal, he would say: Chassid is in the middle of Mendel said to us: Keep arguing; Here they come, a pile of davening, in the middle of avoda, you don’t have to agree with one cockroaches… and he suddenly has extraneous another. But don’t hate one another! One of those men once asked thoughts, “the rooster left droppings Arguing bring out the truth, but it him: Why do you speak that way? on his head,” he has to know that must be done with love. R’ Zalman Moshe replied: It there is no point in fighting the Evil We felt that this was R’ Mendel’s bothers you that I talk this way but Inclination. He simply has to wipe it parting blessing to us before he left what you do doesn’t bother you? up, without being fazed, and carry Russia. R’ Mendel, in addition to his on. pleasing aphorisms, had a sharp way THE BEST YEARS of talking too, when he needed it. R’ Moshe Nisselevitch, by way of LISHMA OR After I came to 770 I met R’ contrast, was extremely eidel and NOT LISHMA Mendel and we began talking about our work in Russia. R’ Mendel never uttered an improper word. He When we spoke of communal suddenly asked me: Hilke, what do would often criticize R’ Mendel for work, R’ Mendel told me: Don’t say you say – how does it seem to you his style. that you are doing it lishma (for the here? At one farbrengen, R’ Mendel sake of Heaven). You should know I told him honestly: It’s all turned to R’ Moshe and said: I want that someone who works on behalf wonderful but it was better there. to tell a story but I’m afraid that you of others “l’sheim Shamayim,” R’ Mendel agreed with me and will say, once again, that it’s doesn’t last. How many times can said: What’s the question? My best mockery. What should I do? you work lishma? years were in jail. R’ Moshe said: So don’t say it! On the other hand, if you work

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 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& >>S THE ARIZAL’S UNFATHOMABLE WISDOM: IF ALL THE OCEANS WERE INK…

family remained without a source “If all the oceans were ink and all the of income and they had to go to heavens were parchment, and all the Egypt, where his wealthy uncle, R’ Mordechai Francis, his mother’s reeds were quills, it would not be brother, lived. The Ari learned with the great enough to write my wisdom and Radvaz and with Rabbi Betzalel Ashkenazi, author of the Shita teachings.” * Rabbi Yitzchok Luria Mekubetzes. At the age of fifteen, he married his cousin, the Ashkenazi – yahrtzait 5 Av. daughter of R’ Mordechai Francis. He spent years in isolation as he HIS BIRTH an illustrious Sephardic family. studied the secrets of the Torah. Although we don’t have a Their son Yitzchok was born in When his son turned three, the detailed family tree for the Arizal, Yerushalayim in 1534. The legend Arizal made a short visit to Eretz we know that he was a descendent is that Eliyahu HaNavi came in Yisroel and davened at the grave of holy people, rabbanim and person to his bris and he chose of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in great sages. The family name was the name Yitzchok and blessed Miron, where he cut his son’s hair Luria, because in earlier him that he would reveal secrets and stayed there three days. It is generations they lived in France of the Torah and disseminate from him that we have the custom on the banks of the Luria River. them. He was later called by the of cutting boys’ hair at age three His father, Shlomo, went to acronym ARI, which stands for at the gravesite of Rashbi. Eretz Yisroel with his great Ashkenazi Rabbi Yitzchok. His Upon his return to Egypt, teacher, Rabbi Klonimos, who was full name was Rabbi Yitzchok when he was 36, Eliyahu came to great in Nigleh and Nistar and Luria Ashkenazi. him and told him he was soon to they joined the small Ashkenazic R’ Shlomo died young when leave the world, and the Heavenly community in Yerushalayim. Since his son was a boy. Rabbi court said the time had come for they originated from Germany, his Klonimos supported the family him to reveal and spread the father became known as materially and spiritually and the wellsprings of his teachings to the Ashkenazi. R’ Shlomo married a Ari learned Torah from him. After world. He was to go to Tzfas to woman from the Francis family, the passing of Rabbi Klonimos the reveal his teachings.

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  After about twenty years in the generations, pious, modest, He knew the language of birds Egypt, he left with his wife, fear of Heaven and love of G-d and the conversations of trees and children, and widowed mother filled his heart. He had all positive grass, the language of angels and and settled in Tzfas. He was no qualities and good deeds. An the language of the candle flames, longer supported by his wealthy enormous tzaddik and incredible and from them he knew secrets uncle, father-in-law, and he genius in Mishna, Talmud, and the future. opened a business, spending a few Agados, Midrash, etc., and on He saw souls when they left hours at work each day in order everything he knew several bodies and in cemeteries and to support his family. The rest of explanations in p’shat, remez, when they went up every Erev his time was devoted to Torah and drush, and sod. All these wisdoms Shabbos to Gan Eden. He spoke mitzvos. were always ready at hand at any to souls and spirits of earlier Tzfas was a vibrant spiritual time. incarnations. city, full of sages. It was the City “He merited that from Heaven Being reincarnated is an of the Kabbalists, where men they opened all the wellsprings of opportunity the Heavenly court studied Nigleh and Sod. When the wisdom for him in prophecy and gives a person, after he dies, to Ari came, he joined a group of ruach ha’kodesh. Eliyahu HaNavi rectify what he did wrong in his kabbalists who were disciples of revealed deep secrets of the life and to make up for the deeds the great Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, mysteries of the Creator and he did not do in his lifetime. The known by the acronym RaMaK. Creation, Maaseh B’Reishis and soul is sent back down to this A few months after he arrived Maaseh Merkava. The souls of world, being born in a new body. in Tzfas, the Ramak passed away tzaddikim in the Supernal world The Arizal was great in this on 23 Tamuz 5700/1570. Before wisdom. He was able to discern he died, he told his disciples that the secret of everybody and his successor would open “It would take me everything’s previous incarnations channels of kabbalistic bounty and even knew how to help souls that were never revealed hitherto. 80 years to teach achieve their rectification. He met The Ramak did not say who his with thousands of lost souls that successor was; he only said “the you what I saw up wandered endlessly, souls that one who merits to see the pillar of were unwanted even in Gehinom G-dly cloud going before my bier Above in a few due to the great filth their souls is the one to whom G-d spoke, to hours.” accumulated in their lifetime. lead the flock.” They went to him because they The Ari was young and new to heard of his great holiness and the group and unknown to the revealed secrets of the Torah to asked him to rectify them. mekubalim, but he was the one him.” who saw the pillar of cloud, and He once said to his students, HE READ FOREHEADS based on where he saw the cloud “It would take me 80 years to He knew a person from the rest, he indicated to the rest of teach you what I saw up Above in smell of his clothes. He could the holy brotherhood where the a few hours.” He also said, “If all read faces and palms and burial should take place. the oceans were ink and all the interpret dreams. He told people After the funeral, the heavens were parchment, and all what they did previously, what kabbalists crowned the Arizal as the reeds were quills, it would not they did in the privacy of their their leader and he led them for be enough to write my wisdom rooms and what they thought; two years until the day of his and teachings.” what sin they did in a previous passing on the fifth of Av, 1572, incarnation and what they had when he was only 38. MIRACLE WORKER come to this world to correct. The Arizal wrought miracles, With his holy vision he saw INCREDIBLE healed the sick, and helped the that which is hidden. When he GREATNESS needy achieve salvation. He looked at a person’s face he knew The Arizal’s students describe sometimes used G-dly powers to what they were thinking as well as him in unprecedented terms of strike the Jews’ enemies with the good deeds and sins they did praise, saying: blindness. from the day they were born and “A giant among giants of all He saw that which is hidden. whose company they kept and

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& where they had been. He would Ari’s teachings. BRINGING THE GEULA tell them the rectification and The teachings of the Baal IN HIS TIME t’shuva they needed. He gave each Shem Tov and his disciples and In Rabbi Chaim Vital’s one a specific tikkun in disciples’ disciples are an ongoing introduction to his Eitz Chaim he accordance with their soul’s explanation of the Arizal’s writes: source as rooted in Adam. teachings. Hashem did a wondrous When he looked at a person’s kindness with us and sent the Ari forehead he saw what his soul WHEN NOT TO LOOK from Heaven. He is like Rashbi in would learn in Gan Eden at night, Rabbi Chaim Vital related: his generation. He revealed a little because at night, when neshamos One Shabbos I had strong of his tremendous, wonderful ascend to give an accounting pains in my eyes and it lasted for wisdom that was not revealed about what they did that day, they two months. There was no disease since the days of Rashbi. Some of also study Torah until the person or medical problem with my eyes, his ways and wonders that I wakes up. The Arizal would look so I asked the Arizal what it was personally saw were shocking; at someone’s forehead after about. He gave me two reasons they had not been seen since the sunset and know what his soul for the pain. One reason was that days of the Tanaim! would study up Above and would I hadn’t had the proper kavana In Shivchei HaAri he says: tell the person that before going when I recited Kiddush Friday He was sent by G-d to bring to sleep he should study that night. (Kiddush is a segula for merit to the generation and to portion. illuminating the eyes.) illuminate the world with the light Another reason he gave was: of the wisdom of the Zohar in its THE ARIZAL’S Throughout the davening you true meaning. His modesty caused TEACHINGS gaze at me. There are three him not to live long in Eretz The Arizal’s teachings are vast. sections of the davening where I Yisroel and he revealed his They were recorded by his close have fearsome kavanos and it is wisdom for only two years. If we disciple Rabbi Chaim Vital and his not a good time to look at me, had merited it, and he had been son and spiritual successor, Rabbi when I recite Shma, at Modim, here for five years, he would have Shmuel Vital; Rabbi Yaakov and when I say, “Kadosh, brought the entire world to Tzemach; and Rabbi Meir Kadosh, Kadosh” in K’dusha. complete t’shuva and the Geula Paprash. His teachings are The next day I refrained from would have happened in his days. contained in dozens of deep and looking at his face during these Sources: Shaar HaMitzvos on Parshas three times and was immediately VaEschanan, Eikev, Shivchei HaAri, Shem wondrous s’farim. In addition, HaG’dolim of the Chida, Kisvuni L’Doros, hundreds and thousands of healed. HaShabbos B’ Kabbala U’B’Chassidus p. 199. I commentaries were written on the thank my son Boruch Yehuda for his assistance.

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#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  FKPFDEQ A CHABAD RAV, NO ‘ORDINARY’ RAV

Interview by Nosson Avrohom

singing Yechi, one of the yishuv The concept of “Chabad rabbanim” has members will! expanded over the years. If in the not so There is no problem with talking about who Moshiach is. If distant past, Chabad rabbanim were people know you as a normal person, they’ll accept everything rabbanim of Chassidishe k’hillos, in you say. In our community we have very wealthy people, recent years there has been a quiet businessmen, important officials, a general in the army, and they revolution. More and more Chassidishe all readily accept it. young men are being appointed to It’s easy to explain about Moshiach today. People relate to important positions as rabbanim of it and to a certain extent, they are just waiting for us to explain it. cities, yishuvim, neighborhoods, and Just look at how many people want to write to the Rebbe today, even of k’hillos that are not necessarily and who actually see miracles and wonders. Chassidic. * Beis Moshiach spoke with There is a man here at the three Lubavitcher rabbanim who serve yishuv who helps me every year with the Menorah lighting and is as rabbis of yishuvim and moshavim in very close with us. One day, his wife called and said that her the north and south of Eretz Yisroel, and husband has a kidney stone and he was in bad shape. He was discussed their work, the difficulties hospitalized and the doctors operated twice but were unable to they have to contend with, and the remove the stone because it was challenges they face. * Part 3 of 3 too small. They also injected him with something to dissolve the stone, but it hadn’t helped and he [Continued from last issue] at first. We don’t hide anything was feeling awful. He called me Rabbi Lifsh: Today, ten years and we speak about Moshiach that day and I didn’t recognize after we arrived, the moshav has openly. People know who his voice since it was so weak. He grown and other groups have Moshiach is and they know the asked me to ask the Rebbe for a settled here. There are many words to Yechi. A few times a bracha for him and I did so. more people who daven. It is no year we bring groups of men to The answer I opened to was in longer the intimate feeling we had liven things up. If one of the volume 8, where the Rebbe writes members of the group won’t start about kidney stones. He said not

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& realize that you’re on shlichus, memorials, and officiate at PANELISTS namely that you are there to weddings. Maybe he’ll prepare RABBI YOSEF CHAIM ROSENBLATT transform another spot on the chassanim for their weddings. Rav of the District Council of the globe and prepare it for That’s all. A rav who is also a Lower Galil and Yishuv Givat Moshiach, you get kochos from shliach doesn’t just fulfill routine Avnei the Rebbe that help you overcome rabbinic duties but is involved RABBI TZEMACH AVROHOM difficulties. with everything, seeking to Rav of Yishuv Yinov in the There is a sicha in which the develop things and encourage Sharon Rebbe explains why moshavim people. He doesn’t wait for other RABBI SHLOMO LIFSH and villages are the lowest “yerida people to organize events and Rav of Yishuv Kfar Achim near ba’tachtonim.” The Rebbe then show up to speak. Kiryat Malachi explains that a town has a certain Sometimes, even the logistical definition. A certain number of end of things is left for him to do. people must live there in order to Rabbi Rosenblatt: The truth to rush to operate but to drink be called a town. The Rambam is that it’s very simple. The job of the appropriate liquids to dissolve explains that a town is a place a rav is reactive. He can sit at it. I immediately called Dr. Tal where 120 people live and there home and wait for people to Nir and he told me that the best are ten professionals such as a come to him with questions and thing to drink is parsley juice. doctor and judge. To be problems, as well as do the things I rushed to get him parsley designated a moshav or village, rabbis have to do and get a salary juice and brought it to the you don’t need a certain number for it. hospital. A week later I met him of people. A Chassidishe rav is another riding his bike in the yishuv. The Rebbe spoke about Rabbi type of person. He doesn’t wait When he saw me he shouted, Zeira of Kfar Chanin. Why do we for people to come to him but “After you brought me the care where he came from? The goes out to the people. I recently parsley, the stone came out answer is in order to teach us, heard about a girl from a nearby immediately.” He told this story who can live in a village? Only moshav that had lost at the Moshiach Seuda that year. someone who is “zeira,” small. consciousness. She was taken to How successful are you in And this is in order to make a the operating room for a simple teaching Chassidus and dira ba’tachtonim for Hashem. operation to clear her breathing Chassidic conduct? A rav who is not a shliach can passages. The anesthesiologist Rabbi Avrohom: That’s the work in a moshav only on a very put the needle in too deeply and difference between a rav and a small scale. He will give shiurim, caused some nerve damage. rav who is a shliach. When you walk first at funerals, speak at The child did not wake up after the operation. Her bodily systems shut down and she was We don’t hide on a respirator. When I got to the house I felt the air of despair. I anything and immediately took the mezuzos to be checked and found that the we speak about mezuza of the entranceway was pasul. The words, “when you Moshiach walk on the way” were touching. openly. People When the parents heard about this they said that apparently know who their “way” in life needed a change and they decided to Moshiach is become observant. They ordered tefillin then and there, put up and they know mezuzos, and prepared a big Seudas Hodaa three weeks later the words to when their daughter woke up. The doctors said it was a miracle. Rabbi Shlomo Lifsh Yechi.

#'1 +-1&' !& 'PPRB  The girl is presently undergoing rav sees his position as a shlichus away, but when the rav of the rehabilitation and her condition is and his conduct is in “ways of yishuv comes it’s different even improving, baruch Hashem. peace.” A non-Lubavitcher rav, when there is no prior This family transformed their when his children get older and relationship. This week I visited a moshav and inspired everyone. If there isn’t a proper school for family where the wife had been in I hadn’t heard about them and them, prefers to leave the yishuv many accidents and it was clearly decided to visit them, nothing to give his children a better no “accident.” They were getting would have happened. A education. signs from Above to do Chassidishe rav is trained in the The Rebbe spoke a lot about something. ways of the Baal Shem Tov, who the combined role of rabbanus This week when she was in yet would make the rounds of the and shlichus since a rav has a another accident, I went to their towns and be mekarev Jews; he great influence and he can house to check the mezuzos and I did not wait for people to come sometimes go places where a saw that two mezuzos were to him. shliach can’t get in. A rabbinic missing in places that they hadn’t A tragic story took place a position is an official, respected thought of putting them up. year ago with a member of the position and he is invited and can When you go to their house and yishuv by the name of Dror enter even those places that are don’t wait for them to come to Sheck, whom I knew from when estranged from Judaism and have you, you can save lives. we studied together for his bar an influence there. What are your future plans? mitzva. He was murdered in the The Rebbe writes in the Rabbi Avrohom: The goal is mountains on a tour of India. As HaYom Yom of 10 Nissan: to keep going and not stand still. they were looking for him, I went Let us imagine that G-d were We recently started a Yeshivas to the family to encourage them to give you an opportunity to Erev at the moshav, which is a and to help out. The ones who save a Jewish community from big thing. When I think back to dealt with the search for him and extinction (G-d forbid), you when we first came here, who brought his body back to would certainly be willing to something like this was utterly Eretz Yisroel were the shluchim risk your life for this and you unrealistic. in Kasol at the time, Yoel Kaplan would thank and praise Him for We want to turn the moshav and Periel Kalimi. His great kindness in offering into a place that is receptive to The family didn’t stop you an opportunity of such Torah and mitzvos and identifies thanking me for all the support enormous merit. as such. We aren’t stopping with and they even wanted me to go In many places, if you ask to Yinov. This year we had a parade with them to the airport to get check the mezuzos, people will in the neighboring moshav too, their son’s body and to be with politely (or rudely) turn you Geulim, and we hope that them at that difficult time. The father said to me, “All the When you realize insurance companies make promises, but the ones who did that you are there the work were the shluchim of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.” It was a to transform your big kiddush shem Lubavitch and it was mekarev many people in place of shlichus the yishuv to the Rebbe and to Chabad. and prepare it for That’s what a Chassidishe rav Moshiach, you get is, in a nutshell. He doesn’t wait for people to come to him but kochos from the goes out to the people and is mekarev them. Whenever I take a Rebbe that help hitchhiker to the yishuv, I stay in the car with him for a while in you overcome order to discuss Judaism. Rabbi Lifsh: A Lubavitcher Rabbi Tzemach Avrohom difficulties.

 2>JJRW #'1 +-1&' !& intensive work will begin there as needed is the personal When you invite a family to eat a well. relationship with every person Shabbos meal with you, you can’t There is also a beis midrash and we need additional manpower imagine what an impact this has. that we recently opened which is for that. The more shluchim there There was someone who came developing and we are always are, the greater the impact on to us for the Shabbos meal by thinking about how to grow more people. car. Although I knew about it, I more. We are proud of the eighty didn’t protest. He recently met a Rabbi Rosenblatt: We don’t boys (out of 250 people who friend of mine and told him that sit back. Aside from our usual come to daven in shul) who came because of that Shabbos meal that work, we plan on bringing more from non-observant homes but he enjoyed, he committed to shluchim to the moshavim and whose bar mitzva preparations eating kosher and to putting on yishuvim of the Lower Galil. drew them close. They saw that a tefillin every day. Some more shluchim have already shul is a nice place to meet We are planning on building a come in recent years like Rabbi though of course we don’t suffice Lubavitcher mikva. We also do a Sholom in Sharona, with that. lot through the district council to my brother-in-law, Rabbi Rabbi Lifsh: We also have reach out to other yishuvim in the Menachem Mendel Hertzel in plans to expand. We are currently area, whether with Chabad clubs moshav Arbel, and Rabbi Shmuel going through a renewal. Many or programs in schools and we Rosenberg in Tzomet Golani. people are getting involved and plan on expanding these The goal is for every moshav we have shiurim for men and activities. to have a shliach. We do the women. I have seen that large-scale activities but what is gashmius has a great effect.

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