Recollections from Hanhalah the Hanachos: an Insider's Perspective
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A WEEKLY MAGAZINE • #1 The Hanachos: Recollections An Insider's From Perspective Hanhalah Rabbi Simon Jacobson Rabbi Zalman Kaplan Vaad Hanachos Hatmimim Tzeirei Hashluchim, Tzfas ב"ה Vaad Talmidei Hatmimim Rabbi Tzvi Altein Foreword In collaboration with the Hanachos program Hanachos taking place now in mesivtas, we are pleased to present to you “Hanachos” — a weekly magazine Tzvi Alperowitz designed to enrich this program. Boruch Ceitlin Each week we will feature the column “Hanachos: An Insider’s Perspective,” personally interview- Layout and Design ing one of the manichim. We are honored to have interviewed Rabbi Simon Jacobson for the first Mendy Drookman edition of this weekly magazine. From the planned twenty minute interview that lasted well over an hour and half, to his extensive editing — we can- Special Thanks to not thank him enough. Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz The top three hanachos from each week will be Rabbi Tzemach Feller prominently featured as well. This week we are proud to present the hanachos of the Tmimim Rabbi Mendel Gurarie Menachem Mendel Gurarie, Yossi Kogan and Meir Rabbi Simon Jacobson Twersky. Rabbi Zalman Kaplan As we approach the day of Gimmel Tammuz — the inspiration for the launch of “Hanachos” Rabbi Yossi Kamman — and we yearn to be back with the Rebbe again Rabbi Shmuel Lubecki b’gashmiyus, we will feature the weekly column Rabbi Yaakov Raskin “Recollections from Hanhalah.” We are grateful to Rabbi Zalman Kaplan, who made the time to be Levi Danow interviewed for this column despite his very busy Yisroel Slonim schedule this week. Arik Shemtov Each week, we will present kisvei yad kodesh on the topics shown that week on the Hanachos videos. Tzemach Weg We thank A Chassidisher Derher for this week's kisvei yad. This magazine prominently features images from JEM’s Living Archive, and we express our gratitude to them as well. We beseech of Hashem that the Hanachos initiative will bring closer the day when we will be reunited with the Rebbe, teikef umiyad mamash. The Editors IN CONJUNCTION WITH Rabbi Simon Jacobson Vaad Hanachos Hatmimim The Hanachos: an Insider's Perspective abbi Jacobson, thank you for — what was the process? review with the assistance of the few Rgiving us your time for this After every Farbrengen Reb Yoel and chozrim. Others would also partici- interview. You were a chozer and a group of mostly bochurim and some pate — essentially everyone could maniyach, and were involved in Vaad anash would gather together in what interject with their input, helping Hanachos Hatmimim, and directed it was called chazara - reviewing the si- create an oral record of the Farbren- for a number of years. Can you give chos and maamar the Rebbe delivered gen. During chazara a few people us some of its background? in that respective Farbrengen. This took notes. Then the difficult pro- Sure. Since the beginning of the Reb- was uniquely challenging after a Shab- cess of researching and writing the be’s Nesius in 1950, Reb Yoel Kahan bos or Yom Tov Farbrengen, which hanacha would begin. This was done was the chief chozer and main writer was not recorded or written down. by the main maniyach, who worked (maniyach) of the Rebbe’s Farbren- It therefore required a few brilliant gens. There were always a few bo- from memory, assisted by the notes minds to memorize almost verbatim taken during chazara. He would then churim and anash that assisted him in and then reconstruct the Farbrengen. this work. As the years went by, and give the draft to others for review the work became more demanding Reb Yoel would usually lead the and comments. Often certain points (and Reb Yoel’s time was increasingly demanded by other tasks with which he was charged, chief among them the composition of Sefer HaErchim), a group of bochurim, encouraged by the Rebbe, joined Reb Yoel as chozrim. This took place in 5726. Around that time they established Vaad Hanachos Hatmimim. Under the tutelage of Reb Yoel, the Vaad was committed to ensuring that all the hanachos of the Rebbe’s Farbrengens were published in a timely fashion. As these bochurim got married, new bochurim filled their positions in Vaad Hanachos Hatmimim, and so it continued over the years. I became involved in this work in 5736, and ultimately assumed the position of directing the mosad in 5740. How would they write the Hanachos Chazara on motzo'ei Rosh Hashana 5740 3 Rabbi Jacobson at a Farbrengen, 5736 were clarified by the Rebbe. After a Notik and others. the head of the Vaad and the main few days the final annotated hanacha Throughout the years, various bo- writer of the sichos. I wrote my first was published. (Hanacha means to churim were always involved and official complete hanacha for Shabbos “set down” — to commit to paper and helpful in different capacities — from Parshas Miketz 5740. document the Rebbe’s words). the writing, research and annotating New members joined the Vaad in the to the gashmius’dike needs: collecting subsequent years, including Rabbi Whom were these bochurim that dedications, printing, subscriptions Aaron Leib Raskin, Meir Ossey, Al- directed the Vaad? and distribution. ter Tenenbaum, Chaim Abrahams, The Vaad began in 5726, inspired Boruch Jacobson, Zev Cadaner, Yossi by Rabbi Nosson (Noske) Wolf. The How did you get involved in the Lew, and others. Vaad consisted of the temimim and Vaad? chozrim: Rabbis Leibel Schapiro, After studying in Morristown, I came How did the Vaad develop after that? Shlomo Zarchi, Efraim Piekarski and to 770 in the middle of 5736 at the age In the next few years, technologies Sholom Ber Levitin. of 18. I was deeply intrigued by the (such as the word processor and fax Rabbi Shapiro, with the help of entire chazara and hanacha process, machines) made it possible to en- Rabbi Avrohom Gerlitzky, contin- so I began attending and participat- hance and speed up the process of ued to write hanachos until around ing in the chazara. At the time, I also producing and distributing the far- 5733. Around 5731, Rabbi Yosef secured myself a great spot at the brengens. We were the first in Chabad Hecht joined the effort. After 5733, Farbrengen, standing directly across to purchase a computer (with the as the “old guard” moved on, differ- from the Rebbe. Rebbe’s encouragement and blessing). ent bochurim attempted to continue As I mentioned, a number of bo- After I married in 5743, the Vaad running the Vaad. Around 5735, a churim would be present during decided to establish itself on firmer new group of bochurim assumed the chazara, and some would chime in if ground to ensure consistency, and I leadership of the Vaad and revived they felt they had something to add was offered a position — the first time its work by beginning to publish all or correct. Slowly, I became more and the Vaad was run by someone who the farbrengens in an organized and more involved in the chazaras, getting wasn’t a bochur. The great philanthro- consistent manner. The new Vaad, led better at it, and in time I began help- pists Rabbi Berel Weiss and Rabbi by Rabbis Dovid Feldman and Tzvi ing in reviewing the Farbrengens be- Zalman Deitsch supported us. And Grunblatt from 5735 - 5740, included ing prepared by the people working in that’s when the Rebbe instructed the Rabbis Dovid Olidort, Sholom Chari- the Vaad. In the year 5740, after Rabbi Vaad to incorporate as a legal organi- tonow, Moshe Wolberg, Hirschel Dovid Feldman got married, I became zation. 4 Sichos”. But frankly, I wasn’t a child; I didn’t need recognition of my work by the Rebbe. It was a tremendous honor to do this work. I definitely felt that working on the sichos was the source of all brachos for myself — so much so that I never would write and ask for my own personal needs. I felt that by working for the Rebbe writing his sichos, the Rebbe took care of me. Would you give the hanacha each week to the Rebbe? Of course. These were the Rebbe’s sichos — so the Rebbe was first the receive what we prepared! Did the Rebbe edit the hanachos? If yes, what was the process of this happening? Who initiated the submission of a sicha or a maamar for hagaha? What is the difference between a hanacha bilti mugah and one that was mugah? Generally speaking, most of the hana- In 5747, due to the growing popular- further explanation. The Rebbe would chos written were not edited by the ity of the fax, we began producing on promptly answer all of our questions. Rebbe. In the early years the Rebbe Motzei Shabbos a synopsis of each I actually can’t remember there being made it clear that though he would farbrengen — called tochen kotzer a time that we didn’t receive a reply. like to edit them all, he simply did not — to be faxed out to communities have the time. These hanachos — si- worldwide, enabling them for the Would you sign your name when chos or maamarim — were identified first time to actually read a transcript writing to the Rebbe? by their prominently bearing the line of the farbrengen within 24 hours of The general practice over the years “hanacha bilti mugah” (sometimes when it was delivered! At some point was that those responsible for writing referred to reshimas ha’shomim, notes we were producing these summaries and publishing the Rebbe’s sichos and of those who listened), indicating in 14 (!) languages, translated by maamarim did not sign their names that they were transcripts written by 770 bochurim from all these foreign when asking the Rebbe questions on the manichim, and not edited by the countries.