717:Beis Moshiach 09/11/2009 6:12 AM Page 3 contents SHLUCHIM GOING HOME 4 Shlichus | Menachem Ziegelboim THE REBBE’S RECOVERY AND 14 ITS SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE Rosh Chodesh Kislev | Yitzchok Wagshul THE SHLUCHIM ARRIVE AT 770 20 Shlichus | Rabbi Yaakov Shmuelevitz THE BATTLE CONTINUES 24 Feature | Avrohom Ber TISHREI IN YEHUDA AND SHOMRON USA 31 (AND PRAGUE) 744 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409 Perspective | Aliza Karp Tel: (718) 778-8000 Fax: (718) 778-0800 [email protected] THE MARRIAGE OF THE AVOS AND THE www.beismoshiach.org 35 KINUS HA’SHLUCHIM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Thought | Rabbi Yosef Karasik M.M. Hendel ENGLISH EDITOR: BEARING FRUIT IN KARMEI TZUR Boruch Merkur 38 Shlichus | Nosson Avrohom HEBREW EDITOR: Rabbi Sholom Yaakov Chazan [email protected] Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082- 0272 is published weekly, except Jewish holidays (only once in April and October) for $160.00 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and in all other places for $180.00 per year (45 issues), by Beis Moshiach, 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY and additional offices. Postmaster: send address changes to Beis Moshiach 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Copyright 2009 by Beis Moshiach, Inc. Beis Moshiach is not responsible for the content of the advertisements. 717:Beis Moshiach 09/11/2009 6:12 AM Page 4 shlichus R’ Nechemia Schmerling is one of the most interesting SHLUCHIM among the Israeli shluchim. His “kingdom” is relatively modest in Kfar Yona, between Netanya and Tul Karem, a quiet place out of the public GOING HOME eye, but the size of the place is not a reflection on the shliach who works there. Shortly before boarding By Menachem Ziegelboim his plane, I schmoozed with R’ Schmerling about shlichus and shluchim. Despite the late We caught Rabbi Nechemia Schmerling hour he was in fine form. He never flinched at the tough as he was about to board the plane for questions I posed, though he occasionally paused to think his trip to the Kinus HaShluchim. The things through before shliach in Kfar Yona granted us a responding. Perhaps this interview can serve as a fascinating interview about shlichus, catalyst for discussion about hot topics pertaining to the challenges shluchim face, and the Chabad communities and life on shlichus, in Eretz Yisroel shluchim’s perspective of Anash in and the world at large. Chabad communities. You’re in the final stages of important for you to go every year?” year the global network meets to preparations for the trip to the I told him, “Just as you travel to discuss various topics and resolve Kinus HaShluchim. all sorts of exhibits and conventions issues etc. As a shliach, I try to juggle all of in your field, I also travel to the Furthermore, the Kinus my many obligations. Time annual gathering of those in my HaShluchim is something very dear constraints are a big problem for me. profession, namely the shluchim, to the Rebbe and in years past, the I teach every morning in the public where we meet, work out issues and Rebbe even paid some of the cost of school system and that ties me share information with one another.” the tickets. The Rebbe wants the down. I have a weddings for I told him that every month I get shluchim near him. If the mekuravim scheduled both phone calls from my fellow shluchim commander calls for his soldiers, if a immediately before the trip and right around the world in which we father calls for his children, what’s when I get back so the timing is inform each other of the progress of the question? You have to show up! critical. I don’t have the luxury of a Jews who came from those locations What does a shliach get out of vacation. to Kfar Yona or the other way the Kinus HaShluchim beyond What does the trip to the Kinus round, and we try not to lose whatever he learns at the HaShluchim do for you? anybody and to keep in touch with workshops and connecting with I recently sat with the chief them. To illustrate, I recently other shluchim? accountant at one of the big received a phone call from the It’s hard to explain. Even if you companies here in Israel and when I shliach in Peru, Rabbi Blumenfeld, travel to the Rebbe several other mentioned my upcoming trip he about a certain person. Then I got a times during the year, this is the trip said, “I hold a senior position here call from a shliach in Toronto about that you long for. You think about it and the world is mine and yet it has someone from his city who had long before it happens and prepare been ten years since I’ve been in the come to Kfar Yona and he asked me for it even before Tishrei. As it United States. Why is it so to keep in touch with him. So once a approaches you get excited. It’s not 4 26 MarCheshvan 5770 BEIS MOSHIACH 717:Beis Moshiach 09/11/2009 6:12 AM Page 5 that you anticipate any surprises. A mashpia at a farbrengen spoke about You know the schedule ahead of time and as the years go by you salmon that swim from place to place, don’t necessarily attend every workshop – as wonderfully until one day they instinctively begin organized as the program is. What really draws us? I don’t know. You swimming towards a particular feel like you’ve returned home. A mashpia at a farbrengen spoke destination. They exhaust themselves about salmon that swim from place fighting against the current, they leap to place, until one day they instinctively begin swimming over waterfalls and escape from the nets towards a particular destination. They exhaust themselves fighting of fishermen until they finally end up in against the current, they leap over waterfalls and escape from the nets a quiet area somewhere in the of fishermen until they finally end up in a quiet area somewhere in the mountains, where they lay eggs and bring mountains, where they lay eggs and forth a new generation… That’s 770. bring forth a new generation… That’s 770. born and they feel an inner urge to within the four cubits of the Rebbe. What motivates them to swim return to their source. Each of us have the big moments we against the current the entire way? Each of us was “born” in 770, were zocheh to, whether before or Apparently this is where they were BEIS MOSHIACH Issue 717 5 717:Beis Moshiach 09/11/2009 6:12 AM Page 6 concerns aside. Be with the Rebbe. You’ve come to 770 and yet you remain True, all of us go with a hole in immersed in the material concerns you our pocket and we return to our place of shlichus with the same have all year?! In order to return home, worries and problems, but things work out eventually. You see it you need to disengage from everything happen. Every shliach is a witness to and be home. 770 is home! big miracles in his work. THE GIFT after 3 Tamuz, the moments that they said to the Rebbe, “Those who shaped us into who we are. And that did not have the merit to come, A SHLIACH BRINGS is where we yearn to return. It’s our should have the merit to come,” the Is there a difference between a source. There is no rational Rebbe replied, “One who did have shliach who goes to the Rebbe and explanation for this attraction but the merit to come, should merit to a Chassid who goes to the Rebbe? when you get there, you suddenly come …” I came across a sicha of the feel removed from the rest of the One thing that I find grating is Rebbe in which he describes a world, like someone who has come when I walk in to the Kinus and see Chassidishe balabus who is worn out to his rightful place. shluchim exchanging addresses for all the days of the week because of I remember the first time I went fundraising purposes. You’ve come his involvement in the mundane to 770. It was a Shabbos morning, to 770 and yet you remain immersed world of work. Comes Shabbos and Parshas Nitzavim-VaYeilech in the material concerns you have all you want to rest, but the opposite 5742/1982. I walked in at seven in year?! In order to return home, you happens. The weariness and the morning and learned Chassidus need to disengage from everything tiredness is what the entire Shabbos and then davened Shacharis and and be home. 770 is home! A shliach is about. The Shabbos isn’t a Musaf. Then I found myself a spot needs to show up at 770 early in the Shabbos and the davening isn’t a for the farbrengen. This was morning and sit and learn Chassidus davening and five minutes after the followed by Mincha. I left 770 a few before davening – something he isn’t davening is over he has already minutes before sunset and ran to eat necessarily able to do while on disappeared. something. This was the first time I shlichus on a daily basis – and Then the Rebbe says, a was leaving 770 after an entire Shacharis needs to be a Shacharis! If Chassidishe balabus who acts this Shabbos and suddenly, what do you he’s attending the Kinus program, way is the utter opposite of what the know … There are streets and cars wonderful; if he has some free time, congregation expects of him.