B”H Erev Shavuot, 5th of Sivan, 5780; May 28th, 2020 047 "But we only have nine. We need a min- Captured! yan in order to davven and lein (read from the Torah scroll)." Rabbi Hershel Schacter [not to be con- "Oh really? Well, you need a minyan. I fused with Rabbi Hershel Schachter, the do not!" To prove his point, he brazenly Rosh Kollel at YU] was a prominent lit up a cigarette. American Rabbi with a distinguished "Yechezkel, I'm begging you. Just come career in the rabbinate and in public Jew- in to the tent - we'll pray quickly." ish life. During World War II, he was a In a huff, Yechezkel replied, "Fine! Just chaplain in the Third Army's VIII Corps this once!" He entered the makeshift shul and was the first US Army Chaplain to with a scowl. participate in the liberation of the Buch- young mother and her small son were enwald concentration camp shortly after desperate to get out of Buchenwald, but The nine men who would be praying it had been liberated by General George babies were not allowed on this started the preliminaries, followed by Patton's troops on April 11, 1945. While transport. "Don't worry, we'll get you Kaddish. All the while, Yechezkel made others begged to leave Buchenwald due out," Rabbi Schacter said. "Get on the sure everyone knew how unhappy he to the unbearable stench, Rabbi Schacter train, and hide in one of the lavatories. was. Rabbi Schacter then took out the stayed for months, tending to survivors Lock the door. Under no circumstances Sefer Torah and asked if any of the men and leading religious services. shall you open it unless I call you." He knew how to read. They all shook their gave them food to tide them over. heads. Yechezkel, meanwhile, was look- Yechezkel[1] was a young man from a ing longingly outside the tent. Polish Chasidic family. Rabbi Schacter Rabbi Schacter was rushing to and fro, found him charming and took a special making sure each boy was accounted for. Then Rabbi Schacter remembered, liking to the boy. Yechezkel had lost his All the while, Rabbi Schacter was won- "Yechezkel!" entire family during the war and had dering if Yechezkel would show up. As "What do you want," the boy replied, completely renounced his faith in G-d. the train was ready to depart, Yechezkel icily. Yechezkel defiantly told the rabbi about came up to shake the rabbi's hand. "Didn't you tell me you were a ba'al his plans to assimilate and live the rest of "Yechezkel, it's so nice of you to come koreh (qualified Torah-scroll reader) his life in post-war Germany, without a and say goodbye!" And with that, he before the war?" trace of Judaism. Rabbi Schacter listened grabbed the boy's hand and with a burst "Maybe. So what?" sympathetically and tried to offer his of strength hauled Yechezkel onto the "So you're the only one of us who knows moral support. They talked often. train just as it was starting to pull out of how to lein. We need to hear the Torah the station! Yechezkel was shocked and reading for this Shabbat after- Some time after his arrival in Buchen- furious. Rabbi Schacter told him he just noon.” wald, Rabbi Schacter organized a train did it on impulse, but to please not be so "There you go again with your 'We need transport for 200 boys to Switzerland. angry. Yechezkel was steaming! to….' You might need to. I certainly Each boy was issued a special ticket don't!" from the Swiss government, and Rabbi Finally, the train made its way to Swit- Schacter was responsible for distributing zerland. The Swiss protested that there Continued on page 3 them to the boys. He knew that this was was double the number of boys. Rabbi a desperate time, and they needed to get Schacter coolly threatened to call a press more than 200 of these boys into Swit- conference to tell the world that Switzer- zerland. He invited another survivor who land is refusing entry to destitute war Shabbat Times was an expert artist to create additional orphans. The Swiss quickly backed Candle Lighting Motzei Shabbat tickets. You could not tell the difference down. The mother and child also made it between the original and the copy. safely. Jerusalem 40:7 00:: Tel Aviv 40:7 00:8 Rabbi Schacter distributed the copies, so After their arrival Rabbi Schacter at- Haifa 4077 00:7 nearly 400 boys were planning to make tempted to make a minyan on Shabbat. Beer Sheva 4077 00:: the trip. He also offered Yechezkel a There was easily enough people for Sha- ticket, but the boy refused. He wanted no charit, but Mincha proved difficult. He New York 00:7 70:7 part of restarting a Jewish life. The day could only find nine men, including him- came when the train for Switzerland self. Remembering Yechezkel, he went Chabad Of Israel arrived at Buchenwald. Rabbi Schacter in search of the young man, who was not Rabbi Joseph I. Aronov told Yechezkel, "look, even if you don't happy to see him. Published by M.L.S. Kfar Chabad (03) 3731777 come with us to Switzerland, at least Editor: Aharon Schmidt come to see us off when we board the [email protected] "Yechezkel, I need you for a minyan." Please guard the sanctity of this publication trains." Yechezkel reluctantly agreed. A "Are you crazy? Absolutely not!" Shavuos - Practical Education train our children to approach the Torah. the custom of recreating the Sinai experi- The first thing is actual deed. They observe ence by having all Jews - men, woman, The Midrash relates that before G‑d gave the mitzvos without understanding their children, even infants - gather in the syna- the Torah to the Jewish people, He asked rationale. Instead, they grow up practicing gogue to hear the reading of the Ten Com- for guarantors. them as an integral part of their existence. mandments on the first day of Shavuos. They do not see Judaism as merely a set of The nation offered several options: the beliefs whose value they comprehend, but Following that custom brings home the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Mo- a fully integrated way of life that encom- above concepts. For whether or not they ses and the other prophets, but G-d reject- passes every dimension of their existence. understand the reading, everyone attending ed them all. The people then volunteered: will appreciate that it is special. A child “Our children will be our guarantors.” Teaching Our Way Of Life will know that even if he did not compre- hend the reading, he did establish a bond G‑d agreed and gave the Torah. “Brainwashing,” someone might protest. with the Torah. “Denying the children free choice.” On one hand, the concept is obvious. If And the truth is that the adults should take you want an idea or a practice to be perpet- But it is not. Our children will always have precisely that message home. For the truth uated, you must involve youth. Perhaps the a choice. They grow up in a world where of the Torah is G‑dly, beyond human con- point of the Midrash then is the nature of material things are openly evident to all of ception. No matter how much we do un- the involvement asked of our children. us, and the existence of spiritual truth is derstand, there is always infinitely more only in books. Is there any question that which is beyond our understanding. First We Will Do they will hear the other side? Adapted from the teachings of the Lubav- A lot of times people say, “I will show my And raising them without a thorough in- itcher Rebbe, Shabbos Table and children an approach. I’m sure that they’ll volvement in Judaism as a way of life is Moshiach Now! reprinted from Keeping in appreciate that it’s good. But I won’t force also a message. It teaches them that Juda- Touch, Sichos in English. From our Sag- them. I’ll let them make up their own ism is secondary, perhaps a nice pastime, es reprinted from minds.” but not one of the fundamental elements of LchaimWeekly.org – LYO / NYC life. What kind of choice does that leave Judaism takes a much different tact. Before the child? the Jews received the Torah at Mount Si- nai, they told G‑d: “We will do and we Reliving Mount Sinai How to Deal with Ga’ava (Pride) will listen,” making a commitment to ob- serve the Torah, before they knew what Shavuos is the anniversary of the giving of Reb Yosef Yitzchock Zaltzman, shliach G‑d was commanding them. the Torah, an appropriate time for each of to Toronto, Canada, relates: us to renew and deepen our connection This practice is mirrored in the way we with it. The Lubavitcher Rebbe instituted I was in yechidus for my seventeenth birthday, 25 Shevat 5733 (1973). I had written on my note that I suffer from gai- vah (pride), and whatever I do makes me feel that I am a groiser mentch (a great "I am the L-rd your G-d." made of dust and earth. A mountain is person). just more of that earth collected and Why did G-d use the singular form when heaped up into a larger mass. The fact The Rebbe answered the following: giving the Ten Commandments to mil- that the Torah was given on a mountain “Firstly, there is a solution to learn chap- lions of people? To teach us that each and teaches us that a Jew's purpose in life is to ter 41 of Tanya by heart.