Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
THE RESOLUTION
TO ADD IN ACTS OF
KINDNESS BRINGS
GEULA
The very resolution to do so immediately brings
about the reward, the advent of the redemption,
this very instant. * Final entry of Chapter Five of
Rabbi Shloma Majeskis Likkutei Mekoros Vol. 2.
(Underlined text is the compilers emphasis.)
Translated by Boruch Merkur
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MOSHIACHS
SEIFER
TORAH
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon
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OBITUARY
PASSING OF
A LOYAL
CHASSID
R Refael (Fole) Wilschanskys refined face did not disclose the tremendous
suffering he endured in life. * From his childhood in underground yeshivos
in Kursk and Berditchev, escaping a Soviet orphanage and his wanderings
during World War II. * He finally left Russia in 1947 and was one of the first
Chassidim to arrive in Paris, where he served the public and helped many
refugees by direct instructions of the Rebbe Rayatz. * Part I
By Shneur Zalman Levin
Refael Wilschansky
ah was born in 5685
(November 1924) in
Batum, Georgia. His
mother was Chaya and his father,
Betzalel, was a shochet who was
sent there by the Rebbe Rayatz.
When
Refael
was
two, the family moved to
Verkhnodniprovsk
near
Dnepropetrovsk. Behind the
house his family lived in there
was a large yard and a well in the
center, from which they would
fill a large barrel that was in the
kitchen.
I once climbed on the barrel
and I suppose the cover was not
on securely because I fell in. My
older sister ran to my mother and
THE WANDERING
LIFE BEGINS
When Refael turned twelve,
in Cheshvan 5697, he went with
Yisroel Levin to the secret yeshiva
in Kursk, a nights journey away.
During those terrible years,
the Tmimim were scattered in
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OBITUARY
example, there is an underground
yeshiva operating in Berditchev
I had nothing to
say in response
to that. I stayed in his
house all day and then
in the evening went
to the train station to
continue my journey.
Some time later I found
out that there was in
fact a mikva in Rostov.
Its entrance was under
the very table on which
I had eaten breakfast!
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ESCAPE
Refael and his friend Refael
Brook went on one of these visits.
They were walking on the street
where R Levi Yitzchoks shul
was when Refael Wilschansky
suddenly noticed the Chassid,
R Michoel Teitelbaum. He had
come with mesirus nefesh to the
lions den. His head was wrapped
in bandages to hide his beard.
The two boys passed him so he
would notice them. He motioned
TOMCHEI TMIMIM
DURING THE WAR
R Refael continued his
wanderings with his friend R
Heschel Tzeitlin at the beginning
of Shvat 5700/1940. They
journeyed to Kutais in Georgia
where there was already a branch
of Tomchei Tmimim. He had a
special memory of this time as he
related:
There in Kutais we saw
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OBITUARY
something that to us was
astounding. I remembered that
in my childhood in Russia we had
a picture of the Rebbe Rayatz,
but we only saw it two times,
when my father took it out of the
binding of a book and showed
it to us and then immediately
hid it again, since it was very
dangerous to have this picture. In
Kutais, the shamash of the shul
openly announced that pictures
of the Rebbe Rashab and Rebbe
Rayatz could be bought!
R Yosef Goldberg headed
the yeshiva in Kutais. He was
devoted to the material and
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Talmidim of the yeshiva in Berditchev, photographed in the yard of the GPU. From
right to left in the back row: Heschel Tzeitlin, Dovber Gurevitch, Eliezer Mogilevsky,
Moshe Robinson, Yochanan (shamash of the shul), Alter (who was present in the shul
at the time of the arrest)
front row: Shmuel Itkin, Refael Wilschansky, Velvel Auerbuch, Refael Brook,
Yechezkel Brod, Sholom Dovber Pevsner
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OBITUARY
400 grams of bread daily, while
soldiers and their families were
given double. R Moshe with his
connections obtained quite a few
of the 800 gram coupons, so the
Tmimim had plenty of bread and
could sell bread to others and use
the money to obtain exemption
papers from the army.
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OBITUARY
motherland and freedom, there
was enormous tension and fear.
OUTSIDE THE
IRON CURTAIN!
On the 10th of Kislev, the
Chag HaGeula of the Mitteler
Rebbe, toward morning, the
Chassidim crossed the border
and arrived in Pshemshl in
Poland.
It is hard to describe the joy
that we all felt. Hugs and kisses
and tears of joy and thanks to
Hashem that we were freed. We
got off the train and entered a
grocery store near the station.
Our eyes lit up at the sight of
shelves loaded with food and
drink the likes of which we had
not seen in Russia for so long.
Our friend R Meir Itkin bought
some bottles of vodka and it was
merry!
SECRETARY
OF THE LISHKA
The Rebbe Rayatz founded
the Lishka (European Office of
Refugee Aid and Resettlement)
and appointed R Binyamin
Gorodetzky to run it.
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PARSHA THOUGHT
THE POWER
OF SO
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg
ALLUSION TO THE
BAIS HAMIKDASH
The great Sephardic Sage and
Kabbalist, Rabbi Chaim Palachi
(1788-1869, of Izmir, Turkey),
TWO SCENARIOS
To answer this question it is
important for us to understand
why there are two versions of
how the third Bais HaMikdash
will be built:
As stated, Rashi maintains
that the Bais HaMikdash will
descend from above, fully
constructed.
Rambam (based on the
Jerusalem Talmud and other
Midrashic sources), however,
rules that Moshiach will build
the Bais HaMikdash. This does
not mean that he will build it
singlehandedly. Rather, it will
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OBITUARY
be built by the Jewish people
under Moshiachs direction. The
Rambam, therefore, included the
laws of the Temples construction
in his Mishneh Torah, so that
when Moshiach receives the
signal from Above to build it,
we will be familiar with the laws
concerning its construction.
How do we reconcile these
two views? Either G-d has
already built the Bais HaMikdash
or we will be the ones to build it.
How can it be both ways?
The Rebbe provided several
approaches to reconciling these
two scenarios. One approach is
that it will depend on the manner
in which the Redemption occurs.
If we are meritorious and the
Redemption occurs because of
our virtuous behavior it will be
a miraculous Redemption and a
IS IT PHYSICAL OR
SPIRITUAL?
To better comprehend the
two scenarios let us try to
understand what it means when
the Sages say that the third
Temple is already built. What is
the nature of its construction?
Is it a spiritual structure? Or is
it actually a physical structure
that is currently hidden from our
view? Also, we must understand
how was it constructed?
The answers hinge on a
better understanding of the
dynamic of a Mitzvah and how its
performance leads to the building
of the Bais HaMikdash.
Whenever we perform a
Mitzvah, we generate a G-dly
energy that contributes to the
construction of the third Bais
THE DECREE
The Mitzvah-Bais HaMikdash
dynamic is a reversal of the way
the world existed in its initial
stages.
When G-d created the
world, He created two parallel
dimensions of existence; a host
of spiritual worlds and a physical
world, the one we inhabit. At
the time of creation, however, a
decree was issued that the two
worlds would remain parallel
lines that never meet. In the
words of the Psalmist: The
heavens are G-ds heavens, but
the earth He gave to the children
of man. The very word for
decree in Hebrew is gzeira,
which also means severance.
G-d severed what should have
been a natural partnership.
Before Sinai, ones spiritual
efforts could not have an
impact on the physical world.
The concept of holiness in the
physical realm did not yet exist.
This all changed at Sinai.
The decree of separation was
rescinded and G-d enabled us
to fuse the parallel dimensions
into a seamless unit. Whenever
we perform a Mitzvah, which
invariably
involves
physical
objects and a physical body, we
cause the spiritual to manifest
itself within the physical.
In their aggregate, Mitzvah
performances create a physical
entity that is totally and
manifestly reflective of the most
sublime spiritual and G-dly light.
That is what we mean when
we say that the third Temple is
already fully built. It is not about
the difference between a spiritual
Temple and a physical one. It
is about the physical and the
spiritual as they are organically
and seamlessly one. It will be a
place where absolutely no trace
of separation between the two
realms will exist and from there it
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SO WHAT?
We can now answer the
question posed above, why the
Torah adds the words so had
they done. If the first part
of the verse alludes to how
our compliance with all of the
commandments
builds
the
heavenly Bais HaMikdash, the
final words, so had they done,
clarifies two points:
First, the cumulative efforts
of all past generations must be
followed by our following in their
footsteps. We must do our part in
living a non-dichotomous life.
Second, the word in Hebrew
for so is kein. When G-d
created the world, He said for
each day of creation, let there
be and it was so. There was
one exception. On day one G-d
said, Let there be light, and
there was light. It does not say
and it was so, because the
light that emerged was not the
identical light that was intended.
There was a dichotomy. Not
until Sinai did we receive the
potential power to reverse that
inconsistency. And not until the
generation of Redemption will
B E I S 1012
M O S
H I
ACH
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BITACHON BYTES
HOW TO MAINTAIN
BITACHON THROUGH
THICK AND THIN
By Rabbi Zalman Goldberg
o always be happy
(one of the indicators
of Bitachon) can be
challenging at times.
Constant progression is a common
human trait, whether in Torah
study, business, mivtzaim projects
or the like. No one wants to be at a
standstill; people generally wish to
grow and move up and ahead.
the Rebbe always encourages
people to do more. Not only
mustnt we decrease their good
deeds, but we must steadily
increase either the quality or
quantity of good deeds, or both.
This message was relayed to
people after they gave a huge
donation to charity and the
like. The Rebbe expressed this
message even to eighty-year-olds.
Whereas the world proclaims that
by the age of eighty one should
have retired, the Rebbe quoted
the Torah perspective in Pirkei
Avos that an eighty year old has
special strength (), and thus
even greater achievements than
before are expected of him.
The challenge can arise when
we are not moving forward as we
would like, and there seem to be
impediments to our advance in
good deeds. Even then we must
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CHABAD HISTORY
MIVTZA TEFILLIN
& MEZUZAH:
THE
MOROCCAN
VERSION
In 1953, a Moroccan teacher announced that he will
be checking Tefillin and Mezuzos for free * The Rebbe
wanted this activity to expand to the rest of the country
and the JDC agreed to sponsor part of the project *
Rabbi Gorodetskys activities: From Czechoslovakia
to England, Tunis to Rumania, and everywhere in
between * Part Seven
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he previous installments
focused on the general
development
of
the
Chabad
Educational
Network in Morocco. This week
we will focus on a variant of
Mivtza Tefillin and Mivtza
Mezuzah which began in Morocco
in 1953, and later was subsidized
by the American Joint Distribution
Committee (JDC).
These fascinating documents
are part of the JDC Archives
(which were digitized and uploaded online, thanks to a grant
from Dr. Georgette Bennett and
Dr. Leonard Polonsky CBE).
THE REBBE:
I AM VERY GLADDENED
It all began in 1953, when
one of the teachers in the Oholei
Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch school
network announced that he is beginning a free Mezuzah & Tefillin
checking campaign, with the goal
of finding the ones that are Possul
and replacing them.
Rabbi Shlomo Matusof, the
Rebbes Shliach to Casablanca,
reported this new activity to the
Rebbe, and the Rebbe responded
to this detail in a lengthy letter
which included many other details (on the 25th of Shvat 5713),
encouraging the activity and telling him to contact Rabbi Binyomin Eliyahu Gorodetsky, the
Rebbes representative to Europe
& North Africa, that he get this
activity sponsored:
9) I was very gladdened by
what you wrote, that one of the
teachers of Oholei Yosef Yitzchak
announced that he will check the
Tefillin and Mezuzos,
and he took care of this.
It would be good if in the
other cities they would
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CHABAD HISTORY
offering his own idea of Mivzta
Tefillin
[] Tefilin and Mezuzoth:
I am not quite sure for whom
Rabbi Gorodetski requires 1,000
pairs of Tefilin and 3 to 5 thousand Mezuzoth. If it is for Morocco, then I think the number
should be far less. I do not think
that the Lubavitch should make
a general distribution of these
items throughout Morocco, Tefilin can be obtained in Morocco at a cost of about Fr. 900 a
pair and there is no reason why
the Lubavitch should not supervise the making of these Tefilin.
I am not quite clear what the
Lubavitch would do with 3 to 5
thousand Mezuzoth.
They have often mentioned to
me that the Mezuzoth in the villages are all not Kosher. If a general distribution of Mezuzoth is
intended, then many more would
be required than 5,000. I shall
talk to Rabbi Gorodetzki about
this when I meet him in Casablanca to find out exactly what he
wanted to do.
I think a pair of Tefilin should
be provided for all boys in the
Lubavitch Institutions reach the
age of Bar-Mitzvah and perhaps
for those over the age of BarMitzvah who have not yet a pair
of Tefilin. The entire number
should be far less the 1,000. Provided you agree in principle to
grant funds for books, Tefilin and
Mezuzoth, I shall discuss this
question with Rabbi Gorodetzki
and work out an acceptable procedure.
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FEATURE
JOY
IN THE FACE
OF ADVERSITY
R Ran Menashe is a popular lecturer with a series of
classes on the topic of simcha. * These days, with the
commodity of simcha in short supply, it is not surprising
that people love these shiurim. * When Adar enters, we
increase in joy!
By Shneur Zalman Levin
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HUMILITY IS THE
GATEWAY TO SIMCHA
Why
attribute
does
Chassidus
such loftiness and
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FEATURE
power to simcha?
Because Chassidus maintains
that the gateway to all the klipos
and impurity is sadness. That
means, what makes a person fall
into the lowest of places are not
the sins he does but the sadness
that follows the sinning. Even
when a person did a sin, he can
regret it and repent and even
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SIMCHA AS A WEAPON
AGAINST DAILY DRUDGERY
The
average
person
experiences parnasa worries,
worries
about
children,
difficulties in the workplace,
debts, etc. How can he, in the
midst of all this, be happy? Can
you give us some practical tools
that can lift a person up a bit
from the many waters of the
world?
Our Rebbeim gave us endless
treasures within the maamarei
Chassidus and sichos. Just like
Hashem inserted Himself in the
Torah, the Rebbeim said they
put themselves into the teachings
of Chassidus. This is why it is
important to learn the maamarei
Chassidus of the Rebbeim.
The main thing I try to
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PROFILE
n a developing community
there will always be novel
initiatives that will be popular
with some while being
vehemently opposed by others.
This was the case when
it came to the youth minyan
organized
by
R
Aharon
Serebryanski, R Zalmans son,
who was a teacher in the yeshiva
and who tried to be a positive
influence on his students even
outside of class time. He started
a special minyan for children and
asked boys to come and bring
their friends. Nowadays, nearly
every
organized
community
has a special childrens minyan,
but back then it was a novelty.
Many of Anash were upset with
R Aharon for doing this without
first consulting with Lubavitcher
askanim.
At that time, R Zalmans son
Chaim announced the opening of
a camp for children of Chabad
schools, and here too some
askanim were upset. Why were
youngsters starting new entities
without consulting with the
veteran askanim?
These
two
examples,
presented
in
R
Zalmans
letter to the Rebbe on Rosh
Chodesh Kislev, tell us about
the active involvement of young
THE COMPLAINTS OF
ANASH ABOUT THE WORK
OF THE YOUTH
In light of the Rebbes letter,
R Zalman encouraged the
activities of the youth and when
Anash came and complained, he
told them that the intentions of
the youth were good and surely
they would be successful. And
since they wrote to the Rebbe
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STORY
DOING BUSINESS
WITH THE RUSSIAN
SECRET POLICE
By Menachem Ziegelboim
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incantations help?
The
Chacham
shrugged
innocently, I dont know. But
it certainly helps me I make a
living from it.
The interrogators burst into
laughter. In their heart of hearts
they had to admit that this was
a real character. The Chacham
joined their laughter and for quite
some time the light atmosphere
mitigated the usual heaviness of
the Kutais interrogation room.
But this injection of gaiety
into the interrogation was a trap
by means of which they tried
to distract him. The Chacham
was on guard and did not
allow himself to be entrapped.
Another few questions and
answers completely confused the
interrogators.
Go outside! they finally told
him.
Not for a moment did he
drop the mask of innocence. He
wished the interrogators a good
day and left the room. With
confident steps he made his way
to the main entrance. He nodded
at the guard and went out to the
street.
Where do you think you are
going? demanded the guard.
They told me to go home,
he said calmly.
His
unruffled
demeanor
would not have tipped off
anybody to the fact that he was
a prisoner on the run. Once he
was out of sight of the guard, he
quickened his pace and escaped
to the house of an acquaintance.
He definitely could not return
home.
The interrogators finished
their deliberations and sent
for the Chacham. To their
astonishment, there was nobody
waiting in the outer room.
Where is the Chacham? they
shouted at the poor guard who
tried to defend himself.
He told me that you released
him, he stammered.
The police who quickly
arrived at the Chachams house
were told by his children that they
didnt know where their father
was.
***
The Chassid went to the train
station where he set out to see
the Rebbe Rayatz who was in
Kostrama at the time. This was
shortly after his sentence had
been mitigated, and he was sent
to exile in Kostrama for three
years.
After Shabbos, the Chassid
told the Rebbe everything that
had happened. The Rebbe
listened closely to his loyal soldier
who was in trouble.
Said the Rebbe, Go to a place
where legal business is done with
government permission and ask
the merchants to write out a few
records in your name as though
you are the buyer. Then return
home and go straight to the GPU
offices and tell them: I listened
to you! Since you told me it is
not a good thing for me to be a
Chacham, I became a merchant
and here are my accounts as
proof.
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STORY
didnt you?
They looked in bewilderment
at the naive fellow sitting in front
of them. And where did you
disappear to?
Looking somewhat sheepish,
he replied, I heard from you
that being a Chacham is not a
desirable profession according to
the law so I became a merchant.
I went to Moscow and bought
merchandise and here are the
receipts, he said, handing them
the bundle of papers.
The interrogators relaxed.
They smiled with satisfaction
for the successful reeducation
of stubborn Chassidim did not
happen every day.
Excellent!
they
said,
dismissing
him.
Being
a
businessman is better than being
a Chacham, although the best
thing to be is a worker. And its
fortunate for you that you came
here of your own initiative. If we
had come to you, you would have
gotten ten years hard labor in
Siberia.
Now go home and dont
forget that from now on, you
should be a worker.
He left them with a
triumphant smile on his face.
And indeed, he continued all
his life as a loyal worker. Of the
Rebbe, of course.
Based on Likkutei Sippurim by
R Chaim Mordechai Perlov
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TZIVOS HASHEM
trip.
When we got off the bus, we
saw a military plane with large
wings whose nose was pointed
at the wide path which led to
the museums main entrance.
We walked between flowerbeds
and the shells of ancient planes
and entered the building. A
young, tall, and thin man
welcomed us. Hi, Im Ronny,
he said with a smile. I will be
your guide for today.
We entered the lecture hall
and sat on comfor table seats.
The lights in the room went out
and on the screen in front of us
we were shown military planes
from various wars along with
new developments in the air
force.
The movie stopped and
Ronny began to speak.
I hope youve enjoyed the
planes you saw. I am sure you
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TZIVOS HASHEM
the fulfillment
of and they will
their swords
g
grind
into plowshares and their
spears into pruning hooks.
There is no doubt that the
beginning of the fulfillment of
this promise is a clear sign that
Moshiach is already in the world
and affecting the world, with
the Geula about to happen.
We followed Ronny on a
tour of various exhibits, but I
was bothered by a question.
How was it that things like this
existed and we were starting
to see the fulfillment of the
prophecies, when at the same
time we continuously hear
reports about Iran working on
creating a nuclear bomb to do
evil in the world? When will
they too get the Geula feeling
and stop using their power for
negative things?
And then I got it. I too have to
start living and understanding
that Moshiach is present in
the world! I too have to start
trying
fulfill
to
the promise of and they
will grind their swords into
plowshares. And this is surely
the answer, for if I do so, it will
definitely affect the world and
cause the evil regimes to stop
developing weapons of mass
destruction.
That I should fulfill the
promise of and they will grind
their swords into plowshares?
You are probably wondering
how, but I remembered how
the day before I had asked
my parents for money to buy
a cap gun to use when I heard
Hamans name. You probably
know that a cap gun and
caps are more expensive than
regular graggers, and more
dangerous, and not really suited
for a Chassidishe boy like me.
But its the only opportunity I
have of playing with something
like it, and for a good reason
to erase Hamans name, and I
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