BH. 7 Shvat 5777 27 January 2017 Number 1055 Price: $6.

00 Part 2 of 2
The international weekly heralding the coming of Moshiach

LONG LIVE THE REBBE MELECH HAMOSHIACH FOREVER AND EVER!

1055_bm_eng.indd 3 2017-01-31 10:23:41 AM
 CONTENTS

9
FEATURED ARTICLES WEEKLY COLUMNS
3 Dvar Malchus
8 SAVE ME!
SAVE ME! 5 Parsha Thought
Avrohom Rainitz
17 Moshiach & Hayom Yom
20 AN EXISTENTIAL
DANGER:
22 Halacha 2 Go
ANTI-RELIGIOUS 36 Story
EDUCATION 42 Tzivos Hashem
24 SIMPLY TO LOVE
THE REBBE
17 Rabbi Sholom Dovber Shapiro

33 DINUSH IS HOME
AND EATING!
Blumie Landau Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082-0272
is published weekly, except Jewish holidays (only

39 CHAMPION OF
THE SETTLEMENTS
once in April and October) for $160.00 in Crown
Heights. USA $180.00. All other places for $195.00
per year (45 issues), by Beis Moshiach, 744 Eastern
Shneur Zalman Levin 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 2017 by Beis Moshiach, Inc.

Beis Moshiach is not responsible for the content

and Kashruth of the advertisements.
24
Tel: (718) 778-8000 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ENGLISH EDITOR:
Fax: (718) 778-0800 M.M. Hendel Boruch Merkur
744 Eastern Parkway editor@beismoshiach.org
BMoshiach@gmail.com HEBREW EDITOR:
Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409 www.beismoshiach.org Rabbi S.Y. Chazan
BMoshiach@gmail.com

1055_bm_eng.indd 4 2017-01-31 10:23:56 AM

 DVAR MALCHUS

BASI LGANI 5717

Beis Moshiach presents Section 7 of the maamer the Rebbe
MHM delivered on Yud Shvat 5717, in accordance with the
custom established by the Rebbe to review each year a section
of the Rebbe Rayatzs maamer Basi LGani of 5710. This year we
focus on the seventh section of the profound and foundational
Chassidic discourse.

Translated by Boruch Merkur

ONE WHO IS SMALL IS GREAT
AND ONE WHO IS GREAT IS SMALL
7. The maamer continues, contrasting the
perspectives of Yaakov and Eisav regarding their
personal wealth. When the twin brothers meet,
Yaakov proclaims his prosperity with the words,
yesh li kol I have everything, and Eisav speaks
of his abundant wealth, saying, yesh li rav I have
plenty. Here Yaakovs perspective characterizes
holiness, as it invokes and embraces the aspect
of kol, which establishes a bond, a genuine
connection dachid bshmaya vara (that unifies embraces grandiosity, megalomania (hisravravus,
the heavens with the earth). Eisav, on the other
hand, who embodies the world of klipa (a shell
or husk that conceals G-dliness), fails to mention
kol, a testimony to his inability to connect. Eisav
instead has rav-plenty, signifying ribbui and
hischalkus (fragmented hordes of possessions), the
opposite of unity (dachid), which is characteristic
of holiness. The Midrash captures this difference in
a different context: Regarding Eisavs household,
the Torah speaks of sheish nefashos six people,
nefashos written in the plural (similar to yesh li
rav), as it is written, Eisav took nefashos beiso,
the people of his household. Yaakov, on the other
hand, had seventy offspring, but they are referred to
in the singular, nefesh echad, as it is written, kol
nefesh yotzei yerech Yaakov, etc. (all the offspring
sired by Yaakov, etc.).
The Rebbe goes on to reconcile Eisavs claim
Yesh li rav I have everything with larash ein
kol the poor have nothing by citing the enigmatic
statement of Rav Mesivta in Zohar: One who is
small is great and one who is great is small (Zohar
I 122b, Zohar III 168a). One who is small alludes
to the realm of holiness, for [as discussed above
regarding the bittul of the letter Yud] it made
itself small. Thus, it is written, How will Yaakov
stand, for he is small (Amos 7:2,5). But since he
is small, he is great, for bittul allows a person
to receive all influence from above, including the
revelation of Olam HaBa was created with the
letter Yud, which is the aspect of to behold the
splendor of G-d (noam Havaya) (as above,
Section 3).
The realm of unholiness, on the other hand,
which is described as one who is great, for it
the opposite of bittul), receives Divine influence only
from chitzonius dchitzonius, the most superficial
aspect. Thus, it is small, it only receives a minute
quantity. That is, the plenty of one who has only
material possessions is considered as minute and in
small measure. In fact, physicality, even when it is
plentiful, yesh li rav, has unto itself no existence
whatsoever; it is small.
A DANGEROUS QUEST
FOR HIDDEN TREASURE
Moreover, as well shall see, material plenty
(yesh li rav) itself causes the person to become
small and insignificant. The negative impact of
materialism is explained at length by the Rebbe
Maharash in his interpretation of the verse, A
mans folly distorts his way, but his heart is incensed
with Havaya (Mishlei 19:3):
We see in nature that the necessities of life are
more commonly available and more accessible. For
example, air is a constant need and it is everywhere

Issue 1055 3

1055_bm_eng.indd 3 2017-01-31 10:24:02 AM

 Dvar Malchus
to be found and effortlessly acquired. Food and
drink, which are needed on a less regular basis
than air, are not as readily available. Regarding
consumables themselves, drink is more necessary
than food, and it is more accessible and less
expensive. Clothing is not as urgently required
(for one may still live without clothes) but more
expensive than food and drink. Ones most valued
worldly asset is likely his house, which is not at
all an immediate necessity. A house is extremely
expensive and difficult to acquire. How much more
so regarding truly ostentatious possessions, pure
luxuries. The fact is though that there are people
who, for the sake of acquiring luxuries, pursue
them to the point of engendering themselves, acting
in way that defies logic.
It is with regard to the latter category, the
pursuit of ostentatious goods, that the verse applies,
A mans folly distorts his way. For this conduct,
this folly and stupidity to attain luxury items,
distorts his way; not only does he not achieve
his goal, he actually suffers a loss, for he becomes
unsettled, lacking peace of mind. Thus, he comes to
lose out on even material things he requires.
The above insight illuminates the saying, One
who is small is great and one who is great is small,
for it teaches that material abundance itself brings
about ones diminishment.
BY PURSUING LUXURIES THEY LOSE EVEN
THEIR NECESSITIES
The Rebbe continues in the maamer, citing the
saying (recited on Erev Rosh HaShana and the
prayer of Nila on Yom Kippur) the needs of Your
nation are great but they (the people) are narrow-
minded (vdaatam ktzara). The entire reason
why the needs of your nation are great with
the compulsion to attain luxury items is because
4 7 Shvat 5777
1055_bm_eng.indd 4
they are narrow-minded (as in the verse, A
mans folly). These fools fail to understand that
by pursuing luxuries they stand to lose even their
necessities.
The Rebbe points out that on a subtler,
more spiritual level, the lesson of they are
narrow-minded vdaatam ktzara pertains to
delving deeply (haamakas hadaas) into Divine
contemplation, applying ones mind to this worthy
pursuit, in a manner of hiskashrus, unwavering,
focused meditation. (See Tanya Chapter 3, end;
Chapter 42 (59b), etc. This concept is discussed
above in Section 5 of this maamer regarding yesod
is the end part of the body, that the body and the
bris are considered as one.) When one applies his
mind in contemplating G-dliness, to know that G-
d, your L-rd gives you strength to make wealth
(Eikev 8:18), he does not devise plots to wander
and journey to the corners of the earth [to amass
wealth]. This person believes and knows what
is written, G-d your L-rd shall bless you in all
that you do (and his knowledge is genuine, with
hiskashrus, permeating all powers of his soul).
Indeed, G-d can bless the person in all that he
does in his locale; there is no need for him to have
travel to a place of danger, nor is there any need for
plots and schemes.
Thus, the needs of your nation are great
because they are narrow-minded (vdaatam
ktzara): Here narrow-minded refers to the
lack of daas and hiskashrus to the concept of G-d
your L-rd shall bless you in all that you do. This
neglect result in A mans folly distorts his way, the
tendency towards plotting and scheming, etc. As a
result, the hashpaa also comes about in a circuitous
fashion, exchanging rav-great (plentiful material
wealth) for zeer-small, as above.
(To be continued beH)
 Express service
 Fully Computerized
331 Kingston Ave.
(2nd Flr) Brooklyn NY 11213
Get your tickets within minutes! (718) 493-1111
Fax: (718) 493-4444
"The quickest way to reveal Moshiach is by learning the Torah
sources about Moshiach & redemption" t"ab,wv grumnu ghrz, p"a
Radio Moshiach & Redemption
1620-1640 AM around Crown Heights & Boro Park
& 1710 AM in parts of Brooklyn 24/6
worldwide live broadcast: www.RadioMoshiach.org
Rabbi Jacob Schwei
Member of the Rabbinical 2017-01-31 10:24:03 AM
Court of Crown Heights
 PARSHA THOUGHT
TEN PLAGUE
THERAPY
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg
TEN PLAGUES DIVIDED
The Ten Plagues are divided
in the Torah over two segments.
Seven of them were described in
last weeks parsha and the final
three are in this weeks parsha.
The question has been asked,
why this division?
One approach to answering
this question is based on the
notion that the Ten Plagues
were directed not just against
the bodies and property of
the Egyptian people, but also
against their psyches. A human
being consists of Ten Faculties
(corresponding to and derived
from the Ten Divine Attributes)
divided into two categories; three
are intellectual faculties with
seven emotional ones.
The Alter Rebbe, in his
classic work the Tanya, traces
the difference between the Ten
Faculties of our G-dly Souls
and how they differ from the
parallel Ten Attributes of our
Animal Souls. The G-dly Soul
is governed by its intellect,
which controls the emotions.
In stark contrast, the Animal
Soul is primarily governed by its
emotions, and uses its intellect
as a means to serve its emotional
end.
Egypt and the Egyptian exile
symbolize and embody the lowest
1055_bm_eng.indd 5
manifestation of the Animal
Souls emotional state. This is
particularly true of their desire
to enslave and persecute the
children of Israel. That desire
was born out of their hatred
for the children of Israel. As
the Torah stated in an earlier
Parsha: They became disgusted
with the children of Israel.
Once their negative emotions
peaked, they used their superior
intellectual prowess to find ways
to suppress the Jewish people.
The Torah illustrates the use of
their intellect with the words
of Pharaoh, Let us outsmart
[them]. Egypt harnessed the
power of its collective depraved
mind to satisfy its decadent and
cruel emotional priorities.
To counter the emotional evil
of the Egyptians, G-d sent seven
plagues, each directed at one of
the seven character traits.
However, it would have
been impossible to completely
eradicate the Egyptian evil
without also directly attacking
its vicious mindset. That was the
target of the last three plagues,
recounted in this weeks parsha.
Oriented by this introduction,
we can proceed to explain the
significance of the last three
plagues: Locusts, Darkness and
the Plague of the Firstborn.
THREE PLAGUES: DAAS,
BINA AND CHOCHMA
The last of the three
intellectual levelsand the one
closest to the emotionsis Daas,
the ability to attach oneself to an
idea. Without Daas one cannot
generate feelings even if one fully
understands the idea. Daas is
the bridge between the intellect
and emotions. Hence it was the
first target of the three plagues
recorded in this weeks parsha,
which aimed to undo the power
of the Egyptians to harness their
evil ideas to their emotions.
The first of the final triad
of plagues was locusts, which
devoured the grain of Egypt.
Chassidic literature connects
knowledge with grain, based on
the statement of our Sages that:
A child does not know how
to call his father until he eats
grain. Along with the physical
destruction of the grain supply,
the plague was a concomitant
assault on the Egyptians power
of Daas.
The next plague was darkness
which, in spiritual terms, can
mean the absence of Bina, the
faculty responsible for shedding
light on a subject. Absent a full
blown examination of a subject
one is left in the dark. Hence
the plague of darkness was
Issue 1055 5
2017-01-31 10:24:11 AM
 PARSHA THOUGHT
One of the symptoms of exile is forgetfulness.
We forget things that are not essential to us. We
forget things that are separate entities from ourselves.
We dont forget things that are part and parcel of who we
are. Rabbi Yehudah intended to place these reminders
into them, the Jewish people of all times, so that we
can never forget that we need to be firing on all our
cylinders to complete our journey to Geula!
directed against the Egyptian
Bina-mindset. After this plague
struck, the Egyptians were no
longer capable of developing a
sophisticated intellectual model
for evil.
The final plague, the death
of the firstborns, alludes to
Chochma, which is the first
born intellectual power; the
power to conceive of an idea,
on the basis of which one may
develop a full understanding. The
literal death of the first-borns was
paralleled by the destruction of
the Egyptian mindset responsible
for conceiving of the persecution
of the Jewish people.
Only after Divine demolition
of the Egyptian mindset, which
had crept by osmosis into the
Jewish nations consciousness,
were the children of Israel truly
able to escape the Egyptian
exile. Their physical bondage
only ended because they had
also defeated the Egyptian way
of life; until then the emotional
and intellectual foundation of the
exile would have held its power to
control them.
A TWO-PRONGED ATTACK
It is well known that the
Rebbe emphasized the study
of the subject of Moshiach and
Redemption in our own day and
age, as we stand on the threshold
of the final Redemption. The
lesson of the Plagues has much to
6 7 Shvat 5777
1055_bm_eng.indd 6
teach us about the challenges we
face today. We easily recognize
our need to physically get out of
exile and have Moshiach lead us
to the construction of the Beis
HaMikdash, but it is equally
important that we strategize how
to get out of our internal exile.
To that end we must divide our
attack and fight our battle on
two fronts: the emotional and the
intellectual.
The assault on our emotional
attachment to exile can be
mounted based on all of the
negatives we still experience.
When we witness the threats
from those who would destroy
the Jewish people or the Land of
Israel, G-d forbid, it weakens our
love affair with exile; we cry out
Ad Masai-How much longer?!
When we read of the tragic
passing of people afflicted with
terrible diseases or who suffer
incredible pain, our hearts go out
to them and we cry out to G-d:
We cant handle the ravages of
exile any longer!
The more we feel the biting
pain of exile, the more intolerable
exile becomes, the more we
can start struggling free of our
internal exile.
As we become more spiritually
refined, we begin to understand
that in exile G-d also suffers.
G-d revealed Himself to Moses
via a burning bush, our Sages
tell us, to indicate that I am with
them in distress. G-d now puts
Himself in our shoes, so to speak,
and pleads with us to do our part
in bringing Moshiach and release
Him from self-imposed exile.
Sometimes, the emotional
stimuli for wanting to get out of
exile can come from the opposite,
positive direction; incredible
positive changes have been seen
in the world. These changes,
the Rebbe revealed to us, are
due to the efforts of Moshiach.
They are a taste of, and prelude
to, the real thingthe true
and complete Redemption. All
of these positive developments,
ranging from the collapse of
the Soviet Union, last bastion
of anti-Jewish and anti-Torah
tyranny, to many incredible
medical advances, should whet
our appetite for the full gourmet
banquet that will follow,
imminently.
However, we can only succeed
in completely eradicating every
trace of exile resistance when
we also attack the intellectual
impediments to Geula.
This is where the Rebbes
directive to learn the subjects
of Moshiach and Geula in the
Torah enters the picture. To
counter the negative intellectual
underpinnings, the mindset
of exile, we must reorient our
minds to see things through the
liberating prism of Torah.
TEN PLAGUE MNEMONIC
We can now understand
more deeply a section of the
Hagada we recite Passover night
at the Seder. After listing the Ten
Plagues, the Hagada states:
Rabbi Yehudah would use
a mnemonic: Dtzach, Adash
Bachav [the initials of the Ten
Plagues].
Now why did Rabbi Yehudah
find it necessary to provide a
mnemonic for the Ten Plagues?
And why does the author of the
2017-01-31 10:24:11 AM
 Hagada find it necessary to tell
us that Rabbi Yehudah used his
mnemonic for the Plagues?
Rabbi Yehudah was acutely
aware that the purpose of the
Seder goes beyond thanking
G-d for liberating us. That is
admirable, but it is not enough.
Today the primary purpose of
remembering the plagues is to
help us understand our role in
breaking this final exile. We too
must use a Ten Plague therapy to
rid ourselves of any attachment
to, allegiance with or affinity with
exile. We need to reflect on the
Ten Plagues to help us assault
our own exile; both its emotional
and its intellectual components.
Missing even one of the
Ten Plagues would amount to
leaving us with one, albeit small,
vestige or seed of exile mentality
or feeling. As a result, we would
fail to liberate ourselves from
internal exile. Unless eradicated,
even a seed of exile can blossom
into a full-fledged exile mentality.
Rabbi Yehudah, whose name
symbolizes Messianic leadership
(Jacobs son Yehudah was the
ancestor of Moshiach), could not
afford to let us miss mentioning
LIVE SHIURIM 0NLINE
Anywhere, Anytime !
CHITAS
INYONEI GEULA jhanu vkutd hbhbg
& MOSHIACH
RAMBAM hyuekc ohrugha
SHIURIM IN LIKUTEI
SICHOS KODESH
WWW.770LIVE.COM
1055_bm_eng.indd 7
and internalizing even one of the
plagues, lest it keep us in our
own personal Galus.
That is why Rabbi Yehudah
provided us with a mnemonic.
It is a powerful memory aid to
keep us from forgetting how to
combat exile.
We can now better
understand the words of the
Hagada, the literal translation of
which is: Rabbi Yehudah would
give them a mnemonic. Who is
the them? The simple meaning
is that it refers to the plagues; he
supplied a mnemonic to help us
recall each of the Ten Plagues.
But, isnt that obvious? Why not
just state: Rabbi Yehudah gave a
mnemonic.
FIRING ON ALL OUR
CYLINDERS!
We may suggest that
Rabbi Yehudah, the man who
symbolizes Moshiach and
Redemption, instructed the
Jewish people with his mnemonic
to instill within them the memory
of all the Ten Plagues. He wanted
to ensure that we dont forget to
use Ten Plague therapy for getting
,ww,j
owwcnr
asue ,ujha
out of exile by internalizing each
and every Plague. Our efforts to
banish the Galus mindset cannot
be a superficial exercise; it must
become an integral part of our
personality.
One of the symptoms of
exile is forgetfulness. We forget
things that are not essential to
us. We forget things that are
separate entities from ourselves.
We dont forget things that are
part and parcel of who we are.
Rabbi Yehudah intended to place
these reminders into them, the
Jewish people of all times, so that
we can never forget that we need
to be firing on all our cylinders to
complete our journey to Geula!
vww c
sgu okugk jhanv lkn ubcru ubrun ubhbust hjh
Issue 1055 7
2017-01-31 10:24:13 AM
 FARBRENGEN

SAVE ME!
SAVE ME!
A few minutes before his passing, the Rebbe
Rayatz lifted himself a bit from the bed and
screamed these words. He then lay back down,
and a scant few minutes later his holy soul
soared heavenward. * In honor of Yud & Yud-
Aleph Shvat, the day of the passing of the Rebbe
Rayatz and the day the Rebbe formally accepted
the Nesius, the Rebbes secretary, Reb Yehuda
Leib Groner, shared with Beis Moshiach his
memories of yechidus experiences, the tfillos,
the farbrengens, the work of preparing the
maamarim for print, the Rebbes daily yechidus
with the Rebbe Rayatz, and the belief in the
Rebbe Rayatz as Moshiach. Until the hearing of
the bitter news, that long Shabbos in the shadow
of painful grief, the drama that unfolded at
the burial and the powerful statement that the
Rebbe said to him the day after the funeral.

Interview by Avrohom Rainitz

W
hen I approached the
Rebbes secretary, R
Yehuda Leib Groner,
and asked him to tell
about the period of the passing of
the Rebbe Rayatz and the year that
followed before the Rebbe formally
accepted the Nesius on 11 Shvat
5711, I did not imagine how many
details had yet to be recounted
from those early days. It turns out
that despite the amazing work
done in compiling the work Yemei
BReishis, which incorporated
the diaries from that period and
personal testimony from Chassidim
who were present at the time, there
still remains much that is not
known.
Today, over sixty-five years
after 10 Shvat 5710, there remain
only a few elder Chassidim that
remember and can recount the
events of those days. One of the
outstanding ones is R Groner,
who merited to be very close to
the events, due to his position as
an assistant to the Ramash,
later to become the Rebbe.
The Groner family was very

8 7 Shvat 5777

1055_bm_eng.indd 8 2017-01-31 10:24:14 AM

 close to the Beis HaRav. It is told
that in Iyar 5704, the Ramash
attended the bar mitzvah of R
Groner and even spoke at length,
for about an hour and twenty
minutes. At the end of his talk,
the Rebbe turned to the young R
Groner and asked him, Leibel,
did you understand what was
discussed? When R Groner
1055_bm_eng.indd 9
remained silent, the Rebbe
responded, There is nothing to
be ashamed of; many of those
standing on the side did not
understand either.
[For editorial purposes,
henceforth we will use only the
terms Rebbe Rayatz to refer to
him, and Rebbe to refer to the
Rebbe MHM. The following
is presented in first person as
recounted by Rabbi Groner]:
PRIVATE AUDIENCES
WITH THE REBBE RAYATZ
I HAD SOME NACHAS
FROM YOU
The first time that I merited
to enter for yechidus with the
Issue 1055 9
2017-01-31 10:24:21 AM
 Farbrengen
Yisroel, Hashem has two zun (zun in Yiddish
means both sun and son), one zun here and one yechiduyos.
zun there, and the zun here directs the zun there.
Rebbe Rayatz was in the month
of Tishrei 5706. The Rebbe
Rayatz wished to open a yeshiva
Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in
Chicago, and to this end he chose
five young bachurim age 15, and
I merited being one of them. As
such, we were the first student
shluchim in America.
The Rebbe Rayatz instructed
that we travel to Chicago on
the day after Yom Kippur. He
appointed R Yosef Wineberg as
the mashpia of the yeshiva and R
Avrohom Mordechai Hershberg
as the Rosh Yeshiva. When we
asked R Wineberg when the
learning would begin, he said
after Simchas Torah. We asked
R Yochil Simpson, the Rebbe
Rayatzs gabbai, to ask whether
we could spend Tishrei in Beis
Chayeinu. The Rebbe Rayatzs
answer was unequivocal with an
eternal message, When ordered,
one must obey.
The day after Yom Kippur,
at seven in the evening, we had
yechidus with the Rebbe Rayatz.
Since the Rebbe Rayatz did not
sleep in his room on Yom Kippur,
they would bring his bed to the
yechidus room and it was still
there when we walked in. The
Rebbe Rayatz blessed us for the
upcoming shlichus.
Before Pesach, the Rebbe
Rayatz allowed us to return
to spend Yom Tov with our
families. After Pesach, I asked R
Simpson whether we could have
yechidus again before returning
to shlichus. R Simpson said no,
since we had had yechidus just a
few months before. I asked him
to ask the Rebbe Rayatz and after
10 7 Shvat 5777
1055_bm_eng.indd 10
Aside from those two
yechiduyos, I had another two
In Tishrei 5710, R Shmuel
he asked, he was told to accept us
for yechidus the following day at
two in the afternoon.
When we entered, the Rebbe
Rayatz asked: When are you
going? We said, today. The
Rebbe Rayatz said: Your trip to
Chicago has a two-fold purpose.
You are going for yourselves, to
be examples of what a talmid in
Tomchei Tmimim is. A talmid
in Tomchei Tmimim needs to
behave according to Chassidus,
not only according to Torah;
a talmid of Tomchei Tmimim
needs to behave also according
to Chassidus. I had a little nachas
from you, but more is needed. I
heard that you publicly review
maamarim. I had nachas ruach
from that. Reviewing in public is
something you must do, but that
is not enough. You need to put
it into practice. If you review a
maamer that deals with matters
of avoda, you need to put it
into practice with avoda. You
need to learn and be devoted to
learning and put the learning into
practice. Im not talking about
other times; during rest time, you
need to rest, but you need to be
actually involved in learning. You
need to want to learn and be able
to learn.
The Rebbe Rayatz added:
You are not going with your own
kochos; you are given kochos.
In conclusion, the Rebbe
Rayatz said: I want to focus
your attention and bless you,
the talmidim of your yeshiva
and the young boys of Chicago.
Be successful in your shlichus.
Travel in peace and be healthy,
physically and spiritually.
Levitin, the mashpia roshi in
Tomchei Tmimim 770, called
me and another two bachurim
and said that the Rebbe Rayatz
had recently said that he wanted
to discontinue yechidus, since
yechidus was established by the
Alter Rebbe primarily for spiritual
matters and only sometimes was
it also used for material matters.
However, lately, most of the
people coming for yechidus
were asking only about material
matters. In light of this, R Levitin
instructed us in a schedule of
avoda for the following months
and said that after that he would
arrange yechidus for us and
guide us as to what to ask in
matters of avodas Hashem.
YOM KIPPUR 5710
THE REBBE RASHAB VISITS
THE REBBE RAYATZ
Every Shabbos and Yom Tov,
and also on the Yomim Noraim,
they would daven in Rebbetzin
Shterna Sarahs room, which
adjoined the Rebbe Rayatzs
room. The Rebbe Rayatz would
leave his room for the minyan
only for the Torah reading, the
tkios on Rosh HaShana and for
Maftir on Yom Kippur.
(When the Rebbe Rayatz set
up residence in 770, he arranged
for his mother to be in the room
next to the yechidus room, saying
he needed to be near her. When
she passed away on 13 Shvat
5702, the Rebbe Rayatz was
in Chicago. When he returned,
he said to R Shmuel Levitin: I
should not have traveled. I should
not have left my mother alone. If
I had been here, all would have
continued ...)
On Yom Kippur 5710, I
2017-01-31 10:24:22 AM

attended this special minyan
along with the elder Chassidim
like R Shmuel Levitin, R Yisroel
Jacobson, R Yochanan Gordon,
R Berel Rivkin, and R Berel
Chaskind. The Rebbe Rayatz was
always particular about davening
Mincha before sunset but that
year sunset came and passed
and the Rebbe Rayatz had yet to
come out of his room. R Yisroel
Jacobson tensely said: The sun is
about to set. R Yochanan Gordon
said to him: Yisroel, Hashem has
two zun (zun in Yiddish means
both sun and son), one zun here
and one zun there, and the zun
here directs the zun there.
The Rebbe Rayatzs grandson
came out very late and said: My
grandfather said that this time he
will not be leaving his room. The
Torah reading and Maftir will
take place in his room and only
ten people will be allowed into
1055_bm_eng.indd 11
The Rebbe Rayatz in his yechidus room
his room. My grandfather said
who the ten men are: My father
(Rashag), my uncle (Ramash),
me, the Torah reader, a Kohen,
a Levi, the baal Musaf, the baal
Nila, and one more, and other
than them nobody else should
enter.
The Rebbe Rayatz allowed
the door to remain open so the
Chassidim who stayed in the
Rebbetzins room would be able
to hear and participate in the
minyan. I stood the closest to the
yechidus room in the small alcove
between the two rooms and I
was able to see the Rebbe Rayatz
throughout the davening.
The chazan at Mincha was
R Avrohom Ziskind who was
an oveid and usually davened
very slowly. Since it was late,
the Rebbe told him: R Avrohom,
speed up the davening. He began
rushing and then the Rebbe
Rayatz said to convey that he
wasnt pleased: Why were they
rushing? They should daven
leisurely. Afterward at Nila, R
Shmuel Zalmanov went over
to the amud and since it was so
late and the Rebbe did not want
to extend the fast for the Rebbe
Rayatz, he told R Shmuel: My
father-in-law said that regarding
Mincha, not Nila. Hurry.
A short while later the Rebbe
Rayatz sent a message once
again: I said not to rush
Before they sang Napoleons
March, the Rebbe Rayatz asked
everyone to sing as loudly as
they are able to and as slowly as
possible. Everything was slow
and they davened Maariv an
entire hour after the fast was
over.
On Motzaei Yom Kippur, at
the meal, the Rebbe Rayatz said
that his father, the Rebbe Rashab,
Issue 1055 11
2017-01-31 10:24:22 AM
 Farbrengen

once spoke on Motzaei

Yom Kippur about the
talent for mental imagery,
and he went on to say on
that occasion, This Yom
Kippur I felt this palpably.
When they asked him what
he meant by this he said:
Seeing the face of the Rav.
The Rebbe Rayatz
added: Meaning, that Yom
Kippur my father saw
something that others did
not see. And when you
stand in such four cubits
you need to be altogether
different.
After the conclusion of
the farbrengen, we went
down the wooden staircase
with the Rebbe. The Rebbe
suddenly turned to R
Shmuel Levitin and said:
Now all is understood
about why the Rebbe
Rayatz delayed the time
for Mincha. The Rebbe
Rashab was with the Rebbe
today and that is why he
could not start Mincha as
long as his father was in R Groner standing near the Rebbe during siddur kiddushin
the room. And since the
Rebbe Rashab was revealed the work I did for the Rebbe who me: It will be hard to get you in
here, he did not want to leave this was known as Ramash at that again, so dont go downstairs.
room, nor did he want everyone time. Stay here and I will be motzi you
to enter the room, just a limited On Simchas Torah 5710, with Kiddush and I will give you
number. Now, all is understood. when I arrived in the morning something for the Yom Tov meal.
at 770, the Rebbe told me to The farbrengen that took
IT IS HARD TO LEAVE wait near his room and he would place towards the end of the day
A CHASSIDISHE get me into the Rebbe Rayatzs was special. That year, during
apartment. When we went up the Chol HaMoed, the Rebbe Rayatz
FARBRENGEN wooden staircase (that is what did not feel well and they brought
Since we lived near 770 in the inside stairs were called and Dr. Wilder, the doctor who took
Brownsville, just half an hours were used by people living there, care of the Rebbe Rayatz since
walk away, we would go to as opposed to the public staircase he arrived in New York, whose
770 every time there was a that was called the iron/metal grandfather was the doctor of the
farbrengen. Over the years, the stairs) many Chassidim were Rebbe Maharash. After the doctor
crowd grew and since the Rebbe waiting and hoping to get in. examined the Rebbe Rayatz, he
Rayatz held the farbrengens in The Rebbe stood near the door said he knows it is hard to ask,
his house on the second floor of and while blocking the entrance but he was still asking that the
770, the place was crowded and he said: Nobody can enter aside Rebbe Rayatz not farbreng on
not everyone was able to get in. from one. And he let me in. After Simchas Torah. When he realized
But I was often inside thanks to the davening the Rebbe said to that this was impossible, he said,

12 7 Shvat 5777

1055_bm_eng.indd 12 2017-01-31 10:24:23 AM


okay, but no more than four
hours. That would have been
anomalous because the Simchas
Torah farbrengens lasted at least
five to six hours and one time, I
remember it ended at five in the
morning!
The farbrengen began at
five in the evening and when it
was nine oclock, and the Rebbe
Rayatz continued to farbreng,
his oldest daughter went in
and had a watch given to her
father to remind him to end the
farbrengen. When the watch
reached the Rebbe Rayatz, he
put it in his pocket and ignored
the hint. She stood near the
Rebbe Rayatz and at first he did
not realize it. It was only after a
while that he turned to her and
said: Chanale, what can I do
for you? She said: You said you
would finish after four hours
The Rebbe Rayatz said: It is hard
to leave a Chassidishe farbrengen
but nevertheless I will try to be
brief.
After she left, the Rebbe
Rayatz said another sicha and
then said to sing the Hachana
1055_bm_eng.indd 13
The Rebbe Rayatz farbrenging with Chassidim
Niggun and the Niggun Dalet
Bavos of the Alter Rebbe. After
they began singing he instructed
that every person sing as loudly
as possible and slowly.
Usually, during a farbrengen,
the Rebbe Rayatz leaned back in
his chair, but when they began to
sing he leaned forward and cried,
like a wellspring of tears pouring
from his eyes, throughout the
niggun.
THE MISSING YUD
IN SHLITA
The regular chozrim at the
Rebbe Rayatzs farbrengens were
R Shmuel Zalmanov (who wrote
the notes known as hanachos)
and R Mordechai Mentlick. R
Mendel Tenenbaum also helped
with chazara.
The chazara took place in
the small zal right after the
farbrengens. Each time, when the
farbrengen was over, the Rebbe
went down to the small zal and
told those present: My father-in-
law asked that a written account
be prepared of the sichos that
were just heard.
After they finished writing the
hanachos we gave a copy to the
Rebbe Rayatz who edited it.
In my work alongside the
Rebbe, I merited to prepare
the transcribed notes of the
Rebbe Rayatz for publication.
The Rebbe gave me the Rebbe
Rayatzs notes on the hanachos.
It is interesting to note that
sometimes the Rebbe Rayatz
made an X on an entire page
and on the other side he wrote
something new that was not
said at the farbrengen. So there
were things that were said at
farbrengens that were never
published, and in the published
sichos there were parts that were
not said at farbrengens.
The kuntres of maamarim
Basi LGani for 10-13 Shvat
was printed on the Erev Shabbos
before the histalkus and the
Rebbe brought it to the Rebbe
Rayatz before Shabbos. Some
people noticed a printing error in
the introduction to the maamer in
which the word shlita following
Issue 1055 13
2017-01-31 10:24:25 AM
 Farbrengen
the Rebbe Rayatzs name was
missing the letter yud.
DAILY YECHIDUS WITH THE
REBBE RAYATZ
Every day, the Rebbe would
go to his father-in-law, the Rebbe
Rayatz, and this is something he
never forwent. Even when his
wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka,
went to Far Rockaway in the
summer, and the Rebbe went to
visit her, he was particular about
returning every evening to 770
so as not to miss the opportunity
of going in to the Rebbe Rayatz.
In those days, the Rebbe wore a
short jacket, but on special days
he would bring along a sirtuk and
leave it on the second floor, and
put it on before having yechidus
with the Rebbe Rayatz.
Sometimes, after yechidus
with the Rebbe Rayatz, the Rebbe
would go down to the small zal
and repeat things he heard from
his father-in-law. For example,
I remember that one time, the
Rebbe came in and banged on
the table for quiet and said: I just
came out now from the Rebbe
Rayatz and he said his father was
just by him and his father asked
him, how is it possible that they
14 7 Shvat 5777
1055_bm_eng.indd 14
talk during the Torah reading in
your beis midrash?!
REBBE-MOSHIACH,
MOSHIACH-REBBE ITS
THE SAME THING
Before the nesius, the
Rebbe would farbreng with
the Chassidim every Shabbos
Mevarchim, at the Simchas Beis
HaShoeiva and on special days in
the calendar. On a Shabbos of an
aufruf, the Rebbe would explain
the meaning of the chassans
name and then the kallas name
and connect the two, and then
explain the connection between
the chassans fathers name and
the kallas fathers name, all with
extraordinary brilliance and while
citing quotations from all over
Torah regarding these names.
After the passing of the Rebbe
Rayatz, the Rebbe stopped doing
this.
On the last 12 Tammuz
which fell out on Shabbos, the
Rebbe Rayatzs farbrengen took
place on Sunday, 13 Tammuz.
On Shabbos after the davening,
the Rebbe sat and began to
farbreng. At the beginning of the
farbrengen he said: It is really
forbidden to speak now since the
Rebbe is here and how can one
speak in the Rebbes presence?
But since the Rebbe wants us to
farbreng, we farbreng. There is
an advantage in this: Since the
Rebbe Rayatz is davening now,
our talking will be elevated by the
Rebbe Rayatz. What he thinks is
good, he will raise up above, and
what he thinks is not good, he
will cast away.
At that farbrengen, the Rebbe
spoke heatedly about the Rebbe
Rayatz being Moshiach. He said:
I have proof from R Avrohom
Pariz. He told how the Rebbe
Rayatz had recently called for R
Avrohom and told him to return
to Eretz Yisroel. R Avrohom
called the Rebbe and asked for
a parting blessing. The Rebbe
told him he could come into the
office but R Avrohom insisted on
an official meeting in the Rebbes
home. At the end of the meeting,
R Avrohom Pariz wished the
Rebbe: That we meet with the
Rebbe (i.e. the Rebbe Rayatz) in
the Holy Land.
I asked him, why dont you
wish that we meet with Moshiach
in the Holy Land? Do you want
to know what R Avrohom Pariz
said? He said, Rebbe-Moshiach,
Moshiach-Rebbe, its one thing!
When you say Rebbe, you mean
Moshiach and when you say
Moshiach, you mean Rebbe,
and it is not necessary to say
both. Thus, I have proof that it
is possible to say that the shver is
Moshiach.
(In order to appreciate who R
Avrohom Pariz was, the following
story should be told. On Erev
Shavuos 5704, the Rebbe Rayatz
had him type a maamer for
Shavuos. As was common by
the Rebbe Rayatz, sometimes
he said to copy a paragraph
from a previous maamer, stating
from where until where should
be copied. R Avrohom did the
2017-01-31 10:24:26 AM
 typing very quickly and instead
of copying the paragraph he was
told to copy, he typed the Rebbe
Rayatzs instructions and that is
how the maamer was printed. At
the farbrengen, the Rebbe Rayatz
said that since there was an error
in the maamer, although since
5701 he did not say maamarim,
now he would say a maamer.
Concluded the Rebbe Rayatz: An
error made by R Avrohom Pariz
also requires study.)

SAVE ME!
On Shabbos, 10 Shvat 5710,
there were only a few Chassidim
in 770. What happened during
that time I heard afterward from
the nurse who was in the Rebbe

Rayatzs apartment, and from R
Shmuel Levitin who was there as
well.
The nurse said that when
she went to the yechidus room
in the morning, she saw the
Rebbes head on the desk. She
tried to rouse him and when she
was unsuccessful she rushed
to the third floor to call the
oldest daughter who, seeing the
situation, rushed to send the
bachur Sholom Ber Eichorn (who
stayed in the Rebbes house) to
urgently call Dr. Seligson who
lived nearby.
When Dr. Seligson arrived, at
7:45, he said the Rebbe Rayatz
should be taken to his bed in the
bedroom, and he tried to stabilize
his condition.
A few minutes before his
passing, the Rebbe Rayatz lifted
himself up a bit from the bed and
exclaimed, Ratevet mir, ratevet
mir! (Save me, save me!) Then
he lay back down and a scant few
minutes later he passed away.
The Rebbe emphasized
afterward that when the Rebbe
Rayatz passed away, a Kohen
(Sholom Ber Eichorn), a Levi (R
He said, Rebbe-Moshiach, Moshiach-Rebbe,
its one thing! When you say Rebbe, you mean
Moshiach and when you say Moshiach, you mean Rebbe,
and it is not necessary to say both.
Shmuel Levitin), and a Yisroel to be taken care of, I would be
(Dr. Seligson) were present. able to do so immediately.
R Shmuel Levitin sent At about two, the Rebbe told
someone to call for the Rebbe me to call Dr. Seligson. I went
at his house and when the downstairs and he wasnt there.
Rebbe arrived, he said that the I called Dr. Ness who was there
people living nearby should be and told him: Ramash wants to
told. When the news reached see you. When he entered the
us in Brownsville, R Mentlick Rebbe Rayatzs bedroom, the
refused to believe it. He said: Rebbe told me to leave the room
It is not possible. Surely there and for a few minutes, they were
is a mistake. He asked that my alone.
father not be told since he was so After he left the room he told
connected to the Rebbe Rayatz me that the Rebbe saw some
and he feared for his health. movement in the Rebbe Rayatzs
Shocked and shaken we body and he told the doctor that
walked to 770, refusing to believe it looked like the soul was still
the terrible news. When we present, and perhaps saying he
arrived and saw the faces of the had passed away was a mistake.
Chassidim, we knew it was true. I examined the heart again,
Since I was already working for said Dr. Ness, and said he had
the Rebbe, the Rebbe told me definitely passed away and the
to stand next to him so that if it movement was a result of air that
would be necessary for something remains in the body for a few

Issue 1055 15

1055_bm_eng.indd 15 2017-01-31 10:24:27 AM

 Farbrengen

and the family stood around

WHEN RAMASH SAID TO ANNOUNCE it and the elder Chassidim
THE REBBE MELECH HAMOSHIACH SHLITA entered through the door from
the hallway and left through the
R Groner relates:
other door. The emotions felt at
On Rosh HaShana 5702, after we returned from saying Tashlich at the that difficult time are impossible
Botanical Gardens, we stood opposite 770 and the Rebbe asked R J. J. to describe.
Hecht, who was a young bachur with a loud voice, to stand on a bench on
The funeral began at 12:30.
the Parkway and make a few announcements as the Rebbe would instruct
When they took the aron out
him, and everybody should repeat after him word for word. The Rebbe
of 770, the Rebbe was on the
told him to say, Avinu Malkeinu ein lanu Melech ela Ata, Avinu Malkeinu
second floor near the window in
Avinu Ata, and other Avinu Malkeinus, and then he told him to say:
Rebbetzin Shterna Sarahs room.
Avinu Malkeinu, shlach refua shleima lichvod kdushas Adoneinu When the aron was close to
Moreinu VRabbeinu Melech HaMoshiach shlita! Brooklyn Avenue, the Rebbe went
At first, R Hecht hesitated and he told the Rebbe he couldnt say it. The down and of course they cleared
Rebbe said, then get down from the bench and I will get up and announce a path for him until he reached
it. the aron. At first, Rashag wanted
Since he saw the Rebbe was adamant about saying it, R Hecht said he them to walk with the aron until
would say it, and he made the loud announcement with the crowd repeating the yeshiva building on Bedford
it after him, word by word. Avenue, but due to the crowding
(At the rally that took place on 21 Elul 5744, R Hecht said this story and pushing, the police said this
in front of the Rebbe, without repeating the complete version of the Avinu was not possible. They asked the
Malkeinu, and he asked the children to stand and announce, Avinu Rebbe and he said they should go
Malkeinu, shlach lanu Goaleinu Tzidkeinu bimheira byameinu. At that by car to the yeshiva.
farbrengen, R Hecht said that when he made the announcement back then, The Rebbe Rayatzs Shabbos
the Rebbe Rayatz was looking out the window of his room at the Chassidim silken sirtuk was on the aron.
gathered opposite 770.) When they placed the aron in
the grave, the silken garment
hours after the passing. Ramash loudly, with heartrending tears. disappeared. The Rebbe asked
refused to believe that his father- out loud: Where is the shvers
Then he asked that we call
in-law had passed away. garment? I will not allow them
the secretary, R Moshe Leib
to cover the aron and complete
About two hours later, the Rodstein, and told him to tell
the burial until the garment is
Rebbe called for his brother-in- Anash around the world the bitter
returned. Suddenly, the garment
law, Rashag, and began walking news. He asked that the chevra
reappeared from somewhere and
with him in the corridor on the kadisha say when the funeral
was placed on the aron.
second floor. Although nobody would be and to inform Anash in
was near them, they did not outlying areas who would want to After the burial, the Rebbe
speak but just paced back and attend the funeral. and Rashag said Kaddish. The
forth for about half an hour. Rebbe tore kria and when we
The Rebbe said that only
Throughout this time, the Rebbe returned to 770 he said that
Anash should dig the grave and
grasped his brother-in-laws arm. everyone should tear kria and sit
not the gentile workers. Likewise,
for an hour. The next day, the
During the davening, the he asked that the casket be made
Rebbe said that whoever did kria
Rebbe remained upstairs and out of the Rebbe Rayatzs lectern.
should sew up the tear, as it is
he asked me to call him when At night, Rebbetzin Nechama not necessary to walk around like
the minyan downstairs reached Dina wanted the Rebbe Rayatz that, but the Rebbe went about
the Kaddish Yasom, so he could moved from the bedroom to the with the tear until the Shiva was
recite it. yechidus room where the elder over.
During Shabbos we did not Chassidim did the tahara. After
The day after the funeral, the
see the Rebbe cry. On Motzaei the tahara, the Rebbe said they
Rebbe told me: From now on,
Shabbos, after the final Kaddish, should allow everyone present
you will have completely different
he left the small zal for the to pass by the aron and ask
work.
elevator and then he stood near forgiveness. The Rebbe Rayatzs
the elevator and began to sob aron was placed on two benches I understood that quite well.

16 7 Shvat 5777

1055_bm_eng.indd 16 2017-01-31 10:24:28 AM

 MOSHIACH & HAYOM YOM
THE HAYOM
YOMS BLUEPRINT
FOR OUR
GENERATION
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon
Dear Reader shyichyeh,
This Shabbos (Bo) is the
Shabbos before Yud Shvat.
All Chassidim are preparing
themselves to be Mekabel the
Nesius and Malchus of the
Rebbe. In this article we will
farbreng based on the HaYom
Yom that the Rebbe personally
chose for Yud Shvat.
The Rebbe writes: When my
grandmother, Rebbetzin Rivka,
was eighteen (in 5611, 1851) she
fell ill and the physician ordered
her to eat immediately upon
awakening. She, however, did
not wish to eat before davening;
so she davened very early, then
ate breakfast. When her father-
in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek,
learned of this he said to her: A
Jew must be healthy and strong.
The Torah says about mitzvos,
Live in them, meaning bring
vitality into the mitzvos. To
be able to infuse mitzvos with
vitality, one must be strong and
joyful.
Then he concluded: You
should not be without food.
Better to eat for the sake of
davening rather than to daven
for the sake of eating; he then
blessed her with long life. [She
was born in 5593 (1833) and
1055_bm_eng.indd 17
passed away on Yud Shvat, 5674
(1914)]. My father told this
teaching of the Tzemach Tzedek
to someone at yechidus, adding:
And this must be done with joy.
The simple and most apparent
reason that this HaYom Yom
was placed on Yud Shvat
is because Yud Shvat is the
Yahrtzait of Rebbetzin Rivka.
How appropriate it is to tell us a
story about her on her Yahrtzait.
Yet, we have been trained by the
Rebbe to view things on a deeper
level. If the Rebbe chose this
HaYom Yom to be the HaYom
Yom of Yud Shvat, it must be
connected to the whole Avoda
of the Dor HaShvii seventh
generation.
[There are those who may
argue that this is a stretch, to
which I counter with three
observations: 1) The Maamer
Basi LGani of 5710 was
prepared in advance to be given
out to Chassidim on Yud Shvat
to be learned in honor of the
Yahrtzait of Rebbetzin Rivka. Yet,
the Rebbe teaches us that this
maamer is the basis for the avoda
of our generation; 2) There is a
Maamer (Ani LDodi Meluket
Aleph) where the Rebbe connects
the Alter Rebbes Maamer of Ani
LDodi to the page number that
it is printed in Likkutei Torah!
The basis of the connection is
the fact that Bhashgacha Pratis,
it was printed on that page; 3)
As chassidim always say: If we
can learn a positive lesson from
something, it is always good.]
As a whole, the matzav
of Chassidim in general and
Yiddishkait in particular when the
Rebbe took the Nesius was ill.
Many chassidim and Yidden were
lost in the Holocaust or stuck
behind the Iron Curtain. Those
that were fortunate enough
to be in America were broken
physically, emotionally and
were facing a serious spiritual
dilemma, namely, America.
Assimilation was rampant and
the younger generation was being
lost. The future did not seem very
promising.
At that point, many took the
attitude of She, however, did
not wish to eat before davening;
so she davened very early,
then ate breakfast. This was
the attitude of acknowledging
that the world (eating) is a
necessity and cannot be used
to help strengthen our Avodas
Hashem, and therefore I will
try to daven before (i.e. either
develop and move to a sheltered
Issue 1041 17
2017-01-31 10:24:32 AM
 MOSHIACH & HAYOM YOM
But such a perspective is misguided. From
the very beginning of the Nesius, the Rebbe
ingrained in us the opposite weltanschauung.
community or try to maintain my
own Avodas Hashem) and then
have to begrudgingly deal with
the terrible spiritual realities of
America.
The same is true with the
general perspective of our
generation: We read stories
about the Chassidim of previous
generations and we really feel
that in comparison, we are ill.
We dont see the same type of
personalities and aspirations
today. It is very easy to feel that
we cannot add or accomplish
something that they did not.
Therefore, the attitude of some
has tragically been that we
just need to keep the culture
of Chabad going, without
expecting major growth or
accomplishments from this
generation.
But such a perspective
is misguided. From the very
beginning of the Nesius, the
Rebbe ingrained in us the
opposite weltanschauung.
Not only is the world not a
contradiction for G-dliness, it is
the only place where the ultimate
revelation of G-dliness can be
revealed. We must learn to see
the world at its essence, the
ultimate place of the revelation
of the essence of Hashem. We
must remember You should
not be without food. Better to
eat for the sake of davening
rather than to daven for the
sake of eating, i.e., we are not
demanding the old-time mesiras
Nefesh (being without food),
we are demanding that you go
out and use the world to reveal
the essence of Hashem. Realize
that we must eat for the sake of
18 7 Shvat 5777
1055_bm_eng.indd 18
Davening, have the world serve
us and our Avodas Hashem.
This paradigm shift is
reflected in the very first words
of the very first Maamer of our
Rebbe: Basi LGani I have
returned to my garden. The
Rebbe reveals to us that not only
is the world not a jungle, it is not
even just a dwelling place, it is
the luscious garden of Hashem.
This world is where the hidden
essence of Hashem can be
revealed.
Then the Rebbe adds another
vital point at the end of the
HaYom Yom: And this must be
done with joy. Not only should
we not feel ill or handicapped,
we have to be very joyful about
our status. We have to realize that
our generation was charged
and therefore given the ability
to accomplisha very special
mission. Weyes, wethe
seemingly ill and handicapped
generation, will bring the world
to its perfection and original
purpose, we will bring the world
to Moshiach.
In the words of the Rebbe
(Basi LGani 5711 the very
first Maamer): The fact that our
Sages say that all those who are
seventh are cherished rather
than all those who are cherished
are seventh, indicates that the
sevenths primary quality lies in
his being seventh. In other words,
he is cherished not on account
of his choice, desire, or spiritual
service, but because he is seventh
and this is something that he is
born into.
Yet, the fact remains that
all those who are seventh are
cherished. It was for this reason
that it was Moshe who was
privileged to have the Torah given
through him... This, then, is
why the seventh is so cherished:
it is he who draws down the
Shchina, in fact the essence of
the Shchina; moreover, he draws
it down into this lowly world.
It is this that is demanded
of each and every one of us of
the seventh generation and
all those that are seventh are
cherished: Although the fact that
we are in the seventh generation
is not the result of our own
choosing and our own service,
and indeed in certain ways
perhaps contrary to our will,
nevertheless all those who are
seventh are cherished. We are
now very near the approaching
footsteps of Moshiach, indeed,
we are at the conclusion of this
period, and our spiritual task
is to complete the process of
drawing down the Shchina
moreover, the essence of the
Shchina within specifically our
lowly world.
***
This knowledge should fill
us with the ultimate joy. We are
a special generation, chosen
with a special purpose and given
extraordinary abilities. While,
if by judging the Chassidim,
it may seem that we are much
less-capable than the previous
generations, we have been
blessed with what the other
generations have not been: The
Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach.
The Rebbe has given us
through his Dvar Malchus,
Sichos, Igros, Maamarim, and
following the horaos, tremendous
strength and revelations that have
not been revealed heretofore. The
Rebbe has literally shared with
us the light of the Geula and
the Torah Chadasha and when
we allow ourselves to enter the
2017-01-31 10:24:32 AM
 Rebbes world and take these
lights of empowerment, we will
see that we can accomplish the
goal of our generation.
This in itself should instill
joy in us, as we say in the 12th
of the psukim that the Rebbe into the mitzvos. To be able
chose for all of us to internalize:
The Jews should rejoice in their
Maker. Every Jew should share
in Gds joy, Who rejoices and
is happy in His dwelling place
in this world. (Tanya, Chapter
33). It is with this joy that we
will be able to be successful in
our special mission, because joy
breaks all boundaries. It bears
noting that the Baal HaTurim
points out that the word Yismach
has the same letters as the word
Moshiach. Through joy, we will
Continued from page 21
making every effort to see
to it that children who come
from religious homes shall be
housed in suitable religious
environments and that they
shall not be turned from their
traditional manner of living.
When the children reach Isra-
el, however, our responsibility
must cease since it is the Jew-
ish Agency that has complete
and sole responsibility for the
resettlement of immigrants in
Israel.
I have discussed this mat-
ter with Rabbi Herzog, with
the late Rabbi Meir Berlin
and with a number of other
religious personalities both
in and out of Israel and I
have indicated to them that
the only way to deal with the
problem is to apply pressure
on the Jewish Agency in Is-
rael and to press for larger al-
location of funds to religious
organizations for the estab-
lishment of necessary homes
for these children. They have
1055_bm_eng.indd 19
bring the Geula.
By serving Hashem in this
unique way of A Jew must be
healthy and strong. The Torah
says about mitzvos, Live in
them, meaning bring vitality
matters, grasping the knowledge
to infuse mitzvos with vitality,
one must be strong and joyful
and You should not be without
food. Better to eat for the sake
of davening rather than to daven
for the sake of eating, i.e., when
the world is part of the process
of serving Hashem, we will merit
the era of Moshiach when, in the
words of the Rambam (Hilchos
Melachim 12:5):
In that era, there will be
neither famine nor war, envy or
competition for good will flow in
agreed that this is their only
recourse and I know they are
doing their utmost to achieve
the necessary results.
I wish it were possible for
me to be able to say some-
thing of a more positive na-
ture on this subject, but I am
sure you will understand that
because of the setup we have
it is impossible for us to take
any further action in the mat-
ter.
With kind regards and
best wishes,
DO SOMETHING
INFORMALLY AND
UNOFFICIALLY
Pirsum Rishon: The Frierdik-
er Rebbe received the letter and
responded a few days later, on
Tamuz 8 5709 [July 5 1949], in
the following letter, published here
for the first time:
Your letter of July 1st, re-
flecting your very personal
approach to the problem of
the religious upbringing of
abundance and all the delights
will be freely available as dust.
The occupation of the entire
world will be solely to know
God. Therefore, the Jews will be
great sages and know the hidden
of their Creator according to the
full extent of human potential, as
the Navi Yeshaya (11:9) states:
The world will be filled with
the knowledge of God as the
waters cover the ocean bed.
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh
Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch
Cincinnati and a well sought after
speaker and lecturer. Recordings
of his in-depth shiurim on
Inyanei Geula uMoshiach can
be accessed at http://www.
ylcrecording.com
the North African children
emigrating to the Holy Land,
has deeply gratified me. I was
further pleased to hear that
this is the general policy of the
JDC in its refugee and reha-
bilitation program.
I appreciate your position,
but in view of the seriousness
of the situation I wish to un-
derscore that while officially
you may not be able to en-
croach upon a situation that
lies outside the JDC sphere,
I do believe that informally
and unofficially you may be in
a position to exercise a great
deal of influence in the ap-
propriate quarters where de-
cisions concerning this prob-
lem are made. While I have
approached them direct, I feel
that you could give effective
stimulus to the matter along
these lines. I sincerely hope
that you will do all you can in
the matter,
With all good wishes and
blessings,
Issue 1055 19
2017-01-31 10:24:33 AM
 FEATURE

AN EXISTENTIAL DANGER:
ANTI-RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION
via expanding the Chabad educa-
The Frierdiker Rebbe: prevent the destruction, tional institutions and by estab-
G-d forbid, of the religious life of tens of lishing a board to spearhead the
efforts in Israel.
thousands of Jewish children * must stir his
In this installment we present
conscience and peace of mind until he has the communication of the Frier-
exhausted every means at his disposal to prevent diker Rebbe with the American
Joint Distribution Committee
this terrible outrage * The JDC: the only way with regards to this issue.
to deal with the problem is to apply pressure on These fascinating documents
are part of the JDC Archives
the Jewish Agency in Israel * informally and (which were digitized and up-
unofficially you may be in a position to exercise a loaded online, thanks to a grant
from Dr. Georgette Bennett and
great deal of influence * Saving Jewish Children Dr. Leonard Polonsky CBE).

In the summer of 1949, a
few months after the Israels In-
dependence War concluded, the
Israeli government expanded the
Youth Aliyah project, aiming to
bring to Israel tens of thousands
of Jewish children mainly from
Arab countries, and integrate
them into the secular Israeli so-
ciety.
Upon arriving in Israel the
children were placed in secular
schools where their Jewish iden-
tity was stripped away, with the
parents unaware of the tremen-
dous spiritual damage that was
being inflicted on their children.
In Elul 5709 the Israeli gov-
ernment dispatched Mr. Moshe
Kol, the director of the Youth
Aliyah to Morocco to convince
the parents to send their children
to Israel.
The Frierdiker Rebbe some-
how got wind of this plan months
earlier, and worked tirelessly to
prevent the children from suf-
fering in the hands of the anti-
religious educational system in
Israel, in various channels, both
THE DANGER FACING
THE JEWISH CHILDREN
On Sivan 18 5709 [June 15
1949] the Frierdiker Rebbe
wrote a letter to the heads of the
JDC, Mr. Edward Warburg
(Chairman) and Dr. Joseph
Schwartz (Head of European
Division), with each receiving a
personal copy of the letter in Yid-
dish and an English translation
(a similar letter in Yiddish was
printed in Igros Kodesh Vol. 10 p
202ff):
I have been deeply shaken

20 7 Shvat 5777

1055_bm_eng.indd 20 2017-01-31 10:24:34 AM

 by recent reports from reliable
sources concerning the fate of
tens of thousands of Jewish
children from North Africa,
about to emigrate to the Holy
Land. These children, whose
parents are deeply religious,
and who have been brought
up and bred in a strictly reli-
gious environment, now face
the danger of being placed
in the care of anti-religious
educational groups, with the
excuse that religious organi-
zations lack accommodation.
I trust that the organiza-
tion which you head is aware
of this situation, and that it
will therefore surely and im-
mediately seek, and with G-
ds help find, the necessary
steps to eliminate the threat to
these children without delay.
Needless to say, that what-
ever the formalities involved
or decisions made by the
persons responsible for this
threatened injustice, same
must and can be overruled in
order to prevent the destruc-
tion, G-d forbid, of the reli-
gious life of tens of thousands
1055_bm_eng.indd 21
of Jewish children, a matter
which would certainly have
serious repercussions also
upon the physical and moral
welfare of the Yishuv.
An innermost consider-
ation of this problem by any
honest and right thinking per-
son must stir his conscience
and peace of mind until he
has exhausted every means
at his disposal to prevent this
terrible outrage.
My experience and obser-
vations over a period of many
years concerning your public
work give me the best hopes
that you will once again dem-
onstrate the profound con-
sideration with which such a
problem must be dealt, and
that will take immediate steps
to save these children from
the danger of being compul-
sorily and violently torn from
all that is dear and sacred to
them, as well as to their par-
ents and ancestors, so dear
and sacred, in fact, as to call
for actual self-sacrifice.
I remain awaiting your
early and gratifying reply.
May the Almighty help you
and grant you success in your
work.
Blessing you materially
and spiritually,
JDC: WE HAVE BEEN
CONCERNED ABOUT
THIS PROBLEM
On July 1 1949 [Tamuz 4
5709] Mr. Joseph Schwartz re-
sponded to the Frierdiker Rebbe:
This is to acknowledge re-
ceipt of your letter of the 18th
of Sivan, 5709, in which you
write about the children from
North Africa emigrating to
the Holy Land.
We have been concerned
about this problem for some
time. The fact of the matter is
that our responsibility is lim-
ited to the North African and
European scene and at the
present time we have no way
of injecting ourselves into the
situation in Israel.
On the European scene
and in North Africa we are
Continued on page 19
Issue 1055 21
2017-01-31 10:24:37 AM
 HALACHA 2 GO
GOING SHOELESS
Selected Halachos from the
One Minute Halacha project
Mara Dasra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights
IS IT A BUBBE MEISEH?
Our elders often caution us
not to walk around the house
without shoes. Is this just a bubbe
meiseh (grandmothers tale), or
does it have a source in halacha?
The importance of wearing
shoes is found in Gemara: One
should sell all his possessions
even the roof over his headand
wear shoes. However, this refers
specifically to walking outdoors,
not indoors.
We are also cautioned against
walking barefoot, and the reasons
mentioned in poskim are due to
the chill factor or for issues of
modesty. By wearing socks both
these issues are resolved: its not
as cold, and its not immodest.
Kabbala sfarim cite another
reason for not going barefoot:
when traversing the ground,
the tuma (impurity) therein can
cling to the feet. This, too, does
not apply when wearing socks
in the house. Floors indoors are
all covered nowadays; someone
going barefoot at home does not
come in contact with the ground.
From a halachic perspective,
therefore, there is no issue
with walking around the house
sock-footed. Though some
may argue that walking around
in socks is reminiscent of the
22 7 Shvat 5777
1055_bm_eng.indd 22
By HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, Shlita,
practices of mourning, this idea
is not mentioned in Gemara, and
indeed has no clear source in
Jewish tradition.
Yet, those who are cautious
regarding bubbeh meisehs
as per the famous tshuva
(responsum) of the Rashba who
advises that we should not take
what our grandmothers say
lightlymay act accordingly
when contemplating going
shoeless in the house.
THE HALACHA OF BACH
FLOWER REMEDIES
As the popularity of
homeopathic and alternative
supplements grows, consumers
concern for the kashrus of Bach
Flower Remedies (BFRs) has
become a common halachic
shaila (query). The stock
products of BFRs contain brandy
as a significant minor ingredient,
which is an issue of stam yainam
(wine that has been prepared
by non-Jews). However, when
prepared in the conventional
manner as a consumable remedy
by mixing only a few drops of
various products with water or
other liquids,* does the minute
amount of brandy in the mixture
still pose a halachic issue?
Bittul (nullification) of non-
Jewish wine, according to most
poskim, would entail a ratio of
battel bshesh (nullified by six
[times other ingredients relative
to wine]). (In most kashrus
applications the ratio is one to
sixty; stam yainam, as a purely
Rabbinic prohibition, is less
stringent.) The small amount
of brandy in the prepared (and
diluted) mixture of BFRs easily
conforms to this formula. (Even
if one opts to be more stringent
with brandy than with regular
wine, and even if using the
maximum recommended number
of drops, the brandy will still
total less than one sixtieth, and is
therefore battel.)
But there are many other
factors to consider. There is the
halachic principle of chanan
(chatichah naases neveilaha
piece [of non-kosher substance
is absorbed in the whole and]
creates [complete] non-kosher
status), and it causes the entire
product to be assur, so that we
would need sixty times added
liquid to dilute the amount of
stock product used. This is
possible with a few drops of the
product in the prepared mixture,
but not with the maximum
recommended amount.
There is also a halachic
concept of ein mevatlin issur
2017-01-31 10:24:38 AM
 lchatchilla (we cannot nullify
something forbidden in the first
place). The act of taking the stock
BFR products and mixing them with
water to dilute them can well fall
into this category of exemption to
halachic bittul. In addition, there are
numerous exceptions to nullifying
non-kosher ingredients, even in
minute amounts: a davar hamaamid
(ingredient used to substantiate [a
product]) never becomes nullified
due to its significance within the
mixture. Another exception is if
the prohibited substance is present
because derech asiyaso bkach (it is a
regular ingredient in the recipe)as
indeed is the case here.
There are, however, various
halachic counter-arguments that
may allow us to rely on leniencies
and permit BFRs. Most significantly,
there is a heter (dispensation) for a
choleh (a person who is ill) to use
tasteless non-kosher medication
that is swallowed. However, for this
heter to apply it must be ascertained
that the remedy is considered a
refua bedukah (well-researched
medicine). In addition to resolving
whether alternative supplements
are considered medicine in this
context (and specifically in the case
of BFRs, which have failed many
clinical studies), there is the question
whether these particular remedies
which are marketed to promote
general physical and emotional
wellnesswould be included in the
heter designed for a choleh.
There may still be some
leniencies to be found for allowing
the consumption of these and
similar remedies. A knowledgeable
rov should be consulted regarding
individual cases and products.
* Since BFRs are considered
harmless even in larger quantities,
some consumers use the stock
product by directly applying it to
the tongue. Aside from the fact
that most proponents of BFRs
consider this a less effective use of
1055_bm_eng.indd 23
the remedy, it can introduce even
greater halachic issues: Even if we
wouldnt consider applying the
drops to the tongue consumption
in the normal manner of eating and
drinking, merely absorbing them
into the body can still be assur
(called sichah kshtiya). In addition,
stam yainam is assur bhanaah
(deriving any benefit [from the
forbidden substance] is prohibited)
according to many poskim. Although
these concerns are mitigated where a
persons health is concerned, there is
less reason to apply these leniencies
when alternative administration
through dilutionis available (and
also therapeutically recommended).
THE CASE FOR A PAREVE
CUTTING BOARD
There is hardly a more caustic
combination in a Kosher kitchen
than duchka dsakina (the pressure
of a [sharp] knife) on a davar charif
(a pungent food, e.g. onions, garlic,
pickled foods, etc.). While most
hairy cross-contamination incidents
can be mollified by a component that
is clean and eino ben yomo (was not
used in twenty-four hours),* no such
heter (leniency) exists in the case of
a knife cutting into sharp food. A
davar charif draws out even stale
properties from the knifewhether
it is treif (non-kosher), fleishig
(meat) or milchig (milk)which
will convert what is chopped or
sliced to the status of knife.
Some poskim suggest that this
rule is extended to the cutting board
on which the davar charif is cut,
so that if the cutting board is treif,
fleishig or milchig, this status is
transmitted via the cutting action
to extract the taste into the sharp
food sitting on it. Other halachic
authorities differentiate between
the various intensities of the knifes
contact with the food and board
limiting it to food that is being
crushed or zealously chopped or,
alternatively, cut with due haste. We
are usually stringent in this regard,
lchatchilla (initially), to avoid
chopping a davar charif on a milchig
cutting board if it is to be used with
fleishig or vice versa. Likewise if the
sharp food was cut on either type of
board, we should not lchatchilla
mix it with food of a different status.
However, a typical chopping
block or board is usually not capable
of actually turning a particular
sharp food milchig or fleishig.
Used primarily for vegetables and
cold foods, it would be difficult to
imagine the existence of a milchig,
fleishig or treif chopping block
unless it was used for hot food. A
board used for cutting sharp food
with a milchig or fleishig knife in a
particular manner may theoretically
be considered milchig or fleishig
but even then, only according to the
stricter opinions mentioned here,
as well as other stringent criteria.
Practically speakingand certainly
bdieved, in a case where the sharp
food was prepared and then used
across the dividewe are lenient
with cutting boards used in all cold
food preparations.
* A clean kli (vessel) usually
transmits its status to food only in
situations where it can conceivably
enhance itand not after it has
turned stale (taamo lifgam). In
other words, a treif kli does not
render kosher food treif if it was not
used within the past twenty-four
hours; the same applies to milchig
in a fleishig kli that was not recently
used (and vice versa)and also
when considering whether a pareve
(neutral) food becomes milchig
or fleishig when cooked in the
designated pot.
One Minute Halacha is a succinct
daily presentation on practical Halacha in
video, audio, and text formats, and can be
accessed by phone at 718.989.9599, by email,
halacha2go@gmail.com, or by WhatsApp
347.456.5665.
Issue 1055 23
2017-01-31 10:24:39 AM
 THOUGHT

SIMPLY
TO LOVE
THE REBBE
The Rebbe turned to him and said, I love every
Jew with a tremendous love and I hope that due
to my love for them, they reciprocate that love in
kind. * It is incumbent on a Chassid to connect
and cleave to the Rebbe, the true source of true
life, and to be constantly preoccupied with this
love, the love of his life.

By Rabbi Sholom Dovber Shapiro

Shliach and Rosh Kollel Torah Center, Manhattan

O
n an ordinary weekday,
there was a man whose
car broke down on a
street in France. By
divine providence, this was near
the yeshiva in Brunoy, and the
driver asked the students to give
him a hand which they did gladly.
After a brief conversation, they
discovered that he was a Jew,
and as to be expected in such an
encounter, they put tfillin on with
him and invited him to visit the
yeshiva. From that point onward,
he began to come closer to Judaism
and would visit the bachurim from
time to time, spending more and
more time with them so that when
Tishrei came around he joined
them on their trip to the Rebbe.
During his stay in 770, he
continued to spend a lot of time
with the boys, and that is how
he got to spend the wee hours
of the night attending Chassidic
farbrengens, where he discovered
the tremendous hiskashrus
of Chassidim to the Rebbe.
Despite being greatly impressed
and inspired by all that he
experienced over Tishrei, he had
a hard time digesting what to him
was the obsessive involvement
of Chassidim with the Rebbe.
The bachurim suggested that
he ask the Rebbe directly about
this when he would have the
opportunity for a private audience
at the end of the month. And so,
when he stood before the Rebbe
in his holy room, he did just that.
The Rebbes response was: I

24 7 Shvat 5777

1055_bm_eng.indd 24 2017-01-31 10:24:41 AM

 love every Jew with a tremendous
love and I hope that due to my
love for them, they reciprocate
that love in kind. The end of the
story is pretty much as expected.
The Jew became a full-fledged
Chabad Chassid and today his
children serve as shluchim of the
Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach.
We all know the saying cited
in HaYom Yom of 26 Shvat:
Love is the spirit of life in the
avoda of Chassidus. It is the
thread that binds Chassidim to
1055_bm_eng.indd 25
each other, that binds Rebbe
to Chassidim and Chassidim
to Rebbe. This is both in a
direct way and a responsive
way, without any barriers, and
it transcends the limitations of
space and time.
The tremendous love that
exists between the Rebbe
and Chassidim is a two-way
phenomenon. Therefore, anyone
who has the least bit of Chassidic
sensitivity ponders and thinks
to himself: What about me
demonstrates my love for the
Rebbe? How much is love for the
Rebbe felt in my everyday life?
The most basic instinct that
governs all of a persons behaviors
is his love of life. This love is not
the result of any occurrence or
event which brought him to the
realization that it would be a
good idea to love life; rather it is
his very existence that causes him
to be permeated with a boundless
love for life. In other words, life
is not some added component of
Issue 1055 25
2017-01-31 10:24:43 AM
 THOUGHT
the person. As long as his soul
beats within him, in everything he
does he is alive. Like the analogy
brought in Tanya of a person who
craves the life of his soul, and
when he is weak and debilitated
he craves and hungers for his
soul to return to him.
So too regarding the
love between the Rebbe and
Chassidim. The Rebbe is the Nasi
of the generation, the Moshe
Rabbeinu of the generation
through whom all of the divine
hashpaos and energy flow passes
to every member of the Jewish
people, and as such he is the
heart and mind of the entire
nation.
We merited to be chosen
as the Seventh Generation,
and we are overflowing with a
tremendous bounty of sichos
and maamarim, but sometimes
it is possible to lose the feelings.
We need to constantly review
and remember that Hashem
wants the heart. We need to be
authentic, to feel the tremendous
love that the Rebbe showers upon
each and every one of us. This is
something that affects our very
existence.
***
At a farbrengen on 27 Adar,
I heard from a man living in
Crown Heights, that he had a
daughter on 28 Tishrei 5738, less
than a week after the heart event
on Shmini Atzeres, and as is the
custom, he wanted to give her
a name at the Torah reading in
the Rebbes minyan. These were
weeks when the Torah reading
took place in the Rebbes room
with an exact quorum. The new
father approached R Leibel
Groner and tried to use all of his
skills in persuasion, but to no
avail. R Groner would not even
hear of the possibility of the man
entering the Rebbes room. I
will not give my daughter a name,
26 7 Shvat 5777
1055_bm_eng.indd 26
except in the Rebbes minyan,
the man exclaimed forcefully, but
he was barred entry.
I guess if I cant get in, there
will be no name, he thought to
himself, but on the other hand
there is the instruction of the
Rebbe to give a name at the first
opportunity. It was already the
second day of Rosh Chodesh
Cheshvan, and the young man
was circling around in the yard
of 770 near the first floor,
which was closed off during that
difficult period. Suddenly, he
noticed that one of the windows
was left open, and without
thinking twice he jumped and
wiggled through the window,
walked inside until he got close
to the Rebbes room where the
Torah reading was taking place
at that time, and standing there
he passed along the name for his
daughter for the saying of the
hoped for Mi ShBeirach.
From this episode we can see
what it means to be a Chassid
whose very life is the Rebbe to
such a degree that there can be
no other way!
It is essential to know that
the Rebbe is showering unlimited
bounty and blessings on every
Jew out of his tremendous love,
the only question is, do I feel it
and what am I giving in return.
In Tanya, the Alter Rebbe
explains that The nourishment
and life force of the nefesh-
ruach-neshama of the ordinary
people is from the nefesh-ruach-
neshama of the Tzaddikim
and Chachomim, the leaders
of the Jewish people in their
generations. He goes on to
explain that there are those who
dont receive that nourishment
in a face-to-face manner, but
rather in a backhanded fashion.
In the Rebbes sichos, he makes
mention of a situation described
as they turned to Me the back
of their neck, which is to say
that it is possible to be standing
right next to a precious treasure
and turn ones back to it. The
Rebbe is being mashpia! It is up
to us to receive that in a manner
of face.
A MATTER AFFECTING THE
ESSENCE OF THE SOUL
On 27 Adar 5752, Anash and
the Tmimim were waiting for the
Rebbe to return from the Ohel,
and as was the custom did not
daven Mincha until the Rebbes
return. To a certain degree, it can
be said that we are still waiting for
the Rebbe to return and then we
will daven Mincha and Maariv,
and afterward perhaps there will
be a sicha or even a distribution
of dollars or a kuntres. Certainly,
we have merited many great
revelations since then, and
especially the encouragement
of the proclamation Yechi
Adoneinu before the eyes of the
entire world. However, as long as
we have not merited the complete
revelation of the Rebbe, our life is
not a life.
It is explained in Chassidus
that when a person experiences
something that affects the very
essence of his soul, this reveals
within him essential and lofty
soul powers. That is exactly how
our intense love for the Rebbe
and our desire to see our king
must awaken within us a state
wherein we will do whatever is
in our power and even beyond
our power to bring about the
complete revelation. And this
should find expression in each
Chassid wherever he may be at;
in his travels, his thoughts, his
speech and actions, that he work
tirelessly with all of his powers
and live with the Rebbe at every
step.
As the Rebbe writes in a
letter: They should contemplate
2017-01-31 10:24:44 AM
 that this is detaining the Geula,
Tchiyas HaMeisim and meeting
up with the Rebbe, my father-in-
law, and his father etc., etc., can
it be that you are not pining?
And is there any effort that
would be considered difficult
in their eyes just to attain that?
And these are things as they are
in a literal sense, and not in a
way of clever allegory.
How does one get in touch
with this feeling, especially in
the difficult moments before the
Geula? The Rebbe writes in the
HaYom Yom of 14 Shvat: By
our holy forebears, in addition

to arousing divine mercies
for their mekusharim, there The Rebbe told the venerable shliach, R
was an avoda, when alone, of
bringing their mekusharim to Yitzchok Dovid Groner ah, that when a Chassid
mind and pondering their love wakes up in the morning, before the morning blessings or
and hiskashrus in a manner of
as water reflects a face (i.e. after the morning blessings, he should picture to himself
reciprocation), which arouses the the image of the Rebbe.
inner faculties of the one being
thought about...

THE REBBE SHOWS
US SUCH LOVE
And as water reflects a
face, the Rebbe Rayatz tells
us in a letter: The Chassidim-
Mekusharim had the practice
of establishing a special set
time to arouse feelings of love
for their Rebbe. Simply, to love
the Rebbe, with a love that is
felt tangibly in the heart, like a
fleshly love towards a wife and
children. During that time, they
would picture to themselves a
yechidus with the Rebbe, the
hearing of a Chassidic discourse
or a farbrengen with the Rebbe.
In simple words, each one
of us needs to contemplate in a
deeply personal fashion how the
Rebbe shows each one of us such
great and powerful love, lifts us
up and brings us close to him in
a very real way. How the Rebbe
cares about us and everything
that is going on in our lives,
down to the smallest details,
something which we are witness
to in thousands of stories where
the Rebbe showed how much
he cares about the life of each
Chassid.
During the period when
the custom of going in for
yechidus on ones birthday
was discontinued, there was an
occasion when R Mordechai
Shusterman had the opportunity
to go in for yechidus in
connection with a family simcha
close to the time of his birthday.
As he waited his turn, he asked
one of the secretaries if it was
okay for him to mention his
birthday, and he was answered
in the negative. When he went
in for the yechidus and handed
the Rebbe his pidyon nefesh, the
Rebbe asked him why he doesnt
mention anything about his
birthday. He answered that the
secretaries ordered him not to
mention it. To which the Rebbe
responded, They have to, but at
least I remember!
The awareness that the Rebbe
is an integral part of the life of a
Chassid should awaken within
us a doubled and redoubled love
from the depths of the heart in
a manner of as waters reflect a
face much like the love one
has for his very life, which causes
him to crave to connect and
cleave to the Rebbe, and to be
constantly preoccupied with this
love, the love of his life.
The Rebbe told the shliach,
R Yitzchok Dovid Groner, that
when a Chassid wakes up in the
morning, before the morning
blessings or after the morning
blessings, he should picture to
himself the image of the Rebbe.
That is a Chassid and that is
his very existence!

Issue 1055 27

1055_bm_eng.indd 27 2017-01-31 10:24:46 AM

 STORY
THE
INTERNATIONAL
MYSTERY AND
THE REBBES
FARBRENGEN
By Menachem Ziegelboim
PART I
770, New York. Shabbos,
Parshas VaYakhel-Pkudei, 5747.
Thousands of Chassidim
packed into the Rebbes beis
midrash and listened closely to
what the Rebbe had to say. It was
seemingly a routine farbrengen on
Shabbos Mevarchim. The Rebbe
began with timely remarks about
the special quality of Shabbos
Mevarchim Nissan which is the
head of the months. Between
sichos, the Chassidim lifted their
cups and the Rebbe responded to
the lchaims of each of them.
In the third sicha, the Rebbe
brought up the topic of the
sfarim. His voice rose and once
again, the Chassidim heard that
pained tone that they heard so
many times before the big Didan
Natzach that occurred only
28 7 Shvat 5777
1055_bm_eng.indd 28
two months earlier. They had
hoped they would never hear that
pained tone again.
There are those who want to
appeal and take the sfarim and
divide them up and distribute
them around. They should know
this will never happen! The shver
will be victorious and no negative
impression will remain.
This matter pertains to
the shluchim, for it has left my
hands and even originally did not
She was at the Kosel and saw a
pertain to me but to the Rebbe,
my father-in-law, and therefore,
it pertains to his shluchim, for
they will decide with a great
multitude is the glory of the king
what to do.
At this point, the Rebbe told a
story (large portions of which do
not appear in the sichos of those
days). It never was and never
will be the opposite of what he
wants. All of this comes from the
side of the double and redoubled
darkness, and we are being
shown this not only through
hints but openly, for there was
a woman who received as an
inheritance from her husband a
very large amount of sfarim, and
she decided to send them here
to the library of the Rebbe, my
father-in-law.
Nobody urged her to do this.
Lubavitcher putting tfillin on
with a Jew. This is the fruit of the
Rebbe, my father-in-law, and she
was inspired ...
None of the astonished
Chassidim knew who the woman
was, about which books the
Rebbe was talking about, nor
about anything occurring at the
Kosel.
2017-01-31 10:24:48 AM
 PART II
Los Angeles.
He stood on the corner
near a tfillin stand and stopped
passersby with the question, Are
you Jewish? The street was
busy, everyone rushing, trying to
catch the next bus. Most of them
ignored him or briefly said no,
but some Jews said yes and were
willing to put on tfillin.
On the other side of the
street walked a young hippie.
His colorful, unkempt look did
not stand out on the streets of
Los Angeles at that time. When
he got into range, the young
Lubavitcher asked him, Are you
Jewish?
Yes, he said.
So how about putting on
tfillin?
1055_bm_eng.indd 29
The hippie was annoyed and
asked, How old are you? Then
he continued without waiting for
an answer. I think I am older
than you by some years. How
dare you ask me about my origins
and tell me what to do? Do you
think I owe you anything? Where
do you get your nerve? And he
walked on.
I just asked ... mumbled
the Lubavitcher, but the young
man had already walked off
while loudly complaining about
rude kids who bothered him with
peculiar questions.
PART III
Yerushalayim.
The Kosel plaza was filled
with men, women, and children.
Jews of all backgrounds were
there. This is where Jews go
to pour out their hearts by the
remnant of our Beis HaMikdash.
Near the entrance to where the
men pray is a tfillin stand where
hundreds of thousands have put
on tfillin over the years. It is
an inseparable part of the Kosel
scene.
Near the stand is a man who
offers tfillin to passersby. There
is usually no need to ask, Are
you Jewish? since most people
who visit the Kosel are Jews.
Those who did not yet put on
tfillin are usually happy to do so.
Those who see the man with
the gentle bearded face would
never guess that he was once a
hippie, that same one from the
street corner in Los Angeles.
Please meet Gutman Locks.
Many changes took place over
Issue 1055 29
2017-01-31 10:24:50 AM
 Story
the previous year and it was all
thanks to the tfillin stand in Los
Angeles.
The change began as soon as
he left the stand fuming. After he
calmed down he began to think.
Why did I get so upset? What
did he want from me already,
that I should do a mitzva? He
felt regret and guilt. Have I
deteriorated so much that the
mere mention of a mitzva gets
me so angry? No! And Gutman
decided, I must change.
In order to make sure his
decision would be acted upon, he
decided to commit to putting on
tfillin every weekday from then
on.
Days and then weeks passed
and as our Sages say, One
mitzva draws another mitzva,
The memory struck him like a thunderbolt. The
sight of the stand reminded him of the street
corner in Los Angeles where he began his journey toward
Judaism.
and Gutman continued to grow
spiritually. Within a few months
he was religiously observant.
At that point, he felt he wanted
to move to Eretz Yisroel and
imbibe of its holiness. Like every
American, he began his visit at
the Kosel.
He observed the crowds and
then something familiar caught
his eye. The tfillin stand. It was
piled with pairs of tfillin and
nearby were some Jews putting
them on.
The memory struck him like
a thunderbolt. The sight of the
stand reminded him of the street
corner in Los Angeles where
he began his journey toward
Judaism.
30 7 Shvat 5777
1055_bm_eng.indd 30
Once again, it was a decision
made on the spot. I will stay
here near this tfillin stand so I
too can help Jews do the mitzva
of tfillin.
Gutman established his
residence in Yerushalayim and
every day he went to the Kosel,
stood near the tfillin stand and
did his work. He did Mivtza
Tfillin for months and put tfillin
on with over 10,000 Jews. He
found this enormously satisfying.
One wintry day at the end of
Adar, Gutman went to the stand
as usual and offered tfillin to
passersby. As he helped someone
with tfillin, he noticed an older
woman standing on the side and
watching him. At first he paid her
no mind. He was used to tourists
staring and figured she was a
curious tourist.
When time passed and the
woman was still standing there
and watching him, he wondered
about it. He did not understand
why she was so interested. When
the foot traffic was less he went
over to her. She asked, What
movement do you belong to?
Gutman was taken aback.
He never thought he belonged
to any movement but the woman
had asked and was waiting for an
answer.
To Chabad, he finally said.
He figured that if he was standing
there and putting tfillin on with
people, then he was acting like a
Lubavitcher.
The woman nodded and
thanked him and went on her
way.
PART IV
New York. Adar 5747.
Two young men, R Nechemia
Kessler and the Tamim Meir
Yechiel Hershkowitz, set out
from Crown Heights heading to
Flatbush. Finding the address
they were given, they approached
a ranch style home where they
were supposed to meet the widow
living there. The woman invited
them into her home. Entering,
they were astounded to see a
house packed with sfarim. Every
room in the house was crowded
with bookshelves overflowing
with sfarim.
I wish to donate these
to the Lubavitch library, the
woman informed them. R
Kessler, who was the director
of the Levi Yitzchok library on
Kingston Avenue, went through
the collection and saw that some
of them he already had copies
of in his library and some were
not suitable for a public lending
library.
As the two of them were
browsing the books, they
continued their conversation
with the widow. Why do you
want to donate the sfarim to us
specifically, asked R Nechemia
with some surprise in his voice.
How did you hear about us?
I will tell you, said the
woman. It has been some time
since I was widowed from my
late husband, who was a learned
man and a dedicated bibliophile.
Throughout his life he collected
many sfarim, as you can see.
To tell the truth, after he passed
away I had no idea what to do
with all these sfarim for which I
have no use.
Not long ago, I visited Eretz
Yisroel. While there, I paid a visit
2017-01-31 10:24:50 AM
 to the Kosel Maaravi, where I
couldnt help notice the tfillin
stand. I saw them doing amazing
work, with young men inviting
the visitors to put on tfillin. I
asked one of the men there where
he is from, and he answered me
that he is a Lubavitcher Chassid.
Since I was so impressed by the
work that you do, I decided on
the spot to donate the sfarim
to Lubavitch. And so, when I
returned to the US, I did some
research and came across your
library.
R Nechemia Kessler could
not contain his amazement at the
tremendous divine providence,
and he explained to her that
the Levi Yitzchok library was
limited and not every volume was
appropriate for them. However,
what he could recommend is that
she donate the entire collection
to a far more suitable library, the
library of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
The woman was thrilled
with the suggestion and
immediately agreed to have the
entire collection transferred to
the Rebbes library. By a stroke
of amazing divine providence,
this story occurred a very short
time after the court victory and
celebrations of didan natzach,
at the very time that the Rebbe
was asking the Chassidim to
send books and manuscripts to
the library of Agudas Chassidei
Chabad.
R Nechemia Kessler returned
to Crown Heights and rushed
to tell his brother-in-law, the
chief librarian of the Rebbes
library, Rabbi Berel Levin, who
in turn informed the Rebbe.
Unfortunately, the joy was
somewhat muted during that
period, since the other side had
filed an appeal against the courts
ruling in favor of the chassidim.
This news pleased the Rebbe very
much, and he sent out a response
on the same day, So should
he deliver good news about the
receiving of additional sfarim,
also and especially the receipt of
all the sfarim and manuscripts
etc.
On Thursday, 25 Adar 5747,
R Levin received a delivery of
thousands of volumes to add to
the Rebbes library. The following
Shabbos, the Rebbe chose to
share a bit of this moving story
with those who attended the
farbrengen.
PART V
Yerushalayim. Monday, 29
Adar 5747.
Gutman stood, as was his
practice, near the tfillin stand,
asking the passersby if they had
already put tfillin on that day. He
was quite busy.
A young yeshiva student
stood off to the side patiently,
seemingly waiting for a break in
the action so as to say something
to Gutman. When Gutman was
free for a moment, the bachur
approached him and handed
him a dollar bill saying, This
dollar is for blessing and success,
from the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He
sends you his blessings of yasher
koach (an expression of thanks
in the form of a blessing to have
the strength to continue to do
good and proper things).
Gutman was shocked, This
is from the Lubavitcher Rebbe?
For me? He did not understand
what he might have done to merit
the dollar from the Rebbe and a
personal thank you. The bachur
didnt know exactly what to tell
him, I dont know a thing, he
shrugged. Yesterday, I was on
the famous line for dollars by
the Lubavitcher Rebbe. When I
told him that I was traveling to
Yerushalayim, the Rebbe gave me
an additional dollar and asked me
to give it to the young man that
runs the tfillin stand at the Kosel.
That is all I know, concluded
the yeshiva boy.
Still bewildered and
befuddled, Gutman could not
for the life of him think what
connection he had with the
Rebbe, or what the Rebbe might
be thanking him for. The puzzle
was solved not long after, when
somebody gave him a copy of the
summary of what the Rebbe had
spoken about that Shabbos, and
he read the story that the Rebbe
told to the Chassidim gathered
there.

Make a Mivtzah Kashrus in your own computer!

Introducing JNET-The world wide web without the world wide worryTM
While The Internet can be a helpful tool for business, experts that will solve your problems fast.
education and personal use it can also be a potentially Most important, you can now get the JNET Advantage for
dangerous one. only a bit more than non-filtered on line providers.
That's why J Net was created. If you're ready for the world wide web without the world wide
Using exclusive multi-tiered intelligent filtration, the J Net worry, you're ready for JNet.
portal is probably the most effective consumer resource for DIALUP DSL Unlimited Access 24 Tech Support
eliminating material not conducive to our needs. 4 Profiles per
More than virtually foolproof, J .NET is also easy both to Account Web Mail
install and use. Plus its available in both dialup and high Call us toll free at 1-866-866-JNET (5638)
speed DSL and backed by highly trained customer service (mention code 770 for special ANASH Rate)

Issue 1055 31

1055_bm_eng.indd 31 2017-01-31 10:24:51 AM

 NEWS

D
inush experienced a Chanuka miracle.
People from all over the world and
differing backgrounds eagerly followed
developments. When I called Chaya
Rivkin, Dinushs mother, to hear the story of the
miracle firsthand, she said:
Youre not the first to call for an interview.
Ive been getting endless requests for interviews
from all kinds of newspapers and sites. I cannot
respond to all of them but I cant say no to
a Chabad magazine of the Rebbe. I owe the
Rebbe tremendous gratitude for the miracle we
experienced recently.
Dinush is only four and a half but has gone
through so much already. And yet, she is still a
sweet, happy little girl. She was born with a rare,
congenital birth defect called esophageal atresia.
That means, her esophagus was (its weird for
me to speak in the past tense) connected to her
lungs instead of to her stomach. As soon as she
was born she was operated on to disconnect
her esophagus from her lungs but something
went wrong and she was in the ICU in critical
condition.
Dinush, who
How did you handle the news?
For a very long time, Dinush could not eat garnered
anything and vomited whatever entered her worldwide
mouth. I could not go anywhere with her and
take pride in my firstborn because I didnt know attention with
when she would suddenly vomit. The doctors
then decided she would get her nutrition through
the campaign to
DIN
U SH
an esophageal tube which in Hebrew is called raise funds for
a zonda, which brings liquid food directly to her operation, has
the stomach for digestion and prevents it from
getting into the lungs. Since then, up until returned home.
this recent operation, the zonda was constantly * Exclusive: Her
attached to her.
That meant, that as everyone around her was mother, Chaya
eating, Dinush could just watch, smell the food, Rivkin, shares the
and want some too. In our kitchen there was a
special box in which we put all the things Dinush hard times, the
wanted to taste. Were saving it for you, we miracles, and the
told her, because we are sure that one day, a
miracle will happen and youll be able to eat gratitude.
normally, like everyone else. At first the doctors
said things would straighten out when she would By Blumie Landau
be a year old, then they said at age two. Then
they promised a change at age three. Recently,
her condition grew more serious because the
esophagus began bleeding into the lungs and we
were told to do surgery immediately at Boston
Childrens Hospital, one of the best in the world,
at a cost of 1.5 million shekels.

32 7 Shvat 5777

1055_bm_eng.indd 32 2017-01-31 10:25:04 AM

 G !
U SH IS D E A TI N
HOME AN

Issue 1055 33

1055_bm_eng.indd 33 2017-01-31 10:25:36 AM

 News
What did you think about
the operation?
I knew we had reached the
end of our rope and we could
not allow Dinush to be in danger,
but where would we get that kind
of money from? We started a
special campaign for this purpose
but I said to myself, In Chabad
there are so many campaigns and
fundraisers, mosdos and Chabad
Houses, why would someone
donate to us? Who has money
in Chabad anyway? But then,
when the full amount was raised
in just 48 hours and everyone
While everyone sang to thank and to praise,
and for Your miracles and Your wonders, I
couldnt stop crying. I looked at Dinush at the childrens
rally, eating a doughnut and licking her fingers and I
pinched myself, not believing this was a reality.
asked us, How? that is when I
felt the warm hug and that all of
Chabad was surrounding us with
love and warmth. Even people
we didnt know donated, took an
interest, and followed the story!
We flew to Boston and
landed in freezing weather,
wiped out and nervous, and not
really knowing English. My
husband got a phone call from
an organization that takes care
of apartments for families of
patients. We had arranged ahead
of time with them about when we
would arrive, and they said the
apartment would be ready, but
they apologized and said it would
only be ready the following day.
They said there were two options,
either to take a room in a hotel or
be hosted by a family.
I was very uncomfortable
about staying with strangers
but when we arrived we were
very surprised to be greeted
by a Lubavitcher family. From
34 7 Shvat 5777
1055_bm_eng.indd 34
that moment, until our return
home, the Huminer family did
not leave us. They arranged
for every Chabad family in the
community to make meals for
us. Every day we were given full
course meals and even desserts.
We were amazed by all the love
and devotion the community
showered upon us.
One Shabbos, a shliach
came to visit us in the hospital.
He climbed ten flights just
to say, Good Shabbos. We
were stunned and moved. A
shlucha came regularly and sat
at Dinushs bedside for hours
and told her Chassidishe stories
so we had a break. One time,
when the meal came, the shlucha
said, I saw that someone else
contributed twice and I still
havent prepared anything. Im
sorry! I dont want to miss out.
In the meantime, Dinush
underwent many tests, some of
them under general anesthesia,
and the doctors discovered
additional problems that
made the operation even more
complicated. Through the
interpreters they explained to us
that one operation wouldnt be
enough and she needed two or
three operations. I was very sad
to hear this. How much could
one child go through? We asked
for the Rebbes bracha and made
a good hachlata and then the
doctor came in and said, We
need to do just one operation.
This kind of miracle happened
time and again. We felt that
the Rebbe was with us and
supporting us at every stage.
The date for the operation
was approaching and we
prepared Dinush. We told
her, The doctors will remove
the zonda and you will be able
to eat normally. Dinush
asked, Whatever I want?
Everything! we said.
The fateful operation that
would change Dinushs life was
set for 7:30 in the morning and
we went along with her with
many prayers and tears. After
twelve hours that seemed to never
end, the chief surgeon came out
and announced, All is well! The
operation was a success and she
wont need another operation!
How did you feel with that
great news?
I felt that all I wanted to do
was say thank you to the Rebbe
and to all those who helped us
reach this miraculous moment.
We decided that when we would
be released and return to Eretz
Yisroel, we would stop at 770 to
thank and praise.
The doctors said that the
operation was very complicated
and it might take Dinush five
days to wake up, but by the next
morning she opened her eyes
and said, Ima, water. The next
day they lowered the dosages
of the medication and everyone
was amazed by how fast she was
recovering. The doctors said it
would take her two weeks to get
out of intensive care but after
three days there was no reason
to be there. At first they said we
would have to remain in Boston
for at least three months, but we
were on our way home after five
weeks.
What was it like to go to 770
after all that?
I always dreamed of being at
the menorah lighting in 770 and
due to these circumstances that
dream came true for me. We
2017-01-31 10:25:38 AM
 arrived for the lighting and the
singing of HaNeiros Halalu.
For us, these were electrifying
moments. I said to the Rebbe,
I dont want anything, just to
say thank you. While everyone
sang to thank and to praise,
and for Your miracles and
Your wonders, I couldnt stop
crying. I looked at Dinush
at the childrens rally, eating
a doughnut and licking her
fingers and I pinched myself, not
believing this had happened.
Dinush asked me for a paper
and then asked sweetly, Ima,
draw a big heart for me. I want
to bring it to the Rebbe and tell
him thank you that I dont have
the zonda and I can eat whatever
I want.
What was it like going home
and back to routine?
At first they said that the
hospitalization would take much
longer and we planned on my
Continued from page 37
treatments but nothing helped.
They then bought two pages in
the Torah scroll. After a while,
I heard from his mother that he
was functioning again and he is
now running one of the stores in
the family chain.
Another story happened
through R Ziv Katzbi, shliach in
Ramat HaSharon and a known
lecturer. At the dinner we made
last year in Holon, he said he
had a tumor in his throat and he
also took part in the Torah. His
problem also disappeared in a
completely miraculous way.
Another medical miracle
that must be told happened with
Rabbi Haroush of Kfar Truman,
who had the privilege of the
Torah scroll leaving from his
house and being brought to the
shul in his Kfar. R Binyamin
1055_bm_eng.indd 35
husband staying with Dinush
while I would go home. Dinush
is the oldest and we left our two
littler ones in Eretz Yisroel with
my amazing parents who took
care of them all that time. At
their advanced age they went
back to changing diapers.
At the airport we were
welcomed with a moving,
heartwarming reception. Twenty
costumed characters put Dinush
on their shoulders and danced
with her. There were Welcome
Dinush signs, balloon
decorations and photographers
everywhere. The entire family
came with presents for Dinush.
Everyone wanted to see the
walking miracle. Only I did not
see all this. I looked for my little
ones whom I hadnt seen in so
long. I was heartbroken, missing
them so much!
What is most moving for you
now, after Dinush has, boruch
Hashem, gotten back into a
Haroush suffered greatly from
a problem with his pinkie which
began eight years ago. He had a
growth on it and he underwent
many treatments and surgery
until they nearly amputated
it. His hand was also nearly
paralyzed. He spent entire nights
in a fog of painkillers and was in
great pain. He heard about us
when we made a dinner to get
donors for the Torah scroll. He
bought Parshas haman, which
is known for its segulos, and
another parsha. Then he went
to a top doctor who performed
a simple operation and the
problem disappeared. It was
extraordinary! He also won the
raffle to bring the first Torah to
Kfar Truman.
When his name was chosen,
we wondered why the Torah
would be brought to Kfar Truman
normal routine?
Every morning I just cant
believe it when I hear myself
asking, Dinush, what should
I put in your sandwich? Yes,
Dinush is like any other little girl!
Then I cook lunch and I suddenly
realize how much I need to be
thankful for, things we take for
granted. I am cooking in my own
kitchen after a long period when
I could not do so, and soon the
family will be sitting together and
everyone will eat together. Even
Dinush will sit with us, close to
the table and say, Ima, this is
good, I want more. And more
and more. Because thats the
way it is when at age four and
a half you are tasting mommys
food for the first time.
Now that we have had our
personal Geula with Dini, I am
waiting impatiently for us all to
be able to taste from the shor
habor and the livyasan.
of all places. We knew there
had to be special significance to
this. I called Mrs. Haroush and
asked her why she thought they
won. She said that over the past
year there were many people in
Kfar Truman who were sick with
cancer; some of whom had died.
Maybe the Torah needed to be
brought there because there were
many people who needed a refua.
Its unbelievable. We keep
hearing more stories about
medical salvation and other saves.
More people are interested in
taking part in the second Torah.
Buying a portion in this Torah
scroll is a means for refua and
yeshua. Anash and mekuravim
from a number of countries have
taken part and I am sure that
more yeshuos are taking place
and that there is much rejoicing
in heaven.
Issue 1055 35
2017-01-31 10:25:39 AM
 STORY

THE WONDER
TORAH SCROLLS
The following story began in Mezhibuzh
and continues until this very day; it still isnt
over. * R Yosef Yitzchok Lieder, one of the
prominent shluchim in Rishon LTziyon,
along with his wife Chava, tell of miracles
that people experienced after buying pages
in the wonder Torah scroll.
By Yaron Tzvi

T
his story is truly a
Baalshemske maaseh of
our times. As I write, the
miracles are still taking
place and it is still possible to take
part in this healing campaign
that began two years ago in Adar.
R YY Lieder, who started
the second Chabad House in
Holon in 5739, is now a shliach
in Rishon LTziyon in the
area of Kiryat Kaliv. He gives
numerous shiurim, holds a large
weekly kabbalas Shabbos for
mekuravim, works with kids at
risk and conducts numerous
other activities. His wife Chavi
is also very active and gives
Tanya classes, lectures, and
leads workshops. She worked as
a teacher and mechaneches in
Holon for over thirty years and
is now active with mekuravim. R
Lieder is also known by many for
his weekly farbrengens which he
leads in 770 in Kfar Chabad on
Thursday nights.
In the past two years, he
has become known for his
involvement in the writing of a
wondrous Torah scroll, as he
relates:
Two years ago, my nephew,
then fourteen, became sick
with cancer. The doctors forgot
that Hashem only gave them
permission to heal, and not to
cause people to despair. They
did not sound optimistic about
his condition. The family was in
shock and I began to think about
what I could do. As a chassid of
the Rebbe, I immediately wrote to
the Rebbe and asked for a bracha.
The letter I opened to in the
Igros Kodesh was addressed to
our brothers, the Jewish people
who are settling in Nachalat Har
Chabad among the immigrants
settling our holy land, may it be
built and established speedily
in our days. It was dated, the
day after Shabbos HaGadol, 11
Nissan 5728. The Rebbe wrote,
surely the two Sifrei Torah that
were sent from here already
arrived and were received, and
the Rebbe included the contents
of a letter from the Rebbe Rayatz
when he sent a Torah to new
settlers in Kfar Chabad in 5709.
When I read this, I got an
idea. That week, I held my weekly
farbrengen in the small zal in 770
in Kfar Chabad. I invited R MM
Roth from Beitar to farbreng.
In incredible divine providence,
and without his knowing about
my personal matter, he repeated
a story connected with a Torah
scroll written upon the Baal
Shem Tovs advice in order to

36 7 Shvat 5777

1055_bm_eng.indd 36 2017-01-31 10:25:40 AM

 bring about salvation in a certain
health matter. This story gave
the push for the initiative that
was taken in Beitar Ilit to write a
Torah when a number of people
had become sick.
After all the events of that day,
the Rebbes letter, and then the
moving story, I decided to write
two Sifrei Torah as the Rebbe
had mentioned in the letter, and
to dedicate them to the healing of
my nephew and for all those who
needed yeshuos and would take
part in the expenses. I got up and
announced this at the farbrengen.
From the way things unfolded,
I very soon realized that we had
begun an astonishing G-dly
process of miraculous salvation.
I thought of how we could
move forward as fast as possible,
for my nephew needed salvation
urgently. It occurred to me that
since the Rebbe mentioned two
Sifrei Torah, we would offer the
possibility of buying two columns
in the Seifer Torah. I also decided
to make a raffle for a dollar from
the Rebbe to whoever bought one
full page and another raffle to
win the right to choose where the
Torah scroll should be lodged for
whoever bought two pages.
In order to speed things up, keitz (end, numerically equivalent whose wife was sick with cancer
I decided to look for a Torah to 190) of evil decrees for those and was in critical condition.
that was already in the middle who took part. He also noted The doctors had lost hope. He
of being written. I came across that he had gotten up to Parshas heard about us and about a year
an ad in the local newsletter of Pinchas to the page where it ago he participated, and then he
Kfar Chabad about a Torah like tells about the plague that was called to tell me that his wife was
this. I made inquiries and found stopped in the merit of incense. healed!
out that the scribe was a G-d The first medical miracle Mrs. Lieder, who takes care
fearing person from Anash of happened Pesach time, right after of the logistics and contacts with
Tzfas, experienced in writing we closed the deal with the scribe. donors, also has stories to tell:
Sifrei Torah for Chabad Houses. My nephew was completely The son of one of our
He had begun writing a Torah healed of a disease the doctors mekuravim suffered from
upon the advice of his mashpia called fatal. It was an incredible emotional problems and wasnt
even before he had a buyer. He miracle that was publicized and functioning. He dressed strangely
did it with faith that a customer many people began buying letters and slowly stopped leaving the
would come. And I had come! I and pages in the Torah scroll. house and having anything to
explained my reason and he said More miracles began to do with others. They tried many
that he was up to page 190 and occur. There was a Lubavitcher
that would seem to symbolize the from the center of the country Continued on page 35

Issue 1055 37

1055_bm_eng.indd 37 2017-01-31 10:25:40 AM

 SHLEIMUS HAARETZ

M
K Bezalel Smotrich shot onto the
political scene of Eretz Yisroel like
a meteor. He was elected to the
Knesset for the first time in the
most recent election cycle, as a member of the
Bayit Yehudi party, but has quickly demonstrated
impressive political abilities. He has already
found and made the right connections that will
help him promote the ideas that he brought with
him to the Knesset.
Even his political opponents (and he
has many in the political establishment)
acknowledge that he is possessed of a sharp
mind. His diligence is extraordinary and he is
straightforward about his views, telling it like it
is.
He is active on many fronts. He is the
driving force behind the attempts to legislatively
legitimize the settlements and promote increased
construction in the settlements, namely the
Settlements Regulation bill, which includes
provisions such as the Settlements Normalization
law and the Settlements Bloc law which grants
authority to the bloc. His party succeeded in
getting this past a first reading, which places it
on the legislative agenda of the Knesset, despite
opposition from the Attorney General.
He is also behind the efforts to affect changes
in the Israeli Justice System by way of defining
the limits of power in the hands of the courts
and by dividing the powers currently held by
the Attorney General. He is also responsible for
the attempts to reign in and limit the powers of
the Shin-Bet, or in his words, to place it under
increased supervision. This is all in addition
to his work in the economic and social arenas,
where he is also highly active and has succeeded
in marshaling resources to the tune of millions of
shekels for the settlements in Yehuda-Shomron.
A fellow Knesset member said about him, He
has the entire Bayit Yehudi, the government
and the Knesset around his finger. He sits in
committees and intimidates the whole world.
How do you see the recent murderous
attack in Yerushalayim?

CHAMPION OF THE
38 7 Shvat 5777

1055_bm_eng.indd 38 2017-01-31 10:25:44 AM

 First and foremost, I would like to extend
condolences to the bereaved families; their pain
Knesset member, Betzalel is unbearable. I would also like to extend well
wishes for a speedy recovery to those who were
Smotrich is young injured in the terrible ramming attack.
but his achievements As I have said many times and I will say
again, the most recent terrible attack proves
surpass many veteran the argument that I have made repeatedly, that
Knesset members. He whoever wants to wipe out terror must cut off
the hope that motivates it. This is the only way
recently succeeded in and there is no other. When a person wakes
having the Settlements up in the morning and takes a truck with the
intent to murder innocent people, there is no
Regulation bill, which real military response that could prevent him
includes a provision for from doing just that, no advance intelligence or
any other means. In order for such an attack to
resettling Amona, put occur, all you need is a person to wake up one
up for ratification. He morning, get into a truck, and go on a killing
spree.
advances the issues of So we should just give up and say that
the residents of Yehuda- there is nothing to do to stop it?
Shomron, and is shaking Certainly not, we need to cut off this
motivation at the root so that such people will
up the establishment. * have zero motivation to carry out such attacks.
In an interview with him, The biggest lie of the left in recent decades
is that terror is a result of hopelessness. It is a
we spoke about how to lie that has become entrenched in the national
prevent an attack like we and international psyche. Terror does not
spring from hopelessness; quite to the contrary,
recently had (in which it stems from hope. Their hope is to establish
a truck plowed into IDF a country of their own in the heart of Eretz
Yisroel and to establish an independent political
soldiers, killing four and entity of their own. When a person carries out
injuring many), about the an act of terror, he is trying to advance a cause
that he believes in. That would no longer be the
reactions of IDF soldiers, case if we completely uprooted this hope, such
and what is happening that they will understand that terror will not
help them in the least and will not advance their
today in Amona. cause, rather the opposite will occur.
The path taken by the Israeli government in
By Shneur Zalman Levin recent decades is actually directly encouraging
terror by the hopes that it gives these butchers.
But what can really be done about a
resident of Jabel Mukaber, which is a part of
the Jerusalem municipality, who pays taxes

THE SETTLEMENTS
Issue 1055 39

1055_bm_eng.indd 39 2017-01-31 10:25:47 AM

 Shleimus HaAretz
When it comes to belief, I only believe in
HaKadosh Boruch Hu, but we are on the scene
and tracking the developments. We are under no
illusions and we are operating as one must whenever
dealing with the political system.
and receives Social Security like
every other citizen, who one
morning wakes up and decides
to murder people. This is no
terrorist infiltrator. Is it possible
to really stop such a terrorist?
That is exactly my point.
There is no real way to contend
with such situations, except by
extinguishing their hopes and
delusions about building their
own country. In this case as in
many similar cases there was
no known terror infrastructure of
cells and organizations, and also
no attempt to acquire weapons,
which would allow for the
possibility of intercepting such
attackers. We are talking about
a person who woke up in the
morning with a desire to commit
murder with a truck bearing Israeli
license plates, a simple but deadly
weapon. In the real world, you
cannot strip tens of thousands of
residents of eastern Jerusalem of
their citizenship nor can you place
them behind roadblocks. You must
address the basis of their attitude
and deal with the issue from there.
In my view, the key issue
is that as long as they have the
desire and the hope to acquire
territory, they will be motivated to
attack. The greater the price that
we extract from them in terms of
establishing new settlements and
expanding existing ones, as well
as in terms of our direct response
in expelling the family of the
terrorist, and not just the terrorist
but anyone who expresses support
for his act, will immediately
decrease the motivation. If
40 7 Shvat 5777
1055_bm_eng.indd 40
the sister of the attacker, who
exhibited great joy to the media
over her brothers action, would
be expelled immediately; if the
home of the terrorist would be
demolished the same day, and his
wife and children expelled from
the country, the next terrorist will
think many times before he sets
out to execute such an attack.
THE IDF PURITY OF
ARMS DOCTRINE IS
FALLACIOUS
Public opinion was up in
arms over the clip of soldiers
fleeing the bloody scene. Many
people see a correlation in the
avoidance of confronting the
killer as being due to the legal
decision of the Elor Azaria
case. Others argue that there
is no connection. What is your
opinion?
I truly believe there is
no connection, and I do not
appreciate the attempts to draw a
link from the court decision to the
reaction of the soldiers.
It is important to remember
that it takes a few moments before
the realization sets in that this is
not an accident but an attack, as
well as that some of the soldiers at
the scene were not combat soldiers
and were unarmed. Additionally, I
am not so sure that it would be a
good idea for all of those present
to fall into a firing stance, because
that would create a grave danger
to the bystanders at the scene. On
this matter, I am careful about
drawing any conclusions.
With that in mind, let it be
said that I am firmly opposed to
the ruling of the military court in
the case of Elor Azaria, a ruling
based on the moral code of the
IDF which, in my view, is entirely
unsound. I have a big problem
with these values, whose goal is
to be humanitarian to killers, and
costs of Jewish lives. Saving Jewish
lives, in my view, is a higher value
than all of their distorted moral
values.
A soldier must know, first and
foremost, that a terrorist who
comes to kill has the legal status
of a dead man. It is absolutely
criminal for there to be any
situation in which a soldier kills
a terrorist and is found guilty of
anything. The entire doctrine of
purity of arms, when applied
to the benefit of terrorists and
enemies, is a perversion of justice.
This has a tremendous hindering
effect on the IDFs ability to
achieve victory. Look what
happened in the most recent Gaza
campaign, when the purity of
arms doctrine did not allow the
IDF in Gaza to do what it knows
best, and for over fifty days we
were mired in the Gazan quagmire
without the IDF ever showing
what it is truly capable of doing.
Despite all of my criticisms
of the verdict in the Elor Azaria
case, a verdict that was derived
from a distorted value system
that endangers the soldiers of
the IDF and the citizens of Eretz
Yisroel, I would take extreme
care in not bringing up all of the
problems that we need to correct
and dumping them on the soldiers
that were at the scene of the recent
attack in Yerushalayim.
AMONA WILL YET
BLOSSOM
MK Betzalel Smotrich was
the trailblazer who led the charge
with dedication and determination
2017-01-31 10:25:47 AM

for the Settlement Regulation bill.
This proposed legislation seeks
to formalize the status of the
thousands of settlement homes
that were built on lands that
were originally owned by Arabs.
According to the version that
passed the Legislative Committee,
the land on which these homes
were built will remain in the
possession of the original owners,
but the government would
revoke their usage rights and
transfer them to the Custodian of
Government Lands in the Yehuda-
Shomron region. In return, the
owners would be compensated
with an amount equaling 125% of
the land value, or they can receive
a different parcel in exchange if
they so wish. According to current
estimates, this proposal would
apply to about four thousand
homes in Yehuda and the
Shomron.
MK Smotrich, together with
the leadership of Bayit Yehudi,
did not rest or desist until he
succeeded in getting the Prime
Minister and the entire governing
coalition to ratify the bill and put
it on the agenda for a second
and third reading, despite the
opposition of the Attorney General
and the entire legal system that
was up in arms. As a result,
together with a clear agreement
between the office of the Prime
Minister and the residents of
Amona, it was decided to move
the entire settlement to a nearby
location and to allow its continued
existence.
What is happening these days
in Amona?
First, we succeeded in
developing a strategic solution
not only for Amona. Today, there
are over four thousand homes
throughout Yehuda-Shomron
that need to be resolved legally.
The Settlement Regulation bill
will finally be brought up for
1055_bm_eng.indd 41
The biggest lie of the left in recent decades is
that terror is a result of hopelessness. It is a lie that
has become entrenched in the national and international
psyche. Terror does not spring from hopelessness; quite
to the contrary, it stems from hope.
final passage a few days after the
swearing in of the new American
President, and then it will become
law.
It is painful to me that Amona
itself will not be included in
this regulatory scheme, due to
pressures from all sides. However,
the settlement will continue to
remain on the mountain. Let me
say this unequivocally, there will
be no situation under which this
settlement will be destroyed.
The implementation of the
policy agreement that was reached
between the Prime Minister
and the residents of Amona is
progressing, boruch Hashem.
Yet, we are constantly pushing
that it progress even faster. We
are talking about a legal process
that requires an advance public
announcement of the intentions
of the government regarding a
given property, then another few
days must be allowed for anyone
to proffer a legal challenge. We
agreed to follow these protocols,
on the advice of the District
Attorney, so that no problems
crop up later in trying to defend it
before the Supreme Court.
If everything goes smoothly,
with Hashems help, I hope that
in the coming days we will be
able to bring the bulldozers and
start laying the groundwork
for the new Amona. This is the
goal and this is our aspiration.
Sadly, we are not in charge of the
operation, as it is in the hands of
the Ministry of Defense and the
Civil Administration, and from
experience we know that they are
champion foot-draggers.
Do you believe that they
will keep their word and allow
Amona to move to a nearby
location or do you suspect that
they will pull a rabbit out of the
hat at the last moment?
When it comes to belief, I
only believe in HaKadosh Boruch
Hu, but we are on the scene and
tracking the developments. We
are under no illusions and we are
operating as one must whenever
dealing with the political system.
If we see that things are getting
stuck beyond the agreed upon
timetable, we will immediately
raise a red flag.
What exactly is a red flag?
Would your party defect from the
coalition?
We are not at that point. In the
current stage, the administrative
process is proceeding apace and
there is someone whose job it is
to keep things moving forward.
There is a timetable as far as what
needs to be accomplished each
day. If it appears that something is
being held up in an unreasonable
manner, and it would become clear
to us that the Prime Minister or
the Defense Ministry is purposely
holding up the implementation
of the agreement, we will know
exactly what we need to do.
Do you believe the statements
of the Defense Minister?
No! I cannot believe the word
of someone who says one thing
on one day, and then says the
opposite the next day. His word is
not a word.
Issue 1055 41
2017-01-31 10:25:47 AM
 TZIVOS HASHEM
THE
REBBES
CHAIR
Rabbi Rabinowitz, a rabbi
in the Bronx, would sit in a
corner of his shul and learn.
Strangely enough, he did not
sit at the head of the table.
He sat on the right side. That
is where R Michel Vishedsky
found him. R Michel was
even more surprised when he
wanted to sit in the empty
seat at the front of the shul
and the rav stopped him,
politely but firmly. Nobody
sits there, he said.
When you hear what I will
tell you, you will understand,
said the rav. After the
Holocaust, I met Chabad
Chassidim in Russia who helped
me a lot. I arrived in the United
States in the summer of 1949,
and in the beginning of 1950
I had a private audience with
the Rebbe Rayatz.
Since you are a ben
Torah, said the Rebbe, you
should find a rabbinic position.
When they offered me a
position as rabbi in this shul,
I went to the Rebbe again to
ask whether I should accept it.
42 7 Shvat 5777
1055_bm_eng.indd 42
The Rebbe closed his eyes and
after thinking a bit said, The
shul is a shul and it is suitable,
but I do not like the shamash.
I was taken aback. I
had asked the Rebbe about
a rabbinic position. Why did
I need to know about the
shamash? The Rebbe could
see what I was thinking, but
repeated what he said, A shul
is a shul and it is suitable, but
I do not like the shamash.
Before I left, the Rebbe said I
should come back on Sunday
in two weeks. I returned home
and accepted the position.
Two weeks later I went to
the Rebbe as he told me to do.
When I arrived, I found a large
crowd standing outside 770. I
discovered that the Rebbe had
passed away and realized that
he had asked me to come and
attend his funeral.
Months passed and the
people in my shul were satisfied
with me and I was pleased
with them. But one thing
bothered me, and that was the
shamash, who was not pleased
with me. It seems that during
the period of time until I was
appointed as the rabbi, he
had taken on the job of rabbi,
a sort of unofficial rav. He
felt I was imposing myself on
him. He started complaining.
At first he did this quietly
but then he began to openly
campaign against me and the
situation became intolerable.
When I couldnt take
it anymore, I went to the
Rebbe Rayatzs successor, the
Rebbe shlita. When I entered
his office, even before I said
anything, the Rebbe said, My
father-in-law told you that
a shul is a shul and its only
the shamash whom he doesnt
like. You need to continue in
that position in the Bronx. As
for the shamash, make sure
he doesnt have his position
anymore.
I was amazed by what the
Rebbe said because when the
Rebbe Rayatz had spoken to
me, the Rebbe had not been
in the room, and I had not
2017-01-31 10:25:48 AM
 "! " , ,
,
.
" ."
: ""

- "
,
: .
"
.
. " . "
,
." " " "

"
ly
, told you explicit
Rayatz
shul shul, and
that a is a
ing
accord tohalach a you
."



canmake a." butche r shop
into a shul but cannot
you

make
a , shul into a butcher
shop. Go in peace and

Hashem will help.
, before
The night we
. ed to be
.suppos
were
" evicted ,I dream ed that I
was enterin g the shul and
:
in the chair at the front
of the shul, the " very same
,chair that I ,dont
allow
"! people
to sit in, the
Rebbe
Rayatz was . Next
"!sitting
:

to him was the Rebbe
told the Rebbe about . I
this. ,the
Behind shul was a and .he said to me, Stop
asked the Rebbe for guidan
ce r shop
butche with a wall ? worryi ng. Hashem will see to it


separating between them. The that everyt out
: . turn
- in , to
how solve the proble m. hing will
, "


shama
The had
sh .had job
this owner of the butcher shop well.
success ful "!and his store
,
.for many

- years and how could
was The Rebbe pointed at his
al? becam e too small He
for him.
father- in-law . and said, The
? trate
I orches ,his remov

it to us and we
offered . to sell Rebbe told you a shul
.
is a shul,
Rebbe,


the
I am sure, said
! there were very happy to do the deal so worryi ng
that are facts or actions e the why
.r ofpeople
, numbe worry? Stop

! , becaus will see to it that
that could lead to his being had
shul
our
in ,grown . The .770-Hashem
and
fired if you catch
' him in the everything will turn out well.
board of the shul relied on the .
I woke up from the dream.
act. May Hashem grant you
did not
-
and

success . The Rebbe s words butchers integri
, ty It,was late and I ran to shul.
gave me and
hope I went
sign a contract of purchase as From the distanc e I could see

they have.
should .

nt that en
policem
, back to , my job
confide


a big crowd and
,
Years
passed and the .
, everyt hing would
. work out. overseeing the
, eviction. I
butche rs busines s grew and
One night I couldnt sleep. cried. But then something
shul he needed a wareh ouse for his extraordinary happened. In
I got up early and went to z"xa,wv yca wz | ~ | 98
stock. He remembered that the large meat store nearby,
earlier than usual. On my way
we had not signed a contract a large light fixture in the
I met the gabbai who pointed
when he sold us his store. ceiling fell onto the head of
out that the shul lights were
That meant that legally, he the butcher! 1/21/2007 collaps
He 1:06:26 ed.
already on. We decided to
PM

still owned it. He deman ded s treated him and when

investigate what was going Doctor
of the gabbaim that they give he regained consciousness he
on. We quietly entered and
him back his store! He went admitted to the police sergeant
what did we see? The shamash
to court and the court sent a that he had been paid for the
standing near the bima and
letter saying we had a certain store. The eviction stopped
emptying the pushkas into his
amount of time to get out and immediately.
pockets! That same day he was
if we didnt, then the police And now you understand
fired.
would evict us. why I dont let anyone sit in
***
I told the Rebbe what was the chair at the front of the
Rabbi Rabinowitz then told
going on. The Rebbe said, I shul. That is because I have
R Vishedsky a story that was
dont know what you want. the image in my mind of the
even more amazing than the
My father-in-law, the Rebbe Rebbe Rayatz sitting there.
previous one:

Issue 1055 35

1055_bm_eng.indd 5 2017-01-31 10:24:01 AM