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FEATURED ARTICLES
8
THE SOVIET
PROSECUTORS
MATZA ORDER
Menachem Ziegelboim
20
THE FIVE SONS OF THE
SEDER IN DHARAMKOT
Eliyahu Sebbag
34
SUN, SURF, SPRING
TRAINING AND
SHLICHUS IN
CLEARWATER
Menachem Savyon
46
THE INSPIRATION
BEHIND THE SONG
By Yechiel Sofer
20
8
34
CONTENTS
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
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HEBREW EDITOR:
Rabbi S.Y. Chazan
editorH@beismoshiach.org
ENGLISH EDITOR:
Boruch Merkur
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WEEKLY COLUMNS
4 Dvar Malchus
16 Thought
27 Memoirs
30 Moshiach & Geula
32 28 Nissan Thought
44 28 Nissan Thought
830_BM_Eng.indd 3 01-04-12 6:57 AM
WHAT DOES PESACH
HAVE TO DO WITH ME?
I AM ALREADY FREE!
The First Temple contained the Holy Ark,
among other holy artifacts. How could
something so lowly idolatry coexist with
such holiness?! The answer is that elevated
spirituality itself evokes its counterpart... *
Since at the nal period of history, the end of
exile, it is so vital to scream ad masai?! and
beg for the redemption, therefore, there is
such a powerful opposition to this imperative.
* Part 2 of 2
Translated by Boruch Merkur
Support for the above can
be brought from a timely source
(albeit not something that casts
the Jewish people in a favorable
light), from what is written in
the Haftora of the second day
of Pesach, regarding the Pesach
sacrifice offered in the time of
Yoshiyahu:
And the king commanded
all the people, saying, Perform
a Pesach offering to G-d,
your L-rd For a Pesach
offering such as this had not
been performed since the time
of the Judges nor in all the
days of the kings of Yisroel or
the kings of Yehuda except
in the eighteenth year of King
Yoshiyahu was this Paschal
offering made to G-d in
Yerushalayim (Melachim II
23:21-23). This passage is
said of a time that followed
the eradication of everything
pertaining to idolatry from
the land of Yehuda and
Yerushalayim, and from the
Sanctuary of G-d. Indeed,
idolatry was so prevalent prior
to this general purge that they
needed a special warning that
the [idolatrous] priests of the
high places should not ascend to
the altar of G-d in Yerushalayim
(ibid 23:9).
At first glance, it is not
understood: At the time of
the First Temple, the Beis
HaMikdash contained the Aron
(the Holy Ark) and the Urim
VTumim (the name of G-d
written on parchment and kept
inside the breastplate of the
Kohen Gadol), among other holy
artifacts. How could something
so lowly idolatry coexist with
such holiness?!
The answer is that elevated
spirituality itself evokes its
counterpart. That is, since during
the Era of the First Temple there
was such a profound revelation
of holiness and G-dliness,
there was a correspondingly
powerful presence of the Other
Side opposing faith in G-d,
specifically manifest in the
inclination towards idolatry [a
balance established in Creation
to permit freewill].
The extent of the seductive
power of idolatry is described in
the Gemara (Sanhedrin 102b,
beg.): Rav Ashi asked Menasheh
son of Chizkiyahu (who had
appeared to him in a dream),
Since you are so wise, why is
it that you worshiped idols?
Menasheh answers, a truthful
answer that is brought in the
Torah of Truth: Had you been
there [at the time], you would
have lifted up the skirt of your
garment and raced after me [to
worship idols] (You would
have raised the hem of your
robe from between your legs in
order that it would be easier for
you to run there [towards the
idols], on account of the [strong]
inclination towards idolatry that
prevailed Rashi)!
So too, in our case. Since
at the final period of history,
the end of exile, it is so vital to
scream ad masai?! and beg for
the redemption, therefore, there
is such a powerful opposition to
this imperative.
4. The conclusion of the
Torah reading teaches and
4 8l5 HO5MlACM Erev Pasach 5772
DVAR MALCHUS
830_BM_Eng.indd 4 01-04-12 6:57 AM
instructs us how to respond
to this challenge: And if a ger
(a stranger) shall sojourn with
you, and he shall make a Pesach
offering to G-d, he shall act in
accordance with the rite of the
Pesach offering and its rule.
There shall be one law for you
and for the ger and the ezrach
haaretz (one who is born in the
land).
This is the lesson derived:
You may one day encounter
a Jew who insists that he sees
himself, with respect to the
story of the exodus from (the
Egyptian) exile, as a ger who
had not been subjugated in
Egypt. That is, he doesnt wish
to leave, because it is good for
him in exile. Tell this Jew to
consider more carefully what the
Torah instructs the ger. Indeed,
the exodus from Egypt has
application to the ger as well,
as the verse states, There shall
be one law for you and for the
ger. The reason for his inclusion
here is because he is actually
connected to the Jewish people
in the very essence of his being.
It is just that this essence may be
concealed in him, and there is a
need (with the act of conversion)
for it to come out in the open
and be revealed. So too with
regard to a Jew who argues that
it is good for him in exile (like
a ger who was not enslaved in
Egypt), for this feeling is only
superficial, a facade. However,
in the essence of his being he
desires to go out of exile and be a
free man.
This desire for asserting
oneself as a free man finds
expression in every Jews saying
(or thinking), I believe in
the coming of Moshiach I
shall eagerly await his coming
every day, and he prays in the
Shmoneh Esrei, May the shoot
of Dovid, Your servant, speedily
sprout forth, and may our
eyes behold Your return from
Tziyon.
It is simply that this true will
may be concealed. And one of
the ways that it can be revealed
is by making a tumult about the
importance of crying out ad
masai?! and the need to plead
and beg for the redemption.
Similarly, when a Jew argues
that since he is presently living
in the Kingdom of Kindness,
he sees himself as a native of
the land, you should tell him,
There shall be one law for
you and for the ger, as well as
the native of the land. Even
as a native of the land an
American citizen, who conducts
himself in accordance with the
national customs, being that the
law of the kingdom is law you
must reveal your true will and
leave exile and come to our holy
land and Yerushalayim the holy
city.
The fact of the matter is that
he is a born citizen of Tziyon and
Yerushalayim, as the Psalmist
articulates, this one was born
there, This man and that man
were born in it. That is, every
single Jew is among those who
were born in Tziyon, which
is called Yerushalayim on
account of both yira fear and
shalem complete, whole (a
concept that is expressed also
in ones service of G-d [the
goal of attaining] a complete and
perfected fear of G-d). It is just
that this needs to be revealed in
him.
Further insight on the topic
of ezrach haaretz a native
of the land is gained from the
teachings of Chassidus (Likkutei
Torah, Parshas Rei, beg., among
other places). Ezrach haaretz
carries the connotation of
what is described in the verse,
Maskil lEisan HaEzrachi
(Thillim 89:1). Eisan means
strength and power, alluding
to the powerful connection
of a Jew to the Alm-ghty
(a simple will without any
conceivable underlying reason or
consideration), the connection
rooted in the essence of the
soul. And this is the meaning
of haezrachi, which is derived
from the expression, ezrach
haaretz a native of the land,
for every single person possesses
this [essential] quality from time
immemorial. It is just that,
in the current condition of the
world, prior to the redemption,
the essence can be concealed.
In the Future Era, however, the
essential bond of the Jew to the
Alm-ghty will be revealed in every
single Jew, which is also alluded
to by the fact that ezrach is
a reference to the future (ma
shani asid lhazriach).

How do I know about his complaint? For I too
did not hear this from my father, and certainly
not my grandfather I didnt even hear this from myself
prior to my immigrating to the United States of America.
(I dont know why this is so, but that is the way it is.)
The fact of the matter is that this approach has positive
results, notwithstanding that there are those who have
distaste for it.
Issue 830 8l5 HO5MlACM 5
830_BM_Eng.indd 5 01-04-12 6:57 AM
It is understood that the act
of arousing another in this matter
(as is the case with all matters of
Torah and Mitzvos) needs to be
done amicably and peacefully. At
the same time, it must be done
with the appropriate force, so
that it will have an impact on the
other and reveal in him that he
too, in essence, shares this belief.
Then more vitality is added to
the uproar, also in the one who
reached out to the other More
than the home owner does for
the poor man, the poor man does
for the home owner.
5. Of course, there are those
who are suspicious of reaching
out to others, to mingle into
someone elses private affairs and
his personal conduct, etc. True
such a person might argue
when we are speaking about
doing a Mitzva or deterring
someone from transgressing a
prohibition, he has no choice;
he must approach the other and
tell him: Listen up! The Torah
commands me to mix in to your
personal affairs, as is stated,
You shall surely rebuke your
associate, love your fellow
as yourself. And this is to be
done by means of love as well
as rebuke (as our Sages say,
the right arm draws close,
and then, the left arm shuns.
In fact, the aversion itself is
only with the left, weaker arm.)
However, in our case, talking
about getting others to cry out
for the end of exile, this is an
instance of our fathers did not
see. He never heard of this from
his father and certainly not
from his grandfather that his
father or grandfather went out
into the street or stood in the
synagogue in the middle of the
day and cried out: Ad masai?!
How is it possible that Moshiach
Tzidkeinu still has not come?!
(The Rebbe shlita smiled and
said) How do I know about his
complaint? For I too did not hear
this from my father, and certainly
not my grandfather I didnt
even hear this from myself prior
to my immigrating to the United
States of America. (I dont know
why this is so, but that is the way
it is.) The fact of the matter is
that this approach has positive
results, notwithstanding that
there are those who have distaste
for it.
In general, people tend to be
dissatisfied with others. That is
human nature, for the mindsets
of individuals differ. This person
is not satisfied with the conduct
of the other, with his father, his
grandfather, adviser, rabbi, and
so on.
In any event, when you look
at the little Jewish children and
see how they scream daloi
galus! [Russian for enough
with exile!] it is clear that it is all
worthwhile. How much more so
regarding adolescents, after the
age of Bar Mitzva, who likewise
cry out daloi galus! though
not necessarily in Russian, but
in Yiddish, the Holy Tongue, or
whatever lingo they may use, so
long as the intent is the same.
(From the address of 19 Nissan,
5748, bilti muga)

In the current condition of the world, prior to
the redemption, the essence can be concealed.
In the Future Era, however, the essential bond of the Jew
to the Alm-ghty will be revealed in every single Jew
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DVAR MALCHUS
830_BM_Eng.indd 6 01-04-12 6:57 AM
830_BM_Eng.indd 7 01-04-12 6:57 AM
THE SOVIET
PROSECUTORS
MATZA ORDER
Episodes from the life of a young man who made
his way through the spiritual mineeld that was
Soviet Russia.
By Menachem Ziegelboim
R Betzalel Schiff will never
forget those days before Pesach,
as he relates:
When I studied law at the
university of Tashkent, new
legislation was passed that said
whoever studies law has to intern
in this field. When I reached that
stage, I looked for a suitable
work environment and ended
up working in the prosecutors
office in the juvenile criminal
department. I was responsible for
determining which cases should
be held over for prosecution and
which not.
Before that, I was sent to
work in the prosecutors office
in the Carpathian region of the
Ukraine. I arrived there and
looked for a community of Jews
with whom to daven and be
in touch. As I walked through
the streets, I ended up at one
of the factories. I noticed one
of the workers was wearing an
Uzbeki cap. I looked at him and
he looked at me. We began to
talk and to my delight he was
a religious Jew by the name of
Avrohom Skablov.
We spent a lot of time
together. He took me to the
secret minyan where he davened
on Shabbos. When we finally
parted, I told him that if he had
the opportunity to be in Tashkent,
he was invited to visit me.
Two years later he came to
Tashkent and he looked for me
and finally found me. I happily
hosted him in my house as long
as he needed to be in the city.
He told me that he had
relatives living in Tashkent. If I
tell them that I am here, I wont
feel comfortable telling them that
Im staying with someone other
than them. So I will stay with
you the entire time and only on
my last day in Tashkent will I visit
them and tell them that I am here
for the day.
Thats what he did. He went
to visit his relatives on his last
day in town. We arranged that I
would meet him at the airport to
say goodbye.
I arrived at the airport and saw
him walking with his relatives.
R Betzalel Schiff
MEMOIRS
830_BM_Eng.indd 8 01-04-12 6:57 AM
Come, let me introduce you to
my family, he said and took me
to see them. When I approached
them, my heart sank. One of his
relatives was the chief prosecutor
for whom I worked.
At the first opportunity, I
took him aside and asked him,
Tell me the truth. What did you
tell her and what does she know
about me?
To my dismay, he said he
had had a debate with her
about whether there was still
Yiddishkait in Russia. She
maintained it no longer existed
while he maintained that, There
are still young men, even in
your city, who study Torah and
keep Shabbos. When she didnt
believe him, he introduced me
as a living specimen of a shomer
Shabbos.
I could not believe he had
told her this. I didnt know what
to do or where to bury myself.
My situation had clearly become
problematic and I knew this
meant I could no longer attend
the davening and farbrengens
so I wouldnt give away the
entire chevra, because she would
surely keep tabs on me. I also
had to warn the others not to
contact me so they would not be
putting themselves in danger. I
had lost everything at once, the
farbrengens, the shiurim and the
davening, and my job and title
that I had put so much work into,
were all in danger.
Two days later I still did not
dare go to work. I did not dare
show my religious-Jewish
face before the chief prosecutor
whose job was to look for young
men like me and put them behind
bars. And yet, I knew I had to
show up and could not simply
disappear. I racked my brains
over what I should do and finally
decided to go back to work, come
what may. I tried to act as usual,
indifferent and calm.
Then I noticed that she was
starting to help me. She gave
me total leeway in my work
and helped me with legal briefs.
Beforehand, I worried about how
to avoid working on Shabbos
and Yom Tov. The lead attorney
protected me in all matters
things had gotten much easier for
me.
One day, she came over and
quietly asked whether I could get
matza for her for Pesach.
Certainly. How much do you
want?
50 kilos will be enough.
50 kilos are enough for an
army, I retorted in alarm.
Its not just for me. All my
family members are communists
but they all want matza, though
none of them would dare buy it
for themselves. If you bring it
to me, I will give it out to all of
them.
I agreed. The matza baking
was assigned to one of Anash
who had already sat in jail. It
was after the release of R Mottel
Kozliner who arranged for him to
make matza so he would have a
source of income. Of course, it
was a secret bakery.
I went to him and said that
someone ordered 50 kilo of
matza which would earn him a
nice profit. I gave him the address
of where to bring the matzos
when they were ready. I did not
say who had ordered them; I just
gave him an address on a piece of
paper.
The baking was done secretly
and very quickly and one night,
he packed the 50 kilos in plastic
and paper, wrapped it all well,
and went to the address I had
given him. He quietly went up to
the second floor, rang the bell,
and who opened the door? The
prosecutor who had prosecuted
him in court and made every
effort to put him in jail!
He was frightened and nearly
fainted, but quickly recovered
and turned to leave with the
matza so the woman would
think that he had rung her bell
In his younger years
830_BM_Eng.indd 9 01-04-12 6:57 AM
by mistake. She stopped him and
said, One minute, who are you
looking for?
He began apologizing and
explained he had made a mistake
but she insisted, Who are you
looking for? I know all the
tenants in the building.
No thank you. I will find it
myself.
She persisted and he realized
he couldnt get rid of her and
had to say the truth, that he had
matza.
So why didnt you say so?
Come inside.
That night, Mottel Kozliner
came to me and gave it to me
but good. Are you insane? He
nearly had a heart attack on her
doorstep!
By the way, the woman
eventually made aliya and she
lives in a major Israeli city today.
***
When I visited R Betzalel
Schiff for this article [back in
2001], I visited him in the offices
of the party Yisroel BAliya in
Yerushalayim where he was
the director of the party and
their activities throughout the
country. In the crowded offices
were dozens of new and old-time
immigrants who were waiting
for help. R Betzalel circulated
among them wearing his kasket,
tzitzis out, and his beard that
testified more than anything else
to the fact that he is religious. To
the new immigrants waiting in
the office, the concept of shomer
mitzvos is unfamiliar. They
looked at him in astonishment. It
was only his fluent Russian that
clinched the fact of his origin.
He serves as director of the
Shamir organization and has
been responsible for dozens of
projects including publishing
books. He traveled to Russia
numerous times where he
uncovered dozens of files on
Chassidim and spiritual giants
who were interrogated by the
KGB.
It was hard to find a time to
talk to him to hear some of his
memories. All the phone calls and
dozens of memos piled up on his
desk were momentarily set aside
as he nostalgically shared stories
of his tumultuous childhood and
young adulthood:
I was born in Samarkand to
my father, the Chassid, R Yosef
Schiff. My older brothers are R
Aryeh Leib and R Gershon and
my sister married R Avrohom
Chein. My father was a public
activist of the first order. He was
an official in the government in
Samarkand and was in charge
of all the industrial factories in
the area. He also served as the
second secretary of the party, an
important and powerful position.
Despite his political standing,
our home was always open to
guests, invited and uninvited.
Many people ate and slept in
our house. We had many guests
for Shabbos, Jews of all kinds
and backgrounds. At a certain
point, many Zionist youth who
had been arrested because of
their involvement in Zionism,
returned from the labor camps
and stopped off in Samarkand.
Where could they eat? They
all knew they could go to Yosef
Schiff.
There were Zionists,
Bundists, members of Beitar, and
members of HaShomer HaTzair,
and many others. The Shabbos
meal was a forum of debate for
them as to who was to blame
for various events as well as
discussion and commentary.
It wasnt easy hosting people
like these. There were freed
prisoners and their emotional
state was precarious. They were
bitter and were liable to do
anything. I remember that when
guests that we were nervous
about slept in our house, my
mother would collect all the metal
implements in the house and hide
them so that nobody would be
able to get up and hit someone
with them.
***
The first interrogation
that I experienced is one that
I remember from first grade.
The police discovered some
irregularities at the familys
factory. A policeman came to
our house with a warrant for
me and my cousin which stated
that on a certain date, we had to
be at the police station in order
to testify against my father.
The family business was illegal
since everything belonged to the
government. We had to testify
that we knew that our entire
family worked at the factory.
On the appointed day, before
we left, my mother kissed me and
said, I know you are a smart
boy and you know where you
are going and what and how to
respond. Dont be afraid of them.
Be strong and G-d will bless
you.
(Laughing): We went there
with our lunch sacks in our
hands like we did when we went
to school. We waited outside and
one of the policemen brought
us into a room, seated us, and
began asking us questions. Then
we wrote a statement in our
childish handwriting based on
what they told us to write. A few
minutes later, a Moslem-Tatar
interrogator came in who read
the papers and smiled. Then he
said, Fine children. Now you
can go home.
As a child, I went to the
government school where they
indoctrinated us in communism,
but when we went home we
had to forget it all and sit with
MEMOIRS
830_BM_Eng.indd 10 01-04-12 6:57 AM
a Gemara or Chumash and
start learning. My grandfather,
the Chassid, R Yerachmiel
Chadash was responsible for
our chinuch and when we came
home, he would tell us, Take
off that shmatte, referring to
the neckerchief that was part of
our school uniform. Then we sat
down to learn Torah.
In 1952, I was in second
grade when my father died at the
young age of 53. I was an orphan
and although I had an extended
family, I had to deal with the
turbulence of life on my own, as
I will relate.
The main problem with school
was attendance on Shabbos.
From a young age we learned
to make up stories about a sore
finger or a headache and having
to go to the doctor.
All the yaldei Anash
(Lubavitcher children) attended
school with me. There were
Aharonchik Makovetzky,
Moshe Lebenhartz, Moshe and
Mordechai Garelik, the Frankel
children, and many others. We
were a tight group of friends
although we tried not to stand
out.
I remember a moving episode
from that time. One day, the
school nurse came to vaccinate
the children. I was in the second
grade and since I wore tzitzis
I was afraid she would notice. I
didnt know what to do and so
I decided to go to the bathroom
and take off the tzitzis, but the
principal blocked the door and
did not allow anyone to leave so
we would all get vaccinated.
I went over to him and said I
just needed the bathroom for a
minute and I would come back,
but he knew that the children
were afraid of the injections
and tried to get out of being
vaccinated. He said drily, Get
vaccinated and then you can go.
I was stuck.
I had no choice. When I went
over to the nurse I picked up my
shirt in a way that she wouldnt
see my tzitzis. She vaccinated
me and didnt say a word. I was
happy that nothing untoward had
happened.
The next morning when I
went to school, I walked down
the hall and saw her standing
near the nurses office. Hey boy,
come here, she said when she
noticed me. I thought, oh no,
what does she want. She took me
into her office and quietly asked
me, Was that a tallis or tfillin?
I stammered that it was tzitzis.
Her eyes lit up and she said, My
grandfather also had those, and
she kissed me and sent me on my
way.
As I said, the afternoons
were devoted to learning Torah.
For a while I learned with the
Chassid, R Chaim Zalman
Kozliner and later on, I learned
with R Zalman Buber. Although
we only learned for half a day, I
know that I received more from
my teachers than any child today
since each of the melamdim was
tremendously knowledgeable and
an outstanding Chassid. They did
not have many children to teach
and so they put a tremendous
amount into us.
At the beginning of fifth
grade, in 5717/1957, I
transferred to a special school
for working children. We were
three Lubavitcher children in the
class, Aharonchik Makovetzky,
me, and Elozor Garelik. Why did
we switch schools? Because this
school had no classes on Shabbos
and that made life easier for us.
In this school too, we tried
not to stand out, but one day one
of the teachers discovered that
we were religious since we did
not show up at school on Jewish
holidays. The punishment was
most unpleasant. The principal
had all the students in the school
line up on the playing field. Then
he took the three of us out of
the line and placed us in front
R Betzalel Schiff receiving a dollar from the Rebbe
830_BM_Eng.indd 11 01-04-12 6:57 AM
of everyone and said, See what
a bad example you are! Even
after fifty years of wonderful
communist rule, they still remain
believing Jews.
To us children, this was a
scathing shame. Each of us
mumbled something about why
we didnt come on the holidays.
Aharonchik exclaimed that he
was sick and couldnt come. In
any case, we realized that the
time had come to leave and go
elsewhere. I went to a different
school and Elozor Garelik went
to Tashkent.
I finished school at 15,
completed my matriculation
exams and went to Lenin
University in Tashkent. It was the
largest university in the city.
To support myself, I worked
in Mendel Gareliks factory
in which we made signs for
manufacturing plants and
factories. I worked there
together with other Chassidim
and the conditions there were
very pleasant. The atmosphere
of being together with other
Chassidim helped tremendously.
Among the workers were R Lipa
Klein and many other Chassidim.
R Mendel made it a rule that all
the employees had to sit down
and learn Torah for two hours a
day.
This factory manufactured
instructional signs of the type
placed in factories and other work
areas such as, Do Not Approach
Machine When In Operation,
Wear Gloves, which button
to press first and second, etc.
Russian law mandated that every
plant had to have clear signage
and rules of conduct. Rules were
written on large papers that were
distributed to employees and on
large signs posted at the entrance
of every plant.
Most of the workers in this
factory were Jews, and aside
from them there were some
token goyim, because it wasnt
possible for any industrial entity
to operate with an exclusively
Jewish workforce. This made it
much easier for us on Shabbos.
We arranged with the gentile
workers that they would not
show up for work on Shabbos
and we all enjoyed the day off.
Thats how the factory was able
to stay closed most Shabbasos of
the year.
The fact that we were all able
to work together engendered
many interesting episodes. There
were two ways of making the
signs one by hand, to produce
each sign from scratch. The price
of a sign like that was twenty
rubles. The other, illegal way, was
copying previous signs. The price
of a copied sign was only twenty
kopeks. Obviously, the profit was
enormous. For this work we also
received various benefits since
the paints that we supposedly had
to work with were poisonous and
dangerous. We were given extra
coupons for milk and bread.
I remember that one time a
supervisor came to the factory
to make an inspection. Before
he came, we poured hazardous
materials on the floor and when
he walked in he had to close his
nose because of the pungent
odor. He asked, How can you
work in such a dangerous place?
Are you willing to do anything for
money?!
One day, we found out that
on the upcoming Shabbos we
were supposed to receive our
salaries from the supervisor. Of
course we did not show up for
work on Shabbos and the gentile
manager knew we did not work
on Shabbos. He asked us to come
in, in order to get our salaries.
He said, You dont have to work
if you dont want to, but at least
come and get your money.
As I mentioned, I was
working in the factory in the
mornings and studying law in
the afternoons. Other Jewish
students attended university with
me. Every Shabbos, we walked
to a minyan that was an hour
and a half away. We arrived for
the davening and then made
Kiddush and stayed to farbreng.
R Mendel Futerfas and R Berke
Chein sometimes farbrenged. In
addition to my law studies, I had
a close connection with various
Chassidim and set times to learn
Torah.
I graduated university at 22
and went back with my diploma
to Samarkand and began giving
shiurim to bachurim.
After Stalin (may his name be
erased) died, the general situation
eased up. Until then, life was
precarious and dangerous and
nobody knew how the day would
end. The atmosphere lightened
up a bit and there was some
relief when it came to religious
persecution too.
In 5727/1967, four young
men founded Chamah (Chaburas
Mezakei HoRabbim): Moshe
Nisselevitz, my two brothers
Gershon and Aryeh Leib, and
Bereleh Zaltzman. I can still
picture how the four made a pact
regarding the mosad, giving their
hands one to the other.
They began organizing
shiurim and activities to spread
Judaism. Until then, a lot of
the burden was on my parents
and now it all became more
organized.
I had mentioned that my
father died when I was in second
grade. Tragically, my mother
died a week before my wedding.
After getting up from Shiva, the
members of Chamah came to me
with a suggestion. Since you
have to say Kaddish anyway, be a
melamed and organize a minyan
MEMOIRS
830_BM_Eng.indd 12 01-04-12 6:57 AM
too. I agreed and became a
Torah teacher. I had about thirty
students whom I taught regularly.
There were also some fellows
who came from outside of
Samarkand and who lived in my
house, sleeping and eating with
me, with whom I learned Torah.
They were young Lubavitchers or
young men from the Bucharian
khilla. Among other things,
I printed sichos of the Rebbe
that had been smuggled to us in
various ways.
In connection with that, I
want to tell you something that
happened to me. I was riding
my bike and had a volume of
the Rebbes sichos in my coat
when I felt a bang and I flew a
few meters in the air. A car had
hit me and my leg was broken;
the pain was terrible. I looked
around and was alarmed to see
all the sichos that had been in my
coat scattered all around.
People had gathered round in
order to help me and I fearfully
began gathering the sichos so I
wouldnt be caught red handed. I
picked up the pages and put them
in the binding and wondered who
to give it to so they would not be
discovered as I was being treated.
I suddenly noticed Bentzion
Goldschmidt and I gave him the
book and fainted immediately
thereafter from the pain. The fear
was so great that I simply did not
allow myself to faint until after I
had transferred the treasure to
trustworthy hands.
After the accident, I spent a
lot of time in bed with my leg in
a cast. I arranged for a minyan
in my house. One day, in the
middle of davening, a policeman
walked in. There was no time
to hide anything and there
were lit candles and Siddurim
with Russian translation on
the table. He looked around
and then opened a Siddur and
flipped through the pages. He
began reading the words of the
Kaddish that were transliterated
into Russian. He was an Uzbeki
policeman and not particularly
smart. It was quite amusing to
hear him read nearly the entire
Kaddish, word for word, and not
understanding any of it.
He asked me: What language
is this? I lied and said it was
Arabic. No, it doesnt seem to
be Arabic, he said. He closed the
Siddur and left.
Since my parents had
already died and I lived alone,
I undertook many missions on
behalf of Anash that were very
dangerous. For seven years, I
traveled every year to Georgia
to pick lulavim and hadasim
for Sukkos. We received the
esrogim from abroad and aravos
were obtainable in Tashkent.
Every year, I left right after
Rosh HaShana with the goal of
returning before Yom Kippur.
I traveled to Tbilisi, the
capitol of Georgia, where there
was a policeman who knew me
who would bring me to the area
where the date palms grew near
the beach. I gave him money and
he would wait for me with great
respect. He also obtained a ladder
for me and a saw and I would cut
down about ten lulavim for the
entire khilla. Then I continued to
Kutaisi, Georgias second largest
city, where I cut hadasim that
grew in the courtyard of the shul.
***
Evening fell in Yerushalayim.
The hour was late and R Betzalel
had work to do. We will talk
again another time, he assured
me as he went back to his work.
Are you insane? He nearly had a heart attack on

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830_BM_Eng.indd 13 01-04-12 6:57 AM
PESACH: AN
EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITY
What attitude should we have towards the
childrens cleaning and preparing for Pesach?
What do we need to be careful about when
it comes to Chol HaMoed trips? How can we
strengthen the family during Yom Tov? What
sort of atmosphere should we be aiming to
achieve in the home during Yom Tov?
By Rabbi Yisroel David, Educational Consultant and member of the Chinuch
Committee of Aguch in Eretz Yisroel
Nissan and springtime
are a period of renewal. In
addition to preparations that
every household, every family,
and every community makes
for Yom Tov, all of nature takes
on a festive air. Flowers are
blossoming, the air is refreshing,
the kids are off from school and
in many cases, so are the parents.
All these factors, together and
separately, motivate us to get
out, to get things done, to take
trips and spend happy, quality
time with the family. But before
we give free rein to our feelings,
we need to address some issues
that pertain to our children and
ourselves. After all, one of the
themes of Pesach is Relate it to
your children, a concept which,
if we expand on it a bit, pertains
to all aspects of our childrens
education.
CHILDREN ON EREV
PESACH A HELP OR A
HINDRANCE?
In many countries, children
are off from school beginning
some time during the first week
of Nissan. Households are busy
cleaning and organizing for
Yom Tov. Parents should include
their children in these jobs and
not exempt them from taking
responsibility for their belongings
in their room or in the house in
general.
Parents are sometimes
inclined, especially with younger
children, to consider children
as a hindrance rather than a
help. They look for a babysitter
or some kind of program to
occupy them and get them out
of the way. However, I think that
expecting a young child to take
responsibility for his belongings
conveys several important
educational messages.
First, we are letting the
child know that he is capable of
carrying out what we assigned
him. Second, we are letting them
know we rely on them to get the
job done. Third, we intensify his
feeling of belonging to the family
unit and the fact that he has a
significant role to play.
Obviously, parents need to be
smart about it and not demand
more than their child is capable
of, for this will frustrate him and
take away the desire to help.
TO RELY ON THE CHILDREN
Things sometimes get more
complicated with older children.
It starts with the morning routine
and their asking, Why do we
need to get up early? We are
on vacation, Well do it later,
Its a long day ahead, and
other excuses that are meant to
give them more time in bed. It
continues with arguments about
what they do and dont want to
do.
With older ones, I recommend
arranging things ahead of time
in a nice conversation in which
parents and child(ren) discuss
expectations and the division
of labor. It is important to state
clearly: We need your help and
we expect your help.
At the same time, when
they participate in cleaning for
Pesach, parents need to use
their brains and not constantly
examine and criticize what the
children are doing. When a child
CHINUCH
830_BM_Eng.indd 14 02-04-12 2:01 PM
says: I cleaned and organized the
drawer, closet etc. the parents
need to accept that as fact. You
would be surprised by how many
of our older children will do a
thorough job when they know
that we are truly relying on them.
PAYBACK TIME
The pre-Pesach preparations
strengthen the family unit,
the cooperation and joint
responsibility, and yet, they are
the reason we enter Pesach in
exhaustion. We naturally want to
receive something in return for all
the effort we expended and this
something is Chol HaMoed
with its outings and activities.
This compensation is
sometimes very problematic and
it needs serious thought on the
part of the parents. First, we
need to remember that its a Yom
Tov and there are halachos that
Chazal established which we need
to follow. Parents inclination to
be lenient sometimes in those
areas that dont seem halachically
problematic can easily do away
with the Yom Tov atmosphere.
Lets start with clothing. I see
children in shul on Chol HaMoed
who are wearing weekday
clothing, i.e. shorts, colorful
shirts, sneakers, etc. Although its
just clothes, every child knows
that you dress up for something
special. When we ensure that
our children are dressed on Chol
HaMoed as they are dressed on
Shabbos and Yom Tov, we are
letting them know that Chol
HaMoed is part of the holiday.
This is especially pertinent on
outings that are prevalent on
Chol HaMoed where, oftentimes,
whether due to lack of attention
or worse, the boundaries are
breached.
Theres no question that
outings with the family are
important and they contribute so
much to family cohesiveness, but
problems do crop up.
DO NOT CONVEY A
DOUBLE MESSAGE
Lets take food as an example.
Lubavitcher Chassidim are
extremely stringent when it
comes to Pesach. Nevertheless,
I have seen families on trips
where they spread out their food
on some picnic table without
knowing who sat there before
them and what they ate.
Although the women spread
out plastic tablecloths, there is
still an inexplicable inclination to
be lenient with the care expected
of us when it comes to a drop
of chametz. Somehow, its like
there is no fear of chametz when
out in nature. Obviously, this is
not true.
This has a negative impact
on chinuch because the children
are watching and absorbing what
we say, and, more critically,
what we do. The double message
that they get from us is that at
home, when a fork drops on the
floor they dont use it anymore
for that Pesach, but if they are
outdoors they can eat in a place
surrounded by dirt and chametz.
This confuses them.
TZNIUS ON TRIPS
Another important point is
where you go on trips. There
are many events taking place on
Chol HaMoed and we need to be
very careful about tznius (warm
weather will mean people wont
be dressed modestly) and about
programs and activities in which
there is a mingling of men and
women.
Parents need to use their
judgment as to whether a certain
outing or event is suitable for
their children (and themselves)
and not be afraid to say no, even
when the children kvetch. If
parents are unsure about whether
a location is suitable or not, I
recommend being strict since
generally, the surprises are not
good, and places that we thought
had no water at all and will likely
have people who are dressed
properly turn out to be water
parks.
Guarding ones eyes from
improper sights is a foundation
of Chassidic conduct, especially
for children, according to that
which is explained in Chassidus
about the tremendous influence
the power of sight has on the
brain.
This pertains to hiking
in wadis and riverbeds, rock
climbing, bungee jumping and
other crazy activities which can
definitely be skipped on Chol
HaMoed and left for other times
of the year (or not at all).
Ordinary hikes in calmer
places while wearing Yom Tov
clothing are enjoyable and
recommended.
DAVENING SLOWLY AND
KINUSEI TORAH
To summarize, Pesach and
Chol HaMoed are wonderful
opportunities for a family to
take a trip and strengthen family
ties. Attention should be given
to a suitable holiday schedule,
davening slowly, attending Torah
gatherings as the Rebbe said to
do, and going on appropriate
outings while being careful about
the points mentioned above. All
this will make Pesach a powerful
educational experience for our
children and for us, for body
and soul, and we will merit, with
Hashems help, the hisgalus
of the Rebbe MHM and the
really big trip to the third Beis
HaMikdash with the true and
complete Geula.
830_BM_Eng.indd 15 02-04-12 2:01 PM
THE PESACH
FAQS REVISITED
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg
WHAT MAKES THIS NIGHT
DIFFERENT
One of the highlights of
the Passover Seder is the Ma
Nishtana, The Four Questions
concerning the things that are
unique to the night of Passover.
These Four Questions are
prefaced with a general question:
Why is this night different from
all other nights?
Some commentators interpret
this introductory question as it
relates to the present exile. Night
is a metaphor for exile and the
question therefore is: Why is this
exile different from all the other
preceding exiles?
The Rebbe Rashab follows
that approach with one slight
variation: Instead of the word
Ma translated as why,
he renders it more literally as
what. The question now reads:
What is it that distinguishes this
exile from all the others? Or,
How is this exile different from
all the others?
And the Four Questions that
follow are actually four answers
to this question; four explanations
as to what makes this exile
different from all the others.
(See HaYom Yom for the Rebbe
Rashabs novel interpretation
of the four questions/answers
in detail. In short, the dipping,
Matza, Maror and reclining are
expressions of ultimate purity
that will transform our bodies,
and animal souls, elevate us to
unprecedentedly higher levels of
spirituality and the experience of
the essence of G-dly delight that
will occasion the Geula from this
galus.)
The following is an attempt
to adapt the Rebbe Rashabs
approach to the Ma Nishtana and
apply it to the current phase of
exile, which is arguably different
from all preceding phases.
SANDWICHED
In the end of the Biblical Book
of Daniel, it is stated: Happy is
the one who waits. Rashi, based
on the Midrash, comments that
the praise extended to the one
who waits for Moshiach refers
to the period when Moshiach
is hidden after he had already
been revealed. The scenario
for Moshiach according to the
Midrash is that Moshiach is first
revealed (nigleh) and then he is
concealed (nichseh) and then
revealed again (nigleh), after
which time he will inaugurate
the final redemption. Moshiach
is revealed even before the actual
redemption, just as Moshe was
revealed as the redeemer even
as Jews were still languishing in
Egypt and suffering from their
enslavement.
The Rebbe stated that
Moshiach has already been
revealed. Subsequent to Gimmel
Tammuz we thus entered into the
interim period of concealment,
waiting impatiently for the time
Moshiach will take us out of
exile.
When Rashi applies the
words happy is the one who
waits to this interim period of
concealment (and not to the
period that precedes Moshiachs
initial revelation) it indicates
that this period of interim
concealment carries with it a
unique challenge.
It may therefore be
suggestedfollowing the
approach of the Rebbe Rashab
that the question Ma Nishtana
can be interpreted in a way that
reflects the unique phase of
exile in which we presently find
ourselves:
What is it about this phase
of night/exile/concealment that is
different from all other phases of
exile?
The question is important
because it challenges us to
look for the approach we must
take in this period of exile
that is commensurate with its
unique status of sandwiched
concealment.
The first response to the
question is:
DOUBLE DIPPING
All other periods of night/
exile we do not dip even once; this
phase of exile we dip twice.
The phrase other nights
is in the plural; this night is
obviously in the singular form.
PARSHA THOUGHT
830_BM_Eng.indd 16 01-04-12 6:57 AM
In past periods of exile there
was no singular focus. There
were many forms of darkness.
By contrast, this post-Gimmel
Tammuz concealment phase is
punctuated by its singularity.
As the Rebbe told us, our task
is to prepare ourselves and the
entire world to welcome and
internalize Moshiach. This we
do by intensifying all aspects
of Judaism permeated with the
objective of ushering in the
Redemption. After Gimmel
Tammuz we are obsessed with
revealing Moshiach and reuniting
with our Rebbe.
We then refer to the double-
dipping that occurs on this night
of Passover. The reason for the
dipping is simply to do things
differently from the way we
usually do them. We start off by
changing the narrative so that it
would arouse the curiosity of the
child.
The child that we have
to stimulate is the Moshiach
innocence within us that is
covered up. The first stepeven
before we cultivate the adult and
mature aspect of our efforts to
bring about the Geulais not
to lose the virtue and innocence
of the child within (whom our
Sages refer to as Meshichoi) even
as we try to grow in our mature
understanding of Moshiach and
Geula.
But that child-like innocence
that hasnt yet been tainted by
our intellectual nature may be
lying dormant. We must do
something drastic, unorthodox
and unconventional to awaken
it. We therefore do unusual
things because it reveals the
differences within us, those
elements that make us different
and unique, our yechida (the
essence and Moshiach of our
soul) that is different and unique.
But dipping once is not
enough. The Rebbe did
revolutionary things until they
became mainstream and then
he dipped again. The Rebbes
frequent blessing was Kiflayim
LToshiyah-double strength,
because Redemption is connected
to the idea of repetition, as in the
repetitive expression employed
in reference to the first Exodus:
Pakod Pokaditi-I have indeed
remembered, etc.
The message is that
even after we did something
unconventionally positive, once
it becomes the norm, we dip
again; we keep on beating our
own record of transcendence.
The Rebbe expressed this idea
when in the historic talk of the
28
th
of Nissan he declared that
we should introduce the light of
Tohu in the vessels of Tikkun.
Tohu is transcendent light. Now
is not the time to be content with
conventional approaches. But
once they become internalized
and comfortably ensconced
within the vessels of Tikkun as
the Rebbe demanded, we have
to introduce new unfettered light
until it too is internalized.
Alternatively, we might add:
Dipping twice means we should
first stop being fixated on the
conventional Oros dTikkun
and start acting with Oros
dTohu. The second message
(dipping) is we should stop
being fixated exclusively on
Oros dTohu and start working
on Keilim dTikkun. In other
words, we cannot just focus on
what is a radical departure from
what weve done before in one
direction only. We must take
our serene Tikkun personalities
and imbue them with the fiery
passion of Tohu. And when that
passion begins to remove us from
the reality of the world that we
left behind because of our flight
to the stratosphere, we must
dip again and plant our feet
on the terra firma of Tikkun only
to take off again to a yet higher
place.
This is what awakens the
Moshiach spark within us.
THE GPS: GEULA
POSITIONING SYSTEM
Once weve successfully
boarded the rocket that propels
us into Tohu space and back
again to earth, we are ready to
focus on the actual mission.
In all other periods of Galus
we eat Chametz or Matza; in
this phase of galus we eat only
Matza.
Matza, Chassidic philosophy
teaches us, is the symbol of
Bittul, self-effacing submission to
G-d and His Torah.
In other periods of galus we
were allowed to pursue our own
metzius (subjective interests that
satisfy our egos) even as we had
times when we would experience
the self-surrender of matza-
bittul.
A child, the Rambam says,
may be bribed to get him or her
to do a Mitzvah. As he or she
matures, their notion of reward
becomes more sophisticated,
but one may still lack the ability
to totally put aside ones own
interests.
Today we have only bittul;

The message is that even after we do something
unconventionally positive, once it becomes the
norm, we dip again; we keep on beating our own record
of transcendence.
830_BM_Eng.indd 17 01-04-12 6:57 AM
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i.e., even our ego is harnessed to
bringing the Geula. Every part
of our personality must revolve
around Geula. Now the emphasis
is on bittulhaving our eyes on
the goal is more urgent than ever
before.
In the past, when we were
still on the road towards Geula,
it was easy to get sidetracked and
go off on a tangent into our own
personal ambitions and goals that
were not totally in consonance
with our ultimate goal. And that
was okay, as long as we did not
violate any of the teachings of the
Torah.
Thus, our Sages state, the
traveling disruptions are more
difficult for a man than for a
woman. This can be explained
in a spiritual fashion. Our goal
is to make the world into a
dwelling place for G-d. That is
what Moshiach and Geula are
all about. Women, who create
dwelling places for G-d in their
own homes, are much more
plugged in to the goal. They
do not easily stray from it. Men
who do the preliminary work of
paving the way might forget as to
what is the ultimate objective of
their work and may take a detour.
In the age of GPSs, we must
recognize that we too must be
guided by the Geula Positioning
System and dwell on it while we
are engaged in the Geula-Pesach-
Seder.
In this phase of exile, we
have to be exclusively matza;
everything we do must revolve
around fulfilling G-ds agenda
of making the world a dwelling
place for Him and not our own
even spiritualagenda.
CRUSHED!
In all other nights/exiles we
eat all types of greens, this night/
phase of exile we eat Maror.
No matter how difficult galus
is, there are times when we can
eat greens, we get satisfaction
with our growth; now, however,
we are shattered, because we are
still in a period of concealment.
As the Rebbe stated in his
landmark discoursethe last
one he distributed to usthis
is the meaning of the Torahs
requirement to crush the olives
for the Menorah to elicit the
source and essence of light.
While in the past we focused on
the manifestations of G-dly light,
now we cannot tolerate anything
less than G-ds essence.
As the Rebbe explained in that
discourse, days before he entered
into the stage of nichseh, never
before were we as crushed as we
are today, because the ultimate
goal of reaching the fiftieth gate
of understanding still eludes us.
Our feeling of being crushed is
even more palpable now because
we cannot hear or see the Rebbe.
The concealment that comes
after the initial revelation is in
many ways more crushing than
the concealment we experienced
throughout the painful journey of
exile.
UNITY!
In all other nights/exiles
we eat sitting or reclining; in
this phase of exile all of us eat
reclining.
Reclining is the expression of
Geula.
In all other periods we could
compartmentalize galus and
Geula; now we are obsessed with
Geula.
In addition, the idea of we
are all reclining conveys the idea
of unity of the Jewish people. In
the past, unity was not as crucial.
There was room for division;
now we have to all be sitting
at the same table and partake
of the feast associated with
Geula, even if we disagree about
methodology.
We ought to focus, as the
Rebbe told us, on the things
that unite us, and not on that
which divides us. And there is
one thing we all agree on: That
we are preparing ourselves and
the entire world for the Geula
Shleima.

That child-like innocence that hasnt yet been
tainted by our intellectual nature may be lying
dormant. We must do something drastic, unorthodox
and unconventional to awaken it.
PARSHA THOUGHT
830_BM_Eng.indd 18 01-04-12 6:57 AM
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sgu okugk jhanv lkn ubhcru ubrun ubbust hjh
Rabbi Jacob Schwei
Member of the Rabbinical
Court of Crown Heights
830_BM_Eng.indd 19 01-04-12 6:57 AM
THE FIVE SONS
OF THE SEDER IN
DHARAMKOT
Most of the participants at the sdarim at Chabad
houses in India fall into the category of the Fifth
Son whom the Rebbe said must also be brought
to the table. * The Fifth Son comes in many
guises as a Wise Son, a Wicked Son, a Simple
Son, and One Who Does Not Know How to Ask.
And there is the fth son within the category of
Fifth Son who doesnt even show up and ends
up making a Seder for himself. * Rabbi Dror
Moshe Shaul, the Rebbes shliach to Dharamkot,
Dharamsala, together with his family and the
bachurim Eliyahu Sebbag and Mendy Taib, tell
about ve special people.
By Eliyahu Sebbag
SHLICHUS
830_BM_Eng.indd 20 01-04-12 6:57 AM
THE WISE SON
Rabbi Dror Moshe Shaul
relates:
It was just a few minutes
before Yom Tov when a couple
with two daughters walked into
the Chabad house. They had
obviously come from far away.
The mother introduced her
husband and children. She said
they had just arrived from an
organic food farm near Chennai
in southern India, a distance
of a weeks travel by car from
Dharamsala, and it was very
important to them to celebrate
Pesach with other Jews. Since
they had heard there was a
Chabad house in the area, they
had chosen to make the trip.
The couple apologized for
arriving at the last minute and
asked whether or not they could
still register. They added that
they were vegetarians and did
not eat meat, eggs, and fish and
they did not drink wine. We will
manage with matza, said the
father.
I told them that I was
a vegetarian for years and
that Elokim is numerically
equivalent to HaTeva (nature).
Of course I told them they were
welcome to join us, and food was
no problem since we had plenty
and there were even vegetarian
courses. And that is how we came
to host this wonderful family.
They ended up staying with us
for the entire Yom Tov; first,
because they really enjoyed our
company and second, because
their children became friends
with my children.
Friday night, which was Chol
HaMoed, the atmosphere was
particularly friendly and the
father decided to share a personal
story he had with the Rebbe. This
is what he said:
It was 5745. I was a soldier
in the IDF and serving, like many
of my comrades, in Lebanon. It
was very rough going and the
IDF sustained losses every day.
One day, a bomb landed on
our position, and as a result of the
powerful blast, one of my kidneys
was severely injured. I was taken
by military helicopter to Rambam
hospital in Haifa where I lay
unconscious. I was in critical
condition and hovered between
life and death. The doctors felt
helpless and were afraid I had
contracted a kidney infection,
so they decided to gamble on a
dangerous treatment in which
the affected area is attacked with
strong medication that destroys
all the diseased cells. The great
danger in this treatment is that it
also destroys the good antibodies
and many people die of this
protocol. And yet, they had no
other way to treat me.
Since I was unconscious,
they asked my parents for
permission to carry out this
treatment. They informed my
parents that this could not be
postponed and every minute
was critical. If they did not give
me the proper treatment, and if
this was in fact an infection of
the kidney, my condition would
be irremediable. They wanted
to begin treatment as soon as
possible.
My parents did not know
what to do. Since this was a life
and death matter, they continued
to vacillate. It was a Thursday
night. They were asked to make a
final decision that same night and
on Friday, the doctors prepared
to begin treatment.
A good friend of my father,
Rabbi Yosef Helfinger of
Yerushalayim, was staying with
my parents at the time. He is a
Lubavitcher Chassid, and when
he saw my fathers dilemma, he
suggested that he consult with
the Rebbe. My father, who was
not religious, did not understand
why the Rebbe would know more
than the doctors. He wasnt
enthusiastic about the idea, but
since this was a critical decision
and he had nothing to lose, he
agreed to ask the Rebbe. That
same evening, a fax marked
urgent was sent to the Rebbe
Eliyahu Sebbag with Israeli tourists who came to celebrate Pesach at the Chabad house
830_BM_Eng.indd 21 01-04-12 6:57 AM
with the details of the medical
situation.
The Rebbes answer arrived
a few hours later. It said not to
give the treatment and I would
recover. My father told the
doctors the Rebbes answer. They
did not understand how he could
rely on some bearded rabbi living
in New York.
The unbelievable happened.
On Motzaei Shabbos a new
CT scan showed that I was not
suffering from what they had
feared. My parents turned white
when they found out that if they
had given me the treatment on
Friday, I would no longer be
alive.
In light of the new findings,
I underwent a complicated
operation, after which my
condition continuously improved.
A while later, my parents were
informed that I was out of danger.
It took a little while longer until
I regained full consciousness.
Within a few weeks I was healed
of my wound and released from
the hospital. You see me here,
still not religious, but I had an
open miracle with the Rebbe and
thanks to the Rebbe I am here
with you. I am full of appreciation
and thanks to the Rebbe who
saved my life.
The man, a clinical
psychologist, has been living with
his family in India for nine years
now. He and his wife run an
organic farming plantation, which
has thousands of volunteers
passing through every year.
Every Friday they hold a meal for
several hundred people in which
they explain the principles of
ecological naturalism. They have
influenced thousands of people
around the world.
As we spoke, I learned that
their family name is Ruzhin
and that they are descendants
of the Tzaddik of Ruzhin. I
told the family about the close
relationship between Chassidus
Chabad and Chassidus Ruzhin
and they were interested in
hearing some stories about the
Ruzhiner Rebbe.
Before the Ruzhin family left
on their exhausting trip back
home, we gave them a picture
of the Rebbe as well as mezuzos.
The father, who was very moved,
said he would hang the picture in
the foyer of his home and would
tell everyone who came that he
owes his life to this man.
After eleven years on shlichus
in Dharamsala during which we
have met tens of thousands of
Jews, I am always amazed to see
how the Rebbe touches everyone.
If only we learned from this man
and honestly say that it is only
thanks to the Rebbe that we are
alive!
THE WICKED SON
In one of the Rebbes sichos,
he explains that even the Wicked
Son has a connection to the
Exodus from Egypt. The proof is
that he asks, What is this service
to you? If hes asking, it shows
that he takes an interest in it. So
even he has to be drawn in a nice
way, and we are guaranteed that
if we make the effort, it is not
done for nothing.
We look for Jews in all the
nooks and crannies. Every
so often we go down to a
neighboring village called Bhagsu
to enable Jews to put on tfillin
and to have a pleasant interaction
with them. We sometimes
encounter tourists who are
looking for answers to all sorts of
questions that bother them, and
we do our best to answer them.
Two days before Pesach,
I went around to the many
restaurants to put tfillin on
people and to register them for
the Seder. At one of the local
restaurants I met L., a tall, husky
fellow with a powerful Yiddishe
neshama and I invited him to
register. He eagerly accepted and
said he wanted to attend all the
holiday meals.
Why is it important to you?
I asked him. He told me that he
had decided that this Pesach
no treif would enter his mouth.
Since the Chabad house is the
only kosher place in the area, he
wanted to eat all his meals there.
I was happy to mark him down.
Let it be said in L.s favor
that he did, in fact, show up to
all the meals. The flipside was
that whenever the conversation
got around to matters of faith
or stories from the Torah, he
would ask heretical questions,
just like the Wicked Son who
asks, What is this service to
you? He spoke disparagingly
about Rashis commentary
and constantly looked for
contradictions in the text. He had
difficulty accepting any insights
or explanations based on the
Torah. Thats the way it was, time
after time. Whether it was in the
middle of a sicha of the Rebbe or
even a Chassidic tale, he always
had something to say. It began
interfering with the messages we
wanted to convey to the other
guests, but we tried to respond to
his questions with a smile.
Shvii Shel Pesach, after
the Yom Tov meal, we held a
learning workshop into the
night on popular topics such as
reincarnation, Moshiach, and
relationships.
For some reason, L. sat
there for hours and as the time
passed, his interjections and
opposition diminished until they
ceased. Tiredness threatened to
overcome him, but he stuck it out
until the end. Even when the last
of the guests left, he remained a
SHLICHUS
830_BM_Eng.indd 22 01-04-12 6:57 AM
while longer and listened. We all
felt it was his personal splitting
of the sea.
After that, we did not hear
another question out of him.
On the contrary, from that day
on, he accepted what we said in
good spirits and passed it along
to others.
THE SIMPLE SON
This story happened here on
Erev Pesach, a few hours before
Yom Tov.
The Chabad house was set
up for a public Seder. There had
been a registration drive with
a token fee so we could plan
accordingly, both logistically and
for security measures. The night
of Bdikas Chametz, a Jewish
woman of Polish background
came to the Chabad house with
her three children, two sons
and a daughter. Mendy Taib
suggested that she register for the
Seder the following night. The
woman looked at him, and with
a bitter smile she said she had no
idea what she was going to do the
following night.
What do you mean? asked
Mendy, and the woman said
that three months prior to her
trip, she had been granted a visa
for India. Her three children
were given visas for half a year
but she was given only a three
month visa. Somehow, she did
not notice this detail. She had
arrived in India two days earlier,
and upon entering the country
the border officer told her that
her visa was in effect only for the
next two days and would expire
the next night. At that point she
would have to leave.
The woman related, All my
attempts to extend my visa failed.
I begged the Indian policeman
to at least give me an extension
of a few days so I could spend
Pesach with my children, but he
explained that he did not have the
authority to do so. He said that
maybe if I went to Dharamsala
there was a chance that the
local police would give me an
extension.
Since my children do not
want to continue on without
me, and certainly not to have the
Seder without me, we decided
to fly back to Eretz Yisroel
tomorrow night. I ordered
tickets for a flight leaving Delhi
tomorrow night, so I must leave
Dharamkot tonight in order to
get to Delhi in time.
Her children, who were very
disappointed by the cancellation
of all their plans, told Mendy
that if their mother did not get
an extension, they would not
celebrate Pesach or observe the
prohibition of not eating chametz
on Pesach.
Mendy commiserated and
Eliyahu Sebbag with Israeli tourists who came to celebrate Pesach at the Chabad house

My parents turned white when they found
out that if they had given me the treatment on
Friday, I would no longer be alive.
830_BM_Eng.indd 23 01-04-12 6:57 AM
was saddened to hear this
troubling pronouncement. Then
he suddenly had an idea and he
said to the woman: Register for
the Seder and that will be a vessel
for the bracha. With Hashems
help, all will be well.
The woman did not
understand how registering
would solve her problem and
Mendy told her the story about
two Jews who went to the Rebbe
for a bracha for children. One
of them went to a store and
bought a baby carriage while the
other one took a wait-and-see
approach. A year later, the one
who had bought a carriage had a
baby while the other one was still
waiting.
If you register for the seder
with sincere faith that things
will work out, said Mendy, I
am confident that they will work
out.
The woman looked at him
and exclaimed heatedly, Do
you know what you are saying?
Didnt I make myself clear? I
bought the tickets already and
tomorrow I must leave India!
What are you talking about?
In any case, I have never done
something that I am not sure
about, so how can you ask me to
register for tomorrow night?
Mendy continued to insist
until the womans innate tmimus
(simple sincerity) came to the
fore. She decided to register with
her children, but she asked to
speak to the shliach, Rabbi Dror.
Rabbi Dror was busy shechting
chickens for Yom Tov. He came
out with his shchita knife,
wearing his blood-splattered
shirt.
Please excuse my
appearance, apologized Rabbi
Dror. How can I help you?
After the woman told the
shliach her story, he said, By
Divine Providence, tomorrow
morning I have to go down to the
police station in order to finalize
the security arrangements for
the Seder. I will try to talk to
someone about your situation.
Do you mean to say that you
guarantee me an extension? she
asked.
I cannot promise you that
the police commander will give
you an extension, but I am happy
to discuss it with him, said
Rabbi Dror. They agreed to meet
at 11:00 the next morning at the
police station.
Rabbi Dror relates:
Every year, the local police
force takes care of security at our
Seder. Arranging the details with
the district officer takes place
over the phone. This year was
unusual in that I got a phone call
from the security department of
the Israeli embassy telling me to
come to the police station Erev
Pesach to finalize the details.
Since I know how the local police
operate, I knew that this could
steal at least three hours of my
time. Who has time to waste
on Erev Pesach? It seemed an
especially aggravating waste since
there was little to be gained when
everything could be finalized by
phone. I tried to get out of it, but
the person on the line pressured
me until I finally agreed to go to
the police station the next day. I
considered it Divine Providence
that just this year I had to go
down to the station, which would
enable me to help the woman.
The next day, I arrived at the
police station at 11:00 in the
morning and met the woman. As
expected, I was treated to a long
wait of several hours. Just my
luck I arrived during their break
and was first admitted at 2:00.
In the meantime, the woman
pleaded her case to the district
officer. However, he refused to
listen to her and dismissed her
with various excuses. When I
finished speaking to the officer
about security, I said I had a little
request to make of him.
How can I help you? he
asked. I told him the womans
story and how important it was
to her, as a Jewish woman, to be
present on the holiday with her
children.
He thought it over carefully
and finally said, There is no
justifiable reason for me to
give her an extension, but the
humanitarian part of me is
prepared to give her a short
extension. He took her visa and
stamped it with a thirteen day
extension.
The woman left the police
station with tears of joy in her
eyes. We hosted her and her three
children, and one of her sons told
the crowd about the miracle that
had just taken place.
From this story we learn
how it is our obligation to care
for every Jew in every way. We
can also see that when one acts
lchatchilla aribber, he will
see enormous success. No less
important is the tmimus of the
woman which overcame her
doubts. Even when things look
impossible, if a person goes with
tmimus, the situation can change
from one extreme to another.
THE ONE WHO DOES NOT
KNOW HOW TO ASK
Rabbi Dror relates:
Before Pesach, the area fills up
with Israelis like migrating birds
showing up for some historic
event. We scour the byways of the
Himalayas in order to personally
contact every Jew and ensure that
he comes to the right place on
the night of Pesach. On one of
these scouting expeditions I saw
a man who didnt look Jewish,
but I figured Id greet him with
SHLICHUS
830_BM_Eng.indd 24 01-04-12 6:57 AM
a hearty Sholom Aleichem
anyway. To my astonishment, he
answered in Hebrew and said he
was in the area with his two sons,
his daughter and his wife, and
they were seriously considering
spending Pesach with us.
Experience has taught us that
someone who is only thinking
seriously about coming doesnt
necessarily show up, and the best
way of helping him think of more
definite plans is to get him to
experience a bit of our activities
at the Chabad house. I suggested
that he come and help us prepare
for Pesach. He liked the idea.
He and his family took an active
part in painting the walls and
decorating the room.
At Maariv on the night of
Pesach, among the dozens
of people who joined us for
the prayer services was the
kibbutznik with his two sons.
The large, white kippa that he
wore seemed only in honor of the
occasion, while his connection
with religion seemed tenuous
indeed. He sat throughout the
tfilla and fervently held some
book as he swayed while his sons
each held a Siddur and wondered
what they were supposed to be
doing. Every so often, I glanced
over at them with an encouraging
look.
By the evenings end, when
the kibbutznik and his family
were on their way out, I went
over to them and wished them
a happy holiday. He seemed
overwrought and he said he
wanted to tell me about a moving
incident he experienced that
night. This is what he said:
Since I do not know how
to pray or figure out where you
were up to in the service, I went
over to the bookshelf and took a
random book. The book I picked
up was Menachem Ziegelboims
book of Pesach stories. I opened
it and the first story I read was
about the Chassid Lazer Nanes
and the Pesach he spent in a
Siberian labor camp.
R Lazer told about one
of the difficult years when the
package of matzos that his family
sent him did not reach him,
thanks to the censor. We were
three people Dovid, Berkowitz,
and I. We put down a new piece
of paper on the table instead of a
new tablecloth and boiled water
for the Seder. I poured three cups
of tea that served as substitutes
for the four cups of wine. To
their great surprise, I placed
three matzos near each person
and that is how we observed the
first Seder.
The following night we
had no matzos. I told them
that throughout my years in the
camps, I always left some matzos
over from one year to the next
and the matza we had eaten
the night before was from the
previous year.
I purposely did not tell this
to them the first night, because
I knew that they would not want
to eat the matza. I told them that
I did this for two reasons. First,
on the first night of Pesach eating
matza is a positive Biblical mitzva
while on the second night and
the rest of Yom Tov, although it
is forbidden to eat chametz, there
is no obligation to eat matza.
You can also eat potatoes, fruits,
etc. Second, if they did not have
matza, they would have to eat
chametz, G-d forbid, since they
had no other food, and I wanted
to prevent that.
R Lazer went on to describe
the severe stomach pain that he
experienced after not eating for
several days and about the help
Berkowitz gave him:
Berkowitz came into the
room and sat down beside me.
Mendy Taib with Israeli tourists with the Himalayas in the background
830_BM_Eng.indd 25 01-04-12 6:57 AM
He did not say a word but sat
and cried. Later on, he told me
that he was heartbroken watching
me die and being unable to help
me. He sat near me all night and
occasionally gave me hot tea to
drink.
On Acharon shel Pesach,
I was semi-conscious. In the
morning, Berkowitz poured
water on my hands for the
morning hand-washing because I
could not do it myself. He gave
me a Siddur and I davened with
my remaining strength. What
happened next, I dont know.
When I woke up from my
faint, the head of the medical
department was standing near
my bed. Apparently, she gave me
an injection which spread a warm
feeling throughout my body.
When I uttered a groan, she said:
Now you will merit living a long
life.
I didnt have the strength
to daven Maariv. Dovid brought
me some bread crusts and a little
sugar. He soaked the crusts in the
sweet tea and fed me like a baby.
After I ate, I fell into a deep sleep
and woke up in the morning. He
helped me put on tfillin.
Berkowitz found out that he
was about to be released. In his
great joy he swore that he would
not leave the city where the camp
was located so he could make
sure I had good food every day
until I was no longer critically ill.
Berkowitz kept his word.
He remained in the city for two
weeks. Every day he brought me
a bottle of milk, potatoes, white
bread, sugar, and green onions.
In those days, all this cost a pretty
penny; but thanks to his efforts,
and thanks to G-d, I regained
my health. When I got back to
myself, I pleaded with him to
return to his home and family.
We parted with great emotion
and he went home.
That Berkowitz, said
the kibbutznik, he was my
grandfather! I knew he was in
the labor camps, but this story
was new to me and reminded me
where I come from.
He was very moved by the
Divine Providence that led him
to pick up this book and open
it to this particular story that
happened with his grandfather.
Furthermore, he was moved by
Lazer Nanes mesirus nefesh
and how his grandfather had the
privilege of helping this Chassid.
Here was a profound example
of Divine Providence drawing in
the one who does not know how
to ask.
THE FIFTH SON
One of the main restaurants
in Dharamkot belongs to a Jew
who for years has refused to have
any contact with the Chabad
house. The shliach told us about
him and emphasized that we
need to reach out in particular
to Jews like him, and if possible,
to enable him to eat matza and
drink wine on Pesach.
Mendy went to the restaurant
and began a friendly conversation
with the man. For some reason,
the man was receptive and
offered us a cold drink. He said
that friends do not need to pay.
Every now and then we would
visit him in the restaurant and
a nice relationship developed.
Despite the friendliness,
whenever we spoke about the
Chabad house he would indicate
that he wanted to change the
topic and we respected his
wishes.
Before Pesach, Mendy
brought him matza on behalf of
Rabbi Dror. The man was willing
to accept it, but said he had no
intentions of making a Seder.
When we met him again after
Pesach, he told us, A few Israelis
came to the restaurant on Pesach
night; they preferred not to attend
the big event at the Chabad
house. In the middle of eating
they said to me: It is Pesach and
we need matza! I smiled, went to
the kitchen, and to their surprise
I brought back matza. We sat into
the night and fulfilled the mitzva
of eating matza.
***
It is remarkable to see the
tremendous impact the Rebbe
has on every Jew to the point that
even the Fifth Son, who insists
on staying away from the Seder
table, is inspired by his shluchim
who spare no exertions in
carrying out the only remaining
shlichus to prepare the world for
the ultimate exodus from exile.
ADD IN ACTS OF GOODNESS & KINDNESS
TO BRING MOSHIACH NOW!
SHLICHUS
830_BM_Eng.indd 26 01-04-12 6:57 AM
OF MATZA AND TRULY
BITTER HERBS
The following installment is a testament
to the indomitable Jewish spirit that
managed to survive the smokestacks of
the Nazi crematoria. PART II
By Rabbi Yehoshua Dubrawski ah
FATHER, I WONT ASK ANY
QUESTIONS
R Dodya was someone I
considered very dear to me and
I was also afraid of him. I loved
listening to the stories that he told
so well and yet, his stories left a
leaden feeling in the heart. There
was a duality about R Dodya in
that he was amiable and irascible,
happy and deeply sad.
They said he was a scholar
and yet he sat day and night in
shul and murmured Thillim
by day and Mishnayos at night.
It seemed to me that one eye
of his shed tears. It was always
teary, while the other eye smiled
with a glint of mockery. Perhaps
this was all because R Dodya
remained alone, having lost his
entire family in the war, half of
them in the German crematoria
and the rest to starvation in
Russia.
R Dodya once recounted the
following to me:
Do you want to hear how I
once held a peculiar seder? How
we got stuck on the questions of
the Mah Nishtana? It happened
after it was all over, after my
Moshele, the last one, said his
final words with the last of his
strength, Father, its really true
that up until twenty years of age
... nu, they do not punish over
there forgive me Father. I
heard not another word from
him. He mumbled something
silently in his exhaustion. I heard
nothing further from him and did
not see him again except in long
dreams, in heavy nightmares.
It was hard to live alone
The term living is a borrowed
term. I understood what the
meaning of against your will
you live means, what it means
to be compelled to live each
minute, every second. We are not
in charge of our own lives! Go
and understand the ways of the
Creator, why he wanted to take
Moshele, and me not. You,
Dodya, must live.
But that is not what I wanted
to tell you. The chiddush is how,
despite all this, I managed to
prevail. Despite the tremendous
hunger, I had no desire to take
something into my mouth.
Absolutely not! Each piece
of bread twisted my insides,
arousing a feeling of disgust,
almost complete revulsion. The
bread simply stuck in my throat,
but also cried out live and
survive! If the One in heaven
wants you to continue to wander
this world, deliberately stopping
to eat is forbidden, it smacks of
a very serious sin. As if in spite,
it was when I remained without
anyone that I more frequently
happened upon food.
A month went by and another
month, and then it was Pesach.
It was on Pesach that something
moved and burst forth within
me. Just as up until that time I
had been like a stone, with my
life perceived by me as a burden,
with a fistful of dust in my heart
and thoughts churning through
my mind like sludge; even a
chapter of Thillim did not help,
and the holy, sweet words did
not wring even a teardrop from
the frozen wellspring of tears; it
was as though I was left forever
with that mute silence that settled
on the darkened room after
Mosheles final words.
Similarly, when Pesach
arrived something erupted inside
me, roiling and seething. I ran
around as if in a daze and looked
to see where I could obtain
some matza. I rooted around
and begged for a bottle of wine
for the four cups and a bare
minimum of maror.
From somewhere, there came
forth a shadow of a glimmer
of the enthusiasm from some
previous sweet Erev Pesach. Oy,
our good Father, it is Erev Pesach
for Yidden! The luminous, the
holy, Jewish soulful Pesach!
MEMOIRS
830_BM_Eng.indd 27 01-04-12 6:57 AM
But soon after, a terrible anger
and shuddering fear began to
build: how would I, a survivor,
blackened, extinguished, a brand
saved from the fire, be able to
celebrate the holiday?!
I am recounting my sins. For
a moment I walked around my
house like a madman. I wanted
to break out of the house and run
to where my eyes might take me.
But then I immediately thought,
where would I run? Why should
I run? You cannot run from G-d,
not from His will and not from
His Pesach. I suddenly recalled
Mosheles final words and shame
overcame me.
Then I said out loud nu.
You [Heishke] are looking at
me as if I were a madman?
Right? Perhaps at that time I was
actually unhinged, or perhaps not
actually but in a strange way
I felt that He, boruch Hashem,
was with me here, close, just
like the first seder upon the
Exodus from Egypt The Holy
One blessed be He in His Glory
and Essence. I prepared the
seder and with perhaps a bit
more emotion I unleashed my
foolish tongue and I said, Nu,
dear Father, the seder is ready;
we are about to carry out the
seder. Did you ever hear such
wording before in your life like
that, we?
Yes, it was some sort of attack.
Madness, I suppose; if only not
worse than that. I had no desire
to go to shul, as though I did not
want to lose the closeness I felt to
Hashem in my dark room.
The davening was full of
flavor. It wasnt only that my
voice reverberated; my thoughts
shouted out during the prayer.
Yes, thoughts of the deep, inner
meaning of Pesach, like it says in
the holy books. It all stood out
so starkly, so palpably. During
tfilla, one is allowed to permit
oneself something higher; not
merely what is seen by eyes of
flesh and what can be touched by
human hands.
Earlier, I told you that it
is possible it was worse than
just madness. It is possible
that it contained a trick by the
kluginker (lit. clever one, i.e. the
Evil Inclination), that ancient
familiar beguiler. He is a master
at inserting himself cleverly into
every situation, even a state of
madness, and even when it comes
to someone who is a starved and
broken pottery shard. Have you
heard?
I finished davening and
said out loud, Gut Yom Tov to
You, dear Father. I even made
Kiddush with great pomp and
somewhere in my imagination
I thought or expected to hear a
response of amen.
Then I began reciting the
Hagada and reached the Mah
Nishtana and here, it seems,
the kluginker got me. Out loud,
very loudly, I shouted, Tatte,
Tatte, I will ask You, ask ... And
something flipped in my mind;
my mind grew confused and my
throat choked on a huge knot. I
looked up from my torn Hagada.
I could not say any more of
the Four Questions from the
Hagada. I felt the urge to ask
many questions, to ask and ask.
Tatte, I want to ask You
why? Why? Why without an end.
If Moshele can no longer ask me
the Four Questions, I will ask
many more than four questions
No. Just one big question,
WHY?
Ach, you look at me like a
sinner too. I wrestled with the
one posing my questions, with
the kluginker within me. I felt
that I was going to burst, that
something had torn inside me.
Two forces, two Dodyas wrestled.
The first feeling that my Father in
heaven was palling around here
with me, suddenly dissipated. I
was left with a cold fog around
me and some sort of abrasion
within me.
Gevald, during the worst
times I did not ask the smallest
question! No matter what will
be, but no questions on the
Creator! Why now, at this loftiest
of times? That is what I asked
Him.
I forced my eyes open and
looked into the Hagada. What
does the Wise one say what
are these testimonies ... Oy
vey! Someone evoked an idea
inside me: Today at the seder all
the Jewish children ask, even the
Wise son. I will definitely not ask
questions, I will not, G-d forbid,
ask any treife question. I will
just search a bit and try to grasp
something of the intent; I will ask
as the Wise Son of the Hagada
does. Perhaps now is the right
time for something of the hidden,
heavenly ways to be illuminated
in my paltry intellect. Something
a little bit.
Some small merit stood by
me. Maybe it was the merit of my
Moshele. Once again, his final
words floated to the surface. Who
knows, maybe Father in heaven,

R Dodya fell silent, his gaze focused on the ner
tamid near the Aron Kodesh, and this time both
his eyes were moist with big tears.
SHLICHUS
830_BM_Eng.indd 28 01-04-12 6:57 AM
who had already become a ben
bayis (member of the family)
helped me withstand the
pressure.
I wrestled with each of
the Four Sons and I debated
(silently, internally): The Wise
Son asked? Then he is wise
and knows what to ask. Sha
I dont want to be a Wise
Son and ask questions! Then
the thought came to me why
does the Wicked Son come
right after the Wise Son?
Because even from intelligent
questions can sometimes
sprout the questioning of the
Wicked Son.
No, no, I will not ask any
questions, unlike the Wicked
Son and not even like the Wise
Son!
When, in my mind, I
settled with the Wise Son and
the Wicked Son, it became
a bit easier. Once again, I
considered and then argued
that I did not even want to
ask like the Simple Son who
asks, What is this? Help me,
Father in heaven, so that I have
no desire to ask. If I must be
one of the Four Sons, then I
will be like the One Who Does
Not Know How to Ask.
Yes, the One Who Does
Not Know How to Ask;
and the turmoil in my heart
quieted down. The kluginker
hid somewhere and it was
quiet and calm in the room.
I quietly began to say again,
Tatte, I will ask You the Four
Questions, why is this night
different ...
***
R Dodya fell silent, his
gaze focused on the ner tamid
near the Aron Kodesh in shul,
and this time both his eyes
were moist with big tears.
830_BM_Eng.indd 29 01-04-12 6:57 AM
JUMP!
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon
HASHEMS INVOLVEMENT
In the early twenties, three
Jews immigrated to the United
States; their last names were
Diamond, Gold, and Taylor.
Many years later they met and
asked each other to repeat their
stories.
Diamond: Oh, Ive done very
well. With my name I started a
jewelry store. Right from the start
it was successful. Now there are
Diamond Jewelers all over the
country.
Gold: Well, brother Diamond,
I too have succeeded. Same idea.
Gold? So I started the Gold
Ornaments Shop. The shop
succeeded wonderfully. The
branches spread. Now, Im a
millionaire.
Taylor: With me it wasnt so
simple. My name is Taylor, so I
started a clothing store. I worked
very hard, but it failed. So I
started another, but it also failed.
My family, they were starving. So
what could I do but pray to God?
Oh, L-rd, I said, Help me
to prosper. L-rd, if you do, Ill
promise to give you 50 percent of
the profits.
Diamond and Gold: Well, tell
us. Did it work?
Taylor: Did it work? You
never heard of Lord and Taylor?
And so it is with Pesach. This
point is illustrated in the answer
to a famous question asked by
the sages regarding the name
of the current Yom Tov, Chag
HaPesach:
Why is it that the name of
the Yom-Tov as it appears in the
Torah is Chag HaMatzos, yet the
accepted name was changed to
Chag HaPesach?
The famous Tzaddik Rabbi
Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev,
known as the great defender of
the Jewish people, addresses this
question in his seifer, Kdushas
Levi. He explains that this
seemingly minor detail brings out
the partnership and connection
between the Jewish people and
Hashem.
The name Chag HaMatzos
stresses the activities of the
Jewish people at the time of
the Exodus. The Jewish people
hurried out of Egypt with only
the dough on their backs. This
shows their eagerness to be free
of Egyptian rule and to serve
Hashem.
BNEI YISROELS
INVOLVEMENT
The name Chag HaPesach,
on the other hand, stresses the
involvement of Hashem in the
Exodus. Pesach means jumping.
Hashem jumped over the Jewish
homes during the plague of the
firstborn.
The Torah was dictated by
Hashem. Hashem, because he
loves the Jewish people, refers to
the Yom-Tov with the name Chag
HaMatzos. Hashem thereby
emphasizes the role of the Jewish
people during the Exodus. The
Jewish people love Hashem. We
therefore highlight Hashems
actions during the Exodus. Thus,
the accepted name has become
Chag HaPesach.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe
(Likkutei Sichos Vol. 12 pg.
160) adds to the above: The
name Chag HaPesach is not
just the name of the holiday of
Freedom; it is also the guide to
attaining Freedom.
Pesach means jumping. When
a person jumps, both his feet leave
the ground. This is analogous
to a complete change of attitude
and mindset. Before we attain
physical freedom, we must have
an attitude and spiritual mindset
of freedom.
This idea is brought out in the
following anecdote:
Things were going badly for
Israel. The economy was in a
tailspin, inflation was rising, and
immigrants were flooding in from
all over. Problems, problems,
problems, but what to do? So the
Knesset held a special session to
come up with a solution. After
several hours of talk without
progress, one member stood up
and said, Quiet everyone! Ive
got it, the solution to all our
problems.
What is it? exclaimed
voices from all sides.
Well declare war on the
United States.
Everyone was shouting at
once. Youre nuts! Thats crazy!
Hear me out! said the
minister. Its really quite simple.
Follow my logic: we declare
MOSHIACH & GEULA
830_BM_Eng.indd 30 01-04-12 6:57 AM
war. We lose. The United States
does what it always does when it
defeats a country. She rebuilds
everything; our highways,
airports, shipping ports, schools,
hospitals, factories, and loans us
money, and sends us food aid.
Our problems would be over.
Sure, says another minister,
thats if we lose. But what if we
win?
We must jump out of
our current limitations and
free ourselves of our internal
bondage. We must realize that
Yes, we can! be free of all our
limitations, and that will put us in
the mindset of Redemption.

FOCUS ON REDEMPTION
If the theme of Pesach is
jumping to the mindset of
redemption, it would only
make sense that there must
be something that we do on
Pesach that helps us leave
our boundaries and enter the
world of Redemption.
The Baal Shem Tov gave
us a special tool. He revealed
to the Jewish people that on
Acharon Shel Pesach, the spirit
of Moshiach is revealed in a
very real and tangible way.
He said that if we want to
internalize it, we should make
a special meal called Seudas
Moshiach (Moshiachs Feast),
and the Rebbeim of Chabad told
us to drink four cups of wine
at this meal. The Lubavitcher
Rebbe adds that while drinking
these cups, one should have
special Kavana that these cups
are connected with bringing
Moshiach.
Let us all jump together
and let us prepare ourselves
by eating Seudas Moshiach
and learning about Moshiach,
to the revelation of Melech
HaMoshiach, now mamash!
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://ylcrecording.
weebly.com/moshiach-what-we-
believe.html. Weekly shiurim on
Moshiach topics given by Rabbi
Avtzon can be viewed at chabad.
info.
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Introducing
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NOT LIKE HIM.
LIKE ME.
There is no point in measuring ourselves
up to the Rebbe in his manner of avoda.
The Rebbe asks that we do according to
our abilities and strength. That means he
doesnt expect me to do as he does; he
expects me to do as myself.
By Yair Calev
Mashpia and Lecturer
I remember that when the
Rebbe said the sicha Do all
that you can, it was shortly
after the passing of my teacher
and mashpia, Rabbi Meir
Blizinsky (30 Shevat 5750) and
in my mind, the two events are
intertwined.
Rabbi Meir was a unique
person. He was tremendously
knowledgeable and an expert in
Tanya, in Likkutei Torah, and
Torah Ohr. Even as he worked
for a living, he completed Shas
seven times. I received my entire
approach to Chassidus from
him. He focused a great deal on
the point that Chabad Chassidus
demands doing the work
yourself.
This was the emphasis in the
teachings of Chabad as opposed
to the approach of the rest of
the students of the Mezritcher
Maggid: that the main thing is to
do the avoda (spiritual service)
on your own. This was also the
first message the Rebbe conveyed
upon accepting the Chabad
leadership in 5711.
However, with all that,
the Rebbe is the source of the
chayus, strength, motivation
and encouragement that every
Chassid has. He is the memutza
hamechaber (connecting
intermediary) between me and
you, and every one of us, to
Hashem. This being so, there is
no point in measuring ourselves
up to the Rebbe in his manner of
avoda. The Rebbe asks that we
do according to our abilities and
strength. That means, he doesnt
expect me to do as he does; he
expects me to do as myself.
There are two kinds of
mashpiim. One is the mashpia
before whom people shrink
and are not able to function
independently. The other kind
of mashpia enables people to
develop and grow. Both types
influence others, but in very
different ways.
When I hear a sicha from the
Rebbe and his demand of me
to Do all that you can, in my
subjective, individualistic way, I
hear the Rebbe crying out loudly.
What is he crying out? The
moment you do your best, you will
strengthen me and the work I did
all the years; so what is happening
with you?
Each of us, every Chassid,
needs to be in a position where
he can face the Rebbe exposed,
without hiding anything, and say:
Rebbe, look at my speech and
thoughts and see the ratification
of your work. Living the Geula.
Thinking Geula. We are doing all
we can to hasten it.
This is what I heard, in my
subjective way. Since then,
you can say that I have been
working on internalizing this in
the story of my life by coming
up with activities that draw the
hearts of Jews to their Father in
Heaven through spreading the
wellsprings outward.
This avoda needs to be in
a way of mesirus nefesh. What
is mesirus nefesh? It means to
overcome our habitual way of
doing things, going out of that

Every Jew is part of G-ds being, a veritable part
of G-d above. The moment a Jew sees iniquity in
his fellow, he is seeing that very thing in G-d Himself, and
that creates judgment.
28 NISSAN THOUGHT
830_BM_Eng.indd 32 01-04-12 6:57 AM
which restrains us, by taking on
additional assignments.
Another thing that is required
of us is achdus. In the shul that
I daven in, in Kfar Chabad, the
Chassidim have a wide variety of
views. I know that they do their
best. They have Chassidic souls
and are genuine Chassidim who
are all focused on one point. We
have to leave the arguing behind.
One who is busy hastening the
Geula doesnt have time for
machlokes.
The Tzemach Tzedek in his
Derech Mitzvosecha writes an
astounding thing in the name
of the Arizal: Many people seek
out other peoples weaknesses
and feel compelled to inform
them and to correct them. A
person who stops looking for
the weaknesses in others doesnt
get excited by them [even if he
happens to see them]. A person
like this is not scrutinized from
Above and Hashem does away
with his sins. This is measure
for measure. For every Jew is
part of G-ds being, a veritable
part of G-d above. The moment
a Jew sees iniquity in his fellow,
he is seeing that very thing in
G-d Himself, and that creates
judgment.
To conclude it seems to
me that our avoda to hasten the
Geula needs to be implemented
along two lines: spreading the
wellsprings outward and in every
place, and working hard to make
peace between Chassidim, for we
are all the sons of one father.
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830_BM_Eng.indd 33 01-04-12 6:57 AM
SUN, SURF,
SPRING TRAINING
AND SHLICHUS IN
CLEARWATER
Clearwater, Florida attracts millions of tourists
and sports enthusiasts every year. Sadly, the
assimilation rate in Clearwater is 95% and most
men are in the karkafta category. * Rabbi
Shmuel Reich and his family are out on the front
lines in Clearwater, where they are contending
with a most challenging though rewarding
shlichus.
Interview by Menachem Savyon
SHLICHUS
830_BM_Eng.indd 34 01-04-12 6:57 AM
NOT SUCH CLEAR WATERS
Nine months of the year
there are golden beaches, crystal
clear waters and endless palm
trees along hundreds of miles of
stunning coastline. The weather
brings thousands of tourists
on vacation as well as millions
of people who enjoy sports.
Professional baseballs spring
training camps turns tranquil
Clearwater into a bustling and
noisy place. Thats Clearwater,
one of the many coastal cities in
the Tampa Bay Area.
According to the shliach,
Rabbi Shmuel Reich, the town
is like one big beach.
Locals and
tourists spend most of their time
drinking, gambling, boating
and fishing, and seem to swarm
all over the place, especially
during vacation season. A high
percentage of people are retirees
who cant stand the cold in New
York and New Jersey.
Its a little over three years
since Rabbi and Mrs. Reich
arrived on shlichus in Clearwater.
From the outset, he knew that he
had one goal: to bring Yiddishkait
into a place devoid of any signs
of Jewish life. He also knew that
this would not be an easy job.
He noted sadly that during
three years of outreach, he met
only two young couples in which
both spouses were Jewish. The
intermarriage rate is extremely
high.
Not only that, but most of
the Jewish population consists of
older people. Most are Holocaust
survivors or immigrants from
Central America.
What makes it even worse
is that 80% of assimilated Jews
attend church on Sundays. The
churches provide financial aid
by paying for electricity, water
and food. Unfortunately, many
Jewish families living
on fixed
incomes are helped by them.
One day, I met an Israeli
woman, age 42, married to a
local non-Jew who is twenty
years younger than her. She
told me about their life together
the past three years and that
she was about to give birth to
a boy. My wife explained that
her child would be Jewish and
it was important to have him
circumcised. The woman was
afraid and was not willing to
do it, probably because of her
gentile husband and also because
she was afraid for her baby. We
invited her to a Shabbos meal
in the course of which my wife
spoke about the importance of
bris mila. In order to convince
her, I took her to a bris and
showed her there was nothing
to worry about. She was finally
convinced. When she gave birth,
I was in touch with her in order
to plan a bris. I promised her that
the event would be a nice one
and would take place in a hall.
The morning of the third
day after the birth, she called and
said that the doctor had already
circumcised the baby. I was upset
that the bris had not been done
according to Halacha, but
there was nothing that could be
done. I called Rabbi Yaron Amit
to at least do HaTafas Dam.
Because he had been born on
Lag BOmer, his mother had
decided to name him Yonatan
Bar Yochai. This story shows you
the ignorance and distance that
Jews feel from their roots.
THE SHLIACH SURPRISED
ME AT THE DOOR
In 5748, my parents bought
a house on President Street,
opposite the Rebbes house. Even
families living
fi d
according to
is like one big beach.
and food
Jewish Jewish
Rabbi Reich (left) with a mekurav
with the mitzva tank behind them
Rabbi Reich and Rabbi Rivkin with
talmidim of the yeshiva Public menorah lighting
830_BM_Eng.indd 35 01-04-12 6:57 AM
as children, we could appreciate
the tremendous zchus of living
near the Rebbe. When the
Rebbetzin passed away that year,
the Rebbe had a minyan in his
house three times a day with only
a few people joining based on a
lottery drawing. In the summer,
when many people leave Crown
Heights, these minyanim were
almost empty. That is how, even
before my bar mitzva, I was able
to go inside a lot. The fantastic
experience of davening in the
Rebbes house is something I will
never forget. I was already sure
that when I grew up, I would go
on shlichus.
How did you end up in
Clearwater?
At first, people looked at us
as though we had fallen from
Mars. Nobody understood why
we had chosen Clearwater. There
is nothing here for a religious Jew
and even I had not thought of
coming here. We came because
my wife pushed me nonstop to
find a shlichus.
Still, why Clearwater?
It was shortly after we had
married. We lived in Crown
Heights on the sixth floor of an
apartment building. One day,
there were knocks at the door.
I was surprised to see Rabbi
Eliezer Rivkin, the first shliach to
Tampa, huffing and puffing after
the climb. I invited him in and
offered him a drink, but he got
straight to the point and offered
me a shlichus in Clearwater. I
figured, if he made the effort of
climbing up to the sixth floor,
Im going. It definitely made a
big impression on us. He did not
invite us to his office; nor did he
send go-betweens to speak to us.
He is a veteran shliach who has
been on shlichus for 35 years and
without any of the trappings of
officialdom, he knocked at our
door and invited us to join him
on shlichus. It won me over.
The decision was easy.
My wife, a real eishes chayil,
who educates our children with
mesirus nefesh, gets all the
credit.
In Clearwater today there are
two large Jewish strongholds:
The Conservative community
and the Reform community.
The Conservatives are more
traditional than the Reform and
used to run two Jewish schools,
one of which just closed.
The two communities have
many temples, but they are
almost empty of congregants
except for Rosh HaShana and
Yom Kippur.
When we came to
Clearwater, they were afraid of
any move we made. The Reform
community was furious. The fact
that we did not recognize their
conversions made them mad.
They were mainly angry about
the fact that Orthodox Judaism
does not recognize equality
among the nations.
It sounds like your work in
Clearwater is not at all easy,
and yet, these difficulties did not
make you change your minds.
G-d forbid, on the contrary.
You probably know that there are
many sichos in which the Rebbe
describes the terrible spiritual
state among Jews today. The
Rebbe talks about the darkness
of galus, emphasizing that
shlichus is literally a matter of
saving lives. Some people think
its a description of the past,
from 45 years ago, but today, in
our generation, when there are
Chabad houses all over the globe,
it no longer exists. It is only
when I came here that I began
to understand what sort of Jews
the Rebbe was talking about.
The pursuit of materialism drives
people to all sorts of extremes.
One day, I met a Hebrew-
speaking guy on the street who
grew up in an Israeli home but
had never seen tfillin. He hadnt
even heard of the concept of
tfillin. We decided to invite him
for a Shabbos meal. He came a
little early and when he walked
tw
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SHLICHUS
830_BM_Eng.indd 36 01-04-12 6:57 AM
in, he saw my wife lighting
Shabbos candles and murmuring
something. He watched as
though hypnotized and then
asked what she was doing.
Despite the low spiritual
state here, you can find many
encouraging signs. In fact, the
terrible darkness motivates us all
the more. You suddenly begin
to understand the tremendous
kochos and responsibility that
the Rebbe bestows upon each
shliach.
This year, we opened a
yeshiva for bachurim who
finished their year of Kvutza. We
advertised the yeshiva in the local
papers and it made a big Kiddush
Hashem. One of the bachurim
was buying a shirt when a 78
year old woman approached him
and asked, Are these tzitzis?
He told her they were and she
burst into tears in front of all the
customers. You remind me of my
departed father, she said. I grew
up in a religious home but today
nothing remains of the education
I received. All my friends go to
church and I go with them. You
remind me of my father.
It has happened on a number
of occasions that people have
told the bachurim that they are
restoring Jewish pride. The
Jewish pride we represent is not
typical of life in Clearwater.
GATHERING LOST SOULS
Aside from the locals, there are
about 200 Israeli families living
in Clearwater. Unfortunately,
most are intermarried. These
mixed marriages by Israeli men
originally were motivated only by
the desire to gain legal immigrant
status, but as time went on it
became more than that and they
have brought children, who are
not Jewish, into the world.
The lack of awareness and
Jewish education has led to a
situation in which Jews who are
70-80 years old never put on
tfillin and never even saw such
a thing! I am talking about over
95% of Jews who are karfkaftaos.
Over the years, I have put on
tfillin and made bar mitzvahs for
more than 400 karkaftaos and
numerous brissin have been done
too.
As a shliach of the Rebbe,
I dont make a move without
knowing what the Rebbe wants.
Boruch Hashem, I always receive
clear answers. On my thirty-first
birthday, I asked the Rebbe for a
bracha regarding a certain matter
in which I was encountering
difficulties. I opened to an answer
which said, In connection with
your thirty-first birthday In
the letter, the Rebbe urged me
to increase my activities without
being fazed by what was going
on around me.
Rabbi Reich told me the
following incredible story:
There is a huge flea market
in Clearwater that offers second-
hand goods at excellent prices.
It attracts thousands of people
every day, including marginal
types and those who just sit
around and drink. Normally,
I would never consider going
there, but the realities of life here
compelled me to go. I ended up
making over twenty bar mitzvahs
for older Jews who never knew
anything at all about Judaism.
One day, as I strolled
around the flea market, someone
addressed me in Yiddish. At first,
it didnt register; it sounded
like out of a dream. Why would
a local person address me in
such a place in Yiddish? I kept
on walking until it hit me, the
person was addressing me! I
retraced my steps and to my
amazement, I saw a man in his
sixties with a long ponytail and
tattoos. I began talking to him
and learned that his parents were
Holocaust survivors and his eight
siblings had been murdered al
Kiddush Hashem. His parents
had dropped any connection with
Judaism. He spoke Yiddish but
had never seen tfillin. Of course,
Rabbi Reich (center) giving a menorah to the man who donated the mitzva tank
830_BM_Eng.indd 37 01-04-12 6:57 AM
I made him a bar mitzva on the
spot. His face took on a whole
new cast and he began to cry. I
couldnt restrain myself and soon
joined him.
On another occasion, I met a
Jewish lawyer married to a non-
Jew who, for the sake of shalom
bayis had converted. If I hadnt
gone over to him with the Seven
Noachide Laws, I doubt whether
he would have ever put on tfillin
in his life.
How do you explain this
plague of assimilation and
intermarriage?
What our enemies did not
succeed in doing, assimilation
has managed to accomplish. It
is the veritable destruction of
Klal Yisroel rl. The Reform
contributed plenty to this
problem. Any man or woman
who decides to join the Jewish
people through marriage can
easily find a Reform rabbi
willing to convert them. The
vast majority of Jews here think
nothing of marrying out. They
are so ignorant that none of
them feels that intermarriage
will make any significant change
in their lives. Whether or not
their children are Jewish doesnt
bother them. Its heartbreaking.
In addition, there are so
many people who have cut off
all ties with their people and the
Torah. I meet them all the time.
There are older women who have
grandchildren already and who
look like gentiles in every respect.
When I start talking to them,
I discover that they are Jewish
and they know good and well
what Judaism is. Whats worse
is meeting people who have two
Jewish parents to whom Judaism
means nothing.
STARTING FROM ZERO
What do you do about kosher
food in a city where there is no
demand for it?
Just so that you have the facts
on the entire western coast of
Florida, about 800 miles, there
isnt a single kosher restaurant.
When the economy crashed,
the price of meat went up and
the demand for kosher food
shrunk. Obtaining kosher meat
or dairy products here is almost
impossible. We get most products
from Miami. Every two months
we take a big van and make an
enormous food order. When I go
shopping, I always keep in mind
holidays that are three months
off. It sounds absurd but thats
the way we have to do it.
It sounds like most of your
work is one-on-one and there
is no expectation of starting a
khilla. Isnt that very difficult?
Definitely, but who says we
go on shlichus for things to be
easy? Shluchim naturally want
big successes like developing a
khilla and putting up buildings,
but the work here is very
different. Its one-on-one. You
can find Jews who are 60, 72,
and even 89 who never put on
tfillin. I make the rounds of
hospitals and senior centers and
work with people whom nobody
is thinking about. In my three
years of shlichus I have made
hundreds of bar mitzvahs for
elderly Jews, some of who never
saw tfillin before. Where else in
the world do you have something
like this?
The distances between
neighborhoods in Clearwater
are enormous. A distance of ten
miles is considered very close,
so even if there was a desire for
a khilla, it would be impossible
because people are so widely
scattered.
Tell us about the two tanks
you use.
Three years ago, we decided
to buy a mitzva tank. The story of
the two tanks is a miracle story of
the Rebbe.
Before Pesach 5770, I
was sitting with a Jew who
is a Brigadier General in the
SHLICHUS
830_BM_Eng.indd 38 01-04-12 6:57 AM
American army, a doctor by
profession named Dr. Robert.
Since we have been friends of
years, I was showing him pictures
of our work. He surprised me
when he said, Rabbi Reich, you
need a mitzva tank. I asked him
how he knew about the concept.
He said that twenty years earlier
he had studied medicine in New
York where he first saw a Chabad
mitzva tank. He committed to a
donation of $10,000.
Last Gimmel Tammuz,
I visited Rabbi Motty Anatis
center in Ft. Lauderdale. Rabbi
Anati told me that they were
about to purchase a new tank.
I told him about the donation I
had gotten for a tank. As I left his
Moshiach Center, I saw on the
video screen (that is always on)
a segment from dollars in which
a shliach to Miami approaches
the Rebbe with a wealthy donor
who donated a tank. They were
giving the Rebbe the keys to the
tank. I saw this as a message
for me. I quickly raised the rest
of the money that I needed and
with the help of several donors I
bought the tank belonging to the
Moshiach Center. When I bought
it, I had in mind that it would
be one of two, and the second
one did indeed come a short
while later. I thank Rabbi Anati,
Rabbi Mor Yosef and my brother
Menachem Yosef who helped me
so much.
Three months later, an
older Jew from Miami called
the shliach, Rabbi Rivkin. The
man had become blind in one
eye and he said that due to his
visual limitations, he had decided
to donate his mobile home to
Chabad.
When we bought the tank,
we had no idea what an impact
it would make on the city. It was
widely covered by the media.
Rabbi Reich proudly pulled
out a number of newspaper
clippings with articles about the
tank and the Chabad house.
They were surprised that
there are religious Jews in a
place like Clearwater. Clearwater
represents freedom from anything
restrictive, so a mitzva tank in a
place like this is quite a novelty.
Even many gentiles honk at me
as a sign of friendliness.
Are there other public events
that you do?
For Chanuka 5771, my
brother Menachem Yosef and
I decided to make a big splash.
We arranged with the mayor for
PERSONAL CHANUKAH MIRACLE
Tell me, asked Rabbi Reich, what is the likelihood of me getting back
my stolen bicycle when thousands of people in Clearwater have a bike just
like mine?
I shrugged. Statistics are not my strong point.
One day, I took the mitzva tank to a baseball game to enable Jews to
put on tfillin. When the game was over, I went back to the tank and to my
dismay I saw that my bicycle had disappeared. It was an expensive bike and
I was very upset. I reported the loss to the police.
I was driving somewhere on Chanukah when a woman honked to me.
She opened her window and shouted, I saw your picture in the paper. It
was a picture attached to a very positive article about the public menorah
lighting we did. Since it was Chanuka, I motioned to her to enter the nearest
parking lot where I gave her a menorah, candles and Chanuka gelt. While
standing there, I noticed something familiar. I couldnt believe my eyes for
there was my stolen bike! I called the police and was given my bike. The
story about the bicycle was published in the local papers.
PERSONAL CHANUKAH MIRACLE
Tell me, asked Rabbi Reich, what is the likelihood of me getting back
my stolen bicycle when thousands of people in Clearwater have a bike just
like mine?
I shrugged. Statistics are not my strong point.
One day, I took the mitzva tank to a baseball game to enable Jews to
put on tfillin. When the game was over, I went back to the tank and to my
dismay I saw that my bicycle had disappeared. It was an expensive bike and
I was very upset. I reported the loss to the police.
I was driving somewhere on Chanukah when a woman honked to me.
She opened her window and shouted, I saw your picture in the paper. It
was a picture attached to a very positive article about the public menorah
lighting we did. Since it was Chanuka, I motioned to her to enter the nearest
parking lot where I gave her a menorah, candles and Chanuka gelt. While
standing there, I noticed something familiar. I couldnt believe my eyes for
there was my stolen bike! I called the police and was given my bike. The
story about the bicycle was published in the local papers.
830_BM_Eng.indd 39 01-04-12 6:57 AM
a big public menorah to be put
up in front of City Hall. We had
a six meter menorah made. The
menorah lighting took place
next to City Hall and hundreds
of people were there despite the
strong winds. It was a display
of Jewish pride that Clearwater
had never seen before. People
cried and were moved. Hundreds
of people watched out of
neighboring buildings at the
nightly event. We also placed
three other public menorahs in
busy areas of Clearwater.
We ordered the menorahs
from New York and had
a problem getting them to
Clearwater. Sending them by
truck entailed twenty hours
of driving which would cost
thousands of dollars. We barely
had the money to purchase the
menorahs and certainly did not
have the money to transport them
by truck.
We tried coming up with an
alternative but couldnt think of
one. I spoke with Rabbi Rivkin
who referred me to his son. He
gave my brother the number
of a truck driver who said that
just that week he had to make
a delivery from Florida to New
York and on his way back, he
could bring the menorahs. To the
drivers credit, he risked his job
by doing this for us.
From the way you describe
your approach, it sounds like
you relate to people where
theyre at, in Olam HaZeh, and
direct them to kdusha.
Thats right. Life is rushing
along at a dizzying pace, and
in recent years the world has
become crazier. People are in
an endless chase after lifes
pleasures with no end in sight.
Clearwater is a good illustration
of this. I decided the time has
come to speak to the world in a
language it understands. Our job
as Jews and Chassidim is to make
order in these things, creating a
dwelling for G-d here below. I
suggest that every shliach see
how to utilize the craziness of
the world as it manifests in his
location, for inyanei kdusha.
What about publicizing
Moshiach and Geula?
Whoever sees me on
the street knows that I am a
Lubavitcher whose only goal is
to bring Moshiach. If you dont
live with the subject of Moshiach,
its almost impossible to contend
with these situations.
One day, I walked into an
exclusive bicycle store where I
met a Catholic fellow, a salesman
for a bicycle company. He asked
me, Are you one of those who
believes that your rabbi is the
messiah?
People see this on us. We
have it emblazoned on the tank
and the bachurim tell everyone
about the Rebbes prophecy
that Moshiach is coming. We
sometimes get interesting
questions from people who want
to know about Moshiach.
As we concluded the interview
he said, Moshiach is not a
slogan; its life itself. A big
building, a beautiful khilla, they
are not the goal. On Chaf-Ches
Nissan the Rebbe exhorted, Do
all that you can, and we still have
a lot of work to do. We need to
transform the world until the
hisgalus of the Rebbe Melech
HaMoshiach.
h j h t s u b h b u n u r b u u r c b u n k l v n a h j k g u k o u g s
CHI TAS
INYONEI GEULA
& MOSHIACH
RAMBAM
SHIURIM IN LIKUTEI
SICHOS KODESH
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SHLICHUS
830_BM_Eng.indd 40 01-04-12 6:57 AM
IDO TO THE RESCUE
A wondrous story of Divine Providence involving
a series of well-timed meetings, enabling the
shluchim of the Rebbe MHM in the North Tel Aviv
neighborhood of Neot Afeka to save a Jewish girl
from the depths of spiritual destruction.
By Nosson Avraham
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry
I
t has already been a month
since the small Chabad
community in the North
Tel Aviv neighborhoods
of Neot Afeka and Tzahala,
headed by the shliach Rabbi Ido
Rahav, was deeply stirred by the
remarkable and moving story of
Divine Providence that occurred
on Shabbos, Hey Teves. This was
the finger of G-d, community
members declared, describing the
incredible sequence of events that
took place.
The central character in our
story is a young girl, a former
member of Yerushalayims
ultra-Orthodox Mea Sharim
community, who had left the
path of Torah and mitzvos. She
became involved in a relationship
with a smuggler of illegal
imports. He was an African
Gentile living in one of the unsafe
neighborhoods in south Tel Aviv.
There wasnt a dry eye
among the large number of
participants at the newborn
babys bris mila ceremony. Our
community includes members
of the military and businessmen
who have gone through a thing
or two in their lifetimes, said
the shliach, Rabbi Rahav.
Throughout the years of his
shlichus and his many activities,
he had never encountered such a
story. This is a story of Divine
Providence taken straight out of
the pages of the holy Baal Shem
Tov, the type that we generally
read about in sfarim.
GIVING A LIFT TO TEL AVIV
We heard this thrilling
story from Rabbi Rahav after
he finished giving over a
chassidus class for his extended
community, one of many that he
teaches during the week.
It all started on a Friday
about a month ago, said Rabbi
Rahav, as he began his account
with emotion clearly evident in
his voice. One of our supporters
had invited me to celebrate his
sons Bar Mitzvah at the Western
Wall. I had been quite busy
that day and I left Tel Aviv at a
relatively late hour.
Heading back toward Tel
Aviv, I got stuck in some lengthy
traffic jams, and as a result,
I only got back into town at
around a quarter to four in the
afternoon and headed straight
to the mikveh to get ready for
Shabbos. I did this as quickly
as possible, aware of the fact
that Shabbos was due to begin
very soon. As I left the mikveh,
I glanced at my cell phone and
noticed that my friend returning
from Yerushalayim had tried
several times to reach me. When
I got back to him, he had a most
interesting story to tell me.
While the family was at the
Kosel, they got directions from
a young ultra-Orthodox man
whom they happened to meet.
They eventually parted from
one another, and the extended
family headed for the parking lot
of Teddy Stadium, where they
had all left their cars when they
arrived in Yerushalayim for the
Bar Mitzvah.
The municipal bus brought
Rabbi Ido Rahav at a Torah class
MIVTZAIM STORY
830_BM_Eng.indd 41 01-04-12 6:57 AM
them to the location, and soon
everyone said goodbye to
one another and began their
respective trips home. My friend
got into the family jeep and
started the journey towards Tel
Aviv.
As he passed by one of
the intersections within the
Yerushalayim city limits, he
noticed the young man who he
had met at the Kosel, trying to
hitch a ride. He stopped his car
and gladly offered to take him
straight to his house. The two
began a lively discussion during
which the young man said that he
lived in Mea Sharim. When my
friend the driver told him that he
was going home to Tel Aviv, the
young man asked if he could help
him with a family matter.
I have a sister in Tel Aviv
with whom we have had no
contact for the past year, the
bachur said. She has veered off
the path of Torah and mitzvos,
and has gotten involved with a
foreign worker from Africa living
in the heart of south Tel Aviv,
where she is rl wasting her life
away with him. I recently got in
touch with her, and at the end
of our conversation, she said
that she was prepared to spend
a Shabbos meal with a religious
family in Tel Aviv. Do you know
such a family? he asked.
Of course, my friend said.
My rabbi is a shliach of the
Lubavitcher Rebbe. The young
man gave him his sisters phone
number, and my friend quickly
called me to ask if we could host
this girl in our home for Shabbos.
With pleasure, I replied.
When I got back home from
the mikveh, I saw my friend
arriving, followed by a taxi with a
young female passenger in a very
advanced state of pregnancy. My
wife warmly and very happily
welcomed her into our home.
This is exactly what our shlichus
is all about. Her family apparently
didnt even know that she was
expecting and about to give birth
any day.
I quickly went to shul to
daven Kabbalas Shabbos, while
my wife respectfully attended to
our guest. When I returned home
from shul, the young woman was
already gone. She had gone into
labor, and my wife had ordered
a taxi to take her to Ichilov
Hospital.
It turned out that a few
minutes before I came home,
she went into labor. On Motzaei
Shabbos, we were informed that
she had given birth the night
before to a baby boy.
On Monday, my friend and I
went to the hospital to visit her.
We could see right away that she
was very depressed. No one from
her family was in contact with
her, and she was all alone. She
had no one to turn to; we had to
help her.
One of the first questions
I asked her was: What about
the bris? It was clear that she
hadnt given much consideration
to the subject. At this low point
in her life, she was concerned
with nothing more than her own
survival. She told me that since
she has no money and doesnt
even know a mohel in Tel Aviv or
anywhere else in the central part
of the country, she was thinking
about not having the child
circumcised at all
I was shocked to hear such
indifference. I promised to get
back to her as soon as possible. I
immediately contacted a mohel in
Bnei Brak, who agreed to walk
over to our shul the following
Shabbos. I organized a seuda;
I spoke with the shul members,
in addition with those people
who dont daven regularly in our
minyanim. After they heard the
story, they all promised to come
and participate in the simcha. I
called the young woman, told her
that we had found a mohel, and
everything would be arranged
for a beautiful and kosher bris
ceremony.
On Erev Shabbos, she
arrived with the baby at a special
apartment that we had prepared
for her near the synagogue. With
the young womans consent,
we notified her mother about
the birth of her new grandson,
and she arrived together with
her other daughter and her son,
who had made the first contact
between us.
WHAT WILL
WE CALL THE BABY?
On Erev Shabbos, the
atmosphere was most joyful. The
participants in the Friday night
minyan spoke among themselves
about the circumstances leading
to the bris that would take place
the following day. They were
also outraged over what was
happening right under the nose
of the Jewish state, and how it
could even affect those raised
in Torah observant homes.
Everyone agreed that something
must be done to prevent such
incidents in the future.
When we asked the mother
what name to give the child, it
turned out that she hadnt given
much thought to it. We suggested
the name Menachem Mendel and
she gladly agreed.
After the bris mila ceremony
had concluded, everyone stayed
for the seudas mitzvah. Seated at
the head table along with myself
and the mohel were her brother,
who had made the initial contact,
and my friend who first heard the
story about his sister. We felt like
the mechutanim (in-laws) at a
wedding. Also in attendance were
MIVZTAIM STORY
830_BM_Eng.indd 42 01-04-12 6:57 AM
her sister and her mother, the
babys grandmother.
The babys uncle asked
to say a few words, and the
joyous expression on his face
was undisguised. He brought
everyones attention to the shuls
memorial wall, most of which
was dedicated to Jews killed in
the Holocaust or their loved ones
who had founded the shul. In a
central location on the wall, there
appeared a dedication with the
name Menachem Mendel, the
only one whose yahrtzait was on,
of all days, Hey Teves, the date
when the bris had taken place.
Above this dedication, there
appeared another marker: In
memory of my sister Miriam,
my wife Tova, and my brother
Shimon. The babys mother
was named Miriam Tova, and
the brother who made the
connection between us and her
sister was named Shimon. The
Divine Providence was simply
incredible.
EVEN MORE DIVINE
PROVIDENCE
The few weeks that have
elapsed since the story took
place have not diminished Rabbi
Rahavs feeling of exhilaration.
Just think about it! he said,
as he sharpened the message
of Divine Providence. How
realistic is it that my friend would
meet the person who had helped
him at the Kosel, waiting at an
intersection in Yerushalayim for
a ride home, and then the young
man would choose to tell him
about his sister? Yet, despite the
fact that it was Erev Shabbos
and he was exhausted from
everything connected with his
sons Bar Mitzvah, he made the
extra effort to get in touch with
her, then with me, and the young
woman gave birth that night! Its
quite clear that Heaven looked
for someone to make certain that
this new Jewish soul would come
into the world and have a proper
bris mila, while the afflicted soul
of his mother who had lost her
way would eventually, with G-ds
help, return home as well.
In fact, on that Sunday, the
day after the bris, the community
got together on behalf of the
young destitute mother. They
bought a large quantity of clothes
for the baby, along with diapers,
a carriage, and a beautiful little
crib.
Thirty days after the birth,
the Chabad House held a
Pidyon HaBen ceremony
for the child with one of
the communitys prominent
members, businessman Ezra Gad
HaKohen.
We are continually in touch
with the young mother, and
we hope to hear good news
regarding her return to a proper
life filled with Yiddishkait very
soon.
Following that Shabbos, after
their first personal encounter
with the tragedy of assimilation
and the involvement between
Jewish girls and foreign workers,
Rabbi Rahav and the members
of his community decided to
establish a cozy corner for
young Jewish women in distress
experiencing similar stories.
Regrettably, such cases occur
far more often than one can
imagine.
FLASH: THE HAPPY ENDING
By a further case of Divine
Providence, this story remained
in Beis Moshiachs inbox for
about three weeks until it was
finally publicized.
Then, just before the Hebrew
text was about to go to print, the
shliach Rabbi Ido Rahav called
the magazines editorial offices
and told us in a voice filled with
emotion that the babys mother
had just informed him that she
had returned to her parents
home in Mea Sharim and to a
life of Torah and mitzvos.
830_BM_Eng.indd 43 01-04-12 6:57 AM
WHO WILL JUMP
INTO THE WATER?
Over the years, the Rebbe did what he
had to do to bring the Shchina down to
this world. What is demanded of us is
to bring out the Nachshon within us, the
point of mesirus nefesh. How do we do
that? We each need to consult with our mashpia
and come up with a plan.
By Rabbi Chaim Yitzchok Landau
Maggid Shiur in Yeshivas
Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in
Tzfas
The Rebbes main demand
in his talk of Chof-Ches Nissan
5751 was Do all that you can!
The correct and simple meaning
of Do all that you can is to
take action. The Rebbe wants
every one of us to get busy doing
things, even if it will require
mesirus nefesh.
Like many others, I remember
the period of time in which the
sicha was said. To many people,
this sicha was a real downer.
There was a general feeling that
the Rebbe had said, I tried
and did all I could and was
unsuccessful; now the time has
come for you to do something.
This is absolutely incorrect and
leads to inaction. After all, if
the Rebbe supposedly said, G-d
forbid, that he had failed, how
can we possibly be successful?
So what now?
The correct perspective is that
the Rebbe moved us into the next
phase. During that same period
of time, the Rebbe completed
his work in preparing the world
for the revelation of Moshiach.
The next stage requires us to be
involved and active. The Rebbe
was saying that he did his part
and now we need to do our part.
AS IN THE EXODUS FROM
EGYPT
This is a repeat of what took
place in the first Geula, the
exodus from Egypt, As in the
days of your going out of Egypt
I will show you wonders. The
same story took place back then.
When the Jewish people arrived at
the sea after journeying through
the desert and the Egyptians
pursued them and nearly reached
them, they cried out to Moshe
to save them. Moshe raised his
stick over the sea and nothing
happened. The sea did not split
even though Hashem had said it
would.
When the Jewish people saw
this, they cried even more and
asked Moshe what they should
do. Moshe did not reply. What
could he say? He had done
whatever he could do and had
carried out Hashems command.
Now it was the Jewish peoples
turn to jump into the water,
one or two or three of them.
Nachshon ben Aminadav jumped
into the sea with mesirus nefesh
and the water reached his
nose and only then did the sea
split. Who split the sea? Was it
Nachshon? No! Moshe split the
sea, but he needed Nachshon to
be moser nefesh.
The same is true now. The
Rebbe will bring Moshiach. He
did all that needs to be done to
bring the Shchina down to earth.
What is expected of us is to bring
out the Nachshon within us, the
point of mesirus nefesh.
How do we do that? We each
need to consult with our mashpia
and come up with a plan to see
what is especially difficult for us.
Then, with the mesirus nefesh
of splitting the sea, we need
to carry it out, each in his and
her way. The main thing is for
everything we do to be permeated
with bringing to Yemos
HaMoshiach.
THE TRUE TEST
If its 21 years since the
sicha was said and we still
28 NISSAN THOUGHT
830_BM_Eng.indd 44 01-04-12 6:57 AM
dont see Moshiach, then we
havent finished the job. The
true barometer of our efforts is
in the results, and if Moshiach
hasnt appeared until now, then
something is apparently lacking
in our mesirus nefesh. Its like
were standing at the sea and we
need to do something beyond the
norm. This is not meant just for
special people but for all of us.
We all need to be Nachshons.
When Nachshon jumped into the
sea, although he was the first, he
wasnt the only one. He revealed
the point of mesirus nefesh within
every Jew. They didnt just stand
there; others followed him. So
too nowadays, when the Rebbe
asks for two or three people,
these are the few Nachshons who
have to split the sea of galus.
Each of us ought to consider it a
privilege and obligation to be the
first, second and third. The main
thing is we should see results.
authorities allowed him to be
brought to burial and even then,
without a gravestone. Although a
week had passed since his death,
his body remained intact and
people marveled at this.
AT THE TZADDIKS GRAVE
Years passed and the Jewish
community in Italy was destroyed
in the Holocaust. The tzaddiks
grave was forgotten.
A group of Jews who
treasured his legacy wanted to
find his gravesite although a
stone had never been placed on
the grave. After examining city
maps and taking measurements,
a gravestone was placed where
the tzaddiks grave was estimated
to be. According to experts, the
placement of the stone is precise
to within mere centimeters, even
though nearly 270 years have
passed since he was buried.
Rabbi Eliyahu Dovid
Borenstein, shliach in Bologna,
is very knowledgeable about the
history of Italian Jewry. When he
heard that the tzaddik was buried
in his area, he had an idea. On
the tzaddiks yahrtzait in 2011,
a minyan of bachurim from the
Chabad yeshiva in Venice went
to his grave, learned a selection
from his Mishnas Chassidim and
recited Kaddish.
THE TZEMACH TZEDEK
SAID ABOUT HIM:
EVERYTHING HE SAYS IS
FROM THE ARIZAL
The Mishnas Chassidim is
one of the few sfarim of the later
kabbalists quoted in Tanya two
times!
The Tzemach Tzedek testified
about him, Everything he says
is from the Arizal. Therefore,
one should be stringent about
customs he brings down, more
than other customs. The Rebbe
Maharash in a number of places
in his maamarim explains
different ideas from his works,
and the Rebbe also cites his
sfarim many times.
Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch of
Ziditchov (1763-1831) writes
in his Tzvi LaTzaddik that the
Mishnas Chassidim is quoted
extensively by the disciples of the
Baal Shem Tov, and certainly
they ratified and received from
Rabbeinu HaBaal Shem Tov
HaKadosh zya regarding the
holiness and trustworthiness of
this holy seifer.
THE INSPIRATION FOR THE
NIGGUN LCHATCHILLA
ARIBBER
It appears that the connection
with Chabad Chassidus runs a bit
deeper.
All Lubavitchers know the
niggun of the Rebbe Maharash,
Lchatchilla Aribber. The
niggun is thus named because of
the descending movement that
represents milmala-lmatta as in
the Rebbe Maharashs statement,
The world says, If you cant
crawl under [an obstacle], try
to climb over, but I say, at the
outset, one should climb over!
The niggun is also called
Niggun Ohr Ein Sof (Infinite
Light) or Niggun Eintz, Tzvei,
Drai, Fir (One, Two, Three,
Four).
This niggun has a special
connection with Rabbi Emanuel.
At the end of his Hoin Ashir, he
printed a song that he wrote
about tfillin and Shabbos. The
Rebbe Maharash, who was
musically talented, read the
musical notes and this inspired
the famous Lchatchilla Aribber
niggun.
The Rebbe writes, In addition
to his [the Rebbe Maharashs]
genius and greatness in all parts
of Torah, Nigleh and Nistar,
he possessed amazing talents
and a phenomenal memory.
For example, at the end of Hoin
Ashir by the author of Mishnas
Chassidim, there is a song written
in musical notation. The Rebbe
Maharash read it and said that
it inspired him to compose a
niggun, and he then proceeded
to sing the famous niggun known
amongst Chassidim as Eintz,
Tzvei, Drai, Fir, the niggun Ein
Sof.
[Continued from page 47]
830_BM_Eng.indd 45 01-04-12 6:57 AM
THE INSPIRATION
BEHIND THE SONG
The niggun that expresses the Rebbe Maharashs
approach to life is called Lchatchilla Aribber.
* In the biography that the Rebbe wrote about
the Rebbe Maharash, he says that the source of
the Rebbe Maharashs inspiration was the book
written by the mekubal R Emanuel Refael Chai
Riki. * This is the inspiring story of a niggun and
the story of a tzaddik and mekubal. * Presented
for Beis Iyar, birthday of the Rebbe Maharash.
By Yechiel Sofer
T
here are Jewish
communities that have not
been written about much
in magazines and other
literature because they disappeared
from the world without leaving
a trace. That is the way it is with
Italian Jewry, which produced
Torah greats and giants of spirit
throughout the thousands of years
of exile.
The exile of Italy, particularly
in the late 17
th
century and
early 18
th
century, enjoyed
unprecedented growth. Mosdos
Torah flourished, there were
strong khillos, and numerous
Torah scholars pored over tomes
of Torah wisdom. One of these
Torah giants was the mekubal,
Rabbi Emanuel Refael Chai Riki
(1688-1743).
Rabbi Emanuel was born
in Ferrara, Italy, on 15 Tamuz
5448/1688, to Reb Avrohom
and Sarah. He was orphaned
at a young age. When he was
19 he took the wanderers staff
and went to the city of Garessio,
where he served as a melamed
to the children of one of the
residents of the city.
In the introduction to one
of his sfarim, he describes his
strong desire to learn kabbala
from Rabbi Binyomin HaKohen
who lived in Rovigo at the time,
Rabbi Borenstein and bachurim at the gravesite of the tzaddik
(photograph by Mendy Bryski)
BEIS IYAR
830_BM_Eng.indd 46 01-04-12 6:57 AM
where he had lived previously.
Unfortunately though, just as
he arrived, Rabbi Binyomin left
town and Rabbi Emanuel had to
retrace his steps without attaining
his goal.
After he married, he
wandered to several other
cities while writing his sfarim
Maasei Chosheiv and Chosheiv
Machshavos. Then he decided
to move to Eretz Yisroel where
he lived in Tzfas and studied
the writings of the Arizal and
the writings of the Arizals great
disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital. He
wrote another work, his third,
Hoin Ashir on Mishnayos.
Eretz Yisroel is acquired with
suffering and Rabbi Emanuel
experienced numerous troubles.
His only daughter died in a
plague. Rabbi Emanuel was
forced to leave Eretz Yisroel. On
his way back to Italy, his ship was
attacked by pirates who took him
and his family captive. However,
as soon as they arrived in Tripoli,
a wealthy person ransomed them.
After a brief stay in the city,
he moved to Livorno, Italy where
he wrote Mishnas Chassidim.
He wanted to write a book that
would briefly summarize the
teachings of kabbala according
to the Arizal, a sort of Mishna
Torah of kabbala. He arranged it
like the Six Orders of the Mishna,
with divisions into tractates,
chapters and Mishnayos.
After living in Livorno
for three years, he began his
wanderings once again and
moved to Florence where he
served as rosh yeshiva and mora
horaa. Four years later, due to a
medical problem, he returned to
Livorno where he lived another
twelve years.
When he was fifty, he decided
to print his other compositions.
For this purpose, he left his
family and city and took up
traveling once again, stopping
in Izmir, Salonika, Kushta
(Istanbul), Amsterdam, and
London. In each city he fund-
raised and sold his sfarim. When
he finally returned home he
decided the time had come to go
back to Eretz Yisroel. In 5494, he
made aliya once again.
Rather than living out the rest
of his days in tranquility, his life
of wandering and adventures
continued. The sages of Eretz
Yisroel deemed him fit to be a
shadar (Shlucha DRabanan
fundraiser) to go abroad and
raise money to support the Jewish
settlement. He did not refuse
their request and considered it
another opportunity to print the
additional sfarim he had written.
At this time, there were many
wars in Italy and the roads were
not secure. Bandits abounded and
a bearded Jew walking alone was
easy prey, all the more so when
this Jew was a shadar carrying
cash. Tragically, Rabbi Emanuel
Refael Chai Riki was found
lying on the road near the city
of Cento in the Bologna district
of Italy, strangled by his tfillin
straps. It took a week before the
y in the city, he finally returned home he where he had lived previously. After a brief sta f sta
[Continued on page 45]
830_BM_Eng.indd 47 01-04-12 6:57 AM
PESACH Q&A: WHY DO WE RECLINE
ON THE SEDER NIGHT?
By Rabbi Yisroel Harpaz
B
y default, the sun
emanates light. The
circumstances through
which the light is blocked
are all external obstacles whether
they are natural or man-made.
As long as there is some obstacle
between me and the sun, the light
will never shine on me. I definitely
want to let more light into my life.
Who doesnt? So, if I want to let
more light into my life more
meaning, more spirituality, more
goodness then the question
I have to ask myself is: Whats
blocking the light? The light is
certainly shining, but something is
stopping it from getting to me. If I
can figure out what the blockage is,
then I can remove it and allow the
light to shine through.
Sometimes the shadow is cast
upon me by external factors that
are to varying degrees not
entirely under my control. I can
do my best to avoid or minimize
them, but at the end of the day
there are going to be situations
in which there is not much I can
do to remove the obstacle. I will
inevitably find myself in times of
darkness. Shade is a dimension
of reality that I have to learn to
live with, and even sometime
appreciate.
But, honestly, most of the
obstacles are actually self-
generated. Whether it is a
propensity toward anger, self-
aggrandizement, lethargy, or
uncontrollable temptations
and addictions, the negativity
I generate from within and
project outwards form barriers
that block the light, or make me
unable to appreciate it when it
is there. These follies stop me
from attaining the intelligence,
harmony, health, wealth, world
domination, or whatever it is
Im after in life. Working to
correct these follies removes the
obstacles and allows the light to
shine into my life.
On a deeper, more existential
level, the obstacle that blocks the
light is, ironically, me.
Do I then have to remove
myself so that I dont block
the light? And if I do succeed
somehow in achieving this, then
who will be there to benefit from
the light once I remove myself?
The answer is Passover. What
makes this night different than
all other nights? That is the
question that begins the historical
and existential journey known as
the Passover Seder.
One of the differences,
the one that most explicitly
symbolizes the theme of freedom
that is so central to this festival,
is the custom of reclining while
eating the matza and drinking the
traditional four cups of wine at
the Seder. On the simplest level,
the reclining is an expression of
our status as a free people, one of
the motifs of Passover as a whole
and the Seder in particular. In
Kabbalistic sources, the custom
of reclining is described in more
spiritual terms, perhaps exposing
the mystical roots of what
freedom is all about.
The body can generally be
divided into three sections that
are organized hierarchically
according to function: The
head, the torso and the legs. In
a standing or a seated position,
the hierarchical structure is
maintained; the head is above the
torso, which is above the legs.
However, when a person reclines
or lies down, all three sections of
the body are on the same level.
This is an expression of ultimate
freedom. When an individual can
focus all of his or her powers
toward one goal, with all aspects
of the individual equally humbled
before the same ideals.
Often, our minds and hearts
and bodies each tend to have
their own agendas, and the
striving of each one in its own
direction is the source of great
internal strife. But when we focus
on the common goal for which
all these components were placed
within us, then they recline
together to serve that common
purpose and we are freed of the
internal conflicts they generate
individually. By subjugating my
entire being to something beyond
my own little life, I focus all my
energy together. I remove myself
as an obstacle to the light, and a
new, humbled self is created that
can then bask in the light shining
past the removed obstacle that
was my old self. I pass over my
self, and let the light shine.
Reproduced with permission
from Exodus Magazine
VIEWPOINT
830_BM_Eng.indd 48 01-04-12 6:57 AM

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