Beis Moshiach

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ENGLISH EDITOR:Boruch Merkur

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contents

MAKING CHASSIDIM FOR WHOM?Moshiach & Geula | Avrohom Rainitz20

THE ‘RASHBI’ COMMUNITY IN THESUNSHINE STATEShlichus | Nosson Avrohom

36

THE LAST STOP BEFORE MOSHIACHThought | Rabbi Zvi Homnick6

SPARKS OF FAITHShlichus | Rabbi Yaakov Shmuelevitz30

SOUNDS OF SILENCE Moshiach & Science | Dr. Aryeh Gotfryd, PhD34

NO ‘CHANCE MEETING’Feature | Sholom Ber Crombie10

CHOOSING OUR MISSIOND’var Malchus | Sichos In English4

HASHGACHA PRATIS AT EVERY STEPStory | Nosson Avrohom26

743_B_Beis Moshiach 31/05/2010 8:28 AM Page 3

22 Sivan 5770 BE IS MOSHIACH4

A PILLAR OFOUR FAITH

The Rambam writes: [1]“Every person is fit to be

righteous like Moshe our teacher,or wicked like Yerovam.... There isno one who compels him, decreesupon him, or leads him to either ofthese two paths. Instead, it is he -on his own initiative and thought -who tends to the path hedesires....

“This principle is afundamental concept and a pillar[on which rests] the Torah and itscommandment[s] as it is written:[2] “Behold I have set before youtoday life [and good, death andevil,]”... i.e., the choice is yours.

“Any one of the mortal actswhich a person desires to do, hemay, whether good or evil.... TheCreator does not compel or decreethat people should do either goodor bad. Instead, everything is leftto their [own choice].”

G-d did not create man to bean automaton.

Instead, He gave him a uniquepotential, free choice, whichdistinguishes him from all otherforms of life. [3]

All other existence is ruled bythe laws of nature, or its owninstinctual drives.

Man, by contrast, has thepower to control his conduct, andact according to his own initiative.

TWO TYPES OF CHOICEThe exercise of our free choice

lies at the heart of our Divineservice.

We have the option of carryingout G-d’s will, or ignoring it,Heaven forbid, and our challengeis to “choose life,” [4] living ourlives as He desires them.

In particular, two types ofpositive choice are expected of us:

a. Obedience to the mitzvos ofthe Torah.

G-d has given us a multi-faceted set of deeds which we areobligated to implement, andothers which we are forbidden toperform. At times, performing thedeeds required of us or observingthe prohibitions imposed upon usinvolves an inner confrontation,for doing so may run contrary toour natural tendencies anddesires.

Our power of choice enables usto employ control and negate anyinner obstacles that hinder thefulfillment of G-d’s will.

b. Molding one’s character toconform to G-d’s will, even whenthere is no explicit commandment.

There is an entire realm ofactivities referred to as r’shus,“what is permitted.”

We are not told what we mustdo, or what we must avoid. Butthat does not mean that there isnot a G-dly mode of conductappropriate for these activities.

The initiative, however, isgiven to us.

We must strive to discover G-d’swill ourselves, and then shape ourcharacters accordingly.

These two thrusts are reflectedin the Mishna: [5] “Make His willyour will, so that He may fulfillyour will as though it were Hiswill. Set aside your will because ofHis will, so that He may set asidethe will of others before yourwill.”

Setting aside your will becauseof His will refers to the challengeof foregoing one’s own desires inorder to obey G-d’scommandments.

Making His will your will refersto a greater challenge, moldingone’s character so that it willreflect and express G-d’s will evenin situations where G-d’scommand is not specific.

TAKING INITIATIVEThe task of molding one’s

character represents a morecomplete expression of ourpotential for free choice.

When a commandment hasbeen given, even though man hasthe option whether or not to obey,the fact that G-d has given acommand spurs obedience, forevery Jew has a natural desire toserve G-d and fulfill His will. [6]

Moreover, on the mostpractical level, when G-d’s will isexplicit, the choice facing man isclear cut.

On the other hand, when G-dhas not given an explicitcommand, and man has to elevateand refine himself until heappreciates what is expected ofhim, the challenge facing him -and the choice he must make - isfar more encompassing. [7]

A NEW PHASEThis approach to Divine

d’var ma lchus

CHOOSINGOUR MISSIONSichos In English


BE IS MOSHIACH Issue 743 5

service represents the newdimension contributed by thisweek’s Torah reading.

The Torah reading begins: [8]Shlach lecha - “You may send....”Rashi explains that the people hadcome to Moshe with a request tosend spies to explore EretzYisroel, and Moshe had broughttheir request to G-d.

G-d had replied: “It is up toyou. I am not commanding you. Ifyou desire, send.”

This represented a new phasein our people’s relationship withG-d.

Previously, the Torah hadrelated the commandments whichG-d had given Moshe for theconduct of the Jewish people.

It also had described certainsituations, e.g., the secondopportunity to offer the Paschalsacrifice, [9] where the Jews hadcome to Moshe with a request,and Moshe had relayed thatrequest to G-d.

But even in those instances, G-dhad responded with an explicitcommand.

This was the first occasion thatG-d had left the matter to Moshe’schoice.

BUILDING G-D’SDWELLING

This new approach to Divineservice, that the initiative be givento man, is associated with theobjective of the spies’ mission, ourpeople’s entry into Eretz Yisroel.

The goal of life in Eretz Yisroelis to fashion a dwelling for G-dwithin the realities of everydayexperience.

More particularly, this dwellingshould be established throughman’s initiative.

Were the dwelling to beestablished by revelation fromabove, it would be incomplete.

Man as he exists within his owncontext and the power of creativity

he possesses would not beincluded within it.

When, by contrast, mantransforms his own will, and onthe basis of his innermetamorphosis, proceeds totransform his surroundingenvironment, G-d’s dwellingbecomes internalized within ourexistence.

FACING FAILURESince the focus is on man’s

initiative, there is a possibility oferror. [10]

The very term free choiceimplies that one may make anincorrect decision.

Indeed, in the narrative of ourTorah reading, not only did such apotential exist, the wrong choicewas actually made. [11] The spiesreturned and spread panic amongthe Jewish people, causing them tofear entering Eretz Yisroel.

As the narrative indicates, [12]however, this error can becorrected through t’shuva, sincerereturn to G-d.

In this context as well, theemphasis is on man’s initiative.

For t’shuva involves a personpenetrating to his core andsummoning up the inner strengthto reestablish the bond with G-dsevered through his improperconduct.

Indeed, through t’shuva, aperson can reach a rung above hisprevious level of Divine service. Asour Sages teach: [13] “Perfecttzaddikim (righteous men) cannotstand in the place of a baalt’shuva.”

Nevertheless, the possibilityexists for t’shuva even without sin.

As our Sages say: [14]“Moshiach will motivate therighteous to turn [to G-d] int’shuva.”

Through such efforts, theadvantage reached throught’shuva can be accomplished

without a prior stage of descent.This is the ultimate expression

of man’s power of achievement: toset out on his own initiative, toaccomplish his objective, and toturn to G-d with the all-encompassing inner bond that isestablished through t’shuva.

OUR PEOPLE’SMISSION

The above concepts are alludedto in the name of the Torahreading Shlach.

Shlach means “send,”indicating that every person - andin a larger sense, the Jewishpeople as a whole - are sent out,caused to leave their naturalenvironment and charged with amission.

This mission enables both theindividual and the collective toadvance and reach a more elevatedrung.

In a personal sense, this refersto the mission of every soul as it issent down from the spiritualrealms to be enclothed within thebody and material existence.

This is “a descent for the sakeof an ascent,” [15] for throughusing material entities for aspiritual purpose, the soulprogresses to a higher level.

In a larger sense, this refers tothe mission of the Jewish peopleto make our world a dwelling forG-d.

“Sent out” from continent tocontinent, our people have laboredtoward this objective forthousands of years, addingspiritual content to the world’sexistence through theirobservance of the Torah and itsmitzvos.

This objective is no longer anabstract goal.

On the contrary, we arestanding at the threshold of the

[Continued on page 9]


FIRST STOPMy first experience with

formal education actually tookplace in the Lubavitch institutionof Oholei Torah in CrownHeights. I was three and a halfyears old at the time, and myparents decided to enroll me in apreschool day camp program.Since we lived then in EastFlatbush, Oholei Torah was theclosest day camp that providedbus service to our area. At thattime, the early grades werehoused in a small two buildingcampus on Eastern Parkwaybetween Buffalo and RochesterAvenues. Although, obviously, Ihave very few memories from thatperiod of my life, there are anumber of memory snapshots thatare still quite vivid in my mind.One of them is of one day during

nap time, when I climbed out of asecond story window and loweredmyself onto the door of thebuilding which was kept proppedopen to let in some air, and thenslid/jumped down from there tothe ground to go off and explore.

The Morah (currently a great-grandmother residing in CrownHeights, may she live and bewell) had stepped out for amoment while her cute littlecharges were supposedly snoozingaway, and upon returningdiscovered that one was missing.When the others told her that Ihad gone out the window shebecame somewhat hysterical,alerting everybody on the staffand creating all aroundpandemonium, which is what Iencountered when I decided tomake my entrance shortly after. Idon’t recall many more details,

but I do remember that despitethe home I grew up in being onewhere corporal punishment wasthe norm, my father thought thewhole thing was pretty hilarious,and even though he gave me astern warning with a scary (tryingnot to burst out laughing) facenot to do it again, I didn’t get hit.

Years later, my father told methat one of the reasons that hehad me begin my schooling atsuch a young age (I began firstgrade that fall) was that inaddition to my advanced readingand comprehension skills, my latemother could not handle me athome when I would get frisky.Apparently, my early behavior fitexactly what would today bediagnosed as attention deficitdisorder with hyperactivity. Iwould go from sitting still forhours, completely absorbed inwhat I was reading or viewing orplaying with, to completedistraction and bouncing off thewalls.

[I continued in that day campfor a number of years until somany of the other groups had leftCrown Heights and East Flatbushthat it became way too Lubavitchdominated for our taste. Inretrospect, it probably is a goodthing that I don’t have manymemories from that time since, totell the truth, most of myencounters with Lubavitcher kids


thought

In these times, when we are supposed tobe making the final preparations forMoshiach as the train is pulling out totake us to our final destination, weneed to reject all these “exile mentality”driven stopgap measures and raise ourchildren with the positive messages thatthe Rebbe has given us.

THE LAST STOPBEFORE MOSHIACHBy Rabbi Zvi Homnick



in my early years (on the schoolbus we shared Sunday afternoonsduring the school year, in OholeiTorah day camp, and onenightmare summer in Camp GanYisroel) fell a good deal short ofpleasant.]

So, how did I survive myschool years in the days beforeRitalin? The yeshiva/s I went toheld religious studies in themorning and secular studies inthe afternoon. The Rebbis whotaught in the mornings wereallowed to apply corporalpunishment at their discretion(and if you came home andcomplained that the Rebbi hityou, your father would mostlikely hit you again since theRebbi must have had goodreason). We experienced theglories of spanking, smacking,whacking with rulers or pencils(on heads, knuckles, upraisedthumbs – one Rebbi had anoversized novelty pencil, oy vey),being conked with thrownobjects, as well as the morebenign standing in corners, andthe highly bizarre being forced tokneel under one Rebbi’s deskwith your neck wedged betweenthe leg of his chair and the sideof the desk.

The teachers in the secularstudies department, on the otherhand, were absolutely forbiddenfrom such forms of retribution(except for the standing in thecorner bit) and the worst thingthey could do is kick you out ofclass or send you to theprincipal’s office. This doublestandard was strongly reinforcedat home as well, and I knew thatif I got in trouble with theHebrew studies department I wasas good as dead, but if I got introuble with the English studiesdepartment it was no big deal.Thus, I learned to sit still forhours during the morning (mostlyreading other material,

daydreaming, or even listeningwhen absolutely necessary), andrelease any pent up energy duringrecess, lunch, the English studiesclassroom and outdoors afterschool (during the months whenit was still daylight outside).

After having attended the sameyeshiva through the fifth grade, Itransferred to a new yeshiva. Idon’t recall the reasons for theswitch that came up at that time,but it wasn’t until I was mucholder that my father informed methat the real reason was thatalthough the Hebrew studiesprincipal couldn’t have been moresupportive, the English studiesprincipal of the first yeshiva hadrefused to take me back as he feltthey could not handle mydisruptive behavior. That was areal eye-opener for me, todiscover that I had actually beenkicked out of yeshiva, but whatimpressed me more was thewisdom of my father in protectingme from that information. I wishI could say that I made it throughmy developmental years withoutreceiving any negative messagesfrom parental and educationalauthority figures, but at least Iwas spared the devastation ofwalking around thinking that mymother didn’t want me at homeanymore and the yeshiva didn’twant me in their school anymorebecause I was too difficult to dealwith.

Another tidbit that my fathershared with me more recently wasthat my first ceremonialeducational experience, the“bringing to cheder” (of which Ihave zero recollection), also tookplace in Oholei Torah with thelate Reb Michoel Teitelbaum. Soit turns out that my long andconvoluted spiritual (andoftentimes not so spiritual)journey simply brought me backto the very first stop on thatjourney.

LAST STOP“Ten exiles Lubavitch was

exiled,” with the final exile beingin the United States of America,which began with the arrival ofthe Rebbe Rayatz in 1940 (andmoving into 770 EasternParkway) after having survivedthe devastating bombardment ofWarsaw and a miraculous escapefrom war torn Europe. A littleover one year later, his son-in-law, later to become the Rebbe,experienced his own miraculousescape and arrived on theseshores on the 28th day of themonth of Sivan 1941. The Rebbeexplains in a number of talks whyAmerica is the last stop ofLubavitch in exile. The reasongiven is that the event of the“Giving of the Torah” was notfully felt on this side of the globesince when one shines a light ontop of a round sphere it remainsdark on bottom. The coming ofthe Rebbe Rayatz to America wasin order to bring the “revelationof the Giving of the Torah” to the“lower hemisphere” (relative tothe Middle East), which is thefinal stage before the revelation ofMoshiach.

The significance of theRebbe’s own arrival in America isexplained as being in order toreveal the ko’ach (power, whichin the Hebrew numerical systemequals 28) of the month of Sivan,that is to say the power investedinto the world through the“Giving of the Torah.” Thedifference between these twomissions is mirrored in thedifference of approaches betweenthe Rebbe Rayatz and the Rebbe.When the Rebbe Rayatz arrived,he announced that “America is nodifferent,” while pointing out andemphasizing the tremendouschallenges and resistance, as wellas the negative traits from whichthese derived. He spoke about the



“ice of America,” the coldnesstowards spiritual matters and thepreoccupation with materialism,and the need to wage war againstthese traits and attitudes. Heissued proclamations calling forrepentance in preparation forMoshiach, but he also highlightedthe possible threat of the warreaching our shores, and warnedthat those who don’t repent willbe left behind.

Reading the talks of the RebbeRayatz from those years providesan extremely stark contrast withthe approach of his successor. Infact, it is so extreme that therewere those from within andwithout that saw this shift assome sort of compromise ofvalues. The Rebbe, however,made it clear that this was not thecase, and was most emphatic thatnobody should extrapolate fromthe change in approach that it isany way acceptable to alter orcompromise the smallest detail ofJewish law, custom or belief, soas to bring the Torah “closer” tothe people. Clearly, thedifferences in approach are notsimply stylistic but have roots inthe loftiest of the spiritual realmsas alluded to in Chassidus, andfrom which we can glean someunderstanding on a simple level.

Bringing the “revelation of thegiving of the Torah down to thelower hemisphere” is a “top-down” effort, which in order tobe successful must overwhelmany resistance and overpower anyopposition. On the other hand,“revealing the power of the

Giving of the Torah” is a“bottom-up” effort to extract thehidden potential for G-dlinessfrom within the realm of thephysical and its inhabitants.Thus, by definition, there needsbe a radical shift in approachfocusing on the latent andinherent goodness within eachindividual rather than thenegatives that need to beovercome. This is accomplishedby seeing and relating only to thegood within each individual andsituation, and avoiding negativemessages at all costs. Nothing haschanged in terms of the demandsof Torah and Chassidus, and infact, in many ways and on manylevels the Rebbe demands morethan in previous generations asper the unique times we live inand the unique powers we havebeen granted.

These two phases incompleting the final missionbefore Moshiach, bringing thetranscendent light of Torah downto the lowest levels and elevatingthe lowest people and places to bereceptive to the mosttranscendent aspects of Torah,have been completed, as theRebbe informed us repeatedlythroughout the years 5751-5752(after having done so on occasionin the late 5740’s). Just as wehave succeeded in integrating theinnermost essence of Torah andG-d with the physicality of theworld, now we are supposed to befocused on integrating ourinnermost essence with our ownphysical beings in the single-

minded effort to bring about thefull revelation of “the days(revelations) of Moshiach.”

“NO” TO STOPGAPMEASURES

Considering that the Rebbehas told us that we have beensuccessful with this approach, atleast insofar as reaching out toour fellow Jews who never hadthe benefit of a Jewish orChassidic education, it isshocking that when it comes to“our own,” we are still mired infighting negativity, bombardingour young people with negativemessages and embracingcompromise solutions for thosethat “fall out of the system” ormore accurately are “pushed outof the system.” It seems as ifevery other month there is a newprogram for “at-risk kids” or“dropouts” that is predicated onthe philosophy of diminishedexpectations. In fact, even the“solution” is broadcastingnegative messages to these kidsby making it clear that we don’tbelieve they are capable of“making it” to become a full-fledged Chassid, Yerei Shamayimand Lamdan.

When I got involved in dealingwith this issue fifteen years ago,long before it became popular,the greatest difficulty Iencountered was not with thekids themselves but the adults intheir lives and the adults inpositions of power within thecommunity, who thought I wasbeing unrealistic in myexpectations of what can be donefor and with these kids. In amatter of years, I saw more andmore vocational programs (“atleast let him/her keep Shabbosand kosher and feel like a part ofthe community”) beinggenerously funded and I foundmyself more and more a lone

We experienced the glories of spanking,smacking, whacking with rulers orpencils, being conked with thrownobjects, as well as the more benignstanding in corners...



voice in the wilderness. Ipredicted back then that many ofthese programs would fold (theyhave) and that others would seethemselves as successes if even asmall percentage of theirgraduates remained nominallyreligious (they do).

In these times, when we aresupposed to be making the finalpreparations for Moshiach as thetrain is pulling out to take us toour final destination, we need toreject all these “exile mentality”driven stopgap measures and

raise our children with thepositive messages (which areabsolutely real and true) that theRebbe has given us. In thosecases where we need to “bringback” those who feel that theyhave been pushed away, we needto convey to them the absolutebelief and knowledge that theycan reach any heights despite thenegative messages that haveconvinced them that they areunappreciated, unwanted, orincorrigible troublemakers(whether due to any of a number

of “disorders” or due to being “abad kid”).

In the spirit of 28 Sivan maywe make the proper resolutions asindividuals and as communities tolive “all of our days to bring tothe days of Moshiach,” especiallywhen it comes to the education ofour children, revealing withinthem the fact that they are G-d’s“anointed ones,” the “moshiachs”who are meant to lead the way togreet Moshiach himself,immediately, NOW!

Redemption, moments before theconsummation of this taskthrough the coming of Moshiach.

And then we will merit thecomplete fulfillment of thepromise of our Torah reading,[16] “I will bring them [there] andthey will know the land.”

May this take place in theimmediate future.

Adapted from: Seifer HaSichos 5749, Vol. II, p. 536ff; Seifer HaSichos 5750, p. 517ff;

Sichos Shabbos Parshas Shlach, 5745

NOTES:

1. Mishneh Torah, Hilchos T’shuva5:2-3.

2. Deuteronomy 30:15.

3. Rambam, loc. cit.:1.

4. Deuteronomy 30:19.

5. Avos 2:4.

6. Rambam, Mishneh Torah, HilchosGerushin, the conclusion of ch. 2.

7. The emphasis on free choice beingexpressed in the sphere of conductwhere effort is necessary to discoverG-d’s will is reflected in theRambam’s wording (Hilchos T’shuva,loc. cit.). The Rambam speaks aboutbeing “wise or foolish, merciful orcruel, miserly or generous,” referringto character traits which must beblended in proper proportion (seeMishneh Torah, Hilchos Deios, ch.1), and not about the observance ofmitzvos or prohibitions where G-d’swill is spelled out explicitly.

8. Numbers 13:2.

9. See Numbers, ch. 9.

10. See Rashi’s commentary onNumbers 13:2.

11. More particularly, it can be

explained that the spies’ error cameas a result of the thrust towardsestablishing a dwelling for G-d withinthe material world. As a result, theythought their mission involved notonly collecting information withregard to the best way possible toenter Eretz Yisroel, but also that they- i.e., mortals - should make thedecision whether or not to enterEretz Yisroel.

12. See Moshe’s dialogue with G-d,Numbers, ch. 14.

13. Brachos 34b, as cited by theRambam (Mishneh Torah, HilchosT’shuva 7:4). See the essay entitled“T’shuva - Return, Not Repentance”(Timeless Patterns in Time, Vol. I, p.33ff).

14. Zohar III, p. 153b.

15. Cf. Makos 8b.

16. Numbers 14:31.

[Continued from page 5]

ADD IN ACTSOF GOODNESS & KINDNESSTO BRING MOSHIACH NOW!


A HEAVENLY INSPIRED MEETING*This Shavuos, we

commemorated the two hundredand fiftieth anniversary of thehistalkus of the holy Baal ShemTov. What meaning does thisspecial year have for us?

At the two hundredthanniversary since the Baal ShemTov’s passing, the Rebbe placed anemphasis on spreading thewellsprings of chassidus. TheRebbe turned to other chassidicrebbes and rabbanim with lettersrequesting that they bring about thespreading of the Baal Shem Tov’steachings. The Rebbe even turned tothose chassidic rebbes – such as the

Gerer Rebbe, the “Beis Yisroel” –who seemingly had no connectionwhatsoever to even consideringaction in this matter. Nevertheless,the Rebbe was not deterred, and heasked all of them to be involved inspreading the teachings of the BaalShem Tov.

It’s clear that the main focusmust be the increase in activities tospread the wellsprings of chassidus,as we saw by the Rebbe at the twohundredth anniversary. I rememberthat during Shavuos of that year wemade a giant gathering at the MeiaSh’arim yeshiva in Yerushalayim,and the Rebbe was most pleased byit.

Naturally, there is also theconcept more specific to our times,

as the Rebbe shows how everythingis connected to the time and dateand it is clear that the Rebbe alsosees the nature of the specific timewe are experiencing now.

*What is the unique nature tospreading the wellsprings ofchassidus specifically in thesetimes and how do we connect thisto the concept of the Baal ShemTov?

In the well-known letter from theBaal Shem Tov to his brother-in-law, he tells him about the famousascent of his soul, when he enteredthe palace of Moshiach and askedhim, “When will the Mastercome?”, and the Moshiach replied,“When your wellsprings have spreadto the outside.” On its surface, one


feature

In commemoration of the two hundredand fiftieth anniversary of the histalkusof the holy Baal Shem Tov, we turned toRabbi Tuvia Blau, one of the morevenerable chassidim involved inspreading the teachings of chassidusamong the Torah communities inYerushalayim, for an exclusive andinsightful interview.

NO �CHANCEMEETING�By Sholom Ber CrombieTranslated By Michoel Leib DobryPhotos by Yossi Formansky



might think that the Baal Shem Tovrose to the loftiest spiritualchambers, went around there untilhe suddenly came upon and enteredthe palace of Moshiach, where hehappened to meet him and ask,“When are you coming?”… But ifyou look into the matter morecarefully, you will understand thatthis is not the true meaning. TheBaal Shem Tov’s rise to the highspiritual chambers was for thespecific purpose of entering thepalace of Moshiach. This was theBaal Shem Tov’s objective inengaging in this lofty elevation,since this represented his wholepurpose in the world.

Every year on Rosh Hashanah,we pray for the revelation of

G-dliness and ask, “Reign over thewhole world in Your glory.” TheBaal Shem Tov decided, as it were,to “drag” Moshiach down belowand bring this to its culmination.Therefore, his question was not

from idle curiosity: “When exactlyare you supposed to come anyway?”This was the purpose for which theBaal Shem Tov made his spiritualascent – to bring about the comingof Moshiach in actual deed. He

The Baal Shem Tov’s rise to the highspiritual chambers was for the specificpurpose of entering the palace ofMoshiach. This was the Baal Shem Tov’sobjective in engaging in this loftyelevation, since this represented hiswhole purpose in the world.



asked Moshiach, “When are youcoming,” as if to say, “How will thisactually all come about?”

Now all that remains is tounderstand Moshiach’s answer tothe Baal Shem Tov. There are thosewho reason that this was a matter ofreward, as if the revelation ofMoshiach is a compensation for theBaal Shem Tov for fulfilling hismission, like a worker who does his

job, and afterwards the managercompensates him by paying hiswages. The intention, however, isnot that we have obligations to carryout and the compensation will bethe coming of Moshiach. There’s amuch more inner meaning: Thisreward is in a manner of “those whosow in tears – will reap with songsof joy.” The harvest comes as onedirect continuation to the act of

sowing – it is the continuation ofthe avoda of the Baal Shem Tov.

The Moshiach tells him, as itwere, “Start working to revealG-dliness, and you will therebyreach the state of the days ofMoshiach, of the dwelling place inthe lower worlds.” This is similar towhen we clean a precious stonecovered with sand and dust. Wescrub and polish it more and more

Rabbi Tuvia Blau is a Jew of great diversity On theone hand, he represents the insular ultra-Orthodoxapproach, as a Chabad leader who steadfastly adheresto the Rebbe’s mode of conduct against all connectionto Zionism. On the other hand, he’s also the one whowrites in the ultra-Orthodox periodicals against theirdisgraceful pronouncements in respect to other Jews,defending the need to show love for every Jew, as welearned from the Rebbe. He regularly and faithfullyrepresents the Rebbe in the world of ultra-OrthodoxJewry before chassidic rebbes, rabbanim, and otherTorah giants, doing so confidently and with his headheld high.

Rabbi Blau has fought against the involvement ofChabad chassidim in the “Greater Land of Israel”movement, an association that in his opinion, takesthem virtually to the edge of recognizing the Zionistidea – a most dangerous connection. However, he isalso the one who wore his feet out on the eve of theGush Katif expulsion, knocking on the doors of thechassidic rebbes – the Gerer Rebbe, shlita amongthem – in order to convince them to leave thegovernment and stop the planned withdrawal.

Rabbi Blau was born in 5696, to Rabbi BaruchYehuda Blau, one of the leaders of the Poalei AgudatYisroel movement in Yerushalayim. The highlyrespected Blau family is considered one of the mostprominent families among the ultra-Orthodoxcommunities of Yerushalayim. His uncle, RabbiAmram Blau, was well-known for his great zeal. Itwas in this environment that R’ Tuvia grew up.

He maintained very close and regular contact withR’ Uriel Zimmer, an ardent native of Yerushalayim,who himself had become close to the Rebbe over theyears. He even had an extensive correspondence withhim, and in this correspondence, Rabbi Zimmersignificantly influenced him in his connection with theRebbe. Rabbi Blau eventually learned that this was bythe Rebbe’s request, and that all of his letters to Rabbi

Zimmer had been brought to the Rebbe. Without question, Rabbi Blau is one of the notable

figures representative of the previous generation, bothin Chabad and the Jewish world in general. He is achassid who wears the traditional garb of ultra-Orthodox Jewry in Yerushalayim, yet he speaks aboutthe Rebbe with unparalleled enthusiasm. An askanwho doesn’t rest for a moment and has established aline of educational institutions during his life, he isstill captivated by the simple interpretation of one ofthe Rebbe’s sichos or a new understanding of theTanya.

In this interview, I was exposed to just a smallportion of his personality and his unique and originalway of thinking, which has also taken expression inhis many articles that appear in the weekly Chabadjournals, among them the “HaTamim” publication ofthe Beis Moshiach Magazine.

If you ask Rabbi Blau what our involvement shouldbe in order to bring the actual revelation of Moshiach,he replies without hesitation, “The spreading ofchassidus among Torah scholars.” Throughout theentire interview, he led things in this direction, and itappears that this concept permeates every fiber of hissoul. All of his strengths are turned towards thismission, with which Rabbi Blau enlivens all thosearound him. He devotes many hours to activities inspreading chassidus within ultra-Orthodox circles,among them giving over Torah classes, makingfarbrengens, and writing articles. He stands behindmany activities in this framework, and many projectshave received assistance through his valuableguidance. This is the theme to which he is mostdedicated – spreading chassidus is his passion not justwhen we mark the two hundred and fiftiethanniversary of the Baal Shem Tov’s passing, but everyhour of every day of every year.

--Sholom Ber Crombie

A MULTI-FACETED CHASSID



until suddenly – from the action ofcleaning – we reveal a shining andglittering stone. So too in thephysical world, we must refine itmore and more through the avodaof spreading the wellsprings –revealing G-dliness – polishing it toremove that which covers andconceals the existence of G-d withinit, until we attain the state of thedays of Moshiach, when there willbe the simple metzius of a “dwellingplace in the lower worlds” for G-d.

In practical terms, this, as theAlter Rebbe writes in Tanya,Chapter 37, “is dependent on ouractions and [Divine] servicethroughout the period of exile.” TheAlter Rebbe then continues to say:“For what causes the reward of amitzvah is the mitzvah itself,”meaning that the whole concept ofthe Redemption is the “dwellingplace in the lower worlds,” whichcauses the revelation of G-dliness inthe world. It is our avoda during thetime of the exile that brings aboutthe concept of the Redemption.

*Why did Moshiach promise tothe Baal Shem Tov that theRedemption will come specifically“when your wellsprings havespread outward,” the teachings ofthe Baal Shem Tov? What’slacking in the general teachings ofthe Torah?

The Torah is not comprisedmerely of the 613 mitzvos. The“love” and “fear” of Hashem withwhich they must be performed areimpossible to attain without thestudy of chassidus.

The teachings of chassidusachieve the revelation of G-dlinessfor which the world was created. AJew who fulfills all 613 mitzvos isstill missing something in hisobservance. He doesn’t know howto fulfill the mitzvos of “love” and“fear” at all. The only way to reachthe level of Moshiach is through theteachings of chassidus. The conceptof Chabad chassidus – wisdom,understanding, and knowledge,

delving in the greatness of G-dthrough a manner of comprehensionand attainment in the knowledge ofG-d – is equivalent to the conceptof Moshiach – the whole world in asimple unity of G-dliness.

In this famous conversation, theBaal Shem Tov is assured that it isthrough the dissemination of histeachings and the spiritual yichudimhe wrought that Moshiach would berevealed. There are many who ask:Is it possible to say that we willmerit the coming of Moshiach onlyif we bring about yichudim similarto those of the Baal Shem Tov?Such an objective is simplyunachievable! However, that reallyisn’t included in the conditions forthe revelation of Moshiach; therequirement is spreading theteachings of the Baal Shem Tov –and that’s it.

There’s also the concept ofattaining spiritual yichudim similarto the Baal Shem Tov’s, and thiscomes through studying the BaalShem Tov’s teachings. Furthermore,even someone who doesn’t reachthe level of the yichudim of the holyBaal Shem Tov, if he manages tobring about some matter of YichudHashem, he has already achievedsomething in accordance with theyichudim of the Baal Shem Tov, asthe whole idea is simply to connect

with Achdus Hashem. This is the main innovation of

the teachings of chassidus: Thewhole world represents the unity ofG-d, and “there is nothing elsebesides Him”. Therefore, theMoshiach says to the Baal Shem Tovthat people should learn histeachings and affect spiritualyichudim “similar to yours” – forthe purpose is to bring therevelation of G-dliness into theworld. The unity of the whole worldwith G-dliness is what chassidusteaches, illuminating the nekudathat everything is G-d.

This is also the reason whyspecifically the teachings of the BaalShem Tov, and not Torah in general,bring about the coming ofMoshiach. The Alter Rebbe explainsin Tanya, Chapter 42, about thetime of the Redemption – “Theessence of knowledge is not theknowing alone, that people knowthe greatness of G-d from authorsand s’farim, rather the essentialthing is to immerse one’s minddeeply into the greatness of G-d andto fix one’s thought with all thestrength and vigor of the heart andmind, until his thought shall bebound to G-d.” G-d created theworld as a coarse object in orderthat through man’s service, we willremove the klipa from the world and



reveal the Divine light within it.Therefore, the written Torah alonedoes not bring the world to the stateof “the days of Moshiach.” Theremust be awareness of G-d, and thisis found in chassidus.

WAR AGAINST THEALTER REBBE, NOT THE

BA’AL SHEM TOV*What sets Chabad chassidus

apart from general chassidus,which goes according to the pathof the Baal Shem Tov?

If we concentrate upon the faithand spiritual feeling found withinevery Jew, then general chassidus issufficient. It contains teachings withsuch enthusiasm that one brief wordcan evoke great emotion within aJew. However, if we want theessence of intellect – such that wecan also understand G-dliness – wemust have the teachings of the AlterRebbe. This was the argumentbetween the Alter Rebbe and hisfellow students of the MezritcherMaggid. The Alter Rebbe claimedthat one must expand his knowledgein chassidus specifically throughChabad in understanding andcomprehension, whereas theyclaimed it was forbidden to makeroom for intellect.

This is also the reason that themain accusations regarding theteachings of chassidus were madespecifically against the Alter Rebbe.There were plenty of claims thatcould be brought against otherchassidim, such as their perceivedlack of stringency in mitzvos orinsufficient study of Nigleh. Butsuch accusations could never bemade against the Alter Rebbe, as hewas an outstanding Torah scholarwho was incredibly precise in hismitzvah observance, and particularlyin his compilation of HilchosTalmud Torah, where he explains indetail the concept of Torah study.Yet, the misnagdim still came withcomplaints specifically against him.

The reason for this is simple: Itis customary that anyone whoinvents a new approach tosomething – even among thenations of the world – firstpublishes an organized book on theapproach in order that people willknow what it is. The Baal ShemTov’s approach, however, was notprinted in s’farim, as the way ofthinking was that the concept ofchassidus is something that must belearned from the Rebbe himself. It isonly the Rebbe who can convey toyou the very soul of chassidus – theG-dly connection that exists in theteachings of chassidus. Throughoutthe lives of the Baal Shem Tov andthe Mezritcher Maggid, until theyear 5540, not one single page ofchassidic philosophy appeared.There was no printing of chassiduswhatsoever; everything wastransmitted orally. The firstchassidic seifer to appear was“Toldos Yaakov Yosef”, which alsoincluded teachings brought inchassidus, but it did not containchassidus presented in an organizedfashion through which one couldspecifically learn chassidic concepts.

The Tanya of the Alter Rebbeappeared in print in a manner thatallowed everyone to learn the newapproach – the approach ofchassidus. In practical terms, thiswas the first concrete action inintroducing the new approach ofchassidus in an organized fashion.The Tanya was the first work thatlaid out in a clear and orderlymanner, the principles of this newand revolutionary approach thatemerged in the teachings of the BaalShem Tov. Thus, the Alter Rebbebegan the practical application ofthe new philosophy of Chabadchassidus.

In the preface to the Tanya, theAlter Rebbe says that he really didn’twant to write a seifer, because thematter is taken less seriously whenconveyed in writing, and peopledon’t comprehend it as they would

when it is heard in a more directfashion. In writing the Tanya, theAlter Rebbe put the very essence ofhis soul into the seifer itself, suchthat every person who learns Tanyacan connect with the essence of theAlter Rebbe’s neshama. When aperson studies Tanya he isn’t merelygrasping its written content; thevery essence of his soul absorbs “thewords of the living G-d.” Until then,if someone wished to know the newchassidic methodology he had to goto learn it directly from the BaalShem Tov or the Maggid, but noteveryone would make such an effortto come himself and hear chassidus.In addition, the teachings theywould hear were more along thelines of spiritual fervor andexcitement, and not everyoneconnected to that style. People whorelated more to intellect were lesslikely to connect to chassidus. TheAlter Rebbe created a revolutionwhen he wrote the Tanya,presenting the approach in anorganized and specificallyintellectual manner and evenincluding the soul-based methodthat chassidus applies.

Regarding the study of Tanya,the Alter Rebbe says that someonewho merely knows the letters, it’s asif that person is actually with him.This is a literal revolution. I amaccustomed to say that this is whatthe Alter Rebbe meant at thebeginning of the Tanya, when hewrote “from sacred books andscribes”, i.e., “sacred books” are theletters of the Tanya, and “scribes” isthe soul-based approach that theAlter Rebbe put into the Tanya.

Naturally, we must rememberthat the study of Tanya is not justan intellectual, scholarly pursuit ofknowledge. Chassidim always knowthat there must be emuna and asense of acceptance and bittul..

*For whom did the Alter Rebbespecifically write the Tanya?

In practical terms, it seems thatthe Alter Rebbe wrote the Tanya for



the Torah scholars of his generation.The Torah scholars were familiarwith the way of intellect andunderstanding, and therefore, theyassociated less with the teachings ofchassidus, which until then hadbeen characterized by emotion andbrief words of Torah. The BaalShem Tov reached out primarily tothe simple Jews, while the AlterRebbe came with intellect to Shklovand the cities of the Torah scholarsin order to draw them to theteachings of chassidus.

In general, the main concept ofchassidus is the avoda of Torahscholars. Even in our times, theRebbe frequently writes that theconcept of the teachings ofchassidus and its spread to theoutside pertains to pious Jews – theTorah scholars. The Rebbe wrote tome once personally in a letter(printed in Igros Kodesh) that“Fortunate is my portion” that thisis my “outside” – Jews learned inTorah among whom I spread theteachings of chassidus. There werealso letters in this matter to themashpia, R’ Shlomo ChaimKesselman, in which the Rebberequested that he use his influenceto make certain that as manystudents as possible from otheryeshivos come to the Yud-Tes Kislevfarbrengen. From the very outset,Chabad chassidus – in a manner ofwisdom, understanding, andknowledge – was designed forTorah scholars.

This is also connected to the factthat the main war – both bymisnagdim and by the otherstudents of the Mezritcher Maggid– was specifically against the AlterRebbe, because they couldn’ttolerate that he had written anorderly seifer presenting theapproach of chassidus. Some of theMaggid’s students thought that thiswould cause damage r”l by bringingthe ideas of chassidic philosophyinto a state of “enlightenment.”

While the Rebbe Rashab also

said that “enlightenment” was adamaging force, he was referring tothe enlightenment of the world,whereas the Alter Rebbe wasassembling the enlightenment ofDivine intellect. Our Rebbeim putfaith into intellect, and this is theunique nature of chassidus, asrevealed to us by the Alter Rebbe.

A Chassid once said thatchochma and bina are intellect andfaith, which need the daas to jointhe two together. There were manyphilosophical texts written, whichconstituted the more intellectualside of the Torah outlook, while theteachings of the Baal Shem Tovdealt in matters of faith, albeit withmuch brevity. It was not until theAlter Rebbe wrote the Tanya thatthese two extremes were combined– the intellect that until then hadonly been in philosophical terms,with the faith and emotion of theteachings of the Baal Shem Tov.

DIFFERENTAPPROACHES

*What is the quality to the BaalShem Tov’s teachings, accordingto the Alter Rebbe?

The Baal Shem Tov’s teachingsrepresent the unity of G-d in itssimplest sense. Prior to the BaalShem Tov, it seemed that there wasa world and there was Torah andmitzvos – there is the reality of theworld that must be considered, andin contrast, there is the Torah andthe mitzvos, which also have a placein the life of a Jew. The Baal ShemTov introduced the innovation thatthis was all G-dliness. It wasnecessary to explain the essence ofthis hypothesis, how mitzvos are

connected to this reality, what Torahstudy accomplishes in the world,and how the physical reality ismerely for the purpose of revealingG-dliness. This was theaccomplishment of the Alter Rebbe;he explained the innovation of theBaal Shem Tov regarding the world.

*Chassidim are accustomed tosay that the Baal Shem Tov wasnot a Chabadnik…

When you want to color a bowlof water, you place a little paint onit, which subsequently colors all thewater. Similarly, we find with theteachings of the Baal Shem Tov.They were few and very concise, butthey served as the color fort theteachings of the Alter Rebbe.Though their styles were different,the teachings are essentially thesame.

R’ Aharon of Chernobyl (the sonof R’ Mordechai of Chernobyl),once sent one of his chassidim tothe Tzemach Tzedek regarding amatter pertaining to all Jews. Whenhe returned from the TzemachTzedek, this student gave overbefore R’ Aharon a maamer that hehad heard from the TzemachTzedek. This maamer had arousedtremendous excitement within him,and he gave it over at great lengthand in much depth. When theyoung man finished giving over themaamer, R’ Aharon took a seifer outof his desk drawer, and he showedhim the theme of this maamer in theseifer “Ma’or Einayim” written byhis grandfather, R’ Nachum ofChernobyl…

This story expresses thedifference between the teachings ofChabad chassidus and the teachingsof the other students of the holy

Our Rebbeim put faith into intellect,and this is the unique nature ofchassidus, as revealed to us by the AlterRebbe.



Baal Shem Tov. Among Polishchassidim, their teachingsemphasized faith and emotionalfervor. In contrast, our Rebbeimplaced the emphasis upon the needfor the entire Torah to be studied ingreat depth, in a manner ofunderstanding and intellect.

Similarly, we find that theteachings of the holy OhrHaChayim allude to various innerconcepts. You can study theteachings of the Ohr HaChayimwithout understanding a thing, eventhe simpler teachings, which peoplethought they understood… Onlyaccording to chassidus can youunderstand what is written there.There is also the “L’Sheim Yichud”,which the general chassidicmovements say with greatenthusiasm – is there any amongthem who clearly understands whatit is he is saying with such greatfervor? Then there is the “K’Gavna”prayer, which contains suchamazingly deep concepts that onesimply can’t comprehend themeaning of this prayer withoutstudying Chabad chassidus.

*What is the correct path instudying chassidus? There aremany ways to “grasp” theteachings of chassidus. Torahscholars learn one way, whilepeople who are distant from Torahand mitzvos learn it in anotherway – particularly in recent yearswhen there is a tremendous streamof Jews from a very wide range ofbackgrounds, including manyintellectuals, who are drawn afterchassidus.

Those who come from outsideYiddishkait usually find their placein Chabad. This is the Judaism forwhich they had been searching andthey accept the chassidus as part ofthat search. When Jews from otherTorah observant sectors come toChabad, it is the chassidus itself thatthey have found. The Rebbe writesthat the spreading of chassidusprecedes the spreading of Judaism.

During the time of the Alter Rebbe,there were no non-Torah observantJews who learned chassidus; thosewho came to Chabad were Jews withknowledge in Torah who revealedtheir knowledge of G-dlinessthrough chassidus.

The truth is that withoutchassidus – without knowledge ofG-d – there is no Torah. Therefore,the concepts of revealing chassidusand revealing Moshiach are one andthe same. Today, the central conceptwith which we must be involved ishastening the Redemption. As theRebbe has said, this is the essenceof the spreading of the teachings ofchassidus, particularly to Torahscholars, similar to the time of theAlter Rebbe, as the teachings ofchassidus were designed for thispurpose from the very outset.

In the area of Jewish outreach,we see that Chabad captures theminds of the intellectual Jew. Theintellect of Chabad chassidusreaches people of science andintellect, as it gives them a trueresponse. The first baalei t’shuvawere primarily people of intellectand understanding who found realanswers in the teachings of Chabad.Over the years, the Rebbe broughtmany concepts of conduct amongPolish chassidim to Chabad as well,such as great excitement, niggunim,joy, and dancing. These modes ofconduct were not previously inevidence among our Rebbeim. Thisis because throughout thegenerations, the main line forChabad chassidus was specificallyan intellectual one – understandingand comprehension. Today, in theera leading up to Moshiach, theRebbe uses all available methods tobring Jews close to Yiddishkait andhe introduced the concept ofenthusiasm, which provides ananswer to those Jews who connectto spiritual excitement and bringsthem to chassidus and Judaism.

The Rebbe united Chabad withthe general chassidic movements by

integrating concepts from the othersects of Polish chassidim.

The Rebbe couples the depthand understanding in the teachingsof chassidus, with the vitality andsimplicity that general chassidicphilosophy provides. Manyconnected to the Rebbe without anyunderstanding – a gesture ofencouragement or a smile from theRebbe had an immediate effect,establishing the connection and thusturning them into chassidim. But, ofcourse, the essential thing remainsthe intellect of Chabad teachings, aswe see in the Rebbe’s sichos andmaamarim that possess suchamazing depth.

THE REBBE’S VASTINFLUENCE

*How is the concept ofspreading chassidus connected tothe Rebbe’s tremendous “koch” onthe subject of Moshiach?

As we said at the outset, thespreading of chassidus is the notonly essential to bringing theRedemption, it is the very essence ofMoshiach.

It is written, “Anyone who readsKrias Shma without t’fillin – it’s asif he read a ‘teigar’ (complaint),”since his soul gave false testimony.How can he read about theobligation to wear t’fillin whilesimultaneously disregarding thatcommandment? One who reads,“And you shall love Hashem yourG-d” and “G-d is One” without anyknowledge whatsoever of itsmeaning is guilty of a similaroffense Like the person who saysShma without t’fillin, his prayer islittle more than hollow lip service.The Mitteler Rebbe writes in “ImreiBina” that there are Jews who sinwith their bodies and those who sinwith their souls, and those whodon’t learn chassidus and don’t havethe knowledge of G-d are causingsin within their souls.

Chassidus is the answer to



everything, and thereby toMoshiach. All other matters arethose that the Rebbe added to themain concept of spreadingchassidus.

The Rebbe explains that ouravoda now is in the spreading ofchassidus: a) because this issomething that only we, asLubavitcher Chassidim, can do; b)because this also includes thespreading of Yiddishkait, and c)anyone who gets closer to chassidusbecomes much stronger in mitzvahfulfillment and observance. It isquite clear that this is what we mustdo as we prepare to greet Moshiach.

*What is the easiest method tospread chassidus among Torahscholars?

The best way that I have seen sofar is to give over “vertlech” fromthe Rebbe’s teachings. We can startdebating a complete sicha withquestions and answers, but theeasier and more reasonable way foreveryone is through the “vertlech”derived from the Rebbe’s sichos.When R’ Alter Simchovitch, ofblessed memory, was in Warsaw, theRebbe Rayatz wrote to him that heshould prepare “vertlech” from themaamarim and sichos, and say themin the synagogues. Similarly, theRebbe also wrote to R’ ShlomoChaim Kesselman when he was inParis that he should connect Jews tothe Rebbe through publicizing histeachings. This is the best and moststraightforward method in bringingJews closer to the Rebbe, for whenJews hear the Rebbe’s teachings,they immediately feel that it is atotally different philosophy –something else entirely.

*We also see the Rebbe’sconduct in miracles, similar tothat of the Baal Shem Tov…

The Rebbe has expanded theconcept of miracles, despite the factthat such conduct was not evidentamong the Rebbeim who precededhim. In simple terms, we canexplain this by the fact that the

Rebbe turned to the entire JewishPeople. The Rebbe did not give upon a single Jew – even the simpleJews who are genuinely arousedonly by those miracles that causethem to see that there is a supernalG-dly existence which is beyond allnatural boundaries. The Baal ShemTov, too, performed wonders andrevealed the Name of G-d even tothe simplest of Jews. This is theessence of a miracle – somethinglofty and beyond nature that revealsthe metzius above worldlylimitations.

It is this unique combination thatthe Rebbe used leading up to thecoming of the Redemption: intellectwith simplicity. This marks theunique form of leadership that onlythe Rebbe could provide – a truerevolution with amazing depth on theone hand and involvement withmiracles for every Jew, even the mostsimple, on the other. Only in the eraof imminent Redemption could suchdifferent areas of concentration blend

into one harmonious balance. Duringthe period of Exile, the revelation ofG-dliness is not evident, and whenmiracles and wonders are done, thisis a sample of the state ofRedemption.

We see that even the Poilisherrebbes were among the Rebbe’sgreatest admirers. Once during myyouth, I visited the “Toldos Aharon”and I asked him about the Rebbe.He replied with excitement: “Suchholiness!” I thought to myself at thatmoment: The Rebbe does not dressin the same chassidic garb as theydo, nor does he close himself off inhis own Dalet Amos. He evenaccepts women into yechidus… Yet,he didn’t speak about the Rebbe’sTalmudic genius or his great AhavasYisroel, rather specifically about hisholiness! Then it dawned on me thatI was facing a Jew who sees thetruth. He knows how to feel whatthe real truth of holiness – ofspirituality – truly is.

This is the unique nature of the

I hadn’t written to the Rebbe about thismatter at all, and I was puzzled that theRebbe wrote about it.



Rebbe. His ways were not thestandard practice of the Rebbeim,not the norm to which the worldwas accustomed, yet it was done insuch a manner that all perceived thetruth in the Rebbe.

*Regrettably, there are alsomany who opposed the Rebbe’spath.

The opposition to the Rebbe issimilar to that in the time of theAlter Rebbe. There are and havebeen other chassidic rebbes whopracticed different modes ofconduct, e.g., those who were notstringent about the time fordavening, or who adhered to certaincustoms that seemed problematicfrom a halachic standpoint.Nevertheless, none of these rebbeswere questioned in the same waythat the Rebbe was. The Rebbe’scircumstances were different, as hepresented a very clear path, as didthe Alter Rebbe.

To a certain extent, myattachment to Chabad and myheadlong leap into the waters ofchassidus were more difficult thanwhat is experienced by Jews fromtotally non-Torah observant circles.When I became close to Chabad inmy youth, I had to hide this factfrom my parents – ch”v if someoneshould know that I had aconnection to the Rebbe…

The first time that I had toreceive a letter from the Rebbe, Irented a special post office box, sothat this correspondence wouldn’treach my parents, since they had ahard time understanding myconnection to Chabad chassidus –

as if they weren’t Orthodox enoughfor us. This was a post office boxthat received just one letter over aperiod of one year….

[It was this first letter I receivedfrom the Rebbe (printed in IgrosKodesh), which really connected meto Lubavitch. The Rebbe wrote mewith answers to several questions Ihad about Chabad. My first concernwas that Chabad chassidus wasmerely kabbala, and the Rebbeexplained that chassidus is notkabbala, rather it sometimesmentions concepts connected tokabbala. The second matter theRebbe wrote about was the issue ofhow the previous generations didnot learn chassidus. I hadn’t writtento the Rebbe about this matter at all,and I was puzzled that the Rebbewrote about it. However, some timelater, when my father discoveredthat I had a connection to Chabad,the first thing he asked was abouthow the previous generations didn’tlearn chassidus…]

Prior to the Rebbe, there weretwo extremes: On the one side,there were those who say that wemust be in unity with the entireJewish People, an openness whichcomes at the expense of our piety inTorah and mitzvos. In contrast, thetypical ultra-Orthodox approachclaimed that it is forbidden to bendan inch in matters of Torah andmitzvos, and therefore, we must beclosed within an ultra-Orthodoxcommunity, totally restricted fromcontact with the outside world.

The Rebbe joined these twoextremes that appear so completely

opposite. On the one hand, theRebbe is telling us that we must actwith the utmost stringency in allmatters relating to Torah andmitzvos. On the other hand, theRebbe demands that we love and beunited with every Jew. This is theRebbe’s perception of Am Yisroel:Every Jew is emes’dik and it isforbidden to be separated from him.This is a revolutionary andunprecedented approach, pertainingas it does to the concept ofRedemption.

*In conclusion, what is themessage for where we are holdingtoday, as we commemorate twohundred and fifty years since thehistalkus of the Baal Shem Tov?

When we meet with a Jew, wemust tell him a chassidic “vort”from the Rebbe, something that willuplift him, something withmarvelous depth and simplicity, ascharacterizes the Rebbe himself.

Just a few days ago, I gave overa d’var Torah from the Rebbe on astory brought in Zohar, and theRebbe’s elucidation shed acompletely different light on thesubject. The entire congregation inattendance, including Torahscholars, reacted most positively.They saw how it created a realchange within them. In the past, wewould have to wage war on thesematters, but today, when you giveover a word of Torah – evensomething short – you connect Jewswith the Rebbe.

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Sivan 28 - Gimmel Tammuz Magbis

B.H. Sivan 15, 5770

To all Anash, Men and Women, G-d bless you.

We are soon approaching the very auspicious day, Gimmel Tammuz. This day comes in closeproximity with Sivan 28, the auspicious day that the Rebbe MH"M and the Rebbetzin arrived in theUnited States.

Obviously, these are very opportune days, when one should again evaluate his or her"Hiskashrus" (connection) with the Rebbe, and more important, to utilize these special days to'strengthen' the Hiskashrus to the Rebbe.

"KUPAS RABBEINU," was established with the full consent and blessingof the Rebbe, with its purpose and goal to make every effort that all of theRebbe`s activities, institutions etc. continue unchanged. By supportingKupas Rabbeinu, one is actually participating in many of the Rebbe'sactivities, and thus strengthening their Hiskashrus to the Rebbe.

With this in mind, we therefore urge each and everyone of anash, men andwomen to support Kupas Rabbeinu in every possible way.

In this merit may we be "zoiche" that much before Gimmel Tammuz, the Rebbe will be revealedas Melech Hamoshiach and redeem us from this deep and bitter Golus and lead us all to the trueand final Geulo, NOW MAMAOSH.

VAAD KUPAS RABBEINU

P.S. Please send all correspondence only to the above address.

You may also send Maimad, Keren-Hashono, Magbis etc. to Kupas Rabbeinu.

Eretz Yisroel address: KEREN KUPAS ADMU"R / P.O.B. 1247 / KIRYAT MALACHI / ISRAEL

Kupas RabbeinuLubavitch

(718) 467-2500 ^ P.O.B. 288, Brook lyn, New York 11225 ^ (718) 756-3337

eup, rchbu,j, bahtu, f"e tsnu"r nkl vnahj


WHAT IS “LIVINGWITH MOSHIACH”?

The Rebbe says that it’s hard toinstill the awareness and feelingthat we are on the threshold ofimminent Geula. Even for thosewho regularly attend shiurim onMoshiach and Geula, it’s hard tosay that they have reached the levelof belief in the coming ofMoshiach as the Rebbe wants, thatit should be out of the question forMoshiach not to be coming rightnow. What can we do to attainthat level of belief?

R’ Schapiro: Before speakingabout “How to successfully live withMoshiach,” we need to define theterm “living with Moshiach.” Doesit mean to go up on the TempleMount and bring korbanos?Definitely not. That will happenafter the Rebbe appears and the BeisHaMikdash is built. The Rebbe’sdemand of us is that now, in thefinal moments of galus, we start to“live Moshiach.”

This means that the anticipationof Moshiach’s coming mustpermeate every single detail of ourdaily lives. Throughout thegenerations, Jews prayed forMoshiach three times a day, withquite a few brachos of the ShmonehEsrei devoted to this. Many Jewsrecite the Ani Maamins afterShacharis. But the Rebbe expectsmore than that. We should beexpecting Moshiach to arriveimminently and it should be out ofthe question that he come a momentlater.

The Rebbe wants us to actuallylive with this idea as he does. To theRebbe, real life is with the coming ofMoshiach and without Moshiach,life isn’t normal. It’s not life! Whenyou listen to the Rebbe’s sichosabout anticipating the Geula, whenyou hear the great pain he has whenhe speaks about another moment ingalus, and the yearning when hespeaks of Geula, you can understand


mosh iach & geu la

MAKINGCHASSIDIMFOR WHOM?Prepared for publication by Avrohom Rainitz

What does it mean to “live withMoshiach” and how can we put this intopractice? Can we reach a point wherewe want Moshiach like the Rebbe does?Why is it important to publicize theidentity of Moshiach and did the Rebbetell us to do so or just approve it whenasked? How can we be mekarev thefrum world to the knowledge that theRebbe is Moshiach? * Presented inpreparation for Gimmel Tammuz.

PARTICIPANTS:Rabbi Sholom Yaakov Chazan member of the editorial board of Otzar HaChassidim and an editor atBeis Moshiach

Rabbi Shneur Zalman Hertzl menahel ruchni of Ohr Menachem and author of s’farim on inyaneiMoshiach and Geula

Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schapiro rosh kollel and shliach in Manhattan



what the Rebbe means when he tellsus to “live with Moshiach.”

So when you learn a shiur ininyanei Moshiach and Geula, asimportant as it is (the Rebbe himselfsaid it’s the foundation and the“direct path” to bring about thehisgalus of Moshiach and the way tomeet the challenge to live withMoshiach), it’s definitely notenough. Our avoda is to relate whatwe learn to our daily lives!

The Rebbe explains thedifference between an employee of abusiness and the owner. Theemployee has set hours in which heworks. He can be an outstandingemployee who is devoted to his jobbut when the workday is over hewalks away from it. The owner, onthe other hand, lives with thebusiness 24 hours a day. He, toospends certain hours at the businessand other hours at home, but as theowner his mind is constantly on thebusiness, even when he is home.

As the Rebbe explains (Toldos5752) the Chazal on the words “allthe days of your life – to bring toYemos HaMoshiach” – every singlemoment of a person’s life, whetherday or night, whether awake orasleep, needs to be permeated with“bringing to Yemos HaMoshiach,”i.e. “that his chayus (at everymoment) is in bringing Moshiach.Not only when he thinks and speaksand does things to bring Moshiachbut the very essence of his life is tobring to Yemos HaMoshiach.”

And if that’s not enough, theRebbe says that we need to feel thisfrom the moment we wake up in themorning! “That immediately uponawakening, the essence of the soulfeels, by breathing the air, the inyanof Moshiach.” In a footnote, theRebbe says, “even while sleeping hebreathes the air of Moshiach butdoesn’t realize it and therefore, themain inyan of ‘so that you remember… all the days of your life to bringto Yemos HaMoshiach’ starts whenyou wake up (and through this one

serves also while sleeping).”When the Rebbe says it needs to

be our life, this means that just as itisn’t possible to say that there arecertain moments when we are notalive, so too, it has to be impossiblefor us to have moments in which weare not living Moshiach.

In other words, we need to livethe Rebbe’s life. Our thinking needsto be like the Rebbe’s thinking, ourtalking has to be like the Rebbe’stalking, and our behavior needs to

be like the Rebbe’s behavior. Atevery moment we need to think:What would the Rebbe think now?What would the Rebbe say? Whatwould the Rebbe do?

How can we reach such a level?It says, “tzaddikim are likened to

their Creator.” Just as Hashem putHis essence into the Torah, as isalluded to in the famous acronymfor Anochi: ana nafshi k’savisy’havis, so too the Rebbe put hisessence into his teachings. When weoccupy ourselves with the Rebbe’steachings we can cleave to theRebbe’s essence and live as theRebbe does.

Chassidim need to be immersedin the Rebbe’s teachings - the sichos,maamarim and letters. When youlearn the Rebbe’s sichos, especiallythe farbrengens where it is writtenup as the Rebbe said it at thefarbrengen, you acquire the Rebbe’soutlook on everything in life. Thesame is true when you read theletters in Igros Kodesh whichcontain the Rebbe’s view on thesmallest details.

We also need to live with thedesire to learn from the Rebbe’sconduct by reading diaries of BeisChayeinu of earlier years. This is

There, in a footnote, the Rebbe pointsout that Rashi says, “each one woulddarshen his name” – that the Tanaimthemselves would darshen their names,not that the talmidim innovated thatthe name of their teacher is consistentwith one of the names of Moshiach.That means that after they heard theirteacher darshen the name of Moshiachas his own name, the talmidim woulddo the same in public.

R’ Sholom Yaakov Chazan



especially directed to bachurim onK’vutza. What was special about theyear on K’vutza? That you spent anentire year with the Rebbe. Thoughunfortunately today we don’t see theRebbe, bachurim still need to livewith the Rebbe.

As we said, living with Moshiachneeds to be at every moment. So,too, living with the Rebbe, which isultimately the same thing, needs topermeate every moment and detailof life. Living with the Rebbemeans “to immerse in the purewaters of knowledge” – when aperson immerses in a mikva, he hasto immerse completely; otherwise,it’s not t’villa.

When we live with the Rebbe inour thoughts, our middos becomemore refined and our speech andaction fall in line with the Rebbe’s.So too, when we go out to the worldwith the Rebbe’s Besuras Ha’Geula,we share it with genuine AhavasYisroel and consideration for theperson we are talking to. Let’s thinkabout it – if the Rebbe would bespeaking to this Poilishe Chassid orLitvishe Jew and telling him theBesuras Ha’Geula, would there beopposition? No! So if we are trulyliving with the Rebbe and conveyinghis message with sincerity, it will beaccepted.

R’ Chazan: In the Rebbe’s sichaof Purim, 5747, he quotes theGemara, “if the teacher is like anangel of G-d, seek Torah from hismouth” and asks: an ordinaryperson never saw an angel so howcan he know if his teacher is

comparable to one?The Rebbe explains that the

answer can be found explicitly in theRambam, who writes that the wayangels exist is like life in OlamHaba. Since we know that in OlamHaba there is no eating anddrinking, no jealousy, hatred orcompetition, it is obvious that angelsdon’t have these bad middos.Therefore, when we see someonewhose nefesh is not bribed by hisguf, someone who is not under thesway of jealousy, competition, warand hatred, he is like an angel.

The answer to how we can “liveMoshiach,” is to be found in thes’farim that describe life afterMoshiach comes when there is nojealousy, hatred and competition.That is precisely the kind of life weneed to live in these final moments

of galus.If we find it hard to understand

how we can live as though it’s Geulawhile still in galus, we can look atthe Rebbe to see how his conductwas Geula-like. We can’t sufficewith learning the Rebbe’s teachingsbut must observe his actions and actlikewise. It is through this that wefulfill the Rebbe’s horaa of “livingwith Moshiach.” When we do thiswe will have a positive influence onthose around us because we will bein the category of “like an angel ofG-d.”

THE NATURAL DESIREOF A CHASSID, TO

PUBLICIZE THAT THEREBBE IS MOSHIACHAfter the Rebbe’s sicha on 28

Nissan, 5751, Chassidim from allAnash communities, led byRabbanei Chabad, zikneiha’Chassidim and the greatmashpiim, signed on the KabbalasHaMalchus forms. The Rebbeaccepted this with thanks and evenwrote “one who has 200 wants400.” At first this activityremained within Chabad, but aftera few months there was talk abouttaking this out of Chabad andthere were positive answers aboutthis from the Rebbe. Then theRebbe himself began encouragingthe proclaiming of Yechi every dayand Moshiach’s identity becamesomething that was discussed inthe public at large as somethinginseparable from the BesurasHa’Geula.

The question is why is itimportant to publicize the identityof Moshiach? Why isn’t it enoughto proclaim the Besuras Ha’Geula,to tell the world that Moshiach iscoming and that we need toprepare to greet him?

R’ Hertzl: Much has beenwritten and said about this and soI’ll make just one point. If you learn

His chayus (at every moment) is inbringing Moshiach. Not only when hethinks and speaks and does things tobring Moshiach but the very essence ofhis life is to bring to YemosHaMoshiach.”

R’ Sholom Dovber Schapiro



the Rebbe’s sichos of recent years, ifyou were in 770 in 5751-5752 andheard the Rebbe’s sichos andfarbrengens, then you surely noticedan amazing thing – that the Rebbebegan referring to the Rebbe Rayatzas “Moshiach Tzidkeinu” and“Moshiach of our generation.”

In earlier years the Rebbe merelysaid “the Rebbe the Nasi” or “theRebbe the shver,” but in recent yearshe got us used to another title,“Moshiach Tzidkeinu.” A new stagehad begun. No longer was itsufficient to refer to the Rebbe onlyas the Rebbe but we need to relate tohim as Moshiach. It is also obviousthat this point, which was originallyan inside matter, became publicknowledge, not only because everyinyan brought in the Rebbe’steachings is part of the wellspringsof Chassidus which we are obligatedto spread, but mainly because theRebbe himself made Moshiach’sidentity public knowledge.

How should we convey thismessage? That is an individualmatter and depends on who you aretalking to. Generally speaking, afterthe Rebbe himself added “MoshiachTzidkeinu” to the Nasi HaDor, it’simportant to publicize his identity asMoshiach vadai. This should bewhat every Chassid wants to do, totell this to the world.

R’ Chazan: In the sicha ofShabbos Parshas Tazria-Metzora,5751, the Rebbe quotes the Gemarain Sanhedrin about the names ofMoshiach, where it says that thetalmidim of the Tanaim wouldexpound on the name of Moshiachaccording to the names of theirteachers. There, in a footnote, theRebbe points out that Rashi says,“each one would darshen his name”– that the Tanaim themselves woulddarshen their names, not that thetalmidim innovated that the name oftheir teacher is consistent with oneof the names of Moshiach. Thatmeans that after they heard theirteacher darshen the name of

Moshiach as his own name, thetalmidim would do the same inpublic.

The Rebbe says the lesson is,“and we, Chassidim, respondaccordingly (as far as the Rebbeim,especially the Rebbe, my father-in-law, Nasi Doreinu).” Obviously, weChassidim of the Rebbe need topublicize that the Rebbe isMoshiach.

Since the Rebbe edited thesesichos for the purpose of publicizingthem in Kfar Chabad and theAlgemeiner Journal which are readby Jews outsider of Chabad, as well,that means the Rebbe wanted people“out there” to know that he is

Moshiach.Furthermore, in the sichos that

deal with inyanei Moshiach andGeula, the Rebbe says explicitly that“Moshiach’s name is Menachem”and 770 is the gematria of “BeisMoshiach,” and from thereMoshiach is affecting the entireworld. Above all else, on dozens ofoccasions the Rebbe said that theNasi ha’dor is the Moshiach of thedor, so the Rebbe’s horaa to learninyanei Moshiach and Geula in the“Likkutei Sichos of Nasi Doreinu”includes these amazing expressionsabout Moshiach’s identity.

As for the question about theimportance in publicizingMoshiach’s identity – the answer issimple. Jews have been waiting forMoshiach for nearly 2000 years, sowhen you tell someone thatMoshiach is about to come itremains intangible and abstract.But when you point at a specificperson and say: “this is Moshiachand he’s coming immediately!”,that’s another thing entirely. It’sreal and helps greatly instrengthening the anticipation forGeula and the preparations for it.

R’ Schapiro: Here’s anotherangle. In the Igros Kodesh, theRebbe tells people to inform him ofgood news when their situation ishappily resolved and he emphasizesthat by doing so they fulfill thebiblical mitzva of “love your fellow

In earlier years the Rebbe merely said“the Rebbe the Nasi” or “the Rebbe theshver,” but in recent years he got usused to another title, “MoshiachTzidkeinu.” A new stage had begun. Nolonger was it sufficient to refer to theRebbe only as the Rebbe but we need torelate to him as Moshiach.

R’ Shneur Zalman Hertzl



like yourself.” Giving good news tosomeone is part of the mitzva ofAhavas Yisroel.

Every Chassid believes that theRebbe is Moshiach and everyChassid considers this wonderfulnews. So if you meet someone, inorder to fulfill the mitzva of AhavasYisroel, you will share your beliefthat the Rebbe is Moshiach.

Even during the years whenMoshiach’s identity was notpublicized, the natural desire ofevery Chassid was to tell the worldthat the Rebbe is Moshiach. Wewanted to say, “Ashreinu…that weare Lubavitcher Chassidim and ournasi is Moshiach,” but we had torestrain ourselves because of theRebbe’s instructions not to publicizeit.

Once the Rebbe began removingthese limitations in the summer of5751 until from the winter of 5752he himself encouraged the singing ofYechi, the natural inclination ofevery Chassid ought to be topublicize this information to all.

As for what R’ Chazan said thatthis is part of the Rebbe’s sichos oninyanei Moshiach and Geula whichthe Rebbe told us to learn and teach– we need to differentiate between adirect horaa to publicize a specificmessage and individual points that

can be found within a sicha that theRebbe gave for publication:

In the Rebbe’s sichos of 5751-5752, the Rebbe spoke a lot aboutthe impending Geula from manydifferent angles but there werespecific points that the Rebbeemphasized and explicitly instructedus to publicize. For example, thereis the sicha of prophecy in our time.It’s not another detail in a sicha thatthe Rebbe gave us to spread. It goesfar beyond that. The Rebbe saidexplicitly “there is a horaa that weneed to publicize to all members ofthe generation that we have meritedthat Hashem chose and appointedsomeone of free choice who isincomparably greater than thepeople of the generation, to be the‘your judges’ and ‘your advisors’ andthe prophet of the generation …until the main prophecy – the nevuaof L’Alter l’Geula and immediately‘behold Moshiach comes.’”

I’m not laying down any fast andhard rules here, but we have to lookinto this topic – was there a specifichoraa to publicize Moshiach’sidentity or is this topic somethingthat we can extract as a detail in thesicha? You need to know.

R’ Chazan: All agree that thereare certain details that the Rebbeemphasized and told us explicitly to

publicize and there are things thatare only a detail or a footnote in asicha, but since it was written in thesichos that the Rebbe edited forpublication in the newspapers, thishas the element of being personallymade public by the Rebbe.

When you learn the Rebbe’ssichos about Moshiach withsomeone (by the way, regarding theimportance of learning inyaneiGeula, including learning LikkuteiSichos of Nasi Doreinu, the Rebbeused the term “and certainly theywill agitate and publicize iteverywhere”) – you need to learn theentire sicha including those partsthat deal with Moshiach’s identity.

The difference between the topicsthat the Rebbe told us to publicizeand other things in the sichos mightbe in the order of priority. Whenyou meet someone for a brief periodof time, it’s better to talk to himabout the Besuras Ha’Geula and theprophecy of Geula about which wehave a direct horaa. Then, if there’stime, it would be good to learn theRebbe’s sichos with him aboutinyanei Geula, including the termsthe Rebbe uses about his identity asMoshiach.

[To be continued, G-d willing]

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The following story happenedforty years ago when I lived inSamarkand under communist rule.In Samarkand and the surroundingcities there were communities ofLubavitcher Chassidim andBucharian Jews. All of them yearnedto leave the Russian exile but forvarious reasons were unable to.

The ones who rose to theoccasion and, with tremendousmesirus nefesh, made sure thatJewish children would get a propereducation were Chabad Chassidimwho endangered their lives and theirfreedom for this cause. This worktook on form under the Chamahorganization— of which I was amember— was founded and run bythe mashpia, Rabbi MosheNisselevitz.

As someone who owes his

spiritual life to R’ Nisselevitz, I waspresent when he came up with theidea and formed the organizationwith the commitment to do all hecould to make it a success. Ibecame one of the central

characters, one of a few people whoinvested energy and money. Everymonth we would raise large sums ofmoney and transfer it to contactpeople scattered throughout Jewishcommunities around Samarkand inorder to pay the teachers so theycould teach the children.

One fine day, we heard the happynews that my cousin Rabbi AryehLeib Demichovsky, who lived inMinsk at the time, had gottenengaged to a Lubavitcher who livedin Samarkand. We took it uponourselves to prepare the aufruf. Nocaterer or stores sold the food weneeded and my wife stood on herfeet for hours to prepare the entiremeal, from beginning to end. It wasvery hard, especially when in thosedays we already had three smallchildren who ran around the houseand needed supervision. I hadintended to help her prepare themany dishes but then, a day beforeTisha B’Av, Rabbi Moshe Nisselevitzasked me to go on a trip on behalfof the organization.

The purpose of the trip was topersonally check up on theunderground melamdim in eachtown where we sent money and tosee how many children actuallyparticipated. Since many of thestudents and teachers wereBucharian, I had Rabbi RefaelChudaitov, another active memberof Chamah, with me. He was aperson who was afraid of no one,was proud of his Jewishness, andwasn’t afraid to display it. He knewall the Jewish communities and reallyit was I who was accompanying him.

He was much more involved inall the little details and he knew,with each k’hilla, when the classestook place, at which hours and inwhich locations. I was responsiblefor the logistics of the trip. I tookalong a diary and when we went toeach city I wrote down a reportabout the situation, how manystudents I found that were learningand their ages as well as notes about


story

Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schiff, founderand director of yeshivas Ohr Simcha inKfar Chabad, embodies the Chassid ofyesteryear, a remnant of thegeneration of Chabad askanim withthat old world flavor.

HASHGACHAPRATIS ATEVERY STEPBy Nosson Avrohom


Rabb(seco

Torah one


what needed improvement.A memory that remains etched in

my mind is one from a visit to thetown of Margalan. It’s not a bigtown; it’s small by the standards ofthe Soviet Union. I was movedupon meeting a beautiful, unitedk’hilla there.

We arrived on the evening ofTisha B’Av. The shul was full and,as is the custom of Bucharians, theyextinguished all the lights and thecongregants read the Kinos withgreat lamentation. It was a movingsight to see in those days whenSoviet secret agents stopped allreligious gatherings and assemblies.How beautiful it was to see manyJews sitting together, proud of theirJudaism and proudly demonstratingtheir Jewish practices. The scenerepeated itself the next day. This iswhat remains deep in my heart.

I was very amazed by theirspiritual leader, an elderly Jew with along white beard and expressiveeyes. When we spoke a little I couldsee he was a great Torah scholar.After the davening we joined themfor the walk to the cemetery where,according to their custom theyprayed as is the practice of many ona fast day.

After this experience wecontinued our trip according to plan.It was Thursday afternoon and Igreatly desired to reach my home inSamarkand that same day so I couldhelp my wife in the manypreparations for our cousin’s aufruf.During the day of Tisha B’Av wevisited three other towns. Howamazing it was to see how theypreserved the Jewish spark despitethe ever-present fear of the secretagents.

That evening we arrived inAndizhan. R’ Chudaitov, knew allthe activists in the place, as well astheir addresses and where the secretactivities took place. He brought meto a big house with a large yardaround it. The owner of the house,a friendly older man, welcomed uswarmly.

R’ Chudaitov and I heard aboutthe Jewish activities being conductedin the city. Then he stayed to restand asked me to go to the airport tobuy tickets for the two of us. R’Chudaitov was older than me andthe intensive two day trip, and thelong day of fasting, was taking itstoll on him. In spite of hisexhaustion, I could see he was verysatisfied with the work that Chamah

was accomplishing among theJewish children in the towns andvillages.

I took a taxi to the airport in theearly afternoon. I prayed that therewould be a flight and that I couldprocure tickets for it. “Hashem,” Imurmured in supplication, “Iwillingly agreed to go on this trip,like the many trips that I make forChamah, but this Shabbos we arecelebrating the aufruf of my cousinand I have left my wife alone toprepare everything. Please, Hashem,all I ask is that I be able to get homeas early as possible.”

Although my prayer had beensaid from the heart, when I reachedthe counter I resignedlyacknowledged that it was notaccepted. The clerk told me thatthree flights went to Samarkandeach day but all these flights had leftand there would be no more thatday.

I was so disheartened by this.The only possibilities left to me wereeither to take a flight to Tashkentand from there to fly to Samarkandor to wait for a direct flight the nextday, Friday. With my stomachgrumbling from the fast I decided tobuy tickets for Tashkent. I could visit

A secret meeting of Chamah. Standing (from right to left) Moshe Nisselevitz, Zalman Friedman, Hillel Zaltzman. Sitting (from right to left) Aryeh Leib Schiff, Yosef Shagalowitz, Gershon Ber Schiff and Berel Zaltzman.



my mother who lived there andbreak my fast and the next morningI would fly to Samarkand.

I bought two tickets and set offfor the house of our host. R’Chudaitov, who heard that thetickets were for Tashkent, was notpleased. He didn’t understand whyI had been hasty and not waited forthe next day. In addition, the doubleticket doubled our expenses. Butwhat concerned me most of all wasto get home as early as possiblebefore Shabbos, and a few hourslater we set out for the airport.

If you know R’ Chudaitov youknow that wherever he goes he takesalong food and drink just in case.That was an immutable practice forhim, just like he would take alonghis t’fillin.

It was 40 degrees Celsius (104degrees Fahrenheit) and very humidwhen we boarded the flight toTashkent. I was dripping withsweat. The heat plus the fast andthe traveling were really tough. Myrelative young age wasn’t much help.My thoughts were focused on whenare we going to land already andwhen can I break my fast. When thestewardess announced that the flightwould take an hour, I begancounting down the minutes andseconds.

45 minutes went by. Usually,twenty minutes before the end of theflight the stewardesses prepare thepassengers for landing but this time,there was nothing. Time waspassing and I watched as R’Chudaitov, who was known as a

Chassid who didn’t care whatanybody thought, got up, put on hisgartel and started davening Maarivwhile ignoring the stares of the otherpassengers.

When he finished davening, hetook out his food and broke his fast.He sat there with his long beard andreligious appearance while Ipreferred going incognito. I didn’twant anybody to know that I was areligious Jew. In those days I ran afactory under the watchful eyes ofthe Soviets and I didn’t want toexpose myself. And so despite mytremendous hunger I didn’t dare getup and daven Maariv and break thefast.

I was feeling dizzy from the heatand the fast, and anticipated in mymind’s eye the landing and the visitto my mother where I would breakthe fast, but the plane kept flyingwith no indication that it was gettingready to land. I prayed that we getthere as fast as possible.

After an hour and a half of flyingthe stewardess said we should puton our seatbelts because we wereabout to land. As the wheels of theplane touched down and the planestopped, she asked the passengersnot to get up. For certain reasonsthe plane had landed in Samarkandand in ten minutes it would betaking off again for its originaldestination, Tashkent.

A few minutes passed before itsank in. We rushed over to thestewardess and explained that wewanted to get off becauseSamarkand is where we wanted to

be. I told her what had happened tous and she was also amazed by ourgood fortune. “See what a G-d theJews have looking out for them,” sheexclaimed. R’ Chudaitov took a cupof water and said a bracha out loudand drank.

In the meantime they readied theoff-ramp for us and I arrived homeshortly afterwards.

I learned that emissaries to do amitzva are not only not harmed butfelt how Hashem was with uswherever we were as we carried outour mission.

***Twenty years later, I saw

Hashem’s intervention once again.One evening, when I returned

from work at the yeshiva OhrSimcha in Kfar Chabad, my wifetold me that our youngest child,Menachem Mendel, who was fiveyears old at the time, had a highfever. A fever is fairly common so atfirst we didn’t realize the seriousnessof his condition. We kept him homefrom school the next morning andtreated him with the usual remedies.

When we saw that the fever wasnot coming down and two days hadpassed, we decided we had toconsult with a doctor. Our familydoctor checked him and gave him aprescription for some antibiotic pills,but two days later we saw that thepills hadn’t helped and his feverremained high.

We began getting worried andwhen we went back to the doctor wetold her that the antibiotic hadn’tworked and could she examine himmore closely. She took off hisclothes and we were shocked to seeswellings under his armpits and inother places. The doctor referred usto the hospital for tests.

We went to the hospitalstraightaway. The various testsshowed nothing but the doctors saidthat they would send the results to afamous lab in Germany. We askedthe doctor what they suspected hehad and he said that those lumps

The long-awaited call finally came twoweeks later, and the doctor asked us tocome for a meeting at his office. Wewere terrified in the anticipation ofwhat he would say and rushed over tosee him. He was serious and direct.

M

WedTUpeMis



were a sign of lymphoma orleukemia.

They sent a biopsy to Germanyand told us to return in a week. Itwas a nerve-wracking week to besure. What did our son have? Webecame even more worried when aweek later we still had not received aphone call from the hospital and hisfever still had not gone down. Wewere beside ourselves with worry.

The long-awaited call finallycame two weeks later, and thedoctor asked us to come for ameeting at his office. We wereterrified in the anticipation of whathe would say and rushed over to seehim. He was serious and direct. Hesaid that although the tests didn’tshow anything and they saw no signof cancer, still, every passing daycould only make things worse and sohe recommended assuming it wascancer and treating him withchemotherapy. He asked us to signthat we gave our permission for thehospital to begin this harshtreatment.

We asked for a few days to thinkabout it but he pressured us, sayingthat each day could endanger thechild (despite the fact that the testsshowed nothing!). I was not going totake such a step without consultingwith the Rebbe and I signed that Iwas responsible for the child’s healthand took him home.

Throughout this time, our sonsuffered from headaches and otherpains and we were so sad to see himso miserable. When he was well, hewas an active child and now he was

a shadow of his former self,complaining about everything,resting a lot and looking melancholy.

I wrote a long letter to the Rebbedescribing our son’s health and thedoctor’s recommendation andasking for a bracha. I received aresponse the very next day whichsaid not to follow the doctor’s advicebut to consult with a doctor-friendabout which hospital to take our sonto.

My wife’s sister is a nurse, whichmade it easy to find a doctor-friend.I called her and told her about ourson and asked her which hospitalshe recommended. She said therewas a place in Petach Tikva forchildren where they treated them onan out-patient basis. She said therewas a doctor there by the name ofZeitzer and she was highlyrecommended by all the doctors.

I thanked her and that same daytook all the medical records, inaddition to the original doctor’srecommendation, and went toPetach Tikva. The line was verylong because of her good reputation.

An elderly, simply dressedwoman emerged from a room andasked me who I was there to see. Isaid I was there to see Dr. Zeitzer.She smiled and said that was herand invited us into her room. It wasamazing, like she was waiting justfor us.

She scanned the documents andthen she asked whether we owned acat. I said we did not. “How abouta dog,” she asked. “No,” Iresponded and I explained that we

had no animals.She turned to my son and asked

him whether he ever put dirt in hismouth. He said he did while Iraised my eyebrows in surprise. Shesmiled and said that she thinks sheknows the reason for the mysteriousfever. There is no malignancy andno dangerous disease. There arechildren who are nutritionallydeficient and they eat dirt to makeup for this lack. She said it was veryrare for a child to be harmed byeating dirt but she was sure it wasthe cause of his fever. “The bacteriain the dirt are what caused theswelling and the fever,” she said.She gave us some antibiotics andpromised that we would see animprovement within a week.

We left with renewed hope andthe belief that all would work outwell. And sure enough, within aweek the fever began to go downand his condition improved. Twoweeks later it was like he had neverbeen sick. We were thrilled.

I thought to myself, what wouldhave happened if I hadn’t asked theRebbe? We would surely havelistened to the doctors and whatwould have been the fate of a childinjected with powerful toxins?

Today our son is married and hasa lovely family, thanks to the Rebbe’sbracha. So that’s one story abouthashgacha pratis and one storyabout the Nasi HaDor.

The hashgacha pratis andmiracles that we experienced thenhave never ceased, and still occur.

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The manager at a branch of theDiscount Bank in Afula thirtyyears ago, Mr. Amnon Alkebetz,was sitting in his office. Every sooften, a customer would walk in totake care of something. On thisparticular Friday, MosheChavusha, a Lubavitcher Chassidand an auto mechanic, walked intohis office after having been awayfrom the city for a month.

“Hello Moshe,” said themanager. “Where did youdisappear to for a month?”

Moshe told him that he hadbeen to the Rebbe and described invivid color some of the specialevents he was part of. “What anexperience! What davening,farbrengens, Simchas Torah, out ofthis world!”

The bank manager liked whathe heard. “How much does itcost?” he asked, inspired to makethe trip as well.

When he heard that it was

$4000 he decided that was morethan he could afford. They said afriendly goodbye and he went backto work. A half an hour later thephone rang.

“This is the bank headquartersin Tel Aviv. The national manager,Mr. Terach Rekanti invites you toan important meeting.”

Mr. Alkebetz was somewhatsurprised by the sudden summons,but he wasn’t left wondering forlong. The following Sunday hewent to Tel Aviv and heard thatthey were looking for someone torun the branch of the bank in NewYork. “Since you are loyal andsuccessful in what you do, wedecided to offer you thisprestigious position.”

At first Mr. Alkebetz turneddown the offer but the seniormanager urged him to try it out.“What do you care? Go for a threemonth trial. You will be put up at ahotel, plus you’ll get a salary and

an additional $100 for dailyexpenses. Check it out and thendecide whether you want to remainthere.”

He agreed to this offer. Hewent to New York and easily tookon the management of 700employees. One day, he mentionedthat he wanted to buy a 220 wattsteam iron for use in Israel, and afriend referred him to Drimmerson Kingston Avenue. When he gotthere he noticed that nearly everystore on the street had a largepicture of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.He asked about it and was toldthat most of the residents areLubavitcher Chassidim. He wassurprised and happy to hear thatthe Rebbe and his followers livedright there.

He was reminded of his wish tosee the Rebbe, that had seemedimpossible just a short while ago.Here was his opportunity. Hewalked over to 770 and introducedhimself to the Rebbe’s secretary.He said he was a descendent ofRabbi Shlomo Alkebetz (1500-1580), the author of Lecha Dodiand he asked for an appointmentwith the Rebbe.

The secretary said to wait a fewminutes because he had to ask theRebbe. Amazingly, he came backwith the reply that he could see theRebbe then and there. When hemet the Rebbe, he felt a deepfeeling of love for him. The Rebbespoke to him about his familyyichus and asked whether he had amegillas yuchsin (genealogicalhistory) of his family. Mr. Alkebetzsaid not exactly but he had an oldMegillas Esther that he inheritedand the family tradition was that itwas used by Rabbi ShlomoAlkebetz.

He told the Rebbe that hewanted to give it to him as a giftbut the Rebbe said it had to remainin the family for it was aninheritance from generation togeneration. Mr. Alkebetz left this


sh l i chus

“You can tell the Rebbe anything” – adescendent of the famous Rabbi ShlomoAlkebetz meets the Rebbe * Moshiach isa human being. * Where can I buy aYechi yarmulke? * More delightfulstories from R’ Shmuelevitz.

SPARKS OF FAITHBy Rabbi Yaakov ShmuelevitzShliach, Beit Shaan



encounter completely differentthan the way he went in and thiswas the beginning of a deep andlasting bond between the Rebbeand the entire Alkebetz family fromAfula. When his wife arrived in theUnited States to help her husbanddecide whether to accept the job,she also went to the Rebbe.

Her first encounter with theRebbe was on a weekday, at 3:15when the Rebbe left his room onhis way to Mincha in the small zal.The Rebbe greeted Amnon and hiswife, gave coins for tz’daka to thechildren who stood there waitingnear the pushka and then went into daven.

Mrs. Alkebetz noticed tearsrolling down her husband’s cheeksand asked him why he was crying.“Throughout your life you havenever devoted much thought toreligion, and your family is notparticularly observant ortraditional …”

He explained that from themoment he had met the Rebbe hehad felt that the Rebbe was closeto him like a father. You could tellthe Rebbe whatever was in yourheart and each encounter with himwas as moving as a meetingbetween father and son who didnot see each other for years.

When three months were up,Alkebetz returned to the branch inAfula. “America is very nice andbig but the people are a bit coldthere …”

On the first day he went backto work in his old office, MosheChavusha came in and greeted himin turn, “Where did you disappearto for three months?” Amnonremembered that it was Moshewho had first given him the ideaand desire to meet the Rebbe.

Close to thirty years later,Amnon was visiting his daughter atmoshav Balforia, and arrived atRabbi Noam Bar Tov’s Chabadhouse for davening and stayed forthe Shabbos Mevarchim

farbrengen. When he heard thatthere were several people in thecommunity who were connected tothe Rebbe and Chabad custom, heasked to speak and said, “Youknow the Rebbe? I know theRebbe! Allow me to tell you how Imet the Rebbe,” and he told themthis story.

The Alkebetz family kept intouch with the Rebbe over theyears. Their son Avi, mayor ofAfula, is a close friend of theChabad house and he is the onewho initiated the project ofbuilding a 770 replica in Afula.

THANKS TO THE PSAK DIN

A few years ago I met with thesecretary of a religious kibbutz inBeit Shaan Valley to collect theannual payment for the Shabbosbrochures I bring to the kibbutzevery Friday. He told me thatalthough he had been happy to payuntil then, the new brochures I hadbeen bringing them recently saythe Rebbe is Moshiach and so hewas unwilling to pay anymore.

I told him that this is based ona p’sak din which was signed byhundreds of rabbis and publicizedto the world. When he heard this,he immediately apologized andpromised that not only would hebe glad to give me the money, hewould increase the payment.

My brother-in-law, RabbiYitzchok Lifsh, shliach in Tzfas,told me that he is involved ingetting rabbanim to sign the p’sakdin. He related:

“A few years ago, I met with awell-respected rabbi in the Torahworld in general and in Tzanz inparticular, Rabbi EliyahuSchmerler. R’ Schmerler is therosh yeshiva in Tzanz and thedirector of Mifal HaShas. When heheard the purpose of my visit, heimmediately began praising theRebbe. Throughout theconversation he stressed thateverything Rebbe said is preciseand very serious. There are nop’shetlach or exaggerations.Moreover, according to theRebbe’s sichos, and in light of thehalachos in the Rambam, it is clear

Mr. Amnon Alkebetz telling about his connection to the Rebbe



that rabbanim need to rule that theRebbe is a prophet and isMoshiach.

“Some time after that, I metwith another well-known rav anddiscussed this topic with him. Hesaid that for him the definingTorah authority is R’ Schmerler. ‘IfR’ Schmerler says it’s right to sign,then I will add my signature.’ Soof course I showed him R’Schmerler’s signature and hesigned too.”

MOSHIACH – A HUMAN BEING

One day, a Zionist rabbi visitedthe religious kibbutz in the BeitShaan Valley and he gave a lectureto the members of the kibbutz. Hesaid that Moshiach doesn’t have tocome with the help of a personbut, in his opinion, Moshiach is autopian idea, an era, a vision.

One of the people sitting thereregularly participates in the Tanyashiur I give at the kibbutz and heknew a thing or two about Geulaand Moshiach. He pointed out thatthe Rambam writes explicitly (inHilchos Melachim) that Moshiachis a person from the House ofDovid etc. The rabbi said he wouldlook into it.

A few days later a letter from

the rabbi came to the kibbutz inwhich he wrote that he looked itup in the Rambam and Moshiachis indeed a person who will comeand redeem us. The letter waspublicized in the kibbutz and madea big Kiddush Hashem. It goes toshow, if you attend classes inChassidus, you know what’s what!

“I’M WILLING TO HELPCHABAD ONLY BECAUSE

OF MOSHIACH”A certain shliach in an

irreligious city had trouble with themayor. The mayor didn’t exactlylike the ways of Chassidus or theactivities to spread Judaism. Hehad grown up in an anti-religioushome and his mother, a seniorpolitician, was known for heropposition towards anythingreligious.

In any case, this shliachbelieves in every Jew and in theirJewish neshama and so he went tothis notorious woman and askedfor her help. He wanted her tospeak to her son the mayor so hewould be more helpful to Chabad.

At first, she couldn’t believewhat she was hearing. She told thenaïve shliach, “Be happy I’m notfighting you! You want me to helpyou?!” But the shliach began

talking to her, as Chassidusteaches us … a little bit about theRebbe, a little about Moshiach, alittle neshama and a little seichel.After a while, she said, “I will helpyou; and do you know why? It’sonly because of the emuna andanticipation of Moshiach inChabad. On this I agree with andadmire Chabad.”

Not only did she speak to herson, she also put a mezuzah up inher house and even madedonations several times to theChabad house’s activities.

This same shliach (who wishesto remain anonymous for thecontinued success of his work)met a Jew in the business districtof his city and began talking tohim about the Rebbe. “The Rebbesent me, the Rebbe said, etc.” Theman shrugged and said that hedoesn’t know who the LubavitcherRebbe is. He had never heard ofthat name. But when the shliachtook out a picture of the Rebbeand showed it to him, he said,“Oh! Moshiach! I know him! Whydidn’t you say Moshiach?”

WHERE DO YOU GET AYECHI YARMULKE?

At moshav Merchavia nearAfula, there is no Judaica store,nor is there one in the nearbykibbutz. The shliach who works atthe yishuv, Rabbi Boruch Lipkin,has to provide for the religiousneeds of the people living at themoshav and kibbutz. R’ Lipkinarranges shiurim, minyanim,mesibos Shabbos and helps peopledo mitzvos and the Rebbe’smivtzaim. Over a few years he hasformed a k’hilla within a k’hilla, agroup of families who have madetheir homes Chassidishe ones.

One of the families ofmekuravim has each memberparticipating in Chabad houseactivities. The father attendsshiurim, the mother attends the


evening programs for women,father and son go to shul and thechildren attend mesibos Shabbos.

One day, the son asked hisfather to take him to the men’sshiur. The father explained that itwasn’t for children but the childinsisted and begged until his fathercalled R’ Lipkin and got his okayto bring his son. The child stillattends a non-religious school at anearby kibbutz but he asked hisparents to buy him tzitzis and hewears them.

The father recently called R’Lipkin and asked, on behalf of hisson, where he could buy a Yechiyarmulke like his friends, whoalready attend a Chabad school inMigdal HaEmek, wear.

DO A MITZVA ANDBRING MOSHIACH

At the Chabad yeshiva inKrayot, led by Rabbi Yigal Pizem,they print a few hundred Moshiach

cards every week and the bachurimgive them out when they go onmivtza t’fillin.

Why do they need to reprintthem every week? Because everyweek they print a short thoughtfrom the Rebbe on the parsha onthe back of the card. On the frontit says, “Do a mitzva and bringMoshiach.”

WRITE IT IN THECONTRACT

Rabbi Dov Tevardovitz told thisstory as he heard it from theperson it happened to:

A Chassid told him how hisbrother (both of whom aremekuravim to Chabad) got aprestigious job in the high-techindustry. The new employee askedthat it be written into his contractthat the minute Moshiach willarrive, he gets 60 days of vacation.At first his employer balked but heexplained that the moment

Moshiach comes he must go tohim for at least two months. Theboss finally agreed and the uniquecondition was written into thecontract.

***Another story that shows what

kind of emuna we are supposed tohave:

At one of the Rebbe’sfarbrengens, after he finished atalk about how we ought to believethat Moshiach is about to come, arav went over to the Rebbe andasked why the Rebbe constantlyrepeated this idea when Jewsbelieve in the coming of Moshiach.

The Rebbe pointed at one ofthe Chassidim-askanim sittingbehind the Rebbe on the dais andasked the rav: “Would you givehim a loan until Moshiachcomes?” The rav was surprisedand didn’t know what to answer.The lesson was learned and the ravunderstood the depth of emuna theRebbe expects of us.


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Davening with simple faith joinsthe essence of the soul with theessence of the Infinite, so thatthe Essence of the Ein Sof willbe the Healer of the ill, and HeWho blesses the years.

—The Rebbe, HaYom Yom, 11 Tishrei.

Musicians manipulate it.Comedians play it up. Actors,politicians, kids and their parentsall have some intuitive sense ofhow to convey deep and powerfulmessages using this one simpletechnique - Silence. Whether it’sa pregnant pause, an upbeatsyncopation, a raised eyebrow ora baby’s silent scream, a well-placed silence speaks volumes.

But for those who aren’t sogood at reading between thelines, there’s a new invention outof the Karlsruhe Institute ofTechnology that can decode a lotof that quietude for you. It’s alip-reading telephone that canpick up bioelectricity from yourface muscles and send theencoded signal through a cellphone to be reassembled as aspeaking voice at the other end ofthe call.[1] Move lips at point A,hear speech at point B. Cool.

That may or may not put astop to those annoying peoplewho yammer and holler into theircell phones as if they were plasticcups connected by string. But

what it will do is help patientswith speech problems, workers innoisy environments, friends withsecrets, and astronauts with theirhands-free flight controls. There’seven a translation function thatallows the listener to hear yourmouthed words in their language.

Like so many things thesedays, this remote lip-readinginnovation has been presaged byan ancient Jewish ritual. No, I’mnot referring to the guilt trip. Northe silent auction (right, that’sChinese). I’m actually talkingabout prayer. True, not all Jewishprayers are silent - just the mostimportant one - the Amida, a.k.a.standing silent prayer.

A Jew’s morning prayer cyclesthrough stages - the Verses ofPraise often said aloud or sung;the blessings of the Shma whichincludes a lot of vocal responsivereading; and the Declaration ofUnity itself - which in somecongregations, Yemenite forexample, is a deafening shout thatcan literally shake the walls. Butwhen we get to the holiest of allprayers, the top rung of theladder, the Amida, what do wehear? Nothing. Just lips moving.

But why? Why, after all thehub-bub, when we get to the heartof our personal conversation withG-d, do we finally go silent? Oneanswer is that the lead-up prayers

are about us talking. The Amida isabout G-d listening.

In general prayer serves twofunctions. The verb “to pray” -l’hitpalel - is actually reflexive,meaning to judge oneself. At thislevel, we are working onourselves, our appreciation, ouremotions, our consciousness. Forthis we need voice, we need toresonate, to feel the prayer. Butthe word “prayer” itself - t’filla -is beyond that, it’s aboutselflessness.[2] In fact it is soselfless, we enter into the realmof divine where we can actuallycreate a new will within G-dHimself, to heal the sick, feed thehungry, salvage brokenrelationships.

We learn about silent prayerfrom the Biblical Chana whoinvested her heart and soul in atearful, silent prayer to be blessedwith a child. The son she bore, theprophet Samuel, went on to anointSaul and later David, theforerunner of Moshiach, may hecome speedily in our days. Thenwe will see all our prayersanswered in a world where allcommunication barriers will bebroken, a world awash with silentwaves of knowledge, a worldimmersed in the knowledge of G-das waters cover the sea.

NOTES:

[1]http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2010/03/05/new-lip-reading-cell-phone-system-can-allow-for-silent-conversations/

[2] HaYom Yom, p.110, 5 Kislev

Dr. Aryeh (Arnie) Gotfryd, PhD is achassid, environmental scientist,author and educator living nearToronto, Canada. To contact, readmore or to book him for a talk, visitwww.arniegotfryd.com or call 416-858-9868.


mosh iach & sc ience

SOUNDS OF SILENCE By Dr. Aryeh Gotfryd


At an exciting and impressiveevent held recently, the synagogueof the Rabbi Shimon bar YochaiJewish community in FortLauderdale, Florida was dedicated.More than four hundred peoplefilled the synagogue, deeply movedby the pomp and splendor revealedbefore them. “The buildingrenovations started three yearsago,” said Rabbi Daniel Shahino,shliach and community rav. “Themunicipal overseers weredissatisfied, to put it mildly, withthe layout of the previous building.Six months ago, the matter wasbrought before the courts, and thejudge ruled that if no acceptablearrangement could be reachedwithin three months, he will beforced to order that the building beclosed. We felt as if a sword wasbeing held at our throats.”


sh l i chus

With Lag B’Omer behind us, we nowturn our attention from the peak of Mt.Meron to sun-drenched Ft. Lauderdale,Florida, where the small Rabbi ShimonBar Yochai community has risenvirtually out of nowhere. Once a of justeight people, today it constitutes awhole congregation of hundreds of Jewsfrom families all over the region. Allthis is thanks to the unique andheartfelt activities of Rabbi DanielShahino and his wife, Orna Ester (neeFried).

THE �RASHBI�COMMUNITYIN THESUNSHINESTATEBy Nosson AvrohomTranslated By Michoel Leib Dobry



With some feelings of regret,Rabbi Shahino turned to thecommunity at large for theirassistance, and they responded tothe shliach’s call in a mostextraordinary manner. The entirebuilding was renovated andexpanded with the Rebbe MH”M’sbrachos, far more than required bythe municipal authorities. Thesynagogue underwent a thoroughchange – everything was redonefrom the floors to the ceilings –inclusive! - and even the lightfixtures and furniture were replacedwith newer and more fashionablepieces. Today, the walls of thesynagogue are adorned with fivelarge and newly designed libraries.When the shul opened its gates lastmonth, the public stood in awe ofthe fantastic transformation.

After a festive dinner celebration

and the traditional ribbon cutting,the assembled guests were shown avideo presentation of all thedevelopment stages in therenovation of this synagogue, whichessentially represents a “home” toall members of the community.

For the rav of the community,Rabbi Shahino and his wife, OrnaEster (nee Fried), the shuldedication ceremony was one of themost climactic moments in hisshlichus activities, an importantmilestone that serves as anexpression of the “harvest in joy”after the “sowing in tears”.

When he started working withthe community eight years ago, itnumbered only eight Jews who weretrying, albeit with some difficulty, tomaintain some semblance of acommunity. Today, the communitylistings include the names of about

four hundred Jews(!), and theactivities conducted with them havecontinued to grow and flourish.Rabbi Shahino serves as bothshliach and rav, and invests greatenergy and effort in both capacities.

The central motto thatcharacterizes the activities in theRashbi community is one ofbrotherhood, partnership,understanding, and support amongall members of the community,working for one another. Sincemany of these people have comefrom Eretz Yisroel, the activities arealong the lines of “Mach Da EretzYisroel”.

FROM A CHANCEMEETING TO A

REGULAR SHLICHUSRabbi Shahino arrived in Florida

Community members at the synagogue dedication



nine years ago as part of hisshlichus with the “Beis Moshiach”smicha institute, under theadministration of the shliach, RabbiMordechai Anati. “At the end of theyear of shlichus, I had completedthree parts of my smicha studiesand I was presented with severalpossibilities for the continuation ofmy path in life: learning in 770,returning to Eretz Yisroel andconsidering offers of shidduchim,or accepting a proposed shlichus inFlorida. I was amazed by the sheerclarity of the Rebbe’s answer: TheRebbe wrote to me that I should gowhere I can be the most involved inspreading the wellsprings ofchassidus, and he promised muchsuccess. Within a few days, I wason my way to Florida.”

Equipped with the Rebbe’s clearbracha, Rabbi Shahino – in additionto his yeshiva study schedule at BeisMoshiach – started going out onmivtzaim, primarily T’fillin

Campaign activities. His encounterwith the Rashbi community wasliterally by chance. “Three weeksafter my arrival in Florida, I met aJew and asked him if he would liketo put on t’fillin. Since he didn’tlook like someone who practicedthe traditions, I was a bit surprisedwhen he said that he had alreadyput on t’fillin that morning. I askedhim where he davened, and he toldme that he is a member of a smallcommunity, and he davens there.When I inquired where thesynagogue of this community waslocated, it turned out that it wasabout an hour and a half walk fromBeis Moshiach. I told him that Iwould come the following Shabboswith another bachur, and we wouldhelp them make a minyan and readthe Torah for them. He was pleasedby the offer, and I kept my word.On that Shabbos morning, I walkedthe long distance to the synagogue.There were eight people there, and

we proceeded to make the minyanand I also read from the Torah, aspromised.

“The emotion among themembers of this small communitywas incredible. They didn’t knowhow to express their appreciationadequately, and they invited me tocome again the following Shabbos.It pained me to see how they tookthe cholent out of the refrigeratorbefore davening and placed it on thefire to heat it up. They didn’t evenhave the slightest knowledge of themost fundamental laws of Shabbos.When they asked if we would like topartake in the cholent, we declinedby giving the excuse that it was notup to our kashrus standards. Whenwe arrived the next Shabbos, theybrought out a pot of fish for us andagain placed it on the fire. Theyexplained that they had madecertain that it was strictly kosherbefore buying it… This time, we gotup the courage and explained thehalacha to them. They simply didn’tunderstand what we were talkingabout.

“Every Shabbos thereafter, Icontinued to come with anotherfriend in order to make theirminyan. Between Shacharis andMusaf, we gave over words of Torahand halacha. The circle grew wider,and other bachurim from thesmicha institute also started comingon weekdays to teach Torah classes.

“This continued for about sixmonths – walking each Shabbos tothe synagogue, and then returningto the ‘base’ – Beis Moshiach.

“One Shabbos, someone fromthe community suggested that wecome to his house before Shabbosand stay as his guest, thus saving usthe time it took to walk there. Ihappily accepted the offer, and thuswe would arrive at his home onFriday afternoon and return to the‘base’ only on Motzaei Shabbos.This enabled us to participate in theprayer services on Friday evening,Shabbos afternoon, and Motzaei

Rabbi Daniel Shahino

The judge ruled that if no acceptablearrangement could be reached withinthree months, he will be forced to orderthat the building be closed. We felt as ifa sword was being held at our throats.



Shabbos as well. Naturally, weemphasized the concept of makingfarbrengens and instilled muchspiritual strength within thecongregation. Thus, the place beganto thrive and develop. Other peopleheard about this young and growingcommunity, and they startedcoming to the shul, taking part inthe Torah classes, and making brismilas and bar-mitzvahs on thepremises.

“At the end of my year ofshlichus in Beis Moshiach, thecommunity members approachedme and pleaded that I should stay.Grappling with this difficult internalstruggle, I prepared to travel toNew York and spend the month ofTishrei in Beis Chayeinu. At the endof that month, I would make mydecision.

“When the Yamim Tovim cameto an end, I sat in 770 and wrote aletter to the Rebbe. I was faced withtwo choices of my next destination– Eretz Yisroel or Florida. Theletter I received arousedtremendous excitement within me.The Rebbe’s answer was addressedto a Jew who served as the shamashof none other than – the Rashbisynagogue! The Rebbe wrote to himin the name of the Rebbe Rayatzthat the task of a ‘shamash’ is toilluminate, and he gave him abracha that he should merit toilluminate not just materially, butalso spiritually.

“There was no need for morethan that. I could not have receiveda more clear and unambiguousanswer! I immediately called themembers of the community, toldthem about the Rebbe’s answer, andinformed them that I accept theposition.”

HAND-IN-HAND WITH THE REBBE

In his official role, RabbiShahino found himself consultingfrequently with the shliach from

Montreal, Rabbi Chaim ShlomoCohen. The task of community ravobligates knowledge on a widerange of issues, not to mention theexperience that he was lacking. “Atthe start of the shlichus, there weretimes when I almost gave up.Dealing with the various issuessqueezed me for every drop ofstrength that I had. It was theencouraging answers that I meritedto receive from the Rebbe that keptme going. I remember one answerthat touched me in a special way.The Rebbe wrote that he simplydoesn’t understand why I’mcomplaining, as I have receivedstrength from ‘RabboseinuN’sieinu…’

“I felt that the Rebbe wasaccompanying me every step of theway, literally hand-in-hand. Onmore than one occasion, I stoodbefore an issue that seemed beyondmy control, but the Rebbe was thereto help me and give me direction.The last time I had such anexperience was at the ceremony toopen the synagogue. About fourhundred people filled the shul fromwall to wall. Our daughter had beenborn just the day before, and I wasin a state of utter exhaustion,having gone many long hourswithout sleep! In addition, I hadbeen unable to compose a speechfor the occasion in the midst of theexciting events of the previous day.I arrived at the dedication withnothing prepared to say, the senseof fatigue threatening to overcomeme.

“I entered the synagoguewithout even the most minimalpreparation, and I said in my heart,‘Rebbe, please put the proper wordsinto my mouth.’ I don’t know wherethe strength came from, but I stoodup and gave a d’var Torahappropriate for the time and theevent and thanked everyone whoneeded to be thanked. There was notrace of my exhaustion in mydemeanor. When I came down fromthe rostrum, I realized that it wasn’tme who had spoken; someone had

With a group of community members on an outing in the country

Rabbi Daniel Shahino with Mr. EdwinDennis, who donated the new facility



made certain to put the words inmy mouth.”

MIRACLESThe construction, expansion,

and renovation of the synagoguewas accompanied by its fair share ofmiracles. “One fine day, municipaloverseers arrived and inspected thepremises, and they decided that itwas not in accordance with thebuilding standards. We weresummoned to appear in court.

I sensed that I was in serioustrouble, but I knew that the Rebbe

was with us at every step that wetook. It started in the lobby of thecourts building, when the managerwho had rented us the buildingangrily demanded to know why wewere breaking the law andentangling the property with legalproblems. Up until then, everythinghad passed quietly…

“During a break in thedeliberations, I went out into thelobby to learn the daily Chitas. Themanager sat down near me andattempted to open a discussion withme. She turned to me and asked

what I was mumbling. ‘Tanya,’ Ireplied as I continued learning. Sheraised her eyebrow in puzzlementand said that her first name wasTanya… She couldn’t believe thatthere was a Jewish seifer that boreher name, and this both amazedand moved her. She saw this as asign of the finger of G-d.

“The following day, she updatedthe property owner who employedher as manager, and told him somedetails about these troublesomerenters who were causing themproblems with city hall. He called

Recently the shluchim Rabbi Daniel and Mrs.Orna Shahino were privileged to welcome the birth oftheir first child, a girl, after four years of marriage.“Community members would bless us at everyopportunity, and people made good resolutions towear tzitzis on a daily basis, learn chapters of Tanya,recite T’hillim, and put on t’fillin. As you can alreadyunderstand from this article, our community is verymuch like a family, with a feeling of partnership and aspirit of unity pervading among everyone. This is aplace of giving; you give today, and tomorrowsomeone appreciates your giving and gives to you andall those around you.

“We have a regular custom during Shacharis, thatI teach a few halachos at the end of the service. Oneday, I was teaching a certain halacha, and I pausedfor a moment to describe the Rebbe’s custom in thismanner. Before I could resume where I’d left off, aJew stood up from among the congregation, whom Ihad never seen before. He identified himself asAvraham Yisroel, and he asked if he could tell aboutsomething that he personally experienced with theLubavitcher Rebbe. As he spoke, all those assembledlistened attentively to every word.

“The story took place twenty years ago. Many longyears had passed since he had gotten married, but heand his wife still had no children. They were living inNew York at the time, and they went to the best andmost expert physicians in the field, but to no avail.During one such visit to a prominent doctor, hesuggested that they consider adoption, as there wasserious doubt whether they would ever have their ownbiological child…

“Then one day, he heard about the Rebbe,

particularly regarding his brachos for having children,and he came for dollars distribution. He told theRebbe about his pain and anguish, and the Rebbe gavehim a penetrating look, blessed him, and gave him adollar for a blessing and success. The excitement hefelt was so intense that he couldn’t hear the Rebbe’sbracha.

“The person who stood behind him did hear whatthe Rebbe said, and he asked him write the words ofthe bracha on the dollar. After his meeting with theRebbe, this Jew began to face a tremendous test of hisemuna. It was clear to him that the Rebbe’s brachamust be fulfilled, and he continued to consult with thedoctors, refusing to give up hope despite all theirexpressions of pessimism. In the end, the realityproved the doctors wrong, and the Rebbe’s brachawas realized! He then showed me the twelve-year oldboy who had come together with him. ‘You see him?This is the Rebbe’s child, born against all odds...’

“‘I heard that you didn’t have any children yet,’ theman added, ‘and I remembered the dollar that I hadreceived from the Rebbe. I would like to give it to you,since for me, this dollar has completed its mission…’

“I questioned whether I should take it from him,as I knew the value of a dollar from the Rebbe. Yet,the man would not relent, and together with the othermembers of the community, he convinced me.Incredibly, just a few months later, we received thegood news, and just recently, our daughter was born.This dollar has since managed to reach three othercouples who have subsequently been blessed withchildren within a period of a few months. It is now inthe hands of a fourth couple, and we anticipatesalvation for them very soon…”

THE DOLLAR THAT HADN’T COMPLETED ITS SHLICHUS



that day and asked to meet with me.“This landlord was a wealthy

man who owned a very large retailchain and a considerable amount ofland. I was somewhat anxious andapprehensive about meeting withhim. He came into the synagoguethe next day and introduced himselfas Dennis. Imagine how surprised Iwas when he said that he was a Jewwho wanted to thank us.

‘Thank us? For what?’ Iwondered to myself, concernedwhether this was some sort ofbusiness scheme. He said that hehad moved nearby last year, andwhen I had invited him inside to puton t’fillin, he happily agreed. Hesaid that this was the first time inhis life that he had put on t’fillin! Afew months ago, his son also movednearby, and he too put on t’fillin forthe first time in his life.

“‘When I heard that you werehaving a problem with City Hall, Idecided to drop everything andcome to your assistance in whateverway I could,’ he said firmly.

“We were in shock. Wepresented him with the facts on ourlegal problem. The place was toosmall to hold our entirecongregation, so the building wasdeemed a danger to public safety.‘No problem,’ he said emphatically,after he heard all the details. ‘We’llgive you another storefront locatedright next to you, and you won’teven have to pay another dollar forit…’ We were stunned. It seemedlike a sweet dream from which wewould awaken at any moment…

“I realized that he was anunusually wealthy Jew who wastruly ready to help, and I decided totake advantage of the opportunity. Iturned to him in a manner of‘L’chat’chilla Aribber’ and told himthat the amount we are paying forthe first storefront was relativelyhigh, and in light of the ratherpressing financial situation, wewould be most happy if he couldassist us. The community members

who heard my request shifteduncomfortably in their chairs,worried how he would respond. Helooked at me and asked how muchwe were paying, and when I toldhim, he agreed to reduce the rent byhalf. We now had double the sizefor even less than we’d been payingpreviously!

“When I returned home, I wroteto the Rebbe about what hadhappened and asked for a brachathat I should succeed in collectingenough funds for the plannedexpansion, adding about themeeting with the property owner.The Rebbe’s answer made my heartskip a beat (Vol. 4, #840):

I was pleased to hear that onthis coming Wednesday, in a goodand auspicious hour, there is due

to take place in the home of ourfriend, the veritable and piouschassid, involved in the needs ofthe community, etc., Rabbi M.Wechsler, sh’yichyeh, a specialmeeting to discuss the matter ofactual assistance in the work ofMerkaz L’Inyanei Chinuch.

Included here is a copy of aletter that I wrote a few days priorto a similar meeting on behalf ofMerkaz L’Inyanei Chinuch,Machne Israel, and Kehos, whichtook place in New York. They willsee from this letter my view, myopinion, and my request inrelation to this work, and the rightand obligation incumbent uponeach and every one to participatein this work to maintain andexpand the work of these three

Rabbi Daniel Shahino (right) and Rabbi Yosef Duch (second from left)on Purim activities with the community

All of us sat there in total silence,having some difficulty absorbing theastounding clarity of this answer. Thesewere Jews who had asked the Rebbewith pure faith that he should answertheir question, and the Rebbe respondedin the clearest way possible.



institutions. They will naturallypublicize the content of myaforementioned letter among theparticipants at said meeting, whohave been privileged to take partin the work of my revered andholy father-in-law, the Rebbe (mayI be an atonement for his restingplace), and similarly anywherethat it will be beneficial.

I hope to hear soon about theactual activities of this meeting,and the good fruits and futuregrowth that come forth from thisgood sowing. They will surely alsomake known the names of all theparticipants.

“I couldn’t have hoped for aclearer bracha. If I had beenconcerned before over where wewould obtain such a large sum ofmoney, particularly in light of thecurrent difficult economic situation,all such fears vanished immediatelyafter reading the letter.

“The very next morning, wealready began to see miracles andwonders. During Shacharis, Mr.Franco, a synagogue committeemember, arrived in shul with hisguest, Mr. Eyal Valenci. He hadheard about the renovations anddecided to donate a new AronKodesh. Later that day, I spokeagain with the property owner to lethim know about the building plans.He didn’t give me much time totalk, and simply donated anothertwenty-five thousand dollars!”

THE WAR AGAINSTASSIMILATION

As with many shluchim in theUnited States, Rabbi Shahino findshimself constantly fighting theplague of assimilation. While theReform movement takes ineveryone, the shliach, trainedaccording to the time-honoredprecepts of Shulchan Aruch,periodically stands up to Jewswhose financial support sustains theentire community. “On more than

one occasion, there have been someunpleasant incidents, but we muststand firm and make known to allthat in our shul, there will be nobris mila performed on someonewhose mother is not Jewishaccording to halacha. We have threeJews in our community, formerIsraeli nationals, whose spouses areGentiles or underwent a Reformconversion, and they know that inall matters related to halacha –there are no compromises.”

Rabbi Shahino tells us about anincident that took place recently. Itproved to be a very difficult trial,but it was all worth it in the end.This story can serve as a messagefor other shluchim who findthemselves dealing with similarcircumstances.

“There is a Jew in a communitywith whom the connection beganeight years ago, when we firststarted our activities. At that time,he was engaged to a non-Jewishwoman, and he wanted me toparticipate in his wedding as therabbi of the community, stating thatshe had undergone a Conservativeconversion. I invited him to myoffice, and I explained to him in theclearest way possible about thedamage he is causing to himself andthe problems that will be created inthe future. My words fell on deafears.

“Their wedding took place asplanned, and they eventually had ason, whom he wanted to enter intothe covenant of Avraham Avinu.This Jew was quite wealthy and hada very prominent status in thecommunity. Any time we had afinancial deficit, I would call himand without even asking me theamount, he would give me his creditcard… However, when he asked ifhe could have his son circumcisedin the synagogue and if I wouldhelp him find an Orthodox mohel, Icategorically refused. This was noteasy, but I had no alternative. Heeventually found a Reform ‘mohel’

who agreed to circumcise his son,and he asked if I would honor himby participating in the event.

“I explained to him that mycoming for such an occasion wouldgive a ‘seal of approval’ to thewhole concept, and therefore, notonly wouldn’t I come, I wouldencourage all the other communitymembers not to come as well. Hebecame enraged by my declaration,and I gently reminded him that Ihad already warned him before hismarriage that this is what wouldhappen. He reproved me for mystubbornness, noting that theReform rabbi who doesn’t evenknow him is still prepared tocelebrate the event with him, whileI, a rav who is quite close to him,refuse to attend. I explained thesharp difference between me andthis Reform rabbi, and with that,the conversation ended. He wasvery angry and cut off all contactwith me. Every once in a while, Iwould hear people in thecommunity murmuring that maybeI hadn’t handled the situationappropriately.

“Then, after a period of threeweeks, he called me to ask if Iwould write to the Rebbe for himabout a big business deal that hewas planning to enter. Though theReform rabbi had been the one toparticipate in his celebration, heknew he could not turn to himwhen he was faced with a seriousquestion. In his heart he didn’tbelieve in him, and he knew full wellwho could really help him. Sincethen, our relationship has beenrestored and his appreciation forJudaism has merely grown. Whenhis father passed away, he asked meto officiate at the funeral. This eventmade the connection between useven stronger. His wife now wantsto be converted according tohalacha and to start observing a lifeof mitzvos…”

[To be continued G-d willing]


Beis Moshiach

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