CONTENTS - Beis · PDF filevarious levels of Divine service of the Tribes is from Yaakov. ......

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4 | WOMEN GOING OUT TO HELP OTHERS (CONT.)D’var Malchus / Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 35, pg. 150-155

6 | NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OFMoshiach / Rabbi Naftali Estulin

8 | ILLUMINATING THE DARKNESS WITH THELIGHT OF MOSHIACH Chanuka

12 | THE UNDERGROUNDMemoirs / Rabbi Yaakov Shmuelevitz

16 | ACCORDING TO CHABAD CHASSIDIM, AREN’TWE ALREADY IN ‘THE DAYS OF MOSHIACH’?Focus / Rabbi Sholom Dovber HaLevi Wolpo

18 | CHANUKA LIGHTS IN 770 AND KENNEDYAIRPORTChanuka Story

22 | WHEN CHABADNIKS ‘HIJACKED’ A PLANE Mivtza Chanuka / Shneur Zalman Berger

27 | PUT TO GOOD USEStory / Eli Shneuri

28 | DESTRUCTIVE DIPLOMACY AND SPURIOUSSECURITYShleimus HaAretz / Shai Gefen

32 | PREPARED TO SACRIFICE EVERYTHING FORMOSHIACHMoshiach / Rabbi Chaim Yitzchok Cohen

34 | MENACHEM MENDEL GINSBURGH A”HObituary

36 | THEY ARE DROWNING AND WE NEED TOSAVE THEMShlichus / Chanie Nussbaum

42 | G-D IS EVERYWHERE, EVEN ON THE STREETProfile / Chana Katz

CONTENTS

[Continued from last week]

3. Analysis is needed on this matter. For at firstglance, Dina’s outing does not resemble that of Leah.Leah went out “for she desired and sought to benumerous in [children, who would be the progenitors ofthe future] Tribes [of the Jewish people].” Through Leah,the Tribes were begotten by Yaakov. Whereas, thepurpose of Dina’s outing was to correct the young ladiesof the land. What is the connection between thecapability of reforming Eisav the Wicked and the youngladies of the land to Leah’s outing, which served toconceive the Tribes?

Especially insofar as Rashi explains in his precedingcommentary, on the verse [VaYeitzei 29:17], “‘Leah’s eyeswere tender’ – for she was under the impression that shewould go up in the lot of Eisav, and she cried, foreveryone would say: ‘Rivka has two sons and Lavan hastwo daughters. The older daughter will go to the olderson and the younger daughter will go to the youngerson.’” [See FN 20.] That is, she did not want to go up inthe lot of Eisav, notwithstanding the fact that throughthis she could have reformed him. [See FN 21.]

The resolution of the above according to the innerdimension of these concepts:

Notwithstanding the fact that all three foundingfathers – Avrohom, Yitzchok, and Yaakov – are called“Patriarchs” (as our Sages say, “there are only three whoare called ‘Patriarchs’” [Brachos 16b]) on account oftheir having bequeathed their character traits to everyJewish person [FN 23: see Torah Ohr, VaEira, beg.],nevertheless, there is an especial quality every Jewpossesses in their connection to Yaakov Avinu over theirconnection to Avrohom and Yitzchok. Being that only

regarding Yaakov it is said, “his bed was complete”[P’sachim 56a, etc. – see FN 24] (“not like Avrohom,from whom came Yishmoel; nor like Yitzchok, fromwhom came Eisav” [ibid]), it is understood that he is theprinciple Patriarch of the Jewish nation, the all-inclusivefoundation of all the Jewish people for all generations.(In the terms of the Alter Rebbe [Tanya Igeres HaKodeshCh. 7 (111b, end)], “the soul of Yaakov was, “inclusiveof all the souls of the Jewish people”). It is for thisreason that this nation is called “the nation of Yisroel”(the name of Yaakov [given to him upon his return fromPadan Aram]).

Now, although all the various levels of the Jewishpeople stem from the Patriarchs, as they exist in Yaakovthey are classified as being aggregate in nature. Thesedistinctions were in turn revealed in actuality throughthe children of Yaakov, [the fathers of] the Twelve Tribes,which correspond to the Jewish people’s twelveapproaches and distinctions in the service of G-d [TorahOhr, VaEira, beg].

We may assert that the revelation of the source of thevarious levels of Divine service of the Tribes is fromYaakov. Yaakov, that is, by means of the intermediary ofthe mothers – Rachel and Leah (Bilha and Zilpa) – whoestablished the House of Yisroel [Rus 4:11]. (Thisconcept is in accord with the difference between thecontribution of the father and the contribution of themother in the birth of a baby, for the existence of thechild comes about from the seed of the father [FN 27:see Pirush HaMilos of the Mitteler Rebbe, Ch 111 (71c)],whereas the differentiation of the fetus into particularforms comes about through the nine-month gestationperiod in the mother’s womb [FN 28: see Tanya, Ch. 2;Seifer HaMaamarim 5659, pg. 3].

WOMEN GOINGOUT TO HELP

OTHERSLIKKUTEI S ICHOS, VOL. 35, PG. 150-155

TRANSLATED BY BORUCH MERKUR

D’VAR MALCHUS

BEIS MOSHIACH - 24 Kislev 57674

Issue Number 581 - BEIS MOSHIACH 55

Thus we find that it was specifically the mothers –Rachel and Leah – who named [the fathers of] theTribes, not Yaakov, as it is explained elsewhere [FN 29:see Likkutei Sichos Vol. 10, pg. 96 ff; see footnotes there].This bears significance insofar as all names havemeaning and interpretation signifying the particularquality of the one named.

4. Now, although in particular there are TwelveTribes, representing twelve pathways and approaches tothe service of G-d, in general theyare divided into two pathways ofDivine service: the righteous and thepenitent (as is know that the serviceof repentance, t’shuva, is not relevantonly to one who has sinned and hasacted corruptly, transgressing thecorrect path; it is, rather, a particularapproach in the service of G-d,relevant also to the righteous [FN30: Torah Ohr, VaYechi, beg. (45a,end); Likkutei Drushim L’RoshHaShana 60d, Parshas Haazinu,beg.; as well as sseevveerraall ootthheerrppllaacceess.]). The service of therighteous takes place in a world ofholiness, with the fulfillment ofTorah and Mitzvos, whereas theservice of repentance indicates theservice of transforming evil to good,or in a more general sense, to elevate the mundane to thesanctified.

The latter distinction comprises the differencebetween the approach to Divine service characteristic ofthe children of Leah and that of the children of Rachel,a concept that is understood from what is written in theZohar [Vol. 1, 259a] regarding the reason that themajority of the foundation of the alter was specifically inthe portion of [land designated as an inheritance to the

Tribe of] Binyamin, not Yehuda [see FN 32],notwithstanding the fact that Yehuda was “higher thanall the Tribes.” The reason for this is because Binyaminwas a righteous individual. Yehuda, on the other hand,who was one of the sons of Leah, was among those who“hated him [i.e., their brother, Yosef]” [VaYeishev 37:4]and was a partner in the sin of the sale of Yosef intoslavery. Although he repented, the foundation of thealter did not stand in the portion of a penitent but in theportion of Binyamin, who was righteous [see FN 34].

From this it is understood that the(Ten [FN 35: so it reads in SeiferHaMaamarim ibid [5626, pg. 111,published 5749], but from the Zohar[Vol. 1, 259a] it is understood that“they hated him” is primarilyrelevant to the children of Leah, butis not the case with the sons of thetwo concubines, see there]) Tribeswho were partners in the sale ofYosef, although they repented, arenot at the level of Yosef andBinyamin, the children of Rachel,who were specifically noted as beingrighteous from the outset.

Perhaps we may posit that thefoundation of the distinctionapparent in the service of the Tribes– the fact that the children of Leah

represent (primarily) the service of repentance [FN 37:to note that Reuven, the firstborn of Leah, was the onewho first iinnttrroodduucceedd the concept of repentance(B’Reishis Rabba CH. 84:19)] and Yosef [see FN 38] andBinyamin represent the service of the righteous – isrooted in the mothers, Leah being associated with theservice of penitents [see FN 39] and Rachel with theservice of the righteous [see FN 40].

[To be continued be”H]

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tthhee ccaappaabbiilliittyy ooffrreeffoorrmmiinngg EEiissaavv tthhee

WWiicckkeedd aanndd tthheeyyoouunngg llaaddiieess ooff tthhee

llaanndd ttoo LLeeaahh’’ss oouuttiinngg,,wwhhiicchh sseerrvveedd ttoo

ccoonncceeiivvee tthhee TTrriibbeess??

CCLLAARRIIFFIICCAATTIIOONN:The article printed in last week’s issue pg. 24-25, which portrays a single

perspective of the events discussed, should be considered the personal view ofthe author. We regret any suggestion that the fault lay on one side, especiallyin light of recent discoveries. Naturally, this is not meant to detract from the

general message of the article that violence has no place in Chabad.--The Editorial Board


Is it permissible to provoke thewicked? The chachamim of theTalmud dealt with this question,and they differed on this issue intwo sections of the Gemara (Brachos7b, Megilla 6b). Rabbi Yitzchok saysthat “if you see a wicked personwhen things favor him – don’tprovoke him,” whereas RabbiShimon bar Yochai says that “it ispermissible to provoke the wickedin this world.”

On the surface, we have here twodiffering opinions, but the Gemaraexplains that there really is nodisagreement here, rather, each onespeaks about a different situation.

The Gemara also proposes a numberof ways to connect the twoopinions: a) one speaks aboutmundane matters – the other aboutmatters of holiness; b) one applieswhen the situation favors thewicked – the other when thingsdon’t favor the wicked; c) onespeaks of an incomplete tzaddik –the other about a complete tzaddik.

Even after the Gemara reaches itsconclusion that there is no dispute,there is still a need to explain whyRabbi Shimon bar Yochai wasspecifically the one who presentedthe argument that it’s permissible toprovoke the wicked?

The Rebbe explains in LikkuteiSichos (Vol. 35, p. 149) that thegeneral prohibition againstprovoking the wicked stems fromthe fact that the G-dliness that runsthe world is in a state ofconcealment, and on this level,there can be a situation where thewicked can overpower therighteous.

Therefore, it is specifically RabbiShimon bar Yochai, who revealedthe inner teachings of Torah thatreveal the hidden aspect of G-d –i.e., the level of G-dliness that ishigher than the world and wherethere are no natural limitations fromthe world – who possessed thestrength to subjugate the wicked.

Elsewhere in Likkutei Sichos (Vol.16, p. 75), the Rebbe goes evenfurther, saying that when theGemara brings that even RabbiShimon bar Yochai agrees that weshould not provoke the wickedwhen things favor him, this is ageneral instruction. However, RabbiShimon bar Yochai himself,according to his level, was allowedto provoke a goy even when thingsfavored him, for when someonereveals the inner teachings of Torah,and thereby reveals the p’nimius ofG-dliness, there is no power in theworld that can stand against him.

MOSHIACH

When we’re talking about Heavenly matters,when circumstances do not favor the goy, andthe generatioon is standing on a very highlevel, all of us equipped with p’nimiusha’Torah, which grants us the sstrength tocompete with evil in any situation – there canbe neither excuse nor justification for a lackof activities in spreading the wellsprings ingeneral, and the announcement of theRedemption iin particular.

NOTHING TO BEAFRAID OF

BY RABBI NAFTALI ESTULIN, SHLIACH, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

TRANSLATED BY MICHOEL LEIB DOBRY

The teachings of chassidus,which the Alter Rebbe revealed andspread with even greater fortitudeafter the redemption of Yud-TesKislev (“after Petersburg”), are adirect continuation of the teachingsof kabbala, as revealed by RabbiShimon bar Yochai. Furthermore,just as the Zohar provided RabbiShimon bar Yochai with the abilityto fight evil in the world, similarly,chassidus has given us powerfulspiritual strengths and specialprotection that enables us to fightagainst all the wickedness that thisworld represents.

This is the reason, the Rebbeexplains, that the Alter Rebbesucceeded in his war in a manner of“He redeemed my soul in peace,”i.e., the redemption itself wasthrough peace, and as the TalmudYerushalmi states regarding DovidHaMelech’s war against Avshalom,even the men of Avshalom prayedfor Dovid’s victory.

The Alter Rebbe succeeded inturning the wicked (for themoment) into believers, since therevelation of the teachings ofChabad chassidus represent acontinuation of the teachings ofRabbi Shimon bar Yochai incomprehension and understanding,and therefore, it also possesses theunique strengths of the Rashbi.

These special strengths to fightagainst evil, even whencircumstances stand in its favor, andnot only to be victorious over it, buteven to transform it into holiness (atleast temporarily), have beenbestowed upon us by our Rebbeimthroughout the generations,including of course, the leader ofthe seventh generation, the RebbeMelech HaMoshiach.

As mentioned above, even theopinions in the Gemara that forbidprovoking the goy derive that they

apply only in three cases: a) whenspeaking about mundane affairs; b)when circumstances favor the forcesof evil; c) when referring to anincomplete tzaddik.

It is interesting to note here theRebbe MH”M’s innovation inconnection with the recent war tobring the Redemption, a warconducted against the concealmentof the Exile.

1. The Rebbe emphasizes thatthe battle to bring the Redemptionmust be in every detail of a person’slife – “Know Him in all your ways”– to the point that we reach a stateof “I was created only to serve myMaker.”

No one can come and say todaythat he can’t fulfill a certain detail ofthe Rebbe’s directives to bring theRedemption, out of a fear of “Whatwill the goyim say?” including thegoy within him. He can’t quote thesaying in the Gemara “Don’tprovoke the wicked” and interpret itas meaning, for example, “Don’tprovoke the wealthy donor,” sincewe’re not talking about mundaneaffairs but matters of pure holiness.Every detail is a part of the holybattle to bring the Redemption.

2. The Rebbe emphasizes thatthe world is already prepared toaccept the announcement of the

Redemption and all the tremendousrevelations that he publicized in hiswondrous sichos of 5751-5752. TheRebbe thereby pulls the rug outfrom under the feet of those whoclaim that it is impossible toprovoke the world because thingsare going in its favor.

The Rebbe establishescategorically that things are movingonly in one direction: towards theRedemption. If you think thatcircumstances are favoring theforces of evil in the world, this ismerely a figment of yourimagination, and you should learn alittle more about Moshiach and theRedemption in order to open youreyes and see the truth.

3. Regarding the point ofincomplete tzaddik and completetzaddik – we are still not completetzaddikim. However, even whenwe’re talking about the generationin general terms, the Rebbe upliftsthe entire generation and establishesthat “they have already donet’shuva,” and it is known that noteven tzaddikim can stand in theplace where baalei t’shuva stand.

Therefore, when we’re talkingabout Heavenly matters, whencircumstances do not favor the goy,and the generation is standing on avery high level, all of us equippedwith p’nimius ha’Torah that grants usthe strength to compete with evil inany situation – there can be neitherexcuse nor justification for a lack ofactivities in spreading thewellsprings in general, and theannouncement of the Redemption inparticular, since we have been givenall the strengths and all we have todo is take these tremendousstrengths and utilize them in theright direction: fulfilling the mainand only shlichus left – to greetMoshiach Tzidkeinu, immediately,mamash, now!


The Alter Rebbesucceeded in his warin a manner of “He

redeemed my soul inpeace,” i.e., the

redempttion itself wasthrough peace.


PURE CHINUCHThe word “Chanuka” is

etymologically connected with theword “chinuch.” Just as the Maccabisdid not want to compromise byusing impure oil, even though it washalachically acceptable, so too wemay not compromise when it comesto the pure chinuch of children.When you resolve to approachchinuch without compromising,without any leniencies, Hashem will“deliver” on every level on behalf of“those who toil in Your Torah.”

As He performed miracles for ourancestors in those days, so too,nowadays we can be sure thatspeedily in our day we will meritthat the pure Mikdash built Abovewill descend and Jewish childrenwill illuminate the Beis HaMikdashand the world around us.

(Likkutei Sichos vol. 1)

ADDING LIGHTAlthough the source for the

Chanuka lights is the lights in theMikdash, in the Beis HaMikdashthey lit a fixed number of lights,seven, whereas on Chanuka we adda candle each night.

The reason for this has to dowith the fact that the mitzva of

lighting lights in the Mikdash wasgiven in the time of ShlomoHaMelech when peace prevailed. Itwas enough for them to light thesame number of lights withoutadding any because everything wasnormal, routine. But during the timeof the miracle of Chanuka until thepresent time, great spiritual darknessprevails and we need to increase thelight.


A TIME FOR EVERYTHINGDespite the source for the

Chanuka lights being the lights inthe Mikdash, in the Beis HaMikdashthey lit the lights during the daywhen the light of day still prevailedwhile the “their mitzva [i.e. theChanuka lights] is when the sunsets.”

The explanation for this is thatduring the era of the BeisHaMikdash there was a spirituallight in the world, a light thatderived from the Beis HaMikdash.However, nowadays, when aspiritual darkness prevails, we needto light candles specifically “whenthe sun sets,” in order to illuminatethe spiritual darkness with thespiritual light of the lights ofChanuka and other mitzvos which

are compared to a candle, “a mitzvais a candle and Torah is light.”


THE CHANUKA LIGHTS AREMORE LOFTY

The Chanuka lights are morelofty than the lights in the Mikdash.The lights of the Mikdash wereannulled when the Greeks defiledthe Beis HaMikdash, but theChanuka lights “are never annulled”;they illuminate even in Galus, at thetime of the greatest darkness.

(Likkutei Sichos vol. 3, based on Ramban)

ABOVE THE ORDER OFHISTALSHELUS

The number of lights lit onChanuka is greater than the numberlit in the Mikdash. Seven lights werelit in the Mikdash and eight onChanuka. The number sevenindicates “the seven days of thecycle,” which is the order ofhishtalshlus, nature. The numbereight indicates a level beyond theorder of hishtalshlus. In order tolight the darkness of Galus we needa light that transcends hishtalshlus:the eight lights of Chanuka.


CHANUKA

ILLUMINATING

THE DARKNESS WITH

THE LIGHT OF MOSHIACHA compilation of aphorisms about Chanuka

EVERY JEW IS ANAMBASSADOR

The demand of every Jew: hemust know he is Hashem’sambassador to warm up thegashmius in his portion of the worlduntil he and his surroundings areilluminated. The way to carry thisout must be – not to remain satisfiedwith what was done yesterday but toincrease the light each day. Whatwas done yesterday is not enoughfor today; there must be an increase.


THE LIGHT OF SHABBOSAND THE LIGHT OF

CHANUKAThe halacha states: If a person has

a candle for his home and a candle ofChanuka, the candle for his hometakes precedence, because the light ofShabbos is for shalom bayis: “Great ispeace, for the entire Torah was given tomake peace in the world.”

The lights of Chanuka representthe peace which unites the light ofthe Mikdash and the darkness ofGalus, while the Shabbos lightsrepresent making peace within thehome, between man and wife.

When a Jew doesn’t have thecapacity to invest in both types of“shalom,” he has to devote himselfto his home and not to illuminatingthe outside. Shalom bayis takesprecedence.

(sicha VaYeishev 5722)

BEING A LAMPLIGHTERThe inner meaning of the

Chanuka lights is to illuminate thesoul and home of every single Jewwith “a mitzva is a candle and Torahis light,” until the “oil” of Torah, thesecrets of the secrets of Torah, andto awaken the “outside” too byplacing a “lantern” in the publicdomain, which naturally attractspeople to the light.

(sicha VaYeishev 5747)

MEZUZA AND NEIROSCHANUKA

Chazal say that the Chanukalights should be placed in thedoorway of the house on the leftside with the mezuza on the rightside.

The right side represents thepositive mitzvos, whose purpose isto influence “the inside.” The leftside represents the negative mitzvos,whose purpose is also to rectify the“outside.” The concept of theChanuka lights is to wage war withthe “other side,” so that G-dlinessextends even to the darkness, theleft side.

(Maamer Tanu Rabbanan Ner Chanuka 5744)

TO FIX AND COMPLETEThe special quality of the eighth

day is that it includes all the days ofthe holiday within it. This day isauspicious for correcting andcompleting all that needs correctingand completing from that which waslacking the previous days in a way of“double strength.”

(sicha Shabbos Chanuka 5744)

CHANUKA VERSUS PURIMThere is a common denominator

between Purim and Chanuka, yetthere is an essential differencebetween them:

The inyan of Chanuka is mesirusnefesh for Torah and the neshama ofthe Jewish people, whereas withPurim the decree affected theirphysical lives.

On a deeper level one can saythat this is the difference betweenthe body and the neshama. Purim isconnected with the inyan of mitzvos(the body) and Chanuka with theTorah (neshama). This is the inyanof the oil, which alludes to Torah,the secrets of Torah and itspnimiyus.

(sicha Shabbos Chanuka 5744)

THANKS IS NOT ENOUGH(Shabbos 21b) “They made them

Yomim Tovim with Hallel andHodaa.” Hodaa (thanks – AlHaNissim) is not enough, for this isthe power of emuna. Hallel is alsoneeded – understanding and grasp ofElokus, “know the G-d of yourfather and serve Himwholeheartedly.”

(Igros Kodesh)

AN ALLUSION TOCHANUKA GELT

In the parsha that is always readduring Chanuka it talks a lot aboutgiving money: the money for thegrain in Egypt, the money that Yosefreturned to his brothers, the doublemoney the brothers took with themto Yosef, and the gifts Yosef gave thebrothers. This is an allusion to thecustom of giving Chanuka gelt.

DREIDELThe miracle of Chanuka was

when the few vanquished the manyand the weak defeated the strong,etc. Likewise, there are eight days ofChanuka, alluding to going beyondnature, which is symbolized by thenumber seven.

This is why we play dreidel onChanuka, because the dreidel cannotstand upright according to the lawsof nature, and as such it alludes to


Why is the menora litin the doorway?

Because the days ofChanuka are an

opening andbeginning for tthe

future Redemeption.

nature being transcended.

(said in the name of the talmidim of the BaalShem Tov)

AN AUSPICIOUS TIME TOASK FOR THE GEULA

On the verse, “He makes greatthe salvations (On Shabbos, etc.,He is a tower of salvations) of Hisking and bestows kindness upon

His anointed,” it is brought thatduring Chanuka the light of MelechHaMoshiach shines forth, whileafter Chanuka it dissipates. This iswhy, when you play dreidel, whichlooks like a tower, it’s a time to askHashem to make great thesalvations of His king and dochesed with Moshiach ben Dovid,who bears our many sins, so thathe will be “for Dovid and his

children forevermore.”

(Nachalas Yaakov)

AN OPENING ANDBEGINNING

The Sfas Emes of Ger said: Whyis the menora lit in the doorway?Because the days of Chanuka are anopening and beginning for thefuture Redemeption.


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DEBATEI was the youngest one sitting

there at the table – a first yearyeshiva ketana (mesivta) boy. It allbegan one lunch time in the diningroom of the Itri yeshiva in theTalpiot neighborhood ofYerushalayim.

The bachurim around the tablewere heatedly discussing the beliefsof “Chabadtzkers.” Their commentswere not complimentary but therewas one bachur there who was “a bitof a Chabadnik.” What does “a bit”

mean? His maternal grandfather a”hwas a well-known Chassid, but hisfather had sent him to a Litvisheyeshiva. This bachur sided withChabad in the conversation and thiswas reason enough for the debatewhich ensued.

“How could they put t’fillin on,in the street?”

“Why do they study Chassidusfor hours, instead of Gemara?”

As I said, I was young and so Ididn’t get involved in the debate.

Then the “bit of a Chabadnik” askedthe person debating him, “Maybe,instead of arguing, you would liketo see what Tanya is about?”

His opponent didn’t answer ofcourse because if he said, “no,” thatwould mean that technically, he lostthe debate. If he said “yes,” well thatsounded heretical. Of all people itwas me, who hadn’t participated inthe discussion, who piped up andsaid, “I’m interested in learningTanya!”

MEMOIRS

THE UNDERGROUND


Then that bachur – ShmuelFreiman was his name (a”h), and itis thanks to him that I began gettinginvolved with Chabad – said to me,“No problem. I will arrange achavrusa for you in Tanya.”

It was still forbidden to tell methat there was a weekly shiur inTanya in the yeshiva. They wouldonly tell me that a month later, onlyafter I had proven that I was seriousabout learning Tanya and wasn’t justan informer who would tattle to thehanhala about where and when the

shiur took place.

In the meantime all I was toldwas that there was a leader of theChassidishe underground at theyeshiva, a genius of a bachur, andthey confided his name to me,Dovid Kramer. He was the one whobegan learning Tanya with me. Atthat point I didn’t dream what I wasin for, what challenges… I justwanted to learn Tanya but that ledto changes and upheavals in everyaspect of my life.

During the break betweensessions in the afternoon, we satdown together in a corner of thebeis midrash (which is called a zalin Lubavitch) and began learningchapter one of Tanya. Kramer knewhow to make it interesting and Iagreed to come again, and again,and again.

It reached the point of no returnbecause afterwards they told mewhen the Tanya shiur took placeand they told me that there wereother bachurim in the yeshiva wholearned Tanya. If I wouldn’t tellanyone, they would tell me wherethe shiur took place, tomorrownight … (they changed the locationeach week because we could neverknow who saw and what he wouldhave waiting for us the followingweek).

TANYA SHIUR WITH R’BEREL SHUR A”H

He came every week, on a setday, quietly, carefully. I don’t knowwho told him where to go each timebut he came. It wasn’t easy.Sometimes he came and the shiurdid not take place. Sometimes theshiur began but didn’t end becausethey cut off our electricity fromoutside. Sometimes we learned bycandlelight to begin with.Sometimes we were ten boys andsometimes two. One time boyswaited for him at the entrance tothe yeshiva and yelled at him to getout and pelted him with tomatoes.

You have to understand theatmosphere of opposition thatprevailed in the yeshiva world atthat time. Officially, the rabbis inthe yeshivos could not opposelearning Tanya or Likkutei Torahbecause they are divrei Torah.Unofficially however, they let theirtalmidim know to stay away andavoid anything having to do withChabad or even remotely connectedwith Chabad.

They were eight bachurim from Litvishe homeswho were mekurav to Chassidus and alltransferred to Yeeshivas Tomchei T’mimim inKfar Chabad. Today, 25 years later, most ofthem are shluchim in Eretz Yissroel andabroad. * How did this happen? How did agroup of bachurim manage to change directiondespiite the strong opposition of the hanhala ofthe Litvishe yeshiva? How was the firstfarbrengen organiized and under whatconditions? Why did they run every morning toa mikva in an Arab village? Who wass theshliach who was hit with tomatoes? Why didthe Tanya class take place by candlelight if theeleectricity worked? * Rabbi YaakovShmuelevitz, shliach in Beit Shaan, answersthese question in a seriies of articles about hisyouth. * Presented for the month of Kislev, themonth of Hafatzas HaMaayanoos.

I remember that one time one ofthe bachurim donated two volumesof Likkutei Sichos to the yeshivalibrary l’ilui nishmas the RebbeRayatz. I was very happy to learn inthese s’farim for two or three daysbut then they disappeared. I figured

that the Misnagdishe zealots hadhidden them but didn’t have proof.A few days later I found the s’farimin a closet with fire extinguishingsupplies and they were soaking wet.

Greatly upset I took the ruineds’farim to the rosh yeshiva. I

expected him to investigate thematter but he merely said “sadly,”“Nu, now they can’t go back intothe library, it’s not respectful!” I wasquite frustrated.

I got permission from the bachurwho had donated them to take them


RABBI YAAKOV STEINBERGToday – a menahel of a Chabad Talmud Torah in

Yerushalayim

I particularly remember the farbrengens of thoseyears. We would go at night, after the learning seider,to a shul in a nearby neighborhood where we alsomade Mesibos Shabbos for the children of theneighborhood. We had the key to the shul and beganto farbreng. There was no budget for thesefarbrengens and so each of us would bring what wehad. We said l’chaim over wine we collected everyMotzaei Shabbos from what remained after Havdala.

I also remember the broadcasts. It was 5738 andthe Rebbe farbrenged every Motzaei Shabbos.Towards midnight we checked to see that nobody wasfollowing us and we took the last bus towardsYeshivas Toras Emes in order to hear the broadcasts.

We napped on benches as we waited for thebroadcast. When we finally heard the Rebbe’s voicewe were very excited. Afterwards, we waited for thefirst bus in order to return to yeshiva.

One time R’ Eliezer Lichtenstein (who was incharge of the broadcasts) realized what it took for usto be present at the broadcasts and he insisted ongiving us money for a taxi. From then on it was easierto go and listen to the broadcasts.

I remember that there was one shelf in yeshiva forsifrei Chassidus. At first there were only s’farim fromPoilishe Rebbeim like the Be’er Mayim Chayim, etc.,but little by little sifrei Chabad were added until theyneeded additional shelves.

Sometimes we walked to the Tzemach TzedekShul in the Old City on Shabbos, about an hour’swalk, in order to daven in the Chabad minyan and tobe at the farbrengen afterwards. Then we walkedback in order to be at yeshiva for Mincha so theywouldn’t realize where we had disappeared to.

RABBI SHLOMO BERKOWITZToday, a shliach in

Rosh Pina

I spent three yearsin the Chassidicunderground andplanned, as did myfriends, to switch tothe yeshiva in KfarChabad. Then therosh yeshiva, RabbiElifant, exertedpressure on me,“Continue with us

here and I will learn b’chavrusa with you … You canlearn Chassidus here too, just don’t leave.”

I agreed but at the end of Elul I went to the Rebbe(for Tishrei 5741) and there I realized that my ultimateplace was with Chabad. Boruch Hashem I merited tohave a yechidus and the Rebbe answered me:Regarding your learning in yeshiva, it says in ShulchanAruch Admur HaZakein that you should llearn whereyour heart desires … you just need to arrange for yourparents’ consent.

As soon as I arrived back in Eretz Yisroel, myparents said on their own, “Nu, now surely you’llcontinue in a Chabad yeshiva.”

After switching to a Chabad yeshiva I went to visitmy friends in the Litvishe yeshiva. I met my chavrusa,a serious bachur who was a yerei Shamayim. Hewhispered some good news to me: Baruch Hashem, Ihave attained the quality of anava (humility)! And hehad proof of this. There was a shiur klali given by hisrosh yeshiva and he had thought of an excellentquestion but restrained himself and didn’t ask it so asto remain humble.

I was reminded about the Chassidishe stories of theanav from Minsk and all the imaginary middos that arethe lot of all those who do not study Chassidus.

to my room. I learn in them till thisday. I have a special love for thewater-damaged crinkly pages.

It was in this atmosphere of fearand caution that the weekly Tanyashiur took place, underground andtop secret. For me this created amagical atmosphere that came from“stolen waters being sweet.” We hadto learn quietly so we wouldn’t beheard. Rabbi Berel Shur a”h spokequietly, with an accent that waspartly American and partly Russian,part ultra-refined, from anotherworld.

For us it was the highlight of ourweek, a moment of inspiration andhiskashrus to the Chassidicmovement. He was the shliach ofthe Rebbe but also the shliach ofliberated Chabad that was outsidethe underground. Each week wewaited for the secret, sweet,fascinating shiur.


At that point I didn’tdream what I was infor, what challenges…I just wanted to learnTanya but that led tochanges and upheavalsin every aspect of mylife.

Rabbi Shmuelevitz when he learned in the Litvishe yeshiva

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QUESTION:The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s

chassidim lecture to us that weshould not look upon these times as“is’chalta d’Geula,” but theypersonally have “progressed” evenfurther, saying that our times are

“the days of Moshiach,” and that intheir opinion, the Moshiach is theLubavitcher Rebbe, even afterGimmel Tammuz 5754. Therefore,before they tell us “Return thesplinter of wood between yourteeth,” we reply “Return the beam ofwood before your eyes.”

ANSWER:1. The fact that we are in “the

days of Moshiach” was notestablished by Lubavitcherchassidim, rather it was statedexplicitly by the Rebbe on numerousoccasions. The author of this bookpersonally received a letter in the

FOCUS

In response to requests by our readers, we nowpresent the twenty-sixth and final installmentin a seeries of questions and answers from theseifer Between Light and Darkness, RabbiSholom Dovber HaLevii Wolpo’s provocativenew guide for the perplexed regarding theestablishment regime in Eretz Yisroell todayand the tragic events they have brought uponthe Jewish People.

ACCORDING TOCHABAD CHASSIDIM,AREN’T WE ALREADY

IN ‘THE DAYS OFMOSHIACH’?

RABBI SHOLOM DOVBER HA’LEVI WOLPO

TRANSLATED BY MICHOEL LEIB DOBRY


Rebbe’s own handwriting on Yud-Alef Nissan 5751 where he writesthat we are already in the days ofMoshiach. Similarly, the Rebbe saidon Motzaei Yud-Tes Kislev 5752(Seifer HaSichos 5752, Vol. 1, p.173): “In these times of the days ofMoshiach in which we are now…,”and he expressed himself alongthese lines many times during 5751-5752.

2. The days of Moshiach areneither the Redemption nor is’chaltad’Geula, but the situation wherebyMoshiach is already here at the endof the time of the exile. Similarly,Moshe Rabbeinu came to Pharaohon G-d’s shlichus, and nevertheless,the oppression became moreintense. However, the fact was thatMoshe was already here and hadcome to redeem the Jewish People,and therefore, that period of timewas called ‘the days of Moshiach’ ofthe bondage in Egypt.

See Sfas Emes (Rosh HaShana11b), where he explains this matterat length, establishing that this isalso how things will be at theFuture Redemption. At thebeginning of that time period,Moshiach will already be here in amanner of “revealed and hidden,”and he will carry out his activitieswith the people of the generation,yet this will still be the time ofexile. Furthermore, only when hewill be revealed and will build theBeis HaMikdash and gather in theexiles of Israel will this mark theRedemption proper.

3. It is understood from all theaforementioned that there is nocontradiction between the fact thatwe are in the manifold darkness ofthe exile and the faith that withinthis darkness, Melech HaMoshiachis already here and on his way tobringing the Redemption. Inaddition, the Rebbe himself agreedwith the rabbinical p’sak din

(Shabbos Parshas Mishpatim 5751)that all the signs of “presumed tobe Moshiach” already exist in theMelech HaMoshiach of thegeneration, further adding (ShabbosParshas Toldos 5752) that theMoshiach of the generation isalready winning the wars of G-d ona number of fronts, e.g., the PersianGulf War that caused no harm tothe Jewish People, according to hiswell-known prophecy, and theemigration of Russian Jewry, asmentioned earlier. See the ErevSukkos 5766 article in Beis Moshiachwritten by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak

Meizlish, the Rebbe MH”M’s shliachin Mexico.

4. Furthermore, and this is themain thing, all this obviously has noconnection whatsoever to the falsemessianism of the medina, becausewe are in the days of Moshiach notdue to the medina, but in spite of it.

5. Regarding your suggestionthat Gimmel Tammuz is an apparentcontradiction to the faith of Chabadchassidim, I have already dealt withthis matter at length in the seiferV’Torah Y’vakshu M’fihu (primarilyCh. 6). I will not elaborate here as

that is not the subject of this seifer,and I don’t want anyone to get themistaken impression that this is myintention. It should prove sufficientif I say now that if people would tellyou that Moshe Rabbeinu has cometo redeem the Jewish People (“thefirst Redeemer is the lastRedeemer”), you would accept itplainly and joyfully, and youwouldn’t ask, “Didn’t Zayin Adarhappen thousands of years agoalready?” Furthermore, if they toldyou that Dovid HaMelech (“DovidMalka Meshicha”) had come to bringthe Redemption, you would happilyagree to this, and you wouldn’t ask,“Didn’t Shavuos take placethousands of years ago already?”

6. Therefore, we see clearly that“Dovid, King of Israel, is chaiv’kayam,” fulfilling his activitiesthrough his thousands of shluchimall over the world. Just as we haveseen until now that all of his wordsare true and just, and only he wascorrect in his interpretation of allthe events the Jewish People haveendured over the past severalgenerations, down to the last detail,both in general matters and in theprophecies he gave to hundreds ofthousands of private individuals,there can be no question that thisalso applies to his promise that theTrue Redemption of the JewishPeople is very close indeed, and itwill be fulfilled by the leader of theseventh generation of the Rebbeimof Chabad.

This too shall come to pass inthe very near future, when “theMerciful One will restore for us thefallen sukka of Dovid,” and thereshall be the realization of theRambam’s halachic ruling that “aking will arise from the House ofDovid,” etc., until the fulfillment ofthe criteria for “Moshiach vadai”(definitely Moshiach).

This obviously has noconnection

whatsoever to thefalse messianism ofthe medina, becausewe are inn the days ofMoshiach not due tothe medina, but in

spite of it.


Last year I participated in a family“Latkes Evening.” The event quicklyturned into a Chassidishe farbrengenand one of the cousins, a shlucha, toldus fascinating stories about herpersonal experiences of Chanuka 5752in Beis Chayeinu. This is what she toldus:

Being shluchim in a far flung areaof Eretz Yisroel, we felt, perhaps morethan ordinary Chassidim, the need totake a child or two along with us onour visits to the Rebbe MH”M. Thechildren also have a reservoir thatneeds filling up. This wasn’t alwayspractical, for financial reasons, but wealways made the effort.

For Kislev 5752 my daughter and Iwent to the Rebbe for Chanuka inhonor of my daughter’s bas mitzva. Wearrived at the beginning of Kislev.Moshiach fever was in the air.

We were pleasantly surprised tofind at least another ten girls and theirmothers, who also came to the Rebbefor their bas mitzva. Some of themwere from Eretz Yisroel and otherswere from France, London, etc. Mydaughter quickly made friends andthey formed a group and spent theirtime in 770 together. The expression“Chassidim are one family” was ourdaily reality.

It’s difficult to describe what we

experienced. We experiencedMoshiach and Geula, literally. We werefloating a bit off the floor. We spentmost of the day in 770 with davening,yechidus, dollars, shiurim,farbrengens, just talking with shluchosfrom around the world, and mivtzaim.

It was freezing outside but thatdidn’t stop us from waiting for theRebbe as he left for the mikva, hisreturn, when he went to the Ohel, etc.We didn’t miss an opportunity to seethe Rebbe and the Rebbe reciprocatedour love as well as giving lots and lotsof encouragement and chizuk. Thefeeling of “ashreinu – how fortunate weare” filled our very beings.

One day there was a yechidus forguests. We deliberated over whichyechidus to go to, the one for guestsor the one for bar and bas mitzvachildren. The sicha was longer for theguests but there were many moreguests. The sicha for bar/bas mitzvagroup was shorter but more personal.What should we do?

One of the secretaries solved theproblem by saying we should enter atthe beginning of the sicha for guestsand stand on the side and present theRebbe with a pidyon nefesh to receivea dollar at the end of the yechidus forthe bar/bas mitzva group. That’s whatwe did.

770 became our home. Weappeared rarely at our hostess’ hometo take care of material things whichno longer spoke to us or interested us.I think we forgot we were in Americawith all its comforts and felt we werein the Beis HaMikdash.

At a certain point the Rebbe askedthat people farbreng until Chanuka,Chanuka included. Ms. AriellaBenayoun took responsibility for thegashmius part of the farbrengen andthe bas mitzva girls helped her pourl’chaims and prepare the food. Therewas no need to go home for breakfastand they stayed in 770 from the givingout of tz’daka before Shacharis untilafter mincha-maariv.

* * *

Chanuka: There was the Menoralighting, the rally, and the round-the-world satellite. At the last minute weheard that the Rebbe would be givingChanuka gelt not only to children ofTzivos Hashem and their counselorslike in previous years, but toeverybody present. It was pouringoutside, but who felt it? We werethrilled.

We went on mivtzaim every day,sometimes to apartment houses withRussian immigrants (that made us feelat home) or to hospitals or stores indistant neighborhoods. We gave out

CHANUKA LIGHTSIN 770 AND

KENNEDY AIRPORT

CHANUKA STORY

Menoros, doughnuts, and Chanukagelt.

Each day we participated in theMenora lighting in the Rebbe’spresence in 770. Each additionalcandle reminded us that another dayhad passed and the trip home wassooner than ever. We felt somethinghad to happen. We heard the Rebbesay things like “the Days of Moshiach,in which we find ourselves right now.”We knew that if we had to returnhome it would only be temporary.

Shabbos Chanuka – who candescribe it? There were the t’fillos ofChanuka, the giluyim, an amazingfarbrengen and simcha that burst allboundaries. It was actually rightbefore sunset when we managed toextricate ourselves from 770.

That was that. It was over. Thedream was coming to an end and wehad to verify our flights, do someshopping and spend the remainingtime in the Rebbe’s four cubits. Thelast Menora lighting: We tried toabsorb the holy sights, to implantthem firmly in our memories.

Then came the surprising and

joyous news: the Rebbe was giving outChanuka gelt again to everyone! Aquick glance at the time told us thatour time was limited. The flight would

be leaving shortly but we wouldn’trelinquish this opportunity to receiveChanuka gelt from the Rebbe beforeour trip. Thousands would be passingby the Rebbe to receive Chanuka geltand then we would be over theAtlantic Ocean, bodily at least.

The news spread like wildfire. Wehappily stood in line with the hugecrowd that had been present for theMenora lighting. We could seebachurim on Kingston Avenuestanding in line for the phone to letpeople know to come and getChanuka gelt. Entire families burst outof cars, wrapped in coats, and joinedthe winding line outside.

The hands of my watch keptmoving. We hadn’t packed, hadn’t litthe Menora yet (not to mention sittingthere for half an hour). We triedpushing to the head of the line. Thereare people who are expert at gettingthemselves, their cousins, andneighbors to the head of the line; wewere well brought up and couldn’t dothat. The line got longer instead ofshorter and time was running out forus.

We finally got to the door of theshul. The person in charge therehad long since lost his patience. Aquick look at the watch on the armof the person standing on the toesof my right foot (I couldn’t look atmy own watch due to the crowding)told me that if I didn’t get in now,we were done for. We had to make achoice: either the flight or theChanuka gelt. Believe me, wewanted to see the Rebbe!

Finally, the man in charge heardmy plea. “If you are travelingtonight, show me your ticket! Howcan I believe that you are flyingtonight?”

There was just one problem.When we left the house in themorning, we didn’t dream that thiswould happen and we didn’t takeour tickets to 770. We begged and


Each additional candlereminded us thatanother day had

passed and the triphome was sooner thaneveer. We felt something

had to happen. Weheard the Rebbe say

things like “the Days ofMoshiach, in whiich we

find ourselves rightnow.” We knew that ifwe had to return home

it would only betemporary.

pushed and we were in.

We were enveloped in waves of warmth of k’dusha andactual warmth. There was vapor rising from the large crowdin their winter coats. The line moved and there we were,standing before the king for the last time on this trip. Someinstructions for my daughter: look carefully, remember tosay “a dank,” face the Rebbe, don’t turn your back, etc. Itried to order my knees not to buckle.

And then the moment came. The king...Chanukagelt…and shtuuuuup, we were outside. We tried to gatherour thoughts. Time was of the essence and there was anorder of priorities. First, we had to head to the house.Second, we had to light the Menora, pack, get into the carand pass by 770 in order to catch one last look for nowand head for the airport.

* * *

We arrived home. All the Menoros of our hosts werealready in use. What should we do? Our host said we hadfulfilled our obligation with the lighting in 770. There wasno time to ask a rav, no time to look for another Menora.There was no time!

Is this how we would conclude a visit so suffused withruchnius to the Rebbe? With a doubt about whether wehad proper fulfilled the Mitzva? Would we leave withoutlighting? We felt that the Satan wanted to ruin theconclusion of our trip. Would we let him? But we had nooptions and with the “heter” from our host we got ready toleave.

Our hearts were heavy. We tried to calculate when wewould be arriving in Eretz Yisroel and whether we could

still light there without a bracha. No. Deep in our hearts wefelt this wasn’t right. “Everything follows the conclusion”and what sort of conclusion was this?

We arrived at Kennedy airport which is like a small citywith its own atmosphere and got caught up with the carts,checking-in, showing our papers, our luggage, etc. Hugsand kisses for our dear ones and we went upstairs.

I kept on telling my daughter how uncomfortable I feltabout not having lit the Menora. She tried to calm medown but it continued to bother me. I had had nointention of fulfilling my obligation with the Menoralighting in 770 since on the other nights we had lit withour hosts. None of the duty-free shops beckoned to me. Iwas lost in thought.

Suddenly my daughter tugged on my sleeve and said,“Ima, look over there!” I turned and saw a large table withmany T’mimim standing around it. T’mimim on mivtzaim!With piles of doughnuts and Menoros and matches andcandles!

Hooray! I had never appreciated this precious mivtza asI did then. There were years that we ourselves had doneMivtza Chanuka and I had tasted mivtzaim from theperspective of the giver. I had felt satisfaction, simcha,maybe a bit of yeshus. Now I was on the other side of thefence, which is rare for a shliach.

I sighed with relief and said the brachos. So much lightand warmth spread out from the Menoros there. I knewthat the Rebbe MH”M was accompanying us even as wewere boarding the plane, materially and spiritually! TheRebbe doesn’t allow any Jew to miss lighting the Menora onChanuka, not even us!


Menora lighting and dancing at the Chabad standat Kennedy Airport


THE HIJACKING“The Lubavitchers hijacked a

plane with Mivtza Chanuka” – thatis how the newspaper Maariv beganits report on Mivtza Chanuka 5733.The article went on to say, “Twoplanes of the Arkia Airline that flewa domestic flight (within Israel)were ‘hijacked’ this past weekendby Chabad Chassidim. The planes,with dozens of soldiers on board,were taken to their posts by theChabad Chassidim after an original‘hijacking’ operation. One of theChassidim announced over theplane’s loudspeaker: ‘Dearpassengers, the plane has beenhijacked. We ask you to sit quietlyand please listen to orders given bythe hijackers.

“The hijackers also managed,despite heavy security at theairport, to smuggle in ‘explosive’material in the form of t’fillin andbottles of vodka. During the flightthe Chassidim spoke aboutChanuka and sang Chanuka songsand Chabad niggunim.

“When the plane arrived inRefidim, it was returned to thearmy. When the passengers left theplane, they were swept up in aChassidic dance at the airport, tothe amazement of all those waitingto return with the plane to Lud.”

MIVTZA CHANUKA

WHEN CHABADNIKS‘HIJACKED’ A PLANE

PREPARED FOR PRINT BY SHNEUR ZALMAN BERGER

PHOTOS BY MICHOEL FREIDIN

Chanuka 1972. About 130 Chassidim lefttheir homes for three days and went to bringlight and the jooy of Chanuka to dozens ofbases and strongholds on the banks of theSuez Canal. * The campaign – inccludingMenoros and doughnuts as well as anaccompanying cameraman – was financedentirely by the Rebbbe MH”M! * Rabbi LipaKurzweil, one of the organizers of the mivtza,gave Beis Moshiach an album of MivtzaChanuka 5733. We present some picturesfrom this historic-Chassidic album.

The newspaperYediot Acharonottells about Mivtza

Chanuka


THREE DAYS AWAYFROM HOME

Motzaei Shabbos, eve of 24Kislev 5766. The home of RabbiLipa Kurtzweil in the center ofNachalas Har Chabad, looks like awar room. He has endless lists ofgroups of men and T’mimim whomhe mobilized for Mivtza Chanukaamongst the IDF soldiers. The workbegins at the bases near KiryatMalachi and extends till the border

with Egypt.

R’ Kurtzweil found the time toopen the album Mivtza Chanuka5733, which he helped organize andhis eyes sparkle. Our conversationwas constantly interrupted byringing phones; men and T’mimimfinalize the arrangements for goingout on Mivtza Chanuka 5766 whichwas beginning in less than 24hours. In between conversations, R’Kurtzweil tried to remember the

details of the Chanuka campaign onthe Sinai Peninsula, 33 years ago:

“Today we go out for a fewhours and return home. Backthen…we didn’t see our homes for

Dancing upon landing in Refidim

three days! Most of the people wereyoung men with large families. Weleft our wives and children alone onChanuka because the Rebbe said tolight the Menora and to put ont’fillin with soldiers on the bordersof Eretz Yisroel.

“Mivtza Chanuka in 5733 wasdone with IDF soldiers throughoutthe country but the largestcampaign of all took place in theSinai Peninsula. R’ Nachum Cohen(then) of Tzach was the one whotook charge of the campaign,liaising with the army, preparing theMenoros, candles, doughnuts, pairsof t’fillin, etc.

“The mivtza began when about130 men, most of them fromNachalas Har Chabad, boarded themilitary plane at the airport in Lud.After a short flight we landed at themilitary airport at the military campin Refidim in the Sinai Peninsula.Within a short time, together withsome military advisors I haddivided all the men into smallgroups and they continued inmilitary vehicles to bases andoutposts scattered over a large area.

“Each group had a specific routeso that at the end of the campaignnot one base or stronghold on thebanks of the Suez Canal wouldremain unvisited by theChabadnikim. Wherever we wentwe distributed Menoros and candlesalong with doughnuts. If we camein the daytime we put t’fillin onwith the soldiers.

“A special mivtza took place inwhich any soldier who committedto putting on t’fillin, received a giftof a pair of t’fillin! At night we litthe Menora with the soldiers andbrought lots of simcha and dancing,singing, and the saying of l’chaim.

“It happened more than oncethat when we lit the Menora anddanced around it, the ‘pirsumei nisa’(publicizing the miracle) was seen

across the border. The Egyptiansoldiers watched in incredulity.They weren’t used to such sights.

“The army helped us in everyway. They took us from place toplace and supplied us withvegetables, which was our main diet

for three days. The soldiers werevery happy that we came andnobody refused to put on t’fillin orto light the Menora.

“Each evening, each group ranan Evening with Chabad withChabad niggunim, discussion about


R’ Moshe Goldschmid putting t’fillin on with soldiers

R’ Dovid Nachshon pouring l’chaim

the significance of the holiday, etc.When the opportunity presenteditself, several Evenings with Chabadwere done on one night.

“The soldiers’ joy wasindescribable. They were away fromhome for months and were in themiddle of nowhere, and they werethinking about Chanuka at homewith their families when suddenlyin came a group of Chassidim whobrought with them the joy ofChanuka.

“The funds for this mivtza –from start to finish, includingperipheral expenses (such as aphotographer) – came from theRebbe!”

THE REPORTSIN THE PAPERS

In the Leftist paper Davar theydescribed Mivtza Chanuka 5733 ina special report on Wednesday, 1Teives: Chanuka invasion of ChabadChassidim on the militarystrongholds along the ceasefirelines.”

The article said, “Accompaniedby planes, an armored vehicle, half-tracks and other combat vehiclesthe Chabad Chassidim invaded theSuez Canal, Golan Heights, andJordan Valley yesterday and two

days ago. The Chassidim broughtlots of ammunition with them,including 4000 “doughnut bombs,”and 300 “Molotov cocktails” full ofvodka. They were also equippedwith “secret weapons” – dozens ofpairs of t’fillin for the soldiers for

Chanuka.

“Chabad Chassidim set out ontheir invasion in the three sectorsaccording to specific orders by theLubavitcher Rebbe to visit IDFsoldiers on Chanuka. Preparations


R’ Menasheh Chadad (right) with R’ Binyamin Mizrachion Mivtza T’fillin

R’ Yechezkel Sofer (right) wwith R’ Dovid Nachshon and a soldier

Dancing before boarding the plane

The newspaper Davar reports about the “invasion”

for the mivtza were made carefullyand efficiently and each soldierreceived a doughnut and a smallcup of vodka. The amount preparedsufficed for the thousands ofsoldiers whom the Lubavitchersvisited.

“The great privilege of invadingthe Golan Heights fell this year tothe Chabad Chassidim of KfarChabad who left the Kfar at dawnwith three large forces and whenthey arrived in the Golan Heightsthey were divided into 12 unitswhich dispersed the length of theborder and visited every singleoutpost.

“The Chassidim stayed at theoutposts throughout the day andtaught the soldiers how to put ont’fillin and served them doughnuts,

mashke and other treats. Inaddition, there were seven Eveningswith Chabad at various units inwhich the Menora was lit and a talkdelivered about the significance ofthe holiday. The Chabad emissariessang and danced together with thesoldiers and the atmosphere wasuplifting.

“The Chassidim of Nachalas HarChabad in Kiryat Malachi went tothe Sinai on a special plane that wasprovided for them by the army. Thisgroup also dispersed into smallsquads that went to every outpostand camp. Thus the soldiers of theSinai also put on t’fillin and haddoughnuts and vodka.

“Forty Lubavitchers fromYerushalayim went to the JordanValley and dispersed to outposts

and did similar work.

“In addition, groups ofLubavitchers visited army bases inthe center of the country uponexplicit orders from the LubavitcherRebbe. Chabad women worked hardfor days to prepare the doughnutsand other treats and joyfullyaccompanied their husbands whowent to bring joy to the soldiers asper the Rebbe’s command.

“The Chanuka invasion wasorganized by a special committeethat was formed in Kfar Chabad.The soldiers welcomed theChassidim joyfully and gratefullyand asked them to convey theirthanks to the Rebbe. Tzach left agift at every outpost: a picture of anIsraeli soldier putting on t’fillin.”


Joyous dancing at an outpost on the southeast edge of the SinaiPeninsula. From right to left: R’ Meeir Lerer, R’ Lipa Kurtzweil,

R’ Yechezkel Sofer

An Evening with ChabadFrom right to left: R’ Lipa Kurtzweil, R’ Zalman Abelski, R’

Yechezkel Sofer, R’ Ben-Tzion Lipsker

www.MoshiachForKids.comCheck i t out!! Educational and Fun!!

27

As in all Chabad yeshivos, everyFriday bachurim from Yeshivas TorasEmes in Yerushalayim go out witht’fillin to enable people to do themitzva. Army bases are given specialattention primarily because of theimportance the Rebbe accorded theIDF soldiers for protecting our land.The Rebbe said that when soldiers puton t’fillin it is a segula for protectionand he would quote the verse,“because the name of Hashem is calledupon you, they will fear you.”

A.N. is a talmid in Yeshivas TorasEmes. Every Friday, he and his friendsgo to the Chevron area and visit thearmy posts and bases of which thereare many. Wherever they go theyimpart a spirit of hope and faith andthe soldiers respond with smiles and awillingness to put on t’fillin.

One Friday, at the end of asuccessful mivtzaim outing in thecourse of which many people put ont’fillin, A. and his friends returned toyeshiva. One bachur suddenly shoutedthat his t’fillin were missing. Theymanaged to stop the driver who hadbrought them and searched his cab butdid not find the t’fillin.

The bachur wracked his brains,wondering where he had last seenthem. He quickly made phone calls tothe bases in order to try and locate hist’fillin. That Shabbos he couldn’t helpbut worry about his missing t’fillin andwondered how he would replace suchexpensive items if he didn’t find them.

He continued looking on Sundaybut did not find his t’fillin. Althoughhe still retained the hope that theywould turn up, at times he picturedhimself asking people for help as hecollected money for new t’fillin.

The next Friday the bachurim went

to the army bases once again. TheTamim took someone else’s t’fillin forthe day. When he got to his usual basean interesting surprise awaited him.No, his t’fillin weren’t located yet, butthe watchman who stood in theentrance greeted them with more thanhis usual warmth.

“I’ve been waiting for you allweek,” said the soldier. “Come to myroom and I will tell you whathappened.

“I do not come from a religiousbackground and mitzva observance

wasn’t required of me, certainly not adaily mitzva like t’fillin. If not for therabbi who prepared me for my barmitzva, I wouldn’t keep it but this ravknocked it into my head that t’fillin isespecially important and is comparableto all the mitzvos.

“I absorbed his message and when Ibecame bar mitzva, like all my friendsI began putting on t’fillin. Unlike myfriends however, who put on t’fillin fora short while and then stopped, I stuckto it. From the day I became barmitzva I didn’t miss a day. Even if it

happened that I wasn’t sure aboutputting on t’fillin on a holiday, I wasstringent and put on t’fillin.

“Last week we had the weekend offafter exhausting work in this area. Iplanned on relaxing. I headed forhome and everything was fine until thecommander of the base ‘caught’ me.‘Yoram,’ he said to me, ‘I need you atthe base this Shabbat and I’llcompensate you with another Shabbat.’

“I quickly realized he wasn’t jokingand this was an order. Before I coulddigest the news, he said, ‘Be readybecause a jeep will be there in half anhour to bring you back to the base.’

“Half an hour later the jeep cameand took me to the base. I was sotaken aback by this turn of events thatwhen I arrived at the base I realized Ihad forgotten my t’fillin behind, but itwas too late. I was devastated. Notonly was I pulled away from myvacation but I didn’t have my t’fillin.

“In my anger and frustration Iturned to heaven and spoke directly toG-d. ‘Hashem,’ I said, ‘I am notreligious and I don’t observe mitzvos,but there is one mitzva that I keep,t’fillin. If the fact that I’ve been puttingon t’fillin for years is truly important toYou, then provide me with areplacement.’ That’s what I said to G-d,from my heart and I felt like a rockhad rolled off my heart.

“I headed towards my barrack andthere, as I opened the door, was a sightI could not believe. I recoiled andpinched myself to make sure I wasn’thallucinating. On the table weret’fillin!”

The T’mimim listened to thesoldier’s story. They all knew whoseLubavitcher t’fillin they were.

STORY

I was so taken abackby this turn of eventsthat when I arrived atthe base I realized I

had forgotteen myt’fillin behind, but itwas too late. I was

devastated.

PUT TO GOOD USEBY ELI SHNEURI

Issue Number 581 - BEIS MOSHIACH

28

DEBASED GOVERNMENTOnce again we see how

despicable our government leadersare who are supposedly there todefend us. The farce of a ceasefiredidn’t last for even a day. Themissiles keep flying (17 Kassamrockets since the ceasefire onNovember 26 through December 6)but the Security Cabinet decided, inopposition to the position of themilitary leadership and even theDefense Minister, to react withrestraint and not take action to stopterrorists about to launch rocketstowards Israel nor to strike back atthem immediately thereafter.

Defense Minister Amir Peretz andPublic Security Minister Avi Dichterboth argued that Israel is obligatedto protect its citizens from rocketfire. They were overruled, however,by PM Olmert and Foreign MinisterTzippi Livni, who asserted that thereare “other considerations.”

Restraint means giving the enemya break, giving them relief from thelong arm of our defense forces,which, prior to the ceasefire, waspoised for a massive militaryoperation. The ceasefire enablesthem to bring even more weaponsinto the Gaza Strip under the

SHLEIMUS HA’ARETZ

DESTRUCTIVEDIPLOMACY AND

SPURIOUS SECURITYBY SHAI GEFEN


protection of the State of Israel.

This is a crime taking place inbroad daylight! Olmert says he willnot react so that the world won’t sayhe broke the ceasefire agreement. Noone can dispute the fact that theceasefire didn’t last an hour, but thisman wants to show the world howwonderful he is.

The significance of his decision isthat more Jews will die, Heavenforbid. It’s clear to all that as long asaction is not taken in the Gaza Strip,our security is in jeopardy. This isnot about a local threat but anexistential threat to the State ofIsrael.

The present government has lostits legitimacy. It is a government towhom Jewish blood is cheap, agovernment which crossed the redline long ago. How can oneunderstand a government that puts“other considerations” ahead of thelives of its citizens!

Those who think the situationwill change are right; it will changefor the worse. The Arabs continueconquering Eretz Yisroel inch byinch. They have achieved a balanceof power in which we fear themmore than they fear us. They look atus with disdain and know that eachtime they decide that things are notin their favor they can cry and askfor a ceasefire and we’ll crawl on allfours and give it to them. Theyknow us well.

In the past, Sharon sentOperation Defensive Shield toeradicate terrorists from Yehuda-Shomron. Today, the government isafraid of taking action like that,which would stop the establishmentof the largest terror center in theMiddle East.

We constantly witness the debatebetween the political and militaryechelons. Those in Security warn of

the repercussions of a ceasefire whilethe politicians opt for diplomacyover the security of the lives of theircitizens.

CEASEFIRE BECAUSE OFLACK OF EMUNA

Why is this happening? Whatmakes a government abandon itspeople and prefer an imaginary andtemporary quiet?

During the War of Attrition,Egypt asked for a ceasefire and theRebbe warned and called upon Israelnot to make the terrible mistake thatturned out to be a serious strategicerror when, in the Yom Kippur War,Israeli warplanes were unable tocross over the Suez Canal withouttaking missile fire. The Rebbeanalyzed the situation and explainedwhy the Arabs had suddenly becomepeace-seekers and wanted a ceasefireand why Israel agreed. Since ourown government has unfortunatelyagreed to a ceasefire, the Rebbe’ssicha takes on new meaning:

Now (three years later) the Arabshave suddenly agreed to make apeace agreement and they make tthisconditional on a three-monthceasefire. Anybody with some senserealizes that the reason the Araabswant a ceasefire is not because theycannot speak of peace when there iskilling, because until nnow theyspoke about peace even during war.

The reason they want a ceasefireis very simple. Until noow, Egypt wasunable to rebuild the devastatedareas along the Suez Canal andcouldn’t bring in weapoons sinceIsrael bombed it nonstop. But now,the moment there is a ceasefire – forthen they are stilll prior to anysigning and they are not obligated inpeace – they will immediately beginrebuilding..

It is completely

incomprehensible. How does Israelagree to something like this whenthe Arabs are not interested in peaceat all! If they were interested inpeace they would sign a peaceagreement within 24 hours. What dothey need a ceasefire for? The onlyreason they want a ceasefire is torebuiild the devastation andtherefore, all the dead and money gofor naught! It’s completely illogical!

Israel claims there is nothing toworry about since they will sendoverseers there to supervise so thaatduring the ceasefire Egypt will not


Defense MinisterAmir Peretz andPublic SecurityMinister Avi Dichterboth argued thatIsrael is oblligated toprotect its citizensfrom rocket fire. Theywere overruled,however, by PMOlmert and ForeeignMinister Tzippi Livni,who asserted thatthere are “otherconsiderations.”


build nor bring in weapons. But we allknow what happened in 1956 whenfour countries signed and promisedthat they were responsible for peaceon the border and even sent overseersthere: the moment thhat Nasser merelyhinted to them that they were nolonger wanted, they fled.

Furthermore, a few weekks ago, aUN representative went to speak toEgypt about peace. They knew thathe came to speak aboutt peace butthey murdered him nonetheless.From all these stories we see clearlythat Egypt does not and will nothonor any agreement and promise ofa ceasefire and the like.

In addition to all this, iit’s quiteobvious that this ceasefire is adiversion, since at this time Nasserwants to build and bbring weapons inthrough the Suez Canal. Now, theweapons that were bought from anddelivered by the French andRussians are in Libya and waiting tobe delivered. They wait only for themoment when Israel stops bombingand then they can send all theweapons and begin building there.

Does Israel reallly not know thatthe ceasefire is utterly illogical and isa game of the Egyptians? Israelcertainlyy knows and understandsthis. The problem is that Israel isafraid of saying this to “goodfriends” –– the US. Even though inthe US they understand how illogicalit is, and even though in Israel theyknow that the Americans think so,they are still afraid to say it to them.

The reason that they are aafraid tosay the outright truth to the goyim isthey lack emuna in Hashem, theCreator of the world. Even thoughHashem openly showed, “see thatthey have no more strength,” insofaras Israel was miraaculously victoriousin the Six Day War and the War ofIndependence, they still do notbelieve in Hasshem.

(Sicha Shabbos Parshas Mattos-Massei 5730).

WHERE ARE THE LEADERS?Every week there are people

demonstrating outside the home ofthe Commander General of CentralCommand Yair Naveh, who issued19 restraining orders to settlers,forcing them to evacuate their homesin Yehuda-Shomron without a trial.These are fathers of young childrenwho have been expelled from theirhomes and nobody speaks up inprotest. This is what is going onwhile the really serious securityproblems are only getting moreserious.

Recently, flyers have beendistributed among Chareidimpromoting an insurance programcalled Areivim designed to

financially protect families thatexperience a tragedy, G-d forbid.The question is, where is our mutualareivut (sense of responsibility)?Why don’t we hear rabbis protestingwhen Jews are cruelly expelled fromtheir homes so that these Jews won’tinterfere with the ongoingexpulsions planned from Yehuda-Shomron? Unfortunately, we lost ourmutal areivut long ago. We didn’tnotice mutual areivut when GushKatif was destroyed.

We don’t see mutual areivut asthousands of expellees are livingunder difficult conditions, as theirfinancial-emotional-familial situationcontinues to deteriorate. We recentlyheard reports that the caravillas in

Nitzan have begun to fall apart inthe wind and rain.

The more “mercy” andconcessions to terror that we see, thegreater the hatred towards thesettlers. It seems that we can’t go anylower and from now on we will onlyrise up towards the Geula and theeradication of evil.

THE ISRAELI POLICE ANDONE CRIMINAL

In previous columns I wroteabout failures on the part of themilitary in the war in Lebanon. Thearmy was busy for a year, preparingfor the expulsion of Jews while itneglected all military training. Thehumiliation of the IDF this summerwas apparent to all and showed howweak the army really is.

In recent weeks we see the failureof the Israeli police as it franticallytries to locate one escaped criminal.A policeman interviewed by one ofthe newspapers said it’s anembarrassment to wear a policeuniform since the public now looksdown its nose at policemen.

The escape of this convictrevealed what we knew for a longtime, how rotten the security, legaland police systems are. One of thenews items publicized in Kol Yisroelsaid that Police Chief Karadi heardabout the escaped dangerous convictas he sat in a café in Tel Aviv and hecontinued to sit there as thoughnothing had happened.

The Israeli police force, some ofwhom are facing criminal charges forbeating demonstrators, has provenitself to be greatly adept at expellingpeople from their homes, cruellybeating innocent people in Amona,and in dismantling outposts. Yetwhen it comes to carrying out theirreal jobs, like catching criminals,they don’t do nearly as well.

It’s amazing to see how in the

Unfortunately, welost our mutal areivut

long ago. We didn’tnotice mutual areivutwhen Gush Katif wwas

destroyed.


past year, since the Disengagement,the three entities which did the mostto perpetrate the expulsion havebeen exposed for their corruption:the legal sector, the police, and thearmy. One can see that the siyatad’Shmaya which accompanied thesesectors has disappeared. The Israelipolice was capable of stoppingthousands of demonstrators andturning innocent citizens intocriminals, and now cannot manageto locate an escaped convict.

THE SPEECH AT THEGRAVESITE OF DAVID BEN

GURIONIn an address to the nation,

Olmert has promised more land andconcessions to the Arabs. Hepromised to release many prisonersas well as many surprises, the mainthing being that they agree to aceasefire.

Clearly, this speech was adesperate attempt at politicalsurvival by a prime minister who hasfailed in every area, who hasdemonstrated weakness andhumiliation, and an inability to doanything. In order to gain the statusof a statesman like Ben Gurion,Olmert chose to deliver hisconciliatory speech at the gravesiteof the man who spoke quitedifferently than Olmert. It would beworthwhile for those who rewritehistory and the speechwriters of theprime minister to listen to thosewords.

There were days when evenZionist leaders, despite their faults,knew how to speak like Jews.However, those who abandon theTorah way of life ultimately abandonplain logic and our current leadersspeak worse than the leaders ofother nations.

“No Jew is at liberty to surrenderthe right of the Jewish Nation and theLand of Israel to exist. No Jewish bodyis sanctioned to do so. Even all the Jewsalive today have no authority to yieldany piece of land whatsoever. This rightis reserved to the Jewish Peoplethroughout the generations. This rightcannot be forfeited under anycircumstances. Even if at some giventime there will be those who declarethat they are relinquishing this right,they have neither the power nor theauthority to negate it for futuregenerations. The Jewish Nation isneither obligated by nor responsible forany such waiver. Our right to this land,in its entirety, is enduring and eternal.And until the coming of theRedemption, we shall never yield thishistoric right.”

––David Ben-Gurion, speech to the 21st ZionistCongress, Basel 1937

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I would like to extend a heartyShalom Aleichem to all those Shluchimand visitors who have come to join uson this auspicious occasion from allover Europe, Eretz HaKodesh, Canada,and USA, who all wish to help ensurethat we complete the task that theRebbe Melech HaMoshiach Shlita hasgiven to each and every one of us to beMekabel P’nei Moshiach Tzidkeinu.May the Hisgalus take place MamashNOW!

Therefore, first and foremost, theremust be a verbal proclamation andoutcry, with great joy of “Yechi AdoneinuMoreinu V’Rabbeinu Melech HaMoshiachL’olam Va’ed!” It is vitally important thatthis proclamation be heard at everyopportunity, penetrating every locationin every corner, particularly onoccasions as is customarily done in 770,e.g., after davening, Krias HaTorah, etc.

Thus, it is also very important toencourage other Jews to say “Yechi,”even if we are not certain that theyunderstand or feel what they are saying.It is especially appropriate that when wehelp a Jew to put on t’fillin that heshould say “Yechi” after the Krias Shma,using t’fillin pamphlets with “Yechi”printed on them as part of the text, justas we add “Hareini Mekabel” and “AchTzaddikim,” in accordance with theinstructions of the Rebbe MH”M Shlita.

Above all, according to the simple

interpretation of “Yechi HaMelech” inTanach (as explained in the sicha of BeisNissan 5748), this proclamation mustspecifically establish the recognition ofMelech HaMoshiach, and the fact that“we are his people and his flock.” Thisis “the revelation of the essentialexistence of Melech HaMoshiach”(sicha, Shabbos Parshas Toldos 5752).

Through this proclamation, weaccept his complete and totalsovereignty upon us to fulfil his willand his instructions in every detail. This

proclamation is an expression of theultimate bittul of our essence, ourbeing, and our very lives to him, andour readiness to give and sacrificeeverything for the Rebbe MH”M Shlita.As a result, we naturally initiate evenpersonal decisions on how to carry outthe fulfilment of his holy instructions,down to the letter.

In addition, this proclamation evenincludes our fervent wish, request, andprayer for his eternal life and his eternalsuccess in a clear and evident manner,

MOSHIACH

PREPARED TOSACRIFICE EVERYTHING

FOR MOSHIACHSPEECH OF RABBI CHAIM YITZCHOK COHEN TO THE 7th EUROPEAN MOSHIACH CONGRESS

Rabbi Sholom Ber Kalmanson speaking at the Moshiach Congress


revealed for all to see in its simplestinterpretation, immediately, mamash,now. Furthermore, we ask (G-d Alm-ghty and even more specifically) MelechHaMoshiach that he should come andreveal himself, as in words of the pasuk,“And they requested Hashem, their G-d,and (not only this, but morespecifically) Dovid, their king” – “this isMelech HaMoshiach, and they shallmake their request of him, for he willrule over them.” Thus, in fact, the callhas its effect!

Clearly, when we fully comprehendthe meaning of “Yechi Adoneinu” andthe effect that it possesses, when wecontemplate more about thisproclamation and “establishment offact” regarding the essence of theexistence of Melech HaMoshiach, thecrowning of the king, and theacceptance of his sovereignty with a fullheart, then all this will certainly add tothe fact that “his entire existence and hisentire life is devoted to the leader of thegeneration, the Final Redeemer, whoseentire purpose is to bring the days ofMoshiach.” Thus, the main thing is thatthe proclamation will have its effect.

This is particular so when the RebbeShlita looks with anticipation upon eachand every one of us to see what we aredoing with “the only thing that remainsin the work of shlichus – to greetMoshiach Tzidkeinu in actual deed.” Inthis light, it is appropriate toreemphasize that the Rebbe himselfstresses that this is not a reference to themost important “detail” or the “mostimportant principle” or even “the mainthing.” This refers to “the only thing

that remains in the work of shlichus,”and therefore, everything, literallyeverything, must be instilled with thisknowledge. Furthermore, if “nisht farkeinem gedacht” (may G-d help us), weare involved in something else, as vitallyimportant a matter as it may be – this isnot our task, this is not what we havebeen commanded, this is not how wefulfil the Rebbe’s will!

Therefore, it is important that

everything we want, understand, feel,think, speak, and do – will be instilledwith this concept in a revealed sense.

Above all, the proclamation musthave its desired effect, and we will seeour king, our Moshiach Shlita in itssimplest sense, revealed before our flesheyes, literally standing to redeem usimmediately with the true and completeRedemption, mamash, mamash,

mamash.

Just as we were told to dance andrejoice on Simchas Torah 5738 and weproclaimed “der Rebbe is gezunt” evenbefore we saw him completely well, andit was this conduct which led to hiscomplete recovery which we celebrateon Rosh Chodesh Kislev. Just as wewere told to dance and proclaim “DidanNatzach” even before the final victoryand the s’farim were still in “captivity,”and it was the proclaiming, dancing,and singing, despite the apparentsituation, which led to the redemptionof the s’farim when the Court made itsdecision on 25th MarCheshvan and thes’farim were returned on Beis Kislev.

So too, by proclaiming, singing anddancing, without acknowledging galus– on the contrary by “living” withMoshiach and geula, “breathing” it andlooking for it everywhere – we willmerit the final Geula. I therefore callupon each and everyone of you tostrengthen your personal connectionwith the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiachShlita, to follow his directive andcommands, hearken to and accept hisadvice, and believe in and publicise hisprophecies including the foremostprophecy (“ which is certain”) of“Behold, Melech HaMoshiach iscoming” immediately.

And before the end of this Congresswe should all merit the Hisgalus of theRebbe Melech HaMoshiach immediatelyNOW!

Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu V’Rabbeinu MelechHaMoshiach L’olam Va’ed!

This proclamation isan expression of theultimate bittul of our

essence, our being, andour very lives to him,and our readiness to

give and sacrificeeverything for the

Rebbe MH”M Shlita.

ADD IN ACTSOF GOODNESS & KINDNESSTO BRING MOSHIACH NOW!


The ten-year-old soldier in TzivosHashem, Menachem MendelGinsburgh a’h, shliach in Ramat Avivand son of Rabbi Yossi Ginsburghand Nechama Dina, passed awayafter a tragic accident. Mendy wasreturning home from yeshiva by bikeafter Maariv. He waited for a greenlight on a traffic island and waswearing a helmet, however, his bikestuck out into the street and a car hitthe wheel and Mendy sustained afatal head injury.

The Shabbos following thefuneral, the community in RamatAviv gathered to eat together. Duringthe week there were also gatheringsin which decisions were made todedicate various projects in Mendy’smemory.

“Mendy was a shliach throughand through,” people said. “He wasborn a year after his parents went onshlichus and he lived and breathedshlichus 24 hours a day.”

Mutty Ayalon, a resident of RamatAviv, who sometimes visits theyeshiva, said that when he hadpicked his Dalet minim in yeshiva,Mendy asked him why he didn’t buya Calabrian esrog. “What’s aCalabrian esrog,” Mutty asked.Mendy explained at length and triedto convince him to buy one.

“During a seminar in the JudeanDesert,” said actor Amnon Abutbal,“we went together to immerse in the

Dead Sea. On the way I askedMendy, ‘What do you want to bewhen you grow up?’

“Mendy didn’t answer right away.After thinking a bit he saidconfidently, ‘When I grow up I willchange the world.’”

Mendy felt like a shliach in hisTalmud Torah. He always helped hisfriends with their studies. “When wegot work sheets,” said his friends,“we would gather around Mendy andhe would dictate the answers and wewould write them down.”

“A boy came to our school whoneeded chizuk and kiruv,” relatedone of Mendy’s close friends. “Mendyand I took him in hand and tried tobe mashpia on him but after a whilethe boy stopped cooperating andwent back to his bad ways. I calledMendy and told him that I quit andsuggested that he stop putting inefforts into this boy. The next dayMendy came over to me and said, ‘Itsays, “Those who sow with tears willreap with joy.” You should know thatif you continue and don’t give up, Ipromise you that in the end you willsucceed in being mashpia on himand you’ll eventually take pride…’”

From a young age Mendyaccompanied his father to shul.People regularly saw Mendy sittingnext to his father and finishing theentire Tehillim on ShabbosMevarchim. On Yom Kippur Mendy

davened with his father in the tentthat was set up for the residents ofRamat Aviv Gimmel. After thedavening, Rav Yossi gave a shiur foran hour and a half and Mendy satthere the entire time saying T’hillim.At the end of the shiur, his fatherwent home, but Mendy stayed onlonger to say T’hillim. Mendy wasnearly alone in the huge tent and theair conditioners were working fullblast. “It’s like 770,” he said.

Mendy was born on 18 Adar andhe was a child full of chayus andsimcha with a perpetual smile. Heloved to sing happy songs andcantorial pieces and his favorite timewas when niggunim are sungShabbos afternoon. Each Shabbos hesat with the talmidim of the yeshivaand sang with d’veikus.

Mendy had asked for a bicycle forsome time and only recently hadaccumulated enough money to buyone. The condition was that hedaven Maariv with a minyan. Indeed,since the bicycle was purchasedhardly a day went by that he didn’tdaven Maariv with a minyan.

Rabbi Boaz Segal, principal of theChabad Talmud Torah in Tel Aviv,where Mendy learned, spoke about amature boy, talented, sharp, giftedwith intellectual acumen beyondwhat is common for a boy his age.Mendy participated in all thecontests and always did well.

OBITUARY

MENACHEM MENDEL GINSBURGH A”H:

‘WHEN I GROW UP I WILLCHANGE THE WORLD’


At the scene of the accident themedics found little pieces of paper inMendy’s pocket with Mendy’s writingon them. On one small paper he hadcharted all the keilim of the Mikdashand their measurements and onanother paper he had summarizedthe measurements of Eretz Yisrael.

R’ Meir Kenigsburg explained, “Inschool there was a contest in whichthe boys learned various concepts.One concept referred to the Chazalwhich says that Eretz Yisraelmeasures 400 parsa by 400 parsa. Ina booklet that was given out to theboys it said, ‘see the Tosafos in BavaMetzia.’

“Mendy did just that. He took aGemara from the teacher’s room anddidn’t leave me alone until heunderstood the Tosafos. He summedit up on the little piece of paper inhis pocket.”

“Last Shavuos,” said Mendy’suncle, “Mendy reviewed a sicha ofthe Rebbe at the table that he hadlearned in class. He repeated thesicha clearly with all the details andit took nearly half an hour!

“At the table was a somewhatlearned Jew who serves as a chazanin one of the shuls in the area. Hethought that Mendy had preparedthe pilpul himself and he went wildover the ten-year-old genius. WhenMendy realized that the man thoughtit was his original thought, he said,‘Don’t worry, I am only reviewing asicha of the Rebbe.’ Then he wentwith his father to shul and finishedsaying the entire Tikkun whileconstantly nudging those around himto know exactly which correctionsthe Rebbe made to the Tikkun LeilShavuos.”

Mendy’s sharpness and his lovefor the Rebbe are apparent insomething one of the bachurimrelated. When this bachur enteredthe yeshiva he didn’t understand thegreat love the Chassidim have for the

Rebbe. One day he chatted withMendy and he asked him, “Do youlove the Rebbe?”

“Of course, what’s the question?”said Mendy.

“More than your father?”

“Yes.”

“That’s impossible, how could you

love the Rebbe whom you’ve neverseen?”

“So what,” retorted Mendy, “thereare lots of people who did see theRebbe and don’t love him.”

Seeing Mendy was to see himlooking into a little volume andstudying something by heart. Mendymemorized many mesechtos but he

especially loved to learn Tanya byheart.

The last one to speak to Mendybefore the accident was a boy inyeshiva. During the week he repeatedMendy’s final words time and again.“We finished Maariv and I sawMendy studying Tanya by heart froma Tanya with grammatical annotation.I asked him to teach me how to learnTanya by heart. ‘See,’ he said, ‘youread Tanya ‘b’sof perek Gimmeld’Nidda,’ until the comma and repeatthat five times. Then you continue,‘mashbiin oso tehi tzaddik ‘’al tehirasha,’ until the next comma, andrepeat that five times. Then you readit all together until you know it byheart.’

“How many p’rakim do youknow?” I asked him.

“At first he tried to avoidanswering me. After I pressed him heanswered, ‘Until perek 13.’ I took hisvolume and opened it at random tochapter 3. I asked him how thechapter begins and Mendy told me.Then he took off on his bicycle.

Professor Eliyahu Sorkin, directorof the Emergency room at Ichilovhospital, is a regular participant inRabbi Ginsburgh’s shiurim at theyeshiva. When he heard that Mendywas in his department, heimmediately used his connectionsand within a few hours he had urgedthe doctors to do all they could tosave him.

During the shiva Professor Sorkinsaid that the medical team tookMendy’s passing personally. The nextday one of them came to him andsaid that because of what happenedhe was committed to observingShabbos.

Mendy is survived by his parents,four sisters and a brother who willcontinue to do all they can to bringabout the immediate hisgalus of theRebbe MH”M.

“Mendy was a shliachthrough and through,”people said. “He wasborn a year after his

parents went oonshlichus and he livedand breathed shlichus

24 hours a day.”


“If we don’t have the moneyimmediately, you won’t take you childout of here alive.” This was one of thethreats that Menachem and TaliaCrombie, shluchim in Sri Lanka, werefaced with.

A year is a very short time but thisdynamic couple has accomplished agreat deal. We are pleased to introduceyou to: Chabad in Sri Lanka!

Sri Lanka is a small island nearIndia which is three times larger thanIsrael. It’s a tropical country which iswarm and humid most of the year.Sri Lanka was badly damaged by thetsunami that hit two years ago and itstill hasn’t recovered from it.

Talia and her husband and theirone year old, Levi Yitzchok, arrivedon the island and had to contendwith various challenges. Life is moreprimitive in Sri Lanka. Laundry, forexample, is brought to thewasherwoman once a week. In orderto obtain milk, they have to milk thecows themselves, in the middle ofthe jungle.

If that wasn’t enough, the nativesaren’t nice and they don’t like Jewsor Israelis.

How do you manage?

“With the strength of themeshaleiach,” Talia says simply.

SHLICHUS

They are only on shlichus for a little morethan a year but in this brief time they havereached out to many Jews and have opened anew Chabad house. They run many projectsamong the tourists who come en masse to theisland and they also look for Jews who live inSri Lanka. * The story of shlucha TalliaCrombie in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

THEY AREDROWNING AND WENEED TO SAVE THEM

BY CHANIE NUSSBAUM

SRI LANKASri Lanka is a mostly Buddhist island nation about 19 miles off the

southern coast of India. The capitol is Colombo. About 20 millionpeople live in Sri Lanka which is called “The Pearl of the Indian Ocean.”

Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, is a lush island in a turquoise sea. Thereare many Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka and many mosques, Hindutemples and churches all across the island. In the 19th and 20thcenturies, Sri Lanka became a plantationeconomy, for its production and export ofcinnamon, rubber and tea. Being one ofthe largest exporters of tea in the world,Sri Lankans drink a lot of tea. Morerecently, Sri Lanka exports textiles, seaproducts, flowers and tropical fish.

Sri Lanka abounds with traditionalartisans and colorful markets amidst thetropical rainforests and nature preserves.


Although they operate on theisland alone, Talia is in touch withthe shlucha in Bombay who is athree-hour flight away. They bringkosher food from Israel, Thailand,and Australia. Of course, there is noproblem with fruits and vegetables.

“When he was still a bachur, myhusband was drawn to this area. Hehelped out, filled in for the shliachin Rishikash, and after we married itwas obvious to us that we would beshluchim in this area.

“Several Chabad houses hadopened in India and then thesuggestion came up that we go to SriLanka, a vacation spot that attractsthousands of Jewish tourists fromIsrael and around the world.

“When we asked the Rebbethrough the Igros Kodesh, the answerwe opened to said, “to save the youthwho are drowning in the sea…,” sowe knew that we were heading in theright direction.

“The Rebbe’s answer wasespecially pertinent because one ofthe amazing features of the islandthat attracts thousands of surfersfrom around the world is the ability

to surf amidst huge waves that breakon the beach. The youth here knowhow to surf the physical sea butspiritually, they are drowning and weneed to save them.

“Before we arrived here we knewthat a Jew named Kotzin from Indiahad tried to open a shul here a fewyears ago, but was unsuccessful. We

came nevertheless.

“On the plane to Sri Lanka wereother Israelis with whom wecontinued to the beach area. Therewas a blockade at the time becauseof the elections that had taken placein the country. Soon it was Fridayand within a few hours we needed tofind a house and set up a kosherkitchen. You have to understand thatSri Lanka is considered a third worldcountry (the capitol city is a littlemore developed). On one side is thejungle and on the other side is thesea.

“On Motzaei Shabbos we beganlooking for a building that would besuitable for a Chabad house. Therewas one place that met our needsand we wrote to the Rebbe andopened the Igros Kodesh where itsaid, “Behold, the Guardian of Israelneither slumbers nor sleeps.” Wedidn’t understand the answer forwhat did this have to do with rentingan apartment? We spoke to thelandlord and after some negotiatingwe signed a contract.

“In the courtyard of the housewas an idol and various other

R. Menachem Mendel Crombieand his son, Levi Yitzchok


idolatrous items as you would expectto see in Buddhist Sri Lanka. Ofcourse we got rid of it all andreplaced it with pictures of the Rebbeetc. Then the irate landlord showedup and began to threaten us. Hedemanded more money which wecouldn’t pay him. That’s when wediscovered that he was associatedwith one of the Mafia chiefs who rulethe beaches.

“He kept demanding more moneyand we had to leave. The nightbefore we left he came to our housewith his wild friends. They closedthe place with gates, sat down andinformed us, ‘Your little boy won’tleave here alive if you don’t pay whatwe’re asking!’

“The police showed up andalthough the police are bribed theysided with us and it was quiteamazing. We left the housemiraculously and that’s when weunderstood the Rebbe’s answer aboutthe Guardian of Israel not sleeping!

“Baruch Hashem we were savedbut two hours before Shabbos wehad to find another place to live!

“Since there is no Israeli embassyin Sri Lanka, a Chabad house alsoserves as a center for Israelis. Eventhough everything here iscomplicated, we see great blessing inour work and we can help Israelisnot only spiritually but materiallytoo.

* * *

“Shortly before we came here, theseason in which there aren’t goodwaves for surfing began. Israelis whocame to the island just for surfingwere disappointed because they hadspent a lot of money to come to SriLanka for just this purpose. Theyended up sitting and talking with myhusband and pouring out theirhearts.

“My husband advised them towrite to the Rebbe which they did.The answer they opened to amazed

them all, ‘After strengthening inTorah and mitzvos, all the pipes willopen’ (the special waves for surfingare called surfing pipes), which isjust what they needed. But the Rebbedemanded spiritual strengthening.Spontaneously, they all asked myhusband to help them put on t’fillin.

“The next morning, at 4 a.m., amiracle took place and the ocean

began to swell and the “pipes”opened, to everyone’s satisfaction.Even I, who don’t understandsurfing, went with Levi Yitzchok tosee the wonder. The Rebbe promisedand it happened!

* * *

“An Israeli guy came to theChabad house who enjoyed the

singing but was afraid to get moreinvolved. We could see that he washesitant and tried to be mekarevhim. He always had excuses… Thenone day, at six in the morning, weheard strong knocks at our door. Thebachurim who were helping usopened the door and there was thatyoung man.

“He excitedly related thefollowing: ‘Last night I saw the Rebbein a dream and he said to me:‘Immediately pack your bags and golive in the Chabad house.’ I didn’twait a moment and here I am.’

“He lived with us for threemonths and grew a lot in hisobservance. He returned to EretzYisroel and today he is living in alarge Chabad community and isknown to all as a Lubavitcher.

“I mentioned the bachurim whohelp us so I want to say that whenwe lived in the beach area, we hadthree bachurim who helped us. Everyday they went out on Mivtza T’fillin.One day, as they were on mivtzaim,an American businessman went by.At first he thought he was dreamingbut a few minutes later he saw thebachurim when he returned with hisjeep while driving in reverse. He ranover to them, touched to the point oftears. He could not believe that hewould find Chabad in this forsakenplace. He began coming to theChabad house regularly everyShabbos, a distance of three hourseach way from where he lived! Todayhe lives in America. He put upmezuzos on his house and becamemuch stronger in his Judaism afterbeing in Sri Lanka.

“One neshama draws anotherone… This man told us that the wifeof the American ambassador in SriLanka is Jewish. We tried to contacther and with his help she agreed tomeet with us. We took our babyalong with us and drove a few hoursto the capitol.

“Due to a delay in our

“The Rebbe’s answerwas especially

pertinent because oneof the amazing features

of the island thataattracts thousands ofsurfers from around

the world is the abilityto surf amidst hugewaves that breeak onthe beach. The youth

here know how to surfthe physical sea butspiritually, they are

drowningg and we needto save them.”


appointment, we went to wait in amall. As we walked in we saw a girlwhom we felt was following us.When she saw that we had noticedher, she asked us where we werefrom. We said we were from Chabadand upon hearing this, she burst intotears and said, ‘That is what I prayedfor, to meet you here.’

“She went on to say that she hadcome to Sri Lanka from distantAustralia because of a Sri Lankan boyshe knew and now she wanted tobecome more involved in anobservant life. Of course we helpedher. Her boyfriend underwent

conversion and both of them becamemore involved with Judaism. Anotherneshama finding the light in SriLanka, of all places.”

* * *

“In a relatively short time wefound about 40 Jews who live hereon a permanent basis. Who wouldbelieve that on an island in themiddle of nowhere we would find somany Jews. Each one of them wassure he was the only Jew in SriLanka!

“This compelled us to move tothe capitol, Colombo, and to

organize a community. There is acouple here who wanted a Jewishwedding. Another family wanted abar mitzva for their son. We also tryto supply kosher food for all thosewho are interested. We held ameeting with some local Jews in thecourse of which we discussed how toexpand our work with them here.

“Miracles accompany usconstantly. No official organizationstands behind us and we have tomanage financially completely on ourown. A typical house here is veryexpensive and we need to fundraiseand as I said, we see miracles and theRebbe constantly with us.

“We’ve also experienced bigmiracles with gentiles that we meethere. For example, a visa is generallygiven for three months and then youhave to leave Sri Lanka for at leasthalf a year and then return.Obviously, we couldn’t manage likethat due both to financialconsiderations as well as the fact thatit would interfere with our work.

“We found ourselves travelingamong various government officesand it looked never-ending. Thensuddenly, on one of the visits, theclerk asked my husband whether heis a rabbi. We sat in his office as hetold us about Judaism and the Bible

Israeli tourists at the Torah reading in the Chabad house

Rabbi Crombie and bachurim who came to hellp him on shlichus with surfers

Bringing the light of Chanuka to Sri Lanka


stories that he knew whileemphasizing that he wasn’t Jewishbut he was interested in Judaism.This was quite unusual since most ofthe gentiles here don’t even knowthat Judaism exists!

“The story doesn’t end there. Hetold us that he runs the immigrationdepartment and he could help us,and he did! He arranged a visa for uswithout our having to leave thecountry and without any moreexhausting red tape. One time heeven invited my husband to pray inhis office!

* * *

“We knew a Sri Lankan Jew whoconverted and went out of his way tohelp us. He has connections withmany government figures includingthe Minister of Tourism. Throughhim we met with the Minister ofTourism and with other governmentpeople. In the middle of the meetinga discussion ensued and since wedon’t know the local language yet,we asked what was going on. Theytold us that they were discussinghow to turn the Chabad house andour work into something recognizedby the government, no less!

What about a mikva?

“Of course we want to build one,but how? We have no property and

where can we get the money for itwhen we are barely managing ourdaily expenses?

“We met a businessman who toldus that he has a partner who is apriest but he wants to donate moneytowards buying land for the mikvasince he believes that if there will bea mikva in Sri Lanka, it will be to hisbenefit.

“In the era of Geula the neshamosare everywhere and you just have togather them up. After eight monthshere we went to Eretz Yisroel for abrief visit in the course of which wegot hold of a recording of Channel 8,which spoke about Judaism in SriLanka! From the program it wasobvious that there are many Jewshere in the ashrams.

“We recently found out that thereis a Jewish man who runs an ashramin Sri Lanka and we are working oncontacting him and extricating himfrom there. It’s complicated becausethe ashram is in the forest, but I amsure that with the Rebbe’s kochos wewill be successful.

“Then there was the Holocaustsurvivor who fled to London afterthe war, met a Sri Lankan andmarried him. She is living here fornearly fifty years. She is a famouswriter, assimilated, but she doesn’tdeny her Jewish origins. We recentlygot in touch with her and we hope tomaintain contact with her, tostrengthen her in her Judaism.”

* * *

The interview with Talia tookplace before the Yomim Tovim inTishrei and Talia was excited aboutcelebrating Yom Tov with the Jews ofSri Lanka for the first time!

“He kept demandingmore money and we

had to leave. Thenight before we left he

came to our housewitth his wild friends.They closed the placewith gates, sat down

and informed us,‘Your little boy wonn’tleave here alive if youdon’t pay what we’re

asking!’”

Meeting with government officials In the airport on the way to Sri Lanka on shlichus


Bachurim can be a shaliach’s bestfriend. Even in places where therewere none...

Filled with a special energy anddedication, they travel to spots farand near across the globe, fulfill theirpurpose, and eventually move on.But sometimes, perhaps more thanwe know, a special bond betweenbachur and place is formed, a bondwhich neither time nor marriage, noreven moving half way around theworld, can sever.

This is how we met R. YitzchokRosenstein. Although he is nowmarried and living with his wife andbaby in Eretz Yisroel, R. Yitzchokwas fortunate to spend the recentTishrei by the Rebbe. But instead ofenjoying a relaxing Shabbos inCrown Heights, R. Yitzchok wouldtell the balabus in Crown Heights, R.Simcha, not to wait up for him. Thenhe would leave, usually aroundmidday Friday, for the Williamsburgarea and come back sometime in themiddle of the night. Week afterweek, this behavior repeated itself.Why would he want to spend hisShabbos evening taking a two-something-hour walk through thestreets of New York City? And in themiddle of the night, no less!

And this is the story that began to

unfold. . .

* * *

During his four and a half yearsas a bachur learning at 770, R.Yitzchok had many opportunities toserve as a foot soldier of the RebbeMH”M. Driving a mitzva tank, doingmivtzaim in Eretz Yisroel and helpingout in Mexico were all a preciouspart of his bachur years. But some ofhis most special moments were spentwith R. Kuti Feldman, developing anew Chabad House in northBrooklyn, a neighborhoodsandwiched between Williamsburgand Greenpoints.

While Chabad houses began tosprout in the most remote corners ofthe world, here was a spot relativelyclose to the King’s palace that wasvoid for many years – in fact, sincethe famous “last Tahalucha” toWilliamsburg in 1976.

But over the past 10 years, theneighborhood borderingWilliamsburg began to change. Justone train stop out of Manhattan, thearea known as the “Northside”became a relatively affordable placefor the college student, artistic andmusical crowd. As a bachur, R.Yitzchok decided that as a present

for the Rebbe’s 100th birthday, he

would start a mivtzaim route in thatarea, with R. Kuti. With no route,and no money, they searched outJewish souls on the streets, in offices,in bars and CD rental places.

“It was the kind of neighborhoodwhere a lot of Jews weren’tconnected to anything,” recalls R.Yitzchok. “One time, in front of theWilliamsburg Savings Bank onBroadway, where many SatmarChassidim walk by, I put t’fillin on akid from Long Island who had hisbar mitzva in a church because theReform congregation wasn’t bigenough. A Chassidishe guy fromWilliamsburg said to me in Yiddishwhile I was putting t’fillin on the guy,“Nisht oifen gahs” (not on the street).I answered him in English so the(young man wrapping the t’fillin)would understand: “G-d iseverywhere!”

* * *

In time, as with any place wherethe soldier follows the general’sdirections with diligence anddetermination, the success becomesevident and events become moreorganized and better attended. Butwhile R. Kuti nurtured this new areaof shlichus, and brought in others toassist, R. Yitzchok married, andbaruch Hashem, started a family in

G-D ISEVERYWHERE, EVEN

ON THE STREETBY CHANA KATZ

PROFILE


Eretz Yisroel. But whenever he gets achance to visit the Rebbe, heremembers the shlichus he helpednurture in its tender formationstages. Although the Chabad Houseis only large enough to fit one family,R. Yitzchok recalls how one Tishrei,he and his wife, who was thenexpecting their first child,participated in a Shabbos there andthen took the long walk back toCrown Heights.

“When we started to makeShabbatons we had to stand out onthe street for an hour,” says R.Yitzchok. “Now a regular Fridaynight minyan has some 30 to 40people. They have a Kiddush and afarbrengen. After R. Kuti’s wife had ababy, R. Shmueli Lane and his wifespent every Shabbos there is theChabad House. There they were,farbrenging with Shmueli oneShabbos afternoon following thedavening until four in theafternoon.”

Says R. Yitzchok of hisattachment to the Northside: “Iconsider it as my heart and soul.”

* * *

The importance of a shliach beingin a place where there once werenone, is a concept R. Yitzchokunderstands well. In fact, he callshimself a “miracle of the Rebbe.”

Yitzchok’s parents were living inBuffalo shortly after they marriedand his mother became very ill. Thedoctors were not sure whether shewould live, let alone to ever havechildren. A shliach in the area, RabbiHeschel Greenberg, began tomekarev his parents, in the course ofwhich the Rebbe gave Yitzchok’smother a blessing that she shouldhave a refua shleima (completehealing). The Rebbe also gave her ablessing for children, and R. Yitzchokbecame one of six children to followthat blessing.

While still a baby, Yitzchok and

his family moved to Cleveland andlived for awhile in the upper floor ofthe home of shliach R. ZalmanKazen.

Rabbi Kazen brought the familyto the level of chalav Yisroel andstarted to teach young YitzchokLikkutei Torah from the age of five. Asa bachur he spent four-and-a-halfyears learning at 770, including

many years of helping and learningfrom various shluchim. But whileshluchim were reaching across theglobe for some 50 years since Tzachbegan, the areas closer to home weremore or less an area that only reallybegan to grow in the past 20 years.

“This neighborhood sandwichedbetween Williamsburg and

Greenpoints, the main populationwas all the anti-Semites, where it’snot an exaggeration to say literalNazis from the war. You could lookat the eyes of every guy over 70 andyou could know where he wasduring the war. One time I wasattacked there physically, and onetime by name. It wasn’t the kind ofplace people would go to domivtzaim until someone broke theice.”

This breaking the ice, says R.Yitzchok, is exactly what was meantby “spreading the wellsprings.

“The Frierdike Rebbe explainedthat outside means breaking to theoutside world. The Rebbe explainedthat there are many ways to spreadoutside. One can be physically,which the Rebbe did in the 60s whenhe sent shluchim to Australia. Thenthere were the Tanya printings whichweren’t printed only in (physically)far places but in places that were farin other senses (time). Then there isoutreach to the level of nefesh, whenthe publications were printed for theblind…”

And this brings us to Northside,yet another place in the world withYidden whose lamps needed to be lit.

A place where Yitzchok oncewent up to a guy with tattoos fromhead to toe who responded to hisoffer to put on t’fillin by threateningto call the cops if he ever saw himagain. A place to which Yitzchokreturned years later to see the sameman now wearing a kippa and tzitzisand putting on daily the koshermehadrin t’fillin they bought forhim.

Yes, sometimes it does getdiscouraging that Moshiach hasn’t yetbeen completely revealed. “But then,”concludes R. Yitzchok, “thensometimes you see somethinghappens – the hashgacha – that youhelped out, when something worksin a very out-of-nature way. It gives asign in the right direction.”

Sometimes you seesomething happens –the hashgacha – thatyou helped out, whensomething works in aa

very out-of-natureway. It gives a sign inthe right direction.”

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