BH. 14 Cheshvan 5775 7 November 2014 Number 947 Price: $6.

00 Part 2 of 2

The international weekly heralding the coming of Moshiach

IMMUTABLE,
LIKE THE EVEN
HASHSIYA
SO WHEN
DVAR MALCHUS

THE FIRST PIDYON

NEFESH THE
REBBE ACCEPTED
FASCINATING
CHASSIDISHE STORIES

UNEXPECTED
TURNAROUND
STORY

Nowadays all obstacles

and obstructions have
been removed. Since
this is so, there is (not
only the presence of
Moshiach in the world
but also) the revelation
of Moshiach. Now we
must simply welcome
and receive Moshiach
Tzidkeinu in actuality.
(Shabbos Parshas
VaYeira 5752)

LONG LIVE THE REBBE MELECH HAMOSHIACH FOREVER AND EVER!

CONTENTS

12
FEATURED ARTICLES

WEEKLY COLUMNS

3 Dvar Malchus
19 Parsha Thought
19 Parsha Thought
34 Tzivos Hashem

OPEN HOUSE

Shneur Zalman Levin

HISTORY
12 MAKING
R Shneur Zalman Berger

22 UNEXPECTED
TURNAROUND
S. Nahari

FIRST PIDYON
26 THE
NEFESH THE REBBE
ACCEPTED

Rabbi Nachman Twersky

FLOURISHING
30 THE
OF JUDAISM IN
MALACHOVKA

Shneur Zalman Berger

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BH. 14 Cheshvan 5775

7 November 2014 Number 947
Price: $6.00 Part 2 of 2

DVAR MALCHUS

IMMUTABLE,
LIKE THE EVEN
HASHSIYA
The Even HaShsiya remains intact and openly
visible, even in present times, without any change, at the site of the Holy
of Holies in the Beis HaMikdash. Thus, the Jewish peoples claim and
demand for the redemption is strengthened, arguing that we already
openly see the Even HaShsiya in the physical world.
Translated by Boruch Merkur

10. [] The main thing

is that immediately, this very
moment, on this Erev Rosh
HaShana, the birthday of the
Tzemach Tzedek, Moshiach
Tzidkeinu should be revealed,
in an overt manner, to the
extent that one points with his
finger and says this: Here
is Moshiach as he is called
Tzemach; here is Moshiach
as he is called Tzedek; here is
Moshiach as he is called Yosef
Yitzchok (the name of my
revered father in-law, leader of
our generation); and primarily,
here is Moshiach as he is called
Dovid Malka Meshicha.
And we shall see Moshiach
together with Moshe Rabbeinu
The first redeemer is the last
redeemer and together with
Yisroel Baal Shem Tov, as well
as all of our Rebbes, our Nsiim,
and in a manner that is miyad
immediate (as above Section 7),
teikef umiyad mamash.
Simply speaking, every Jew,
all the Jewish people, will go

VaYeilech out of exile in the

true and complete redemption
through Moshiach Tzidkeinu,
[something that will take place
literally and tangibly] below ten
handbreadths.
And all Jews will go
VaYeilech with our youths
and with our elderswith our
sons and with our daughters,
immediately They shall soar
with the clouds of the heavens
to the Holy Land, and there we
shall celebrate Rosh HaShana.
And within the Holy Land
itself, in Yerushalayim the Holy
City, at the Holy Mountain,
in the third and threefold Beis
HaMikdash The Mikdash of
the L-rd; He has established it
with His hands. And there in
the Beis HaMikdash itself, in
the Holy of Holies, where the
Even HaShsiya is situated, from
which the world was founded
(hosheses haolam). Indeed, the
Even HaShsiya still serves as the
foundation of the entire world.
The Even HaShsiya remains

intact and openly visible, even

in present times, without any
change, at the site of the Holy of
Holies in the Beis HaMikdash.
Thus, the Jewish peoples claim
and demand for the redemption
is strengthened, arguing that
we already openly see the Even
HaShsiya in the physical world,
the lowest dimension; it remains
whole in its entirety, without any
movement from its place.
And together with [the
construction of] the Third Beis
HaMikdash, the prophecy shall
be fulfilled, He will revive us
from the two days, on the third
day He will set us up, and we
will live before Him (Hosheia
6:2; see commentaries there),
true and eternal life, beginning
with life in the literal sense
every single Jew shall be written
and sealed for [a] good [year],
inscribed with life in the simple
sense, a healthy body and a
healthy soul, both physical life as
well as spiritual life.
(The Rebbes blessing the
Erev Rosh HaShana 5752; Seifer
HaSichos 5752, pg. 10-11)

Issue 947

FEATURE

OPEN
HOUSE
Avrohom Avinu opened his tent to all
passersby and through hosting people
he spread belief in G-d to the world. * In
our generation too, there are people who
open their homes to all passersby, not
just to spread Judaism and Chassidus, but
to fulfill the mitzva of hachnasas orchim
with their bodies, souls, and money, since
hosting people is greater than welcoming
the Shchina. They are also mekarev many
people to Judaism.
By Shneur Zalman Levin

THE HOUSE THAT

WAS ALWAYS OPEN
The first branch of Tzach
in Eretz Yisroel was located on
Rechov Borochov 3 in Haifa. It
was founded by a heavy machine
operator, a laborer who toiled
literally and in Torah, R Reuven
Dunin ah, and his wife Rivka
ah. People went to this house
nearly all hours of the day for
shiurim, farbrengens, Shabbos
meals, or just to sleep because

4 14 Cheshvan 5775

they got stuck along the way.

R Reuven not only spread
Judaism and Chassidus aplenty,
but first and foremost his home
was open like that of Avrohom
Avinu. In this house there was
always enough food for all. To R
Reuven and his wife there was no
differentiating between concern
for the family and concern for
guests. The guests received food
and drink from these generous,
openhearted people and it was all
done in a pleasant atmosphere.

When I went to that house,

said one of the thousands
who visited the Dunin home,
sometimes Reuven would say
to me, Listen, I am very tired
and going to sleep. Open the
fridge and help yourself. The
atmosphere was such that you
could enter the house and treat it
as your own. Sometimes I would
arrive early, sit in the living room
and look into books as I waited
for Reuvens shiur, and nobody
was bothered by this.

Reuven did not take a portion for himself before

making sure everyone had gotten. He especially
looked out for the skinny ones.

At Shabbos and Yom Tov

meals they sometimes had several
dozen guests and the couple took
care of them all. Reuven did not
take a portion for himself before
making sure everyone had gotten.
He especially looked out for the
skinny ones.
Reuven once saw someone
eating a lot of one of the dishes

and he offered him something

else. When the person said he did
not like that, Reuven laughed and
said that was a good reason to eat
it.
Constant hosting on this scale
requires a lot of money which the
Dunins did not have. But despite
their financial situation, R
Reuven always welcomed guests
with open arms. Large quantities
of food were purchased weekly
with Reuven not asking for
money from any of his guests.
Mrs. M. Plishon who lives on
Rechov Borochov had this to say:
Reuven and Rivkas home
was the center of the whole
block. We all regarded them
and what went on in their home
with great respect. I wont forget
the gatherings, the many guests
who went to their sukka and
their singing on Shabbos which
became part of life on this street.
They were people who did not try
to force their way of life on others
but were just mekarev people and
hosted them graciously.
The Dunin family on Rechov
Borochov 3 did not know what
a lock is. Guests could always
walk in. A guest never felt that
his presence was disturbing
anyone. You could arrive there
even at two in the morning and
be warmly welcomed by Reuven
and his wife.
This
takes
on
greater
significance when you know
that this generous hosting took
place in a small apartment which
consisted of a tiny living room
and two bedrooms. It was only
upon the birth of their seventh
child that they received the

Rebbes consent to expand their

apartment; even then, it wasnt
that significant.
One night, R Shlomo Raskin
and his wife were stuck in Haifa
after missing the last bus to
Tzfas. R Shlomo suggested to
his wife that they go to the Dunin
home which was always open, but
she refused and said they had not
asked ahead of time and it wasnt
right to show up unannounced.
Yet there was no other choice
and so, at midnight, the couple
showed up. Mrs. Dunin warmly
welcomed them as though she
was sitting and waiting for them.
She showed them their room
and said, This is the guest room
for couples. It was only in the
morning that they found out that
it was the only room in the house
and all the children slept in the
living room.

THE MAN OF THE HOUSE

WHO SLEPT NEAR THE
DOORWAY
The extent of hospitality in
this house went way beyond
normal standards. The doors
were always open and anybody
could simply walk in at any time.
Even if it was a moment before
Shabbos and five more people
called to ask to be hosted, it was
okay for the lady of the house.
Its fine. We will push another
two mattresses into that corner
and another two beds in this
corner. As for food, Not a
problem. We will add another
two cups to the soup.
The lady of the house often
found her husband sleeping in

Issue 947

Feature

GREATER THAN RECEIVING THE SHCHINA

Along with this article about hospitality, it is fitting
to note, even to a small extent, the hospitality of the
Rebbe and Rebbetzin. Although not many visited the
house on President Street, for obvious reasons, when
women went to visit the rebbetzin, she welcomed them
warmly.
The following story from before the Rebbe accepted
the Chabad leadership, shows the Rebbes sensitivity
toward guests:
With the arrival of Rebbetzin Chana Schneersohn
ah, mother of the Rebbe, in the United States in
1947, many of Anash went to greet her. For various
reasons, R Moshe Pinchas Katz and his brother-inlaw R Mordechai Mentlick were not able to be among
those who welcomed her. Afterward, they asked to see
her in her home.
When she first arrived, the rebbetzin lived in her
sons home. When the two men came at the appointed
time, the Rebbe opened the door and brought them in.
He served them fruit and cake that were on the table as
he said, In honor of the host, make a bracha.
When the Rebbe saw that they were hesitant about
taking anything, he said he wanted to tell them a story
that he witnessed. This is what the Rebbe related:
When my father-in-law moved the yeshiva from
Warsaw the capital to Otvotzk, one of the Polish
tzaddikim there went to visit my father-in-law. Before
he left, he asked my father-in-law to return the visit.
My father-in-law agreed and said he would do so soon.
After some time, I reminded my father-in-law of
what he said and suggested that perhaps now was
the right to time to return the visit. My father-in-law
agreed.
We arrived at the beis midrash before Shacharis.
The tzaddik sat at the head of the table with his
the doorway on an improvised
bed after looking after his many
guests and after every possible
place to lie down had been used.
He sometimes did this so that
truly unwanted guests would not
come to visit in the dark of night

It sometimes happened that

entire classes came to be hosted
for Shabbos and once again, the
house stretched and contained
them all.

6 14 Cheshvan 5775

gabbai at his side. Around the table stood Chassidim

who drank coffee with milk [Polish tzaddikim would
drink coffee with milk as a substitute for immersing
in the mikva the numerical equivalent of chalav-milk
is forty, corresponding to the amount of water in the
mikva].
When he saw my father-in-law, the tzaddik wanted
us to sit next to him. He told his gabbai to serve us
fruit. The gabbai came back a few minutes later with
fruit wrapped in his coat and he placed them on the
edge of the table and rolled them to where the Rebbe
sat. The fruit rolled and mixed with peels and other
remains of fruits and other food that had been served
previously. When they reached the tzaddik, he caught
them, took one of them and banged it forcefully with
his hand until it split in two. He served it to the Rebbe
saying, In honor of the host, make a bracha.
I wondered how my father-in-law would respond.
I knew he was fastidious and here everything had
rolled on the table. Yet, if he did not eat, he could be
offending the host.
As I waited to see how he would behave, I heard my
father-in-law state that he wanted to say a Dvar Torah.
This is what he said: It is well known that hospitality
is greater than welcoming the Shchina. What is meant
by greater?
When a Jew goes to the Beis HaMikdash he has to
bring a reiyah offering. The reason is that since going
to the Mikdash is such an elevated thing, this needs
to be expressed and manifested in something physical.
We see from this that hospitality is more important
than welcoming the Shchina to the extent that there is
no need to manifest this in something physical.
With that, my father-in-law finished what he had to
say and excused himself from eating what he had been
served.

People felt at home and

nobody felt that the place was
too crowded for them. The truth
is, this problem did not exist; it
was a house that seemed to have
unlimited space. In any case,
people got the feeling that the
homeowners had unlimited time
and place for them.
People came who remained
to sleep and there were those
who came and left on the same
day. There were those who had
deliveries waiting for them in

Haifa port and they went to

Haifa in order to release them
from the customs authorities.
Sometimes it took several days to
arrange this and they would sleep
at the Dunins. Reuven would tell
them all, I want you to come to
my house whenever you want. If
it works out for you, let us know
ahead of time.
And that wasnt always
done. Some people, who never
had a connection with Reuven
or Chabad and did not know

his phone number, somehow

obtained
his
address
and
appeared without prior notice.
It often happened that someone
who came to the house for a talk
or a visit, felt tired and stayed to
sleep without prior notice.
The house was once full with
a lot of people. At a certain point,
Reuven stood outside and when a
new guest showed up, who asked
him whether he knows where
the Dunins live, he said with a
smile, The truth is that Im also
looking for them.
R Reuven personally did a lot
for the guests and he also served
the food. He did everything to
make life easier for his wife.
Sometimes Reuven would ask
a guest, Do you feel at home
here? When the guest said yes,
Reuven sent him to the kitchen to
wash dishes.

THE OPEN HOUSE

IN MEA SHARIM
Another home which was
always open to guests was the
home of R Moshe Weber ah
and his wife Miriam. Unlike R
Reuven Dunin, R Moshe Weber
came from an old, Yerushalmi
home. He was from the spiritual
elite of Yerushalayim. The style
was different, but in Haifa and in
Mea Sharim the house was open
to all passersby, no exceptions
made.
R Moshe and his wifes
hospitality was unique. There are
many homes, Boruch Hashem,
where people are hospitable, but
to find a house which hums with
guests 24/7 is not so common.
That was the Weber home.
They did not have a single
moment of privacy. Guests of
all kinds and from all over Eretz
Yisroel and the world were drawn
to their home. In the morning
they would knock at the door and

R Reuven Dunin with mekuravim

Sometimes Reuven would ask a guest, Do you

feel at home here? When the guest said yes,
Reuven sent him to the kitchen to wash dishes.

put in their orders for what they

wanted for lunch. Each one has
his request and it was a given
that the rav and rebbetzin would
fill their demands.
In their modest, two room
home, innumerable people were
warmed by their holiness and
Ahavas Yisroel. Their home was
also open to the unfortunates
who looked for a place to eat,
including those who were not
welcome anywhere else. One of
his mekuravim remembers that
over the years, every Friday night
meal there was an individual at
the table whose appearance alone
was enough to arouse terror.
R Ido Weber relates:
I remember that one day,
the rebbetzin sat down late in the
day to eat the afternoon meal. It
was after an exhausting day full
of serving food to guests who
visited the house. Her exhaustion
was apparent on her face when

she finally sat down at that late

hour. As she was about to put a
spoonful of soup in her mouth,
the door opened (for the most
part, people did not even knock
but just walked in, as though
it was their house). This guest
immediately asked to be served
lunch.
That day, many guests had
already visited and aside from
the portion that the rebbetzin
was about to eat, no hot food
remained. The rebbetzin got up
and took her hot bowl of soup
that she was about to eat to the
kitchen. She poured the soup
into another bowl so the guest
would not realize it was the soup
she had been about to eat, and
served it to him graciously.
It hurt me to see this and I
asked her, Rebbetzin, whats
with you? You are also a human
being. You also deserve to eat!
She smiled and said, Boruch
Issue 947

Feature

A DISCERNING GUEST
R Reuven Dunin didnt just do, he
demanded from others to do as well.
At a certain point, he arranged with R
Yigal Pizem that once every two weeks,
they would spend Shabbos in the other
ones house.
One Friday, two hours before
Shabbos, Reuven called his friend and
said, I have three bachurim here who
are stuck and I must arrange a place
for them to sleep. Can I send them to
you? When he was told he could, he
hung up.
A short while later, R Reuven,
his wife Rivka and all their children
descended on the Pizem family. I
wanted to test you, he explained. If
you agreed to accept three bachurim
two hours before Shabbos, you deserve
to have us spend Shabbos with you.
Hashem I have bread and cheese
in the house; dont worry, I wont
starve.
Another typical story:
One cold winter day over
thirty years ago, there was a
knock at the door. The rebbetzin
opened the door and saw a young
man, about twenty, who looked
overwrought. When she invited
him in, he did not react. In the
meantime, her husband, who
until then had been immersed in
his Gemara, went over and drew
the man inside. He offered him a
chair and asked him whether he
wanted to drink something. The
young man nodded and the rav
served a cup of tea.
After the man drank the cup,
he finally began speaking. He
said, I became a baal tshuva a
few weeks ago. Now I want to
enter a yeshiva for baalei tshuva
but I dont know where to go.
Someone told me that you help
baalei tshuva find their way and
that is why I came here.
R Weber warmly took his

8 14 Cheshvan 5775

hand and hugged him. I will be

glad to help you, he said, but
first, come and eat lunch with
us.
At the end of the meal, R
Weber took him to a yeshiva
for baalei tshuva in the Geula
neighborhood of Yerushalayim.
This was at a time when he
was supposed to give his daily
shiur. Although under normal
circumstances he was particular
not to cancel a shiur, this time,
in order to help the young man,
he went with him. At first, the
yeshiva refused to accept him due
to lack of space, but the young
man cried bitterly and said he
wanted to learn Torah.
In the end, the rav managed
to convince the rosh yeshiva to
find a place for him and accept
him. When R Weber went home,
the phone rang. On the line
was the young mans uncle. He
accused the rav of tearing his
nephew away from his family and
friends.
R Weber calmed him down
and explained that not only
wasnt he disconnecting from his
family, on the contrary, thanks to
Torah study, he would learn how
to honor his parents and the rest
of the family.
The
uncle
was
finally
convinced and thanked R Weber
for taking care of his nephew.
Today, that young man is a rosh
yeshiva in one of the prestigious
yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel while
the uncle also served as a rosh,
not a rosh yeshiva but (lhavdil)
a rosh memshala (prime
minister).

CLIMBING 21
FLIGHTS FOR GUESTS
At the Ohel Yaakov Shul in
Milan it was a typical sight to see
many guests at Kabbalas Shabbos
family, relatives, businessmen,

and rabbanim. These guests had

places to eat the Shabbos meals
but the poor, handicapped, and
fundraisers and all those who had
not arranged a place to stay for
Shabbos sat there in shul with no
place to go.
R Sholom Ber Friedman was
the man who took care of them.
After the congregants left with
their guests, he remained to make
sure that every person had a place
to eat on Shabbos or Yom Tov.
His wife Gittel prepared every
Friday, not knowing how many
guests her husband would bring
home.
In order to describe R
Sholom Bers devotion to
the mitzva of hospitality, the
following story will be illustrative:
One Friday night, someone
gladly accepted his invitation
to be his Shabbos guest but
apologized, saying that since the
hotel he was staying in was far
from R Sholom Bers house, he
had to eat quickly and get back to
his hotel.
R Sholom Ber lived on the
seventh floor. After a meal, he
would escort his guests to the
door of his building. What do you
do when you have four guests
and one of them finishes eating
before the others?
You escort the first guest to
the entrance and climb seven
flights again, continue eating
with the rest of your guests and
then accompany them to the
entrance of the building, then
climb seven flights again a total
of 21 floors.
There were times that guests
did not know the way back to
their hotels. In that case, in
addition to seven flights, R
Sholom Ber would also walk
them to their hotel.

SPENDING SHABBOS IN
KFAR CHABAD
One of the special and very
successful projects that helped
to be mekarev people was the
Shabbasos Iruach in Kfar
Chabad. Many guests would visit
Kfar Chabad, singles and families
with children. They would
spend Shabbos in the homes
of residents where they first
saw what an authentic Jewish/
Chassidic Shabbos is all about.
Back in the day, R Itzke
Gansbourg said:
Reaching out to the kibbutzim
generated, as expected, a
tremendous interest in the way
of life of Chassidim who do
everything the Rebbe wants
of them. They were especially
amazed by the fact that, as
per the Rebbes instruction,
his
Chassidim
settled
in
an abandoned Arab village
and turned into agricultural
Chassidim. They greatly desired
visiting the Kfar to see it all with
their own eyes.
That is how the visits to Kfar
Chabad began. It started with
small groups that contacted the
branch of Tzach in Kfar Chabad
and asked for a Shabbos in the
village. The residents of the
Kfar devoted themselves to their
guests in the most outstanding
way and acquired a reputation
of first rate hosts. Requests for
invitations came in from all over
the country, and within a short
time, about a hundred people
were visiting every Shabbos.
At the Tzach branch, they
worked to organize the operation
and to set up dates, because
due to the great numbers of
requests, they could not all be
accommodated at once. Then
they set up the guests with
suitable families and arranged a
program.

R Moshe Weber with mekuravim and guests who were always in his house

R Itzke Gansbourg

On Friday, when dozens

of guests would arrive, every
guest would be shown to
his host family and would
receive a program flyer which
included a listing of activities
for that Shabbos. The activities
generally
included
lectures,
singing and learning Chabad
songs, organized participation
in prayers, guided tours of the
Kfar and its institutions, and
a Melaveh Malka on Motzaei

R Sholom Ber Friedman

Shabbos. Of course, in addition

to the organized program the
guests absorbed plenty of Jewish
life in their hosts homes.
There were experiences that
are etched in my memory, like the
Friday when we found out that a
group of over twenty youth from
one of the kibbutzim had arrived
and due to a lack of coordination
nobody had planned for their
arrival. It was two hours before
Shabbos and we couldnt send

Issue 947

Feature

ANOCHI MAGEN LOCH

Another Chassid whose home was
open to guests even during the difficult
days behind the Iron Curtain was R
Zalman Leib Estulin. He once jokingly
explained how Chassidim interpreted
the phrase, Anochi Magen Loch (I
am a shield for you).
A good host ought to eat with his
guests, thus giving them an appetite
and a comfortable feeling. That is
what Hashem meant when he said to
Avrohom Avinu, Anochi Magen Loch.
A Mogen is a belly in Yiddish. Since
Avrohom was a superlative host and
planted an eshel, in addition to what
he provided his guests, he also ate with
them to make them feel comfortable.
But since there were many guests, it
was hard for him to eat with each one
and this is why Hashem promised him,
dont worry, Ani Mogen Loch, I will
give you a strong stomach so it wont
harm you if you eat with each of your
guests.

the ten boys.

My wife did not know how
we would have room for them
all in our small home, but when
there is room in your heart, there
is room in your home, and after
we removed all the furniture from
the living room and spread out
all the blankets we owned on the
floor, we managed to make room
for sixteen girls.
While my wife worked on
arranging sleeping space, I
rushed to the little grocery store
in Kfar Chabad and emptied
it out. In those days, there
wasnt an abundance of canned
products and nearly all the cans I
took were of fish. I also took the
little bit of vegetables he had left
and brought it all home.
By Shabbos all the food was
ready and we ate the Shabbos
meal in the little kitchen. On the
table were the vegetables and
cans of fish.
After this special Shabbos, the
guests thanked us and said they
had never believed guests could
be welcomed so joyously even
when they showed up two hours
before Shabbos without prior
notice. I had been nervous that
the minimal material standard
would ruin the Shabbos, but
when they came to thank us,
all my fears melted away. It
was specifically the special
circumstances that made the
Shabbos in Kfar Chabad special
to them and caused them to
be especially impressed by the
hospitality of the residents of the
Kfar.

IMPACT OF VISITORS

them back to the kibbutz. I told

my wife that we were going to
host sixteen girls from the group
and I managed to find a place for

10 14 Cheshvan 5775

The encounter with the

Chassidic way of life of the
people in the Kfar made a
tremendous impression on the
visitors. They, who had always
heard about religious people,

were surprised to discover

Chassidic life and Torah study
and mitzva observance combined
with manual labor. They were
also astounded to hear that many
residents of the Kfar taught
in schools of the Education
Ministry and had certifications
and degrees in higher education.
They were amazed to see little
children, three and four year
olds, who knew how to read and
sat at the Shabbos table and told
about the parsha.
I remember that one time,
the daughter of Yigal Mossinson,
who was renowned as the author
of a series of childrens books
called Chasamba, was hosted
by R Dovid Bravman. She
became friendly with one of his
daughters. They spoke a lot about
Jewish awareness and the young
Mossinson had many questions.
R Dovids daughter could not
answer all her questions, but
she said every question has an
answer.
Mossinson was impressed
by her confidence and after
spending a number of Shabbasos
in Kfar Chabad, she sent an
emotional letter to the Bravman
family. She expressed her thanks
for their fabulous hosting and
emphasized
her
amazement
of her friends confidence in
the rightness of her way. She
stressed that from where she
came from, each person thought
he understood everything and
if there was something he did
not understand, that proved that
the thing was wrong. In Kfar
Chabad she met for the first time
people who were aware of the
limitations of their knowledge
and intelligence, and were not
ashamed to say that the truth
is the truth even if their puny
intelligence could not understand
it.
In one of the issues of Kerem

Chabad, there was a letter

written by visitors who expressed
gratitude for the terrific hosting.
This letter, which follows, is one
of hundreds, maybe thousands,
of thank you letters:
To Kfar Chabad, Shalom Rav!
Albeit late, we thank you for
the Shabbos that we spent in
your Kfar and for everything you
did for us. We returned home
full of impressions and stories
about the holy Shabbos which
we experienced with you, about

mitzvos and minhagim that are

distant from us and that we do
not observe.
This week, on Friday and
Shabbos, we reminisced about
what we did during those hours
with you, about what we heard,
what we saw, and what we were
shown and the like.
We must confess that when
we were with you, we felt what
Shabbos is. Unlike what we have
here, even though we rest and
draw strength for the upcoming

week, holiness like we felt with

you, a Jewish, warm atmosphere
this we do not feel here even
though this is our home.
Once again we thank the
speakers who explained to us
the teachings of Chassidus and
its values, the hosts as it was
they and the pleasant welcome
we received that we enjoyed
the most for hosting us in
their home, the Melaveh Malka,
Agudas Chassidei Chabad and
the entire Kfar.

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Issue 947

11

HISTORY

MAKING
HISTORY
R Shneur Zalman Berger, Beis Moshiachs historical researcher, hosts his
friend R Yosef Yitzchok Kaminetzky for a fascinating discussion between
fellow researchers. * They agree that much needs to be done to bequeath
Chabad history to the younger generation. * They disagree about whether
it is appropriate to give the Righteous of the Nations of the World award
to the Nazi officer who was instrumental in saving the Rebbe Rayatz. * A
fascinating journey into the world of Chabad historians.
Photos by Meir Alfasi

reserving history was

always considered in
Lubavitch especially in
the seventh generation
to be a matter of the highest
importance. The Rebbe Rayatz
greatly encouraged the writing
of stories of Chassidim and
memoirs. The Rebbe MHM also
encouraged this on countless
occasions, in order to relive the
past and to draw upon the flavor of
yesteryear in order to transmit it to
the next generations.
One of the people identified
with Chabad history in our time
is R YY Kaminetzky who, in
various ways, is breaking new
ground in sharing that history,
whether through his books

12 14 Cheshvan 5775

Kitzur Toldos Chabad and Yemei

Chabad, which are fundamental
works about the history of our
Rebbeim, or whether with his
documentaries of the places
where the Chabad Rebbeim lived
and passed through. He also
rewrote stories of the Rebbeim for
the children of Tzivos Hashem in
his series Rabboseinu Nesieinu
with vowels. This is all in
addition to numerous revelations
and exclusives in various Chabad
publications.
To mark 20 years of Beis
Moshiach, the publication where
I publish much of my historic/
Chassidic research, I sat down
with R Kaminetzky to discuss
Chabad history. R Kaminetzky

serves as director of the religious

council in the district council of
Emek Lud and was very busy, but
he was willing to clear some of
his time for this discussion which
he also considered important.
This is not the first time weve
met. We sometimes discuss
and clarify historical issues and
send one another important
discoveries that weve made. All
this adds an additional dimension
to the historical articles that are
published in Beis Moshiach as
well as to the historical chapters
published in my books.
I prepared some important
points for this talk but I soon
set them aside in favor of a
free-flowing and fascinating

discussion that went on for quite

some time. When at a certain
point the photographer set aside
his camera and got involved in
the discussion too, I saw that
history belongs not only to
historians and researchers, but
also to the young generation who
are becoming more interested in
their history.

YEARS OF HISTORIC
GROWTH
Shneur Berger: Chassidic
history is very important and our
Rebbeim gave it a place of honor
within the darkei hachassidus.
But what can we do when
sometimes it seems that among

the younger generation, JewishChassidic history doesnt seem to

hold their interest as much. For
this reason we, who work with
Chassidic history, need to work
not only on the research but also
on the style and manner in which
it is presented so that it also
speaks to the youth.
R Kaminetzky: We definitely
have to work to bequeath Chabad
history to the younger generation
and to everyone, but the interest
and information needs to be
divided into two parts. Those
in their 30s and 40s lack
information. I have discovered
that those who are younger are
very curious and really want to
know, and they know a lot. Even

young children know plenty.

There are a number of reasons
for this, the main one being the
sichos which are rich in Chabad
history have been translated
into Hebrew, and other sfarim
that document Chabad history
have been published in recent
decades. That is why the younger
ones know more. Ill give you an
example. A few years ago, I spoke
with a group of Chabad young
men and made a reference to the
Yalta Journey which the Rebbe
Rayatz talks about at length, that
on this trip he heard many stories
from his father. I was taken
aback when I saw that many of
the young men knew nothing
about this and who went there.

Issue 947

13

History
Shneur Berger: It is
interesting to see in hindsight
the ups and downs in the
publication
of
Chabad
history. I think that we are
now in a tremendous growth
spurt in this area. It started in
the early years of the Rebbes
nesius when the Rebbe told
Agudas Chassidei Chabad
to make sure to publish the
memoirs of Chassidim. In
the next period, series of
memoirs of Chassidim who
had learned by the Rebbe
Rashab in Tomchei Tmimim
were published in Chabad
publications.
In the following years
there was a downturn in
the publication of history
but in the 90s there was an
upswing with the publication
of historical articles. Then
many books were published,
whether stories of the Rebbeim
or biographies of Chassidim.
Now we are in an unprecedented
upswing in which every so often
a new historic book is published,
whether biographical or on other
historical topics.
R Kaminetzky: Stories of
Chassidim are an important
foundation in Chassidus; as
R Boruch Sholom Cohen (the
father of R Folye) said, we ought
to learn from the czars soldiers
who studied the history of the
czars family before anything else.
This included dates of birth and
death, their children etc. This was
so that the soldiers would know
who they were fighting for. It is
said that they would send to the
Chassid R Hillel Paritcher those
who had an interest in Chassidus
so he could teach them the
principles of Chassidus. First he
would tell them Chassidic stories
and only then would he teach
them Chassidus.
Going back to biographies,

14 14 Cheshvan 5775

the publicizing of the history

of Chassidim is a good thing,
but we need to think about the
schmaltz, i.e. when details
in the life of Chassidim are
exaggerated in order to make
a fatter book. Of course, great
care should be taken in using
descriptions that dont fit the
person. It has happened that
those who knew the Chassid
being written about did not
understand how certain things
could be written about them.
Better to write a thinner book
than a book full of schmaltz.
Theres a saying that a baker
cannot comment about his own
dough, but take for example
my book Anashim Chassidim
Hayu in which I wrote about
my
distinguished
Chassidic
grandparents, R Zalman Moshe
HaYitzchaki and R Avrohom
Maiyor (Drizin). Since they
are prominent Chassidim who
are spoken about a lot and are
quoted, I published a medium
sized book about them. Some
people complained that I could
have added more stories, but I
felt that the reader did not need

to be overburdened. In later
years, other descendants
published a book in English
about my grandfather R
Avrohom Drizin and they
added to it.
Shneur Berger: I helped
in the publication of the
English edition; and in my
humble opinion, those who
complained were right at
least somewhat, because
more could have been said
about these great Chassidim
in the first edition. The more
that it is possible to add and
fill in details, the better,
because this is actually the
only preservation of the
material that will remain for
generations.
R Kaminetzky: One thing
is for sure, the book is free of
schmaltz, i.e. unnecessary and
exaggerated
descriptions
or
those which dont fit the reality.
I wrote the history of the lives of
my grandparents as they were, so
the next generation will know the
truth.

HOW DO YOU DISCOVER

HISTORY?
Shneur Berger: I know that
you shy away from the title of
researcher even though that is
how you are always referred to
in the Chabad media. Nor do
you like the term historian, but
Chabad Chassidim definitely
owe you a big thank you for
your documentation of history
in a systematic way in your
important books, Yemei Chabad
and Kitzur Toldos Chabad.
History buffs certainly remember
the numerous discoveries and
revelations that you published
over the years. Can you tell us,
how do you make these historic
discoveries? For example, how
did you discover the place where
the Rebbes brother, R Dovber

Schneersohn, was murdered?

R Kaminetzky: It was a
few years after my brother,
Shmuel, went on shlichus
to Dnepropetrovsk, the city
where the Rebbes family
lived. As part of my work
in documenting history, I
set it as my goal to locate
the place where the Rebbes
brother was killed. We knew
that it happened in the town
of Igren. I went there and
worked hard until I found a
goy who was present when
they took out all the patients
from the hospital where R
Dovber was hospitalized to be
killed.
This man told me that
the murderers removed all
the patients, told them to
crawl on the ground in order to
humiliate them, and then shot
them one by one. It was a horrific
sight.
After we located the place,
we put up a monument in the
memory of those who had been
killed and I publicized this in Beis
Moshiach in the early years.

HISTORY IN A MODERN
FRAMEWORK
Now, Id like to know from
you, R Shneur Zalman, how
did you start getting involved
in research on Chabad history
and preserving the memory of
historical events?
Shneur Berger: It was shortly
after I got married when my
friend R Menachem Ziegelboim
asked me to collect information
about Chassidic figures from
the elder Chassidim. That was
the beginning. It continued
when I began working for Beis
Moshiach. At first, I wrote on
a variety of subjects. Some
might remember that I was in
charge of the news, or a series

of articles about shluchim and

Chabad Houses in Eretz Yisroel,
and numerous miracle stories.
I did that while also publishing
historical articles and series. As
time went on, I left the current
events to my colleagues and
focused on history which really
interested me.
History is very complicated
and challenging. Few Chabad
Chassidim deal with it and each
one has his style. There is enough
work for all.
My style of research in
recent years includes personal
interviews along with research
work in libraries and archives.
There are periods in which I am
a regular visitor at the National
Library and when necessary, the
Zionist Archive, the Yad VaShem
library, the State of Israel
Archives and more. Over the
years, I have been given access to
personal, important archives like
the archive of R Eliezer Karasik,
director of Aguch, that of askan
R Zushe Wilyamowsky, of the
gabbai of the Rebbe Rayatz, R
Eliyahu Yochil Simpson, and
archives from the Chein family,

etc. In the course of my work,

I draw upon the appropriate
materials and use them to
create the articles and books
and other platforms.
In this way, I have gotten
to a lot of material which
was never seen before,
important and unknown
events in the history of
Chabad
were
revealed,
and this material added an
important dimension to the
history series about Chabad
in the Holocaust, Chabad in
Tel Aviv, Reshet Oholei Yosef
Yitzchok, Yeshivas Toras
Emes, and more.
R Kaminetzky: For many
years I worked for Reshet
Oholei Yosef Yitzchok and
only after that did I get into
documenting history. This is
when I discovered the enormous
ignorance among Lubavitchers
in their knowledge of the history
of our Rebbeim and Chabad
Chassidim.
It began with my radio
broadcasts that took place many
years ago in Kfar Chabad. I
had a history program every
Motzaei Shabbos for an hour
and a half, a live broadcast.
The programs dealt with Yemei
Chabad and I was helped by
R Yosef Solomon in locating
material. In the program I noted
important Chabad dates like
births and deaths, imprisonments
and wanderings. I expanded on
each item from sources more
and less well known. I kept this
material and some years later I
put it together in the book Yemei
Chabad. Since then, the book
has become popular and I say
this based on sales which have
reached many thousands in the
Hebrew version and thousands
more in other languages.
The book only notes Chabad
dates while many other topics

Issue 947

15

History
connected with the history of
the Chabad leaders that are not
connected to specific days are not
included. For that I put together
the history of the Rebbeim and
their families according to the
years of their leadership and it
is called Kitzur Toldos Chabad.
Many topics were added to this
book, as well as documents and
pictures that illustrate the history
of our Rebbeim. Over the years,
I have acquired a lot of material
which was not known and it has
all been published in books and
articles.
The way I work is completely
different from yours. Although
you see many exposes from

information, we must present

history in this modern framework
as well. This is why I traveled
with a photography team to
Russia, more than once. While
there, I searched and located
many places associated with the
history of the Rebbeim and we
produced videos that show what
the Rebbeim and Chassidim went
through.
When you are shown the
area where the Alter Rebbe was
born, and then you see the spring
which is also known today as
the white spring, it makes the
Chabad stories more real.
I made a surprising discovery
when I went to the village of Liadi

When you are shown the area where the Alter

Rebbe was born, and then you see the spring
which is also known today as the white spring, it makes
the Chabad stories more real.
me, this is not the purpose of
my work. My goal is to organize
the existing material, i.e. those
things which our Rebbeim and
Chassidim told and which are
already in writing. When it is
all organized, according to days
or Rebbeim, every Chassid can
easily learn the Chabad history.
The book Kitzur Toldos Chabad
is in many Lubavitcher homes
and many people are learning the
history of the Rebbeim.
Shneur Berger: I must praise
you for your work in video
documenting the history of the
Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler
Rebbe; its really an idea that
nobody ever considered. The
videos in which you show the
places they lived, wandered
and were imprisoned, bring the
viewers into a time tunnel.
R Kaminetzky: Today, when
there is a plethora of visual

16 14 Cheshvan 5775

from where the Alter Rebbe fled

during the war with Napoleon.
As we know, from the history
of the Alter Rebbe, after he fled,
Napoleon himself went Liadi to
look for him. Some researchers
wonder why Napoleon, who
waged such a big war in Russia,
had to go to this little village.
While looking around the village,
I saw a large monument on which
it is inscribed that from here
Napoleon went to war in Russia!
I went to the colonies, the
agricultural settlements that
the Mitteler Rebbe founded.
Chassidim who settled in these
places complained that they
were far from Lubavitch. So
the Mitteler Rebbe promised to
visit them. The time came and
the Rebbe arrived. According to
reports at the time, the Rebbe
stayed a long time and said
Chassidus a number of times in

the shul in the settlement whose

name means good river.
In my trip to document the
colonies, we found a place called,
till today, good river, even
though all the residents are not
Jewish. But they realize that the
shul is a holy place and it stands
there, desolate, but nobody
enters it. That means that the
shul in which the Mitteler Rebbe
said Chassidus is still standing.
In the video, the lives of the
nissim from the Alter Rebbe
until the Rebbe Rayatz are
documented. Now I want to get
to the most relevant part, the
history of the Rebbes childhood,
to which will be appended the
history of his father, the gaon, R
Levi Yitzchok.
Shneur Berger: In recent
years, since you have been
serving as director of the
religious council in Emek Lud,
there is no time for trips and even
your involvement in history has
suffered.
R Kaminetzky: These days, I
am busy with important mitzvos
running the infrastructure of
rabbanus, kashrus, mikvaos, etc.
in the yishuvim of Emek Lud, and
the most important and biggest
of them in Kfar Chabad. This
position does not allow me to get
greatly involved in history even
though I am currently working
on a new edition with additions
to Yemei Chabad. (As we spoke,
R Kaminetzky gave me a volume
of the current edition with
handwritten additions which will
be added to the new edition).
Ive also made trips with
some distinguished Chassidim
to Samarkand, Lvov and Paris.
It was fascinating to reconstruct
the trip by train, crossing the
border from Ukraine to Poland
as the Chassidim did when they
sneaked across the border. By
the way, I recently discovered

that the secret police knew that

Chassidim were doing this and
they followed them to Poland.
Chassidim rejoiced when they
crossed the border successfully,
even though Russia, for the most
part, ruled over Poland too.
Many
Chassidim,
after
crossing the border, crowded
into the shul in Cracow. The
Russians knew what they had
done and informed the Poles that
they had to send the Jews back to
Russia. But the head of the Polish
Secret Police was a Jew and
despite his position he sometimes
helped Jews. He made sure to get
the Jews onto buses and to send
them straight to Czechoslovakia
on their way to western countries
out of reach of the communist
hold.
Shneur Berger: Speaking
of the period after World War
II, I want to talk about a topic
connected to the series of articles
I did for Beis Moshiach, Chabad
in the Holocaust. Thanks to this

series, I studied in depth many

topics related to the Holocaust
and World War II, while you
have dealt a number of times in
various publications with the
rescue of the Rebbeim. You even
recommended that an award for
the Righteous of the Nations of
the World be given to Admiral
Wilhelm Canaris who arranged
for the rescue of the Rebbe
Rayatz during the Holocaust
and undertook a very dangerous
mission in which the Rebbe, his
family, and a group of Chassidim,
left Poland until they reached
Latvia, thus saving their lives.
In my humble opinion, your
request is out of place, just as
we would not award the senior
Hamas figure who released Gilad
Shalit. How can you give an
award like that to someone who
collaborated with the plan to
exterminate the Jews, even if he
helped save the Rebbe?!
R Kaminetzky: First of all,
I must say that the series on

Chabad in the Holocaust was

important, fascinating, and I
read all the chapters because the
materials you worked so hard to
unearth are very interesting.
As far as the Righteous of
the Nations award for Admiral
Canaris, chief of the German
military intelligence service, I
think, as do others, that he should
be awarded the title because
despite his senior position he
actually saved thousands of Jews
from certain death.
Shneur Berger: But the
chief of the German military
intelligence service himself sat
together with the generals who
directed the world war and
he was a partner to decisions
that were made that led to the
annihilation of the Jewish people!
R Kaminetzky: Thats not so.
The chief of military intelligence
was responsible for spying on
countries outside of Germany
in preparation for their eventual

Issue 947

17

History
occupation and he did not have
a role in destroying Jews. He
certainly never gave orders to kill
Jews. And he saved thousands of
Jews including the Rebbe Rayatz.
It should be pointed out that
Canaris assistant was awarded
as a Righteous of the Nations.
Shneur Berger: Those who
oppose giving Canaris this award,
and I salute them, maintain
that he was part of the general
command and since this military
system included the despicable
attempt to exterminate the Jewish
people, Canaris is a part of it. So
even if he was involved in rescue
work, this cannot atone for his
share in the command system
which killed millions of Jews.
R Kaminetzky: True, he held
a senior position, but when it
came to Jews he demonstrated
that he was not at all involved and
therefore, for his part in rescuing
the Rebbe he deserves an award.

Continued from page 33

discovering more Jews.
It is not easy operating in a
town with only a few hundred
Jews. It is very complicated work,
but R Tamarin is devoted and
dynamic and he does what he
can and is very successful. The
shul is packed every Shabbos,
and on Sundays there is a
program for children of all ages.
Many Jews participate in holiday
programs, and he also provides
humanitarian aid to the needy.
In recent years, the area
has become exclusive thanks to
wealthy people from Moscow
buying magnificent summer
villas. The price of real estate has
skyrocketed.
The shul has one old Torah
scroll. A sofer who looked at it

18 14 Cheshvan 5775

LOST OPPORTUNITIES
Shneur
Berger:
People
generally like to talk about
successes but in documentation
and historical research we know
there are many disappointments.
I want to tell you about one of
them.
I remember that when I began
working on the book about R
Zushe Wilyamowsky, I prepared
a list of people to interview
together with his son, Levi. On
the top of the list was R Shlomo
Maidanchek who worked with
R Zushe for years to carry out
the Rebbes instructions to the
vaad of Kfar Chabad and Chabad
askanim.
R Shlomo, who avoided
interviews, opened up to me
and from time to time, when
necessary, he would add some
pearls to articles that I published
in Beis Moshiach. One year,
before Purim, I called him
and he answered briefly: I am
said it urgently needed to be fixed
so it would be kosher according
to all opinions. R Tamarin
decided to do something about
it. He had a Torah scroll in his
house for twenty years which
was also in need of fixing. The
family got this Torah when R
Zalman Gluckowsky passed away
in Klimovichi, White Russia (now
Belarus) in 5744. He was the
last Chabad rabbi in Russia until
perestroika. He left this Torah,
and his daughter, who was afraid
to keep it in her house, told R
Tamarin about it and he took it.
This Torah was pasul in many
places and a lot of work was
needed to fix it.
When he decided to have
it fixed, Ohr Avner provided
the funding. An expert scribe
worked on it for a long time,
and in Elul 5763 there was a

busy distributing matzos, call

after Pesach. As you know, he
would give out matzos to many
politicians, people in the military,
etc. and he was working on this
before Purim already.
A few days after Purim he had
a stroke and he passed away on
Pesach. I grieved over his passing
and also felt I had lost out big
time for I could no longer talk to
the person who would certainly
have wanted to talk about the
Partisan. While preparing the
book, I discovered that Chabad
was involved in the effort to get
R Sholom Stroks released. He
had been accused of kidnapping
his nephew, Yossele Schumacher.
The information was meager and
the key person was R Shlomo
Maidanchek, but he was gone.
May Hashem help that we
soon merit the day when all
arise and will be able to tell us
themselves what they saw and
heard and did.

festive Hachnasas Seifer Torah

in Malachovka, the first public
Jewish event in decades.
A large and impressive parade
walked through Malachovka
and the Jews rejoiced. Even the
elders of the community did
not remember a celebration like
this. Police officials understood
the significance of the event and
closed the main street of the town
in honor of the procession.
Hakafos took place in the shul
with the participation of R Berel
Lazar, chief rabbi of Russia, and
other distinguished people. In
a meeting that took place the
next day, the governor of the
Malachovka district blessed the
rabbanim on the grand occasion
which officially returned Jewish
life to Malachovka. The governor
even promised to help R Tamarin
and the Chabad community.

PARSHA THOUGHT

SEALING OFF THE

TWO OPEN SIDES
OF THE ALLEY
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

AVIMELECHS
REPETITIVE EXCUSES
Abraham had to deal with all
sorts of people who challenged
his faith and loyalty to G-d. In
the end of this weeks parsha, the
Torah recounts his dealings with
the Philistine king Avimelech.
The
Torah
recounts
how
Avimelechs Philistine servants
had seized Abrahams wells.
Abraham rebuked Avimelech and
Avimelech gives an ambiguous
defense:
I do not know who did this
thing; furthermore you have not
told me, and moreover I myself
have heard nothing of it except
for today.
This
rather
repetitious
response given by Avimelech
requires an explanation. Why
couldnt he just have said: I
dont know who did this thing?
Isnt it obvious that if he didnt
know of the theft of the wells, he
hadnt heard it from Abraham or
from anyone else? And besides,
why waste so much space in the
Torah telling us of Avimelechs
response? Every word of Torah
must carry within it a message
for us.

ABRAHAM AND
AVIMELECH: PARALLEL
AND OPPOSITE
PERSONALITIES
To answer these questions it is
important for us to focus on the
relationship between Abraham
and Avimelech the Philistine
leader.
In
Chassidic
literature
the Philistines and their king
Avimelech represent the same
trait of Abraham; however in
opposite directions.
Abraham was the epitome of
kindness. Abraham was suffused
with love for G-d and other
people. Abraham was extroverted.
He was an open person, who
wore his emotions on his sleeve.
People reciprocated that love,
and he was therefore successful
in attracting thousands of people
to monotheism and his kind and
just ways.
The Philistines were also
people who possessed a zest for
life, open and gregarious. Their
lives too were filled with joy
and love. Indeed, the very word
in Hebrew for the Philistines
Plishtim is cognate to the word
mefulash used in the Mishna in
the phrase mavoy mefulash, an
alley which opens up on both

sides to a public thoroughfare.

In emotional terms this connotes
a person who has no or little
emotional restraints. Everything
is out in the open for everyone to
see.
The salient difference between
these two models is that while
Abraham was an open person
filled with love for life and for
others, his openness and love
was always directed towards the
right ends. There were barriers
and red lines that he did not
cross. The Philistines, however,
had no boundaries. Their joy was
baseless, meaningless, carefree
and cynical. The Philistines
are described as mockers who
ridiculed and scorned everyone
and everything else. They stood
for nothing.
The analogy to an alley that is
open to the public thoroughfare
on both sides suggests that the
Plishtim model allows every
influence to enter regardless of
the direction from which it hails.
Moreover, the root of the word
Plishtimpalashdenotes
an invasion or infiltration of
alien forces into ones land.
And,
indeed,
historically,
the Philistines of the Biblical
period were constantly making
incursions into the Land of Israel.

Issue 947

19

Parsha Thought
In the spiritual parallel, the
person afflicted with the Philistine
mentality is open to influences
coming from every direction,
and is also comfortable to invade
and trespass others territory. A
person who has no borders and
boundaries will not respect the
borders and boundaries of others
either.

SELFLESS AND SELFISH

The underlying difference
between the model of Abraham
and the model of Avimelech is
that Abrahams love, joy and
openness was a selfless one.
Abraham was the epitome of
humility as he stated, I am but

Avimelechs servants fits in to the

Philistine model and mindset of
lack of respect for borders.
When
Avimelech
was
challenged by Abraham as to
why his servants appropriated
Abrahams wells, Avimelech three
part answer can be understood
as three reasons a person can
be morally deficient. These three
points are based on the three
sources of awareness of right and
wrong.

SPIRITUAL DIALYSIS
The first thing Avimelech
stated was: I do not know who
did this thing. One of the ways

We too are living in the Facebook age of

openness; there are no secrets and no boundaries.
We too experience the unprecedented danger of the
invasive influences of the mockers and cynics among
others.

dust and ashes. His entire life

revolved around what he could
do for G-d and others. The
Philistine model of openness, by
contrast, is a product of selfish
indulgence which derives from an
inflated ego.
So while Abraham and
Avimelech had something in
common, in terms of their
temperament, they were in fact
worlds apart. Abraham reached
out to people but did not invade
them as did Avimelech when he
took Sarah. Abraham was filled
with the joie de vivre, yet he was
not a mocker or cynic. Abraham
respected
the
boundaries
between people even as he knew
how to influence and enter into
their lives.
We can now understand that
the theft of Abrahams well by

20 14 Cheshvan 5775

we know what is right and what

is wrong is through knowledge.
Knowledge in this context is not
book knowledge, but an intuitive
awareness of right and wrong.
The Talmud tells us that if, G-d
forbid, the Torah had not been
given we would have learned
morals from animals. There
are certain behaviors which are
natural and that a normal
person could anticipate.
Indeed, the Midrash tells us
that Abraham knew and practiced
the entire Torah, even though it
had not been formally presented
to the world. The Midrash states
that he knew the Torah from
his kidneys. Simply this means
that he derived his information,
intuitively, from within himself.
He possessed the internal filter
to know how to glean truth from

falsehood, goodness form evil

etc.
Avimelech, however, lamented
to Abraham that, notwithstanding
his emotional similarity to
Abraham, he did not have the
same internal compass. His
kidneys malfunctioned and he
was in need of spiritual dialysis.

REBBE
Avimelech then presents his
second rejoinder to Abraham for
his lack of sensitivity to the theft
of Abrahams well:
Furthermore you have not
told me. Now that the Torah
was given we no longer have to
intuit what G-d wants of us. We
no longer have to rely on our
conscience to determine moral
behavior. G-d, in His infinite
kindness, gave us the Torah
which guides us in every step
of the way. And this Torah is
highly accessible, as the Torah
itself states It is not in heaven...
or overseas. The Torah was
entrusted to each and every Jew,
and we have an unbroken chain
of Torah transmitters who made
the words of the Torah accessible
and meaningful to us.
Avimelech, however, lamented
that he did not have a teacher of
Torah. Avimelechs arrogance and
ego did not let him be mentored
by Abraham. Avimelech had no
Rebbe.

COMMUNITY
There is however a third
source of ethical awareness.
Even when we have no spiritual
intuition and we have not
been given a good education
we can pick up moral values
by osmosis. Jews have always
lived in communities, where
one absorbed morality just by
breathing the air. Alas, Avimelech
did not have that luxury. He lived

in a deprave environment and he

therefore offers his third line of
defense:
And moreover I myself have
heard nothing of it except for
today. By hearing he meant
picking things up by just having
his ears open to pick up any of
the vibes.

PHILISTINE THREAT AT THE

EXODUS AND TODAY
In the aftermath of the
Exodus of the Jewish nation
from Egypt, G-d deliberately
avoided having them travel
through Philistine territory. He
was concerned that the fledgling
nation would be harmed by
the cynical approach of the
Philistines that would stifle them
in their attempt to develop an
independent identity. All it takes
is a sneering comment to derail
a neophytes attempt at shedding
his previous constrained life. For
a slave nation to be internally
liberated they could do without
the invasive, damaging influence
of the Philistines.
Now that we are at the
crossroads
of
the
Final
Redemption, which the prophet
stated is analogous to the first
Redemption from Egypt, we too
have to be mindful of the threat
of the Philistine mindset. We too
are living in the Facebook age
of openness; there are no secrets
and no boundaries. We too
experience the unprecedented
danger of the invasive influences
of the mockers and cynics among
others.

Abraham respected the boundaries between

people even as he knew how to influence and
enter into their lives.
THE DIFFERENCE

There is one significant

difference, though, between the
nascent Jewish nation at the time
of the Exodus and our thresholdof-Redemption generation.
At the time of the Exodus,
they could not summon their
inner moral strength due to the
impact slavery had on them.
According to our tradition, they
had degenerated to the nadir
of depravity. Accessing their
core of holiness and internal
moral compass would be like
drilling through miles of hard
impenetrable rock.
In addition, they had yet to
stand by Mount Sinai to receive
the Torah. They could not rely
on revelation for guidance. And,
finally, learning and absorbing
by osmosis was also not a viable
alternative for them because
they were all in the same boat
recently freed slaves with a
slave mentality, who grew up in
Egypt, the worlds most depraved
society.
Our generation, in stark
contrast, is different on all
three counts: We are capable
of accessing our inner core of
holiness. The Rebbe informed
us that the miracles we have
witnessed during the Six Day
War and beyond served as the
Great Shofar and awakened
the Jewish nation precipitating

a spiritual revolution inspiring

hundreds of thousands of Jews to
return to their roots.
We also have the luxury of
having the greatest teachers and
leaders, particularly our Rebbe
who has given us hundreds
of
volumes
of
profound,
inspirational and relevant Torah
teachings, thousands of hours
of talks, tens of thousands of
pastoral letters etc., and who
has delegated thousands of
emissaries to educate the Jewish
world, reaching every nook and
cranny of the world.
Furthermore,
we
are
fortunate that we have enclaves
of hundreds of thousands of Jews
committed to Judaism. We also
have unprecedented access to so
much Torah knowledge through
modern media. For all the
nonsense and harmful influences
in our society today there is as
much positive and holy influences
we can absorb by osmosis.
Our generation can thus
repeat Avimelechs refrain in a
slightly modified version:
I do know who did this
thing; furthermore you have told
me, and moreover I myself have
heard it today.
We are indeed ready for the
Messianic Age when all those
three avenues of knowledge will
be expanded to their maximum.

ADD IN ACTS OF GOODNESS & KINDNESS

TO BRING MOSHIACH NOW!

Issue 947

21

STORY

UNEXPECTED
TURNAROUND
By S. Nahari

22 14 Cheshvan 5775

ot all of us are
interested in news
about the economy
legal penalties, labor
disputes, ups and downs in the
stock market, etc. But if you have
a vested interest, then it sure does
interest you!
This story took place ten years
ago in Eretz Yisroel. Chanoch
and Zissel, a Lubavitcher couple,
(pseudonyms) worked for years
and supported themselves in a
dignified fashion. They managed
to keep their heads above water,
or in financial terms above
the overdraft, for the most
part. Occasionally, they found
themselves sinking underwater
and then the struggle became not
to drown. Those are the rules of
the survival game.
All of Chanochs life, since he
came of age, has been sort of an
acrobatic exercise in satisfying
everyone his wife, children,
the schools and transportation,
the grocer, the fruit store owner,
the marketing firms and credit
card company, tzdaka funds, the
landlord, and most importantly
the bank manager. Yes, the bank
manager.
Chanoch succeeded in this
task. Throughout the years, life
flowed peacefully. He was never
considered wealthy but nor was
he among the poor. Chanoch and
his wife lived modestly and were
satisfied with the basics; they had
no need for luxuries or to keep
up with the neighbors.
Once, when he had an
unusual expense, Chanoch took
a loan from the bank which
he committed to repaying in
installments. One day followed
another, one month followed
another, and sometimes it was
easier to pay his bank debt and
sometimes it was stressful. But
generally, Chanoch and his wife
were diligent and thought out

and the size of the debt was

slowly reduced. If things would
have continued that way, the
following story would not have
happened.
It all changed when Sharons
government came into power and
decided to dismantle the religious
councils. The dismantling took
a long time and employees were
not paid their salaries. Thousands
of employees throughout the
country were left without a
means of support.
Despite this, life went on for
the rest of the nation without a
thought for their brethren who
worked for the religious councils.
How were they surviving? Did
they have something to put
in their kids sandwiches for
school? Did they have money for
tuition? What about the loans
they needed to repay? Rent,
diapers, gas, electricity, water,
phone bills, and a thousand other
details that comprise life for a
Jew in Eretz Yisroel.
Committees of ministers,
committees of Knesset members,
meetings that began but never
ended. Those who have enough
dont relate to those who are
hungry, so the rectification of
the injustice gets postponed,
with utmost indifference, for the
foreseeable future. The special
committee of ministers which
was formed specifically for this
matter asked for weeks from
the prime ministers office, who
had ordered the dismantling,
to present an updated picture,
council by council: how many
employees there were, how much
their salaries were each month,
how many months were owed to
them, and how much the whole
thing was going to cost.
If it wasnt so sad and
affecting the lives of so many,
one may have been able to laugh
at the ridiculousness of our

elected officials, but families were

being ruined in the interim. One
of these families was the family of
Chanoch and Zissel.
From the position of a
balabus who supported himself
just fine, he became a volunteer.
He worked as a volunteer, for
the sake of Heaven, without any
allowance for travel expenses, not
to mention a modest income.
From month to month, things
grew worse. The bill at the grocer
was growing to alarming heights.
He couldnt show his face there
anymore so he sent his children
to buy daily necessities and to
write it down. The budget
deficit doubled and then tripled.
Zissels salary placated the bank
manager for the meantime.
Boruch Hashem, they had those
few shkalim.
In the meantime, everyone
promised everyone that the
situation was temporary; very
soon, the committees would
straighten things out and the
salaries would be paid again.
Chanoch is known in his city
as someone straight and G-d
fearing. When he asks for an
extension for a certain payment,
everyone knows that he is serious
about his commitment and the
moment he gets the money he
will be the first to show up with
the payment. He is certainly
no fraud or charlatan, which is
why, until this point, he was able
to continue buying and taking
care of his familys basic needs
without a problem.
Chanoch
overheard
conversations in the hallways of
the council and put two and two
together. The salaries were not
expected to be deposited in the
bank in the immediate future.
From this day forth, it would be
harder to promise everyone he
owed that he would be able to
pay them back very soon. The

Issue 947

23

Story
stranglehold tightened. Feelings
of failure and despair began to
creep into mind and heart.
In the first stage of his plight,
when he could still delude himself
into thinking that relief was at
hand, Chanoch quietly and with
much angst approached a relative
who was also a good friend.
Yedidya, as we shall call him,
had set aside a sum of money for
some personal reason. Until he
needed the money, he was willing
to lend it out to whoever asked.
Yedidya gave Chanoch a
sizable amount of money on a
temporary basis. The loan was
given on condition that if he
needed the money, Chanoch had
to return it given a reasonable

a quarter. Fifteen nerve wracking

months. Fifteen months without
knowing from where they would
provide for their household the
following month. If you have not
experienced this, no description
will help, not even the most
elaborate.
At a certain point, Chanoch
had to revert to a childhood
game of hide and seek. The bank
manager was not at all pleased by
his financial situation, especially
since he was the main loser in
the whole story. When there is
no bread to eat and there is no
knowing from where another
creditor will appear, then the
bank is the last place you worry
about paying. After all, the banks

Pessia, I need thousands of shekels now.

Thousands of shekels by tomorrow morning. Not
an answer in the Igros Kodesh. Money! If you dont help,
we will have no choice but to go to the loan sharks ...
amount of time. Chanoch agreed
to this term and accepted the
loan.
Debts continued to mount,
and the snowball was growing
and was racing down the slope.
Chanoch and Zissel tried to live
what they had learned: to realize
that everything is a test, that no
evil descends from above, that
the nature of Ultimate Goodness
is to do good, that he should
have no desires at all of matters
of this world at all, and yes and
no are equal to him with absolute
equivalence.
It was very hard; not
impossible, but hard. Our couple
felt that they were at the breaking
point, physically and emotionally.
Our story fills a few pages of
a magazine, but the pain, stress,
and despair were unlimited. This
situation went on for a year and

24 14 Cheshvan 5775

are on a firm footing and nothing

will happen to them if they
patiently wait until Hashem helps
and everything straightens out.
The bank wouldnt go bankrupt
from the tens of thousands of
shekels that Chanoch owed it.
The bank managers salary would
continue to be paid regardless of
what Chanoch owed the bank.
Furthermore, the bank continued
to hit Chanoch with charges of
interest upon interest, so nobody
was losing over there.
However, the manager was
not at all impressed with this
reasoning and Chanoch had to
start hiding from the manager.
Chanoch would check the caller
ID before picking up the phone.
He had to refrain from visiting
the nearest branch of the bank
lest he be seen. Chanoch was
definitely not laughing all the way
to the bank.

But in recently, the game

ended. The manager demanded
a significant sum of several
thousand shekels deposited in
Chanochs bank account by
Wednesday morning (Parshas
Lech Lecha 5765). Where should
he get it from? The manager
didnt care. He even threatened
that the next step would be to
freeze the account. No games;
this time its serious.
What could he do? Cry, wipe
tears, try to get the gray cells to
come up with a solution, despair,
and cry again.
Suddenly,
a
spark
of
hope: Yedidya! He would ask
Yedidya for additional help.
He was a warmhearted person
who suffered upon hearing of
someones sorrow. He was the
answer. The couple breathed
easier. Yedidya would help them,
maybe not with the entire sum,
but with enough to appease the
bank manager.
The phone rang in Yedidyas
house. He could see it was
Chanoch on the caller ID. I
wonder what he wants. Probably
not to pay back the loan that
Yedidya needed now, which he
had held back from asking for,
for a while now, since he knew
of Chanochs situation. He knew
that he would have to wait much
longer for the loan to be repaid.
Chanoch spoke to Yedidya,
sounding unlike himself. It was
hard for him to ask for more
money when he hadnt repaid
the previous loan. But he did it
because he had no choice.
For the first time since they
knew one another, Yedidya had
to refuse Chanochs request. He
himself was strapped. He was
sorry and he understood, and
he was willing to think of ideas
to extricate Chanoch out of the
quicksand, but he had nothing
to offer then and there. He

had connections; he would call

friends and other relatives. Give
me a few days to arrange at least
a partial rescue, he said.
Chanoch hung up the phone
in despair. That was it; that frail
straw that he had held on to with
desperation had slipped away.
What would happen? The clock
showed that the next day was fast
approaching; way too fast. What
would be?
Zissel, as a true woman of
valor, decided to take action. She
would speak to Pessia, Yedidyas
wife, woman to woman. Who
knows what the results might be?
Maybe shed be able to convince
Yedidya to come up with a
practical solution by the next
morning!
Zissel called the familiar
number. Without being able to
restrain herself, she burst into
tears and begged for help.
Zissel, calm down! Lets
think together. What can we do
One minute, what did the
Rebbe have to say about all this?
What?! You didnt write to him?
How can that be?!
Pessia, I need thousands
of shekels now, thousands of
shekels by tomorrow morning.
Not an answer in the Igros
Kodesh. MONEY! If you dont
help, we will have no choice but
to go to the loan sharks ...
Pessia herself knew what
troubles are and did not think
badly of Zissel for her response.
Instead she focused on her goal
which was to get the couple
to turn to the Rebbe for help.
Where is Chanoch? I want to
speak to him right now.
Chanoch, she reminded
him, remember when you were
in a bind many years ago? You
needed a big miracle and who
helped you? Only the Rebbe, the
Rebbe who is the father of us all.
You must turn to him. Now take

a clean white piece of paper and a

pen, wash your hands and write
a letter.
Chanoch was dumbfounded.
How was it that he hadnt
thought of turning to the Rebbe?
Under Pessias influence, he
quickly wrote to the Rebbe with
a heavy heart, seeking to shift his
burden on to the right shoulders.
He finished writing, looked at
the Rebbes face and put the
letter into Volume 17 of the Igros
Kodesh. The answer was on
pages 180-181:
In response to your writing
a pidyon nefesh without a
date full of complaints and
describing your situation in the
blackest colors...
In the letter, the Rebbe goes
on to explain that despair and
sadness are nothing more than
ploys of the Yetzer Hara and
that every person is given the
means to overcome them. As far
as the questioners writing about
the need for a light or lamp to
illuminate the dark road, the
Rebbe writes that the road is
not dark at all, as there is clear
guidance in Torah and Chassidus
for every situation. In conclusion
the Rebbe expresses his hope
that upon receipt of this letter,
you will turn your mind away
entirely from sighs and increase
in actions...and within a short
time you will see that you were
completely mistaken in your
description of the situation...
A few minutes later the phone
rang in Yedidya and Pessias
house. This time, Chanoch was
on the line. His voice sounded
strong. The first change had
already begun!
I must thank you. From the
moment I wrote to the Rebbe,
Ive been feeling better. If you are
interested, you can look at the
answer in Volume 17.
Yedidya and Pessia went to

the bookshelf to see what the

Rebbe had written to have had
such an effect on Chanoch.
They were astonished when they
read the letter that was so on
target. Was there any doubt that
the Rebbe is chai vkayam and
personally taking care of each of
his children?
How the matter would be
resolved, especially as the Rebbe
wrote, within a short time you
will see that you were completely
mistaken in your description of
the situation, nu, that was the
Rebbes business. Now, after an
answer like this, it was absolutely
clear that everything would work
out.
Sometimes
the
salvation
comes
immediately
and
sometimes it is delayed, but it
always comes at the right time.
In this case, it was a matter of a
night, twelve hours.
Wednesday morning, after a
tense night in which Yedidya tried
to be creative in drumming up
help for Chanoch and his family,
the phone rang in his house. It
was Chanoch.
Yedidya picked it up, thinking
he would repeat the words of
comfort and encouragement of
the Rebbe.
Yedidya, what an excellent
morning!
Excellent?
You wont believe this but
twenty minutes ago, the entire
amount I needed to pay to
the manager of the bank was
deposited into my account! We
were saved! The authorities
authorized another payment on
account of the salaries that are
owed us ...
I personally know about this
story with Yedidya and Pessia and
all I can say is, Yechi Adoneinu
Moreinu VRabbeinu, Melech
HaMoshiach Lolam Vaed!

Issue 947

25

STORIES

THE FIRST PIDYON

NEFESH THE
REBBE ACCEPTED
Why did the Rebbe give a large tip to a child and
why did he double the amount afterward? How
did the Rebbe express his gratitude to someone
who helped his father? With whom did the
Rebbe and Rebbetzin sit on Motzaei Shabbasos
and why? * Fascinating stories that were told at
a farbrengen in 770 to mark Chaf Av.
By Rabbi Nachman Twersky

he
more
we
hear
about R Levi Yitzchok
Schneersohn, the more
we see many aspects of his
conduct as they manifested in his
son, the Rebbe.
The following story is from
5732, 42 years ago. In the
yeshiva of my grandfather,
Yeshivas Meor Einayim, was a
man who served as the shamash.
He cleaned the floor, washed
the dishes in the kitchen and did
other such chores. I would talk to
him now and then. I asked him
about himself and where he came
from.
He told me that he was a
descendant of the Baal Shem Tov
and then said he had helped R
Levik a lot. I dont know where

26 14 Cheshvan 5775

R Nachman Twersky

and in what time period but this

is what he told me.
I told him that it would be a
good idea to write to the Rebbe
and tell him what he told me. The
Rebbe would surely want to know
what he did for his father. I gave
him the Rebbes address, 770,
and he told me he would write to
the Rebbe.
Some time went by and I met
this man again and I asked him
whether he received an answer.
He answered me and I sensed
that he was embarrassed: Ill tell
you the truth. I did not ask the
Rebbe for anything!
In the letter, the Rebbe greatly
thanked him for helping his
father and the Rebbe wrote that
he wanted to have a share in this

illustration

since he did not have the privilege

of helping his father. Therefore,
the Rebbe sent him money. The
man did not tell me how much
but said, It was a nice check.
And he repeated, shamefacedly,
I did not ask him for anything.
We see that the Rebbe
was grateful to anyone who
did something for his father.
Speaking of gratitude, Id like
to add: I once spent Shabbos
in Manhattan at a shul on 95th
and Lexington. There was an
old gabbai whom I did not know
who came over to me and asked
whether Im a Lubavitcher. I said
yes, and asked how he knew. He
said he saw my tallis. He then
showed me his tallis which was
also a Lubavitcher tallis. Then he
asked me whether I know where
he has his Lubavitcher tallis from.
His surprising answer was
that the Lubavitcher Rebbe gave
it to him! I looked at him and
wondered how this could be and
the man went on to explain.
We are good friends with
the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Until
the Rebbe accepted the nesius,
my parents would meet with
the Rebbe and Rebbetzin every

Motzaei Shabbos. We would

alternate, with us going to
Crown Heights and the Rebbe
coming to us in Manhattan.
After he accepted the nesius, they
continued to meet a few times
but not like before.
As he told me this, I thought
about people who fabricate
things, this man apparently being
one of them. But then he went
on, For my fathers wedding
he received a tallis and for my
wedding he also gave a tallis as a
gift. It did look old. He pointed
and said, This is a tallis from
the Rebbe! I wear it only on
Shabbos.
I thought this was all a
figment of his imagination,
but I was curious to find out
whether it actually happened.
I made inquiries, speaking to
mekusharim to Beis Rebbi,
including Dr. Seligson. He said
yes! It wasnt made up, it really
happened. The gabbais father
helped with some document that
the Rebbe needed to enter the US
and the Rebbes gratitude was so
great that they would meet on
Motzaei Shabbasos and he even
gave talleisim as wedding gifts.

WHAT DID THE BELZER

REBBE SAY WHEN HE MET
RAMASH?
The following story is one that
I heard from my father-in-law,
R Moshe Ashkenazi, about the
tzaddik, R Aharon of Belz. He
was the one who was the indirect
cause for the Rebbe to take the
first pidyon nefesh.
Parenthetically, the Rebbe
was in Berlin at the beginning of
the 1930s. In 1931, the Belzer
Rebbe went to Berlin to see a
famous eye doctor. Many Jewish
residents of the city gathered
to greet the Belzer Rebbe. The
Rebbe (who was known as
Ramash before he became Rebbe)
had a good friend, a Gerrer
Chassid by the name of Yitzchok
Meir. The Rebbe suggested that
they go together to greet the
Belzer Rebbe. There was one
condition, that R Yitzchok Meir
not tell the Belzer Rebbe who the
Rebbe is.
They
both
went
and
approached the Belzer Rebbe in
the middle of the large crowd.
The Belzer Rebbes practice was
not to give his hand in greeting
Issue 947

27

Stories
That was only parenthetical.

DONT GO TO THE GRAVES

OF TZADDIKIM

R Aharon of Belz ztl

The Rebbe called over the boy, took out $5 and

said, Keep this for yourself, dont sell it. Then
he took out another $5 bill and said, This you can sell.
but to wrap it in a towel. There
were very few people for whom
he removed the towel and gave
his hand. When it was Ramashs
turn he took off the towel and
gave him his hand and asked,
Who are you? The Rebbe did
not say.
R
Yitzchok
Meir
had
promised not to reveal the
Rebbes identity, i.e. that he
wouldnt introduce him to the
Belzer Rebbe as the Lubavitcher
Rebbes son-in-law, but if
the Belzer Rebbe himself was
asking, he could definitely say.
R Yitzchok Meir said he was the
Lubavitcher Rebbes (Rayatz)
son-in-law. The Belzer Rebbe
said he sensed it because Ramash
had a warm hand.

RABBI HERZOG WAS

HOSTED IN THE REBBES
HOUSE
R Yitzchok Isaac Herzog

28 14 Cheshvan 5775

went to America in 5709. He

was the chief rabbi of Israel and
was known for his great stature.
He wanted to spend Shabbos
with the Rebbe Rayatz. He was
of Chassidic stock, from Belz
and Ruzhin, and was possessed
of Chassidic warmth. He helped
the Rebbe Rayatz in various
ways and even helped save the
Belzer Rebbe by obtaining certain
documents from the English
government in order to bring him
to Eretz Yisroel.
When he wanted to spend
Shabbos with the Rebbe Rayatz,
the Rebbe said he could stay
with his son-in-law, and When
you will be with him, it will be as
though you are staying with me.
One of the things R Herzog
said about that Shabbos was that
the Rebbe said that in the world
there are many gdolim but the
greatest gdolim were his shver,
i.e. the Rebbe Rayatz and R
Aharon of Belz.

The Belzer Rebbe arrived

in Eretz Yisroel in 5704 after
living under Nazi rule and being
sought after by them. After
much suffering and wandering,
and experiencing miracles and
wonders, he was able to escape
and arrive in the Holy Land.
They bought him a home in Tel
Aviv where he wanted to live, but
until the apartment was ready
he went to Yerushalayim. There
he did not find a suitable place
to stay, as large families lived in
two room apartments. Then he
heard that there was a Chabad
couple who lived in a four room
apartment, a rarity in those days.
Who owned this home? A
Lubavitcher by the name of
Shneur Zalman Ashkenazi and
his wife Kaila, the parents of
R Meir Ashkenazi, the rav of
Shanghai and the grandfather
of my father-in-law, R Moshe
Ashkenazi. When SZ Ashkenazi
decided to go to Eretz Yisroel, his
son Yehoshua, who was well-todo, went to Yerushalayim to look
for an apartment for his parents.
He saw two room apartments
with shared bathrooms and
decided it wasnt respectable
enough for his parents. He then
bought two apartments and
connected them.
Two weeks had gone by and
the Belzer Rebbe did not find a
comfortable place for himself in
Yerushalayim. When he heard
about R Zalmans apartment,
some Chassidim of the Rebbe
asked R Zalman whether the
Rebbe could stay with him. R
Zalman asked how many rooms
the Rebbe needed and they said
he needed three rooms, one for
davening, one as a bedroom, and
one in which to receive people.

R Zalman and his wife agreed

and during that period they used
just one room. They hosted the
Rebbe for seven weeks with R
Zalman subsidizing the costs
including food for the gabbaim.
Throughout this time, R
Zalman continued with his daily
schedule as a Chabad Chassid.
He did not get involved in what
was going on in the other three
rooms. This suited the Belzer
Rebbe who did not like when
people watched him; he was very
pleased with the arrangement.
On 11 Nissan 5704/1944, the
Belzer Rebbes home in Tel Aviv
was ready and he left R Zalmans
home. He told R Zalman that it
was very hard for him to leave
because he smelled the scent of
yiras Shamayim in R Zalmans
house.
R Zalman told him about his
son, the rav of Shanghai, with
whom he had been out of contact
for several years. R Zalman
wondered whether he was alive.
Would he see him again? He
asked the Belzer Rebbe for a
bracha for his son. The Belzer
Rebbe replied: When your son
arrives in Eretz Yisroel, I want
him to come to me. This response
answered all his questions.
In 5710, a short time before
Yud Shevat, R Meir Ashkenazi
came to Eretz Yisroel from
Shanghai. They told him that the
Belzer Rebbe wants to see him.
His son, my father-in-law Moshe
Ashkenazi, lived in Tel Aviv and
he went with him. He did not
enter with a kvittel as a Chassid
to his Rebbe but went because

the Belzer Rebbe asked to see

him.
The Belzer Rebbe asked him,
Perhaps you need a bracha for
something?
R Ashkenazi said yes, he had
a problem with one eye as a result
of a stroke. The Belzer Rebbe
gave him three instructions
to stop the condition from
worsening: 1) not to go to the
graves of tzaddikim, 2) not to eat
dairy foods, and 3) not to listen
to music.

WHY DID THE REBBE

AGREE TO ACCEPT THE
PIDYON NEFESH?
The Rebbe Rayatz passed
away on Yud Shevat. During
the years that R Meir was in
Eretz Yisroel, he was in close
touch with the Rebbe. It was a
very personal relationship to the
point that the Rebbe Rayatz took
care of a shidduch for one of his
children. As soon as the sad news
arrived, he told the elder
Chassidim that there is a
Rebbe! He publicized this
to all and a short time later
he went to 770.
It was close to the
Shloshim, whether before
or after, I dont know. He
went to the Rebbe like a
Chassid, with a pidyon
nefesh. The Rebbe, who
refused to engage in any
conduct that befitted a
Rebbe told him to go to the
Ohel with his pidyon.
R Meir said, I am not
going to the Ohel! I cant

go to the Ohel.
The Rebbe asked him why
not, and R Meir told him what
happened when he visited the
Belzer Rebbe, and the three
things he told him to refrain from
doing, including not to visit the
graves of tzaddikim.
The Rebbe said to him, If
the Belzer Rebbe told you not
to go, you really cant go. Then
the Rebbe said, but he is not
your Rebbe and why didnt you
ask him for a source for this
instruction of his?
Then the Rebbe put on his
jacket and accepted the pidyon
nefesh from R Meir Ashkenazi.
Afterward, there were another
few from whom the Rebbe
accepted a pidyon.
So that is how events unfolded
that led to the accepting of the
first pidyon nefesh, because of
the Belzer Rebbe, already way
back on 11 Nissan 5704, when
he asked to see R Meir upon his
arriving in Eretz Yisroel.

www.MoshiachForKids.com
Check it out!! Educational and Fun!!
Issue 947

29

HISTORY

THE FLOURISHING
OF JUDAISM IN
MALACHOVKA
The Chabad community in Malachovka went through much travail. * From
a small suburb on the edge of Moscow it became an exclusive area of the
wealthy.* Part 2 of the story of the community from World War II until today.
By Shneur Zalman Berger

ith the outbreak of

World War II, many
Chassidim who lived
in Malachovka fled,
since the front had moved near
them. Only the Chassid R Eliezer
Pinsky continued to live there, even
though the Germans unceasingly
bombed the city. This was in order
to watch over an old, sick, childless
man who was unable to flee.
It seemed as though this
would be the end of the Chassidic
community
in
Malachovka,
but this was not so. At the end
of the war, a few Chassidim
returned there while most of the
Chassidim left Russia via Poland.
Others remained in Tashkent and
Samarkand.
In the community that
restarted
in
Malachovka,
Chacham
Yehuda
Kulasher
(Butrashvili), one of the senior
Chabad Chassidim, served as
rav. R Chaim Abramov was the
gabbai in the shul and he also
served as Rosh HaKahal. In

30 14 Cheshvan 5775

this role, he was responsible for

running the Jewish cemetery (see
sidebar).
One day, the government
said that every shul must have
an official rav and without a rav
the shul would be shut down.
Everyone
understood
that
whoever would serve as rav would
be subject to persecution, but in
order not to have the shul shut
down, R Chaim did something
daring. He volunteered to be
the rav and, amazingly, the
government agreed.
Just a few days went by
before members of the secret
police visited him unexpectedly
at home. You were in Siberia,
they said. He remained silent.
If we say so, then thats what
happened. Therefore, you are not
fit to serve as rav. In addition, we
wanted to remind you that during
the interrogation and trial, you
did not mention the fact that you
are a rav ... And they left.

A SHLIACH OF THE
MOSAD IS CAUGHT IN
MALACHOVKA
The Chassidic community
maintained a low profile existence
during the years after the war.
In later years, emissaries of the
organization Netiv operated there
under the auspices of the Israeli
Mosad in Moscow. They were
in touch with Chabad Chassidim
in the Soviet Union including
those living in Malachovka. They
helped in various ways, such as
giving them Jewish items.
One
of
those
Mosad
operatives was Mr. Nechemia
Levanon, who was caught redhanded in a secret meeting
with one of the Chassidim
in Malachovka. This was in
Tammuz 5715/1955. Levanon
met in the home of someone
named Levin with a Jew named
Guberman. There was a knock at
the door and when Levin opened
it, a band of KGB agents burst

Jews in Malachovka

in. Guberman was arrested and

Levanon and two other diplomats
were expelled from the Soviet
Union.
Chassidim did not only live
in Malachovka. They also lived
in Ilyinka, Kraskova, Bikova
and other nearby suburbs. In
each suburb lived two or three
families. The Chassidim who felt
disconnected arranged to meet
and strengthen one another.
How could they do that without
endangering themselves and
being caught?
They decided that every day,
when they went to work on the
trolley which went from the
suburbs to Moscow, they would
meet in the third car (out of
ten). On the trip to the capitol,
they would meet and have what
appeared to be typical travelers
conversations in which they
encouraged one another and
brainstormed ways of observing
Torah and mitzvos and teaching
their children despite the difficult
conditions they were living under.

IMMERSION IN THE
MALACHOVKA LAKE
R Yisroel Pinsky, who now
lives in Yerushalayim, lived in

the suburb of Ilyinka for ten

years between 1960 and 1970.
He remembers how he and other
Chabad Chassidim from the
area would walk to Malachovka
in order to daven in the Chabad
shul.
In those days, in the
summer, many Chassidim came
from Moscow to the suburbs to
vacation. Together with them we
had a full Chassidic communal
life. Among the Chassidim were:
Henoch
Rappaport,
Yisroel
Konson, his son-in-law Eliyahu
Bisk, Moshe Katzenelenbogen,
Naftali
Kravitzky,
Eliyahu
Krichevsky and his son Yanni.
There was no mikva in
Malachovka,
but
Chassidim
did not forgo immersion. Every
Friday, they would all go to the
mikva in the big Archipova Shul
in Moscow. On Shabbos, they
immersed in a small lake which
was not that clean, and the water
was cold.
R Nosson Kanelsky tells
about Malachovka in the 1960s:
Every day there was a
small minyan in the shul and on
Shabbos about thirty people. The
dominant spiritual personality in
those days was my father-in-law,
R Yehuda Kulasher (Butrashvili).

He had a store but whoever had

halachic questions would ask
him. On Shabbos Mevarchim he
even farbrenged.
Chinuch was a real problem
since there werent enough
students to open a class. So I
brought R Berel Rikman, who
lived in Kraskova, to teach my
son Mordechai (now director of
Bris Avrohom in New Jersey).
We had kosher meat thanks
to shochtim. At first, R Nosson
Bernstein shechted, but after
he left for Eretz Yisroel he was
replaced by R Michel Dorfman,
a Breslover Chassid.

JUDAISM TODAY IN
MALACHOVKA
About thirty years ago, R
Kalman Meilich Tamarin was
active in Malachovka. He was
one of the Chabad Chassidim
in Moscow back then. After his
passing, his two sons Moshe and
Nachum continued to strengthen
Judaism and Chassidus with
mesirus nefesh.
The first time I came to
Malachovka thirty years ago,
said R Moshe Tamarin, I had
a friend who worked here as
a night watchman. After he

Issue 947

31

History

THE MOVING STORY OF THE CEMETERY IN MALACHOVKA

The body of the article speaks of Chassidic life in
Malachovka. Here, we will look at the Jewish cemetery
in Malachovka.
On the first day of Sukkos 5695/1934, R Moshe
Leib Ginsberg, the rav of Malachovka, passed away.
He was the son-in-law of the Rebbe Maharash. Just
a short time before that, the Jewish community in
Malachovka had purchased land for a cemetery and
had not yet consecrated it as is the custom.
On the second day of Yom Tov, the entire
community, led by R Yehoshua Nimotin, gathered.
He brought the Sdei Chemed where the customs for
consecrating a cemetery are detailed. The members
of the community, most of whom were Chabad
Chassidim, walked around the cemetery seven times
and read prayers and verses as per the instructions.
Immediately afterward, R Ginsberg was buried.
Over the years, only Jews were buried in this
cemetery. This is the only cemetery where only Jews
are buried. In the rest of the cemeteries in the former
Soviet Union, there are only special sections for Jews
within the cemetery for the general public.
In the years after the war, R Chaim Golodovsky
and his wife took care of the cemetery. They lived
nearby and were responsible for burials and guarding
the cemetery. Their end was bitter and cruel. They
were burned alive in their house. It was in Elul
5709/1949 when arsonists set fire to their home and
they were killed.
The Jews of Malachovka knew that this was an
anti-Semitic act, and this is why one of them called the
Israeli embassy in Moscow and reported the incident.
In those days, the media would not publicize news that
would make Russia feel uncomfortable. This is why this
Jew found it necessary to report this to the embassy.
He was afraid that he was being eavesdropped upon
which is why he spoke in Hebrew.
The embassy protested to the Russian government
and their response was to arrest the man and take
him in for interrogation. The interrogators lashed out
at him that they knew he had spoken to the Israeli
embassy and told them about the fire. The man did
not lose his cool and denied it all. He said he did not
know how to speak Hebrew. The interrogators insisted
that he knew Hebrew and proved it by saying he went
to shul to pray. How do you pray if you dont speak
Hebrew? He said that even someone who did not
know Hebrew could pray.
The KGB in Moscow called the rav of Moscow, R
Shleifer, to their offices and he was asked in front of

32 14 Cheshvan 5775

the arrested man whether someone who did not know

Hebrew could pray in a shul. R Shleifer said there are
those who go to shul and pray even though they dont
speak Hebrew. Thanks to his answer, the man was
saved from a severe punishment.
After the tragic murder of the Golodovsky couple,
R Chaim Abramov took on the responsibility of
looking after the cemetery.
As the years went by, it reached a point where the
cemetery ran out of space. R Chaim wanted to expand
the cemetery so that Jews could bury their relatives
according to Halacha. Since he had no permit to
expand the cemetery, he decided to act stealthily.
The land near the cemetery was on an incline and
it contained a large swamp. In order to straighten
the area, a large amount of sand was required. He
contacted truck drivers whose job it was to bring
sand from one place to another and paid them a lot
of money. They agreed to bring him sand in the dead
of night. He put all his energy into expanding the
cemetery and worked on this day and night despite
the great danger involved if he would be caught. In the
end, he was successful.
R Nosson Kanelsky (today of Nachalat Har
Chabad) relates:
There were non-Jews who wanted to bury their
dead in the Jewish cemetery and they even pointed out
empty plots. As far as the government was concerned,
the cemetery wasnt Jewish or non-Jewish. R Chaim
was not afraid of them and he showed them forged
documents which indicated that the land was reserved.
I personally received a large amount of money from
the Israeli embassy to pass along to R Chaim for
expanding the cemetery.
R Yisroel Pinsky helped R Chaim in this:
I helped him collect money that he needed to
preserve the cemetery and for burying those whose
families could not afford burial.
In his final years he was old and sick (when he left
the Soviet Union in 1977 he was 78 years old) and he
asked permission to make aliya several times. He asked
the Rebbe and always received a negative answer. The
Rebbe wanted him to stay there in order to maintain
the community and the cemetery. Then he finally got
the Rebbes bracha to leave.
Until today, this cemetery is the only one in
Moscow where only Jews are buried. R Tamarin is
now the one who takes care of the cemetery and Jewish
burials.

married, he wanted to have a

Sheva Brachos in Malachovka.
That is when I found out there
was a minyan of old men who
davened every day, but they
needed a lot of help in knowing
the orders of the prayers, the
customs etc. We began coming
here for the holidays and then for
Shabbos too.
We rented a small apartment
where we slept on Shabbos and
for several years we supported
the small shul in Malachovka.
Over the years, the minyan
shrank since some of the old
men made aliya and some died.
At a certain point, the minyan
stopped and we stopped going
to Malachovka, but the place did
not remain without a minyan for
long.
R Yitzchok Abramov, the
son of R Chaim, lived in nearby
Kraskova. He felt obligated
to restart the minyan as a
continuation of his fathers holy
work. After much effort, the
minyan began again in 5750,
in no small part thanks to the
bachurim who would come from
Moscow to help out. R Yitzchok
Abramov was the chazan and
baal korei. His main role was to
infuse energy into Jewish life in
the town.
He continued with this holy
work until he immigrated to the
US in 2000. Even after he left,
bachurim continued to come
from Moscow every Shabbos and
Yom Tov and they strengthened
the minyan.
In Iyar 5762, my family and
I went on permanent shlichus to
Malachovka. Malachovka had,
in the meantime, become a town
run by a separate district council
and had about 20,000 residents
including hundreds of Jews.
With the arrival of the
shluchim, Chabad activities were
launched on an established and

R Berel Lazar and R Moshe Tamarin meeting

with the governor of the Malachovka district

Shacharis in the Chabad shul in Malachovka

R Moshe Tamarin carrying the Torah scroll at the Hachnasas Seifer Torah

structured basis.
Within a few years of his
arrival the shliach was quoted as

saying, We have connected to

over 250 Jews and we are always
Continued on page 18
Issue 947

33

TZIVOS HASHEM

KALMANS
QUESTION
By D. Chaim
I scanned the shelves in the
store
grocery
neighborhood
which is owned by old Kalman.
I tried, unsuccessfully, to locate
a bag of healthy sugar. Have
you heard of such a thing?
According to my mother, it is
brown and says organic on it.

When I realized that I could

scan the entire store and still
not find the sugar, I went to ask
Kalman, or as he is known by
the children Sabba Kalman,
where the sugar was. Why
didnt I do this until now, you
wonder? Because Sabba Kalman
is not like the grocers in stories,
those jolly fellows behind the
counters who love children who
come to buy lollipops.
Kalman is tough and his
short beard of gray and white
only adds to his severe look.
How much money do you have,
child? he asks the candy lover.
It makes no difference that he
is already over ten and a half.
Two quarters and a dime,
says the child. Thats not
enough, says Sabba Kalman.
The candy costs another nine

34 14 Cheshvan 5775

cents. The child doesnt even

try to promise to bring the nine
cents the next time he comes,
because Sabba Kalman wont
agree to that.
Now you understand why
I preferred finding the sugar
myself and you can also imagine
how nervous I was when I finally
had no choice but to approach
him. Yes, child, what do you
want? Kalman asked in his
thick, somewhat hoarse voice.
Where is the brown, organic
sugar? I stammered.
Kalman gazed at me and
then said, Hey, is that you,
Berele, the Chabadnik of the
grocery store? I want to ask
you something. But first bring
the sugar from the last shelf on
the bottom left; you shouldnt
forget to buy what you wanted.
Im a seasoned businessman, eh
...
With the brown sugar in
my hand and as I listened
closely, Sabba Kalman asked the
question that every Lubavitcher
is asked, but Sabba Kalman

wasnt just being difficult. I

heard in his tone that he really
wanted to know.
I know that you believe
that the Lubavitcher Rebbe
is Moshiach who will take us
out of galus. It even says so on
your yarmulke, right? Sabba
Kalman paused slightly and I
flicked some invisible dust off
the bag of sugar.
Sabba Kalman got the hint
and gave me the bag as he
continued. The truth is that
I also believe that the Rebbe is
a real tzaddik and worthy of
being Moshiach, but who says
the Rebbe is the one who will
take us out of galus? There
were many tzaddikim over the
generations who were worthy
of being Moshiach. Although
the Rebbe is one of the worthy
tzaddikim, maybe the Moshiach
who will take us out of galus
will be a different tzaddik ...
It was a good question and
I had to consult first so I could
answer him properly. I can tell
you that I wanted to ask for
myself, because I still wasnt

to help us. I wracked my

suddenly
and
brain
had an idea of what
the first note was
I
at.
hinting
there
hurried
and found the
I
note.
next
continued
with
quickly
friends
my
home.
running behind
You surely want to know
me, calling out
who I asked for an answer
encouraging
to the question. The truth
words. I ended
is that I forgot about Sabba
up showing up
entirely
question
Kalmans
first with all the
because of something exciting
notes.
that happened to me. A while
Shlomo checked
ago, Shlomo, the one in charge
see that I had
to
of activities in our school,
the riddles and
all
announced elections for the
announced, We
then
president of the student council
a winner! Among
have
My classmates asked that I
candidates
worthy
the
be one of the candidates, and
were elected by the
who
on Election Day all the students
students, the one who showed
voted. What were the results
up first, the winning student is
of the election? You wont
Berele! He is the president of
believe this, but another two
the student council!
students and I were tied for
I was so excited, and then
first place! So because of all the
what Shlomo said suddenly
anticipation and tension about
Sabba
of
me
reminded
whether Id be picked as the
had
I
Kalmans question that
president of the student council,
spoken
forgotten. He had also
I completely forgot about Sabba
about suitable candidates.
Kalmans question.
I decided to ask Shlomo
In the meantime, Shlomo
about it. He heard me out and
called the three of us and said
then said, The answer reminds
that the decision would be
me a bit of the competition you
based on a competition. We
just had. The three of you were
prepared a treasure hunt, and
worthy candidates and were
each of you will get a note. With
elected by the students, but the
your knowledge of Chassidus
one who actually became the
you can figure out the riddle
president was you.
and discover where the next
The Rebbe said in the Dvar
note is. The treasure will lead
s of Parshas VaEira, that
Malchu
for
g
waitin
am
I
you to where
generation there is one
every
in
will
me
reach
to
you. The first
tzaddik who is worthy of being
be the president.
the Redeemer. If not for various
All my classmates followed
this
prevent
that
reasons
us excitedly to see who would
from happening, he would be
win, but they were not allowed
revealed and would redeem the

fully knowledgeable in all of

the Rebbes sichos. So I said,
I understand your question,
Sabba Kalman, but I am in
a rush because my mother
is waiting for the sugar. I will
answer you, G-d willing, the
next time I come. See you!
Kalman nodded and I waved
goodbye and ran all the way

Jewish
The
people.
now, in our
that
Rebbe says
obstacles
the
all
generation,
with.
away
done
were
our
in
ch
Moshia
Therefore,
the
merely
not
is
generation
those
as
ch,
Moshia
potential
tzaddikim were in previous
generations. He was already
revealed as Moshiach who will
actually take the Jewish people
out of galus.
Thank you, I said happily.
Now I know it myself and I can
answer Sabba Kalman. Thanks
to him I have made a good
hachlata to learn the sichos
of the Dvar Malchus from the
years 5751-5752 so I will
know more about Moshiach
and will be more prepared to
welcome him.

Issue 946

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