DVAR MALCHUS

NOTHING IN
THE WORLD
CAN STOP IT
Nothing in the world can oppose or weaken,
G-d forbid, a manifestation or revelation
of holiness to the Jewish people. * From
Chapter Six of Rabbi Shloma Majeskis
Likkutei Mekoros (Underlined text is the
compilers emphasis.)
Translated by Boruch Merkur

2. [...] On ones birthday

his mazel rules. Therefore,
Tisha BAv [the birthday of
Moshiach] when the mazel of
Moshiach Tzidkeinu rules is an
auspicious time for the true and
complete redemption.
The preeminence of Moshiach
on Tisha BAv also finds
expression in practical Torah
law: It is stated in the writings
of the Arizal that we recite
Nacheim (verses of nechama,
consolation) on the day of Tisha
BAv at Mincha, for at Mincha
time on Tisha BAv was the
birth of Moshiach, who is called
Menachem.*
When Tisha BAv occurs on
Shabbos (as it does this year),
and the fast (and the saying
of Nacheim) is deferred until
Sunday, then only the undesirable

aspects of Tisha BAv are pushed

off. That is, the fast and the
ascetic customs and mourning,
etc. However, the positive and
desirable aspects the fact that
Moshiach, savior of the Jewish
people, was born on this day
are not deferred nor diminished
when Tisha BAv occurs on
Shabbos. In fact, the positive
aspects are even more overt and
more powerful on Shabbos.
The reason is as follows. All
worldly matters
including
the loftiest aspects of Seider
Hishtalshlus (such as angels
and even the ten Sfiros, etc.)
were created for the sake of the
Jewish people (and for the sake
of Torah) (though the thought
of the Jewish people preceded
the Torah. (Indeed, Torah was
giving for the sake of the Jewish

people, as it says, Command the

Jewish people, Speak to the
Jewish people.)). Nothing in the
world including an established,
set time (which is dependent
upon the orbit of the sun, the
moon, and the constellations),
all of which were created for the
sake of the Jewish people can
oppose or weaken, G-d forbid,
a manifestation or revelation of
holiness to the Jewish people.
Certainly this principle includes
such a fundamental concept for
Jews as the birth of Moshiach
and the preeminence of his mazel
(on Tisha BAv).
NOTES:
*Footnote 17: And this is the
reason why we recite Birchas
HaLevana when Tisha BAv goes
out, for Moshiach was born on
Tisha BAv (Pri Eitz Chayim,
Shaar 23, Kavanas Tisha BAv
UVein
HaMeitzarim,
end;
Mishnas Chassidim, end of
Meseches Tammuz and Av).
(From the address of Shabbos
Parshas Dvarim, Shabbos
Chazon, Tisha BAv (nidcheh),
10 of Av (before Arvis), and 11
Av; Seifer HaSichos 5751, pg.
722)

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FEATURE

It was a positive custom in

Lubavitch that the father of the
bar mitzva boy would bring his
son for yechidus to the Rebbe
so the latter could bless him
and strengthen him and daven
that he grow in Torah and
good deeds. (Shevach Yakar,
kitzur minhagei bar mitzva al pi
minhagei Chabad, p. 102)

hose who regularly daven

in 770 are used to seeing
the balabatim coming from
around the world together
with their sons to celebrate their bar
mitzva in the Rebbes presence. This
phenomenon of a bar mitzva boy
coming with his father or his parents
to 770 is growing. Teachers of the
seventh grade in Chabad schools
can tell of high percentages of their
students going to 770 rather than
celebrating at home in a hall with a
musician, photographer, etc.
In the seventh grade this year,
about 60% of the boys went to the
Rebbe for their bar mitzva, says R
Zalman, a teacher. There are those
who did not go for the actual bar
mitzva but at least to put tfillin on
for the first time at the Rebbe, which
is also an important milestone.
Beis Moshiach went to check
this out and to see whether this is
something coming from the parents
or the boys, how it works out
practically, and how much it costs.

WHEN THE BOY INSISTS

The completed and primary
entry of the soul of holiness in a
person is on the day of thirteen
years and one day, writes the Alter
Rebbe. This line appears at the top
of many Lubavitcher bar mitzva
invitations. It would seem there is
no better place for the completed
and primary entry of the soul of

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A
CHASSIDISHE

BAR MITZVA

The phenomenon is growing. Instead of renting a hall,

hiring a photographer, and dancing with friends, the bar
mitzva boy forgoes all that and travels with his father (or
parents) to Beis Chayeinu where he has an aliya in the
Rebbes minyan. * How does this work? What is involved?
What do the bar mitzva boys have to say about this?

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Feature

R Yonasan Yaakov and his son Mendy getting an aliya in

the Rebbes minyan

holiness, than in the Rebbes

presence where holiness is everpresent.
Throughout the years, this
phenomenon barely existed aside
from a very few Chassidim who
came from overseas. The bar
mitzva boys seen in 770 were
primarily boys from Crown
Heights. They had an aliya in
the Rebbes minyan and many
of them stood next to the Rebbe
when he was given the third aliya.
Most bar mitzva boys in Eretz
Yisroel and other countries stayed
where they were, as opposed to
chassanim (grooms) who always
tried to have an aliya to the Torah
in 770 on the Shabbos before
their wedding. They then flew to
wherever the wedding was being
held.
It is hard to say when bar
mitzva boys started coming from
abroad to 770 but one of the first
was R Dovid Nachshon, director
of the Chabad Mobile Tanks in
Eretz Yisroel.
It was 5748 when my son
Sholom Dovber became bar
mitzva on 12 Cheshvan, he told
Beis Moshiach. That year, our
entire family was by the Rebbe
for Tishrei. This was because the
Rebbe had spoken a lot about
Hakhel. After Tishrei, we decided
it would be right to celebrate the
bar mitzva by the Rebbe. Since
there were another three weeks

until the bar mitzva, I did not

know whether it was proper to
keep him in 770 and have him
miss yeshiva. In addition to
which, I knew that the Rebbe did
not want people to remain too
long after Tishrei.
I wrote to the Rebbe and
received a bracha and azkir al
hatziyun. The rest of the family
returned home while Sholom
Dovber went to learn in Oholei
Torah for the interim period. Of
course I submitted a bar mitzva
invitation to the Rebbe.
The bar mitzva itself took
place in the small zal. In general,
during that period of time, the
Rebbe would return home around
nine at night. For some reason,
that night the Rebbe did not go
home but remained in his office
until the bar mitzva farbrengen
ended around eleven oclock at
night, and only then did he leave
his office and go home.
The next day, I wrote a
report to the Rebbe about the bar
mitzva, who spoke and what they
spoke about. I related that my
son said the maamer nicely and
also said something in Nigleh,
reviewing a sicha of the Rebbe.
The Rebbe responded on the
note I had written, Great is the
merit etc. Azkir al hatziyun.
Another interesting thing
happened when my son Sholom

Dovber had his aliya, I said,

boruch shepterani, and the
Rebbe had the third aliya. Before
he went down from the bima, the
Rebbe turned toward Sholom
Dovber and wished him mazal
tov, something which he had not
done for other bar mitzva boys.
After the bar mitzva we
returned to Eretz Yisroel and
had a family celebration, a large
seudas mitzva for all the relatives
which was used, of course, as a
Hakhel opportunity. That year,
the Rebbe sent me money twice
toward airline tickets for the
family.
I immediately publicized to
everyone the answer I got, and it
seems to me from that point on
the matter began to become more
accepted among Anash, albeit not
at the rate we are seeing today.
The chevra began getting into it.
The phenomenon has only
taken off in the past decade and
has really exploded during the
last four to five years.
What caused the sudden
change in plans? Of those
I asked, nobody had a clear
answer. Some speculated that
it might be the results of the
Chassidishe influence on the
children of Tzivos Hashem in
the various projects that we are
seeing in recent years.
When my son Aharon was
becoming bar mitzva he told

6 19 Iyar 5776 - Hakhel

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R Me

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R Meir Wilschansky with his son getting an aliya in the

Rebbes minyan

us he wants a bar mitzva by the

Rebbe. He asked for it like a child
who wants nothing else, said
R Dovber Gurewitz of Kiryat
Malachi. He celebrated his sons
bar mitzva a few months ago in
770 and he is still astonished by
how much this meant to his son.
I had many thoughts about
it and weighed flying versus the
usual celebration. Yes? No? For
how long? Where? How many of
us? On the one hand I thought
of the importance of marking
this day by the Rebbe. On the
other hand, what about his
learning? On yet another hand,
for the price of two plane tickets
and a weeks salary, theres a
lot of good that can be done. It
was only after I slept on it that I
realized that this is one of those
things that cannot be taught, it
can only be experienced in the
school of life.
Do you remember whether
with your own bar mitzva it
was also acceptable to go to the
Rebbe?
(Smiling): My bar mitzva
was long before it became popular
to fly. It did not take place in a
simcha hall but in the Chabad
shul in Kiryat Gat. Nobody
dreamed
about
musicians,
microphones, a photographer
and video, video screens and
a tshura, but it was joyous.
Everyone sweated both because
there was no air conditioning

R Dovber Gurewitz with his son as he said the maamer in

770

Before
he
went
down
from the bima, the
Rebbe turned toward
Sholom Dovber and
wished him mazal tov,
something which he
had not done for other
bar mitzva boys.

and mainly, because they danced.

Yes, they simply danced. The
food was cooked in the yeshiva
kitchen. When the mashpia
spoke, everyone was silent. When
I reviewed a maamer, it was
silent. There was no such thing
as someone coming to say mazal
tov and then leaving. Everyone
stayed and rejoiced together with
the family.
I had already made two
bar mitzvahs by the Rebbe but
the conditions were a lot easier.
My second and third sons were
born in Tishrei and they went to
the Rebbe for the Yomim Tovim
like many of their friends. They
worked hard in the learning
programs and received help in
buying tickets and then, when
it was their thirteenth birthday
they celebrated their big day
over there with their friends in

the Machaneh Moshiach at a

festive meal which took place in
the dining room of the yeshiva at
1414.
When my fifth son Aharon
asked for a bar mitzva by the
Rebbe, I told him that he could
have a nice bar mitzva in Eretz
Yisroel too, but he wasnt
interested in that. He was willing
to forgo all the festivities here and
go to the Rebbe. When I asked
him why he was insisting he said,
I want a bar mitzva by the Rebbe
because that is how I would like
to remember my bar mitzva, not
in a hall somewhere in Kiryat
Malachi.

FOUR BAR MITZVA BOYS

ON ONE THURSDAY
On 21 Adar II, four bar
mitzva boys from Eretz Yisroel
celebrated in 770. Three of them
had won a raffle and had an aliya
in the Rebbes minyan and one
had an aliya in a nearby minyan.
In 770 there is no big
ceremony; on the contrary, the
aliya to the Torah takes place in
the Rebbes minyan (see sidebar
for a conversation with one
of the gabbaim of 770). After
the davening he reviews the
maamer, usually by the table on
the mizrach side near the Aron
Kodesh, in the presence of a
handful of people and bachurim
from the yeshiva, right before
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Feature

WHEN THE REBBE SAID A SPECIAL MAAMER FOR A BAR MITZVA

In the time of the Rebbe Rashab, there were also a few standout
Chassidim who brought their sons to the Rebbe. One of them, the Chassid R
Asher Grossman, known as Asher Nikolayever, who was utterly devoted to
the Rebbe Rashab, brought his son Shmuel to the Rebbe for his bar mitzva.
It was the summer of 5663/1903, and since the Rebbe was not in
Lubavitch at the time, he traveled to the resort town of Serebrianka where
the Rebbe was.
The Rebbe apparently cherished the fact that his Chassid chose to
celebrate his sons bar mitzva with him, to the point that he said a special
maamer for the occasion. As the Rebbe Rayatz noted in a handwritten note
on top of the maamer, Naaseh Adam, which was said, for the bar mitzva
of the bachur, Shmuel, son of Asher the shochet.
they run off to breakfast. There
are containers of orange juice and
some cookies, and the obligatory
bottle of mashke. Some arrange
a big farbrengen in the evening
after
the
bachurim
finish
learning, starting at ten oclock.
During Adar, when there was
Adar dancing, they could only
start at eleven. The refreshments?
To each his own and his financial
abilities. Nobody is trying to poke
anyones eyes out.
Needless to say, the relatively
low cost has dropped with the
cost of flying. It would seem
that the new European Open
Skies policy which brought
down the price of tickets to the
US this past year (mainly flights
with stopovers in Europe), have
encouraged more and more
people to do it.
That Thursday afternoon,
when the zal was packed with
bachurim learning Nigleh, I met
R Yonasan Yaakov who came to
celebrate his son Mendys bar
mitzva by the Rebbe. It was a few
hours after Mendy had an aliya in
the Rebbes minyan for Shacharis
along with classmate Mendy
Wilschansky, both of them from
Tzfas.
Three years ago, we did not
make our older sons bar mitzva
in a hall, because we wanted

to give him a Chassidishe bar

mitzva with a loftier content.
With our second son, Mendy,
who is here with me, we did not
have to convince him and he
himself wanted a bar mitzva by
the Rebbe.
We came here for ten days
and I can tell you that the quality
time that I have with him here
is something that I dont recall
having in years. R Yonasan
smiled with a look of satisfaction
and casually put his hand around
his sons shoulders.
Why did you decide to forgo
a celebration in a hall with
everything that entails and come
here and mark the bar mitzva in
a much more low-key way?
I personally dont see much
point in standing in the entrance
to a hall and receiving all the
guests. Its nice and all but there
is nothing inspiring about it. We
felt it was more important to
come here and celebrate near
the Rebbe. Today, his bar mitzva,
Mendy said the entire Thillim,
learned Chitas, and is in an
atmosphere of kdusha.
Naturally, there are the
gashmius, enjoyable aspects to
it, like flying to the Rebbe. And
staying here gives him a good
feeling. We also plan on touring
in Manhattan, so he has both

ruchnius and gashmius.

What does your mother have
to say about this?
Mendy: My mother is very
excited. She is happy we are here
even though she did not join us
and lost out on an event in a hall
and on the bar mitzva here.
Mendy went on to tell me that
half of his class celebrated their
bar mitzva by the Rebbe and the
other half in a hall.
In todays digital age, said
his father, five minutes after the
aliya, my wife got pictures and
videos and she definitely was
excited along with us.
A few hours later, Mendy
and his father sat with his
friend
Mendy
Wilschansky
and his father for a bar mitzva
farbrengen.
Since
it
was
Thursday night, the farbrengen
went on late and Mendy repeated
his review of the maamer at what
was essentially his seudas mitzva.
R Yaakov adds, As a resident
of Eretz Yisroel who comes to
770, I am not that familiar with
what ought to be done, what
should be bought, where and
what and when. He suggests
that there be bachurim in 770
who commit to helping bar
mitzva boys and their fathers with
the arrangements.
His idea is already being
carried out. There are veteran
bachurim who help do the
shopping
for
those
who
have come from afar and are
unfamiliar with the local set-up.
It looks like this aid will soon be
offered in an official form.

POWERFUL EXPERIENCES
In the early evening I met with
R Shneur Schneersohn from the
Chabad community in Ramat
Aviv. He was sitting and learning
with R Dovid Lieder, shliach for
Hebrew speakers in Australia.

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liach for
Australia.

They both came with their sons,

the first to celebrate his sons
bar mitzva and the second to
celebrate the hanachas tfillin of
his son in 770. This is because
R Lieder, as a shliach, wants to
mark the bar mitzva where he
lives as part of his shlichus work.
R Schneersohn brought his
son Sholom Ber and his whole
family. He said, A bar mitzva is
a time for mesirus nefesh, as the
Rebbe points out in sichos that
Shimon and Levi were moser
nefesh at the age of bar mitzva
to kill the people of Shchem.
I think that in the past you
needed a certain mesirus nefesh
to celebrate a bar mitzva in your
place of shlichus, for the easiest
thing was to do it by the Rebbe
when they saw the Rebbe and
could stand on the bima next
to him. Today, when we dont
see the Rebbe, we need mesirus
nefesh to leave the comforts of
home and make a bar mitzva by
the Rebbe, far from home, your
community and family. This
mesirus nefesh needs to permeate
the boys heart for he naturally
would want to be surrounded by
his friends in a nice hall.
Are you not afraid of
the child losing out on the
excitement?
When we are here, I see,
more than ever, how Chassidim
are one family. Mamash family.
There are many bachurim who
learn here in 770 all year and
they embrace the boy with love,
are mekarev him and learn with
him. On the night of the bar
mitzva they will celebrate with us
and will dance and take him on
their shoulders as though they
are his brothers.
R Dovid Lieder: I see the
love of the bachurim here for my
son Mendy. They were mekarev
him and really opened his
heart. They gave him attention

Menachem Ziegelboim and his son davening in the Rebbes minyan

and made him feel good. They

learned with him, took him with
them on mivtzaim on Friday, and
gave him an added dimension of
Chassidishe chayus and a strong
connection for inyanei Moshiach
and Geula which he lacks in
Australia.
R Schneersohn: In general,
a bar mitzva celebration used to
be done as a warm farbrengen,
unlike today when its a formal
event. Unfortunately, the bar
mitzvahs of today dont have a
farbrengen atmosphere. With
a wedding it is hard to forgo all
the sparkle but with a bar mitzva
we should definitely have a more
pnimiusdike atmosphere. A bar
mitzva boy should receive more
of an emphasis on hiskashrus to
the Rebbe and mesirus nefesh.
This is the basis for everything
and this is what you get here, in
770, in the most open way.
Not far off I noticed R
Menachem Ziegelboim, familiar
to our readers, who came to 770
with his son Dovid. They were
sitting together and learning
Likkutei Sichos. I asked him what
he thought about celebrating a
bar mitzva by the Rebbe.
I came here not only with

my son but with my entire family.

The confluence of reasons, it
being a Shnas Hakhel and my
sons bar mitzva, led me to the
decision to bring the family to
770 to celebrate the bar mitzva
here. I think that this big day,
more than anything else, should
be celebrated with the Rebbe.
What about the cost and
what about the child missing
school?
The Rebbe wants us to
come for the Hakhel year, men,
women, and children, so this is
not a matter of wasting money.
On the contrary, I think its a
tremendous investment in the
spiritual success of the entire
family (naturally, after making
the proper preparations). But
even without Hakhel, a boy who
chooses to go to the Rebbe for
his bar mitzva and review the
maamer in 770 what can I, as
a father, wish for more than that?
If this is what my son wants, I
can only be happy about it.
During the time you are here
together, what greater values do
you impart to your son?
Just being here is the greatest
value I can wish for myself. In
fact, I can say that I get from

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Feature

SIGN UP!
I spoke with R Y. Y. Kratz who is in charge of the aliyos to the Torah in
the Rebbes minyan. I asked him how one goes about arranging for a bar
mitzva in 770.
R Kratz said, There is no question that the phenomenon of celebrating
bar mitzvahs here is growing and more boys and their parents are coming.
Each one is received warmly.
The Alter Rebbe instructed that his son, the Mitteler Rebbe, have an aliya
at Mincha on Shabbos, even though his bar mitzva was on Thursday, since
this time is Raava DRaavin. There are people who dont know this but in
Chabad a bar mitzva boy has an aliya only on Monday or Thursday or at
Mincha on Shabbos, not on Shabbos morning.
Unlike chassanim who have an aliya before their wedding, and are given
an aliya based on a lottery, with the bar mitzva boys it is first come, first
served. Some people ask two or three years in advance, but thats not what I
mean. We open registration anew every half a year. As we speak, registration is
now opening for aliyos for bar mitzva boys from Pesach until Rosh HaShana,
and as I said, first come, first served. I can tell you that about 40% of the
aliyos in the summer months are taken already. People from all over the world
call to make a reservation for an aliya for the bar mitzva date (you can call
718-316-8994).
The way its done is, aside from the aliya to the Torah, they say lchaim
after Shacharis and bring some cake and the maamer is reviewed on the east
side of the shul, near the Rebbes bima. There is no question that its a big
zchus.
the experience no less than he
does. I learn with him all day.
We spend hours together. I
show him around 770, where
the Rebbe davened and where
he sat at farbrengens. There are
stories about nearly every point
in 770 and this is the truest
expression of what the Rebbe
said, that you can draw spiritual
energy from the walls here. Ive
been telling him about many of
the experiences I had on previous
visits to the Rebbe and I describe
it to him while showing where
the Rebbe went, where he sat and
exactly where he looked. It takes
on a whole new life and I myself
am moved when I reminisce
about those days.
R Dovber Gurewitz, on the
other hand, brings up another
educational point that should be
addressed.
I have had the zchus of
celebrating five bar mitzvahs for

my five sons and I still think there

are two sides to the issue as to
whether to make a bar mitzva in a
hall with music, a photographer,
videographer, and a tshura, or
to fly to the Rebbe. The answer
is not black and white. As
someone whose work includes
bar mitzvahs (providing video
screens), I attend many simchos
and I see a difference between
the boys who had a bar mitzva
in a hall and those who flew to
the Rebbe or just had a small
celebration at home.
When a bar mitzva boy has
a big event and he reviews a
maamer in front of hundreds of
people and then his friends pick
him up and dance with him, he
is wished mazal tov by dozens
or hundreds of people. In all the
speeches they bless him and he
goes home with dozens of sfarim
and happy memories. Thats
when he gets it hes a bar

mitzva! In one evening he was

transformed and he is no longer
a child but an adult. There is no
question that this is an uplifting,
growth inspiring event.
That realization that comes
about from one big evening is
sometimes worth every dollar you
put into it even months before
the event. In my humble opinion,
there is no comparison between
the kabbalas mitzvos of a bar
mitzva boy in front of hundreds
of relatives and classmates
and the kabbalas mitzvos with
a minyan of bachurim in 770
whom he doesnt know. There
are children who need the pomp
and ceremony and they cant
really forgo it.
Parents need to know their
child and the forge in which he
was raised and educated, and
need to think about what is better
and more important for them
and their child and take the full
picture into consideration.

CHASSID FIRST
It looks as though the
phenomenon will continue to
grow and more bar mitzva boys
will celebrate the completion of
the entry of the G-dly soul with
the Rebbe. No question, this is
a positive phenomenon and it
certainly imparts a more powerful
Chassidic entry for the soul
of the young man, who in the
course of a single day turns from
a boy into a man obligated in all
the mitzvos.
The importance of this can
be seen in the expression used
when people shake hands with
the celebrants and heartily wish
as per Chabad custom, May you
have much nachas from your son
and may he be a Chassid, Yerei
Shamayim, and a Lamdan, the
order is to mention Chassid first
and to proceed from there.

10 19 Iyar 5776 - Hakhel

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RE
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MOSHIACH & HAKHEL

RELIVING
MATTAN
TORAH
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon

his Shabbos we will

be reading the Torah
portion of Behar. The
word Behar on the
mountain refers to the giving of
the Torah on Har Sinai. The first
topic in the Parsha is the laws of
Shmita. On the very first Pasuk
(25:1), Rashi comments: What
[special relevance] does the
subject of Shmita [the release
of fields in the seventh year] have
to Mount Sinai? Were not all the
commandments stated at Sinai?
However, [this teaches us that]
just as the mitzva of Shmita and
its general principles and its finer
details were all stated at Sinai,
likewise, all of them were stated
their general principles [together
with] their finer details at Sinai.
This concept, that everything
in Torah comes from Sinai, is
very much connected to the
Mitzva of Hakhel. The Torah
states (Dvarim 31:10): Then,
Moshe commanded them saying,
At the end of [every] seven
years... you shall read this Torah
before all Israel, in their ears.
Assemble the people the men,
the women, and the children,
and your stranger in your cities
in order that they hear, and
in order that they learn and fear
the L-rd, your G-d, and they will
observe to do all the words of this
Torah.

When explaining the purpose

of this special mitzva, the
Rambam
(Hilchos
Chagiga
3:6) writes: Converts who do
not understand are obligated to
concentrate their attention and
direct their hearing, listening
with reverence and awe, rejoicing
while trembling as on the day the
Torah was given at Sinai. Even
great Sages who know the entire
Torah are obligated to listen with
exceedingly great concentration
to the king read the Torah during
Hakhel. One who is unable to
hear should focus his attention
on this reading, for Scripture
established it solely to strengthen
the true faith. He should see
himself as if he was just now
commanded regarding the Torah
and heard it from the Almighty.
For the king is an agent to make
known the word of God.
This idea of Hakhel reliving
the giving of the Torah on Har
Sinai is especially relevant as
we prepare ourselves for the
holiday of Shavuos, the holiday
on which we celebrate the
original giving of the Torah. The
Rebbe (Toras Menachem 5748
Volume 3 p. 336) encourages us
to continue putting a focus on
Hakhel gatherings on Shavuos,
especially for children. The
Rebbe encourages us to bring
and gather all children to hear

the Aseres HaDibros being read

in shul.
At the original giving of the
Torah, all of the Jewish people
were there including children.
Not only were they present, they
were a central part! Before giving
us the Torah, G-d demanded
a guarantor. The Jews offered
him a variety of choices to stand
surety, but none were acceptable
to Gd. Then we suggested that
the Jewish children could be
our guarantors. This proved
acceptable and He gave us the
Torah. They built our past and
they guarantee our future!
The unity that is created
by such a gathering hastens
Moshiach:
Unlike the exodus from
Mitzrayim, when only 20% of the
Jewish people were redeemed,
when Moshiach comes, all Jewish
people will be redeemed and
brought back to Eretz Yisroel
to serve Hashem. This comes
through the unity Hakhel
of Bnei Yisroel right before
Moshiach. As it is explained, we
always say that King Dovid was
the son of Yishai. Yishai is the
acronym of three Hebrew words
Yachad Shivtei Yisroel All
Jews united together. When we
have Yishai, we will be able to
give birth and bring Dovid,
Continued on page 16
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PROFILE

MAN OF PEACE
AND MAN OF WAR
The continuation of the life story of R
Yerachmiel Benjaminson, a distinguished Chabad
rabbi, who was one of the first to be mekushar
to the Rebbe MHM and did much to ensure that
the Rebbe accept the Chabad leadership. * Part
2 of 2
By Yisroel Yehuda

s mentioned in the
previous chapter, the
Jewish
community
dwindled from day to day
with the help of the authorities.
It was clear that it was a matter of
time before the Yevsektzia found
the time and right reason to lay
their impure hands on the rav,
thereby completely cutting off
Jewish life in the town.
R Benjaminson and his family
began looking for ways to leave
Russia. There was only one legal
way to leave Russia, and that was
by going to OVIR, the Russian
emigration office, and submitting
a request.
If one succeeded in entering
and leaving the OVIR offices in
peace, without a KGB escort, he
had to stay holed up in his home
and wait in fear for the response,
which could come in various
forms. Sometimes, the response
was a delegation of police officers

to his home and his arrest on

some pretext. In any case, a
person who did not love Mother
Russia and wanted to leave would
not be able to serve the public
in any position whatsoever and
was immediately fired. He was
stripped of all his rights (as few
as they were), ranks and titles.
If the person received a negative
response from OVIR, he had
no possibility of procuring a job
and supporting his family and
the police might then arrest him
for being a parasite who did not
work and earn his keep.
A Jew like R Benjaminson
had no chance of getting a
positive answer from OVIR and
submitting a request would only
exacerbate his problems. So the
Benjaminsons tried looking for
other, illegal, methods.
In the meantime, matters
began coming to a head in
the town. The principal of the

communist school was Jewish

and the rav, with Jewish pride,
forbade him from entering the
shul. This was a slap in the face
of one who surely had a ranking
in the party, but the rav did not
care.
The man, who apparently
was taken aback by the ravs
courage, sent him a letter asking
for permission to enter the shul,
but the rav refused. The man
began pressuring the rav to send
his children to the communist
school. The rav tried to dodge
the issue but could not do so
for long. In the end, his son had
to attend school. The principal
took advantage of the situation
and made a big commotion in
town about the rabbis son who
attended the school. The child
was there for just one day where
he cried bitterly and when he
returned home he was sick for
weeks.

12 19 Iyar 5776 - Hakhel

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LEA

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R Benjaminson (left) sitting behind the Rebbe at a farbrengen in the first years of the nesius

LEAVING PARADISE
One other way to leave Russia
was to meet with Kalinin, the
president of Russia, and hand
him a letter with a request to
leave. Requests that he received
this way were generally approved.
At this point, the rebbetzin
suffered from an eye ailment
and it was urgently necessary for
her to be operated on in Riga. It
seems that the ravs initial plan
was to travel to Eretz Yisroel
but because of his wife, it was
decided they would go to Riga.
Having
no
choice,
R
Benjaminson decided to try
meeting with Kalinin. He made
the trip to Moscow and waited
near Kalinins office in the hopes
that he would get to meet Kalinin
outside his office. Thank G-d,
after a few days he met Kalinin
and handed him the papers.
On his way to the president,

he met the rabbi of Kovno who

was a government appointee. The
rabbi asked him why he wanted
to leave and R Benjaminson
told him that his wife needed an
operation which could only be
done in Riga.
The man laughed at him.
What do you lack in the Russian
paradise? Why leave here?
In any case, three weeks later
their request was answered in the
affirmative and the Benjaminson
family received the greatest
possible gift that the typical
Russian citizen wished for red
passports that enabled them to
leave the Russian paradise.
They
immediately
began
getting
ready.
Even
with
permission to leave, it wasnt so
easy to do so. The person leaving
Russia had to submit a list of
belongings he wanted to take
with him and the government did

not allow anything of value to be

taken.
The main problem was
the ravs library which, you
might remember, included the
sfarim of the Vilda rav which
were valuable. The government
allowed him to take sfarim worth
up to 200 rubles while his library
was worth fifty to seventy times
that amount.
What could he do? Family
and friends like R Mordechai
Shusterman, who was a benbayis by the rav, were enlisted
and they fabricated prices for the
sfarim. In this way, they were
able to take them out of Russia.

LIFE IN RIGA
R Benjaminson and his family
left Russia for Riga at the end
of 5694. Thus ended one of the
illustrious periods in the life of
the rav, who was moser nefesh
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Profile

A letter from the Rebbe Rayatz to R

Benjaminson on his way to the United States

to uphold Jewish life in Russia,

despite the communist, antireligious, persecution.
Upon arriving, the rav sent
a letter to the Rebbe Rayatz
who was in Otvotzk at the time,
about their leaving Russia. In
Riga, the rav and his family were
awaited by many friends from the
great Chabad Chassidim of the
time, including the celebrated
askan, R Mordechai Dubin and
the Rogatchover Gaon, rav of
Dvinsk.
R Nachum Yosef, a son of
R Yerachmiel Benjaminson,
describes what he remembers
of the Rogatchover Gaon. The
Gaon was staying in a country
resort near Riga. On Shabbos
he went to shul and was given
the third aliya and on Motzaei
Shabbos, since he was sick, he

made Havdala on milk and R

Nachum Yosef held the candle
for him.
At this time, there was a
significant
correspondence
between R Benjaminson and the
Rogatchover Gaon.
The ravs friends were thrilled
that he was able to leave Russia
and they helped him settle in. R
Dubin suggested that he take the
position of rav of a shul and that
he, R Dubin, would supplement
his income.
R Benjaminson for some
reason did not take the offer and
he began thinking of immigrating
to London where his sister lived.
This line of thinking later turned
out to be providential, since if he
had settled in Riga he is likely to
have been murdered along with
most of the Jews in Riga who
were massacred in the Holocaust.
After making inquiries, he
received a visa from England and
the rav made plans to immigrate
to London a year and a half later.
The Rebbe Rayatz wrote him a
letter in Tishrei 5696 in which
he blesses him with success on
his trip to London and urges him
to get visas for his family to join
him.

MOVING ENCOUNTERS
WITH THE REBBE RAYATZ
R Benjaminsons trip to
London began via Otvotzk
where the Rebbe was. There are
no words to describe the ravs
feelings as he was about to meet
with the Rebbe to whom he was
utterly devoted.
At the train station in Otvotzk
waited some bachurim who
had been sent by the Rebbe to
welcome the rav.
The
Benjaminson
family
stayed in Otvotzk for some
time. During this time, there
was a family simcha in the

Rebbes family and the rav was

tremendously
happy.
While
inebriated, the rav went up on the
table and danced with great joy.
The Rebbe took hold of him and
kissed him. On that occasion, the
Rebbe showered many blessings
upon the rav and his son and it
seemed to be that this was his
parting blessing before the trip.
The time the rav spent in
Otvotzk near the Rebbe was a
most pleasurable time after the
years of suffering he endured.
But this period of time ended
too and he had to move yet
again, far from the Rebbe. The
Benjaminsons made the trip to
London via Berlin where the
burgeoning anti-Semitism was
already prevalent. Fortunately,
any possible troublemakers did
not approach the train and they
arrived uneventfully in England.

HOSPITALITY
UNDER THE BLITZ
The rav and his family settled
in London where they remained
until the end of the war. The
Rebbe Rayatz sent him a letter
of blessing on the occasion of his
settling in and also sent a letter
to the members of the Poltava
shul so they would take him,
apparently as a mashpia. We do
not know whether he put this
letter of approbation to use; we
know that for a period of time
he worked as the head of R
Unsdorfers yeshiva.
When the war began, London
began filling up with refugees.
The rav opened his home to
them and there were dozens of
Jews in his home throughout
the war. Some people did not
even know who their host was
and they sometimes met him on
the street and recommended the
home of the Zhlobiner rav. The
rav himself did not know all of
his guests.

14 19 Iyar 5776 - Hakhel

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When
with G
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the Blitz
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When the peace agreement

with Germany failed, London
also began to suffer. During the
aerial attacks, which were called
the Blitz, the Germans bombed
London nearly every day.
Thousands of bombs and shells
exacted a steep price with more
than a million homes damaged or
destroyed and tens of thousands
of civilians killed.
During
this
time,
R
Benjaminson was very devoted
to his guests. There were
distinguished people, Admurim,
many Chassidim, and people
from Agudas Yisroel who were
guests in his house. The Rebbes
brother, R Yisroel Aryeh Leib,
also spent a brief time in his
home when he came from Eretz
Yisroel.
He did not hesitate to give
his bed to guests while he spent
the night without a bed. One
time, as he was walking around
in the house, one of the guests
noticed him and asked whether
he had a bed to sleep in. R
Benjaminson did not want to
lie, nor did he want the guest to
feel uncomfortable and so he
answered with a question: I am
the balabus here. Dont you think
I have a bed?
After his son married, his
daughter-in-law would cook large
amounts of food for the guests.
Since he did not want to burden
the young woman, he would go
into the kitchen every Friday and
help with the cooking. When she
did not feel comfortable having
a distinguished rav like him
involved in the cooking, she asked
him to stop. He said: I dont
want the mitzva of hospitality to
be at the expense of your hard
work. Either I will stop inviting
guests or you will let me continue
helping with the cooking.
After the war, the rav was
one of the people responsible for

One of the Rebbe MHMs letters to R Benjaminson

Three weeks later their request was answered

in the affirmative and the Benjaminson family
received the greatest possible gift that the typical
Russian citizen wished for red passports that enabled
them to leave the Russian paradise.

shchita in Ireland. The situation

was that Ireland had donated
three tons of cattle to Eretz
Yisroel and shochtim, bodkim,
and rabbanim were needed.
R Binyamin Gorodetzky,
who was the Rebbe Rayatzs
representative and the one who
ran the European Office for
refugees, took this matter on and
appointed R Benjaminson as one
of the people in charge.
The rav was constantly in
touch with the Rebbe and his
son-in-law (later, our Rebbe)

by letter. One of the well known

letters of the Rebbe from that
time was about the Chassidic view
of tzimtzum which was written
in response to R Benjaminson.
In a letter from the end of 5700,
the Rebbe Rayatz informed him
of his successful arrival in New
York.

A SPECIAL SIMCHA FOR

THE REBBE RAYATZ
R Benjaminson and his family
immigrated to the United States

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Profile
at the beginning of 5710. Upon
arriving, he had yechidus with
the Rebbe Rayatz. Later on, R
Eliyahu Simpson, the one in
charge of yechidus, told him that
when he went into the Rebbes
room after R Benjaminsons
yechidus, he saw that the Rebbe
was especially happy, the likes of
which he had not seen in a long
time.
R Benjaminson settled in
Miami. In a letter dated 26 Teves
5710, less than a month to the
histalkus of the Rebbe Rayatz,
the Rebbe sent him a letter in
which he complained that R
Benjaminson did not inform
him of how he had settled into
his new home, giving no details
about whether there were shuls,
shiurim, chadarim and a yeshiva
etc.
Two weeks later, on 10
Shevat, the Rebbe passed away
and left a stunned flock of
Chassidim who felt like children
without a father.

I WILL ALWAYS HOLD

THE YOUNG ONES
5710 was a difficult year. The
Chassidim were bereft without
a leader. There was much
uncertainty and confusion.
R Benjaminson was one of
the first to become mekushar
to the Rebbe MHM as he had
been mekushar to the previous
Chabad leaders, with utter
bittul, like a servant before his
master. As usual, he expressed
his view forcefully and directly.

Continued from page 11

Moshiach who comes
Dovid. May it be now!

from

At the seuda held on Acharon

shel Pesach in the presence of
the Rebbe it is told, During the
farbrengen, R Eliyahu Simpson
distributed lchaim to everyone
and the Rebbe answered, lchaim
vlivracha to each one. When
R Yerachmiel Benjaminson of
London was given some mashke
to say lchaim, he loudly said that
he would say lchaim when the
Rebbe said dach (divrei Elokim
chaim, i.e., a maamer, which
would indicate that he accepted
the nesius).
It was also related, They say
that lately, the Zhlobiner rav, R
Yerachmiel Benjaminson, went
to the Rebbe several times to
ask him to agree to accept the
nesius.
One of the times he
discussed this with the Rebbe,
who adamantly refused, R
Benjaminson said that the Rebbe
had to accept the nesius. The
Rebbe said, I dont know about
the older ones but I will always
hold the younger ones. R
Leibel Groner adds that when R
Benjaminson left the yechidus,
he happily addressed the young
Chassidim and said, Chevra,
you have a Rebbe!
The most significant step
that R Benjaminson took was on
15 Elul 5710. That is when R
Benjaminson took ten elder and
distinguished men and went with
them to the gravesite of the Rebbe
Rayatz where he read a general
pidyon nefesh on behalf of all of
Anash (which he wrote) in which

they asked the Rebbe Rayatz to

see to it that the Rebbe be willing
to accept the mantle of leadership
officially and completely.
We have no knowledge of
what transpires in the heavenly
realms, but Chassidim say that
after the pidyon nefesh was read,
the Rebbe stopped expressing
his opposition to accepting
the
nesius.
R
Mordechai
Shusterman, who was one of the
ten men, said there were others
who wrote similar panim but the
Rebbe did not accept them.
After the Rebbes acceptance
of the nesius, R Benjaminson
went to the Rebbe for Tishrei and
other special occasions and was
one of the men invited to eat at
the Rebbes table.
After a short while, he moved
to Montreal where he was
appointed as member of a beis
din, rav of a Nusach Ari shul, and
rosh yeshiva in Yeshivas Tomchei
Tmimim.
He passed away on Rosh
Chodesh Shevat 5715/1955
at the age of 71. As per the
instructions of the Rebbe he
was buried near the Ohel. After
his passing, his son gave the
Rebbe all the bichlach (written
pamphlets of Chassidus) that his
father had. The Rebbe wanted
to pay for them but of course he
refused. Around this time, the
Rebbe published the collected
Likkutei Dibburim in book form
and in one of them, he printed a
dedication in his own name lilui
nishmas R Benjaminson.

Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh

Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch
Cincinnati and a well sought after
speaker and lecturer. Recordings

of his in-depth shiurim on

Inyanei Geula uMoshiach can
be accessed at http://www.
ylcrecording.com.

16 19 Iyar 5776 - Hakhel

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.
If that income stream is interruptedeven for a brief periodwhat would happen to the rest
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1022_bm_eng.indd 17

2016-05-24 7:38:11 AM

Nowadays, it is much
less prevalent to
hit children as an
educational tool. Why
is hitting a bad idea in
chinuch? What should
be done when you
want to instill fear or
authority? * We spoke
with R Yossi Goldstein,
a teacher, a psychodramatist, group trainer
and director of Merkaz
Tipulim Chabad.
By Nosson Avrohom

any
explanations
have been given for
the verse in Mishlei
which says, One
who withholds his stick, hates his
son. Many have tried to prove
from here that we are allowed, and
it is desirable, to hit children who
dont toe the line. In the distant
past, many parents and teachers hit
their children and students. Some
even insisted on occasionally hitting
good students so they would not be
transgressing this verse. In recent
years, boruch Hashem, the approach
has changed. Fewer parents are
using hitting as a punishment or
as an educational message, and
teachers are implementing positive
and effective disciplinary methods so
as not to resort to hitting.
What does the above-cited
verse mean? Is it advocating
hitting or not? When a parent
quotes this verse to me as a
justification for hitting, I open the

18 19 Iyar 5776 - Hakhel

1022_bm_eng.indd 18

2016-05-24 7:38:11 AM

U
A

book of
read the
the verse
loves him
The one
musar a
what his
your son
And whe
in the af
to adop
verse, to
I f
explanat
the vers
says, T
of grass
mazal in
and tells
every bla
that cau
action i
Perhaps
HaMelec
One w
hates his
physicall

ch

Why
a in
uld

or
oke
stein,
oainer
rkaz

lanations
iven for
Mishlei
One
hates his
o prove
wed, and
ren who
e distant
chers hit
s. Some
ly hitting
d not be
n recent
approach
ents are
ment or
ge, and
positive
ethods so

ove-cited
vocating
a parent
e as a
open the

TO HIT A CHILD
FORBIDDEN,
UNNECESSARY,
AND INEFFECTIVE
book of Mishlei and ask him to
read the verse inside. The end of
the verse states, and the one who
loves him, chastises him early.
The one who loves his son uses
musar and explains to the child
what his mistake is. Do you love
your son? I will ask the parent.
And when he inevitably responds
in the affirmative, I will ask him
to adopt the second half of the
verse, to speak words of musar.
I found an interesting
explanation for the first half of
the verse. In BReishis Raba it
says, There is not a single blade
of grass that does not have its
mazal in heaven which strikes it
and tells it to grow. That means,
every blade of grass has a force
that causes it to grow, and this
action is described as striking.
Perhaps this is what Shlomo
HaMelech meant when he said,
One who withholds his stick,
hates his son. He does not mean
physically striking the child but

directing his growth in good

ways.
Some quote the prophet
Zecharia, And I took for
Myself two staffs; one I called
Pleasantness, and one I called
Destroyers, from which can be
understood that there is a stick of
pleasantness, of praising a child
for the good thing that he did,
a smile, a good word. This is a
stick which encourages him to
continue with his good behavior.
In our generation, this stick is
more effective than the one called
Destroyers.
There is an additional
explanation as to why hitting is
undesirable, given by the halachic
authorities of our times, based on
what it says that it is forbidden to
hit children if it is feared, that as
a result of the hitting, they will
hit or talk back. For this reason,
parents and teachers refrain from
hitting children and students
nowadays, because they might

react with inappropriate words or

actions, and this would mean that
the parent or teacher transgressed
dont place a stumbling block
before the blind.
As I said, there are many
explanations, but we want to
know what the Rebbe said about
hitting. Upon examining many
letters and horaos that were given
over the years, there doesnt seem
to be any room for equivocation.
The Rebbe is opposed to hitting
and is in favor of using positive
methods.
In a letter printed in the Igros
Kodesh, volume 12, p. 266, the
Rebbe responds to a teacher:
You are right in that
this is not the way, to use
the stick for punishment in
chinuch, because too often
the positive benefits that one
benefits thereby is outweighed
by the loss vdai lmaven, and
we see that firmness clothed in

Issue 1022

1022_bm_eng.indd 19

19

2016-05-24 7:38:12 AM

Chinuch

Shabbos and Treif are clear and that is how it

gets conveyed to them. But its not even clear
to me what the ideal time for them to go to sleep is and
I myself dont always clean up after myself. The lack
of clarity is transmitted to them. When the boundaries
are clear to us, there is a good chance that this will be
conveyed to our children.
ways of pleasantness are more
effective.
The Rebbe writes similarly in
volume 13, letter #4276:
Regarding
students

that they deal with them with

reprimands etc. to the point
of hitting obviously this
behavior is out of the question
for the older students, and if I
were not afraid I would say that
this is so even for those that are
not older.
Along with negating hitting,
the Rebbe suggests alternative,
positive methods. In a letter
printed in volume 21, p. 260,
letter #8017, the Rebbe writes:
It is already known what
is written in the Rambams
commentary on Mishnayos
and brought in Chassidus, that
a child is drawn to learn not
by being ordered, and all the
more so not with sticks, but
by giving him sweets, etc. And
such [prizes] that he has an
appreciation for in the state that
he is in and not for the future,
even though a child is generally
receptive to matters of kabbalas
ol and enforcement etc. And all
the more so in this case, that is
how it should be.
In an astonishing letter, the
Rebbe gives another practical
suggestion which he took from
the sichos of the Rebbe Rayatz.
The letter is printed in volume
21, page 195:

Rebuke by hitting is more

negative than positive and
you need to seek other means
of punishment, and like
brought in the sichos of the
Rebbe, my father-in-law, not to
allow them to be present when
stories of tzaddikim are told and
the like, which they enjoy. This
punishment is brought in Seifer
HaSichos 5700, p. 161: One of
the severe punishments was
when a teacher told a story and
they had to stand behind him.

GUEST EXPERT
Our guest this week is R
Yossi Goldstein, a teacher,
psycho-dramatist, group trainer
and director of Merkaz Tipulim
Chabad. We asked him how to
punish and discipline in a positive
way, how to set up appropriate
boundaries, whether prizes are an
effective chinuch tool, and how
to compliment a child.
Perhaps, before anything
else, tell us about psychodrama
and how the tools that this
method uses are effective in
chinuch.
Psych refers to the soul,
mind or spirit, and drama
refers to action. The basis of the
psychodrama method is, dont
talk, do. In traditional therapy,
in which the person sits down
and says whats on his mind,
defenses can often hide the real
story because we want to keep

the important and deepest things

to ourselves. So it can happen
that even when a person goes
for therapy and wants to explore
himself, his defenses get to
work, and he hides his greatest
vulnerabilities. Psychodrama is
less about talking and more about
action.
Please give us an example.
When someone says he has
problems with his boss, I ask him,
Dont tell me, show me. And
we role play the situation there in
the room, first as he plays the role
of the boss and then as himself.
This enables him to express
his real feelings. It all becomes
more tangible and real and with
relatively greater speed we are
able to get to very sensitive and
deep places in the psyche.
Then the therapist helps him
carefully uncover the root of
the problem. For example, that
he feels hurt and like a nothing
because of his boss may be
directly connected to the way he
was treated when he was a child.

FEAR OF AWE OR FEAR OF

PUNISHMENT?
In the past parents punished
by hitting. Why doesnt this
work today?
In the past, and unfortunately
in some homes nowadays too, the
carrot and stick method was used.
But while the stick was used, i.e.,
patching, the carrot was not
always there. On the surface it
appears like hitting is effective,
because it achieves immediate
results. But this method is not
effective in the long run.
I would divide physical
punishment into two types:
cautious
and
premeditated
punishment
and
impulsive
punishment in which the parent
cant restrain himself. With both
types of punishment there is a

20 19 Iyar 5776 - Hakhel

1022_bm_eng.indd 20

2016-05-24 7:38:12 AM

helpless
that the
the adult
If w
psychod
emphasi
with the
along w
speech
shall rela
is also th
chinuch.
If I
chinuch
comes to
the line
telling h
the real
life is by
Paren
are the
instill f
all, the
a man
and fath
Rash
meaning
fear n
to speak
contradi
the mitz
not the
a revere
are comm
the way
Rav Ov
respect
he woul
awesome
elevated
By t
the holy
the idea
impact
the chin
asks, wh
the sing
the plur
that the
when th
the mitz
son sees
fear him

st things
happen
on goes
explore
get to
greatest
rama is
re about

mple.
he has
ask him,
e. And
there in
s the role
himself.
express
becomes
and with
we are
tive and
.
elps him
root of
ple, that
nothing
may be
way he
a child.

EAR OF

unished
nt this

rtunately
too, the
was used.
sed, i.e.,
was not
urface it
effective,
mmediate
d is not

physical
types:
meditated
mpulsive
e parent
With both
ere is a

helpless and humiliating feeling

that the child is made to feel by
the adult.
If we go back to the
psychodrama method which
emphasizes action over speech,
with the chinuch of a child too,
along with the importance of
speech in chinuch (and you
shall relate to your child) there
is also the importance of action in
chinuch.
If I speak to a child about
chinuch and values but when it
comes to it, and the child crosses
the line then I hit him, what Im
telling him in effect is, Sweetie,
the real way to solve problems in
life is by force.
Parents will ask, what then
are the tools that we can use to
instill fear in children? After
all, the Torah itself commands,
a man must fear their mother
and father.
Rashi says, as the simple
meaning of the words, what is
fear not to sit in his place, not
to speak in his stead and not to
contradict him. That means that
the mitzva of fearing parents is
not the fear of punishment, but
a reverence for them; children
are commanded to honor parents
the way you honor a king (as
Rav Ovadia Seforno says, His
respect for them should be as
he would honor those who are
awesome to him due to their
elevated status over him).
By the way, on this verse,
the holy Ohr HaChayim brings
the idea we spoke of, about the
impact of parents actions on
the chinuch of their children. He
asks, why does the verse start in
the singular (man) and end in
the plural (their). He explains
that the Torah is hinting that
when the father himself fulfills
the mitzva of awe of a father, his
son sees his behavior and will also
fear him, so we have two (plural)

R Goldstein guiding a group of teachers

sons who fear. (When the son

sees that his father treats his own
fathers honor disdainfully, then
the crown of his fear will fall from
him. And when a person shows
fear to his father the son will
take heed. This will also instill
in the child the aspect of positive
behavior, and that is how one
fulfills two fears in the plural.)
Unfortunately,
there
are
parents who think that their
children need to be afraid of
them. I have a question for these
parents: Why should we make
our children fearful? How is it
possible to live under a shadow
of fear? What kind of adult will
result from a childhood like this?
It is easy to get a child to fear us,
but will this help the child grow
or hurt him?
By punishing in this way, we
convey the message of Only I
know what is good for you. You
dont know what is right for you
and if you dont listen to me,
you will have what to be afraid
of. It is very hard, or perhaps
impossible, to raise confident
children by such childrearing
methods.
How do you recommend
parents set boundaries?
I noticed that nearly every
night I had to ask my children
to go to sleep on time, and

nearly had to beg them to put

their clothing in the hamper, put
their toys away and throw their
garbage in the garbage can. But
I could not recall ever asking
them not to mix meat and milk or
have to remind them more than
once not to turn the light on, on
Shabbos.
Why is that?
Because Shabbos and Treif
are clear and that is how it gets
conveyed to them. But its not
even clear to me what the ideal
time for them to go to sleep is and
I myself dont always clean up
after myself. The lack of clarity
is transmitted to them. When
the boundaries are clear to us,
there is a good chance that this
will be conveyed to our children,
although it is not a given, and
there are many other factors
that have an influence on their
behavior. This is why prayer is
always necessary for the success
of the chinuch of our children.
In addition to this, we know
that the clearer the boundaries,
the greater the freedom within
those boundaries. For example,
when I play ball in a gym, I can
throw the ball more freely than if
I play outdoors where there are
no walls. Outdoors I have to be
more careful; otherwise, I will
lose the ball. The same is true

Issue 1022

1022_bm_eng.indd 21

21

2016-05-24 7:38:12 AM

Chinuch

A teacher can take a child aside for a talk and

tell him straight, Moishy, when you speak
to me with chutzpah in front of the class, it makes me
uncomfortable and I feel there isnt much I can do about
it. A parent can also tell his child, When you come home
late without letting me know youll be late, I get scared.
I worry a lot about you. The child accepts that far more
than, You are irresponsible and dont care about your
parents!

with the soul. If the boundary

does not exist, or it keeps on
changing, there is uncertainty,
insecurity did I do the right
thing or not? Is it still within the
boundaries or did it go outside?
In the same way, a child with no
boundaries will only do what he
must but will prefer not to take
chances and will refrain from
playing the game of life.
On the other hand, even when
the boundaries are very clear,
but are harsh and pressurizing,
this is like a game of ball in
an enclosed space that is tiny.
Obviously, you cant play there
either because there is no room
to breathe and there is no
freedom of movement, and the
results will be commensurate.
The game of life is not made
possible. Therefore, we need
to give children enough space
but with clear boundaries and
expectations, as much as possible.
This is the balance required of us
as parents and educators when it
comes to setting boundaries.

STOP NOW AND THEN AND

CHECK: MAYBE WE MADE A
MISTAKE?
It seems to me that parents
are divided between the two
extremes. There are parents
who operate out of gvura and

parents who do everything

positively, with compliments
and prizes. Which is more
correct and how do you balance
the two?
Obviously, there isnt one
correct answer because all of life
we are in the process of learning
how to achieve the right balance.
But in general we can say that
these two types of parents are
conveying a similar message to
a child, albeit in different ways.
The message is, You dont
have the ability or desire to be a
good boy and so, I will help you,
because you cant do it on your
own. The firm parent does this
by employing external force to
get the child to do what the adult
sees fit. The positive parent does
this with external support and
prizes, because the child cant
and does not want to behave
properly of his own volition and
he will be good only with the help
we supply him with.
In both cases, we are raising
a child who cannot rely on
himself. He will always be
dependent on externals, whether
a tough environment or a giving
environment, but he wont be
able to find within himself the
desire and ability to think and act
on his own. Since this is not a
way of thinking that he is familiar
with, we can assume that when

he grows up he will also raise his

children this way.
Fortunately, Hashem gave
us parents the sense of what is
proper for a child and when we
dont do the right thing for an
extended period of time, we
usually realize it. That is when
we have the responsibility to stop
everything and examine ourselves
to see where we went wrong and
mainly, how to improve.
A child is sometimes sent to
me and the parents say, He has
a problem. He always As I
work with the child, I also check
to see, What did the parents
contribute to make the child
behave in this way? Because
it is likely that the child learned
how to behave from somewhere,
in addition, of course, to the
personality that he was born with.
There are parents who say, But
we always tell him that And
that is when we review and repeat
the first rule in psychodrama
Its not just what we say; its
what we do!

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE

PERSONAL EXAMPLE
Still, how can we work
with a child with the method
of compliments and prizes in
the right way so that it does
not exacerbate all the negative
points you mentioned?
I can tell you how we do
things at my house. I developed a
method based on the idea of the
reward for a mitzva is a mitzva.
As it is explained in Tanya, the
real reward for a mitzva is the
mitzva itself and the same is true
in life.
For example, instead of
saying, If you finish eating
you will get a treat, I say, If
you finish eating, you will be
satisfied and happy. Instead of,
If you brush your teeth you will

get a pr
message
importan
prize to
If you b
have cle
gums.
I us
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emphasi
weve al
is impor
not just
statemen
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So a
I love
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hears th
say one t
When yo
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yapping
knows th
more im
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is proba
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best cas
without
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When
involved
I put th
with the
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say, Yo

AD

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22 19 Iyar 5776 - Hakhel

SAV
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1022_bm_eng.indd 22

2016-05-24 7:38:13 AM

Call To

raise his

m gave
what is
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LIKE
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e work
method
rizes in
it does
negative

get a prize, which conveys the

message that brushing teeth is
important to the parent and the
prize to the child, you can say,
If you brush your teeth you will
have clean and healthy teeth and
gums.
I use prizes and incentives
too, but the question is where the
emphasis is placed. In addition,
weve already learned that what
is important is, what I do, and
not just what I say. Educational
statements need corresponding
educational behaviors.
So along with telling a child,
I love you, you need to show
him that, so he feels it, not just
hears the words. Certainly dont
say one thing and do the opposite.
When you tell him, You are the
sweetest kid in the world, while
yapping on the phone, your child
knows that what you are doing is
more important than what you
are saying and what he got
is probably, My dear son, you
are sweet indeed, but my phone
is a bit sweeter. That is in the
best case, and let that suffice
without specifying possibly worse
messages the child is getting.
When I drop everything to be
involved with my children when
I put them to sleep, I say Shma
with them and even tell them a
short story, then even if I did not
say, You are important to me,

they get that message.

CRITICIZING WITHOUT
OFFENDING
Sometimes
a
childs
behavior needs correcting. How
should we criticize and punish
properly?
Thats a good question that I
struggle with every day anew. As
far as criticism I have found that
criticism aimed at a child does
not always achieve the goal. For
example, telling a child who is
rude, If you are rude, nobody
will like you, or A rude child
is a bad child, is ineffective
because sometimes, from the
childs perspective, the opposite
is true.
For the first statement he can
say to himself, or even to you,
I have a friend in class who is
chutzpadik, and everyone likes
him (thats how he sees it). As
for the second statement, a child
is sometimes rude when he thinks
that an injustice occurred or
something is not proper, and he
sees the chutzpah as something
proper and even good because
his goal was to stand up for what
is right.
I have seen that when I speak
honestly about myself, the child
is receptive. A teacher can take
a child aside for a talk and tell

we do
eloped a
a of the
mitzva.
nya, the
a is the
e is true

ead of
eating
say, If
will be
stead of,
you will




him straight, Moishy, when

you speak to me with chutzpah
in front of the class, it makes me
uncomfortable and I feel there
isnt much I can do about it.
A parent can also tell his child,
When you come home late
without letting me know youll
be late, I get scared. I worry a
lot about you. The child accepts
that far more than, You are
irresponsible and dont care
about your parents!
Sometimes, acknowledging
our weaknesses is the most
courageous thing we can do for
our children.
During sfira we need to do
even more to instill values like
Ahavas Yisroel in our children.
How can we do so successfully?
Simply by our trying to be
Ohavei Yisroel. If I want him to
help others, I will take him with
me when I go and help someone
or on mivtzaim. If I still need
work in these areas, then I should
first ask myself these questions.
I once saw a father say to his
son, It is hard for me to help
others because, due to my sins,
I mostly love myself, but I want
to improve and work on this. So
come with me and we will do
Mivtza Chanuka and even though
I really want to be home, let us go
and bring simcha to people as the
Rebbe said to do.

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BITACHON BYTES

SHMITA 101
BY Rabbi Zalman Goldberg

mong the myriads of

Bitachon messages that
the Torah gives us is a
profound message which
comes from the mitzvah of Shmita.
The purpose of the mitzvah of
Shmita is that a Yid should have
more opportunities to connect to
Hashem through davening and
learning Torah. Time is usually
used to accomplish various
mundane activities. Whether we
are earning a living or purchasing
various day-to-day needs, our
focus is not necessarily a holy
one. Thus, much of our time is
often devoid of kdusha. Even if
our hours and days are not used
for anything contrary to kdusha,
the fact that kdusha doesnt
shine brightly and clearly shows
that there remains what to be
desired.
It is possible for all worldly
activities to have a holy purpose,
i.e., to be able to give tzdaka and
to have the energy to learn Torah
and to fulfill Hashems will.
This is, however, a very exalted
level. Practically it means that
throughout our dealings with
worldly endeavors, our thoughts,
speech and actions are primarily
focused on Hashem and not on
the material aspect of what we
are doing. Money doesnt mean
money when holding on this lofty
level; it is simply a conduit to be

able to fulfill Hashems ratzon.

The first thought will thus be,
How many people can this
money help? and not, How can
I garner more possessions and
material comfort?
A prime illustration of people
by whom money was 100%
transparent and who were truly
able to conduct themselves
appropriately even when money
was available in abundance was
by Reb Eliezer Lipa and his wife1,
the parents of Reb Elimelech
of Lizhensk and Reb Zushe of
Anipoli. Reb Eliezer Lipa earned
his meager living by delivering
water from the nearby well to
some of the residents of his town.
Inspired by an address delivered
by the Baal Shem Tov (who at
the time was a nistar) about the
value of Mitzvos done sincerely,
Reb Eliezer Lipa exchanged
some of his better paying clients
with a more impoverished
water deliverer, for the merit to
supply water for the local shuls,
even though it meant that his
livelihood would be significantly
reduced.
This is already a sign of the
undistracted manner how Reb
Eliezer Lipa viewed money,
i.e., as a way to help others and
provide for others, and not for his
self-aggrandizement. Of course
he maintained strong Bitachon

in Hashem that He would

provide all of his needs. What
happened next can be viewed in
two ways; either as a reward or
as a test. Many of us may view it
as a reward, but not so with Reb
Eliezer Lipa.
One day while drawing water
he caught a fish. This caused him
much joy, for now for the first
time since he made the exchange
of clients he would have fish on
his Shabbos table. When his wife
was preparing the fish he was out
and upon his return she greeted
him in a downcast mood. While
preparing the fish she found a
very precious diamond in its
belly. She was worried that they
would abuse what Hashem had
bestowed them, which would
in turn stain their innocent and
virtuous way of life. After all,
money can do things to people
and their minds that they never
imagined could happen. People
may go from being kind to
indifference, from generous to
stingy, from being magnanimous
to being malicious and from
being honest to being deceitful.
Such is the test of material
wealth.
Reb Eliezer Lipa and his wife
decided to sell the precious stone
and donate the entire sum to
tzdaka. Half of the fortune was
given to poor yeshiva students

24 19 Iyar 5776 - Hakhel

1022_bm_eng.indd 24

2016-05-24 7:38:13 AM

and the
other po
Lipa con
job. Thi
when R
broken j
at the riv
water. O
couple s
for tzda
Eliezer
passed a
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sole ben
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that thes
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Ultim
engages
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embrace
spending
of time
through
We
kdusha
our dave
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business
needs e
stronger
which ca
during th
This
even tho
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because
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Yid nee
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The
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Hashem
of the
while th

would
s. What
iewed in
ward or
y view it
with Reb

ng water
used him
the first
xchange
fish on
his wife
was out
greeted
d. While
found a
in its
hat they
hem had
would
cent and
After all,
o people
ey never
. People
kind to
rous to
animous
d from
deceitful.
material

his wife
us stone
sum to
une was
students

and the other half was given to

other poor people. Reb Eliezer
Lipa continued his water carrying
job. This incident repeated itself
when Reb Eliezer Lipa found a
broken jug with many gold coins
at the river while he was drawing
water. Once again the righteous
couple set aside all of the money
for tzdaka purposes. When Reb
Eliezer Lipas wealthy uncle
passed away with no heir, Reb
Eliezer Lipa and his wife were the
sole beneficiaries. They utilized
this gift from Hashem with true
righteousness. They had many
houses built on the property, for
families of Torah scholars to live
rent free, along with a plot of
land fit for growing vegetation, so
that these families would be able
to support themselves.
Ultimately, one who truly
engages the world full of G-dly
intentions will also eagerly
embrace the idea of Shmita,
spending an extended period
of time connecting to Hashem
through Torah and Tfilla.
We already have a lot of
kdusha in our lives, through
our davening and learning every
morning, and conducting our
businesses honestly, but a Yid
needs extra kdusha2 and a
stronger connection to Hashem
which can and should be achieved
during the Shmita year.
This applies to all Yidden,
even those living in areas where
the laws of Shmita dont exist,
because the concept of Shmita
applies to every Yid. Every
Yid needs to set aside time to
reconnect and strengthen his
bond with Hashem.
The act of resting from work
specifically to connect to Hashem
requires a lot of Bitachon in
Hashem faith and reliance in
Hashem that He will take care
of the resting individual. For
while the Yid is engrossed in his

davening, there are many who are

advancing their business pursuits,
and the laws of nature dictate
that they will have more money
than the one who is davening.
Nonetheless, through relying
on Hashem that He will provide
those who serve Him with all
their needs, that is certainly
what will happen, and the Oved
Hashem will lack nothing as a
result of his leave of absence
from the mundane world.
There are those who wish to
ignore this message by professing
that the Torahs command to rest
during the Shmita year is really
agricultural advice, to give the
ground a rest after producing
for six years. They also claim
that with certain fertilizers being
used to strengthen the ground,
it doesnt need a rest even once
every seven years. One of the
outcomes is that these people are
robbed of a golden opportunity to
connect to Hashem.
However, their claim is
completely false and the proof
is from the fact that the Torah
clearly states that Hashem
will bless one who resolves to
observe the laws of Shmita by
giving him enough sustenance
during the year prior to Shmita
to last for three years (that year,
the Shmita year, and the year
following Shmita, until the new,
post-Shmita, crop comes in). If
it were true that after six years
of producing, the earth is weak
and in need of a rest, then how
could the earth produce such
a great quantity, three years
worth! And just at that time, in its
most weakened state? It must
be that the earth doesnt need a
rest; rather, the true intention
in the Torah commanding us to
keep the Shmita year is to present
Yidden with the opportunity to
connect to Hashem.
All this applies equally to every

Shabbos when worldly pursuits

are prohibited. Every Shabbos
we suspend our worldly activities
to spend a day of holiness with
Hashem. After Shabbos is over
we partake of the Melaveh Malka
repast in a cheerful manner.
This can be challenging, for
due to all expenses throughout
Shabbos, including lavish seudos
for family and guests, donations
to ones shul for receiving an
aliya etc. and not one penny
was earned, can be the cause of
worrying about how the bills will
be covered. Nonetheless, a Yid
is able to eat the Melaveh Malka
meal with joy. The reason for
this is because Yidden know that
all parnasa derives from Hashem,
and therefore it is impossible that
as a result of observing Shabbos,
and thereby serving Hashem, he
should incur any financial losses.
By
internalizing
these
Bitachon lessons, to value our
opportunities to connect to
Hashem through davening and
learning Torah, and by realizing
that this will not at all diminish
from our livelihoods, and that this
should all be done with true inner
joy, we will certainly enjoy not
only a life of spiritual abundance,
but all our material needs will
easily be available to us as well.
Rabbi Zalman Goldberg is
a well sought after speaker and
lecturer on Chassidic thought.
His writings and recordings on the
topic of Bitachon can be accessed
at
http://www.gotbitachon.
com. You can also receive his
one minute daily Bitachon
clip by sending a WhatsApp
to 347.546.4402 with the
wordBitachon.
(Endnotes)
1) The Storyteller vol. 5 pg. 73-85
2) 547 ''' '' .

Issue 1022

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STORY

REBBE, I
NEED FIVE
THOUSAND
DOLLARS!
By Menachem Ziegelboim

had heard that he had a story

to tell but had a difficult
time getting in touch with R
Moshe Stern, resident of Beit
Rimon near the Golani junction
in Tzfas. Although he is not
listed in the official Chabad phone
directory, he merited to have a
long-standing connection with the
Rebbe and was personally involved
in a series of astounding miracles.
When I was finally able to
locate him by phone, when he
heard that I wanted to talk about
the Rebbe he asked me to wait a
minute because, If Im going to
talk about the holy Rebbe, then I
want to wash my hands first.
That was a strong clue that
I was talking to a full-fledged
Chassid. This is what he told us:
At a certain point in my life,
I left teaching, which I had done

for many years, and opened a

Judaica store in Ft. Lauderdale.
Then I opened another store in
Boca Raton in an exclusive mall
frequented by a very wealthy
clientele, though I wasnt very
successful with that store.
Most of the Jews there were
Reform, Conservative or even
Reconstructionist and had no
interest in Judaica.
Half a year passed and
unfortunately, I made hardly
anything, to the point that I
had a hard time paying the high
rent. As I did in every time of
misfortune, I called R Chadakov,
the Rebbes secretary, and asked
him to submit a note on my behalf
to the Rebbe and to write that I
sought a bracha for parnasa. R
Chadakov asked me what kind
of merchandise I sold and I told

him, Judaica. He wrote that in

the note.
A week later R Chadakov
called me with the Rebbes
answer, You need sfarim in
your store.
Sfarim?! I had albums,
history books, and even Jewish
cookbooks in the store and my
experience was that no customers
were interested in them. After
thinking for a moment I realized
that the Rebbe meant another
kind of sfarim books on Torah
and Judaism.
The truth is, I was doubtful
about buying books like that.
Who would be interested in
them?
The
Reform?
The
Conservative? A gentile who
came to buy a bar mitzva gift for
his Jewish boss?

26 19 Iyar 5776 - Hakhel

1022_bm_eng.indd 26

2016-05-24 7:38:13 AM

I ca
and told
Jews h
buy Cha
they buy
I asked
anyone e
Chitas o
Anot
there wa
Chadako
know if
store alr
I gav
so, how
The n
the stor
pen and
of sfarim
starting
of Gem
Maamar
Kinos fo

e that in

hadakov
Rebbes
arim in

albums,
n Jewish
and my
ustomers
After
realized
another
on Torah

doubtful
ke that.
sted in
?
The
le who
a gift for

I called my wife Tzippora

and told her the Rebbes answer.
Jews here are embarrassed to
buy Chanuka candles, why would
they buy books about Judaism?
I asked her worriedly. Would
anyone ever ask me to sell them a
Chitas or a Gemara?
Another week went by and
there was another call from R
Chadakov. The Rebbe wants to
know if you have sfarim in your
store already.
I gave in. If the Rebbe said
so, how could I hesitate?
The next morning I went into
the store with a notebook and
pen and began preparing a list
of sfarim that I wanted to order,
starting with Chumashim, sets
of Gemara, Chitas, Rambam,
Maamarim, Hagados, and even
Kinos for Tisha BAv.

As I prepared the list, an

elderly man walked into the store.
I got up to greet him and the first
words out of his mouth surprised
me.
I dont know how much
longer I will live, he informed
me. I am 72 years old and I
want to leave a special legacy for
my grandchildren so they will
always remember me.
He looked well-to-do and
didnt flinch when I suggested
that he buy ten medallions, one
for each of his ten grandchildren,
made out of gold and decorated
with diamonds, at a cost of
$3000 each, not including the
chains. On the medallion was
engraved a likeness of Moses
holding the Tablets.
If you would like, you can
also have your name engraved on

the other side of each medallion

so theyll remember you, I
suggested. He looked happy at
the thought.
Of course I want them to
remember
their
grandfather
forever It will be the nicest
legacy I can leave them.
I looked at him and my heart
went out to him. A yerusha for
his children. An old man wanted
to be remembered and what was I
suggesting to him?
Listen, I suddenly said. I
like you and I want to tell you
something candidly.
I dont
think a medallion is the ideal gift.
Maybe a grandchild has different
tastes than you and me and wont
want to wear it. It could get lost
or maybe stolen.
Youre right, he immediately
agreed. Do you have another
Issue 1022

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27

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Story

The most worthwhile legacy you can leave your

grandchildren is a set of books like this, I said
as I picked up a volume from my Shas. This is called the
Talmud. It is written in the Aramaic language but can be
purchased with an English translation. On the first page
you will write a personal dedication to each grandson
and granddaughter and we will put in your picture. What
could be nicer than a legacy like this?
idea? Something better than
jewelry?
I do! I took his hand
warmly. You are a Jew and your
father was a Jew. Thank G-d,
the Jewish chain which began
with Abraham our Father did
not stop, but the time has come
to worry about the future of your
descendants. Before you leave
this world, you need to know that
you did all you could so that this
precious chain will never break.
Give your grandchildren the
spirit of the Jewish people; give
them the foundation, the laws of
the Jewish people!
I saw that he was moved
by what I said so fervently and
confidently. Now I understood
what the Rebbe meant about
sfarim and I knew what I had to
suggest to him.
The most worthwhile legacy
you can leave your grandchildren
is a set of books like this, I said
as I picked up a volume from
my Shas that I learned from
when there were no customers
(I managed to learn a lot).
This is called the Talmud. It is
written in the Aramaic language
but can be purchased with an
English translation. On the first
page you will write a personal
dedication to each grandson and
granddaughter and we will put
in your picture. What could be
nicer than a legacy like this?
On the spot he wrote a check

for $17,000. Although I made

a smaller profit than I would
have from selling medallions, the
pleasure I had when I saw his
joy, and the knowledge that I had
done what the Rebbe instructed,
were worth more to me than all
the money in the world.
The sfarim that I ordered
came a few days later and I had
to remove merchandise from
the store to make room for the
bookcases I bought.
People who heard that the
store also carried Jewish books
started coming. They came to
read, to buy, to ask, to talk, and
I always tried to answer them
honestly and always told them
about the Rebbe and about doing
Torah and mitzvos.
Before Pesach there was a big
demand for Hagados. The year
before I had barely sold forty
Hagados but that year I sold over
3000!
I called R Chadakov and
asked him to tell the Rebbe that
boruch Hashem, I had plenty of
parnasa since I brought sfarim
into the store. R Chadakov, its
just amazing!
On the line I heard him
give a small laugh, Nu, if the
Rebbe said so, how could it be
otherwise?
TALKING TO THE REBBE
R Moshes daughter, Mrs.

Noga Dobkin of Tzfas, relates:

Three years ago I got a phone
call.
When the phone rings
its not a reason to be nervous,
but when it rings at three in
the morning, its frightening. I
quickly answered it and it was my
father.
Noga, the Rebbe is chai
vkayam!
I breathed a sigh of relief. My
father sounded happy. But what
made him come to this realization
at this hour?
What
happened
Abba?
Youve said in the past that the
Rebbe is with us as before...
My father then told me a
story, a special story, like all
the stories that happened to my
father.
I had to make a deposit at
the bank of $5000 tomorrow
morning, but I didnt know
where Id get that money from.
After Shacharis in the Chabad
minyan, while I was still wearing
my tallis and tfillin, I went over
to a picture of the Rebbe that was
hanging on one of the walls and
spoke to the Rebbe the way Im
speaking to you now. I felt that
the Rebbe was listening to every
word I said. Rebbe, I cant get
that amount of money through
normal channels. Please, help
me! Help me get $5000 before
my store closes today at 7:00.
After davening, I opened my
store and waited to see positive
results but there were very few
customers. Many people asked
about items, asked prices, but I
didnt sell anything. The hours
passed and still, I did not despair.
I felt that the Rebbe had listened
to my request.
Toward closing time, a man
walked in and his first question
was, How much is that picture in
the window?
I stated an amount and the

28 19 Iyar 5776 - Hakhel

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man nod
pictures?
him eve
chose p
there wa
Oh
he said.
for frie
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wrote a c
Noga
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went to
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was 3:00
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elates:
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three in
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t was my
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t know
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ened my
positive
very few
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es, but I
he hours
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listened

, a man
question
icture in
and the

man nodded. Do you have other

pictures? he asked. I brought
him everything I had and he
chose picture after picture until
there was a pile on the counter.
Oh, I just remembered,
he said. I need some presents
for friends, can you suggest
something?
I was happy to offer my
merchandise and the man agreed
to whatever I showed him. He
asked me to add everything up
and it came out to $5000! He
wrote a check and left.
Noga continued with her
story:
You see Noga, my father
exulted. I had to tell you this
very evening what the Rebbe did
for a simple person like me.
The following night, when I
went to sleep, I remembered the
conversation of the night before
and smiled. When the phone
rang yet again, I had a feeling it
was 3:00 in the morning again. I
was right. I answered the phone
and heard my fathers voice.
Noga, I am 100% sure the

He should see himself as if he was just now

commanded regarding the Torah and heard
it from the Almighty. For the king is an agent to make
known the word of God.

Rebbe is chai vkayam!

What happened now, I
asked him. Yesterday you told
me the same thing. Is everything
okay?
Listen, he began, and his
smile skipped over the thousands
of kilometers that separated us.
Listen to an incredible story.
I sat down.
My fathers
stories are really and truly stories
of faith of the highest degree.
How could I pass on a story of
his? What difference did it make
what time it was?
This morning I went to the
Chabad minyan for Shacharis.
This time too, as I was wearing
tallis and tfillin, I went over to
the big picture of the Rebbe in
order to thank him for the $5000
he sent me the day before. I will
be going soon to make the bank

LIVE SHIURIM 0NLINE

deposit, I told the Rebbe, but I

have a modest request. Why did
you arrange for exactly $5000
when I closed the store? You
know that I have many expenses
and that I am not a rich man.
Couldnt a bit more have been
added to yesterdays amount?
That is how I spoke to the
Rebbe for several minutes, like a
son talking to his father. Then I
went to the bank and made the
deposit and continued on to the
store.
Noga, I wont tire you with
all the details because its late,
he suddenly apologized, and
then it was my turn to smile,
but I wanted you to know that
tonight, when I closed the store,
I had another $5000 in the cash
register.

vww c

Anywhere, Anytime !
CHITAS
INYONEI GEULA
& MOSHIACH
RAMBAM
SHIURIM IN LIKUTEI
SICHOS KODESH

,ww,j
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hyuekc ohrugha
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Issue 1022

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PARSHA THOUGHT

WHAT
IS THE
QUESTION?
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

THE ENIGMATIC QUESTION

The Torah generally does not
raise questions about its own
dictates. The Torah gives voice
to G-ds will. Our responses are
not what the Torah is about. Yes,
in several of the narratives, the
Torah will describe the actions
of the Jewish people; how they
accepted, followed and submitted
to the Divine will or, when
they rejected it. But, the Torah
never introduces a hypothetical
challenge to G-ds will.
The above is true, with, at
least, one notable exception. In
this weeks parsha, the Torah
introduces the commandment
to observe the Sabbatical year,
when no sowing and harvesting
is permitted. The commandment
to
observe
the
Sabbatical
year is then followed by the
commandment to observe a
Jubilee year, which follows a
Sabbatical year and is also bound
by the restriction of sowing and
harvesting.
The Torah then makes a
promise to those who observe the
commandments:
you shall dwell securely
on the land. The land will give its
fruit, and you will eat your fill;
you will dwell securely on it.

After making this promise

of security and prosperity the
Torah volunteers the following
hypothetical question:
If you will say: What will we
eat in the seventh year? Behold!
We will not sow and not gather in
our crops!
The Torah proceeds to give
G-ds response:
I will ordain My blessing for
you in the sixth year and it will
yield a crop sufficient for the
three-year period. You will sow in
the eighth year, but you will eat
from the old crop; until the ninth
year, until the arrival of its crop,
you will eat the old.
Commentators are puzzled
by the hypothetical challenge of
a skeptic that was included in
the Divine narrative! When G-d
commands us to observe the
Sabbath the Torah does not give
voice to the many skeptics who
reject the commandment. Why
does the Torah single out this
commandment to address the
likely challenge of the skeptics?

A POSITIVE QUESTION
The Rebbe (Likkutei Sichos
volume 27, p. 184) asks another
question, the answer to which
will also resolve our question.

The
is that i
Sabbatic
blessed
ample s
years.

LESSO
THE S

The Rebbe notes that the precise

wording of the Torah is not if
you will say, but when will you
say. In other words, the Torah
is predicting that it is inevitable
that we will ask that question,
implying that it is a positive
question that should be asked.
The Rebbe explains that
rather
than
viewing
the
questioner as a skeptic, we
should view him or her as an
inquisitive person, much like the
Wise son of the Passover Hagada
who asks about the meaning
of all the commandments. His
interest is not to challenge the
observances of Passover but
rather to understand what they
are all about.
Similarly here, the Rebbe
elaborates, the question is not
how it will be possible for us to
observe the Sabbatical year. The
answer to that is clear, G-d will
certainly provide. Rather the
question is: how is G-d going
to provide for our needs under
these circumstances. Not how
can He, but how will He do
it. The questioner accepts the
premise that G-d could certainly
do it, but he is curious to know
which method will G-d use. Will
he provide us with Manna from
heaven or will He avail Himself of
some other miraculous means of
sustaining us?

30 19 Iyar 5776 - Hakhel

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The
sophist
mention
the con
Sabbatic
it conve
we stand
millenniu
the Age
parallels
What
times?
We t
ask a m
G-d. Wh
Why is t
world? W
final Bei
Why can
But t
question
objection
and desi
of the qu
And, as w
actually
answer
The
of the q
lack of
and in t
The thir
from pr
from th
sophistic

Let
with thr
have wh
accordin
For

e precise
not if
will you
he Torah
nevitable
question,
positive
sked.
ns that
g
the
tic, we
r as an
like the
Hagada
meaning
nts. His
enge the
ver but
hat they

Rebbe
n is not
or us to
ear. The
G-d will
her the
d going
ds under
Not how
He do
epts the
certainly
to know
use. Will
na from
imself of
means of

The answer, the Torah gives,

is that in the sixth year of the
Sabbatical cycle the yield will be
blessed so that we will have an
ample supply of grain for three
years.

LESSON FOR THE END OF

THE SIXTH MILLENNIUM
The
fact
that
this
sophisticated
question
is
mentioned
specifically
in
the context of the eve of the
Sabbatical year suggests that
it conveys a message for us as
we stand in the end of the sixth
millennium poised to enter into
the Age of Redemption, which
parallels the Sabbatical year.
What is the lesson for our
times?
We too have good reason to
ask a multifaceted question of
G-d. Why are we still in Galus?
Why is there still suffering in the
world? Why hasnt the third and
final Beis HaMikdash been built?
Why cant we see our Rebbe?
But there are three ways this
question can be asked. One is
objectionable, another is proper
and desirable, but the third form
of the question is the ideal form.
And, as we shall see, this form can
actually bring about the desired
answerthe Redemption!
The first, undesirable, form
of the question derives from a
lack of faith and trust in G-d
and in the words of His Torah.
The third, ideal, version derives
from profound faith and comes
from the mind and heart of a
sophisticated Jew.

LOST!
Let me illustrate this point
with three attitudes that one can
have when ones day is not going
according to plan.
For example, a person may

be driving toward a destination

and discovers that he has made
a wrong turn and is now miles
away from where he thought
he should be. There are actually
three different ways people will
react. (Often, it will depend on
the importance of getting to the
particular destination, but ones
personality will also determine
his reaction.)

approach
is
superior
and
healthier than the first. But it is
not the ultimate approach.

ADVENTURE
The ideal approach is the
one of who gets excited about
the detour. Certainly, he realizes
that this was all an expression
of Divine Providence. This

The ideal approach is the one of who gets excited

about the detour. Certainly, he realizes that this
was all an expression of Divine Providence. This person
concludes that G-d has orchestrated this diversion to put
him or her in a certain place for some presently unknown
purpose. No sooner than we realize we are lost we know
that we are on an adventure. G-d has something in store
for us and our natural sense of curiosity gets the adrenalin
flowing and our spirits are uplifted.

The first reaction, primarily

coming from a high-strung
individual, will be to get upset,
frustrated, angry and depressed.
In some extreme instances one
may even blame someone else for
his error. He may even lash out
at a loved one for not catching
his wrong turn, or even blame
G-d for this unfortunate turn of
events. This irate person might
then express his frustration
with the question: Why is this
happening to me?
The second reaction, coming
from a more docile and easygoing individual, is to focus
on corrective measures. His
question will be, What do I do
now? He realizes consciously or
subconsciously that it is futile to
get angry and counterproductive
to play the blame game. Rather,
his focus is on making a U-turn
and getting back on route.
Undoubtedly, the second

person concludes that G-d has

orchestrated this diversion to
put him or her in a certain place
for some presently unknown
purpose. I remember once that
after having made an unwanted
detour, I ended up in a remote
area where I found a colleague
of mine whose car had broken
down, leaving him stranded.
Stories of similar incidents can be
heard every day. The person who
has this strong belief in Divine
Providence not only feels good
after he experiences G-ds plan,
but even before. No sooner than
we realize we are lost we know
that we are on an adventure. G-d
has something in store for us and
our natural sense of curiosity gets
the adrenalin flowing and our
spirits are uplifted.
It may be suggested (See
Chassidic commentary, Ber
Mayim Chaim) that these three
approaches to the detours in

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PARSHA THOUGHT
life parallel three of the four
sons who ask questions at the
Seder. (The fourth son is the one
who does not know how to ask
questions.)

THE THREE SONS

The Rasha, rebellious son, is
angered by all the tedious work
involved in the Passover holiday.
He is angry that his life of
hedonism and narcissism is being
disrupted by the Seder. The tone
of his question is unmistakably
angry and defiant. He was forced
to make a detour on his lifes road
and he is one unhappy customer.
The Tam, simple son, doesnt
get angry or excited; he is downto-earth and practical. He
asks, What is this? What am I
supposed to do? This approach
is certainly positive but is still not
the ideal.
The Chacham, wise son, gets
excited at the Seder. He wants to
know the secret behind all that
hes doing. He knows theres
more to the story. His souls
intellectual curiosity and desire
for spiritual adventure motivates
him to ask more and more.
Let us apply these three
approaches to the present
situation. (See Likkutei Sichos
ibid, for a different lesson.)

THREE SHADES OF THE

GALUS QUESTION
Our question, why are we still
in Galus, can be approached in
three ways.
The
first,
undesirable,
approach is to become frustrated,
angry and depressed. As a
consequence of this negative
attitude, the person may lose
faith and become lax in doing
those very things that will hasten
the Redemption.
The second approach is to
focus on what is our proper
course of action. We should ask
what the Rebbe told us we should
do to prepare ourselves for and
hasten the Redemption. The
answer includes the emphasis on
learning the Torahs teachings
about Redemption and
Moshiach to condition
our minds to think in
Moshiach-oriented
fashion and to translate
that sensitivity into our
behavior. Or, as the
Rebbe put it: live with
Moshiach!
And
while
this
approach is certainly
commendable,
every
second we remain in
exile we must look for
the spiritual adventure
that G-d certainly had

in mind for us in our temporary

detour and take advantage of
this unique opportunity. This
realizationcoupled with the
trust that we will imminently be
shown the express route to the
Beis HaMikdashshould bring
us tremendous joy.
There
is,
however,
an
important caveat. Even as we
express our joy at the new
adventures we confront in
these last moments of exile, we
simultaneously must cry out to
G-d and demand that He relieve
the pain and suffering of His
people. The Rebbe emphasized
that we must alternate between
crying out with the words ad
masai-how much longer? and
the joy of knowing that we are
living in Messianic times.

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Th
prepa
over.
that
count
quiet
busy,
midd
Bu
there
Shluc
them
and
thing
more
light
and
possi
A
when
from
Pesa
shluc
for t
And
do:
prog
sign
R
Giva
arra
likes
neve
hug
H
shek
but

TZIVOS HASHEM

mporary
ntage of
y. This
ith the
ently be
e to the
ld bring

er,
an
as we
he new
ont in
exile, we
y out to
e relieve
of His
phasized
between
rds ad
r? and
we are

WHERE ARE

THE CHILDREN?
By Nechama Bar

The marathon of Pesach

preparations and cooking is
over. Immediately following
that are the days when we
count the Omer which are
quiet, no music, each person
busy, and working to fix his
middos.
Houses
Chabad
at
But
quiet.
and
there is never peace
with
busy
Shluchim are not
,
talents
lives,
themselves. Their
one
on
focused
and abilities are
thing doing, doing, doing, the
more the better, to spread the
light of Torah and Chassidus
and bring Moshiach as soon as
possible.
As soon as Pesach is over,
when the silver foil is removed
from the counters and the
Pesach dishes are put away, the
shluchim get to work, planning
for the big day of Lag BOmer.
And there is a lot of work to
do: advertise, arrange a great
program, order booklets, caps,
signs, raise money, and more.
R Beckerman, shliach to
Givatayim, decided one year to
arrange a special parade, the
likes of which Givatayim had
never seen before. He ordered
huge rides.
He needed thousands of
shekels to carry out his plans
but as a shliach he wasnt fazed

by difficulties and he was able,

with Hashems help, to get the
money he needed.
A week before Lag BOmer,
the city was flooded with flyers
and stickers announcing the
big day and the great program
which was being offered for
free. If that wasnt enough, R
Beckerman decided to pay for a
special bus that would bring all
the children to the park, so that
nobody would have an excuse
(its too far, its too expensive)
and everyone would participate
and celebrate with Rashbi.
large
a
anticipated
He
about
years
s
previou
crowd. In
a hundred children attended.
This time he hoped to double
that amount.
***
Lag BOmer arrived and
R Beckerman was standing,
ready in the park. Everything
was in place. The group of
counselors was waiting on the
side. The police closed off the
streets and no cars could enter
because soon dozens, hopefully
hundreds, of kids would come
from all over the city to march
in the parade.
The bus set out. At the first
stop, nobody was there. At the
second stop there was an old
couple waiting for a city bus. At

the third stop there were two

children and they got on. Are
you going to the Lag BOmer
Luna Park? they asked.
The driver nodded and the
children sat down. They could
sit wherever they liked since
nobody else was on the bus.
The bus continued, another
stop and another stop. That was
all. The only children on the bus
were those two children. The
driver felt embarrassed going
to the parade like that and he
tried making another round of
the stops. At every stop where
he saw a child approaching, he
stopped and tried to convince
him to join, but it was no use.
Having no choice, he brought
the two children to the park.
The shliach was shocked.
Just two children?! In his worst
nightmares he did not imagine
that this is what his parade
would look like.
R Beckerman could barely
look at the policemen and the
counselors. There were more
of them than there were
children
the
on
expression
The
this
For
said,
faces
ens
policem
we closed the streets? Is this a

joke?
The counselors looked at one
another silently.

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^^^^^^
^^^^^^

Tzivos Hashem

In about half an hour we children!

knew
Beckerman
R
lots of
The children proudly held
that only the Rebbe could save will be setting out with
ful!
signs with Jewish messages and
the situation. He went off to kids. May you be success
,
The policemen looked at shouted the twelve psukim
the side, quickly took a piece
were
they
way
the
of paper and pen, and with him like he had lost his mind. and all along
lively music in
trembling hand he wrote to the You call two kids lots of kids? accompanied by
.
honor of Rashbi
Rebbe that he needed a miracle;
to
not
ed
People looked out their
preferr
he

other
ise
otherw
The counselors, on the
s at the parade and
tive.
window
alterna
the
that
about
think
hand, nodded and prayed
clapped.
and
smiled
of
each
a
there would be work for
He put the letter into
More children joined the
volume of Igros Kodesh, said them.
parade and then they all sat
Yechi, and opened it. The
down for a rally and enjoyed
answer was encouraging.
the program.
addressed
Rebbe
The
a
ed
At the end of the event,
arrang
who
someone
the police commander
wrote
and
Malka
Melaveh
went over to R
the
how
sadly,
to the Rebbe
.
failure
utter
an
event was
The Rebbe responded that
he should remember
Baal
the
what
on
says
Shem Tov
the verse (Iyov
8:7), And your
beginning will be
small, but your
end shall increase
exceedingly.
simple
The
is
meaning
the
that
beginning will
difficult
be
but in the end,
there will be great
Baal
The
success.
it
that
adds
Shem Tov
ing
beginn
the
at
is the pain
te
ultima
the
to
leads
which
Beckerman, shook his hand
success.
and said that according to
R Beckerman immediately
later,
s
estimates, about 350
minute
their
few
A
understood. The aggravation
kable
remar
participated.
n
childre
ing
someth
was only for the beginning and
gly
seemin
ly,
Sudden
ed.
happen
Every year, despite great
in a little while the place would
g
startin
kids
re,
nowhe
of
out
effort, about 100 children
fill up with children. How would
more
and
More
.
coming
participated, but that year,
that happen? He didnt know.
The
area.
the
filled
n
childre
they went from two children
But he believed it would occur,
r.
wonde
in
on
looked
police
to 350! As we say about
as the Rebbe said it would.
later
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, we
At 4:30, a half hour
The shliach went over to
sive
say about the Rebbe, The
the counselors and policemen than planned, the impres
l,
colorfu
out,
set
Rebbe can be relied upon in an
and gave them their final parade
250
emergency.
respectable, with about
instructions.

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