DVAR MALCHUS

THE REBBE
HAS THE
POWER TO
REVEAL THE
MIKDASH IN 770
This is something that the Rebbe can
demand and deliver that there should
be the revelation of The Mikdash of the
L-rd; He has established it with His hands
in 770. * Chapter Nine of Rabbi Shloma
Majeskis Likkutei Mekoros (Underlined
text is the compilers emphasis.)
Translated by Boruch Merkur

9. [..] In this very place there

will immediately be the revelation
of The Mikdash of the L-rd;
He has established it with His
hands. This is something that
my revered father in-law, the
Rebbe, leader of our generation,
can demand and deliver that
first and foremost there should be
the revelation of The Mikdash
of the L-rd; He has established
it with His hands. The G-dly
revelation will take place in
this location (Seven hundred
and seventy [i.e., the address:

770 Eastern Parkway]), the

place where the Rebbe lived
and devoted himself to G-d
throughout his final ten years, the
summation of his entire service
(as discussed above.)
It is specifically through
the completion of the avoda
[throughout history] in the
lower hemisphere, reaching
even the lowest depths, that we
lift up and reveal the entire
structure of The Mikdash of the
L-rd; He has established it with
His hands. This final phase of

avoda raises even the rooftop of

the structure [of the Mishkan],
regarding which it says, Melech
HaMoshiachstands atop the
roof of the Beis HaMikdash, and
announces to them, to the Jewish
people, saying, Humble ones,
the time of your redemption has
arrived. This entirely elevation
is achieved though the avoda (the
uplifting) of the extreme depths.
The immediately result of the
avoda in the lowest depths is,
They shall soar with the clouds
of the heavens all Jews, with
our youth and our elders, our
sons and our daughters, and
settle in our Holy Land, together
with the Third Beis HaMikdash,
which is right here, and along
with, Your silver and your
gold with you. In the spiritual
sense silver and gold refer to the
avoda of love of G-d and fear
of G-d, a component of all the
commandments and prohibitions.
(From the address of 28 Sivan, 5751;
Seifer HaSichos 5751, pg. 644)

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FEATURE

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THE GIFT

OF LIFE
During the Three Weeks, when we try to increase our Ahavas Yisroel,
Beis Moshiach arranged a moving meeting between Kobi Chai, a kidney
recipient from northern Tel Aviv, and Menachem Bakosh, kidney donor
and Chabad Chassid. * The two of them told about the process, the
surgeries, and their feelings about it all.
By Zalman Tzorfati
Photos by Eren Dror Levanon

e were sitting in the

living room of the
Chai Family in a
pretty private house
surrounded by a garden in the
Ramat HaChayil neighborhood in
northeastern Tel Aviv.
Menachem, who was coming
from the hills of Shomron, sent
a message that he would be a bit
late.
Mrs. Chai was a good hostess
who said, Dont worry, its all
Badatz, to reassure me and Eren
the photographer. She showed
us the empty boxes as proof,
I made a special trip to Bnei
Brak.
The Chai family is traditional.

Daily papers are scattered on the

table. Eren Dror Levanon is an
experienced photographer and
he removes them so they dont
appear in the pictures. Among the
papers I saw a Chabad Shabbos
pamphlet. It comes to the shul
every Shabbos, said Dovid. I
bring it home every week; I dont
miss a single one.
Aviva invites us to sit down
and introduces her son Yaakov.
Kobi, as they call him, is the
oldest of their seven children.
Yaakov smiles politely and is
a little embarrassed. You cant
miss his hearing aids, another
challenge Hashem sent his way.
He is 34 and is starting life now

after the previous 34 years mostly

revolved around the medical
problem he suffered from
inadequate kidney function.
About half a year ago, Kobi
was given the best possible news
he could hope for in the natural
course of things a live kidney
donation was available to him.
Now, after the transplant, he
feels great and is starting to live a
normal life in which dialysis, tests
and treatments no longer play a
role.
Kobi was a bit tense.
The upcoming meeting with
Menachem, whose kidney is
now working inside his body,
enabling him to live a normal life,

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FEATURE
stirs powerful emotions within.
This was their first face to face
encounter since they parted ways
at the hospital after the successful
transplant.
Several times we planned on
getting together, but each time
it was postponed for a different
reason. We are meeting today
thanks to Beis Moshiach.

TREATMENTS SINCE BIRTH

The problems began the
day after Kobi was born. He
underwent surgery which went
wrong and caused serious
damage to his kidneys and
his hearing. At three, when all
children are excited about going
to preschool, Kobi began regular
treatments with his little body
attached to machines. And when
all children slid down the slide,
he could only stare at the many
tubes that slid from his body.
Despite the serious damage
to his hearing and kidneys and
the constant treatments, Kobis
parents tried to give him a normal
childhood to the best of their
ability. He attended a regular
school and tried to integrate
into the group like the rest of
the kids. However, at fourteen,
his condition deteriorated and
he had a kidney transplant from
a deceased donor. The kidney
worked for nearly fifteen years,
until six years ago. Then he
started dialysis.
Kobi waited for a kidney
for years. A year ago, there was
another deceased donor but the
transplant was not successful
and the kidney was rejected.
Kobi was devastated, and then
came salvation in the form of
Menachem.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON
WHATSAPP
Menachem called and asked

us to open the gate. Yaakov

jumped up and went over to the
gate. We all followed him, the
photographer, the parents, and
me. Nobody wanted to miss the
moment.
A brief second of tension
hung in the air when Menachem
appeared in the yard. A movie
director would definitely film the
scene in slow motion, but Mendy
quickly took things into his own
hands, literally. He shook hands
and then immediately hugged
Kobi, who responded with a hug
that was replete with feelings of
joy and thanks.
Menachem Bakosh is a
Lubavitcher who grew up in a
house of chesed and shlichus. His
parents, Dovid and Nomi, are
active as the Rebbes shluchim
in Beit El and the area for years.
Menachem went through the
Lubavitch school system and
is the secretary of the yishuvim
Achiya and Givat Assaf.
Menachem is married and the
father of four. Although he grew
up in a giving household, nothing
prepared him for the challenge of
donating an organ of his body.
Menachem, what made you
do it?
I got a WhatsApp message.
Someone in one of the groups
told about a friend who needs a
kidney. I read the message and
noticed that the blood type they
needed was the same as mine. I
called just to hear more details. I
figured, let me check it out and
see where this leads. I knew it
was a long process and it was
always possible to stop if I felt
any misgivings.
Menachem began the process.
The initial blood tests and
ultrasounds gave the green light
to continue. But then Menachem
was told that the person for
whom he was doing this, a father
of five children, already got a

kidney from someone else.

Menachem
could
have
stopped at that point, but he
chose to continue. He sent
the details of his tests and his
blood type to the Gift of Life
organization which promotes
and arranges organ transplants.
I continued the vetting process
even though I wasnt fully okay
with it yet. I did it knowing I
could stop at any time.

CONTEMPLATION,
RESEARCH, AND HALACHIC
CONSULTATION
For Menachem and his family,
the ensuing months were ones of
contemplation, discussion, and
consultation.
I had many discussions with
my wife, with my immediate
family,
with
doctors
and
experts. I researched the subject
thoroughly, feeling that this was
too great a step to be made with
just general knowledge.
At the same time, I
began learning the halachic
ramifications. Before anything
else, I consulted with my
mashpia, R Zalman Notik
of Yerushalayim. He did not

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want to answer on the spot and

asked for time to think about
it. Then he told me to consult
with three Chabad rabbanim,
R Boruch Boaz Yurkowicz,
R MM Gluckowsky, and R
Yitzchok Isaac Landau of Tzfas.
The rabbanim grilled me about
every detail of the operation, the
transplant, and life afterward.
I
remember
having
long
discussions with R Landau. One
time, I asked him how Halacha
permits donating a kidney when
Hashem created us with two
kidneys which indicates we
need both. R Landau answered,
Hashem created us with two
kidneys so we can donate one.
After getting the okay
from the rabbanim and the
support from family, I had to
undergo a long series of tests
and committees and even a
psychiatric exam for the final
okay.
Nine months of meetings,
tests and examinations. Werent
you afraid?
The truth is that throughout
this time I had one fear, that in
the end nothing would come of
it all, that they would invalidate
me. I knew that at the end of the

process, the committee accepts

or rejects candidates without
explanation.
Aside from that, I wasnt
afraid, not at all. I was very
excited. I kept thinking about
how a woman has this feeling
when she is going to give birth.
Its a tremendous joy and
experience that a man usually
cannot feel. I thought, the closest
thing to giving birth is to give
life through donating a kidney.
Also, the whole process took nine
months, like a pregnancy.

TZDAKA FROM MY FLESH

AND BLOOD
It sounds like something
about which you had misgivings
turned into something that you
really wanted to do. Where did
this enthusiasm come from?
What was your thought process
throughout?
Actually, from the moment
I got permission from the
rabbanim, my mashpia and
family, and knew that this is the
right thing to do, what excited
me was the idea of giving tzdaka.
I felt like someone who won a
large sum of money who gives a

sizable portion to the needy. The

Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya that
tzdaka is the loftiest of mitzvos
because when a person works to
earn money and then donates it
to tzdaka, it is like diminishing
from his fat and blood. Here I
had the opportunity to donate
from my very self, a kidney that
Hashem gave me.
At the beginning of the
process I attended a lecture
where they explained everything
we could expect from donating
a kidney from an emotional and
procedural perspective. They
told us what sick people who
need a kidney go through. When
I heard this, I could not believe
that so many people need and are
waiting for a kidney how is it
that the hospitals are not full of
people wanting to donate one?
When did you first connect
with Kobi?
I was called from Gift of
Life and they said there was a
young man who urgently needed
a transplant and we had the
same blood type and matched in
other ways too. They asked me
whether I was interested. I said
yes. I was happy that they found
someone who needed it who was
a match. But then I still needed
to get the final approval from the
committee.
Which you got...
Yes. When I got the final,
positive answer I was excited
and nervous and very happy. I
had waited a long time for that
moment. I had always imagined
life after the donation. I hadnt
quite digested the whole thing.
In the medical committee
meetings they warned me at
every stage that the kidney might
be rejected and then I might feel
that I donated it for nothing.
They wanted to hear my reaction.
What would I do in that case? I
said: its all from G-d. I got two
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FEATURE
kidneys in order to be able to
donate one and G-d will do His
part.
The WhatsApp message I
received, my choosing to make
the call, the chain of events until
they told me about Kobi I felt
Hashem was with me at every
stage of the process.

RECUPERATION

PERSONAL SALVATION
Kobi, one day you got a
phone call in which they said,
Theres a kidney for you?
Yes. And when it happened,
I was very emotional. Actually,
until I met him, it didnt register
that there is a donor. My previous
transplant, which followed six
years on dialysis, failed. Then
I was told by Gift of Life that
there is a donor. We started the
process and at the last minute
the donor got cold feet and
disappeared. I was physically and
emotionally wiped out. I couldnt
bear the thought of going back
on dialysis. I was devastated and
said to my mother that I give up,
G-d forbid.
My mother pleaded with
me and asked me to give it one
more chance. She spoke to Rabbi
Heber again and a few days later
they called from the organization
and announced that they had a
live donor. Thats a dream come
true for someone who needs a
kidney transplant.
When did you first meet?
They kept asking me if I
want to meet him and I said no.
I thought that if there would be
a last minute problem, it would
make us both disappointed. I
heard many stories about people
who were candidates for a
transplant where it fell through
at the last moment. Either the
donors changed their mind
or the doctors decided it was
dangerous.

The day before surgery, I

met the transplant coordinator
and told her, Im ready. He was
sitting and waiting for me in a
nearby waiting room. I walked
in and we talked a little. It was
emotional, hard to talk.
It was the day before the
operation and I had no words.
I told him he was doing the
greatest thing in the world. I
didnt know what to say to him.
I felt that whatever I would say
wouldnt express what I felt
toward him and in general about
what was about to happen.
We decided to go outside.
We walked around the block. We
told one another a little about
ourselves and got acquainted.
The day after the operation
he came to my room to visit me.
I was lying in bed, still
woozy from all the medication
and anesthesia, said Menachem.
The doctor came in and said the
operation was a success and the
kidney was working well in Kobi.
I suddenly felt all my pain vanish.
I was happy I had done it and
that, thank G-d, it was successful.
I got out of bed and went to his
room and I hugged him. He
was in isolation and contact was
forbidden, but I couldnt restrain
myself.

How were the days following

the operation?
Menachem:
Boruch
Hashem. I took two weeks off
from work and rested and then
I gradually did more. I would
say that within two months I was
back to myself completely. Today
I run, lift weights, etc.
Before the surgery they told
me that two months afterward
I would not be able to lift
more than five kilograms so I
prepared the children for that.
I picked them up a lot and said
that I was picking them up then
because afterward, until Pesach,
I wouldnt be able to pick them
up. I also got an exemption from
Pesach work from my wife.
How did the children react?
I spoke to all the children
and prepared them, each on
his level. I explained that I was
donating a kidney and showed
them what a kidney looks like
and what it does. I told them
that Hashem gave me two
kidneys and there was someone
who needed a kidney and I was
giving him one of mine, and its
a mitzva of Vahavta lreiacha
kamocha, and Do not stand by
your fellows blood. My oldest
daughter understood more, the
younger one, less. My young son
understood that I couldnt pick
him up and he said, So make me
a plane now, and I did it for him
until he got tired of it.
My parents were very
supportive. They are in the
process of becoming foster
parents. When they finished
marrying off their children, they
wanted to become foster parents.
I knew they would be supportive
of me because the apple doesnt
fall far from the tree. They were
very happy.
Kobi, you went through

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something that is not the usual

what did it do for you?
First, it opened me up very
much to the idea of giving. I
am more understanding of the
value in giving to and helping
another as the greatest and most
important thing one can do.
When I was a boy, I attended
Chabad camp. I always loved
Chabad. Its also known that
Chabad is everywhere. When
people are looking for kosher
food or a shul, there is one place
to go Chabad. But a donation
like this, from someone I dont
know, someone who did not
see or hear me, who decided to
give me a part of his body It
amazes me every time I think
about it.
Ill tell you the truth; I dont
know whether I myself would
have the courage to do it. This
entire story made me much more
sensitive to others. Unfortunately,
I cannot donate a kidney But
in general, I am much more alert
to anything lacking in someone
else when I have the ability to
provide it.
Aside from that, it made me
more optimistic, more of a
believer in humanity, and gave me
the desire to move on in life after
I was completely despondent.

INSIGHTS AND
THE DAY AFTER
Parents, what are your
insights about the kidney
donation?
For me it changed a lot of
things, says Aviva. I always
knew that there are good people,
but up to a point. When I would
sometimes hear that someone
donated a kidney I would think,
who believes what they say on
TV; its all stories. I didnt believe
there was something like this. If

I didnt see it, I didnt believe it.

I could not believe that someone
would donate a kidney.
Whenever I heard that
people volunteered in hospitals,
at Magen David Adom, ZAKA,
it didnt do much for me. Now,
it does so much! I tell myself
that when I have time I want to
volunteer, to contribute what I
can.
What
about
you,
Menachem?
My only insight is that its a
pity there is still a line of people
waiting. There are a thousand
sick people waiting on line. As a
Lubavitcher Chassid I sometimes
ask myself, how is it that we
are not in the forefront when it
comes to this? Chabad goes all
over the world to open Chabad
Houses, and here we can literally
save Jews lives.
Will you persuade people to
donate?
You might be surprised to
hear this but no. Even if someone
is wavering, I wont convince
him. Because I dont think its
something you can persuade
someone to do. Its a personal
decision and you cannot exert
pressure on someone to do it.
But if someone would consult
with me, I would happily tell him

about the process and whats

involved.
As a Lubavitcher, what kind
of reactions have you gotten?
When I was in the hospital,
someone saw me and did not
understand what I was doing
there. I told him I was going to
donate a kidney and he began
shouting at me, Why are you
doing that? Do you know what
a kidney is? Do you know how
long I waited for a transplant?
It seems that he himself was a
candidate for a transplant from
someone who died and he did
not believe that I would have a
kidney of mine removed to give
to someone else.
He asked me, Where do you
live?
I told him I live in the hills of
Shomron and he said, What?
Youre settlers; bad people.
You dont go to the army and
you learn in yeshiva. Now, on
principle, I need to hate you, but
I must love you. See what you
did? Now you caused me to love
you, he said.
How does it feel now that its
all behind you?
I am happy I did it. That I
helped Yaakov, that I put a smile
on his face. The thank-yous are
a bit hard for me. His brother
called me from abroad, he lives
in Los Angeles, and I said to him,
do me a favor and dont thank
me, its hard for me.
How do you feel now Kobi?
Fantastic. I have a strong
desire to live. I am making plans
for the future. I want to study,
to work, and also to learn more
about Judaism about which Ive
discovered amazing things, and
get to know Chabad more. Life is
starting to look better and this is
only the beginning!

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HALACHA

WHY DONT MOST

PEOPLE TOIVEL
ALUMINUM PANS?
We find that this is not the common custom.
What is the halachic justification for not
immersing them? * Selected halachos
fromthe One Minute Halacha project*
HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita,
Mara Dasra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights

NEGEL VASSER AND

MIDNIGHT FEEDINGS
A nursing mother with a
young baby may wake up multiple
times during the night for to feed
her baby. Must she wash negel
vasser (the alternating right/
left-hand ritual washing upon
waking) each time she awakens?
To require washing, sleep
must exceed the timeframe of
shishim neshimos (lit., sixty
breaths, according to mainstream
opinion, a half hour; see Halacha
#623 for all the parameters).
In addition, the following two
halakhos might come into play
with a night time nursing mother
(or bottle-feeding, with prepared
bottles):
Upon waking, a person
may not walk four amos (arm
lengths, i.e., a total distance of
a little less than a meter) before

washing negel vassereven in

the middle of the night when
they plan to go back to sleep. But
if the woman is feeding a baby
in bed or very close by, she is
exempt from washing.
A person may not touch
facial or body openings or food
before washing. If she wishes to
avoid washing negel vasser, she
should not touch the infants
mouth (or her own orifices) or
the milk; if it is necessary for
her to poke around in order
to properly feed her baby, she
may do so with a burp cloth or
some other means so as not to
touch either orifices or the food
directly.

WHY DONT MOST PEOPLE

TOIVEL ALUMINUM PANS?
The laws regulating tevilas
keilim (immersion of vessels

and utensils in a mikva) are

based on the parameters of
a vessel or utensils use
food preparationand on its
materials and construction. An
exception to this rule would be
a kli (vessel) that is disposed
of after usetherefore, singleuse containers or cutlery do not
require immersion.
Disposable aluminum pans,
although they are arguably meant
to be single-use, are often reused
several times. Strictly speaking,
disposable pans that one plans to
reuse would require tvilla before
being used even once. Yet, we
find that this is not the common
custom. What is the halachic
justification for not immersing
them?
Original
Design:
The
intention of the manufacturer
is to produce a single-use pan,

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unrelated to how the consumer

decides to (mis)use it. An item
that is considered disposable
at the time of its formation is
not mekabel tuma (receptive
to impurity). Some authorities
extend this rule to obviate the
need for tvilla of disposable
items,
although
mainstream
halachic standards generally
differ for tuma and tvilla.
Objective
Impermanence:
Even if a disposable pan is used
more than once, it can be argued
that since it has a limited lifespan
it should not be considered a kli
altogether.
Rabbinic Say-so: Aluminum,
being a fairly recent invention, is
not one of the six metals that are
mentioned in the Torah requiring
tvilla. As such, some maintain
that the immersion of aluminum
utensils is midrabbaban (by
rabbinic decree), allowing more
room for leniency.
End-User
Device:
An
aluminum pan is intended to be
disposableit is the consumer
who may decide to use it multiple
times. Therefore, the end-user, a
Jew, can be considered to be the
one who made it into a bona-fide
kli. A kli created by a Jew does
not require tvilla.
Decisions, Decisions: The
nature of an aluminum pans
construction demands that it be
examined for viability every time
it is reused. There is no overall
or official decision to create a
permanent kli, only a case-bycase decision, before or after, on
its usability.
Redressed: Often, before
an aluminum pan is used, it
is lined with baking paper for
health reasons, optimal baking
or convenience. Since the food
does not come into contact with
the pan, this may exempt the user
from immersing it.
Although none of these

reasons on their own may suffice

to exempt one from tevilas
keilim of aluminum pans, the
combination of allor many
of the above are sufficient
justification for allowing re-use
without tvilla.

MAY I USE MY SONS GIFTS

TO PAY FOR HIS BAR
MITZVAH CELEBRATION?
Guests at a Bar Mitzvah
celebration often leave a present:
a monetary gift of cash or check,
a seifer (holy book) or other
gifts. Sometimes the gift is
clearly demarcated; others, even
unlabeled, have a de facto owner
by the theory of umdena (logical
assessment)for example, a

definitive whether Rabbeinu Tam

would include a matana (gift) in
the same category as a metzia, or
whether it might, in his opinion,
belong to the adult child. The
consensus among poskim is that
ownership is definitely conferred
once the adult child is a muchzak
(lit.,
established,
i.e.,
has
established ownership by having
the item in his possession); by
accepting the gift from the giver,
the item is his free and clear.
If the gift is in the parents
possession, there might be place
in halacha for them to keep it on
the principle of Kim li! (lit.,
this is my opinion! i.e. someone
who is a muchzak can often rely
on a minority halachic decision in
his favor).

It should be noted that parents who rely on Bar

Mitzvah gifts to pay for the affair or the childs
Tfillin should discuss this with the child in advance; the
Bar Mitzvah boys whole-hearted agreement to share
the costs would cover all possible halachic issues.)
seifer would likely be intended
for the Bar Mitzvah boy himself.
But to whom do the gifts, even
the inscribed ones, really belong,
the Bar Mitzvah boy or his
parents? Perhaps they own all his
possessions?
Halacha discusses an adult
childa Bar Mitzvah, is after
all, an adultwho is samuch
al shulchan aviv (lit., reclines
on his fathers table, i.e. is fully
supported by his parents). If this
child comes by a possession,
for example, he finds a metzia
(an ownerless object), most
poskim agree that it belongs
to the child. Rabbeinu Tam
disagrees, and claims that in this
case, the adult childs metzia
belongs to his parents. It is not

(It should be noted that

parents who rely on Bar Mitzvah
gifts to pay for the affair or the
childs Tfillin should discuss this
with the child in advance; the
Bar Mitzvah boys whole-hearted
agreement to share the costs
would cover all possible halachic
issues.)
*One Minute Halacha is a succinct
daily presentation on practical Halacha
in video, audio, and text formats, by
HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita,
Mara Dasra and member of the
Badatz of Crown Heights. The daily
One Minute Halacha can be accessed
by phone at 718.989.9599, by email,
halacha2go@gmail.com, or by WhatsApp
347.456.5665. More halacha discussion,
with notes and sources, can be found at
http://halacha2go.com

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PROFILE

THE
RABBI
FROM THE
VIDEOS
In recent years, he has starred as a rebbe or rabbi in various films, but
if you look at R Meilich Tal, a Lubavitcher from Natzrat Ilit, you would
never imagine that his life story is as long and fascinating as it is. It began
on an isolated farm in South Africa and continued as a life journey on an
unpaved road until he got to join the Chabad family.
By Nosson Avrohom

is white beard and smile

are his trademarks.
Young readers may
recognize him from
videos in his role as rabbi or town
jester. He recently took part in a
unique production that has won
international awards and praise.
R Melech Tal, known by his
friends as R Meilich, has become
an integral part of the Chabad
community of Natzrat Ilit. Only
old-timers from the community
remember that he did not always
look like a Lubavitcher Chassid.
His strong South African accent
reveals that he is not from here.

He grew up on a farm in
South Africa. His father was
called king of the potatoes.
It took R Meilich a long time
until he discovered the path of
Torah. His biography can fill a
thick book, which, in fact, he is
presently working on. His ability
to describe what he experienced
since his childhood and young
adulthood and his special
encounter with the Rebbe had me
riveted for hours.

CHILDHOOD
He spent the first twenty years
of his life on an isolated farm

near Cradock in South Africa

where he was born and raised.
My fathers nickname among
people in the farming industry
was because of his extensive
fields where he grew potatoes,
which were sold all over the
country. My father, who studied
agriculture in an exclusive college
in South Africa, imported special
strains of melons and cucumbers
from Eretz Yisroel and potatoes
from Scotland. The produce on
our farm was some of the best in
the country.
By the age of ten I would
wake up at dawn on vacation

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days and with a rifle slung over

my shoulder I would saddle my
horse and gallop along the fences
of the farm to make sure that
nobody had broken in during the
night. When I returned home for
lunch at noon, it was after I had
managed survey only a quarter of
the area of our farm.
The Tal family also had
thousands of sheep, goats, geese,
and chickens.
I have fond memories of
the farm in the summer months,
when we would go to the melon
and watermelon fields, sit under

a tree, take out a knife, pick a

good one and eat it. My father
took great pleasure in this.
There was no regular school
in the area, so Meilich was sent to
dorm in Queenstown. That first
year was traumatic for him.
The fact that I was a Jew
among gentiles only exacerbated
the teasing and insults I
experienced there. They called
me skunk and for a long time
I had to do all the jobs the other
kids gave me to do. They were
very violent with no compassion
whatsoever. When they were

bored, they made fun of me.

As for the staff, they also
took part in bullying me. There
was nobody to complain to.
Every complaint would bring on
more attacks. One time, the older
boys beat me with whips and
sticks until I lost consciousness.
All that stopped the moment
I decided to take matters into my
own hands. I began studying selfdefense with a private teacher,
and from then on, whenever
someone started up with me, I
gave better than I got.
When
Meilich
finished
school, he went on to study
law at Durban University. He
graduated and began working as
an associate in a big law firm in
Port Elizabeth.
I soon realized I had wasted
years of my life studying a
profession that I didnt like. The
dishonesty and lack of justice
in this profession screamed out
to the heavens. The first case
I dealt with was the file of a
debtor whose creditors wanted
him behind bars. The man was
a pauper and despite this, we
managed to consolidate his debts,
set up a payment structure, and
save him from jail. However, after
a few months, I heard that the
poor guy had gone to jail. When
I asked why, I heard something
shocking. The man was unable
to continue paying the large fee
payments imposed upon him by
the lawyers in the office where I
worked. They, who had defended
him from his creditors, turned
into creditors themselves, and
refused to spread the payments
over a longer period. When he
couldnt pay, he was jailed.
What caused me to finally
quit the legal field was a story
about a couple who wanted to
divorce. They came to the firm
in order to divide their assets
and were sent to me. I quickly

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PROFILE
saw that this couple could
have many more good years
together and were arguing about
nonsense. Seeing this, I arranged
for a meeting in their house
and instead of dividing their
possessions, I began mediating
between them until they agreed
to reconcile.
A few weeks later, I was
asked by the manager of the firm
what was happening with the
case. I innocently told him that
I had made peace between them
and they were happily married.
He was furious. This is
how we make money! Why did
you make peace between them?
When he finished ranting, I said
he was right and I was quitting.
He was in shock and thought
I was reacting emotionally. I
told him it was an intellectual
decision; I realized that this work
was not for me. I collected my
possessions and left the firm.

DAYS OF JEWISH
AWAKENING
The Tal family was very
Zionistic. Meilich still remembers
the Jewish encounters that his

mother would organize on the

farm for philanthropists and
Jewish youth. The topic was
always supporting Israel and the
Zionist movement.
When the Six Day War
began, it was very scary. At the
time, I was living in a motel whose
manager was a Syrian emigrant.
The night the war broke out he
came over with a smile on his
face and hissed, Now your end
has come. I had been taught to
love Eretz Yisroel and was very
frightened and upset by the news.
Every night I listened on my
little transistor radio that picked
up broadcasts from Israel and
I worriedly followed the news.
In the media, the Arabs boasted
heroic victories. On Kol Yisroel
they spoke with restraint. When
they announced that on the
first day of the war Israel had
destroyed the entire Egyptian air
force, it sounded exaggerated.
I figured it was a psychological
war.
During those fateful days,
Jews got together, even those
who were not religious, in shuls
in South Africa and pledged large
sums to Israel and the army.

The farm in South Africa

I remember that I attended

a fundraising event at the shul.
A rabbi from Eretz Yisroel stood
there and cried. He said that
every minute, an Israeli soldier
was killed. People sold their cars
and their homes. Some emptied
out their savings accounts and
handed them over to him.
After a few days, when the
media began reporting incredible
victories by the IDF, that
Arab came over to me looking
downcast. If you were able to
vanquish all the Arab armies,
then I guess G-d really does love
you.
Since I had already sold my
car and had given all my savings
for Israel, all I had was a suitcase
with a set of khakis. I went to
the Jewish Agency office and
said I wanted to make aliya and
volunteer on a kibbutz.
They were looking for
volunteers at the time because
many kibbutznikim were in the
army, and it was feared that this
whole industry would collapse
in their absence. I agreed to go
to Eretz Yisroel and contribute
my knowledge and experience in
farming. My Jewish boss at the
wholesale business I worked at
heard of my plans and gave me
binoculars. Im giving you these
so you will be able to look at the
new vistas, he said emotionally.
The Jewish Agency accepted
Meilich, approved his aliya, and
paid for his ticket.
As soon as the war ended,
I got on the first plane and was
sent to Kibbutz Ginosar on the
banks of the Kinneret. I was
first set to work washing dishes
in the communal dining room. I
didnt understand why they had
put me in the kitchen when I
could contribute so much to their
farming.
At a certain point I wanted
to go back to South Africa but

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a good friend showed me an ad

in the Jerusalem Post which said
they were looking for fencing
instructors to prepare Israeli kids
for the Olympics. Since I loved
the sport, I called the number in
the ad. The person who answered
the phone was Judge Amnon
Carmi, the founder of the fencing
club in Eretz Yisroel. He invited
me to meet him in Tzfas.
When I arrived at the club
in Tzfas, they had me compete
against one of his students and
I impressed him and his friends.
Fencing comes along with a lot
of displays of respect and formal
modes of conduct. In Tzfas I
met Michoel Vardi who was the
Israeli fencing champion. I had
a match with him too and they
were very enthused. That same
day they brought me into their

A few weeks later, I was asked by the manager of

the law firm what was happening with the case. I
innocently told him that I had made peace between them
and they were now happily married. He was furious and
started shouting at me.
organization. I left the kibbutz
and was asked to open fencing
clubs across the country.
Meilich put a lot into these
clubs. Within a short time, he
opened three clubs in Natzrat Ilit
and during the week he would
circulate among the yishuvim in
the north of the country in order
to do training in other clubs that
operated in small yishuvim and
moshavim. For a long time, he
even taught at Machon Wingate.
Then he joined the Fencing

Academy with his friend, the

fencing master and coach, Andre
Spitzer.
We were good friends. He
was murdered in Munich at the
Olympics, along with thirteen
other athletes and coaches. It
took time for me to digest that
terrible news.
After a while, I returned
to South Africa where I went
back to work at the wholesale
store. I began taking an interest
in photography, an old hobby
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PROFILE
of mine, which was then going
through a breakthrough period.
Advanced cameras were being
developed then with many
features, new models were
coming on the market and I was
swept up in the magical world
of photography. In order to
expand my understanding and
knowledge of photography, I
took courses and seminars with
experts who taught the secrets of
the trade.
When he returned to Eretz
Yisroel a few years later, he
settled in Natzrat Ilit and
decided to turn his hobby into
his livelihood. He bought some
cameras and advertised as a
photographer. He remembers the
early days of photography with
nostalgia. His first photography
studio was in his living room.
When the Yom Kippur War
broke out, Meilich rushed to
the training base to enlist. The
young clerk snickered and sent
him instead to volunteer for the
Home Guard.
Every night we would go
around to intersections and paint
the cars lights so they wouldnt
emit light. We also made sure
that people did not turn on lights
in their homes. We were afraid
that enemy planes would enter
Israeli air space and bomb those
places that were illuminated.
Following heavy losses on the
various fronts, there was a dearth
of soldiers and Meilich was called
to the training base. He took an
accelerated medics course and
was sent to Jabal Ebani in the
Sinai.

THE TURNING POINT

When R Meilichs father,
Chaim ah, died suddenly,
Meilich was heartbroken.
My father was a strong
man and was hardly ever sick.

His passing was a shock to me

and my family. I flew to South
Africa and for the Shiva we sat
in the house of my sister in East
London. I had mixed feelings. I
spent hours thinking about the
meaning of life. The rabbi of the
city visited in order to help us
with mourning related matters
and he was a nice person who
was ready to listen.
When I asked him what the
Torah teaches us about life, he
gave me a Code of Jewish Law
and suggested I read it. I did.
Many things in it interested me,
especially the fact that the Torah
has something to say about every
moment of life. When I had
questions he graciously answered
them.
Until that point, I did not
know much about Judaism. I
hadnt looked into it, but at home
I had learned a great respect for
our heritage and traditions. If
I put on a kippa in the morning
because I was photographing a
bris, then it remained on my head
for the rest of the day. We grew
up with values, even though it
wasnt a religious home. There
was a deep awareness of the
Jewish people and the holidays.
My father put on tfillin every
weekday and we kept Shabbos
and kashrus. I remember that
my father insisted on keeping
Shabbos and not working on it.
In a country like South Africa,
that means two days off because
Sunday is not a work day, so it
meant losing a lot of money.
Meilich decided to keep the
kippa and beard that he had
grown during the Shiva until the
Shloshim. At the Shloshim, he
decided to keep it until the end of
the year. What actually happened
is that he never removed the
kippa.
The rabbi guided me in how
to daven and he taught me the

importance of saying Kaddish.

When I returned to Natzrat Ilit,
I looked for a shul where I could
daven and say Kaddish. The
closest shul to my house was
Chabad, so I started going there.
The people there welcomed
me with open arms and the fact
that I am a Chassid today has to
do with the warmth and guidance
I received from them.
The next step was attending
shiurim that were given in the
shul and later on, committing
to keeping Shabbos. His wife,
who had gone to a Jewish school
in Johannesburg, respected his
decision and helped him in his
new path.
The young Lubavitchers in the
community helped Meilich and
his family. After Shabbos, came
tzitzis and then a hat and sirtuk.
Ill never forget the day we
kashered the kitchen. My mother,
who kept kosher all her life, was
coming to visit us. We kashered
the kitchen and my mother
could now eat with us. The
Lubavitchers did the koshering
and taught us the halachos about
kashrus.

GOING TO THE REBBE

By 5744, the Tal couple
appeared to be full-fledged
Lubavitchers, but one hurdle
still stood in R Meilichs way
to becoming a full-fledged
mekushar.
For a number of years I did
not go to 770. Chassidim urged
me to go and the topic came
up in every conversation and
at every farbrengen I attended,
but I didnt want to. People told
me about the amazing wonders
and miracles, about the Rebbes
tremendous impact, but none of
this budged me from my position.
I was afraid that after
hearing all that about the

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Rebbe, the bubble would burst

when I actually went there. I
thought, the Rebbe is wise and a
tremendous spiritual personality,
but the Chassidim exaggerate
his greatness. He is still a human
being with all the limitations of a
body.
The one who gave me the
biggest push to go was R Sholom
Brook. One day, he visited R
Meilich and gaily announced
that he had taken out a loan
for a plane ticket and he put an
envelope down with cash.
That was something I could
not refuse. I arranged a passport
and visa for the US, and a date
for departure was set. But I had
mixed feelings. I decided to set
my concerns aside and try to
connect to the enthusiasm of the
Chassidim.
I packed, and planned to stay
for two weeks, from before Yud
Shvat until after 15 Shvat 5744.
Before I left for the airport, I
went to my traditional neighbors
who had a daughter and had been
waiting eight years for another
child. I suggested to the woman
that she write to the Rebbe and
I would take her letter. At first
she was hesitant but she finally
agreed and wrote her request.
A minyan of Chassidim
waited for me at the bus stop
and we danced together, Tayerer
Brider. At that point, I began
getting excited about going to
770 and seeing the Rebbe. But
the other side did all it could
to mess things up. I hadnt even
sat down yet when the bus driver
made a short stop and I banged
into the seat in front of me. I
realized I had fractured a rib. A
short while later I got a headache
and I felt the flu coming on. I
was in great pain. There were
moments when I felt that all I
wanted was to cancel the trip and
go home, but the side of holiness

The next day, the day of the flight, I stood in

the same spot again. I confess that an impudent
thought came to my mind. I wanted to see whether the
Rebbe would skip me again. The Rebbe came out of his
room, glanced at me and then looked at the children, and
suddenly turned in my direction and blessed me with the
blessing that he said to guests returning home. . .
prevailed.
I decided to overcome the
pain and go on. When I arrived
at the airport, I boarded a flight
to Greece and from there flew to
the US.
After a number of unpleasant
incidents, also from the other
side, like the anti-Semitism on
the part of the policeman in the
airport terminal in Greece, the
man whose life I saved during the
flight after he had a heart attack,
and an aggressive reception on
the part of the American border
control police, I finally got out
of the taxi outside of 770. I felt

exhausted and had strong pain

in my chest area. I looked at the
building and recognized it from
the photos. I approached the
door and knocked. I knocked and
knocked but nobody answered. I
saw bachurim going in and out
and decided I would also go in
without permission. I figured the
worst that could happen was they
would throw me out.
I put my suitcase on the side
and saw many children standing
and waiting. As I stood and
pondered what to do next, I saw
the door open and the Rebbe
himself came out and entered the
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PROFILE

THE REBBE SEES ALL

R Meilich twice saw the Rebbes ruach hakodesh during visits to 770.
The day before my return flight, I felt comfortable enough to get closer
to the Rebbe. At the 15 Shvat farbrengen, I noticed that there was a spot
near a row of older Chassidim. I stood behind a pillar as I peeked at the
Rebbe.
At the end of every sicha, they gave out cups of mashke to the crowd
and while the Chassidim sang, the Rebbe scanned the participants who
raised their cups to him and he nodded in response. I raised my cup and
waited for the Rebbe to look at me and bless me. I had been told that when
it happened, Id feel it. But the Rebbe scanned the area in which I was
standing again and again and I wasnt sure that the Rebbe meant me. Each
time I wanted to say lchaim to the Rebbe, he looked elsewhere.
I felt embarrassed. Why didnt the Rebbe look at me? I thought maybe
I was undeserving. Why did all the other people deserve it? Then, the Rebbe
looked sharply at me. You couldnt miss it. I felt that the Rebbe had read my
thoughts. One of the bachurim standing next to me pushed me, The Rebbe
is waiting for you! I lifted my cup and said lchaim. As soon as I did so, the
Rebbe gave me a firm nod and moved on.
The second story, according to R Meilich, is far more incredible.
The day before my flight back, I wanted to see the Rebbe from up close.
I stood in the hallway upstairs in front of the entrance. R Yitzchok Lifsh,
who noticed me, asked me whether I was flying that day. When I said no,
he said that only those who were flying stood there and the Rebbe blessed
them. I went to leave, but the Rebbe suddenly came out of his room and I
remained standing frozen in place.
The Rebbe passed by, looked at the children, and I was the first in
line. The Rebbe skipped over me and blessed the person behind me with
health and good news. Then the Rebbe continued briskly down the line and
returned to his room.
The next day, the day of the flight, I stood in the same spot again. I
confess that an impudent thought came to my mind. I wanted to see whether
the Rebbe would skip me again or did he know that I was flying. The Rebbe
came out of his room glanced at me and then looked at the children, and
suddenly turned in my direction, pointed at me and blessed me with the
blessing that he said to guests returning home. Ill never forget how I felt.
My legs trembled and I felt that nothing is hidden from the Rebbe.
hallway. I stood within touching
distance of the Rebbe. My jaw
dropped in amazement. The
Rebbes appearance and gait were
royal. He went in for Mincha and
I also pushed with the Chassidim.
The crowding was tremendous
and all I could do was watch
the Rebbe. I was completely
in turmoil and overcome with
emotion and couldnt open my
mouth. When Mincha was over,

the Rebbe returned to his room

and the shul emptied except for
the bachurim who were sitting
and learning. I began davening
Mincha as I tried to digest the
uplifting experience I just had.
When
Meilich
finished
davening, he spoke to one of the
bachurim who told him to write
to the Rebbe and announce his
arrival and make his requests.
One of the requests that I

wrote to the Rebbe concerned

something that upset me very
much. I had two children, a son
and a daughter, from a previous
marriage, with whom I had no
contact for many years. I didnt
even know where they lived and
how they were doing. Foolishly,
all I asked was to hear that they
were fine and safe, rather than
ask to reconnect with them. I
also asked the Rebbe to guide
me as to where I could stay and
where I could get kosher food.
I submitted my letter to the
secretary and went back to the
big beis midrash.
I suddenly felt a hand on
my shoulder. Meilich, what
are you doing here? I turned
around and saw a relative of the
Abelsky family who knew me
from Natzrat Ilit. Is someone
taking care of you? he asked and
immediately realized I needed
help. He took care of me and
showed me the neighborhood
and the different stores and filled
me in on everything I needed to
know.
Throughout my stay in 770,
I used my time well. I attended
tfillos with the Rebbe and
attended farbrengens. Although
I did not understand Yiddish, I
preferred listening to the Rebbe
at farbrengens without earphones
that simultaneously translated
what he said. The Rebbes voice
was just so special and I felt I was
connecting to him.
Every morning I went to
the secretary, R Klein, to ask
whether there was an answer
for me, but there wasnt. I felt
bad that other people who had
written after me had already
received answers. I felt the Rebbe
had skipped over me.
When I returned home, it
was with mixed feelings. After
our initial greetings, my wife told
me that my mother had called

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from South Africa a day after I

left and left a message to tell me
that my older daughter surprised
her by calling and telling her that
they lived in another city and
were doing well. I jumped up. A
quick calculation showed that my
daughters phone call happened
immediately after I wrote to the
Rebbe.
A short while later, I also
found out that my neighbor, who
sent a letter with me to the Rebbe,
was expecting a baby. This taught
me that there is someone running
the show.

A COURSE TAKEN MANY

YEARS EARLIER
Upon
returning
from
the Rebbe, R Meilich ran a
photography studio for many
years in Natzrat Ilit. In recent
years, after the photography
business became less profitable,
he changed professions and
became an actor in R Yigal
Hoshiars educational films and
in other films which uphold the

standards of tznius.
I began as a guest actor in
a few Nitzotzot shel Kdusha
films. Then R Yigal Hoshiar
told me about a film he was
producing, which would be shot
in a shul in Givat HaMoreh
in Afula. The film is called
Mishpat Tzedek, an amazing,
professional film. I agreed to
get involved. I was also part of
a fascinating series called Mi
BRosh, in which many talented
actors took part.
When I studied law, I had
an acquaintance who developed
a drama course and I was
encouraged by my cousin to
take it, if only so that he would
have enough students. I went
to the first class as a favor but
got caught up in the magic of
drama. I went to the rest of the
classes most willingly. Now I see
how Hashem prepared me years
ago for what I would do in the
future.
As for non-Chabad films:
One day, I got a phone

In Crown Heights area: 1640/1700AM

USA phone: 347 990 1136

call from a movie company in

Tel Aviv. They were looking
for actors with beards. The
Lubavitcher
actor,
Michoel
Viegel, signed with them, and he
recommended me. They looked
at the Nitzotzot website and
when they saw me, they wanted
me for their film. They sent me
the script and when I saw that the
scenes were in the Torah spirit, I
agreed. The producer is a baalas
tshuva who belongs to Belz and
she also consulted with rabbanim
every step of the way. This film
won many prizes and earned
favorable critiques.
On the other hand, Meilich
once signed a contract for a
successful series that had to do
with the lives of religious Jews in
Yerushalayim. When he read the
script, he realized that although
most of it followed halacha,
there were segments that were
not so kosher and he refused to
participate.
There are no compromises
in this, he says decisively, albeit
with a smile.

worldwide, online: www.RadioMoshiach.org

In Israel (Nechayeg Venishmah): 08-9493-770 (press 1 # / 9 # / 3 #)




Express service
Fully Computerized
331 Kingston Ave.
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STORY

EYES THAT SEE

FROM ONE END OF THE
WORLD TO THE OTHER
By Menachem Ziegelboim

PART I
Late Shabbos afternoon on 3
Tammuz, the Chabad community
in Bnei Brak gathered in the old,
central Chabad shul on Rashi
Street, to farbreng. The shul
was packed and the Chassidim
listened closely to the rav, Rabbi
Yitzchok Belinov, who spoke
about the significance of the
day and hiskashrus to the Rebbe
through learning his teachings
and fulfilling his instructions.
He then spoke about the
relationship between the Rebbe
and the Sephardic Chief Rabbi,
Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ztl.
As is known, there was an
uncommonly fond relationship
between the Rebbe and the
Rishon LTziyon. R Eliyahu
visited the Rebbe three times with
his Ashkenazi colleague, Rabbi
Avrohom Shapira, and another
time on his own.
The nature of this affectionate
relationship is not known to
the public, i.e., why R Eliyahu
merited such warmth on the
part of the Rebbe. There were
numerous Torah greats who
went to the Rebbe and were

graciously received and yet, there

was something special here. The
Chassidim also sensed that this
was so.
The question is even greater
in light of the fact that there was
no relationship between them
prior to R Eliyahus appointment
as chief rabbi.

PART II
It was shortly after R Eliyahu
began settling down in his
government position of chief
rabbi. As part of his illustrious
role, he visited various Jewish
communities
worldwide,
including the large community
in France. This community is
comprised of many communities
throughout the French republic.
Most of them are Jews from
Eidot HaMizrach (what we call
Sephardim)
who
emigrated
from North Africa to France and
settled there.
Upon arriving in France,
R Eliyahu was received with
great honor by the members
of the various communities in
impressive, festive ceremonies,
attended
by
rabbanim,

leaders, and key figures within

the communities and local
governments. R Eliyahu used
these visits to increase the honor
of Heaven and to inspire people
to strengthen their Torah study
and fulfillment of mitzvos.
During the visits he spoke about
the urgent need to preserve the
Jewish nation and warned against
assimilation.
A delegation of rabbanim
honored the distinguished guest
and went to greet him and speak
to him about timely matters.
There was also a delegation of
Chabad rabbanim in France
which included Rabbi Avrohom
Nachum Jacobowitz.
The conversation turned
to the Rebbe and his global
leadership. R Eliyahu raised
his hand and all fell silent. You
dont need to tell me who the
Lubavitcher Rebbe is, he said. I
will tell you who the Rebbe is!
A surprised silence filled the
room. None of the Chassidim
remembered
any
particular
connection between the new chief
rabbi and the Rebbe. So what
could he tell them that they did

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not know? They eagerly listened

to what R Eliyahu had to say.

PART III
One day, or to be more exact,
one night, a man and woman
went to the Rebbe in New York.
We do not know their names. We
just know that they were Jews,
Israelis. After prior arrangement
they met the Rebbe for a private
audience. They asked the Rebbe
for his consent and blessing
for their shidduch. They were
not religious and were in New
York on a tour. They took this
opportunity to ask the Rebbe for
his blessing.
The Rebbe said, Since you
are from Eretz Yisroel, you
should go to Rabbi Mordechai
Eliyahu in Yerushalayim and ask
for his consent to your match.
It seemed unusual that the
Rebbe did not bless them; rather,
he sent them to R Eliyahu who
had no relationship with the
Rebbe at the time.
The man and woman however
did not know that the Rebbes
response was unusual. They
thought this was the protocol,
that when they asked for the
Rebbes consent, he sent them
to their home country to receive
the consent and blessing from the
local rabbi.
They continued their tour
and agreed that upon their
return home, they would go to R
Eliyahus office.

PART IV
R Eliyahu always lived in
Yerushalayim. He spent a good
part of his day on adjudicating
cases at the Beis Din HaGadol
where he was a member of the
court. The rest of the time he
devoted to his community.
One day, he heard a knock at
his office door which was near

his shul. In walked a man, a bit

stooped and deeply wrinkled.
The man sat facing the rav and
poured out his heart: He had a
daughter who was married with
a few children. Things had been
fine up until a few weeks ago
when she met a man. As a result,
she left her home with intentions
of marrying him. The womans
father was terribly upset. He lived
in Haifa but since he heard that
R Eliyahu was also a kabbalist,
he made the trip to see him and
ask for his help.
How can I help you? asked
R Eliyahu, perplexed. What can
I do?
I dont know, said the man
spreading his hands in a gesture
of helplessness, I heard that you
are a kabbalist and tzaddik and
so I ask that you pray for her so
she doesnt do what she plans on
doing.
R Eliyahu shared in the mans
pain and took a piece of paper
and pen and wrote down the
names of the daughter and her
mother. He asked for the name of
the man she had befriended and
the father told him the name. R
Eliyahu intended on praying that
they do tshuva.
The man left with the hope
that Hashem would listen to the
tzaddiks prayers.
The next people on line in
the waiting room came in and
not long afterward in walked the
couple who wanted the blessing.
They said, We want to marry
and we ask for your consent and
blessing.
The man went on to say, We
just returned from New York
where we saw the Lubavitcher
Rebbe personally and asked for
his blessing for our shidduch. He
referred us to you.
R Eliyahu was most surprised
by this. Did the Rebbe refer to
me by name? he asked. Did he

mention my name specifically?

Yes, the couple answered.
R
Eliyahu
couldnt
understand it. He had no
connection with the Rebbe, never
having had any correspondence
of any kind with the Rebbe. Why
would the Rebbe refer them
to him? He did not know, but
he understood that there was
something afoot.
Rather than give his consent
to the match, he began asking
them questions about their
identity. When the man and
woman stated their names, the
blood rushed from R Eliyahus
face. He looked at the paper that
was still on his desk, the paper
where he had written down the
names of the wayward wife and
her boyfriend, the one whose
father had come just before to
plead for heavenly assistance.
Now R Eliyahu understood
why the Rebbe had sent them
to him. Of course, he took the
opportunity to rebuke them,
with a warm and loving heart,
for breaking up a Jewish home
and replacing it with a house on
shaky foundations.
***
R Eliyahu told this story
to the Chabad delegation from
France.
Now you understand how
I know about the greatness of
the Lubavitcher Rebbe! This was
open ruach hakodesh. He knew
to send them to me, knowing that
shortly beforehand I would be
given information about them so
I could warn them not to proceed
with their plans. If I didnt know
about it, I would have wished
them well with their marriage and
sent them on their way. But the
Rebbe, as the leader of the Jewish
people, knew what was what
and sent them to me to get my
consent.

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SCIENCE & GEULA

SWORDS INTO
PLOWSHARES
The 25th year * Dual Use in the USA
By Prof. Shimon Silman, RYAL Institute and Touro College

--In his famous lecture on

Swords into Plowshares at the
Pentagon at the Moshiach and
Science conference of the Rabbi
Yisroel Aryeh Leib Institute in
5753 (1993), Rabbi Dr. Naftali
Berg (whose yahrtzait was last
week, 27 Tammuz) spoke about
the new program of dual use
technology initiated that year
as a Swords into Plowshares
process. In his words, The
main point is that we really see
the revelation of Moshiach now
that the administration is taking
half a billion dollars per year and
putting it into these dual use
technologies. It is certainly a
fulfillment of the Rebbe MHMs
sicha of a year ago [5752] that
vchitzu charvosom litim
they shall beat their swords into
plowsharesthat the nations of
the earth will take their military
budgets and convert them into
food production and other
peacetime uses.
Whatever happened with
this program? Was it successful
and what came out of it? In this
article we will discuss the dual use
program in the USA described by
Dr. Berg in his lecture.
Generally speaking, dual use
technology refers to any military

Rabbi Dr. Naftali Berg

technology that has civilian

applications. But what we are
focusing on here is specifically
the role played by dual use
technology in the U.S. following
the Swords into Plowshares
(SIP) declaration.
First
some
background:
In 1992, following the SIP
declaration, Congress passed
the
Defense
Conversion,
Reinvestment, and Transition
Assistance Act initiating the
Technology
Reinvestment
Project (TRP). The ideal behind
this project was to ease the
post-Cold War conversion of
the defense industrial base to
commercial
production
or

Swords into Plowshares.

Actually, the US had been
running dual use programs
since the 1980s, such as the
Very High Speed Integrated
Circuits (VHSIC) project and the
Strategic Computing Program
(SCP). But these programs were
designed primarily for military
purposes. The concept was that
the military could take advantage
of technological innovations
in the commercial sector so
that military technology would
advance faster than if each sector
carried out its own research
independently.
The innovation of the TRP
was that it aimed for a perfect
balance, favoring neither the
military nor the commercial,
but instead looking to develop
technologies that would be useful
both for military and civilian
useto advance the general
technological state of the art.
The same technology could be
used in different products that
would meet both military and
civilian needs.
TRP began to be implemented
by the Clinton administration
in early 1993 with a budget of
$927 million for the first year.
Competitions for TRP grants

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April 12, 1993, President Clinton

called TRP a key component of
my conversion plan . . . [that] will
play a vital role in helping defense
companies adjust and compete.

ON-THE-JOB SWORDS
INTO PLOWSHARES

were conducted by the Defense

Technology
Coordinating
Council, made up of non-military
people from the National Science
Foundation, the Departments of
Energy and Transportation, the
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), and
the Commerce Departments
National Institute of Standards
and
Technology
(NIST).
The diversity of the councils
membership was meant to
enhance the programs technical
expertise and to ensure that TRP
managers were aware of recent
technological developments in
commercial markets and civilian
federal agencies.
But the management and
control of the program was
assigned to the Pentagons
Advanced Research Projects
Agency (ARPA). This created a
fundamental political imperative:
TRP projects had to be justified
primarily on the basis of their
anticipated value for national
defense.
[ARPA was created as an
agency of the Department of
Defense to carry out military
research in 1958 following
Russias launch of the Sputnik
satellites. The agencys name
was changed back and forth

from ARPA to DARPA (Defense

Advanced Research Projects
Agency) a few times. It is
currently called DARPA.]
From the very beginning
the TRP was plagued by the
demands of various political
factions
with
conflicting
goals. Contrast this with the
establishment of the ISTC in
Russia where there was one
goal: to convert Russian military
technology to peaceful purposes
and to provide employment for
high level Russian scientists and
engineers so they would not be
tempted by offers of employment
by other (third-world) countries
to develop military technology
programs for them. Dual use
technology was out of the
question there since none of
the international partners in
the project (US, EU and Japan)
would be interested in supporting
further development of Russian
military technology.
The Clinton administration
itself promoted TRP as the
centerpiece of the nations
defense
conversion
effort
Swords into Plowsharesand
reinforced this impression in
speeches and public documents
describing the program. In a
White House press release dated

One of the projects TRP has

funded was the development
of a turbo alternator for
electric hybrid vehicles. The
turbo alternator would serve a
military need for tank engines
that are harder to detect with
infrared sensors, because the
hybrid engines emit less heat.
It simultaneously serves a clear
commercial need for small,
energy efficient, low-emission
engines that can be used in hybrid
(diesel/electric) city buses.
In some cases the dual use
approach worked very well
for both soldiers and civilians.
For example, one TRP project
was designed to train military
surgeons to do certain surgical
procedures. It started with
technology already developed for
civilian use and was upgraded
to train military surgeons to
treat battlefield injuries. Then
the software and hardware
was adapted for use in civilian
medical training in areas such as
disaster response and emergency
room medicine, with the goal of
developing minimally invasive
surgical techniques. We consider
this example a pure Swords into
Plowshares development because
even the military usetreating
wounded soldierscan hardly be
considered a military purpose.
TRPs
most
important
long-term
goal
was
to
promote
commercial-military
integrationthe creation of a
single unified industrial base
for commercial and military
technology development. Most
TRP officials believed that this
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SCIENCE & GEULA

would be more successful than
direct defense conversion.
They argued that even if
traditional defense contractors
converted
to
new
civilian
products, they would be unlikely
to compete successfully in
commercial
markets,
given
their high-overhead operations.
Instead, they stressed the need
to help specialized defense
companies
find
commercial
partners to teach them what
they need to learn about
marketing
and
high-quality,
low-cost manufacturing and
thus overcome the barriers that
separate the defense industrial
base from the rest of the
economy. In other words, the
commercial would partner with
the military. In the process, the
civilian would teach the military
how to produce efficient, low
cost civilian products. It was
sort of an on-the-job training for
the military on how to convert
to civilian usean on-the-job
Swords into Plowshares.
Many TRP projects also
boosted or accelerated the efforts
of commercial organizations that
were already under way. For
example, TRP awarded grants to
Californias CALSTART electric
vehicle consortium, originally
funded by the state government
as well as corporate funders,
including
Lockheed,
Allied
Signal, and Hughes.
In addition, several teams
that were created specifically
to apply for TRP grants but
did not win any TRP money in
the first round of competition
recognized the potential leverage
that they had acquired as a group
and decided to stick together
and competed successfully for
TRP funds in the second and
third rounds. By encouraging
this kind of teamwork, TRP
also contributed to the cause of

defense conversion. It sponsored

technology development projects
that sought new civilian uses
for military technology, as
well as technology deployment
projects that attempted to
modernize engineering education
and promote the diffusion of
best-practice
manufacturing
throughout the economy.
Other examples of TRP
projects included developing
rechargeable lithium ion batteries
(which would be widely deployed
on the battlefield as well as in cell
phones and laptop computers),
developing uncooled infrared
sensors (for military, police
and firefighter night vision
systems) and developing lowcost manufacturing processes for
advanced display technologies.
Many other TRP projects
contributed
toward
energy
efficiency,
improved
public
health, environmental protection,
and pollution prevention.

POLITICAL PRESSURE
Because the TRP program
received all of its money and most
of its technical expertise from
the Pentagon, the panels that
awarded the TRP grants were
compelled to justify the projects
primarily
in terms
of
their
military
v a l u e .
Also, the
awards
m a d e
had to be
justified to
Congress
in terms
of
their
value for
national
defense
since the
m o n e y

was coming from the defense

budget.
The Clinton administration
never successfully cemented a
political coalition in support of
TRP that could counter these
pressures from the defense
establishment. Also, the program
was not very successful in
replacing lost defense jobs,
which caused it to lose support
among labor groups. TRP was
discontinued at the end of fiscal
1996 and replaced with a similar
dual-use technology development
program more clearly designed to
fulfill military needs.
Dual use is a delicate balance
between military and civilian use,
and in this case the military won.
But the United States, which
whether it likes it or notstill
has the role of the worlds
policeman, must maintain a
high military capability. Despite
its reduced threat perception
following the end of the cold
war, it cannot, it seems to me,
implement an absolute military to
civilian conversionnot until we
enter the next phase of Swords
into Plowshares, when Nation
shall not raise a sword against
nation; nor shall they learn any
more war.

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PARSHA THOUGHT

DONT
DEVALUE
YOUR GOLD
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

LOCATION,
LOCATION, LOCATION?
The book of Deuteronomy
begins with an introductory
verse:
These are the words which
Moshe spoke to all Israel, on
the other side of the Jordan, in
the wilderness, in the Arava,
opposite the Red Sea, between
Paran and Tophel, and Lavan and
Chatzeiros and Di Zahav.
Rashi explains that this
apparently cryptic listing of
places refers to the places where
the Jewish nation angered G-d.
Out of respect for the people,
Moshe did not rebuke them
directly; rather, he hinted at their
sins by mentioning the places
where they sinned.
In truth, Rashi observes, the
last location Moshe mentioned,
Di Zahav, is not the name of a
place but rather an allusion to
the creation of the Golden Calf.
The words Di Zahav should
be translated as abundance of
gold. The sin of the Golden Calf
was made possible because of the
abundance of gold with which the
people were blessed.

THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Several questions come to
mind:

First, why is this the only sin

Moshe alluded to by its cause
and not by location or by the
description of the sin itself?
Second, did G-d implicate
gold as the cause of their sin?
The people created the Golden
Calf as a replacement for Moshe.
Now if they hoped to replace
Moshe with an inanimate object,
what difference would it make
whether it was fashioned out of
silver, copper, or even stone or
wood?
Third, why did G-d give them
an abundance of gold if He knew
that it would lead them to idol
worship? And why did they need
all that gold?
Fourth, why is the allusion to
the sin of the Golden Calf the last
of the hints of rebuke? Wasnt
their worship of the Golden Calf
one of the first acts of rebellion
against G-d?

EXTRINSIC
OR INTRINSIC VALUE?
When a useful commodity is
rare, people ascribe greater value
to it. If our streets were paved
with gold or if gold grew on trees,
it would lose its appeal. This
suggests that we ascribe value
to most things based on their
availability. We attribute very

little value to the dust of the earth

because it is so plentiful.
There are, of course, some
notable exceptions to the rule. A
parent does not lose feelings for
his children when a new child is
born. Every child has inestimable
value to a parent. But, the
exceptions prove the rule. A
stranger may not feel the same
way about many acquaintances as
he or she would about just a few.
And even parents, while never
losing feelings for their children,
may have a special place for a
single child that a parent with
many cannot understand.
The psychology behind this
phenomenon is rooted in our
inability to truly appreciate
the intrinsic value of material
things. When items are rare we
are attracted to them by their
uniqueness, but when they are
easily accessible, we ascribe little
importance to them. If we could
see beneath the surface and
appreciate the materials G-d
given importance, abundance
would not detract from real value.
This phenomenon, where
proliferation
of
an
object
overshadows its intrinsic value,
can be found in the realm of time
as well. We may value Shabbos
more than the weekdays because
it comes only once a week, not
because of its real spiritual value.

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PARSHA THOUGHT
But we also value Holidays over
Shabbos because they occur only
once a year, despite the fact that
Shabbos is considered to be more
intrinsically holy.
In summary, the value of all
three aspects of existence, space,
time and soul (the three elements
which comprise all of physical
and spiritual existence, as
described in the early Kabbalistic
work Seifer Yetzira) is challenged
when they are ubiquitous and
in great abundance. The more
we can see of them actually
diminishes the way we value
them.

year or time; nefesh, soul or

energy. When we examine these
three words we can see how they
obscure the idea of intrinsic value
and serve as a smokescreen.
The word olam, we have
pointed out on many occasions,
is related to the word which
means concealment. When we
look at physical objects that
occupy space we tend to measure
their value by the amount of
space they occupy, which eclipses
its internal and spiritual value.
The word shana, which
means year, is related to the
word for repetition. As stated
above, time loses its value when

Contrary to the perception that gold was

enticing to the people, the abundance of gold
actually diminished its value to them. Due to its profusion,
they failed to see golds intrinsic value and saw only its
extrinsic value. Seeing only the exterior of an object,
situation or person, separates that entity from its G-dly
source and sets it up as an independent existencethis
is the essence of idolatry.

DISPELLING THE
SMOKESCREEN
Human
nature
notwithstanding,
the
Torah
was given to us to change that
mindset. The objective of the
Torah is to keep repetition from
weakening
our
appreciation
for G-ds gifts, whether they
be an object or place, a time or
experience, or another person.
One description of the
events surrounding the giving
of the Torah at Mount Sinai
was that the entire mountain
was engulfed with smoke. The
Hebrew word for smoke, oshan,
is said to be an acronym for the
three aforementioned elements,
Olam-world or space; shana-

it is repetitive. People need new

experiences to get excited.
The third smokescreen is
nefesh, which means soul and is
a word shared by the animating
force of every creature. However,
the human being is a composite
of a G-dly soul as well as an
animating soul. The Animal
Soul, which gives us life, is also
responsible for all of our physical
desires and frailties. When we fail
morally we often hear the refrain,
Im only human. In truth, a
human beings animating soul
is not his or her true essence. It
is the G-dly soul, which desires
a relationship with G-d, which
is the true source of life and the
true identity of the person. To

say, Im only human, without

the smokescreen of the Animal
Soul is to say, I have a G-dly
soul, which can exercise control
over our Animal nature.
However, because we only see
the effects of the animating soul,
it obscures the existence and
expression of the G-dly soul.

THE CHALLENGE OF
HUMANITY
One of the challenges of
humanity is to open our eyes to
see beneath the surface of an
object, experience (or time) or
person. One with a perceptive eye
will see the beauty and sanctity
in everything and realize that
these qualities stem from G-d,
and ought to be harnessed for a
higher G-dly purpose.
We can now appreciate the
Torahs identifying the cause
of the creation of the Golden
Calf as an abundance of gold.
Contrary to the perception that
gold was enticing to the people,
the abundance of gold actually
diminished its value to them. Due
to its profusion, they failed to see
golds intrinsic value and saw
only its extrinsic value. Seeing
only the exterior of an object,
situation or person, separates
that entity from its G-dly source
and sets it up as an independent
existencethis is the essence of
idolatry.
If they had not possessed
gold in such great abundance
they might have reflected on its
inner value. They would then
have concluded that it must
have been created for a G-dly
objective, such as the creation
of a Sanctuary for G-d. The
devaluing of gold engendered
an attitude of detaching it from
G-d, which allowed the people to
degenerate into idolatry, which
denied our connection to Him

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and solidified our glorification of

the material world.

four questions we raised at the

beginning of this essay:

MESSIANIC AGE:
OPENS OUR EYES

THE ANSWERS

This phenomenon of not

seeing the intrinsic value of
things is one of the defining
characteristics of Galus-exile
and being able to see beneath the
surface of everything is one of the
defining aspects of the Messianic
Age.
In that time, Maimonides
writes at the very end of his
work, Yad HaChazaka, all
the delicacies will be as abundant
as dust, and the preoccupation
of the world will be to know G-d
exclusively
The fact that all the delicacies
will be so abundant means that
we will no longer be enamored
by the exterior of all that we
possess but by its internal and
intrinsic value. Since the world
will be filled with the knowledge
of G-d we will be exposed to
the real value of gold and every
other element of our mundane
existence.
We can now answer the

First, why is this the only sin

where Moshe alluded to its cause
rather than the transgressions
location?
The answer is that the
location was not responsible.
On the contrary, they were
situated at the foot of Mount
Sinai and empowered by G-d to
see through the smokescreen.
That location was certainly not
the reason they constructed
the Golden Calf. Rather, it was
the proliferation of gold and
uncoupling of the exterior from
its Divine essence that was the
cause of their rebellion.
Second,
why
is
G-d
implicating the gold as the cause
of their sin?
In truth, its not the gold itself;
it is the sense that our physical
world is detached from its G-dly
source, which empowers us to
create our own leader, even if it is
a Golden Calf.
Third, why did G-d give the
people an abundance of gold if

He knew it would lead them to

idol worship? Why did they need
all that gold?
The proliferation of gold was
intended to help them overcome
the challenge of seeing only the
exterior of things. G-d challenged
them to see the true spiritual
value of gold so they would use
it to create the Mishkan, the
Sanctuary in the desert.
Fourth, why is the allusion to
the sin of the Golden Calf placed
at the end of the hints of rebuke?
It may be suggested that
the order of the sins relates to
the time when that particular
sin will be corrected. The very
last vice that we will be rid of
is the devaluing of everything
around us. That will happen,
as Maimonides suggests, in the
more advanced stages of the
Messianic Era, when the entire
world will be filled with the
knowledge of G-d. Meanwhile,
we prepare for such time by
endeavoring to open our eyes,
to see beneath the surface and
thereby connect everything to its
Source.

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FEATURE

MASTER
STRATEGIES
TO OVERCOME
JEALOUSY
By Mrs. Itty Chazan

he lively and cheerful

music stopped with an
abrupt, sharp bang on
the drum. Dancers took
the moment to chat amiably. Dina
stood in the now broken circle,
watching her former classmate
Chava laugh heartily. With a tug
at her heart she recalled miserably
that thats how it had always been.
Chava. Popular Chava. The heart
of the party, charming, fun, wellliked Chava.
Dina stood there forlornly.
Personal pride prevented her
from approaching the group, and
with a slight frown she joined her
own table for the main course at
the wedding. The music started
once again and Dina felt a light
tap on her shoulder. There stood
Chava, softly taking Dinas hands
in her own and round and round
they twirled, a pleasant sensation
between them. At that moment,
the last vestige of jealousy melted
and was finally gone! Dina

marveled at the fact that all along

Chava must have known. And
despite Chava being innocent,
she took the initiative to befriend
Dina, having discerned the
jealous nature within.
How can we avoid the trait of
jealousy?
Jealousy is a tiny thread deep
inside that stealthily weaves into
a tapestry of pain and immature
lies. Why is it that when we
view another persons glorious
achievements, we simultaneously
fail to see our own inner
triumphs? Why is it, that when
we glimpse at another persons
fame, affluence and honor, we
feel crushed, inconsequential
and poor? Why is it, that when
we witness another persons
popularity, we feel isolated,
forgotten and neglected?
How is it that qualities praised
in another person damage our
own truly beautiful unique talents

and contributions?
Its that tiny thread, the
scheming yetzer hara, stealthily
moving along the path of
destruction and deception. Was
Dina isolated at the wedding hall?
Was she criticized, neglected
or ignored? Yet viewing her
classmates popularity instantly
transformed her into a lowly
picture of intense displeasure.
Chavas cheerful disposition
with her large circle of friends
provided Dina with a hefty pack
of lies. Hadnt Dina entered the
wedding hall enthusiastic? Yet
looking across the dancing floor
at Chavas endearing personality,
lies and anger surrounded her.
You dont matter. You are not
valued. You are not appreciated.
You are not needed. But honestly,
what is the connection between
Chavas comfortable circle of
friends to Dina not being valued?
How do these lies carry such

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enormous weight to deny Dina

the truth, the truth that anothers
popularity is not synonymous
with ones own personal failure?
Each and every single Dina
and Chava in the world, every
man, woman and child without
exception, has his or her singular
gift to give to the world. Each
and every single Yid is a Divine
creation of Hashem, given an
individual, personal mission
in life. That is the reason why
every person is born one at a
time. Even twins are born one at
a time! For thousands of years,
Hashem waits for each one to
accomplish the mandate of his
Neshama, which can be carried
out exclusively by him alone.
Yet jealousy weaves its
dangerous path, shattering mans
power to fulfill his personal
mission for which he was created.
Jealousy creeps along a vicious
path, obstructing mans desire to
conquer his portion in the world.
Jealousy wages a war so cruel,
that though a man possesses a
marvelous family, he only notices
and is jealous of his wealthy
neighbor next door. Though a
man has acquired outstanding
success, he is jealous of and
focuses on the popular neighbor
next door. Though a man
possesses amazing oratory skills,
he is angered by the magical
written word of his creative
friend. Though a man possesses
deep intellectual wisdom, he is
chagrined by the sportsmanship
of his agile competitor.
In the chains of jealousy, we
suffer from our neighbors joy
in life. Chava can never replace
Dina. Chavas charm, popularity
and wit can never replace Dinas
responsibility to herself, her
community and to the world.
Thats how the creation was
mastered. Hashem desires and
is dependent on both Chava and

Dina.
The moon apparently did not
agree. Does Hashem intrinsically
need two equal planet powers to
illuminate the world? One king
suffices, the moon cried out!
Why was it that when the newly
created moon irradiated the
entire world with her luminous
shine, did she notice the brilliant
hues of her scintillating sunny
neighbor next door? Bitter
consequences were the result of
her jealous nature. The moon
was diminished immediately. And
yet, even then Hashem appeased
the moon with Rosh Chodesh, a
calendar based on the moon and
more. We thus appreciate, that at
the moment of intense jealousy,
Hashem is holding our hands
and strengthening our ability to
triumph.
Yet jealousy, a Midda created
by Hashem, is double sided. The
powerful jealous nature can be
positive too.
The streets of Berditchev
were packed. Children shouted
with delight as the school bell
signaled the end of yet another
productive day. Women hurried
to the market place to purchase
fish for Rosh Hashanah and
the melodious voices of men
learning wafted through the
windows. Suddenly the holy Reb
Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev was
seen striding quickly towards
a villager. In a quiet corner, the
Tzaddik turned to the villager
and whispered, I am jealous of
you.
Holy Rebbe, how could
a Tzaddik of your stature be
jealous of me, a lowly sinner?
Indeed, explained Reb Levi
Yitzchok. Just imagine. When
you do Tshuva, all your sins are
transformed into Mitzvos! Why
then, you will surely have more
Mitzvos than me! After earnest
pleading with love, the villager

repented.
As we all introspect during
the three weeks on the cause
and source of the destruction of
the Beis HaMikdash, our own
inner personal struggles and the
normal human characteristics
each person struggles with in his
daily life, it is a unique occasion
to gain an added measure of
strength. We ought to harness
the strength to use jealousy as
a channel to emulate our kind,
creative, talented, wise or wealthy
neighbor next door. Jealousy can
be a springboard upon which we
fight a profound inner war and
achieve victory. Though Chava
may be the ball of the party, Dina
can still rejoice, knowing that
there will be her special occasions
when she will be the star. Hashem
truly needs her and her distinct
gifts, in His world master plan.
Light as a bird, I soar in my
new freedom, no longer shackled
by the nagging creepy sadness
that fills my heart each time I
witness success outside of me.
With a spring in my step, I thank
Hashem for assisting me to
jump over my narrow straits of
jealousy, for I recognize that I too
will be in the spotlight. Perhaps
popularity will elude me in the
classroom, on the dancing floor
or at a party, yet I now know that
a non-jealous trait will attract
friendships.
I know, that as I strengthen
my own war against jealousy,
Hashem hastens to build the
third Beis HaMikdash, and the
era of
, , that when
the Rebbe reveals himself, there
will be no hunger nor war, no
jealousy nor competition, for the
Rambam describes the Moshiach
era as a time when goodness will
flow in abundance. May it be
right now!

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CHABAD HISTORY

THERE IS NO
BETTER PERSON
FOR THIS JOB
Dr. Joseph Rosen: If you really want the
religious work to amount to anything, it must
be somebodys business to push it along and
I do not know of anybody who could do it as
well as Rabbi Schneerson * Rabbi Dr. Meir
Hildesheimer: Rabbi Schneerson has an
excellent supervision over every distributor,
knows every city, town and hamlet I consider
it highly desirable that the direction remain
in his hands, and that the moneys continue to
be distributed from Riga * Dr. Bernard Kahn:
There seems to be no other way, but to send the
money through Rabbi Schneerson as heretofore
* Part II

fter leaving Russia the

Frierdiker Rebbe settled
in Riga, Latvia, and
immediately began to set
up the infrastructure to continue
and expand his holy work on behalf
of Russian Jewry, ensuring their
spiritual and physical survival;
now, without the threat of the
Communist Regime, the Frierdiker
Rebbe was free to take the relief
operations to a whole new level,

with the help of the American Joint

Distribution Committee (JDC).
Last
weeks
installment
included the letters from the
Frierdiker Rebbe to the heads
of the JDC requesting financial
aid, and this weeks installment
presents the letters among the
heads of the JDC discussing
the Frierdiker Rebbes request,
and discussing whether he can

still take care of the wellbeing

of Russian Jewry despite being
banished from Russia.
These fascinating documents
are part of the JDC Archives
(which were digitized and
uploaded online, thanks to a grant
from Dr. Georgette Bennett and
Dr. Leonard Polonsky CBE).

JDC: $75,000 FOR

EDUCATIONAL WORK
On November 4, 1927 [9
Cheshvan 5688] Mr. Joseph C.
Hyman, the secretary of the JDC
central office, penned a letter to
Mr. Joseph Rosen, director of
JDC operations in Russia, who
was still in the USA, presenting
the decision of the JDC to dedicate
$75,000 to educational work in
Russia, and asking whether the
Frierdiker Rebbe might still be the
right person for the job:
Dear Dr. Rosen:
Although it was impossible
for you to attend the meeting
of the Cultural Committee
here yesterday afternoon, the
Committee was indeed glad to
have the benefit of the suggestions
which you made to Dr. Adler,
as well as to various members,
with respect to the educational

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activities in Russia
In the meantime, the Cultural
Committee will urge the Executive
Committee at its next meeting to
make available at least $75,000
for educational work in Russia. As
to the administration of this fund,
we take it that you will consult
with Rabbi Schneerson in Riga,
and on your return to Russia you
will likewise take the matter up
with rabbis and others you
have already indicated that you
will call upon Dr. Kahn for his
counsel and help.
Important as has been Rabbi
Schneersons participation in
this work heretofore, you will
undoubtedly need to give close
consideration to the delicate
problems which have arisen by
reason of Rabbi Schneersons
departure from Russia and
his relationship to the Soviet
authorities.
I need not go into this
matter because we are all aware
that this is one of the serious
problems attendant upon an
effective and workable method for
distributing the fund. Naturally,
we are anxious to learn what your
decision is after you have gone
into the matter thoroughly, and we
shall look forward to early advices
from you as to the result of your
respective conferences with Dr.
Kahn, Rabbi Schneerson, and
with others

I DO NOT KNOW OF
ANYBODY WHO COULD DO
IT AS WELL
On December 2, 1927 [8
Kislev 5688] Dr. Joseph Rosen
(JDC Russia) writes a letter to
Dr. Cyrus Adler (Philadelphia)
discussing his meeting with the
Frierdiker Rebbe, and the decision
he has reached, that the Frierdiker
Rebbe is the best person for the job
of handling Jewish Educational

work in Russia, even after he left

Russia:
Dear Dr. Adler,
Rabbi Schneerson came over
from Riga to Berlin to discuss
Russian cultural work with Dr.
Kahn and myself.
We had several meetings with
him and Dr. Hildesheimer. It
is our unanimous opinion that
if you intend to continue the
work in Russia, it would be in
the best interest of this work to
have it concentrated in Riga and
supervised by rabbi Schneerson.
He will try to get additional
funds from other sources and he
is also in a position to transfer
your appropriations to Russia
safely and perhaps at more
advantageous rates than we get
through our official sources.
From the information I
received from him I am quite sure
that his committee in Russia will
be satisfied with this arrangement
as they will not be in direct touch
with him and will not get any
funds direct from him. We made
tentative arrangements, provided
the budget will be approved as
originally requested, that up to
$50,000 will be appropriated
during the year for religious
work and will be paid in monthly
instalments to the Riga committee
and like all cultural monies can be
transmitted by you direct to Riga.
As soon as I can get in touch
with the Religious Committee in
Russia I will advise you whether
this arrangement meets with their
approval
It is my candid opinion that,
if you really want the religious
work to amount to anything, it
must be somebodys business to
push it along and I do not know
of anybody who could do it as well
as Rabbi Schneerson, although he
has many enemies even among
the orthodox rabbis.

I CONSIDER IT HIGHLY
DESIRABLE THAT THE
DIRECTION REMAIN IN HIS
HANDS
On December 14, 1927 [20
Kislev 5688] Rabbi Dr. Meir
Hildesheimer, head of the Jewish
Community in Berlin, writes to
Dr. Cyrus Adler (Philadelphia)
explaining why the Frierdiker
Rebbe should be the one to take
care of the educational needs of
Russian Jewry:
Dear Dr. Adler:
Permit me to address you
with several lines on the subject
of cultural funds for Russia
allocated by the Joint Distribution
Committee.
I took the liberty to address
you and Mr. Louis Marshall,
believing that I have gained
during the past year a somewhat
deeper insight into the problem
of allocating the funds and thus
may be permitted to express an
opinion on the subject.
I was in Riga four weeks
ago where I visited Chief Rabbi
Schneersohn
(formerly
of
Leningrad) for the purpose
of discussing with him several
matters
concerning
Russia,
regarding which I will send you
a more detailed report within the
next few weeks.
I had occasion to hear from
Rabbi Schneerson as to what
is being done in Russia in the
form of assistance to Talmud
Torah Schools and Yeshivahs.
I saw from his report that the
organization built up by him and
the manner of distribution of
funds are in excellent working
order. Rabbi Schneerson has an
excellent supervision over every
distributor, knows every city,
town and hamlet, and also knows
how much the local citizens have
contributed in addition to the
moneys given by the JDC. In
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CHABAD HISTORY
brief, he is so thoroughly versed
in the subject and so reliable,
that I consider it highly desirable
that the direction remain in his
hands, and that the moneys
continue to be distributed from
Riga (obviously through the office
of Dr. Bernhard Kahn). Rabbi
Schneerson has spent several
days recently in Berlin, holding
conferences with Dr. Rosen, at
some of which I was present. To
my greatest joy I have learned that
in all probability about $50,000
will also be granted for cultural
work for the coming year. If I
may be permitted to express my
opinion, I may say that this sum
has had a very beneficial result;
the individual localities have
added to the sums allotted from
the above mentioned $50,000 to
the extent of five and six times
that amount

CAN THE FRIERDIKER

REBBE DO IT?
On January 6, 1928 [13
Teves 5688] Dr. Cyrus Adler
(Philadelphia)
responds
to
Dr. Joseph Rosen (JDC
Russia),
acknowledging
his
recommendation
that
the
Frierdiker Rebbe continue to
head the educational activities
in Russia, and at the same time
asking whether the Frierdiker
Rebbe can actually fulfill this job:
Dear Doctor Rosen:
I received your letter of
December 2, 1927 in which
you gave an account of
your conference with Rabbi
Schneerson,
Doctor
Kahn,
and of your meetings with
Doctor Hildesheimer, and I
noted the advice which you all
gave that the work in Russia
could be best concentrated in
Riga and supervised by Rabbi
Schneerson. I have since had a
letter from Doctor Hildesheimer
in which he gives the same advice

independently and incidentally

suggests a larger appropriation.
As you know, this fund has
never gone through the hands of
the Cultural Committee and was
therefore a function, so to speak,
of the Executive Committee
itself, and so it became a subject
of serious deliberation and
earnest discussion at a meeting
of the Executive Committee
held last week. The opinions of
the members were very much
divided as to whether it was really
in the best interest of all of our
work, if this particular task were
placed under the supervision of
Rabbi Shneerson in Riga. I am
sure that it is not necessary for
me to tell you how much weight
your opinion carries with the
Committee and since Doctor
Kahn and Doctor Hildesheimer
agree with you, under ordinary
circumstances, there would be no
doubt in our minds at all. You,
however, yourself, in your letter of
December 2 wrote, As soon as I
can get in touch with the religious
committee in Russia I will advise
you whether this arrangement
meets with their approval.
Even
aside
from
this
consideration, however, very
important members of the
Committee had a serious doubt as
to whether a person who had been
in difficulty with the Government,
for whatever reason, who had
even had some trouble in leaving
Russia and was now settled in an
adjacent and possibly not overfriendly locality, would be the
most advisable person, either from
the point of view of the Jews in
Russia or of our work as a whole,
to deal with in this matter. You
know that I raised this question
with you before you left and
other members of the Committee
raised it with me. Some of the
questions that were asked were
these: If it became known that the
Joint Distribution Committee was

dealing in any way with Russia

through a person in Riga who had
been once imprisoned and then
virtually exiled, might it not react
unfavorably on all or our work?
Assuming that your reply
to this question would be that
there is no danger at all in the
matter and since you speak of the
more favorable rate that Rabbi
Schneerson could get in the
transmission of money, would
this be then in some secretive
manner or openly through reliable
banks, and if either be the case,
would there not be some danger
involved? You speak of the
religious committee in Russia.
Have they organized themselves
since Rabbi Schneerson left and
could they be able to carry on the
work in Russia?
I am sending this as an open
letter to you through Doctor Kahn
and I am asking him to be good
enough to read it; and I assume
that if the opportunity can at all
be made, you will seek his advice,
because you know how much a
matter of concern this subject is
to our constituents, a matter of
concern far out of proportion to
the sum of money involved.
A month later, on February 6,
1928 [15 Shvat 5688] Dr. Adler
wrote a letter to Rabbi Dr. Meir
Hildesheimer (Berlin) expressing
similar concerns:
Dear Doctor Hildesheimer;
I had your letter of December
14 and have postponed a reply
in the hope that I could make
a definite reply, which I cannot
do yet. It is the intention of the
Joint Distribution Committee to
continue to aid the cultural work
in Russia as heretofore, and of
course I was very glad to hear
from you on this point I have,
however, written a lengthy letter
to Doctor Joseph Rosen, to be
delivered by him to Doctor Kahn,
and until I receive a reply to that

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letter the Committee will not

reach a definite decision as to the
way in which our appropriation
will be expended.
We
all
have
complete
confidence in Rabbi Schneersohn
but we were a little in doubt as to
whether, in view of the fact that
he had been virtually forced to
leave Russia, it would be to the
best interest of the Jews in Russia
if they should receive their help
for this purpose through Riga.
Until this doubt is resolved and
you realize that it is purely in the
interest of the Jews of Russia,
and to prevent any political
complications, we cannot very
well reach a definite decision

RABBI SCHNEERSON IS
THE ONLY ONE
A few weeks later, on February
29, 1928 [8 Adar 5688], Dr.
Bernard Kahn (JDC Europe)
responded to Dr. Cyrus Adler,
reporting on a meeting he had
with Dr. Joseph Rosen and
concludes that although he tried
to find an alternative, he hasnt
found anyone else other than the
Frierdiker Rebbe who can do this
job appropriately, and therefore
recommends that the work in
Russia should continue secretly,
directed by the Frierdiker Rebbe:
During Dr. Rosens last stay
in Berlin we thoroughly discussed
the question of transfer of monies
for cultural purposes to Russia
and of distribution of such monies
in Russia. I know that you hesitate
to send these amounts to Russia
through the intermediation of
Rabbi Schneerson who is at
present staying in Riga.
In the meantime, I have tried
in Germany as well as outside of
Germany, to organize a committee
which could take charge of these
amounts and transfer them to
Russia, etc. In spite of all my

endeavors, I have not succeeded

in establishing such a committee.
There seems to be no other
way, but to send the money
through Rabbi Schneerson as
heretofore. I discussed this matter
with outstanding people who
admitted that they could not make
any acceptable suggestions.
It is necessary for
the work in Russia to
be continued illegally
and secretly. It seems
that Rabbi Schneerson
is the only one who
knows really reliable
and skillful people,
in Riga as well as in
Russia, whom he needs
for this kind of work.
Then too, he is the
only one who gets all
the information from
Russia through a net
of people, and he is in
a position, although he
is staying in Latvia, to
obtain new people in
Russia to replace others
who can no longer be
useful to the work for
various reasons.
I would therefore
suggest
that
we
continue to send our monies
through
Rabbi
Schneerson.
Thus, we are at least sure to get
reports on what is done with the
funds and on the status of cultural
affairs in Russia.
Under
the
present
circumstances it seems very
dangerous for Dr. Rosen himself,
to distribute such funds. All that
he could do would be to hand the
amounts over to some trustworthy
person and to charge such person
with their distribution. It also
seems that the Russian people
who formerly distributed the
money in cooperation with Rabbi
Schneerson, do not know any
other way of securing it from us.

Although a certain number

of Russian rabbis is opposed to
Rabbi Schneerson, they cannot be
of any help to us in this matter.
For these reasons, I believe
that you will agree, with me that
we should continue to send the
money through Rabbi Schneerson
in Riga.

A total amount of $50,000

has been appropriated for this
work from October 1927 until
September 1928 incl. which
means a monthly subvention of
$4,166.66.
With Dr. Rosens consent,
the instalments for the months
of October, November and
December 1927 have already been
transferred to Rabbi Schneerson,
because at the time we did not
know of any objection on your
side.
I will, however, transfer any
further amounts only upon receipt
of your permission. Kindly let
me know your viewpoint on this
matter by cable.

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TZIVOS HASHEM

By Zalman Ben-Nun

I have a surprise for you,

Abba called out as he hid the
package behind his back.
I
be?
it
can
What
not
wondered curiously. I did
have to wonder for long because
my father handed me the
package. Open it, its for you.
I quickly tore off the colorful
paper and saw a medium
sized box. I pulled on the tape
and it opened up. Wow! Its
beautiful!
It was a dark blue suit with
thin stripes, just the color I like!
I gently moved my hand over
the fabric. I examined every
inch of it. Without a doubt, this
was a suit I would love to wear.
Thank you Abba, Im so
happy! I said as I held the suit
up against me.
Just one thing, said my
father before he left the room.
Take care of the suit. Dont get
it dirty, make sure it doesnt
rip, and behave like one should
behave when wearing a suit like

that.
I nodded and rushed outside
to show the new suit to my
friends. Days passed by quickly.
My suit was with me during the
warm summer months as well
as the cold and rainy season,
and then one day

Show me your suit, said

my father as we sat down to
supper one night. I went to the
closet and showed my father
the suit.
There are a lot of stains,
he said. Look here, under
the sleeve, see the rip? And in
general, your behavior lately
doesnt go together with such a
fine suit.
I looked down, embarrassed,
but my father asked me to look
at him. Before my astonished
eyes, my father took a sharp
pair of scissors and he cut the
suit into shreds. Thats that.
You dont deserve to wear such
a fine suit. I had to cut it up.
I cried and cried but I knew I
was wrong. I hadnt taken care
of the suit and my behavior
wasnt that great either.
Days passed but I did not
forget the suit. I cried to my
father and said that from then
on I would behave. I tried to
make it up to him, but it didnt
help.
Then one day, I went home
and a surprise was waiting for
me. My father was standing
there holding a new suit.
I dont believe it! I
exclaimed.
I bought for you another

suit, said my father. Then he

added, Although I bought you a
new suit because your behavior
has improved, Im warning
you again, take care of it and
behave yourself. Otherwise, you
know the consequences.
I looked at the new suit. It
was black with a design of little
squares. It was just my taste. I
really liked it. I warmly thanked
my father for it and carefully
wore the suit. I was finally
feeling like I did when I had the
first suit, but this suit was even
nicer. This time I would try to
take care of it and my behavior
would be outstanding.
Days passed, seasons passed,
and things began to mess up.
One day, the beautiful suit got
muddy. Another day, it tore a
little when I climbed a barbed
wire fence. And even my good
behavior, which is why my
father agreed to buy me the
suit, wasnt that good anymore.

I started doing things which

my father wouldnt be happy
with and thats how I found
myself standing before him,
ashamed, as he ripped the
second suit to shreds.
But this time something
different happened. My father
took me to his room and
opened the closet. Hanging

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