CONTENTS

8
FEATURED ARTICLES

WEEKLY COLUMNS

3 Dvar Malchus
5 Parsha thought
20 Moshiach & hayom yom
34 Tzivos hashem

YOUNG SEEKERS
FINDING THE ANSWERS
IN CHASSIDUS
Zalman Tzorfati

RAISED IN THE
22 SHADOW
OF

LUBYANKA PRISON
Shneur Zalman Berger

DO YOU
22 ZALMY,
HAVE A MASHPIA?

Shneur Zalman Levin

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editor@beismoshiach.org

2017-01-17 11:03:23 AM

DVAR MALCHUS

BASI LGANI 5717

Beis Moshiach presents Section 5 of the maamer the Rebbe
MHM delivered on Yud Shvat 5717, in accordance with the
custom established by the Rebbe to review each year a section
of the Rebbe Rayatzs maamer Basi LGani of 5710. This year we
focus on the seventh section of the profound and foundational
Chassidic discourse.
Translated by Boruch Merkur

YESOD UNITES THE HEAVENS

AND THE EARTH
5. The Rebbe Rayatz continues in the maamer
that the concept of Olam HaBa was created with
the letter Yud is drawn down and revealed by the
Yud of Sfiras HaYesod (whose shape is like that
of a Yud (see Zohar I 56a, Zohar III 74b end, and
elsewhere)). Regarding Sfiras HaYesod it is said,
ki kol bashamayim uvaaretz for all in the
heavens and the earth (Divrei HaYamim 29:11).
The latter verse is translated in Aramaic as dachid
dshmaya vara that unifies the heavens with the
earth. This verse refers to Sfiras HaYesod (Zohar
I 31a, end), from which Malchus receives. What is
meant by, that unifies the heavens with the earth?
Shamayim-heavens means eish umayim fire
and water (as stated in Midrash BReishis Rabba
4:7), alluding to the aspects of Chesed-Kindness
and Gvura-Severity (or the Supernal MiddosAttributes, in general); and earth is the aspect
of Malchus-Kingship. The verse thus hints at the
esoteric principle that Sfiras HaYesod unifies
Chesed and Gvura with Malchus.
The latter is understood in light of what was
discussed above (in Section 2): The previous
Section of the Rebbe Rayatzs maamer explains
the concept of the Yuds bittul, how the Yud made
itself small, as it applies to the mekabel-recipient
(namely, that this process of diminishment causes
it to be a vessel fit to receive), whereas this section
focuses on the concept of the Yud as it applies to
the it made itself small of the mashpia-giver. The
bittul of mashpia, its tzimtzum, prepares everything
that is to be given to the lower worlds.
In order for this bestowal to actually take place,

even after the vessel (the mekabel, the recipient)

and the hashpaa (coming from the mashpia, the
giver) have both been prepared, there must be a
bond between (dachid that unifies) mashpia
and mekabel, joining the two as one. This bond
is established by Sfiras HaYesod, which serves
two main functions: One, that Sfiras HaMalchus
receives from it (which indicates the preparedness
of the receiving vessel and the readiness of the light
of the mashpia); and two, Yesod establishes the
bond of mashpia and mekabel that unifies the
heavens with the earth.
The latter will be understood in light of the Alter
Rebbes interpretation of the verse, Ben poras
Yosef; ben poras alei ayin (A charming son is Yosef,
a son charming to the eye). Why are the words
ben poras (a charming son) repeated? Also what
is the significance of alei ayin (to the eye)?

YOSEF: TZADDIK YESOD

OLAM
Yosef, the Alter Rebbe explains, is Tzaddik
yesod olam (the righteous person, the foundation
of the world), who is the embodiment of Sfiras
HaYesod. Regarding Sfiras HaYesod it is said,
Yesod siyuma dgufa (yesod is the end of the
body) (Tikkunei Zohar, Preface Pasach Eliyahu,
17a). It is also said that the body and the bris are
considered as one (Zohar III 223b, 236a, 279a,
283a, among other places). At first glance, these
are two conflicting statements. It starts by saying
that yesod is only the end part of the body, then
it adds that the body and the bris are considered
as one [equating the place of the bris mila with the
entirety of the body].
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Dvar Malchus
The Alter Rebbe reconciles the two statements
by explaining that the spiritual impact of Sfiras
HaYesod reaches extremely high, reaching even the
ultimate height. Indeed, the transcendent aspect
of Yesod is observable even in mortal man, as our
Sages say, ein kishui ela ldaas (Yevamos 53b),
indicating that the bond and connection of this
part of the body to the brain is stronger than all the
other organs or limbs of the body. The other parts
of the body are unaffected by thoughts of desire
not the hand [for example] nor the foot. From
this anatomical fact it is clear that yesod reaches
very lofty heights. The same is true with regard to
drawing down from above, analogous to the seminal
point that is drawn down from the choice substance
of the brain and descends lower and lower until
the end part of the body.
These two points (the ascent and the drawing
downward associated with Sfiras HaYesod) exist
also in the avoda of tzaddik yesod olam. To
be sure, there are various levels in the avoda of
tzaddikim. There are tzaddikim whose dveikus
brings them to a state of consciousness that is
totally devoid of material concern, attaining genuine
self-sacrifice with every fiber of their being. Then
there are tzaddikim who dont have the same true
self-sufficing as the former group, yet they are still
much higher in another respect.
Take for example Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai
and Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, where [the bittul
of] Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa is described as like
a servant before a king and Rabbi Yochanan ben
Zakai like a minister before the king. Although the
self-sacrifice of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa is truer,
the source of his soul, which is from Chesed, and
his ability to fathom G-dliness is not on par with
that of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, whose soul
stems from Chochma.
However, when the self-sacrifice of (the
tzaddikim at) the level of Chochma is more genuine
than the self-sacrifice of (the tzaddikim at) the
level of Chesed then this tzaddiks greatness is
incomparable. The impact the latter has On High
is superior in two respects: it reaches a greater
spiritual height and draws down more light.
This level is descriptive of Yosef HaTzaddik,
tzaddik yesod olam, who was superior in both
respects. The source of Yosefs soul is extremely
lofty and his self-sacrifice in the world was at the
ultimate height. Thus he reached the loftiest of
spiritual levels and from there he drew down with
additional, brilliant illumination.

In this sense, the seeming redundancy in the

verse, ben poras Yosef, ben poras alei ayin, alludes
to the two approaches to bonding discussed earlier
(from above downward and from below up). The
meaning of poras is related to pirya urivya
producing offspring, a connection, hiskashrus,
from above downward (hamshacha), to sire the
offspring of souls and angels. The reason why Yosef
is ben poras, prolific, is because he is ben poras
alei ayin, he has a great depth of connecting from
below to the greatest heights, which is the meaning
of alei ayin, greater than the Ayin Rabasi, the
large letter Ayin (as the Alter Rebbe explains there
at length).

ALL COMES THROUGH

THE TZADDIK
Thus, the Mezritcher Maggid teaches in Ohr
Torah (siman 95, 97): Yesod has the power to
rise up to the level of Daas and to draw down from
there, from the Supernal Mind Yesod is the
power that joins everything, as it is said, For all
in the heavens and the earth for it unifies the
heavens with the earth all is joined through him,
for he is the tzaddik tzaddik yesod olam. And
in so doing he brings the Divine influence into the
world of Asiya It only enters the world through a
tzaddik in the world of Asiya, etc.
The latter can be connected with the teaching
of the Maggid discussed above (in Section 2), the
analogy of a father who focuses and constricts his
thinking for the sake of his little child. The analogy
teaches that the Tzimtzum [the Creation of the
world] is for the sake of the Jewish people, in order
for them to be tzaddikim. This concept is connected
with tzaddik yesod olam, discussed above, for
all Supernal beneficence is bestowed through the
tzaddik.
With this idea the Rebbe Rayatz concludes his
explanation of the third aspect of the Yud, which
symbolizes Sfiras HaYesod, siyuma dgufa, dachid
Shmaya vara, which unites mashpia and mekabel.
That is, after bittul has been established on the part
of the mekabel (the first quality of the Yud), as well
as the bittul on the part of the mashpia (the second
quality of the Yud), there is a third quality the Yud
possesses. Namely, it unites mashpia and mekabel.
That is, all the letters-osiyos, all hamshachos
from Above, are drawn down and channeled in a
manner that is absorbed and contained below in the
mekabel.
(To be continued beH)

4 22 Teives 5777
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PARSHA THOUGHT

WAIT,
BUT ACT
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

HIS SISTER
STOOD FROM AFAR
Moshe, the liberator of the
Jewish nation from Egyptian
bondage, was in mortal danger
from the time he was born.
Pharaoh ordered the Egyptians to
throw all newborn males into the
Nile. When Moshe was born, his
parents hid him for three months
and then placed him in a basket
to float to hoped-for safety on the
Nile River.
The Torah relates that after
Moshe was placed in the Nile,
Miriam, his sister stood from
afar, in order to know what
would happen to him.
The Talmud (Sota 13a)
comments that she wanted to
know how her prophecy would
materialize.
The prophecy, to which the
Talmud is referring, was her
prediction that her mother would
bear a child who would save the
Jewish people. The Talmud then
relates:
When Moshe was born, the
entire house was filled with light.
Her father arose and kissed her
on her head and said to her, My
daughter, your prophecy has
been fulfilled!
However, when he was cast
into the river, her father arose

and hit her on her head and said

to her, My daughter, where is
your prophecy?
This is what the Torah means
when it says that she stood
from afar, in order to know what
would happen to him, [which
means] she wanted to know how
her prophecy would materialize
in the end.
The Talmudic Sages knew
that Miriam was not curious
about whether or not Moshe
would be saved. She was a
prophetess and knew with
certainty that Moshe would
survive to become the liberator of
the Jewish people. This was never
a question for her.
If that is the case, the early
Chassidic master Rabbi Nochum
of Chernobyl, in his work Meor
Einayim, asks why did she wait
there on the banks of the Nile
if she was so confident in the
outcome?
To answer this question, it
may be suggested, as the Talmud
explains, that although she knew
with certainty that Moshe would
survive, Miriam did not know the
logistics of precisely how and in
what manner his salvation would
take place.
Now
Miriam,
in
her
confidence, could have stayed
home and concerned herself

with other matters, knowing that

everything would work out fine.
However, Miriam was anxious to
see it happen and also do her part
in making the process unfold.

REDEMPTIONS IMMINENCE:
PROPHECY
There is a beautiful lesson
here for our own day and age.
The Rebbe informed us in
a prophetic message that we
are living in Messianic times
and that the Final Redemption
is
imminent.
Since
the
Rebbe revealed that powerful
message to us, many dramatic
changesoften positivehave
occurred, but the final, true and
complete Redemption has yet
to have materialized. This limbo
situation, as we stand on the
threshold that separates exile and
Redemption, can be unnerving
and engender disillusionment.
To answer this challenge
we must consider Miriam. She
prophesied about Moshe, the
first redeemer; not only that he
would be born but that he would
eventually liberate the Jewish
people. The fact that this was
revealed to her prophetically
means that it was sure to happen.
A prophecy for something
positive must materialize; it
cannot be reversed, as opposed

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PARSHA THOUGHT

As we wait for Moshiach, we must see all of the

worlds recent events, many of which have taken
us by surprise, as elements of Moshiachs impact on the
world in preparation for the Final Redemption. But that
is not enough. As soon as we see an opportunity to be
part of the process, we must jump into action, just as
Miriam did.

to a negative prophecy that can

be reversed if the people repent.
Miriam thus was certain of the
eventual outcome. Like her, we
too must be confident and certain
that the Rebbes vision will come
to fruition. We just dont know
how the process will unfold. We
therefore have to stand on the
banks of our own Nile and watch
for how it will happen.
We can compare our situation
to reading a mystery novel. Even
if we read the first and last pages
and know the outcome, we still
have to read the book to discover
how the events unfolded and
lead to that climax. We are now
in middle of the novel, closer to
the end to be sure, but we still
are in the dark about the very
last events that will lead to the
ultimate conclusion.

DONT STAY HOME!

As we have seen, Miriam,
notwithstanding her faith in a
positive outcome, did not stay
home but got directly involved in
the salvation of Moshe. First as
she waited to see how he would
be saved and later by arranging
for her mother to nurse the baby.
The lesson for us who are
confident that the Redemption is
imminent is, do not stay home.
We must show our yearning and
eager anticipation for the process
and also be direct participants in
it. To be sure, whether or not we

are a part of the process that leads

to Redemption, it will happen.
But we want the Redemption to
come because of us and not in
spite of us. To that end, we must
get involved in doing redemptive
things in a redemptive manner
by seizing every opportunity to
make our world an extension of
the Holy Land and by welcoming
and internalizing Moshiach.

STANDING AFAR
Commentators
ask
why
the Torah states that Miriam
stood and watched from afar?
Some Sages have offered the
explanation that she was afraid
to stand too close lest she
be spotted. But why was she
afraid of that? Why would the
Egyptians harm her just because
she was standing near the Nile?
Another question can be
raised, and that is why the Torah
doesnt mention her by name? All
it says is that she was Moshes
sister.
Using Midrashic license, we
may take the reference to sister
and interpret it allegorically, as is
done in the Talmud and Midrash,
as a metaphor for wisdom, as it
says, Say unto wisdom, you are
my sister (Mishlei 7:4).

THE PARADOX
With this additional bit of
information, the verse can be

rendered: And wisdom stood

from afar, in order to know
what would happen to him.
Here wisdom is, paradoxically,
standing afar but engaged in
knowing! Wisdom is both elusive
and accessible. How do we
explain that paradox?
Wisdom is an indispensable
part of Judaism, but it has its
limitations. King Shlomo, when
attempting to understand the
deeper meaning of the Red
Heifer ritual for the purification
of one who came in contact with
the dead, exclaimed: I said, I
will get wisdom; but it was far
from me. (Koheles 7:23)
King Shlomo, the wisest of
all people, knew that there were
things which eluded him.
In all probability Moshe
should have perished in the Nile,
the very body of water where all
the other newborn male children
were drowned. Miriam, with all
her wisdom, could not fathom
why Moshe was in the Nile and
how he would emerge unscathed.
She just knew that it would
happen. If she had allowed her
wisdom to analyze every aspect
of this process it would have
demoralized her. She therefore
had to place the sister-wisdom
component of her being in the
background and witness events
from afar, even as she was certain
that her prophecy was accurate.
However, while she stood
afar, which we now know
symbolizes that she tentatively
suspended her understanding,
she did not suppress her intellect
and understanding. The term
afar here implies that while
she had to temporarily defer her
intellectual grasp of the situation
until the events would unfold to
make sense of them, she did try
to understand the events as they
happened.
This too instructs us how we

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should apply our understanding

to the Messianic process. While
we must recognize the limits of
our understanding and the transrational nature of Moshiach and
Redemption, we must not ignore
our minds. Whatever aspects
of Redemption that we can
understand, we must make the
effort to understand.
The only limits we must place
on our understanding are:
a) A humble recognition that
we cannot possibly fathom every
aspect of the Messianic process.
Logic itself concedes that there
are things that transcend logic
and intellect.
b) We must be patient even
with those aspects of the process
that we can understand; we must
wait to see how the events unfold.
As they unfold, much of
what we previously could
not understand will become
comprehensible to us.

STAND FAR AND CLOSE

But as we stand from afar and
suspend our logic (His sister
[wisdom] stood from afar), we
must always be watching for the
events to unfold and appreciate
their place in the Messianic
drama.
As we wait for Moshiach, we
must see all of the worlds recent
events, many of which have taken
us by surprise, as elements of
Moshiachs impact on the world

in preparation for the Final

Redemption.
But that is not enough. As
soon as we see an opportunity to
be part of the process we must
jump into action, just as Miriam
did. When Pharaohs daughter
saved Moshe and was looking
for a woman to nurse him,
Miriam seized the opportunity
and brought her own mother to
nurse her child, who just minutes
earlier had been saved from an
almost certain death.
What was unclear to her
before as to how the prophecy
would unfold now became crystal
clear. Moshe not only survived
his ordeal but he would be
nursed by his own mother and
raised in privilege by Pharaohs
daughter in her fathers palace.
Moshe would have the best of
both worlds. He
would be nurtured
by his mother,
a holy woman,
who
would
plant the seeds
of holiness and
dedication to his
brethren in him.
He would also
enjoy the benefit
of being raised in
Pharaohs place
as an Egyptian
Prince, providing
him an excellent
opportunity
to
use his exalted

power to help his brethren and

even redeem them. While Miriam
still did not know how matters
would conclude, many pieces
of the puzzle were now coming
together.
The
wisdom
and
understanding of the events that
were afar have now become near.
Similarly, as time progresses
we can see and understand some
of the events that point to the
imminence of the Redemption,
even as certain aspects remain
elusive
and
beyond
our
comprehension.
In truth, this is precisely the
Moshiach dynamic: to fuse the
trans-rational and the rational.

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FEATURE

YOUNG SEEKERS

FINDING THE
ANSWERS IN
CHASSIDUS
They wear knitted yarmulkes, jeans and T-shirts,
but are well-versed in maamarei Chassidus,
farbreng on auspicious days in the Chabad
calendar, daven from a Thillas Hashem Siddur,
observe some Chabad customs, and what
interests them is avodas Hashem in tfilla,
closeness to the Creator and refining their
middos. * The phenomenon: meet the students
from Zionist-Chassidic yeshivos, a new strain
of religious-Zionist youth, who have spiritual
ambitions and find in Chassidus the answers that
they seek. * We met with Chassidim from this
demographic and at a spontaneous farbrengen
we asked them about the impact of Chassidus,
about hiskashrus to the Rebbe and going to him,
about crossing lines and why Chabad specifically.
By Zalman Tzorfati

8 22 Teives 5777
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t was nearly midnight on a Thursday

night at Yeshivas Ramat Gan. The
large, beautiful beis midrash was almost
completely empty. Upstairs there was
a shiur being given by the rosh yeshiva, R
Yehoshua Shapiro. It was an off Shabbos
as they would explain to me later. An
older talmid stood on the side of the beis
midrash opposite a lectern with an open
Gemara. He learned out loud to himself.
In another corner sat a young man,
wearing a large knitted yarmulke, who
was debating a point in halacha with a
bachur standing near him.
Upstairs, as mentioned, a
shiur was being given by R
Shapiro, one of the leading
religious-Zionist rabbis and
one of the driving forces
in the trend towards
Chassidus,
a
Zionist
yeshiva with the spirit of
Chassidus.
Although
R
Shapiro
officially belongs to the knitted
yarmulke
sector,
he
teaches
Chassidus on a regular basis and
has even published sfarim on
the subject. The hesder yeshiva in
Ramat Gat that he runs is known
as a yeshiva with a Chassidishe
atmosphere. It attracts many
religious-Zionist young men who
are interested in Chassidus.
It was a refreshing sight to
see young yeshiva bachurim who
sincerely seek closeness to the
Creator. Many of the discussions and
debates among themselves revolve
around the differences between
the various approaches in serving
Hashem.

A BEIS MIDRASH
WITH A CHIDDUSH
These talmidim have a unique look.
Their refined faces have untouched
beards, they sport peios of various
lengths and types, and they wear large
knitted kippas.
Generally speaking, Zionist yeshivos
lean toward the Litvish approach, both

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Feature

One of the things that bothered me in other

yeshivos was that everything was connected
with learning, as though learning is the whole picture.
I eat to be able to learn, I daven so I can learn, its all
connected to Torah study. What about G-d? What about
fixing character traits? What about feelings for another
Jew? What about love of G-d? What about simcha?
About a connection with Hashem? This worldview of
learning and learning, to the exclusion of everything else
in Judaism, bothered me. As though learning is the only
goal of Yiddishkait.

in the style of learning and the

content, Yonatan, one of the
students, told us. That there are
Zionist yeshivos with a Chassidic
spirit is a refreshing novelty in
the world of religious-Zionist
yeshivos.
Yonatan himself came from a
typical Zionist yeshiva in Haifa.
After the army, he felt the need
for more. I grew up religious
and kept Torah and mitzvos. I
learned in a government-religious
school and then in a yeshiva high
school, but in the army I started
questioning things. Not, G-d
forbid, that I had doubts about
faith, he was quick to say. I was
looking for deeper meaning in
things that Id been doing all my
life without quite knowing why. I
spoke with friends from yeshiva,
with rabbanim, and was exposed
to Chassidus. I knew that after I
was released from the army that
I would join one of the Chassidic
yeshivos. I call it, filling gaps in
my neshama.
Yonatan is not alone. The
attraction to the teachings of
Chassidus
crosses
sectors,
worldviews and parties. Even
among groups that previously
strongly opposed the Baal
Shem Tov and those that

perpetuated his approach, you

can find yeshiva bachurim and
young married men who are
drawn to the wellsprings of
Chassidus. All the more so in
those groups that are part of
the general Chassidic world.
However, what stands out about
the yeshivos that have formally
taken on a Chassidic approach
is that it is institutionalized
and structured. Its not about
learning Tanya secretly or an
unofficial Chassidus shiur that
the hanhala kindly ignores. Nor
is it the personal interest of select
individuals or even individuals
that have coalesced into a group,
but literally an entire yeshiva that
clearly identifies with a different
ideological demographic and yet,
is run entirely with a Chassidishe
atmosphere.
Not all of the Chassidishe
yeshivos are connected to
Chabad. Yonatan saw how
excited I got when I heard the
list of Chassidishe yeshivos
he enumerated. He explained,
There are many connected with
Breslov, and some are connected
with Chassidus in general, or the
spirit of Poilish Chassidus.
The uniqueness of Yeshivas
Ramat Gan among Zionist-

Chassidic
yeshivos
is
the
conceptual
and
curricular
alignment with Chabad in
particular.
Other
yeshivos
like this are Rabbi Yitzchok
Ginsburghs Yeshivas Od Yosef
Chai and Rabbi Adin EvenYisroels Yeshivas Mekor Chaim.

HALACHA MAKES
CHASSIDUS OBLIGATORY
I am a man of Halacha, says
Rabbi Shapiro when he explains
his derech in a special shiur that
he gave in yeshiva on the subject
of Limud Hachassidus.
According to Halacha, you
need to love G-d, to fear Him,
and that is impossible to do today
without learning Chassidus.
There are foundations of Judaism
and faith that cannot be acquired
without the study of those
topics in Torah, explains Rabbi
Shapiro.
The impact of Chassidus,
especially that of Chabad, is
apparent on the talmidim, some
of whom gradually adopt Chabad
customs. On the bookshelves of
siddurim you can find quite a
few Thillas Hashem siddurim. R
Shapiro himself uses nusach Ari.
How do you feel Chassidus
impacts on you?
Thats a hard question
, Yonatan says. One of the
things that bothered me in other
yeshivos was that everything
was connected with learning,
as though learning is the whole
picture. I eat to be able to learn,
I daven so I can learn, its
all connected to Torah study.
What about G-d? What about
fixing character traits? What
about feelings for another Jew?
What about love of G-d? What
about simcha? This worldview
of learning and learning, as
much as possible, bothered
me. As though learning is the

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goal. Then there are issues of

competitiveness, positions and
feelings of superiority.
Chassidus helped me a lot
with this. It is like it calms the
soul. It guided me to a calmer
place, a place where heart
and mind cooperate in avodas
Hashem. Its not that I stopped
learning chas vshalom, but my
learning is altogether different.
Its more calm, Im more at peace
with myself. Its hard for me to
talk like this, maybe I sound like
some big Chassid, but I feel, to
a certain extent, that I stopped
learning for myself and started
learning in order to connect to
Hashem.
I asked the same question
of Avishai, who joined our
conversation. His woolen kippa
covers nearly his entire head and
two long, curly peios hang along
the sides of his head.
To a certain extent I grew
up as a Chassid, he says. He
learned in Yeshivas Od Yosef
Chai in Yitzhar and that he is
one of the close students of R
Yitzchok Ginsburgh. He ended
up in the yeshiva in Ramat Gan
after being arrested several times
and was expelled from the hills of
the Shomron.
For me, Chassidus is not
new. I grew up with it and its
a part of me. Chassidus is the
neshama of the Torah. It is also
the neshama of my Torah. I
cannot see myself keeping Torah

and mitzvos without a connection

to Chassidus.
Assaf is a bachur with a
childlike face and a refined
bashful smile. Until that point,
he stood on the side and listened
without getting involved. When
he heard the question, he said
he wanted to say something. He
sounded quite passionate when
he said, I dont understand how
its possible otherwise. You dont
need to ask us how Chassidus
impacts on us. You need to ask
all the bachurim in other yeshivos
who dont learn Chassidus how
they fulfill mitzvos, how they
achieve love and fear! Love
and fear of Hashem is not a
Chassidic practice. Its a halacha
in Shulchan Aruch!
That is the debate between
the Chacham (wise man) and the
Chassid in the introduction to
Mesillas Yesharim. The Chassid
says to the Chacham: It says,
And now Israel, what does
Hashem your G-d ask of you, but
to fear Hashem your G-d, to go
in all His ways, and to love Him
and serve Hashem your G-d with
all your heart and all your soul.
Only then does the verse say, to
observe His commandments.
Says the Chassid to the Chacham,
True, the most important thing
in the realm of action is to
observe commandments, but that
only comes fifth in the list. There
are four things that precede it
that need to be done to fear,

to love, to go in His ways, and to

serve Him with all your heart and
soul.
Learning Torah is wonderful,
but you need to love Hashem and
serve Him and for that, you need
Chassidus. Without Chassidus,
even Torah study can be not for
the sake of heaven.

HISKASHRUS TO THE
REBBE
One of the principles of
Chassidus is bonding with a
tzaddik. Concepts like Nasi
Hador, Moshe Rabbeinu in
every generation, Roshei Alfei
Yisroel and Rosh Bnei Yisroel
are foundations in the outlook
of Chassidus in general and
Chabad in particular. In Chabad,
the Chassid-Rebbe relationship
is somewhat different in that it
is demanded of the Chassid that
he do his own inner work, as
opposed to general Chassidus,
which demands of the Chassid
to have simple faith in tzaddikim
and to rely on the blessings of
the tzaddik to achieve personal
salvation,
spiritually
and
materially.
With all the learning,
farbrengens, classes, Chassidic
atmosphere what place does
hiskashrus to the Rebbe hold?
If you want to get into all
of the sides and opinions within
Chabad, I actually am on the
side of the Meshichisten, says

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Feature
Avishai. They have a living
Rebbe. And hiskashrus to a
living Rebbe is a basic element
of Chassidus. My rav, Rabbi
Ginsburgh, also believes that
the Rebbe is chai vkayam. I
personally feel that the Rebbe is
alive.
Yonatan, on the other hand,
is less forceful. There is talk
about the need for hiskashrus
to a tzaddik, but that is
presented in a very general way.
It is not presented in terms of
hiskashrus to a specific tzaddik.
Rav Yehoshua himself speaks a
lot about the Rebbe. Not always
openly, but when he describes
the ideal image of a true tzaddik
it is fairly obvious who he is
referring to. Actually, this week
I heard a vort from him on this
topic. He spoke in the shiur
about the subject of tzaddikim.
The idea was that on the one
hand there needs to be absolute
devotion
and
hiskashrus,
but on the other hand not to
abdicate the role of intellect and
always check that everything
is consistent with Torah and
Halacha.
The official topic was about
the personalities of the Avos,
but throughout he kept drawing
parallels to our times. One of
the students pointed out that the
Avos are distant characters that
have no relation to our times.
The rav answered him, I was by
tzaddikim that made the Avos
very real and close for me. Go
to such tzaddikim and you can
bond and commit yourself to
them without any concern.
How much of the Chassidic
studies are devoted to learning
the teachings of the Rebbe?
We recently learned a
maamer of the Rebbe with Rav
Shapiro. Over two nights, half
the night each time. Each shiur

was three or four hours.

Just as we had begun to
discuss the question I posed, in
walked a slim bachur holding a
volume of Likkutei Sichos. Its
a shame we werent talking about
Moshiach, I said.
I am looking for a sicha
about Yud-Tes Kislev, he
responded with an apologetic
smile. On his table was lying
a typical double set of Chabad
tfillin, Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam,
in blue pouches embroidered with
the picture of 770 and the name
Uriel Katz on top. I am actually
from a Chabad home, he said.
From Belgium, connected with
R Shabtai. He cried over the
fact that I did not go to learn in
Tomchei Tmimim, but at least I
am here.
Well, from what it sounds
like, it is almost like Tomchei
Tmimim, I point out. That
depends, he replies. Its
possible that you will talk to me
and get a certain impression
of the yeshiva, and if you talk
to someone else you will get a
completely different impression.
Aside from the fact that there is
a general Chassidic atmosphere,
there are many variations here.
There are also many discussions
and even debates among the
students over the different
paths and approaches in avodas
Hashem. There are those that
lean towards Chabad, but there
are also those that lean towards
Breslov and others that lean
towards general Chassidus. As a
matter of principle, the yeshiva
allows for and encourages
all approaches. This can be
difficult at times as it requires
inclusiveness of diverse variants,
but that is the style of the
yeshiva.
Uriel continues, Davening
is at 7 AM, so it is difficult but I
try to study Chassidus every day

before davening. We have an indepth Gemara study session and

a session devoted to covering
ground each day that everyone is
required to participate in, and in
the evenings each person has his
own personal curriculum. Some
learn Halacha or Gemara, but
most study Chassidus according
to an individualized syllabus
arranged by Rav Shapiro or
one of the other staff members.
There are also farbrengens in
the yeshiva. We farbreng on
auspicious days, we note the
Chassidic holidays, not all of
them, but the more outstanding
ones.
A significant portion of the
Rebbes teachings deal with the
topic of outreach and mivtzaim.
In recent years, the knitted
yarmulke crowd has also gotten
into the act of spreading Judaism.
Obviously, we also do
mivtzaim, says Avishai. First
of all, the school motto is to
light up the city. The mission of
the yeshiva is to be a lighthouse
of Judaism for all of Ramat
Gan. The yeshiva operates
tfillin stands throughout the
city. Additionally, we have a
preschool rabbi program, in
which bachurim or married guys
run Jewish activities in the city
preschools. And here on the
premises, we work with those
that have a background in Torah
study.
Are there students that
actually cross over in a
formal way and become fullfledged Chabad Chassidim?
And if so, how does the yeshiva
react to that?
Some have crossed party
lines. Less to Chabad, more to
Breslov. The yeshiva supports
their decisions fully. On this
issue, the yeshiva is very open
and allows each bachur to
choose his own path in Avodas

12 22 Teives 5777
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Hashem. There is someone

here who just came back from a
visit to the Rebbe, and there is
another bachur who is planning
a trip in the coming weeks.

MORE DRAWN TO FIGURES

FROM THE PAST
You need to understand,
Uriel says in trying to sum

Continued from page 19

participant in the Torah classes in
Nigleh and Chassidus in the Beis
Menachem shul near his home,
and even served as one of the
gabbaim there. Many residents of
Kfar Chabad recall how he would
concern himself with organizing
the farbrengens in shuls, and
his late wife would prepare large
salads and fresh fish for the
participants. He would serve it all
with a beaming face. There were
also times when he would share
his personal recollections of
what he saw and heard from the
Chassidim of yesteryear.
His family members knew
that he walked around with a
large amount of cash on him,
but they never knew the reason.
In a conversation with one of his
friends, they discovered that their
father felt that there should never
be a situation where a fellow Jew

up the discussion and explain

why in his mind we should
not be expecting Chabad
communities to be absorbing
large numbers of students from
Yeshivas Ramat-Gan, most
of the bachurim in the yeshiva
learn
Chassidus,
farbreng,
mark Chassidic dates, are
versed in maamarim, daven
with avoda, and even follow

some Chabad customs. But

from our perspective, the
personalities that we see as
models that we aspire to are
Chassidim from the past, like
Reb Hillel Paritcher and Reb
Mendel Futerfas. We relate less
to the social-communal aspect,
and more to the idea, to the
approach, to the outlook, to the
Torah of Chassidus.

needed his help on the spot, and

he would not be able to provide
that help readily and in cash. He
was a modest man, internally
and externally, punctilious in his
mitzva observance without letting
it be seen by anybody. Even his
acts of kindness, which were an
important part of his life, were
done secretly and quietly.
Even when he was not in
Kfar Chabad, he was careful to
keep his study sessions in Nigleh
and Chassidus, aside from the
daily portions that everyone is
meant to learn. He never wasted
a moment. He was always busy,
with work or davening and
learning. Wherever he was, his
lips were always moving as he
recited verses of Thillim.
When his health condition
deteriorated and he had to be
moved to a geriatric facility,
his family members discovered
evidence of his amazing acts of

kindness, as his daughter Mrs.

Dickstein recounts:
We found in his home
countless small notes, on which
Abba wrote; gave this amount
to so-and-so as a gift, another
amount to such-and-such as
a loan, and so on. It was only
then that we began to realize
to what extent Abba who was
not wealthy and worked hard
for his livelihood his entire life
distributed and bequeathed
monies wholeheartedly to Jews in
need.
***
He passed away on 7 Av and
is survived by two daughters,
Mrs. Shoshana Dickstein and
Mrs. Mira Druk (who, together
with their husbands, are on
shlichus in Beer Sheva), as well
as grandchildren and greatgrandchildren who go in the path
of Torah and Chassidus, many of
whom are shluchim.




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11:03:31 AM

OBITUARY

14 22 Teives 5777
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RAISED

IN THE SHADOW OF
LUBYANKA PRISON
This past summer, we lost a special Chassid,
R Yosef Lebenharz, who grew up in an apartment
that faced the infamous Lubyanka, headquarters
of the Moscow secret police. Farbrengens with
the great Chassidim were hosted in his home,
which is how R Yosef absorbed the Chassidic
passion that was with him all his life.
By Shneur Zalman Berger

Yosef Lebenharz was

born in 5689/1929
in Moscow. His
father
was
R
Avrohom Shmuel Lebenharz.
His childhood was spent in
the company of distinguished
Chassidim who were hosted
by his parents for the frequent
farbrengens that took place in his
house. Many of them also spent
time in his house when they stayed
in Moscow to take care of various
matters. One of them was the wellknown mashpia, R Chaim Shaul
Brook, who told R Yosef about his
stay with the family:
During the time that I
was trying to get a visa to leave
Russia, I went to Moscow and
your parents opened their home
to me. I slept in your house for
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Obituary

Receiving lekach from the Rebbe

many days. It was no simple

thing because if the authorities
would have discovered it, they
would have sent me and your
father to Siberia, but your father
did it anyway.
In a conversation I had with
him a few years ago, R Yosef told
about other Chassidim, friends
of his father, who were regulars
at his house, including: R Yankel
Zuravitzer, R Mottel Gurary, R
Chaim Eliezer Gurewitz, and R
Moshe Dubrawsky.
There was an authentic
Chassidic atmosphere in the
Lebenharz home despite the
visible presence of Lubyanka
prison. It was the headquarters
of the secret police in Moscow,
where thousands of people were
imprisoned over the years. In this
building, they were interrogated
at length under torture, and
many of them died in its cellar
without a fair trial.
Despite the numerous secret
agents in the area, the Lebenharz

family
continued
to
host
Chassidim. R Avrohom Shmuel
was inspired by having learned
under the Rebbe Rashab and
Rebbe Rayatz and then bonding
with the Rebbe. He instilled in his
children his Chassidishe feelings
and hiskashrus.

PARTNER IN FOUNDING
ACHEI TMIMIM TEL AVIV
An unexpected development
occurred when under the reign of
the tyrant Stalin, the family was
given permission to leave. They
immigrated to Eretz Yisroel. That
was a dream for most people
living behind the Iron Curtain
in those days. The family lived
among Chabad Chassidim in Tel
Aviv and they felt like they were
in heaven. They learned Torah in
peace, davened in shul without
fear, and kept Shabbos openly.
When they arrived in Eretz
Yisroel, a Lubavitcher elementary
school was opened in Tel Aviv
called Bnei Tmimim. The

Lebenharz boys learned there.

The school was started by
some Lubavitcher Chassidim
who emigrated from Russia
and settled in Tel Aviv and the
surrounding area. About two
years later a yeshiva was opened
for older boys. Before it opened,
a meeting was held at the Chabad
shul on Montefiore Street. R
Avrohom Shmuel attended this
historic meeting, which took
place on 17 Adar II 1938.
After living in Eretz Yisroel
for a few years, where their
child, Bella, was born, the
family returned to Moscow. Of
course, they were unaware of the
bloodbath that would occur in
Russia a few years later.
In Sivan 1941, the Germans
invaded Russia. Like many other
civilians, the Lebenharz family
fled Moscow and traveled to
distant Samarkand with their
newborn baby, Mordechai. There
was a famine in Samarkand at
this time and the baby died of
starvation.
Then R Avrohom Shmuel
became sick and it was hard for
him to support his family. The
older sons, Zalman and Yosef,
went to work to help support
the household, while their
younger brothers were sent to the
underground Tomchei Tmimim.
Despite the difficulties of that
time, the two older brothers
also devoted time to learning
and
occasionally
attended
farbrengens that the Chassidim in
Samarkand held.

THE KGB ON THE TRAIL OF

LEBENHARZ
When the war ended, the
Lebenharz family returned to
Moscow and then continued
to Lvov in order to try and get
out of Russia. While they were
there, Chassidim suggested that

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R Avrohom Shmuel return to

Moscow to sell his apartment in
order to pay for the familys travel
expenses. The family went back
to Moscow and the apartment
was sold, but before they could
return to the border city, they
found out that the authorities
were making mass arrests among
the Chassidim in Lvov and that
the opportunity to leave Russia
had ended.
Moscow, Lvov, Moscow,
selling an apartment and the
plan to return to Lvov this was
all documented by the KGB. In
recent years, KGB archives have
shown reports by Agent Fuchs,
who reported information about
the Chassidim, including the
Lebenharz family.
Fuchs,
11/04/46
[Cheshvan 5707]
The agent spoke with D
who told him that Lebenharz,
Avrohom Shmuel, who recently
arrived from Lvov and is living in
Piruvo Pala, plans on selling his
home and traveling back to Lvov
again with his family.
From this bit of information
we learn that the Lebenharz
family was a subject of
surveillance. Their position on
observing Judaism and the ways
of Chassidus was reason enough
to keep them under surveillance.
Once the Lvov option was
closed, they had to find another
place to live. The moved to
Chernowitz, also a border city,
where they hoped to establish
themselves somewhat. They had
to work hard to make a living
without desecrating Shabbos.
R Yosef married Chaya Golda
Fettman. The couple moved
to Frunze (today Bishkek) in
Kyrgyzstan where it was easier to
find work that wouldnt require
desecrating Shabbos. They chose
this city because his brother
Zalman already lived there, as did

From right to left: R Yosef, R Elimelech, R Yona

R Berel Yaffe with whom they

consulted on Torah-Chassidic
issues.
Later, R Yosef and his family
moved to Tashkent where there
was a large Chassidic community.

THE PROPHECY WAS

FULFILLED
R Avrohom Shmuel and Etka
Lebenharz had Zalman, Yosef,
Moshe, Elimelech, Yona, and
Bella. At a certain point, Zalman
and his family immigrated to
Eretz Yisroel, after which he
worked hard to get the rest of his
family out of Russia.
Mrs. Lebenharz sent a letter
to her son in Eretz Yisroel which
said, The time has come to see
one another again but you should
know, we will not leave Russia
without all the children.
In those years, the Iron
Curtain was firmly shut. Very few
left the country. Nobody knew
how this family dream to leave

Russia would materialize.

R Zalman wanted to start by
getting his parents out, but when
he asked the Rebbe about this,
he was told to send a request to
Russian government to unify the
family and to ask for exit visas for
the entire family.
R Zalman worked intensively
and spent large sums of money to
get exit documents for his family
as fast as possible. About two
weeks after receiving the Rebbes
answer, the requests were sent
from Eretz Yisroel to Russia. The
six Lebenharz families who were
living in Tashkent, went together
to the emigration office and told
the clerk there that they wanted
to leave for Eretz Yisroel to
reunite their family. She asked in
surprise, You have one brother
there and you all want to travel to
him? Maybe do the opposite and
have him come here. Anyway,
why should you travel to that
fascist country?
The daring answer she was

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2017-01-17 11:03:39 AM

Obituary
given shocked her. One of the
brothers impudently said, You
must accept the requests and
whatever they decide in Moscow,
theyll decide. She remained
silent and took the requests
without saying a word.
Two months later they were
sent a refusal. That meant they
had to wait half a year before they
could try again. R Zalman sent a
request again to unite the family.
Again, the Lebenharz families
asked to leave and were refused
again. At the same time, R
Zalman continued to write to the
Rebbe and list his siblings who
wished to emigrate; Yosef ben
Etka, Yona ben Etka, Elimelech
ben Etka, Moshe ben Etka, Bella
bas Etka.
Refusal followed refusal and
the situation seemed hopeless.
At one point, the family members
asked R Zalman to ask the Rebbe
if they should perhaps first ask
for the parents, and only once the
parents get out then they would
ask for the rest of the siblings.
At the time, R Mordechai
Goldberg from Bnei Brak was
traveling to the Rebbe and R
Zalman asked him to lay out
the whole story for the Rebbe
and to ask how to proceed. R
Goldberg in fact received a clear
answer from the Rebbe, which
he recorded in writing, dated 23
MarCheshvan 5726:
This morning, I sent in
a note with all the details to
the Rebbe Shlita, and in the
afternoon received his holy
response. As far as filing a
request for the parents only and
not together with the brothers,
the Rebbe Shlita wrote: If so, it
is not worth making a request in
such a manner. Apparently, this
was in response to the reasoning
I wrote that if the father had to
leave alone it might be harmful
to his health. As far as putting

The Lebenharz brothers:

R Elimelech, R Yosef ah, R Zalman ah, R Yona, R Moshe

R Yosef farbrenging on the yahrtzait of

his friend, the mashpia, R Mottel Kozliner

in a request in Russia for all of

them to leave together, the Rebbe
wrote: Despite all, they should
present a request again and again
until they permit them to leave.
As far as a bracha that they be
freed quickly, the Rebbe wrote:
The names and I will mention
it at the tziyun. In other words,
to send in the names and he will
mention them at the tziyun.
To R Mordechai Goldberg,
there was no doubt as to what
such clear answers from the
Rebbe signified and he concludes
his letter proffering his opinion,
I think this is a joyous answer
for you.
As the Rebbe foresaw, so
did events unfold exactly. The
families filed an emigration

With his mechutan,

R Shlomo Dickstein

18 22 Teives 5777
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Rabbi Mordechai Goldberg conveyed the Rebbes answer

to submit a request that they all be able to leave

request and received a refusal,

followed by another refusal,
and on the third try there was a
positive answer for the brother,
R Yosef. He left Russia and
arrived in Eretz Yisroel on 18
Teves 5766.
The miracle continued to
unfold, and about a year and
a half later, the entire family
left one after the other. The
Lebenharz family in its entirety
merited to see the fulfillment of
the Rebbes prophecy.

THE REBBES INVITATION

For
Tishrei
5767,
R
Yosef traveled to the Rebbe
together with a group of recent
immigrants from Russia, who
had all been invited by the Rebbe.
The Rebbe even financed the cost
of their airline tickets.
The group of new immigrants
that the Rebbe invited merited
many special kiruvim throughout
the entire month. One of the
honors was when they were
instructed to all stand on the
farbrengen platform near the
Rebbes seat. At one of the
farbrengens, the Rebbe said
lchaim to each one individually.
When it came to R Yosefs
turn, the Rebbe said, Lets

get to know Etkas children.

Seemingly, this was because over
the last few years R Zalman had
written regularly to the Rebbe
listing each of his brothers with
the name of their mother, Etka.
R Yosef was one of those
Chassidim who stayed out of
the limelight. He followed in the
ways of Chassidus in every detail,
but did it all modestly without
any protrusions. Even his
hiskashrus to the Rebbe did not
call attention to itself, aside from
the fact that his grandchildren all
knew that he would always travel
to the Rebbe for Tishrei.
During
his
Shiva,
his
daughter,
Mrs.
Shoshana
Dickstein,
told
the
Beis
Moshiach:
From when Abba arrived
in Eretz Yisroel, he traveled to
the Rebbe for Tishrei almost
every year, from the early 70s
through 1992 (except for 1975,
when he sent my mother and
me). When he was by the Rebbe,
he was totally involved in the
Rebbe. He participated in every
event, tfillos, farbrengens, kos
shel bracha, and so on. He never
missed out on a single tfilla
with the Rebbe. He would also
encourage his nephews, when

they would come to the Rebbe,

not to miss a single tfilla with the
Rebbe.
I remember an interesting
episode from Sukkos 5739. This
was a year after the health crisis
that occurred on Simchas Torah
5738, so the Rebbes secretaries
tried to do all in their power that
the crowds not put any strain on
the Rebbe. On Hoshana Raba, it
was decided that at the time of
the circling with the Hoshaanas,
only the Rebbe and the chazan
would walk around the bima.
I stood in the womens section
watching everything. When it
came to the final circuit, the
Rebbe indicated that he wanted
to go around with the entire
congregation. Without waiting,
the Rebbe joined the Chassidim
and began to walk. Right in front
of the Rebbe, Abba was walking,
completely absorbed in his siddur
and the liturgy of the Hoshaanas,
without realizing that the Rebbe
was walking right behind him
for a few long minutes. When he
finally realized, he immediately
moved aside.

A CHASSID AND
A MAN OF CHESED
When he first arrived in Eretz
Yisroel, he worked in diamond
cutting at a concern in Tel
Aviv. When, with the Rebbes
encouragement,
the
GolgoTex textile company opened
in Kiryat Malachi, he began to
work there. Later, he became a
partner in the company, which
was owned and managed by his
brothers, R Zalman and R Yona,
R Mordechai Gorodetzky and R
Moshe Goldschmidt.
He was a tremendously G-d
fearing person. He was extremely
careful about davening with
a minyan and was a regular
Continued on page 13
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MOSHIACH & HAYOM YOM

(I WILL) MAKE
THE WORLD
GREAT AGAIN
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon

Dear Reader shyichyeh,

In our Parsha (Shmos), the
Torah tells us (2:23): Now it
came to pass in those many days
that the king of Egypt died, and
the children of Israel sighed from
the labor, and they cried out, and
their cry ascended to G-d from
the labor.
In the HaYom Yom of Gimmel
Tammuz, the Rebbe writes
(about the power of a Jewish
sigh): My revered grandfather,
the Rebbe [Maharash], once
said: Even when the sigh of Jew
is occasioned by an unfavorable
material circumstance (Heaven
forbid), this too is a significant
act of tshuva. All the more so,
a sigh due to an unfavorable
spiritual situation is most
certainly a lofty level of tshuva.
It drags one out of the depths of
evil, and sets him up in a good
place.
On similar note, the Rebbe
writes in the HaYom Yom of 23
Teves: Groaning (sighing) by
itself wont do a bit of good. A
groan is only a key to open the
heart and eyes, so as not to sit
there with folded arms, but to
plan orderly work and activity,
each person wherever he can
be effective, to campaign for
bolstering
Torah,
spreading

Torah and the observance of

Mitzvos. One person might do
this through his writing, another
with his oratory, another with his
wealth.
And finally, we have the
HaYom Yom of 8 Adar II: My
father writes in one of his letters:
A single act is better than a
thousand groans. Our Gd
lives, and Torah and mitzvos are
eternal; quit the groaning and
work hard in actual avoda, and
Gd will be gracious to you.
The Rebbe is teaching us a
valuable lesson: There are many
of us who feel good when we
feel bad. When tragedy strikes,
there are those who are totally
insensitive to the tragic situation.
Most healthy people feel bad
about the tragic events. Yet, many
of us suffice and actually feel
good with feeling bad. Our
sighs and sad feelings validate
to us that we are still human and
caring people.
But that is wholly inadequate.
We must keep in mind that
Groaning (sighing) by itself
wont do a bit of good. We
must ask ourselves, what have
we done? We must change and
better the situation! The situation
wont improve by mere sighing.
There is a famous story

that took place in the early part

of the 20th century in Russia.
There was an evil decree against
Russian Jewry and the gdolei
Yisroel convened to try and
devise a way to have the decree
annulled. This special Asifa
(gathering) was attended by the
Rebbe Rashab and Reb Chaim
Soloveitchik of Brisk. The efforts
of the Rabbanim however were
unsuccessful. Seeing this, the
Rebbe Rashab cried. R Chaim
Soloveitchik, who was a gaon
and the rav of Brisk, said to him,
Admur of Lubavitch, why are
you crying? The Rebbe said,
Because we were unsuccessful
in having the decree cancelled.
R Chaim Brisker retorted, But
we did all we could do! The
Rebbe responded, But we were
unsuccessful!
This is the attitude that
the Rebbe wants to instill into
each and every one of us. As
one of the twelve Psukim and
Maamarei Razal that the Rebbe
wanted each child to study and
learn by heart, the Rebbe chose
the following Gemara (Megilla
6b): ;
; ;
If someone
says, I have worked hard, and I
have not been successful, dont
believe him. If someone says, I

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have not worked hard and I have

been successful, dont believe
him. If someone says, I have
worked hard, and I have been
successful, believe him!
It is not enough to groan,
sigh or even to say that we tried;
we must accomplish. Chassidus
teaches us something even
deeper. While in the text of
the Gemara, the word
means that I have accomplished,
it literally means that I have
found (something that was lost).
There is an important lesson: A
person gets paid a salary based
on his abilities and how much
he works. However, it is very
possible that a simple person
can find a big treasure (or win
the lottery). The amount found
can be incomparably higher
than the effort put in. When we
put in the right effort, we will
be rewarded with even greater
accomplishments than what we
are naturally able to accomplish.
This attitude of action
rather than sighing is especially
important when it comes to
bringing Moshiach. When one
speaks about bringing Moshiach,
many wistfully sigh and smile
and let out big groans or just say
Halevai If only. They pay lipservice and maybe even sing Ani
Maamin but after so many years
in Galus, they do not really feel
that anything we do can change
the current situation. We become
complacent in exile and only wish
for a better tomorrow.
This attitude needs a drastic
change. We must realize that
Groaning (sighing) by itself
wont do a bit of good. We must
take an active role in bringing the
Geula. We cant be waiting on
the side for someone else to do
something to bring Moshiach, we
must get personally involved. In
the words of the Rebbe (Shmini
5751, right after the historic

Sicha of 28 Nissan 5751):

Simply put: All Jews, men,
women and even children, have
the responsibility to increase their
efforts to bring our righteous
Moshiach in actual reality!
Therefore, its obvious theres
no place for relying on others or
imposing the work on someone
else instead of doing it ones
self but this is the task of every
man and woman; everyone must
themselves do their job, to serve
my Maker (for the sake of which
I was created), and certainly
one has the ability (since I do
not ask except according to their
ability).
Intriguingly, there is a small
letter that the Rebbe chose to
serve as a preface to the entire
HaYom Yom: At this time, when
the world is quaking, when the
entire world is shuddering with
the birth pangs of Moshiach,
and Gd has set the walls of exile
afire, every Jew man and
woman, old and young is
obligated to ask himself: What
have I done and what am I
doing to ease the birth pangs of
Moshiach and merit the ultimate
Redemption that will come about
through Moshiach?
[It is important to note, that
this quote from the Frierdike
Rebbe was not attached to any
specific day of the calendar. The
Rebbe wants us to be asking
ourselves this question every
single day!]
This
Avoda
feels
overwhelming
and
difficult.
To adjust our attitude, it is
important to keep the words of
the following HaYom Yom (4
Tammuz) in mind: One single
chassid or student who devotes
his heart, mind and soul to Torah
and to bolstering Torah, effects
wonders in a large city, in all that
citys affairs in a manner that
transcends the natural order,

by the merit of our Patriarchs,

Fathers of the World. [i.e., our
Rebbeim].
When we think of bringing
Moshiach, we think of huge and
many times unrealistic projects.
This deflates our eagerness and
excitement. We must internalize
that it is the small things that
make a big difference. As it
states in yet another HaYom
Yom (2 Adar I): This avoda
does not imply as some think,
altogether erroneously that
one must pulverize mountains
and shatter boulders, turn the
world upside down. The absolute
truth is that any avoda, any act,
whatever it may be, is perfectly
satisfactory when performed with
true kavana, intent: A bracha
pronounced with kavana; a word
of davening as it should be, with a
prepared heart and an awareness
of before Whom you stand; a
passage in Chumash said with
an awareness that it is the word
of Gd; a verse of Thillim; a
beneficent trait of character
expressed in befriending another
with affection and love.
Lets make the world great
again by being active in the
Moshiach campaign. Let us
stop sighing and kvetching as
Groaning (sighing) by itself
wont do a bit of good. As this
Shabbos is already Shabbos
Mevarchim Shvat, and the
preparations for Yud Shvat begin
in earnest, let us make a small
hachlata to learn a little more
and teach a little more about
Moshiach and together we will
certainly merit the complete
Hisgalus of the Rebbe MHM
now!
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva
of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a
well sought after speaker and lecturer.
Recordings of his in-depth shiurim
on Inyanei Geula uMoshiach can be
accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com

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FEATURE

ZALMY, DO

YOU HAVE
A MASHPIA?
Thirty years ago, the Rebbe started the campaign
urging people to asei lecha rav, that every man
and woman, boy and girl, appoint a mashpia to
help them in their avodas Hashem. * By examining
the Rebbes sichos and talking with mashpiim, we
clarify the details of the campaign that the Rebbe
referred to as a soul request.
By Shneur Zalman Levin

top for a moment and

think. Do you have a
problem? A challenge?
Not sure about certain
things in your life? Feel that you
are stuck in your avodas Hashem?
Thats truly a problem.
Emotions are also stuck because
you feel blocked, you are not
moving forward. Its getting to
you. What should you do?
Now consider that you had
someone that you respect and
like, who you would listen to.
He knows you, he can identify
your weaknesses as well as your
strengths. You go to him with
your problem. He is not only
wise enough but also has spiritual

authority that he got from

Hashem and the Rebbe. He is a
channel to be mashpia to you
only good things.
If we think about this, not
just from a spiritual perspective
but from the angle of what is
beneficial to us, a selfish angle
if you wish, this is a very nice
gift we got from the Rebbe. He
encouraged us to practically
implement what it says in
Mishnayos Avos, asei lecha rav.
Ill tell you the truth, I
heard from a Lubavitcher young
man who wishes to remain
anonymous. For many years
it was hard for me to choose
someone. I know the difficulty

was not so much in the choosing

as in the actual appointment of
someone to whom I will need to
expose myself and he will tell me
what to do. Thats how I saw it.
At a certain point, I went
through a seriously difficult time
and realized that I need a rav
to help get me out of the mud,
because someone imprisoned
cannot free himself from jail.
It wasnt easy for me but I was
forced to do it, and since then I
bless the moment that I took on
a mashpia to help me. Its not
like I thought, that he would be
someone who dictated to me. On
the contrary, he is someone who
knows me well, my good points,

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and he strengthens them and

also helps me think straight, run
away from traps, and circumvent
unpleasant areas in life.
This is how the Rebbe Rayatz
describes the place of a mashpia
in the world of Chassidus:
Mashpiim for Chassidim are
a primary thing in the ways
of Chassidus. The ways of
Chassidus are the planting
of the divine flow... when the
planter [mashpia] is an expert
at his work and is not lazy in
his labors.
The Chassidic crown of the
town was the mashpia. They
consulted with him in matters

of avoda, they conferred with

him about how to free oneself
of a negative trait and how to
become habituated to a good
trait, what steps to take so that
a prayer is a prayer, how to
read the bedtime Krias Shema...
From the mashpia one receives
a program of preparation before
going to the Rebbe for yechidus.

THE REBBE IMPORTUNES:

ASEI LECHA RAV
Before we speak about the
campaign, let us first read what
the Rebbe had to say about this.
At the farbrengen on Shabbos

Parshas Dvarim 5746, the Rebbe

referred to this statement of
our Sages and explained that a
person is subjective and cannot
rely on himself, especially not
concerning matters of tzdaka
and Torah study. Therefore, he
needs a rav whom he looks up to.
Who
was
the
Rebbe
addressing? Everyone, without
exception:
It is extremely good and
proper that every Jew, men and
women, including small boys
and girls, fulfill the instruction
of the Mishna, Asei lecha rav.
To do so by going from time to
time to someone greater than
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Feature

Eighteen
Chassidim,
mostly
rabbanim,
mashpiim and shluchim, approached R Zushe
the partisan to be their personal rav, and he agreed.
A short while later, he was approached by R Mendel
Futerfas, but R Zushe declined, claiming that the list
was full...

himself in order to be tested

regarding his status in Torah
study, the giving of tzdaka,
and his general conduct in
the service of Hashem. This
includes also permitted matters,
All your actions should be for
the sake of Heaven, In all
your ways you should know
Him. Through this he will
receive the proper instruction
and guidance without the
bribery of self-interest. In
addition to which, the very
knowledge that he will have to
give an accounting from time
to time to a man of flesh and
blood will cause him to improve
his conduct and increase in all
matters of good and holiness.
More so, the Rebbe added
that even someone who is great
in Torah and fear of Heaven and
will have difficulty in finding
someone greater should appoint
a rav for himself, despite that
person being on a lower level
than him. The very fact that an
outside person sees his situation
will help him see things without
self-bias. In one of the sichos,
the Rebbe pointed out that it is
known that even the Vilna Gaon
had someone whom he would
invite from time to time to give
him musar (rebuke), and he
would do what he was instructed!
Truth be told, this was not
something new from the Rebbe.
Thirty-three years prior, in 5713,
the Rebbe spoke about this in no
uncertain terms:

There are those who think

that in lower matters they can
understand and decide for
themselves, and therefore do
not need to go ask about such
things from a rav.
The Mishna says, Asei lecha
rav. Every Jew needs to have
a rav, whereas they think this
applies only to lofty matters, but
when it comes to simple things
he believes in himself and he
doesnt need the influence of a
rav. He can do it himself.
And even though time has
passed and he is still in the
same lowly state, he still thinks
its not worthwhile to go to a
rav. He is waiting until they
will pour over him a spirit from
Above, until he will be inspired
with proper fear, and then he
will fix whatever needs fixing,
with his own power.
What about someone who
cant find a suitable rav? The
Rebbe goes on to address those
people too:
They should know that it is
from the counsel and seduction
of the yetzer. Because it is
certain that the Jewish people
are not widowed, and it is
impossible that there should
be nobody greater than him
in love and fear of Hashem,
and therefore can serve as his
rav. However, for this there
has to be asei (also from the
term meaning to coerce his own
ego) and exertion he needs to
exert himself and search until

he finds a rav, because he

cannot rely on himself, and it
is essential that he have a rav.
And if you toil you will find
if he will really exert himself
and search for real, he will find
a rav.
Twenty-four
years
later,
in 5737, the Rebbe again
highlighted
the
need
for
mashpiim and mashpios. In
order to encourage Anash to
become mashpiim for those who
ask them, the Rebbe instructed
to publish a special printing of
kuntres Ahavas Yisroel just for
mashpiim:
In every place that my words
will reach a request, a plea,
and beseeching (in every term of
request and imploring that can
possibly be employed) they
should establish this matter
bpoel mamash, so that already
on Chanuka... should begin the
hashpoo of those providing
guidance.
It would seem that the Rebbe
was not happy with the results
of that initiative. On Shabbos
Parshas Bo 5743, the Rebbe
shared his feelings on the matter:
When it was spoken a
number of years ago about
appointing mashpiim in every
single place... I wanted to
add in the expediting and
encouraging of this matter.
Therefore, since at that time
the kuntres Ahavas Yisroel was
published, containing sayings
and teachings of our Rebbeim
and Nsiim... I announced that
I would sign my autograph on
these pamphlets and give them
to each one of the mashpiim.
From then until today, except
for a small number, nobody has
asked to receive this kuntres
with my signature! Despite the
fact that I suggested this on my
own!

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THE TWO MONTH MASHPIA

The Rebbe clarified over the
years that choosing a rav needs
to be done voluntarily and not
through any form of coercion.
On the other hand, the rav needs
to be the real deal who will guide
the mushpa on the proper path.
One should not look for a rav
that will go easy on him, as that
would be disastrous, but he needs
to accept him with kabbalas ol.
The
ultimate
question
remains as to what are the actual
criteria for choosing a rav? The
Rebbe addressed this as well,
based on the statement of the
Sages, If the rav is similar to
an angel of G-d, seek out Torah
from his mouth, and if not...
The nature of angels is that there
exists no jealousy, hatred or
competitiveness, among them;
to the contrary, like the three
distinguishing
characteristics
of Jews, merciful, abashed and
doers of kindness. One should
seek out a rav who has all these
signs in an open way that is
obvious to all.
Immediately after the Rebbe
spoke about this issue thirty
years ago, the Vaad HaMimush
(implementation
committee)
publicized it in all communities
of Anash. Cards were also
distributed to be filled out with
all the relevant details, in order
to present the Rebbe with a
coordinated report regarding the
implementation of the campaign.
R SZ Berger recounts an
interesting episode from that
time: In those days, eighteen
Chassidim, mostly rabbanim,
mashpiim
and
shluchim,
approached R Zushe the
partisan to be their personal rav,
and he agreed. A short while later,
he was approached by R Mendel
Futerfas, but R Zushe declined,
claiming that the list was full...
In actual fact, his mushpaim

only benefited from his counsel

for a brief time, as two months
later, on Sukkos 5747, R Zushe
passed away suddenly.
From the time that the
Rebbe issued his call, personal
connections between Chassidim
and mashpiim really began to
take off. Young married men
and bachurim, elders and even
rabbanim took on a personal
mashpia; housewives and young
women, teenage students and
their teachers chose mashpios for
themselves.

MASHPIA: FULL TIME AND

TOTAL COMMITMENT
Despite the many years that
have passed since the Rebbe
started this campaign, there
are still some murky areas,

such as: When do you ask the

Rebbe and when do you ask the
mashpia? What is the mashpias
main responsibility and what
is the mushpas responsibility?
Is a mashpia the one to turn
to for everything? What is the
difference between a mashpia
and asei lecha rav? We will try
to clarify this.
In order to get answers, we
spoke with Rabbi Zalman Notik,
a mashpia who is completely
invested and totally dedicated
all year round. Aside from his
hundreds of mushpaim, and his
wifes mushpaos, who are in
close contact with them, R Notik
also serves as mashpia in several
Chabad yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel
and gives shiurim in Chassidus,
as well as leads farbrengens with

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Feature

At a certain point, I went through a seriously

difficult time and realized that I need a rav to help
get me out of the mud, because someone imprisoned
cannot free himself from jail. It wasnt easy for me but
I was forced by circumstance to do it. Since then I bless
the moment that I took on a mashpia to help me.
his special flavor and charm.
The
horaa/instruction
of asei lecha rav launched a
revolution on many fronts. The
main one being that until that
horaa, mashpiim would take the
initiative to speak to mushpaim.
The Rebbes horaa put the onus
on the mushpaim to appoint
a mashpia and to consult with
him now and then in matters of
avodas Hashem. Of course, this
made the hashpaa more powerful
and more accepted.
Some
would
say
that
frequent consultations with
a mashpia undermines a
Chassids capacity to do his own
avoda. How do you respond to
that?
On the contrary, ones own
avoda is expressed in carrying
out the guidance the mashpia
provides Personal avoda can
happen only after you know
what to do. Most of the time,
the mushpa doesnt know what
to do and that is where the
mashpia comes into the picture.
He explains to the mushpa what
and how to do, but the avoda is
definitely that of the mushpa, not
of the mashpia!
Some will say: I learn sichos
and maamarim of the Rebbe
and get guidance in the Igros
Kodesh. The Rebbe provides
guidance on every subject. I
have knowledgeable friends,
a doctor-friend, and a rav
that provides practical halacha
rulings, so why do I need a

mashpia?
The
Rebbe
gave
clear
guidelines about the need to
ask the asei lecha rav. The
Rebbe told us there is a way of
doing things. If a Chassid has a
question in avodas Hashem or a
question about how to go about
things in life, he should ask his
mashpia. Sometimes, some of
the confusion in avodas Hashem
begins when a Chassid takes
upon himself levels that are not
for him. The job of a mashpia is
to match Lights to Vessels,
to know how to assess the
persons strengths and abilities;
to ascertain where he stands and
to match the level that he learned
about in the maamer or sicha
which he wishes to attain to his
spiritual standing!
Is a mashpia supposed to
get involved with questions
of chinuch, shalom bayis,
decisions about finding a job,
etc.?
Naturally,
the
mashpia
should help his mushpa in every
area, personal and familial, but
this is not the primary job and
responsibility of a mashpia.
Occasionally, the mashpia can
respond about finding a job, for
example, since he is objective
and sees things that the person
consulting with him cannot see.
Yet, with all of a mashpias
objectivity, there are things that
he cannot decide. There are often
hidden factors that cannot be
decided by a mashpia; only the

Rebbe can decide, which is why

the mashpia will say to ask the
Rebbe.
The mashpia needs to have
the bittul to be able to say
I dont know or I am not
knowledgeable in that area,
and refer him to someone
professional in that area. When
you go to a professional as
referred by the mashpia, there is
the same heavenly assistance that
the mashpia has.
Even with a coach or
psychologist?
The main role of a mashpia
is to enable the mushpa to make
progress in his avodas Hashem
and in this, he has heavenly
assistance. If a mashpia feels
that the difficulty the mushpa is
having in his avodas Hashem is a
result of some emotional or other
problem and the mashpia himself
does not know how to handle it,
he needs to refer him to a coach,
psychologist, therapist or anyone
that he thinks is expert in the
field that the mushpa needs help
with.
A personal coach does not
deal with avodas Hashem at all.
His job is to develop a persons
horizons, to teach him how to
actualize his potential, to bring
out his ability to handle social
situations, to accept problems as
challenges, etc. Very infrequently
will this directly impact his
avodas Hashem. When it comes
to avodas Hashem, you speak to
a mashpia.
When children know that
even their all knowing father
has a mashpia with whom
he consults about avodas
Hashem, they absorb the idea
that everyone needs a mashpia
because people are subjective.
This understanding will further
their Chassidic education and
the desire to choose their own
mashpia.

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A MASHPIA MUST ALSO HAVE LIFE EXPERIENCE

Apparently,
things
are
not all simple and smooth
when it comes to asei lecha
rav, despite the fact that it is
extremely beneficial. In recent
years, there is a phenomenon
of young men (or women as
mashpios) who are chosen to
serve as mashpiim for others.
Being passionate Chassidim,
they convey a tremendous
amount of Chassidishe feeling
to other young people and help
them in their avodas Hashem as
well as directing them in various
areas of their lives.
This is a good thing for
a number of reasons: Firstly,
Ahavas Yisroel and helping
others. It is also a fulfillment of what the Alter Rebbe
says in the beginning of Tanya that someone who can
help others and refrains from doing so with excuses
of false modesty will be greatly punished, and finally,
there is also the Alter Rebbes blessing for those who
help.
At the same time, an important point needs to be
made, says R Zalman Notik, mashpia to many men
and bachurim.
Sometimes, life experience is the only thing that
can provide the right perspective of how to respond to
a certain question. These are questions that require not
only wisdom but also experience, as the saying goes,
There is no wise man like someone with experience.
Not everything that is written in books suits every
person. Sometimes, an answer that you take from the
Igros Kodesh or sichos of the Rebbe, or a Chassidishe
hergesh that a person has that he tries to convey to
his mushpa, can cause harm to that person or even
sometimes to a young couple. Although they need that
Chassidic principle, in actual practice they need that

MASHPIIM
TELEPHONE SYSTEM
In
recent
years,
there
has been a great awakening
concerning this campaign. The
one responsible for this is Rabbi
Shimon Yehuda Pizem, director
of Hisachdus Hachassidim,

principle applied on a simpler level

that suits them.
There
are
inexperienced
mashpiim who are unable to
correctly diagnose the actual
capacity of the mushpa to
integrate a horaa from the Rebbe.
You cannot drop what the Rebbe
said on them because sometimes it
can be harmful.
There are abilities you gain
only from extended experience
that comes with age and the wear
and tear of life which the mashpia
himself underwent.
Can you give an example?
A young couple went to the
husbands mashpia to consult
with him about whether to go to
the Rebbe for Tishrei shortly after they were married.
Sometimes the Chassidic fervor of that young mashpia
pushes him to give a positive answer, because what
can be better than to start off married life than a
month with the Rebbe? But the Vessels of that young
couple, oftentimes can crack or even break in the
face of the great Lights, i.e., it can be too stressful
and overwhelming. Perhaps they would be better off
spending that first year of adjustment to married life in
a quieter place.
This is a situation where young mashpiim should
be very circumspect before giving a decisive answer.
What do you suggest a young mashpia do if he
gets a question like this?
He should consult with older, more experienced
mashpiim, and present them with the details and
not decide on his own. This is not to diminish the
importance of young people serving as mashpiim with
the faith in the Rebbe and his concern for both the
mashpia and the mushpa. Surely, the Rebbe will guide
everyone in the best way.

along with R Shneur Gurfinkel

who did tremendous work in
setting up the phone system with
the help of R Menashe Amitai.
We are involved, boruch
Hashem, with something the
Rebbe called an inyan nafshi
(the Rebbe even said he has no

words to express what he feels

other than soul request). Since
this request is so important to the
Rebbe, we want to help people
carry it out.
On 2 Shvat 5774, Hisachdus
Hachassidim
launched
a
phone system where sixty-four

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Feature

WHAT DO YOU ASK A MASHPIA?

Its important to clarify the role of a mashpia in the mushpas life.
Should a person ask a mashpia every question that comes up in life?
What shouldnt be asked of a mashpia but of others? The Rebbe himself
responded to this in a sicha:
Due to the darkness in the world (olam from the root meaning hidden)
it is possible that despite all the clear instructions in the Torah of Light, a
person will still be confused and have doubts.
Confusion and doubts do not free him, G-d forbid, from his obligation
to serve my Maker (even if the doubt is justified according to Torah),
because this is a persons constant obligation. Therefore, surely the Torah
instructed him in a way to remove all doubts and confusion so he can serve
his Maker with serenity.
For most things, a person can find a solution according to the general
response that was given previously, based on the instructions of the Torah:
For medical matters: Do according to the advice of an expert; better
yet according to two expert doctors. If there is a difference of opinion,
ask a third and do as the majority say. Better yet a doctor-friend who is
concerned for his welfare, or both together.
For parnasa and material life decisions: Do as knowledgeable friends
advise, as it says, and salvation with much counsel, i.e., you need to be a
maven in order to give counsel, and much counsel two, and friends
who seek his welfare, for then they will look into his situation as necessary
and give him proper advice.
For avodas Hashem, Torah and mitzvos: Ask a rav moreh horaa (or beis
din) in your city including a mashpia, as the Mishna says, asei lecha rav.
***
In the sicha of 2 Adar 5748, the Rebbe said that in every area, whether
personal or communal, one should do according to the instructions of a
beis din of Chassidishe rabbanim. Since they learn Nigleh and Chassidus,
they integrate Nigleh and pnimius. Specifically, ask three rabbanim or
one of them (especially in matters of tznius and the like where you cannot
speak with three), for him to discuss it with the other two and respond on
behalf of them all.
mashpiim answer questions. Its
revolutionary, says R Pizem.
We have been assisted by R
Yaakov Lenchner and his family
who take care of the technical
end of things.
What is the goal of this
phone center?
To make mashpiim accessible
to mushpaim. Any Chassid who
wants to consult with a mashpia
is invited to pick up the phone
and talk with a mashpia that he
chooses based on his availability.
Many people hesitate to call a

mashpia because they dont want

to bother them. With this phone
system, in which mashpiim have
set hours, you can call and easily
reach them.
When we first started, there
were thousands of calls a month
because of the novelty. Today
we get between 500-700 calls
a month through this phone
system.
One of the mashpiim who
regularly answers calls is Rabbi
Efraim Mifi, who helps people
find solutions in avodas Hashem.

Rabbi Shimon Yehuda Pizem

Since the promotion of asei

lecha rav, and especially since
the phone system was set up, I
have seen a tremendous response
among the young marrieds. They
are talking about this and ask
one another, When is mashpia
X available? and When does
mashpia Y take calls? This
phone center is making a farreaching impact on people and
their homes.
One time, someone called me
whom I did not know. He began
talking to me about the many
problems he had in every area:
parnasa, shalom bayis, chinuch,
and his place of residence.
I asked questions and spoke
to him over the span of twothree days until we resolved all
his dilemmas one by one! I said
to him: Although I dont know
you, it seems to me that in this
matter you need to do this and in
that matter you need to do that.
The person was very moved and
thanked me profusely. That is
just one example out of many.
Another story that will
illustrate the power of speaking
to a mashpia goes like this.
Someone called me after he was
fired from his job. We spoke

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HASHEM HELPS TO FIND A MASHPIA

Rabbi Efraim Mifi

and he committed to consulting

with me as a mashpia. In our
first conversation, I asked him
to write to the Rebbe and until
he got a new job we would learn
Torah together every morning
after davening.
He wrote to the Rebbe on
Friday and on Sunday, when
we learned together, he told me
he had already gotten three job
offers. On Wednesday, he had to
go to his new job after Shacharis
and I lost my chavrusa.
What do you learn from
this?
That when a Chassid
commits to doing what the Rebbe
said and appoints a mashpia
for himself, he merits heavenly
assistance. When a Chassid
consults with a mashpia because
its a horaa from the Rebbe,
the Rebbe takes the Chassids
worries and hardships on his
shoulders and helps him out. You
just need to pick up the phone.
R Pizem:
There
was
an
older
Lubavitcher who returned from
770, all inspired, but after a few
days he experienced a spiritual
fall. He was in a bad state. When

When the Rebbe spoke about a formal system of mashpiim back in

5737, he added some practical and important details:
1. Whats needed for the role of mashpia is for the leader to fit the
generation and the generation to fit the leader. Especially nowadays, one
should choose (or volunteer) someone who is fitting to be a mashpia, not
necessarily the greatest and the most perfect.
2. To add, as our Sages say, Its not authority that I give you but
servitude that I give you.
3. This role should be carried out with ways of pleasantness and
ways of peace, with truth and peace and drawing of hearts close and
true brotherly closeness, appropriate for what is explained in the kuntres
Heichaltzu (which is known and famous).
4. Especially when going with the power of the meshaleiach who are
our Rebbeim-Nisieinu, starting with the Baal Simcha and Geula and his
successors until Nasi Doreinu, the Rebbe, my father-in-law This matter
starts with the Great Luminary, the Baal Shem Tov and with the help of
our Rebbeim-Nisieinu, together with the merit of the multitude.
5. Surely it will become clear over time who is more worthy and suited
and needs to be a mashpia.
6. There is no problem for there to be several (two or three) mashpiim,
whether divided according to shuls or based on different topics of concern:
Torah, avoda, gmilus chassadim.
7. It is clear that Hashem will not abandon his flock and will make
sure and guarantee that there will be a mashpia and guide in the spirit and
according to the teachings of our Rebbeim-Nsiim, in every single place,
and He blesses him with great and outstanding success in the avoda of
hashpaa and hadracha.
8. The merit that will accrue to the mashpia is that his mind and heart
will be refined a thousand times over.
he got a text message about
the phone system we set up he
decided to call and try and get
help.
The mashpia on the line
gave him some advice and tips
about how to preserve the special
feeling of 770. He recommended
that every day he study an
inyan connected to 770 or Beis
Rabbeinu ShBBavel, which gave
him a more grounded feeling of
connection.
R Pizem, do you really think
that calling a mashpia at a
phone center is what the Rebbe
had in mind when he asked to
fulfill asei lecha rav?
Of course not! The Rebbe

wants the mashpia to know

you personally and where you
stand when it comes to Torah
and tzdaka. Our goal was to
generate greater awareness of
this issue. Most of Anash have
a mashpia and rav who guides
them personally, but we wanted
to help those who dont have
a personal mashpia and make
mashpiim accessible to them.
But obviously the Rebbe wants
everyone to appoint a personal
rav with whom he sits once or
twice a month to discuss things
seriously, and not just to deal
with pressing issues that come up
on occasion by calling the phone
center.

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HALACHA 2 GO

GETTING PAID
TO DO NOTHING
Selected Halachos from the
One Minute Halacha project
By HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, Shlita,
Mara Dasra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights

THE CASE OF THE DOUBLE

FRONT PORTAL
A common design for the
entrance of a brick or stone
house is a tzuras hapesach (an
opening formed by two side
posts and a lintel, i.e. a doorway)
which consists of a brick (or
stone) portal that is adjacent to a
second doorframe made of wood
supporting the front door. There
is a machlokes (difference of
opinion) among poskim whether
in such a situation, the mezuzah
should be placed on the outer
jamb or the inner one.
Those that argue for the
outer (brick) doorframe cite the
ruling that the mezuzah should
be placed on tefach hasamuch
lechutz (the four finger-breadths
closest to the outside), so that
we encounter the mezuzah right
upon entry to the home, and
there is no part of the home (even
the smallest area) that is not
under the mezuzahs protection.
The opposing view determines
the halacha according to the
svara (halachic argument) that
when one doorframe is adjacent

to another, the first is nullified by

the presence of the second.
So, practically speaking, what
should the homeowner do? If the
brick portal is indeed canceled out
by the inner doorframe, it is no
longer considered a real entrance
and the mezuzah placement
is invalid. Furthermore, if the
inner doorframe protrudes a
tefach or more beyond the outer
brick doorframe, a mezuzah on
the outer portal may be deemed
heemik lah tefach (embedded a
tefach into the doorpost), which
is not kosher.
On the other hand, whereas
the idea of tefach hasamuch
lechutz is considered good
practice, it is not meakev
(restrictive,
i.e.
halachically
binding).
Therefore,
the
preferable placement for the
mezuzah in this set-up is on the
inner doorframe, if possible. If
the inner doorframe is narrower
than the outer portal by a tefach
or more, the mezuzah must be
placed on the inner doorframe.

BLESS THE DRESS,

BUT SHUN THE SHOES
The Rema mentions the
custom of blessing a person who
acquires a new item of clothing:
Tivleh usechadesh (wear it out
and get a new one). There is an
exception: We do not give this
particular bracha for new shoes.
Shoes are made from leather,
the skin of an animal, and it is
inappropriate for us to wish that
another animal be killed so the
wearer may get yet another new
pair.
Shulchan Aruch states that a
person should recite the bracha
of SheHechiyanu (That we
have reached the occasion,
which is recited for monumental
events, like a new Yom Tov)
upon purchasing or donning
new clothes. This halacha has
been abandoned by some people
in current times since buying
new clothing has become so
commonplacebut they still
make the bracha on very elegant
or expensive clothing.
What about shoes? Poskim
say that according to all opinions

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shoes are not considered fancy

garments, even for the poor, so
SheHechiyanu is not said when
buying them, just as it is not said
for new socks or other ordinary
clothing. It seems that the
reasoning for this halacha is that
in the times of earlier poskim,
new shoes were considered a
constant need and other apparel,
a luxury.
These days, however, shoes
can be quite expensive, more
so than regular clothing, and
can last for much longer too. It
is therefore questionable why
we dont say SheHechiyanu on
them. Perhaps the explanation
given above for not saying tivleh
usechadesh can be applied to
SheHechiyanu as wellbut this
explanation is a stretch.
Alternatively, perhaps shoes
were simply always less important
because they are constantly in
the dirt. Perhaps, the reason
the Shulchan Aruch states that
SheHechiyanu is not recited on
them was never on account of
the regularity of their purchase
(or their expense, which was
always significant), but because
their primary use is traversing the
ground.
Although these explanations
are difficult to sustain, it is
nevertheless
the
prevailing

custom not to say SheHechiyanu

upon buying or donning new
shoes.

I CANCELLED THE TAXI;

MUST I PAY ANYWAY?
A customer who orders a taxi,
and then cancels in advance with
legitimate cause, is not required
to pay.
On the other hand, if the
driver lost another potential job
because of the reservation, the
customer is liable. The same
applies if the driver already began
traveling to the pick-up location
and was unable to recoup his fare
by engaging another customer.
The sum required of the
customer is not full payment for
the job, but an amount kpoel
batel (like an idle worker), i.e.
the going rate that a hiree would

accept for sitting on the job

within that time frame. This
amount can be calculated at
about half of a regular fare, after
operating costs were deducted
(unless there were any expenses
incurred for this particular job,
which can be added). However,
in places where there is a minhag
hamedinah (local custom) for
compensation in such situations,
that figure should be the pay
standard.
A customer who hires a
taxi, and then encounters an
unreasonable delay in its arrival,
may cancel without liability.
One Minute Halacha is a succinct
daily presentation on practical Halacha
in video, audio, and text formats, and can
be accessed by phone at 718.989.9599,
by email, halacha2go@gmail.com, or by
WhatsApp 347.456.5665.

LIVE SHIURIM 0NLINE

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Issue 1053

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28 TEIVES

THE KING HONORS

THE ROYAL MOTHER
The Rebbe spoke about subjects of interest
to her: How are you? How do you feel? Did
the housekeeper come this morning? * Part
2 of 2 * Presented for 28 Teives, Rebbetzin
Chanas birthday.
SPECIAL HONOR

SWEETLY SAID THILLIM

Mrs. Sarah Junik relates:

I was a young girl when
the Rebbe came to Paris. I had
emigrated with my parents and
brothers from the Soviet Union
to France. I worked as a teacher
in the Chabad school there.
I would describe the respect
that the Rebbe gave his mother
as royal honor. I would see, for
example, when the Rebbetzin
entered a taxi, the Rebbe opened
and closed the door for her. The
Rebbe comported himself with
the greatest refinement. I also
remember that before they left
France, the Rebbe and his mother
went to a department store
where the Rebbe bought her new
luggage.

Rebbetzin
Chana
lived
for a while in the apartment
of the Rebbe and Rebbetzin
Chaya Mushka. The apartment
consisted of a bedroom, kitchen,
living room and study. In her
honor, the Rebbe moved his
study to the living room.
Later on, the Rebbetzin told
R Tzvi Yair Steinmetz that
during that period, on Shabbos
afternoon after the meal, the
Rebbe would pace back and
forth in the living room and say
Thillim.
I never heard Thillim said
with such sweetness, she said.

FIRST DAYS IN AMERICA

The Rebbe would go and visit

his mother every day when she
lived on President Street, around
six-seven in the evening.
R Yisroel Gordon related:
One evening, in 1955, I went
to visit Rebbetzin Chana with my
family. As we were sitting there,
I heard the Rebbe arrive. The
Rebbetzin said that her son had

Upon arriving in New York,

the Rebbe would walk with
his mother on Friday nights.
The neighborhood was full of
Hungarian Jews at the time and
they would bring their children
for a bracha from the Rebbe as he
took this walk.

WITH LOVE
AND GREAT RESPECT

come to visit her and if it wasnt

comfortable for us to sit in the
Rebbes presence, we could wait
in a side room.
I was able to hear some of the
conversation between the Rebbe
and his mother. What I heard
moved me. The Rebbe spoke
about subjects of interest to
her, with love and great respect:
How are you? How do you feel?
Did the housekeeper come this
morning?
The Rebbe sat with his mother
and poured her a cup of tea. The
visit took place in a pleasant
atmosphere, despite the Rebbes
time being so precious. After a
while, the Rebbetzin escorted her
son to the door.
Mrs. Jacobs, who worked in
the Rebbetzins home, said:
The Rebbe would visit his
mother every day. Even though
his mother refrained from
bothering him, the Rebbe, at his
own initiative, looked for ways to
help her.
One day, the Rebbetzin felt
weak and did not do the shopping
she usually did. There was no
milk in the house. When the

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Rebbe noticed this, he wanted to

go out and buy milk. Seeing that
he was getting ready to go, I said
that I would go and his mother
would be happier if he stayed
with her. The Rebbe agreed and
since it was raining, I put on a
coat and took an umbrella. As I
stood near the door, the Rebbe
asked: Why an umbrella?
I said: Because of the rain.
The Rebbe said: It is rain
of blessing and you want to be
protected from it?

A PATH IN THE SNOW

Rabbi Shlomo Cunin related:
When I was a talmid in 770,
the Rebbe would visit his mother
every day. One winter it didnt
stop snowing, which was unusual
for New York. A heavy snow
blanketed the pavement and the
Rebbe went to his mother in the
deep snow.
Intending to make the
Rebbes walk to his mothers
house as comfortable as possible,
I bought a snow blower to clear a
path through the snow from 770
to the Rebbetzins house. A half
an hour before I estimated the
Rebbe would be leaving, I turned
on the motor and began cleaning
the street. I went with the
machine down Kingston, happy
as could be. When I returned to
the beginning of the street, I saw
that the snow which had fallen
in the meantime had undone my
work.
I thought: At least let me
clean the entrance to 770. As I
was clearing the steps, the door
to 770 opened and the Rebbe
came out. There was nowhere for
me to run. I threw myself on the
snow and lay there on the side
of the steps from where I peeked
out at the Rebbe.
As the Rebbe passed near me,
he smiled broadly, bent slightly in

my direction, and waved his hand

encouragingly.
R Michel Raskin, owner of
the fruit and vegetable store on
Kingston, corner of President,
opposite the building where the
Rebbetzin lived (which later
became 1414, the dormitory for
the bachurim), related:
Every day, I would wait for
the Rebbe to pass by the store on
his way to visit his mother and
I would look at the Rebbe. One
time, as he passed by my store,
the Rebbe told me that it would
be a good idea for me to place
some of my nice produce outside
to attract customers. I did that,
and boruch Hashem, I was
successful. Sometimes, gentile
passersby try to help themselves
to the merchandise, but the idea
was definitely worthwhile.

STEP BY STEP
On Yom Tov, Rebbetzin
Chana would eat with the Rebbe
in 770 (the meals took place in
the Rebbe Rayatzs apartment).
After each meal, the Rebbe would
escort his mother home. One
night, when he left 770 with
his mother, all the Chassidim
escorted them out with dancing.
The Rebbe told them to continue
dancing outside 770 and he went
with his mother.
The Rebbe held the Pesach
sdarim in the apartment of the
Rebbe Rayatz. Rebbetzin Chana
would sit with the women in a
separate room. Afterward, the
Rebbe would take his mothers
hand and go down the steps with
her, step by step, slowly, at her
pace.
R Laime Minkowitz related:
One time, when the Rebbe
escorted his mother home, I
followed them. At one point, the
pavement was high and when
they got there, the Rebbe stopped

and helped his mother.

AT THE KINGS TABLE

On the Yomim Noraim,
during the break between tfillos,
Rebbetzin Chana rested in the
Rebbes room. Erev Yom Kippur
5712/1951, R Berel Junik
entered the Rebbes room to
put the Rebbetzins belongings
there. Among them were the
Rebbetzins slippers in a plastic
bag. R Berel asked the Rebbe
where to put them and the Rebbe
told him to put them on his desk.

GIVING NACHAS
The Rebbe generally did not
get involved when it came to
naming a baby, but in 5708, the
Rebbe asked R Moshe Hecht
to name his daughter Rochel,
the name of Rebbetzin Chanas
mother, in order to give her
nachas.
The Rebbe then sent him
a thank you letter which said:
I thank you for accepting my
suggestion. I bless you that you
raise her to Torah, chuppa, and
good deeds with material and
spiritual plenty.
Someone told the Rebbe that
he wanted to name his son after
the Rebbes father, but he could
only use the first name, Levi,
since a close relative had the
name Yitzchok. The Rebbe told
him to speak to his mother. When
the man spoke to Rebbetzin
Chana, she responded with a
smile, Yes, he [R Levi Yitzchok]
was a good Jew.

HE STOOD UP
When
Rabbi
Weitzman
(a rav in Brownsville, New
York) brought the Rebbe a
postcard with R Levi Yitzchoks
handwriting, the Rebbe rose to
stand fully upright.

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TZIVOS HASHEM

THE THIRD
QUESTION
Presented for 24 Teves, when the Alter Rebbe passed away

The Chassid, R Yitzchok

Isaac, waited nervously at the
entrance to the Alter Rebbes
room, deep in thought. He
had just been hired to serve
as rav of the large community
in Vitebsk. As a Chassid, he
decided to ask the Rebbe for
a bracha before taking on this
weighty position.
The door to the Rebbes
room opened and R Isaac
walked in with great respect
and his heart pounding with
emotion. The Rebbe was quiet
for several moments and R
Isaac waited. Suddenly, the
Rebbe rose and went over to
one of the bookshelves and
removed a Shulchan Aruch. He
leafed through the pages and
read to R Isaac from a certain
page. Then he asked a difficult
question on the halacha.
R Isaac was taken aback.
very
was
question
The
hard and despite his broad
knowledge and wisdom, he
could not think of an answer.
He stood there silently, looking
down at the floor.
The Rebbe continued leafing
through the Shulchan Aruch.
Once again, he opened to a
certain page, read what it said
and asked another question. R

Isaac wracked his brains but

could not come up with an
answer.
Again, the Rebbe leafed
through the seifer and then
asked a third difficult question.
Like the previous times, once
again, R Isaac could not come
up with an answer.
Silence filled the room.
R Isaac felt that something
unusual was taking place;
something heavenly that the
Rebbe was orchestrating.
The Rebbe then began to
explain and answer the first
question, simply and clearly.
What genius! Then the Rebbe
gave the second and third
resolutions.
in
nodded
Isaac
R
amazement. Then the Rebbe
blessed him that he succeed in
his vital job and R Isaac left
the room.
***
A few days passed since he
began his job as rav in Vitebsk.
R Isaac would go every day
to where the community
rabbis sat. He received people,
queries,
their
answered
and
Torah,
dinei
in
ed
pasken
unity
comm
in
d
involve
got
matters.

On the long line stood a

simple woman who looked
as though life wasnt easy for
her. She had a small chicken
and had a question about
its kashrus. When it was her
turn, he saw that this was no
simple question. Suddenly, he
remembered the Rebbes room.
This was the first question
that the Rebbe had presented,
and R Isaac remembered the
solution he gave. My, what
genius! What an approach to
the study of Shulchan Aruch!
R Isaac then paskened for the
woman according to what the
Rebbe had said.
Not many days later, a
was
question
complicated
posed to him about pots where
meat and milk had been
mixed. The rav did not need to
think about it much since he
already had the solution to this
question. This was the second
question that the Rebbe had
asked. R Isaac was amazed.
This was ruach hakodesh! The
Rebbe had anticipated these
questions!
R Isaac saw how quickly
he needed those two answers
and he waited for the third
question to arise. He was sure
it would, but when? He didnt

34 22 Teives 5777
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he
permit an animal that seemed before I became rav, and
first
The
answered all three.
treif without a doubt?
two questions were posed to
the
Before they could ask,
me shortly thereafter and I
rav addressed the butcher in
had the answers ready. Now,
a booming voice, Wicked one,
the third question was asked,
admit the truth!
about that lung. Since I knew
The butcher turned pale.
it was kosher, as the Rebbe
Yes, he said meekly. I made
explained, I knew that the
a hole in the lung. And he left
butcher had done something
the room in shame.
to make it look treif. Now,
The dayanim were even it is clear to me that I have
more amazed now. Had R completed my mission on
Isaac performed a miracle of earth.
open ruach hakodesh?
A few minutes later, R
R Isaac returned to his Isaac passed away.
room. A few minutes later he
came back out and called
R Mordechai, the Av Beis
Din, and whispered to him,
Please call the chevra
kadisha (burial society). I will
be leaving the world soon.
R Mordechai turned pale
and said, Why is the rav
speaking this way? The rav is
healthy and with Hashems
health will continue to serve
for many years! But R
Isaac was firm and told him
to hurry and do as he said.
R Mordechai left the
arose.
room in a fright and ran
tall,
the
,
to call the chevra kadisha.
One busy Friday
in
out
When they came, the rav
brawny butcher stood
large
a
told them, In a few minutes
the crowd. He held
which
l
I will return my soul to
lung of an anima
The
ns.
my Maker. Please bury me
had kashrus questio
lung
the
before Shabbos.
dayanim examined
were
and the three of them
The members of the
sure the animal was treif. They chevra kadisha, who never
discussed it and brought proofs experienced anything like
from various poskim. Their this before, asked him, Why
voices reached R Isaac who got do you think you will be
up and slowly walked to their leaving the world?
room. R Isaac asked to see the
R Isaac explained. The
lung and declared it kosher.
Alter Rebbe asked me three
when
The dayanim looked at difficult
questions
him in wonder. How could he I had yechidus with him

know.
He felt that with the answer
to the third question he would
complete his task in this world.
But the third question was not
posed.
A year went by and then
another year. R Isaac served
as rav in Vitebsk for sixty
years and the third question
the Rebbe had posed still had
not been asked. But he knew
its time would come.
R Isaac was no longer
young. His beard was white
and he was weak, but his mind
was clear. Since it was hard for
him to receive so many people
due to his advanced age, he
appointed three dayanim who
sat in a nearby room. They
received the people with their
questions. Only in cases when
they were in doubt and could
not come to a decision did they
approach him to hear what he
had to say.
This is what went on every
day, especially on Fridays when
Jewish women prepared for
Shabbos and kashrus questions

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