CONTENTS

10
FEATURED ARTICLES WEEKLY COLUMNS
3 Dvar Malchus
4 ANTICIPATING THE
ULTIMATE GIMMEL 21 HaYom Yom & Moshiach
TAMMUZ CELEBRATION 31 PARSHA THOUGHT
Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun
05 Tzivos Hashem
10 THE REBBE SEES AND
KNOWS EVERYTHING
Avrohom Rainitz

25 ITOWANT YOU
WORK FOR ME
4 Rabbi Sholom Yaakov Chazan
and Avrohom Reinitz

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1073_bm_eng.indd 4 2017-06-22 6:48:47 AM

 DVAR MALCHUS

TALK OF ETERNAL
LIFE ON 3 TAMMUZ
Prior to the Rebbe Rayatzs histalkus
in 5710, he emphasized the concept of
chayim nitzchiim, eternal life. The Rebbe
MHM points out the profound significance
of the topics a Rebbe discusses in his final
sichos delivered in this world: they serve
as instructions for how to proceed in holiness (of the hamshacha that
transcends Hishtalshlus within
the wake of his histalkus. * The following Seider Hishtalshlus). At this
excerpt, which also speaks of eternal life, spiritual height there is the union
is from the last sicha the Rebbe has yet of all three lines, meaning that
with alacrity the Supernal
delivered on Gimmel Tammuz. (i.e., thought and speech) is
directly expressed within the
Translated by Boruch Merkur Earthly (action, deed) without any
interruption between them (unlike
5. [] The words Korach sought to separate Supernal reality what is represented by the letter
and Chukas both contain the from Earthly existence), for the Hei). Thus, the point beneath (the
two letters Ches and Kuf that letter Reish lacks the third line left line of) the letter Tav is attained,
comprise the word chok; the ([the vertical line on the left side] the point of bittul, selflessness. It is
difference lies in the fact that of the letter Hei), corresponding to actually a large point (having length
Korach has a Reish, whereas action. and width), meaning that the bittul
Chukas has a Tav. Korach goes together with [the seemingly
Chukas, on the other hand
(who came from Shevet Levi) contradictory expression of] the
this is chukas haTorah, the law
experienced the revelation of expansion of length and width. The
of the Torah draws down from
chok, transcending reason and point appears at the end of the Tav,
chok (beyond measure and limit)
intellect and beyond measure and symbolic of the perfection of the
into the letter Tes, the final letter of
limitation. (Chassidus explains point of bittul, at the completion of
the twenty-two letters of the Torah.
that Korachs quarrel stemmed ones avoda.
Chukas thus represents drawing
from his virtue, as our Sages attest down G-dliness through the entire This process also brings
he was clever, for he beheld the Seider Hishtalshlus (all the letters about the concept of chukas
revelation that transcends measure from Alef to Tav), utilizing all the meaning chakika, engraving,
and limitation, as will be manifest three lines (of the letter Tes) of signifying an (unchanging) eternal
[universally] in the Future Era. His thought, speech, and action, as manifestation, which is connected
mistake, however (in disputing the well as Torah, avoda [i.e., tfilla, with the letter Tav, as our Sages
appointment of Aharon as Kohen prayer], and acts of kindness. In say, Tav tchiya, enlivens, the
[Gadol]), was on account of the fact, this manifestation occurs in a ultimate expression of which is
concept represented by the letter manner whereby all three unite. chaim nitzchiim, eternal life.
Reish (poverty), which signifies The significance of this
(From the address of Thursday of
how the manifestation (of thought Parshas Korach on the second day of Rosh
union is as follows. The final Chodesh Tammuz 5751, as well as Shabbos
and speech) does not come about stage and perfection of avoda is Parshas Korach, Gimmel Tammuz; Seifer
through [the regular channel of] characterized by speed, described HaSichos 5751, pg. 656)
Seder Hishtalshlus (Korach had as mhiros dkdusha, the alacrity of

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 FARBRENGEN

ANTICIPATING
THE ULTIMATE
GIMMEL TAMMUZ
CELEBRATION
Gimmel Tammuz is a day that says so much to each one of us. At the same
time, Gimmel Tammuz contains within it much more than it says. It is a day
that contains so many messages about so many different things. Still, the
bottom line is that Gimmel Tammuz contains an identical message for all
of us. * It is a day that represents clarity, vision, mission, a goal. A day that
reminds us of who we are. But it is also a day of confusion. * The Rebbe
teaches us how to integrate these seeming opposites in a special sicha
about Menashe and Efraim.

Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun

I
t seems there isnt another
day in the calendar where
the contrasts are so stark,
where the conflict between
mind and heart are so prominent.
On the one hand, we know that
we are in Yemos HaMoshiach, and
the time for your redemption has
arrived, that Moshiach is already
here, Moshiach bhisgalus, and
all we need to do is welcome him.
On the other hand, there isnt a
day whose curse is not worse...
And here we are again, Gimmel
Tammuz, and what concealment
there is!
Gimmel Tammuz represents
the contrast between so-called
reality and what is true reality,
that which is tested against
the perspective of Torah, the
perspective of G-dliness, the
perspective of Chassidus, the
Rebbes perspective.
When a day like Gimmel
Tammuz comes around, it
reminds us of what the Gemara
says, Just as their faces are
dissimilar, so too, their views
are dissimilar. There arent two
people in the world who think
exactly alike. It doesnt exist.
As it has been said, Just as you
wouldnt try to change the face
of another person to be like your
face, dont try to change his view
to your view. The same is true
for Gimmel Tammuz, there arent
two Chassidim with the same
view.

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IT DEPENDS ON
HOW YOU LOOK AT IT
The Rebbe spoke many times
about Gimmel Tammuz as the
ischalta dGeula (starting point
of redemption) and even said
it was loftier than 12 Tammuz.
However, the Rebbe Rayatzs
horaa for the Chag HaGeula
was for 12 Tammuz, and it was
he who established the holiday
of holidays, the day of our
redemption, and that we dont
say Tachanun on 12 Tammuz.
1073_bm_eng.indd 5
Because of this, many years
ago, a Chassid asked the Rebbe
regarding Gimmel Tammuz,
whether we should say Tachanun
or not.
(Every year, in many
minyanim, there are arguments
about reciting Tachanun on
Gimmel Tammuz. Its like the
person who spent Shavuos in a
certain community and witnessed
arguments about whether the
custom is to stand or sit when the
Ten Commandments are read.
He saw an older man there and
asked him what the custom was
in that place. The man said: This
is the custom, to argue about it
)
The Rebbe told this Chassid
who asked about Gimmel
Tammuz (and 18 Elul), In
matters that depend on ones
feelings, you dont ask, because
by asking it shows there are no
feelings.
Perhaps the same is true about
Gimmel Tammuz in general, in
recent years, that these are things
that depend on ones feelings and
to each his own.
In a sicha of Shabbos Parshas
Eikev 5713, the Rebbe spoke
about the Rebbe Rayatz and said
an amazing thing: It depends on
you! How you relate to 10 Shvat
5710 (when the Rebbe Rayatz
passed away) depends on you.
If you want to treat the Rebbe as
being in the seventh heaven, you
will see the Rebbe as he is there.
But whoever sees the Rebbe as
being down below, we will not
let go of him, will see him down
here.
If this was said about a
Rebbe of the sixth generation,
all the more so for the seventh
generation, after all the explicit
things we heard from the Rebbe
about eternal life. It depends on
how we view things. The Rebbe
says Moshiach is coming. How
should we regard this? This is
something that depends on us.
TO BE NOSTALGIC
OVER THE PAST OR TO
LIVE THE FUTURE?
It is hard to speak. It is hard
in general because it is impossible
to convey emotions with words.
It is very hard to speak on
Gimmel Tammuz altogether, and
even harder to talk about and
demand and do what the Rebbe
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 Farbrengen
How did the Rebbe know what is going on in
my house? How did the Rebbe know that I dont
use my Jewish name? When I write to him, I sign like
a Chassid and use my Jewish name! And how does he
know I have a pushka on the stairwell?
wants in the way he wants it. But
it is harder to remain silent.
There was a great man called
Yosef HaTzaddik. He was a
devoted follower of his Rebbe,
Yaakov Avinu. He learned by him
and was mekushar to him. Then
one day, there was obscurity and
concealment and Yosef was taken
down to Egypt. Unprecedented
concealment. No maamarim, no
sichos, no kos shel bracha, not
even email and faxes.
Chazal say that whatever
Yaakov received from Shem and
Eiver, he gave over to Yosef.
Yosef was his fathers closest
disciple but he was in Egypt and
he was stuck there for many
years.
When Yosefs wife gave
birth to two sons in Egypt, he
called the first Menashe and the
second one Efraim. What do
these names mean? Menashe is
from the root meaning to forget,
G-d made me forget my fathers
house. I have already forgotten
what it means to be connected
to my fathers house due to the
great concealment. Menashe
represents the nostalgia and
yearning for the beautiful past
which no longer exists.
Efraim is from the root
meaning fertile, G-d made
me fruitful in the land of my
suffering. Here I am in Egypt
and G-d made me fruitful. Here
in exile there is a revelation of
G-dliness and an advantage of
light over darkness, and here
I can see the Rebbe as I could
in Canaan. Efraim represents
6 29 Sivan 5777
1073_bm_eng.indd 6
looking at the present reality
with the Rebbes glasses, with
Yaakovs perspective, seeing the
advantage of light as it comes
from darkness.
When Yaakov Avinu gave the
blessings to his two grandsons,
he crossed his hands and placed
his right hand on the younger
brother, Ephraims, head. What
did Yosef do? He took the
Rebbes hand and said, Not like
that, my father. What is this
interaction supposed to mean to
us?
The Rebbe explains in
Likkutei Sichos that the Torah is
teaching us here that there is the
conduct of Yosef and the conduct
of Yaakov. To put it in our terms,
there is how a Rebbe relates to
something, and how a Chassid
relates.
From Yosefs perspective, the
first thing is Menashe. When
in a state of darkness, the likes
of which hasnt been since the
creation of the world, a galus
within a galus, the first thing is,
G-d made me forget my fathers
house, the awareness within the
concealment that we will not let
go of him, our desire is to see
our king. We focus on memories
of the Rebbe and think about our
connection to the Rebbe, and do
not accept the situation.
Only afterward, as a step two,
do we have Efraim. There is the
knowledge that there is a divine
plan and it is the true plan, and
that the Rebbe is looking at us
and for the Rebbe it is good, and
the Rebbe wants us to do our
avoda to perfection, Hashem
made me fruitful in the land of
my affliction.
For Yosef, on the part of
the heart, the emotions, there
is a clear inclination to live
with Menashe, with yearning
for previous years. It is only
afterward that it is possible to
speak and think about things
like Efraim. You first have to
recognize the terrible situation
for what it is, and only then can
you say that its a stage on the
way to Geula.
Yaakov, on the other hand,
sees the ultimate intent directly.
On Yaakovs part, the main thing
is Efraim, Efraim is the older
one. Efraim is the revelation of
G-dliness, the ultimate good,
the revelation of light within the
darkness.
The Torah teaches us to
combine these two approaches.
As Chassidim, we live with
Menashe but we must equally live
with the Efraim perspective.
TO REMEMBER
A LOOK OF THE REBBE
Tonight (4 Tammuz) is the
first yahrtzait of the shliach here,
Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner
ah [R Braun was a rav and
shliach in Sydney, Australia at
the time of this farbrengen
Ed.]. R Groner said that the
Rebbe told him in 5712 that
everyone who saw the Rebbe, has
to every morning, it doesnt
matter whether before the
morning blessings or afterward
go to a corner and think
about the Rebbe. By a Chassid,
a day does not go by without
made me forget my fathers
home, without thinking about
the Rebbe, without recalling the
Rebbes gaze, without thinking
that the Rebbe is looking lovingly
at him.
2017-06-20 12:48:22 PM
 The Rebbe Rayatz explains in
Likkutei Dibburim that and he
returned many from sin, refers
to the Rebbe. When the Rebbe
looks at a Jew, he lifts him up to
great heights, but each of us has
a good part and a not-good part,
a healthy part and an unhealthy
part. When the Rebbe looks at
us at a farbrengen, he lifts up our
good part above our not-good
part.
The Rebbe Rayatz goes on
to explain the saying, Yisroel,
even if he sins, is a Yisroel.
That within every Jew there is
a point of truth, a bit of Rebbe,
and that part is always in a state
of perfection in every Jew. No
concealment can conceal that
part of a Jew. There can be
something lacking in a certain
limb or another, but the spark of
Rebbe within you, always remains
whole.
When the Rebbe looks at
a Chassid, something that we
cannot see today, he changes
his essence. The Rebbe is an
extension of the source of all life
and as such he infuses others
with life, and when the Rebbe
gazes at us he lifts us to new
heights.
There was someone in my
community who had a health
problem. He asked someone who
was going to pass by the Rebbe
on Sunday to ask the Rebbe
for a bracha for him. There is
a significant time difference
between New York and Sydney
and so it happened that this man
received a phone call from his
friend at two in the morning.
He was woken up and his friend
said, The Rebbe said you need
to check the pushkas in your
house, including the pushka in
the stairwell and make sure they
are full. And use your full Jewish
name.
The man was shocked. He
1073_bm_eng.indd 7
was in Sydney, Australia and it
was two in the morning. How
did the Rebbe know what is going
on in my house? How did the
Rebbe know that I dont use my
Jewish name? When I write to
him, I sign like a Chassid and use
my Jewish name! And how does
he know I have a pushka on the
stairwell? And especially when
we did renovations lately and that
pushka was pushed into a corner
and is empty. The Rebbe said to
make sure the pushkas are full,
especially the one on the stairs!
When a Chassid gets a phone
call like that, for him its a cold
shower, The Rebbe is looking at
me and at everything I do.
One of my relatives came to
Crown Heights and wanted to
see the Rebbe. This was a day
when the Rebbe went to the
Ohel. I told him that he cant see
the Rebbe privately but then I
remembered that the Rebbe went
to the mikva on Union Street
first, and told him that when the
Rebbe came out of the mikva he
could speak to him. I stood with
him on Union Street and we
waited to see the Rebbe.
Obviously, I had no intention
of showing my face to the Rebbe
and the minute I heard the door
start to open, I disappeared. I
walked back a few houses from
there and hid in the bushes. My
relative stood there, focused on
the Rebbe, and did not notice
that I was gone.
He asked the Rebbe for a
bracha and then wanted to say
something about me. He turned
around while pointing at where I
had been standing thirty seconds
earlier, but I wasnt there. The
Rebbe looked a few houses down,
in the direction of the bushes,
and motioned with his finger that
I should come. What choice did
I have? When the Rebbe calls for
you, you go. The Rebbe gave me
a nickel and said what he said.
When your day begins with
a look from the Rebbe, its a
completely different sort of day.
I was in the Rebbes house
after 22 Shvat. I stood near the
Rebbe and saw how the Rebbe
had a paper on his siddur. I
stood behind the Rebbe and
tried to see what was written on
the paper. When I merely began
approaching, the Rebbe took the
paper and turned it over. You
stand behind the Rebbe and the
Rebbe sees whats happening!
At every farbrengen, when
we raised our cups of mashke,
we would wait for the Rebbe
to respond. The Rebbe did not
notice you time and again. The
Rebbe would go down the row
you were in and ignore you.
Then, you made a good hachlata,
to add in the Rebbes shlichus,
in some inyan of the Rebbe, one
of the Rebbes mivtzaim, and
the Rebbe looked at you. Nearly
everyone can attest to this.
There needs to be the G-d
made me forget. Unfortunately,
we are deep in the darkness
of galus. We are in a time that
Moshiach is nigleh vchozer
vnichseh (is revealed and is
concealed again) which is the
numerical equivalent of Gimmel
Tammuz. We need to remember
and remind ourselves that the
Rebbe is with us, chai vkayam.
CRUSHED AND EXPANSIVE
A Jew by the name of David
Klinghoffer, not a Lubavitcher,
had a blog. He wrote (years ago)
that he remembered Gimmel
Tammuz 5754. He was on
vacation with a friend and in the
middle of the night, that Motzaei
Shabbos, We were both sticking
our heads out of a skylight to
catch the sound of the surf
and the smell of the wind. Very
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 Farbrengen
strangely, we both suddenly had
a feeling of being spooked. Did
you ever have an experience like
that? It was a strong intuition of
loss that we mutually confirmed
before we knew anything about
what might have called it up.
Returning to Manhattan on
Monday morning, they heard the
news.
The Magen Avrohom writes
that some fast on the Friday of
the week of Parshas Chukas,
because on this day dozens of
wagons full of (handwritten)
Today, Gimmel Tammuz, we need to strengthen
the matter of the fifth for Pharaoh. We do not
want the four hands. We want the revelation of the
Rebbe in such a way that it wont be me or you who are
saying shlita, but The New York Times writing shlita and
the whole world saying shlita.
sfarim were burned in France.
The Magen Avrohom asks why
the fast was established on a
particular day of the week and
not, as is common, on the day of
the month when this occurred.
He says, Because through a
dream-question they found out
that it was the connection of the
day to the parsha that caused
the decree, as in the Targum on
Zos Chukas HaTorah is this is
the gzeira (decree) of (upon)
the Torah. That means that the
decree was connected specifically
with Parshas Chukas and not
with the calendar date.
On Motzaei Shabbos Parshas
Korach, Sunday of Parshas
Chukas 5754, began a situation
of the decree of the Torah,
as the Targum there says. On
the one hand, it is indeed a
decree upon the Torah, a
situation of crushing as the
Rebbe explains in the maamer.
On the other hand, materially,
8 29 Sivan 5777
1073_bm_eng.indd 8
boruch Hashem, there is plenty
of gashmius, more than ever.
Spiritually, new sfarim have been
printed, shluchim are working,
and there are more shluchim than
ever before. But at the same time,
there is a situation of crushing
that has no parallel. The plaint
of the Jews exists more than
ever, that we are still stuck in the
darkness of galus.
The Midrash says regarding
the period of concealment of
Moshiach, Whoever believes
him, eats burning coals and bitter
roots. Back then, about 2000
years ago, Chazal described our
situation today there will be a
situation in which you will eat
ridiculous things, and they will
relate to you as if you are crazy.
Yes, certainly the Rebbe is chai
vkayam and he will be revealed
in full force, but where? Who?
What? Why? How? When?
The following story illustrates
what an abnormal situation we
are in (if anybody needs such
illustrations). A Chassid came
here with his young son. The boy
said to his father, I want to see
the Rebbe. Thats a legitimate
request, our desire is to see
our king! And the rule is that
nothing stands before the will.
His father said that when
Moshiach comes very soon we
will see the Rebbe. Later, when
they saw a video of the Rebbe,
the boy asked his father, Is this
when Moshiach came?
We need the true and
complete Geula. Gimmel
Tammuz is the day that we are
fully aware of Menashe, and it is
specifically because the Rebbe is
chai vkayam that there needs to
be a far greater cry, how can we
be in this situation in which we
cant see it?
On the other hand, we know
that despite the concealment, the
Rebbe is here, the Rebbe is chai
vkayam, and he is about to take
us out of galus.
THE FOUR PERIODS
On Gimmel Tammuz
5701/1941, the Rebbe Rayatz
said a sicha, that 14 years had
already passed since Gimmel
Tammuz 5787/1927, we
completed the era of yad
hagedola (the great hand
yad numerically equivalent to
14) and now the period of yad
hachazaka (the strong hand)
has begun.
On 10 Shvat 5724, 14 years
after the histalkus in 5710, the
Rebbe repeated the point. The
Rebbe said that 14 years had
passed since 10 Shvat, 14 years
of the yad hagedola, and now
we are entering an era of yad
hachazaka. The Rebbe spoke
then in terms of the nesius of
the Rebbe Rayatz, but we as
Chassidim extrapolate from it
regarding the Rebbes nesius.
In Chassidus it explains that
there are three categories of
yad-hand: yad hagedola, yad
hachazaka, and yad harama
(the upraised hand). In fact,
in the nesius of the Rebbe we
see three distinct periods; from
5710-5724 yad hagedola, from
5724-5738 yad hachazaka,
from 5738-5752 yad harama.
In retrospect, we know that the
culmination of each 14-year
period was associated with a
health-related event. We dont
2017-06-20 12:48:22 PM
 know much about the event of
5724, but the events of 5738 and
5752 are well-known.
In the first period, yad
hagedola, the attribute of
chesed/kindness, the Rebbe is
like a father and shows his love
to the Tmimim and Anash.
In the second period, yad
hachazaka, the Rebbe begins
to send shluchim to every place
in the world. And in the third
period, yad harama, the Rebbe is
revealed in a way of being raised
up, so that in every corner of the
world people know and are aware
of the Rebbe.
A certain wise person
pointed out to me that in a few
places in Chassidus it mentions
a fourth level, zeroa netuya
(outstretched arm). This explains
the verse, and the four hands
shall be for you, and the fifth for
Pharaoh. After going through
the four periods corresponding history? That Chassidim should need to strengthen the matter
to the four hands, we reach the continue to gather together to of the fifth for Pharaoh. We
ultimate level of the fifth for celebrate 28 Sivan, the day of the do not want the four hands. We
Pharaoh. Rebbe being saved, and organize want the revelation of the Rebbe
We say in the prayers of a thanksgiving meal for Rosh in such a way that it wont be
Yom Kippur, You give a hand Chodesh Kislev in honor of the me or you who are saying shlita,
to the rebellious ones and Your Rebbe, as if nothing happened? but The New York Times writing
right arm is extended to receive From where do we have the shlita and the whole world saying
penitents. There is the yad of strength for such things? It shlita.
the Rebbe in its three incarnations is clear that it is coming to us All of your days to include
up to 5752, and from 5752 and from the outstretched arm of the (bring to) the days of Moshiach.
on it is the zeroa netuya, your Rebbe! This is our entire life, this is our
right arm is extended. The arm However, these four hands entire existence. The very essence
is extended to the lowest of the shall be for you, but that is not of our lives and existence is the
low. The arm is with us and gives what we want. That is still galus. Rebbe, Moshiach, which are one
us special strength and fortitude What comes next is the fifth for and the same. We want the Rebbe
to traverse the concealment and Pharaoh, with the intent being to reveal the fifth hand, and today
obfuscation in such a horrific Pharaoh of holiness. Moshiach on the holiday of redemption,
situation, and the Rebbe lifts us takes the hand of each and every we want to hear a talk from the
up to the highest of the high. person and pulls him into a state Rebbe that will demonstrate
The arm in the human body is of Geula. to the whole world that this
higher than the hand, and now Gimmel Tammuz is the day is a holiday of redemption,
we see the outstretched arm of that we need to strengthen our a redemption that never was
the Rebbe more than ever before. focus on the fifth for Pharaoh. before, that we should already see
What does Gimmel Tammuz The Rebbe wants the True and the Rebbe come and redeem us!
5754 say to us? The Rebbe is Complete Redemption, and Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu
with us just as before. Whoever nothing less will suffice. VRabbeinu Melech HaMoshiach
heard of such a thing in Jewish Today, Gimmel Tammuz, we Lolam Vaed!

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 INTERVIEW

THE REBBE
SEES AND
KNOWS
EVERYTHING
When you connect to the Rebbe, to whom are you
connecting? Not to the Rebbes lomdus, not to the Rebbes
geonus, not to the Rebbes tzidkus, and not to the Rebbes
ruach hakodesh, but to a Nasi Yisroel. * A fascinating
conversation with Rabbi Leibel Groner, the Rebbes personal
secretary and director of Kupas Rabbeinu, covering a range
of topics including how to maintain our hiskashrus in the here
and now, and the need for a personal reckoning in preparation
for Gimmel Tammuz.

By Avrohom Rainitz
Photos by Yisroel Navon

I
n the days leading up to Gimmel
Tammuz, with 770 bustling and
booming with the sound of hundreds
of Tmimim learning diligently, I went
upstairs to Rabbi Leibel Groners small office
near Gan Eden HaTachton. You can still hear
the cacophony of the learning in 770 through
the walls, but the office itself is quiet. In a
nearby cubicle stands an emotional chassan,
a few days before his wedding, davening
from the Siddur which the Rebbe gives to
chassanim before the wedding. Outside the
door wait other chassanim, who use the time
to recite Thillim.
R Groner, who began assisting the
Rebbe when he was yet a bachur, became
the Rebbes secretary from the beginning
of the Rebbes nesius. In recent years, he
travels to Lubavitch communities around
the world and encourages and inspires
Anash to strengthen their commitment to
the Rebbes takanos, especially spreading

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 Interview

the Besuras HaGeula, and the
belief that hinei, zeh Moshiach
ba. He shares amazing stories
that he witnessed himself or
heard from the people they
happened to. He includes a
lesson with every story about
strengthening hiskashrus to the
Rebbe.
Even while carrying out this
interview with him, he took
every opportunity to teach the
younger generation to connect
to the Rebbe by carrying out his
recent years as the Rebbe himself
said in 5711, that when we are
in a darkened and redoubled
darkness of the final galus, it
is even more vital to have a
special hiskashrus to the Rebbe,
tzaddik yesod olam, which is
a special conferring of strength
to always be connected, without
being fazed by the changes of
time and circumstance, Shabbos
or weekday, day or night, the
darkness of galus, etc.
he intercedes with Hashem on
behalf of that Jew
We need to think about this.
When we connect to the Rebbe,
to whom are we connecting?
Not to the Rebbes lomdus, not
to the Rebbes geonus, not to the
Rebbes tzidkus, and not to the
Rebbes ruach hakodesh as the
Rebbe writes in his famous letter
of 3 Tammuz 5710: Many seek
to explain the great qualities of
the Chabad leaders in general
and Nasi Doreinu, the Rebbe,

my father-in-law, in particular,
R Dovid thought perhaps he had taken too in various ways; a person of
mesirus nefesh, a gaon, a baal
much, but the owner urged him to fill his truck middos, a tzaddik, someone with
with more. When he arrived at his own textile factory ruach hakodesh, accustomed to
miracles etc. and in all this,
and unloaded the rolls, he discovered to his astonishment the main thing is missing.
that only the outer layers had been burned and the rest In this amazing letter, the
Rebbe provides us with a little
was usable. He was able to sell the material and he made
understanding of what the main
a profit of $90,000. idea of a Rebbe is, to whom we
are connecting, that in addition
to this, which is actually the main
thing, and is especially important
because it is the most relevant,
instructions. To one chassan he BEFORE SPEAKING ABOUT and especially to us, the flock of
told the Rebbes horaa about HOW TO CONNECT, WE Chassidim and his mekusharim.
shmira before the wedding, to And this is, that he is the Nasi
another chassan he mentioned NEED TO KNOW TO WHOM
and a Nasi Chabad. Because a
the Rebbes horaos about wearing WE ARE CONNECTING Nasi in general is called the Rosh
a gartel in the days before the There was once a Chassid Alfei Yisroel, he is the head and
wedding. who went to the Rogatchover brain relative to them, and from
Gaon and asked him what he him derives their nourishment
SPECIFICALLY NOW WE thought of the Rebbe Rashab. and life force. By cleaving to him,
MUST CONNECT TO THE The Rogatchover answered that they are bound up and unified
in order to make an assessment, with their root-source up Above.
REBBE you need to know two things, The Rebbe goes on to write:
It is over two decades since the assessor and the one being Each one of us needs to know,
Gimmel Tammuz 5754, and assessed. A Rebbe is beyond i.e., to deepen his consciousness
although we dont see the us. We have no way of knowing and implant his thought in this,
Rebbe, with every passing day and understanding what a Rebbe that he is the Nasi and head, and
our longing for our king grows. is. So, how can I assess him? from him and through him come
Along with that, the need to But I can tell you something I all the material and spiritual
strengthen our hiskashrus do know the Rebbe does not bounty, and by connecting to him
grows too. lie down at night (note, he did (and he already said in his letters
R Groner: True. Throughout not say sleep but lie down) how to connect) one is connected
the years it was necessary to until he scans the entire world. in the source and the source
strengthen ones hiskashrus to When he sees a Jew who needs a of the source up to higher and
the Rebbe; all the more so in bracha, he will not lie down until higher etc.

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 THE MASHPIIM NEED
TO EMPHASIZE THE
FOUNDATION OF
HISKASHRUS
The youth as well as
young men, and even ziknei
hachassidim sit at farbrengens
and seek every opportunity
and means to strengthen their
hiskashrus to the Rebbe Melech
HaMoshiach. The question
is, what else can be done to
strengthen our hiskashrus?
R Groner: By the elder
Chassidim there was a saying that
the bond between Chassid and
Rebbe is like the bond between a
husband and wife which can be
accomplished in three ways: kesef who arent aware of the need to Rebbe Rayatz. What can you tell
giving money for Maamad; contribute to Maamad and Kupas us about the giving of Maamad
shtar learning his teachings and Rabbeinu. at that time?
carrying out his instructions, as
I was visited by a young man R Groner: When I was a
well as writing a pidyon nefesh for
and I asked him about Keren bachur, all the Tmimim knew
the Rebbe; and beeah going to
HaShana. He didnt know what that one of the ways of hiskashrus
the Rebbe.
it was. I was taken aback. The is through giving money for
I dont know why, but in Rebbe talks about it every year Maamad. There was a bachur
recent years there is a weakening in the sichos of Simchas Torah in yeshiva in charge of Maamad
of the first way. Many Chassidim, but this young man, who is and every Erev Rosh Chodesh
especially the young ones, are considered Chassidish, never he would make a list with the
unaware of the form of hiskashrus heard of it! names of the Tmimim and the
through giving Maamad money amounts they gave, and give it
This needs fixing. The
to the Rebbe. Likewise, many to the Rebbe Rayatz. There were
mashpiim in the yeshivos need to
do not know about the Rebbes young men who gave money
know that the young generation
takana about Keren HaShana every Friday and those who gave
does not know of the possibility of
and unfortunately there are once a year.
connecting to the Rebbe another
Chassidim today who never took
way, through giving Maamad After the Rebbe accepted
this path of hiskashrus by giving
money, which the Rebbe Rayatz the nesius, he hardly mentioned
of their money to the Rebbe.
called the yesod of hiskashrus. In giving Maamad in his sichos and
You might be surprised to a letter of 5688/1928 he wrote, letters, but in the Rebbe Rayatzs
hear this, but by the girls there In truth, this inner matter is time, the Rebbe himself agitated
is more awareness of this. the foundation of hiskashrus of about it a great deal. From when
From Rosh HaShana until after Anash, and therefore, each of the he arrived in the United States,
Simchas Torah many girls come mekusharim needs to know his the Rebbe was appointed in
to this office and give money obligation in paying the monthly charge of Maamad.
for Keren HaShana. Apparently, Maamad. They say that when the Rebbe
their mashpios talk to them about
farbrenged with Anash in Paris
it. From Yeshivas Hadar HaTorah
THE REBBE URGES THE in 1947, he urged them about
too, Erev Rosh Chodesh they
CHASSIDIM TO GIVE Maamad. As the Rebbe wrote to
come with Maamad money. Its
R Nissan Nemanov:
the Tmimim, those who are MAAMAD MONEY
supposed to be in the forefront I said here at a farbrengen
You merited to be present with Anash and the Tmimim
of all aspects of hiskashrus,
also during the nesius of the

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 Interview
that hiskashrus needs to be with
all possible powers. Chabad
Chassidim, as their name
indicates, should connect with
Chabad, i.e., by learning the
maamarim of the Rebbe since
the intention of the one saying the
maamarim is drawing chochma-
bina-daas into the middos and
changing the middos thereby.
This requires hiskashrus by
going in his ways and according
to his directives in character
development, thought, speech
and action.
But all this pertains
touches upon an individual
power or powers, at least in
the revealed soul powers, and
if so, since there still remains a
doubt as to which way they are
leading him, this places doubt as
to where he is connected in his
innermost being and essence.
The advice for this is only
through nifneh (transposed letter
code for Maamad), and based on
what is explained in Tanya, ch.
34, 37, Igeres HaKodesh ch. 4
and elsewhere.
All of the above is even
in years when everything was
running properly. All the more
so nowadays, when hiskashrus
through Chabad, Chagas, Nahim,
suffers due to the exigencies of
the times, spatial distance, and
interruption of the connection
even in writing for many years,
that hiskashrus through nifneh
needs to be with great measure
and greater force.
In other letters from that
period, you can see how the
Rebbe demands that Chassidim
send Maamad money to the
Rebbe Rayatz. For example,
in a letter to a Chassid, the
Rebbe writes, Surely you do
and work in your travels also in
the matter of nifneh, that aside
from this being your shlichus,
it is known and visibly apparent
14 29 Sivan 5777
1073_bm_eng.indd 14
that everything that also has a
physical hold, is lasting. It is
known that this is also one of
the reasons that prophets would
sometimes preface their prophecy
with some physical act as is
explained in several places in the
Latter Prophets.
I remember an amazing story
that I heard from R Yaakov Katz,
an American who became close
to the Rebbe Rayatz during the
latters first visit to the United
States, that in approximately the
year 5701, when he had yechidus,
the Rebbe Rayatz asked him to
give a very large sum of money
for the Rebbes inyanim. It was
an enormous amount. He did not
have it and he did not know what
to do.
He consulted with the Rebbes
son-in-law, who had come to
the U.S. a short while before,
and after the Rebbe explained
the importance of the matter, he
borrowed the money from friends
and gave it all to the Rebbe. From
then on, his business took off and
was miraculously successful. He
said that when there is emuna
and bitachon in what the Rebbe
said, it is possible to be endlessly
successful. I once heard this story
from the Rebbe at a farbrengen
but the Rebbe did not mention
the name of the Chassid it
happened to.
CHASSIDIM WHO GAVE
BEYOND THEIR MEANS,
EXPERIENCED OPEN
MIRACLES
You said the Rebbe told him
what amount to give. Do you
remember similar stories?
R Groner: When they sold
the psukim of Ata Horeisa,
there were Chassidim who
decided to give what the Rebbe
told them to give, and the Rebbe
agreed to this. But there were
times that the Rebbe did not want
to say an amount. For example,
I was once standing next to the
Rebbe on Simchas Torah before
they began selling the psukim,
when one of the Chassidim went
over to the Rebbe and asked how
much to give for a pasuk.
The Rebbe said: Decide on
your own. My conceptions are
completely different conceptions.
I dont know whether you will be
able to handle it better not to
ask. There were Chassidim who
on Simchas Torah announced
that they would give what the
Rebbe said, but after Yom Tov,
when they came to ask how
much the Rebbe wanted them to
give, the Rebbe said they should
decide on their own.
Sometimes there were
directives issued with an arousal
from above. For example, on
Yud-Tes Kislev 5718, when the
Rebbe unexpectedly held an
appeal to build a new section
in Kfar Chabad, he asked the
Chassidim to donate large
amounts and to give the money
that night or the next day.
Afterward, the Rebbe said:
In general, my system is that I
dont mix in to say my opinion
about how much each one should
give. I take what is given and one
of the two; either I am satisfied or
not, and I keep my dissatisfaction
to myself. But since this is
something completely out of the
ordinary, I will also not do the
usual, and if I see that someone
is giving too little, I will remove
the veil of shame and order him
with the power of the matters
for which the money is needed,
to increase as I see fit I am
confident that Hashem will keep
His word. He said, aser bishvil
shetisasher (tithe so that you
should become wealthy), and
He said, bchanuni na bzos
(test me please in this),
2017-06-20 12:48:29 PM
 R Sholom Mendel Simpson R Leibel Groner

vharikosi lachem bracha ad bli
dai (and I will pour upon you
blessing with no end). Especially
when speaking about the tzdaka
for Eretz Yisroel, which takes
precedence over tzdaka for the
diaspora, as the Alter Rebbe
explains in Igeres Hakodesh,
so as it pertains to this tzdaka
there is also the halachic ruling of
our Rebbeim. And if it seems to
someone that he was told to give
an amount that is beyond him,
the meaning in it is for him to get
at least four times as much from
Hashem, so if he adds another
$1000, Hashem will give him
another $4000!
Those present at the
farbrengen wrote down what
they would give on a paper
and the Rebbe reviewed the
papers. When he came to Dovid
Deitschs paper, the Rebbe said:
Dovid Deitsch, twice as much.
The Rebbe did not say what
the original amount was, but
afterward, R Dovid told me
that the original amount was
$15,000, a huge sum in those
days, the cost of a home. It was
beyond his financial means, but
the Rebbe asked him to double it!
R Dovid did not think twice
about it. In the morning, he
rushed to the bank and asked
for a loan of $30,000. The
bank manager did not agree to
approve such a large loan without
a collateral, and R Dovid did not
hesitate to sign to mortgaging his
house. But his house was worth
only $16,000 so he also had to
mortgage his business, and only
then did he get a bank check for
$30,000. He happily went off to
the office and asked me to give
the check to the Rebbe before
sunset so as to fulfill the Rebbes
request that donations arrive the
day after the farbrengen.
A short while later, R Dovid
got a phone call from a friend
in Boston who told him about
a fabric factory that had gone
up in flames and the owner said
that whoever wanted to, could
take rolls of fabric for free. R
Dovid went there with his truck
and loaded ten rolls. The owner
showed up and asked him how
many rolls he was taking. R
Dovid thought perhaps he had
taken too much, but the owner
urged him to fill his truck with
more. When he arrived at his
own textile factory and unloaded
the rolls, he discovered to his
astonishment that only the outer
layers had been burned and the
rest was usable and could be
sold. He also discovered that
these were particularly expensive
materials. He was able to sell the
material and he made a profit of
$90,000.
He quickly repaid his loan
to the bank, and with the rest of

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 Interview
the money, $60,000, he wrote
a check and asked for yechidus
with the Rebbe. He gave the
Rebbe the check and said it was
for the Rebbe, since the entire
business deal was done with
the Rebbes bracha. The Rebbe
accepted the check and asked:
This is mine?
When he was told yes, the
Rebbe said: Take the check and
put it into your account and may
Hashem grant you success.
Since then, R Dovid became
a very successful businessman
and quite wealthy.
A similar story happened
with R Gimpel Orimland, who
became close to the Rebbe after
experiencing a huge miracle with
the Rebbe restoring his son to
life.
One year, he was at the
Rebbe for Shabbos BReishis
when the gabbaim of 770 sell the
mitzvos, and he offered a bid
of a thousand dollars. The Rebbe
turned to him and said, From
you I dont want to accept...
Afterward, the Rebbe added,
You need to give five thousand
dollars. When he expressed his
agreement, the Rebbe asked him
if he was giving it with joy and a
glad heart. When he answered in
the affirmative, the Rebbe blessed
him that the next year he should
be able to give keifel kiflayim
(double and double again)!
The truth is that he had no
way of coming up with five
thousand dollars, but when he
came home and told his wife
what he had committed to, she
took out her jewelry and told
him, Go pawn these and hurry
up and bring the money to the
Rebbe.
When the following Elul came
around, he didnt even have the
money to buy a plane ticket. He
could not understand how he was
supposed to give keifel kiflayim
16 29 Sivan 5777
1073_bm_eng.indd 16
of what he gave the previous
year. However, a few days before
Sukkos he signed on a huge deal,
and the deposit that he received
was $20,000, exactly double
and double again of what he
donated the previous year. [What
actually happened is that he came
for Simchas Torah to the Rebbe,
and he bought the second verse
for whatever price the Rebbe
would say. To his surprise, when
he went into yechidus to find out
the amount that he should give,
the Rebbe instructed him only to
give $126. The Rebbe explained
that he was exact in his wording
the previous year, when he did
not say that he should give keifel
kiflayim, only that he should be
able to give. For whatever reason,
the Rebbe decided that he should
give only $126, and as far as the
rest he should give to whatever
tzdaka he wants].
However, these stories are
outside the norm. Generally, the
Rebbe did not get involved with
determining donation amounts,
and he did not even ask to be
informed how much came in and
how much each person gave.
In some of the appeals that the
Rebbe held at farbrengens, the
Rebbe emphasized that people
could write the amount on
one note, and their name and
mothers name on a separate
note, so that when he reads the
name at the tziyun, he would not
see the amount given.
HOW TO ENTER
THE REBBES ARK Maamad was not enough of a
THROUGH MAAMAD
If the Rebbe did not point
out to Chassidim the need for
giving Maamad, who did?
R Groner: A few of the
people in charge of Maamad
in New York were R Moshe
Pinchas Katz and R Mordechai
Mentlick and they spoke about it
at farbrengens. Aside from them,
there were shadarim, the shluchei
drabbanan, who traveled
from place to place to collect
Maamad money from Chassidim.
Examples of shadarim are R
Shmuel Dovid Raitchik in
the U.S., R Zev Menachem
Greenglass in Canada, and R
Bentzion Shemtov in England. R
Shlomo Chaim Kesselman was
also in charge of Maamad for a
while.
Back in the time of the Rebbe
Rayatz, these Chassidim merited
to receive letters from the Rebbe
[then known as the Ramash]
on the topic, which spoke about
the importance of the matter
and contained some amazing
ideas, and they conveyed these
deep messages over the years. In
one letter to R Greenglass the
Rebbe writes that he should be
careful in his work for Merkos
LInyanei Chinuch and his work
for Machne Israel, that it should
not be at the expense of his work
for Maamad.
In a letter to R Bentzion
Shemtov, the Rebbe guides him
not to limit Maamad to Chabad
Chassidim, because the Rebbe
belongs to all Jews. On the other
hand, he wasnt to speak about it
with everyone. He was to avoid
those who would later boast of
providing for the Rebbe.
The Rebbe wrote to R Nissen
Nemanov about correcting the
situation in France, where the
Rebbe said that it appeared that
priority. In that letter as well
the Rebbe mentioned including
others outside of Chabad.
Twice a year a special melava
malka was held in my parents
home to collect Maamad money,
in the course of which the elder
Chassidim would talk about
the importance of Maamad.
2017-06-20 12:48:31 PM
 They spoke about the difference
between supporting Tomchei
Tmimim and Maamad, that
the Rebbe Rayatz once said:
Maamad is the head, and
Tomchei Tmimim is the heart.
The order is, first the head and
then the heart.
Although fifty or so years have
passed since then, I remember
what my wifes uncle, R Moshe
Leib Rodstein, said. He was first
the Rebbe Rayatzs secretary and
then the Rebbes secretary. He
said that in the tfillos of Rosh
HaShana we say the verse, and
G-d remembered Noach and all
the wild and domestic animals
in the ark. He explained, when
Hashem remembers Noach, He
naturally remembers everything
else that was together with him
in the ark. So too, when Hashem
remembers the Rebbe, and this
happens at every moment, He
also remembers everyone in the
ark with the Rebbe. That means,
when you are in the ark, thats
good. The big question is, how
do you get into Noachs ark?
One way of entering the ark is by
giving Maamad money.
I was a young man at the
time but I still remember how he
repeated this emotionally: How
do you get into the Rebbes ark?
Through Maamad!
MAAMAD, KEREN
HASHANA, MAGBIS,
AND MONEY FOR
PIDYONEI NEFESH
On R Groners desk is a small
booklet that was published by
Kupas Rabbeinu in Eretz Yisroel.
It shows how you can be partners
with the Rebbes activities
every month, whether through
Maamad, Keren HaShana,
appeals made on special days
in the calendar, and money for
pidyonei nefesh.
1073_bm_eng.indd 17
What is the difference
between these four options?
R Groner: The practice of
including a sum of money with
a pidyon nefesh is called dmei
pidyon nefesh. This is the oldest
custom going back to the days of
Moshe Rabbeinu. When asked
for his bracha or for a bracha
from Aharon, they would include
a sum of money as a kofer nefesh
(soul ransom). The source for
this custom is Ramban on the
Torah who writes, For one who
came before the father of the
prophets and his brother the holy
one of Hashem, and he became
known to them by name, this
would be for him a merit and life,
for he has been included in the
nation and inscribed among the
Bnei Yisroel before Moshe and
Aharon, for they will look upon
them favorably and ask for mercy
on their behalf, Hashem, G-d of
your fathers should increase you
a thousand-fold and not diminish
your numbers, and the shkalim
atone for your souls.
This custom was established
and became more strengthened
upon the launch of the Chassidic
movement. When Chassidim
submitted a pidyon nefesh
to their Rebbe, they included
money, dmei pidyon nefesh.
It is important to note that in
connection with this I heard
several times from the Rebbe,
that when it is not possible to give
the money to the Rebbe, it can
be given to one of the Rebbes
mosdos and it is considered as
though the money reached the
Rebbe.
The minhag of Maamad was
established by the Alter Rebbe
in the time of Rabbi Menachem
Mendel of Vitebsk. When the
latter traveled to Eretz Yisroel
with a large group of Jews in
5537, they ran into financial
difficulties. The Alter Rebbe, who
had begun leading the Chassidim
in Russia, came to their aid, and
this is how Maamad started.
The general meaning is giving
money to the Rebbe to maintain
his household.
Along with two other great
disciples of the Maggid, Maamad
was established by their enacting
that a pushka be placed in every
home to which every family
should contribute regularly. At
first, the enactment was to set
aside money for Maamad before
every holiday, but then the
enactment was established for
every week.
Chassidim continued to give
Maamad for the Rebbe. Every
person should send his Maamad
money and I am confident
in the power of hiskashrus,
wrote the Mitteler Rebbe to the
Chassidim.
The Tzemach Tzedek urged
Chassidim to continue following
the takana of the Mitteler Rebbe,
and the main thing is to set up
closed pushkas and to gather
in increments every week, at
least once a month, and the
shortfall from the amount that
Issue 1073 17
2017-06-20 12:48:32 PM
 Interview
was fixed should be met by each
one monthly, so that it wont be
difficult for them at the end of
the year.
The Rebbe Maharash,
although he conducted himself
with extravagant wealth, also said
that Maamad is more precious
than all preciousness. Another
time, he said that although he
earned thousands a year in the
stock market, the pleasure in
bread from heaven is Maamad
money.
In one of his letters, the
Rebbe explains Maamad in a
simple yet amazing way, so that
it can be explained to people
who are not Chabad Chassidim.
When people are unable to take
part in the Rebbe [Rayatzs] holy
work, which is really every Jews
obligation, by giving Maamad,
1) this burden is removed (the
burden of financial expenses)
so that it does not interfere with
the work, and most importantly,
2) you take some part in his holy
work. Because of this the giving
needs to be done in an entirely
different manner and different
amounts.
Over the years, the Rebbe
gave part of the Maamad money
to his mosdos and in accordance
with that allocation, we continue
to give the money that comes in
for Maamad to the Rebbes work
and mosdos.
When Chassidim continue to
give Maamad, even after Gimmel
Tammuz, even though they do
not see the Rebbe, it expresses
our hiskashrus to the Rebbe,
that there are no changes! As the
Rebbe notes in a letter mentioned
before, this enables us to take
part in his holy work.
The practice of magbis
(collection) began in the era
of the Rebbe Rashab when
on Purim they would have an
appeal for a special fund, Kupas
18 29 Sivan 5777
1073_bm_eng.indd 18
Rabbeinu. This was for certain
special matters. Over the years,
the Rebbe added additional
appeals on special days in the
calendar, such as an appeal for
the Reshet Oholei Yosef Yitzchok
at the 12 Tammuz farbrengen; an
appeal for Keren Torah on Yud
Shvat, and more appeals were
added until in recent years, the
Rebbe made an appeal on every
special date, 26 over the course
of a year.
And finally, there is the
practice of donating to Keren
HaShana. This is the only one
established by the Rebbe, which
is why it is particularly beloved,
for Chassidim have a special
fondness for what our Rebbe
established and revealed.
The first time the Rebbe
spoke about Keren HaShana was
Shabbos BReishis 5714. The
Rebbe explained that in order
to draw the hamshachos of the
month of Tishrei to the rest of
the year, tzdaka had to be given
every day. Since we dont always
remember to give tzdaka every
day, the Rebbe founded Keren
HaShana to which you donate in
amounts that correspond to the
number of days in the year, and
the Rebbe would take tzdaka out
of this fund every day to accrue
to the merit of all the donors.
As the Rebbe put it, Since this
year is a leap year, and it has 383
days, I suggest that everybody
give this amount, 383 as half
a cent, a cent, a nickel, a dime,
$1, $100, $1800 (obviously, in
every country the amount should
be according to the countrys
currency). This will be a channel
for good hamshachos materially
and spiritually, throughout the
year. Those who want to rely on
me, can give this tzdaka at my
discretion, to the general fund
that I maintain, from which
money goes to tzdaka every day
and so, ultimately, every donation
will reach its proper destination.
The Rebbe emphasized that when
giving to this fund, it is possible
to make up for the past days.
The Kupas Keren HaShana
was started in 5714 and as the
Rebbe said to do, R Chadakov
wrote a check twice a day, before
Shacharis and before Mincha,
on behalf of all the donors, for
tzdaka purposes. On Fridays,
the amount on the check was
doubled, so it was for Shabbos
too.
Today too, based on
instructions we received from the
Rebbe, we write two checks daily,
and together with R Sholom
Mendel Simpson, one of the
Rebbes secretaries and the one
appointed by the Rebbe to run
Merkos LInyanei Chinuch, and
responsible, with me, for Kupas
Rabbeinu, we sign the checks.
Of course, we always bear in
mind that this fund is under the
Rebbes nesius, and we try to do
what he would want.
SUPPORTING THE
SHLUCHIMS ACTIVITIES
AND THOUSANDS OF
LUBAVITCHER FAMILIES
As we spoke, a bell rang in R
Groners office. Half a minute
later, a down-and-out individual
appeared in the office, who
wanted help from R Groner.
After R Groner gave him money
from the fund, he sighed and
said that in recent years, many
of Anash come looking for
help from the fund. R Sholom
Mendel Simpson together with
R Groner check out the families
and according to instructions
they received over the years from
the Rebbe, they give tzdaka
money to them.
The public has no idea
how many Lubavitcher families
2017-06-20 12:48:32 PM
 are literally hungry. The fund
provides support to hundreds of
shluchim too, including many
that if not for the funds support
would have nothing to eat. For
Pesach, for example, we provided
tzdaka funds to hundreds of
families. Im not talking about
$100, but several hundreds,
and in more serious cases, even
more than $1000 to families of
shluchim.
In conversations we have
with other chesed activists who
know the families, they say that
if not for the check from Kupas
Rabbeinu, those shluchim would
not have the means to make Yom
Tov.
How did the economic
downturn in the United States
affect the fund?
R Groner sighed again. In
recent years, donations have
gone down and requests have
gone up At the peak of the
economic crisis, there were some
particularly difficult weeks. Two
people who used to give $40,000
a year told us they could not give
this amount. There was a Chassid
who donated $5000 every year
and two years ago he stopped.
He came to me before Pesach
and sadly said that he himself
needed help from the fund.
But there are rays of
light even within the difficult
circumstances. There are people
who arent Lubavitch, but who
understand the importance of
donating to the Rebbes fund.
One of them looks like a hippie
but every year he comes to the
office between Rosh HaShana
and Yom Kippur and makes a
donation of $3850 if its a year
with 385 days, and so on. He did
not learn in Tomchei Tmimim
but as he puts it, A fund that
the Rebbe established takes
priority for me. Every day, I set
aside a sum of money so that at
1073_bm_eng.indd 19
A note in the Rebbes handwriting
about the importance of Maamad
[referred to as nifneh]
A letter from 5739 which calls
upon people to participate in Keren
HaShana that the Rebbe founded,
and explains its importance.
the beginning of the following
year I can give the money to the
Rebbes fund.
A PRIVILEGE AND
EMPOWERMENT, AND A
BIG RESPONSIBILITY
What message do you have
for Anash?
R Groner: We spoke about
the need to connect to the Rebbe
in all possible ways, whether
through Maamad money, Keren
HaShana, by learning his Torah,
and doing his horaos. Of course,
traveling to the Rebbe and writing
panim and duchos. But in order
for the hiskashrus to be with
a pnimius, we need to always
think about our connection with
the Rebbe.
One of the things that can
awaken feelings of hiskashrus
is thinking about how the
Rebbe sees and knows what is
happening with us. The Rebbe
knows what we are doing, what
we are saying, and even what we
are thinking.
I will tell you a story that
happened many years ago.
Shortly before Shavuos, I got a
phone call from someone who
said he was a Litvishe young
man. He asked to be part of
the special yechidus for guests
that was held after Yom Tov, in
order to consult with the Rebbe
regarding his daughter. I asked
him where he would be staying
for Yom Tov and he said with a
friend in Manhattan.
I explained to him that this
yechidus was meant exclusively
for guests who stayed in Crown
Heights for Yom Tov. Since he
wouldnt be here, he would have
to put his name down for the
regular schedule of yechidus. The
man pleaded to let him into this
yechidus saying that his daughter
had a serious problem and he
borrowed money and flew in
special from Eretz Yisroel just for
this yechidus.
I finally agreed to put him
into the line on condition that he
did not stay in the Rebbes room
for more than five minutes. At
first he said he could not possibly
squeeze everything he wanted to
say into five minutes, but when
he realized that it was his choice,
either five minutes or not to go in
at all, he accepted the condition.
Before he went in for
yechidus, he wanted to show me
the small note on which he wrote
his questions in order to show
that he did not plan on staying
longer than he was supposed to
in the Rebbes room. I told him
Issue 1073 19
2017-06-20 12:48:32 PM
 Interview
The public has no idea how many Lubavitcher
families are literally hungry. The fund provides
support to hundreds of shluchim too, including many that
if not for the funds support would have nothing to eat.
he did not have to show me his
questions and the main thing was
for him to try to get out quickly
for the sake of the Chassidim
who were waiting on line.
He ended up spending 15
minutes in the Rebbes room.
When he came out, he apologized
for the delay and said in
amazement that if he hadnt seen
the Rebbes ruach hakodesh with
his own eyes, he could not have
believed it. Men and bachurim
surrounded him and he excitedly
told the following:
After you told me that my
time is limited to five minutes, I
sat with my friend in Manhattan
and winnowed down my list of
questions for the Rebbe. From
15 questions I only copied down
the five most important questions
and I left the complete list in
Manhattan.
When I entered the
yechidus, I handed the paper
with five questions to the Rebbe
who began reading it and
responding. I expected the Rebbe
to answer my questions, but
the Rebbe started talking about
other things. At first I did not
understand what was going on. I
was reminded of my friends from
the Litvishe yeshiva who always
20 29 Sivan 5777
1073_bm_eng.indd 20
and action, is in consonance with
the Rebbes wishes, for the Rebbe
sees and knows everything.
As we are approaching
Gimmel Tammuz, each of
us needs to make a spiritual
accounting about where we
stand in our hiskashrus to the
made fun of the Rebbe and
Rebbe. Its the time to strengthen
thought, maybe theyre right
ourselves in all of the Rebbes
But then I realized that the Rebbe
enactments, including taking
was answering the first question
part in the Rebbes work through
written on the paper I had left in
Maamad and Keren HaShana.
Manhattan!
As the Alter Rebbe says in
After answering that
Tanya, when a person gives
question, he went on to the
tzdaka, he elevates all his soul
second question which was also
powers, since he worked with all
not written on the paper I had
his powers to earn that money,
handed him. For the first seven
and he could have bought his life
minutes of the yechidus, the
needs with that money. The same
Rebbe answered ten questions
is true when a Chassid gives of
that I had left in Manhattan.
his money to Maamad, Keren
Only then did the Rebbe begin
HaShana and the like, he thereby
answering the questions on the
connects all his soul powers with
paper I handed him.
the Rebbe.
The Rebbe doesnt need us
May the results of this
to tell him what we are doing.
discussion be to connect more to
He thinks of us and knows all.
the Rebbe and do what the Rebbe
This ought to strengthen each
wants of us. That we know how
one of us in terms of how much
to use all the powers the Rebbe
we need to connect ourselves to
gives us in order to strengthen
the Rebbe. It is a big privilege to
ourselves, and to ignite the
have the Rebbe constantly with
neshama of every Jew so that
us and protecting us. This should
not one Jew remains without a
strengthen us because surely the
connection to Torah and mitzvos
Rebbe gives us the ability to be as
and Hashem, and do activities
we should.
that reach everywhere and every
On the other hand, we need Jew.
to know that along with the
All of this will hasten the
privilege and strength, we have
revelation of Moshiach and we
a big responsibility. Each of us
will merit to see the Rebbe and he
needs to ask ourselves whether
will redeem us.
our behavior in thought, speech
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Rabbi Jacob Schwei
 HAYOM YOM & MOSHIACH
HOW TO MERIT
THE REBBES
HISGALUS
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon
Dear Reader shyichyeh,
This Shabbos Parshas Korach
is Rosh Chodesh Tammuz,
the Shabbos before Gimmel
Tammuz. The words Gimmel
Tammuz bring out different
emotions in many people, yet I
feel that there is something that
we all should be asking ourselves:
how can we bring about the
Hisgalus of the Rebbe?
I would like to share with
you some thoughts that I had,
based on the HaYom Yom of 28
Sivan, the day that the Rebbe and
Rebbetzin miraculously came
safely to America from war-torn
Europe in the year 5701.
By way of introduction, it is
interesting to point out something
fascinating. The HaYom Yom
of 14 Tammuz explains why
the people in America, who are
under Russia, are not falling
off the earth. While looking
up the historical background of
that HaYom Yom, I discovered
the quote which is the basis for
its message. It is from a letter
that the Frierdike Rebbe wrote
to our Rebbe (Igros Kodesh,
Volume 2 page 491). Our Rebbe
had asked the Frierdike Rebbe
to explain to him a saying that
he heard in the name of the
Alter Rebbe, that In America,
there was no Mattan Torah. In
1073_bm_eng.indd 21
that letter, the Frierdike Rebbe
explains that obviously the whole
world received the Torah; rather
the meaning is that the revealed
effect of the giving of the Torah
was not felt there as strongly as
in the places near Eretz Yisroel.
In the middle of the letter
the Frierdike Rebbe writes: The
Tzemach Tzedek notes in one
of his discourses: On Tuesday
of Parshas Balak 5562 (1802)
our master, of blessed memory,
said to his sons as follows: To
understand the problem posed
by the astronomers, that since
the earth is round and spherical
like an apple, why do not those
people fall who live on the side
of the globe opposite to ours,
down below, in America... Their
answer is not the true one... Our
master, of blessed memory, said
that the answer lies in explanation
of the Eitz Chayim, that the Nine
Spheres are nurtured by that
state termed igulim, circles, and
in a circle there is no above or
below. For this reason those who
live opposite us, down below,
have their heavens high above
them arching in one continuity
with the heaven above us, and the
earth there is below, relative to
the heavens over it.
The Tzemach Tzedek once
told his son, my grandfather,
an incident he experienced, and
concluded: For helping someone
in his livelihood, even to earn just
70 kopeks (a small, low-value
Russian coin) on a calf, all the
gates to the Heavenly Chambers
are open for him.
Years later my grandfather
told this to my father and added:
One should really know the route
to the Heavenly Chambers, but
actually it is not crucial. You only
need the main thing to help
another wholeheartedly, with
sensitivity, to take pleasure in
doing a kindness to another.
What was the incident he
experienced from which this
lesson was learned? The Frierdike
Rebbe told the following story
(Igros Kodesh Volume 4 page
523):
The Tzemach Tzedek had
returned to Lubavitch from a
journey, during which he had
experienced several visions of the
Alter Rebbe. He was expecting
a similar vision upon his return,
and had prepared a number of
questions to ask the Alter Rebbe
when the latter appeared.
Several days passed, and
the vision did not come. Heavy-
hearted, the Tzemach Tzedek
examined his conduct to discern
in which areas he needed to
repent. One day, as he was going
to shul for the morning prayers,
R. Mordechai Eliyahu, one of the
Issue 1073 21
2017-06-20 12:48:33 PM
 Interview
simple local villagers, approached
him and requested a loan of three
rubbles in order to buy some
merchandise to sell and cover his
Shabbos expenses.
The Tzemach Tzedek of
course agreed to grant the loan
and asked R. Pinchas to meet him
at home after his prayers. But as
he put his tallis on his shoulder
in the midst of his preparations
for prayer, he thought of R.
Mordechai Eliyahu and realized:
Today is market day, and the
transactions are conducted early.
The sooner he has the money in
hand, the better. (See HaYom
Yom 6 Tammuz: The spiritual
influence evoked by the mitzvos
is drawn down by means of the
transcendent light generated
by the mitzvos themselves. For
example, the mitzvah of tzdaka
is a comprehensive mitzvah, as is
evidenced by the fact that all the
mitzvos are called tzdaka. For
this reason, it is most appropriate
to contribute a coin for charity
before performing any mitzvah,
for it draws the transcendent
light (makif) into the light that
can be internalized (pnimi). Still,
this transcendent light is close,
whereas the Torah is a distant
transcendent light, whose effects
are more elevated.)
He put down the tallis, went
home, took the money, and
headed for the marketplace to
find R. Mordechai Eliyahu and
give him the loan. That done,
he returned to shul and went to
wash his hands in preparation
for prayer. At that moment, the
Alter Rebbe appeared to him
with a glowing countenance and
resolved all the questions that the
Tzemach Tzedek had prepared.
It is very clear from this
HaYom Yom and the story behind
it that if we want to merit the
Hisgalus of the Rebbe, we must
add in our Ahavas Yisroel.
22 29 Sivan 5777
1073_bm_eng.indd 22
Ahavas Yisroel brings brachos
to the individual, as evident
from the HaYom Yom of 27
Cheshvan: R. Aizik Homelier
related: When I came to Liozna
I met elder Chassidim who had
been Chassidim of the Maggid
and of R. Menachem Mendel of
Horodok. They used to say: Have
affection for a fellow-Jew and
Gd will have affection for you.
Do a kindness for a fellow-Jew
and Gd will do a kindness for
you. Befriend a fellow-Jew and
Gd will befriend you.
Ahavas Yisroel is also the gate
to our individual avoda, as the
Alter Rebbe writes in his Siddur:
It is proper to say before prayer:
I hereby take upon myself to
fulfill the mitzva of Love your
fellow man as yourself. This
means that the precept of Ahavas
Yisroel is the entry-gate through
which man can pass to stand
before Gd to daven. In the merit
of that love the worshippers
prayer is accepted. ( HaYom
Yom 2 Tammuz)
But most importantly, true
Ahavas Yisroel is needed to bring
about the Hisgalus of the Rebbe
and Bias HaMoshiach.
The following are a few
quotes from Seifer HaYom Yom
about Ahavas Yisroel:
1) My revered grandfather,
the Rebbe [Maharash], once said:
Of what good is the study of
Chassidus and the fear of Heaven
if the main thing a love of
ones fellow Jew is lacking?
And all the more so, if one person
pains another! (8 av)
2) The Mitteler Rebbe
quoted the Alter Rebbe: Ahavas
Yisroel must consume a person
entirely. (18 av)
3) The Alter Rebbe received
the following teaching from the
saintly R. Mordechai, who heard
it from the Baal Shem Tov: A soul
can descend into This World and
live its seventy or eighty years
just in order to do a favor for a
fellow Jew in material matters,
and how much more so, in
spiritual matters. (5 Iyar)
4) The Alter Rebbe taught
that the mitzvah of Ahavas
Yisroel, loving a fellow Jew,
applies to every member of the
Jewish people, even if one has
never seen him. How much more
does it apply to a member of the
Jewish neighborhood in which
one lives, to every man or woman
who is a member of ones own
community. (3 Adar 1)
5) My revered father, the
Rebbe [Rashab], once said: It
is a wondrous trait, when Gd
grants a person a warm sensitivity
and a pleasurable satisfaction in
doing a fellow Jew a favor to
the point that he cherishes him
more than he cherishes himself. A
person can find many reasons to
explain why he himself deserves
[to be challenged by] difficulties,
whereas such assumptions about
someone else are unthinkable.
(6 Adar 1)
Ahavas Yisroel is the key to
the Geula and this must become
our priority.
We will conclude with the
words of the Rebbe (Matos-
Massei 5751): The connection
between Ahavas Yisroel and
the future Redemption can be
emphasized yet again, not only
because the negation of exile
comes through the negation
of the cause of exile (which
comes through the opposite
of Ahavas Yisroel). For in our
situation, after the completion
of our actions and Divine
service throughout the time of
exile, and after the completion
of all forty two journey in the
wilderness of the nations,
[when] we find ourselves already
by the Yarden near Yericho (the
stage of Moshiach who smells
2017-06-20 12:48:33 PM
 and judges), on the threshold
of Redemption, certainly the
reason for exile has already
been corrected. Therefore, the
emphasis on Ahavas Yisroel
anticipates the beginning of the
true and complete Redemption,
which is connected with the point
of unity above any division. This
emphasis on the unity of the
Jewish people is a result of the
aspect of yechida (the fifth level
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1073_bm_eng.indd 23
of the soul) that is in all Jews
equally. For this is a spark of the
soul of Moshiach, the general
yechida.
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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,ww,j
jhanu vkutd hbhbg
owwcnr
hyuekc ohrugha
asue ,ujha
sgu okugk jhanv lkn ubcru ubrun ubhbust hjh
Issue 1073 23
2017-06-20 12:48:34 PM
 INTERVIEW

24 29 Sivan 5777

1073_bm_eng.indd 24 2017-06-20 12:48:36 PM

 I WANT YOU TO
WORK FOR ME
Originally from a Chassidic family in Bratislava, the young boy found
himself in a Lithuanian yeshiva in England, and from there he went to the
Chabad yeshiva in Montreal. * The directives and instructions he received
from the Rebbe in his work of editing the Shulchan Aruch and translating
the Siddur, and the open miracles during the process of translating the
Machzor for Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur. The Rebbe told his mother
how special her son is, even more than she knows... * Part 2 of 2.

By Rabbi Sholom Yaakov Chazan and Avrohom Rainitz

Photos by Shmuel Amit

TO WORK FOR THE REBBE
Even before you married,
you worked for the Rebbe in
preparing sources and notes
on the Shulchan Aruch HaRav.
Over the years, you published
sources for several parts of
Shulchan Aruch. How did this
begin?
While still a bachur in
Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim in
Montreal, every year I would get
a shana tova letter from the
Rebbe. Before the signature the
Rebbe would add some personal
words. In 5718 or 5719, the
Rebbe wrote me that the time had
come to look into shidduchim.
Until then I hadnt thought of
shidduchim, as I wanted to get
smicha first, but when I asked the
Rebbe whether to start learning
for smicha, the Rebbe said: First
you need to know 300 dafim of
Gemara by heart.
After the Rebbe told me, in a
letter, to look into shidduchim,
it happened that within a short
period of time I had seven good
suggestions and I didnt know
what to do. My father was not
alive and my mother lived in
Eretz Yisroel, so I had no one
to handle my shidduchim and to
make inquiries. I wrote down all
the suggestions and when I had
yechidus I submitted them to the
Rebbe. I asked which name to
consider first.
The Rebbe took his pencil
and made an X next to all seven
suggestions, one after the other.
This is not for you, he said.
Then the Rebbe said, Nissan,
I have a suggestion for you.
I was sure he meant a
shidduch idea but then the Rebbe
said, I want you to work for me.
There is a lot of work that needs
to be done at Merkos and I want
you to choose, either Shulchan
Aruch or Likkutei Torah. In
the Alter Rebbes Shulchan
Aruch there are many errors
and it needs to be edited well,
and mainly, many sources are
missing. I suggest that you edit
the Shulchan Aruch and add the
sources. Similar work is needed
for Likkutei Torah, there are
many errors and many sources
are missing.
I remembered that a few years
earlier the Rebbe told me to learn
the weekly Likkutei Torah in
depth, not the way women read
Tzena Urena or Thillim, but in
depth. The Rebbe said just one
thing wasnt necessary when
it said ayein bZohar and the
like, I did not have to open the
source, but the rest needed to
be understood well. The Rebbe
added: You need to learn it five
times every week and this is in
addition to the yeshiva schedule.

Issue 1073 25

1073_bm_eng.indd 25 2017-06-20 12:48:38 PM

 Interview
It wasnt easy. Every night
I would sit and learn Likkutei
Torah from 10 at night until 4
in the morning. I remember that
the week of Parshas VaEschanan
I had yechidus. That week the
Likkutei Torah is especially long,
about twenty pages. The Rebbe
asked me: Nu, how is it going?
I said it was very, very hard. The
Rebbe smiled but did not give me
a pass...
While learning intensively, I
discovered that there are many
difficult issues in Tanya that
are explained in maamarim in
I treated the translation work as holy work. If
there was a day that I could not immerse in a
mikva, I did not work on the translation that day.
Likkutei Torah. I wrote these
down and when R Greenglass
discovered my writing, he sent it
to the Rebbe.
In any case, when the Rebbe
presented me with the choice,
whether to work on Likkutei
Torah or Shulchan Aruch, I told
the Rebbe that I had already
learned Likkutei Torah a bit, but
I had not yet had the opportunity
to learn Shulchan Aruch in
depth, so I preferred to work
on the Shulchan Aruch so I can
learn it in depth.
The Rebbe accepted my
decision and told me to send him
what I worked on every week.
When you say that the Rebbe
asked you to work for him, you
say it with a special emphasis
Indeed. It was an
extraordinary privilege, first,
that the Rebbe himself chose
me directly, and second, that
the Rebbe emphasized that I am
working for him.
Aside from the first time that
the Rebbe asked me to work
for him, there were another two
26 29 Sivan 5777
1073_bm_eng.indd 26
times that the Rebbe emphasized
this; once, before I got married,
and several years later when I
asked the Rebbe what I should do
and the Rebbe said, work for me!
After our first son, Eliezer,
was born, I wanted to go and visit
my mother. The Rebbe gave his
bracha for the trip. Shortly before
the trip, urban flight became a
major issue and within a few
weeks, about 15 Jewish families
left the building we lived in
(corner of Kingston and Carroll).
One morning, when I left the
building, I was shocked to see
that the new tenants had removed
the mezuza from the front door
of the building. It became scary
to live in the building.
We were going to travel at
the beginning of the week and I
asked R Chadakov to let me in
for yechidus before the trip. He
asked the Rebbe and unusually,
the Rebbe agreed to see me on
Friday afternoon, about an hour
before Mincha. Before going to
yechidus, my wife, who was very
nervous that during our absence
for six weeks the new neighbors
would break into our apartment,
asked me to ask the Rebbe for a
bracha.
Toward the end of the
yechidus, I told the Rebbe about
the situation in our building and
my wifes fears. The Rebbes face
turned very serious and he even
closed his eyes. Then he said:
Nissan, what do you have in the
house sfarim and your writings
(referring to the pages on which I
had written the edits on Shulchan
Aruch). The writings will be
protection for your home.
GUIDANCE FROM ABOVE
Did you receive instructions
from the Rebbe relating to
providing the sources?
There were quite a few
instructions and one of them was
that the Rebbe instructed me to
use the Alter Rebbes approach
when it came to sources. When
the Alter Rebbe found a source
in a latter-day posek, he did not
refer to earlier sources. So too,
when I referenced the Shulchan
Aruch or the Shach or the Taz, I
did not reference sources in the
Rosh or Rambam. When the last
source appeared in the Rishonim,
I did not reference the source in
the Gemara.
Over the years, I heard the
Rebbe say amazing things about
the Alter Rebbes Shulchan
Aruch. One was when the
Rebbe defined the difference
between the Shulchan Aruch of
the Mechaber and the Shulchan
Aruch HaRav, saying it was like
the difference between a small
luminary and a big luminary!
The Rebbe once said that
really, the work in completing all
the sources could be finished in
a year. I thought, only the Rebbe
who sees all the halachic sources
in front of his eyes, and all the
textual nuances are open and
clear to him, only he could finish
this work in a year.
I began editing part one of
Orach Chaim. Then I continued
with Yoreh Deia and finally
worked on Choshen Mishpat. In
this segment there were entire
sections deleted by the censor
and I had to compare between
what appeared in the first edition
and what was printed later with
deletions. I was helped in this
tremendously by my wife. She
would look into the first edition
of the Shulchan Aruch which
I got from the Rebbes library,
and I would read aloud from the
2017-06-20 12:48:38 PM
 Rabbi Nissan Mangel at his wedding, surrounded by T'mimim
printed edition. Whenever she
saw that something was left out,
she alerted me and I wrote down
the censored part and added it in
the right place.
Working for the Rebbe
earned me a great privilege in
that sometimes, when the Rebbe
received a halachic question,
he gave it over to me and asked
me to respond. After giving the
Rebbe the answer and the Rebbe
looked it over, it was sent to the
questioner.
One time, in yechidus, the
Rebbe asked me whether I had
already answered the halachic
question in a letter he had given
me. I said that I had not received
any letter lately.
The Rebbe was quite surprised
and he called the secretary and
told him to immediately give me
the letter so I could respond.
What other sfarim did the
Rebbe tell you to edit?
One day, R Chadakov said
they got inquiries from baalei
teshuva all over the world who
wanted to daven using a Chabad
siddur, but there was no English
translation. The Rebbe told him
to tell me in the Rebbes name
that I should begin translating
the siddur.
1073_bm_eng.indd 27
The work in translating the
siddur took a very long time.
While working on the siddur I
got other jobs from the Rebbe so
I was unable to work exclusively
on the siddur. It took me two
years to complete.
I submitted the completed
work to the Rebbe so he could
review it and approve the
translation and the introduction I
wrote. To my delight, the Rebbe
approved the entire translation
except for one thing. At the
beginning of the siddur, before
Modeh Ani, there is a page with
brachos for children. On the
top of the page it said, When a
little child can speak, his father
teaches him ... Since it did not
say what the father teaches him,
I thought it meant what was
written on the rest of the page,
which is why in my translation
I added in parentheses (as
follows), meaning, the child
should be taught these tfillos.
The Rebbe asked: When a
child starts to speak, can he be
taught to say the entire Shma
Yisroel?
R Chadakov told me that
when they were going to print
the Thillas Hashem siddur, all
the pages were taken from other
siddurim, aside from this page
for little children that was not
taken from another siddur. The
Rebbe himself prepared it.
It would seem that the Rebbe
meant that when a child begins to
speak, you need to start teaching
him. What do you teach him? It
depends on the age and level of
understanding.
What general instructions
did you receive for translating
the siddur?
First, in all translations, it is
accepted practice to translate
Hashems name as G-d. But
since we do not verbalize
Hashems name as it is written,
but say Ad-nai (and only think
Havaya, as brought in Shulchan
Aruch), I translated it as Lord,
which means adnus being a
master. I made this decision
after consulting with R Zalman
Shimon Dworkin.
Once it was published, some
people criticized this. I wondered
whether I had done the right
thing. I went to R Chadakov and
told him about it and he called
the Rebbes room and said to the
Rebbe, Nissan Mangel is here
and he doesnt know whether
he translated properly. Then I
heard the Rebbe say to him, Tell
Issue 1073 27
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 Interview
Every night I would learn Likkutei Torah from
10 at night until 4 in the morning. The Likkutei
Torah for Parshas VaEschanan is especially long. The
Rebbe asked me in yechidus that week: Nu, how is it
going? I said it was very, very hard. The Rebbe smiled
but did not give me a pass...
Nissan Mangel to go back to his
work and not confound himself.
When word got out that I was
working on a translation of the
siddur, someone from Australia
suggested that the translation be
done line by line and not page
by page, because this makes it
clearer. Since I was familiar with
the Rebbes view I told him I
did not even want to ask. But he
urged me and asked me to ask in
his name. The Rebbe negated it
outright.
So too when they suggested
that the siddur in lashon
hakodesh be retyped so it would
be more clear, the Rebbe did not
agree. The Rebbes view was that
when you retype something, you
fix old errors and introduce new
ones.
The Rebbe was very particular
that everything appear in its
original format, without changes.
I asked the Rebbe about the
customs written before certain
paragraphs, which sometimes
include rulings from the Alter
Rebbes Siddur. Where we do
differently, there is an asterisk
on the bottom of the page which
says what Chabad practice is.
I thought that when I translate
the instructions into English, I
should just write what Chabad
does. When I proposed this to
the Rebbe, he said no, and said:
What the Alter Rebbe wrote in
the siddur cannot be changed.
If there is a change, it should be
noted on the bottom of page.
Regarding the bedtime Shma,
28 29 Sivan 5777
1073_bm_eng.indd 28
I saw a letter in which the Rebbe
wrote to someone that on a day
that Tachanun is not said, the
Ribbono shel olam is not said.
And yet, the HaYom Yom quotes
the Rebbe Rayatz as saying
that the Ribbono shel olam and
LaMnatzeiach are not said on
Shabbos and holidays, but they
should be said on other days
when Tachanun is not said.
I submitted copies of the two
letters and asked what I should
write in the English siddur. The
Rebbe said to do as the Rebbe
Rayatz said which is printed in
the HaYom Yom.
I treated the translation work
as holy work and if there was a
day that I could not immerse in
a mikva, I did not work on the
translation that day. From the
feedback I got, I saw the extent
of the appreciation with which
my work was received. I once
met a professor of languages
who told me that for many years
it was very hard for him to daven
because the English translations
were archaic and he felt he was
reading a foreign text and not as
standing before G-d and praying.
When he got the translated
Thillas Hashem siddur, he felt
for the first time that he was
speaking to G-d, as he put it.
When we first printed the
translated siddur, I had a few
copies bound in leather and
sent one of them as a gift to the
Rebbetzin. At the time, I got no
feedback, but after her passing,
on the last day of Shiva, the
Rebbe came downstairs with the
siddur that I had given her and
davened from it before the amud.
Then R Sholom Ber Gansbourg,
the personal aide, told me that
this siddur was on the dresser
in the Rebbetzins room and she
davened from it.
One of the most complicated
endeavors was translating the
Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur
Machzorim. And it was done
with astonishing speed. This is
what happened:
I got an invitation to lecture
at Oxford University outside of
London. Since I never traveled
without the Rebbes bracha, I
wrote to the Rebbe about the
invitation and only after receiving
his bracha did I confirm my
attendance.
The day before the flight, R
Yudel Krinsky told me that the
Rebbe wanted me to prioritize
a certain project and it had to
be done quickly. I told him: the
Rebbe knows that I am flying
tomorrow. So if it is something
that can be completed in a day,
I can do it, but if it is more
complicated, I wont be able to
do it before the flight. Therefore,
Id rather you bring it to me on
my return so it does not disturb
me during my trip for which
the Rebbe gave me his bracha.
He told me it was a big project
and we arranged to meet in two
weeks.
When I returned and saw
the Rebbes instructions, I was
floored. The Rebbe said I should
translate the Machzorim for
Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur
and asked that the machzor for
Rosh HaShana be printed and
bound before Rosh HaShana,
and the machzor for Yom Kippur
be ready for Yom Kippur. This
was in Tammuz, which meant
I had less than three months to
work on a project that generally
2017-06-20 12:48:39 PM
 BEGINNING THE CUSTOM OF READING THE REBBES LETTER UNDER THE CHUPPA
In 5721, three years after I began
working for the Rebbe, I became
engaged to my wife Raizel, daughter
of R Leib Harlig. In honor of the
wedding, the Rebbe granted my
mother permission to come to the
United States. Interestingly, even
though my mother had managed to
escape from behind the Iron Curtain
in 1952 and to immigrate to Eretz
Yisroel, the Rebbe did not permit me
to travel to visit her in Eretz Yisroel,
and did not even allow for her to
come to the United States to visit
me. Only one time, the Rebbe said
that if I want to meet her, I could
travel to London, and she should
travel to London as well, and we
would meet there. I have no idea
what the reason was.
As mentioned, my mother came
for the wedding, and we prepared
to go in for yechidus before the
wedding. During that year, the
Rebbe had stopped officiating
at weddings, and a number of
bachurim had gotten married before
me without having the special merit
accorded to those who got married
in the 50s.
When my mother told me that
she planned on asking the Rebbe
to officiate, I said to her that I was sure that the
Rebbe would refuse, and why cause the Rebbe any
unpleasantness? But being the good Jewish mother
that she was, she insisted that I was a special bachur
and surely the Rebbe would agree. Since I did not
wish to cause the Rebbe any unpleasantness, I told my
mother that I would not go in with her to yechidus
until she promised me that she would not ask this
of the Rebbe. Having no choice in the matter, she
promised.
We entered for a joint yechidus, together with the
kalla, and the Rebbe spoke to my mother at length
and showered many blessings on us. At the end of the
yechidus, when the Rebbe inclined his head as a sign
that the yechidus had ended, we all walked backwards
toward the door, facing the Rebbe, as is the custom.
And then, at the last moment, when we were all
outside the door and the yechidus was concluded, my
1073_bm_eng.indd 29
mother walked back into the Rebbes
room.
A mother is still a mother, and
as she had promised not to ask the
Rebbe during the joint yechidus, she
kept her promise. But now, when the
joint yechidus had concluded, she
entered once again to the Rebbe, as
if entering for a new yechidus, and
she asked the Rebbe that he officiate
at our wedding.
The Rebbe said to her, I also
want to very much, but how can
I make distinctions between the
bachurim?
And my mother, like a good
Jewish mother who is sure that her
son is the most special, dug in her
heels and said to the Rebbe, But
such a special bachur...
The Rebbe responded, I know,
I know more than you know, but
how can I differentiate between the
bachurim?
Then the Rebbe added, Despite
the fact that I will not be there in
body, in spirit and soul I will be at
the chuppa!
Upon hearing this, my mother
was very satisfied, and she left the
yechidus room.
In the days when the Rebbe still officiated, the
order was that when everybody was ready they would
inform R Chadakov, and he would go in and inform
the Rebbe, and only then would the Rebbe come
out. Since the Rebbe said that he would attend with
his spirit and soul, I decided to give that tangible
expression. I approached R Dovid Raskin, who
throughout the period of preparation for the wedding
was like a father to me and handled everything that
was needed, and I asked him:
1) That when everybody is ready, he should inform
R Chadakov that the chuppa was about to begin and,
2) I wanted that the letter of the Rebbe should be read
under the chuppa. Until that point, there was no such
custom, and as far as I know, ever since my chuppa it
became established custom to read the Rebbes letter
under the chuppa.
Issue 1073 29
2017-06-20 12:48:41 PM
 Interview
would take more than a year!
I wrote to the Rebbe that this
was impossible, but the Rebbe
responded: now, nothing is
impossible.
With the Rebbes koach I
began working on it constantly,
and it would not be a clich if I
said that I worked on it day and
night. Even the translation of
simple texts take time; all the
more so when they are texts of
piyutim that you first need to
learn in order to understand
what the words mean. At a later
point, one of the Rebbes baalei
tefilla for many years told me
that until he read my translation,
there were many piyutim whose
meaning he did not know.
To keep pace with the looming
deadline, I got my wife involved
in the work. I would translate and
she would type it. I did not have
time to review the work. As soon
as she finished typing, I gave the
pages to Empire Press (belonging
to R Hirschel Gansbourg and
R Mordechai Chein) who had
three shifts of workers, 24 hours,
in order to keep up the pace the
Rebbe wanted.
Needless to say, the Rebbe
got what he wanted. A few
days before Rosh HaShana the
Machzorim for Rosh HaShana
came from the printer, bound
and ready, and a few days later,
the Yom Kippur Machzorim were
ready.
I have no doubt that the
success of the project was not
thanks to my kochos, but the
koach of the Rebbe. A shocking
fact, which has no natural
explanation, is that despite the
speed with which we produced
the Machzorim, and although
I did not have the time to edit
the translation even once, all
the translations were accurate
with no mistakes. There was one
exception, in which a certain
30 29 Sivan 5777
1073_bm_eng.indd 30
letter was mistakenly transposed
alongside one of the words,
which caused a serious distortion
in the meaning of the word.
This mistake was discovered
immediately, and was obviously
corrected in the later editions.
Aside from that, the translation
was perfect, as if it had been
worked on for an entire year
and had gone through multiple
reviews and edits.
SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION
OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE
We met with R Mangel a
number of times in conducting
this fascinating interview. One
of the times was on a Motzaei
Shabbos, and R Mangel wished
to conclude with a message
connected to melave malka, the
meal of Dovid Malka Meshicha,
and to the resurrection of the
dead in the ultimate redemption:
On Motzaei Shabbos, there is
an obligation to eat melave malka.
This meal is associated with the
days of Moshiach, as it is brought
in sfarim that there is a certain
bone in the body, which does
not derive benefit from any other
meals except this one. This bone
is known as the luz, from which
Hashem will resurrect the dead in
the future time.
It is brought in Midrash, that
Adarianus the bone grinder asked
Rebbi Yehoshua ben Chananya,
From where will HaKadosh
Baruch Hu sprout the person
in the coming future? The
question being, if Hashem would
just create new people then they
would not be the same ones that
died, while the term resurrection
of the dead would seem to imply
that the dead themselves come to
life. If so, how is that possible, if
nothing remains of the original
person?
Rebbi Yehoshua ben
Chananya answered him, From
the luz bone in the spine. This
is a small bone in the spine that
always remains in existence,
which is a part of the body of the
deceased, and from that Hashem
will resurrect the body in Tchiyas
HaMeisim.
When the man asked how he
knew this, R Yehoshua responded
that he should bring one and he
would show him. He ground it
with millstones but it would not
grind, he burned it with fire but it
would not burn, he put it in water
but it did not dissolve, he put it
on an anvil and began to pound
on it with a hammer. The anvil
split and the hammer cracked,
but the luz was not diminished.
I was in the extermination
camps, in Auschwitz and others,
in which they burned millions of
Jews rl. There was a huge blast
furnace there that was terrifying.
There were days in which they
burned twenty thousand Jews!
Even that awesome fire was
no match for the luz bone. I
spoke after the war with one of
the sonderkommando (Jewish
prisoners forced by the Nazis to
work with the corpses and the
furnaces), and he told me that in
the ashes of every body there was
always a tiny bone that did not
burn!
At the time, when he told
me this, I did not appreciate the
significance of what he said.
But after a number of years,
when I learned this Midrash, I
understood that this was the luz
bone, from which the millions of
holy martyrs will be resurrected!
Physical resurrection will only
take place in the future, but the
spiritual resurrection of the Jewish
people was begun by the Rebbe
from the day that he assumed
leadership, and he continues with
this until his complete revelation,
immediately now!
2017-06-20 12:48:41 PM
 PARSHA THOUGHT
THE KORACH
STORY TEACHES US
WHAT IS A REBBE
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg
WHAT DID THEY
ACCUSE MOSHE OF?
Korachs rebellion began with his
gathering of 250 leaders and then
proclaiming before them to Moshe
and Aaron:
You have gone too far. All the
people in the community are holy,
and G-d is within them. Why are
you setting yourselves above G-ds
congregation?
Moshes immediate response is
recorded thus:
When Moshe heard this he fell
on his face.
Moshe was accustomed to
rebellion. But this act of rebellion
floored him.
Rashi explains that this was the
fourth major act of rebellion and
thats why it affected Moshe so
strongly.
However, the Aramaic Midrashic
translation of the Torah, known
as Targum Yonasan, provides the
following extraordinary commentary:
When Moshe heard how each
of them accused their wives of
committing adultery with Moshe
and wanted them to drink the bitter
waters [that would miraculously
determine if the woman was guilty]
he fell to the ground.
How in the world could
anyone in his right mind accuse
Moshe of engaging in adultery;
a capital violation and one of
1073_bm_eng.indd 31
the Ten Commandments? Even
troublemakers and rabble rousers
must anchor their falsehoods with
some modicum of rationality and
believability for their complaints to
be considered legitimate. Who in his
right mind could entertain the idea
that Moshe was guilty of adultery,
and with multitudes of women no
less?
MOSHE THE JUDGE AND
COUNSELOR
The (19th century) work Nachlas
Yehoshua proposes a simple, but
seemingly inadequate, explanation:
Moshe was the chief justice of
the Sanhedrin. While his father-in-
law Yisro counseled him to delegate
responsibility for the routine and
simple cases to other judges, Moshe
reserved judgment of the more
complex cases for himself. Only he
was qualified to judge them.
Now, there were many women
who had issues with their husbands
and needed rabbinic counseling
and guidance. Because these were
extremely private and sensitive
matters, many of the women felt
uncomfortable in bringing these
matters to the attention of lower
level judges. They would only trust
Moshe, the acknowledged man of
G-d. Moreover, as G-ds chosen
messenger, they believed that he was
uniquely able to give them unbiased
and unvarnished Divine guidance.
Because of Moshes frequent
meetings with their wives, the
husbands ire was aroused as well
as their suspicion that something
untoward happened during these
meetings. If the husbands were truly
embroiled in domestic disputes, their
accusations against Moshe served
a dual purpose; they denigrated
Moshe, against whom the husbands
harbored grudges based upon what
they considered to be his elitist
position, and it also embarrassed
their wives.
While this might be a good
explanation for the pretext of an
accusation, it is simply incredible
that otherwise sane people would
impute this degree of impropriety
to Moshe. Moshe, after all, was the
quintessential G-dly man. He was
the liberator of all Jews; he dwelt on
Mount Sinai for three separate 40
day periods of no eating or drinking;
he gave us the Torah and he was also
the most humble and G-dly of all
humans to have ever lived!
We are therefore compelled to
conclude that while there might
have been some utterly debased
individuals who could believe that
Moshe would sink so low, the larger
number of his accusers were, in all
likelihood, referring to adultery in a
figurative sense.
We also have to understand the
connection between the accusation
of adultery and Korachs statement
that all Jews are equal and that
Moshe placed himself above
Issue 1073 31
2017-06-20 12:48:42 PM
 Interview
everyone else? That accusation is
about Moshes supposed arrogance,
whereas what floored Moshe was the
accusation of adultery.
SPIRITUAL ADULTERY
Where do we find the concept of
adultery used metaphorically?
The Talmud invokes adultery
when it discusses the law that one
may not teach Torah to a non-Jew.
[It should be noted that there
are exceptions to this rule. First
and foremost a prospective convert
may study Torah to know what he
or she will be required to observe
upon conversion. Second, a non-
Jew is actually required to study
the laws pertaining to the Seven
Noachide commandments that were
given to all of humanity. Indeed,
the Talmud states that a non-Jew
who studies the parts of Torah that
deal with his laws is superior to the
High Priest entering into the Holy
of Holies of the Holy Temple! Third,
according to many opinions, the
restriction applies only to the Oral
Torah. However, non-Jews may
learn the Written Torah, i.e., Biblical
scripture.]
The Talmud bases this restriction
on a Biblical verse: The Torah
was commanded to us by Moshe,
as an inheritance to the assembly
of Jacob. Now, the word for
inheritance in Hebrew is morasha.
With a slight change of the vowels
it can read, murasa, which means
betrothed or married. In other
words, the Torah is not just a body
of knowledge given to the Jewish
people; it is their bride. And one
may not take the bride of his fellow
for himself. Hence teaching Torah to
those for whom it was not intended
is a subtle form of adultery.
ALL EQUAL OR ELSE
If we were to apply this logic
to the way Korach and his cohorts
viewed Moshe one might suggest
the following to explain why they
32 29 Sivan 5777
1073_bm_eng.indd 32
accused him of adultery:
Korach argued for the equality of
the Jewish people when he declared,
For the entire nation are all holy.
Rashi explains that his argument
was that all of the Jewish people
heard the Almighty give the Torah at
Mount Sinai. Hence, all of the Torah
is betrothed to every Jew.
This raises an immediate
question. How can the Torah be
betrothed to more than one person?
In Jewish law a woman who is
married to one man may not marry
another without being released from
her first marriage through divorce
or death. How then could more
than one Jew study Torah if we
were to take the marriage metaphor
seriously?
The answer was provided by
none other than Korach himself.
All the Jews heard G-d speak to
them and give them the Torah
simultaneously. All Jews therefore
are part of one people. We are one
unit and therefore one spouse, and
we are collectively married to the
Torah.
Aha, intimated Korach, if you,
Moshe, consider yourself above and
beyond the masses, and if everyone
is not equal then either we are all
committing adultery for having
taken the Torah to whom you were
betrothed or you are committing
adultery by way of your association
with Torah. And since we didnt
place ourselves above you, then you
manifestation of the lack of cohesion
Moshe and Aaron have separated
yourselves from the community and
have no right to claim Torah for
yourselves; it is adultery!
CONNECTED TO THE
UNIFYING BRAIN
How do we refute their claim?
The truth is that Korach was
correct in asserting that all Jews are
equal for having heard G-d speak
to them at Mount Sinai. Yet, he was
wrong to challenge Moshes and
Aarons unique status.
The relationship of Moshe, and
by extension other great Jewish
leaders throughout history, to
the rest of the people is like the
relationship of the brain to the
body. No one will deny that the
brain is head and shoulders (pun
intended) above the rest of the body.
Yet, its superiority is not because
it is detached from the body but
precisely because it is the life-force
of the entire body. It guides and
controls every aspect of our lives.
Its greatness lies in its connection
to and unity with every cell of our
bodies.
Similarly, Moshes greatness was
that he was and is the ultimate unifier
of all the Jewish people because of
his unparalleled connection with
them.
If anyone could be accused of
adultery it would be those people
who severed themselves from Moshe
and subsequent authentic Jewish
leaders. To be part of one cohesive
organism that is betrothed to the
Torah, one must be connected to the
brain souls.
MOSHIACH UNITES AND
STRENGTHENS OUR
MARRIAGE TO TORAH
Galus-exile refers, first and
foremost, to the dispersion of the
Jewish people throughout the world.
However, the physical fragmentation
of the Jewish people is also a
on the spiritual level.
Because of the lack of unity
that characterizes our existence
in Galus, our Torah learning is
also compromised. If one can
commit adultery in a subtle form
by separating himself from the
community or by not having a
close connection to the Moshe of
the generation, then Galus is the
ultimate form of degradation. Even
our Torah learning can be tainted
with adultery.
Continued on page 33
2017-06-20 12:48:43 PM
 MOSHIACH & GEULA
BUT IF HE IS KILLED
From Chapter Fifteen of Rabbi Shloma Majeskis Likkutei Mekoros,
Volume 2. (Underlined text is the compilers emphasis.)
Translated by Boruch Merkur
If a king arises from the House
of Dovid, steeped in Torah study
and engaged in Mitzvos, like Dovid
his predecessor, in accordance
with both the Written Torah and
the Oral Torah, and he compels
all the Jewish people to follow it,
and he strengthens its breeches
and wages the wars of G-d this
person is presumed to be Moshiach.
If he does so and succeeds, and if
he builds the Mikdash in its place,
and gathers the exiles of the Jewish
people this man is certainly
Moshiach. Moshiach will correct the
entire world to serve G-d together
as one, as it is said, For then I shall
transform the nations to [speak in] a
pure language so they may all call in
the name of G-d and worship Him
of one accord (Tzfania 3:9).
If, however, he does not succeed
to this extent, or he is killed,* it is
self-evident that this is not the one
whom Torah has promised. Rather,
he is like all the kings of the Davidic
dynasty who were whole and lawful
but died. The Alm-ghty only brought
him to the fore in order to challenge
Continued from page 32
One of Moshiachs roles is to
bring perfection and integrity to
Torah. In addition, Moshiach is the
one who will gather all Jews from all
parts of the world and bring them to
the Land of Israel. This will bring all
Jews together both geographically
and spiritually. These two functions
are intertwined. When we are unified
1073_bm_eng.indd 33
the masses, as it is said, And some
of the wise will stumble to clarify
some of them, and to select and
to cleanseThey will stumble in the
calculations of the end, for they will
put their mind to refine them and
to resolve them to know them, but
they will err concerning themThey
will stumble in the calculations of
the end, for they will put their mind
to refine them and to resolve them
to know them, but they will err
concerning themThey will stumble
in the calculations of the end, for
they will put their mind to refine
them and to resolve them to know
them, but they will err concerning
them,** until the time of the keitz,
for there is still the appointed time
(Daniel 11:35).
But Yeshua HaNotzri, who
conceived himself to be Moshiach
but was killed by the Beis Din, was
foreseen by Daniel in prophecy,
as it is said, and the sons of the
renegades of your people will exalt
themselves to bring about the
vision*** but they will stumble
(Daniel 11:14). Is there a greater
under the banner of Moshiach our
Torah learning will be free of any of
the Galus tainted subtleties.
In preparation for this time, the
Rebbe issued a directive to study
Maimonides Mishneh Torah,
whereby we learn the same thing
daily throughout the world.
This, the Rebbe stated, unites all
Jews through Torah.
stumbling block than Yeshuas
legacy? For all the prophets spoke
of Moshiach as the redeemer and
savior of the Jewish people, who
gathers their exiles and strengthens
their Mitzvos, whereas Yeshua
caused the Jewish people to be slain
by the sword and their remnants
dispersed and downcast, exchanging
the Torah [for a foreign religion]
and to misguide most of the world
to worship [as] a deity [one who is]
other than G-d.
(Rambams Laws of Kings Ch. 11:4)
NOTES:
*Here Rabbi Majeski, the compiler,
places added emphasis on the word
killed.
**They will stumble and err in their
predictions of the kitzim, the appointed
time for the advent of Moshiach; they
strive to refine and resolve them to know
them [i.e., to determine their dates],
but they will err in their calculations.
Rashi.
***of a new religion that contradicts
G-ds Torah Rambam LaAm
It may be suggested that when
we bring unity to the Jewish people
through unity in Torah study, our
unity then reciprocates and removes
the subtle stigma of adultery from
our Torah study.
The strongest form of Jewish
unity is achieved through Torah
unity. By removing separation from
the community, we all become one
spouse to the Torah.
Issue 1073 33
2017-06-20 12:48:43 PM
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1073_bm_eng.indd 34 2017-06-20 12:48:43 PM

 TZIVOS HASHEM
THE
GRANDFATHER
OF ALL ISRAEL
Before Rabbi Yisroel Baal
Shem Tov, known as the Besht,
became known to the world as
a tzaddik, he dug clay and sold
it for a living. He had a wagon
and an old, weak horse who
could barely drag the load.
At some point, the horse
could no longer pull the wagon.
The Besht didnt know what to
do. Without a horse, he could
no longer make a living.
He heard that in a certain
village lived a very wealthy Jew
named Boruch. Boruch was
very hospitable and one of his
good practices was to exchange
poor peoples weak horses for
strong, young horses.
The Besht and his wife
traveled to that village and
were welcomed with open
arms by the rich man and
his household. The man had a
guesthouse and every person
passing through was allowed
to stay there for a week and
receive two meals a day. It was
1073_bm_eng.indd 5
By Devorah Leah
a free hotel!
The Besht and his wife
stayed for a few days and
when the rich man heard that
they had an old and weak
horse, he told a servant to give
them a strong horse. The Besht
was amazed by the rich mans
generosity and stayed another
few days.
One night, Boruch woke
up in the middle of the night.
He looked out the window
toward his guesthouse and saw
a strange fire shining through
one of the windows. A fire
broke out! he thought in
alarm and he ran toward the
guesthouse to do something
about it before it spread.
But when he got closer, he
saw that it wasnt a fire at all
but a strange light emerging
from one of the rooms. He
quietly held the doorknob and
looked through the keyhole.
The sight that met his eyes
was captivating. One of the
poor guests was sitting on
the ground, reciting a moving
Tikkun Chatzos. It was obvious
that with every word, the
poor man was feeling the pain
of the Shchina and the Jewish
people in exile.
He saw something else that
made chills go down his spine.
A tall man wrapped in white,
whose face shone with a light
not of this world, was standing
next to the poor man. The rich
man fell in a faint.
The sound of his falling
could be heard by the Besht,
who was the man inside, of
course. He opened the door
and revived his host until the
color came back to his pale
cheeks.
Forgive me Rebbi for not
giving you the proper honor
... Those were the first words
he said. I did not know that
you are a righteous and holy
man.
The Besht said firmly, I
Issue 1073 35
2017-06-20 12:48:21 PM
 .
.
. "
, .
: '





,
" .' "
,
had Forthe

couple a son.

bris, the rich man
invited ,all
the poor people.in the
area

in
the hopes that the Besht would
among

come
,"
as
well.
Indeed , noticed
, the many guests, he
Besht.

the R Boruch wante d
to rush over to him and honor
.
sandak
, but
him with being the
the Besht
hinted to him that
he shouldnt single him out for
,

special treatment.
was and
held the
The bris
" baby was named Aryeh Leib. R
Boruch
.
handed the baby to the
poor people so they could bless
"
was
for thebaby
,
him. His goal
to reach
the Besht. ,
.. .. '. When the Besht held
. am an
the baby he said, I

ignora musand dont know how

to bless in Lashon HaKod esh,

but I remember the meaning of
,

:

verse,
the vAvr ohom zakein
Avi is father and zakein is

grandfather. The meanin
g of
m
this phrase is that.Avroho

Avinu became the grandf ather

. of all theJewish " people

throughout the generations. I
this

bless ,
baby that he merit to
" Israel
be a grandf
ather
all was
to a
:
' just like Avrohom Avinu
ather
grandf ofall
Israel.
, laughe d at this
. The crowd
seemingly simplistic blessing
that of an appare nt ignora " mus.
,' request that you stop talking see him, you should know
like that and that you not tell he was the Maharal of
Prague They repeated
the ,
and
origina
the l

from whom you descend. In interp retatio n
anyone what you saw. . that

me of Zeide
, In amore y tone he heaven they decreed that his nickna
fatherl

the baby was given. And the
would descend to this
added,
'... You

should

of your know

many soul
that
kind
world
and
again .
enter your nickna
son ' me stuck. When people

because met R Boruch on the street,
deeds, in heaven d so
decide
, they able to accom
he will be plish
they ,would

ask him, How is
great things.
to give you a son who will be a Zeide
'! your ' . doing?
big ' :"k. You
tzaddi must be,carefu was
l ,RBoruch . The
thrilled
his bris mila, Even when he becam e
with his educat ion and the Besht said, At






s of his
"
environment.

tzaddik and
, holines name the child Aryeh Leib. I famous as a

rich wante
d to am sure I will yet see him for wonder-wor. ker who had many
The man
myself and bless him. harsh decrees against the Jews
know who the other man in annulled, they did not stop
the room was. The Besht said ***
calling him Zeide. He was the
to him, Since you were able to Indeed, a year later, the holy a,wv hzun
z"xShpole , wu | ~ | 74
Zeide.

6/18/2007 12:20:06 AM
B"H. 29 Sivan 5777
23 june 2017 Number 1073
Price: $6.00 Part 2 of 4

1073_bm_eng.indd 2 2017-06-20 12:48:18 PM