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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:M.M. Hendel

ENGLISH EDITOR:Boruch Merkur

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HEBREW EDITOR:Rabbi Sholom Yaakov ChazaneditorH@beismoshiach.org

MIVTZA ARBA MINIM Mivtzaim | Shneur Zalman Levin

‘ARISE AND SING, THOSE WHO DWELLIN THE DUST’ (CONT)Moshiach & Geula | Rabbi Sholom Dovber HaLevi Wolpo

A SUCCA IN STOCKHOLMStory | Menachem Ziegelboim

G-D’S RETURN WITH THE JEWISHPEOPLE FROM EXILE (CONT.) D’var Malchus | Likkutei Sichos Vol. 9, pg. 175-183

A REAL EXPERIENCE OF TISHREI WITHTHE REBBEInsight | Interview with Rabbi Noam Wagner with A. Reinitz

A CHILD BLOWING SHOFAR, FISHHEADS, AND TRIPS TO THE REBBEShlichus | Rabbi Yaakov Shmuelevitz

THE DOLLAR THAT WAITED 20 YEARSStory | Nosson Avrohom

THEY’RE LOOKING AT YOUChinuch | Rabbi Levi Pariz

A SIMCHAS TORAH OF JOY AND TEARSFeature | Menachem Ziegelboim

THE WORLD’S GREATEST PROVIDERSOF HOSPITALITYFeature | Yisrael Yehuda

Wishing all our readers a happy Sukkosand a g’mar chasima tova!

MY T’SHUVA Profile | D. Rotem

[Continued from last issue]4. The above discussion sheds

light on what Rashi says, “OurRabbis learned from here, etc.,”notwithstanding the fact that it is(at first glance) an explicitScriptural verse: “I am with him[i.e., the Jewish people] in [their]suffering.”

From the verse, “I am with himin suffering,” we know31 only32that on account of the greatfondness G-d has for the Jewishpeople, when the Jewish peoplehappen to be in a predicament –may G-d have mercy upon us – G-dis also troubled by it, as it were.

(Thus, G-d revealed Himself toMoshe “from amidst the bush” (ofprickly thorns), in order toindicate that He shares in thesorrow of the Jewish people.32*That is, He is troubled and“pricked [by a sharp thorn],” as itwere, by the suffering of the Jewishpeople, may G-d have mercy uponus.)

The fact that He is troubled bythe suffering of the Jewish peoplestill does not mean that He is inexile,33 but only that the sufferingand misfortunes of Jews cause Himto suffer.34

However, from here, from thisverse (in the portion Nitzavim),

“G-d, your L-rd, will return,” our Rabbis derive theteaching “that the Divine Presence resides with theJewish people, as it were, amidst the suffering of theirexile” – the Divine Presence Itself is together with theJewish people, as it were, in exile.35

5. This line of reasoning, however, begs thefollowing question. Since G-d Himself is “amidst thesuffering of their exile” – that is, He too is in exile inthe lands of the gentile nations, as it were – how canHe redeem Himself together with the Jewish people?Logic clearly dictates and it is readily discerned – evena five-year-old sees – that “a bound person cannot freehimself”!36

In response to this question, Rashi says, “He hasinscribed redemption for Himself when they are to beredeemed.” Prior to going into exile, He had“inscribed” (for this had occurred once before – in thedesert) that when the time that “they are to beredeemed” will arrive, when the Jewish people need to

G-D’S

RETURN

WITH THE

JEWISH

PEOPLE

FROM EXILE Likkutei Sichos Vol. 9, pg. 175-183Translated by Boruch Merkur

be redeemed from exile, then the [angels called] Sarim(who, together with G-d, rule over the Jewish people,as it were) will have no say36* with regard to [theeventuality that] “G-d, your L-rd, will return.” That isthe intent of Rashi with, “He has inscribedredemption for Himself,” meaning that he has“inscribed” [i.e., predestined] for Himself aredemption.

One might think that since “He has inscribedredemption for Himself,” when the time for theredemption arrives, G-d Himself will be freed fromexile first and only then will He redeem the Jewishpeople. Rashi, therefore, adds, “He will return withthem,” for the event of “G-d, your L-rd, will return”will be “with your captivity,” concurrent with thereturn of the Jewish people.37 And as long as theingathering of the exiles of all the Jews has not beencompleted (even if a single Jew still remains in exile),“the Divine Presence resides with the Jewishpeople…amidst the suffering of their exile.”

6. After all the above discussion, the following isstill not understood. It is true that on account of thefact that “the Divine Presence resides with the Jewishpeople…amidst the suffering of their exile,” adistinction also emerges with regard to theredemption (that G-d will return from the suffering ofexile), however, the innovative concept here isprimarily associated with the exile [i.e., G-d resideswith the Jewish people amidst their suffering in exile].Then why does the verse say with regard to theredemption, “(He) will return…your captivity”[suggesting the primacy of the concept of Hisredemption, unlike the emphasis on the exile inRashi’s commentary]?

For that reason, Rashi continues, “Moreover, wecould say” – that the words, “G-d, your L-rd, willreturn,” signify another concept,38 one that pertainsto the ingathering of the exiles (the concept ofredemption). Namely, since the ingathering of all theJewish people, from all the places of exile is a difficultthing to accomplish, therefore, the verse states, “G-d,your L-rd, will return,” for such a great and difficulttask can only be accomplished by G-d.

7. However, the latter explanation begs thequestion of the “five-year-old who begins to learnScripture”: If the ingathering of the exiles is a difficulttask, this difficulty would not be limited strictly to theingathering of Jewish exiles. (In fact, since the Jewishpeople are considered as a single person,39 theingathering of the Jews would be easier than that ofthe gentiles, l’havdil, who do not have a connectionbetween them.39)

Therefore, why does the verse emphasize that the

“return” is on account of the fact that “G-d (is) yourL-rd”?

For that reason, Rashi goes on at length and indetail, quoting the verse: “The day of the ingatheringof the exiles is so great and with so much strife that itis as if He personally needs to literally hold the handof every single person [to extract each one] from hisplace [in exile], as the concept is expressed in theverse, ‘You, the Jewish people (the concept ofextracting each one from his place applies also toJews40), shall be gathered one by one.’ Indeed, thisconcept is also found with regard to the gentilenations, as it is said, ‘I shall return the returnees of theAmmonite people’” (since [with regard to theingathering of the Jewish exiles] it is “so great, etc.(there must be), He personally, etc.”), but this is notso in other cases (that they [i.e., the gentiles] shall begathered one by one).

[To be continued be”H]NOTES:31 Thus, Rashi is unable to say that we learn from here(Shmos 3:2) that “I am with him in suffering,” because itis explicit in Scripture, as discussed above in Section 1.

32 Especially since we may assert that there it is inaccordance with the commentary of the Meztudos: “I will bewith him in order to save him.”

32*See Footnote 32* in the original.

33 The fact that in the exile to Egypt the Holy One BlessedBe He hints to Moshe only the concept of “I am with him insuffering,” we may assert that the connection of G-d to theJewish people in this manner – that He resides with them inthe suffering of their exile – only began after the Giving ofthe Torah.

34 This sheds light on the fact that it is specifically here (notin the portion Shmos ibid) that Rashi writes, “as it were.”

35 Like the example of a king in his palace who suffers fromthe affliction of his son who is in exile compared to one whodescends with his son into exile or is also incarcerated withhim in prison.

36 Brachos 5b, where this concept is explained.

36* See Footnote 36* in the original.

37 We may assert that also for this reason Rashi cites thewords “with your captivity.”

38 Without ruling out the first interpretation, for whichreason Rashi writes, “Moreover, we could say” (and not,“An alternate interpretation” (davar acher) or the like, as iscommonly found in Rashi’s commentary).

39 See Rashi VaYigash 46:26.

40 See Footnote 40 in the original.

2 TISHREI – 2ND DAY OF ROSHHASHANA: DAVENING FOR THEREDEMPTION IS EMPHASIZED ONROSH HASHANA

The general concept of the Trueand Complete Redemption isemphasized most during thedavening of Rosh HaShana, and inits proper order:

“The kingship of the House ofDovid, Your Moshiach,” “and theywill all make one bundle” (referringto all creations of the world,including the nations of the world,which will be in the Future to Come),“a flourishing of strength to Dovid,Your servant,” “for you shall removethe rule of evil from the earth,” until“and You shall reign, etc., over allYour works” – for the culmination ofthis concept will be at the FutureRedemption.

Thus, we see how great theemphasis is on the concept ofRedemption in the davening of RoshHaShana, to the point that even inthe first three (brachos), in which weare especially careful not to makechanges or additions connected torequests for personal needs, etc.,nevertheless, all the aforementionedmatters are added.

(Seifer Hisvaaduyos 5744, pg. 27)

3 TISHREI: THE FAST OF GEDALYA AND THE REDEMPTION –WE WILL LIVE BEFORE HIM ON THE THIRD DAY

Regarding the Fast of Gedalya, there are opinions thathe was killed on Rosh HaShana, but since it is forbiddento fast on Rosh HaShana (when it is a mitzva to eat,drink, and be joyous), they postponed the fast until thethird of Tishrei.

…It is understood that the Fast of Gedalya wasprimarily established in a manner of postponement,specifically emphasizing the granting of strength for theuprooting of the fast entirely, in the days of Moshiach,when the fasts will be abrogated and transformed intojoyous and auspicious days.

Furthermore, there is an additional emphasis on thethird of Tishrei, which is connected to the ThirdRedemption and the Third Beis HaMikdash, as is written(Hoshea 6:2), “He will revive us from the two days, onthe third day He will set us up, and we will live beforeHim” – Send us healing from the two occasions…on the

A DAILY

DOSE OF

MOSHIACH

& GEULA:2 TISHREI - 6 MAR-CHESHVAN

Selected daily pearls of wisdom from theRebbe MH”M on Moshiach and Geula.Collected and arranged by Rabbi Pinchas Maman Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry

third occasion, at the Future Redemption, He will lift usup from falling and we shall live before Him forever”(Metzudas Dovid, commentary on the pasuk), and inMaharsha’s Chiddushei Aggados (Rosh HaShana 18b),“He will lift us up on the third day, etc.” referring to thethird of Tishrei, the Fast of Gedalya.

(Seifer HaSichos 5751, Vol. 1, from pg. 21)

4 TISHREI: THE MITZVA THAT TIPS THE SCALE – NOTNECESSARILY IN LOFTY MATTERS

The avoda of “all the days of your life to bring thedays of Moshiach” can and must be even at this verymoment, through a renewed awakening in a renewedstrength of the essence of the soul by adding one moremitzva in order “to tip the scales for himself and thewhole world to the side of merits, and bring salvation andrescue to him and them.”

Furthermore, all this is not necessarily with lofty

matters connected with the level of yechida, such as thestudy and spreading of the teachings of chassidus, butalso (and mainly) simple matters – e.g., providing a Jewwith his material needs connected with the essence of hisexistence (soul in body).

(sicha, Shabbos Parshas Toldos 5752)

5 TISHREI: JEWISH WOMEN AT THE FUTURE REDEMPTION –REVELATION OF THE S’FIRA OF MALCHUS

Our Sages, of blessed memory, say (Sota 19b): “Inthe merit of the righteous women of that generation, theJewish People were redeemed from Egypt,” and by thesame token in relation to the Future Redemption, whichwill be in the merit of the righteous women of thatgeneration…

In addition, the quality of Jewish women isemphasized (not only by bringing the Redemption, but)also (and primarily) in the Redemption itself:

It is known and explained in kabbalistic and chassidictexts (e.g., Torah Ohr, end of Parshas VaYigash) that inthe Future to Come, there will be revealed the quality ofthe s’fira of Malchus (mekabel, woman), the root ofwhich is higher than all the s’firos (mashpia, man), as iswritten, “a woman shall go after a man” (Yirmiyahu31:22), “a virtuous woman is the crown of her husband”(Mishlei 12:4).

(sichos, Shabbos Parshas Bo and Parshas B’Shalach 5752)

6 TISHREI – HISTALKUS OF THE REBBETZIN CHANA: JEWISHWOMEN AT THE FUTURE REDEMPTION – PREFERENCE INRECEIVING “THE NEW TORAH”

As is known, the Redemption from Egypt was in themerit of the righteous women of the generation.Furthermore, since the Redemption was for the purposeof giving the Torah, as is written (Shmos 3:12), “Whenyou take the people out of Egypt, you will worship G-d

on this mountain,” therefore, thewomen preceded the men at MattanTorah. “So shall you say to the houseof Yaakov” – these are the women; “and tell the sons of Israel” – these arethe men (ibid. 19:3, and Rashi’scommentary).

So it will be even at the FutureRedemption:

Since the Redemption will comein the merit of righteous Jewishwomen, they will have priorityregarding “a new Torah [that] willcome forth from me.”

(Seifer HaSichos 5749, pg. 239)

7 TISHREI: THEY SHALL SEE OPENLYTHE TRUE EXISTENCE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN THEFUTURE TO COME

In the Future to Come, they shall actually see the trueexistence of the Jewish People in a revealed sense, theessence of the soul, which is united with His BlessedEssence and Being, “Israel and the Holy One, Blessed BeHe, are entirely one.”

(And this is) according to how it is drawn, instilled,and revealed in all levels of the “five names that (the soul)is called,” in all powers of the soul – pleasure, desire,intellect, middos – and their garments – thought, speech,and action.

Furthermore, within the physical body, in all 248limbs and 365 sinews, it will be actually recognized andrevealed that “Israel and the Holy One, Blessed Be He,are entirely one.”

(sicha, Shabbos Parshas Toldos 5752)

The avoda of “all the days of your life tobring the days of Moshiach” can andmust be even at this very moment...byadding one more mitzva in order “to tipthe scales for himself and the wholeworld to the side of merits, and bringsalvation and rescue to him and them.”

8 TISHREI: A STONE FROM THE WALL CRY OUTIn connection with the Future to Come, it is said, “A

stone in the wall will cry out and a beam from the tree willrespond.” The “inanimate” is presently silent, “theytrample upon it and it remains quiet.” However, the timewill come in the revelations of the Future, when theinanimate will begin to speak, relate, and demand: Ifwhile walking they neither thought nor spoke words ofTorah, then why did they trample upon me?!

The earth has been waiting thousands of years, sincethe Six Days of Creation. In the meantime, many livingcreatures, animals, etc., have walked upon it – waitingfor a Jew, two Jews, to walk upon it and discuss words ofTorah. But if not, it says: You are also just like an animal!

(HaYom Yom, 15 Adar Rishon)

9 TISHREI – EREV YOM KIPPUR: DAVENING FOR THEREDEMPTION WITH SINGING AND JOY

There is an additional and also basic instruction onthe concept of song in relation to the avoda of davening[which is also called singing] – in a manner of song…

This has special relevance to davening for the Trueand Complete Redemption (and particularly after “allthe appointed times have [already] been finished,” andall matters of avoda have been completed, as in thewords of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, leader ofthe generation) – that in addition to the feeling ofdesire, longing, and yearning for the Redemption (untilnow), there must now also be the main feeling of joythat the Redemption is actually coming at this verymoment.

(sicha, Shabbos Parshas B’Shalach 5752)

10 TISHREI – YOM KIPPUR: EATING AND DRINKING ON YOMKIPPUR

If Moshiach Tzidkeinu will come during the Ten Daysof Repentance, it stands to reason that people will eat anddrink on Yom Kippur, if this will be during the seven daysof dedication of the Third Beis HaMikdash, according towhat we have found regarding the First Beis HaMikdashthat it was first dedicated on the eighth of Tishrei, andthey ate and drank on Yom Kippur (Mo’ed Katan 9:1).

This applies all the more so with the Third BeisHaMikdash, regarding which it is said (Chaggai 2:9),“The glory of this last House shall be greater than thefirst one.”

Thus, it can be said that its greatness will not only bein its construction and years, as with the Second BeisHaMikdash, but also in its dedication (at least as with theFirst Beis HaMikdash).

(Seifer HaSichos 5749, Vol. 1, pg. 12)

11 TISHREI: PURITY IN THE FUTURE TO COME – HIGHERTHAN G-D’S NAME

It is said in relation to the sprinkling of the ashes ofthe red heifer in the Future to Come (Yechezkel 36:25),“And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you willbe clean,” i.e., the sprinkling will be through G-d.

This matter emphasizes the quality of the JewishPeople, in the words of the Mishna (end of Yoma,Chapter Yom HaKippurim): Fortunate are you Israel!Before Whom are you purified and Who purifies you?Our Father in Heaven…

Furthermore, we should add the precise language“Before Whom are you purified,” in accordance withwhat is written, “You will be purified before G-d,”meaning higher than G-d’s Name, i.e., the purity of theJewish People is higher than the Name of G-d.

Chassidus thereby explains (Kesser Shem Tov,Appendix, sec. 10) the reason why the day after YomKippur is called “G-t’s Nahmen” (G-d’s Name) –

Since Yom Kippur is “before G-d,” higher than theName of G-d, therefore, the day after Yom Kippur has noparticular name, and is called only “G-t’s Nahmen.”

(yechidus, 6 MarCheshvan 5752)

12 TISHREI: KOHANIM PREPARE FOR THE REDEMPTIONTHROUGH BEING CAREFUL AGAINST IMPURITIES

The culmination of the concept of purity will be at theTrue and Complete Redemption, as is written, “And I willsprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean”(Yechezkel 36:25).

There is also a similar preparation for this during thetime of the exile, as the Kohanim are careful regardingmatters of impurity, and it can be said that this is also apreparation for the complete purity in the Future toCome.

(sicha, Shabbos Acharei-K’doshim 5751)

13 TISHREI – YAHRTZAIT OF THE REBBE MAHARASH:PREPARATION FOR THE REDEMPTION – THE COMMON FOLKKNEEL AND BOW DOWN (A)

My revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, told that theRebbe Maharash (the baal hilula) would travel on ajourney every weekday, and once (for some reason) hetraveled on a different route, and when the commonpeople saw him there, they kneeled and bowed beforehim. When he was asked about this, he replied: Aboutwhom it is written, ‘You shall be blessed more than all thenations’?

Thus, since the ultimate purpose of man’s creation isto make a dwelling place for Him in the lower realms –particularly in the final generations before theRedemption, when we must finish and complete the

making of the dwelling place, achieved through a Jew’sserving G-d in such a manner that even Gentiles, etc.,recognize his merit to the point of blessing him – it isunderstood that every single Jew is given strength fromAbove for this objective.

(Kuntres Chag HaSukkos 5750)

14 TISHREI – EREV SUKKOS: PREPARATION FOR THEREDEMPTION – THE COMMON FOLK KNEEL AND BOWDOWN (B)

And this is the reason why my revered father-in-law,the Rebbe, retold this event and ordered that it should bepublicized – in order to increase the bestowing ofstrength for this purpose within each and every Jew.

In addition to the bestowing of strength through theevent itself happening to a nasi – the nasi is everything –is the bestowing of strength to each and every Jew. Thus,when the nasi reveals and publicizes the matter, itincreases the bestowing of strength to finish and

complete the making of the dwelling place for Him.(Kuntres Chag HaSukkos 5750)

15 TISHREI – 1ST DAY OF SUKKOS: SUKKOS AND THEFUTURE REDEMPTION

“On the first day, there shall be a holy assembly,you shall do work of labor,” “And you shall take foryourselves on the first day the fruit of the beautifultree, etc.” (BaMidbar, Chapter 23).

The Gemara states regarding this (P’sachim 5a) thatas reward for the two “firsts” – resting on Yom Tov and“the taking of the lulav” – we merit “the building of theBeis HaMikdash and the name of Moshiach,” who iscalled “first” (“As a Throne of Glory, exalted from thefirst, so is the place of our Sanctuary, “The first one toTzion, behold, behold them”).

The Maharsha interprets this: The holiday of Sukkosis commemorated “because I had the children of Israel

dwell in sukkos when I took them out of the land ofEgypt,” and through dwelling in sukkos, they merited theBeis HaMikdash, about which it is said, “His Tabernaclewas in Shalem,” and the taking for the Four Species isconnected with joy, as is written, “And you shall take foryourselves, etc., and you shall rejoice, etc.,” andtherefore, they will thereby merit the future joy at thecoming of the Moshiach.

(Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 19, from pg. 356)

16 TISHREI – 2ND DAY OF SUKKOS: THE HOLIDAY OFSUKKOS AND THE NAME OF MOSHIACH (B)

The holiday of Sukkos is commemorated, “becauseI had the children of Israel dwell in sukkos”… that, asreward for the two “firsts,”… we merit the name ofMoshiach… they will thereby merit the future joy atthe coming of the Moshiach (Maharsha, P’sachim 5a).

The precise language “the name of Moshiach” isbecause the concept of simcha at the coming of the

Moshiach is alluded to in the name ofMoshiach – “whose name isMenachem” (Sanhedrin 98a) – whowill comfort and cheer us, as iswritten, “Give us joy correspondingto the days You afflicted us.”

(Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 19, from pg. 356)

17 TISHREI: SIMCHAS BEISHA’SHOEIVA (A) – IN THE BEISHA’MIKDASH AND TODAY

We find an additional emphasison the concept of simcha on theholiday of Sukkos, in addition to theobligation of rejoicing on every Yom

tov, as the Holiday of Sukkos is called (by its propername) – the Time of Our Rejoicing.

In addition, Sukkos also has another special aspectof joy – Simchas Beis HaShoeiva, the drawing of thewater at night in the time of the Beis HaMikdash (for thewater libations the following day upon the altar) was ajoyous event – “And you shall draw water with joy fromthe wellsprings of deliverance” – and with the greatestjoy, to the point that our Sages, of blessed memory, say(Sukka, beg. of Chapter 5), “Anyone who has not seenSimchas Beis HaShoeiva has not seen joy in hislifetime.”

Furthermore, as has been mentioned on numerousoccasions, even in these times (when we do not have theBeis HaMikdash), we make Simchas Beis HaShoeiva (inseveral respects) immediately, in full force, already fromthe first night of Sukkos.

(Seifer Hisvaaduyos 5745, pg. 282, Seifer HaSichos 5750, pg. 42)

The concept of simcha at the coming ofthe Moshiach is alluded to in the nameof Moshiach – “whose name isMenachem” (Sanhedrin 98a) – whowill comfort and cheer us, as is written,“Give us joy corresponding to the daysYou afflicted us.”

18 TISHREI: SIMCHAS BEIS HA’SHOEIVA (B) – INCREASINGAND GAINING STRENGTH SPECIFICALLY IN THE TIME OF THEEXILE

It appears that a Jew can come and claim: How canhe be expected to be happy at Simchas Beis HaShoeivaand to increase in joy every night, at a time when we arein exile?

Answer: Every concept of the exile is only in orderthat it will be “so he shall increase, so he shall gainstrength,” and thus, he possesses the ability to dance andbe joyous at Simchas Beis HaShoeiva.

Furthermore, he even dances in the street…and notonly does the street not disturb and confuse the SimchasBeis HaShoeiva, he causes the street itself to dance, tothe point that everyone will see that it is a chassidicstreet.

(Seifer Hisvaaduyos 5745, pg. 282, Seifer HaSichos 5750, pg. 42)

19 TISHREI: SIMCHAS BEIS HA’SHOEIVA (C) – DANCINGTOGETHER WITH MOSHIACH TZIDKEINU

“And the deed is the main thing” – to increase inSimchas Beis HaShoeiva on this night with greaterstrength and greater fortitude…

All this is according and comparable to the time whenthe Beis HaMikdash existed… Thus, in the spiritualsense, all concepts in the avoda of the Beis HaMikdashexist, even in these times, in the service of the soul ofman. For the spiritual avoda in these matters makes thepreparation for their imminent fulfillment in actual deed.

Similarly, in relation to Simchas Beis HaShoeivathrough joy, we shall soon merit to rejoice at the SimchasBeis HaShoeiva in the fullest sense, “in accordance withthe commandment of Your will,” on the Temple Mountand in the Beis HaMikdash.

And from the dancing of Simchas Beis HaShoeiva, wego to dance together with Moshiach Tzidkeinu, when inthe Future to Come, “G-d does a dance for thetzaddikim…and everyone points with his finger and says,‘Zeh’ (This)”…

(Seifer Hisvaaduyos 5745, pg. 282, Seifer HaSichos 5750, pg. 42)

20 TISHREI: CLAPPING HANDS ON SHABBOS AND YOM TOV“We don’t clap hands, etc., and don’t dance [on

Shabbos and Yom tov], etc., and surely clapping anddancing nowadays, etc., is because it is better for it tobe unintentional, etc. And there are those who say thateverything [of this sort] is permissible, etc.”

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 339:3)

Chassidim customarily (as we have seen amongChabad Rebbeim) clap hands and dance on Shabbos andYom tov.

It can be said that the inner reason is that we are

approaching the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, andtherefore, we act according to the custom of DovidMalka M’shichei, as is said, (Shmuel II 6:14), “AndDovid danced with all his might before G-d.”

(Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 1, pg. 230)

21 TISHREI – HOSHANA RABBA: OFFERING THE SEVENTYCOWS ON SUKKOS – ELEVATING THE SEVENTY NATIONS OFTHE WORLD

The holiday of Sukkos, and particularly the last day ofSukkos, marks the conclusion and culmination of allmatters connected to Sukkos. Thus, on the holiday ofSukkos, we sacrifice seventy cows in the Beis HaMikdash– corresponding to the seventy nations of the world.

We understand from this that the last day of Sukkos,(when) the complete elevation of the seventy nations ofthe world (is fulfilled), is connected with the culminationin the Future to Come at the coming of Dovid MalkaM’shichei, “For then I will convert the peoples to a purelanguage that all of them call in the name of G-d, toworship Him of one accord,” including the seventynations of the world, fashioned into one unit, “to worshipHim of one accord,” since “the sovereignty is G-d’s,”“G-d is One and His Name is One.”

(Seifer Hisvaaduyos 5747, pg. 322)

22 TISHREI – SHMINI ATZERES: TOGETHER IN THE JOY OFTORAH

On Simchas Torah, not only are all Jews joyous anddancing in the joy of Torah, this joy applies equally tomen and women alike, naturally in separate places. Themen are in the men’s section and the women in thewomen’s section (as we find at Simchas BeisHaShoeiva), but together with this, they all unite in theconcept of simcha, “as one man with one heart.”

We can say further that the whole idea of separationbetween men and women is not due to concern over anundesirable matter, etc., and therefore, regarding theFuture to Come, when “I will make the spirit of impurityto pass from the earth” (Zecharia 13:2), it is written,“Old men and women shall yet sit in the streets ofYerushalayim” (Zecharia 8:4) “the sound of a groom andthe sound of a bride,” because there is no room forconcern, etc.

(Seifer Hisvaaduyos 5747, Vol. 1, pg. 345)

23 TISHREI – SIMCHAS TORAH: IT’S POSSIBLE THAT THEYWILL OFFER SACRIFICES IN THE BEIS HA’MIKDASH ON THISVERY DAY

Since Moshiach Tzidkeinu can come immediatelymamash, and the Third Beis HaMikdash will immediatelydescend, already elaborately built, there can still be time

to offer the daily sacrifice towards the evening that day,and all the more so regarding the kindling of the menora,“for the menora is only dedicated [specifically] bykindling the seven lights towards the evening.”

In general, when Jews hear such things, they areastonished…but not so the Torah!

Thus, according to Torah, the Third Beis HaMikdash“elaborately built, will be revealed and come fromHeaven,” and then “Aharon and his sons and Moshe arewith them” – without the need to wait for “the sprinklingof the third and seventh [days]” – and they shallimmediately offer sacrifices…

And since the Torah is the baal ha’bayis over theworld’s existence, therefore, when Torah is notastonished, then the Jewish People are also notastonished!

(23 Shvat 5748)

24 TISHREI – ISRU CHAG: THE CONVERT AND THE SACRIFICEIN THE BEIS HA’MIKDASH

Conversion in the time that the Beis HaMikdashexisted was done through circumcision, immersion [in amikveh], and a sacrificial offering. Notwithstanding thefact that since “there is no sacrifice in these times – heneeds circumcision and immersion, and when the BeisHaMikdash will be rebuilt, he will bring a sacrifice.”Nevertheless, he is a “complete convert” in every respect.

Furthermore, the innovation here is that not only is heconsidered in these times to be “a complete convert” inevery respect, but he will even be “a complete convert” inevery respect when the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt, tothe point that he is allowed to eat from the holy sacrifices(and his daughter can marry a Kohen who will serve inthe priesthood when the Beis HaMikdash is built in thebeginning of the days of Moshiach, who “builds the

Mikdash”), even before he brings a sacrifice.For someone who converts in these times is a

complete convert, and the sacrifice is a separateobligation.

(yechidus, 6 MarCheshvan 5752)

25 TISHREI: IMPURE ANIMALS WILL BE PERMISSIBLE TOEAT IN THE FUTURE TO COME

“This you shall not eat: the camel…the hare…thepig…they are impure to you” (VaYikra 11:4-8).

Today, these animals are impure and forbidden to eat,however, at the time of the Redemption, these animalswill be cleansed from their impurity and becomepermissible to eat.

Thus, all impure animals are forced to wait for theirpurity until the fulfillment of the destiny of “I will makethe spirit of impurity to pass from the earth,” when theywill be permissible to eat, and the pig will immediately

become pure. Similarly, our wisemen have interpreted and said: “Whyis the pig called ‘chazir’? Because inthe Future, G-d will restore it(l’hachziro) to the Jewish People.”

(Igros Kodesh, Vol. 3, pg. 153)

26 TISHREI: IN THE FUTURE TO COME –TREES WILL BEAR FRUIT ON THE DAYTHEY ARE PLANTED

In their description of the days ofMoshiach, our Sages, of blessedmemory, discuss at length about thematerial good that we can expect inthe Future to Come, e.g., “it bearsfruit on the day that it is planted”(Toras Kohanim, B’Chukosai 26:4),

“Eretz Yisroel in the Future will produce cakes and finesilk clothes” (K’subos 111b).

The unique hidden meaning in the words of theSages: In the days of Moshiach, Avodas Hashem will beon the level of “engraved from one side to another,” andwill instill and take action with all its strengths andconcepts in all things existing in the world.

Therefore, there will be no interruption between theactions of man and growth, rather the G-dly flow willhave an immediate influence (“it bears fruit on the daythat it is planted”), as (the materialism) will be unique(and united) with its root and source, the word of G-d.

(Likkutei Sichos, Parshas Behar-B’Chukosai 5751)

27 TISHREI: RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD – IN WHICH BODYWILL A REINCARNATED SOUL RISE?

On the matter of souls reincarnated several times –

Chassidim customarily clap hands anddance on Shabbos and Yom tov. Theinner reason for this is that we areapproaching the coming of MoshiachTzidkeinu, and therefore, we actaccording to the custom of Dovid MalkaM’shichei, as is said, “And Doviddanced with all his might before G-d.”

which body will rise at the Resurrection of the Dead?The general principle is that a soul goes through

reincarnation…in order to repair that which was notrepaired when it descended into a body the first time.Furthermore, since all Jews are filled with mitzvos like apomegranate, therefore, every descent and reincarnationrepairs several levels of the soul, and at the Resurrectionof the Dead, everybody rises with the parts of the soulthat it repaired.

…One should not question whether there will bemany bodies with no…complete soul – for as I am aware,every level is included from all levels.

(Igros Kodesh, Vol. 2, pg. 93)

28 TISHREI: RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD – A MIRACLETHAT IS NOT CLOTHED IN NATURE

As explained by the Mitteler Rebbe in ShaarHaEmuna, among the qualities of miracles dressed innature in relation to miracles that are higher than natureis that through a miracle being clothed in nature, itbecomes revealed, whereas regarding miracles that arenot clothed in nature, we only knowof their existence, and not theirnature.

Similarly, regarding the miracleof the Resurrection of the Dead,even though we will actually see thatthe person was dead at the beginningand now he is alive, we neither knownor grasp how he arose at theResurrection.

By the same token, we find withall miracles higher than nature, andtherefore, these miracles are called niflaos, as a peleh(wonder) is something that cannot be grasped byintellect.

(Kuntres Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5751)

29 TISHREI: MELECH HA’MOSHIACH AND HIS EFFORTS INTORAH

“Moshiach is a king from the House of Dovid, well-versed in Torah” (Rambam, Hilchos Melachim,Chapter 11).

Toiling in the study of Torah is specifically whatenables Moshiach to redeem the Jewish People (eventhough his main concept is being a king, “a king from theHouse of Dovid”).

Thus, the Torah precedes the world and is higher thanthe world, higher than the boundaries and limitations ofthe exile. For this reason, Yaakov Avinu sent Yehuda “todirect him to Goshen,” “to establish for him a house ofstudy…so that the tribes will be well-versed in Torah”(B’Reishis 46:28, Tanchuma on the pasuk), i.e., through

the study and toil in Torah, the exile cannot exercisecontrol over the Jewish People.

(Likkutei Sichos, Parshas VaYigash 5750)

30 TISHREI – 1ST DAY OF ROSH CHODESH MAR-CHESHVAN:THE KINGSHIP OF MOSHIACH AND THE KINGSHIP OF MOSHERABBEINU

The kingship of Moshiach will be higher than thekingship of Moshe Rabbeinu, for Moshiach will be a“morach v’dayan,” he will judge by “smell,” i.e., he willhave such strengths that he can see the p’nimius of everyperson and judge accordingly (the sense of smell ishigher than all others, reaching until the essence of thesoul).

Thus, halacha states regarding a king that he is onlyallowed to judge according to witnesses, whereasMoshiach will not need witnesses, rather, as statedabove, he will judge by smell.

(Igros Kodesh, Vol. 4, pg. 181)

1 MAR-CHESHVAN – 2ND DAY OF ROSH CHODESH: IN THEFUTURE, G-D WILL PAY MAR-CHESHVAN AT THE DEDICATIONOF THE THIRD BEIS HA’MIKDASH

The Yalkut Shimoni brings (Melachim Alef 184) thatthe First Beis HaMikdash was dedicated in the month ofMarCheshvan, however, it was not opened until thefollowing Tishrei.

The Yalkut concludes that as with the Mishkan builtby Moshe, which was completed in the month of Kislevyet erected only in Nissan, and as a result, thereremained a “debt” to the month of Kislev, “and sinceKislev, when the work was completed, lost out, G-d said,‘I must pay.’ And what did G-d pay [to Kislev]? TheChashmonean dedication, which occurred in the monthof Kislev.

“Similarly, in the Future, G-d will pay the month ofMarCheshvan” with the dedication of the Third BeisHaMikdash (as Kislev was paid with the dedication of theSecond Beis HaMikdash on Chanukah), and on thecontrary, the Third Beis HaMikdash will be a “double

The soul of Moshiach includes the soulsof the entire Jewish People, andtherefore, he possesses the strength toredeem the Jewish People from exile.

salvation.”(sicha, Shabbos Parshas Noach 5744)

2 MAR-CHESHVAN: THERE WILL BE NO REASON FOR WARIN THE FUTURE TO COME

“In that time, there will be neither hunger norwar…because the good will be most plentiful and alldelicacies will be as common as dust” (Rambam,Hilchos Melachim, Chapter 11).

When everyone will have all that he desires, there willno longer be a reason for war, the purpose of which isacquiring spoil, property or land. This is also themeaning of the prophecy of Yeshayahu: “And they shallbeat their swords into plowshares…and no nation shalllift a sword against another.”

All weapons of war and destruction will be destroyedand all resources will be utilized for economic objectives.

(D’var Malchus 12:6)

3 MAR-CHESHVAN: THE SIGNS AND TIMES OF THEREDEMPTION – ALL THE APPOINTED TIMES HAVE PASSED;MOSHIACH IS BEING DELAYED FOR SOME UNKNOWNREASON

At the end of this time period, it is absolutelypositively certain without the slightest doubt that theTime of the Redemption has already arrived. In thelanguage of our Sages, of blessed memory, “All theappointed times have passed”…

We understand from this that the continuation of theavoda to follow – as long as Moshiach Tzidkeinu isdelayed for some (completely unknown) reason – is not“the avoda of elevation,” as the avoda of elevation hasbeen finished and completed.

(sichos, Shabbos Parshas Bo and Parshas B’Shalach 5752)

4 MAR-CHESHVAN: THE MANNER OF MAKING GOODRESOLUTIONS – IF G-D FORBID, MOSHIACH WILL BEDELAYED

It is customary at these farbrengens, etc., to make

good resolutions to increase in all matters of Torah andmitzvos, and the spreading of Torah and Yiddishkait andthe spreading of the wellsprings [of chassidus] outward.Indeed, it is even the custom to preface and add (beforeaccepting the resolutions), “if ch”v Moshiach is delayed,”for “I wait for him” that he will come literally on this day.We clarify that the good resolutions (in connection withthe avoda in the time of the exile) are “if ch”v Moshiachis delayed.”

(sicha, Shabbos Parshas D’varim 5751)

5 MAR-CHESHVAN: MOSHIACH TZIDKEINU – A GENERALSOUL AND A GENERAL YECHIDA

The soul of Moshiach includes the souls of the entireJewish People, and therefore, he possesses the strength toredeem the Jewish People from exile…and as is known(Ramaz L’Zohar II 40:2), Moshiach represents the levelof “yechida,” the general “yechida” of the Jewish People.

Dovid HaMelech merited the level of “nefesh,”Eliyahu HaNavi – the level of “ruach,” Moshe Rabbeinu– the level of “neshama,” Adam HaRishon – the level of“chaya,” and Moshiach will merit the level of “yechida.”Similarly, on the other hand, every Jew has a spark of thesoul of Moshiach, i.e., the level of “yechida” in every Jew,the spark of the general “yechida.”

(Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 20, pg. 522)

6 MAR-CHESHVAN: MOSHIACH TZIDKEINU – A PROPHETGREATER THAN MOSHE

After “prophecy returns to Israel, which precedesMoshiach,” as is explained in the Rambam’s IgeresTeiman, Chapter 3, Moshiach Tzidkeinu will haveprophecy. Indeed, Moshiach is said to be “a greatprophet, close to Moshe Rabbeinu” (Rambam, HilchosT’shuva, Chapter 9).

We also derive from the Midrash Tanchuma (end ofParshas Toldos) that he is actually a greater prophet thanMoshe (see Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 6, p. 254).

(sicha, Parshas Shoftim 5751)

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Before we get into the currentsituation, please describe what“Tishrei with the Rebbe” was likewhen we could see and be seen.

Tishrei with the Rebbe is a monthof contrasts, with the seriousnessand awe of Rosh HaShana and YomKippur and the simcha of Sukkosand Simchas Torah. Above all else,the atmosphere was electrified withan elevation of spirit, an existencethat was beyond time.

In Tishrei there was neverenough time. We had to rush inorder to be in the right place at theright time. We also needed toprepare before davening with theRebbe or before hearing a sicha fromthe Rebbe. Everything needed theproper preparation.

Throughout the month, andespecially on busy days, there wasalways a fear lest we miss something.Maybe we wouldn’t make it in timefor the t’kios or maybe we wouldn’thear the Rebbe davening on 6Tishrei, or maybe we wouldn’t beable to see the Rebbe dance with theTorah.

For example, Erev RoshHaShana: On that day, evenShacharis, which always beginsprecisely at ten o’clock, did notbegin on time. Rather, it began whenthe Rebbe returned from the mikva.

Being with the Rebbe in Tishrei is anexcellent opportunity to become moremekushar to him. * As long as we are inthe final moments of galus and do notsee the Rebbe, it is like the king in thefield, without his royal garments andmajestic revelations. We need anisarusa d’l’tata (arousal from below)and our own avoda in order to feel thelove and fear of Tishrei with the Rebbe.* At the same time, we need todifferentiate between genuine avodasHashem that comes from a desire tobecome closer to the Rebbe and animaginary substitute in which we try tobring the Rebbe close to us. * Afascinating conversation with RabbiNoam Wagner, head of the YeshivaG’dola Lubavitch in Johannesburgabout Tishrei with the Rebbe.

A REAL EXPERIENCE

OF TISHREI WITH

THE REBBEInterview by Avrohom Reinitz

The gabbaim did not announce thetime for davening but said that itwould begin when we would beready. That could be nine in themorning and it could be, like in5752, at twelve o’clock.

Right after Slichos of Erev RoshHaShana, some of the crowd rushedto the Ohel, wanting to be therebefore the Rebbe arrived and thenreturn for Shacharis. AfterShacharis and Hataras Nedarim, theRebbe said a brief sicha and then hewent to his room and acceptedpanim from all those who arrived onthe last day. (Those who arrivedearlier had already passed by theRebbe and given him their panimstarting on Motzaei Shabbos ofSlichos.)

The Rebbe accepted the generalpidyon nefesh near his room and

said a sicha which could be heardover the sound system in the largebeis midrash downstairs. Then theRebbe went to the Ohel and when hereturned they davened Mincha.

On Erev Rosh HaShana 5752 theatmosphere was intense with thepowerful feeling of anticipating theRebbe’s hisgalus as Moshiach, sincethe Rebbe had said many timesregarding that year, “the year thatMelech HaMoshiach is revealed.”Everyone understood this to meanthe hisgalus of the Rebbe asMoshiach. This expectationintensified throughout the summerof 5751 and climaxed on the last dayof the year.

The night of Rosh HaShana inLubavitch is a very serious time, butin the latter years the Rebbe beganencouraging singing when he

entered the beis midrash, even RoshHaShana night. In 5752, the Rebbeencouraged the singing so stronglythat it seemed we were already in the“Time of Our Rejoicing”… At thesame time though, that year theRebbe said that the Rebbeim woulddaven Maariv at length on the nightof Rosh HaShana, and this was alesson for Chassidim in general todaven Maariv at length that night.

Naturally, the highlight of RoshHaShana was the shofar blowing.The introduction to the t’kios wasthe Haftora of Chana, which theRebbe read in tears. In the largeshul there was utter silence and allcould hear the Rebbe say with hisvoice choked by tears, “I prayed forthis child.” We understood that itwasn’t merely a story that took place3000 years ago but something takingplace in our generation andculminating in the final verse of theHaftora, “and He will give strengthto His king and raise the glory ofHis anointed one.”

The t’kios themselves areindescribable. If you were there, youknow, and if you weren’t, you won’tunderstand. Perhaps the uttersilence can be described, the hushthat prevailed after the Rebbefinished the brachos of the Haftora.The Rebbe stood on the platformused for Krias HaTorah with his facecovered by his tallis, and in a quietvoice he sang the Niggun 3 Tenuos.Then, in the silence, the Rebbe’svoice suddenly burst forth, pleading,in a tone of d’veikus and incrediblesweetness, beginning the psalm,“La’m’natzaei’ach livnei Korachmizmor.”

During the t’kios there was anenormous tension in the shul. Instories of Chassidim, as well as insichos of the Rebbeim, the t’kios aredescribed as a war against the forcesof evil which try to disturb theawesome and majestic event of thecoronation of Hashem as King overthe world.

Most years, one could see amanifestation of this war in the greatdifficulty in blowing the shofar, tothe extent that sometimes it wasnecessary to change shofaros in themiddle of the t’kios. On RoshHaShana 5752, both on the first andsecond days, the t’kios went finewithout any problems. The Rebbeblew all the t’kios in succession anddidn’t even stop, as is customary,between each set.

The farbrengen began on thesecond day, towards evening. Thesomber mood of Rosh HaShanaslowly made way, for a happiermood, and when it was time for kosshel bracha, the atmosphere wascompletely different.

6 Tishrei stands out in the AseresYemei T’shuva for it was when theRebbe was the chazan on hismother’s yahrtzait. In 5752, 6Tishrei was on Shabbos and whoeverwanted to hear the Rebbe daven hadto push with all his might.

I remember that that year somepeople shushed the crowd when theRebbe sang “Hu Elokeinu” in Musaf,wanting to hear the Rebbe’s voice.The Rebbe was not pleased by thisand motioned to the crowd to sing.The Rebbe referred to this in thesubsequent sicha and said that thecustom was that when the chazanrepeats the words “Hu Elokeinu,”the congregation sings it.

The next special date, perhapsthe busiest day of the year, was ErevYom Kippur. It began the nightbefore, when we bachurim waited allnight in the kollel in anticipation ofreceiving the tickets that wouldenable us to stand nearby for theblessing of the T’mimim. From5739 ,the way it worked was, onlythe older bachurim, over age 23stood in the small zal. In the otherroom stood the talmidim on K’vutzaand the bachurim over 22, andoutside stood the rest of thebachurim.

Even among those who stood

outside there were rules, andwhoever wanted to stand near thewindow, to be able to see and hearthe blessing of the T’mimim(because starting in 5749 the Rebbestopped using a microphone), had toget one of the first numbers.

We spent the night in the kolleland in the middle of the night wewent to do Kaparos. At seven in themorning we went to see the Rebbego out with a rooster for Kaparos,and then we returned to the kollel,where we waited for the tickets.After a nap we went to the mikvaand got ready for Shacharis. AfterShacharis we stood on line forlekach and then we rushed off to eatthe first meal of the day. Minchawas followed by the Rebbe’s generalblessing to Anash. At some point weate the Seuda Mafsekes.

The blessing of the T’mimim wasone of the most moving events of themonth. The Rebbe came in wearinga kittel and tallis and looked verysomber. The Rebbe covered hishead with the tallis and in a soft andtrembling voice he began with theBirkas Kohanim. Then the Rebbesaid that the T’mimim had to learnfrom the Rebbeim, to act in a way ofhe who has a good eye is blessed. Atcertain points the Rebbe choked up.

Right after the blessing the Rebbewent down for Kol Nidrei while weremained to hear chazara of theRebbe’s blessing. When the chazarawas over, we barely managed toarrive for the end of Kol Nidrei.After Maariv, the Rebbe remained torecite T’hillim, which, by the way, heintroduced in 5712.

Yom Kippur was a relatively calmday, at least until the break afterMusaf. People began grabbing spotsfor Mincha. There were places fromwhich you could hear the Haftora ofYona and places from where youcould clearly see the Rebbe singingNapoleon’s March. Of course,everybody preferred trying to get agood spot to see the Rebbe

encouraging the March. The crowding was indescribable.

When we reached those loftymoments in which the Rebbe wentup the special steps which wereplaced especially on the platformwhere he davened, andenthusiastically encouraged theMarch, it was the signal that theYomim Noraim were over and the“Time of Our Rejoicing” had begun.

What was the highlight of thesecond half of the month, duringSukkos and Simchas Torah?

The enormous simcha wasdefinitely the thread that ranthrough the days of Sukkos, thenights of Simchas Beis HaShoeiva,Shmini Atzeres, and Simchas Torah.The simcha began right after Maarivon the first night of Sukkos. AfterMaariv the Rebbe said a sicha in thecourse of which he spoke stronglyabout the simcha required duringthese days. These sichos, whichbegan in Hakhel 5741, wereconsidered by the Chassidim as aHakhel gathering in which the kingstrengthens the nation in the serviceof Hashem, “for the king is theemissary to give over the word ofG-d.”

Following the Rebbe’s talk aboutsimcha, circles of dancers erupted inspontaneous joy that quickly left theshul for the street. After a shortbreak for the Yom Tov meal, we went

At a certain point,you felt that it was

impossible to goon. Your body

stoppedfunctioning and

the neshamadanced!

to the Simchas Beis HaShoeiva andthe simcha on Montgomery Streetwas a direct continuation of theRebbe’s sicha.

The Rebbe was always serious onHoshana Raba. It was reminiscent,to a certain extent, of MotzaeiShabbos Slichos, when the entirecrowd was upbeat but the Rebbe was

somber. In 5752, the Rebbe himselfspoke in unusual terms of the needfor enormous simcha and said thatthere was no need to wait forSimchas Torah; they could beginnow to go out of all limitations withgreat simcha.

This all led up to Shmini Atzeresand Simchas Torah. When the

Rebbe came in for hakafos the crowdsimply levitated a few inches off thefloor. The simcha was tremendousand as much as they tried to rejoice,they didn’t manage to keep up withthe Rebbe himself. The Rebbe’ssimcha on those days rent theheavens. Those who knew that theRebbe hadn’t slept for a week knewthat his simcha was completelysupernatural.

The culmination was the Rebbe’shakafos, when the Rebbe went up onthe bima and danced with the Torah.The Rebbe danced with anunbelievable fervor, turning to faceall directions so that everybody couldsee him. The entire crowd dancedwith a holy enthusiasm, but when theRebbe turned in a particulardirection, you could see all theChassidim in that area uplifted toeven greater heights. Then theRebbe turned in another directionand all the people in that area beganto jump up and down.

At a certain point, you felt that itwas impossible to go on. Your bodystopped functioning and theneshama danced!

On the two nights of ShminiAtzeres and Simchas Torah, duringthe first hakafa of the Rebbe, therewas tremendous simcha.Afterwards, during the five middlehakafos, there was ordinary simcha,nothing unusual. Then, at theseventh hakafa, the Rebbe went upagain with the Torah and raised thelevel of simcha to new heights.

In hindsight, we saw a hint to ourtimes when at first it was veryjoyous, then there is concealment,but the simcha after theconcealment, during the seventhhakafa, was far greater than theearlier hakafos, even greater than thefirst hakafa.

After all you describe, is itpossible for us to feel even a dropof those giluyim?

The Rebbe said a maamer inwhich he explains the difference

between Elul when the king is in thefield and the rest of the year inwhich the king is in his palace.When the king is in his palace, he ismajestic, with all the greatrevelations of his majesty andgreatness. At this time, whoever isclose to the king feels a strongyearning to be with him, along withnatural fear and awe, the awe of hismajesty and the feeling of shame.

In Elul, when the king goes outto the field, he is dressed like theaverage person and these clothesconceal his majesty. At this time,you can be standing close to the kingbut not feel a yearning to cleave tohim, nor feel any fear of him,because he is not fully manifest.

However, one who succeeds inarousing a yearning for the king inthe field is received graciously and isable to connect to the essence of theking, beyond the external trappings.

In recent years, the Rebbe is inthe field in Tishrei too. The clothingconceals all the lofty revelations thatwe merited for decades and suddenlywe don’t see the majestic scenes thatwe remember from Tishreis ofyesteryear.

At this time of concealment, weneed to learn the Rebbe’s sichos andrecognize the true reality that theking is here, that the Rebbe is here in770, and with an “arousal frombelow” and inner avoda, getourselves to feel the closeness of theking. When we succeed, we attain afar greater level, for we reach theking’s essence and not merely hisgiluyim.

It is important to stress though,that the month of Elul is a precursorfor the king’s palace. As great asElul is, when we can access the veryessence of the king, nobody wants toremain in Elul. We all yearn for themoment when the king returns to hispalace and we can see the RebbeMH”M in his glory.

Hashem decided that before theultimate Tishrei we need to

experience Elul in which we don’tsee or sense the Rebbe and theavoda is to arouse the feeling withinourselves that although we don’t seeand don’t perceive, we know withcertainty that the king is here, thatthe Rebbe is here. When we know itin a way of daas, when we bind ourdaas with a very strong and powerfulbond and we focus our minds onthis strongly and constantly, then wesucceed in truly feeling the Rebbe’spresence, including the feeling ofawe and love that beats in the heartof anybody who ever experiencedTishrei with the Rebbe.

We all hope for the momentwhen we get to see the Rebbe again,but in these final moments of galus,when we are spending Tishrei in BeisChayeinu and do not see the Rebbe,we must be devoted to the coreessence of the Rebbe even if thereare no giluyim.

From this perspective, we have anadvantage nowadays over previousyears, because back then, Chassidimcame to the Rebbe in order to uplifttheir own inner selves. They wantedto receive giluyim and that’s why

they went to the Rebbe. Today,Chassidim who go to the Rebbe donot see any giluyim and they have towork very hard in order to attain thesame feeling of being with the Rebbefor Tishrei.

Most of the bachurim who comefor Tishrei nowadays neverexperienced a Tishrei with theRebbe and they don’t know what itwas like. What can they do to feelthe Rebbe’s presence?

First of all, they need to knowand internalize that the Rebbe ishere, in 770. That is the foundation.Then you have to read and knowwhat the Rebbe did in Tishrei in theyears when we saw the Rebbe. Themain thing is to use every freemoment to thoroughly learn theRebbe’s sichos and maamarim,maamarim and sichos of Tishrei aswell as sichos that deal with theeternal life of the Nasi HaDor andthe special quality of Beis RabbeinuSh’B’Bavel.

A bachur who comes to 770 forthe first time should not expect thatas soon as he walks into 770 he willexperience lofty feelings. Today,

Why does it matter? Because webelieve that the Rebbe is reallyin 770! When people do things

that come from the world offantasy, things that they inventthemselves, without a source in

the sichos or the Rebbe’sconduct – this interferes with

genuine emuna that the Rebbeis really with us, and not in our

fantasies.

when there are no giluyim,everybody must work on himselfwith a true inner inspiration.

We have to internalize that thetrue reality is that the Rebbe is here,in 770, even if we don’t see him,since this is the truth according tothe Rebbe’s sichos. In order to feelit, we have to learn more and more,until this knowledge penetrates andinfluences our emotions.

Obviously, at the same time, weneed to demand from the depths ofour heart that we merit to see theRebbe immediately, in his palace.

Aside from learning Chassidusand studying the Rebbe’s sichos,are there other things that can bedone to concretize the fact that theRebbe is with us?

If you daven in the Rebbe’sminyan, you feel the Rebbe’spresence. Even when you don’t seethe Rebbe, just knowing that you aredavening in the Rebbe’s minyan andseeing his shtender (lectern) andchair, strengthen the feeling that youare with the Rebbe.

The Alter Rebbe once asked theMitteler Rebbe with what intentions

he davened. After the MittelerRebbe enumerated the levels ofChassidus that he thought aboutduring davening, he asked the AlterRebbe what he davened with. TheAlter Rebbe answered: with the chairand shtender [i.e., the awareness ofG-d within the physical]. In one ofthe sichos, the Rebbe explains thatthe Rebbe’s chair and shtenderthemselves can lead to a specialinspiration.

After Simchas Torah 5738,although the Rebbe did not come outfor davening, he davened in his roomat the time the minyan davened.Mincha was at 3:15 and Maariv at6:45. In general, over the years, theRebbe did not always join theminyan, but he always wanted theminyan to take place on timebecause it is the Rebbe’s minyan.Even if the Rebbe does not come outfor a t’filla, the Rebbe wants peopleto daven in his minyan.

Aside from this, there are the bigfarbrengens on Motzaei the YomTov, after Rosh HaShana and afterSimchas Torah. The Rebbe’spresence at the Simchas Torah

farbrengen is particularly significantin light of what happened onSimchas Torah 5738. After havinghad a heart attack, the Rebbe saidthe Chassidim should be told to havethe farbrengen and to know that“you will be remembered”specifically when “your seat isempty.” In other words, althoughthey don’t see the Rebbe sittingthere, they should know he is there.Indeed, Chassidim prepared theRebbe’s chair for the farbrengen andfarbrenged, with the knowledge andfaith that the Rebbe was farbrengingwith them.

In 5738, they did not prepare forfarbrengens on the followingShabbasos since in those years theRebbe did not farbreng everyShabbos. In addition, a new orderbegan in which the Rebbe farbrengedfrom his room over a loudspeakerevery Motzaei Shabbos.

The fact is that what the Rebbesaid was in connection with thespecial farbrengen at the end of YomTov and it’s interesting to see howthese farbrengens were accepted byall Chabad Chassidim, with theirdiffering views. All of them come to770 at the end of Yom Tov andparticipate in the farbrengen that isheld with the feeling that the Rebbeis here.

It was always said that you canrely on the Chassidim’s sense ofsmell, and this sense has not failedwhether it’s the Rebbe’s minyanim orthe big farbrengens at the end ofeach Yom Tov. Both are based onwhat the Rebbe said and did.

Since we do not see the Rebbe,how do we know that the Rebbe isactually with us at the daveningand farbrengens? Did the Rebbesay anything about this?

We are living in a difficult time inwhich we don’t see the Rebbe andwe need to do hard work in order tofeel the Rebbe’s presence. Thequestion that arises is: Are wemaking all this up and living a

fantasy?The answer is: No. This is not a

fantasy. We are living in the realityof Torah. When we learn inChassidus that in every generationthere must be the Moshe Rabbeinuin a physical body, it is clear to usthat the Nasi HaDor, the RebbeMH”M, is chai v’kayam in a physicalbody and continues to be the sourceof Divine energy to all the membersof the generation.

When we learn in his sichos thatthe place of the Nasi HaDor is 770,and from there he influences allmembers of the generation “adolam” (forever), and in this place theRebbe MH”M will be revealed first,and 770 is where the BeisHaMikdash will come down first andfrom there it will return toYerushalayim – it is clear to us thataccording to Torah, the Rebbe is in770.

As Chassidim, we believe in thetruth of the Rebbe’s sichos, and weknow that this is the realityaccording to Torah, even if we don’tsee it. This point has been discussedat length in various forums,including Beis Moshiach, and I won’telaborate here.

So when we know that the realityis that the Rebbe is in 770, and wealso know that throughout the yearsthe Rebbe was particular aboutdavening in a certain minyan, andeven when he personally did notparticipate in the minyan he davenedalong with the minyan in his room, itis clear that it is still the Rebbe’sminyan. If you daven in that minyanyou have the privilege of being in thesame minyan as the Rebbe.

Since we don’t see the Rebbe, wecannot know whether the Rebbe isactually in the minyan or not, butthat’s another matter, a matter ofpersonal feeling. We don’t have toknow everything, and as it says,“train your tongue to say, ‘I don’tknow.’” All we know is that,generally speaking, the Rebbe is here

and this is the Rebbe’s minyan. Weknow that this is a time to sense theRebbe and to be connected to himincluding via the physical items(shtender and chair) belonging tothe Rebbe, which we can see.

The Rebbe said in a sicha ofNissan 5747 that the Rebbe’s eternallife physically is also expressed inthat you can see his physicalbelongings in the same place theystood when you could see the Rebbe.Hiskashrus to the Rebbe is alsothrough connecting to his physicalbelongings.

Another important point. Wehave to be ready for the Rebbe toappear at any moment. Everythinghas to be ready, including andespecially us. I am referringprimarily to spiritual preparednessthat we should have the feeling thatany minute now we will see theRebbe sitting and farbrenging orstanding and davening. We have tobe ready for this.

After 27 Adar 5752, when theShabbos farbrengens stopped, itpained us bachurim to see menleaving shul before 1:30, the timewhen farbrengens generally began.We felt you had to be ready for thepossibility that the Rebbe wouldcome back and farbreng. We don’tknow whether the Rebbe will comedown to farbreng or not, but we canmake sure we will be there!

However, at this time,specifically, we need to differentiatebetween the need to get close to theRebbe and the imaginary substitutein which we attempt to bring theRebbe close to us. The way we canknow the difference is simple. If wecome to a t’filla or a farbrengen ofthe Rebbe, we are coming andpreparing to receive the Rebbe’slight. Whether or not the Rebbecomes, depends entirely on him.

If someone thinks that he is theone who decides when the Rebbecomes and goes, when the Rebbegives out kos shel bracha or dollars –

he is living in fantasyland. He iscobbling together his own version ofa Rebbe in the world of theimagination.

Why does it matter? Because webelieve that the Rebbe is really in770! When people do things thatcome from the world of fantasy,things that they invent themselves,without a source in the sichos or theRebbe’s conduct – this interfereswith genuine emuna that the Rebbeis really with us, and not in ourfantasies.

That is why I emphasizedregarding t’fillos too, that we knowonly in a general sense, because thisis based on what the Rebbe said anddid. We need to minimize ourinvolvement in such matters and toknow that what the Rebbe said –that the Nasi Ha’dor is chai v’kayamand his place is in 770 until thecoming of Moshiach – is the reality.More than that, we don’t know.

When we make this distinction,between things the Rebbe said or didand things which we invent, itdiminishes the blurring ofboundaries. For if someone decidesthat he too can decide the realitywithout seeing it, he places theRebbe on the same level as his ownideas, G-d forbid.

The same goes for the Dalet

minim prepared for the Rebbe.Some Chassidim were inspired toprepare Dalet minim for the Rebbe.This was endorsed from a halachicperspective by Rabbi Marlow a”h,who came himself to say the brachaon these Dalet minim to show thatthere was no halachic problem inpreparing the minim for the Rebbe,as well as enabling people to say thebracha on them.

That’s all well and good, butsince we cannot be the ones toestablish the reality, we cannotcategorize these minim as theRebbe’s minim. Nobody saw theRebbe accept them and there is nosicha or conduct on the Rebbe’s partfrom which we can derive anythingof the sort.

Therefore, it must be clear thatalthough it is wonderful that theseDalet minim were prepared for theRebbe, and thousands of people saidthe bracha on them, and as thesaying goes, “there is nothing morehadar (beautiful) than thousands ofpeople saying the bracha on theesrog” – we cannot blur the linesand say these are the Rebbe’s Daletminim!

To say that these are the Rebbe’sminim is just like saying that if I takethe Rebbe’s chair from here to there,then the Rebbe must be there

because the chair is there! Mymoving the chair doesn’t compel theRebbe to move along with it!

Even when things were done inan orderly way, by an organizingcommittee, the Rebbe did not alwaysagree to new arrangements. Forexample, on Sukkos 5752, thecommittee decided that due to thelarge crowd it would be better for theRebbe’s sicha after Maariv to be saidfrom the farbrengen dais. Theyprepared a path for the Rebbe overthe benches between the platform infront and the farbrengen dais on theside of the shul and the plan was thatthe Rebbe would sit on his chair andsay the sicha just as at a farbrengen.

Everything was prepared but theRebbe thought otherwise and whenhe arrived at his place at the front,he stood and said the sicha. Thenext day, of course, they brought ashtender. This shows us that evenwhen the committee that wasendorsed by the Rebbe decided thatthings should be a certain way, itdidn’t mean the Rebbe necessarilyagreed.

When the committee makes newarrangements, you can say that thisis part of their job, but when abachur decides to make newarrangements in 770, this is serious,as the following story illustrates.

After 5725 it was customary,when the Rebbe farbrenged onShabbos, that the Rebbe wouldannounce, through the secretaries,which Rashi he would be discussingso people could prepare. OneShabbos, one of the bachurimdecided to have some fun and said tothe gabbai in the name of one of theRebbe’s secretaries that the Rebbewould speak about a certain Rashi.The unsuspecting gabbai announcedthis after the davening.

The Rebbe’s face turned pale andhe said to the gabbai, “Who told youthat?” Whoever saw the Rebbe’s facethat Shabbos knew that this was amatter of playing with fire. The restof the story is not important here.What’s important is the lesson: Weare not the ones who tell the Rebbewhat to do!

This is so obvious that it’s oddthat we have to talk about it!

Where do you think thisapproach comes from?

When the Rebbe decided to stopreceiving Chassidim for privateaudiences, there were Chassidimwho couldn’t accept this. Theywrote to the Rebbe repeatedly thatthey had to have private audiences.At a certain point the Rebberesponded that apparently the personhadn’t heard that now, yechiduyostake place within farbrengens or atthe general yechidus.

Where did that stubbornness onthe part of Chassidim come from, todemand private audiences? To theseChassidim, the Rebbe was defined inseveral ways. One way was that heis a tzaddik who receives hisChassidim for yechidus. That’s theway it always was, with all theRebbeim, and so to them, this waspart and parcel of being a Rebbe.When the Rebbe stopped privateaudiences, they felt they had less of aRebbe, r”l.

The same thing is happeningtoday. There are people to whomthe Rebbe is a tzaddik that gives out

Whoever saw the Rebbe’s facethat Shabbos knew that thiswas a matter of playingwith fire. The rest of the storyis not important here. What’simportant is the lesson: We arenot the ones who tell the Rebbewhat to do!

dollars. Since the Rebbe is notgiving out dollars now, it’s hard forthem to accept this. They find thislacking in the Rebbe; they feel theRebbe must give out dollars, so theyfeel their Rebbe is complete.

What do they do when the Rebbedecided that there was to be no moredistribution of dollars? They makebelieve that the Rebbe is giving outdollars! The problem is that ourRebbe is a genuine Rebbe, a realperson, and they have turned himinto something unreal that changesaccording to any individual’s fancy,r”l.

Some maintain that the Rebbetrained us to behave in extremefashion and each year there wassomething new. Therefore, theysay, we cannot be left with things

as they were in previous years; wehave to constantly think of how toprogress.

First of all, the Rebbe is not anextremist and the Rebbe did not trainus to extremism. The Rebbe is aman of truth and that is how hetrained us – to go in the way of truthof Torah, till the end. The truth issometimes gentle and sometimesextreme, but it does not seek toestablish extreme positions.

This truth is established in theRebbe’s sichos and so, when weheard the Rebbe’s sichos, we wereable to hear new things each yearand we progressed accordingly.Today, when we don’t hear newsichos, G-d forbid that we shouldinvent things of our own just to

celebrate extremism. That isdefinitely not the Rebbe’s way.

We must stick to the one andonly truth which is within theRebbe’s sichos. Period. And doprecisely what the Rebbe said. Nomore and no less.

If a Chassid has a hergesh aboutsomething that is not said in thesichos, as long as it fits with halachaand he consulted with his mashpia,he can act accordingly. Chassidimalways had certain things they didthat came from personal feelings.

However, you need todifferentiate between personalfeelings and things that are based onthe Rebbe’s sichos, like youdifferentiate between the holy andthe mundane.

In addition, Chassidim made sure

that their hergeshim did not standout. They kept far away fromshowiness, like from fire, to the pointthat when a Chassid did a certainhiddur for personal reasons, and hesaw that people had noticed, he wasliable to stop doing it for a while,just so that he wouldn’t be guilty ofcalling attention to himself whenthey would notice his hergeshim!

Today they invented somethingnew – the communal hergesh. Thereis no such thing! What is correct inwhat you told me is that we have toconstantly progress. No doubt aboutthat. Chassidus explains thedifference between a person and anangel is that angels are called omdim(those who stand) while people arecalled mehalchim (those who move).

We have to constantly move fromlevel to level.

This doesn’t mean, though, thatevery year we invent new horaos inthe Rebbe’s name! If we examine theRebbe’s horaos of the last years andtry and see how many we do, we willquickly discover that we can makeprogress – not every year but everyday – from the sichos themselves.

Let each of us ask ourselves:What percentage of the Rebbe’shoraos do we do? And the horaosthat we do – what percentage ofyour soul powers do we invest inthem?

When the Rebbe said, “do all thatyou can to actually bring MoshiachTzidkeinu immediately,” and theRebbe said that if they cried out intruth, “certainly, certainly, Moshiachwould have already come,” then aslong as Moshiach has not come,obviously we haven’t cried in truth,and each of us knows how much hecan advance, every day, until heachieves a genuine cry from theheart.

Instead of inventing new horaosor sanctifying personal hergeshim,we need to simply sit down and learnthe sichos of 5751-5752 in whichthe Rebbe agitated a great deal aboutthe avoda necessary to bring theGeula and to examine ourselves.How much more do we need to doin order to completely fulfill what theRebbe said in these sichos that weresaid 16 years ago?

When each of us advances infulfilling and internalizing theRebbe’s sichos, with genuine AhavasYisroel among us even if there aredifferences of opinion or differencesof hergeshim, we will certainimmediately merit the hisgalus of theRebbe MH”M and we will allproclaim the proclamation that theRebbe himself encouraged for over ayear: Yechi Adoneinu MoreinuV’Rabbeinu Melech HaMoshiachL’olam Va’ed!

Today they invented something new– the communal hergesh. There isno such thing! It is true, though,that we have to constantlyprogress...

“It is forbidden for a person totravel on Erev Shabbos more thanthree parsaos from the beginning ofthe day, so that he arrives homewith much of the day remaining andprepares a meal for Shabbos, for hishousehold does not know that he isarriving that day in order to prepareit for him. Even more so, if he

will be a guest by others, for hewill cause them embarrassmentbecause they did not preparesomething appropriate forguests.”

(Rambam, Hilchos Shabbos, chapter 30,halacha 11)

The Rambam teaches us proper

behavior and manners as dictatedby halacha. A guest should notappear suddenly without priornotice “for he will cause themembarrassment,” because theycertainly did not prepare properlyfor unexpected guests. What wouldthe Rambam say if he heard thefollowing story?

R’ Chaim Hillel Springer relates:“A year ago, before Sukkos, a

woman in Crown Heights calledHachnosas Orchim and said thatevery Shabbos she hosts ten girls inher home. She figures that the girlswill eat inside on Sukkos, so shewill be able to have ten bachurim inher sukka. Could they send her tenbachurim? Before hanging up shesaid, please don’t forget!

“If you’ve visited HachnosasOrchim around Sukkos time, youknow how incredibly busy theorganizers are, so I forgot thewoman’s request and rememberedit only Erev Sukkos afternoon. Atthat point I could only rememberthe family’s name but not theiraddress, but her request was sotouching that I decided to make the

In addition to Eshel-HachnosasOrchim, which provides meals for thethousands of bachurim and other guestswho come to Crown Heights for Tishrei,the residents of Crown Heights areamazing in their hospitality! They opentheir hearts, their homes, and theirpockets for people who are not relatedto them, for people they may have nevermet before. * A look at the incrediblehospitality in the Rebbe’s sh’chuna.

THE WORLD’S

GREATEST

PROVIDERS OF

HOSPITALITYBy Yisrael Yehuda

effort to locate her. I opened aCrown Heights directory and calledall the people with that name.

“At one home, the husbandanswered the phone and when Iasked whether his wife hadrequested bachurim, he said hedidn’t know and that his wife wasnot home so he couldn’t ask her.

He asked me to wait a moment andput down the phone. Then hecame back and said, ‘I don’t knowif my wife is the one who called youbut the fridge is full of food andthere is enough for the bachurim,so you can send them here.’”

That Sukkos, many more peopleate at that family’s house than the

woman had originally intended…What would the Rambam say

about the dozens of balabatim whowalk around after the davening andinvite bachurim to eat with them?One bachur joins another and thebalabatim go home surrounded byseveral if not a dozen bachurim!

* * *Hospitality in Crown Heights is

something you see year-round, butit is really outstanding duringTishrei. Starting from thebeginning of Elul, the organizationEshel-Hachnosas Orchim gets towork. Dozens of T’mimim, whojust finished their year on K’vutza,take their positions. All thesections and departments of theorganization are set to work:unpacking all the necessaryequipment, planning, programming,preparing, checking, makingimprovements and so on, in orderto properly host the guests.

About a week before RoshHaShana, there is a shift frompreparation to action. Thoseresponsible for dealing with theT’mimim – physically andspiritually – have nearly finished

The guests arrive

The entrance to 770 piled up with suitcases

their preparations and have begungreeting the waves of T’mimim whostart to arrive at this time.

Crown Heights looks differentwith T’mimim, T’mimimeverywhere. The suitcases at theentrance to 770 pile up and theneighborhood turns into a mini-Israel with Ivrit being spokenwherever you turn. The streets arebusy with traffic moving nearly 24hours a day.

The department that isresponsible for arranging places forfamilies gets to work right afterRosh HaShana. The number ofpeople arriving continues to growas Sukkos approaches.

It’s hard to describe Tishreiwithout Hachnosas Orchim, just as

it difficult to describe the amazingwork this organization does.Thousands of T’mimim, families,and girls are cared for by Eshel,and each person finds his or herplace. However, behind the fine-tuned logistical machine, which isfunded by generous donors, Eshelrelies on an incredible phenomenonthat takes places in Crown Heightsin which all residents, withoutarguments and assistance, without abudget and donors, hosts theRebbe’s guests year in and year out.

The ones who are fully aware ofthe scope of this phenomenon aremainly the organizers of HachnosasOrchim who are witness to thedevotion and love with which Anashof Crown Heights welcome guests.In order to prepare this article,which expresses the thanks of allguests past and future, I spoke withtwo young men who have taken onthe responsibility, in recent years,of finding places for guests: RabbiChaim Hillel Springer and RabbiYisroel Aviyov. From theirdescriptions and stories we can geta sense of the most amazinghospitality in the world!

TAKING OVER THENEIGHBORHOOD

The changes start with thesmall, seemingly insignificantthings, but they can definitelybecome major annoyances, at leastfor certain people.

Imagine a young man, father oftwo children, who lives on UnionStreet. Every morning he wakes upto the quiet of his little street.Before going to kollel he stops in atKahan’s, fills up his basket withsome needed items and then pickssome fresh bagels for the childrenand some breakfast for himself.Later on he davens in 770, meets afriend or two, finishes talking to theinsurance agent whom he met atthe minyan, and then he heads forkollel with a cup of coffee.

Comes Elul and with thesounding of the shofar, whichmakes the heart tremble everymorning, it seems as though theentire community is on wheels. Hissleep at night is disturbed by peoplecoming and going. When he leaveshis house in the morning, his streetlooks like Eastern Parkway withdozens of T’mimim to be seeneverywhere. His quiet street isquiet no longer and Ivrit is heardwherever he turns. The shul iscrowded almost like 770.

What happened to the mikvawith soap available in abundanceevery morning? Now, there is nosoap and the mikva is packed withbachurim chattering away.

The line at the bagel store startson the corner of President andKingston and when our young manreaches the head of the line thebagels are no longer fresh, not tomention that the readymadebreakfast has been sold out.

In order to get to the zal of 770you need to jump over piles ofsuitcases. A minyan for Shacharis?How can you find a quiet minyan inthis noise and crowding? Whereverour young man looks he seesunfamiliar faces. This is whatCrown Heights looks like in Elul tothe Crown Heights family. That’swhat anyone would feel when hisdaily routine has been completelychanged. The familiar spots, hischevra, his timetable – they have allchanged.

Nevertheless, the residents ofCrown Heights welcome the guestsgraciously and with open arms aswe will go on to describe.

GUESTS IN THE HOUSEAs Elul ends, the guests begin to

pour in. A large percentage of thetalmidim and families are placed byHachnosas Orchim in variousapartments. The rest of them, andthey are a large number, are hostedby Crown Heights families and

That’s whatanyone would feel

when his dailyroutine has been

completelychanged. The

familiar spots, hischevra, his

timetable – theyhave all changed.Nevertheless, the

residents of CrownHeights welcome

the guestsgraciously and

with open arms aswe will go on to

describe.

usually receive full room and boardfrom them. Whoever has a relativeor acquaintance in Crown Heightsis happily invited to be a guest. Ifyou think that a relative means a

grandparent, uncle, brother-in-lawor brother, you are mistaken. A“relative” for Crown Heightshospitality purposes includessecond or third cousins and

beyond. If you were making asimcha it is unlikely that you wouldsend an invitation to this relative,but in Crown Heights, thisrelationship is sufficient to receive awarm invitation to come for theentire Tishrei. These relatives willgive you the feeling that you areindeed a brother or at least an uncleor brother-in-law.

Make no mistake, we are nottalking about the wealthy of CrownHeights. We are referring to peoplewho work hard for a living, whosehomes are not that large. Thefamily usually has to be crowdedtogether in order to make space forguests.

You also need to remember thatit is traditional for Jews to visitfamily on Yom Tov, but when thereare six mattresses spread out inyour living room, it’s hard to host.It’s hard to visit others because theyhave the same situation… So theresidents of Crown Heights foregotheir comfort in order to host theRebbe’s guests.

In addition, often these (distant)relatives bring along their friends.Sometimes, it suddenly becomesnecessary to host another person,another relative who decided toshow up in the middle of Tishrei, ashas been customary in Chabad forgenerations, and the Americanfamily makes do with morecrowding and welcomes theadditional and unexpected guest,with genuine warmth.

Generally speaking, every familyin Crown Heights has gueststhroughout Tishrei. Think of thebother, the crowding, theunpleasantness, the differentcultural mentalities and thefinancial expenditure for eachhosting family. The residents of thesh’chuna don’t pay attention tothese “trivial” details, and theyfulfill the mitzva of hospitality withgenuine joy.

When I was on K’vutza, a friend

One of dozens of sukkos with “kol dichfin” signs

T’mimim farbrenging in a sukka of a local resident

related the following “ChadGadya.” His father had a goodfriend from yeshiva in Lud wholives in Crown Heights. Naturally,my friend was regularly invited tothis family and he felt like amember of the household. Thisbachur also had an uncle who livedin Crown Heights at that time.That uncle had a brother-in-lawwho is a shliach, and who wantedto attend the Kinus HaShluchim inKislev. The uncle had no room andso he asked his nephew to ask hisfather’s friend whether he couldhost his brother-in-law for theKinus HaShluchim.

My friend was daunted by thisrequest since what connection wasthere between the brother-in-law ofthe uncle of my friend and hisfather’s friend. But after somepressure, he hesitantly askedwhether they could host…

To his amazement, the balabussaid he’d be happy to, as though itwas his own relative. The shliachenjoyed his stay with this family,and the following year he waspersonally invited to come back.That’s what Crown Heights is like.

WHERE ARE MOSTPEOPLE STAYING?

Until now, I described theindependent hosting done byresidents of Crown Heights, butyou should know that all those whoare placed by the HachnosasOrchim organization are helped bythe generosity of Anash in CrownHeights.

In order to put up the thousandsof people, Eshel needs apartments,basements, stores – any place thatcan become a mini-dormitory. Theorganization either donates thesesleeping quarters or rents themfrom the locals in Crown Heights.Nearly every person living in CrownHeights who has place is willing tolet Hachnosas Orchim use it.

Remember, those who have a

basement can rent it out for Tishreiand make nice money (like payingfor a bed for a night in Miron LagB’Omer time), but most Anashforego the income and convenienceand enable the organization to putup the guests.

The residents of Crown Heightsdo more than provide places tosleep; they also look out for thebachurim. Hachnosas Orchim willsometimes get a phone call from alocal person informing them thatthey passed by an apartment ofbachurim and saw that they don’thave blankets or a light or the dooris broken.

Some people set up a hot waterurn, sugar, etc., in the apartments.Other families as well as variousbusinessmen bring food to thebachurim’s apartments.

HOSTING FAMILIESNow we will focus on another

angle of Crown Heights hospitality.As you know, many Lubavitcherfamilies from Eretz Yisroel andother places go to 770 for Yom Tov.They come with all or some of theirfamily and naturally, it’s muchharder to place them. Anappropriate place needs to be found

and it has to be made ready forthem.

Families that come for Tishreiare usually placed with localfamilies or in apartments belongingto families. A special branch ofEshel works on obtaining as manyof these places as possible.

Here is where we see even more,the Ahavas Yisroel of the people inCrown Heights. According to thedepartment in charge of this task,98% of residents are willing, atsome point, to host a family or two.Even those who can’t, somehowmanage to squeeze and reorganizeand then happily announce that

they can host people for Tishrei. A typical answer to phone calls

about hosting families is, “We’resorry, we are full up with guestsalready, but we will try to arrangesomething.” Another commonanswer is, “We have two couplesalready, but if you can’t find anyother place, send us another coupleand we’ll manage somehow.”

One time, a woman called thedepartment of Eshel that sets upfamilies and said she had room tohost and she wanted someone fromEshel to come down to assess whatshe had available. When they

Nachum Markowitz with boxes of food

arrived at her house they found it tobe tiny and crowded. As theywondered where on earth she couldput a family, the woman said, “Wewill take out the table. We won’tuse it until the end of Tishrei. We’llput one couch on top of another,and in that space you can put downmattresses or beds.”

In a two bedroom apartment onUnion Street, the parents put theirfour children in their room to freeup the children’s bedroom andthat’s how they lived all Tishrei.Many hosts even build a little sukkafor their guests so they will be morecomfortable.

One of the people in charge ofthe placement of couples says thatat least twice it happened thatcouples arrived at 770 late at nightand despite all the efforts, noapartment had been found forthem. He left the offices ofHachnosas Orchim for EasternParkway and stopped the first Jewhe met and asked, “We have acouple here without a place to stay.Can you take them for tonight?”

Both times he wasaccommodated. The person heasked didn’t even need to consultwith his wife. He took the guestswith him and happily hosted them.

For guests who expect theunexpected, it’s not a big deal, butfor the American who suddenly hasguests landing on him, it is!Nevertheless, they do it, happilytoo. (Hachnosas Orchim advisescouples not to take flights that landin the evening and nighttimebecause it is harder to find them asuitable place.)

HOSPITALITY LIKE INTOWNS LONG AGO

If you know a bit of the historyof our people, you know that onceupon a time, when someone cameto town, the balabatim competedwith each other as to who wouldhost him for Shabbos. In towns

where guests were few and farbetween, they even held a lotteryamong families with the luckywinner seemingly as happy asthough he won a cash prize.

In Crown Heights it’s not muchdifferent. Those who are “lucky”to have visiting relatives, encouragethem to bring bachurim to theirtable to celebrate the Yom Tov withgreat joy. Those who host familiesthough, or who don’t knowbachurim, stand in 770 after thedavening and look out for bachurimwho want a place to eat.

It’s common in Tishrei to see aChassid walking with eight or tenbachurim trailing behind him thathe has just met. Despite thelanguage barrier, the Americanhosts provide a comfortableatmosphere.

While bachurim have a diningroom that operates on Shabbos andYomim Tovim, the girls and couplesdo not, and they are hosted byfamilies. Balabatim who do not geta group of girls or couples for aShabbos meal, bring bachurimhome with them.

It would not be an exaggerationto say that every Crown Heightsfamily hosts at least five guests atevery meal on Shabbos and YomTov! That means that they arebuying about ten thousand chickensand more, in order to host guests.Again, most of the hosts are notwealthy.

Americans know that the Israeliculture is different and wanting tomake their guests feel at home theycall Hachnosas Orchim and ask,“What do Israelis like?” One of themost oft-bought items is chumus,“because Israelis like chumus.”

One of the women in thecommunity said that every womanin her building prepares more foodthan they need for the people theyare expecting since their husbandsusually bring more bachurim thatthey anticipated. It has happened

that a few minutes before Shabbosor Yom Tov, a car drives up to thekitchen of Hachnosas Orchim andsomeone jumps out, huffing andpuffing, “Emergency! I need morerolls for lechem mishna, I don’thave enough for the guests.”

This phenomenon of hosting formeals is one of the remarkableaspects of hosting. You don’t needto be related or to know the person;all are welcome. All residents ofCrown Heights host people formeals and the neighborhood shineswith the precious light of thethousands of mitzvos that are donein this way.

Many people host ten or fifteenguests per meal. Then there arepeople who host a hundred people!Families like Strasbourg, Scharf,Kotlarsky, Gansburg and others,host many dozens of bachurim andfamilies at every meal. Again, theseare not wealthy people, but whatthey have in abundance is themidda of Avrohom Avinu.

It would not be anexaggeration tosay that everyCrown Heightsfamily hosts atleast five guests atevery meal onShabbos and YomTov! That meansthat they arebuying about tenthousand chickensand more, in orderto host guests.

One of the people in charge atHachnosas Orchim visited one ofthese families the night before YomTov and was astounded by the sightthat met his eyes. The kitchen andliving room had been turned into ahuge work station. The husbandand sons were working late at nightto prepare about eighty chickens forYom Tov! In a box on the sideanother forty chickens waited theirturn.

Sights like these, of people whowork for nothing in exchange, inorder to prepare dozens ofchickens; or American women whoare used to ready-made food; ormen who can’t figure out howmany bachurim will be going homewith them for a meal; and thefamilies who forego meals withtheir own families and split up withthe men in the sukka and thewomen in the house, all in order tohave as many guests as possible –about them it is said, “fortunate arewe that we are Chassidim.”

OTHER FORMSOF HOSPITALITY

A seat for the Yomim Noraim in770 costs $300. Obviously,whoever paid this price for a placein 770 wants to sit comfortably inhis seat, but sometimes it doesn’twork out that way. Most of thepeople who bought seats sharethem with bachurim, as though theybought them in partnership,whether by allowing a bachur to sitfor a while when he’s been standingsince eight in the morning, or byallowing them to lean on them oron their place. Some allow theirbacks to be used as shtenders. Evenseats in 770 are used as a form ofhospitality.

Sukkos. Crown Heights is fullof sukkos and the street is festivewith Simchas Beis HaShoeivataking place nightly. Every night,Eshel arranges about a dozenfarbrengens around theneighborhood which are hosted byAnash in their sukkos. Theatmosphere in the community is

such that one can enter any sukkain order to eat or drink something.This is important for the guestswho don’t have a sukka of theirown. It often happens that whensomeone realizes that people are intheir sukka, they bring outadditional food and drink as thoughthese were invited guests.

There are also sukkos that have“Kol Dichfin” signs on them,informing the passerby that thesesukkos are available 24 hours a dayand are stocked with food anddrink. Aside from the cost ofmaintaining a sukka like this, it isalso a commitment on the part ofthe owner to having guests in hissukka at all hours of the day.

I couldn’t end this articlewithout mentioning NachumMarkowitz’s trucks which distributeunbelievable quantities of food onMotzaei Yom Kippur to break thefast and for Kiddush on ShminiAtzeres and Simchas Torah.

Sham tziva Hashem esha’bracha, chaim ad ha’olam!

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It was the second year that RabbiChaim Greisman was living onshlichus in Stockholm, Sweden.Some time before Sukkos, hepresented a request to the chairmanof the building committee in order toget permission to build a sukka in thehuge yard adjacent to the building helived in.

The year before, his first year onshlichus, he lived in a small buildingand he built his sukka in a smallstructure on the roof. The chairmanof the building committee did notexactly comprehend why he wantedto leave his apartment and live in thathut on the roof, but he agreed to itfor a week’s time.

During the course of the year thatfollowed, the Greismans moved to anapartment in a complex of 160apartments surrounded by anenormous green yard. The yard washardly used since most of the tenantswere elderly. Rabbi Greisman didnot think he would have a problemusing a small part of the yard for oneweek. The chairman heard hisrequest and said he would have ananswer in two weeks.

Two weeks later, Rabbi Greismanreceived a letter from the committee,apologizing that they could notapprove his request to use the yard.They did not give a reason. RabbiGreisman tried to discuss it with themembers of the committee but gotnowhere. With typical Swedishformality they said it was a communalyard and therefore, not even a smallpart of it could be given for the

personal use of one tenant. “Whatwould happen if, that week, one ofthe tenants would want to use thatspecific part of the yard and would beunable to do so,” they said.

Rabbi Greisman had a solution tothat question and he said he had noproblem leaving the door to his sukkaopen so that anybody could come in.That didn’t help. The members ofthe committee said categorically thatthere was to be no sukka in the yard.

Since they realized this was arequest that would be made annually,they suggested that he submit therequest for a special discussion to beraised at the annual meeting thatwould take place half a year later. Atthat meeting a full forum of thecommittee would gather and discussall requests that had accumulated.They said the request should besubmitted about a month before themeeting.

In the meantime, Rabbi Greismandid not have a sukka. His creativeJewish head worked overtime and hecame up with a great idea. He wouldhave a sukka on a flatbed truck. Thetruck would be parked near hisbuilding and could be used by himand his mekuravim.

It turned out that his sukka was abig hit and the number of Jews whocame to see it was greater than theprevious year. About 150 Jewsvisited the sukka over the eight days.They got on the truck, took the arbaminim and said the bracha “leisheivba’sukka.” Even the Israeliambassador came to see the unusual

sukka built by the Chabadnikim.Rabbi Greisman drove around

with his sukka to schools, hospitals,and senior centers, and enabled otherJews to do the mitzvos of Sukkos.

* * *About a month before the annual

meeting of the building committee,Rabbi Greisman submitted a requestto be allowed to use the yard for asukka. He was even invited to attendthe meeting so he could explain hisrequest to the other tenants. Althoughthere were several anti-Semiticseniors who opposed the sukka, hewas ultimately able to get a majorityto approve the building of a sukka,every year, for a week’s time.

During the meeting, one of thetenants asked for the floor. She wasa Jew and until that day none of herneighbors knew that she was Jewishsince she didn’t publicize this factand was even married to a non-Jew.When she heard that the rabbi hadsubmitted a request to build a sukka,she decided to join the fray and saidthat the rabbi was not the only onewho wanted a sukka. Other Jewswho lived in the building, includingherself, wanted it and the requestshould be treated accordingly. Asmentioned earlier, the request wasgranted.

Since then, Rabbi Greismanbuilds a spacious sukka every year inthe yard of his building. This attractsmany Jews from the community aswell as tourists who visit the city. Inthis instance, Chassidic warmthmanaged to melt the Swedish cold.

A SUCCA IN

STOCKHOLMBy Menachem Ziegelboim

Many people don’t know thatMivtza Arba Minim is one of thefirst mivtzaim that the Rebbeinitiated. An esrog, lulav,hadasim, and aravos – four plantspecies that are bound together –have been shaken and have shakenup thousands of Jews, spurringthem on to lives of Torah andmitzvos.

The primary goal was to enableJews to do the mitzva of Sukkos,but the Rebbe, faithful to hisapproach that one mitzva leads toanother, knew that this mitzvawould bring other mitzvos in itswake, until, sometimes, peoplechanged their entire way of life.

It is interesting to read adetailed description about this in areshima that the Chassid, R’Shmuel Shaulson, former memberof the Jerusalem City Council,wrote, published in Hamodia backin 5715, about the ramifications ofMivtza Lulav:

Chag Sameiach Yehudi!This polite greeting that was

expressed by a young boy dressed in

festive-Chassidic garb stopped ahusky, broad-shouldered man witha head-full of curls on his barehead on the street. The pale butcharming boy bravely continued hispitch: Listen, you are a Jew, aJewish soul sustains you. Today isSukkos and the mitzva of the dayis “and you shall take foryourselves on the first day the fruitof a goodly tree, a palm branch,the myrtle branch, and the willowof the brook.” Did you do themitzva yet today?

The Jew is quiet and is hesitantto respond. He had not fulfilledthe mitzva but it’s as though he isashamed to reveal this to the youngboy who dared, with holy audacity,to offer him the opportunity to do amitzva, and with open mouth hestood there to hear what else thebachur would say.

If you did not fulfill it yet, forwhatever reason, you haveeverything ready here. Here is theesrog and here are the lulav withhadasim and aravos, as “a gift oncondition that you return it,” so

that another Jew can do the mitzvaafter you.

The Jew no longer hesitates.He heard him clearly, and what hedid not hear, his Jewish neshamaheard. And without shame “beforethose who mock,” he took out – inthe midst of a busy street – ahandkerchief and covered his head,took the four minim from thebachur as well as a siddur, andwith tears in his eyes he said:“asher kidshanu b’mitzvosavv’tzivanu al netilas lulav” as wellas the SheHechiyanu blessing.

He returned it all to the bachurand thanked him and continued onhis way without anyone knowingwhat was aroused in his heart atthat time, an arousal that iscapable of making an enormousspiritual revolution in this man’slife. The boy remained at his postand repeated his greetingindiscriminately to passersby.There is no checking when itcomes to mitzvos. The few whorespond rudely and yell at him donot weaken his resolve in his holytask.

This is not taken from the daysof the Baal Shem Tov, whenChassidus began with its revelationthat descended to the masses toarouse them to t’shuva, raising upfrom the dust those impoverishedin Torah and picking up from thegarbage heaps those poor inmitzvos – “making souls” in Torahand mitzvos. This is merely acontinuation of that approach andderech in avodas Hashem. Theavoda characterizes thecontinuation of the path ofChassidus from days gone by and

Mivtza Dalet Minim is one of theRebbe’s first mivtzaim. The mivtza tookoff and within a few years, thousands ofJews had recited the bracha on the fourminim thanks to LubavitcherChassidim who flooded the streets ofEretz Yisroel, New York, and around theworld. * The power of a mitzva.

MIVTZA ARBA MINIMBy Shneur Zalman Levin

is taken from our day and age.This took place on the first day

of Sukkos of this year, 5715 inKikar Tziyon in Yerushalayim.

The mivtza began in 5714, onlythree years after the Rebbeformally accepted the nesius. Thefollowing was published inHiskashrus from a journal writtenby one of the T’mimim:

“In the days before RoshHaShana (5714) Rabbi Chadakovcalled us and said: During theupcoming Sukkos, go out to thestreet with lulav and esrog toenable Jews to say the bracha onthem. It would be fitting for youto invite children to come into thesukka, where they can recite thebracha. The reason that this isbeing conveyed to you now is inorder for you to have enough timeto convey this to those who aregoing home, out-of-town [for YomTov].”

Indeed, that very year, Anashand the T’mimim went on MivtzaArba Minim as was described in ajournal at that time:

“On Sukkos, the first andsecond days, all of Anash and theT’mimim said the bracha on theRebbe’s minim. After davening,they announced that after themeal, all the talmidim should goout to the street with esrog andlulav to say the bracha with Jewswho did not do so yet.”

In a letter that the Rebbe wroteat the beginning of Cheshvan5716 (Igros Kodesh vol. 12, p.54), the Rebbe refers to the mivtzadirectly:

It’s surprising that you don’tmention the Arba Minim activity.I refer to what they havepreviously instituted, and I thinkalso by Tzach in Eretz Yisroel –to invite passersby on the streetand the like to say the bracha onthe four minim. This year theymainly added visiting hospitalsand the like and it was very

successful. Perhaps you willmake up for this at the nextopportunity.

That year, on Chol HaMoed,talmidim from the yeshiva in Ludwent to various places with thefour minim, and they inspiredmany Jews to say the bracha.“The campaign of blessing thelulav made a big impression andelicited many positive responses,”is what it said in a Chabadpublication that was published atthe time.

A year later, in a description inMi’Beis Rabbeinu, R’ UrielTzimmer wrote, “It has alreadybecome Lubavitch custom thatduring Yom Tov the bachurim andmen go about the city [of NewYork] and ask Jewish passersby tosay the bracha al netilas lulav.”

In the article in Hamodia,Rabbi Shaulson vividly describedthe Mivtza Arba Minim that tookplace in the streets ofYerushalayim that year, 5715:

The talmidim of Toras Emesdivided up for this mitzva in pairsand shifts. About thirty pairs weredivided over two shifts. One shiftwent out right after davening andthe other shift relieved them afterthe Yom Tov meal. The pairscovered all the streets of the centerof city, where there was a lot oftraffic, from the eastern border ofYerushalayim all along the lengthof Rechov Yaffo until Rechavia,and every street corner, everyjuncture – a pair of T’mimim witharba minim, a siddur, and a kippa.

One pair visited police stationsand IDF soldiers at theMandelbaum Gate, and all thepolicemen and soldiers said thebracha “Al Netilas Lulav” and“SheHechiyanu” and thankedthem heartily.

Mivtza Lulav continuedthroughout that first day untilevening. This activity made a bigimpact and was received with

public acclaim. Furthermore, itimpacted people’s hearts and wecan confidently assume that asidefrom the actual fulfillment of themitzva by hundreds and thousandswho would not have done so if notfor this opportunity, it helpedinspire many hearts for days tocome.

The responses were diverse,with many happy for theopportunity to do the mitzva anddoing so with great emotion.Many fulfilled the mitzva aftersome hesitation, but most, exceptfor a few tough customers, did itand appreciated the opportunityand thanked those who made itpossible.

It is estimated that in 5719,thousands of Jews around thecountry fulfilled the mitzva of thearba minim through the Rebbe’semissaries, and the mivtza became

a large-scale affair.Those who regularly do

mivtzaim will tell you that MivtzaArba Minim is more readilyaccepted than other mivtzaim, forit doesn’t require any effort asidefrom saying the bracha andshaking the minim. In addition,the mitzva is not one doneroutinely and it is accompaniedwith good feelings about theholiday.

Apparently just the shaking ofthe minim arouses a Jew’sneshama to avodas Hashem. It’samazing to see what the RebbeRashab wrote in explaining thisfact:

“The advice given for thosesouls that are not drawn to anyavoda of birurim at all, not tomention the birur of Torah, whichthey certainly are not connectedto, and they are not even up to thebirur of t’filla, because of theirsituation and standing they are notyet ready for avoda … the advicefor these souls is the avoda ofpractical mitzvos, and this is alsoby way of a segula. When

properly putting on t’fillin, it is asegula for [refining] the animalsoul, so too when shaking thelulav and the minim, they are asegula, for by doing these avodosand the like, it (the neshama)becomes a vessel that is ready foravoda to some degree. Likewisewith regard to one whose animalsoul casts doubts on his faith andthe like, Heaven forbid.”

(Seifer HaSichos-Toras Sholom)

The actual performance of amitzva, says the Rebbe Rashab,involves not only physical actionand external influence, butpenetrates all dimensions of thesoul, until the innermost point.

It is fascinating to read RabbiShaulson’s first person accountsabout the impact this mitzvamakes:

Repercussions of the operationhave already filtered back fromanother city to Yerushalayim. Afriend told me that his brother-in-law who lives near Cholon toldhim that one of his neighbors, whois married to a gentile, excitedly

told him that when he was inYerushalayim on the first day ofSukkos, he fulfilled the mitzva oflulav right there in the street. Theman said: Although my wife isn’tJewish, I am a Jew.

Could it be otherwise when youtell a Jew that his ancestors stoodat Har Sinai, and here is an esrogand a lulav, here is a kippa and asiddur – would he not fulfill themitzva? …

This tells us the power of amitzva and the power of a Jew –that even though he sins, he is aJew. Who can delve and find thedepth of the holiness of Jewishsouls, the secret of their greatnessand elevation. “Who is like Yourpeople Israel, one nation in theland…”

The Rebbe himself related astory illustrating the tremendousinspiration that Jews felt as aresult of this mivtza. The Rebbetold this story at a farbrengen inthe winter of 5741, when hedemanded more work in foundinga network of kollelim for theelderly, Tiferes Z’keinim Levi

Yitzchok. At the time, somepeople said that some of theelderly men were not “all there,”and the Rebbe referred to thispoint:

“When the bachur went in withlulav and esrog to an old man whowas considered ‘not all there,’ theold man was aroused from hismental fog and was immediatelyaware of what was going onaround him. He said the brachahimself from beginning to end,without any help. For as soon as

the bachur came inwith the lulav

and esrog, thememories of

hisyouth

were awakened and this causedhim to overcome his mentalconfusion.

“The doctors standing therewere amazed, for this old man hadnot known what was going onaround him for months, andeverything that had been tried wasunsuccessful. And a bachur justwalked in with an esrog and lulavand didn’t even say anything, andthis caused the old man to become

aware of what wasgoing on around

him!” (SichaToldos

5741,s’if

49).In Bitaon Chabad (#13) there

is an interesting description abouta visit that took place on Sukkos5717, where a similar thing tookplace:

“They went to the Frenchhospital. Upon entering the firstroom they met a patient who wasin serious condition and theythought they should leave theroom, but when the patient sawthem and the arba minim, heshuddered and motioned to themto come over. He said half thebracha himself and needed helpwith the rest. He was very movedand received much encouragementand satisfaction from this. Inanother room lay a patient whowas critically ill, and when he sawthe arba minim he asked the nurseto give him a damp towel and hewiped his hands and said thebracha.”

Over the years the mivtza grewto include Mivtza Sukka, withshluchim and activists setting upmobile sukkos that are drivenaround town. Many Jews are

invited to enter the sukka and eatsomething, say l’chaim and thebracha “leishev ba’sukka.” Thismivtza, of course, was added tothe previous mivtza of arba minim.

In one of the sichos the Rebbesaid that the advantage of a mitzvatank is that it’s mobile. The sameis true for the mobile sukka, a

Chabad innovation. Hundreds ofthem, around the world, enableJews to perform the mitzvos of thearba minim and sitting in a sukka.In many places, they are also ableto join a local Simchas BeisHaShoeiva.

Over the years, the principalsof the Reshet Oholei Yosef

Yitzchok schools would set upmobile sukkos in their cities, asper a direct order from the Rebbe.During Chol HaMoed, peoplewould go to the children and theirfamilies and enable them to blessthe arba minim and sit in a sukka.The Rebbe said that the studentscannot be forgotten during theholiday vacation.

The mobile sukkos perfectlymet the needs of Anash who madethe rounds of army posts andbases where there were no sukkos.They were able to reach the mostdistant points with their mobilesukka, prepared with food, thearba minim, and mashke, and ofcourse, plenty of Chassidishesimcha.

The approach was that if youdon’t come to do mitzvos, we willcome to you. Many Jews wholived on kibbutzim and moshavim,as well as distant cities, and didnot have the opportunity to entera sukka, would encounter a mobilesukka on the street. It was hardto refuse a request made with asmile to get into the sukka, havesome cake, and say l’chaim. Theywere also offered the arba minim.

As with all the Rebbe’s holycampaigns, this one too wasopposed by certain people forvarious reasons. As the Rebbe putit about another mivtza: it wasonly after he heard opposition to itthat he knew that it was definitelyan idea that came from the side ofk’dusha.

In a letter that the Rebbe wroteon 3 Cheshvan 5717, he defendedthis mivtza from those who“sought a pretext” to oppose it:

In response to your letter …in which you ask about the goodcustom that many Jews have, tobring merit to the many with themitzva of the four minim, which,as our Sages expound in VaYikraRaba, parsha 30, is a sign thatwe were victorious for a good

USE YOUR OWNPeople use their own arba minim for Mivtza Arba Minim. In other

words, they take the minim that they picked themselves and use them toenable others Jews to perform the mitzva. In Cheshvan 5718, theRebbe wrote to the administration of Tzach:

It’s surprising that you write regarding the discussion aboutwhere to obtain the arba minim that are needed for this campaign,when surely, all those who were involved in this, have their ownarba minim, or their father’s or relative’s. It is known that the

practice of the Rebbe, myfather-in-law was that he gavehis own esrog to several othersto say the blessing. It is toldabout a tzaddik (I think inPoland) that he did thisregularly, and when they askedhim that by using it, theydiminish from the esrog’sbeauty, he answered that thereis nothing more beautiful thanhaving Jews use it to fulfillthis exalted mitzva.

(Since the Rebbe did not saywho that tzaddik from Polandwas, we cannot know for surewho he meant. However, it isknow that this was the practiceof the Minchas Elozor ofMunkach, described in DarkeiChaim V’Sholom (ChagHaSukkos 5675): “And thecustom was that many people

came to his sukka to say the bracha (especially on the first day) on hisarba minim, which were exceedingly beautiful. They lay on the tablenear him so he could watch over them … Although he was fearful andvery careful that nothing should ruin his esrog, still it was dear to himthat many made the blessing over it and he said that its beauty wouldnot be ruined by the blessings of Jews.)

What we see is that the custom of our Rebbeim to give their arbaminim to others for them to recite the bracha is the impetus andempowerment to the mivtza that Anash has subsequently taken on.

When they askedhim that by usingit, they diminishfrom the esrog’s

beauty, heanswered that

there is nothingmore beautiful

than having Jewsuse it to fulfill this

exalted mitzva.

and sweet year in all matters.You ask that on the street,

among many passersby, oneneeds to be concerned thatcertainly there would be withinsight a woman’s hair uncoveredor leg, etc., which would meanone is transgressing a Biblicalprohibition when reciting thebracha, and the bracha and thetaking [of lulav and esrog] isonly a rabbinic mitzva on theother days.

I am extremely surprised bythis question – that one shouldcancel a definite rabbinic mitzvabecause it is possible that theone saying the blessing might seethe aforementioned… This is notthe place to expound on thedetails of the laws which, in anumber of instances it ispermissible even by closing one’seyes, all the more so if one turnsone’s face away, etc. (IgrosKodesh, vol. 14, p. 52).

On 4 Tishrei 5738, Aguch in

Eretz Yisroel publicized aproclamation to centers of Anashwhich said:

We hereby announce aninstruction from the Rebbe’ssecretaries connected with theupcoming holiday of Sukkos: Whendoing mivtzaim on Sukkos, keep inmind that you need to arrangeputting up sukkos at kibbutzimwhere, thank G-d, it is apparentthat there is a change for the betterregarding an arousal to matters ofJudaism, or try and work with thesecretaries of the kibbutzthemselves that they should put upa sukka, and enable the peoplethere to say the bracha of the arbaminim and the bracha for sitting ina sukka. The mitzva of sukkaleads to another mitzva, etc., andcertainly there are older peopleeverywhere who can teach theyoung ones about this.

The announcement ended withthe following postscript:

Another instruction via

telephone was just received. Inaddition to working among peopleon kibbutzim, do Mivtza Sukkaalso among the military, and witha big commotion so as to makethings actually happen.

A week later, at the farbrengenof 13 Tishrei 5738, the Rebbeexpanded the scope of the mivtzaand said visits should be made tojails and hospitals to bring thesimcha of Yom Tov to the peoplethere. The Rebbe also said torecite the bracha on the arbaminim with them on the first dayand during Chol HaMoed, etc.The Rebbe directed his request toevery person, even those at theends of the world. He even calledit, “a personal request.”

About two years later, an“important announcement toAnash and the talmidim” from 26Elul 5739 said:

From the Rebbe’s secretaries wewere asked to publicize thefollowing:

Regarding the upcoming Sukkosholiday: rouse the public aboutbringing merit to the many byputting up sukkos and to enablethose who do not have a sukka tosay a bracha in a sukka along withthe bracha “leishev ba’sukka” andnetilas lulav, etc. This should bepublicized and done also byrabbanim and those with influencein every location.

“When the bachur went in with lulavand esrog to an old man who wasconsidered ‘not all there,’ the old manwas aroused from his mental fog andwas immediately aware of what wasgoing on around him.”

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We are waiting each day for theRebbe to come. Then we can takeour children, our students andgrandchildren, all of them, to greethim. He will come together withour Rebbeim, the Chabad leaders,and will say, “See the offshoots Ihave raised.” That is what we arepreparing for.

When we speak about thesethings to Anash, sometimes it’shard because we have, baruchHashem, a wealth of sichos fromthe Rebbe, maamarim, letters, etc.,about how to educate children, howto have shalom bayis between aman and wife, between a Jew andG-d, between us and the Rebbe,between ourselves. Since we havethis wealth at our fingertips,sometimes we don’t pay attention…

One time, a Chassid of theTzemach Tzedek had a big problemand he had to see the Rebbe. Hecame on one of those days whenthe Tzemach Tzedek did not

receive people and the attendantrefused to let him enter. TheChassid pleaded with him, sayinghe had an urgent problem. Theattendant finally told him that atmidnight, the Rebbe’s door wasopen. “You can enter and tell theRebbe your problem, but I won’t beable to bring you in.”

The Chassid showed up atmidnight and saw the TzemachTzedek standing near the wall withhis face aflame. With greatenthusiasm, with his hands heldaloft, the Rebbe said from hisT’hillim, “even a bird finds ahome,” and translated it intoYiddish, “but you Hashem, still didnot find a home…”

The attendant stood and waitedfor him. The Chassid went over tohim and said, “Look, look! TheRebbe is in supernal worlds now!”

The attendant replied simply,“What are you getting so excitedabout? This happens nearly every

night!”That’s the way it is when we are

accustomed to such spiritualwealth, but it is for this very reasonthat we don’t appreciate it enough.

Here is another story thatillustrates the fact that when youare up close, you don’t appreciatethe bounty you are given:

My uncle, the chozer R’ YoelKahn, traveled a lot to give shiurimin Tanya and Chassidus. One time,when I was a bachur, he told methat he had invited one of thebachurim, who had begun to learnTanya and get close to Lubavitch,to attend the Rebbe’s Chai Elulfarbrengen.

The bachur came but R’ Yoelmet him again only a while later.The bachur told him that he hadbeen at the farbrengen and “Youhave no idea what an Elul I had …what a Rosh HaShana … what aYom Kippur…”

When R’ Yoel asked him toexplain, the bachur said, “TheRebbe spoke, but I didn’tunderstand everything. What I didunderstand was that the Rebbe saidthat from Chai Elul until RoshHaShana there are twelve days,each day corresponding to a monthof the year. On each day you canmake up for the correspondingmonth of the previous year.

“When I heard this, I began tosay the daily brachos and daveningproperly, knowing that this makes

There’s no two ways about it. We mustbe role models. Even without saying aword, our actions speak for themselves.This is true for adults and all the moreso for children, who observe theirparents’ behavior.

THEY’RE LOOKING

AT YOUBy Rabbi Levi ParizPrepared for publication by Shneur Zalman Levin

up for an entire month of brachosand mitzvos. I did everything withahava and yira. You can justimagine that with preparations likethat for Rosh HaShana, howamazing Rosh HaShana was, andthe Aseres Yemei T’shuva and YomKippur. The entire Tishrei wasdifferent.”

I was there at the time and R’Yoel turned to me and asked mewhether I had heard that sicha fromthe Rebbe too. I said that I had.“Were you also inspired?” heasked.

I felt uncomfortable. Then R’Yoel asked me, “Why aren’t we thatamazed by what the Rebbe says, asothers are?”

I said that since we always heardthese ideas, it had less of an effecton us than someone hearing it forthe first time. R’ Yoel said, “It’sjust the opposite. It’s we whoshould be much more amazed byeverything the Rebbe says since weabsorb it far deeper and muchstronger. The fact that we don’tsee this is our problem.”

It is similar to giving a poorman and a rich man a fine meal andtaking it away from them beforethey eat it. The poor man will bedisappointed but will go back toeating regular food, while the richman will be much more annoyed.Similarly, the Rebbe’s inyanim aremore pertinent to us but sometimeswe have to talk about it and remind

each other so that we realize it.

ONLY THELUBAVITCHER REBBE

COULD TRAIN YOUTHIS WAY

Today, there are compilationsthat contain all the Rebbe’sinstructions and sichos on chinuchand the work is easier.

There are two principles inconveying a proper chinuch. Thefirst is in speech, literally – to speakto the person you are educating.The second is being a personalexample. When a mechanech acts acertain way, this makes the greatestimpact.

I would like to expand on thislatter point. What does it mean tobe a role model?

When a person is passionateabout a particular thing, thatmessage is transmitted to thechildren. When a person is busywith something that is important tohim, the children observe this.

In the school that I work in, thechildren stopped coming to sayT’hillim before davening onShabbos Mevarchim. We spokewith the teachers and decided thateach of us would speak to ourstudents one Thursday night aboutthe importance of saying T’hillim.The time set for the gathering wasnot during regular hours. Almostno students of one my colleaguesshowed up while almost all of mystudents did come.

When he complained to me, Itold him, “I know what yourproblem is. You have variousreasons for not showing up to shulon Shabbos Mevarchim to sayT’hillim the past several months.The reasons may be good ones butthe fact that on ShabbosMevarchim you are not there inshul, tells your students that it’sreally not that important. What’sthe use in all your talk about it

when you yourself don’t do it?”We say “action is the main

thing.” That means, simply, thatyou have to act as you believe.

A few years ago, we went onMivtza Shofar on Rosh HaShanaafter the davening and the Yom Tovmeal. I went with a friend to ahospital and it was a forty-fiveminute walk each way, passing ariver and beautiful fields. We wentfrom ward to ward and found someJews in each one and all agreed tohave us blow the shofar.

In one ward I found a frum manwhom I knew to have a largeextended family. It was beforesunset and I was sure they hadalready blown shofar for him. Iwas just going to wish him a “gutyom tov” and a “refua shleima,” butadded, “I’m sure you heard theshofar already today…”

When he heard that I had ashofar with me, he began to cry.He asked for water and washed his

My father was abig crier; the onewho blew theshofar had moretears than shofarblowing. Oppositehim sat R’ AharonGopin who alsobegan to cry. Thisone cried and thatone cried… Weknew it was theYom HaDin. Wefelt it.

hands. He said all the p’sukim andbrachos as he cried nonstop. Weblew all the t’kios and then left,trying to get to as many Jews as wecould before sunset.

On Sukkos we went back tohim. He had already said thebracha on the lulav. One of hissons-in-law had brought the minim,but the esrog was not a Calabrianesrog. Since he had the custom ofsaying the bracha on a Calabrianesrog, I brought him mine and hewas very happy. The next day, hepassed away.

After Sukkos, I went to consolethe family. They asked me to tellthem what happened on RoshHaShana with the blowing of theshofar. I told them how he excitedhe was and how he cried. I gentlyadded that when I got to his ward Iwas sure he had already heard theshofar. The family began toapologize and each one said he wassure that someone else had gonewith a shofar.

On my way home I walked withmy neighbor, R’ Moshe Halperin,the son of the mara d’asra ofGolders Green in London. I said,“Moshe, what happened here?Brothers, sons, an extended family,and nobody thought their fatherhad to hear the shofar?!”

He said, “People don’t think likeyou. Only the Lubavitcher Rebbesucceeded in educating people thisway.”

The main thing is action andwhen a person does the right thing,he broadcasts this to his family –not just to the young ones but tothe older ones too.

About twenty years ago I wentwith my brother-in-law to theRebbe on a flight from London toNew York. It was an El-Al flightand we took lulav and esrog with ussince we knew that we’d need it onthe flight. After seat belts could beremoved, we began to make therounds of the plane and people

WHAT IT SAYS IN TORAH IS THE REALITYAs Chassidim we have to know that what the Rebbe says, goes.

Rabbi Yosef Wineberg once came to our community and he spokeabout the chiddushim that the Rebbe introduced to the world.For example, the inyan of mezuza. We all know that a mezuzaprotects us, but whoever thought that if something goes wrongthat the mezuzos ought to be checked, and that there is aconnection between them? The Rebbe is the one who broughtthis concept to our awareness, that what it says in the Torah is, infact, the reality.

Many years ago, there were two friends, one was aLubavitcher and the other was Litvish. They were very close,having learned together in school, and then they went theirseparate ways, one to a Chassidishe yeshiva and one to a Litvisheyeshiva.

One day, the son of the Litvishe fellow became very sick. TheLubavitcher friend wrote a letter to the Rebbe and asked for abracha for his friend’s son. The Rebbe wrote back that theyshould check the mezuza on the child’s room.

In those days, it took some time until a letter arrived and untilyou got a hold of a phone. He finally called his friend and toldhim to check the mezuza, “If the Rebbe says to do it, the childwill get better!” But the Litvishe friend asked one of his “g’dolim”whether to check the mezuza and the person said, “What for? Goto a better doctor. What does a mezuza have to do withanything?” The Litvishe fellow said that the Lubavitcher Rebbehad said to check it and the gadol said there was no connectionbetween his son’s illness and the mezuza.

Two weeks went by and the child died. The Lubavitcherfriend heard the news and went to console his friend. He askedhim whether he had checked the mezuza. The boy’s father saidhe had not, and with tears in his eyes he explained, “I asked a ravand he said there was no reason to check it and that we shouldgo to a better doctor.”

The Lubavitcher felt terrible that he hadn’t pursued thematter. He asked where the child’s room was and he removedthe mezuza and saw that in the words, “so that your daysincrease,” the letter Yud was missing in “days.” The mezuza wasnot kosher. Whoever was there at the time was shocked by thisdiscovery. The Lubavitcher cried. He felt it was his fault that hedidn’t check it himself.

After a day or two, the rosh yeshiva who had been consultedcame to console the father. The father showed him the mezuza.The rosh yeshiva said, “What does one thing have to do with theother? Did the child die because a Yud is missing in a mezuza?He was sick!”

Rabbi Wineberg explained that the rosh yeshiva was seeminglyright, because what connection was there between the mezuzaand the child? If you don’t learn Chassidus, you really don’tunderstand the connection. The Rebbe is the one who instilledthis idea that spirituality is real and present in our material world.

were cooperative. It was a greatkiddush Hashem and nearly all thepassengers were interested in doingthe mitzva.

When they served the meal, werefused it and learned Rambam andChitas. Then we learned a sicha.At a certain point I got up to walkaround the plane a bit. I saw that afew rows behind me were SatmarChassidim. Of course they didn’twash for bread out of the sukka butthey certainly ate.

One of them offered me hisportion of meat since he thought Ihad refused my portion because ofkashrus. I politely declined.“Maybe an apple? Some water?” heoffered. I told him we don’t eatoutside the sukka.

“What?! You’re ignoramuses!Don’t you know that when on a tripyou are exempt from eating in asukka?”

I told him I was aware of thathalacha, but our custom is not toeat anything outside of the sukka,even though it is permissible. “Andsince we’re talking about halacha,look in Shulchan Aruch and seethat if you eat a lot of mezonoswith meat, there is a seriousquestion about whether you need towash.”

Another Chassid, who sat nearhim, was more refined. He said,“My grandfather came fromHungary and he did not eat out ofthe sukka. We would travel forhours and everybody ate but him,just like you.”

When I went back to my seat, aSkverer Chassid came over to meand said, “I’m jealous of you. Isaw you busy with the four minim,you didn’t eat the food despite itbeing halachically permissible, youlearned Rambam and a sicha –what a kiddush Hashem! That’sLubavitcher Chassidim!”

That’s what it means to be a rolemodel. Without saying a word,without proving anything, just our

actions serve as examples to adultswho know how to appreciate aChassid’s behavior. All the more soa child who sees his father actingproperly, in a Chassidishe way. Heinternalizes this as a way of life.

HOW DO YOU EDUCATECHILDREN WITHOUT

SAYING A WORD?My father a”h, Rabbi Boruch

Pariz, was a role model of how toeducate children without saying aword. I remember I was a youngbachur after my bar mitzva. It wasduring the summer break and Islept in late. My father had taughtme about the importance of sayingthe morning Shma on time. Hecame back from davening and sawme still in bed even though it wasafter the time for saying the Shma.

Actually, I had gotten up earlier,washed my hands to say the Shmaand went back to sleep, but hedidn’t know that. I suddenlyopened my eyes and saw my fatherstanding and crying. He didn’t yelland didn’t say a thing, just stoodthere and cried.

I asked him why he was cryingand he said, “You missed sayingShma. Even if you say the Shmafor the rest of your life you cannotmake up for the Shma you missedtoday.”

What can I tell you… When yousee something like that, not anotherword needs to be said.

When I was a boy, we went toBeis Menachem for Rosh HaShana.It had only two rooms and wascalled “the old shul.” On RoshHaShana it wasn’t necessary to sayit was the Day of Judgment. Whenwe began U’Nesaneh Tokef therewere tears. My father was a bigcrier; the one who blew the shofarhad more tears than shofar blowing.Opposite him sat R’ Aharon Gopinwho also began to cry. This onecried and that one cried… We knew

it was the Yom HaDin. We felt it.The same was true in 770. We

saw the fear of the Day ofJudgment when the Rebbe came infor Slichos or when the Rebbe camein for Shacharis of Rosh HaShanaand brought with him the shofarosand siddurim, and the gabbaimhelped carry the bags of panim. Wesaw the Rebbe place the tallis on hishead and we saw the tremendousseriousness on his face. Justthinking about this is awesome.

I had a friend who, when hecame to 770, slept with me in aroom in the dormitory. Erev RoshHaShana he came from EretzYisroel and he wanted to see hisson whom he hadn’t seen for ayear, but his son was sleeping. Thefather asked me, “Where isYankele?” I said that maybe he wasstill sleeping because he was very

R’ Yoel turned tome and asked mewhether I hadheard that sichafrom the Rebbetoo. I said that Ihad. “Were youalso inspired?” heasked. I feltuncomfortable.Then R’ Yoelasked me, “Whyaren’t we thatamazed by whatthe Rebbe says, asothers are?”

tired.We went together to his room

and he was still sleeping. As soonas he saw his father he washed hishands and hurriedly got up. Theykissed, as Chassidim do, and then Isaw what chinuch is. The fatherdidn’t chastise him but said a fewwords I remember till this day.“Yankele, you were sleeping? Even

a fish in the water trembles nowbecause of the Day of Judgment…”He didn’t yell but spoke as thoughhe was talking to himself. Howcould you sleep on Erev RoshHaShana by the Rebbe? Iremember it till this day because itwas a deep and powerful remark.

We must educate ourselves toact accordingly. If we live as weshould, then the way is paved forour children to do the same. Theproblem begins with us.

I’ve been teaching and learningwith bachurim for 25 years and I’veseen a lot. Even if there arereasons that a child goes off thederech, if he got a good chinuch athome, in the end he goes back to it.Sometimes I see the opposite. I seea good bachur from a good homewho learns Nigleh and Chassidusand behaves well and davens, butthis is not that important to thefather. Years go by and the bachurgets married and he follows in hisfather’s footsteps, because that’swhat he got at home and that’swhat remains forever.

I heard from my brother, YosefYitzchok, who lives in Montreal,that they once sat and farbrengedon Sukkos. Among them wassomeone who said that 25 yearbefore, he wanted his son tobecome a gadol in learning and hesent him to a Litvishe yeshiva,where he thought he would be moresuccessful than in a Lubavitcheryeshiva.

During the Pesach break, hisson came home and he saw that hisson’s former Lubavitcherclassmates were outside, 15-year-old kids playing ball, while his sonsat inside and learned Gemara. Hewas very proud of his son andthought he had made a good choiceof yeshivos.

Years went by and they all gotmarried. “What should I tell you,”he sighed. “I have to say that thekochos of the Rebbeim, especially

of our Rebbe, are invested in hisyeshivos.” He went on to say thathis son’s entire class had gottenmarried. Half of them went onshlichus and worked hard to getanother Jew to put on t’fillin andget involved in Judaism. Anotherquarter of the class had becomerabbanim and roshei yeshiva andanother quarter of the class hadgone into business.

“I see those in business too.Today is Sukkos and most of themdon’t work on Chol HaMoed. Afterdavening they went to a nearby oldage home and said the bracha onthe Dalet minim with dozens ofseniors. Some of them went to thehospital and all of them areenthusiastic about the Rebbe’sinyanim. My son, on the otherhand, didn’t become the gadol Iwanted him to become, so he istrying to become a “gadol” inmoney. All day he sits and thinksabout how to make another dollar.He is a Lubavitcher in how he lives,but it’s different…”

HOW CAN WE ASK OURCHILDREN TO GROW UP

UNLIKE OURSELVES Chazal say “Whoever says,

‘amen yehei shemen rabba’ with allhis might, a decree of seventy yearsis annulled.” There are tragedies(it’s scary to hear the news) andthere is a way of tearing up adecree of seventy years! What dowe see, though? In manyminyanim, when the chazan gets upto Ashrei and U’va L’Tziyon, mostof the minyan is already finishedwith Rabbeinu Tam t’fillin. They’reall running out. What about theKadeishim? There are someremaining Kadeishim to be said andseveral, “amen yehei shmeirabbas…”

Once, in my childhood, I was inthe old shul in Kfar Chabad and Isaw my father standing in the

WHEN A MOTHERTELLS A STORY

I related some stories aboutmy father and I’d like tomention my mother too. TheRebbe Rayatz wrote the SeiferHaZichronos (The LubavitcherRabbi’s Memoirs). It is availablein several languages now, butwhen I was a child it was only inYiddish. In my opinion,whoever doesn’t read theZichronos and review a time ortwo, the following saying ofChazal applies: “What is a fool?One who loses what he isgiven.”

Every Shabbos, my motherwould read the Zichronos to meuntil I fell asleep. The Zichronosis an incredible book. If youread it, you know, especially ifyou read it to children, andespecially if the mother reads itwith all her heart.

When the Rebbe Rayatzwrote something, it was precise,and everything comes to life.When a mother with a mother’slove reads a story of the Rebbeto her children, there is no betterchinuch than that. You don’thave to tell a child anything; it’senough that every Shabbos themother reads to her childrenfrom the Zichronos. It is a real-life example and a wonderfulway of instilling Chassidishesensitivities within the soul of achild.

minyan and answering “amen.”When the minyan was done, hestayed for another minyan andanother minyan. I said, “Abba,come home. Why are youlingering?”

He said, “Listen, I just spent afew weeks in the hospital and lostout on so many “amens” and “yeheishmei rabbas,” so I wanted to makeup for it.”

A person is allotted a certain

amount of time to live and he wantsto live it in good health. So too,everybody wants their son to growup to be a Chassid, yereiShamayim, and a lamdan. Whenhe sees his son daven with kavana,he is thrilled. So how can he talkduring davening? In the middle ofKaddish?! How can we ask ourchildren to grow up not like us?How can we expect them to beyerei Shamayim?

If we are mechanech ourselvesthen it will be much easier, and theChassidishe nachas from ourchildren will be something we willenjoy for years to come. Indeed,the Rebbe and all the Rebbeim willcome and point at us and ourchildren and proudly say, “See theoffshoots I have raised.”

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[Continued from last week]When we look into the matter

carefully, however, we find a muchdeeper meaning. The Rebbe shlitaemphasized every time in connectionto the Rebbe Rayatz that he is chaiv’kayam, and according to what hesaid on Shabbos Parshas Zachor5710 (Toras Menachem, pg. 16):“The event that happened…is onlyfrom our material point of view, andis only a trial (one of the trials of thebirth pangs of Moshiach that musttake place prior to the coming of theRighteous Redeemer), the entirepurpose of which is to conceal andcover the truth.” He continues to saythat by facing the trial, “we repel and

nullify the hiding and concealment ofthe truth…and we will immediatelymerit to see the Rebbe with our flesheyes, and the Rebbe will lead us tothe Redemption.” By the same token,in a sicha from the 10th of Adar5710 (ibid., pg. 17): “There is nodifference between the state andposition of the Rebbe before this[incident] and [his] state andposition now. Even now, the Rebbeis with us in the physical sense.” Inanother sicha from Acharon ShelPesach 5710 (ibid., pg. 26): “TheRebbe is found with us as in the past;he is in his room listening to usfarbrenging here.”

In a sicha from Shabbos ParshasChukas, the 9th of Tammuz 5710

(ibid., pg. 119): “In a sicha fromYud-Gimmel Tammuz last year, myrevered father-in-law, the Rebbe,spoke in relation to the concept oflife, long life, true life, life withoutinterruption (eternal life)… Thewords of my revered father-in-law,the Rebbe, on the concept of eternallife were said specifically on Yud-Beis-Yud-Gimmel Tammuz5709…before his passing on YudShvat 5710 – certainly a case ofDivine Providence…to clarify andstate that matters of holiness areeternal…in order that we shouldn’tperceive things as we see them withour flesh eyes ch”v.”

In a sicha from the night ofSimchas Torah 5711 before Hakafos

In response to requests by ourreaders, we now present the nextsegment from “V’Torah YevakshuMiPihu,” Rabbi Sholom DovberHaLevi Wolpo’s seifer on the Rebbe’steachings regarding Chabadchassidus, its approach to emuna,and its various customs.

‘ARISE AND SING,

THOSE WHO DWELL

IN THE DUST’By Rabbi Sholom Dovber HaLevi WolpoTranslated By Michoel Leib Dobry

(Toras Menachem, Vol. 2, pgs. 35-36): “The truth is that ‘Moshe didnot die’ (Sota 13b, Zohar I 37b),and ‘just as in the case below hestands and serves in Heaven, evenhere he stands and serves in Heaven’(Sota ibid.). And not just in Heaven,but also down here…and with thisstrength, we can go to shuls andexplain to the Jews we meet therethat Moshe really didn’t die andthere is no change…If they accept it,that’s all well and good, and if thereare questions and doubts – when achild ask the melamed a question,and the melamed doesn’t know whatto reply, he slaps [the child] on thecheek and tells him, ‘You’llunderstand when you growup!’…Similarly, we can also tell thisJew asking questions: ‘This is thereality, even if you don’tunderstand.’”

In a sicha from the 15th ofTammuz 5745 (quoted from therecording): “The Rebbe livesphysically in this physical andmaterial world for thirty-five years(i.e., since Yud Shvat 5710), and atevery moment, he becomes strongerand is made healthier, fresher, andlivelier (“gezunter, frisher, unlebediker”). No rabbi, no attorney,no one can alter the simple and clearfact that he is alive.” You will findthat anyone who says that the Rebbeis in the World of Truth is “someonewho has no concept except inphysicality and materialism, andeverything is measured with him interms of what his eyes see and hisphysical senses grasp.” Similarly, in asicha from Shabbos Parshas Tetzaveh5710 (Toras Menachem, Vol. 1, pg.18): “Those who say that the‘histalkus’ means that the Rebbe hasdeparted from us are boors whodon’t know what they’re talkingabout.”

It is thus understood that whenthe Rebbe spoke about his faith thatthe Rebbe Rayatz is Moshiach, itdoes not specifically require all the

aforementioned sources – thatMoshiach can be revealed from GanEden, etc. – rather, it is because theRebbe is alive and living with us inthe physical sense, and thehistalkus and the hiding andconcealment is only from ourvantage point.

Furthermore, while the Rebbehimself brings some of the sources,even though he said that the RebbeRayatz is chai v’kayam, this is sinceit appeared so, at least from thisworld’s point of view, and therefore,there is a question and we have totalk about resurrection, etc.(According to what the Rambanwrites at the end of Parshas VaYechion the pasuk, “And Yosef’s brothers

saw that their father had died,” thisis no contradiction to the statementof our Sages, of blessed memory,that “Yaakov Avinu did not die,”because the intention is only that “heis dead to them,” since they don’t seehim with their flesh eyes. In addition,according to what is explained inYalkut Shimoni, Parshas VaYechi,Remez 156: “When the time drewnear for Yisroel to die, G-d said tohim, ‘By your life, you are hidden,and you are not dead.’ It is furtherexplained in Haflaa (K’subos 104a):“It appears in his interpretation thathe is hidden and concealed from thegeneration…hidden from the

generation that existed at thattime”). However, in an inner sense,“Moshe Rabbeinu did not die” andthe question is essentially irrelevant.

Therefore, we too “have only thewords of the son of Amram,” and wemust surely say regarding the hidingand concealment of GimmelTammuz that “even now, the Rebbeis with us in the physical sense,” andhe will reveal himself very soon andlead us to the Complete Redemption,as will be explained further at length.

This is what our Sages, of blessedmemory, have said in Midrash Rabba(BaMidbar 11:3, among otherplaces) that Moshiach will be“revealed and then hidden…and wefind this at the Redemption from

Egypt, when Moshe was revealed tothem and then was hidden fromthem.” The Chasam Sofer explains(“Toras Moshe,” Shmos 5:22): “Thiswas a great trial that the Redeemer(Moshe Rabbeinu) was hidden forsix months, and so it will be in thedays of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, whowill be hidden after the hisgalus,”as will be explained further at length.

(It has already been noted that“nigleh v’chozer v’nische” (revealedand then hidden) is the samenumerical value as “GimmelTammuz” and also “Od MoshiachChai,” however, we are not dealingnow with allusions.)

^^

^^

When the Rebbe spoke about his faiththat the Rebbe Rayatz is Moshiach, itdoes not specifically require all theaforementioned sources – thatMoshiach can be revealed from GanEden, etc. – rather, it is because theRebbe is alive and living with us in thephysical sense.

It was the first Simchas Torahafter the passing of the RebbeRashab, Simchas Torah 5681.Throughout that year, the RebbeRayatz, having succeeded hisfather, acted with great merirus(bitterness). For many months herefused to say maamarim in public.His t’fillos on weekdays wereaccompanied by copious tears andhis entire demeanor was one ofgreat pain.

On Shabbos and Yom Tov, hisyearning intensified, yearning forSimchas Torah with the RebbeRashab, for hakafos, farbrengens…

* * *It was a very difficult time as

the communists had taken over thegovernment after a protracted civilwar. A trip to the Rebbe entailedgreat danger, not to mention greatexpense, and money was hard tocome by in a time when poverty,starvation, and disease wererampant. Few Chassidim wereable to make it to Rostov to bewith the Rebbe.

Despite the hardship, a groupof T’mimim made the effort andarrived in Rostov to spend YomTov with the Rebbe. The t’fillos

took place in the Rebbe’s house onBrotzky Street.

“We remember Simchas Torah5681 as a most unusual time,” saidthe Chassid, R’ Nachum Gorolnika”h.

After Hakafos and Musaf, theydavened Mincha and then satdown to a farbrengen, which tookplace in the large hall, the placewhere the Rebbe Rashab hadpassed away.

It seemed that this farbrengenwas dedicated to the Rebbe’syearning for his father. The Rebbeoften repeated the verse (Mishlei31:6) “Give strong drink to theanguished and wine to those ofembittered soul,” and cried.

Throughout this farbrengen, theRebbe spoke in terms of hislowliness. In order to demonstratethis, he took two little boys and satthem on his knees, one on theright and one on the left, asbalabatim do. This was for thepurpose of minimizing his honor.

Nevertheless, Anash and theT’mimim gave the Rebbe the honordue him, as one behaves towards aRebbe and Nasi.

The Rebbe pointed at his armand said, “Only this do I not

forgo. This is father’s.” In otherwords, regardless, he was the son,flesh of the flesh of his father.

During the farbrengen, theRebbe drank a lot of mashke, tothe point that people were afraidfor his health. One of theChassidim told the Rebbe’smother, Rebbetzin Shterna Sarahabout this. She entered the largeroom and as soon as the Rebbesaw her, he stood up.

“Please, my son, don’t drink somuch.”

“Fine, Mother, fine.”After she left, the Rebbe

continued to speak and cry anddrank more mashke than before.

Seeing this, they informed theRebbetzin again. The same scenerepeated itself. She entered, theRebbe stood up, and he respondedpositively to her request that henot drink any more. Then theRebbe continued to drink.

At a certain point, the peoplenoticed that the Rebbe’s speechwas becoming slurred and theywere finding it harder and harderto understand him. The Chassidimknew that under thecircumstances, there was no waythat the Rebbe could say a maamerChassidus as the Rebbeim wereaccustomed.

Since they were all tired by aday busy with t’fillos, hakafos, anddancing that lasted nearly tilldawn, which was followed by moredavening and hakafos, each of

Simchas Torah 5681/1920, the firstSimchas Torah with the Rebbe Rayatzas Nasi.

A SIMCHAS TORAH

OF JOY AND TEARSBy Menachem Ziegelboim

them found a spot in the room toput down their head for a nap. Itwas eight in the evening when theRebbe suddenly asked for his hat.The Chassidim knew this meantthat the Rebbe was getting ready tosay a maamer Chassidus.

They quickly woke the chozrim,R’ Alter Simchovitz and R’ YehudaEber (may Hashem avenge hisblood), while the rest of theChassidim stood around the

Rebbe’s table.There was silence as all waited

for the beginning of the maamer,words of the Living G-d. TheRebbe began. His voice was veryweak. His lips moved but it wasnearly impossible to hear him.The Chassidim sensed it wasdifficult for him. Another fewmoments passed and the Rebbestopped talking.

A tense silence prevailed in the

room. Nobody knew how theRebbe could continue in hiscondition. Then the Rebbesuddenly began the maamer again,repeating the part he already saidand continuing further. His voiceslowly grew stronger and thewords became more and moreclear until it could be heard loudlyand clearly as always, as though hehad had nothing to drink.

“His voice began to get louderand the words flowed, as though oftheir own accord, with nointerference, and in his usualmanner of speaking,” wrote R’Nachum in his memoirs. “Themaamer was deep haskala, eachthing in its proper place,wondrously organized, and it gaveus, the listeners, great pleasure.Our exhaustion disappeared. Wewere all mesmerized by ourhearing and seeing this amazingdisplay of spiritual self-mastery inthis wondrous way; it wascompletely supernatural.”

The Rebbe said the maamer fora few hours until he suddenlystopped and he asked, “What timeis it?”

“Five minutes before midnight,”said one Chassid.

“Nu,” said the Rebbe, “we needto daven Maariv.”

Although throughout the sayingof the maamer it was not apparentthat he had taken so much mashke,and his voice was clear, the Rebbewanted to make sure beforedavening that he wasn’t under theinfluence of alcohol. He asked theChassidim to stand in two straightrows on either side of one of thefloorboards and the Rebbe walkedstraight down the middle. Onlythen did the Rebbe lead the Maarivdavening of Motzaei the Yom Tov,because he was a chiyuv.

These were the great giluyimthat the Chassidim experiencedthat first Simchas Torah of theRebbe Rayatz’s leadership.

The world of Lubavitch wassaddened to hear of the passing ofthe Chassid, R’ Meir Itkin on Friday,17 Elul. R’ Meir was born on 20Tamuz 96 years ago in theChassidishe town of Nevel in Russia.His father was R’ Chaim ShneurZalman Itkin, one of the Chassidimof the Rebbe Rashab.

As a young boy, his grandfather,R’ Wolf, who became a teacher, asper the Rebbe Rashab’s instructions,oversaw his Chassidic education.When he grew older, he went tounderground yeshivos TomcheiT’mimim, in the years that theymoved from town to town inPolotzk, Kremenchug, andYekaterinaslav. He met the Rebbe’sfather, Rabbi Levi YitzchokSchneerson, and in later years hewould relate the Chassidishethoughts he had heard from him.

Since his father died at a youngage, R’ Meir had to return to hisfamily in Nevel to help supportthem. The Chassidim R’ Zalman

Moshe HaYitzchaki and R’ MeirSimcha Chein were in Nevel, and R’Meir was greatly influenced by them.

He later moved to Leningrad,where he was a member of TiferesBachurim, an organization foundedfor working boys. It providedshiurim in Nigleh and Chassidus forthem at night.

On Tuesday, 14 Elul 1939, hewas arrested. The police put him ina car and scared the members of thehousehold from accompanying him.However, seven-year-old ZalmanMorosov went out and noticed thatR’ Meir had thrown a paper fromthe window of the car. He picked itup and saw that R’ Meir had writtenthe date that he was arrested and afew words about trust in Hashemand not to despair of mercy. R’Zalman kept this note for decadesand eventually gave it to one of R’Meir’s sons.

In Adar 1941, R’ Meir marriedSima, the daughter of YitzchokRaskin, who had been killed by that

point, by the KGB.When World War II began, R’

Meir fled with his wife toSamarkand, where he managed aknitting factory. He did well, andgave much tz’daka to supportTomchei T’mimim in Samarkand.He also endangered himself byregistering many bachurim asemployees of his factory, and heforged ration cards for them, thussaving them from starvation.

After the war, R’ Meir left Russiawith his family via Lemberg. Afterspending time in refugee camps hearrived in Paris.

R’ Meir owned several items thathad belonged to the talmidim of theBaal Shem Tov and the Maggid, aswell as part of the paroches (thecurtain of the ark from thesynagogue) of the Alter Rebbe.When the Rebbe went to France togreet his mother, Rebbetzin Chana,R’ Meir gave these items to theRebbe for him to give them to theRebbe Rayatz. The Rebbe did notwant to touch the items exceptthrough a handkerchief.

At the parting farbrengen that theRebbe led in Paris before returningto New York, R’ Meir told the Rebbethat he had met the Rebbe’s father,who would often explain gematriyos(numerical values of Hebrewwords), particularly regarding thenames of the participants, at hisfarbrengens. The Rebbe then beganexplaining the names of the peopleat the farbrengen.

R’ Meir arrived in the US in1953. He first lived in Philadelphia.When people suggested that he learnEnglish, he asked the Rebbe, whonegated the idea. When he wantedto learn sh’chita, the Rebbe negated

R’ MEIR ITKIN A”H

R. Chitrik a”h (right) learning with long time ‘Chavrusa’ R. Itkin a”h (left)(Photo: Osher Litzman)

that idea too, because of kashrusproblems in the US at the time.

In 1957, R’ Meir moved toCrown Heights near 770 and openeda clothing factory. He didn’t make amove without the Rebbe’s consentand blessing. For example, when hewanted to rent a home on a certainstreet, he asked the Rebbe and theRebbe said he should check whetherthere was a dog in the building. Itturned out that the person in chargeof the building had a dog.

When he bought a house near770, he received a special brachafrom the Rebbe that he should meritto live many years in this house. R’Meir attributed his longevity to thisbracha. For a number of years, theRebbe and his Rebbetzin spentShabbasos and Yomim Tovim in thelibrary building and R’ Meir and hisfamily had the privilege of beingtheir neighbors.

R’ Meir was a businessman aswell as a genuine Chassid. Before

davening he learned Chassidus foran hour and his wife would go andopen the factory. There were alsocertain days that he would fast. OnFridays he went on Mivtza T’fillinand was involved in the Rebbe’sother campaigns. He did chesedwith others and gave much tz’dakato the Rebbe’s mosdos.

R’ Meir’s home was open to allthroughout the year. He hostedguests who came for P’gishos andbachurim from Hadar HaTorah.Although he did not know English,his Chassidic conduct made a greatimpression on them. Many guestswho came from overseas for YomimTovim were hosted by him.

R’ Meir would farbreng veryoften. According to his custom,every Shabbos he made Kiddush onzechts un naintziger (96% alcohol).He would reminisce about theChassidim and farbrengens in Nevel,and he would demand that theparticipants follow in the ways of

Chassidus and brotherly love.Even in later years, when he was

weak, he kept up his shiurim andfarbrengens. Every day, he learnedin 770 with R’ Yehuda Chitrik a”h,(who passed away at the age of 106in February 2006).

A few weeks ago, R’ Meir’shealth took a turn for the worse.His funeral on Friday passed by 770and was attended by hundreds ofresidents of Crown Heights. He wasburied in the cemetery of AgudasChabad in New York near his son,R’ Chaim Shneur Zalman a”h, whodied a few months ago.

R’ Meir is survived by his wifeand his children: Yosef Yitzchok –shliach in Pittsburgh, MenachemMendel in Sydney, Yehuda Leib –shliach in Scranton, FaigeRappaport – shlucha in Wisconsin,Shaindel Teichtel – principal in BeisRivka, Chana – shlucha in Queens,and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

R’ Meir Itkin

seven-year-old Zalman Morosov wentout and noticed that R’ Meir hadthrown a paper from the window of thecar. He picked it up and saw that R’Meir had written the date that he wasarrested and a few words about trustin Hashem and not to despair ofmercy.

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When the Rebbe gave out dollarsfor tz’daka on Sunday, all sorts ofpeople came: Litvish and Chassidish,Admurim and Rabbanim,Kibbutznikim and Neturei Karta.Amongst the crowds one could evenspot world renowned figures. Allcame for counsel and/or a bracha.For some of them, their encounterwith the Rebbe changed their livesdramatically.

The following story took place 25years ago when the Rebbe gave outlekach and a dollar Erev HoshanaRabba, and ended on a summer dayin New York, three years ago in anamazing way.

* * *“The R. family lives in Boro Park

and they are Alexander Chassidim,”begins Rebbetzin Rochel Hendel fromTzfas. “The father learned inyeshivas Chabad in Montreal and hehas a warm spot for ChabadChassidus and the Rebbe. It is afamily known for its hospitality andits unusually fine character.Whenever we go to 770 we try tovisit them too. Over the years wehave become good friends.

“Two years ago, as we spokeabout the Rebbe’s greatness, themother told us the following story.”

They had run a successfulelectronics store for many years inBoro Park. Many Lubavitchersbought their electronic gadgets fromthem, especially during Tishrei, when

Chassidim come from all over theworld to 770. The R’s are known asvery generous people who give a lotof their money to tz’daka.

Then, three years ago, a businessdeal failed and this led to manylosses. The store continuedoperating, but the big financial blowcaused the father to fall into adepression. The atmosphere in thehome was heavy and all attempts tocheer him up were to no avail. Hetook the loss personally and itaffected him severely.

Both family and friends wereshocked. All knew him as a cheerfulperson, ready to help no matter thecause. He had always smiled, butsince the financial disaster everythingchanged.

His wife, who saw thedeterioration, decided to go to theLubavitcher Rebbe, even though wecannot see him now, to ask for hisbracha and to daven that just as inthe past his blessings had helped, sotoo now, certainly the Rebbe wouldintercede on her behalf.

Just as she used to do whendollars were distributed, now too, shewent to the Rebbe every Sunday.She stood in the lobby of 770, wheredollars were given out, and saidT’hillim and asked the Rebbe toarouse mercy on her husband. Shestarted doing this in the middle of thewinter.

A few months went by andalthough the situation did not change,she continued to pray.

THE WOMAN ASKED:REBBE, GIVE ME A SIGN!

One summer day, her sisternoticed that she made trips onSundays without people knowingwhere she was going. One Sunday,the sister asked her where she wentevery Sunday morning. At first shedeclined to answer but herevasiveness only increased her sister’scuriosity. After her sister pesteredher, she told her about going to the

The sister’s initial reaction was shock.Had her sister also taken leave of hersenses? “Do you lack rabbis and rebbesto go to in Boro Park that you’re goingto the Lubavitcher Rebbe? If you couldsee him, then I would understand,because he’s definitely a big tzaddikwho did miracles. But now?

THE DOLLAR

THAT WAITED

20 YEARSBy Nosson Avrohom

Lubavitcher Rebbe.The sister’s initial reaction was

shock. Had her sister also takenleave of her senses? “Do you lackrabbis and rebbes to go to in Boro

Park that you’re going to theLubavitcher Rebbe? If you could seehim, then I would understand,because he’s definitely a big tzaddikwho did miracles. But now? Ten

years later you’re still going to askhim for brachos? What got into you?That’s all I need now, that everybodyshould know that my sister has alsofallen into a depression.”

She was offended by her sister’soutburst. She was very close to hersister and to talk to her that way! Shehad seen the fulfillment of theRebbe’s brachos and did not agreewith her sister. The LubavitcherRebbe wasn’t just another tzaddikand not just another Admur, but howcould she explain that?

The following Sunday she went tothe Rebbe once again and this timeshe said: Rebbe, I know that this isimpudent, but my sister is laughing atme. How can I explain to her what Iam doing? Please give me a sign thatmy prayers are accepted.

THE REBBESENDS A DOLLAR

New York in the summer: ManyBrooklynites leave for the mountains,where the women and childrenremain and their husbands join themfor weekends. That Sunday, aftershe finished davening, she hurriedhome to Boro Park. Her sister, whonow knew where she went, sighedand thought that in the weeks tocome she would have ample time inthe country with her sister to be ableto understand and help her. Theypacked their belongings and a fewhours later they unpacked them intheir summer home.

On various occasions her sistertold her that nothing had changedsince she began davening in 770.She had also prepared a list ofmiracle-working rabbis to whom shecould turn for a bracha.

“Many were helped by theirbrachos,” she said, “and at least youcan see them and there’s someone totalk to.”

She merely closed her eyes andrecalled the days when she hadpassed by the majestic looking Rebbeand had asked for his blessing. Shehad received a dollar, heard hisblessing, and nodded.

Their husbands came up for theweekend and her husband brought apile of mail that had accumulated that

week in Boro Park. She wentthrough the letters, most of whichwere from various companies, bills,advertisements, etc. She decided towork on them another time.

One letter that looked differentthan the rest caught her eye. Thename and return address on theenvelope was that of a family inCrown Heights. Not an organizationor tz’daka, but a name she did notrecognize. She curiously opened theletter.

To her surprise, a single dollar billfell out. After she read the letter thataccompanied the dollar, she sat downheavily in a nearby chair inastonishment. Her hands shook andshe felt she was going to faint. Hersister and other family members triedto calm her down. It took some timebefore the color returned to hercheeks. She read the letter out loudfor all to hear.

The letter brought her backtwenty years. “What hashgachapratis! What an amazing sign fromthe Rebbe!” she stammered.

“It was Hoshana Rabba overtwenty years ago. We were going tohost many people and I prepared alot of food. Despite the timepressure, I wanted to go to CrownHeights and get lekach from theLubavitcher Rebbe. I asked someoneto watch the pots and I rushed toCrown Heights. The line was verylong with thousands of womenstanding and waiting.

“After I stood there for almost anhour in a line that barely moved, Irealized that I would have to standthere a lot longer before I got to theRebbe. When I saw the hourgrowing late, I knew I could not waitany longer. Before me in line stood awoman who looked reliable. Idecided to depend on her andwithout thinking much about it I toldher I was expecting many guests forYom Tov and had a lot to do. I askedher to request lekach and a dollar forme and I gave her my name and my

mother’s name. I also wrote myaddress down on a paper.

“The woman promised to do thisfor me and I went home to continuegetting ready for Yom Tov. A fewdays later I had forgotten all about it.I was reminded of it once or twicebut I didn’t have her address or anyinformation about the woman in line.She didn’t send anything and Ithought she had forgotten to ask.After that, I went to the Rebbeanother few times and receiveddollars and brachos.

“Now, when I got this letter, I seethat the woman did indeed do as shesaid and she received lekach and adollar for me. She did not want tosend it in the mail because it didn’tseem respectful to do so. She figuredshe would go to Boro Park and bringit to me in person.

“But she procrastinated and whilecleaning for Pesach she came acrossit. She promised herself that the nexttime she went to Boro Park shewould take the dollar with her (shegave the lekach to her family so asnot to sell it to a goy before Pesach),but she forgot again. The dollarstayed put, in her house. Whenevershe remembered about it, shepromised herself she wouldn’t forget,but the matter was postponed forover two decades!

“Sunday morning, wrote thewoman, she saw the dollar yet againand she decided she could wait nolonger. If she was not going to BoroPark, she had to mail it. She just hadto send it! And that’s what she did.This is the dollar she received fromthe Rebbe for me.”

She looked at her sister andasked, “Nu, is the Lubavitcher Rebbejust another Admur or Rav?”

Now it was the sister’s turn to beshocked.

The husband’s business improvedand even though he did not make uphis loss entirely, his mental stateimproved greatly and he becamehimself once again.

There’s the famous story aboutthe ignorant boy who did not evenknow how to daven. He called outcock-a-doodle-doo in the BaalShem Tov’s beis midrash in themiddle of the Yom Kippurdavening. The Baal Shem Tov,who had exerted himself to theutmost in order to annul Heavenlyaccusations, said that the boy’scrowing, which came from thedepths of his heart, is whatcancelled the accusations.

Every shliach of the Rebbe, as

well as any Jew who comes incontact with other Jews, needs toknow how to assess each situationand know how to react withsensitivity.

A few years ago, in the courseof my outreach work at schools,during one of the days of theAseres Yemei T’shuva, I met ateacher. She wanted to tell me astory and to ask me a halachicquestion.

The previous Rosh HaShana,she had davened at the shul on her

moshav. Baruch Hashem therewas a minyan, but when it cametime to blow the shofar, nobodyknew how to do it. All the menurged one another to blow theshofar but nobody could do it. Inthe end, they gave the shofar to aminor (under the age of barmitzva) and he blew. Had theyfulfilled the mitzva?

I gently told the teacher thatthey had not fulfilled theirobligation, at least they shouldknow for next time. I resolvedthat every time I would visitchildren during Elul, I would teachas many of them as possible howto blow the shofar so that whenthey grew up, there wouldn’t be asituation in which a shul had noone who knew how to blow shofar.

Since that time, whenever Ivisit a school during Elul, I askwho never blew a shofar before.Half the class raises their handsand I pick some children and teachthem how to do it. This is inaddition to explaining the types ofblasts and the significance ofshofar-blowing according tohalacha and Chassidus.

I have another sad story abouta shliach in South America. Theshliach has a large congregationand on the Yomim Noraim he gets700 people. Unfortunately, lastRosh HaShana, out of 700 people,

A CHILD BLOWING SHOFAR,

PICTURES OF FISH HEADS,

AND TRIPS TO THE REBBEBy Rabbi Yaakov ShmuelevitzDirector of the Chabad house of Beit Shaan

only 20 came on foot. This didnot stop the shliach from standingin the doorway of the shul, asusual, to warmly welcomeeveryone. Many of the peoplelater said that they go to shul onlybecause of the nice rabbi, and thisis their connection to Judaism.

These two incidents illustrate ashliach’s ongoing struggle and thecomplicated job he has inpreserving authentic halachicpractice and Chassidishe behavioron the one hand, and dealing withthe ignorance of a Jew whoexpresses his longing to comeclose to the Alm-ghty his own way(cock-a-doodle-doo) on the otherhand.

Before Rosh HaShana, everyJew, especially every Chassid,

prepares for the awesome day. Heanticipates the moments of theshofar blowing in which he willcover his face with his tallis andpicture the shofar blowing in theRebbe’s presence, and accept theyoke of the majesty of Hashemupon himself and the entire world.

What does a shliach do at thattime? First of all, before RoshHaShana, he has to check a mapand find out which kibbutzim arewithin the t’chum Shabbos andwhich kibbutzim he can go to withthe help of eiruvei t’chumin, sothat he can do Mivtza Shofar. Healso needs to get bachurim (thosewho remained in Eretz Yisroel,and they’re not easy to find inTishrei) to visit senior centers,

hospitals, Magen Dovid Adomstations, police stations, prisons,etc.

The shliach has to remember tolook around him in shul and see toit that the mekuravim are turnedto the right page in theirmachzorim. He has to remindthem to listen to the brachos andthe blowing of the shofar.

During the meals on RoshHaShana, along with explanationsto the children about the holiday,the shliach explains the customsand special foods to the guests.

I once stayed at the Chabadhouse in Yakne’am for RoshHaShana. I was one of dozens ofpeople around Rabbi NoamDekel’s table. One of the guests,an older Russian Jew, was so

excited by the goings-on that asRav Dekel lifted the plate andshowed everybody the fish, he tookout his camera and took a picture!

Of course, Rav Dekel gentlywhispered to him that we don’t dothis on Yom Tov and the guestimmediately understood andstopped taking pictures.

FAMILY DRAMA INTHE REBBE’S COURTLet’s move on to the main story

of Rosh HaShana: being with theRebbe!

About 25 years ago, when I wasstill living with my parents inYerushalayim, my sisters attendedBeis Chana, which was run byRabbi Tuvia Blau. At that time,

there were two sisters from the G.family, who attended the schoolalthough they were not Lubavitch.They preferred this school becauseof its high standards of education.Their father made sure torepeatedly remind them:Remember, we are not Chabad!You are just learning in this schooland that’s all.

The month of Tishrei wasapproaching and the school wasbuzzing. Many girls wereplanning on flying to the Rebbe forYom Tov, but these two girls wereobviously not interested.

Then there was an unexpectedphone call from the US. The G.grandfather didn’t feel well and hewas sending two plane tickets forhis two granddaughters so theycould stay with him for Tishrei.The G. father just wanted to makesure that his daughters wouldn’tvisit 770. However, they werecurious and wanted to see 770.

“All our friends are goingthere,” they said. They finallycompromised. Their father agreedto one visit to 770. The girls hadto decide when they wanted to bethere, whether on Rosh HaShana,Yom Kippur, the first days ofSukkos, or Simchas Torah, butjust one Yom Tov.

Mr. G. asked his father-in-law,the girls’ other grandfather, to flywith them to New York andaccompany the girls to 770 thatone time and to supervise them sothey wouldn’t get too excited. Hisjob was to ensure that after YomTov they would immediately leave770 and go back to theirgrandfather’s house.

The girls couldn’t decide whichYom Tov they should pick to bewith the Rebbe. They knew, fromthe stories, that every moment in770 is a whole “world,” whichmade it impossible to choose.They asked their principal, RabbiBlau, who was known as an

I’m telling you what I heard from theYerushalmi grandfather who returnedto our neighborhood after Tishrei andsaid, “I became a Lubavitcher!”

outstanding mashpia and wiseperson, what they should do.

He told them: Rosh HaShana isthe most special day with thecoronation of the king, kabbalas olmalchus Shamayim for the entireyear, t’kios with the Rebbe,Tashlich, the farbrengen. Theycouldn’t forgo that. Then, ofcourse, there is Yom Kippur,“once a year,” the five t’fillos withthe Rebbe, Napoleon’s March,forgiveness and atonement for theentire year. They couldn’t possiblybe anywhere else on that day.

Let’s not forget Sukkos,reciting the blessing on theRebbe’s lulav, the sichos at night,Hallel, Hoshanos with the Rebbe.They certainly couldn’t forgo that.Simchas Torah – obviously youhave to be with the Rebbe.Hakafos! Farbrengens! The simchathat is found only in 770.However, their father only allowedone holiday! What should they do?

Rav Blau suggested as follows.“If I were faced with that dilemma,I would look at the calendar to seewhat is the first holiday I would becelebrating in New York. Andwithout hesitation, I would spendthat first holiday with the Rebbe.After that, Hashem will help.Since the first Yom Tov for you inthe US will be Rosh HaShana, goto the Rebbe for Rosh HaShana.

So the two sisters went to theirgrandfather a few days beforeRosh HaShana and on Erev RoshHaShana they took a cab, alongwith their grandfather thechaperone, and went to 770.Remember, their Yerushalmigrandfather went along to ensurethat the girls did not get tooenthusiastic and remain in 770.

Then the unbelievablehappened. They had a fantasticRosh HaShana with the Rebbe, atthe end of which, the grandfathersaid to his granddaughters, “If youwant, go back to your other

grandfather. I’m staying here!”What happened? I’m telling

you what I heard from theYerushalmi grandfather whoreturned to our neighborhood afterTishrei and said, “I became aLubavitcher!”

He started davening NusachArizal and began learning ChabadChassidus. Why?

Before that Tishrei, thisgrandfather suffered from severevision problems. I rememberseeing him daven from a very largeSiddur, the type chazanim use,with very thick glasses and amagnifying glass. That was theonly way he could read from theSiddur.

On Motzaei Rosh HaShana hesaw a line for kos shel bracha andwhen it was his turn he asked theRebbe for a bracha for goodvision. The Rebbe said whateverhe said and miraculously, the manbegan to read like anybody else. Ican testify that after Tishrei hedavened from a regular T’hillasHashem Siddur, without amagnifying glass.

USING A STORYFOR AN EDUCATIONAL

PURPOSELast week, I used this story

when my two daughters, whoattend Beis Chaya in Kiryot, sadlysaid that the school’sadministration did not allow themto go to the Rebbe for the entireTishrei. They were only permittedto go for two weeks.

I won’t get into how upset weall were over this terrible decree.These are girls who learned andwere tested on dozens ofmaamarim and chapters of Tanyain order to earn a scholarship topay for the flight. They ran campsand saved their money for thepurpose of going to the Rebbe.

I made phone calls but nothing

changed. The girls indicated thatthey could travel withoutpermission from the hanhala but Iimmediately set them straight.

Then came the Friday nightmeal. It’s an opportunity tofarbreng with the family and todiscuss various issues. I tooksome cups of l’chaim and said: Onthe one hand, it’s inconceivablethat it won’t work out. On theother hand, it’s out of thequestion, even to dream, to gowithout permission from theschool.

Then I told some famousstories, about obeying andkabbalas ol as well as the previousstory about the sisters fromYerushalayim who listened to RavBlau. I told them of biggerchallenges we faced back then,when we wanted to travel to theRebbe every year, and how in theend it always worked out.

The Shabbos farbrengen wenton and on and it was clear that thedecree would be nullified, buthow? How could they be with theRebbe for all the Yomim Tovimand listen to the hanhala?

The miracle occurred onMonday. A friend called and saidshe heard from a teacher whoheard from the principal that theyhad permission. Girls who madeall the proper preparations, whoguaranteed that they would be partof the program in 770 with theshiurim, t’fillos, and farbrengens,could have the hanhala’spermission to go for the entireTishrei. We thank the hanhala forthat.

I wish all readers of BeisMoshiach, especially the loyalreaders of this column, and all theJewish people, a blessed new year.May we all merit to travel to theRebbe MH”M, immediately, toYerushalayim, with the true andcomplete Redemption, and withsimcha u’v’tuv leivav.

UNCOMPROMISINGTRUTH

I was born into a Mizrachi-Yemenite family. I attended state-religious schools and when I wasbas-mitzva I decided I wanted to bechareidi (ultra-Orthodox). I beganbeing careful about washing myhands and I wanted to go to achareidi school but was not acceptedsince there was an unwritten rule,agreed upon by the principal of thechareidi school and state-religiousschool, that each student wouldlearn in her own city. So Icontinued at the state-religiousschool and my enthusiasm waned.

I always felt connected to religionand prayed with great intensity. ButI was in a co-ed environment and Iwore pants. At age 22, I was aboutto marry someone but I left himsince I saw that our home would notbe based on Torah and mitzvos. Iwas seeking Judaism and my thirstwas tremendous. I heard an innervoice say to me: Nurit, this is notenough; become stronger.

In the Mizrachi world I was in Ihad many questions, sincecompromises were made and Ididn’t know who set the standards.I was bothered by the fact thateverybody made their own rules.When you go out into the worldthere are things to deal with and youask yourself what the rules are. Arepants permitted or forbidden? Theteachers in school wore skirts butafter school they changed into pants.What was I to understand from this?Nothing.

I felt I had no framework, noboundaries. As far as I wasconcerned, this approach did not

answer my questions and I felt thatauthenticity was lacking.

JEWISH PRIDEMy first leap was when an

nonreligious man asked me if I wasreligious and commented that Ididn’t look it. I was completelyshaken up by this, as Judaism wasan integral part of who I was. Iloved being religious. I decided thatfrom then on, everybody wouldknow I was religious.

I made an enormous change. Ichanged my wardrobe and became areal fanatic. I began to seek outshiurim and I found an organizationfor baalei t’shuva which I went to,with mesirus nefesh, for three years.

I regularly attended shiurim,listened and understood, but it hadno effect on me whatsoever. I didnot add a quarter of a mitzvathroughout those years. It was allmathematical, scientific proofs aboutthe existence of a G-d. They dealt agreat deal with darkness, indebunking theories that I didn’t evenknow about, and my head hurt.

One time, after attending aChabad event, I went to the shiur. Ifelt that they were giving me hostilelooks. They angrily said: We heardnegative things about you!

I was shocked. I was reallybothered by the hatred of one groupfor another. If that wasn’t enough,that day the shiur was worse thanusual. I felt that someone wassplitting my head open. Although Iam practical and love math, Icouldn’t take it anymore. It reallyturned me off. I was putting ingreat effort to attend these classesand they did not answer my

questions.I asked them about a shidduch.

They said I had to leave my job,become a fulltime student of theirschool for baalos t’shuva and live inthe dormitory. Then, they wouldwork on it. I said I was from areligious home and I did not need afulltime school program, in additionto which, at my place of work I hada positive influence on others inTorah and mitzvos.

They said, “You are still a smallcandle and you cannot give light.They will extinguish you. It’s onlywhen you will become a great flamethat you will be able to illuminate…”

I got up and left.

PERSONAL GEULAThat night I felt lost. If this was

not the place, where should I go? Ifelt the earth shaking under my feet.I walked down the street and cried.I said to Hashem: Help me! Showme the way. Don’t let me go lost. Itwas just me and Hashem.

Suddenly I heard someone callmy name. I turned around and sawmy Lubavitcher neighbor. She said,“Nurit, a Tanya shiur is starting inmy house tomorrow. Do you wantto come?”

This was it! I had just asked andthen and there I had been given ananswer. The next day I went to theTanya shiur and felt immenselyuplifted, as though someone hadpicked me up high. It was theantithesis to what I had experiencedearlier, three years with no spiritualprogress.

The most amazing thing waswhen I got up from my seat at theend of the shiur. I felt I washovering. I had never felt that waybefore and it was extremely intense.It frightened me. I felt I wasdisconnected and I asked the otherladies whether they felt the sameway. They said they did not.

With all my trepidation I realizedthis was my place and Hashem hadheard my prayer and had shown me

MY T’SHUVABy D. Rotem

the way. The next day I went to myLubavitcher neighbor and demandedthat she teach me everything a Jewhas to do from the moment she getsup in the morning. I learned aboutModeh Ani, etc. Whatever shetaught me, I did, with great joy,really b’hiddur. For example, Ibought a copper washing cup, not aplain plastic one.

GOING TO THE REBBE!At the second Tanya shiur I

didn’t feel that same elevated feeling.I realized that I had to find a Tanyashiur on a deeper level. This shiurwas meant primarily for olderwomen and it didn’t suit me. I wasliving in Kiryat-Yam at the time andnearly every day I traveled toanother town for a different Tanyaclass. I learned with Rabbis Frumer,Dunin, Pizem and others.

One day I told Rabbi Pizem thatI had to go to the Rebbe. I just hadto. It was pikuach nefesh. A realcry from the heart. I felt that my lifedepended on it.

He leafed through his dailyplanner calmly and said, “Fine,you’ll go on Monday.” (This was ona Thursday). And that’s what I did.In three days I arranged a visa andticket. I took my sixteen- year-oldsister along with me because Iwanted to help strengthen hercommitment.

We arrived in Crown Heightswithout having arranged a place tostay. I had completely forgottenabout that. Nothing interested measide from the Rebbe. I wasexhausted. I hadn’t slept for over 24hours. It was during the Shloshimfor the Rebbetzin and they told meto go to Machon Chana to get aplace to stay. The women therediscussed where to place me andsuddenly an angel came, who sawthat I couldn’t stand on my feet anylonger, and took me home with herto rest in the meantime.

When I woke up, I heard a siren

and saw everybody running. Theyexplained that the Rebbe was sayinga sicha in his house now. I was veryexcited and ran too. After the sichathe Rebbe distributed dollars and Ipassed by to get one. My sister toldme that the Rebbe looked at me evenafter I walked to the exit.

Even before the trip I had said tomyself and to everybody else that I

wouldn’t open my mouth to theRebbe. This was despite the factthat my older sister pressured me toask for a bracha for a shidduch.The third time I passed by theRebbe, I asked, with lowered eyes,“bracha l’zivug.” I felt terriblyashamed and wanted to bury myself.It was then that I felt my lack ofpreparation for this trip. I had

traveled without preparing solelybecause I felt powerfully drawn therefrom Above.

The Rebbe answered amen and Ileft with a good feeling. The threeweeks of my visit had ended and Ireturned home like a new person;without klipos; with a feeling of loftylights. I felt that I could bring all theJewish people to t’shuva. I wantedonly spirituality.

I was asked to speak at the RoshChodesh event and I, shy Nurit,mustered the courage to address theaudience. I spoke about the Rebbeand Hashem and my t’shuva.Everybody listened, amazed by thechange in me.

After a month went by, I felt thatI had to make an effort to achievesomething. I had returned to EretzYisroel a few days before Pesach andbefore Shavuos a shidduch came up.When I met Nechemia I felt he wasmy match. He wasn’t a Lubavitcherand he still isn’t a Lubavitcher. Hewas learning in a Litvishe yeshivaand it wasn’t easy because as Iprogressed in my Lubavitch ways,difficulties arose and still exist.However, now, thanks to theRebbe’s answers in the Igros Kodeshthat are so clear, he becomesconvinced to go along in every areafrom moving to chinuch of thechildren.

After we married I would walkdown the street and look at thechildren and feel a strong urge toteach them. I recalled that in myyouth I had written two letters to theRebbe and had even received aresponse. In one letter I promisedthe Rebbe that if he helped me, Iwould teach children and wouldmake a Tzivos Hashem. Over theyears I had forgotten about thiscompletely and now that Iremembered it, I began working onit and continue to do so.

My children are Lubavitchers andboruch Hashem I have a son inTomchei T’mimim and daughters inBeis Rivka. Ashreinu!

Chassidishe nachas – Nurit’s son beforegoing to Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim