CONTENTS

4
FEATURED ARTICLES

WEEKLY COLUMNS

3 Dvar Malchus
11 Moshiach & Hakhel
18 Bitachon Bytes
25 Parsha Thought
33 Tzivos Hashem

COLLECTOR OF SOULS
ON THE ISLAND
OF CEBU
Nosson Avrohom

REVEALS
13 CHASSIDUS
THE GOOD WITHIN MAN
Sholom Ber Crombie

13

20 EDUCATIONAL
DEDICATION OF THE
HIGHEST ORDER
Nosson Avraham

CHILD
28 ARESTORED
TO LIFE

By Nosson Avraham

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
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HEBREW EDITOR:
Rabbi S.Y. Chazan
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ENGLISH EDITOR:
Boruch Merkur
editor@beismoshiach.org

5/9/2016 11:18:32 AM

DVAR MALCHUS

THE PLEASURE OF
RAAVA DRAAVIN
From Chapter Six of Rabbi Shloma
Majeskis Likkutei Mekoros (Underlined text
is the compilers emphasis.)
Translated by Boruch Merkur

13. [] This concept is brought

out further by arranging special
(more
elaborate)
farbrengens,
attended by many Jews, at the
time of Raava DRaavin (Mincha
time on Shabbos day), a time that
is highly connected with the true
and complete redemption* (as
discussed above in Section 12). The
farbrengens should be celebrated
with an actual meal, requiring the
recital of Birkas HaMazon** (even
on a measure of bread that typically
does not satiate [a single kazayis])
said over a Kos Shel Bracha, which
is also connected with the true and
complete redemption by Moshiach
Tzidkeinu. The connection between
Kos Shel Bracha and the redemption
is traced to the Gemara (Psachim
119b) regarding the Kos Shel Bracha
that concludes the banquet of the
Future Era: The Alm-ghty will make
a great banquet for the righteous on
the day He bestows His love upon
the descendants of Yitzchok. After
they have completed the feast, the
cup of Birkas HaMazon, Kos Shel
Bracha, will be offered to Avrohom
Avinu upon which to recite Birkas
HaMazon, but he will decline,
saying, I cannot bentch with the kos,
for I sired Yishmoel. Then they will
turn to Yitzchok and say, Take it
and say Birkas HaMazon. I cannot
bentch with the kos, he will reply,
because I sired Eisav. Then they will

approach Yaakov and say, Take it

and say Birkas HaMazon. I cannot
bentch with the kos, he will reply,
for I married two sisters in their
lifetimes [i.e., at the same time, when
they were both alive] although the
Torah was destined to forbid them
to me. Then they will turn to Moshe
and say, Take it and say Birkas
HaMazon. I cannot bentch with
the kos, because I was not privileged
to enter Eretz Yisroel, neither in my
lifetime nor to be buried there. Then
they will turn to Yehoshua and say,
Take it and say Birkas HaMazon. I
cannot bentch with the kos, he will
reply, because I was not privileged
to have a son Then they will turn
to Dovid and say, Take it and say
Birkas HaMazon. I will say Birkas
HaMazon, and it is fitting for me
to do so, he will reply, as it is said, I
will lift up the cup of salvation, and
call upon the name of G-d. And
the Gemara says in Yoma 76a: The
cup of Dovid in the Future Era will
hold 221 measures, as it is said kosi
ravaya, ravaya being numerically
equivalent to 221.
NOTES:
*Footnote 149: To note the connection
to Mizmor Tzaddik in Thillim, Psalm
#90 (this years chapter, honoring the
90th year of the Rebbes life), which
concludes with the words, And may
the pleasantness of G-d our L-rd be

upon usand the work of our hands be

established (referring to the resting of
the Shchina in the Mishkan, culminating
in the ultimate perfection of this Divine
presence in the Third Beis HaMikdash),
for noam pleasantness signifies
taanug pleasure (raava draavin).
Indeed, there is nothing higher than
raava draavin, and it is drawn down and
penetrates until it reaches the work of
our hands, below, in the physical world.
**Footnote 150: Following the niggunim
of the Rebbes, our Nsiim (the Nsiim
of the teachings of Chassidus, the
dissemination of which brings about, asi
mar referring to Malka Moshiach)
the niggunim of the Baal Shem Tov, the
Maggid, the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler
Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek,* the Rebbe
Maharash, the Rebbe Rashab, and my
revered father in-law, the Rebbe, Nasi
Doreinu, nine niggunim, with which we
conclude the exile and which lead up to
to the tenth niggun, the tenth song, of
Melech HaMoshiach.
*Note to Footnote 150: Whose two
names Tzemach and Tzedek (which
together are numerically equivalent to
Menachem Mendel) are the names of
Melech HaMoshiach.
(From the address of Shabbos Parshas
Naso, 12 Sivan 5751; Seifer HaSichos
5751, pg. 596)

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SHLICHUS

COLLECTOR
OF SOULS

ON THE ISLAND OF CEBU

A family with three young
children arrived shortly before
Pesach three years ago on a distant
island to open a Chabad House and
encountered quite a few challenges.
Since then, they are working to prepare
the island for Moshiach.
By Nosson Avrohom

ebu Island in the

Philippines is considered
the central island in
the province of Cebu.
Surrounding the beautiful island,
which is 225 kilometers long from
north to south, are another 167
tiny islands. The island is famous
for its varied colorful coral reefs
that surround the island with its

white sand beaches, its many scuba

diving areas, scenic hiking areas
and incredibly beautiful beaches.
One can also see many colonial
era buildings, museums and forts
spread throughout the island. The
capital of the island, where the
Chabad House is situated, is called
Cebu City.
Just so you can understand,

Cebu is the size of Eretz

Yisroel, says the shliach, R
Nir Donenfeld, who has been
working on the island for the
last three years with his wife
Chali and children. About
three million people live on the
island. There is a small Jewish
community concentrated around
the Chabad House with about

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twenty families, most of them

Israelis, but there are also Jewish
families who came from Australia
and the U.S. Most of our work
is with Jewish tourists who come
throughout the year, mainly
during the Israeli winter.
The Chabad House in Cebu
has daily shiurim, one-on-one

talks, warm Shabbos meals, and

tfillos on Shabbos and holidays.
Along with all this spiritual aid,
the Chabad House also provides
material help to tourists on the
island and the dozens of islands
surrounding it.
Along with reaching out to the
Chosen People, there is also work

with a group of local gentiles who

calls themselves Noachides.
How did the Donenfeld
family get to the island of Cebu?
Like many other shluchim, divine
providence directed them in a
most astonishing way.
The ones who launched the
activities on the island were R
Yisroel Kaplan and his wife who
had to leave for personal reasons.
Along with the first shliach to the
Philippines, R Yossi Levy, they
looked for a family to take over
and develop a Chabad House.
When the Donenfeld got
the phone call from R Levy,
they were part of the Chabad
community in Rechovot. The
children were attending Chabad
schools and R Nir made a nice
living in computer programming.
We heard about the offer on
Rosh Chodesh Adar and R Levy
asked us to come for Pesach.
After getting my wifes blessings,
I consulted with a mashpia and
received the Rebbes bracha.
Then came the race against time,
getting the paperwork done and
taking care of the bureaucratic
procedural aspects of the trip.
R Donenfeld asked his
travel agent to arrange for his
family return tickets too because
according to local law, Israelis
cannot stay in the country for
longer than sixty days without a
special permit. The travel agent
promised to do that and on Rosh
Chodesh Nissan we boarded
a plane for Holland and from
there to Hong Kong and from
there to Cebu. When we landed
at the airport in Hong Kong, we
had just ten minutes to catch the
connecting flight.

FAITHFUL AMBASSADORS
Exhausted after hours of
no sleep, with three little crying
children, we ran to the right

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Shlichus

THE HELP OF THE BNEI NOACH

During the interview we heard mention of the big help provided
by the community of Noachides and we asked to hear more about
them.
Throughout the Philippines there are many people who
identify as Noachides. They believe that the Jewish people are the
Chosen Nation and that they need to help us to the best of their
abilities, says R Donenfeld.
Every Sunday I give a class on the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei
Noach and about the Geula. Dozens of people attend the class.
Their connection and identification with the Jewish people is
astonishing. Just recently, a boy came to us whose parents said his
name is Gavriel Noach. When I heard this I was very taken by it.
When I asked the parents why they gave him a Jewish name, they
said he was named for the Jewish rabbi who was murdered and
this was despite their not having heard of Chabad before.
The Philippines is a staunchly Catholic country and the law is
that every child must receive a certificate from the local church.
Without it, he cannot attend any school or receive any government
benefits. Nor can he be issued a passport or identification papers.
Noachides reject the path of Christianity. Their top people
published some books to prove the lies of Christianity and to
show that the Jewish nation is the Chosen People. Noachides do
not receive government aid because they dont have the necessary
papers but recently, some of them managed to pull strings in
government offices and were able to arrange that instead of a
stamp from the church, they will get a stamp from the Chabad
House. So on Cebu, R Donenfeld is the one who stamps their
certificates.
Nearly every week we have families from the surrounding
islands coming to us and after we check to see that they actually
belong to a Noachide community, we stamp their certificates.
The Noachides are an astonishing phenomenon, mamash
Yemos HaMoshiach. They help us with everything. Many Jews are
helped by them thanks to the fact that they are locals who are well
established and know all the nuances. Some of them even hold
senior government positions and they are happy to help.
Many of them donate toward the Chabad House. Just
recently, I heard that some of them did not have much money and
they took loans in order to donate toward the Chabad House!
counter. When we got there,
the clerk asked whether we had
tickets to leave the Philippines.
I assumed we did since I had
instructed the travel agent to do
so and he told me it was taken
care of. I opened the email on
my computer and showed her the
confirmation for a return flight.
She printed the email, called

some of her supervisors, and

then said that we could not board
the flight.
We were shocked. The
flight would be leaving in a few
minutes and what would we do
in the terminal in Hong Kong?
The time in Eretz Yisroel was
early morning and nobody would
answer the phone. The clerk

explained that the return date was

later than was allowed by law.
We begged but to no avail.
The clerk suggested that we buy
new tickets at the counter but
this was out of the question.
At a certain point I just stood
there and addressed G-d. We
are on our way to disseminate
G-dliness in the world. Help
us! I did not know what to
do. Then I suddenly had an
idea. The Rebbes shluchim are
ambassadors I went over to
the clerk and explained that we
are ambassadors who had to
reach our posts. She just heard
the word ambassador and her
face changed colors. She went
over to the phone and returned a
moment later with apologies for
the delay. The plane waited until
we boarded.

CHASSIDUS AND FALAFEL

The Donenfeld arrived on
Cebu just two weeks before
Pesach. Preparations for Pesach
went into high gear. On the
island they found about twenty
Jewish families and they expected
another thirty or so tourists to
join them for the Seder.
Within a few days we had
to buy utensils, clean up, and
prepare all the food. We were
also busy advertising and asking
tourists to sign up so we would
know how many to prepare for.
About thirty people signed up
but more like a hundred people
actually showed up to the seder.
Since then, R Donenfeld
describes his work as collector
of souls. He keeps finding more
and more Jews and is forming
them into one community.
From the moment we landed
in Cebu we decided that we are
dedicating ourselves to shlichus.
Tourists know that we will do
anything for them, materially and

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R Nir Donenfeld with members of the Noachide community in front of their community center.
Small picture on top: Issuing a Noachide certificate

spiritually whether its putting

tfillin on with them, Shabbos
candles, shiurim, tfillos on
weekdays, Shabbos and holidays,
and Shabbos meals.
At first, fifteen people joined
us for the Shabbos meals. Now
we have almost seventy guests
every Shabbos.
R Donenfeld tells us with
a smile about a question
someone from Rechovot asked
him, whether its enough to go
on mivtzaim. I told him that
unlike someone who lives in a
regular community and has to
go out on mivtzaim, here on
shlichus if I leave the house I am
actually leaving behind mivtzaim.
Throughout the day people come
to the Chabad House and many
of them make good commitments
as far as Torah and mitzvos are
concerned.
Israeli
tourists
greatly
appreciate food that reminds
them of home and R Donenfeld
decided to put that to good use.
We started a shiur called

At a certain point I just stood there and

addressed G-d. We are on our way to disseminate
G-dliness in the world. Help us! I did not know what to
do. Then I suddenly had an idea. The Rebbes shluchim
are ambassadors I went over to the clerk and explained
that we are ambassadors who had to reach our posts. She
just heard the word ambassador and her face changed
colors. She quickly went over to the phone and returned
a moment later with apologies for the delay. The plane
waited until we boarded.

Chassidus and Falafel. Every

Tuesday we have an Israeli
supper with falafel along with a
shiur on practical concepts for
daily life taken from the teachings
of Chassidus. The shiur began
with five people and now dozens
attend it. The members of the
local community were jealous
and asked for a shiur for them
too.

PIDYON SHVUYIM
It happens that a Jewish
person gets into trouble with the
law or with the locals and the
Chabad House gets a request for
help. R Donenfeld says that he
never checks to find out whether
the person is guilty; he just helps
out.
A few months after we
arrived here on shlichus, our
financial situation was not the
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Shlichus

greatest. Every week we worried

about where we would get the
money for our work. One day, we
got a phone call from someone in
Florida. He sounded hysterical.
He said that he has a good friend
who lives on an island near
us and that he was put in jail
without anyone knowing about it
and with no one to help him. My
wife prepared sandwiches and we
set out. The one who helped us
get into the jail was a member
of the Noachide community, a
young man who had connections
with law enforcement officials.
We quickly learned that
the fellow had been falsely
accused. A local woman took all
his money and his possessions
deceitfully and he remained
without anything. Of course he
was thrilled to see us. Meanwhile,
his family in the U.S. got him out
of jail by paying an exorbitant
bail. Then he had to hire a lawyer
for a huge amount of money in
order to prove his innocence, but
he didnt have the money. His
hearing was scheduled for two
weeks later. We felt bad for the
guy who was likely to rot in jail
for years to come for no crime.
We decided to do all we could to
help him.
Every day I made phone
calls to raise money to pay for a
lawyer. As I said, our financial
situation at the time was not
good but I told my wife that
the mitzva of pidyon shvuyim

takes precedence. After two

days of phone calls, I reached a
wealthy person in the capital who
agreed to give the full amount
and even promised to deposit it
in our bank account at the end
of the week. Since I could not
rely on promises I continued
my efforts in fundraising until I
reached a rich American Jew who
immediately deposited the entire
amount in our account.
After the money cleared I
called the local Jew to tell him
that we already had the money.
The next call was to the lawyer
to arrange an appointment. The
lawyer did his work well and
the man was freed and left the
Philippines.
In the meantime, our
financial situation at the Chabad
House was still awful and I had
no idea where to get money from.
We had to pay bills and it reached
the point where we had no money
to go shopping for the upcoming
Shabbos.
I was convinced that the
Rebbe would help us. I waited
for a miracle. More accurately,
I prayed for a miracle. What
happened from that point on
can be described as nothing but
miraculous. Suddenly, the man
who paid for the pidyon shvuyim
told us that he was moved by our
willingness to help a Jew and he
sent us a donation. A short while
later, the first man who promised
to help called and although I had

told him I already had a donor

for that case, he insisted that he
had designated the amount for
tzdaka already and he would
give it to us to do with it as we
pleased. These two donations
helped us a lot.

A MEIS MITZVA
Chabad Houses in distant
places often have opportunities
for rare mitzvos. We told about
the pidyon shvuyim and now,
listen to this story from R
Donenfeld about the funeral of
a Jew who lived on a forsaken
island.
At
the
last
Kinus
HaShluchim, three of us from
the Philippines, R Yossi Levy, R
Shmuel Luzon and myself, sat
together and got to talking about
those brought to Jewish burial
and the efforts and difficulties
involved. When I heard them
discuss it, in my heart I prayed
that I would be spared from this
sort of mitzva, but what I feared
came to pass. The next day I got
a text from a woman in England
who wanted help with her father
who was dying on an island near
Cebu.
She said she was going to
him from England and she asked
that we take care of a Jewish
burial. I told her that I was not
in the Philippines and we were
returning a week later and that,
at that moment, there were no

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THE ANSWER FROM THE REBBE

AFTER THE TORAH FELL

shluchim in that area. She said

that she did not believe that her
father would live another week.
In the Philippines, hospitals
embalm the dead. When she told
me which hospital he was in, I
sent someone from the Noachide
community, a person who holds
a high governmental position, to
warn the doctors not to touch the
mans body when he died.
At a certain point, I lost
contact with the woman and
did not know what happened to
her father. The connection was
renewed only when I returned to
Cebu, an hour before Shabbos.
The woman sent me a text which
said her father died the previous
week and the doctors did not
touch him, but he was in a local
church surrounded by crosses.
In addition, we found out that
he died with big debts and the
authorities on the island were
demanding that she pay what he
owed. She had already bought a
ticket and was about to leave the
Philippines, despondent over the
fact that her father would have to
remain buried on the island.
R Donenfeld knew that
there wasnt much he could
do, at least not under ordinary
circumstances. After receiving
the Rebbes bracha, right after
Shabbos he headed for the island
together with a member of the
Noachide community, so he
would have a helper.
On the way there I called

On Rosh HaShana this year, something terrible happened at

the Chabad House.
We have the Rosh HaShana meal in the same hall where we
daven. We fold the tables we eat on and put them on the side until
the davening is over and then we reopen them for the meal.
On the night of Rosh HaShana, although nobody went
over to the pile of tables, they suddenly fell, one after another,
and in falling they hit the small Aron Kodesh. The Torah fell on
the ground. Everyone was in shock. This really upset me and
the others. When something like this happens, its a sign to do
tshuva. During the meal I spoke about this and everyone made
positive resolutions. After Rosh HaShana we held a special fast
day in which all those who davened in the minyan fasted.
Despite all the spiritual fortification which this brought to
many people, I was still upset. Why did this happen to us? What
were they hinting to us from heaven that we could improve?
I decided to write to the Rebbe and ask for his bracha and
advice. When I opened volume 20 of the Igros Kodesh, the
Rebbe wrote about the importance of joy and referred to events
that occurred with the reading of the Torah and a dream etc. The
Rebbe wrote that the correct response is to not dwell on it or see
it as a negative sign from Heaven, but that the purpose of Torah
is to bring greater joy and specifically down below in the physical
realm.
whoever I could think of who
could help us, to R Yehuda
Meshi-Zahav of Zaka and to
shluchim in other countries in the
area.
The trip to the island should
have taken about ten hours but it
actually took about two days.
It was so difficult without
hardly any food or sleep. There
were obstacles at every turn.
At some point, the bus broke
down in the middle of nowhere.
Precious hours passed until a
replacement bus arrived. Because
of that, I missed the last ferry and
there was no other transportation
in the middle of the night. I had
to wait at the port until morning
and only then was there a ferry
that took me to the island I
needed to get to.
I was afraid that time was
running out. His debts grew

bigger because of the cost of the

hospitalization and there was
nobody to pay. The way it worked
on the island was, if the money
wasnt paid within a day, the
church could cremate the body.
After much persuasion on my
part, the church agreed to delay
cremation. At the same time,
they refused to release the body
without a death certificate from
the hospital, but without paying
them for the hospitalization the
hospital refused to provide the
death certificate.
The ones who helped me a
lot were the people from Zaka
led by R Yehuda Meshi-Zahav
and the shliach in Hong Kong,
R Mordechai Avtzon, who got
involved. R Avtzon was able to
enlist one of the wealthy people
in his city, Rafi Aharoni, who was
happy to pay thousands of dollars

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Shlichus

Throughout the Philippines there are many

people who identify as Noachides. They believe
that the Jewish people are the Chosen Nation and that
they need to help us to the best of their abilities.
for this cause. R Avtzon also
guided me throughout regarding
the relevant halachos.
After a complicated process
and quite a few difficulties, the
body was flown to Manila where
a Jewish funeral took place and
the man was given a Jewish
burial.

AN ACCURATE ANSWER
For the tourists, who have
no Jewish education, the topic
of Moshiach is just as new and
fascinating as netilas yadayim.
The ones who challenge me are
the ones who belong to religious
Zionist groups who also visit the
island in growing numbers.
In the shiurim on the subject,
we discuss the belief in the Rebbe
as Moshiach and his being chai
vkayam, which is anchored
firmly in the teachings of Chazal.
Tourists who spend the time
learning about this in depth are
quite surprised.
Writing to the Rebbe connects
many people to the Rebbe and
to the eternal life of the Nasi
Hador. Many of them write

Continued from page 11

and the women and children,
each one according to his ability)
should increase their learning of
Torah, particularly the subjects of
Moshiach and Redemption.
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva
of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a
well sought after speaker and lecturer.
Recordings of his in-depth shiurim

to the Rebbe and open to clear

answers and moving brachos and
there are endless examples of
this.
We had someone here
who was uncertain about what
profession to study when she
returned to Eretz Yisroel. After
opening one of the volumes of
the Igros Kodesh, she gave it to
my wife to read. My wife read the
letter and saw that it had nothing
to do with what the woman had
written about.
The answer was for someone
who asked what to do on the
yahrtzait of her grandmother.
The Rebbe suggested increasing
in positive acts and learning to
commemorate her grandmothers
memory based on the letters
of her name. In situations like
these, my wife reads the answer
out loud and we have sometimes
seen how the answer actually did
respond to an important, albeit
unasked, question.
This time too, my wife read
the answer and the girl began to
cry. When she calmed down, she
told my wife that that very day

on Inyanei Geula uMoshiach can be

accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com.
1) The Gemara Kiddushin 29b
learns from the pasuk that says
( " Dvarim 11:19) that the
obligation of Talmud Torah applies to
men and not women. Next the Gemara
Kiddushin 34a derives this Halacha from
the juxtaposition in the psukim (Dvarim
6:7-8 and 11:18-9) between Tfillin
and Talmud Torah, just like women are
exempt from Talmud Torah so too they

was the first yahrtzait of her

grandmother, and it was a week
already that she had not been
able to sleep because she was
upset over not being able to visit
her grave along with the family.
She wanted to do something
but did not know what to do
in memory of her grandmother
to whom she was very attached.
And here, when she wrote to the
Rebbe, he answered her about
what was foremost on her mind.

FUTURE BUILDING
R Donenfeld concluded the
interview with thanks for all
the people who help them out,
led by R Yossi Levy, shliach in
Manila and another shliach in
the Philippines, R Shmuel Luzon
and the first shliach in Cebu, R
Yisroel Kaplan.
Our next project is putting
up a big building for all our
activities. We are dreaming of
a beautiful shul, a dining room,
guest rooms, a mikva and a wellappointed kitchen to provide
kosher meals.
Our work is expanding
every month. Israeli tourists and
Jews from around the world are
discovering Cebu and it seems
the Chabad House plays no small
role in this. We hope that this will
prove to be what tips the scales to
bring about the hisgalus.

are exempt from Tfillin. Then, Gemara

kiddushin 35a writes that the pasuk
in Shmos 13:9 compares Tfillin to all
mitzvos to teach us that just like Tfillin
is a positive time bound mitzvah and
women are exempt so too all positive time
bound mitzvos women are exempt. See
the Gemara there for the full discussion.
The Mishna Kiddushin 29a rules that
women are exempt from positive mitzvos
that are time bound. This is codified by
the Rambam (Avoda Zara 12:3), Tur and
Shulchan Aruch 17:2.

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MOSHIACH & HAKHEL

NO
EXCEPTIONS
WHATSOEVER
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon

Dear Reader shyichyeh,

We have spent much of the
year discussing the Mitzva of
Hakhel, the Mivtza campaign of
Hakhel, and its connection to
the Parsha and Yomim Tovim. In
this weeks column I would like
to address a basic question that is
raised in regards to the Mitzva of
Hakhel.
The Mitzva of Hakhel is
unique in the fact that even
though women are generally
exempt1 from time bound
positive commandments (Mitzvos
Aseh Shehazman Grama)
the Mitzva of Hakhel includes
men, women and children.
This is explicit in the Torah
(Dvarim 31:10): Then, Moshe
commanded them, saying, At the
end of [every] seven years, at an
appointed time... assemble the
people: the men, the women, and
the children, and your stranger
in your cities, in order that they
hear, and in order that they learn
and fear the Lord, your God, and
they will observe to do all the
words of this Torah.
Why would the Torah make
this special exception that
women should be obligated in a
time bound mitzva specifically by
the Mitzva of Hakhel? Why is it
important that a woman should
leave her home with her entire
family and travel to the Beis

HaMikdash to hear Torah from

the king?
The answer is very simple:
While the actual Mitzva of
Hakhel took place at a specific
time and place, the effect of the
Mitzva is felt all the time and in
all places. In the words of the
Pasuk describing the purpose of
Hakhel, in order that they learn
and fear the Lord, your God, and
they will observe to do all the
words of this Torah all the days
that you live on the land Being
that this Mitzva instils the fear of
Hashem and fear of Hashem
is something that is needed by
all Jews and at all times even
women are responsible. (See
Khal Gadol pg. 99)
There is no greater era
where fear of Hashem will
reign supreme as in the era
of Moshiach. The Rambam
(Hilchos
Melachim
chapter
12) describes this wonderful
era: In that era, there will be
neither famine nor war, envy or
competition for good will flow in
abundance and all the delights
will be freely available as dust.
The occupation of the entire
world will be solely to know
God. Therefore, the Jews will be
great sages and know the hidden
matters, grasping the knowledge
of their Creator according to the
full extent of human potential, as

Yeshaya states: The world will be

filled with the knowledge of God
as the waters cover the ocean
bed.
Being that this is so, we can
understand the words of the
Rebbe Shmini 5751 that the
obligation of bringing Moshiach
falls on all Jews, men, women
and children. In his holy words:
All Jews, men, women and even
children, have the responsibility
to increase their efforts to bring
our righteous Moshiach in actual
reality! Therefore its obvious that
theres no place for relying on
others or imposing the work on
someone else instead of doing it
ones self but this is the task of
every man and woman.
This Shabbos (Kdoshim) is
6 Iyar. Exactly 25 years ago, Vav
Iyar 5751, the Rebbe revealed
to us that the direct way to
bring Moshiach is by learning
about Moshiach. This also is the
responsibility of all men, women
and children. In the words of
the Rebbe: My intention here
is action, and certainly the
following will be publicized
everywhere: In order to realize
the immediate revelation and
coming of Moshiach each and
every Jew (the men, whether they
are dwellers in the tent (Yisachar)
or men of business (Zvulun),
Continued on page 10
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INTERVIEW

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CHASSIDUS

REVEALS

THE GOOD WITHIN MAN

R Michi Yosefi, a lecturer at Bar Ilan University and a sought after speaker
in Eretz Yisroel and around the world on the psycho-spiritual approach
of the Torah of the Baal Shem Tov, in an exclusive interview with Beis
Moshiach. * Chabad Chassidus touches the deepest places of the soul
and provides a superior counterpoint to western psychology. * About
the therapeutic dimension innovated by the Alter Rebbe connecting a
person to his essential powers and revealing the path to accessing them.
* About the difference between psychology of Chabad Chassidus and
western teachings. * About the Rebbes psychology the Rebbe provides
the simplest person with the tools to handle lifes challenges. * About the
challenge of our generation: to transform the lights of Tohu of Chassidus
into the vessels of Tikkun of the world of therapy.
By Sholom Ber Crombie
Photos by Kobi Natan

Michi Yosefi, in
recent years, has
become synonymous
with the world of
psychology and therapy based on
the teachings of Chassidus. He is

a lecturer at Bar Ilan University

and is one of the main teachers
at the Beit Baal Shem Tov center
in Yerushalayim where he gives
courses on the psychology of
Chassidus.
His
workshops

around the country include

tools from the world of therapy
and he is a sought after speaker
on alternative therapies and at
New Age workshops for selfactualization and change. He is a

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Interview
student of Yemima Avital zl, who
is considered a pioneer in the world
of alternative treatment and who
had a connection to the Rebbe.
But the main chiddush in the world
of psychology he finds in Chabad
Chassidus and the maamarim of
the Alter Rebbe. In his lectures he
teaches how Chassidus empowers
a person in his daily life. One of
his popular workshops is based
on letters from the Rebbes Igros
Kodesh, from which he teaches
tools for change, empowerment
and psychological healing.

that the Alter Rebbe gave his son,

who was sixteen at the time, the
job of supervising the young men
who were yoshvim in Liozna. At
a farbrengen with his charges,
he spoke very emotionally with
words from the heart about the
necessity for avoda of the heart,
namely prayer, in a measured
manner. He made a deep
impression on his audience,
but being weak he fell ill since
speaking about the state of his
students truly affected him. As
they say, he spoke with his hearts

In the world of western therapy, you do not take

the needs of the G-dly soul into consideration.
The point here is that to the extent that you help a person
by way of his true inner roadmap, you dont only help
him rehabilitate himself socially or improve his marriage,
but you connect him to his source of spiritual flow.

YOUR ESSENCE IS GOOD

In recent years we are seeing
that the psychological insights
of Chassidus are spreading
and are being recognized in
the world of therapy, as well
as the founding of schools
for
the
psycho-spiritual
study of Chassidus. What did
Chassidus innovate when it
comes to understanding human
psychology?
One of the statements that
touched me the most from the
teachings of Chassidus regarding
human potential is what the
Mitteler Rebbe said, quoting
his father, the Alter Rebbe, and
brought in the introduction to
the kuntres Pokeiach Ivrim:
You need to look at a Jew as he
stands in the primordial thought
of Adam Kadmon which is the
highest spiritual level there is.
What is the background to
this statement? The Rebbe relates

blood, with great force, and this

adversely affected his health.
When one of the Chassidim
visited him as he lay sick, he
asked him why he spoke so
emotionally when he knew he
was harming his health and had
to be careful. In connection with
this, the Mitteler Rebbe repeated
the statement from his father,
that when his father had assigned
him the task of guiding the
young men, he said, You need
to look at a Jew as he stands in
the primordial thought of Adam
Kadmon.
The Mitteler Rebbe said
that he learned from this that
originally the neshama as it is
in the primordial thought is
on the level of a son, but after
the neshama descends into
a body it is on the level of a
slave. This means that when
you meet someone with all his
challenges in this world, he is
appearing before you with the

concealments of the level of a

slave, but you need to see him on
the level of a son where love is
unconditional and there needs to
be absolute acceptance without
any conditions. Here, your job as
a mechanech, parent or friend, is
to see every person with whom
you come in contact as he is on
the level of a son. All of a persons
spiritual falls, all that which
conceals the good within him, are
from the tzimtzum (constriction)
and descent to the level of a slave,
but you have the ability to see
him without the concealments of
the world, to see him on the level
of goodness and purity that exist
within him as a son.
With this aphorism the
Alter Rebbe gave homework
to his son about how to act as
a mechanech, that even in the
greatest descent, a Jew needs
to be regarded as a son. That
is a very deep dimension from
the educational and therapeutic
perspective, which means it
makes no difference what the
person went through, his worth
is not conditional. The difference
between a slave and a son is
that the value of a son is not
conditional on his qualities and
level.
On the level of a slave there
are demands and then as a parent
or teacher your relationship is
conditional did the slave do
his work or not. The Alter Rebbe
says to a Jew, your job is to look
at another Jew, no matter who
he may be, as he stands in the
primordial thought of Adam
Kadmon. You do not ignore his
problems, you do not deny or
overlook them, but when you
meet him, you first see him as the
beloved son, unconditionally.
This special empowerment
here is one that the teacher or
parent can instill in his charges,
the students or children. The

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person before you needs to know

that he has unconditional worth;
he has shleimus (perfection) even
if you dont see it. That is how
you need to view the patient or
the student.
Why do you use the term
patient?
If you look at the person
before you as a son, you see his
essential qualities. With your
look, you see him as he is perfect,
with his full powers. The Alter
Rebbes chiddush is that the
look itself gives him the ability to
connect to his essential powers.
So you are actually instilling in
him the awareness that he has
unconditional shleimus.
This is not only the way you
need to look at him, but the way
that you enable him to experience
himself. When the Rebbe looks at
a Jew, that person does not just
suddenly feel that he is important
to the Rebbe in that moment; he
feels whole. The Rebbes gaze
enables a Jew to feel the good
within himself and even if he had
undesirable things about him, he

feels that his essence is good. The

goodness is his essence and the
rest are klipos that can be peeled
away.

TRANSFORMING LIGHTS
OF TOHU INTO VESSELS OF
TIKKUN
How do you turn these ideas
into therapeutic tools?
The amazing model for me
is the courses given by Rabbi
Yitzchok Arad. I attended a
number of his classes and I would
like to take this opportunity to
express my gratitude to him.
As much as I learn Chassidus,
with him I got the gift of lights
in vessels. There are many
people who learn Chassidus,
but they say when it comes to
coaching or therapy we need
to learn in foreign pastures.
People think that Chassidus is
for the beis midrash, to learn
as a preparation for davening,
but they do not find the tools to
heal the soul in it. With R Arad

I learned how to bring the lights

of Chassidus down into vessels
of tikkun. In this context the
word tikkun is very apropos
vessels that provide rectification.
Fixing the psyche comes through
connecting it to the true source of
its flow. Our job is to create the
therapeutic tools that will enable
these ideas to translate into
practical tools that will provide a
person with the answers.
From R Arad I also learned
that when you see a Jew in front
of you, you dont ignore what
hes done, and youre not fazed
by it; you see him as a shaleim.
Like we have in Chassidus, joy
in the heart on this side, and
tears on the other side we
have the ability to contain these
opposites. On the one hand,
there is a person facing you who
is on the level of a slave and you
need to see his difficulties, but at
the same time, you need to see
him as he is on the level of a son,
utter goodness.
The therapeutic or parental
dimension of this understanding

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Interview
is that everyone has the ability
to be on the level of a son in
the here and now, and what will
determine whether he appears
that way depends on you. First of
all you need to know this guiding
principle from the Alter Rebbe,
and you need to adopt it and
learn to view the other that way
and reveal the good within him.
The way you look at him will
determine whether he behaves as
a son or a slave.
So the chiddush in the
psychology of the Alter Rebbe is
the ability to reveal within a Jew
to see himself as good?
The Mitteler Rebbe added to
what his father said and explained
that he learned from this that the
neshama in its essence, as it is
on the level of a son, has intense
innate powers. That means it
is given all the power to do the
avodas habirurim, so the fact
that you are not in touch with
these powers is not because they
disappeared, but because nobody
told you that they exist within
you.
We dont need to be convinced
that we have these abilities; its
simply a matter of knowing
that we have these abilities and
consequently, we will have access
to them. If not for Chassidus,
we wouldnt know they exist in
us. The key tool of Chassidus
is
contemplative
meditation
because all of Chassidus connects
us to our essence which is the
hidden powers within us.
The Mitteler Rebbe concludes
by saying that this statement of
the Alter Rebbe is not meant
just for others but for the person
himself. You need to look at
yourself not as you are here in
the world, operating within the
hiddenness and concealments
of the good within you, but as
you are on the level of a son,
connected to your essential

powers before the tzimtzum

covered them over. You need
to view yourself with goodness
being your essence.
The purpose of therapy
is to connect every person to
this dimension of the essential
powers, to the goodness within.
The end of the story is that the
Mitteler Rebbe told that Chassid
that when he meditates on the
fact that every Jew who stands
before him is on the level of a
son, and in this seminal state
is included all generations that
descend from him, how could
he contain his emotions as a
mechanech?

REAL CHANGE THROUGH

CHASSIDUS REQUIRES DEVOTION
How is the world of
Chassidic therapy different than
western therapy?
In the world of western
therapy, you do not take the
needs of the G-dly soul into
consideration at all. The point
here is that to the extent that
you help a person by way of his
true inner roadmap, you dont
only help him rehabilitate himself
socially or improve his marriage,
but you connect him to his source
of spiritual flow.
How does this psychospiritual inner work affect a
persons avodas Hashem?
In this story I see this very
point. The reason that the
Mitteler Rebbe spoke with his
charges was because of the
need for measured prayer, and
this excited him very much. I
was thinking about how the
thing that so affected him was
slow and measured davening,
something that weve moved
away from. Sometimes it is
good to remember that it was
because of this that the Mitteler
Rebbe became so emotional. So

perhaps we can say that we have

a hint here that the way for a Jew
to have the strength to look at
himself as a son is by davening
properly. If we want to look for
the deeper message here, perhaps
we can say that this itself is what
enables you to see yourself on the
level of a son and to peel away
the layers of concealment over all
that is good within you.
By the way, this story also
appears in the HaYom Yom for
16 Elul, so that it also pertains to
the avoda of tshuva which is the
theme of Elul, and which at its
core is about returning to ones
G-dly essence. In the HaYom
Yom the story is slightly different:
The Alter Rebbe interpreted
the statement, Whoever saves
a single person of (the people
of) Israel is as though he saved
an entire world: One must
perceive a Jew as he stands in
the primordial thought of Adam
Kadmon. There, each soul stands
with all the generations destined
to descend from it until the
coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu.
When one does a favor to an
individual, it is a favor to all
those souls until the end of all
generations.
The Mitteler Rebbe also refers
to this idea that a Jew as he is
in the primordial thought is not
only on the level of a son, but
includes all the generations that
will descend from him. So when
a Jew is connected to his essential
powers he can tap into truly
amazing places within his soul.
Aside from the depth in
Chassidus, how is Chassidus
different than therapy?
There was a story I heard at a
farbrengen which really touched
me, about a yeshiva bachur in
Kfar Chabad who veered off the
derech somewhat and starting
feeling cold toward avodas
Hashem. At a farbrengen, R

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Shlomo Chaim Kesselman was

deep into the farbrengen and
then said to the bachur, Give
yourself to me for three weeks.
I see this line like a coach or even
your spiritual master saying to
you, Give yourself to me, i.e.,
give me your absolute trust, give
yourself over entirely, and I will
take you to a place that you want
to get to.
Sometimes we look for
change but are not ready to
fully dedicate ourselves to it.
In Chassidus there is complete
devotion. If you want change
you need to devote yourself. If
you devote yourself and are really
open to change, you will see
results. All of Chassidic guidance
is if you want to change, you
need to devote yourself to it. You
cannot remain on the outside and
expect change.
People look for someone to
change them, someone to do the
work for them. People wait for a
master to bring about the change.
In the world of hashpaa in
Chabad Chassidus, the emphasis
is on if you want change and
you have a mashpia, you need
to give him your absolute trust
and then change will happen.
The end of the story is that the
bachur was very moved by what
R Shlomo Chaim said and he
jumped towards him on the table
and said, R Shlomo Chaim, Im
yours.
This story brought out for
me that we are always searching
for the approach that will change
us, but actually it is whatever we
put our faith in and stick to that
will bring about change, because
change is about our ability to
devote ourselves fully. With the
Chassidic approach, the mashpia
gives you a pathway but you have
to give your absolute trust and
walk it and be devoted till the
end.

THE REBBES
PSYCHOLOGICAL
REVOLUTION
Much
is
said
about
psychological
insights
of
Chassidus in the maamarim
of the Alter Rebbe or in the
teachings of the Baal Shem Tov.
Where do you find psychological
insights of Chassidus in the
Rebbes teachings?
The Rebbe innovated, in the
most unique way, that ability
to see the good in everyone and
to bring his abilities out from
the potential to the actual. I feel
that the Rebbes main chiddush
can be found in his letters. I
call the Rebbes letters, the
civilian correspondence of the
Lubavitcher Rebbe, since the
Rebbes main teachings are in
his maamarim and sichos, but
his letters are things the Rebbe
said to a Jewish soldier in the
American army, to a principal of
a school dealing with difficulties,
to an unfortunate woman who
writes about her sorrows.
There you see two central
points that repeat themselves
again and again. First, that
the answer is positive, meant

to uplift a person, it makes no

difference what he says and
what he experienced. The Rebbe
always responds positively and
gives encouragement and hope.
Second, there is absolute faith in
a persons abilities. For example,
when the Rebbe asks someone
to start learning the daily Chitas
or light Shabbos candles or put
on tfillin, he does not say to
them, there is such a practice,
try to start observing it. Rather,
surely you observe the three
shiurim of the Chitas, and the
Rebbe often mentions, at least
from now on you surely will
observe it. The Rebbes demand
comes from absolute trust in the
goodness of a Jew.
When a person reads what
the Rebbe wrote, surely you
observe, he connects to the
power within, for if to the Rebbe
it is clear then it should be clear
to you too. The Rebbe believes in
you and when he makes demands
of you he conveys the message
that you have what it takes to do
it. There is no question here, but
a certainty which you have the
ability to implement.
The Rebbe took all of
Chassidus and brought it
down more and more to the
practical tools that pertain to
our generation. If to the Alter
Rebbe the main dissemination
of Chassidus was among Torah
scholars, the Rebbe did not see
any obstacle to taking the deepest
chiddushim of Chassidus into
the inner workings of the soul
and applying it to every Jew. In
the Rebbes letters you see how
the Rebbe provides the psychospiritual tools for every Jew in
every situation, to deal with the
reality he finds himself in. The
Rebbe speaks with everyone in
their language and enables them
to see the good in their life,
and in the situation they find
themselves in.
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BITACHON BYTES

CONNECTED 24/7
By Rabbi Zalman Goldberg

ver since the first sin,

when Adam and Chava
partook of the fruit of the
Tree of Knowledge, our
world is a veritable mix of good and
bad intertwined. Of course Torah
and kdusha are absolute in their
goodness, but all worldly aspects
which are not exclusively holy, but
have a physical element, contain
the potential for bad as well. As the
well-known adage says, too much
of a good thing is also not good.
This applies not to Torah and
Mitzvos, for of these one can never
get enough. Anything worldly, on
the other hand, as good as it may
be, in excess, can be detrimental.
By not heeding Hashems
command, the sin of eating from
the Tree of Knowledge brought
about an atmosphere of sin and
impurity to the world. The result
is not only negative influences
per se, but even some of the
things that used to be good, like
certain elements which served
as protection for kdusha, now
became potential adversaries, due
to the negative influence mixed
in.
A Yid finding himself in
such a quandary may become
frightened of such formidable
circumstances. Here we are, a
minority among the nations of
the world, and there is such a
threatening world surrounding
us. Certainly it could devour and
make into nothing everything

holy that we stand for?!

The mitzvah of Orla has an
encouraging message which
cannot only help us survive, it can
actually reverse the situation1.
For the first three years
after a fruit tree is planted,
its fruit are forbidden to be
consumed by Yidden because of
the prohibition of Orla2. If an
Orla plant gets lost among two
hundred other plants, that field
should not be harvested because

then the Orla will automatically

become nullified by being lost in
a volume two hundred times its
own. While3 the plant is still not
harvested, i.e., it is still connected
to the ground, the Orla plant is
not nullified and it maintains the
prohibition of Orla. The reason
for this is because there is a rule
that -an object which
is connected cannot become
nullified.
This teaches us a twofold

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lesson. Firstly, the fact is that

Yidden are always connected to
Hashem, even if not in a revealed
way. Just as Hashem is eternal,
with no change to His existence,
as it says -I am
Hashem and have not changed,
the same is with the Yidden. As
the pasuk concludes,
, that the Yiddens
existence will also be everlasting
with no extermination, .
This is an encouraging
fact of life, even if we dont do
anything about it. The result is
that there is no need to worry
about our Yiddishe and holy
existence becoming run over
by our oppressors, because we
are automatically connected to
Hashem. No other nation, not
even the greatest superpower of
yesteryear, has enjoyed certainty
of eternity. Only the Yidden who
are connected to Hashem, ,
will always endure and live on.
If we work on developing
this connection to Hashem and
reveal it more and more, we will
no doubt thrive in our holy work,
despite the worldly pressures.
The Rebbe Maharash4 used
to take a walk every day, and
one day he took a different route
than usual. When the goyim
who were there saw the Rebbe,

they bowed respectfully before

him. The Rebbe was one on
whom the connection to Hashem
was visible, resulting in his
exaltedness over all who beheld
him.
Prior to the Six Day War, the
Rebbe launched an international
Tfillin campaign, stating that
by putting on Tfillin daily, the
name of Hashem will be upon
the Yidden and our enemies will
fear us. Not only will we have
this automatic connection to
Hashem, but it will be perceivable
to all. The outcome is history, as
the most wonderful miracles took
place at that time.
As R Meir Premishlian put it
plainly when he was confronted
on how he was able to descend
an icy slope on a daily basis on
his way to the mikva, Quite
easily, he responded, When
one is tied above, he does not fall
below. He was unique, because
he was not only connected above
by being a Yid, he had also
developed and strengthened this
connection, so fear of falling or
being overtaken by the elements
did not exist by him.
The
Rebbe
concludes
that by always revealing our
connection with Hashem, all
of the protections that turned



adversaries as a result of the sin

of the Tree of Knowledge will
become our protection once
again, just like the way it was
before the sin of the Eitz HaDaas.
At that time, it will be revealed
that there isnt even any threat to
the Yiddishe existence at all, for
we will not be a minority among
worldly influences, we will be
the ultimate of creation, as the
Mishna says that the whole world
was created for the Yidden and
our focus will be only on serving
Hashem.
Rabbi Zalman Goldberg is
a well sought after speaker and
lecturer on Chassidic thought.
His writings and recordings on the
topic of Bitachon can be accessed
at
http://www.gotbitachon.
com. You can also receive his
one minute daily Bitachon
clip by sending a WhatsApp
to 347.546.4402 with the
wordBitachon.

.993 ') '' '' 1

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) '' '' '' 4
144 ' '' '' . ''
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Issue 1020

SAVE MONEY

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CHINUCH

EDUCATIONAL
DEDICATION OF THE
HIGHEST ORDER
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Without a supportive
community, a
handful of avreichim
established a
Chassidic school for
children living on the
settlements in the
Chof HaCarmel region.
How did they begin
this project? And what
did they do when the
regional council head
advised them to
go to Bnei Brak?
And what about the
principal who jumped
into the sea [literally]
for his students?
A fascinating
story about this
growing educational
community.
By Nosson Avraham
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry

rom its very inception

to this day, the founders
of the Chabad school
in Chof HaCarmel have
been guided by a feeling of intense
shlichus,
amazing
miracles,
detailed answers from the Rebbe,
Melech HaMoshiach, and endless
cases of Divine Providence. Since
the schools establishment about
a decade ago, it has acquired a
reputation of accomplishment
and has attained considerable
educational achievements, despite
the fact that the region has no

established Chabad community.

With much determination, courage,
and dedication, the mission set by
the schools founders, headed by
Rabbi Avraham Sabag, the Rebbe
MHMs shliach in Atlit, has been a
crowning success.
While there has been a fair
share of problems and hardships,
according to Rabbi Sabag,
a significant foundation was
laid during a critical meeting
of the regional council, which
held a vote on the schools
budgetary allocations. It was
most surprising to see a majority
of the representatives from the
regions kibbutzim and yishuvim
raising their hands to authorize
the establishment of a Chabad
institution in the local settlement
of Kfar Sitrin. This impressive
display of support was worth all
the adversity we had endured,
he said with a half-smile, as
he revealed a small portion of
the tremendous effort and selfsacrifice invested in the schools
founding.
The schools educational
staff is headed by its devoted
principal, Rabbi Eran Dishon.
The institution provides a kosher
Jewish education to nearly one
hundred students, with separate
programs for boys and girls.
How did this come about?
You just got up one morning and
decided to establish a school?
It doesnt happen in an
instant. Fifteen years ago we
came to Atlit on the Rebbes
shlichus, where we had already
met the veteran shluchim, Rabbi
Moshe Axelrod and his wife,
Varda. Before my wedding,
I had received my Chassidic
education at the Chabad yeshiva
in Ramat Aviv. I was considered
among the yeshivas founding
members, and I experienced for
myself the difficulties in creating
an institution out of nothing.

However, I also experienced the

great joy that came when the
institution began to function on
a stable basis. Thus, my entire
outlook on this school as a form
of shlichus is not avoda limited
to the vessels of Tikkun, but in
a manner of Ufaratzta. This is
the reason that upon our arrival
we invested tremendous effort
until we succeeded in building a
Chabad mikveh.
I thought for some time about
the fact that our children had to
travel each day to their school in
the Krayot, more than an hours
journey each way. I kept such
thoughts to myself, as I imagined
the great difficulties involved in
starting a new institution. The
most significant problem would
be finding potential students.
There was no established Chabad
community in the area with
children who could serve as the
core and nucleus of the student
body.
One day, I met an old friend,
Mr. Amir Ron, whose family
was close to Chabad and whose
children learned in Chabad
institutions. While this young
man did not appear outwardly
Chassidic, his heart burned with a
flame of hiskashrus to the Rebbe
and Chassidus.
He told me that his son had
developed a bad headache in the
middle of the school day, and
he had to drive an hour and a
half there and back to bring him
home. Why dont we open a
Chabad school here? he asked
frankly, not knowing that I had
been actively considering the idea
for a long time. That night, I sat
down and wrote a letter to the
Rebbe, asking for his advice and
bracha.
The Rebbes answer dealt
with the prominence of the
Reshet Oholei Yosef Yitzchak
educational institutions. I felt

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CHINUCH

JUMPING INTO THE SEA

As mentioned in the body of the article,
budgetary problems piled up considerably
during the third year. The teaching staff had
not received their salaries for several months.
Rabbi Sabag: One morning, I made a
last-resort decision to go to the bank and
apply for a loan. When I finished davening
Shacharis I headed toward the bank, when
my cell phone rang. A friend with whom
I
hadnt spoken to in three years was on the
line. He is a very affluent man known for his
mercurial nature. We had agreed in the past
that I wouldnt call him to ask for donations;
rather he would contact me when he decides
that the time is right.
He got straight to the point. The High Holiday season was approaching,
and he said that he wanted to make a contribution to needy families.
In addition, he wanted to donate a Torah scroll in his fathers memory.
Although I knew him to be a temperamental person, I decided to try and
enlist his support on behalf of the school. I shared with him the schools
dismal financial situation and asked for his help. I am fully aware that
you might get angry with me, but I am prepared to act with complete selfsacrifice, even jumping into the sea. After listening to what I had to day,
he hung up the phone, but not before unleashing an angry torrent of curses
upon me. I thought to myself how stupid I had just been. At least I could
have secured a donation for needy people and for a seifer Torah; now I was
left empty-handed.
I continued walking toward the bank when my phone rang again.
I was surprised to see his name flashing on the display screen. I prepared
myself for another verbal onslaught, but to my great surprise, he spoke this
time calmly. You said that youre prepared to jump into the sea and act
with complete self-sacrifice for the school, right? he asked. I replied in
the affirmative. Then Im coming by in another ten minutes. Put on your
hat and jacket, and bring a shofar with you. (This took place during the
month of Elul.) He arrived with his car as promised, and he told me to get
in. Without any explanation, he drove to the seashore.
I stood near him on the beach, trying to guess his next step. If youre
serious, jump into the sea fully clothed, he told me. Immerse yourself
seven times and then blow the shofar. Deeply affected by the plight of our
teachers, I didnt think twice and I jumped into the water, fully clothed. He
was stunned.
From there we drove to the school. When we arrived there, he took his
briefcase out of the car. To my great surprise, as we entered the building, he
opened the briefcase and I saw that it contained a sizable amount of cash.
He used it to cover all unpaid teachers salaries...
that I had received confirmation
that the Rebbe wants a Chabad
cheider in Chof HaCarmel.
As we began the process,

I never imagined how many

hardships were involved in the
establishment of an educational
institution. I knew that it would

be difficult, but I had no idea

how difficult. With every passing
problem, another one developed.
It was only through the Rebbes
brachos that we managed to
continue.
From the very outset, it was
already clear to me that creating
such an institution would require
a lot of cooperation, and the first
thing I did was call a meeting
of the Rebbes shluchim on the
yishuvim throughout the region.
The person who eventually got
involved and provided a great deal
of practical assistance was Rabbi
Yosef Gadasi from Tirat Carmel,
who runs a public soup kitchen.
He agreed to be a member of the
schools administrative board.
Together with Rabbi Moshe
Axelrod, the shliach in Atlit,
Rabbi Menachem Tal, Mr. Victor
Mesika, and Mr. Amir Ron,
we raised our glasses and said
Lchaim with complete faith that
a cheider would soon open in

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Chof HaCarmel and so it was. In

a manner of lchatchilla aribber,
I accepted the responsibility,
and now all we had to do was to
find an appropriate building and
publicize the establishment of a
Chabad cheider in the region.
We decided to start with two
first-grade classes, one for boys
and one for girls. At the first stage,
I sent messengers to the regional
council head to speak with him on
the subject. I knew that this was
liable to awaken some unpleasant
memories, as some time earlier
the only religious school in Atlit
had been closed due to a lack of
students. We worked with great
sensitivity, and in a meeting
with the council head I told him
about our program. To impress
upon him the seriousness of
our intentions, I suggested
that the council should only
begin assisting us with regional
budgetary allocations in our third
year of operations.

I then started my search for an

appropriate facility for the school.
While we looked all over Atlit,
we didnt find anything suitable.
Children were already registering
for the new program, and we
hired an educational staff, but
there still wasnt a place to hold
the classes. I remember coming
home one day with tears in my
eyes after a long and unsuccessful
day of searching. Rebbe, I asked
with all my heart, this is all being
done in your honor. Please help
us.
The following day something
amazing happened. There was
a young man named Nachum,
who ran a public soup kitchen
on a volunteer basis. His mother
had passed away and left an
abandoned and derelict house as
an inheritance. While the place
looked extremely untidy, the
location was perfect.
I went to him and said, We
would like to rent the house from
you for our school, effective at
the start of the new academic
year. He raised his eyebrows
in response to my determined
appeal. He said something about
getting the consent of the rest
of the family members, but I
was already well into the matter
and would not take no for an

answer. After the family gave

their consent, all barriers were
removed. It took us several days
to clean the building. By the start
of the new academic year, the
cheider began operations with two
classrooms.
Can you share with us some
experiences from those early
days?
With G-ds help, after the first
year, the institution had already
acquired a good reputation. In
its second year, we had doubled
the number of our students. The
third year was extremely difficult.
The school already had a total
of fifty students, and the house
wasnt big enough for everyone.
Furthermore, the neighbors were
starting to complain. We began
using tin shacks as makeshift
classrooms, and for lack of a better
alternative, we also held classes in
the Chabad House. Having the
students scattered in different
places created complications for
the schools administration. I
also had to raise the funds for the
staff salaries, which were quite
considerable by this time. When
I met with the regional council
head on this matter, he asked a
naive question: Why dont you
open a school in Bnei Brak? Why
in Atlit?
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CHINUCH

THE REBBE IS WITH US AT EVERY DECISION

The schools educational director during the
last three years has been Rabbi Eran Dishon, who
also serves as the Rebbe MHMs shliach at one of
the kibbutzim in the Chof HaCarmel region. We
feel that the Rebbe is with us with every decision
we make. At every opportunity we write to the
Rebbe, and we almost always receive answers
dealing with matters of education.
In your opinion, what is the schools
outstanding feature?
The student body is like one united family.
The school began its operation in a manner of
an arousal from below and this continues today.
Were not talking about a firmly established institution in existence for
decades. Each of our students feels his/her own special distinctive qualities.
According to Rabbi Dishon, there are also many other characteristics,
among them the quality of the learning material. We put in considerable
effort that the studies should not be done merely by rote, and we place an
important emphasis upon the methods of teaching and a positive learning
experience. We are currently in the process of reducing the number of
standard classroom hours, providing more meaningful studies on a one-onone basis and in small groups. The cooperative learning approach is also
used, as are extracurricular activities, e.g., nature studies in the surrounding
forests, davening Shacharis in the nearby olive grove, and educational trips
throughout the Chof HaCarmel region.
As a final word, Rabbi Dishon spoke with great praise about the schools
teaching staff. Our educational staff members are constantly learning and
adding to their professional qualifications. Only recently, they participated
in an instructional course at the teaching and training unit of the Schneider
Childrens Medical Center in Petach Tikva on the topic of parent-teacher
authority. As a result, we have seen an increase in student discipline and the
classrooms are run in a much quieter and calmer atmosphere.

I continued walking toward the bank when my

phone rang again. I was surprised to see his
name flashing on the display screen. I steeled myself for
another verbal onslaught, but to my great surprise, he
spoke this time calmly. You said that youre prepared to
jump into the sea and act with complete self-sacrifice for
the school, right? he asked. I replied in the affirmative.
Then Im coming by in another ten minutes. Put on your
hat and jacket, and bring a shofar with you.
The early years were hard for
everyone, teachers and students
alike. Certain staff members had

not been paid for months, yet

they continued to come and teach
with great devotion. When the

situation became unbearable (see

box), the regional councils chief
rabbi, Shimon Elmaliach, worked
on our behalf in our negotiations
with the regional council until
they agreed to place a suitable
facility at our disposal on the
yishuv of Kfar Sitrin. They even
agreed to pay for the renovations.
In the sixth year, thank G-d, we
moved to Kfar Sitrin, where we
have been ever since.
At what stage did the school
reach a state of stability?
This happened after three
years, when the regional council
authorized the renovation of the
Kfar Sitrin facility for us. In the
meantime, the council members
began to assist us in all matters
pertaining to our educational
program. Honorable mention
goes to Mr. Moshe Elazra, the
municipal director, who became
Chabads representative in the
corridors of local government,
and he gladly and cheerfully
offered his help whenever
necessary.
Regional
council
assistance came after the current
council head, Mr. Carmel Sela,
who was privileged to receive the
Rebbes bracha, declared that
he would help us if he would
be elected. In fact, he won the
election by a thin margin, and
thank G-d, he has helped ever
since.
We also managed that year
to forge a positive connection
with the director general of the
Israel Ministry of Education.
She greatly appreciated our
work and we eventually received
certification from the department
for government-sponsored ultraOrthodox learning institutions.
One final question in
conclusion: Today, after all the
difficulties and upheavals, what
is the schools most outstanding
aspect?
Continued on page 27

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PARSHA THOUGHT

THE END
OF COSMIC
DECEPTION
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

STEALING A MIND
One
of
the
many
commandments in this weeks
parsha, which is replete with
Mitzvos, is the prohibition against
theft. The Talmud (Sanhedrin
86a), cited by Rashi, points out
that the earlier commandment
against theft contained within the
so-called Ten Commandments
(in the Book of Shmos) actually
refers to kidnapping, which is
a capital crime akin to murder.
In this weeks version, the
prohibition against theft refers
specifically to theft of money or
property.
However, according to some
authorities, the commandment
against theft goes even beyond
property crimes. It is also a
commandment against certain
forms of deception.
Now, the ban on lying
is clearly spelled out in the
same verse in which the Torah
proscribes theft. Why do we need
another commandment to outlaw
deception? Moreover, in the
earlier section of Mishpatim the
Torah states distance yourself
from falsehood. What additional
form of deception is meant by the
commandment against theft?
The answer is that this

particular form of deception does

not involve an outright falsehood.
Rather, it refers to one who elicits
unearned gratitude from another.
For example, one who wants to
ingratiate himself with another
without actually having to earn
the gratitude, invites him or her
to his house for a meal knowing
that the other will definitely
decline. This, the Talmud
(Chullin 94a) calls gneivas
daas-theft of ones mind.
Another
classic
example
would be to make a gesture that
would naturally be interpreted
by the other as intended for his
honor where the person had
no such intention. The Talmud
(codified
by
Maimonides)
describes this scenario:
One should not open casks
[of wine, supposedly] for his
fellow which he must open for
sale, in order to deceive him
into thinking that they have been
opened in his honor.

DECEPTION OR THEFT?
TWO OPINIONS
There is a dispute between
the early authorities regarding
the nature of this prohibition.
According to Maimonides and
others it is an extension of the

law against uttering a falsehood.

Leaving a false impression falls
under the rubric of lying.
According to Rashi and
others, however, it is an extension
of the law of theft. To get another
to be indebted to you without
truly earning the others gratitude
is the equivalent of receiving
something of value without truly
paying for it.
What
is
the
practical
difference between these two
approaches?
We can find the difference in
the foregoing case of one who
does something for another,
such as opening the cask for
the purpose of sale, which is
misconstrued by the recipient as
a gesture of honor or affection.
This, as stated, the Talmud
forbids.
Suppose we modify this
scenario slightly and now the
one who opened the cask for sale
would have opened it to honor
his friend even if he wasnt going
to sell it? Perhaps the law that
prohibits doing so only applies
if the gesture is indeed an empty
gesture and the gratitude evoked
is unearned. If, however, he
truly harbored a sense of deep
admiration and affection for the
other, it would not be forbidden,
even though the gesture at this
moment was not intended to

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PARSHA THOUGHT
show his affection. The fact that
the gesture was not intended to
show affection now is mitigated
by the fact that the admiration
itself is genuine. Hence, when the
recipient reciprocates, it would
not be considered unearned and
therefore theft.
This conclusion, reached
by some, is only valid if we
maintain that the prohibition is
an extension of the ban against
theft. If, however, the reason for
the prohibition against theft
of the mind is the negation
of any trace of dishonesty, as
Maimonides asserts, it would still
be a problem, for then the gesture
was not intended for the other;
it would lack the imprimatur of
honesty.

TORAH FOR ALL TIMES

All matters of Torah are
directed to each individual on a
daily basis. The commandment
that prohibits theft of the mind
and other forms of deception
applies to each and every one of
us in the most literal sense. We
must be scrupulously committed
to truth in all our dealings.
However, the Torah also
speaks to us as a people and
directs its message to each and
every period of history. While
Torah remains uniform in all
times, there is a need to discover
a message that is particularly
relevant for each period.

GALUS: DECEPTION AND

THEFT
Jewish (and, indeed, world)
history can be divided into two
periods: truth and deception.
When the Bais HaMikdash
stood, G-ds truth was exposed
to view. A Jew could visit
the Bais HaMikdash and see
G-dly truth face to face. With
the destruction of the Bais

HaMikdash and the ensuing

Galus, truth was withdrawn and
a time and mindset of deception
entered the consciousness of the
world. A veil was placed over our
collective eyes which prevents us
from seeing the true reality of
existence.
This cosmic change trickled
down to the individual and made
it so that honesty and integrity
are no longer ours intuitively
but high ideals for which we
must strive. We, as individuals,
are prone to be less than honest
in our dealings with G-d, other
people and even with ourselves as
a result of Galus conditions!
Of
course,
there
are
exceptions to this rule which
include the tzaddikim G-d has
planted in every generation,
who
are
miniature
G-dly
sanctuaries. Their presence is
required in all times so that we do
not lose sight of what has been
and what can be and what will
be in the final Geula-Redemption
when the veil will be removed. At
that time we will all see the true
reality of existence and translate
that realization into a higher level
of integrity in our own personal
lives.

THE TWO RELATED

QUESTIONS
We can now gain a deeper
insight
into
the
Talmuds
statement (Shabbos 31a) that
when our souls come to the
heavenly court we will be asked
six questions. The first question
will be, Have you dealt honestly
in your business? Only later are
we asked, Have you anticipated
Redemption? (We will leave
the other four questions for
another occasion.) Why does the
question about integrity precede
the question about anticipating
Redemption?

The answer is that when we

pursue honesty and integrity in
our daily lives it is a sign that
we are preparing ourselves for
the Redemption and that we
are trying to pierce the veil that
covers up Divine reality. If we
would yearn for Redemption but
not be honest in our business
dealings it would prove that our
yearning was not sincere.

THE TWO ELEMENTS OF

GALUS
In light of the earlier
discussion of two approaches to
theft of the mind, one may also
suggest that Galus brings with it
two negative phenomena. Galus
is guilty of both deception and
theft.
Galus is the source of
deception because it does not
allow us to be in touch with
G-dly reality and even with our
real inner selves. As a result of
this deception we may gravitate
toward evil masquerading as
good.
But Galus is not content with
leading us astray; it also robs
our G-dly souls of their needs
and desires. If Galus would just
cause us to see darkness as light
it would be bad enough. But
Galus also obscures the light of
the soul and considers it to be
darkness, thereby robbing our
soul of its ability to edify and
elevate us. While the soul thinks
it is getting what it needs and
shows gratitude, it is truly getting
nothing.

LAVAN AND EISAV MODELS

OF DECEPTION
To help us break out of our
Galus addiction to the twin
disasters of deception and
robbing our souls treasures, we
must turn to the Torah. There we
can see two models of deceptive

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individuals, Lavan and Eisav,

who were the very archetypes of
deception.
Lavan was entirely about
deception but at least he did not
go as far to feign righteousness.
Eisav, on the other hand, was
compared to the non-kosher pig
which stretches out its split hoof
(a kosher sign) while hiding
its lack of the other kosher
requirement (chewing the cud).
Eisav would try to impress his
father Yitzchak by asking him
questions about tithing straw
and salt, and he also married
a relative, the daughter of
Yishmoel, even as he kept his
other idolatrous wives. All this
was intended to impress Yitzchak
with his non-existent piety.
According to the Rebbes
analysis (in Likkutei Sichos
volume 35, p. 117), Eisavs
duplicity was more egregious
than Lavans, who was no slouch
when it came to dishonesty.
While Lavan was a master
of duplicity, he did not try to

Continued from page 24

The school today provides
a proper Chassidic education
to about a hundred Jewish boys
and girls, and our objective is to
double our current number of
students.
As to your question, in my
opinion, the institution above
all is characterized by the high
quality of our staff, Chassidic
teachers with yiras Shamayim
and B.A. degrees in education,
devoted to their work as they
provide a warm and caring
relationship with their students
and a pleasant family atmosphere
during school hours. The small
classes enable a more personal
approach toward each individual

promote his virtues. Eisav,

on the other hand, dishonestly
hid his treacherous deeds and
impurity even as he sought
unearned
admiration
from
Yitzchak
by
flaunting
his
ostensible righteousness.
The twin vices of Eisavand
of our final exile with which our
Sages say he is associatedcan
be said to correspond to the
two components of theft of the
mind: deception and theft.

EISAV IS SALVAGEABLE
However, the Rebbe notes
that Eisav has a saving grace; he
practiced his deception only with
Yitzchak. When dealing with his
brother Yaakov, Eisav made no
attempt to hide his hostility.
The Rebbe explains that in
truth, Yitzchak was able to see
the hidden good in Eisav. Indeed
that good ultimately manifested
itself with the conversion of
his descendants to Judaism,
particularly the Talmudic Sages
Rabbi Meir, Unkelus, Shmaya,

child. The students have made

some wonderful achievements
during the past year. They were
tested on Gemara, Mishna, and
numerous chapters of Tanya by
heart. The teachers efforts have
paid off, as the students live and
breathe Chassidus.
This is a school of shlichus.
We have students who come
from all sectors of the Jewish
People Chabadnikim, children
of shluchim, children of Chabad
supporters, children from the
national religious community,
Sephardim, Ashkenazim, and
even from currently non-Torah
observant homes. This mixture
creates a marvelous composition,
and we have the challenge to lead
them along the path of Chabad

Avtalyon and the prophet Ovadia.

Yitzchak therefore wanted to
bless Eisav to help him actualize
his latent good, which he hoped
would neutralize Eisavs evil.
Hence, Eisavs external show
of piety was actually a sign that
he possessed a hidden spark of
goodness, which only Yitzchak
was empowered to detect and
activate.
This, the Rebbe says, can
explain what we have been
accomplishing during this long
period of Galus associated with
Eisav. We have been slowly and
painstakingly
extracting
the
positive energy, paving the way
for the future transformation of
Eisav.
In a much later talk, the Rebbe
declared that the refinement
of the sparks necessary for the
Redemption has been completed.
Now our efforts have to be
geared to welcoming Moshiach
and Redemption into our lives
and the lives of our families and
communities!

and uplift them accordingly.

***
Rabbi Sabag concluded the
interview with a call (joined by
the principal, Rabbi Eran Dishon)
to young Chabad couples to
come and take part in the young
dynamic community developing
in the beautiful Chof HaCarmel
region. They emphasized how this
can be combined with shlichus
in one of the local yishuvim and
even joining the schools veteran
staff of educators, thereby turning
the school into a virtual magnet.
Atlit already has a kindergarten
system for children between the
ages of three and six. Today, the
shlichus in this region is much
easier and simpler because there
is a Chabad school nearby.

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MIRACLE STORY

A CHILD
RESTORED
TO LIFE
A thrilling and moving story of a baby girl
struggling for her very life, trust in Alm-ghty
G-d, and faith in the amazing answers of the
Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, which strengthened
the childs parents during those difficult days.
R Mendy Horvitz and his wife, Miriam, reveal
for the first time the chaotic events surrounding
their daughters illness and eventual recovery.
By Nosson Avraham
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry

he Chabad community of
Tzfas recently breathed
a sigh of relief. The
entire
community

men, women, and children in the

local educational institutions and
synagogues united for a period of
two weeks in reciting Thillim and
making good resolutions on behalf
of two-month old Chaya Bracha
Chana Horvitz.
The child was suffering from
a serious bronchial virus. When
complications set in, she was
hospitalized on Zos Chanukah
in the intensive care unit of the
Sieff Medical Center with her life

in actual danger. Her condition

fluctuated and at one point, her
parents were even called to her
hospital room as the doctors were
desperately trying to save her.
In a most wondrous and
miraculous fashion, the girl
managed to overcome her severe
illness and recovered completely
as if nothing had happened. The
doctors and hospital staff were
positively amazed, admitting
that this was nothing less
than an extraordinary medical
phenomenon.
The child was eventually
released, and after a series

of comprehensive tests and

examinations, the diagnosis was
confirmed: completely healthy in
every respect.
In an interview with Beis
Moshiach, the young parents,
R Mendy Horvitz and his wife
Miriam (nee Givoni), speak
about the days of difficulty and
crisis together with the uplifting
and glorious moments that
strengthened their faith and trust
thanks to the brachos of the
Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach that
accompanied them throughout
that trying period.

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CALL AN AMBULANCE
IMMEDIATELY, THE
DOCTOR ORDERED
Our daughter was born this
year on Zayin Marcheshvan,
said Mrs. Horvitz as she began
her story. She is our second
child after our first-born son.
Naturally, there are a variety
of ways to describe the joy and
light she brought to our home.
She was born totally healthy and
developed normally for the first
two months of her life.
And
then
came
Zos
Chanukah. During the preceding

days she had developed a chill,

although nothing serious. She
had a slight cough and runny
nose, but it seemed to be
something that would pass as
quickly as it appeared. However,
when I looked at her face on
the morning of Zos Chanukah,
my motherly instinct told me
that something was wrong. She
appeared very weak and lethargic,
and she had no appetite. At this
stage, while we didnt realize
that the situation was serious,
we were responsible enough to
make an appointment with the
pediatrician at our local health
clinic.
When we arrived at the clinic,
we first went into the nurses
station for an initial appraisal of
our daughters condition. When
the nurse looked at her, her eyes
opened wide. Without saying a
word, she grabbed the baby out
of my hands and burst into the
pediatricians office. After a few
seconds, she ran out and then
returned to the doctor a few
moments later with an oxygen
balloon. At a certain point, we
also came into the office, still
not grasping the significance of
the dramatic pressure-packed
activities swirling around us. Call
an ambulance immediately, the
doctor instructed the secretary,
as we stood in stunned disbelief.
We had not expected to face
such drama and hysteria. We
simply thought that the doctor
would give us a prescription for
antibiotics or ear drops and then
send us home. Within a matter
of minutes, the paramedics
arrived at the clinic, placed the
baby on a stretcher, and told us
to join them as they took her to
the hospital. Upon arrival at the
emergency room, the doctors
on call gave the same diagnosis
as our pediatrician a serious
case of bronchitis resulting in a
blockage of air into her lungs.

With a child at such a young age,

no unnecessary chances should
be taken, and they immediately
transferred her to the ICU.
The doctor informed us
that they would bring her to the
regular childrens ward only
when her condition improves.
They hooked her up to an
intravenous infusion and placed
her on oxygen, while periodically
applying anesthetics. I looked
pitifully at my infant daughter
for several long minutes before
they asked me to leave the room.
She clearly was having difficulty
breathing on her own, as her tiny
chest rose and fell slowly.
As we were waiting outside
the ICU, I called my mother to
update her on the situation and
asked her to write a letter to the
Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach,
in request of a blessing for our
child. I was frightened by these
developments, and I simply told
my mother to ask for a bracha
without looking to see what the
Rebbe had written. I just wanted
with all my heart to receive the
Rebbes bracha.
That evening, we left the
hospital to be with our son and
preserve our strength for the
following day. My brother-inlaw, R Refoel Avraham Dobkin,
agreed to relieve us and take the
night watch. My mother came to
the hospital in the morning and
we got ready to come there later.
In the afternoon, as we made the
final preparations before leaving
the house, I got a phone call from
my mother. She told me that the
doctors had just come out and
said that they were preparing to
hook our child up to a respirator.
They were asking the parents to
come as quickly as possible and
be at their daughters side.
This news hit me like a
twenty-pound
sledgehammer.
The heavy feeling in my heart

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MIRACLE STORY

Who would have believed that we had come

here just two weeks earlier with deep concern
for our daughters very survival? As the Rebbe had
instructed at the conclusion of the letter, we increased
our mivtzaim activities during those two weeks among
the parents and visitors of the hospital patients. We were
also there on the auspicious day of Hey Teves, and there
were numerous mothers who bought sfarim on tfilla
through us. Men put on tfillin and we spoke with many
other women about faith and trust in the Creator.
nearly shattered me in those
moments. Sadly, I had only
recently lost my father ah, and
the doctors call for us to come
quickly to our daughters bedside
brought me back to those dark
and somber days. I felt consumed
by a sense of genuine fear for the
fate of my daughter.

THE REBBES
ENCOURAGING BRACHOS
We left the house as I was
still in a state of deep anxiety.
The first thing my husband and
I did was to pledge a charitable
contribution to each of the
institutions where we worked.
It is written that tzdaka saves
from death, and this was the best
segula that we could possibly
implement at that moment.
Naturally, we continued to say
Thillim in her merit. In the
meantime, my husband called our
neighbor, Rabbi Dovid Shaer, the
mashpia at Yeshivas Chanoch
Lenaar, and asked him to write a
letter to the Rebbe on our behalf.
While we were en route to the
hospital, he sent us an SMS with
the Rebbes reply, as it appears in
Igros Kodesh, Vol. 21, pg. 170:
With a blessing for success in
his holy work and for proper
health and a long and good life

with all its meanings.

This clear answer was very
encouraging to us. Then, even
before we entered the hospital
gates, my brother-in-law, R
Avremi Dobkin, also called us.
He had already managed to
return home, and when he heard
about his nieces deteriorating
health situation, he quickly wrote
a letter to the Rebbe and sent us
the answer that he received in
Vol. 18, pg. 286:
...And so is this case if he will
look upon the aforementioned
as a manner of burden and hard
work. However, when he will
see the matter in its true sense,
that this is a joyful matter that
can act for the good of many
Jews, and on this it is also said,
It is not incumbent upon you
to complete the work, then you
can do this according to your
ability, going slowly from level
to level, from the easy to the less
easy, in a way that he shouldnt
tire himself out. Naturally, the
doctor treating him should
not only agree to this, but also
encourage and bolster him,
and the work should also bring
a strengthening of physical
health in its simplest sense, in
addition to the doctors other
instructions.
With these answers, we

realized that the Rebbe was

sending us a message of calm,
asking that we let the doctors do
their work while we continue our
responsibilities on the spiritual
front.
When we arrived at the
waiting
room
outside
the
intensive care unit, the doctors
informed us that they were
fighting to save her life... For
these next two hours, doctors
came in and out carrying
numerous instruments. Their
faces were clouded with concern,
and no one stopped to notice or
speak with us.
These were extremely tense
and frightful moments that I
wouldnt wish upon anyone to
endure. Every doctor or nurse
who came out of the room made
our hearts jump. Out of a deep
sense of fear and worry for
receiving terrible news, I prayed
that they wouldnt come over to
us and should continue on their
way. During those moments, I
imagined hearing the worst.
The people who came to
bolster our spirits during those
difficult moments were Rabbi
Shlomo Raskin, director of Beis
Chana Tzfas, and Rebbetzin
Malka Wilschansky, who had
been at our familys side ever
since the passing of my father
ah. During those two hours, we
tried to calm our nerves by sitting
not always without distraction
and learning from Shaar
HaYichud VHaEmuna in Tanya.
In the meantime, messages were
sent to all members of the Tzfas
community to daven and recite
Thillim for our daughters
recovery. Our hearts were deeply
touched by everyones efforts,
even those with whom we had no
close contact.
At a certain stage, one of
the doctors came out, and my
husband got up the courage to

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ask him what was happening. I

remained in my place, not daring
to come any closer.
The doctor provided a full
accounting of the situation,
telling him that there had been
a serious deterioration in her
condition two hours earlier. Her
respiratory system had collapsed
and they had to help her breathe
artificially through a machine. As
soon as the breathing tubes were
attached, this created air pressure
on her lungs. Gaps were formed
in the lungs themselves, filling
the chest cavity with air. There
was now a serious concern that
the baby was about to suffer a
cardiac arrest.
For a period of two hours,
our childs life hung in the
balance. The doctors worked
feverishly to revive her, and on
several occasions, she didnt have
a pulse. They almost gave up
and stopped their resuscitative
activities, when she again showed
slight signs of life. This motivated
the staff to continue their efforts
until her pulse was brought back
to normal. The air entering her
chest cavity was let out through
the tubes they had inserted.
At a certain point, the head
of the medical staff dealing with

her case, Dr. Yuri Weiner, came

out to us and said quite honestly
that he had already accepted
that she might not make it, and
he considered it amazing that
she was still alive. You have a
child with a strong will to survive
that you dont encounter every
day, he said with undisguised
excitement. Shes fighting like a
lioness for her life. The problem,
he explained, was that despite
her more stable condition, he
couldnt promise that the child
would last through the night.
Rabbi Raskin heard what
the doctor said and then began
to speak with him in his mother
tongue, Russian. A doctor is only
given permission to heal, and
not to predict what will be, he
said. My mother asked him to be
optimistic and hope for the best.
After a few more hours, my
husband and I returned home,
and my brother-in-law again
volunteered to spend the night
near his nieces bedside.
Throughout that night, the
situation was not good, as her
condition remained unstable.
The doctors inserted a tube to
drain the fluid from her lungs,
however, they were so weak that
they couldnt supply oxygen to

the bloodstream. As a result,

she needed constant supervision
and medication. The next day,
her condition seemed better,
and with G-ds help, she kept
improving. The gaps in her lungs
began to close on their own, the
signs of life reappeared, and she
became more active.

THE HEALER OF ALL

FLESH WHO PERFORMS
WONDERS WILL GIVE THEM
THE CORRECT IDEA
The following day, before
we returned to the hospital, I
passed by my mothers house
and opened the volume of Igros
Kodesh where I had placed
a letter the day before. I was
stunned. The answer appeared in
Vol. 18, pg. 256:
After a long break, his letter
from the 20th and the 28th of
Adar Rishon was received, in
which he writes the doctors
opinion regarding [his] health.
And its slightly amazing
what he wrote that the prostate
operation is a serious matter,
and he had even done a portion
of it some years ago. Here, they
do this and it is considered a

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MIRACLE STORY
normal operation, and while
there are matters that require
clarification
according
to
Shulchan Aruch (as they cut the
ducts in most cases), since he
has already done a portion of it,
there is surely no need to clarify
this as well. Similarly, its a bit
unclear what he wrote that its
difficult to crush the [kidney]
stone due to its size, as it would
seem that there is no practical
difference as in any case, he
should consult again with two
specialists and act according to
their joint opinion. May G-d
Alm-ghty, who heals all flesh
and performs wonders, give
them the correct idea of which
treatment to advise him and the
treatment will succeed.
And as we are now in the
month of Adar, which are days
of good fortune and success for
the entire Jewish People, it is my
hope that although he doesnt
mention a word on this matter,
he is involved in spreading the
wellsprings and I want to hope
that he is also increasing in this,
according to the command to
increase in matters of holiness.
[Regarding] the place of
the medical treatment, he
should consult with a doctor
acquaintance
who
knows
details on places and the doctors
offering treatment.
I read the answer, and I was
amazed by its clear and precise
messages. I took the seifer with
me and I decided to act according
to the Rebbes advice.
As soon as I arrived at the
medical center, I told Dr. Yuri
Weiner about the Rebbes answer
and its content, and he was
equally happy by the response.
A very humble man, he referred
me to the doctor in charge of
the hospitals ICU for infants
a prominent expert in pediatrics
who agreed to evaluate our

daughters medical history. After

a lengthy and thorough review,
he told us that in his opinion,
the treatment given was essential
and proper, and he wouldnt have
done anything differently.
With regard to the Rebbes
instructions to consult with a
rofeh-yedid, we decided to use
the pediatrician at our health
clinic. She had been the first to
recognize the seriousness of our
daughters condition and agreed
with the treatment provided by
the staff at the Sieff Medical
Center.
By G-ds Divine Kindnesses,
the babys condition continued
to improve with each day, and it
could be said that she received
her life anew. At the start of
her rehabilitation, there was a
concern that as a result of what
she had gone through, she might
have suffered some long-term
damage. However, after a series
of tests, it was determined that
everything
was
functioning
within normal parameters.
She remained in the hospital
for two weeks. When the
apertures in her lungs closed, it
was a sign that her condition had
improved to the point that she
would soon be back to normal.
We received the release
papers from the hospital and
headed home happy and
relieved. Who would
have believed that we
had come here just
two weeks earlier with
deep concern for our
daughters survival? As
the Rebbe had instructed
at the conclusion of the
letter to my mother, we
increased our mivtzaim
activities during those
two weeks among the
parents and visitors of
the hospital patients,
and we saw much

success in our efforts. We were

also there on the auspicious day
of Hey Teves, and there were
numerous mothers who bought
sfarim on tfilla through us. Men
put on tfillin and we spoke with
many other women about faith
and trust in the Creator.
*
Mrs.
Miriam
Horvitz
concluded her story with great
emotion, as she gave thanks to
Alm-ghty G-d for the miracle He
did for her daughter.
For me and for my husband,
this was a tremendous lesson
in faith and hiskashrus to the
Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
There were moments of anguish
and despair that threatened to eat
away at us. After the traumatic
experience of my fathers recent
illness and passing, thoughts of
accepting her fate began to enter
my troubled mind. Then, we
received clear answers from the
Rebbe that instilled me with great
hope and emuna, and which
proved to be the eventual reality.
Fortunate are we that we
are Chassidim, connected to the
Tree of Life. We also wish to take
this opportunity to thank those
who offered their assistance and
their prayers, and those who
made good resolutions for our
daughters health.

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TZIVOS HASHEM

THE TFILLIN

SAVED HIM
By Nechama Bar

It was many nights already

that Sarah, Yairs mother,
did not sleep well. Disturbing
raced
constantly
thoughts
through her mind. She was very
worried. Yair, her dear son, was
far from home. He was enlisted
in the US army.
A tough war was being
waged between the United
States and Vietnam. Many
civilians were hurt and quite
a few soldiers did not return
home. Not surprisingly, Yairs
mother was consumed with
worry. She did not know what
would be and she prayed to
Hashem that the war end
quickly and Yair return safely.
Familiar knocks could be
heard at the door and they
of
train
her
interrupted
thought. Sarah opened the door
and exclaimed, Yair! How good
it is to see you! She hugged her
son and cried.
How are you Yair? Do you
have good news to tell me?
Um one piece of news
that is good and one that is less
so. Ill start with the good news.
They gave me two weeks off!
The less good news is that after
this break, we are going to the
front lines...
Sarah sighed deeply.
Since you are here, I will
call the Rebbes office and try

to arrange an appointment
for you with the Rebbe. I want
the Rebbe to bless you that you
return home safely. I am very
nervous...
Yair nodded.
A few days later, Yair and
his parents were in the Rebbes
office. The Rebbes eyes gave
them a secure feeling.
Yair asked for a bracha that
he return home soon, healthy
and whole.
The Rebbe said, I will give
you a pair of tfillin which you
should take with you.
Yair smiled. Rebbe, I live
here, in Crown Heights, and
I am religious. I have my own
tfillin which I put on every
day.
But the Rebbe insisted.
Leave your tfillin at home and
take the tfillin I will give you.
Yair was surprised by this
request but obeyed it. A few
days later a pair of tfillin from
the Rebbe was waiting for him
in the secretaries office. Yair
took the tfillin with him and
kept a close watch over them.
The furlough passed by
quickly and he returned to his
base. The tfillin were always
in his personal bag so they
wouldnt get lost. And of course,
he put them on every day.

Soldiers, get ready to leave.

In precisely two hours we are
heading out to the airpor t. We
are flying to Hawaii and from
there to Vietnam, said their
officer.
ready
got
soldiers
The
quickly and took their duffle
bags and waited for the next
order. Yair felt his bag again
and made sure that his precious
tfillin were there.
in
landed
soldiers
The
days
few
a
within
Hawaii and
their commanding officer told
them to go to the airpor t. At
the appointed time the soldiers
stood ready and waiting for
the plane to take them to war.
There was utter silence. The
atmosphere was tense as each
soldier was immersed in his
thoughts, trying not to think
what might happen. They had
heard the bad news from the
front lines. Many soldiers had
been killed and the battle did
not seem to be going in their
favor.
the
hour
another
In
soldiers would be boarding the
plane. Suddenly, a US colonel
appeared. He ran over to the
commanding officer and spoke
to him agitatedly. I must
get on this flight! I have an
important job to take care of.
I am sorry, but there is no

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Tzivos Hashem

room. All the seats are taken

by my soldiers, apologized the
officer.
What do you mean there
is no room? screamed the
colonel. I told you I have an
urgent matter to take care of. I
must board that plane. If there
is no other choice, then one
soldier must remain here. When
a new group of soldiers comes,
he will join them.
The officer did not respond.
He was not happy about
carrying out the colonels order
but had to do so.
Throughout the dialogue,
Yair stood near the officer and
the colonel and heard every
word that was said.
The colonel momentarily
looked up and noticed Yair.
He pointed at him, looked at

the officer, and declared, This

soldier will remain here. He can
travel another time. I will take
his place.
The officer nodded, having
no choice, and Yair was
separated from the other
soldiers in his regiment and
remained alone at the airpor t.
He later returned to a nearby
base and waited for further
orders. Some days passed and
a new group of soldiers arrived.
They were also heading toward
the front lines in Vietnam.
He joined these soldiers he
did not know and traveled with
them to the airpor t. They all
boarded a plane. Yair embraced
his tfillin. He felt confident and
protected. He knew that the
Rebbes bracha accompanied
him. With all the difficulties and
worries, he was sure he would

eventually return
home in good shape.
hours
Several
passed and then
the plane landed in
Vietnam. The first
thing Yair wanted
to do was locate
he
battalion
the
and
to
belonged
rejoin his buddies
from whom he had
parted. But he could
not find them.
asked
He
who
officer
the
the
commanded
battalion he had
joined, Please find
my battalion and
arrange a way for
me to join them.
so
am
I
surprised they are
not here. This is the
place where they
are supposed to be,
said the officer in
surprise. He took his
communications radio out of his
pocket and contacted someone,
then waited for a reply.

Silence.
Do you hear me? he asked.
I hear you but I dont
have good news, said the
commander as he chose his
words. Uh, the plane they
were traveling on was shot
down by the enemy and it fell
into the sea. The plane sank
and nobody survived.
Your G-d loves you. You
were given your life as a gift,
said the officer to an emotional
Yair. Yair knew good and well
in what merit his life had been
saved. He hugged the tfillin he
had gotten from the Rebbe as
he cried.

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