CONTENTS

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FEATURED ARTICLES WEEKLY COLUMNS

WHERE ARE THE TANYAS?!

Rabbi Moshe Nisselevitch ah

ADONEINU 17 SHLUCHEI TO BRING MOSHIACH TZIDKEINU

R Menachem Mendel Belinov Rabbi Daniel Levy Rabbi Yehoshua Zelig Rivkin

4 Dvar Malchus 14 Parsha Thought 36 Moshiach & Geula 38 Tzivos Hashem 40 Crossroads

Rabbi Rachamim Benin Rabbi Chaim Jacobs

LIVE AMONGST 28 TO CHASSIDIM

T Maidanchek

IN THE SNOW 32 SHLICHUS Mordechai Segal

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DVAR MALCHUS

BASI LGANI 5714

Beis Moshiach presents the maamer the Rebbe MHM delivered on Yud Shvat 5714, in accordance with the custom established by the Rebbe to review each year a section of the Rebbe Rayatzs maamer Basi LGani of 5710. This year we focus on the fourth section of the profound and foundational chassidic discourse. Part 3
Translated by Boruch Merkur

TOHU: A HOUSE WITH MORE LIGHT, MORE POWER

The explanation of why man depends on the three lower kingdoms, even for his spiritual subsistence, pertains to the fact that the mineral, plant, and animal kingdoms are rooted in the [primordial] world of Tohu, which precedes [mans place of origin] the world of Tikkun. The difference between the two worlds is expressed in the saying, He builds in order to demolish and demolishes in order to build. The [original] building that is demolished [Tohu] precedes the building that is constructed at the site of the demolition [Tikkun]. The intent here is not to trace the sequence of the origination of these worlds, but to establish the causal relationship between them, for there cannot be a construction at the site of the demolition if there first were not an original structure that was demolished. In fact, the original structure precedes the new building not only causally but also qualitatively, as in the saying, In Tohu there is a multitude of lights but insufficient vessels [to contain them], whereas in Tikkun there are few lights but many vessels. The concept of the many lights of Tohu is not just in terms of quantity (which is reminiscent of a physical condition) but also in quality (reminiscent

of a spiritual condition); it is a different kind of emanation, one that is far superior. What originates in Tohu is primordial in a manner akin to the way a peel precedes the fruit itself not only physically but also spiritually. The vitality of the peel precedes the vitality of the fruit in the same manner whereby Tohu precedes Tikkun. Thus, also in terms of his spiritual needs, man [whose soul is rooted in Tikkun] needs the mineral, plant, and animal kingdoms, for they originate in Tohu, which precedes Tikkun, and therefore contain [lofty] sparks of G-dliness. This explanation resolves how it is possible for the Animal Soul to cover over and conceal the G-dly soul. Namely, insofar as the origin of the Animal Soul vastly transcends the origin of the G-dly Soul. It is within the power of the Animal Soul, the Mitteler Rebbe explains, to conceal the G-dly Soul

According to the above it would follow that a ruach shtus would be able to conceal the entire truth, no truth being able to penetrate its veil of obscurity and concealment...

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because the Animal Soul originates from Tohu, whose power far exceeds that of Tikkun. Thus, it is said that the Evil Inclination is first to plead his case (Zohar I 179b) [appearing in a person from infanthood, whereas the Good Inclination is only introduced at the age of thirteen, the time of bar mitzva], for its source is Tohu, which precedes Tikkun. Since the Evil Inclination originates from Tohu, which precedes Tikkun, a ruach emerges from it a spirit that is (ultimately) only shtus, folly that covers over the truth, obscuring the truth as it is manifest in the Seider Hishtalshlus and as it is drawn into the soul of man.

EVEN THE IGNORANT ARE FEARFUL OF CERTAIN SINS

4. However, according to the above it would follow that a ruach shtus would be able to conceal the entire truth, no truth being able to penetrate its veil of obscurity and concealment. But we see that that is not so. Rather, when Jews are put to the test on a matter of faith, when confronted with an overt and utter departure from G-dliness, then, even the most frivolous Jew, who spends the majority of his life wallowing in the mire of extremely heinous sins, is unaffected by the ruach shtus; in such a pivotal case, it possesses no power to conceal from him the truth, etc. The power of faith brings the Jew to stand up to the test (not only with regard to faith itself, but) even in terms of thought, speech, and action. The Jew stands up to the challenge of self-sacrifice, not even going through the motions of an action that is contrary to the faith in one G-d. The same applies to uttering something that detracts from G-ds unity, G-d forbid, even if he does not mean what he is saying, etc. (as the Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya, Ch. 19, end, 25b). Furthermore, even among the masses, the ignorant, and the small-minded, there are numerous prohibitions that Jews are fearful and petrified of transgressing. Now, this reluctance and trepidation is not on account of their possessing an intellectual appreciation of the severity of the sin. (They do not even possess the capacity for that kind of thought, having a much greater affinity with physical and material concerns than intellectual matters. That is, even the [spiritually accomplished] Beinoni is subject to the cumulative impact of simply eating

When Jews are put to the test on a matter of faith, when confronted with an overt and utter departure from G-dliness, then, even the most frivolous Jew, who spends the majority of his life wallowing in the mire of extremely heinous sins, is unaffected by the ruach shtus; in such a pivotal case, it possesses no power to conceal from him the truth.

and drinking, as well as partaking of other worldly activities, as explained in Tanya Ch. 13 (18b). [The mere interaction with physical things, especially on a prolonged basis, strengthens the persons compulsion towards materialism.] How much more does this apply to those who are still striving to attain the level of Beinoni!) Rather, their naturally ingrained fear of sin predisposes them toward the dread of committing particular sins, especially those punishable by soul excision or death, etc. [What comes out from the above discussion is that clearly there are prohibitions that Jews naturally resist transgressing, and matters of faith that are not at all within the power of enticement of a ruach shtus. What accounts for this only partial dominion of the Animal Soul? If its source transcends that of the G-dly soul, what power is there that protects a Jew from its total domination, exposing him more readily to these more serious sins?] The answer is that Tohu precedes Tikkun only within Seider Hishtalshlus. Both Tohu and Tikkun are created worlds [each possessing qualities that can be ranked within a hierarchy]. But it is only in this context, within Seider Hishtalshlus, that Tohu is antecedent to Tikkun. Beyond the Seider Hishtalshlus (it is not that the two worlds are equal, but) Tikkun actually comes first. At that level [higher than the entire Seider Hishtalshlus, the natural order of Creation], the ruach shtus has no influence, etc. (To be continued beH)

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MEMOIRS

WHERE ARE THE TANYAS?!

Stories of a little boy in communist Russia. * About learning Tanya with mesirus nefesh and how learning Chassidus saved many from sin. * Rabbi Moshe Nisselevitch ah, former director of Chamah who passed away two years ago, shared hair-raising stories at a Chassidishe farbrengen. * Presented for Chaf-Dalet Teives, the yom histalkus of the Alter Rebbe-the Baal HaTanya.
to school like the other children? Staying at home was very dangerous since parents who did not send their children to the communist school could have the government remove their children from their home and send them to an orphanage. Nevertheless, my father did not allow me to go to school. The Rebbe Rayatz once said that if you sense that your wife is unhappy because you are not sending your son to school, dont let that bother you. Even if she yells at you, remember that if the children go to school, you will be ruining them. So dont answer her; just say I can only give my son to the melamed. The situation in Russia was extremely hard. Members of the Yevsektzia made us big problems. Mainly Jews worked in this government department, some of whom had attended yeshivos and then became communists. They published two newspapers in Yiddish which mocked Torah and mitzvos. They opened schools for Jews in which they studied communism in Yiddish. In Kremenchug, where I lived, a communist school was opened in which all the subjects were taught in Yiddish. Sadly, most of the Jews in the city sent their children to this school. Not going to school left me with lots of time on my hands. One time, out of boredom, I made some mischief and one of the neighbors called the police. The police came and the gentile neighbors told them how wicked I was. He does not go to school, they only eat kosher and they observe the Sabbath. His father

AVOIDING SCHOOL
I was born in Kremenchug in the Ukraine where approximately 60,000 Jews lived. After the Communist Revolution, only a few remained religious. Most children went to the communist school. When I was a child, the communists obligated children to attend public school where they were taught Marxism and Leninism, aka heresy. My father, R Chaim Nisselevitch, who was a Chassidic askan (communal worker) and did much on behalf of Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim, did not allow me to go to school. I remember the days I would sit at the window and watch the other children, including Jews, going to school with their briefcases while I remained at home. Sometimes I thought, when will I be able to go

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is a counter-revolutionary. This information placed my family in grave danger and as a result, I had to go to school. It was hard in school. Everyone was Jewish, but it was co-ed. The teachers were Jewish and spoke in Yiddish but the lessons were antithetical to Torah and Judaism. was afraid of what might happen to me and my father, because if you did not send your children to school, you could be sent to Siberia. And what would happen to me? Would I be taken to a communist orphanage? How would I keep mitzvos? The teacher began the lesson and did not say anything further school on Saturdays is because of my grandfather who died a few years ago. He forbade me from attending school on Saturdays. I placed the blame on my departed grandfather since I knew they could do him no harm. The principal said, Listen Nisselevitch, you must start coming and learning on Saturday. Shabbos came around again and I did not attend school. My mother cried all Shabbos since she knew how dangerous this was. We personally knew some Jews who were sent to Siberia because of this crime. On Sunday I went to school and once again was sent to the principals office. I entered his office trembling. He angrily stated, We will be leaving now. We went in his car to a tall, stately building in the center of the city. We went up some flights and he entered a room while I waited outside. A few minutes later, he came out and told me to go in. When I went in, I saw a long table with eight young men who appeared to be in their late twenties sitting there. When I walked in, they all rose in my honor and shook my hand respectfully. We sat down and one of the men began talking to me. I learned in yeshiva, he said softly. I know two hundred daf Gemara by heart, and he began to review sugiyos in the Gemara. My father was a rav but today I work in the Yevsektzia. The next young man said, I learned in the yeshiva in Slobodka. My father was a melamed. The third one said he learned in Lomza and his father was a shochet. They all introduced themselves and told me how knowledgeable they were in Shas.

They held my hands behind me and tried to force a pork sausage down my throat. I clamped my teeth together and thank G-d, they were unsuccessful. WITHSTANDING HEAVY PRESSURE
The first Shabbos, I did not go to school. On Sunday (in those days, there was a day off every six days. That way, the day of rest alternated every week, and was intended to break the set day of rest of other religions) I went to class and was terrified. When the teacher walked in I bent over and began tying my shoes. I figured that if she did not see my face, she would forget about me. The teacher began a test and then suddenly remembered, Nisselevitch, why didnt you come to school yesterday? I said I had a stomachache. She gazed at me and said, Yesterday was Shabbos, and all the kids burst out laughing. A week went by and it was Shabbos again and I did not go to school. Sunday morning the teacher walked into class and immediately asked me, Nisselevitch, get up! Why didnt you come to school? I had a headache, I said. Your head hurt you? Yesterday was Shabbos, she said cynically and once again, the class burst out laughing. This time I was trembling. I

to me. The third week, they decided to stop overlooking my absences. The teacher sent me to the principals office. I nervously climbed up to the third floor and went into the office of Pinchas, the son of R Shmuel. He was the son of a rabbi but he became a member of the Yevsektzia. Nisselevitch, why didnt you come to school on Saturday? he asked. I was silent. You can do well in your studies. We will help you. You will become a successful and honored man. Why dont you come to school on Saturdays? I remained silent. Then he began accusing my father. Your father is the one who forbids you to attend school on Shabbos. This time I was not silent for I knew that if I remained silent, this would be interpreted as consent on my part and then, woe to my father. No, I said. My father always encourages me to go to school and on Saturdays he yells at me because I am absent from school. The reason I dont attend

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R Nisselevitch farbrenging in Yeshivas Toras Emes. On the right: R Binyamin Zev Segal, the rosh yeshiva

Its important to pause here and explain how it was possible for the talmidim of these yeshivos to cave in to communism within a short time and become Yevsekim and work against Judaism, while Tmimim continued to be religious. The answer is, learning Chassidus in general and Tanya in particular, fortifies emuna. As the illustrious Chassid, R Hillel Paritcher said, the alef-beis needs to be learned from a Tanya because this strengthens the emuna. In the various yeshivos they learned a lot of Gemara but not Chassidus, which is why the Chabad talmidim clung to their faith and did not submit. Back to the story: some of these young men wore gold framed glasses from which I understood that they had become well-to-do because of their new job in undermining Judaism. They tried to talk to me nicely and convince me to go to school. Why hold on to the past? This generation is finished. In a little while, it will be all over. Start going to school on Shabbos and we will help you with whatever you need. I did not react. They did not give up but said it was my father

who forbade me from going to school on Shabbos. Thats when I finally spoke up. I said again that I was being faithful to my grandfather who forbade me from going to school on Shabbos. They laughed at me and said this was a lie and I had to say the truth. At this point they started in with clever ideas. If you dont want to bring books to school on Shabbos because you dont carry, then you can bring them to school before Shabbos. If you dont want to write on Shabbos, dont write; just attend school. They spoke and I was silent. Will you go to school? they asked, thinking they would hear a yes after all their promises and assurances. But I knew that at first I would go to school without books and without writing and then they would pressure me to desecrate the Shabbos. I was quiet. You are making a chillul Hashem they said. A Jew needs to make a kiddush Hashem and you? You are making a chillul Hashem. You dont go to school and they all laugh at you. Thats a chillul Hashem and its hard to do tshuva for making a chillul Hashem. You need to make a

kiddush Hashem. Go to school and they will all respect you as a Jew. For over two hours they tried, in nice ways and in angry tones, until they lost patience and began threatening me. If you dont go to school on Shabbos, we will send your father to labor camps in Siberia. He will suffer there and work hard and you will remain an orphan and your mother will be a living widow. We will take you to an orphanage with a locked dormitory. If you go to school on Shabbos, then you can keep kashrus and daven and keep mitzvos, but in our orphanage you wont be able to observe mitzvos at all, not kashrus, not Shabbos, and not tfilla. After all these threats they were sure I would capitulate. But I didnt. They threw me out of the room shouting, Get out of here! Go on Shabbos, and thats all. I left the place with the principal. All week, my family was terrified. We did not know what to do. Every now and then, someone said maybe I should go to school; maybe that was better than being in a communist orphanage. That Friday night in our home
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as they laughed at my being a religious Jew. One time, a few of the older boys caught me. They held my hands behind me and tried to force a pork sausage down my throat. I clamped my teeth together and thank G-d, they were unsuccessful.

CAN YOU HIDE FROM THE KGB?

During that difficult time, it was even hard to celebrate a bar mitzva. One of the boys, the son of one of the Chassidim, turned thirteen. His father lived in a city where there were no other religious Jews and he wanted to arrange a minyan for the Torah reading in his home so his son could have an aliya. He and his son were two men and within a few days he managed to convince another seven friends and relatives to come and complete a minyan in his home. The men were selected very carefully; these were men whom he knew would keep quiet. Needing a tenth man, and with no other option, he found someone whom he did not completely trust, to complete the minyan. They all arrived that morning. The host was afraid to hold a minyan for davening which is why a Torah was immediately taken out. It had been brought secretly the day before. The boy had his aliya. Immediately afterward, they dispersed, one by one. The Torah was returned to the shul and that was that. A long time passed and the gates of Russia opened. The host had received a bracha from the Rebbe to leave and he submitted a request for a visa. The day after he submitted the request, the man who had been the tenth for the minyan came to his house. I heard you want to go to Eretz Yisroel, he said. The Chassid denied it but the man said, I know that youre going and listen to what I have to say. From now on, do not let anyone into your home so you wont have problems. Then he said, Many years ago, the KGB made me give them information about everything I saw and heard among the Jews. Once a week, I would meet with them but I always said I hadnt seen or heard anything special. The week that your sons aliya took place, I went to them as usual and said I did not remember anything in particular. You liar, they said to me. You have information and youd better tell us. I insisted that I remembered nothing. Remember, they urged me. They pressured me until they said, You attended the bar mitzva. I realized that despite all the care you took, in that small group of men there were two of their people. This is why you must be exceedingly careful and do not rely on anyone. was like Tisha BAv. My mother kept crying and my father was sad and unsure of himself. Yes school, no school? He finally decided, Come what may, I will not send my child to school on Shabbos. We could not sleep that night. We thought the NKVD would come to take me away. For a moment it even seemed as though we heard their footsteps. In the morning I did not go to school. We were more worried than ever. On Sunday, I went to school and a miracle occurred. Nobody said a word. It seemed they had given up on me. But then they began keeping close tabs on me. Every morning, policemen came to the house to make sure I had gone to school. My tzaros werent over. In those days, it was customary that children went bareheaded in school. I wore a cap and this caused me much anguish. The children laughed at me and even took my cap away

IN THE SECRET YESHIVA

The difficult times did not stop even many years later. Our family had to flee Kremenchug for Kutais in Georgia where my uncle, my fathers brother, lived. I arrived at his house first and he told me that throughout the years, the NKVD questioned him about my fathers activities. As I said earlier, my father did a lot for Tomchei Tmimim. They suspected him of this and searched for evidence against him. There in Kutais I attended Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim. Learning in yeshiva in those days was a great test. Whoever sent their son to Tomchei Tmimim knew that he was putting not only his own life in danger but that of his entire family. When a boy was sent to one of the branches of Tomchei Tmimim, relatives would part from him with much crying for no one knew whether he would return. In the yeshiva in Georgia, farbrengens went on until the morning. Bachurim who were yerei Shamayim, big ovdim who davened at length and meditated on Chassidus, cried like babies. Why? Because they said they did not have enough yiras Shamayim; they wanted to be greater mekusharim. They cried because they wanted their toil in Chassidus to be as it ought. They cried for spiritual reasons. Until today, I live from those farbrengens.

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Georgian Jews manufactured very strong vodka. We would say lchaim on vodka and did not even have farbaisen (lit. something to bite into). That is how we farbrenged all night. Materially, it was very bad, but spiritually, it was very good. We learned in a narrow building that was attached to the mikva. We would learn by day and by night and none of us worked to support ourselves. There was nothing to eat but to stop learning was out of the question. There was a Chassid in Kutais who was greatly respected by the Jews of the city. When he realized we had nothing to eat, he wanted to collect money for the yeshiva, but how, when it was dangerous to mention the name Tomchei Tmimim? He went to the shul where Georgian Jews davened and sat on the floor and took off his hat. Dear Jews, he said, I dont have the wherewithal to support my family. Please, help me. They all wondered about a distinguished Jew like him not having money to buy food and each one gave him a donation. He gave the money to us so we could buy food.

The Chabad shul in Kremenchug (today)

R Mottel suddenly saw a vision of the Rebbe Rayatz in front of him. Say Tanya and be saved, said the Rebbe. He began saying Tanya and when the guard shot at him point blank, the bullet miraculously missed him.
paskened that it was obligatory to escape Russia, even on Shabbos. This was based on the principle that we desecrate one Shabbos in order to keep many more Shabbasos, and not only Shabbos but all the mitzvos. I was supposed to travel on Shabbos to the border city of Lvov but heaven decreed otherwise. I boarded a train to Moscow (from where we were supposed to go to Lvov) together with my mother and sister. The trip took several days and before Shabbos I took out all my documents, money and other muktza items from my pockets and put them in our bundles. On Shabbos morning, the train stopped at a station in the Kuibyshev region. My mother and I got off the train. Before we

HATRED FOR TANYA

The Tanya has always been the foundational book for Chassidim. Some disseminated the Tanya under the noses of the communists. A father and son from a Chassidic family from Leningrad would disseminate the Tanya. To one they would give the entire book, to another they would give some pages, the main thing being that everyone have Tanya to learn. This was in Stalins times and the two of them were eventually caught.

In the cellars of the secret police they began beating the son in front of the father until he died. The father realized that his end was also near. But this was not the case. He was sent to Siberia where he suffered until he died and did not merit a Jewish burial. The communists knew that the Tmimim and Chassidim held fast to their Judaism because they learned Chassidus, so they always looked for sifrei Chassidus and confiscated them. No wonder then that whoever they caught with sifrei Chassidus was punished severely. I heard a special story about this when I was about to leave the Soviet Union. It was after World War II when the gates of the Soviet Union opened. Rabbanim

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MemoirS
the guest standing behind the bookcase and looking for a book to learn. I went over to talk to him but he moved away. I tried to approach him once again but he moved away. I figured that if he was from the secret police, he himself would try to talk to me. I walked over to him quickly and before he managed to escape I began talking to him. Within a short time, we opened up to one another. He turned out to be R Mottel Lifshitz, a Lubavitcher Chassid from Moscow (his memoir in Yiddish is Zichronos foon Gulag). He told me why he had been sent to Siberia. He learned in the branch of Tomchei Tmimim in Kiev. The bachurim were mekarev an assimilated youth. One day, during the Tanya shiur, this youth left the yeshiva and went straight to the secret police headquarters. Within a few minutes, policemen had surrounded the place, some of them dressed in plainclothes and others in uniform. The bachurim had managed to hide the sifrei Chassidus and take out Gemaras when the police broke in. They conducted a thorough search but did not find the Tanyas. Were you just learning Tanya? shouted one of them. The bachurim explained that they were learning Gemara. Where are your Tanyas? screamed the police. Bring them. We know that you learn Tanya. The bachurim refused to disclose the hiding place and the police continued to search until they found them. They left the Gemaras in the yeshiva but took away the Tanyas. The communists knew that Chassidus is what kept the Chassidim going. The bachurim were taken to the interrogation cellars where they were tortured. They were

got off, the conductor announced that the train would leave in half an hour. Five minutes later, the train suddenly began moving and departed! My sister remained on the train alone and my mother and I were stuck at the station without documents or money. We walked around the train station until the police arrested us. I was accused of being a German spy. After a brief interrogation I was released. With the help of the Jews of the nearby town, I bought tickets after Shabbos for a train going to Moscow. Due to the loss of the documents and money, we waited for over three months in Moscow until other forged documents were obtained which I was supposed to take with me to Lvov. There, together with the other Chassidim, we were supposed to cross into Poland. Since I had no money for tickets, they got me tickets for soldiers that cost only a token sum. On the way to Lvov the train stopped in Kiev where the tickets

were examined. I was caught as a civilian using a soldiers ticket. I was taken off the train and once again, I was alone in an unfamiliar city. On Shabbos I went to shul where I met someone who invited me to stay with him. In his home, I met someone who looked very down. In those days, you didnt ask questions and so, throughout the meal, we kept quiet. Each one was afraid that the other might tattle on him to the authorities (see box). The host began talking to the guest who used the expression bpoel mamash, from which I understood that he knew Chassidic lingo and was apparently one of us. Still, I was afraid to talk to him. After the meal, I asked the host about him and he told me that the guest was caught learning Torah and was sent to Siberia. He returned from there just two weeks earlier. Although this story rang true, I was still afraid that he was a member of the secret police. The next day, I went to shul and saw

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asked where other bachurim learned but they did not reveal anything. In one of the interrogations, the interrogator asked the bachurim what power sustained them. All Jews try to keep mitzvos in their home, while you, wherever you go, you find children to teach, immediately placing holy water in the pit (mikva). Who or what gives you the strength for this? The bachurim remained silent. Then the interrogator said, You have a father; he is your Rebbe. Your Rebbe is the communists biggest enemy. He is the one who gives you the strength. The books of Chassidus of your Rebbe give you a lot of strength. Because they learned Tanya, the bachurim and R Mottel were sentenced to ten years in Siberia.

People listening avidly to R Nisselevitch

MIRACULOUS RESCUE
In order to understand the conditions under which the Chassidim lived in Siberia, I will tell a story that I heard from R Mottel. The prisoners slept in a barrack which was very crowded, to the point that it was quite warm despite the Siberian cold. Shortly after arriving in Siberia, they told him to move to a different barrack. He was supposed to go to a new barrack at night but he did not find the way. He walked for a long time and was lost in a camp that was spread out over a huge area. Suddenly, he heard shouts and bullets began shrieking over his head. Halt! Halt! shouted a guard in the guard tower. Why did you run away? I have the right to kill you now! R Mottel pleaded for his life but the guard told him, Quiet! Im killing you.

R Mottel suddenly saw a vision of the Rebbe Rayatz in front of him. Say Tanya and be saved, said the Rebbe. He began saying Tanya and when the guard shot at him point blank, the bullet miraculously missed him. Get out of here, yelled the guard. When he returned to the barrack, the prisoners told him that many had been killed when they got lost in the camp. During the days in which R Mottel and I spoke, I could see he was very depressed. He thought that Chabad no longer existed in Russia since all of them had been sent to Siberia. I told him that, thank G-d, Chabad was still alive and well. After a while, I left Kiev for Lvov where I met the Chassid R Michel Rappaport and other Chassidim who were friends of R Mottel. They helped him emerge from his depression and even provided him with an appropriate Chassidishe shidduch.

OPEN DOORS
As is known, many Chassidim

escaped Russia for Poland with forged documents. Many were caught and those who were unable to leave remained in Russia for many more years, including myself. I was in Lvov when I heard that Chassidim had been caught and that they were looking for other Chassidim in the city. I was afraid I would also be caught and so I disguised myself as a woman. I wore a kerchief and skirt and escaped the city. We lived in Samarkand for the next twenty-five years together with a group of Chassidim. It was later, in the 70s, when the Iron Curtain opened again that we all left for Eretz Yisroel. In 5732, I went to the Rebbe with other Chassidim who had left Russia at that time and we enjoyed many kiruvim. In the yechidus that I had, I brought the Rebbe pictures of the talmidim who learned in secret yeshivos. The yechidus lasted three quarters of an hour and the Rebbe gave me instructions regarding Judaism in Russia and the new immigrants in Eretz Yisroel.

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PARSHA THOUGHT

THE BIRD OF KNOWLEDGE

By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

THE LONE FROG

The second of the 10 plagues was frogs. Frogs spread throughout the entire land of Egypt and into every nook and cranny. Yet, oddly, the Torah describes this plague in the singular: And the tzfardeah [the frog] came up. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 67b) addresses this issue: Rabbi Akiva said that a single frog came out. It caused a swarm which spread throughout the entire land of Egypt. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said to him, Akiva, what do you have to do with Agada [the non-legal part of the Torah]? Cease your discourses [with Agada] and go to [the study of the intricacies of] Negaim [the laws of the person afflicted with a skin disease known as tzaraas] and Oholos [the laws that concern impurity contracted by being under the same roof as a corpse]. There was one frog, it croaked [or: whistled] to them [the other frogs] and they came. We thus have two versions of how one frog became many frogs: either they were spawned off the original frog (according to the Midrash it was caused by the Egyptians striking it), or the first frog simply summoned all the other frogs. There are several intriguing questions that must be resolved in this matter.

First, why did the plague come in this fashion, where one frog caused a multitude of frogs to afflict the Egyptians? Second, what is the real crux of the dispute between Rabbis Akiva and Elazar ben Azarya? Does it really make a difference whether they spawned from the first frog or were gathered together from other places? Either way, they were a plague of frogs. Third, what did Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya mean when he told Rabbi Akiva to devote himself to studying the tractates Negaim and Oholos? Rashi explains that Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya meant that since Agada was not Rabbi Akivas Talmudic specialty, he should occupy himself with the intricacies and complexities of Jewish law in those two tractates. That may well have been the surface meaning of Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryas comments. It is our task, however, to understand what deeper message was contained in this exchange with Rabbi Akiva.

Age: It will be on that day, there will be no light, yikaros and kipaon. The Talmud clarifies these two enigmatic words by stating that they refer to the tractates Negaim and Oholos which are yikaros-weighty in this world, but will be kipaon-trivial in the world to come. From this passage in the Talmud we see that the tractates Negaim and Oholos represent the difficulty and complexity of these laws in the present day and age. Why makes these laws so difficult?

PARADOX
As we shall see, these two subjects are both metaphors for Galus, the ultimate manifestation of difficulty. Negaim and Oholos are paradoxical subjects just as Galus is a paradox. On the one hand, Galus is punctuated with pain, suffering, discord, strife and concealment of G-ds presence. It is such a curse that, the Talmud states (Sukka 52b), even G-d says He regrets having created it. Obviously, G-d doesnt experience regret in the same fashion as humans. Rather, the Talmud wishes to underscore with this terminology the profound negativity that is Galus. On the other hand, Galus has provided us with the greatest

WEIGHTY AND TRIVIAL

Another passage in the Talmud may shed some light on this exchange between Rabbis Elazar ben Azarya and Akiva. The Talmud (Psachim 50a) cites a verse of the prophet Zechariah describing the future Messianic

14 24 Teives 5774

opportunity to accomplish what we could not when we lived in the Land of Israel. The suffering in Galus has exposed and refined our most powerful soul-powers. The self-sacrifice and dedication that so many thousands of Jews have exhibited in the darkness of Galus requires us to put Galus itself on a pedestal. Moreover, according to the teachings of Kabbala and Chassidus, Galus possesses a hidden dimension of G-dly energy that we cannot access until the time of GeulaRedemption. And precisely because these inaccessible energies are so powerful and elusive, they manifest themselves in negative ways. Redemption is, therefore, not a repudiation of exile but rather the actualization of its latent powers; we will then be able to internalize and wield these powerful energies in a totally positive fashion. The subject of Negaim is thus a metaphor for Galus because it too is paradoxical. The impurity that one contracts when afflicted with the tzaraas skin lesion is a result of the blocked sublime spiritual energy that is forced to manifest itself on the surface as a negative phenomenon. Likewise, the law of impurity due to contact with a corpse is an enigma and a paradox reflective of the very paradox of Galus. A dead body is considered the source of the most severe form of impurity (simply being under the same roof as a corpse causes impurity, which is the subject of the tractate Oholos). The paradox here is that, according to the Midrash, a dead body itself is not impure, especially of that of a righteous person whose body was the instrument of fulfilling G-ds will. Yet, ironically, it confers the most severe form of impurity

All of this points to the enigma of exile. We are simultaneously estranged from Him and His G-dly purity even as we can never truly be detached from Him During Galus weve exhibited the worst possible traits and experienced our greatest failures, even as we have achieved the greatest of feats and demonstrated unparalleled super-human capabilities.
Chasam Sofer explains that the word itself alludes to Moses and the future Redemption. The first part of the word, tfzar, means morning or tomorrow while deah means knowledge. The tzfardeah is a portent both of the future Redemption and the one who is responsible for its happening. Alternatively, the word tzfardeah, as the Midrash states, is a compounding of the words tzippor a bird and deah knowledge. According to the Talmud, a bird is a symbol of peace, and when it is joined with deah knowledge, the resulting word alludes to that elevated peace, based on the knowledge of G-d, which will pervade all of humanity in the Messianic Age. As Maimonides writes, in this Age there will be no more hatred and jealousy because the knowledge of G-d will spread throughout the world. The word tzippor also has the same gematria value as the phrase zeh Moshiach-This is Moshiach! This, then, may be the deeper meaning of the dialogue between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya. When G-d brought the plagues on the Egyptians, He did so not just to punish them. The objective was also to teach them about G-d and set into motion the dynamic of Redemption. The tzfardeah symbolizes the

on the person who comes into even casual contact with it. In the days of the Temple, one who had become impure would have to go through the ritual of the Red Heifer which involved its own paradox: while the mixture of water and ashes purifies the impure, the people involved in preparing the purifying mixture became contaminated themselves. All of this points to the enigma of exile. While we have become contaminated by the concealment of G-ds presence, G-d nevertheless declares that He dwells with us even in our present state of impurity. We are simultaneously estranged from Him and His G-dly purity even as we can never truly be detached from Him. During Galus weve exhibited the worst possible traits and experienced our greatest failures, even as we have achieved the greatest of feats and demonstrated unparalleled super-human capabilities.

TWO MODELS OF PREPARATION FOR REDEMPTION

Let us now return to the exchange between Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya and Rabbi Akiva concerning the way the lone frog multiplied. Frog, in Hebrew, is tzfardeah.

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Parsha Thought
announcement to the world that it is about to undergo a major paradigm shift. Initially this announcement starts off as a lone voice. According to Rabbi Akiva, the tzfardeah proliferates and spreads out the message by sending out many small tzfardiim as its emissaries bearing the message of Redemption to the world. In Rabbi Akivas formulation, the process of Redemption comes from outside the Galus dynamic and imposes itself on the Galus. Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya responds to Rabbi Akivas approach by asserting that the preparation for Redemption can come from within the Galus itself. He thus tells Rabbi Akiva to focus on the mystical dynamic of Negaim and Oholos. Here we see that Galus itself has the innate potential to change. The little frogsor sparks of Redemptioncan come from all over because every part of creation, particularly every Jew, is a miniature tzfardeah, with a spark of Moshiach in him or her. All that is necessary is for the lone frog to whistle, and the world, of its own volition, will be receptive to Redemption. Indeed, the term whistling, used here to describe the summons by the lone tzfardeah, is related to a similar word used in relation to the Redemption: I will whistle for them and gather them (Zechariah 10:8). Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryas concept is based on the notion that Galus is the ultimate paradox and contains within itself the seeds and dynamic of Redemption. The entire world will be galvanized to join in the chorus for Redemption. Both Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya are correct. Redemption involves both processes. The Moshiach of the generation inspires his emissaries to spread the knowledge of G-d to prepare us for and actually bring on the Redemption. This approach, however, puts the onus on Moshiach and his extensions. The other approach extends the responsibility to everyone because the exile itself gets closer to realizing its inner dynamic. Everybody is therefore empowered to unleash the Redemptive forces embedded within Galus. All Moshiach has to do is whistle and everyone is gathered.

IN OUR HANDS!
The Rebbe in his historic talk (28th of Nissan 5752) stated that he has done all he can to bring Moshiach. Now, the Rebbe says, he is giving it over to all of us. We are empowered with the ability to transform the world and prepare it for the Redemption. The Rebbes exhortation follows Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryas formula of the tzfardeahs role: to inspire everyone to be part of the process of bringing on the Redemption.

TO BRING MOSHIACH NOW!

ADD IN ACTS OF GOODNESS & KINDNESS

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SHLUCHEI ADONEINU

SHLICHUS

TO BRING MOSHIACH TZIDKEINU

The stories of five veteran shluchim from five countries, France, Argentina, Italy, the US, and Scotland, who describe starting out on shlichus. * Each of them was asked: Is there a difference between promoting Judaism and promoting the Besuras HaGeula?
By Yisroel Lapidot

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Shlichus

INCREASE OF THREE THOUSAND PERCENT

R Menachem Mendel Belinov
Shliach, S. Denis, France

A ONE-TIME SHIUR
My shlichus began completely by chance. After I married, I went to visit my parents in Paris. Out of the blue, a childhood friend who lives in S Denis called me. He wanted me to come and give a one-time shiur on timely matters. The one-time shiur turned into a regular event and in light of my success, I was offered a job as the permanent shliach in this city.

Those didnt exist in the local vernacular.

A TOUGH START
I planned to visit the neighborhood stores to check mezuzos, make connections, and give out brochures but I was summarily ejected from each store I visited. The difficult situation necessitated a massive explanatory campaign. For the first time in the history of the city, there were ads in the newspapers and the radio about the opening of a religious institution. Slowly, the existence of a Chabad house began to penetrate the awareness of the Jews of S Denis. Our first big celebration was a Purim party which was attended by three people.

house, a fact which prepared the ground for the opening of a proper shul. The minyan, which began with only four men, grew into a daily minyan over the years. We are sometimes crowded by dozens of men who attend the minyan.

THE LETTER IN THE IGROS KODESH

One of the events which marked the spiritual change in the city was the Chanuka party of 5754. At that party, which took place in one of the large halls in the city, 700 Jews were in attendance. A famous childrens choir performed, which attracted people from the entire area. The event was a turning point in the strengthening of awareness and Jewish pride in the city and was the impetus for greater expansion. The day after Lag BOmer 5754, I asked the Rebbe for a bracha through the Igros Kodesh and opened to, Do not be sad and downcast. You need to know that everything Hashem does is all for the good. At one oclock at night I left the Chabad house feeling uneasy about this answer.

BRACHA FROM THE REBBE

In 5752, I asked the Rebbe whether I should take the position. The Rebbe answered by circling the suggestion to open a Chabad house and added: Great and outstanding success. During Chanuka of that year, we rented a small storefront on the edge of the city and officially got down to work.

EXPANSION
In Kislev 5753, I received a response from the Rebbe to rent a new, larger place in the hopes that our activities would expand accordingly. At our second big celebration, on Chanuka, we had close to a hundred people. That was more than a 3000% increase over our previous celebration! During that Chanuka party a Torah was donated to the Chabad

S DENIS BEFORE
Upon arriving here, I found it hard to deal with the reality. There were about 2000 Jewish families but there was never more than a minyan of Jews attending the one shul. As for kosher food, a mikva, shiurim, etc. forget it!

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The next morning I was called to the Chabad house because of a break-in during the night in which the Torah was stolen as well as other property. The thieves did not leave anything untouched.

about the shocking incident. He identified deeply with our pain and promised to help to the best of his ability. From that point on, we had a warm relationship with him which eventually turned the bad into good.

by us, then it will certainly also be accepted by those we come in contact with.

IDENTIFYING THE GOEL

We see how publicizing the Geula and the identity of the Goel is accepted by the Jews here. Ill give you two examples. In dozens of stores throughout the city there are giant pictures of the Rebbe which say Moshiach underneath. Likewise, in our shul we dance and sing to Yechi and this is accepted matter-of-factly by people.

BAD THAT TURNED TO GOOD

News of the robbery got out and many television, radio and newspaper reporters were there to see what happened and to hear reactions. In the local magazine the mayor was interviewed

OFFEN HAMISKABEL
Throughout my years of working here, I have seen how inyanei Moshiach and Geula not only do not interfere, G-d forbid, with our work, but the opposite. When the Rebbe spoke about Offen hamiskabel, he meant us too; when Moshiach is accepted

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Shlichus

MIDDLEMAN BETWEEN JEWS AND G-D

Rabbi Daniel Levy
Shliach, Tucuman province, Argentina
FIRST VISIT
I went to Tucuman for the first time under the auspices of Merkos Shlichus in 5736/1976. At that time, the activities in Buenos Aires had been firmly established and the shliach, R Berel Baumgarten ah and R Tzvi Greenblatt had been there for years. Before I went, R Chadakov ah called together all the bachurim going to Argentina and said, There is nothing for you in Buenos Aires. They have what they need already. Go to outlying places and work there. man, who was religious in the simple understanding of the word. that this would be my place of shlichus.

THE FIRST CHABAD CAMP

In the third year that we went, 5738, we were told to visit the rest of the small towns in the area where only a few Jews lived. It wasnt realistic to start trekking through all those remote places and we thought about how to go about fulfilling this horaa. The idea was proposed that we make a summer camp for Jewish children in all these places. This was the first Chabad camp in all of Argentina. The camp was located in Tucuman and dozens of children came from the entire region. As expected, the children loved the counselors and remained in touch with them by mail afterward.

OUR FIRST PROJECT

After I married, my wife and I asked the Rebbe about it and received his consent and blessing. Along with the consent though, there was a condition, that we build a mikva as soon as we arrived there. The Rebbe included $1500 as his participation in the project. As soon as we arrived in Tucuman, we lay the cornerstone for the new mikva, while publicizing that this was the Rebbes instruction and that he had even contributed money toward it. Some days later, someone came to us with a request that we give him the money we received from the Rebbe and in exchange, he would give ten times the amount toward the mikva. If that wasnt enough, he would commit to raising the rest of the money. That is how we came to celebrate the inauguration of the new mikva less than a year from the groundbreaking.

SPIRITUAL DEVASTATION
The spiritual devastation that we found in this city, which was considered relatively strong from a Jewish perspective, was enormous. They had never heard of Jewish holidays like Chanuka and Purim, and Shavuos was altogether a surprise. Of course there was no kashrus, no Shabbos observance, no family purity. In other places it was far worse. It was simply impossible to observe mitzvos under the conditions prevailing there. Throughout northern Argentina there was only one Jew, an old

THE COMMUNITY TAKES AN INTEREST

At this point, we had gotten through to a certain extent as a result of the activities and the community began taking an interest in establishing something permanent. I was the natural candidate for the position and even before I married, I knew

PROPER CHINUCH
When I arrived in Tucuman,

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I found an anti-Orthodox Jewish school there. The Jewishness of the school consisted of a class in Hebrew, a little tradition, and that the teachers were Jewish. Beyond that there was nothing. They were not interested in talking about Shabbos, holidays, or any mitzvos. One of the times that I walked into the school, a teacher said to me that every time she tried to teach about the miracles the Jewish people experienced, like the splitting of the sea, the children did not believe it. I said, Do you know why they dont believe you? Because you yourself dont believe it. If you want, I will show you how to teach something like this to them. She agreed and I entered the classroom and began telling them a story about angels and souls and miracles. I kept them enthralled for an hour and a half and the children did not want to go out for recess. The teacher was astounded. I cant manage to keep them quiet for twenty minutes and you have them sitting for an hour and a half and with material like this!

A CHABAD PRESCHOOL
The demand to bring more Judaism into the school came from mekuravim who realized that what their children were getting there was nowhere near enough. However, the school stonewalled as usual. That is when they decided that Tucuman would have a Chabad preschool. I looked for a sponsor after whom to name the school and was sent by one of the mekuravim to a wealthy man (who at one time wanted to marry a nonJew. I sat with him for weeks until he dropped the idea. Today he wears a sirtuk). I did not go enthusiastically. I had a hard time getting used to the idea of starting a preschool and they were sending me to someone whom I did not think would agree to talk to me. Anyway, I went in and as soon as I began talking he asked me how much money I was asking for. I stated an amount and he told me he was willing to give the entire sum but he wanted the school to be named for the Rebbe.

unusual idea. A preschool named for the Rebbe? I inquired whether this was possible. We called the secretariat and asked and then met with R Greenblatt. In the end, the Rebbe chose the name Gan Menachem out of several suggestions, and I think this must be one of the first mosdos named for the Rebbe.

MIVTZA MOSHIACH
We are particular about Mivtza Moshiach being done in accordance with the needs of our place. We focus primarily on classes and explaining. We sent three-four books and booklets to all members of the community on the topic of Moshiach and Geula. This enables them to learn about the subject at their own pace. *** What enabled me to keep going during the hard times at the beginning of my shlichus is the fact that I arrived on 13 Tammuz. Whenever I encountered difficulties, I thought about what the Rebbe Rayatz went through before 13 Tammuz and this is what encouraged me and gave me the stamina to hold on and keep working.

THE REBBE CHOSE A NAME

I was taken aback by this

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Shlichus

BESURAS HAGEULA WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Rabbi Yehoshua Zelig Rivkin
Shliach, New Orleans, Louisiana
STARTING OUT
When I arrived on shlichus, there were 10-15,000 Jews in New Orleans who were served by four temples, Reform and Conservative, and one Orthodox shul. The only store that claimed to sell kosher food was owned by a non-Shabbos observant Jew who could not be relied upon in kashrus matters. Basic food items such as bread, meat, and milk were shipped from New York. And the one mikva in the city was not constructed according to halacha and it wasnt easy to make it kosher. owner hadnt even put out a for sale sign yet. When we walked into the house for the first time, I could see immediately that it was perfect for our needs. The asking price was $65,000, which was high for those times, but I said I was interested, conditional on the Rebbes consent.

THE REBBES RESPONSE

The Rebbes response was that if we could raise the money, we should buy the house. This wasnt an easy task, especially when a down payment of 50% of the appraised value was needed. But the Rebbes bracha gave me the strength to persevere. Three months after that fortuitous encounter on the street, the second Chabad house in the city was up and running.

AND TODAY
After decades of work, Lubavitch is felt in every area of Jewish life throughout the state. Many mekuravim joined the Chabad khilla and many of them have beards and dress in Chassidic fashion. A new mikva was built with all the hiddurim and there are many stores that sell kosher food. There is even a kosher restaurant in the city and the demand for all things Jewish continues to grow.

CHABAD FOR STUDENTS

After we bought a building in

the city, we looked for ways to buy another place that would be near the biggest university in the city. One day, as I checked out the houses on the streets near the university, a person came over to me and asked me whether I was Jewish. It wasnt hard to tell since my way of dress was a rare sight in Louisiana. I responded with a question, And are you Jewish? It turned out he was and as we spoke, I found out that he was a real estate agent. He told me that the day before, he learned about a big house for sale located three houses away from the campus. It was a brand new offering and the

JEWISH PRIDE
When the Rebbe spoke about the need to place Chanuka Menorahs in public places, this seemed impossible in Louisiana. All the local rabbis and many members of the Jewish community opposed it. Despite the opposition, I announced that since this was an order from the Rebbe, nothing would stop us.

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SECRET OF SUCCESS
We see that when we do the Rebbes ratzon from beginning to end, we become keilim, and the Rebbe is mashpia and our keilim fill up. Whenever we did as the Rebbe instructed, we were successful beyond our expectations. *** If someone, even a distinguished shliach, were to claim that it is hard to convey the message about Moshiach, I would say to him: There are other mitzvos that Jews have a hard time accepting. Some find it hard to keep Shabbos and others dont understand why they should give tzdaka. We see that the danger in turning someone off exists even when you present the obligation of these other mitzvos to them. This happens when the right explanation and presentation is lacking. The same is true for Moshiach. It needs to be explained nicely, without raising ones voice and without coercion. If someone gets annoyed when hearing about some mitzva, what do you do? You find a better way of explaining it to him. In 90% of the cases, we see that if someone has a hard time with a mitzva, it is because we did not explain it properly to him. Do we, shluchim of the Rebbe, then decide to compromise and not inform him of the necessity of keeping Shabbos, putting on tfillin or giving tzdaka? Of course not! We stand firmly and look for a way to explain it again and again until the person understands what the Torah says about the matter. In a city like New Orleans, its enough that a Jew has a beard and dresses like a Chassid to appear odd. Every Shabbos, when Jews walk to shul wearing kapotes, there are people who look at them as if they were aliens. Would we shave because of that? Would we change our sirtuk for something else? Are we afraid that someone might be turned off to Judaism because of it? Of course not! We cant change things because of what people might say or think. We have to remain true to our message. The claim that we must keep a low profile because

of those who are opposed to Messianism is wrong; the opposite is true. We, who have a number of Chabad houses, a school, a day camp, activities for Nshei Chabad, etc. know that talking about Moshiach does not interfere with the rest of our activities. On the contrary, people help more and become more receptive. The belief in Moshiach is a mitzvah and is one of the Thirteen Principles of Faith. We, as shluchim, do all we can to explain about Shabbos, kashrus, family purity, etc. and also, most importantly, about the obligation to believe in the coming of Moshiach and the Besuras HaGeula that the Rebbe told us, hinei hinei Moshiach ba. We need to continue publicizing about Moshiach and the imminent Geula. The Rebbe told us to do this and said precisely what needs to be publicized. Every shliach has to figure out how to publicize what the Rebbe said, but nobody has the right to decide what to publicize and what not. Shluchim need to say it the way it is, and remember who they represent and to know that if they opt to compromise, everyone is affected. Shlichus today is focused on Mivtza Moshiach. This is what the Rebbe wants and nobody can escape it. There are shluchim who are embarrassed by Yechi. They try to say its not important and that it is only being said for political reasons etc. We must make it clear to them: The saying of Yechi comes from the Rebbe and we cannot have the chutzpa not to do as he said. How should we explain this to people? It depends. If you are talking to someone who mistakenly thinks the Rebbe is not with us, tell him that by saying Yechi we will succeed in getting Hashem to bring the Rebbe back to us. If you were successful in explaining that the Rebbe is with us, then tell him that saying Yechi is accepted in the world as a proclamation made before a king. The Rebbe told us: I did my part and now you take action. Accepting the Rebbe as Moshiach is your job. Let us do it and merit to see the Rebbe and he will redeem us.

We started a massive campaign that was funded by large sums that were intended to help develop the Chabad houses. Fortunately, the chairman of the Jewish community let me know that he did not oppose the

idea although he said he would not collaborate either. Invitations to the public Menorah lighting were sent to all Jews whether through ads in local papers, ads on the radio, or personal invitations. A band was brought

in from New York and the results were incredible: At the first lighting there were over 700 Jews present and the following year, over 2000! Continued on page 30
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Shlichus

TOUCHING HEARTS IN THE CITY ON THE WATER

Rabbi Rachamim Benin
Shliach, Venice, Italy
STARTING OUT
I made my way to Judaism and Chabad Chassidus with the help of R Eliyahu Dovid Borenstein, the shliach in Bologna. After learning in Chabad yeshivos, I went to 770 where I learned for over five years.

A PLACE FOR THE CHABAD HOUSE

Venetian Jews make a living primarily from selling artistic creations, especially those made out of glass. The Chabad house is located in a glass gallery. The Jewish craftsman who became interested in Judaism left the place and asked R Avrohom Chazan, the shliach in Milan, to turn it into a Chabad house. The excellent location of the store was to our benefit. It is in the center of the Jewish ghetto of Venice and you cant miss it. Every Jewish visitor to Venice goes to the Jewish ghetto and they cant help but see the Chabad house. Venices uniqueness is that it is built on the water. There are no roads and those who come by car have to leave it outside the city. The way to get around is in boats that ply the canals. Entry to the Jewish ghetto is by crossing a bridge that goes over a large canal. On the bridge is a sign that directs people to the Chabad house.

TANKIST
As a bachur, I considered it a challenge and holy mission to try and reach those small communities that, due to their smallness, do not have a permanent shliach. For many years I visited various cities in Italy in a mitzva tank. When the activities became more established, I asked the Rebbe for a bracha and received his positive answer. Throughout those years, many came close to Judaism.

place to relax, but mainly see it as a symbol of authentic Judaism which is blossoming in the ancient Jewish ghetto. The Chabad house has a spacious hall that serves as a meeting place for tourists. On the walls are shelves full of Jewish books in all languages as well as explanatory material on the ten mivtzaim, Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach, and the Besuras HaGeula. Visitors are exposed to Judaism through conversations and lectures that regularly take place.

TOURIST SEASON
During the summer, especially when the tourist season begins in Italy, the number of visitors to the Chabad house swells. Visitors are offered a physical repast in addition to the spiritual nourishment. Of course, Jews who havent yet put on tfillin, will do so. The visitors are amazed by what is accomplished; on a typical day, hundreds of Jews put on tfillin, some of them for the first time in their lives! We are assisted by bachurimshluchim who come to help and also study for smicha.

BRACHA FROM THE REBBE

After my wedding, my shlichus changed. The difficulties in going from town to town led us to the decision of focusing on one place. I chose Venice because I had worked there previously and the Rebbes bracha gave me the official seal of approval to be his shliach.

A MEETING PLACE
Venice is a tourist attraction which brings tens of thousands of Jewish visitors from Eretz Yisroel and elsewhere. They find the Chabad house a wonderful

DIVERSE ACTIVITIES
Discussions on Jewish topics between Chabad house workers

24 24 Teives 5774

and tourists are in addition, of course, to the traditional Chabad activities. With Mivtza Chanuka, for example, the Chabad house broke the shame barrier by lighting a Menorah in the center of the city. Hundreds of Jewish people were in attendance as well as, lhavdil, gentiles, including many public figures led by the mayor. The event was reported prominently in the local newspapers. At first, the public Menorah lighting was opposed by the local Jewish community who believed in the philosophy of be a Jew at home and a man on the street. Today though, the Menorah lighting is expected and the local Jews feel a part of it. Mivtza Sukkos in Venice is noteworthy for a floating sukka. Throughout the holiday, R Benin sails among the Jewish homes and tourist spots and invites local Jews and tourists to come in and say a bracha on the Dalet minim.

to accommodate the outreach work. It is considered an upscale restaurant and attracts not only Jews but gentiles too.

SHABBOS MEALS
Every Shabbos there are meals which are attended by over 100 people. During the meals a nice rapport is established and there are usually guests who remain all night and finally leave toward morning. The Shabbos meals are free but many participants feel they want to thank their hosts. Erev Pesach, for example, tourists from a kibbutz helped prepare the seder. Working together in the kitchen provides a great opportunity to strengthen their connection to all things Jewish. The restaurant is open all Shabbos. Light refreshments are served and after Kiddush tourists are invited to a light meal. This explains the singing one can hear nearly 24 hours a day from the Chassidic restaurant.

For example, many years ago, I had an interesting encounter in Australia. I was walking down the street when a woman stopped me and asked if I remember her. The woman did not wait for a reply but immediately said, You should know that its thanks to you that my attitude toward Chabad changed completely. She is a lawyer in Australia who was pleasantly surprised by the reception she got at our Chabad house in Venice. Even though until that time she was not a fan of Chabad, when she returned home she went to her local Chabad house and began regularly participating in their activities.

PUBLICIZING MOSHIACH
The proclamation of Yechi is made proudly at the Chabad house and is done bofen hamiskabel just as all activities are supposed to be done. Through the tourist attractions, we are able to bring Jews back to their Jewish roots. An innocent visit to a restaurant turns into an exceptional Jewish experience which provides the visitor with strong Chassidic messages. Then they themselves become ambassadors of the Rebbe in preparing the world to greet Moshiach.

THE RESTAURANT
For many years, the Chabad house provided a kosher food service for tourists, but the place was not spacious enough for large-scale activities. A restaurant was eventually opened in the center of the Jewish ghetto, which also has enough room

JUST THE BEGINNING

Oftentimes, an encounter with Chabad in Venice is just the beginning for Jews starting to explore Judaism. They are then referred to the Chabad house in their hometown.

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Shlichus

DONT DILUTE THE MESSAGE

Rabbi Chaim Jacobs
Shliach, Glasgow, Scotland
THE OFFER
There was a small Jewish community in Glasgow which was disintegrating. The rav of the khilla, R Yeruchem Rosen, knew that only Chabad could save the situation. He spoke to the shliach, R Nachman Sudak and asked him to send a young rabbi to breathe new life into the Jews of Glasgow. I was made the offer and I asked the Rebbe. The Rebbes response was, If you think you can fill the roles, may Hashem grant you success. With the Rebbes bracha it was clear to us that we would be able to carry out the difficult shlichus in Scotland. That is how we arrived there in 5730. I began giving Torah classes and to organize activities at the shul and we did seasonal mivtzaim. We also had Shabbos parties for children and parents together. Its interesting that the adults especially enjoyed the opportunity to be together with their children on Shabbos afternoon and to sing Jewish songs together.

NO MORTGAGE
Another question we asked in that yechidus had to do with buying a building for the Chabad house. We thought we could manage the payments with the help of loans and a mortgage. The Rebbe said we should buy only if we had the money but not to get involved with donation promises. Half a year later we saw an open miracle due to following this instruction. Following a global gas crisis, the financial situation in England changed from one extreme to another. If we would have taken big loans, we would have had no natural means of raising the money.

CHINUCH
When our children were born, a problem arose in that there was no proper school for them. In the winter of 5733, after nearly four years on shlichus, we went to the Rebbe. In yechidus we asked for guidance about our chinuch dilemma. One choice was to send the children to the Jewish preschool in Glasgow and supplement that at home. Another choice was to try and make a Chabad preschool and to possibly provoke opposition from the community. The Rebbe told us to start a Chabad preschool. Surprisingly, the khilla was understanding of this. It later became possible to create a Talmud Torah in which hundreds of children were educated over the years.

DIFFICULT CONDITIONS
We encountered a major difficulty in that the community was shrinking as young people left to find jobs elsewhere. Almost none of the mekuravim stayed on to live in Glasgow. We did not despair; we began working with the children who remained. Our first project was a summer camp. One hundred children got to hear about Judaism, and through them their parents heard about it too.

WITHOUT FEAR
Over the years of shlichus, my wife received many detailed answers and words of encouragement from the Rebbe. One time, she told the Rebbe she was afraid to stay at home alone when I was busy and was sometimes out of town. The Rebbe said she had a special shlichus in Glasgow to spread Judaism and Hashem was watching over her.

26 24 Teives 5774

OFFERING HELP
When we had yechidus on one of the visits, the Rebbe asked my wife whether she was going to speak at the Pegisha that Shabbos. She said she had not been invited to speak. The Rebbe said: When it comes to spreading the wellsprings, we dont wait for an invitation but offer to help.

YECHI ADONEINU
The Rebbe gave us a message to convey to the world and we cannot avoid giving it in its entirety. This is our responsibility to the public. We say it because its the truth and the words have an effect, as I have witnessed. At my Chabad house we have many Yechi signs and nobody left as a result.

FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS

The right words have to be found for your target audience. I start with the Chafetz Chaims Tzipisa LYeshua and explain that of all the gdolim, the only one who took the Chafetz Chaims message seriously, about demanding and anticipating the

Geula in this generation, is the Lubavitcher Rebbe. With every audience, you need to find the right message for them and then they accept it. In 5744, a large gathering for women took place in Glasgow and the Rebbe was sent the program. The program said that the theme of the gathering is We Want Moshiach Now. The Rebbe said this should not be the theme and a more neutral topic should be chosen, though at the

gathering itself it could be spoken about.

OUTRAGEOUS CLAIM
What particularly annoys me is the claim that Mivtza Moshiach interferes with fundraising. There is nothing more foolish and false than this and believe me, I have to fundraise plenty. If the donor asks whether we say the Rebbe is Moshiach, we simply explain it just like we explain it to anyone else.
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PROFILE

TO LIVE AMONGST CHASSIDIM

Stories and memories about the Chassid, R Herschel Lerner, recounted by his granddaughter and suffused with Chassidic flavor. * Part 3
By his granddaughter T Maidanchek

A NEW PERIOD IN SAMARKAND

As recounted in the previous chapter, my grandparents heard that there were many Chassidim in Samarkand who had obtained forged Polish passports to be used to escape the Soviet Union. The two of them wanted to leave Stalinabad (Dushanbe) and go to Samarkand in order to obtain the documents that would enable them to leave Russia. This wasnt easy for them. Since my grandmother was a stellar employee in a textile factory, her employers did not want to let her go. It was only after much effort that my grandparents managed to arrive in Samarkand in 1946. At the train station, my grandfather hired a donkey and wagon and they rode eight kilometers until they reached Machla, the

R Tzvi Hirsch (Herschel) Lerner

hadnt seen a treat like that in a long time, so she stopped the wagon and bought some rolls for the children. Upon arriving in the city, they went from house to house, looking for a place to live or at least a temporary dwelling. In the evening, they found an apartment which was no more than a room constructed of clay that was open to the elements as well as to passersby. Having no choice, they unpacked their few possessions and prepared to go to sleep, their first night in Samarkand.

A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT
neighborhood on the outskirts of the city where many Jews lived. As they entered the city, my grandmother noticed that fresh rolls were being offered for sale on the side of the road. She With the light of day, they went to look for a shul. The first Jews they met were Chassidim, Avrohom Yosef Antin and his wife Yenta. It was only after they saw the Antins home that they

28 24 Teives 5774

realized that the apartment they had rented was luxurious. They eventually became acquainted with the family of R Shraga Feivish Henkin and his righteous wife Chasya. The two of them maintained the local mikva with great devotion. She helped the women and he made sure it operated properly and halachically. R Shraga Feivishs personality was one of gvura. He helped everyone even when he seemed angry. If a Jew was in need of help, he did all he could to assist him. Chasya was all chesed. The couple understood one another perfectly. It was enough for him to utter the first syllable of her name, Cha and she immediately knew what he wanted and did it. She too did not require long elaborative sentences in order to get him to do something. We used code names for them, my father, R Yaakov Lerner, told me. For example, if you wanted to know whether the mikva was open, you would ask, Did you see Dadya Fiedya. Fiedya is a Russian name and so, of course, nobody suspected you meant R Shraga Feivish. If you wanted to find out whether a message was conveyed to R Feivish that today is YudTes Kislev and that there was a farbrengen in a certain place, they would ask, Does Fiedya know that theres a soccer game today? Ask him not to be late so we dont lose the game. And when you wanted to say something that pertained to Doda Chasya, you would say, Tell Tutia Prosya that guests are coming and to get tickets for the movies. The Henkins lived for a long time on Denauskaya Street with the Mishulovin family. The Mishulovins were the ones who provided the light of Judaism

to all of Anash. The head of the family, R Eliezer, with his righteous wife Basya and their four children, were a model of Judaism even in the horrific conditions of that time. My grandfather and R Eliezer were great friends. The two of them would walk together to the shul even as minyanim took place in their homes. They did this in order to give the slip to those spying on where people gathered and davened. In general, at the shul there was great interest about where the Mishulovin children davened. Whoever knew R Eliezer knew that his children certainly davened; the question was where. On holidays, many people asked where the children of the Goldschmidt, Zaltzman, Lerner, Schiff, etc. families were. Great care needed to be taken because of those curious Jews who loved to ask questions. There was a Jew from Chernovitz who asked about every little change in the shul, about whoever was supposed to come and did not come or the opposite. When someone new walked in he would immediately inquire where he came from, what he did, where he was staying, etc. If Tachanun was omitted he would go from person to person in order to find out the reason. They did not say Tachanun one day and most of the people did not know the reason. The ones who knew did not pass along this information to the snoop. When the man pressed one of the Lubavitchers to tell him, the Lubavitcher said, Dont you know that today marks the passing of Moshe Rabbeinus mother-in-law? That satisfied him and he even said, Oy, how could I have forgotten!

TRUE FRIENDSHIP AND HUMILITY

R Eliezer Mishulovin and my grandfather, R Herschel had a trait in common; they were both humble. At the same time, they both esteemed the other. My grandfather would say, An anav (humble person) is not someone who constantly announces I am a nothing and everyone else is more important than me. A true anav is someone who accepts it with love when someone else says this about him. Then he would point at R Eliezer as the best example of be of lowly spirit before every man. Often people would attack R Eliezer and remonstrate, Shame on you! Why dont you say where your children are learning? Where are they davening? They would add terms that I couldnt possibly write on paper. But he would answer in all innocence, You are right. I need to do tshuva. Sometimes, he was the chazan and then the davening was very Chassidish, but there were always those who shouted that he davened too slowly. He would say to the complainer: Youre right, I will try to work on myself He would answer each person in a gentle way. He never tried to justify himself since he figured that if someone was pointing something out, he was right. At home he also conducted himself with a gentleness that is hard to describe. When he walked into his house, he always used the back door so his children wouldnt stand up for him. His sons were models of bnei Torah and this is why he did not want them to stand up for him. They knew his ways and always greeted him as they ought.

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Profile
My grandfathers trait of humility also stood out. For example, there was an incident in which a local Jew attacked my grandfather with scornful and humiliating words. He maintained that my grandfather had taken the boards meant for his sukka. The man lived far from my grandfathers house and his claim made no sense. Even if someone wanted to do this, he could not carry out this theft with boards five meters each. The man eventually found the boards somewhere but my grandfather in his humility said to him, I guess I deserved it, maybe not for the boards but because I needed to get it. able to refrain from working on Shabbos. So he did all kinds of manual labor. He was even nicknamed Herschel der tregger (Herschel the porter). His family was in financial straits like the rest of the refugees who filled Samarkand. Pita was baked out of flour they obtained, and for Shabbos they made wine out of grapes that they grew near their home. And yet, my grandparents home was open to all Jewish refugees from the war. My grandmother Sofia would cook a big pot of soup which satisfied many people. They would sit in groups around one big pot and eat. They all gathered for Chassidishe farbrengens. Among them were: R Meir Itkin, R Yisroel Noach Blinitzky, R Nissan Nemanov, and R Bentzion Maroz. Most of them left in the great escape from Russia and the Chassidim who attended farbrengens changed. Among them were R Yerachmiel Chadash, R Eliyahu Paritcher (Levin) who was a chozer by the Rebbe Rashab, R Yehuda Levin, R Berel Itkin, and R Boruch Duchman (Boruch der shochet) who were joined by R Eliezer Mishulovin with his sons: Dovid, Eliyahu, and the little children Michoel and Yitzchok. R Avrohom Zaltzman and his sons Berele and Hilke also attended, as did R Michoel Goldschmidt with his sons Mordechai and Bentzion, and my grandfather and his sons Yaakov and Moshe. This group was augmented only after one of the old timers could vouch for a newcomer that he would cause no harm. To be continued, G-d willing

NEW JOBS
In Samarkand, my grandfather could not continue teaching since he would not be

Continued from page 23

FUNDING BY COCA COLA

The Menorah lighting was the largest Jewish event in Louisiana, and Chanuka became a wellknown Jewish holiday. Many people lit the Menorah for the first time in their lives and bought Jewish books and Judaica. The event became so popular that the international Coca Cola Company offered to sponsor the entire campaign.

a letter requesting a bracha from the Rebbe. The Rebbe gave his bracha and referred the woman to medical treatment. A son was born. A year later, another son was born. A year after that, another son was born. They had children in the fourth and fifth years and they were very happy. At the bris of the last son, the mother-in-law approached and asked me, Congratulations to your rabbi for the blessings but maybe you can ask him to slow things down ...

this to people and add that we are never alone and that the Rebbe is with us today as he always was. We continue to write to the Rebbe and see open brachos and clear answers.

BESURAS HAGEULA
The most talked-about topics in the Chabad houses and nearby shuls are Moshiach and Geula. People, especially Anash and mekuravim, speak openly about the Rebbe being Moshiach and that he is always with us. At the school, the children are educated in this spirit too. Davening begins with Yechi and ends with it too. The same goes for the HaRachaman in Birkas HaMazon and the singing of Yechi every Shabbos after Lecha Dodi.

MORE THAN THEY BARGAINED FOR

An Iranian couple who did not have children for many years became involved with the Chabad house. Under our direction, they began observing the laws of family purity and they wrote

YECHIDUS
Before I went on shlichus, I had yechidus and I asked the Rebbe for a bracha that I would not be alone. The Rebbe told me that being alone contradicts what the Rebbe Rayatz said that Chassidim are never alone. I say

30 24 Teives 5774

SHLICHUS

IN THE SNOW
The kind of storm that hit Yerushalayim, the Galil, the Golan, Yehuda and Shomron was something that even elderly people in Tzfas could not recall. * Snow piled up, bone-chilling cold, and above all else the loss of power, water, and phone service. * Shluchim of the Rebbe and Chabad Chassidim in Yerushalayim, Tzfas, Ariel and Miron told Beis Moshiach what it was like and about the mivtzaim they did under difficult and unusual circumstances.
By Mordechai Segal

SHLICHUS

32 24 Teives 5774

he holy city of Tzfas endured a blizzard the likes of which it hasnt had in a hundred years. The residents of other holy cities, Yerushalayim and Chevron also suffered from the bitter cold and the piles of snow. Like all the other residents, the thousands of Lubavitcher Chassidim who live in these three cities, as well as in Givat Zeev, Yitzhar, Itamar, and Miron remained holed up for the 72 hours that General Winter, who arrived from Russia, visited our area.

On the right is R Friedman, in the center is 770-Ramat Shlomo, and on the left are children in Tzfas building a model of 770 out of snow

However, Lubavitchers in general and the shluchim in particular could not just sit next to their heaters (if they had electricity) and enjoy the warmth. They took care of the members of their community, mekuravim, and soldiers.

SOLDIER ON THE SNOW FRONT

Most of the attention was focused on Yerushalayim, the city which was besieged by the snow (how symbolic that was, since the

snow began falling on the 10th of Teives when Nevuchadnetzar lay siege to Yerushalayim). In addition to the residents who refrained from leaving their homes, there were thousands who were stuck on the roads, on Highway 1 and Highway 443. People were stuck for many hours on the snowy highways. Any attempt to get the cars moving only caused them to get more mired in the snow. Large numbers of police, members of the Home Front Command, and

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Shlichus
volunteers exerted great effort to free them and the International Convention Center in Binyanei HaUmah was turned into a shelter for masses of people. One of the people who, until Shabbos came in, looked out for all the people there was the shliach, R Yosef Friedman. He began his shlichus in the Mishkenos HaUmah Kiryat HaLeom neighborhood just nine months ago. On Thursday night, as soon as he heard about the evacuation to the Binyanei HaUmah, he knew he had to get there in order to help out. Shlichus, after all, is done unconditionally, no matter the weather. R Friedman immediately announced that any family stuck for Shabbos in Yerushalayim with nowhere to go was invited to contact the Chabad house and they would find them a host for Shabbos. Fortunately, most families were able to make it back home by candle-lighting time, but those families still stuck in Yerushalayim enjoyed wonderful hosting thanks to the families in the area. We prepared for a situation in which dozens of families would have to spend Shabbos in Yerushalayim and we would need to help them, but in the end, most of the families were taken to the Malcha train station and from there, traveled home. There was one family from Nes Tziyona who had to be extricated from their frozen car after having spent the night before in the cold. They were taken to a nearby hotel but did not have the means to prepare for Shabbos. Having no alternative, they contacted one of the shluchim in their city, R Asaf Altaras who contacted R Friedman. R Friedman showed up with a supply of diapers, stuff for the children, food, and making sure they had everything they needed. The children had fever and needed medication which R Friedman brought them as well. The next morning, after not much sleep, R Friedman set out to take care of those who were frozen spiritually and needed spiritual sustenance. He went around with a few pairs of tfillin to hundreds of people, including many religious people who did not have their tfillin with them and couldnt leave the Convention Center to find a pair. Among the hundreds of people at the Convention Center was a group of 300 Boy Scouts from northern Tel Aviv who were evacuated there after getting stuck during a trip in Yerushalayim. The boys accepted R Friedmans offer of tfillin and also had discussions with him about emuna and other Jewish topics. In the new neighborhood where he lives there were no power interruptions since the electric cables are underground. His wife was able to cook for Shabbos unlike many other residents of Yerushalayim. the Israeli air force brought generators to Itamar which was isolated from the world for four days. In Ariel, capitol of the Shomron, R Sasson Carmel and R Shneur Lishner worked with hundreds of students in the Ariel University who were stuck there. Every Shabbos they host about a hundred students for an uplifting meal on campus which comes directly from Kfar Chabad. Despite the power outage, they still wanted to hold a Shabbos meal. With lots of help from Above the food arrived just minutes before Shabbos. The shluchim saw that there were about four hundred students and they set up for them all. The tables were illuminated by Chanuka candles that were left over from Mivtza Chanuka just the week before and they davened by heart. The meal took place in utter darkness with students eating in groups of 100. Despite the physical cold, the atmosphere was spirited thanks to the shluchim.

APPRECIATING THE LITTLE THINGS

Many kilometers from there, in Tzfas, the city was snowed in until Shabbos morning when IDF half-tracks pushed through the road and managed to enter and help many residents suffering from hypothermia. R Shraga Crombie, a shliach in New Jersey and originally from Tzfas, was spending Shabbos with his parents. He wasnt impressed by the warnings of the imminent storm since he is used to it in the United States. But he soon found himself in a situation that he had never experienced before. When we woke up on Friday morning to snow coming down,

SHABBOS MEALS FOR HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS

Yehuda-Shomron was also blanketed by a lot of snow. Many yishuvim in Gush Etziyon, Binyamin, Yehuda and Shomron were without electricity and even water for several days. Helicopters from the IDFs evacuation unit, 669, evacuated some new mothers, old people and babies who nearly froze to death. Special units also evacuated citizens who live on settlements. At the same time,

34 24 Teives 5774

nobody imagined what the situation would be like just a few hours later. Relatives from the center of the country still toyed with the idea of coming to Tzfas for Shabbos but soon dropped that thought. One relative, who insisted on coming so his children would enjoy the snow, was asked to bring a generator along with him in the eventuality of a blackout. As one blogger wrote: The road to the Heichal Levi Yitzchok shul wasnt easy to get through. The snow and wind kept blowing and your feet sank into half a meter of snow. Minyanim for Mincha were held in shul and one verse of the fast day Haftora stood out for its immediate relevance, For, just as the rain and the snow fall from the heavens. Kabbalas Shabbos began early on this fast day (the 10th of Teives). In the middle of the davening the electricity went out. The big shul was dark and most of the men stood near the doors and windows where it was a little brighter because of the snow. The davening continued, followed by dancing and Yechi as usual. On the way home, everyone spent the time guessing how long the power would be out. This time it was brief, and we had the meal with light and warmth which was not the case on the next night when we had no electricity until late in the morning. There was utter darkness, freezing cold, and uncertainty over when the electricity would be restored. In the morning, the snow let up a bit until it stopped entirely in the afternoon. When the clouds began to disperse, a breathtaking view of the snowcapped mountains became apparent. Likewise, the damage became visible. Dozens of trees had

been knocked over, cars were damaged, and phone and electric wires were down. Throughout the day, the electricity was on and off and you never knew how long it would last. And yet, despite the unpleasantness, there was something inspiring about this long, bizarre Shabbos. We could suddenly appreciate the littlest things. All of a sudden, nothing was a given, not even a cup of tea, a heater or a working light bulb. There is much for which to be grateful.

MIRON WAS SNOWED IN

R Yossi Zelikovitz is the founder and director of the chesed organization Chasdei Shabtai, named for his father. In Miron, where his organization operates, as in the other yishuvim in the area, there was no electricity. Tzfas had its electricity back on Motzaei Shabbos while Zelikovitz and his family spent four days without electricity, until Monday night. At first he was sure, like everybody else, that the storm would be the usual, i.e. light snow which would disappear within a short time. But even he, born in mountainous Miron, was

surprised by the ferocity of this storm. By Thursday night the snow had already piled up and then the calls started coming in. They were not caught unawares since, just to be sure, he had covered the wheels of Chasdei Shabtais ambulances with special chains... On Friday the electricity went out and we had to make all the Shabbos preparations with the use of generators. I also tried helping people who had gotten stuck on roads in the area. We went into Shabbos exhausted, without electricity, and without hot water. Despite the difficulties, he helped provide medical supplies to residents in the area and distributed sleeping bags, which he got from the Home Front Command for the elderly and families that cried for help. *** As of this writing, electricity has been restored to thousands of homes and schools are reopening. Main highways are completely open as are secondary highways. Life is slowly returning to normal and we pray for a blessed, rainy winter.

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MOSHIACH & GEULA

CHAF-DALED TEIVES AND MOSHIACH

By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon

Dear Reader shyichyeh, is 24 Teives, the This Friday Yahrtzait of the Alter Rebbe.The Alter Rebbe in Igeres HaKodesh (Ch. 28) writes that all the effort of man which his soul toiled during his lifetime is above in a hidden and concealed state. It becomes revealed and radiates in a manifest way from abovedownwardsat the time of his passing ... and at the time of passing on, the chesed (kindness) of the L-rd radiates from world to world over those who fear Him, and effects salvations in the midst of the earth. From these words written by the Alter Rebbe about the passing of a tzaddik, we can understand the effect of the histalkus of the Alter Rebbe himself. In the Sichos of 5752 we find that the Rebbe connects this date with Moshiach in many ways. Here are some examples: 1) The number 24 in Hebrew is . There is a Pasuk where the Navi (Yeshaya 54:12) discusses the way the city of Yerushalayim will look in the times of Moshiach: . And I will make your windows of jasper and your gates of carbuncle stones, and all your

border of precious stones. The Gemara (Bava Basra 75b) discusses this verse and says the following:[It is written] And I will make thy pinnacles of kadkod R. Shmuel bar Nachmani said: There is a dispute [as to the meaning of kadkod] between two angels in heaven, Gavriel and Michael. Others say: [The dispute is between] two Amoraim in the West. And who are they? Yehudah and Chizkiya the sons of R. Chiya. One says: [Kadkod means] onyx; and the other says: Jasper. The Holy One, blessed be He, said unto them: Let it be as this one [says] and as that one. From the above Gemara the Rebbe explains that the third Beis HaMikdash will have at least every advantage of the first two. As the Navi (Chagai 2:9) foretells: The glory of this last House shall be greater than the first one, said the L-rd of Hosts. And in this place I will grant peace, says the L-rd of Hosts. 2) The Alter Rebbes death was at the turning point of the Franco-Russian war. It is well known that the Alter Rebbe passed away on the road, running from the French. When Napoleon led his

armies into Eastern Europe, some Torah leaders supported the French forces in the hope that their victory would enhance the status of the Jewish people. The Alter Rebbe, however, supported Czar Alexander I, explaining that Napoleons victory would no doubt improve the Jews economic and social standing, but would detract from their spiritual commitment and practice. A Russian victory, by contrast, would perpetuate the difficult economic conditions under which the Jews lived, but would also nurture the fruitful spiritual climate of yiras Shamayim which then prevailed. Why was the Alter Rebbe so opposed to Napoleon? At the core of the French Revolution lay a disregard for higher authority,a disregard which can spur undue self-concern. Such an attitude in turn leads to the pursuit of material pleasure and decadence. This should not be misinterpreted to mean that Judaism opposes involvement with the material dimensions of our existence. Quite the contrary, Maimonides writes: A person may desire... not to eat meat, nor to drink wine, live in a pleasant home, or wear fine clothing.... This is a wrong path and it is forbidden to follow it.... Our Sages directed man to

36 24 Teives 5774

abstain only from those things which the Torah denies him and not to deny himself those [benefits] which are permitted. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Deos3:1) At the same time, the Torah does require that our involvement with material things should be motivated by more than a desire for self-gratification. Instead, this involvement should be purposeful in nature and ultimately directed towards serving G-d. For this identifies all reason, the Tanya material indulgence that serves only the desire of the body even that which is necessary for the bodys very existence as sitra achra, the Kabbalistic term associated with evil. The latter term literally means the other side, and signifies a thrust that is not directed toward G-dliness. An object or a motive is included in this category, not because it is harmful or destructive, but because it is not directed toward G-d. This is the inherent difficulty in material involvement, for man has a natural tendency to be preoccupied with his own interests and pleasure, rather than with His. Conversely, however, our involvement with material things is necessary to enable us to fulfill a unique G-dly intent. Chassidus explainsthat every element of material existence contains G-dly

sparks which are unrevealed. Through the Divine potential he himself possesses and through the power of the Torah, man can reveal this hidden G-dly energy invested within the world. Chassidus refers to this approach to worldly involvement as tziruf, refinement. The same word describes the process of smelting ore. In this process, the dross is discarded and the precious metal is retained. Similarly, our involvement in the world requires turning our attention away from our own material concerns and focusing on the G-dliness within. The Hebrew word for France, Tzorfas, shares the same root as the word tziruf, implying that it is intrinsically connected with this mode of serving G-d. France thus represents two approaches to worldly involvement: the selforiented approach of seeking material pleasure, and the abovedescribed task of refining the world and revealing the G-dliness invested within it. Originally, France was associated only with the former approach. At present, however, the second approach is in the ascendancy. This began with various visits to France by the Rebbe Maharash,and later, more frequently, by the Rebbe Rashab. In the following generation the Previous Rebbe not only visited

France, but moreover sent members of his family there as his emissaries. Ultimately, this process reached a peak when the Previous Rebbe, after having settled in America, established various branches of Tomchei Tmimim, the Lubavitcher yeshiva, in France. This is all part of the prophecy (Ovadia1:18) that will take place before Moshiach: And [the inhabitants of] the southland shall inherit the mountain of Esau, and [the inhabitants of] the plain, the Philistines, and they shall inherit the field of Ephraim and the field of Samaria, and Benjamin [with the inhabitants of] Gilead. And this exiled host of the children of Israel who are [with] the Canaanites as far as Tzorfas (France) and the exile of Jerusalem which is in Sfarad shall inherit the cities of the southland. And saviors shall ascend Mt. Zion to judge the mountain of Esau, and the Lord shall have the kingdom. Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well sought after speaker and lecturer. Recordings of his in-depth shiurim on Inyanei Geula uMoshiach can be accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com.

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Issue 908

37

TZIVOS HASHEM

HASHEMS WAYS ARE HIDDEN FROM US

Presented for Chaf-Dalet Teives, the day the Alter Rebbe passed away.
By Nechama Bar

any Chassidim sat around the long table. They eagerly listened to the wondrous words of Chassidus said by their Rebbe, R Shneur Zalman. The Rebbe, his face aflame, looked as though he was in some otherworldly, lofty place. Suddenly, there was a silence. The Rebbe sat and thought for a few minutes and then burst into tears. The Chassidim looked fearfully at the Rebbe. Something had happened, something only the Rebbe had the ability to know about. You know the secrets of the world, said the Rebbe in a choked voice. Oy, Ribbono shel olam, you revealed the secrets of the Torah to us, but only You know the secrets of the world and its workings. Then the Rebbe told two sad stories. *** Pinye was a simple man but was G-d fearing and goodhearted. He modestly raised his large family. Parnasa was difficult and he barely managed to provide bread for them. Pinye had an old horse and a rickety wooden wagon that served him faithfully and helped him provide for his family.

His day was a busy one and it began before sunrise. At dawn he recited Thillim and then he joined the earliest Shacharis. Only after that did his days work begin. He harnessed the horse to the wagon and began his transportation service. As he did so, he sang chapters of Thillim and prayed for success in his work. The best days of the year for Pinye were market days. Merchants traveled to the market in the neighboring town and bought large quantities of merchandise for the coming months. Then they hired Pinye the wagon driver to transport the precious merchandise back to their town. The roads were often difficult and the horse was weak and the wagon creaked, but thank G-d, and thanks to the chapters of Thillim he recited, the wagon arrived safely with all its contents intact. One year, the rains came early and the roads were full of mud, but this this did not prevent the merchants from going to the market. Pinye the wagon driver did not want to lose money and so he got to work. He took his horse and wagon, loaded up the merchandise and set off.

The roads were very difficult. The horse sank repeatedly into the mud and the wagon moved very slowly. Pinye constantly kept watch so they wouldnt veer off the road. He was happy over the money he would earn and he began to think about what he would do with the rubles he would get. For a few moments his attention wandered and then he felt that the wagon wasnt moving. He looked around and saw what happened. The horse and wagon had gotten stuck in the mud and the horse had no way of extricating itself. Pinye quickly got out but he too began sinking in the mud. He moved away from the mud and watched in horror as his horse and wagon continued to sink. He tried with all his might to get them out but to no avail. Pinye was scared. What would happen to the expensive merchandise? Not only wouldnt he get paid, but he would have to pay for damages. What would become of him? He looked right and left; perhaps there was someone who could help him. Then, as though his prayers had been answered, a wagon could be seen approaching. A rich Jew alighted, dressed handsomely. Pinye was surprised to see someone that distinguished driving his own wagon. I sent the wagon driver on vacation for a few days and since I had to travel to close an important deal, I drove myself, the man explained.

38 24 Teives 5774

Perhaps perhaps you can help me? The horse the wagon ... pleaded Pinye. The wealthy man, seeing the state of Pinyes wagon, paid no mind to his fine clothing and jumped into the mud. He tried pulling from here and from there, as Pinye directed him. His boots became muddy as did his fur coat. Again and again he tried until he realized he just couldnt do it. I am so sorry, but I am not accustomed to this sort of work. If I had the strength, I would help you. I can help you with money but coins cannot get a wagon out of the mud. The man returned to his wagon. *** At precisely the same time, another incident took place not far from there. Moshe rented an inn from the squire. Moshke got up early and worked very hard. Although many gentiles visited his inn, too many of them did not pay him. They promised but did not keep their promises. The end of the year had arrived and he had to pay the rent but he didnt have the money. In the early years, the squire was patient, but when it happened in the third year too, he angrily threatened: You and your wife will be thrown into prison until the debt is paid! Moshe and his wife were horrified by this pronouncement. Pleading did not help. The

squires henchmen surrounded the hapless couple and began leading them to prison. Moshe walked silently. Tears streamed from his eyes and his mouth murmured Thillim. His poor wife could not bear it and burst into heartrending tears. Yechezkel the Strong was on his way home and he heard the crying. He looked around to see where the sound was coming from and saw the pathetic sight of Moshe and his wife being led to prison. He stood silently near the group and felt his blood rise to his head. His strong body prepared to attack. Reb Yid, he called out to Moshe. I see you are being taken to prison. If you would like, I can use my strength to chase the guards away and save you. My dear brother, you are a goodhearted man and were gifted with prodigious strength, but the squire and his friends are stronger than you. Even if you

were successful, I am afraid they would take out their anger on the children ... If you had money to help me out then you would be able to save me and provide relief for me and my family. Yechezkel the Strong sighed and said, If I had the money, I would gladly free you, but what can I do? I only have strength. And Yechezkel and Moshe cried bitterly. *** The Alter Rebbe sighed. Ribbono shel olam, these two incidents took place so close to one another. If You had only sent Yechezkel the Strong to help Pinye get his wagon out of the mud and sent the rich man to help Moshe and his wife, everyone would have benefited. But You didnt do that We cannot understand Your ways. You know the secrets of the world. Only You know why the world runs the way it does.

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Issue 908 Radio Moshiach & Redemption

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39

CROSSROADS

AN ILLUSORY QUIET

WHATS REALLY HAPPENING ON THE LEBANESE BORDER?

Back in the early days of the IDF, there were Special Forces, such as Unit 101, made up of courageous elite fighters. They would go out on retaliatory missions in response to any terror attacks against Jews, bringing the war to the doorstep of our enemies. When one of these fighters, Yitzchak Jibli, of blessed memory, was taken hostage during military activities, his friends went out on their own operation and captured forty terrorists, holding them until Jiblis release. Today, only the other side is displaying this kind of grit and determination, while retaliatory measures are no longer part of the IDFs lexicon.
By Sholom Ber Crombie Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry

1.
The incident last Sunday in Rosh HaNikra has revealed once again the silent scream behind the idyllic quiet reigning on Eretz Yisroels northern border. It would seem that since the Second Lebanon War more than seven years ago there have been no unusual occurrences affecting the Jewish population in the north. The residents of Kiryat Shmona have called these years the quietest they have experienced since the citys founding. However, this calm is actually quite hollow in nature. Behind the apparent tranquility is the widespread digging of tunnels, as each side prepares for the next round. To put it simply, everyone is getting ready for war. The Israel Defense Forces are certain: The next round

40 24 Teives 5774

is coming. Israeli intelligence services are constantly working to locate every tunnel, every movement, and every new base situated in a village with a civilian population. They are certain that when it comes to a moment of truth, the IDF can destroy all the Hezbollah missile launch sites threatening to paralyze the Jewish homeland within a few hours. The IDF wants to repeat the dizzying success of the Second Lebanon War, when they eliminated all of the Hezbollahs long-range missiles within twenty-four hours. This decision had been made by then-minister of defense, Amir Peretz. While he wasnt a high-ranking general, he did understand that the greatest threat was not the prevailing rocket barrage on northern residents, but the Hezbollahs potential power of maintaining a threat over the residents of Tel Aviv and throughout the heart of the country with its longer range missiles. This time, however, Hezbollah has armed itself far more heavily than before. Were not just talking about a few batteries that could be destroyed in one blow; this is a virtual army that has been built up over the past decade.

of the Second Lebanon War, its presence today is more apparent. The problem is that Lebanons military structure has no regulations. Under such circumstances, all it takes is one psychopath to ignite a regional conflict. The danger in the north had actually become an actual threat when the IDF left southern Lebanon and the Lebanese villages sitting on the border fence came under Hezbollah control. These villages are located

3.
To a large extent, the unilateral withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon created a state of imbalance throughout the Middle East. It strengthened the Damascus-Beirut-Tehran axis and has turned Hezbollah into the unquestioned ruler of south Lebanon. UNIFIL forces on duty in the region as part of the ceasefire agreement, hammered out by then-Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni at the conclusion of the Second Lebanon War, have

The Israeli defense establishment operates primarily on the defensive.

not really succeeded in becoming the dominant force in the area. Their presence is more windowdressing than an actual power of influence over whats happening along the Israel-Lebanon border. The Second Lebanon War broke out as a result of the Israeli weakness displayed at Gush Katif. This is the opinion of all reliable military experts, including prominent generals, who have stated this position in both public and private forums. However, the Gush Katif expulsion was also the result of the IDFs retreat from Lebanon five years earlier. Israeli groveling has given terrorists the sweet smell of victory and has also created a new equation for the region: Terrorism can defeat the Israel Defense Forces. The security situation today in the Middle East is at a very low ebb, and those considered most reliable for our security have been busy preparing for the dismantling of more settlements and for new terrorists along our borders. In the north, we have enabled the bringing of Hezbollah flags into our villages. The ones

today

2.
The shooting that cut short the life of Staff Sgt. Major Shlomi Cohen, may G-d avenge his blood, was not carried out by a Hezbollah terrorist, but by a soldier in the Lebanese Army. In the past, the Lebanese Army was considered to be a fictitious entity, not an actual fighting force. However, since the IDF withdrawal from Lebanon thirteen years ago, and especially since the conclusion

directly next to Israeli kibbutzim and moshavim, separated only by the border fence. Strange, but true, the IDF once controlled these villages, but they were afraid to exercise their control over them. The army was in Lebanon, but the countrys political leaders tied the militarys hands as the terrorists managed to defeat the most powerful armed force in the Middle East. Car bombs and other terrorist attacks transformed Lebanon into a minefield. At the time, it was the Four Mothers who vanquished the IDF. They managed to overpower thenPrime Minister Ehud Olmert in their effort to extricate the army from the Lebanon quagmire. Yet, instead of conquering southern Lebanon and maintaining full control over the region, the IDF chose the easy way out and simply withdrew. While the lives of soldiers serving there were saved, we paid a heavy price with the deaths of more than one hundred people in the Second Lebanon War.

Issue 908

41

CROSSROADS
responsible for this situation where any Lebanese soldier can cause injury to Israeli citizens at very close range are the same ones who gave the orders to pull out of Lebanon. The decision has brought us terror and this equation has never changed. Back in the early days of the IDF, there were Special Forces such as Unit 101, made up of courageous elite fighters such as Meir Har-Tzion and Shimon Kushi Rimon. They would go out on retaliatory missions in response to any terror attacks against Jews, bringing the war to the doorstep of our enemies. When one of these fighters, Yitzchak Jibli, of blessed memory, was taken hostage during military activities, his friends went out on their own operation and captured forty terrorists, holding them until Jiblis release. Today, only the other side is displaying this kind of grit and determination, while retaliatory measures are no longer part of the IDFs lexicon. If thats the way the army sees it, its no wonder that one withdrawal brings on another withdrawal, as the IDF deals only with defensive operations. While the border was quiet, the enemy was digging underground bunkers and preparing for war. We must bring about a serious change in the nations way of thinking. Otherwise, Israeli policymakers will continue emphasizing the investment of billions in defense systems such as Iron Dome, instead of creating Special Forces such as Unit 101, which will unabashedly take reciprocal measures. The great concern over the kidnapping of another soldier along the border also demonstrates Zionist insanity at its very worst. Instead of the enemy being afraid more than ever, we are the ones in a constant state of fear. This is because according to those in charge of the nations foreign policy, a kidnapping always means the release of more terrorists. No one is even trying to modify this equation and proclaim that if theres anyone who should be afraid of a kidnapping, its them not us. They must be made to understand that if they take even one soldier hostage, the entire Hamas leadership will be in danger of becoming captives themselves. Successive Israeli governments have failed to place red lines before the terrorist organizations. Thus, when the murder of Jewish soldiers passes quietly time after time, there is no logical reason for anyone on the other side to fear us at all. The tragic event that took place last week in Rosh HaNikra should prompt us to change the rules of the game and show our enemies that Jewish blood is not cheap. If anyone should be the target on the firing line now, its those who carry weapons and use them against us. To provide true security for the Jewish People, we must be prepared to conduct ourselves in accordance with the Jewish moral principle of, When someone comes to slay you, slay him first. In this manner, we will merit the Torahs promise, And you shall dwell in security in your land, until the True and Complete Redemption.

4.
The Israeli defense establishment today operates primarily on the defensive. No one is making an examination of the current state of affairs, asking what will occur if we fail to take concrete action and allow enemy forces to take strategic positions along our borders. The fear of initiating military operations is so intimidating that it paralyzes the Cabinet from deciding on appropriate action. The situation prevailing today is frighteningly reminiscent of what was happening on the eve of the Second Lebanon War.

42 24 Teives 5774