CONTENTS

20
FEATURED ARTICLES

WEEKLY COLUMNS

3 Dvar malchus
5 Parsha thought
16 Halacha 2 go
18 Moshiach & hayom yom
30 Story
32 Crossroads
35 Tzivos hashem

CHANUKA MIRACLE
5755
Rabbi Yosef Zev Reinitz

STUDY
20 TORAH
FOR THE

WORKING MAN
Elad Yitzchaki

PLAN OF ACTION &

26 THE
THE SECRET PLANS

SACRIFICE
32 THE
OF AMONA

By holom Ber Crombie

Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082-0272
is published weekly, except Jewish holidays (only
once in April and October) for $160.00 in Crown
Heights. USA $180.00. All other places for $195.00
per year (45 issues), by Beis Moshiach, 744 Eastern
Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Periodicals
postage paid at Brooklyn, NY and additional
offices. Postmaster: send address changes to
Beis Moshiach 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY
11213-3409. Copyright 2016 by Beis Moshiach, Inc.
Beis Moshiach is not responsible for the content
and Kashruth of the advertisements.

26
744 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409

1049_bm_eng.indd 4

Tel: (718) 778-8000

Fax: (718) 778-0800
BMoshiach@gmail.com
www.beismoshiach.org

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
M.M. Hendel
HEBREW EDITOR:
Rabbi S.Y. Chazan
BMoshiach@gmail.com

ENGLISH EDITOR:
Boruch Merkur
editor@beismoshiach.org

2016-12-20 7:08:29 AM

DVAR MALCHUS

ADDING CONVERTS
IN EXILE
The Alm-ghty only exiled the Jewish people
among the Gentile nations in order to add
to them converts. Coverts alludes to and
signifies the sparks of holiness present in all
aspects of the world. * This approach of taking
a foothold in the place of our dispersal brings
about fortitude and success in our avoda.
Translated by Boruch Merkur

HOW ARE WE MORE

READY NOW THAN EVER?!

the redemption than the previous

generations?!

1. We have mentioned many

times recently, especially on the
last occasion, that according to
all the signs, we are presently in
the last generation of exile and of
consequence, the first generation of
redemption. The basis for this claim
is that we have already completed all
aspects of serving G-d, and we now
stand ready for the true and compete
redemption
through
Moshiach
Tzidkeinu.
There are those who ask: The
redemption is dependent upon the
preparedness of the entire world
not just one person or a few
individuals, not even one part of
the world, but the entire world. The
entire world must be ready because
the redemption is connected with
and dependent upon gathering the
exiles of the Jewish people from the
four corners of the earth, as well as
refining the gentile nations of all the
countries of the world.
In what sense people ask
is the world different now, that
it is said to be more prepared for

AN ACT OF TZDAKA
BY DISPERSING US
AMONG THE NATIONS
2. The answer emerges from a
discussion of the reason underlying
the Jewish peoples long history of
journeying in exile from place to
place:
Superficially, the dispersal of
the Jewish people throughout the
various countries of the world
(alienated and dispersed among
the nations) is a descent and the
greater the dispersal, the greater the
descent. Nevertheless, our Sages say
(Psachim 87b), The Alm-ghty did
an act of tzdaka (righteousness,
charity) by dispersing them among
the Gentile nations. The wellknown (inner) interpretation of this
Talmudic adage sheds light on the
matter: Settling in foreign lands and
adopting their customs (in a way
that is permitted by Jewish law; for
example, by speaking the national
language when handling mundane

affairs), in each place according to

its manner, according to the qualities
of the place, as well as its national
character benefits the avoda of the
Jews of those places.
In this spirit, our Sages say,
When you go to a city, follow
its customs. In fact, the law is
(Rambams Laws of Selling, 26:8):
The foremost rule regarding
transactions is that you follow the
terminology and customs of the
people of the locale, The national
custom is the principal rule in these
matters. Here Rambam refers to
the national customs of gentiles
(who comprise the majority of
the inhabitants of the Diaspora),
illustrating the benefit in utilizing
their customs to serve G-d, in the
spirit of, All your deeds should
be for the sake of Heaven, and,
Know Him in all your ways even
bringing about an increase in Torah
and Mitzvos.
In Chassidic lexicon, interpreting
the saying of our Sages, The Almghty only exiled the Jewish people
among the Gentile nations in order
to add to them converts: Coverts
alludes to and signifies the sparks
of holiness present in all aspects of
the world. The Alm-ghty exiled the
Jewish people to various places in
the world in order to refine, purify,
and elevate the sparks that are
situated in each place. Thus, The

Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 3

2016-12-20 7:08:34 AM

Dvar Malchus
Alm-ghty did an act of tzdaka
by dispersing them among the
Gentile nations, for in this way
they achieve through their avoda
the virtue of refining the sparks of
holiness present in (the customs
of) each nation and in each place.
This then comprises the
benefit in the dispersal of Jews
throughout and their residing
in a great variety of countries
across the globe, described in
the verse (where G-d blesses
Yaakov), You shall burst forth
to the west, east, north and
south: Specifically through
the inner avoda of Jews in all
countries of the world (in each
place according to its character),
through their residing and living
in the land and conducting
themselves, in activities permitted
by Jewish law, according to
the national customs, a Jew
(taking personal initiative) can
accomplish the refinement and
purification of each and every
place according to its quality.
In this manner, each location
becomes a dwelling place for
G-d in the lower realms
lower realms in the plural
each in accordance with its (place
and its) nature. The impact of
refugees, however, unsettled
people, on the place is not the
same nor is the effect of those
who extend influencing on a place
from a distance in comparison
with the impact of those who live
there in an established and settled

way, and are familiar with the

local customs.

SUCCESS BY FOLLOWING
THE LOCAL CUSTOMS
Moreover, this approach of
taking a foothold in the place
of our dispersal brings about
fortitude and success in our
avoda, as is plainly understood,
as follows. The reason for the
difference of custom (according
to Torah) between one country
and another is on account of the
special character of the country
(the geographical quality, as well
as the character of the people,
and the like). Thus, when we
conduct ourselves according to
the national custom, which is
in line with the character of the
particular place, it is met with
success. A Jew who lives in that




place must, therefore, conducts

himself according to the national
custom, even utilizing these
customs in his service of G-d.
In this manner, he experiences
greater success even in his service
of G-d, in accordance with the
customs of the place.
(The very fact that the law is
that we must conduct ourselves
according to the local customs,
establishes that these customs
become a Torah recognized
manner of conduct. That is, when
they in no way contradict Jewish
law, the law itself obligates a Jew
to conduct himself in accordance
with the regional customs [at
least] in business matters.)
(From the address of Shabbos
Parshas VaYeishev, 23 Kislev, Mevarchim
HaChodesh Teives; Seifer HaSichos
5752, pg. 114)

Express service
Fully Computerized
331 Kingston Ave.
(2nd Flr) Brooklyn NY 11213
Get your tickets within minutes!

(718) 493-1111
Fax: (718) 493-4444

4 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 4

"The quickest way to reveal Moshiach is by learning the Torah

sources about Moshiach & redemption" t"ab,wv grumnu ghrz, p"a

Radio Moshiach & Redemption

1620-1640 AM around Crown Heights & Boro Park

& 1710 AM in parts of Brooklyn 24/6
2016-12-20 7:08:35 AM
worldwide live broadcast: www.RadioMoshiach.org
Rabbi Jacob Schwei
Member of the Rabbinical

213

PARSHA THOUGHT

KEEP THE
CHANUKAH
LIGHTS IN YOUR
LINE OF SIGHT
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

NO WATER BUT PLENTY OF

SNAKES AND SCORPIONS
Yosephs brothers conspired
to kill him out of jealousy, but the
oldest brother Reuven stepped
in and convinced his brothers to
throw Yoseph into an empty pit.
Reuven intended to take him out
later and return him to his father.
The Torah describes the pit
as: And the pit was empty, it had
no water in it.
The Talmud (Shabbos 22a),
quoting Rabbi Tanchum, notes
the redundancy here and states:
From the words it was
empty do I not know that it had
no water in it? Why then does
the Torah have to state it had
no water in it? It is to tell us
that while it had no water, it did
contain snakes and scorpions.
An obvious question arises:
if the pit was infested with
deadly snakes and scorpions,
what was Reuven thinking when
he threw Yoseph into the pit?
If his intention was indeed to
save Yosephs life, what did
Reuven think he was gaining by
surrendering Yoseph to these
deadly creatures?
Nachmanides writes that it
is obvious that the brothers did
not know these creatures were

present, for had they known and

seen Yoseph remain unscathed,
they would have realized that he
was a righteous person for whom
G-d had performed a miracle.
From this comment, it is
clear that the Torah wants
us to know that Yoseph was
indeed a righteous individual
and deserved to be saved from
these deadly creatures. Lest we
had begun to indict Yoseph for
inciting his brothers against him
and concluded that he was an
unworthy heir to his fathers
legacy, we are informed that, on
the contrary, he was perfectly
righteous.
There is another, deeper
explanation for why the Torah
emphasizes that there were
snakes and scorpions in the
pit that reveals to us Yosephs
greatness.
The fact that Yoseph was
thrown into a pit of deadly snakes
and scorpions is emblematic of
his uncanny moral and spiritual
strength. It was strength that
his brothers did not possess
and for which reason they so
misunderstood him. Yoseph,
unlike most others, could be cast
into a pit of snakes and scorpions,
literally and figuratively, and still
be immune to their venom.

YOSEPH MISUNDERSTOOD
To better understand Yosephs
uniqueness we must preface our
thoughts with the analysis offered
by Chassidus:
The Patriarchs, Avraham,
Yitzchak and Yaakov, as well as
Yaakovs sons, were shepherds.
That allowed them to remain
divorced from the corrupt
and degenerate urban areas of
society. By becoming shepherds,
they had the freedom to engage
in deep spiritual meditation.
Indeed, it was Avraham, Yitzchak
and Yaakov who instituted the
three daily prayers of Shacharis,
Mincha and Maariv. These were
not perfunctory prayers but
profound meditative experiences
that connected them to G-d and
divorced them from spiritual
snakes and scorpions.
Yoseph was different; and it
would seem not in such a good
way. He was not a shepherd.
In fact, he appeared to be a
lightweight contender for the
legacy of the Patriarchs. Yoseph
engaged in what most observers
would think was immature
behavior; focusing on his looks
and clothes. In later years,
upon reaching greater maturity,
he transitioned into a worldly

Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 5

2016-12-20 7:08:38 AM

PARSHA THOUGHT

In fact, he appeared to be a lightweight contender

for the legacy of the Patriarchs. Both his youthful
endeavors and his later secular leadership would hardly
seem to prepare him to follow the lead of his brothers,
parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, who
were no-nonsense spiritual people.

person, ultimately running Egypt.

Both his youthful endeavors and
his later secular leadership would
hardly seem to prepare him to
follow the lead of his brothers,
parents, grandparents and greatgrandparents, who were nononsense spiritual people.
This,
Chassidic
thought
explains, is why his brothers
hated him. It was not a petty
jealousy. They were concerned
and deeply troubled that Yosephs
behavior represented a serious
departure from the tradition of
the Patriarchs. They thought
Yoseph was turning out to be
another Yishmoel or Eisav,
who strayed far from the path
trodden by Avraham, Yitzchak
and Yaakov. In short, he was an
embarrassment and they feared
he would even pose a spiritual
and physical threat to their
family.

LIVED SEAMLESSLY IN
BOTH WORLDS
As we know, their fears
were
unfounded.
Yoseph
possessed a singular talent
for constancy. He was not
affected by his environment. In
Chassidic literature, Yoseph was
simultaneously a resident of two
worlds. On the one hand, his
soul was from and reflected the
highest spiritual world of Atzilus,
the world of G-dly emanation.
It is a realm where G-ds light
shines brightly and where even

the vessels, i.e., the instruments

that contain and channel the
light, are transparent. Yet, at
the same time, Yoseph was able
to live in the most secular and
hostile of places without losing
his connection to the lofty world
of Atzilus.
Yoseph
possessed
the
potential to withstand both the
icy indifference of a secular
environment and to resist its
powerful temptations.
These
two
threats
are
represented
by
the
twin
metaphors
of
snakes
and
scorpions. Our Sages teach
that a snakes venom is hot
whereas the scorpions is cold.
In spiritual and moral terms
this means that the snake
personality possesses unholy and
immoral passions. The scorpions
cold venom, by contrast,
represents one who is coldly
indifferent to anything holy and
spiritual.
The fact that Yoseph was
thrown into a pit infested with
these poisonous threats and
survived demonstrated Divine
Providence. It was also an omen
that he would be subjected
to both of these challenges,
inappropriate
passions
and
secular distraction, but pass them
with flying colors.
Moreover, Yoseph possessed
another unique quality. It was
his ability to influence others to
follow in his footsteps. The third
Rebbe of Chabad, known as the

Tzemach Tzedek, retranslates

the verse in last weeks parsha,
which explains why he was called
Yoseph. The simple translation of
his mothers words upon naming
him is: May G-d add another
son for me. The Tzemach
Tzedek retranslates this as:
may G-d make an other (an
outsider) into a son. In other
words, Yoseph was capable
of reaching even the Jew who
considers himself or herself to
be an outsider, an other, and
transform him or her into a son,
the ultimate insider.
Had his brothers been aware
of Yosephs righteousness, as
demonstrated by his immunity
from the physical snakes and
scorpions and imperviousness to
the associated spiritual threats,
they would have never challenged
him.

PITS AND CHANUKAH

LIGHTS
We can now begin to
understand why the Talmud
juxtaposes Rabbi Tanchums
statement that the pit was infested
with snakes and scorpions with
his statement concerning that
Chanukah lights may not be
placed at a height greater than 20
cubits.
Commentators have grappled
with the juxtaposition of these
two totally unrelated statements.
What connection is there
between the placement of a
Chanukah Menorah and Yoseph
being thrown into a pit infested
with snakes and scorpions?
We may also ask, what is
the connection of these two
statements to their author,
Rabbi Tanchum? The name
Tanchum relates to consolation
and is usually associated with the
ultimate consolation that we will
receive from G-d in the imminent

6 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 6

2016-12-20 7:08:38 AM

Redemption
through
our
righteous Moshiach. According
to the Talmud, Moshiachs name
is Menachem, which shares
Tanchums root; they both relate
to the notion of consolation.
In light of our preceding
analysis
of
the
brothers
misunderstanding of Yosephwe
can discover a connection
between these two statements:
The Chanukah lights emerged
out of the attempt by the SyrianGreeks to contaminate the soul
of the Jewish people. It has
been suggested that the reason
we place the Menorah at the
entrances of our homes is to
commemorate how the enemy
removed the doors of the homes
of the Jewish people so that they
could not hide their observance
of Judaism.
In other words, the SyrianGreeks did everything in their
power to ensure the infiltration
of malign outside influences into
every Jewish home and heart.
There were to be no barriers
to block the snakes and
scorpions from entering.
The Chanukah lights that
we place at our entrances
or our windows cannot be
contaminated, just like the lone

cruse of uncontaminated oil

that lasted for eight days. This
parallels Yosephs first quality:
that he was impervious to outside
influences.
Moreover, just as Yoseph
was not content simply to resist
the negative forces, but also
transformed the other-outsider
into a son-insider, so too, the
Chanukah lights illuminate the
darkness of the night. It has the
power to transform night into
light; the other into a son.
However, in order for the
Chanukah lights to have their
intended effect they cannot be
placed beyond eye contact. A
Menorah placed so high that
the eye does not easily notice it
cannot illuminate the darkness.
We can now also understand
the
connection
of
these
statements to the name of
Rabbi Tanchum. As stated,
Tanchum is closely related
to Moshiach. Moshiach will
succeed in achieving the goal
of transforming the outside.
Moshiach is known as a warrior
against the influences that
threaten the integrity of the
Torah, Jewish people and the
Land of Israel. But Moshiach is
more than that. He will influence

every Jew to follow in the ways

of G-d and indeed, he will even
reach out and perfect the entire
world, thereby bringing true
peace and unity.
Moshiach will transform
the snakes and scorpions into
positive forces. Indeed, the word
snake in Hebrew (Nachash) has
the same numerical value as
Moshiach (358). And the word
scorpion in Hebrew (Akrav)
equals the numerical value of
Moshiach
combined
with
David.
Moshiach inherited from
Yoseph the power to accomplish
these things, for Yoseph was
singularly
endowed
with
the abilities associated with
Moshiach.
All of us possess a spark of
Moshiach, especially now that
the Rebbe informed us that the
Redemption is in front of us. The
only impediment before us is if
we place the symbol of Moshiach,
the Chanukah lights, so high that
our eyes do not see them.
This echoes the Rebbes
repeated exhortation to us that
we must open our eyes to see
the energy and light of Moshiach
and Redemption in front of us.

LIVE SHIURIM 0NLINE

vww c

Anywhere, Anytime !
CHITAS
INYONEI GEULA
& MOSHIACH
RAMBAM
SHIURIM IN LIKUTEI
SICHOS KODESH

,ww,j
jhanu vkutd hbhbg
owwcnr
hyuekc ohrugha
asue ,ujha

WWW.770LIVE.COM

sgu okugk jhanv lkn ubcru ubrun ubhbust hjh

Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 7

2016-12-20 7:08:38 AM

FEATURE

CHANUKA
MIRACLE 5755
The third night of Chanuka. Plans to go on
mivtzaim to the Shchem area. After the incident
the night before in which we were stoned, I
decided I had had enough of adventures. But
I changed my mind on a dime and decided to
join them. A decision I would have occasion to
regret. * Four young bachurim and a shliach,
surrounded by dozens of inflamed Arabs with no
natural way to get out.
By Rabbi Yosef Zev Reinitz
Prepared for publication by N. Friedman

8 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 8

2016-12-20 7:08:40 AM

t was the winter of 5755 and

Chanuka was approaching.
I was busy trying to enlist
bachurim to join me on
shlichus in Kfar Yona. I was
learning in the central yeshiva in
Kfar Chabad and I often went
to help my cousin in Kfar Yona,
the shliach, Rabbi Nechemia
Schmerling.
Back then, his Chanuka
activities were spread out over
three central locations. The first
was with the people of Kfar
Yona. The second was at the jails
and the many army bases in the
outlying areas. The third was
army bases in the Jordan Valley
area, because R Schmerling was
in charge of activities in that area
at that time.
Each of these places needed
a large team of bachurim to do
mivtzaim. But for some reason,
at the beginning of Chanuka we
were stuck without bachurim.
I tried all the Chabad yeshivos
and finally was able to get two
bachurim who had learned with
me the year before at the yeshiva
in Kiryat Gat, along with another
American bachur: R Dan
Krichevsky, today a shliach and
rav in Ufa, Russia; R Mordechai
Bistritzky, today rav of the
Chabad community in Tzfas; and
Yehoshua Sheiner.

CHASING AWAY THE ROCK

THROWERS
The
security
situation
wasnt great. It was after the
celebration of Rabins imaginary
peace, and day after day, peace
exploded in the faces of Israeli
citizens. Hamas was not an
organized entity at the time,
but homegrown terror squads
prowled throughout YehudaShomron and tried attacking
Jews. One of their main modes of
operation was to surround Jewish
vehicles while acting violently,

and strafing passing cars with

bullets in an attempt to hit the
passengers.
Another way was to surprise
Israeli cars by cutting in front
and suddenly stopping and when
the car stopped, to throw bricks
and rocks and then run off. With
these methods, the terrorists
were able to hurt numerous Jews
and even kill them, including
Prisoner of Zion and settler
leader R Mordechai Lapid, who
was killed with his son Sholom,
may Hashem avenge their blood,
in the Chevron area.
On Monday, the first night
of Chanuka, we went to visit
inmates in Sharon prison and lit
the menorah with them. Among
them were some prisoners under
administrative detention who
were arrested for daring to talk
against the delusional peace
celebration. When we told them
that we planned on visiting IDF
bases in the Shchem-Tubas area,
they warned us not to dare go
there without a military escort
since the area was extremely
sensitive and dangerous.
We tried to have a military
escort with us each time we
went out. The next day we went
to bring the joy of the holiday
to soldiers stationed in Qalqilya
and were suddenly attacked with
rocks, thrown at us by dozens
of young Arabs who lived in the
area. The soldier with us went
into shock and ducked down
with his weapon and did nothing
more.
It was R Schmerling who
quickly recovered and took
action. He always keeps a small
Beretta gun with him. He stopped
the car, went out with his gun
toward the rock throwers and
chased them off. His handling
of the situation gave us a feeling
of confidence and calm. We
knew we were traveling with a

responsible person who would

act if he needed to.

GOING TO SHCHEM
Wednesday,
the
third
Chanuka light. We were getting
ready to go to the Shchem
area. After the incident the night
before, when we were stoned,
I decided I had had enough of
adventures and I would stay in
Kfar Yona.
After all, I consoled myself,
bachurim were needed in Kfar
Yona too. Furthermore, R
Schmerling did not find a soldier
to escort our group, so I was
determined not to go to Shchem.
Their leaving was delayed by
about half an hour and during
this time I changed my mind and
decided to join them. This was a
decision I would come to regret
ten times over. I took another
Chitas with me for protection
and a volume of Igros Kodesh.
We loaded the van with
dozens of trays of doughnuts,
menorahs, and other menorahlighting
paraphernalia.
We
crowded into the front of the
vehicle with many bottles of
mashke that were scattered on
the floor due to lack of space.
The vehicle did not belong to R
Schmerling; it was loaned to him
by Tzach for Chanuka outreach.
The first camp we went to
was Camp Dotan, a camp that,
sad to say, belongs to terrorists
now after it was given to them as
part of the evacuation of Gush
Katif and northern Shomron
in 5765. We worked primarily
with soldiers from the religious
NaChaL unit.

ANYTHING FOR CHABAD

I remember two things from
that camp. The first is that when
we went to the main kitchen, one
of the soldiers called to me and
Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 9

2016-12-20 7:08:41 AM

Feature

R Yosef Zev Reinitz, on the left, giving out doughnuts and lchaim to IDF soldiers

enthusiastically dragged me to a
corner of the kitchen where there
was a big picture of this soldier
receiving a dollar from the Rebbe.
Next to it was another picture of
the soldier with R Moshe Edery
of Kfar Chabad. He excitedly
related that he had learned in
the vocational school in Kfar
Chabad and asked that we give
his warm regards to R Moshe.
It was moving to see how much
the Rebbe meant to him and how,
while in an army camp, he hung
up a large picture of the Rebbe.
The second memory has to do
with the commander of the camp,
an officer of the rank of Colonel.
As soon as we entered his office
he said, You should know
that my door is always open to
Chabad Chassidim. I will help
you wherever I am. Last Pesach I
was on vacation in Thailand and
I felt your devotion to every Jew
with real mesirus nefesh. This is
only a small way that I can repay
you.
We continued to farbreng
with him about Chanuka and the
Rebbe, the Yehuda HaMaccabi of
our generation. At the end of the
meeting he asked where we were

going next. R Schmerling told

him, We are going from here
straight to Shchem.
Do you have an escort? the
commander asked nervously. R
Schmerling looked at him with a
smile and pointed upward.
What are you talking about?
Who will be protecting you?
The commander was upset. Do
you know what goes on in that
area? Even the IDF tries not to
go there, and when it has to go,
it is only with an armed convoy.
R Schmerling tried to
reassure him. G-d is the best
escort, he said.
Unlike R Schmerling, I was
very nervous. I went out to find
a soldier who perhaps might
need to go to the Shchem area
who would volunteer to escort
us, but in vain. I went all over
the camp and checked whether
anyone was going in the direction
or the area of Kfar Tapuach.
The reaction of the soldiers just
intensified my fear. The shocked
responses of the soldiers were
heard everywhere. What, are
you crazy? How are you going
there?!
My fear level was going

through the roof, but R

Schmerling was full of trust in
Hashem and said we were going
on the Rebbes shlichus to bring
joy to soldiers and shluchei
mitzva are not harmed.
Perhaps he remembered the
story of the shluchim on Purim
5736 who were ambushed
by rioting Arabs and were
miraculously saved. A few hours
later, during a farbrengen,
the Rebbe told this story and
depicted the chain of events in
detail. Who traveled in the car
(some shluchim, a driver and
a military person); where the
incident occurred and why Arabs
were there (Arab local residents
who did not want new supplies
or Jewish soldiers to reach
Shchem); what the military
person thought and how the
shluchim convinced him (the
shluchim told him: we have this
mission, to encourage Jews and
bring them Purim joy); and to
conclude, the Rebbe told the
lesson to be learned from what
happened: This is what the
Megilla is about, that when a Jew
stands firmly for his Judaism and
does not think twice, but on the
contrary does what he needs to
do, he succeeds without being
hurt or causing harm, not only to
Jews but to goyim too.

FATEFUL TURN
As we got closer to Shchem
the tension increased. Our vehicle
was plastered with Chanuka signs
and had a big menorah on the
roof which gave away the Jewish
identity of the passengers, and it
was with this that we planned on
traveling through the murderous
stronghold of our enemies.
During the trip, R Schmerling
took his hands off the wheel
momentarily and loaded his
gun. He put the loaded gun on
his knees and continued driving.

10 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 10

2016-12-20 7:08:41 AM

This doubled and tripled our

tension.
From the distance we saw
the entrance to Shchem. The
entrance is divided into four
paths, two in each direction.
The dividing line that separates
between them is like a slanted
ramp so that the exit from the
city is higher than the entrance
by about two meters.
The closer we got to the
entrance, the slower traffic
became. Many cars crawled
along at that hour and the hostile
looks from the other cars did
nothing to make us feel calmer.
R Schmerling too could not
remain indifferent in the face of
the dangerous situation.
They can ambush us here, he
murmured quietly. In an instant
they can close in on us from all
directions and do what they want
with us. We shuddered.
R Schmerling held his gun
and tried to navigate between
the cars. Suddenly, he grasped
the gun in his mouth with his
right hand on the stick shift, his
left hand on the wheel, and in a
moments decision he rode up
the ramp that separated between
the two directions.
The vehicle had a hard time
going up and finally landed on
the opposite lane where traffic
moved more quickly, but in
the opposite direction R
Schmerling drove quickly and
navigated his car against traffic
with hysterical honking and
zigzagging which caused many
cars to stop in fright.
Our hearts pounded. I held
my extra Chitas close to my heart
and pleaded with the Rebbe to
watch over us. Dan Krichevsky
began reading the Igros Kodesh.

R Yosef Zev Reinitz, on the left, with soldiers during Chanuka 5755

As we got closer to Shchem the tension

increased. Our vehicle was plastered with
Chanuka signs and had a big menorah on the roof which
gave away the Jewish identity of the passengers, and it
was with this that we planned on traveling through the
murderous stronghold of our enemies.

INTO THE LIONS DEN

After a few nightmarish
minutes we were at Yosef
HaTzaddik S grave. There was
an IDF presence there and R
Schmerling decided to visit the
soldiers.
Hearts returned to their
normal beat in this island
of normalcy in a jungle of
murderers. Color returned to our
faces and a few cups of water
calmed us completely. We were
sure that now we would make it
back to Kfar Yona but after a few
minutes in which we interacted
with the soldiers, R Schmerling
announced, Guys, soldiers are
waiting for us at Hamam ElMaliach.
Hamam El-Maliach is an area

of the Jordan Valley where a huge

training base for paratroopers is
located. The road there passes
through Shchem and crosses
Tubas and Farah, and there, at
the beginning of the Valley, is the
base.
We got through Shchem
with big miracles and reached
the rundown highway in Tubas.
Watch the sides to see if they try
throwing blocks at us, ordered
R Schmerling as we entered
deep into Tubas.
How will that help? I
wondered. The moment they
threw blocksby the time we
informed R Schmerling, until he
would stop the car and warn the
Arabs with his gunit would be
too late.

Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 11

11

2016-12-20 7:08:42 AM

Feature
The
highway
in
the
underdeveloped city of Tubas
passed between private yards, so
that at any moment they could
have surprised us from the roof
of one of the houses, but we
drove through peacefully.
We continued to Nachal
Tirtza and there at Farah, we
took the road towards the
military detention compound.
We considered stopping but in
the end we decided that since at
the compound, those serving are
reserve soldiers who get to return
home on Chanuka, we would
first visit the full duty soldiers
who would not experience the
warmth of the holiday if we did
not visit them.
We arrived at Hamam ElMaliach and visited the soldiers
and brought them the joy of the
holiday. Then we went to the
reservists.

EXPOSED TO TERROR
The sun was setting. I went
up on the roof of the vehicle
and turned on the fourth light of
the menorah. We had to hurry.
We had a few more events that
night; a big event planned at
Base 21 near Kfar Yona, a central
menorah lighting and rally at the
mall, and a chanukas habayis
ceremony for the new shul built
at the yishuv.
R Schmerling drove faster
and we passed through Farah
and hurried toward Shchem.
I had no mental energy for the
tension I would experience if I sat
near the window looking out for
shooting or rocks, so I lay down
on the floor among the bottles of
mashke.
I lay there for fifteen minutes.
When I got up, I noticed that
the road was wet and slippery
and it was drizzling. We passed
Tubas and were driving on the

highway that connects Tubas

and Shchem. This highway is a
downhill winding road, with one
side a cliff and the other a rocky
mountain face, so that driving
this stretch is very dangerous.
We moved forward and
the illusory stillness gave us a
sense of calm and the tension
dissipated somewhat. Suddenly,
with no prior warning, the car in
front of us stopped at the end of
the downhill slant. Its goal was
obvious to attack us. The heart
stops as the fear spreads and
paralysis sets in. Would we also
be sacrifices for peace?
R Schmerling tried to stop
the vehicle but the descent was
too steep and the highway was
wet, which did not allow for
a sudden stop. To add to our
terror, while trying to brake, the
steering wheel locked.
We were flying downhill
with the wheel locked and the
brakes not working. On the right
was an abyss and on the left, a
mountain, and R Schmerling
had completely lost control of the
vehicle. The fear was paralyzing.
My life passed by like a movie.
There was nowhere to run. In
another moment we would be
crushed or fall into the hands
of cursed murderers who were
waiting for us.

DANGEROUS ACCIDENT
At this point, the miracles
began. I am still amazed, years
later, by how openly we saw the
hand of G-d at every turn.
The vehicle was coursing
down the curving road. We had
no control over the situation,
but
Hashems
great
and
compassionate hand held the car
close to the asphalt.
Inexplicably, with a locked
wheel, the vehicle followed the
curve of the highway and after a

long moment which seemed like

eternity, we collided forcefully
with a car coming from the
opposite direction. The contents
of the vehicle flew out and we
flew with great force into the side
walls of the vehicle. I felt whole
but I closed my eyes, refusing to
see what happened to the others.
It took us a minute to
recover and we discovered that
miraculously, aside from a few
bloodless scratches on our hands,
we emerged whole in body from
this devastating accident.
We got out. The entire front
section of the car and the radiator
were completely crushed. The
water and oil spilled out and
made a puddle on the wet
highway. The contents of the car
were strewn on the highway. And
boruch Hashem, we were fine.
Although we had been saved
in the accident, we also had to
get out of there. After all, we
were stuck in the terror den.
There we were, between Tubas
and Shchem, two nests of
bloodthirsty terrorists, stuck
without a vehicle, and no
cellphone or any other way of
communicating, on a highway
where not even IDF vehicles
passed.
The car that lay ambush to us
below had already fled the scene
when he saw how things were
turning out. But the rest of the
vehicles traveling on the highway
stopped and we gradually found
ourselves surrounded by dozens
of Arabs looking at us with hate
in their eyes.
R Schmerling tried to explain
to the driver that we hit that we
were not at fault since there was
a car that stopped in front of
us. But it looked as though this
wasnt what interested him at
that time. He screamed at us and
everyone around him joined him.
I returned to our vehicle and took

12 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 12

2016-12-20 7:08:42 AM

Praying at the grave of Yosef HaTzaddik.

R Mordechai Shmerling, R Yosef Zev Rainitz, R Dan Krichevsky, and Yehoshua Sheiner.

out the bullets from the glove

compartment. I shoved them into
R Schmerlings hands, thinking
that they meant the difference
between life and for us.
R Schmerling tried to calm
things down and at the same time
he told me, Go up, to provide
security for us. I did not ask
with what; I did not ask how.
In any case, it was better to be
up above than surrounded by
dozens of hostile Arabs. I took
Dan Krichevsky with me and
we went up. From up above I
saw how more and more Arabs
were joining the crowd. At any
moment, a lynch could ensue.
Four young bachurim and one
shliach surrounded by dozens
of Arabs with no way to get
out. I held my hand behind me,
thinking that maybe the Arabs
would be afraid I was holding

a gun. Dan began screaming

and threatening them that the
army and rescue crews were on
their way, which had no basis in
reality.

SAVED BY A MIRACLE
There was no reason to wait
for anyone to come and rescue us
since no Jew passed by that way.
To carjack a vehicle and escape
was also not an option with so
many parked cars on the side of
the highway blocking all possible
exits. Thoughts and images went
through our minds of how in a
few minutes we would lose our
lives. Until someone heard we
were stuck here, hours could go
by and the people surrounding
us did not look like the type of
people who would call for help
for Jews.
The words from Hallel that

we davened that morning took on

new meaning. God has chastised
me, but He has not delivered me
to death. We were willing to
suffer all the chastisements but
please, not death here on the
road.
The minutes passed slowly.
The baleful looks intensified
and more people gathered.
Fifteen minutes passed with
the uncertainty of what would
become of us and when exactly
chaos would ensue. Fifteen
minutes of fear, of terror, of a
soul accounting of everything
I had accomplished or not
accomplished in my life. Death
was never so close.
I looked down the length of
the highway and saw a truck
ascending toward Shchem. I
did not attribute any significance
to it. I only wondered whether

Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 13

13

2016-12-20 7:08:42 AM

Feature
safe. We got down at Morasha
Junction and from there we
hitchhiked toward Kfar Yona.
Tzach heard about the accident
from the army and they sent
another group of bachurim to
Base 21 so we just had to attend
the chanukas habayis ceremony
at the shul.

EVEN GENTILES
UNDERSTAND

its driver would also join the

inflamed crowd. The truck
continued ascending toward us
and suddenly I noticed that it
wasnt a truck at all but an army
transport, an armored vehicle
with a sort of bus attached behind
it in which many Israeli soldiers
sat.

MIRACULOUS RESCUE
Soldiers here? In the middle
of this highway? How did they
know to come? I screamed at
R Schmerling, Soldiers are
coming! I couldnt understand
it. Someone had heard about our
accident?
The transport stopped and
the soldiers inside were amazed
to see us. What are you doing
here? they asked. We told them
our story in brief. It turned
out that once a week there is a
shift change of soldiers at the
military detention compound
in Farah, and this is one of the
only times that the army uses this
road. By miraculous providence
and Hashems kindness, that
personnel change took place
precisely when we were stuck

there.
We had not finished thanking
Hashem for the big miracle that
happened for us, when another
transport coming downhill from
Tubas pulled up with only a few
soldiers and an officer. It was
simply an open miracle clothed in
nature.
We told the officer the story
and he couldnt believe it. He told
us what we already knew, that the
first cars stopping was probably
done by terrorists. Its one of the
ways that they attack Jews, to lay
a trap for them on dangerous
stretches of road, especially when
it was raining. He also told us
that many Jews had been attacked
in this way.
R Schmerling wasted no
time and asked that we board
the empty transport with the
soldiers and go in the direction of
Morasha Junction and from there
wed go to Kfar Yona. Ill stay
here with the soldiers to guard
the vehicle.
We got our stuff together and
got into the soldiers vehicle. The
road was dark and you couldnt
see anything but we finally felt

A contractors vehicle stopped

at the junction. I dont have
seats. Do you want to get in the
back? We crowded in along
with the contractors equipment.
We did not forget that we are
shluchim of the Rebbe and we
told him about the Rebbe and our
Chanuka message that we need
to be illuminating candles.
The contractor was very
moved and told us that on a
vacation with friends in London
a gentile approached them at a
tourist site. He had heard them
speaking in Hebrew and he
invited them to his house. He
hosted them for several days even
though he had never met them
before.
He told them that he was
giving them this honor because
they belong to the Chosen
and Holy Nation the Jewish
people. Every moment you are
with me, said the gentile host,
I experience great delight,
especially when hearing you
speak in the language of the
Bible.
At that time, said the
contractor, it did not mean
anything to me. The main thing
to me was having free room and
board. But now, after youve
explained to me what a Jew is
and my role in the world, I ask
myself: If a gentile in London
understands the significance of a
Jew, why dont I?

14 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 14

2016-12-20 7:08:44 AM

We saw how the contractors

G-dly soul had woken up.
When we arrived at Kfar
Yona, we went immediately to
the mall where the big event was
taking place. But when it was
over we didnt know whether
to continue to R Schmerlings
house. His wife would probably
be frightened and ask why we
came without him. And we
wouldnt know what to answer
her.
Finally, we heard that the car
was being towed by a military
vehicle to the nearby camp. R
Schmerling was taken by the
soldiers to Kfar Tapuach and
from there he took a taxi to Kfar
Yona.
He did not make it to the
chanukas habayis but we were
there. It was getting late and

people were concerned why the

rabbi had not come. We told
them we had an accident and
the rabbi would be coming any
minute but more time passed and
he still hadnt arrived.
One of the people there had
a cellphone, a novelty in those
days, and every few minutes he
tried calling and asking whether
the rabbi had returned yet.
It got really late and we had to
take charge. I got up and began
speaking. I had never addressed
a crowd before and didnt
know what to say at a chanukas
habayis, but Hashem helped,
and He put the words into my
mouth.
The
enthusiasm
and
excitement of the crowd over the
new shul moved me and I spoke
from my heart:

Continued from page 17

brachathe cup for bentching and
the cup of wine for sheva brachos
respectivelyare drunk so as not
make a hefsek. There is an added
stringency that all the mesubin (other
participants) should respect the
silence, though the common custom is
to be lenient in this regard.
Meikar hadin (according to the
letter of the law) those listening to

You are like Chanuka

candles. The mitzva to light the
Chanuka candles begins when
it starts getting dark. When the
outside light begins to wane, we
light the menorah. I grew up
in Yerushalayim in a staunchly
religious
neighborhood,
but
never in my life have I seen such
simcha like this over the holiness
of a shul.
Here, in Kfar Yona, a place
that people might think does not
excel in Torah and mitzvos, is
where it is most moving to see
the simcha and enthusiasm over
the dedication of a new shul.
I felt that the Rebbe was
putting the words into my mouth.
Till today, twenty years later,
when I say the words for Your
miracles and Your wonders and
Your salvations, I recall my
personal Chanuka miracle.

Havdala may speak at the conclusion

of the bracha on the wineah
gutte voch! (Have a good week!)
is a popular adage for this time.
Nevertheless, it is good to be stricter
with a hefsek and wait until the wine
is drunk before talking in order to
show respect for the wine of blessing.
Indeed the custom is to refrain from
wishing ah gutte voch! till after the
wine has been drunk.
The same applies to Kiddush by

day: those being yotze (fulfilling their

obligation) shouldnt talk from the
time the Kiddush cup is lifted until the
wine has been drunk.
One Minute Halacha is a
succinct daily presentation on practical
Halacha in video, audio, and text
formats, and can be accessed by
phone at 718.989.9599, by email,
halacha2go@gmail.com,
or
by
WhatsApp 347.456.5665.

Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 15

15

2016-12-20 7:08:44 AM

HALACHA 2 GO

THE BUSINESS
OF MARRIAGE
Selected Halachos from the
One Minute Halacha project
By HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, Shlita
Mara Dasra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights

IS A CHILD TO BE
TRUSTED TO CHECK
VEGETABLES FOR
INSECTS?
Eid echad neeman bissurin
(one witness is believed with
regard to prohibited substances);
a single adult is trusted when it
comes to the status of toiveled
(ritually immersed) dishes, kosher
food or checking produce for
bugs, and eggs for bloodspots.
May a child perform these tasks
without supervision and declare
them kosher?
When it comes to taking a
childs word, halacha states that
kol shebeyado neeman (anything
that is within his ability to perform
he can be depended upon). But
there is a caveat: something that is
ischazek issura (already established
as an assumed prohibition)
cannot be kosherized by a
childs assertion. Therefore, a
dish cannot be removed from its
pre-toiveled and prohibited state
by the testimony of a child. Even
this exception, however, is limited,
according to many poskim, to
those things that are an issur
dOraisa (a Biblical prohibition).

So, for example, since immersing

glass dishes is merely dRabbanan
(by Rabbinic law) it may be
performed (and confirmed) by a
child.
Bdikas Chametz (searching
for bread before Pesach)which
involves only a dRabbanan
is therefore a project that could
theoretically be performed by a
childbut since its a difficult job,
it is preferred that an adult carry it
out whenever possible.
Whether a child can be trusted
to check for bugs depends on the
status of the produce in question.
Produce that is muchzak btolaim
(assumed to be bug infested)
cannot be declared free of insects
by a child. But produce that will
be cooked may be checked by a
child, since cooked insects would
be batel (nullified) strictly min
haTorah (by Biblical law) and
is only assur midRabbanan.
Any fruit or vegetable for which
infestation is miut hamatzui
(found in a minority of cases; see
Halacha #578 for details) may
also be checked by a child.
Checking eggs in this day
and age is a completely different
process than in the past, since

commercial eggs are not fertilized.

Therefore, it is a task where there
is much room for leniency, and
can be performed by a child.
For any type of checking, a
child must be a bar daas (capable
of understanding), a level of
maturity that is attained at around
the age of nine.

THE BUSINESS
OF MARRIAGE:
A TRADITIONAL
APPROACH
Every successful partnership
has
clear
guidelines;
the
responsibilities of each partner
are clearly defined. The same
holds true for the partnership of
marriage, including each spouses
monetary obligations. Torah and
Chazal have laid the groundwork
for a working kosher marriage
and the obligations the husband
and wife have toward each other.
It
is
the
husbands
responsibility,
according
to
halacha, to provide for his wifes
needs, and any supplemental
income the wife earns belongs
to her husband. There is the
possibility for an alternative

16 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 16

2016-12-20 7:08:44 AM

arrangement: A woman may

choose to say, Eini nezonis veini
oseh (I will not be supported and
will not [contribute] my work),
which would make her selfsupporting and in position keep all
her income.
In the times of Chazal, in
certain socio-economic circles, it
was acceptable for the husband
to rely on his wifes work if it
was needed; he thus acquired her
income. The Gemara speaks of
spinning wool in this context and
lays guidelines as to the standard
amounts a woman would be
expected to produce under this
type of agreement. However, if
either the husband or the wife
came from an affluent background,
so that they could afford to live
without the wife joining the labor
force, she was not required to
work. If a couple has servants
or the means to hire themthey
may be retained to do household
according to the wifes wishes,
even if the husband objects. (The
housework was extensive and
arduous in pre-Industrial times.)

THE BUSINESS OF
MARRIAGE: MODERN
APPROACH
A statement regarding a
married womans obligation to
contribute to household finances
(when she does not choose to be
fiscally independent) was above: If
the wifes supplementary income
is needed, she is required to work,
and her salary belongs to her
husband.
Early poskim are very specific
about the types of work a husband
can insist his wife perform, and
limit the effort she must invest, as
well. The Rashba (13th century
authority) lists the occupations
women
are
exempt
from:
construction, agriculture and
bankingamong
othersthat

were traditionally mens work. The

Rambam (12th century) lists the
gold standard for womens work
spinning, weaving and other
established feminine vocations.
In todays day and age, the
line between mens and womens
work has blurred significantly, and
many new careers in technology,
education, administration and
business have opened up wide
for women. Although religiously
observant
women
perform
successfully in these professions
and others, the question must be
asked: Is a woman obligated to
enter these fields to support her
family, and if she does so, does her
salary belong to her husband?
Contemporary poskim address
this question: The Beis Meir (early
20th century posek) states that the
types of work that are mandatory
for women are only those listed
by the Rambam, although other
authorities disagree, and maintain
that all work that is customarily
done by women in their particular
locale should be included.
However, there are other
considerations that exempt a
woman from seeking employment.
There are courtesies extended
to the wife who is called akeres
habayis (mainstay of the home).
The Rambam quotes the pasuk
from Thillim, Kol kevudah bas
melech penima (the honor of
the kings daughter [the Jewish
woman] is within) with regard
to women in public situations,
which many poskim interpret as
cautionary counsel for women
working outside the home. Thus a
woman cant be obligated to work
outside her house. Additionally,
work done out of home often
interferes with her home duties.
She is exempt due to her primary
responsibility to her household,
emotionally and physically.
Another element that frees a
wife from the onus of work outside

the home is time-related. A woman

need only work standard hours,
and her household and childraising duties usually exceed the
typical forty-hour week. Even a
woman who is so efficient that
she gets it all done in record
time and has free hours for
employment, would need to work
extra hard and after hours. There
is a halachic dispute regarding
income received due to haadafah
al ydei hadechak (pressure from
overload). Accordingly, a woman
may argue kim li and keep her
earnings as her own.

SMALL TALK DURING A

SHEVA BRACHOS
Kos shel bracha (lit., cup of
blessing) is the designation for
the cup of wine used for Kiddush,
Havdala and bentching (afterblessing on bread meals) and other
occasions. Special concentration
is required by halacha for this
cup of wine, and there should be
no hefsek (interruption, primarily
with speech) from the time the
leader raises the cup until the
wine is drunk. This ban on talking
applies especially to the leader
who makes the bracha, but also to
all those who are participating
even between brachos and even
if they are not saying the brachos
along with him. This is because the
distinctive quality of this kos shel
bracha compels us to treat it with
respect and not be meisiach daas
(become distracted) from it.
During Sheva Brachos (the
seven blessings recited after feasts
for a bride and groom during the
week after their wedding), it is
common practice these days to
honor different guests with each
bracha. This may be a lengthy
process, but it is still proper for
all those reciting the brachos to
remain silent until the kosos shel
Continued on page 15
Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 17

17

2016-12-20 7:08:45 AM

MOSHIACH & HAYOM YOM

GEULA: THE
ONE-TRACK
MIND
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon

Dear Reader shyichyeh,

This Shabbos (VaYeishev) is the
Shabbos that leads into the yom
tov of Chanuka. Chanuka is the
yom tov where we publicize our
immense thanks to Hashem for all
the miracles that Hashem has done
and continues to do
, in those days and in our
days. On the most basic level, we
celebrate the great miracle of the
Maccabees victory over the mighty
Greek army and the finding of the
oil which then lasted for eight days
and nights.
Everything in Torah and
Yiddishkait is eternal and has
eternal lessons for us in our Avodas
Hashem. In the HaYom Yom the
Rebbe crystallizes for us what did,
and do, the Greeks represent and
how we are victorious over them.
The sins of Israel in the time of
the Greeks were: Fraternizing with
the Greeks, studying their culture,
profaning Shabbat and Holy Days,
eating treif and neglecting Jewish
tahara. The punishment-tribulation
was the spiritual destruction of the
Sanctuary, death, and slavery in
exile. Through tshuva and mesiras
nefesh, that great, miraculous
Divine salvation, the miracle of
Chanuka, came about. (HaYom
Yom 29 Kislev)
The campaign of the Greeks
was aimed to make them forget

Your Torah and violate the decrees

of Your will (Siddur p. 59); as
the Midrash (BReishis Rabba 16)
puts it, (the Greeks demanded)
Write ... that you have no share
in the Gd of Israel. It was a
war against Gd. Let them study
Torah, the Greeks implied. Let
them practice the justice-mitzvos
and the testimonial observances.
But they must not mention that
the Torah is Gds Torah and the
mitzvos are the decrees of His will.
Torah and mitzvos must be severed
from Gdliness. (HaYom Yom 2
Teves)
Many wonder and ask:
Everything and everyone gets their
life and sustenance from Torah and
G-dliness. This includes the
and evil forces as well. If so, where
in Torah did the of the Greeks
get their life-source from?
In the Sicha of Mikeitz,
Shabbos Chanukah 5752, the
Rebbe explains at length the
history of translation of the Torah
in general to other languages
and to Greek in particular. In the
teachings of our Chachomim,
we find some fascinating sayings
about this:
1. On the Pasuk (Dvarim
27:8) You shall write upon the
stones all the words of this Torah
very clearly, Rashi (quoting the
Gemara in Sota 32a) writes: in

seventy languages.
2) Tfillin and mezuzos may
be written only in Assyrian script.
Permission was granted to write
Torah scrolls in Greek as well.
That Greek language has, however,
been forgotten from the world. It
has been confused and has sunk
into oblivion. Therefore, at present,
all three sacred articles may be
written using Assyrian script
alone. (Rambam Hilchos Tfillin,
1:19, based on Gemara Megilla
8b).
3) R Shimon Ben Gamliel
says that books [of the scripture]
also are permitted to be written
only in Greek. Rav Abbahu said in
the name of Reb Yochanan: The
Halacha follows R. Shimon ben
Gamliel. Reb Yochanan further
said: What is the reason of Reb
Shimon b. Gamliel? Scripture
says, God enlarge Yefes, and he
shall dwell in the tents of Shem;
[this means] that the words of
Yefes shall be in the tents of Shem.
But why not say [the words of]
Gomer and Magog? Reb Chiya
ben Abba replied: The real reason
is because it is written, Let God
enlarge [yaft] Yefes: implying, let
the chief beauty [yafyus] of Yefes
be in the tents of Shem. (Megilla
9b)
4) The Gemara (ibid 9a)
discusses the great miracles that

18 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 18

2016-12-20 7:08:46 AM

Hashem performed during the

translation of the Torah to Greek:
Reb Yehudah said: When our
teachers permitted Greek, they
permitted it only for a scroll of
the Torah. This was on account of
the incident related in connection
with King Ptolemy, as it has
been taught: It is related of King
Ptolemy that he brought together
seventy-two elders and placed them
in seventy-two [separate] rooms,
without telling them why he had
brought them together, and he
went into each one of them and
said to him, Translate for me the
Torah of Moshe your master. G-d
then prompted each one of them
and they all conceived the same
idea...
From the above it would appear
that translating the Torah in general
and specifically translating the
Torah into Greek was a good thing.
If so, how can we reconcile that
with what is written in Meseches
Sofrim (Chapter 1, Halacha 7):
There were once five wise Jews
who translated the Torah into
Greek for King Talmai, that day
was as difficult for the people of
Israel as the day the Golden Calf
was made?
A close analysis of the text
suggests the following answer: the
wording is not that translating the
Torah to Greek was as bad as the
day that the Jews served the calf,
rather the day that it was made.
The explanation: Just as having
carved fixtures in itself is not bad
(as the kruvim were in the Kodesh
HaKadoshim), it is only when it is
used as an idol is when it is bad,
the same is true about translating
the Torah. It is a very special
thing when it is done by Moshe
Rabbeinu, as then it will be used to
elevate the world. But when it was
translated to Greek at the behest of
King Talmai, then it was a tragedy,
because it eventually led to the fact
that the Greeks were able to fight

with the Jewish people and Torah

values. Their ability came, not
from their own strength, but rather
from the fact that the Torah was
translated into Greek, thus giving
them extra divine strength and
spiritual power.
It was the Mesiras Nefesh of
the Maccabees that gave us the
special miracles and yom tov of
Chanuka. It is a yom tov where
we publicly recognize the miracles
that Hashem does for us. This
recognition is integral to bringing
the Geula.
In the words of the Rebbe
(VaYeishev 5752): Further, and
this is essential: Recognition,
acknowledgment and praising
G-d for the miracles He performs,
in addition to the concept of
expressing gratitude, is relevant
to the coming of our righteous
Moshiach in the true and
complete Redemption. For as the
Gemara states: G-d desired to
make Chizkiyahu Moshiach... the
attribute of Divine Justice said to
G-d... Chizkiyahu for whom you
did all these miracles (who was
saved from Sancheriv and healed
of his illness and didnt sing praises
to You, You want to make him
Moshiach?
Obviously, in our context,
publicizing the miracles which G-d
has done in our times is relevant
to bringing the true and complete
Redemption in actual reality! From
this we can derive an essential
lesson: Since we are already
after all the requirements and the
Redemption still has not yet come
it is most appropriate to be involved
with publicizing the miracle,
to publicize to ones self and to
others, and indeed everywhere, the
miracles which G-d does for us,
knowing this is connected with the
true and complete Redemption!
Chanuka is a very busy yom
tov, with Menorah lightings, family
gathering and mivtzaim. It is very

important that we keep focused

on the intrinsic connection that
Chanuka has to the Geula. In
the words of the Rebbe (Mikeitz
5751):
Applying this to a timely
theme: As we stand in the days of
Chanukah, though a multifaceted
Holiday, we ought to emphasize
primarily its connection with
Redemption.
This festival was instituted
because of the miracle with the
cruse of oil involved with the
kindling of the menorah in the
Beis HaMikdash. Afterwards,
the Hasmoneans dedicated the
Temple (They cleared Your
Sanctuary and purified Your
Holy Temple). Mention of the
Temple is an immediate reminder
of the Redemption, and serves to
enhance our anticipation for his
coming every day, the building
and dedication of the third Beis
HaMikdash and the lighting of the
Menorah by Aaron the High Priest,
which will occur with the true
and complete Redemption by our
righteous Moshiach.
And afterwards, when one
reads or hears the Haftora which
states, I beheld the Menorah,
entirely of gold, one senses
immediately a reference to the
future Redemption!
Likewise,
upon
reading
about the Nsiim [princes] and
the Nasi [prince] of the tribe of
Reuven [Yaakovs firstborn son]
in particular, a Jew is reminded
forthwith of the true and complete
Redemption, at which time all the
Nsiim will be present, and the
status of the Jewish People as the
firstborn child of the whole world
will be manifest.
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

Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 19

19

2016-12-20 7:08:46 AM

FEATURE

TORAH STUDY
FOR THE

WORKING MAN
M

endels Shul in Kfar

Chabad looked like a
yeshiva zal. Dozens
of men were sitting
in pairs, bent over sfarim and
concentrating on their learning.
The sound of Torah reverberated
in the shul that turned into a beis

medrash. Now and then, thumbs

twirled, voices were raised,
discussions got heated, as they
delved into the intricacies of the
Sea of the Talmud.
Only the colored shirts here
and there, the graying beards
and the thinning hair let us

know that these are people who

are bachurim no longer. Some
of them are fathers to sons who
themselves fill yeshivos with the
sound of their learning.
Among those who learn in the
night kollel in Kfar Chabad, we
met Shmuel, or perhaps it would

20 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 20

2016-12-20 7:08:47 AM

Its happening in Kfar Chabad and Nachalat Har Chabad, in

Lud, in Tzfas and Chabad communities across Eretz Yisroel.
* Shuls are full of Lubavitcher balabatim (working men) who
are learning Torah, Nigleh and Chassidus and Halacha like
young yeshiva bachurim. * We checked out the phenomenon
and were gratified to return with information about dozens
of shiurim and night kollels. * About the transformation of a
young man from Kfar Chabad, For they [words of Torah]
are our lives and the length of our days.
By Elad Yitzchaki

be more correct to refer to him as

R Shmuel. Its the second year
that he is sitting and learning
every night with a chavrusa and
he does not treat these learning
sessions lightly. Over the past
year he hardly missed an evening.
The learning is very important

to him. Every morning, Shmuel

takes the train to the big city.
He works at a big company
in Tel Aviv in finances. In the
evening, he fortifies his neshama
with spiritual resources and holy
energy.
R Shmuel heard that we

came for an article and asked to

speak to us after his learning.
After Maariv we sat down to talk.
He asked that we not use his
name. The kollel saved my life,
he said. Do you hear? It literally
saved me. Today I am a different
person because of the kollel.

Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 21

21

2016-12-20 7:08:47 AM

Feature
feeling at the beginning did not
last, but my wife, who saw how
good this was for me, would not
relent and pushed me to go to the
kollel.
Boruch Hashem, I finished
a tractate of Gemara and some
maamarei
Chassidus.
The
entire house is different. It also
influenced
the
Chassidishe
atmosphere at home. My children
have a father who learns Torah.
They are growing up in this
atmosphere. They know that
their father goes out every night
to learn Torah and I am proud
and happy about this.

POSITIVE PHENOMENON
In yeshiva, I wasnt one
of the big learners. When I got
married, I was in the army and
right after I was released I started
working. My life consisted of
work, home and family. I would
go to shul on Shabbos and
sometimes for Mincha Maariv in
the summer.
At first we lived the life of a
young couple. Then the children
started coming and life became
more demanding. The routine
of work, home, and family wore
away at me. I suddenly felt an
emptiness. I felt as though I was
working and exerting myself
for nothing. It all became a
burden to me. I had no desire for
anything. Even taking care of my
three sweet children whom I love
dearly and whom I loved caring
for, suddenly seemed to me like a
burden too hard to bear. I felt no
joy in life whatsoever.
Naturally, this did not make
a good impact on the home,
not on chinuch and not on our
relationship. My wife did not
understand what happened to
me. At first we thought that we
needed to focus on ourselves. We
started going out in the evenings,
we went away for Shabbos, on

vacation. It helped a little but

it was like giving an aspirin to a
sick person who needs serious
medical treatment.
One day, I went to the pizza
store and saw an ad about the
kollel. I gave a donation and then
tried to remember when the last
time was that I had opened a
Jewish book. We were married
for seven years already. I figured
the wedding maamer was the last
thing I learned, aside from Chitas
and Rambam which I said now
and then when I had a Dvar
Malchus pamphlet with me on
the train.
I dont know why but I
thought it would be a good idea
to try and start learning. I spoke
with a friend who liked the idea
and we decided to learn together.
We went to Mendels shul where
we knew there was an atmosphere
of learning. We joined one of the
shiurim of the Rosh Kollel, R
Menachem Vaheva, and then sat
and reviewed the material, just
like in yeshiva.
That evening I returned
home floating on air. I felt
energized. It was such an
uplifting feeling, one that I hadnt
felt in so long. That terrific

Apparently, Shmuel is not

the only one. The phenomenon
of young men setting aside time
to learn has been growing in
recent years. In all Lubavitch
communities you can find
shiurim on various levels for
Anash, for the early risers and the
late to bed. In the morning and at
night.
In small communities and
communities of Chabad Houses,
there are mainly weekly shiurim.
In large communities, there are
actual kollelim. Some of them
even offer a stipend for balabatim
who work for a living. During
the day they work, and at night
or in the morning, they exert
themselves in Torah study.
For example, in Kiryat
Malachi, you can find an
impressive array of shiurim that
start at seven in the morning with
the shiur of the mashpia, Rabbi
Mendel Wechter, a Chassidus
class that has been going on
for many years and is attended
by dozens of people, not only
Lubavitchers.
Then there is a shiur by Rabbi
Nadav Cohen on the Rebbes
maamarim, which is also attended

22 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 22

2016-12-20 7:08:49 AM

by dozens of people. Afterward

there is a shiur by Rabbi Shlomo
Lifsh of Kfar Achim, followed
by a Gemara shiur with Rabbi
Berger until eleven. The evening
and night classes begin at four in
the afternoon with a shiur given
by Rabbi Yosef Hartman.
There is an enormous array
of shiurim and a choice of topics
and speakers. This enables most
people to attend and learn, each
one choosing the time that works
for him and the topic or speaker
that he likes. Most of the hours of
the day there are shiurim in the
shul, says Yisroel Yakubov, a
resident of the community.
In addition, there are other
shiurim that take place in other
homes and shuls in Kiryat
Malachi. For young men alone
there are four active minyanim
and in all of them there is at least
one weekly shiur that everyone
attends, says R Yisroel. There
is also the kollel run by Rabbi
Bumi Friedland and the shul of
Rabbi Boaz Lerner ah where
there are active shiurim every
day, and at Beis Moshiach that is
run by Rabbi Sholom Fash, which
also has an impressive list of
shiurim. Learning Torah together
unifies the community. And when
the unity revolves around Torah
study, then it is more spiritual.
R Wechter gives two daily
classes in Chassidus every
morning and Gemara in the
afternoon. And then there is
a weekly Chassidus class that
attracts people from all over the
country.
The interest in learning
Chassidus and the reputation of
R Wechters classes has led the
organizers of the shiur to try and
bring him to broader audiences
via digital media. The shiurim are
recorded on video and broadcast
over the web to the entire world.
So in addition to the dozens who

That evening I returned home floating on air. I

felt energized. It was such an uplifting feeling,
one that I hadnt felt in so long. That terrific feeling at
the beginning did not last, but my wife, who saw how
good this was for me, would not relent and pushed me
to continue going to the kollel.

pack the shul, many hundreds

more participate in the shiur. The
wonders of technology
R Yisroel Yakubov of Kiryat
Malachi is the one who arranges
the logistics of the shiur. I kind
of fell into it, he says. I started
to help and suddenly found
myself arranging the shiur and
everything that entails, but I
enjoy it and do it happily. Boruch
Hashem, when necessary, I can
also enlist the participants of the
shiur.
Mr. Shai Bar is a businessman
from Tel Aviv who travels every
week from Tel Aviv to Kiryat
Malachi to attend R Wechters
shiur. He tries not to miss it.
This shiur gives me energy for
the week, he says. R Wechters
style is unique. At first, its a little
hard to follow but when you get

it, its sweet as honey. For me,

this weekly hour of elatedness
and spiritual pleasure is like a
visit to Gan Eden.
We asked how learning Torah
impacts his life and he said, I try
to learn at other times too, on my
own and at the Chabad house run
by Rabbi Ido Rahav. I also give a
shiur in my office to the partners
in the firm and businessmen
who work with me. Theres no
question that Torah study has
an enormous impact on life.
This is expressed both at work
and in every aspect of daily life.
When you learn Torah, especially
Chassidus, on a regular basis, it
transforms your personality.
R Shmuel Chaim Frankel is
a retired educator. He has been
attending the shiur for many
years, every day. He also talks
Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 23

23

2016-12-20 7:08:51 AM

Feature
about the blessed impact the
shiur has. Learning Chassidus
changes a person, especially
when you learn with someone
who has such broad knowledge
of Chassidus and the ability to
explain. With every shiur, you
take something home with you.
As an educator, R Frankel
speaks about the impact Torah
study makes on a home and
on the chinuch of children.
When a child sees that his
father gets up early and goes to
a Chassidus shiur, it impacts his
entire chinuch. The child is not
taught with words, but by action.
He looks around him and is
influenced by what he sees. And
when this is what he sees, then
his entire chinuch is different.
Even more so when his father
returns from the shiur and has
something to repeat from it, a
thought, a Chassidishe vort, or
even a story, and he shares it with
his wife and family, then there is
no estimating the power of this
positive influence.
In recent years, Kfar Chabad
has also become an empire of
Torah study. It started with the
night kollel run by R Menachem
Vaheva at the initiative of
R Zalman Scheinberger, in
Mendels shul, and has been
copied at other shuls. Today,
there are a number of Torah
learning projects for balabatim
such as Ta Shema, which
was initiated by the Mara
DAsra, Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi,
the Chassidus kollel of Rabbi
Alperowitz, and others.
R Zalman Scheinberger,
who is known to all because of
his pizza store in the center of
the kfar, says jokingly, People
say that I am the most expensive
pizza in the country. You come to
buy three slices and it costs you
200 shekels. He means that he
runs a fundraising campaign for

the kollel which also operates out

of his store.
Thirty men learn in the kollel
for an hour and a half every day.
There is a shiur a few times a
week given by the rosh kollel. For
the first hour they learn Gemara,
then they learn halacha, usually
connected to the topic theyre
learning in Gemara. Twice a
week they also learn Chassidus.
The men registered in the
kollel are all residents of Kfar
Chabad, ages 25-70. Most of
them work by day and learn at
night. They receive a modest
stipend at the end of the month.
Not that they need the money,
but it helps their commitment.
They must come on time every
night and cover the required
material. Attendance is taken and
there are occasional tests.
While building the mikva in
the new neighborhood, we went
to see mikvaos in other places to
get ideas. On one of these trips
we went to the beis medrash of
the Belzer Rebbe. After looking
at the mikva we went up to the
beis medrash and saw several
halls full of Chassidim, balabatim,
sitting and learning. Our hosts
explained that there is a takana
(enactment) of the Rebbe that
every Chassid must show up
every evening to learn Torah for
an hour.
We liked the idea and
thought of copying it in Kfar
Chabad. Until then, there were a
few shiurim here and there but no
organized framework of intensive
Torah study.
While building the mikva
we met with the philanthropist,
Yitzchak Mirilashvili. After he
made his donation, he asked, So,
whats the next project? Since
I had this idea, I told him about
starting an evening kollel for
balabatim. He liked the idea and
immediately gave a respectable

amount so we could get started.

This is our fifth year and the
kollel is supported by donations
from good people for whom
Torah study is important. There
are many people in the kfar
and outside of it who make
monthly deposits, and some
people dedicate certain days lilui
nishmas someone or in the merit
of someone.
You can see the impact the
kollel in Kfar Chabad has made
by the many learning initiatives
that have sprouted there. On the
personal level, there are stories
like that told earlier in the article.
The model we followed
was the kollel in Lud, says
Scheinberger. A kollel halacha
has been in existence there for
a number of years, founded and
run by Rabbi Avrohom Alashvilli.
It is very successful and is
attended by a nice number of
people. R Alashvilli guided us in
the beginning stages until we got
on our feet.
In the capital of the Galil, the
situation is similar.
In Tzfas, boruch Hashem,
in recent years shiurim have
been growing, says R Yehuda
Disraeli,
of
the
Chabad
community there. It starts every
morning at six with shiurim in
Chassidus in rotations of twenty
minutes. A new shiur starts every
twenty minutes until ten and even
later. In the afternoon there are
dozens of shiurim a week for
balabatim, shiurim in Gemara
and Chassidus. A shiur in Ein
Yaakov by Rabbi Gershowitz, a
Tanya class by Rabbi Chitrik, etc.
In the evening there is a kollel for
balabatim sitting and learning
in pairs. On Shabbos there are
numerous shiurim in the morning
and afternoon. You can walk into
shul and see it full of pairs of
balabatim learning together.

24 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 24

2016-12-20 7:08:51 AM

MOSHIACH & GEULA

MOSHIACH HARDENS THE

HEARTS OF OUR ENEMIES
In order to divert the Gentiles and to harden their hearts,
after Moshiach is revealed he will be concealment again.
Indeed, that is what happened in the exodus from Egypt. *
From Chapter Fourteen of Rabbi Shloma Majeskis Likkutei
Mekoros. (Underlined text is the compilers emphasis.)
Translated by Boruch Merkur

Things got worse for the Jewish people in Mitzrayim

from the moment [Moshe Rabbeinu] the First
Redeemer approached Pharaoh and told him in the
name of G-d, Send My nation [free] and celebrate
a holiday for Me in the desert. Moshes message
to Pharaoh was followed by further oppression and
loathing, over and beyond what the Jewish people
had suffered until then.
Our redemption, when the Final Redeemer will
reveal himself, will be similar. Anti-Semitism will be
on the rise among the Gentiles and the persecution
against the Jewish people will intensify.
In order to divert the Gentiles and to harden
their hearts, after Moshiach is revealed he will be
concealment again. Indeed, that is what happened
in the exodus from Egypt: Moshe appeared to them
and then hid again.
Thus, our Sages teach on the verse, They [a
delegation of Jews Rashi] met Moshe and
Aharon (Shmos 5:20): After six months the
Alm-ghty appeared [to Moshe] in Midyan and
told him, Go return to Egypt. Moshe came from
Midyan and Aharon came from [the capital city of]
Mitzrayim, and the officers of the Jewish people
met them as they emerged from their audience with
Pharaoh.
So it is also taught in Midrash Chazis: My
beloved resembles a gazelle: Just as a deer
appears, withdraws and takes cover [in the forest],
appears, withdraws and takes cover, so too [Moshe
Rabbeinu] the first redeemer of the Jewish people

appears and is concealed and then reappears. How

long does he [i.e., the first redeemer] remain hidden
from them? Rebbi Tanchuma said: Three months.
[Proof that Moshe and Aharon were first not readily
visible to the Jewish people is] as it is written
(Shmos 5:20). They [a delegation of Jews
Rashi] met Moshe and Aharon. [That is, from
met we infer that the meeting was uncommon
or by chance. Prior to that meeting, Moshe and
Aharon had not been available to the Jewish public,
who lived in the Goshen region. Moshe had been in
Midyan, and Aharon being preeminent and having
connections with the king was in Mitzrayim,
Pharaohs royal city. Thus it states in Shmos
Rabba: Moshe came from Midyan and Aharon
came from Mitzrayim, for they had not approached
the Jewish people until then. Eitz Yosef. See Anaf
Yosef to explain how this verse alludes to thirty
days.] Yehudi son of Rabbi said: [His concealment
was] intermittent (a term meaning erratic meeting
schedule). [I.e., Moshe was concealed from them
on several occasions, meaning several times or
instances Eitz Yosef]. [Just as the first redeemer
appears and disappears in this manner] so does the
final redeemer [Moshiach] reveal himself to the
Jewish people and then conceals himself from them
[in order to confuse Gog and his military forces.
In short, this future redemption will follow the
model of the exodus from Egypt in many respects.
Thus the prophet said: As in the days of your
exodus from Egpyt, I shal show you wonders.
(Rabbeinu Bechayei pg. 44)

Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 25

25

2016-12-20 7:08:52 AM

CHABAD HISTORY

THE PLAN OF
ACTION & THE
SECRET PLANS
26 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 26

2016-12-20 7:08:53 AM

Pirsum Rishon: A Budget Proposal for Chabad Lubavitch

Activities in Europe, signed by the Frierdiker Rebbe
* Among the budget items: The Yeshiva & the Girls
Schools, Evening Classes, School for Shchita, Milah,
Safrus, Etc. * Regarding the Jews in Russia: Supporting
the undercover religious activities carried on by these
people * Sixth Installment

Throughout the last installments we presented the efforts of the Frierdiker Rebbe
to assist the thousands of Chabad Chassidim who escaped Russia with Polish passports and were stranded in European DP
Camps. The Frierdiker Rebbe, with the help
of his son-in-law the Rashag, and later with
the help of Rabbi Binyamin Gorodetsky,
worked tirelessly to assist the refugees in
resettling them in a new country, providing
for them with means to support their families, and ensuring all their religious needs
are met.
This sixth installment presents a budget
proposal submitted by Lubavitch to the officers of the American Joint Distribution
Committee (JDC), which give a glimpse
into the vast scope of work that Lubavitch
did in Europe, including a secret budget
item which was sent separately This budget was signed by the Frierdiker Rebbe.
These fascinating documents are part of
the JDC Archives (which were digitized and
uploaded online, thanks to a grant from Dr.
Georgette Bennett and Dr. Leonard Polonsky CBE).

sonal representative and director of my

European office for Refugee Aid, has
reported to me in detail of his conversation with you.
I was highly gratified to hear of your
sympathetic and understanding attitude
towards the refugee aid program conducted under my auspices.
Submitted herewith is the monthly
budget of this program, with explanatory notes, and I am confident that the
budget will receive your early and kind
attention and will be confirmed in full,
since it represents a bare minimum.
Once again I thank you for your consistent and effective cooperation in the
past and present.
I send you my prayerful wishes for
your good health and success in all your
undertakings.
With blessings for your material and
spiritual welfare,
Rabbi Joseph I. Schneersohn

THE FRIERDIKER REBBES LETTER

SCHOOLS, CLASSES, TRAINING

AND PACKAGES TO RUSSIA

On Iyar 22 5709 (May 23, 1949) The

Frierdiker Rebbe sent a letter to Dr. Joseph Schwartz (JDC Director Europe)
thanking him for his help, and attaching
the budget proposal prepared by his personal
representative to Europe, Rabbi Binyamin
Eliyahu Gorodetsky:
My dear Dr. Schwartz:
Rabbi Benjamin Gorodetzky, my per-

Attached to this letter was a three page

budget description, detailing the work of
Chabad in Europe, and the minimal amount
of money needed to continue this vital work:
EXPENDITURE FOR REFUGEE
AID PER EUROPEAN OFFICE OF
RABBI JOSEPH I. SCHNEERSOHN
MONTHLY BUDGET
1. Yeshivoth (Gedoloth and Ketanoth):
Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 27

27

2016-12-20 7:08:55 AM

Chabad History

Both Students and personnel

are mostly refugees, receiving
full support $3,500.00
2. Childrens Home for
Girls, and Girls Schools
Beth Rivkah and Beth Sarah:
The Home is exclusively
for refugee children, fully
maintained. The students
and personnel of the Schools
are mostly refugees, receiving likewise full support
$2,000.00
Additional Note: The Girls
Schools provide both religious
and secular instruction.
3. Talmud Torahs:
This educational program
includes also visiting teachers in private homes. The

program is expanding rapidly, with highly promising

results. Present expenditure
$1,000.00
4. Tifereth Bachurim:
Evening classes for youths
occupied during the day. Program expanding. Present expenditure $500.00
5.
Beth
Medrash
lRabbonim:
Training school for Rabbis,
Shochetim, Menakrim, Soferim, Mohelim. Both students
and staff are mostly refugees,
receiving full support. Importance and public service of
this program has been amply
demonstrated in the Ireland,
Denmark and Marseilles programs $2,000.00

6. Educational and religious

program of field representatives visiting various cities and
lands in Europe $1,000.00
7. Distribution and supply of
religious articles and educational literature:
Tefillin, Tzitzith, Mezuzoth,
Sifrei Torah, etc. Text books,
educational literature in four
languages $2,000.00
Additional Note: The religious articles and educational
literature refer to those produced and published by the
Merkos LInyonei Chinuch
and the Kehot Publication
Society under the auspices
and personal supervision of
Rabbi Joseph I. Schneersohn.
8. Aid to European Jewry
behind the Iron Curtain:
In the form of packages
of clothes and food, at $40
minimum per clothes package, and $15 minimum per
food and medicine package,
in quantities of 100 and 80
packages respectively, to fill a
minimum urgent and imperative need $5,200.00
Additional Note: The packages refer to new clothing
and items of a kind which we
know from personal knowledge go farthest in aid.
9. Regular Aid to refugees in
general and refugee clergy in
particular:
Aid to over 300 persons not
included in any of the refugee aid programs enumerated
above $5,500.00
Additional Note: The refugees in general and refugee
clergy in particular referred
to, are those who have been
under our special care from
the start.
Total minimum monthly expenditure $22,700.00

28 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 28

2016-12-20 7:08:56 AM

THE UNDERCOVER
RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES
In the same envelope as the budget proposal was an additional
letter, which was submitted separately, regarding the aid to Russian Jews:
CONFIDENTIAL.
NOT
FOR THE RECORD.
ADDITIONAL NOTE TO
SUBMITTED BUDGET
Item #8: I wish to make the
following special explanatory
observation regarding this
part of our program.
The aid to our people behind
the Iron Curtain is important
and essential notwithstanding the attempt for political expediency to create the
impression that no help is
needed.
We have first hand information and contact with our
brethren behind the Curtain
and know how vital this help
is to them. Moreover, it is not
only a matter of physical sustenance to them, but also the
sole means of supporting the
undercover religious activities
carried on by these people,
in the same way as we used
to do it. It is only thanks to
these selfless men that Jewish
life is still maintained in those
parts of Europe. Indeed, this
item includes help to families whose breadwinners have

been banished to Siberia for

precisely this kind of work.
This part of the budget,
therefore, like all the rest is of

a most urgent nature, requiring approval in full and at the

earliest possible date.

Make a Mivtzah Kashrus in your own computer!

Introducing JNET-The world wide web without the world wide worryTM

While The Internet can be a helpful tool for business,

education and personal use it can also be a potentially
dangerous one.
That's why J Net was created.
Using exclusive multi-tiered intelligent filtration, the J Net
portal is probably the most effective consumer resource for
eliminating material not conducive to our needs.
More than virtually foolproof, J .NET is also easy both to
install and use. Plus its available in both dialup and high
speed DSL and backed by highly trained customer service

experts that will solve your problems fast.

Most important, you can now get the JNET Advantage for
only a bit more than non-filtered on line providers.
If you're ready for the world wide web without the world wide
worry, you're ready for JNet.
DIALUP DSL
Unlimited Access
24 Tech Support
4 Profiles per
Account
Web Mail
Call us toll free at 1-866-866-JNET (5638)
(mention code 770 for special ANASH Rate)

Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 29

29

2016-12-20 7:08:57 AM

STORY

SIBERIAN
CHANUKA LIGHTS
By Menachem Ziegelboim

PART I
The Chassid R Mordechai
Chanzin was arrested three
times in his life. The first time
he was imprisoned for ten years,
the second time for five years,
and the third time for six years.
Altogether, he spent twenty-one
years in prison, labor camps and
various exiles, from 5695 until
5716. Then he was released.
It is hard to describe what he
went through in the labor camps.
He suffered tremendously but
his spirit was strong. With the
power of his faith and his great
stubbornness, he managed to
survive.
In one of his imprisonments,
after the interrogations and trial,
he was sent to a labor camp near
the North Pole, to a place called
novy lazima, meaning new
land. People hadnt been there
before, and aside from birds,
there was nothing.
There were times his life was
in danger. Antisemitism prevailed
even in these far-off places. One
day, one of the jailers got angry
at him and wanted to kill him.
The man had already taken out
his revolver but R Mordechai
was not frightened. He went over
to him, looked him in the eyes
and pointed at his forehead and
said, Here, shoot here at my
Jewish forehead.
Amazingly,
the
jailer

immediately lowered his gun and

R Mordechais life was spared.
He had a special talent in
finding ways to reach peoples
hearts and he acquired many
friends among the prisoners.
In one camp, a group of
Moslem, anti-Semitic prisoners
lay in ambush to kill him.
However, another group of
criminals heard about it, with
whom he was friendly, and they
protected him.
Throughout the years in the
labor camps he kept Shabbos
which entailed much hardship.
Every Shabbos he found another
excuse to get out of working
while the jailers constantly tried
to make his life miserable.
He also insisted on eating
only kosher food. He was
greatly helped in this by the food
packages sent to him by his old,
sick mother. They contained
cigarettes which he sold for the
food that saved his life.
For a few years he also had
tfillin which he had managed
to smuggle into prison. The
prisoners close to him knew of
his secret and sometimes said to
him, Go ahead and put on those
boxes of yours.

PART II
R Mordechai loved to relate
stories of his time in Russia.
He considered it a sort of will

and testament to bequeath to

future generations. However,
the following story he considered
like a mitzva to tell, because of a
promise that was made.
***
As Chanuka approached,
a group of young bachurim in
the Siberian labor camp met to
come up with a plan. How would
they light the menorah despite
the danger involved? Someone
promised margarine; threads
were plucked from clothing for
wicks, and a receptacle to put
the margarine and wicks in was
found somewhere.
R Mordechai was the oldest
of the eighteen bachurim in
that camp. They decided that
in the middle of the night they
would gather to secretly light the
Chanuka lights. R Mordechai
was honored with the lighting
and in an emotion laden voice
he recited the brachos. He
remembered his father, the
Chassid, R Menachem Mendel
and his mother, Fraida, a home
of Torah and Chassidus, and
Chanuka in their home.
As he stood and looked at
the flame through his tears, the
door of the shack suddenly burst
open and NKVD officers barged
in. They roughly pushed the
eighteen young men into a small,
dark cell.
The first to be put on trial
was the oldest of the group,

30 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 30

2016-12-20 7:08:57 AM

R Mordechai. The trial

was nothing but a sham, a
performance, with the sentence
determined beforehand.
Even though R Mordechai
was familiar with the mendacities
of the communist system, he
was surprised to hear the judge
announce that he was accused of
planning a rebellion. The basis for
the accusation was the kindling
of lights in order to signal their
location to the enemy.
The courthouse was not large.
On one side of the room was the
judges chair and the accused
was seated facing the judge. In
a severe tone, the judge read
the accusation. He concluded
by saying that the sentence for
these crimes was death. Did
R Mordechai want to defend
himself?
R Mordechai got up. His
heart was pounding. Does the
sentence apply only to me or also
to the rest of the group?
The judge gave him a
withering look. On the entire
counter-revolutionary band, he
replied coldly.
R Mordechai looked around
him in consternation. The room
began to turn around him.
Until now, he had tried to look
indifferent but now he knew that
not only his fate was on the scale,
but also the fate of his fellow
Jews.
He burst into tears. He
felt that it was because of him
that this happened since he
was the oldest and had taken
responsibility for all of them.
R Mordechai stood there and
sobbed while the judge sat and
looked at him. R Mordechai,
who was emotional by nature,
could not restrain himself. All the
pain and disappointments that
had been bottled up in him over
the years, burst forth.

Come here, said the judge.

R Mordechai approached the
judges desk. The judge began
asking him about his family, their
names and occupations and other
personal details. R Mordechai
answered all the questions while
he continued to cry.
When the judge finished
asking his questions he got up
and began pacing. He repeated
all the names he had just heard.
What do you have to say in
your defense? asked the judge
as he suddenly stopped his
pacing.
R Mordechai mustered his
courage and said, We are Jews
and we lit the lights to fulfill
the mitzva of lighting Chanuka
lights. That is why we gathered
together.
You lit Chanuka lights?!
the judge asked in surprise. He
seemed to be moved by this.
What do you say Chanuka
lights? He asked this again and
again. He looked very moved
and seemed to be struggling
internally.
After a moment, he motioned
to the two soldiers who were in
the room to step outside. After
they left, he said, If you lit
Chanuka lights, then I will show
you how Chanuka lights are
really lit.
The judge lit the oil lamp on
his desk and began to burn all the
prosecutions files that were on
his desk. His hands trembled and
he seemed to be in a rush to put
the papers in the fire as though
he was afraid that he might
reconsider. Here, this is the way
to light the Chanuka lights. See?
This is the way to light Chanuka
lights! He did not stop until
every last paper was consumed.
Then he took the ashes and
threw them out the window. The
Siberian wind scattered them.

Very quickly, nothing remained

of the files.
Then the judge pressed on a
button and the door opened and
the soldiers came back in.
Take all the young men,
he said authoritatively, and
disperse them wherever you see
fit so that they dont encounter
one another. They are despicable
enemies. Dont shoot them
because they arent even worth a
bullet.
After the soldiers left, the
judge said to R Mordechai in a
tremulous voice, I am a Jew and
I ask you to tell future generations
how I lit the Chanuka lights.
In 5716, after Khrushchev
rose to power, hundreds of
thousands of prisoners were
pardoned.
R
Mordechai
Chanzins name was also cleared
of all wrongdoing and he was
allowed to return home.
***
R Mordechai told this
story in the beis medrash of
the Machnovka Rebbe ztl in
Bnei Brak after Shacharis,
while drinking a lchaim on the
yahrtzait of his mother. Tears
streamed from his eyes the entire
time.
Among those present were R
Tzvi Shtammer, a close chassid
of the Machnovka Rebbe, and
his son, R Dov Shtammer,
who wrote down the story
immediately. He later reworked
the story and then presented it
as a play at the tish of the Sanzer
Rebbe, entitled, Chanuka Lights
in Siberia.
That is how R Mordechai
fulfilled the request of the judge
so future generations would
know that he was a Jew who
saved his fellow Jews.
(I heard this from
R Dov Shtammer)

Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 31

31

2016-12-20 7:08:57 AM

Chabad History

CROSSROADS

THE SACRIFICE
OF AMONA
The decision by the Israel High Court of Justice at the behest of Peace
Now is not a personal issue against the forty families living on the
settlement and surely not on behalf of anonymous petitioners claiming
ownership over the land. Were talking here about an objection to the
very legitimacy of our presence there. The question is not Amona, rather
its about whether Yerushalayim, Yehuda, and Shomron are part of Eretz
Yisroel or not.
By Sholom Ber Crombie
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry

1.
As things stand for the
moment, it would appear that
on the struggle for Amona, we
may have lost the battle but
we won the war. While we got
the Regulation Law and saved
4,000 homes in Yehuda and
Shomron, we sacrificed the
settlement of Amona, our vital
strategic command and the forty
settler families, on the altar of
regulation.
However,
the
political
dynamics have their own rules.
First, we have to see whether
the law passes the test of the
High Court of Justice, the true
sovereign of the state of Israel,
second on the hierarchical ladder
after the occupant of the Oval

Office. Afterwards, we have to

hope that the Knesset passes the
legislation in its second and third
reading, thereby becoming law.
Until then, one of the parties in
the coalition can change the bills
provisions, potentially leading to
its defeat and the tremendous
political significance this might
carry. Only then will we know
whether this difficult statutory
path was worth the effort,
otherwise, the sacrifice of the
residents of Amona will have
been for naught.
Yet, theres one essential
question that virtually no one
seems to ask: Why do we have
to pay with the loss of a whole
settlement in order to solve the
issue of other settlements? Its
as if its an established fact that

the Amona settlement was illegal,

and now all thats left to gain is
determining how many points we
can earn in the strategic battle
for the future of Yehuda and
Shomron.
The decision by the Israel
High Court of Justice at the
behest of Peace Now is not a
personal issue against the forty
families living on the settlement
and surely not on behalf of
anonymous petitioners claiming
ownership over the land. Were
talking here about an objection
to the very legitimacy of our
presence there. The question
is not Amona, rather its about
whether Yerushalayim, Yehuda,
and Shomron are part of Eretz
Yisroel or not. With the wave
of a hand, the High Court can

32 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 32

2016-12-20 7:08:57 AM

order the destruction of an entire

settlement, wiping it off the map,
and no one will hear anything
about something happening that
wasnt so kosher.
During the last month,
since the Regulation Law went
into high gear, people got the
impression that Prime Minister
Netanyahu and the Likud Party
considered the uprooting of
the Amona settlement a fair
price to pay the High Court of
Justice for legitimizing the rest
of the settlement community.
Its as if were talking about a
reasonable formula of getting
forty families to evacuate their
homes and thereby serving as
a sacrificial lamb for the rest of
the settlements. What would
have happened if the High Court
would have decided to tear down
a yishuv in the central part of the
country due to arbitration from
legal claims on land ownership?
Would it sound logical that the
place would simply disappear and
its families would have to find
an alternative location, as if we
were talking about the transfer of
personal property?
Even
the
demand
to
compensate the petitioners with
large sums of money for the land
where the settlements have been
built is totally irrational. These
are sizable areas throughout
Yehuda and Shomron distributed
by the king of Jordan during those
few years when his kingdom
reigned over the now liberated
territories. Jordan never really
wanted to continue ruling over
Yehuda and Shomron; it never
considered these regions as part
of the Hashemite kingdom.
However, to be on the safe side,
the Jordanian king distributed
land to all those who demanded
it. Thus, many Arab residents of
Yehuda and Shomron had large
parcels of land registered in their
names. That is the sum total

of their ownership over this

territory.
This then begs the question:
Why did the High Court of
Justice run to demand the
uprooting of thousands of homes
and why does the Regulation
Law relate to these Arabs as
owners in every respect? The
fact is that according to the High
Court we are occupiers and we
have no right to be there, and
heres where the story begins
and ends. The Court relates to
our settlement of Yehuda and
Shomron as an illegal act. As
far as the learned justices are
concerned, the legal owners of
the land in Yehuda and Shomron
are the Arabs, and therefore, its
only natural that they side with
their claims on these territories.
Its not because they have any
legal right to this land, since
they know that this is merely a
convenient excuse to transfer it
to Arab control.
With regard to the political
left, the reason why they
demanded the uprooting of the
Amona settlement and the Nativ
HaAvot neighborhood now, when
the Regulation Law is awaiting
Knesset approval, is not a legal
one. Even from a purely legal
standpoint, there really isnt any
rational difference between these
settlements and the other homes
that will receive above-board
validity once the Regulation Law
takes effect. From the political
lefts perspective, this marks
another moral blow to the settler
movement, an undermining of
its legitimacy, and serious harm
to the case of our lawful and
rightful presence there. They
want to classify Yehuda and
Shomron as illegal areas and the
pictures showing a settlements
destruction enables them to
burn this image in the Israeli and
international consciousness.

The best response to these

High Court rulings is not just
another dunam and another
goat, arranging another parcel
of land or finding a solution
for another settlement. As
the Rebbe has explained on
numerous occasions, its a
matter of changing ones sense of
awareness. What made the nearuprooting of Amona possible
was the state of public opinion.
No one seems to be moved any
longer by the tearing down of
a settlement, and thats only
because its on the wrong side
of the map. Therefore, the answer
must be greater understanding
among the public at-large that
our right to Eretz HaKodesh
has no connection to the court
or international law, rather it is
founded on a Divine promise.
In any case, we can be
happy about the Regulation
Law. Practically speaking, were
talking about a law that will begin
the process of ending the period
of military rule in Yehuda and
Shomron. Its totally absurd that
half a century after the Six Day
War and the liberation of Yehuda
and Shomron, life in these
territories is still conducted as if
the Jordanians had ruled there
for thousands of years and we are
still just guests. A temporary and
unstable reign lasting nineteen
years from the forced desertion
of Yehuda and Shomron in 5708
until their miraculous liberation
during the Six Day War in 5727
have dictated our policies over
the past fifty years.
Thus, this is not a story
of one proposed piece of
legislation or another; its the
overall perception that the
lands of Yehuda and Shomron
are occupied territories. The
Regulation Law seeks to begin
the process of normalizing the
status of Yehuda and Shomron,
establishing this region as a
Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 33

33

2016-12-20 7:08:58 AM

Chabad History
legitimate part of the Jewish
sovereignty in Eretz Yisroel. In
this aspect, the consequences
in matters of perception are far
more important than those of a
practical nature.

2.
Yet, it isnt the ruling by the
High Court of Justice, the prime
ministers public relations reps
have been telling us for the past
month: This is simply a matter of
timing. If the timing hadnt been
so problematic the last month
of Barack Obamas occupancy in
the White House, when there is a
serious concern of a diplomatic
initiative against the settlements
there easily could have been an
appropriate solution for securing
the future of Amona and another
four thousand homes in Yehuda
and Shomron in a similar legal
predicament. The prime minister
has wanted for some time to
extricate himself from his BarIlan speech commitment in
support of a two-state solution,
the right-wing PR people say, in
order to push forward a massive
construction project throughout
Yehuda and Shomron, firmly
establishing our presence there.
However, hes just been waiting
for the right moment, and that
moment is about to come. As
many in the nationalist rightwing camp had long been hoping
would happen, a new brand of
leadership will soon take over the
government of the United States.
Until then, Netanyahus hands
remain tied by the outgoing
lame-duck bosses in Washington,
the ones who pull the strings on
our little banana republic, just
like a marionette. As soon as the
new president moves into 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue, they are
certain that their vision of a truly
right-wing government will be
realized. Therefore, why should

we care about paying the small

price of uprooting a settlement
built just twenty years ago with
forty families, as we prepare
for the rosy future expected
during the incoming Trump
Administration?
However, slowly but surely,
it has become clear that Obama
wasnt really the problem at
all, just an excuse. Suddenly, it
appears that during the last eight
years, Obama may have been the
best thing that ever happened
to the right-wing government
in Israel. The Bar-Ilan speech?
Only because of Obama. A
construction freeze throughout
Yehuda and Shomron? Obama.
A halt on building permits
in
Yerushalayim?
Obama.
Disassembling
settlement
outposts? Obama. No bombing
of Iran? Also Obama. In short,
Obama was the demon that has
prevented the running of a truly
right-wing government in Eretz
Yisroel. Yet, as Mr. Obama
now prepares to leave office
and depart from the public eye,
Prime Minister Netanyahu has
suddenly remembered to reaffirm
his allegiance to the vision of
two states for two peoples. He
has further expressed his fervent
desire that the new president
of the United States, the rightwings liberator in bringing the
long-awaited political change,
will help him in advancing
the cause of establishment a
Palestinian state rl.
It now appears that not only
didnt Obama take government
declarations leftward, he even
may have pushed them to the
right. Its quite possible that
all those firm proclamations
on our right to build anywhere
in Yehuda and Shomron were
the positive result of the openly
hostile policies of the Obama
Administration. Of all people,
it was specifically the outgoing

president of the United States

who succeeded in turning the
prime minister of Israel into
a steadfast force of political
opposition
as
he
proudly
safeguarded the rights of Jews
over all of Eretz Yisroel.
The political right is known for
its strong declarations when its
in opposition, although it takes
weak and indecisive action when
it comes to power. Similarly,
when Mr. Netanyahu became
prime minister, he continued
to speak most persuasively as
he did when he was a fighting
opposition
parliamentarian,
instead of ordering effective
policies. In this regard, the
unfriendly
government
in
Washington gave us a prime
minister who remained firm and
unwavering in his positions at
least before Israeli audiences
in connection with our rights to
Yehuda and Shomron. Its quite
conceivable that we have to thank
Mr. Obama, as his efforts to
pressure Netanyahu led to some
of the prime ministers most
ideologically sound declarations
in recent years.
However, the time for talking
is now over. Until now, this was
an excuse for the gap between
words and actions. Government
spokesmen have explained to us
for nearly eight years that from
the governments standpoint,
they wanted to act exactly as
they declared construction in
all of Yehuda, Shomron, and
Yerushalayim, whether in the
settlement blocs or in remote
yishuvim. They further claimed
that certain diplomatic initiatives,
such as the Bar-Ilan speech and
the settlement freeze, were only
done for tactical reasons, while
their ideological stance remained
unchanged. Now its their turn to
prove themselves.

34 23 Kislev 5777
1049_bm_eng.indd 34

2016-12-20 7:08:58 AM

TZIVOS HASHEM

from his Rebbe. But then a

fierce storm, even stronger
than before, began. With his
remaining strength, R Zushe
tried to take another step and
another step, but oy, the wind
knocked him over into the
snow again and again.
I cannot go on like this,
he thought. Although there
isnt that much further to
go, I must find shelter until
the storm passes. Then he
remembered Yaakov, a simple,
G-d fearing man, with whom
he stayed sometimes on his
way to Mezritch.
miraculously
Zushe
R
managed to get to Yaakovs
house. He knocked at the door
which was quickly opened.
Inside, the wife and crying
children greeted him.
What happened? asked R

Zushe.
Yaakov he isnt here,
wailed the woman. This
morning he went to the forest.
He said he would return early
to light the menorah with us
on time but the blizzard began
this afternoon and he still
hasnt come back. Who knows
what happened to him .
Its dark outside already and
nobody is walking around in
this storm. Where, oh where,
is Yaakov? The woman cried
and didnt even bother to wipe
her tears.
there
stood
Zushe
R
do
he
should
What
.
silently
look
to
out
went
he
If
now?
for Yaakov, he would be
endangering his life. He could
be knocked over by the wind
and be buried under the snow.
But how could he bear to see
this familys sorrow, to know
that a fellow Jew needed help

to light the menorah. They

sang the brachos with great
feeling, Who did miracles for
our ancestors in those days, in
this time ... They meant every
word. The wife and children
stood on the side, wiping tears
of joy.
R Zushe stayed for the
night and in the morning,
the weather was much better.
He could continue on his way.
He said goodbye to the family
step.
as they showered him with
There was nobody outdoors.
brachos.
any
even
werent
There
Shacharis had ended in the
animals in sight. How would
Rebbes beis medrash and R
he find Yaakov in the big, dark
Zushe walked in.
forest?
The chassidim all shouted
And then, a moment before
at once, Zushe! Where have
he despaired, he saw a mound
you been? The Rebbe waited
on the earth. R Zushe bent
until midnight to light the
over and yes, it was the figure
menorah, apparently waiting
of a man who had fallen in the
for you.
snow. R Zushe took another
R Zushe smiled and said,
look and it was Yaakov! He
light
quickly swept off the snow This evening, after we
you
tell
will
I
ah,
that had piled on Yaakov the menor
ed.
happen
and rubbed his body, trying what
the
after
night,
That
to warm him. Then he lifted
Yaakov on his shoulders and menorah was lit, R Zushe
slowly made his way back to told them what happened
the night before. The Maggid
the house.
listened intently. Then he said,
believe
not
The wife could
You should know that in
was
He
!
her eyes. Yaakov
heaven they waited with the
found!
ah lighting until you lit
But it wasnt time for menor
ah with that Jew
menor
the
talking. She had to act. R
.
rescued
you
Zushe and Yaakov were frozen
the Chassidim
when
That is
and needed to be treated. She
their Rebbe
why
sat them below the warm understood
midnight.
until
oven, served them mashke and had also waited
and the
hosts
ly
gave them warm clothing to The heaven
lit the
ch
Mezrit
of
thaw them out. It took a long Maggid
R
with
er
togeth
time but finally both recovered menorah
time.
same
the
and were able to talk and tell Zushe, at
what they had gone through.
By midnight they had
gotten back to themselves and
R Zushe and Yaakov stood up

and remain indoors next to

the warm stove?
any
hesitating
Without
ced,
announ
Zushe
longer, R
Im going out!
With a grateful though
worried look, the woman saw
him out the door. The powerful
wind nearly pushed him back
inside, but he did not give up.
With superhuman strength, he
kept going forward, step by

B"H. 23 Kislev 5777

16 December 2016 Number 1049
Price: $6.00 Part 2 of 2
1049_bm_eng.indd 2

2016-12-20 7:08:25 AM

TZIVOS HASHEM

SAVING A LIFE
IN THE FOREST
By Nechama Bar

But lighting delayed for so many

Night fell. Many Chassidim and giving it to the Rebbe.
not hours? And where was R
was
the this time R Zushe
around
crowded
g Zushe?
waitin
Mezritcher Maggids menorah, there. Was the Rebbe
***
waiting eagerly for the first for him?
Rebbe
The
some
ht.
for
But
It began snowing heavily
midnig
g.
was
It
lightin
menorah
the
d
d.
scanne
delaye
and
the wind made the
was
room
and
Rebbe
his
the
left
reason,
Zushe
R
hour
im.
An
ll swirl in the streets.
Chassid
why.
snowfa
led
knew
assemb
Nobody
The
t.
hour,
presen
r
rushed indoors. Nobody
not
anothe
People
still
then
was
and
passed
to
candle
not
to be outdoors in a
the
still
d
had
wante
handed
Rebbe
Rebbe
and the
it
lit
who
im
Only R Zushe was
d.
Chassid
room.
his
blizzar
the
of
from
one
emerged
Rebbe
the
trying to fight the
to
back
there,
it
out
gave
and
Where is R Zushe? the
sinking into a
avoid
t.
and
respec
wind
great
with
Chassidim asked one another.
rift.
snowd
gs
The tune of the blessin
R Zushe was one of the
R Zushe was on his way
Chassidim who was closest filled the room and warmed
all
to the Maggid for Chanuka
to the Rebbe and every year their hearts, but they still
this
as he did every year. Just
the Rebbe would give him the wondered: what happened
ah
a few hours separated him
honor of lighting the shamash time? Why was the menor

Issue 1049

1049_bm_eng.indd 5

35

2016-12-20 7:08:34 AM