ITS TEEN TIME!

1 CROWN HEIGHTS NEWSpapER ~July 25, 2008 

הכרבה תא ’ה הוצ ןאכ 

Community Newspaper 

July 25, 2008 | Tammuz 22, 5768 weekly vOl. i | NO 36 ד”סב | ח”סשת , זומת 'בכ | תוםמ תשרפ 

A TRIBUTE TO 

REB SHNEUR ZALMAN 

YISSOCER GETZEL HALEVI 

PAGE 2 

A SHADCHAN 

FOR YOUR CAREER? 

PAGE 15 

ITS TEEN TIME! 

Ohr Chaya Mushka: 

What an exCiting suMMer! 

Page 15 

Beis Din of Crown Heights 

390A Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Tel- 718~604~8000 Fax: 718~771~6000 

Rabbi A. Osdoba: ❖ Monday to Thursday 10:30AM - 11:30AM at 390A Kingston Ave. ☎Tel. 718-604-8000 ext.37 or 718-604-0770 

Sunday-Thursday 9:30 PM-11:00PM ~Friday 2:30PM-4:30 PM ☎Tel. (718) - 771-8737 

Rabbi Y. Heller is available daily 10:30 to 11:30am ~ 2:00pm to 3:00pm at 788 Eastern Parkway # 210 718~604~8827 ❖ & after 8:00pm 718~756~4632 

Rabbi Y. Schwei, 4:00pm to 9:00pm ❖ 718~604~8000 ext 36 

Rabbi Y. Raitport is available by appointment. ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 39 

Rabbi Y. Zirkind: ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 39 

Rabbi S. Segal: ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 39 ❖ Sun ~Thu 5:30pm -9:00pm or ☎718 -360-7110 

Rabbi Bluming is available Sunday - Thursday, 3 -4:00pm at 472 Malebone St. ☎ 718 - 778-1679 

Rabbi Y. Osdoba ☎718~604~8000 ext 38 ❖ Sun~Thu: 10:0am -11:30am ~ Fri 10:am - 1:00 pm or 

☎ 718 -604-0770 

Rabbi S. Chirik: ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 38 ❖ Sun~Thu: 5:00pm to 9:00pm 

THis Weeks Hero 

REB ZALMAN YEHUDA DEITSCH 

the reBBes stOry 

the hillel FOundatiOn 

Meets the reBBe 

Page 13 

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The Vaad Hakohol 

The Prohibition of going to Court Zaida Getzel 

Rabbi Shlomo Segal 

Member of the Bais Din of Crown 

Heights 

Community Newspaper 

392 kingston avenue 

Brooklyn, Ny 11225 

Question 

a person entered 

another person’s 

home, and as a 

result of dirt on 

the staircase, the 

person slipped. is 

one permitted to sue the owner in court 

in order to collect from the owner’s 

insurance-- the owner can argue that 

this is damaging to him? 

answer 

in Shulchan aruch, Choshen mishpat 

chapter 26, it cites the strict prohibition 

against going to court. The only 

exception would be when one does 

not adhere to the Bais Din, his plaintiff 

would then receive a special consent 

from the Bais Din to summon the 

defendant to court. 

Surely,, one is not allowed to cause 

damages to another person’s money by 

summoning him to court, as it is cited 

in Shulchan aruch, Choshen mishpat 

chapt. 388. Regarding this aspect, even 

when one had refused to come to the 

Bais Din, there is no granted permission 

to cause pain to the person by going to 

court and subpoenaing the defendant 

in person or financially. 

But in the situation when the claim is 

against the insurance and in order to 

collect from the insurance, he needs to 

file a complaint against the owner--this 

is not forbidden. Since it is known that 

one cannot claim insurance in a Bais 

Din, and the only option to obligate 

the insurance to pay is by filing a claim 

in court. 

in such a case, it is cited in the poskim 

that this is not included in the 

prohibition of going to court, and as 

it is stated in detail in the Tshuvos of 

the Bais yitzchok Choshen mishpat 

Published & edited weekly by the vaad Hakohol 

of Crown Heights. 

moshe Rubashkin, Rosh Hakohol 

Dr. Tzvi (Harvey) lang, Chairman 

Rabbi Plotkin, Secretary 

layout: Simplyunique (basmelech@gmail.com) 

all material in this paper has been copyrighted. it 

is the exclusive property of this newspaper, unless 

otherwise attributed., and cannot be reproduced 

without the consent of the publisher. 

Composition responsibility: This newspaper will not 

be liable for errors appearing in advertising, beyond 

the cost of the space occupied by the error. advertiser 

assumes responsibility for errors in telephone orders. 

all advertisement designed and prepared by the 

CHCommunity Newspaper are the property of the 

newspaper and cannot be reproduced without the 

consent of the publisher 

chapt. 38. But being that the original 

responsibility was on the owner and 

the insurance entered as a guarantor 

for the owner, therefore, if it is verified 

that the insurance is not obligated to 

cover the damage, a person would then 

prohibited to continue in court in order 

to obligate the person to pay. 

Because: 

From the perspective of the dayan in 

Bais Din, the owner is not obligated 

to pay when a person got hurt on his 

property. it is stated in Shulchan aruch, 

Choshen mishpat chapt. 412, that in a 

location where there are things that can 

cause a person to slip, a person needs 

to be aware and protect himself. in a 

home, where there are young children, 

it happens quite often that items are 

left on the floor, which can cause one 

to stumble or slip, and one should have 

noticed them while walking up the 

staircase. and there is no reason to 

obligate the owner for the damages. 

when one summons the owner and 

not the insurance, it is a prohibition of 

going to court. 

Regarding the issue that this claim 

may cause an increase in the insurance 

premium, it would be appropriate that 

the plaintiff should cover the costs of 

the insurance increase, because one 

is forbidden to cause any damage to 

the owner through court. and since, 

in any case, the insurance reimburses 

the plaintiff more than what the Torah 

requires, therefore the plaintiff should, 

on a monthly basis, reimburse the sum 

of the increase that the owner had to pay 

as a result of this claim, until the owner 

changes to another insurance policy. 

it would be noteworthy to mention that 

the owner should assist the plaintiff to 

collect his reimbursement from the 

insurance and surely not hinder or 

stop the plaintiff from receiving his 

damages. 

Clarification 

in last week’s column, we discussed 

that when one rented or leased a car, 

and he received a ticket – who would 

be responsible for the payment? 

it seemed from some of our readers, 

that the final conclusion lacked some 

clarity. 

The answer is the obligation falls on 

the one who rented\leased the car, as 

it is cited in Shulchan aruch Choshen 

mishpat, chapter 128--in such a case, 

we obligate the one who was negligent 

in paying the money. 

By: moshe Rubashkin 

This coming Sunday, Chof Daled Tammuz, 

yidden will recite the Hallel 

Prokim as part of the Tehillim of Chitas. 

The words of Praise express the deep 

appreciation we have for the almighty 

and the wondrous miracles He wrought 

for us. Once these precious words of 

Dovid Hamelech are offered we feel 

ennobled, a notch higher than before. 

This coming Sunday Chof Daled Tammuz 

is the 25th yartzeit of Reb Shneur 

zalman yissocer Getzel Halevi ben Reb 

Sholem, a”h. The extended Rubashkin 

family and friends will offer their added 

heartfelt gratitude c/o the Hallel verses 

of the Tehillim of the day. The grace 

and the privilege of having had a zaide 

Getzel is something to continually thank 

Hashem for. zeide was a marvelous 

model, a life example of a true chosid, a 

True Pnimi. it’s also interesting to note 

that the Hayom yom of Chof 

Daled Tammuz describes the 

character of a Pinimi. 

zeide Getzel was an original. 

He was a colorful fellow. He 

had his own inimitable style 

and signature. They reflected 

his deep concern for what 

was right and respectful. He 

possessed a sharp wit along 

with an endless treasury of 

stories with which to elucidate 

every concept and circumstance. 

in his earlier years 

zeide would express freely his 

thoughts and his observations, 

but in his later years he was 

more reticent. at his 80th 

birthday surrounded by his 

children, grandchildren and 

great-grandchildren, gathered 

to celebrate with l’Chaim, he 

relented. in appreciation of 

the occasion and in response 

to our proddings, zeida shared a few 

stories. we never forgot them. Their 

lessons penetrated and enriched us. The 

wisdom gleaned, served us in countless 

ways. 

a country yokel inherited a silver spoon. 

what use did he have for a singular, silver 

spoon---none he decided. So he went 

to the trading store and received a few 

coupons in lieu of the silver spoon. up 

and down the aisles he went, but couldn’t 

find anything that caught his fancy until 

he found a lacquered, colorful, wooden 

spoon. Gleefully he gave the agent the 

coupons, and it was only a while after 

when he left that he realized that he 

had traded a silver spoon for a wooden 

spoon. zeida paused for emphasis when 

he finished his folk tale. He didn’t offer 

more. He left the thinking to us. 

another favorite was the Tale of the Four 

Horses. along a lone highway traveled a 

man with four horses. Behind him rode 

a man with three horses. The man the 

man with three horses urged his horses 

on, convinced with just a bit more effort 

he could be on par to the man with the 

four horses. Now behind him rode a man 

with two horses. He too urged his horses 

in thinking with a bit of prodding his 

horses could catch up to the man with 

the three horses. unknown to him was 

that the man with the three horses was 

really competing with the man with 

the four horses. and so it continued to 

the man with the one horse who tried 

to catch up with the man with the two 

horses who in reality was competing 

with the man with the four horses. No 

wonder the horse dropped shortly. zeide 

again let the lesson sink in. He left the 

thinking to us. 

all grandchildren love their grandparents. 

They mirror and respond to the 

unconditional love and warmth. They 

know they are the heroes and heroines 

in the eyes of their grandparents. what 

grandparent doesn’t light up when seeing 

their grandchildren? Their dreams, their 

yearnings their hopes are invested in 

their grandchildren. we felt all this and 

more when visiting our grandparents. 

who could forget the twinkle in the 

eye, the animated facial expression, 

the profuse blessings. They fuel us ‘til 

today. as an adult grandchild, BH, a 

grandmother myself, i continuously 

cherish the blessing of having known 

my grandparents. 

what i realize now that i haven’t considered 

previously is how unique and amazing 

our grandparents were in their own 

generation. Fooled by their exceptional 

modesty, we didn’t realize then that we 

were provided with an encounter of truth 

that can never be duplicated. 

“emes is in the Siddur,” a wise woman 

remarked to my mother when noticing 

her bewilderment at the action of those 

who should have known better. “emes 

is in the Siddur,” became a slogan we 

would quote often to remind ourselves 

that whereas human beings can fail, 

Continued on Page 6

The Rebbe's Sicha Parshas Matos-Masei 5750 

The Three Weeks and their 

meaning 

Published by Sichos In English 

The three weeks between the 17th of 

Tammuz and Tishah B’av are referred 

to as the Three weeks of Retribution 

and Bein Hametzorim, “between the 

straits,” names whose connotation is 

not openly positive. 

This presents a conceptual difficulty. 

The number three is generally connected 

with positive themes, e.g., the 

three Patriarchs, the three pilgrimage 

festivals. Similarly, our Sages associated 

the giving of the Torah with the 

number three, praising G-d for giving, 

“a threefold light to a threefold people... 

in the third month.” Furthermore, the 

number three has the implications of 

permanence as expressed in the verse, 

“the threefold cord will not be snapped 

speedily.” Similarly, in halachic terms, 

the number three is connected with a 

chazakah, a presumption that can be 

assumed to continue. accordingly, it 

is difficult to understand: why is the 

concept of retribution and destruction, 

the direct opposite of holiness 

and permanence, associated with the 

number three? 

Generally, the concept is explained as 

follows: The awesome descent of the 

Three weeks is intended to allow for an 

ascent. when a person wants to reach 

a level which is much higher than his 

present rung, it is necessary for him 

to undergo a descent first. Similarly, 

for the Jews to reach the peaks of the 

messianic redemption, a redemption 

which will not be followed by a descent, 

it is necessary that they first undergo 

the descent of exile. in this context, 

the Three weeks are associated, not 

with exile, but rather with the Third 

Beis Hamikdash that will be built after 

this exile. 

This explanation, however, is insufficient 

for the Three weeks connect 

the aspect of descent (and not the 

subsequent ascent) with three. when 

a descent is intended for the sake of an 

ascent, the descent itself is not desired. 

indeed, it will ultimately be nullified 

and all that will remain is the ascent. 

if so, why is three which is, as above, 

usually connected with permanence, 

associated with a dimension that has 

no self-contained purpose and which 

ultimately will be nullified? 

The question can be reinforced: Generally, 

the number three expresses an 

ascent which follows a descent. For 

example, in the narrative of creation, 

the first day, is referred to in the Torah 

as yom echad, “one day,” i.e., a day of 

oneness, to quote the medrash, “the day 

that G-d was at one with His world.” it 

was followed by the second day, “the day 

on which strife was created,” as reflected 

in the separation of the higher waters 

from the lower waters. accordingly, the 

expression, “and G-d saw that it was 

good,” is not mentioned in connection 

with the second day since division, even 

when necessary for the world, cannot 

be called “good.” 

This was followed by the third day, 

which compensated for the division 

of the second day, creating peace and 

unifying the two opposites. For this 

reason, the expression, “and G-d saw 

that it was good,” is repeated twice, 

revealing a compound goodness which 

qualitatively exceeds the goodness of 

the other days. 

This is reflected by the attribute of 

Tiferes (“beauty,” which was expressed 

on the third day of creation) which unifies 

Chesed (“kindness,” expressed on 

the first day of creation) with Gevurah 

(“might,” expressed on the second 

day of creation). This reveals a unity 

which surpasses that of the first day. 

On the first day, the unity existed on a 

level above division. Thus, there is the 

possibility that division will ultimately 

arise. in contrast, the unity of the third 

day is established within the context 

of division, bringing about a true state 

of unity. 

The same concept is reflected in Torah 

where we find the concept of “a controversy 

for the sake of heaven,” the 

controversy between Hillel and Shammai. 

This division has its source in the 

division which came into being on the 

second day of creation and, in turn, 

serves as the source for subsequent 

differences of opinion within Torah. 

a “controversy for the sake of Heaven,” 

is obviously not a simple matter of strife 

or conflict. Nevertheless, it -- even 

the controversy between Hillel and 

Shammai -- brought about a descent. 

ultimately, however, it serves a positive 

function.[165] The debate between a 

thinking process that favors leniency 

(since its source is the attribute of 

Chesed) and a thinking process which 

tends to severity (since its source is the 

attribute of Gevurah) leads to a clarification 

of Torah law. a third opinion 

emerges which reconciles and unifies 

both conflicting perspectives. 

Thus, both in the world at large and in 

Torah, the concept of descent and division 

is associated with the number two 

and three is associated with the ascent 

and unification that follows. Similarly, 

in regard to the Batei Hamikdashos: 

The first (associated with the Patriarch 

avraham, and the attribute of Chesed) 

and the second (associated with the 

Patriarch, yitzchok, and the attribute 

of Gevurah) Batei mikdashos were 

destroyed, while the third Beis Hamikdash 

(associated with the Patriarch 

ya’akov and the attribute of Tiferes) 

will be an eternal structure. Thus the 

original question is reinforced: why 

are these weeks which are connected 

with mourning, destruction, and exile 

associated with the number three? 

This question can be resolved by developing 

a different understanding of the 

concept “a descent for the purpose of 

an ascent.” To explain: a Jew should be 

in a constant process of ascent, “always 

ascending higher in holiness,” “proceeding 

from strength to strength.” if 

so, what is the reason for a descent? To 

proceed to a higher and more elevated 

rung that could not otherwise be 

reached. To give an example from every 

day life, when faced with obstructions 

and difficulties, a person summons up 

inner strength that brings out greater 

achievements that would otherwise 

be impossible. 

in this process of descent for the sake of 

ascent, there are two levels: a) a descent 

which is limited within the context of 

the natural order, b) a descent which 

cannot be fathomed by the rules of 

nature. 

in the first case -- which reflects the 

progression from two (descent) to 

three (ascent) -- just as the descent is 

limited, so, too, the ascent has certain 

limits. in contrast, when the descent is 

unlimited, as in the Three weeks, the 

ascent which follows is also unlimited 

in nature. 

The first type of descent was implanted 

by G-d in the natural order of the 

world. in contrast, the second descent 

is brought about by man, through his 

sins. Thus, in the first instance, there 

is a direct connection between the 

descent and the ascent which will 

follow. in contrast, when a person sins, 

on a revealed level, there is no apparent 

connection between the sin and the 

ascent through teshuvah which will 

ultimately follow. in particular, when 

the descent that is brought about by sin 

is connected with three -- and thus, has 

the power of permanence -- the ascent 

becomes even higher. 

To rephrase the matter: The process 

of ascent that is brought about by 

descent is a natural phenomenon. 

Since the descent into the realm of 

division brings about a higher sense 

of oneness, the division is not genuine. 

On the contrary, even on the level of 

division, it is felt how it is temporary 

in nature, with no purpose in and of 

itself, and that it exists only to bring 

out the higher level of unity. when is 

there genuine division? when there is 

an approach that possesses the aspect 

of permanence associated with three 

and yet appears to be totally negative 

in thrust with no connection with the 

ascent that will follow. when unity is 

established in that context, then it is 

true and complete. 

in this context, we can understand the 

Three weeks. This period, brought 

about by our sins, reflects the lowest 

possible descent, a descent that 

would not be possible within the 

order of nature, and reflects the aspect 

of permanence associated with the 

number three. Thus, we see that this 

exile continues without end, to quote 

our Sages: 

in the first generations, their sin was 

revealed and the end [of the period 

of retribution] was also revealed. in 

July 25, 2008 ~ CROWN HEIGHTS NEWSpapER 3 

the later generations, their sin was not 

revealed and the end [of the period of 

retribution] was also not revealed. 

even after our Sages declared, “all the 

appointed times for moshiach’s coming 

have passed,” the exile continues. 

Furthermore, on the surface, there is no 

way in which it is apparent how such an 

exile will lead to the redemption. 

Nevertheless, this itself is an indication 

that it will lead to an ascent which is 

totally beyond our comprehension, 

that it will surpass even the peaks of 

holiness that were attained previously, 

establishing an entirely new framework 

of reference. 

Furthermore, since this is the purpose 

of the descent of the Three weeks -- 

although it is not consciously felt -- we 

must appreciate that the Three weeks 

themselves have a positive dimension. 

The Three weeks are associated with 

the revelation of the three powers of 

intellect. 

in that context, the word rendered as 

“retribution” can be reinterpreted in a 

positive context. The zohar associates 

Pharaoh “with the revelation of all the 

sublime lights.” Similarly, these Three 

weeks can be the source for a revelation 

of light that transcends all limits, the 

light that will be revealed in the Third 

Beis Hamikdash. 

The concept of an immeasurable ascent 

which comes because of the descent 

into exile is also alluded to in each of 

the parsha of matos. 

The name matos refers to a branch 

which has become strong and hard 

because it was cut off from the tree. 

There is a parallel to this in our service 

of G-d. The Jewish soul as it descends 

into a body, particularly as it exists 

in exile, is, on an apparent level, cut 

off from its source. This brings about 

a hardening and strengthening process. 

On the surface, the hardening 

is negative in nature, intensifying the 

challenges which a Jew faces. Through 

confronting these challenges, however, 

a Jew attains added strength and power 

in his service of G-d which enables 

him to endure the challenges of exile 

without being affected. 

Thus, the extended exile which is felt 

acutely in these Three weeks should 

not bring a Jew to despair, but rather to 

an appreciation of the heights to which 

the exile will bring us. This realization 

should, in turn, bring about a strengthening 

of Torah and mitzvos which will 

lead to the messianic redemption. This 

should be expressed in “spreading the 

wellsprings outward,” extending the 

influence of Torah to places which by 

nature have no connection to it. 

in particular, this should be expressed 

in making siyumim, conclusions of the 

study of Talmudic tractates or Torah 

works. These siyumim should be made 

in every place possible. may this lead 

to a siyum of the exile.


Our Heroes 

Horav Hachossid Reb Zalman Yehuda Deitsch 

1946-29th of Tamuz 2006 

By: Rabbi michoel Seligson 

Horav Hachossid Reb zalman yehuda 

Deitsch was born in 5707 (late 1946) 

on the 11th of Cheshvan to Horav 

Hachossid Reb Sholom yeshaya and 

mrs. mirel Deitsch in lemberg, at 

a time that they were running from 

Russia to Poland, together with other 

anash. From infancy on until he was 

five-years-old, his family wandered 

through refugee camps in Germany 

and France. 

in 1952, after living in France for a 

short while, the Deitsch’s immigrated 

to the united States and settled in 

Connecticut. There was no yeshiva in 

Connecticut, and the Rebbe suggested 

that they send their son to the lubavitch 

yeshiva in Brooklyn. after he completed 

his studies in Brooklyn, zalman 

traveled to yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim 

in montreal, where he became attached 

to the distinguished Chassidim and 

absorbed the chassidishe warmth which 

remained with him his entire life. 

He returned to Brooklyn to continue 

his studies at 770 and excelled. in 1959, 

the Rebbe had instituted the custom of 

choosing elite students, kanim, seven 

students in Nigla and seven in Chassidus 

to give over pilpulim on shabbosim 

throughout the year. zalman was 

chosen to be one of the seven kanim 

in Chassidus. at that time, the Rebbe 

instructed zalman to involve himself 

in avodas hatefila, to daven slowly and 

carefully and to meditate on his prayers, 

as was customary by chassidim in earlier 

generations. Reb zalman fulfilled 

this directive. Though he often traveled 

on business, he was particular to daven 

with a special concentration. 

Going into Business 

in adar 1969, Reb zalman became 

engaged to miss Cyrel edelman, the 

daughter of Horav Hachossid Reb 

Dovid edelman, the shliach in Springfield, 

mass. since the Previous Rebbe’s 

time in the 1940’s. Reb zalman’s father, 

Reb Sholom yeshaya Deitsch, went over 

to the Rebbe at the Farbrengen with 

a bottle of mashkeh and thanked the 

Rebbe for the shidduch, saying that it 

was in the Rebbe’s merit. The Rebbe 

replied, “For a shidduch you need to 

pay”. 

Two months later, on the 5th of iyar, 

Reb Sholom yeshaya was suddenly 

nifter. 

in later years, mrs. mirel Deitsch 

entered into yechidus with the Rebbe, 

and asked what the Rebbe had referred 

to with his comment “For a shidduch, 

one needs to pay”? The Rebbe told her, 

i intended that he should strengthen 

himself with emuna and bitochon. 

This comment became Reb zalman’s 

motto in life. 

L’chaim in Reb Sholom Deitsch’s 

Suka 

The Rebbe advised Reb zalman to take 

over his father’s business, and blessed 

him, “it should be with “yeser s’ais 

v’yeser oz”, a great increase in every 

sense. 

This was the second time that the Rebbe 

gave such a blessing to the Deitsch 

family. The first time had been when the 

Rebbe set forth the decree that no one 

younger than forty years of age should 

make more than four l’chaim’s. 

Reb Sholom yeshaya entered into 

yechidus with the Rebbe, He said that 

he was considering stopping his custom 

of making a kiddush on Shmini atzeres 

in his Suka, since people would not be 

able to drink without limitation. The 

Rebbe said, with a dismissive downward 

motion of his hand, “it should be 

yeser s’ais v’yeser oz.” 

Reb zalman would dedicate the time 

before and after business for Torah and 

avoda. He would awaken early, study 

chassidus and daven slowly, and then 

proceed to his office. in the evenings, 

when he returned home, he continued 

with his shiurim. 

Well versed in the Rebbe’s Sichos 

Reb zalman was well versed in the 

Rebbe’s Sichos. w hen the Rebbe 

Farbrenged or spoke a sicha, Reb 

zalman would immediately buy the 

audio tape and listen to it many times. 

after the Rebbe’s stroke on the 27th of 

adar i in 1992, Reb zalman resolved to 

listen intently to all the Sichos in their 

entirety. From then until his ptira in 

2006, he successfully studied all 100 

volumes of likutei Sichos and Sichos 

kodesh which contain the Rebbe’s talks 

from 1950 until 1992. 

Shiurim for the public in his Home 

when the Rebbe initiated the study of 

Rambam, there was no doubt that Reb 

zalman would participate in a steady 

Rambam shiur, which he attended 

at Tiferes zkainim levi yitzchok. 

eventually, he designated a room in 

his home for the study of Rambam, 

as well as for a Rambam shiur that he 

gave. when the shiur reached the laws 

of kiddush Hachodesh, dealing with 

difficult concepts in astronomy; Reb 

zalman arranged for Reb yosef losch, 

an expert in this 

field, to deliver the 

shiur. Reb zalman 

was never satisfied 

until he understood 

the concepts fully 

and in all their 

complexity. 

His Bitul 

Reb zalman had 

a unique bitul to 

t he R ebbe. The 

Rebbe’s directive to 

Reb zalman to go 

into business was 

utilized as a means 

to assist the Rebbe’s 

mosdos. There are 

many yidden who 

are successful in 

business and contribute 

to Tzedoko. 

For Reb zalman, 

business and Tzedoko 

were not two separate entities. 

every dollar of profit, was an additional 

dollar for the benefit of the Rebbe’s 

mosdos and to strengthen the Rebbe’s 

activities 

For example, at the Farbrengen which 

commemorated his 70th birthday, the 

Rebbe asked that seventy-one new 

mosdos should be established. Reb 

zalman immediately arranged for a 

shliach to go to amherst, mass., and 

paid his salary for many years. 

Reb zalman approached one of his 

father-in-law’s mekurovim, and suggested 

that he join the “950 club”. This 

club consisted of philanthropists who 

had contributed to machne israel. 

everyone who participated in this project 

merited to have a personal yechidus 

with the Rebbe. The individual who Reb 

zalman convinced to become a member 

said, “if i am already giving $950,000, 

let it be a million dollars.” Reb zalman 

told him, “No, if you give a million 

dollars, you will feel great self-esteem, 

figuring ‘i gave a million dollars to the 

Rebbe’. it is preferable that you give only 

$950,000.” in his yechidus, this person 

told the Rebbe that he was acquainted 

with Reb zalman Deitsch. The Rebbe 

said, “it is good that Reb zalman knows 

you and that you know him.” 

Shechuna 

when the Rebbe spoke about strengthening 

the shechuna, and encouraged 

Crown Heights residents to remain 

in the neighborhood, Reb zalman 

purchased buildings in the shechuna. 

He saw this as the Rebbe’s business and 

invested beyond his financial ability. 

after the sudden and tragic ptira of 

his sister, mrs. alte Shula Schwartz, 

in the late 1970’s, Reb zalman and 

his brothers, Reb yosef yitzchok and 

may he live and be well Reb avrohom 

moshe, founded machon alte, the girls 

school in Tzfas. 

The Rebbe’s campaigns 

Reb zalman once returned from mivtza 

lulov. Rather than saying that he had 

persuaded a certain number of yidden 

to make the blessing on the esrog; 

he was excited that the children at a 

school he visited, “american kids”, left 

the game they were in the middle of to 

fulfill mitzvas lulov. 

He never spoke about himself, or 

expressed pride in his accomplishments 

and that he that he had convinced 

numerous people to fulfill mitzvos. He 

was excited that an american child had 

left a game to do a mitzva. 

Mivtza Mezuza 

He was committed to every mivtza 

that the Rebbe initiated. at the outset 

of mivtza mezuza, Reb zalman opened 

his house to serve as a center of activities 

and supported the mivtza enormously. 

He and his wife would often go out 

on mivtza mezuza together. To this 

day, mivtza mezuza operates out of 

his home. 

printing the Tanya 

The Rebbe initiated the campaign to 

print Tanyas. Reb zalman rented a 

truck, installed a printer, and paid a 

yungerman to travel to different cities 

in various states and print hundreds 

of Tanyas. He told Rabbi Hodokov 

that he wanted to cover the cost of 

publishing Tanyas everywhere. The 

Rebbe responded that his intention was 

well received, but the Rebbe wanted 

that every location should fund the 

publishing of Tanyas on their own. 

when Reb zalman traveled to africa, 

he asked the Rebbe if he should print 

the Tanya in Nigeria. The Rebbe’s 

response was that if there was one yid 

there, a Tanya should be printed. at that 

time, there was a group of yidden living 

there and the Tanya was printed. 

Tiferes Zkainim 

The Rebbe founded Tiferes zkainim, 

which organized daily shiurim for 

seniors and retirees. Reb zalman 

became involved and traveled from one 

location to another, giving shiurim. in 

general, Reb zalman assisted many of 

the Rebbe’s mosdos, either financially 

or in other ways. 

Home of activities 

Reb zalman’s home was always open 

to communal activists. after the Rebbe 

would introduce a new campaign, Reb 

zalman would invite askanim to meet 

in his home to develop and work on the 

new campaign. in a letter, the Rebbe 

referred to Reb zalman as, “one who is 

involved in communal affairs”. a repre-

sentative of a certain mosad approached 

the Rebbe at the Farbrengen with a 

bottle of mashkeh and announced that 

a melave malka would take place in 

Reb zalman’s house. The Rebbe called 

over Reb zalman to give him mashkeh 

as well. 

Chinuch of his children 

He trained his children from an early 

age to share his hashkafos concerning 

the Rebbe, his teachings and his mosdos. 

His sons would each contribute to 

the Rebbe, half of the money that they 

received as Bar mitzva gifts. 

Reb zalman trained all his children to 

exert themselves in the study of Torah. 

when the Rebbe edited a new maamor, 

he encouraged his children to study 

it by heart. On Friday evenings, each 

of them would recite a chapter of the 

maamor. He would then explain the 

chapter to his guests at the table, who 

were not fluent in yiddish. 

Reb zalman’s priorities were clear. 

although he had a successful business, 

he did not raise his children to enter the 

business with him. He was concerned 

that they should all receive a chassidishe 

education and fulfill the Rebbe’s desire 

for his chassidim to go on shlichus. 

after his children were married, they 

went on shlichus. Reb zalman would 

speak with his children after Shabbos 

and they would share their shabbos 

experiences and the successes in their 

respective Chabad Houses. He would 

encourage them not to be satisfied 

with their accomplishments and would 

advise them to broaden their activities. 

when he would visit, he would bring 

Chassidishe warmth with him and 

would Farbreng with mekoruvim telling 

chassidishe stories. 

an exceptional Baal Chesed 

On the Simchas Torah Farbrengen in 

5740 (late 1979), the Rebbe spoke about 

contributing a large sum of money for 

Tzedoko. anyone who would make a 

mental resolution, during this sicha and 

the nigun that followed to contribute 

would be blessed financially many fold. 

Reb zalman did so, and immediately 

after yom Tov brought the money to 

the Rebbe’s secretariat. He merited to 

be included in this blessing. 

Reb zalman was known as an exceptional 

Baal Chesed, and helped many 

people who were in need. He agreed 

to be the guarantor for hundreds of 

loans issued by a Gemach. many times 

he needed to repay the loans himself 

and did not ask the borrowers to be 

reimbursed. 

During the shiva, family members 

heard details of Reb zalman’s chesed 

activities that they were unaware of. 

One of anash recalled that when he 

moved to Crown Heights and found 

a house, he did not have money for 

the down payment. He had no close 

friends in the shechuna and was very 

concerned. in the street he happened to 

meet Reb zalman, who asked him why 

he appeared so worried. Reb zalman 

heard his story, asked him to come to 

his house and gave him the required 

amount. 

Reb zalman fulfilled the saying of the 

mishna, “you house should be broadly 

open”, in the fullest sense. a yid known 

to be a great host had a house that was 

open to all and would house and feed 

the needy. He would walk through 

the house posing as a guest, to see if 

anyone needed anything. One of the 

guests once asked him, “Do you know 

how long i will be able to stay here? 

when will the host tell me to leave?” 

He answered, “Don’t worry, i am also 

here for a long time and no one told 

me to leave.” 

This characterized Reb zalman. His 

home was open to guests who felt as 

if the house was theirs. He opened his 

home on Shabbos, yom Tov, and weekdays. 

a yeshiva bochur who needed 

a hot meal or a warm environment 

or a yid who had come from far for a 

chassidishe Farbrengen, were steady 

members of his household. 

Reb zalman was an ardent reader of 

Chabad weeklies which were published 

here and in israel, and sponsored 

them. 

a month before his ptira, by divine 

providence, he studied the maamor 

Boreh Niv Sfosoyim 5748, in which 

the Rebbe discusses the cure from 

Hashem, that heals the person so that 

no remnants of the past illness remain. 

immediately after he concluded the 

study of the maamor he visited his 

brother Reb yosef yitzchok, who was 

very ill and was nifter a week after Reb 

zalman’s passing. Reb zalman recited 

the maamor for his brother. He felt 

unsatisfied and repeated the maamor 

again on the last Friday evening before 

his own ptira. 

Reb zalman was taken to the hospital 

on Shabbos and was nifter on the 

evening of the 29th of Tamuz. 

One of Reb zalman’s close friends 

described him. 

“Reb zalman’s personality was a blend 

of two worlds. He was a chossid and a 

businessman. a chossid with all the 

threads of his Nshama, with a warmth 

of true Chassidishkeit, and the fervor 

of a chossid from the past. Sometimes 

people would wonder how america 

of our time produced such a beautiful 

fruit. knowing Reb zalman, it was 

obvious that his entire business was 

not part of him. His involvement in it, 

was because “azoy darf zein”, this is how 

it needs to be. His genuine 

being was in tefila, learning, 

and the life of chassidus that 

he loved. 

He had a good eye. He did 

not reserve Chassidus for 

himself, but shared it with 

others. He would Farbreng 

with mekurovim and individuals. 

without any commotion, 

he slowly brought 

people into his world, the 

world of Chassidus, and 

many found their way there 

at his table. 

Reb zalman’s personality 

taught a unique lesson Reb 

zalman was always busy. 

He had a task in life that needed to be 

fulfilled and was a “baal esek” who was 

busy every moment with his mission, 

and did not forget why he was created, 

and what his life’s goal was.” 

He left a generation of yeshorim. may 

they live and be well, his wife, mrs. 

Cyrel Deitsch of Crown Heights, who 

stood at his side and assisted him in all 

the chesed activities; his son, Horav 

Sholom yeshaya, the Rebbe’s shliach in 

ambler, Pennsylvania; his son, Horav 


menachem mendel, the Rebbe’s shliach 

in east valley, arizona; his son, Horav 

Nechemia moshe, the Rebbe’s shliach 

in midtown, Toronto; his son, Horav 

levi yitzchok, the Rebbe’s shliach in 

Tysons Corner, virginia; his son, Horav 

yechezkel; his sons, the Tmimim, 

yisroel and Noson; his daughter, mrs. 

Toby Bernstein, the wife of Horav 

menachem mendel Halevi, the Rebbe’s 

shliach in Richmond Hill, Toronto; his 

daughter, mrs. altie wolvovsky, the 

wife of Horav menachem mendel, the 

Rebbe’s shliach in S. Rosa, California; 

his daughter, mrs. Hindy mintz, the 

wife of Horav avrohom, the Rebbe’s 

shliach in South Denver, Colorado; 

his daughter, mrs. Rivka Schechter, 

the wife of Horav avrohom of Crown 

Heights; his daughter, miss Rochel 

Deitsch. 

yehi zichro Boruch! may Horav Hachossid 

Hatomim Reb zalman yehuda, a 

legendary Chossid who was committed 

to the Rebbe and his mosdos, and saw 

himself and his financial assets only 

as the channel and the means to fulfill 

the Rebbe’s directives, who was always 

available for more initiatives from the 

Rebbe, and who successfully inspired 

and saw his children on shlichus, and 

who shared Torah and Chassidus with 

many yidden that he was mekarev to 

yiddishkeit; serve as the inspiration to 

be sincerely devoted and committed to 

the study of the Rebbe’s teachings and 

to his mosdos, and to participate whole 

heartedly in the Rebbe’s campaigns, and 

to be concerned with the well being of a 

fellow Jew, where ever he may be. 

we should speedily witness “The ones 

who dwell in the dust will awaken and 

rejoice” with Horav Hachossid Reb 

zalman yehuda among them. 

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Shiduchim 

A Needle in a Haystack 

By Sarah Junik 

in the past i have talked primarily 

about what needs to be done up until 

the couple reaches the door for that first 

shidduch date. Starting with this article, 

i would like to touch on the Shidduch 

dating itself. 

One last point to mention: i was asked 

recently what do you do if you present 

a name to your daughter (in this case 

it was a daughter but it is equally applicable 

to a son) and your daughter tells 

you she is not interested with this name. 

you have invested time in a preliminary 

or total inquiry into this person, so you 

may feel rightfully resentful of such 

an answer. First of all take a calming 

breath, you are trying to solve this 

logically and tranquilly. 

Give your child the reasons for which 

you think this is a good possibility and 

ask her for her reason for refusing. if it is 

a valid concern then ask her not to close 

the subject until you can confirm or 

disprove her concern. Then make more 

phone calls and find out if there is any 

truth to the matter or not. it could be 

that her concern is only a vague rumor 

she heard from her friends or other 

non critical objection. in that case, as 

you obviously feel that this is a good 

suggestion and the research you have 

made has confirmed this, explain to 

your daughter or son why their concern 

is not a reason to refuse this shidduch. 

Furthermore in your role as parent 

explain how one should not refuse a 

shidduch for frivolous or non essential 

reasons. Refusing on such basis could 

cause one to postpone meeting their 

zivug and even to loose it. 

if, after all this your child is still adamant 

about refusing the shidduch, then 

you have to let them be and not pressure 

them further. we have to accept that if 

our child has an instinctive dislike of 

the suggestion, it might not be for her 

and therefore that is a valid reason for 

refusing the shidduch. 

i heard of a case of a wonderful shidduch 

which was redt and the girl refused 

it. The parents and close friends of the 

family tried to convince her otherwise 

but she steadfastly refused it. She 

had no logical reason, she just said it 

was not for her. So the boy married 

someone else, after all he was quite a 

"catch". unfortunately not long after 

the couple was divorced for a very solid 

reason. Naturally the family asked the 

first girl how she had known that a 

marriage would not have been a good 

thing? She answered that she hadn't 

know any such thing, she had just felt 

that this shidduch was not for her and 

she should not go into it. 

Do not discount intuition, our "Bina 

yeserah". Not our own or our childrens'. 

if logically it makes no sense, but 

ourselves or our children believe this 

is not for us, then it isn't. 

The first thing i would like to mention 

about shidduch dating, is the need 

to make a differentiation between 

the worldly kind of “dating” and the 

Jewish kind of “Shidduch dating”. in 

the world the word dating is used with 

multiple meanings. it can mean going 

out to have fun. it can mean to have a 

long term partnership, and all degrees 

in between. There is no one definition 

of the word. The definition depends on 

the people who are “dating”. 

However, in the frum Jewish world 

there is only one kind of “dating” and 

that is Shidduch dating. Shidduch dating 

does not share the same definitions 

as worldly dating. it does not mean 

to go out and have fun and definitely 

it does not mean to be in a long-term 

relationship. The one definition that 

describes shidduch dating best is: “ 

a stepping stone to marriage.” This is 

the reason why we should not use the 

word “dating” to describe a Shidduch. 

“Dating” is an end to itself in the world; 

for us, Shidduch dating is only a means 

to an end. 

it was pointed out to me that people 

use the word dating in our circles, and 

we should refrain from this as we do 

not want to use a word that indicates 

relationships we do not condone. But 

Zeide Getzel 

Continued from Page 2 

truth can still be found. Reflecting on 

the personal integrity with which zeida 

Getzel charted his life’s compass we 

can add, “emes is in the Siddur,” and in 

zeida Getzel’s mind and heart, which 

steered him on a meaningful contributing 

course, that still serves as a study of 

what makes a Chosid today. 

zeida Getzel was neither a maskil nor 

an Ovaid. yet he was the quintessential 

Chasid on the merit of his actions. 

action has its own language. action 

has its own elegance. zeide Getzel’s 

action bespoke of the beauty of a humble 

spirit, the grace of a humility that was 

not recognized by its own beholder. His 

very core mesiras nefesh from which his 

mission-driven principles, his strong 

deep character traits, his overflowing 

love and fierce loyalty emanated. Some 

who didn’t know him well, some who 

couldn’t understand his operational 

values might have considered him harsh 

at times. like Pinchas (zeida’s yartzeit 

usually occurs close to Parshas Pinchas), 

zeide was a kanoei-a zealot. He was 

zealous in his adherence to every detail 

of a mitzvah. like Pinchas, he rose to 

every challenge and galvanized himself 

to appropriate action—no matter the 

price. 

zeidy Getzel was a very devoted Chossid, 

a Real Soldier. His derech in life 

was, “vos men meg muz men nisht,” and 

“vos men Tornit iz avada avade Darf 

menn Nisht.” 

zeide Getzel personified mesiras nefesh 

because he internalized the teachings 

talking to a number of people young 

and not so young, it seems it is quite 

normal to use the term “shidduch dating” 

in lubavitch instead of the term 

“dating”. 

The first steps we all must make are 

the ones we discussed in past articles: 

getting the name of the girl or boy and 

doing the necessary research on them. 

By the time a shidduch date is set up, as 

far as the parents are concerned, there 

could be a l’Chaim. which means that 

they are sure this is could be the shidduch 

for their child. what the couple 

has to discover is if they can interact 

with one another and if they talk on the 

same wavelength. Do they bore each 

other to death or spark new thoughts 

and ideas from one another. 

On paper the boy and girl might fit like 

a glove--they both like music, outings, 

reading. and the both come from the 

same background, it sounds perfect! 

But when they go out on a date, the 

boy finds out that he likes Chazunos 

and she likes Piamenta; his outings 

are going upstate and hers are flying 

off to Spain; his reading is a sicha and 

hers is Good Housekeeping. So on that 

very first or second date, the data on 

paper isn’t looking so good. That is the 

and ways of Chasidus. They were his 

life force. The blood that flowed through 

his veins. He made no fanfare of himself 

because he didn’t believe anything he 

did was wondrous. He certainly was not 

the main character of his own story. all 

he saw himself as and hoped to be was a 

proper loyal soldier in the Rebbe’s army. 

an elder chosid standing alone amongst 

a sea of young bochurim with eyes shut 

listening intensely throughout a long 

farbrengen testify to zeida Getzel’s 

perspective. 

allow me to share a story that will shed 

much light to our confused circle of 

Chasidim today: 

The time—motzei Purim, Post world 

war ii. The place--a suburb of Paris 

where Russian Chabad refugees congregated 

at a Chassidisha Farbrengen. 

Full of spirit, enhanced by a number 

of l’Chaims, one member of the group 

announced that “Getzel had send Shaloch 

manos to Reb B.G.” Reb B.G. was 

shaliach of the Rebba Rayatz. Somehow 

he fell in the disfavor and critical review 

by many of the Chasidim. all eyes 

turned to zeida Getzel. all began laughing 

in a mocking fashion. They tried to 

get zeida Getzel to react or respond. 

zeida did neither. No matter the jeering, 

the loud, boisterous laughing, zaide 

remained silent. Seeing that he couldn’t 

reason our kids Shidduch date: to see 

if there is a common ground to build a 

marriage on. 

This is the message we should be 

relaying to our kids: "i have made my 

homework, the choice is now yours to 

decide if this boy or girl is someone 

you can make a bond, a kesher with 

or not." 

The importance of the shidduch date 

shouldn’t be taken lightly. Do not tell 

your son or daughter, “Have fun.” even 

if it is only a means to try to calm their 

nerves before the first shidduch date. 

instead of saying have fun, you should 

give them a brocha that they may have 

Syata D’Shemaya on the shidduch date, 

and that they be able to recognize if it 

is a good match for them, or at least an 

option that can be further explored. 

Shidduch dating is not “fun” for any 

of the people involved. we all know 

that the decisions we make, both positive 

or negative, will have long range 

consequences. we have discussed this 

with our children in many ways and 

many times, so why make such an inane 

comment as "have fun" at this time? 

We will continue with this subject next 

week. 

be brought into the conversation, they 

changed the subject, and the farbrengen 

continued. The brotherhood was not 

disturbed at the very end, zeida Getzel 

had his say. “Do you want to know why 

i sent Shaloch manos to Reb B.G? i 

will explain. Firstly, Reb B.G. is my 

friend and was my chavrusa. we both 

grew up in Nevel. Secondly, Reb B.G. 

was personally chosen by the Rebbe to 

carry out some of his most challenging 

operations. Just for that, he deserves my 

personal shaloch manos. Thirdly, you 

all have issues with Reb B.G. because 

you believe he is sitting on your rightful 

chair (He has the job that should have 

been yours), but i know he is not sitting 

on my chair. l’Chaim.” 

each of us have our own defining 

moments. a moment of such clarity 

and commitment that nothing else 

matters but putting truth into actions. 

The personal sacrifices of the chassidim 

of yesteryear as well as the chassidim of 

today allow us to outwit and outlive our 

oppressors. 

zeide Getzel was a very devoted father, 

grandfather, great grandfather and 

friend. He was and is an inspiration to 

all those who knew him. The life and 

legacy left by R Getzel, a simple chossid, 

continues to encourage and empower 

us today. 

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From Shedlitz to Safety 

A Young Jew’s Story of Survival 

By Rabbi Shimon Goldman 

Exerpted from the book with the author’s 

permission 

Continued from previous issue 

The Rashag 

every week, after the Friday night meal, 

the Rashag — Reb Shmaryahu Gurary, 

the son-in-law of the Rebbe Rayatz 

— spent the night in our study hall, 

learning and looking through various 

books on Chassidus. The Rashag had 

been of indispensable help during our 

difficult years in Shanghai and vilna, 

and now we had the opportunity to 

meet him personally. He sometimes 

spoke with the boys still sitting in 

the study hall, and it was a delight to 

engage in conversation with this great 

personage. 

extraordinarily proficient in all areas of 

Chabad Chassidus, the Rashag would 

review a Chassidic discourse every 

Shabbos. On Shabbos afternoon after 

mincha, the Rashag headed a Shalosh 

Seudos meal in the smaller shul. The 

Rashag sat a table laden with challas, 

herring, and assorted drinks. Certain 

donors sponsored the Shalosh Seudos, 

while others purchased the actual food 

and brought it to the Rashag. 

Prominent Chassidim participated in 

these weekly gatherings, as did many 

younger students who enjoyed hearing 

the Rashag review Chassidus in his 

lucid, explanatory fashion. Normally, 

Chassidim place careful emphasis on 

reviewing Chassidus in the precise format 

and order as originally expounded 

by the Rebbeim. Not so the Rashag. 

Having received explicit permission 

from the Rebbeim — some say the 

Rebbe Rashab, while others claim it 

was the Rebbe Rayatz — the Rashag 

deviated from this custom, explaining 

Chassidic thoughts in his own words 

and in different sequence. 

Reb avraham Blesofsky, a Stoliner 

Chassid who lived nearby, was a regular 

participant at the Shalosh Seudos. Reb 

Nochum wolosow also came every 

week. Having just emigrated from Russia, 

Reb Nochum was very much set in 

his Russian ways, and still preferred to 

call american dollars “rubles.” 

With the Rebbe again 

after our arrival in New york, the 

yeshiva hosted a special welcoming 

affair in our honor. The yeshiva’s 

administrator — the Rashag — organized 

the details, and a respectable 

crowd crammed the huge hall of the 

yeshiva building on Bedford and Dean. 

Distinguished speakers addressed the 

gathering. Gershon Chanowitz, the 

representative of our group, recalled 

the time when Hashem paired moshe 

with his brother aharon, commanding 

them both to appear before Pharaoh. 

Originally, moshe had feared that his 

older brother would harbor feelings of 

jealousy or resentment, but Hashem 

calmed him, saying: “aharon will see 

you and feel genuine happiness in his 

heart (ex. 4:14).” 

“imagine if aharon heard this remark,” 

exclaimed Gershon. “Had aharon 

known that G d truly desired his happiness, 

aharon would have greeted moshe 

with cymbals and trumpets, dancing 

and singing to fulfill G d’s wish. The 

same is true today. meeting Holocaust 

survivors, tmimim who lived through 

the horrors of war, should arouse within 

us an increased measure of joy and an 

intense feeling of elation.” 

Touched by the immense outpouring 

of love and emotion, we left the 

dinner with mixed feelings. Though 

truly appreciative of all the welcoming 

crowds, we still longed to meet with the 

Rebbe Rayatz again, to see the holy face 

that sustained us throughout all these 

years. meeting the Rebbe had filled our 

minds even in Shanghai and Japan and 

now, living so close to the Rebbe, we 

readied ourselves with excited anticipation, 

waiting for our scheduled turn to 

have a private audience (yechidus) with 

the Rebbe. 

at long last, we were informed to be 

ready for yechidus on a certain evening. 

The day passed in a blur; the hours flew 

by in frenzied preparation. we spent 

hours in deep introspection, preparing 

ourselves spiritually for our meeting 

with the Rebbe Rayatz. That evening, 

at the appointed time, we all gathered 

in 770. what followed was so intense, 

so moving, that it still remains difficult 

for me to describe it all on paper. i 

will, therefore, give only the barest 

details about our much-anticipated 

yechidus. 

we all entered the Rebbe’s room 

together, accompanied by our mashpia, 

Reb Shmuel levitin. my emotions 

totally overwhelmed my faculties; i 

could not remember a single thing 

the Rebbe said to us. all i could do 

was look, and look again, at the saintly 

Rebbe, at the holy countenance that 

infused us with strength during all 

these difficult years. 

The yechidus did not last long. as we 

left the Rebbe, i felt a strange sense 

of emptiness as all my earlier longing 

dissipated. Suddenly i identified with 

the Baal Shem Tov’s explanation on 

the words, “i thirst to see you in the 

Sanctuary (Psalms 63:3).” it is easy 

to long for spirituality in a spiritual 

wasteland, commented the Baal Shem 

Tov. Hence, the Psalmist expresses his 

heartfelt desire to maintain this intense 

longing even whilst in the “Sanctuary” 

— when one is close to the spiritual 

source. i, too, hoped i could maintain 

my feelings for the Rebbe with the same 

level of intensity i felt in Shanghai and 

Japan. 

That summer, the yeshiva administration 

decided to send 

us off to summer 

camp. Hoping the 

pleasant mountain 

air and beautiful 

scenery could 

assuage some of our 

painful memories, 

the administration 

reserved places for 

us in a camp run by 

Torah v’Daas. On 

our way to camp, a 

fellow introduced 

himself to us as 

Rabbi linchner — 

the son-in-law of 

Reb Shraga Feivish 

mendelovitz, the renowned founder 

and administrator of yeshivas Torah 

v’Daas. Delighted to meet us personally, 

Rabbi linchner treated us to lunch 

in the “american House,” a kosher 

restaurant in the area. after the meal, 

Rabbi linchner spent a few hours 

talking to us about our war experiences 

and the ongoing acclimatization to 

american life. we conversed for a 

while, thanked him for the meal, and 

continued on to camp. 

as we entered the camp gates, we 

were shocked to see a football game in 

progress. yeshiva bochurim ran around 

the field, their tzitzis flapping in the 

wind as they chased the ball. Suddenly 

i envisioned my father standing before 

me. i was a little boy again, playing ball 

in the dirt streets of Shedlitz, and father 

had found out about my games. “a ball?” 

he said scornfully. “a yeshiva student 

plays with a ball? it’s not for you; leave 

the ball for the gentiles…” 

yet here, in a religious camp in america, 

mature yeshiva bochurim spent hours 

playing football and other sports! 

apparently, as i quickly learned, american 

students lived with a different set 

of standards. 

Brownsville 

The dormitory building on Bedford 

and Dean was a decent walk from 770, 

forcing us to walk back constantly for 


meals and, at night, when we went to 

sleep. Often we stayed up late, talking 

about our day and various events. By 

the time we finished talking many of us 

were hungry again, but the kitchen was 

already securely locked. Jerry Simon, a 

student from New Jersey, always came 

to our rescue. Somehow, Jerry found a 

way to get into the kitchen and bring 

out some food for his starving friends. 

Jerry showed special kindness to us — 

the so-called “hungry refugees” — and 

made sure to arrange food from the 

kitchen whenever we asked. (indeed, he 

later became a caterer. Subsequently, he 

became my mechutan. my son Shmuel 

married his daughter Tziril.) 

yehoshua Bronstein, one of my friends 

from Shanghai, had a cousin Hirshel 

who lived on Crown Street, a few blocks 

away from 770. Forever on the lookout 

for his newly arrived cousin, Hirshel 

did all he could to help yehoshua, 

inviting him often to his house and 

fairly demanding that other students 

also come along. These visits meant 

a great deal to us. Deprived of any 

semblance of family life during the war 

years, it was particularly comforting to 

walk into a home with two parents and 

healthy, happy children. Hirshel and 

his wife literally opened their house 

for us. we readily accepted all their 

invitations, enjoying every moment we 

spent in the company of a wholesome 

family. Besides, we craved the taste of 

homemade food again. 

a few weeks after we arrived, Hirshel 

suggested that we rent a room in a private 

home. Having seen the dormitory 

facilities for himself, Hirshel decided 

that his cousin deserved more comfortable 

surroundings. “The dormitory 

really isn’t bad at all,” Hirshel rushed 

on to explain. “i just feel that you and 

your friends might feel more at ease 

with rooms in a private home, instead 

of sharing a building with everyone else. 

also, you boys are older than most other 

students. you need a bit more privacy. 

The Joint will help defray the cost of 

your rent.” 

yehoshua discussed the idea with me 

and i found myself in total agreement 

with his cousin. we asked Hirshel to 

try and find us a suitable room. after 

a few days, Hirshel came back with 

information that a room was available 

in the home of Reb Shmarya Faktor. 

an acclaimed sofer, Reb Shmarya was 

renting out a spare room in his Brooklyn 

avenue home, and we decided to accept 

the offer. we gathered our meager 

belongings, left the dormitory, and 

took up residence in Reb Shmarya’s 

home. (Reb Shmarya merited to write 

moshiach’s Sefer Torah — a project 

initiated by the Rebbe Rayatz in 1942 

and completed by the Rebbe almost 

thirty years later.)


Parshas Hashavua 

Vedibarta Bam ~ Matos 

By Rabbi moshe Bogomilsky 

"רדנ רדי יכ שיא 

ורבד לחי אל...'הל 

ויפמ אציה לככ 

השעי" 

“if a man takes a 

vow to G d...he shall 

not desecrate his 

word; according 

to whatever comes 

from his mouth shall he do.” (30:3) 

QueSTiON: The law not to desecrate 

one’s word and to do “according to 

whatever comes from his mouth” 

applies both to men and women. why 

the phrasing “ish” — “man”? 

aNSweR: The midrash Rabbah 

(lamentations 2:14) relates: Rabbi 

elazar said: let not the chapter on 

vows be lightly esteemed in your eyes, 

because on account of that chapter were 

the members of the Great Sanhedrin 

of Tzidkiyahu slain. when yechanyah 

was exiled, king Nevuchadnetzar 

appointed Tzidkiyahu over five kings; 

and he used to enter and leave [the 

king’s presence] without permission. 

One day he entered his presence and 

found him tearing the flesh of a hare 

and eating it while it was yet alive. The 

king said to him, “Swear to me that 

you will not disclose this about me,” 

and he swore. 

Subsequently, the five kings were sitting 

and sneering at Nevuchadnetzar in the 

presence of Tzidkiyahu, and they said 

to him, “The kingship does not become 

Nevuchadnetzar, but it becomes you 

since you are of the seed of David.” 

He too sneered at Nevuchadnetzar and 

said, “i once saw him tear the flesh of a 

[live] hare and eat it.” 

They immediately sent and told the 

king, “That Jew who enters and leaves 

your presence without permission has 

informed us, ‘i saw Nevuchadnetzar 

tear the flesh of a [live] hare and eat 

it.’ ” 

The latter forthwith came and took up 

his residence in Daphne of antioch. The 

members of the Great Sanhedrin went 

out to meet him. when he saw that they 

were all men of imposing appearance, 

he ordered seats of honor for them. He 

said to them, “expound the Torah to 

me.” They immediately began to read 

it chapter by chapter and translate it. 

when they reached the chapter, “when 

a man takes a vow” he said to them, “if 

a person desires to retract a vow, can 

he do so or not?” 

They replied, “He must go to a sage who 

absolves him of his vow.” 

He said to them, “it seems to me that 

you must have absolved Tzidkiyahu 

of the oath which he swore to me.” 

He immediately ordered them [to be 

removed from their seats of honor] and 

placed them on the ground” (see also 

Nedarim 65a). 

according to halachah, one who takes 

a vow or swears an oath can consult a 

Torah authority and annul it. The Torah 

is, however, teaching that though halachically 

this is possible, an “ish” — “a 

prominent person” — once he has taken 

the vow or made the promise, should 

heed the lesson of Tzidkiyahu and not 

seek ways out of it, but do “whatever 

comes from his mouth.” 

ןותלסמ – בארט ל"ז ןהכה בקעי 'ר בקעי תיב( 

)םהרבא ןב רפס םשב ,)תורייב ד"באר 

...העבש עבשה וא 'הל רדנ רדי יכ שיא" 

"השעי ויפמ אציה לככ ורבד לחי אל 

“if a man takes a vow to G d or swears an 

oath...he shall not desecrate his word; 

according to whatever comes from his 

mouth shall he do.” (30:3) 

QueSTiON: Since it already says, 

“lo yacheil devaro” — “he shall not 

desecrate his word” — isn’t the conclusion 

of the pasuk “kechal hayotzei mipiv 

ya’aseh” — “according to whatever 

comes from his mouth shall he do” a 

redundancy? 

aNSweR: The pasuk is talking about 

both vows and oaths. when a person 

makes a vow, though he may not desecrate 

it, he can consult a Torah scholar 

and have it annulled. according to 

halachah the same applies also to one 

who swears an oath; however, the Tur 

Shulchan aruch, yorah Dei’ah 230 

records an opinion in the name of Rav 

Hai that an oath cannot be annulled. 

The Torah may be alluding to this opinion. 

Hence, regarding a vow the pasuk 

says, “lo yacheil devaro” — “he shall 

not desecrate his word” — although 

others can annul it for him. However, 

an oath, cannot be annulled by anyone 

and “according to whatever comes out 

of his mouth he shall do.” 

* * * 

The Gemara (ketuvot 77b) relates that 

when Rabbi yehoshua ben levi was 

about to die, the angel of Death lifted 

him up and showed him his place in 

Gan eden. Rabbi yehoshua jumped 

over the wall and exclaimed, “i swear i 

will not go back.” Hashem ruled that “if 

he ever had an oath annulled he must 

return, but if not, he need not return.” 

what difference did it make if he had 

never sought to be released from a 

oath? 

Though the halachah is not according to 

Rav Hai, if someone does assume such 

a stringency and makes a oath, he may 

not seek relief from a scholar. Therefore, 

Hashem said, “if Rabbi yehoshua has 

always conducted himself according 

to this opinion, then ‘whatever comes 

from his mouth he shall do,’ and thus 

his oath cannot be annulled and he can 

remain in Gan eden.” 

)יבטנע ל"ז םהרבא ברה - םילהוא בשוי( 

םינידמה תאמ לארשי ינב תמקנ םקנ" 

"ךימע לע ףסאת רחא 

“Take vengeance for the Children of 

israel against the midianites; afterwards 

you will be gathered unto your 

people.” (31:2) 

QueSTiON: what is the connection 

between the war with midian and the 

passing of moshe? 

aNSweR: The Gemara (Sanhedrin 

39a) relates that a heretic once 

asked Rabbi avuah, “your G d is a 

kohen, and when He buried moshe 

He became defiled. in what did He 

immerse to regain His purity?” Rabbi 

avuah replied, “He immersed in fire, 

as it is written, ‘For behold, G d will 

come with fire’ ” (isaiah 66:15). “Does 

immersion in fire help?” he asked. Rabbi 

avuah replied, “immersion in fire is 

the primary method of purification; 

immersion in water is the secondary 

one, as it says, ‘and everything that 

was not used over the fire you shall pass 

through the water’ ” (31:23). 

Hence, from the laws of koshering 

Kashering dishes for Pesach - 

utensils, which were conveyed in 

conjunction with the war against 

midian, it is derived that when 

Hashem buried moshe, He immersed 

in fire. Thus, Hashem said to moshe, 

“Take vengeance against the midianites. 

in the course of the war the 

Jewish people will capture their 

utensils and need to know how to 

make them kosher, and they will then 

be told the advantage of fire over 

water for purification. afterwards 

you will be gathered unto your 

people; i will personally bury you, 

and the heretics will not be able to 

ask how i will regain my purity.” 

ןותלסמ – בארט ל"ז ןהכה בקעי 'ר בקעי תיב( 

)םייח הפונת םשב תורייב ד"באר 

"הטמל ףלא לארשי יפלאמ ורסמיו" 

“So there were delivered from the 

thousands of the Children of israel, a 

thousand from each tribe.” (31:5) 

QueSTiON: The term “vayimaseru” 

— “there were delivered” — seems to 

indicate that it was not voluntary. why 

was it necessary to use force? 

aNSweR: The word “vayimaseru” 

(ורסמיו) comes from the root word 

“masar” (רסמ), which means “inform.” 

To inform on a person and reveal his 

secrets is forbidden, and informers are 

dealt with very severely (see Shulchan 

aruch, Choshen mishpat 388). an 

exception to this rule was in this 

instance for the following reason. 

in preparation for this war moshe told 

the people, “Heichaltzu mei’itechem 

anashim latzava” — “arm men from 

among yourselves.” Rashi explains 

that the term “anashim” means “tzaddikim” 

— “righteous men.” a difficulty 

in selecting soldiers for the war was that 

everyone sincerely considered himself 

not qualified and humbly thought he 

did not meet the standard of “tzaddik” 

— “righteous.” So when righteous 

men had to be selected, people had to 

inform moshe of the righteousness of 

their neighbors and their worthiness 

for moshe’s purpose. 

Though informing against another Jew 

is forbidden, it is permissible when the 

other possesses qualities unknown to 

the community from which it can benefit. 

also, if there is a need for tzedakah, 

one may reveal an individual who has 

the means and is presently unknown. 

)ןאלפאק ל"ז ןהכה יבצ ברה ינקזמ יתעמש( 

אלו...ליחה ידוקפ לע השמ ףצקיו" 

...'ה ןברק תא ברקנו...שיא ונממ דקפנ 

"'ה ינפל וניתושפנ לע רפכל 

“moshe was angry with the commanders 

of the army...‘and not a man of us 

is missing...So we have brought an 

offering to G d...To atone for our souls 

before G d.’ ” (31:14, 49, 50) 

QueSTiON: The Gemara (Shabbat 

64a) says that moshe was angry with 

the commanders of the war for leaving 

the women alive and suspected that 

they had committed a sin similar to the 

earlier one with the women of midian. 

Therefore, they responded, “Not a man 

of us is missing,” meaning “None of us 

has been lead astray by the midianite 

women.” 

“if so,” moshe asked, “why are you 

making this offering to Hashem?” 

They responded, “Though the fighters 

have not actually sinned, they wish to 

atone for any evil thoughts that may 

have entered their minds.” 

what encouraged them to bring an 

offering for evil thoughts? 

aNSweR: Following moshe’s rebuke 

of the Jewish people for permitting the 

women to live and instructions to the 

commanders of the army, elazar taught 

the people the statute of koshering 

utensils. all the utensils which were 

taken from the midianites could be 

made usable either by passing through 

fire or immersion in boiling water. 

To the Jews this was incomprehensible. 

why wasn’t it sufficient to simply clean 

the utensils to thoroughly remove any 

non-kosher substance adhering to 

them? elazar explained that not only 

is a utensil not usable when something 

non-kosher is on the surface, but even 

when there is an absorption of nonkosher 

taste in its walls. 

From this the soldiers derived a new 

lesson in the relation¬ship between 

man and Hashem: if a utensil is unfit to 

be used by Jews and requires purging if 

it has absorbed a non-kosher taste, how 

much more must a person perfect himself 

in his rela¬tionship with Hashem 

and repent for “non-kosher thoughts.” 

)ם"ירה ישודח(

Vedibarta Bam ~ Pirkei Avos 

ברה תא ןישמשמה םידבעכ ווה אלא" 

"סרפ לבקל תנמ לע אלש 

“But rather be like servants who serve 

their master without the intent of 

receiving a reward.” (1:3) 

QueSTiON: How can this be reconciled 

with the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 

4a) that the one who says “This coin is to 

charity so that my son shall live” or “so 

that i shall merit the world to Come” 

is a tzaddik gamur — a completely 

righteous person? 

aNSweR: The Gemara (Bava Batra 

9b) says that for giving tzedakah to the 

poor one receives six blessings, and for 

also saying comforting and encouraging 

words to the poor, one receives an 

additional eleven blessings, for more 

important than the actual giving of 

tzedakah is the way it is given. The poor 

and destitute that have to beg for alms 

are heartbroken and shattered. instead 

of making them feel that they are on 

the receiving end and you are on the 

giving end, you should convey a sense 

of gratitude to the poor for giving you 

the opportunity to do a mitzvah. 

Thus, the Gemara could be explained 

to mean that if while giving charity to 

a poor man one says “i am giving this 

because of the benefit in store for me. 

Through the fulfillment of this mitzvah, 

my son shall live” (it is possible even 

that he does not have a son, but is just 

saying so to make the poor man feel 

more comfortable), or “i shall merit 

the world to Come” — such a person 

is a tzaddik gamur — a complete tzaddik 

— because he makes the recipient 

feel like a giver. 

ויהת לא' ,רמוא...וכוס שיא סונגיטנא" 

תנמ לע ברה תא ןישמשמה םידבעכ 

" '...סרפ לבקל 

“antigonus of Socho...He used to say, 

‘Do not be like servants who serve 

their master for the sake of receiving a 

reward....’ ” (1:3) 

QueSTiON: what effect did a misunderstanding 

of this statement have 

on Jewish history? 

aNSweR: antigonus had two disciples, 

Tzadok and Boethus, who 

misinterpreted his teaching and perpetuated 

this error by teaching it to 

their disciples, and their disciples to 

their disciples, etc. “why,” they said 

“did our rabbis see fit to say a thing like 

this? is it possible, then, that a workman 

upon completing his day’s work will 

not receive his wages in the evening? 

if our rabbis are convinced that there 

is a future world and that the dead will 

be resurrected, they would not have 

said that.” From these two disciples, 

Tzadok and Boethus, two sects arose, 

the Sadducees (the Tzedokim) and the 

Boethusians. all their days they lived in 

great luxury, using silver and gold utensils, 

because they became arrogant. The 

Sadducees used to say, “The Perushim 

— Pharisees — (the term for the group 

faitful to the Rabbis and meticulous in 

their Torah observance, and opponents 

of the Sadducees) — have a tradition 

to deny themselves pleasures in this 

world, and in the world to Come they 

have nothing [to expect].” 

antigonus really meant that all rewards 

are in the world to Come and that in 

this world one prepares himself for it. 

man’s service of Hashem should not be 

for the sake of receiving a reward, but 

merely out of love for Him in the same 

way as a child does things for his parents 

purely out of love. Nevertheless, in 

addition to loving Hashem, one should 

also fear Him and stand in awe when 

considering His greatness, might, and 

holiness. )ב:ה ןתנ יברד תובא( 

"השאה םע החיש הברת לאו" 

“and do not indulge excessively in 

conversation with the woman” (1:5) 

QueSTiON: why is the mishnah so 

adamant about even speaking to one’s 

own wife? 

aNSweR: instead of “al tarbeh sichah 

im ha’ishah” — the woman — it could 

have said just “im ishah” — with a 

woman? The mishnah is teaching that 

when it is necessary for one to en¬gage 

in conversation with a woman and, 

for that matter, even his own wife, his 

thoughts should not be centered on 

“ha’ishah” — the feminine features 

of the woman — but rather he should 

con¬sider her as another person with 

whom he needs to communicate. 

,םהמ ולבק ילבראה יאתנו היחרפ ןב עשוהי" 

ךל הנקו ,בר ךל השע :רמוא היחרפ ןב עשוהי 

"תוכז ףכל םדאה לכ תא ןד יוהו ,רבח 

“yehoshua ben Perachyah and Nittai 

Ha’arbeili received [the oral tradition] 

from them. yehoshua ben Perachyah 

says: ‘Provide yourself with a teacher; 

acquire for yourself a friend; and judge 

every person favorably.’” (1:6) 

QueSTiON: what is the connection 

between these three things? 

aNSweR: yehoshua ben Perachyah 

felt that every individual must have 

someone to whom he looks up to as 

his Rav. whenever a person must 

make a decision, whether halachic or 

personal, he should turn to his “Rav” 

since he is objective and will be able 

to give him his unbiased opinion. The 

“Rav” will also take an interest in him 

and guide him from time to time in 

his efforts to elevate himself in his 

relationship with Hashem as well as in 

his inter-personal relationships. while 

the “Rav” is someone whom he can only 

approach occasionally, it is also very 

important that one have a “chaveir” — a 

friend — someone with whom to have 

an ongoing relationship. 

yehoshua ben Perachyah realized that 

the difficulty some have with appointing 

a “Rav” or acquiring a friend is that 

they find fault with every prospective 

candidate and do not see them as 

qualified to be their “Rav” or “chaveir.” 

Therefore, he advised that though on 

the surface one may see faults in the 

person, one should, judge every person 

“lekaf zechut” — “favorably” — and 

thus it will be easy for one to find a 

“Rav” and a “chaveir.” 

"בר ךל השע" 

“make yourself a teacher.” (1:6) 

QueSTiON: it should have said “asei 

avurcha Rav” — “provide a teacher for 

yourself ”? 

aNSweR: a Chassid of Rabbi Shneur 

zalman of liadi, founder of Chabad 

Chassidut, once said that, “through 

conceit he overcame the urge to transgress.” 

whenever his yeitzer hara — evil 

inclination — would approach him, he 

would exclaim, “Do you know who i 

am? i am a prominent person, a Chassid 

of a very great Rebbe; how can you 

expect me to do this?” 

yehoshua ben Perachyah is advising 

every Jew: “make yourself a Rav — 

declare yourself as a distinguished 

person, one for whom improper conduct 

is not befitting. you will thus 

spare yourself the pitfalls of your evil 

inclination.” 

,עשרל רבחתת לאו ,ער ןכשמ קחרה" 

"תוינערופה ןמ שאיתת לאו 

“Distance yourself from a bad neighbor; 

do not connect yourself with a rasha; 

do not abandon belief in Divine retribution.” 

(1:7) 

QueSTiON: 1) The first two statements 

seem to be repeti¬tious? 2) what 

is the connection between all three 

statements? 

aNSweR: king Shlomo says, ‘a 

nearby neighbor is better than a distant 

brother’ (Proverbs 27:10). Thus, 

Nittai Ha’arbeili’s statement can be 

interpreted as follows: “Harcheik 

mishachein — distancing yourself from 

your immediate neighbor — ra — is 

bad. However, though it is important 

to be friendly and close with neighbors, 

a person must beware not to attach 

himself, G d forbid, to a neighbor who 

is wicked.” 

unfortunately, when one is experiencing 

Divine retribution, in a moment of 

despair, he may stoop to seek help from 

the wicked or consider following their 

ways. in view of this possibil¬ity, Nittai 

Ha’arbeili cautions us not to become 

despondent and give up hope in difficult 

times. He is saying, “Be assured that 

everything Hashem does is for our 

benefit and eventually the person will 

see the good in a tangible way.” 


)תובאד ילמ( 

"םינידה יכרועכ ךמצע שעת לא" 

“Do not act as a counselor [when sitting 

as a judge].” (1:8) 

PIRKEI AVOS SHIUR 

For Women and Girls 

QueSTiON: what does the counselor 

do that the judge should not do? 

aNSweR: a Beit Din can be either an 

established tribunal before whom all 

the litigants bring their issues without 

having any input as to the identity of the 

judges or a group of three judges chosen 

in the following manner: each litigant 

chooses one judge, and then the two 

judges together with the litigants select 

a third (see aruch HaShulchan, Choshen 

mishpat 13:1). The latter system 

is known as “zabla” (א"לבז) which is an 

abbreviation for “zeh boreir lo echad” 

(דחא ול ררוב הז) — “this one [litigant] 

chooses one [judge] for himself.” 

a lawyer will work feverishly to have 

his client vindicated or win, even if 

he personally knows that his client is 

guilty. The mishnah is warning the 

judge, “even if you were selected by 

the litigant, you are prohibited from 

favoring him if you see that he is wrong. 

you must rule fairly, and you are not 

required to assure a win for the litigant 

who selected you. you may search for 

halachic merits on his behalf, but under 

no circumstances may you waive your 

impartiality and twist the halachah.” 

)לאומש שרדמ( 

"םכירבדב ורהזה םימכח" 

“Sages, be careful with your words.” 

(1:11) 

QueSTiON: The difference between 

a wise person and a foolish person is 

obvious in their speaking. as long as 

the fool is quiet, he can be mistaken 

for a smart person (see Proverbs 17:28). 

Since the mishnah is addressing “chachamim” 

— “wise people” — obviously 

they are careful with what they say, and 

otherwise they are not chachamim but 

fools? 

aNSweR: it is the duty of a rabbi or 

teacher to guide his congregants or 

students in the right path. To meet 

this end, such a person gives many 

lectures on various Torah matters, and 

especially issues in which he sees a 

need for improvement. The worst thing 

possible is for a rabbi or teacher to be 

a hypocrite. The listener loses respect 

for him and does not accept anything 

that he says, even when it happens to 

be correct and sincere. 

avtalyon’s message is “Chachamim — 

you people who are looked up to as the 

wise, i.e. rabbis, teachers, etc., — hizaharu 

— you yourselves be very careful 

and observant — bedivreichem — with 

your own words. By practicing what 

you preach, your words will definitely 

enter into the minds and hearts of the 

listeners.” 

5:30-6 PM Halachos of Tefilla with Rabbi Michoel Seligson 

6-7 PM Pirkei Avos with Different Speaker each week. 

Congregation ANASH 770 Montgomery St. 

Use women's entrance on the side of the building. 

The longest running English Shiur in 

Crown Heights--26 years and still going 

strong!


Tznius 

New Kollel Wives Shura Rishona Formed in Crown Heights. 

By mrs. m. Resnick 

Baruch Hashem the response was 

overwhelming! 

i am always encouraged and heartened 

by the positive response i receive when i 

address young women about the insidious 

penetration of secular culture into 

all areas of our lives - behavior, speech, 

and mode of thought. 

But last week when i met with thirty 

young kollel wives in Crown Heights on 

the same subject, the response bordered 

on the miraculous. it was as if Hashem 

opened the hearts of all those attending 

and made them willing keillim for His 

mission – “vatem tihyu li mamleches 

kohanim” 

For at the end of the session those 

beautiful new wives committed to form 

a vanguard (shura rishona) which will 

meet biweekly, in weight watchers-like 

supportive fashion, to give each other 

encouragement, sharing achievements 

and difficulties with the aim of achieving 

a viable positive impact on our 

beloved community. 

Tzinius is a touchy topic among some, 

so rather than discussing the halachos, 

i tried to step back and re-examine the 

fundamentals of a Jewish look. in the 

not too distant past, men and women 

took their fashion cues from the aristocratic 

class, trying to emulate the upper 

echelon. But today, people attempt to 

dress downward emulating lumberjacks 

and janitorial staff by sporting a disheveled 

look, shirts hanging out, unkempt 

hair styles, etc. The Rebbe points out 

that the term for why the righteous 

women merited to be the catalysts of 

the redemption was because of the “ lo 

shinu’ aspect of their existence. They 

did not substitute their yiddishe look 

(name nor language) for an egyptian 

look even though that look may very 

well have conformed to the Halachic 

laws of modesty. 

Nowadays, some women wear snoods 

outdoors, others dress casually on Shabbos, 

still others sit in an inappropriate 

fashion. They all cite comfort to explain 

their behavior. when did comfort 

replace the will of Hashem? The aristocratic 

lady who rode side saddle on a 

horse did not enjoy as much comfort as 

the man who rode the horse normally. 

But even Goyishe women understood 

that propriety trumped comfort. 

One wife at the meeting recalled a real 

life test she faced recently. after a full 

year of teaching her pupils not to wear 

T-shirts emblazoned with logos and 

trademarks (“walking billboards”) 

in public, she found herself debating 

whether she should walk the two blocks 

from her ride to her home wearing the 

Gan israel T-shirt she had to wear in 

camp as a madricha. Changing for a 

two block walk wasn’t easy for her, but 

“what if i were to meet one of my pupils 

on the way home, that same pupil that 

i spent an entire year dissuading from 

wearing T-shirts with the ‘GaP’ & ‘Old 

Navy’ logos”, she wondered. So she 

changed and she triumphed ( Score:1 

for her - 0 for the yetzer Hara.). 

Raising children was also a topic. 

many mothers have absorbed the latest 

psychological fad of offering children 

The Importance of Tznius During the 

Summer 

Likkutei Sichos Vol. 13 page 83 

Free Translation 

The hora’a (practical instruction) from 

this is that a person should not say that 

in a major and fundamental aspect of 

tznius - such as the fact that “each tribe 

dwelled on their own and they were not 

mixed” - they will be careful. However, 

in the small and lighter details it is not 

important to be so exacting. For he 

should know that even this detail is 

fundamental, and it has the ability to 

transform every negative thing from 

one extreme to another. 

However, there is still room for the 

yeitzer hora’s persuasion: “when does 

this apply? Concerning one’s permanent 

conduct. However, when we are talking 

about temporary conduct, it is not obligatory 

to be so exacting in tznius – to treat 

the lighter details like the serious ones.” 

also to this (rationale) comes the 

hora’a: “He (Bilam) saw the openings of 

their tents--that they were not aligned 

facing one another.” even when they 

were in tents, “the tents of yaakov”, even 

in a temporary dwelling, this level of 

tznius and carefulness applies. 

On the other hand, when we are careful 

in this matter and the conduct is in 

a way of “how goodly are your tents 

yaakov, your camps yisrael,” then 

“Hashem you G-d will overturn for 

you (the curse into blessing)...” and as 

Rashi comments on the earlier verse: “it 

was in his heart (to curse them)... and 

when Hashem changed over his mouth, 

he blessed them etc.” until the promise 

of the complete goodly mishkan - that 

Hashem will return His security (mashkon) 

- the Beis Hamikdosh. Since a 

security connotes that even during the 

time of the churban it still exists - and 

when the atonement is complete, it will 

descend and be revealed, eternally. 

Footnote 34: Now is the opportunity 

to stress a timely matter: those who are 

“lenient” in certain aspects of tznius in 

the summer, especially when they are 

in a temporary dwelling outside of the 

city. and there are those who say echta 

ve’ashuv - i will sin and then return 

(repent) – when i return to the city. 

This applies to the conduct of men as 

well, and especially to women, since 

each one of them is called akeres 

Habayis. we could speak at length, but 

now is not the time. 

choices in every aspect of their lives, 

believing that to be the road to raising 

independent adults. But doesn’t 

this kind of training undermine the 

idea of kabbolas Ol, the basis of all of 

yiddishkeit? isn’t it the parents’ job to 

train their children for a life of avodas 

Hashem? with the purpose of lo nivreiti 

ela leshamesh es koni? 

when the Rebbe founded “Tzivos 

Hashem”, some questioned the militaristic 

nature of the organization. The 

Rebbe replied as follows: “The most 

important aspect, in my opinion, in 

this day and age, is the lack of kabolas 

Ol, not only of Ol malchus Shomayiim 

but also of general non-submission to 

authority including the authority of 

parents at home, teachers in school 

and the authority of law and order in 

the street. 

“american children have been brought 

up on the spirit of independence and 

freedom and on the glorification of 

personal prowess and smartness. it has 

cultivated a sense of cockishness and 

self-assurance to the extent that one 

who is bent on mischief or anti-social 

activity feels they can outsmart a cop 

on the beat and even a judge on the 

bench. 

“i came to the conclusion that that there 

was no other way to effect a basic change 

than through a system of discipline and 

obedience to rules which he/she can get 

accustomed to.” 

another example of the mainstream 

culture affecting our behavior in the 

workplace is the new, seemingly democratic 

policy of addressing each other 

by first name, no matter if the person 

is of the opposite gender, is older, or is 

a rabbi or rebbetzin. 

most of the women readily acknowledged 

this problem. One even recounted 

how she felt uncomfortable when she 

first encountered such a work environment. 

However, she sadly admitted that 

she very quickly got accustomed to this 

disrespectful behavior. 

another issue raised was the excessive 

socializing among young couples, and 

the consensus was that familiarity in 

certain circumstances is simply not 

the Jewish way. 

i quoted extensively from Rabbi 

Glukowsky’s inspiring, timely address 

to their husbands – the kollel yungeleight 

(highlights were published in 

issue # …of this publication), and they 

were all anxious to get audio copies of 

the entire talk. Go to the yagdil Torah 

website to listen to the shiur: http:// 

www.yagdiltorah.com/recordings/ 

recordings.htm. 

after several hours of enthusiastically 

sharing their experiences with me and 

one another, i am gratified to report 

that the women agreed that reclaiming 

our authentic yiddishe heritage 

is definitely the order of the day, and 

that the creation of a shura rishona will 

surely have a positive upward spiraling 

influence on the entire community. 

kollel wives, please join us in this 

groundbreaking effort to strengthen 

our families and our community. 

Our next meeting is scheduled for July 

30. Please call mrs. C. Nemni @ (718) 

809-0379 for details.

Gimmel Tammuz 

Conclusion 

The very next day, Thursday — Rosh 

Chodesh Tammuz — three officers 

entered the Rebbe’s cell. Prison protocol 

called for utmost respect on the part 

of the prisoners; when addressed by a 

guard or officer, inmates must stand at 

attention. The Rebbe refused to arise, 

and said so, in yiddish. 

One of the officers, a Jew, retorted, “ if 

you don’t stand, we will hit you!” The 

Rebbe replied softly, “Nu?” The guards 

hit the Rebbe, and left his cell. 

a short while later, lulov entered the 

cell with some prison officials. “Rebbe!” 

lulov said sarcastically, “why aren’t 

you standing? These men are here to 

give you good news!” 

Once again, the Rebbe refused and 

was struck once again. This procedure 

was repeated a third time, with the 

Rebbe still declining to stand for the 

jail guards. 

Finally, they ordered the Rebbe to 

follow them to the office, where he was 

shown his verdict. 

There were three sentences on the official 

document, the first two crossed out. 

The first one, was the death sen tence: 

“Death by a firing squad”. Next to it, the 

word, Nyet — No. The second sentence, 

also with a line running through it, 

was: “Ten years in Slovaki”, followed 

by another “Nyet”. 

The third sentence, left unedited, read, 

“Three years in kostroma.” This, then 

was to be the Rebbe’s punishment: a 

relatively mild exile, not too far from 

civilization. 

inwardly, the Rebbe rejoiced and 

thanked Hashem with his whole heart. 

He had escaped immediate death by 

bullet; then the terrible exile in Slovaki 

— a double miracle! 

lulov’s harsh voice broke through the 

Rebbe’s thoughts: “your situation in 

kostroma will be deplorable. a lot of 

hard work, and much pain is awaiting 

you. However, if you retract your statement 

concerning the leningrad Jewish 

communal conference, i will arrange 

your immediate freedom.” 

For over an hour, lulov tried to convince, 

cajole and threaten the Rebbe, 

to make him change his mind. But the 

Rebbe remained firm. “i don’t regret 

what i did, and i won’t change my 

opposing opinion,” he replied stoically. 

“Threaten me, if you will, with Siberia; 

i won’t take back anything i said.” 

Both lulov and the head of the local 

G.P.u. were infuri ated and humiliated. 

How they longed to punish the Rebbe! 

But their hands were tied; the National 

chief director of the G.P.u., monshinsky, 

had already decided; he, not them 

would decide the Rebbe’s fate. 

The Rebbe had bested them, and they 

knew it. But they would have their sweet 

revenge; the Rebbe would have to leave 

jail the following day, on Friday, and 

arrive in kos troma on Shabbos. 

lulov was adamant about his decision. 

if the Rebbe chose not to travel on 

Friday, then he won’t be able to leave 

the prison at all — and lulov and his 

cohorts will have him retried. 

Once again, mrs. Peshkova used her 

considerable influ ence in moscow. at 

an emergency meeting with the Prime 

minister, she made her case. in her 

presence, Rykov called monshinsky, 

the head of the G.P.u., and told him to 

allow the Rebbe to travel on Sunday. 

Once again, lulov had lost — but he 

refused to give up completely. One last 

time, he tried to convince the Rebbe. 

“if you leave tomorrow, on Friday,” 

lulov told him, “you will be released 

immediately after your arrival there.” 

The Rebbe replied, “i don’t care if i have 

to remain in prison for an extremely 

long time because of this; i refuse to 

travel on Shabbos.” 

The Rebbe spent that Shabbos in jail. 

On Sunday, Gimmel Tammuz, at two 

o’clock in the afternoon, he was told 

that he could go home for a few hours, 

but he must catch the eight o’clock train 

to kostroma. 

The Rebbe made his way home. One 

could only imagine the happiness and 

relief of his family, when they saw him 

enter the door! after a joyous reunion 

with his family, the Rebbe went into 

his room to daven mincha. 

word of his arrival had spread like 

wildfire, and people streamed from 

all parts of the city to catch a glimpse 

of their Rebbe. Chassidim stood by 

the door of his study, and lis tened to 

the Rebbe daven, enraptured by his 

emotional and heartfelt Tefillos. 

The few hours that were allotted went 

by very fast, the hour turned seven and 

the Rebbe was preparing to leave. He 

was allowed to take along one family 

member and one Chossid. The Rebbe 

chose his second daughter the Rebbetzin 

Chaya mushka and the Chossid 

Reb eliyahu Chaim althaus. many 

Chassidim went to the train station to 

buy tickets, but none were for sale. The 

G.P.u. forbade it. The train will travel 

almost empty, as long as the Rebbe 

won’t be with his Chassidim. 

By The Train Station 

The Rebbe arrived under heavy guard 

of the secret police and the regular civil 

police. Standing on the station platform, 

the Rebbe turned to the crowd 

and unintimidated by the “authorities” 

the Rebbe addressed the crowd 

“we raise our lips in prayer to Hashem: 

‘yehi Hashem elo kaynu imanu kaasher 

Haya im avosaynu al yaazvaynu v’al 

yitshainu’ — Hashem should be with 

us as he was with our fathers, He should 

not forsake us or abandon us. 

“Not only is this a prayer to Hashem not 

to forsake us but it is also a promise and 

blessing that Hashem will not forsake 

us, even when we are in exile. 

“let the nations of the world know and 

realize. we did not go into exile on our 

own will, nor will we return [to eretz 

yisroel] by vir tue of our own capabilities. 

Hashem our father and king sent 

us in exile and He will redeem us by 

sending us moshiach. However only 

our bodies were sent into exile and 

subjected to foreign rule. Our souls 

were not. 

“we are obligated to publicly proclaim 

before all, that on any matter affecting 

the Jewish religion, Torah, mitzvos and 

even its customs, no one can impose 

his beliefs on us nor coerce us to act 

contrary to our beliefs. 

“we resolutely state with the steadfastness 

of the Jewish nation: ‘Touch not 

my anointed nor attempt to do evil unto 

my prophets.’ 

“it is well known that the law [of the 

country] allows us to learn [and teach] 

Torah and perform mitzvos. it is only 

because of the efforts of false informers 

with totally untrue accusation that 

religious Jews are imprisoned and 

sent to labor camps. The actions of 

those ignorant and evil doers shall be 

completely nullified. 

“This is our plea to Hashem: Do not 

abandon us, rather give us the strength 

that we do not falter in face of this 

physical suffering. The more they 

afflict us, should bolster our fortitude 

of strengthening Judaism. 

“Remember, their punishments are in 

the physical realm of the world, which 

is temporary. while Torah, mitzvos 

and israel are eternal. 

“Shalom — may Hashem bring peace 

upon you. we shall merit the blessing, 

‘Hashem shall be with us as He was 

with our ancestors to neither forsake 

nor abandon us.’ and there shall be light 

unto all Jewish people in their abodes in 

the spiritual and material senses.” 

Thus spoke the Frierdiker Rebbe in 

front of the dreaded officers on his way 

to exile the very same words he said 

by the Purim farbrengen that caused 

his arrest. 

Kostrama 

The traveling was non stop, for almost 

twenty four hours. late monday night 

the train arrived in kostrama. in 

defiance of their commands that he 

immediately report to the local authorities 

the Rebbe went to his lodgings in 

the house of the local Shochet. 

Tuesday morning the fifth of Tammuz, 

the Rebbe went to the local checka 

— secret police. The administrator 

received him in an extremely sullen 

and antagonistic manner. He declared, 

you are an exile prisoner receiving your 

punishment for your criminal activities 

against the good of the country. Not 

only can you not leave the city without 

special authori zation, you must inform 

us even if you are just changing your 

place of residence. 


you will be watched and we will be 

informed of all your activities, public 

and private. Finally, you are to present 

your self here every Tuesday. 

The rescue committee continued their 

efforts on behalf of the Frierdiker 

Rebbe, notwithstanding the advice that 

they were given to wait for a while, as 

it would be perceived as open defiance 

towards the G.P.u.. messing the head of 

the leningrad G.P.u. claimed it would 

give cause to anti-Se mitism, showing 

that only a Jewish leader is freed while 

other clergy are not. even if moscow 

orders the Rebbe’s free dom he would 

immediately rearrest the Rebbe. 

mrs. Peshkova continued her intensive 

endeavors on behalf of the Rebbe and 

was finally successful. 

according to the terms of his exile, the 

Frierdiker Rebbe had to check in at the 

local offices of the k.G.B. every Tuesday. 

On the following Tuesday which 

was yud Beis Tammuz, the Rebbe’s 47th 

birthday, the Rebbe accompanied by 

Reb eliyahu Chaim althaus returned 

to the office. Being that it was a local 

holi day, the station was quite empty 

and quiet. 

To the Rebbe’s surprise, he was warmly 

greeted by the local commander himself. 

The k.G.B. chief informed him, 

he had just received word to release the 

Rebbe from his exile. However, since 

it was a legal holiday, the paperwork 

would have to be done on the following 

day, on yud Gimmel Tam muz. 

when the Rebbe entered his home, he 

was greeted by his daughter, Rebbetzin 

Chaya mushka and the Chassid, Rav 

michoel Dvorkin, who spontaneously 

began singing: “Nyet, Nyet...” signifying 

that there was nothing besides 

Hashem. 

The Rebbe then said the maamar, 

“Hashem is with me among my helpers, 

and i will see [the downfall of] my enemies.” 

The following day after receiving 

the official papers of his release the 

Rebbe said the maamar “Blessed is the 

one who bestows beneficences upon the 

culpable, for he has bestowed goodness 

on me.” 

The Frierdiker Rebbe had noticed a 

subtle change in the local commander’s 

demeanor; once he received the order 

to free the Rebbe, he had become 

cordial. The Rebbe boarded the train 

to leningrad, hoping that in the big 

city, too, the k.G.B. and the yevsektzia 

will stop their harassment. Perhaps in 

leningrad, they may even admit that 

his outreach activi ties were legal! 

Leaving Russia 

The Frierdiker Rebbe arrived home on 

Friday, the 16th of Tammuz. The mood 

of the yevsektzia had indeed changed 

— but for the worse. The Jewish Communists 

were bitterly dis appointed that 

their carefully wrought scheme had 

failed, and their archenemy was once 

again free to continue his work. 

Continued on Page: 16:


Shleimus Haaretz 

The Exchange of Prisoners 

Shabbos parshas Bamidbar, 

1979 

Published and copyright © by Sichos In 

English 

The Rebbe spoke against the recent 

exchange of prisoners: over 70 arabs, 

including over 30 convicted terrorists, 

for one israeli soldier. Though a Jewish 

life has infinite worth — “surely more 

than that of seventy arabs,” — the 

Rebbe said “the exchange should 

not have been made.” They could 

have obtained the same soldier for 

By yaakov Bam, Nutrition and wellness 

Consultant 

Exercise. Exercise. 

Exercise. 

The Rambam: 

“whoever is idle and 

does not exercise, 

even if he eats good 

foods and takes care 

to follow rules of medicine, will be full 

of pain for all his days his strength will 

fade away...” 

Do you need motivation to 

exercise?! 

Do you want to feel better, have more 

energy and even live longer?! 

The virtues of exercise range starting 

with prevention of chronic diseases to 

boosting confidence and self-esteem. 

Take a look at various ways exercise can 

improve your life. 

Exercise Reduces the risk of developing 

coronary heart disease and 

stroke. Reduces the risk of having 

a second heart attack in people who 

have already had one heart attack 

Regular activity strengthens heart 

muscle; lowers blood pressure; increases 

“good” cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins 

or HDls) and lowers “bad” 

cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins or 

lDls); enhances blood flow; and helps 

your heart function more efficiently. 

all of these benefits reduce the risk of 

stroke, heart disease, and high blood 

pressure. Researchers found that being 

active reduces risk of having and dying 

from a stroke. according to a published 

study, moderately active study participants 

had 20% less risk of stroke than 

less active participants. 

Exercise Lowers the risk of developing 

non-insulin-dependent (type 2) 

diabetes mellitus 

17 million americans now have it. 

Physical activity can enhance weight 

loss and help prevent and/or control this 

condition. losing weight can increase 

insulin sensitivity, improve blood 

sugar and cholesterol levels, and reduce 

blood pressure -- all of which are very 

important to the health of people with 

many fewer arabs. Furthermore, the 

terrorists said they would continue 

their activities, making the exchange 

wrong, even if no better arrangement 

could have been made. He stated that 

the exchange was made for one reason 

only — because the israeli government 

has so thoroughly lost its pride that it is 

willing to do anything to try to win the 

favor of the americans and the arabs. 

The Rebbe reiterated his demands that 

rather than give up the territories they 

should be settled (noting that the few 

new settlements opened on the west 

The RAMBAM Lifestyle 

diabetes. in a study published in the 

annals of internal medicine, Frank Hu, 

mD, of the Harvard School of Public 

Health found that a brisk walk for one 

hour daily could reduce the risk of type 

ii diabetes by 34%. 

Exercise Helps people achieve and 

maintain a healthy body weight 

Overweight and obese conditions can 

be prevented or treated with exercise 

along with a healthy diet. activity 

helps to reduce body fat and increase 

muscle mass, thus improving your 

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combination of reduced calories and 

daily exercise is the ticket to weight loss. 

and controlling obesity is critical, as it 

is a major risk factor for many diseases. 

lowering your body mass is a sure way 

to reduce risk of dying early and to live 

a healthier life. 

Exercise Reduces feelings of depression 

and anxiety. promotes psychological 

well-being and reduces 

feelings of stress. 

improved self-esteem is one of the top 

benefits of regular physical activity. 

while exercising, your body releases 

chemicals called endorphins that can 

improve your mood and the way you 

feel about yourself. The feeling that follows 

a run or workout is often described 

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an energizing outlook. exercise can 

help you cope with stress and ward off 

depression and anxiety. 

Exercise Helps build and maintain 

healthy bones, muscles, and joints 

Back pain can be managed or prevented 

with a fitness program that includes 

muscle strengthening and flexibility. 

Having good posture and a strong 

abdomen is the body’s best defense 

against back pain. weight-bearing 

exercise (such as walking, jogging, 

stair climbing, dancing, or lifting 

weights) strengthens bone formation 

and helps prevent the osteoporosis 

or bone loss. Combine a diet rich in 

calcium and vitamin D with regular 

weight-bearing exercise for maximum 

results. according to The Journal of 

the american medical association, 

data from the Nurses’ Health Study 

Bank were only a token gesture that did 

not solve the problem) and a firm show 

of israeli military strength be made. He 

explained that this was the opinion of 

israeli’s military experts who according 

to Torah are the authorities who must 

decide policy at this time. He related 

that there are those who maintained 

that diplomatic considerations should 

also be taken into consideration, but 

brought proof to discount their opinion. 

He cited the example of the yom kippur 

war where all the military leaders 

had wanted to call up the reserves and 

prepare for war. These defensive steps 

showed that women who walked four 

or more hours per week had 41% fewer 

hip fractures than those who walked 

less than an hour a week. 

and these are just a few of the ways 

exercise improves your health. Studies 

have suggested it can also help with 

certain types of eder mahalah, improve 

immune function, and more. 

How Much of physical activity Is 

Enough? 

The good news about regular physical 

activity is that everyone can benefit 

from it. additionally, physical activity 

does not need to be hard or challenging. 

Participating in moderate-intensity 

physical activity is an important part 

of a healthy lifestyle for people of 

all ages and wide range of abilities. 

adults should get at least 30 minutes 

of moderate-intensity physical activity 

(such as brisk walking) on five 

or more days per week, according to 

recommendations from the Centers 

for Disease Control and Prevention 

(CDC) and the american College of 

Sports medicine 

although there can be some risks 

associated with physical activity, most 

can be avoided by taking reasonable 

precautions. 

Persons with known cardiovascular 

disease or persons who have already 

experienced a major cardiovascular 

event, such as a heart attack, stroke, or 

heart surgery, should have a physical 

evaluation by their physician before 

engaging in even a moderate physical 

activity program. But other than in 

those cases, most adults do not need to 

consult their physicians before engaging 

in moderate-intensity physical activity. 

were vetoed by the political leaders of 

the time who feared antagonizing the 

u.S. Those political actions brought 

about the early arab success and many 

casualties among the israeli forces. 

The Rebbe also mentioned that the 

government authorities are taking 

certain steps to pressure him into 

silence including withholding government 

aid from lubavitch teachers and 

educational institutions. He promised 

that he would not cease his protest even 

in the face of these actions. 

if, however, they are planning to engage 

in vigorous-intensity physical activity, 

experts recommend that men over age 

40 and women over age 50 should also 

consult a physician first. 

Take 3–5 minutes at the beginning of 

any physical activity to properly warm 

up your muscles through increasingly 

more intense activity. as you near 

the end of the activity, cool down by 

decreasing the level of intensity. 

Drink plenty of water throughout the 

day to replace lost fluids (i.e., at least 

eight to ten 8-oz. cups per day). Drink 

a glass of water before you get moving, 

and drink another half cup every 15 

minutes that you remain active. 

exercise alone produces modest weight 

loss. when it is a part of Healthy 

lifestyle the effects are much more 

impressive. 

To be continued 

Yaakov Bam, MS, is a member of 

American Association of Nutritional 

Consultants. He focuses on guiding and 

advising institutions, families and private 

individuals in implementing the RAM- 

BAM Lifestyle. By improving your lifestyle 

you Will: have more energy everyday, 

get rid of bad cholesterol, constipation, 

normalize blood pressure, boost your 

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vsholom, etc… Yaakov can be reached 

at yaakov.bam@gmail.com or by phone, 

(347)564-2874. To find out more details 

about the RAMBAM Lifestyle, please see 

preceding and upcoming articles of the 

Health Interest series. To register for a free 

Health Lifestyle seminar, please contact 

Yaakov Bam.

Rebbe Story 

The Hillel Foundation Meets the Rebbe 

“When one tells a story about his Rebbe he connects to the deeds of the Rebbe” 

(Sichos 1941 pg. 68) 

why didn’t Chabad establish its headquarters 

in israel? what is a Rebbe? 

what is the Chabad method to meditation 

and reflection? The above mentioned 

questions are from a first time released 

yechidus with the Rebbe and the Directors 

of the Hillel Foundation. This 

fascinating yechidus took place during 

then summer of august 1959. i would 

like to thank all the editors from The 

avner institute for all of their efforts 

in helping to publish this yechidus. 

Special thanks to Rabbi Groner, one 

of the Rebbe’s Secretaries, for allowing 

this yechidus to be released for the first 

time from his archive. To read more 

beautiful encounters of the Rebbe visit 

www.inspiringageneration.com. 

Rebbe: if i remember correctly, when 

we met last time it was discussed that 

everyone must always be going mechayil 

al chayil (from strength to strength). as 

a year has elapsed in between, probably 

every one of us is more efficient. i would 

like to hear besoros tovos (good news) 

about your achievements. 

Question: “Chayil” also means a soldier 

of war. is there any connection to going 

from “strength to strength?” 

R: yes, a solder is forced to go to war; he 

must go higher even against his will. 

Q: why didn’t the lubavitcher movement 

choose to go to israel instead of 

the u.S.? 

R: The lubavitcher movement came 

to the u.S. in 1940, when the British 

mandate was in full power. if you have 

a certain amount of energy and it is 

your intention to use it to a maximum 

of efficiency, you must apply it where it 

can be used to maximum efficiency. 

Q: Do you mean that there are more 

Jewish people here that will be helped 

by your ideals? 

R: There is more possibility to help more 

people in Brooklyn than in Tel aviv. 

Q: is that why you chose Brooklyn, and 

not some other city like Chicago? 

R: The real reason is because my fatherin-law 

wanted a place where he could 

influence a great number of students. and 

this can be done more easily in Brooklyn 

than in Baltimore or Chicago. 

Q: if the British mandate had not been in 

israel, would he have chosen israel? 

R: i don’t believe so; you do not have 

the possibilities there that you have in 

the united States. 

Q: Did the entire lubavitcher movement 

come to the u.S. at one time, or did they 

come as individuals? 

R: lubavitcher congregations were 

established in the u.S. over fifty years 

ago. They invited my father in-law (the 

Previous lubavitcher Rebbe) as a political 

rescue from Poland, which was under 

German occupation. The Hasidim in 

the u.S. intervened through the State 

Department. They explained to the State 

Department the advantages of having his 

leadership here in the u.S., and through 

the american embassy in Berlin they 

were successful in having him leave 

and come to the united States. But, i 

believe, that even had there been a choice 

between the two million Jews in the u.S. 

or the hundred thousand in israel, where 

they had already established yeshivas and 

yiddishkeit (Judaism), he would have 

chosen the harder field to work with and 

not the most convenient. There was more 

challenge here in Brooklyn. 

Q: lubavitch is systematic, and the 

neo-Orthodox in israel do not have 

some of the frustrations of the Jews in 

galut (exile). 

R: it has no connection with being 

Orthodox or systematic. it deals with 

choosing a spot where you have no help 

or choosing a spot where you can rest 

twelve or fifteen hours a day. it doesn’t 

depend upon the ideal but whether the 

human being is seeking an easy way out 

or seeking to accomplish something, 

and in a certain period of time. my 

father-in-law always sought something 

that was difficult to perform, that no one 

wanted to do voluntarily, and began by 

doing something revolutionary. 

in 1940, Orthodoxy in the u.S. was going 

down. in israel, it was going up, and in 

europe it was at the same level more or 

less. when my father-in-law first heard 

that the Hasidim were trying to bring 

him to the u.S., his first thought was that 

this is a place where his energies can best 

be applied. Neo-Orthodoxy is trying to 

fight assimilation while it is still only a 

seed, as it is much easier to annihilate 

something when it is beginning than 

after it is fully grown. 

Q: are you not concerned with 

assimilation? 

R: That is our prime interest. Twenty 

years ago there were three reasons for 

assimilation: 1) escape . . . 3) rescue. 

Now assimilation is looked down upon 

by all three groups. 

Q: Please state your attitude about 

devekut (Divine ecstasy). 

R: Do you have a specific question in 

mind? 

Q: No. i wanted to hear the lubavitcher 

interpretation. 

R: every human being, by his connection 

with G-d almighty, has no limitation 

to his possibilities, because he has in 

his store not only his own energy but 

an open channel to receive additional 

energy from above. To have this channel 

open is called “devekut.” you can be a 

very long distance from the powerhouse 

and you can become closer and closer to 

entering the powerhouse itself. and you 

can become a part of the Being we call 

G-d almighty. That is the maximum of 

devekut. it does not mean that the soul 

parts from the guf (body), because the 

body is also a creation. it becomes not 

only closer and closer, but it becomes 

forlorn in Divinity. and yet, soon after 

that, he can eat his seudat Shabbat 

(Sabbath meal) and go to his business 

after Havdalah (close of Shabbat) – it 

is not like nirvana. in devekut you have 

no existence in yourself, but you are a 

part of G-d that is permeating all your 

being with His divinity. it is not in a 

hidden form, but it is functioning in 

your body just as your heart, leg, etc. 

are functioning. 

it must permeate not only your actions 

but your understanding and intelligence. 

Performing a mitzvah is the 

action itself—like putting the tefillin 

(phylacteries) on your head—you can 

put it on your head and at the same time 

think about business or politics. That is 

called machshovot zerot—your thoughts 

are in another world. you can think 

about the perush hamilim (meaning 

of the words) itself but it touches your 

understanding only and goes no deeper. 

if you say the blessing with hitlahavut 

(enthusiasm), then it not only touches 

your understanding but your feelings 

also. if this hitlahavut goes deeper 

and much more, then it can bring him 

to a stage of ecstasy till he forgets the 

environment around him. That is, it 

permeates all your faculties. 

a mitzvah can be performed limited 

and no more, but if you perform it to a 

maximum, then it brings you to ecstasy 

and even the movement of your head and 

involuntary movements are also under 

the impact of this mitzvah. Thus the 

saying of the Ba’al Shem Tov (founder 

of Hasidism) that every day before his 

prayer he was afraid that he may not 

come out of this activity alive. 

Q: Shabbatai zvi and his followers used 

mystical kabbalah to break away from 

halacha (Jewish law), as they considered 

kabbalah the true procedure for 

themselves. Perhaps this way may be the 

reason the [18th century scholar] vilna 

Gaon objected to Hasidic teachings? 

R: as for comparing the movement of 

Shabbatai zvi to the Hassidic movement—every 

movement that is started 

by someone of the Jewish people has 

some common point because it was 

started by a Jew. Shabbatai zvi also was 

a scholar not only in kabbalah but in 

halacha, but after a few years he deviated 

from the right derech (path). it became 

something that not was only deviant just 

the opposite of Judaism. 

Hasidism and kabbalah are called in the 

zohar penimiut (inward). That includes 

that there must be something hitzoniut 

(outward). kabbalah is not something 

that you can dissect and throw away one 

thing, because if you accept one part if it 

is a necessity that you accept the other 

part. when someone comes to a conclusion 

against halacha, he is deviating. if 

you are logical, you must come to the 

conclusion that kabbalah and Hasidism 

must exist; because without them there 

is something missing. The same thing--if 

you accept kabbalah and negate halacha, 

you are negating something that is a part; 

and you are negating the basis on which 

you are standing. 

The vilna Gaon did not negate kabbalah, 


because he had his own group and he 

learned kabbalah. in his opinion, it was 

something not to be learned with a large 

group, but to be taught to only a select 

group, as the others are not able to grasp 

kabbalah and must be satisfied with 

halacha. But there must be a select group 

above them that learns kabbalah. 

Shabbatai zvi negated halacha. in 

the time of Shabbatai zvi there was a 

group of Catholic priests that translated 

kabbalistic manuscripts and studied 

kabbalah. But this is not considered 

Jewish kabbalah, as the Catholics did 

not put on tefillin. it is just like someone 

in Sorbonne, Brooklyn College, or some 

other university who can learn kabbalah 

without putting on tefillin. For true kabbalah 

cannot be separated from halacha. 

The terminology of these two kinds of 

kabbalah is penimiut and hitzoniut (true 

and false kabbalah): the body and the 

neshama (soul). 

Q: How do you start with your students? 

Should i begin to talk to them about 

hitlahavut or just do the mitzvoth? 

R: Now is such an era that you must 

choose with every individual his own 

approach. if you can take him with hitlahavut 

or devekut, do it that way. But the 

main thing is the actual mitzvah and you 

can choose your own approach. if you 

estimate your congregation or audience 

that it can be approached more effectively 

by explaining hitlahavut, then choose 

this way. The mistake is if he begins with 

one thing and then goes no further. if he 

begins with ma’asah (actual mitzvah), 

then he has the most essential part of it, 

and if the audience goes to sleep you have 

achieved the essential. But if you begin 

with devekut or hitlahavut and then they 

go to sleep, they will not know about the 

most important part—ma’asah bepoel 

(actual doing). 

Q: i came across a great amount of 

children who expressed bitterness 

against their parents. Can you suggest 

an approach to turn this bitterness into 

love? 

R: although there is no general remedy 

that will apply to each individual, nevertheless 

there is one common point. 

in growing up he must encounter difficulties 

and obstacles in his way—the 

world is changing, his body is changing, 

and this presents obstacles to him. He 

needs someone for a scapegoat, ashma. 

The only person who has been with 

him all his life is his parent, and if he 

has no strength of character to say to 

himself that he must overcome these 

obstacles—even if it is connected with 

the biggest event in his life—then he 

must find someone to put the finger on. 

His road is not easy to go on. He must 

choose his father and mother to blame, 

because he knows his teacher only one 

or two years and he experienced these 

difficulties before that. if he can put his 

finger on his mother or father, he has a 

perfect excuse. 

explain to your audience the real reason 

they choose their parents for their 

accusations, but do not stress this point 

Continued on Page 14


Tammuz Yahrzeiten 

This week we continue with the yahrzeiten of people who lived in our shechuna. 

we are also including the yahrzeiten of Shluchim. in mentioning them we 

come to “v’Hachai yiten el libo”. we learn lessons from their lives that we can 

incorporate into our own. This column includes the yahrzeiten from the 23rd of 

Tamuz through the 27th of Tamuz. The respective resting places of the individuals 

noted in this column are near the holy Ohel, unless otherwise specified. 

23rd of Tamuz 

Horav Hachossid Reb Shmaya 

Krinsky 

The son of Horav Hachossid Hatomim 

Reb zev, he was a shochet for more than 

fifty years and sacrificed himself to raise 

his children according to Torah and 

mitzvos. He was nifter in 1963. 

Horav Hachossid Hatomim 

Reb Boruch Sholom 

Schwei 

The son of Horav Hachossid 

Reb mordechai eliyohu 

was born in Finland. as a young 

orphan from his father, his mother 

Bunya sent her children with a chossid 

to study at the lubavitcher yeshiva in 

Samarkand where Reb Boruch Bholom 

excelled in his studies. He was a modest 

and private person as well as a great 

scholar who was well-versed in sforim 

and knew many by heart. For parnossa, 

he worked as a typesetter in the 

Balshan/ezra printing shop, where 

they printed the sforim of kehot 

and many other sforim on Torah 

subjects. Reb Boruch Sholom 

would catch mistakes or 

errors in the manuscripts 

of many Rabbonim and 

authors of sforim, and 

he would protect them 

from major embarrassment. 

This caused him 

to become the most 

sought after typesetter 

by authors who insisted 

on waiting so he could be the 

typesetter of their Sefer to help them 

with their Chibur. The Rebbe, once 

referring to Reb Boruch Sholom, said, 

“i could not find the key to him.” He 

was nifter in the midst of his life after 

a painful illness in 1974. 

Horav Hachossid Hatomim 

Reb avrohom 

Menachem Majerczyk 

The son of Hatomim Reb 

Tzvi elozor, he studied 

Nigla and Chassidus in 

an especially engrossed manner. He 

had a kvius with a friend for many 

years in the early hours of the morning 

and merited to complete the study of 

the zohar. He always had a comment 

or a humorous word to be msameach 

another yid. He was nifter in the midst 

of his life in 2003. 

24th of Tamuz 

Horav Hachossid Hatomim Reb 

Schneur Zalman Getzel Halevi 

Rubashkin 

The son of Horav Hachossid Reb 

Sholom Halevi, he sacrificed himself 

to instill in his family a love of and 

hiskashrus to the Rebbeim and chassidim. 

He was nifter in 1983. 

Harav Hachosid V’Hatomim Chaim 

Tzvi Konikov 

He learned in the city of lubavitch, 

Russia in Tomchi Temimim and merited 

to be a Ben-Bayis in the home of the 

Rebbe Rashab where he became very 

close with his son and successor, the 

Rebbe Rayatz. in yeshiva Reb Chaim 

Tzvi was considered to be an illuy – a 

genius – and he received the title of 

“yoreid l’umkai shel Halacha”. after 

his marriage to Rebbetzin Brina, he 

became the Rav of 3 shuls in Smolensk. 

in 1930 after having yechidus with 

the Frierdicke Rebbe in Riga, he and 

his family moved to america where 

he became the Rav of the Tzemach 

Tzedek shul in williamsburg. Harav 

Chaim Tzvi then founded the “Chevra 

machazikei Hatorah” and the mesibos 

Shabbos groups and was among the 

founders of the Bais Rivkah school 

Network. He also introduced the idea 

of wednesday hour to the Frierdicke 

Rebbe who launched it. at one time the 

Rayatz told him: “He wants a chelek 

in everything he does.” He was from 

the first to put Torah and Neginah 

on wire, record and tape for the 

purpose of promoting Chassidus 

to “Hamon a m”. There are 

numerous igros kodesh printed 

as correspondence to him from 

the Rebeim. Chaim Tzvi was 

an emese, dugma-chaya of a 

pioneer of yiddishkeit to his 

children and to all who knew him, 

zichrono l’vrocho. 

25th of Tamuz 

Reb Yisochor Dov Silber 

The son of Reb moshe, he sacrificed 

himself to guide his family in the ways 

of Torah and mitzvos. He was nifter 

in 1999. 

26th of Tamuz 

Horav Hachossid 

Hatomim Reb Chaim 

Dovid Nota Wichnin 

The son of Horav 

Hachossid Reb Nachman 

Dov, he was 

mekushar to the Rebbe and committed 

to fulfilling his shlichus to spread Torah 

and Chassidus with love and affection. 

He was a distinguished educator, who 

in his entire life involved himself in 

educating boys and girls. He served 

as the spiritual dean at yeshiva achei 

Tmimim in amton, and served for 

eighteen years as the Rosh yeshiva 

in Tiferes Bochurim in morristown 

and as the Rav at the Tzemach Tzedek 

Shul in monsey. He worked with a 

special fervor in fulfilling the Rebbe’s 

directives and mivtzoim, and attracted 

people from many different circles. 

He was born in 1939, on the 26th of 

menachem av in Bobruisk and was 

nifter in 1995. 

Women 

18th of Tamuz 

Mrs. Yocheved Miriam Karasik 

The wife of Horav Hachossid Reb 

yaakov Boruch, who served as a mashgiach 

in yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim in 

lubavitch, she was widowed at a young 

age and on her own, raised her children 

according to the teachings of Torah 

and Chassidus. She collected Tzedoko 

to distribute privately to mosdos and 

families, and left grandchildren and 

great grandchildren in the zarchi, 

Gansburg and majesky families, who 

are shluchim worldwide. She was nifter 

in 1962. 

24th of Tamuz 

Mrs. Esther Malka Levinson 

The daughter of Horav Hachossid 

Reb menachem and the wife of Horav 

Hachossid Hatomim Reb Hillel, she 

was a modest and G-d fearing woman, 

with a strong emuna and bitochon. She 

suffered ill health from childhood, sacrificed 

herself to bring up her children 

in a righteous manner, and worked 

with enormous energy to help others 

in need. She merited having children 

serving as the Rebbe’s Shluchim. She 

was nifter in 2005. 

Rebbe Story 

Continued from Page 13 

too hard. Tomorrow or the day after 

tomorrow they will be less bitter. Do 

not expect them to stand up on the first 

day and say “ashamnu (i have sinned).” 

Q: How is it that i saw that the leadership 

of lubavitch was transmitted through a 

daughter not through a son? 

R: you probably mean after the son of the 

alter Rebbe (“Old Rabbi”--Shneur zalman 

of liadi, first lubavitcher Rebbe). 

He had two sons but they begged the 

son-in-law to take over the leadership. 

Q: is it ideals and not heredity that 

decides the leadership? 

R: Only ideals. Only someone who has 

the aptitude in a certain direction. if you 

have a father who all of his life has consecrated 

himself toward certain ideals 

so that it permeates his very existence, it 

must also permeate his wife and children. 

if he is permeated by a certain idea, the 

first subjects to be impressed by it will 

be his son or his daughter. if the subject 

is Torah or kabbalah, the son is more 

adaptable than the daughter. [aside 

to the only woman present: “you will 

excuse me for saying this, as it is not my 

idea.”] The reason for the leadership is 

not because he was his son, but because 

he has a maximum of piety, education, 

and hitlahavut; he received it from his 

father and his environment and thus has 

a bigger chance. The Tzemach Tzedek 

(third lubavitcher Rebbe) was an orphan 

from the third year of his life, and the 

alter Rebbe took care of his education 

personally. Thus, he had more chances 

to receive this education than even the 

25th of Tamuz 

Mrs. Zishe Gordon 

The daughter of Horav Hachossid Reb 

Nissan and the wife of Horav Hachossid 

Hatomim Reb yochanon Gordon, 

the Gabai in 770, she was involved 

in hosting guests, and her house was 

always open to chassidim. She was 

nifter in 1957. 

27th of Tamuz 

Mrs. Mirel Deitsch 

The daughter of Horav Hachossid 

Reb menachem mendel and the wife 

of Reb Horav Hachossid Hatomim 

Sholom yeshaya, she sacrificed herself 

for the upbringing and education of 

Jewish daughters and in a pleasant and 

delightful way and was mkarev many 

yidden to yiddishkeit. She was nifter 

in 1994. 

We should speedily witness, “The ones who 

dwell in the dust will awaken and rejoice,” 

with all the above-mentioned individuals 

amongst them. 

Dear Readers: 

Anyone who would like to have their 

relatives mentioned in the yahrzeit column 

should email the name, father’s name, 

date of the petira and some details to 

chp5768@gmail.com. A picture may be 

included. 

sons of the mittler (Second lubavitcher) 

Rebbe. 

This is the answer for an intellectual. if 

you are a Hasid you must accept a more 

spiritual explanation: Rebayus (leadership) 

is not motivated by something 

accidental or monetary but by something 

above us. The son of the mezritcher maggid 

(successor to the Ba’al Shem Tov) was 

his successor for only five years. after 

that he was niftar (passed away). it is not 

dependent upon something physical, but 

something spiritual and divine. 

i wish you a kesiva vechasim tova 

(Happy New year), and next year i 

will ask you more forcefully about your 

achievements. 

Q: in camus or aichus (quality or 

quantity)? 

R: you know that einstein said that 

camus always transfers into aichus (mass 

into energy). There is an interesting 

quotation in medrash Rabbah that if 

there had been one Jew missing of the 

six hundred thousand at Sinai, G-d 

would not have given the Torah. Not a 

Jew like moshe Rabbeinu (moses) but 

even the Jew that had a pesel mika (idol) 

in his tent—had he been missing, the 

Torah would not have been given. Nine 

moses’ cannot make a minyan (quorum 

of ten Jewish men) to say a kedusha, even 

though there would be a tremendous 

power of quality; but if you have ten in 

quantity you can say kedusha. Similarly, 

the medrash says that in giving the Torah 

you must have six hundred thousand. 

That is the best proof that quantity and 

quality have a transformation from one 

into the other.

CHJCC 

The CAREER Shadchan 

“Hello, my name is isaac. Can i speak 

to the employment department?” 

“Speaking.” 

“i am looking for 2 secretaries for our 

insurance company. i am very happy 

with the girls you sent me in the past. 

i am looking to change our image. 

i would like to replace some of the 

staff here with applicants from Crown 

Heights. your girls are more professional 

and educated. They provide 

better customer service and get along 

easily with everyone.” 

“Thank you. i appreciate the feedback. 

it’s always good to hear that the employers 

are satisfied with the employees that 

we send them. Now if you tell me what 

you are looking for, the job description, 

hours and pay, i will try to find the right 

candidate for you.” 

interestingly enough, i have been 

receiving calls of this nature from 

several employers lately. Our dedication 

to matching people with the right job or 

changing to a better job is paying off. 

To date, some of our notable successes 

have been in helping an architect find 

a job with an upcoming real estate 

development company. He came back 

to tell us that he was hired and that he 

was very happy because it was a job in 

his field He wanted a job where he can 

use his expertise and experience and 

was happy that he actually found one 

so quickly. 

more recently, a graphic artist was hired 

by two companies that we referred her 

to. She asked us for advice on which 

company to choose. we counseled 

her and advised her to choose the 

company where she now works, based 

on her needs and preferences. She 

came back to thank us and told us 

that she is extremely happy there - the 

environment is warm, family-like and 

easygoing. She feels her boss appreciates 

her work. She just enjoys getting 

up and going to work every day. 

we developed a relationship with a 

well-known accounting firm, a respectable 

financial firm and a major business 

company. we have successfully placed 

several candidates in those firms. 

There is a great demand for administrative 

secretaries, social workers as well 

as positions for high school graduates. 

we are continuously filling those 

positions. 

Some of our clients only want manual 

jobs such as painting, handyman, roofing, 

carpentry, locksmiths and more. 

we have helped them create flyers with 

their information. i have been happy to 

hear that the flyers were instrumental 

in generating business for them. 

many people bring in resumes listing 

their experience and wonder why 

they are not being hired. we review 

the resumes and upgrade them in a 

manner that they sell themselves. For 

those clients who don’t know how to 

create a proper resume, we identify 

their strengths, experience, and education 

and help them create their first 

resume. One client, who had 20 years of 

experience in a specific field, had never 

written a resume before. working with 

him for more than 3 days, we generated 

a professional looking resume and 

e-mailed it to several employers. One 

of the employers responded that he was 

very impressed with the resume and 

immediately set up an appointment 

for our client. 

Being a career shadchan, we want to 

make sure that the match doesn’t turn 

sour. we have therefore been providing 

our clients with access to tips and career 

counseling services. 

Stop by at our employment department 

to find your bashert job! 

Bella vilenkin 

employment Counselor 

Crown Heights Jewish Community 

Council 

387 kingston ave. 

Brooklyn, Ny 11225 

718-778-8808 ext. 23 

bella@chjcc.org 

ATTENTION 

The Food Stamps program has waived the 

$2000 level requirement. Please note that you 

still have to be a citizen and income eligible. 

It is very important that you take the name of the 

person you talk to when you call any government 

agency. It is good practice when you call any company 

but when you call an agency it could make all 

the difference to your case. 

Don't forget take a name!! 

It’s Teen Time! 

Ohr Chaya Mushka: An Exciting New Summer Program 

for Girls 

it’s Shabbos afternoon in the big, 

bustling city of New york. Some are 

Davening, while others are still enjoying 

a tasteful Shabbos meal. Some 

housewives may be clearing the remains 

of an overflowing table, filled to the brim 

with food and guests, while others may 

have settled down for a well- deserved 

afternoon rest. The more active of the 

children are running around, perspiring 

in their now-not-so-freshly laundered 

Shabbos outfits, while the subdued 

types are curled up with a book. 

and then there are a couple dozen 

teenage girls. Still in the hot city during 

the summer, they are meandering their 

way over to 1349 President St. – the 

Rubashkin residence. why? what 

attracts them to leave the comforts of 

the air conditioner and venture out? 

what could girls from 9th through 12th 

grade possibly be doing every Shabbos 

afternoon at 7:15 pm, and every 

wednesday evening at 8:00 pm? 

Ohr Chaya mushka, sponsored by the 

Crown Heights Community Council, 

is a program specifically geared towards 

teens. Twice a week, the girls gather 

together in a lounge to hear inspiring 

and uplifting speakers, participate 

in myriads of different activities and 

workshops, and schmooze over good 

food. 

mrs. leah Blecher, program co-ordinator 

says, “The long summer days can 

get lonesome and boring…. we have 

created a program in which the girls 

look forward to attend!” 

Ohr Chaya mushkah, the brainchild of 

Rivky lasker, has managed to attract a 

large and diverse crowd. Rivky explains 

how they bring speakers the girls want 

to hear. “whether we have Tzameret 

Borowitz speaking about seeing the 

positive in everything or Shimi weinbaum 

on how to be a Chosid, the girls 

are excited to hear what they have to 

say, and they come.” 

On average, 45-50 teens will show up 

for an event. The coordinators, Rivky 

lasker and mrs. leah Blecher, make 

sure to plan a fun aspect to the program 

as well. aerobics, jewelry making, 

drum circle, pottery – these are just to 

name a few. Of course, delicious food 

accompanies every program with sponsors 

coming from food corporations 

such as Bunch O’ Bagels and Café k. 

with every aspect covered, it’s well 

understood why the attendance rate 

is so high! 

The secret to the success of Ohr Chaya 

mushka is, in fact, quite simple. The 

coordinators make sure to organize programs 

that interest the teens. instead 

of moping around Shabbos afternoon, 

there is now a delicious Shalos Seudos, 


with a worthwhile farbrengen to boot. 

wednesday evenings’ feature dance 

classes, aerobics, and other aesthetic 

activities all paired up with an incredible 

out-of-town speaker! 

in truth, despite Ohr Chaya mushka 

being such an enjoyable experience, 

there is a serious undertone as well. 

The program coordinators, attendees, 

and all those involved are doing so as a 

zchus for a complete Refuah Shleimah 

for a dear friend of many, ‘Orah meital 

Bas Baila.’ The girls that come realize 

the power of achdus, and have already 

taken upon themselves a Hachlata to 

learn a Halacha from the kitzur Shulchan 

Oruch every Shabbos get-together. 

They are currently up to Hilchos Negel 

vasser, and i”yH, will continue thus far. 

may Ohr Chaya mushka bring much 

nachas to the Rebbe, and in the zchus 

of the tremendous efforts put out to 

strengthen our youth, may we celebrate 

the coming of moshiach even before the 

next Ohr Chaya mushka program! 

Of course, there are many people 

involved, behind the scenes. mrs. Rivka 

Shur from the community council, 

ensures that the various technical 

details are being taken care of and the 

appealing food buffets are set up by 

the talented Chani Rubashkin. last 

(but certainly not least) what would 

Gashmius be without Ruchnios? mrs. 

leah Schapiro, a noted mechaneches 

and community activist acts as an advisor 

to the coordinators and helps the 

coordinators plan the agenda as well. 

what’s on the agenda? To name a few: 

Rachel Benchimol from upper east 

Side, manhattan, Rabbi Samuels from 

Connecticut, Rabbi weinstein from 

Brooklyn Heights, and the beloved 

Rabbi korn from manhattan College 

Campus. 

Thanks to moshe Rubashkin’s belief in 

creating infrastructure for our youth, 

not to mention Faigy Rubashkin’s 

warm hospitality, Ohr Chaya mushka 

has really taken off, and will i”yH 

continuously expand. 

“we have already decided to lengthen 

our Shabbos program,” explains mrs. 

leah Blecher. “The camaraderie is 

so incredible with the singing and 

niggunim that it will now extend to 

Havdalah and the watching of living 

Torah.” 

Please spread the word. all girl teens 

from 9th grade through 12th grade are 

welcome to attend every wednesday at 

8:00 pm and Shabbosim at 7:15pm to 

1349 President St. Of course, there is no 

fee, but growth, gains and loads of fun 

to be expected. For more information 

call 917 202 2185. See you there!


Gimmel Tamuz 

Conclusion 

Continued from page 11 

The yevsektzia let it be known that they 

would like to take matters into their own 

hands, at the first opportunity — and 

this time they will act before the government 

could interfere. Their threats 

made it clear that the Frierdiker Rebbe 

was no longer safe in lenin grad. 

Once again, the Rebbe moved, this time 

to malachovka, a small suburb outside 

of moscow. He hoped that his leaving 

would satisfy the yevsektzia; now they 

can claim victory, for they have successfully 

banished the lubavitcher Rebbe 

from leningrad! 

unfortunately, despite the Rebbe’s 

hopeful optimism, the tide did not 

turn. The yevsektzia continued their 

personal attacks and constant vigilance. 

From their writings and actions, it was 

obvious that they would stop at nothing 

to capture the Rebbe again. This time, 

the Rebbe’s very life appeared to be in 

danger, and it became obvious that the 

Rebbe would have to leave Russia. 

making the decision to go was relatively 

simple; obtain ing visas and permission 

to move proved to be much more 

difficult. 

The Russian government refused to give 

permission to the Rebbe to emigrate. 

Once again, the Chassidim turned to 

other countries for help, and to try to 

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exert pressure on the Soviets. Both the 

Jewish communities of Germany and 

latvia issued invitations to the Rebbe 

to become their chief Rabbi, and sent 

representatives to present their offer to 

the Russians. 

at first, both communities vied for 

the privilege of hav ing the Rebbe live 

amongst them, and they both put 

pressure on the government separately. 

Despite their efforts, the Soviet Regime 

would not relent. There was no way the 

Rebbe was going to leave Russia. 

Reb mordechai Dubin was a member 

of the latvian par liament. Being the 

latvian government’s representative 

he was greeted with great honor, since 

Russia was extremely interested in 

negotiating a friendship and commerce 

treaty with latvia. He journeyed to 

Russia three times, vainly attempting to 

acquire permission for the lubavitcher 

Rebbe to assume the post as Chief 

Rabbi in latvia. Finally he hit upon a 

ruse: he would trick the government 

into allowing the Rebbe to leave! 

at his next meeting with the Soviet 

officials, Reb mor dechai took the 

offensive. He angrily lashed out at them, 

saying the latvians were sorely insulted 

by the actions of the Russian government. 

after repeatedly rebuffing their 

requests to allow the Rebbe to come to 

latvia, Reb mordechai himself heard 

that the Russians had agreed to respect 

the German delegation’s request! How 

could he cast his deciding vote in the 

Tremendous Response! Great Success! 

Come to the Rec-Center! 

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July 2008- 

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parliament in favor of normalizing relations 

with the Soviet union, if latvia’s 

honor is being slighted? 

Not suspecting that Reb mordechai 

was lying, the Rus sians grudgingly 

gave permission to the Rebbe to move 

to latvia, with the promise on Reb 

mordechai’s part to vote in favor of 

Russia. 

Originally they gave permission only 

for the Rebbe to leave, but his family 

and library must remain. They would be 

used as hostages to prevent the Rebbe 

from any anti-Soviet activ ity. 

The negotiations continued and the 

Russian Government finally relented 

and allowed the Rebbe, his family then 

his library and a few Chassidism to 

emigrate to latvia. 

Before leaving Russia, the Frierdiker 

Rebbe went to Ros tov one final time 

to daven by the Ohel of his father the 

Rebbe Rashab. accompanying him was 

his daughter Rebbetzin Chaya mushka 

(who was with him since kos troma). 

it is believed that the Rebbe took her 

along so she could daven by the Ohel 

before her chasuna. 

On Thursday, isru Chag of Succos, the 

Rebbe and his fam ily left Russia. They 

arrived in Riga, latvia the following 

day. 

The following year the Rebbe wrote that 

this day is a day for all Jews to celebrate, 

as it was not a personal redemption, it 

weDNeSDay 

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entrance Fee: Pool: $2.00 acqua aerobics additional $3.00 

For more information call Mrs. penina Metal at 718-778-8808 x 21 

was a redemption for every Jew. 

Epilogue 

Chassidus explains that the purpose of 

every concealment is to bring out an 

even greater revelation of light and holiness. 

what then, was accomplished by 

the Frierdiker Rebbe’s being sentenced 

to jail and his subsequent liberation, 

that was not already brought to light 

with the alter Rebbe’s and the mitteler 

Rebbe’s arrest and imprisonment? 

Didn’t the previous Rebbeim’s arrests 

show that Chassidus must continue to 

be publicized? 

The Rebbe explains: “The liberation of 

the alter Rebbe and the mitteler Rebbe 

showed that Chassidus may be revealed 

to all, and in abundance. after yud Beis 

Tammuz, however, Chassidus began to 

actually spread throughout the world, 

illuminating every area of the globe.” 

CHABAD 

WEEKLY. 

COM 

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ITS TEEN TIME!

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