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CONTENTS

10
5

FEATURED ARTICLES

WEEKLY COLUMNS

THE REBBES SUPPORT


LETTER FOR AMSHINOV

THE REBBE REVEALED


THE ESSENCE
OF FRANCE

3 Dvar Malchus
16 Hakhel & Moshiach
22 Parsha Thought
23 Parsha Thought
31 Bitachon Bytes
34 Tzivos Hashem

A rare and unique letter

Shneur Zalman Levin

OUR BOYS
18 BRINGING
HOME FROM THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Zalman Tzorfati

YEAR OLD
26 SEVENTEEN
ROSH YESHIVA
Dov Levanon

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ENGLISH EDITOR:
Boruch Merkur
editor@beismoshiach.org

12/29/2015 8:46:50 AM

DVAR MALCHUS

BASI LGANI 5716


Beis Moshiach presents the maamer the
Rebbe MHM delivered on Yud Shvat 5716,
in accordance with the custom established
by the Rebbe to review each year a section
of the Rebbe Rayatzs maamer Basi LGani
of 5710. This year we focus on the sixth
section of the profound and foundational
Chassidic discourse. * Seventh instalment.
By Boruch Merkur

Rather, here the Rebbe rejects a much subtler


form of arrogance, one that affects spirituality.
Although the arrogant person is at a low spiritually
standing, he still possesses a G-dly Soul. In fact, [it
does not merely lie dormant] it influences him and
operates within him, for even the lowest aspect of
the G-dly soul [which is all this person is privy to]
is still spiritual. The G-dly Soul invests itself within
the Animal Soul to enable it to have an impact on
the body. But since only the lowest aspect of the
G-dly Soul is manifest in the arrogant person, the
haughtiness of the body and Animal Soul rub off
on his spirituality, to the extent that it too becomes
coarse and self-centered. Certainly such a person is
not capable [of achieving the more elevated service]
of transforming physicality into spirituality.

CRUSHING THE SPIRIT OF HAUGHTINESS


The advice for countering this acquired
negativity is to shatter the spirit of haughtiness, as
it says in Zohar, A log that cannot be lit on fire is
crushed; a body that cannot be lit up by the soul is
[likewise] crushed.
This is also the meaning of the verse, Zivchei
Elokim is a broken spirit (Thillim 51:19):
breaking the spirit is considered zivchei Elokim
offerings of sacrifices to the L-rd, to Elokim.
Curiously, the previous verse says, He does not
desire zevach (a sacrifice), else I would give it. The
Zohar asks, Does the Alm-ghty not want offerings
brought before Him [as the earlier verse attests]?
The answer is that Dovid HaMelech is citing here
[in Thillim] the name Elokim, and sacrifices are
only offered to the name Havaya, not to the name

Elokim. All sacrifices of livestock are offered to


the name Havaya, which is the Divine Attribute of
Mercy; animal sacrifices are not offered to the name
Elokim, the Attribute of Judgement, as it is written,
One who slaughters to Elokim shall be banished;
[one may slaughter] to Havaya alone. In order to
elicit a response also from the name Elokim, the
Attribute of Judgement, that it too should pardon
the persons sin, the verse teaches us, Zivchei
Elokim is a broken spirit, the spirit of haughtiness
must first be crushed. As a result, the sacrifice is
graciously received On High to atone for the person
even at the level of Divine Judgement.
The Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek explains that at
first glance, how can one who sins, one who has
failed to heed the voice of G-d, atone by means of
a korban (the offering of an animal as a sacrifice)?
(The underlying premise here is that the person
remains in his former condition and spiritual
standing. How then can a korban atone for ones
inappropriate behavior when he remains the same?)
The answer is that atonement is achieved on
account of the Divine Attribute of Mercy, associated
with the name Havaya [which finds favor in the
person even when the strict ruling of Judgement
condemns him]. (Nevertheless, atonement even
from the Divine Attribute of Mercy is only for
inadvertent transgressions, etc.)
To be sure, a broken spirit and a broken heart
Elokim lo sivzeh, even the Attribute of Judgment
does not shun, etc. The Tzemach Tzedek explains
the underlying logic here: The offering of livestock
[being kosher animals that are used for a holy
purpose] is an instance of the refinement of Klipas

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DVAR MALCHUS
Noga, the aspect of the world that can be used either
for holiness or the opposite. This form of offering
appeals to the Attribute of Mercy alone. In order to
appease also the Attribute of Judgement, a broken
spirit is required, crushing the spirit of haughtiness.
The bittul engendered from eradicating arrogance
leads to the avoda of iskafia and ishapcha of Sitra
Achara, which transforms even the Three Totally
Impure Klipos.
Thus, the meaning of zivchei Elokim is that
sacrifices of this sort also appease the Divine
Attribute of Judgement (which has a connection
to the Three Totally Impure Klipos), that also from
this more severe perspective On High, the sacrifice
is accepted as atonement.

tfilla should be in this manner [of channeling


G-dliness to speak and pray through us].
Of course, the goal of tfilla is to serve Him
with all your heart; avoda stems from the persons
own initiative and effort. Nevertheless, we ask
of the Alm-ghty that my mouth should recount
(yagid, meaning hagada vhamshacha reciting
and drawing down) thilasecha (as Targum puts it,
Your praise, which is the concept of prayer).
Our prayer should be like one who responds
after the reader, meaning it should be as if we
answer and repeat the prayer of the Alm-ghty, as
our Sages teach, The Alm-ghty prays: May it be
that My compassion conquers My wrath. Thus,
our Sages established that the prayer should begin
with the verse, L-rd upon my lips and my mouth
shall recount Your praise, and
Their prayer was so intense that when they it is considered an extension or
preamble of the tfilla.
came to the words, mechayei hameisim Who
Alshich writes that proper
resurrects the dead, the world shook, in anticipation tfilla should result in what was
of the imminent resurrection of the dead Maharsha. accomplished by the prayer of
Rebbi Chiya and his sons. [See
At first glance, how can it be asked of each individual to Bava Metzia 85b, where it describes
attain this lofty level of prayer, the prayer of tzaddikim, the prayer of Rebbi Chiya and his
sons. Their prayer was so intense
and how is it even possible to attain it? Thus, there is that when they came to the words,
the prefatory request of bittul and deference to G-d, mechayei hameisim Who
resurrects the dead, the world
diminishing ones sense of self.
shook, in anticipation of the
imminent resurrection of the dead
Maharsha.] At first glance, how
can it be asked of each individual
to
attain
this
lofty
level of prayer, the prayer of
L-RD, OPEN MY LIPS IN PRAYER
tzaddikim, and how is it even possible to attain it?
Now, just as Torah requires bittul, so too with Thus, there is the prefatory request of bittul and
regard to prayer. Tfillos, therefore, begin with deference to G-d, diminishing ones sense of self:
the verse, L-rd, open my lips and my mouth Just as one asks open my lips in Torah that
shall recount Your praise. The meaning here, is ones study should be as one who responds after
explained by the Rebbe Maharash based on the the reader so too my mouth should recount
words of Maharam Alshich. Alshich interprets the Your praise that in prayer one simply recites
verse, L-rd, open my lips and my mouth shall and elicits the prayer of the Alm-ghty, that His
recount Your praise: We ask of Hashem, L-rd compassion should conquer His wrath. We ask
open my lips to learn Torah (as Targum interprets, in prayer that G-d should conquer the Attribute
open my lips in Torah). Torah is the word of G-d. of Judgment, limitations and boundaries, and
The study of Torah on the part of man is, therefore, He should bring about the joining of the physical
described as open[ing] my lips [i.e., G-d speaks with the Supernal (which is the general concept of
His words of Torah through the person], as in the prayer), thereby establishing a home for G-d in the
verse, My words, which I have placed in your physical world.
mouth as one who responds after the reader.
(To be continued beH)
Similarly we ask regarding prayer, and my mouth
shall recount thilasecha (Your praise) that also

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LETTERS FROM THE REBBE

EXCLUSIVE:
THE REBBES
SUPPORT
LETTER FOR
AMSHINOV
A rare and unique letter from the
Rebbe to the American Jewish
Distribution Committee asking for
support for the Amshinov Yeshiva
in Jerusalem and attesting to
the character of the Amshinov
Rebbe, Rabbi Yerachmiel Yehuda
Meir Kalisch.

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Letters from the Rebbe

he
American
Joint
Distribution Committee
(JDC) was founded in
1914 in New York with
the purpose of helping Jews living
in Palestine. In the following
years the organization grew to
become the most prominent Jewish
relief organization in the world,
supporting Jewish communities
across the globe with financial and
educational help.
Chabad
Chassidim
and
Mosdos in Russia, and later
in Europe, Israel and North
Africa, were recipients of tens
of millions of dollars in aid from
the JDC. The JDC Archives is an
extraordinary and unique treasure
in the archival world, containing
miles of text documents, among
them thousands of documents
pertaining to the work of Chabad
in the 20th Century.
In recent months these
archives have been digitized and
uploaded online, thanks to a

grant from Dr. Georgette Bennett


and Dr. Leonard Polonsky CBE.
We have combed through the
archives to bring our readers a
taste of Chabad history. This
week we present a rare letter
from the Rebbe to Dr. Moses
A. Leavitt from the JDC asking
for support for the Amshinov
Yeshiva in Jerusalem, attesting
to the character of the Amshinov
Rebbe.
Who was the Amshinover
Rebbe?
Rabbi Yerachmiel Yehuda
Meir Kalisch, the previous
Amshinover
Rebbe,
was
miraculously saved from the
Holocaust and spent the years
of World War II in Shanghai,
China, alongside the Chabad
Yeshiva Bochurim. In 1954 he
settled in Jerusalem and started
building the Amshinov Chassidus
in Israel, and in the late 1950s
he established the Shem Olam
Yeshiva in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Yerachmiel Yehuda Meir Kalisch, the previous Amshinover Rebbe

THE REBBES LETTER:


By the Grace of G-d
15th of Teveth, 5719
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Dr. Moses A. Leavitt
Joint Distribution Committee
3 East 54th Street
New York 22, N.Y.
Greeting and Blessing:
I am writing to you in behalf of
the application made by Yeshivas
Amshinov Shem Olam, of
Bayit VGan, Jerusalem, for the
immediate inclusion among the
Yeshivoth which receive annual
subventions from the JDC.
For many years I have
known the leaders of this worthy
segment of the orthodox Jewish
community, and am convinced
that the Yeshiva in question
merits the fullest support of the
JDC.
If
there
are
certain
technicalities to be overcome, I
am confident that with your good
will and influence a way will be
found to overcome them. I am
informed that a delegation of the
leaders of the Yeshiva in question
are ready and willing to meet
with you or with anyone else of
the JDC, to present any further
data that may be required. I
understand the application is due
for consideration within the next
few days, and I sincerely hope
that you will give it your prompt
and benevolent attention.
Assuring you of my sincere
appreciation, and with all good
wishes and
With blessing
M. Schneerson
May I take this opportunity to
put in a good word in connection
with our applications before
the Claims Conference, which
I believe are about to come up
for action. You have, in the past,
given us much needed support,

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and your direct intervention


has been decisive on more than
one occasion. I hope and trust
that you will once again take a
personal interest in the projects
submitted by our organizations,
with a view to ensuring their
receiving the most favorable
consideration and maximum
financial aid possible.

I thank you very much again.

A few days letter Dr. Leavitt


responded to the Rebbe:
December 30, 1958
Rabbi
Menachem
M.
Schneerson
770 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn 13, N.Y.

Dear Rabbi Schneerson


I have for acknowledgment
your letter of the 15th of Teveth,
5719, with reference to the
application made by the Yeshivah
Amshinov Shem Olam of
Jerusalem. So far as I know, the
question of whether or not this
yeshivah is eligible for help from
the JDC is decided in Israel and
it is on the recommendation of
the office in Israel that action is
taken by the Cultural Committee
here. I shall find out more about
the status and let you know.
I hope you will be satisfied
with the decisions of the Claims
Conference with respect to your
application and you must of
course bear in mind the large
number of requests of this nature
that are submitted for help.
With best wishes,
Sincerely yours.
Moses A. Leavitt

ADD IN ACTS OF GOODNESS & KINDNESS

TO BRING MOSHIACH NOW!


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SHLICHUS

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THE REBBE
REVEALED THE

ESSENCE
OF FRANCE
R Yosef Taieb, as a child, barely knew
anything about Judaism. Today, he is the rav
of two large communities, a shliach, a rosh
yeshiva and an Av Beis Din. * What is the
reason for the Jewish French Revolution since
the times of the Alter Rebbe? What changed
in France in recent years that did not exist
during the early, golden years?
By Shneur Zalman Levin

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Shlichus

he story of Rabbi Yosef


Taieb is a good example of
the huge Jewish revolution
that the Rebbe is leading
in the world. R Taieb, an Av Beis
Din, rav of two communities, a
rosh yeshiva and a shliach, was
a Parisian boy who yearned for
Torah. When he got a taste of
it, he was hooked and he now
disseminates it to thousands of
others.
He is the rav in Vincennes.
About 200 people daven every
Shabbos in his shul. This is
aside from the yeshiva which he
founded and runs. He is also rav
and shliach in the nearby city of
S Mande where about 100 people
daven on Shabbos.

WHEN THE REBBE


LOOKS, ITS DIFFERENT
Im addressing you, R
Taieb, because you represent
the Rebbes huge revolution in
France. As a young French boy
you became acquainted with
Judaism and now you yourself
are a shliach and rav of two
communities.
In the sicha the Rebbe said
on Parshas VaYeishev 5752,
he spoke primarily of the
revolution in France and Im
not talking about the historical
French Revolution. Im talking
about the spiritual revolution
accomplished by our Rebbeim.
As far as I know, the Rebbe
never delivered a sicha of this
sort about Eretz Yisroel, Russia
the cradle of Chassidus, and
not even about the United
States. Why France?
The Rebbe himself explains
in the sicha why he singles out
France. He says that the Alter
Rebbe did not approve of the
atmosphere of independence and
freedom that Napoleon offered
because it would foster a spiritual

deterioration. He preferred the


persecution of the czar with a
higher level of spiritual devotion.
Despite those preexisting
conditions, the Rebbe Rayatz,
a later successor of the Alter
Rebbe, founded a yeshiva in
France along the lines of that in
Lubavitch. That meant that the
great fear that the Rebbeim had
of France was gone, and not only
was there no longer any fear, but
they had transformed France
itself into a place of Torah and
Chassidus to the extent that the
Rebbe announced that France is
ready for the Geula after having
gone through all the necessary
birurim.
In order to understand the
significance of the revolution that
the Rebbe led and revealed to us,
I will preface it by saying that the
Torah calls the sages of Israel
the eyes of the congregation.
Tzaddikim have more powerful
vision than the eyes of the
congregation.
But
when
speaking of a Rebbe, the Rosh
Bnei Yisroel, thats something
else entirely. When the Rebbe
presents something as he sees it,
its not merely a description of
the situation, as important as that
might be; its a revelation of the
essence of the matter.
What is the difference between
a description of a situation and
revealing the essence?
When you go to a desert
and build a city there, the place
remains a desert. The only
difference is that now there is a
city in the desert. Its like a dark
room in which you place a lamp.
Whoever enters the room will see
a lit up area, but did the rooms
essence change to that of light?
No! The room, in essence, is
dark. Its just that now there is a
lamp so the room is illuminated.
But let us imagine a situation in
which the very existence of the

room becomes luminous. Then,


the light in the room is not a
revelation in a dark room, but
the essence of the room.
The only one who can declare
whether the light which is shining
now is merely a revelation or
whether the essence of the thing
has changed, is the Rebbe. Since
he is an expression of essence, he
can affect change on the essential
level and he can also reveal to us
that the change is an essential
one.
For example, during the Gulf
War the Rebbe said that Eretz
Yisroel is the safest place, since
the eyes of Hashem your God
are upon it from the beginning of
the year until the end of the year.
But the Torah itself says that, so
what was the Rebbe innovating?
And if its the safest place, how
could the destruction of the Beis
HaMikdash take place there and
what about all the tragedies over
the previous thousands of years?
The answer is that until our
generation the G-dly light that
illuminated Eretz Yisroel was
like light in a dark room. During
the days of Dovid HaMelech
and Shlomo HaMelech the light
shone and it was safe in Eretz
Yisroel, but this light could also
be concealed and then the Battei
Mikdash were destroyed. When
the Rebbe began talking about
Eretz Yisroel being the safest
place, he was telling us that
now the essence of Eretz Yisroel
illuminates with the light of the
eyes of Hashem your G-d, and
therefore, from now on, it wont
change, because essence does not
change.
Now, getting back to our
subject for many years France
was a place of Torah. Rashi lived
in France, R Yechiel of Paris
was here, the Baalei HaTosafos
learned and taught Torah here,
and Torah went forth from

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France to Jews all over the world.


However, France was still like
a room which is basically dark
but has light illuminating it
temporarily. The situation could
change and did indeed change
and France became a dangerous
place for Judaism and Jews to
the extent that the Alter Rebbe
rejected it.
However, in recent years a
spiritual revolution has taken
place, from the root, in which
France was made ready for
Geula, not because of the Jewish
communities or because of the
Jewish atmosphere which you can
find there, but because France, in
essence, changed. It has become
ready for the Geula.

THE REBBE
CHANGED THE ESSENCE
R Taieb married on 4
Tammuz 5750 and learned for
one year in kollel. That year he
had many shlichus offers, among
them in France, Eretz Yisroel,
and other countries. He wrote
all the offers and noted in which
places he was afraid that his
arrival could stir up disputes. The
Rebbe deleted the words in which
he expressed his fears of disputes
and responded, Do according
to the advice of knowledgeable
friends. He consulted his friends
and made the decision to go on
shlichus to France.
When I wrote about this
decision to the Rebbe, he
responded with: 1) consent and
blessing, 2) it is correct.
I left for shlichus in
Sarcelles, under the shliach R
Yaakov Bitton. I worked there
for three years and then decided
to go on shlichus to cities where
there still werent permanent
shluchim. I felt I was ready to
prepare another point in France
to welcome Moshiach. That

was at the beginning of 5754.


I traveled to the Rebbe and
submitted my note. In response
to my question whether I should
leave, the Rebbe nodded his head
in agreement. When I asked
whether to look for a place of
shlichus in Eretz Yisroel since
that is where my wife is from
and I had some offers, the Rebbe
shook his head no.
I received an offer to go on
shlichus to Vincennes. I asked the
Rebbes European representative,
R Binyamin Gorodetzky, for his
approval and he gave it and Ive
been here ever since. There are
close to 10,000 Jews here.
Friends who heard that
I was going on shlichus to
Vincennes were surprised. The
rav of the Jewish community
under the auspices of the Jewish
Federation, R Yitzchok Kapetas,
is from a Litvishe background
and many people thought we
wouldnt get along. Actually, we
are good friends.
I started my shlichus by

giving shiurim. I made myself


guidelines so as not to create
conflicts with the rav. Among
other things, I would not work
with people who attended his
shiurim. I would only draw
close those who had no formal
connection to him.
The beginning was very
hard. At first, he would go
every morning from Sarcelles to
Vincennes and would learn with
one person in some improvised
place, until the afternoon.
Sometimes, they sat and learned
in the cold without any source
of heat. They didnt even have
a table and they lay a door on
improvised legs and that was
their table. Later on, when he
began making connections with
other people, he decided to rent a
place for his activities. His work
expanded as did the demand, and
a kosher restaurant and a new
mikva were opened.
As we spoke about shlichus
which is done through the prism
of Torah, I presented R Taieb
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Shlichus
with the following question:

WHY DOES THE YESHIVA


REPRESENT THE
REVOLUTION?
In the Rebbes sicha of
5752, he cited as a symbol of
the revolution the fact that a
Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim was
founded in France, and not the
spread of Judaism on such an
impressive scale. Why is that?
Indeed,
the
Rebbe,
in
speaking of the revolution in
France, did not talk about the
numerous baalei teshuva or the
many activities and programs,
or about hafatza and the spirit of
Judaism that began to penetrate
the streets. Thats not it, because
that could also happen when the
place is dark and an external light
is lit.
What did the Rebbe look at?
At Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim as
it was in Lubavitch. The Rebbe
zeroes in on the founding of
the yeshiva by the Rebbe Rayatz
because that expresses the
essential change.
A lot has been said about
the great innovation that was
Yeshivas
Tomchei
Tmimim
and it is said that the Rebbe
Rashab spent ten years visiting
the gravesites of the Rebbeim
before he opened his yeshiva.
Whats so hard about opening a
yeshiva? For until then, the study
of Chassidus was like a light in a
dark place; the Rebbe wanted to
found a yeshiva whose essence
would be a G-dly light.
Therefore, the fact that
the Rebbe Rayatz founded the
yeshiva in France revealed that
the change in France was not in
the category of revelation but in
the very essence. France, since
the time of the Alter Rebbe, had
changed from the root.
The Gemara talks about

a situation in which a person


known to be wicked betroths a
woman when he says to her, You
are sanctified to me on condition
that I am utterly righteous. The
din is that she is considered a
possibly married woman even
though everyone knows the man
to be wicked. Why? Lest he had
a thought of repentance.
How much Torah did he learn
since we saw him last and until
he sanctified his wife? None.
What mitzvos did he manage to
do in the interim? None. So why
is she sanctified in marriage?
Because maybe he had a thought
of teshuva and if so, an essential
change occurred, even though
that change has yet to become
manifest in ways that can be seen
by all.
This is what the Rebbe said
about the revolution in France,
referring to it as an essential
change.
From the Alter Rebbe until
the Rebbe Rayatz, who founded
the yeshiva, 150 years passed,
during which a great change
took place. Most of the Rebbeim
operated in France. When do
you think the essential change
occurred?
I cant tell you because the
Rebbe himself in the sicha did
not speak about that specifically,
but it seems that the change
took place gradually over the
years. We know that even the
Rebbe Maharash went especially
to France in order to extract a
lofty neshama out of the klipos,
as the Rebbe told in his first
maamer, Basi LGani. There is no
question that this event shows a
partial breaking of the klipa that
is France.
As you said, the Rebbe refers
to the change that occurred
with the founding of Yeshivas
Tomchei Tmimim in France.
There were many people and

organizations
that
started
yeshivos in France over the
years and nevertheless, that still
did not kosherize the klipa of
France. Why is that?
When the Rebbe speaks about
something, he reveals the essence
of the thing. Thats a Rebbe. He
sees everything in its source.
You can be a distinguished
askan or an important rosh
yeshiva and you may have started
a yeshiva in France, but you
did not accomplish a change
in France on an essential level.
When a Rebbe (in this case, the
Rebbe Rayatz) opens a yeshiva
in France, that is an act which
transforms the essence of France.
It is not a superficial treatment
but something which affects the
source of klipa. Why? Because
when a Rebbe does something, he
channels something new into the
world, essential and substantive.
Ordinary people cannot do
that. When a person wants to
open a yeshiva in France, thats
good and important, but you
are a private person and your
actions are limited to a certain
place, time, and field. It is not
something which affects the
essence of France.

THE REBBE
REVEALS IT TO US
What does it mean to reveal
the nekuda?
Ill give you an example. The
Rebbe Maharash once said the
aphorism, lchatchilla aribber.
Only the Rebbe could take
this phrase and reveal that this
expresses the very essence of the
Rebbe Maharash. Today it is so
taken for granted that when you
ask someone to sing a niggun
of the Rebbe Maharash, he will
immediately start singing the
niggun Lchatchilla Aribber. A
root-essence revelation like that

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is something only a Rebbe can


disclose.
So too with the maamer
Basi LGani. The Rebbe made it
into the foundation of our lives,
we of the seventh generation.
The Rebbe Rayatz said many
maamarim and the maamer Basi
LGani could have been regarded
as another maamer in a series of
hundreds of maamarim. But the
Rebbe revealed to us that being
the seventh generation is the
essence of our generation.

GEMATRIA ALLUDES
TO ESSENCE
In the sicha, the Rebbe
mentions the fact that Tzorfas
(France) are the same letters as
paratzta (to break forth). What
is the significance of that?
Many people like to play
with gematriyos and get excited
about them. Its brought in
sfarim that not everyone can
connect different topics through
gematriyos. What the Alter Rebbe
brings at the beginning of the
Shaar HaYichud VHaEmuna
about
letters
and
their
replacements, combinations and
gematriyos, is not something that
was given over to every person,
just like not everyone can make a
gzeira shava.
Therefore, when the Rebbe
sits at the farbrengen on Shabbos
Parshas VaYeishev 5752 and says
that Tzorfas is the gematria of
770, paratzta, Chabads slogan,
its not cute word play but
expresses the very essence of the
matter.
Chassidus explains the words
of the Zohar, Rabbi Shimon
opened and said, that its not
just that he spoke but that Rashbi
opened new channels of Torah
and drew new revelations down
from heaven. That is something
only a Nasi HaDor can do.

It is important to remember
that when the Rebbe speaks
about something, its not just
a nice idea; it is the essence
of the thing as it is revealed
in the world at this time. The
Rebbe begins to speak about
the essence of a thing as it is in
its source and draws it down
to the level of revealed reality.
Consequently, until the Rebbe
spoke about France being 770
and paratzta, this idea did not
exist, even if someone else would
have noticed the gematria and
pointed it out. It is meaningful
only from the moment the Rebbe
speaks about it, for he reveals the
new idea and brings it into the
world, something which a private
individual cannot do.

CONNECTING THE JEWS OF


FRANCE TO THE REBBE
R Taiebs parental home
was traditional and he attended
a Jewish school which enabled
the students to stay in class after

school for more intensive Torah


study with volunteer rabbis.
That is how Yosef, who was
thirteen, met R Refael Cohen, a
Lubavitcher Chassid, who taught
him basic ideas of Judaism.
When R Cohen saw how
serious Yosef was, he invited him
to Shabbos meals, after which he
would teach him Sichos.
The marvelous way that the
Rebbe illuminates many topics
in the Written and Oral Torah
won me over despite my young
age and limited knowledge at the
time, says R Taieb.
Within a short time, Yosef
felt that he belonged in a yeshiva
but his parents wanted him to
first finish his matriculation
exams. They agreed to ask the
Rebbe who responded to a list of
other questions in his letter but
not about yeshiva. That is what
happened with other letters he
wrote to the Rebbe too.
When I visited the Rebbe,

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Shlichus

Could anyone say that the Chanukah victory


was because of the mighty Maccabim?
Obviously not. It was Hashems miracle. The same is true
for shlichus in France. There is no correlation between
what the shluchim do and the huge results. It is obvious
that it is not our success but the Rebbes.
the idea of needing to give
oneself over completely to him
became much sharper for me, an
idea which I always heard from
shluchim and Anash in France.
Even when I travelled to 770 and
wrote to the Rebbe a number
of times about my desire to
attend yeshiva I did not receive a
response. I was very surprised by
this. Did the Rebbe not want me
to attend yeshiva?
After Pesach I had an
appointment to see the Rebbe. I
was very overwrought. The night
before I couldnt sleep at all. I
fasted and finished saying all of
Thillim with great emotion.
Those minutes that I
stood near the Rebbes room
are engraved within me. My
eyes were downcast and I felt
terrified. The door opened and
there I was, before the Rebbe.
The Rebbe asked me where I won
the raffle for my trip and who I
represented. I said I came from
Paris. The Rebbe took a paper
on his desk and wrote Paris on
it. Then he asked me whether I
had received participation-money
from the secretaries, $30 that
were intended half for tzdaka
and half towards a farbrengen. I
said I had received it. Then the
Rebbe read the note I submitted
in which I had written my desire
to attend yeshiva. The Rebbe
said, Regarding yeshiva, ask
a mashpia whether there is a
chavrusa for you and success in
spreading the wellsprings.
I had some questions which I

had submitted to the office before


the yechidus and the Rebbe
answered them all.
R Taieb left the Rebbes
room with tears in his eyes. That
year, his family moved to Eretz
Yisroel and he attended Yeshivas
Tomchei Tmimim in Lud for two
years. Two years later, his parents
moved back to France and he
divided his learning between the
yeshiva in Kfar Chabad and the
yeshiva in Brunoy.
Today, as mentioned earlier,
he is a dayan and a rav of a big
community (and a neighboring
community)
and
runs
a
successful yeshiva in Vincennes.
When I arrived, there were
just two men with beards, me and
the Litvishe rav. Today there are
dozens of religious Jews who are
Chassidim. The mikva that we
built (the only one here) brought
purity into the homes of about
300 families.
You lead large communities
as both the mara dasra and the
shliach. When we speak about
the Jewish revolution in France,
no doubt you see it in your daily
shlichus.
Absolutely. In France there
is something amazing that you
dont find anywhere else. There is
Judaism in England and Antwerp.
There are beautiful communities
of G-d fearing Jews, Chassidim
and shuls, mikvaos etc. and yet,
when you come to France its
completely different. In those
other countries, Judaism is still

in the category of shtetl life, an


enclave. When Judaism is in the
ghetto, it shows that the place is
not yet fit for the revelation of
G-dliness, which is why we need
to cloister ourselves.
When you come to France,
you see that Judaism here is
not in the shtetl but part of the
very fabric of French Jewry. You
see Jews who make a living and
look like French citizens, but
they walk in the street with their
tzitzis out. They draw Torah
into the French experience of
life. Judaism has become part of
their Frenchness. Its not two
separate things.
Of course, this is seen in the
increasing number of kosher
stores, in the kollels and yeshivos
that are being founded, one
after another, and in the kosher
restaurants. But these are only
external things which express
the depth of the change in the
essence of France, as the Rebbe
spoke about the change even
in the French national anthem
which was elevated to holiness.
The change is not cosmetic
but reaches the deepest most
essential levels. Its an incredible
phenomenon.
You feel that the Jews in
France are already deep within
this process. Even Jews who are
not yet religious are open and
receptive as though they are just
waiting for you to approach them
and talk to them about Judaism.
There are no longer any barriers.
You meet a Jew on the street and
you dont know where they are
from but they soon say to you
that they are connected to the
Rebbe, are familiar with what
he says, are particular about
mitzvos, and they are connected.
You are not talking about
quantity are you?
The quantity issue will never
end because as long as Moshiach

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is not revealed, there will always


be Jews in France that still need
to be drawn close to Judaism and
G-d. Im talking about quality
you see Jews who are connected
to the Rebbe, who have a soul
connection to G-dliness, even
if they are not completely
observant. The situation in
France is G-dliness as the
simple reality. Judaism has
penetrated and it is the defining
essence of French Jewry, not an
add-on. Over here, Judaism is
not in the ghetto; it is not holed
up in a shtetl.
When you talk about Jews
connected to the Rebbe, you
surely have a part in it by
bringing groups to the Rebbe
every year. That definitely helps
your connection and their
hiskashrus to the Rebbe.
I bring groups of people to the
Rebbe four times a year: groups
of men, women, young men and
young women, and that is aside
from the big group that goes for
Tishrei and other special days in
the Chabad calendar.
How do you convince them
to join you?
Who says I have to convince
anyone? I dont need to convince
them! Its part of the essential
reality here. When you reach
these Jews you feel that they
are ready and its like they were
waiting for you to draw them in.
The change that happens in them
is a deep, fundamental change.
Of course there is more work to
be done with them but the work
only entails revealing what is
already there.
What happens when the
groups come here?
When they get to the Rebbe,
to 770, they finally realize what
they already knew deep inside.
There is a sicha of the Rebbe
Rayatz which says that when
Moshiach comes, those Jews who

into the hands of the weak and


many into the hands of the few.
Would someone say that the
victory was because of the mighty
Maccabim? Obviously not. It
was Hashems miracle. The same
is true for shlichus in France.
There is no correlation between
what we, the shluchim, do, and
the huge results. It is obvious
that it is not our success but the
Rebbes.
If a shliach feels that there is
linkage between him and what
he accomplishes, he is not giving
room for the Rebbe to operate
within his shlichus. The only
connection between the shliach
and the results is the Rebbe
himself.
learned Chassidus during galus
will see all the revelations that
they learned about, and they will
say, Aha, thats what we were
learning about! The expression
aha is used to express that
which you knew before on a
theoretical level and now see it
with your eyes.
When a Jew from here goes to
visit 770, he sees 770, he sees the
place of the Rebbe, he sees and
senses the holiness and G-dliness
and he says, Aha, now I see what
I felt all along and couldnt put
into words.
Everything you see here in
the community, the big mosdos,
is not my work. It a change and
revolution that is superhuman.
Its all to the Rebbes credit. He
does everything. As the Rebbe
once put it, We plowed and you
harvest. The fact that Hashem
had mercy on me and gave me
the opportunity to do some of the
work and to do so among French
Jews still does not explain the
revolution that took place here.
Coming
from
Chanuka,
we said, You gave the strong

BEING JEWISH PUBLICLY IN


FRANCE, EVEN NOW
A year ago, there was an
attack in the kosher supermarket
near the district of S Mande
which made the Jews in the city
even more jittery than before.
Even before that attack, there was
tension in the city and the police
told community leaders that
police forces would be protecting
the synagogues.
After the latest attacks in
France, the question is, how did
you celebrate Chanuka?
I told my congregants before
the holiday that everything would
take place as usual, just as the
Rebbe wants it. If the government
or police would not allow us to
do a certain public event, there
wouldnt be much we could do
about that, but as long as it was
legal, we had to do everything we
could to spread the light.
We need to look at all the
recent events in France as part
of the progression toward Geula.
The world is in an uproar.
Humble ones, the time for your
redemption has arrived.

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HAKHEL & MOSHIACH

UNITY
THROUGH
HALACHA
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon

Dear Reader shyichyeh,


This
Shabbos
(Parshas
Shmos) falls out between two
very special dates: 20 Teves
the Yahrtzait of the Rambam,
and 24 Teves, the Yahrtzait of
the Alter Rebbe. Much has been
written and explained about the
similarities between these two
giants. This article is to explain
the Hakhel Connection to
the two baalei hilula and the
connection to Moshiach (based
on the sicha of Shmos 5748).
On a very basic level, the
Rambam and the Alter Rebbe
were both codifiers of Jewish law.
Even though by learning basic
Halacha we ignore the depth
and analysis of the reasons for
the Halacha, learning Halacha
touches the core and essential
connection of a Jew with
Hashem. There are two very
distinct Hakhel components to
this idea:
Firstly, to codify Jewish law,
one must gather from all the
different parts of the Torah and
compile it together. To come to
a Halachic ruling, one must sift
through the entire corpus of the
Talmud and its commentaries,
figure out the conclusion, and
explain the variegated details in

an orderly fashion. This is the


concept of Hakhel, i.e., gathering
together, in Torah itself.
[We also see this idea in
the Alter Rebbes basic Seifer
of Chassidus, the Tanya. The
name of the seifer is Likkutei
Amarim, which means a
collection and gathering of
teachings.]
We also see the idea of
gathering and uniting in Halacha,
in the fact that although there
may be multiple opinions on any
given matter, once the Halacha
is established, everyone unites
around it and follows the same
Halacha.
Secondly, the entire concept
of Hakhel is to strengthen a Jews
commitment to Hashem. In the
words of the Pasuk (Dvarim
31:12): Assemble the people:
the men, the women, and the
children, and your stranger in
your cities, in order that they
hear, and in order that they learn
and fear the Lord, your God,
and they will observe to do all the
words of this Torah.
How does one observe to
do all the words of this Torah?
There is only one way: through
following Halacha. Halacha is
Hashems wisdom for a Jew to

live and direct his life. As Yidden


which are being inspired by the
year of Hakhel, we have to thank
the Alter Rebbe and the Rambam
for putting the halachos together
so that we can learn them in an
orderly and practical fashion
and cement our commitment to
Hashem.
This idea that something
that looks external, like the final
Halacha, is connected to the
essence of Hashem is also
connected to the name of this
weeks Parsha, Parshas Shmos.
The word Shmos means Names.
A nameis seemingly something
very external; something that
someone uses to call a different
person. Seemingly, if someone
lived in isolation he would not
need a name. Yet we see that
when one calls the name of
another person, the entire person
turns to him, with their entire
essence.
There is a well known story
of the Alter Rebbe who was
holding his young grandson, the
Tzemach Tzedek, in his lap. The
child said to his grandfather:
Zeide, Zeide!
The Alter Rebbe asked
him: Where is Zeide? The
grandson pointed to the head of

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his grandfather. The Alter Rebbe


said, This is the head, but its not
Zeide. The child then pointed to
the Alter Rebbes heart and said,
This is Zeide. The Alter Rebbe
responded, This is the heart, but
its not Zeide. The grandson
continued to point to the other
parts of the Alter Rebbes body
in order to find the place where
Zeide is. To all these attempts
the Alter Rebbe responded that
he had merely indicated a specific
limb of Zeide, but not Zeide.
The child then climbed down
from his grandfathers lap and
began walking around on his
own. When he approached the
door, he pretended that his
fingers had gotten caught in the
door and began to yell, Zeide,
Zeide!
The Alter Rebbe turned to the
child and said: What is it my

son; what happened? The child


replied: This is Zeide!!
This story demonstrates that
although a name is seemingly
external to the person, and
is only necessary for others,
paradoxically, the name of a
person relate to his very essence.
Learning Halacha is also very
connected with Moshiach: Chazal
(Midrash VaYikra 7:3) tells us
that the geula will come in the
merit of learning Mishnayos. The
Rebbe explains (Toras Menachem
5752 Vol. 1 pg. 179 footnote 17)
that this includes and means
the learning of Rambam and
Halachos. For when Moshiach
comes, we will see the special
essential connection that Hashem
has with Halacha as is evident by
the fact that Halacha will never
be abolished.




In conclusion: In honor of the


Rambam and Alter Rebbe, let us
renew our dedication to learning
the daily cycle of Rambam that
the Rebbe initiated and make
sure to add in our learning of
Halacha. This is a true benefit
to us, as Chazal (Tanchuma
BShalach 20) say: One who is
involved in his livelihood and
makes an effort to learn just two
Halachos in the morning and two
Halachos at night, is considered
as if he kept the entire Torah!
This is in addition to the famous
Tanna dBei Eliyahu which says,
Whoever learns halachos every
day is guaranteed a portion in the
World to Come.
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas
Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well sought after
speaker and lecturer. Recordings of his in-depth
shiurim on Inyanei Geula uMoshiach can be
accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com.

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

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

IssueMoshiach
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learning
the Torah
sources about Moshiach & redemption" t"ab,wv grumnu ghrz, p"a

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Radio Moshiach & Redemption


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1620-1640 AM around Crown Heights & Boro Park


12/29/2015 8:47:03 AM
& 1710 AM in parts of Brooklyn 24/6
worldwide live broadcast: www.RadioMoshiach.org

CHINUCH

BRINGING
OUR BOYS
HOME
FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
18 20 Teives 5776 - Hakhel
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In a wide-ranging campaign which


includes numerous volunteers, the Rebbes
shluchim at Ohr Shneur in Aubervilliers
near Paris are working on transferring
Jewish children from public school to
Jewish schools. * R Eliezer Nisselevich,
one of the directors of Ohr Shneur and the
initiator of this campaign, talks about the
difficulties and successes and has moving
stories to share.
By Zalman Tzorfati

atrick Selem (a pseudonym) is a


Jewish boy who lives in a suburb
of Paris. Like most Jews in France,
his parents have some traditional
background. They go to shul on Yom
Kippur, they eat traditional holiday foods
and support Israel. That, more or less, sums
up their connection with Judaism.
Like tens of thousands of other Jews
from the identical background, Patrick
walked every morning to the public school
on the end of the street opposite his house.
His classmates come from a variety of
religions and nationalities, from French
Catholics, Moslem Arabs, Africans, Asians
and others.
Patrick is a smart boy and excels
socially and athletically. He gets good
marks and was one of the best students
in the school. The fact that he is a Jew
never concerned him; he did not know
much about his Judaism. He knew he is
a Jew, of course, and even observed a few
mitzvos and ceremonies, but it wasnt that
meaningful to him.
The situation could have continued like
this with Patrick going from elementary
school to higher education, and then to
university. It is doubtful whether he would
have had a Jewish family. But the ringing
of the telephone one night was the impetus
for a major change in Patricks life.
On the line was one of the shluchos
in Aubervilliers, speaking on behalf of the
Chabad School called Shneur. She asked
to meet them to discuss Jewish education
for their son. The topic of Jewish education
came up now and then for discussion in
Patricks family, but they usually quickly
dropped it. The main reason was the cost.
Their financial situation did not allow
them to consider the high tuition payments
that the private Jewish school required
and there was also their distance from
the school. Aside from that, Patrick was
an excellent student and they were afraid
that the academic level in a Jewish school,
particularly a religious one, would be lower
in the general studies department.
The meeting with the shlucha went well
and Patrick was registered for the Shneur
School in Aubervilliers. The tuition was
nearly comparable to that of the public

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Chinuch
school, safe and convenient
transportation took Patrick every
morning to Shneur, and the
shlucha told the parents about
the impressive achievements of
the school on state tests and the
high percentage of students who
matriculated.
Patrick switched schools and
quickly made new friends and
acclimated to the refined, Jewish
school. The change was extreme
and noticeably for the better, but
that was just the beginning. The
kippa that Patrick began wearing

The big problem of secular education, aside


from the educational one, is the problem of
assimilation. Over 80% intermarry following attendance
in non-Jewish schools. This is a tragedy!

in school remained on his head


and worked overtime.
Slowly, the entire family
got into the swing of things,
thanks to Patrick who was now
called Pinchas. The parents,
who wanted to narrow the gap,
newly created between them and
their son, asked the school what
to do. They were invited to a
series of classes and meetings
in which parents were guided in
how to understand the new way
of life their son was acquiring,
the son who had recently shared
a desk with a Moslem of African
descent.

THE SHOCKING
ASSIMILATION RATE
Patricks story is the story of
dozens and hundreds of children
who switched from public school
to Jewish education in France,
following the registration drive
that began three years ago by
the Shneur school system in

Aubervilliers.
The official statistics of the
Jewish community in France
speak about 100,000 school
age children, says R Eliezer
Nisselevitz, member of the
hanhala of Shneur and initiator
of the registration drive. Only
25,000 attend Jewish schools.
That means, 75,000 Jewish
children are in non-Jewish
schools, and unfortunately a
high percentage of them attend
Christian schools.
The big problem of secular
education, aside from the
educational one, is the problem
of assimilation. Over 80%
intermarry following attendance
in non-Jewish schools. This is a
tragedy!

TUITION AND
TRANSPORTATION
As mentioned, the two main
sticking points are tuition and
transportation. Since the Jewish
schools are private and are

not financed by the Education


Ministry, most of the budget
comes from tuition. This causes
the tuition to be high, especially
in comparison to free education
in public schools.
Monthly tuition can be 400500 Euros a month. A family
with several children can end up
spending a salary and even more
just on tuition payments, says R
Nisselevitz.
As for the registration drive
started three years ago to transfer
Jewish children from non-Jewish
schools to Jewish schools, Its
a special project and I am sure it
gives a lot of nachas to the Rebbe.
We advertised in the French
media, putting ads on television
stations that are broadcast all
over France, in newspapers
and various media. We set up
a special hotline which receives
calls and refers them to our staff.
The calls sometimes come from
families who saw the ad and
sometimes from a third party like
family, friends or acquaintances,
who contact us about a family
whose children attend nonJewish
schools.
Our
staff
members, who are experts in this,
contact the family, sit with them,
and professionally and sensitively
address all the obstacles that
stand in the way of registering a
child in a Jewish school.
What they offer is subsidized
tuition and transportation, which
provide an answer to the two
main problems that always faced
parents who considered sending
their children to a Jewish school.
We advertised that we
accept children and take into
consideration the situation of
each parent. Its not free but we
subsidize as much as we can.
We check the parents income
and charge very low tuition and
sometimes even provide free
schooling.

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18 TRANSPORTATION LINES
Another problem is the
distance to school. Many Jews
live in distant places that make
it difficult for them because they
go to work early. This is why we
set up a transportation system to
bring the children to school. We
now have eighteen transportation
lines that take and bring the
children home.
The anti-Semitic atmosphere
and Islamic terrorism that is
overtaking Europe and France
in particular has led to a large
wave of aliya from France. Jewish
schools began emptying out.
Usually, the children who attend
Jewish schools are the first to
make aliya since their connection
to Judaism is greater. They are
usually from more established
families that have the means
to make aliya. This has had a
great impact on the institutions
in France. Many schools had to
close classes because of aliya.
When these schools heard that
we are doing a registration drive,
they also realized the necessity in
lowering the tuition so as to get
children who are attending free
public schools. However, they are
not doing it on the same scale as
we are.

PROPER INTEGRATION
This costs a fortune. Where
do you get the money from?
The transportation alone
costs us 25,000 Euros a month!
We try and get donors but its
never enough and we are far
from stabilizing the schools
situation. Every month we need
to cover an enormous deficit.
Boruch Hashem there are good
Jews who help but we are still far
from comfortable.
The children coming to you
because of the registration drive
are coming from a completely

One of the children said that at school he would


hide his Magen Dovid necklace under his shirt.
One day, it came out during sports. Some boys went over
to him and said, We see youre a Jew. He said Yes, I am
a Jew. They took the Magen Dovid that he was wearing
and made a cut in his throat.

different background. How does


their transfer from public school
work? How do they integrate
into the existing system?
We have a special class
for beginners that prepares the
children, teaches them Alef-Beis,
and tells them about the holiness
of Shabbos and holidays and
about upcoming holidays. They
immediately get a taste of it. For
example, with Chanuka, they
are given menorahs and taught
the brachos and the importance
of the holiday. They are told to
spread the information. We also
have a public menorah lighting
in the center of town which every
school attends.

There are those among the


newcomers who even encourage
the old-time students with their
excitement and simple sincerity,
and it is often hard to tell that
these children were once in nonJewish environments.
It is important to mention
that we put invest a lot of effort
into our connections with these
families, for when a child comes
from that kind of background to
our schools, it obviously raises
the level at home. A gap is created
between parents and children
when their children attend Jewish
schools and we work to close the
gap as quickly as we can.
To achieve this we have

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Chinuch
special classes for parents every
morning for those who are not
rushing to work. Parents who
take their children to school have
a forty-five minute class at the
school. We get involved, we help
with shalom bayis and in general
with their kiruv to Judaism. There
are some families who became
more observant and made aliya
as a result of this campaign and
integrated into religious schools
in Eretz Yisroel.
Every Tuesday we have a
full day of classes for parents on
an array of subjects: Hebrew,
Halacha, Tanya, etc. Every parent
finds the time that is convenient
for them. At certain times, there
are even 15-20 parents sitting
and learning.
We have countless touching
stories. We often find out
how much children suffered
beforehand in their non-Jewish
school. They had thought there
was no way out for them. They
did not share what they were
going through and only after they
transferred to our school did they
start to talk about what they went
through.

CUT IN THE THROAT AND


PRETENDING TO BE ARAB
One of the children said
that at school he would hide his
Magen Dovid necklace under his
shirt. One day, it came out during
sports. Some boys went over to
him and said, We see youre a
Jew. He said Yes, I am a Jew.
They took the Magen Dovid that
he was wearing and made a cut
in his throat. He began bleeding
and the school sent him home.
His parents went to the
school afterward to complain,
but the principal said it was the
childs fault, He shouldnt have
come to school with obvious
Jewish symbols.

There are plenty of stories


like this. Many parents say that
their children pretend to be Arabs
because they are afraid to identify
as Jews. For many children, the
switch to our school is a switch
from hell to heaven.
Sometimes the bus route is
very long. Some people live thirty
kilometers from the school and
they need to get up early to come
on time. We start at 8:30 and
they need to leave home at 6:45.
They get up two hours earlier
than they did with their previous
school and the children still come
happily.
Word is getting out and
people are calling us. Remember,
the level of the general studies
is very good. At the end of
last year the class that had to
take the matriculation exam all
passed with a better than perfect
score, and to the parents this is
very important. We have a very
devoted staff. Its a school that
has been in existence for over
fifty years and Boruch Hashem
we invest a lot into the quality.
Often, children come to visit
the school just one time and they
tell their parents they are staying
here and not going back to their
previous school.
Mrs. Nisselevitz checks out
the level of the child and what
class he belongs in and whether
he needs extra help.

WHY DIDNT WE DO THIS


UNTIL NOW?
What happened all of a
sudden three years ago that you
decided to do this?
The question ought to be
why we didnt do this sooner.
We never refused any child who
came to us and we did everything
we could so that he would be
successful here. We figured, if
thats the case, why shouldnt

hundreds more children benefit


in the same way? After all, even
before the registration drive,
when parents couldnt pay we
would subsidize the cost.
But there is no comparison
between a few children and
numerous children which costs
a fortune!
True.
This
campaign
simply suits us as Lubavitcher
Chassidim. The Rebbe did all he
could so that no Jew would be
neglected and he pleaded that
we take in as many children as
possible who are not receiving a
Jewish education.
Perhaps it is also connected
to the anti-Semitism in France
in recent years?
Not
necessarily.
The
campaign began not because of
anti-Semitism but because of
assimilation. We decided that at
least we could help these children
so they have spiritual stability.
We said that if we help G-ds
children spiritually, He will help
us materially.

MATERIAL AND
SPIRITUAL RESCUE
Do
you
also
have
Lubavitcher children in your
school?
We have a program in which
the children learn only Jewish
subjects and there are mostly
children of Anash there. The
children who come in through
the registration drive go to the
regular school where there are
general studies too.
Each child is a world. A book
can be written about each one.
There are children who come
from homes where we cannot
describe how far the parents are
from any crumb of Judaism and
this literally saves them spiritually
and materially too.

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PARSHA THOUGHT

GIVE CREDIT
WHERE
CREDIT IS DUE
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

IDENTIFYING THE
MYSTERY EGYPTIAN
Moshe killed an Egyptian
taskmaster, fled the wrath of
Pharaoh and ended up in Midyan,
where he saved the daughters of
Yisro from some shepherds who
harassed them.
When they returned home,
Yisro asked them, How could
you come so quickly? They
responded, An Egyptian man
saved us from the shepherds and
he even drew water for us and
watered the sheep.
Why did they refer to Moshe
as an Egyptian?
The Midrash provides two
explanations:
The first is that he was
dressed in Egyptian attire.
The second is that they were
actually referring to the Egyptian
taskmaster who Moshe killed.
The Midrash explains that when
the daughters of Yisro expressed
gratitude to Moshe because he
saved them from the shepherds,
Moshe said to them, It was
that Egyptian whom I killed that
saved you. Therefore, they said
to their father, An Egyptian man
saved us, meaning to say: Who
caused Moshe to come to our

aid? An Egyptian man whom


Moshe killed.
If not for the death of the
Egyptian taskmaster, Moshe
would not have been forced
to flee to Midyan and Yisros
daughters would not have been
saved by him. Hence, indirectly,
the Egyptian taskmaster was the
one who saved them.

NO GRATITUDE TO EVIL!
This explanation demands
further explanation. How could
one be thankful for the cruel,
sadistic and evil taskmaster who
was engaged in brutally attacking
a helpless Jewish slave? Are we
to conclude that we should be
grateful to evil people generally
because, occasionally, their evil
elicits a positive response from
others or has a ripple effect,
which, in the long run, might put
someone in the right place at the
right time?
Imagine someone is drowning
and a person fleeing from a
terrorist jumps into the water
and saves him. Should the one
rescued from drowning express
gratitude to the terrorist?
Obviously, one does not
thank a criminal whose illegal
behavior may lead to a positive

outcome. If that were the case we


would be singing the praises of
as many evil people as we do of
good people.

ABSOLUTE HUMILITY
Rather, as Eitz Yosef (a
Midrashic commentary) explains,
Moshe, in his humility, sought to
downplay his own role in saving
the daughters of Yisro. Instead,
Eitz Yosef writes, he sought to
get the daughters of Yisro to
express gratitude to G-d, who
orchestrated these events.
The above explanation is
based on the theological paradox
that while we have free choice
in deciding to do good or evil,
everything that happens is by
Divine Providence.
Hence, while the sadistic
Egyptian taskmaster was fully
responsible for his evil actions
and received his just deserts,
the entire episode was part of
the Divine plan that lead to the
liberation of the Jewish people
from Egyptian bondage.
Moshe
alluded
to
the
Egyptian taskmaster to impress
upon Yisros daughters that their
salvation, although directly the
result of Moshes personal choice
to perform a Mitzvah, was part
of G-ds plan. Moshes response
was more a lesson in Jewish
theology than an expression of
his personal humility.
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Parsha Thought

WHY THE REPETITION

WATERSHED EVENT

A question still remains


though. Why would Yisros
daughters
repeat
Moshes
disclaimer that the Egyptian
taskmaster
was
indirectly
responsible for their salvation? By
repeating Moshes downplaying
of his role, they were denying
him the credit he deserved.
Although one may answer
this question by asserting that
Yisros daughters were trying to
demonstrate Moshes humility
to their father, a question still
gnaws: How can the Torah
ascribe salvation of the Jewish
people to the cruel and sadistic

We must also realize that this


event was a watershed event in
Moshes life and by extension the
lives of the Jewish nation with
repercussions for all eternity.
Through Moshes relationship
with Yisro, he was chosen as the
Liberator of the Jewish people:
First, while tending Yisros
flocks Moshe ran after a stray
lamb and found it at the site of
the Burning Bush. It was at that
moment that G-d determined
Moshes worthiness as a leader,
as one who cared even for the
least significant of his flock. That
was the time and place G-d first

Imagine someone is drowning and a person


fleeing from a terrorist jumps into the water and
saves him. Should the one rescued from drowning express
gratitude to the terrorist? Obviously, one does not thank
a criminal whose illegal behavior may lead to a positive
outcome. If that were the case we would be singing the
praises of as many evil people as we do of good people.

Egyptian taskmaster as he
mercilessly beat a Jewish slave?
Some commentators explain
that the reference was not so
much to the taskmaster as it
was to Moshes act of saving the
Jewish slave. Moshe was trying
to explain to the daughters that
saving people was his mission.
It started with killing the cruel
taskmaster and continued with
saving strangers from persecution
and oppression.
However, the Torah does
not mention Moshes act of
killing the taskmaster, just that
the daughters described him as
the Egyptian Man. Why does
the Torah invoke the mention of
an evil person and ascribe their
salvation to him?

communicated with Moshe and


selected him as the Redeemer of
Israel.
Second, Moshes relationship
with Yisro influenced him to join
the Jewish people. Moreover,
according to the Zohar, G-d
waited to give the Torah until
Yisro arrived. The Torah itself
relates how Yisro was responsible
for the structure of the judicial
system, which would prove
crucial for the implementation of
the laws of the Torah.
Yisro, clearly, had a pivotal
role in what happened to Moshe
and the Jewish people.
This whole chain of events
began when Moshe saved
Yisros daughters and they
reported this event to their

father, characterizing him as


an Egyptian. This suggests
that Moshes ascription of
their salvation to the Egyptian
taskmaster was not just an
expression of modesty. Rather,
Moshe was presciently setting
the stage for the Exodus from
Egypt and for all our future
redemptions, including the final
Redemption from this exile.
Indeed, as our Sages state,
Moshe was the first Redeemer
and he will be the last Redeemer.
This is explained to mean that
the final Redemption will come
through Moshes influence and
that the seeds for it have already
been planted by him.
Moshe, by attributing the
daughters salvation to the
Egyptian taskmaster, was trying
to reexamine the negative events
of the past and discover the good
in everything that happened to
him.

CHANGING DYNAMIC
To be liberated one must
be able to see everything in
perspective. When one goes
through a painful experience, it
is impossible to fathom why it is
happening. We must accept the
fact that everything G-d does
is for the good. This is a matter
of faith; we cannot possibly
comprehend the suffering of
good people. When another
person suffers we dare not look
for rationalizations for their pain
and suffering.
However, as we approach
the era of our final liberation,
this dynamic changes. The
prophet Isaiah proclaimed of the
Messianic Age: You will say on
that day, I thank you, G-d, for
you were angry with me, and now
Your wrath has subsided and You
have comforted me. Only when
salvation occurs, can we go back
and understand how all of the

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suffering and pains of the past


were blessings in disguise. Until
then, we must do everything in
our power to fight suffering and
never rationalize it.
As the Exodus from Egyptian
bondage was about to begin,
Moshe was given the luxury
of seeing things in hindsight
and gaining some modicum of
understanding how they could be
positive.
When Moshe liberated the
persecuted daughters of Yisro,
he sensed, consciously or
subconsciously, that the time of
the Redemption of the Jewish
people had arrived. This meant
that events were going to come
into sharper relief.
Moshe now looked back and
realized that had the taskmaster
not beaten the Jewish slave, he
would not have killed him and
he would not have been forced
to come to Midyan and would
not have saved the daughters of
Yisro, thus unleashing a series of
events that would culminate with
the giving of the Torah. Although
he might not have known at that
time how far the chain of events
would take him, Moshe was
able to see, however slightly, the
positive energy that exists even in
exile conditions.

This can be taken a step


further. By ascribing their
salvation, and by extension the
subsequent Exodus and future
Redemptions, to the Egyptian,
Moshe revealed that the power
of Redemption is contained
within the exile itself. One does
not have to look beyond the exile
for salvation; the seeds for it are
planted within it.

TWO TRACKS
As we stand today on the
threshold of the final Redemption
as the Rebbe revealed, The
time of the Redemption has
arrived we are equipped with
a better sense of appreciating the
events of the past. Of course, it
will not be possible for us to thank
G-d for all of our exile conditions
until we open our eyes and see
how the Redemption is in front
of us. As long as our eyes have
not fully opened we must take
a bifurcated approach to all the
exile conditions.
On the one hand, we must
still do everything in our power
to resist evil and relieve pain
from the world; we must fight
exile with all of our might.
Paradoxically, we must also try
to see the positive in all that is
happening in exile and recognize

that the seeds for the Redemption


are contained within it. All we
must do is reveal the hidden
dynamic of exile and introduce
the aleph-Master of the World to
the word gola-exile and we have
Geula-Redemption.

TAKING CREDIT
We can gain another insight
from Moshes crediting the
episode with the Egyptian
taskmaster for his rescue of
Yisros daughters.
If, in the realm of evil, one can
trace a positive events genesis to
evil behavior, certainly we can
and must also trace the genesis of
positive events to good behavior.
When the final Redemption
occurs, imminently, we will
be able to trace that glorious
outcome to the Mitzvos we do
today. Each Mitzvah starts a
chain of events that can lead to
the final Redemption. And while
there will be many people able to
take credit for the Redemption,
that will not detract from our
own contributions, any more
than the credit an Egyptian
taskmaster received for saving
Yisros daughters detracted from
the merit earned by Moshe when
he actually saved them.

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PROFILE

SEVENTEEN
YEAR OLD
ROSH YESHIVA
At the age when bachurim today are just
entering beis midrash, the Chassid, R Henoch
Rappaport, was sent to serve as a rosh yeshiva. *
He was caught after a year, sent to a protracted
exile in Siberia, survived, and then made aliya. *
To commemorate the day of his passing on 25
Teves.
By Dov Levanon

he Chassid, R Henoch
Rappaport, was born on
18 Tishrei 5682/1923 in
Pereyaslav. His father was
R Meir Zev. When he was four,
he was sent to learn with a group
of children in a secret school.
When he turned six, the age when
mandatory schooling began, he
was sent to public school. For his
father, who had already sat in jail
after refusing to send another child
to school, there was no choice.
After a brief time, his father
was called in by the schools
administration: Why did the child
miss school one day every week?
Shabbos is out of the
question, said his father, despite
the enormous danger involved.
The principal, an older Jew who

knew R Meir Zev, offered to


excuse the absences if the child
would bring a doctors note every
week.
It wasnt peaceful for long.
There was an educational
committee at the school whose
job it was to ascertain that
the education at the school
was faithful to the spirit of
communism. The members of the
committee noticed the absence
of the Jewish boy each Shabbos,
and despite the doctors notes
presented by the principal, they
insisted it was just a ploy to avoid
attending school on Shabbos. So
they came up with a plan.
On every religious holiday,
the communists would arrange
an event for the children during

which they would mock the


religious symbols of the holiday.
On the second day of Pesach, the
Rappaport family was frightened
by noise from outside the house.
One hundred agitated youth
who had just finished a delicious
chametz meal, courtesy of the
communists, had come to protest
that Henoch was not at school.
When the family saw that the
rabble had no intention of giving
up on their demands that they
come out and explain Henochs
absence on Pesach, they decided
that Henoch himself would go
out to the demonstrators. The
little boy, who was about eight,
stood there for an hour, facing
boys who were older than him,
and explained why he did not

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attend school while they heaped


insults upon him.
That night, the principal came
to their home and suggested that
Henoch not attend school the
next day but bring a doctors
note which said the occurrences
had adversely affected him until
he became sick. That is what they
did and for a long time, Henoch
managed to skip school. Then his
parents decided to move to Kiev
and there was no reason for him
to attend school when they would
be moving soon anyway.
In the big city it was easier
to avoid school. Every morning
Henoch
would
leave
the
house with his briefcase on his
shoulders and the neighbors
thought he was going to school

in another neighborhood. In
actuality, he was walking to the
house of the melamed, a former
rosh yeshiva of Novardok, who
taught the boys Gemara.
The atmosphere when they
learned was tense. Whenever
anyone knocked the students
had to quickly hide. Their fears
increased with the increase of
searches conducted in the city.
The melamed was afraid to
continue and Henoch had to
leave home for yeshivos Tomchei
Tmimim in Berditchev and
Klinets.

A FATEFUL MEETING
In 1937, the evil Yezhov
began serving as director of the

KGB. To establish his power he


instituted widespread purges
against anyone he considered
suspect. He received support
from his leader, Stalin. The
communist ideology had come
face to face with reality, the
communist dream began to
wane and the people started to
complain. Stalin was afraid of
changes in the regime and took
the approach of eliminating the
opposition.
Many
Chassidim
were
arrested in that period and those
who werent arrested had to go
into hiding. It was a terrifying
time.
R Yona Cohen, may Hashem
avenge his blood, the director
of the Vaad Yeshivos Tomchei
Tmimim, convened an urgent
meeting which was attended by
some bachurim. He told them
about a letter he had received
from the Rebbe Rayatz. The
Rebbe said that now those who
had been educated themselves
with mesirus nefesh would
have to take responsibility.
From now on, said R Yona,
the responsibility for Tomchei
Tmimim would pass to the
shoulders of those whom, if
something happened to them, at
least wouldnt leave behind an
aguna.
R Henoch Rappaport, at
17 years old, suddenly became
the head of the secret yeshiva in
Kursk. It was his responsibility
to look out for the bachurim,
to provide them with food and
lodging, teach them Nigleh and
Chassidus, and act as both their
mother and father.
Talmidim from those days
remember him as a clever person
and a gifted communicator,
which was combined with a
tremendous
resoluteness
to
succeed at the complicated and
dangerous task thrust upon him.

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Profile

The shul in Kursk

In honor of 18 Elul 5731, he decided along with


two other Chassidim who were also repeatedly
refused visas, that come what may, they would go to
Rostov to celebrate Chai Elul and pray at the Rebbe
Rashabs gravesite. Within a month of their visit to
Rostov, all three received visas.
It wasnt easy being a
yeshiva student in those days.
The talmidim were holed up
in the attic of a shul which was
constructed from iron. In the
heat of the summer they suffered
terrible thirst but they could not
leave lest they be seen. At night
they slept in a pit in a cellar so
they wouldnt be discovered.
Their daily fare which constituted
their three meals was bread with
melon. Only on Shabbos did they
eat with families of Anash.
Peaceful days did not last long
in Kursk either. A local Jew who
met Henoch told him that the
KGB was on to them. As a result,
the yeshiva was moved from the
shul to the homes of local Jews.
It didnt help. One dark night,

KGB agents showed up. Henoch


managed to escape but was
caught at his sisters house in
Kiev. He was sent back to Kursk
where he was interrogated and
tortured.
He spent three months in a
dark cell where the only object
was a broken chair. To dispel the
boredom of sitting he would walk
around the chair, and to dispel
the boredom of walking he would
sit on the chair. Aside from that
there was nothing else to do.
As for sleeping, he couldnt. In
Russian prisons you were woken
at six in the morning and you
were not allowed to go to sleep
until ten at night.
When the inmates collapsed
into bed at ten, they knew that

they wouldnt be resting for long.


At midnight the guard would
come and wake them up for
interrogation.
At two oclock he was
taken again for interrogation
in a state of utter exhaustion.
The interrogators would take
advantage of the prisoners
terrible state in order to try and
extract information from him. If
the prisoner erred and blurted out
a word out of line, he generated
another round of questions,
accompanied by beatings and
torture.
Three months, night after
night. If not for his strong
faith and the strength which he
received from the one who gave
the order to send bachurim on
this assignment, the 18 year
old would have been unable to
withstand the suffering. Many
people went crazy, as is known,
from torture in Russian jails. This
was another means of getting rid
of opponents to the regime.
The focus of the interrogation
was on the most serious crime
of all, his connection with the
Rebbe.
Henoch
vehemently
denied that charge, but there
were things he could not deny.
One of the talmidim who broke
in interrogation said that he saw
Henoch receive an envelope with
money from Moscow where the
yeshiva committee was.
Sentence was passed and after
the sentence, there were no more
interrogations. The sentence
was harsh, as expected for the
director of a yeshiva, ten years of
hard labor in a labor camp.

LABOR CAMPS
In the first labor camp he
had to work at backbreaking
labor, digging coal and laying
train tracks. It was a camp for
people who were not expected

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to see the light of day. There was


hardly any food and twelve hours
of physical labor in the Siberian
cold weakened his body until he
dropped in exhaustion.
Henoch was hospitalized
in a local hospital where the
conditions were a bit more
humane than in the labor camp.
For half a year he lay there until
he was released and sent to do
easier work on a kolkhoz where
he had to pick vegetables. It was
relatively easy work compared
to the labor camp but someone
informed on him, saying that
considering the terrible crimes he
had committed, it was too easy.
Henoch was then sent to cut
trees in order to level an area
for another coal mine that had
been discovered in the area. He
labored until his strength gave
out again. He was sent to the
hospital and from there, back to
the kolkhoz. When a year later
supervisors came to inspect his
situation, they decided once
again to send him back for hard
labor.
This time he was sent to a
stone quarry where he labored
until a big rock which detached
from the mountain fell on his leg.
He underwent medical treatment
for months. The treatment
that was available in Soviet era
modern hospitals was dismally
backward, and from that time
forward he remained lame.
After
becoming
crippled
they couldnt send him back
to hard labor so he was sent to
do bookkeeping in Margilan in
Kyrgyzstan. Henoch, who knew
about the war in Europe, thought
that it was the end of European
Jewry. How great was his
surprise and joy when he heard
from a Jew that he met that there
was a large Jewish community
in Tashkent. R Henoch decided
that he had worked more than

At the lchaim for his oldest daughter Leah and R Shlomo Chaskind

R Henoch was a genuine Chassid who combined


seriousness in everything having to do with
Torah and mitzvos with a Chassidic joie de vivre, despite
the tough life he had.

enough for Mother Russia and he


escaped and traveled to Tashkent.
In Tashkent, he found
someone who agreed to forge
papers for him. From there he
went to Moscow where he met
R Aharon Chazan who took him
as his son-in-law for his daughter
Chana.
R Henoch found work in a
knitting factory and he worked
there for several years. The
work wasnt easy, the salary was
minimal, and he had to travel two
hours each way, but he was happy
because he could keep Shabbos.
With mesirus nefesh combined
with Chassidic cleverness, he and
his wife established a Chassidic
home throughout the years
that they lived in the suburbs
of Moscow. He shared an
apartment and kitchen with other
families, including anti-Semites.

In order to observe Torah and


mitzvos at that time, he had to
display ingenuity and courage.
For example, for Sukkos there
was no way they could build a
sukka near their home. Having
no other choice, and his Jewish
head being forced to come up
with a creative solution, he
made a sukka in the city park.
There, among the playground
equipment, they set up a little hut
which was covered with leaves.
To an onlooker it looked like it
was put up for the childrens
enjoyment.

PERMISSION
TO LEAVE RUSSIA
When he submitted a request
to leave Russia, he was repeatedly
refused, even when most of the
Chassidim were able to leave.

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Profile

Reviewing a maamer Chassidus


at a farbrengen in Pagi

Making merry at an
event for Russian Jews

In honor of 18 Elul 5731, he


decided along with two other
Chassidim who were also refused
visas, that come what may, they
would go to Rostov to celebrate
Chai Elul and pray at the Rebbe
Rashabs gravesite. Within a
month of their visit to Rostov, all
three received visas.
R Henoch left Russia for
London where Chassidim wanted
him to stay, but the Rebbe told
him to go to Eretz Yisroel. He
settled in Yerushalayim.

weaving work in Yerushalayim


but did not find any. He spoke to
the askan R Menachem Porush
who suggested that he work for
him. R Henoch turned out to be
a talented askan so that Kollel
Chabad also took him to work for
them. In a letter to him the Rebbe
added in his handwriting, one
who is involved in communal
matters.
His Chassidic visage made a
great impact on his community.
He would get up every morning
and go to work from which he
returned very late. Despite his
many involvements, he found
time to spread the wellsprings.
He arranged parties and events

NO RESTING ON HIS
LAURELS
R

Henoch

looked

for

In Crown Heights area: 1640/1700AM

for Russian Jews and was devoted


to drawing them close.
He was one of the founders
of the Chabad shul in the Pagi
neighborhood in Yerushalayim.
The Rebbe told him to review
Chassidus
every
Shabbos
in
public.
Someone
who
remembered him said, He did
not appear as though it was an
effort for him to do so.
R Henoch was a genuine
Chassid
who
combined
seriousness and mesirus nefesh
in everything having to do
with Torah and mitzvos with a
Chassidic joie de vivre despite the
hard life he had. He had a good
sense of humor and always had
a smile on his face and a sharp
Chassidic saying on his lips.
R Henoch was not old when
he passed away on 25 Teves 5743
but he is one of the best proofs
to what the Rebbe said that age is
not what is written on a passport.
What he managed to live through
in his little more than sixty years,
many people do not live through
in many more years than that.
This Chassid who was moser
nefesh and suffered terribly to
carry out the Rebbes wishes,
raised a beautiful family. All
his children and grandchildren
follow in his ways with some of
them serving as shluchim around
the world.

worldwide, online: www.RadioMoshiach.org

USA NEW phone: 347 990 1136

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BITACHON BYTES

YOUR LEVEL
OF BITACHON
DETERMINES
YOUR FUTURE
By Rabbi Zalman Goldberg

he worst and most


destructive temperament
to Bitachon is fear. One
who is fearful of what
the future holds is clearly not
practicing Bitachon in Hashem.
When exercising trust and
reliance in Hashem, ones entire
attention is focused on Hashems
omnipotence, to the exclusion of
any other existence, and when
doing so there is no existing factor
that can cause fear. The practice
of this is not as easy as it sounds
and considerable energy must be
invested into focusing only on
Hashem in such a focused way.
On a more practical level, the
problem with fear is not only that
it displays a lack of Bitachon, it
also can cause a negative outcome
to occur. This is in opposition
to Bitachon because Bitachon
actually causes positive results.
This point is highlighted
in this weeks parsha, where
the Torah relates that Moshe
Rabbeinu was gripped with
fear and said, The matter has
become known [that I killed a

Mitzri]. In a discussion of what


was the point of mentioning this
fear of Moshe, the Rebbe explains
that Bitachon is not just a
calming tactic, but is actually the
activation of a positive outcome.
As is seen in the story of a
chassid of the Tzemach Tzedek
who cried that his child was
fatally and terminally ill rl and
the Tzemach Tzedeks responded
that, Tracht gut vet zain gut.
The Tzemach Tzedek demanded
Bitachon on the part of the
chassid which would bring
about desirable results, in
his case, a healthy child.
Conversely, fear that the
child may lose his life
may bring on exactly such
results rl.
The same held true for
Moshe Rabbeinu. Even
when he realized that his
act of killing the Egyptian
had
been
revealed,
steadfast trust in Hashem
that he would be alright
would have brought about
a more favorable sequel to

the story. As a result of his fear,


however, Pharaoh also found out
and subsequently pursued Moshe
and sought to kill him. Moshe
was now forced to escape to save
his life.
Because Moshe did not trust
that Hashem would ensure that
no harm would befall him as
a result of his good deed, that
of defending a fellow Yid, that
itself led to Pharaoh pursuing
revenge. If Moshe would have
had complete Bitachon, the
whole episode would have been
completely forgotten and life
would have continued in a good
and comfortable manner.
To put it simply, Bitachon
and fear are not just a state of
being, they also forge the future.
Bitachon will bring a situation of
good, while fear can lead to the
opposite. We must realize that
a lack of Bitachon is not just a
problem in our service of Hashem
with no practical consequences;
it can actually cause the exact
consequence we want to avoid.
Bitachon is the only solution.
Rabbi Zalman Goldberg is
a well sought after speaker and
lecturer on Chassidic thought.
His writings and recordings on the
topic of Bitachon can be accessed
at http://www.gotbitachon.com.

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SHABBOS STORY

HEAVENLY
SALVATION
By Menachem Ziegelboim

PART I
It was in the winter of 5763
when R Avrohom Hershkop of
Kiryat Malachi and a group of
Chabad Chassidim, as well as a
distinguished delegation from
the Kiryat Malachi municipality
led by the mayor, Lior Katzav,
decided to visit the gravesites
of the Rebbeim in Ukraine and
Russia. They excitedly made
their preparations for the trip,
both material and spiritual
preparations, as a Chassid does.
A few days before the trip,
a Lubavitcher from Kiryat Gat
asked R Hershkop to mention
his name and his mothers
name when he was at the holy
gravesites. R Hershkop was
happy to oblige and asked, Do
you want me to ask for anything
in particular for you?
The mans face seemed to
go dim and he thought for a few
seconds and then candidly said,
Actually, yes. I am in a very

difficult financial situation. Im


about to go bankrupt. I need a
great deal of mercy and help.
Said R Hershkop, That is
serious. Sit down and write four
pidyonei nefesh for the four
Rebbeims gravesites that we will
be going to and ask for a bracha.
I promise you that I will place the
notes on each of the graves.
Due to the brief amount of
time remaining before the flight,
the man did not have a chance to
prepare the notes and he asked
that his name be mentioned in
any case. Many people asked
me to mention them, said R
Hershkop, and I will do my best
to say yours.
The group flew off. As this
was the winter, heavy snow
blanketed the Ukraine. The
plan was to go to the graves of
the Alter Rebbe in Haditch, the
Mitteler Rebbe his son in Niezhin,
and the graves of the Baal Shem
Tov in Mezhibuzh, the Maggid of

It seems the Rebbeim are the ones who sent you


the money, said R Hershkop. And the money
they sent you was divided into five envelopes, one from
the Baal Shem Tov, the second from the Maggid, the third
from the Alter Rebbe, the fourth from the Mitteler Rebbe,
and even R Levi Yitzchok sent you an envelope.

Mezritch in Anipoli, and R Levi


Yitzchok in Berditchev.
Although he had many names
with him to mention, when he got
to the gravesite of the Baal Shem
Tov, the first name that came to
his mind was the name of that
Chassid from Kiryat Gat. Sharing
the mans pain, he mentioned
him and his financial woes.
This repeated itself at each
of the other holy graves, in
Haditch, Niezhin, and Anipoli. R
Hershkop himself was surprised
by how the name of that man
always came to mind first when
he had names of people closer to
him to mention, whose plights he
knew of personally.

PART II
It was well past midnight
on Motzaei Shabbos when the
group of Chassidim arrived in
Haditch to visit the grave of the
Alter Rebbe. How awesome is
this place, thought each Chassid
as he went to the resting place of
the Baal HaTanya and Shulchan
Aruch. Chassidim, and not just
Chabad Chassidim, relate that in
this place they feel a much greater
awe than at other gravesites. The
heart, they say, opens wider and
the soul is filled in the merit of
the one who rests in this place.
After a lengthy prayer session

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with niggunim of the Alter Rebbe,


the members of the group were
ready to leave. They climbed the
hill to the bus that waited for
them. Suddenly, two policemen
boarded the bus and told the
driver to wait up, because the
roads had turned into a sheet
of ice and it was too dangerous
to travel. Having no choice, the
group tarried there for some
more hours even though the time
for their flight was approaching.
During the wait, an unfamiliar
person boarded the bus. He
looked like a Lubavitcher but was
not part of their group.
Do you know ... he asked,
saying a name.
The person you are asking
about, where is he from? asked
R Hershkop.
From Kiryat Gat.
R Hershkop was dumbstruck.
Just that week he had spoken to
him and promised to mention his
name at the gravesites. It was the
same man!
I know him, said R
Hershkop after he had recovered
somewhat.
Then please do me a favor,
said the man. I have something
to give him. Would you be sure to
give it to him?
R Hershkop was happy to say
yes and the man took out four
envelopes which he gave him. In
each envelope are $1000, said
the man. Please take good care
of it.
R Hershkop, who thought
this man knew the Chassid in
Kiryat Gat, took the opportunity
to tell him about his friends
plight and told him he was about
to go bankrupt.
If you can help him, please
give him more than this, R
Hershkop dared to ask on the
mans behalf.
The man thought it over

briefly and without saying


anything further, he took out
more money and ended up giving
him a total of $10,000.
Please tell him that when
he is able, he should return the
money to me.
Would you tell me your
name? Perhaps he doesnt know
it said R Hershkop.
It doesnt make a difference,
said the man. And he got off the
bus and disappeared.

PART III
The plane landed in Eretz
Yisroel and the group dispersed
to their homes in Kiryat Malachi.
R Hershkop couldnt restrain
himself and while still on the
road he called the man in Kiryat
Gat and asked him whether he
had a friend or acquaintance in
Haditch.
No, he said. I dont know
anyone there.
Did anyone from there have
to give you something?
I dont know of anyone who
has to give me an envelope or
package of any kind. What are
you talking about? asked the
Chassid.
R Hershkop didnt give up.
Does anyone owe you money?
The man burst into tears. I
wish!
R Hershkop was quite
puzzled at this point and he told
the man what happened. The
mystery only grew greater.
A few hours later, the man
from Kiryat Gat arrived and he
and R Hershkop sat down to
discuss it. R Hershkop described
the man in Haditch but the
Chassid knew nobody that fit the
description.
It seems the Rebbeim are the
ones who sent you the money,
said R Hershkop. And the

R Avrohom Hershkop on the trip

money they sent you was divided


into five envelopes, one from the
Baal Shem Tov, the second from
the Maggid, the third from the
Alter Rebbe, the fourth from the
Mitteler Rebbe, and even R Levi
Yitzchok sent you an envelope.
R Hershkop noted, We were
supposed to leave Haditch at ten
in the morning for the airport in
Kiev. Thanks to the policemen
delaying us, that man found us
and brought the envelopes with
money.
This incredible story is
reminiscent of actual stories of
the Baal Shem Tov. How great
is the power of prayer. Our
Rebbeim take care of their flock
and even in the heavens above
they do not rest but do everything
they can to help every Chassid.
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TZIVOS HASHEM

SALVATION

IN TORONTO
By Nechama Bar

R Shlomo, the rosh yeshiva,


paced his room. He was
wracking his brains, trying
to find a solution to a serious
problem.
the
months,
three
For

paid
been
not
have
teachers
for
owed
debts
big
are
there
food the rent for half a year
hasnt been paid yet
He kept reviewing all the
yeshivas growing debts.
meeting,
a
called
He
time, to
first
the
for
intending,
on.
situati
the
openly discuss
He looked off into the
distance and said, You are
personally suffering the yeshivas
big money problems. Believe
me, I am doing everything I can
but this past year we received
fewer donations, many parents
cannot pay tuition, and the
situation is not good.
The staff listened tensely,
waiting for his next sentence.
So what were they going to do?
R Shlomo cleared his throat
and said, There is no way out.
I must take a three month
trip to the United States to
fundraise. I never dealt with
fundraising, I never knocked on
doors and asked for a donation,
but... There was a tremor in
his voice, The reality forces me
to do so. The trip is planned for
this coming week. I hope I will

be successful. Pray and continue


working devotedly as you have
until now.
A few days went by.
R Shlomo went from one
fancy house to another in an
exclusive neighborhood in the
US. However, his mind and
heart were not free to enjoy
his beautiful surroundings. In
his hand he held a list of rich
people who lived in the area.
He hoped that from these
magnificent homes he would
get some nice donations.
He stood embarrassed before
the first rich man on his list
and told him about the yeshivas
tough situation. The man took
$50 out of his wallet and gave
it to him.
Is that all? he asked in
open disappointment. The man
nodded and motioned toward
the exit.
That was not an auspicious
beginning. With small sums like
that he would not even begin
to cover his debts of tens of
thousands of dollars.
To his great sorrow, that is
how things continued. The list of
rich men had all been checked
off. He had visited them all but
he did not have much to show
for it.
R Shlomo walked down the
street sadly. In two days he

would be flying home. What will


I tell the staff when I return?
How can I look them in the
face?
A light pat on the shoulder
jarred him from his thoughts.
Sholom Aleichem, R Shlomo,
my friend. How good it is to
see you! What brings you here
a family simcha? asked his
friend whom he bumped into
on the street.
The truth is, the reason
for my visit is not so happy.
The situation the financial
situation, is not good. The
yeshiva has enormous debts
and I came to fundraise. In
two days Im going home but I
dont have good news. I was not
successful.
His friend was a Lubavitcher
Chassid and he looked at R
Shlomos sad face and said
encouragingly, Go to the
Rebbe. He is the only one who
can help you. Many were saved
with his blessings.
R Shlomo was not a
Lubavitcher Chassid and he had
never been to see the Rebbe.
Nevertheless, he was willing to
follow up with this suggestion.
What did he have to lose?
his
used
friend
His
connections and was able to
arrange for an appointment
for him for the next day.

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an
made
man
though without success. Next to young
and
boss
his
with
tment
appoin
got
him sat a young Jew. They
he
d
entere
o
Shlom
R
when
The
into a friendly conversation.
s
yeshiva
the
all
ing
discuss
began
te
rosh yeshiva told his seatma
ties.
difficul
al
financi
the
and
the reason for his trip
How much money do you
young man said, I work at an
boss
my
need? the boss asked.
insurance company and
give
is Jewish. He usually doesnt
Our debt is $22,000, he
donations to charity but its said, as he waited for some small
worth trying.
bill the man might take out of
R Shlomo thought, Some
R Shlomo regarded this as his wallet. To his surprise, the
idea Ive spent three months a sign from heaven and seized man took out his checkbook
traveling around the US and the opportunity like a drowning and wrote a check for the full
Canada, including Toronto. Why person seizes a life preser ver.
amount!
should I go back there? Out of
The
Youre kidding, right? You
respect, he did not say anything.
couldnt have been convinced
When he left the room,
in five minutes to make such
his friend was waiting
a generous donation! R
impatiently. What did
Shlomo said in shock,
the Rebbe say? R
trying to figure out if the
Shlomo told him and
man was serious or not.
made a dismissive
I am serious, and
his
with
motion
the check is real. I
hand.
will tell you why I
Dont disparage
am making such a
what the Rebbe
contribution.
big
said! You must go to
Last night, my
Toronto! The Rebbe
father came to
is never mistaken.
me in a dream
If the Rebbe is
and said to me,
sending you there,
If you want to do
where
is
good
that
something
your help will be
for me, please give
found.
charity.
Shlomo
dream
R
The
even
and
not
vivid
did
was so
money
my
the
ed
have
I promis
his
would
change
I
to
father
ticket but his
do so. Now you
who
friend,
come to me and
for
cared
ask for tzdaka.
offered
him,
You told me you
to give him
need $22,000.
money
marks
the
Today
my
needed.
day
he
the
Shlomo
passed
R
father
accepted it.
away. Do you know
how many years ago
The next day,
he died? Twenty-two.
R Shlomo took a
Is there a clearer sign
flight to Toronto. He
than that?
tried to make himself
comfor table in the narrow
seat, hoping to take a nap,

In yechidus, R Shlomo told


the Rebbe about the difficult
situation the yeshiva was in.
When are you planning on
returning to Eretz Yisroel?
asked the Rebbe.
Tomorrow, he said.
The Rebbe gazed at him and
said, Why not go via Toronto?

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