CONTENTS

5
FEATURED ARTICLES

WEEKLY COLUMNS

3 Dvar Malchus
8 Moshiach & Hakhel
16 Halacha 2 Go
20 Parsha Thought
33 Tzivos Hashem

WINNING
HEARTS
AND MINDS

Oholiav Abutbul

PERSONAL
10 MY
R YISROEL

Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Ginsberg

CHILDREN ASK G-D

24
TO RULE OVER THE
10
WHOLE WORLD
Nosson Avraham

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2016-09-22 11:52:35 PM

DVAR MALCHUS

AN EXTENSION
OF THE PROPHECY
OF MOSHE
The Moshiach of the generation is the
judge and the prophet of the generation.
Moshiachs main prophecy is Lalter lGeula
and hinei zeh Moshiach ba. * Chapter
Thirteen of Rabbi Shloma Majeskis Likkutei
Mekoros. (Underlined text is the compilers
emphasis.)
Translated by Boruch Merkur

9. [] Rambam is lengthy
in his description of Moshes
prophecy, yet it would seem
that this information is merely
historical and of little halachic
significance. What place does this
thorough treatment of Moshes
prophecy have in a strictly
legalistic work, designed to guide
Jews in their religious observance
throughout all generations? And
if it pertains to the time after
the advent of Moshiach, when
Moshe [will live once again and
be] with them, we will then learn
of his prophecy firsthand, and we
will not require a ruling about it
now!
But the fact is that in all
generations it is pertinent to know
the ruling that G-d bestows
prophecy upon mortals (the
revelation of G-dliness to created
beings), including knowledge
of the ultimate manifestation of
prophecy in Moshe. Indeed, it is

possible in any generation that

I shall bring forth to them a
prophetlike you, as Rambam
explains that we believe in all
the prophets who arise after
Moshe Rabbeinu not solely on
the basis of their demonstrating
a miraculous sign, etc., but
because of the Mitzva that
Moshe Rabbeinu commanded in
the Torah, etc. Each prophet is
thus an extension of the prophecy
and the Torah of Moshe.
(However, with regard to the
revelation of prophecy, there is
a spectrum of varying intensities,
as Rambam elaborates.) And in
our generation, the extension
of the prophecy and Torah of
Moshe Rabbeinu is the leader of
the generation, my revered father
in-law, the Rebbe.
This is especially the case
after prophecy returns to the
Jewish people, an event that
precedes the Messianic era (as

above). The return of prophecy

here refers to the prophecy of
Moshiach Tzidkeinu (for he is
a great prophet, rivalling [even]
Moshe Rabbeinu in prophecy).
In fact, our Sages say that the
first redeemer (Moshe) is the
final redeemer, and in every
generation there is one who is
fit for this role. Therefore, we
must know as a halacha, even
in our times (still before the
redemption), that there is active
prophecy (in Moshiach, even
before the redemption) as an
expression of and beginning of
the ultimate state of prophecy
that will be attained after the
redemption (your advisers as
in the beginning). That is, it is
not a novel statement to say that
prophecy will take place following
the advent of redemption. Rather,
prophecy will resurface before
that, at the level of your advisers
as in the beginning. Thus,
Rambam records this law about
Moshes prophecy in his work
of halachos (especially insofar
as Rambam includes in his work
also those laws that pertain to
the Messianic era, as well as the
preface to it).
(From the address of Shabbos
Parshas Shoftim, 7 Elul 5751; Seifer
HaSichos 5751, pg. 788-789)

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FEATURE

he road leading to the offices of

the Fasi-Krauss advertising agency
is surrounded by greenery and the
mountains of Yerushalayim. The
pastoral drive does not prepare you for your
encounter with Avi Krauss and Assaf Fasi. Their
fresh and audacious way of thinking stands in
stark contrast to the serene panorama out the
window.
This pair of publicists came to national
attention when they linked up with Knesset
member Naftali Bennett, who was then head
of the Yisraelim movement that he founded.
After a successful primaries campaign within
his party, they ran the national election
campaign in which they were responsible for
the social media aspect and were tremendously
successful. Together, they have established a
company which is achieving success in business,
politics, the social arena and the media.
Today, the Fasi-Krauss agency is a leading
firm in the world of digital public relations.
Their expertise lies in developing content and
advertising on social networks. Yediot Sfarim,
the Bayit HaYehudi party, the Royalty
company, Radio Galei Yisrael, the VTein
Chelkeinu organization and others are part of a
list of major clients, which places the agency as a
leading force in the digital market in the religiousZionist and chareidi sectors.
Twenty-five years after the Rebbe said to
publicize to all members of the generation, we
spoke to them about the world of informational
advertising or new media as it is known, which
is reinventing itself every day. The challenges today
for advertisers are far greater than they used to be.
Previously, you could release an ad/announcement
to the newspapers with minimal graphics work, but
today, the thinking needs to be out of the box, of
course, without veering from your message.
As young campaign launchers, tell us how an
advertising campaign is run today.
The principles in the world of advertising are
that any business or individual who wants to sell a

d Assaf Fasi
Avi Krauss an
l advertising
run a successfu
t
company burs
agency. Their
n
nal scene whe
o
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th
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o
p
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they ran Nafta
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election camp
nd fresh team
are a young a
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who think out
touch peoples
know how to
ty-five years
hearts. * Twen
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e said we nee
ago, the Rebb
is prophecy, so
to publicize h
for tips on
we asked them
ze the Rebbes
how to publici
message.
utbul
By Oholiav Ab

4 20 Elul 5776 - Hakhel

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G
N
I
N
N
I
W

S
T
R
A
HE
S
D
N
I
AND M

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Feature

When you speak to people as equals and with

humility, you can convey the deepest and most
complicated messages.
message must define exactly what
his product is, who it is for, and
what the target audience is. Many
people say or think that their
product is good for everyone and
just by introducing it the public
will come. This is naive thinking
and it can be a disaster when it
comes to a campaign, because
you can totally miss your target
audience.
We first identify the target
audience and only then start
developing the right marketing
strategy. A proper advertising
campaign will begin after
defining your marketing strategy.
You then pick an original, pithy
slogan, the sentence which
accompanies
your
message,
briefly explain what your service
is, and run a smart, coordinated
campaign.
As your target audience
is more exposed to your
messages, you begin to take a
more prominent place in their
consciousnesses.
As people who handle
campaign strategy, at what point
do you feel that a campaign is
successful?
The moment that we sense
that the feelings we had back
in that small room and in our
thoughts are reverberating within
the broader public.
That is a very powerful
sense when it comes to national
elections, or when we market a
new brand name and see how we
have been able to take a product
that was unknown two months
earlier and make it a household
product.
Sometimes there is the
feeling that the public is shallow

and it makes no difference what

the thing is, as long as you
know how to market it youll be
successful. Is that correct or is
the public smarter than that?
The public today is very smart
and discerning and the messages
have to be developed accordingly.
The crowds on social media
networks will test every claim
you make. If there is the least
bit of superficiality, the public
will judge and dismiss you. If,
once upon a time, the advertising
world looked down on the masses
and played with their emotions,
at this point, whoever doesnt
operate with a sincere respect
for the wisdom of the masses,
simply wont be able to sell. We
believe this is a good thing that
is happening throughout the
consumer and marketing worlds.
How can you take a
complex, abstract, spiritual,
deep message, which only a
relatively
small
percentage
of the population gets, and
share it with everyone?
By simplifying the concept.
Talking as equals and trying to
speak everyones language
Good advertising is when
you have a message which is
understood by all kinds of people,
each on their level. The goal
is that no matter how deep or
complicated the general message
is, it will have some element
which everyone can relate to.
We selected a bunch of
slogans that were used over the
years by Chabad organizations.
Can you pick the best of them
and analyze what makes
it good? Hichonu lBias
HaMoshiach (Get Ready for

Moshiachs Coming); Boruch

Haba Melech HaMoshiach;
HaPitron HaYachid Moshiach
ben Dovid (The Only Solution
is Moshiach, which rhymes
in Hebrew); Moshiach. Do
a Mitzva and Be a Partner;
Moshiach.
Because
there
is Only One Real Leader;
Moshiach. Another Small Deed
and Hes Here.
Personally, we relate most to
Hichonu LBias HaMoshiach.
I think that if your question was
polled you would get the same
answer from people on the street.
There is the element of taking
action (hichonu/prepare) but it
does not demand that the simple
man on the street do any specific
thing; you are just including him
in the experience of anticipation
and getting him to relate to the
urgency that in another moment
something is going to happen
and he can miss out if he doesnt
keep up. This slogan gives hope
and doesnt judge anyone. And as
I said earlier, it has a number of
meanings that people can relate
to, each with his understanding
and where hes coming from.
Its no secret that there is
great admiration around the
world for the leader of Chabad,
the Rebbe. How do you think
we can translate this admiration
to convey messages that are a
bit more complicated for the
public to digest?
The branding and admiration
that Chabad and the Rebbe have
is one of those things which all
can learn from in the world of
advertising. This success story
comes from the fact that the
Rebbe and his shluchim operate
from a place of truth.
When there is a feeling that
the person facing me wants to
give to me unconditionally and
he proves to me that he has
integrity and true love, the heart

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opens up. After succeeding in

creating that initial trust comes
the stage where you can slowly
deepen the message. When you
speak to people as equals and
with humility, you can convey the
deepest and most complicated
messages.
We have seen this time after
time even in political campaigns
where we had to create messages
that went beyond the basic
propaganda. When you take
down the curtain between the
advertisers and the public
voters or consumers you can
speak in depth and they will
understand you and believe you
too.
When we ran a media
campaign to raise funds for
a chareidi organization, with
the help of softening up the
public, and targeted messages
for different kinds of people,
which the new media makes
possible, we were able to enlist

thousands of secular people in

this campaign and raise a very
large sum of money from people
you would never imagine would
donate to this cause.
Over twenty-five years have
passed since the Rebbe said to
publicize the prophecy of hinei
hinei Moshiach ba. What can
you suggest to Lubavitcher
Chassidim who want to do this
in the most effective way?
You showed me this sicha and
I think there is one thing that
touched me which I think every
Chabad Chassid needs to take
with him.
We have merited that G-d
chose and appointed someone
with free choice who, on his part,
is incomparably greater than
the people of his generation.
When you take on the task of
educating an entire generation,
you cannot reach people from a
place of superiority. You need

to understand that at the core

you are not worth more than the
security guard at the entrance to
the mall or the checkout person
at the supermarket. If you have
the knowledge and the talents
to fix the world and influence
people, use that in the best
possible way to fix the world,
and dont forget that youre not
better than anyone. You are just
a shliach.
When you operate like that,
you can put yourself in their
place and try to understand what
will touch them. This is how we
operate even when we advertise
a brand of jewelry or books. We
try to put ourselves in the place
of the consumer who sees the ad
and think about what we would
be receptive to.
Ultimately, especially today,
with all the computers and smart
phones, it all starts and ends with
the heart.

Continued from page 9

brotherly love of Chassidim will

see them through till Moshiach.
Now with respect to us,
inasmuch as there are no
children... the second option
is left for us, and Chassidim
therefore will unite and break
through all the barriers of the
doubled and redoubled darkness
of galus.
Another Sicha that speaks
about the power of Ahavas
Yisroel as a preparation for
Moshiach (Matos Massei 5751)
tells us this: As mentioned, this
directive of Ahavas Yisroel is
particularly relevant at present,
for we now need to accustom
ourselves to the spirit of the
Redemption. Previously it had
been explained that an emphasis
on Ahavas Yisroel was necessary
as a preparation for the Era of
Redemption. Since the exile came

about because of unwarranted

hatred, we would nullify the
reason for the exile by spreading
love among our people. This in
turn would cause the exile itself
to cease.
Since, however, to borrow
an expression used by the
Previous Rebbe, we have already
completed all the spiritual service
necessary to bring Moshiach,
to the point that we have even
polished the buttons, we can
assume that the reason for the
exile has also been eradicated
already. At present, therefore,
the emphasis on Ahavas Yisroel
comes primarily as a foretaste of
the Era of the Redemption.

The
Tzemach
Tzedek
travelled
to
Petersburg
to
participate in the infamous
rabbinic gathering convened by
the Russian government. In the
presence of all the assembled
he forcefully opposed the
representative of the Crown in a
manner that constituted outright
rebellion.
Upon his return home he
was asked by a certain prominent
individual: How could he have
placed himself in mortal danger?
Even if the Rebbe did not think of
his own welfare, he should have
nonetheless been concerned with
the welfare of Chassidim and Klal
Yisroel!
The
Tzemach
Tzedek
responded with two answers: He
has his sons. And secondly, the

Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva

of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a
well sought after speaker and lecturer.
Recordings of his in-depth shiurim
on Inyanei Geula uMoshiach can be
accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com.

Issue 1039

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MOSHIACH & HAKHEL

THE
HAKHEL
DIGEST
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon

Dear Reader shyichyeh,

This article is being written
as we are finishing this special
and successful year of 5776,
the year of Hakhel. On 28 of
Elul 5748, the end of a Hakhel
year, the Rebbe asked that the
Chassidim should still use out the
last moments of that special year
to do activities of Hakhel (Toras
Menachem 5748 Vol. 4 page
380).
We ought to recall the story
that the Rebbe told on Shabbos
Noach of that year: There was
once a young man who was
inspired to give Tzdaka. He
wrote to the Frierdike Rebbe that
he accepted upon himself to give
a certain amount of Tzdaka.
That amount was well beyond the
current means of that individual.
However, over the course of time,
new opportunities of livelihood
arose and he was able to make
good on his commitments.
The Frierdike Rebbe said the
following: It is not a coincidence
that the opportunities came to
him after his special resolution
to give Tzdaka. Rather, because
I saw the commitment of this
individual, we had to open new
channels of bracha for him.
In that Sicha, the Rebbe
says that the same applies to the

campaign of Hakhel, gathering

and uniting Jewish people
and inspiring them in their
connection to Hashem. There
are many of us that feel that we
are limited in our ability to be
involved in the campaign. The
limits can be internal (e.g. we
feel shy) or external (we are busy
or have financial limitations).
Yet the Rebbe assures us and all
Jewish people that if we extend
ourselves, the Rebbe will open
new channels of brachos for us
and our families!
Throughout the year, we
have shared many lessons on this
platform regarding this special
and unique Mitzva. Most of those
lessons were from the Sichos of
the Rebbe of the year 5748, when
the Rebbe spoke so strongly and
so often about Hakhel.
We mentioned last week that
the Mitzva of Hakhel was not
supposed to remain a once-inseven-years event; rather the
Yiras Shamayim that the Yidden
received by joining the entire Klal
Yisroel in the Beis HaMikdash
was supposed to permeate their
being.
This is evident in the text
of the Torah (Dvarim, Parshas
VaYeilech) that discusses the
Mitzva of Hakhel: 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. And their
children, who did not know, will
hear and learn to fear the L-rd,
your G-d, all the days that you
live on the land, to which you are
crossing the Jordan, to possess.
Based on the above, it is clear
that the lessons that we learned
throughout the year should also
continue to stay with us as we
finish this very special year and
prepare for the next. Therefore,
I felt that it would be beneficial
and appropriate to review and
summarize some of the lessons
that we learned.
1.
Complete
focus
on
serving Hashem: Every person
has a unique personality and
special qualities. Some are
more outgoing and aggressive
(men), others are more
nurturing (women) and some
are still developing and growing
(children). We must gather and
focus all our varied energies to
serve Hashem.
2. Having large families:
The concept of having many
children and investing in their
education is truly connected to
Hakhel. One of the unique things
about Hakhel is the fact that

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even the children are included

in the Biblical commandment.
Everyone is obligated to go hear
the Torah from the king in the
Beis HaMikdash. Not only are
they included, but they are a vital
part of the Mitzva. Conventional
logic dictates that if someone
has a smaller family, he is able to
invest more into each child and
that would raise the chances of
this child going in the ways of
Hashem. Yet we find that from
all of our Patriarchs, it was only
regarding Yaakov that the Torah
relates to us that all his children
went in the ways of Hashem!
(Sicha of the 6th night of Sukkos
5748)
3. Everyone getting a letter
in a Seifer Torah, and also
buying and learning from new
sfarim: The idea that people join
from around the world to unite
through a Torah is very much
connected to Hakhel. This is
evident in the Psukim of Hakhel
(Dvarim 31:10): Then, Moshe
commanded them, saying, At the
end of [every] seven years, at an
appointed time... you shall read
this Torah before all Israel, in
their ears. 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 L-rd, your G-d,
and they will observe to do all
the words of this Torah (Sicha
5 Teves and sicha in honor of
Shloshim of Rebbetzin). In
addition, we must learn from all
different parts of Torah.
4. The bond between the king
and the nation: We discussed at
length the unique connection
between the king and the people.
While on one hand the king is
the heart of the nation and
brings the brachos of Hashem
to the people, his chayus comes
from the people.

It is not a coincidence that the opportunities

came to him after his special resolution to give
Tzdaka. Rather, because I saw the commitment of this
individual, we had to open new channels of bracha for
him.

The following interesting

story was told over by the
Frierdike Rebbe. The Tzemach
Tzedek was deeply involved
in learning the sugya (topic)
of aguna (a woman who is
chained to a husband who
has abandoned her or who went
missing). He was well known
for his successful efforts to help
many agunos out of this terrible
predicament. Two of his sons and
his son-in-law entered and they
all began discussing this topic
with the Rebbe in great depth
and with great scholarship. After
a while, one of them exclaimed
(regarding the Rebbes incredible
grasp of the halachos, etc.),
Look at the great power of the
brachos of chassidim!
Indeed, said the Rebbe,
when the simple chassid, Reb
Elya, out of full and sincere
love, blesses me in bentching
(HaRachaman Hu yevareich
es Adoneinu...), it produces
spiritual fruits in the heavens
which are then drawn down
and benefit me to an incredibly
powerful extent.
We must strengthen our
Hiskashrus and acceptance of
the kingship of our Rebbe. This
will enable him to take us out
of Galus. In the words of the
Rebbe (Chaya Sara 5752): It is
known that in every generation
an individual descended from
Yehuda is born who is qualified
to be the Moshiach for Israel,
and that one who qualifies
because of his righteousness
to be the Redeemer and when
the time arrives G-d will be

revealed to him and send him,

etc. And according to the
announcement of my sainted
father-in-law, the leader of our
generation, the singular shliach
of our generation, the singular
Moshiach of our generation,
everything has already concluded.
Its understood that there has
begun to be fulfilled the send
now the one You will send, the
shlichus of my sainted father-inlaw. And therefore its obvious
that the only thing that now
remains in the work of shlichus is
to greet our righteous Moshiach
in actual reality, in order that
he should be able to fulfill his
shlichus in actuality and bring all
the Jews out of exile.
5. Unity: The most obvious
and important impression is
the feeling and spirit of unity
that we developed this year.
These relationships that were
strengthened by our Hakhel
gatherings and activities must
continue to grow and be
nurtured. Just as this year we
all felt the need to go out of our
comfort zone to find and unite
with other Jews, regardless of
background or other differences,
we should continue to have that
feeling always.
Dear Chassidim! This idea
to keep strengthening unity is
especially relevant and important
for Adas Chassidim. It is the
unity of Chassidim that will lead
us out of Galus. In the words of
the Rebbe at the Farbrengen of
13 Nissan 5726:
Continued on page 7

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FARBRENGEN

MY PERSONAL

R YISROEL
I visited R Yisroel Grossman in his home in
Battei Warsaw. When I walked in, he was
learning Gemara but he immediately stopped
and held out his hand in greeting and began
talking as though he had all the time in the world
for me. * Memories and personal stories from R
Yisroel Grossman ah.
By Rabbi Chaim Levi Yitzchok Ginsberg
Mashpia, Tomchei Tmimim Kfar Chabad

he Rebbe says, in the sicha

of Yud Shvat 5710, that
the Chassidic practice is
not to eulogize but to tell
stories about the deceased.
Rabbi
Yisroel
Grossman
passed away on 23 Adar 5767.
I dont know enough about his
history to write about it and there
were surely many great things in
his life that I am not aware of.
However, I would like to share
some things about him from a
personal perspective.
I learned by R Grossman
for several years when he was
rosh yeshiva in Kfar Chabad.
Afterward, I was part of the first
group of talmidim-shluchim
who opened Yeshivas Tomchei
Tmimim in Migdal HaEmek
with him, the yeshiva started by

his son, rav of the city, Rabbi

Yitzchok Dovid Grossman.
I visited him in his home in
Battei Warsaw in Yerushalayim
a number of times and heard a
lot from him. I consider it an
obligation and privilege to tell the
little that I know about him, both
personally and what I heard from
him, especially in connection
with the special relationship the
Rebbe had with him, and he with
the Rebbe, even though he did
not consider himself a Chabad
Chassid.
A number of months before
he passed away I visited him in
his home and when I walked in
he was learning Gemara. As soon
as I entered he immediately held
out his hand and began talking to
me as though he had all the time

in the world.
He spoke a lot about his fight
to save the souls of children
from Yemen and Morocco, how
he traveled from place to place
and turned over worlds to
ensure that the children would
attend Torah schools and not
fall prey to the new education
as the government wanted.
He told about a meeting with
government and Jewish Agency
representatives who were rather
frightened by his screaming that
it wasnt possible for children
whose parents were religious to
be taken to be apostatized and
receive a heretical education.
Mr. Yitzchok Ben Tzvi (later
the second president of Israel)
who was, I think, the head of
the Jewish Agency at the time,

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responded: And if we give you

the children, do you have where
to put them? You dont even have
a proper building!
R Grossman immediately
grabbed this offer and promised
to personally see to finding
places for the children. During
the following weeks, he was
constantly busy with traveling
(he did not dream of using taxis,
he used public transportation
and walked, even though the
public traveling conditions of
those days were difficult) from
place to place to find places for
the children. But the situation
was indeed extremely difficult.
The buildings in Eretz Yisroel,
especially the buildings of Torah

institutions, were mostly not fit

for living quarters.
One place after another
was ruled out by Agency
representatives who, of course,
made tough demands. In
addition, many directors of
mosdos were unwilling to turn
their places into absorption
centers for those from primitive
countries. Not many options
remained. For weeks and
months he traveled around and
managed to get another boy
and then another bachur into
Torah institutions, but sadly, his
accomplishments were minimal.
Despondent, he went to one
of the geonim of Yerushalayim,
R Velvel of Brisk (1886-1959),

and poured out his heart: I did all

I could do. Many more children
can be saved. Its only money
that is stopping us. I think this
is the obligation, privilege, and
responsibility of you, gdolei
hador. You cannot sit and
learn while tens of thousands of
Jewish children are being sent
to heretical schools. You must
drop everything, because this is
pikuach hanefesh for thousands,
tens of thousands. Go on a
fundraising trip to America and
bring back money so we can take
in the children.
One of R Velvels sons-in-law
was there and he was horrified by
how R Grossman was speaking
and the demands he was making

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Farbrengen
and nearly threw him out of the
house. But R Yisroel did not give
in. He was very close with the
Brisker gaon and never dreamed
of talking to him in this way,
but at that moment he simply
cried out from the depths of his
heart to the point that his words
bordered on outright chutzpa.
The gaon said to him, I dont
think salvation will come from the
Litvishe roshei yeshiva. We are
not suited for this and will not be
able to accomplish this. Try some
of the Chassidishe Admurim, like
the Rebbes of Ger and Belz, and
maybe salvation will come from
them.
R Grossman was bitterly
disappointed and said so but he
listened to this advice and went
to speak to the Beis Yisroel, the
Gerrer Rebbe (1885-1977).
Once again, he cried out and
demanded that the gdolei Yisroel
get involved and travel to America
and bring back money to absorb
the children. He finally managed
to squeeze out a promise that if
he got R Aharon of Belz (1877
1957) involved, he would make
the trip.
He went to Belz and the plan
nearly was implemented, but in
the end, the Belzer Rebbe could
not go because of his health.
R
Grossman
continued
traveling from place to place
and tried to convince the roshei
yeshivos and directors of mosdos
to take in immigrant children.
He met with R Efraim Wolf,
menahel of the Yeshivas Tomchei
Tmimim in Lud. When he made
his pitch, R Efraim told him that
the yeshiva in Lud was in dire
financial straits, but he would
make every effort to take in a large
number of children if R Yisroel
would succeed in providing the
basics, such as beds and bedding.
R Yisroel Grossman, together
with R Zushe Wilyamowsky, R

In his youth

Yisroel Leibov and R Sholom

Ber Lifshitz, went from place to
place, held fundraising drives and
worked like mad. They brought
the necessary equipment and
turned the yeshiva in Lud into a
yeshiva for Russian and Yemenite
immigrants, as it said on the
yeshivas letterhead and official
seal.
As he was recounting his
memories, R Grossman suddenly
turned to me and said, Tell me,
did the Rebbe really say that we
can turn to him today through
the Igros Kodesh? And how did
the Rebbe say that?
I told him some sichos about
the horaa about opening a holy
book as though by chance, and
the sicha of 5710 that the Rebbe
will find a way to answer. He
went wild over this. Just like
that! The Rebbe is so humble that
he did not say anything about
himself and only about holy
books in general and about his
father-in-law!
He went on to say, The
Rebbes answers in the Igros
Kodesh are an amazing thing,
mamash a gilui Elokus. I would
not believe that such a thing
could happen if I did not see it

with my own eyes. A couple came

to me with an instruction from
the Rebbe in the Igros Kodesh
to speak to me so I could be the
go-between for them in shalom
bayis. I saw what the Rebbe
wrote in the Igros Kodesh and
Im telling you, it is literally
ruach hakodesh if not more than
that. The Rebbe writes to the
husband exactly what needed to
be explained to him, and to the
wife, what needed to be explained
to her and its all by chance, by
opening a book.
He went on to say, I have
heard the debates within Chabad.
I heard them say the Rebbe is
Moshiach and the Rebbe is chai
vkayam. Of course, I dont
understand these things and I
cant get involved. I assume they
say this based on things the Rebbe
said which I dont know, which is
why I cant say an opinion. But
these answers of the Rebbe in
the Igros Kodesh are something
not of this world. Its an actual
revelation of G-dliness through
tzaddikim! Its more than ruach
hakodesh; its incredible!
I saw then what the Rebbe
means when he says that the
world is ready. Jews just need
to see that the Rebbe says things
clearly and then it is accepted.
R Yisroel told us a number
of times that some of his friends
chose to become roshei yeshiva
and not rabbanim and poskim.
They said it entailed too much
responsibility to say whether
something was kosher or pasul
and to know that if you made a
mistake that the persons sins
were on your head.
I say, said R Grossman,
that the responsibility of a rosh
yeshiva is far greater than the
responsibility of a rav. This is
actual dinei nefashos (matters of
life and death). If you dont treat
a talmid properly and as a result

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he stops learning and G-d forbid,

he can even go off the derech
your responsibility is far greater
because all his future behavior is
a result of your actions!
This is why R Yisroel did
not take part in any situation
which involved sending a talmid
away from yeshiva, even in
extreme, exceptional cases when
it was necessary to do so for
the sake of the other talmidim.
He preferred having others do
it and did not want to have any
part in it. How can I raise my
head if I meet someone with long
hair on the street and he says
to me remember me? I am so
and so from yeshiva. I look like
this because of you, because you
threw me out of yeshiva
R Yisroel taught his children
the same spirit of mesirus nefesh
for chinuch and the spreading
of Torah. His son, the famous
R Dovid Grossman, went to
a development town, Migdal
HaEmek, to work as the rav of
the town and be mekarev Yidden.
Today, this is an accepted thing
in the frum world, but back then,
it wasnt at all the norm; on the
contrary, some spoke sharply
against him and quoted the
verse, Fortunate is the man who
did not go in the counsel of the
wicked.
With his fathers advice,
help, and encouragement, R
Yitzchok Dovid then founded a
high school yeshiva in Migdal
HaEmek. When the talmidim
were old enough for the next
stage, discussions were held
about what to do so that they
would remain religious. R Yisroel
Grossman firmly maintained that
to achieve this they needed to
become Chassidim, because they
would not all attain great heights
in the learning of Gemara, and if
everything was built on Gemara
there was a likelihood that some

Right: Rabbi Yisroel Grossman; Left: Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Kesselman

of them would drop out. He said

there was hardly a chance they
would become Karlin or Vizhnitz
Chassidim and therefore, since
he thought they had to become
Chassidim in order to be G-d
fearing, they should work to
make them Chabad Chassidim!
At first, R Yisroel offered to
bring all the talmidim to Kfar
Chabad but that turned out not to
be feasible since the talmidim had
spent a long time in a Litvishe
atmosphere and had absorbed a
strong opposition to Chassidus
in general, and Chabad in
particular, from their teachers.
The Litvishe teachers decided
to open a yeshiva gdola as a
Litvishe yeshiva in Kfar Yona.
R Grossman was opposed and
they went to the Steipler for a
din Torah. The psak din was
they had to do what the talmidim
wanted and R Grossman had to
finance it. The talmidim, who
were under the influence of their
teachers, chose Kfar Yona and
the yeshiva opened there on Rosh
Chodesh Elul 5737. But divine
providence worked it out so that
within a few days the yeshiva fell
apart the local municipality
opposed it and the talmidim were
dissatisfied. The roshei yeshiva

The Tamim Nosson Ashkenazi with Rabbi Yisroel Grossman

told R Yitzchok Dovid Grossman

that they could not continue and
they had to send the talmidim to
various yeshivos.
You have no authority to
do that, they were told, and
R Yitzchok Dovid was called
in and he immediately went to
the yeshiva in Kfar Chabad as
his father told him to do. The
hanhala of the yeshiva convened
and both Grossmans, father and
son, asked that bachurim from
Kfar Chabad go on shlichus to
Migdal HaEmek to learn with
the rest of the talmidim and bring
them the Chabad spirit. After the
hanhala in Kfar Chabad accepted
this suggestion, they came to talk
to us Tmimim: Yosef Yitzchok

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Farbrengen

The Rebbe bears on his shoulders the burden of

all the Jewish people and in Tishrei, as is known,
he is busy with holy work over his head so that he hardly
responds to any letters and yet, he still found the time to
inquire whether Yossele Grossman found work!
Zalmanov, Boruch Levkivker,
Chaim Shlomo Diskin, Yitzchok
Gruzman, Shimshon Halperin
and myself, about this shlichus.
R Yitzchok Dovid Grossman
went to Kfar Yona, entered the
beis midrash and announced,
Whoever is interested, come
with me. We are opening
a yeshiva gdola in Migdal
HaEmek!
All the talmidim packed their
bags and took taxis to Migdal
HaEmek. R Grossman had
a truck bring all the yeshiva
equipment there and he called
R Shimon Zaguri of Migdal
HaEmek and told him to
break some walls and set up
an improvised zal for the new
yeshiva. The talmidim began
learning that same day, 7 Elul,
while we, the group of bachurim
from Kfar Chabad, arrived the
next day. That is how I was
part of the first group that
opened the yeshiva Tomchei
Tmimim together with R Yisroel
Grossman. In yechidus that we
had in Nissan 5738, the Rebbe
called it, a branch of Tomchei
Tmimim.
R Yitzchok Dovid Grossman
took it a step further and he
wrote to the Rebbe that he wants
to open a permanent yeshiva in
Migdal HaEmek. A few days later
he received a reply:
If R YD Grossman does not
promise to stand firmly against
those who oppose Chabad that
have arisen and will arise to
oppose him, he needs to retract
from his plans.

His father should say

shiurim four or five times a
week.
Fortunate is the lot of the
talmidim of Tomchei Tmimim
of Kfar Chabad who traveled
there and may they continue
there with enthusiasm and
overflowing energy (as was
said on 18 Elul). And may it be
fulfilled in them that Hashem
illuminates the eyes of both of
them. I will mention it at the
tziyun for outstanding success.
R Yisroel carried out the
horaa literally and devotedly. He
stayed at the yeshiva in Migdal
HaEmek without his family from
the beginning of the week until
Wednesday afternoon and said
a shiur every day, aside from
shiurim in Yore Deia that he gave
in the evening. On Wednesday he
would go to give a shiur klali in
the yeshiva in Kfar Chabad and
then go home to Yerushalayim at
the end of the week. He did this
for over half a year, from Elul
until Pesach.
(Then he said he did not have
the strength to continue with this
schedule and that is when debates
began to rage over the character
of the yeshiva. More than once
we considered leaving and
returning to Kfar Chabad but the
Rebbe foresaw this and invited us
at the expense of the secretariat
for the month of Nissan in 770.
We had a special yechidus with
specific instructions, including
holding a farbrengen in the
city and traveling to the Kosel
with Rabbi Grossman and all

those who pertain to this, and

reviewing inyanim in Nigleh and
Chassidus there that we heard
from the Rebbe.
In the end, considering that
the Rebbe called the yeshiva a
branch of Tomchei Tmimim,
R Mendel Futerfas got into the
act and he put in much effort so
that the shluchim-rabbanim R
Yitzchok Goldberg, R Yitzchok
Gorewitz, R Yisroel Yosef
Hendel, and R Yosef Yitzchok
Segal wrote to the Rebbe about
Migdal HaEmek as a possibility
for a permanent shlichus. The
Rebbe answered, onward to
Migdal HaEmek. And then the
yeshiva turned into a Yeshivas
Tomchei Tmimim in every
respect. It has since gone through
many transitions but this is not
the place to go into that. I just
told the part that had to do with
R Yisroel from the perspective of
my personal experience.)
As one of the shluchim, I
would give a Tanya shiur every
day. Although I was a young
bachur and he was a famous
gaon, R Yisroel would sit and
listen to the shiur that I gave. He
explained to us that he wanted
the talmidim to be Chassidim and
he wanted to set an example of
listening closely to the Chassidus
classes.
His son, Yossele, who was
there the entire time with his
father, would excitedly tell us
every Sunday how his father
would repeat at home that which
he heard in the Tanya class, that
every Jew is a literal part of G-d
above, about the differences
between chochma, bina, and
daas and the special quality of
Torah and mitzvos. There were
things that he did not agree
with at first, but he did not say
anything to disturb the shiur and
only afterward did he sometimes
come to us with questions and

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complaints. (For example, the

explanations in the gloss in
chapter two about the views in
emuna held by the Rambam
and Maharal. He was shocked.
How could one ask questions on
emuna? Simple faith is required
without any philosophizing. Or
when he heard that in Tanya it
says that someone who can do
even a minor sin is called a rasha.
He literally was up in arms. How
could you say that someone
who could speak idle talk is a
rasha?! I think that the mashpia,
R Mendel Futerfas can speak
idle talk is he a rasha?! He is
a tzaddik! A perfect tzaddik! The
demands are so high that nobody
can live up to them!)
His son, Yossele, was not so
well and the Rebbe responded
several times about finding some
suitable physical labor for him. In
Tishrei, R Leibel Groner called
to ask, on behalf of the Rebbe,
whether work was found for
him. R Yisroel could not hold
back from loudly expressing his
amazement many times: See the
true greatness of a real Jewish
leader! The Rebbe bears on his
shoulders the burden of all the
Jewish people and in Tishrei, as
is known, he is busy with holy
work over his head so that he
hardly responds to any letters and
he still found the time to inquire
whether Yossele Grossman found
work yet!
Although he did not consider
himself a Lubavitcher Chassid,
he was enthusiastically involved
in all of the Rebbes projects. He
was always the first to sign on the
mivtzaim, Mihu Yehudi, shleimus
haaretz, etc. and he heatedly
defended and even fought for
the Rebbes positions on these
subjects at the Moetzes Gdolei
HaTorah and at the beis din of
Agudath Israel.
In general, the honor of

Rabbi Issur Yehuda Unterman visiting Yeshivas Tomchei T'mimim in Lud.

Chassidus was very precious

to him. Being a member of the
Moetzes Gdolei HaTorah of
Agudath Israel, he once spoke
there and said that it is known
among Polish Chassidim that the
Baal Shem Tov expanded the Gan
Eden. One of the Litvishe roshei
yeshivos got up and retorted,
He
expanded
the Gehinom. R
Yisroel stopped in
the middle of his
speech and walked
out of the room in
protest.
Afterward
he complained to
his colleagues about
their not protesting
and standing up for
the honor of the Baal
Shem Tov.
May his soul be
bound up in the bond
of life and continue
up above in his noncompromising
war

to spread Torah in the derech of

Chassidus and yiras Shamayim
and arise and sing those who
dwell in the earth and he among
them. May he merit, along with
all of us, to welcome the Rebbe
Melech HaMoshiach with the
true and complete Geula.

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HALACHA 2 GO

IS USING MY
NEIGHBORS WI-FI
CONSIDERED
STEALING?
Selected Halachos from the one minute
halacha project
By HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, Shlita,
Mara Dasra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights

MAY I USE MY NEIGHBORS

WI-FI WITHOUT
PERMISSION?
There are laws in many
countries that forbid the use of
wireless service belonging to
another without permission. In
the United States, federal and
state laws restrict unauthorized
access of a computer network,
though
what
constitutes
unauthorized access and to
what extent it is penalized varies
greatly from state to state. But
it is a punishable crime in every
state to bypass encryption and
other security measures for
access.
Any action that is deemed
illegal by the government is
normally prohibited by halacha,
as well. But if using an open

network is acceptable in a
specific locale, is it nonetheless
considered gzeila (theft)?
Gzeila includes the issur
(restriction) of shoel shelo
midaas (borrowing anothers
possession without permission),
even if the borrowed object is
returned with nothing depleted
and no obvious wear and
tear. But a davar sheein bo
mamosh (something that has
no substance) cannot be stolen
in the strict sense of Torah law.
By utilizing anothers internet
connection there is no theft or
even borrowing of a router or
any other physical object, but
there are other considerations of
disadvantaging another which
may restrict unsanctioned use.
Some of these issues are:
Is their bandwidth affected?

Sometimes,
multiple
users
can slow down a connection,
especially when using Wi-Fi for
heavy downloads.
Do they pay per gig? Some
internet providers supply a payfor-use (also called metered)
system and using anothers
connection may add to their costs
or suspend service when they
run out and reach the gigabyte
limit.
Do they have a singleuser contract? Internet service
contracts may have riders that
limit the number of devices
or users attached to a single
account, and using a neighbors
Wi-Fi may cause them harm
when their contract is thereby
breached.
Is the internet activity aboveboard? Someone who freeloads

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Wi-Fi for illegal transactions,

downloads or viewing makes
them
more
vulnerable
to
hackers and may even cause the
contracted user to be penalized.
If we are sure that none
of these issues applyit is
known that there is no outlay,
authorization issues or slowed
connection (or if the neighbor
is away), there is a leniency of
zeh neheneh vzeh lo chaseir
(one benefits and the other loses
nothing). In cases involving a
davar sheein bo mamosh, the
owner is obliged to allow usage:
When playing loud music, the
partier cannot prevent those
outside from listening in; after
painting a mural on the faade
of a house, the homeowner must
concede to passersby viewing it;
and, ostensibly, a Wi-Fi users

open network (that is often

automatically picked up by
someone elses wireless device)
ought to be available for public
use.
Additionally, since the primary
user has the option of password
protection, their failure to set it
up may be implicit permission
for others to use their Wi-Fi.
This dispensation is related
specifically to internet access as
an intangible acquisition (and
would not apply, for instance,
to taking anothers possession
if their door is left unlocked).
The simplest solution for using a
neighbors internet connection is
simply to ask permission. If none
of the above issues apply to their
internet portal, neighbors who
are approached in this manner
are called upon to oblige, as the

pasuk in Mishlei urges: Al timna

tov mebaalov (Do not withhold
good from the one who needs it).

HOW TZITZIS STRINGS

SHOULD HANG
Tzitzis strings must be tied
so they are notef al hakeren
(dangling alongside the corner).
They should not hang straight
down toward the hem of the
begged (garment), nor should
they be secured diagonally so that
they hit the corner straight on,
but should list towards the side
of the begged and then stream
vertically along the edge to the
corner.
The halachic definition of
keren (along the corner) includes
an area within the edge of the
begged, equivalent to melo kesher

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arbrengen

Medical apparel, graduation gowns or other types

of uniforms are worn for a specific purpose, and
are therefore not considered chukos hagoyim. On the
other hand, ripped jeans or other fashions that essentially
have neither taam nor toeles can be categorized as chukos
hagoyim. Flashy fads that push the limits of modesty and
involve derech pritzus, such as certain popular hairstyles,
are also a halachic issue.
gudal (from the tip to the first
knuckle of the thumb), just
under three centimeters. This is
a limitation on how far the tzitzis
strings may stray upwards from
the corner (and according to
some opinions sidewaystoo)
and still optimally fulfill the
requirement of hanging al kanfei
bigdeihem (on the corners of
their garments).
The position of notef al
hakeren (or at least arranging
the strings so it is always a
possibility) should be maintained
throughout tzitzis wear, not just
when they are first tiedthough
if they move outside the vicinity
of melo kesher gudal while being
worn, they are still considered
kosher. Tzitzis wearers who
tuck in should be careful that
the strings remain affixed in the
correct way while undercover,
and extra special care is required
for those who hide the tallis
katan (lit. small tallisi.e., the
tzitzis garment), but leave the
tzitzis dangling out.
Many have the minhag
(custom) of placing two holes
angled towards the corner of
the tallis katan through which
the strings are tied. This design
helps the tzitzis strings hang
appropriately, notef al hakeren,
and prevents them from creeping
too high or inward. The Siddur
HaRav recommends placing
a second small hole right on

the side edge of the tallis gadol

(large prayer tallis) also for this
purpose.
When wearing the tallis
gadol for davening (and perhaps
swaying in such a way that the
tzitzis swing), best effort should
be made so the tzitzis strings
retain the position of notef al
hakeren.

IS WEARING A CAP &

GOWN CHUKOS HAGOYIM?
Following chukos hagoyim
(the ways of the non-Jews) is
a lav (Torah prohibition), as
it states in Parshas Acharei:
Uvchukoseihem lo seilechu
(do not go in their ways). Chukos
hagoyim includes all manner of
non-Jewish conduct, not just
those specific to ovdei avoda zara
(idol-worshippers). What are
they?
According
to
one
interpretation it includes all
modes of conduct that were
initiated by non-Jews and gained
widespread popularity before
Jews adopted this behavior.
However, a more accepted
definition, set forth by the
Maharik and codified by the
Rema, includes only behaviors
that have no taam (logical basis)
or toeles (obvious benefit)and
when a Jew performs them they
are acting solely to imitate what
is in vogue. This description

follows the classic reading of the

word used in the Torah, chok
(statute), which is a regulation
outside logic.
Another restriction under
chukos hagoyim is conduct that is
derech pritzus, shachatz vgaavah
([an aspect of] immodesty or
pretentiousness);
the
Toras
Kohanim also includes elegant
dress associated with the nonJewish elite.
Medical apparel, graduation
gowns or other types of uniforms
are worn for a specific purpose,
and are therefore not considered
chukos hagoyim. On the other
hand, ripped jeans or other
fashions that essentially have
neither taam nor toeles can be
categorized as chukos hagoyim.
Flashy fads that push the limits
of modesty and involve derech
pritzus, such as certain popular
hairstyles, are also a halachic
issue. With regard to all modes of
dress, the rules of reasonable and
useful fashion apply.
Many poskimmaintain
that
non-Jewish
traditions
originally associated withavoda
zarashould also be avoided, even
if they later evolved into nonreligious customs. Some halachic
authorities rule more strictly
than the Maharik,
considering
even non-Jewish mores with
ataamortoelesto
bechukos
hagoyim. Many communities
have
adopted
these
extra
stringencies on account of the
severity associated with violating
alav, and also due to a guiding
principle of Chazal, that we, the
Jewish people, remain distinct in
our behavior and dress from the
nations around us.

TO GET OR NOT TO GET:

REMARRIAGE AFTER CIVIL
MARRIAGE
A Jewish woman who wishes

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to marry, but was previously

married to a Jewish man, requires
a get (a bill of divorce) from her
former husband. What if her first
marriage was only a civil one
does she still need a get?
The Definition of Marriage
Civil marriages and other
formalized
relationships
do not constitute a kosher
marriage,
which
requires
kiddushin (halachic betrothal)
in the presence of two kosher
witnesses. Nevertheless, poskim
put forth many reasons to be
stringent regarding the necessity
of a get for dissolution of even a
non-kosher marriagewhether
a ceremonial or non-officiated
union.
The
Tzemach
Tzedek
examines the question of whether
a woman who is meyuchad (in
an exclusive relationship) with a
man might be comparable to a
(now obsolete) pilegesh (a halfwife i.e., a marriage not for the
purpose of having children),
which according to many
opinions required a get even
though no kiddushin took place.
There is another argument
put forth that although the civil
marriage was not a Jewish
one, the Torah ascribes other
forms of marriage to bnei Noach

(Noachides, i.e., non-Jews who

adhere to the Seven Universal
Mitzvos). If Jews are married in
this manner, a get or some other
official form of dissolution of the
marriage may be required.
Alternatively,
the
civil
marriage in itself can be
considered a shtar (contract) that
constitutes kiddushin.
Non-Ceremonial Matrimony
There is a halachic concept
that Chazaka ein adam oseh
beilaso beilas zenus (it is
assumed that a person would not
want to enter into a forbidden
relationship); a Jewish man and
Jewish woman in a relationship
would seemingly desire not
to violate halacha (or live
immorally). Even if they are
unaware of the requirement of
kiddushin or the necessity of it,
their relationship (or the very
fact that they live together) may
be considered an implicit choice
to be married. Since it is public
knowledge that they live together,
this awareness may constitute
witnesses, resulting in the need
for a get.
The Uncomplicated Divorce
Some poskim who reject all
the above arguments nevertheless
maintain that a get is required
in order to create a syag (lit.,

fencea safeguard) against

Jewish
marriages
ending
without a get. They take into
consideration the potentially
negative impact on legal Jewish
divorce were it to become
commonplace for civilly married
women to have their unions end
sans get.
Some
authorities
argue
against this practice so as not
to, chas vshalom, appear to give
legitimacy to non-kosher unions.
Nevertheless, the consensus
among poskim is that even if a get
is not required for the dissolution
of a civil marriage according
to the letter of halacha, it must
nevertheless be acquired, if only
as a chumra (stringency).
When it is not possible
to obtain a get to dissolve a
previous civil marriage, a rav
should be consulted, since the
circumstances of each individual
case greatly impact the halachic
ruling.
One Minute Halacha is a succinct
daily presentation on practical Halacha
in video, audio, and text formats, and can
be accessed by phone at 718.989.9599,
by email, halacha2go@gmail.com, or by
WhatsApp 347.456.5665.

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PARSHA THOUGHT

BE YOUR
OWN BAKER!
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

HIDDEN BLESSINGS!
Your life will hang in
the balance, and you will be
frightened night and day, and
you will not be certain about your
life.
This weeks parsha contains
some of the harshest threats of
pain and suffering for the Jewish
people if they fail to follow G-ds
commandments. This verse is
one.
In truth, this section, called
the Tochecha (rebuke), can be
read on two levels. On the first
level these harsh admonitions
sound like horrific curses
intended to jolt us out of our
reverie and take life seriously.
On a higher and deeper
level, however, these curses
are actually sublime, but hidden,
blessings; even more powerful
than any of the overt blessings in
the Torah. To capture the positive
dimension, one has to dig deep
beneath the surface of these
curses.
How can we possibly interpret
the abovementioned verse in a
positive vein? How can insecurity
and fear be positive attributes?
To discover a positive message
in this verse we must first have a
better and deeper understanding
of its simple meaning.

DEPENDING ON THE
MARKET AND BAKER
According to Rashi, who
cites the words of the Talmud
(Menachos 103b), the fear
spoken of in the first part of the
verse refers to one who buys
produce from the market. The
fear here is the uncertainty that is
caused by not having ones own
produce, having to depend solely
on the market.
The next part of the verse,
you will not be certain of your
life, Rashi continues, refers to
one who relies on the baker.
These fears appear to be
redundant.
The
common
denominator of these curses is
that the people will not have their
own produce or baked goods.
Why does the Torah divide this
curse into two?
Another question is, after
going through over 50 grueling
verses of the most horrific curses,
maybe having to depend on the
market and the baker doesnt
sound like such a potent curse.
One may answer the second
question by realizing that it is
doubt that makes all the other
curses much more difficult to
bear.
Even in times of suffering,
humans have the uncanny
ability to develop a tolerance

for pain. But when the pain and

suffering is augmented by doubt
and uncertainty, it makes all the
suffering much more acute and
intolerable.
But the question still remains.
There are far more serious
doubts than the uncertainty of
having to depend on markets
and bakers. Almost all of modern
society is relieved that they dont
have to do strenuous farm work
and can depend on the markets
and bakers.

SPIRITUAL PRODUCE AND

BAKED GOODS
Perhaps the verse here actually
refers to moral and spiritual
produce. The curse is that we
have to get it from the outside.
There are two sources from
which we can get our direction in
life: It can come from the outside,
from the marketplace of ideas,
or it can come from within our
own teachings and from within
our own souls.
This then is what the verse
means when it says, Your life
will hang in the balance. Your
life (spiritual life, which can
then affect your physical life as
well) will be insecure because
you will not have direction.
And the reason you will lack
direction is that you depend on

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the market, which is inundated

with a plethora of different and
conflicting messages.
Insecurity caused by the
fragmentation and proliferation
of ideas is the hallmark of
Galus-exile. When we had
our Holy Temple, in the
days of King Shlomo, all of
the nations paid homage to
him. The marketplace was,
to
a
significant
measure,
subordinated to the principles of
Torah, or, at least was bending
in that direction. However, when
Shlomo fell into excesses and
allowed the foreign influences of
his wives to encroach on his turf,
his kingdom was split into two, a
division that sowed the seeds of
exile.
With the imminent Final
Redemption, Torah will be
restored as the singular influence
in our lives and in the lives of
all society. It will therefore be a
blissful existence, free of doubts,
insecurities and conflicts.
Thus, if we had to characterize
the difference between exile and
Redemption we could say, exile is
division and Redemption is unity.
The
famous
Talmudic
Sage, Rabbi Yoseph, celebrated
the Festival of Shavuos, the
anniversary of the giving of the
Torah, with much excitement.
The reason he offered for this
celebration was: If not for
this day, there would be many
Yosephs in the marketplace. He
meant that if not for the Torah
he would have been one Yoseph
among many other Yosephs.
Torah made him unique.
Why did Rabbi Yoseph stress
the word marketplace? He
could have just said, if not for
this day there would have been
many Yosephs.
If not for the Torah we would
have been compelled to sort out
the bombardment of conflicting

influences coming at us from

all different directions in the
marketplace. Our lives would
always be hanging in the balance,
swinging from one direction to
another, never knowing which
one is correct.
Given this interpretation of
the verse, the curse here is not
confined to the lack of certainty
about ones supply of food but
the uncertainty of life itself.

and you will not be certain

about your life.
As
mentioned,
Rashi
interprets this as having to
depend on the baker.
The difference between a
baker and the market is that the
market provides us with raw
material whereas the baker sells
us fully baked products.
The metaphor of the baker
is that while in exile we depend

To get out of exile, we have to bake our own

bread and cakes. We have to believe in our own
souls. We cannot rely solely on G-ds promise to schlep us
out of the quagmire of Galus; we have our own important
part to play. We must ignite our souls and invest the heat
and fire of our souls in the performance of Mitzvos and
passion for Moshiach.

NO NIGHT AND DAY

The verse then continues to
explain what this uncertainty
does to us:
and you will be frightened
night and day.
As the next verse clarifies:
In the morning you will say,
who can give evening, and in the
evening you will say, who can
give morning.
The
underlying
message
here is that day and night
represent different approaches
to life. Night and day demand
different modes of behavior and
even dress. But, when we are
exposed to the marketplace of
ideas, we cannot know when to
live a day life and when to live
a night life. Our schedules and
priorities are skewed and we
cannot grow spiritually.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
The verse then continues:

on the volatile and conflicted

marketplace for guidance in life.
This brings us great uncertainty,
but it gets much worse than that.
Even when we have the finished
product given to us, when we
have fully baked knowledge,
knowledge that was generated
by the heat and warmth of Torah,
we will not be able to internalize
it. It will feel that it is an outside
influence and not home baked. It
will seem alien to us.
When people feel that what
they have been given is not in
sync with who they are, they
cannot feel satisfied.
Thus, the verse (translated
literally) says:
You will not believe in your
life.
You will feel empty and
undernourished even by the
bread of Torah. Even the tastiest
of Torah pastries will not bring
enjoyment because in Galus your
palate has been desensitized to
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PARSHA THOUGHT
the culinary delights of Torah.
You will not get satisfaction
because Galus conditions have
caused us to lose touch with our
souls. Moreover, even the Torah
that we are able to learn may be
tainted with Galus vision.
For us to get the most from
Torah we have to feel that we
have a soul, that it is in the right
place and that the Torah is indeed
ours. But when we are suffused
with such self-doubt, all the
nourishment that comes from
the Torah will not satisfy us and
it will not allow us to escape from
Galus.

ON THE THRESHOLD
We have now arrived at a
positive way of viewing this verse
because the Torah has essentially
provided us with the diagnosis of
our problem. Simply knowing the
root cause of our malady is half
the cure.
When we know that doubts
in our lives stem from our
insistence
on
getting
our

knowledge, values and ideologies

from the marketplace, from the
world of Galus-exile, all we have
to do is turn to the one unifying
influence: the Torah and the way
it will dominate the imminent
period of Geula-Redemption.
As mentioned in many of
these essays, the Hebrew word
for Redemption is the same as
the word for exile, except that
it has an added letter aleph,
which means one. The world of
Redemption is a world of oneness
and unity.
The
Rebbe
informed
us repeatedly that we are
standing on the threshold of
Redemption.
What does the imagery of
standing on a threshold suggest?

LOOK INSIDE!
We can either direct our gaze
inward so we see the Geula in
front of us or we can turn our
backs and see things through
the prism of exile, even as we
are but millimeters away from

LIVE SHIURIM 0NLINE

Geula. This verse implores us not

to get our vision from the exile
marketplace.
Furthermore, the difference
between exile and redemption is
that exile is a state of alienation
from ourselves, from our very
souls, whereas in Redemption we
shall be in touch with our souls.
In that state of Galus-produced
alienation, even fully baked
pastries of Torah and Chassidus
do not satisfy our needs.
To get out of exile, we have to
bake our own bread and cakes.
We have to believe in our own
souls. We cannot rely solely on
G-ds promise to schlep us out
of the quagmire of Galus; we
have our own important part to
play. We must ignite our souls
and invest the heat and fire of
our souls in the performance
of Mitzvos and passion for
Moshiach.
The Torah beckons us: Look
inside the world of Geula; look
inside your own soul and youll
discover unity!

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

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22 20 Elul 5776 - Hakhel

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ubhcr ,pue

Kupas Rabbeinu

jhanv lkn r"unst e"f ,uthab ,j,

Lubavitch
(718) 467-2500

P.O.B. 288 Brooklyn, New York 11225

(718) 756-3337

URG
REQ ENT
UES
T!
HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES ANXIOUSLY LOOKING
FORWARD FOR YOUR GENEROUS ASSISTANCE!
Boruch Hashem, Elul 5776
5776

To every member of the Lubavitcher community:

During this month of preparation for Rosh Hashonoh, the head of the New Year, we fondly recall our
Rebbes words that this is an especially auspicious time for strengthening our deep bond of
Hiskashrus with the Rosh Bnei Yisroel, the head of the Jewish people and leader of the generation.
Our Rebbeim explain that an important way to strengthen Hiskashrus is by participating in

the Rebbes activities and concerns, consequently, by supporting an organization that

brings together a number of these activities, the Hiskashrus is greater and stronger. Such

an organization is Kupas Rabbeinu, which seeks to continue many of the Rebbes activities and concerns without change from the way he would conduct them himself.

Every year at this time, the Rebbe would call upon us to contribute generously to help needy families
with their extra expenses for the coming months many Yomim Tovim. This also coincides with the special emphasis during this month of giving extra Tzedokah, (indicated in the Hebrew letters of the word
Elul, as explained in many Sichos etc.), as a vital way of preparing ourselves for the new year and
arousing Divine mercy upon us. See sicho in the Hebrew text of this letter.
We therefore appeal to every individual man and woman to contribute generously to Kupas
Rabbeinu, enabling us to fulfill the Rebbes desire to help all those who anxiously await our
help. The greater your contribution, the more we can accomplish.
Please do not forsake them!
Your generous contribution to Kupas Rabbeinu will be the appropriate vessel for receiving the abundant blessings of the Rebbe, who is its Nasi, that you may be blessed with a Ksiva Vachasima Tova
for a good and sweet year, materially and spiritually. May it help to bring the full revelation of Moshiach
- our Rebbe - immediately now!
Wishing you a Ksiva Vachasima Tova for a good and sweet year,

In the name of Vaad Kupas Rabbeinu

Rabbi Sholom Mendel Simpson

Rabbi Yehuda Leib Groner

P.S. Of course, you may send to Kupas Rabbeinu all contributions that you would send to the Rebbe; all
will be devoted to the activities to which the Rebbe would devote them.
You may also send Maimad, Keren-Hashono (this coming year 5771
5777 - 385
353 days), Vov Tishrei, Yud Gimmel
Tishrei Magbis etc. to Kupas Rabbeinu.
P.S. Please send all correspondence only to the following address.
KUPAS RABBEINU / P.O.B. 288 / BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11225
Eretz Yisroel address: KEREN KUPAS ADMU"R / P.O.B. 1247 / KIRYAT MALACHI / ISRAEL

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CHINUCH

CHILDREN ASK G-D TO

RULE OVER THE

WHOLE WORLD
On the eve of the High Holidays, a time of
continual prayer and a deeper connection to
the concept of Cause Me to reign upon you,
we turned to Rabbi Meir Wilschansky, mashpia
and rosh mesivta at Yeshivas Chassidei Chabad
in Tzfas, with several practical questions: What
is the best way to connect our children to
tfilla? How do we connect them to the idea
of accepting the sovereignty of Heaven and
Tkias Shofar? Is fear a proper way to educate
the younger generation? A heartfelt discussion
about practical tools for educating our children.
By Nosson Avraham
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry

n the days before Rosh

Hashanah, This is the day
of the beginning of Your
works, we try to straighten
our path, to change and to be
changed. Above all, we pray that
the coming year will be much
better, especially as it pertains to
our childrens education. Who
among us has no questions? Have
I conducted myself properly with
my children? How can I get them
to strengthen their connection

to Torah and mitzvos? How can

I impress upon them the true
meaning behind the High Holiday
season?
We cry out to G-d and ask
for His help, including with our
childrens education. For this
article, we spoke with Rabbi
Meir Wilschansky, mashpia
and rosh mesivta at Yeshivas
Chassidei Chabad in Tzfas.

HOW DO WE EDUCATE
OUR CHILDREN TO DAVEN
PROPERLY?
The Days of Judgment
and Slichos are primarily
characterized by prayer. What
is the best way to educate our
children to connect to tfilla?
While there are several ways,
it is quite clear that the most
effective way is to be a lebedike
baishpil
(set
a
personal

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example). Children need to see

their father davening in a minyan,
out of a siddur, and not getting
into any side distractions. Theres
a well-known saying, one act
of foolishness offsets a thousand
proofs, and similarly, one
action goes beyond a thousand
explanations. It makes no
difference how much we explain
the importance of tfilla - if the
child sees his father davening
properly, that will influence him
more than anything else.

Theres a famous story about

R Chonye Marozov, who hired
a melamed to teach Torah to his
sons, including the importance
of tfilla. At the end of that year,
he fired the melamed. The man
wanted to know why. Didnt
I teach your children well? he
asked. Yes, you have an excellent
ability to explain complex ideas,
R Chonye replied. However,
I also see that you dont daven
at length. The melamed didnt
understand. But I taught and

explained to them the importance

of tfilla at length. I dont want
them merely to explain the
importance of tfilla to the next
generation, R Chonye told the
melamed. I want them to daven
barichus themselves.
Another way is the importance
of being consistent. If its been
decided that a child davens
certain portions in the tfilla or
stays in shul during the Torah
reading, we have to keep him to
that. Furthermore, we must set a
schedule of davening appropriate
for a child his age and the level
of his ability. In situations where
it becomes too difficult due to
exhaustion or some other reason,
we must inform the child that
well be changing the usual
custom due to that reason.
Its also important that we
tell them stories about the great
quality of davening, how much
G-d loves when we say Amen,
and how much he desires the
prayers of tzaddikim. Theres no
lack of stories on this subject,
and when the child hears them, it
penetrates his heart.
Another way is through
prizes. This can be done through
a points system, where the
points can be cashed in for the
children to buy books and games.
In any case, it is most
important to internalize the fact
that not all children have equal
abilities. We want our child to
love davening, not because he
was forced to feel that way. On
the one hand, we have to place
limits before the child and help
him to overcome his yetzer hara
that prevents him from davening.
On the other hand, we must
keep our demands in line with
the childs abilities. For example,
I will not obligate a child at the
age of ten, or even eleven, with
an attention disorder to follow
the entire Torah reading or the

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CHINUCH
liturgy of the High Holiday
prayers, waiting instead until he
reaches a more compulsory age.
The shofar comes to remind
us to repent, Awaken those
asleep from their slumber.
What is the best way to educate
our children to do tshuva,
overcome their failures, and
return to the proper path?
Would this be the path of love,
fear, or both?
Chassidus
explains
that
everything comes from love. Even
fear is essentially an aspect of
love. In our generation, the best
approach is through closeness
and affection. We see this
through the Rebbes approach in
everything. The Rebbe constantly
speaks with great praise about
the tremendous quality of the
Jewish People. In these times,
theres a very low threshold on
sensitivity. Children dont seem
to take the attribute of fear to
the right place, basing things
instead upon blaming themselves
and their failures.
In our generation, even
adults can come to sadness
through the path of fear. Once
they reach that point, they fall
and it becomes difficult to lift
them up. The correct path is
as exemplified by the Rebbe,
particularly in these times as we
come closer to the Time of the
Redemption. The Rebbe states
in the maamer Margila BFumei
DRava 5746 that we are already
on Erev Shabbos afternoon, and
the avoda of Shabbos is with joy.
We see that when we show love
and affection to our child, getting
him to love the path of Torah and
mitzvah fulfillment, this connects
him far more successfully than
fear and punishment.
While we obviously cant
neglect clear boundaries, they
cant be set through anger,
threats, or fear tactics. We can

explain to the child that these

limitations are there to make
things better for him. While the
child doesnt understand this
now and this puts him in a very
foul mood, he will understand
with the passage of time. A
child wants limitations and he
eventually realizes that they are
being placed for his own good.
One of the reasons for
Tkias Shofar is to instill fear
and dread, as is written, Will
a shofar be sounded in the city
and the people not quiver? The
way of the shofar is to make the
heart tremble and cause us to
return to G-d with a full heart
and a contrite spirit. In light of
what was explained above, does
the concept of fear and dread
actually exist within education
in Lubavitch?
Fear and dread - no,
responsibility and earnestness most definitely. When a person
accepts
responsibility
upon
himself, he is not afraid and
feels no sense of dread. He is
more concerned that the matter
for which he has accepted
responsibility is done in the best
possible way. We need to educate
children in this feeling and that
they should act accordingly.
In
contrast,
when
the
approach is one of fear and
anxiety, this doesnt lead to
greater responsibility. Quite to
the contrary: it creates a low
self-image and a desire to evade
fulfilling ones obligations, as
the child waits for it all to end.
To our great regret, there are
people who look back after Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur with
a kind of satisfaction, as they say,
Thank G-d that weve finished
the High Holidays. We must
be careful and not get confused
about the need for seriousness
and responsibility. We must
speak with our children about the

obligation we have to try and be

inscribed and sealed in the Book
of Life and Redemption not
just us, but the whole world, in
order that we all will be present
at the revelation of Melech
HaMoshiach. When this is our
approach, we can see actual
spiritual avoda within the child.
However, when we use tactics
of punishment and trepidation,
the child tries to shirk his
responsibility as he waits for the
Days of Awe to pass.
In using an approach of fear,
the child is not working on his
Avodas Hashem. The child does
what he is obligated to do only to
avoid the punishment he might
otherwise receive, not to fulfill
G-ds Divine command. Anyone
who was by the Rebbe before
Gimmel Tammuz 5754 can
give testimony on the Rebbes
stern expression during the
High Holidays and his joyous
countenance on Motzaei Yom
Kippur. Yes, we do bear a heavy
responsibility and we must act
accordingly, but not due to
our fear of punishment, rather
because we want to serve G-d
and fulfill His will.
It is appropriate to speak to
the child about Yiras Shamayim
after all, this is one of the
founding principles of our
spiritual avoda, as explained in
Tanya, Chapter 41. However,
we must do this the proper way,
as brought in the teachings
of Chassidus. There are two
kinds of fear: fear of sin and
fear of embarrassment. First,
a Jew should be afraid to do
a sin, not because he is afraid
of punishment but due to his
separation from G-d when
he commits a transgression
against Him. It is appropriate
to explain to a child that while
G-d constantly provides an
abundance of His blessings, we
prevent this spiritual flow from

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reaching us when we commit a

sin. Therefore, we must convey
the message that he should not
act contrary to G-ds will: it
simply isnt worth it.
Similarly, we find regarding
fear of embarrassment. When
we perceive the greatness and
supremacy of Alm-ghty G-d,
contemplating how exalted He
is as His presence fills the whole
world, this permeates us with a
constant sense of awe and shame.
How do we express this point to
our children? Chassidus explains
that there are those who work
under someone else, and they are
concerned about disobeying their
masters will. Why? Because this
will result in their not getting
what they want. If they fail to
act according to his instructions,
they will quickly apologize and
ask his forgiveness. As a result,
the servant is essentially thinking
about himself.
However, there is another
type of boss one who provides
an endless supply of goodness
and kindness to his worker. Even
when the worker makes a mistake
and doesnt do what his employer
requested, he still receives a
double portion. How does the
worker feel? Embarrassment.
He doesnt want to go against
his boss orders - not because
hes worried about himself,
rather he feels uncomfortable
when his boss gives him such
an abundance of material good
when he is clearly undeserving.
This is the path that a Chabad
chassid should strive for and
by which he should educate his
children. We must consider how
it is the nature of G-d to do good,
and since we receive this good in
spite of everything, we should
therefore be more embarrassed
than afraid. In such a case, we
long for the month of Elul and
the High Holidays and dont pray

Chassidus explains that everything comes from

love. Even fear is essentially an aspect of love. In
our generation, the best approach is through closeness
and affection.

for these days to get behind us.

CAUSE ME TO REIGN OVER

YOU WITH LOVE
Chassidus explains that
a correct preparation for the
Day of Judgment is Cause
Me to reign over you, to have
bittul toward Him and accept
His sovereignty. How can we
educate our children to attain
such bittul?
The best possible example
of bittul in our generation is
education toward hiskashrus to
the Rebbe. We teach our children
and speak constantly about
accepting G-ds sovereignty.
When a child proclaims Yechi
Adoneinu, he is battul to the
Rebbe and his teachings. A child
often hears from his father,
This is what the Rebbe says
to do, These are the Rebbes
instructions, We received this

in a letter - statements such

as these have become quite
routine. The idea is to get out
of the generalities and into the
more specific aspects. We need
to focus on questions like What
good resolution did you make to
give nachas to the Rebbe?
Its quite easy to go from
the Rebbes sovereignty to the
sovereignty of Alm-ghty G-d. We
do what the Rebbe says because
he is the nasi (and not out of
fear of punishment). We want
to get closer to the Rebbe and
fulfill his will. By the same token,
we also fulfill G-ds mitzvos out
of a sense of bittul and an inner
connection to Him.
R Saadia Gaon writes that
Tkias Shofar is connected
to the coming of Moshiach.
It is written regarding the
ingathering of the exiles, And
it shall come to pass on that
day, that a great shofar shall
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CHINUCH
be sounded, and those lost in
the land of Assyria and those
exiled in the land of Egypt
shall come. How can we
educate our children to live
Moshiach,
anticipating
his
arrival in the best possible way
in a generation of hiding and
concealment?
This question represents a
continuation of the previous
question. When a child sees
that his father speaks about
the Rebbe in the present tense,
checking what the Rebbe said
on any given date; when a child
sees that theres a way to find
an answer to every question,
writing to the Rebbe receiving
his reply, and acting according
to his instructions - this causes
the Rebbe to live in the home
and in the childrens souls.
During the High Holiday season,
it is important that we try and
bring the children to the Rebbe,
thereby uplifting them beyond the
existing spiritual concealment.
While this pertains to the
Rebbe, the subject of Moshiach
has two central themes. First,
we must encourage the child
to want G-dliness. The Rebbe
spoke about this in a sicha
from Shabbos VaEira 5752 in
connection with the story of
the Rebbe Rashab crying to
his grandfather, the Tzemach
Tzedek, because G-d didnt
reveal Himself to him the way he
did to Avraham Avinu. The Rebbe
said that the purpose of the story
is to educate our children to long
for the revelation of G-dliness
that Avraham Avinu experienced.
When I was a student in
Talmud Torah, there was a
contest with the first prize being
the opportunity to recite a few
Psalms from a Seifer Thillim
used by the Rebbe himself. This
aroused a great deal of excitement
at the school. While children like

bicycles and other games, the

childrens enthusiasm over this
contest was overwhelming. This
shows us how even children want
and long for G-dliness. We also
see that in every contest, in every
city, and in every yeshiva - what
is the biggest prize? An airline
ticket to the Rebbe. Bachurim sit
and learn day and night just to
win a ticket, and this serves as yet
another illustration of how much
the younger generation wants
G-dliness.
Many
childrens
stories
have come out in recent years
describing life in the days of
Moshiach, bringing quotes from
the Gemara and Midrash that
explain how all suffering will end
and everything will only be good.
These things can create miracles
for a childs soul. Children today
live Moshiach and know more
than they have in the past, and
this already signifies a taste of
what we will experience in the
days of Moshiach.
Its specifically from this
point that I connect to another
idea related to Tkias Shofar
written by R Saadia Gaon The shofar represents prayer
for the building of the Beis
HaMikdash. When we hear the
sound of the shofar, we recall
the shout of the enemy as they
attacked and destroyed the Beis
HaMikdash. In our prayers, we
ask that it should be rebuilt.
Since by their very nature,
children live for the here and
now, how can we educate a
child to live with an idea that
doesnt exist in the here and
now, rather something that is
seemingly utopian, a vision of
the end of days?
It is specifically with a child
that we perceive the aspect of
faith in the simplest terms. The
children of this generation are
found more and more in the

virtual world than in the true

reality. To our great regret,
there are those who even remain
there... Thus, it is by no means
unfounded to speak with a child
about the Beis HaMikdash,
especially when we see signs
showing that we are standing on
the verge of the building of the
Beis HaMikdash.
It is specifically the childs
virtual world that brings him
closer to these ideas more than
anything else. If it was difficult
to instill these subjects within
children in the past, all the films
and video presentations produced
today make this much more
attainable. There are countless
educational computer programs
with presentations about the Beis
HaMikdash and how to build it.
The Rebbe emphasizes that it
is much easier today to explain
G-dly matters and people can
really grasp them. In these
times, as we get closer to the
Redemption, we can educate our
children to ask for spirituality
and to realize how really close
it is to them. When we teach a
child with simple faith, he lives
with it. Then, when he matures,
what entered his mind as a small
child remains there and receives
additional fortitude.
Dont you think that it would
be better not to speak with
children about subjects that
seem distant and imaginary?
This is exactly what Shimon
the Heretic claimed. The Alter
Rebbe exposed him when he
asked Shimon how he explains
the pasuk And [Yitzchak]
trembled violently, and he
replied that he skips it. The
Rebbe Rayatz elucidates at great
length about the importance of
telling stories from the Tanach
and stories about tzaddikim
because
they
contain
the
foundations of Yiddishkait, even

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stories that seem like miracles

and wonders.
In your question, you touched
upon the concept of science
fiction. I remember when I
was a boy, I read stories from
the Zarkur chareidi childrens
magazine. The magazine once
featured a fictional story about a
city where everything there was
produced by robots. Today, this
has become reality.
We live in a world where the
technological development is
incredible. Yesterdays imaginary
stories are taking place today
right before our eyes. We can
harness this power to strengthen
the childs perception of stories in
the Torah that seem so amazing.
How did we used to explain the
statement an Eye that sees,
an Ear that hears, and all your
deeds are recorded in a Book?
Only with faith. Today, there are
networks of hidden cameras in
every location watching everyone
wherever they are, thereby
illustrating this statement in a
realistic way.
We see how many things
that were previously thought
to be detached from reality
have actually taken place. We
have to connect the children,
already filled with their own
creative imaginations, to imagine
about truly holy things. As we
have heard in the Rebbes own
prophetic words, were not
talking about something that will
happen many years from now:
Moshiach is here and he has
already come.

ASPIRING FOR THE CHILD

TO SEEK A CONNECTION
TO G-D
In
conclusion,
what
educational message would you
like to convey?
In connection with the

The Rebbe says that it is much easier today to

explain G-dly matters and people can really grasp
them. In these times, as we get closer to the Redemption,
we can educate our children to ask for spirituality and to
realize how really close it is to them.

holiday of Rosh Hashanah, we

know that there is the concept
of a regime and sovereignty. The
difference between them is that a
regime rules with coercive power,
whereas they have willingly
accepted His sovereignty. And
since there is no king without a
people, cause Me to reign over
you. Tkias Shofar comes to
reveal the inner essence that we
want the king, unlike a regime
that doesnt seek our advice or
consent.
There are two separate
concepts:
training
and
education. We can train a child
to do things - daven or perform
mitzvos. However, this is not
the education that we want to
achieve. Our objective is for the

child to be educated not from

fear or by training, but through
a proper connection to Torah,
tfilla, and the Alm-ghty G-d.
The
Rebbe
spoke
on
numerous
occasions
about
being mekabel pnei Moshiach
(accepting Moshiach). What
is the simple meaning of
mekabel? Our acceptance
should be from the innermost
spot, not that they compel me
to want Moshiach, rather that I
want it myself. This is our avoda
in Moshiach and this is our
avoda in education - to reveal
within the child the strengths of
human knowledge coming from
him, enabling him to connect to
Torah and mitzvos.

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STORY

THE STORY OF
THE FEARLESS
PRINCIPAL
By Menachem Ziegelboim

PART I
This year the new school year
began in Eretz Yisroel for the
religious schools and the public
schools at around the same time.
This is somewhat anomalous,
as the religious schools start on
Rosh Chodesh Elul while the
secular schools begin around
September 1, which, in most
years, are several weeks apart.
Religious people begin the
school year at the beginning of
the month of mercy, thirty days
before the Yomim Noraim, so
they can properly prepare the
students for these momentous
days. The others start the school
year when the law says to do so,
not a day earlier.

PART II
Just three years before our
story took place, in 1952, the
Reshet Oholei Yosef Yitzchok
school system was launched.
This was a reshet/network that
consisted of just four schools

at the time. The Rebbe started

this network of schools in
order to educate thousands of
Jewish children in the spirit of
Torah, mitzvos and Chassidus.
Some dynamic and dedicated
askanim started the Reshet,
with the Rebbe closely following
their progress. The Rebbe was
involved in a myriad of problems
that cropped up, starting with
permits and certification from
government offices and ending
with broken chairs in the second
grade of one school.
It was the middle of Av
5715/1955 and summer vacation
was underway when a colorful
envelope arrived at the hanhala of
the Reshet. If it was colorful that
meant it came from abroad and
an envelope from abroad meant it
was a letter from the Rebbe.
The directors stood up, put
on their gartels, and opened the
envelope with the requisite awe.
In the letter, the Rebbe wrote
that since the official school year
would be starting on September

1, which fell out in the middle of

the month of Elul, the students
would not be properly prepared
for the days of Slichos and the
Yomim Noraim. The Rebbe
considered this a tremendous
loss and asked that the directors
of the four schools move up the
start of the school year.
The
Rebbe
knew
that
the
government
educational
authorities would not look
kindly upon this, to say the least,
and would make it difficult.
Nevertheless, the Rebbe asked
that the start of the school year
be Rosh Chodesh Elul and not
the middle of Elul.
R Dovid Green, principal
of the school in Kfar Saba,
immediately told his staff about
the earlier start to school. The
staff, knowing their principals
non-compromising
attitude
toward the Rebbes instructions,
was willing to cooperate and
properly prepare the students for
the Yomim Noraim.
Not many days passed

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and representatives from the

education department in Kfar
Saba (where the person who
headed the municipality had
once publicly declared that in
Kfar Saba there would be no
religious school, even if Chabad
would fund it themselves) came
to the school to see whether
the rumor was true, that this
school had opened before all
the other schools. The officials
were furious and they warned
the principal to cease and desist
immediately and fall in line with
the directives of the Education
Ministry. They added that if he
did not respond to their demand,
they would personally see to
it that the schools financial
allotments would be affected
which, as it was, were far from
being enough to sustain the
school. If that wasnt enough,
they also threatened to withdraw
recognition of the school which
would immediately affect its very
existence. It was a most serious
threat indeed.
R Dovid Green was not
frightened by their threats. Nor
did he have the time to start
convincing or arguing with the
municipal employees. He told
them plain and simply: I did
this after receiving instructions
from the Lubavitcher Rebbe
in New York to start school
at the beginning of Elul. I am
not beholden to you; I am only
beholden to the Lubavitcher
Rebbe. If this reason suffices for
you, fine; and if not, also fine,
and Hashem will help. I am not
scared by your threats.
When the citys educational
representatives saw that R Green
was not capitulating, they angrily
left. R Green remained in his
modest office and continued
working. There was no time to
think about whether or when
they would execute their threats.

PART III
The next day was to be the
first day of school. The principal
arrived early in the morning in
order to open the building and
make sure that the first day of
school went off well.
To his great surprise, he met
construction workers in the yard
who were wielding heavy tools.
Who are you? he asked.
We were sent by the city,
they said as they continued their
work.
His heart fell. He was sure
they had been sent to destroy
the place by the people who just
yesterday had threatened him.
But as he stood and watched
them, he noticed that they were
sticking in iron pegs deeply, all

would immediately stop school

funding. To his astonishment,
the reaction was the opposite
and completely unexpected
they were finally doing what
he had been asking them to do
for two years! There was no
logical explanation for this, just
incredible divine providence
providing support to that
outstanding principal who set
aside all calculations and did
what the Rebbe wanted.
R Green informed the Rebbe
about all the details in a report.
***
The next surprise, which
occurred about a month and a
half later, was even greater. It
was during the Simchas Torah
farbrengen 5716, one of the

His heart fell. He was sure they had been sent to

destroy the school. But as he stood and watched
them, he noticed that they were sticking in iron pegs
deeply in the ground, all around the open school yard.
He rubbed his eyes in astonishment. He soon realized
that they had been sent by the education department in
order to make a fence around the school and to put up
other buildings that were needed by the school.

around the open school yard. He

rubbed his eyes in astonishment.
He soon realized that they
had been sent by the education
department in order to make
a fence around the school and
put up other buildings that were
needed by the school. He was
astounded. He had been asking
them for two years to put a fence
up around the school and to
enlarge the school, but he was
always rebuffed like a pesky fly.
He was sure that now, after
he had defied the heads of the
education
department,
they

uplifting, joyous farbrengens

the Rebbe led every year. Beis
Chayeinu was full with locals and
guests who came from all over
the world. After a niggun or two
the Rebbe began a sicha about the
need for bittul to the Nasi Hador
and the dedication needed to the
Rebbe and his mosdos. The sicha
was said tearfully and now and
then the Rebbe stopped to cry.
In the middle of the sicha, the
Rebbe told this story in detail and
derived a moral lesson from it for
the rest of the Chassidim as he
pointed out the bittul of R Green

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Story
who displayed the strength of
hiskashrus.
For example, something
that happened in Eretz Yisroel a
few weeks ago:
Knowing the extent of the
passion of the Rebbe, my fatherin-law, to add a day, an hour,
a moment of Torah study, I
told the school in Eretz Yisroel
in a letter to start some time
before the official government
mandated start of school, and
they did so.
When this became known in
the appropriate ministry, they
went to that school where they
started school two weeks early
and made a big commotion
about it how was it that when
the order was to start the school
year on a certain day, they
started learning Toras Hashem
two weeks earlier?
They warned that this
conduct, which went counter
to the way the entire country
did things, could not continue,
and if they continued, they [the
government] would stop giving
them financial support and
would cut ties with them.
What did that principal
do? As he wrote me in a letter,
he did not get into detailed
discussions about the din (since
he was dealing with someone
who wasnt knowledgeable in
Shulchan Aruch) and said:
Listen,
I
received
instructions in a letter to start
school on the day that I started,
so I did so. Therefore, if this is
accepted by you, fine, and if not,
also fine, G-d willing.
After an answer like that, at
the time, the person responded
stormily to being told that I
have nothing to discuss with
you, but the very next day a
change from one extreme to
another occurred.

For the past two years, the

school has been unable to
have a fence and additional
buildings built by that ministry
and suddenly, the day after
that response, people from the
ministry came and built all the
buildings they refused to build
for two years!
The principal of the school
has no explanation for this, by
natural means, and there really
is no explanation. He did the
opposite of what they wanted
and when they warned him
that they would cut off ties with
him, he said he had received an
order from here and carried it
out, if they accepted it, fine, and
if not, also fine. And what did
they do? They came the next day
and carried out all his demands
that he hadnt been able to
accomplish for two years! The
amazing thing is that nobody
said Thillim for this, nobody
put a penny in a pushka for this.
This
is
nothing
but
outstanding
success
given
from Above, which came about
through Jews who have free
choice, who seemingly would
never consider such a thing and
nevertheless, a public kiddush
Hashem came about through
them.
How did all this happen?
When they said they received
an order from so-and-so, who
is crowned with a certain title,
even though the person they
were speaking with had no
understanding of this title, still,
it affected him to the point that
immediately the next day they
carried out all his demands
that he had made for two
years so that he was already
tired and nearly despaired. All
this happened only because
he showed the strength of
hiskashrus by way of myself
- to the Rebbe, my father-in-

law, and consequently, he was

nullified to the Rebbe, my
father-in-law without knowing
him, and he in turn provided for
him all the requested buildings
through which there will be
even more children, many times
more, who will learn the Toras
Hashem and will receive a
proper chinuch.
If this happened far away
and with a Jew who never saw
the Rebbe, my father-in-law,
and I doubt he corresponded
with him, and I doubt he has
any knowledge of Chassidus,
and whether he was ever in
the four cubits of a Chassidic
education all the more so
regarding those who merited
to see the Rebbe, my father-inlaw, and his father, the Rebbe
Rashab who are all one and
received details instructions
from them.
The Rebbe spoke at length
in this sicha in order to spur on
the Chassidim to learn a lesson
from that anonymous principal,
thousands of kilometers away
from them, who fearlessly
obeyed the Rebbes instruction
and not only wasnt he harmed
thereby, but thanks to it, he was
successful.
0***
In Lubavitch, the Rebbeim
never gave out medals and
praise for their Chassidim,
even the most brilliant and
devoted. The bond between
Chassid and Rebbe and vice
versa was an unconditional soul
connection. But with R Dovid
Green an exception was made
and the Rebbe publicly extolled
his hiskashrus, albeit without
mentioning his name. May this
be a lesson for generations to
come.

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TZIVOS HASHEM

GOING UP
TO THE BEIS
HAMIKDASH
By Zalman Bin-Nun

Gamliel! Fill the clay

pitchers with sweet water,
seal them with wax and load
them on the donkey. We need
to leave already! Chananel
ordered his young son. Gamliel
hurried to fill the pitchers with
clear water that he just drew
from the deep well on the edge
of the village.
Chananel went off to feed
the donkey before the long
trip. He put it in front of the
broad trough that was in the
stable and brought over a pile
of grass so the donkey could
enjoy both. As the donkey
ate and drank, he cleaned
the donkeys hooves and with
a heavy rock he smoothed
out the crookedness that had
developed over time.
The smell of baking wafted
from the kitchen. Sarah, his
good wife, was baking the
crispy cookies that Gamliel
liked and she made sure to
pack them well in a strong
cloth bag.
Dawn had broken and
the Ben Asher family went
to escort Chananel who was
leaving with Gamliel, the oldest
child. May G-d protect you,

Sarah called emotionally as she

watched the donkey which had
already become a speck on the
horizon.
The donkey made its way
easily on the steep mountain
beat
hooves
Its
paths.
rhythmically on the rocks of
the Galil. Gamliel sat on the
donkey in front, with his father
sitting behind him, holding the
reins and confidently directing
the donkey to their destination.
In a twist in the road, as it
merged with the main road,
Gamliel and Chananel noticed
many caravans. There were
many animals with men and
boys on their backs, laden with
packages and the fine fruits
with which Eretz Yisroel is
praised.
The long journey came to
an end after a tiring week.
From the distance they could
see a majestic mountain with
a magnificent building on
top. Gamliel jumped off the
donkey excitedly. This was
the first time he was going
to Yerushalayim and the first
time he was seeing the Beis
HaMikdash in all its glory.
His amazement grew even

greater when they arrived in

Yerushalayim, left the donkey
to rest in the yard of the
inn, and headed for the Beis
HaMikdash. Rows of Leviim
stood and played beautiful
music. A river of people
flooded the entrances. They
brought along kosher animals
which would be slaughtered
an
by
momentarily
experienced group of Kohanim.
An atmosphere of holiness
could be felt. Gamliel prayed
with special intensity and
felt a tremendous spiritual
elevation which left its mark
throughout the entire visit in
Yerushalayim.
I closed the book with
Gamliels story echoing in
my head. I pictured the Beis
HaMikdash in its glory, the
singing of the Leviim, the avoda
of the Kohanim, the caravans
going up to Yerushalayim and
the Bikkurim fruits that they
carried with them. I tried to
imagine feeling the special
atmosphere and in my heart I
felt a great longing to see the
Beis HaMikdash.
My mother calling me
roused me from my daydream

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Tzivos Hashem

and I went to the kitchen to

eat supper. On the table was
a surprise waiting for me, a
closed envelope on which it
said, For dear Shimi.
As my parents watched me
with a secret smile on their
faces, I opened the envelope
and removed a paper folded
into four. When I opened

it, I momentarily stopped

breathing. On the paper it said
in big letters: An electronic
ticket. It had my name on it, a
departure date, and the main
thing the destination, to
New York, to 770!
I shouted excitedly and gave
my father a big hug. We are
leaving, G-d willing, next week,
and I hope you are happy with
the present we arranged in
honor of your birthday, he
said.
The day arrived and I
excitedly got into the taxi
with my father and headed
toward the airpor t. We met

fabulous zchus and knew

that I would make use of every
minute there until I had to
return home.
The following afternoon, I
sat with Levi, my counselor in
camp, and learned a special
sicha, Beis Rabbeinu ShBBavel.
I understood how the Rebbe
was explaining that in the time
of galus there is the main
and
Mikdash,
miniature
is
this
tion
that in our genera
the
when
770, and that soon,
Beis HaMikdash is built and
descends from heaven, it will
first descend to 770 and then
both will go to Yerushalayim.
770 will be attached to the
Beis HaMikdash in the Geula.
I suddenly understood why
I had felt the way I had and
saw how the descriptions that I
read in the book about Gamliel
and his going to Yerushalayim
were taking place before my
eyes, here in 770.
I was pleased to see how
in our special generation, the
generation of Geula, we are
already getting a taste of
the future Mikdash, with the
miniature Mikdash in the time
the plane.
of galus in 770.
Then we were finally on
Its just incredible! To know
Eastern Parkway. Before my who Moshiach is, to visit his
astonished eyes, there was the shul, and to know that very
familiar building, 770. I kissed soon we will merit his hisgalus
the mezuza in the entrance and will see the third Beis
and then went into the big zal.
HaMikdash!
ngen
farbre
the
was
There
And you children too can
place,
s
Rebbe
the
bima and
ask your parents about 770
on
chair
and
er
the shtend
and hear stories and look
the
near
m
platfor
the raised
at pictures and videos, and
chazan.
experience the special Mikdash
I davened my first tfilla in we have in galus. And who
770 with great excitement. I knows maybe you will also
felt that I was in a special place be there for Tishrei. May we all
and gaining strength for the merit to travel together to the
Geula shleima.
rest of the year.
the
for
Hashem
I thanked

many other Lubavitchers and

dozens of mekuravim who were
all going to New York, to the
Rebbe.
The flight was an experience.
I learned a sicha and farbrenged
with the elder Chassidim on the
plane. We even sang Taiere
Brieder when we landed, to
the clapping of the tourists on

34 20 Elul 5776 - Hakhel

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2016-09-20 7:32:39 AM