CONTENTS

7
FEATURED ARTICLES WEEKLY COLUMNS
3 Dvar Malchus
7 I WANT YOU TO WORK
FOR ME 21 Parsha Thought
Rabbi Sholom Yaakov Chazan
and Avrohom Reinitz 32 Moshiach & Hayom Yom
35 Tzivos Hashem
15 ESCORTING
THE REBBE
Menachem Ziegelboim

24 SHLICHUS ON
MANY FRONTS
14 Menachem Ziegelboim

31 THEN HE
SHALL RISE
Boruch Merkur
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1072_bm_eng.indd 4 2017-06-13 1:11:50 PM

 DVAR MALCHUS

YOUR TEARS
ARE IN VAIN.
DO THE REBBES
SHLICHUS!
One Chassid wrote to me that from which makes them vessels for
Supernal Joy.
the time of the histalkus he has been The lesson as this applies to
extremely broken, and at times, when he us:
is alone, he breaks down in tears * What We must know that the
has been accomplished through his tears? virtues and talents we possess
are only what was given to us
Is this the Rebbes objective? Did he ask by my revered father-in-law, the
him to cry? * And in the meanwhile, the Rebbe. Indeed, we must achieve
Rebbes shlichus has been neglected! the ultimate state of bittul in
order to vehemently fulfill the
* Following the histalkus of the Rebbe Rebbes shlichus. As stated
Rayatz, the Rebbe MHM proclaimed that above, the humble, in essence,
the Rebbe remains alive as before. are strong-minded; they ignore
any distraction, concealment, or
disguise.
Translated and presented by Boruch Merkur
One must fulfill the Rebbes
shlichus without considering

O
n Chag HaShavuos
of 5710, the Rebbe
MHM spoke about
the connection between
humility and joy:
In the maamer of Chag
HaShavuos beginning with
the words, The humble shall
increase their joy in G-d
(Seifer HaMaamarim 5710, pg.
237 ff.), my revered father-in-
law, the Rebbe, , This self-effacement or bittul is
outlines the connection between
humility and joy, saying that not
only are they not opposites on
the contrary, they complement
each other.
The Rebbe goes on to
explain how humility is not a
result of inherent lowliness; the
humble know their strengths.
However, they simply dont
ascribe the virtue of possessing
these positive character traits to
themselves. They see any good
they possess, rather, as what
they inherited from their fathers.
broken, and at times, when
a product of acknowledging
the truth. Considering their
own contribution as negligible,
humble people are void of ego,
anything at all. One must not
concern himself with questions
or difficulties: Why are we
saying Kaddish? Why do we
write , etc.? We
must behave like the humble,
who are strong-minded and
do not get caught up in any
diversions.
One Chassid wrote to
me that from the time of the
histalkus he has been extremely
he is alone, he breaks down in
tears
The question is, however:
What has been accomplished

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 Dvar Malchus
through his tears? Is this the
Rebbes objective? Did he ask
him to cry? It is almost certain
that his crying does nothing,
with the exception of what our
Sages taught, All those who
shed tears for a decent person
(and how much more so in our
case), the Alm-ghty counts [his
tears] and places them in His
treasury. But in the meanwhile,
the Rebbes shlichus has been
neglected!
(Ibid 88-89)
On Shabbos Parshas Shlach,
the Rebbe MHM elaborates
on the strategy of seduction the
Evil Inclination employs. As our
Sages teach in Meseches Shabbos
(105b), This is the craft of the
Evil Inclination: Today it tells the
person, Do thisuntil it tells
I dont say nishamso Eden regarding my father,
for I dont demarcate an address [to the location
of his soul]. Moreover, for me, my father never passed
away...
him, serve idolatry. To begin
with in its assault on the person,
the Evil Inclination does no
more than introduce its opinion;
it merely acquiesces with the
Good Inclination to do Mitzvos.
However, the Evil Inclinations
intermingling into the persons
affairs, even in this extremely
benign manner, is the source
and springboard for it eventually
telling the person to serve
idolatry. The advice to combat
this covert action is as follows.
The main condition for
fulfilling the shlichus is,
therefore, following the Rebbes
words, without deviation and
without mixing in the intellect;
specifically through kabbalas ol
4 22 Sivan 5777
1072_bm_eng.indd 4
[simply accepting the directives
as stated].
Of course, this is not always
such a simple task. The Evil
Inclinations subterfuge is so
stealthy and subtle in its initial
engagement that special strength
is needed to defend against
it. The advice to summon this
strength is: maintaining a deep
bond with the Rebbe even after
the histalkus.
Naturally, one who feels that
the Rebbe is now distant from us,
or even inaccessible, would balk
at this challenge, so the Rebbe
continues at length to illustrate
how the opposite is true: the
Rebbe is still with us.
When we speak about my
revered father-in-law, the
Rebbe, we do not say, forever [but also meaning, in
( as stated in Yuma 37a) the Supernal Yeshiva, his lips
or : move in his grave as if he were
On Simchas Torah of 5691,
my revered father-in-law, the
Rebbe, said: I dont say worlds.
regarding my father, for
I dont demarcate an address
[to the location of his soul].
Moreover, for me, my father
never passed away, etc.
Similarly regarding my
revered father-in-law, the Rebbe:
One should not say about him
, because: 1) Who is
able to specify an address,
restricting his location to Gan
Eden the lower Gan Eden
or the higher Gan Eden, or
endlessly higher than that? 2)
Why should we cast him away
from us?! He certainly doesnt
want to leave us behind. The
fact is that he is right here with
us!
For the same reason we dont
say , we also dont say
, for the concept
of remembering ( )only
applies to something distant,
something that can be forgotten.
Whereas in our case, where it
is not possible for there to be
forgetfulness, G-d forbid, there
is no need to remember, just as
there is no need to remember a
living person.
More particularly:
It says in the Gemara
(Yevamos 96b, end ff.): Why
is it written (Thillim 61:5), I
shall dwell in your tent olamim,
(two) worlds]? Is it possible
for a person to dwell in two
worlds? [The Gemara
answer that] when the saying
of any talmid chochom [who
is deceased] is spoken in this
world, his lips murmur in the
grave. The Baalei Tosafos
elaborate: When his soul is
in the Yeshiva shel Maala,
speaking. Thus, in a single
instance, he dwells in two
The whole concept of a
yeshiva, the Rebbe MHM
explains, entails both a rosh
yeshiva as well as his talmidim;
either one on their own does not
constitute a yeshiva. Their must
be a rosh yeshiva teaching and
talmidim reviewing the shiur
and coming to understand the
material.
And regarding a yeshiva
(which includes both a rosh
yeshiva and his talmidim)
there is the Yeshiva shel Mata,
the Terrestrial Yeshiva, where
2017-06-13 1:11:50 PM

worldly matters are studied, and Why should we cast him away from us?! He
there is a Yeshiva shel Maala,
where the topic of study is certainly doesnt want to leave us behind. The
spiritual. (See Kuntres Limud fact is that he is right here with us!
HaChassidus g. 18 ff.; Seifer
HaSichos 5703 pg. 148 ff.) And
[with regard to the Rebbe] both
of them the Yeshiva shel Mata
change. the words of the Gemara that
and the Yeshiva shel Maala
It is written, Evil is not it is possible for a person to
exist both before and after the
emitted from the Supernal dwell in two worlds. And to
histalkus. The difference is only
Source (Eicha 3:38). Since accomplish that, it is necessary
with regard to concealment and
it is impossible that there to study his Torah: When the
revelation. Prior to the histalkus
should be good unless we are saying of any talmid chochom
the Rebbe was visibly present
together with my revered father- [who is deceased] is spoken in
in the Yeshiva shel Mata,
in-law, the Rebbe, certainly he this world, his lips murmur,
but concealed in the Yeshiva
is present with us, as before. etc. However, the fact that
shel Maala, whereas after the
The change is only with regard he is presently with us in a
histalkus, the opposite true: he
to revelation and concealment. concealed way and we must
is revealed in the Yeshiva shel
That is, before [the histalkus] bring proofs for this does not
Maala but concealed in the
he was with us visibly, whereas in any way weaken the reality of
Yeshiva shel Mata. However, in
now he is with us in a hidden the situation at all!
essence, even now he is present
here, in the Yeshiva shel Mata, manner. Thus, there is presently (Ibid 106-107)
and there is absolutely no a need to bring proofs from

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Issue 1072 5

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 INTERVIEW

6 22 Sivan 5777

1072_bm_eng.indd 6 2017-06-13 1:11:52 PM

 I WANT YOU
TO WORK
FOR ME Originally from a Chassidic family in Bratislava,
the young boy found himself in a Lithuanian yeshiva in
England. From there he went to the Chabad yeshiva in
Montreal. When he finally wanted to settle down
and learn in tranquility in 770, he was chosen for a
special mission to the bastion of Lithuanian yeshivas,
Beth Midrash Gevoha, in Lakewood, New Jersey. *
R Nissen Mangel shares with us how he became close
to Chabad against all odds and the special
missions he was sent on by the Rebbe to
Lithuanian yeshivas. * Part 1 of 2.

By Rabbi Sholom Yaakov Chazan and Avrohom Reinitz

Photos by Shmuel Amit

Issue 1041 7

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 Interview
R
abbi Nissen Mangel, a
distinguished Chabad
rabbi, rav of the Ksav
Sofer shul in Crown
Heights, was asked by the Rebbe
himself to work on editing Kehos
sfarim. Over the years he merited
special kiruvim from the Rebbe.
I CAME TO LUBAVITCH
Coming from a family of
Polish Chassidim with no
connection to Chabad, how did
you end up in Lubavitch?
Hashem brought me After
the Holocaust, in which I was
miraculously saved, I arrived
with my sister in England where
He went to the Rebbe in the summer and the
Rebbe told him that if he would learn a chapter
of Tanya every day he would get a good shidduch soon.
Since then, he learned a chapter of Tanya every day and
just that day he became engaged. In gratitude to the
Rebbe, I wanted to learn, not just one chapter of Tanya,
and not two, but three chapters.
I attended Yeshivas Netzach
Yisroel in Sunderland. I threw
myself into my learning. My
mother, who also survived,
remained in Czechoslovakia.
At a certain point I heard
from knowledgeable people that
if we moved to Canada it would
be more likely that we would
be able to get my mother out
of Czechoslovakia. I told the
rosh yeshiva and asked for his
blessing. He advised me to go
from Canada to the U.S. and to
attend the yeshiva in Lakewood.
He even gave me a letter of
recommendation to the rosh
yeshiva in Lakewood.
Neither of us knew that the
United States did not allow
8 22 Sivan 5777
1072_bm_eng.indd 8
refugees who emigrated to
Canada to enter the country.
After arriving in Montreal and
seeing I could not get to the
yeshiva in Lakewood, I went
to Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim
instead. I did this reluctantly
since at the yeshiva in England
they had instilled a hatred and
scorn for Lubavitch. They told us,
for example, that in the Chabad
yeshiva in Brunoy they did not
learn Gemara; only Tanya.
When I met the members of
the hanhala in Montreal, Rabbi
Aryeh Leib Kramer and Rabbi
Zev Gringlas, I told them I
wanted to register in the yeshiva
on condition that they would not
talmidim, you can sleep in a
force me to learn Tanya. When
I think of this now, I cannot
understand how they agreed
to let me in without learning
Chassidus. I am inclined to think
that they asked the Rebbe before
consenting to such an outlandish
stipulation.
I was officially registered in
the yeshiva but I had nothing to
do with the other talmidim. I did
not learn in the zal but in one of
the classrooms, and I even slept
elsewhere.
After a few months, I passed
by the zal one Friday night and
for some reason decided to go
in. R Moshe Eliyahu Gerlitzky
was in the zal at the time. He
was a warm, friendly Chassid
and when he saw me, he said,
Come, I want to show you
something interesting. He was
in the middle of learning Tanya
and he showed me what the Alter
Rebbe says in Shaar HaYichud
VHaEmuna, that if the eye
was allowed to see, it would not
see the physicality of the created
being and its coarseness and
corporeality.
I had gone through many
sfarim and had seen unusual
expressions, but had never heard
such a deep, powerful spiritual
expression, that said the entire
world is G-dliness! I felt that
my eyes had been opened and
exposed to a new, wondrous
light. In hindsight, it was a
turning point in my life. I did not
immediately become a Chassid,
but I began glancing at sichos
now and then.
After a few months R
Gringlas asked me: Nissen, why
do you need to sleep alone?
If you dont want to sleep in
the dormitory with the other
separate room that I will arrange
in my apartment.
I agreed and moved to his
house. After that, nearly every
night, when I would finish
learning for the day, I would
talk with R Gringlas for hours,
sometimes until four in the
morning. He spoke to me about
Chabad Chassidus and told me
Chassidic stories, and slowly, I
became a Chassid.
SPREADING THE WORD
In a letter that the Rebbe
wrote to R Gringlas, he
expressed his surprise that he
heard from the talmid, Nissen
Mangel, that the Tmimim
in Montreal did not review
Chassidus in the shuls of the
city. What is the story behind
this letter?
2017-06-13 1:11:54 PM
 That was on 12 Tammuz
5712/1952 or 5713. The Rebbe
farbrenged at the time in the
shalash (a makeshift covered area
built in the yard between 770
and the next building), sitting
on a raised platform. I stood
among the bachurim. After the
first sicha, the Rebbe said to R
Binyamin Altheus while looking
at me: Who is that bachur? When
R Binyamin said my name, the
Rebbe turned to me and gave me
a piece of cake.
I had my first yechidus
and the Rebbe asked what I
was learning, asking whether
I was learning certain sfarim
that he specified. Among other
things, he asked whether I learn
Tanach. Generally speaking,
since the maskilim encouraged
the learning of Tanach, Polish
Chassidim did not learn it. But
the Rebbe wanted me to become
proficient in Tanach.
Then the Rebbe asked
whether I went on Shabbos to
review Chassidus in shuls. I was
surprised by the question since
I was new to Chassidus. I told
the Rebbe that I did not go. The
Rebbe asked: Why dont you go?
In those days, it wasnt
customary in Montreal for
bachurim to speak in shuls, so
I answered: Since none of the
bachurim go.
The Rebbe said: If you found
$100 on the street and nobody
picked it up, would you also not
pick it up?
The Rebbe concluded: You
should publicly review Chassidus
every Shabbos!
Then the Rebbe asked what
my plans were for returning to
Montreal. When I said I was
going by bus, the Rebbe said: You
can stop in several cities along
the way and review Chassidus!
I thought: How can I, a young
bachur who knows no one in the
1072_bm_eng.indd 9
Rabbi Mangel (second from right in
the second row) in an ad published
in The Canadian Jewish News
about the talmidim who received
smicha.
Jewish communities on the way
to Montreal, manage to arrange
this?
The Rebbe, who saw the look
of astonishment on my face,
immediately said: You dont have
to worry about it; Tzeirei Chabad
will arrange everything.
Indeed, a few hours after the
yechidus, the director of Tzach,
Rabbi Dovid Raskin, came over
to me and said: On your way to
Montreal, stop in Albany where
Rabbi Brikman will be waiting
for you at the bus stop. He will
take you to the shul and you will
review Chassidus there.
That is how I started
reviewing Chassidus every
Shabbos. I later saw a letter from
the Rebbe to R Gringlas in which
the Rebbe expressed his surprise
that he heard from me that the
Tmimim in Montreal did not
review Chassidus in shuls.
Nowadays, it is relatively
easy to review Chassidus
in shuls. You learn a sicha
in Likkutei Sichos and the
audience is riveted. What did
you do then, before Likkutei
Sichos was published?
A number of years after the
Rebbe instructed me to review
Chassidus publicly, he asked me
in yechidus whether I learned
Likkutei Torah every Shabbos.
I said I did, and that although
I did not have a set schedule to
learn it, since I had to publicly
review Chassidus and there was
no organized material to repeat, I
had no choice and every Shabbos
morning I learned the questions
at the beginning of the maamer in
Likkutei Torah, and the answers
at the end, and I added a little
from the middle of the maamer.
When I said this to the Rebbe,
I inwardly trembled because the
mashpia in Montreal, R Peretz
Mochkin, had insisted that
we must repeat what was said
precisely, and here I was, telling
the Rebbe that I was improvising.
To my relief, the Rebbe smiled
and said: Very good.
A week or two after that
yechidus, the Rebbe agreed to
publish his sichos in what was
called, at first, Tochen Inyanim
LChazoras Dach BBatei
Kneisiyos. These later became
known as the first volumes in
the series, Likkutei Sichos.
My feeling was that the Rebbe
was reacting to what I said
in yechidus, that there wasnt
organized material for reviewing
in shuls.
DARING MISSIONS
They say that the Rebbe
sent you to Litvishe yeshivos
several times in order to spread
Chassidus among the talmidim
there. Rumor has it that you
went to Ner Yisroel in Baltimore
and even to Lakewood several
times. What can you tell us
about that?
That is in fact the case,
that I had the merit to spread
Chassidus in Litvishe yeshivos
as well. Ill tell you some stories
Issue 1072 9
2017-06-13 1:11:54 PM
 Interview
about that era. It all began at the
12 Tammuz farbrengen in 5716.
I had come from Montreal and
wanted to stay with the Rebbe
for a few weeks, until the end of
bein hazmanim. However, when
I had yechidus and mentioned
my plans, the Rebbe told me: No,
you are going to Lakewood.
At that time, Lakewood was
the bastion of opposition to
Chassidus, mainly because the
Rosh Yeshiva there, expressed
strong opposition to the views
of the Rebbe and to the study
of Chassidus. Obviously, it was
not easy for me to go there, but
when you go on a shlichus of
the Rebbe, you receive special
kochos.
It was clear to me that if I
wanted to influence them with
Chassidus, I would first have to
impress them with knowledge
and depth in Gemara, Nigleh of
Torah. I arrived in the yeshiva
at lunch time, sat down at one
of the tables, and started talking
with the talmidim in learning.
I inquired as to what they were
learning, and when they said that
they were involved in the section
dealing with one who exchanges
a cow for a donkey, I began to
tell them an intricate analysis of
the topic. Within a short time,
dozens of bachurim gathered
around me, who enjoyed
listening to the insights of the
guest. After I won them over
with the explanation according
to Nigleh, I started to explain
the entire topic according to
Chassidus. Obviously, after the
introduction of the intricate
analysis in Nigleh, nobody
had the nerve to bring up any
arguments about the lomdus of
Chassidim, and they listened
closely to the concepts in
Chassidus.
I used the same approach
with the Rosh Yeshiva himself. I
10 22 Sivan 5777
1072_bm_eng.indd 10
got close to where he was sitting
in the front of the Beis Midrash,
and when I discerned what topic
he was holding in, I started to
discuss it with him. He enjoyed
the discussion, and his respectful
demeanor towards me influenced
the students to appreciate even
more the words of Chassidus that
they were hearing from me. I was
there for a few weeks, and before
my return I arranged with a few
of the bachurim to organize a
class in Chassidus.
When I returned to 770, I
went into yechidus again and
the Rebbe asked me how it went.
I gave the Rebbe a report of the
shlichus, and I mentioned the
pilpul that I had said on the topic
of the exchange of the cow for
the donkey, according to Nigleh
and then according to Chassidus.
The entire time that I was giving
the report, great joy could be
seen on the Rebbes holy face.
Was this a onetime thing, or
were you sent there again?
During the month of Tishrei,
I arrived in 770 for Sukkos. On
Chol HaMoed, the day after the
major farbrengen that the Rebbe
would hold for yeshiva students,
Rabbi Groner told me that Rabbi
Chadakov was looking for me. I
went into his office, and he told
me that yesterday the Rebbe
told him that he saw me at the
farbrengen, and he expressed
his surprise, What is he doing
here? He was supposed to be in
Lakewood!
I said to R Chadakov, I was
not here the whole Tishrei, and I
only arrived on Erev Sukkos and
attended only one farbrengen,
and now you want me to travel to
Lakewood? R Chadakov gave
me a sharp look and responded,
You are arguing with the
Rebbe? The Rebbe says to go to
Lakewood, so go!
Obviously, I negated my will
before the will of the Rebbe,
and I asked R Chadakov how
long I was supposed to stay in
Lakewood. He answered that
the Rebbe had said, until Shmini
Atzeres, meaning to return to
Crown Heights on Hoshana
Rabba. Then he added, In
addition to the Four Species, take
Hoshaanas with you, since you
might not be able to find such
mehudar Hoshaanas there.
Immediately after davening,
I traveled by bus to Lakewood,
and once again I was received
nicely. However, the place was
relatively empty, since most of
the bachurim had gone home
for the Yom Tov. The ones who
remained were the members of
the kollel who lived there. At
night, we celebrated a Simchas
Beis HaShoeiva together with
the Rosh Yeshiva and his son,
the prestigious members of the
kollel, and me along with them.
The Rosh Yeshiva participated
for about an hour and then
went home. In his presence, I
reviewed a few topics in Nigleh,
but after he left, I began to
farbreng with the members of
the kollel and spoke at length,
providing explanations according
to Chassidus. The young married
men were fascinated by the
explanations of chassidus, and
each night we farbrenged until
4-5 in the morning!
It was the night of Hoshana
Rabba and I was exhausted
after several consecutive nights
of farbrengens with hardly any
sleep. In the big beis midrash sat
the Rosh Yeshiva and his son and
a small group of kollel yungerlait.
I sat in the back, saying the book
of Dvarim. When I finished
the Chumash, I began saying
Thillim. The group sitting in the
front of the beis midrash got into
a discussion about the kashrus
of Hoshaanas. As I mentioned,
R Chadakov told me to take
2017-06-13 1:11:54 PM
 Hoshaanas with me because
it was a problem finding nice
Hoshaanas in Lakewood.
A yungerman walked into
the beis midrash at two in the
morning. He was one of the
local kollel yungerlait. He came
over to me and said shalom
aleichem, and asked whether I
was a Lubavitcher. When I said
yes, he asked whether I could do
him a favor, to come to his house
and talk with him. I said I would
come in another fifteen minutes,
when I finished reciting all of
Thillim.
He waited for me and we
went to his house. It was 2:30 in
the morning. What did he want?
Could I learn a chapter of Tanya
with him. I wanted to ask him
why we couldnt learn there in the
beis midrash, but before I could
ask he explained that we could
have learned in the beis midrash,
but the Rosh Yeshiva was there
and he was a big opponent of
Chassidus, Tanya and the Rebbe.
If he saw me learning Tanya,
he would throw me out of the
yeshiva, so thats why I asked you
to come to my house.
I was exhausted from a week
of farbrengens till morning, but
the Rebbe had sent me there to
teach, and this man wanted to
1072_bm_eng.indd 11
learn Tanya. I began learning
with him, slowly, word by word,
line by line, clearly, an entire
chapter of Tanya. It took forty-
five minutes. All I could think
about was how quickly I could
get to bed. But then he asked me
if I would do him another favor,
to learn another chapter of Tanya
with him!
I felt my eyes closing but
I continued learning another
chapter of Tanya with him,
slowly, without rushing, and
without doing it just to get it
over with, despite my enormous
tiredness. Because the Rebbe had
sent me to Lakewood. It took
another forty-five minutes.
After finishing the second
chapter, he asked me for another
favor I was collapsing already,
but I taught him a third chapter
which we finished at dawn, when
we saw the sky starting to get
light.
Only then did he tell me why
he wanted to learn Tanya. This is
what he said:
He was no longer a young
bachur and he had not been
successful in doing a shidduch.
He went to the Rosh Yeshiva for
a bracha but the bracha did not
help. He went to all the gdolim
in America and in Eretz Yisroel
for brachos, to no avail. He
finally decided that although
he was a talmid of Lakewood
Yeshiva, that was opposed to
Tanya, Chassidus, Lubavitch
and the Rebbe, since he had to
get married and he needed the
bracha of a tzaddik, he would go
to the Lubavitcher Rebbe for a
bracha.
He went to the Rebbe in the
summer and the Rebbe told him
to start learning a chapter of
Tanya every day and he would
get a good shidduch soon. Since
then, he learned a chapter of
Tanya every day and just that day
he became engaged. In gratitude
to the Rebbe, I wanted to learn,
not just one chapter of Tanya,
and not two, but three chapters.
After finishing his story, he
asked whether I could do him
another favor. I was afraid he
wanted me to learn another
chapter of Tanya but no, he
wanted to write a letter to the
Rebbe. He asked whether I was
willing to take it to the Rebbe. Of
course I said yes.
During davening, he gave
me a letter for the Rebbe. In the
afternoon, I went to New York
and arrived at 770 at five oclock.
I hurried to the mikva and then
went to R Chadakov and gave
Issue 1072 11
2017-06-13 1:11:56 PM
 Interview
him the letter. I had no idea what
he had written.
The day after Yom Tov, I had
yechidus. I merely crossed the
threshold of the Rebbes room
and the Rebbe began to smile
broadly. He asked: This talmid
wasnt afraid to learn Tanya?
I said that I learned three
chapters with him and he was
nervous about it, which was
why we did not learn in the beis
midrash but in his home.
OPEN RUACH HAKODESH
Were there any other good
results from your visit to
Lakewood?
On my first visit to Lakewood,
I met a bachur who had lived in
Montreal, so I already knew him.
After I spoke to him a few times
about Chassidic topics, I saw that
he was still very opposed to the
Rebbe and Chassidus. I said to
him: You are a ben Torah. How
can you have an opinion about
the Rebbe without having heard
him? Come to a farbrengen
and then decide. He dodged my
suggestion.
Some time later I went to
the Rebbe since I wanted to go
in to yechidus about a personal
matter. I sent this bachur a post
card and wrote that I would be
very happy if he also came for
Shabbos to Crown Heights. This
way, he could attend the Rebbes
farbrengen and I would arrange
yechidus for him on Sunday.
To my delight, he came. I
arranged a place for him to sleep
at R Mordechai Groner, where
I was staying, and over Shabbos
he was very taken by the Rebbe,
especially the deep sichos that he
heard at the farbrengen.
On Sunday morning, I went
to R Chadakov and asked him to
arrange yechidus for the evening,
both for me and for my friend
12 22 Sivan 5777
1072_bm_eng.indd 12
who was a talmid in Lakewood.
Despite the short notice, thanks
to good connections with R
Chadakov, he usually allowed me
to have yechidus the same day
but this time, there was a surprise
in store.
R Chadakov responded with
a severe look and said: Nissen,
dont you know that today is Erev
Rosh Chodesh and the Rebbe
does not receive people the night
of Rosh Chodesh?
I said: But R Chadakov, I told
him I would arrange yechidus.
Now it will look as though Im a
liar.
R Chadakov was not
impressed by this and said: What
can I do? It does not depend
on me. The Rebbe does not
receive people the night of Rosh
Chodesh.
I suggested: Perhaps we can
go in before Maariv, so it wont
be considered the night of Rosh
Chodesh?
R Chadakov did not like this
idea and he exclaimed: Nissen,
you want to make a new system?!
The Rebbe does not receive
people tonight!
I went back to my friend
feeling embarrassed.
Since the original plan was
to stay until after yechidus on
Sunday night, he stayed in
770 on Sunday and I took the
opportunity to learn Tanya in
depth with him. We sat for a few
hours and learned chapter after
chapter. After learning a few
chapters in depth, he surprised
me when he asked: Is Tanya
considered in the category of
Torah?
I could not believe he was
asking me that. Do you think
that one can learn Tanya without
first saying the Torah blessings,
I asked him, to ascertain whether
I had understood him correctly.
After he said yes, I realized
how far he was from any
understanding of pnimius
haTorah, that he would even
consider that Tanya is not part of
Torah.
How can you think such a
thing?! I asked in astonishment.
I began to explain to him at
length that Tanya is the inner part
of Torah, the nishmisa dOraisa,
the soul of Torah.
I explained to him that not
only is Tanya Torah, it is the main
aspect of Torah, and this is the
new Torah that will be revealed
in the time of Moshiach. I spoke
passionately for about two hours,
until seven oclock.
R Chadakov suddenly
appeared in the small zal and
said: You can have yechidus now.
Since I had already given up
hope on having yechidus, I had
not written my questions down,
as is customary. So I told my
friend to go in first and by the
time he would come out, I would
have prepared my note.
He went in and when he
came out, a few minutes later,
his face was red as a beet. I asked
him what happened but he was
very overwrought and he said:
I cannot tell you now. We will
speak later.
I went into the Rebbes room
and submitted my note with my
personal questions. After the
Rebbe responded to them, he
began talking to me about the
bachur whom I brought from
Lakewood. He asked: What
is he planning on doing now?
When I said that his plan was
to return that night to Lakewood,
on the ten oclock bus, the
Rebbe said: Tzach is arranging
a farbrengen (thats the way
it was then, that every Rosh
Chodesh night, Tzach arranged
a Chassidishe farbrengen in the
2017-06-13 1:11:56 PM
 Rabbi Mangel (center) at his wedding with friends and acquaintances from the talmidei haTmimim.
small zal). Make sure he attends,
even though he will surely get
pushed around. Still, it is a very
good thing.
When I left the yechidus, he
was waiting for me outside. I told
him: Cancel your plans. You are
staying here!
I told him that the Rebbe
asked that he stay for the
farbrengen. I added that it
wouldnt be too comfortable but
it was very important and good
for him.
I couldnt contain my
curiosity and I asked him why he
had come out of yechidus with
his face so red. He said that when
he went in, the Rebbe asked him:
Do you learn Tanya every day?
He said no, and the Rebbe
asked: Whose fault is that?
Nissen Mangels fault?
He immediately said: No, its
my fault, not Mangels.
Then the Rebbe shocked him
when he said: From now on,
learn a chapter of Tanya every
day, and you should know that it
is forbidden to learn Tanya before
reciting the Torah blessings!
Then the Rebbe began to
review all the points I mentioned
in our conversation about the
importance of learning Tanya
pnimius haTorah, nishmisa
1072_bm_eng.indd 13
dOraisa, the main aspect of
Torah that will be revealed in the
future, etc.
He was so flabbergasted by
the open ruach hakodesh that he
witnessed.
He was looking for a shidduch
at the time and after seeing
the Rebbes ruach hakodesh,
he decided not to make this
important decision without the
Rebbes bracha. After meeting
with a girl that he liked, he wrote
to the Rebbe and waited for the
Rebbes bracha to conclude the
shidduch, but the Rebbes bracha
did not arrive. After a few weeks,
he asked me what he should do.
I told him: I dont know what
you should do, but I would not
proceed with a shidduch without
the Rebbes bracha. I would wait.
That is what he did. Since he
did not move forward, the other
side dropped it too. He had some
other suggestions and dates that
did not work out. Then, two
years later, the original girl was
suggested to him. He consulted
with me and I said he should
meet her and write to the Rebbe
again.
They liked one another once
again and he wrote to the Rebbe.
This time, the Rebbes answer
came right away but not to the
most recent letter. The Rebbe
wrote his bracha for the shidduch
on the first letter that the bachur
had sent two years before!
The bachur was perplexed.
Why did the Rebbe wait until
now to respond to that letter?
I told him that I dont know,
but perhaps he had to hear all
those other suggestions (as in
the Rebbe Rayatzs explanation
of this), and only then did he
attain the right shidduch. The
proof was that throughout those
two years, the Rebbe held on to
his first letter because he knew
that in the end, this would be the
shidduch!
After the wedding, I made
sheva brachos for him in the
zal of the yeshiva in Montreal. I
asked the cook to make special
food and my yeshiva friends
helped me set up the zal nicely.
We had a sheva brachos meal and
a Chassidishe farbrengen with R
Peretz Mochkin.
After the farbrengen, the
chassan said to me: Do you
remember that you asked me
to stay for the farbrengen after
the yechidus and said it would
be good for me? It really was
very good, because since then, I
stopped being a misnaged!
To be continued, bezras Hashem
Issue 1072 13
2017-06-13 1:11:58 PM
 FEATURE

R
Yosef Yitzchok Gopin: For a
period of time, I was in charge of
the list of bachurim who would
escort the Rebbe on Shabbos
when he walked home from 770 and back,
whether on Friday night or Shabbos day. I
myself was one of the bachurim who escorted
the Rebbe. We always walked several paces
behind the Rebbe, not getting too close, but
we kept him within sight.
There usually wasnt anything
extraordinary that happened, but there was
always something to see and to learn. I
remember escorting the Rebbe one Shabbos
afternoon. There was no farbrengen that
Shabbos. The Rebbe would go home late,
at 3:30 or even 4:00. That Shabbos it was
pouring. People usually walk more quickly in
the rain, but I noticed that the Rebbe walked
calmly as though it was the nicest weather,
with his hands in his coat pockets.
I remember a wintry Shabbos when
it had snowed, and because of the frigid
temperatures the snow had frozen and it
became ice. It was so dangerous that you
couldnt walk without stumbling. But the
Rebbe walked quickly, so quickly that we
bachurim couldnt keep up.
I understood that there is always For decades, the Rebbe
something to learn. By the Rebbe there is no walked every Shabbos from
it just happened that way.
770 to his home and back.
GREETING PEOPLE A few yards away were the
Its about a five to seven-minute walk Tmimim who followed him
from Beis Chayeinu to the Rebbes home
at 1304 President Street. There were times until he entered his house. *
the Rebbe made the trip on foot, but usually, Why the need for security?
during the week, the Rebbes secretary would
be waiting at the house in the morning with What unusual things did
the car. The same would be for the return the Rebbes escorts see
trip.
over the years? How did the
On Shabbos, the Rebbe made his way
on foot (until the years when the Rebbe Rebbe react to people who
and Rebbetzin would lodge in the library
spoke to him on the street? *
building next door to 770). On Shabbos
eve, the Rebbe would usually walk home at Fascinating anecdotes from
about 9-9:30, summer or winter, and on
the escorts who walked from
Shabbos day, when there was no farbrengen,
the Rebbe would return home at about 3:30. 770 Eastern Parkway to 1304
When there would be a farbrengen, the Rebbe
President Street.
would go home after the farbrengen, close
to sunset. At those times, the Rebbe would
By Menachem Ziegelboim

14 22 Sivan 5777

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 ESCORTING
THE REBBE Issue 1072 15

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 Feature
walk speedily, as opposed to his
normal Shabbos pace, which was
more relaxed.
It is fascinating to read the
diary account of R Sholom
Dovber Volpo, written in
Cheshvan 1965 when he was a
bachur in 770, describing the
Rebbe walking the city streets:
Every time one sees the
Rebbe shlita, it provides an
infusion of new energy to keep
learning more and more. The
Rebbe can be seen six times
a day, at Mincha and Maariv,
when he arrives in the morning
and leaves in the evening, and
he then returns and goes home
again at night. The Rebbe walks
alone on the street without any
escorts, and whenever he sees
young or old he says shalom with
a pleasant countenance. Only
when the Rebbe goes home very
late at night, at 4 or 5 (in the
morning), namely on Sundays
and Thursdays when there is
yechidus, is he followed by two
bachurim who walk at some
distance from him, since at night
there are safety concerns.
On Shabbos eve after the
prayers, the Rebbe remains in
his room for about two hours
and only then leaves for home.
On Shabbos day, when there is
a farbrengen, he only leaves after
Mincha. On such occasions,
immediately after Mincha the
Rebbe enters his room, and all the
hundreds of men and bachurim
go out to the entrance of 770 and
the sidewalk of Eastern Parkway,
and all the children line up in a
long row. The Rebbe exits and
they all begin to sing Hoshia es
amecha, and the Rebbe walks
past the children and signals
with his hand for them to sing.
Afterward, they all walk behind
the Rebbe until he makes the
turn at the corner, and all of
them follow him with their eyes
16 22 Sivan 5777
1072_bm_eng.indd 16
until he passes from sight. It is
an amazing display to behold,
especially the singing of the
children.
THE REBBE WAS
ACCOSTED ON THE STREET
In the early years of his
leadership, the Rebbe walked
on the street alone, without any
secretaries or aides. However,
in the later 50s, it was felt
that it would be appropriate
to provide the Rebbe with an
escort of young men from the
yeshiva in 770. The bachurim
saw this as a great merit, and
obviously everybody wanted to
take part. Therefore, a rotation
schedule was implemented,
with two Tmimim assigned per
week with first priority given to
bridegrooms in the week leading
up to the Shabbos of their being
called up to the Torah, and then
the rest of the Tmimim. The
first one appointed to oversee the
operation was the Tamim, Berel
(Shalom Dovber) Futerfas.
The route was fairly
consistent. Upon exiting 770,
the Rebbe would walk along the
sidewalk of Eastern Parkway
until the corner of Brooklyn
Avenue, where he would turn left.
At some point, the Rebbe would
cross to the other side of the
avenue until reaching President
Street, where he would turn right
until the entrance of his house.
When the Rebbe would arrive
home, the bachurim would wait
outside, since immediately upon
entering the house he would
go to the front windows and
extend his hand from behind the
curtains. This happened every
time, and only then would the
escorts return to 770.
The bachurim would walk a
few yards behind the Rebbe, to
maintain a constant sight line
and see to it that everything was
fine. However, there were some
anomalous events, such as when
a large black man approached
the Rebbe and began to talk to
him. Those accompanying from a
distance could not hear what he
said, but it appeared like he was
asking for money. Before they
had a chance to react, the Rebbe
exclaimed in a loud voice, Eh,
and the man panicked and ran.
R Saadia Maatuf, whose
diaries from his kvutza year have
been published here, describes in
detail another time, during the
month of Sivan 1973, when there
was a heightened concern over
the Rebbes security in which
the police got involved (see issue
#1069).
THE REBBE AND THE
REBBETZIN MEET ON THE
STREET CORNER
Avi Baitelman, a grandson
of R Lipa Brennan, recounts
a story that occurred with his
grandfather when he was a
bachur in 770:
It was on the eve of Shabbos
Shuva 1974, when he was a
guest at the home of a friend who
lived on President Street, right
across from the Rebbes house.
When he left the house after the
meal, it was about 11 oclock at
night. Suddenly, he noticed the
Rebbetzin standing on the porch
at the front of the house.
2017-06-13 1:12:01 PM
 The Rebbetzin saw my
grandfather and motioned for
him to come over. He crossed
the street and went up the steps.
The Rebbetzin said that it was
very late, and the Rebbe is usually
home by this time to make
kiddush. Did the Rebbe daven
Maariv already? she asked.
Yes.
Maybe there was a
farbrengen or a maamer
tonight?
No.
The Rebbetzin asked him
to go to 770 and see what was
going on, and to come back and
report to her.
My grandfather began to
run towards 770. When he got
to the corner of Brooklyn and
Eastern Parkway, he saw that
the Rebbe had just left 770 and
was walking home. He began to
run back to the Rebbetzin who
had been standing at her house,
but when he got to the corner of
Brooklyn and President, he saw

the Rebbetzin standing on the
corner. My grandfather told the
Rebbetzin that the Rebbe was on
his way, and turned to head back
to the dormitory.
The Rebbetzin called him
back and said that it was now
late at night, and would he please
wait with her until the Rebbe
arrived. My grandfather felt
uncomfortable. Understandably,
he did not want the Rebbe to
see him when he encountered
the Rebbetzin. She realized his
hesitation and pointed out, It
is not proper to leave a woman
standing alone on a street corner
in New York City.
Having no choice, he stood
there behind the Rebbetzin, close
to the bushes of the corner house.
When the Rebbe appeared, my
grandfather pushed himself into
the bushes. When the Rebbe got
even closer, he saw the Rebbetzin
The Rebbetzin called him back and said that
it was now late at night, and would he please
wait with her until the Rebbe arrived. My grandfather felt
uncomfortable. She realized his hesitation and pointed
out, It is not proper to leave a woman standing alone on
a street corner in New York City.
standing there on the corner. The After a moment, the Rebbe
Rebbe made a hand motion, as glanced to his left and did not see
if to ask, What are you doing the Rebbetzin. He turned around
here? The Rebbetzin answered and saw the Rebbetzin walking
whatever she answered, but my slowly. When she caught up,
grandfather did not hear what she they continued to walk together,
said. The Rebbe and Rebbetzin and once again the Rebbe walked
proceeded to walk together with more quickly and had to stop for
the escort of the Tmimim behind her. This happened three times
them, and my grandfather joined until they reached the house.
the escort. When they got to the steps
The Rebbe walked quickly, of the house, the Rebbe turned
and the Rebbetzin walked slower. around towards my grandfather

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 Feature

24 HOUR SECURITY OUTSIDE 770

In the month of Nissan 5750/1990, there were
warnings of a possible attempt against the Rebbe on the
part of the PLO. The warning was transmitted in secret,
but the Rebbe spoke about it publicly in a sicha said on
28 Nissan 5750. He spoke of the fact that the PLO had
sent out a notice to all its branches around the world
to carry out attacks against the enemies of the Jewish
people [said euphemistically], may it not come to pass.
The Rebbe encouraged people to say more Thillim and
increase the study of Torah.
Because of the threat, stricter security measures
were taken around the Rebbe, such as reinforcing the
windows to the Rebbes room and security guards
posted outside of 770, 24 hours a day.
In the diary called Shnas Nissim BBeis Chayeinu, it
is recorded that the Rebbe went to the Ohel at that time:
When he went out to the car, he held a page with
a Kol Korei printed on it (to add in Torah, tefilla and
tzdaka, relating to what he spoke about on 28 Nissan
about the PLO). A police escort drove in front of the
car. Thats the way it was the last few times that he
went to the Ohel, an honor guard. For this reason,
there have been shifts of Tmimim standing guard the
past few nights near 770.
The secretary, Rabbi Binyamin Klein ah said that
two hours before that surprising sicha, Prime Minister
Yitzchak Shamir called and said the Rebbe should be
told that the PLO was planning terrorist acts outside of
Eretz Yisroel, and according to information they had,
their target was the Rebbe. Shamir asked R Klein to
convey this to the Rebbe and to ask the Rebbe to pray
that it be good.
Some time after that, there were knocks at the door
of Rabbi Leibel Groner. There were two policemen
at the door. They told R Groner that they had just
received an anonymous call that said the Rebbe was
on the PLOs wanted list. The police officers asked R
Leibel to change the windows in the Rebbes office for
reinforced windows and this was done a few days later.
Apprehensions also rose after Rabbi Meir Kahane,
Hyd, was murdered in New York. The secretaries
were even more worried for the Rebbe then. R Groner
decided to have guards posted near the Rebbes office.
The guards, bachurim from 770, had an emergency
button directly to the NYC police department. A
permanent police guard was also posted near 770. Two
guards were hired for when dollars for tzdaka were
distributed on Sunday, a man and woman who patrolled
the line and looked for suspicious people.
When the Rebbe went to the Ohel he had a police
escort and there was also a special escort car with
bachurim.
On 10 Elul 5751, the driver of the escort car did not
drive carefully and ran over a black child, Gavin Cato.
The blacks in the neighborhood began huge riots, which
led to demonstrations, the burning of cars, looting and
violence throughout Crown Heights. That night, the
hooligans murdered Yankel Rosenbaum, a bachur from
Australia, Hyd.
An anti-Semitic minister named Al Sharpton began
inciting blacks after the unfortunate and tragic death
of Cato. He said the one responsible for the death was
none other than the Rebbe.
Security around 770 was increased, particularly
around the Rebbe. Every time the Rebbe made a trip
to the Ohel, he was accompanied by several police cars
and motorcycles. During the dollar distribution, dozens
of police stood the length of the line.
The Rebbe was grateful for the security and was
warm to the policemen. At the end of the dollar
distribution, the police would pass by him and they
received an extra dollar, for the security.
In a sicha delivered that week, the Rebbe referred
several times to the phrase, fifty men running before
him, saying that in truth, every Jew ought to have fifty
people running before him.
Before Tishrei 5752, the police chief asked R
Groner to enclose the Rebbes bima with reinforced
glass. When R Leibel repeated this to the Rebbe, the
Rebbe firmly rejected the idea.

and said, Ah dank (thanks) and
Gut Shabbos. They went up
the steps, the Rebbe opened the
door for the Rebbetzin and they
both went inside.
***
R Shalom Yaakov Chazan
recalls a Friday night when a
tremendous downpour began
exactly at the time that the Rebbe
left 770. The Rebbe was wearing
a coat, but in a deluge like that a
coat is rather useless.
I thought that the Rebbe
would return to his room and
wait for a lull in the rain, but the
Rebbe only raised the collar of his
coat to protect a bit against the
rain, and began to walk calmly
towards President Street as if
there was no rain.
At a certain point, the
coat became so drenched that
it appeared that the weight of
the coat was making the walk
difficult for the Rebbe.
When he reached the

18 22 Sivan 5777

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 junction of Brooklyn Avenue and
Eastern Parkway, the roadway
was completely flooded with
water. The Rebbe walked into the
stream and his shoes filled with
water.
We thought then that the
reason that the Rebbe went
despite the heavy rain was in
order not to worry the Rebbetzin
with an unexpected delay.

LATE NIGHT TEA

FROM THE REBBETZIN
At a certain point, it was
decided that the Rebbe should be
accompanied by the bachurim on
his way from his home to 770 on
Shabbos and Yom Tov mornings
too. The Tmimim would stand
not far from the door to the
Rebbes house and wait for the
Rebbe to exit, which was usually
at a set time. The Rebbetzin
would look out the window to
make sure they were standing
at the ready, and after about ten
minutes the Rebbe would leave
his house and turn towards 770.
The Rebbe would pass the
corner of Brooklyn and Eastern
Parkway, where on the other
side of the parkway was the
Kerestirer mikva, which had
been built by one of the Admurim
who had lived in Crown Heights.
Most of the bachurim would use
this mikva. At the time that the
Rebbe would pass, there would
be bachurim on their way to the
mikva. Some of them would run
away when they saw the Rebbe
approaching, but most of them one in the morning, and brought bachur who was in the house
would just press up against a wall the Tmimim keeping watch a saw the Rebbe suddenly leave
waiting for the Rebbe to pass. thermos with hot tea. his house. Having no choice,
During the period of In 1980, R Zalman Gourary he went outside and began to
heightened tensions and hostility bought the house next door to accompany the Rebbe. When
of a certain community against the Rebbe, and from that point the Rebbe saw him, he turned
Chabad, there was a need to the bachurim keeping watch towards his house and gave a
keep watch around the Rebbes on Shabbos would be based in nod with his head, apparently to
house day and night. One night, that house. Once, the assigned reassure the Rebbetzin that there
the Rebbetzin exited the house at bachurim were late, and the lone was someone to walk with him.

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 Feature
R Ezra Arad tells of one
Shabbos when he and R
Binyamin Zilberstrom were
standing guard at the Rebbes
house. On Shabbos morning,
exactly when the Rebbe left
his house, the mailman arrived
and wanted to leave the mail
at the door. The Rebbe walked
a bit, and when he crossed the
street he turned to look back
sideways towards the mailman.
The bachurim picked up on the
subtle hint, that the Rebbe was
concerned that the mailman
might ring the bell, and one of
them ran across the street to ask
him not to ring the bell, and the
man answered in the affirmative.
Only then did the Rebbe turn his
head back and continue on his
way to 770.
In preparing this article, the
writer spoke with a number of
those who had been involved
back in the day, including R
Yosef Yitzchok Gopin, who
not only escorted the Rebbe
on many occasions but was in
charge of the rotation in the early
summer of 1974. Although I
was in charge, I did not take too
many spots in the rotation for
20 22 Sivan 5777
1072_bm_eng.indd 20
myself. I was happy to give the
opportunity to as many bachurim
as possible.
Did the Rebbe ever turn
around to the bachurim that
accompanied him?
As far as I know, no.
There are those who say that
the Rebbe was careful to always
cross Brooklyn Avenue before
he reached the church, in order
not to walk near there. Is this
true?
I also heard that, but I
personally saw a number of
times the Rebbe walking down
Brooklyn Avenue towards his
house, and I did not see the
Rebbe being particular about not
passing near that place.
R Hershel Krinsky told about
how when he was a bachur
escorting the Rebbe from 770
to his house, the Rebbe walked
on the sidewalk in front of the
church. A Lubavitch couple
appeared, coming the other way,
and they did not notice the Rebbe
walking towards them. At the
last moment, they noticed the
Rebbe and quickly moved aside,
going up on the grass between
the sidewalk and the fence of
the church property. The Rebbe
turned to them and pointed out
that it was not proper to stand on
grass that belonged to a church.
One Shabbos (it was a
Shabbos Mevarchim in the winter
of 5734, although I dont recall
exactly which Shabbos), the
streets were icy and unusually
slippery. People walking the
streets were slipping and falling,
and it was really dangerous.
On that Shabbos night, the
Rebbe found it difficult to go up
the steps of his house without
slipping, and it became necessary
to extend him a hand. Whoever it
was, saw to it that some gentiles
came that night, removed the
ice and spread salt, so that the
Rebbe could walk securely the
next morning. Following that
Shabbos, they installed the iconic
railings at the entrance to the
Rebbes home.
I remember that on Yom
Kippur night I walked the Rebbe
to his house, and the Rebbe wore
a flowery silk scarf that was
unusually colorful. That only
happened on Yom Kippur.
2017-06-13 1:12:04 PM
 PARSHA THOUGHT
IS IMPRISONMENT
ANTITHETICAL TO
TORAH VALUES?
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg
A PUZZLING MIDRASH
The Torah records the story
of a certain, nameless, individual
who violated Shabbos. Moshe did
not know what his punishment
should be, so they put him in
prison until they could determine
what punishment would be
appropriate.
There is a cryptic Midrash
that draws the following analogy
from this episode:
From here we can derive the
Biblical obligation to search for
Chametz.
The Midrash refers to our
obligation to search for Chametz
(any mixture of flour and water
allowed to rise) in our possession
on the night before Passover.
This Midrash belongs to
the genre of Midrash Peliah;
Midrashic materials that were
written deliberately in the form
of riddles, presumably to inspire
greater interest in understanding
the Torah and fathoming its
deeper meaning.
In addition to Midrashs
ability to enhance our Torah
study, Midrash also deals with
the underlying layer of Torah
knowledge. Also, many secrets
of the Torah are embedded in its
teachings.
We must therefore try to
1072_bm_eng.indd 21
fathom or decipher the riddle
of the seemingly arbitrary
connection between the Sabbath
violators prison sentence and the
obligation to search for Chametz.
We must also try to
understand:
a) the connection of both
prison and Chametz to Shabbos,
inasmuch as these two themes
are introduced in the narrative of
one who failed to keep Shabbos;
b) the deeper message
embedded within this text; and
c) how we can apply it to
our own lives, particularly with
respect to our preparation for the
final Redemption.
PRISON: CRUEL AND
UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT
On the surface, one could
explain the Midrashs cryptic
comparison by questioning the
entire premise of imprisonment
of a Sabbath violator.
When we survey the
punishments recorded in the
Torah for a variety of crimes we
do not find imprisonment among
them. There are fines, corporal
punishment and in extreme cases
capital punishment, but not
prison. Why?
The Rebbe explained
that prison is not a suitable
punishment because it deprives
the person of his or her ability to
function as a full-fledged human
being. The prisoner cannot
express and actualize his or her
full potential. A human being was
sent into this world to achieve
important things.
Even the death penalty is
preferable to incarceration in
the most extreme cases because
once the person is no longer alive
he or she has no further need to
grow spiritually; his or her lifes
mission has ended.
However, to keep a person
alive, still with a mission in life
and the ability to fulfill it, but
then imprison him or her and
deny that opportunity, is a form
of cruel and unusual punishment
from the perspective of Torah.
To be sure, the Rebbe does
not advocate opening the prisons
and letting all the dangerous
criminals out. Rather, he urged
society to find more humane and
rehabilitative ways of dealing with
a transgressor. Prison should only
be used as a last resort to protect
society from an incorrigible and
violent criminal. Stifling human
creativity and achievement is
itself a terrible crime. From the
Torahs perspective, the goal of
punishment is not vengeance; it
is our tool for rehabilitating the
criminal by helping him or her
Issue 1072 21
2017-06-13 1:12:06 PM
 PARSHA THOUGHT

The Rebbe does not advocate opening the act; it does however serve the
ultimate goal of ensuring that we
prisons and letting all the dangerous criminals will ultimately be rid of all our
out. Rather, he urged society to find more humane and Chametz.
rehabilitative ways of dealing with a transgressor. Prison
G-DS REGRETS
should only be used as a last resort to protect society
There is a deeper parallel
from an incorrigible and violent criminal. Stifling human between prison and Chametz.
creativity and achievement is itself a terrible crime. From The Talmud (Sukkah 52b)
states that there are four things
the Torahs perspective, the goal of punishment is not G-d regrets having created.
vengeance; it is our tool for rehabilitating the criminal One of them is exile and the
other is the Yetzer Hara, the evil
by helping him or her grow morally and spiritually. inclination.
Anything we do to stifle that process harms society as Obviously, when G-d is said
to regret something we should
well as the criminal. not take it literally. Rather, as
the Rebbe mentioned, we should
interpret G-ds regret as His
grow morally and spiritually. prohibited to us during the way of fulfilling the Mitzvah
Anything we do to stifle that Festival of Passover. We may of Teshuva, repentance. The
process harms society as well as not eat or derive benefit from Midrash states that G-d keeps
the criminal. it. We may not even possess it. all of the commandments that
How do we guarantee that we He gave us. It follows that He
Accordingly, it is hard to
will not possess Chametz during must also observe the Mitzvah to
understand why the Torah states
Passover? After all, even if we repent. How does he fulfill this
that they imprisoned the person
think our property is Chametz- commandment? He gives us the
who violated Shabbos. If prison
free isnt it possible that there potential to reverse the process
is so objectionable, why would
still might be Chametz that has of Galus and of evil. G-ds
it be tolerated for even a short
eluded us? regret is the power he invests in
period of time?
us to undo the Galus and to rid
Therefore, to ensure that we
ourselves of the Yetzer Hara.
THE CONNECTION do not violate the law against
possession of Chametz during the
The obvious answer is that a prohibited period we search for GALUS AND PRISON
distinction must be made between it on the night before Passover. The metaphor for Galus
imprisonment as a punishment There is no intrinsic value in the is prison, which inhibits our
and imprisonment as a way of search for Chametz, because if ability to serve G-d in the fullest
guaranteeing that the accused we search for it and find it but measure. In Galus we are unable
will not escape punishment. fail to destroy it or remove it to observe most of the 613
Hence, we derive from from our ownership before the commandments because we dont
this that although the act of prohibited period, the search will have the Beis HaMikdash as well
incarceration did not possess any have been in vain. as other conditions needed for
intrinsic value as an appropriate This is very similar to the their fulfillment. The pressures
punishment, it nevertheless incarceration of the Sabbath of exile, the persecution we have
was done to ensure the proper violator, whereby it was not an suffered, etc., also stifle our
punishment in the future. intrinsically valuable act. On the ability to perform the Mitzvos
We can now understand the contrary, it flies in the face of the and study Torah with complete
Midrashs statement that we Torahs abhorrence of the use of peace of mind.
derive a Biblical obligation to imprisonment and deprivation of The metaphor for the evil
search for the Chametz from this freedom. The same is true with inclination, our Sages tell us, is
episode. regard to Chametz. Searching for Chametz, the mixture of flour
Chametz is Biblically it is not intrinsically a worthwhile and water that has been allowed

22 22 Sivan 5777

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 to rise. Chametz thus also
represents the inflated ego which,
if left unchecked, can cause us to
go astray.
Thus, the Midrash says,
prison, although it is temporary,
is the equivalent as the search
for Chametz. Both prison,
the metaphor for Galus, and
Chametz, the metaphor for our
evil impulse, are regrettable. We
would be a lot happier if we never
experienced Galus and we didnt
need to search for Chametz-evil
to destroy it.
However, G-d created these
two entities, so they must provide
us with some benefit we couldnt
obtain without them. What are
those benefits?
The benefit of Chametz is
that when we perform Teshuva
with love we have more than the
capacity to erase the past; we can
actually transform past negativity
into positive energy, as the
Talmud states.
Thus, it is a good idea to
search for the Chametz. If we
presumed that our house was
Chametz-free but failed to
look for it, we would lose the
opportunity to transform the
negative into a Mitzvah. By first
searching, discovering and then
burning the Chametz, we have
actually turned the negative into
a powerful positive.
The same is true with respect
to Galus. While it would have
been much more pleasant to have
avoided Galus, nevertheless, once
we lived in and through Galus, it
provided us with a benefit that we
could never have had without it.
Chassidus teaches us that
Galus, while negative in the way
it manifests itself, actually derives
from a lofty and elusive G-dly
source. In addition, the fact that
we lived through Galus with great
Mesiras Nefesh (self-sacrifice)
to maintain our Jewish life has
enriched us immeasurably.
In the Final Redemption
we will begin to appreciate the
loftiness achieved from the past
exile and be able to enjoy the fruit
of our labor.
THE CONNECTION TO
SHABBOS
There are few places in the
Torah where prison is mentioned.
The fact that it is mentioned in
conjunction with the person who
violated Shabbos suggests that
there is a thematic connection
between prison and Shabbos
violation.
Shabbos is a foretaste of
Redemption, a period of total
peace, tranquility and holiness.
Our Sages alluded to this
when they taught that if the
Jewish people would observe
even one Shabbos they would
be redeemed. The collective
power of serenity and holiness
would be so powerful that
it would break down the
confining walls and stifling
atmosphere of Galus.
When a Jew in the desert
violated Shabbos so soon after
G-d gave us this incredible gift
of a foretaste of the future, it
was a major setback. He brought
Galus-prison into the otherwise
ideal spiritual atmosphere that
the Jewish people enjoyed in the
desert. His confinement in prison
was not a punishment; it was
emblematic of what he had done.
It was regrettable that he should
have to be confined with his
ability to actualize his potential
aborted. However, that is the
exact thing one causes when one
does not observe the Shabbos; it
brings a Galus environment into
an otherwise blissful, futuristic
world. Galus, we see, is the
antithesis of Shabbos.
The lesson we must derive
from this is that Shabbos
empowers us to live in the
future now, which will therefore
hasten the arrival of a perpetual
Shabbos.

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Issue 1072 23

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 SHLICHUS INTERVIEW

SHLICHUS ON
MANY FRONTS
It is hard to find a quiet moment in the daily schedule of R
Yosef Chaim Rosenblatt. He is always on the move between
his official position as Chief Rabbi of the Lower Galilee, visiting
large manufacturing plants under his kashrus supervision, and
his shlichus work. In addition, he answers halachic queries
that come to him from across the country, on a wide array of
topics, in his role as a responding rabbi for Machon Halacha
Chabad. * Who better to talk to about the very questions that
he deals with on a daily basis: How to bring the Torah and
develop a love for Torah among the wider population? How
to navigate between the eternal law and the ever-changing
times? How to blend shlichus with a formal rabbinic position?

By Menachem Ziegelboim
Photos by Chaim Tuito

R
abbi Yosef Chaim Rosenblatt is a
man of many hats. Besides being
the Rav of the Lower Galilee
regional municipality, he also
serves as the Rebbes shliach in the area. As
a shliach, he provides kashrus supervision
to about forty large food plants, prepares
couples for marriage, and boys for their bar
mitzva. He also answers numerous halachic
queries sent from around the country under
the auspices of Machon Halacha Chabad,
and that is only some of the things he does.
FROM THE BEGINNING
Rabbi Yosef Chaim Rosenblatt was
born in 5729/1969. His parents are
Mordechai and Malka. His father is of old
time Yerushalmi stock and his mother is
from a family of Holocaust survivors. His
father attended Yeshiva Toras Emes in Mea
Sharim.
In his youth, he learned in the Chinuch
Atzmai school system and then transferred
to the Litvishe Kol Torah. His lifes

24 22 Sivan 5777

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 Issue 1072 25

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 Shlichus Interview
trajectory took a turn thanks
to Rabbi Naftali Roth, rav of
the Chabad community in the
Mattersdorf neighborhood of
Yerushalayim.
My brothers and I, from a
very young age, grew up in his
shadow thanks to the Chabad
shul in the neighborhood. R
Roth is the spiritual force in the
community and we got a lot
from him, mainly a Chassidishe
approach and hiskashrus to the
Rebbe. My parents did not come
from Lubavitcher families, but
my father, because he learned in
Toras Emes, joined the Chabad
community in Mattersdorf. We
started attending Tanya classes
and then my brothers and I went
to learn in Chabad yeshivos.
It was there that R
Rosenblatt became inspired to
go on shlichus. He married the
daughter of Rabbi Yeshaya Hertzl
who was serving at the time as
rav in Kfar Tavor and the Lower
Galilee (and is now the rav of
Natzrat Ilit). He and his wife
decided to go on shlichus to a
yishuv called Givat Avni located
in the regional municipality of the
Lower Galilee. A few years later
he was appointed as the shliach
of the entire region and as the
Rav of the regional municipality.
Can you tell us a little about
the area over which you hold
sway?
It consists of eighteen
yishuvim, some of them religious.
We ourselves live on a big Yishuv
called Givat Avni that has about
600 families, about 3000 people.
The municipality has four
schools, some of them religious.
I officially am involved in
everything a rav is involved
with, mainly kashrus and
marriages. Those two areas are
my responsibilities. Aside from
the official part of the rabbanus,
26 22 Sivan 5777
1072_bm_eng.indd 26
there is the unofficial part which
entails drawing people close to
their Father in heaven. This is
a vital part of the work of a rav,
especially as I am a shliach of the
Rebbe. Under these auspices, we
founded a network of shiurim
and an array of programming,
clubs for children, mivtzaim, etc.
We recently had a Lag BOmer
parade that was attended by
hundreds of children.
Shlichus is shlichus, and
rabbanus is also shlichus. What
takes precedence and how do
you separate between them?
Rabbanus and shlichus go
hand-in-hand. It is possible to
find many shluchim who are
looking for ways to establish
themselves as a rav too, since
they know that this title will
provide more opportunities to
connect to the public. These
two categories, rabbanus and
shlichus, go together nicely. I
meet the public often in my role
as rav and this connection is
further developed in my role as
a shliach. Take engaged couples,
for example, who come to me
before they wed. They receive
guidance which is given with
warmth and friendship, and are
even invited to Shabbos meals at
my house.
I will give you another
example preparing boys for
their bar mitzva. The boys are not
only taught how to put on tfillin
and how to read the haftorah, but
absorb lessons about Jewish life,
about the light and sweetness
in it. As a result, a greater
connection develops with the
boys family.
The deputy chairman of the
community board of Givat Avni
helps me in my work. When he
was approaching his bar mitzva, I
taught him and prepared him for
it. Years later he came back to me
with his fiance and I arranged
their marriage after teaching
them about the importance of
a Jewish home. Their son will
soon become bar mitzva, and his
parents have already told me to
get ready. The father, in his job
as deputy chairman, is involved
with our activities and helps as
much as he can.
The question about the
essential role of a formal rav is
something that is on the current
agenda of the chief rabbinate,
which wants rabbanim not only
to focus on their official work
but to expand their activities to
include other forms of outreach.
In the near future there will be a
conference of the chief rabbinate
under the title, How to enhance
the connection of rabbanim with
their community.
Previously, a rav would sit in
a designated location or his office
and wait to be asked halachic
questions. This might serve ultra-
Orthodox communities well, but
when dealing with the broader
public it doesnt work, for the
simple reason that people wont
come and ask questions. We
rabbis must go to the public and
initiate a connection with them
and bring them to us, so we can
show them the beautiful world of
Judaism, Torah and mitzvos, and
Chassidus.
How do you do this?
Even in the official portions
of my work, I incorporate the
shlichus aspect. If, for example,
someone wants kashrus
certification for his business,
my official job is to appoint a
mashgiach for him and supervise
him. However, I will never enter
his business like a policeman
or inspector and look for flaws
in his kashrus. When I walk
into his business, I first hug
him. I will suggest that he put
2017-06-13 1:12:09 PM
 on tfillin and I will talk to him
about his parnasa and things
that are important to him. Only
then will I check and make sure
that everything is being done
according to halacha.
The same is true for marriage.
My official job is to make sure
the candidates are Jewish and
to certify their status. What I
actually do is invite the couple
for talks that prepare them
not only for the wedding but
also to discuss the beauty of a
Jewish home, about the chain
of generations they are about to
perpetuate, about family purity
and the importance of kashrus
and Shabbos in a Jewish home.
I invite them for Shabbos meals
so they can see what a Jewish-
Chassidic Shabbos meal looks
like.
Those are just two examples
of blending together rabbanus
and shlichus in a positive and
effective manner.
Just recently, I got an
interesting letter from a family
that came to Jewish practice
from zero. They hadnt even
kept Shabbos. Today they are
religiously observant in every
respect; the children attend
ultra-Orthodox schools and the
older daughter married a talmid
chacham. This is what the oldest
daughter wrote to me and my
wife:
1072_bm_eng.indd 27
Dear Rosenblatt family,
Several sweet, moving
memories come to mind as I
write these lines. My entire new
home is founded on the chinuch
that you transmitted to us day
and night, all those days we
spent in your house, a house
of outstanding hospitality with
the familiar line, everything is
Badatz here. With a smile and
a great desire that we succeed,
you instilled in us a love for
Hashem and His mitzvos in an
outstanding way. I think that
if you would not be here on the
yishuv, we would not be where
we are today. You breathed the
breath of life and purity here
thanks to everything you do for
others. May Hashem repay those
who do His will.
I have the privilege of calling
you father and mother because
whoever teaches his fellows
child Torah, is as if he gave birth
to him. With Hashems help, I
will continue to learn only good
from you. Thank you for the
beautiful childhood hours that
you provided me, my brothers
and my parents, and mainly for
the eternal treasures.
FRIENDLY BUT NOT
SEEKING APPROVAL
His approach and his deep
connection to the residents is
something Rabbi Rosenblatt
acquired, to no small degree,
from his father-in-law, R Hertzl.
I received so much from
him. I learned from him how to
work with the local residents. R
Hertzl is particular about every
detail of halacha and combines
this with a sever panim yafos (a
pleasant countenance).
Upon visiting the Lower
Galilee, you can readily see
mountain ranges shaped in
a circle extending from east
to west, with broad valleys in
between. One can look in wonder
upon the Beit Kerem valley
abutted by the Shagur ridge.
Further on is the Sichnin valley
bordered by the Yotevet ridge,
the Beit Netufa ridge followed
by the Tiran valley, and on to the
Natzrat ridge and the Kesulot
valley.
As mentioned, there are
eighteen yishuvim in the Lower
Galilee, a few of them agricultural
moshavim, while most of them
are residential communities.
There are also kibbutzim within
the municipality, like the religious
kibbutz Lavi and kibbutz Beit
Keshet. The demographic
makeup of the residents
represents a cross-section of the
Israeli population.
R Rosenblatt is in touch
with every resident, including
those with antagonistic views
Issue 1072 27
2017-06-13 1:12:10 PM
 Shlichus Interview
regarding the religious sector.
Everyone here lives in love and
brotherliness. There is nobody
who doesnt know where the rav
lives.
How do you get the public at
large to love Torah when some
of them have no familiarity with
it?
It depends a lot on exposure.
The public is exposed to me and
to our work and they see from up
close that we are not threatening.
There are places where the
residents feel threatened by the
religious people, because of
items that the media publicizes.
They take in distorted messages
that someone like me, who looks
religious, is threatening and
dangerous.
When they get to know
me, they see that Judaism is
28 22 Sivan 5777
1072_bm_eng.indd 28
nice. Of course, this is without
compromising on principles.
(R Rosenblatt took out a
letter from a pile of papers on
his desk): Here is a letter from
someone in Kfar Chittim. He
sent it to me after the bar mitzva
celebration of his son. Due to his
exposure to our style of activities,
his outlook and that of his family
changed.
Dear Rabbi Rosenblatt,
As you know, I was raised
with Zionism on Moshav Kfar
Chittim. My parents were very
particular about cooperation,
with love for others and mutual
aid, but this was not from a place
of Torah and mitzvos. It was an
ideology that came from the hard
life they had experienced in the
Diaspora, including anti-Semitic
persecution.
After I married, my wife and
I decided to bring tradition into
our home, but we didnt venture
into a shul.
When our son reached the age
of mitzvos, we were uncertain
about where to have the aliya to
the Torah. As someone who did
not go to shul, the shul on the
yishuv was a little intimidating,
but after our first meeting with
you, and a few meetings our
son had with you, we began to
feel part of the big family. Our
initial apprehension turned into
curiosity and at a later point,
it got stronger and turned into
a feeling that we belonged. We
discovered here, on our very
own yishuv, an entire world of
experiences and community
that we had not been exposed to
before. And you are the right man
in the right place. Yashar koach.
How does someone who
comes from a Chassidic
background manage to
acclimate to an irreligious
environment? Especially when
you are a bearded rabbi dressed
like a Chassid. Arent you
perceived as a strange creature
by the moshavnikim and
kibbutznikim?
I want to tell you something.
When we arrived here, twenty-
five years ago, the yishuv was
literally in its early days. It was
long before I got the position as
Rav. We appeared then before
the absorption committee. The
members of the committee asked
me, How do you come dressed
like that to a place like this?
Arent you afraid riots will break
out?
We told them honestly that
this is what is unique about
Chabad Chassidim, that they go
everywhere with lots of love, but
not with offensive displays. Yes,
we want people to know exactly
2017-06-13 1:12:11 PM
 who we are, and at the same time
we want to do away with the
negative impression created by
the media.
One of the ways of doing
this is by constantly dressing as
I do. This recent Lag BOmer I
went with my sons and sons-in-
law dressed as Chassidim, unlike
other places where they dont
always want to poke peoples
eyes out, in fear that it will
distance people or make them
feel threatened. I dont think so
and I am not afraid it will put
people off.
Today, after the many years
that have gone by, we have
created a situation in which our
appearance draws admiration
and a sense of mutuality. I look
the way I look, as a Chassid,
and yet, we are brothers.
People accept this with love,
understanding and even with
respect. We dont need to adjust
ourselves to others. We come as
we are, full-force, as Chassidim
of the Rebbe. When you do this,
in all honesty and forthrightness,
it makes an impact.
Whoever comes to visit us at
home, sees the large library of
Jewish books and the pictures of
the Rebbe, and this causes them
to connect and to relate. Even
the way my children help in the
outreach activities on the yishuv
they never try to find favor
1072_bm_eng.indd 29
by retreating, and still, they are
always likable and friendly.
I am not talking only about
dress, but a whole host of
things in which we present the
full Chassidic intensity and
Chassidic atmosphere. And yes,
we definitely come to have an
influence on others.
You were on Kvutza by the
Rebbe in 5749 and in the years
to follow. Are there moments
with the Rebbe that you keep
with you in your daily life on
shlichus?
For sure. Whether it was a
Tishrei with the Rebbe over the
years, during my year on Kvutza
or after that. Many special things
happened in 5749, like tfillos
(during part of the year) in the
Rebbes house. That year, the
Rebbe also said two maamarei
Chassidus after several years
of no maamarim. These events
generated great excitement. I can
still see, in my minds eye, the
maamer said out of the blue, as
the Rebbe stood near the lectern,
Erev Shavuos, that began with
Anochi Hashem Elokecha.
FAR REACH
As an inseparable part of
his rabbanus, R Rosenblatt
is involved in giving kashrus
certification to companies, some
of which are major players in the
Israeli food market. During the
day he goes from the milking
at Tzuriel to the Wissotzky tea
factory. On every box of tea
there is his seal of approval. He
supervises the kashrus at the Lavi
hotel, which is visited by frum
people from all over the country,
and then he goes to the massive
Prinir factory which produces an
assortment of food products.
In the Lower Galilee there
are about forty businesses to
whom I give a kashrus certificate.
This includes restaurants,
caterers, fruits and vegetable
wholesalers, and more. There are
small and large operations and
they all demand great attention.
One of the places I certify is
a large catering establishment
which supplies food to hundreds
of schools in the north. With time,
we were able to convince them
to open a special department
that supplies kosher lmehadrin
food to schools belonging to
shluchim and schools attended by
Lubavitcher children.
How do you manage to do
all these jobs?
Its not easy. But think of
other shluchim who divide their
time between the programming
that they do and fundraising.
I get a salary for my formal
position, and thanks to that,
I have the time to devote to
Issue 1072 29
2017-06-13 1:12:11 PM
 Shlichus Interview
communal matters, mainly kiruv.
HALACHIC IMPACT
ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Speaking of time, it is hard
to understand how R Rosenblatt
manages to fit Machon
HaHalacha Chabad into his
packed day. This is the entity
that provides an answer to every
halachic question for Anash
in Eretz Yisroel. Every day, he
devotes a lot of time to answer
dozens of questions on halacha
and custom.
Your halachic influence is
no longer confined to the Lower
Galilee
Machon HaHalacha is
terrific. I became aware of it
only because of a request that I
received from the heads of the
institute who asked me to join
the Chabad rabbanim from all
over the country to respond
to questions. For years I was
used to getting phone calls with
questions in halacha from the
Lower Galilee area and from
Anash living in other surrounding
cities, Teveria and its environs.
But after I started answering on
the phone line, an hour a day,
I encountered a huge array of
halachic questions that are on
the minds of Anash across the
country.
Can you tell us some
questions that you found
poignant?
One time, children called
me during recess, following an
argument that arose between
them that had halachic
implications, and they wanted
a ravs decision. Another time,
an inmate used his opportunity
to make a call, to call me from
prison because of a halachic
question that bothered him.
30 22 Sivan 5777
1072_bm_eng.indd 30
In the prison in which he was
incarcerated there was a quiet
shul where he wanted to learn
and get stronger in his learning
and Judaism. It was very hard
for him there and he found
consolation and refuge in Torah
study. He took a spot in a corner
of the shul but another inmate
told him to get out, claiming it
was his. The question was, in a
public place like that, was there
such a thing as having a chazaka
or not?
Is there a difference between
questions nowadays and years
ago?
There are questions that are
the same as years ago, and new
questions that have to do with the
advancement of technology and
medicine and the development
of communications, the internet,
etc.
How can we successfully
preserve the traditions of
halachic rulings as we received
it at Sinai while simultaneously
adapting them to the culture of
the 21st century?
First, Chazal say that Torah
will not be replaced. There are
no changes in Torah. There are
changes in the realities of the
world, and for these changes
we need to find solid ground
within the existing dimensions
of halacha. All the great poskim
over the previous generations
dealt with questions that arose
due to changes that began in the
modern era.
Can you give us an example
from your work?
I am very involved in the
kashrus of milk and even lecture
on the subject. One of the
questions about milking that
has arisen nowadays concerns
watching the milking via
cameras and over the internet.
In Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deia
it says that milk that was milked
by a non-Jew, without a Jew
being present, cannot be drunk.
In the past, in order to be able
to drink milk that was milked
by a non-Jew, a Jew had to be
in the same location as the cow
in order to monitor the milking.
Nowadays, it is possible to have
online cameras in the dairy. The
question is, is this sufficient?
Is this in the category of a Jew
watching?
There are many rabbanim
who discuss this, some of
them belonging to kashrus
organizations who approve of
milk that was milked by a non-
Jew when a Jew is watching via
camera, and even from a goat
farm that belongs to non-Jews.
But there are many rabbanim
who follow the approach of the
Chasam Sofer, which is that the
milking done by a non-Jew falls
under the category of a decree
that is not subject to revision, and
therefore, even if the reason no
longer applies, the decree stands,
and the milk is permissible only
when a Jew stands there and
watches the milking process in
person. Cameras do not help.
This topic, as well as many
other topics, like milking on
Shabbos, are things we deal
with every day. The public
is not generally aware of the
complexities involved.
Under my hashgacha is the
Tzuriel dairy, which specializes in
dairy products from goats milk. I
insisted that they absolutely not
use milk that comes from non-
Jewish farms, including those
where the milking is watched via
camera. I said this in no uncertain
terms to those who manage the
dairy. Boruch Hashem, they
accepted this.
2017-06-13 1:12:11 PM
 MOSHIACH & GEULA
THEN HE SHALL
RISE UP
From Chapter Fifteen of Rabbi Shloma Majeskis Likkutei
Mekoros, Volume 2. (Underlined text is the compilers emphasis.)
Translated by Boruch Merkur
As taught in Mesivta Ilaa
(the Alm-ghtys yeshiva in the
world of Bria, where Ima-Mother
shines), this is the meaning
of, Umigvaos ashurenu I necessary for him to be taken
behold them as hills (it is a
nation that will dwell alone,
and will not be reckoned
among the nations) (Balak
23:9): Here gvaos-hills is
missing the letter Vav. (Here
the missing Vav represents Zeir
Anpin being in a state of ibbur-
gestation within Ima-Mother,
being concealed there and totally
undetectable.)
In Mesivta DRekia,
however, (in the world of
Yetzira) it is taught that
Umigvaos does contain a future, I (Moshiach) shall tell
Vav, engendering interpretations
at two levels. One (refers to the
level of Bina), that this hill is
never separated from her son
(Zeir Anpin) and she never
leaves him. Thus, the Vav is
with her forever.
The other interpretation
(refers to the level of Malchus):
The son (Moshiach ben Dovid,
whose soul is at the level of
Malchus) is subsumed within
the hill on the lower plane
(Malchus) constantly (except
on the day of the advent of
1072_bm_eng.indd 31
Moshiach, when he rises to
Bina). But in the Future Era,
when Melech HaMoshiach (ben
Dovid) shall come, it will be
many blessings, as is fitting.
by the hill of the higher plane
(by Ima Ilaa, Supernal Mother).
There he will be taken in
beneath her wings to strengthen
him and to establish him with
supernal life. And on that day,
Melech HaMoshiach (ben
Dovid) will emerge from her
(from Ima by way of Malchus).
The latter mystical concept
is contained in the verse, I will
tell chok. G-d said to me, You
are My son, I have begotten you
today (Thillim 2:7): In the
receives from Bina. Therefore,
that place, which is called chok
(i.e., Malchus), and proclaim
to it (about my emergence and
revelation from Bina): G-d
(Bina) said to me, You are
My son (I have given you life
as one begets a son), I have
begotten you today (meaning
on the day of the advent of
Moshiach, Moshiach will be
born and he will emerge from
Bina). Literally on that day
(when Moshiach will be revealed,
Bina will hand over the soul
of Moshiach to Malchus, and
then), that chok (Malchus) will
take him (Moshiach) out from
beneath her wings, with much
life, with many crowns, with
(Notwithstanding the
emergence of Moshiach from
Malchus) that chok will not
remain alone; a different
Moshiach Moshiach Ben
Yosef will be subsumed within
it. He will garner strength
there; not from another place
(not as Moshiach ben Dovid
received from Bina). But since it
is the lower hill, there is no life
there (for Malchus only has its
own vitality; only what it receives
from Zeir Anpin, from what it
life shall not be granted to
Moshiach ben Yosef as Bina gave
life to Moshiach ben Dovid.)
Thus, this Moshiach will die
and be killed, and he will
remain deceased until this hill
gathers life from the supernal
hill (until Malchus receives
vitality from Bina, and give it to
Moshiach ben Yosef). Then he
shall rise.
(Zohar III on Parshas Balak,
pg. 203b, with the interpretation of
Matuk MiDvash, based on Ramak,
Mikdash Melech, and others)
Issue 1072 31
2017-06-13 1:12:11 PM
 MOSHIACH & HAYOM YOM
NO ONE IS
EXCUSED
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon
Dear Reader shyichyeh,
This Shabbos, Parshas
Shlach, is Shabbos Mevarchim
Chodesh Tammuz. We all know
that On Shabbos Mevarchim,
the members of the Chassidic
brotherhood should rise early in
the morning and gather in the
synagogue to recite the entire
Book of Thillim. Following that,
for about an hour, they should
study a maamer of Chassidus
that everyone can understand,
and then [begin the morning]
prayers. The farbrengen [held in
honor of Shabbos Mevarchim]
should be scheduled to suit the
conditions of the place in which
they live and may they enjoy
success there, both materially
and spiritually. (HaYom Yom 26
Kislev)
Lets continue our own
farbrengen we started two weeks
ago. We have been focusing on
Hiskashrus, as a preparation for
28 Sivan-Gimmel Tammuz.
As Chassidim, we all know
what we want. We want the
Hisgalus of the Rebbe. We want
the concealment of Galus to
end so the truth of Hashem
and His Torah will be revealed
in the entire world for eternity.
Yet, as much as it is important
to focus on what we want, it is
more important to focus on what
is wanted from us. The Rebbe
writes (HaYom Yom 5 Tammuz):
32 22 Sivan 5777
1072_bm_eng.indd 32
Once, in the course of
a yechidus, the Alter Rebbe
questioned one of his foremost
and closest Chassidim about his
personal situation. The Chassid
lamented that he had lost all his
possessions. The Alter Rebbe
answered him: Youare neededto
illuminate your environment
with Torah and avodaof the encompassing aspect of Judaism
heart (davening). Livelihood and
whatyou need this Gd must
provide for you. You do what you
must, and Gd will do what He
must.
In the original letter of the
Frierdike Rebbe (Igros Kodesh
Vol. 2 pg. 541), which is the
source of this HaYom Yom and
was written to a Chassid to
encourage him to get involved
in spreading Chassidus in a
public way, the Frierdike Rebbe
quotes more of the Alter Rebbes
answer: You are saying all that
you want and need you need
to pay debts, you need to marry
off your children, need money for
expenses but what is needed
from you, you make no mention.
You are needed to Wisdom, Understanding and
illuminate your surroundings by
studying Torah and by serving
Gd with your heart [in prayer].
As for your livelihood and the
things that you need this Gd
must give you. Do what you must
and Gd will do what He must.
What is demanded from us?
The Rebbe has made that crystal
clear (Kinus HaShluchim 5752):
The most recent innovation in
the work of shlichus is: to receive
our righteous Moshiach in the
true and complete Redemption.
Indeed, the preparation for
the coming of our righteous
Moshiach is the most all-
and includes all the other points
and details of the work of
shlichus...
From the international
convention must come and be
brought good resolutions such
that every shliach must prepare
himself and prepare all Jews in his
place and city, etc. to greet our
righteous Moshiach. This should
be done through his explanation
of the concept of Moshiach, as
explained in the Written Torah
and the Oral Torah, in a way that
it will be received by everyone
according to his intellect and
understanding. This includes in
particular learning the subject
of Moshiach and Redemption,
and specifically in a manner of
Knowledge. And since this is
the Divine service of the time,
its understood this applies to
every Jew without any exception
whatsoever.
As this is our Shlichus, it must
permeate every aspect of our
being. It cant just be something
2017-06-13 1:12:12 PM
 that we do. It must become
something that we are and every
aspect of our lives is permeated
with what is demanded and
needed from us. As the Rebbe
writes (HaYom Yom 8 Iyar):
[Halachically,] a shliach
(agent) is as one with the person
who empowers him. In this vein,
the Sages observe that [in the
Torah] an angel is actually called
by Gds Name when he serves as
His agent. How much more does
this apply to souls, for [when
fulfilling Gds will] they attain
this [identification] to an even
higher degree.
Chassidim are the agents of
the Rebbe the Alter Rebbe.
When we act, we are bound [to
him]. Then, every dimension
of ones being is bound [to the
Rebbe]: one walks like a chassid,
eats like a chassid, and sleeps like
a chassid.
As mentioned, this special
Shlichus is for everyone; its
understood this applies to every
Jew without any exception
whatsoever in whatever official
capacity (business, teaching,
e-commerce, etc.) one serves.
Every Chassid needs to keep in
mind that in the early period
of his leadership the Alter Rebbe
taught: The footsteps of man
are directed by Gd. When a Jew
comes to a particular place it is
for an (inner Divine) intent and
purpose, to perform a mitzva,
whether a mitzva between man
and Gd or a mitzva between man
and his fellow-man. A Jew is Gds
shliach. Wherever a messenger
(shliach) may be, he represents
the power of the meshaleiach, the
one who sent him. The superior
quality that souls possess, higher
than the angels (who are also
messengers), is that souls are
messengers by virtue of Torah.
(HaYom Yom 10 Tammuz)
We all need to be active
1072_bm_eng.indd 33
participants in this final Shlichus.
As the Rebbe explicitly says
(Shmini 5751): Simply put: All
Jews, men, women and even
children, have the responsibility
to increase their efforts to bring
our righteous Moshiach in actual
reality!
Therefore its obvious theres
no place for relying on others or
imposing the work on someone
else instead of doing it ones
self, but this is the task of every
man and woman; everyone must
themselves do their job, to serve
my Maker (for the sake of which
I was created), and certainly
one has the ability (since I do
not ask except according to their
ability.
It is a special privilege that
comes with special personal
rewards, to be able to connect
others with Hashem and the
Rebbe and get them involved
in getting the world ready for
Moshiach. In 1942, a group
of Yeshiva students in Yeshivas
Tomchei Tmimim in Montreal
were given the responsibility of
teaching Chassidus to the local
community. They wrote to the
Frierdike Rebbe that they felt
that this would take away from
their personal growth in learning
Torah.
The Frierdike Rebbe wrote a
long letter (Igros Kodesh vol. 6
pg. 91) extolling the virtues of
teaching others and connecting
them to Torah and Chassidus.
He writes that not only will this
not take away from their personal
learning, it will only open up and
refine their minds and thereby
enhance their learning. In the
middle of the letter, the Frierdike
Rebbe writes the following
(HaYom Yom 8 Tammuz):
We observe that Gd
cherished Avraham mainly
because he commands his
children and his household.
Now, the word here translated as
commands (yetzaveh) can also
mean connect. [This implies
that] all of Avrahams prodigious
endeavors in the face of his trials
pale in comparison to his efforts
in commanding and connecting
others by making them, too,
meritorious.
On Shabbos Mevarchim of
Chodesh Tammuz, each Chassid
needs to ask himself the honest
question: What real effect am
I having on my surroundings
in order to get it ready for
Moshiach? We need to constantly
remember (HaYom Yom 30 Adar
1 which is also a quote from
the previously mentioned letter
of the Frierdike Rebbe): My
father said: A chassid creates
an environment. If he does not,
he had better check his own
baggage carefully, to see whether
his own affairs are in order. The
very fact that he fails to create an
environment should make him
as broken as a splinter. He must
demand of himself: What am I
doing in this world?
As the Rebbe writes in the
introduction to the HaYom Yom:
At this time, when the world is
quaking, when the entire world is
shuddering with the birth pangs
of Moshiach, and Gd has set
the walls of exile afire, every
Jew man and woman, old
and young is obligated to ask
himself: What have I done and
what am I doing to ease the birth
pangs of Moshiach and merit the
ultimate Redemption that will
come about through Moshiach?
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 1072 33
2017-06-13 1:12:12 PM
 QUIZ

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1072_bm_eng.indd 34 2017-06-13 1:12:12 PM

 TZIVOS HASHEM
YOULL
MISS IT!
racecar moved
The
. Shneur
quickly on the screen
concentrated as he followed
it, his hands resting on the
controls of the computer.
Another move, another turn,
and he would reach the end!
His mothers
Shneur!
voice could be heard calling
from the kitchen.
Shneur! she called again.
Yes, Ma, said Shneur,
without looking up from the
screen. He had nearly collided
with a car coming toward him!
Shneur, please go to the
grocery store. I need a few
things right away.
The car reached the finish
line and Shneur breathed a
sigh of relief. Finally! It was the
first time he managed to get
to the end of this game.
Shneur? came his
mothers voice questioningly.
Shneur left the computer
with a sigh. Why always me?
he asked in annoyance.
My dear Shneur, you know
that Chani is studying for a
test, Dini and Ruti are not
home. Who do you think should
go to the store?
1072_bm_eng.indd 5
By Yael Schne ersohn
Yeah, but its always that
way, mumbled Shneur as he
held out his hand to take the
money and grocery list. Today
its a test and tomorrow its
friends and yesterday it was a
trip. I am the one who always
ends up having to go to the
grocery, post office, and to
take out the garbage!
He left the house sighing.
What did it help that he had
older sisters if they were so
busy and all the jobs were
given to him? If he wouldnt be
busy, he wouldnt mind going.
Sometimes, he liked going
on errands. But now? Who
said Chanis test was more
important than his game?
Couldnt she take a break for
five minutes and go to the
store?
The line at the grocery
wasnt long. Shneur quickly
found what his mother wanted.
He finished and left, hoping to
go back as soon as possible to
his video game.
The bag was heavy. Oy,
he muttered. If I didnt have
to schlep it, I could get home
much faster.
Its really annoying that
you had to leave the game
in the middle and go to the
store, huh?
Shneur was frightened.
Who was reading his mind?
He looked to the side and
saw Saba Dovid. Saba Dovid
was the grandfather of the
neighborhood. When Shneur
was four-five years old, he
would join his friends near
Saba Dovid whose pockets
were always full of candies.
Make a bracha, Saba Dovid
would instruct, and then take
more and more candies out of
his pocket.
At this point, Shneur no
longer goes over to Saba Dovid
to ask for candies, but like
everyone, he really likes the
old man.
And there are siblings at
home. Why do I always have
to be the one to go? Who
said they are doing more
important things than me,
huh?
Shneur looked in confusion
at Saba Dovid. How how do
you know?
How do I know? laughed
Saba Dovid. It is all written
Issue 1071 35
2017-06-13 1:11:50 PM
 , . .
."

. ,

.

... , ,
,
?
, ,



!
.
.
. .
""

import ant.
and ""
on
your face.
, ?

Then we will see
ed
remain
Shneur what every single
.
silent, embar rassed.

? " we
mitzva did
,"
I will tell you a acco m p l ished,
secret. Saba Dovid
how every mitzva
bent over a.bit and

brough t the,Geula .
lowere d his voice. closer, and added
!
you
In a little while additional stones
will miss . doing these
the structu ,re "
to
s .for
errand ,your the
of Beis
,
mothe
r.
HaMik dash. ." We
Shneur . was will see how every
astonished by this
mitzva lit up the
on.
asserti world
. and
turned
.
a dwellin g
. Yes, "" . yes, into
it ! -
chuckl ed Saba Dovid for Hashem . Then
"
at his surpris ed we will say: what
Soon,
,
a pity that we.
did
look. when

."Moshiach



comes, not do more! "?"

you wont be going Shneur looked
" .
to the grocery store. at Saba Dovid in

You will sit and learn surpris
e. He had

all
Torah day and never heard him
.
"?"
you
"? have
will
, many talk so much.
had " .
never
servants, Tony
. Ivan, He
"! how wise

and Mustafa. They known
go to
will the store Saba Dovid
, was, "
he

instead of
. you. and what
. was
heard new,
And ? you think . and
ting,
I will miss going to fascina
.the asked
store? count erintu itive.
?"
Imagin e that, to
Shneur , feeling .
doubtf ul. Why? I hara. It wont be hard for you miss the exile!
. be ' ' Dovid
think I will very happy that to do the mitzva of ng, Run
honori !" Saba
home. ,"
e else
someon is
doing all , -
these
miss er. But
your parents. You will " d
.caresse his
should


s instead
errand ". of me! . this.
"






with a
. Remem
big smile. , ber ,

You
will
, miss
. it!

declare
d




Shneur ,

stoppe d walkin g and that this might be the last time
e
Saba Dovid. The Rebbe Rashab looked at Saba Dovid, trying you will go to the store becaus
revealed to us that when to understand what he heard. Moshiach is coming and you
Moshiach comes we will miss But it will be much easier for wont needz"to xado ,wvthat iuhx y anymo
"f | ~ re. | 84
So grab this last time and do it
the days of exile. We will be us to do mitzvos!
did joy!
sorry about everyt hing we Thats right, but only with
not accom plish during exile, all
when Moshiach comes will Shneur smiled. The bag he6/11/2007 11:16:40 AM
the mitzvo s we did not grab, all was holding felt surprisingly
103.indd 4
we understand how much
the work we did not do. Now
the work we did in exile much lighter . Than k you Saba
you still have the opport unity was so important. We will Dovid.
to work on the mitzva of understand all our attempts Saba Dovid smiled. He took
ng your parent s. Now
honori to overcome the yetzer hara, a candy out of his pocket and
can still overco me the
you every joyous fulfillment of held it out to Shneur. And this
hara. When Moshia ch
yetzer a mitzva, even when it was is to make it easier for you to
comes there wont be a yetzer hard, was something great do it happily, he winked.

B"H. 22 Sivan 5777

16 june 2017 Number 1072
Price: $6.00 Part 2 of 3

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