Beis Moshiach #610

8/14/2019 Beis Moshiach #610

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Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082-

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:M.M. Hendel

ENGLISH EDITOR:Boruch Merkur

[email protected]

HEBREW EDITOR:Rabbi Sholom Yaakov [email protected]

STAYING A CHASSID THROUGH TERROR AND DREADChassid | Shneur Zalman Berger

IN THE MERIT OF THE RIGHTEOUSWOMENFeature | Chaya Reinitz

HOW COULD G-D DESTROY THE HOLY TEMPLE? (CONT.)D’var Malchus | Likkutei Sichos Vol. 29, pg. 9-17

A DAILY DOSE OF MOSHIACHMoshiach & Geula

EXPULSION IS DEATHShleimus HaAretz | Shai Gefen

YOU SPOKE? IT WAS THE REBBETALKING!Story | Avrohom Ber

SUMMERTIME ON SHLICHUSShlichus | Rabbi Yaakov Shmuelevitz

MIVTZAIM TANKS ON THE FRONTLINESMivtzaim | Shneur Zalman Berger

WE MEET AGAINFeature | Shneur Zalman Levin

THE AFTERMATHThought | Rabbi Simon Jacobson



[Continued from last week]

6. From the above explanation, a wondrous concept emergregarding the destruction of the HolyTemple – the First Temple and to aneven greater degree, the SecondTemple.

[We learn from the Midrash that]G-d Himself will construct the ThirdHoly Temple, as it says: “‘Aryeicomes’ refers to the Holy OneBlessed Be He, etc. ‘In theastrological sign Aryei’ [referred toin the verse], ‘I will turn theirmourning into joy.’ ‘And build

Ariel.’” But the building is notsomething that begins in the Futureto Come. Rather, construction beganimmediately after the destruction of

the Temple.Moreover, the entire purpose of

the destruction of the Temple is thatG-d should “repair”57 the HolyTemple,58 so that it should not be asit was before, a “man-madestructure,”59 which has nopermanence,60 but a “structure…of the Holy One Blessed Be He,”59 apermanent structure. To that extent,the Holy Temples – the First and

Second Temple – were demolished “in order to repair”

and build a renovated Holy Temple, the Third HolyTemple, which is the construction of G-d Himself. Thus,the destruction of the Holy Temples is properly classifiedas “construction,” not destruction and demolition.

7. The above explanation sheds light on the story toldin Midrash61 that when an Arab (at the time of thedestruction of the Temple) heard a Jew’s “cow bray,”62

he told the Jew that the Holy Temple has presently beendestroyed. Immediately thereafter, when “the cow brayedagain”62 he told the Jew that “the savior and redeemer of the Jewish people has been born.”62

According to the inner dimension of this matter, it

appears that Moshiach was not merely born then,meaning that from the moment following the destructionof the Holy Temple he was merely ready to redeem theJewish people,63 that simultaneous with the destructioncame the preparation, the beginning of and thepotential for the Redemption.

(As the necessity for the latter point is readilyunderstood, as follows. Since when the Jewish peoplerepent, “they are immediately redeemed”64 – andalthough I am sleeping in exile, my heart is awake for the

HOW

COULD G-D

DESTROY

THE HOLY

TEMPLE?Likkutei Sichos Vol. 29, pg. 9-17Translated by Boruch Merkur



Holy One Blessed Be He65 – immediately following thedestruction of the Holy Temple, Moshiach must beprepared [for his mission], in order that there can be theRedemption “immediately” when they repent.66)

Rather, a greater statement is being made here.Namely, that there is no delay between the destruction of the Temple and the redemption and the [re]building of

the Holy Temple; there is not a moment’s pause betweenthese two events. The very moment following thedestruction of the Temple was the beginning of theRedemption – “their savior was born” – in the physical

world below, in the Land of Israel itself. Although ostensibly the Jewish people are highly

conscious of the perceived reality of destruction, for

which reason there are laws [of mourning] regardingTisha B’Av and etc., the very point of these laws (fastingand the conduct on the day of Tisha B’Av in particular)is to inspire repentance – as it is phrased in Rambam in

the beginning of the Laws of Fasting, “This matter isamong the ways of repentance”67 – in order that theRedemption and the building of the Temple should comeabout in actuality68 through the repentance and theDivine service of the Jewish people.

[To be continued be”H]

NOTES:

57 See Footnote 54 in the original for a discussion of whetherthe new structure must be better than the one demolished.

58 For, notwithstanding the fact that the verse, “A lion hasarisen from its thicket,” refers to the First Temple, which wasdestroyed be Nevuchadnetzar, it is said of the Second Temple(although it was lacking in five respects [in comparison to theFirst Temple] ––Yoma 21b), “The glory of this later Temple

will be greater than the former” (Chagi 2:9; Bava Basra 3a,end ff.), etc. – see Footnote 55 in the original.

59 Zohar III 221a and see Zohar I 28a.60 To note that also the manner whereby it is “greater” than

the Second Temple is with respect to its “structure” as well as

its “years” (Bava Basra ibid), meaning that it has greater

longevity. See Likkutei Sichos Vol. 9 (pg. 27-8 and the notes

there; pg. 62; 67-8), where the point is raised that this is a

superiority in both quality and spirituality.

61 Eicha Rabba 1:51.

62 Wording of the Matnas K’huna ibid.

63 Although it says, “the redeemer of

the Jewish people was born”(and how can it be possible that he [as an infant] will be ready right away to redeem theJewish people?), we find precedence forthis [kind of miracle] before the Flood –that “on the day he was born he helpedhis mother” (B’Reishis Rabba 36:1,

VaYikra Rabba 5:1), etc. – see Footnote62 in the original.

64 Rambam Laws of Repentance 7:5.

65 Zohar III 95a. See Shir HaShirim on the verse, “I amasleep, etc.” (Shir HaShirim 2:5).

66 See the address of Chag HaShavuos 5744, where itexplains that, during the destruction, when the Jewish peoplesaw the destruction of the Temple, etc., it was a veryappropriate and auspicious time for repentance.

67 Ibid Ch. 5, beg., applies this principle to the four fasts,including Tisha B’Av: “The Jewish people fast, etc., in orderto arouse their hearts and to initiate the ways of repentance.”

68 [To the extent that the perceived reality will no longer be of destruction and exile but of the true and completeRedemption in all respects.]

The very moment following the

destruction of the Temple was thebeginning of the Redemption – “their savior was born” – in the physical worldbelow, in the Land of Israel itself.

www.MoshiachForKids.comCheck it out!! Educational and Fun!!



12 MENACHEM AV: THE SH’CHINA INTHE HOME OF THE LEADER OF THEGENERATION AS IN THE BEISHA’MIKDASH [B]

“Beis Rabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel,” being the established place (home) of the leader of the generation, “the nasiis everything,” including the entiregeneration, has the indwelling (andrevelation) of the overall Sh’china(and not just a portion that dwells(and reveals itself) upon ten Jews), anexample resembling the indwellingand revelation of the Sh’china in theBeis HaMikdash.

Furthermore, the indwelling andrevelation of the Sh’china is drawnforth from there into all the shuls and

battei midrash “in the lands wherethey have come,” just as the light of the Beis HaMikdash comes forthfrom there into the whole world.

(Kuntres Beis Rabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel)

13 MENACHEM AV: BEIS RABBEINUSH’B’BAVEL – THE HOME OF THELEADER OF THE GENERATION INAMERICA [C]

In our generation, the majority of the Jewish People are in the exile of

America, and there are those who saythat this is among the reasons why even the leader of thegeneration (as “the nasi is everything”) lived for ten yearsin the exile of America, and from there he was involved inthe spreading of Torah and Yiddishkait and the spreadingof the wellsprings outward in all the other lands whereJews have come, through his students and shluchimthroughout the world.

And since “wherever Jews have been exiled, theSh’china is with them,” in this final exile, where themajority of the Jewish People are together with the leaderof the generation in the exile of America, the Sh’china has

also been exiled to the galus of America, and in the exileof America itself “here (in Bavel)” – in “the smallsanctuary” of “Beis Rabbeinu,” “where the Mikdash

journeyed and dwelt there.”


14 MENACHEM AV: THE FUTURE BEIS HA’MIKDASH WILLFIRST BE REVEALED IN “BEIS RABBEINU SH’B’BAVEL”

The Future Beis HaMikdash (“which will be revealedand come from Heaven elaborately built”) will be revealedfirst in the place “where the Mikdash journeyed and dwelt

A DAILY

DOSE OF

MOSHIACH

& GEULA:12-18 AV

Selected daily pearls of wisdom from the Rebbe MH”M on Moshiach and Geula.

Collected and arranged by Rabbi Pinchas MamanTranslated by Michoel Leib Dobry



there” in the time of the exile (“Beis RabbeinuSh’B’Bavel”), and from there it will be moved to its placein Yerushalayim…

Perhaps it can be said that the matter is alluded to inthe language of the Rambam, “And (Moshiach) will buildthe Mikdash in its/his place,” i.e., referring to the place of Melech HaMoshiach (“his place”) in the time of the exile

(prior to “he is definitely the Moshiach”).In other words, when he is in exile (where he sits and

waits and longs to redeem the Jewish People and theSh’china with them from the exile), Melech HaMoshiach

builds the (small) Mikdash, which resembles the BeisHaMikdash in Yerushalayim, as a preparation for theFuture Beis HaMikdash, which will be revealed there first,and from there it shall return (with G-d and the JewishPeople) to Yerushalayim.


15 MENACHEM AV: THE FULLNESS OF 15 B’AV

Regarding the 15th of Av, our Sages, of blessedmemory, have said (end of Tractate Taanis) that Israelhad no holidays like the 15th of Av, etc.

(On the one hand) the 15th of Av is the day theyceased to die in the wilderness, when the strength of thesun weakened, the day that they stopped cutting wood for

burning the sacrifices as the wood begins to become worm-eaten, the day they allowed the slain of Beitar to be buried – matters pertaining to the destruction [of the BeisHaMikdash], (while on the other hand) it is the day thatthe tribes were permitted, etc., all the tribes of Israel couldcome on pilgrimage – matters pertaining to [its] building.

And as the Gemara concludes, “From here onward,those who learn Torah during the nights in addition to thedays will increase in life,” and from the 15th of Av – theday of the moon’s fullness, we will soon come to thefulfillment of all matters pertaining to the Jewish People,

which will be renewed in the future as [the moon] is,fulfillment in its most complete sense, with the True andComplete Redemption.

(letter, Menachem Av 5721)

16 MENACHEM AV: PREPARING FOR THE REDEMPTION –STRENGTHENING OF FAITH AND LONGING

We should increase daily in matters that actually bringthe Redemption and in a revealed state, including:

Strengthening the faith, the longing, and theanticipation for the coming of Moshiach, to the point thata person feels constantly that when Moshiach Tzidkeinuhas not actually come and in a revealed state, his days arelacking…

(Rosh Chodesh Teives 5752)

17 MENACHEM AV: THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD IN THEFUTURE TO COME – WHERE WILL ITBE?

T’chiyas HaMeisim (TheResurrection of the Dead) will takeplace in Eretz Yisroel, both those whoare buried there and those who

buried outside of it.The reason: Eretz Yisroel will

exist forever. Likewise the soul, afterthe Resurrection, will exist forever

within a body.Therefore, the soul does not enter

the body except in a place that exists

forever.(Igros Kodesh, Vol. 2, p. 65)

18 MENACHEM AV: THE RESURRECTIONOF THE DEAD IN THE FUTURE TO COME

– WHO RISES FIRST?

Will all Jews rise at once?The dead of Eretz Yisroel will be brought to life first,

afterwards the dead in Chutz LaAretz, then the dead inthe wilderness, and there are those who say – theForefathers.

According to another opinion, the order will be: the

dead of Eretz Yisroel, the dead of Chutz LaAretz, those atrest in Chevron. The reason: They will arise and awaken

with joy, as they see among them those who got up fromtheir graves, and the land will be filled with tzaddikim andchassidim.

Another opinion: Tzaddikim will precede all otherpeople, those involved in Torah will precede thoseinvolved in mitzvos, and then they will rise and call [therest] alphabetically, but those with the attribute of humility will stand up first.

(T’shuvos U’Biurim 13)

We should increase daily in mattersthat actually bring the Redemption,including strengthening the faith, thelonging, and the anticipation for the

coming of Moshiach, to the point that a person feels constantly that when Moshiach Tzidkeinu has not actually come and in a revealed state, his days are lacking.



“Women often ask me, ‘Wheredo I know you from?’ because Iremind them of the picture.”

Mrs. Chavi Cohen of New Yorktold us all about the tambourine

that she gave to the Rebbe a few days before 27 Adar I 5752.

* * *

It was a very special time, says

Mrs. Cohen. The Rebbe had beenspeaking very strongly aboutMoshiach: his identity, the need toprepare to greet him, and “do allyou can.”

Lubavitch women in CrownHeights convened to come up witha plan of what to do to hasten thehisgalus of Moshiach. At a certainpoint, they began signing peopleup on “Kabbalas HaMalchus”forms. Thousands of signatures

were gathered and on HoshanaRabba 5752, a delegation of

women went to the Rebbe andtheir representative said: “We are aminyan of women, a stiff-neckednation, who ask the Rebbe to berevealed to all as MelechHaMoshiach and take us out of Galus immediately.”

None of them could anticipate what the Rebbe’s answer would be. After a second, which seemed like

forever, the Rebbe said, “Amen,much success, good news.” Thenthe Rebbe immediately added, “Forthe letter, for the pidyon nefesh,and for the names, an extra dollar

will be given.”Some time later, there was a

gathering of the women of CrownHeights for Kabbalas HaMalchusof the Rebbe as MelechHaMoshiach. This was the first

Along with numerous other women, Mrs.Chavi Cohen stood in line for dollars onSunday. When it was her turn, she

presented a tambourine to the Rebbe, atambourine which was made becausethe Rebbe asked Jewish women to

prepare tambourines for the coming of Moshiach. On the tambourine it said,“Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu V’Rabbeinu

HaMelech HaMoshiach L’olam Va’ed.”The cameras clicked and pictures of the

encounter were seen around the world.* Mrs. Cohen tells the story behind the

tambourine, as well as her thoughts and feelings about her encounter with the Rebbe MH”M.

IN THE MERIT OF

THE RIGHTEOUS

WOMENBy Chaya Reinitz



gathering of its kind (and level of daring) and it took place with theRebbe’s blessing. Regarding thereport given to the Rebbeafterwards, the Rebbe said, “I willmention it at the Tziyun again, forcontinued great and wondrous

success ba’kol mi’kol kol, etc.”On Sunday 3 Kislev 5752, once

again a group of women stood before the Rebbe, this timepresenting a box with thousands of signatures. The representative of the group said, “Baruch Hashemthere is wondrous work ba’kolmi’kol kol in the campaign of ‘theysought Hashem and Dovid Hisservant.’ The campaign of N’sheiChabad is spreading around the

entire world and with all theshluchos. We N’shei U’BnosChabad welcome MoshiachTzidkeinu, the Rebbe shlita, who

will lead us upright to our holyland immediately.”

The Rebbe listened and said,“Amen.” The Rebbe then looked at

the box and asked, “Is this for me?May there be good news.” TheRebbe looked at the box and thesignatures and added: “For all theinyanim one must pay withtz’daka. It should be with greatsuccess, and go from strength to

strength until you go to Elokim inTziyon with the true and completeRedemption, blessing and success,much success.”

On Motzaei Shabbos 28 Teives5752, N’shei Chabad held a“Seudas Kabbalas PanimL’Moshiach Tzidkeinu” and theyreceived “a special blessing in aspecial time,” as the Rebbe put it.

These favorable reactions fromthe Rebbe motivated the women to

carry on their work in gettingpeople to accept themalchus/kingship of the Rebbe.

How did you do the KabbalasHaMalchus work?

Every Friday we went todifferent areas or we made housecalls. We introduced ourselves by

saying, “We are from Chabad, can we speak to you for a few minutes?”

When we sat down, we toldthem about the Rebbe’sannouncement that “the time of your redemption has arrived,” and

that he had indicated that he isMoshiach. We usually showedthem some quotes from the Rebbe.

We told them how important it isto sign and accept the Rebbe’smalchus just as the nationaccepted the kingship of Dovidseven years after he was anointed,and this helped bring about hisrule as king.

Not everybody agreed but mostsigned and thanked us for the

z’chus we gave them to be part of it.

After the Rebbe’s sicha onShabbasos Parshas Bo andB’Shalach 5752, “about the specialquality of Jewish women and girlsin this generation,” our work got amajor boost. In these sichos theRebbe emphasized the specialability women have to bring theGeula and how the women of ourgeneration are the reincarnation of

the souls of the women who leftEgypt, in whose merit they wereredeemed.

The Rebbe said, “A special andessential directive regarding song,as is emphasized in the song of Miriam and the song of Devora:Just as in the exodus from Egypt‘the righteous women of thegeneration were confident thatHashem would do miracles forthem and they took tambourines

out of Egypt.’ So too with thegeula from this final galus, therighteous women need to beconfident – and they are surelyconfident – that the true andcomplete Redemption is comingimmediately. This should be to theextent that they begin immediately(in the final moments of galus)

with song and tambourines and



dancing, because of the true andcomplete Redemption!”

We didn’t need more than that.So you began to dance?

Yes! We organized an eveningof dancing to greet Moshiach,

which took place in Oholei Torah

on Motzaei Shabbos, the night of 12 Adar I 5752. We first asked forthe Rebbe’s blessing and consentand the Rebbe gave his bracha andadded that it should be done in amodest fashion. The band wascomprised of female musicians.

The evening was for all womenand everybody came,grandmothers and great-grandmothers, babies and girls,teenagers and mothers. The

evening began with a D’varMalchus on the topic of Geula.Then the dancing began.Everybody danced, even the oldest

women danced a little and then satdown and clapped. The simcha

was palpable. We danced for hours with the strong feeling that it’sgoing to happen now. The Rebbe

would come and we would goforth to Geula.

The organizers, Mrs. Shterna

Spritzer, Mrs. Cherna Light, Mrs.Mindy Halberstam, and Mrs.Shifra Chana Hendrie, smiled atone another. They saw the Rebbe’s

brachos before their eyes in theform of this hugely successfulevening.

My tambourine was in useduring the dancing. I had gotten itas a present and I had asked myson to write the words, “ShiruL’Hashem Ki Gao Gaa” and “Shiru

L’Hashem Shir Chadash.” In thecenter of the tambourine it said,“Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu

V’Rabbeinu HaMelechHaMoshiach L’olam Va’ed.”

Was that the only tambourinethat night?

There were other ladies whohad tambourines, but I was theonly one who had that written on

it. Whoever saw it that night wasenthused and it was passed from

woman to woman and from circleto circle and added a lot to theatmosphere, to the anticipation,and to the simcha. The dancingended at two in the morning!

Where did the idea of presenting this tambourine to theRebbe come from?

In the middle of the dancing,Ms. Ariella Benayoun said to me,“Chavi, maybe you’d want to givethis tambourine to the Rebbe?” Iimmediately agreed.

The next day, Sunday 12 Adar, Ariella called me and asked, “Doyou want to go by the Rebbe andgive him the tambourine?”

“Why me?” I asked.“The tambourine belongs to

you!” she replied.I agreed and I stood on the

long line that stretched outside770. In the meantime, a group of

women gathered around me. Iknew that I wasn’t just giving thetambourine but that I had to saysomething and describe theevening of dancing of the night

before. I was afraid to go alone …Throughout the time that I

waited in line, I repeated what I would say to the Rebbe out loudsince I was afraid that when themoment came, I wouldn’t be ableto say it properly.

I was finally near the Rebbe andthe photographer began takingpictures (it’s not every day thattambourines like this are given tothe Rebbe). I said to the Rebbe in

Yiddish, “This is for the Rebbeshlita. We women danced with thislast night with simcha that burst all

bounds, with confidence in the

THE REBBE SHOULD BE HEALTHY AND STRONGFOR ETERNAL LIFE

Mrs. Shterna Spritzer relates: After 28 Nissan 5751, there was a great hisorerus in the topic of

Moshiach. In response to the Rebbe’s call for action we established theMoshiach Committee that initiated and organized various events.

On Rosh Chodesh Kislev 5752, in response to the Rebbe’s sayingthat it is everybody’s obligation to participate in the building of 770,“Beis Moshiach,” physically and financially, we presented a pushka tothe Rebbe with money for the building and expansion of 770.

Until that time we were not in agreement regarding the wording, whether to write “Melech HaMoshiach” or not. We made the decisionto say it just a few minutes before we went to the Rebbe.

I had the privilege of being one of the representatives who presentedthe pushka to the Rebbe. It was a very moving and special event. Noneof us knew how the Rebbe would react to the title “MelechHaMoshiach.” I said, “This pushka with the first of the money that the

women have donated for the miniature Mikdash, 770-Beis Moshiach, isa gift from all Chabad women and girls to the Rebbe shlita, in honor of Rosh Chodesh Kislev, and all the events of the month of Geula, themonth of Kislev. We ask of Hashem that the Rebbe shlita be healthyand strong, for eternal life, and that the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiachlead us to Eretz Yisroel, and that we have eyes to see and ears to hearand a heart to know and to see this immediately.”

All the women present answered amen and the Rebbe gave a dollarand then another dollar, and another dollar for tz’daka to hasten theGeula. The Rebbe was satisfied and had nachas ruach.



hisgalus of the Rebbe shlita MelechHaMoshiach immediately for thecomplete Geula.”

The Rebbe smiled broadly andyou could see he was pleased. Myfear melted away and the Rebbe’ssmile made me feel relaxed. The

Rebbe asked, “You are probablyleaving this with me.” I responded

with a smile and the Rebbe gaveme one dollar and then gave meanother one and said, “This is forthe ‘sounds of joy,’ which is whatit is called in T’hillim. It should bein a good time. And this is for theentire group.”

Did you always refer to theRebbe as Moshiach?

That was the first time that I

verbally addressed the Rebbe inthat way. Previously, I would write“Melech HaMoshiach” in letters tohim.

What did you do with thedollars and pictures of thatencounter?

I enlarged one picture andframed it along with the two

dollars. I also have a picture that Ialways keep in my pocketbook.

When I go on mivtzaim I show thepicture as proof that the Rebbeapproves and acknowledges hismalchus.

When I attend special privategatherings (Jewish Women Unitedfor the Redemption), I convey themessage clearly, that the Rebbe isthe Nasi HaDor, MelechHaMoshiach chai v’kayam,

neshama in a guf, and heprophesied the prophecy of Geulaand asked us to publicize it andprepare for it.

At these gatherings I show mypicture and the video of theencounter along with quotes fromthe Rebbe on the topic of Moshiach and Geula. Whenever Ishow this video, I save myself half the work. 99% of people acceptthe message.

What kind of women do youspeak to?

All types: Satmar Chassidos,Litvishe women, and women whoaren’t yet religious. They accept

what I have to say. It’s notsurprising, for after all, the Rebbesaid the world is ready.

I produced the video as a giftfor my son’s wedding that took

place in England and I gave it outalong with a booklet about Geulathat was published by Ruti Cohenand Sara Kanevsky. The video and

booklet made waves in England.

When I returned to the US about a week after Sheva Brachos, I got acall and was told that Manchester

was still in an uproar over it… Among the wedding pictures we

saw that one of the guests fromB’nei Brak, an extreme Litvak, wasreading the booklet.

After the wedding, I gave outthe leftover videos on mivtzaimand then I made a large number of copies and called it “The time for

your redemption has arrived.” Weadded a voiceover translation of the sichos on the video and gaveout thousands of them.

What is the secret of thesuccess of the picture and the

video? When people see the picture or

the video, they can’t dismiss the whole thing. My brother, RabbiGliss of B’nei Brak, told me that

when he showed the picture to

various people, it encouragedthem.

When R’ Itche Gansburg a”hfound out about the picture, hecalled me and said he wanted todistribute it by the thousands,around the world. He did so, andlater on he added the Rebbe’s

words in Yiddish and a translationinto English.

Everybody danced, even the oldest women danced a little and then sat down and clapped. The simcha was palpable. We danced for hours with the

strong feeling that it’s going to happennow. The Rebbe would come and we

would go forth to Geula.

EVERY WORDPRECISE

Mrs. Chavi Cohen relates: As I said, we worked on

preparing a video depicting when the Rebbe accepted thetambourine, along with otherexcerpts on inyanei Moshiachand Geula. We added a

voiceover with a translation.My friend and I worked

on the translation for hours. Afterwards, my friend wentto rest and she dreamed thatshe was passing by the Rebbeat dollars and the Rebbe saidto her, “Be careful with every

word,” She woke up in aturmoil and we continued

working on the translation,knowing that this was a greatresponsibility. We weighedevery word. If there was a

word we were unsure of, weasked Rabbi Kaminker andRabbi Shapiro who helpedus.



I heard from many people thatthis picture opened many doors topeople who until then, hadn’t quite

believed. There’s no question thatthe picture did away with manydoubts. You just can’t dismiss sucha clear approval by the Rebbe, with

such a smile…Were there people who were

annoyed by the publicity thepicture got?

Definitely. The Friday that Beis Moshiach had it on the cover, I was walking down the street whensomeone stopped me and asked,“Are you the lady who gave thetambourine to the Rebbe?” I saidthat I was, and he told me thatsomeone was going around saying

that the picture was forged.“Maybe you should confront him

with the facts.”I called the man and told him

that I was the one who gave thetambourine to the Rebbe. He askedme, “Then why, when I visited theRebbe’s library, and I saw severaltambourines, didn’t I see that onethere?” I answered, “Maybesomeone wants to be sure youdon’t see it…”

The man continued to askquestions. A few days later hisdaughter-in-law called me andasked to see the video. She

watched it three times, four times,to check it out.

Another incident happenedafter the picture was printed in

Beis Moshiach. Someone wrote asharp letter to the editor and triedto prove that the picture was afraud. I wrote him a response and

told him that I planned on being inEretz Yisroel in a few weeks and if he wanted to, he could reach me ata certain phone number.

When I arrived at my host’shome, I had barely put down mythings and taken off my coat when

the man called. I sent him thepicture and he apologized andasked forgiveness for his letter. Hesaid he was happy to see that it

was genuine.How do you convey the

message about the Rebbe MH”M without difficulty?

Who said it’s withoutdifficulty? I always have tocontend with mockery. When Ihung a tambourine in my living

room, a family member made funof it, but I said that I thought it

was important for anybody whoentered my home to see thetambourine, to buy one too, and beready for the hisgalus.

Although I am strong in my belief, I’ve seen people make facesat me and they’ve made it hard forme to speak. There are people

who, when I see them, I lose

interest in speaking… No doubtthis is what the Rebbe meant whenhe said that the main test of ourgeneration is “don’t beembarrassed by the mockers.”That’s in the first paragraph of Shulchan Aruch and it is also our

biggest test.What is your message for

Chassidishe women and girls? Action. On my birthday I gave

out a present – a tape with songsof Geula. I gave it out on mivtzaimtoo. I prepared a page with variousexcerpts from the Rebbe’s sichosin Hebrew and English aboutMoshiach and Geula.

Everybody needs to know thatevery little thing that is done in

inyanei Moshiach has an enormouseffect and we can’t know how powerful it is. When I had those

words written on the tambourine,did I dream that it would be givento the Rebbe and we would havesuch chizuk from it? I just wrotethe message to be ready for thehisgalus.

May Hashem help us see theRebbe MH”M immediately, now!

I show my picture and the video of the encounter along with quotes from the Rebbe on the topic of Moshiach andGeula. Whenever I show this video, I

save myself half the work. 99% of people accept the message.

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While everybody else has vacation, the shluchim are extremely busy. Take Shabbos for example, which is called the “day of rest and joy.” For shluchim it is a day of “activity and joy.” Just beforeShabbos the shliach has to hurry and

visit all the shuls in his area anddistribute weekly brochures,spreading the Rebbe’s teachings andthe B’suras HaGeula. Right afterthat is the weekly speech that theshliach has to give in shul (at least

one) before Kabbalas Shabbos. When he arrives home, guests will be waiting for him, possibly inaddition to the ones he brings home

with him. At the Shabbos table theshliach will tell stories and speakabout the parsha for hours. (If thedevoted shlucha goes to sleep, theshliach will have the shlichus to clearoff the table.) Then he will learnRambam and sleep a little before the

next day’s activities.The shliach wakes up early

(sometimes he has to wake up at 6a.m. since the mikva is open onlyuntil 7). He will hurry to the Chabadhouse and give a shiur in Chassidus

before davening. Often, this sameshliach will be the chazan forShacharis, will review a sicha of theRebbe (who knows when he had achance to prepare it), read the Torahportion, be the chazan for Musaf,and appear, full of enthusiasm, for

the farbrengen after davening. Atthat point he will enthrall hismekuravim with stories, sichos, andmaamarim, l’chaim, l’chaimu’li’vracha.

At home, the guests are waitingto eat, for stories, for singing, anddivrei Torah. After the meal theshliach and/or some of his children

will go to other neighborhoods andpublic parks, and gather children for

Mesibos Shabbos.If he’s lucky, the shliach will have

a half-hour break until Mincha,niggunim at the third meal, amaamer Chassidus, Maariv, a videoof the Rebbe, Havdala, and on to anErev Chabad or a Melaveh Malka atthe home of one of the mekuravim.

Similar to the weekly “day of rest” is Chanuka “vacation.” Duringthis vacation, the shliach will hardly

be home (don’t have pity, it’s true joy!). Then there’s “Sukkos vacation,” “Purim vacation,” etc.

THE “BIG VACATION”

The “Big Vacation” [summer vacation in Israel is called ChofeshHaGadol] begins two months beforethe vacation. That’s when the shliach

begins to look for staff for his daycamp. It is important to note that agood shliach who is looking for agirl to run his camp, asks questionslike for a shidduch: Is she diligent

and responsible? Is she properlyChassidish so that she can have theright influence on the staff of counselors, all the campers plus theyoung daughters of the shliach who

will be able to see a role model of how a Chassidishe girl behaves andlooks?

Afterwards, by way of preparation for the “big vacation,”the shliach will have to find a school

Vacation time means working overtime

for shluchim, who prepare weeks in advance with endless meetings and arrangements to provide day camps, services for tourists, shiurim, and programs that are suitable for summer.

SUMMERTIME

ON SHLICHUSBy Rabbi Yaakov Shmuelevitz, Shliach - Beit Shaan



building or some empty place for thecamp. (In my experience, this takesno less than 30 phone calls, letters,and meetings.) The counselors needan apartment, arrangements have to

be made with the pools, chocolatemilk and rolls have to be bought,

information about an amusementpark, a safari park, and some moneyto pay to get into these places.

I will skip many more of thepreparations because during the “big

vacation” the shliach will spendhours, days and nights, on the campitself. Usually, the shliach will haveafternoon programs and youth clubsin various neighborhoods and/or inthe Chabad house andkindergartens, because the Rebbe

wants all Jewish children to use thesummer vacation to learn about theJudaism that they don’t learn aboutall year.

While many Jews are traveling on vacation to countries near and far,they won’t forget to stop at theChabad house before they go inorder to find out where they can finda kosher restaurant in Prague or aplace to stay in the Caribbean, a

minyan in Laos or a shiur in Tanyain Rio de Janeiro.

Since the shliach is the one toask about anything Jewish,sometimes the phone rings at oddhours, Thailand-time or Los

Angeles, China or Japan-time, when

it’s 2 or 4 in the morning here. Thenthe shliach calls to gather thenecessary information and toprovide an answer to the faithfultourists.

So you can imagine how nice the“Big Vacation” is for the shliach.

A FANTASTIC BROCHUREFROM KARMIEL

Some shluchim are a bit more

diligent, and their day camps are justthe tip of the iceberg of theirsummer activities. They have no

vacation at all during the Big Vacation.

For example, I came across afantastic brochure of a curriculum of classes for summer 2007 at theChabad house of Karmiel. It isprofessionally done, the graphics,layout and all, 24 pages of all sorts

of shiurim, for all ages and levels of interest. Science and halacha,relationships and kabbala, familypurity, archeology and the BeisHaMikdash, the mystery of the Endof Days, the year of Shmita, spiritualmusic and more and more. Each of

these subjects is either a one-timeclass or a series of classes that willenrich the participants with a wealthof knowledge in all areas of Torahand Chassidus.

You will also find shiurim onTanya, Talmud, “join a livediscussion between MosheRabbeinu, the Tanaim, Amoraim,Rambam, and Kabbalists.” Othertopics include Pirkei Avos, Parsha,Lag B’Omer events, Shavuos, and

15 B’Av. And then there are theFarbrengens and Evenings for

Women.

CHAVRUSA AT THECHABAD HOUSE

The brochure includes aninvitation to whoever wants to learnone-on-one. “Call and don’t learnalone.” Also an invitation to the



Shabbos meals, “Come and bringyour friends to an unforgettableexperience.” From my experience,these last two will bring the bestresults.

A few years ago I gave a shiur inChassidus to a small group of

teachers in Beit Shaan. For somereason, the shiur did not last longand slowly dwindled. One of them

was very eager to continue learningand asked me to learn one-on-one

with him.Genius me, I told him that I had

no time for private classes. He wasso taken aback that he almost didnot want to hear anything morefrom me. In the end, his desire tolearn Chassidus overcame his

astonishment and he continued, andeven intensified his connection tothe Rebbe and to Chabad. Today welearn together b’ chavrusasometimes.

Shabbos meals have greatpotential. The shliach of the Rebbein the West Karmel neighborhood inChaifa, Rabbi Shlomo ChaimLisson, started his shlichus byinvesting a lot in his Shabbos meals.On his way home from shul he

would collect young people who were hanging around, and bringthem home with him.

Sometimes, in the middle of themeal, the roar of a motorcycle could

be heard in the yard and anothertwo guys joined the meal. Today,

many of the people who attend theshul and are Rabbi Lisson’smekuravim, are those young men

who ate Shabbos meals with him.The atmosphere of a ChassidisheShabbos was not forgotten and

when they got older, they learnedhow to make a proper Shabbos intheir own homes.

THE POWER OF ONE

BROCHUREBack to the amazing brochure I was telling you about. A youngcouple, Rabbi Mendy Elishevitz andhis wife, joined the shlichus inKarmiel and brought great talent toit. R’ Elishevitz knows aboutcomputers and graphics and his wifecontributed the captivating writingstyle describing the classes andcourses. Whoever sees this brochurefeels he just has to call and take at

least one class, if not more.

R’ Elishevitz relates: A woman who saw the brochure called andsaid that for a long time now she

wanted to be religious and didn’tknow who to turn to. Now she

wanted to learn as much as possible.In the meantime, she kashered her

kitchen and her life has changed forthe better.

Every week, new people join theclasses. The booklet has beendistributed in yishuvim and hilltopcommunities around Karmiel andpeople come from all over. Somecome out of curiosity to a course inkabbala and stay for an ongoingclass in Tanya.

The shliach Rabbi Yosef Rivkin,director of the Chabad house in

Karmiel relates: Since my son-in-law and daughter joined me in shlichus,

we have had to rent another buildingfor the Chabad house where we holdall the new classes. Today, theChabad house is spread out over twostores in the center of the city, withone serving as an office and storeand the other as a place for all theshiurim. The brochure has made agreat kiddush Hashem. It’s all thepower of the meshaleiach.

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The mashpia, Rabbi Yaakov Notik passed away on RoshChodesh Sivan at the age of 86.

We lost a Chassid who served as arole model by his very being andconduct.

R’ Notik hardly ever spokeabout his past. When he was asked

by one of his sons what cities he

lived in before he married, heanswered curtly, “I wandered fromhere to there, from city to city.”Occasionally he related a bit, butthat was all.

However, nine years ago I wanted to talk to him about hisfather, the well-known Chassid,Rabbi Shmuel Notik a”h, the rav

of Kopust [see his profile is issue#558]. Out of respect for hisfather, R’ Yaakov was willing totalk, and for many hours he sharedhis fascinating reminiscences.Sometimes he told somethingabout himself, but he always madesure to get the conversation backon track. When I suggested that

we also speak about his life, herejected the idea out of hand.

Over the years I spoke to himmany times and he always spokeabout other Chassidim. One time Imanaged to convince him to talkabout his memories. I arrived athis home at the appointed timeand we sat down. He leaned hishead forward a bit and with a

bewildered expression on his facehe asked me, “What should I tellyou? I have nothing to say.” Andthat’s how another goldenopportunity ended.

Upon his passing, I collectedthe crumbs he had shared with me,from which I could piece togethersome of the important events inhis life. Together with his sons andthose who knew him, we puttogether a history of this Chassidicfigure and Torah scholar, whosehead was in Gemara, Shulchan

Aruch, and Chassidus, whodevoted himself to the chinuch of

Rabbi Yaakov Notik a”h passed away on Rosh Chodesh Sivan. He was an activist who did not fear the communists, he contended with the government prosecutor of Samarkand, escaped by the skin of his teeth andused a bogus identity for ten years, yet

he did not stop teaching Torah to theT’mimim. Later, in Eretz Yisroel he didthe Rebbe’s mivtzaim devotedly and

persistently, despite his advanced age. He was a tremendous Torah scholar, an Ish Halacha, permeated with classic Jewish-Chassidic strength.

STAYING A CHASSID

THROUGH TERROR

AND DREADBy Shneur Zalman Berger



his children and to strengtheningJudaism.

BORN WITH A BRACHA FROM THE

REBBE RASHAB

After being married a few years, his parents, Rabbi Shmuel

and Miriam Notik, asked theRebbe Rashab for a bracha forchildren. The Rebbe told R’Shmuel to take a position as rav inKopust and said that in this merithe would have children. Two yearslater, on 21 Iyar 1921, Yaakov, the

oldest was born.R’ Shmuel protected his son

and did not send him to publicschool, despite the pressure fromthe communist authorities, as R’

Yaakov told me:“I did not spend a single day in

school. I learned with my father athome. My father refused to send

us to public school. This was notan easy decision. Every year, at the

beginning of the school year,representatives from the schoolcame to our home and demandedthat my father send us to school.My father gave various excusesand we stayed home.”

R’ Shmuel, who was a mighty gaon (Torah genius), devoted mostof his day to learning with hissons, Yaakov and his younger

brother Sholom Ber:“ My occupation is to give public

shiurim like in Ein Yaakov and Mishnayos and Tanya every day,”he wrote in a letter dated the

winter of 1929 to Rabbi DovberRivkin, rosh yeshivas Torah

Vodaas. “And since in our townthere is no proper melamed,therefore I must teach my sons.(Many rabbanim do so in ourcountry.)

“With my eldest, who is eight years old, I learn Chumash and Rashi, Neviim, and Gemara at abeginner’s level. With my younger

son, who is six years old, I teachreading and beginner’s Chumash.

From the time they reach the age tolearn, I learn with them myself and

practically the entire day involveslearning with my sons and learningthe shiurim and preparing shiurim.

I have no free time for myself to

learn regularly and in depth, as would be proper.”

The communists persecuted R’Shmuel for this and he tried toleave the country, but all attemptsfailed. In another letter, one that isheart-rending, he describes thesuffering he endured when thecommunists did all they could tohumiliate him and make his life



difficult:“ Aside from the great poverty

and the difficulty in making alivelihood, because all sources of

parnasa are closed to me, I am also greatly persecuted by the government. They oppress me

horribly. They impose large taxeson me, which I cannot possibly

pay. The amount is a sum that I don’t even earn in the course of an entire year.

“They also impose labor uponme, to go to the forest and cut treesin the winter, in the snow andterrible cold. They also imposeother difficult and humiliating jobs

and the gentiles gather round me to see my suffering, to laugh and

mock and rejoice at my sorrow andthe sorrow of all Jewry, seeing the

fall of Judaism and the Torah’shumiliation, that the rav of thetown works at hard labor, againsthis will. Additionally, there aremany other terrible persecutionsthat cannot be explained in writing.

“They also try to force me to send my children to school, tomake them abandon their Judaism,G-d forbid. I have two sons. One is

13 and the other is 11, and I always learn with them and I educate them in Judaism, and I never sent them to school becausethere they teach the children heresy

and to hate the Jewish people. Everybody sends their children to school because the law is that everybody must do so, but I havenever sent them. And we are always

terrified about the danger to their souls, ch”v.

“Whoever does not send theirchildren to school, as the

government desires – so that they should not be religious but learn tomock religion and religious people

– is considered a traitor. All the persecutions with which they persecute me are all because of this, and I am in great danger,heaven forbid.

“I constantly anticipate the danger of being put in jail, ch”v,because of the great taxes imposedon me constantly, which cannot

possibly be paid, and because of this they arrest people and their

ways are known. And I anticipate

an even greater danger ch”v,because of my children – that I

don’t send them to school and I teach them Torah and Judaism.This is considered by them as one

who organizes a rebellion againstthe government.

“They have warned me anumber of times to send my sons to

school, but I put my life in myhands and do not send them. OnlyG-d knows what will be. I need

much mercy and therefore we must flee from here.”

THE SEPARATION AND REUNION WITH

HIS FATHER

R’ Shmuel Notik’s “prophecy”that he was in danger of beingimprisoned, quickly came true. He

was arrested and sent to exile inKazakhstan.

His wife and children remained behind. In addition to her concernabout her husband’s welfare, she

was also anxious about herchildren’s future. She wanted them

to learn Torah. She sent a letter toher brother-in-law, Rabbi ShimonChanin, who quickly arrangedplaces for her sons in undergroundyeshivos.

Many years later, when he livedin Tashkent, during a Chassidishefarbrengen, R’ Yaakov said l’chaimmany times and said that when heleft Kopust he finally felt free. “InKopust I was known as the son of the rav, and I was beaten and

degraded by the goyim. In otherplaces they did not know who I

was and I did not suffer.” At first, R’ Yaakov learned in

Tomchei T’mimim in Klimovitz byRabbi Zalman Buber (Pevsner).Then he wandered amongunderground Tomchei T’mimimyeshivos in Kursk, Kuibyshev andKaralevitz.

At the end of five years, in1940, R’ Shmuel was released. He

went by train until he reachedMozaiesk, a suburb of Moscow,

where his wife and sons lived. When the happy news reached

his son Yaakov, he immediatelyreturned home in order to see hisfather. “It was thrilling to see myfather, whole in body and soul,after five years of exile.Throughout that period, we fearedfor his lot. We knew that many didnot return home, and that many

who did were broken. My father, who worked beyond hiscapabilities and did not eatforbidden foods, was very thin and

weak. He said that the prisoners inthe camp lived in sub-humanconditions. In any case, there wastremendous simcha, especially

when a short time later herecovered and regained his

Yaakov was frightened and was sure he would be arrested. Maschi just looked at him and said, ‘Hey Notik, were you inSechaltuva?’ R’ Notik knew there wasno point in lying, so he admitted it...



strength.” At this point, R’ Yaakov went to

distant Georgia, where he ran anunderground yeshiva, TomcheiT’mimim, in the city of Sukhumi.He served as the menahel andmaggid shiur in the yeshiva.

During the Holocaust, R’ Yaakov was in Kutaisi in Georgia.“From 1942 until 1946 I learnedin the yeshiva in Kutaisi, andactually reverted to the days of myyouth, for I learned at home withmy father, who had come there

because of the war. In Kutaisi myfather learned a lot with thetalmidim and encouraged them tolearn. He also gave shiurim inChassidic maamarim of the Rebbe

Rashab, and in Nigleh he taughtGemara and commentaries.

“The learning atmosphereduring the war was somethingspecial. The communists

oppressed those who studiedTorah, the Nazis did as theypleased in large parts of the SovietUnion, and everybody wasapprehensive about their relativesin other places. Nevertheless, theT’mimim devoted themselves to

their learning with mesirusnefesh.” R’ Yaakov said that it wasat this time that the nickname,“Yankel der Geller” (Yankel the

Yellow) stuck because of the colorof his beard.

AN INEXPLICABLEMIRACLE

During the World War II, theRussian government drafted every

healthy male. The talmidim in theyeshiva in Kutaisi were in dangerof being drafted. Rabbi YechezkelBrod a”h, who taught at that timein Kutaisi, related the greatmiracle that happened to R’

Yaakov Notik:“R’ Notik was registered in

Kutaisi, but when the draft notices began to arrive at his house, heignored them. As a result, he didnot have legal documents and this

was very dangerous. From time totime the police did inspections andasked people to show theiridentification papers and theirexemption from the army.

“Not far from Kutaisi is ahealth resort town Sechaltuva.Someone managed to stealexemption papers from theauthorities there (“white papers”)stamped with half the seal (theother half had to be stamped on

the picture), and sold them to whoever was interested. Thisperson knew how to attach theperson’s picture and forge thesecond half of the stamp. This ishow many people got counterfeitexemption papers.

“R’ Notik traveled there and bought one of these exemptions. Itcould only fool a policeman butnot someone from the local draft

Rabbi Notik with his children in Samarkand. On top from right to left: Dovid Aharon, Shmuel, Avrohom Zerach. Below from right to left: Yosef Yitzchok, Bas-

Sheva, Rabbi Yaakov Notik. (the picture was taken before the youngest, themashpia R’ Zalman Notik, was born)

A special farbrengen was held for Yud-Tes Kislev 5745 for the newspaper

Erev Shabbat, which was attended byfive Chassidim from the Soviet Union.Sitting from right to left: R’ Mendel

Garelik, R’ Yaakov Notik, R’ Sholom Vilenkin, R’ Zalman Leib Estulin, and

R’ Michoel Mishulovin



office.“The commander of the draft

office in Kutaisi – Maschi was hisname – knew us personally, and heknew who had presented himself to the draft board and who hadn’t.One day, he saw Yaakov Notik on

the street. He was well aware that Yaakov had avoided the draftorder. Yaakov was frightened and

was sure he would be arrested.Maschi just looked at him andsaid, ‘Hey Notik, were you inSechaltuva?’ R’ Notik knew there

was no point in lying, so headmitted it. ‘Go take a walk,’ saidMaschi with a smile.

“R’ Notik returned to us,trembling from the miracle that he

had personally experienced. Thetruth is that none of us couldunderstand it. Instead of arrestinghim, the commander let him know that he knew about the forgery,

but he let him go.”

TEN YEARS WITH A BOGUS IDENTITY

R’ Notik’s parents and sistertried to leave the country via

Poland on a train with R’ MendelFuterfas, but they were caught,arrested, and exiled.

R’ Yaakov knew that theauthorities would start looking forhim since some of his relatives hadmanaged to leave the SovietUnion, three had been caught, andhe remained free in the SovietUnion. He obtained variousdocuments, changed his name, and

was known by the name Eli MosheMilstein. He used this identity fora decade!

He lived in Tashkent, where he

worked as a shochet for the butcher R’ Meir Stambler a”h. Helived with Rabbi ShmuelMenachem Klein a”h, adistinguished Chabad Chassid inTashkent. During these years, helearned with R’ ShmuelMenachem’s son, R’ Zalman Kleina”h.

R’ Lipa Klein, R’ ShmuelMenachem’s younger son,remembers that even at this time,

R’ Notik was known as anexceptional Torah scholar whogrew his beard in spite of the

danger. At farbrengens, R’ Notik would say l’chaim for his family inexile.

In Nissan 1949, the festiveholiday atmosphere was sullied bythe sad news of the passing of hisfather, in exile in Kazakhstan. Helater learned that his father hadcontracted hepatitis and hadrecovered but then had had arelapse which was even moresevere than the first round. He

quickly deteriorated until hepassed away after much suffering.

R’ Yaakov had to hide in themonths to come, after he foundout that searches for him hadintensified. Having no choice, hechanged his appearance.Nevertheless, he did not go out inthe street. He hid in the homes of Chassidim in Tashkent. Sometimeshe even had to hide in crampedattics.

Every so often he changed hishiding place and when he had todo so, he wore a large scarf overhis face so he would not beidentified. R’ Zalman Klein relatedthat he remembered R’ Yaakov sitting in a narrow hiding place

with the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch and learning all day. “Inever saw such diligence, a Jew sitting in terrible fear, and learningall day…”

Rabbi Michoel Mishulovinrelated, “During the time he hid inour home, he learned Gemara withme for a few hours a day. Welearned the tractate Kiddushin.Even after he moved to anotherhiding place, we would go to himsecretly so he could shecht achicken for us.”

[To be continued be”H]

“I never saw such diligence, a Jew sitting in terrible fear, and learning all day…”

Reciting the HaGomel blessing by the Rebbe



CHILLING FACTS

It’s two years since the expulsionfrom Gush Katif and it’s hard to believe it. The agriculturists of theGush, most of whom areunemployed, have beendemonstrating under the slogan,“Give us back what you took fromus.” And they took a lot. They tooktheir souls, their bodies, and theirproperty.

Groups of people from the Leftdemonstrated this week on behalf of

the refugees from Darfur. That’s who they’re worried about. Amongtheir signs was one that said,“Expulsion is death.” That can besaid about the expellees from GushKatif and northern Shomron, yetthose who are ready to endangermillions of Jews for personal gainhave no problem uprooting anddestroying thousands of families

who will never go back to what theyhad.

A new and chilling movie will bemarketed by the Organization toSave the Nation and the Land, aboutthe terrible situation the expelleesare in. It’s a sequel to the movieThere is Justice and there is a Judge.In this movie viewers will learndisturbing facts about the refugees

within our own country, abouthomes and families that have beendestroyed, about increased illness;

young people adrift, and no solutionin sight. Remember the propaganda

campaign on the eve of theexpulsion by the Sharon family, atthe cost of tens of millions of shekelsthat promised, “There is a solutionfor every settler?” That’s how publicopinion was won over for theexpulsion which was nothing but acrime against humanity.

In other countries, they were ableto delude the public by saying that“work makes you free,” and in Israelthey promised a solution for every

settler. Perhaps this is their idea of

the “final solution.” It’s incrediblehow apathetic the public is. A few

weeks ago, on a trip, a couple of Israelis sat near me who werereading for the first time about thecondition of the expellees.

They admitted, “We couldn’tfinish reading the article, we burstinto tears.” That is precisely thereason why the media is keepingsilent, for the purpose of wiping outthose communities.

Two years later and there isnobody who hasn’t seen what

happened. We are still discovering

EXPULSION IS

DEATHBy Shai Gefen

Israeli soldiers during a training exercise in the Golan Heights



new layers of evil on the part of ourleaders. Not one has gotten up andsaid, “We made a mistake.” Thesolution to the situation created byour leaders is to go deeper into themud by releasing terrorists, bypardoning terrorists, by

strengthening Abu Mazen, byestablishing a Palestinian statethroughout Yehuda-Shomron, bylooking away from those wanted for

blood on their hands, by allowingterrorist leaders to enter Israel, byexpelling hundreds of thousandsmore Jews, giving away the Golan,etc. We are inclined to think we aretalking about “political spin,” but thetruth is that they mean what theysay.

It’s hard to believe how removedthis sector is from reality. From

where they are sitting, they see onlythemselves and the desire to prevailover the waves that threaten theirkingdom. “What you see from thereis not what is seen over here,” theyremind us. And they’re right.

THE FATE OF DEHARTUCH – THE FATE OF

THE EXPELLEESEarlier this month an attorney hit

a chareidi Knesset member, a deed which shocked many. Unfortunately,the anti-Semitic media justified theattack. We all instinctively recoilfrom physical violence, especially ina case when the context is clear and

we all know De Hartuch’s attitudetowards mosdos Torah over theyears.

What’s surprising is that those

who castigated De Hartuch andturned him into a despicablecriminal because he raised his hand,

were the same ones who, justmonths ago, protested those whoprotested and named those whoperpetrated the Expulsion, in the

Black Book.Those who carried out the

Expulsion not only attacked the

people living in Gush Katif, butdestroyed their lives and robbedthem of their property andlivelihoods. Yet, with fraudulent

Ahavas Yisroel, they eagerlydefended those who did theexpelling and attacked those who

dared to name them and publicizetheir pictures.

Isn’t the hand that was raisedagainst ten thousand Jews androbbed them of their dignity andlives a more serious crime than thatcommitted by De Hartuch? Is thehand that aided Hamas and AlQaeda to establish a terror state thatthreatens the peace of the Jewishnation a more gentle hand?

A pity that our own people

display a double standard, while theyhaul De Hartuch over the coals, they

are the same ones who go all out toprotect the hand that cut off aportion of the land and the lives of so many families.

Two years after the expulsion wehave to be the voice of conscienceand keep saying, “We won’t forgetand we won’t forgive.” One whoraises his hand against Eretz Yisroel,

will have to give an accounting for

what he did.

GATHERING OFRABBANIM AND NOT

A WORD ABOUTPIKUACH NEFESH

Last week there was a meeting of Chabad rabbanim where theydiscussed various topics, some more

urgent, some less urgent. Thediscussions were secret, but here andthere word got out about the topicsthat were discussed.

It’s definitely all fine and good, but the more we heard, the more it became clear that the danger

crouching at our doorstep wasn’tdiscussed at all. This should have

been the main subject, especially twoyears after the expulsion.

This is a recurring phenomenon. When we need to hear the opinionof rabbanim on the burning issues of the day, suddenly, there is silence.On every other topic, even marginalsubjects, we hear all sorts of protestsand views, yet when it comes to oursecurity and that of the entire nation

in Eretz Yisroel, the rabbanim arequiet.

The Rebbe said a shocking sichaabout the convening of rabbanim,and how they talk about everything

but shleimus ha’Aretz. The Rebbesaid this sicha regarding the SixthKnessia G’dola in Yerushalayim(VaYeitzei 5740):

When many dozens of Jewsgather, all of whom are shomreiTorah and mitzvos, who review the

parsha every Shabbos, includingthose Shabbasos when it talksabout the true borders of Eretz

Yisroel. In addition, some of themread the newspapers and know

what is going on in the world. Andbeing that this convention is forthe purpose of strengthening Torahand Yiddishkait, how is it possiblethat they spent three days together

On every other topic, even marginal subjects, we hear all sorts of protests and views, yet when it comes to our security and that of the entire nation in Eretz Yisroel, the rabbanim are quiet.



and spoke about the mostimportant matters, and made goodresolutions, but regarding actualpikuach nefesh of more than a few dozen Jews, they didn’t say a

word? And nobody protestedeither!

And then they printed up areport in which they enumeratedthe good resolutions, withoutmentioning even one word aboutthe danger the Jewish people arein! You don’t want to mention itopenly? What does it mean that itis not out in the open? It is publicknowledge throughout the worldand cannot be made secret!

The only excuse I was given wasthat since they are past their bar

mitzva (i.e., adults), go and ask them directly! I asked oneindividual and was told: he alreadydid his part… I asked: What wasdone about the situation of pikuach nefesh? He answered me:This is not the place to get intothat and on another occasion he

would speak with so-and-so aboutpikuach nefesh, but in the

meantime there were many othergood resolutions made and these

will be implemented.I said to him – you can ask him

– there is a din in Shulchan Aruchthat one who is quiet or one who

waits until they come to him and

ask him about pikuach nefesh iscalled, “disgraceful!” And heknows this din too!

Since he was a Jew who knew how to learn, he answered me: Itsays in the Gemara, “Just as it is amitzva to say that which will beheard, so too, it is a mitzva not tosay that which won’t be heard.”

And since he knows that they willnot deal with this issue, it issomething that “will not be

heard.” Therefore he doesn’t wantto rule on the matter.

So I maintained: That is notaccording to Shulchan Aruch! Themeaning of “do not stand by yourbrother’s blood” means, accordingto Shulchan Aruch, that even

when there is a doubt, and ashadow of a doubt, and even thethousandth of a doubt that perhaps

the protest will help, he mustprotest!

The Shulchan Aruch wasprinted in Tzfas by the Master of the Land of Israel, the Beis Yosef,and there’s a clear p’sak din there.He doesn’t pasken without giving a

reason, for then people coulddebate the reason, but he says thereason, “the land will be openbefore them”!

Therefore, this is quoted by theposkim who speak about the lawspertaining to outside Eretz Yisroel.

Although the discussion in thetractate Eruvin can be debated if itpertains to Jewish towns in Eretz

Yisroel or also outside Eretz Yisroel, but the commentators on

the Shas and Shulchan Aruchbring this regarding the laws of outside Eretz Yisroel evennowadays, without any distinction,and they placed this within theLaws of Shabbos with the reason,“the land will be open beforethem”!

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The process of getting a GreenCard, the necessary papers to enablesomeone to live in the United States,has never been an easy task. It is acomplicated process, usuallyrequiring the assistance of anattorney with expertise in suchmatters. The attorney deals with all

the documents, makes anappointment for a hearing, andaccompanies his client every step of the way until he receives the papers.

Without a lawyer, the process can bea real challenge.

This is the reason that RabbiBoruch Lepkivker, today one of theRebbe MH”M’s shluchim in New Jersey, decided to retain an attorneyto help him obtain his emigration

papers. However, besides obtainingthese documents, he was alsoprivileged to hear a miraculous storyfrom the Rebbe MH”M, which heretells here.

THIS IS NOSUPERSTITION

“About twenty-five years ago,close to the time of my wedding, I

began the process of applying for aGreen Card. I turned to a Jewishlawyer, named Ring, and requestedthat he handle my case. Thisattorney was known as an expert inemigration matters. Even MerkazL’Inyanei Chinuch would use hisservices in a variety of instances.

“Attorney Ring began to deal with the file. I pressured him to rush with his handling of my case inorder to have everything completed

before my wedding. I asked him tolet me know before the start of eachstage in the process, so I could askthe Rebbe for a bracha.

“Over this period of time, we became quite friendly. We would sitsometimes and talk about a varietyof things.

“A few months later, the attorneyinformed me that the time had cometo submit the documents for a veryimportant stage in my request. ‘Thisis a very critical moment,’ theattorney said. ‘Write down thedate…’

“As he told me the secular date, I was feverishly checking the calendar,trying to find the Hebrew date whenthe hearing would take place. WhenI found it, my joy began to vanish.The date was during the Nine Days,and I didn’t want to take such animportant step during this time,

when it is highly inadvisablehalachically to engage in a courtcase before a gentile, etc.

“When I asked the attorney topostpone the hearing, he responded

with astonishment. ‘You’re the one who was pressuring me to rush with

Tense silence reigned in the courtroom as I finished speaking. After the judges consulted one another for a fewminutes, they decided to grant the long-

awaited visa. I returned jubilant to my office in New York, and I called Raskin,

“Bring a bottle of whiskey and come tomy office.”

YOU SPOKE?

IT WAS THE REBBE

TALKING!By Avrohom BerTranslated By Michoel Leib Dobry



the handling of the case, and now you suddenly ask me for apostponement? Do you understandthe implications upon the case if youpostpone for almost two weeks?’

“I started to explain to him thatnothing would make me happier

than if we could finish mattersquickly, but our holy Torah teachesus that it is a problem to have acourt case during the days of mourning for the destruction of theBeis HaMikdash.

“He didn’t seem to buy myexplanation. ‘Boruch,’ he said, ‘I’veknown you to be a rational person,normal in every respect. It’s notappropriate for you to hold by thesesuperstitious old wives’ tales.’

“I explained to him that there’s adifference between superstition andfaith according to the Code of Jewish

Law. The attorney was genuinelyimpressed by this faith, and heopenly expressed feelings of praise.

“Suddenly, he became very quiet,and there was a look of distance inhis eyes. ‘You know something?’ hesaid. ‘You remind me of someone

who came to me thirty years ago. He was also a Lubavitcher.’ He was

quiet again for a moment, and then

he added, ‘He came because of yourRebbe.’

“The attorney had managed toarouse my curiosity. If this wasconnected to the Rebbe, I wanted tohear the whole story, and so he

began to tell it.”

“I CAME TO YOU ON THEREBBE’S SHLICHUS”

“Thirty years ago, during thefifties, a large flood of refugeesarrived in America. This was afterthe Second World War, and manypeople had come to try and build anew life on a new continent. As allother attorneys in the city, I alsotried to make some money from

arranging resident visas in theUnited States for the new émigrés.“One day, the telephone rang in

my office. The secretary who gaveme the phone told me that someLubavitcher wanted to speak withme. I furrowed my eyebrow andshrugged my shoulders inpuzzlement. ‘I have no idea why he’scalling,’ she said.

“Why the great wonder? Thefact is that it was most unusual for a

Lubavitcher to contact my office.

Surely, you will ask: Why? There was another lawyer in town namedH., who dealt with the arrangementof U.S. residency documents. He

was a relative of one of the localLubavitcher families, and hisrelatives made certain to send him

all the Lubavitcher clients. I almostnever saw any business from thesechassidim.

“In any event, the Lubavitcher onthe phone introduced himself asLeibel Raskin, and asked for myhelp. His story was not all thatsimple. In response to my firstquestion, he replied that he hasalready been to see H., and had evensubmitted a visa request. However,his application had been denied, and

they had even issued deportationorders against him.

“‘I wrote to the Rebbe,’ theyoung man told me, ‘and the Rebbesaid that since it’s possible to file foran appeal, I should do so, but Ishould do it through you.’

“The truth is that I was flatteredthat the Lubavitcher Rebbe himself

was sending me clients. I invited himto come to my office and make anappointment. “Bring all relevant

documents with you,’ I remindedhim before concluding theconversation.

“When the young man arrived atmy office, I asked him why his initialrequest had been rejected. Hereplied quite plainly: ‘The people atthe immigration service decided thatit simply wasn’t possible that Iserved in my listed profession.’

“I looked at the document to see what position the young man before

me supposedly filled, and I didn’tknow whether to laugh or cry.

According to the papers that were inmy hand, this eighteen-year oldyouth sitting in my office was thedirector of Chabad activities inEurope.

“‘Listen,’ I told him, ‘I know thesystem. After such a blatant lie, thereis no chance that they will give you



the permit this time around. I can’t convince them thatan eighteen-year old boy is the director of all of Chabadactivities in Europe. Forget it. From my point of view,the story’s over. You may go.’ I quietly pointed in thedirection of the door leaving my office, and went back to

work.“When I lifted my head again after a few minutes, he

was still sitting there. ‘What are you doing here?’ Iqueried. ‘I told you to leave. Don’t you understand thatthere’s no chance?’

“He replied with a stern expression on his face: ‘Doyou think the Rebbe sent me to you to get your opinionon my chances of winning an appeal? The Rebbe sentme because the process will gothrough you. Do your job.’

“What can I do withsomeone so insolent?

“With no alternative, Iagreed to take on the case.

However, I made thisconditional upon his paying mefor every stage of the processthat we complete, as opposedto all other cases whenpayment is made only at theend. He accepted.

“I found his confidence thathe would receive his residencypermit slightly amusing.

REVOLUTION INTHE COURTROOM

“I began work on the file,and things actually wentsmoothly. The first stagespassed easily and quickly. Wethen came to the critical stage,

when the outcome of the case will be finally decided. I calledhim to let him know the dateof the hearing, which was due to take place in a few

weeks. And what was his reply when he discovered when

the hearing would be?“‘I’m sorry, Mr. Ring, but I can’t come on that day.

That’s a very big day for Lubavitcher chassidim. On thatday, the Rebbe will make a major public address. Isimply can’t be away from the Rebbe on such a day.’

“Nu, what could you say? I couldn’t call for apostponement after all the many efforts involved, and myclient would not agree to come on that day. Now youunderstand why I remembered him after you wouldn’tagree to come on the date I set for you? The samecraziness, only thirty years later…

“It was eventually decided that since the client hadno obligation to appear personally before the court, I

would travel there alone and represent him. The appealscourt was located in a remote town in Vermont (where,incidentally, R. Leibel Raskin’s son, Rabbi YitzchakRaskin, serves today as the state’s head shliach). We’retalking about a good few hours journey each way.

“I traveled to the court alone, and I thought abouthow the trip was totally unnecessary. There was nochance the request would be granted, my honor would

be besmirched, and I didn’t even why I took on the casein the first place. Yet, I comforted myself by the fact thatat least I was getting paid for the trip, as I would for any

other hour of work.“I arrived at the

courthouse, entered the hall,and waited my turn to becalled in for a hearing, as I stillsaw no chance of success on

the horizon.“Then, just as I began to

speak before the judge, I gotan inspiration that I had neverhad before. Pay close attentionto what I said:

“I was asked regarding myclient, Leib Raskin, who hadsubmitted a residency permitrequest that had been denied,and who was now making asecond request. I was asked

why I thought the first courtdecision was wrong to rule thatsuch a young man could notpossibly be the director of sucha large operation as Chabadactivities in Europe. Iproceeded to explain with a

brief introduction:“‘We are used to American

young men. They grow up neartheir mother until the age of eighteen, and only then dothey actually leave their nest and go out into the big

wide world. An American lad of eighteen really couldn’trun such a vast project.

“‘In contrast, this case deals with a totally differentsituation. My client is a native of the Soviet Union, and

we all know about Communism and what it has done toRussian Jewry. An Orthodox Jewish boy who grew up inRussia acquired – against his will – emotional maturityfar greater than any other child his age.

“‘Therefore, when we’re talking about someone who was already sitting and learning in an underground

Rabbi Leibel Raskin a”h



Talmud Torah at age three, hadescaped from pursuers at age five,smuggled Judaica items at age eight,

was making a living at age eleven,and by the age of thirteen wasrunning a network of…’

“In short, I put together all the

stories that I knew about RussianJewry, and I attributed them all toone hero. I described him assomeone who went through the

worst possible things in the world,and yet he knew how to survive.

“‘As a result,’ I concluded, ‘I believe that there has been a clearmisunderstanding in relation to myclient. Whoever signed on theprevious decision to deny the permitdoesn’t know about the young men

who grew up in Russia, andtherefore, he cannot possibly believethat such a youngster could be incharge of Chabad activities overseas.However, anyone who is familiar

with this young man knows that hemay be only eighteen years old, buthe is as mature as a man of forty.He has no problem with runningsuch a project, and even projects ona far greater scale.’

“Tense silence reigned in the

courtroom as I finished speaking. After the judges consulted oneanother for a few minutes, theydecided to grant the long-awaited

visa.“I returned jubilant to my office

in New York, and I called Raskin,‘Bring a bottle of whiskey and cometo my office.’

“When he arrived, I gave him thepromised signed permit, and now

with the successful conclusion of the

case, which as you recall did notstart off on the right foot, I decidedto compliment him a little. ‘Youknow,’ I said, ‘you really have a wiseRebbe. He knew how to pick the

only attorney in America who knew how to win such a case in appealscourt.’”

* * *

“The attorney turned red as heconcluded his thrilling story,”described Rabbi Lepkivker, “as hisface displayed great anger.”

“After saving this young manfrom deportation, his response wasshocking: ‘Don’t you understandyet? You were the smart one? Youspoke? It was the Rebbe talking!’”

Another marvelous story of Divine Providence, another miracleof the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

What is perhaps most unique aboutthis story is the way this youngLubavitcher chassid expressed hissimple faith that the whole world ismerely the Rebbe’s means to achievehis desired ends. Thus, when we go

with the strength of the Rebbe, the world is no obstacle.

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Last week’s article addressed thegreat spiritual awakening that tookplace 40 years ago, in the summer of 1967.

At the time the Rebbe referred tothe awakening as the onset of the“great shofar” call which resultedfrom the miraculous Six-Day war

victory. The call of the “great shofar”touched a deep chord inside people,even those “lost in the land of Ashur”

– in the pleasures of life, and those“banished in the land of Mitzrayim”– in the oppressive forces of life.

Forty years have passed since the’67 summer of awakening. Havethings changed? And how!Everything gained back then seemsto be lost now. Indeed, it oftenappears as things are worse todaythan they were prior to 1967.

During the past four decades

several more wars have been fought– with far less pride and success –the Yom Kippur war in 1973, theLebanese War in 1981, the ongoingIntifadas. The only thing predictablein Israel today is unpredictability.Today, 1967 seems like anotherlifetime.

Terrorism is now the norm in theMiddle East. It began in Israel, butnow it has spread to the entire world– in all its hemispheres.

People in Israel and all over the world are weary, resigned, confused by an unknown future. The politicalsystems are in shambles and theconfidence in leaders is all but gone.The mere fact that the country isrunning is in itself quite a miracle.

What is even more confusing – andmiraculous – is that in this toxicclimate Israel’s economy is booming,

with unprecedented prosperity.Just last summer yet another

senseless war was fought in Lebanon– draining and humiliating Israel,leaving everyone more resigned thanever.

Even more bizarre and ironic isthe fact that today’s Islamic terrorcampaign is driven by misplacedfaith. Faith – the power that wasstirred in 1967 – now is regularlyabused by others to wreakdestruction on innocent people…

How could things have changedso drastically?

The argument can be made, that with the fundamental changes thathave taken place over the past 40years, who really cares whathappened in 1967? Whateverhappened then was then, but today,forty years later, we live in a new

world order, far more complex.

No matter who you are or what you do, you will have moments of inspiration – a time when your heart will be open and your soul stirred.

No matter how stuck you may be, a window of opportunity will open in yourlife. And what you do at that moment

will make all the difference.

But what happens when a moment of inspiration is not realized?

This week’s essay – a sequel to last week – discusses the power of inspiration and the profound

consequences of not acting on a call from above, and what we can do tomend it – both in our personal and

collective lives.

THE AFTERMATHBy Rabbi Simon Jacobson



Instead of an awakening we have amajor mess. Peace seems fartherthan ever.

So what difference does it make what transpired 40 years ago? How does that knowledge help us today?

But, the truth is that the only real

way to solve a problem is by lookingat its roots; to deal with the causesand not just the symptoms.

Thus, the only way to addresstoday’s challenges is to look back atthe events of 40 years ago, and tracetoday’s events to their earliest roots.

So let’s revisit 1967 and take acloser look at the events thatfollowed the Six-Day War. There wasan undeniable awakening at the timethat electrified the world. But the big

question, of course, is whathappened next?

What happened next is perhapsthe most important story of ourmodern times.

Initially, in the immediateaftermath of the Six-Day War,everyone recognized and marveled atthe hand of G-d, eliciting a profoundfaith-inspiring euphoria. But justafter a few days, the wonder beganto wane and people began to dismiss

the miracle by explaining the eventsaway. They began to take credit forthe smashing victory – arguing that it

was due to the great training anddiscipline of the Israeli Army.

This is the nature of all success: After the initial appreciation, weusually gravitate to taking it forgranted and feeling that we are self-made successes. The same with everyinspiration: It dissipates unless it iskept alive.

Therein – the denial of G-d’smiracles and hand in victory – laysthe undoing of all great successes,throughout history. Arrogance, thedelusional sense of all-powerfulinvulnerability, brought down manyan empire and many a leader incenturies past.

The Torah warns us of thishuman tendency (Deuteronomy8:17-18): [When you achieve success



and prosperity be careful that younot] say to yourself, “It was my own

strength and personal power thatbrought me all this prosperity.” Youmust remember that it is G-d who

gives you the power to become prosperous. He does this so as to keep

the covenant that He made with anoath to your fathers, even as [He iskeeping it] today.

Why is it a problem to feel self made? If a child wants to be foolishand convince himself that he is self made – let him be; why should itmatter what he thinks? Does is ithave any negative impact?

The answer is absolutely yes.Besides for the fact that we shouldn’t

be living in delusions, and we

shouldn’t be ungracious inacknowledging those that helped usachieve success, there is a deeperissue at stake. By denying your

blessings and cutting G-d out of thepicture, you end up creating a self-defeating prophesy. Attributingsuccess solely to yourself basicallyrenders you into a vulnerablecreature, with no strength but yourown. Once you refuse to recognizethe “hand inside the glove,” even the

“Hand” itself cannot do anything toshow its strength.

In psychological terms: A mortalcreature needs nurturing and love. Inthis cruel world, every one of usmust have an unwavering foundationthat holds us up. Without it – ourconscious and unconscious neverdevelop the strength and confidencenecessary to navigate life. Witnessthe profound effects that an un-nurtured (or abused) childhood has

on a person’s self esteem and innersecurity. Without the fortitudeprovided by a higher power, we areleft to our own vulnerable schemes,

with the existential fears, insecuritiesloneliness of our psyches – left alone,relying on our own, weak selves.

The humility of recognizing theDivine blessing of your successopens up the channels to manifestand contain these blessings. Which in

turn give you the strength to face anychallenge.

This is the both the great gift –and power – of free will: We have theability to open or close the channelsof blessings.

This is true anywhere, anytime in

every life experience, in every part of the world. How much more so in thePromised Land, which is so muchmore dependent on the Divinecovenant, without which Jews wouldhave no right or chance of survival,surrounded by hundreds of millionsof enemies.

Tragically, this is what happened back in 1967. People began to feelthat huge victory was due to theirown great power. Kochi v’otzem yodi

– “It was my own strength andpersonal power that brought me allthis prosperity.”

Ironically, both left wing andright wing extremists assumed thesame position and cut G-d out of thepicture: The secular left, denying theDivine hand, by arrogantly takingcredit for their own successes. Somereligious extremists argued that the

victory did not come from G-d butfrom the “other side.” They felt that

G-d would not work miraclesthrough the secular “Zionists” whodefy G-d.

And this is the root of all theproblems: By denying the Divinehand and not actualizing the call of the “great shofar,” we actually makeit more difficult to manifest thechannels of blessing.

A strange Midrash illuminatesthis point even further: The Talmudstates that “the world is like a

balcony without the fourth, northern, wall” (Bava Basra 25b). Why?Explains the Midrash: Shouldsomeone claim to be the Creator, he

will be told to finish the northern wall (Pirkei D’Rebbe Elozor Ch. 3).

What is the meaning of thiscryptic statement? Who in their rightmind would suggest that he is theCreator?!

The Midrash is telling us, that

every person at times may betempted to feel that he is a self-madeentity. In order to remind us all thatas great as we may be, we mustalways appreciate our blessings fromabove, the universe was created in a

way that there always remains one

vulnerable corner – the northern border – which can allow inproblems, “out of the north the evil

will break forth on all the inhabitantsof the land” (Jeremiah 1:14).

No matter how successful aperson may be, even if all “threesides” of your life are covered, wealways remain vulnerable creatures.Everyone should always be blessed,

but we never can know when or where a “curveball” may come.

Never, ever forget that we need every blessing we can get. If you ever feelself made, be careful, because youmay be them challenged: Ok, youthink you’re an all powerful, self created individual, let’s see what youcan do with the vulnerable (“north”)areas of life… Go ahead, show ushow you can close up and protectthat open border.

But if you recognize the trueCreator, then He will do what is

necessary to protect us from the“north,” he will finish and seal the

vulnerable points.In a most uncanny fashion, this

Midrash is literally being played outin Israel: Despite the great success of the Six-Day war, which basicallyeliminated the enemy in the South(Egypt), East (Jordan), Northeast(Syria) and West (theMediterranean) – Israel’s northern

border (Lebanon) has always

remained a vulnerable sore point.Forty years have passed since the

’67 war, people have argued that ourstrength is “self made,” and till thisday the “northern front” remains asource of festering misery – as

witnessed in the Lebanese War in1982, and again last summer, withthousands of missiles raining downon Israel in the years in between.

Indeed, the lack of healthy faith



in the Divine hand at work, hascreated a vacuum which has allowedfor a distorted faith to emerge – yetanother ironic twist – the misplacedfaith of Muslim extremists, who inthe name of faith, are wreakinghavoc and murdering innocent

people.Conversely, this also teaches us

what we need to do to achieve andmaintain success: We need torecognize the Divine hand affectingour lives, and ensure that weactualize our Divine calling in ourdaily lives.

In the words of Isaiah: Followingthe call of the “great shofar” comesthe second half of the verse and thechallenge: Will the call lead us to

“come and bow down to G-d on theholy mountain in Jerusalem”? The

victory 40 years ago sounded a “call”

that touched millions. But, as it is with every inspiration, the challengeis maintaining the inspiration. As theinspiration dissipates we tend to takeour miracles and gifts for granted.

Will we utilize this awakening to itsfullest? Will we act upon it and allow it to change our lives?

Recognizing the Divine hand isalso the secret to peace:

True peace between peoples is

only possible when there is afundamental respect for the sanctityof every life and every human being.Self-made people will compete fordominance and superiority. Whenpeople feel that they are self made, itis not a far step to abuse the rights of others. But when we accept that “allpeople were created equal” and by

virtue of our Divine souls each of ushas unalienable rights, than respect

for each other is a given. In G-d wetrust creates a firm foundation thatallows for coexistence, despite ourdifferences.

Many ideas have been presentedsuggested to bring peace to theMiddle East. One way that has not

been explored is the path of faith –healthy faith.

While it is true that we are witness to profound intolerance inthe name of faith – both today andover the centuries, yet a similar levelof intolerance is practiced by those

without faith. Without respect for thesanctity of each and every life,ultimately “self-made” men willfollow the “survival of the fittest”dictum. When success is seen as self-

made, with mo need to humblyacknowledge a higher presence, how can people ever treat each others as

equals? Hence, there will never bepermanent peace.

This suggests a third path –neither the path of faithlessness notthe path of fanatical faith. Rather thepath of a faith in G-d who created alllife, thus a faith that dictates thesanctity of every life, Jew, Christianor Muslim, black or white.

In essence, the lack of humblerecognition in the Divine miracles

ultimately is the greatest cause forthe escalation of hostilities. Left onour own, without acknowledgingG-d’s gift of life, we will be at eachother’s throats, either in the nameof (misplaced) faith or in the nameof faithlessness.

Obviously, there are other factorsnecessary to consider in order toachieve peace in Israel. I am notnaively suggesting that faith alone

will solve all the deep distrust andanimosities. However, the questionshould be posed the other way: Canpeace be achieved without healthyfaith? So, in addition to all the otherpolitical and diplomatic means beingemployed, it would be a good idea to

introduce the element of humblefaith.

Looking back at the events of 1967 and seeing what transpiredover the last four decades, perhaps

we now have the wisdom andexperience to launch a new offensive– one built on humility andappreciation of the miracles in ourlives.

Now forty years later, blessed with the insight 40 years bring, the

lessons are relevant more than everas we have witnessed, in retrospect,the consequences of ignoring ordenying the Divine hand.

We now can appreciate that wemust do everything possible toreintroduce the Higher power behindthe script of world events, andespecially those in the Middle East

It is never too late. With fortyyears of accumulative experience, wenow can reignite V’haya iota b’shofar

gadol – the call of the “great shofar,” which reaches those “lost in the landof Ashur” and those “banished in theland of Mitzrayim.” And above all –to ensure that this call will causethem all to “come and bow down”not to themselves and their self-madeillusions, but “to G-d on the holymountain in Jerusalem,” and do sonot once, but on a permanent basis.

This is the lesson for the summerof 2007: Recognize the great hand of

G-d in our lives, and allow His blessings to take hold.

This in turn will open up thechannels of blessings, drawing themdown into every aspect of our lives.

Leading, finally, to the ultimate blessing: Peace in our lives, in ourcommunities, in the Middle East andin the world at large.

Reprinted with permission from www.meaningfullife.com

By denying the Divine hand and not actualizing the call of the “great shofar,” we actually make it more difficult tomanifest the channels of blessing.



SHOCKING SIGHT

It was surreal. Steel tanks,armored half-tracks, jeeps andinfantry tramping across Lebanon.Blistering weapons fire on allsides and tension at an all-time

high. At any moment, from anydirection, bullets whiz by. And

within the fire and inferno theregoes a Chabad mitzva tank withChassidic music playing!

At the first opportunity, as the

forces take up positions, beardedmen jump out. They wear armyuniforms, bulletproof vests, andare armed, and they invite thesoldiers to put on t’fillin.

This was no one-time

MIVTZAIM

TANKS ON THE

FRONTLINESBy Shneur Zalman Berger



occurrence but a scene thataccompanied the soldiersthroughout the war, day in and

day out, for three years.There was no precedent for

this as the IDF allowed theChabad Tankistin to enter thefield of fire and to move aroundthe battlefield. The army’s highcommand realized that Chabad’s

work is extremely important.Rabbi Dovid Nachshon, directorof the Chabad Mobile MitzvaTanks relates:

“In hindsight, I find it hard to

understand why the IDF allowedus to enter the war zone. Uponrequest of the Chief of Staff,Refoel (Raful) Eitan a”h, towardsthe end of the war a process wasset into motion to establish aspecial unit of the armyspecifically for Chabad Tankists.It didn’t end up happening,though, because the war endedand there was no longer any need

for it.“We entered the fray with our

tanks from the beginning of the war, in Sivan 5742 (summer1982), with the permission of thearmy. I won’t tell you it wassimple, because this war wasn’t

child’s play; it entailed realdanger. Army officers were afraidfor our welfare, and alsoapprehensive about our wearingcivilian clothes. “After extendeddiscussions, it was decided thatthe Tankists would only includethose who had previously servedin the army and each of theTankists received a uniform,

bulletproof vest, and a weapon. You can see us in the pictures

dressed as Israeli soldiers, working for the Rebbe.”

Over the years, theadministration of the MobileTanks received encouraginganswers from the Rebbe. Duringthe Peace in Galilee War, nearlyevery activity written to the Rebbemerited a response, along withinstructions for this special workthat demanded great mesirusnefesh.

R’ Shmarya Harel themythological campaign leader of the Mobile Tanks, who oversaw the mitzva tanks in Lebanon,relates two instructions that theyreceived from the Rebbe at the

beginning of the war:“The first instruction was that

everything we did had to beapproved by the army. The Rebbealso said we should not enterdangerous areas.”

Indeed, the Tankistin workedin cooperation with the army, and

were highly successful. Their work was done around the clock:Mivtza T’fillin throughout theday, registering people for a letterin a special seifer Torah that was

being written for IDF soldiers,and bringing simcha andencouragement to the soldiers.

Aside from this, there were

“The Mobile Mitzva Tanks of Chabad inthe north of the country joined the

columns of IDF tanks and armored

vehicles moving towards southern Lebanon. The Chabadnikim are the army’s mascot.” This is how one of thenewspapers described the Chabadmitzva tanks during the Peace inGalilee War, 25 years ago. * Aretrospective on the work of Chabad onthe frontlines during the war 25 years

ago, as we mark the anniversary of the second war in Lebanon, which took place one year ago.

Mivtzaim in Lebanon



seasonal activities that includedSukkos, Chanuka, Purim, etc.There were no set work hours.They began in the morning,continued during the day, andsometimes worked into the weehours of the night. At night is

when people consulted with theChabadniks, when they gaveshiurim, farbrenged, and hadheart-to-heart talks with people.

“It’s difficult to convey theenthusiasm people had when theycame to enlist in this mivtza,”says R’ Nachshon. “We hadregular drivers and activists andthey were joined by others who

became regulars throughout the war. In addition, we had people who did short stints, for a weekor two or more.

“Above all else, I’m amazed bythose Chassidim who came fromoutside the country especially tohelp out the Tankists. Theseincluded R’ Leibel Mochkin, R’Itche Springer, and R’ ChaimBoruch Halberstam.”

THE ARMY PROVIDED THE GAS

In addition to the physical

costs of the war in Lebanon,morale was terrible. The soldiers

were mired in war and they beganto hear that some people wereopposed to the war.Demonstrations against the war

began and this weakened manysoldiers.

The army commanders whoknew that Chabad brings along apositive spirit, supported their

work as R’ Nachshon relates:“Every evening we had a

special briefing at the platooncommand post. During the

briefing, the senior commanders would put together a specialtravel plan to guide our work forthe next day.

“We got a lot of help from thearmy. The Mivtzaim Tank is a big

vehicle and it uses a lot of gas.During the war, the armysupplied us with all our enormousfuel needs as well as food.”

The Lubavitchers also receivedmechanical help. When a tankexperienced mechanical problems,the repairs were made in Lebanon

by army personnel. In oneinstance, a technical problem wasdiscovered in Tank #2 and it hadto be repaired back in Israel. The

army ordered a truck that carriedtanks from the army transportunit and it took the Mitzva Tankand its crew from Beirut toChaifa! This shows how greatlythe army and its commandersesteemed Chabad and its work.

FROM THREE TO SEVEN

When the war broke out, there were three tanks, which operatedunder Shmarya Harel. In themeantime, Dovid Nachshon wentto the U.S. in order to fundraise.

A few weeks later, he returned with money for their work and with Tank Number Four.

Throughout the war, Nachshon

divided his time between workingin Lebanon and fundraising in theU.S. and Europe. The sight of theLubavitch tanks alongside tanksof steel opened people’s heartsand wallets and the number of tanks increased to seven!

“CONQUERING”THE AIRPORT

The day the Beirutinternational airport was

THE JORDANIANSKNOW ABOUT

THE TANKS

A few years after the war was over in Lebanon, two bachurim wanted to print theTanya in Jordan. In order to getthe required papers they wentto the government office, where

they met an important ministerin the Jordanian government.

“You are against the Arabs,” barked the minister, but the bachurim said they were not atall involved in politics. Inresponse, the minister took outa picture of a Mitzva Tank

working alongside IDF forcesin Lebanon!

NORTHERN COMMAND THANKS THE TANKISTIN

The following is a free translation from a letter written on thestationery of the Commander of the IDF Northern Command,Brigadier General Amos Katz, and signed by him:

“In the name of the Northern Command, I would like to express myappreciation for your work during the

‘Shalom LaGalil’ campaign. I have nodoubt that the work of the ‘MivtzaimTank’ amongst the soldiers of the IDF,contributed to the moral of the soldiersand commanders, and as a resultcontributed greatly to the success of the campaign.

“May you enjoy ever greatercontinued success in your blessedmission.”

(Signed): Amos Katz



conquered found the mivtzaimtank rolling down the runwaysalong with the invading forces.The IDF’s tanks operated on thenorthern runway. The guns of thesteel monsters fired upon thenearby hills and the machine guns

chattered nonstop.Parallel to their movement, a

mitzva tank traveled along thesouthern runway. Those on thetank did not hide their fear. Thistime it was for real. Even thesoldiers and officers asked themto take shelter. Theirrecommendation had a sound

basis. A bloody battle was takingplace there at the airport. Shellslanded nearby with a terrible

screech, bullets and mortar shells whistled right by your ears, andplanes were taking off towardstheir targets.

R’ Shmarya Harel: We traveled towards the

terminal and there, among theplanes, tanks and armored troopcarriers, we found a good positionand began our “attack” on thesoldiers. I must say that all thesoldiers and commanders went

wild over our being there. Yes,there were some who said we

were crazy. They asked why we were in such a dangerous place, but they said this out of genuineconcern. The soldiers surroundedus with love and great joy. Dozensof arms were extended to put ont’fillin. We remained at the airportuntil morning and throughout thattime, we didn’t stop serving as a

focal point for the soldiers.

MINES AROUNDTHE TANK

Despite the preplanning andcare, in war you need miraclesand these were not lacking. TheTankistin who worked for threeyears in the shadow of war, saw terrible scenes of dead and

wounded, and they experiencednumerous miracles.

The following are three storiesof miracles that the Tankistsexperienced during the war inLebanon:

Manchuria is a Lebanese townsomewhere along the way thatleads from the coastal mountainsto the coastal valleys. The mitzvatanks made a stop in Manchuria.One evening, Rabbi Yisroel

Halperin, shliach in Hertzeliya,held a farbrengen there with theregular staff from the tank. Thefarbrengen, which was held forthe members of the heavy artilleryunit, lasted late into the night. Atthe end of the farbrengen, thetank was parked for the night.

The night was quiet and aftereverybody woke up four hours

A l’chaim with soldiers

Putting t’fillin on with soldiers in Lebanon



later, a discussion ensued as to whether to travel to the next campand organize a minyan there or to

wait until a minyan was organized where they were. The Tankistsdeliberated and finally decided tostay put.

Rabbi Halperin, who had walked around the tank to stretchhis legs, noticed a suspiciousobject under the wheel of thetank. He took another look and

was shaken by what he saw. It was a powerful mine!

The military sappers workedlong and hard to dismantle theRussian mine. They noticed othermines scattered around. Nobodycould understand how the tank

had managed to enter theminefield and pass all the mines.

All acknowledged that it was only because of the Rebbe that theyhad decided to stay there anddaven rather than leave. Had theynot done so, who knows what

would have happened.R’ Harel describes a horrifying

incident in which a soldiermistakenly shot at their MitzvaTank:

“We often encounteredshooting by all types of weapons,

but being hit by our own side isanother story entirely. It wasChanuka when we traveled in theLebanon Valley towards a distantoutpost. As we approached it, the

watchman noticed us from adistance. He saw the lights of themenora on the roof and heard themusic, but due to the distance hecouldn’t make it out.

“The watchman, who wasarmed with an automatic Magrifle, didn’t think twice but shot along stream of bullets at us. Two

bullets penetrated the tank. One bullet hit the ceiling and the otherhit near the motor. The shootingstopped and we drove quicklytowards the outpost until thesoldiers identified us.

“When the soldier saw the vehicle with the strange lightsrapidly approaching, he got coldfeet and fled within the outpostand that’s how we were savedfrom being fired on by one of ourown.”

RPG AIMED AT THE TANK

Another amazing miracle tookplace later on. This was whenarmy forces invaded the port of Beirut to the west of the city. A roadway leads from the port andit was considered extremelydangerous. There were nests of terrorists nearby who shot

missiles and mortars at vehiclesthat passed along the road.Regardless, the Tankists who

waited in the port had to drive viathat road. Television reporterMotty Eden (today director of Israeli TV) accompanied themand he later reported extensivelyon Chabad’s work in the area.Shmuel Ezagui was the driver of the tank. He had an uneasyfeeling, which he couldn’t quite

explain.Shmarya Harel did not try to

hide his apprehension over thepossible outcome of the trip.Motty Eden’s car went first andthe tank followed. After a few

minutes of driving on the road,Eden motioned that he wasturning at the next junction anddriving north. Shmarya told the

bachur an alternate route andShmuel, the driver, agreed.

The vehicles slowed down and

Motty waved goodbye to them.Shmuel stopped the mivtza tankand began to drive in reverse. A second later a red and deadlystreak zipped by with a terrible

whistling sound. The explosion onthe edge of the road said it all.The R.P.G. missile had missed thetank driving in reverse and Eden’scar by just a second.

Eden stepped on the gas andto travel north as fast as he could.

Shmarya, who had relievedShmuel at the wheel, also flooredit and sped out of the area beforethe terrorists could load anothermissile. Shmarya, recalling thatday, said he doesn’t rememberanother trip that was as fast asthat one, in his life.

IN THE MEDIA

The work of the mitzva tanks

in Lebanon was coveredextensively by the media. One journalist declared that theChabadnikim are the IDF’smascot.

R’ Nachshon remembers those

THE REBBE WATCHED A MOVIE ABOUT THE MITZVA TANKS

At the end of the war, a film was made, with the Rebbe’sencouragement, about the work of the Mitzva Tanks in Lebanon.

Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka asked to see the footage several times andeven showed it to some women when they visited. One of the times, asshe watched it, the Rebbe came home.

R’ Chesed Halberstam who was there at the time, relates that theRebbetzin asked the Rebbe whether he wanted to watch it and theRebbe said he did. As the Rebbe watched, he smiled a few times,especially when the movie explained that the Rebbe is the Chief of Staff.

When the movie was over, the Rebbe asked whether it would bedifficult to show the movie again and the Rebbe watched a second time!



days with nostalgia. “Berke Wolf would send us the articles aboutour work. Many of themexpressed amazement over thecourage and determination of theTankists. Famous journalists

would join us for a few days andafterwards they reported aboutour work in amazement. Motty

Eden, a television reporter inthose days, would report fromLebanon about our work onceevery few days. I also rememberChaim Zisovitz (of Kol Yisroel)and Tom Segev ( HaAretz).

“At a certain point I had aregular spot from where I

broadcasted from Beirut on theChatzi HaYom program of Kol

Yisroel, and this is how the entire

country heard about our work.“The media knew that the

safest place to be was a MitzvaTank. Whenever shelling began,they all ran straight to one of ourtanks.”

THEY ALL REJOICED

Mr. Shabtai Bibi, who runs

Radio Moreshet, has presentedcountless radio programs, but thefirst radio interview that he did inhis life was with the Tankistimduring Peace in Galilee. He did soeven though he was a radiotechnician up until then:

“During the war I got to seethe work Chabad does from upclose. They came in their tanks

and I felt great admiration forthem in that they come to thefrontlines, voluntarily,endangering their lives. Thesoldiers were all happy to seethem.

“I remember an incident when

one of the managers at the radiocame to us at the front. A Chabadnik asked him to put ont’fillin but he respondeddisparagingly, ‘Leave me alone,don’t bother me with thesestupidities.’

“A few minutes later there wasa major Katyusha attack. It wasreally frightening. I myself wentthrough all of Israel’s wars. I livedin Yerushalayim and we heard the

shelling during the War of Independence and the Six Day

War, but what went on inLebanon was terrible. Manymissiles landed from all directionsand we lay on the ground andprayed for a miracle.

“The radio manager lay on theground with his hands on hishead, waiting for a break, lookingterrified. When the attack ended,he got up and went right over the

Chabadnikim and said, ‘Whereare the t’fillin?’

“During the war, AvrohomDoron, an editor for the religiondepartment of Reshet Beit, spoke

with me. He asked me to sendhim a segment about Chabad’s

work there. I told him, ‘How canI send tape with my voice, whenyou need to pass a licensingcommittee in order to be a

broadcaster.’ He insisted and

said, ‘Send it and it will be allright.’ That’s how my first

broadcast came to be.’”The following is the text of the

special broadcast:“Chabad 2 here. Chabad 2

here. We are on the Damascus-Beirut road. We are approaching a

blockade and are preparing to go back.

Rabbi Halperin, who had walked around the tank to stretch his legs,noticed a suspicious object under the

wheel of the tank. He took another look and was shaken by what he saw. It was

a powerful mine!

R’ Dovid Nachshon and R’ Shmarya Harel with the Chief of Staff during Peace in Galilee, Rafael Eitan a”h



(Shabtai Bibi): “We are on theBeirut-Damascus road. I foundmyself in the midst of heavyartillery shelling as the terroristsfrom western Beirut shelled ourforces and showered heavy fireand Katyushas. Among the

military vehicles and the dustytanks of our forces, I found acolorful tank. This was a tank of Chabad which, in the midst of theshelling, instilled bitachon in ourforces.”

(Tankist): “My name is Yedidya. I am from Kfar Chabad.I volunteered to come on thistank. You will surely want toknow what a tank is and since

when have we been on these

tanks. The truth is that I am not amember of the armored corps. Iam an engineer. Yet I am on atank. This tank is a sort of mobilehome equipped with all sorts of good things, like sifrei kodesh,tashmishei k’dusha, t’fillin, andmezuzos. In the rear there is aspecial area for shiurim in theevent that people want aspontaneous class on Judaism.

“We are well equipped on the

tank and can live a long time onit.

“It was the Rebbe who cameup with the idea of calling it atank. The Rebbe said that in orderto conquer the desert, you need a

vehicle that can traverse a desert.There are four tanks like this inEretz Yisroel. Our base is inNatzeret Ilit and our director is

Rabbi Dovid Nachshon, who brought these tanks to Israel andhe is the one who initiates andfunds all these wonderful projects.

“We are volunteers, whichkeeps costs lower.”

(Shabtai Bibi): “I see an officein your tank and you writereports. Can you explain this?”

(Yedidya): “Yes, the Rebbe isthe mastermind of this project andhe is the one who urges us to dothese activities. Like the Chief of Staff needs to know what is goingon in the army, the Rebbe needsto know what is going on in his

army. We send the Rebbe adetailed weekly report about allour activities, as much as we can

write.“The main thing we say is that

the reaction of the soldiers that

we meet is – why doesn’t theRebbe come here? But the Rebbehas his reasons and he knows

where he has to be, but we askhim – come here, bring Moshiachand we won’t have to suffer from

wars and tzaros anymore.”

LIGHT AND JOY FOR THE SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Aside from mivtzaim, the Tankists also brought light and joy to thesoldiers and their families by establishing phone connections betweensoldiers and their parents or their wives and children. In those days(before cell phones) connecting with the home front was complicated.

The Chabad tanks came up with a creative solution. Through thetank’s radio they were able to make contact with the tank’s base inNatzeret Ilit, where Tankists sat and dialed the numbers they weregiven, thus connecting the telephone and the radio transmitter. It wasthrilling when the soldiers were able to call home after months in a warzone.

One day, the office called a family in Yerushalayim. Thegrandmother answered the phone and she didn’t understand who wascalling. She explained that she was home alone with the children andthat the parents were not home.

Out in Lebanon, the worried Reservist captain said, “Ask her whyshe’s there and where my wife is.” The answer was, “She is at thehospital and two hours ago she delivered a boy!” A bottle of mashke

was opened on the spot and everybody present said l’chaim with thesoldier.

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“It was the first religious wedding I had seen and had ever attended. Theytold me ahead of time that it was a big secret that I had to carefully keep.Someone pointed to a young man and whispered to me, “See that studentover there? He studies mathematics and is outstanding in his studies. And youknow what? He is religious.”

“I noticed that every time the rabbi said religious things (referring tothe Birkas HaMazon), the young man murmured

it after him. I tried to approach him a fewtimes but he kept his distance and acted coolly. I could sense his

fear.”

Rabbi Reuven Galperin, a Chassid from Kiryat Malachi, and a Jew named Aharon Grossman met for the first time 40 years ago. They parted six years later and didn’t hear about one another for 20 years. In 5751 they met again and since then,they have kept in touch. * The story of two men and how their

lives intertwined.

WE MEET AGAINBy Shneur Zalman Levin



Aharon Grossman, who relatedthe above, lives in Petach Tikvathough he used to live in Tashkent.He and Reuven Galperin met for thefirst time at that wedding. Reuven

was completely unaware of the man who sat and observed him, amazed

at his seriousness and wondering why he sat there and mumbledsilently.

A few years went by and theymet again, this time as employer andemployee. Aharon Grossman wasGalperin’s boss and althoughGalperin did not rememberGrossman, Grossman rememberedGalperin. Grossman knew thattalking about Judaism and religioncould culminate in a jail sentence or

hard labor, so he did not mentionthe wedding they had both attended.

As for Galperin, he did all he couldto keep his Judaism a secret.

They worked together for sixyears and for six years they shared asecret but never spoke about it untilthe day they parted. For six years,Galperin was moser nefesh to keepmitzvos under a veil of secrecy andthe fear of those days, whileGrossman, without Galperin’s

knowledge, helped him to the best of his ability.

Reuven Galperin and AharonGrossman met for the first timeforty years ago. They parted sixyears later and were not in touch fortwenty years. In 5751, when Eretz

Yisroel was attacked by Scudmissiles, they met again. Since then,they keep in touch. It’s a bond of friendship, this time without secretsand subterfuge. They recently met

again and shared their memories.* * *

Aharon Grossman was born in1933 in Odessa. During World WarII he fled Odessa with his motherand in 1943, after meeting up withan uncle, his mother’s brother, theysettled in Tashkent in Kazakhstan.

Aharon completed his schoolingin Tashkent and then attended an

institute specializing in constructionresearch. In 1961 he went to auniversity in Moscow to work on hisdoctorate in engineering, completingit after three years.

“In the former Soviet Union,”said Grossman in Russian, whichReuven Galperin translated intoHebrew, “there are five large centers

for construction research. Each oneof them examines environmentaleffects on buildings. Each area hasenvironmental problems unique toit. The centers are in Moscow, Kiev,Leningrad, Novosibirsk, andTashkent.

“The Asian continent suffersfrom frequent earthquakes. Theinstitute in Tashkent, located in thecenter of the continent, was chosento focus on the effect earthquakes

have on building.” When Aharon Grossman

successfully completed his studies,he returned to Tashkent and got a

job directing the research centerthere. Since the area had been hit

with earthquakes, he was quite busy.He conducted research following thesevere earthquake in Tashkent in1966, and was sent to Algeria, when

it was hit by an earthquake in 1972,as a member of a delegation that

was sent to the scene of the tragedy.He was also in Tajikistan, which

was struck by an earthquake, and in1988 he was sent to Armenia toexamine the damages sustained bythe area following an earthquake.

“My job was to find the faults in

the construction – after the fact, of

Aharon Grossman checking buildings after a controlled explosionto simulate an earthquake

Reuven Galperin



course – in order to learn what to doin future construction projects. Aspart of our work we would build a

wall, install measuring devices andset up a controlled explosion, eachtime at a different level of intensity.

“Afterwards, we would examine

the damage and the solidity of the wall. We then applied the results of our research in massive constructionprojects of hundreds of thousands of apartments in Middle Asia.”

What did you know of religionback then?

“I knew very little,” saysGrossman. “I learned one importantthing at home and that was torespect religious people. My motheralways told us: Religious Jews are

men of truth and you have to respectthem. So although we made jokesabout rabbis and religious leaders, inmoments of truth, especially duringsorrowful times, we knew to respectreligion.

“I also remember that when afuneral took place, my mother would

wake my brother and me up early – before the time we had to get up togo to school – and send us tocomplete the minyan.

“At home, we remembered the

holidays and we fasted on YomKippur. On Yom Kippur, my mother

would go to shul and I, the oldest, would accompany her there and back. I remember religious Jews whocame to our house and collectedmoney for tz’daka and for religious

causes. My mother always gave them what she could give.”

Did being Jewish impede you inlife?

“Since we weren’t particularlyreligious, we had no cause to displayour religious affiliation and our

being Jewish wasn’t obvious. We hada few incidents related to our beingJewish, but nothing beyond that.

“Some of the countries withinthe Soviet Union were Moslem,

including Uzbekistan. It was easierto be religious there. The Moslemmajority also opposed thecommunist-atheist regime and they,together with the Jews, workedagainst the decrees that affected theobservance of religious practices.

Galperin: My uncle, R’ MeirTzinman a”h, sat in a Soviet jail formany years for the crime of keepingmitzvos. When he died, a minyan of people gathered in his home for a

year, three times a day, and saidKaddish. One of the gentileneighbors saw this and ran to thehead of the committee to tattle.

He was a Moslem and when heheard her report he made a motionacross his neck and told her that if she repeated this story again, he

would kill her.

* * *

R’ Reuven Galperin was born in1939 in Leningrad.

“My family is seventh generationChabad Chassidim. Many membersof the family were put in jail andtortured in KGB cellars for thecrime of keeping mitzvos and forreligious activity.

“When I was two and a half,they took me from besiegedLeningrad to Kashkiria and in 1944I was taken to Tashkent, where I

lived all my life. Until age 11 Istayed home and learned. Until thisage they somehow managed to keepme out of public school, which wasextremely problematic because of Shabbos observance. At age 11though, there were no more excuses

and I began attending school. Igraduated at 18 and attended schoolin the mathematics department atthe university in Tashkent.”

Why did you pick mathematics?“In those days, our choices were

constrained by our desire to keepmitzvos in secret. The main problem

we had to contend with wasShabbos observance. We couldmanage with kashrus, and could alsomanage to cover our heads. In

Tashkent, as opposed to other placesin Russia, people went around withBucharian hats. It had nothing to do

with mitzva observance. So nobodysuspected anything if they saw someone wearing one of theseBucharian hats.

“I had three choices: physics,mathematics, and chemistry. Withphysics and chemistry, the work isdone in a laboratory. You can’t workindependently; you always have to be

involved with assistants and otheremployees, which meant working onShabbos without the possibility of exchanging time slots.

“The only profession where Icould work on my own wasmathematics. Especially if youpicked research, the work is solitary,you, the pencil, and the books. Thisenabled a person to avoiddesecrating the Shabbos. So I chosethis route, specifically the field of

computer programming.“After five years of study, I

worked for three years at thecomputer center of the university inTashkent until I received aninvitation to work in a lab fortheoretical computing. I was sent tothe department that did research onthe effect earthquakes have on

buildings, which was run by Mr. Aharon Grossman



Aharon Grossman.”For Galperin, this was a first

encounter, but Grossman hadalready met the Jewish religiousstudent eight years earlier.Grossman had noticed him, had

been impressed, and he remembered

him.“In Tashkent there was a

Chassidic Jew by the name of R’Shmuel Baschinsky, who wasnicknamed Shmuel Engineer. He

was one of the heads of the networkof underground shiurim for youthcalled Tiferes Bachurim,” said R’Reuven, explaining their one-sidedencounter.

“This network was founded inorder to save young Chassidic men

from the communist party. In 1950,R’ Shmuel was arrested andsentenced to four years in jail. InCheshvan 1958, R’ Shmuel’sdaughter got married. The weddingtook place at home under a thick veilof secrecy. Some friends, myself included, were invited.”

What R’ Reuven did not know was that among the guests was thekalla’s teacher from the engineeringschool, Aharon Grossman. “They

relied on him as someonetrustworthy, who could keep asecret, and told him about the Jewish

wedding. Their trust was well-placed; nobody was put into jailfollowing this wedding.”

Grossman: “It was the firstreligious wedding I had seen. Theytold me that it was top secret. It waspeculiar for me to see a wedding in

which the men and women satseparately. They gave me a yarmulke

and sat me among the men. One of the guests pointed out ReuvenGalperin and whispered to me, ‘Seethat student over there? He studiesmathematics and is outstanding inhis studies. And you know what? Heis religious.’

“I noticed that every time therabbi said religious things (referringto the Birkas HaMazon), the young

man murmured it after him. I triedto approach him a few times, but hekept his distance and acted coolly. Icould sense his fear.”

Galperin does not rememberGrossman from that wedding, butthe story fits. Fear of disclosing the

truth that he was religiouslyobservant was so strong that hiscoldness was part and parcel of hismanner.

* * *

Reuven Galperin began workingin the laboratory under AharonGrossman. Eight men worked in thelab, including five Jews. Galperin

was the only religious Jew and dueto his fear of being found out, hecarefully guarded his secret.

“It was the first time I met areligious Jew of this type,” saysGrossman. “Until then, I knew thatreligious Jews were elderly rabbis

who dressed in black, people whodefinitely did not work inmathematics. Suddenly I had thisyoung man, a talentedmathematician, working for me, andI found this very interesting. But myattempts at befriending him wererebuffed.

“I even asked him once whetherhe was religious and he said no. Herefused to admit that he knew

Yiddish or that he had even aminimal understanding of religion. Irealized that he didn’t want to talkabout it and I kept my distance.”

Despite the distance he had tokeep, Grossman continued to keepan eye on the young, religious manand tried to help him.

“We had a custom to eattogether. We would put our food inthe middle of the table and share it,”tells Grossman. “On most occasions

we collected money and bought foodtogether jointly. I knew that religiouspeople were particular about eatingcertain food and I noticed thatReuven brought his food from home.

“The problem was that peopleliked Reuven’s food. They all loved

to put their hands in his plate andtaste from it. Reuven didn’t feelcomfortable refusing and the othershad no problem taking from hisplate since they were willing to sharetheir food with him. They just didn’tnotice that he never touched other

people’s food. But I, who knew his background, knew that if they atefrom his food, he would go hungry.So I would yell at them not to touchhis food.”

Galperin: “My mother was agreat cook and when I got married,so was my wife. I would bringdelicious food to work andeverybody wanted to have some. Inoticed how Aharon always madesure to protect my food, but of

course I never spoke to him aboutthat. I acted as though nothing wasgoing on.”

Another problem arose having todo with the food. This was when thecolleagues decided to go out to eattogether.

“I couldn’t be the only one whodidn’t go,” explains Reuven. “Anydeviance from the norm stood outand was an invitation for people tolook at you askance.

Grossman smiled and interjected,“You always ordered the same thing:

vodka and honey cake. Always vodkaand honey cake.”

When Reuven got married, hedid not invite his colleagues to his

wedding, of course. A Jewish wedding was considered a crime.Grossman realized that this wasanother religious issue that couldn’t

be spoken about and he kept hisquestions to himself. But when

Reuven came back to work and hiscolleagues wanted to make him aparty, he defended him.

“I knew that he didn’t have muchmoney,” says Grossman, “so Iquietly approached people and toldthem that each should contribute aruble or two and we would providethe refreshments. The point was notto make Galperin responsible for it.



We ended up collecting a nice amount and we arranged aparty.”

The most complicated problem was keeping Shabbos.Galperin, with no small amount of ingenuity, exploitedthe work system of that time to get out of working onShabbos, week after week.

“The lab under Grossman was the first to switch from

its primitive means of calculating to using a computer. Although at that time computers were in their infancy,and a simple Tetris game today is faster than thecomputers of back then, still, 10,000 calculations asecond is a lot more than one per minute on a calculator.

“As the programmer of the lab I was responsible for work on the computer. Since there was only onecomputer in all of Tashkent, you had to reserve time inadvance to work on it. This was very responsible work.

An hour on the computer back then cost 100 rubles, which was a doctor’s monthly salary! The results had to justify the investment.

“In order to arrange Shabbos off from work, I wouldarrange computer time three times a week on Sunday,Tuesday, and Thursday. It was my good fortune thatother than a bill for the time spent on the computer, thelab did not receive a detailed list of dates and time that I

worked. It was good enough for the people at the labthat I did satisfactory work.

“So I did not show up to work in the lab on Shabbosand afterwards I would say that I had been working onthe computer.”

At this point, Galperin looked at Grossman, nodded,and said with a smile, “I apologize for thinking that I

was fooling you regarding working on Shabbos.”Grossman smiled back. He wasn’t at all surprised by

the story. He knew that Galperin was Shomer Shabbosand he had helped him by keeping quiet about it.

“I had a problem on those weeks that there was noneed for computer work. I had no choice and had toshow up at work, seven kilometers away. Naturally, I

walked the distance. I would go over to Grossman andsay that I had to go to the library. Grossman wouldsurprisingly give me the okay, time after time, and enableme to sit with a book in the library, preventing me fromdesecrating the Shabbos.”

The two men nodded at one another again and burstinto laughter.

Galperin said that one time, he nearly “fell into thetrap.”

“One Shabbos, he asked me a question inmathematics. I used my head and gave him an answer

without figuring it out on paper. The problem was thathe needed to know how I solved it and I went through it

with him without doing any writing.”Galperin also remembers one of the times men from



the lab, led by Grossman, were sentto pick cotton.

“Uzbekistan had a big cottoncrop and since they need a lot of manpower, everybody, no matter

who he was, had to go and pickcotton. My luck, my group was sent

on Shabbos. I went over to Aharonand said I didn’t feel well. With ahalf-smile on his lips, he sent mehome to rest.”

On the subject of close calls,Grossman remembers one of the few times that Galperin slipped andforgot that supposedly he knew nothing about Judaism or religion.

“My aunt died. She had been areligious woman and so we wantedthe funeral and burial to be in

accordance with Jewish custom. When I returned to work, Reuvencame over to me and beganquestioning me about it. When I toldhim, he said to me in surprise, ‘Whydidn’t you tell me about it? I couldhave come and helped you?’ Ismiled to myself and thought how this was the first time that he forgotto keep up the pretense. I did notpoint out his error, he didn’t notice,and life went on as usual.”

* * *The Galperin family, like many

other Jewish families, madeprodigious efforts to leave Russia.Here too, Aharon Grossman washelpful in enabling them to leave thecountry.

“In order to get an exit visa, Ineeded a character reference whichhad to be signed by three people: themanager of the factory or concern,the chairman of the communist

branch of the factory, and the unionleader. The union leader was a

woman who agreed to sign only if the other two signed. Thecommunist told me he wouldn’t signfor any money in the world. TheUzbeki manager wasn’t there andhis replacement was a Jew. This Jew quietly told me that since he was aJew he couldn’t sign my characterreport.

“The only one who agreed togive me a character reference despitethe refusals of the others, was

Aharon Grossman. He wanted to write how devoted a worker I wasand to add that I had written twoarticles in my area of expertise and

that I was working on a doctorate.“I explained that the report had

to be pareve. If it said how wonderful I was at my job and how much I knew, there was no way inthe world that they would let meleave the country. “Don’t sayanything good or bad,” I directedhim.

“I submitted the documents tothe KGB office and noted that I wasunable to provide a report with all

three signatures. The KGB called mein and gave me a letter requiring meto provide a character report.

“For four years in a row Ipresented a request to leave and wasrefused, each time because I didn’thave the necessary document. Butevery year, Grossman persisted and

was unfazed by his colleagues’refusals. He produced the certificateof the year before, signed it and gaveit to me. Maybe it would help that

year. Finally, on the fifth try I wasgiven my exit visa.”

Reuven Galperin went to workfor the last time to say goodbye tohis fellow workers and especially tohis boss of the previous six years.

“When we parted he asked meopenly, and for the first time

whether I was a religious Jew. Thistime, I answered in the affirmative. Iasked him how he knew and for thefirst time he told me that he had

seen me at the wedding.”The Galperin family arrived in

Eretz Yisroel Erev Tisha B’Av 1971and settled in Nachalat Har Chabad.“From the moment I boarded theplane, I no longer hid my religiousidentity.”

Upon his arrival in Eretz Yisroel,Reuven studied at the WeitzmanInstitute and then was employed as amathematician by the government.

Did you keep in touch withGrossman?

As soon as I arrived in Eretz Yisroel, I traveled to New York tothe Rebbe. I sent a postcard fromthere to Grossman, wanting to show them the big world. The postcard

from New York caused Grossman toassume I was living there whichstopped him from looking for me

when he arrived in Eretz Yisroel.”Grossman and his family moved

to Eretz Yisroel with the big wave of immigration in 5750. Nearly a yearpassed until they met again.

“On Chanuka 5751, I wasinvited to speak to Russianimmigrants,” recounts Galperin.“After I finished my talk, someone

came over to me and said, ‘I know you.’ I looked at him and couldn’trecognize him. It turned out the manhad worked with me in the sameinstitute but he had worked in theplanning department while I had

worked in the research department.For some reason he recognized medespite the intervening years anddespite the beard that I had grown inthe interim.

“I asked him whether anybody

else from the institute was in Eretz Yisroel and he told me that AharonGrossman was here too. I tookGrossman’s number and calledhim.”

Before long, Aharon Grossmanspent a beautiful Shabbos withReuven Galperin. Reuven’s daughterdescribes their meeting:

“I was a little girl and it was anunforgettable Shabbos. It was in themiddle of the Gulf War. I remember

sitting together around the table,listening to amazing stories about aperiod of time we were unfamiliar

with, as the sirens interrupted and we went to the sealed room. We were all very excited.”

Galperin continued, “That year, I was invited by the shliach in Sderot,Rabbi Pizem, to run a public seiderfor new immigrants. I invitedGrossman and his family because



the son lived there. Thanks to him, itall went very well.”

Grossman adjusted to life inEretz Yisroel and went to work onconstruction sites as a supervisor.

Within a short time, he foundhimself back in the same job he haddone back in the Soviet Union. He

was called down to measure the

ability of new buildings to withstand

earthquakes.This occurred after an

earthquake that took place in Elul5759 in Turkey. News of theenormous damage that could takeplace to buildings after anearthquake began to penetrate inEretz Yisroel too.

“I got together a group of

Russian scientists and we began to

lobby for this among Knessetmembers. They supported us, led bythe Infrastructure Minister of thattime, Ariel Sharon.

“We got a budget of a millionshekels and began to examine

buildings in Eretz Yisroel and to

come up with solutions. I put outthree books on the subject, but whenthe budget was used up, the projectended.”

Today, Grossman continues, without a budget, to survey buildings in the city he lives in,Petach Tikva. He has done extensiveresearch on the old buildings andhas submitted exceedingly

worrisome reports to themunicipality. “They told me that the

situation is grave but at this point,they don’t have the money to doanything about it.”

Reuven Galperin is a well-knownChassidic figure in Nachalat HarChabad. He fills his days withshiurim and doing things for others.He also does mivtzaim to bringmerit to others.

A half a year ago, the Grossmanfamily moved to a new home andthey invited Galperin to put up new

mezuzos. No secrets anymore.

Reminiscing together

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