IDF commander: "But why my child..the Rebbe just cried"

In connection to the massacre that took place in Yerushalayim today, in which the lives of a number of Yeshiva Students were taken from this world. The following is a very moving and uplifting "Yechidus" that took place with an IDF commander and the Rebbe, regarding the Death of two Israeli Soldiers following the Yom Kippur war in 1973. it's an Excerpt from the new book on the Rebbe to see more information about the book click: www.inspiringageneration.com also included is an intresting picture of the Rebbe (part 94 in the sereis)

"Battle weary and depressed by the constant fighting, the officer expressed his wish that there be no more combat with enemies. Being realistic, however, and acknowledging that it was highly plausible that there would more conflict, he asked the Rebbe's opinion on whether there would be another war, or whether perhaps the Arabs had been so discouraged, during the Yom Kippur War, that they would never muster the confidence to fight again.

"At the moment," came the reply, "the Arabs are merely unable to attack. However, given time to recover and regroup, they will surely seek opportunities to instigate conflict. To further crush their forces and minimize the chance of future clashes, the army should have advanced to Damascus and Cairo when it had the chance. Although the government did not approve, the army should have continued anyway–ignoring the lack of permission from the government. It was a crucial and perilous moment, and we should have continued pressing the main cities.

"Why didn't Arik Sharon continue going into Cairo?" the Rebbe exclaimed. "He was just one hundred kilometers from there! Excusing the decision, the government claims that there was insufficient fuel to reach there. However, this is very difficult to accept; the Egyptians seemed to have no shortage of fuel, and if Sharon, as conqueror, had decided to use that fuel, no one could prevent him.

"Have you ever flown over Cairo?" asked the Rebbe, staring inquisitively at the officer.
"Yes," the officer responded, proceeding to describe with minute detail the layout of the city.
"In that case," challenged the Rebbe, "why didn't you take the necessary planes, fly there, and conquer the city yourself? Coming in with those planes, you would have easily surprised them and effortlessly taken control. If that had been accomplished, with Cairo in our hands for even a very short period, the present situation would be completely different. "

Unable to persuade the Rebbe to accept his position, the military officer asked about something which had been troubling him for a long time. In a devastating fashion, his close friend Zurik was recently murdered during a terrorist attack, just two years after Zurik's losing his brother Udi in the latest war. It was inconceivable that one family should deserve to bear so much anguish, losing two members in a short span. How could G-d have permitted this? Where was He?

Distressed at the tale of sorrow and unable to control his tears, the Rebbe began to weep. He finally replied, "Indeed, the story you tell me is frightening and upsetting; we are tempted, when hearing such an account, to question G-d and conclude that He does not really dictate what transpires in this world. We must, however, remember that we mortals cannot aspire to understand the intricacies of His divine wisdom.

"Having studied Torah all my life, at seventy-three years old and still studying and adding to my Torah knowledge, I feel that I have attained a level of wisdom. Nonetheless, the extent of my wisdom is ridiculous when compared to G-d's. Therefore, we must not come to preposterous conclusions based on our judgment of events around us. Although there is much we do not comprehend, often in retrospect we come to an appreciation of the righteousness of His decisions. Perhaps time will demonstrate the virtue of Udi's and Zurik's premature deaths; perchance, many Jewish fatalities were avoided as a result of these casualties."

"Are you worried," asked the officer, moving to a new topic, "about living as a Jew here in Brooklyn, in a non-Jewish environment?"

"As a soldier you are surely aware," answered the Rebbe, "that during the time of combat there is no chance to reflect on your fear. You must fight with courage and sincerity, regardless of how you feel. Similarly, when I am immersed in my work, even if the extraneous conditions are unfriendly, I have faith and trust in G-d, because He alone controls what takes place here on earth, and is looking out for the interests of every Jew."

"But," persisted the Israeli, "why don't you move to Israel? Your revered stature and dynamic manner will certainly influence the political and religious scene. Aware that many people questioned you regarding this, I have heard several different replies, but, the replies are unsatisfactory, and for me the question remains."

The Rebbe answered, "Living in Israel and enduring the responsibilities that would come with it, my influence on world Jewry would be restricted. Inevitably, my controversial position on issues would limit my capability of communicating with Jews, both outside of Israel, in Moscow, for example, and in Israel; in fact, even this conversation would be impossible in Tel Aviv. I find this place the most conducive for my work."

Good Shabbos.

Menachem.

Copyright © Menachem Kirschenbaum 2007

How do you know it's the Rebbe's Siddur?

"The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of Brooklyn, the spiritual leader of the World Chabad Movement, is both wise and learned, but above all he is a man of faith"

-Geulah Cohen

The following encounter took place during the Month of Tishrei 5703 /1943 with the Rebbe and the Previous Rebbe. Special thanks to Rabbi Yossi Goldstein for relating the encounter. Also included is interesting picture of the Rebbe part 93 in the Series.

"Someone came to 770 for Tishrei 5703 whose name, was Rabbi Weiler. He had bought a large number of siddurim, and had brought them to 770, to the room where the Rebbe Rayatz davened, so the tzibbur would have new siddurim for Rosh Hashana. He sent one of the siddurim in to the Rebbe Rayatz.

Rosh HaShana night I stood in my regular spot, in the north-west corner. I saw the Rebbe standing near the Rebbe Rayatz, who davened with great weeping, enthusiasm, and warmth. After the Davening when everybody had left, I remained behind to help arrange the chairs and tables.

Rebbetzin Nechama Dina came in and asked me to help her gather the siddurim from the tables so it shouldn't be a mess. She herself went around and gathered siddurim. Suddenly I noticed how she went over to the shtender of the Rebbe Rayatz, took the Siddur from there, and put it in the pile with the other siddurim. I marked which Siddur was the Rebbe's, and ran over to her and said it was too heavy for her and that I would schlep the pile of siddurim instead of her. I took that opportunity of removing the Rebbe's Siddur from the pile, and as soon as the Rebbetzin left the room I ran to my room with the Siddur which the Rebbe Rayatz had just davened from that Rosh HaShana night.

I turned the pages of Maariv and noticed an amazing thing. Under the words, "u'malchuso b'ratzon kiblu aleihem" there was a line written in pencil. I was still new to these things, but I understood that Rosh HaShana is the time for binyan ha'malchus, "malchuso b'ratzon," and on Erev Rosh HaShana the Rebbe had made a line for reasons of his own.

I was ecstatic with my find. I had a Siddur with the Rebbe's writing in it! I figured I had to show it to the Ramash (i.e., the Rebbe). I went to him and said: I'll show you a Siddur which the Rebbe davened from.

He looked at it and asked: How do you know it's the Rebbe's Siddur?

I opened the Siddur to Maariv and showed him the line, and said it was the handwriting of the Rebbe Rayatz. The Rebbe looked at it and trembled, and then said: Yes, my father-in-law wrote that, but how do you know that he wrote it (i.e., I recognize it, but what about you?)?

I said that I could see that the line wasn't straight, and the Rebbe Rayatz's hand trembled when he wrote. The Rebbe didn't let up, and he asked: How do you know the Rebbe's hand trembles when he writes?

I told him that I once sat in the Beis Midrash, and R' Chaim Lieberman entered and came over to me and said that it was difficult for the Rebbe to write straight (when he wrote, it went up or down), but he didn't want to write on (the usual) paper that had printed lines on it. The Rebbe Rayatz had said to take a sheet of paper and to make black lines on it, and that he would take another paper and put it on top of the first one and see the lines through the paper, and would be able to write straight. So R' Chaim wanted me to have my father print up paper like that. I asked him how far apart to make the lines, and since he didn't know, he went up to the Rebbe Rayatz and came down a few minutes later with a paper on which the Rebbe had drawn two lines so I would know how wide to space them. That's how I knew that when the Rebbe Rayatz made lines, it was shaky.

I stood near the Rebbe's room holding the Siddur and said that it was very precious, mamash a treasure. The Rebbe said, "ya ya" (yes, yes), and took the Siddur from my hands, and I never saw it again"

Good Shabbos.

Menachem.

Copyright © Menachem Kirschenbaum 2007

"The Rebbe is very Firm in his Beliefs"

"But, if I am to use this opportunity to write, I must use it to be honest. And in honesty, in spite of my spiritual connection to him, I miss the Rebbe. My heart aches to once again have him as part of his and my flesh and blood relationship"

-Jay Litvin

The following is a Beautiful article that was written about the Rebbe in the "Jewish Look" April, 1975, also included is part of a Letter that the Rebbe wrote to President Jimmy Carter February 9, 1979.

On March 23, the eleventh day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, two dozen men gathered in a basement apartment in Brooklyn for what they called a Chasidic farbrengen (gathering).

"Let's all say L'chaim to the Rebbe. Today is his birthday. L'chaim. The Rebbe should be healthy and live long and he should lead us towards the Messiah." It was a cozy setting: dim lights, a table with a plain white cover, bare walls. This was the home of a Chasid who only eight months ago arrived from Russia.

I went to the farbrengen to find out what the Rebbe's disciples think about him and what the Rebbe's opinions are on today's major issues. For the Rebbe's views and opinions challenge the most accepted notions.

...The Rebbe is also firm in his belief that Israel should not give back "one inch" of territory it won in the 1967 and 1973 wars. "It is because I want to prevent another war that I urge the Israeli leaders not to give back one inch," he has stated." The only way to prevent more wars and more casualties is by not giving in and to be prepared; not to retreat even if the U.S. government demands concessions."

The Rebbe was one of the first to say publicly that America--and not Russia--forced Israel to stop its drive on the west bank of the Suez Canal, thus preventing Israel from eliminating the Egyptian Third Army during the Yom Kippur War. Even today few publicly state this, although Moshe Dayan has recently confirmed that it was an American ultimatum which saved the Egyptian armed forces.

But even during the war, the Rebbe was steadfast in his opinions, which proved correct. When told that he should cease urging the Israelis to drive on to Damascus and not stop 30 miles from the Syrian capital because of the threat of Soviet intervention, the Rebbe stated: "I say the Russians will not intervene."

And they didn't. When a reporter asked how the Rebbe could advise the Israelis while he lived in America, the Rebbe bristled: "This involves the security of three million Jews in Israel. Every American Jew not only has the right but the obligation to help Israel with money, with raising the morale of the Israelis and with advice he feels is good for the Jewish state..."

A letter of the Rebbe to President Jimmy Carter, dated February 9, 1979:

"The U.S. government, and you Mr. President personally, are in a unique position of influence among the nations of the world, particularly those benefiting from U.S. economic, cultural and other forms of aid, to encourage them to follow your example and to share your "conviction that the noblest task of government is education" - to quote your statement (2/28/78) - a conviction which has been translated into bold, comprehensive action. I am confident that the response will be positive, and I venture to say that it would have a favorable impact on those in this country who, for one reason or another, are not, as yet, enthusiastic about Congress legislation on the submitted project"

Good Shabbos

Menachem.

Copyright © Menachem Kirschenbaum 2007

What is the foundation to a Jewish Marriage?

"The marriage of every couple ... is connected to the ultimate marriage between G-d and the Jewish people that will be consummated in the Era of Redemption."

-The Rebbe

The audiences the Rebbe conducted with individuals and families were intensely private occasions. The confidential discussions would sometimes cover the deepest and most personal aspects of the visitors' lives. Some of those audiences will never be shared, their contents too private to reveal to others. Remarkably, the discussions which have been disclosed to the public, notwithstanding their inherently personal nature, carry important, lasting insights, applicable to a sprawling range of people and situations.

I would like to present a private audience, conducted with a kallah (bride) just before her wedding in 1963 that I find particularly inspiring and timely, because of my wedding this upcoming week, I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of Myself and my kallah to invite all readers from over the years to join us in our Simcha, our Simcha will take place this Wednesday, January 30, in Oholei Torah Ballroom. Also included is an interesting picture of the Rebbe (part 90 in the series) special thanks to Rabbi Asher Lowenstein.

The following is an encounter between the Rebbe and a kallah, in which the Rebbe shares a beautiful explanation of the mitzvah of Mezuzah.

"When I entered his room, the Rebbe inquired about my wedding preparations. I replied that, "Baruch Hashem, everything is in order."

The Rebbe was interested in details, so I told him that we had bought tables and chairs. Apparently not finding these facts trivial, the Rebbe continued to inquire, "What else?" I mentioned some of the other things we had acquired, "We bought dishes for the kitchen." "What else?"

The Rebbe, unfazed by my petty answers, was genuinely concerned about every aspect of our home. This continued for some time, until we had covered every little thing in the home. Finally, after all the questions, the Rebbe turned to me and stated, "When a Jewish home is being built, the first thing you do is post a Mezuzah on the door."

The Rebbe proceeded to give me an explanation, which I had never heard before, of why this mitzvah is so important to a Jewish home.

The word mezuzah has three syllables: 1) meh, 2) zu, and 3) zuh. The מ (mem), first letter of the word, has a numerical value of 40 and relates to the Torah: The written Torah was delivered to Moshe Rabbeinu over 40 days and 40 nights, the Torah sheb'al peh, the Oral Torah, opens with a 'mem' at the beginning, -
מאימתי קורין את שמע

(may'aimosay korin shema), and ends with a 'mem' (Hashem yevarech es amo bashalom – G-d will bless his nation with peace). The זו ("Zu," the feminine form of "this," in Hebrew) of Mezuzah refers to the Jewish people, and specifically to the women, as the Gemara says, Bayso zu ishto – "the wife is the home."

The women are directly involved and constantly active in forming the character of the Jewish home. Also, the woman of the household is privileged with being responsible for tending to guests, a mitzvah that makes the home radiate from within.

The final vowel, הז (Zuh): refers to Hashem, as it says, זה אלי ואנוהו Ze Keili V'anveihu . – "this is my G-d and I will glorify him." A home glorifies Hashem through family purity. Thus, the Mezuzah corresponds to the three factors that define and bring quality to a Jewish home: 1) Torah, 2) The Jewish woman, and 3) Hashem. The Rebbe's fascinating explanation is just one example of how the Rebbe took every opportunity to instill so many people with the importance of Mitzvos and, one by one, enlightened the actions of the Jewish nation.

Good Shabbos.

Menachem.

Copyright © Menachem Kirschenbaum 2007

"We wish the Rebbe The best in Everything"

"From his office at 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, he organized "Peace Corps" to educate Jews in various parts of the world and to reawaken what he calls an "innate awareness" of Judaism..."

-David Miller

In connection with Yud Shvat, I would like to present a beautiful article that was written on the Rebbe in the Jewish Forum titled "Heir to a Noble Tradition" written By Charles Haddock-May, 1951, also included is an interesting picture of the Rebbe (part 90 in the series).

"The Chasidic Coronation of young Schneerson, seventh in line of the Chabad dynasty, marks the first event of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

Three months ago, on the anniversary of the demise of the Saint of Lubavitch and for the first time in the "heathen" history of American Jewry, a bona fide Chasidic divine donned the "tzadik" purple in dramatic coronation rites which seemed possible only in the Polish-Ukraine, where Chasidism was born...

This was no ordinary event, to be sure, for the movement of which Rabbi Schneerson has become the titular head almost escapes sociological classification. You will find no analogy to it in our modern social ferment, religious or secular. Most of his followers are poor, pious and unpretentious folk, and the "kingdom" over which he "reigns" is as absolute as a temporal realm can be. It stretches from China to Brooklyn. Even Pittsburgh, Johannesburg and Tel Aviv are not without their "Chabad" dominions.

From all over the world his followers come--to consult the new "Rabbi of Lubavitch" on matters of faith, health, family, and finance. They seek him out on social issues and psychological problems--on everything which might affect their spiritual, physical and material well-being, and make no vital move without him...

As a newspaper man [the writer was the managing editor of the leading anti-communist labor newspaper and Vice President of World Wide Press Syndicate]--and as an amateur Chasid, so to say--I was naturally curious about his [the Rebbe's] state of mind after his assumption of world leadership in " Chabad." I wanted to ask him, above all, whether he thought that Chasidism--as taught by his great-great grandfather, the "Rav"--could function fruitfully here, on this "heathen" soil of mine--America. And, of course, what answers did "Chabad" hold for our own lost, "atomic" generation?

My audience with that profound and humble Chasidic rabbi made my queries wholly superfluous. "America is not lost," he assured me "You are not different. You Americans sincerely crave to know, to learn. You are inquisitive. It is the Chabad point of view," he went on, "that the American mind is sincere, honest, direct--good, tillable soil for Chasidism, or just plain Judaism, if you will." This was his late father-in-law's viewpoint, he added, and that accounted for the unprecedented success of the "Chabad" system of junior and senior academics all over the country.

Our soul-searching talk left me with the impression that the newly-crowned "Lubavitcher Rebbe" had aged perceptibly in these past several months, since he succeeded his father-in-law to the "throne." For his gentle, sensitive and pallid face already seemed to bear signs of the inner conflict always raging in the hearts of our leading spirits--on whom supreme responsibility is suddenly thrust! As he politely took me to the door,

the "Rebbe," as Lubavitcher Chasidim fondly call him, inadvertently taught me that Judaism minus Chasidism is but a body with a big head and no heart. And, need we add, that we wish the Rebbe a long and luminous "reign"--for uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, especially a tzadik's crown in unchasidic America...

Good Shabbos.

Menachem.

Copyright © Menachem Kirschenbaum 2007

"The Lubavitcher Rebbe Gazed Intently at his Visitor"

"The primary axiom of Judaism is that a perfect being creates everything according to design-that nothing happens by accident. Consequently, no one gets more responsibility than he can handle. This clear knowledge can strengthen man because it is in his power to complete his tasks. For every problem there is a solution; thus there is no need for despair or frustration"

-From a Yechidus Of the Rebbe with Hillel Directors August 24, 1960

" Lubavitch Rabbi Marks His 70th Year With Call for Kindness" the following is an article that was written in the New York Times, in Regards to one of the most memorable Farbrengens with the Rebbe, written by Israel Shenker--March 27, 1972. Also included is an interesting picture of the Rebbe (part 90 in the series)

Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, reached the Biblical age of 70 yesterday, but he has been living in the age of the Bible every one of those years. The Rebbe decided to use his birthday as a pretext for demanding of his followers what he called "an additional portion of study and devotion to the cause of spreading goodness and kindness..."

At a recent audience, just before the rays of dawn eased over Eastern Parkway, the Lubavitcher Rebbe gazed intently at his visitor, and from time to time a warm, remarkably gentle smile lit his face. Stroking his gray beard, he explained his role as "awakening in everyone the potential that he has."

On fundamentals, the Rebbe has no doubts. "If you can accept that G-d Almighty created billions and billions of atoms, why can't you accept that G-d Almighty created a human being?"

"If you are enthusiastic to substitute for the term 'G-d' the word 'mystery,' then I'll ask you the same thing about 'mystery.' It is much easier to accept one human being, two human beings, than to accept billions of disordered atoms whirling around without any concept, any pattem, and then with a big bang or a small bang the universe is created."

To the suggestion that his orthodoxy marks him as a conservative he objected, saying:

"I don't believe that Reform Judaism is liberal and Orthodox is conservative. My explanation of conservative is someone who is so petrified he cannot accept something new. For me, Judaism or halacha [Jewish religious law], or Torah encompasses all the universe and it encompasses every new invention, every new theory, every new piece of knowledge or thought or action.

"Everything that happens in 1972 has a place in the Torah and it must be interpreted, it must be explained, it must be evaluated from the point of view of Torah even if it happened for the first time in March of 1972. "

Who is to be the eighth Lubavitcher Rabbi?

"The Messiah will come and he will take all these troubles and doubts," replied the seventh, and added smilingly: "He could come while I am here. Why postpone His coming?

"My intention is to live many years more, and the Messiah can come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow," he said. "There's a very great deal to achieve, enough not only for my life but even for more than 120 years."

He added: "The Messiah will be a real human being. Don't translate him as something abstract. He is tangible. He has two eyes, two ears, two legs, two hands. And one heart. The heart has four compartments. One compartment is for impure blood, which the heart makes into pure blood. And that is the function of the Messiah."

Good Shabbos.

Menachem.

Copyright © Menachem Kirschenbaum 2007

The Rebbe "We Must Give A Proper Education"

"The Rebbe's impact upon Jewish education is very noteworthy. He saw to it early on in his term of leadership that educational materials were developed to reach out both to adults and to children"

-Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb

I would like to present part of a very unique letter of the Rebbe on the importance of education, the Letter was written to Vice President Walter F. Mondale He was the forty-second Vice President of the United States (1977–1981) under President Jimmy Carter. Also included is an interesting picture of the Rebbe (part 89 in the series) special thanks to Rabbi Asher Lowenstein and Rabbi Kromby.

"Education, in general, should not be limited to the acquisition of knowledge and preparation for a career, or in common parlance "to make a better living!" We must think in terms of a "better life," not only for the individual, but also for society as a whole. The educational system must, therefore, pay more attention, indeed, the main attention, to the building of character, with emphasis on moral and ethical values.

The skepticism on the part of those who, at present, oppose the Administration's educational program (of which you make mention in your Remarks) is, I believe, in large measure due to the shortcomings of the educational system in this country, which leaves much to be desired in the way of achieving its most basic objectives for a better society. In a country, such as ours, so richly blessed with democracy, freedom of opportunity, and material resources, one would expect that such anti-moral and anti-social phenomena as juvenile delinquency, vandalism, lack of respect for law and order, etc. would have been radically reduced, to the point of ceasing to be a problem. Hence, it is not surprising that many feel frustrated and apathetic.

I submit, therefore, that the Administration's resolve to restructure the Federal education role - long overdue - would be well served if it were coupled with greater emphasis on the objective of improving the quality of education in terms of moral and ethical values and character building that should be reflected in the actual everyday life of our young and growing generation."

Good Shabbos,

Menachem.

Copyright © Menachem Kirschenbaum 2007

"Why do Bad things Happen to Good people"

In regards to the terrible tragedy that accrued today to the parents of my sister in law Pessa Kirschenbaum, Reb Zev and his wife Rochel Simons two very Special Neshamas that were taken from this world in a Terrible car accident,

I would like to present an answer the Rebbe gave to parents of a young girl Miriam, who at six years old was killed in a car accident in Berkley, California (Erev Pesach 1989). Following the death, the parents wrote a long letter to the Rebbe with many different questions regarding the nature of these types of tragedies. The Rebbe's response did more than comfort – it provided a new focus to the mourning family. Also included is interesting picture of the Rebbe. The Rebbe attending a funereal in the winter of 1991.

1. A person cannot say with certainty that he clearly knows Hashem's intentions, (except for a prophet who was instructed by Hashem to reveal it).

2. For everything that happens in today's day in age, we can find its example in the past. ( In Midrashim of Chazal, with additional different interpretations for different events), At times, the specifics of an incident today, we can explain with an event or an explanation of an event in the past.

4 .With regards to Miriam, it stands out that she passed away on a high note, in a manner that Torah Emes commands that is forbidden to mourn her in a Shiva, except for a few moments and similarly with regards to the Shloshim [due to the fact that it was Erev yom tov].

5 .All Neshamos (Souls) of the present come down as a continuation of a previous Gilgul ( Reincarnation) in order to complete what was missing before it came down, (in totality or partially).

6. Those who are Nistalek (pass on) before their obligation to do Mitzvos, it is because they are here in this world to complete the number of years that they needed to be in this world. (Even though this is an exception, in general everyone needs to live 70-80, up to 120 years)

7 .If Miriam needed to complete the number of years she needed to be in this world, and then go immediately into Gan Eden, its understood that the parents should not be saddened that this Pesach that she parted she was in Gan Eden and according to this, its also understood that they needed according to Torah Emes to be in true Simcha on Pesach.

8. Especially since she (Mrs. Gearman) and her husband, gave their child a childhood that was mostly filled with Good, materially and spiritually all her years.

Good Shabbos.

Menachem.

Hey Teves: The Rebbe, a Bachur, and Eli Weisel

“The Rebbe told them, "I want you to do your work - not as a Chassid, but as a lawyer."

-Rabbi Avraham Shemtov

In honor of the twentieth anniversary of Hey Taves, I would like to present some interesting accounts related to the events that led to the Rebbe's library being returned to the Chassidim. Also included is interesting pictures of the Rebbe (part 51 in the series)

The lawyers who represented the Rebbe met with the Rebbe before the actual case.

The following is a part of what was discussed in this first meeting:

"The first thing the Rebbe stressed was that the lawyers make it clear that books are not a personal heritage of the previous Rebbe and this should be explained and should be understood according to "human logic." The Rebbe stressed many times that their desire to dedicate themselves to the Rebbe's will should be in line with nature, and the society's system. The Rebbe told them, "I want you to do your work - not as a Chassid, but as a lawyer."

--

When the news came to 770 that we won the court case, everyone was elated. The following is from a diary of a student who was learning in 770:

"When the news came that we won the court case, it was 11:40 in the morning and we were sitting in the upstairs Zal (study hall). For me, to picture what went on in these moments is impossible. We all when outside 770 and began dancing and singing 'Didan Notzach.' Before I knew it, Bachurim got handle of bottles of Mashke and guys were dancing and making flips!
Chassidim from Crown Heights began crowding at 770. A bunch of mitzvah tanks were driving around playing 'Didan Notzach'

on the loud speakers. When the Rebbe's secretaries came out of the Rebbe's room, there was tremendous joy on their faces. Piamenta and Eli Lipsker were playing with their bands. In the middle of the dancing, someone got up and made the bracha of Shehechiyanu."


----
During the court case, part of the testimonies involved defining the Rebbe-Chassid relationship (it was important for understanding ownership of the books). There were three people chosen to participate and get the message across that the Rebbe and Chassid are intimately connected. One of the three was Eli Wiesel. The following is an excerpt from his testimony:

"Strangely enough, the choice of (involvement) is made by the Chassid and not the Rebbe. It is not the Rebbe who chooses the Chassid. It is the Chassid who chooses the Rebbe. But once the choice is made, it is boundless.

It is total loyalty. And therefore, the Rebbe owes the Chassid total loyalty. So, for the community, the Rebbe must have total generosity and compassion. Also, he has even more responsibility. That's why he is a Rebbe."

Picture description: The Rebbe addressing children at a Lag Beomer Parade 1953.

Good Shabbos,

Menachem,

Copyright © Menachem Kirschenbaum 2007

The Rebbetzin " No I Never Heard About it From My Father"

“In the winter of 1985 Lubavitch Library staff noticed valuable books were disappearing from the shelves. Before long, it became obvious that some of the rare Kabbalistic and biblical commentaries were missing. They tried to find out who could be taking the Sefarim”

-Excerpts the story of Hei Teves

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Hay Teves (the day which marks a court ruling which returned the Rebbe's library into the hands of his Chassidim), I would like to present part of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka's testimony regarding the ownership of the library, Also included is an interesting picture of the Rebbe (part 22 in the series)

----
The following is the back-and-forth between the lawyer and the Rebbetzin:

The lawyer: Why did your father have books?

The Rebbetzin: This was his life. His main goal was to spread Judaism.

The lawyer: It's important for me to know - how do you know that the reason he collected the books was to spread Judaism)?

The Rebbetzin: I understand very well. This was his personality, this is what he grew up with, and this is what he lives with.

The lawyer: When your father was alive, who did you think the library belonged to?
The Rebbetzin: I never thought about it then.

The lawyer: Did your father ever tell you who the books belonged to?

The Rebbetzin: No, I never heard about it from my father.

The lawyer: My second question is about the books that your father used in his study. Are those books your father's or they belong to the Chassidim?

The Rebbetzin: It belongs to the Chassidim because my father belonged to the Chassidim.

The Rebbetzin's response gave tremendous insight into the true nature of the relationship between the Rebbe and his Chassidim. There is only a perceived separation – they are strongly united at their essence.

Good Shabbos.

Menachem.

"The Rebbe is a Revolutionary Person"

"The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of Brooklyn, the spiritual leader of the World Chabad Movement, is both wise and learned, but above all he is a man of faith. And if faith be the art of truth, he is also an artist whose creation is the army of believers that he commands, the army of the Jewish faith, of the G-d of Israel and the people of Israel"

- Geula Cohen

I would like to present a beautiful article that was written on the Rebbe and Lubavitche's work around the world, in the London Jewish Chronicle February 1, 1980, titled "In Search of the Soul" by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, also included is an interesting picture of the Rebbe (part 88 in the series).

"The Rebbe is a revolutionary. He has enthroned Chasidic philosophy not as one of the limbs, but as the heart of Judaism. He is a systematic and conceptual thinker on the largest scale. And, more than anything, he continually drives together the highest abstract truth and the most specific call for action, spanning the continuum of the whole range of Jewish study.

It is perhaps the case that his fame as a leader, organizer and initiator of communal projects has impeded a measured assessment of his originality as a thinker. But, essentially, the two facets of his work are one--the comprehensiveness of his thought and action are part of the same drive: the unity of the Torah, the unity of the Jewish people...

Many of the Rebbe's achievements have shaped so deeply the development of the post-war Judaism that we hardly think of them as Lubavitch at all. Fifteen years ago, the term baal teshuva ("penitent") was almost confined to Chabad. To other Jews, teshuva was something one did on Yom Kippur, atoning for sins. In Lubavitch it meant a rescued soul. Specifically those hundreds of students brought from drugs and alienation into deep Jewish commitment by the massive Chabad involvement in campus life across the world. Today it is the word that describes the Populations of dozens of yeshivot in Israel that have no connection with Chasidism; it has become the leitmotif of a generation.

The Jewish day-school movement, of which Lubavitch was one of the earliest pioneers, has displaced across a wide spectrum the once prevalent ideology that Jewish education was a kind of dutiful appendage to the real business of acquiring a secular culture. The idea, in which Lubavitch was for so long alone, of resuscitating dying communities by sending out a small resident nucleus of religious families, has been widely copied by Yeshivos in America, and is at last being tentatively taken up in Britain. The Rebbe has never had an interest in preserving a monopoly of his innovations. Every achievement means a new goal to be formulated.

Results can never be quantified. It is sufficient to know that they are always never enough.... In all the campaigns there is a driving sense of urgency that sanctifies their often unconventional approaches: a Sukkah on wheels taken through crowded streets, a radio advertisement reminding listeners that it is Purim, a resolution of the United States Congress proclaiming a national education day--all these and more are ways of hastening the Messiah. Lubavitch takes to heart the injunction in the first paragraph of the Shulchan Aruch not to be ashamed when others make fun of one's pursuit of a religious mission. Discretion is the better part of cowardice...

We come, then finally, to the great and controversial question: is there something suspect about the attachment of Lubavitch Chasidim to the Rebbe? Does it go too far? Is there an abdication of personal responsibility involved in bringing private questions to the scrutiny and advice of a great man? Ultimately, can there be a man worthy of such adulation?

It is important to understand about Lubavitch that it is a movement supremely dedicated to allowing each Jew to play his special role, to being, in the Baal Shem Tov's image, his own particular letter in the Torah scroll. The Rebbe is the person who guides him towards that role; who, by standing above the distortions of the ego, taking a global view of the problems of the Jewish world, being in the language of Chasidut a "collective soul," sees where the individual belongs. It is, after all, difficult to think of many other leaders who can assume this role, for they are for the most part leaders of a sectional group, without a brief and perhaps without the information to be authoritative beyond their borders. The Rebbe's advice carries with it no more and no less than the authority which his worldwide concern has given him.

Those who visit the Rebbe--and the vast majority of those who do so are not born Lubavitchers, do so because of his reputation as a man of encompassing vision. They tend to emerge somewhat unnerved, taken by surprise. They expect, perhaps, the conventional type of charismatic leader, imposing his presence by the force of his personality.

What they find is the reverse: a man who, whatever the complexity of his current concerns, is totally engaged with the person he is speaking to. It is almost like coming face to face with oneself for the first time. Not in the simple sense of, as it were, seeing oneself in a mirror, but rather seeing oneself revealed as a person of unique significance in the scheme of things, discovering one's purpose. So much so that it is difficult to talk of the Rebbe's personality at all, so identified is he with the individuals he guides.

This is, ultimately, what is so misconceived by those who have never met him. His leadership--rare almost to the point of uniqueness in the present day--consists in self-effacement. Its power is precisely what it effaces itself towards--the sense of the irreplaceability of each and every Jew .

Good Shabbos.

Menachem.

Copyright © Menachem Kirschenbaum 2007

The Rebbe "How Many People Will You Affect, 20 or 30?"

"From all over the world his followers come--to consult the new "Rabbi of Lubavitch" on matters of faith, health, family, and finance. They seek him out on social issues and psychological problems--on everything which might affect their spiritual, physical and material well-being, and make no vital move without him"

-Charles Haddock

I would like to present Part one of Rabbi Nachman Meir Bernhard, former Rabbi of the prestigious Oxford Synagogue in Johannesburg, South Africa. Fascinating encounter's that he experienced with the Rebbe in Yechidus in regards to his work as Rabbi and the future of Judaism in South Africa. Also included is an interesting picture of the Rebbe (part 87 in the series)

"I received my Rabbinic ordination in 1958 and left for my first position in Wichita, Kansas. Once, Rabbi Yosef Wineberg came to Wichita on the behest of the Rebbe. I met him but I had no idea he was a Lubavitcher.

We left Wichita five years later and returned to New York when our eldest daughter was of school age. The Orthodox Union asked me to be their New York director. I accepted the position. Within a few months I was asked to become Rabbi of the largest synagogue in South Africa.

Not feeling drawn to the Rabbinate and wanting to pursue my studies, I declined. But they insisted that I at least come and see the place.

After my visit, I read a friend's report about a lecture tour to South Africa. The report mentioned Rabbi Yosef Wineberg. The name rang a bell and I thought maybe it was worthwhile to hear his opinion about the proposed position.

I met with Rabbi Wineberg and told him my hesitations. He firmly insisted that I go there. "They need a young, dynamic rabbi like you," he said. Rabbi Wineberg didn't give up easily and suggested that I ask the Rebbe. "I would if you arranged it," I told him.

It was after 1 a.m. when I entered the Rebbe's office and saw the Rebbe for the first time in my life.

The yechidut [personal audience] lasted for over an hour. I felt as if the whole world around us had disappeared and it was only the Rebbe and I.

This yechidus took place a year after I had left both the Rabbinate and the Orthodox Union; I had devoted myself to learning full time.

In the yechidus, the Rebbe told me that Jewish life today is being devastated, as if by a fire, and whoever can extinguish the fire, must do so.

The Rebbe pointed his finger at me: "You have no right to sit and become a talmid chacham [scholar]." I said that I could fulfill my obligation by giving a class, but the Rebbe responded, "How many people will you affect, 20 or 30?"

I mentioned I was offered a Principal's position.

The Rebbe said again, "You will only influence 200 or 400 children in a big school. Hashem has given you the skills and strength to lead an entire community." He urged me to utilize my potential to the fullest.

I still resisted.

"I have already left an important position for the sake of my children's education. What will happen to them in South Africa?" By then, I had three daughters.

The Rebbe answered that the children of every Jew who devotes himself to communal work receive Divine protection.

The Rebbe didn't exactly tell me "go," but he calmed my fears about going to South Africa.

When I went out of the Rebbe's room I said to myself, "I may not yet be a Lubavitcher Chasid, but from now on I am the Rebbe's Chasid."

We arrived in South Africa in 1966, a few weeks before Rosh Hashana. Whenever I was offered exciting positions in other parts of the world, I asked the Rebbe.

The Rebbe always answered me that South Africa was my proper place, that I was there by Divine Providence, that my situation was improving, and that G-d would help.

After three years, the government wanted to throw me out because of my opposition to apartheid. I didn't call for an open rebellion. I just spoke from the Jewish heart and conscience. I said that we should work to bring about change legally and within the system. But the prospect of deportation did not upset me at all. The Rebbe had wanted me to be there, so I was. But if I was deported, I would be able to move to Israel.

Good Shabbos.

Menachem.

Copyright © Menachem Kirschenbaum 2007

"The Rebbe Wrote a few Words on a Paper"

"But, you see, whenever I went to the Rebbe, or even when I wrote him, I felt known by him. Seen by him. And I mean these words—known and seen—in their most profound sense. I felt naked before him. And through him I saw myself fully exposed"

-Jay Litvin

The Rebbe's wedding long ago in Warsaw, a prayer book in Salonika, a note from the Rebbe and two grandfathers look on proudly from above as their descendants add another link in the chain of Jewish tradition. In Honor of Yud Daled Kislev the Rebbe and Rebbetzin"s wedding anniversary, I would like to present an unbelievable encounter that a Chosson and Kalla experienced with the Rebbe in the winter of 1989. Also included is an interesting picture of the Rebbe (Part 86 in the Series).

"The city was hot and sweltering on that summer eve in 1989. The Chabad rabbi looked incongruously out of place in Manhattan's East Village, with his long beard and black coat. Nevertheless, the Chabad rabbi was determined. He had made a promise to a grieving father in Southern California, a man who was a leader in their Jewish community, that he would find his runaway teenage daughter. "Sarah is in New York City, that's all we know, can you find her for me?"

the man had begged the rabbi during a recent visit.

Mission impossible? Not for the rabbi. With a lot of effort and a little bit of mazel, he finally found someone who recognized Sarah's picture and he was able to track her to an urban commune. He invited her to come to his home for a Shabbat meal. She not only came but returned many times and began finding her way back to Judaism. After a while, she met a young man from Israel, who was also rediscovering Judaism.

"We want you to marry us," Sarah told the rabbi.

The father of the bride was delighted beyond belief, but the father of the groom less so. He was a holocaust survivor from a rabbinical family, but his experiences during the war had so alienated him from his faith that he had raised his children in a humanistic ethicism, completely devoid of spirituality or mention of G-d.

The father made his son promise that he would not be asked to recite any blessings or prayers either at the ceremony or during the reception. Only on this condition would he attend the wedding.

On the morning of the wedding, the rabbi wrote a note to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, to inform him about the marriage and to ask for a blessing for the bride and groom.

The Rebbe, upon receiving the note, put it together with hundreds of others that he would read aloud that day at the "Ohel," the resting place of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe.

On this day, upon reading the note from the rabbi, the Rebbe wrote a few words on a paper and directed that it be given immediately to the rabbi.

The Rebbe had written that today's date, the date that the young couple chose for their wedding, was the 14th of Kislev, the same day on which the Rebbe and Rebbetzin were married decades earlier. The note explained that the groom's grandfather was a Rabbi in Warsaw and had attended the Rebbe's wedding. As a wedding present the rabbi had given them a book that he had written. The Rebbe directed the Chabad rabbi to go to the Rebbe's office, find the book, and take it to the chupa that evening."

Of course, the rabbi did exactly as the Rebbe had instructed. Just before the ceremony, the bride asked the rabbi to say a few words. The rabbi decided to tell the story about the book he was carrying.

He related how the Rebbe had asked that the book be at the chupa and explained that through the presence of the book the groom's grandfather, the former rabbi from Warsaw, would be spiritually represented at the wedding of his grandson, a grandson from whom he now has so much nachas.

Upon hearing these words, the father of the groom abruptly stood up and quickly left the room. The rabbi found him, a few minutes later, weeping quietly in a phone booth in the lobby of the hotel.

"Rabbi," he sobbed "when I was a child, my father took me to Cheder, where I loved studying, but I forgot everything. I wanted to forget. I made myself forget. Now I see that my father never gave up on me, even from Heaven. Won't you take me by the hand and teach me again?"

Thus ends the story of a Jewish soul who thought he had forgotten, until the Rebbe reminded him. But the story has ripples that turned into waves and washed over Jack Castro in Boca Raton, Florida.

Jack Castro's story begins in the small, picturesque city of Solanika, Greece. Salonika was home to more than 60,000 proud Sephardic Jews, among them Moshe Prado, before the nazis decimated their numbers to a pitiful one thousand.

It had been Moshe Prado's custom that as each of his children were married, he gave them a set of High Holiday prayerbooks, hand-carved in ivory. Moshe Prado did not survive the war, nor did his children except one daughter and one son, Jack's father.

Jack Castro ended up with one of the High Holiday prayerbooks. "My aunt gave me that book years ago," says Jack. "I sadly never met my grandfather, but I had one of his books in my possession for many many years without really thinking about its value."

Jack was born in Paris, grew up in Argentina and emigrated to the United States in 1965. He and his wife Graciela have two children and two grandchildren. About fifteen years ago, they moved to Boca Raton where Jack is the president of a software company.

A few years ago, Jack had a surprise call from an old childhood friend in Argentina, a friend with whom he had kept in close contact all these years.

"He told me that his daughter Julie and her boyfriend were coming to Miami and could I show them around," said Jack. Of course he readily agreed and promised to pick them up at the airport.

The day their plane was due however, Jack had an important meeting and he asked his son Spencer to pick them up instead. As it turned out, Julie's boyfriend had to return to Argentina, so when Spencer got to the airport, Julie was alone.

Yes, you guessed it, the meeting was "bashert."

"Spencer picked Julie up at the airport in Miami," said Jack "and by the time they reached our home in Boca they had really connected."

Two months later, the young couple had a civil marriage. They planned to have a Jewish wedding in Argentina. But the economic crisis was already threatening and Julie's parents soon moved to Florida. Now that the whole family was together, the plans for a Jewish chupa began in earnest.

"Although we are a traditional family" said Jack, "we did not belong to any synagogue and didn't know where to find a small one that would please the children. A friend suggested that we look into Chabad of East Boca that had recently opened."

Jack and his family set up a meeting and he recalls that "just like with the children, it was love at first sight. We all liked Rabbi Ruvi and Ahuva New and their family and we set a date for the wedding. We even began attending Shabbat services."

At one Shabbat dinner at the New home, Rabbi New told the Castros the aforementioned story about the book at the wedding. "I have a book that belonged to my grandfather, too." Jack told the rabbi about the prayerbook and decided to bring it to the wedding of his son.

And what a wedding it was. "We were expecting a simple ceremony, but Rabbi New had other plans. He brought a CD of Jewish wedding music and turned it into a real simcha." Jack Castro and his family are now regular participants at Shabbat services. "My son loves to go to the synagogue now," he says proudly "we are all rediscovering our Judaism."

The Rebbe's wedding long ago in Warsaw, a prayerbook in Salonika, a note from the Rebbe and two grandfathers look on proudly from above as their descendants add another link in the chain of Jewish tradition. Mazel Tov.

Picture Description: the Rebbe coming out from Mikva on Union Street.

Good Shabbos.

Menachem.

Copyright © Menachem Kirschenbaum 2007