Unique Photos of the Rebbe at a 1990 Women’s Convention

The Avner Institute is pleased to present a beautiful collection of photos from the N'shei Chabad Jewish Women's Convention, Iyar 25, 1990. Special thanks to Rabbi Yossi Lew and The Rebbe Archive for the pictures.
Good Shabbos

Menachem

The Rebbe Accompanies the President into 770

Zalman Shazar was first elected President of Israel by the Knesset in 1963, and then re-elected in 1968 and 1973. He shared an extremity close and unique relationship with the Rebbe. Rabbi Sholomo Maydanchik, a Chabad activist in Israel, in an address to a group of college students in the United States, explained, “Mr. Shazar is not only an admirer of Chabad – he is also a dedicated Chassid and follower of the Rebbe.” The President visited the Rebbe a number of times, and each visit turning into a truly special event.

The Avner Institute has captured photos of these historical visits – in 1966 and 1973. Special thanks to the Zionist archives of Jerusalem and the Rebbe Archive.

Good Shabbos
Menachem

The Rebbe’s Dedication to Jewish Education

One of the Rebbe’s main drives and ultimate goals was to establish institution all over the world that would provide children with a proper Jewish education. The Avner Institute is proud to present A beautiful Photo showing the Rebbe interacting with children. Special thanks to the Rebbe Archive for the pictures.

In addition, below is a transcript originally published by the Young Leadership Cabinet following their meeting with the Rebbe on March 4, 1973. The transcript brings to attention the Rebbes’s care for and dedication towards children’s education.

This week's email is dedicated to my sister, Devorah Leah, in honor of her engagement to Isser New; may they build a Bayis Ne'eman B'yisrael!

Good Shabbos
Menachem

From a transcript published by the Young Leadership Cabinet after their meeting with the Rebbe:


"There is a special goal which takes priority over all others and that is education. By educating people you are preparing the young leadership of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Education is not a question of making someone who is not so learned, more learned, someone who is not fluent, more fluent, someone who is not charitable to become charitable or more charitable. Education now is a question of saving a soul, saving a human being for the Jewish people. And saving him even for humanity.

Taking into account that a child is someone whose need for education must be met at the first opportunity possible-money can be borrowed now and paid tomorrow or a year from tomorrow. Even if you have no money already in cash or in pledges it is the first priority and the first duty and the first obligation of every Jew who can do something in this realm to invest it in education.


I am not asking you for a check,what I am asking is that every one of you, before asking someone for a check tomorrow, to become more Jewish than today by adding at least one mitzvah in your personal life, in your private life and in the life of your family. And, in addition, and I know this from my personal experience, I am now seventy years old and nevertheless I hope that tomorrow morning, I will be a better Jew than today. Performing a mitzvah in your private life as a private person-has an immediate impact on your communal activities"

"Suicide" - A Unique Letter from The Rebbe & A New Photo

Do all Jews go straight to Heaven? Is there a life in the next world for one who takes his own life? The Avner Institute presents a unique letter of the Rebbe, discussing the tragic consequence of suicide in the World to Come; and stressing the importance of a Jew’s responsibility in this world. Included is a newly released photo of the Rebbe, courtesy of Rabbi Goldstein and The Rebbe Archive.

Good Shabbos
Menachem


By the Grace of G-d
10th of Nissan, 5721
Brooklyn, NY
Greeting and Blessing:

I received your letter, in which you write about your efforts to implement my suggestion in connection with Purim. I trust that you have also been active in the matter of distribution of Shemura Matza before Pesach, together with our friend Mr. Fisher.

With regard to the question of Gehinom and how it affects sinners in general, and suicides in particular, you can well imagine that this is a subject about which I do not encourage discussion, especially in the case of a young man whose whole life is ahead of him and who has to utilize the years which G-d bestows upon him, and utilize them with energy and joy and complete trust in G-d.

Thus, this and similar morbid topics are not conducive to the proper attitude and activity which should fill one’s life. However, in order not to leave your question altogether unanswered, let me say briefly this. Besides the fact that one who takes his own life has no share in the world to come, and this is a result which few transgressions bring about, there is the added consideration that there is no escape from G-d, and, as it is written (Psalm 139:8): Im osek shomayim sham atah ve’etziah shaul hincha (If I ascend up into heaven You are there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.)

Therefore, one who takes his own life in the hope of avoiding suffering actually adds to his woes in that in addition having to go through all the things which he had hoped to escape, he has to suffer also the consequence of having tried to escape his duties and obligations, etc. However, the main point is, as mentioned above, this is not a topic to be delved in, but one should be totally immersed in Torah, which is called Toras Chaim, the Law of Life, and the Mitzvoth whereby Jews live, and to do one’s utmost to spread the light and life of the Torah and Mitzvoth in the environment at large.

Hoping to hear good news from you, and wishing you a Kosher and happy Pesach.

With blessing,

(signature)

"Dear Rebbe, Should we Compromise?"

The following is a beautiful Yechidus that took place in the winter of 1962 between the Rebbe and a student of Yeshiva University. Included is a newly released photo of the Rebbe, courtesy of the Rebbe Archive.

Good Shabbos

Menachem

Question: Often a great many of our students are like “goyim” [gentiles], incapable and unreceptive to absorbing Jewish education. I have heard of Lubavitch’s success in disseminating Judaism in even remote parts of the globe. How are these people approached?

The Rebbe: It is always possible to convey even difficult concepts in an orderly and uncomplicated manner, using simple terms that even a beginner may understand. In addition, the better students may often serve as intermediaries between the instructor and the slower students. Lubavitch has often found that wherever the “darkness” of spiritual ignorance was greater, the response to Torah and mitzvoth was greater. One must not be dismayed by the infinite amount of work and teaching that must be done, but must strive to accomplish a limited amount each day in order to improve the world. Beginning from [Hebrew letters] Aleph-Bais, one must continue to progress until the goal is reached. Just as the Torah, which is limitless, has, nevertheless, confined itself into 613 precepts which every Jew, even the American Jew, is obligated to fulfill, so must the endless task of disseminated Judaism is limited to a certain amount of progress every day.

Question: You said that we should make religion part of our daily lives. However, some students feel that they cannot accept religion completely; they are not interested in fulfilling all the precepts. Is there any value in compromise?

The Rebbe: No one is perfect. “There is no tzaddik [holy man] on earth that has never sinned;” even the most righteous can be found lacking in some spiritual aspect. However, these imperfections do not impair the good that one performs. Every mitzvah accomplished adds impetus to fulfilling more precepts. Let each one do as much as he can today; tomorrow he will do more, or perhaps the day after tomorrow. G-d has infinite patience, but why postpone until tomorrow what can be done now?

Question: How should one begin in instructing his students, with just performance of the mitzvoth, or should he talk about hislahavus [ecstasy] as well?

The Rebbe: You must choose the approach that fits the individual you are dealing with. If hislahavus will appeal to him, choose that method. But one must be cognizant of the fact that the essential is ma’aseh be-poel, the actual performance of mitzvoth, and it is wise to begin with the essential so that if your talk becomes soporiferous in the middle, your audience will at least go away with an essential.

Question: Is quality more important than quantity?

The Rebbe: Einstein said that quantity transfers into quality, mass into energy. The Midrash Rabba cites an interesting point: If even one Jew of the 600,000 had been missing at Mt. Sinai, G-d would not have given the Torah. Not just a Jew like Moshe Rabbeinu, but even the Jew who had an idol in his tent, pesel mika; had he not been present, the Torah would not have been given. Nine Moses’ cannot make a minyan [quorum of ten] to say a kedusha, though that would be a tremendous amount of quality; but if you have ten in quantity, you can say kedusha, just as the Midrash Rabba stated that 600,000 was not necessary for the Revelation. This indicates that quantity and quality are transformative.

The Rebbe's Room

The Avner Institute is proud to present a unique photo of the Rebbe leaving his room in 770. This room was the Rebbe’s private study from the day he arrived in the U.S. in 1941; it was here where he received thousands of visitors. special thanks to the Rebbe Archive for the picture.

Also included is a lovely diary written by a student in the winter of 1966, in which the Rebbe describes his room’s specialness.

Good Shabbos
Menachem

WHERE TEARS WERE HEARD

From a Student's Diary:

"In 1966 the president of Israel, Zalman Shazar, who shared a unique relationship with the Rebbe, made a visit to 770 under tremendous pressure, since legally a traveling president had to conduct business from where he was staying. When the president entered 770, the Rebbe walked him through the doors to the upstairs study hall. “This is where my father-in-law davened (prayed),” he said.

“This is where my father-in-law celebrated Simchas Torah." Showing him the place where the bachurim (students) sat and learned every day, he concluded, “All this I could not bring to you had I gone to see you at your hotel in Manhattan."

Then they entered the Rebbe’s room. The Rebbe pointed and said, “From this table the tears of many Yidden (Jews) were heard. This room helped free many from Russia, and here my father-in-law gave over discourses in Chassidus. “All this,” concluded the Rebbe, “I could not have brought had I come to your place of residence.”

What is The Job Description of a Rebbe?

What is The Job Description of a Rebbe?

What is a Rebbe?

Why must every Jew be connected to a Rebbe?

The following is a unique yechidus (audience) of the Rebbe that took place in the winter of 1969 with a Chabad supporter, reprinted with permission from the "Zionist Archives" of Jerusalem. Included is a unique photo of the Rebbe, with special thanks to the "Rebbe Archive."

Good Shabbos.
Menachem.

"Strength of a Leader"

Question: The Rebbe's energy is so instrumental in helping us serve G-d properly, how is it possible that we still have free will?

The Rebbe: The Torah says, regarding Moshe Rabbeinu: "I stand between G-d and the Jewish people," because connecting directly with G-d is a challenge. The Yidden (Jews) pleaded with G-d to place an intermediary between the Yidden and G-d. Each generation has its own Moshe Rabbeinu.

To understand this from a worldly perspective: when a regular person has an appointment to speak with the king, it is such a momentous occasion that in preparation for even a brief audience, the person dons brand new clothes and buys new shoes. He will need to know in advance what to speak about and, more importantly, how to speak to a king.

How does such a person prepare himself? He contacts an official or a lawmaker who is intricately familiar with the laws and customs of speaking to a king, and who will advise him on how to get a message across to a king.

The same applies spiritually: G-d intended for you to get involved in a specific type of business through which you became, Baruch HaShem, very wealthy. Now your avodah (task) is also to give tzedakah (charity). There are times during the year, like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when it is relatively easy for a Yid to communicate directly with G-d. However, reaching G-d on your own on a regular basis is a very difficult task. You go to a tzadik (holy man), who knows how to speak to G-d, and this tzadik communicates on your behalf.

Regarding your question of free will: A wealthy and respectable person who wants to build a house still needs to find a contractor who will actually do the work, an architect to make the blueprints etc.; he will have to find someone specific for each detail of the house. In building a house it is impossible for one person to do everything.

It is true that there may be some people who are wealthy and they are also contractors themselves and this person can build a house on his own, but only a select few individuals can do all things involved in building a house.

When this wealthy person builds a house, the fact that he relies on various different people, with different professions, doesn't mean that his image as a wealthy and respectful person is diminished. Rather, he needs money to pay other professionals to do the various tasks, and without money, he indeed would not get anywhere.

The same in spirituality: a Yid who is occupied with business and with giving charity still needs a tzadik for help. On his own, a Yid does not have sufficient merits; he therefore needs the tzadik to elevate him closer to G-d.

For example: how do you connect a Yid here in Brooklyn who gives money in order to help free a Yid in Russia? How a can a Yid in Russia give someone a part in a mitzvah? The same thing regarding a Yid from here who gives money, enabling a Yid in Tel Aviv to don tefillin -- how are those two people connected?

The fact that the Yid from here is connected to me and the Yid who is in Russia is also connected to me, and I know how to speak to the Above, I connect both of these Yidden together. I am a physical human being like you. It is just that G-d gave me the strength to help out Yidden.

The Rebbe And Children

In honor of Yud Aleph Nissan, the Rebbe’s birthday, the Avner Institute is proud to present a first-time released photo of the Rebbe entering 770 in the winter of 1979. Special thanks to the Rebbe Archive and to Mrs. Brod.

A Happy & Healthy Passover!

Menachem

Jewish Leaders Meet In Brooklyn

In honor of Yud Alef Nissan, the day the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, was born (April 18, 1902), The Avner Institute, together with the Rebbe Archive, is proud to present two new photos with a recollection written by Mr. Yehuda Avner for the Jerusalem Post, Oct 5, 2004.

A Happy & Healthy Passover!

Menachem

Mr. Yehuda Avner Relats:

"SOME TIME later, on a balmy July day in 1977, Menachem Begin was similarly confronted. A bushy-haired reporter in a baggy suit asked him with Village Voice effrontery, "You are the newly elected prime minister of Israel, so why have you come to see Rabbi Schneerson? Surely, protocol requires he come to you.

"This altercation took place on the steps of the Lubavitch headquarters, where the Rebbe was welcoming Mr. Begin amid a blaze of photo flashes. "Why, indeed?" the prime minister began with easy rapport. "A good question."And then, with an air of deep reverence,

"I have come here because I am en route to Washington to meet President Jimmy Carter for the first time. So it is most natural for me to want to seek the blessings of this great sage of the Jewish people. Rabbi Schneerson is one of the paramount Jewish personalities of our time. His status is unique among our people. So yes, certainly, his blessings will strengthen me as I embark on a mission of acute importance for our future."

"Would the rabbi care to comment on that?" asked the reporter.He said, "Only to reiterate my fullest blessings. And to add, I accept the honor of the prime minister's visit to me not on my own account but in recognition of the Lubavitch movement's dedicated work in spreading the love of God and His Torah among our fellow Jews, wherever they be.

"The two men had been friends for years, and they closeted themselves for a good hour, at the end of which Mr. Begin informed Rabbi Schneerson that I would return to New York from Washington to brief him on the White House talks"

A Warm Welcome

The Rebbe greets a group of Canadian guests, during the summer of 1984, on the way to his father-in-law’s gravesite.

How To Deal With Depression? A Unique Letter of The Rebbe

Where does depression come from? Is it in any way positive? In the following letter the Rebbe addresses a student who was going through difficult times that it’s all in the mind, and in that the mind can change more easily than we think. Included is a newly released photo, courtesy of the Rebbe Archive.

By the Grace of G-d
27th of Teveth,

5721 Brooklyn, NY

Mr. ----- 5265 Park Avenue Montreal 8, Que.

Greeting and Blessing:

I received your letter and enclosures.

It is explained in many places in Chasidus, beginning with the Tanya, about the negative aspects of all forms of sadness, depression, despondency, etc. It is also clear from experience that these attitudes belong to the bag of tricks of the Yetzer Hora in order to distract the Jew from serving G-d. To achieve this end the Yetzer Hora sometimes even clothes itself in the mantle of piety.

The true test, however, is what the results are, whether these attitudes bring about an improvement in, and a fuller measure of Torah and Mitzvos, or the reverse. This should be easy to determine.

On the other hand we have been assured that “He who is determined to purify himself receives Divine help.” The road to purity and holiness, however, is one that should be trodden step by step, and by gradual and steady advancement.

Needless to say, the idea of your continuing at the Yeshivah for some time is the right one. As for the question how and what to write to your parents, I suggest that you consult with Rabbi Joseph Weinberg, who knows them personally, and who could give you some useful suggestions.
Hoping to hear good news from you in all above,

With blessing,
(signature)

Good Shabbos

Menachem.

The Senator And The Rebbe

The Senator And The Rebbe

The Rebbe gives a hearty welcome to Senator Jacob Javitz, shown here with his grandson, in a private audience where the topics Jewish lineage and education were combined. The Avner Institute is proud to present this newly released photo of the Yechidus, along with a fond recollection by Rabbi Groner, a member of the Rebbe’s secretariat who was present at the time.

Children & Grandchildren

Rabbi Groner relates:

At time of this yechidus (audience), Senator Jacob Javitz was chairman of the Senate Judicial Committee. The senator told the Rebbe that before coming to the visit he had asked his staff to prepare a survey comparing the crime rates between public and religious schools. It was found that while certain crimes – over 70% – took place in public schools, the same crimes were either nil or of very low occurrence (1-2%) in religious schools.“According to this,”

The Rebbe answered, “we see the importance of having religious education. Only through religious education can students be taught how to behave properly.” He urged the senator to find a way to publicize the results of this survey and to have parents enroll their children in parochial schools. Senator Javitz, however, argued that this was not the position of the Senate. “If that’s the case,” the Rebbe said, “at least publicize your results and show the difference between children who are educated in public schools and those who are educated in religious schools.

Show how religious schools prevent them from doing things that are negative and against the law.”The Rebbe also mentioned that he believed Senator Javitz was directly descended from Rabbi Yaakov Emden, known as the Yavitz, which was the Hebrew equivalent of Javitz. “Therefore,” the Rebbe said, “conduct of a descendent of the Yavitz should be in accordance to the wishes of your forefather Yaakov Emden.”

Good Shabbos

Menachem

How To Resolve Conflict? A Beautiful Letter of The Rebbe.

The Avner Institute is proud to present a letter from the Rebbe to a frustrated Jew who had left the Torah path and written him explaining why. Included is a newly released photo of the Rebbe, with special thanks to the Rebbe Archive.