686 beis moshiach · 2013. 1. 21. · 4 10 adar 5769 bbeis moshiach nameless translated and adapted...

Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082-0272 is published weekly, except Jewishholidays (only once in April and October) for$160.00 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and inall other places for $180.00 per year (45issues), by Beis Moshiach, 744 EasternParkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409.Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY andadditional offices. Postmaster: send addresschanges to Beis Moshiach 744 EasternParkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409.Copyright 2009 by Beis Moshiach, Inc.Beis Moshiach is not responsible for thecontent of the advertisements.

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contents

PURIM 1953: THE RISE AND FALL OF AMODERN DAY HAMAN [CONT.]Memoirs | Avrohom Reinitz

14

LUBAVITCH LIFE IN CHEVRON Feature | Shneur Zalman Berger24

MEGILLAS CHASSIDIMPurim | Dafna Chaim32

LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO GEULA Profile | Ofra Badosa34

A CHASSIDIC PENSIONERPOWERHOUSE Shlichus | S. Malachi

38

BRILLIANT SOLUTIONS FROM BUBBECOHEN Moshiach Light

20

BIG BRACHOS FOR A GRATEFUL GERERFeature | Nosson Avrohom10

THE REBBE’S PURIM: PERSONALNOTESStories for Purim

6

NAMELESSD’var Malchus4

686:Beis Moshiach 02/03/2009 8:41 AM Page 3

Torah is the “blueprint of creation,” teaching notonly general principles, but also illuminating the detailsand “hidden corners” of existence. If this is true of thecommonplace and everyday, how much more so does itclarify the attitudes that define us and illustrate themoments that transform us.

The most transformative event in history will be thecoming of Moshiach. The era of Redemption is thegoal and purpose of creation. This period of universalprosperity and spiritual awareness will be initiated bythe achievements of Moshiach.

This being the case, Torah outlines not only whatMoshiach will do, but the kind of person he must be.Torah provides a specific ‘personality profile’ ofMoshiach. And this week’s Torah portion gives us apicture of the most critical attribute of Moshiach. Inanalyzing the Torah reading, we must remember thatthere’s a ‘spark of Moshiach’ within every Jew. TheDivine soul which every Jew possesses links him or herto every other Jew, including Moshiach. The actions ofMoshiach we must duplicate within ourselves.

The prototype for Moshiach isMoshe. Indeed, our Sages go togreat length to compare Moshe toMoshiach, the first redeemer withthe last. The ‘spark of Moshiach’within every Jew echoes and reflectsthe ‘spark of Moshe’ within everyJew. The leader of a generation iscalled both the Moshe of thegeneration and the Moshiach of thegeneration.

With this background, we cannow look at the unique features ofthis week’s Torah reading. First, itsname, “V’Ata Tetzaveh” means“You shall command.” G-d tellsMoshe to command the Jewishpeople concerning several activitiesin the Tabernacle which relate toAaron and the priestly service: first,G-d instructs Moshe in theprocedure for lighting the menorah,then tells him about the priestlygarments. The Torah reading alsoincludes the dedication of Aaronand his sons and construction ofthe incense altar.

However, the most unusualfeature of this week’s Torah readingis that it is the only one from thebirth of Moshe until his ‘farewellspeech’ that does not mentionMoshe by name. Of course Moshe

is not mentioned in Genesis, since he wasn’t born yet;Deuteronomy is essentially a first-person address fromMoshe to the Jewish people, so there’s no need for himto name himself. But every Torah reading in Exodus,Leviticus and Numbers explicitly mentions Moshe byname – except this one, Tetzaveh, “You shallcommand.”

So there are three questions: why is there a Torahreading without the name of Moshe? Why in this Torahreading specifically is it not mentioned? That is, whatis the connection between the absence of Moshe’sname and the contents of the portion? And finally,what does this teach us about the nature of Moshiach,in general, and the ‘spark of Moshiach’ within each ofus, in particular?

To answer the first question: When Moshe pleadswith G-d to spare the Jewish people after the sin of theGolden Calf, he declares that if G-d will not forgive thepeople, then “erase me from Your book that You havewritten.” If G-d will not pardon the children of Israel,

The absence of Moshe’s name from theTorah portion indicates his essentialnature. The essence of Moshe is Torah.But so united is Moshe with the Jewishpeople that he is willing to sacrifice hisvery essence and being to save a singlesoul, even one involved in building theGolden Calf. This level of mesirusnefesh, of self-sacrifice, ischaracteristic of Moshiach, as well.Each individual must strive to revealthis ‘spark of Moshiach’ within himself.

4 10 Adar 5769 BBE IS MOSHIACH

NAMELESSTranslated and adapted by Dovid Yisroel Ber Kaufmann

d’var ma lchus


Moshe demands to be removed from the Torah.Although this ultimatum was conditional, since it wasmade by a tzaddik and sage – by Moshe – it must befulfilled in some form. Hence, Moshe’s name was‘blotted out’ from a Torah reading. But why thisportion?

To answer that question, we have to look moreclosely at the Torah reading itself. Although Moshe isnot mentioned by name, his presence is feltthroughout. Many verses speak about Moshe,beginning with the first: “You shall command.”Actually, the word “tetzaveh” means both “command”and “attach.” So here G-d is telling Moshe to not onlycommand the Jewish people, but by so doing, attachthem to G-d.

G-d doesn’t use Moshe’s name, because a name isexternal, used as a reference for someone else. But wedon’t need a name when addressingourselves. When the essence isrevealed, a name is irrelevant. SoG-d instructs Moshe: with youressence, the very nature of who youare, command the Jewish peopleand attach them to Me.

What is the essence and natureof Moshe? Torah. His very beingwas bound up with Torah. Still,Moshe was willing to risk his veryessence and being to save thosewhose act – building the GoldenCalf – was the ultimate denial andrejection of Torah. The Torah says,“Thou shalt have no other gods” –and they built a god!

How can Moshe be willing tosacrifice his very essence and being,to forego Torah which defines whohe is, for the sake of Jews who deny and willfully violateTorah? The answer is that “Moshe is Israel and Israelis Moshe.” The unity of Moshe with the Jewish peopleis deeper and more fundamental than his unity withTorah. So quintessential is the union of Moshe and theJewish people that their descent becomes his descent.Although Moshe had absolutely no involvement in theGolden Calf, when it was built, G-d told him, “godown.” His greatness was one and the same thing astheirs. Moshe could not remain on the mountain withTorah when the Jewish people sinned. Not even Torahcould sunder Moshe from Israel.

This explains the essential characteristic of theleader of every generation, who is the Moshe of hisgeneration. Although the greatness of our rabbis andleaders lies in their scholarship, their mastery of Torah,

still “the leader of the generation is like the wholegeneration.” The leader is one entity with the people. Atrue leader, the true Moshe, the true Moshiach of thegeneration, will not and cannot abandon any Jew. Hisvery essence and being are totally united and boundwith even the greatest sinner, the Jew who builds aGolden Calf and, G-d forbid, becomes an idolater.

The critical attribute of Moshe is self-sacrifice,mesirus nefesh. This is the critical attribute of a trueleader of the generation, of Moshiach himself.Although Moshe is willing to give up everything forTorah, he is willing to give up even Torah itself for anyJew, even and especially the worst transgressor. For,although a Jew may sin, he remains a Jew. The true,inner essence of Moshe – and of Moshiach – isrevealed by an uncompromising self-sacrifice for asingle Jewish soul, even the most distant one.

Further, because the essenceand being of Moshe – andMoshiach – is one with the essenceand being of every Jewish soul, theself-sacrifice of Moshe – andtherefore Moshiach – reveals thequintessential unity and oneness ofthe Jewish people with G-d. Thatoneness transcends even the sin ofthe Golden Calf, evokingforgiveness and atonement.

This mesirus nefesh is the firststage, the beginning ofRedemption.

This Torah reading concerns theactivities of Aaron and his sons. Allof these activities – the lighting ofthe menorah, the design andmanufacture of the priestlygarments, the dedication of Aaron

and his sons, the construction of the incense altar – allof them occur through the agency and direction ofMoshe. Since Aaron and his sons are sanctified,without Moshe their service in the Tabernacle appliesonly to those Jews who observe the Torah’scommandments. But because the dedication of Aaroncame through Moshe, Aaron’s offerings bringatonement to all the Jewish people.

And since every Jew possesses a ‘spark of Moshe,’ a‘spark of Moshiach,’ we must also proceed with self-sacrifice, “putting aside our Torah,” our personalinterests, to help another Jew, to bring them to Torahwith Ahavas Yisroel, love for a fellow Jew. Through ourMoshe-like self-sacrifice, we will merit the coming ofMoshiach.

(Likkutei Sichos 21, pp. 173-180)

5BE IS MOSHIACH Issue 686

How can Moshe bewilling to sacrificehis very essenceand being, toforego Torahwhich defines whohe is, for the sakeof Jews who denyand willfullyviolate Torah?


stor ies for pur im

WHEN CLOWNS CAMETO THE FARBRENGEN

In the early years of theRebbe’s nesius, Crown Heightswas home to Jews of manydifferent backgrounds:Hungarian, modern, and PolishChassidish. One year, in themiddle of the farbrengen, a groupof people dressed up as clownsappeared, singing and makingmerry. Their intention was not todisturb; they were simply in aPurim’dike mood.

At the conclusion of theirsong, the Rebbe said, “Now we’llshow what we can do,” and theRebbe began a lively niggun.

THE PURIMMIRACLE IN 5740

During the farbrengen onMotzaei Purim, the Rebbe said themaamer, “BaLaila HaHu.” Nearthe end of the maamer, the Rebbespoke strongly against giving awayland in Eretz Yisroel, using thesame tune and tone as he said therest of the maamer. Then, at theend of the maamer, the Rebbespoke about Haman’s decree andthe victory of the Jews. He saidthat just as there was a miracle

back then, so too there would beone today, in our generation.

At the end of the farbrengen,the Rebbe instructed theChassidim to sing “ShoshanasYaakov.” During the singing, theRebbe motioned to a Chassid tosay l’chaim. The Chassid wasdrunk and the Rebbe said,“Chassid, utchok (the Chassid hasrun away).”

At the farbrengen of ShabbosParshas Ki Sisa, the Rebbe spokeat length about the miracle thattook place when President Carterissued a statement disavowingAmerica’s vote against Israel inthe UN Security Council which,he said, was cast in error. TheRebbe explained at length howthis was like the miracle that tookplace on Purim.

MASHKE FROMTHE ALTER REBBE

The farbrengen that took placeon Purim, 5711 (1951), was thefirst that the Rebbe conductedfrom the bima, using amicrophone. Towards the end, theRebbe surprised everyone sayingthat he doesn’t understand whatpeople want of him, referring tohis accepting the role of Rebbe.

The older Chassidim who werepresent told the Rebbe that it wasone hemshech (continuation) fromthe Alter Rebbe and it was oneetzem (essence).

One of the older Chassidimasked the Rebbe for mashke,saying that “he wanted mashkefrom the Alter Rebbe.” The Rebbesmiled and gave it to him.

At the end of the farbrengen,the Rebbe said, “Just as the Rebbe[Rayatz] did not say regarding hisfather ‘nishmaso Eden’ (his soul isin Gan Eden) but ‘nishmaso bi’(his soul is within me), I too donot say about the Rebbe [Rayatz]‘nishmaso Eden’ but ‘nishmasobi.’

The Rebbe concluded thefarbrengen by wishing theassembled, “The Rebbe shlita [theRebbe Rayatz] should lead ustowards Moshiach.”

A SUDDEN MAAMARPurim, 1981, was on a Friday.

Mincha that afternoon wasattended by a scant few, sincemost people were on mivtzaim orbusy with the mitzvos of the day.

The Rebbe davened Minchaand returned to his room. Tenminutes later, when even the fewpeople who had been there forMincha had left, the Rebbe wentto the small zal and began sayinga maamer based on the Gemara,“Megilla Nikreis.” Beforebeginning the maamer, the Rebbeinstructed that the doors to the

Short stories and thoughts about Purimfrom Menachem Ziegelboim’s “Sipuroshel Chag – Chag HaPurim”


THE REBBE�S PURIM:PERSONAL NOTES


zal be closed, but every so oftenmore people came in through thewindows. The maamer took 15minutes.

After the maamer, the Rebbesaid, “I will remain here a littlewhile longer and in the meantime,they should chap arain and sayl’chaim without any limits…”

Due to the unexpectedness ofthis farbrengen, they had notprepared the Rebbe’s cup. TheRebbe said l’chaim twice from aplastic cup. One of the peoplepresent wanted to get the Rebbe’scup but the Rebbe dissuaded him,saying he wanted to be likeeveryone else. Then the Rebbe

answered l’chaim to everybodypresent and encouraged thesinging.

As he departed, the Rebbenoticed that the doors to the shulwere open and commented to R’Groner, “I asked that the doors beclosed.”

The people continued tofarbreng into Shabbos. KabbalasShabbos was said with unusualsimcha.

SPECIAL REGARD FOR PURIM ACTIVITIES

Over the years, the Rebbe

placed special emphasis on Purimmivtzaim with Israeli soldiers. R’Groner relates:

“Every year, before Purim, theRebbe asked about the plans todistribute mishloach manosamong the soldiers, police andthose in jails. The Rebbe thenprovided a third of the expensesfor these mishloach manos, andpaid the remaining two-thirdsafter Purim.”

TO WHOM DID THE REBBE SEND

MISHLOACH MANOS?The Rebbe would send

mishloach manos to three peopleevery year, a Kohen, Levi andYisroel. The Kohen was thesecretary, R’ Eliyahu Quint. Afterhe passed away, the Rebbe sent toRabbi Mordechai Rivkin. TheLevi was R’ Shmuel Levitin. Afterhe passed away, the Rebbe sent toRabbi Shmuel Dovid Raitchik.The Yisroel was the secretary,Rabbi Chodakov.

In the first years after thepassing of the Rebbe Rayatz, theRebbe continued to sendmishloach manos to all the peoplethe Rebbe Rayatz had sent to,including the Admurim of Boyan,Amshinov, and Kapishnitz.

Every year, shortly afterShacharis, the Rebbe would giveR’ Berel Junik the mishloachmanos, for him to deliver them tothe usual people.

The mishloach manoscontained a bottle of mashke andhamantashen, with the addition oforanges in later years.

MISHLOACH MANOSTO A LONELY JEW

In 1980, the Rebbe sentmishloach manos to Mr. Henry,an older bachelor who lived in thesame building as the Rebbe whenthe Rebbe first came to America,

on New York Avenue. At first,Mr. Henry had negative feelingstowards Judaism but after gettingto know the Rebbe over a longperiod of time, his attitudechanged and he began to bereligiously observant. He waspersonally brought close toJudaism by the Rebbe.

The relationship continuedeven after the Rebbe moved, andhe merited special attention fromthe Rebbe.

THE REBBE RECEIVEDMISHLOACH MANOSThroughout Purim, the

secretaries would bring the Rebbethe mishloach manos that hadbeen sent for him from all overthe world. Very few people werepermitted to personally give theRebbe mishloach manos. Amongthem were Rabbi Sholom Hechtand Rabbi Yehuda Leib Bistritzky.Afterwards, the Rebbe would givehis mishloach manos to thetalmidim of the yeshiva or to thegirls of Beis Rivka and MachonChana.

TO WHOM DIDTHE REBBE GIVE

MATANOSLA’EVYONIM?

For many years, RabbiMordechai Mentlick, the roshyeshiva in 770, would go to theRebbe on Purim and receivematanos la’evyonim (monetarygifts for the poor) on behalf ofthe Kuppas Bachurim (fund forbachurim) that he ran.

Every Purim, the Rebbe wouldcontribute a check for $100 fromhis personal account, as well asbills and coins.

The gabbai in 770, RabbiMoshe Pinchas Katz, would go tothe Rebbe’s room on Purim andbe given about forty dollars formatanos la’evyonim, which was


Before beginningthe maamer, theRebbe instructedthat the doors tothe zal be closed,but every so oftenmore people came

in through thewindows.


intended for certain individuals.The Rebbe would emphasize thatthe money should be distributedon the holiday of Purim.

The Chassid, R’ MosheGroner, would also receive moneyfrom the Rebbe for needy Jewishfamilies on the East Side. Whenhe went on Purim, 1991, henoticed that the Rebbe gave him$100 more than usual. R’ Mosheasked the Rebbe about this andthe Rebbe responded there wasnothing to be concerned aboutand he should forget about it.

This was, in fact, the last Purimbefore the Rebbe’s stroke on 27Adar I, 5752.

IF YOU WERE NOTSURE WHETHER YOU

SAID L’CHAIMThe Purim farbrengen of 1979

was special. The Rebbe began bysaying, “Generally, we startfarbrengens with talking, butsince it’s Purim today, we willstart with saying l’chaim.”

The crowd sang a niggun afterwhich the Rebbe said, “Someone

should get up and say, ‘hurry up’in the language of the land (i.e.English) to say l’chaim again.”The Rebbe urged the crowd tosay l’chaim again and again,stressing that the inyan of Purimis “ad d’lo yada.”

“If someone is not surewhether he had enough,” said theRebbe, “he should be stringent.Therefore, in order to avoiddoubts, everyone should sayl’chaim yet again.” The Rebbeeven turned to the elderChassidim who sat behind himand asked how many times theyhad said l’chaim - once, twice, ormore.

STRIKING HAMANDuring the reading of the

Megilla, the Rebbe would bang atevery reading of Haman’s name,in contrast with the prevailingChabad custom to do so onlywhen his name appears with atitle or description. The Rebbewould generally stamp his rightfoot and sometimes his left.

Sometimes, the Rebbe wouldsmile broadly when the children“struck Haman.”

NEW MEGILLA In the early years of the

nesius, the Rebbe used an old,yellowed Megilla which chassidimbelieve he received from theRebbe Rayatz. The “ten sons ofHaman” were listed in onecolumn, unlike in the Megillawritten by the Rebbe Maharash.The case for this Megilla wasplain and black.

Years later, R’ GetzelRubashkin and his sons boughtthe Rebbe a new Megilla and putit in a silver holder. The Rebbeaccepted it after paying for it andhe used it as well.



In a small manufacturer’sworkshop for designing kippot in avariety of shapes and sizes, locatedin the basement of his home in thecenter of B’nei Brak, sits RabbiYisroel Sternschoss. He is a Gererchassid who longingly recalls thoseglorious moments when he wasprivileged to spend time in theRebbe’s court. As part of hisbusiness dealings, Rabbi Sternschosshas to make his way to the GreaterNew York City metropolitan areatwice a year in order to advance hisentrepreneurship. “At every suchvisit, I would faithfully come to 770in order to appear in the Rebbe’spresence. Every time I would have toleave Eretz Yisroel, I would ask forthe Rebbe’s bracha prior to settingout on my journey.”

Rabbi Sternschoss is a scholarlyJew and a pleasant conversationalist.During the interview, he recounted aseries of interesting episodesbetween his visits with the Rebbe

MH”M and with his own Rebbeimin the court of the Gerer chassidim.It turns out that, as with many otherJews, Rabbi Sternschoss would notlift a finger in anything connectedwith his business affairs withoutreceiving the Rebbe’s bracha. “Therewere times that I received an answerfrom the Rebbe directing me to seekadvice or to reassess a proposedbusiness offer. In suchcircumstances, I understood thateven if the deal appearedworthwhile, I should refrain fromconsidering it.”

THE REBBE HADRESERVATIONS

Rabbi Sternschoss’ biennial tripsto New York began in 5740. Onevery such visit, he would also pay acall at ‘Beis Chayeinu.’ He wouldfrequently participate in minyanimand farbrengens and, in later years,would not miss out on Sunday

dollars distribution to receive theRebbe’s holy blessing. “Each timethat I would come to 770, I wouldsit in the first row behind theplatform where the Rebbe stoodduring davening. I remember thatwhen I came for Shacharis with theRebbe for the first time, I couldn’tdaven from all the excitement. Everymovement and motion of the Rebbemade my heart tremble. Hispenetrating eyes and appearancewere most exceptional.”

On several occasions, he had theprivilege of witnessing the Rebbe’sruach ha’kodesh and the fulfillmentof his blessings. “The first time waswhen I wanted to invest in a bigproject to purchase machines forsewing kippot. The cost wasconsiderable, but I thought it wouldenable me to upgrade my businesswithout the need to rely uponothers. I asked the Rebbe whether Ishould make the deal. A few dayslater, I received an answer via thesecretary, Rabbi Yehuda LeibGroner, which seemed to indicatethat the Rebbe had reservations. TheRebbe suggested that I checkwhether there was a glut on themarket. He raised the concern that iftoo many of these machines exist inthe kippa market, the largeinvestment necessary to buy themmay not be a worthwhile venture.

“I understood from the Rebbe’sanswer that this was not a viable

feature

As the Rebbe passed near me, hestopped and asked, “What’s happeningin Yerushalayim?” Confused, I naivelythought that he was referring to theterrorist attack that had occurred inYerushalayim that day…


BIG BRACHOS FORA GRATEFUL GERERBy Nosson AvrohomTranslated By Michoel Leib Dobry


option. If the Rebbe would havesupported the idea, he would nothave sent me to do ‘homework.’ TheRebbe’s advice saved my business,for which I am grateful on a dailybasis. Had I been the one tomanufacture the kippot, all damageswould have come out of my ownpocket, whereas when I make anorder for someone else, I pay onlyfor the best-quality merchandisearound.”

THE REBBESHOWS CONCERN FOR

THE LEV SIMCHAEven more than the revealed

miracles he merited to see in theframework of his business, RabbiSternschoss was impressed by theRebbe’s great concern for the Gerer

Rebbe. “In 5744, there was a timeperiod when the Gerer Rebbe, theBaal ‘Lev Simcha,’ was in a state ofpoor health. He had undergone acomplicated operation and it hadbeen some time since he had lastappeared publicly before hischassidim. I was in New York and,as during all my visits there, I hadthe privilege of davening Minchatogether with the Lubavitcher Rebbein the small upstairs study hall. Atthe conclusion of davening, I wentout and stood in the hallway.

“The Rebbe came out, and as hepassed near me, he stopped andasked me, ‘What’s happening inYerushalayim?’ It was anextraordinary occurrence for theRebbe to stop and speak with me, ashe would usually proceed directly to

his room after the minyan. I didn’tquite understand what the Rebbehad meant, and I naively thoughtthat he was referring to the terroristattack that had occurred inYerushalayim that day, regardingwhich I had heard about sometremendous miracles. I replied thatthere had been revealed miracles, butthis was not what the Rebbe wantedto hear. Again he asked, ‘What’shappening in Yerushalayim?’ Whenthe secretary, Rabbi Groner, sawthat I didn’t understand, heexplained that the Rebbe wasreferring to the condition of the ‘LevSimcha.’

“Excitedly, I told the Rebbe that Ihad heard that the Gerer Rebbe’scondition had improved significantlyand that he had even gone for a



stroll outside, causing muchhappiness among his chassidiccommunity. It appeared that thisgood news brought much pleasureto the Rebbe, and he gave a brachathat with G-d’s help, he will go fromstrength to strength and renew hisdays as of old. It was amazing to seea demonstration of such genuineconcern of one great Torah giant foranother.

“Not long afterwards, I waspleased to learn that the Rebbe’sbracha was realized and the ‘LevSimcha’ once again appeared in theGerer beis midrash.”

A MIRACLE AT DOLLARS

DISTRIBUTION The crown jewel among his

meetings with the Rebbe was thepoignant miracle that Rabbi

Sternschoss was privileged to seewith the fulfillment of the Rebbe’sbracha to his daughter and son-in-law for children. “During the dollarsdistribution on Sunday, the 26th ofAdar Rishon, 5752, I asked thesecretary, Rabbi Leibel Groner, if Icould be the last to pass in line sothat I could make my request to theRebbe without being immediatelypushed along. My daughter and herhusband, who had been married forfour years and still didn’t have anychildren, also joined us on this visit.They had gone to several doctors,including a number of experts, butnone of them had been able to find aremedy to their problem.

“When my turn arrived to standbefore the Rebbe, I presented himwith a very attractive challa cover,and the Rebbe immediatelyresponded that one must pay for agift. I then said to the Rebbe, ‘My

daughter and son-in-law are herewith me. They have been married forseveral years and still have nochildren, and I would like to ask theRebbe to promise that they willbecome parents very soon.’

“The repeated treatments werenot helping at all, and the doctors’vague predictions didn’t seem toindicate any light at the end of thetunnel. This was very distressing tothem, and the request to the Rebbecame from the depths of my heart.The Rebbe gave each of them adollar and blessed the couple thatthey should have good tidings.

“A year later, in Adar, their firstdaughter was born without anytreatments or interventions. Afteranother year, their first son wasborn, and my daughter, fullycognizant of who was responsible,gratefully named the childMenachem Mendel.”


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[Continued from last issue]

THE BEGINNING OFTHE DOCTORS’ PLOTOn 26 Teives, 5713, the

following report, titled “ViciousSpies and Killers under the Mask ofAcademic Physicians,” appeared inthe communist newspaper Pravda,courtesy of the official news agencyof the Soviet Union, TASS:

A terrorist group of doctors,uncovered some time ago by organsof state security, have been planningto shorten the lives of leaders of theSoviet Union by means of medicalsabotage.

Investigations have establishedthat participants in the terroristgroup, exploiting their position asdoctors and abusing the trust oftheir patients, deliberately and

viciously undermined their patients’health by making incorrectdiagnoses, and then killed themwith fraudulent and vile treatments.Covering themselves with the nobleand merciful calling of physicians,men of science, these fiends andkillers dishonored the holy banner ofscience. Having taken the path ofmonstrous crimes, they defiled thehonor of scientists.

… The majority of theparticipants of the terrorist group…were bought by American spies.They were recruited by a branch-office of American intelligence —the international Jewish bourgeois-nationalist agency called the“Joint.” The filthy face of thisZionist spy organization, coveringup their vicious actions under themask of charity, is now completely

revealed…Unmasking the gang of poison-

doctors struck a blow against theinternational Jewish Zionistorganization.... Now all can seewhat sort of philanthropists and“friends of peace” hid beneath thesign-board of the “Joint.”

… The investigation willconclude shortly.

The names of nine people whohad been arrested were listed, all ofwhom were top doctors in Russia atthe time. Six of them were Jewish.

Initially, thirty-seven werearrested, but the number quicklygrew into hundreds. Scores ofSoviet Jews were promptlydismissed from their jobs, arrested,sent to labor camps or executed.This was accompanied by showtrials and anti-Semitic propagandain the state-run mass media. Thislibel later came to be known as“The Doctors’ Plot.”

The newspapers and radioreported this along with acommentary of incitement againstthe Jews of the Soviet Union andJews worldwide. The commentatorsand the media called upon thepublic to be wary of the “enemy ofthe people” and asked all citizens tobe on the alert for “terrorists in theguise of doctors.”

memoirs

Another chapter of R’ Hillel Zaltzman’smemoirs * A most frightening period inour history and the amazingdenouement with the death of Stalin onMotzaei Purim after the Rebbe’sheavenly intervention on Purim 1953*Part 2 of 2


PURIM 1953: THERISE AND FALL OF AMODERN DAY HAMANPrepared for publication by Avrohom Reinitz


BE IS MOSHIACH Issue 686 15

In all sorts of public venues –schools, universities, factories andarmy camps, and foremost, in allmedical institutions – there were“explanatory meetings.” Thespeakers, members of the party andsecret police, defamed the “terroristdoctors” and called upon the publicto guard against additionalfraudulent doctors.

The anti-Semitic rhetoricintensified. Day after day therewere articles in the majornewspapers about robberies,corruption, and swindling. Thecommon denominator in all of thiswas that all of the suspects in thesecrimes had Jewish names. At first,the newspapers didn’t refer to Jewsexplicitly. They used euphemismssuch as “rootless cosmopolitans,”“bourgeois,” “Zionist agents,” etc.Within a short time though, theyremoved their kid gloves and beganwriting explicitly: “we mean the

Jews, reactionary Jews who workfor Zionist, capitalist purposes,”etc.

This massive propagandacampaign soon began to affect theRussian nation, who believed theparty line. Non-Jewish patientswere afraid to be treated by Jewishdoctors. Numerous Jews were firedfrom their positions, especially ininstitutes of science, universitiesand, of course, medical centers.

Our fears heightened as theincitement grew. We anxiously

awaited the show trial. There was avery serious fear that when thearrested doctors would beincriminated – and we had nodoubt that they would – the Jews ofRussia would be in grave danger ofpogroms far worse than those thatwere routine under the czar.

After Khrushchev rose to power,

Stalin’s timetable for this expulsionwas as follows: On 18 Adar the doctorswould be tried and a week later, 25Adar, they would be executed.Immediately after that, the expulsionplan would begin to be implemented...

Below: According to the testimony ofChassidim who were present at thefarbrengen, like Rabbi Yosef Goldsteinand Rabbi Pinchas Korf, this picture isfrom the Purim farbrengen of 1953.


minutes of all the secret meetings ofthe central communist party inMoscow were marked down in asmall book. Copies of this bookwere sent to all the communistcenters throughout Russia, where itwas read at secret meetings.

Since my cousin, Yaakov Pilla”h, presented himself as a sworncommunist, he was trusted andeven allowed to take the book homefor a night, to read at leisure.Whenever this book would reachthe communist party center inSamarkand, Yaakov would invite usto his house to read it.

From these books we found outthat the Doctors’ Plot was the finalcomponent of Stalin’s elaborateplan, which was organized down tothe smallest details. The doctorswould be incriminated, the publicwould be outraged, and at the lastmoment Father Stalin would cometo the protection of the Jews. Hisprotection would entail a mass exileof the Jews to Siberia.

Stalin’s timetable for thisexpulsion was as follows: On March5 (18 Adar) the doctors would betried and a week later, March 12

(25 Adar), they would be executed.Immediately after that, theexpulsion plan would begin to beimplemented.

Two to three weeks before thedesignated expulsion date, dozensof trains were readied at stations inall the big cities in the SovietUnion, prepared to take Jews toSiberia. In clandestine areas inSiberia, concentration camps werequickly set up and 40,000 barrackswere built to contain hundreds ofthousands of Jews. The calculationwas simple: a third would be killedby Russian murderers in thepogroms, a third would die on thetrip to Siberia, and the final thirdwould arrive at the barracks inSiberia.

As the date for the trialapproached, we suffered more andmore from insults and degradation.We were humiliated and persecutedwherever we went, on the street, atwork, and by our neighbors. Theantipathy reached a point that Jewsrefrained from going out on thestreet. When Jews were beaten onthe street and police were called tointervene, they told theperpetrators, “Don’t strike themnow, for in a little while we’ll beable to beat them publicly with fullgovernment support…”

My brother-in-law, Aryeh Leib,lived in Minsk. He was once takingthe train and the goyim, noting hisobvious Jewishness, mocked him.Nobody intervened on his behalf.When he tried to defend himself, anarmy officer grabbed him by theneck and threw him off the train.

Under these circumstances,every day seemed longer than ayear. It was just a question of whowould die when…

In February, 1953, a 15kilogram bomb was planted at theSoviet embassy at 46 RothschildStreet in Tel Aviv. The building wasgreatly damaged. The Soviet Unionreacted in a fury and cut off

diplomatic ties with Israel. TheRussian papers publicized thisprominently, adding fuel to thealready blazing fire of hatred.

Another brainchild of Stalin,designed to fan the flames ofRussian hatred, was narrowlyavoided. Lazar Kaganovitz, the onlyJew who served on the Politburo,Stalin’s government in those days,was sent by the government on anofficial mission to Afghanistan. Thepilot was given a secret order to flythe plane to Israel and to say thatKaganovitz decided to defect to theZionist entity. Needless to say, suchan incident would have causedunimaginable suffering for the Jewsof Russia.

By a miracle, the plan wasdiscovered by Kaganovitz’s brother-in-law, Vyatsislav Molotov, whoserved as Russia’s Foreign Minister.Family ties and Molotov’s sense ofjustice outweighed politicalconsiderations, and he immediatelycalled the airport and urgentlyasked for Kaganovitz.

Kaganovitz was already on hisway to the plane when he wascalled to the phone. Molotov toldhim of Stalin’s plot. Kaganovitz,one of the most loyal of Stalin’smen, initially refused to believe him,but in the end he was afraid and hecanceled the flight.

The Doctors’ Trial was gettingunderway and the poisonouspropaganda continued to spewforth. The feeling was that the Jewsin Russia under Stalin were in greatdanger, with no positive resolutionforthcoming. We all cried to ourFather in Heaven.

UNUSUAL ACTIONS INTHE REBBE’S COURT Of course, we in Russia had no

idea what was going on in 770, butwhen we heard about it later, afterleaving Russia, we realized that“Mordechai knew everything thathad happened.” The Nasi HaDor

The calculationwas simple: a

third would bekilled by Russianmurderers in thepogroms, a thirdwould die on the

trip to Siberia,and the final third

would arrive atthe barracks in

Siberia.



and leader, the Rebbe, knew what was taking placesecretly in the dictator’s office and, like MordechaiHaTzaddik, he worked to pre-empt the evil decreethrough heavenly channels.

In hindsight, it is obvious that in those winter daysof 5713, the Rebbe was aware of the terrible dangerhovering over a large portion of our people. At thefarbrengen of Shabbos, Parshas VaYeira, 20 Cheshvan,5713 (1952), the Rebbe began to sing a new niggunthat had never been sung at farbrengens before. In themiddle of the singing portion of the farbrengen,between sichos, the Rebbe suddenly asked, “Doesanyone here know how to sing, ‘Ani Maamin’?”

One of the people present began to sing the famousniggun that Jews sang in the Holocaust, and the restjoined in. As soon as the niggun was begun, theRebbe’s face changed and he became very serious. Hemotioned with his hand that they should sing itforcefully and he too joined in. Those who were awareof the atmosphere among the Jews of Russiarecognized the appropriateness of the niggun..

At farbrengens during that time, the Rebbe spoke alot about the intensifying darkness of galus and aboutthe special quality of the Jewish people which canovercome the darkness. Despite the fact that the Jewishpeople were under the control of the nations of theworld, they had the ability not to be impressed by theconcealment and to stand strong, weakening the klipa.

The Rebbe unexpectedly published a new maamer,“Hashem does not come with impossible tasks for Hiscreations,” on 21 Teives, 5713. The date was not a

special one in the calendar, but it was just a few daysbefore the Doctors’ Plot erupted. This maamer is aboutthe mesirus nefesh of the Jewish people in a time whenit is hard to keep Torah and mitzvos, and declares thatif this is our lot in galus, then surely we have the abilityto prevail.

Two days later, at the farbrengen of Shabbos,Parshas Shmos, 23 Teives, the Rebbe referred explicitlyto Stalin in Russia and expressed amazement over thespecial Jews whose faithful resolve was ironclad. Theyhad to hide in order to put on t’fillin, kept Shabbosdespite the danger in losing their jobs, traveled greatdistances to immerse in a mikva, and studied Torah incellars. Their commitment did not wane despite thepoverty and the lack of food and shoes.

Then came the Purim farbrengen. On Tuesday,Motzaei Purim, a large crowd gathered to farbrengwith the Rebbe. Dozens of Russian Jews, who had leftthe country just a few years before, were present. Someof them had sat in jail for long periods of time and hadfelt Stalin’s iron fist. They and their friends could nothelp thinking of their brothers in captivity and terribledanger behind the Iron Curtain.

In the course of this very long farbrengen, theRebbe said eleven sichos. He began with a deepmaamer, based on the verse in Esther, “and he rearedHadassah.” Then the Rebbe said sichos on relevantmatters, with niggunim interspersed, as usual.

The hours flew by. Towards morning, the Rebbebegan to relate a story:

“During the Russian Revolution, after the fall of theczar, the Rebbe Rashab told the Chassidim to take partin the elections. One loyal Chassid, who wascompletely removed from matters of this world andknew nothing about what was going on in the country,went to vote as the Rebbe had directed. Naturally, hefirst prepared himself by immersing in a mikva andputting on his gartel, as one should when carrying outthe Rebbe’s instruction.

“After he voted, as his friends told him to, he sawpeople standing and proclaiming, ‘Hoo-ra,’ and hestood there too, announcing ‘Hoo-ra, hoo-ra, hoo-ra.’”

As he related this, the Rebbe put his hands togetherlike a triangle (see picture) and, with a big smile,proclaimed “hoo-ra” three times.

The Rebbe then turned to his right and repeated thestory, once again putting his hands together andproclaiming “hoo-ra” three times. Then he turned tohis left and repeated it again, doing as the Chassid did.

The astonished crowd of Chassidim at thefarbrengen realized that they were witnessingsomething beyond their earthly comprehension. Thenthe Rebbe’s face grew serious once again and he began


A statue of Stalin toppled after the fall of communism

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the second maamer of thatfarbrengen, based on the verse inEsther, “therefore they called thesedays Purim, for the lot.”

WITHOUT REJOICINGBUT WITH A SIGH OF

RELIEFThree days later, on 17 Adar,

1953, the Soviet radio announcersorrowfully announced that Stalinwas seriously ill and had lostconsciousness. This officialproclamation of Stalin’s illness wasunusual for the Soviet Union,which had always refrained fromannouncing the illnesses of the topechelons. We suspected that Stalinhad died, and the wording of thepublic announcement was toprepare the citizens of the countryfor the truth in order to preventchaos. Only later was his deathconfirmed.

The next day the officialannouncement was made thatStalin, the wicked enemy of theJews, had died. The top governmentradio announcer, Yuri Levitin,dramatically announced, “On the9th of March, at 10:50, the heart ofthe First Secretary of thecommunist party of the SovietUnion, Chairman of the SupremeSoviet Council, the GeneralissimoIosif Vissarionovich Stalin, stoppedbeating.”

What caused Stalin’s suddendeath? Like everything in thosedays, this was also murky. Somesaid he had had a stroke and helingered for three days and thendied. Some said he died in themidst of a psychotic episode, whichoccurred with some frequency inhis later years. Some said hewanted to shoot the members of hisgovernment and they preemptedhim and eliminated him.

A confidante of Stalin, who haddefected to England immediatelyupon Stalin’s death, reported in the

London Chronicle that Stalin hadgiven Voroshilov, the Premier of theSoviet Union, a documentdecreeing that every Jew in theSoviet Union be exiled to Birobijan,where they would all be killed. Hisgoal was to complete what Hitlerhad started.

Voroshilov took the paper fromStalin, read it, and threw it back inhis face. Stalin, shocked andangered by his chutzpah, had aheart attack on the spot and died.

Others said that Stalin had beenpoisoned by the head of the KGB,Beria, because senior governmentofficials feared that an expulsion ofthe Jews would lead to a thirdworld war and a probable USvictory, which would completelyundermine Russia.

Stalin’s death was not met withthe joy that Haman’s death wasreceived. The people were toostunned. Citizens of the Soviet

Union, who from their youngestyears had been raised to sing andpraise the “Sun of the Nations,”who were exposed daily to radioprograms and newspaper articlesthat lauded Stalin and his personalconcern for every citizenthroughout the empire, found ithard to imagine how Russia couldgo on without him.

People believed that Stalinpreserved peace in the world. The“Father of the Nations,” is how hewas known. I remember achildren’s song that described theresidents of the empire asleep intheir beds at night and from justone window did light shine for thatis where Stalin sat, concernedabout peace for all… In every book,no matter the topic, the author hadto praise Stalin in the introductionfor his contribution to the book.Otherwise, it wouldn’t be approvedfor printing and the author wouldbe accused of treason.

Thus, despite the massiveincitement campaign against theJews perpetrated by Stalin, therewere Jews who cried upon hearingof his demise. A woman whoworked for my father tearfullycomplained, “We finally hadsomeone who cared about us, andnow G-d took him away too…”

After the initial shock, the Jewsof Russia breathed a sigh of relief.They couldn’t imagine a betterending to the Doctors’ Plot.

On Chol HaMoed Pesach it wasreported on the radio that thedoctors had been released. Thefalse witnesses who hadincriminated the doctors had beensentenced to imprisonment andexile.

Though not every home had aradio in those days, our landladydid, so I was among the first tohear the good news. I ran to myuncle, R’ Boruch Duchman, and toour friends, the Mishulovins (wholater became our mechutanim) and

Stalin had givenVoroshilov, thePremier of the

Soviet Union, adocument

decreeing thatevery Jew in theSoviet Union be

exiled and killed.Voroshilov tookthe paper fromStalin, read it,

and threw it backin his face.



announced the wonderful news.My uncle Boruch said that the

day would come when Stalin wouldbe denounced and he would bethrown out of Lenin’s mausoleum.It sounded like a wild dream, butonly a few years later, Khrushchevrevealed Stalin’s atrocities and hewas indeed thrown out. Forty yearslater, with the collapse ofcommunism, all remaining statuesof Stalin were removed from publicplaces.

Following Stalin’s death, thesituation in Russia changedsignificantly. Many politicalprisoners were freed, includingmany Chassidim who had beenexiled to camps in Siberia. Thusended a terrible era in the lives ofRussian Jewry.

THE REBBEACKNOWLEDGES

HIS ROLEThe Rebbe never explained the

otherworldly events that took placeat the Purim farbrengen in 1953. Asort of “acknowledgment” wasgiven only forty years later, whenthat special maamer was edited bythe Rebbe and reprinted. The Rebbealso edited the introduction to thekuntres, including the following:

“To mark the approaching daysof Purim, we are publishing themaamer ‘Al kein kar’u l’yamimha’eila Purim,’ which the Rebbesaid at the Purim farbrengen of5713. This is the second maamersaid at the Purim farbrengen of thatyear, the recitation of which wasapparently connected with theevents taking place at that time

including the downfall of the rulerof that country who was an enemyof the Jews. This is according towhat they understood at the timefrom the story that the Rebberelated, by way of introduction andin juxtaposition to saying thismaamer, about the instruction ofthe Rebbe Rashab during the periodof the Revolution after the fall ofthe czar.”

The wondrous timing of Stalin’sdeath, on Purim, the day thebiblical arch-enemy of the Jews hadhis downfall, served to underscorethe message of ‘ba’yamim haheimb’z’man ha’zeh,’ that just as inthose days, so too in our times, agreat miracle took place for theJews of the Soviet Union and itssatellite countries. ‘Kein tihyehlanu’ – may we merit the same withMoshiach Now!


10 Adar 5769 BBE IS MOSHIACH20

So my dear Yidden, how wasyour week? Oy, another weekwithout the Beis HaMikdash islike a hot fudge sundae withouthot fudge or even ice cream. Wellwe can’t let it affect our simcha,we just gotta get more happy!There’s so much to do, so manyproblems to solve, so manypeople who need to smile andlaugh. We lamplighters need tokeep shining away.

So I’ve been getting my oldbrain in gear, trying to work on

solving other major problems ofour times, like the economy, airpollution, the melting North andSouth poles, Shleimus HaAretz,and those annoying answeringmachines that give us like 2,364.7options of what to push so youcan’t talk to a human being oreven a gerbil (this last problem isreally annoying).

So what is Bubbe Cohen’ssolution to the Wall Street crisis?Stop worshipping money andWALL Street and focus on

worshipping our True and OneCreator, helping to re-build theWALLS of the true edifice – theThird Beis HaMikdash with globsand globs of deeds of goodnessand kindness and generosity! Ok,done. What’s next?

Oh yeah, air pollution. Don’tdrive, walk. And learn globs andglobs of Torah and Mishnayos topurify the air. There we go, that’sdone. Wow, this is much easierthan I thought!

Ok, what was third? Oh yes,this global warming thing and themelting of the poles. Well, justplug in a lot of air conditionersup North and down South andturn them on. If a lot of thepenguins already startedmigrating more towards theequator, maybe they can help usout by making minyans in allthose Chabad Houses scatteredacross the globe – hey, they dressthe same and they kind ofshuckle. Maybe they really areChabadniks doing undercoverwork elevating the polar sparks.That’s the real reason why thepoles are melting, their kavanaand avoda just so warmed up theplace it couldn’t help but melt!Ok guys, you did enough workthere, come home.

mosh iach l ight

What is the one thing that can wearanyone down, make them lose allresolve and inspire them to a quick andfinal defeat? When our children kvetch!If they get into one of those whinymoods and don’t relent on theirincessant kvetching, whining, begging,and overwhelmingly powerful wailingand tantrums, even the strongest mostresolute parent disintegrates into awobbling heap of jello.

BRILLIANTSOLUTIONS FROMBUBBE COHEN By Ice Cream Cohen



Ah, next? Shleimus HaAretz.Well that one really is a toughie. Ithink I’ll skip this one for nowand save it for last.

So nu, ah yes – answeringmachines. Oy, now this is a realchallenge. Who ever made themup anyway? What’s wrong withhuman beings answering thephone and directing us? I can bestuck half the day just pushingbuttons that lead me to no one,accomplish zilch and then have topay through the nose for aridiculously high phone bill. Ah!Maybe that’s who made up thesesystems – the phone company!They just want to make moremoney off our getting stuck inmessage land.

Well, we can get beyond them!Solution? If you need to reachsomeone, just face in theirgeneral direction and if they’reclose enough, so nu, talk to them.If they’re a bit farther away thenjust yell really loud. If they’re toofar away, then just use your

Telepathic telepaphone andthink really hard. Forgettelephones – use yourtelepaphone. Who really wantstelephones anyway? Thoseannoying cords always end upgetting tangled in everything andstart twisting and breaking andinterfering with the connectionuntil they plotz for good. What awaste of plastic. Telepathy ismuch cheaper. It’s also a greatway to cut down on noisepollution. Just make sure yousend really nice thoughts.

Well, I covered a lot of groundtoday – leave it to a ChassidicRebbetzin and Bubbe to have ananswer for everything, right? ButI haven’t covered the last majorissue this week that’s really beengetting to my kishkes. This is amajor one, dear Yidden, and I’m

going to need your help – yourspirit of volunteerism and some

extra mesiras nefesh to lend usyour precious children to helpsolve the problem here.

Oy – a BIG MESS this one is.Not even funny. But dear BubbeCohen has an original solution,just hear me out…

It’s this Shleimus HaAretzthing. The security problems in

our Holy Land. Have you all beenfollowing the news about oursecurity situation here in Israel?Talk about a mess. A real mess. Ifonly everyone would’ve listenedto our beloved Rebbe, wewouldn’t be in this stew. TheRebbe MH”M simply instructed

us to announce to the entireworld that HaKadosh Baruch Hugave us this land and it belongsto us. That’s that. Stand firm andstrong in front of all the nationsof the world, do what we have toprotect our citizens and then theworld will respect us. The Rebbealso told us more. Being thatPurim is fast approaching, weshould take a hint and also listento what our dear Rebbe told uswe could learn from this soon toarrive festive day – what didMordechai the Tzaddik do whenthey were faced with the threat ofnational extermination?

The kinderlach, dears, herelied on the kinderlach! Hegathered all the children and hadthem recite Torah passages, andwith our precious childrenreciting words of Torah with theirpure and holy mouths, they wereable to override the decree andreverse it entirely!

Of course we must give theultimate credit to the righteousQueen Esther who fasted forthree days and also inspired us tofast, repent and increase in unity.It was Queen Esther who had thebravery to approach King Aha-ha-ha-shaveros on our people’sbehalf and plead for mercy on us.The Purim Megilla is davkanamed after her for, as usual, ittook a righteous woman to helpbring about our salvation (menjust can’t manage things alone).

But it took a recipe of a fewimportant ingredients and one ofthe major ingredients was theyoung ones – it was the children!It was within the power of ourkinderlach and their holy mouthsto help turn the whole scenariointo a day of salvation andrejoicing to this very day!

So I say let’s do it again.Gather all those precious littlebeings together have them recitethe 12 p’sukim – the 12 Torah

When all thoseterrorists hear thefrightening soundwell up in theirears and echodeafeningly acrossthe entire MiddleEast, they willquake in theirshoes, drop alltheirweapons...anddisappear over thehorizon to thefarthest continentson the planetnever to returnagain.



passages – at the top of theirlungs and you’ll see how thingsturn around. But wait, I’m notdone, this is only the first half ofthe solution. The other half is thebig secret, a most powerful andeffective weapon; even just uponhearing about it our enemies willtremble in fright and startchanging their minds…

What is the one thing that canwear anyone down, make themlose all resolve and inspire themto a quick and final defeat? Whenour children kvetch! If they getinto one of those whiny moodsand don’t relent on theirincessant kvetching, whining,begging, and overwhelminglypowerful wailing and tantrums,even the strongest most resoluteparent disintegrates into awobbling heap of jello.

So this dear friends, is theother secret power that ourprecious children possess withintheir holy mouths and this is thepower we need to use to solve theShleimus HaAretz problem.

What, you laugheth at me?

How is this possible thy sayeth?Well, politics hasn’t helped, that’sbeen one of the biggest problems!Let me finish explaining how toutilize this tremendous weapon…

With the wonderful mesirasnefesh of all the devoted anddoting parents here in Eretz HaKodesh (and any dedicated soulswho have children willing to makea special trip to the Holy Landfor the occasion), we will line upall our children around theborders of Eretz Yisroel, armthem all with loud speakers,microphones and huge amplifiersand give them the momentouscommand to go ahead andKVETCH!!!

When all those terrorists hearthe frightening sound well up intheir ears and echo deafeninglyacross the entire Middle East,they will quake in their shoes,drop all their weapons, run fasterthan a four wheel drive cheetahrevved up with diesel fuel and asix pack of extra sugar and extracaffeine Coke, and disappear overthe horizon to the farthest

continents on the planet (perhapsthe North and South Poles?)never to return again.

Shleimus HaAretz solved!!!Children aren’t just our simcha,they’re our solution! Make sure tohug your children today and tellthem how much you love them.Or hug your neighbor’s kid. Oradopt a kid; there are many thatneed loving parents of their own.The Rebbe MH”M and theRebbetzin never had any childrenof their own; we are theirchildren, so you can even giveyourself a hug!

We want Moshiach yesterday,even now is not enough!

(Rebbetzin Ice Cream Cohenis just melting for Moshiach.Help encourage her by sendingher a mitzvah you want to do tobring Moshiach NOW! Oryesterday. Or from the beginningof Creation. Oy. Ad masai!)Moshiach Mitzvah Count: Send yourmitzvah [email protected] (Please only send your mitzvahs, notincluding additional text.)

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For well over 100 years, ChabadChassidim have lived in Chevron, theholy city, in an organizedcommunity. They held farbrengensand shiurei Chassidus, and variousyeshivos, shluchim and organizationsperformed many deeds of tz’dakaand chesed. The Rebbeim chose topurchase lands in Chevron, andthese were registered in their names.The high point of Chabad Chassidusin Chevron was the visit of theRebbe Rayatz in 1929. The lowpoint was the massacre that tookplace shortly thereafter, destroyingthe Jewish settlement there.

SHABBOS WITHREBBETZIN MENUCHA

ROCHELThe Chabad presence in Chevron

started in the lifetime of the AlterRebbe. His Chassid, Rabbi MosheMeizlich, was the head of thecommunity. Afterwards, the

community was led by descendentsof the Mitteler Rebbe’s daughter,Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel.

In 5605 (1845), RebbetzinMenucha Rochel and her husband,Rabbi Yaakov Kuli Slonim, leftLubavitch for Eretz Yisroel. Theysettled in Chevron, and lived in thehome of their oldest son, R’ YehudaLeib. Their home, known as BeisSchneersohn, served as a shul wherepeople davened on weekdays,Shabbos and Yom Tov. TheRebbetzin would share with theChassidim stories about her father,the Mitteler Rebbe, and hergrandfather, the Alter Rebbe.

The Rebbetzin was particularabout the Shabbos food, makingsure it was all eaten during Shabbos.She shared it generously along withher blessings, with both family andcommunity every Shabbos.

PURIM – CHABAD STYLER’ Menachem Shmuel Slonim,

the Rebbetzin’s great-grandson,describes the exciting atmosphere onPurim in Chevron:

“When Adar came in, the

feature

First person impressions – thecommunal Purim meal, homemade“mashke” for Pesach, a question thatarose during a wedding meal, anassimilated bachur who was inspired bythe t’filla of a mashpia, and the“protection” of the “Black Rabbi”

LUBAVITCH LIFEIN CHEVRONBy Shneur Zalman Berger

Beis Romano – this is where yeshivasToras Emes used to be. Today, yeshivasShavei Chevron is located here.Recently, Heichal HaRashab openedhere, which documents the Chabadpresence in Chevron



preparations for Purim began. InChevron, Purim is celebrated onboth days – the fourteenth andfifteenth of Adar. The women werebusy baking tortes, honey cakes,biscuits, hamantashen, and lekach,which they decorated nicely and withhiddur mitzva for mishloach manos.

“The men were busy preparingalcoholic beverages and variouscombinations of punches. Thechildren, for whom Purim was themost joyous holiday of the year,were making graggers and preparinghammers to break Haman’s head.Since they were allowed to dress upin costume and cavort to theirheart’s content as they fulfill themitzva of erasing Haman, as it says,

“you shall surely erase the memoryof Amalek,” their joy and mischiefknew no bounds.

“The evening of the fourteenth ofAdar, the Megilla was read in shulsomewhat quickly because of the fastof Taanis Esther which wouldn’t enduntil the Megilla was read. Thechildren, who had not fasted, andwho had been eagerly anticipatingthis Yom Tov, were not pleased withthe adults’ haste.

“Armed with hammers andgraggers, they fell upon everymention of Haman and made aracket, not ceasing until the adultsshushed them. They did not allowone mention of Haman to go bywithout exacting whatever vengeance

their noisemakers could accomplish.While they took revenge on Hamanthey also banged upon the chairsand benches.

“The next day, the adults andchildren went to shul dressed inShabbos clothes for the daveningand the reading of the Megilla. Mygrandfather read the Megilla, as washis custom every year. He wouldalso read the parsha every Shabbos.He would read it with a specialsweetness, with strong emphasis onthe words and an outpouring of thesoul. It was pleasant listening to himread the Megilla, with the wordsexpressed with Chabad d’veikus. Heespecially outdid himself during thereading of the verses, ‘if you keep



silent,’ ‘relief and salvation,’ ‘andwhen she came before the king.’

“After the reading of the Megillaand the end of davening, they woulddrink l’chaim in shul from mashkeprepared by the gabbai. They wouldthen disperse to their homes for theseuda.”

After a description of the sendingof mishloach manos, he describesthe Purim meal with his grandfather,Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Slonim (theRebbetzin’s son):

“In the afternoon, everybody inChevron, young and old, wouldgather for the Purim seuda with mygrandfather, who was known asFeter Levitcha. No invitations werenecessary, since it was a given thatthe Purim seuda took place at hishouse. It was quite a meal, withwhole lambs brought the day beforeto his home. All the women of thefamily came together to help mygrandmother with the cooking.

“The table was laden withdelicacies galore along with finewines and whiskies. The crowdcelebrated joyously, singing Chabadniggunim and dancingenthusiastically – in tune with theverse “The Jews had light and joy,happiness and honor.”

PESACH – HALLEL WITHA CHABAD NIGGUN

The matzos for Pesach werebaked in the “Beis HaTanur,” abuilding that belonged to KollelChabad which had an oven. R’Menachem Shmuel Slonim relateshow his grandfather would bake thematzos:

“My grandfather, R’ LeviYitzchok, who was a handsome manwith a sweet voice, would go to theoven on the day they baked matzos,dressed in Shabbos clothes and witha shtraimel on his head. He wouldstand among the workers, wrappedin his tallis, and recite Hallel with aChabad niggun. All the men sangalong with him with much pomp and

majesty and great rejoicing. Theatmosphere was suffused with aspirit of holiness and elevation.”

R’ Menachem Shmuel describedhow “mashke” was made for Pesach:

“The winemakers in town wouldmanufacture the mashke out ofgrape sediment, the remains of thegrapes after they were squeezed, orout of raisins. This was their mainbusiness, since each local balabusmade his own wine. The large scalemanufacturers sold their wine tooutsiders only, those who enjoyed

wine from Chevron. The wine ofChevron had a good reputation andwas considered the finest in thecountry. However, in the home ofmy father (R’ Shneur Zalman) andgrandfather (R’ Levi Yitzchok) theydid not use the mashke made byothers for Pesach.

“For the sake of hiddur mitzva,they made it themselves at home.They had commissioned a small vat,like the one used by the bigproducers but on a smaller scale,

and a few days before Pesach theywould begin making mashke. Itrequired a lot of effort, expertise andattention. It did not compare to thatof the experts, but taste was not thetop priority. The top priority waskashrus, and on Pesach we werevery stringent not to rely on othersfor things we could make ourselves.”

A QUESTION THATAROSE AT A WEDDINGAt a wedding that took place in

Chevron in 5646 (1886), it wasfeared that a chicken that was servedwas treif. A Torah scholar inattendance said that in his opinion,the chicken was treif and a questionhad to be asked of a rav regardingthe utensils that had been used.

The question was sent to RabbiShimon Menashe Chaiken, theChabad rav of Chevron at that time,and he said the chicken was kosher.Joy was restored at the weddingmeal.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Na’ah(the father of the posek R’ ChaimNa’ah), later one of the leaders ofthe Chabad settlement in Chevron,who was a young man at the time,checked the chicken and wrote hisconclusions. He suggested there wasreason to be lenient because of thesimchas chassan v’kalla. He wrotethis t’shuva at the age of 19 and sentit to his father, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi,who lived in Russia, to get hisopinion.

The gaon, Rabbi ChizkiyahuMedini, author of S’dei Chemed,was one of the leaders of the Jewishcommunity in Chevron and hadexcellent ties with the Chabadleaders of the city. In his book herelates a few of the Talmudicdiscussions that he had with hisgood friend, Rabbi Mendel Na’ah.

For example, in S’dei Chemed(published in New York, 1959, vol.3) he discusses the topic of womenbeing exempt from time-boundmitzvos. He delves into the issue of

He reached out forthe watch and R’

Levi Yitzchok, notwanting to partwith it, warned

him, ‘Don’t touchit! It’s demon’s

work. Listen to thepeculiar

knocking.’ Thesheik was

frightened andfled.



adding from the weekday to theholiness of Yom Kippur as it appliesto women. At first he brings theopinions of Rishonim andAcharonim, analyzes them, andsuggests and then demolishesdifferent logical arguments. He thenrelates that Rav Mendel Na’ah cameto his beis midrash and a debateensued between them on the subject:

“While I was immersed in theChesed L’Avrohom, my friend, thegreat rav, R’ Mendel Ashkenazi[Na’ah] came and I showed himwhat [the gaon, R’ Teumim says]and what my opinion is.” Hedescribes their dispute, and theopinion of R’ Mendel, who disagreedwith his view. In conclusion hewrites:

“A few days later, my friend [R’Na’ah] brought me what he wroteon this issue, for I had asked him towrite down our dispute.” Then hequotes what R’Mendel Na’ah saidand concludes that it is up to thereader to decide.

THE “BLACK RAV”The “Black Rabbi” is a

fascinating and much describedepisode. R’ Menachem ShmuelSlonim wrote:

“Sheik Abdul Rachman IssaAmar was referred to by the Jews ofthe settlement in Chevron as the‘Black Rabbi,’ since he received‘protection money’ from KollelChabad. He would stroll through themarket place of Chevron, staff inhand, and when he saw somethinghe fancied he would remark to thestorekeeper, ‘That’s nice.’ The hintwas understood and the item wassent to his home even before he gotthere. If he met a person in themarket who was wearing a new suit,he would say, ‘You don’t deserve it,take it off and give it to me.’

“This despot entered the shulwith his young son one RoshHaShana, shortly before the blowingof the shofar. The people were afraidto blow the shofar, the only one theyhad, lest the sheik desire it as a toy

for his son. They all went down tothe cellar of the shul and blew thet’kios there.

“One time, he came to mygrandfather’s house and found themoney for the stipends distributedby Kollel Chabad, as well as therecord books, on the table. Afterinquiring about the record books, hesaid to R’ Levi Yitzchok, ‘You knowthat I could take it all, but I’m anhonest man and won’t take thesustenance of the poor away fromthem. Since I protect you, however,I want to be written down on the listlike one of the distinguished rabbis.’

“From then on, he was referredto by the people and the rolls ofKollel Chabad as, ‘The Black Rabbi.’Like all the Jews, he received: foresrogim (code for primary support),lulavim (code for the additionalstipend for distinguished scholars),and hadasim (code for special fundsfor marriages, new mothers, the illetc.).

“The appellations ‘esrogim,lulavim, and hadasim’ were used sothat the Russian censors shouldn’tsuspect that Jews were sendingmoney to the Turkish government(the Russians and Turks wereadversaries) and also as protectionfrom the informers. Similarly, on thesign of yeshivas Toras Emes inChevron it said ‘Store for Olive Oiland Tzitzis.’ When anticipating theannual money from abroad, peoplewould ask one another obliquely,‘Did the ship arrive yet?’

“R’ Levi Yitzchok once traveledabroad on behalf of the Kollel, andhe brought back with him two itemsthat were rare for Israel at that time:a samovar made of shiny copper anda small pocket watch. Among thosewho came to welcome him back wasthe Black Rabbi. The sheik scannedthe room and noticed the sparklingsamovar on the shelf. He asked inwonder, “Is it made of gold and veryexpensive?”

“It was obvious that he wanted it,Rabbi Menachem Mendel Na’ah, oneof the Lubavitcher leaders in Chevron

The S’dei Chemed



so R’ Levi Yitzchok replied, ‘It is foryou.’ The sheik looked around somemore and noticed the watch. Hereached out for it and R’ LeviYitzchok, not wanting to part with it,warned him, ‘Don’t touch it! It’sdemon’s work. Listen to the peculiarknocking.’ The sheik was frightenedand fled. Whenever he showed upthereafter, he would ask whether the‘monster’ had been removed fromthe house.

“The Black Rabbi and his eightbrothers were always warring. Theresidents of Chevron often awoke tosee the mountains covered withbattling Bedouins. The Black Rabbiwas always the victor, but he tired ofthe many wars. When Ibrahim Pashacame to Yerushalayim, the BlackRabbi invited him to conquerChevron.

“When Ibrahim Pasha conqueredChevron, permission was granted tothe army to plunder the city forthree days and nights. The Jews hidtheir possessions in pits and fled tothe courtyard of the Black Rabbi.One Chabad Chassid, R’ YisroelYaffa, ‘the Printer from Kopust,’could not flee since he was lookingafter his terminally ill daughter.

“The soldiers entered the Jewishneighborhood and threatened to killR’ Yisroel if he did not disclose tothem where their possessions werehidden. R’ Yisroel showed him thevaluables in the cellar and thenescaped through a narrow window.He ran to the Black Rabbi to reportthe theft.

“The Black Rabbi had just

returned from the battlefield inexhaustion. R’ Yosef Yehuda BechorShmerling, who was the Austrianconsul in Chevron and a friend andneighbor of the Black Rabbi,approached him and said, ‘We havebeen pillaged!’ The Black Rabbiangrily told him to go away. Thisscene repeated itself until ultimatelythe Black Rabbi threatened to stick asword in his heart.

“However, R’ Yosef then pleaded,‘Our master and protector, my soulis in your hand, save us!’ The BlackRabbi was mollified. He went to themilitary commander, who orderedthat the pillaging cease. He placedguards at the gates of the Jewishneighborhood and the Jews returnedto their homes. All their possessionswere returned. That day, the 19th ofIyar, was declared a ‘Purim,’ andTachanun is not said.”

The Black Rabbi’s career endedwhen the Turkish authorities senthim to Turkey, where he was puton trial for many crimes andexecuted.

THE HOLY CITYWILL BE HOLY

The spirit of authentic LubavitchChassidus began to be felt inChevron when, in 5672 (1912),seven select T’mimim fromLubavitch arrived with theirmashpia, Rabbi Shlomo ZalmanHavlin. The Rebbe Rashab wantedto strengthen the impoverished andlong-suffering Jewish community inChevron. The goal was to start ayeshiva and to provide shiurim forthe adults.

The seven outstanding T’mimimwere:

Rabbi Alter Simchovitz – laterone of the roshei yeshiva of TomcheiT’mimim in Warsaw and Toras Emesin Yerushalayim.

Rabbi Yechezkel (Chatshe) Feigin– later the Rebbe Rayatz’s secretary,and acting director of the network ofTomchei T’mimim yeshivos.

Rabbi Hillel Protkin, Rabbi TzviHirsh Katzav, Rabbi Yisroel ZalmanOsnas, Rabbi Avrohom EliyahuAsherov – later one of the rosheiyeshiva of Tomchei T’mimim inWarsaw, and Rabbi Menachem(Nache) Karasik, one of the chozrimof the Rebbe Rashab.

They established yeshivasTomchei T’mimim in Chevron, andwere joined in their learning by localbachurim and men. They started outin the Chabad yeshiva buildingMagen Avos, and after a short whilethey moved to Beis Romano.

The talmidim of the yeshivabrought with them the Chassidishewarmth and chayus which they hadabsorbed from the yeshiva inLubavitch. They influenced many tolearn Chassidus and breathedJewish-Chassidic life into thecommunity. The senior ChabadChassidim in Chevron sent letters tothe Rebbe Rashab, praising theyeshiva and its impact.

Rabbi Mordechai DovberSlonim, Rebbetzin MenuchaRochel’s youngest son and one ofthe distinguished older ChabadChassidim in Chevron, wrote toRabbi Shlomo Yehuda LeibEliezerov, one of the Chabad leadersof Chevron who was in Lubavitch atthe time. The following are someexcerpts from the letter:

“Great is the benefit for the holycity in general and specifically, insending the mashpia and theprecious bachurim who haveilluminated this holy city, fromdarkness to a great light. I haddespaired, thinking there was nomore hope, heaven forbid, havingabout this several times. Indeed, hadI not seen it with my own eyes, Iwould not have believed it. Howgreat is the power of [the RebbeRashab] to transform darkness andgloom into great light.

“The impact made by the menand bachurim here is apparent toall. It is undeniable that even for us

Not only the eldersand I, but even

the scoffers of thegeneration who

mock everything,are impressed.



seniors, the G-dly spark that hadalready been extinguished wasrekindled. I cannot describe for youthe pleasure I have in hearing thechapter of Tanya every day and theoccasional maamarei Chassidus.Not only the elders and I, but eventhe scoffers of the generation whomock everything, are impressed.Now we have hope that the holycity will be sacred for Torah andprayer, and the light of Chassiduswill illuminate within it, as is thedesire of our ancestors, the holyRebbeim, through the Rebbe[Rashab].”

Another perspective is seen in aletter of the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi

Havlin. This letter was sent to RabbiChonye Morosov, who at that timewas the secretary of the committeefor Toras Emes (he later became theRebbe Rayatz’s secretary):

“My dear friend, I am writingthis letter in the yeshiva. If you couldonly see how the bachurim learnwith the men and even the boys. It islike a microcosm of the yeshiva inLubavitch. The bachurim daven atlength as they did there, nothingchanged, heaven forbid. I try not toadd or diminish so that it will beprecisely, in all details, as inLubavitch, as it says in the letter ofthe Rebbe [Rashab].

“You would surely receive greatpleasure from this. In truth, if thereweren’t financial obstacles and thelike, we could have a substantialyeshiva here like we have inLubavitch. It is not as we thought,i.e., that here they are not suited; onthe contrary, they are devoted withall their heart and soul.”

“One time, I cameacross the bachursitting on a largerock near thespring, holding hishead between hisknees and cryingloudly.”

Below: Four generations of the Slonim family. In the center sitting and learningis Rabbi Mordechai Dovber Slonim, the youngest son of Rabbi Yaakov Kuli andRebbetzin Menucha Rochel Slonim. His sons, grandsons and great-grandsonsare next to him. On the right is his son, R’ Shneur Zalman Slonim – rav of theChabad Chassidim in Yaffo; on the extreme left is Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Slonim –the last rav of Chevron, and between him and R’ Mordechai is standing R’Eliezer Don Slonim, who was murdered in the pogrom of 1929.



HE HAD A CHANGEOF HEART

Rabbi Shimon Glitzenstein, whotaught in the yeshiva, told about anirreligious bachur who immigratedto Eretz Yisroel from Cracow andbegan doing t’shuva, starting offlearning in a yeshiva inYerushalayim.

“… In the end, he came toChevron. As soon as he arrived, hewent to yeshivas Toras Emes. Heheard shiurim in Chassidus Chabadand his soul was revived. Accordingto the schedule in the yeshiva, theywould learn Chassidus for two hoursbefore Shacharis and then they wentto immerse in the mikva. During thesummer, they would immerse in thecold springs that are around the city.I would customarily immerse in EinAshdid, near the lot called Sahadusaby the Arabs. According to theirtradition, the witnesses who signedthe deed that Efron gave AvrohomAvinu when he bought M’arasHaMachpella are buried there.

“One time, I came across thebachur sitting on a large rock nearthe spring, holding his head between

his knees and crying loudly. Inresponse to my questioning, heexplained that when he crossed thethreshold of the yeshiva, he feltanother spirit within him, and whenhe heard the davening of themashpia, R’ Shlomo Zalman Havlin,he heard a deep echo from theoutpouring of the soul of greatChabad Chassidim who, with theirsongs of d’veikus, expressed theirawe and longing towards the One onhigh.

“Just as their singing in generalwas weighty and deep, the songs ofd’veikus in their davening expressedvarious emotions: outpouring of thesoul, inspiration, passion andsublime connection. The nigguneid’veikus that the mashpia sang in hisdavening expressed his own personalstyle and bore a special charm. Themelodies were sweet and captivatedthe listeners. The niggun, suffusedwith a fiery yearning for G-d, wasable to raise the spark in the hiddenrecesses of the soul of even he whohad become distant from the ways ofHashem, to return him to the bosom

of pure faith and to infuse him witha yearning of holy fire for true life.

“The bachur from Cracow, anintellectual and socialist, became adifferent person. When he spokeabout this fateful moment in his life,he said, ‘Only now do I have an ideaof the power hidden within purefaith. I feel like someone reborn. Inthe brief time remaining to me tolive (his days were numbered, for hewas sick with tuberculosis), I knowthe true goal in life.’

WAR AND POGROMSDuring World War I, the Chabad

community received a painful blow.The Turks, who were fightingRussia, expelled Russian citizensfrom Israel. The talmidim fromLubavitch, as well as some of theresidents of Chevron, had to leavethe country. Some of them wereexiled to Egypt and returned at theend of the war, but the yeshivarecommenced in Yerushalayimrather than Chevron.

In the years that followed, the

Beis Schneerson as it looks today

The gravestone of Rebbetzin MenuchaRochel in Chevron



Chabad community in Chevrondwindled. The highlight for Chabadin Chevron was when the RebbeRayatz visited them. This visit isdescribed at length in books.

Only a few days after his visit,the pogrom of 1929 brutallydecimated the Jewish settlement in

Chevron. The Jewish community, aswell as the Chabad community, wasutterly destroyed. The few survivorsmoved to Yerushalayim and thusended the Jewish and Chabadpresence in Chevron.

In 1967, the Lubavitch pioneersRabbi Boruch Nachshon, the artist,

and his wife Sarah, arrived inChevron. Today, their son-in-law, R’Victor Ettia, their son R’ YossiNachshon, and Rabbi Danny Cohenare the shluchim in Chevron andKiryat Araba. They are bringing theChabad spirit back to the holy city ofChevron.

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CHINUCH FOR MESIRUS NEFESH

In Megillas Esther there aremany fascinating characters. Someplay a minor role while others playmajor roles, but Queen Estherstands out above all others. TheGemara relates that when the storyreached its happy conclusion, Estherrequested of the Sages that she bewritten down for generations tocome. The Sages responded, “Doyou want to arouse the jealousy ofthe goyim?” But after furtherdiscussion, her request was acceptedand the Megilla bears her name.

Megillas Esther will maintain itsspecial status even after the comingof Moshiach. The Rambam writes inHilchos Megilla, “All the books ofN’viim and K’suvim will be annulledin the Days of Moshiach except forMegillas Esther. It endures like theFive Books of the Torah and thehalachos of the Oral Torah that arenever cancelled.

Why does Esther hold such aspecial status? This was not the firsttime in history that women wereinvolved in miracles. Chazal tell usthat “In the merit of the righteouswomen, our ancestors wereredeemed from Egypt.” Later, thebrave actions of Yehudis were soessential to the miracle of Chanuka

that until today, women areobligated in lighting the Chanukamenorah.

What, then, makes Esther greaterthan other women? In addition, wasMordechai’s share in the miracle anyless significant?

The Rebbe explains that thesalvation of Purim came aboutbecause of the mesirus nefesh ofEsther. Esther was heartbroken tohear about the decree on her people,despite the fact that she was safe inthe palace and it would not affecther personally. She cared about herpeople to such a degree that she waswilling to take her life in her handsin order to get the decree annulled.She dared to approach the kingwithout being summoned, fullycognizant that anyone who did sowas liable to be killed.

Says the Rebbe (sicha Purim5714, Toras Menachem p.144): “IfEsther would have asked aMisnagdic rav whether it waspermissible for her to go toAchashverosh, he would surely havepaskened that it was forbidden.Shulchan Aruch states that a personhas to protect himself, as we werecommanded, ‘and you shall be veryprotective of your souls.’Fortunately, Esther didn’t ask anyquestions or stop to considerwhether it was permissible or

forbidden to do. Rather, when it wasa decree on the Jewish people, sheacted in a manner of mesirusnefesh…”

Esther acquired this potential formesirus nefesh from the chinuch shegot in the house of Mordechai.Mordechai was a Chassid, “amesirus nefesh Yid,” and heimparted to Esther the Chassidishechinuch that when a Jew is indistress, you go with mesirus nefesh.

The Rebbe says, “Mordechaimust have been a Chassid, since heenacted the inyan of ‘a person mustget inebriated on Purim until hedoesn’t know…’ Who but a Chassidwould come up with an enactmentfor generations to come that youneed to drink to that extent?”

In the sicha of Purim, 5715,(Toras Menachem p. 304) the Rebbeexplains the real significance ofEsther’s request to be written downfor generations:

Mordechai and Esther arousedthe power of mesirus nefesh in theJewish people. Since that time, it isengraved in our hearts, within everysingle Jew until the end of time, sothat we have mesirus nefesh forTorah and mitzvos. This gives everyJew the ability to rise above the placeand time he is in and act withmesirus nefesh in his daily life, notonly during N’ila on Yom Kippur,but when we eat and when we sleep,when we walk in the street and whenwe go to work.

Mesirus nefesh doesn’t requirejumping off the roof. It means togive over one’s personal desires.Only the person himself knows howhard a particular thing was for himto do, and other people may notnotice he did it at all, but he does it

rosh chodesh k i s levpur im


Why is it specifically Megillas Estherthat will never be annulled? How do weknow that Mordechai and Esther wereChassidim? What do we learn fromthem in our avodas Hashem today?

MEGILLAS CHASSIDIMBy Dafna Chaim


with simcha and hiddur, becausethat is what he was commanded todo.

AYELES HA’SHACHARWe also learn about Esther’s

“Chassidishkait” from a Midrash.Chazal say that Esther is comparedto a type of deer called ayala. Rashi,on the verse in T’hillim, “As the hartpants after the water brooks,”teaches us two unique characteristicsof the ayala. The verse begins withthe masculine ayal and continues inthe feminine saarog, which Radakexplains includes males and females.

Rashi says, “The Sages say thatthis ayala is a chassida among theanimals.” The ayala does not liveonly for itself, but cares about thosearound her. When the animals arethirsty, say Chazal, they go to theayala so she will raise her eyes onHigh and pray for them. She digs ahole and puts her antlers in it andmoans and pleads to Hashem untilHashem has mercy on her andbrings water up from the deep.

Rashi also says that when theayala crouches to give birth, thefawn is unable to emerge since herwomb is narrow. She cries out toHashem and pleads for her life.Hashem has mercy on her and sendsa snake to bite her in the area of thewomb and expand it.

If the ayala is crouched to givebirth and the animals come to askher to pray on their behalf for water,she forgets her personal sufferingand prays for her fellow animals.(This is the basis for the idea thatwhen a woman gives birth, her criescan hasten the Geula, especially ifshe makes requests for otherpeople.)

That was Esther. She was in agolden cage in the king’s palace,contending with enormousdifficulties as a Jew – Shabbos,kashrus and even family purity. Butshe put aside

686 beis moshiach · 2013. 1. 21. · 4 10 adar 5769 bbeis moshiach nameless translated and adapted...

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