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CONTENTS

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:M.M. Hendel

HEBREW EDITOR:Rabbi S.Y. ChazaneditorH@beismoshiach.org

ENGLISH EDITOR:Boruch Merkureditor@beismoshiach.org

FEATURED ARTICLES

5 A VIEW INSIDE THE HOLY OF HOLIES

16 CELEBRATION AS EDUCATIONRabbi Nachman Twersky

20 YOUNG GIRL IN THE LIONS DENMenachem Ziegelboim

26 SPREADING MITZVOS ALL AROUNDB. Malachi

WEEKLY COLUMNS 3 Dvar Malchus13 Parsha Thought34 Tzivos Hashem

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IN THE MERIT OF DAVENING FOR REBBIFrom Chapter 8 of Rabbi Shloma Majeskis Likkutei Mekoros

Translated by Boruch Merkur

Every Friday evening [after his passing], he would visit his house: It appears to me, with the help of Heaven, that the reason why G-d provided this special condition for Rabbeinu HaKodesh [Rebbi Yehuda HaNasi] that [after his passing] he should openly appear in his physical body, and sit at his table as any other living person, something that was never done for any other tzaddik, not before him nor after him the reason for this is because G-d Alm-ghty does not withhold the reward of any creature [as will be explained].

The fact is that all the Sages in the time of Rabbeinu HaKadosh exerted themselves for his sake, praying for him that he should not die, and fasting [see translation of the selection from Ksuvos 104a]. They prayed copiously in large gatherings of people and wept, on a scale that was unprecedented for the sake of a contemporary tzaddik.

But in the end the angels were victorious [in bringing Rebbi Yehuda HaNasi to heaven] over the righteous [who wished that he remained in the world]: Rabbeinu HaKadosh passed on. G-d, however, did not withhold reward [from the people, for praying for him, etc.]; the Alm-ghty granted him permission to go to his home openly, in a physical body, in order that the influence and blessings he imparted [while alive] would not be interrupted. This is in accordance

with the well-known principle that the people who live in the time of a tzaddik derive benefit from him. Thus, during the lifetime of Rabbeinu HaKadosh, the people of the generation benefited from his merit.

After his passing, however, the influence and blessings Rabbeinu HaKadosh had imparted ceased. Indeed, the lack felt by the people upon the passing of a tzaddik comprises the main significance of the eulogy; it is the reason for which they weep and eulogize their loss. But since Rabbeinu HaKadosh returned to the physical world, dwelling among the living, he was not considered to have parted from the world. Again the influence and blessings that were derived from him when he was alive in the typical sense [continued and] did not depart.

It was only on Shabbos that he would come to his house openly because on Shabbos influence is drawn into the world, and from Shabbos it extends to all the days of the week. The physical appearance of Rabbeinu HaKadosh was for this sake, so that his influence should not depart. For this reason it would happen specifically on the night of Shabbos, which is when the world receives influence from Above.

Furthermore, it appears to me, with the help of Heaven, that the reason why Rabbeinu HaKadoshs

return to the physical world took place on the night of Shabbos is to teach that he did not suffer a lack or loss from the fact that they were involved with him on the night of Shabbos [preparing his body for burial], for it says in Yerushalmi Talmud, Kilayim, that the day continued, and the sun does not set until midnight of Shabbos. The Jews were concerned lest they had, G-d forbid, violated Shabbos, but a Heavenly voice issued forth, saying that all of the people invoked in his burial are invited to the life of the Future Era.

It also appears to me that the reason why this special quality took place on the night of Shabbos is because the Shabbos day corresponds to the Written Torah, whereas the night of Shabbos corresponds to the Oral Torah, as discussed in the holy Zohar. And it is known that Rabbeinu HaKadosh was the one who arranged the Oral Torah in the form of the Six Orders of Mishna. Thus, this special quality was brought about for him on the night of Shabbos, as it pertains to him.

(Ben Yehoyada on Ksuvos Perek 12, daf 103)

On the day that Rebbi passed away, the Sages decreed a public fast and offered prayers for heavenly mercy. They also announced that whoever said that Rebbi had passed away would be stabbed with a sword. (Ksuvos 104a)

DVAR MALCHUS

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A VIEW INSIDE THE HOLY OF HOLIES

Beis Moshiach presents a treasure-trove of moving stories that were

told by R Binyamin Klein ah, providing a rare glimpse into the role of a

secretary of the Rebbe and what he merited to see in the Rebbes room. *

Firsthand testimony from Gan Eden HaElyon.

FIRST PRIORITY: CONFIDENTIALITY

Confidentiality and privacy were an ironclad rule by the Rebbe. Thus, people did not hesitate to write personal things to the Rebbe, for everyone knew that it would be kept secret.

I was given many assignments by the Rebbe and the ironclad rule was always, every word the Rebbe said had to be carried out immediately, without questions of how and why; you just did it. If someone tried using his own ideas in carrying out a specific instruction of the Rebbe, it was made immediately clear that this was inappropriate.

YOU DONT KNOW HIMWhen I was a yeshiva bachur

in 770, I went one summer on Merkaz Shlichus with a friend to South America. When we arrived in Uruguay, we met someone who had been with the Rebbe at the time the Rebbe was studying at the Sorbonne in France. We found the man as he sat in a corner of the womens section of the shul.

We went over to him and introduced ourselves, We are from Lubavitch.

You know the Rebbe?Of course, I said. We

see the Rebbe every day during davening.

You might see the Rebbe,

but you dont know him. I was with him for two years in the Sorbonne and did not know him. He hid from us all.

The Rebbe is on a level that we cannot understand. We saw and heard many nice stories but that does not express the Rebbes essence.

I was the Rebbes secretary for nearly thirty-six years, but the more you hear about the Rebbe, you need to remember the Rebbe is far more than that. Rebbe is far beyond our grasp. Whatever will be said about the Rebbe does not make him greater since he can do that and so much more; on the contrary, talking about him limits him.

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AWE IN CLOSE PROXIMITYIt is very hard to describe

my relationship with the Rebbe. There was always a feeling of awe before the Rebbe. One of the widespread problems in the world is routine. When you get used to something, some of the initial enthusiasm fades. But the Rebbe never let his secretaries fall into routine. I would go to the Rebbe every day and never walked in without knocking on the door and getting the Rebbes permission to enter his room.

The Rebbe once called me on the internal phone, asking me to come to his room. I knocked on the door and walked in, but the Rebbe was busy with something and did not turn to me. Of course, I did not dare address the Rebbe. So I stood in the Rebbes room for three quarters of an hour, and all that time the Rebbe was preoccupied with something else.

SIGNS OF CLOSENESSThere was usually a clear

sense of awe inspired distance between the secretaries and the Rebbe, but every so often there were personal warm interactions on the part of the Rebbe, for example, at times of family simchas. After a family simcha, the Rebbe wanted to know who came and who received honors. Before the wedding, the Rebbe gave instructions about who to send invitations to among the people I was in touch with on behalf of the Rebbe including the Israeli prime minister, and would advise that it was worthwhile to honor so-and-so.

But regarding work matters, there was absolutely no manner of familiarity.

SECRET COMMUNIQUEIt was 28 Nissan 5750 and

the Rebbe went out for Mincha and then indicated that he was

going to say a sicha. That was surprising. The surprise was that much greater when the Rebbe spoke about intelligence information that the PLO was about to harm Jews.

Prime Minister Shamir had called me two hours earlier and asked me to tell the Rebbe that credible intelligence reports had come in that said that today, immediately, there were going to be terrorist attacks against Israeli centers around the world and he wanted a bracha that this threat would be averted. I immediately conveyed this to the Rebbe who apparently already knew the matter was serious and immediately went to work to nullify it.

It was an absolutely secret communication, but when the Rebbe went out for Mincha he spoke about it in public and said he received information to this effect and he told everyone to increase in Torah, tfilla, and tzdaka. Indeed, no attacks were perpetrated and surely, the Rebbes heavenly interventions thwarted them. The next day, in The New York Times, it said there were intelligence reports about

The Rebbe asked him, Why do you ask for just one? and gave him three dollars. A short while later she had triplets.

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the PLOs plans to attack Israeli targets around the world.

COVERT ACTION IS MOST EFFECTIVE

Along with the public fight regarding amending the law of Who is a Jew, the Rebbe did a lot secretly. I remember, for example, that through R Shlomo Yosef Zevin, the Rebbe tried to influence the Interior Minister, Moshe Chaim Shapiro. I remember that one time in the middle of the battle, I received orders to call one of Shapiros close people and to read to him, over the phone, a ten page letter which he was to urgently convey to Shapiro in the Rebbes name.

There were many secret activities regarding shleimus haaretz as well as other issues which were entirely covert, like saving Jews in Tunisia and certain countries in Europe.

THE TIME SPENT ON MAILThe Rebbe devoted extensive

time to correspondence. He went through the mail and read and answered the letters himself. All the thousands of letters that came

were given to the Rebbe just as they were received. The Rebbe personally opened all the mail and did this manually.

Often the Rebbe multi-tasked. For example, while we secretaries went in to bring something or the Rebbe spoke to us, he was simultaneously busy with something else. That was usually the case when we reported about everyday matters. It was only when we reported about something unusual that the Rebbe left everything and listened intently to every detail.

In the Rebbes room was a desk in a certain corner on which we would leave letters with questions. We would put letters on the corner of the table and take responses that were ready for us, to pass along to the questioners. The Rebbe

responded with a dank (thanks) and that was all.

R Chadakov once told me that he often had occasion to submit a letter to the Rebbe with a number of copies, for example, when the identical letter had to be written to several people. When the letters were brought to the Rebbe to sign, the Rebbe tried to read each one, saying, When I sign something, I cannot say I signed just because I assumed that surely it is the same thing as in the other letter.

The Rebbe often went over a routine letter of bracha twice and more. It was when, for example, a postscript was added in the margin (in response to a question of the bar mitzva or because of some other reason). Then the Rebbe would go over the letter again. The first time, the secretaries would prepare a letter in the usual format and the Rebbe would note what to add in a postscript. After they prepared the additional line, the Rebbe would edit it and only then sign it.

The Rebbe never signed until the letter was ready to be mailed.

The Rebbe invested tremendous work into the letters and great effort, physical exertion.

Every night, when the Rebbe went home, he took home with him many letters and when he returned the next morning to 770, answers were ready. This

The man was flabbergasted. It wasnt a booklet. It was a thick book of at least 250 pages. In less than ten minutes (in the course of which the Rebbe also said korbanos and prepared for Mincha) the Rebbe had

managed to go through the entire seifer and to make a

comment that astonished the author.

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was after he sorted them into batches. One batch consisted of letters that needed a routine blessing response like for a bar mitzva, wedding etc. These had to be prepared and brought to the Rebbe for editing and signing. As for the rest of the mail, the Rebbe dictated an answer.

Aside from the letters that were written, there were also oral responses. The Rebbe received the letter or note that was submitted and he marked the answer on the note. The secretaries told the questioner the precise wording of the answer.

CHANGE IN ATMOSPHERE BEFORE GOING TO THE

OHELThe Rebbe would prepare to

go to the Ohel like we prepare for Rosh HaShana in Elul. You felt the tension in the room the night before the trip. This was true every time the Rebbe went, with no exception, in 5752 just like in

the decades that preceded it.On the day before, the

secretaries knew that the system would change since tomorrow is the day for the Ohel. On that day, everything was different. The answers were given more quickly. If I received a letter before a trip of the Rebbe to the Ohel and I knew that the matter could wait, I would delay giving it to the Rebbe for a day or two, because before a trip to the Ohel, the atmospheric conditions were different.

If it is permissible to give an analogy to the Rebbes practices, I would say that the Rebbe prepared to go to the Ohel like a Chassid prepares to see the Rebbe in yechidus.

During the trip to the Ohel the Rebbe was always busy. Since the enactment of the daily study of Rambam, the Rebbe learned Rambam the entire time. Before that, he was busy with other things.

WHAT THE REBBE DID IN ONE DAY

People do not know how much the Rebbe does for the Jewish people. We secretaries can testify that the Rebbe worked for the Jewish people, collectively and for individuals, 24 hours a day! When we went to the Rebbe and the Rebbe would speak to us, we saw how the Rebbe was always, literally, always busy. He was never resting. It is unbelievable how much the Rebbe accomplished in one day. And Im talking only about what we saw with our own eyes.

TO BE DONE WILLINGLYThere were times that the

Rebbe wanted someone to go on shlichus to a particularly unsympathetic locale, but the Rebbe wanted this to be done willingly and not because the Rebbe said so. I would go to that person and offhandedly say that a certain position was available and

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would ask whether he wanted this shlichus.

If he refused at first and agreed only after he realized that the suggestion was coming from the Rebbe, it was too late.

HELPING BEHIND THE SCENES

Someone once called me and said he needed to see the Rebbe about something that entailed danger to life. He was not a Lubavitcher but they had told him that if he wanted salvation, he should speak to the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

He had yechidus on Sunday night in the course of which he told the Rebbe that in a distant country he had a brother who had amassed huge debts and his business was about to close and it was possible he would land in jail. The Rebbe listened but did not react.

When the man left the Rebbes room, I asked him what

happened and he said, I am more in despair now than before I saw the Rebbe. Until I went in, I had the hope that the Rebbe would save my brother, but the Rebbe listened and did not react to what I said but went on to speak about other subjects.

The way it worked was, R Chadakov would go to the Rebbes room every evening before the Rebbe went home. Even on days when the Rebbe received people for yechidus all night, R Chadakov waited in his office until it was over, even if it was four or five in the morning.

That night, the last yechidus was at three and R Chadakov entered the Rebbes room as usual before the Rebbe left for home.

That night, it was my turn to drive the Rebbe home and I waited for R Chadakov to come out. When he did, he said to me, Binyamin, come to me afterwards in the office because

I received a certain instruction from the Rebbe.

After I drove the Rebbe home, I went back to the office where R Chadakov was waiting for me. He said, This is a secret matter. The Rebbe said to me that a call should be placed to so-and-so. The Rebbe said, I dont know whether this person ever saw me, but you must ask him to help a certain Jew who is deep in debt because of his business and might end up in jail.

After making some calls, I found the man and gave him the Rebbes message. I was excited when he accepted what the Rebbe said. Although he was not a Lubavitcher Chassid and had never met the Rebbe, since the Rebbe had asked him for something in a message that came at three in the morning, he happily accepted it.

Later on, the man was told that the Rebbe was interested in knowing what happened. At

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eight oclock in the morning I got a call from him. Tell the Rebbe that the matter was taken care of, down to the last cent.

From this story we can learn many things, but the most important of all is the Rebbes great Ahavas Yisroel for every Jew.

RUACH HAKODESHIt happened many times

that people thought of asking certain questions in yechidus and for some reason or another they did not ask it, but the Rebbe answered their unspoken question.

In the course of my work as secretary, I would submit questions to the Rebbe that people wrote and the Rebbe would write the response on the margin of the paper. Then I would convey the answer to the questioner, orally or in writing. In my decades of experience, it never happened that the Rebbe said something and it did not happen. It may have happened immediately or days, weeks or months later, but whatever the Rebbe said was fulfilled in its entirety.

Once dollars began on Sunday, many people saw for themselves a bit of the Rebbes amazing avoda. For every dollar that the Rebbe gave and said bracha vhatzlacha, there is a story.

BECAUSE HE IS THE REBBEI once had an Israeli doctor,

a gynecologist, at my house for Shabbos. He said that many of his patients write to the Rebbe and often the Rebbe gives them medical advice on an advanced scientific level.

He said, When the Rebbe receives a medical query, he

is surely helped by a medical committee in his office and he sends them the question and they give him the answer which is then conveyed to the questioner.

I told him, I would like to tell you a story in which you are one of the protagonists and which happened just a few weeks ago:

A woman called on Friday morning and said she had visited you and you told her to do a C-section. She did not know what to do. Shabbos was approaching and she asked what she should do. She did not have much time to wait, for the doctors said if they waited a little longer the worst could happen.

I asked her to wait on the line, maybe Id be lucky and I could ask the Rebbe immediately. I knocked on the Rebbes door and the Rebbe opened it. I told him the question and the Rebbe said she should wait until after Shabbos.

I told the woman the Rebbes answer. The doctors threatened that she was endangering her life, but she stood firm. Afterward, I was told that she gave birth naturally on Shabbos.

When I finished the story, I reminded the doctor of the name of the patient and he immediately remembered her. I said: When I went to the Rebbe that Friday, there was no medical committee with him.

So how did the Rebbe know what to answer? asked the doctor.

Because hes the Rebbe.

AT DOLLARSWhen the Rebbe gave out

dollars for tzdaka, I stood on the side, helping out and watching the goings on.

People would stand on line for dollars and think of what to

say to the Rebbe. As soon as they reached the Rebbe they would stammer out with great difficulty whatever they could manage due to their emotional state, but the Rebbe read their minds and answered what they intended to say even if they did not manage to say it all or even partly.

Once an author brought his book to the Rebbe and without saying a word, the Rebbe gave him an extra dollar and said, refua shleima. People standing there were taken aback but when the man returned home he found out that his daughter was sick and had a high fever for no apparent reason. He gave her the dollar for her to give to tzdaka and she recovered.

I have a friend in England who learned with me in yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel. He had a daughter who had no children after eleven years of marriage. He asked me to arrange yechidus for him. This was at the time when the Rebbe was no longer receiving people privately. I suggested that he come on Sunday for dollars and he agreed. He came and told the Rebbe about his daughter and asked for a bracha.

The Rebbe asked him, Why do you ask for just one? and gave him three dollars. A short while later she had triplets.

A talmid in the yeshiva in Morristown who received a dollar was told by the Rebbe, This is for Australia, when he had no plans of going there. He thought the Rebbe hadnt heard him properly and had confused Morristown for Australia. After thinking about it a lot, he decided to go to Australia but a friend advised him to first write and ask the Rebbe. The Rebbe responded that he should not go to Australia, but should send the dollar there to be given to tzdaka.

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Only later did the reason for this cryptic instruction become clear.

Chazal say about Moshe Rabbeinu that the Shchina speaks from within his throat; we saw this with the Rebbe. When the Rebbe gave a bracha, it was like the words came straight from Hashem. At the time, we did not always understand what the Rebbe meant, and sometimes only later did it become clear.

The existence of Rebbe is something beyond our comprehension.

The Rebbe said that our generation is the last generation of galus and the first generation of Geula, which means it will certainly happen. The Rebbe said its up to us. Therefore, we have to prepare for it. We, on our part, must stand at the ready, and Hashem will make it happen very soon.

LOVE FOR SFARIMAs the Rebbes secretary, I

saw the Rebbes unusual regard for sfarim. We saw this also every time we went to the Rebbe during the day with a book sent by some author, and the Rebbe immediately took it and looked through it from beginning to end.

That was the Rebbes standard treatment for any book, no matter who wrote it or what subject it was on. That was the Rebbes tremendous love for books. It reached the point that we, as members of the secretariat, faced a dilemma on more than one occasion. We had letters, some of them urgent, such as critical states of health or joyous matters, where the people were urgently awaiting a response, and we received a new book sent for the Rebbe. We could not hold back the book because of the urgency of the letters, for if we

did we would be betraying our positions. And then we would see the usual sight. The second the book was placed on the desk, the Rebbe would take it and examine it.

THE REBBE EXAMINES A BOOK

I was once called to the Rebbes room. It was 3:05, ten minutes before Mincha. The

Rebbe usually waited for us to come to his room and say that the minyan was ready for davening. I went from the secretaries office toward the Rebbes room.

As I walked there, I was met by an author of sfarim who is not a Lubavitcher. He was holding a new book he had written and which he wanted to give to the Rebbe. I told him I was going to the Rebbe now and would take the seifer with me.

One day, an emissary from the king of Morocco came here on a secret visit. I remember that before he saw the Rebbe he asked for guidance on etiquette. As an emissary of a king and someone who

knew he had come to see royalty, he wanted to do things

right, according to protocol.

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As I was used to seeing, the Rebbe immediately took it and examined it. Less than ten minutes later, the Rebbe left for Mincha. The author stood in the corridor of the entrance to 770 and waited for Mincha. When the Rebbe saw him he said, Yashar koach for the seifer.

The man said, I request not only a bracha but feedback or some comment on it.

The Rebbe said, How come, throughout the entire book you dont mention the Alter Rebbe even once?

The man was flabbergasted. It wasnt a booklet. It was a thick book of at least 250 pages. In less than ten minutes (in the course of which the Rebbe also said korbanos and prepared for Mincha) the Rebbe had managed to go through the entire book and to make a comment that astonished the author.

HELP FOR JEWS WORLDWIDE

The Rebbe helps Jews everywhere, often thanks to government figures in various countries who were secretly in touch with the Rebbe. One day, an emissary from the king of

Morocco came here on a secret visit. I remember that before he saw the Rebbe he asked for guidance on etiquette. As an emissary of a king and someone who knew he had come to see royalty, he wanted to do things right, according to protocol.

I dont know what they spoke about. I can just say that he brought thanks from the king of Morocco for Chabads work among Moroccan Jewry.

There was also a tremendous amount of assistance to Russian Jewry behind the Iron Curtain. Some things have been revealed but most remains classified. The Rebbe sent thousands of shipments of sfarim and religious ritual items to the Jews of Russia. It was known that only some of the shipments reached their destination and therefore huge amounts were sent.

WHY DIDNT YOU SAY SO UNTIL NOW?

With the Rebbe, everything was handled with great urgency. One time, the Rebbe asked me to come to his room. I went in and the Rebbe told me to do something. This was at eleven oclock at night. The Rebbe told

me to report to him afterward.I did what I was instructed

and reporting meant I had to go back to the Rebbes room. When I arrived in the morning, I did not want to disturb the Rebbe before davening. Right after davening, I wanted to go in and report what happened but the Rebbe was preparing to go to the mikva before going to the Ohel. I was the driver to the mikva but I did not want to discuss the matter with him at that time, because I was sitting in the front and the Rebbe was sitting behind me and not looking at me. I hoped that when the Rebbe returned from the mikva, I could speak to him in his room.

On the way back from the mikva, the Rebbe brought it up, What about the matter from last night?

I had no choice but to report. Then the Rebbe asked, Why didnt you tell me? I asked you to report to me right away. I said I had no opportunity until then.

The Rebbe asked, Why not on the way to the mikva?

From this I understood that when the Rebbe wants something, it had to be done right away.

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POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

TALK TO THE ROCK!One of the three major

miracles the Jewish nation experienced in the desert had come to an end. The Manna that descended from heaven, our Sages teach us, came in the merit of Moshe. The clouds of glory that surrounded and protected the Jewish nation came in the merit of Aaron, and the water supply that emerged from a rock that traveled with them in the desert came in the merit of Miriam.

Now that Miriam had passed on, the rock stopped supplying water to the multitudes. And when they realized they were in a barren and arid desert they complained to Moshe, as was their wont. G-d then instructed Moshe to take his staff and talk to the rock so that it would provide water once again.

Moshe harshly rebuked the people, addressing them with the introductory words: Listen, you rebels! Moshe then took his staff, struck the rock twice and water gushed forth.

G-d was upset with Moshe and strongly reproved him for not doing the right thing. It was for this reason that he was not allowed to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land.

Why was G-d so upset at Moshe? What did he do wrong?

The Jews demanded water, Moshe struck the rock and it miraculously produced water. Whats so terrible about that?

TWO EXPLANATIONS Commentators who grappled

with this question have come up with multiple answers. The two most prominent explanations were given by Rashi and Maimonides, respectively

According to Rashi, Moshe was faulted for striking the rock instead of speaking to it as G-d had expressly commanded him. According to Maimonides however, Moshe was rebuked since he angrily referred to the Jews as rebels in reaction to the way they demanded water.

The great Chassidic master Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, in his classic work Kdushas Levi, sheds light on this narrative and demonstrates that the interpretations of Rashi and Maimonides are interconnected. The following is an adaptation of his commentary.

TWO APPROACHESThere are two ways to

influence someone to do the right thing. The first approach is to uplift them by telling them how much G-d loves them; the preciousness of the G-dly soul they possess; the beauty of Torah

and Mitzvos; and the incredible pleasure their observance brings to G-d. Indeed, the entire cosmos, including the physical universe and all of the spiritual worlds, are uplifted and experience phenomenal delight when a Jew does even one Mitzvah!

This approach is not patronizing or condescending. Even the most sinful individual possesses a G-dly soul. Praise of even the sinful individual allows the person to get in touch with his or her inner holiness.

The other approach is to harshly scold the recalcitrant members of the community for their errant behavior or their slack initiative in doing good. In this approach the focus is on their animal souls lowliness. This approach is often accompanied with threats of punishment and warnings of negative consequences. In many situations this approach works well because of the psychological pressure it brings to bear on the individual. Ultimately, this individual will feel compelled to comply with G-ds will.

Although the result appears to be identicalthe individual is lead to the Mitzvah or pulled away from the transgressionthe effects of the two approaches cannot be further apart.

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MASTERY OVER CREATIONWhen one extols the virtue

of the Jewish people, the entire universe bends to conform to their needs. After all, as Rashi states in his commentary on the very first word of the Torah, BReishis, the entire world was created for Torah and Yisroel (the people). The very word Yisroel can actually be translated as: Having mastery over the G-dly forces of nature. That power is a built in part of existence. When nature sees the Jewish peoples

need to follow the Torah it recognizes that it must conform to those needs.

When the Jewish people are exalted and seen in their true spiritual light, nature feels comfortable and more than willing to acquiesce to their needs. In this way, nature facilitates their dedication to the ideals of Judaism they so strongly identify with and for which everything was created in the first place.

However, when we fail to promote the greatness of the Jewish people, and instead denigrate them, the world does not feel compelled to accede to their needs. The world looks at the Jewish nation and sees a people like any other. Their weaknesses belie their true G-dly nature. To the rest of creation, these weak individuals appear no different from any other part of the natural order, nay, even

inferior to it. And while specific individuals may indeed exhibit animalistic tendencies, the mere focus on it by others casts that individual in a weak position vis--vis the rest of nature. This is particularly so for people like Moshe, whose word carries weight in all of the physical and spiritual realms.

In this situation of weakness, nature must be forced to comply with the needs of the Jewish people. It requires greater exertion because nature does not

feel the need to alter its course to accommodate a lowlier part of existence and thereby facilitate its deviant ways.

THE CONNECTIONWe can now understand how

Moshes speaking harshly to the Jewish people, calling them rebels, actually forced him to strike the rock instead of just speaking to it about producing water. Moshe, the consummate leader of the Jewish people, called them rebels and, in effect, reduced their profile in the eyes of the natural order. Thus, nature, i.e., the rock, resisted providing water. Why would the rock yield to mere soft-spoken speech to go against its own G-d given nature? The rock therefore resisted Moshes attempt at speaking to it softly to give water.

Had Moshe extolled the Jewish people and focused on their G-dliness and the beauty

of their trust and the faith that they had exhibited in the past, his testimony would have been able to penetrate even a hard rock and it would have enthusiastically gushed its supply of waters. His talking to the rock would have meant addressing natures willing subordination to the needs of Israel. By speaking to the rock, Moshe would have essentially been saying to it, You were created to serve the interests of Israel! Now, proceed to give them water! This is your true calling. And the rock would have given no resistance.

However, when Moshe used the harsh rebuke and labeled the Jewish nation as rebels, the rock failed to recognize their preeminent role in this world and refused to alter its own nature. Nature has an innate sense of who is worthy of its service and before whom it must bow.

HOW COULD MOSHE HAVE ERRED?

An important question still remains. How could it be that Moshe, the greatest leader, would so misjudge the situation and use the harsh approach knowing that the soft approach is far more effective?

The answer lies in the historical reality. The Jewish people were in the beginning stage of their journey and had not yet had the opportunity to prove their true inner G-dly spirit. We all know that while praise and positive reinforcement works wonders with some, it has the opposite effect on others. A child whose talents are so covered up cannot be helped by mere praise. A harsher approach might have to be used.

In truth, Moshe did not really err. At the time this event

When Moshe used the harsh rebuke and labeled the Jewish nation as rebels, the rock failed to recognize their preeminent role in this world and refused to alter its own nature. Nature has an innate sense of who

is worthy of its service and before whom it must bow.

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transpired, Moshes actions were indeed the right ones. They were only wrong if used out of context. This is true of all the reported sins of the greatest tzaddikim. Although the Torah characterizes some of the actions of the Patriarchs, Moshe, Aaron, Miriam, Kings David and Solomon as sinful, in truth, Chassidic thought teaches us that they were not really sinful actions, in the literal sense of the word.

The sins of tzaddikim describe a decline from their lofty spiritual heights; not a gesture of independence, rebelliousness, ego, desire, etc., the classical culprits in our world of iniquity. Furthermore, Chassidus explains, the decline of the tzaddik is actually orchestrated by G-d to serve two objectives.

The first is that declining from their spiritual heights energizes them to climb even higher. This is the tzaddiks version of the Baal Tshuva, the penitent or

returnee, whose actual sins and the remorse for them propel him or her to a more passionate attachment to G-d. Similarly, when the tzaddik falters he or she is given the opportunity to be catapulted to an even higher level.

The second benefit of the tzaddiks decline is for everyone else to learn an important lesson from it that applies to us in our own spiritual lives.

THE LESSON FOR OUR GENERATION: LOVE IT AND

LIVE IT!What Moshe did in his

generation may have been proper for that period and for those people, but it is not proper for our generation, situated on the crossroads of historyon the threshold of the Messianic Era. Our generation is, paradoxically, both very delicate and very strong.

On the one hand, it is

fragile and cannot endure too much negative pressure. We carry the weight and burden of millennia of persecution and pain. Particularly, as the first generation after the Holocaust, we, as a general rule, cannot be spoken to harshly. The only way one can penetrate the darkness in our world is through light.

On the other hand, our generation is the strongest and can best handle positive reinforcement, because all the positive energy we possess is so close to the surface. Thousands of years of cumulative good have left an indelible mark on our collective psyche. We respond well to praise and positive energy.

Our approach today to our fellow Jew is: We are members of a holy nation and G-d has chosen us to be on the cutting edge of spiritual growth. We are distinguished members of the last generation of exile and the first generation of Redemption! So love it and live it!

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CELEBRATION AS EDUCATIONIn Shulchan Aruch there is no section entitled

Hilchos Chinuch, but we need to know the

principles of chinuch. One of those principles is

that when a child comes home with a Student of

the Week certificate and the parents show great excitement over it, or when a child finishes a masechta and the parents make a festive seudas

mitzva to celebrate, this inspires him to continue

growing in Yiddishkait. He will remember it

forever.

By Rabbi Nachman Twersky

SHULCHAN ARUCH FOR CHINUCH

The Shulchan Aruch and poskim address all aspects of life. So its really extraordinary that when it comes to the chinuch of Jewish children, something that preoccupies parents for most of their lives, there is no Shulchan Aruch! There are Laws of Teachers and detailed laws about the obligation to teach ones children Torah, but no clear, organized Halachos about how parents should raise and educate children.

The Beis Yosef incorporated all aspects of a Jews life within the four parts of Shulchan Aruch, from Orach Chaim to Choshen

Mishpat. Why arent there Hilchos Chinuch?

The truth is that whoever has even some experience in chinuch knows that every child is another world and every generation is different, which is why principles of chinuch were established. In every era there are mechanchim who teach various approaches to chinuch based on them. The principles are always there, but the rules change from era to era.

Why is this so? We will answer with the following story. There was a father who merited to raise good, G-d fearing children, except for one child who went off the derech. The father, deeply troubled by this, went to one of the great rabbanim and

mechanchim and said: I dont know what happened. I raised all my children the same way, investing all my kochos in all the children equally, so why was I unsuccessful with this child? Where did I go wrong?

Said the rav: You just answered your question. You just said you raised them all the same; that was not good chinuch, because each child is unique and has to be educated in his own way.

A melamed I know told me that he taught the children of a well-known mechanech who was considered an expert in chinuch. At the beginning of the school year, the father told him: This child of mine dont be too

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friendly with him. If you start being friendly, youll lose him. He needs rules; thats his nature and thats the only way youll succeed with him.

With another child of his the father said: This child is the opposite of his brother. You cant talk rules to him. Get into pleasant conversations with him and youll be successful. And it was true, because the father knew that each child was different and the teacher was very successful with both of them.

This is why, when it comes to chinuch, the Torah itself demonstrates that there arent rules, but instead instructs us to educate the boy according to his way. Every child has his method. We have to invest time, effort and serious thought; the parents need to know what makes each child tick and what his character traits are, and approach him based on that.

HOW DOES A BACHUR BECOME A FATHER?

When it comes to chinuch, there is a very interesting point which people often dont think about. A bachur in his early twenties leaves yeshiva without being taught anything about raising children. Then he suddenly has a family with children to raise. It would seem to be a recipe for disaster. Can you imagine someone starting to drive without having any driving lessons? Its sakanas nefashos!

How does a bachur become a father or a teacher? The answer is very simple. There are things you dont need to learn from a book; being a father is one of them. Although mistakes can be made, Hashem implanted within each person the talent and abilities necessary to raise

children, and this is called siyata dShmaya.

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai spoke to his students before he passed regarding a person who sins. A person only sins when he says he will sin if only nobody sees me. This is because there are things that by nature a person senses are problematic. He knows they arent good. The Alter Rebbe explains this in Tanya; a Jew in his purest state has no desire for forbidden things, i.e. a Jew is inherently pure and unsullied. So it means that every Jew has the necessary powers to carry out the G-dly mission for which he came down to this world, but due to the confusion that prevails in the world, sometimes he needs extra direction.

Of course, with all the goodwill one might have, in our generation there are difficulties with parnasa and most parents work hard outside the home, which dulls their natural abilities somewhat. So we cannot rely on natural talent alone and parents have to constantly invest time in learning current chinuch techniques.

MAKING A BIG DEAL ABOUT TORAH AND

MITZVOSWe all want our children to go

in the ways of Torah and mitzvos. However, the knowledge of right and wrong alone is insufficient. In connection with Shavuos, the Rebbeim would wish the Chassidim, Kabbalas haTorah bsimcha ubpnimius. In order to receive the Torah, it has to be done with simcha and pnimius. The ways of Torah must be internalized and practiced with passion and joy. Since our children are our guarantors, our involvement in their chinuch needs to be done with simcha and pnimius. This is how we instill the sweetness of the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos in our children.

The Gemara in Shabbos says that every mitzva that the Jewish people accepted with joy endured. Simcha has a special power, for with it we express the supreme importance of the mitzvos in our eyes. Similarly, any time we show great excitement and joy over an accomplishment or milestone, we are expressing how important it is to us. When parents make a Siddur Party or Chumash Party for their child, they make the Siddur and Chumash important to the child. We need to take every matter of holiness (not only at school), every Jewish thing, and every new mitzva a child starts to do, and make it into something very important.

Many children will say their first memory is of their upsheren, because that was an event full of excitement and emotion. So too with older children; a child who returns home with a masechta of Mishnayos that he learned has to have a festive meal made for him with all the trimmings, so he sees that at home his parents

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consider this important. This is something that will spur him on in the future. Everything that his parents make a point of noticing and show plenty of positive feedback for is remembered.

As Chassidim, if we look at what the Rebbe did, we see that the Rebbe taught us to conduct ourselves in this way. I remember that at the beginning of the takana regarding learning Rambam, the Rebbe spoke about what should be done for siyumim, namely that they should take place brov am hadras melech with great pomp, all over the world.

Since this is a siyum of learning Halachos in Torah, said the Rebbe, a big deal had to be made, with a lot of publicity, because that underscores the importance.

The Gemara asks: why did the churban take place? And it answers: because they abandoned My Torah, i.e. they learned Torah but did not value it highly enough.

WHAT WILL THE CHILD REMEMBER AND WHAT

WILL HE FORGET?The story is told of R

Nachum of Chernobyl, one of the great disciples of the holy Baal Shem Tov, who went to a town and was asked to be the sandak for a certain family. He agreed, and after the bris he was given some pieces of sugar and a small bottle of mashke without mezonos. He was taken aback and asked, Whats this about?

This is a bris! It turned out the family was so poor that they did not have money for more than that.

R Nachum said, This is not the way to celebrate a bris. He asked everyone in the community to participate in arranging a seuda. He covered most of the cost, insisting that a big seuda with fish and meat be served as was fitting for bringing a baby into the covenant of Avrohom Avinu. They did so, baking challa and cooking fish and meat, and a grand seuda was held later in the day.

In the middle of the meal, R Nachum explained why he felt it necessary to make a large feast for the bris. He said, Before Rosh HaShana there were terrible accusations and decrees made against the Jewish people because there were more sins than mitzvos. The angel Michoel maintained that even though there were many sins, all the mitzvos should be weighed as compared to sins. When they put the mitzva of bris on the scale, Michoel insisted that although it is just one mitzva, a big seuda is made and everyone works together to prepare it and this itself outweighs a number of sins. So I dont want to forgo this mitzva.

***The Satan is called Malach

Sama-el. Sama-el in Hebrew is an acronym for Seudas Mitzva Ein Laasos (dont make a seudas mitzva), and Siyum Masechta Ein Laasos (dont make a siyum

when completing a masechta), and Seudas Mila Ein Laasos (dont make a festive meal for a bris). The Satan says, If you want to learn, so learn; but dont make a big deal out of it. Dont make a seuda.

This principal is especially true at home. When a child comes home with a Talmid HaShavua certificate, or we see that he davened nicely, even without a certificate, we need to make a big deal about it to highlight its importance. A child did something good, so treat it as something important. It gives the child the desire to continue in that direction because his parents consider it important.

These things become engraved in their minds. Whatever is done without emotion is forgotten; whatever is done with attention, with a commotion, is remembered and remains in their hearts.

PERSONAL EXAMPLE TIPS THE SCALE

There was a Chassidishe businessman who had a lot of cash on him. One day he got a bundle of bills and when he counted it he discovered, to his dismay, that one 100 dollar bill was counterfeit. What did he do with it? The easy way out would have been to pass it along with the bundle of bills, just the way he got it. But that would be stealing. So when the children came home from school, he welcomed them with a festive meal, and when the children sat around the table he told them he was going to do a big mitzva.

He took the counterfeit bill out of the bundle of hundred dollar bills and said to them: See this, this is a bill I cannot pass along. People wont necessarily

The father asked all the children to hold on to the edge of the bill and he lit a match and set the hundred dollar bill on fire.

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realize its counterfeit. Even though nobody will know if I pass it along, it is nevertheless forbidden to do so because that would be stealing. So we are gathered here now so we can rejoice over this mitzva. The father asked all the children to hold on to the edge of the bill and he lit a match and set the hundred dollar bill on fire.

Thats not the end of the story. Twenty years passed and one of his children bought a house from inheritors of an old woman who had died. The heirs said to the son, Our mother was elderly and we fixed up the house as much as we could. We found some things she left behind in the house, but we were not able to find everything. If you find any more of her things, would you please pass it along to us?

A few years later, the son decided to renovate the house, in the course of which one of the walls was taken down. To his surprise, he found three gold bars and bundles of bills. A veritable treasure. What should he do?

On the one hand, he could assume that the heirs had long given up hope, but then he remembered the special seuda his father had made when the son was a little boy, over twenty years ago. His father had burned a counterfeit hundred dollar bill and he was reminded of how important it is to do mitzvos and

not swindle people.The son also gathered his

family and showed them the three gold bars and bundles of bills, and in their presence he called the inheritors and returned everything that belonged to them.

WHAT BOTHERED THE HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR?

A similar story took place with a Jew in Europe before the war. World War II began when he was on vacation and he had to quickly procure a large sum of money with which to escape. While at the vacation spot he met a Jew who loaned him money with which he was able to leave Poland for Russia. He ultimately was saved along with his children and he eventually reached America.

But he was bothered by the fact that he owed money and could not find the man he owed it to. After the war he made inquiries about the man, but based on all the information he could gather, the man had been killed. He was upset that he could not repay the loan.

Another ten, fifteen years went by before he met a certain man with the same family

name as the person from whom he had borrowed money. He figured out that this was the nephew of the man who had loaned him the money. He asked whether the mans uncle had any other relatives and the man said he was the only one to survive.

He was so happy to meet a member of the family. He paid him the loan and had the entire family join him in a festive meal to celebrate the repayment of the loan he took at the outbreak of the war. This strongly impressed the children regarding the importance of repaying a loan.

This is what is meant by simcha and pnimius. When we educate a Jewish child with simcha, it penetrates and permeates him.

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YOUNG GIRL IN THE LIONS DENThe surprising series of events began when a coded letter arrived from

the Rebbe Rayatz who asked that the middle daughter go to the military

doctor and try to get her brother Mendel released from the Red Army. The

girl was beside herself; how could she convince the doctor when others

had failed? And what if the doctor decided to inform on the entire family?

Nevertheless, she carried out the Rebbes order with a pounding heart and

great fear. * This was the first of a series of military exemptions which the girl arranged for the bachurim. * From the book Soarot Bdemama about

the heroism of Chassidishe women behind the Iron Curtain. * Presented for

12 Tamuz.

By Menachem Ziegelboim

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONSIn an interview that Mrs.

Mussia Katzenelenbogen gave, she said:

A few years after my parents Chaim Elozor and Chaya Doba Gorelick were married, they had six beautiful children. But five of them died within the first 6 weeks of life. Only one daughter remained, my sister Tzippa ah (Kozliner). It was an immense tragedy. The family thought they had suffered from an ayin hara (evil eye).

When my mother was pregnant once again, she was very worried. Shortly before giving birth, my father went to the

Rebbe Rashab in Lubavitch (he would go to him every holiday) and told him the situation. The Rebbe gave a blessing that the birth should go well and he added a number of instructions: first, if the baby was a girl, she should be called Mushka; if a boy, he should be named Menachem Mendel. Second, move to another city.

My parents moved from Szedrin to Rogatchov. A girl was born at the beginning of the winter of 5668/1907. That was me, and I was named Mushka (Mussia). Fifteen months later, on Purim 5669, my brother Menachem Mendel was born.

Joy returned to my parents home. If that wasnt enough, my

mother was expecting another baby! This pregnancy wasnt easy. She suffered from heart complications and the doctors said she could not give birth. My father went to ask the Rebbe for a bracha. This time, to his surprise, the Rebbe said he would come to us!

I was about eight years old and I dont remember much. However, the details of this episode were related at home for many years to come. My mother was awe-stricken by the coming of the Rebbe and there was a great sense of anticipation in the house.

A few days later, the Rebbe arrived. My father welcomed

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him at the door. The Rebbe asked, Where is your wife? My mother came out and the Rebbe told her, I heard that you are afraid of the doctors. You should know that He (pointing upward) is the best doctor of all. All will be well, dont be afraid and Hashem will help you.

My sister Mariasha (Vilenkin) was born with that bracha.

SHLICHUS FROM THE REBBE

My brother Mendel learned with mesirus nefesh in secret Yeshivos Tomchei Tmimim in Charkov, Nevel, and other places. There was always concern about

him at home, but my parents kept repeating that this is what the Rebbe Rayatz wanted.

My brother received a draft notice before Rosh HaShana 5691/1930. The day he was supposed to show up was Rosh HaShana and my father decided that he would not serve in the army, come what may. However, one could not avoid presenting oneself to the draft office. The military doctor who lived in our neighborhood and was a member of the doctors committee at the draft office refused to cooperate. My father wrote to the Rebbe Rayatz and asked for a bracha.

Some time went by until he received a response, for

the Rebbe was no longer in the Soviet Union. The answer arrived on Erev Rosh HaShana. The Rebbes response was, The middle daughter should go to the doctor with a minimal amount of money and with caution, and Hashem will help.

The middle daughter is me. My father told me I had

to go to the doctors house and the Rebbes bracha would accompany me. I tried to get out of it. I said that if my father had not managed to convince him, nor friends, what could I do?

My father understood my fear and did not pressure me but he confided in some of his fellow Chassidim. They maintained that

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if the Rebbe said so, then the salvation would come through me. They came to our house to convince me. The Rebbe sees into the distance, and if he said to go, then you surely have what it takes to succeed, they said. After much importuning, they convinced me.

I wont deny that my heart beat wildly when I went to the clinic. I did not know how the doctor would react. It was possible that not only wouldnt he help, but he could tattle on me and my family and then our end would be bitter. But I had no choice but to hope for the best.

When I arrived at the clinic, I saw the doctor standing at the entrance on his way out for home. I thought of what I could say to him. Being so overwrought, I did not say a word. The doctor saw me and his eyes lit up. I was waiting for you, he said, to my utter amazement. Go home and tell your brother to come to me tomorrow after smoking heavily so I can write that his lungs are damaged.

I am sorry, I said, finally able to open my mouth. I dont how I mustered the courage, but I continued, Tomorrow is Shabbos and a holiday and Jews do not smoke.

The doctor realized he could not argue with that and he agreed that my brother should come without smoking, but it should

look as though the effort was difficult for him.

The next day, on Rosh HaShana, my father, Tzippa, Mendel and I went to the draft board. We all stood in the corridor. My father, with a very serious face, said Thillim, and we all waited anxiously to see how things would turn out.

Mendel waited a long time on line. When the director of the medical committee left the room for a moment, our doctor-neighbor came out and said, Gorelick. My brother jumped from his place and went into the draft committee room. Three doctors sat there and they told him to sit down and stand many times, quickly. He acted as though this was very hard for him and they immediately signed that this was hard for him and therefore he was exempt from army service.

As they signed, the director of the committee entered the room. He looked at the exemption and said with disappointment, I was too late. Earlier, we saw the documents and read that he is talented in drawing and printing. In the army now there is a demand for recruits who are talented in this way, but if you already signed the exemption, it cannot be undone ...

Mendel continued to act as though he had problems breathing. He left the room while

holding his hand over his heart.It was only when we got home

that we expressed our great joy. We had all seen the fulfillment of the Rebbe Rayatzs bracha.

On Motzaei Rosh HaShana, we rushed to send the Rebbe a telegram which said: Mazal Tov!

Now we had to solve the riddle of why the doctor suddenly agreed to help Mendel. The one who provided the explanation was the doctor himself. It was a few days later when my father asked me to go to the doctor and bring him cake and wine along with an envelope containing 150 rubles, to thank him for saving Mendel.

When I got to the doctor he asked, Surely you are wondering why I agreed to release your brother. When I said yes, that was so, he told me, Ever since your father came and asked me to help release your brother, I was not able to sleep at night. I am a gentile and you are Jewish, and we are different. I thought, why should I endanger myself for a Jew? However, the night before you came, I had a dream in which I was told that if you come to me, I had to do as you asked. But I still do not know why I did it, he concluded.

I said, There is one G-d and He gives each one a soul; every person has a purpose in the world and the purpose of your soul, apparently, is to save Jews.

***From then on, I became a

shlucha of the Rebbe Rayatz, not just for my brother but for other bachurim.

In our city, Stari-Russia and its environs, there were many bachurim who received draft notices. They did not know how to extricate themselves from this calamity and they wrote to

A few days later the Rebbe arrived. My father welcomed him at the door. The Rebbe asked, Where is your wife? My mother came out and the Rebbe told her, I heard that you are afraid of the doctors. You should know that He (pointing upward) is the best doctor

of all. All will be well, dont be afraid and Hashem will

help you.

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the Rebbe Rayatz. The Rebbes answer was, Go to R Elozor Gorelicks middle daughter and she will help you. He even asked that they give me his letter with blessings for helping my brother be released from the army.

The bachurim came to me with the Rebbes letter and when I saw it, I felt an elevated feeling of being a special emissary of the Rebbe. Over a period of time, I was able, with the Rebbes bracha, to save seventeen bachurim from serving in the Red Army. Included were: R Lazer Lazarov, R Chaim Volovik (later my mechutan), R Dovid Rogatzky, R Michoel Teitelbaum, and R Shimon Katzenelenbogen (my future husband).

RELEASE AND BIRTH WITH THE REBBES BRACHAIn 5692 I became engaged,

with the Rebbes bracha, to Shimon Katzenelenbogen, the son of Michoel and (Mumme) Sarah, a well-known Chassidic family.

After the wedding we lived for two years in Stari-Russia and then we moved to Malachovka, a suburb of Moscow.

My family (the Gorelicks) and my husbands family suffered greatly from communist persecution. One Friday night in the year 5695, my father and brother Mendel were arrested. The next day, when I went to visit my parents, I found my mother very worried. She told me about the arrests.

My father was accused of teaching Torah to children and my brother was accused of learning Torah. For many weeks they were tortured in the interrogation cellars in order to extract from them the names of the organizers of the chadarim

and yeshivos, and the names of melamdim and parents who sent their children.

In the criminal file which took up six pages (and was discovered in recent years in KGB archives), they wrote at length about their involvement in anti-government activities such as founding secret yeshivos and chadarim. They were sentenced to three years exile in the village of Shymkent in Kazakhstan.

This was a severe punishment, but in those years when many were killed for such crimes, it was a big miracle and we thanked Hashem.

Before my father went to Kazakhstan, we the family went to see him. We stood behind bars and spoke for a few minutes. We cried and cried. The sight of my father at that time is one I will never forget. He had a towel on his head. At first, I did not understand it, but then I suddenly realized that in prison it was forbidden to wear a yarmulke since it is a religious observance, so my father had a towel on his head instead.

While in exile, my father became sick and my sister Mariasha went to help him. Later

on, my mother also went with her grandson Mottel (Kozliner) who was five. His parents wanted him to continue learning Torah with my father.

Now and then, we received letters from my father but we did not glean much from them since he knew that the censor went over everything.

In order to ensure that those exiled remained in their place of exile, they had to go each morning to the police station and sign in. The long exile was hard, far from family and Chassidim and under constant surveillance. We constantly yearned for the end of the exile but our disappointment was great.

Even when the three years were over, my father and Mendel were not released. Their release papers were lost and they had to remain in exile until the documents were found.

While my father and brother were in exile, my father-in-law, R Michoel, was arrested. It was Motzaei Simchas Torah. He was exiled, but until today we do not know what became of him.

In 5638, the Rebbe sent R Nachum Zalman Gorewitz

Mussias brother, Mendel Mussias father, R Chaim Elozor Gorelick

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to me for me to arrange his exemption with the doctor in Stari-Russia, the same doctor who had arranged my brothers exemption.

When he came to me with his story, I did not know how I could help him since the draft notice he received was from Moscow and he had to be examined by doctors in that city and not by the doctor in distant Stari-Russia. But if the Rebbe had sent him, then there was a reason.

I suggested that he stay in our house in the meantime until I thought of what to do. I suddenly had an idea. I told him to go back to Moscow and ask his personal doctor for permission to travel to Stari-Russia to recuperate from an illness that of course he did not have. The city Stari-Russia is considered a resort town and I figured the doctor would agree.

Indeed, the doctor approved the trip. We went together to that city and went straight to that doctor. He was surprised to see

me for we had not lived in that city for a long time. When I told him why I had come, he refused to help me. He said he had done enough for Jews and he did not want to endanger himself again. After I pressured him, he agreed, saying this was the last time he would give these papers.

After the exemption was arranged we went back to my house and from there R Nachum Zalman wrote to the Rebbe with the Mazal Tov news. Not much time elapsed and I received a response from the Rebbe: Mazal Tov on the release of Nachum Zalman Gorewitz from the army, and all that is not good will pass; as for you Hashem will help with what you lack. Write a letter to me in the language that is easy for you and send me your picture.

I contemplated the Rebbes words and understood them thus: And all that is not good will pass referred to my fathers lost papers and that it would all work out. Hashem will help with what you lack referred to my not yet having children after being married for six years.

Over the years, we went to the best doctors who said all was fine and there was no natural reason for us not having children. We did not write to the Rebbe about it since there was no medical problem. When I received this clear answer from the Rebbe, I was fully confident that the Rebbes words would be fulfilled.

In 5699 I gave birth to my daughter Feiga. At precisely that time, my father, mother and Mendel returned from exile in Kazakhstan. When I left the hospital for home we met and our joy was double. My father said the SheHechiyanu blessing with Hashems name and with many tears.

Over the years, we went to the best doctors who said all was fine and there was no natural reason for us not having children. We did not write to the Rebbe about it since there was no medical problem.

When I received this clear answer from the Rebbe, I was fully confident that the Rebbes words would be fulfilled.

I MET THE ROGATCHOVER GAONI spent my childhood in Rogatchov, where the Rogatchover Gaon lived.

One day, a halachic question arose regarding the samovar. My father asked me to go to the gaon who was the rav of the city for him to pasken. I went with my brother Mendel to the gaon who was friendly with my father. I remember that on the way Mendel said that my father could not pasken Halacha, while I maintained that he was talmid chacham enough to pasken. Our argument was resolved by the Rogatchover himself. When he heard the question he looked grave and said, Your father can pasken on his own. Why did you come here?

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STORY

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Yismach contains the same

letters as Moshiach, was a

constant refrain on the lips

of R Velvel Pesach Marantz,

of blessed memory, and

it represented a great

example of his unique

joy and personal vitality

in all matters pertaining

to Moshiach and the

Redemption. His thrilling

life journey began in the

Sheepshead Bay section

of Brooklyn and continued

on American military bases

in Germany, where he

revealed his musical talent

and became a successful

music teacher. After an

audience with the Rebbe

Melech HaMoshiach, he

embraced the teachings of

Chassidus. At the Rebbes

instructions, he composed

special melodies for the

Twelve Psukim, setting the

standard for his tremendous

Chassidic musical heritage. *

In honor of the Shloshim on

the 6th of Tammuz.

By B. Malachi

Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry

The Rebbe asked in yechidus: In Rechovot, Tel Aviv, or Petach Tikva? as he foresaw the path in Eretz Yisroel followed by the Chassidic composer, R Velvel Marantz ah

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SPREADING MITZVOS ALL AROUND

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The residents of Kfar Chabads Shikunim Chadashim and anyone else who spent Shabbos there over the past several decades could never overlook the charming sight that took place every Shabbos afternoon - until only recently. Entering the small synagogue, one would see the jovial Chassidic musician R Velvel Pesach Marantz in all his glory, standing and conducting a choir of dozens of delightful young boys. His energetic appearance and his long white beard captured the childrens attention, and they sang with great joy and faith.

With great enthusiasm, dozens of young voices sang the Twelve Psukim to tunes that he had composed, then continued on to Yechi Adoneinu and concluded with the annual niggun based on the chapter of Thillim of the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach. This was the most recent composition composed by R Velvel himself.

Standing behind the children, one could see some older faces. These were the parents who sent their children to say or sing the psukim and remained for just a minute in order to watch with loving eyes, while many of them recalled sweet memories of their own childhood.

This pleasant vision came to an untimely end with the sad news on Motzaei Chag HaShavuos that R Velvel ah had passed away on Friday night, Erev Shavuos, at the age of eighty-five.

G-D IS WONDERFULR Velvel Pesach Marantz was

born on the 18th of Shvat, 5690 in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, New York, to a non-observant Jewish family. He received his education in the local public school system, and then later at Brooklyn College and Columbia University.

Velvels inclination toward music developed at a very early age. At the age of seven, he had already learned to play the piano, developing musical concepts and composing songs. R Velvel never learned the profession. It came to me through listening and self-teaching. Essentially, it was always within me, he said in an interview with the Beis Moshiach in 5769.

One of the early points of light in R Velvels life took place in 5712, a year after the outbreak of the Korean War. This was a particularly costly war, during which more than 34,000 American servicemen lost their lives, accounting for about a third of the U.S. forces that had been sent to the front!

As any other able-bodied young man above the age of twenty, Velvel was drafted and sent to the army base at Fort Dix, New Jersey. The new recruits were filled with an unspoken feeling of dread. The rumors coming from the Korean front were not very encouraging, and every soldier hoped that he could be one of the few to be sent to the American military bases in West Germany, where it would

be much safer.As they read out the names

on the list of those traveling to West Germany, all the soldiers were filled with tension and apprehension. Suddenly, R Velvel heard his name. He clearly felt at that moment that G-d in Heaven was watching over him and protecting him. He burst out spontaneously with a cry of Thank you G-d!

Velvels musical career began to accelerate when he was appointed to be the army composer. Despite the fact that the army mandated that he prepare martial music and the like, Velvel concentrated primarily upon composing songs about G-d. One of the songs that he wrote during this time was Heaven. It became very popular among the soldiers.

Another memory from those times is connected to a Friday night that he spent on a remote army base in West Germany, when Velvel was invited by the army chaplain to come for Shabbos services. When he read the translated words from the prayer book, he felt that G-d was wonderful. However, since the lofty feelings did not lead him to practical action, he still had a long road ahead of him.

After two years in West Germany, Velvel returned to the United States and resumed his studies at Columbia University. Around this time, he met his future wife, Shaindel, may she live long. Before their wedding, the future Mrs. Marantz asked that they keep kosher and observe various traditional Jewish customs in their new home, to which he agreed. Even when the children grew up and went to college, they were stringent about eating only in the kosher cafeteria.

As he looked upon the huge ancient stones, he broke into heavy sobs. He didnt understand what had caused him to cry, but he knew that something was happening within him.

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Another important event on his path to religious observance took place after the Six Day War, in connection with the worldwide Jewish re-awakening that came as a result of the miracles and wonders that G-d made for the People dwelling in Tzion. The Marantz family made an emotional visit to Eretz HaKodesh, with the high point coming when they stood before the Western Wall. As he looked upon the huge ancient stones, he broke into heavy sobs. He didnt understand what had caused him to cry, but he knew that something was happening within him.

THE TANK THAT ATTACKED AT JUST THE RIGHT

MOMENTAnother ten years passed, and

the life of the Marantz family continued as usual. At the time, R Velvels elder daughter, Feige, was learning in public school, but she was not very happy there.

Then one day, an unusual vehicle passed through their neighborhood, bearing a placard that caught Mrs. Marantzs eye: Why not send your children to yeshiva? This was a Mitzvah Tank. R Velvel also had the privilege of receiving a brochure on Jewish education from the tankists, and the ball soon began to roll. When their daughter expressed her interest, the parents decided to disregard their feelings of concern and uncertainty and they called the number that appeared on the brochure.

The person who answered the phone was Rabbi Kasriel Kastel, and he sent HaTamim (now Rabbi) Pini Silberberg to the familys home. After he succeeded in arranging for

the girl to begin learning in a religious educational institution, Pini extended an invitation to the entire family to spend Shabbos at his parents house. The Marantzs received the invitation with great surprise. They found it difficult to understand how a family would be prepared to host a family of seven with whom they were totally unfamiliar. However, Pini explained that his parents were used to guests.

The entire family arrived in honor of this historic Shabbos. Even their son, who was studying at Princeton University, made the effort to come. For the first time in their lives they experienced a real Shabbos together, seasoned with true Chabad flavor.

THE REBBE AS MELECH HAMOSHIACH AND OTHER

BASIC CONCEPTS IN JUDAISM

Pini maintained his connection with Velvel, encouraging him to make further

progress in his Torah study and his mitzvah observance. The Marantz family came more and more often for Shabbos and the changes continued one after another, including leaving the local Conservative synagogue and joining an Orthodox shul.

R Velvels first teacher in Chassidus was Rabbi Dovid Sholom Pape, with whom he discovered the living wellsprings of Chassidic teachings. Even then, back in 5736, Rabbi Silberberg explained to the Marantz family that the Lubavitcher Rebbe is Melech HaMoshiach.

We accepted this as a simple fact, R Velvel said in a Beis Moshiach interview. Everything he told us was true. We accepted the faith in the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach in the same way that we accepted the other fundamental beliefs of Yiddishkait. In general, I remember him always speaking about Moshiach and this was during those years when talking about Moshiach had not yet

R Velvel Marantz playing at his home in Kfar Chabad

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become popular.

WHEN THE REBBE TURNED COMPLETELY AROUNDR Velvels first encounter

with the Rebbe was during a holy farbrengen. Shortly after the farbrengen, it was suddenly announced that the Rebbe would be giving out lekach and R Velvel got in line. When he came before

the Rebbes holy countenance, he felt an electrifying surge flowing through his entire body. From that moment on he began coming regularly to the Rebbes farbrengens, sometimes bringing his young children with him.

His wife, Mrs. Shaindel Marantz, saw the Rebbe for the first time at the 5736 Lag BOmer parade. After hearing about this most impressive event, she decided to come with her children. Indeed, the sight of hundreds of children marching, bearing signs, displays, and other Jewish attractions was very inspiring and deeply moving. The climax of the parade for Mrs. Marantz came at the moment that the Rebbe made a 180 degree turn and looked directly at her.

The family continued to make progress in its religious observance. The boys were sent to Chabad summer camps and not long afterward they were transferred to a Chabad cheider. Even their eldest son, who had just completed his university studies, traveled to Kfar Chabad to learn in the yeshiva program of Rabbi Shneur Zalman Gafni.

In 5739, R Velvel asked the Rebbe [in a letter] if it would be appropriate to immigrate to Eretz Yisroel and the Rebbe replied in the affirmative. Thus, R Velvel, who at the time still felt that he was only a friend of Chabad, arrived at the new immigrant center in Kfar Chabad. About a year later, he traveled to the United States for his fathers funeral and to bring his mother

back with him to Eretz Yisroel.

AN ENTIRE LIFE IN SIX MINUTES!

During this trip, R Velvel was privileged for the one and only time in his life to have a private yechidus with the Rebbe shlita. The yechidus lasted only six minutes, but those six minutes included prophecy and guidance that stayed with him for the rest of his life. With prophetic accuracy, the Rebbe told him where he would live and what he would do. Its interesting to note that the yechidus took place on Sunday, the 13th of Sivan 5740, the exact same date marking the end of the shiva thirty-five years later.

R Velvel was very excited when he entered the Rebbes room together with his son Reuven. The Rebbe motioned for R Velvel to sit, and since he was unfamiliar with the custom to stand in the Rebbes presence, he sat down. His son Reuven made the bracha SheHechiyanu.

The Rebbe asked R Velvel: Where do you live?

R Velvel replied: Kfar Chabad.

The Rebbe then asked if he was living there temporarily or permanently. Since he had signed a contract for a long-term rental apartment, R Velvel replied: Permanently.

The Rebbe continued to inquire about how long he had been living there and R Velvel said: Eight months.

R Velvel told the Rebbe that due to his fathers passing a month earlier (Iyar 10, 5740), he had come to America to handle some personal affairs and to take his mother back with him to Eretz Yisroel. He wanted to explain why he was thinking about taking his mother to Eretz Yisroel, and he started to say, Because...

However, the Rebbe finished the sentence for him: Because she cant take care of herself. R Velvel lowered his head and nodded. The Rebbe then asked: Is she prepared to adapt to a life in Eretz Yisroel? R Velvel told the Rebbe that he was considering the matter for health reasons, as he felt that it would help to alleviate her arthritis. The Rebbe summed up the matter by saying that the climate there would be good for her arthritis.

The Rebbe then moved on to a discussion of parnasa, and he asked R Velvel what he did for a living.

R Velvel replied that he was a music teacher, and the Rebbe wanted to know if he taught adults or children.

When R Velvel told the Rebbe that he taught small children (in elementary school), the Rebbe smiled and told him, And you can [in English, it sounded more like a request] spread Judaism to them when you teach them songs about Shma Yisroel, Modeh Ani Lefanecha, and BReishis Bara.

The yechidus lasted only six minutes, but those six minutes included prophecy and guidance that stayed with him for the rest of his life.

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You dont have to know the language, the Rebbe added, since these songs are in the siddur.

R Velvel told the Rebbe that he had already composed several songs on Torah passages and he could do this (in response to the Rebbes previous request regarding Shma Yisroel, etc.).

The Rebbe inquired further: Are you a private teacher or do you work in schools?

R Velvel: In schools.The Rebbe: Do you work in

Rechovot, Tel Aviv, or Petach Tikva?

R Velvel: No. I was a teacher in the New York public school system. Now, however, in Eretz Yisroel, I am learning in an ulpan for teachers. (In other words, he was now receiving training

so that he could teach in Israeli schools.)

The Rebbe: You should be

blessed to spread Yiddishkait through your music, and you should be blessed together with all the members of your family. May you go from strength to strength in your studies, may your family spread Yiddishkait in Eretz Yisroel when you return there, and may you spread Yiddishkait in America as well during your stay here -- not (only) to your children, but you personally should try to spread Yiddishkait in America. May you have satisfaction from all your children. Much success!

R Velvel: Thank you very much.

Seven years later, R Velvel started teaching music at the Chabad cheider in Rechovot. One day, during his stay in Rechovot, he suddenly realized that the Rebbes words were beginning to be fulfilled! How did the Rebbe know that he would eventually be teaching in Rechovot? Two years later, R Velvel moved on to teach at the cheider in Tel Aviv, and again he noticed how he was fulfilling what the Rebbe had said. Afterward, when he recalled that the Rebbe had also mentioned Petach Tikva, he turned to Rabbi Meir Bostomsky, the director of the Chabad cheider there, and asked for permission to teach in his school, even for one day. R Velvel didnt want to delay the fulfillment of the Rebbes words any longer.

R Velvel at a Sheva Brachos in Kfar Chabad (Elul 5747)

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THE GREAT BREAKTHROUGH

Immediately after receiving the Rebbes bracha in yechidus, the gates of Heaven began to open for R Velvel. He composed and recorded more and more songs on G-dliness and Chassidus, and the songs were publicized over the radio and distributed worldwide.

I remember that they would call me Mister Music, R Velvel recalled. I had also written songs beforehand, but they didnt become well-known. My close friends and neighbors all knew my songs. They liked them very much and passed them on, but they never achieved any degree of fame. Its clear that all this happened in the merit of the Rebbes bracha.

One of the songs he composed was Eibeshter, performed by the Tzlil VZemer Choir and the Tzivos Hashem choir, and it quickly became tremendously popular. This is a moving song, with words asking and pleading from Alm-ghty G-d that He should bring Moshiach.

In connection with this song, R Velvel heard numerous heartfelt stories from all over the world. An example of one such story came from a woman who heard the song at a Jewish wedding in Brazil and became a baalas tshuva as a result. Rabbi Shneur Zalman Gafni tells how when he made a visit

to South Africa, he asked the children there to sing a Jewish song, and they all started singing Eibeshter.

MOSHIACH, HOW WE WANT YOU NOW

A quick look through the pages of R Velvels songs reveals insightful arrangements on Moshiach and the Redemption, Chassidic messages, and true Jewish joy. Right after his yechidus with the Rebbe, he composed the melody to the song Oh, Moshiach with the lyrics: Oh, Moshiach, how we want you now / Hurry and open the gates / Please return us to our homeland, Yisroel / Ad Masai How long must we wait? This song became famous some thirty years ago in a Tzlil VZemer Choir production, reaching Jewish homes of all backgrounds, years before everyone started crying out Moshiach.

Since then, R Velvel produced numerous cassettes and CDs. One recent production was called Hinei Ze Ba Light Up The World. This name testifies with great precision to the content of the eleven songs on the disk, which are primarily filled with the concepts of Moshiach an