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WHY THE EMPHASIS ON G-D’S CHARIOT?G-D HIMSELF WAS REVEALED! (CONT.)D’var Malchus | Likkutei Sichos Vol. 37, pg. 79-84

LISTEN TO THE STORY – EVEN A 100TIMES!Farbrengen with Rabbi Leibel Groner | Nosson Avrohom

A DAILY DOSE OF MOSHIACHMoshiach & Geula

‘FAITH IS NOT IMAGINATION’: 3 TAMMUZSEEN THROUGH CHASSIDIC EYESMoshiach & Geula | Rabbi Sholom Dovber Reichman

GIMMEL TAMMUZ IN THE REBBE’STEACHINGSGimmel Tammuz | Rabbi Sholom Yaakov Chazan

WHY THE TITLE ‘MOSHIACH’?Moshiach & Geula | Interview by Avrohom Reinitz

SHLICHUS IN CURITIBA Shlichus | BenZion Sasson

KNOW WHAT TO ANSWER A RELIGIOUSZIONISTShleimus HaAretz | Aliza Karp

MONEY MATTERSShlichus | Rabbi Yaakov Shmuelevitz

BOR AL GABBEI BOR IN THE HOLY CITYOF TZFATFeature

[Continued from last issue](As it is written in the Zohar,56

“At that moment all the secrets of theTorah and all the Supernal mysteries,as well as the mysteries of the LowerRealms, were not withheld fromthem. Indeed, on that day, they sawthe radiance of their Master’s gloryeye to eye, a vision the likes of whichwas not revealed since the day theworld was created, for the Holy OneBlessed Be He was revealed in Hisglory on Mount Sinai. If one were tosay that since we learned that amaidservant at the [splitting of the]Sea [of Reeds] beheld that which[even] Yechezkel the Prophet didnot see [in his vision of theChariot], perhaps that vision was onpar with the vision of the day theJewish people stood at Mount Sinai –not so, for on the day the Jewishpeople stood at Mount Sinai the[spiritual] pollution [that prevailedover humanity since the sin of eatingfrom the Tree of Knowledge]departed from them [and therefore,their vision was pure and clear, anextremely powerful level of

prophecy].” From this passage in the Zohar it is apparentthat notwithstanding the fact that “a maidservant at theSea beheld that which Yechezkel the Prophet did not see,”the vision of the Jewish people at the Giving of the Torahsurpassed that.)

However, [although at the Giving of the Torah thevision was of the highest possible level, the vision of a “cityperson,” a level at which one takes no notice of the King’sChariot, just the King Himself] the primary, permanentintent is the “Chariot of Yechezkel.” That is, to revealwithin the world how the entire existence of all itsminutiae is only a “likeness” of its existence Above (forwhich reason the Chariot was revealed then [i.e., to teachus this lesson and give us the ability to do so]). Thus,specifically this topic was established as the Haftora forthe day of the Giving of the Torah.

This explanation also answers the question posedabove: why was the Account of the Chariot established asthe Haftora [for the first day of Shavuos], a topic that isnot within the capacity of the majority of people tounderstand? For, although the details of the description ofthe Chariot enumerated in the Haftora are notunderstandable and cannot be grasped [by the averageperson], as discussed above, it is within the capacity ofevery single person to understand and relate to the

WHY THE

EMPHASIS ON

G-D’S CHARIOT?

G-D HIMSELF

WAS REVEALED!Likkutei Sichos Vol. 23, pg. 18-25Translated by Boruch Merkur

general content of the Haftora. Namely, that the details ofthe Chariot Yechezkel beheld are “likenesses” from whichYechezkel knew and recognized “likenesses of theirSupernal counterparts.”

4. Accordingly we can also explain the reason for thecustom “to conclude (this Haftora) with the verse,57 ‘Awind lifted me up, etc.’” (skipping one and a halfchapters), “even though this is not at all written in [theAccount of] the Chariot.”58 In fact, according to thesimple reading of the Scripture,59 this passage describesthe withdrawal of G-d’s glory after the Divine statement[Yechezkel had received through prophecy had ceased].The explanation is that this verse (“A wind lifted me upand I heard behind me the sound of a great uproar:‘Blessed is the glory of the L-rd from His place.’”)underscores the primary innovation and meaning ofYechezkel’s Chariot, as above.

To elaborate:One of the differences between the Chariot of

Yeshayahu and the Chariot of Yechezkel is that theChariot of Yechezkel speaks about the [angels called]Chayos and Ofanim, whereas the Chariot of Yeshayahu

speaks about S’rafim. The service of the Ofanim andChayos are with an uproar. Indeed, it is known that “thesound of a great uproar” is from the Ofanim, as in theblessings said prior to the recital of Shma: “The Ofanimand the Chayos HaKodesh, with a great uproar, risetowards the S’rafim. Facing them, they offer praise andsay, ‘Blessed is the glory of the L-rd from His place.’” Theservice of the S’rafim, on the other hand, is without atumult.

Upon considering the reason for the matter60 [i.e.,the varying reactions of the two groups of angels inbeholding G-d’s glory] it becomes apparent that thedifference between the S’rafim and the Ofanim runsparallel to the difference between the city person’sresponse to seeing the king and that of the village person.That is, the tumultuousness comes on account of theprofound novelty, a quality that is descriptive of the villageperson upon seeing the king. The novelty of seeing theking and his exaltedness causes in him an uproar, whereasthe city person, who does not perceive it to be (such) anovel experience, is not overwhelmed by it. Thedistinction between the S’rafim and the Ofanim is along

the same lines.In greater detail61:The S’rafim fathom how the Holy One Blessed Be He

is holy, how He transcends the worlds, and how theworlds bear absolutely no significance to Him, whereasthe Ofanim grasp how G-d creates everything ex nihiloand how the existence of the world is created by the TrueExistence [i.e., G-d]. For this reason, the excitement ofthe Ofanim is with a great uproar, being that theycomprehend how the truth is the opposite of what appearsto the eyes – that the world appears to be real, existing,but in fact it is utterly nullified [being totally andconstantly dependent on the True Existence]. For thisreason there is an uproar, like a person who conceives anew concept that runs contrary to what appears to hiseyes, creating in him overwhelming excitement.

Thus, the novelty, mentioned above, regarding theGiving of the Torah, is that even while perceiving theexistence of the world, the Lower Realms, its trueexistence should be recognized [namely, that its existenceis utterly nullified to the True Existence, G-d].

5. The foregoing discussion sheds light on the fact thatat the Giving of the Torah there were,“Thunderclaps and bolts oflightning…and a very powerful soundof a shofar. The entire nation thatwas in the camp trembled.”62

If this verse is only given a simpleread – that the intent and purpose ofthe thunderclaps and the lightningbolts were to bring fear and tremblingto the world, among the Jewish

people – at first glance, the revelation of G-d’s glory itself– “You have seen that from the heavens I have spokenwith you”63 – should have sufficed to affect in them thisfear and trembling. In fact, the trembling on account ofthe thunder and lighting, etc., is a fear that is connectedprimarily with the body, whereas the fear and tremblingon account of beholding the revelation of G-d’s glory faceto face, has a great and profound impact, affecting (also)the spirit, reaching even the innermost depths of the soul.Yet, notwithstanding all this, the thunder and lightning,etc., was pivotal to the revelation of the Giving of theTorah. How could this be?

So the correct [and deeper] reading of these words isthat the significance of the “uproar” at the Giving of theTorah (the thunder and the tumult, etc.; “The entirenation that was in the camp trembled”; the expression inthe verse, “The earth quaked”64) is not only insofar asthe tumult was heard by the physical ear – serving as anadditional detail contributing to the preparation for and asa preface to the Giving of the Torah – but insofar as theuproar bears spiritual significance. The overwhelmingexcitement at the Giving of the Torah was on account of

The primary, permanent intent is the “Chariot ofYechezkel” – to reveal within the world how theenttire existence of all its minutiae is only a“likeness” of its existence Above.

its profound innovation, recognizing in every detail of theCreation and in the entirety of Creation as a whole thatthe truth of the world’s existence is not what appears andis revealed to the eyes of flesh – that it exists and is realunto itself – rather, the truth is the Source which createsit, the Truth of the Existence of the Creator.

6. The word “Torah” is etymologically linked to theword “horaa,”65 meaning “instruction,” “teaching.” Howmuch more so is this the case when we reach the day of theyear when the Torah was given to the Jewish people, for“these days are recalled and done”66 [i.e., when you marka particular day, the special qualities of that day are re-experienced]. Every single Jew must derive a lesson fromthe Torah reading as well as the Haftora of the day of theFestival of Shavuos. According to the explanation above,we may assert that there is an instruction with regard tothe two areas – in one’s personal service of G-d and in theservice of influencing others.

Although with regard to the Account of the Chariot itis said, “We don’t expound…about the Chariot…unlesshe is a wise person with an understanding mind,”28 thisis so with regard to the Account of the Chariot, as it isdiscussed in the Written and Oral Torah, only insofar as itis written in the Torah’s mystical lexicon67 (the detailsabout Yechezkel’s Chariot, books that were deliberatelyconcealed from the public, and etc.). However, regardingthe study of the inner dimension of the Torah as has beenrevealed and explained by the Arizal, who said that thetime has come whereby “it is a mitzva to reveal thiswisdom”68 – this study is incumbent upon every singleperson.69 In particular, after more time has passed sincethen, wherein we have had the advent of the explanationof the teachings of Chassidus, and especially after it hasbeen explained in the wording of the Sages of the Torahin terms of understanding and comprehension, in amanner of “yisparnasun”70 [literally, “providing alivelihood”; meaning internalized and relevant to theperson, as one’s livelihood is something tangible andreal]. Indeed, this is “a lofty and exalted mitzva … ‘Knowthe L-rd of your fathers, etc.,’71 and it brings a person tohave a ‘whole heart.’”72

In this manner we come to see and recognize in everysingle thing the truth of its existence – that it is createdfrom the True Existence.

In a similar sense it is understood also regardingservice with others – that the dissemination of Torah andJudaism among the Jewish people at large must be donewith “the sound of a great uproar.”73

When the service of the person is still within, insidethe four cubits of Torah and holiness, it is enough for themanner of service to sometimes be as it is, in “a still andsoft voice.”74

However, when we go out of these four cubits, amidst“the multitudinous voice of Rome,”75 the nullification of

this voice is accomplished by “the sound of a greatuproar” of holiness. And by doing so, we merit theimminent fulfillment of, “He will sound the greatshofar”76 – specifically “the great shofar,” a reference tothe Future [Redemption], together with, “A voiceproclaims, proclaims and says”77 – proclaiming theRedemption, which will take place in the very near future.

(From the talks delivered on Shabbos Parshas Naso 5745and Shabbos Parshas Yisro 5740)

NOTES:56 Zohar II (93b, end ff.). See also Zohar II 82a.57 Yechezkel 3:12.58 Wording of the Alter Rebbe in his Shulchan Aruch 494:4.59 See commentaries there.60 See Likkutei Torah Bracha 97b, etc. – see Footnote 63 in theoriginal.61 Seifer HaMaamarim 5661, pg. 198.62 Yisro 19:16.63 Ibid 20:19.64 T’hillim 68:9.65 Zohar III 53b; Gur Aryeh B’Reishis, beg., in the name of theRadak.66 Megillas Ester 9:28, etc. – see Footnote 69 in the original.67 Whereas the majority of the Torah – even though the Torah(as the Sh’la puts it (13b; 161a ff; see Asara Maamaros, maamerChikur Din 3:23)) “speaks about the Supernal Realms andonly alludes to the Lower Realms” – is written and statedspecifically in the lexicon of human beings.68 Tanya Igeres HaKodesh Ch. 26 (142b)69 See Laws of Torah Study of the Alter Rebbe 1:4, end. Seealso the preface of Rabbi Chaim Vital to Shaar HaHakdamos.70 Expression of the Tikkunei Zohar (Tikkun 6, end), etc. – seeFootnote 73 in the original.71 Divrei HaYamim I 28:972 Wording of the Alter Rebbe in Tanya Kuntres Acharon,section beginning with the words, “To understand what iswritten in Pri Eitz Chayim (156b; see Chart of Correctionsthere)73 See at length on this subject in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 16, pg.340 ff.74 Melachim I 19:12.75 Wording of the Gemara, Makos 24a, end.76 Yeshayahu 27:13. See Likkutei Torah Rosh HaShana, wordsbeginning with, “It will be on that day” (58a ff). 77 Liturgy for Hoshanos on Hoshana Rabba.

Sivan 28 - Gimmel Tammuz Magbis

B.H. Sivan 15, 5767

To all Anash, Men and Women, G-d bless you.

We are soon approaching the very auspicious day, Gimmel Tammuz. This day comes in closeproximity with Sivan 28, the auspicious day that the Rebbe MH"M and the Rebbetzin arrived in theUnited States.

Obviously, these are very opportune days, especially when it is connected to the number ten,when one should again evaluate his or her "Hiskashrus" (connection) with the Rebbe, and moreimportant, to utilize these special days to 'strengthen' the Hiskashrus to the Rebbe.

"KUPAS RABBEINU," was established with the full consent and blessingof the Rebbe, with its purpose and goal to make every effort that all of theRebbe`s activities, institutions etc. continue unchangged. By supportingKupas Rabbeinu, one is actually participating in many of the Rebbe'sactivities, aand thus strengthening their Hiskashrus to the Rebbe.

With this in mind, we therefore urge each and everyone of anash, men andwomen to support Kupas Rabbeeinu in every possible way.

In this merit may we be "zoiche" that much before Gimmel Tammuz, the Rebbe will be revealedas Melech Hamoshiach and redeem us from this deep and bitter Golus and lead us all to the trueand final Geulo, NOW MAMAOSH.

VAAD KUPAS RABBEINU

P.S. Please send all correspondence only to the above address.

You may also send Maimad, Keren-Hashono, Magbis etc. to Kupas Rabbeinu.

Eretz Yisroel address: KEREN KUPAS ADMU"R / P.O.B. 1247 / KIRYAT MALACHI / ISRAEL

Kupas RabbeinuLubavitch

(718) 467-2500 ^ P.O.B. 288, Brook lyn, New York 11225 ^ (718) 756-3337

eup, rchbu,j, bahtu, f"e tsnu"r nkl vnahj

29 SIVAN: THE TIMES AND SIGNS OFTHE REDEMPTION – SITTING AT THETABLE WITH MOSHIACH

The only thing missing is for a Jewto open his eyes properly, and he willsee how everything is alreadyprepared for the Redemption!

There is already the “set table,”there is already the Leviasan, the WildOx, the fragrant wine, and Jews arealready sitting around the table –“their father’s table” (the King of allKings, the Holy One, Blessed Be He),together with Moshiach Tzidkeinu(as is written in s’farim, there issomeone in every generation “fromthe seed of Yehuda who is fit to beMoshiach”), and in our generation –the leader of our generation.

(Shabbos Parshas VaYeitzei 5752)

30 SIVAN – 1ST DAY OF ROSHCHODESH TAMMUZ: ONE OF THE SIGNSOF THE REDEMPTION – “AND THEYWILL BEAT THEIR SWORDS INTOPLOWSHARES”

An event occurred on ShabbosParshas Mishpatim 5752 whereby the

leaders of the great superpowers (the United States andRussia) decided to proclaim a new era of relationsbetween the superpowers, a nullification of the state ofwar between the nations of the worlds, as will also beexpressed in a reduction and abolishment of weaponry tothe point of peace and unity for the benefit of allhumanity. Indeed, the essence of the promise that “Theywill beat their swords into plowshares” entails thedismantling of the weapons of war to make them intoagricultural tools, “a land from which bread will comeforth.”

This is a clear sign of the beginning of the fulfillmentof this appointed destiny at the True and CompleteRedemption through Moshiach Tzidkeinu.

(Shabbos Parshas Mishpatim 5752)

1 TAMMUZ – 2ND DAY OF ROSH CHODESH TAMMUZ: MELECHHA’MOSHIACH – A KING AND A RAV

There are two concepts regarding MoshiachTzidkeinu: a king (Melech HaMoshiach) and a rav (whowill teach Torah to the entire people).

The concept of “king” as applied to Moshiach teachesabout the encompassing influence attained through thebittul from accepting the yoke of Heaven, and the concept

A DAILY DOSE OF

MOSHIACH

& GEULA:29 SIVAN - 5 TAMMUZSelected daily pearls of wisdom from the RebbeMH”M on Moshiach and Geula.Collected and arranged by Rabbi Pinchas MamanTranslated by Michoel Leib Dobry

of “rav” in Moshiach teaches about the inner influencefrom the study of Torah, to the point that he [the one whois taught] is considered “as if he [the teacher] gave birthto him.”

The union of these two qualities indicates that even theLights of Heaven Above that are beyond their beinginvested in vessels are drawn and revealed within thevessels through the strength of Torah.

(Shabbos Parshas Tazria-Metzora 5751)

2 TAMMUZ: ONE OF THE SIGNS OF THE REDEMPTION – THEDEMAND OF THE NATIONS REGARDING ERETZ YISROEL

The nations of the world (the seventy nations) haverecently gathered in a manner of “nations gather andpeoples speaking” (T’hillim 2:1) to claim to Israel, “Youare thieves,” not only in relation to Gaza and Shomron,but even (and foremost) in relation to Yehuda, includingYerushalayim, the capital city of Eretz Yisroel – at a timewhen everyone knows the answer to this claim (Rashi’sTorah commentary), “The entire earth belongs to theHoly One, Blessed Be He; He created it and gave it towhomever He deemed proper…and gave it to us.”

…We understand from this that we should not beaffected by the fact that “nations gather and peoplesspeak,” since this is merely “nothingness” (as theaforementioned pasuk concludes), “All of theirsentiment…is nothingness” (Midrash T’hillim, ibid.),since “He Who sits in heaven laughs; my Master mocksthem” (T’hillim 2:4). Therefore, the Jewish People standin all their strength… knowing that “The entire earthbelongs to the Holy One, Blessed Be He; He createdit…and gave it to us.”

Furthermore, we can say that the concept of “nationsgather and peoples speak” itself is one of the signs of theRedemption, as Rashi writes, “our Sages have interpretedthe matter regarding Melech HaMoshiach.”

(Shabbos Parshas B’Reishis 5751)

3 TAMMUZ – CHAG HA’GEULA: TODAY THERE IS ALREADY THEREVELATION OF MOSHIACH

In addition to what is explained about the spark ofMoshiach (the level of yechida) within every single Jew,there also exists the reality of Moshiach in its simplestsense (the general yechida), as is known “that in everygeneration, someone is born from the seed of Yehuda whois fit to be Moshiach of Israel” (Bartenura’s commentary,Megillas Rus), “one who is fit due to his righteousness tobe a redeemer, and when the time will come, G-d Alm-ghty will reveal Himself to him and will send him, etc.”(responsa, Chasam Sofer, Choshen Mishpat, end of Sec.98).

….Thus, in our times, all obstacles and delays havebeen nullified, etc., since there is in fact (not only the

reality of Moshiach, but) also the revelation of Moshiach,and now we only have to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu inactual deed!

(Shabbos Parshas VaYeira 5752 – bold in the original)

HIS NAME IS BOTH MENACHEM AND MENDELThere is known the saying of our Sages, of blessed

memory, that Moshiach’s name is Menachem, and alsoMendel, the same numerical equivalent of “Tzedek” (as isknown in relation to the name of “the Tzemach Tzedek,”which is the same numerical value as “MenachemMendel”), as “Tzedek” (and also “Tzemach”) is the nameof Moshiach.

(Shabbos Parshas Truma 5750)

4 TAMMUZ: HE HIMSELF WITHOUT HIS BEIS DIN“As in the days of your departure from Egypt, I will

show you wonders” (Micha 7:15).The innovation here is that at the Future Redemption,

there will be the aspect of “I will show you wonders,”because the wonders of the Future Redemption will comefrom Him alone, as our Sages, of blessed memory, havesaid (Shmos Rabba 19:6), “In the past (at the Exodusfrom Egypt), I and My Heavenly court would walk beforethem, but in the Future to Come, it will be Me alone.”

The miracles that occurred at the Exodus from Egyptcame forth from Him through His Heavenly court, andthe miracles at the Future Redemption will be from Himalone (not through his Heavenly court).

(Kuntres Acharon Shel Pesach 5750)

5 TAMMUZ: A VOW ON BEHALF OF MANY…As is known in the story about the Torah giant who

said as he prepared to go to Heaven (after a hundred andtwenty years) that he will make an uproar (and he was fitto do so) that G-d will bring the Redemption. After hepassed away and the Redemption had still not come –another Torah giant said that they apparently gave the firstTorah giant a series of lofty spiritual revelations thatcaused him to “forget” all about his promise, as it were.(The Rebbe shlita smiled and said) Since Moshiach hasnot yet come – apparently they found a way in Heaven toget this gadol to postpone matters…

It seems that the best advice here is to make a vow invirtue of public consent, and then the judgment will be(Rambam, Hilchos Sh’vuos 6:8) that “it cannot bereleased against their will.” Even if it will have an effectupon one or a few, this will not help, because the halachicruling in G-d’s Torah is that a vow made in virtue ofpublic consent remains valid!

(Shabbos Parshas Korach, 5 Tammuz 5749)

L’chaim! L’chaim v’livracha!It is customary to tell stories at a

Melaveh Malka. There is a letter thatthe Rebbe wrote to the Rebbe Rayatzin 1932 in which he thanks him forthe letter he received from him. Theletter that the Rebbe Rayatz wrotehad a miracle story of the AlterRebbe, and in his thank-you letter,the Rebbe asked to hear moremiracle stories of the Rebbeim.

The Rebbe explained that a Jewcould be religious but be immersedin matters of this world. He canforget there is a Creator of the worldwho runs it. When he hears amiracle story, it shakes him up.

Although this only lasts a short time,and maybe only seconds,nevertheless, he is taken out of hisimmersion in this world. When hereenters the matters of this world, heremembers that there is a CreatorWho runs it.

In the Hagada it says, “even if weare all wise, we are all discerning, weall know the Torah, it’s a mitzva totell about our exodus from Egypt,and the more you speak, the morepraiseworthy you are.” One of theRebbeim asks, what is the pointabout all being wise, etc.? That evenif we are Chabadnikim – and youcan have a Chabadnik who is a big

maskil in Chassidus, and he has adeep understanding of Chassidus –nevertheless, it’s a mitzva to tellstories.

If a Chassid wants to get out ofhis limitations (even the limitationsof holiness), he must relateChassidishe stories. The more we doso, the more we relate and listen tostories of tzaddikim, the morepraiseworthy, the Chassid becomesmore praiseworthy.

The Hagada goes on to say thatfive Tanaim “were relating [i.e.,discussing the Hagada] all that nightuntil their students came and said,Rabboseinu, the time for themorning Shma has arrived.” TheRebbe asks, the Tanaim were sittingand farbrenging and where were thetalmidim? They should have beenthere at the farbrengen!

Unfortunately, the Rebbeexplains, it’s possible that the Rebbeis farbrenging and yet there arepeople who don’t think it’simportant to be present at theRebbe’s farbrengen, and they goelsewhere. The Baal HaHagada tellsus that these five Tanaim were notinvolved in Nigleh or Chassidus andnot Kabbala either. They simply“related” stories about the exodusfrom Egypt all night long, stories oftzaddikim.

This enabled them to light up thespiritual darkness, inspiring eventhose students who had been farfrom the farbrengen to come to thefarbrengen. They said, “Rabboseinu,the time for the morning Shma hasarrived” – through your stories, youtransformed the night into light,until it “arrived” (literally, it“touched” us). Now the recital ofthe morning Shma is illuminated forus, which is the inyan of one G-d,mesirus nefesh, love of Hashem,love for another Jew, the inyan ofTorah.

From all this we see theimportance of telling stories oftzaddikim.

Why should we tell and listen to stories abouttzaddikim? How do you instill fear of Heaven inchildrren? Why do we tell stories on MotzaeiShabbos? * Stories of the Rebbe. * Part 1 of 2

LISTEN TO

THE STORY –

EVEN A 100

TIMES!From a farbrengen with Rabbi Leibel Groner, the Rebbe’s secretaryPrepared for publication by Nosson Avrohom

* * *A principal of a school in Eretz

Yisroel came to the Rebbe. After hisyechidus, he told me that one of thequestions he had asked the Rebbewas: what should he do to instillmore fear of Heaven in his students.The Rebbe said the curriculumshould include many stories of

tzaddikim. The teachers should tellstories of tzaddikim. When a childhears a story of a tzaddik, itpenetrates his heart and warms it,and it increases his fear of Heaven.

The Rebbe once explained whywe tell a story about the Baal ShemTov or other tzaddikim on MotzaeiShabbos. The Melaveh Malka is thebridge between Shabbos and theweekdays, and you cannot do workon Shabbos; you cannot even thinkabout work on Shabbos. Afterwards,you have to jump back into theweekdays all at once. A MelavehMalka functions as a transition fromthe holy to the mundane. In orderfor this bridge to be strong enoughto penetrate the darkness of themundane, it has to be uplifting.When a Jew hears an inspiring storyabout a tzaddik, he will remember,even while immersed in themundane weekdays, that there is a

Creator of the world, One Wholeads it. This is one of the reasonswhy we tell stories on MotzaeiShabbos.

The Rebbe Rayatz said that astory about a tzaddik can be toldeven a hundred times, and if onehears the story again, according tothe teachings of the Baal Shem Tov,there was a reason he needed to hearit again.

The following story was relatedby Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka a”h:

There was a family, relations ofthe Rebbe, who lived in Boro Park.They asked the Rebbetzin wheneverthey had a question and she passedthe question on to the Rebbe.Afterwards, she related the Rebbe’sanswer to the family. One day, shereceived a phone call that the motherwas very sick and after many tests inthe hospital, the doctors concludedthat she needed an operation. They

The Rebbetzin said thatin Lubavitch you don’task twice. “I considermyself a Chassid of theRebbe and I do as theChassidim do, so Icannot ask again,” shesaid.

were calling to ask for the Rebbe’sconsent and blessing for theoperation.

When the Rebbetzin conveyedthe message to the Rebbe, the Rebbesaid they should not do theoperation. The Rebbetzin told thefamily the Rebbe’s answer, but a fewdays later, they called again. Theysaid that the doctors said thatbecause they refused the operation,her condition deteriorated and herlife could be endangered. Theyasked whether she could ask theRebbe again.

The Rebbetzin said that inLubavitch you don’t ask twice. “Iconsider myself a Chassid of theRebbe and I do as the Chassidim do,and so I cannot ask again,” she said.The family was distraught, so theRebbetzin said that if the Rebbecame home and asked whether shehad heard anything from the family,she would repeat what they had toldher, but she would not ask again.

When the Rebbe came home forsupper, he asked the Rebbetzinwhether she had heard from thefamily. She told the Rebbe what theyhad said and then added, “I’m notasking; I’m just telling you.”

The Rebbe looked serious andafter a pause he said, “I repeat, theyshould not operate!”

The Rebbetzin conveyed thisclear answer to the family and a fewdays later they called again. Theysaid that the doctors said hercondition had deteriorated furtherand her life was in immediatedanger. They were asked to sign thatthey took full responsibility for thewoman and absolved the doctorsand the hospital of anyresponsibility.

The Rebbetzin said, “The Rebbesaid two times already not tooperate.”

When the Rebbe came home, theRebbetzin told him the latest eventsand the Rebbe said, “Why don’t theytry medication?”

The Rebbetzin immediately calledthe family to tell them. They in turnmentioned it to the doctors, wholaughed at them in response. “Therabbi knows better than we do aboutmedicine? We say that only anoperation can save her and it’s not amatter of medication.”

The family believed the Rebbeand went from department todepartment, looking for a doctorwho would understand them.Finally, they found a doctor whothought for a moment and then said,“I think I know which medicationthe Rebbe has in mind, and since Iwear a white jacket and can gowherever I want, I will visit yourmother and give her an injection andlet’s see what happens.”

A few days later, the doctors saidher condition had suddenlystabilized. They did not know what

had happened, but she was nolonger deteriorating. The doctor wasoptimistic and told the family thatapparently he had used the medicinethe Rebbe was thinking of. He gavethe woman another injection andtwo days later the doctors who hadbeen treating her admitted she hadimproved somewhat. Every so often,the doctor would come by and giveher medication until she was out ofdanger and was released from thehospital.

The family kept in constant touchwith the Rebbetzin. When theRebbetzin told the Rebbe that thewoman had returned home, theRebbe said, “When they asked me

about an operation, I saw that if theydid it, she wouldn’t make it off theoperating table, which is why Iadamantly opposed an operation.When they asked again, I thoughtthe doctors would see that the familywas adamantly opposed to anoperation and would try medication.When I saw that they weren’tthinking along those lines at all, Iexplicitly suggested medication.”

The Rebbetzin related this andsaid that the Rebbe had added,“Now you see how important it is tolisten to whatever we say, even whenthe experts say the opposite.”

Another relevant story:Someone asked the Rebbe

Rayatz whether his son should travelor not and the Rebbe said No, butthe son did not listen. He boarded aship and after a few days the shipsank.

After the Shiva, thebrokenhearted father came to theRebbe and said, “If the Rebbe wouldhave explained why he negated thetrip, I am sure my son would havelistened.”

The Rebbe said, “Believe me thatnot every time I say something, do Iknow why I am saying it. I justconvey what I am told from Above.But this I know: when I say it, youhave to follow it – or else…”

From this we see how careful wemust be about what the Rebbe tellsus, even if it seems the Rebbe spokein general terms.

A bachur wrote to the Rebbe thathe had a certain personal matter that

The Rebbe Rayatz said that a story about atzaddik can be told even a hundred times, and ifone hearrs the story again, according to theteachings of the Baal Shem Tov, there was areason he needed to hear it again.

he did not want the secretaries toknow about, so he was askingwhether he could have a yechidus(which would be an exception to therule). The Rebbe wrote back,“Surely you will do as the Chassidimdo lately, to have yechidus duringfarbrengens.”

What did the Rebbe mean bythis? The Rebbe farbrenged amonghundreds, even thousands of people,and the Rebbe said that each personwho participated in a farbrengenought to relate to it as a personalyechidus. In this manner he couldreceive an answer to issues hewanted to raise with the Rebbe.

There was a bachur who wrote tothe Rebbe that two years had gone

by and he had not received answersfrom the Rebbe. He wanted to knowwhat he should correct so he couldmerit receiving an answer.

The Rebbe circled the words inthe bachur’s letter that said hehadn’t received answers in two yearsand above it he wrote two questionmarks and exclamation points. Atthe end of the letter he wrote, “It’ssurprising. During the two years Ihave written four letters to ‘allJewish Sons and Daughterswherever they live,’ and such a‘general letter,’ which is designatedto all Jewish sons and daughters, isalso a personal letter to each one ofthem. Since I cannot write to eachone – as bli ayin ha’ra there are so

many people who want an answer –they are included in the words ‘to allJewish Sons and Daughters.’ If youstudy the letters to see how theyapply to you, you will find answersto all the letters you sent me over thepast two years.”

I remember that during the Peacein Galilee War, the Rebbe told R’Nissan Mindel a”h that “in this(general) letter there are answers toseveral questions I have been askedregarding the war.” R’ Nissan satand studied the letter but did notfind any reference to the war. Heasked me to study the letter withhim. We sat together and went overevery word, and did not findanything.

The next day, R’ Nissan said tothe Rebbe that we had studied theletter but did not find anyconnection to the war. The Rebbesaid, “I am telling you again thatthere are answers there. Break yourheads over it and you will findthem.”

We see from this how careful weneed to be about every single wordthe Rebbe said, and how we shouldrelate to the maamarim, sichos, andIgros Kodesh. Since “the words oftzaddikim are alive and endureforever,” it all pertains to each oneof us personally.

What does it mean that thewords of tzaddikim live and endureforever? The Rebbe explained tosomeone: We understand what“endure” means, but what does“live” mean? How can somethingthe Rebbe wrote 200 years ago be“alive”?

Said the Rebbe: What is the signof life? Growth. If the nails or hairgrow, or when all the cells reproduce– that is life. When you learnsomething in Torah and findsomething new, and you understandhow it fits with the presentcircumstances, then that is what ismeant by “alive.”

Our Sages say that when you

learn, it should be as though you seethe person you are quoting standingfacing you and learning along withyou. There were three bachurimfrom a Litvishe yeshiva who wrote tothe Rebbe Rayatz that they want tobe his Chassidim and mekusharim.The Rebbe wrote back (I think theletter is printed): I am ready toaccept you on one condition. I wantto know, when you learn Gemaraand mention Rebbi Yehuda, RebbiMeir, Rebbi Tarfon, etc., whetheryou think for a moment that theperson you are quoting is therefacing you and hearing you. Or doyou forget about him? If you feelthat he is facing you, then I canaccept you.

This is what the Rebbe saysabout something we learn that wassaid 2000 years ago. If you learn itso that it is alive, it’s like you arehearing it now for the first time. Thesame is true for everything we learnfrom the Rebbeim, especially in thisgeneration regarding the Nasi

HaDor. When we learn a maamer orsicha of the Rebbe, we have to thinkabout what the Rebbe is teaching us,how we should relate to what we arelearning. We must feel that theRebbe is there before us and he issaying the words along with us.

[To be continued be”H]

The next day, R’ Nissan said to the Rebbe that wehad studied the letter but did not find anyconnecttion to the war. The Rebbe said, “I amtelling you again that there are answers there.Break your heaads over it and you will find them.”

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We are now on the eve of thegreat and holy day of GimmelTammuz. The Rebbe MH”M cameup with the innovation of calling it“the holiday of the chassidim.” InSeifer Minhagim, the Rebbe notesthe special day of Gimmel Tammuzas follows: “And therefore, it appears

to me that they should celebrate theday of Gimmel Tammuz.” TheRebbe even explains at length thatthe reason the Rebbe Rayatz did notestablish Gimmel Tammuz as aholiday is because the Nasi deemedhis influence to be limited onGimmel Tammuz, after he was sent

to exile in Kostrama, and therefore,it is not considered a holiday.However, as it pertains to theconnection of the chassidim to theRebbe and all the Rebbe represents,since the Rebbe was actually savedon this day, therefore, chassidimshould celebrate the day of GimmelTammuz.

I had the privilege of spendingmuch time close to the outstandingmashpia, R. Mendel Futerfas, ofblessed memory, who passed awayon the 4th of Tammuz 5755, andover the years, R. Mendel trulyconsidered Gimmel Tammuz to be aspecial holiday. I remember thatpeople would ask him if they shouldsay Tachanun on Gimmel Tammuz,and R. Mendel would cry out, “Howis it possible to say Tachanun on theday the Rebbe went out fromprison?”

Of course, there is the Rebbe’swell-known answer on this question

It is understood that we constantly pray andrequest that the Redemption will come in the bestand moost revealed manner, and that all matterspresently in the World of Concealment will verysoon reach a state of revelation. But the wholepoint is that in our present situation, “in a briefmoment,” wee will live with the Rebbe with all theabilities that we have received, without anychange.

‘FAITH IS NOT

IMAGINATION’: GIMMEL TAMMUZ SEEN

THROUGH CHASSIDIC EYES By Rabbi Sholom Dovber Reichman, Krayot, Eretz YisroelTranslated By Michoel Leib Dobry

– that the matter depends upon feeling, and therefore, ifa person asks, this is a sign that he doesn’t have therequisite feeling. Chassidim have no questions, and wesaw each year how R. Mendel treated this day as aholiday in every respect.

I remember that R. Mendel told how in 5687, peopledidn’t know if the Rebbe Rayatz was alive. R. Mendelwas living in Nevel at the time, and the mashpia, R.Zalman Moshe HaYitzchaki, of blessed memory, sentthe father of Soviet interrogator Nachmanson, an Anashmember, to find out from his son about the RebbeRayatz’s condition. The father departed to carry out thedangerous shlichus, and as R. Mendel recalled, thefather and son sat together on a bench, andNachmanson, the son, hinted to hisfather that the Rebbe was stillalive. The father brought thenews back to the chassidim,and they knew that therewas still what to prayfor…

When the newscame on GimmelTammuz that theRebbe had beenreleased fromprison, thechassidim inNevel danced thewhole night untilthe Aron Kodeshalmost collapsed.The mashpia, R.Zalman Moshe, wastotally drunk, and whenhe reached the door ofhis home, he didsomersaults in the mud there,singing “Ashreinu” all the while.

Afterwards there were somechassidim who began to raise questions andsay that we’re not talking about a complete redemption,since the Rebbe was sent to exile in Kostrama. However,R. Zalman Moshe paid no attention to such statementsand continued to farbreng each night until Yud-BeisTammuz. When the news of the release came, everyonesaw and understood that R. Zalman Moshe was right.

In relation to our present situation, and as R. Mendelcustomarily perceived the whole situation of GimmelTammuz 5754, we see that the mode of conduct wasliterally as a chassid should perceive Gimmel Tammuz.The whole situation with the Rebbe MH”M since 5752caused R. Mendel to be lacking in simcha, because it

genuinely touched his heart. I remember how R. Mendelsat in 770 on Shabbos Mevarchim Teives with Anashavreichim and baalei battim, and said that each of themmust accept some matter upon himself. Then, one of thebaalei battim asked R. Mendel, “What are you takingon?” and R. Mendel replied that he accepts uponhimself to learn Masechta Beia. Anyone who knew R.Mendel was quite aware of how hard things were forhim physically. Yet, despite the difficulties, everyone sawhow the conduct that R. Zalman Moshe had bequeathedto him stood out so prominently.

After Gimmel Tammuz 5754, he would repeatedlyquote Rashi’s commentary on the pasuk, “‘Be

wholehearted with Hashem, your G-d’ – donot inquire of the future; rather,

accept whatever happens to youwith simple faith.” He

continued to cleave with allhis heart to the holy

proclamation of “YechiAdoneinu Moreinu

V’Rabbeinu MelechHaMoshiach L’olamVa’ed!” afterdavening, and inorder to show thisto people whowere in doubt, hesaid it loudly onmore than oneoccasion so that

people could knowhis position on the

matter.One of the

avreichim once turned toR. Mendel and said that

there are arguments amongAnash members whether or not to

say “Yechi,” and R. Mendel repliedcategorically: Anyone who believes that the

Rebbe is alive should say “Yechi.” Every time the Rebbewrites on the issue of Gimmel Tammuz, he discusseshow chassidim should relate to the day. Some chassidimdidn’t understand on the first Gimmel Tammuz in 5687why people were celebrating: Hadn’t the Rebbeseemingly been sentenced to a long exile? However,those chassidim whose point of connection to the Rebberemained firm celebrated, because it was eventuallyproven retroactively that Gimmel Tammuz was indeedthe beginning of the Redemption.

It wasn’t in vain that the Rebbe replied that thematter of Gimmel Tammuz depended upon one’s inner

feeling, for the Rebbe Rayatz hadnot established this day as a holiday,leaving it instead for chassidim todecide according to their feeling.Everyone interprets the holiday as hewants.

R. Mendel would repeat this timeand time again. When they wantedto cancel the “K’vutza” (since therewas no longer a reason to travel andno one to see, as it were), R. Mendelfought with all his strength that the“k’vutza” should not be cancelled.

Looking back, it was specificallyR. Mendel who made all the special“koch” over the years regarding theholiday of Gimmel Tammuz, and hewas especially privileged that afterGimmel Tammuz 5754, when all the

hiding, concealment, and confusionbegan, he was the pillar of firebefore the camp, saying that there isno change in the Rebbe, ch”v; hecontinues in all matters as he didbefore.

What exactly is the main point ofGimmel Tammuz?

If someone sought the Rebbe forhimself and his own personalmatters, his perception of the Rebbewas completely different. However,regarding someone who lives withthe Rebbe and knows that his wholevitality is for the Rebbe, his entireoutlook and his perception ofGimmel Tammuz is something elseentirely.

It is clear to chassidim that theconcept of Gimmel Tammuz is partof the purification and cleansingprocess of the revelation of theRebbe MH”M, “who bears ourafflictions.” In fact, this is the waywe should perceive this situation.Anyone who lives with the Rebbe isdelighted, knowing that GimmelTammuz symbolizes the concept ofthe start of the Redemption.Therefore, anyone who has deepchassidic feeling and lives with theRebbe, his most recent sichos, andthe point of connection between theRebbe and chassidim as exemplifiedby the singing for over a year and ahalf of “Yechi Adoneinu,” sees thewhole concept from a totallydifferent vantage point than theworld does. Furthermore, when wewill merit the complete revelation ofthe Rebbe MH”M, it will then beproven that Gimmel Tammuz is “theday that G-d has made, let us beglad and rejoice on it,” as the Rebbedefines this holy day as the day of“is’chalta d’geula.” Yet, while we stillhave not seen the beginning of theRedemption, nevertheless, we knowand believe that specifically in astate of such great darkness does thelight begin to sparkle.

After Tishrei 5753, when theRebbe began to come out frequentlyon the balcony, R. Mendel wouldsay, “It is impossible to understandanything; there are new revelationsevery day.” This is how R. Mendelperceived things. Similarly, after YudShvat 5753, when the whole worldproclaimed “Yechi” with greatpublicity, I approached R. Mendeland said to him that Jews stillcontinue to believe despite thesituation, and R. Mendel replied,“Faith is not imagination.” In otherwords, it’s not because we havenothing to say that we hold on tofaith, but that this is actually thesituation. The pasuk, “For you havenot seen any image,” means that theJewish People saw the truth, as it is

beyond form and definition. Thepower of faith is a great strength ofthe soul that is totally beyondintellect.

Gimmel Tammuz reveals tochassidim – and the entire JewishPeople – the strength of faith that ishigher than intellect; faith in thewords of Moshe, at any price and inany situation. This is the correctionfor the sin of the generation of thedesert, and particularly on the basisof what the Arizal says – that we arethe reincarnation of the generationthat left Egypt, destined to correcttheir sin. The faith of todaypossesses tremendous strength, farbeyond intellect, and this is thepower we received on GimmelTammuz.

It is understood that weconstantly pray and request that theRedemption will come in the bestand most revealed manner, and thatall matters presently in the World ofConcealment will very soon reach astate of revelation. But the wholepoint is that in our present situation,“in a brief moment,” we will livewith the Rebbe with all the abilitiesthat we have received, without anychange, as they came into awondrous mode of expression withthe mashpia, R. Mendel, and as itwas on the first Gimmel Tammuz in5687.

R. Mendel always used to quotethe saying of the shliach, R. ShmuelDovid Raichik, of blessed memory,stated in the name of Rabbi YisroelRozhiner, on the pasuk, “Even if Iwill walk in the valley of the shadowof death, I will fear no evil” – eventhere, in the valley of death, I see noevil. If so, then what bad is there?The pasuk continues, “For You arewith me” – since G-d is in painthere, as it were, we are also in pain.

We know that the whole purposeof the Rebbe MH”M is to redeemthe Jewish People and bring them toeternal salvation, to the point thateven before he went to “cheider,”

I approached R.Mendel and said to himthat Jews still continueto believe despite thesituation, annd R.Mendel replied, “Faithis not imagination.”

the Rebbe began to form in hisimagination “the vision of the FutureRedemption, the redemption of theJewish People from its final exile, aRedemption of such great magnitudethat the afflictions of the exile and itsharsh decrees and annihilations willbe understood.” Therefore, theRebbe’s tremendous pain is ourpain, since we have not carried outthe mission in its fullest sense.

This pain that we have seentakes expression in the famous sichafrom the 28th of Nissan 5751, whenthe Rebbe placed upon us the avoda

to bring the Redemption in actualdeed and to do everything in ourability in this matter, and now theonly remaining avoda is to greet andaccept Moshiach. It is clear that aschassidim who do not want to beapart from the Rebbe for a singlemoment, even when darkness coversthe earth, we will continue to cleaveto the Rebbe with greater strengthin all these lofty matters, and then(as the Rebbe continues in hisletter), “as part of this Redemption,this nasi will be a king, not [just] aleader of a tribe, but one who has

no one over him except Hashem, hisG-d.”

Chassidim must look uponGimmel Tammuz as the Rebbe does,and particularly as the Rebbe hastaught us to see this great day. Infact, Gimmel Tammuz is a holiday ofthe chassidim, not from the Rebbeas such. Therefore, it is incumbentupon us to bring the completerevelation of the Rebbe with the Trueand Complete Redemption. It is alsoclear and understood that if theRebbe has placed this mission uponus, we have the ability to carry it outwith the greatest fortitude to bring itinto its fullest realization, and thenwe shall proclaim in a powerful andunceasing voice:

Yechi Adoneinu MoreinuV’Rabbeinu Melech HaMoshiachL’olam Va’ed!

R. Mendel would cry out, “How is it possible tosay Tachanun on the day the Rebbe went out fromprisson?”

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A shul whose very roots stemfrom the Tzemach Tzedek isbound to grow in holiness. And ifthis comes about with a fewsurprises, well, it’s all the moreHashgacha Pratis!

And this certainly was the casewith the recently dedicated,beautiful new mikveh. New, that is,but containing some elements thatwere very, very old.

* * *This Tzemach Tzedek shul was

built between 150 and 160 yearsago amidst the windingcobblestone lanes of the ancientcity of Tzfat, where the Arizal andother Torah luminaries once blazedmystical trails that still burncenturies later. The TzemachTzedek himself sent a 100 rubledonation towards the originalconstruction.

Recently, the shul flourishedwith its minyanim, Shabbosdavening, and farbrengens. Itsdoors were open to everyone withChassidishe warmth andhospitality. But earthquakes andother factors caused the buildingto fall into disrepair over time. Sixyears ago, an ambitious and much-

awaited renovation project finallybecame a reality.

While the plans involved theconstruction of three floorsintended to include a large shul,women’s balcony, and learningcenter and library downstairs –there were no plans for a mikveh.

But as workers began digging,lo and behold, they uncovered abor (a pit),made of stone andplastered with such qualitycraftsmanship that it had beenremarkably well preserved. One of

the Chassidim working on theproject, R. Yitzchak Gozoli, got soexcited – sure that it was an oldmikveh from the times of theTzemach Tzedek – that he jumpedright in!

The discovery was so thrillingthat Rav Gavriel Marzel, directorof the Beit Chabad/ TzemachTzedek, decided then and there tobuild an actual mikveh directly ontop of the bor. R. AvrahamRappaport of Toronto, a steadysupporter of the shul who had

The new mikveh and the mosaic

BOR AL GABBEI BOR

IN THE HOLY CITY

OF TZFATPhotos by Hila Ne’eman

helped with the building project,decided to finance theconstruction of the mikveh as well.

Soon after the discovery of thebor was made, they came across anarticle interviewing Rav Aryeh LeibKaplan, a”h, discussing the shuland a lower-floor, which had yet tobe unearthed, with a mikvehunderneath!

The mikveh and the shul were agood shidduch for the holy city ofTzfat, where the holy Ari haddrawn the kabbalistic connectionbetween levels of purity for menwho immerse daily and not just onErev Yom Kippur, as was thecustom. The Baal Shem Tovactually carried the Ari’s teachinginto practice and that’s why onecan find several Chassidishe shulsin Tzfat that were built either overor near a mikveh.

Rav Marzel decided that thenew mikveh would be built directlyabove the bor, enabling it to havethe mehadrin min ha’mehadrincertification of bor al gabbei bor –that is, with rainwater on thebottom, regular tap water on top,and openings connecting the two.

“We figured like this – it’s aChassidishe shul. We have a BeisMidrash and a shul, and a mikvehwould make it complete,”

The mikveh is called TorahV’Tahara and was dedicated by R.

Avraham, in honor of his mother,Mrs. Tzivia Chaya Rappaport,o.b.m.

After his mother’s passing, 23years ago, R. Avraham buried herin Tzfat and every year for heryahrtzait, on the 14th of Sivan, hecomes to Tzfat and makes aKiddush in her honor at theTzemach Tzedek shul. Last year R.Avraham dedicated a seifer Torahand the new building in her honorand this year he decided, alongwith the building, to dedicate thenew mikveh.

This past Thursday, 14 Sivan,the festive dedication took placewith a special gathering of rabbiswho prepared scholarly pilpulim onthe laws relating to the mikveh.Issues such as whether a mikvehcan be made using snow werediscussed among 100distinguished guests, includingRabbi Reich, the Rav of Sanz, RavBazak of the Beis Din Tzedek ofTzfat, Rav Wilschansky, RoshYeshiva of Tomchei T’mimim inTzfat, and Rosh Mesivta RavLandau and Rav Davidson. Special

minyanim were made at the keverof R. Avraham’s mother that day.

The kinus was followed by thededication ceremony at which R.Avraham received the first key tothe mikveh. When he opened thedoor, everyone saw that themikveh was very beautiful, itsbeauty enhanced by two mosaicglass designs: one a map of EretzYisroel with its main sources ofwater – Yam Kinneret and YamHaMelech – and another ofNoach’s ark.

“The point of the ark design isthat the flood was 40 days andnights and one of the ideas is thatthe world was immersed in wateras in a mikveh. The measurementof a mikveh is 40 saa of rainwaterand the flood was 40 days. So youcan think pure thoughts. The wordT’villa (immersion) has the sameletters as ha’bittul (humbling), sothe idea of immersion is bittul.”

A festive farbrengen concludedthe evening and many blessings forthe new mikveh (and building)were exchanged. And it was nocoincidence that the main course

The farbrengen Rav Landa (right), Rav Marzel, and R. Rappaport

“We figured like this – it’s a Chassidishe shul. Wehave a Beis Midrash and a shul, and a mikvehwouuld make it complete.”

at the farbrengen was a lot of fish. “A fish is not achatzitza (something causing a separation),” saidRav Marzel. “It’s considered a part of the water.”

* * *As we mentioned earlier, the mikveh has the

status of bor al gabbei bor. And in the honor of thismikveh’s opening, HaRav Yitzchak Issac Landaushared this story, which he heard from hisgrandfather, Rabbi Yaakov Landau, chief Rabbi ofB’nei Brak.

“My grandfather had a close relationship with theKlausenberger Rebbe z”l. One time theKlausenberger Rebbe called my grandfather and saidhe wanted to come speak with him. The Rebbe wasgoing to come from Netanya to B’nei Brak, but (RavLanda) out of respect, took a taxi to Netanya. Whenthey met, the Rebbe started to talk about the mikvehin Petach Tikva, which was built according to theshita of the Rebbe Rashab – bor al gabbei bor. TheRebbe told Rav Landau that he wanted to change theshita of the mikveh and build it another way.

Rav Landau didn’t know what to answer. Heknew that since the mikveh was built according tothe Rebbe Rashab’s shita, it had to be unquestionablythe highest level of kashrus. When Rav Landau gotback home, he looked into a book he had aboutmikvaos and he discovered a note he had written asan entry a year earlier, and a subsequent answer hehad also concluded – about the same subject theRebbe was inquiring about!

Rav Landau called the Klausenberger Rebbe backand told him that he had thought about his samequestion a year earlier and then he told him of hisanswer. Now it was the Klausenberger Rebbe whoasked for time to think about the matter.

Soon after, the Rebbe called Rav Landau and toldhim that he accepted the fact that the mikveh wasindeed built in the best way possible and hischassidim would use it without any changes!

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Since Beis Moshiach wasfounded 13 years ago, the words oracronym for Melech HaMoshiachare used regularly when referringto the Rebbe. Some people wonder,why do this over and over again?Is it necessary?

R’ Liberow: This question isasked about identifying whoMoshiach is in general. People say,we believe the Rebbe is Moshiach,but why is it important to publicize

and stress it?The answer is simple. If it wasn’t

that important, the Rebbe MH”Mwould not mention it in his sichos. Ifyou study the Rebbe’s sichos, youknow that in the later years, theRebbe began to regularly quote theBartenura which says, “In everygeneration someone of the seed ofYehuda is born who is fitting to beMoshiach for the Jewish people.”The Rebbe also quoted the Chasam

Sofer about “One who is fitting,because of his righteousness, to bethe redeemer, and when the timecomes, Hashem will reveal Himselfto him and send him.”

Those who remember the sichosof the early years know that thesequotes were not at all typical untilthe later years. Since 5751, it wasimportant to the Rebbe to quotethese lines again and again. If it isimportant to the Rebbe, then itought to be important to all theChassidim.

That students identify theirteachers as Moshiach, and evenmore so (as the Rebbe notes in thesicha of Tazria-Metzora 5751), thatTanaim themselves would expoundon their name – this practice datesback to the time of the Gemara, asit’s brought in the tractateSanhedrin.

Since the revelation of Chassidus,when the concept of Nasi HaDorbecame more prominent, theidentification of the Nasi HaDor asMoshiach also began to intensify.On Shabbos Parshas Naso5720/1960, the Rebbe said thatalready in the time of the RebbeRayatz, they spoke about Chassidimbelieving that the Rebbe isMoshiach.

Regarding our Rebbe, first it washinted at, but the deeper we got aswe progressed towards Geula, themore open it became. Yes, therewere things that held it back, butunlike earlier years in which theobstacles remained for years, since5751, even when there wereobstacles, they didn’t last more thana few weeks.

During this period of time(5751), at first, when people askedwhether they should do certainMoshiach-related activities, somewere told Yes and some were toldNo. If someone went ahead and didsomething and informed the Rebbe,he was answered, “informing me isenough, as is obvious,” and he wasgiven blessings to continue.

Beis Moshiach Magazine refers to the Rebbe asMelech HaMoshiach. We asked the VaadHaRuchni to explaain the importance in referringto the Rebbe with the title “Melech HaMoshiach.”Why isn’t it enough to say, “Adoneinu MoreinuV’Rabbeinu”? What impact does using MH”Mhave on the readers?

WHY

THE TITLE

‘MOSHIACH’?Interview by Avrohom Reinitz

PARTICIPANTS:

Rabbi Zalman Liberow

Rabbi Berel Lipsker

Rabbi Nachman Shapiro

Rabbi Yitzchok Springer

Later on, especially after 27Adar, even when the person askingreally wanted a negative answer, hedidn’t get one. For example, in thebig Yud Shvat event of 5753, somepeople asked the Rebbe not to goout in public on the balcony since itwould be interpreted as his consentto the proclamation of “Yechi.” TheRebbe went out anyway and publiclyencouraged the singing of “Yechi” tothe world, and millions watched it.

What does that tell us? That thecloser we get to the hisgalus ofMoshiach, his identity becomes anintegral part of the issue. There arethings that are associated withparticular times, for example, thehalachos of Chanuka. At this time ofthe year they are not apropos, butaround Chanuka time, they are! Thesame is true with the halachos ofMoshiach. Until recent years, theyweren’t that practical, but ever sincethe Rebbe said “the time for yourredemption has arrived,” these arepractical halachos.

The same is true with the nameof Moshiach. In the past, it wasn’tthat necessary. As we get closer andcloser to the true and completeRedemption, it becomes more andmore important.

In Elul 5753, the Rebbe agreedfor the first time, that theintroduction to a book published by

Kehos should add the words“Melech HaMoshiach.” Since then,dozens of s’farim from Kehos werepublished with the Rebbe’s title as“K’vod K’dushas Admur MelechHaMoshiach shlita.”

Once the Rebbe approved thewriting of “Melech HaMoshiach” inan official Lubavitch publication,someone who asks why it isimportant is like someone asking,after Yud Shvat 5711, after theRebbe agreed to writing “K’vodK’dushas Admur shlita” – what isthe importance in writing this aboutthe Rebbe…

R’ Shapiro: Along with thequotes from the Bartenura andChasam Sofer, the Rebbe alsomentioned a few times that“Chassidim in each generationbelieved that their Rebbe isMoshiach, and in our generation –the Rebbe, my father-in-law.” Inlater years, the Rebbe also used“Moshiach Tzidkeinu” along with“Nasi Doreinu,” and many times weheard the Rebbe say, “Nasi Doreinu,Moshiach of the generation.”

The Rebbe said this orally and inwriting, such as in the sicha ofShabbos, Parshas VaYeitzei 5752.After quoting the Bartenura and theChasam Sofer, the Rebbe added inhis handwriting: “and in ourgeneration, Nasi Doreinu, the Rebbe

my father-in-law.”Since “a person must use the

wording of his teacher,” obviouslythere is reason to refer to the Rebbeas Melech HaMoshiach.

In those years, the Rebbe alsoexplained a few times the quality ofMoshiach that he is the yechidaklalis (and later he added thatMoshiach is the etzem ha’neshama).If you look at the sicha of Toldos5752, you will see that the Rebbespeaks of a new avoda which isderived from the fact that the inyanof Moshiach is etzem ha’neshama,above the level of yechida.

This means that the knowledgethat Moshiach is the etzemha’neshama is something that isrelevant to avoda, every detail of aperson’s avoda. Namely, thateverything is done “to bring toYemos HaMoshiach.”

When the whole inyan ofkabbalas ha’malchus began, I sat at aKinus HaShluchim with some old-time shluchim and one of them said:We already wrote a k’sav hiskashrusto the Rebbe, in 5710. Why do weneed to accept his malchus again?

I answered: First off, most of thepeople sitting here around the tablewere not born in 5710, and thosewho were, were children. They neversigned on a k’sav hiskashrus to theRebbe. Secondly, since something

Once the Rebbe approved the writing of “MelechHaMoshiach” in an official Lubavitch publication,sommeone who asks why it is important is likesomeone asking, after Yud Shvat 5711, after theRebbe agreeed to writing “K’vod K’dushas Admurshlita” – what is the importance in writing thisabout the Rebbee…

--Rabbi Zalman Liberow

new regarding the Rebbe hasbecome revealed, the kabbalasha’hiskashrus that was signed backthen is not enough for today. Weneed to connect to that aspect whichhas been revealed in the Rebbe now.

R’ Springer: In the kuntres BeisRabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel, the Rebberefers (footnote 58) to the S’deiChemed, who writes that in everygeneration they searched for who isthe Moshiach and, “in this way, itwas presumed in every generationwho it was!” The Rebbe concludes,“And all this is obvious.”

Even in previous generations theysaw a need to look and see who wasfitting to be Moshiach in thatgeneration, in order to strengthenthe feeling of anticipation and thebelief in the coming of Moshiach.

If that was the case in previousgenerations, all the more so in ourgeneration, when the Rebbeprophesied that this is the generationof Redemption. Standing momentsbefore the hisgalus, of course wemust publicize to one and all whoMoshiach is – “and all this isobvious.”

This is especially so, when theRebbe mentioned, time and again,that “the Nasi HaDor is Moshiach ofthe generation,” “he paskened onhimself.” The Rebbe himself saidseveral times that “Moshiach’s name

is Menachem.”There is no doubt that if Anash

would put their energy intospreading the things mentioned inthe sichos, the world would acceptthem and also believe that the Rebbeis Moshiach. The talmidim of theRebbe, we Chassidim, need to be thefirst to publicize it.

R’ Lipsker: Before all theexplanations we need to say onesimple thing: it’s the truth! Since theRebbe is Moshiach, we have to writeit – because it’s the truth.

This question was asked back in5751 with the koch in kabbalasha’malchus of the Rebbe MH”M.Those who opposed using the title“Melech HaMoshiach” for the Rebbetried to present their position as onethat is Chassidish. They quoted theRebbeim as saying that toChassidim, there is nothing higherthan “Rebbe.”

This view went along with thestory of the Chassid who was askedwhether his Rebbe has ruachha’kodesh. He said it was none ofhis business. If the Rebbe neededruach ha’kodesh, he certainly had it;if he didn’t need it, he didn’t carethat he didn’t. This story expressesthe idea that to a Chassid, the Rebbeis not measured by various qualities.His greatest quality is that he isRebbe.

To tell you the truth, at first, Ididn’t have a good answer to thisquestion and approach. I just knewthat if it was important to the Rebbeto mention that the Nasi HaDor isthe Moshiach of the generation, thenthere was certainly a big inyan here.We Chassidim had to follow theRebbe and use this wording to referto him.

However, on Shabbos ParshasToldos, the Rebbe began one of thesichos with the following words, “Itis necessary to add and correct,” andthe Rebbe explained that the level ofMoshiach is not merely the yechidaklalis of the Jewish people, because“yechida” is one of the five names ofthe neshama, and as such it is notthe actual etzem. The special qualityof Moshiach is that he literallyreveals the “etzem ha’neshama.”This is the “true inyan of Moshiach.”

This was an enormous chiddush.Until then, we knew that Moshiachis the yechida klalis and looking at itthat way, there was reason to saythat “Moshiach” is not greater than“Rebbe,” because the Rebbe is alsothe yechida klalis, and what do weneed beyond a Rebbe? However,after the Rebbe established thatMoshiach is “the etzem of the Jewishpeople, which is above the aspect ofyechida,” there is obviously,something far more special about

The knowledge that Moshiach is the etzemha’neshama is something that is relevant toavoda, every deetail of a person’s avoda. Namely,that everything is done “to bring to YemosHaMoshiach.”

--Rabbi Nachman Shapiro

Moshiach. Since the Rebbe is alsoMoshiach, which means he revealsthe etzem ha’neshama, it is certainlyimportant to mention this repeatedly,since by doing so, we arouse andreveal this point.

It’s interesting to note what itsays in VaYikra Rabba, “And Hecalled to Moshe. What does it sayearlier? The above portion is aboutthe Mishkan, where it concludes, ‘asHashem commanded Moshe.’ Ananalogy to a king who commandedhis servant and said to him: build mea palace. On everything he built, hewrote the name of the king. Heconstructed walls and wrote theking’s name on them. He raisedpillars and wrote on them the king’sname. He would put up beams andwrite the king’s name on them.

“The king later entered thepalace and wherever he looked hesaw his name written. He said: Myservant gave me all this honor, and Iam inside and he is outside?! Theycalled to him to enter.

“So too, when Hashem said toMoshe: Build Me a Mishkan, oneverything he made he wrote on it:as Hashem commanded Moshe.Said Hashem: Moshe gave me allthis honor and I am inside and he isoutside?! They called to him toenter, which is why it says: ‘And Hecalled to Moshe.’”

The application of the analogy isobvious!

Do you think that when readersof this magazine repeatedly seereferences to the Rebbe MH”M, itinfluences their Chassidisheconduct? That is, does it havepractical ramifications?

R’ Shapiro: Thirty years ago, wesat at a farbrengen with one of thegreat mashpiim and he said that ifwe really believed that the Rebbe isMoshiach and that we are in hisDalet amos (i.e., in his presence), wewould look entirely different; ourbehavior, our approach to theRebbe’s issues would be completelydifferent. At the time the mashpiasaid this, it had a great impact on us.

When a person reads the phrase,“the Rebbe MH”M” again andagain, it can inspire him to behave asa Chassid of Melech HaMoshiach.This is along the lines of what theRebbe said at the end of the sicha ofVaEira 5752, “the knowledge thatthe Rebbe, my father-in-law, NasiDoreinu, will be enteringimmediately (since ‘arise and singthose who dwell in the dust’) andlook at each one of the Chassidimand mekusharim to examine theirstanding and position, etc., inspiresand affects one to finish andcomplete (from the root “shleimus,”perfect) all our actions and avoda.”

When a Chassid relates to it asfact that the Rebbe is MelechHaMoshiach, and he believes in andanticipates his hisgalus at anymoment, it affects his emuna andanticipation for Moshiach in general.It becomes more real for him. And itaffects his avoda, so that whateverhe does is with awareness thatMoshiach is about to appear!

On a deeper level one can say,the title Rebbe – Adoneinu MoreinuV’Rabbeinu – is comprised ofseveral levels, with each wordexpressing another aspect of theRebbe and consequently, in theconnection of the Chassidim withthe Rebbe.

“Adoneinu” expresses the bittulof a servant to his master.

“Moreinu V’Rabbeinu” expresstwo aspects of bittul of a student tohis teacher.

“Melech HaMoshiach”expresses the great bittul of thenation to the king. This is a greaterand deeper bittul than the bittul of aservant to his master.

However, we cannot suffice withour living with the reality that theRebbe is Moshiach and that as aresult, we are battul to the Rebbe.We have to get the world to knowthat the Rebbe is Moshiach and tobe battul to him accordingly.

The Rebbe spoke along these

After the Rebbe established that Moshiach is “theetzem of the Jewish people, which is above theasppect of yechida,” there is obviously, somethingfar more special about Moshiach [than theconcept of Rebbe].

--Rabbi Berel Lipsker

lines in the maamer “V’AtaTetzaveh” – that as long as there is aJew for whom the G-dly illuminationdoes not shine forth, the tzaddikwho succeeded in reaching thehighest levels has to be “crushed”and broken by this, that the light ofG-dliness is still not fully revealed inthe world.

So too with us, as long as theentire world does not believe that theRebbe is Moshiach and is not battulto his directives, we are lacking inthe concept of “Rebbe,” the bittuland devotion to the Rebbe MH”M.

In Kesser Shem Tov, in thefamous letter in which the BaalShem Tov describes his encounterwith Moshiach, it says that Moshiachsaid to the Baal Shem Tov that thishisgalus will take place when “whenyour identity is revealed in theworld.” That means that along withspreading the wellsprings, theidentity of the Nasi HaDor must berevealed in the world. This isaccomplished when we publicize theidentity of the Rebbe as Moshiach,thus revealing him to the world.

This should be obvious to aChassid. Chassidim have always toldothers about the Rebbe. Everybodyagrees that we should publicize theRebbe. But one can ask: Why? Whatdo we care whether people knowabout the Rebbe? When did the

Rebbe give us this assignment? Yet,all Chabad Chassidim happily tellothers about the Rebbe.

The point is, in order for theinyan of Rebbe to be experienced byus in the fullest measure, he has tobe this way to the world. The morewe work on “revealing his identity inthe world,” and are mekasher moreand more Jews to the Rebbe, weaffect ourselves, making ourselvesmore mekushar to the Rebbe.

R’ Lipsker: Usually, whenspeaking about the saying of“Yechi,” people quote what theRebbe said about adding life to theking, etc., but we can’t forget themore basic significance of theproclamation of “Yechi HaMelech” –that the people accept the king’sauthority!

The same goes for writing“Rebbe MH”M” which expresseskabbalas ha’malchus. When aChassid reads or writes it and hestops for a moment to think aboutwhat it means, he realizes he has toaccept the Rebbe’s malchus. Sincethe most basic element of acceptingthe malchus is “accept my decrees,”this strengthens one’s resolve tofulfill all of the Rebbe’s horaos.

R’ Springer: As was explainedhere before, we are particular aboutusing the title “MH”M” because weare so close to the complete

Redemption. In other words, when aChassid sees the words “RebbeMelech HaMoshiach,” it inspireshim to think about our being indifferent era than twenty years ago.We are in an era so close to thecoming of Moshiach that we openlywrite about the Rebbe using thewords “Melech HaMoshiach”!

This thought, about our being soclose to the coming of Moshiach,definitely inspires a Chassid toimprove his Chassidishe behavior inavodas ha’t’filla and especially, inspreading the Besuras HaGeula andpreparing the world to greetMoshiach.

Human nature is such that whenyou are anticipating the king andyou know who it is, your emotionsare stronger and they increase fromday to day. We see that those whoare involved in spreading the identityof Moshiach are the ones who areenthusiastically involved in all theRebbe’s inyanim: learning Niglehand Chassidus, avodas ha’t’filla, andmivtzaim.

This is because when you livewith the fact that the Rebbe isMoshiach, every passing day makesyou think: How did another day passand the Rebbe is still not here?! Thisis immediately translated into actionin all those things which the Rebbesaid hasten the Geula.

This thought, about our being so close to thecoming of Moshiach, definitely inspires a Chassidto iimprove his Chassidishe behavior in avodasha’t’filla and especially, in spreading the BesurasHaGeulla and preparing the world to greetMoshiach.

--Rabbi Yitzchok Springer

SHLICHUS IN

CURITIBABy BenZion Sasson

Entrance to thenew shul in theChabad House

Deep in the heart of Brazil, notvery far from the breathtakingIguassu Falls, is the city ofCuritiba, known as “the mostprogressive city in the world.”

Curitiba is the capitol of theParana province in SoutheasternBrazil. The metropolitan area ofCuritiba encompasses 23 localmunicipalities, which house 2.3million residents. It is considered amodel for urban development theworld over. Conservation andmaintenance of nature preservesand parks is one of the outstandingareas, as evidenced by the fact thatthere are 54 square meters ofnature preserves and parkland perresident. In June of 1996, theSecretary General of the UN gaveCuritiba the title of “the mostprogressive city in the world.”Time and Newsweek listed the cityas the third best city to live in, inthe world.

Curitiba was established in1654 to serve those gold minerswho traveled there to seek theirfortunes. Today, 350 years later, ithas become a goldmine for itsresidents. The dramatic turnaroundfor the city is accredited to the

world-famous Jewish architect,Jaime (Chaim) Lerner, a local sonof Jewish immigrants from Poland.It is he who transformed the cityduring his three four-year terms asmayor, and later as Governor ofPrana.

The Jewish community wasestablished over a hundred yearsago, during the great waves ofimmigration from Europe, startingin the 1850’s. Today, there are 840Jewish families, many of themoriginating from Poland

* * *The hour is late evening. Along

with the shliach, Rabbi YosephDubrawski, or as his mekuravimcall him, Fitche, I enter his homeon Karniro Lobo Street. In theliving room, a number of womenare crowded around a large table,with the shlucha Mrs. Tila Tzira(Tilke) in the center, giving a classon the laws of family purity.

We slip into the next room, asmall dinette off of the kitchen, inorder to hold our conversationabout life on shlichus for a quarterof a century in the city of Curitiba.The shliach, who has just finishedgiving a Tanya shiur and is at the

end of a long day of shlichus work,sits down next to me. I only hopethat he has the strength to last fora few hours, because based onwhat I have heard and researched,he has many fascinating stories totell.

GROWING UP IN 770Rabbi Yoseph Yitzchak

Dubrawski was born in CrownHeights in the year 5715/1955. Afew years after he was born, hisparents, Rabbi YehoshuaDubrawski and wife, moved to 763Eastern Parkway, directly acrossfrom 770.

He remembers well hischildhood years, spent in andaround 770. He recalls theShabbos davening sitting next tohis father, the farbrengens onShabbos and special days, orordinary weekdays when he wouldsee the Rebbe arriving on foot fromhis house on President Street. Hewould even spend his free timewith his friends on the grounds of770. All of this kept him informedof everything going on in BeisChayeinu, which caused him toconnect heart and soul to that holyplace.

As a bachur, he already knewthat when the time came, he wouldgo out on shlichus. If all the sichosthat he heard on the topic were notenough, his father would remindhim that since he did not merit togo on shlichus, he pinned his hopeson his son as well as his other sonsand daughters, who are spread outon shlichus in France, Canada,Texas, California and Staten Island.

After Fitche completed hisstudies in yeshiva, he was one ofthe first bachurim sent on shlichusto yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel, wherehe spent two years as a shliach forthe younger students in TomcheiT’mimim in Kfar Chabad.

At age 23, he married TilaAlperowitz. The fact that her

Twenty-five years have passed since RabbiYoseph Yitzchak (Fitche) Dubrawsky and hiswife arrived inn Curitiba, deep in the heart ofBrazil. The first steps were smooth, but thenthings became extremelly difficult. However,Rabbi and Mrs. Dubrawsky didn’t give up, andwith great patience and stubbornnness succeededin creating a revolution in the local Jewishcommunity. * The story of a young couple in afaraway city, known as “the most progressive cityin the world.” * Part 1 of 2

brothers and sisters had also goneout on shlichus around the world,aroused the desire of the couple togo on shlichus even more. And so,at the end of a year of study inKollel, R’ Dubrawski begansearching for a suitable place forshlichus. For one year, he workedin New Jersey with Rabbi YisroelBrod, and then went looking for aplace to open his own Chabadcenter.

One day, the shliach in Brazil,Rabbi Shabsi Alpern, approachedhim with an offer to take part inthe Jewish revolution taking placein Brazil. The couple consideredthe offer seriously, and one of theirmain concerns was which city inBrazil to go to. A relative, abusinessman with manyinvestments in S. Paolo andCuritiba, suggested that they go toCuritiba, a city, which in his viewhad a lot of potential.

After they received a positiveresponse from the Rebbe, theybegan preparing for their trip. Thecouple began learning Portuguese,as they tried to get a sense ofwhere on the map Brazil was andwhere Curitiba was situated on thesprawling map of Brazil. In hiswords, “We thought that thecapitol of Brazil was Buenos Aires,and that Brazil was a countrywithout buildings and wasinhabited by primitive people.”

OFF TO BRAZILIn Teives 5742/1982, the

couple arrived in S. Paolo withtheir two little children, Sendy ageone and Gitty, age two. As theplane began its final approach, theywere surprised to see the cityskyline filled with large buildingswith all the appearances of anormal modern city. Still, theywere convinced that S. Paolo wasthe exception, and Curitiba mustbe quite different.

They spent a month in S. Paolo,

preparing themselves for the trip toCuritiba and shlichus. Two Jewsfrom Curitiba came there to meetand greet the new shluchim, one ofthem being a Mr. Silverspitz. Thestory behind his involvement withChabad is an interesting one:

A number of years prior, theeldest son of the Silverspitz familywas killed in a tragic car accident.The family, who could not get overthe tragedy, turned to the “rabbi”of the community at the time, whoin turn directed them to RabbiAlpern. When the opportunitypresented itself, Rabbi Alpern tookthe parents to a yechidus with theRebbe, during which the Rebbetold them that it would be a greatmerit if they saw to it to bring acouple out on shlichus to their city.

This yechidus led to the deepconnection they had with theshluchim, which helped themgreatly over the years.

The couple devoted that firstmonth in S. Paolo mostly tolearning the local language as wellas adapting to the Brazilianlifestyle. The fact that they hadbeen under the impression thatBrazil was a third world country,caused them to be pleasantlysurprised by the fact that thesituation was not as bad asanticipated, which helped themacclimate more easily.

Two days before Purim5742/1982, the Dubrawski familylanded in Curitiba. In the airport,they were met by Mr. Silverspitz,who saw to all their initial needs.

CHABAD OF CURITIBA ONLINEIn recent years, the Chabad House has launched a new avenue of

outreach, by means of the internet. The site was constructed by RabbiMordechai M.M. Kaczala, who moved to Curitiba three and a halfyears ago with his wife, who became a baalas t’shuva through R’Dubrawski and his wife.

For two months, R’ Kaczala researched the newest technologies forwebsite construction, then gathered all the material over the next fourmonths, which he uploaded to thenew site of Beit Chabad Curitiba.

The site is entirely inPortuguese and has two mainareas of content. First, there is theregular content that includes infoabout Chabad worldwide, thehistory of Chabad in Curitiba,information relating to the shul,classes, Shabbos, children’sactivities, women’s events, youthactivities, library, the Ki Tovkitchen and takeout, and otherrelated information. Additionally, there is the ever changing contentthat includes, news, a photo gallery, weekly parsha, Brazil kashrusupdates, a mazal tov page plus weekly essays. Visitors are given theopportunity to sign into the site guest book.

In addition to their work on the website, the Kaczalas started anumber of Torah classes, which is where they like to focus their mainefforts, bringing Torah to different segments of the population,particularly the local youth.

“The furniture that you see here,”said the shliach, pointing to theliving room furniture, “is thefurniture we received in those firstdays. Knowing that we hadsomeone helping us, gave a goodfeeling from the start.”

On Motzaei Purim, the shliachand his wife managed to hear a livebroadcast of the Rebbe’sfarbrengen. It was only at the endof the broadcast that it finally sunkin for R’ Dubrawski where he was.The sense of distance andalienation hit him hard. He was inCuritiba, and instead of in 770, hewas far, far away.

The first week passed andShabbos approached. Aninteresting surprise awaited themembers of the “Chevra Kadisha”shul. The president of the shul, Mr.Silverspitz, decided to make agesture to honor the new shluchimand a large mechitza was installedin the shul. The microphones thatused to adorn the cantor’s pulpitdisappeared.

It would seem like a greatsuccess and accomplishment tocushion the difficulties of the initial

period of acclimation. It turns outthat this was far from the case. Infact, you might say that up till thispoint it was all smooth sailing, andfrom here on in the problemsbegan.

KHOMEINI COMESTO TOWN

A week after their arrival, theirfriend, the president of thecommunity, held an evening eventto welcome them to the city. Theevent drew many of the Jewishresidents, including the leaders ofthe local organizations. The specialevent was a strange experience forthe shluchim, because they werestill unfamiliar with the language,

and it seemed like somethingunpleasant was going on. This wasindicated to them by the shoutsand arguments that broke outamongst the participants.

The event drew to a close, andthe first thing the wife of theshliach did was to ask Mrs.Silverspitz what exactly hadtranspired. The answer wasdecidedly unpleasant. “The debatesdealt with your coming to the city,”she explained. “The communitymembers don’t look favorably uponyour arrival here, especially in lightof the changes made in the shul inyour honor. They say that thecommunity already has a ‘rabbi’who knows what he is doing. It’swrong for Chabad to just show upand start making changes.”

The welcoming party was onlythe beginning of an all out waragainst the new Chabad shluchim.During that time, the ascension topower in Iran of the AyatollahKhomeini was in the headlines.Those opposed to the shluchimutilized this in their campaignagainst the shliach and his helpers,and began referring to him as“Khomeini.” They escalated theconflict by announcing theformation of a new party, in orderto call for new elections for thepresidency of the community andthe Chevra Kadisha shul.

The day of the elections arrived,and there was a larger turnout thanon Yom Kippur. The results werepainful, as 90 percent of thecommunity voted against the newshliach, and Mr. Silverspitz wasvoted out of office and a newliberal president installed.

The nightmare scenario facingmany a new shliach, began to takeform. The election results causedthe Chabad House to bedisenfranchised from thecommunity before it even got offthe ground. The shluchim wereforced to work as an independent

The sense of distanceand alienation hit himhard. He was inCuritiba, and instead ofin 770, he was far, faraway.

R’ Dubrawski receiving a dollar from the Rebbe

organization without anycommunity support.

Despite this, they did all theycould to break the ice, and to trythrough pleasant means to bringthe local Jews closer to Hashem. R’Dubrawski and his wife worked onmany fronts, with their mainactivities aimed at the children andusing their home as the venue foroutreach. Each Sunday, theshlucha would invite a number ofchildren to come play with herchildren, which turned into a“Tzivos Hashem Club” thatdeveloped over time.

They also began invitingmembers of the community to theirhome for Shabbos meals. “The ideawas to show them that we arenormal human beings,” says R’Dubrawski. Preaching aboutJudaism was toned down, until the

locals began to trust the couple,who slowly became part of thefabric of the community, despitebeing officially ostracized.

A year after their arrival, theydecided to open a takeout servicecalled “Ki Tov.” It began with thebaking and sale of Challos in thegarage of the Chabad House,followed by cooked gefilte fish, andover the years, more items wereadded. The taste and quality of thefood had the desired effect, and thetakeout store turned into a successstory.

These were not the onlyhardships that “greeted” theshluchim. Once a week, R’Dubrawski would travel to a farmoutside the city to supervise themilking for his family’s needs. Theshlucha tried many times to makeher own butter or cheese, but due

to the climate and conditions itnever worked out.

Every trip to Crown Heightswas a cause for celebration. Whenthey would return to Brazil fromthe US, their suitcases would befilled with all sorts of goodies.“Only food products went into thesuitcases,” explained the shlucha,who had meanwhile finished givingher class. The problem of a mikvaalso made life quite difficult, andflights to S. Paolo became a regularoccurrence. Two years after theyarrived, the Silverspitz familyinaugurated a kosher mikva in

Curitiba, which made lifesomewhat easier for the shluchim,giving some breathing space in theface of the early difficulties.

Chinuch of the childrenpresented another set ofdifficulties. R’ Dubrawski getsteary-eyed as recalls for me how hestill sees in his mind’s eye, thescene of his first parting with his 7-year-old daughter and 6-year-oldson at the door of the plane ontheir way to S. Paolo, in order toget a proper Chassidic education.

At first, flights were very cheap.However, after a time, the pricesbegan to skyrocket. As a result,every two weeks, the shlucha wouldset out on an all-night drive to S.Paolo to pick up her kids andwould arrive back in Curitiba a fewhours before Shabbos. Shortly afterShabbos ended, she would begin

the drive to return them to school.This went on for many years!

The situation also did not makeit possible for the shliach to davenwith a minyan. Before RoshHaShana and Yom Kippur, hewould fly to S. Paolo to daven in aproper Chabad minyan, all becauseof the lack of a mechitza and themicrophones in the local shul.“One year,” recounts the shlucha,“we couldn’t travel to S. Paolo,because I was due to give birth anyday and we were forced to remainin the city for the holidays. Therewas no minyan of course, and my

The rabbi of the community realized that theshluchim were making real and importantcontributions annd the separation wasn’t servingany purpose. So, he turned to them and invitedthem to rejoin the offficial Jewish community ofCuritiba.

Laying the cornerstonefor the new shul

husband together with another twopeople davened all the prayers inour house. It was a bizarre,shocking and painful sight,” sherecalls without any nostalgia.

Only after a number of yearsdid they finally manage to holdtheir own minyan for the HighHolidays, which took place in theirhome with the participation of anumber of locals.

One year after they arrived, itseemed that the community finally“accepted” the fact of theirpresence, and they celebrated thePurim festivities in the communityschool building. However, it turnedout to be only a brief respite, as thehostilities commenced shortly after.

A JEWISH REVOLUTIONIn 1987, after more than four

years of official disconnect betweenthe community and the shluchim,the rabbi of the community realizedthat the shluchim were making realand important contributions andthe separation wasn’t serving anypurpose. So, he turned to them andinvited them to rejoin the officialJewish community of Curitiba.

The couple asked the Rebbe,and the answer was that beingpresent in the community shulwould lead to a more serious

connection with the members ofthe community. Armed with thisresponse, they told the rabbi of theshul that they would agree toreturn on the condition that therebe a kosher mechitza and that anyevents held in the shul must onlyserve kosher food prepared by theKi Tov takeout service of theChabad House.

The conditions were agreedupon, and the Chabad Housebecame once again affiliated withthe Chevra Kadisha shul and theofficial Jewish community.

The shluchim, who had alreadybegun slowly working their wayinto the hearts of the local Jews,planned and held an array of eventsto awaken the Jews of Curitiba toYiddishkait. These unique eventscan stand up to anything beingdone today by any otherorganization, in terms of theoriginal ideas and gimmicks thatmade them highly successful.

In 1989, the Chabad Househeld its first “p’gisha.” Close to300 young Jewish men and womenfrom all over Brazil came for aweekend to one of the hotels inCuritiba. There, they heard fromtop speakers and received a properperspective on what it means to bea Jew, plus they went away with a

lot of Jewish material. The themeof the event was the war againstassimilation. After that initialsuccess, they held three morep’gishos that attracted hundreds ofyoung people helping them taketheir first steps in Jewish life.

Another project was a series ofseminars on Judaism and medicineheld by the Chabad House in itsearly years. Orthodox Jewishdoctors from around the world,along with rabbis and lay activists,addressed medical issues andJudaism. These events were a hugesuccess and garnered a lot ofpositive response from theparticipants.

Yet another event that waswarmly received was a “Week ofthe Jewish Woman.” Throughoutthe week, there were lectures,symposia, mikva tours and otherexperiential activities for the ladiesto get a feel of the world of theJewish woman. On one of the days,Mrs. Safra arrived on her privatejet and spoke to the ladies abouther children that were born withthe Rebbe’s blessing that he madecontingent on observing the laws offamily purity.

One year, the Chabad Househeld an event for war survivors.Over 300 elderly Jews who came tothis special event, received a medalproduced especially for the event.The main speaker was a womanwho had survived the medicalexperiments of Dr. Mengele andshared her story and what shewitnessed. This unique event alsogenerated warm responsesthroughout the city.

Along with these special events,the shluchim held Shabbatons forthe local Jews, day camps that werea success from the get-go, aSunday morning minyan, Bar andBas-Mitzva clubs and all the otheryear round activities of any Chabadshliach.

[To be continued be”H]

Teaching a class for children in the early days

When the day of GimmelTammuz arrives, and we struggleover how to relate to this day andwhat its meaning is, first andforemost, “look within the Torah,”we must look and delve within theteachings of the Rebbe MH”M andlearn how the Rebbe relates to thisday.

On Gimmel Tammuz 5710, theRebbe wrote two letters on “What isa Rebbe?” explaining that above allother qualities (a man of self-sacrifice, a Torah giant, a person oftremendous character, a righteousman imbued with the spirit of G-d,etc.), the main thing is that “he is aleader and a head, through whom all

physical and spiritual influencesderive, and through the connectionto him, we are connected andunified to the source, and the sourceof the source, reaching the highestlevel, etc.”

It is interesting to note that inthese letters, the Rebbe does notrelate this day directly to theredemption of the Rebbe Rayatz onGimmel Tammuz, yet he specificallychose this day in the first year ofhis leadership to define what aRebbe and a Nasi is.

In the following year, 5711, onMotzaei Shabbos, GimmelTammuz, the Rebbe wrote a generalletter, establishing the redemption of

Yud-Beis Tammuz as a concept ofredemption pertaining to all types ofJews, including even those who aresimply Jews by name alone, andexplaining that the redemption“returns and reawakens every year atthis time.” There is still no explicitreference here to the beginning ofthe redemption being on GimmelTammuz, yet we see here that theappropriate reference to theredemption of Yud-Beis Tammuz isgiven on Gimmel Tammuz.

At a farbrengen on ShabbosParshas Korach, Gimmel Tammuz5718 (Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 4, p.1314), the Rebbe, for the first time,mentions the redemption of GimmelTammuz, explaining why the RebbeRayatz did not establish GimmelTammuz as a holiday. Yet, the Rebbealso establishes that “the connectionof chassidim to the Rebbe, the Nasi,must be in everything…andtherefore, chassidim should alsocelebrate the day of GimmelTammuz.”

(In this sicha, the Rebbe alsoexplains the relationship of theredemption of Gimmel Tammuzwith the first event that occurred onGimmel Tammuz, when Yehoshuamade the sun stand still at Givon.)

Throughout the years since then,the Rebbe explained the essentialquality of the redemption onGimmel Tammuz. Namely, thatdespite the fact the people still didn’tknow in 5687 that the Rebbe’srelease from prison marked the startof the redemption – as he was thenforced to go into exile –nevertheless, G-d soon revealed thatthe release from prison was indeedthe beginning of the redemption.Therefore, after the matter becameclear, it was not just from thatmoment on – i.e., after theestablishment of the Holiday ofRedemption on Yud-Beis Tammuz ofthe following year – that GimmelTammuz was deemed to be the startof the redemption; rather, this hadrelevance retroactively, even back to

To find the answer to the question “What isGimmel Tammuz?” we should look in theteachings of the Reebbe MH”M, which provide aclear answer to all questions.

GIMMEL

TAMMUZ IN

THE REBBE’S

TEACHINGSBy Rabbi Sholom Yaakov ChazanTranslated By Michoel Leib Dobry

5687.Thus, the avoda of Gimmel

Tammuz each year must be in amanner befitting is’chalta d’geula(the beginning of the redemption ofthe Rebbe Rayatz). Furthermore, wemust increase in all these matterswith greater strength and greaterfortitude, for one should “ascend in[matters of] holiness.”

All this was despite the fact thatin that first year, it was still notclear, even to the baal ha’geulahimself, that this was a matter ofis’chalta d’geula. However, after itbecame clear that Gimmel Tammuzdid mark the start of theredemption, it had a retroactiveeffect in relation to Gimmel Tammuz5687!

(It should be noted that in 5734,

the Rebbe even established that the15th of Sivan, the day the RebbeRayatz was sent to prison, should bea day of farbrengen, celebrating thetransformation of darkness to lightand bitterness to sweetness. At thefarbrengen of the 15th of Sivan5749, the Rebbe said, “Even thoughthe original 15th of Sivan transpiredin an undesirable manner, in theyears that followed (after theredemption of Yud-Beis Tammuzactually revealed that the wholepurpose of the imprisonment was forthe redemption), even the 15th ofSivan was viewed as a matter ofredemption!”)

Thus, the question is posed: Howdo we relate to Gimmel Tammuz5754?

The answer to this is simple: Is it

possible that the events of GimmelTammuz 5754 will nullify everythingthat the Rebbe himself establishedover a period of decades as a dayof redemption?

In general, we must understandwhy now, decades after theredemption, does the Rebbe engagein scholarly discussions aboutGimmel Tammuz and how we haveto relate to this day. It would seemthat this whole debate would havebeen more appropriate for the daysbetween Gimmel Tammuz and Yud-Beis Tammuz 5687, when the RebbeRayatz was still exiled in Kostramaand no one knew how things woulddevelop. However, after Yud-BeisTammuz 5687, when everyone sawhow this day is in fact the start ofthe redemption, what exactly is theargument over whether chassidimshould celebrate Gimmel Tammuz?It is perfectly obvious that chassidimshould celebrate, despite the factthat the Rebbe Rayatz did notestablish it as a day of redemption,according to the reasons the Rebbeexplains in his sichos.

It can be said, however, that theRebbe’s discussions over the yearsregarding the essential quality ofGimmel Tammuz resemble apreparation and a cure for the eventsof Gimmel Tammuz 5754, howdespite the hiding and concealmentof this day, it is essentially a day ofredemption. Moreover, despite thefact that it appears as a concealment,the Rebbe teaches us to learn fromGimmel Tammuz 5687 that eventhough it appeared the first time tobe like an exile, it turned out to bethe beginning of the redemption.

By the same token, this is howwe must relate to Gimmel Tammuz5754, as the Rebbe explains atlength (Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 18,from p. 308) regarding the opposingconcepts of the month of Tammuz.Throughout the generations,Tammuz was considered to be amonth of destruction, the Three

Weeks, etc., yet it also contains theredemption of Yud-Beis Tammuz!The Rebbe explains that on the heelsof Moshiach, as a glimmer of theFuture Redemption, the inner natureof this month – redemption – wasrevealed through the events of Yud-Beis Tammuz.

Gimmel Tammuz thusrepresented the first stage of theredemption, a day of rescue andsalvation, and to a certain extent, itis even more significant than theredemption of Yud-Beis Tammuz,since it was the beginning of theredemption!

In this sicha, the Rebbe notes thecomparison to the first day ofPesach, the beginning of theredemption from Egypt, whichalways falls out on the same day ofthe week as Tisha B’Av, as theconcept of Pesach is to transformthe concept of Tisha B’Av in amanner of “the healing before theblow.” Similarly, we find inconnection with Gimmel Tammuz,which always falls out on the sameday of the week as the first day ofPesach and the 17th of Tammuz,suggesting that Gimmel Tammuzreveals the inner meaning of the fastof the 17th of Tammuz as a conceptof redemption!

Furthermore, on the weight ofthe Rebbe’s words in his discourse“V’Ata Tetzaveh” – the last maamerthe Rebbe personally handed out toeveryone, and there can be nodisputing its unique relevance to ourtimes – in relation to the RebbeRayatz, who “issued judgment uponhimself,” and in accordance with theRebbe’s sichos on Gimmel Tammuz,it is clear that since the Rebbehimself established the day as aholiday of redemption. Thus,Gimmel Tammuz is established as aday of redemption forevermore!

To a certain extent, thecelebration of Gimmel Tammuz after5754 must be clearer than thecelebrations of Gimmel Tammuzafter 5687. On Gimmel Tammuz

5687, when the Rebbe Rayatz wassent into exile, even the RebbeRayatz wasn’t certain if this markedthe beginning of redemption or thebeginning of exile. The Rebbeelaborates upon this point at lengthin a sicha from Shabbos ParshasKorach, Gimmel Tammuz 5745, asderived from what the Rebbe Rayatzsaid at the train station: “We offerprayer to G-d Alm-ghty, Hashemour G-d will be with us, etc.,” forthis prayer and request indicateshow the situation was far moreserious than it was before:

“In other words, not only is thereno tone of joy and victory in theRebbe Rayatz’s words, but to thecontrary, the emphasis is on theundesirable aspect to the journey, to

the point that it is called exile, ‘Wewere not exiled willingly…only ourbodies were placed in exile and thesubjugation of the nations.’ Thus, itis understood that when a leader ofthe Jewish people gives something acertain name, it is with the utmostprecision, particularly when heproclaims it publicly!”

In other words, despite the factthat there was no clear promise fromthe Rebbe Rayatz in connection withGimmel Tammuz 5687,nevertheless, after it became clearthat Gimmel Tammuz marked thestart of the redemption, the matteralso has an effect retroactively, andchassidim must celebrate GimmelTammuz each year with an increasein greater strength and fortitude.

This is especially true in ourgeneration, when the Rebbe said thatthe ninth generation (since the BaalShem Tov) will reach eternal life,and he promised and prophesizedthe announcement of theRedemption, publicizing andinstructing others to publicize theannouncement of the Redemptionand the identity of the Redeemer.The Rebbe thereby brought the curebefore the episode itself, clearlyinstructing us how to relate to theday of Gimmel Tammuz 5754,celebrating it as a day of is’chaltaand a stage in the process ofRedemption, and “it is understoodthat when a leader in Israel givessomething a certain name, it iswith the utmost precision,

particularly when he proclaims itpublicly!”

The matter is even more clear inlight of the Rebbe’s sichos on thedifference between the era of theRebbe Rayatz’s imprisonment in5687 and the situation in ourgeneration.

The Rebbe explains at length(Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 28, from p.149) that in the maamer “Hashem iswith me among my helpers; I willsee [the fall] of my enemies”(T’hillim 118:7), which the RebbeRayatz said upon receiving word ofhis release, he wanted to clarify afew things in connection with hisimprisonment and redemption. Inthe second part of the pasuk, theRebbe Rayatz wanted to make clear

The Rebbe’s discussions over the years regardingthe essential quality of Gimmel Tammuzresemble a ppreparation and a cure for the eventsof Gimmel Tammuz 5754, how despite the hidingand concealment oof this day, it is essentially a dayof redemption.

that despite the suffering he enduredfrom his enemies who imprisonedhim, this did not give him a feelingof vengeance towards them, ratherhe requested, “May sins cease, andnot sinners” – they should dot’shuva! In other words, while we’retalking about contending withopposition, the Rebbe Rayatz stillprays for them to repent.

In our generation, however, theseventh generation, the Rebbeestablishes clearly in a sicha fromShabbos Parshas VaYechi 5747(Hisvaaduyos 5747, from p. 255),as a continuation to the “DidanNatzach” in the court case over thes’farim, that since we are in the finaldays of exile, after everything hasbeen completed, we must say thatwhen a Jew encounters somethingthat brings delays and obstacles inmatters of Yiddishkait, this is merelya trial. A trial comes throughsomething that has no existencewhatsoever, and its whole purposeis merely to bring about a raising ofthe banner by showing that it has noeffect upon him at all, and then it’strue state of non-existence will berevealed only in order to raise thebanner.

Furthermore, the Rebbe

continues to state that the trial, asmentioned earlier, has no existencewhatsoever, and since speakingabout it is regarding somethingwithout substance, and thereforehas no benefit, on the contrary – bytalking about it and considering it areality, he confuses himself and hisyetzer ha’ra.

On the other hand, the truereality is the concept of raising thebanner, the ultimate purpose of thetrial, as mentioned earlier, resultingin a greater increase in the spreadingof Torah, Yiddishkait, and thewellsprings of chassidus outward.

Accordingly, we find in relationto our discussion:

All the events that have occurredin recent years, especially the eventof Gimmel Tammuz 5754, representa trial without substance (and in asense, if we bestow some degree of“reality” to the concealment ofGimmel Tammuz, this gives room tothe suggestion that all the avoda andself-sacrifice of our Rebbeim,especially the avoda of the RebbeMH”M in preparing the world togreet Moshiach, has undergonesome cessation and change, andthus everything was for naught, G-dforbid!).

The Rebbe teaches us that unlikethe redemption of Yud-BeisTammuz, when there was anopposing reality, in our generation,there is neither a reality nor roomfor such opposition, rather, a trialwithout substance. Furthermore,when the day of Gimmel Tammuzarrives, its primary concept, asexplained in the Rebbe’s letters fromGimmel Tammuz 5710, iscontemplation leading to practicalaction in the strengthening of theconnection to the head and leader ofthe generation, “through whomcome all physical and spiritualinfluences, and through theconnection to him, we are connectedand unified to the source, and thesource of the source, reaching thehighest level, etc.,” strengtheningour faith in the words of the MosheRabbeinu of our generation, andincreasing with greater fortitude inthe spreading of wellspringsoutward, the spreading of theannouncement of the Redemption,and preparing the whole world togreet Moshiach Tzidkeinu.

Yechi Adoneinu Moreinuv’Rabbeinu melech HaMoshiachl’olam va’ed!

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In Beis Moshiach, Issue 602, thearticle by Rabbi Yaakov HaLeviHorowitz entitled “Our Rebbeim onZionism and the Medina” discussedthe need to teach the Rebbe’swisdom concerning Eretz Yisroel.The article mentions that commonlypeople come into a discussion aboutthis emotionally charged topic toprove their own point, and by giving

counter arguments you will justmake them delve deeper into theirown commitment to justify it.

And yet, as emotional as thetopic is, the proper understanding ofthe situation in Eretz Yisroel is aserious matter. The article givesreferences to document the Rebbe’sconcern about the concept ofIs’chalta D’Geula (the state being

deemed a holy entity that is usheringin the Geula, with an absence ofMoshiach). The article states, “Thisleads to leniencies in the fulfillmentof Torah and Mitzvos, delays theTrue Redemption, causes bloodshedand loss of life among the Jewishpeople…”

The article concludes,“Nevertheless, when the issue doescome up…we must state it in theclearest possible manner, withoutcompromise.”

I read this article while I wasinvolved in an extensive email debatewith a religious Zionist who holds arespectable position in the media. Iput a lot of thought and effort intoeach email I sent. I tried to stay asclose as possible to the Rebbe’steachings. I avoided emotionalstatements. And I tried to gauge howmuch I could say with each emailwithout alienating mycorrespondent.

I realize that others could benefitfrom my efforts, so I am writingnow to share what I have learnedteaching the Rebbe’s wisdom to areligious Zionist.

Before I begin I would like to putin my own emotional comment. As Iread each email from the person Iwas debating, as I learned what hisrabbis told him, I became emotional.My love and appreciation to Hashemfor giving us the Rebbe surged eachtime I was privileged to convey theRebbe’s holy teachings, where somany others have erred. Ashreinuma tov chelkeinu!

For this article I have extractedtwo points written by mycorrespondent questioning theRebbe’s views on the purpose andsanctity of the state:

“Your characterization of theRebbe’s views of Shleimut HaAretzlead to the conclusion that thesovereign control of Jews over theland of Israel is merely a functionalthing to save Jewish lives. That isEXACTLY secular Zionism of the

G-d gave Eretz Yisroel to the Jews. When theRomans conquered it, it was still Eretz Yisroel.When tthe Turks were there it was still EretzYisroel. Even during the British Mandate, thestatus of Eretzz Yisroel – Eretz HaKodesh did notchange. The status of Eretz Yisroel – EretzHaKodesh does not depeend on an army or anelected government or an assembly of nations.

KNOW WHAT

TO ANSWER

A RELIGIOUS

ZIONISTBy Aliza Karp

most extreme form. That is why ifJews could have established a state inUganda and in that state they couldhave protected themselves andprovided safety for learning Torah –that is equally OK, according to astrictly functional view of Israelistatehood. Thus the Rebbe was ableto say that if giving away land wouldlead to peace, then, logically, there isno difference between giving awaySamaria and giving awayJerusalem!”

“I recently saw a video of theRebbe vociferously rejecting giving upland in Israel with these words: ‘Noone is the baal habayit to give up afoot, nor half-a-foot of EretzYisrael!’… YET, if Jews relinquishcontrol over Eretz Yisrael – accordingto the Rebbe’s above statement – thatis a matter of principle, of who is the“baal habayit,” not “just” pikuachnefesh! That indicates to me that theRebbe did, in fact, see somethingspiritual or halachic or both inJewish sovereignty over the Land ofIsrael.”

Below is my answer to thesemisunderstandings.

From what you write Iunderstand that secular Zionismacknowledges the sanctity of life,and rejects the sanctity of the state.Chabad is similar and different. Wefocus on sanctity of life, but we alsoare very committed to sanctity of theland.

First, I would like to clarify thestrong difference between howsecular Zionism views sanctity of life– i.e., saving lives – and how theseemingly same goal is approachedby Chabad. The Chabad frameworkfor saving lives is based in Halacha.The secular mind uses its ownreasoning and can come up withideas like giving away land to saveJewish lives, whereas, by followingHalacha, Chabad avoids suchpitfalls, and of course, we are notjust looking for a good system, ourintent is to do Hashem’s will.

In his correspondence with

former Chief Rabbi of EnglandRabbi Immanuel Jakobovits theRebbe writes:

“I am completely andunequivocally opposed to thesurrender of any of the liberatedareas currently under negotiation,such as Yehudah and Shomron, theGolan, etc., for the simple reason,and only reason, that surrenderingany part of them would contravenea clear ruling found in ShulchanAruch (Orach Chaim, Chapter329, paragraphs 6 and 7).”

For your convenience, here is theHalacha as translated in the book“When Silence is a Sin,” publishedby Sichos in English.

In the Laws of Shabbos, OrachChaim, Chapter 329, paragraph 6,it states: “When non-Jews besiegeJewish cities, if they come for

money purposes, we do notdesecrate the Shabbos because ofthem [by warring against them.] But if they come [with theintention] to take lives, or even ifthey come with no announcedpurpose, and there is reason tosuspect that perhaps they arecoming to take lives; then, even ifthey have as yet not come, but aremaking preparations to do so, wego forth against them withweapons and desecrate theShabbos because of them. When it involves a city close to theborder, then, even if their intentionto come is only for the purpose of[taking] straw and stubble, weshould desecrate the Shabbosbecause of them; for [if we do notprevent their invasion] they mayconquer the city, and from there,

the [rest of the] land will be easyfor them to conquer [since it is acity on the border.]

This Halacha is very strong. Itfirst clarifies that we do notdesecrate the Shabbos for money.So we know this Halacha is nottaking Shabbos lightly. But evenwhen taking Shabbos seriously, itsays to make a preemptive strike –even if the intention of the comingof the non-Jews is not clear. If thereis any potential danger to life, westrike first.

I hope you can understand fromthis the incredible differencebetween the secular Zionistapproach to saving lives and theHalachic approach. The words maysound the same at first, but theactions, which are a result of theunderlying rationale of the

commitment to save lives, will bevastly different.

The Halacha stresses the role ofa border town. The obligation toattack first is even stronger in aborder town. The Rebbe said thatthe portion of Eretz Yisroel whereJews are now living is so small thatall towns are to be considered bordertowns. I would like to add, howmuch more so when the town isactually on the border, and howmuch more so when it is a cluster of22 border towns, such as GushKatif. My point remains that withoutHalacha, the secular Zionist cancome to err and the Chabadnik willfollow the Halacha.

The next quote is veryinteresting. You were under theimpression that if sanctity is not thereason for defending the land, then

When the Rebbe says Jews are the Baal HaBayit,he is basing it on the first Pasuk in the Chumash.Thee connection of Am Yisroel to Eretz Yisroelpredates everything!

we risk giving it away. From the nextquote you will see that in reality it isjust the opposite. If the reason forretaining the land does not have todo with sanctity, more land will beheld, not less.

The Rebbe’s correspondentRabbi Jakobovits wrote:

“There are Rabbis who havereached the same conclusionregarding the territories preciselybecause of the sanctity of EretzYisroel.”

The Rebbe answers: “I have stated repeatedly that my

unequivocal stand against returningany part of Yehuda and Shomron,etc., is the same as returning theSinai oil wells, and any part of Sinai.Even those rabbis who reached thesame conclusion on the territoriesprecisely because of the sanctity ofEretz Yisroel will admit that there isno question of sanctity involved inregard to Sinai and the Sinai oil, butit is a question of Pikuach Nefesh,plain and simple.”

In my words, the rabbis whoargue that it is for sanctity that wehold onto Eretz Yisroel will not havean argument concerning the oil wellsin the Sinai, or areas similar.Therefore, in such a case we riskactual loss of land. On the otherhand, to be worried that land will berelinquished because the Arabs aresincerely ready for peace, this issimply not realistic. Even if theArabs did decide they would stopfighting us, in such a case, therewould then be no reason for us toconcede land to them. This is such ahypothetical risk that it is in fact norisk at all. So the Rebbe’s view willnot lead to land concessions but the

idea that we hold onto the landbecause of its sanctity can actuallylead to loss of land.

From the same correspondence:“I have repeatedly emphasized

that this P’sak-Din has nothing todo with the sanctity of Eretz Yisroel,or with the days of Moshiach, theGeula and similar considerations,but solely with the rule of Pikuach-Nefesh. This is further emphasizedby the fact that the P’sak-Din has itssource in Talmud (Eruvin 45a),where the Gemara sites as anillustration of a ‘border-town’ underthe terms of this P’sak-Din – thecity of Neharde’a in Babylon(present-day Iraq) – clearly not inEretz Yisroel. I have emphasizedtime and again that it is a questionof, and should be judged purely onthe basis of, Pikuach-Nefesh, notgeography.”

Now I am ready to discuss theChabad commitment to the sanctityof the land. I will quote from a letterto then Member of the Knesset Mrs.Geula Cohen, Sivan 1969. Theexcerpt begins with the Rebbequoting Rashi’s commentary on thevery first Pasuk in the Chumash:

“If the nations of the worldshould say to the Jews ‘You arethieves, for you have conquered theland of the seven nations,’ theChildren of Israel should answerthem: ‘The whole world belongs tothe Holy One; at will He gave it tothem, and at will He took it fromthem and gave it to us.’

“You are most certainly awarethat many, many nations have madethis claim, even in our times. I havenot found a single answer to thisclaim besides the most ancient

traditional one found in the wordsof our Sages.”

When the Rebbe says that he hasfound no better answer to thenations of the world, it is not asmall thing. Most of the nations ofthe world believe in the Bible. Theydo not refute this argument.

To illustrate further, I quote theRebbe’s letter to then President Mr.Zalman Shazar:

“An entity which was establishedin 1948 by the grace of the nationsof the world, has absolutely noeffect, and is irrelevant, incountering the claim of the Arabs,the Vatican, the UN, etc., or theCanaanites (exposed or hidden)among Jews: ‘You are thieves, foryou conquered the land, etc.”

So when the Rebbe says Jews arethe Baal HaBayit, he is basing it onthe first Pasuk in the Chumash. Theconnection of Am Yisroel to EretzYisroel predates everything!

G-d gave Eretz Yisroel to theJews. When the Romans conqueredit, it was still Eretz Yisroel. Whenthe Turks were there it was stillEretz Yisroel. Even during theBritish Mandate, the status of EretzYisroel – Eretz HaKodesh did notchange. The status of Eretz Yisroel– Eretz HaKodesh does not dependon an army or an electedgovernment or an assembly ofnations.

The Rebbe’s attitude towardssaving lives seemed to you to befunctional, void of Torah, when infact it is based on Torah. TheRebbe’s view about being the BaalHaBayit is also based on Torah.The very first Pasuk in the Torah.

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The Rebbe Rayatz says (HaYomYom 7 Tishrei, quoting the MittelerRebbe) that businessmen see DivineProvidence more than those who sitand learn Torah, becausebusinessmen “go out into theworld.” Out in the world there aremore instances when a person needsHashem’s intervention and one canthus see Divine Providence at everystep.

When on shlichus, you see thiseven more. On the one hand, youare dealing with the world – youmeet with people, run projects, andyou need money. On the other hand,you are involved in something holy –

spreading Torah, being mekarevJews. Therefore, you daven moreand rely on the one who sent you,i.e., the Rebbe, and you see amazingthings.

MY PRAYER WASQUICKLY ANSWEREDA few weeks ago I was in a

situation in which I urgently neededa few hundred shekels for theChabad house and I had no ideawhere to obtain it. Of course, thishas happened on other occasionstoo, but I’ll tell you what happenedthis time.

I was in the Chabad house forMincha and I spoke to Hashemdirectly and said, “You see mysituation. Please help me as soon aspossible because I counted on so-and-so and it didn’t work out, soplease help me from Your full, open,overflowing, and expansive hand.”

Mincha was over and a couplewith two children came into theChabad house in order to write tothe Rebbe through the Igros Kodesh.I wasn’t surprised that they camebecause I had arranged for them tocome at this time, but I didn’t guessthat my help would come throughthem.

The day before, when we hadarranged this meeting, the fatherhad asked whether he needed to payor give tz’daka for this “service” ofwriting to the Rebbe. I told him thathe did not need to pay, but if hewanted to, he could give tz’daka.This was a family from one of thekibbutzim in the area and I knewthey didn’t have much money, so Ididn’t expect anything from them.

They wrote the letter and put itinto the Igros Kodesh and opened toa clear answer. I explained it to themand we said goodbye. Just as theywalked out, as I was rushing to anevent at the school, the father tookout a small envelope from hispocket, which was nothing morethan a folded paper, and gave it tome. He said, “This is for tz’daka.”

Later on, I opened the envelopeand was surprised to see 518shekels. I was happy that Hashemhad answered my prayer so quickly,but I didn’t realize that the storyhadn’t ended yet.

DONATED IN ERROR The next day, I met a

Lubavitcher who had referred thecouple from the kibbutz to me. Hesaid he wanted to tell me somethingabout them. “When they left yourChabad house, they went shoppingin Beit Shaan and the husband asked

Dear fellow shluchim. There are brachos from theRebbe. There is a lot of money out there in theworrld for programs. Do things on a grand scaleand the money will come.

MONEY

MATTERSBy Rabbi Yaakov Shmuelevitz, Shliach - Beit Shaan

his wife, ‘Where is the money?’“‘What money?’ she asked.“‘The 500 shekels we took out of

the bank.’“‘What?! That was for shopping?

I put it into the envelope that yougave the rav!’

“Despite the mistake, theydecided that since they had onceheard that Hashem pays back fourtimes as much to someone who givestz’daka, they would not ask for themoney back. It was tz’daka andHashem would repay them.

“That same day they received anofficial letter (from the bank or thenational insurance) which said theywere being awarded 2000 shekel.”

This teaches us that: 1) Hashemhears our prayers and answersquickly. 2) If you believe in miraclesand donate, the miracles happen. 3)Until this day I don’t know whatcaused what – was it because Ineeded a few hundred shekels thatthey came to me, or did they need toreceive 2000 shekels, so I neededthe money and prayed…

A REGULAR DONATIONA similar thing happened with

the shliach in Atlit, Rabbi MosheAkselrod. This took place in 5753,the second year since the foundingof the Gan Chabad in Atlit. Thefinancial situation was bad andregistration for the following yearwasn’t satisfactory.

R’ Akselrod decided to make amassive registration campaign andeven sent a fax requesting theRebbe’s bracha. A week went by andthen another week, and he twicereceived blessings from the Rebbe,but the situation did not improve.He wrote to the Rebbe again thatunder the circumstances the Gancould not open because he neededanother $1000 every month.

Once again, the Rebbe’s answerwas not to close the school, andblessings.

Although the number of children

did not grow that year, from thatday until the end of the year,donations came to the Chabad housethat amounted to $1000 everymonth.

THE WEALTHY MANCAME TO HIM

Another story from Atlit:Rabbi Avrohom Sebag, Rabbi

Akselrod’s aide and senior partner inshlichus, went to London a year agoto fundraise. Towards the end of hisstay there, he was told about awealthy man by the name ofFrishwasser, who gives a nicedonation to all those who ask him,but he receives people only onMondays.

R’ Sebag could not stay untilMonday and he figured he wouldhave to forego that donation. Hetook a flight back to Eretz Yisroeland four days later, which was thefast day of 10 Teives, he went toshul to daven Mincha in a yeshiva inKfar Sitrin. There he met someoneunfamiliar.

“Shalom aleichem, where are youfrom?” he asked. It turned out thatthe stranger was none other thanMr. Frishwasser from London, whohad come to a hotel for a few daysand was looking for a minyan forMincha. R’ Sebag told him about hisvisit to London and about the mikvain Atlit they were building.

On the spot, Mr. Frishwassergave him double what he usuallygave to the people who asked fordonations on Mondays.

* * *Stories like these happen all the

time and every shliach can give youexamples. However, the fact thatthere are many such stories doesn’tabsolve us from thanking Hashemfor the miracles.

I just heard my wife talking onthe phone with her partner inshlichus, Rebbetzin Reinitz, about anevent they were planning. They were

discussing what refreshments toserve the 400 women they wereexpecting. They spoke about variouspossibilities (ice cream, etc.) andhow much it would cost and howthey would pay for it.

A half-hour later, I left the houseand met an old member of theChabad house who told me that hehad just bought the concession tosell Strauss’ ice cream in all thestores of Beit Shaan. If we made anyevent, he was willing to donate asmuch ice cream as we needed...

FROM WHERE WILL MYHELP COME?

18 years ago, the Chabad housein Beit Shaan was in dire financialstraits. We were a lot younger andinexperienced. I wrote to the Rebbeand described the sad situation andwrote that I didn’t know where helpwould come from. The Rebbe circledthese words and wrote, “You areanswered in T’hillim on the spot.

“The husband askedhis wife, ‘Where is themoney?’

“‘What money?’ sheasked.

“‘The 500 shekels wetoook out of the bank.’

“‘What?! That was forshopping? I put it intothe envelope that yougave the raav!’”

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Check t’fillin and mezuzos.”At the time, I had two ways of

understanding the Rebbe’s answer:1) the Rebbe was telling me to lookat the verse which follows, “my helpis from Hashem, etc.” In otherwords, what’s the question, “wherewill my help come from?” Theanswer is written right there! 2) Youwill be answered on the spot,whenever you say T’hillim.

Since I received that answer,things changed. That year, theRebbe began giving out large sumsof money to shluchim, thousands ofdollars every month, to pay off debtsof all the mosdos (part as a gift andpart as a loan “with good terms”).Then the Rebbe said to work withina budget and not to get into debtagain. I try.

Since that bracha, it hashappened many times that weurgently needed certain sums ofmoney. We worried about it andthen, at the last minute, we weresaved with just the amount weneeded. Afterwards, we regretted nothaving done bigger projects becausewe saw that the necessary moneyappeared in the end.

Two years ago we had a bigchildren’s rally on Chanuka and we

gave out postdated checks to coverthe expenses. The date for thechecks was approaching and I hadno idea how the checks would becovered. On the last day before thatdate, I happened to give a ride to achildhood friend. During the ride heasked me, “Tell me, how much doyou need for tomorrow morning?”

I told him that I needed 2200shekels to cover the checks I hadgiven for the rally. He began to lookin his pockets where he had all kindsof bills, shekels and dollars. He putit all together and gave me preciselythe sum I needed. When I began tothank him he said, “You don’t haveto thank me. This is maaser and Ihave to give it.”

IN CONCLUSIONA call to the shluchim: Dear

fellow shluchim. There are brachosfrom the Rebbe. There is a lot ofmoney out there in the world forprograms. Do things on a grandscale and the money will come.

A call to Anash: Dear fellowLubavitchers. Summer camps areabout to start. Many shluchim justspent a lot of money on Lag B’Omerparades and activities. Here in Eretz

Yisroel most of us spent between5000 and 20,000 shekels. We gaveout checks along with heartfeltprayers that they wouldn’t bounce.

If you have a shliach who is closeto your heart, call him up today andask him what he still owes from LagB’Omer. If you’re too late for that,ask about the costs for summerprograms. It’s a big mitzva and itwill bring you much simcha andbracha.

I did it once when I was abachur. I had $700 emergencymoney saved up for a trip to theRebbe and I lent it to a shliach whoreturned it to me when I needed it.Who knows, maybe because of hisbrachos I merited to become ashliach.

A call to Hashem: Knowing thatyou see Beis Moshiach, I will takethis opportunity to say: You help usall the time, but please, if possible, ifyou can enlarge the amounts a bit…and also, why wait until the lastminute when we’re plotzing? Giveabundantly! Constantly! Give toshluchim and all the Jewish people.We, on our part, will use the moneyfor good things and do all we can tobring Moshiach immediately.

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