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4 | TO REVEAL THE SECRET OF THE END OF DAYS(CONT.)D’var Malchus / Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 10, pg. 167-172

6 | A DAILY DOSE OF MOSHIACH & GEULAMoshiach / Rabbi Pinchas Maman

8 | THE HISTALKUSChaf-Daled Teives / Menachem Ziegelboim

14 | THE IDLE CHAT OF T’MIMIMMemoirs / Rabbi Yaakov Shmuelevitz

18 | THE SHEPHERD AND HIS FLOCKMiracle Stories / T. Yankelowitz

26 | THE FALL OF BAVEL Shleimus HaAretz / Shai Gefen

29 | AN OBITUARY FOR SADDAM: THREE STEPSTHAT CHANGED HISTORYInsight / Rabbi Yosef Y. Jacobson

32 | SHLICHUS STORIES FROM NEW HAVENShlichus / Chani Nussbaum

36 | A LIFE OF MESIRUS NEFESH IN SOVIETGEORGIAChassidim / Shneur Zalman Berger

CONTENTS

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[Continued from last week]

6. However, on that basis it is not understood: Since thestate of Yaakov is dependent upon that of his children, whydid the Sh’china withdraw from him only after he wished toreveal the keitz? They were in the same standing also prior tothat (which is not the case with regard to the Jewish peopleand Moshe [for the Jewish people hadexperienced a descent after the sin ofthe Golden Calf]). Thus, from the outsetthere was no need for the manifestationof the Sh’china with regard to this matter[only to withdraw shortly thereafter].

Also in this instance we find aprecedence with Moshe Rabbeinu:

When Moshe descended from themountain, there were “two Tablets ofTestimony in his hand.” However,“when he approached the camp andsaw the Calf and the dances,”immediately, “they became heavy uponhis hands” [Yerushalmi Taanis 4:5],“Moshe’s anger was kindled, and heflung the Tablets from his hands,shattering them” [Ki Sisa 32:19]. At firstglance, what was innovated at thatmoment [to evoke Moshe’s anger]? TheCalf was made prior to Moshe’s descentfrom the mountain. In fact, Mosheknew about it when he was on themountain. The Holy One Blessed Be He alerted him that“they made for themselves a molten calf and etc.” (indicatingthat Moshe didn’t have any doubt about it). So why did theTablets become heavy upon his hands and Moshe’s anger waskindled specifically when he saw the Calf and the dances?

The explanation: Throughout the entire duration ofMoshe Rabbeinu’s ascent of the mountain he was removedfrom all matters pertaining to the lower realm; he had noconnection with the world and worldly concerns. Therefore,the episode of the Calf did not affect him or his standing,even though it had already taken place in the world and he

knew about it from having heard aboutit (from the Holy One Blessed Be He)[see FN 23]. However, upon descendingfrom the mountain and subsequentlyalso seeing [Ki Sisa ibid] the Calf, thismatter affected him to the extent thatthe Tablets became heavy upon hishands, Moshe’s anger was kindled, andhe threw the Tablets [see FN 25].

Similarly, in our case:Notwithstanding the fact that also priorto Yaakov’s calling his sons, they werenot fit for the revelation of the keitz, theSh’china manifested itself also in thematter of revealing the keitz, for beingthat he was removed then from aconnection with and a consideration oftheir standing, this did not affect him ormove him. However, when he wished toreveal to his children the keitz, thisconstituted a connection and a bondwith his children [and their unworthystatus], which caused that “the Sh’china

withdrew from him.”

7. Nevertheless, since the concept of “gather and I shalltell you, etc.” is recorded in the Torah, it is understood thatYaakov’s wanting to reveal the keitz resulted in an effectmanifest below. Indeed, this is an eternal Torah (teaching).

TO REVEAL THESECRET OF THEEND OF DAYS

LIKKUTEI S ICHOS, VOL. 10, PG. 167-172TRANSLATED BY BORUCH MERKUR

D’VAR MALCHUS

BEIS MOSHIACH - 22 Teives 57674

Yaakov gave hisdescendants the

ability that throughtheir Divine service

they should arrive atthe rrevelation of thekeitz, serving G-d

free of theimpediments of thegentile nations andthe Evil Incllination.

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(For were it not so, the Torah, which was given to everyJewish person, would not have related that Yaakov wished toreveal the keitz, etc.) This principle – that the wish of therighteous does not return unanswered – is understood fromother cases.

In fact, this too is exemplified in Moshe Rabbeinu. Ingeneral, Moshe and Yaakov represent the same concept, but“Yaakov is from the outside and Moshe is from the inside.”[FN 26: Tikkunei Zohar tikkun 13 (29a), elucidated inLikkutei Torah Parshas Pinchas, (second discourse with)words beginning, “Command the Jewish people,” etc.]

It is explained regarding Moshe Rabbeinu that (althoughhe did not enter the land) through his prayer, “I entreated theL-rd…‘Pray let me cross over and see the good land’”[VaEschanan, beg.] in order to effect in the Jewish people theconcept of seeing G-dliness, he succeeded in channeling theconcept of seeing [G-dliness] to the Jewish people [at least] ina manner that transcended [their consciousness]. He did notchannel to them the aspect of seeing in a way that theyinternalized – as reflected in the conclusion of that passage,“And now, O Israel, hearken to the statutes” [ibid 4:1],indicating that (internally [i.e., consciously]) they would[only] have the aspect of hearing [G-dliness] – however, also

the aspect of seeing was channeled to them [but only] in atranscendent manner. [Likkutei Torah Parshas VaEschanan,beg. – see FN 29]

Similarly we may say that with regard to Yaakov (close tohis passing [FN 30: following the example of Moshe’schanneling [G-dly abilities to the Jewish people] specificallyclose to the time of his passing (see Ohr HaTorah pg. 78)]),although the Sh’china withdrew from him – for which reasonhe subsequently said, “Gather and listen, son’s of Yaakov” –nevertheless, by saying, “gather and I shall tell you” [FN 31:which, in a general manner, was accomplished by his wish toreveal the keitz (“and I shall ttell you”), but there still neededto be “Gather and listen” (as in the case with Moshe – that inaddition to “I entreated,” he needed to see the land, at leastfrom a distance (Likkutei Torah ibid 3d; Shaar HaT’shuva Vol.2 30b ff.; Ohr HaTorah ibid))], he gave his children (and theirdescendants thereafter, until “the end of days”) the ability thatthrough their Divine service they should arrive at therevelation of the keitz in [at least] a transcendent manner([which amounts to] service of G-d free of [the impedimentsof] the gentile nations and the Evil Inclination [see FN 31*]).

[To be continued be”H]

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22 TEIVES: LEARN AND COMPLETE TORAH OHR ANDLIKKUTEI TORAH(In order to take action to bring about the days ofMoshiach, we must accept good resolutions)…

This is particularly so when we also accept the goodresolution of learning the entire seifer Torah Ohr andLikkutei Torah, all of its parts until their conclusion.

For through the Torah study in such matters, we furtherhasten the spiritual process of channeling down in actualdeed.

(Shabbos Parshas Chayei Sara 5752)

23 TEIVES: THE SHMONEH ESREI TO BE RECITED OUTLOUD IN THE FUTURE TO COME (A) – A CONTRADICTIONTO THE ESSENCE OF T’FILLA?“Furthermore, it will also be understood that the matterof the silent Shmoneh Esrei is only in thesee times, whennukva (the female spiritual aspect) is on the level ofmekabel and not mashpia, whereas iin the Future, when itwill be elevated to the level of mashpia, as the masculineaspect itself, the Shmoneh Esrei will then be recited witha loud voice. Indeed, there will then be “the voice of abridde.” This should suffice to understand the matter.

(Torah Ohr, concl. Parshas VaYigash)

At first glance, this requires some deliberation, sinceaccording to the inner teachings of Torah (the opinion ofthe Zohar), the matter of silent t’filla derives from thevery essence of prayer, which is the ultimate level of bittulb’metzius in davening, the true quality of the Amida

prayer (corresponding to the world of Atzilus).

If so, how can it be that in the Future to Come, t’filla willbe with a loud voice – a contradiction to bittul?

(Continued following day)

24 TEIVES: THE ALTER REBBE’S YAHRTZAIT

THE SHMONEH ESREI TO BE RECITED OUT LOUD IN THEFUTURE TO COME (B) – REVELATION OF THE QUALITY OFBITTULThe explanation is that in the Future to Come, bittul willbe at the ultimate level of perfection, to the point of “andthe glory of G-d will be revealed and all flesh will see ittogether,” i.e., flesh in and of itself will “see” G-dliness; itwill be revealed in every being that there is nothing else,no other existence [besides G-dliness]. Furthermore,within Israel there will be revealed that Israel and theHoly One Blessed Be He are completely “one,” in a waythat their very being is the Essence, as it were, in amanner of “Who are the kings? The rabbanim.,” i.e., theirvery being is the King. Then, the quality of completebittul in davening will be revealed. Thus, t’filla will be ina loud voice – the concept of the revelation of the qualityof bittul.

(Likkutei Sichos, Parshas VaYigash 5752)

25 TEIVES: INFLUENCING THE NATIONS OF THE WORLDTO FULFILL THE SEVEN NOACHIDE LAWSSince our generation is the last generation of Exile andthe first generation of Redemption, it has a specialemphasis on the work of the Jewish People to influence

MOSHIACH

A DAILY DOSE OFMOSHIACH & GEULA:

22-28 TEIVESSelected daily pearls of wisdom from the Rebbe MH”M

on Moshiach and the Redemption.COLLECTED AND ARRANGED BY RABBI P INCHAS MAMAN, SHLIACH, RISHON L’TZION, ERETZ YISROEL

TRANSLATED BY MICHOEL LEIB DOBRY

the nations of the world in all matters of goodness,justice, and honesty – through their fulfillment of theSeven Noachide Laws. This is a preparation that closelyprecedes the fulfillment of the destiny of “Then I shallturn to the nations in clear language, etc., to serve Himas one,” until “the whole world will have no involvementexcept to know G-d alone…as is written, ‘For the earthwill be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waterscover the sea’” (as the Rambam writes in the concludingwords of his seifer).

(Shabbos Parshas Naso 5751)

26 TEIVES: GETTING B’NEI NOACH TOBE INVOLVED IN TZ’DAKA – TZ’DAKAMAKES ATONEMENT FOR B’NEINOACH…(and the instruction) to have aneffect upon the nations of the worldto be involved in tz’daka, as we seethat it is much easier to carry outtz’daka activities, both in relation tothe nations of the world and theJewish People.

Furthermore, we should note theTalmudic debate on the obligation ofthe children of Noach with regard totz’daka, and the explicit section inGemara on the pasuk, “The kindness of the nations is asin (chatas),” which concludes with the interpretation ofRabbi Yochanan ben Zakai: “Just as a sin offering (chatas)atones for Jews, similarly, tz’daka atones for the nationsof the world.”

(Shabbos Parshas Mishpatim 5752)

27 TEIVES: THE SOUL OF MOSHIACH IS FROM THEHIGHER WORLDIt is written, “Tzion bears her sons,” and the birth of a

son alludes to the strength and fortitude (male) of theTrue and Complete Redemption, an eternal redemptionthrough our Righteous Moshiach, not to be followed byexile. That is, the bearing of a son alludes to the birth(revelation) of the soul of Moshiach, which is on themost supernal level, from the higher world.

(Parshas Tazria-Metzora 5751)

28 TEIVES: MELECH HA’MOSHIACH IN S’DOM – THELIGHTS OF TOHU IN THE VESSELS OF TIKKUNChassidus explains that the reason S’dom was punishedto be utterly destroyed is because the conduct of S’dom –

the opposite of peace and unity – isthe path of the world of Tohu(Chaos), as Tohu is “each one on itsown, branching out separately”…Furthermore, this is the concept ofthe ruin of S’dom and Amora, etc., inthe manner of “breaking” the worldof Tohu…with the objective of“destroying in order to build,” for thecreation of the world of Tikkun, theconcept of inclusion and unity, etc.

This is also what is said in theMidrash [on the pasuk], “I havefound Dovid, My servant” – Wheredid I find him? In S’dom.” At first

glance, this is astonishing. How can it be possible forDovid Malka M’shichei to be in S’dom of all places?However, this is said with respect to its inner quality, therevelation of the lights of Tohu. Therefore, “I have foundhim in S’dom” specifically, for this is the concept ofDovid Malka M’shichei, through whom there will be therevelation of the lights of Tohu (higher than measure andlimitation), except that they are drawn specifically intothe vessels of Tikkun.

(Likkutei Sichos, Parshas VaYeira 5752)


How can it be thatin the Future to

Come, t’filla will beout loud – a

contradiction tobittul?

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PART IFriday, Erev Shabbos kodesh:

The members of the caravan did notsmell the fragrant Shabbos foodscooking on that freezing morning,as they were accustomed to.Actually, they hadn’t had decentcooked food for a few months. Thiswas a time of wandering, beingrefugees in their land, fleeing theoncoming troops of the Frencharmy which numbered 800,000!

The invasion began in Tamuz of5572 (1812). Shortly before that,Napoleon sent a final conciliatoryoffer to Czar Alexander I. When themessage went unanswered,Napoleon ordered his army toadvance into the Russian empire.

At first he encountered almostno significant resistance and hequickly reached the interior ofRussia. Russian opposition wasspontaneous and localized. GeneralMikhail Barclay the Russiancommander, refused to fight sincehe feared defeat in a face-to-facebattle. Several times he tried to setup a line of defense but each timehe was preempted by the Frenchbefore he finished all the necessarypreparations, and he had towithdraw.

The Alter Rebbe, who feared avictory by Napoleon, fled his homein Liadi with about thirty membersof the family and the g’doleiha’Chassidim. The Rebbe’s caravan

traveled a great distance, thousandsof kilometers since the month of Avuntil that wintry Friday morning.Their goal was not to be under thepower of Napoleon for even oneday. The difficulties, physical andspiritual, the deprivation and thefear, were no consideration in theface of the Rebbe’s order to quicklyflee the French.

The Mitteler Rebbe wrote aboutthe difficult conditions under whichthey lived in those days. “The greatcold and the enormous pressureand suffering from hunger and cold,having only bread and water, andwe were in the smoke of the gentilehomes. There is no galus harderthan this.”

PART IIFriday, 8 Teives 5573 (1812): It

was white as far as the eye couldsee. A heavy snowfall covered theland and it seemed endless. Some ofthe snow had turned to ice.Shrieking winds intensified thecold.

The refugees in the wagons triedto find some shelter inside as muchas the thin walls could protectthem… It would be Shabbos in afew hours. In ordinary times,preparations for Shabbos would bewell underway with fragrant dishesbeing cooked as people lookedforward to a few hours of holinessand rest. But here, now, who coulddream of such pure pleasure at such

a time.

About sixty wagons enteredPiena, a relatively large villagelocated on the main road. It hadabout 300 large houses. Peoplewere sent to find out whether theycould be hosted there for the nextfew days. They soon returned withthe news that most of the men weregone, having been drafted to fightthe French invaders. Those whoremained were happy to host therefugees.

Dwellings were soon readied forthe guests. Their hosts took care ofall their needs including wood forheating, and it was gratis.

The Rebbe, his family andChassidim, finished getting readyand the Shabbos Queen spread herwings and embraced the Creator’sworld, as though trying to protectthem from the cries of combat, thesharpening of swords and the riversof blood that poured in the terriblebattles that were going on for sixmonths and longer.

The Alter Rebbe, as leader of theJewish people, did not allowhimself to rest, although he sorelyneeded to after a protracted periodof time wandering. His concern wasfocused on the Jewish people in theareas where the battles were raging.He assumed that the soldiers,French as well as Russian, ventedtheir emotions on the helpless Jewswherever they were.

24 TEIVES

THE HISTALKUSThe story of the passing of the Alter Rebbe, presented

for the Yom Hilula, 24 Teives.BY MENACHEM ZIEGELBOIM


After Shabbos, the Alter Rebbesent delegations for the purpose ofraising money and arranging waysto help the unfortunate refugees.One delegation, headed by his sonR’ Avrohom Chaim, went to thePoltova-Cherson region in order toobtain the necessary support for theJewish people, to raise them upfrom their devastation. A seconddelegation, headed by R’ PinchasSchick (Reizes) went to Vitebsk inorder to arrange a committee thatwould collect all that was necessaryin order to help Jewish refugees andget them back on their feet.

A third delegation, headed by R’Dovber, later to be the MittelerRebbe, went to nearby towns,Haditch, Kremenchug, andRomanay for the purpose of

arranging suitable quarters for thefamily of the Alter Rebbe and thefew Chassidim he had with him.

PART IIIThe Alter Rebbe did not enjoy

tranquility in Piena for long. Thedifficulties of traveling, the physicalconditions, the terrible cold, allthese affected his health.

Only ten days after arriving inPiena, the Rebbe suddenly took ill.At first the family thought it was asimple winter illness, as a result ofthe harsh conditions, but as thedays passed, the Rebbe becamesicker and felt an overall weakness.His strength waned day by day.

It was at this time that goodtidings were heard on variousfronts, that the hated French were

losing and out of their celebratedarmy only tens of thousandsremained who were running inhumiliation.

Viewed from the perspective ofnatural cause and effect, Napoleon’sfall was due to his sitting inconquered Moscow as he waited invain for the Russians to cave in.However, the Russian armycontinued its nonstop sabotageefforts and Napoleon had to leaveMoscow. Thus began his longretreat. Additionally, at the battle ofMaloyaroslavets, the Russian generalKutuzov, who replaced Barclay,forced the French to use the sameroute by which they had advancedeastward a few months earlierwhich had already been stripped offood supplies.

As he blocked the southernflank and prevented the Frenchfrom using other routes, Kutuzovmade use of frequent guerillaattacks, constantly striking at theweakest point of the French, theirlong supply lines. The Russiancavalry, in conjunction withmounted Cossacks, attacked andweakened individual French units.Providing supplies of food andweapons for the French soldiersbecame nearly impossible and manyFrench soldiers began to desert.The Russian winter imposedadditional difficulties on the Frencharmy as the soldiers and horsesbegan to die of starvation, frostbiteand exhaustion.

These were the ostensiblereasons for the French defeat whilethe spiritual reason for Napoleon’sdownfall was the Alter Rebbe’sdetermined battle against him. Thiswar was a source of strife betweenthe Alter Rebbe and othertzaddikim of his generation. Theothers hoped for Napoleon’s successsince his victory would meanmaterial relief for the downtroddenJews. The Alter Rebbe though,feared that Napoleon’s success

would distance the Jewish peoplefrom their Father in heaven.

“On the first day of RoshHaShana, before Musaf, theyshowed me from heaven that ifBonaparte wins, wealth wouldincrease among the Jewish people,there would be relief and theirdignity would be restored; but theywould be separated, distanced, fromtheir Father in heaven.

“However, if our masterAlexander king of Russia would bevictorious, although he wouldcontinue to oppress the Jewishpeople and the Jews would bedowntrodden and the povertywould be great, because of this theywould attach themselves to theirFather in heaven.”

A fierce battle was wagedbetween the Alter Rebbe and thePolish tzaddikim. The tzaddikimdecided amongst themselves thatthe final decision would be madeon Rosh HaShana during theblowing of the shofar. Thetzaddikim of Poland intensifiedtheir spiritual efforts in preparationfor the shofar blowing in order tofinally close the mouth of theaccuser.

The Alter Rebbe also preparedfor the shofar blowing but hepreempted the other tzaddikim. Assoon as he got up Rosh HaShanamorning he blew 100 blasts on theshofar while the other tzaddikimwere still davening a hastyShacharis. Rabbi Shneur Zalmantipped the scale in favor of theCzar.

The first to discern this victorywas the Maggid, R’ Yisroel ofKozhnitz. After Shacharis he tookthe shofar but as he began to blowit, he suddenly felt that theoutcome had been decided. “ThatLitvak,” which is how R’ ShneurZalman of Liadi was referred toback in the home of the Maggid ofMezritch, “preceded us and was

victorious.”

The Mitteler Rebbe wrote a lettershortly after that which said, “OnRosh HaShana he [the Alter Rebbe]called us and joyously said: Today Isaw in my prayer that there is achange for the better up Above andwe are victorious.”

PART IVThe Alter Rebbe grew sicker

from day to day and as his son, theMitteler Rebbe testified, this illnesswas connected with diabetes whichdirectly affected the functioning ofthe gall bladder. This was becauseof the tremendous bitterness thatthe Rebbe experienced whilefleeing. The freezing cold whichpenetrated his bones only made

things worse.

Within a few days his health haddeteriorated and his family washelpless. On Shabbos, ParshasShmos, the Rebbe grew weaker.During Shabbos, they heard himmention the name of Haditch andthe name of the river which passesthrough the city and the nearbycemetery. Nobody knew what theRebbe meant.

Throughout this time, theRebbe’s lips continued to move ashe was continuously involved inTorah and avoda, fear of heaven andfiery love of Hashem.

As Shabbos came to a close itwas time to say Havdala. The Rebbe

was exceedingly weak and he said,“There is reason to say that Havdalais a biblical command whiledavening Maariv is optional. Timeis short and so let us say Havdalabefore Maariv.”

A member of the household gavethe Rebbe a cup of black coffee.The Rebbe found it hard to hold thecup and he was assisted by one ofthe daughters. It was not possiblefor him to drink the coffee afterreciting Havdala and the coffee wasspilled.

The Alter Rebbe’s grandson, laterto be the Tzemach Tzedek, wentover to daven Maariv. The difficultsituation affected him, as he wasthen only a 24-year-old man, andhe stood in a corner of the houseand prayed a heartrending Maariv.It was said in a “tone” of bitternessand tremendous inner pain. Whenhe finished, his grandfather calledhim over and gently reproved him:

“My master and teacher theMaggid said on the verse, ‘like theappearance of a sapphire stone andon the image of the throne was theimage of man’ – according to theemotion man displays below, so heis shown from Above, so oneshould daven in a state of joy.”

The Rebbe also began daveningMaariv, “with clear and settled mindand with wondrous d’veikus.”

A silent tension prevailed in thesmall cottage. The situation wasbleak as they all knew that theRebbe suffered. He nevercomplained about physical pain orvarious discomforts. The first timewas now, as he turned to theRebbetzin with terrible, inner painand said, “Gehinom in mystomach.” That said it all. Pain ofGehinom.

Suddenly, the Rebbe asked thatthey cut his hair. They looked forscissors, but because of theirnonstop wandering they did nothave a pair. The Rebbe, who had


“I don’t see the beamnow, but the word ofHashem that enlivensthe beam,” said theRebbe in shockingg

candidness.

waited all that time, said thatprobably their gentile host hadscissors with which he sheared hissheep. Indeed, the goy took out apair of scissors and they cut theRebbe’s hair.

The Rebbe called for his belovedgrandson whom he had raised ashis son.

“Menachem Mendel.”

His grandson stood there ingreat fear.

“Do you see that beam?” said theRebbe as he pointed at the beam ofthe house.

His grandson looked at the beamand did not understand thesignificance of the Rebbe’s question.He remained silent, assuming theRebbe would explain himself.

“I don’t see the beam now, butthe word of Hashem that enlivensthe beam,” said the Rebbe inshocking candidness.

Afterwards, the Rebbe asked forthe family to gather round him.

“Whoever holds on to my‘doorknob’ – I will benefit him inthis world and the next.”

It is also related that the Rebbesaid, “Children, don’t rely on me[because of my merits] because youwill not find the door to my GanEden.”

Later, the Tzemach Tzedek saidthat this level is higher than thelevel of Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai,who before he died, cried and saidthat he did not know which roadthey would be leading him on,whereas here, the Rebbe knewwhere – to Gan Eden!

On Motzaei Shabbos, ParshasShmos, 24 Teives 5573 (1813),“about half past eleven, the holyark, light of Israel, anointed ofHashem, was taken captive andwanted in the heavenlyacademy…in one bond he wasbound up with the Holy One,Blessed be He…it is to Him that heraised up his soul with joy andgladness of heart, as was seenclearly by those who stood there,who were amazed and astounded bythe vision.”

PART VLong after midnight. Darkness

reigned and the cold was bone-chilling. Sorrow, more precisely –

shock, was the prevailing emotion;shock over the passing of the BaalHaTanya, the great light who ledthe camp for sixty years, “andpaved a smooth road and a broadpath.”

The Chassidim could not remainlong in their mourning and sorrow.They had to bring the Rebbe to hisfinal resting place. After somediscussion, it turned out that theclosest place where Jews dwelt wasHaditch, a distance of ninetykilometers. It had a Jewishcemetery.

Now the family membersunderstood what the Rebbe hadmeant when he mentioned Haditchon Shabbos and the riversurrounding it and the cemeterythere.

It wasn’t a simple matter tobring the Rebbe to Haditch. Theroads were covered with deep snowor slippery and dangerous ice. Itwas extremely cold and in addition,because of the war, policemen werestationed in towns and villages andconducted sudden searches ofpassengers, fearing spies travelingto bring information to the enemy.

The situation required finessefor these gentiles would notunderstand why they were takingthe deceased faraway and couldmake trouble for them. After alengthy consultation with the familyand Chassidim, it was decided toseat the Rebbe on a winter wagonwith sleigh runners, and have himsitting in his seat like a living man,with three people accompanyinghim: his grandson the TzemachTzedek, another grandson R’Menachem Nachum, son of theMitteler Rebbe, and one otherperson.

It was a long and arduous trip.Every so often they had to stop thewagon and enter a wayside inn inorder to warm up a bit. Thedecided that while two entered the


The Ohel of the Alter Rebbe in Haditch after it was renovated in recent years

inn, the third would remain outsidewith the Rebbe.

One of the times, as the twomen went into the inn and R’Nachum remained outside, henoticed, to his great amazement,that the Rebbe was raising his holybody as though wanting to alightfrom the wagon. He also noticedthat the wagon itself was hoveringin the air. A terrible fright overtookhim. He did not know how theRebbe moved from his place andwhat was the meaning of thesudden lifting up of the wagon.

He wanted to get down and fleebut fear paralyzed him. R’ Nachum,who was known as a man of broadintellect, steeled his mind andcalmed himself. He understood thatthere was something importantgoing on. He left the wagon andwalked around it in order to seewhat had caused that strange thingto happen. He suddenly noticed apig, impure and disgusting,standing underneath the wagon, asthough trying to warm itself.

R’ Nachum realized that the holyand pure body of the Rebbe couldnot tolerate the proximity ofimpurity and he chased it away.Then, as in some wondrous vision,the wagon settled back down in itsplace and the Rebbe returned to hisplace in peace.

At a later point, as they stayed at

a wayside inn, the innkeeperpointed out to the Chassidim, twomen sitting in a corner of the innand staring at them. The innkeeperdivulged that these were robbersand he had heard them plotting toattack them. The robbers had seenthe wagon outside with one mankeeping guard and they assumedthere was a treasure there.

The two Chassidim got up andreturned to the wagon and thehorses galloped off. The robbers’suspicions were confirmed and theychased after the wagon. It was anuneven race since they had a heavywagon while the robbers were onfast horses, yet a miracle took placeand the robbers were unable to

catch up with them. The more theyspurred their horses on, the furtheraway the wagon was from them.

Some time later, the Alter Rebbecame to his grandson in a dreamand thanked him for the mesirusnefesh he had to bring him toburial in Haditch, and in this merithe promised that he would be in hispresence in the next world.

PART VIAt the end of the long trip, they

arrived at the Jewish cemeterywhere the Alter Rebbe was buriedin the frozen ground of Haditch inthe Poltava district. “We made aroof of good wood and a largehouse and prepared bricks for awall to be built in his honor,”relates the Mitteler Rebbe, “like thatover the graves of the Avos andgreat tzaddikim to whom peoplecome to make pledges and praythere in their sorrow, for greater aretzaddikim in their deaths, etc.”

Throughout the years, this placehas been a holy one whereChassidim and other Jews gather todaven, in the merit of our greatRebbe, Shneur – two lights, whoilluminated the Jewish world withtwo great lights.

(sources: Likkutei Sippurim (Perlov) p. 77 andon; Kisvei R’ C. A. Bichovsky p. 119; Otzar Sippurei

Chabad vol. 4 p. 331 and on; and vol. 15 p. 193 andon; Alfasi’s HaChozeh M’Lublin; in many stories there

are different versions that were researched by R’Shmuel Krauss in Beis Moshiach)


A miracle took placeand the robbers were

unable to catch upwith them. The more

they spurred theirhorses on, the furtheraway the wagon was

from them.

OUR APOLOGIES:We apologize to our subscribers for not receiving their

Beis Moshiach delivery this ppast Shabbos due to technicalreasons beyond our control.

As I said in the previouschapter, all my undergroundfriends switched to a Chabadyeshiva as soon as we graduatedthe Litvishe yeshiva. Actually, onebachur didn’t switch immediately.

When we finished high school

he went to yeshiva Kol Torah, afamous Litvishe yeshiva inYerushalayim. He said that he hadNigleh and Chassidus there too(even if it was here and there) andhe could attend farbrengens, etc. Itried to convince him to attend a

Chabad yeshiva but he stronglymaintained that he could be aChabadnik and remain there.

I once invited him for Shabbosin Kfar Chabad and he agreed tocome. He saw the davening, thestudy of Chassidus, the time forniggunim, farbrengen, and he reallyenjoyed it, but he still wasn’tconvinced. It was Motzaei Shabbosand we were sitting in the zal. Itwas late, nearly midnight and wewere learning and talking but myfriend was returning to Kol Torahthe next day.

I made a last attempt to explainto him how special TomcheiT’mimim is and that the RebbeRashab picked the neshamos, buthe was leaving.

MEMOIRS

THE UNDERGROUNDTHE UNDERGROUND

Thanks to Hashem and thanks to the Rebbethat enabled me to leave where I was and go tothe light off Chassidus. Today, baruch Hashem,all my children attend Chabad yeshivos andmosdos and I pray to Haashem that all of themcontinue on this blessed road. * 5th and finalinstallment.


THE IDLE CHATOF T’MIMIM

BY YAAKOV SHMUELEVITZ, SHLIACH IN BEIT SHAAN


Then I remembered aChassidishe aphorism that I onceheard that if you listen to even the“idle talk” of T’mimim in TomcheiT’mimim, it can lead you to dot’shuva. What this means to say isthat bachurim in Tomchei T’mimimare mekusharim to the Rebbe notonly when they learn and daven;even their idle talk expresses how

they are completely mekushar tothe Rebbe’s ratzon, to mivtzaim,farbrengens, etc.

I told him this and said: Youdon’t have this in Kol Torah. True,you learn Nigleh there and maybesome Chassidus and farbrengens,but this – the idle talk of TomcheiT’mimim – you don’t have. For thisit’s worthwhile switching to theyeshiva here in Kfar Chabad.

He listened, was a bit surprised,and then – about five steps awayfrom where we sitting – a smallquarrel erupted between two boys.One ran away while the other triedto catch him, and they were“fighting” in the zal. That’s all Ineeded – bachurim fighting!

With a triumphant look, myfriend said: Nu, what do you saynow? This is Tomchei T’mimim?Bachurim fighting?

I called over one of thosebachurim (a boy in my class) andasked him: What are you fightingabout?

He explained to me: The other

bachur has a test in Gemaratomorrow and since I’m a Kohen,he wants me to bless him that he’lldo well on the test. I told him thatI don’t agree to bless him becausehe has to put in the work, to learnand prepare for the test himself,and not rely on brachos. He saysthat he did put in the work but hewants a bracha that his work willpay off. I say that he has to reallylearn and know the material.

In short, said the bachur with amischievous glint in his eye, I amrunning away so he will put in thework and he’s chasing me in orderto get the bracha of a Kohen forsuccess in his work.

When the bachur from KolTorah heard this, he really liked itbut he said it was just one incident.

A LATE-NIGHT DEBATE

Just then, we heard a group ofbachurim from shiur Gimmelloudly arguing on the other side ofthe zal. Sharp words wereexchanged and once again, myfriend from Kol Torah said: Whatdo you say about that – about theyelling?

I had to go over and listen in tofind out what these older bachurimwere arguing about. It turned outthey were heatedly discussing howit was possible that some people(Yerushalmim) did not get up inthe middle of the night in order tohear the broadcast of the Rebbe’sfarbrengen. This so disturbed themthat they were screaming and usingnegative words to describe thesepeople.

When the bachur from KolTorah heard that the fuss was overhiskashrus to the Rebbe, hedecided that I was right. Heswitched to Tomchei T’mimim andso all of the bachurim from theChassidic underground made theswitch to Chabad yeshivos.

* * *Rabbi Shmuelevitz today

Yaakov Shmuelevitz (right) as a Tamim in Tomchei T’mimim

Another debate at that time tookplace between me and a goodfriend that I made in Kfar Chabad,Yisroel Gliss. Today he is a shliachin Dimona, but at that time he hadjust come from the high school inLud to the zal in Kfar Chabad.

I told him at length andenthusiastically about the Chassidicunderground, about the Tanyaclasses and farbrengens, about themikva in the Arab village, aboutShabbos when we only learnedChassidus – almost like in aChabad yeshiva.

He listened and respondedequally as heatedly that I had lostout by not learning in Lud. “Younever met R’ Zushe Posner? RavAbrams? Etc. etc.

Because of our discussions I wasinterested in seeing the yeshiva in

Lud. One Thursday night, afters’darim, I went to Lud and I metwith R’ Zushe Posner, who for somereason adopted “this bachur” fromItri. We went to his house andbegan to farbreng. This went on forseveral hours and on manysubsequent Thursday nights,actually, until this day.

Each time I meet with R’ Zushehe reminds me again and again thatI have to spit out the “Itri in you,”and I get to hear some Chassidishestory or have another “unofficial”farbrengen.

With this conclusion of mymemoirs I want to say this:

Often we meet bachurim fromdifferent groups, Litvish andChassidic. We should take theopportunity to tell them about thegreat light of Toras HaChassidus

because you never know what animpact you will have. Maybe theywill find it interesting and willlearn and be mekasher to TorasHaChassidus, even raise aChassidishe family, maybe even aChabad house – and then theirinfluence will be immeasurable.

In concluding these chapters Isay thanks to Hashem and thanksto the Rebbe who enabled me toleave where I was and to go to thelight of Chassidus. Today, baruchHashem, all my children learn inChabad yeshivos and mosdos and Ipray to Hashem that all of themsucceed and continue on thisblessed path. May we, togetherwith all the Jewish people, meritthe coming of Moshiach, thehisgalus of the Rebbe, immediatelynow.


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TEN YEARS AS A GIFTShabsi Weintraub relates:

The open miracle story thathappened with the wife of the gaonRabbi Meir Mazuz, rosh YeshivasKisei Rachamim, made waves whenit happened. It was after the Rebbeblessed her with a bracha for a refuashleima and saved her life. RabbiMazuz constantly repeats the storyand even wrote it up several times(it appears in Shemen SassonMeiChaveirecha).

The story, in which I helped playa role, happened as follows. I was


MIRACLE STORIES

In Lubavitch of old, it was said that miraclesrolled about on the floors and nobodybothered to pickk them up. In our times aswell, there are countless miracles of the RebbeMH”M that are not known. BBeis Moshiachdecided to pick some of them up and sharethem with the readers in the spirit of theReebbe’s directive to publicize miracles as partof the preparation for Geula.

THE SHEPHERDAND HIS FLOCK


learning in Tomchei T’mimim inKiryat Gat at the time. OnWednesday, 22 Elul 5750 I arrivedin 770 for the first time. DuringTishrei we experienced amazingencounters with the Rebbe. It wasan indescribable experience for me,especially when this was my firstTishrei in 770 and the first time Iwas seeing the Rebbe.

I was in close touch with myfriend, R’ Shimon Weitzhandler, whowas the librarian in the ChassidusLibrary in B’nei Brak. I would callhim once in a while to report to himabout the giluyim I witnessed.

The day after Yom Kippur was aSunday and the line for dollars wasvery long, especially since it wasTishrei. After I passed by the RebbeI went to one of the public phoneson Kingston Avenue to call Israeland relate my Yom Kippurexperiences. Before I could say aword, Shimon said, “The wife of R’Meir Mazuz had a stroke on the 4thof Tishrei and her situation iscritical. The doctors gave up and sayshe will remain in a coma and thatthere’s no hope. You must ask theRebbe for a bracha!”

I told him that I had just gottena dollar and how could I dare to get

Rabbi Meir Mazuz, rosh yeshivasKisei Rachamim

on line a second time?

“There’s no choice, it’s pikuachnefesh. You must ask the Rebbe fora bracha on this auspicious day.”

My mind raced. I thought aboutasking another bachur who hadn’tgone by the Rebbe yet to ask for abracha for her. I ran towards 770and asked some of my friends to askthe Rebbe for a bracha for the wifeof Rabbi Mazuz, but they all saidthey were incapable of saying aword to the Rebbe. I triedexplaining to them that this was amatter of pikuach nefesh and theywere not allowed to refuse…

When I saw that I had no choice,I thought – what would the Rebbesay to do? I decided to go past theRebbe a second time for thisimportant matter.

I stood on line again, tremblingand wondering: what do I say to theRebbe? How will I be able to sayanything to the Rebbe? In addition, Ifelt pangs of conscience for being online a second time. When it wasfinally my turn I stood there in fearand began to tell the Rebbe aboutthe wife of Rabbi Mazuz who had astroke and I said her name. I spokein a whisper.

The Rebbe leaned over andlistened and then gave me a dollarand said: much success, good news,refua krova. He said this in Ivrit andwith the Sephardic pronunciationeven though I had spoken inYiddish.

Armed with this bracha I ran tocall Israel again to report about thebracha that I had gotten. I notedthat the Rebbe said “refua krova,”which meant the refua would bequick.

Tishrei was packed withexperiences and without a minute torest I forgot about the story. It wasSukkos with the sichos every night,Simchas Beis HaShoeiva till dawn,saying the bracha on the Rebbe’s

Dalet minim, etc.

One night I called my friendShimon to tell him about myamazing time in Beis Chayeinu andhe burst out with, “Shabsi, don’task! The Rebbe’s bracha wascompletely fulfilled! There wasindeed a speedy refua which wascompletely above nature. Two daysafter you got the bracha she wokeup. Her condition is good and shewas released from the hospital. Thedoctors can’t explain whathappened.”

I was thrilled at this news for Ihad been the shliach mitzva and hadcontributed towards greater respectfor the Rebbe among the chareidimin B’nei Brak. Shimon said thatRabbi Mazuz was very touched bythe bracha his wife had gotten andhe wanted a video of it so he couldhear for himself how the Rebbe saidrefua krova, as well as the dollar.

The story about the bracha andthe miracle got around. When Ireturned to Eretz Yisroel there was aSiyum HaRambam at the Chabadhouse in Shikun Hei. Rabbi MeirMazuz came in the Rebbe’s honor

and delivered the main address.Before he went to the event, I wentover to him and told him everythingthat had happened and I gave himthe dollar along with the video.

He was touched and couldn’tstop blessing me for doing what Idid. At the siyum Rabbi Mazuz toldthe audience about the miracle andfrom then on, at every opportunityand at every event, as well as in hiss’farim, he tells the story.

A year later, in Kislev 5752, Iwas a bachur on K’vutza when RabbiMazuz and his wife and daughtercame to New York. He came to theRebbe to thank him for the brachaand the miracle. I accompaniedthem. At dollars he was introducedby Rabbi Kuti Rapp and the Rebbegave him many brachos and gavehim and his wife nine dollars.

Mrs. Mazuz passed away Kislev5761, ten years later. During theShiva I went to be menachem aveltogether with Shimon. We sat withthe rav who asked me to repeat whatthe Rebbe told me. Then he said,with tears on his face, “The Rebbegave her ten years as a gift.”


CAST IN THE SEAShabsi Weintraub relates:

I heard an amazing story as I wasdistributing the Rebbe’s Hagada(published by the Machon TorasMenachem) before Pesach. I went tos’farim stores in B’nei Brak includingRubinstein’s in Gan Warsaw. Theowner is a Gerrer Chassid who sawthe Rebbe in 5751 and this is whathe told me:

“I went for dollars many times.You know how the line was long andthere was plenty of time to lookaround and see all kinds of Jews.One time the Jew standing next tome did not look like a Chassid. Inorder to pass the time he read anewspaper. We got into aconversation and I asked him whatmotivated him to come for a dollar.”

This is what he told me:

“A relative of mine became sickwith cancer. I decided to come andask the Rebbe for a bracha after Iheard that he does miracles. When Ipassed by the Rebbe I asked that hetransfer her illness to a goy as wasthe custom by tzaddikim of earliergenerations. The Rebbe said: Whytransfer the sickness? It says, ‘Andcast into the depths of the sea alltheir sins!’

“We were shocked by thissurprising answer and when wereturned home we began wonderingwhat the Rebbe meant. Afterdiscussing it at length we decided todo a Tashlich ceremony in which wesaid the verse, ‘and cast into thedepths of the sea all their sins,’ andto throw the sickness in the sea. Wewent to the ocean where my relativesaid the Tashlich service and shookher clothes, and the sicknessdisappeared.”

* * *

The Gerrer Chassid went on tosay:

This is what the man told me and Iasked him, “So why are you here

now?”

The man smiled and said:

“After the illness disappeared thedoctors wanted to give hermedication to prevent the recurrenceof the illness. My relative did notwant to take the medicine becausethe illness had disappearedsupernaturally thanks to the Rebbe’sbracha and if she took the medicine itwould be interpreted as lack ofacknowledgement of the miracle andcould cause harm. So I came now toask the Rebbe whether my relativeshould take the preventive medicine.”

WHEN THE CHILDBECOMES BAR MITZVAA little over six years ago, on the

eve of 20 Elul 5760, the bar mitzvaof Yosef Sorotzkin was celebrated. Itwas an especially moving occasionbecause Yosef, a sweet boy, was bornwith tremendous physical handicapsand with the tremendous efforts ofhis parents and his own strong will,he achieved what he achieved.

Emotions ran even higher as thegrandfather of the bar mitzva boy,Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau, then chief

rabbi of Israel, stood near hisgrandson and spoke. At the end ofhis speech he said with greatemotion, “This is an open miracleand I must include you in it since Ihave to fulfill a shlichus and close acircle.

“Ten years ago, my wife and Iand my daughter, the mother of thebar mitzva boy, visited theLubavitcher Rebbe. It was Sunday,17 Sivan 5750 during dollars. Wetold the Rebbe about Yossi’s medicalcondition which was poor at thattime and the doctors were verypessimistic.

We told the Rebbe the doctors’opinion and then, in opposition toeverything everybody thought andsaid the Rebbe gave my wife anotherdollar and said: When the boy is barmitzva, give him this. At that time,this seemed absolutely unrealisticbut the Rebbe said it with suchconfidence that it gave us all afeeling of tranquility and bitachon.

Rabbi Lau removed the dollarfrom his pocket and said, “I herebyfulfill the shlichus the LubavitcherRebbe assigned me and my wifemore than ten years ago. You can seethat at the time I wrote on it, ‘to giveit on the day of the bar mitzva, for abracha, to Yosef ben Miriam.’”

Rabbi Lau tearfully gave thedollar to his grandson and said, “TheLubavitcher Rebbe said to give thisto you today.”

After the celebration, Mrs.Miriam Sorotzkin, Yosef ’s mother,said, “After the Rebbe gave mymother another dollar for Yossi, myfather and the Rebbe spoke aboutmikvaos.

“At the end of their discussion,the Rebbe turned to me, gave me adollar and blessed me with muchsuccess and then gave me anotherdollar. ‘Give this to the sofer whowill write the parshiyos of the t’fillinfor Yossi before his bar mitzva.’ This,in essence, repeated the bracha he


The Rebbe leanedover and listened andthen gave me a dollar

and said: muchsuccess, good news,

refua krova. He saidthis in Ivrit and with

the Sephardicpronunciation eventhough I had spoken

in Yiddiish…

had given my parents. I must admitthat the bracha seemed veryunrealistic yet it gave us renewedbitachon.

“I’ve been carrying the dollar forten years. It has been moved fromwallet to wallet. Now I’ve carried outthe shlichus and have given it to thesofer who wrote the parshiyos forYossi. When the sofer heard thestory about the dollar he gave itback to us.”

SPEEDY RECOVERYNachman Yosef Twerski relates:

Before Pesach in the 80’s, as oneof my cousins was taking the Pesachdishes out of the attic, a heavy boxfell on him and broke his arm. Herushed to the hospital where X-raysshowed that it was a bad break. Inorder to heal an ordinary castwouldn’t do. His hand had to beimmobilized with a special cast thatwas wound around his body.

The doctors said the hand had tobe immobilized in this way for twomonths and only then could theyexamine it to see whether they couldswitch to a regular cast. Naturally,the special cast was veryuncomfortable and interfered greatlyin his daily routine, far more than aregular cast. Right after Pesach hewent for dollars on Sunday to askfor a bracha.

When it was his turn, heintroduced himself to the Rebbe as agrandson of the RachmastrivkaRebbe who was on friendly termswith the Rebbe’s family when theylived in Nikolayev. He didn’t have totell the Rebbe about his medicalcondition since it was obvious.

The Rebbe gave him a dollar andafter blessing him with the usualbracha he added, “refua shleima.”

He began to leave and then theRebbe called him back and firmlysaid, “Soon!” and gave him anotherdollar.

My cousin went home and in the

evening he began to feel strangepains in his arm in the area of thebreak. He remembered that thedoctor had warned him that if he feltany unusual pains to hurry to thehospital, because sometimes therecould be an inflammation and it hadto be treated.

He was at the hospital shortlythereafter and reported to the doctorabout the pain. The doctor removedthe cast and sent him for X-rays todiscover the reason for the pain.When the doctor returned with theX-rays, he had a look ofastonishment on his face.

“I have no idea how thishappened, but according to these X-rays your hand’s healing jumpedahead six weeks! The knittingtogether process that should taketwo months finished today, only twoweeks after the accident!”

AND IF THEY’RE GIRLS?Another story from R’ Twerski:

One of my cousins, who neededa bracha for children, went fordollars several times in order to askfor a bracha, but as he stood therehe was unable to say a word. Since

he didn’t ask, he wasn’t answered.Each time the Rebbe gave him adollar for tz’daka and said the usualbracha, and that was it.

One Sunday, at the beginning ofAdar 5752, another relative went fordollars. When he saw my cousin heasked him why he had come andwhen he heard that he had comeseveral times for a bracha forchildren but couldn’t muster thenerve to say anything, he suggestedthey go together. He would ask for abracha for my cousin.

That’s what they did. The twocousins appeared before the Rebbeand one introduced the other andasked that he be blessed with a son.The Rebbe looked surprised and heasked, “A son? And if he hasdaughters?” and the Rebbe handedanother dollar to my cousin andsaid, “There should be daughters.”

A year later his wife gave birth toa girl and then another girl and thenanother girl… Today he has anumber of daughters, each one beinga separate miracle.

FOUR DOLLARSMichoel Reinitz relates:


When I learned in Oholei Torahin Crown Heights, I would go withR’ Shmuel Zohar to give shiurim inStaten Island to a group ofmekuravim that we met on MivtzaT’fillin. After a long time, when weknew them well, we suggested thatthey come as a group to the Rebbeon Sunday for dollars.

They were excited about the ideaand since most of them don’t workon Sunday, we arranged to pickthem up from their homes. When westopped near one of the houses, wewere witness to an altercation. Thehomeowners were hosting a youngIsraeli, a relative of theirs, and whenthey left for the bus they asked himto join them on the trip to theLubavitcher Rebbe.

He reacted with disdain. Hisdisparagement of a tzaddik angeredhis hosts and they told him that if hedidn’t join them, he was no longerwelcome in their home. After beingthreatened like that he boarded thebus but his attitude was notimproved.

I sat down next to him and began

talking to him. After a few minutesof conversation he had calmed downand he began inquiring what theywould be doing when they saw theRebbe. I explained that we would bepassing by the Rebbe and he wouldgive him a dollar to give to tz’dakaand he would bless us.

When he heard that the Rebbegives brachos, and he heard somestories about brachos that werefulfilled, he asked whether he toocould request a bracha. I told him hecould but explained that there wasn’ttime for long requests and that hehad to condense what he wanted tosay into a few words.

He was quiet for the rest of thetrip. Apparently he was thinkingabout how he would word hisrequest to the Rebbe.

I stood behind him on line andwhen it was his turn I saw he wasvery emotional. He was sooverwrought that he could notspeak. The Rebbe gave him a dollarand blessed him with “brachav’hatzlacha.”

He was walking towards the exit

when the Rebbe called him back.The Rebbe gave him another fourdollars and said, “Peace in thefamily, good news!”

After I got a dollar and brachafrom the Rebbe, I went outsidewhere I met the young man who waspale.

“How did he know?” he asked mein amazement. “How did the Rebbeknow what I wanted to ask?” he keptrepeating.

He told us that a few monthsearlier his father had passed away,leaving a large inheritance in TelAviv. The inheritance had stirred upa controversy among the brothersand the atmosphere among themwas definitely not peaceful.

“The family situation reallybothered me, and when I heard thatyou can ask for brachos, I decided toask about that. When I got to theRebbe I was so overcome that I wasunable to say a word. The Rebbeknew though, and he blessed mewith peace in the family!”

“How many brothers are you?” Iasked.

He looked at the four dollars theRebbe had given him and inwonderment he said, “Unbelievable,we are four brothers!”

Following this miracle, the youngman’s attitude towards Judaismchanged completely. He joined theshiurim at his relative’s home andbegan putting on t’fillin.

A SPECIFIC BRACHAR’ Leibel Groner relates:

In the middle of the night Ireceived a phone call from a shliachwho said, “I recently went to 770with a wealthy supporter of minealong with his family. We stood online for dollars and when it was ourturn, I introduced him. The Rebbegave him a dollar and said, ‘This isfor your donations to my shliach.’Then he gave the wife a dollar and


Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau at dollars

said, ‘This is for your help andsupport of your husband whodonates.’

Then the Rebbe turned to thefirst son, gave him a dollar, and said,“for your encouragement of yourfather and mother.’ The second songot a dollar and the Rebbe said,‘This is for supporting your father.’The third son got a dollar and theRebbe wished him success.

It was only after they went outand reviewed what the Rebbe hadsaid that I noticed that the Rebbesaid different things to each of thesons. The father was amazed by theRebbe’s ruach ha’kodesh, in additionto his refinement.

What was this about? It turnedout that this was the couple’s secondmarriage. Both of them were theparents of the first son, and so theRebbe said, “For yourencouragement of your father andmother.” The second son was onlythe father’s son and so the Rebbehad said, “this is for supporting yourfather.” The third son was adoptedand so the Rebbe only said,“hatzlacha.”

FOR A SONHundreds of people contacted

Rabbi Sholom Dovber Wolpo whenhe advertised his book about thebankruptcy of Zionism, Bein OhrL’Choshech, for free to whoeverstopped celebrating Israel’sIndependence Day. He heard manystories that could fill a book. One ofthese stories had to do with a bachurwho learned in Rabbi AdinSteinsaltz’s yeshiva.

The bachur, Mordechai Miller,from the Har HaChomaneighborhood of Yerushalayim, whowas born in the US, told him:

“I was born thanks to a brachafrom the Rebbe. My father had fourdaughters and he very much wanteda son. My father is not a ChabadChassid but he decided to go on

Sunday for dollars and to ask for abracha for a son. The Rebbe gavehim a dollar and said, ‘For a son.’ Iwas born a year later.”

EVERY WORD PRECISEMrs. Sarah (Sufa) Rickman of

Nachalat Har Chabad passed away inIyar 5760 at the age of 99. In thefinal years of her life she was sickand was homebound. Her body wasweak but her spirit was very strongand her mind remained clear till herfinal days.

How did she merit such a long

life? Her good friend, Mrs. ChasiaToch, also of Nachalat Har Chabad,has the answer:

“I passed by the Rebbe for dollarsand asked for a bracha for long lifein good health for my friend SufaRickman. The Rebbe blessed herwith long life. It was only after I leftthat I realized that the Rebbe did notsay anything about health.

“She was very sick but shemerited long life, seeing a fifthgeneration.”


26

THE END OF THE “KINGOF BAVEL”

The execution by hanging of theformer dictator of Iraq, Saddam

Hussein on Shabbos, the 9th of Teives,is quite symbolic for us. Those whomerited to hear the Rebbe speak at thebeginning of the Gulf War, see anotherstep taken in the process towards thetrue and complete Redemption.

As soon as the Persian Gulf crisisbegan, the Rebbe connected the crisisin Iraq with the “year in which MelechHaMoshiach is revealed” and hereferenced the end of the Midrash –that Moshiach stands on the roof of theBeis HaMikdash and announces,“Humble ones, the time for yourredemption has arrived.”

As the days progressed and the GulfWar began and missiles landed in EretzYisroel, the Rebbe continued to speakabout the klipa of Bavel, which has nocorrection but can only be removedfrom the world (see the sicha of Bo5751). In the sicha, which the Rebbeasked not to be publicized at that time,the Rebbe spoke about the fall andhumiliation of the tyrant and that thereought to be destruction afterdestruction and churban and afterchurban in Bavel in a way of“Yerushalayim wasn’t filled except fromthe destruction of Tzor (Tyre).”

16 years later, we are witness to thefulfillment of the Rebbe’s prophecy, in amost amazing way. The klipa of Bavelwas removed from the world, andwhen? On the eve of the day when theKing of Bavel besieged Yerushalayim!

We need only recall the unusualsicha said in a yechidus for guests on26 Nissan 5751, when the Rebbe said

the name of the enemy and describedin detail the humiliation he wasundergoing in a way of “smiting theEgyptians with their eldest,” to the

point that the Rebbe compared him toHaman and the miracle to the miracleof Purim and more… The Rebbe evensaid that people should rejoice in the

SHLEIMUS HA’ARETZ

THE FALL OF BAVELBY SHAI GEFEN

SLEEPING ON THE JOB:IDF soldiers on a training mission


streets and not be ashamed, whilepublicizing the miracle, and whoeverdid not realize the magnitude of themiracle should have it explained in apleasant manner until he understood.

We don’t know why it had to take16 years until this klipa that causedtrouble for Israel and the world wasfinally eradicated. What we see is thatthe removal of this klipa from theworld, in such a degrading manner, ina way of “smiting the Egyptians withtheir eldest” – that the Iraqi nation itselfhung him – definitely proves how whatthe Rebbe says is fulfilled in its entiretyeven if many years go by.

This was a “small Geula” – all themore so with the prophecy of the Geulaand the Besuras HaGeula which theRebbe connected directly to thedestruction of the kingdom of Bavel. Ifso, Saddam Hussein’s execution is aninseparable part of the Geula processwhich we are experiencing.

As the Rebbe said, we should thankHashem for the miracles and we shouldpublicize them and dance in the streets,especially after the Rebbe asked us topublicize it as part of the inyan ofhastening the Geula: “Hashem wantedto make Chizkiya Moshiach but did notbecause he did not say Shira.”

Unfortunately, we don’t rememberwell and thousands of events happenedin the interim which dull the enormityof the miracle of the destruction ofMalchus Bavel. Just a few years ago,just mentioning the name of SaddamHussein made many people tremble infear. He disturbed the tranquility of theleaders of our government andIntelligence experts because he,seemingly, had the power to directlythreaten the residents of Eretz Yisroel.

Saddam Hussein, the man who sawhimself as the reincarnation ofNevuchadnetzar, the one whodestroyed the Beis HaMikdash, wasexecuted on the eve of the day when“the King of Bavel besiegedYerushalayim.”

May the same happen to all our

enemies who have arisen lately andthreaten us. May they all go the way ofSaddam Hussein!

HOW THE DISENGAGEMENTCAME TO PASS

Journalist for HaAretz, Aluf Benn,wrote a fascinating article about howthe Disengagement Plan was hatched.Benn painstakingly describes how thedecisions were made, revealing that thereason for it was in order to saveSharon from public humiliation in thewake of investigations, as well as thepoor security situation.

His advisor, Dov Weinglass,suggested that he take the “big step” inorder to bring hope to the people. Theone who convinced Sharon to go for itwas his son, Gilad, who realized thatthis was the only thing that would savehis father from his legal woes and hislack of popularity.

This is not news as many knewlong ago that the Disengagement Planhad one goal: to save Sharon! Yet it’sfrightening to read this in an articleabout how day after day, detail afterdetail, this plan was implemented thathad no connection whatsoever withour security needs.

The big question is, how does afragile country that faces such seriousthreats for its very existence, allowitself to rely on dubious leaders whosesole purpose is to save their own skin?

I spoke this week with a publicfigure who told me that in light of thesituation these many years, when primeministers use their authority toundermine Israel’s security – as we sawin the recent war in Lebanon, whereour government allowed Hezbollah toarm itself for the past six years, and inthe south – the Knesset should limitthe government’s authority. As soon asthe military leadership establishes thatour security is compromised, as it waswith the Disengagement for example,they should have veto power. I don’tknow if this suggestion is practical, butit definitely reflects the crisis we are in.

Until the Disengagement, Israelisbelieved that our leaders put oursecurity first, even if they makemistakes. Since the Disengagement andthe failures in the north, large segmentsof the population are beginning towake up to the reality that our leadersare corrupt. All they’re interested in isthemselves, whether their legal


The Rebbe spoke aboutthe fall and humil-iation of the tyrant andthat there ought to bedestructioon afterdestruction andchurban and afterchurban in Bavel. 16years later, we arewitness to thefuulfillment of theRebbe’s prophecy, in amost amazing way. Theklipa of Bavel wasremoved from thewoorld, and when? Onthe eve of the day whenthe King of Bavelbesieged Yerushalayim!

problems and/or their public image inthe world. It’s time to stop them.

WE’RE GIVING THEM GUNSThe madness continues as though

nothing happened. Not many noticedthat this was the first time in historythat a flag of the PA waved over theofficial residence of the prime ministerof Israel, something that previousprime ministers did not dare to do. Itmarked the meeting of Abu Mazen andOlmert in which Olmert kissed him oneach cheek.

Abandoning its citizens issomething that has become officialpolicy. Every resident of Sderot and ofthe settlements surrounding Gaza needsto know that as of now, as far as thegovernment is concerned, they are fairgame. Kassam rockets can land andIsraelis must believe in a unilateralceasefire. The army was ordered not torespond but to watch as attempt afterattempt is made to murder the Jews ofthe western Negev.

If we have learned that we cannotrely on the prime minister, ForeignMinister Livni is attempting to put outher hooves and claim she is kosher. Shehas expressed her desire to moveforward on a political plan to giveterrorists the heart of our country andto expel one hundred thousand Jewsfrom their homes. She plans on turningthem into refugees as she did to theresidents of Gush Katif.

“The handing over of parts of theState of Israel is aimed at preserving thecountry’s democratic and Jewishcharacter,” Foreign Minister TzippiLivni said Thursday. “To me this ideal isthe realization of the values I was raisedon,” she added.

Livni announced her readiness tonegotiate under fire, thus skipping thepart of the Roadmap which obligatesthe dismantling of the terrorinfrastructure first, the only brake onthe Churban Plan, which is theRoadmap.

If all that wasn’t enough, we aretold to expect the release of hundredsof terrorists, 500-1400, some with

blood on their hands, in exchange for akidnapped soldier.

This is all for the purpose ofpreparing the ground for a withdrawalfrom Yehuda-Shomron while creating afalse image of negotiations after theunilateral withdrawal failed in the mostabysmal way. In order to achieve this,they are selling the Israeli public AbuMazen as a peace broker and angel whofell from heaven. In order to hold on tothis angel in white, the Israeligovernment authorized Egypt totransfer 2000 rifles and 2 millionbullets to Abu Mazen.

Olmert and his ministers choose toignore what the heads of the

Palestinians in opposition to AbuMazen have to say, who alreadyannounced that “the weapons will beused against the Occupation.” One ofthe speakers promised “we will showthe Israelis, very soon, these weaponsthat they delivered to the presidentialguard, as it is against the Israelioccupation.” In his words, “At least athird of the ranking officials in thePalestinian government belong toopposition organizations. They will seeto it that we get those weapons.”

He also said, “The weapons will notbe used for an internal civil war,because we are sure that the shiny newweapons will end up in the hands of

the opposition forces and will be usedagainst the Occupation and the Zionistenemy.”

This sums up the achievements ofOlmert and his government of oneweek!

BEWARE, THE KASSAMSARE COMING!

The media spoke at length thisweek about flyers being spreadthroughout the cities of the south,Kiryat Gat and Ashdod, in whichresidents are warned to prepare formissiles being shot at them. The flyers,supposedly disseminated by the El-Aktza Brigades, told residents to leavetheir homes and to get their childrenaway from the missiles that will soonland on them.

The flyers are apparently a gimmickof the Right, but unfortunately, thecontents are correct. The threats onthose cities are real and Intelligence isalready talking about it happening,sooner or later.

It was reported that the Iraniangovernment invested billions of shekelsin building an army for Hamas in Gazawhich includes bunkers and fortifiedbuildings, just like in Lebanon. So whyshould the residents of Kiryat Gat andAshdod feel calm?

It’s amazing how each time a missilelands on a certain yishuv we are surethe problem is localized. We don’t wantto believe that the entire country is indanger. We choose to ignore the factthat the residents of Sderot are livingthrough what many more throughoutthe south are going to experience.

This wicked government whichdoesn’t place Jewish lives as prioritynumber one is trying to minimize theseverity of the problem, because itsimply does not want to deal with theroot of it. Maybe it’s worthwhile for theresidents, at least, to know that afteropening the country before terrorists,they can expect them to come to theirdoorstep, even those who were surethat giving away land was just theproblem of a few settlers and it wasmerely a matter of compensation.

Olmert and hisministers choose to

ignore what the headsof the Palestinians in

opposition to AbuMaazen have to say,namely, that “the

weapons will be usedagainst the

Occupation.”


DEATH OF A TYRANTThe small, often helpless nation,

whose obituary many an empire andtyrant craved to write for millennia,has instead emerged as the exclusiveobituary writer of history. From thedawn of civilization till today, theJewish people have observed firsthandthe rise and fall of countless brutalempires and evil dictators who heldthe world in a grip of terror and thenvanished.

Last Saturday morning, December30, 2006, Saddam Hussein wasexecuted. Our tiny nation takes up itspen once more to write the obituary ofa man who inflicted untold measuresof suffering on millions of innocents, aperson who chopped off the ears andnoses of dissidents, tortured childrenin front of their parents, gassedthousands to death and craved theextermination of the Land of Israel.

If there was any doubt as toSaddam Hussein’s diehard hatred ofIsrael, it was dispelled by hisdeclaration on the gallows: “Long liveIraq, Palestine is Arab!” For decades hehad sown terror among Israelis —whether through his Scud missilesalvoes of the 1991 Gulf War or bybankrolling Palestinian suicidebombers.

“This is a regime,” wrote KennethPollack in The Threatening Storm aboutHussein’s government, “that will gougeout the eyes of children to forceconfessions from their parents and

grandparents. This is a regime that willcrush all the bones in the feet of a 2-year-old girl to force her mother todivulge her father’s whereabouts... Thisis a regime that will burn a person’slimbs off to force him to confess orcomply. This is a regime that willslowly lower its victims into huge vatsof acid, either to break their will or asa means of execution... This is a regimethat will drag in a man’s wife, daughter,or other female relative and repeatedlyrape her in front of him. This is aregime that will force a white-hot metalrod into a person’s anus or otherorifices. This is a regime that employsthallium poisoning, widely consideredone of the most excruciating ways todie. This is a regime that will behead ayoung mother in the street in front ofher house and children because herhusband was suspected of opposingthe regime. This is a regime that usedchemical warfare… not just on the15,000 killed and maimed at Halabjabut on scores of other villages allacross Kurdistan.” (The author, Mr.Pollack, is a Middle East scholar whoserved two tours of duty in BillClinton’s National Security Council.)

Saddam Hussein has now taken hisrightful place alongside Hitler, Stalin,Lenin and Ceausescu, in the pantheonof failed brutal dictators. We Jews canadd to the list of Pharaoh, Amalek,Sancheriv, Nebuchadnezzar, Haman,Vespasian, and Titus – the great anti-Semites of yore who attempted todestroy our people and relegate our

seed to museum displays and historybooks. Yet, in reality, the reverse hastranspired.

SADDAM’S HERONor is the day of his execution

insignificant. Saddam was hung lastSaturday, on the 9th of the Hebrewmonth of Teives, one day before wecommemorate the beginning of thedestruction of Jerusalem in the handsof Nebuchadnezzar, the king ofBabylon, Saddam’s greatest mentor.The 10th of Teives is the day 2400years ago (in the 6th century BCE)when Nebuchadnezzar laid siege toJerusalem, eventually destroying theFirst Temple, slaughtering hundreds ofthousands of Jews, and rounding upthe rest and sending them into exile.The 10th of Teives has since beenestablished as a fast day among theJewish people.

If you wish to know a person or aculture, look at its heroes. Saddam’sarch hero, as he himself statednumerous times, was this king ofancient Babylonia, located in theterritory of present-day Iraq.Nebuchadnezzar, a powerful andruthless monarch, ruled Babylon andmuch of civilization for 45 years, andsuccessfully rooted out Jewishexistence in the Holy Land.Nebuchadnezzar built the legendaryHanging Gardens of Babylon and intestimony to his grandeur each brickwas inscribed with Nebuchadnezzar’sname.

INSIGHT

AN OBITUARY FOR SADDAM:

THREE STEPS THATCHANGED HISTORY

RABBI YOSEF Y. JACOBSON

29Issue Number 585 - BEIS MOSHIACH

Saddam Hussein pronouncedhimself as the heir to Nebuchadnezzar,and dreamed of restoring theBabylonian empire to its former sizeand glory. Saddam commissionedarchaeologists to uncover and restorethe ancient city of Babylon, its HangingGardens and Nebuchadnezzar’s palace.Like the Babylonian King 2400 yearsearlier, each new brick was inscribed –this time with Saddam’s name.

During the course of the dig,archaeologists uncovered a plaque onthe ancient city gate proclaimingNebuchadnezzar’s greatness. Saddamordered stonemasons to place anotherplaque on the opposite side of the gate– glorifying the greatness of SaddamHussein.

Saddam named his nuclear reactor,the one destroyed by Menachem Beginin 1981, “Tammuz.” Tammuz is thename of the Hebrew month whenNebuchadnezzar’s troops breached thewalls of Jerusalem on his way todecimating the capital of Israel.

Apparently, this was the frighteningobjective of the modern-day Tammuzreactor as well.

The Bible (1) comparesNebuchadnezzar to a lion, someonepossessing the urge to control and rulethe entire world, or jungle. The Bibletells of how the Babylonian king cameto view himself as the equal of the kingof kings, G-d. Surrender and defeatwere deemed impossible inNebuchadnezzar’s mind, as thosenotions applied only to mortals, not tothe sovereign of the universe. It seemsthat Saddam’s psychological profilemirrored some of Nebuchadnezzar’s(2).

A TALE OF TWO HISTORIESWe have very little comprehension

of the ways G-d chooses to govern ourworld. The prophet Jeremiah spokeabout this in very poignant terms (3):“Were I to contend with you, O G-d,You would prevail; yet I will still arguewith You. Why does the way of thewicked prosper? Why do all those who

act treacherously enjoy tranquility? Youhave planted them and they have takenroot; they grow, they even producefruit.”

The big question of why G-d allowsinnocent human beings to sufferhorrendously by the hands of evilpeople never received an adequateanswer in Judaism. The Jewishprophets, sages and rabbis knew verywell that some questions would alwaysremain unanswered.

Yet, Judaism always insisted thatthe ultimate story of history is a moraltale, not a random one. History, from aJewish perspective, is a journey towardredemption, directed by a moral being.Though evil often claims titanic powerin our world, causing us to feel thatmight is right and that powerdetermines fate, we, the Jewish people,were chosen some four millennia agoto bear witness to an alternativerendition of history, a rendition inwhich morality and goodnessultimately prevail.

Our very existence is the proof ofthis. From the perspective of naturalhistory in which the physicallypowerful prevail, the existence of theJew is inexplicable. The Jew is themysterious stranger in world history.The survival of a people withoutpower, without a country, without anorganized government, without anarmy, without any of those resources ofmaterial power that alone seem tocount in human history, and itsextraordinary impact and influence onthe rest of the world, makes littlesense. The Jew, then, bears witness to ahigher form of history – a moralhistory, a Divine history, in whichgoodness and holiness, not might andmaterial force, triumph and prevail.

AN ANCIENT LETTERThis view of history is dramatically

depicted in the life of Saddam’s hero.The royal Babylonian dynasty of

Nebuchadnezzar lasted for threegenerations. He reigned himself for 45years (Nebuchadnezzar died 2,404

years ago, in the year 3363 sinceCreation). His son, Evil-Merodach,succeeded his father and ruled for 23years. Evil’s son, Belshatzar, ruled fortwo years and was defeated by the newPersian Empire (4).

The Talmud and the Midrashpresent a fascinating account of themoral-spiritual reason behind theBabylonian might (5).

Nebuchadnezzar, says the Talmud,served as a secretary and scribe for aprevious Babylonian monarch. Once,when Nebuchadnezzar was absentfrom work, other royal secretaries ofthe king drafted a letter to be sent tothe Jewish king of Judah, Chizkiya.This is how the letter began:“Greetings to King Chizkiya! Greetingsto the city of Jerusalem! Greetings tothe great G-d!”

When Nebuchadnezzar returned towork and discovered how the letterwas written, he was furious. “You callHim ‘the great G-d,’ Nebuchadnezzarprotested, “and you mention Himlast?!”

In an isolated moment of moraland spiritual lucidity, Nebuchadnezzarinsisted that the letter be redone, andwritten as follows: “Greetings to thegreat G-d! Greetings to the city ofJerusalem! Greetings to king Chizkiya!”

The problem was that themessenger had already beendispatched to Jerusalem with the firstversion of the letter in his hand. SoNebuchadnezzar ran out to call themessenger back and redo the letter.How far did he need to run? Merelythree steps before he caught themessenger to give him a secondversion of the letter.

In the typical Jewish perspective onthe deeper forces that govern theevolution of history, our sages see thisepisode as the ultimate cause forNebuchadnezzar’s royal success. In themerit of his taking three steps to honorthe Jewish G-d, the monotheistic G-dthat rules all of history and the entireworld, the Midrash says,Nebuchadnezzar received the crown of


royalty for three generations!Three steps to honor G-d resulted

in three generations of sovereignty.For an egomaniac like

Nebuchadnezzar, who thought ofhimself as a god, those three stepsconstituted a quantum leap. Thosethree steps generated a revolution inthe mystical divine process of historythat gave him control over G-d’s worldfor three generations and 70 years (6).

The Midrash does not mean tocreate this parallel only in a symbolicfashion. Our sages meant it seriously. Itis clear from the words of the sagesthat if Nebuchadnezzar had taken four,five or six steps, the royal line wouldhave continued to the fourth, fifth andsixth generations (thank G-d hedidn’t...(7)).

3 VERSIONS OF HISTORYWhat a different view on history! If

CNN, The New York Times or evenFox News were to reportNebuchadnezzar’s rise to power, wemight hear and read about thepowerful and wise schemes the manemployed to conquer the world. Wemight hear about the forces at play inthe fields of politics, economics andculture that brought about this victory.

Journalists present us with the firstsuperficial draft of historical events.Historians, blessed with hindsight,present us with yet a deeper glimpseinto the forces that gave birth to thoseevents. Yet both versions of history,deal exclusively with the externalmaterial forces at play, only thoseforces apparent to the human eye.

The Torah – the Bible, the Talmud,the Midrash and the Kabbala – came tothe world to share with us a deeperunderstanding of historical events, aview seen from the perspective of theauthor of history Himself. In thisrendition, the underlying powerbehind the evolution of the humanrace is G-d’s invisible hand directingthe world toward mending andredemption.

The tremendous power of

Nebuchadnezzar, for example, as seenfrom a Torah perspective, is essentiallya moral tale, one that can be tracedback to an isolated moment in his lifewhen he chose to take three steps tohonor the Creator of the world.

WHY ARE OUR STEPSDIFFERENT FROM HIS?

This is the reason for the universalJewish custom that when we take threesteps back at the conclusion of ourdaily prayers (at the end of the Amida,recited three times a day), we beseechG-d with the following prayer. “May itbe Your will...that the Holy Temple berebuilt speedily in our days.”

The timing of this prayer seemsstrange. During the Amida prayer itself

we dedicate six separate blessings tobeseech G-d for the rebuilding ofJerusalem and for the ultimateredemption. Why, after we haveconcluded the prayers and taken threesteps backward to depart, do wesuddenly begin to pray for therebuilding of the Temple, as though wehave forgotten to mention this earlier?

There is profound significance tothis custom (8). How didNebuchadnezzar acquire the might todestroy the Temple? Because he tookthree steps to honor G-d. So every Jew,each day at the culmination of hisprayers, turns to G-d and says, “If thatbrutal tyrant merited the power toburn Your home just because he tookthree steps in Your honor, don’t you

think that in the merit of my ownthree steps - and the three steps takenby millions of Jews millions of timesfor thousands of years - You shouldgive us the power to bring forth theredemption and rebuild the third holyTemple in Jerusalem speedily in ourdays?!”

THE CURTAINS PARTIndeed, last Saturday, one day

before we mourned once again thebrutality of Nebuchadnezzar, historyhas for a brief moment penetrated thedense veil concealing G-d’s moralpresence in history. As a brutal dictatorand an archetypal enemy of the Jewishpeople was reduced to a chapter inhistory, we were reminded that everytyrant gets his day, and that evil ispowerful but not eternal. One daybefore we commemorated the successof Nebuchadnezzar in destroyingJerusalem, G-d has reminded us thatwhile brutality may at times dominate,history was not apathetic to humansuffering.

The biblical book of Daniel (9)describes the downfall ofNebuchadnezzar. “He was driven frommankind; he ate grass like oxen, andhis body was washed by the dew ofheaven, until his hair grew like eagles’feathers and his nails were like birds’claws.”

And so it was with Saddam. Hewas driven into a hole, grimy anddisheveled; he was reduced, like hisancient hero, to the dustbin of history.

Farewell, Saddam. Whenever youarrive at your final destination, sayhello to Adolph from us. Tell him thatmillions of our children are walkingthe planet celebrating their belongingto a people that will forever celebratethe triumph of good over evil, offreedom over oppression and ofkindness over brutality.My thanks to Rabbis Benzion Krasnianski andDov Greenberg for their contribution to thisessay.

Reprinted with permission fromwww.algemeiner.com. All rights reserved.


...So it was withSaddam. He was

driven into a hole,grimy and disheveled;he was reduced, likehis aancient hero, to

the dustbin of history.

[Continued on pg. 43]


Sixty years ago, the first shliach,Rabbi Moshe Hecht a”h, arrived inNew Haven. He was utterly mekusharto the Rebbe Rayatz and then to theRebbe MH”M. When he encountereddifficulties at some point, the Rebbegave him unusual reassurance, “Mymaster, my father-in-law, the Rebbe,leads you by the hand.”

New Haven merited that theRebbe said an entire sicha aboutRabbi Hecht after his passing, and theshluchim there, the Levitin familyamong them, have merited to buildthe Jewish institutions in the city.

Faige and her husband, togetherwith their children (four are alreadymarried), are continuing the work inNew Haven with a special chayus forinyanei Moshiach and Geula. They dothis as loyal soldiers of the Rebbe,with a humility and simcha that youdon’t often find today.

Mrs. Levitin: “We are on shlichusin New Haven for 24 years now. Wecame with three children from CrownHeights in order to help build upJewish life and institutions along withabout another twenty shluchim whowork in the area under the son ofRabbi Hecht a”h, Rabbi Yehoshua andhis wife Blumie Hecht. Our efforts arefocused primarily on Jews fromRussia.

“We started a Kollel TiferesZ’keinim for elderly men andChochmas Nashim for elderlywomen. Through the seniors weconnect with the children andgrandchildren.”

Faige has many wonderful storiesto relate:

“There was a woman who beganto take an interest in Judaism andwould come to us now and then. She

lived twenty minutes away from NewHaven. She always hoped and prayedthat Chabad would come to her area.

“Her prayers were answered andRabbi Piekarski moved there and thisstrengthened her in her religiousobservance. Today she is the motherof three children who are religious.

“She once told me what motivatedher to get involved. It was when shewas sitting and watching television.She saw the Rebbe speaking aboutthe importance of eating kosher food.On the spot she decided to keepkosher. One mitzva led to another!

“Each year we received shmuramatza from the Rebbe. One year thematza arrived in the neighboringtown shortly before Yom Tov. On YomTov, my husband walked a long wayin order to get the matza.

“He passed a hospital and stoppedto see if there were any Jewishpatients. He found a Jewish womanwho told him emotionally that shehad prayed that she would be able toeat shmura matza that year on thefirst day of Pesach. Her prayers wereanswered. That year she had veryspecial shmura matza while wereceived the shmura matza that theRebbe sent only on Motzaei Yom Tov.

“There was a Jewish woman whobecame more involved in Judaismafter attending our school. She hadan only daughter who really wantedother children in the family. Shewrote to the Rebbe and the answer

SHLICHUS

Mrs. Faige Levitin and her husband RabbiSholom Dovber have been living in NewHaven, Connecticut forr 24 years, on shlichus.Most of their efforts are focused on Jews fromRussia and they see much succcess in their work.* Mrs. Levitin tells us about their shlichus andabout many miracles of the Rebbe they haveexperienced.

SHLICHUS STORIESFROM NEW HAVEN

BY CHANIE NUSSBAUM


was: check the t’fillin. The t’fillinwere checked and were kosher butthe battim had a problem and werechanged immediately. The Rebbe’sbracha was fulfilled and she gavebirth to a son. Today the entire familyis completely Lubavitch.”

The story about t’fillin remindedFaige about another story connectedwith t’fillin:

“The bachurim from the yeshivaonce went on Mivtza T’fillin andencountered a couple where thehusband was very preoccupiedbecause they had just discovered thathis wife had a serious disease. Thebachurim suggested that he write tothe Rebbe. A week later, when thebachurim came back, the woman toldthem excitedly, ‘After we sent theletter I dreamed that I got a bouquetof flowers from the yeshiva and nextto the bouquet was a letter from theRebbe. When I woke up I felt muchbetter. It wasn’t just a dream because

subsequent exams showed that thedisease had disappeared!’

This led to another story thatFaige told about an illness thatdisappeared:

“There was a couple from Russiawhose baby had a brain tumor. Withour guidance they wrote to the Rebbeand put the letter in a volume of IgrosKodesh. The answer they opened towas an instruction to be careful aboutkosher food and checking themezuzos. The family began to becareful with kashrus and had themezuzos checked. Baruch Hashem,the tumor disappeared and the babyis fine. Since then the family hastaken giant steps in their religiousobservance.

“One of the participants in myshiurim wanted to learn Kabbala. Ibrought her a sicha of the Rebbe thatspeaks about Kabbala and thanks tothis, she became more involved in

Judaism. One time she told me thather daughter’s friend was very upsetsince her son suddenly stoppedwalking.

“I suggested that they write to theRebbe and so mother and daughterwrote a letter and put it in a volumeof Likkutei Sichos in Russian. A shorttime later, the mother of the boyheard footsteps in the next room. Shewent to look and saw her sonwalking!

“I said to the daughter: tell yourfriend about the letter that you wroteto the Rebbe on her behalf. At firstshe hesitated but then she went andtold her. This miracle made a bigkiddush Hashem in the Russiancommunity and was mekarev manyother people to Judaism.

“Not surprisingly, anotherparticipant in my shiurim wanted towrite to the Rebbe using the IgrosKodesh. She wrote to the Rebbe and a

JEWISH LIFEIN NEW HAVEN

In 1840, many Jews fledBavaria and arrived in NewHaven, Connecticut. Theyopened many stores andbusinesses in the city. Originally,prayer services were held in oneof the stores, and late theyconstructed a large shul,“Mishkan Yisroel.”

In 1852, Yehuda Kouro fromLong Island donated a large,beautiful building to the shul.

In 1903, after the Kishinevpogroms, many Russian Jewsmigrated to New Haven.

In 1917, a Jewish mayor waselected,

Today, there are about 2,500Jews living in the city and thecommunity is growing. There areshuls, mikvaos, an eiruv, andkosher meat is available.

Rabbi Sholom Ber Levitin with some of his family

few days later she told everybody themiracle that happened. She said herson works in a factory that was aboutto close down and she asked theRebbe for a bracha for employmentfor her son.

“What happened was, the ownerof the factory ended up needing justone employee and he chose her soneven though he spoke Russian andwas the last to be hired!

“A woman who began coming toshiurim was lonely and she wanted towrite to the Rebbe to ask for a brachathat she find a job in Pittsburgh. Inthe answer that she opened to, theRebbe referred to a wedding. She hadwanted to marry but hadn’t thoughtof that until then…

“Two days after she wrote theletter, Mrs. Piekarski received an e-mail from her friend in Worcester,Massachusetts with whom she hadn’tspoken in eight years. She waslooking for a shidduch for a baalt’shuva who they were mekarev. Shecalled me and I suggested this womanand they got married on 14 Kislev,the Rebbe’s anniversary.

“This mekureves was no longerthinking about Pittsburgh and shefound work in Worcester where shehad moved after she married. Todayshe has a wonderful Chassidishefamily, baruch Hashem.

“Students of Beis Chana went to aJewish woman on Mivtza Neshek. Asa result of the visit, the womanstrengthened her commitment toJudaism and afterwards theydiscovered that she needed a refuashleima. With their guidance shewrote to the Rebbe through the IgrosKodesh and asked for a bracha.

“In the letter that she opened to,the Rebbe spoke about theimportance of teaching Torah. Howcould the woman do that whilehomebound due to her illness? Alongwith the girls she found a solution.They decided to visit her every Fridaynight after candle lighting and she

would give a shiur.

“When I spoke to her recently shetold me that she was getting betterfrom week to week. Following theRebbe’s directive had done herwonders.

“There is a man from Russia wholives here. The bachurim from theyeshiva went to him and brought hima calendar in Russian along with apicture of the Rebbe. These were theonly Jewish things he had in thehouse. Then, on another visit, he toldthem he was very sick. My husbandwent to see him and he said that hehad asked the Rebbe for a bracha fora refua shleima and had given adollar to tz’daka.

“My husband put t’fillin on withhim and he continued to do soregularly. A short time later the illnesssuddenly disappeared. The manbegan coming regularly to shiurim atthe Kollel Tiferes Z’keinim and thiswas thanks to the dollar for tz’dakaand the t’fillin.”

What are your everyday activitiesin New Haven?

“After the passing of the firstshliach, Rabbi Moshe Hecht, theRebbe said an unusual sicha. One ofthe things the Rebbe said was: Evenafter his passing theere must be acontinuation and maintaining of themosdos (that he was involved withon shlichus from the Rebbe Rayatz)and to the contrary with anadditional and renewed chayus, ‘ashis children are allive, so too he isalive.’

“We try to fulfill this specialdirective by helping develop themosdos here, Achei T’mimim, andBeis Chana, which are directed byRabbi Yehoshua Hecht and his wife,with two other shluchim.

“My husband and I workprimarily with Tiferes Z’keinim andChochmas Nashim. My husband hasa shiur every day in the Kollel and Igive a shiur twice a week to the ladiesand on Wednesdays to girls.

“In the shiurim that I give atChochmas Nashim, I speak a lotabout Moshiach and Geula. At theWednesday shiur we learn a sicha


ONE MITZVA LEADS TO ANOTHERFaige recounts: Each year on Chanuka, the bachurim from the yeshiva

host a Chanuka party for the residents in the local Achei T’mimim school.As a result of one such event, one of the women began coming closer toJudaism and started attending my classes regularly. However, her husbandwas not interested and remained on the sidelines.

A year later, she gave birth to her second son. After a few days, shecalled me when she realized that she had miscalculated the day of thebris, and had mistakenly planned it for the following day. My husband,who is in charge of brissim in the city, quickly got hold of the mohelRabbi Shain from New York, and so, the bris was held shortly beforesunset on the eighth day and her husband, the father, did not manage tomake it in time.

When he heard about the bris of his son, which was almost not donein time, he became very emotional and to everyone’s surprise, he decidedon the spot to have a bris done on himself!

One mitzva leads to another, and at that event, he decided to beginputting on t’fillin daily. Today, they live in Pittsburgh are full fledgedbaalei t’shuva.

And it all began with Mivtza Chanuka, which led to two brissim andthen a complete transformation of a Jewish family.


from Besuras HaGeula and P’nineiHaGeula. We add a daily halacha asthe Rebbe said to do in the IgrosKodesh. On Fridays, at a shiur that Igive the girls after candle lighting, welearn a sicha from Tiferes HaGeula.

“At the weekly shiur for girlswhich takes place on Sunday at myhome, we learn Tanya and inyaneiMoshiach and Geula. I also havephone shiurim with ladies in inyaneiMoshiach and Geula. The D’varMalchus is learned here with achayus because we live withMoshiach and Geula. Yes, this is themain thing.

“There are bachurim who domivtzaim with local Russian Jews,especially on Yomim Tovim. OnSukkos we have a big Simchas BeisHaShoeiva and we put up a hugesukka for Russian Jews. On Chanukawe have a public menora as well asmany programs and mivtzaimorganized by the Chabad House. Thegirls go to the malls and set up tableswith menorahs and other Chanukaparaphernalia.

“In yeshiva there is a bigfarbrengen every night of Chanuka.The talmidim go on Mivtza Chanuka

among the Russian Jews and amongthe Israelis. We also go to theuniversities and light the menorahwith the students.

“There are girls here who arrangea Shabbos party for ladies who don’tgo to shul on Shabbos or otherwisecelebrate Shabbos.

“My husband set up a ‘bank’ fort’fillin and mezuzos for whoeverneeds them.”

Faige enumerates the other workbeing done in her area:

Batya Deitsch (who runs N’sheiU’Bnos Chabad), the Katz family(who are involved in kiruv), the Yaffefamily (who take an active part in allthe activities), Mrs. M. Piekarski(mentioned earlier), Rabbi Chadakovand his wife (who are shluchim in thearea), Rabbi Kalmanson and RabbiReinitz (who are very active in theyeshiva, mivtzaim, etc.) and RabbiGopin (the shliach in Hartford).

Faige also mentions the chavrusosfor learning as well as the chesedorganization run by women thatsends food packages to new mothersor the women who are bedridden.

Do you work exclusively with

Russian Jews?

“The work is done with threegroups: Israelis, Americans, andRussians. We personally workprimarily with Russian Jews.”

Faige is reminded of anothertouching story:

“One of the mekuravim who cameto us via the Internet began to visitthe Kollel Tiferes Z’keinim regularly.He said he wanted a bris for hisfiftieth birthday. Knowing that hiswife was opposed to this, he askedmy husband to join him and togetherthey drove for a few hours to F.R.E.E.that makes brissin. The bris was doneand afterwards there was a bigfarbrengen.

“Surprisingly, when the wifefound out about it, not only wasn’tshe angry but she also began to drawcloser. After a while, they came to mefor Shabbos and when she lit candlesshe couldn’t stop crying.

“Many of the Jews who come fromRussia do so deliberately since theydon’t want to live among Jews inEretz Yisroel. They prefer big,comfortable America. But here too,we wait for them on the Rebbe’sshlichus and they become acquaintedwith their Judaism.”

Towards the end of ourconversation, Faige told me about amiracle that happened to herpersonally:

“My daughter, who is now 15,was born on 27 Nissan, during thesicha that the Rebbe said, ‘Do all thatyou can.’ She was born with aninflammation in her eyes.

“When she was three weeks old, Iwent with her to New York in orderto see the Rebbe and get a coin forher. Since I had just given birth andtraveled, I didn’t have a chance towrite to the Rebbe about the problemwith her eyes. I cleaned her eyes andwe went past the Rebbe. The Rebbepassed the coin before her eyes andthe inflammation disappeared.”

Activities with children

The Michelashvili family lived in Kulashi, a small townin Georgia where most of the people, three thousand innumber, were Jews. As opposed to theiron fist that prevailed throughout therest of Russia, the Soviet authorities inGeorgia were not harsh rulers. Sh’chitawas legal and circumcisions andchuppas were regular events. Therewas one area that the authoritiescracked down on and that was Jewishchinuch. This was forbidden.

Chacham Shabtai Michelashviliinsisted that a Jewish child must learnTorah. In the morning he worked as ashochet at the municipalslaughterhouse but when he returnedin the afternoon, he would gather the

children of the community in shulsand private homes and teach themTanach, Mishna, and Gemara.

“Our father had a warm Jewishheart,” say his three sons in a nostalgicand fascinating interview that theygave Beis Moshiach. “When theopportunity arose to do a favor for afellow Jew, especially a spiritual favor,nothing was difficult for him.”

Chacham Shabtai was utterlydevoted, body, soul, and financially, tobring Jews to do mitzvos whether toput on t’fillin, wear tzitzis, davenproperly, etc. He put great efforts intothis. Every so often he went on longtrips and he took t’fillin, siddurim, and

other ritual objects with him

CHASSIDIM

Beis Moshiach met with three brothers whoare leaders and chachamim of the Georgiancommunity in Erettz Yisroel. They areChacham Yaakov, Chacham Moshe andChacham Ben-Tzion of the Michelashvilifamily.. They related their fascinating lifestory that began in the home of their father,Chacham Shabtai, in the Georgian town ofKulashi.

A LIFE OF MESIRUSNEFESH IN SOVIET

GEORGIABY SHNEUR ZALMAN BERGER



and at every center of Jewry that hereached, even if it was a forsakentown, he would gather the Jews andspeak to them of Torah with wordsthat came from the heart and revivedtheir souls.

“Our father once told us about oneof his trips,” said Chacham Yaakov. “Itwas Yud-Tes Kislev night when hearrived in a faraway town, forsakenmaterially and spiritually. When hemet local people he told them it wasthe Chag HaGeula and he asked themto organize a large seuda in honor ofthe tzaddik.

“They were Jews who werewholehearted, who had a strong beliefin tzaddikim. At the appointed timethe shul was full. My father went upand recounted the story of theimprisonment and release while thepeople listened closely to every wordhe uttered. The farbrengen continuedfor many hours, into the night.

“At the end, my father stopped theflow of stories and in an emotionalplea he said to the crowd, ‘BrotherJews! What use are these stories if youdon’t know how to answer amen yeheishmei rabba properly? You don’t knowhow to go up to the Torah properly!So why did we sit here all night?’ Atthat point people were very inspiredand my father exclaimed, ‘Tomorrowevening come here and I will teachyou how to pray, how to have an aliya,and how to fulfill mitzvos.’

“The impression that he made waspowerful. The next day, dozens of Jewscame to learn how to pray and hepatiently taught them Alef-Beis andvowels. He sat with them for manydays until he began to see results.These Jews learned how to have analiya and to say a bracha properly, topray word by word, and some wereeven able to be the chazan.”

Chacham Shabtai Michelashvili’s

work was truly amazing. Thanks to hisactivities, the KGB caught him anumber of times but with Hashem’skindness those were only briefperiods. Yet he wasn’t immune forever.One day they caught him red-handedas he taught Torah to eighty children.He and another five teachers werearrested and taken to the KGB officesin Tbilisi. He was sentenced to deathbut miraculously, the sentence was notcarried out.

He was interrogated and torturedfor a few months until, with the helpof some Jewish acquaintances, he wasreleased. He was warned not to teachchildren again.

Chacham Yaakov: “Despite this, myfather didn’t give up. He knew theywere following him, but he continuedto teach Torah to children. He felt thathe was an emissary from heaven toteach Torah, even with mesirus nefesh,and he continued to preserve the

The Michelashvili brothers

Jewish flame so it would not beextinguished.”

In those years there was thefamous Doctor’s Plot in whichsupposedly, a group of Jewish doctorswanted to poison Soviet leadersincluding the cursed Stalin.Throughout Russia, many Jewishdoctors were arrested as well asrabbanim and askanim.

Word of what was going onreached even the faraway town ofKulashi in Georgia. One night, theangels of death knocked on ChachamShabtai’s house and arrested him alongwith other chachamim and askanim.They were taken to a nearby townwhere Chacham Shabtai wasinterrogated about “his collaborationwith the doctors.” The purpose of theinterrogation was to extractinformation from him about his beinga melamed.

Chacham Shabtai refused to say aword. He was threatened that theywould burn him if he did not tellthem who his students were and theiraddresses.

When they saw that the Chachamwas not breaking, they began totorture him. They woke him up in themiddle of the night and immersed himin cold water and then beat him. Heaccepted this suffering with love,knowing that thanks to his silence hewas saving the parents of the talmidimfrom the punishment of a long jailsentence.

After months of suffering andtorture, he was free to go home, andthis time he was a broken man. Hisson, Chacham Yaakov describes thoseevents.

“As a result of the torture, ourfather was paralyzed on his right side.For fifteen years he was bedridden.His mind was clear but it was hard forhim to speak. He yearned to move toEretz Yisroel but was unable to do so.A few months before the family wasable to make aliya, he passed away.”

The reason the communistsinsisted on educating Jewish childrenin communist schools was so that theyoung generation would not follow inthe path of their fathers. They knewthat school was the place where thenext generation would be forged.

Due to their insistence on everychild learning in a government school,a war was waged between those whowere religious and the authorities. Thewar intensified and over time, havingno choice, many children had to go toschool, but in the afternoon hoursthey learned Torah in shuls or othersecret places.

Chacham Moshe: “We had to go tothe government school but in theafternoon and evening we studiedTorah at home. My father andgrandfather were devoted to our


The brothers’ nameswere put on the KGBblack list. These listswere printed in the

newspapers andciitizens were warnednot to have anything

to do with them.“They are poisoningour young children,”

saaid the paper.

A HISTORY OF GEORGIAGeorgia, until a few years ago, was one of the republics of the Soviet

Union. It borders on Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the northern Caucasus.

According to the tradition of Georgian Jews, they are descendents oftribes who were exiled by King Shalmaneser. According to anothertradition, their ancestors were exiled there by Nevuchadnetzar King ofBavel.

Over the centuries, the Jews of Georgia suffered as Christians andMoslems made their lives difficult. Many of them died al kiddush Hashemwhen they refused to convert.

After the Communist Revolution, the Soviets conquered Georgia. Thiswas 1921 and thus ended Georgia’s independence which had begun afterthe deposed reign of the czar.

With the Soviets in power, Jews began to leave the villages and townsfor the big cities where there were large Jewish communities. It should benoted that all Georgian Jews lived in separate Jewish neighborhoods andnon-Jewish families did not dare to live in their neighborhoods. Thisenabled them to keep mitzvos without assimilating with goyim andlearning their ways.

They kept Torah without interference within the strong family unitsthat are characteristic of Georgian Jews. This is why there was nointermarriage, unlike other countries. Likewise, Georgian Jews producedno informers and not one of them was a member of the cursed Yevsektzia.

During World War II, when European Jews were persecuted andmillions were murdered, thousands of refugees came from conqueredareas of Russia and found a haven in Georgia. Their fellow Jews tookthem in with open arms. Although Georgian Jews were poor, theygraciously extended aid to the refugees.

chinuch.

“The big problem was Shabboswhen we refused to go to school.There were years when it was possibleto provide various excuses like beingsick, the need to help out at home etc.but the authorities caught on after awhile and their annoyance trickleddown to the principals and teacherswho did not want to hear excusesanymore. There were parents whowere penalized because their childrendid not attend school on Shabbos.

“When my grandfather heard ofjust the possibility of our going toschool on Shabbos he said sadly, ‘Allthat I gave you, my dear grandsons, isworth nothing if you go to school onShabbos.’”

So what did you do?

“Friday in Georgia was a daycompletely dedicated to preparing forShabbos. We prepared all the food forShabbos on Friday. My grandfatherwas always involved in preparing forShabbos but he did not beginpreparing until he managed, somehow,to send ‘gifts’ to the teachers of mybrothers and myself so they wouldn’tinform on us to the authorities. That ishow instead of going to school onShabbos, we davened in shul.”

Chacham Ben-Tzion: “Youngchildren were not allowed to go toshul, only boys from age 16, but wesnuck to shul anyway and prayed.”

Chacham Moshe: “In Kalushi,there were a few shuls. Seeing the shulwhere we prayed on Shabbos was abeautiful sight to behold as hundredsof Jews exited despite the nonstoppersecution.”

The three Michelashvili brothersgrew up and followed in their father’sways. Officially, they worked in themornings in sh’chita but in theafternoon and evening hours theywent from house to house in order toteach Torah to children, to read theShma, and put on t’fillin with people.They taught Chumash, Mishna, and

Gemara to those who were capable.

Chacham Ben-Tzion: “A smallgroup of children gathered at eachhouse and I gave a shiur for two hoursand then went on to the next placewhere another group of childreneagerly waited. There were times whenI went from house to house frommorning till late at night. In themorning I taught preschool childrenwho were not required to attendschool. In the afternoon and evening Itaught older children who had been in

school during the morning. Thechildren were very interested in ourlessons. Baruch Hashem we weren’tcaught, but parents of children wouldbe called to the KGB offices and werewarned.”

At some point the secret policecaught on to them and began to followthe brothers. This went on for a longtime but despite it, they weren’t

caught. They bribed one of the KGBmen and each time they planned araid on a certain street, the brotherswere given advance notice.

If the KGB planned an ambushnear a house where they weresupposed to teach, the brothers didn’tshow up. It was truly a series ofwondrous miracles.

The brothers’ names were put onthe KGB black list. These lists wereprinted in the newspapers and citizenswere warned not to have anything to

do with them. “They are poisoning ouryoung children,” said the paper.

Chacham Yaakov: “Those wererough years. It’s not easy to describethe terrible situation which prevailedthen. We weren’t able to sleep as ourworries did not allow us to, forperhaps in another moment the KGBwould be knocking at the door andarresting us.”


Children of the Georgian community in Georgia. In the back, standing, areChachamim Ben-Tzion, Yaakoov, and Moshe Michelashvili

and Chacham Refael Alashvili


Where did you get the strength tocontinue to teach under suchterrifying circumstances?

Chacham Moshe: “It’s harddescribe it to someone who wasn’tthere. In wartime, every soldier hasabilities he doesn’t have in ordinarytimes. At that time we had thestrength. There’s no question thatheavenly assistance and the merit ofour Rebbeim stood by us.”

Chacham Ben-Tzion: “TeachingTorah to children is our familytradition for generations. Mygrandfather had a Talmud Torah with150 students. Although this wasbefore the communist regime, toorganize a Talmud Torah on that scalein Georgia was no simple thing.

“My father followed his father’sexample and taught children and thatwas under the communists and he hadto do it secretly. And then we threebrothers saw it as our obligation andprivilege to continue the traditiondespite the enormous difficulties.”

Was thhere no period of calm?

Chacham Ben-Tzion: “There was abrief time when the teaching tookplace in the home of a wealthy Jewwho agreed to endanger himself andhost the shiurim. We had peace andquiet because the police were afraid toenter his house since he was apowerful man in town. For two yearswe taught Gemara and Chassidus withno interference and baruch Hashem,our talmidim are living throughoutEretz Yisroel and many of them arequite religious.”

Did you teach adults too?

Chacham Yaakov: “Yes. Althoughthe adults were usually busy making aliving, we took advantage of times likea yahrtzait or (l’havdil) a family simchawhen many Jews gathered. Theyalways honored a Chacham to speak atthe beginning of the event. We wouldgive an inspiring speech or tell storiesof tzaddikim.”

Chacham Moshe: Even today,

many years afterward, when I meetGeorgian Jews, even if they don’tknow how to learn, they can repeatstories of tzaddikim that we told themat one event or another.”

The Michelashvili’s familyconnection with Chabad begangenerations ago. The family inheritedfrom their grandfather a letterhandwritten by the Alter Rebbe. Thefamily guarded this precious letter butdue to the persecution it was lost.

When emissaries of the RebbeRashab and the Rebbe Rayatz went toGeorgia, the father and grandfatherconnected with them. The shluchimincluded R’ Shmuel Levitin who wasin Kutaisi, R’ Sossonkin, R’ Perlov, andR’ Slavin (may Hashem avenge hisblood).

Chacham Ben-Tzion: “As youngboys we learned Chassidus with theChassid R’ Dovid Skolnik who cameto Kulashi in the 60’s. For five yearswe continued learning, two hours inthe morning and two hours at night,and four hours on Shabbos.”

Were there sifrei Chassidus inGeorgiaa?

Chacham Yaakov: “Hardly any.”

As we spoke, Chacham Yaakovshowed me a small booklet. On theblue binding was handwritten, KuntresHaT’filla. The pages of the bookletcontained a nicely handwritten KuntresHaT’filla and maamarei Chassidus ofthe Rebbe Rashab and Rebbe Rayatz.

“That’s how we learned Chassidus,”said Chacham Yaakov with tears in hiseyes. “First we labored to copy thes’farim and then we pored over them.

“We wrote the maamarim while atwork. The Chassid R’ Dovid Skolniklent me sifrei Chassidus and I copiedmaamarim from them. The writingtook a long time and I did it while atthe slaughterhouse.

“In order that later generationsknow what we went through inGeorgia, I printed a booklet with aphotocopy of our handwritten

booklet. I gave it to the members ofmy family so they would know of themesirus nefesh for the study ofChassidus.”

Over the years did shluchim of theRebbe come to Kulashi?

Chacham Yaakov: “Today it isknown that the Rebbe sent ritual itemsvia the Israeli embassy in Moscow. Theone who did the actual work was thefirst secretary at the embassy, Mr. LubaEliav. He was a big help for Judaism ingeneral and Chabad in particular. Hewould travel around the Soviet Unionand in various ways give Anashdifferent s’farim and ritual items.”

Chacham Moshe: “Luba Eliavwould come to Kulashi too. He would

A BRACHA THATWAS FULFILLED

The Chassidim, R’ ShmuelLevitin, R’ Mordechai Perlov, andR’ Avrohom Levik Slavin, went tothe home of the grandfather ofthe Michelashvilis, ChachamAvrohom, for Pesach. Theywanted to buy matzos from himthat he baked by hand himself.They knew that ChachamAvrohom’s matzos were bakedwith great hiddur.

At the meal prepared in honorof the distinguished guests,Chacham Avrohom told themwhat was on his mind. “My sonShabtai is married for a few yearsand does not have children.” Theshluchim wrote a letter to theRebbe Rayatz and asked for abracha for him.

A few weeks went by and thena telegram arrived from the RebbeRayatz who was in Riga at thetime. “Within a year they willhave a son,” is what the telegramsaid. Chacham Shabtai did indeedhave a son that year. “That son isme,” said Chacham Yaakov, aresident of Kfar Chabad.

spend a few hours there and woulddistribute s’farim and t’fillin and thenleave immediately. He never spent anight in Kulashi. A Jew who spoke tohim was in danger. Anybody seencontacting him was quicklyinterrogated by the KGB about thenature of the connection betweenthem.

“The Chassid Notke Berkahan oncecame to our city on the Rebbe’sshlichus. He came from Riga, where helived, in the guise of a tourist. In orderto appear as a genuine tourist he stoodin the center of the marketplace ofKulashi and began taking pictures. Hewas not aware of the fact that in a littletown in Georgia a camera was a rarity.Passersby who saw him with a camerathought he was a spy and called thepolice. He was taken for interrogationand they found the HaYom Yom andsichos of the Rebbe in his bags.

“The Jews in town heard about thisand after much effort and bribes, hewas released. This was on Friday andpeople were afraid to host him sincehe was suspected of being a spy. Oneof the Jews who lived on the outskirtsof town agreed to host him forShabbos for the sake of the mitzva ofHachnasas Orchim. On MotzaeiShabbos we went to this man’s houseand R’ Notke farbrenged with us andgave us s’farim and ritual objects thatwere hard to obtain.”

Diplomatic ties between Israel andthe Soviet Union were broken with theoutbreak of the Six Day War. TheRussians took sides in the war and sowhen Israel won, ties were cut.

The day the war began is when theMichelashvilis were grantedpermission to leave Russia. It was anopen miracle. The brothers recountthe story of the miracle of theirexodus:

Chacham Moshe: “Fear of theauthorities reigned supreme. Therewere also problems with parnasa sincewe didn’t work on Shabbos, and wewere also concerned about medical


I wrote this copy of Kuntres HaT’filla in 1962 in Georgia – Yaakov Michelashvili

Chacham ShabtaiThe tthree Michelashvili brothers upontheir arrival in Eretz Yisroel

treatment for our father who was sick.We had no money for tickets to EretzYisroel and we were known as a familywhose activities opposed thegovernment. The thought of leavingfor Eretz Yisroel was merely a dream.

“Then one day I got into aconversation with a Jew who was theattorney general of Georgia who said,‘According to law you cannot bepunished for wanting to make aliyabut, as you know, if they want to, theycan make false accusations against youand send you to Siberia for years. Youneed to tread carefully.’”

Chacham Yaakov: “After we got avisa from a relative who lived in Israel,I went with my cousin to Tbilisi inorder to get an exit visa from theemigration office (OVIR). I first metwith the Chacham of Tbilisi who alsowarned me that although I could enterthe emigration office in peace, therewas no guarantee that I would exit inpeace.

“This was at the end of Iyar 1967,a Monday. We went to the emigrationoffice and as soon as we walked inthey told us to follow one of theofficials. He entered an elevator whichtook us to the fourteenth floor wherehe had us enter an office and then heclosed the door.

“We waited for a long time but noone came in. We began to worry buthad no idea what was going on. Atfour in the afternoon a cleaning ladycame in who innocently told us thatsenior officials were busy ‘with topsecret matters’ and so they had notime to deal with us.

“At the time, we didn’t know whatthis was about and it was only laterthat we learned that a war had brokenout that morning between Israel andher neighbors. The Soviet Union tookthe side of the Arabs and tensions inthe offices ran high.

“At five o’clock a senior officialentered the office with two assistants.He asked us what we wanted andwhen he heard that we wanted to go

to Israel, he was furious. He bangedwith both hands on the desk andscreamed, ‘Why do you want to go tothat cursed country?’ He continuedyelling and cursing and my heart beatquickly and I felt very weak. I realizedthat the chances of our getting visaswere nil and I hoped we could just getout in peace.

“After a long while the man calmeddown and asked us for the documentsthat pertained to our request. Heflipped through the paperwork andasked who wanted to leave. Iexplained that I and my family wantedto make aliya and my cousin hadaccompanied me in order to help mefill out the forms.

“‘And who is the old man standingbehind you?’ he asked. I turnedaround and didn’t see anyone. I asked,‘Which old man do you mean?’ Hepointed at an old man standing behindme. He was quiet and then told one ofhis assistants to approve our request tomake aliya.

“I felt so very weak due to thegreat emotions that overcame me thatit was only thanks to my cousin that Imanaged to leave and get to a shul forMaariv. When we got there we foundout that war had broken out withIsrael. At Maariv I thanked Hashem forthis great miracle, for enabling us toleave the vale of tears for EretzYisroel.”

Who was the old man in theoffice?

“I don’t know. I thought about it alot and finally concluded that it wasthe Rebbe who came to extricate meand my family from Russia.”

The Michelashvilis leaving Russiamade a tiny hole in the Iron Curtain.They were the first people fromGeorgia to receive the coveted visasand therefore their leaving was ahappy occasion for the entirecommunity.

The day they left, the entirecommunity including the chachamim

and other people, women andchildren, congregated in the shul inorder to say goodbye.

Chacham Yaakov: “At the end ofSivan we went to Moscow and fromthere we took a direct flight to Vienna.It’s hard to describe our emotions atthe time. Friends and acquaintancesfeared for us and said, ‘It doesn’t makesense that just as the war ended with apolitical defeat for the Soviet Union,that they’re allowing you to leave.They can prevent you from leaving ina thousand ways.’

“No wonder then that we wereterrified when a few minutes beforethe flight the pilot said that ‘as per anemergency request from the securityservice there will be a stop at theairport in Kiev.’ We looked at oneanother in surprise and fright. Theplane landed and dozens of policemanand KGB agents boarded andconducted a thorough search. Nobodycan understand how terrified we wereduring those two hours. It was onlyafter the search had ended that theplane took off for Vienna from wherewe continued to Venice and thensailed for Eretz Yisroel. On 10 Tamuzwe arrived on safe shores at the portcity of Chaifa.

“My mother insisted that we moveimmediately to Kfar Chabad. Suddenlywe felt how easy it was in Israel toobserve mitzvos and learn Torah infreedom.

“We did not forget our brothersback in Georgia and we helped them alot in obtaining visas and otherdocuments. It was two years later, in1969, when the big aliya of GeorgianJewry began.”

When the three brothers arrived,people were amazed to see Jews withsuch impressive Jewish appearances,who had come from the Soviet Union.

Chacham Ben-Tzion: “Two monthsafter we arrived, we flew to the Rebbein order to spend Yom Tov with him.We met R’ Shmuel Levitin in 770 whotold us that on Simchas Torah the


Rebbe told him prophetically thatwithin a year the ‘Georgians’ will behere, and behold, the prophecy cametrue!

“The Rebbe gave us specialtreatment. At every farbrengen hewaited until all three of us werepresent. One time, one of the brotherswas delayed and the Rebbe askedwhere the third brother was…

“We asked the Rebbe whether togo into business or to continue ourwork among the Georgian community.The Rebbe’s answer was ‘continue yourwork in the ways of your fathers inGeorgia.’”

Chacham Moshe: “The Rebbe toldus not to change the customs weobserved in Georgia. The Rebbe alsotold us to preserve our niggunim.”

Chacham Yaakov: “When we hadyechidus, the Rebbe told me not tochange the nusach ha’t’filla we used inGeorgia.”

Chacham Ben-Tzion: “When Idaven alone I use Nusach HaArizaland when I daven as the chazan I usethe nusach we have used for hundredsof years.”

In conclusion:

Chacham Yaakov: “I call uponGeorgian Jews to farbreng andstrengthen their Torah and mitzvaobservance with fear of heaven.Halevai in this z’chus the Rebbe willbe revealed now!”

An aliya in the Rebbe’s minyan

At dollars

NOTES:

1) See the book of Daniel and its commentators. Cf. Ner Mitzvah by theMaharal of Prague.

2) Concerning the connection between Saddam and Nebuchadnezzar, seeMissiles, Masks and Miracles by Charles Samuel.2) Jeremiah 12:1-2.4) See Seder HaDoros years 3319; 3364; 3386, and references notedthere. These three generations are known in Jewish literature as the eraof the “Babylonian exile.” It was during this time that the center ofJudaism moved from Israel to Babylon, or present day Iraq and becamethe primary center for Jewish life and learning for the following 1500years. Even afterward, a large and viable Jewish community alwaysexisted in Iraq till the early 1950s. Today, there are few Jews left in

Baghdad.5) Sanhedrin 96a; Yalkut Shir HaShirim; Esther Rabba chapter 3; ZoharTruma 175a. Quoted in Rashi Yirmiya 12:5. – The Talmud states thatNebuchadnezzar walked four steps, but all of the other sources quotedabove (including Rashi to Yirmiya ibid.) state that it was a three-steptrek (Cf. Maharsha to Sanhedrin ibid. who points this out, and MekorChesed to Seifer Chassidim 18:6.)6) According to the Talmud ibid., Jeremiah was lamenting particularlyabout the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. And the answer to his outcry wasthe story with Nebuchadnezzar taking three steps to honor G-d.7) See Sanhedrin ibid. that an angel actually prevented Nebuchadnezzarfrom moving forward.8) Maharsha to Sanhedrin ibid.9) 4:30.

[Continued from pg. 31]


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