Dear Alumni Sheyichyu!
Sholom U’Brocho!
Mazel Tov to Chaim Yisroel Sperlin on the occasion of his engagement. May he use out the special period of Yokor Mikol yokor to its’ utmost! Mazel Tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Meir Simcha Rubashkin on the birth of their daughter. Mazel Tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Shimmy Gerlitzky on the birth of their son. Mazel Tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Moshe Gourarie on the birth of their son. May they bring them up lTOveCHuMAA”T mitoch harchovo, and to be true chayolim/os! (If anyone is aware of any mazel tov’s that I omitted please let me know).
Thank you as always for the feedback, it is much appreciated.
The following amazing story was shared by Rabbi Velvel Butman during a farbrengen in the Yeshiva in Cincinnati. It was told to me recently by R’ Shlomo Gu leizer, and Rabbi Gershon Av on graciously edited it and filled in the details. Many thanks to them:
The Rebbetzin had a second or third cousin, from the Belzer Rokeach family, who was visiting her. This cousin informed the Rebbetzin that he was planning a trip to Israel. The Rebbetzin asked of him that when he is there he should please do her a favour: Being that they had just built the new building in Kfar Chabad in the image of 770, she asked him to visit Kfar Chabad and take pictures of it and bring them back to her. The cousin was happy to oblige.
Upon arriving in Eretz Yisroel, he requested of his taxi driver, that on the way to his destination they should make a stop in Kfar Chabad. On the way, the taxi driver asked this cousin, why was he was stopping in Kfar Chabad, it did not appear that this was his type of place. The passenger answered, that he was a relative of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and Rebbetzin, and he was making this stop as a favor to the Rebbetzin.
“If so”, said the taxi driver, “I have a story about the Rebbe to tell you”:
“I lived in Russia in the 1970's, and, although I was not religious, I became a refusenik. For this crime–like so many others–I was arrested and sent to a forced labor camp in Siberia. When I arrived, I was unceremoniously informed of my prospects: I was given an axe and told that for the next five years I would be chopping trees. If for some reason, I did not come back at night, so be it.
On my way to work, I was accosted by a Russian goy (a big and nasty one) and he immediately began insulting me and my being Jewish. He bullied me, saying that he expects ‘the Jew’ to chop the trees for him. I defended myself and a fight broke out, after which we both ended up half unconscious and in the hospital.
I awoke in the hospital, where I was approached by a nurse. “This is not a place where people come to get better”, he/she informed me cynically, “this is a hospital to which people come to die! There’s not even a doctor here, just me, a nurse. Either one heals alone, or, forget it”.
The next morning, I woke up half conscious, when somehow, unexpectedly, a doctor materialized who had ended up there by some chance. He began treating me, and approximately ten days later, I was ready to return to the barracks, and chopping trees.
But I didn't know if this was good news or bad news. I knew that what awaited me in the barracks was the same routine as before, and I didn't know how much longer I could survive it.
However, as I was preparing to go out to work, very unexpectedly, the warden called me over. He advised that a desk job had just become available, and I had the choice of going out into the woods to chop trees or to be transferred to the office job.
Knowing the prospects of being in the woods, although I was not sure of what awaited me at the “desk job”, I decided that at least there I might have some chance, and asked to be transferred.
After a year at the desk job, my warden (natchalnick) called me over and told me the following: ‘I was just given permission from higher authorities, to release my prisoner, if you so choose, you can leave now. Go to the city where those that leave the country leave from, you can pick up your papers and you are free to go. Don't stop to shop, etc., take what you have and go!’ I gathered my belongings (a very small package, since I had few worldly possessions) and went to the train station.
After a long trek by foot, during which I was trying to make sense of all that transpired, and at the same time not sure if this was real, or if there was some sinister or diabolical scheme taking place, I finally arrived at the station. On the platform, I was met by a person, obviously an official who came over and confronted me. He had his hand in his coat pocket, which scared me, and he asked me if I knew who he was. I answered, that while I did not know him personally, I knew exactly who he was. In my mind, my worst fears were coming true. Here I was, alone in a train station in Siberia, facing a KGB agent with a gun in his pocket aimed right at me.
He then ordered me to get into his official limousine. He drove me into the forest, and ordered me out of the car. I got out, and we began walking into the forest. I was expecting the worst, I was unarmed and I could be shot at any moment. He then stopped walking and ordered me to stop. He put his hand into his pocket and took out a wallet. He then took out a picture of a bearded Rabbi (I had no idea who it was) and he began telling me the following:
“I work for this Rabbi. I have been watching you since you arrived in Siberia. I sent the doctor to heal you, I arranged the desk job for you, and I arranged the pardon that your warden gave you. You are to go directly to the point of leaving, Go straight to the government emigration office. There is a visa waiting there for you. Pick up the visa and ticket, head immediately to the airport. There is a flight leaving. Go there, and don’t ever look back!”
I indeed travelled to Israel that night and have been working here ever since.
Upon my arrival in Israel, I saw the many large and super large signs with the Rebbe’s picture. Recognising the face in the picture as the bearded Jew that had been shown to me by the KGB agent in the forest, I asked about who he was, and thus I came to become familiar with the Rebbe, who had rescued me from Russia”!
The cousin of the Rebbetzin completed his trip, and subsequently visited the Rebbetzin and presented her with the pictures she requested. After giving her the pictures, the Rebbetzin smiled and asked, "Did anything else happen during your trip".
Tonight is the 7th day of Marcheshvon. It is a day that marks the final departure from the elated atmosphere of Tishrei into the mundane atmosphere of our day-to-day life. The Rebbe often quoted the statement of the Shach, who writes that until zayin Cheshvon the Yidden still had the sense that they were in the Beis Hamikdash and experiencing the lingering kedusha.
Now is the time when we, necessarily, leave that behind. But we are not truly leaving it behind. Rather, we are now charged with the mission to funnel and channel the lofty experiences of Tishrei into the coming year. The month of various forms of closeness with Hashem, has to now be translated into an enhanced relationship with Him that will continue to be recognizable as we return to our worldly occupations (“worldly” for each person in his own way; - but for everyone the yearly preoccupations are “worldly” in comparison to what we were involved with during Tishrei).
The yearning for Hashem’s Kingship throughout Rosh Hashono needs to be expressed in an increased awareness and acknowledgement of His Kingship throughout the year.
The heartfelt scream of “Hashem Hu HoElokim” on Yom Kippur, as we stood at the end of our day of fasting and were comparable to celestial beings, needs to imbue our activities every day with a clearer recognition that the concealment that originates from Elokim is in essence one with Havaya.
The spiritual joy that engulfed us fully during the entire Sukkos, reaching its’ climax on Shmini Atzeres and Simchas Torah, must influence our attitude during all the coming weeks and months, enabling us to appreciate the joy of a mitzvah and of serving Hashem and to adjust our priorities accordingly.
It follows that now on zayin Cheshvon, when the transfer from Tishrei to the rest of the year has to take place, is a time when we must evaluate the impact that this Tishrei had on us, so that we can properly determine what exactly is the effect that we want it to have on the remainder of the year.
Once, during the farbrengen of the night of Simchas Torah before hakofos, the Rebbe began to speak about tzedaka. He demanded that everyone give tzedaka beyond their abilities, in large amounts. He promised that anyone who would give, would get back 4 times the amount; even if they could see no natural way of their money being restored, they should disregard any rational calculations and pledge large amounts of money (don’t worry, this isn’t leading up to an appeal!).
After the farbrengen, Chassidim were discussing what the Rebbe had said, and concluded that the Rebbe was apparently in need of large sums of money for one mission or another. They decided to make sure that the need is attended to, and, indeed, after Yom Tov a number of chassidim sent in large contributions to the Rebbe. At the farbrengen the next Shabbos, the Rebbe clarified: “This was not an appeal”, he explained, “but another matter entirely. After the experiences of all of the Yomim Tovim, Rosh Hashono, Yom Kippur, Sukkos etc., I wanted to see who was finally ready to go beyond their limitations. The best area in which to test this was with money. Therefore”, the Rebbe concluded, “anyone who was able to emerge from their limitations and pledge the money at the time of the sicha, that money will be accepted (with the promises discussed). However, anyone who decided to give it afterwards, will have it returned”.
Rabbi Chodakov called in each chosid who had sent in money and asked them when the decision had been made, and anyone who hadn’t decided to give it immediately, was told to take it back!
Today, too, as we stand on the bridge that connects Tishrei with the rest of the year, we need to evaluate ourselves. We have to see how much we are able to go beyond our limitations.
And–since the objective is not an appeal but an evaluation–the test is not limited to money. Rather, let us emerge from our hagbolos in every area: in learning Torah, nigleh and chassidus, more than we thought we had the time for, with more effort and concentration than we thought we could muster and with shutting out all outside distractions and worries in a manner more powerful than we believed ourselves capable.
In avoda, focusing on davening with the yegias nefesh and yegias bosor (that the Alter Rebbe tells us about in Tanya) that goes beyond our custom and comfort zone.
And in gemilus chassodim, to resolve to do that mitzvah or hiddur mitzvah that we previously believed impossible, to do acts of kindness that are beyond our limitations and to break out of our boundaries in endeavoring to increase our ahavas yisroel in manners which we had believed ourselves incapable.
We each need to take this opportunity to push ourselves a bit further; - to fulfil the directive at the beginning of this weeks’ Parsha "לך לך מארצך וממולדתך ומבית אביך"! And when we take that little step, we will come to the sudden realization that all of our perceived limitations were not real at all, and their entire existence was merely to enable us to challenge ourselves.
Which brings us to our story: The ultimate antithesis of G-dliness and holiness in the world was embodied by the KGB, those hated agents of communism that represented the untiring war against Judaism. The arch enemy of Chassidus, of our Rebbeim, was the Russian government and its’ evil philosophies.
Great men were brought to their knees by this power, what chance could the refusenik in the story have had against this invincible foe? Indeed, for him the future seemed bleak and hopeless. But, just when it seemed impossible to detect a light at the end of the tunnel, he was informed that the hated and feared KGB agent was in fact... an agent of the Lubavitcher Rebbe!
For, in truth, all of our obstacles, all of our seemingly insurmountable impediments, exist only in our perception. When we put in a bit more effort, we are brought to the realization that they are, in reality, not obstacles at all. For, in reality, the entire world is nothing more than the manifestation of His Kingship.
Which is the true idea of Hashem Hu HoElokim, - the inner thread that connects all of the moments of Tishrei. It was what the Rebbe made into the central theme of the farbrengen of Shabbos Noach 5752, for it is primarily this precious and all-important ideal that we need to take from our Tishrei, internalize, and ensure that it permeates the rest of our life!
So take one big step–in learning, in davening and/or in practical mitzvos–a step that takes you out of your boundaries. And let us all see clearly that all of our limitations-from the KGB to all of our present-day challenges–are merely agents of the Rebbe to reveal in the entire world that Ein Od Milvado!
L’chaim! Let us all implement the timeless lessons of “Lech Lecho”, to break through our boundaries, and may the Eibishter, in turn, take the entire world out of the boundaries of the golus with the immediate revelation of Moshiach Tzidkeinu TUMYM!!!
Rabbi Akiva Wagner
