Friday, October 29, 2010

לכבוד חאגע



A Mussar Lesson

One of those stories that you're not sure what to about. Do you emulate the Rov and Rebbetzin and prepare nosh for the little monsters, or do you just take it as a lesson in kiddush hashem bichlal, just to be sweet and nice and polite to nit-Yidden? I wonder if Rav Pam's children do the same today. I think I may have done the same thing when I lived in a mostly non-Jewish building in Crown Heights. Maybe not prepare bags of popcorn beforehand, but I may have given some nosh to the kids if they rang my doorbell. I'll have to jog my memory a bit.

But wait, There's more!! Here's a comment that was posted to this story:

"For what it’s worth, I learned in Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in Queens, NY. It was common knowledge that the Rosh HaYeshiva - Rav Henoch Leibowitz, zt”l - and his Rebbitzen, a”h, would hand out candy to the local non-Jewish trick or treaters who came to their door (back in Forest Hills there were many non-Jewish neighbors) Many Yeshiva bochrim lived in their basement over the years and will readily testify to this. This is part and parcel of being a good neighbor. BTW, Rav Pam & Rav Henoch were “classmates” as young men & learned under Rav Henoch’s father - Rav Dovid Leibowitz, zt”l - for several years. Rav Dovid was a very close friend and older Chavrusah of Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky’s back in Slabodka. Word is that Rav Yaakov, zt”l, would also hand out candys to the local non-Jewish trick or treaters. There’s an easy to follow trail to their attitudes and behaviors."

You hear that, you people in Boro Park and Williamsburg??!!


The point isn't chas vesholom to laugh at Rav Pam. I'm just allergic to such goody-goody stories, as well as how this gadol said good-morning to the janitor in his building and that gadol would tip his postman come Kratzmech. I blame my chassidishe upbringing for that. We focused more on the length of your peyos and the type of hat you were going to wear. Lubavitchers are also guilty of too many of those kinds of stories, just so that you know and see that I'm being sincere here. Have a Happy One!

29 comments:

Fremd said...

It reminds of Reb Moshe's reb. who would, after the sefer, hand out the spilt wine to the gentile neighbors.

With my eyes shut, the guy is a CC person who is convinced that they have the true derech of Slabodko. I have read-up on the CC's system's way of learning and I see the types of people they produce, and I am still no where close to being convinced that they represent Slabodko (even in some way). I don't see personality, individualism, creativity or ingenuity amongst the CC products I have encountered. They are more American, and are somehwat sticklers. Anyways, if anybody here can enlighten me, it would be appreciated.
Somehow, CC attracts people for life - it is not a transient stage, but many remain a CC-talmid. Many of them do outreach and a lot go out to far flung places just to open up Chadorim and that should be commended. I think that proves that CC - products opened hadorim behind the iron curtain. no?

For some reasons, CC and John Hopkins, have a good nose when it comes to seeing the truth about Chabad. You have to give something to the more American yeshiva graduates, for having their heads on strait. I wonder how they react when the Chabad kinderlach knock on their door - or maybe the kids instinctavely know better.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

"CC and Johns Hopkins have a good nose when it comes to seeing the truth about Chabad"

what in the world?!

Anonymous said...

Hirshel
he means to say that Chabad is their competition, because they are in the same line, as Chazal Say Iman sonai Bnie Imnosai, thats why they needed the great Wienberg of Ner Yisroel/Hopkins produce tapes ranting al Hashem veal Meshichoi.

Anonymous said...

By the way all thses Gedolim stories just might stem from the Fact if you dont get Candy then The house gets Fecal matter and or toilet papee thrown at it (JUST SAYING)

Friendly Anonymous said...

I'm taking a pumpkin to the Ohel Sunday night

Shmuel said...

"thats why they needed the great Wienberg of Ner Yisroel/Hopkins produce tapes ranting al Hashem veal Meshichoi."

This crazy rant YOU ALLOW, from an anoynmous poster!!

Yet you com plain ABOUT the "bashers and Haters"
I guess in your book it depends who you are BASHING.If it's people who you were taught to hate, it's ok. I.e. bashing Lubavitch,"terrible" bashing "snags/Satmar etc" good.
Nice.
Look up the definition of "hypocrite"

Fed up in Peoria said...

Equal opportunity stupid remark.

Tzig, you just can't help yourself.

Friendly Anonymous said...

I'm taking a pumpkin to the Ohel Sunday night

LikeWhatever said...

What a beautiful story. Respecting other peoples cultures might just make them respect ours...

Tzig, eggs hurt!

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

yeah, I know.

Shmuel Yitzchokson said...

My earliest memories of the chag: Reb Yisroel Shemtov walking up to a group of shvartzes three times his size, and smashing all the eggs in their pockets!

Lchaim!!

grainom said...

the story is pointless for practical puroses. did rav pam EVER tell any talmid to do so? i doubt it.
did rav pam have any young children living at home when the story took place? i dont think so.
remember, every story and legend has to always be painted in the context of when it actually accured. it was not a limud larabim, it was a story that supposedly happened...

Yaakov said...

Tzig,
I see "you know how to be cynical"
You snidely attack the Skverrer Rebbe,mock him as if he claimed to be someone "vus vaist alles".However when your fellow Lubavitchers claim that your rebbe knew everything, you have no problem and get oh, so angry, hissy fits, when someone dishes out about Lubavitch (and unfortunately we all know that there is a lot to mock about Lubavitch)
Bkitser:You "know" howto dish out but don't know how to take,eh?
How spineless!!!!!!

WanderingJew said...

Tzig the above comment should be moderated. No attacks allowed!

LikeWhatever

Gershon said...

Wandering,
The one who attacked is the Goat.
I just called him on an attack he made on Bechadri Chareidim.
This spineless fellow cries crocodile tears, while he has allowed the worst thing against his perceived enemies, which include the biggest rebbes and rabbunem.This guy had the chutzpah to write snide remarks against R'Abba Dunner, a fellow with tremendous merits.All this despite Dunners tremendous personal suffering.For Goats it makes little difference, after all this tipesh is protecting "Lubavitch's honour"!
(I have never disrespected Lubavitch more since reading this tipesh's blog, realizing unfortunately that this is the general "ruach" there).
Goat, respect others and then you will be respected.
(Btw, the Stalin era is over.You don't need to give up your proverbial father for Stalin anymore.
Actually, maybe in Lubavitch that era is not over??)

מענדל said...

הירשעלע
און וואס איז מיט דער חשש פון עבודה זרה?
מענדל

Berel said...

Mendel,
Where A"Z,In Lubavitch?
It's only a minority.

WanderingJew said...

Tzig Tzig. milech mit blitt iz far unz verbotten.

Keep the comments civil.

All Halloween egg throwers shouls pls stick to BeChadrei...

Kalman said...

When is halowin?

Thats חאגע
U mean?

Avrumy said...

Civil goes both ways.
Veda"l

Mark said...

Azoi vi ess kristelt zich yiddelt zich.
An interesting phenomenon in the Goyishe world is that The Mormon Church is extremely disliked by non Mormons.In fact, Mitt Romney, Massachusetts Governor and Republican presidential hopeful, was said to have a major obstacle to winning the Republican nomination because of his religious views.
The reason they are so disliked is because they are very aggressive to converting everyone else to their pretty strange "Book of Mormon" nonsense.
I see many similarities with the distaste and dislike that Yidden have for the Lubavitch movement because of this.
Nobody wants to be aggressively targeted to give up their faith and especially when the movement picks on the young and impressionable.
Unfortunately Lubavitch is in terrible disarray and denial since 1994.It's sad because if the movement would work with other Yidden and understand that their are many paths to Hashem much good could be accomplished

Gedalia said...

mark and gershon-
so pained to hear that those are your feelings on the matter...
unfortunately when one is overly excited about one's way of life, one can lose touch with reality and forget that the world sees things differently and that not everyone is on the same euphoric cloud....seichel darf men oich hoben...

Twistelton-Twistelton said...

"the story is pointless for practical puroses. did rav pam EVER tell any talmid to do so? i doubt it."

He did tell the entier neighborhood to put out flags during the Gulf war. I lived aroung the cornor.

Anonymous said...

Hi there Mr. Twisty-
I think that there is a difference between doing something meshum aiveh and being a Mah Yofis Yid.

Fed up in Peoria said...

The comments are repetitive,boring and the equivalent of dung wrestling. The oilam is right you are just a two-bit bitter spit disturber.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

Peoria

you're not helping...

itchiemayer said...

I'd be fed up too if I was stuck in Peoria....Go Braves!

Fed up in Peoria said...

I'm getting into the spirit of this primordial ooze of a blog. It's kind of therapeutic.

CR said...

Lost in this whole discussion (not that much of a surprise. VDL) is the fact that most "frumme" goyim view H'een as a minhag shtus.

gedalia said...

CR
Even if they wouldnt, wouldnt we?