CIRCUS TENT הירשל ציג'ס בלאג

נעאלאגישע מנהגים אין סיגעט

2012-01-31T22:48:00.003-05:00

נתקבל ב"אי-מייל" היום

ציטוט מתוך מבוא לספר 'קדושת יו"ט' שנדפס מחדש (מהדורת שפיץ) בה חושף שחופת מרן הדברי יואל מסאטמאר זצוק"ל התקיימה בבית אביו הקדוי"ט שלא תחת כיפת השמים אחרי שאביו היה אז חולה. כידוע שאצל בני אונגארן זה דבר שמסרו נפשם עליהם אחרי שנפרדו מהנעאלאגן בה'טיילונג' המפורסם, והם בין שאר מנהגי התחדשות ביטלו המנהג של חופה בחוץ תחת הרקיע. בקשר לזה שמעתי סיפור מאיש מהימן, שבשנות הבראשית על אדמת אמעריקא הוזמן רבינו לחתונה בווסט-סייד וכובד בסידו"ק, היה אז גשם שוטף, ור' חיימ'ל האלברשטאם מטשחויב-ניו יארק שאף הוא השתתף שם הציע שיערכו את החופה בפנים. הרבי מסאטמאר התלהב כדרכו שחלילה לעשות כדבר הזה בדבר שרבותינו מסרו נפשיהם עליו. ר' חיימ'ל, שידע אודות חופת מרן זצ"ל, הגיב בתמיהה הרי גם חופת כבודו נערכה בבית ולא בחוץ! רבינו ביטלו במחי יד כמי שאומר שאין זה אמת. בשעת הסעודה קרא הרבי מסאטמר לר' חיימ'ל ואמר לו, ס'טאקע אמת, אבער פאר די אונגארישע חסידים ברויך מען נישט אלעס דערציילן.....

........על כל פנים כנראה שהאחים שפיץ אינם יודעים מזה הסוד שלאונגארישע חסידים דערציילט מען נישט אלעס

יארצייט היום - כ"ק אדמו"ר מסקאליע זצ"ל

2012-01-30T17:00:00.004-05:00

Youtube Link and Description Received via e-mail

"Rabbi Dovid Yitzchak Rabinowitz, the Skolya Rebbe. (1898-1979) He was the Author of Sefer Tzemach Dovid.

"His brilliance in Torah was matched by his concern for his fellow Jews".

The Rebbe was a seventh-generation descendant of both the Ba'al Shem Tov and the Zlothichver Maggid. He traced his lineage to Rashi, Maharal, Rema, and the "Sheloh" (R. Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz 1565-1630) Skolye, a town in Western Galicia, had been his home from age four till his marriage. His father, Reb Baruch Pinchos, a Ba'al Mofes (one who effects miracles) to whom Jews from far and wide flocked, made sure to devote time to his young prodigy, to develop his vast potential. At an early age, young David Isaac displayed a rare talent and desire for originating chiddushei Torah. His father, however encouraged him to better devote his time to studying the vast sea of Torah literature. Though he heeded his father's words, Isaac'l could not abstain entirely from writing down his chiddushim and would do so late at night, in secret. In the frost of the Galician winter, he would climb up to the attic and write until the ink would freeze.

Shortly after World War 1 erupted, the Jews of Skolye were forced to flee their city. The Rebbe's father and family made their way to Vienna, where Skolye Chassidus was revived. In Vienna, the Rebbe married the daughter of Rabbi Dovid Moshe Landau, the Burstyner Rav, who had also fled to Vienna during the war. The Rebbe was still living in Vienna at the time of the Nazi Anschluss in 1938. Rabbis were high on the Nazi list of wanted Jews. A disciple sacrificed his visa to America for the Rebbe, though with G-d's help he too was able to leave. The Rebbe left Austria by plane for Switzerland; it was the last flight carrying refugees out of the country. When the Rebbe left Austria, he was forty years of age. By that time, he had written most of his more than twenty sefarim on a wide range of topics.

Upon arriving in America, the Rebbe took up residence on New York's Lower East Side, before moving to Williamsburg in 1945. In 1973, he relocated to Boro Park, along with his beis medrash. He lived there until his passing in early 1979. The Rebbe was an outstanding shaliach tzibbur. His sweet voice was complemented by the feeling of love and awe of his Creator, which permeated his words. His work was revered by Talmudic giants and he received approbations from Rabbi Aharon Kotler, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and Steipler among others."

ע"כ לשון האימייל

אמר הירשל ציג: This video clip was just made public and uploaded to the 'net for the very first time. The audio - as you can very well see - is a feed that was later added. I noticed Reb Tzudik Sheingarten in the clip. The SR had a zeide who was the first Chassidishe Rebbe to emigrate to the US and is buried in New York.

"א רבי'שע היים אין אמאליקן פוילן"

2012-01-29T16:24:00.000-05:00

דער הויף פון כ"ק אדמו"ר ר' שמחה בונים פון ווארקא-אטוואצק זצ"ל, באשריבן דורך זיין אייניקל איטא קאליש. ב' שבט איז געווען זיין יארצייט. ר' שמחה בונים איז שפעטער ארויף קיין ארץ ישראל און ליגט אין טבריה. אונזער איטא'לע איז אין די שפעטערדיגע יארען נישט געווען פון די פרומע אידענעס, אזוי אז מ'דארף איהרע ווערטער נעמען אין "קאנטעקסט." דאך איז עס זייער אן אינטערעסאנטע ביכל וואס מ'דארף לייענען. רש"ב איז נישט געווען דער "טיפיקעל" פוילישער רבי

לייענט און האט הנאה

וויקיפעדיא וועגן רש"ב

הילולת ה"בבא סאלי" זצ"ל

2012-01-28T22:14:00.012-05:00

במחיצת הגה"ח ר' חיים שלום דייטש מירושלים
אין ירושלים איז געשמאק. נאכ'ן דאווענען קען מען זיצען רואיג און פארברענגען סיי וועלכע טאג פון די וואך. דא איז דאס פרייטאג און פרייטאג איז נישט קיין ארבעט'ס טאג אין ארץ ישראל בכלל, אבער ס'וואלט געקענט זיין אזוי סיי וועלכע טאג פון וואך. ר' חיים שלום איז א יקר המציאות. א ירושלי'מער איד מדורי דורות; ער האט אלץ בחור געלערנט אין פונוביז' און איז שפעטער אריבער קיין ליובאוויטש אין כפר חב"ד. ר' חיים שלום איז אויך מצאצאי אדמו"ר הזקן, אזוי אז ליובאוויטש האט ער אין די ביינער. לכשירחיב דארף מען שרייבען מעררער וועגן רח"ש און וואס ער טוט היינט אויף אין פארשפרייטען חסידות בתוך אברכים ובני הישיבות

באדיבות: אתר חסידות.נט

היינטיקער אידיש

2012-01-26T17:33:00.001-05:00

ווען איך זעה דאס ווארט "אקציע," דערמאן איך זיך אין יפה עליאך'ס בוך, "חאסידיק טעילס אוו די האלאקאסט," און עס ווערט מיר נישט גוט. דארטן ווערט זייער אפט באשריבן די "אקציעס" פון די נאציס, ימ"ש, די אמת'ע נאציס, נישט די ישראל'דיגע פאליציי, ווי זיי פלעגן יעדען שטיק צייט צוזאמקלייבן אידען פון די געטאס און זיי דערמארדערען. טא פרעג איך אייך: פארוואס זאל מען אזא ווארט נוצען אין היינטיקן אידישן לעקסיקאן? אמת טאקע אז מ'רייסט די הויט פון מענטשען ווען עס קומט צו קלייבן געלט פאר די פארשידענע מוסדות התורה, אבער דאך. געפינט בעסער אן אנדערס ווארט. ס'איז פאראן בעסערע ווערטער. טוט נישט ווי טוהן די וואס אדער זיי אדער זייערע עלטערען און זיידעס האבען געליטן אונטער די דייטשן. כ'בין דוקא באקאנט מיט דעם חשוב'ן מוסד, ווייל מיר פלעגן אמאל זיין שכנים, און איך פלעג אפטמאל זעהן ווי די פייער אלארם פייפט במשך דעם גאנצן שבת קודש. ווען איך וואלט געוואוסט וואו דער ראשישיבה/מנהל/משגיח וואוינט וואלט איך אים אפשר געקלאפט אין טיר און זיי פארשפארט אביסל עגמת נפש. איך פלעג אויך געבן "ריידס און "היטשעס" פאר די חשוב'ע בחורים וועלכע פלעגן ווארטן נאך ישיבה אז מ'זאל אויף זיי רחמנות האבען און פירן אהיים. לויט ווי איך פארשטיי איז עס א ישיבה פון פיינע איידעלע חסידיש'ע (קרי: אונגאריש) בחורים וועלכע דער שוואכע ישיבה סיסטעם האט געלאזט אקאדעמיש דורכפאלען מאיזה טעם שיהי'. תלפיות פראבירט זיי צו שטעלן אויף די פיס. און דער היינטיקער אווענט איז ארגענעזירט אויף צו קלייבן געלט פאר די בחורי חמד. איין זאך וואלט איך זיי געראטן, אומזיסט און אומגעבעטן, אז זיי זאלען זיך טרעפן א נייעם גארפיק דעזיינער, אדער בעסער געזאגט א נייע "קאפי" מענטש, כדי אז די אקציעס זאלען זיך ענדיגן איין מאל פאר אלעמאל

!שיהי' בהצלחה

A previous writeup about Yeshiva Talpios

What is Rabbi Hertz Frankel trying to say?

2012-01-25T10:56:00.001-05:00

Pages 66-67 of Ami Magazine issue 54.RabbiFrankel

Needless to say I was surprised to see the Rebbe's picture gracing Ami's pages last week. And, נאך, the "Principal" article! נישט שייכות צו זאגען! So I began to read. At first we read about Sender Deutsch being G-d's gift to humanity. OK. I get that. No mention of his nasty side, but that's to be expected. He was his friend, after all. But then he goes on to say how he regrets never having met the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and my ears stand on end! So I continued to read, and I came out scratching my head, because it seems at one point that he had a "gotcha!" moment where he "catches" Rabbi Hodakov with an untruth. And they make a "grab" out of it in the article as well. So did he regret not meeting the Rebbe because he could make the same point to the Rebbe directly, or was it because he wanted to really meet the Rebbe and bask in his glow? Anybody care to comment?

As was made very clear in the comments, the whole story makes little sense. Not that we doubt that RHF visited with Rabbi Hodakov in 770, but the dates don't match. There was no proclamation about Tefillin till years later. AFAIK the battles against נתוחי מתים were in the late 50s, and מבצע תפלין was not announced until 1967/5727. And even on that the Rebbe didn't sign anything. The קול קורא was signed by many Rebbes and Rabbonim, including many Litvishe Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshiva, but it was done "לאור קריאת כ"ק אדמו"ר מליובאוויטש שליט"א" and the Rebbe's signature did not grace that page. So where does that leave us as to the veracity of the article in particular?

Cross-Link of the day

2012-01-24T10:11:00.000-05:00

From the BOF

Your RDA of Misnaged Bashing

2012-01-22T11:16:00.002-05:00

I assume you're tired of Satmar and Belz. So, on to your next favorite topic!

א אידישער ליד

2012-01-21T22:45:00.002-05:00

They have more than 29 Groceries in Williamsburg?!

2012-01-20T11:48:00.000-05:00

This is only a list of those that DON'T carry the Ami Magazine. I would imagine some still do. That's gotta be the highest per-capita rate of groceries per square mile in the world. But it's nice to see that Yiddishe פרנסה will continue, and that G-d does not forsake his people, even in the computer age. Printers still need to stay open, so that they can print these bans. So they still need to go to work.

Otherwise וואלט מען משוגע געווארען פאר ליידיג גיין.

....אויס איד

2012-01-19T16:13:00.002-05:00

OIS YID

אין אנדערע ווערטער מיר פייפען אויף אייך אלע. נישט בית אהרן און נישט בית זלמן לייב האבען גוט געטוהן. און טאמער מיינט "דער איד" אז זיי שטייען גוט ווייל זיי האבען אויך "מקבל געווען" דער פיוס פון אדמו"ר מבעלזא, מאכען זיי א טעות. עכ"פ לדעת המו"ל ד'פאשקעוויל זו

.צוקער זיס

!ס'איז דאך אזא גוטע זאך מיר ווילען דאס אויך

2012-01-19T15:41:00.000-05:00

2012-01-19-02

מבקשים? נאר ביז דער הייליגער ישמח משה

2012-01-19T10:31:00.003-05:00

From Here

Blogger שאץמאץ writing on Ivelt is very doubtful of today's so-called "מבקשים." He doesn't trust their motives. He says that the problem is that we allow too many "מצבים" in Yeshivos today. Too much Cholent, Kugel and י-ה אכסוף on Thursday nights. When he was growing up, or at least getting older, there was no such thing as having a good time in Yeshiva. And we grew to such great heights and madreygos! If we'd only keep them doing the basics and never let them step out of line; then we wouldn't have this terrible problem. He then goes on to poke fum at the very term מבקשים. I'll go out on a limb here and assume that the writer has a connection to the Satmar sect of Hasidic ultra-Orthodox Jews. This very Hungarian-Jewish approach to life seems to forget one very, very significant point. That were it not for the likes of the Yismach Moshe, zt"l, הראשון לבית סיגעט-סאטמאר, there would be no Satmar today. And if my memory serves me right, once his SIL convinced him of the righteousness of the Chozeh of Lublin he decided that he must go and see him! He was not content with all the levels he had reached and attained through his limud haTorah and kiyum haMitzvos until then. (imagine that happening now, where a SIL tells a FIL, and convinces him, to go see a Rebbe that he opposes - which is what happened with the Yismach Moshe and his SIL the בעל אריה דבי עילאה)

לדעתי טאר מען נישט גיין צום כותל. ניין, נישט דאס מיין איך צו זאגען. ס'איז א וויץ. (חסידי סאטמאר וועלן עס פארשטיין) כ'וויל פארשטיין פון וואנעט דאס שטאמט? פארוואס מ'לאכט זיך אויס פון יעדען בחור וואס זוכט עפעס. געראדע איז דאס אויך דא אין חב"ד, אבער אין ליובאוויטש איז יש להם על מה לסמוך, אויף וואס האט איר זיך צו פארלאזען? און אין ליובאוויטש איז דאך אלץ דא, איז זעלטן דא פעלער וואס א בחור וועט זוכען ערגעץ אנדערש. און חוץ מזה בין איך נישט געקומען דא בארעדן חב"ד..... און מ'קען שוין מיינען! וויפיל בחורים ביי אייך זוכען שוין אז מ'דארף זיך אזוי אפרעדן אויף דעם? און ס'דאך דא אזוי פיל בחורים וואס זוכען אסאך ארגערס.... טא פארוואזשע זאל מען באדערן אז מ'זוכט גוטס, נאר ווייל מ'זוכט ביי יענעם? אין רוב פעלער גייט מען נישט ווייט אוועק פונעם בוים סייוויסיי. און ווער האט אייך איינגערעדט אז די סיסטעם איז אזוי געוואלדיג ביי אייך אז מ'דארף אין ערגעץ נישט זוכען? פארוואס דארף מען בארעדן און אויסזידלען דער וואס זוכט שוין יא און פון אים חוזק מאכען אז ער טוט עס נאר ווייל ס'דא דארט פארבלעמען? לא זו הדרך, רבותי. מיר האבען בקבלה מרבותינו הק' אז דרכיה דרכי נועם און אז מ'וויל אז די קינדער זאלען גיין אויפ'ן ריכטיגן וועג דארף מען זיי לערנען בדרכי נועם און מיט גאר אסאך ליבשאפט און פארשטאנד. און טאמער "פאשעט ער אין פרעמדע פעלדער" דארף מען ערשט טוהן בדרכי נועם ווייל אז נישט איז ער פארלוירען. לדעתי איז היינט כ"ד טבת, יומא דהילולא קדישא פון רבינו הגדול בעל התניא והשו"ע נ"ע, זייער א פאסיגען טאג אויף ארויס צוברענגן דעם פונקט

עגלות קונים רק באגאבו

2012-01-18T14:36:00.003-05:00

At the "קריאת שמע לייענען" of the אייניקל of ר' מענדל הגר of Bnei Beraq last night. If you don't know what a Bugaboo is ask your wife. Or maybe don't. She might think she needs one now too. Who said Rebbes aren't well-versed in הבלי עוה"ז? I guess the Satmar Rov no longer has the monopoly on it. Or maybe Vizhnitz yarshened that important character trait? Part of Rizhiner Malchus, I presume. They are Rizhiner Eyniklach after all.

ס'איז אלץ בלאף. דאס איז נישט סאטמאר

2012-01-17T05:31:00.009-05:00

.....וואס די סאטמורים האבען אמאל געשריבען וועגן דעם בעלזער רב

דער עולם החסידות איז אויף רעדער! ס'טייטש? דער בעלזער רב האט געשיקט א מנין אידן - ובראשם שמעון וואלף דער גבאי - און נישט סתם אידן, נאר דיינים טאקע, דאס שענסטע און דאס בעסטע פון בעלז, און זיי געהייסען איבערבעטען בשמו דעם סאטמאר רב, בעל הויואל משה זצ"ל, אויף דעם וואס פאר 30 יאר צוריק האט זיך דער ב"ר אויסגעדרוקט אין א נישט-שיינעם אופן אויפ'ן סאטמאר רב. דאס איז דער לעצטער טריט וואס איז נאך פארבליבען אויף צו מאכען שלום מיט זיין שוואגער, דער סאטמאר רבי פון קר"י, ר' אהרן טייטלבוים, און אזוי מיט חסידי סאטמאר בכלל. דאס אז אין סאטמאר איז פארהאן נאך א גרופע וואס איז נישט אונטערטעניג צום רבי'ן ר' אהרן, דאס איז א פראגע וואס קיינער האט נאך נישט דער ענטפער דערצו... "כל הכבוד צו דער סאטמאר רב", שרייט מען, "אזא איש השלום!" דער גרעסטער רבי אויף דער וועלט. אנדערע גיבען גאר קרעדיט צו דער בעלזער רב און זאגען אז טאמער איז ער ביז היינט נישט דער מערסטע מוצלח'דיגע רבי איז ער יעצט אוודאי! נישט נאר האט ער פסיכעלאגען אין זיינע חדרים און ישיבות, ער מאכט שלום אויך! העפי דעיז אר היער אגען. איז נישט נאר דאס; די סאטמורים זעהען אויס בעסער און בעסער פון טאג צו טאג, זיי ווארפען אראפ פון זיך דער אלטער לעיבעל פון שלעכטע מענטשען און זענען יעצט אנשי שלום. מ' רופט ר' מיכל זעלבער צו כ"א כסלו פארדיס און מ' פארט אין חב"ד אין פאלם ספרינגס. והאמת והשלום אהבו. נישט אז מ'אפרישיעט נישט די אלע גוטע זאכען וואס מ'טוט.

א טראפ'קעלע דרך ארץ פאר'ן בעלזער רב ווייזען זיי נישט ארויס דא מיט'ן צעטל

וויל אייך דעמאלט זאגען אז דעם ציג קען מען נישט פארקויפען קיין הייסע לאקשען, ער עסט דאס נישט. ווער איז ער צו מאכען שלום בכלל? ווער דארף דען דיין שלום? וועם איז אנגעגאנגען די מחלוקת בכלל? ווער גלייבט דען אז דער שלום איז לש"ש? וואס וועט זיין פונעם שלום? נישט אז איך וויל ווייטער אנפירען מיט מחלוקת, ח"ו, נאר איך פארשטיי נישט די גרויסע שמחה בכלל! וואס איז ס"ה דא געשעהן? דער וואס האט לדעתם פוגע געווען אין סאטמאר רב'ס כבוד איז נישט געפארען צום ציון, ער האט געשיקט שלוחים. וואס איז מיט'ן "מצוה בו יותר מבשלוחו?" קען מען דען יוצא זיין דער חיוב אזוי? נאכאמאל, דאס מיינט נישט צו זאגען אז ער האט א חיוב פיוס בכלל.פארוואס זאל איינער וועלכע מ'האט פארשעמט פאר 30 יאר אין די גאסען - כפשוטו - דארפען איבערבעטן דער וואס זיינע מענטשען האבען עס געטוהן? צו דער וואס איז מכריז פאר' די וועלט אז ער איז דער ממלא מקום? איז שטיי און שטוין! וואו איז די שכל פונעם המון עם? וואו איז דער עם חכם ונבון אין די פרשה? פארוואס זעהט מען נישט דאס וואס איז קלאר ווי דער טאג?

{די קו"ק קעגן בעלזא}

און וואס איז מיט'ן צד שני אין סאטמאר? זיי דארף מען נישט איבערבעטן? זיי זענען זיך אינגאנצען מתעלם פונעם מחילה בעטען און פירען יעצט אהן ווייטער די מלחמה. דער רשע און עוכר ישראל מנשה פולאפ האט די וואך געפרעדיגט אין א העצע רעדע קעגן בעלז איבער 9 מינוט און האט זיי גערופען "מסיתים ומדיחים" און "משכילים" און נאך ארגער. זעהט אויס אז זיי נעמען נישט אהן די מחילה. איז וואס טויג אונז אזא שלום?אז איר גלייבט נישט און האט 9 מינוט צו מבטל זיין הערט אויס ווי פולאפ איז פוער פיו ווי דער נידערטרעכטיגע יונג וואס ער איז. דאס איז סאטמאר! דאס איז וואס מיר האבען געהערט אלע יארען וועגן סיי וועלכע קרייז וואס איז נישט געפעלען פאר סאטמאר. טאמער זענען די בריונים מוחל אויף דעם וואס די בעלזער האט זיך און זיין דרך און זיינע פעטערס און זיידעס פארטיידיגט וועט מען קענען גלייבן אז מ'זוכט צו מאכען שלום. ביז דאן איז עס גארנישט מיט ווידער נישט. וואס מ'זעהט היינט בראשית ר' אהרן פון קרית יואל איז לדעתי נישט סאטמאר. ס'איז א פארוואסערטע נאכמאכונג וועלכע האט פארלוירען דעם מהות און איז נאר דומה צום ארגינעלן. סאטמאר
אהן קנאות און שעלטעריי איז קיין סאטמאר נישט! אזוי זאגט די ציג! וועם עס געפעלט נישט קען זיל טרעפן א נייע ציג.

ווען איך וואלט געווען א בעלזער חסיד וואלט איך זיך געשעמט מיט דעם גאנצען צערעמאניע וואס איז דא פארגעגאנגען. מיין רבי האט דעמאלסט ס"ה זיך אנגענומען פאר זיינע הייליגען פעטער זצוק"ל, וועמענס מאנען די סאטמורים האבען אין יענע צייטען שוין 30 יאר געשלעפט אין די מאראסט. ער האט אים נישט פורס בשם געוועהן. ער האט נישט אנגעשמירט קיינע גאסען מיט מיאוס'ע גראפיטי כמנהג סאטמאר. ער האט סה"כ געזאגט א ווארט צוויי וועגן שטאפ-גענז. שוין. איך אליין וואלט עס נישט געזאגט. זייט ווען איז דער סאטמארער קהילה און עדה החרדית דער יורש פון רבינו החת"ם סופר איז מ'דארף זיי איבערבעטן ווען מ'טשעפעט זיך מיט'ן חת"ס? דער בעלזער אליין איז דאך א האלבער אונגארישער מצד אמו תליט"א. טאמער וויל ער און טאמער שפירט ער זיך נייטיג, קען ער פארען קיין פרעשבורג און דארט איבערבעטען.ער איז פונקט אזא בר דעה אויף אונגארישקייט און חת"ם סופר'קייט ווי די אנשי סאטמאר. די סיגעטער קינדער זענען קיינמאל נישט געפארען לערנען אין פרעשבורג, זיי איז גוט געווען אהן די חת"ם סופר ותלמידין אויך, טא וואס ווערן זיי אזוי צוקראצט פון די פאר ווערטער וואס דער ב"ר האט ארויסגעלאזט פון מויל?

מנשה פולאפ אין לאנדאן לעצטנס פרעדיגט קעגן בעלזא

Sorry for using a Holocaust analogy, but it's like Paris 1940, when AH dragged out the same railroad car that the Germans were forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles, and forced the French to sign their surrender there. That's what the "Bakoshas Mechilleh" ceremony here looked like. The only way to make this worse was if the Satmar Rebbe himself was there to "accept the apology." Thank G-d they didn't do that. If I was a Belzer Chossid I'd be terribly embarrassed and ashamed. No matter what I thought of my Rebbe and no matter how much I love Belz and stand up for its honor. What he did back in 1982 was to defend his uncle's honor. In no way was he beholden to the Eida HaChareidis, just like his uncle decided to deny the kanoyim when they requested/demanded that he wear the Jerusalem garb. He could have his own Beis Din and Kashrus system if he so pleases. Now he embarrassed his holy uncle all for his own silly ego, and to please their wives, probably. His and Teitelbaum's. Such an inferiority complex he has? The Satmar Rebbe himself couldn't understand why his shvogger wants so much to meet with him and to make peace. I fail to see what the reason for celebration is here.

Sorry.

אלץ ווייל מ'ארבעט נישט

2012-01-16T20:16:00.002-05:00

I've been trying hard to identify with my fellow protesters in Jerusalem. Not in my everyday life, but when they protest. After all, we all have the same Torah and should be bothered by what they're bothered. They are Jews in the purest form, untainted by American greed or the Holocaust or the Haskoloh or Communism, so they should have their finger on the pulse. If they're bothered by pritzus, or graves being desecrated or autopsies, then so should we. Supposedly the Lubavitcher Rebbe, זי"ע, said that; that if not for the kanoyim going out to demonstrate we would have to do it. And we need to be thankful to them for saving us that unsavory job. And I am. But it's become quite a task. What we've seen these few weeks in Eretz Yisroel, mainly Beit Shemesh, and now, with the arrest of the "Gaavad's" personal secretary (!) is pure embarrassment, for lack of a better term. I'm not sure where they learned these tactics from. At first I thought it was from the Arabs, but I don't see that connection. And the real painful truth is that we're suffering - yes, suffering from radicals like Yisroel Meir Hirsch, son of the Oycher Yisroel Moshe Hirsch, who instigate this from the sidelines, sending his little 11 year old boy and other lost souls to do his dirty work, while he smells like a rose and says, "who, me?"

And במחילת כת"ר, what is going on with Reb Tovia Weisz? Is he trying to prove his street creds that he's daring them to come and get him like that? Accusing them of blood libels like in Russia and Hungary? I have never seen a Gaavad like that, acting in this uncouth manner, and kowtowing to the radicals within his faction. Did he really expect the Police to stand by and watch all the mayhem happen and not go to the source of all of it, The Eda HaCaharedis heads? The other Rabbonim that preceded him, like Rav Yitzchok Weisz and הרב משה אריה פריינד, managed to stay above the fray, allowing their shik yinglach and spokespeople to do their dirty work. He acts as if he's still proving himself and needs to get down and dirty. It's poshut not becoming and makes him lose favor in the greater Jewish world, and is totally unnecessary! He could be just as popular if he'd stay in the background! Now he just looks like a puppet that was brought in to give them some kind of legitimacy and is now doing the bidding of the puppeteer!

זעהט אויס אז אלץ שטאמט פון דעם וואס אין ארץ ישראל ארבעט קיינער נישט! מ'האט צייט ארויס צו לויפען אין גאס סיי ווען עס זאל נישט זיין. און היות מ'האט נישט נאך עפעס צו טוהן, און ביים לערנען האלט מען נישט, גייט מען אויף הפגנות! ווען די אנשי המדינה האבען ווען א טראפקעלע שכל שיקן זיי אלע אינגעלייט און רוב בחורים ארבעטן. אזוי, אז ס'איז פון ערווארטעט צו ארבעטן וועלן די ווייבער און די מאמעס שוין זיכער מאכען אז מ'דרייט זיך נישט אין די גאסען און מ'ברענט נישט קיין מיסט קאסטענעס. אבער טאמער האט דער מאן נישט וואס צו טוהן איז בעסער ער זאל זיך דרייען אין גאס אדער אין כולל ווי אין שטוב. וד"ל. און נישט נאר דאס, נאר אז מ'איז אזוי געוואוינט צו הפגנות און עס גייט אריבער א שטיק צייט אהן דעם וואס ס'איז פאראן "אקשן" אין שטאט גייט דער עולם ארויס פון די כלים און מ'מאנט ביי דעם גאב"ד'ס גבאי "ווען וועט מען שוין רופען אן הפגנה?" און אויף דעם ארויף איז ארויס דעם צעטל וואס איר זעהט דא אויבען

Did Rav Ahron Kotler destroy Daas Torah? (albeit unwillingly and unknowingly)

2012-01-15T18:06:00.026-05:00

RAK (left) with the Kopycznitzer Rebbe, zt"l, in Fleischmann's

(Well, I guess in America, is what we're talking about here. In Eretz Yisroel the dynamics are so different that we cannot compare nor discuss it here. Meaning, that RAK is responsible for the situation in the US, even if the piece you're about to read may focus on Israel in the first part... Just read on, you'll see the point eventually.)

Anshel Pfeffer, in his recent "Ha'aretz" op-ed piece, speaks about the situation in which Daas Torah in Eretz Yisroel finds itself today, with HaRav Elyashiv being in a virtual jail - not allowed to see the general public - and proclamations coming out in his name that he has very little idea about. What I assume prompted the article was the bickering between Mishpacha and the Israeli Yated, where the Yated people, apparently hurting because of Mishpacha's popularity, managed to procure an issur from Rav Elyashiv against the Mishpacha magazine, which is a joke, because he probably never even saw the letter that he supposedly issued, nor has he ever read the Mishpacha magazine. Pfeffer implicates everybody in his piece; Lubavitch, the Elyashivites and Shachites, and Vizhnitz too, so I'm not thumping my chest just yet. Like a good Liberal he blames modern medicine for keeping old people alive their productive stage, but he makes one interesting point - or tries to. He basically says that by empowering every individual - by sending them to Yeshiva and then to Kolel for the rest of his life - that there is no consensus anymore as far as "Who is a Gadol." Any proclamation can be argued with and nothing is certain. You can argue on anything. People have begun to see how these Daas Torah meetings and letters work and they longer believe anything anymore. The fact that every מאנטאג און דאנערשטאג something else is banned also doesn't help.

I'm not sure if Pfeffer is 100% correct, but he seems to be trying to make a somewhat-educated point here. What caused this rift is the fact that everybody is a בר דעה now. We all learned in Yeshivos and we all learned in Kolel, and you won't tell me what to do or say! RYSE may be the Posek HaDor, but we have the Gaon HaDor, the Z'kan Roshei Yehivos, or the Z'kan HaMekubolim/Admorim on our side. So we don't need to listen to what you say. I realize it's a bit of a stretch. Ok, a very BIG stretch, but a simpleton wouldn't dare open his mouth against a Rov or Rebbe in the old days, no matter who the man was. That was because he realized that this Rov/Rebbe is much more learned than he is. He knew that Torah knowledge is the ultimate accomplishment in this world, and since he hasn't accomplished it, and this man has, then he needs to keep quiet, even if he thinks he understands better than the Rov/Rebbe. I know what some of you are saying or thinking, that the Chassidic Rebbe should not be associated with Torah. Ha, Ha. Very cute. But the fact remains that a Rebbe was respected and obeyed just the same if not more.

But truth be told; this has been going on for centuries already, nothing really to do with the dawn of the great Yeshivos and Kolelim. I was just reading about the Yeshiva Eitz Chaim and what happened in the 1860s in Yerushalayim with a new head of the school who had recently come from di Lita and decided to implement some changes to the system. (Rav Nissen Tikutchinski, son of Rav Michel and head of Eitz Chaim in J'lem, just passed away last week.) I believe he wanted to be able to raise money independently from the Kolel system that existed, and wanted to have donors give donations directly to the cheder/yeshivah. Rav Shmuel Salant, the undisputed leader of Jerusalem Jewry at that time - or so we thought - was adamantly opposed to any change in the system, but they basically thumbed their very noses at him. They were very determined, and they used the press of the day - periodicals like Chavatzelet, to make their point. Even Reb Shmuel did not have the last word. True, they used Reb Nissan Bak's publication to publicize their opinions, and maybe the fact that he was a chossid and RSS a non-Chossid had something to do with them not respecting RSS, but that's not entirely true, since the man who wanted to change the system was a non-Chossid from ראדישקעוויץ, so he was surely "supposed to respect RSS. Can you imagine that happening at all? We always assumed that the only ones to defy RSS were the Maskilim and the irreligious, but not frum Jews! And ultimately Eitz Chaim got what it wanted, and the Kolel system of Chalukos was irreversibly damaged, and remains so until today.

What's ironic about all this is that davka in אר"י has it become so that they have at least succeeded to form some kind of authority that people listen to. They succeeded when it came to Kosher phones and Mehadrin buses. In America there is none! And if think they can create one by making an Ichud HaKehillos they're sorely mistaken. So despite the fact that in the US people work and earn a living still we see that they have little respect for Daas Torah. So I guess blaming RAK would simply be unfair. So the answer to the question posed in the title of this post is "no." Maybe it's the וישמן ישורון ויבעט that did us in. We're too rich so we kick away DT. איי, we have a hard time paying tuition, utilities, mortgage, camp, seminaries, wedding, bar mitzvas, sheitel for the wife, etc. - that doesn't to matter. We're still too rich. But we're not too rich to be ignored when it comes to supporting those houses of learning. So I guess, what I'm trying to say is that if we give credit to RAK for "building Torah in America," then doesn't he have to "take the blame" as well? If this is what the building of Torah created then he who created gets the credit/blame. {after all, the Satmar Rov created Shtreimlach and Cholov Yisroel drinkers and Tznius'dike women, but he doesn't take credit for building Torah, so we can't pin this on him...}

New Poll

2012-01-14T23:36:00.000-05:00

On the sidebar we have posted a new poll. Please take a look and vote. If you so wish you can comment and make a different choice.
Thanks.

ר' מאטל סלאנימער איז גאר געווען א סאטמארער

2012-01-12T21:50:00.001-05:00

Eido

......אזוי איז עכ"פ משמע פון זיין זון

פאריגע וואך שבת איז געווען דער יארצייט פון הרה"ח ר' מרדכי חיים קאסטעלעניץ, באקאנט אלץ ר' מאטל סלאנימער. ר' מאטל איז געווען דער ראש חבורה פון סלאנימער חסידים אין אר"י פון נאך די 2'טע וועלט מלחמה - ווען דער "יונגער רבי" ר' שלמה דוד יהושע הי"ד איז אוועק - ביז זיין הסתלקות אין תשי"ד. צו זאגען אז ער איז געווען "רבי" איז שווער, כאטש אז אין אנדערע שושלת'ן איז ער יא פארשריבן אלץ רבי. כ'קען פארשטיין אז ער האט מעריך געווען דעם קראלער/סאטמאר רב, און אפילו געהאלטען פאר א אדום גדול מאוד מאוד, אבער אסאך פון די זאכען וואס די זון ברענגט דא איז בכלל נישט עולה על הדעת אז א חסיד פון סלאנים אין די ליטא זאל אזוי זאגען אויף אן אונגארישער רב, סיי ווער עס זאל נישט זיין, איז גאר, גאר שווער צו גלייבען, בפרט נאך ווען אזוי פיל חסידי סלאנים האבען ארויפגעקוקט צו אים אלץ מדריך ומשפיע. און בכלל איז שווער צו פארשטיין: ווי קומט עס אז א כלומפרישטע ארטיקל וועגן ר' מאטל איז פארוואנדעלט געווארען אין א באשרייבונג וועגן סאטמאר רב, גאר? פארוואס האט מען נישט עפעס געשריבן מער וועגן ר' מאטל אליין? לאמיר הערן וואס די חשוב'ע לייענער זאגען דערצו

?דאס מיינט מען מיר

2012-01-11T16:02:00.001-05:00

כל אחד המגין, ובגלוי, על הענינים שכ"ק אדמו"ר מסר נפשו עליהם – ה"ה ממשיך על עצמו ועל כל ב"ב שיחיו מטוב הסתום שיהי' בטוב הנראה ונגלה ממש בגו"ר...

This copy of a letter by the Lubavitcher Rebbe זי"ע - written soon after ascending the "throne of leadership" - was sent to me by a good friend. When I asked him if he included me in that category, and that's why he sent me the letter, he very strongly said "YES!" I'm not one to toot my own horn, and far be it from me to do things like ע"מ לקבל פרס, but it's nice to know that my work is appreciated... Unless you say - like some Lubavitchers do - that what I do here does the opposite, it only makes people think worse of Lubavitch and the Rabbeyim/Chassidus. But even so; if what I'm doing here is defending, then it shouldn't matter what the end result is, as long as the right intentions are there... The Rebbe would always וואונטש it should be בטוב הנראה והנגלה. The אייבערשטער always does what it is good. He is goodness. But sometimes the goodness is not visible, and that's why we ask that it be "seen and revealed" goodness. Goodness that simple people like us can see and feel and appreciate.

This pleases the Tzig.

יארצייט - ר' אליעזר אדלער ז"ל - גייטסהעד

2012-01-10T23:34:00.017-05:00

(Photo courtesy of a family member)

ט"ו טבת was the 63rd Yohrtzeit of Reb Eliezer Adler, z"l, founder of the Gateshead Kehillah, and grandfather of R' Elozor Reich. (Reich was the one who wrote the memoirs that were gathered in The book we featured here. Reb Lazer was a Chassidishe Yid from Stanislav who made his way to England sometime in the 1880s and eventually ended up in Newcastle. He was a young יתום who left Galicia so that he could support his widow mother. After a while he decided that NC was not serious enough about their Yiddishkeit, and he crossed the bridge over the River Tyne into Gateshead. The year was 1887. There he founded the Kehillah that is now home to many, many Mosdos HaTorah. He wasn't the first Yid there, but he founded a new kehillah that would be just like in der alter heim, and even better, because he was the one dictating policy there. Mr. Adler was adamant about maintaining his standards of Yiddishkeit and was steadfast in the kehillah remaining independent - even from the British Chief Rabbinate, refusing money and offers of help from the office in London. Only Shomrei Shabbos were allowed to be members there, and he would only take money from such people. The best available Rabbonim and melamdim were hired, and a very strict oversight of all kehillah functions ensued. We look at Gatheshead as some kind of Litvishe city, because of the Kolel, Yeshivos and Seminary there, but it never would've become what it did without the efforts of the Chossid Reb Lazer, z"l. There are even several Lubavitcher families that are his descendants!

( a פנימי book published by his descendants recently)

(Recommended further reading about the Gateshead Community)

"חוש האחריות של צדיק הדור אף לאוה"ע"

2012-01-10T13:31:00.000-05:00

What amazes me most about these things is where was Rav Wolbe - lemoshol - when the Rebbe was ridiculed for this very idea?! There were also others who were alive who probably remember the CC wanting to do it, why were they silent? Why did they not stand up and sign on to the idea?! Does the idea suddenly become treyf once Lubavitch pitches it? The Rebbe obviously saw that times have changed and the goyim will listen to the call for them to keep the sheva mitzvos.

הרב יוסף הלוי טירנויער - ראדאוויץ, בוקאווינע

2012-01-09T13:58:00.004-05:00

ראדאוויץ אין בוקאווינא איז געווען א שטאט פון איבער 8,000 אידן פאר די מלחמה. מסתמא רוב חסידים פון די רביס פון וויזשניץ און רוז'ין/סאדיגער. אין די 70'ע יארען איז אהין געפארען א אינגערמאן, וועלכע'ס זיידע איז געווען פון ראדאוויץ, און האט פאטאגראפירט און געכאפט ווידעא פון זיין וויזיט דארט

איינער פון די גאר אינטערעסאנטע זאכען וואס מ'קען דארט זעהן, איז אז אין ראדאוויץ איז אין יאר 1974 נאך געווען א רב, מיט'ן נאמען הרב יוסף הלוי טירנויער, אלט 63 יאר דעמאלט, וועלכע האט אויך געדינט אלץ שוחט און מוהל אין שטאט. מ'זעהט ווי די אידענעס פלעגן קומען מיט די הינער צום רב/שוחט און ער פלעגט עס שחט'ן פאר 3 ליי, אזש ווי אין די אלטער היים פאר די מלחמה. ער איז דוקא גאנץ היימיש מיט די אידענעס... כ'ווייס אז הרב טירנויער פון די שומרי שבת שול אין בארא פארק איז אויך געווען א לוי, אפשר זענען זיי קרובים גאר. צו אפשר נאך ברידער. זיין פאטער איז געווען הרב זאב הלוי טירנויער, וועלכע איז אוועק אין תש"כ אין צפת. זעהט דא. וויפיל נאך אזעלכע שטעט איז געווען אין רומעניע נאך אין '74? שווער צו זאגען. און אויך שווער צו פארשטיין וויזוי מ'האט געלעבט אזוי צווישען די גוים און אונטער דעם קאמיוניזם. אויך איז מיר דאס ערשטע מאל אויסגעקומען צו זעהן ווי מ'גרייט צו א בר מינן פאר די אייביגע רוה אדאנק דער בחור און זיין קאמערא. אטא דא אונטען קענט איר דאס זעהן. ס'כאפט א שרעק - בפרט יעצט אין די שובבים טעג, וואס פון א מענטש ווערט נאך דעם וואס דער מלאך המות האט אים באזוכט

השתפכות הנפש - סליחות עשרה בטבת תשכ"ה ביים רבי'ן

2012-01-08T22:19:00.002-05:00

Selichos Asara B'Teves 5725 with the Rebbe דאווענען פאר'ן עמוד.

The Rebbe's mother passed away on 6 Tishrei of that year and he davened for the amud all of that year. A rarity in Chabad. The רביים never davened for the עמוד besides for when they were חיובים or on a יארצייט. At that time, and until 5748, the Rebbe davened שחרית ביחידות, and would only join a מנין for קריאת התורה, where he would usually be עולה שלישי during the week. On שבת ויו"ט he of course davened with the מנין and was עולה מפטיר. Here we hear the Rebbe - beginning from שמע קולינו in שמו"ע and through סליחות. I would dare say that even dyed-in-the-wool Lubavitchers are very נתרגש from this recording, no matter how many times they hear it. The בכיות are מורא'דיג, and the השתפכות הנפש will shake you to the core. Something for all of you to remember. Click on the above link and it will take to a page that will open automatically. Open a סידור to the סליחות of עשרה בטבת and follow along. If you have little time you can skip ahead to minute 12:30 and listen. (Note: the picture here is from Yud Shvat 5724 and was used for illustration purposes only.)

!!!! הרב יאיר כלב הורס את ניגוני חב"ד

2012-01-07T23:30:00.040-05:00

If you know Nigunei Chabad, and specifically these few, take a listen.

I'll start with the positive aspects of his renditions.

Many people who are not שייך to Chasidishe Nigunim because they're too פארגרעבט and they're נשמות too coarse to be affected by the pure form - they need to have the music diluted. Reb Yair fills that need. He also apparently is mekarev many Yidden to Yiddishkeit through this form of neginah - sort of like what others do with their lectures and speeches. No real harm done here, per se'. Then there are those who like the kind of folksy music that Reb Kalev plays. They may be full-fledged frum Jews who may not necessarily be פארגרעבט, but they too cannot appreciate a nigun without it being brought "into the 21st century." I've met some of these people, and I've sent them the original version of the nigun, the one that awakens love and fear of Hashem and a will to return to him - but they like the guitar and the nice beat. גיי לערן מיט א גוי ברטנורא. So despite the fact that they get a distorted - and just plain wrong - idea of a Chabad nigun, I guess this is a good thing? בעסער ווי גארנישט???

The negative aspects - I think - speak for themselves, but maybe I should enumerate them, so that we know for sure where I stand on this very important issue. There's the fact that it was composed to be sung a certain way, don't change that, out of respect to the composer. No less than would be expected from the composer of any old song, Jewish, Chassidish, or, להבדיל, not. But especially when speaking about a chassidishe nigun from generations past. The nigun was composed under the purest of thoughts and the holiest of intentions, once tampered with there go the thoughts and intentions! What's left? not much. And then there's what the nigun seeks to accomplish. געגועים, מעורר זיין א טיפע התעוררות תשובה, and many, many more. For that you'll need to Frierdige Rebbe's explanations, and I don't know them offhand for these particular nigunim. There's no way in the world that those feelings are left intact after the nigun has been rearranged like that! So what's left? some good guitar and a nice beat, but the Chabad nigun is GONE!

Then there's my "favorite."

It's murder. Plain and simple. דער בחור האט געקוילעט דעם ניגון, מ'דארף אים זאפארט איינזעצן!!! What are those weird sounds coming out of his mouth?! How do you take a slow-paced nigun and throw it off the cliff like that? Where did he get this idea, and why has he been allowed to do this for quite some time now?! I only discovered this very recently and have made it one of my life's missions to stop the evil being done here - albeit by a very well-meaning and good man.Why have others not done anything to stop this injustice?! I see where MBD got his inspiration from when he recorded the nigun "תלמידי הצמח צדק" on his most recent CD. So now we have this travesty perpetuated for all eternity, where even unsuspecting Lubavitchers who have no interest in Neginah will suddenly like their nigunim because MBD made it cool and hip. And the source is our friend R' Yair Kolev. I realize it'll be quite difficult to make the point to those of you who are not behavent with Nigunei Chabad to realize what he's done here, without bringing the real version of the nigun, so I'll try and find those for you. But until וועט איר מיר מוזען גלייבן אפ'ן ווארט.

Here's YK's Youtube channel, there's lots of good listening. It's just not very authentic, that's all. And MBD's new CD on MostlyMusic. Enjoy them both!

(Nigun courtesy of "Nigun a Day" Blog

ב"ה לא אלמן ישראל - עס קומט שוין די ישועה'לע

2012-01-06T14:47:00.003-05:00

די "איחוד הקהילות לטוהר המחנה" קאמיטעט איז געזעצן און מטכס עצה געווען. ס'האלט שוין אט אט און אלעס ווייט קנאקען ווי עס דארף צו זיין. מיר וועלן ווייטער האבען א 100% סוקסעס
אין אונזערע היימישע מוסדות RATE .

מ'גייט מטהר זיין די מחנה פון די אלע אומגעוואונטשענע עלעמענטן

אינעם בילד זעהט מען ווי דער גבאי/שמש פונעם סקולענער ביהמ"ד שרייט אהן דער געהיימער בילדער-כאפער וועלכע האט זיך אריינגעכאפט אינעם ווייבער שוהל און האט געכאפט בילדער פון די העכסט-געהיימע אסיפה

אין די צווייטע בילד זעהט מען איינער פון די פלאקאטען וועלכע דער איחוד האט געהאנגען אין אלע בתי מדרשים. לויט ווי מיין קליינעם שכל פארשטייט עס איז אינגאנצען דא איין אויפפאדערונג אין אונזער דור, און דאס איז דער טריפה'נעם טעכנאלאגיע. די אלע סקאנדאלען וועלכע זענען לעצטנס נעבאך מעשים בכל יום זענען - זעהט אויס - בלויז פאלשע קלאנגען, און אויף דעם פאדערט זיך קיינע אסיפות.... אויב אזוי איז זייער פאסיג די קעפל פונעם היינטיגען "פאסט," ווייל דאס
איינציגער פראבלעם פונעם "יהדות החרדית" ווערט אט אט געלעזט

לא אלמן ישראל ווייל מיר האבען רבנים גאונים און צדיקים וועלכע האבען די פינגער אויפ'ן "בלוט-דרוק" פונעם ציבור און ווייסן גענוי וואס און ווען צו טוהן

ברוך שחלק מחכמתו ליראיו

Treasures for you

2012-01-04T23:51:00.002-05:00

164 Shiurim from the Rav, RYBS, now online. Lomdus, Gaonus, Bekius, it's all in there. ריתחא דאורייתא. ממש א נחת און א תענוג.

Photo from Eichlers.com

Created and Uploaded by David Etengoff. ייש"כ, וזכות לימוד התורה דרבים יעמוד לו בזה ובבא

The "מלאכים" and Lubavitch post 4G ( a new גילוי)

2012-01-03T18:49:00.003-05:00

"אוצר אגרות קודש" new edition

In the annals of Lubavitch history there's this group about whom the Satmar Rov was to have said "צו זיי זענען מלאכים ווייס איך נישט, אבער מענטשן זענען זיי זיכער נישט!" Those who have issues with Lubavitch like to point to this group and use them as proof that Lubavitch is not what the founders intended for it to be. Truth be told, the group only started many years after the "founder," R' Avrohom Ber Levin of Ilye left Russia and came to the US. Every boocher'l in the chassidishe velt knows that the Malochim don't like Lubavitch, and haven't liked them since the Rebbe Rashab told him to leave Lubavitch after he was מוציא לע"ז on his בן יחיד, רבינו מהריי"צ נ"ע. So in essence the group as a group was never really part of Lubavitch, Avrohom Ber not withstanding. But we won't be a stickler for accuracy here. What has become part of the Malochim philosophy - as I know it - is that REAL Chabad was only up until the Tzemach Tzedek. The MaHaRaSH is still OK as far as learning his Chassidus, but it's already not what the AR had in mind. Avrohom Ber considered himself on the level with the Rebbe Rashab, a "talmid-chover" as some would put it - silly people they are. They were the ones who took the liberty to laugh in the face of the Frierdige Rebbe, based on what they thought Reb Avrohom Ber would've said, I suppose, since they spent very little time with him before he passed on, and they opened the floodgates for any kal and so-called "Kanoi" to do the same. Then again, if they organized in 5684 then maybe he did really say some of those things? He only passed on in 5698. Word on the street is that most of his talmidim, like Reb Yankel Schorr, spent only 2 years with him, and it wasn't every day either, it was very seldom that they would meet him at all. Most of the meeting was done back in Brooklyn.

Over the years much has been learned about the above-named group and some of their positions. We know that he was a Rov in a Nusach Ari shul in the Bronx. Reb Yisroel Jacobson's father davened in his shul. In his zichronos RYJ writes that when he came to America in the early 20s((his family (parents and siblings) had emigrated before him)) he went to visit his parents and had to be in that shul. לכתחילה, he said, האב איך נישט געוואלט שטיין אין זיינע ד' אמות because of what transpired back in Lubavitch, but he had no choice. That goes to show you that not much has changed in Lubavitch in that respect - you mess with our Rebbes and we'll show you. I guess it was a small shul.... RYJ continues to reminisce how RABL asked him to chazzer a מאמר חסידות ביי זמן שלש סעודות from the Rebbe (Rayatz), which he gladly did, and Reb Avrohom Ber was duly impressed ------ So if he was SUCH a Kanoi, and sooooo disliked the RR and the FR I don't think he would ask to her what he considered diluted (ptuy) Chassidus, now would he? That was one anecdote that showed me that much of what his so-called chassidim and talmidim say about him is not mamesh so. But what we show here may be the kicker, being that it's from the "Malochim" themselves, and kind of throws a really big monkey wrench into the idea that he didn't care for Lubavitch post 4G. NOT THAT IT REALLY MATTERS, but it does to some people. Somebody who was so anti-Lubavitch post 4G wouldn't make his bochurim collect money for Tomchei Tmimim, a T"T being run by the Frierdige Rebbe, now would he? And he wouldn't be so adamant about it as he is here, would he?! This was 4 years after the RR had passed away already!!

a timely message...

2012-01-03T17:14:00.000-05:00

מוטה פארט ווייטער

2012-01-02T22:38:00.003-05:00

פונעם ליובאוויטשער רבינ'ס ציון אין קווינס איז ער געפארען אפסטעיט און זיך געטראפען מיט'ן סקווערער רבי'ן בביתו נאוה קודש אין ניו סקווער

יודעי דבר זאגען אז דאס אז די ס"ר טרעפט זיך מיט אן אפיציעלער בראסלאווער משפיע איז צוליב א משפחה מעשה; אז ער איז אים מכיר טובה צוליב א געוויסע סיבה, שאכ"מ. אונטער'ן רבי'ן שטייט דאכט זיך בנו ר' יעקב יוסף

מיר האבען אלע הנאה צו זעהן ווי ר' מוטה איז כובש מיט אהבה

אויך איז וויכטיג צו באמערקן אז דער יונגערמאן אהן דעם קאפעלוש (ר"ל) און אהן א גארטל (!) איז א א תושב ניו סקווער לשעבר וועלכע מוטה איז מקרב, כדרך משפיעי ברסלב בכלל. דאס אז די רבי נעמט אים אויף אזוי שיין און סימפאטיש
ווארעמט אויך אהן דאס הארץ, מטעמים המובנים מאליהם

DISCLAIMER: I have never met R' Motta Frank, nor was I asked to post these stories about him.

אפדעיט: א "תמליל" פונעם שמועס

What you may have missed on the blog

2012-01-02T21:00:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for new posts to have today's date on them you may miss them. Go back to last week and see how we worked hard to fill in the missing days, including a beautiful story about the late, great Reb Chaim Shmulevitz. You also may have missed a thread that had an audio recording of the Finfte Lichtel @ Stone Avenue in Brownsville, aka Yeshiva R' Chaim Berlin

חדשות מבית יואלי ראטה

2012-01-01T15:29:00.039-05:00

יואלי קנאקט ווייטער, און ווערט נישט נתפעל פון קיינעם. קיינע "מניעות" וועלן אים אפהאלטען פון טוהן וואס דער רבי הייסט. זיין משפחה שעמט זיך מיט אים טאקע, אבער ער איז מיט'ן רבי'ן, דער רבי איז זיין טאטע. דא זינגט ער מיט זיינע בחורים אין א פארק, ערגעץ וואו. דער רבי ר' נחמן איז מיט אים און גיט אים כוחות ווייל ער איז צוגעבונדען צום רבי'ן ע"י תלמידו המוהרא"ש. די בחורי חמד זענען אויך שטארק צוגעבונדען צום רבי'ן און זינגען צום אייבערשטן מיטן גאנצען כוח זייערע

וואס זאגען זייערע עלטערען, פרעגט איר? שווער צו וויסן. נישט אלע זענען בדעה אחת. אנדערע זענען צופרידן אז זייער קינד זעהט אויס אידיש און רעדט אידיש און רעדט צום אייבערשטן. אנדערע האבען אויפגעהויבן די הענט און האבען איינגעזעהן אז אזוי איז עס, דא איז דער בחור. קיין אנדערע מענטש רעדט נישט צו אים. יואלי מאכט אים פילן גוט און , טא , וויכטיג, אן אנדערע מלמד/מנהל האט אים ניטאמאל געוואלט אנקוקען, טא וואס זאל זי זיין, ברוגז אויף אים אז ער לערנט זיי צו זינגן און שפילן גיטאר???

איך קען "רילעיטען" צו ר' יואל. צוריק גייט ער שוין נישט. כאן נמצא כאן היה. ער וועט שוין פון שיק-ברסלב נישט אוועק גיין, so you might as well make the most of it. דהיינו בויען א קהילה פון מענטשן מיט ענדליכע הינטירגרונדען און לעבן מיט זיי און אנפייפן דער גארער וועלט. נאר אזוי וועט עס האבען א קיום. אדער פארען קיין ארה"ק. אנדערש וועלן זיי בלייבן "לעקיש" לעולמי לעד.

כנלענ"ד

R' Luzer Reich goes to print

2011-12-31T23:11:00.006-05:00

He was a Bocher'l from Manchester and he wrote it as he saw it. Shabbos with the Belzer Rov, Chevroner Yeshiva, Levayos for Gedolei Yisroel, Kfar Chabad on 19 Kislev, Hafagones in Meah Shearim, they're all there. A while back we had the uncensored version of R' Luzer Reich's letters back home in 1953-54, but I'm not sure what IBS has. Buy it here, and tell them the Tzig sent you, maybe they'll send me a copy.

Principaled Lies?

2011-12-30T05:15:00.001-05:00

No, this is not a personal attack against Rabbi Hertz Frankel. It is what you might call simple question that comes to mind when you read his weekly article in Ami magazine. It may have reached the climax - or low point - depending on how you look at it, this week, with the bombastic headline you see here. In honor of 21 Kislev we were all told that we all owe a great deal of gratitude, and we're forever indebted to the Satmar Rov. That were it not for him we'd all still look like we did in the 40s, the 1940s, that is, and we'd eat Hershey's chocolate and Entenmann's cakes. Our wives would not wear sheitlech, even our Roshei Yeshiva's wives, and our daughters would go to mixed beaches. Shtreimlach? מאן דכר שמיה. Children speaking Yiddish? fugedaboudit!!! We had RaSHBI in our midst and we never even knew it. So you might say that after seeing that article I had seen enough! I just wonder why RHF didn't send his own kids to that euphoria if he loved it so... Is this his opinion since when he worked there, אין בית רחל, or has this been happening to him only lately; this idea that it's all Satmar, and always has been/will be. I've read the series that RHF writes since its inception. Not every week, but often, as often as I see it, which is often. I try and buy the magazine every week when I do the grocery shopping. Until this week the series didn't garner any negative responses, at least we didn't get to see any. [Now, in this week's issue, one week after the issue discussed here, Ami went ahead and printed a letter to the editor which took RHF to task for printing what they saw as untruths. So it seems like I'm not the only one who sees the series what it's really for.

Question 2 is where does the editorial board - notably the published, Reb Yitzchok Frankfurter - stand with all the Satmar pushing that goes on EVERY, SINGLE, WEEK. No, I do not expect to see a PR piece from Lubavitch every week, and I would be surprised to see an Agudah/Torah U'mesorah/Chinuch Atzmai piece every week, Avi Shafran not withstanding. So why is Satmar allowed to have one that is repackaged as memoirs? At first glance it would seem that the reason is RYF's allegiance to Satmar, which is fine. His family is very close to the Rov there. I have no issues with it. I'm not here to call him out and to "expose" anything. That's not what I do here. But then we need to remove the mask. If all RHF has to say about his tenure in BR of Williamsburg is that the SR was the Savior to Yiddishkeit post-WW2, then don't make it about being principal. Then, if that wasn't enough, Frankfurter starts being all diplomatic and makes sure to plug both Satmars. As if. C'mon, don't insult our intelligence, brother! If you want your magazine to be a cut above don't talk down to us. Otherwise you're no better than the others, and we know that if that were the case there'd be no need for Ami in the first place, right?

Pages 84-87- Ami-issue 50.Rabbi Hertz Frankel

'שמעתתא ב

2011-12-29T21:45:00.028-05:00

ג' טבת איז דער יארצייט פון הגאון ר' חיים סטוטשינער, באקאנט אלץ ר' חיים שמואלעוויטש. ר' חיים איז געווען אן אייניקל פון דער אלטער פון נאווארדאק, און האט חתונה געהאט מיט א טאכטער פון ר' לייזר יודל פינקל, דער מירער ראש ישיבה. ר' לייזער יודל אליין איז געווען א זון פונעם אלטער פון סלאבאדקא, ר' נטע הירש פינקל (הראשון). ר' חיים'ס איידעם איז געווען ר' נחום פערצאוויטש, און ר' נחום'ס איידעם איז ר' אשר אריאלי, א מגי"ש אין די מירער ישיבה אין ירושלים. ר' חיים האט א זון ר' רפאל, וועלכע איז אויך א שטיקל ר"מ אין די ישיבה דארט, אבער איך פארפאר שוין פונעם טעמע מיט די אלע יחוס
גערעדאכץ

כידוע איז ר' חיים געווען אין קאבע, און דערנאך שאנחיי מיט די תלמידי הישיבה די גאנצע צייט, 6 יאר ,און איז צוזאמען מיט זיי געפארען קיין אמעריקע. קודם איז די שיף אנגעקומען קיין ס' פראנציסקא, און פון דארט איז מען געפארען נאך ניו יארק. רוב תלמידים זענען דאכט זיך פארבליבען אין אמעריקע, און ר' חיים מיט ר' חאצקעל לעווענשטיין זענען שפעטער אפגעפארען קיין ארץ ישראל. אף ר' חיים דערציילט מען אז פארענדיג אפ'ן שיף קיין אמעריקע האט פאסירט אזא מעשה: די רייזע איז גאנץ א לאנגע, גאנצענע טעג, און די בחורים זענען געווען אומגעדולדיג, וועלנדיג שוין אנקומען צום פארט אין אמעריקע. איינער איז אמאל געזעצן לעבן ר' חיים'ן און געפרעגט "וואו האלט מען," מיינענדיג וואו מ'האלט מיט די רייזע און ווען קומט מען שוין אהן, פאר א גוט יאר! האט ר' חיים זיך אנגערופען "וואו מ'האלט? שמעתתא ב'! אט דאס איז געווען ר' חיים. כולו תורה. קיין פאליטיק און קיין קנאה שנאה. און פאר דעם האט ער - לדעתי - זוכה געווען אז אפילו עמיהארצים ווי איך זענען מוקיר און מכיר די גדלות פון ר' חיימ'ן און שרייבען וועגן אים מיט דאס גרעסטע מאס דרך ארץ און יראת הכבוד

זאת חנוכה ביים אהל מיט מוטה פראנק

2011-12-28T23:59:00.004-05:00

כולם באים לרבינו

"Who's Motta Frank,' you ask? well. He's a "mashpia" of sorts. A Breslover Chossid. And he seems to have a message that resonates with some of our adolescent youth, some of whom joined him there last night.

"כפר חב"ד של פעם"

2011-12-26T12:03:00.002-05:00

equal opportunity offender...

2011-12-24T23:04:00.000-05:00

The Mystery of Reb Chaim Stein and the Old Skolyer Rebbe

2011-12-22T12:00:00.003-05:00

Our old buddy Yeshiva World posted this article about the late Reb Chaim Stein, Rosh Yeshivas Telshe-Cleveland. The article is all good and well, but what caught my eye? the pictures in the background. (Is he reading the Yated there?) You can tell alot about a man by the pictures on the wall behind him. You see the MaHaRI"L, Reb Yosef Leib Bloch of Telshe, and his son and Memale Mokom the Telsher Rov, Reb Avrohom Yitzchok Bloch, HY"D - zeide of R' Avremel Ausband of Riverdale, his mother's father - and I believe the Steipler as well. But then, surprise, surprise! The Old Skolyer Rebbe! Not once, but twice. In the left hand corner of both big pictures you see him proudly displayed. What gives? We know that Reb Chaim had Lubavitcher Shvoggers in Kfar Chabad, and even his shver, Reb Chaim Leib Zaks of Uzda, lived there after WW2, but what was the connection to the SR?

Any suggestions?

Lipschutz and the Rubashkins

2011-12-21T23:30:00.001-05:00

an article in the Israeli "בקהילה" magazine

די פיפטע ליכטל אין סטון עוועניו

2011-12-21T17:09:00.002-05:00

- Rav Hutner 5th day Chanukah תשכ"ה -

Click on link above to be taken to page where audio will begin automatically.

.....גרויסע מענטשן גרויסע דאגות

2011-12-20T22:59:00.006-05:00

פרעמישלאנער רבי, שליט"א ביי די חנוכה ליכט, היינט אווענט

באקומען א "בליץ פאסט" פון א איד וועלכע רופט זיך יואליש

תיכף נאך אסרו חג סוכות, לאזן זיך די רבי'לעך ארויס אויף די יארכע זיך אפמעסטן א קאלירטע בעקישע וואס זאל קלאפן מיט די מנורה, מיט די ספעציעלע אויפגענייטע סערוועטלעך, מיט די נטילת ידים שיסל און טעפעל, מיטן שיינע האלצערנע מזוזה. די ציל פון א שיינע בעקישע איז צו דערלאנגן אן ארט פארן בילד "סמעק" אין די מיטן פון די פאדערשטע בלאט אויפן "כל העולם כולו" - חנוכה ספעציעלע עדיציע. די פארגאנגענע וואך, ווען עמך אידן שפירן זיך גרייט פאר חנוכה נאכן איינקויפן "ווירדשין אויל" און טשאקאלאד חנוכה געלט, הערשט אבער אן ערב פסח פיבער אין די חסידישע קוויטל שטיבער. דער רבי שפאנט ארויף און אראפ, די בעקישע ברייט אפען, די היט ווערט אראפגעשליידערט אויפן טיש. די רבי איז זייער אומרואיג און צוקאכט, אלע וויילע בליקענדיג אויפן צעל פאן וואס ער שלעפט ארויס כלאחר יד פונעם שיעפע בעקישע טאש. ער ווארט אויף א טעקסט מעסעדזש וועלכע האט געלאזט אנזאגן אז דער שניידער וועט קענען פארשאפן נאך מאטעריאל צו קענען ארויסלאזן די נייע בעקישע אין די ברייט, און ס'וועט זיין גרייט פארן בני יששכר'ס ערשטן לשם יחוד. איז די בעקישע געווארן גרייט אין צייט? לויפט קויפן דעם "כל העולם כולו" געוואר צו ווערן

ר יואל און ר' חיים

2011-12-19T18:30:00.005-05:00

Reb Yoel Kahan visiting Reb Chaim Kanievski at his home in Bnei Beraq on Sunday evening. RYK had been in the Holy Land, and farbrenged and gave shiurim in several locations. Also seated is Reb Mendel Vechter. Standing is Moshe Shilat of ",תורת חב"ד לבני הישיבות" that organized Reb Yoel's trip.

Photo Source and transcript of "shmuess" here

!!סקווער אונטער שווערע אטאקע פון יואל

2011-12-18T16:03:00.001-05:00

אינעם "פארווערטס" פון היינטיקע וואך

גיט נישט אפ א טראפעלע כבוד פאר'ן סקווערער רבי'ן - רופט אים ביים ערשטן נאמען, אהן קיים שום עהרע - רופט די חסידים "מאנסטערס" פראסט און פשוט. נוצט זיינע אזוי גערופענע סאטמארע חסידים פריינט צו אטאקירן סקווער, דורך דעם וואס ער זאגט איבער קינדערישע טשעפעריי וואס ער האט געהערט פון זיי, און זאגט אז "מוטשען זיך די סקווערער חסידים פֿון פּסיכאָלאָגישע קאָמפּלעקסן," בקיצור, א פולשטענדיגע אטאקע קעגן אן עדה קדושה פון אידן וועלכע ווילן נאר דינען דעם אייבירשטען אהן קיינע שטערונגען אוועק פונעם טומל פון די שטאט, און אהן דעם וואס מ'זאל זיך דארפען באציהען מיט מענטשן וועלכע האבען נישט די זעלבע איידיעלן ווי זיי. דאס אז דאס רוב פון די איינוואוינער זענען ניטאמאל פונעם אוקראינישען אפשטאם איז אויך אן "עבירה" אין יואל'יש'ל'ס לויטערע אויגן

חרדי'שע אידן האבען א חוב קדוש דאס צורעכט מאכען

אזוי ווי דער רעבעזיחרוינעליוורוחע

2011-12-16T11:07:00.002-05:00

די זיסע תינוקות של בית רבן שלא טעמו טעם חטא ואינם כורעים לבעל, פון די הייליגע מוסד על טהרת הקודש די סאטמארער תלמוד תורה אין בארא פארק, גייען אויף א ספעציעלע נסיעה אויף א באן אזוי ווי די רבי ז"ל, ווען ער איז געפארען פון בערגען בעלזען קיין שווייץ און איז אנגעקומען אום כ"א כסלו תש"ה. היינטיקע יאר פאלט אויס כ"א כסלו אום שבת קודש איז מען מקדים די נסיעה און מ'פארט א טאג צוויי פאר דעם. מוצש"ק וועלן פארקומען 2 גרויסארטיגע פייערונגען, פאר די 2 סאטמארע פארטייען, איינס אין וויליאמסבורג און איינס הארט לעבן קראון הייטס. חרדי'שע אידן איבער די וועלט ווייסן אז אי לאו האי יומא וואלט קיין אידישקייט אין אמעריקא נישט געוועזן, און אין ארץ ישראל וואלט נאר געווען א קליינעם קומץ פונעם ישוב הישן.

Bray of Fundie reflects on Yud Tes Kislev

2011-12-15T17:59:00.000-05:00

"On the Chasidification of the rest of Jewry"

מיין שפראכעלע יידיש

2011-12-15T11:37:00.006-05:00

הלוואי וואלט דאס געווען די איינציגסטע זאך וואס ביי אונז פעלט
אבער דאס לידעלע איז א פיינע און אן אמת'ע

פון דודי קאליש

א דאנק דער וואס האט עס מיר געשיקט

אין דעם זכות און אין זכות פונעם אלטען רבי'ן זאל ער געהאלפען ווערן מיט אלעס גוטס

א שפיל לכבוד יו"ט

2011-12-15T11:16:00.002-05:00

It's the man, not the beard (Guest Post)

2011-12-14T18:52:00.001-05:00

Photo: Mary Margaret Chambliss

Matisyahu in his own words

Here’s to you, Matisyahu – L’chaim!

I don’t know much of the music – but I think “One Day” is as good a song as I’ve ever heard, and to a lesser degree, I liked a couple others that I happened to listen to – and I don’t even know the man at all. Like all “stars” who ascend and find success in the pop world, he quickly became a caricature in the minds of the masses as well as his fans or detractors. That world is a tough place, a roller-coaster of emotional peaks and valleys – it’s what they call “life in the fast lane,” and it’s not for the faint of heart. For all its attractive veneer of fame, fortune and achievement, it’s a life that few of us can relate to at all.

Among the realities that come with the territory, everything becomes amplified and placed under a microscope. It’s constantly and consistently open-season on the human being in question, as the non-stop judgmentalism of the folks keeping score at home and on the streets heave praise, scorn or indifference upon their subject without mercy. Ain’t life grand? Bastards and bloodsuckers is what we are, my friends. Not for nothing do many a famous star or starlet suffer either silently or publicly – oh, but you say, “they’re big boys and girls,” or “if you can’t take the heat stay of out the kitchen.” Ain’t you a sweetheart.

“Hey,” you respond, “they wanted the money, right? They wanted that fame, right? Well, they can’t have their cake and eat it to, you know.” Uh huh, you must be one of the compassionate types, eh? I don’t have a clue what the beard thing is about, and I don’t know much about the man other than the fact that he’s another human being trying to find his way. And that second point is, I believe, more than can be said for many of us. Most of the gutless pontificators and self-proclaimed know-it-alls (myself included), simply live life in the break-down lane, exchanging liberty and all of life's possibilities for the safety and security of following the rules of convention, “minding our rhyme and meter and going quietly about the business of achieving other ambitions.” So it is that most of us live those lives of “quiet desperation” that Thoreau spoke of, and throw stones at those who take the road less-traveled. So, I don’t know Matisyahu’s thoughts at all, but I do know what it means to feel alienated. I know what it means to feel imprisoned by my community or to be put in a box by others. I know that there are countless times that I would have loved to give ‘em all a big pie-in-the-face. How many of us wouldn’t have liked to kick convention to the curb and scream out, “I don’t want to be a part of you all?! I don’t want you to keep on defining me!” When will we give people room to live?

Welcome to Auschwitz...

2011-12-14T11:04:00.001-05:00

P. Chovev in the Israeli Yated (no relation to the American Yated) tells us that we should learn from the Nazis that gender separation is normal and should be implemented in Israeli society. Somebody needs to tell Mr. Chovev that using Nazi methods as proof of anything doesn't fly anymore. Not that it ever did.

365123927593232

Source: News1

Matisyahu goes OTD...

2011-12-13T13:35:00.005-05:00

"No More Chassidic reggae superstar"

I guess there is no life after Chabad... I suppose that living in that culture does have an effect, no matter what you have on your face or on the side of your head. This is not to attack the man, just observing and maybe using him as a case in point. In any case, we feel for Matis and hope that he finds his way back. Maybe if he was less cryptic in his messages we'd know where he's up to and not have to resort to guessing games.

תולדות ר' מנחם מענדל בן אדמו"ר מהר"ש נ"ע

2011-12-12T11:21:00.003-05:00

אזוי, זוכענדיג עפעס אנדערש איז מיר דאס צוגעקומען
אויף עמ' 50 קען מען זעהן די הסכמה פון רז"א און רמ"מ אויף ר' הלל'ס פלח הרימון, וווי אויך די הסכמה פון די ליאדיער רבי'ס. ביי מיר איז דאס א שטיקל חידוש אז מ'האט אונטער געשריבן אין איין ספר, כאטש די מחלוקה. אפשר איז דא א מעשה אונטער דעם. אפשר איז די מחלוקה נאר געווען צווישן דעם רבי'ן רש"ב און די קאפוסטער, אבער די אנדערע ברידער האבען יע געלעבט בשלום מיט די שוועסטער-קינדער זייערע? און ווער האט געברענגט דעם ספר לדפוס? פארוואס האט ער נישט געבעטען פון דעם רבי'ן אן הסכמה? וויל די רביים פלעגן נישט שרייבן קיינע הסכמות
???

תולדות ר' מנחם מענדל בן אדמו"ר מהר"ש נ"ע

Simcha Break. Back soon.

2011-12-08T05:44:00.000-05:00

Remember the Arizona! (Pearl Harbor - שבעים שנה)

2011-12-07T11:28:00.002-05:00

I think days like these are important to remember.

Hanukkah - from your friends @ Aish

2011-12-06T22:25:00.000-05:00

I just report the news...

ליובאוויטש מכבד מונקאטש

2011-12-05T11:08:00.009-05:00

MUNKACH (1)

RMT (left) at the B"M

A תשורה published by the Shliach in Ungvar and the Carpathians, Reb Mendel Teichman, in honor of the Munkatcher Bar Mitzva. Teichman - fin an Ungarisher Oopshtam - maintains a very close relationship with some of the Rabbonim that are the Rabbonim/Rebbes of those towns (in name only.) Most notably the Munkatcher Rov, who helps Teichman in many ways. The תשורה was distributed to every person in attendance at the שמחה.

POTD

2011-12-04T12:50:00.001-05:00

מונקאטשער רב שפאצירט אין די מונקאטשער גאסען מיט א איד א נגיד, א יליד מונקאטש, פאריקען חודש ווען ער איז אהין געפארען פראווען א בר מצוה פון אן אייניקל

דער איד, כאטש ער איז דארט אויפגעוואקסן, איז נישט געווען פון א שטוב פון מונקאטשער חסידים, נאר זיי זענען דוקא געווען שטארקע בעלזער חסידים, אזוי אז די איראניע איז גרויס. נישט גרויס, נאר ס'איז איראניש, אבער דאס בילד איז א געשמאקע פון דעסטוועגן. דער רב איז אין זייער א גוטען שטימונג, און מ'זעהט אז דאס אוועקפארען פון די טומל פון די בארא פארקער גאסן, און סתם די ימי שמחה פון אן אייניקל'ס בר מצוה, און צו דערצו נאך ביים הייליגן זיידען אין הויף.

הרב בצלאל נאור on OWS

2011-12-01T17:58:00.000-05:00

All this talk about Trotsky (Leibel/Lev Bronshtein) got me thinking about this clip that I had saved for a few weeks now. You may know Rabbi Betzalel Naor from his writings. He's a very unassuming man who makes an appearance at our shul in Monsey every little while, sits in the back, and enjoys the anonymity while learning. He was amused that I knew who he was... RBN, as a talmid of Rav Kook, posthumously, that is, is carrying on RAYHK's tradition of thinking outside the box and being in line with current issues. Here's what he thinks about the "Occupy Wall Street" movement.

Book Review - Holy Beggars (Guest Post)

2011-11-30T22:37:00.005-05:00

Holy Beggars is an uneven book about uneven people – primarily the author, Arye Coopersmith, and Shlomo Carlebach – in a strange and unique place and time, Haight-Ashbury of the late ‘60s, specifically the House of Love and Prayer. The unevenness has the herky-jerky quality of a hand-held camera trying to track elusive characters and a fleeting zeitgeist. While there is credit given to editors, there is none of the polish of “as told to” a professional writer. The book awkardly shifts focus between past and present, different cities and stages of life, and many of the basic facts of Shlomo and the House are introduced along the way, in context, making it hard to plunge into.

Little is told of the author's background, but he winds up as the “go to guy” in the physical establishment and the spiritual teaching at the House. With little religious background, but with a lot of flower power, he embarks on this task, with Shlomo’s initial enthusiasm, but limited follow-through. Although the House has an energetics start and burns brightly, the experiment is bound to fail.The failures, both of the House and the personal lives of those drawn to it, are presented in a painfully honest way. AC is disappointed by Shlomo’s inability to commit, or more accurately his tendency to casually over-commit, and his inability to just show up on time. The marriages of Arye Coopersmith, Shlomo, and Zalman all fail, and their personal failures give a sense of their difficulty to partake of “Yeshuvo Shel Olom”, conventional settling of the world, and of unfulfilled spiritual seeking.Among the highlights of the book are Shlomo’s encounters with many other Eastern spiritual teachers. This was Shlomo B’Mochin D’Gadlin, without Tzimtzum of having to cover his Orthodox flank.

Also included is his long relationship with Zalman Schechter, including Shlomo’s assessment of their commonality and differences. There are especially poignant sections devoted to the author’s re-connecting with many Orthodox people in Jerusalem, who were initially drawn in and taught by the author, but left for Israel for destinations such as Breslov and Diaspora Yeshiva, and far surpassed the author in Orthodox commitment. There’s not much of Shlomo's Torah brought down, but that’s not what you want to know about; what you really want are details about Shlomo’s private life. Fear not, they are discussed in detail, objectively, fairly, and in context. Much is made of the schism in the Berkeley Aquarian New Age Minyan, as fallout from pro and anti-Shlomo factions. For those of us who did not directly participate in the magic of that time and place, and met Shlomo afterwards, this book serves as a taste, a ta’am, of wide-open possibilities and inevitable crashes. While we may think that going from Lakewood to Brisk, or from Spinka to Lubavitch, is a life-altering transition, these seekers went to the outer edge of the known universe and back in their spiritual journeys; and yes, there was sincerity and manipulation Be’Ir’Vuvyeh.

If not for Leibel Bronstein, there would be no Soviet Union,
Soviet Union was the nemesis Gashmi and Ruchani of Lubavtich
Lubavtich was the catalyst to the emergence of RaSHBaN (Reb Shlomo Ben Naftoli, Carlebach)

RaSHBaN was a big force in freeing Soviet Jewry
freeing Soviet Jewry was begining of the end of Soviet Union
end of Soviet Union engendered Lubavitch Messianic dreams
Lubavitch messianic dreams proved , well, how to say, controversial for Lubavitch

HaYotze MiKol Zeh - If Lubavitch had chapped Leibel Bronstein early and made him into a Mashpia, history would have been a lot different...

מנאי - בעלז פון אמאל

For my English-speaking brethren

2011-11-29T22:50:00.008-05:00

Last week we published A letter from Reb Shulem Foygel, Gabbai of the previous Belzer Rov, zt"l, to the latter's niece, the Rebbetzin Traneh Twersky of ניו סקווירא. The letter was chock full of Chassidishe GEFIELEN and derheren, In other words how a Chossid looks at a Tzaddik such as the BR, and especially how one looks at the said Tzaddik and Rebbe at a time of war, such as was the case in 1956. Many of my English-only speaking brethren felt left out and voiced those feelings to me in e-mails and via Google Talk. מה עשה הקב"ה? despite the fact that I did not have the time to do it myself, we did have a volunteer who took upon himself the monumental task of translating Foygel's letter, no easy task. Many of our Satmar brethren didn't take very well to the letter, and some voiced their very strong opinions about it in the comments section. What bothered them was what RSF saw as "Rebbishe Inyonim," they saw as a lack of "leadership skills," something they say that their Rebbe possessed very strongly. There was more, but there's no need to repeat all their heretical thoughts here. So now, without further ado, I present to you a free translation, somewhat literal, of the letter to Rebbetzin Twersky.

We thank Mr. Ende Tsadik for his hard work.

Translation by "Ende Tsadik" – exclusively for Circus Tent

B"H

Sunday, Mikeitz [5717/1956]

Peace and Greetings to the honor of the Rebbetzin, the Righteous and Modest, Daughter of the Sanctified, the Renown Mrs. Trana, Tlit"a

After greetings of peace and well being I hereby write to you that boruch Hashem all is in order with her uncle the Graceful Holiness (GH) the Admor Shlita and he is boruch Hashem well. The widespread reports that the GH the Admor Shlita did not lead any tishn on Shabbos Kodesh are rebbishe matters; no one can do anything about it. Although I have been with the GH the Admor Shlita for a long time and I have seen similar conduct before, now it is different. Now it happens for longer periods and it has never happened that he should not lead the Shabbos meals. It is all due to the times and not because, G-d forbid, the GH the Admor Shlita is in fear.

I can only share with you an example. When I arrived in the winter there was still a bit of a war going on in Israel, and one Friday I saw how the GH the Admor Shlita was very occupied. The Rebbetzin was not there yet [i.e. they were not yet married - ET] and it took a long time till the kindling of the candles, till the GH the Admor Shlita entered to light the candles without having had anything to drink, not even some coffee. Only after candle lighting did he drink something and then davened tefilas Shacharis, because in Israel they light the candles according to the Jerusalem calculations which works out at 40 minutes prior to sunset and therefore he was still able to put on Tefilin. We are of course troubled by the GH the Admor Shlita's conduct. But we have tried different approaches and not always do we succeed because the GH the Admor Shlita will not be swayed.

This Shabbos Kodesh it was quite intense. By that I mean that Shabbos Koidesh in the evening [Friday night] they davened on time and the tish was also as usual. By contrast, Shabbos Koidesh by day it was again like the current times. First the GH the Admor Shlita sat in his room for long periods managing his [Rebbishe] affairs. Two and a half hours after the time of candle-lighting on Friday he came in to make the daytime kiddush of Shabbos, and then the tish also went on for a long time. Everything was prolonged. Sholoish seudos took several hours, to the extent that it ended when it was light outside, and by the time havdoleh was over it was properly light. This has never happened before. This was the first time. Of course we must pray for the GH the Admor Shlita's health that this shouldn't affect his health because the effort of the divine service is very intense. There is little sleep and several nights can pass and the GH the Admor Shlita doesn't wash for a meal even in the evening. I am therefore writing to you again that we are doing all we can, we try every method but it ultimately depends on the times. Of course G-d should help that it should completely quiet down when we hope that this will not occur. (translation unclear - HT)

The GH the Admor Shlita currently makes few enquiries about politics but the times are noticeable all around him. Despite that no newspapers are read one can see on the GH the Admor Shlita that Jews throughout the world are in desperate need of help. There is a midrash in Parshas Vayishlach that the shevotim relied on the powers of that elder, Yakov Ovinu. Although Yakov Ovinu did not order them to wage war on the town of Shchem, but since Shimon and Levi were fighting a battle Yakov Ovinu said that he could not allow his children to fall into the hands of the nations. So Yakov Ovinu girded himself and waged a battle. This is what we see with the GH the Admor Shlita: although he is not agreeable to wars but since they have started one the GH the Admor Shlita prays that, G-d forbid, not a single Jew should come to harm...

Now regarding the Rebbetzin's enquiry about travelling, although in previous years there was a greater danger because according to newspaper reports Nasser ym"sh was planning to start a war, G-d forbid, on the Jews and at that time there were requests from abroad, from Antwerp, that the GH the Admor Shlita should get himself a passport and leave the country for Antwerp, nevertheless the GH the Admor Shlita would not agree although there is some divided opinion on the matter. Firstly, traveling is no simple matter for the GH the Admor Shlita and it may be as dangerous as not traveling, because how would he travel? The GH the Admor Shlita absolutely refuses to travel with an airplane and it is impossible to travel by sea, especially due to changing weather conditions.

We are very pleased that with G-d's help the GH the Admor Shlita walks about the house, that now at this age, may he live many days, he should be mobile. The GH the Admor Shlita's attendants are of great benefit to the GH the Admor Shlita's well being, as they are used to him and he is used to them and should he travel they would be prevented by law from accompanying him. Generally, leaving Israel is very questionable due to the GH the Admor Shlita's health and the stress of travelling, especially at this age. Then the question arises, where does one travel to. To Europe? A few weeks ago and perhaps even now there was more panic and fear in Europe than there is in Israel.

Then there is the issue that how does one travel if no other Rebbe is travelling. For instance, your mechuten the Vizhnitzer Rebbe who has a family does not intend to travel, and likewise others, so the GH the Admor Shlita should run off? One must also be aware that there are few Belzer chasidim in Israel but nonetheless the entire Jewry look up to the GH the Admor Shlita. Should the GH the Admor Shlita abandon Israel it will break their hearts and cause great fear to all the Jews of Israel. It will be said that since the GH the Admor Shlita is leaving it is a sign that the outlook for Israel is, G-d forbid, not good. When he was in Poland etc. the situation of klal yisorel was always taken into account and he did not just think of himself despite that the GH the Admor Shlita had a family at the time. Alas he risked everything because klal yisroel was taken into consideration. When he had to rescue himself he came to Israel so now when klal yisroel in Israel needs help will he run away...? Israel is acquainted with miracles and G-d will not forsake Israel. The GH the Admor Shlita's current conduct is not because he is in a state of shock, G-d forbid. I am certain that had he been abroad his conduct would have been no different because these are Rebbishe matters. He is informed that the world is in need of salvation and he feels for the nation of Israel and one does not flee from Israel.

One other thing, if the GH the Admor Shlita were to travel, then whichever of the great men who might follow will have an excuse that the Belzer Rov has given orders to travel. Who can take upon himself this responsibility? Trust me, I have no interest in the matter because if he were to travel then please G-d I and my family will also travel. I might even do better than in Israel especially now that during these weeks I am unable to admit people with kvitlech. Last week I admitted a few people with kvitlech, but one cannot escape the truth of the general rule that it is preferable to remain seated and not act, sit and do not seek to improve. Israel is conducive to longevity and may G-d indeed help that we should be able to welcome the Messiah with the GH the Admor Shlita speedily in our days, amen.

During the war in Israel there were several sirens during those few days and the GH the Admor Shlita went into the bomb shelter in the GH the Admor Shlita's basement. It made no impression on him, G-d forbid. I spent all the nights with the GH the Admor Shlita and I did not sleep at home so that the GH the Admor Shlita should be more assured and not be left alone with the bochurim. My children were slightly worried and I brought them to the GH the Admor Shlita so that they could spend the night with the GH the Admor Shlita.

As to the American bochurim, the GH the Admor Shlita tells no one what to do in respect of travel, whether to travel or not. Many bochurim have left and those who have not left it’s because they don't want to…

It will shortly be Chanukah and we hope that Jews will again merit miracles and the GH the Admor Shlita will surely bring about for klal yisroel all varieties of salvation…

From me the Gabbe,

Sholem Foigel

Comment of the Century

2011-11-28T06:51:00.001-05:00

Here's what one reader had to say on VosIzNeias' post about the Kinus HaShluchim Banquet Last Night

"I have to admit, having watched video segments from both the Chabad and Agudah meetings, it was like watching a chassanah versus a levayah and I'll let you guess which was which. One was upbeat, positive and rejoicing in what Hashem has done for Yiddeshkeit and will continue doing, and the other was a nonstop cry of "Gevalt, Yidden!" and how we've all gone off the derech and need to do major league tshuvah. Maybe next year, the Agudah will simply cancel their convention and attend as guests of Chabad (I'm sure the shalichim will enjoy the opportunity of doing some really heavy duty outreach..." )

I chose to leave the comment as is to let you see the mood out there.

Kinus HaShluchim Thread

2011-11-27T19:25:00.000-05:00

Watch The Banquet Here. Note: We cannot vouch for the quality of the stream.

My head hurts...

2011-11-25T15:20:00.001-05:00

See also Reb Elya Brudny

Part I

Part II

פראפעסאר ר' וועלוול גרין ע"ה, דער אידישיסט

2011-11-24T16:28:00.001-05:00

Professor Velvel Green, OBM, 83

נישט אלע ווייסן דאס, אבער פרופ ' וועלוול גרין, ע"ה, וועלכע איז די וואך פלוצלינג אוועק אין עלטער פון 83 יאר, איז אמאל געווען א אידישע שרייבער אויך! זיין אידיש איז געווען פונעם ניט-פרומע סארט, דהיינו אידיש האט ער געלערנט אין די שולע דארט ווי ער האט שטודירט אלץ קינד, צו אין "שלום עליכם שולע" צו אין "י.ל. פרץ שולע." דעם ארטיקל האט ער געשריבן שוין נאך דעם וואס דער שליח ורב פעלים ר' משה פעלער זאל געזונט זיין האט זיך באקענט מיט ר' וועלוול און אים מקרב געווען צו אידישקייט. דאס זעהט מען גלייך. ער גיבט זיי אריין אין טאטענ'ס טאטען אריין, און זאגט זיי אז לא זו הדרך. אידיש אהן אידישקייט איז סופו לעפר. פון דער אברהם גולומב ווייס איך נישט קיין סאך, אבער זעהט אויס אז ער איז געווען עפעס א גברא רבא אינעם וועלט פון אידיש, א שרייבער און דענקער. קיין וויקי בלאט האב איך נישט געזעהן אויף אים. ר' וועלוול מיט זיין בריייטע שמייכל וועט אונז פעלן. די שייכות און קשר וועלכע ר' וועלוול האט געהאט מיט'ן ליובאוויטשער רבי'ן איז אויך צו באמערקן, ווייל ס'איז געווען א ספעציעלע. דארט האט מען איינגעזעהן אז די רבי איז אים מקרב סיי מיט זיינע ידיעות אין עניני העולם, און סיי מיט "סתם רבי'שע" ענינים. שווער דאס אפשר מסביר צו זיין, אבער ווען איממער מ'האט געזעהן אן אינטערוויו מיט ר' וועלוול, אדער א רעדע פון אים, האט מען געוואוסט אז מ'גייט הערן גוטע זאכען, פנינים של ממש, אוצרות פונעם רבינ'ס חדר, אזוי צו זאגען. זיין זיסע שמייכל און ליכטיגע געזיכט איז געווען גענוג אויף צו באלייכטען דעם גאנצען ציממער. ס'דא נאך אסאך צו שרייבן וועגן ר' וועלוול, און אפשר קענען די חשוב'ע ליינער אויך עפעס צוגעבן, אבער די צייט איז ביי מיר קורץ און איך מוז דאס אפדרוקן
Velvel Green Yiddish

ר' וועלוול מיט אסאך יארען צוריק

an obituary by Dovid Z @ Chabad.org

"פון מיר דעם גבאי"

2011-11-23T10:37:00.005-05:00

אורות גליון 6

An historic letter from Reb Shulem Fogel, legendary gabbai of the previous Belzer Rov, zt"l to the "Iron Lady of New Square," Rebbetzin Traneh Twerski, o"h, wife of RYY of Skver, and mother of the current Skverrer Rebbe shlit"a. Traneh was the daughter of Reb Pinches (Pinye'le) Ostiller, HY"D, who was married to a sister of the Belzer Rov, a daughter of Reb Yisocher Dov of Belz, zt"l. This was the time of '56 Sinai Campaign and she was concerned about her uncle's well-being. It seems like she wanted him to leave Israel and travel to Europe until it all blows over. Reb Shulem writes that the Ruv's family was sacrificed in Poland during WW2 for Klal Yisroel, and that during the war the Ruv always thought about the Klal, and not about his personal well being. Yes, I know, many of you don't read Yiddish and feel left out. Believe me, I do it out of love, of Yiddish, that is. I bear no ill will to you non-Yiddish speakers and readers. I did give you a basic idea as to the contents of the letter, so cut me some slack, will ya?

POTD

2011-11-22T20:17:00.006-05:00

Luzer Twersky modelling for some British clothes manufacturer. Are they actually British? I cannot tell, the website they list in the pic doesn't seem to be clickable, so it's hard to glean any info from there. Luzer is a Rebbishe kind, his father is a Rebbe in Boro Park, and he decided to take a different path, a path not associated with Religious Jews, which is rare for Rebbishe kinder. Rebbishe kinder seem to be stuck in the rut that was created for them and they don't really get out much, even in a permitted way. [The only other time in recent memory was Reb Nachman Yosef Twersky, who left Rachmastrivka in Yerushalayim to join the Army of Lubavitch. And boy, did he ever get it over the head! And Lubavitch too!] Luzer is no longer with us ideologically, but he keeps his beard and peyos so that he can get acting jobs that call for a beard and peyos... Those are his own words. For a long time that seemed to be wishful thinking, the agents weren't calling him, but no it seems like he made the big time! I dare say he does quite a good job here!

And lest you think that I only attack non-Chabad, read this and weep!

Rebbetzin Bassie Azimov ע"ה - an appreciation

2011-11-21T19:48:00.002-05:00

(L-R; R' Bentzion Shemtov, Rebbetzin Bassie, o"h and יבלחט"א her husband R' Shmuel (מולע) Azimov

Received via e-mail: "On an August Paris afternoon, a troubled young man rang the bell of Rebbetzin Bassie Azimov. He had met her two years before in New York, but how things have changed. They were cousins but he could not recall how. He had fallen in with a hard crowd but had finally willed his way to 28 Rue de Vinaigriers."Who are you?" from the French window on the second floor. "Ari Brisk," was the answer. "Who are you?" she asked again, looking at me. "What happened to you?" Two minutes later she opened the front door, admonishing him while inviting him upstairs. Rabbi Mulle (Shmuel) Azimov was on the phone but the harsh words did not stop. To Ari's dismay, she had drawn a bath, placed all his clothes from the dirty knapsack to wash, and was cooking a meal fit for a king- all this with harsh words, but softened by the smell of fried shnitzel. Events took a turn for the good.Years later he'd recall this parodox- it stayed with him.

He is not the only one; there are hundreds, perhaps more.

The Jewish revolution of Paris which she spearheaded with her husband was to the curious eye a wonder, yet there were reasons. She lead her life not in the shadow of what her father, the inimitable chosid R' Bentche Shemtov, had gone through, but as the embodiment of mesiras nefesh for the Rebbe's mission with dignity at every moment. Her favorite story of the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka being the long walk across Paris "in the cold winter" she'd emphasize, describing the trek for milk and butter for the Rebbe in pre-War Paris.From five thirty in the morning until one o'clock the next, every day, she taught, lectured Principal a school, guided couples, suggested shidduchim, cooked, and all this while studying chassidus every day, sichos, one after the other. Long before igros bibliomancy, she'd approach a problem through a sicha, "the sicha always brings a solution." Their house was simply a sanctuary for the light of the Rebbe's chassidusת and that luminescence has lit many. I resided there for several months years ago, always considered her greatly, but her light as a chosid was beyond greatness, her family and the many who knew her now see...

I'd say it was her total bittul to the Rebbe which allowed her to saunter from an elevated perch, and touching others, allowing chassidus to flow through her for there was nothing else.She referred to the Rebbe as "dem Rebben" not der Rebbe, implying a belonging of chosid to Rebbe. The Rebbe was familiar and available but more important was the urgency of the Rebbe's call. There was work to be done, and, arguably, no shluchim have done that work as the Azimovs. I once ate at their Shabbos table when a guest, new to traditional Judaism, began asking questions about feminism and Judaism when Bassie interrupted her with a very strong lecture about the state of women today in light of promiscuity in modern culture. I felt embarrassed for the woman; Bassie was being too strong. To my astonishment the woman became a full ba'alas tshuveh, within a few months. She was persistent and more importantly lived the Rebbe's truth in heroic fashion, all this with a life threatening illness that she harbored for years.The involvement of the Rebbe during her trying sickness, entailed daily updates and guidance. For years she ate butter and told me that when she was unable to digest food, the Rebbe had recommended butter, and it had been the only food which she had been able to digest the following years. Bassie never for a moment compromised. Perhaps therein is the secret, how one is imbued with that special spirit to be an infinite chosid of "dem Rebben."

Ad kan the email.

HT says: Rebbetzin Bassie Azimov passed away in Paris last week at the age of 67. She was the daughter of the Chossid Reb Bentzion Shemtov of London and the wife of Reb Shmuel (Mulle) Azimov, shliach to Paris. She and her husband were responsible for the tremendous "revolution" of Yiddishkeit in Paris that goes on until today. What has been accomplished in France hasn't happened anywhere else in the world. Hundreds upon hundreds, if not thonsands of families that lead complete Torah lives. Some thrird generation already. All were introduced to Yiddishkeit by Reb Mulle and his Rebbetzin. The love and respect, and even reverence that people who came in contact with the Azimovs have for them is nothing short of amazing. All their mushpoyim and mekurovim are like their own children, and at the levaya they cried as if their own mother had passed away. No matter where you stand on the Chabad politics you respected Mulle and his wife because they demanded respect. Not they demanded it, it was their work and accomplishments that demanded it for them. They themselves asked for nothing. When you saw that she had passed away you were saddened, because you knew that there is nobody that can replace her. You also cried for her husband, a tzubrochene man physically, who suffered a stroke some years ago, and who now suffers so much more upon his mate. May the Eybershter give him lange, gezunte yohren, and may their children know only joy and happiness מכאן ולהבא עד עולם

Is Areivim out of touch?

2011-11-20T14:28:00.000-05:00

You may not get to see this fine publication; it may be Monsey-area only. I didn't see last week's issue, where they mentioned Shlomo and Meir Kahane's Yohrtzeits, so I don't know what it was exactly that they wrote. But my son ZG"Z (= zol gezunt zein) brought this to my attention. He knows by now what gets my goat, I guess. What strikes me as really weird about this is the fact that I'm sure that an organization like Areivim - "From Crisis to Control" - is not a very rigid operation when it comes to saving at-risk youth. Meaning that they'll allow things like watching sports and maybe even non-Jewish music at their centers/functions - if they have any. I'm sure that Carlebach is just fine too. Now I know that allowing it doesn't make it right, but being that Shlomo was active in saving at-risk and lost youth you'd think that they would cut him some slack. Also, if you teach kids that people like SC and Kahane are not "true gedolim" will that make them wanna come and be helped by an organization like yours? Aren't you then like the Mesivta Rebbi or principal that he so dislikes?? That's all besides for the fact that Shlomo and Kahane resonate very strong with OTD and AR youth. I assume that there were complaints about them, but complaints can be handled in several different ways. Writing a childish retraction like the one here is just that, childish.

The Cover. Notice how they only use Rabbeinu Tam's zman for מוצש"ק.

"???וואו זענען זיי ווייטער אזוי פארקרומט געווארען"

2011-11-19T22:47:00.003-05:00

דער שטיקל וועלכע האט ביי אונז געהויבן די אויגענברעמען איז דארט - אויף עמ' 2 צום סוף - ווי דער סאטמאר רב רעדט וועגן דעם דרך הלימוד און פרעגט "וואו זענען זיי ווייטער אזוי פארקרומט געווארען,?" מיינענדיג אז די היינטיגע ליטאים, ובתוכם כנראה זיין זון ר' חיים, זענען אוועק פון דעם אמת'ען דרך, דער דרך וואס די בית הלוי אליין איז נאך געגאנגען דעראין. דאס אז ר' חיים האט מחדש געווען א נייעם דרך דאס ווייסען אלע, אבער איך גלייב אז די בריסקער קינדער היינט וואלטען אייך געזאגט אז ס'איז באמת נישט קיין שינוי פונעם דרך אבותינו, און ס'איז מיוסד אויפ'ן אלטען, אויסגעטראטענעם דרך

זקניך ויאמרו לך

(לרגל היא"צ ה-85 של מרן מהרי"ד מבעלזא זי"ע (מעדנים לחסידי סאטמאר

2011-11-18T12:50:00.009-05:00

די סאטמורים דא רעדן זיך איין אז איך האב עפעס קעגן זיי, און אז איך טשעפע זיי מיט זייערע רביים. דאס אז איך בין "מעלה" אטא דער קובץ וועט אייך אוודאי איבערצייגן אז ס'איז סתם א בלבול

בעלזא בתפארתה - נגד ציונות

ייחוס שוורצמאן

2011-11-17T10:09:00.078-05:00

I've made a little shtink about Reb Berel Shvartzman and his pedigree and the fact that the "MSM" really did very little homework when it came to eulogizing him, even in the weekend editions, when they had some time to do the research. That's beside for the fact that they basically ignored his second wife and kids, as if to say that his only claim to fame was that he was once married to a Kotler... I also called them out for not mentioning his Chabad connection. I do that sometimes. So I went digging and found some stuff. Some of it known and some not so much. It's actually quite easy if you just look, which goes to show you that sometimes we could care less. It seems to me that today's tributes don't focus enough on the details of the niftar's life, which may be why they didn't find out about his ancestors. Or maybe it was enough to them that his kids were eyniklach of RAK...

In 5704 Reb Berel's zeide was niftar, The Mechaber of משאות בנימין, that isand the periodical "התבונה" had an article about him. It seems like his elter zeide was niftar only 5 years prior to that, and was 105 (!) at the time of his passing. Based on what they say here we see that from his father's side Reb Berel came from a very choshuve Litvishe family. He was a talmid of Volozhin and a choshuve Rov in Russia. Der zeide was a mekurev of the Aderes, Reb Yitzchok Elchonon and many others. No real mention of Chassidim. Which goes to show you that they really didn't do their homework; they could have shut up those darn Lubabs once and for all by showing all these bonafide Litvaks in his yichus briv! But when it comes to Reb Berel's father they have little to say. All they say is that he's a Rov in Tel Aviv. They could've said that he was a Talmid of the Slabodka Yeshiva, which was the line of the week when it came to all the newspapers...Now, I admit the information is choppy, but I have heard from his (distant, somewhat) relatives that Reb Berel's father was a Rov who sat on all the Agudas Chabad meetings in Tel Aviv, and was considered a "Chabad Rov." I will not jump the gun here and say that it was an intentional omission by HaTvunah, even though they were a publication for Mussarnikes, maybe they were limited in space and could only write about the niftar.

The letters from the Rebbe prove what? I'm not quite sure. They prove that the Rebbe had a place in his life, whatever that means, and that he considered himself enough a Chabadnik to be in contact with the Rebbe. That much he learned while living in Nevel, I guess. I'm not assuming that Reb Berel had a strong connection because of his mother's family, who were out and out Lubavitcher Chassidim, but I know he did! That doesn't necessarily translate into a Lubavitcher obituary, I realize that. But we are discussing his yichus, and it was a part of his life. We've seen here in comments and in e-mails that I've received that he would attend farbrengens, daven in Lubavitch in London when visiting family there, as well as a story that he had with the Frierdige Rebbe when he asked about whether or not he should do his first shidduch... Ultimately wee see that Reb Berel was lost between two worlds - meaning that despite his gadlus b'torah he never ended up "making it" like some people in the Olam HaYeshivos who didn't posess half his kishronos and knowledge. Some of you have told me privately that because of the kepeydes of either RAK or RYH, both of whom have it in for him... May his neshomoh have an aliya.

מצגת לעלוב

2011-11-16T17:06:00.002-05:00

Today's Link

2011-11-16T16:40:00.001-05:00

BOF: Top Bansha"k Claims MOs Want Sainthood for Anti-Zionist Rebbe

The Revision Has Begun...

2011-11-15T11:34:00.001-05:00

This magazine clip was sent to us by a relative of Reb Berel Shvartzman. I was quite surprised to see this appear in the בקהילה, which has a Chabadnik editor-in-chief, Binyomin Lipkin. It would not bother anyone if they say that he came from a Chassidic home but took another path after seeing the great ameilus baTorah in Chevron/Lakewood, but why would you deny his background and heritage? Especially after telling us that he was born in Nevel, a Lubavitcher town like no other! This is being an Umfarginer to the 10th power!

"דער דף היומי "קאוועראפ

2011-11-14T11:49:00.002-05:00

I must admit; the amount of Kovtzim that Satmar puts out to further the Shittah is quite impressive. I'm not sure what puzzles me more, the sentence about the REAL intentions of the Agudah, or the fact that despite statements like these from him about them that the Agudah today has more respect and fear of the SR than of some of their own members and leaders... I also don't understand the need to print all this now, I guess the spread of DY in Satmar circles needs to be stopped, and this is how to do it... The situation was that a group of bachurim organized a Daf Yomi chaburah in Satmar whilst he was on vacation, and when he learned of this ordered all the city shuls closed and delivered a fiery droshoh in the big shul where he preached about the evils of the Agudah and the deviant plan that was the Daf Yomi... the Daf Yomi was created only to hide the true intentions of the Agudah, he said, which is to strengthen the hands of the Zionists, so the learning needs to stop before the Zionism sets in. I wonder if Reb Meir Shapira knew about his own true intentions. I also have this kler, based on the Satmar Rov's popularity among the Litvish/Yeshivish crowd, if they need to stop the daf now that they know the truth about the DafYomi, and whether all the learning they did went to the S"A or not... מתקוממים בימינך, they stand up against you and use your Torah as their tool to revolt against Hashem...

לכ' עורכי הקובץ הי"ו

?איך האב געוואלט וויסן וואס איז די חשבון פון דרוקען אזעלכע ווערטער

וואס טוט עס אויף, און וויזוי העלפט עס פאר'ן קומענדיגן דור, אז מ'רעדט זיך איין אז רבבות אלפי
ישראל לערנען תורה נאר כדי צו פרעדיגן ציונות? מילא אז מ'רעדט זיך איין אז ס'איז אלץ שלא לשמה, אדער אז די מארגנים מאכען גרויסע סיומים וכדומה נאר
כדי צו גרויס מאכען די פארטיי, איז עס קינדעריש גענוג, און איך גלייב נישט אז מ'וואלט געדרוקט אפילו אזעלכע ווערטער אויף צו מפיץ זיין ברבים. אבער צו זאגען אז דער וואס עס לערנט א בלאט גמרא טעגליך שטיצט ציונות ווייל די רעיון איז צום ערשטען מאל אויפכעקומען ביי א כנסיה גדולה פון די "טריפה'נע" אגודה איז נישט מער ווי א געפערליכע קטרוג. איר דארפט איבערבעטען הונדערטער טויזענטער אידן, אשר ישנם פה ואשר איננו פה. מן הדין איז דא א חוב קדוש אויף יעדן איד נישט צו גלייבן די מוצש"ר וואס איר דרוקט אין דעם קובץ, און ווער ווייסט, אפשר אים גונז זיין מטעם די אנדערע דברי תורה וואס געפינען זיך דעראין. לאחר המעשה טראכט איך יעצט אז אפשר וואלט כדי געווען אז דיזען ווערטער זאלען געשריבען ווערן נאר אויף זשארגאן, כדי צו פארמיידען די חילול השם וועלכע קען ארויסקומען פון די פאר שורות אויף שפה"מ

Read it and weep.

a "רשב"ן" music fest לכבוד די יארצייט היינט

2011-11-13T15:58:00.010-05:00

Shlomo in Israel c.1958

Click here and Enjoy!

מעין עולם הבא

Many classics as well as rarities available there for your listening pleasure. Please try and refrain from "blaming" Lubavitch here for any of what you see as his indiscretions. However, I cannot keep you from doing it בין הסדרים in Philly or Stamford or Passaic, or at your Shabbos table on a long Friday night. You can do there as you wish. You can also discuss how R' Aron cried when he heard לולי תורתך, or how he was supposed to become the Reb'Kiveyger of that generation," and other such Yeshivishe hock. What's more interesting to note is how his music and he himself have become so popular among the Chassidishe Oylam, especially those who have a hard time conforming to the mainstream Chassidishe/Hungarian norms of today.

פרסום ראשון ! - מצבת הגאון בעל "משנה הלכות" זצ"ל

2011-11-12T21:35:00.006-05:00

Photos Credit: מח"ס שמחת מלך

במרומי צפת sits the resting place of the one who made my bris, cut my hair and made me peyos, leined my Bar Mitzvah aliya, and who kissed me on di shteren after I said my Maamar at my leChaim/vort. (It was a maamar ד"ה שיר המעלות הנה מה טוב ומה נעים שבת אחים גם יחד.) I believe these are the first published pictures of the newly erected Matzeivoh. When I went with my father zg"z to invite him to my wedding - nisht heint gedacht - he apologized that he could not attend since it took place overseas and he was not feeling well at the time. He also has a very strong connection to my shver zg"z and his father, z'l, and he was overjoyed to see me join that family. [Needless to say I have much to say about Hagaon HaRav Reb Menashe Klein, zt"l, but I have yet to find the time to do it properly. There's his connection to Lubavitch, how he was treated in the general Olam HaTorah, as well as Rabbonim, Roshei Yeshivos and Tzaddikim.] RMK asked that he be buried there, next to the resting place of HaRav Amrom Chasida, zt"l, whose tziyun he restored. His wife, the Rebbetzin nee' Frankel, was a descendant of his, as well as the Beis Shearim, lineage that the Rov adopted as his own...I hope to find the time to write. It'll have to be done in parts, and even if I do start I hope I'll be able to carry it through.

(P.S. The OFFICIAL הקמת מציבה is Sunday 16 Cheshvan)

what a view!

another angle of the matzeivoh from the back.

אפילו די "גאס" אין וומסב"ג איז גאר אנדערש

2011-11-11T08:01:00.004-05:00

פון די גאלדענע קייט תשכ"ג
זעה דא

Still waiting.... (Penn State, etc.)

2011-11-10T11:49:00.002-05:00

(LA Times Photos)

It's been a week since the scandal broke at Penn State. In that span of days we've heard from a certain "crusading" blogger about Meal Mart Salmonella, battered Jewish women, Reb Shmuel Kamenetzky telling people not to go to the Police when they see abuse, more abuse in the Jewish Community, Israeli Haredis being male chauvinists, the Kletzky murder trial, Reb Nosson Tzvi, but only because his mother was from his neighborhood in S. Paul, and a host of non-issues. Including a very important story about a Ethiopian Jew being named Israeli Ambassador to ----- Ethiopia. But not a word, not one single, solitary word, about the abuse that went on there for years, not just abuse but violation! of young children by the No. 2 man in the University's Athletic Dept. (as far as I'm concerned, as well as the rest f the world.) The fact that America's very bright, non-Haredi students rioted in support of old JoePa, even though he did nothing to stop the violation of young children, also gets no mention. NOT. ONE. WORD. I guess he cares only about Jewish children being abused. Gentiles mean nothing to him. They can all go to hell, huh? Are they not G-d's children, Scotty? Imagine, just imagine if we would do that, support a Rosh Yeshiva who was fired because he did nothing by rioting and flipping over cars. I've been very patient, Mr. Rosenberg. I shall wait no longer.

You are nothing but a two-bit hypocrite, liar, ingrate - yes, ingrate, and worse.

And most of all, you're an embarrassment to your people.

ר' דן'ס הכרת הטוב

2011-11-10T10:26:00.001-05:00

"Anatomy of a Ban," by Rabbi Nosson Kamenetzky

In one of the obituaries last week they used Reb Dun's Hakoras HaTov as an example of his exemplary middos. The anecdote they used was a bit silly, but it seems like there was something we could learn from him. {the example was him flying to Florida to attend the levaya of a woman who did "a significant favor for the Yeshiva." I think we'd all do that... This would've been alot better, but we know they wouldn't use this...] I assume that it was because Reb Yaakov was his Rebbe at YTV, as well as took his side in the YTV and subsequently, the BME um, disagreements, he had with RGS and later, his family. {I could be wrong.} Reb Natan has less than stellar words for Reb Shlomo Wolbe, who he says owed just as much to his father...

Thanks to the anonymous reader who sent in these pages. Maybe he can send in some more... It seems like another page or two would clarify the picture alot

Rachmistrivker Lomdus

2011-11-09T10:41:00.001-05:00

A new sefer/kuntres that transcribes the talk of the late Rachmistrivka Rebbe of Yerushalayim, Reb Yisroel Mordche Twersky, zt"l. Some of what is discussed here, namely the idea that the Rachmistrivka Rebbe would give 6 hour shiurim in Nigleh seem a bit far-fetched. Also, I've yet to have it confirmed that the Lubavitcher Rebbe would attend these shiurim, but anything is possible. We learn new things about the Rebbe every day. The fact that they give Reb Meir Berlin the title "הגאון" tells us alot. I guess they didn't get the memo that RMB was אאוט. Why, all he got in "הרב מבריסק" was ",הרב" just like Rav Kook and Menachem Porush... and he was the Rov's uncle! Reb Noochem'tshe Rachmistrivker was known as mamesh a fartzeitisher Rebbe, and the Frierdige Rebbe would be mazkir himself (and his family) by him, which he didn't do with many other Rebbes. I think Reb Aron Belzer was the other Rebbe he would send a kvittel to. Reb Menachem Nachum of Trisk-Brisk; Much of what is brought down here I've seen elsewhere, so it seems like הרבנים לבית בריסק had derech eretz for Rebbes, at least those וואס האבען געקענט לערנען.

The Shaar of the new booklet

הגאון ר' נטע הירש פינקל זצ"ל

2011-11-08T12:18:00.005-05:00

See
הנסיך, ר' לייזר יודל
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קוקט אהער
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נאך
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VIN Report
Levaya pics
A Meeting with the R"Y

A view of the crowd at the levaya (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

As a young high school student in Chicago

PicturesOfTheDay

2011-11-08T06:21:00.016-05:00

Pictured: Shoproner Rov - Reb Shimon Yisroel Posen (r, with Rabbinic, flat Beaver Hat) & and (hidden) Rav Yisroel וועלץ (l) ראב"ד דקה"י בודאפעסט, and later in Yerushalayim. Center, with uniform - Rabbi Shenkelevsky from the Joint; Standing First on the left - Reb Shemtov Meyer - Mechutin to the Tosher Rebbe, father of the Lizhensker Rebbe of Monsey.. The Two young men Standing in the center wearing caps are children of the Shoproner Rov. We need to identify the man with the Platchiker Biber hat next to Rav Woltz.

Seated right is the Shoproner Rov, left is Rav Yisroel Woltz of Budapest, zt"l. Child standing First to the left - Reb Avraham Chaim Spitzer. Seated second to the left is Reb Avraham Steinmetz, Sitting 2nd from the right is Reb Asher Zelig Steinmetz. Man sitting First left is also seen in the First picture, albeit without his hat. If you see other people in the picture that you can name, please do so in the comments. I should put a watermark on these never-before-seen pictures, but who has time? and why should I keep them from stealing it? let them enjoy.

?האלו? ווארשא?פארברענט

2011-11-07T05:40:00.008-05:00

Aaron Zeitlin's masterpiece accompanied by vintage footage of pre-WW2 Warsaw, which is no more... Aaron was the son of Hillel Zeitlin, HaYaD, and came to America in March of 1939. The poem was penned in 1945.

Text of poem can be found here

בד"ה - הגאון האדיר ר' דובער (בערל) שווארצמאן ז"ל

2011-11-06T22:44:00.008-05:00

Yeshiva World Calls him the "father of Rav Yaakov Eliezer Shlita, who is the eldest grandson of Hagoan Rav Aaron Kotler ZATZAL, and is presently the Rosh Yeshiva of Lakewood East in Yerushalayim..." Berel Shvartzman was from Nevel. Yes, that Nevel. I was told that he was boki in Tanya and Likutei Torah. His mother was HaYitzchaki, a cousin to the famed Reb Zalman Moshe of Nevel. His family left the USSR during the 30s and Berel learned in Eitz Chaim, IIRC. [ I'm told now that he was a Chevroner.] Once during a visit by RAK to Israel he gave a shiur in his shver's (RebIsserZalmanMeltzer) Yeshiva Chevroner Yeshivah and Berel was not impressed by the shiur... And told him so... So RAK took him to America and married him off to his daughter. That marriage ended rather unfavorably, but his kids did manage to get pedigree that was more to their liking than a Neveler balagoleh... כאטש אז יעדער חסיד וואלט אנדערש געזאגט. The frum webistes seem to not want to recognize that he had a wife and life after the divorce, and several children too... Reb Berel was married to a sister of Rav Uri Chountal's of Yerres, France, wife, who passed away a month ago.

I heard that he would say that he was Tinok Shenishbeh...

Not that I buy the Post...

2011-11-05T23:52:00.002-04:00

Someone sent me this.

Made my day.

Pardon the helmeted footballer.

a magyarok csinálni!

2011-11-04T13:19:00.000-04:00

If only they could package the baloney like Alle Processing does... They would be rich! Rich, I tell ya! Imagine if Lubavitch would say this, that the Litvishe Derech HaLimud, i.e. Reb Chaim Brisker and all other Litvishe Roshei Yeshiva, was wrong, and the only real Torah learned was in Russia! But the Satmorim get away with everything. The fact that they decided to go to Lita to acquire the derech haLimud because of a Halochoh Sefer(!) that was written decades before, no matter how "Lomdish" the Biur Halochoh is, Does that make sense to anyone out there?

?!וואס ליגט אין די קרית יואל'ער וואסער

Breslov - not for boys only!

2011-11-03T22:18:00.000-04:00

Yoeli Roth expands into חינוך הבנות

The only difference between him and the SR, whom he hopes to imitate, is that the SR had thousands of potential children waiting to enroll in his schools. All they had to do was to be born... Roth has his work cut out for him if he wishes to have that many kids learn Sefer HaMidos by heart.

שועלים הלכו בו - סאדיגורא

2011-11-02T16:34:00.002-04:00

Attached are pictures of the current state of the Ruzhiner/Sadigerrer Hoyf in סאדיגורא/Chernowitz, Bukovina, Ukraine. Apparently it has become a "crack house." Woe is to the eyes that see this, and woe is to the blogger whose hands have to type up this post. How did this happen? I definitely remember seeing just a few years ago how the Sadigerrer Rebbe came to Sadigora for a Chanukas HaBayis, and that it had been either bought from or returned by the Government and renovated.It was around 3 Cheshvan, the Yohrtzeit of the Heiliker Ruzhiner, and it was attended by many chassidim from around the world, including Lubavitcher shluchim from the Ukraine. It seems like it hasn't been used since then and this is the result of the lack of use. I was thinking that they probably should've leased the building to the local Chabad Shliach in Chernowitz, which Sadigora is part of. Like Karlin being part of Pinsk. That way everybody would be happy, especially the Heiliker Ruzhiner, upon seeing that Yiddishkeit lives in his hometown and in his palace. Rabbi Glitzenshtein is a fine young man who has accomplished much there, and recently dedicated a shul that he received from the Government. Maybe he could've done the same for the kloyz! I understand that the same has happened in places like Skvira, Ukraine, where they received the shul from the Government, but due to lack of use the place falls into total disarray.

.....על הר ציון ששמם

Its majesty all but gone!

....על זה הי' דוה לבנו

The glory is no more...

On these beams they clamored צו כאפען א בליק פונעם שפיץ שטריימל פון דער הייליגער רוז'ינער....

יודעי דבר tell me that this was the home of the Heiliker Ruzhiner...

Stop the Bombardment!!!

2011-11-01T13:51:00.002-04:00

"Please buy my book!!!"

You would think that this is WW2 and we're the German or Japanese people being told to give up and force their leaders to surrender. (pardon the inappropriate the analogy) Or maybe we're the good people in Gaza being told that the F-16s are coming and that they get the heck outta there. Anywhere you turn you're told that you need to buy דרש דוד. That it's the new חידושי ר' חיים הלוי על הרמב"ם. That all Gedolim and Rabbonim and Rebbes told you so. That not since the times of Rabbeinu Hakodosh has there been תורה וגדולה like there is by Hofstedter. What did we do to deserve this? Is this part of the punishment for the Internet and Tznius issues? Is this one way that G-d punishes us? Why does DH feel like he needs to become the next Gadol as well as Gvir? Is Dirshu not enough? When will the madness end? Please, I beg of you, newspapers, magazines and poster printers, please decline his business just for one week. Stop with the Dirshu advertorials and דרש דוד ads for just one week. G-d has his ways, he'll send you other advertisers to fill the gap. I know he will. He'll do it because you made so many Jews happy by doing it.

דן ידין עמו

2011-10-31T23:21:00.006-04:00

רבי דן

One thing's for certain. He has/had name recognition. You may have not known what he was doing at the moment, whether the Yeshiva was active or not, but you knew the name. It's tough not to with a name like that. Reb Dun showed us that if you try hard you can make it in the Olam HaTorah even if you're a Galitzyaner... " In the daily paper we were told that he was the "primary talmid of Reb Shlomo Heiman." I assume they mean living talmid. I'm sure some other talmidim in the past would take umbrage to that statement. The other things we learn are quite impressive; how he came here as a teenager and become a Ben Torah despite not having his parents here. We were also informed that "virtually the entire Monsey community attended the levaya." I wish they wouldn't do that. There was no need for that line. The obituary could've been just as good with out that line, with is totally baseless anyway. I'd be surprised if there were 1,000 people there. But that's "neither her nor there." How do we classify Reb Dun? where do we put him in the roster of American Gedolim or Litvishe Gedolim in general? You might say that the terrible machlokes that BM"E found itself entangled in, both back in the day and again a few years back, when it was an internal Ungarisher Machlokes, hurt his reputation and the reputation of his Yeshiva for all eternity. The big ancient building on Main Street sits virtually empty. I think the minyan on Shabbos is alot bigger than the Yeshiva is.. I would say that it's not one of Hershy Friedman's better investments as far as donating to Mosdos goes.Even the "Beis Medrish Elyon hat," the bent-up hat with pinches, is almost no more. Besides for Reb Don and some old timers, nobody wears it anymore.

See Here

.....רעדן אין לערנען

2011-10-30T12:16:00.002-04:00

Click on the player above for a conversation between the Rav, RYBS of Boston, and an unknown Rosh Yeshiva/Rov from Eretz Yisroel. Any information on this person would be greatly appreciated. About halfway through you can hear the Rosh Yeshiva speak about what the Lubavitcher Rebbe told him about learning "Kabbalah" in his Yeshiva...

תמונת מצב - חצה"ק "איירמאנט" - הושע"ר תשע"ב לפ"ק

2011-10-28T13:15:00.000-04:00

It seems like Airmont (i.e. Lipa Schmeltzer) has made a hard left turn. We're used to his concerts pushing the envelope every time just a little bit more, but this surprised even a pretty Liberal guy like myself. If I didn't know better I'd say that this was a Purim Shpiel in the CCCP, circa 1926. I've defended Reb Lipa here several times, so you can trust that I have no agenda when it comes to Mr. Schmeltzer. I suppose he's trying to be the new Shlomo Carlebach, but even Shlomo didn't make a mockery of davenen. The things you saw were the natural sentiments of some of the people attending services, not some kind of joke. Yes,I don't think the pictures were taken during the actual davening,but it is supposed to DEPICT it. Shlomo would not allow any talking during tefillos in his shul, and he most definitely wouldn't have it turn into some kind of performance. I'm not sure what Mr. Berrry Weber is trying to show with that wrapped Esrog he's holding, but it's crass. Lipa: we appreciate what you do when it comes to helping Jews in need, both spiritual and physical, but you don't need to do this. Stick to what you do best, which is to make Jews happy. Stay out of the Rebbe business.

Please.

Mr. Berri Weber and his Esrog...

POTD

2011-10-27T16:19:00.001-04:00

Click on Photo!!

Caption and story here

א רוף צו אקשן - דעת בעלי בתים

2011-10-26T12:10:00.002-04:00

asifah-shabbos-blettel-8

שוין לאנג נישט געזעהן ווי דאס הארץ ווייטאג פון אחב"י, די א.ג. "עמך אידן", ווערט אזוי גוט אויסגעדרוקט ווי אין די פאר בלעטער. זעהט אויס אז מ'האלט שוין נאנט, זייער נאנט, צו "קריסת המערכת" ווי דאס איז ביז היינט. ווער ווייסט אבער ווי ווייט און ווי טיף דאס וועט גיין ווען די מערכת וועט אונטער גיין, ר"ל. ווייל א מערכת מיט אזעלכע שוואכע יסודות, און מיט לופט אונטער די שוואכע יסודות, קען זינקען גאר, גאר טיף, אזוי ווי מיר זעהן שוין היינט

who will be the Rebbetzin Kanievski of our children?

2011-10-25T22:43:00.001-04:00

Reb Chaim's Rebbetzin passed away on Shabbos Chol Hamoed Sukkos in her home in Bnei Beraq. She was the daughter of Rav Elyashiv, a meyucheses in her own right. An eynikel of Reb Aryeh Levin. The Leshem! ניט שייכות צו זאגען! what more can you say. [מאמר המוסגר: what's with the "nifteres" shtick? all the "yeshivishe" sites write she was "nifteres" on Shabbos. No more "niftar." Is that even grammatically correct? She is a Nifteres, but she was Nifteres? Am I wrong on this one?] During the subsequent hespedim by the levaya and after YomTov she was dubbed the "mother of Klal Yisroel." I'm not here to bash that. וואס גייט מיר אהן what people say? זאל איר זייער וואויל באקומען. I'm just worried about the future. Who will be the Rebbetzin Kanievski of our children, screams this Circus Tent headline, and I could not have said it better myself. Who will bless Esrog Jelly from now on. Who will say Perek Shira at dawn with the Netz minyan at Lederman? Who will be mafrish challah for the rest of Klal Yisroel that cannot do it? If this what we make of frumme Yiddenes אך און וויי to us. What do we leave for the men? Maybe I'm jealous. Maybe it's because my Bubbe, who was a kaylichdig'e yesomeh at a young age in Hungary, didn't have a zeide like Reb Aryeh, could've very easily been not frum even before the war, was deported to Auschwitz, lost her siblings, nieces and nephews, made bombs for the Nazis in Leipzig - you get my drift. Bah-Bee also davened three times a day with a minyan, (she lived next to a shul) fasted on the Yohrtzeit of her husband, parents, siblings, said tehillim (Perek Shira wasn't a "thing" yet) every spare moment, took care of an Alzheimer's patient many years her junior, and best of all PASSED AWAY ON HER BIRTHDAY!!! She wore a white tichel and shirtzel on R"H and Y"K and cried to Hashem for a Gut Yohr. She cried to him because she loved him and wished only that she have to strength to serve him, not to לעבן א גוטען טאג, chas vesholom. Never have you seen a woman cook and bake with more lofty kavonos. Every poke of the fork into the Kokosh Cake dough was with the loftiest of intentions, no less than a Brisker rolling his rrrrreish during KrishMeh. And I say that in all seriousness. I'll show you her Hungarian צאינה וראינה one day. Halevai my Tanya should one day look like that, or your shas. Or any of our siddurim.

So if my Bubbe would be alive I'd say that she could very easily take the place of the lofty Rebbetzin BatSheva. Despite the fact that her husband was not the Sar Hatorah, nor was her father the Posek HaDor/Urim VeTumim. (He was a musmach of the Pressburger Yeshivah, though) Maybe BECAUSE of that she'd be a very good candidate. She was self-made, after all. (Yea, Yea, צדיק בן צדיק, I know what you'll say.) They say that Reb Chaim appointed his daughter Rabbanit Kuledtzki to replace his wife as mother of Klal Yisroel. I haven't seen her at all, but I saw her husband, and he's no Reb Chaim. Rebbetzin Batsheva had a old time Yerushalayimer charm that you can't just pass on to your children, necessarily. In the pictures Reb Chaim looks very, very distraught. Utterly devastated. May the Eybershter comfort him and his family בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים.

(I would go be menachem avel if I had the means.)

הושענא רבה אין סאטמאר, תשכ"ז

2011-10-19T13:49:00.000-04:00

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A full day's davening indeed.

היות אז אין סאטמארע בתי מדרשים דאווענט מען נאך אין גרויסן קען מען נאך הערן די טעיפ

א גוט געבענטשט יאר

א גוט קוויטל

א גוט יו"ט

ד"ר ר' אפרים שך ז"ל

2011-10-17T13:06:00.001-04:00

a short biography

the levaya

Rebbetzin Chana's Memoirs (Part II)

2011-10-11T12:59:00.003-04:00

Rebbetzin Chana Memoirs Part 2

די חשוב'ע רביצין האט די בעסטע 17 פון איר לעבן געלעבט דא אין ניו יארק, זעהענדיג ווי איר גרויסער זונ'ס כוחות און פעהיגקייטן ווערן אויסגענוצט צום פולן מאס. דער רבי פלעגט איר יעדן טאג באזוכן אין שטוב, און זי האט געווארט בכליון עינים פאר די וויזיט.

POTD

2011-10-09T10:37:00.002-04:00

Choosing an אתרוג in כפר חב"ד, today.

I'm surprised he's not looking in בני ברק, or in ירושלים by a סוחר who sells אתרוגי ברוורמן, ליפקוביץ, חזון איש, or at least a תימנ'ער.

Do you know this man?

Source:COL