[ A Guest book review on
his biography - by
Schneur, in honor of Reb Avrohom's 20th Yohrtzeit, 10 Nissan. ]
with the Rebbe, zy"a, 5750
Every once in a while an important and unusual book appears on the scene. We are familiar with books that are biographies of famous
Rabbonim and
gedolim.These have become common place in our days. These are published in Hebrew and English. While they are at times criticized for playing with history, they do an important service in serving as
Mussar seforim and showing how great Jews lived their lives and devoted themselves to
Avodath hashem.
Lubavitch has also been blessed with many biographical studies both of the 7 R
ebbes and of individual
chassidim. Most of these have appeared in Hebrew and have not been fully appreciated by the reader not at ease with Hebrew. The book under review is a first it is written in an excellent English and portrays an important personage in 20th century
Lubavitch history. Years ago a friend of mine who is a devout
Bobover chasid told me that as a teenager older
Bobover chassidim told him to go over to 770 during
Yamim Tovim and see how the elder
Lubavitcher "hoben farbracht". The older
Chosid referred to these men as the
talmidei haBesht. Indeed they were such! Indeed these men were the
talmidim of the
Rashab and many of them spent years in the Soviet Union where they practiced Judaism under the worst of conditions.
Rabbi Avrohom Drizin, known as
Avrohom Mayorer, was an unusual
chosid indeed; that he was not only a
chosid of all 3
Lubavitcher Rebbes in the 20th century, but also excelled in all 3 areas of Jewish service. If the
Rebbe stressed an i
nyon Reb Avrohom was there to implement this
inyon. Indeed he was a major league
lamdan who served as a
Rosh Yeshiva in the Central
Lubavitcher Yeshiva in
Nevel. He was a devoted
Oved hashem and
chasid. he spent long hours at prayer and studying
chassiduth. He was also as mentioned
mekushar to the
Lubavitcher Rebbes of his time. In the years of persecution in the Soviet Union , he also excelled in
gemillas chassadim, practicing "
Eys La'asos lashem hefeiru torasecho". He became a pillar of
chessed, and
gemmillas Chesed to the
Chabad community in the Soviet union. He was not a "
zaddik in Peltz" but cared about his fellow man and Jews. But his service was not limited to the spiritual and personal level, for years he acted as the director of the
Lubavitcher yeshivos in the Soviet union and made sure these schools and their students had food, and the proper material items needed for their survival. This at great personal cost. In fact
Reb Avrohom was a one man communal institution representing
Chabad in the Soviet Union.
At a farbrengen in Israel, 1950's
Later
Reb Avrohom came to Israel where he helped build the
yeshiva in
KFAR CHabad, and in fact helped build
Kfar Chabad itself serving in many executive and spiritual positions. In the US
Reb Avrohom became the symbol of a true
Chabad chasid, someone devoted to the
Chabad community, to his
Rebbe and to the legacy of
Chabad. This volume explores all these facets of
Reb Avrohom's life and much more. We learn about his family back ground and his home town of Mayor in White Russia, We learn about the social and cultural conditions that shaped his early personality and that sent him to study in the
Lubavitcher yeshiva in
Lubavitch. We aslo learn about his father in law, Rabbi
Zalman Moshe HaYitzchaki who was a "
farzaitike"
Lubavitcher chasid whose
farbrengungs are legendary. Though not a
Tamim, Reb Zalman was a fiery
chasid completely
mekushar to the
Rabbeim. The book written by a grandson of
Reb Avrohom, is finely edited, well illustrated and well footnoted. All facts are well documented. Though the book is written by a grandson, there is little attempt made at portraying him as a super man . He was a man who lived in difficult times and though never compromising his Jewish and
Chabad beliefs, coped with the reality of various situations. And the author does not hide this. I also think the book portrays the life of the White Russian
shtetel in a manner that an American reader can understand what exactly was going on in those times. The religious and political forces at work and how this affected the general Jewish community and the
Chabad community. I think every reader will read with fascination the chapters dealing with
Reb Avrohom's life under Communism . His leadership role, his messiras nefesh and the miracle of being able to stay one step ahead of the authorities . It seems that
Reb Avrohom was always inspired and led by the thought of how would the
Rebbe act, how would he want him to behave; and
Reb Avrohom was adept at receiving these moral and spiritual instructions from the
Lubavitcher Rebbes.
with Teimaner Kinder in the Lubavitcher Yeshivah in Lod, 1950's
What comes across in the book is also
Reb Avrohom's tremendous
ahvas Israel to all Jews, not only
chabad chasidim. I have met people from the YU community who were highly impressed by his personality when spending time with him in the Catskills during the summers. He was an
ish Ha-Eshkolith, as I mentioned. But he was also a true
Chasid contemplating his behavior and his person. As the author relates in a wonderful story in the preface to the book as to how when the situation called for it, he could
farbreng with no one else but himself ! And yet this same person set the gold standard for
farbrengungs in Crown Heights with many in attendance. But for him the quantity was of no importance it was the quality even if it was only himself. The volume also depicts
Reb Avrohom's doros - his children raised under Communist persecution yet developing into proud
Chabad chassdim and many serving as
shluchim in various parts of the world.
Reb Avrohom represented
Chabad at its best. many of us are only familiar with the great
Chabad Rebbes, but what made
Chabad ever great is the quality of
chassidim who these
rebbes produced and chose to follow these rebbes in fire and water.
Although not a
Rebbe ,
Reb Avrohom was a true
Chasid.I think this volume can serve as not only a lucid account of chabad history in the 20th century but also an inspirational account for the younger generation of
Chassidim of all stripes today. A few final words of full disclosure , I did have a minor role in the production of this volume and I was honored to do so. In addition my late uncle
Reb Zalman Alperowitz was a friend of
Reb Avrohom who was also part of the
hanhola of the
Lubavitcher yeshiva in
Nevel serving with
reb Avrohom.. As we appraoch the
20th Yarzeit of reb Avrohom on the 10th day of
Nissan , we know that just as he was a devoted
chosid in this world he remains so (maybe even more so) in the sublime spiritual world. I pray that many will avail themselves of this volume and read about the life and times of
Reb Avrohom and be inspired as these days are not only his
yortzeit, but also the birthday of the
Lubavitcher Rebbe whose leadership continues to inspire the Jewish world.
