?אפאר חב"ד פאמיליעס... ביני לבינך מה הם

 

Just when you think you've seen it all, and that people realize that it's 2021 and you don't publish anything that is on your mind, even if these pleasant thoughts do cross your mind - You get slapped with a dose of reality.

This opinion piece was published today but was already leaked to whatsapp late last night. The writer is lamenting the fact that by the time you'll read this it'll be day 6 of the Surfside Tragedy, yet there's no sense of urgency. This after all the tragedies and deaths we've seen since Covid arrived on the scene, in addition to Miron and Karlin. At first, we thought that it was only a few Chabad families that perished, so yes, it's a "bitter story" but not something earth-shattering. No reason to not go about your daily routine. But by now, when it's become clear that some 36 Jews are among the missing... Now we can begin to react. 

The irony in all of this is the subliminal "לימוד זכות" happening between the lines. The writer finds no fault in the fact that it's taken frum people several days to react to the tragedy, yet at the same time sees no issue with writing that about Jews of Chabad persuasion.

Friends in frum media tell me that it's not the first "אקסישע" thing published here, but people obviously don't care enough or don't bother to read it. The proof is in the ad pudding, ads galore in this rag. I'll give them the BOTD and say that most people only read these and similar circulars for the ads and classifieds and could care less what the opinion pieces say. They have Kol Mevaser for hard-hitting news and opinion!

Kol Berama has yet to issue a clarification... Not that I asked for one.

רבי אלתר אלעזר מענדל בידרמן מלעלוב זצ"ל

רבי אלתר אלעזר מנחם (מענדל) בן הרה"ק ר' משה מרדכי מרדכי בידרמן, אדמו"ר מלעלוב-בני ברק, נפטר י"ד טבת ה'תשס"א
יושב שני משמאל בהתוועדות אצל כ"ק אדמו"ר מליובאוויטש זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע
 כ"ד תמוז ה'תשל"ו

צילום, יהודה בענדזשאמין, באדיבות: חברת רעבעדרייוו

The Hasidim by Vincent R. Tortora (1972)

ט"ז שבט - 150 שנה להסתלקות כ"ק הרה"ק הרב"ש, בן אדמו"ר הצ"צ נ"ע, וסבא רבא של כ"ק אדמו"ר זי"ע

עוד חומר לקריאה

היחיד שלא הנהיג חצר אחרי פטירת אביו

The Brisker Rov wanted the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe to come live in Brisk in 5691/1931 (Full article, as promised)

Here's what constitutes "Purim Shtick" for the fine Bnei Towrah at the Ner Israel Rabbinical College High School

A word to my fellow Lubavitcher Chassidim and friends of Lubavitch: 

There are several pictures that "cross the line" so to speak. Yet, after deliberation and consultation with friends, I've decided to post all the pictures that have reached the desk of this blog. To show the world where misplaced differences can sometimes lead. As of now, several hours after these pictures surfaced, no word has been from the הנהלה of Ner Israel. Maybe they think it's OK because it's Chodesh Adar. Maybe they're naive as to what year we live in. I don't know. But I do know that nobody I showed it to, even the lighthearted ones, thought some of this was funny. 

If you'd like to voice your displeasure you can call the Yeshiva office and ask to speak to the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Aron Feldman, who is also a sitting member of the Moetzes Gedolei haTorah of the Agudath Israel of America.  Phone: (410) 484-7200 . I'm not sure who the HS Principl is these days.

א ליובאוויטשער זיצונג אין תל-אביב, תשכ"ג

Looks like a meeting to greet the distinguished guest. L-R: Harav Reb Moshe Ashkenazi,
Reb Pinye Althaus,
unknown,
Harav Reb Levi haLevi Grossman author of the sefer שם ושארית,
הרב אלכסנדר יודאסין בעמח"ס תומכי תמימים,
Reb Chaim Shmaryohu Gourarie.
כל אחד בשמו הטוב יבורך. You can write a book about each one.
Photo is for sale on EBay.

File this under "לא הי' ולא נברא" please

Apparently this was published (!) in an Israeli newspaper called כל ישראל in honor of the recent yohrtzeit of the late Ponovizher Rosh Yeshiva. How any editor would publish something without taking just 2-3 minutes of his/her time to verify this.... is beyond the publisher of this blog.

Rabbi Berel Levy and Torah uMesorah

An excerpt from the new book available for purchase HERE. Courtesy of the author.

Box.com link for non-Scribd readers

אין תשל"ח האט רבי יענקעלע פשעווארסקער געוואוסט צו וועמען מ'שיקט א שווערן קוויטל

This exchange took place on 13 Tishrei 5738, during the Lubavitcher Rebbe's farbrengen. Between sichos nigunim would be sung. At that time people would often go up to the Rebbe to speak. Usually it was either a matter of urgency or people (fremde) who were guests and wanted to say hello. The person that goes up to speak at approximately 24:00 is a Yid, Reb Naftoli Jaroslawicz. Apparently his son disappeared on Erev YK of that year and they had no idea what became of him. He traveled to/or got in touch with Reb Yankele Leiser, the Pshevorsker Rebbe in Antwerp, who suggested that he get a הבטחה from the Rebbe that his son will return safe and sound. This was 4 days later. The end result was that he was nebach found murdered. The gentlemen who sent me this link with the background story noted that this was close to 2 years before the passing of the Satmar Rov, of whom Reb Yankelle was supposed to be a chossid of. True, he says, this was almost 10 years after suffering his stroke, but still. OK. Here is the exchange between the Rebbe and Mr. Jaroslawicz.

Listen Here


יאראסלאוויטש: איך וויל דער רבי זאל מיר צוזאגען
ר' יענקעלע פון פשעווארסק האט מיך געשיקט
?רבינו: אה
יאראסלאוויטש: ר' יענקעלע פון אנטווערפן האט מיך געהייסן גיין צום רבי'ן
איך וויל אז דער רבי זאל מיר צוזאגן אז מיין זון וועט צוריק קומען
ער איז נעלם געווארען ערב יום כפור
?רבינו: ער איז וואס, נעלם געווארען
יאראסלאוויטש:יא... בכיות
?רבינו: פון וואנעט, פון אנטווערפן
... יאראסלאוויטש:... נעלם געווארען....ניין
?רבינו:דאהי
?רבינו: ווי איז זיין נאמען
?ווי איז דעם זונ'ס נאמען
יאראסלאוויטש: פנחס בן מענקא
רבינו: זאל דער אייבערשטער העלפן, איר זאלט האבען גוטע בשורות. לחיים ולברכה

Read More
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3 minutes with Reb Yehoshua Schneur Zalman Serebryanski ע"ה

Reb Zalman was born in 1903 in Brahin, near Chernobyl, in White Russia. His father was Menachem Mendel and his mother was Nechama. His mother was the sister of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Gluskin, a Chabad Rov in Paritch, Minsk and Leningrad. His father Reb Menachem Mendel was a chasidisher yid with a very warm heart. His kindness was known throughout the community, including Samarkand, where he lived until his passing in 1942. In 1924 at the age of 20, his father suggested he go learn in the Lubavitcher yeshiva in Rostov. The Frierdiker Rebbe accepted Reb Zalman into the Yeshiva. In 1925 he attended the Frierdiker Rebbe’s Purim Farbrengen in Leningrad. It was there that he first saw the Rebbe. He was close to Rabbi Chatshe Feigin the yeshiva Mashpia. Eventually Reb Chatshe appointed him to work for him as his secretary and to administer several underground yeshivos. In 1928 he married Brocha Futerfas, sister of Reb Hendel Lieberman and Reb Mendel Futerfas. During the 1930s the couple and their three children lived in Charkov. In 1938 he was conscripted into the Russian army. In 1941 he moved his family to Samarkand. In 1949, Reb Zalman and his family were sent by the Previous Rebbe to Melbourne, Australia. Reb Zalman founded various Chabad institutions in Melbourne including a boys elementary and high school and Beis Rivka for girls. In 1967, he founded the Yeshiva Gedola, which is a thriving Lubavitcher yeshiva for students from across the globe. On Yud Shevat 1970, the Rebbe honored him with the recital of a פסוק in conjunction with the completion of Moshiach’s Sefer Torah. The Rebbe wrote that he gives him this honor because he is the Mashpia of Chasidus for Australia. A few weeks before Gimmel Tammuz, 1991, Reb Zalman said that his Shlichus had ended, and indeed on Gimmel Tammuz 1991 his נשמה returned to its maker.



  To buy the complete video click HERE or email: info@rabbidalfin.com

זכרונות של הרב יצחק טובי' ווייס - גאב"ד העדה החרדית‎

Memoirs from the current Rov of the Edah HaCharedis, HaRav Yitzchok Tovia Weisz. Rav Weisz was a friend of Lubavitch and had many interactions with them. He is currently was married to the widow of haRav uriel Zimmer o"h. Most of what is brought here is "in-line" with Lubavitcher sources, although it does lose a bit of the flavor when put into the drippy Jerusalem Heimishe style. Also, surprisingly, there is much respect shown here to the Rebbe, זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע

ח"י חשון: שלושים שנה לפטירת הגאון ר' נחום פרצוביץ זצ"ל

Here's what I received via email from someone who knows. The words are his entirely, I have added nothing:


 בשנת תש"ל נסע רבי נחום לארה"ב לצורך טיפול רפואי למחלה הקשה שהתגלתה בו, ידיד נעוריו רבי יעקב משה לייזרסון שלמד עמו במיר ובשנחאי, ואח"כ נהיה חסיד חב"ד, שכנע אותו להיכנס לאדמו"ר מליובאוויטש זצ"ל, רבי נחום והרבנית ע"ה ישבו אצל האדמו"ר ביחידות למשך כמה שעות, ----- שיחי' אמר לי שרבי נחום התבטא אח"כ ואמר שעוד לא ראה איש חכם כמוהו ושיבח מאד את פיקחותו. בפגישה הפציר הרבי ברבי נחום שיוציא את חידושי התורה שלו בספר. הקשר נמשך גם אח"כ והרבי מליובאוויטש היה שולח אגרות ברכה לרגל נשואי צאצאיו של רבי נחום, יש גם מכתב ברכה שכתב הגר"נ לרבי כמדומני בשנת תשל"א. למעשה רוב הפרטים על הקשר בין רבי נחום לאדמו"ר מליובאוויטש זצ"ל כבר התפרסמו, למשל בספר"שמן ששון מחבריך" ומשם בחב"דפדיה. במשפחה מאשרים פחות או יותר את העובדות, אם כי זה לא תמיד נעים להם כל כך. מספרים שהרב שך סירב להספיד את הגר"נ בהלוייתו עקב הקשרים שהיו לו עם חב"ד. ר' משה הבלין מקרית גת שהיה תלמיד של רבי נחום בישיבת מיר יש לו סיפורים על הקשר של רבי נחום עם הרבי מליובאוויטש זצ"ל.

Reb Nochum with dark hat sitting next to his shver Reb Chaim Shmulevitz

At his wedding, speaking to Rav Herzog (c) and Reb Reuven Katz, Rov of Petach Tikvah

With Reb Betzalel Zholti, Rav HaRoshi of Yerushalayim

לכבוד היא"צ של "הגאון הראי"ש קרליץ שליט"א" - קבלה מישיבת "אחי תמימים" ליובאוויטש ת"א

It's hard to tell who signed this receipt, but I had heard in the past that the great Chossid Reb Shaul Bruk, who was a Rosh Yeshiva and Mashpia there, would go to him for money - and already red in lernen. I've tried to figure out how much that would be in today's money, but to no avail. This was a year or so after the Ponovizher Rov founded his yeshiva and took some of the good bochurim from Achei Tmimim with him, including the R"M Reb Dovid Povarsky. Some of the notable talmidim at that time were none other than the great Reb Yoel Kahan, zol gezunt zein.

!!ראו זה דבר חדש

NEW! לשמע אוזן available again!

 Available after being out of print for over 20 years. Over 500 authentic Chassidishe stories as recorded by Reb Zalman Duchman a”h. Translated into a clear Hebrew from Yiddish. Footnotes and references and background information. Over a hundred pages of new material with colored photocopies of the Rebbe’s letters and a new updated biography.
 6”X9” 388 Pages 

For orders, click here   (S&H in the US included!)

  Sample Pages Low (1) by Hirshel Tzig on Scribd

החסיד ר' שמואל ע"ה גאלפערין שו"ב - 60 שנה

A recent article in Kfar Chabad magazine - (Yes! They still publish!) - where an eynikel remembers his zeide. Also, some bonus pictures, courtesy of Lubavitch Archives. Here was a Chossid who stayed behind in Russia, lived a life of Torah and Chassidus until his last day, and raised a beautiful Chassidic family under those circumstances.