The Chofetz Chaim speaking כלפי שמיא

We're used to this kind of talk coming from Chassidishe Rebbes throughout the generations, but not so (mich) from our Litvishe brothers. Here we see another side to the CC, a פטרון to Jews, beseeching their father in heaven, asking him why he chose the Jews... Asking for Jewish children to have shoes for the winter... Reb Chatzkel the Mashgiach seems uncomfortable with the idea, so he makes a Toyreh out of it - צוויי דינים, if you will. What would the CC say about the Holocaust? 

CC Levaya

That's what it says, what do I know? Ay, where's the mittah? Maybe they were rounding up the rear. Maybe these were the shleppers who couldn't put the kids to bed earlier. Maybe the old fellow with the beard was there to make seder.

The Chofetz Chaim!

Yes, you've seen it already. But why not watch it here again?

So you're wondering who the שוו**ץ who ran up and covered the camera with his two big hands was? Who took from us for all eternity the opportunity to maybe see the חפץ חיים'ס ליכטיגע צורה? We may never know. But he doesn't look the part. We'd expect that from a Chassidishe Chnyok more than a Yekkishe-lloking fellow.

The Chofetz Chaim's תורה ועבודה plan for all European Yeshiva Bochurim - Brace yourselves...

The following 2 pages are from the sefer "כתבי הרח"א ביחובסקי" - a compilation of letters, stories and vertlach from the Chabad Chossid Reb Chaim Eliezer HaCohen Bikhovski d.5684. Reb Chaim Lazer was a Chossid of Kopust/Bobroisk, and for a while, back in the days when the two groups were at odds with each other, his seforim would not be learned... But the sefer was published by a Lubavitcher (Reb Berel Levin) in 5750, and the sefer דרך מצותיך of the צמח צדק is quite popular in Lubavitch today. I say that to avoid the usual, predictable comments that some of you will make. Although the Kopuster and Bobruisker were probably more sympathetic to ציונות than their cousin the Rebbe RaSHaB, I doubt he was trying to preach Zionism here. Like I said to a friend earlier today; Those of you who are uncomfortable with the CC's solution to the "תורה ברענט" predicament in Europe during the previous century can take comfort in the words of the Ore Someach, Reb Meir Simcha HaCohen of Dvinsk, who, according to Rabbi N Kamenetzky in his epic "The Making of a Gadol" was to have called the Chofetz Chaim "א קליין-שטעטל'דיגער איד" who has no knowledge of real life in the big cities and should therefore not be attending the Rabbinic conferences of the early 1900s. Maybe this solution was also "קליין-שטעטל'דיג" and not rooted in reality. After all, other than a group of Slabodker bachurim there was no mass emigration to Eretz Yisroel before WW2. But the CC was content with bachurim learning 9 months a year and working the land of Eretz Yisroel for 3 months. Imagine that!

 

Reb Moshe Chaim Schneider, o"h

Reb Moshe Chaim passed away at the age of, like, 107(!) and the levaya was Sunday in Montreal. Yehi Zichro Boruch. We attach a brief video of a visit with him in a retirement home a few years ago, as well as Yisroel Besser's fine article that appeared soon after the interview.

  R Moshe Chaim Schneider Mishpacha Article Besser by   Hirshel Tzig

Box.com Link

"חוש האחריות של צדיק הדור אף לאוה"ע"

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.

.....גוטע פריינט מיט'ן אייבערשטען

From the Marmuresh/Carpathen Yizkor Book (1968)

Free Translation:

We know that Reb Mordchelle from Nadvorneh would daven very late every day. Before beginning to daven he would say with a nigun, full of devotion, that would arouse the hearts of those present - I imagine he davened with a minyan, even that late -

"Ribbono Shel Olam, leybediger (how do you translate "Leybedig?") king and Creator. I've tardied, but you know that I wasn't playing cards, nor was I at the theater, and that I only served you."

They say in the name of the last Brisker Rov that he was "unimpressed" with those who are in the realm of Tzaddik Goyzer veHKB"H Mekayem. HKB"H Goyzer VeHatzaddik Mekayem was more to his liking - he liked those Tzaddikim who did what the A-mighty asked of all Jews. If I may say so - this is one of those fundamental differences we see between the disciples of the Besh"t and those that did not take on his ways. Reb Mordchelle Nadvorner was one of the Rebbes of Reb Shayelle Kerstierer and one of those who pushed him to be a Rebbe and "helf Yidden" like he did. Reb Mordchelle may not have done Chesed on the "farnem" that Reb Shayelle did, which was stand on his feet and cook and prepare and serve food and drink to poor and tired Yidden, but in his hoyf a Jew was helped, and that may have been the number one activity there too. His travels all over Rumania, Hungary and Galicia were for that puropse too, to help Yidden. And it was from him that Reb Shayelle learned how to do what he did for 50 years. Reb Mordchelle also invited him to come to B'Kerestur after the heirs of Reb Hershelle Lisker weren't happy that he was praving Rabbisteve in their town and made it known so. Imagine that happening: A Rebbe inviting another Rebbe to a small town to set up shop there... That's what many of you don't like about Chassidim in general. They think that have some direct line to G-d and don't need to "wait on line" like everybody else. Why did Reb Mordchelle think that G-d would forgive him, just because he said that cute line every day, that he wasn't playing cards or going to the theater? Couldn't he do what he was doing later in the day, just like the Brisker Rov did?! And the Chazon Ish?! And the Chofetz Chaim?!