Rav Kaduri

By Yechiel Ofner

Courtesy of COL

Vohlyner Temimus

Yeshivos Lita is a must-read for all you history buffs out there, and if Zaftige Scheyreh is your forte', then even more so.

In describing the poet CN Bialik, the author of these memoirs, Abba Balosher, a Litvak formerly a student of Volozhin and Slabodke, but basically an Apikeyres, cannot resist the old-time urge to belittle Chassidim. He explains how CNB ever got to Volzhin in the first place if General Studies was his true goal and he never was really interested in learning Teyreh, unlike some of the others.

"The Zhitomerer (CNB) wanted to go to Berlin to study Philosophy, but could not. What did he do instead? he traveled to Volozhin. Why Volozhin? because he heard that in Volozhin they also learn שבע חכמות ושבעים לשון! But when he got there he saw that they learn Gemoroh, Gemoroh, and more Gemoroh. Why would he believe something like that in the first place?

Balosher explains: Certainly this Vohlyner Bocher had "Temimus Yeseiroh", which came from him being raised on Sipurei Meyfsim about Tzaddikim and "Gute Yidden." He heard that in Lita they do not believe in "fairytales" so he believed that they do study Seven Chochmos and Shivim Loshon.

What is it they say about taking the boy out of the country but not the country out of the boy?



(Map of Vohlin, courtesy of Jewish Gen)

So impatient?

A story quoted in Sefer HaTzetzoyim p.160

The Rebbe MaHaRash attended the Levaya of the Rebbe Reb Mordechai Menachem of Vorke, who passed away at a young age. Immediately after that, some of the Chassidim wanted to accept the RM as their new Rebbe, The Rebbe refused to accept them. He reprimanded them, saying: When the Yidden in the Midbar saw that Moshe Rabbeinu was one day late according to their calculation they went and made .......

The Rebbe concluded; I saw on your Rebbe's bed that according to the Simonim I was Mekabel from my father who was Mekabel from the Alter Rebbe, he was מנוטרי הברית! (aka Shomer HaB...)

Of Bans, Earthquakes and Tsunamis

Rabbi N Kamenecki at YU

From an e-mail I received through Baalbatish

A Simple Jew: Rabbi Naftali Citron - Faith vs. Mystical Understanding

Rabbi Naftali Citron responds

Circus Tent links

Shturem.net on Yekatrinoslav 5679-5684
COL on Rav Kaduri's final moments
Pinny Lipschutz of the Yated has a blog
COL on Purim 5713
613.org, - 84 minutes of Cantorial Favorites
Katowice, not 1912, but 2006

Am I doomed?

I was recently presented with a the recently-published book on Reb Itche der Masmid, hy"d, called יראת ה' אוצרו. My B'cheyr saved up all his money and bought it for my birthday. (Cute, no?) The author says it well when he writes B'shem a Chossid that just like Reb Elozor ben Charsom was M'Chayev Ashirim and Hillel was M'Chayev Aniyim, then Reb Itche was M'Chayev Chassidim of our generation.

An interesting anectode:

On Leil Shminii Atzeres 5699, Reb Itche ate the Seudah at the FR's tish. Reb Itche said then that the main revelation of the Baal Shem Tov was for Reysin and Lita. For Peylin, he said, " האט דער בעש"ט נ"ע ממשיך געווען אמונה פשוטה, אבער דייטשלאנד איז לאחר הבירור, ביי די אשכנזישער אידן האט מען צוגענומען די כח המסירות נפש וועלכע איז דא ביי יעדן אידן".

The FR did not disagree with the first part of the vort , he commented on the second part. He said that the Keyach of Mesiras Nefesh was not TAKEN from them, rather they "drowned" that Keyach. The Keyach of Mesiras Nefesh is taken from a person through transgressing Issurei Kores repeatedly. We have no concept in the term of Kal Sheb'Kalim that the Rebbe (the AR) uses in Tanya (That even a Kal ShebeKalim has the Keyach of Mesiras Nefesh.)

RIDM continued: The Maggid sent Talmidim to all Eastern European countries, but did not send any to Germany. Reb Chatshe Feigin asked about the Baal Haflo'oh and the Rebbe Reb Shmelke, weren't they in Germany? The Rebbe answered with a story of the Maggid, the MM didn't go to the Mikveh because of his lame foot, but in his place he would send a Talmid , giving him special Yichudim to do there. So when
we say that the MM sent Talmidim we mean that he gave them Yichudim to do where they travel. Therefore, the fact that they were there does not mean that they had the Yichudim from the Maggid.

As a Jew of Hungarian descent, the Ashkenazic part of Hungary that is, do I need to worry about this?

(in the He'oros of the book they do mention that the Rebbe did say that it's not "Mufrach" that in our times there should be an Inyan of "birurim" even in Germany. Maybe that has something to do with the Holocaust?)

No Panhandling

(Art by Zalman Kleinman O"H)

The Frierdiger Rebbe in Sichos of 5702 tells of 5 times that his father the Rebbe Rashab asked "פארוואס"? One of those times was at a Farbrengen on Yud Tes Kislev 5653 where a Chossid said Lechayim and added that "The Zchus of the Baal Hasimchah zol af unz maygen zein. The Rebbe Rashab turned to him and asked Farvos?! The same thing happened on Purim 5670 in Menton, when the Chosid Reb Yaakov Horvitz of Riga mentioned the AR and said "Z'chusey Yogein Oleynu," the Rebbe asked Farvos?!

The RR saw this Ma'amar HoEylom as he saw many other things differently than the rest of the Chasdishe world , namely that you don't just get something for nothing, and even when offered טאר מען ניט נעמען. The Rebbe does not need to be "Maygen" on you just because you asked for it, you need to work at it, and be deserving of it. A similar lesson is learned from a Chossid who took some Shrayim from the RR's plate. The Rebbe said " מיין שריים איז מחייב, נישט מזכה " you don't just get Hashpo'es because you grabbed some food off my plate.

I questioned a respected Mashpia how this "jives" with the conventional wisdom that Chabad today gets a "free ride" just because מ' האלט זיך ביי די קליאמקע and other catch phrases, as if the Rebbe will vouch for all us as being good guys. He said that messages like that are "misconstrued", as are other such "catch phrases", by those who wish to have a free ride and take it easy in life. For them just calling yourself a "Chabadnik", and davening Nusach Ari - AR is enough for them to get a free pass. This is part of the "Peylishification" of Chabad, and in many cases, they "outPeylish' the Peylisher themselves.

In the words of one of the Rabbeyim, " מען טאר נישט זיין קיין בעטלער " , or "NO BEGGARS ALLOWED"! You need to work hard, HUREVE, and then you'll get something for your efforts.

Was that clear enough?

"The Unity of Opposites"

from this week's FORWARD.

I don't particularly care for the opinions of journalists, especially from a Socialist paper like the Forward, but sometimes you take what you can, and these guys CAN be objective.

The reviewer is reviewing Steinsaltz's new books and and in between tries to analyze the success of Chabad today amongst non-religious Jews. He does get a little testy when speaking of the uniqueness of the Yid, with the nefesh elokis being exclusive to Jews and such, something that doesn't work well with today's "we're all G-d's children" philosophy. He claims that Steinzaltz beats around the bush when it comes to these and similar issues in his new books, and attributes the AR's opinions to "persecution".

Read the article in its entirety if you can, then we'll talk about it, iy"h.

Early "Elokism"?

Here's a snippet from yesterday's Hebrew HaModia in honor of 24 Teves.

"It became known that the holy Maggid of Mezritch once looked at the face of the Holy Rav the Baal HaTanya and said: What a great wonder it is that G-d, so lofty and awesome, has decided to reside in so miniscule a body!

Do the good people of HaModia know what they put in here?

A Simple Jew: Sears vs. Citron

(Rabbi Naftoli Citron)

A Simple Jew: Guest Posting From Rabbi Dovid Sears - Comparing Chabad and Breslov: A Response to Rabbi Naftali Citron



(Rabbi Dovid Sears)

Did the Alter Rebbe doubt us all?

The Alter Rebbe, whose Yohrtzeit is on Tuesday C"D Teves, expected us to awaken our hearts to the service of Hashem through Meychen, learning about Gadlus HaBeyre, which in turn leads to Ahavah and Yireh. I believe the idea was and is that Avodas Hashem without learning the Inyonim, although it may seem like the heart burns with love for the Eybershter is not a true Aveydeh.

My question is as follows: Did the AR opine that only a pure Aveydeh is to be strived for, and that although the Chagas'nik may do the Mitzvah with seemingly more Kavoneh and daven with more varemkeyt, that the davenen and mitzvah is "worthless", maybe not in the Schar/Onesh realm, but worthless neverthless?




Most people will tell you that waiting for such opportunity is being unrealistic, but yet they'll daven a 45 minute Yom Kippur Shmone Esrey full of silly if not stupid Machshoves. They'll try hard to awaken some kind of excitement within themselves whether by intense swaying or loud clapping and chanting, which usually does nothing more than anger your neighbors and gets you to think that you're somebody important.

The Kotzker said it best, although they went to the other extreme of being "realistic". He once visited an old Chossid who was on his deathbed and asked him "נו, יענקל, ביסט שוין פטור געווארען פון די יצר הרע"? Yankel answered "No, Rebbe, he's telling me now פארמאך דיר די אייגען און זאג הויך שמע ישרא-ל, זאל דער עולם מיינען אז דא איז געשטארבען א צדיק" .

Never be sure of yourself.




(Photos of Reb Nissen O"H courtesy of SHTUREM

Not only Chassidim

(Zushe O"H at the microphone, to his left is Arik Sharon)

It turns out that Zushe Vilimovsky, aka Zushe Partisan, the Rebbe's man in Israel, was originally from a non-Chassidic home. His father, Reb Yosef Yitzchok, hy"d, was a "Eylimishe" Rov in Russia, who happened to have a Kesher with the Rebbe Rashab N"E. When WWII broke out Zushe escaped over the border into free Lithuania and joined the Baranovitcher Yeshiva under the auspices of HaGaon Reb Elchonon Wasserman, hy"d in Trok, near Vilna.

Once there he alerted the entire town about the impending massacre that was to happen at the hands of the Nazis one morning, after getting the information from the Balleboste of his "apartment". Only after telling the whole town did he himself leave, thus saving hundreds of Jews.

Later he was herded into the Ghetto Lida, with 15,000 other Jews, and from there he escaped to the forest, joining the local partisan brigades. There, under the most difficult circumstances, he too had Mesiras Nefesh for Shabbos, Kashrus, and Matzos on Pesach, as well as being careful of Chometz.

Is it any wonder that after the war he was Niskarev to the light of Lubavitch?

Outta my way!

There's a story told about a village in which a fire broke out. A Malach was sent down from high to observe the townspeople's response. This angel sees a woman standing at the riverside filling two pails with water, dragging them back to the village and dumping it on the fire. Back and forth she would go with her measly loads of water, doing her part but not doing much overall to put out the fire.

The Malach approached this woman and ask her: Mameshe, vos toot ihr doh? Do you think your little water can actually put out the raging fire, and if so why bother? The woman gave him a glaring look and said: If you'd like help me grab a bucket and fill it up, otherwise GET OUTTA MY WAY!

The same can be said for those that ask the all important question: Of what good is all that "outreach" work that Chabad does if the intermarriage rate in America is as bad as it was before they started and even worse?. In the Former Soviet Union, the statistics are even worse, with some cities having an intermarriage rate of 90 percent! so why all this outreach work, let them stay at home and concentrate on learning and davening and forget about everything else! איי עס ברענט א פייער but of what consequence is throwing a drop of water on a raging inferno ?

For the most part those that criticize are those who don't wish to contribute, either for ideological reasons, that they do not see the importance of the work, or they believe that they do not have the capacity to counter the fire burning. So, if you believe that the whole "village" can burn down and not think twice about it, then be my guest, stay at home and do your thing. However, if the entire Jewish people are of some importance to you, and you'd like to put out the fire but you don't think that you have the capacity, then the least you can do is stay out of the way of those that are doing something about it.

"Just Jew it"

from Aish.com

a little too stereotypical for me, with everybody being Jewish in the ski resort. Either that or we're to be excited that all the non-Jews started to light Menayres too.

Also, for only $540.00 you can have somebody say Kaddish for your dearly departed. A little steep, no?

Chasidishe Chinuch, Part I

Avrohom Shaye Shapira was known as Shaye Korolevitcher in Lubavitch. An emeser Chasidishe Yungerman, his Hiskashrus to the Rebbe Rashab N"E knew no bounds. His daughter Mrs. Rivka Raskin of London tells her life's story in "סוערות בדממה", a recently-published book by Menachem Zigelboym, a unique book in that it tells the story of the women who were either left behind when their husbands or fathers were taken away or were imprisoned themselves. Her story is one "for the books", a tear-jerker no matter how many times you read it, and one that not many of us would be able to tell.

She tells of her father who was a Talmid of Teymchei Tmimim in Lubavitch and who risked his life so that he and his family should lead a Jewish life in Soviet Russia. He wouldn't send his children to Government Schools for fear of them being indoctrinated, and despite the fact that had he been caught his children would be taken from him, and he and his wife arrested or worse. He had Mesiras Nefesh for things like CHOLOV YISROEL, that's right CHOLOV YISROEL,and if no CY was available האט מען נישט געטרונקען! His Mesiras Nefesh for Kashrus during the siege of Leningrad in 1941-1942 is what led to the demise of him, his wife, and three of his four children.

Oh, and please don't tell that al pi din he had no right to have mesiras nefesh for kashrus.

I will iy"h speak more of this remarkable Yungerman, but for now I'd like to stress a certain point.

This story brings to mind an occurence that I was witness to over 2 summers, 5 and 6 years ago. There was a Yungerman in the bungalow colony where my wife worked, who was one of the Melamdim for the older children in the daycamp, what you might call a professional Rebbe, good with children, and a good teacher, a typical ישיבהמאן who spent his free time doing good things. What shocked me was that Cholov Yisroel products NEVER crossed the threshhold of his bungalow, and I imagine his house neither, and were never served on his table. Everything from Milk, to muffins, to crackers, to cookies, to cereal, were all CHOLOV AKUM.

We all know about the Tshuvah in Igros Moshe where he's supposedly "matir" cholov akum, and maybe if he lived in Indiana or Arkansas I'd be OK with it, even if he spent all of his summer in the Catskill mountains where Cholov Yisroel is readily available. But a MELAMED, a ben Teyreh? is saving a few cents so important? and we're not even speaking about a Kolel Yungerman here, but rather a man, a Kley Keydesh, with a good-paying job and without 12 kids either!

That, in a nutshell is what separates a Chasidishe Yungerman from a nisht-Chasidishe, and it's not meant to belittle this melamed. This Yeshivaman's accomplishments and devotion to Teyre will be duelly recorded, but נישט דאס מיינט מען!

גם אנחנו

Orthodox say: "why not us?" to Jewish outreach.

at least somebody still remembers who came up with the whole idea...

They say B'shem Rabbi Hodakov, that חב"ד האט נישט קיין פאטענט אף הפצת היהדות , and we encourage everybody to come and do the same. It's just nice to get some recognition some time, that's all.

(source: Forward.com)

דער הייליגער בני יששכר זי"ע

Photo by Roman Vishniac

A heart-warming story פון אן אמאליגע צדיק . From Heichal HaNegina.

I liked the part where he says "He loved the Rebbe and he knew the Rebbe loved him. In fact David was pretty sure the Rebbe loved everyone."

אזוינע אידן איז שוין היינט ניטא

!מיין תורה איז הפקר

Reb Nochum Percovitz (that's Pertzovitz), Rosh Yeshivas Mir - Yerushalayim

a virtual treasure of Shiurim on "Yeshivishe Mesechtos and Mussar Shmuessen online from Reb Nochum Percovitz and his father-in-law Reb Chaim Shmuelevitz.

Thanks to Yeshiva World.

Boy, was I naive!

It used to be that Chabad had a friend in the Modern Orthodox, with both groups shunned by the Yeshiva world. Chabad was also supportive of the Jewish State, although not in the "religious sense" of the MO community, but who was splitting hairs? The Rebbe was the only "black-hat" Rabbinic personality that supported Rabbi Soloveitchik of Boston, and so on.

Now, that too seems to be over with. No more can Chabad count on the support of the Modern Orthodox community. We'll try and get to the bottom of this change of events.

Let's start with this genius, Out of step Jew, who thinks that Marvin Schick hasn't gone far enough. Not only is Chabad insincere and only in it for the money and PR, they're corporate monsters too. They lure strangers to their "brand", always seeking out the lonely, anti-social types, blah, blah, blah. It's bad enough when it comes from another "kiruv" group, or from some disgruntled ex-Chabadnik, but do we have to take this nonsense from this guy too?

There are those that hate Chabad sooo so much that they cannot say a good word about them. If they need to travel overseas and need to come on to the service of a Shliach, they'll find some problem like he didn't eat Shalsoh Seudos, or that he had a mixed Kiddush, or his wife wasn't wearing a hostess-robe to the Friday night meal. But I always thaught that came only from the haters and not from the bystanders who were force-fed the hate, but I was naive.

If you don't like a certain Rabbi because you feel that he came to your town and lured some people away SAY SO! chances are however, that the Rabbi never gave those people the time of day for some reason like their daughter married a goy. Don't downplay the Mesiras Nefesh, Harbotzas Torah and Yahadus as well as Gemilas Chesed that's performed daily.

How about the organizations like Aish and Or Somayach that pull into town with a well-paid Rabbi and an unlimited source of funds who first lets it be known that he's the AUTHENTIC Jew in town, after the Shliach had to raise his own bread money for 20 years. He then proceeds to destroy everything the poor fellow worked for. Why is there no outcry over that?!

It would not be fair to paint all of MO with the proverbial "broad brush", but the phenomenon definitely seems to be growing. I guess they're becoming more "black-hat" after all.... My only question is when did they suddenly start caring about Torah, Yiddishkeit, and Ahavas Yisroel?



UPDATE 1/22/06. Rabbi YD Soloveitchik at the Farbrengen of Yud Shvat 5740.