when רבי חיים וואלאזשינער sent RebYitzchok Zev Solowejczyk הראשון to the Heiliger Rizhiner זצ"ל for help with a גזירה...

A very kind reader Upon reading about RAYS reading the תנאים at the Sadigerrer תנאים מאהל, took the time to send me links to the sefer זכרון יעקב by Reb Yaakov HaLevi Lipschutz which discuss a connection that Beis Brisk had to Rizhin, the fore bearer to Sadiger, back in the 19th century. Knowing Reb AvromYeshua and his knowledge of Brisker history I'm sure he knows this chapter of the family history as well, but I couldn't say if there was some kind of ongoing connection בין בריסק לסאדיגורא today as well. Although the fact that the Shapiras are somewhat affluent would help... A brief synopsis: The year 1826 was when the Czar Nikolai I decided to take Jews for military service. It seems from Rabbi Lipschutz that these rumors already started soon after the defeat of Napoleon over a decade before, but 1826 was when it was confirmed that the idea was being seriously considered in the halls of power in the Russian capital. What seems normal now - says RYL - was considered unjust in '26 and an effort was made to try and stop it. By "stop it" we mean that instead of paying with bodies the Jews would pay their share with a heavy tax, since long-term conscription into a Christian army was a death sentence to the Jewish future - which is why the Czar wanted to do it in the first place. But in the end the idea of a tax did not work and army service became mandatory, even for Jews.

As far as what hishtadlus was done; Being that Reb Yitzchok Zev was Reb Chaim Volozhiner's eynikel he was asked to travel to Rizhin to see Reb Yisroel, זצ"ל, who "had connections." He had gevirim who knew and had influence with the Russian ministers and could do something  about the decree. RYZS told Rabbi Lipschutz about his visit to the Rizhiner and how he would take "kvitlach" with pidyonos in his prave shtieb. But the tzaddik could do nothing for him. "I have done all that I can," were his words, "I can do no more. I have already sent two letters to the מומע לאה, what more can I do?"  Alas, the gates of heaven were closed and the decree would be carried out. Who? Mume Leah? Who was this, and how would she help? We've heard of the Mume Sarah, but who was the Mume Leah? Lipschutz tells us that the Mume Leah was the Jewish wife of the Russian Admiral of the Black Sea fleet of the Imperial Navy who lived in Nikolayev, Ukraine - [ birthplace of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע.] She was a very frume Yiddene, despite being married to a Russian admiral and was very active in Jewish causes, helping her brethren with parnosoh, as well as klal issues. She was a big chasidis'te of the Rizhiner, and would often send kvitlech to him. The greatest hishtadlus he could do was to send her two letters בכתב יד קדשו - you hear that David Assaf? - and since there was nothing she could do then the decree was sealed, אין להשיב.


 [ It seems like this was done several years before 1826, since Reb Chaim Volozhiner, RYZS's zeide, was the one who sent RYZS, and he passed away in 5581/1821, which would make the Rizhiner 25 years old at most!]




Brisk-Ruzhin From Y Lipschutz

Rav Ruderman's 25th Yohrtzeit

The (Chabadsker Yingel cum) Slabodker Talmid who founded and became the Rosh Yeshiva of  Ner Israel in Baltimore is seen right, with glasses, with Rav Moshe Feinstein left, [Rabbi Zakheim,?] the Kopycniczer Rebbe, Reb Moshe Mordche, holding the becher. Quite "malchus'dig," I might add. RYYR passed away on this day in 5747/1987. The picture is sometime between 1967, when the old Kopycniczer passed away, and 1975, when RMMH passed away בדמי ימיו, in 1975. The Rebbishe benkel has been vacant ever since.

תנצב"ה

Wiki page on RYYR

The Intimidators get intimidated

My good friend Josh Harrison from Chakira Blog sent me this email that he got from one Ari Weiss of Uri L'Tzedek: Tav HaYosher shnorr letter July 2012 It seems like the do-gooders can dish it out, they can harass you until you're out of business and worse, but when the going gets tough they run to their mommies to shnorr for money.

!העפי אינדעפענדענס דעי, אמעריקע

"י"ב-י"ג תמוז א גאולה פאר "כל אשר בשם ישראל יכונה

What we have here is a link to רשימת המאסר, where the Rebbe ריי"צ נ"ע writes about his arrest, the days he spent in jail and exile, as well as some of the history of Lubavitch. We often speak of the mesiras nefesh that Chassidim in the Soviet Union carried out, but seeing the Rebbe's words here is extra special and should be required reading for all those who are interested to see how a Manhig Yisroel speaks and thinks. Although you won't read much about the activities in Russia here, you can see how the connection to such a Tzaddik, Rebbe and Nosi is what inspired these baalei mesiras nefesh. דאס האט דער בעש"ט הק' געמיינט מיט חסידות ---- While in Kastroma, Russia in exile the Rebbe spoke the following powerful words, despite the fact that he had just been released from a death sentence and was still being watched by agents who understood his every word!

sicha Kastroma 5687

While on the topic of Russian Jewry; what do you make of what the Tendler family writes here about Reb Moshe's opinion about the Soviet Government - as if they were to be listened to even in matters of Torah, since דינא דמלכותא דינא....  Are they stam being מוציא לע"ז on their shver/zeide, just to be P.C.?

תמונת הלילה - בריסק אין סאדיגורא

Reb AvromYeshua Soloveitchik of Yeshivas Brisk in Yerushalayim reading the tnoyim at the תנאים for the grandson of the Sadigura Rebbe, שליט"א, a son of his son-in-law R' Pinchas Shapira (son of the late MK Munye Shapira of Agudath Israel.) Do the Briskers do T'noyims before a wedding, meaning by the close of the shidduch, or do they wait till the Kabbolas ponim? It would be interesting to know if he went against Brisker protocol. I would assume that the bochur learns in Brisk. Now, I may be mistaken, but as far as I know there is a Sadigerrer Yeshiva in Israel that caters to older bochurim as well. I believe it's known as ישיבת רוז'ין בני ברק. Which makes you wonder why the Rebbe's grandson would not attend. I guess inferiority complexes are common even amongst the Rebbishe, not just among Chassidim.

Here we see Reb AvromYeshua seated left, while Reb Mendel Ernster, a son-in-law of the old Vizhnitzer Rebbe, and a  grandson of the Imrei Chaim of Vizhnitz, and thus a descendant of the holy Ruzhiner, זצ"ל, has his hand kissed by the Sadigerrer Rebbe after doing the honors himself previously. The Tzemach Tzaddik of Vizhnitz, רבי מנחם מענדיל, was married to מרים, a daughter of the Ruzhiner.

Left you can see Harav Chaim Feinstein, son of Reb Michel, and grandson of the Brisker Rov. Maybe the Sadigerrer has some kind of shtarke shaychus to Brisk, to all its descendants and branches. Or maybe he learned there too? We can speculate. I wonder what the Briskers think about the Sadigerrer and the whole Rizhiner family.

when did this become normal in the Litvishe world?

(Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)

 I speak of this farkvetshtkeit, the show with the sack cloth, the funny - or weird - faces, almost like severe stomach pain. I don't think you see such expressions of the Litvishe Gedolim of yesteryear. I know that Chassidim like to have this picture of a Litvak in their minds, but I don't believe that's real. [Well, maybe real in the sense that there were SOME people like that - the town Porush, perhaps.] They're referring to American Yeshivishe guys who somehow picked this up from somewhere, but I don't think it was from the Litvaks. And come to think of it, it's not even farkvetshtkeit, it's more of a seriousness mixed with American temimus. Picture a Yid like Reb Berel Povarski, or Reb Baruch Mordche Ezrachi, do they seem farkvetsht to you? You always see them smiling. Reb Chaim Oyzer always seemed to have a smile on his face. OK, I'll grant you the Brisker Rov, and maybe Reb Elchonon too, but they seemed to be the exception to the rule. I would think that the average Litvishe Yiddel was happy, especially if he was a learned man - then he had a real geshmak in life! Today it seems like that in that world they think that in order to be an erlicher Yid you need to walk around as if your stomach is about to explode.

I'm not gonna pass judgement on this young fellow here. Maybe he's 100% earnest about the sackcloth. Maybe the fact that SOME bachurim who did make תורתם אומנתם will have to go work makes him cry out in pain. This is where this photo was taken, by the way. At the pre-dawn demonstration in Yerushalayim last week. Maybe he REALLY feels as if a dear loved one passed on, ח"ו. But I have my doubts... Something tells me he checked himself out in the mirror to make sure he has the look down pat. Meileh the אנשי ישוב הישן, I can see where that came from, although I don't think that it necessarily stems from their Litvishe background. It may be that Hungarian-Litvish hybrid that was created in Yerushalayim that caused the outcome which we see in the typical Yerushalmi. Although the very same conditions that created the sackcloth-wearing guy who yells at passing cars on Shabbos created the letz that laughs at everything that moves.... We may not know where it comes from and how it came about, but we've grown to know, and maybe even love it. But this guy with the kneitsh... מי ברא אלה?

"ספר "חודש לשנה

Flatbush Jewish Journal Seforim Review by Rabbi Yaakov Levitz

The welfare and livelihood of our brethren is something that is, and should be, of utmost importance to us. In that vein, R’ Moshe Feinstien zt”l ruled that when one is dismissed from his position,his former employer must pay a pension of Chodesh L’shana, one month of pay in return for every year the position was held. Sefer Chodesh L’shana is based on this Psak of R’ Moshe. It discusses the background of the Shaila and explains what R’ Moshe based his Psak on. An important element of the Shaila is what accepted practice is, since we assume that an employer accepts on himself the standard pension in the Jewish world. To show that the accepted norm is indeed a month for a year, Chodesh L’shana includes in it dozens of letters from Batei Din and Rabbonim from all over the world attesting to the fact that they in fact follow the arrangement of a month for a year. The arrangement of Chodesh L’shana, though seemingly new, has its precedent in the Rishonim.The Chinuch (Mitzvah 482) when discussing the Mitzvah of giving gifts to an Eved Ivri who is leaving his servitude, encourages any employer to furnish a worker who is leaving his service with an appropriate send off. Nothing less could be expected of the Jewish people whose Simanim include the Middos of Rachmanim and Gomlei chasadim.

R’ Yaakov Levitz is the owner of Im HaSefer Publishers and Distributors: 718-377-0047 - Or buy it here

פיקטשער אוו זע דעי

הרה"ח ר' יוסף הלוי וויינבערג ע"ה

תצלום מהספר "תולדות חב"ד בפולין ליטא ולטביא" - באדיבות הספרן הרה"ח ר' שד"ב שי' לוין

נפטר געווארען הרה"ח ר' יוסף הלוי וויינבערג ע"ה

הרב וויינבערג  עומד רביעי משמאל  (Photo: COL)

Reb Yossel Weinberg was from a family of Trisker Chassidim ( I once heard from him that the Trisker Rebbe put tefillin on him for the first time) in Poland who joined the Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim in Otwock and became a fiery and very devoted Chossid of the Frierdige Rebbe, and later the Rebbe. He was a fundraiser for the Yeshivos Tomchei Tmimim in New York who used his travels to spread Yiddishkeit wherever he went. His weekly shiur Tanya was listened to by thousands on the "Jewish" radio, and his shiurim were later compiled into שיעורים בספר התניא in Hebrew and Yiddish, as well as '"Lessons in Tanya" in English. He also took that opportunity to review a sicha of the Rebbe, זי"ע, and thus be עוסק אין הפצת מעיינות הבעש"ט ותלמידיו לקרב הגאולה שלימה. But most of all he was a varemer Chassidisher Yid who served Hashem with love and fear and helped his fellow Yid as much as he can. He left a family of Rabbonim, Talmidei Chachomim, Shluchim of the Rebbe who follow in his ways and the דרכי החסידות.
תנצב"ה

שד"ר פון אדמו"רי ליובאוויטש זצוק"ל אוועק אין עלטער פון 94 יאר

RYW speaks about שיעורים בספר התניא

חיים של שליחות ● תמונות מחייו של הרב יוסף ויינברג ע"ה

הרב ויינברג חושף את הגהות הרבי על שיעוריו ● וידאו בלעדי

אדמו"ר הריי"צ על הרב ויינברג: "עסקן חרוץ להרבצת תורה"

קראון הייטס: נפטר הרב יוסף הלוי ויינברג ע"ה

Rabbi Yosef Wineberg, 94, OBM

הרב וויינבערג - לינקס -מיט הרב ר' אברהם מאיארער אין די ישיבה תות"ל אין לוד, ארה"ק ת"ו

הרה"ק בעל מנח"א זצ"ל מכריז: "שלוחי ליובאוויטש לא יחשב להם אם יצא איזה עון!"

The (London) Jewish Tribune remembers Reb Bentche Shemtov, ע"ה

  On His Yohrtzeit, ה' תמוז - Here

(running for cover)

I expect to be branded a traitor and an אויסווארף who doesn't know how much pain this man caused the Rebbe by writing his now infamous article in the פארווערטס about the טעראר בריגאדע אין ליובאוויטש. But I cannot help myself, so I will publish it. Rabbi Shurin passed on like 2 weeks ago at a ripe old age. I will not defend what he did to Lubavitch with his infamous article, but I cannot say that I don't understand him. In any case this is not the most appropriate post 3 Tammuz article, but I'm not always in control of that, even if it seems like I may be. (No, I don't mean that I have "handlers," like many of you want to believe.)

 Here's the link to the sicha where the Rebbe addresses the article by Shurin. ר' אהרן בנציון Shurin

"ג' תמוז אין די "ד' אמות

.שבת שכולו תורה תפלה והתוועדות.אין מקום מתאים יותר ומעודד ומעורר יותר משם

א רחמנות אויף דער אזוי-גערופענע ליובאוויטשער חסיד וואס קען זיך נישט ערלויבען פארען אהינצו ווייל ער דארף זיין בעטאלע און זיין קאווע מיט מזונות שבת צופרי. (כאטש אז קאווע מיט מזונות איז פאראן דארט "לרחצה") אביסל זיך אוועק געבן פאר'ן רבי'ן איז אזוי שווער ביי אייך? איין מאל א יאר פאר 24 שעה איז צו פיל? נאר געבן דארף מען אייך, נאר נעמען קענט איר, אביסל געבן קענט איר נישט? מילא אז די טאג איז ביי אייך א געלעכטער אדער אן "אתחלתא דגאולה" פארשטיי .איך. ס'איז א רחמנות און אפשר נאך ארגער, אבער מ'קען עס פארשטיין אבער טאמער האלט איר אז אזא טאג מאנט א חשבון הנפש ווי קענט איר נישט זיין אין די ד' אמות, ובפרט שבת ???

אשרינו שזכינו

דער צענזור ארבעט שווער

  Link to full גליון

 פרעגט מיר נישט פון וואנעט איך ווייס, אבער אזוי איז די פאקט. מ'קען דאך נישט שרייבען אז ליובאוויטשער שלוחים בויען אויף אידישקייט אין אונגארן, ס'דאך א געפערליכע בזיון, מוז מען אויסרייסען דריי פערטל שמועס און איבערלאזען אן .אויסגעדארטע ביינדל מיט א ברעקעלע פלייש בקרוב וועו אריינקומען אין רעדאקציע די השמטה, און מיר וועלן דענסטמאל דרוקען לטובת כלל ישראל

POTD - א איד אין ווארשא

Source

I wonder what kept him frum... The Agudah?

ס'איז אלץ העכערע ענינים

באר משה was authored by the Rebbe of Ozherov, זצ"ל

"דרשת הגרש"א לוין שליט"א בענין יתד נאמן"

קאמענטארען זענען איבעריג


Rabbi Levin, head of the "Chofetz Chaim" institutions in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is known as the לוחם מלחמת השקפת מרן ראש הישיבה זצוק"ל. Here he bemoans the fact that the Israeli Yated (no connection to the American newspaper with the same name) will no longer be run by those who claim to be ממשיך that דרך.

Mishpacha shows some flashes of greatness...

We had very high hopes for Mishpacha magazine when it first appeared on the newsstands, but we then realized that the masses still make up the majority, and they need to be catered to, not to mention that they get very nervous when any magazine tries to educate them in new ways... So, for the most part, save for an article here and there about Lubavitch or Rabbi Hershel Schachter, The Yeshivisher Oylem's two pet peeves, Mishpacha takes the road most traveled. And that's a good thing! I have young children who read it every week, may they live and be well, בלע"ה, and I need them to at least start off rock-solid! But this here article is good! It asks the questions about the city of מונקאטש that need to be asked, and gives honest answers, all the while giving good historical background to the famous film we've seen many times by now.

In case you have not, here's the You Tube Link to the film As well as a link that will be allowed by your filter...
Munkacs, 1933

See Article Here

Did he take credit for the Hey Shvat "Tish"??

Credit: Gruntig.net

This is NOT an attack on Reb Mike Tress, z"l.

 Maybe it's me and my bias, but it sounded like the juxtaposition of the two terms, Agudas Yisroel and Hey Shvat Tish were supposed to tell us that they were somehow related. That the reason survivors could sit down to a Hey Shvat gathering was because they were members of Agudas Yisroel. Nothing to do with the fact that were Gerrer Chassidim... I realize that he was speaking to an Agudah assembly and was trying to speak of the Agudah's activities among survivors, but still, it's a bit of a stretch. Then again, it could be my inherent bias that drives me. It often was and is the case.