משהו הזוי בעולם של ספרי הלכה

The title of this post was how I received the file via e-mail. We can relate, however. It does look הזוי. At least in the world of Bene Beraq. Kind of like, if you don't me show me how Reb Chaim points with his index finger to point by וזאת התורה I won't believe it, and I'll use my pinkie. But מרובים צרכי עמך, ועמך ישראל צריכים פרנסה, so these will now be all the rage: illustrated sifrei hanhogos. And davka from so-called Litvishe.  It'll only cost you in the vicinity of $35, and it can take the place of Architectural Digest on your coffee table. That way you'll have תורה וגדולה במקום אחדץ Get it?

  Rav Chaim All

The Lubavitcher Rebbe wanted Rav Chaim Kreiswirth to stay in Chicago

A few facts:
Antwerp had since WW2 and the liquidation of its Jewish Community not had a Charedishe Rov. In 1953 they had the opportunity to get Rav Chaim Kreiswirth. He was the Rosh Yeshiva in Skokie. [Also known as Beis Mesrish Lo Torah. By the guys at Telshe, etc. Although Telshe-Chicago hadn't been founded at that time] He agreed, provided that the CI give him his blessing. The CI at first said no, because of the Bittul Torah to Chicago that his departure would cause. Before his passing the CI supposedly told his shvogger that he retracts his first decision and know allows him to go to Antwerp. The Antwerp Kehillah was overjoyed and made preparations for his arrival, but Skokie wasn't going to go down without a fight. They were מרעיש עולמות, including writing to the Rebbe, who said that he was not happy that he was leaving Skokie. So the Antwerpeners wrote a letter, which we present here, as well as the Rebbe's response. We all know the end result. RCK did go to Antwerp. From Antwerpeners I hear of many stories that portray him as someone who did not appreciate Lubavitch. But that's all water under the bridge. The PDF is as it was received. You can rotate each page to make it easier to read.

  Rebbes Letter About R Kreiswirth to Stay in Chicago

Harper's Magazine - Warsaw Ghetto Revolt, 1943

Talk of Jews who were loyal to Poland and who felt part of its history and culture. They were tired of being called aliens. Tired of being helpless and pitied. If they were going to die they would do it as heroes, after fighting to the last breath. That would revive the self-respect and dignity of a people humiliated throughout the millenia. Nice of the Poles in exile to finally come through with some arms.

Box.com Link

מאמרי חסידות מאדמו"רי חב"ד ד"ה מזמור לתודה ועליהם מאמר וביאור מכ"ק הר' הלל הלוי מפאריטש יו"ל לראשונה מכת"י מעתיק, י"ז טבת, תשע"ו‎

  מאמרי חסידות על מזמור לתודה

2 recent articles about the Yosselle Schuchmacher saga and the Lubavitch connection

Sholom Shtroks, son of Nachman and uncle of Yosselle Schumacher, recently passed away. He was directly involved in the saga of not returning Yosselle to his parents and even sat in jail for what seems like almost three years, until he was pardoned by the newly elected President Shazar. The following are two articles recently published about Sholom and about the meetings that took place between the Rebbe and a delegation of Satmarer Rabbonim in 770.

  פרשית יוסלה וחבד לפי חומר חסוי שהותר לפרסום לאחרונה

  משלחת סטמר בליובאוויטש

Treasures from the Lithuanian State Archives

The Alter and Alteh from Slabodka...

Reb Moishe Mordche Epshteyn and Rebbetzin...

The Kovner Rov (מח"ס דבר אברהם) and Rebbetzin...

Kovner Rov at an interfaith meeting...

Kovner Rov at some kind of national celebration

The Kovner Orphanage - notice the picture they're holding. I guess we weren't the first or only ones...

פינף און זיבעציג יאר פונעם ווישיווער רב זצ"ל

13 Teves is the 75th Yohrtzeit of the great Gaon Reb Mendel of Vishive, eldest son of the "Ahavas Yisroel" of Vizhnitz. This picture was recently found in the archives of the RIETS and was published in the מבשר newspaper
מקור: עתון "המבשר" פ' ויחי 

דער אטוואצקער "קאזע-אידל" - פונעם פארווערטס

דרוקט דא

?!מה לבעלזער חסיד של ימינו ולקנאות

כ'על אייך זאגען דעם אמת, איך האב אויך הנאה אויסצוהערן ר' מנשה'ס שיעורים פון צייט צו צייט. און אין א געוויסע מאס בין איך אביסל איינשטימיג מיט אים - ווען עס לאזט זיך, און איך בין אין אזא קנאישען גיסטע. איך בין א שטיקל אידישיסט און מיר באדערט אז אידיש איז פארגעסן געווארען ביי די אינגע דור אין ארץ ישראל. אבער לדעתי האט ר' מנשה אן אחריות צו זיינע צוהערער. חכמים הזהרו בדבריכם - מיינט מען אים. יעצט וועלען א פאר צענדליגע אידן אהיים גיין און לאזען וויסען פאר די בני בית, פאר גוטע פריינד, און פאר'ן שאפער פונעם אוטובוס אז עיווריט איז א טמא'נע שפראך, פול מיט מינות און אפיקורסות. דאס איז אפשר גוט ווען דאס ווייב און די קינדער קענען רעדן אידיש, אבער וואס וועלן טוהן די וואס קענען נישט? צוליב וואס האט דאס אויסגעפעלט? סתם געעפענט א פושקע ווערים, לדעתי. ער איז דאך אן אויסלענדער- פון בארא פארק, ווי איך פארשטיי, זאל ער לאזען די הלכות עיווריט פאר די דארטיגער, ושלום על ישראל

מאמרי חסידות חב"ד, ד"ה ויגש אליו יהודה מכ"ק אדמו"ר הצ"צ ובניו הרי"נ והמהר"ש זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע. מאמר ר' ישראל נח מניעז'ין יו"ל לראשונה מכת"י מעתיק, ה' טבת, דידן נצח, תשע"ו‎

  מאמר ויגש אליו יהודה

Wednesday, 4 Teves, 5776

What's up with Rav Tzvi Yuda's dislike of Chassidim?!
An illustrated diary of Reb Chaim Kanievski
Take the London cure with East End Smoked salmon family firm
Chabad Menorahs and the Public Sphere
IRS to require NFPs get SSNs of donors
שלושים נשים מחסידות גור בערד תופרות את המדים של חיילי צה"ל

נפטר געווארען ר' יודל אקערמאן ע"ה

Read More

 Whereas all other websites all took the same recent picture and posted the same few lines about Reb Yidel, we go the extra mile and bring you a few gems from the early years. None of them knew who he was, besides for the paers that have Stoliners among their ranks of writers. The rest just see an article and figure he was an important guy, so they write a few lines. We bring you one picture where he's standing behind a very young Stoliner Rebbe, and the other seemingly in Williamsburg, at a wedding in the early '60s. That's why sometimes things take a little longer to appear on this blog, because we try harder.

Thursday Chanukah 4 Links

הקולפי"ק כובש את החצרות
The Rebbe and the Rav on Chanukah and the outside world
Habad Portraits vol. IV available now!!!
Reifer, Shmuel (1 of 18) The Living Memory of the Jewish Community
Rabbi Yair Hoffman on Public Menorahs
גם בימי המתיוונים היה רבבות מצביעים לגימ"ל

מאמרים רשימות ושיחות על חנוכה ד"ה ברוך שעשה נסים = ליל ג' דחנוכה תשע"ו‎

  מאמר ברוך שעשה נסים השלם

Box.com link

ליל א' דחנוכה ביים אמשינאווער רבי'ן, ר' איציקל זצ"ל אין בארא פארק

Shmuess before Chanukah in Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, 1955/5716 - ע"י הגאון בעל "פחד יצחק" זצ"ל

סאטמערער רבי און מדינת ישראל - דער טאג מארגען זשורנאל - September 10, 1952

אומלעזבאר, מחמת די קליינע אותיות, אבער נאר פאר די קעפל אליין לוינט זיך עס. און אפשר אויך צוליב די אלע אנאנסען אויפ'ן בלעטל. וואס האט דער סאטמארער רבי דעמאלסט געזאגט אז ער האט עס געדארפט לייקענען? אדער אפשר גאר האט די צייטונג סתם געשריבען פאלנע שקרים און האלבע אמת און אויף דעם האט דער רבי געלייקענט?

....החסיד מבין יותר טוב מהרבי

Hirshel: surely you read about Reb Yoel Kahan's visit to the Belzer Rebbe. And after the visit you must've been surprised to see - and even more so, to hear - that Reb Pinches Friedeman attended a farbrengen with Reb Yoel and spoke (in his Rebbe's name?) about Chabad and Tanya. Anybody who knows anything about Belz knows this are truly groundbreaking events. Belz speaking in praise of the Chabad Derech?! Belz was about Tor/Beis Yosef, not learning Chassidus. Anyway, what got me was how come R' Pinchas the chusid knows very well why Yud Tes Kislev is celebrated vs. all others arrests of other Rebbes like the Holy Ruzhiner, and his Rebbe plays dumb and asks Reb Yoel the difference? can a chusid know better then his Rebbe... the Ruzhiner was very holy,, but the question is shocking for a chuchem like the Belzer. As if he's asking why celebrate Yud Beis Tammuz and not celebrate Spinker Rebbe of BP's release????

For better pictures and a clearer view see here

הגרי"ד הלוי מבוסטון - י"ט כסלו תשכ"ח

Part I (Box.com)
Part II (Box.com)

Despite our ideological differences... if this is what will save Israel, then I cannot sit idly by...

Then it's my responsibility to post it here and do my part. At first it's Uman ראש השנה. But that helps people on a personal level. Helps them get inscribed in the Book of Life, because Reb Nachman is the best lawyer that money can buy. Then we were told that the 10 kapitlach help anytime, but only for the חטא הידוע. Now we hear that it helps all Jews all the time! And it'll beat the enemies of Israel and the Jewish People into submission. So I too will do my part in spreading the good word here. After all, most of you don't see the light poles in Boro Park, so if not for me you wouldn't know about this project. The only problem is, I see now that this took place yesterday already... Oh, well.