Monday, March 5, 2007

זיי פאלען ווי די פליגען

Since we spoke last the Chabad community has lost three very different of its finest.


(Photo by Shturem)

HaRav Reb Yitzchok Hendel passed away on Friday. He had some year this past year, losing his daughter, wife, and grandson. He was from the Peylishe Tmimim in Otwock that arrived in America through Shanghai and was soon after dispatched by the Frierdige Rebbe to Montreal, where he was a member of the Beis Din there, and Rov of the Lubavitcher Community. In the above photo he's standing third from right. Also pictured are Reb Chatshe Feigin and Reb Yudel Eber Hy"d.

This morning, while languishing in bed with a hangover, my wife informed me that Shimshon Stock left this world on Purim. I also remember Shimshon from times like Selichos by the Rebbe, with his box in hand screaming for donations to CSSYT. What I didn't know was how he helped out families with things like Shidduchim and Sholom Bayis, and leaves countless families grieving. The fact that mentalblog reported on his passing says a lot to me. I would guess that Shimshon tried to help Tzemach too. He may have seemed a little rough around the edges, but he was all mush inside.


And now, after finally recovering from Purim and getting back to work, I boot up the computer and learn that Reb Sholom Chaskind died today. RSC was the son of Reb Berel Chaskind, pictured here behind the Frierdige Rebbe and his future Mechutan, the Rashag. Sholom's sister married the Frierdige Rebbe's Eynikel, and no, I don't know if he spoke to her all these years. Reb Sholom lived in Tel Aviv and was interviewed on the Early Years series by JEM.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wheres Chatshe Fegin in the top picture?

Anonymous said...

face it! shimshon knew where the right place to daven and duchen!
he should be a meilitz yosher

Anonymous said...

In response to 1:
He's the 4th seated to right.
* * *

I'd like to share a few words about the niftarim z"l:

Rav Hendel z"l related, in recent years, his yechidus with the Rebbe, re the importance of Shchitas Lubavitch for Anash. There's an audio on the internet, but I can't place it now.
*
Let's remember the mayses with R' Shimshon z"l's "chavrusashaft" with the Rebbe; some, linked lately on COL.
*
Re R' Sholom z"l:
In an eynikel's teshura in recent months, it says how his Bar Mitzva was the 1st in 770, 16 Elul 5700. (It was posted on shturem as well).
~
Also, an anecdote which his brother-in-law – יבדלחט"א – R' SD"B Butman related to me, in the last month:

When R' Sholom z"l came to CH after having lived in EY several years as a yungerman, the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, along with her sister (and he's not sure, but maybe the Rebbe as well) took a car to the airport to pick him up, for a korov hamishpocha. (Who was the driver, he didn't remember as well).

R' Sholom, not having known beforehand, took a cab back to 770. There, there was a tzet'l waiting for him (b'pashtus in der tzvaite shtok), that in case you're reading it, we already went to pick you up. He later regretted, not having the zechus to ride with malchus..

Anonymous said...

Hendels greatness is related to the importance of shechitas Lubavitch??.Surely you jest.

Anonymous said...

don't Post this
Hendel was a typical Lubab.He was probably well meaning but an utter shoiteh.He was the one pushing the madness of the Rebbe still alive, the stupid psak din that the rebbe is moshiach,Lubavitcher shechita rubbish and left us a legacy of an idiot grandchild, one of the publishers of bais moshiach.
Face it, tzig, your 'rabbis' are well meaning idiots like Hendel, or corrupt menuvolim like the many you know.
And you joined this group.Says a lot about you.
Still got a problem with the Chazon Ish????.

These 'rabbis' are proof that one can have a long white beard ,look like Eliyohu hanovi and be a massive shoiteh or charletan, and the dumb masses follow like sheep

Anonymous said...

is chatche fegin forth seat to the right, or from the right?

is there a clearer picture of him elsewhere?

Anonymous said...

tzig, thanks for posting the "hate mail". :-)

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

I'd like to thank the moron who sent me the above comment, and asked not to post it. He's a great guy to be speaking about a Niftar like that, any Niftar.

Chatche is fourth from the right, with the Rabbonishe hat. there's another family picture of him, that's pretty clear too.

Anonymous said...

Tzig you again show your ignorance and the true reason why you joined the 'cult'
The issur of talking against a dead person is a chereim hakadmoinim, not the more severe issur of loshon horo, but that's not the point, just a side issue, cuz, you''ll speak your nonsense against live people, but suddenly , becomer a tzadik when it comes to a much more lenient issur.
This was a private message,SOMETHING YOU KNEW WELL you are the one WHO CHOSE to spread it.Remember that.

Anonymous said...

You can't be relied upon, you really are a menuval.
Private correspondence is private1

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

The point you had no reason to speak against HaRav Yitzchok Hendel other than to relieve yourself. I too may have had some negative thoughts cross my minds about him, especially regarding Meshichism, but I chose not to spread it because there's no point in doing that. I place that blame solely on the shoulders of his grandson. He was a Rov, a Yid from the previous generation, a Ud Mutzol Me'Eish, and he built Yiddishkeit in Montreal, along with others. May he have a Lichtige Gan Eden.

Anonymous said...

CAN WE REMIND EVERYONE!!
Open Letter From Shimshon Stock: Flipping Houses (GOOD FOR ALL TO SEE!!!)
My Dear Friends & Neighbors:

Please hear me out, don’t throw this away – I realize there are many papers arriving at your door daily nevertheless I ask PLEASE HEAR ME OUT?

Several people in this community have caused housing to skyrocket by FLIPPING real estate!! They buy houses from long time residents and flip the homes for astronomical profits. They compete with other members of the schunah for the sole purpose of flipping for a huge profit! Years ago when a friend or neighbor was looking for a house and we knew of one we were thrilled to pass on the information. Today unfortunately there are yungelight canvassing the neighborhood for available homes so they can FLIP for profits ranging from $50,000 to $380,000. Once ‘Mr. Roberts’ becomes aware of the price his new neighbor paid he will seek the same or more.

There is NO excuse for this shameful greed!

This is not like selling a container of milk for a higher price. This cannot be considered “regular business practice”.

If one merchant in the neighborhood sells an item for a higher price then there is always an option of going to another shop. The same is not true with housing. If a Lubavitcher wants to buy a house in his or her schunah there is no other schunah to shop in. Obviously not the same as the guy selling milk or potatoes.

Therefore to excuse oneself with the warped logic that it is business like any is totally unacceptable.

Some of you are reading and thinking “oye, what’s it my business” either because you already have a house or you have no intention of buying one. You are so wrong! It is your business! Yungelight are buying houses at these inflated prices because they have growing families and need a place to live. However, they can hardly make the monthly payments. Each mortgage payment becomes a huge struggle.

Eventually this filters down to many of you. The one struggling cannot pay tuition for their kinderlach. The grocer, butcher, baker etc are not getting paid so they in turn cannot pay their tuition and suppliers (many of which are from this schunah also). This financial drain and strain filters into many more areas than you can imagine. Marriages are suffering and children are not getting the attention they NEED and DESERVE! THAT IS WHY YOU CANNOT SAY “WHAT’S IT MY BUSINESS”!

Years ago Machne Israel wanted to buy three private houses behind 770. They offered between $200,000 and $300,000 to the owners – then a well known gevir with the best of intentions offered more money and the Rebbe did not allow it. The Rebbe did not want to start this trend of paying exorbitant prices for housing. Not because the Rebbe was overly frugal ch’v, the Rebbe was very realistic and practical. Now we have the so called Chassidim causing the very difficulties the Rebbe looked to avoid. The FLIPPING must stop and each one of you should shun those committing this selfish -disgraceful practice!

Ask the flippers if they have been donating some of this BLOOD MONEY to the Mosdos that are all suffering as a result of their selfishness.

Remember – the Melamdim and teachers who are with your kinderlach for many hours each day are suffering from this and their money worries detracts from their quality of teaching. If teachers get paid – their worries are eliminated and in turn this filters down and benefits the students.

The flipping problem IS YOUR BUSINESS and BUYING from FLIPPERS must be STOPPED!

My best regards,
Shimshon Stock
593 Montgomery Street
Brooklyn, NY 11225

Anonymous said...

Tzig, your remark regarding the Rov and what passed through your mind and what you DON"T want to say is almost as bad as the Menuval, anonymous.

I once asked a shailoh to R. Hendel and he answered. a little while later I got an emergency message to call him quickly. He looked up the Halocho further and wanted me to be aware of even more perotim badovor.

Only a true Yiras Shomoyaim and a botledikeh Yid acts in that way.

He was truly one of the great.

Anonymous said...

Shimshon
we'll miss you
a staunch supporter of the most special minyan in CH

Anonymous said...

Some memories:
Shimshon could push the envelope like no one else in Chabad when it came to social conventions, and no one minded cause of his great big heart.
Shimshon was known to scream when collecting for Chevra Simcha v'Shabbos, shoving his cardboard box into men's faces in 770 saying things like, 'I know you made alot of gelt in the stock market this year, you can give more than that!', or "Give! It's for the people!".
He could be a mischevious but harmless flirt, calling the women his 'girlfriends', but never, ever meaning it as anything but ahavas yisroel and no one took it in a bad way, but in a fun way.
He would sit in the evenings at his kitchen table answering phone call after call of pleas for all kinds of help. In a typical evening he would be finding a place to live for a battered woman, answering investment questions, offering shidduchium, marriage counseling, and telling off community members whom he felt had done the wrong thing, always with a gleam of humour and love in his eye, often times yelling, but never harshly, and never uttering a complaint that the burden was too great.
When I was single he once offered me a shidduch with someone from interstate and I refused because I said I wouldn't move outside NY. 'What is wrong with the women today?," he commented, 'you go wherever your husband has a parnosa!" That was Shimshon, he never minced words, never held back his strong opinions, and he was totally and utterly selfless.
And who can forget the time he said to the Rebbe at the dollar line, (paraphrasing) 'Rebbe, you have to take care of your health, what would we all do if something should happen to you?" to which the Rebbe replied as he gestured towards Heaven with his finger, 'You have Hashem."
Shimshon's inimitable ways can never be duplicated and it was a privlege to have known him. I can picture him dancing with the Rebbe right now, with his cap, and his big smile. Oh, how he will be missed!

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

yehei zichro baruch:

I thank you for attaching the overused Menuvel tag to me, but you're mistaken. All I said was that I had a shtikkel Tayne to him, that of Meshichism. I blame his kids and grandkids for that. I said nothing else about his Yiras Shomayim or Erlichkeit, so why call me names?

Anonymous said...

Yehei Zichro Boruch,
This has nothing to do with Rabbi Hendel, but I'd like to analyze you Lubab analysis.
You asked him a sha'alah, to which he answered a bit to fast, without looking up the halocho(actually, you are pointing towards a problem...)Upon further research he wanted you to know more about this sh'alo so you''ll be able to do the right thing.That is a very good attribute and shows he took his job as rov seriously.Than you jump to all kinds of conclusions, this is where
'Lubab logic' comes in:Apparently he had not answered you entirely correctly and wanted to correct that, does that show about all the things you enumerated? It shows mentlichkeit, yes, but 'truly from the great' based on this type of mayseh?Don't you think you're getting carried away? This behaviour is expected from any local rabbi

Anonymous said...

Tzig,

I just said, it's not nice to say, I don't even want to say..... It seems like you have more to say.

I did not call you a Menuval - chas vesholom. You're a real nice guy.

sdr,

Your average Rov today is so full of it it aint funny. So to see a Rov who will call and correct himself, after he said something questionable is almost unheard of. Once a Rov tells you something, in his mind, his right even if he's wrong, because yesh al ma lismoch.

I did not say he told me anything that was even remotley wrong or questionable.

He gave me an answr which was correct and then felt i would actuall gain more by having , the more information regarding the teshuvah and went out of his way to offer the extra info which was totally on his part lifnim meshuras hadin.

a Yiras Shomayim, commited to his job in entirety and a mentsch.

Anonymous said...

Hey, Tzig,
I see you lost your guts.I sent a post yesterday criticising you for having the gall to attack 'The Kotlers'(live people. Chaver, do you EVEN, know them???)while at the same time crying with crocodile tears at the 'chutzpah' of telling you PRIVATELY, and requesting that you not post, an opinion on Rav Hendel, a deceased individual, that loshon horo does not apply to anymore.
As I said, you are a spineless and gutless ingrate.And a fool.

Anonymous said...

SDR is a bigger Menuvel then the Lubab... post.

Milhouse said...

I just got the news about Gedalia Shaffer. A real baal tzedakah and chesed (both bemamono and begufo) and machnis orach. Not your typical Crown Heightser - intellectually curious, widely read and widely travelled, a great conversationalist.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

They say that the Minchas Elozor, when accosted by a non-Jew, would say something like the following:
הריני מקבל עלי שעבוד עול גלות

meaning that since we're in Golus we need to be harrassed by Goyim.

Yesh Lomar that a Lubavitcher in Blogosphere needs to say the same thing, with one small variation, that he's Mekabel on himself the harrassment of the hateful SNAGS!

DALOY SNAGS!!!!

Anonymous said...

Millhouse, just to reitz un - "Not your typical Crown Heightser", pirush?

Milhouse said...

Pirush that he could speak knowledgeably about Torah or science or literature or art. Pirush that every summer he went somewhere different, to see niflo'os haborei and the works of man. Iceland, Zambia, Hungary, whatever country you named, the chances were that he'd been there and could discuss it. In fact there was very little that one couldn't discuss with him. He certainly knew far more than me in just about every subject, Jewish or not.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

May I ask what his background was; FFB, BT, originally Eylemish?

was he young?

what's happening in CH? so many untimely deaths.....

Milhouse said...

He was FFB from Boston, not chassidish, I'm not sure exactly what. I heard he was close to RYBS, but I'm not sure about that. He went to Princeton in the mid-'60s, was one of the first members of the kosher Eating Club, when it was in an off-campus building. He joined Lubavitch about then, I'm not sure whether before college or after.

He was 61 years old. His wife is a Slavin from Montreal, and they had 10 children, 3 married.

I dropped by his house on Purim, and in the short time that I sat there several people came for donations, and not only did he write each of them a cheque but he also encouraged them, and informed others at the table who they were and what they were collecting for.

Yehi zichro boruch.

Anonymous said...

Here's more about Reb Gedalia o"h

Thanks Milhouse.

Milhouse said...

Update to the above: his family always had a connection to Lubavitch. One of his grandfathers used to learn chasidus, and although his parents didn't identify as Ls, and davened in a non-L shul, they sent their children to L schools, with the result that all four became L.

According to Gedalia's sister, when his parents first decided to send him to L, people accused them of sabotaging his chances at a good education and future. When he graduated from the L school and was accepted by Princeton and several other Ivy League universities, they felt vindicated.

As a young man in Boston, Gedalia was very close to R Mordechai Savitsky, and kept up the relationship later.

Mottel said...

Tzig this one is for you:

In Cleveland there was a move to build a new mikvah some years back. Lubavitch was behind it, and, k'muvin, had plans to make it bor al gabei bor. The Tezler Yeshivah got involved, but dissented on making it al pi the Rebbe Rashab's shita.
Rabbi Hendel was called in to speak about the mikvah.
In a public meeting with Rabbi Gifter, Rabbi Hendel asked him what was wrong with a bor al gabei bor mivah.
Rabbi Gifter responded that it was posul. Rabbi Hendel asked him who possuls such a mikvah . . . Rabbi Gifter threw a hissy-fit over not receiving the proper kovod and left.
The Bor al Gabei Bor Mikvah was built.

Anonymous said...

I have nothing against R. Hendel and actually met him and liked him personally. However, when he began the moshiach bit I couldn't help but think of "Handel's Messiah".

Anonymous said...

I met R. Hendel once and liked him. However, when he began his meshiach meshugaas, I couldn't help but think of "Handel's Messiah".

Anonymous said...

Sorry for the duplicate. By the way, didn't the ainekel have a name? He did have a bris.

Anonymous said...

yo.. cognitively !