Monday, January 31, 2011

Book Review (Pt. II)


Reb Avrohom as a younger man

See Part I

(I started the first part of the review because I felt that I owed it to the author, since he had sent me the book as soon as I agreed to review it, and several days had gone by since I finished reading it. Which is why all that you saw was a general, one-paragraph review, without any clear references to the actual content. )

As was mentioned before much effort went into attaining as much information about Reb Avrohom and his family as is possible. The same goes for his wife's family, the HaYitzchokis from Nevel, who traced their lineage back to Rashi HaKodosh. In the spirit of full disclosure all family pictures are displayed, even those that aren't very flattering for the family of a famed chossid and mashpia. Many of you "truthers" out there will be pleased by that. We're all adults here, we know what the matzav HaYahadus was like in Russia post WW1, and we ca take the fact that this brother didn't grow a beard or that aunt didn't cover her hair. I may have misunderstood one picture in the book, but IIRC there's a picture where Reb Avrohom and his family went to visit relatives of his on Rechov HaYarkon in TA, who seemed to be on the modern side, and the caption reads something like "Reb Avrohom and family with relatives that he called only "di kroyvim fun rechov haYarkon," which would seem to indicate that he wanted to shield his children from these "kroyvim," I guess because of their lax religious observance.

But here I am, getting way ahead of myself again. Let's get back to the review, shall we?

The book reads like a regular mussar sefer, you'll excuse the term. We're used to chassidim being medakdek b'mitzvos to the extreme, and we're used to them being nizhar from any chashash issur like it was a roaring inferno, but in this case there's more. Reb Avrohom managed to raise a chassidishe family - a very large one - in the USSR under those conditions, as did hundreds of others, but there's more to that than just that fact. There's the fact that for well over a decade he was a wanted man, plain and simple. They were looking to arrest him just like all the others that were sent away and never came back or came back after years in the gulags. Yet, somehow, they never got to him. And all that time he managed to help others that were less fortunate, hide other wanted people, and raise and have a connection with his family. I realize that we haven't spoken about his earlier life very much, whether it be pre or post Tomchei Tmimim in Lubavitch days, but right now, looking back at what I read a several weeks ago, that's what stays fresh in my mind. Besides, you'd be hard-pressed to find a Yid like Reb Avrohom talk about himself and about what he accomplished. If anything, he'd talk about the Rebbe, his chaverim and mashpiyim in Yeshiva, and about what he saw and heard. There are no "we finished gantz shas together waiting on the lunch line" stories here like you may find elsewhere...



Reb Avrohom being osek in avodas hatfilloh in zibben zibetzig.



I'm not an official book reviewer, so I still have a hard time figuring out exactly what it is that I need to do when it comes to a review, but I assume that a review shouldn't (just) repeat nice stories or anectodes that he sees in the book. I speak to the general body of work. I'd like to thank Moshe Rubin for taking the high road when it came to he style of writing he uses in his zeide's story. Unfortunately, in the world of Chabad English literature today it's commonplace to cater to the unaffiliated and to forget about those that don't need a glossary and all Hebrew words in havara sefaradit. Rubin manages to keep the original old world flavor without alienating those that have no connection to the old world. (come to think of it, I may have made that point last time as well. In any case, it's worth repeating.) The style of writing ensures that you continue and finish the book. Every chapter in RAM's life, even the relative menucha here in the US, is interesting, if not riveting. You're no less intrerested in his keeping the KGB at bay than the fact that later in life he would travel all across the US collecting funds for Lubavitcher Yeshivos without knowledge of English - and we're talking towns that many of us Yankees would be very uncomfortable in, small American cities, not just Chicago and L.A. And of course, his farbrengens here in the US - or at the least the descriptions thereof, make for very good reading material as well.


[I'd like to highlight some of the stories in the book in the next segment of the review. B'ezras hashem and if time allows for it. I hear that the book is selling very well, in all Jewish neighborhoods in NYC, and that makes the Tzig happy, seeing that Rubin's hard work is being rewarded by good sales.]

[Many of the books were that were written about the difficult times in Russia were written by the people involved. In this case Reb Avrohom had long since passed on, but most of his children are alive and well, so a very clear picture can be presented about their life in the USSR, as well as life in the Holy Land and in America.]




With Teimaner Kinder that he taught in Tomchei Tmimim in Lod


In his final years, receiving a dollar from the Rebbe

44 comments:

  1. Reb Avrohom Mayor was a tremendous Talmid Chchem as well as a fiery Chosid. As a bochur, I lived in a furnished basement in a house that was owned by a famous Chosid. Reb Avrohom lived upstairs on the 2nd floor. The only time I spoke with him was on Sukkos when we all ate together in the landlords Sukkah. He related stories of the Halachic pilpulim he had as a young man with the Ragatchover Gaon.He, Reb Avrohom, held his own in these pilpulim with the Gaon. Its a shame that your Litvishe readers do not realize how many great Talmidel Chachomim Lubavitch produced and continues to produce.

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  2. As was mentioned before much effort went into attaining as much as information about Reb Avrohom and his family as is possible... the family tree in the previous post is missing much of his ben achar ben etc... and paylishe yichus which i heard he had much of from a drizin who used to live in LA

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  3. anon, check ure facts... RA did not have any paylishe yichs.
    the ben achar ben only goes back two or three generations.

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  4. "Its a shame that your Litvishe readers do not realize how many great Talmidel Chachomim Lubavitch produced and continues to produce."

    How are we supposed to know about them if they are so well "hidden".
    Also, how do you know how he actually fared with the Rogatchover??Just because, you as a young bochur thought he himself said so??C'mon now.

    Your last part about how many talmidei chachomim Lubavitch still continues to produce is a gross exaggeration to say the least.After all if one leaves yeshiva for shlichus at twenty, and gets married at twenty three and does one year in kolel,I mean, what do you really expect to produce?
    There are hardly if any kollelim in Chabad for men to just study and grow in Torah for the sake of knowingand teaching.You have the one,two year kolel advanced semicha style institutions and nothing more.
    Ma Rabbi, I belive you said that you started out as a Lutvack and only later on hooked up with Chabad,no?I think you said you got semicha from MTJ.

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  5. please dont bring up the talmidei chachomim chabad is producing today. I was recently in the hospital and i met someone who is considered one of the shining lights in chabad today . And as someone with somewhat of a chabad backround i had long shmuezzen with him and i must sadly say i was sorely dissapointed by his very shitchiusdige knowledge in some very basic sugyas.

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  6. Tzig,

    You praise Rubin for taking the high road in the English lingo.

    But in your review on the book, seems to me you could not figure out how to use simple "spell check".

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  7. Truther
    "who is considered one of the shining lights in chabad today"
    a shining light in what field? in Shlichus? in Chasidus? in Nigleh?
    I can find you BP dayonim that are ignorant in many fields of torah

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  8. Yankel
    "Your last part about how many talmidei chachomim Lubavitch still continues to produce is a gross exaggeration to say the least.After all if one leaves yeshiva for shlichus at twenty, and gets married at twenty three and does one year in kolel,I mean, what do you really expect to produce?"
    their are lots of shluchim that grew in torah after they went to shlichus, I will mention Cities not names. Budapest,Frankfurt,Chicago ,Sacramanto,Seattle, Miami,Berlin, Moscow, LA....

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  9. very doubtful tht ayid like reb avrom would say that he "held his ground" with the rogatchover" - he more likely just said how he merited to spend time in his presence.
    but one thing is clear the rogatchiover gave his smeicha to both reb avrom and reb zalman shimon dworkin. that speaks volumes.

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  10. My question was the glaringly obvious leaving out the ben achar ben achar ben. Whoever wrote this book had an agenda to promote a certain image. A mothers grandfather from nevel isn't doing much background, leaving out the paternal grandfathers is a glaring omission that needs explanation. Its not as if they don't know...

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  11. Who was R Avrohom named after?

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  12. A shining light in nidkeh. Someone who is considered from the choshuveh talmidei chachomim in chabad

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  13. Laz

    I don't use spell check. I write and post. Mistakes are typos, not lack of spelling prowess.

    ReplyDelete
  14. "It reads like a mussar sefer..."
    Hoiw many of those have you read?

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  15. anon 11:01am

    נו זאג שוין

    what's bothering you. Whom did they omit?

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  16. Lubabs brag about how they don't brag and don't show off!!! Something ain't right about that... if only that would be the worse part of their dimyon.

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  17. Chevreh,
    Az mehn lernt nit kehn mehn nit! Prost poshet!
    For whatever reason Lubavitchers don't manage to do any heavy duty learning for years

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  18. "I don't use spell check. I write and post. Mistakes are typos, not lack of spelling prowess."

    U won the spelling bee in your "chaiyder"?

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  19. Lubavitchers stop using Burech Oberlander as one of the few Chabadniks who can write a scholarly work.Firstly he did most of his studies by the Pupeneh and he is an unusual example of Chabadsker who can actually read ivreh without mistakes, unless he is trying the Lutvish/Lubavitch version where he sometimes stumbles.
    Interesting was to listen to 'R'Volff Greenglass who also attempted "tzu redden Lutvish".
    I don't know why all the gevoreneh are so scared of the aleph bais they were taught in cheyder,eh Tzig???

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  20. I could not believe the garbage I saw one one the Chabad sites where they are not ashamed to claim that one should rather support a Lubavitcher than another Jew!!!!!
    Unbelievable, these lowlives have no shame
    Time to let financial supporters of these lowlives know that the "ahavas yisroel" chevreh are the lowest

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  21. cant the family member who gave the tzig the book for free be mashlim the review litoeles harabim, especially for those of us in snag city usa where the book isnt being sold...

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  22. i give up waiting for an update here

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  23. Yoel
    "I don't know why all the gevoreneh are so scared of the aleph bais they were taught in cheyder,eh Tzig???"
    according to dikduk this unterlander yiddish and its hebrew pronunciation is very shvach, it is nowhere written that you have to keep your mistakes or your folks forever, are you still talking baby language, thats why you send kids to cheder and school, to grow.

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  24. Anon who keeps mentioning ben achar ben etc... Pray tell how many generations back the drizins know in the paternal line? I doubt more than 3?

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  25. "according to dikduk this unterlander yiddish and its hebrew pronunciation is very shvach, it is nowhere written that you have to keep your mistakes or your folks forever, are you still talking baby language, thats why you send kids to cheder and school, to grow."


    Anon242pm
    You know your gevorener Chabadsker chitzpeh knows no bounds!
    Rov minyen of talmidei Habesht used the "Poylishe" pronunciation!
    I don't tell a born and bred Lubavitcher to change, but to claim that gedoley hadoires were using a "shvach al pi dikduk" pronunciation????Have you no shame???
    While you are at it, can you tell me anyone who claims that the Chabad/Litvishe pronunciation of choilem as an "ay" sound is "al pi dikduk"???

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  26. R' Avrohom Mayor had a major spiritual Nefila in 1956 when the Rebbe commanded him to stay in Eretz Yisroel, and he refused, did not listen to the Rebbe's advice and moved to New York.

    He has been quiet and has been ignored by the Rebbe and Chassidim for 40 years! While in Russia he was from the lions of the Chaburah, here in Brooklyn people didn't even know who he was.

    His son in law and daughter followed suit, and they too moved to NY despite the Rebbe's clear directives to them. They passed away shortly after (while R' Avrohom was still alive).

    He was a giant who cut his own destiny and prospects to the ground - instead of being a great Mashpia and Askan in Eretz Yisroel as the Rebbe intended to him, he became a little known and ignored man in Brooklyn.

    His son in law the Billionair Sholom Ber, now take revenge from Lubavitch for ignoring his father - by supporting all the Meshichist movements and the destructive forces in crown heights.

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  27. "R' Avrohom Mayor had a major spiritual Nefila in 1956 when the Rebbe commanded him to stay in Eretz Yisroel, and he refused, did not listen to the Rebbe's advice and moved to New York."
    THE ABOVE IS ACCURATE. THOUGH IT WASN'T THAT SIMPLE. THERE WAS MAJOR MACHLOIKES GOING ON IN ERETZ YISROEL AND HE COULDN'T BEAR THAT AND HE LEFT. ANYONE WHO KNOWS THE DETAILS WILL ADMIT TO THIS.

    "He has been quiet and has been ignored by the Rebbe and Chassidim for 40 years!"
    THE REBBE IGNORED HIM FOR LESS THAN 10 YRS AND EVEN DURING THOSE YEARS REB AVROM NEVER WAVERED AS A CHOSSID OF THE REBBE. REB YOEL KAHAN SAYS THAT IN A CERTAIN SENSE THE GADLUS OF REB AVROM WAS MOST EVIDENT DURING THESE YEARS (LATE 50'S AND 60'S)
    REB AVROM NEVER JUSTIFIED HIMSELF - NEVER HAD ANY EXCUSES...
    MANY CHASSIDIM INCLUDING REB NISSEN NEMENOV WOULD SPEAK TO THE REBBE ABOUT AND PLEAD REB AVROM'S CASE BEFORE THE REBBE
    LATER (IN 1968) THE REBBE BEGAN BEING MEKAREV HIM. SO TO STATE THAT HE WAS IGNORED FOR 40 YRS IS SIMPLY UNTRUE. AFTER ALL IN 1989 THE REBBE ADDRESSED HIM AS "AVROHOM AV HAMON CHASSIDIM".



    While in Russia he was from the lions of the Chaburah, here in Brooklyn people didn't even know who he was. PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHO REB AVROM MAYOR WAS? ANOTHER GROSS DISTORTION. DID U WALK INTO 770 DURING THE 70'S, 80'S? DID U SPEND SUKKOS IN CH AND NOT HEAR OF REB AVROM?

    His son in law and daughter followed suit, and they too moved to NY despite the Rebbe's clear directives to them. They passed away shortly after (while R' Avrohom was still alive).
    HIS SON IN LAW AND DAUGHTER MOVED TO NY 30 YEARS AFTER HE MOVED! NOT EXACTLY FOLLOWING SUIT. YES, THEY BOTH PASSED AWAY SOON AFTER, THOUGH REB AVROHOM AND HIS WIFE LIVED INTO THEIR 90S - SO WHAT'S YOUR POINT?

    He was a giant who cut his own destiny and prospects to the ground - instead of being a great Mashpia and Askan in Eretz Yisroel as the Rebbe intended to him, he became a little known and ignored man in Brooklyn. ONE THING IS FOR SURE HE DID HAVE A GROUP OF DETRACTORS, BUT TO CALL HIM A "LITTLE KNOWN AND IGNORED MAN?" ONLY IN THE IMAGINATIONS OF THIS CERTAIN ELEMENT OF CHABAD. WHEN THE REBBE SAID "AV HAMON CHASSIDIM" THIS ELEMENT HAD TO BURY THEIR HEADS IN SAND.

    His son in law the Billionair Sholom Ber, now take revenge from Lubavitch for ignoring his father - by supporting all the Meshichist movements and the destructive forces in crown heights.
    REVENGE ON WHO? I LOST YOU.

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  28. No one burried his head when the Rebbe said Av Hamon Chassidim, since no one even knoew anything about it - it was a little vertel that the Rebbe said to him when he passed by to get a dollar.

    He has been ignored by the Rebbe for 40 years. Exactly that! he has not been from the 'Pnei' of Lubavitch ever since he left Kfar Chabad - as would have been fit for someone of his stature. So for part of it he was completley ignored, and for the other part it was lifter a little.

    I remember the time when the Rebbe said a Maamar in his room and asked for a Minyan to come in to hear the Maamar. R' Avrohom Mayor was part of the Minyan, but the Rebbe did not start. Rabbi Hodakov counted the people and when came to R' Avrohom Mayor he said "Avrohom Mayor? Ehr is doch in Eretz Yisroel!" and he went out to get another person to complete the Minyan in the Rebbe's room.

    Ad for the people of Crown Height, of course those who knew the history - knew of his greatness. But the regular people did not know who he was. An old man who in his later years had some distant Russian relative schlepping him around. A real pitty. To his credit one must say that he still kept on coming to 770, sitting at the Rebbe's farbrengens etc. but he was not sitting Oiben On, and was not given any attention as would other Ziknei Anash, especially of his stature.

    I don't know in what "elements in Chabad" he was ignored, because the fact remains that he was simply ignored by everyone. Not a speaker and not a Mashpia. Yes, he used to farbren on Sukkos, but people used to make fun of his existence ("Chassidus Is Reich, main Sholom Ber is Reich"). R' Yoel always liked him and had a Chavrusa with him in 770.

    Anyway - too bad that history is being presented in fictitious way, so they rob that person of who he truely was. There is no point in presenting someone as what he was not.

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  29. "No one burried his head when the Rebbe said Av Hamon Chassidim. since no one even knew anything about it."
    THE WHOLE 770 WAS TALKING ABOUT IT. CHECK WITH PEOPLE. CHECK WITH REB YOEL. YES IT BOTHERED CERTAIN PEOPLE

    "a little vertel that the Rebbe said to him when he passed by to get a dollar"
    INTERESTING HOW YOU CLASSIFY THIS "LITTLE VERTEL" OF THE REBBE, WHEN IT DOESN'T FIT WITH YOUR OPINION. WATCH THE VIDEO.

    "He has been ignored by the Rebbe for 40 years." IN 1968 HE BEGAN TO COME INTO THE REBBE FOR YECHIDUS. THE REBBE WOULD ALWAYS SAY LECHAIM TO HIM FROM THAT POINT ON.

    "Exactly that! he has not been from the 'Pnei' of Lubavitch ever since he left Kfar Chabad - as would have been fit for someone of his stature. So for part of it he was completley ignored" - AS STATED, THIS IS ONLY TRUE FOR THE FIRST DECADE.

    "and for the other part it was lifter a little"
    SO NOW THERE WAS A LITTLE 'LIFTER' MAKING PROGRESS.

    CONT. IN NEXT COMMENT

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  30. .."the Rebbe said a Maamar in his room and asked for a Minyan to come in to hear the Maamar. R' Avrohom Mayor was part of the Minyan, but the Rebbe did not start. Rabbi Hodakov counted the people and when came to R' Avrohom Mayor he said "Avrohom Mayor? Ehr is doch in Eretz Yisroel!" and he went out to get another person to complete the Minyan in the Rebbe's room. A TURE STORY. NO1 DENIES THAT DURING THE FIRST YRS THE REBBE VERY MUCH WANTED HIM BACK IN ERETZ YISROEL. AND R' HODAKOV SOUGHT TO ENFORCE THIS


    "...the people of Crown Height, of course those who knew the history - knew of his greatness.
    But the regular people did not know who he was.
    FIRST YOU WRITE "here in Brooklyn people didn't even know who he was" NOW IT'S "As for the people of Crown Heights, of course those who knew the history - knew of his greatness.
    AGAIN, YOU ARE QUALIFYING YOUR STATEMENTS. MAKING PROGRESS.

    "An old man who in his later years had some distant Russian relative schlepping him around. A real pitty." YES, AS HE APPROACHED 90 HE NEEDED THE HELP OF AN AIDE (NOT A DISTANT RELATIVE) WHEN WALKING. THIS IS THE DESTINY OF A MAN WHO OUTLIVED NEARLY ALL OF HIS CONTEMPORARIES. A PITTY? ON WHOM?

    To his credit one must say that he still kept on coming to 770, sitting at the Rebbe's farbrengens etc. but he was not sitting Oiben On, and was not given any attention as would other Ziknei Anash, especially of his stature.
    THIS IS ACCURATE. HE STILL KEPT ON COMING... DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE GADLUS OF THIS. IN THE HISTORY OF LUBAVITCH AND MANY OTHER CHASSIDIM, WHEN THE REBBE GAVE A LITTLE PUSH, GREAT CHASSIDIM WENT LOOKING ELSEWHERE. BUT REB AVROHOM STAYED PUT. AND AS REB SHLOMO ZARCHI RECALLS THE REBBE SAID ABOUT REB AVROHOM "VUS VEITER M'SHTUPT EM, VUS NENTER ER KUMT"
    IS THAT ANOTHER LITTLE VERTEL OF THE REBBE?

    “I don't know in what "elements in Chabad" he was ignored, because the fact remains that he was simply ignored by everyone. “
    THIS IS TOTALLY UNTRUE. THERE WAS AN ELEMENT THAT IGNORED HIM. IN THE LATE 70'S HE WAS APPOINTED BY THE CH COMMUNITY AS ONE OF THE THREE MASHPIIM OF THE COMMUNITY. HOW DOES THIS FIT WITH YOUR STATEMENT THAT HE WAS "IGNORED BY EVERYONE"? COMMUNITY ASKANIM SHOULD APPOINT SOMEONE SO IGNORED TO BE ONE OF IT'S MASHPIIM?


    “Not a speaker and not a Mashpia. “
    HE WOULD FARBRENG VERY OFTEN IN 770 WITH ANASH AND WITH GROUPS OF BOCHURIM AS WELL. ARE THEY ALL PART OF THE "EVERYBODY" THAT IGNORED HIM? HOW ABOUT ALL THE HUNDREDS FARBRENGENS IN LAKEWOOD, MONSEY? DO THEY COUNT?

    “Yes, he used to farbren on Sukkos, but people used to make fun of his existence ("Chassidus Is Reich, main Sholom Ber is Reich").” SO NOW HE WOULD FABRENG, BUT PEOPLE MADE FUN OF HIS EXISTENCE? YES HE DID HAVE A VERY HEALTHY SENSE OF HUMOR. ASK THE DOZENS AND DOZENS OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD SIT WITH HIM EVERY SUKKOS IF THEY MADE FUN OF HIS EXISTENCE. REB AVROHOM WAS ONE OF A KIND, A MEHUS. EVEN HIS DETRACTORS DID NOT MAKE FUN OF HIS EXISTENCE.

    “ R' Yoel always liked him and had a Chavrusa with him in 770.”
    SO REB YOEL WASN'T PART OF THE "EVERYBODY THAT IGNORED HIM" GROUP? SO NOW IT'S ALL THOSE WHO KNEW OF HIS GREATNESS, REB YOEL? ANYONE ELSE YOU MAY BE FORGETTING? REB YOEL ALSO SENT REB MENDEL VECHTER AND OTHERS TO SPEND TIME WITH AND STUDY CHASSIDUS WITH HIM.

    “...too bad that history is being presented in fictitious way, so they rob that person of who he truely was.”
    NO ONE IS DENIES THAT HIS FIRST YEARS IN THE US WAS A DARK TIME FOR HIM. YES, IT WAS A DOWNFALL FOR A MAN OF HIS STATURE. BUT YOU FAIL TO ADMIT THAT OVER TIME HE AGAIN CAME TO BE ACCEPTED AS A MASHPIA.

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  31. anon 8:27

    I never understood those who כביכול stood up for the Rebbe's "kovod" when it came to Reb Avrohom. Can you explain to me the benefit of doing and carrying the torch when it comes to trying to bury him?

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  32. BH

    Did he return to the same status as he was before? Hardly so.

    Is any of this info written in his "biography"? Hardly so.

    So what does this make of this book?

    A fictitios image, robbing the person of his personality.

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  33. No one claimed that he returned to the full status of before. Don't claim anyone claimed so.
    The book did mention that his early years in the US were his most difficult. It was a painful in his life, something he surely wouldn't want to dwell on, no? Robbing him of his personality? How does not dwelling on this painful part of his history rob him of his personality? In any event your lack if ahavas yisroel is obvious.

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  34. BH

    What does Ahavas Yisroel have to do with this?

    When people write a biography, they should be true to what they write.

    When people write piction, they should say clearly "this is fiction".

    If they mix the two, they can write "based on a true story".

    But to present a half of a story is deception. It is fictitious. It is a lie.

    R' Avrohom Mayor was a personality composed from eerything he went through and all the decisions he took during his life time and the consquences of these decisions.

    This is who he really was. It should be presented as such - the true mirror of his image.

    This would be a true biography.

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  35. Well, that's one man's opinion. What do you suggest, to devote half a book to speculative analysis on how Reb Avrom's decision to leave Eretz Israel affected his personality, many would say that this would be very wrong.
    Reb Avrohom was the epitome of Ahavas Yisroel. Those who made it their life's goal to attack him were the opposite.
    Fiction? Lies? Why because the book does not devote half it's chapters to discuss how painful this period was for him and how certain chassidim hounded him? What story would that tell? To what end?
    Scroll up and read your own comments, read how they were full of distortions which you keep modifying in your subsequent comments, and how you fail to address many of the distortions in you words that were pointed out.
    You are right, ahavas yisroel has nothing to do with this.

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  36. So you chose to present a person in a way other than he was in order to fit you chassidic agenda...

    It s your problem.

    He was who he was. This includes also his failings.

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  37. He is who he was. Well said.

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  38. And let him not be remembered otherwise.

    People are not perfect. Let us not distort them to the perfect model we try to fit them into.

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  39. No one is perfect.
    I think that is clear if you read this book.

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