"איני יכול לשאת שיהודי מתאמץ בשבילי"

A story about the Rebbe Reb Shimon Sholom (R' Shimme'le) of Amshinov who spent Rosh Hashonoh 1940 in Vilna. He eventually escaped via Russia to Japan and Shanghai, China. Agav, the idea that he fasted two days on Y"K 1941 because he was in doubt - due to his crossing the International Dateline - is a myth. He was by that time already in mainland Shanghai. What he did about Shabbos is another story, which we'll leave for a later time.

א כוח"ט און א גוט געבענטשט יאר

שלא כל הרוצה ליטול את השם...הרשות בידו

a Rebbe sees מיט א ווייטע בליק

Who are you? Who are your members? What are your guiding principles? You need to be guided by Torah leaders. 
(from a letter by RYY of Lubavitch in 1942)

Reformers in Cincinnati funding Yeshivos in דער ליטא

Hirshel

History has shown that our brothers the so-called "misnagdim" are very astute to follow trends. After catching on to the trend that is popular at the time, they soon claim ownership. Our era is an era of extremes, we nebech have the OTD phenomenon with kids falling from all kinds of house and groups, and at the same time we have the height of zealotry; zalonim and aronim try to catch up to the others, Rav Shteinman party and Rav Auerbach's party are out to show who is more kanoi,who has more chumrahs. The misnagdim realized that the youth likes extremes so they are jumping to the forefront, as if they invented Kanoas and chumrahs. So far both parties are still licking the bones they get from the Zionist Government, but they act as if they are kanoim on issues like that the Rav of Boston is de-legitimized because he did not go along with the קנאות flavor of the day.  Yesterday I saw this siddur of an original old time Litvak. He learned in Salaboka, like Mussar Slabodka, still saw Reb Yisroel Salanter and wrote alot to Reb Yitzchok Elchonan, someone he knew personally. He arrived to Cincinnati early and became a popular orator, saying that at least the 3-4 hours that he darshens the crowd sits and doesn't desecrate the Shabbos...He befriended Reverend Issac Weisz, the president and rabbi of the Reform Movement, who is cursed as Yemach shemoi by every frum Jew. But shockingly, the holy yeshivos in the Lita were collecting money from his congregation! and Weisz himself helped all the Roshei yeshivos! for a while he was even mad at their chutzpah to attack him and yet to come for him for money, but he still went with them to the wealthy to help them collect money! I don't think that this fact is mentioned anywhere in the Artscroll /Hamodia universe Now I see why the Lita had so much Shekotzim: Koach Hapoel B'Nif'al.....

I hope my point is clear...

"Rav and Rebbe" by Chaim Dalfin

400 pages; 550 endnotes, 50 pics & docs.  New Interviews. Addendum, Bibliography, Glossary and  Index.  Limited Printing.  Endorsed by: Rabbi Menachem Genack of the OU and Professor Larry Schiffman of NYU. Preface written by Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet of YU Gruss Kollel, Jerusalem.  To order books in bulk or/and do a book signing, please call: 212-444-9102

buy it here

How did RYY of Skver know about Shakespeare?!

Received via e-mail:

Hirshel: Someone told me that in this week's ami Mayer Schiller eulogizes his friend the Hollywood actor Steven Hill. Not before he retells his own life's story....They were both were Baalei Tshuvah who were mesmerized by the old Skverer. Steve went thru hardships in making a living after he became a BT because he would not play unclean parts. He poured his heart out to the old Skverer.  Out of the blue the Rebbe suggested to him he should maybe play some Shakespeare plays (which are probably clean) Shiller writes that he was shocked that a Ukrainian rebbe knew about Shakespeare plays! The million dollar question is now How did the Skverer, considered by his people the greatest קדוש and חסידא ופרישא, know about this תחתון שאין תחתון למטה הימנו? Unless Mayer Schiller isn't telling the truth, in which case all is well... I mean for the Chassidim.

(We attach the relevant part of the article)