How Charedi publications often get it wrong when it comes to Lubavitch news...

Hi Hirshel 

Maybe you can post the attached with a comment, something like this: It's strange how some publications never get the facts correct when it concerns Lubavitch. I just read the story in Binah of 2 weeks ago, 25 Sivan 5775, by Suri Epstein, about a couple, where the wife studies medicine, who do so much kiruv work in Debrecin (or Debrecen), Hungary. Really unbelievable. But since I visit that city almost every year for Kivrei Avos, let me fill in some minor facts. The couple has left the city, I believe last year. So if you got the impression that you are reading a report about current life there, then you were fooled. The "Chabad couple" mentioned in the article is Rabbi Shmuel and his wife Rebbetzin Feigin. Rabbi Feigin is practically the Rov of the City, in charge of anything that has to do with Yiddishkeit. He has been there already for a few years with the typical Chabad Mesiras Nefesh. The picture in the article about the "first Hachnasas Sefer Torah since before the Holocaust" is in the Beis Chabad. The unidentified sofer in the picture is Rabbi Feigin's father from Kfar Chabad. The meals for the students mentioned in the article relate to the Seudos Shabbos that Rabbi Feigin and the rebbetzin organize for the Israeli and Hungarian students. So in short, most of the facts are correct, all that Binah missed out is to identify who is behind all this work. Rabbi Feigin and his wife are really doing a great job. Tremendous Kiruv. And I didn't even mention the Drashos in Hungarian that Rabbi Feigin give to the Baalei Batim in the Shul, that's a story in its own...

Thanks for listening.

  New Rabbi in Debrecen

Revelations about the Belzer Rov, his time in Hungary, and what the טיילונג proponents may not want you to know about שטטוס קוו

  Debrecen-Belz StatusQuo Rabbi

Box.com link

Belz - אור הצפון מהרי"ד

Box.com link

וואס מ'טוט ווען דער הייליגער חתם סופר זי"ע איז נישט בדעה אחת מיט אונז

מען איז מזייף.

It's weird if you ask me. Why not just change what we do, instead of revising the words of the Holy Chasam Sofer? Which is what ultimately happened - as far as I know. Most people of that persuasion, the persuasion of those who tinkered with the loshon of the Chasam Sofer, do not openly do melachos after the shkiah these days, despite the fact that they're fans of Rabbeinu Tam. And despite the fact that in Europe they would. That was changed in America post-WW2. They use it at times when a leniency is needed, just like a Lubavitcher often davens mincha post-shkiah, or a Yeshivaman davens shachris after zman tfilloh during bein haZmanim or Chol Hamoed. But I don't think they still do melachos regularly just because they feel like they can. So why then change the text and make yourself צו נאר? The מו"ל here was the Debrecener Rov, zt"l, a champion of the derech HaChasam Sofer, who seemingly was forced to censor. Why do we go so far as to say he was forced? Only because that's the only logical reason why he would do it. He himself would never conduct himself with a leniency such as using the Shitas Rabbeinu Tam לקולא, even if the situation called for it. And he would surely never censor his holy Zeide's words.

So that's the only reason.