Chassidim of Torah

Mayn Leben's Geshikhte is a book of memoirs published in 1928 in Petach Tikvah written by a Sheychet from Bessarabia/Moldova named Reb Pinches Dov Goldenstein who somehow became somewhat of a Lubavitcher Chossid. (To be a Lubavitcher Chossid living that far away from Lubavitch was somewhat uncommon, being that there plenty of Rebbes nearby, but there were many others.) By that I mean that it doesn't seem like Lubavitch and Chassidus Chabad became part of him, but rather he traveled to the Lubavitcher Rebbes when necessary instead of traveling to the Tolner or Tchernobler, or Trisker Rebbe who were all geographically much closer to him. It also doesn't seem to play that much of a role later on in life, meaning there's no mention of the Rebbe or Chassidus. He writes of the time he traveled to Lubavitch to consult with the Tzemach Tzedek about his Parnossoh, since he was just finishing his Shechitah training and wanted a blessing to get a shtelle somewhere. Years later he traveled to the Rebbe MaHaraSH and was there during the week of Sheva Brochos for one of the children.

At that time he once hid in the Rebbe's house to observe the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek's behavior and his daily schedule, and saw that all he does is sit and learn! He sits locked up all day bent over Seforim and when he needs his meals to be served he bangs on the table and the Meshamesh brings his food. The same happens when he's done, the MaSHBaK comes and removes the dirty dishes. There were no Tishen and there were no Seudos, thus there was no Shrayim to be had. The only time you saw the Rebbe was when he said Chassidus, or if you were lucky enough to get a Yechidus, otherwise the Rebbe was locked in his room learning and writing Tshuvos and Maamorim. The Maamorim were profound and difficult, especially if you were just hearing it in person. It was almost as if the simple Yid, the one who Chassidus was made for, had nothing to find in Lubavitch, the HQ for the torchbearers of the derech HaBaal Shem Tov !!

When Reb Pinchos Goldenstein traveled home he went on foot, not having the money for a ride in a wagon. In his native Rumania he met a group of Chassidim who were returning from a trip, possibly from their Rebbe and hitched a ride with one of them. They asked him where he was coming from, and he told them "from Lubavitch." Chabadsker? What do you want with the Kalte Litvaks those Chabadskers, the big Farshteyers that they are, and the Tiffe Chassidus that they're into. Do they know how to drink like us? come with us to Tolne or Trisk and we'll show you how it's done. He politely declined their offer, but we can learn alot from that little anectode. Chassidus Chabad wasn't originally formed for the Anoshim Peshutim, or at least they had a difficult time "making it" there. The AR was the only one who wouldn't belittle the Lomdim. Besides for the Chadorim the AR set up and maintained, which required that you be Boki in all realms of Torah, there was also the added Chassidus, the AR's Torah that you had to learn and know. That doesn't allow for simple folk. The Mitteler Rebbe's Chassidus only made it more difficult. So we can see from that how throughout the generations Chassidus underwent another transformation, at least as far as making it less difficult to become a Chossid.

Food for thought when you sit down to your next Farbrengen.......

Sad Comment of the day

(Rabbonim from the Soviet Bloc during the Cold War)

U N commenting on Circus Tent: Today's Pics:

The thread mentioned the Rebbe Rashab as wearing the Russian Kasket, to which we were told that from him Iz Kein Rayeh since the Rebbe Rashab was an Oofgeklerte Mentsh!

He begins:

"The problematic thing that we can bill as an error in retrospect is that he (The Rebbe Rashab - HT) and his son (The Rebbe RaYatz - HT) have seriously antagonized the new Bolshevik rule against Yiddishkeit. While (the) Tzar's government made his life and life of Jews in all of Russian Empire a living hell - (the) May Laws in particular - when (the) Bolsheviks came to power, Chabad leadership chose to get mixed up in politics and antagonize the new power in so many ways. This cost many people their life and/or freedom. It's easy for us to speculate of course, but it can be argued that if all the Rebbes and Rabbonim didn't preach so loudly their total rejection of the Soviet power, maybe (the) Kremlin wouldn't be so eager to assume every frum Jew to be an enemy of the Soviet state by definition."

Ad Kan Leshono. וצע"ג

I sit and think: "where did THAT come from?!" What it is he wants? He is a clever man and he does understand the dangers of Communism and its relationship to Religion in general and Judaism in particular, so why then does he make such statements? I imagine he's echoing the sentiments of some people of that generation, but it seems naive to say the least. I should be somewhat "happy" to see that these people saw the Rabbeyim as such a force that they could determine the policies of the Soviet Union regarding all Jews, but this seems a bit far-reaching even to a "believer" like myself. At first I was going to see these words as "hateful," and ignore them, and admittedly I do overuse that term sometimes. But then I realized that this cannot be considered hateful, but must rather be taken seriously, just so that we can examine the mindset of such people. I don't think I've ever seen such criticism in writing, so maybe it was something passed down from generation to generation within the community of Yotzei Rusye Non Chabad.

Was it jealousy of the success of the Rabbeyim in getting their Talmidim to stand up the regime and lead such exemplary lives that caused statements of blame to be made by others?! (Of course this too - The Mesiras Nefesh - is a lie in their eyes, and part of the "lies" I've been spoon fed over the years....) I often read the memoirs of some of the Ziknei Chabad, and see that many were married to daughters of other Chassidishe Kreizen, mainly from the Tchernobler Cheyder. The old Tchernobler Rebbe of Bnei Beraq was a Talmid of the underground Lubavitcher Yeshivos, and many of Today's Chassidishe families have their roots in other Russian/Ukranian Chassidesen, simply because Chabad was all there was. Others would rather have their children be flies in the proverbial wind, and said Lubavitch? I should send him there and have him become a Chabadsker? over my dead body!! U N strikes me as one of those. I always wondered why the Rebbe would speak of his FIL the Frierdige Rebbe's time in Poland and refer to it as a period of VaYekanu Boy Echov, after all why would they be jealous? but I'm beginning to see it now....

Clues about Secureni, Bessarabia

A call for help I received last night:

Hello,

I'm writing to you after ending in the following page.

Please, write me back in case you have any additional information about Secureni, I conduct genealogical research and have a mailing list with 26 people seeking their ancestry in our shtetl.

Thanks

Avraham Yehoshua Kahana

Rio de Janeiro

Brazil

Any help would be greatly appreciated. - HT

Today's Mussar Lesson

(Divrei Yonah - Reb Yonah Forst z"l,)

It seems like Reb Michoel Ber Weissmandl wasn't such a Satmarer after all, at least when it came to finding reason within some of the tragedies that the Jewish people bore witness to. While the Satmar Rebbe blamed the Tziyonim for all the ills that befell the Jewish People during WW2, since it was in essence a revolt against G-d, RMBW blamed even the anti-Zionists. He blamed the Yidden who weren't honest in their business dealings with Goyim, which is why they got what was rightfully theirs. The word scary comes to mind, since he's essentially excusing the looting and reacquisition of Jewish property done by the Poles, Magyars, Ukranians, Lithuanians and any other local Goy. I had this as a joke in private conversations, where people would say how the Goyim allowed for this to happen, but never as an official excuse by a Rov BeYisroel .

A free translation:

Reb Yonah says that we can be MeOrer those that are lenient with regards to Gezel Akum and To'us Akum, that although the Mogen Avrohom says that To'us Akum is Muttar, still it's not considered LoChem, yours. We can allude to what I heard from Reb Michoel Ber Zt"l when he tried to explain what happened in the last Churbon, that although the beginning of the Tzores was in Germany (birthplace of Reform - HT) and from it spread to other countries, still we see that the Yidden in Germany managed to save themselves and to a great extent their belongings and holdings as well, whereas in other countries, in those places all of the belongings and holdings eventually made their way to the local Goyim and to the German conqueror. - HT) Why was this?

RMBW said that the reason this happened was because the Yidden in Germany were honest in their business dealings with the Goyim, they didn't rob or steal, therefore the money and property that they had was really theirs, it wasn't attained by dishonest means, so there was nothing that belonged to the Goy. Whereas, in the other countries, where poverty was so great, the Yidden in those were Mattir for themselves to be "lenient" sometimes when it came to dealings with Goyim. Therefore when the Tzores started Hashem made it so that the property that was in Yiddishe Hent that should've belonged to the Goy returned to its "rightful owners!" - VeHadvorim Noroyim. Maybe we can say - says Reb Yonah - that this is what is alluded to when the Mogen Avrohom says that although To'us Akum is Muttar still it's not yours, LoChem, because in the end all that doesn't rightfully belong to you - that you didn't get via honest business practices, even if it was from a Goy - will be returned to its rightful owner.

From this we can see how careful we need in all of our business dealings, because we can never know what the end result can be, and in heaven there's a Cheshbon for everything.

Moroccans Remember Rabbi Matusov

Yom LeYom Newspaper

more coverage

Election fever hits Monsey

A whole lot seems to be riding on the elections scheduled for November 6th in the Town of Ramapo in Rockland County, New York. The main guy up for re-election is Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence, the man who made Monsey into the awful town parts of it are now by granting zoning variances to anybody who made it worth his while. Mr. Lawrence is rumored to be a very rich man from meetings with developers.....First, a little Social Studies lesson for you outsiders, I hope I don't mess it up, being that I'm new to the town. Monsey is what's known as an unincorporated village, a hamlet as it were. I'm not sure why that is, but that's the fact. Vizhnitz did go ahead and incorporate certain blocs around the big Shul into the village of Kaser. What that did was allow them to introduce new zoning laws, which would supposedly alleviate the housing crisis that supposedly exists in the frum community. In reality what happened was that most lots doubled in value and those that owned homes already suddenly got rich overnight. Many sold and moved away, while others began attaching rental apartments to their existing homes, thereby creating income for themselves and turning neat little homes into awful eyesores with all kinds of entrances.

While that has been the case with existing homes the worst is what's happened to the open spaces. A plot of land meant for a one family home has been re-zoned to allow for G-d knows how many apartments, and not just a three family home but a maze of small apartments stretching for as far as the eye can see, with a slab of concrete or asphalt in the front, and lots and lots of garbage. Roads that are meant for suburbia and occasional light traffic now are clogged way past capacity, and cause traffic tie ups at all busy times. Open spaces are gobbled up by greedy developers claiming to do it for the "People," and build "low-income" housing while in essence they just line their pockets with the profits from the half-a-million dollar apartments they build. Every "second day" there are stories of lawsuits being brought by developers against villages that don't allow them to tear up all the old existing zoning laws and build a sprawling 100 unit development on a plot of land meant for 7 homes.

What happens is that an already miffed secular and Gentile population gets more and more miffed every day. They see what was once a pristine community become a haven for traffic and garbage, and old stereotypes begin to be accepted by an otherwise understanding populace. Jews become synonymous with greedy, dirty and rude. All of us. You can see it the checkout lines at Pathmark and Walmart; cashiers and customers groaning and moaning about the long lines and rude Jews and how they clog up the stores. In this regard all non-frum people now have found a common enemy - the frum Jew. Barriers between blacks and whites and rich and poor now fall when we're dealing with the black hatter. Of course the frum Jew just looks at them and sees anti-Semites, and sees himself as doing everything just the way it should be, with nothing needing to change just because he's now living in the suburbs amongst different people. He figured that the worst that could happen is that the people living there would just pack up and leave, and that DOES happen, but that's not the only thing that happens.

The backlash began a few years back and has been gaining momentum ever since. Movements like Preserve Ramapo have sprung up and demand that the "rape" of their town stop immediately. Jews, of course see it as an anti-Semitic movement out to stop the Jews from coming in there, but that's just plain silly. Shuls and Yeshivos will be eventually be casualties of the eventual turning back of zoning laws, and the frum will have themselves to "thank" because they never stopped to think that maybe the locals are offended by their actions. In the meantime they're fighting very hard to keep St. Lawrence in power so that at least existing variances will remain the same, which Preserve Ramapo had promised to repeal. The above Kol-Koreh is a very toned down letter, albeit made to sound as if the world were coming to an end, but some of the campaign literature not signed by Rabbonim was downright hilarious. Yiddish posters with slogans like "Girush Monsey" and "Germany 1938" were displayed in many of the shuls and sent out in mass mailings. People were frightened into believing that if G-d forbid Preserve Ramapo wins they'd all be thrown out of their homes, and their shuls and Yeshivos shut down forever. That didn't make them any new friends from within their secular and Gentile neighbors, if anything it made the current situation even worse. It remains to be seen what will happen with us in Monsey/New Hempstead/Wesley Hills/Spring Valley, but it sure doesn't look good.

- NOTE: BY NOW THE ELECTIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE, AND THE "FRUM" CANDIDATES - those endorsed by "Rabbonim and Askonim" - HAVE BEEN VOTED IN. -

Frying Pan to Fire

(L-R: Reb Leibel Raskin (partially hidden), Reb Shlomo Matusoff, Reb B Gorodetzky, and TL"Y Reb Sholom Eidelman)

Reb Shlomo Matusoff lived from birth to adulthood under Soviet rule, no matter what commenter U N says. As a young Bocher he was arrested and imprisoned - together with a dozen other Bochurim - for studying Torah, mostly Gemorroh, Rashi, Tosfos by the way. After surviving the war years in faraway Uzbekistan - as did many other Chassidim and Nit Chassidim - he managed to escape the Soviet Union and arrive with hundreds of other Lubavitcher families to the D.P. Camps of Poking, Germany to await his final destination. Some waited a few years, but in the end they came אל המנוחה ואל הנחלה. However, Reb Shaym'ke, instead of traveling with the others to the relative comfort of Israel or the United States he was dispatched to far-off Morocco in 1950. He was in essence the first Shliach of the Rebbe, and he saved thousands of Moroccan children from Shmad. His passing this Sunday leaves a great void in the Lubavitcher/Shlichus family.

When I see people knock the institution of Shlichus, or I see other organizations touting their accomplishments, I think of people like Reb Shlomo and lbc"l Reb Sholom Eidelman ZG"Z and Reb Laibel Raskin O"H and laugh. I laugh at bitter old people like the Natchalnik who obviously got his daily dose direct from the Kremlin, and still can't shake it from their collective memories. They seem to have a whole different view of reality, sort of like the Arab view of the world, that everything we see is really a sinister Zionist plot, with all the buttons being pushed by the Mossad, which in this case would be the powers that be at Chabad. The International Chabad movement got all its people together and came up with this big conspiracy about how they survived all those years under Lenin and Stalin, when in reality it was really the Litvishe and Peylishe who did all the work. We just never see or hear from them, because they shun Koved and publicity, מה שאין כן the Chabad PR monsters.

So while the rest of your (and mine) Zeides and Bubbes were learning about stocks and bonds and Cobalt China and Mom's knishes Reb Shlomo was learning about donkies and Chumus, about Hashkavot and Mimuna. He was traveling from town to town in Morocco and setting up Chadorim and learning Torah with Yiddishe Kinder. Sefardishe Kinder. Thousands upon Thousands of Jewish children were saved from Shmad and the secular Alliance Schools that were offering a "better life" to these impoverished children if only they'd forget about being Jewish. Most children raised in Morocco in the last 50 years were Talmidim of Chabad schools. Living in Morocco meant constant uneasiness - if not fear - about being Jewish in a Muslim land, and there were times when their lives were in very real danger. Yet, with Hashem's help and the Rebbe's blessing they managed to raise a family there that puts most Gezha Crown Heights families to shame. Yes, the Matusoff children were sent away at a very young age, and yes they didn't merit to see the Rebbe as often as they liked, but it was worth it. Unlike other times when writing about such personalities I'll refrain from making comparisons to others.

ת נ צ ב " ה

Kudos to the Hamodia

It was tough to read, but they did make the effort. This weekend's English edition had two full (!) pages on Chabad Kiruv and the ongoing שלוחים convention. That's almost as much as they write about the "Philadelphia Russian Kollel," or the Shalom Torah Centers. Not to be outdone, they managed to write just as much about the D.A.T.A. Chanukas HaBayis this week in Dallas, so that ch"v there wouldn't be an outcry from the Oylem.

בעסער ווי גארנישט

Reuniting G-d's Children

That's what these men do; They reunite the Jewish family, bringing back long lost memebers, some of which have been gone for generations.

Watch the Banquet live

די צדיקים פעלן

Because I love you guys so much, and because you reciprocate, I've decided to transliterate what Yosef Dov had to say about Circus Tent: Tzaddik is relative. Then soon I'll have to translate it into English too.....

איך האב גוט געקענט ר' יצחק זילבער זצ"ל. ער איז געווען א איד א צדיק וואס פלעגט ארבעטן טאג און נאכט פאר אידישקייט, ובעיקר ראטעווען עגונות מיט א גט. ניט איין מאל פלעג איך באקומען פון אים א בקשה צו איבערצייגן א מאן א מסרב א גט און מסדר א גט זיין. ער האט מיר באוויזען א הרשאה פון מינוי סופר, עדים און שליח (כתבו ותנו) אויך רוסיש וואס דער ליובאוויטשער רבי זצ"ל האט מגיה געווען בכתב ידו. ער האט תמיד באטאנען אז (חוץ א פאר יחידים) די וואס האבען מוסר נפש געוועזען אויף שמירת תורה און מצוות אין דעם סאוועטן פארבאנד זיינען געווען די חב"ד'סקער.

צום באדויערען האב איך ניט געזעהן קיין שום פארבעסערונג נאך מיין לענגערען שרייבען, די כוונה פון וועלכען איז געווען נאר צו ממעט זיין דבורים אסורים. מסתמא וויבאלד איך האב געשריבען אויף דער אידישער שפראך, (און מיט לאטיינישע בוכשטאבען דערצו) ניט אלע האבען עס פארשטאנען. איך וועל נאר צוגעבן איין קליינעם פראוו צו מתחנן זיין מיט עטליכע פון די שרייבער, און אפשר דער חשוב'ער ר' הירשל וועט איבערזעצן חאטש די אלגעמיינע אידעע.

די תורה זאגט מען דארף מלמד זכות זיין. לאמיר די וואס שרייבן א שלעכט ווארט וועגן א גדול בישרא-ל געהען צו אנדערע וואס האבען אים געקענט און נאכפרעגן איידער שרייבען עפעס וואס איז העדר הכבוד. ער שרייבט ער ווייס ניט גענוי, אבער ער שטעלט זיך פאר אז דער און דער איד האט מסתמא ניט געהאלטען אידישקייט ווי עס דארף צו זיין(איך וויל אפילו ניט מפרט זיין זיינע געפערליכע ווערטער.) פארוואס?! ווען אלע עדים זאגען אנדערש. און אפי' אז איינער זאגט ניט גוט וואס פאר א רעכט האבען מיר צו אננעמען דוקא זיינע ווערטער און ניט אנדערע. פארוואס דוקא שלעכטע זאכען - אפילו שמועות בעלמא פון ניט אן אוהב - זיינען אמת, און גוטע זאכען זיינען אלע "גוזמאות, לעגענדעס" וכיוצא בזה??!!

איך האב נאך געכאפט א געלעגענהייט אלץ א יונג צו זיין אין די ד' אמות פון הגאון ר' מיכא-ל בער זצ"ל. ווען קאן אפילו באטראכטען אז אזא איד קאן עפעס טאן ניט ווי עס באדארף צו זיין?! צום באדויערען דאס רוב פון גדולי ישרא-ל וואס האבען געהאט א שייכות מיט'ן ליובאוויטשער רבי'ן זיינען ניטא. עיניים ראו ולא אחר ווי דער פני מנחם ( בעת זיין ברודער די לב שמחה איז געווען רבי) האט געהערט ווי א בחור האט א זאג געטאן עפעס וואס פארצווייפעלט דעם ליובאוויטשער רבינ'ס גאונות. ער איז געווארען רויט פון בייז. ער האט געזאגט דעם בחור אז ער שפילט מיט פייער. ער האט געזאגט אז ער האט פארבראכט שעות ביי דעם חב"ד רבי'ן האט ער נאך ניט געזעהן אין אונזערע צייטען.
ער האט געהייסען דעם בחור ער זאל שרייבען א בריוו בעטן מחילה. יא, ליידער זיינען מיר א דור יתום. דער טשעבינער, ר' משה (מ'דארף נאר א קוק טאן אין אגרות משה און זעהן די טיטולים מיט וועלכע ער באשרייבט די ל.ר. זיי זענען אן אויסנאם אין זיין לעקסיקאן) ר' שלמה זלמן, ווער רופט די רבי א מלך בישרא-ל (דאס איז א געדרוקטע בריוו) זיינען אלע ניטא צו געבן א נזיפה צו די אלע וואס זיינען פארנומען מיט ביזוי תלמידי חכמים. פונדעסטוועגן זאלען די וואס שרייבן פריער גיין צום אמשינאווער, סאדיגורער, ר' זלמן נחמי' גאלדבערג און אומצייליגע תלמידי חכמים און גרויסע אידן. זיי וועלן זאגען (און האבען שוין געזאגט) אז דער מבזה זאל צוגיין צום ציון הקודש און בעטן מחילה מיט טרערן, און בעטן דעם אייבערשטען אז זיין תשובה זאל באהיטן אים, און זיין משפחה פון אל-דאס-בייז.

און והוא רחום יכפר עוון. זאל דער אייבערשטער געבן אז איר מיט'ן חשוב'ען אנפירער ר' הירשל'ען נעמען צום הארצען מיינע ווערטער און ניט רעדן קיין שום שלעכטס וועגן א אידן, און בפרט וועגן א גדול, ווער ער זאל ניט זיין און נוצען די צייט אף צו לערנען נאך א תוספות, נאך א רא"ש, צו טאן נאך א מצוה און העלפן נאך א אידן, און מען זאל זוכה זיין צו דער גאולה בב"א

I tried keeping his exact words and grammar, even where I thought there should be changes. I hope his words are understood by all.

A wise man once said.....

"Racism is man's gravest threat to man - the maximum hatred for a minimum reason."

"All it takes is one person… and another… and another… and another… to start a movement"

"Wonder rather than doubt is the root of all knowledge."

"A religious man is a person who holds G-d and man in one thought at one time, at all times, who suffers no harm done to others, whose greatest passion is compassion, whose greatest strength is love and defiance of despair."

"G-d is of no importance unless He is of utmost importance."

"Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy."

"Self-respect is the fruit of discipline, the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself."

"Life without commitment is not worth living."

"In regard to cruelties committed in the name of a free society, some are guilty, while all are responsible."

"Remember that there is a meaning beyond absurdity. Be sure that every little deed counts, that every word has power. Never forget that you can still do your share to redeem the world in spite of all absurdities and frustrations and disappointments."

"When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people."

"Awareness of symbolic meaning is awareness of a specific idea; kavvanah is awareness of an ineffable situation."

CAN YOU GUESS WHO?

Di Tzaddikim Fellen

HERE

Yoysef Doyv commenting on Circus Tent Tzaddik is relative

Ikh hob gut gekent Reb Yitzkhok Zilber ztz"l. Er iz geven a yid a tzadik vos flegt arbeten tog un nakht far yidishkayt, ubeiker tzu rateven agunes mit a get. Nit eyn mol fleg ikh bakumen fun im a bakoshe tsu ibertsaygn a man a mesarev tsu gebn a get un mesader a get zayn. Er hot mir bavizn a harsho'eh fun minuy soyfer, eydim un shliekh ( kisvu utnu ) oyf rusish vos der Lubavicher Rebbe ztz"l hot magiye geven biksav yodoy. Er hot tomid batonen az ( a khuts a por yekhidim ) di vos moyser nefesh gevezn oyf shmiras toyre un mitzves in dem sovetn-farband zaynen geven di khabatsker.

Tsum badoyern hob ikh nit gezen keyn shum farbeserung nokh mayn lengern shraybn, di kavone fun velkhn iz geven nor tsu memaet zayn diburim asurim. Mistomeh vibald ikh hob es geshribn oyf der yidisher shprakh ( un mit lateynishe bukhshtabn dertsu ) nit ale hobn es farshtanen. Ikh vel nor tsugebn eyn kleynem pruv tsu miskhanen zayn mit etlekhe fun di shrayber, un efsher der khoshever r hirshl vet iberzetsn khotch di algemeyne ideye.

Di toyre zogt men darf melamed zkhus zayn. Lomir di vos shraybn a shlekht vort vegn a godol beyisroel gehen tsu andere vos hobn im gekent un nokhfregn eyder shraybn epes vos iz heder hakoved. Er shraybt az er veys nit genoy ober er shtelt zich for az der un der yid Mistome nit gehit yidishkayt vi es darf tsu zayn ( ikh vil afile nit mefaret zayn di geferlekhe verter ). Farvos??? ven ale eydim zogn andersh. Un afile az eyner zogt nit gut vos far a rekht hobn mir tsu onnemen dafke zayne verter un nit andere. Farvos dafke shlekhte zakhen - afile shmu'es be'almoh fun nit an oyhev - zaynen emes, un gute zakhn zayen ale " guzmoyes, legendes " ve'kayotse bo'zeh ??!!!

Ikh hob nokh gekhapt a gelegnhayt alts a yung tsu zayn in di dalet ames fun Hagoen Reb Mikhoel Ber zt"l. Ver kon afile batrakhtn as aza yid kon epes ton nit vi badarf tsu zayn? Tsum badoyern dos rov fun Gedoyley Yisroel vos hobn gehat a shaykhes mitn Lubavichter Rebe'n zaynen nito. Eynayim ro'u veloy akher vi der pney menakhem ( be'eys zayn bruder der Leyv Simkhe iz geven Rebe ) hot gehert az a bokher hot a zog geton vos fartsveytlt dem lubavitcher rebbin's geoynes. Er iz gevorn royt fun beyz. Er hot gezogt dem bokher az er shpilt mit fayer. Er hot gezogt az er hot farbrakht shoen bay dem chabad rebn un aza geoynes er hot nokh nit gezen in undzere tsaytn. Er hot geheysn dem bokher er zol shraybn a briv betn mekhile. Yoh, layder zaynen mir a dor yosem. Der tchebiner, Reb moyshe ( medarf nor a kuk ton in igres moyshe un zeen di tituln mit velkhe er barshraybt der LR. Zey zaynen an oysnam in zayn leksikon ) Reb shloyme zalman ver ruft dem LR a melekh beyisroel ( dos iz a gedrukte briv )zaynen ale nito tsu gebn a nezife tsu di ale vos zaynen farnumen mit bizuy talmidy khakhomim. Fundestvegn zol di vos shraybn frier geyen tsu dem amshinover, sadigerer, Reb Zalmen Nekhemye Goldberg un umtseylike talmidey khakhomim un groyse yidn. Zey vellen zogen ( un shoyn gezogt ) az der mevaze zol tsugeyen tsum tsiyen hakoydesh un betn mekhile mit treren, un betn dem eybershtn az zayn tshuve zol bahiten em, un zayn mishpokhe fun al-dos-beyz.

Un vehu rakhum yekhaper ovoyn. Zol der eybershter gebben az ir ale mitten khoshevin onfirer r hirshlen nemen tsum hartsn mayne verter un nit reyden keyn shum shlekhts vegn a yidn, un bifrat vegn a godol ver er vet nit nor zayn, un nutsn di tsayt af tsu lernen nokh a Toysfes, nokh a Rosh, tsu ton nokh a mitsve un helfn nokh a yiddin, un men zol zoykhe zayn tsu der geule bb"o.

Today's Pics

(Reb Mordche Shulman, later R"Y of Slabodka, Bene Beraq, as a student in Ponovizh, 1914)


From Here


(The Chofetz Chaim in 1917)

I always thought that he never wore Rabbinic garb, and only wore the Kasket of the simple folk. Why then the Rabbonishe Shtraymel here?

Here

My Computer Died

I have a Dell Dimension 2400, about 3 years old. It had 256 MB of RAM and I wanted to add some more. I bought 512MB and installed it very carefully. It has one of those cool knobs that allows you to remove the side without unscrewing 25 screws. I gently replaced all connections and turned it back on. The fan goes on as do all the back lights, like for the mouse and keyboard and network card, but the computer doesn't boot up. The lights in front remain steady green, which I know isn't good.

PLEASE HELP!!!!

Did I loosen the motherboard somehow when installing the RAM?

What should I do, I'd like to not have to take it to a technician.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, even from Natchalnikoff...

Tzaddik is relative

Here

HaModia had an insert this week preparing us for the upcoming English edition of the Reb Yitzchok Zilber's biography. It was like one of those Kupat Ha'Ir things, paid for by the Toldos Yeshurn Organization run by his son. It's a cute little thing, complete with drawings made by a artist made frum by him. (Of course, the fact that all stories of heroism, and learning and Mesiras Nefesh are told by him and was never seen by others is perfectly fine when pertaining to non-Lubavitchers. We have to believe everything he says happened. Whereas, when it comes to Lubavitcher stories even stories with multiple witnesses are suspect in snag eyes.) We've spoken about him before, and the fact that he totally reinvented himself after coming to Israel. We spoke of the Chavrusas he had, Lubavitcher Bochurim and Yungeleit, many of whom are alive today, and the fact that the Rebbe was the one that told him not to just blend into society, but to make a "career" of bringing Russian Jews closer to Torah. I guess he figured that in Israel "iz besser far biznes az m'dermont nit Lubavitch." He's right, it is better for business, if that's what you decide to make of it..........

The following is not meant to ch"v downplay him or his achievements, just to set some things striaght as far as Lubavitch is concerned. In my opinion, were it not for the fact that Lubavitch had the "monopoly" on heroism under Soviet Rule (and even managed to publish a book by Artscroll in the '80's to that fact!) - with an unorganized Breslover effort as well - nobody would care about him, because there was no NEED to put on a pedestal someone like that. Once Lubavitch began to publish their stories it made the non_Lubavitchers look bad, as if they did nothing to keep themselves Jewish. They needed a guy to counter Lubavitch so they used him, as if they too had Mesiras Nefesh people (and Essas.) The fact that Lubavitch had and still has HUNDREDS of Yidden just like him, and then some, is totally lost on some people, and the revisionism continues. "The Greatest Russian-Speaking Rabbi" they call him. That makes me chuckle. The following approbations are excerpted in the insert: "He was one of the thirty-six hidden Tzaddikim." - Rav Y Elyashiv. (Can a man named the Tzaddik be a hidden Tzaddik at the same time? Just asking.) "Teach! Be the Chofetz Chaim of the generation!" - Rav Y Hutner

Can I blame anybody? no, just myself, so I try and counter it post by post.

Warm all over

I was recently - Erev Sukkos to be exact - presented with a copy of Yisroel Besser's magnum opus (until now) Warmed by Their Fire, published by who else? Artscroll. (I wish I knew what people see in them.) I read Yisroel's articles in the English Mishpachah and know that he can write, and him being Reb Chatzkel's grandson only helps his case as far as I'm concerned. At first I thought "Another collection of ho-hum stories about Gedolim that I'll just roll my eyes at." But this one's different. This book aims - and succeeds for the most part - at bringing out a different, more "human" angle of the Rebbes, Roshei Yeshivah, and Rabbonim that are portrayed there. While most of these type of books usually don't allow for more than five minutes of reading before the reader is put to sleep against his will, WBTF is the complete opposite, it simply cannot be put down until the short biography is over. Then you feel the need to continue reading. I also get the feeling that the editorial board was asleep at the wheel, since there's mention of Rav Hutner's connection to the Rebbe, and RMBW's strong connection to the Frierdige Rebbe.

I chose the following four personalities and read the portryals, mesmerized and riveted. Reb Elchonon Wasserman Hy"D and his love of teaching Torah, recounted by his Talmid Rav Niznik z"l the Rosh Beis Din of Montreal. The Bais Yisroel of Ger and his concern for the new generation, but also crying for the old, as told to the author by his Zeide Reb Chazkel Besser TL"Y who was intimately involved with some of the stories told. The late Tolner Rebbe of Bayit Vegan, where the Montreal chapter of his life is told. His concern for every Yid, and his selfless devotion to new immigrants. I was happy to see that the author had the good fortune of spending time with the venerable Mashpia of Montreal Reb Volf Greenglass TL"Y, who was the beneficiary of the Tolner's hospitality upon arriving in Montreal in 5702/1942, when he and a group of 9 Bochurim arrived from Shanghai and used his Beis HaMedrish to start the Lubavitcher Yeshivah in Montreal.

Being that it is an Artscroll I guess the author felt compelled to write something about the late Ponovizher Rosh Yeshivah, REMMS. The story is another one of those that makes you scratch your head and say: "What was the point of that story?!" The Rosh Yeshivah was once in his advanced age invited to lecture for a childrens' Siyum Mishnayes in Bnei Beraq, but he declined to his frail health. His Meshamesh asked him to reconsider, and told him how his FIL would tell him of the time he saw the Chofetz Chaim as a child. His father took him to where he was appearing (a Knessiah Gedolah possibly) and lifted him up high so that he could see the holy Tzurah of the CC. He remembered that sight for the rest of his life. Today's children also need that, says the Meshamesh, they need to be able to see the Rosh Yeshivah so that it'll accompany them for the rest of their lives. The Rosh Yeshivah listened, then donned his hat and frock......

S'vent zich avu m'redt

(Bodleian Library, Oxford)
Here

An expression like the one above is meant to tell the reader/student that although on the surface the two topics or cases may seem quite similar, they're meant to be understood differently, because there ARE differences, and the Halochoh is different as well. I think the same may be said for people. When we discuss two people who had similar situations, and seemingly dealt with the situation similarly, but yet one is given a free pass and the other isn't, then we know that somebody decided that S'vent zich vu m'redt, and that's why these two people are judged so differently. The only difference is, that unlike in Halochoh, when it comes to these two people there shouldn't be a difference after all, it's just that Yankel Shmoyger for whatever reason decided so, and the Eylem Geylem went along with it, again for some unknown reason. The point of the proceeding lines is not to cast doubt on the greatness on of RMBW, but rather to show how silly people are when it comes to the Rebbe. I also realize that most of what I'll write here is probably not known to the average "Joe," but that too is not by mere coincidence.

Every Cheder Yingel the world over knows that the Rebbe's big "crime" (KeVayochol) was the fact that "er iz gegangen in college." The old Skverrer Rebbe of Kolorash was said to have called the Rebbe "Der Studehnt," and that the AR is twisting in his grave over the fact that the Rebbe "zitzt of zahn benkel." In Satmar the propaganda machine, led by one Menashe Fulop, takes it a step further. They teach all their minions that the Rebbe spent "finef in tzvontzig yoor" in Colleges, "oon choolov yisrooel, in oon kooshere essen." They also feed off the perception that all of Paris is one shtick house of ill repute, which means anybody who ever lived there was a chronic sinner. They also mislead people into thinking that no frum Jew ever stepped foot in Paris before, which would make it impossible for him to daven mit minyan or for his wife to do what she needs to. I can understand the aversion to secular studies, but to take it this far, and Passel like that those who you disagree with is what drives people away from those circles. It certainly did for me. There however seems to be an exception to the rule. The Litvishe have Rav Hutner, who I guess did Tshuvah, right? and the Chassidisher/Oberlander have theirs.

Who's the Chassidisher/Oberlander exception, you ask? Why I thought never would. It's Reb Michoel Ber Weissmandl, of course! What's that? You never knew? well, friend, let me clue you in. (Btw, the point of this thread is to show you the hypocrisy of some people, especially Snags and zealous non-Chabad Chassidim). At the age of 18 - still unmarried - RMBW traveled to Oxford to see the great manuscript collection that was housed there, and to publish The point of the trip was to find unpublished manuscripts and bring them to light, so that Lomdim would be able to benefit from them. There was no Minyan in Oxford, no Cholov Yisroel, no Kosher food, and no Mikveh. According to the book he ate tea and crackers the whole time he was there. I don't doubt that for a second, but maybe you should. Oh,! and did I mention he was UNMARRIED all that time?! In Oxford?! Do we REALLY know what he did in COLLEGE all that time?! Yet, if I had an agenda against the man I could come up with all kinds of reasons why he was Treyf, and should be shunned from Jewish society. Obviously that wasn't his intent, but RMBW's association with Satmar is what saved his reputation. Imagine for a moment, if you will, if he would've become a Zionist after the war, how would the Satmar attack machine have treated the great rescuer? Probably no different than they did all their ideologocal adversaries.

What else can we say? Oh yeah. RMBW was married at 33 (!) years old, and married the daughter of the Rebbe he had known and studied with for (IIRC) 20 years! Whoa, you say, right? This is not Lita, mind you, where it was normal to get married at an advanced age, and there was no turmoil to speak of that would delay his getting married. All this time he was traveling the world, doing all kinds of things, including visiting the Yeshivos of Lita and the Roshei Yeshivos and Rabbonim there. The zealot in you should probably be jumping out of his seat right now. At his LeChaim or Vort or T'noyim meal his shver the Nitra Rov zt"l Rav Shmuel Dovid Ungar (whom the Munkacser Rov called "Shin Daled") announced that he was a Kodosh VeTohor. What's that you say? He's a Nogea BeDovor and shouldn't be trusted? Well, who cares what you say? The policy wonks have decided that this passes inspection and may be printed in the history books and the Yiddish newspapers. There's more to say on this matter, but time is short, and I'd like to get this out. I guess by now you realize the similarities between the Rebbe and RMBW as far as life's stories go, and you see what I mean by "Es vent zich avu m'redt." I would only hope that you - and you know who you are - can see the errs of your ways, and the introspection that needs to start right now. I know this was not his intention, but I thank the author for providing all that material and insight into his great Zeide's life.

Blogging ain't all fun

I get the nastiest ad-hominem attacks based on peoples' personal taste in music, or because I sniveled at their favorite Psychologist. Not even when discussing Gedolei Olam do I get such personal attacks on my integrity and intent. Why should AB and his son-in-law be defended more so than the late Ponovizher Rosh Yeshivah? Please realize that I'm a very sensitive guy who tries hard not to hurt anybody else's feelings, as hard as that may be for you to believe it. I don't "do" scandals and abuse, nor do I write about internal struggles, whether Chassidish or Ponovizish. So if I gently tell Abish Brodt to come off his high horse don't jump all over me just because he once loaned you 100 bucks, or his SIL gave your BIL a job.

OK?

Why the Yiddish language was made

For Pashkevillen like this. The rich, cynical overtones make it a pleasure to read, and does none of what it intends to do. All it does is create curiosity, and in turn, business for the "Fress Truck." Words like Ooptroogen (i.e. to carry yourself away) and fress (i.e. face-stuffing food) are not found in any other language, and cannot be made up. Just look at the bad translation into English, there are no words like in English. (although "fress" is German.) Moshev Zollel VeSoyvah, (i.e. a gathering of fress and heavy drinking) although not Yiddish per se' still only rings true when said in a thick Hungarian/Transylvanian accent. חולאת'ן also may not be Yiddish, but the prefix "en" makes it a Yiddish word for all intents and purposes.

יאכלו ענוים וישבעו


Anshei Shlomynee

Levi Brackman needs a kick in the pants

I've never liked his articles on YnetNews. He tries hard to sound sophisticated, liberal and open-minded when he has little to back that claim. Opinions needs to have some sort of support, you can't just "pick a side." He seems to enjoy taking an Ipche Mistabra Point of View. He doesn't like the Government in the "bedroom," thinks that two Feygalach should have the same rights as a normal couple, and thinks Ann Coulter is the biggest threat to American Jews. That's fine if you're DovBear, but not for a Chabad Rabbi. Now he seems to have found favor in part of what Phiilip Berg's Kaballah Center does with regards to "bringing Jews closer to Judaism," and he condemns the English Rabbis for giving an Israeli football coach who attends the KC a cold reception. So what if they sell "holy water" and red strings for 24.95 each, (not that private enterprise is a crime) somewhere along the way they do eat Matzoh, right?

See for yourself.

I'm glad Rabbi Yitzchok Shochet's standing up to him. Now there's an intelligent guy for you. The poor guy has to meddle with Brackman, who's not in his league BiChlal. He says it right when he puts Levi in the group he calls wannabe enlightened people who think that Chabad needs to be all-loving even when it comes to other philosophies that are foreign to Torah and Yiddishkeit. Maybe being English Levi figures he'll be the second coming of "Shmuley," but he's no Shmuley neither. At least Shmuley has charisma to go with his strange ideas. But, according to his website, he does offer the following: "coaching and consulting to companies, entrepreneurs, businesses, business people, executives and artists. His approach to consulting and coaching is based on the timeless ancient Jewish wisdom found in the Torah and Kabbalah." If you think you can't afford his services think again! "Rates start at $150 per hour but are are negotiable – no one is turned away due to lack of funds." That makes me feel much better, because that 150 per hour rate is just too much for a working guy like myself. I'm glad nobody's turned away.