אידישע שטריימלאך אין אלטען ווילנא

אמאליגע אידן אין ווילנא

באקומען אויפ'ן עלעקטראנישע פאסט

לכבוד ידידי הרב הירשל שיחי'

איך האב לעצטענס באקומען דעם ביכל "פון ווילנא געטטא" געשריבען געווארן דורך חייקל לונסקי ע"ה אין יאר תר"פ. דער ספר איז זייער אינטערעסאנט, כאטש גאנץ אומיטיג, און עס איז כדאי אים צו ליינען. איטליכע זאכן וואסן איך האב געטראפן צו זיין מערקווירטיג וויל איך פאר אייך מעתיק זיין.

אויף עמ' 27 שרייבט ער "וואונדערבאר שיין איז געווען איז געווען אמאל דער ווילנער שמחת תורה אז ס'האט געהאט א שם. יונג און אלט, מיידלעך און ווייבלעך, אפילו זקנות פלעגן זיך צונויפזאמלען אין מאנסבילשער שול שמחת תורה, ס'איז געווען הפקר די וועלט..."
און בהמשך דארט עמ' 28 "עס פלעגט זיך ציען די הקפות, אפריער אלע ווילנער רבנים אין די שטריימעלעך מיט די געטליכער פנימער מיט די ווייסע בערד מיט די ספרי תורות אין די הענט ..."
און אויף עמ' 31 דערציילינדיק וואס דער גלות אפריכטער האט געזאגט פאר זיינע קינדער "אויך איך, מיינע ליבע קינדערלאך, זאג שוין צייט אייניגע חדשים דעם 70טען קאפיטל פון תהלים, ד"ה, אז איך בין שוין אלט 70 יאר און ס'איז שוין צייט מסתמא אהיים צו פארן"
די ביכל קען מען טרעפן ביי די אידיש בוך צענטער .
“Haykl Lunski” “Fun Vilner Geto”כדי אים צו טרעפן דארף מען זוכן פאר
לויט ווי איך פארשטיי איז חייקל לונסקי ע"ה געווען א פרומער איד און ספרן אין די גרויסע ווילנע אידישע (שטראשון) ביבליאטעק.

Buy It Here

More From Lunski Here


Lunski ביי דער ארבעט
(YIVO)


אמר הירשל:
ס'שווער צו וויסן וואס גענוי ער מיינט ווען ער זאגט אז "ס'געווען "הפקר" די וועלט," ווייל מ'איז ח"ו ניט חושד ווילנער אידן אויף מעשים אשר לא יעשו. נאר וואס? מן הסתם מיינט ער אז אין הנהגת ביהכ"נ, וואס איז ווילנא איז געווען גאנץ "יעקיש," האט מען שמחת תורה נישט אזוי נאכגעקוקט. מ'האט אריינגעלאזט די נשים און בנות אין בית מדרש און זיי זענען געשטאנען דערביי, צוקוקענדיג ווי די מענער און קינדער פרייען זיך מיט די הייליגע תורה. נישקשה. אויך איז זיכער געווען גענוג און נאך פלאץ אין שול, אזוי אז די נשים זענען געווען נישט ממש אין די ד' אמות פון די מאנסבילער. כנלענ"ד
אבער איין זאך זעהט מען יא: אז שמחת תורה איז געווען פרייליך אויך אין ווילנא, און אויך פאר די נשים איז וויכטיג געווען זיך אנטייל נעמען מיט די שמחה. דהיינו, נישט ווי היינט וואס מאנכע ישיבה'לייט ווילן טייטשן אז נאר די וועלכע האבן געלערענט תורה און געהארעוועט אין תורה, און גוט פארשטאנען תורה זענען מחותנים מיט'ן תורה און מיט איר שמחה'דיגן טאג




ווען עס קומט צו די שטריימלעך ווערט מיר אביסאלע שווער. ס'טייטש אז אזא גרויסע גרופע אידן זענען שבת קודש און אין די ימים טובים געגאנכען אנגעטוהן אין די בגדים פון די חסידים? אין מתנגדישען ווילנא? איי, וועט איר מיר געבן צו פארשטיין אז רבי הירש לייב, די וואלאזשינער ראש ישיבה, זיין איידים ר' רפאל, ר' מיכל פון נאווארדוק און אפילו רבי משה מרדכי זיינען אלע געגאנגען שבת און יום טוב אין שטריימלאך, וועל איך אייך זאגן אז ניט דאס מיינט חייקל. חייקל, קוקט אויס, האט געמיינט די חסידים. פארוואס מוז מען אזוי זאגען? זיייער איינפאך. גיט א קוק אויף די נעקצטע אויסצוג, דארט וואו ער רעדט וועגן דעם וואס ער זאגט שוין אייניגע חדשים קאפיטל ע' ווייל ער איז שוין אלט 70 יאר. וואו נאך סיידען ביי חסידים איז פאראן אזא מנהג? און ביי חסידים גופא, כאטש אז מ'זאגט אז דער מנהג שטאמט פון בעל שם טוב אליין, איז דוקא ביי חב"ד ליובאוויטשער חסידים דאס אן אנגענומענע זאך. אברהם טווערסקי האט זיך אפילו אפגערעדט אז ביי די 119 יאר וועט ער דארפען זאגן קאפיטל קי"ט, א חשבון פון 176 פסוקים. קוקט אויס אז נאר אין ליובאוויטש איז דאס א זאך. נו, שוין, קוקט אויס אז אויך אין ווילנא, נאך מיט איבער 100 יאר צוריק, איז ליובאוויטש געווען א כח

Litvishe Shtreymlach in Circus Tent

"!מאך דא ארץ ישראל"

Burech wants "sociology," well, then let him study this. Maybe he can explain to all us boors how a society like this one - meaning the society of Kiryas Joel - has been allowed to cultivate and grow with this being their opinion of law and order. How bachurim who are supposed to be ONLY in Yeshivah - which is why going to put on Tefillin with Jews during their free time is assur - think that it's quite all right to confront police officers when they don't like what the cops are doing. And we're not talking about some great injustice or danger either. What happened here was very simple: There was a Rebbishe wedding in Kiryas Joel last week, the Rebbe there married off his granddaughter. Mazel tov. As is customary Chassidim string up lights in front of the shul and the Rebbe's house, and put up signs wishing him Mazel Tov for the Simcha. In Boro Park and Williamsburg these days happen very often in places such as Satmar and Bobov. In Monsey there's a wedding once a month or more for one of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe's grandkids. The lights are meant to give the streets a more festive look, sort of a throwback to the Alte Heim when they did that just to illuminate the poorly lit or dark street. (Sort of like making the lights go off by timer because in di heim iz geven tunkel ba di shaleshudes teyreh...)


We can sit here all day and agree that the authorities and the people of Monroe - the non-Jews - are anti-Semites who wish the Satmars never came in the first place. You won't get an argument from me on this one. We can also agree that there was no real reason to come and ruin the simcha (if that actually ruins it) by coming down there and removing the lights. But I'm sure by now the good people there have enough political clout that it would've taken would be a phone call or two to some local official and the lights would be back up, pronto. Why then the need to confront the police and make a colossal chillul hashem that may have very long repercussions? I'd go out on a limb and say that this is the only way they know. Like in Eretz Yisroel; they think that the only way to do things is to scream "Nazim" at the police and burn garbage. Abi they have taynes to the Tziyonim for provoking the Arabs. I b'etzem wouldn't bother with this as a post, since discussing politics is not my thing, but the likes of Burech, staunch defenders of the activity you see here, will you make you do that, especially when they ask for Sociology... I'm also shocked that the PR savvy knakkers in KJ didn't see this for what it was, a PR nightmare on all accounts, and stop this thing, if only for the consequences!

Watch them all.




זיצן אין תפיסה איז די בעסטע זאך


די בחורים האבען נישט קיין שכל


Tough guys, confronting the cops





Well, at least we see that the womenfolk there haven't lost it completely yet, they're also appalled a the behavior of these kids. I guess just not enough to do something about it. Or maybe they're afraid for their own safety...

Missing Schneersons

HoRabboni HaChossid Reb Yehudah Leib ben Admor Reb Shlomo Zalman MiKopust, died 1930s. The kever sits in the Petersburg cemetery, forgotten and neglected. A photo of the Tziyun recently was shown on the Chabad website "Shturem." I wonder if there were any children from him and where they are today. It would be nice if one of you, who has a Sefer HaTzetzoyim handy, could look it up and see what he finds. It seems like there are several others from Beis HoRav in that cemetery, because soon after Shturem showed the picture, COL went ahead and found the following:



Rebbetzin Rivka Schneerson, died 1933, 79 years old. Rivka was the daughter of Devorah Leah, daughter of the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch. Since she was born in 1854 she probably remembered her Elter zeide pretty well. Her father was Rav Levi Yitzchok Zalmanson of Velizh, and her husband was also a Schneerson., He was Rav Yehuda Leib Schneerson, Rov in Gomel and Vitebsk, and the son of Rav Yitzchok DovBer of Liadi, author of the Siddur MaHaRid. RYDS was a son of Rav Chaim Schneur Zalman of Liadi, son of the Tzemach Tzedek. A certain blogger uses this Matzeivah as "proof" that there is NO such name as Mushka, it's only Mussia. Nu, nu. The Matzeiva also includes her daughter, Mussia Blank, who passed away in 1956, and another woman, died 1967, who I was told may or may not have a non-Jewish name, so it may or may not be family. It's sad to see the negelect...

I thank the blogger formerly known as Tzemach Atlas for translating and explaining the Russian words for me.

He wants more

The reader who sent me the material for this thread has some more questions on anecdotes brought in the book. He gets the impression that Simcha Raz is/was (is he still alive?) a Misnaged. I said "no." At least I didn't think he was. He wrote a book on Reb Nachman as well, so I didn't think he was. But now I'm beginning to think that maybe he's on to something...

But first, a video clip about Reb Aryeh

Reader: Am I crazy on these?



This paragraph reads like a cute joke. It first contrasts RAL to Chassidim to complement RAL, implicitly acknowledging that Chassidim/Rebbes are models of devotion to G-d.The writer/translator/editor/? uses the very same catalyst of Chassidim as a footstool to catapult and exalt RAL’s pious status far beyond that of a Chosid or Rebbe, effectively disparaging Chassidim as lesser models of Yiddishkeit than RAL.

So he was more than a Rebbe and more than a Chossid? A Rebbe is not a model Jew? A Chossid is not a model Jew? Let's change our personal paradigms by word substitution in order to appreciate the silliness of the paragraph:

This was no ROSH YESHIVA leading devoted followers in the ways of MUSAR. He was himself a thorough CHOSSID, educated and living outside the world of MUSAR. Nor was he an ILUI, producing wondrous CHIDUSHIM (although there were CHIDUSHIM in his life).(OK SO FAR BUT HERE IS THE PUNCH LINE:))

He was something more, something greater. He was an extraordinary model Jew. This next one could be an editorial mix up but the Frierdiker Rebbe is dissed by omission……read on:



Halfway down the next page, where it starts "AT THAT MEETING," it attributes a life changing message coming from either the Frierdiker Rebbe or Rav Kook because they were the only ones in the room, and R. Aryeh didn’t say which one actually said it, but its logical that the Rebbe said it, yet the editor places Rav Kook’s name in parenthesis as the one who gave R. Aryeh a life changing message. I don’t get it; R. Aryeh, his long time friend Rav Kook who he visiting with, get together with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the ICON of mesiras nefesh for a once in a life time meeting, and from this meeting R. Aryeh learns from his old time friend instead of the Rebbe? And the Rebbe taught him nothing? There is no doubt that R, Aryeh meant the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The best I could say is that this is an editor slip up.



The paragraph above describes two pious brothers, talmidim of the GRA, who wander the country side teaching Torah to children and country folk. Given that this story is:

1) placed next to the story that disses the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and
2) having read the other quoted paragraph disparaging Chassidim,
3) given that this is not the nature of the talmidim of the GRA, and
4) that the story only lists the first names of these talmidim with no other evidence,

It seems that this story is likely a fabrication in an effort to prove and promulgate that the GRA is the progenitor of Ahavas Yisroel and the true Baal Shem Tov. The upshot is that if the GRA is the true BESHT, then the Lubavitcher Rebbe has no real tradition, and is cut down at his roots. Add to that the previous story on the page; the FR doesn’t even register as a somebody with a current message since RAL ‘learned’ from Rav Kook instead of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

Ad Kan the Reader. It seems like somewhat of a stretch, even to me.

Generations of true music

I recently came across these pictures in a closed forum. They were posted by a grandson of the Charitonows who graciously allowed me to post them here. Me being a big "fan" of their neginah I jumped at the opportunity.



Reb Avrohom Charitonow - Chazzen & Shochet in Nikolayev - and wife Beila.


His son, Reb Aron. Many famous Lubavitcher nigunim are his compositions, including "Der Beinuni," and "Nigun Yud Beis Tammuz."The "shades" are due to a self-inflicted wound so as to avoid the draft. So they say, anyway. I think he was ahead of his time and knew that one day they'd be all the rage among musicians...



Reb Sholom is my personal favorite. One of his nigunnim is in my blogger profile. To say that RSC had a tremendous Koach in Neginah is an understatement. He passed away in Moscow in 5694 at a young age. His son is Reb Shamshon Charitonow of Crown Heights, zg"z. Here's the nigun, as sung by Reb Shamshon. Sorry about the quality... If this won't put a Hirhur Tshuvah in you no nigun ever will, IMHO.




Reb Mordche Hersh Charitonow, HYD, son of Reb Aron.

Years later, a sleepless night

The following 2 pages plus the commentary underneath page 2 were received via e-mail. They're from "A Tzaddik In Our Time" by Simcha Raz. (The life and times of Reb Aryeh Levin.) The reader readily admits that maybe his thinking was skewed by reading too much Circus Tent, and that there's nothing inherently unflattering in this story. He asks for y'all's opinion.





Reader continues: The Rov is distressed about a top bochur not getting his ‘deserved’ gashmius, when the top bochur was created for this; yet the regular bochur, who needs to have even more mesiras nefesh to be in yeshiva, getting far less material sustenance than a top bochur wouldn’t elicit the same tears. I would have omitted this story. It's not flattering at all to R. Isser Zalmen.

2 Hazmones...

The following is the invitation to the Bobower Rebbe's son, married last week in Brooklyn. The nusach is somewhat of a piece of real poetry; notice the play on words on the cover, where the date of Ches Sivan is gracefully intertwined with the concept of basking in the glow of the Tzaddik, despite the Posuk not actually referring to the Tzaddik, but to the Holy One, blessed be he.





It seems all the graphics and nusach people wanted in on the Brochos the Rebbe would surely bestow upon them on this, a very happy and momentous occasion, but they wouldn't have it. Baila Miriam - despite the work that she put in, was not allowed to have her name mentioned for all to see. At least not the Hamon Am; maybe the Rebbe did get to see that version and pray for them....Only Naftoli Zvi made the cut, and even his mother was left out...Thus is the fate of a Lubavitcher; he wants to look up the Yotzer and follow along with the invitation, but he hasn't one in his house! No Shavuos Machzor in the whole Tzig compound. I do have one in my childhood home, tucked away in my old room somewhere, but I never brought it with me, since I did not need it. I have my RH and YK Machzor haMeforash very prominently displayed with the other Machzorim, but no Sukkos, Pesach or Shavuos. A Lubavitcher goes from Yom Kippur to the seder Amiras Korban Pesach until he says something not in the regular davenen. Other than HaNeiros Halolu and Shoshanas Yaakov. Which is why I joined Lubavitch in the first place; the easy life, the getting drunk every day on Vodka, and the putting on teffilin with goyim and women too....Which means that next time I go home I need to find those machzorim and take them home with me.

A printer's mistake ------

Yechi Adoneynee Tzaddik Doreynee

----- At the expense of these Temimus'dike kids. I mean the idea of making him "Rabbon VaAvihen Shel Yahadus Russia" seems like a טעות הדפוס to me. I can understand that some well-meaning Satmarer chossid saw this as a way of promoting his Rebbe, but did he think about what he was putting him through? Did he not know the SR's shittoh when it came to Kiruv? This "coronation" would be akin to calling the CI Rabbon VeAvihen shel Yahadus Teiman," or the BR Rabbon VeAvihen shel Yotzei Iran." Even that would not be too much, considering their work on behalf of those Jews. From what I understand, it seems like Beer HaGolah, the Mosad that claims to rescue Russian Jewry but has no proof to back up their claim, has apparently placed a Satmarer Chosid at the helm and this is the result. Why do I attack a school that once had Rav Yakov Kamenecki at its helm? Very simple. This has nothing to do with RYK. The fact remains that most of the BH kids go on to public school and leave their Yiddishkeit completely behind, smiling kids pictured here not withstanding. (You might say that if that was NOT the case there would be no need for Nechomas Yisroel, who also "saves Russian Jewry.")


Students of Beer HaGolah schools in Brooklyn

I guess we should be happy that it wasn't one of the present-day Rebbes that they proclaimed as RVSYR. That would be too much to bear. אויב שוין יא זאל זיין די סאטמאר רב, and not anyone else. However, I may still be surprised here after all. Some guy will come along here and tell me stories about how thousands of Russian Jews were helped with money from Satmarer Mosdos, and how the Satmar Bikur Cholim saved hundreds of Russian Jewish lives. How, just like the Sefardishe Satmare Kehillah in Argentina, there are large Jewish Satmarer Kehillos of Russian Jews in Monsey, Monroe and even Williamsburg. How even Beer HaGolah was supported by the SR and his devoted Chassidim by raising millions of dollars clandestinely so that nobody should know that Satmar supports Kiruv. Maybe. OK, fine. That's not the point here. In the future I would tell the one thinking up these signs to stick to the more generic Rabbon Shel Kol Bnei HaGolah, a softer, more accepted title that also has recently lost its meaning and significance due to abuse by some groups. In the interest of full disclosure I would also deem it inappropriate if the Rebbe were dubbed "Raaban Shel Yahadut Sefarad." Despite the Rebbe's efforts and accomplishments, very often more than any other Sefardic Rav.

And then there's the whole MeKabel Shvi'i thing....

A time to remember

RNZW of Bilka, HYD (l)

The 13th of Sivan is the Yohrtzeit of Reb Yitzchok Eizik Weisz of Spinka, HY"D, known as the Chakal Yitzchok. Me being a former Spinker Talmid I remember these things, despite having left so many years ago. I'll bet some of the Groise Chassidim totally never knew that date. Three years ago we wrote about newly-discovered photographs of the CI's son, Reb Naftoli Zvi of Bilka, HYD, who was photographed by a Nazi photographer as he waited to die Al Kiddush Hashem. Which brings us to today's topic du jour, which I know is redundant. In Hungarian Kehillos many of the old folks have Yohrtzeit during the spring months. From after Pesach till Tammuz there's a procession of old yiddelach who daven for the Omud, get maftir, and give kiddush for their deceased loves ones who were gassed during the terrible summer of '44. In non-Hungarian kehillos you don't get that, and I would dare say the remembering isn't what it should be there. Not that it's their fault; it's just that the concentration and the quick pace of the deportation and the extermination at least forced us to remember every year. The Poylishe often had no idea when the killings took place, and the Russians had their issues. The end result is that for the last decade and a half I haven't had the chance to have that saturated summer of remembrance....


RNZ and his father RYI at the levaya of his sometimes adversary, the Minchas Elozor of Munkacs, 2 Sivan, 5697.

איך בין אין גלות אין חב"ד

......נישט איך, די בעל הגראמען


הערט'ס צו ידידים
מתנגדים און חסידים
נערים וזקנים יחד
מיינע השערות
פון אידישע צרות
איך בין אין גלות אין חב"ד


1) איך האב אויף זיי נישט קיין פאראיבל
אבער ווען איך קום אריין אין שטיבל
קומט מיר אויס דאס גאנצע התנהגות עפעס
איך קען נישט פארשטיין דעם טעם
פארוואס דתיהם שונות מכל עם
ואת דתי המלך הם עושים באהבה וביראה

2) אוי! שבת, יום טוב אינדערוואכען
געוואלד! וואו בין איך דא פארקראכען
און ועל כולם קען איך נישט אפילו קריטיקירען
פסח, סוכות ימים נוראים
פאר מיר איז פלאי פלאים
און מען זאגט מיר "שווייג!", ווייל דיין זיידע האט געהייסען אזוי זיך פירען

3) לעתיד לבוא אין גן עדן
וועל איך פרגען ביים הייליגן זיידן
כ'בעט דיר זאג מיר צו איז דאס טאקע געווען דיין דרך בקודש
עס כאפט מיר ממש אן א ציטער
זיי זאגען נישט אפילו וואס עס שטייט אין דיין סידור
נישט קיין "ושמרו" נישט קיין "וידבר משה" און נישט קיין תקעו בחודש

4) אין דיין שלחן ערוך פסק'נסטו להלכה
אז אויף תפלין של ראש דארף מען מאכען א ברכה
דארפסטו אבער זעהן ווי דיינע חסידים לייגען תפלין
זיי זאגן נאר אז לפי חב"ד
מאכט מען א ברכה נאר אויפ'ן של יד
זעהסטו אליין אז זיי טוהען אינגאנצען ווי זיי ווילען

5) זיידע, דו האסט געזאגט אין דיינע שיחות
אז מען דארף נישט זאגען קיין סליחות
אין עשרת ימי תשובה, און דאס האט שוין גורם געווען ממילא
און וואס זאל איך מיט זיי קריגען
עס פאסט גארנישט צו דעם ניגון
פון ראש השנה'דיגן קדיש אז מ'זאגט נישט קיין לעילא ולעילא

6) ס'איז דאך נישט מעגליך דאס איבערצוטראגן
וואס מען דארף אזוי פיל תהלים זאגען
דער יום, דאס קאפיטל וויפיל מ'איז אלט, און שבת מברכים אינגאנצען
געוואלד אידן! האט'ס רחמנות
זייטס משנה די תקנות
איך זאל נישט דארפען זאגען "אשרי תמימי דרך" ביי די הונדערט און ניינצען יאר

7) מי שמע כזאת אז אין א יום הילולא
זאגט מען תחנון אין די תפלה
איך שריי "חי וקים" און איך טוה כסדר אויף זיי האקן
געוואלד! זיי זענען דאך רחמנא ליצלן ערגער ווי די ליטוואקן

8) אהן א קיטל ביים סדר דאס ווייס איך
אבער וואס איז געשעהן מיט'ן חסל סידור פסח
אפשר איז ער אוועקגעלאפן צוזאמען מיט'ן ותערב
אדער אפשר האט ער גאר בדעה
צוזאמען מיט'ן חד גדיא און מיט'ן אחד מי יודע
גיין אויפזוכען דעם אדיר הוא יבנה ביתו בקרוב

9) פארוואס האבען עפעס די מענטשען
פארטריבען דעם יהי רצון פון ראש חדש בענטשען
און איך מוז דאס אלץ צוקוקען, מקבל זיין בעל כורחה
ווי קומט יום טוב שיר המעלות
ווי זאגט מען לכה דודי אהן א טלית
און וואס פאר א מחותן איז דער חצי קדיש צווישען כגוונא און ברכו

10) פארלאזען אזעלכע טייערע אוצרות
נישט קיין פייט און נישט קיין יוצרות
און פארוואס זינגט מען נישט דעם י-ה קלי אתיצבה לקראתך
כ'וואלט געווען אזוי צופרידן
אדרבה, זאגט מיר אידן
וואס פאר א ניגון ער אויף ויאתיו כל לעבדיך

11) פרייטאג צו נאכט'ס זינגט מען ביי חסידים
מנוחה ושמחה אור ליהודים
כל מקדש און י-ה רבון און מען זינגט מה ידיות
אבער ביי זיי הערט מען נישט קיין קול
ס'איז שטיל ווי ביי אוהב עמו ישראל
זאגט מיר, איך בעט אייך, וואס איז דאס עפעס פאר א מין חסידות

12) וואו איז פארהאן אזא גזירה הרחקה
נישט אויפהענגן קיין נוי סוכה
און אז איך קוק מיך צו קויפן אן אתרוג, ווייס איך גארנישט וואס איז מיט אים
געוואלד געשריגען זיסע טאטע
ווי קען מען אים האלטן מיט'ן פיטם למטה
ווען אויפ'ן אתרוג איז נישט פארהאן קיין זכר פון א פיטם

13) איך קען מיט זיי נישט האלטען קיין מלחמה
איך וועל נאך מאל נעמען א נקמה
כל תלמיד חכם שאינו נוטר ונוקם אינו ת"ח
עס וועט זיין א נקימה און א נטירה
פאר'ן לשם יחוד פון די ספירה
פאר אלע שינויים וואס איך לייד זיך אהן פון זייערע דרכים

14) בקרוב ממש, גאר אינגיכען
וועו מען מקבל פנים זיין משיח'ן
און פרייטאג צונאכט'ס אויפ'ן הר הבית וועלן זיך צוזאמען קומען אלע צדיקים, אלע קדושים
און משה רבינו וועט זיין בראשם
און ר' שלמה אלקבץ וועט זינגען לכה דודי לקראת כלה

15) אזוי ווי א מחוצף בין איך תמיד
וועל איך באלד צודארפען צו דעם עמוד
און צוזאמען מיט'ן הייליגן חזן דאווענען בהתלהבות
און אויפ'ן הויכען קול וועל איך געבן א קוועטש
לפני כל חסידי ליובאוויטש
פון אלטען רבי'ן, צו דער ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת

If I don't see nice, to-the-point comments here I promise I'll take it down. It took too much time for it to sit here and gather dust. A good start would be to comment on the inaccuracies in the rhymes.

A dilemma for the ages

Warning! Knowledge of Lubavitcher minhogim, as well as the minhogim of the rest of Klal Yisroel is mandatory for you to understand the rhymes here. Not to mention advanced, spoken, Galicianer Yiddish. The grammen are the work of a scion of 2 Chabad Rabbeyim; the Alter Rebbe and his son the Mitteler Rebbe, who lived in a Mid-Atlantic U.S. Chabad community until very recently, and was subjected to their customs and Nusach Hatefilloh, despite not being raised amongst Lubavitcher Chassidim. He asks his zeide, the Alter Rebbe, why he did this to him, why is he making him omit all those wonderful Piyutim and Yotzros that he so loves to say? You might say hilarity ensues, it's just that those words are not very appropriate in this case. What you do get is a look into the mindset of some of the Yungeleit and Bachurim from other kreizen who join Lubavitch and later find out about all the differences in nusach and minhogim. Not me, of course, other people.



Ich bin in Golus in Chabad...




tachanun on a Yohrtziet, no selichos during AYT, too much Tehillim-zogen...



Again with the Piyutim and the Pizmonim....



He'll defy his zeide and not listen to him, he says....

When's the moment?

Over Yom Tov there was lots of discussion amongst the Yungeleit about Chabad not saying Akdomus or Megillas Rus. They wanna know why not? It seems like there's more of an awakening these days. They wanna know "Mah Nishtana?" us from them? I don't think it's a lack of pride or doubting their ways, just a bechina of da mah sheToshiv. Ok, OK, calm down, all of you. I wasn't calling you Apikorsim, it's only a figure of speech. Really. All this discussion gets one thinking: In my humble opinion there's a moment on Yom Tov when one could say that at that moment was his Kabbolas HaTorah. Vos heist? Well, you might say that Kabbolas HaTorah happens when one accepts upon himself Hachlotos Tovos in the realm of learning and being a better Jew. That moment most likely doesn't happen during Shavuos night - whether you learn BeHasmodoh Rabboh or say "Tikkun" like a boorish Chossid - at least that's how I see it. There isn't that one moment anytime during the night, it just doesn't lend itself to it, I'm sorry to say. You can't tell me that when you're arguing over the Pshat in a tosfos that you feel any different than on a poshuter Mitvoch. The same goes for the "Tikkun-sayers;" It doesn't happen between Mitzvas Asey 112 to 113.

After some thought I figured it out. If you've ever been to a Rebbe or a Gutter Yid where he does the honors you know what I mean. It's not the Aseres HaDibros that one feels the moment. After all, exactly which of the Dibros would cause that? I'll go out on a limb here and say that it happens during Akdomus. Pick and choose the posuk that most suits the need, but it happens. There's the fact that there was all this preparation with the cheder yinglech. The Rebbe/Gutter Yid is on a high, BeHislahavus Atzumah, and the Oylem reciprocates. At that time, when the Rebbe/GY is saying his two pesukim, then the oylem has a chance to contemplate the meaning of the YT, and what is expected of them. You might say it was like the hefsek between the sets of tekios, where the Baal Tokea either says a יה"ר or is מתודה בלחש, those seconds can be very precious if utilized properly. If you think these are the thoughts of a foolish Hungarian wannabe like myself, think again. Several people told me לפי תומם when I asked them about it that this was the closest thing to the truth. That despite their misgivings about frum society as a whole saying Akdomus at so-and-so's minyan KeVosikin you mamesh feel like you're elevated to the highest spheres. "Like you're at barg sinai," like one fellow told me.

I may have written here once about my zeide's trip to Kosoni for Shavuos, 1943, to the Rebbe di "Ohr Mooleh," HY"D. The Kosonyer bichlal was known to daven עד אפיסת הכחות ממש, and Shavuos was no exception. My zeide told us how מ'האט געשפירט ווי מ'שטייט ממש ביים בארג סיני. Take that for what it's worth, but I would think that a whole lotta of Tshuvah - especially in 1943 - was done at those moments. I'm not here to judge whether or not those undertakings during Shavuos morning are sincere or not; the fact remains that they're there. They exist. They happen. Whether or not we keep them is another discussion for another time. So we've taken care of a large segment of the Charedi population: Most Chassidim and maybe some pockets of Hungarians like Erloi and Vien. I don't think Yeshivishe places koch zich in Akdomus, even if they do say it, so you might say that they share the problem with Lubavitchers. When is their moment and when is mine? We're a generation that needs our Chitzoniyus, we cannot do it like the previous ones did. When was I supposed to experience it? למה נגרע?! I see that the procession of VIPs to the Kotel is going on all week in Yerushalayim, there's Tashlumin Kol Shivah. Can I have that week to make up for the missed experience?!

Memorial Day

Panim el Panim, January, 1961

On this, Memorial day in these United States, let us remember the battles that were fought here on the shores of America, between two unlikely groups of soldiers or fighters - The Satmar and Kluj, aka Klausenberg sects, using nothing but stick, stones, graffiti, and an occasional firebomb. What? you didn't know that there were battles fought in the hard-nose streets of Brooklyn in the 50's and 60's? And they involved frum Jews fighting amongst themselves? There's nothing very novel about these altercations, they're quite traditional, actually. Some people would say that it's mandatory; if you have no history of fighting then your group hasn't been initiated into the Chassidic fraternity. When you confront them about the violent history then don't apologize; they're proud of their heritage. After all, it's a rite of passage, no need to feel sorry for it. Damage of property, Mesirah, damage of persons, all that doesn't matter, it's the tradition that does. He/they had it coming.

Why then is this any different than any of the other incidents? It's simple. This was taken to another low. They basically followed the Klausenberger Rov to Yerushalayim and harassed the man who lost a wife and 11 kids to the Nazis just a bit more. In case he still hadn't had enough on this world. Yes, there were plenty of Satmarer and Kanoyim there before he came to spend Shabbos there, but this wasn't Williamsburg, they couldn't claim this as Satmar territory. This, I believe, was unprecedented. The Satmar Rov had left Yerushalayim 15 years before and the whole landscape of the city had changed. Despite carrying the title as Nosi of the Edah he was obviously not physically in charge there. The Edah HaCharedis could no longer claim to be the sole authority, since so many other groups - like Ger, Belz and others - didn't belong there anymore. Why then was a local argument based in Brooklyn transplanted 6000 miles away? The fact that it made it into the papers only worsened things.

Why am I writing about this now? I wish I knew.

UPDATE: The Satmar Rov was the Klausenberger's uncle in the latter's first marriage. He was a son in law of the Atzei Chaim of Sighet - Rav Chaim Tzvi Teitelbaum - who passed away in 1926, and who's son's coronation as Rav of Sighet - as a teenager, was chronicled in the newspapers of his day and In this here blog as well. Schon in שוחרי השם בהרי הקרפטים says that after the AC's passing some wanted to take his younger brother - Reb Yoel Teitelbaum - as interim Rov, until the young Zalmen Leib - oldest son of the AC - could come of age, but his mother wouldn't have it. She would not allow her BIL near the town! The Rebbetzin was the daughter of Reb Shulem Lazer'l of Ratzfert, son of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz. I guess she knew that no Rov would ever walk away from such a Choshuve Rabbonus shtelle, even her BIL. So, maybe the animosity had something to do with events 35 years before....

Water under the bridge...

I felt Golus

It's not easy feeling Golus in America. I mean New York. The Tri-state area. Monsey Ir HaTorah. You look around and you say such a breitkeit, even in today's tough economic times. Masses of frum Jews going about their business BeKomah Zekufah, not worried about the gentiles. School boards stacked with Jews. Politicians eating out of the palms of our hands. Streets closed because of Hachnosas Sefer Torah, parade, Lag BaOmer bonfire or bagleiten a visiting Gutter Yid. Daily garbage pickup in the weeks before Pesach. You get the picture. Things have changed drastically since the 60's. Speech is watched carefully when it comes to making generalizations about ethnic and Religious groups. Only in radical underground publications will you hear anything about "Jews" controlling etc. So we sit here and we think we manage to re-educate the masses about Jews, despite thousands of years of education, being spoon-fed anti-Semitism with breakfast in many cases.



For some reason the following incident sticks in my mind, maybe because the statement was made by a fellow Yid, a Rosh Yeshivah or Kolel, and a grandson of a good Jew. They said then that Rav Lazer Ginzberg, Mirrer Rosh Kolel in Brooklyn and grandson of Reb Chatzkel Levenshteyn said during the CH riots that the happenings there were a "reminder to the Lubavitchers that we're still in Golus." "They're starting to talk about Moshiach, Hineh Hineh Moshiach Bo, G-d showed them he's in charge!" This typical Litwaukee speak is meant to show the world that G-d is an angry old man who like to show his disobedient kids that he's still in charge. It somehow connects them to the fire and brimstone-throwing preachers' speeches of generations ago by talking like that, I guess. I've heard that kind of talk quite often, especially when reprimanding Lubavitch for saying Ad Mosai etc. "Who are we to tell G-d what and when to do things?!" (That is until they need a yeshuah or refuah, then any talk is OK.)




What happened to me on Friday was somewhat of a different Golus experience. It was the kind of experience that reminded me that it's time to ask for Moshiach again, but not because graffiti was scrawled on my shul or anything like that. It was the "cat got my tongue" kind of thing. Here I was, being talked down to in the supermarket in the worst way by Haitian trash with six inch nails and I could say nothing. Technically I could, but the eternal Jew in me would not allow it. I guess I couldn't stand there and yell obscenities at the woman; and making a whole tumult was also out of the question. So I was left just trying to defend myself instead, with her giving me the hand, saying "uh-uh, don't talk to me." Here's this woman, who only one generation ago was eating papaya three times a day, who's hairdo and manicure costs more than her entire wardrobe accusing me and yakking at me in a public place, and I CAN DO JUST ABOUT NOTHING IN RETURN. היש גלות
גדולה מזו????



מעשה שהי' כך הי-ה: I needed to do some last minute shopping before Shabbos Kodesh. (I'll try not to bore you with the details.) I loaded the cart and was checking out - not before having said a few bucks by using my Pathmark card - when Mrs. Tzig calls. She needs mushrooms, she says. Always the willing and able husband, I walk to the car, load the bags with the original purchases, and went back for the mushrooms. Once there, a pineapple was added to the purchase, not that it has any relevance to the story. I approached the checkout counters and chose one that had only one customer ahead of me. Soon after that several people came in to that aisle behind me. One of them - unbeknown to me - was a testy Haitian of the female variety who I guess was having a bad hair day or something, because she was tired of holding a few cups of yogurt in her hands and I was too far back from the customer ahead of me for her to put her things down on the whatchamacallit. So, I'm standing there patiently waiting for the guy ahead of me to finish checking out when I hear "Mister!" "MISTER!" behind me, in a very loud voice. Not thinking that I'd be referred to as such, and maybe daydreaming a bit, I ignored the call, not thinking it was me they were talking to.



Then I feel a jab in my back. The ----- had poked me. I turn around to see what that was and she yells at me to move ahead so she can put her yogurts down on the table. Then she tells the person she's talking to on the cellphone "then they wonder why nobody wants to see them around anymore!" I try nicely to tell her "you think I was ignoring you? I didn't hear you!" so she tells her phone buddy: "He says he was ignoring me!!!" By then I realized that there was nobody to talk to. I was part of the white world she so hates and the Jewish one she can't stand. She wishes we'd all be shipped off in boxcars somewhere far away. I realize some of you may think that in the greater scheme of things this incident means nothing, but it was Golus for me. I hadn't had many such run-ins, it was usually not face to face, just a passing car or something like that. But to be tongue-tied, to be so utterly helpless in a town chock full of Heimishes, is nothing short of a G-d imposed Golus. May we have no more such experiences.

Is Skver skewing Tshuves?

I was challenged by commenter Meir to look up the Tshuves that were referenced in the Post about the reminder not to walk with your wives that was printed in the New Square bulletin. The fact that they referenced Tshuves as well as mentioning a specific Hora'oh from the previous Skverrer Rebbe, zt"l, makes it open to discussion, I guess. The fact that they quote modern-day Rabbonim and Poskim such as Rav Yonason Steif and the Debreciner Rov makes it even more interesting, since I never saw the DR yell or heard that RYS would yell at couples walking together in the streets of Boro Park and Wiliamsburg. If such obvious transgressions would occur in front of them I'm sure they be mocheh. One of the advantages of doing this blog is that people do you favors and send you material, whether backup or just material of interest. Here we were helped by a daily reader who has at his disposal an Otzar HaChochmah program, and found the Tshuves in אז נדברו AND באר משה they that quote. מהר"ש שטייף didn't make the cut, for some reason.







I was quite surprised that Rav Binyomin Zilber zt"l would be so against walking on the street with the wife; not that I knew his shitos very well, but still. It seems like they may have a point here, despite the fact that he sees it as an Hanhogoh Tovah, probably based on the Gerrer Chassidim he saw in Yerushalayim. With the Debreciner it's another story. He seems to be talking about shpatziering en masse, like they do in other cities, not just a quiet walk, or separate sidewalks. With Shayles like these it's tough to get a straight answer. No Rov wants to sound like he was some major Meykel.

!נישט פארגעסן

איך האב נישט קיין פראבלעם מיט א קהלה מאכען תקנות. זאל זיי וואויל באקומען. דער וואס וויל נישט פאלגען קען זיך גיין זוכען אן אנדערען פלאץ. "די רבי ז"ל'ס שווייס און בלוט." נאר איין פראגע האב איך: טאמער די עהרליכע סקווערע ווייבער וועלן נישט שפאצירען מיט זייערע אפגעהיטענע מענער, טא פון וועם דען וועט מען זיך אפלערנען? פון די מאדערנע?
פארוואס זאל א פרייער ווי איך, וואס שפאצירט איין מאל א יאר יא מיט די חשוב'ע רביצין שפעט ביינאכט, נישט האבען א דוגמא חיה וויזוי דאס צו טוהן. און פון וועם דען קען מען זיך דאס אפלערנען אז נישט פון די בני עלי'ה פון שיכון סקווירא יצ"ו תובב"א? פון די פרייאקעס אין קראונהייטס? פון די אנגעפאשעטע אין בארא פארק? פון די ליידאקעס אין קרית יואל? כ'ווייס אז אין סקווירא טוט מען היינט שטארק אין קירוב אחב"י, ס'פאראן אסאך סארטען קירוב. מ'קען און מ'דארף אונז נישט-אנ"ש ד'סקווירא אויך אויסלערנען ווי אמת'ע חסידישע אידן אין די אוקריינא האבען זיך אמאל געפירט, אזוי ארום אז די קדושה פון סקווירא זאל נתפשט ווערען אין שאר ערי ישראל, ווי מאנסי און פארשעי

איך וויל אייך - מיין געטרייע סקווערע ליינער - אויסזאגען א סוד. די יצר הרע פון שפאצירען מיט די ווייב איז א געשטארבענע. קיינער ווילט זיך עס נישט. בעסער וואלט געווען ווען מ'מאכט זיך נישט צו טוהן דערפון, וואלט קיינער - א חוץ א פאר שנה ראשונה'ניקער - נישט איינגעפאלען שפאצירען צו גיין. היינט איז פאראן גרעסערע יצר הרע'ס אויף ג-ט ברוך הוא'ס גרינער וועלט. און פאר די פאר שנה ראשונה'ניקער וואלט געווען גענוג אז מ'שושקעט זיי אין אויער אז דא אין עיה"ק סקווירא איז דאס שטרענג פערבאטען! אז מ'דרוקט דאס אין די צייטונג - אפילו א "פנימי" צייטונג - קומט דאס אהן צו אומגעוואונטשענע עלעמענטען אזוי ווי די ציג און אנדערע. איינער וואס וואוינט מעבר לים און האט קיינמאל נישט באזוכט אין סקווער קען נאך מיינען אז דארט וואוינט מען ווי ביי די אראבער אין די מדבר, מיט אזעלכע געצעלטען, און אהן עלעקטריק און אויטאמאבילען, און אז די רבי ווערט געטריבען מיט אזא קעמל ווי ביי אברהם אבינו.... היוצא לנו מכל זה: אז אמאל איז די פראבלעם וואס מ'זעהט אן אויסגעטראכטע, און מ'מאכט תקנות סתם אומזינסט. מ'האט נאר עגמת נפש און חוזק דערפון, און מ'נוצט אויס די כח אויף מאכען תקנות פאר גארנישט און פאר ווידער נישט. אזוי ארום, אז מ'וועט אמאל דארפען באמת מאכען א תקנה בעתיד הקרוב וועט מען שוין נישט קענען

ולא מצאתי לגוף טוב משתיקה

Snapshot

I think this video, for all its gyrations, is a snapshot of what part of our society has become. Some of you may not recognize it so I'll do some explaining for those of you out of the loop. What we have here is a young man from Williamsburg, who like many others works for a B&H-like firm. He works there because that's all he can manage. He has no education and he has no zitz-fleish to either sit and learn or get a job teaching. So he works in either the internet sales department, or maybe in the exchange department. I guess he was spared shlepping boxes at the warehouse, being a skinny pickle and all. Soon, we see him get the phone call. THE phone call. Followed by a pink slip. And he's in trouble. First his credit cards are declined - not before he tries to buy at a restaurant with his "benefit" card. How classy. Then his fridge is empty, but he does not despair; he's singing his tune and swinging those hips. He does not fear because he trusts in Hashem.

Nobody's knocking his means of trying to go out there and use the limited skills he has to try and feed his family. Nor is he to blame for the culture of luncheonettes and eateries - al taharas hakodesh - that has sprung up in such areas where it was trief - chazzer a very short time ago. All I'm saying is that just like the goyishe music videos are supposed to speak of what goes on in the inner cities of America, so too has this video gives us a snapshot of what Williamsburg has become. A recruiting ground for electronics stores. Not that this is something completely new, mind you, but it is more than ever and in greater numbers. There was always 47th Street Photo, and to his credit many outsiders - including Lubavitchers - got their daily bread from Mr. Goldstein, but that didn't seem to be the face of the community as a whole. Now it does, and דאס איז צו באדויערען. That a G&G suit and beaver hat doesn't keep you from shaking your hips and praising G-d. That your gartel doesn't keep you from being friendly with the homies on Driggs Avenue. And that אראפגעלאזטע פאות doesn't mean you can't fress just like they do on Avenue J.

שווער מסביר צו זיין, אבער ס'שמעקט מיר נישט

No. I'm not in Meron

Not that I was never there. I was. In 5753. And I think it was enough for my lifetime. All I remember is that after half an hour of dancing Bar Yochai and Omar Rabbi Akiva and davening Shacharis I was ready to go home. It was hot like Gehenom. There's only so much fruit punch you can drink. The carnival-like atmosphere didn't come from Chabad or from Brelslov, it came from the booths selling everything from Tzion Golan tapes to Michael Jordan t-shirts. Then there was no "derech MeHadrin."

Reb Menashe and the Lubavitchers

Talk about the benefit of the doubt! You people give me none. If there's something you want to see me address and it isn't done immediate;y, then I must be hiding or censoring something. It seems like over the years I've spoiled you into thinking that at any given movement a long post can appear out the blue. I'm glad to hear that, but sometimes more time is necessary, especially when addressing serious matters that often represent the views of many others. I refer, of course to the recently published Tshuvah in Mishneh Haloches of Rav Menashe Klein where he supposedly called Meshichisten Apikorsim, or something like that. COL saw fit to publicize this Tshuveh, which was recently published in Vol XVII of his sefer, and the result was all hell breaking loose. What we ended up seeing was an embarrassing display of Ameratzes, hate and Bizayon Talmid Chochom, which prompted one Lubavitcher Talmid Chochom to say that "if they're not Apikorsim for their beliefs, then they most certainly are for the Bizui of a great posek, one of the few remaining in America.

Here's my problem: I'll let y'all in a little secret: Reb Menashe Klein was my mohel. He made my Upsheren. I went to his pre-school. I grew up davening in his shul. I know every krechtz and every niggun they sing for every shtikkel in davening throughout the year. Well, at least I knew them all, it's been a while since I davened there. Most of the guys who grew up there don't daven there any more, at least not the guys my age, anyway. They all moved to Flatbush, Lakewood, Monsey or Israel. What's left is my parents' generation, some of RMK's family, an some newcomers. But the place is a shell of its old self, despite moving into a new Beis Medrash upstairs, in the "Heichel Zichron Kedoshim." I believe, that if you ask anybody from my generation what they would rather have, an old shul filled with children and singing, or a quiet, empty, new shul made of Jerusalem stone, and they'd ask for the former, despite the lack of air-conditioning on those hot Shabbos mornings. Why do I tell you all this? just so that you understand where I'm coming from.

Having said that we can go on to the topic at hand. There seems to be more than issue being discussed here. It's not just whether or not you're allowed to believe that the Rebbe is still Moshiach, or was ever. There's the issue of not accepting another Rebbe, and of going to the ohel as well. In other words he seems to be "attacking" just about everybody in Lubavitch, not just the Meshichisten. That's why you'll be hard-pressed to find anybody that would wholly agree with him on this matter. Not because they think they know better, or because they lack respect for Rabbonim, but because they feel - with all due respect - that RMK is an outsider, he doesn't understand the Chabad Dor Hashvi'i - or any generation for that matter - culture, so he can't really lecture them on they should run their own internal affairs. This despite the fact that the Rebbe had great respect for him, even as a very young man almost 50 years ago. For these matters, most Lubavitchers would tell you, one needs to consult with the Rebbe's sichos or with Lubavitcher mashpi'im, not with outside Rabbonim, despite their good intentions, otherwise we may have to discontinue Shlichus altogether, since many Rabbonim oppose it altogether.

Read the Tshuveh for yourselves, we'll discuss it here.