דף השבוע חגיגה ו:ב א' - וגם הפתעה! שיעור שני ממרן הראשל"צ הגאון רבי עובדי-ה יוסף זצ"ל

The authentic "Chabad perspective" on הגאון הרב עובדי' יוסף זצ"ל

(photo credit: Walla News)

Such was the request made to me. "Give us the authentic Chabad perspective on Harav Ovadia Yosef." What an undeserved honor! Who am I to speak in the name of Chabad? Not to speak ill of שוכני עפר, but it's a tricky question. It's also not a question that gets a straight answer throughout the ages. ROY's opinion changed on many issues, some of them concerning Chabad, and some issues that Chabad sees as "their own," such as "Land for Peace." Some opinions changed due to political reasons, such as whether or not his Shas party stays in the Government and continues to enjoy those perks. And some changed maybe because he was having a bad day... Many Chabad'niks will never forgive him for allowing the Oslo accords to pass; without him there would be no Oslo, were his Shas party leave the coalition the Government would fall and Rabin would not have his way. Yes, Aryeh Deri vehemently denies that too, but, he'll deny his name is Aryeh Deri if the situation calls for it. Even many who have forgiven him still distrust Shas and are afraid that given another chance they'd do it again - in a heartbeat! Some will never forgive him because of disparaging remarks he made in the past, which he also seemed to regret... I guess you might say that a Lubavitcher's opinion is in line with his general personality. If he's the forgiving type he'll forgive ROY as well, and if not - not. After all, he didn't make it his life's mission to knock Chabad and the Rebbe every chance he got. So, in short: We all base our opinions of others on what we like and how we think! Having said that, his knowledge of Torah is beyond dispute. His התמדה is beyond dispute. He built a network of Yeshivos and schools that were מחזיר עטרה ליושנה - to a degree. Living a long life is always beneficial. It's all good. זאל ער האבען א ליכטיג'ן גן עדן. ער האט גאר אסאך געשוויצט פאר'ן אייבערשטענ'ס וועגן.

So that leaves us with two general sorts of people who did not attend the levaya: 1) The Kanoyi from Meah Shearim, or from anywhere, or the Brisker, to whom all Chief Rabbis - anybody who doesn't follow the shittah - is treyf chazir. No matter how old they are, how many seforim they wrote, and how many millions attended. The fact that he lead a second class group of people doesn't help either. 2) The Chazon Ish'nik, who is upset that ROY did not give the CI the proper respect, which is to be mevatel his daas. OK, so maybe that's an understatement, maybe he was downright disrespectful to the CI, just like he was to any Ashkenazi, including the holy רמ"א. But that was years ago, he learned not to do that. As much. The Steipler referred to him by his first name, without as much as a "Reb," or "Rav," and his son Reb Chaim did NOT attend the levaya, although they say he wasn't feeling well.

חבל מאוד that his true successor - and then some - his בכור HaRav Yaakov Yosef predeceased him. He had his father's ידיעות התורה yet was not swayed by money or power. He served as an MK but sat there learning... He left the Knesset because of the time being wasted, as well as the corruption. And he also would not be מבטל his דעת to his father, so for 20+ years he was PNG in that house. Rabi Yaakov Yosef would've been the perfect "successor." Now it'll be chaos there, chalilah. Having said that, I am NOT the official Chabad spokesman, so you're all most welcome to disagree.

הכתר על "ס"ת של משיח" בבית רבינו

COL

Once upon a time in Galitzya they dared to dream

At least as far as the Aronei HaKodesh were concerned. This is the shul in Bobowa. Look at the bright colors! It brought light to an otherwise gloomy existence. Today it would be concerned too flashy, not in line with the other shuls such as Satmar and Skver, and therefore out of line. The farthest they'll go is that light brown wood that everybody gets from the same shop in Israel. Funny how these things work. We try to stay true to our old ways, but only up to as point.

Just saying.

Photo Credit: Ken Frieden Blog

  See Photo here in all its splendor

'דף השבוע חגיגה ו:א ב

The Chofetz Chaim's תורה ועבודה plan for all European Yeshiva Bochurim - Brace yourselves...

The following 2 pages are from the sefer "כתבי הרח"א ביחובסקי" - a compilation of letters, stories and vertlach from the Chabad Chossid Reb Chaim Eliezer HaCohen Bikhovski d.5684. Reb Chaim Lazer was a Chossid of Kopust/Bobroisk, and for a while, back in the days when the two groups were at odds with each other, his seforim would not be learned... But the sefer was published by a Lubavitcher (Reb Berel Levin) in 5750, and the sefer דרך מצותיך of the צמח צדק is quite popular in Lubavitch today. I say that to avoid the usual, predictable comments that some of you will make. Although the Kopuster and Bobruisker were probably more sympathetic to ציונות than their cousin the Rebbe RaSHaB, I doubt he was trying to preach Zionism here. Like I said to a friend earlier today; Those of you who are uncomfortable with the CC's solution to the "תורה ברענט" predicament in Europe during the previous century can take comfort in the words of the Ore Someach, Reb Meir Simcha HaCohen of Dvinsk, who, according to Rabbi N Kamenetzky in his epic "The Making of a Gadol" was to have called the Chofetz Chaim "א קליין-שטעטל'דיגער איד" who has no knowledge of real life in the big cities and should therefore not be attending the Rabbinic conferences of the early 1900s. Maybe this solution was also "קליין-שטעטל'דיג" and not rooted in reality. After all, other than a group of Slabodker bachurim there was no mass emigration to Eretz Yisroel before WW2. But the CC was content with bachurim learning 9 months a year and working the land of Eretz Yisroel for 3 months. Imagine that!

 

Polish websites have lots of good pictures

אוי! די דחקות איז דאך נורא נוראות

כ"ק אדמו"ר בעל "עקידת יצחק" מאלכסנדר זצ"ל הי"ד

הרה"ק ר' מענדל'ע אלטר מפאביניץ זצ"ל הי"ד - משמאל

אין קור ארט

שוין אין די שווערע צייטן אין פוילן

אוודאי רעדט מען פון אמאליגע צדיקים

למעלה שלישי מימין ולמטה יושב רביעי מימין הרה"צ ר' שלום בן אדמו"ר ר' יעקב משה סאפרין מקאמארנא זצ"ל

שלישי מימין איז אויך א חשוב'ער איד ששכחתי את שמו כעת

מ'שטייט און מ'שמועסט

א זיידע מיט אן אייניקל

דא, אויף דער בוידעם, האט דער קאצקער רבי אפשר געפראוועט התבודדות

If the average Satmar Chossid can keep such a schedule over 4 days ----- I tip my hat to him

See Here

האדמו"ר מסלונים - בעל הנתיבות שלום - הי' פעם ימיני ונגד החזרת שטחים

  Nesivos Shalom YK War 1973

Box.com link

י"ט תשרי - יארצייט הגאון מווילנא

Leiman Vilna Gaon Tomb

The ד' מינים only symbolize אחדות - Please keep the other types of Jews far, far away

You can say this about the Satmar Rov; he doesn't go with the flow. He sticks to his guns, no matter what. While everybody else is busy trying to unite, he keeps his fences up. Builds them even bigger and stronger. And he has all the proof in the world to back up his point. This is from the sefer חידושי תורה, not the דברי יואל. I wonder if it was published in the דבר"י as well.

 

"איצטער דארף מען הערשט תשובה טאהן"

 כ"ק אדמו"ר הצ"צ נבג"מ -

חב"ד און-ליין | כמה טבילות טובלים בערב יום כיפור? ● דיני יום כיפור

  הרב מרדכי שמוא-ל אשכנזי שליט"א אב"ד כפר חב"ד: דיני יום כיפור

Here's a זכות לכבוד יום הקדוש

Received via e-mail:

Save Your Soul by Saving Another's

Last year 15 Yidden gathered in a small Amish town near a river. We davened and heard shofar and enjoyed as most were not planning to do. The money for that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur came from donations to this website. Working with those who left the fold can be heart-wrenching – so many stories, so much pain -with seemingly endless conundrums without solutions---- We provide services for those who left and are sure they are not coming back. The fifteen Jews in Pennsylvania were all Yiddish speaking, yet none of them attend services, keep kosher or are involved in anything Yiddish. The Mayim Institute of Mystical Studies has been providing services for the past few years to ex-Charedim, who have fallen on tough times, or, those who wish to check in and connect with a cultural Jewish experience for whichever reason it may be. This Rosh Hashonoh we went overboard. We wanted to entice people to come so we rented a few townhouses in Ocean City MD, overlooking the Atlantic. The sand in the yard leading to the water… And so they came. The water beckoned. We had 25 holy brothers praying in our synagogue overlooking the water of the great ocean from three directions. Tekios intermissions had waves for silence. We were reborn. The world was reborn. We have worked to raise money for these events as the expenses are steep. Yet the rewards are plentiful. This year may you be inscribed and signed in the book of life, and may you help others sit in the House of the L-rd. Thank you once again for your generosity. Rosh Hashonoh bankrupted us. Yom Kippur and Sukkos will only happen if the money comes in. As Shimoshon Stock, of blessed memory would declare, "WE NEED YOUR MONEY!!!"

 Issac Schonfeld
Rabbi Shimon Grady
Mayim Chaim Institute

...יום שלש עשרה מדות איז שוין נישט ווי אמאל

אמאל איז עס געווען אן ערענסטע טאג ביי היימישע אידן, זעה נאר וואס מ'האט געברענגט דא אויפ'ן בלאג פאראיאר, ווי ביים ייטב לב זצ"ל האט אויסגעזעהן, אבער היינט איז עס א טאג פאר נצחנות. אוי לנו אז מ'האט עס דערלעבט! היינט איז מען פארנומען אין דעם טאג מיט שיקען אנאנסען צו די וועבזייטלעך, ווייזן ווער ס'איז ארויס א געווינער אין די שטאטישע נארישע וואלען אייער נעכטן.

לייענט און שטוינט

'דף השבוע חגיגה ו:א א

Youngest Great-Grandson of the Sanzer Rov passes away

Reb Yakov Yisroel Halberstam (Yankel) was the youngest great grandson of the Sanzer Rov ztvk"l. Born in 5695/1935, He was the son of Reb Yecheskel Shraga Halberstam who was the son of Reb Yitzchok Yeshaya (Shaye'le) of Tsehchoyv, both of whom were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during WWII. Reb Yankel's mother Rivka Beila was a daughter of Reb Bentzion of Bobov HY"D, which made him a nephew of Reb Shlomo of Bobov II. Reb Yankel passed away on Erev Rosh Hashonoh. We were informed of his passing by his daughter. The above photo, despite it being listed as that of Reb Shaye'le, of Tshechoyv is actually that of the Tzeshinover Rebbe, a nephew, or great-nephew of Reb Shayele. This is obvious from the writing on the photo, as well as to those who knew his son in Boro Park. The strong features are very visible amongst later generations as well.

ווען ניקלשבורגער רבי גייט צו תשליך איז א שמחה אין אלע עולמות

אום ראש השנה איז דער רבי שטארק פארנומען מיט'ן דאווענען און קען צו קיין טייך נישט אנקומען, גייט מען אויב אזוי אום עשי"ת

דער גרויסער מורה דרך ווייזט פאר'ן יונגען דור את המעשה אשר יעשון

און אז מ'גייט שוין צו תשליך גייט מען שוין באזוכען די יצורי כפיו של הקב"ה

Where is the Tzig?!