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.

Areivim metes out quick and severe punishment

I'm a subscriber to the Areivim and Avodah lists for some time now. On Friday I used a story I saw there as the basis for a post. I credited them as I should have, and never gave it a second thought as far as getting into "trouble" for it. Little could I have imagined that the following e-mail would appear in my inbox today:

"You have been unsubscribed from the Areivim mailing list. Before leaving, you may want to consider retaining only your Avodah subscription."

To which I responded: why was I unsubscribed?!

Micha Berger responded: There is a statement in the membership agreement which reads:
[9.]c. People post to Areivim knowing that access is limited. Repeating
an Areivim post is therefore inappropriate unless you first ask the
author. Also, many of the posts on Avodah and Areivim do not represent
the views of AishDas. Therefore, when referring to a post in a manner
that mentions AishDas, including a URL to the Avodah archives, kindly
ask the list management at avodah-owner@aishdas.org or in addition to the author. Violating this rule could result in immediate dismissal ch"v.

As per the last sentence, your post at http://theantitzemach.blogspot.com/2007/10/story-for-your-shabbos-table cost you your Areivim membership. Had you asked reshus, I see no
reason that we would have denied it -- this wasn't dirty laundry or anything someone would be embarrassed to see discussed beyond the community. However, you didn't. We can't have members who defy the chevrah's trust in the list's privacy. Your Avodah subscription remains.
SheTir'u baTov!
Micha

[Ya gotta love the corny message even when writing a dismissal notice. Sorta like getting a smiley face on your pink slip, eh?]

My response: All I can say is I thought better of you people. I obviously didn't intentionally ignore the rules, yet you couldn't wait to send me flying. Not nice.

Micha responds: Not "obvious" at all that you didn't intend to tell the world something you allegedly agreed not to when you signed up. It's not
just a buried codicil number 9.c -- this privacy is the whole reason
Areivim exists as distinct from the public Avodah. If I didn't firmly enforce the rule, I would have no recourse against someone who mines Areivim for things to post in some anti-Orthodox forum.

Tzig asks: How would someone know whether or not I got permission?
The anti-Orthodox excuse makes no sense.

To which Micha responded: You didn't ask any of the moderators... so that part of the process wasn't followed. I'm not arguing this. You were warned that such citation could lead to being summarily dismissed. You were therefore summarily dismissed. The active term is "summarily".

[I'm guessing Micha Berger is or was a very strict school teacher.]

I asked: I was asking about your reasoning. You said that if you didn't enforce it the anti-Orthodox would comment-mine and use it it to their benefit. Yet all you ask is that I ask for permission. To which I say, how would they know whether or not I got permission? so why use that as a reason to dismiss me?

The Bergermeister curtly responded: Look: You accepted a rule. The consequences of the rule are spelledout. You violated the rule. You are paying the price spelled out. This isn't rocket science. The rule is important because if people find Areivim posts all over the web they are less likely to be as forthright in posting to the list. Discussions that have in the past led to changes by the Agudah, the OU, and in the prosecution of the Lanner case (admitted small changes) would stop if people felt they may be risking their children's shidduchim (or whatnot). I therefore promise a measure of privacy, which means I must enforce the privacy when it is violated.

[Notice the way he lists his accomplishments here, and how it's the safety of the innocent that he's really protecting by dumping me....]

Correct me if I'm wrong, people, but the whole lot of them seem pretty haugty and stuck-up to me. I may have told Abish Brodt to "get off his high horse," but these guys ride giraffes, not horses, horses aren't high enough for them. They must look at that mirror and tell it how lucky it is to have that beautiful, Torah'dike, yet MO light face to host. I mean, after all, having Toby Katz AND Harry Maryles as regular contributors must make that list pretty darn proud, no?

All for a few votes

(Yitzchok Pindros, Mayor of Beitar Illit)

Photo: Meir Alfasi, Shturem

Today is election day in Beitar, - they're voting for Mayor - and never has there been more excitement and anxiety in the little town over the Green Line. The current Mayor, Mr. Pindros, is (IIRC) an alumnus of Ponovizher Yeshivah, but a seemingly nice guy. There's a sizeable Chabad presence in Beitar, as well as many other Chassidishe Kreizen, such as Boyan, Karlin, and Slonim. As Mayor one cannot bring his old biases with him, so obviously he needs to tolerate Chabad as well. Most Lubavitchers there say that he hasn't done anything to help their situation there, and that they have shuls and Yeshivos that still have no adequate living space after all these years of promises. I don't know much about the situation there, so I won't be the one to decide. The other candidate is one Meir Rubinstein, a Breslover Chossid who's running on the Chassidic/Sefardic line. He has the support of such Kehillos as Breslov, part of Chabad, Karlin, and the Sefardic vote, while Pindros had the Agudah/Degel vote, which gives him the Gerrer and Misnagdic/B'nei Teyreh vote.

I have little interest in the vote outcome, I have bigger concerns, like Abish Brodt and RMBW. But what gets me is how politicians will do anything for a few votes. If you're a former Yeshivah Bochur and a Talmid of Moron, and you think that all "Chabatzkers" are Apikorsim, and that they're the "closest religion to Judaism", and that they have a Moshiach Shekker, why then would you come and vie for their heretic votes?! It's not like he's a former frummie who went bad, he considers himself very much a Ben Teyreh, even today, so is he ignoring the words of his Rabbeyim?! Not only that but to get those pesky Lubabs to vote for him look what he does, he puts a picture of the Rebbe on his desk for all to see!!! What has this world come to, have people no shame at all?!

Abish Brodt rides a high horse

We realize - Reb Abish - that you think you're the only Heimishe music out there today, and that you're the second coming of Ben-Zion Shenker. But what's with all the PR for your Son-In-Law's real estate company? Or was the Mishpachah cover a paid cover story? Shouldn't we be told that it is? Besides, that squeaky voice of yours gets to a guy after a while, and plenty of people sang Machnisei Rachamim before you recorded it. What makes you better than MBD or Fried, the fact that you're a sufferer of stage fright, and can't perform?

We can't wait to hear at the convention Melava Malka, AGAIN!!!!

Agreeable books are hard to come by

I'm an avid reader. I read about all types of Jewish leaders, whether I agreed with all their policies or not. I feel a strong connection to Jewish History, and I like to be informed of what went on in the past. It gets a bit difficult when today's writers of biographies seem very intent on squeezing the protagonist into what they would want him to be, and turn him into a zealot/Takif/hateful person. It does a disservice to the Tzaddik/Rosh Yeshivah, and keeps people of a different mind from getting to know him and appreciating him. As you know I'm in the process of reading the biography of RMBW zt"l. My fears about his grandkids being Satmarer, (not that there's anything wrong with that) and the entire book being written from that slant were proven right, both from further reading and from what I heard from people that know the author and his family. Hence, much of his opinions are presented as very much in line with Satmar and the "extreme" elements of today, when in reality we know that he was a very educated man - not that he propogated TIDE - who abhorred ignorant people.

There's a chapter that deals with his personality and Shittos, and how he was a very caring person who still managed to be tough when necessary. Actually they make him a tough person who remembered to be nice when necessary. Some of the stories are really inspiring and show us how today's leaders are so far and removed from the leaders of yesteryear. RMBW didn't care as much about HIS K'vod HaTeyreh as he did for the Kovod of the Torah itself. If it meant that his Kovod was to be compromised for the sake of building Torah then so be it. Actually it was never an issue that he had to "forego," he never cared about his Kovod at all. I may quote some examples later, but need to get to the point now. They speak of his opposition to what's known today as "Kiruv Rechokim," and how he was of the opinion that those who are Mekarev Rechokim are at the same time "Merachek Kerovim." They say that at the same time that they recount a slew of stories where he tried to bring Jews back to Yiddishkeit, both those that were frum before, and those that never were. He would speak to wayward Bochurim and try and convince them to remain frum. Yet, for some reason, in 1956-1957, when the "Tshuvah" movement was still in its infancy, he supposedly was all "against it!"

The story goes as follows: There was a Yid in the Nitra Yeshivah named Reb Osher Schwebel z"l. The book doesn't say this, but I heard from former Talmidim that he was a Lubavitcher Chossid. I never saw his name mentioned in any Lubavitcher literataure, but then again maybe I just never realized it. The book says the following: Reb Osher would travel to a certain Admo"r whose custom it was to be MeKarev ReChokim, and RMBW rebuked him for traveling to him, saying that "those that are MeKarev ReChokim tend to be MeRachek Kerovim. Das is Nichs unzer Derech!." Ad Kan Devorov HaK'Doshim. Even an Ungarisher Naar/Ferd like myself can add one plus one and see that the author is referring to the Rebbe. There's nothing simpler for a budding author or biographer today; if you want your book to succeed amongst the Heimishers attack the Rebbe, Tziyonim, or both. You're guaranteed the Williamsburg/BP crowd, and even those that are attacked will buy, I guess we all must all be a bunch of masochists. What's a guy like myself supposed to think about what I just read, and about what the protagonist's grandchild wants to make out of him?

Another "proof" of his "stand" against Kiruv was the fact that he once took a drive to Valhalla, fifteen minutes away from Mt. Kisco, where the Yeshivah was and is located. He noted to the ones with him how many thousands of Jews there were living just in that short drive, and he wondered what he'd say to the B"D SHel Maaloh when they'll ask him after 120 years why he didn't try to bring them back to their roots. "I'll answer that I was working to rebuild the generation that was destroyed, and that I had a responsibility to the deceased parents of these Bochurim." Correct me if I'm wrong here, but does that sound like someone who thinks that bringing these Jews back to their roots is not on the agenda since it's not "Unzer Derech?!" Is it so important to reinvent a man who passed away fifty years ago, just so you Satmarer grandson of his will feel comfortable with every move your Zeide made?! That's why I named this thread the way I did; There's always some chapter in the book, especially when speaking about Litvishe or Hungarian Rabbonim, Roshei Yeshivah, and Rebbes, that'll make me squirm and wonder "why did I just spend 22.50 on this?"

A story for your Shabbos table

Seen on Areivim:

"When Rav Chaim Soloveitchik was a young boy, his father (the Beis HaLevi)
hired for him a private teacher to allow him to diligently progress in his
Torah learning. The tutor quickly recognized the genius of his student and
was eager to show off the young prodigy. As the teacher was a chossid of
the Slonimer Rebbe, he decided to take his protégé to visit his Rebbe. After they entered and were seated, the Slonimer Rebbe gave an apple to the young Chaim, who proceeded to take a voracious bite without first making a blessing. The Rebbe voiced his disapproval to his chossid, noting that if he were a better teacher, his student would understand the importance of reciting a blessing before eating. The young Chaim rejoined by passing the buck one step higher and impudently suggesting that if the Rebbe were on a higher level, his chassidim would be better teachers, who in turn would have better students!"

If you're a Misnaged who things that all Chassidim and Rebbes were and are ignorant Kugel-Fressers then here's ample proof that even a young Reb Chaim could quickly outsmart even an old-time Rebbe. If you're a lover of all things Brisk you're sure to like the story simply because it shows Reb Chaim's Pikchus, even if it is at the expense of a great Tzaddik. If you're a Chossid you've got a dilemmma on your hands. You can't just put down Reb Chaim, even at that young age, after all he was Reb Chaim Brisker, so what do you do? I've yet to come up with an approach for you, but maybe the readers here can help. The commenters on Areivim, including one very irate lawyer, were quick to condemn the story as false. After all, it can't be that RCB would embarrass a Rebbe like that, even as a child. That's one approach, make the Tzaddik into what you'd like him to be. Another approach was "forget the story ever happened." We learn nothing from stories like that, the commenter says, so why repeat it? I'd like to hear what you people think.

Early Years III

Harsh words for the Polish

A letter from the Frierdiger Rebbe to a Mashpia in Toras Emes Yeshivah in Chevron. I realize the words here may seem harsh and even degrading, but I think if taken into perspective they can be seen in a positive light, even by those who may at first be offended. The letter was written about the Talmidim of the first Chassidic Yeshiva in the Holy Land, which was very much in the hands of the "Perushim" until then. The Rebbe felt that they're not carrying out the will of his holy father the Rashab, the founder of Tomchei Tmimim, who was still alive and well at the time. He felt that they somehow seemed to blend in "too well" with the rest of the Yeshivos, and that it wasn't "Nikker" on them that they were Chabad Chassidim and Bochurim.





The fact that the Rebbe allowed for this letter to be printed in its entirety, when we know that other letters were omitted from the books of letters, tells us that this is important for us, the later generations, to know.

Painful Memories

Photo from the Belzer Yizkor book

Schneur comments onCircus Tent: The Rescue Efforts:

It is VERY painful as it is a painful reminder of the extreme tzores of Klal Yisrael in this century. The tragedy that the Rabban Shel Kol Bnai Hagoleh had to remove his beard , flee Belz, his shul and hoif destroyed. He lost his complete family, lost 90% of his followers all besoch the immense tragedy of Klal Yisrael, it sure hurts me. OUCH, OUCH !

I'm too nice of a guy

Here I had a golden opportunity to put my money where my mouth is, and I let it slip my fingers.

מעשה שהי' כך הי-ה (all names and events are true!)

I was at the Monsey Bus stop this Motzoei Shabbos waiting for my son and niece to arrive with the bus when I saw a strange sight. A middle-aged man wearing Yerushalmi garb steps out of a SUV and crosses the road to where the bus would stop. I thought I recognized him, but in the darkness it was tough to tell for sure. Later my worst fears were confirmed. KeYodua, almost all Yerushalmi Yidden who come to America, and there are many of them, remove their Yerushalmi Begodim while in Chutz Le'Aretz. There are a few exceptions, but they're mostly Rebbes like the Lelover U'CHedomeh. The fact that this man was wearing a "gold" striped Kaftan, but yet was on his own, waiting for someone else to arrive, narrowed down the choice to basically one man. This man could only be Moshe Ber Beck, king of the Galut Jews, who turns the other cheek and asks for more, and a man who never met a tyrant and Israel-hater he didn't love.

When the bus arrived, who was to disembark but Yisroel Dovid Weiss, the snot-faced guy from Brooklyn who uses the word "Zuy-Enist" like it was a contagoius, deadly disease, and who gets his w-2 delivered directly from Hezbollah USA. For those of you who somehow don't know he's the one that speaks to the Press and explains the "Jewish View" to anybody who'll listen. Like so many others in the NK, Weiss grew up in a ModOrth home and later "found" the NK. Some of you may remember Chaim Tzvi, the Alte Bochur with a Yerushalmi hat and Reckel, and a white Yarmulka and black socks. He was waving the Palestinian flag 20 years ago, before most Palestinians knew what it looked like. He too is a convert to the NK, but he's been behind the scenes, I guess, or replaced by Weiss as the English-speaking press liaison. Weiss sees himself as one of the "only ones" who really understand how to save the Jewish People from both the Zionists and the Arab and Moslem dictators who wish to destroy the State of Israel. I guess when you grow up without Rabbinic guidance anything goes.

So here I had my chance, I could make myself heard and finally do something for Am Yisroel. I could stand up to a group of two-bit punks who give us all a bad rap in the eyes of the irreligious. I could do one of many things: I could yell at them and cause a major scene, bringing untold shame unto my wife and kids, one of whom was standing there with me. My son would then be traumatized for life, and I'd have myself to blame for that. It's not what I want on my conscience. I could've done something a bit more discrete, like knocking off his Shtreimel while he wasn't looking, or "mistakenly" bumping into him. That way he's not really sure if it was intentional, since I know he's always looking over his shoulder, nobody gets embarrassed, and my kid still loves me. Then again, I did mention to you that I'm from the "non-violent" Hungarian faction, the ones who just went about their business peacefully, without infighting or rabble-rousing. That would disqualify me from any proactive moves, even towards scoundrels like those guys, and even when I'd have lots of support from the people around me.

"You can take the man out of Hungary, but you can't take the Hungarian out of the man."

The Rescue Efforts

(Reb Shmuel Walkin with Alte Mirrer in Shanghai)

I can't really blame the Snags for buying into this, since this was "information" that was placed right in their laps by so-called and "historians", "truth-seekers" and "history buffs," but what I can blame them for is taking the bait without thinking just a little bit. By "thinking" I mean about the can of worms that they open every time they say "Lubavitch did diddly squat," Und So Veiter. Then again, nobody ever accused them of being able to think, at least not the Snags of the last 60 years, the Litvishe Yidden of Amohl could think. I'm still in the midst of reading the biography of RMBW, and I'm intently reading the chapters pertaining to the holocaust and his rescue efforts. Truthfully the Zionist-bashing, directed mostly at the leadership in Palestine and its affiliates in the free world - although it shouldn't - bothers me somewhat. I guess that's what happens when you dislike some of the ways of the Satmar you dislike much of what they do. The author -a grandson of the protagonist - seems to be heavily influenced by the Satmars, but you've already heard that from me, no need to repeat it. Most of the book, and understandably so, deals with what the protagonist and his associates did to save Jews, but a lot also deals with him being frustrated at the fact that the Jews in the free world, in America, England, Switzerland, and Palestine, did little to help.

He blames the inaction of the Leftists-Zionists on the fact that they saw this as an opportunity to finally get their wish: the creation of a Jewish State in Palestine. There's also the idea that they hated frum people so much that they mamesh didn't care that they'd all be exterminated, especially if it was going to get them a state. The fact that some of the people he worked with were also Zionists - although maybe not Leftists - may seem to cast doubts on that accusation, but this has become fact within Charedi circles, especially the anti-Zionist factions. The official excuse they gave was they didn't want to send money to the enemy, which is where the money would've ended up, since RMBW's plan was to "buy" lives by giving the Germans first money and later trucks and supplies, since by late 1944 the money couldn't buy much, so they needed supplies. IIRC the Allies weren't happy with that plan either, since all they wanted was to see the defeat of the German army. Then again; the fact that Kastner was assassinated before he could testify at the trial held in Israel in the '50s sure makes things look suspicious. This is not the point of the thread here, but will serve as a springboard to our relevant topic.


(Shlomo Wajsfeld, Belzer Chossid and refugee from Antwerp who escaped to Switzerland)

RMBW was quite frustrated at the lack of activity on the part of frum Jewry in the free world, and wanted answers - no, demanded answers. I had no real relatives here during WW2, so I can't ask them what they did, and the excuses are plenty. "We didn't know what was going on." "We couldn't believe that the GERMANS, the cultured people of the West, would do such a thing." I've read all the Artscroll books on the history of WW2, - although not recently - and about the Hatzoloh actions that were done by the Sternbuchs and the Griffels and the Sheinfelds etc. I also know about the march on Washington in 1943 by 300 Rabbis led by the venerable Rav Lazer Silver, and about the story how Reb Aron Kotler once took a train to Washington DC in order to save lives. Reb Avrohom Kalmanovitch's work for refugees is well-known, as is his work after the war in bringing in students from the Sefardic lands and integrating them into the Yeshivah and community. But in the greater scheme of things, when we speak of Hundreds upon Hundreds of Thousands that could've been saved, even after Polish and Russian Jewry (in the Nazi-occupied parts) were wiped out, those numbers don't seem like much. Then again, I wasn't there, but neither were any of you. Does it make sense for me to sit here Sixty some-odd years later and judge them for what they could've done? of course not.

However, since many of you out there, and you know who you are, see fit to decide what was and wasn't done by certain people you never liked anyway, and you decide whether or not others have the right to crtiticize, let's sit and examine the facts, shall we? Legend has it that the Ponovizher Rov z"l, who himself was not known to be very active in the Hatzoloh efforts, was quite unhappy with the Chazon Ish's lack of action during that time. A Quote that goes something like "M'hut GeTrunken Orange Juice in Eretz Yisroel BeSha'as Yidden hubben gebrent" is attributed to the PR about the leadership in the Holy Land. However, he himself was busy starting the esteemed Ponovizher Yeshivah while Europe was burning, and opened its doors in 5704, when there still was much to be done. That was the case in America as well, where the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe established a network of schools, Yeshivas, and educational organizations dedicated to strengthening Yiddishkeit in America and Canada. The book Ish Chamudos seems to think that not much was done as far as raising money for the rescue of Jews. They mention that in 1943, when Stephen Wise's rescue organization disbanded the religious Jews then began to mobilize somewhat. Until then their hands were supposedly tied, whatever that means.(That was the time of the march on Washington by the Rabbis.) Rabbi Kalmanovitch ran around collecting money, and managed to put together 100,000 Dollars, which was forwarded to Europe. Students from Yeshivos Torah VoDaas and RIETS remember getting a few days off to go and collect money. Other than that there doesn't seem to be much as far as major rescue efforts. IMHO the Artscroll books on the War rescue effort were BiBechinas Makdim Refuoh LeMakeh, beating the criticism to the punch, showing the world that "look, we saved lives!" When in reality, after the Mirrer and Kletzker Bochurim were fed and clothed there wasn't much to speak of. After the war lots of care packages were sent, sure, but most of that was done by the irreligious "Joint" anyway.


(Bochurimm at the Zeilsheim DP Camp)

Sorry if I offended anybody, and I welcome any and all relevant criticism.

(Photos courtesy of the USHMM)

Less Emes and Emunah

Harry's blog has seen an exponential decrease in comments over the last few months, and I'm wondering why. It's not like the topics were once that stimulating, and recently haven't been. No, it's the same anti-Charedi, ModOrth spin, with some Chabad bashing on the side for good measure, just to reassure the frummies that he's "one of them." So why then have they abandoned him? Maybe he needs to up the Chabad-bashing just a bit, to reel them in, you know. Then, once they'll come back maybe he can go back to saving the world.

Who knows?

COL

Above is a recently-discovered picture, taken in Lubavitch in 5668. So far the guesses range from Reb Srol Noach Blizinski (wrong) to Reb Mendel Futerfas' father, Mendel, to a Majdanchik, to the Rebbe's Zeide, Reb Boruch Schneur (probably not). They seem to have cropped another person in the picture, the one who's hand is draped over the Chossid's shoulder. It's not the little girl's hand, as we can plainly see that the material on the sleeve is different than the dress she's wearing. What we do know is that he was a Chassidisher Yid.

I.I.I. Domb

Domb is a Talmid of Chachmei Lublin and a Strikover Chossid, which left him all alone after WW2 as far as having a Rebbe and general direction, although it may be the Strikover influence that's behind him after all. The Satmar Rov's jabs at the Agudah were nothing compared to Mr. Domb's, as he had nothing to lose from attacking them head on. His articles in HaChomah were fodder for all Kanoyim, and were read with great zest. His heavy Germanic accent only adds to that, and makes his comments even more biting. A sharp, cynical man, yet seemingly kind and charming, so unlike the wannabe NK fools of today who he so despises. Before they came unto the scene Yerachmiel Yisroel Yitzchok Domb was persona non-grata as far as the Agudah and mainstream Charedim, as well as the Religius Zionists were concerned.

It seems like the Neturei Karta is open to all, not just residents of the Karta - Yerushalayim. This makes no sense. After all, if one lives in London, where Domb lives, why then is he considered one of the guardians of the Holy City? Can I - a resident of no city - also join? Or is he an honorary member?