Zlateh the Goat

 It's the picture on top of the blog page, in case you were wondering. It comes from this book. The young boy is sent to town to sell their goat so that they can survive. He gets caught in a blizzard and cannot get to town. This saves the goat's life.

Buy It at Amazon, if you wish.

נסים, נסים, נסים האט געשעהן

געזונגען דורך הרה"ח ר' בנציון שם-טוב ע"ה

A shiur from HaRav Reb Meir Greenberg, ע"ה

at the Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim in Morristown, NJ, c. 5745

A talmid of Yeshiva Torah VoDaas, Talmud Muvhak of HaGaon Reb Shlomo Heiman, Rosh Yeshiva of YTTL in Morristown, Rov of Paterson, NJ, mechaber of "shiurei Gittin" and "shiurei Mesechtos," and last, but not least, A Lubavitcher Chossid.

Photo: Chabad.org

הרבֿ יוסף פֿרידענזאָן געשטאָרבן

First place I saw it was on the Yiddish Forverts site... Ironic.

What I mean to say is that despite it happening on Shabbos it went largely unnoticed till Tuesday in the frum press. The press that he was so prominent a member of. On Monday the Forverts reported it first.

יארצייט - הרה"ח ר' יצחק דובער אושפאל ע"ה

Yud Beis Adar is the Yohrtzeit of Harav Yitzchok DovBer Ushpal, o"h, late Rov of Boro Park's Anshei Lubavitz shul. Here are some recordings as well as writings of his. He left no children. He is pictures 3rd from left in the picture below, which is a group shot of talmidim of the Tomchei Tmimim Yeshivah in Vilna c. 1940. Also seen above of Rabbonim Weinberg and Greenglass, oleihem haSholom.
I thanks those who sent me the clips, as well as the respective websites from which the writings and picture were taken. Being from the Vilner Gubernye you can hear the Rov's Litvise "sin" very clearly. The nigunnim are sung with a somewhat different, more elongated kvetch than what we're used to today.

Government Intervention in Yeshiva Acceptance Policies

I'm not quite sure what the reaction on the street was when they heard that they Government was intervening in יח"ל'ס acceptance policies, but it's fair to say that there were differences of opinion. I imagine that some people didn't care for the fact that they only accepted עילויים. Why not accept every בחור שנפשו חשקה בתורה? That's what they would say, is what I'm saying here. What? You don't think people had issues with the establishment back then? Well, then, they did. I can assure you of that. No matter how great the Rabbonim and leaders were. In this case it seems like the Yeshiva was very happy to accept him - and made that clear to the authorities - as long as he fulfills their criteria, which is to be tested on 200 blatt Gemoroh+Tosfos ba'al peh...

 

יהושע בן נון'ס kever had a picture of the sun on it

"I saw this Rashi in Yeoshua, that on His tomb there was picture of the sun, to show that whoever is buried in this grave stopped the sun. Pretty shocking, since the sun is the ultimate avoda zorah...."

זה היום עשה ה' נגילה ונשמחה בו

Visit Jewish.TV

Speaking of טבריא...

Behold: Rabbis Noach (l) aka Noah and Shmuel Yaakov (r) Weinberg in the aforementioned city before their father's travels took them to the United States. The rest - as they say - is history. We never shall know what would have happened had they stayed there. Then again, Tverya had its issues with the youth in those days, much like Yerushalayim had, maybe even worse. Yes, Rabbis Weinberg left behind a very glorious and illustrious heritage in Tverya, one of Torah and Avodah, as part of the Slonimer "Kompanye" there. If you're of the Mitnagdic persuasion you might say that  especially Reb Shmuel Yaakov took on a more glorious heritage, that of Baltimore, and by extension Slabodka, but you won't hold it against me if I disagree. Even if he did marry Rav Ruderman's only daughter. What did Rabbi Noah exchange for Slonim? Not quite sure.

I thank he who sent me this picture.

More of what Chabad shluchim did - and do - while you were asleep...

ידידנו ר' שניאור - (anybody see him lately?) once asked "when did Chabad become the Salvation Army, delivering meals to the homeless and needy after hurricanes or similar activities that they highlight in articles and videos? Truth is, I'm not sure when that happened, but this was somewhat different, you might say. This kid showed up on their doorstep and wouldn't leave. Still, it makes for a wonderful story and should be publicized. In times like these, when scandal is rife and all we see the dark side on an almost daily basis, it's nice to see stories such as these. And to those of you who have a problem with Lubavitch; try and bite your tongue. Maybe chesed organizations need to start working on their PR to the outside world, you know, get the message out, not so much for fundraising, but also for the greater good?

 

הרב ר' ישראל יצחק פיעקארסקי ע"ה מוצש"ק תצוה

Rav Piekarski - a talmid of יח"ל and of the great Polish גאונים The Kozhiglover and Reb Avrume'le Weinberg - was Rosh Yeshiva of the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim - 770 and Rav of Khal Beis Yaakov in Forest Hills, Queens. why am I posting this now, when Parshas Tetzaveh is next week? Well, for one next Motz"Sh is Purim, in case you forgot. Also, שמא יקדמנו אחר. Which is sad. I shouldn't have to worry about things like that. I should have the freedom to post audio when I like to and when it's right and convenient.

....טבריה של פעם

  

See stories, captions and explanations here

דער קלעצקער ראש ישיבה'ס לויה (אין ניו יארק?) - תשכ"ג

Being maspid the Rosh Yeshiva on this part of the recording were
 הגאון ר' משה פיינשטיין
הרב ר' אברהם קאלמאנאוויטש at 21:15
הרב ר' מרדכי פנחס טייטץ at 33:39
אדמו"ר מבאסטאן בארא פארק at 49:47

not on this recording: Reb Irving Bunim and the Satmar Rebbe.

The Lipkin (Salanter) Family Tree

Acomprehensive family tree, courtesy of בנימין מפתח תקוה, ארה"ק

Did you know that Reb Chaim Ozer was a grandson  - via mariage - of Reb Yisroel?

a classic שושנת יעקב - from the LSJS

I have been searching for this for years! Thank You to an anonymous friend for finding the song and The Whole Album for me to listen to and share. This brings back very fond memories from years gone by. Most of you probably don't know that the יונים song you sing is from this album. Not to share too much with y'all, but I jumped for joy/cried when I got this email. So please try and share my enthusiasm. I'm also sort of a sucker for good accordion, as you may have noticed lately.

Breslov Bar Band...

Not quite sure what a bar band is, but it sounds OK!

In 1958 Rav Kook was still a מקור for Dayan Weisz from Manchester

Looking at this Tshuveh (Siman 'ט) with an iota of objectivity you might say that he was using RAYH"K to make his point, and not so much because he held of him as a m'kor. Sort of like what the Satmarers do when they wanna make a point regarding their favorite subject, Zionism. They'll bring Belzer letters and show it to a Belzer, and then they'll show letters from the Rebbe Rashab to a Lubavitcher, and so on. But then again, we all know that when asked why he's taking Rav Weisz as dayan in the Edah when he's not a kano'i, the Satmar Rov said that a Talmid Chochom can become a kano'i, a kano'i won't become a talmid chochom so quickly... Which is what happened; Rav Weisz fell in line with the Edah theology very nicely, just like the SR foretold. We bring you the Tshuveh in Minchas Yitzchok, and then the Tshuveh in Kol Yisroel from Rav Kook in 1933.

 

קול ישראל courtesy of  תוך כדי דיבור on Otzar haChochmah. Minchas Yitzchok courtesy of HebrewBooks.

אסאך רעבעצינס אין דארנא, בוקאווינע

Vatra Dornei -  דארנא וועטרא in Bukovina was a resort town/spa where many Jews would travel on vacation. It was also where a certain Bar Mitzvah took place in the summer of 1939. The bochur - Yaakov Yosef Twerski, son of the Reb Mordche Yisroel Twerski הי"ד, Rebbe of Azarnitz-Chotin - was a VERY big Yachsan and EVERYBODY and their wife came to the Bar Mitzvah. Some of them posed for pictures. We bring you two pictures from that occasion. You might say that is בהמשך to yesterday's post about the Rebbetzin Tzipoyreh, wife of the previous Skverrer Rebbe, zt"l.  Taking a closer look, without, ahem, looking too close, one can see a little of ירידת הדורות, or נשתנו העתים, if you will, in the manner of dress of the ladies, with the older generation still wearing the old tichel and the younger ones wearing some sort of sheitel or sheitel/tichel combo. This may have been the forerunner of what we see today in the ezras noshim in some kehillos. The Rebbe of Azarnitz-Chotin was killed by the רשעים in Bessarabia in 1941, but his son, the bochur haBar Mitzvah survived and married the daughter of the late Kopycnitzer Rebbe, Reb Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel, zt"l. We shall try and name the ladies pictured here, at least those in the first photograph. Photo caption courtesy of ספר מי יראנו טוב מאת הרב יצחק מאיר טווערסקי

מימין לשמאל: עומדות שניה מימין - הרבנית בת שבע אשת רבינו (רבי מרדכי ישראל טווערסקי מאזארניץ-חאטין), רייזל מרים ליפקיס בת רבינו, הרבנית טריינא (טראנע) אשת רבי יעקב יוסף טווערסקי אדמו"ר מסקווירא, הרבנית שיינדל אשת רבי  ישראל הגר אדמו"ר מוויזשניץ, הרבנית צירל אשת רבי ברוך  הגר אדמו"ר מסערט-וויזשניץ, הרבנית ברכה אשת רבי יהושע אייכנשטיין אדמו"ר מזידיטשויב גראסווארדיין, מימין לשמאל - יושבות: הרבנית בת שבע אשת רבי דוד פרידמאן אדמו"ר מפלוישט, הרבנית חוה אשת רבי אליעזר הגר אדמו"ר מוויזשניץ, הרבנית רחל אשת רבי לייפער אדמו"ר מפיטסבורג, הרבנית ראצע אשת רבי פנחס הגר מבארשא, יושבות ששי מימין: הרבנית ריבא אשת רבי שמחה רובין אדמו"ר מטאמאשאוו, הרבנית חנה סימא בת רבי דוד (הראשון) אדמו"ר מסקווירא, הרבנית שיינדל אשת רבי ברוך הגר אדמו"ר מווישיווא, הרבנית בלימא אשת הרב פייוועל הורוויץ, הרבנית מירל אשת רבי מרדכי דוד רובין מסאסרעגן. מימין לשמאל יושבות: הרבנית שרה אשת רבי משה זייוואלד, הרבנית צפורה חנה בת רבי ברוך הגר אדמו"ר מווישיווא, הרבנית סימה מירל אשת רבי מרדכי הגר אדמו"ר מוויזשניץ-מאנסי, הרבנית מרים אשת רבי חי יצחק אדמו"ר מרחמסטריווקה-בארא פארק  

In this picture I assume that seated second from left is the Vizhnitzer Rebbetzin again. See if you can identify others based on the picture above.

They're lying about us again

  Yad VaShem photo 

 So now we have another liberated young girl telling us how awful life was in the frum community. And she's an "advocate" now too. And again it's the Forward that's so eager to publish her story. Correct me if you will, but in your opinion; is the Lakewood style of marriage considered "arranged?" Is going out 10-12 times for 4-6 hours at a time "forced?" If her marriage was abusive then she needs to get out, but why drag us all into this mess and make it the fault of her family and community that she fell in like that? How many countless times do we hear the exact same - and even much worse - stories with childhood sweethearts or couples that knew each other forever and married for "love?" And here she admits that there was never any physical abuse, only the threat thereof. How often do we see women of non-arranged marriages deteriorate into battered women? What happens to those who leave the fold that they cannot think rationally anymore and just make up stories like little children would? Again, I cannot speak about her situation with her husband as far as what happened behind closed doors, but I can and will speak about her ideas about marriage in our communities, and the idea that somehow we need to be "unchained!" How the Forward still maintains that it is non-biased and has "journalistic integrity" is beyond me. No matter how much they consult with Avi Shafran to get the "other side" of the story the damage is done. He just sounds like a defense lawyer who gets paid to defend the crook.

כל הכבוד לך, הרב ווייטמאן

Shliach makes Kiddush Hashem  shows how Chabad Rabbis are male chauvinist pigs by NOT shaking Brazilian Prime Minister's hand. At a HOLOCAUST Rememberance Day event! The story is picked up by the Israeli Yediot Achronot. I'm not sure which is worse, this or the Rabbi Manis Friedman fiasco. Oh! the embarrassment! When will they join the 21st century?!