A MIXER OR A MIKVEH?

1 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~January 30 2009כאן צוה ה’‏ את הברכהCommunity Newspaperפרשת נא | ה'‏ שבט , תשס”ט | בס”ד January 30, 2009 | Shevat 5, 5769 weekly vOL. Ii | NO 14YUD SHEVATTHE BEGINNING OF THE REBBE'S NESIUS PAGE 10WHAT IS A REBBE? PAGE 11YUD SHEVAT CUSTOMS PAGE 11RABBI YOSEF YITZCHOK SHNEERSON PAGE 12GOAL OF MIVTZOIM PAGE 12A MIXER OR A MIKVEH?Page 6Hagaon Hachossid HoravChaim Meir BukietBORUCH...MATIR ASURIMOUR DAVENING HAS BORNEFRUIT! SHOLOM RUBASHKINWAS RELEASED ON BAIL.Beis Din of Crown Heights390A Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Tel- 718~604~8000 Fax: 718~771~6000Rabbi A. Osdoba: ❖ Monday to Thursday 10:30AM - 11:30AM at 390A Kingston Ave. ☎Tel. 718-604-8000 ext.37 or 718-604-0770Sunday-Thursday 9:30 PM-11:00PM ~Friday 2:30PM-4:30 PM ☎Tel. (718) - 771-8737Rabbi Y. Heller is available daily 10:30 to 11:30am ~ 2:00pm to 3:00pm at 788 Eastern Parkway # 210 718~604~8827 ❖ & after 8:00pm 718~756~4632Rabbi Y. Schwei, 4:00pm to 9:00pm ❖ 718~604~8000 ext 36Rabbi Y. Raitport is available by appointment. ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 39Rabbi Y. Zirkind: ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 39Rabbi S. Segal: ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 39 ❖ Sun ~Thu 5:30pm -9:00pm or ☎718 -360-7110Rabbi Bluming is available Sunday - Thursday, 3 -4:00pm at 472 Malebone St. ☎ 718 - 778-1679Rabbi Y. Osdoba ☎718~604~8000 ext 38 ❖ Sun~Thu: 10:0am -11:30am ~ Fri 10:am - 1:00 pm or☎ 718 -604-0770Rabbi S. Chirik: ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 38 ❖ Sun~Thu: 5:00pm to 9:00pmErev Shabbos4:54Motzoei Shabbos5:56Gut Shabbos

2 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~January 30 2009The Vaad HakoholREBBE'S STORYEnhancing AchievementReprinted from the bookTo Know and To Care - Volume 1Published and copyright © by Sichosin English“For the past twenty-oddyears, since I had first metthe Rebbe, my life can bedescribed as a pocket fullof miracles,” says Mr. DavidChase, one of America’s foremostbusinessmen. “And Idon’t mean only in my businessendeavors. To the contrary,the greatest miracleof them may have been myability to appreciate the messagethat the Rebbe conveys.My relationship with theRebbe has given me and manyothers a sensitivity to matterswhich are beyond ordinarymortal understanding. Forthis reason, over the years,I have committed myself toadvancing the Rebbe’s workin many areas and to differentpeople.“The Rebbe’s directives areso far-reaching and never ending.The Rebbe himself once describedhis ‘insatiable appetite’ for ongoingJewish activity. Perhaps it is theRebbe’s total lack of self-concernand constant devotion to the welfareof others that has motivated me toregard my Lubavitch activity as acherished labor of love.“Once, at the annual meeting of theMachne Israel Development Fund, Itold the Rebbe how pleased I was tobe one of the soldiers in his army.“You are not merely a soldier,”the Rebbe replied. “You are mygeneral.”“Some time later, when I came toreceive a dollar on Sunday, I receiveda promotion; the Rebbe told me, “Iregard you as a five-star general.”Community Newspaper392 Kingston AvenueBrooklyn, NY 11225chp5768@gmail.comPublished & edited weekly by the Vaad Hakoholof Crown Heights.Moshe Rubashkin, Rosh HakoholDr. Tzvi (Harvey) Lang, ChairmanRabbi Plotkin, SecretaryLayout: SimplyUnique (basmelech@gmail.com)All material in this paper has been copyrighted. Itis the exclusive property of this newspaper, unlessotherwise attributed., and cannot be reproducedwithout the consent of the publisher.Composition responsibility: This newspaper will notbe liable for errors appearing in advertising, beyondthe cost of the space occupied by the error. Advertiserassumes responsibility for errors in telephone orders.All advertisement designed and prepared by the CHCommunity Newspaper are the property of thenewspaper and cannot be reproduced without theconsent of the publisher“When one tells a story about his Rebbe he connects to the deeds of the Rebbe”(Sichos 1941 pg. 68)“I consider it my pleasure and duty tohelp others benefit from an associationwith the Rebbe, just as I havebenefited in both my business andprivate life. My activities bring mein contact with many public figuresaround the world, and I do not hesitateto share my experiences with theRebbe and with his directives withJews and non-Jews.“I often visit my native land, Poland,where I have business interests.Prior to one trip to Poland, I visitedNew York and asked for the Rebbe’sblessing. The Rebbe handed mean additional dollar, saying: “Givethis to a person in Poland who willbenefit the Jewish people.”“Due to my business endeavors, Ihave various contacts in the Polishgovernment, and I contemplatedwho would be the proper recipient ofthe Rebbe’s dollar. One day I foundmyself aboard a domestic flightwith the newly elected PresidentLech Walesa. I had several contactswith Mr. Walesa in the past, andit occurred to me that I would notbe able to find a better person towhom to give the Rebbe’s dollar. Iapproached him, handed him thedollar, and conveyed the Rebbe’smessage.“Mr. Walesa looked at me thoughtfully.“I sincerely hope I will beable to live up to your Rebbe’sexpectation.”“After this encounter, my acquaintancewith Mr. Walesa grew andwe became quite friendly. Sometime later, Mr. Walesa personallyinvited me to accompany him onhis upcoming visit to Israel. Thistrip was a major breakthrough inrelations between the two countries,and he felt that my inclusion in hisdelegation would be helpful.“Though I was not inclined to acceptthe invitation, I saw this as a furtherstep in enhancing the impact of theRebbe’s influence on ‘a person whowill benefit the Jewish people,’ andI agreed. Mr. Walesa told me hewanted to express the regret of thePolish people for their inexcusablebehavior towards the Jews duringWorld War II.“As a Holocaust survivor myself,I insisted that his statement beforthright, without minimizing theissue or covering it up with blanddiplomatic wording.“Mr. Walesa surprised the Israeligovernment with his non-evasivestatement of regret on behalf ofthe Polish people. Subsequently,former Prime Minister Shamir wasvery demanding in several points,including a change in the pro-Arabapproach that had been advocatedby Poland’s previous Communistleaders and a cessation of arms salesto countries hostile to Israel. DespitePoland’s heavy financial loss, onecould almost see the Rebbe’s directiveat work as Mr. Walesa agreed toone concession after another.“Later, I accompanied him on a visitto the Diaspora Museum, where Ipointed out the picture of the Rebbewhich is displayed there. “Is this myRebbe?” Mr. Walesa asked bowinghis head in reverence. Mr. Walesa’sresponse was striking. He was clearlyimpressed and moved by the Rebbe’sintense gaze. He actually loweredhis head as if acknowledging hisleadership.“In many other instances, I havebeen privileged to bring the Rebbe’smessage to people who might otherwisenot have been exposed to them.The best way we can reciprocate forthe good which the Rebbe showersupon us is to express his teachings,ideals, and principles in our dailylives.”

January 30, 2009 ~ crOWN heights Newspaper 3The Rebbe's Sicha Parshas BoA thought for the WeekReprinted from A thought For theWeekBy Rabbi YM KaganTEFFILLIN:INSTRUMENT FORUNITYThe Sedra closes with: “And it shallbe as a sign upon your hand and asTefillin between your eyes, for witha strong hand G-d brought us out ofEgypt.”( 1)A cardinal concept of Judaism isunity; first of course is HashemEchod — one G-d, and one Torah.Then there is the ideal of an innerunity and harmony within everyperson. There is an outlook thatencourages indulging the bodyfreely, completely ignoring the soul.Another view is that the body shouldbe mortified to benefit the soul. Judaismteaches that the purpose of thesoul is to guide the healthy body inaccordance with Torah; there mustbe a unity of body and soul.Narrowing the focus down to the“life of the soul” in particular, againwe find different opinions concerningthe dominant principle of man’slife and moral decisions: Some saythat man should be guided by thedictates of his intelligence, rationaland objective logic. Others feel heshould be guided by his heart andemotions. Another group is impatientwith ideas and feelings, insistingthat the crucial factor is action;how one acts is all that matters.Torah declares that the ideal is unity.Man must strive for the perfectionthat can be achieved only when head,heart and hand function together inharmony, in accordance with theAl-mighty’s wishes.This critically important innerharmony is expressed in the Mitzvaof Tefillin. Tefillin on the arm nearthe heart, with Tefillin on the head,together fulfill the precept. Ideas,emotions and actions are to beharmonious, the heart’s feelings andthe mind’s understanding and theactions of the hand consonant witheach other. What is more, the veryact of putting on Tefillin itself givesan infusion of spiritual strength tothe wearer, enabling him to live aTorah-life with harmony of head,hand and heart.TEFILLIN — IN THOSEDAYSIt was at a time that wearing Tefillinwas punishable by death bythe foreign rulers of Israel. TheTalmud complains that the level ofself-sacrifice for the Mitzva was nothigh enough — as demonstrated by“Elisha of the Wings” who earnedhis nickname as follows: He wasonce walking in the street wearingTefillin, when an officer spotted himand chased him. Elisha took off hishead-Tefillin and held them in hishand. When the officer overtookhim he asked “what is in your hand?”Elisha replied “wings of a dove.”Elisha than opened his hand, andthe Tefillin had miraculously beenchanged to doves’ wings! Because hedid not have the moral strength tosay that they were Tefillin (thoughthis would have meant certaindeath) it is apparent to the sages ofthe Talmud that the feelings of thepeople towards Tefillin were not aswarm as the Mitzva deserved!(2)REFERENCES: Based on LikuteiSichos Vol. VI pp. 279-281Exodus 13:16Shabbos 120aHEAPThe HEAP Program Outreach WorkersThe scheduled appointments are onTUESDAY, February 3 -- 9:15 AM--3:30 PM.at the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council,387 Kingston Avenue (corner Crown St.).Please come early -- First come, first servedGREAT NEWS. The outreach workers will accept BOTH regularand emergency applications. (To apply for emergency heap youmust have a shut-off notice.)Those families on Food Stamps with a child under 8 need notapply unless you pay your own heating bill. You will receive itautomatically. All other families must apply. Persons 60 and overcan apply with DFTA 212-442-1000. Households on Section 8are only eligible if they pay their own heating bill.Please bring in the following documentation:1) Proof of income, Soc. Sec., or support letter for the past twomonths2) Rent, mortgage or tax papers3) Birth certificates and social security cards for familymembers4) Fuel or utility bills5) Proof of Citizenship (Citizenship paper).6) Letter for child 18 and over that he/she is in School.Thank youAdapted from Shmais.comEngagementsTzvi Yehuda Balbin (Melbourne, AU)to Leah Moss (Sydney, Australia)Shlomo Frosberg (Lomita, CA) toDevorah Leah Hauck (L A, CA)Eli Goldstein (CH/Dnepr, Ukraine)to Lea Tonkonog (Ukraine)Yehoshua Zelig Rivkin (Carmiel,Israel) to Muki Simpson (CH)Yechiel Yosef Schanowitz (Chicago,IL) to Sheina Schildkraut (S. Paulo,Brazil)Shomie Schechter (C H) to HindyChazanow (Manalapan, NJ)Arele Teleshevsky (Melbourne,Australia) to Mushka Hecht (Brentwood,CA)Mazal Tov!WeddingsShmuly Goldberg (CH) to DinaBryski (North Hollywood, CA)Shmuly Kirsh (Crown Heights) toChanie Minsky (Crown Heights)Sholom Schochet (Toronto, Ont.)to Goldie Engel (Denver, CO)Births – BoysYisroel & Sara Bernath- Montreal, CanadaRefoel & Etti Huisman- Crown HeightsMichoel & Zelda Lerner- Crown HeightsMoshe Menachem & ShulamisLevinson – Crown HeightsShloimeh & Rivki Nathanson- Melbourne, AustraliaShmuel & Chanie Pevzner- Crown HeightsGedalya & Bassie Shemtov- Crown HeightsYossi & Sara Touger - Monsey, NYSaadia & Devora Yanni- Crown HeightsBirths – GirlsEli & Nechama Backman– College Park, MDLevi & Miri Feigelstock- Asuncion, ParaguayDovid Chaim & RacheliGurovich - Crown HeightsYosef & Raizel Schapiro- Crown HeightsBar MitzvahDovi Herman - Valley Village, CAMenachem Mendel Liberow- Manchester, UKREAD THECROWN HEIGHTSCOMMUNITY NEWSPAPER@CROWNHEIGHTS.INFO

4 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~January 30 2009Our HeroesHagaon Hachossid Horav Chaim Meir Bukiet1919-27th of Teves 1998Part IBy Rabbi Michoel SeligsonSpecial thanks to Reb DovidZaklikowskiHagaon Hachossid Horav ChaimMeir Bukiet was born on the 24thof Menachem Av 1919 in Wislica,Poland, the only child of HoravHachossid Reb Avrohom Shmueland Mrs. Rochel Bukiet.The Previous Rebbe establishedmany small chadorim across thePoland, including one in Chmielnik,the town where Chaim Meir wasraised. One morning while passingthe cheder Chaim Meir’s motherheard the Kol Torah and thought itwould be a proper place for her sonto learn. The young Chaim Meirlearned there for a few years untilhis father sent him to TomcheiTmimim in Warsaw, having firstinquired about the yeshiva. ChaimMeir grew to be a brilliant and successfulstudent.Chaim Meir was a diligent studentas well. Once asked what his hobbieswere as a young child he answered, “Iliked to learn what I understood.”Chaim Meir continued to learn inthe Lubavitch Yeshiva as he becameolder and as the yeshiva moved fromWarsaw to Otwock, Poland, wherehe was among the elite students. Atthe age of seventeen he wrote a Torahdiscussion printed in Hatomim, amagazine published under the directorshipof the Previous Rebbe.In later years, one of his grandsonsasked Reb Chaim Meir about theTorah article written at such a youngage. Reb Chaim Meir recalled. “Iwrote an essay on the Rambam andsomeone passed it around the studyhall. It reached the hands of theRosh Yeshiva, the Gaon and ChossidRabbi Yehuda Eber, who was alsoone of the editors of Hatomim. Heasked me if he could publish it andI agreed.”The Rosh Yeshiva Reb Yehuda Eberwould deliver a deep and analyticalshiur and immediately after theconclusion of the shiur Reb ChaimMeir would review the shiur for theother students.The students who were togetherwith him in the famous LubavitchYeshiva in Otwock, Poland attestedto how he would stay up throughoutthe night learning with his studypartners. Rabbi Moshe Baitch, whowas a student in the yeshiva, oncerelated that he remembered howReb Chaim Meir and Reb ShmuelDovid Raichik used to learn togetherwith great enthusiasm late into thenight.Concern for His ParentsWhile in yeshiva Reb Chaim Meirsuffered from very bad headaches fora number of weeks. He visited thedoctor in his town and was advisedto get more sleep at night. He nevertold his parents, knowing that thiswould cause them concern and hedidn’t want to worry them.Living in Poland was not necessarilycomfortable for Jews. Reb ChaimMeir responded to the questionof whether he experienced anti-Semitism in Poland, with a personalexperience. “I will share somethingthat happened to me when I was abochur in yeshiva. I was once standingin the courtyard of the yeshivanext to a tree, davening with deepconcentration. Out of the blue a rocklanded on my head. I turned aroundand there was a Polish boy standingthere. I remember how they oncesurrounded the yeshiva and triedto break in. There were many othersuch occurrences.”Previous Rebbe’s Instruction toLeave PolandAs WWII approached, Reb ChaimMeir returned home in order thathis parents not worry about him. Hereceived a letter from a dear friend ofhis, Reb Menachem Zev Greenglas,stating that the Previous Rebbe hadinstructed all the students to leavePoland and head for Vilna, thenunder Latvian control.Reb Chaim Meir spoke about thosedays. “When I got the letter I showedit to my mother. She went to a Rabbiin the neighboring community. TheRabbi said that if the Rebbe wouldknow what was happening at theborders [of Poland and Russia] hewould not tell the students to fleetoward the borders.My motherasked me to stay.I did not want toleave my parentsalone and notknowing if the letterwas accurate,I stayed. After awhile I receiveda telegram thatthey were waitingfor me in theyeshiva, to leavefor Vilna accordingto the Rebbe’sinstructions. Idecided to go andpacked a few smallthings. My fatherand I left, headedtowards Russia.My ailing motherwas unable to joinus.L e a v i n g h i sFamily“It was snowingstrongly that night. By the time weleft the town my father realized thathe couldn’t make it and told me that Ishould go on by myself. It was PurimKatan and on the way we met a fewpeople. Together we experiencedgreat miracles as we passed by theGerman soldiers. I arrived in Warsawon Friday and stayed with a relativewho was a great scholar. His wholefamily was there and there was noplace for me to put down my headand sleep. After Shabbos I left hishouse and began wandering.”Reb Zalman Bukiet, the Rebbe’sshliach in Boca Raton, Floridarecalled. “My father’s mother wasnot comfortable separating fromher only child and she did not takeit well that he left. So great was herpain that she wrote a letter to theRebbe after my father left Chmielnikstating, ‘Why did you take away myonly son?’ When my father came toNew York, someone told him aboutthe letter and he took it to heart. Healways felt bad that he had left hisparents never to see them again.In 1986 my father saw an ad publicizinga gathering of the members ofthe Chmielnik Jewish community.My father decided to go hoping tomeet anyone who had informationabout his parents. He asked me toaccompany him. We went and tomy father’s astonishment, they wereeating non-kosher food. We sat downand my father was asked to speak.He noted how they all had the meritto be saved from the war and addedin astonishment, “And this is themanner in which you act now?!” Weleft immediately thereafter.A few weeks later my father saw an adfor another gathering in a differentlocation. After his previous experiencehe didn’t know if he should go.We finally decided to go and thistime the meeting was composed ofobservant Jews. We sat down andthey asked my father’s name, andhe responded ‘Chaim Meir Bukiet’.Hearing the name, one particularindividual related the following. ‘Iwas with your parents as we enteredthe train to the concentration camp.I remember I helped your father ontothe train, as he was an older man. As Iwas helping him, he said ‘A dank G-taz Chaim Meir iz nisht do’, ‘ThankG-d that Chaim Meir is not here.’ Iremember seeing my father’s faceshine as he heard those words, anda big weight [of sorrow] was liftedfrom his shoulders.”In an interview with the Kfar Chabadweekly, Reb Chaim Meir describedhis ordeal during WWII. In general,the torture and humiliation that theWarsaw Jews endured during the firstdays of the war was horrifying.Searching for the PreviousRebbe“The Germans would persecutefamilies. For example, they wouldkidnap the husbands and send themaway to work in factories for theGerman war effort. One night theyarrested any Jewish woman thatthey found on the Warsaw streets.There were many acts of brutalityagainst the Jews, collectively andindividually.The Previous Rebbe was then inWarsaw. When he heard that theGermans were searching for him,he hid in the home of Reb HirshelGurary.A messenger came with the newsthat they were looking for the Rebbe.The message was relayed to theRebbe, including the informationthat contacts had been establishedwith people in the United States torescue the Rebbe. The Rebbe advisedthat if a messenger came they shouldallow him into the Rebbe’s room. Itwas Shabbos, a knock on the doorwas heard, and Reb Hirshel Gurarygot up to open the door. Representativesof the U.S. were at the door.Right then German agents came tothe house as well. When they sawthe American representatives theGermans left.When I came to Warsaw the PreviousRebbe was still there. In orderto pass from Warsaw into Russia,one needed to cross the Buk Riverto the side under Russian control.Rumor had it that the Russians werearresting all Polish citizens who

January 30, 2009 ~ crOWN heights Newspaper 5crossed into Russia and were sendingthem to Siberia. We continuedon our way having been directed bythe Previous Rebbe.We reached the boundary betweenthe German occupied territory inPoland and Russia, around midnight.The river which was entirely frozenwas the only way across. Suddenlywe heard screaming and we becamevery fearful. We also could not locatethe guide who was supposed to leadus across the border. Finally, a groupof people, all equally lost in the night,gathered and decided to continuetogether without the guide.We went through a cemetery into asmall village, having no idea wherewe were. We knocked on the door ofa non-Jew, who came out to us butdid not allow us in. He informedus that we were already in Russianterritory and we calmed down. Hegave us directions and warned us notto be caught by the police.Upon reaching the city of Ishishukwe eventually found the house ofthe Rav, also the town’s shochet, andhe gave us directions. We smuggledourselves into the train station, wereable to purchase food and drink onthe journey, and arrived in the cityof Slonim.It was night and all the streets weredark. After some searching we weresuccessful in finding a shul, where toour joy we found chassidim sittingand Farbrenging in honor of PurimKoton. What a delight.At that Farbrengen, someone recalledthe Rebbe RaShaB’s Purim Farbrengenin 1917. When the communiststook over Russia there were peoplewho said that it wouldn’t last long.The Rebbe RaShaB then said, ‘Whenthey persecute a Jewish body [theJewish nation], Hashem does nothave patience and does not remainsilent, but when they begin with him[Hashem alone], he is patient.’Visit from a Russian General duringthe SederFrom Slonim we walked alongthe Russian border to Vilna. Priorto my escape from Poland, I hadcorresponded with a student inGluboka. When I reached his villageI thought to myself, a Lubavitch shulis not worse than anywhere else, anddecided to sleep there. A Russiangeneral lived in the building thathoused the shul but we had nowhereelse to go. We remained in the villagefor Pesach and held the sedorim inthe house of a chossid. The Russiangeneral heard the sounds of theseder, entered the house and begancrying. It turned out that he was aJew. Indeed, when a person needs tofulfill a mission, Hashem sends himto the right place.Arriving in Brisk & UnexpectedFriendsWe crossed the border and eventuallycame to Brisk where a Jewishwoman, hearing that I was a studentof Tomchei Tmimim, immediatelyinvited me to her home. The familyGelstein was a prosperous one thatowned a shoe and galoshes factorywhich they later sold for a goodprice.Reb Avraham Shmuel BukietWhen I entered their home, tomy surprise I found Horav AryeLeib Kramer and Horav ShlomaHochler, two of my friends fromWarsaw who were also en-routeto Vilna. The Gelstein’s hachnosasorchim remains in my memory untilthis very day. The hosting of threestudents was a great risk but theydid not take that into considerationand sacrificed themselves to host us.I recall how Mrs. Gelstein told us,‘Children, feel at home’.After a short stay, we decided tomove although we did not knowwhere to go. Our host supplied uswith food for the trip, as well assome money to give to individualsin Vilna, which we sewed into ourgarments.We came to an agreement withsmugglers who took people acrossthe border from Russia to Latvia.They wanted me to shave my beardin order not to raise the suspicionsof the border guards. I objected andeventually they agreed that I didn’thave to. We designated a late hourof the night for the escape.At night we entered the forest andmet the smuggler. He led us to themiddle of the forest where he handedus over to a non-Jewish woman whowas to guide us the rest of the way. Assoon as she saw us, she told us ‘Youshould pray that we are successfulbecause it is a dangerous risk.’It was Pesach Sheni when we cameout of the forest and already daylight.We saw people walking in thedistance. Fearing that they mightshoot at us, we went back into theforest and remained there until thefollowing evening.That evening there was a full moon.Until now we had been walkingin a desolate and abandoned area.We approached a village and theguide warned us to keep quietlest we awaken the dogs and alertthe border guards. That is how weentered the central streetin the village. Suddenlyit began raining and theguide pulled out a toweland a stick and smoothedout the footsteps that wehad left in the dirt. Afterthis risky but successfulordeal, the guide thankedHashem because our safepassage, according to alllogic, should not havesucceeded.Visas were obtained ina remarkable way fromthe Japanese consul inRussia, the illustrious andrighteous Mr. ChiuneSugiharaVilnaReb Cham Meir continued.“We finally reachedVilna and felt comfortable enough tobreathe freely. We knew that prior toWWII there was a Lubavitch yeshivain Vilna, founded by HachossidHorav Yitzchok Duber Ushpal,later to become a Rosh Yeshiva inthe Lubavitch Yeshiva in Brooklyn.This encouraged many students tocross the border into Vilna. In total,there were thirty-nine students whomanaged to get through to Vilna.”Horav Hachossid Reb Gershon Chanowitz,one of the students in Vilna,recalled the yeshiva in Vilna. “ThePrevious Rebbe sent the chossidHorav Yehoshua Eizik Baruch to bea mashpia in the yeshiva. When hecame to Vilna he told us that he feltobligated to constantly repeat themessage of the Previous Rebbe tochassidim in Poland. ‘I am not leaving.It is not an ocean that divides but[rather one that] connects. Emunaand hiskashrus are as they were, andHashem should help that we shouldmeet at the arrival of Moshiach.’The mashpia Horav Baruch hadsuch a genuine belief in the PreviousRebbe’s words, that two days beforeRosh Hashana he blessed us that weshould be with the Rebbe on RoshHashana. When we asked him howthat was possible he responded,‘How a telegraph and telephoneworks you do understand?!’The Gaon Horav Chaim Ozer, theRav of Vilna, who was also in chargeof the Vaad Hayeshivos, organizedplaces to house the students whocame to Vilna.One of the maggidei shiurim inthe yeshiva was Horav Zalman, anephew of the famous Gaon HoravBoruch Ber Lebowitz. During WWIIstudents from many different backgrounds,such as the grandchildrenof Horav Boruch Kamenitz andof the Chofetz Chaim, studied inTomchei Tmimim.Hachossid Horav Reb MordechaiBryski remembered Reb ChaimMeir in Vilna.“The studies in the yeshiva in Vilnacontinued in the Chabad UptuvShul which had a kitchen on thelower floor. The dormitory was inthe women’s section. The dormitorymade life easier, especially for theTmimim who became ill. A numberof diseases were circulating in Vilnaand many Tmimim were bed-ridden.Reb Chaim Meir, who was alwaysengrossed in his studies, stood outas an exceptionally generous personand devoted himself to each of thestudents who needed assistance.”JapanHachossid Horav Reb MordechaiBryski recalled.“Many Tmimim went from Vilnato Japan. There was an Americanconsulate in Russia but not in Vilna.Obtaining an affidavit for entry intothe United States was very difficult.The students would request a visafor a ten-day stay in Japan in orderto receive an affidavit, and whenthe visas came they would apply toextend their stay.”Horav Chanowitz recalled. “Thestudents came in groups to Japan.Although the community wasAshkenazic, the American JointDistribution Committee workedthere and we knew that withouttheir assistance we would not beable to remain. The community ofabout thirty families supported andsustained the thousands of refugees.Most of the refugees were yeshivastudents primarily from chassidicfamilies, who stood out with theAhavas Yisroel that they displayed toall. Lubavitch chassidim had a separatebuilding which also containedthe yeshiva. The Amshinover Rebbelived on the top floor. The PreviousRebbe had already instructedLubavitch chassidim in Vilna to turnto the Amshinover Rebbe when theyhad questions or needed guidanceand to follow his advice.When war between the UnitedStates and Japan broke out in 1941,the Japanese moved the Jewishrefugees to Shanghai. Among therefugees who came to Shanghai wasReb Chaim Meir who continuedhis tradition of physically helpingpeople, as well as sitting and learningwith great diligence and daveningwith avoda, according to thetradition of Chabad chassidim tomeditate and concentrate on everydetail of the tefila.”To be continued

6 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~January 30 2009A Rabbi’s Northern AdventureFrom the Heights of Alaska to the Golan HeightsReprinted with special permissionby the author and Merkos L'InyoneiChinuchBy Rabbi Yisrael HaberThe mountain tops were frosted withsnow, and in many places the snowextended far under the peaks. Aswe came closer to our destination,we wondered if Anchorage couldbe covered with snow in thebeginning of September.Neither of us had taken ourwinter jackets on the plane.Our worries subsided whenwe circled over the Gulfof Alaska’s Cook Inlet asthe pilot prepared to land.Down below was a snow-free,normal, honest-to-goodnesscity.There were tall buildings,highways, automobiles, shipsin the harbor—and not oneigloo in sight! For people likemyself who had a lot of wildnotions about Alaska, thepilot informed us that therewas no longer a single igloo inall of the State of Alaska.This was it. We had made it. Wewere here. Alaska here we come.We fastened our seat belts for landing,swooped low over the waterand touched-down smoothly onthe airstrip that jutted out into theinlet leading to the terminal of theAnchorage International Airport.A crowd of people were waiting togreet us at the modern terminalbuilding. The welcomers includedthe Mayor of Anchorage; the AttorneyGeneral; my new boss, ChaplainColonel Luther Gabrielsen and hiswife, Dee; several other Protestantchaplains and their wives; militaryofficials from Elmendorf Air ForceBase; and Jewish community leadersfrom Anchorage.They had all come out to meetAlaska’s one-and-only rabbi. Onewoman who greeted us on behalfof the Jewish personnel stationedat Elmendorf and the nearby Armybase, Fort Richardson, briefed usby saying, “There are Jews here whodon’t observe the laws of Judaism,and they want to make certain thatno one else does either. However,my family and I are very happy thatyou have both arrived and we hopeto learn many things from you.”It was during the proceedings thata military quartermaster came upto me to ask if I wanted a Westinghouseor General Electric mixer.As I mentioned, an order had beensent from the Pentagon to provideChaplain Yisrael Haber with a mixerupon his arrival in Anchorage. It wasonly when I looked at the officialrequisition form that he showed medid I realize that the “mixer” he wastalking about was the mikvah whichI had requested!“I need a mikvah, not a mixer,” Isaid.“What’s a mikvah?” he asked.With so many important peoplearound, I didn’t have time to explain.After the welcoming ceremony,Chaplain Clay Kennedy, a Baptistchaplain, and his wife, Monica,drove us through Anchorage toElmendorf Air Force Base which waslocated three miles from the centerof the city. Anchorage, home of halfthe state’s population and scenicallyset between the Cook Inlet and theChugach Mountain Range, boastedtwo universities, luxury hotels, a newmuseum, and several large shoppingmalls—in other words, we hadn’t leftcivilization.“You look surprised,” the Baptistchaplain said.“I had no idea the city would be somodern,” I answered. “I figured we’dbe met at the airport by a dog teamand sled.”“In some places in Alaska, that mayhappen, but Anchorage is a moderncity just like any other. We evenhave two daily newspapers, threetelevision channels, and ten radiostations.”I asked him where the famousAnchorage mountains were.“When the clouds lift and the suncomes out, I’ll take you on a touroutside the base, and you’ll see themin all of their glory.”He drove us to the quarters whichwould be our home for the next threeyears. We were thrilled to discovera two story house with three bedroomsand a very large basement.The house was a short, five-minutewalk from the chapel where Jewishservices were held. That wouldfacilitate getting to shul on Shabbatwhen traveling is forbidden.I had requested such an arrangement,and I was happy to see thatmy request had been fulfilled. Thehouse was also directly across thestreet from the building where myoffice was located. That was also agood deal, I thought, anticipatingthe heavy winds and snowstormswhich would come.As evening began settlingover America’sl a r g e s t s t a t e , w eshlepped our perishablefood to the chapelfreezer for storageuntil our furniture andhousehold appliancesarrived by movingvan.The temperature wasin the mid-fifties asMiriam and I walkedalong the base, enjoyingeach other’scompany.We had done it. Wehad arrived.Smiles graced ourfaces. What a wonderfulwife I had for following me tothis faraway corner. What a patient,loving woman, I thought. What ahelper and friend. Who else wouldhave taken off with me on such apreposterous adventure? And whata crazy husband I have, she musthave been thinking. But I could seein her eyes that she was happy. Shewas proud of me and proud of herself.After all, she was the wife of Alaska’sChief Rabbi!But much more than that, we weretogether, and that made this strange,beautiful new place feel like home.Even if our dream house was on anAir Force base. Even if our furniturewas still on the way. Even if we werefurther away from our families thanwe had ever been in our lives. Afterour long journey, we were closertogether, united in life, helping oneanother along the wonderful andmysterious pathways of the Masterof Heaven and Earth.Chapter 10ROSH HASHANAHIstayed awake most of my firstnight in Alaska thinking about mynew position and all of the thingsI wanted to accomplish. Whateverservices and innovations I couldprovide to the Jews of Alaska, itwould all have to be my doing, fromthe idea stage to the execution of theproject. I was no longer an assistantprincipal with a well-oiled Jewishframework around me; up here inthe woods I was the whole team—center, quarterback, running back,tackle and split end.When morning arrived, with almosta holy awe, I carefully dressed intomy blue slacks, blue shirt, blue jacket,blue tie, and blue hat. In my new AirForce uniform, I felt more like a NewYork City policeman than a rabbi.But no, this wasn’t New York; thiswas Alaska, and I was an officer inthe Air Force.“Is it Purim today?” Miriam joked,gazing at me from the doorway.“Very funny,” I said.“You look great.”“You really think so? It isn’t tootight?”“Mottel the tailor couldn’t have fityou better.”Satisfied that I passed the test, Irolled up my sleeve to put on tefillin.That morning’s prayer camedeep from the heart, and I took theoccasion to ask that G-d help mesucceed in this strange and foreignlocation.Miriam stood at attention andsaluted as I walked out the dooron my way to my first day of work.“Good luck,” she said. “And remember,I’m proud of you.”She must have read my mind, becausewalking to the chaplain’s office I hadsome second doubts.“Hey Yisrael, do you realize that youare the only kippah wearing Jew ina distance of two-thousand miles?”I thought. The reflection caused mea shudder of loneliness.On the base of thirty-five thousandservicemen, there were nine Protestantchaplains, three Catholicchaplains, and myself. Out of thatgroup, I figured I might be able towork up a bridge game, but I mightnot be seeing a minyan for an awfullong time. But if my wife was proudof me, that was a sign that what I wasdoing was right.I straightened my gait as I headed forthe chapel a short walk away. Practicingthe military greeting which Ilearned in my course, I walked intothe building, determined to be notonly a rabbi, but a first-class officer aswell. Walking as erect and militarylikeas I could, I strode confidentlythrough the office as if I had beenthere a dozen times before.I knocked on the door of ColonelGabrielsen’s office, about to meetthe head chaplain on the base.“Come in,” a voice said.Opening the door, I stood at attentionand saluted.“Chaplain Haber is reporting forduty, sir.”There, I had said it. The immortalwords were out.History had been made.

January 30, 2009 ~ crOWN heights Newspaper 7Parshas HashavuaVedibarta Bam ~ BOBy Rabbi Moshe Bogomilkyotah — this request for the childrento participate — atem mevakshim— is something which you want, andwhich Hashem never asked for.”When Pharaoh saw that regardlessof his consent to send the males hewas plagued with locusts, he realizedthat Hashem was not satisfied,because He wanted the children’sparticipation. Therefore, he quicklycalled Moshe and Aharon and toldthem, “Now I have not only sinnedagainst G d, but also against you,because I accused you falsely.”does not know you.” Disappointedand hurt, he told the doorman to tellhis master, “I advise him to make awill immediately, because he doesnot have much time left to live.”Petrified, the brother rushed to thedoor and asked in alarm, “How canyou make such a statement? Mydoctor proclaimed me in excellenthealth!” The immigrant brotherlooked his brother in the eyes andsaid, “The city in which we grew upas brothers was very small and poor.The townspeople were unable toafford a full-time physician. I studiedfirst-aid and administered theirmedical needs. From my experienceI learned that when a patient can nolonger ‘recognize’ his own brother,his situation is extremely serious andhe has little time left to live.”Some aspects of the plague of darknessare unfortunately prevalent incontemporary times. Sadly, theremay be Jews enveloped in darknesswho do not recognize fellow Jewsas their brothers and deserve to behelped materially and spiritually.Such conduct endangers the continuityof the Jewish community.Hopefully, like the Jews of Egypt we,too, will merit, “For all the Childrenof Israel, there was light in theirdwellings.” Everyone will see thetrue light and do the utmost for hisbrother — his fellow Jew.‏)מיוסד על אשכול ענבים - פרדס יוסף(‏‏"כשלחו כלה גרש יגרש אתכם מזה"‏‏)שו"ת תירוש ויצהר סי'‏ קי"ט(‏‏"ויהי חשך אפלה בכל ארץ מצריםשלשת ימים"‏“And there was a thick darkness in allof Egypt for three days.” (10:22)QUESTION: Rashi explains thatduring the first three days of darkness,no one was able to see anyoneelse. During the succeeding days,the darkness was so thick that if anEgyptian was sitting, he was unableto stand up, and if he was standing,he was unable to sit down.Every plague lasted seven days(except the plague of the firstborn).Why did the plague of darkness lastonly six days?ANSWER: When the Jews leftEgypt and traveled in the desert,clouds of glory accompanied them.During the day the clouds wouldclear a path in the desert, and atnight a pillar of fire lit up the camp.When the Egyptians pursued theJews, the Torah says, “There was acloud of darkness [for the Egyptians]and the night was illuminated [forthe Jews through a pillar of fire]”(14:20). Thus, Hashem reserved theremaining seventh day of darknessto punish the Egyptians when theychased after the Jewish people.‏)מדרש רבה שמות י"ד,‏ ג'(‏‏"ויהי חשך אפלה בכל ארץ מצריםשלשת ימים לא ראו איש את אחיו"‏‏"ויפן ויצא מעםפרעה"‏“And he turnedhis back and leftPharaoh.” (10:6)QUESTION:Why concerninglocusts, the eighth plague, does theTorah tell us that Moshe left immediatelyafter giving the warning?ANSWER: Moshe always came toPharaoh as Hashem’s messenger toinform him of the coming plague.Moshe thought that Pharaoh wasan extremely stubborn man and,therefore, he always pleaded withhim to relent and listen to Hashemabout letting the people go.Before the plague of locusts, Hashemsaid to Moshe, “Go to Pharaoh andwarn him, for I have hardened hisheart” (10:1). Moshe now realizedthat it was not Pharaoh’s stubbornness,but Hashem causing him not tolisten. Thus, there was no purpose inhis pleading with Pharaoh to let thepeople go. Therefore, after deliveringthe message of the coming plague oflocusts, he immediately turned his‏(שער בת רבים)‏ left. back and‏"ויאמר אליהם לכו עבדו את ה'‏ אלקיכםמי ומי ההלכים:‏ ויאמר משה בנערינוובזקנינו נלך"‏“And he said to them, ‘Go and serveG d your G d; Which ones are going?’Moshe said, ‘With our young andwith our old shall we go.’ ” (10:8-9)QUESTION: Moshe’s request toPharaoh was very explicit: “Let mypeople go!” Why now, after havingendured seven plagues, did Pharaohask, “Which ones are going?”ANSWER: The words, “mi vamihaholchim” ומי ההלכים)‏ ‏(מי have thenumerical value of 216, the same‏.(כלב ובן נון)‏ Nun” as “Kaleiv uBinPharaoh was telling Moshe, “I knowyour ultimate plan is to bring theJews to Eretz Yisrael, but you shouldknow that you are wasting yourtime, because they will all die in thewilderness and only Kalev and BinNun (Yehoshua) will live to reachEretz Yisrael.”Moshe replied, “Binareinu uvizkeineinuneileich” — “Do not worry, allthose who are now under 20 or over60 will also survive the wildernessand come to Eretz Yisrael.”‏)בעל הטורים(‏Alternatively, Pharaoh, slowly butsurely, began to realize that fightingMoshe was a lost cause. Instead ofbeing stubborn and refusing to letthe Jewish people go, he decided touse reverse psychology. Pharaoh saidto Moshe, “I am your friend whowould not want to see you as anoutcast or a failure. Many years havepassed since you left Egypt. I knowthe people better than you do. I donot doubt your sincerity in wantingto take them to serve Hashem, butI urge you stop your campaignbecause, mi vami haholchim —which ones are going?! None of thesepeople are interested in leavingEgypt to go seek a new way of life.”Moshe smiled and replied, “Youare greatly mistaken. Just open thedoors and give them freedom, and Iassure you that young and old, menand women will eagerly run to serveHashem.”‏"ויעל הארבה על כל ארץ מצרים וינחבכל גבול מצרים"‏“The locusts went up over the entireland of Egypt and rested in all theborders of Egypt.” (10:14)QUESTION: Why does the Torahrepeat, “all the borders of Egypt”after it already says that the locusts“went up over the entire land ofEgypt”?ANSWER: The Jews of Egypt livedin the city of Goshen and were notaffected by any of the plagues. Thelocusts were meant to destroy all vegetationnot previously destroyed bythe hail. Knowing that very shortlythe Jewish people would be leavingEgypt, Hashem sent the locusts.They covered Egypt from border toborder — including Goshen — inorder to ensure that the Egyptianswould have no benefit from the pro-.duce of the Jewish fields in Goshen‏)שער בת רבים(‏‏"וימהר פרעה לקרא למשה ולאהרןויאמר חטאתי לה'‏ אלקיכם ולכם"‏“And Pharaoh called for Moshe andAharon in haste and said, ‘I havesinned against G d and against you.’” (10:16)QUESTION: Why did Pharaoh thenconfess that he also sinned againstMoshe and Aharon, in contrast tohis confession after the plague ofhail, “I have sinned this time; G d isrighteous” (9:27)?ANSWER: Moshe told Pharaohto release the Jews in order forthem to worship Hashem. Pharaohinquired, “Which ones are going?”Moshe responded, “We will go withour young and with our old, withour sons and with our daughters.”Pharaoh became enraged and chasedthem out, saying, “Not so, let the mengo now, ki otah atem mevakshim —for this you are seeking.” One mayquestion, why was it necessary forPharaoh to add the words, “ki otahatem mevakshim” — “for this youare seeking”?Pharaoh accused Moshe and Aharonof unjustly seeking to take thechildren on a pilgrimage to serveHashem: “Undoubt¬edly, your Gd only wants the adults. However,“There was a thick darkness in all the land of Egyptfor three days. One did not see hisown brother.” (10:22-23)QUESTION: Since they were unableto see anything; why is there anemphasis on not seeing one’s ownbrother?ANSWER: Many years ago a manemigrated from a small town in Russiato the United States. His businessenterprises were blessed with successand he became very wealthy. A fewyears later, his brother arrived, foundhis way to the successful brother’shouse, and presented himself tothe doorman as the brother of hismaster. The doorman directed himto the waiting area and afterwardscame back with a message that hismaster had no brother. He sent backa number of signs hoping that hisbrother would recognize him. Againthe doorman came back: “Sorry, mymaster says he has no brother and“When he lets you go, he will drive youout from here altogether.” (11:1)QUESTION: Why did Hashem tellMoshe that Pharaoh would drive theJews out?ANSWER: Hashem told Avraham,“Your children will be enslaved ina strange land for 400 years andafterwards leave with great wealth”(Bereishit 15:13-14). The Jewishpeople slaved for many years underPharaoh without any compensa¬tion.As the time for their departure wasarriving, Hashem instructed Mosheto tell the Jewish people to borrowgold and silver from the Egyptians.Eventually, they would keep this aspayment for 400 years of work andas a fulfillment of the promise ofgreat wealth.Moshe hesitated since it resembledtrickery. “After all,” he argued, “theydid not complete their servitude,and thus, are not entitled to suchwealth.”Hashem explained to Moshe,“According to halachah, when onehires a worker and fires him in themiddle of the day, he is obligated topay him for the full time. Similarly,Pharaoh will drive out the Jewishpeople in the middle of their periodof service. Therefore, they are rightfullyentitled to be paid for 400 years‏(חנוכת התורה)‏ Egypt.” of serving

8 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~January 30 2009Shevat YahrzeitenThis week we continue with the Yahrzeiten of people who lived in ourshechuna. We are also including the Yahrzeiten of Shluchim. In mentioningthem we come to “v’Hachai yiten el Libo”. We learn from their lives,lessons that we can incorporate into our own. This column includes theYahrzeiten from the 6th through 11th of Shvat. The respective restingplaces of the individuals noted in this column are near the holy Ohel,unless otherwise specified.Men6th of ShvatHorav HachossidH atom i m R ebM o s h e Z e vYaroslavskyThe son of HoravHachossid RebAharon, he foundedthe Tishrei Eshel in Crown Heights,hosting and feeding thousands ofguests who visited the Rebbe duringthe month of Tishrei. He maintainedit for 23 years and merited manykiruvim from the Rebbe. Reb Moshealso conducted the network of theTalmud Toras Chadrei Torah Ohrin Israel for 30 years. He was bornin 1915 in Barditchov and was nifterin 1994. His resting place is on HarHazeisim.Horav HachossidH atom i m R ebChaikel ChaninThe son of HoravHachossid RebSchneur ZalmanYitzchok, he wasa descendent ofchassidim of the city Beshenkowitz.He studied in Yeshiva TomcheiTmimim in Lubavitch, and workedwith selfless devotion for the benefitof the yeshiva in Samarkand, Poking,Brunoy, Kfar Chabad and Brooklyn.He was a unique communal activistfor approximately eighty years andmany great chassidim benefittedfrom his advice. His home wasopen to all and he excelled in acts ofgenerosity and kindness, sacrificedhimself for the Jews in Russia, andin an unusual manner supportedthe students of Tomchei Tmimimcontributing money to enable themto leave Russia. He was also a primaryactivist in the shechuna andparticipated in a shiur until his lastday, especially the shiur on thechassidic discourses of Torah Ohrand Likutei Torah. He meritedseeing children, grandchildren andgreat-grandchildren serving as theRebbe’s Shluchim worldwide. Hewas born on the 17th of Sivan 1906in Beshenkowitz and was nifter in2004.8th of ShvatHorav HachossidH atom i m R ebShmuel DovidHalevi RaichikThe son of HoravHachossid ShimonHalevi, he was ashliach of the PreviousRebbe and the Rebbe formore than fifty years in Californiawhere he planted Chabad. He wasappointed by the Rebbe as a memberof the universal Agudas ChassideiChabad and Machne Israel. Hewas born on the 2nd of Iyar 1918in Mlava, Poland and was nifter in1998.9th of ShvatHorav HachossidReb AharonHakohen KleinThe son of HoravR e b Y i t z c h o kHakohen, heimplemented thepurchase and thebroadening of the 770 Shul, as wellas establishing a mitzva mobile in1963 in which he would put onTefillin with people. He wasborn on the 19th of Sivan1916 in Vienna and wasnifter in 1998.Reb Chaim HaleviKannerThe son of Reb YitzchokHalevi, he was mekusharto the Rebbe and was atalented person who wasnifter in the midst of his lifein 2000.10th of ShvatReb Yisroel Yitzchok GreensteinThe son of Reb Menachem, he wasamong the steady members of theMaple Street Shul and was nifterin 2007.11th of ShvatHorav HachossidH atom i m R ebYosef YitzchokLipskerThe son of HoravHachossid RebYaakov, he was amashpia and educator in YeshivaTiferes Bochurim in MorristownNew Jersey for more than twentyyears, successfully raised manystudents and was beloved by all. Hewas born on the 6th of Elul 1950and was nifter in the midst of hislife in 1995.Women6th of ShvatMrs. Brocho NemesThe daughter of HoravHachossid RebNochum Meir, shesacrificed herselffor the fulfillmentof mitzvos and wasnifter in 1987.8th of ShvatM r s . D o b aPlotkinThe daughter of HoravAvrohom Yisroel, shewas nifter in 1998.11th of ShvatMrs. Vita Pinson,She was the wife of Horav HachossidReb Yechezkel from Kfar Chabadand was nifter in 2008.*Dear Readers:Anyone who would like to have theirrelatives mentioned in the yahrzeitcolumn should email the name, father’sname, date of the ptira and somedetails to chp5768@gmail.com. Apicture may be included.בס”דYou are invited toParticipate in a Workshopon Life/Career Visions,led by Career Counselor (25 years experience) onSunday, February 8, 2009 from 1-3PMWalk away with a Posterboardand a clearer life vision!Where: Crown Heights Center305 Kingston Ave.between Eastern Parkway and Union StreetBrooklyn, NYWhen: Sunday, February 8, 2009from 1-3 PMCost: $36.00Interested? Please register no laterthan Wednesday, Feb. 4th at 12 Noonthrough email: jherman44@hotmail.comGreat news!!! ChabadWeekly.com Great news!!!‘Chabad Weekly’ is an online listing of - Full page ads, Events,Advertisements, Jobs, Sales, Housing and much more.The concept of ‘Chabad Weekly’ was taken from Craigslist, whereyou post your information free, and re-enter your informationevery seven days.Advantages:1) Text and images are free.2) Your information will stay on site for seven days.3) Post it yourself – with no middleman.4) Your information is neatly posted (header in center, anddetails/images to the right).5) Site could be sorted in many ways, to make your searcheasier and faster.6) ‘Full page’ section, where you can upload your image ordocument to be displayed on a full page (useful for postingflyers, brochures etc). Full page section is not free.Sponsored by: UnionApartment.com.Where you will find our accommodationscomfortable and pleasant.

January 30, 2009 ~ crOWN heights Newspaper 9Tznius: "America Is Nisht Andersh”All the News that’s Fit for Lubavitch CyberspaceBy Mrs. M. ResnickFor those of us who use the Internet,and that probably means everyonewho is reading this article (since theCrown Heights Community Newslettercurrently does not appear inhard-copy format), I present the followingquestion: What is the “newsthat’s fit to print” on our Lubavitchnews sites: Shmais, COL and CrownHeights.info and Shturem?I raise this question in the wake ofa story that has been making a lotof waves on some of the above sitesabout the uncomplimentary mannerin which Lubavitch women weredescribed on a prominent secularmedia outlet. (I must complementthose same Lubavitch sites for doingtheir utmost to cover the un-Tzniusattire of those portrayed in thepicture).I ask: What merit was there inbringing this story to our people?Why do we have to know that ithappened altogether? Why do ourpeople have to be introduced to thename of a program they are betteroff remaining ignorant of? What dowe gain by knowing that there is astory about a Lubavitch woman whois set to enter a (nonexistent) leviratemarriage? What is the use of havingour youth exposed to derogatoryremarks that a secular outlet madeabout the way our women look?What was the purpose of publicizingthe entire episode?When I raised this issue with arenowned Mechanech, he asked me,“Since when do we care what Goyisheoutlets think of us? Would wealso bring up questions of ‘Emunah’or the lack thereof that are raisedin their programs and then answerthem in public, in full view of ourKohol and youth?”It seems to me that unless there isa positive, redeeming value to theinformation non-Jewish outletsdisseminate we have no reason toshare it with our holy audience.Some people may argue that weneed to defend out honor and canonly do so if we know that we wereinsulted in the first place; that these‘popular’ outlets need to hear ourpeople express their dissatisfactionwith such an unfair portrayal.And yet, I find this answer far shortof convincing.First, as one Crown Heights Rovpointed out to me, Lubavitch’s missionis generally Torah, Mitzvos andChinuch, not protests.Second, in those cases where protestis called for – the same Mechanechpointed out that in some cases atarnished image of Lubavitch mightprevent us from bringing peoplecloser to Yiddishkeit – could we notassign a community leader or severalcommunity leaders this task? Whymust all of Lubavitch be aware andinvolved?Yidden have always had to answerto the world. The phrase “Dah MahLehoshiv…” - Know what to reply…,has been part of our PR Lexiconfrom the time of the Mishna.Both Mrs. Sara Esther Crispe, editorof the Womens’ page on chabad.organd Mrs. Baila Olidort of Lubavitch.com have offered and found ways tohave the wrong addressed.But it would seem to me that the bestmanner of tackling such a situation isto have our supporters and admirersgo out for redress and restitution.Their independent positions provideour cause with a far better view andpresentation.For example, when Chabad of EastHampton (the renowned summerplayground of the American rich andfamous), was encountering zoningTzores because of Shabbos servicesfrom irate brotherly neighbors, itwas the support of the non-JewishMartha Stewart that tipped thescales in our favor.Journalist Jonathan Marks, a greatfriend of Lubavitch just came out indefense of our honor, on our currentsubject, in a very eloquent way in“The Jewish Week”:“I remember the photo of RivkaHoltzberg, the Chabad woman whowas murdered in Mumbai. She worea wig, like the ones mocked (on theprogram).” She was attractive….allthe more attractive for the dignityshe exuded precisely because of herwig and modest style of dress.”So why allow this subject into ourhomes when our friends and admirersare so capable of responding forus?During the recent war in Gazaand the murders in Mumbai, all ofour Lubavitch news sites served aswonderful sieves, bringing us manyanecdotes of the emergence of thePintale Yid and Kiddush Hashemstories. In a sense they served as‘airwaves- sterilizers’ and brought inonly Kosher material which, togetherwith our youth, we could watch andkvell over with tears and pride.It should therefore be clear that I amnot attacking our media as a medium.Lubavitch has always been a pioneerof dissemination. The Rebbe was thefirst to use the airwaves as a mediumfor his Farbrengens even while hestrongly opposed us watching orbringing in any Goyishe programminginto our homes.In the 1960’s the Rebbe contributedthousands of dollars towards keepingthe Satmar periodical, “Der Yid”afloat so as to maintain a koshermeans of transmitting news andinformation to the Jewish public andprevent good Frume Yidden fromresorting to Goyishe newspapers.So the dissemination of informationcan be perfectly Kosher.However, “can be Kosher” doesn’tmean “always Kosher.”A Rov, and Shliach in California toldme that the Rebbe always requiredthat material first be checked by aRov or a Mashpia before going toprint.I would like to recommend that ourLubavitch news sites voluntarilyundertake the responsibility of goingunder the aegis of some regulatoryrabbinic or mashpiadike board, sothat in the future they are not lulledinto covering a story whose soleShidduchimProfile or Resume?By Sarah JunikShidduchim are such a maze that wewill grasp any idea that might makethe process easier.Our lives are so busy B"H, betweenbringing up our kids, working,mivtzoim, learning, chessed etc thateven if we did not reach the dreadedsenior moment stage, we cannotkeep everything in mind.The shidduhim solution to this is the"profile". What is a profile?A profile is a short description of ouryoung man or woman, that describesthe essentials without giving a name.The profile lets people know theage, the height, family backgroundi.e. FFB, BT, etc. the level one is at,Chassidish, relaxed, modern and adescription of the characteristic ofthe young man or woman such askind and giving, very involved in ....quiet and eidel, ambitious, go getteretc. Last but not least a description ofwhat one is looking for such as onlyshlichus, yiras shamayim, tznius,outgoing, organized etc.At the end write in a contact nameand phone number and or emailaddress.What you have accomplished with aprofile is to describe your child andwhat you are looking for on papermerit is that it had the fortune tohave the word Chabad or Lubavitchremotely connected to it.“Hamodia” has a permanent Mashgiachon premises; the “N’SheiNewsletter” has a guiding Rabbinicalboard, as did the “Yiddishe Heim”.Should our news sites, from whichwe obtain all our vital information,be any different?Reporting the news does not giveone license to publicize any andevery story. Even the First amendmentwhich guarantees freedom ofspeech and of the press in Americahas certain restrictions. For example,one may not cry ‘fire’ in a crowdedtheatre, nor can one publicize thedeparture of ships during time ofwar.The New York Times has as itsmotto “All the News that’s Fit toPrint” emblazoned on its masthead.L’havdil, could we not askour news sites to start consultingRabbonim and Mashpiim so thatthey can proudly emblazon abovetheir own virtual mastheads, “Allthe News that’s Fit for LubavitchCyberspace”?Comments & Questions:Tznius1@verizon.netfor easy reference of your friendsand contacts.They in turn can send on or showyour profile to others with possiblematches without compromising yourprivacy as you did not disclose yourname and address.If a promising match is found thenyou can send a full resume whichwould have the family data such ashow many siblings, the schools andcamps attended and/or shlichus,references etc.If you attend a shidduch groupmeeting or if you want someone topresent your child to such a groupa profile is indispensable.Send one to all your relatives so theyare reminded that you are lookingfor your son or daughter and whatexactly you are looking for.A profile is perfect for these dayswhere we do not want the namesof our children to float around as aconversation piece until we get themmarried on the other hand we dowant people to remember that wehave a wonderful son or daughterjust brimming with qualities andwaiting to get married to that rightone.So c'mon everyone, take paper andpen or laptop and desktop and letus see those profiles! (And yes thatmeans you too mother or boys!!!)Basmelech@gmail.comShidduchim101.blogspot.com

10 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~January 30 2009YUD SHVATThe story of the Beginning of the Rebbe’s Nesius (5711-1951)Reprinted from the book “a day torecall a day to remember”By Rabbi Sholom Ber Avtzon withmoreadditionsAfter the histalkus, chassidim turnedto the Rebbe, beseeching him toaccept upon himself the nesius(mantle of leadership). Although theRebbe initially declined (until thefollowing Yud Shevat), some changeswere immediately noticeable. Notonly did he continue to farbrengevery Shabbos Mevorchim as hehad started doing in 5702 (1942)on the instruction of the PreviousRebbe, he also began to farbreng onYomim Tovim and other major daysin the calendar. In addition, he begananswering many people’s personalquestions that until then had beenanswered by the Previous Rebbe.During that year, many interestingepisodes took place relating to theRebbe’s acceptance of the nesius, afew of which we will mention here.Rabbi Eliyahu Simpson, who wasthe mazkir (secretary) in charge ofyechidus with the Previous Rebbefrom hwwa,-aww, 1940-1950 (sincethe Previous Rebbe came to America),had a dream.In his dream, the Previous Rebbeappeared to him and asked,“Why are the spirits of chassidimdepressed?”Rabbi Simpson answered, “Becausewe have no one to go to!”The Previous Rebbe replied, “Isn’tmy son-in-law [mentioning theRebbe by name] with you?”Rabbi Simpson said, “But he refusesto accept the nesius upon himself.”To this the Previous Rebbe replied,“He [the Rebbe] was already commandedto do so.”At the first opportune moment,Rabbi Simpson told this dream tothe Rebbe, who said, “I have notreceived such an instruction...”Immediately, Rabbi Simpson andother elder chassidim went to thetzion (gravesite) of the PreviousRebbe and read a pidyon nefesh,requesting that the instructioncome.Indeed, from then on, the Rebbenever said that he did not receivesuch an instruction.Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Raichik, ofCalifornia, would tell the followingstory every Sukkos:Rabbi Aharon Kazarnovsky was oneof the three chassidim who placeda notice (on the 26th of Teves) insome of the most prominent Yiddishnewspapers, announcing that onYud Shevat, 5711 (1951), the Rebbewould accede to the request of thechassidim and would accept themantel of the nesius upon himself.The next day the Rebbe called himinto his room and told him that hemust put in, in the very next publication,a notice of retraction.Rabbi Kazarnovsky asked the Rebbeif he might say something, to whichthe Rebbe said yes.Rabbi Kazarnovsky then said: “Lastnight I had a dream in which thePrevious Rebbe came to me and said:‘Tell my son-in-law, [mentioningthe Rebbe by name] the following[explanation]. It says in the possuk,“And Hashem spoke to Moshe [theleader of the Jewish nation], ‘Whyare you crying out to Me; speak tothe Jewish nation and they shalltravel onward.’” Tell my son-in-law:“Why are you telling everyone thatI [the Rebbe Rayatz] am the Rebbe?You should speak to the Jewishnation and they will travel and beelevated with you until the comingof Moshiach Tzidkeinu.”’”The Rebbe then said, “Thank youfor the good tidings, and since youtold me good tidings, I shall give yougood tidings.”The Rebbe then showed RabbiKazarnovsky a telegram whichhe had just received from RabbiHerzog, the Chief Ashkenazic Rabbiin Eretz Yisroel, congratulating andblessing the Rebbe on becoming theseventh Rebbe of Lubavitch.On Wednesday, Yud Shevat 5711(1951), the Rebbe went to the tzionof the Previous Rebbe and readmany letters of request, that theRebbe pray on their behalf. Thelast one to be read was the michtavhahiskashrus, the letter signifyingthe total bonding of a chassid tothe Rebbe, which was signed bythousands of chassidim throughoutthe entire world. The letter declaredthat they are accepting the Rebbeas their Rebbe and committingthemselves to energetically fulfillall his directives. When the Rebbebegan reading this letter, he brokeout in deep sobs.When he returned from the Ohel,everyone davened Mincha, and thenthey ate something. After Maariv itwas officially announced that theRebbe was going to farbreng at 8:00in the shul upstairs. At the time, the“downstairs” where the big shul islocated, was a big yard.This was no surprise, as the Rebbefarbrenged throughout the yearon all special occasions, and it waspublicized in the newspapers thathe would be doing so.The suspense was whether or not theRebbe would accept the nesius.An interesting anecdote took placeprior to the Farbrengen: The distinguishedRabbi, Rabbi EphraimYolles was in the Rebbe’s room.When Rabbi Yolles saw the crowdassembled, he asked the Rebbehow he will manage to get in to theFarbrengen. The Rebbe answered:“You will hold unto my gartel”!At 8:45, the Rebbe came to 770,which was packed with chassidim,and at 9:45 he came out to farbreng.The Rebbe began by saying twosichos. In the first sicha, the Rebbeexpressed the need of strengtheningour bond to the Previous Rebbe.Then in the second sicha the Rebbesaid, “Following the Americancustom of beginning a new era witha statement of intent, my statementis “The love of Hashem, the love ofHis Torah and the love of every Jewis one thing and inseparable. If a Jewis lacking in one of these loves, itshould be strengthened, and throughthis love for every Jew, we will go outof this bitter golus.Reb Avrohom Sender Nemtzov, anelder chassid, then stood up andsaid, “The sichos are very good butchassidim want to hear a maamar.”Silence reigned as everyone stoodwith baited breath. The Rebbe’sexpression became very serious andafter a few moments began sayinghis first maamar, which was basedon and explained in great detail theideas contained in the first chapter ofBasi LeGani, the last maamar givenout by the Previous Rebbe.In the middle of the maamar, theRebbe stopped and said, “We willnow pause and say l’chaim.” RebNemtzov stood up in great happinessand exclaimed to all, “Let us saythe blessing of Shehechiyanu thatwe have a Rebbe.” He then led theassembled in saying this blessingusing Hashem’s name.The Rebbe then instructed that theniggun Beinoni be sung, followedby the Rebbe Rashab’s niggunknown as the Niggun Rostov. Aftercontinuing the maamar, the Rebbeinstructed that a niggun of theRebbe Maharash be sung, followedby three niggunim of the Rebbe theTzemach Tzedek.The Rebbe then concluded the maamarand tearfully related how thelove of the Rebbeim for their fellowJew was unlimited. The Alter Rebbe,for example, on Yom Kippur left theshul and chopped wood in order toprepare warm food for a women inneed. He then mentioned an incidentof extreme ahavas Yisroel of everyone of the Rebbeim.He explained that, as this was the lastmaamar the Previous Rebbe gave us,undoubtedly there was guidance init to help us during these last daysof golus.The Rebbe further explained: ThePrevious Rebbe’s maamar says thatbecause Moshe Rabbeinu was theseventh generation from AvrohomAvinu, he was able to bring downand reveal Hashem’s glory in thisworld.So, continued the Rebbe, it is ourobligation and merit to bring theultimate revelation of G‐dlinessinto the world, since we are theseventh generation from the AlterRebbe, who began the disseminationof Chassidus in order to bringMoshiach.When the Rebbe finished sayingthe maamar, Reb Nemtzov stoodup one last time, and blessed theRebbe. The Rebbe replied: “Nowplease listen. The Rebbeim alwaysdemanded from their chassidim thatthey should work on their own andnot rely on the Rebbe to accomplisheverything for them.“Therefore, now that I accept tohelp you in every way possible, don’tbecome complacent in your dutiesand obligations. You must fulfill themission that my holy father-in-law,the Rebbe, gave you.”Thus began the tradition of explainingand expounding one chapter ofBasi LeGani a year on Yud Shevat.It continued for the next twentyyears until Yud Shevat 5730 (1970),when the Rebbe said a maamar onchapter twenty, the last chapterof the hemshech of Basi LeGani.The following year, 5731 (1971),the Rebbe started the cycle anew,explaining a chapter a year, beginningwith Chapter One.After the Farbrengen, Reb YudelChitrik obm approached and toldthe Rebbe told him that the Maamorwas very positively accepted andChassidim are very pleased.The Rebbe said to Rabbi Chitrik:“Give me a Brocha”. Rabbi Chitriksaid: To give a Brocha, we needmashke.The Rebbe ordered to bring mashkeand when Reb Yudel said lchaim, hecontinued: “Everything that all theRebbe’im intended and worked toaccomplish in all the generations,should be fulfilled through theRebbe,The Rebbe answered: Omen. Langleben zolt ir (you should have a longlife).By now, we have witnessed thefulfillment of the Rebbe’s Brocha.Rabbi Chitrik lived up till 106!

January 30, 2009 ~ crOWN heights Newspaper 11What is a RebbeThe HeadReprinted from Chabad.OrgEditor’s note: The following is a freetranslation of a letter written by theRebbe several months after the passingof his father-in-law and predecessor,Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn ofLubavitch. The letter was printed as anintroduction to a booklet of maamarim(discourses of Chassidic teaching) byRabbi Yosef Yitzchak, and is dated“Tammuz 3, 5710.”1Many seek and propose to explainthe qualities and greatness of ChabadRebbes in general, and, in particular,the Rebbe of our generation,my father-in-law, hareini kaparatmishkavo,2 in various areas: as aman of self-sacrifice, Torah genius,Yud Shvat Customslofty character, prophetic ability,miracle-worker, etc., etc.These qualities are further magnifiedwhen viewed in the light of Chassidicteaching, which explains what is trueself-sacrifice, true Torah genius, andso on.And yet, none of this addresses theprimary quality of the Rebbe--aquality which is not only primary inessence, but which is most importantto us, his chassidim and followers,namely: the fact that he is a nassi,and particularly a Chabad nassi.A nassi, broadly defined, is a “headof the multitudes of Israel.”3 Heis their “head” and “mind,” theirsource of life and vitality. Throughtheir attachment to him, they arebound and united with their sourceon high.Directives and customs advised bythe Rebbe regarding the Yahrzeit:Adapted from Sefer Haminhagim(Published by Sichos In English)By the grace of G-dRosh Chodesh Shvat, 5711Brooklyn, N.Y.To Anash, to the students of TomcheiTemimim, and to those whohave a bond or a relationship withmy revered father-in-law the saintlyRebbe, of blessed memory:G-d bless you all.Greeting and blessings:In reply to the many questions thathave been asked about a detailedschedule for the Tenth of Shvat, theyahrzeit of my revered father-in-law,the Rebbe, I would hereby suggestthe following:On the Shabbos before the yahrzeit[each chassid] should attempt to becalled for an aliyah to the Torah.If there are not enough aliyos theTorah should be read [a number oftimes] in different rooms. However,no additions[672] should be madeto the number of aliyos [at eachreading].The congregation should see to itthat the Maftir should be the mostrespected congregant, as determinedby the majority; alternatively, thechoice should be determined bylot.The congregation should choosesomeone to lead the prayers on theday of the yahrzeit. It is proper todivide [the honor, choosing] one personto lead Maariv, a second to leadShacharis, and a third - Minchah. Inthis way a greater number of Anashwill have the privilege.A [yahrzeit] candle should be lit thatwill burn throughout the twentyfourhours. If possible, the candleshould be of beeswax.[673]Five candles[674] should burn duringthe prayer services.After each prayer service (and in themorning, [this means] after the readingof Tehillim), the sheliach tzibburshould study (or at least conclude674the study of) ch. 24 of MishnayosKeilim and ch. 7 of MishnayosMikvaos. He should then recite themishnah beginning “Rabbi Chananyahben Akashya...,” followed silentlyby a few lines of Tanya,[675] andKaddish deRabbanan.After Maariv, partof the maamar(Ba si L eGa n i)that was releasedfor the day of thedem ise shou ldbe recited frommemory. If thereis no one to dothis from memory,it should bestudied from thetext. This shouldalso be done afterShacharis, and themaamar should beconcluded after Minchah.Before Shacharis, a chapter of Tanyashould be studied. This should alsobe done after Minchah.In the morning, before prayer,charity should be given to thoseinstitutions that are related to ourNasi, my revered father-in-law, ofsainted memory. Donations shouldbe made on behalf of oneself andon behalf of each member of one’sfamily. The same should be donebefore Minchah.After Shacharis and the recitationof the maamar, each individualshould read a pidyon nefesh. (It goeswithout saying that a gartl is wornduring the reading.) Those who hadthe privilege of entering [the saintlyThere are several types of nesi’im:those who supply their constituentswith “internalized” nurture,4 andthose whose nurture is of a more“encompassing” nature.5 This isfurther divisible into the particularsof whether they impart the teachingof the “revealed” part of Torah, itsmystical secrets, or both; whetherthey offer guidance in the serviceof G-d and the ways of Chassidism;whether they draw down materialprovision; and so on.There are also nesi’im who are channelsin several of these areas, or evenin all of them.Such was the nature of the leadershipof the nesi’im of Chabad, from theAlter Rebbe6 to, and including,my father-in-law, who embracedall these categories and areas: theyRebbe’s study] for yechidus, or atleast of seeing his face, should - whilereading the pidyon nefesh - picturethemselves as standing before him.The pidyon nefesh should then beplaced between the pages of a maamaror kuntreis, etc., of his teachings,and sent, if possible on the same day,to be read at his graveside.In the course of the day one shouldstudy chapters of Mishnayos thatbegin with the letters of his name.In the course of the day one shouldparticipate in a farbrengen.In the course ofthe day one shouldset aside a timeduring which totell one’s familyabout the saintlyRebbe, and aboutthe spiritual tasksat which he toiledthroughout all thedays of his life.In the course ofthe day, people(to whom thistask is appropriate)should visitsynagogues andhouses of study in their cities andcite a statement or an adage drawnfrom the teachings of the saintlyRebbe. They should explain how heloved every Jew. [Furthermore,] theyshould make known and explain thepractice that he instituted of recitingTehillim every day, studying thedaily portion of Chumash with thecommentary of Rashi, and, whereappropriate, studying the Tanyaas he divided it into daily readingsthroughout the year. If possible thisshould all be done in the course ofa farbrengen.In the course of the day, people(who are fit for the task) should visitcenters of observant youth - and,in a neighborly spirit, should makeevery endeavor to also visit centersnurtured their chassidim in both the“internal” and the “encompassing”qualities of their souls; in Torah,divine service and good deeds; inspirit and in body. Thus, their bondwith those connected with them wasin all 613 limbs and organs of theirsouls and bodies.Each and every one of us must know--that is, dwell upon and implant theawareness in his or her mind--thatthe Rebbe is our nassi and head: thathe is the source and channel for allour material and spiritual needs,and that it is through our bond withhim (and he has already instructedus in his letters how and by whatmeans this is achieved) that we arebound and united with our source,and the source of our source, upto our ultimate source on high.for the young people who are notyet observant - in order to explain tothem the warm love that the saintlyRebbe constantly had for them. Itshould be explained to these peoplewhat he expected of them; theyshould be told of the hope and thetrust that he placed in them - thatthey would ultimately fulfill theirtask of strengthening the observanceof Judaism and disseminating thestudy of Torah with all the energy,warmth and vitality that characterizeyouth.If prevailing conditions allow, allthe above should of course be continuedduring the days followingthe yahrzeit, and particularly on thefollowing Shabbos.May G-d hasten the coming of ourRedeemer, and then “those whorepose in the dust will awaken andsing joyful praises.” And our Nasiamong them will give us wondroustidings, and lead us along the paththat leads up to the House of G-d.[Signed: Rebbe’s name](a) Miscellaneous:“I once heard from my reveredfather-in-law, the Rebbe, that beforevisiting a resting place or ohel [i.e.,the structure built over or around thegrave of a tzaddik] it is customary notto eat, but one drinks something.”It is the custom of the Rebbe Shlitato make an appeal for Keren Torah(“the Torah Fund”) at the farbrengenof Yud Shvat.(b) Yud Shvat 5711:On the tenth of Shvat, 5711 (1951),in a favorable and auspicious hour,the Rebbe Shlita undertook theleadership [of the Chabad-Lubavitchchassidic movement].On this day, [the first anniversary ofthe passing of his revered father-inlaw,the Rebbe Rayatz,] the RebbeShlita publicly delivered the firstmaamar, Basi LeGani.

12 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~January 30 2009Yud Shevat : A Day of Two RebbesThe 10th day of the Jewish month ofShevat (“Yud Shevat” in Hebrew) isa most significant date on the Chassidiccalendar.It is the yahrtzeit of the sixthLubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi YosefRabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneerson (1880-1950)6th Rebbe of Chabad-LubavitchA Brief OverviewReprinted from Chabad.orgRabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson,the sixth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, was one ofthe most remarkableJewish personalities ofthe twentieth century.In his seventy years,he encountered everyconceivable challengeto Jewish life:the persecutions andpogroms of CzaristRussia, Communism’swar on Judaism, andmelting-pot America’sapathy and scorntoward the Torah andits precepts. The Rebbewas unique in that henot only experiencedthese chapters in Jewishhistory -- as didmany of his generation-- but that, as a leaderof his people, he actuallyfaced them down,often single-handedly,and prevailed.Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak was the onlyson of Rabbi Sholom DovBer, thefifth Rebbe of Chabad, whose devotionto the child’s education islovingly chronicled in Rabbi YosefYitzchak’s voluminous writings.1While still in his teens, the youngYosef Yitzchak he served as theright hand of his father. As the personalsecretary of the Rebbe, YosefYitzchak’s responsibilities includedadministrating the many civic andcommunal activities in which theRebbe was involved. The youngRabbi Yosef Yitzchak, in full-lengthchassidic garb, was a familiar figurein the receiving rooms of the governmentofficials, ministers, and noblesof Moscow and Petersburg. In 5655(1895) the young rabbi participatedin the great conference of religiousand lay leaders in Kovno, and againin the following year in Vilna. Attimes soft-spoken and with wordscoming from the heart, at timesaudacious and threatening, butalways fearless and determined, hedemanded the repeal of anti-Jewishdecrees, the stopping of pogroms andthe cessation of the government’sprogram of forced “enlightenment”of traditional Jewish life.On Elul 13, 5657 (1897), at the ageof seventeen, Yosef Yitzchak mar-Yitzchok Schneerson who passedaway in 1950, on Shabbat morning,Shevat 10, in his apartment on the2nd floor. Exactly one year later,Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersonheld the historic farbrengen inried Nechamah Dina, daughter ofRabbi Abraham Schneersohn andgranddaughter of the TzemachTzedek, the third Chabad rebbe.During the week’s celebrations thatfollowed the wedding ceremony,Rabbi Sholom Dovber announcedthe founding of Tomchei Tmimim,the Lubavitch yeshivah, and thefollowing year appointed his sonto be its executive director. It wasthere, in the hamlet of Lubavitch inpre-soviet White Russia, that RabbiYosef Yitzchok trained the armyof the faithful torchbearers who,under the impossible conditions ofthe decades to come, would literallygive their lives to keep the flame ofJewish life ablaze throughout theSoviet Union.Upon his father’s passing in 1920Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak assumed theleadership of Russian Jewry just asCommunism’s all-out war on Jewishlife was moving into high gear.His fight to preserve Judaism wascharacterized by his all-consumingmesirat nefesh - an unequivocallyselfless devotion to the physicaland spiritual needs of a fellow Jewand unshakable faith in what hestood for. He dispatched teachersand rabbis to the farthest reachesof the Soviet Empire, establishinga vast underground network ofschools, mikvaos, and lifelines ofmaterial and spiritual support.Stalin’s henchmen did everythingin their power to stop him. In 1927he was arrested, beaten, sentencedto death and exiled; but he stood hisground, and by force of internationalpressure he was finally allowed tothe first floor synagogue, at whichhe formally accepted the leadershipof Chabad. with a historic maamar(discourse).See the story of the beginning of theRebbe’s Nesius (5711/1951)leave the country. But in leaving theboundaries of the Soviet Union heleft his emissaries and their infrastructureof Jewish life behind; thesecontinued to function and thrive,preserving and even spreading theteachings of Torah and chassidism tothis very day. When the all-powerfulcommunist regime began to crumblein the closing years of the ‘80s,Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak’s network ofchildren’s schools, outreach centers,and supply lines of kosher food andreligious services simply moved outof cellars and attics into emptiedCommunist Party buildings.By Rabbi Michoel SeligsonIn one of the Farbrengens on ShabbosParshas Bo 1977 1 , the Rebbespoke an unusually emotional Sichain which he gave an insight into theultimate goal of the Mivtzoim. TheRebbe was explaining a Rashi on theParsha 2 . Rashi explains why Hasheminstructed the Jews to fulfill twomitzvos prior to leaving Mitzrayim(Egypt). Rashi quotes Reb MasyaBen Charosh. Prior to redeemingthe Jews from Egypt, Hashem sawthat they were bare of Mitzvos,and were not ready to leave Egypt.Hashem therefore gave them theMitzvos of bris mila (circumcision)and Pesach.The Rebbe asks the question, Whymust Rashi cite who was the one thatsaid this comment? What would belacking if Rashi would only mentionthe above mentioned thought andomit the source of the comment.The Rebbe explains that when a Jewasks a question about the unusuallylong Golus, Rashi teaches a childthe answer. The answer for that isrelayed to us by the sage Reb Masyathe son of Charosh. Who was RebMasya Ben Charosh? Reb MasyaBen Charosh lived in the Golus ofRome, a time of great oppression.His students approached and askedhim, “It is already stated in theTalmud that all deadlines for theGolus are over ! So why are we stillin such a bitter Golus ?!”Reb Masya Ben Charosh respondedto his students, “Look at the firstexile, Mitzrayim. The deadline forredemption had arrived but theywere bare of Mitzvos. Hashem1 Sicha of Shabbos Bo 57372 Shmos 12, 6Upon arriving in New York after hisrescue from Nazi-occupied Warsawin 1940, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak tookon a no less formidable challenge:the frigid spiritual atmosphere ofthe western world. There was notelling Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak thathis was a losing battle; from hiswheelchair, he rallied the Jewishyoung of America under the cry that“America is no different,” that alsoin this bastion of materialism thetimeless truths of Torah can takeroot and flourish. He establishedyeshivas and day schools, a publishinghouse for Jewish books, a socialservice organization and communitysupport networks throughout thecountry. By the time of his passingin 1950 he had laid the foundationfor the global renaissance of Torahtrueand chassidic-flavored Jewishlife, heralded by his son-in-law andsuccessor, Rabbi Menachem M.Schneerson.Goal of Mivztoim: Ultimateredemptiontherefore, gave to the Jews twoMitzvos. The same is true for all theexiles. The mizvos are the vessels forthe Geula.The Rebbe continues: When a fire isburning a person will escape fromthe blaze and grab anything that hecan to save from the fire. He mightnot grab the clothing he needs, hewill grab a tie and put it on in orderto save it from the fire.Why is this so? Because when aperson finds himself in an emergencymoment, he does not makeany calculations or think logically.He grabs a tie and puts it on eventhough he dosen’t even have a shirton. When a fire is burning, G-dforbid, there is no time and patiencefor Cheshbonos (calculations). Oncehe has this one garment on him, thiswill eventually guide him to don allhis garments.The same is with Mivtzoim. We meeta person on a train or bus, althoughwe know that in a short time theperson will be getting off, don’t leavehim bare of Mitzvos, the garmentsof the soul. “Throw something onhim” a “tie” or any other garment.Grab the occasion and talk with himabout a specific Mitzva! Eventually,this one Mitzva will bring anotherMitzva. And this will prepare KlalYisroel for the Geula.We should all merit, that the Rebbeshould lead us, very speedily, toour holy land “together with theMivtzoim and Neshek in our hands”Bkorov Mamash.

January 30, 2009 ~ crOWN heights Newspaper 13Shaalos Utshuvos in Modern TimesWho made up the way we sing the Torah?From Chabad.orgBy Baruch S. DavidsonQuestion:Is it important that the Torah beread in the traditional melody? Whomade up these melodies anyway?Response:The actual Torah scroll contains onlyletters. The printed editions, knownas Chumashim, commonly containnot only the vowel markings, butalso cantillation marks. Each marksignifies a different melodic phrasewith which to chant a word or groupof words. In Hebrew, these marksare called ta'amim—from the wordta'am, meaning taste—or in Yiddish,the trop.The trop is an integral part of readingthe Torah and has historical, mystical,as well as practical relevance.History:The use of the cantillation marks incurrent use dates to at least the 9th-10th century CE. This was the eraof the Masoretes, meticulous scribesin Tiberias, Jerusalem and Babylonwho worked to establish a precisecommon text, vowelization andcantillation for the Tanakh.1 Thetradition of the ta'amim by whichthe Torah is to be sung, however,is as old as the Torah itself. It wastaught to Moses together with thevowels, as it is integral to the correctunderstanding of the Torah.2 3 It isonly that the system of notation mayhave been developed later (and thisis also debated). Nonetheless, at onepoint in history, some of the detailsof the ta'mim were forgotten by muchof the Jewish community, and Ezrathe Scribe reintroduced them4.Function:In addition to the pronunciation andemphasis guidance that the ta'amimprovide, which affects the meaningand tense of the word, the ta'amimalso provides information on thesyntactical structure of the text. Inaddition, it often provides commentaryand insight to the text itself, bymusically highlighting noteworthyideas. Some of these insights havebeen elucidated throughout thegenerations. Nehemiah 8:8, wherewe read how the Torah was readand taught before the Jewish people,concludes, "…and they explainedthe reading to them." The Talmud5comments that this expression refersto the additional understandingwhich the ta'amim provide.Some point out that the Hebrew wordused for these melodies, ta'amim,means "taste" or "sense,"6 indicatingthat the ta'amim bring out the flavorof the passage. The implication isthat reading words without correctinflection and melody is like eatinga tasteless meal.The Chassidic masters write thatmuch of the insight provided by thetunes affects aspects of our souls thatare beyond our understanding andconscious perception.7 Nonetheless,some of the implications ofthe specific tunes on some versesare elucidated in the Kabbalah andChassidic teachings.So the next time you're in the synagogue,tune in to the chords thathave influenced the soul of ournation ever since we were marriedto the Torah at Sinai.8Yours truly,Rabbi Baruch S. DavidsonFOOTNOTES1. Some accredit these as well to Mosaictimes. Others attribute the symbols to theMen of the Great Assembly (2nd TempleEra).2. See Pardes, Gate 28 (Moses Cordevero,16th century Kabbalist). Some historiansopine that the ta'mim were introduced byKing Solomon (based on Talmud Eruvin21b) or Ezra, but this is not so accordingto the Zohar.3. For this reason, the Talmud (Nedarim37b) quotes one opinion that the ta'amimhave the Halachic status of Mosaic Law.(The issue at hand there is whether the rulesof payment for the teaching of the ta'amimwould fall under the same category as theteaching of the actual Torah or not.)4. Ritva to Yoma 52a, and others.5. Nedarim ibid. and elsewhere.6. See Likutei Torah, Shir Hashirim 1:3.7. Igros Kodesh, vol. 4, pp. 386-387.8. The ta'amim for the reading of the prophets(such as when reading the Haphtarah),as well as the trop used for the High Holidayreadings, differ from the ta'amim usedfor the standard Torah reading, thoughthey follow the same principles and usethe same marks. This is to the exceptionof Job, Psalms, and Proverbs which have aset of notes, symbols, and patterns of theirown. You will also find wide variationsin the melodies and modalities from onecommunity to the next, as these wereadapted to the local musical modes. Thusan Iraqi Torah reading will sound quitedifferent than a Polish reading, althoughboth adhere to the same principles andfollow a the same set of ta'amim.Husband Won't StickTo A BudgetDear Rachel,I am very newly married and nowthat we are sharing a bank account, Isee for the first time that my husbandis really spending more money thanhe should be. He freelances so hisincome is certainly not consistent,but he buys things as if he has endlessresources. I always thought he couldafford his more lavish lifestyle butnow I see that his credit card debt ismounting and I am worried that itcould get out of control. He spendsa lot of money on me which I neitherwant nor need but he always sayshe buys me things because he lovesme and wants to make me happy. Itis not that I don't like nice things,but with today's economic situationI just don't think it is practical tospend like this. He tells me I worrytoo much, yet I feel he is not beingresponsible. Any advice?Concerned NewlywedDear Concerned Newlywed,It sounds like there are a few differentdynamics going on here.Leaving aside the current financialsituation for a moment, it appearsthat for whatever reason he feels thatspending money, both on himselfand on you, is something he shouldbe doing. Perhaps he is concernedthat if he doesn't keep a certainstandard that you will be angry orupset. Maybe he sees that his friendsare always buying things for theirwives and he either doesn't wantyou to be jealous or he is trying tokeep up with them. Or perhaps thisis simply the lifestyle that he enjoys.But if so, it doesn't sound like he canafford it!Often people buy things to makethemselves feel better. Shopping cangive someone a feeling of control,of newness in their lives, of beingable to create the kind of image thatthey want to have. If his shoppingis related to insecurities, the bestthing you can do is to try to reassurehim and make him feel secure, sothat he will not resort to shoppingas an outlet. Try to be conscious ofhow you talk about material things.Sometimes we are not even aware ofwhat we mention. Perhaps you talkabout how beautiful a particularhuge home is or what you would dofor a certain pair of earrings or outfit.Often we make these commentswith no real intention of ever havingsuch things, but more as passingcomments. But if your husband hearsyou talk about things he can't afford,he could be feeling pressured that heis not providing for you in the waythat you would like.If his money spending is not reallyunhealthy but more impractical intoday's market, then think aboutways you can help your overallspending lessen. Look at the thingsyou do in your relationship andwhere the money is spent. One bigmoney pit often is eating out. Goingto a nice restaurant can be romantic,a little get away, relaxing…yet it canalso be quite expensive. If you seethat he spends a lot of money takingyou to dinner, try to create anotherexperience that is just as enjoyableand less expensive. Surprise himand cook a nice dinner for the twoof you or make a picnic. Pack himgreat lunches (and for yourself aswell) when you go out for the dayso that you don't stop to pick upfood. You can suggest taking turnsmaking meals and trying new foods.This can be something both fun andfinancially wise. You will end upspending more time together (as itwill include preparation and cleanuptime as well as the time spent eating)and it will be both healthier and lessexpensive.If you take a good look at the extravagancesin your lives and where themoney is being spent, there are oftenmuch less expensive alternatives.Instead of taking a week-long vacationgo away for day trips. Instead ofhotels, look into swapping homes orstaying in places with kitchenettes soyou can bring food along and evendo some cooking.You say you are recently married.More important than anything else,remind your husband both directlyand indirectly that you didn't marryhim for his money, and you do notlove him for the things he buys you.While he may know this intellectually,emotionally he might feel thathe has a standard he needs or wantsto keep. He wants to take care of youand make you feel secure and maybehe feels that by providing for youmaterially he is accomplishing this.Remind him that what you need isfor him to be healthy and happy, notfor him to buy things for you.If over time you see that there is noway for the two of you together tobring your (or his) spending undercontrol, you may want to considerseeking the advice of a financial planneror even a therapist. Spending canunfortunately become an addiction,in which case professional help isneeded to curb it.There is a beautiful tradition thatunder the chupah, under the marriagecanopy, that a man emptieshis pockets and a woman removesall her jewelry. The reason for thistradition is to show that the brideis not marrying this man for hismaterial wealth, for anything that hehas in his pockets. She is marryinghim for who he is on the inside. Andlikewise, he is not marrying her forher jewels or her riches or anythingexternal. He is marrying her for whoshe is, not what she wears. So makesure that this is a message that staysin your marriage and becomes yourfoundation.May you be blessed in your marriageand lives to have an abundance ofwealth, in the spiritual, emotionaland material sense, and may youalways know how to use it wisely!Rachel

14 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~January 30 2009NotesPerseveranceBy Lieba RudolphThe question I ask myself is, “ifMoshiach were to come right now,would I be happy with what I wasdoing?”What I’m doing, of course, is asmuch subjective as objective. Forexample, if Moshiach were to comeand find me shopping in Filene’sBasement, I could justify beingthere by saying that a Jewish womanalways needs to dress appropriately,and besides, they’re going out ofbusiness so everything’s on sale. Orwould I be faced with the fact thatI had gone AWOL because I don’tneed anything at Filene’s? I thinkmy birthday hachlata should be nomore recreational shopping.This could be harder than previousbirthday hachlatas. One year Itook on to always wear a seat belt,another year I decided to give dailytzedaka.How can it be that not doing somethingcan be harder than doingsomething? I guess that’s like tryingto say to the alcoholic that it’s notthat hard not to drink —just don’tdrink!I’m not seriously addicted to shoppingby any stretch of the imagination, butit’s a habit whose time has passed.And I’m another year older, which is awonderful thing.As I am quick totell people whoa s k how I ’mdoing, middleage is not as badas I thought itwould be. Maybeit’s because someof the thingsI’ve been tryingto absorb allthese years haveactually sunkin. Or maybeit’s because Ihave seen toomany friendsleave this worldbefore theyeven got todream about middle age.The later pages of the book of lifeturn quicker, and I’ve always kepta running commentary of what Ithought people would say about meif mine were to close.It’s a bit morbid, I know, but it hasa way of keeping me on my toes.What I know at this point in my lifeis that I definitely wouldn’t care forit, if people said that I was a greatdresser, or howgood I lookedfor my age.That beingthe case, thisyear I’ll try tospend less timein front of themirror. WouldI care if peoplesaid they lovedmy challah ormy cholent?Only becauseit would meanthat they wereguests in myhouse and thefood reflectedthe warmtht h e y w e r eshown.So although I’m not planning tospend more time in the kitchen,I hope I don’t spend less time inthe kitchen, since food is such anexpression of love. But what I wouldreally want is for people to say thatthey’d miss me, that I mattered tothem—isn’t that what everyonewants? Apparently not, judging fromthe way so many people in the worldlive their lives.Lucky us. We have the Rebbe’sguidance that actually keeps ourlife purpose on track, so that everyday we are blessed to be alive canactually accomplish something realand eternal.The Rebbe teaches us that the bestway to matter to others is to thinkabout others, to view them withloving eyes and do for them with agenerous heart. To see that we reallyare all one…wait, I think I want toadd having more ahavas yisroel asa birthday hachlata. This may beharder to measure, but it is all thatmatters in the end. And the Rebbehas assured us all that the end willsoon change, that the unpleasantoptions of either old age or theobituary page will be gone with thecoming of Moshiach.In the meantime, I’ll stay on mytoes, not so I will matter to peoplejust in case I leave before he comes,but also so I know that I am doingeverything I can to make sure hecomes now!Jewish History PersonalityThe Kabbalist Rabbi Shalom Sharabi - The RashashBorn: Shar’ab, Yemen, 1720Nistalek: Jerusalem, Eretz Yisrael,10th of Shvat 1777Rabbi Shalom Sharaby was bornin the city of Sharab, where hissuperior intellectual gifts were evidentat an early age. Unfortunately,the premature death of his fatherprevented him from remaining inTalmud-Torah, as the young orphanwas now the sole support of hisfamily. Shalom became a travelingmerchant and sold his wares fromdoor to door. This left him with onlyhis evenings free to pursue his onetrue love: the study of Torah. Hewould often remain in the study halltill the wee hours of the morningbefore going home to catch a fewhours of sleep.But Shalom’s thirst for Torahknowledge was insatiable. Despitehis achievements, he still felt as ifsomething were missing. It wasthen that he discovered the esotericrealm of Torah - the Kabbalah andits mysteries - as developed by thesages of Yemen. Enthusiastically heplunged into the study of the higherworlds and the Torah’s secrets, anddistinguished himself in this realmas well. But the young Rabbi Shalominsisted on working for a living, andcontinued to peddle his notions asbefore.One time on a business expeditionShalom found himself in a verydangerous situation, and vowedthat if God saved him, he wouldmove to the Holy Land. Indeed,God came to his aid, and he left hisfriends and family and embarkedon the long journey through theMiddle East. On his way he stayedin India, Baghdad and Damascus.There he left a strong impression onthe Rabbis.Shalom’s joy knew no bounds whenhe finally arrived at the Yeshiva of theKaabbalists “Beit El” in Jerusalem,headed by the famous KabbalistRabbi Gedalia Chiyun. His soullonged to join the other students ofthe inner aspects of Torah, but hehad no wish to reveal his alreadyextensive knowledge. Instead, hepresented himself as a simple Jew andfound employment as the shamash(sexton) of the study hall.It was a wonderful opportunity tolearn without beingobserved. As a regularpresence in theTalmud-Torah, noone paid any attentionto Shalom, whokept his eyes andears open to everyword. Thus he graduallyincreased hisknowledge until hefar surpassed everyoneelse. But hisgreatness remaineda secret known onlyto him.One day a question came up in theYeshivah that no one could answer.For days the Kabbalists consultedtheir heavy tomes, but could notcome up with a satisfactory explanation.Rabbi Gedalia became almostobsessed with the problem, and wasvery perturbed by his inability tosolve it.R’ Shalom had been listening to theirdeliberations and knew the answer.But not wishing to reveal himself,he remained silent. As the daysprogressed, it was as if a dark cloudhovered over the study hall.One day Shalom came upon RabbiGedalia weeping over an openvolume, begging and imploringGod to illuminate his mind. It wasimpossible to ignore such a pitifulsight. Later that night, when thestudy hall was empty, Shalom wrotethe answer on a small piece of paperand left it between the pages of RabbiGedalia’s book.The next morning the study hall wasin an uproar. The problem that hadappeared so difficult and complexhad been solved in a clear and logicalmanner. Everyone was curiouswhere the wonderful explanationhad come from, but it remained agreat mystery. The strange phenomenonrepeated itself several times.Whenever a difficult question wasraised in the evening, its answer wasfound in Rabbi Gedalia’s book thenext morning. A thorough investigationwas conducted, but the head ofthe Yeshivah could not determinewhere the answers were comingfrom.The riddle was solved in a totallyunexpected manner, when RabbiGedalia’s young daughter Chanahappened to mention that she hadnoticed the Yemenite shamashflipping through the pages of oneof her father’s books. In fact, shehad noticed him doing so on severaloccasions. The next time an unresolvedquestion was raised in thestudy hall the Rabbi made believe heContinued on page 15

January 30, 2009 ~ crOWN heights Newspaper 15Shleimus HaaretzAn Analysis of the Camp David Peace ProcessAdapted from Sichos by the Rebbepublished by:Sichos In EnglishPublisher’s ForewordThe body of the Jewish people — anindivisible and sanctified unity — hassuffered a grievous blow: one limbhas cut off another. Every responsibleremaining limb is now left to doits lonely grief work, to ponder thepent-up currents of mutual intolerancethat ultimately erupted with thetragic assassination of Prime MinisterYitzchak Rabin.At the same time, while lamenting anddeploring this divisive and unsanctifieddeed, no thinking man will want tolose sight of the basic issue that underliesthe current ideological contest:whether or not territory should besurrendered in exchange for promisesof peace. For at the present criticalmoment in its history, the Land ofIsrael — an indivisible and sanctifiedunity — is tottering under a series ofgrievous blows, and vital limbs arebeing irreversibly cut off.In literally hundreds of public addressesdelivered since the Six Day War in1967, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, RabbiMenachem M. Schneerson, explainedwhy none of the liberated territoriesof the Land of Israel should be surrendered.Time and again he warned ofthe grave danger that the Camp Davidaccords pose to its security. With thebeginning of Operation Peace for theGalilee in 1982, the Rebbe called forthe campaign to be carried through toits logical conclusion — the completeelimination of the terrorist threat toJewish lives. And soon after, whenThe RashashContinued from page 14was going home for the evening buthid in a closet. Indeed, to his uttershock, he observed the shamashconsulting the holy tomes andsecreting a piece of paper betweenthe pages of his prayer book.The next morning the head of theYeshivah insisted on seating RabbiShalom Sharaby at his right handside, and revealed to all the greatmystery. In fact, he later appointedhim his heir and successor, despitehis young age of only 27. Chanathe daughter of Rabbi GedaliaChayun became his wife. RabbiShalom Sharabi ‘s greatness was thusrevealed to everyone in Jerusalem,and many stories are told about hiswisdom. For 30 years he served ashead of the Beit El Yeshivah, untilpassing away. During these 30 yearshe also succeeded in protecting theJews of Yerushalayim from theirMoslem neighbors.Some of Reb Shalom’s main studentswere The Chido, Reb Yom-TovElgazy, Reb Chaim De La Rozaan Israeli commission of inquiry wasinstituted to investigate the killingsin the Lebanese refuge camps, theRebbe pointed out that since its solepurpose was to determine Jewish guiltin the matter, instead of determiningwho were the perpetrators and whoissued the orders, this was a travestyof justice.The following synopses of some of theRebbe’s addresses on the above subjectswere published at their respectivetimes by the undersigned publisher,who trusts that they have done justiceto their author. We have chosen toreprint them now, because at a timewhen some individuals on all sides arebeing distracted by mutual and collectiveaccusations that are unprofitable,unloving and unjust, the voice of theTorah perspective should be clearlyheard.Sichos in EnglishAn Analysis of the Camp David PeaceProcessSince the Six Day War in 1967, theRebbe has unceasingly reiter ated hisopposition to surrendering any of theliberated territories. Most recently,the Rebbe has time and again warnedof the grave danger the Camp Davidaccords pose to the security of EretzYisroel.This publication is a synopsis of theRebbe’s many public addresses onthe sub ject, translated and adaptedby Rabbi Yosef Loebenstein. While itis but a synop sis, every effort has beenmade to give as accurate a representationof the Rebbe’s views as possible.and Reb Gershon of Kitov (brotherin-lawof the Baal Shem Tov). TheChido (Rabbi Chaim Yosef DavidAzulai) describes The Rashash asa holy man who knew all the booksof kabbalah he was studying, orally,and was using all the kavanot writtenby the Ari.In his study of Kabbalah, the Rashashwould only study the Zohar, thewritings of the Ari and his studentRabbi Chaim Vital. He would notstudy books written by other studentsof the Ari or any other earlyor late kabbalists.Rabbi Shalom Sharaby wrote asiddur called Siddur HaRashash,a kabbalistic prayer book basedmainly on the teachings of the AriHaKadosh. The introduction to hissiddur is called Rechovot HaNahar.This prayer book is still used todayby kabbalists for prayer.The Rashash was buried at HarHaZeitim (Mount Olives). He madea promise before his death thatwhoever will visit his gravesite andwill pray with a pure heart, his prayerwill not go unanswered.1.The HalachaThe Camp David accords, which somany Jews hoped would bring thepeace so long awaited, are in reality theexact opposite. They constitute a gravedanger to the secu rity of Eretz Yisroel,and on the grounds of pikuach nefeshHalachah forbids the sur render of anyterritory necessary for secu rity.When it is a city close to the border,then, even if they want to come onlyfor the purpose of [taking] strawand stubble, we desecrate the Shabbosbecause of them; for [if we donot prevent their coming] they mayconquer the city, and from there the[rest of the] land will be easy for themto conquer. Shulchan Aruch, OrachChaim 329:6The whole earth belongs to the HolyOne, Blessed be He; He created it andgave it to whom He pleased. Of Hisown will He gave it to them, and of Hisown will He took if from them and gaveit to us. Rashi, Bereishis 1:1“Rabbi Yitzchak said: The Torah[whose main object is to teach commandments]should have commencedfrom the verse (Shmos 12:2) ‘Thismonth shall be unto you the first ofthe months,’ which is the first commandmentgiven to Israel. Why thendoes it commence with [the accountof] Bereishis? Because [of the conceptexpressed in the text] ‘He declared toHis people the power of His works[i.e. He gave an account of the workof Creation] in order to give them theheritage of the nations.’ For shouldthe nations of the world say to Israel,‘You are robbers, because you took byforce the lands of the seven nations [ofCanaan,]’ Israel will reply to them ‘Thewhole earth belongs to the Holy One,Blessed be He; He created it and gaveit to whom He pleased. Of His ownwill He gave it to them, and of His ownwill He took it from them and gave itto us’” (Rashi, Berei shis 1:1).For more than thirty years now EretzYisroel has been in the hands of itsrightful owners, the Jewish people.And even while exiled from our landwe retained our ownership, an eternalheritage from the eternal G‐d to Hiseternal peo ple. No power on earthcould change that.The Arab people have, in recent years,been at war with the Jewish people,seeking to wrest possession of the landfrom us. They accuse us of robbery,of taking the land by force from the‘Palestinians.’ The text quoted aboveis pe culiarly apt for our times, is it not?For we are not robbers. The land hasalways been Eretz Yisroel. Palestine is aforeign name, imposed upon it by others.To us it has always been the HolyLand, given by G‐d to His people.Can There be Peace?But while we may be determined tokeep that which is ours, constant warhas exacted a terrible toll. The Jewishpeople have had to mourn for theirfinest sons lost in battle over the pastyears. How much longer must we livein con stant fear of war, unceasinglyvigilant of our very lives? All Jewsdesperately yearn for peace, for a timewhen guns will not be necessary forour very survival.And so, when several years ago theprospect of peace suddenly seemed alittle less impossible, Jews world-widebegan to hope and pray — maybe wewould finally be able to live in peace.The visit of President Sadat of Egypt toJerusalem opened up new, undreamedof, vistas. Were the Arabs really readyto abandon their unceasing hostilityand recognize our title to our land?Thus was born the Camp David peaceprocess. The three major characters:An American President who neededpeace and stability in the MiddleEast region, a Jewish Prime Min isterwho desperately wanted peace for hispeople and country, and an EgyptianPresident who wanted...what? Genuinepeace? Or a political means of obtainingthat which he could not win inbattle? It doesn’t really matter, thoughtJews. Peace is peace; and any peace isbetter than no peace.But is it? The very word, peace, triggersdeep emotions; and of all peoples,Jews, who have suffered so long and somuch, yearn most for it. But becausewe long for it so des perately, we caneasily be blinded to reality. To putit bluntly, the Camp David accordsdo not spell peace, not even a smallstep towards it. This agreement is anunmiti gated disaster for Eretz Yisroel,and has placed over three million Jewsin greater jeopardy than before.Such a statement is not made lightly.But this is a matter which concernsthe security of millions of Jews, andwe cannot afford to close our eyesand hope for the best. The CampDavid accords and their results mustbe examined closely, logically, andunclouded by emotion. Above all, wemust see what Halachah, Jewish law,has to say. Jews gov ern their lives by theTorah, and first and foremost we mustlook to the Torah for direction.Before analyzing the Camp Davidaccords, let us first see exactly whatare its terms. Eretz Yisroel will surrenderthe majority of the Sinai (inthree phases, the first two alreadycompleted). This encompasses a) theland, b) the oilfields, c) the advanced airfields, d) evacuation of all Jewish settlements.In addition, the ‘Palestinians’will be given some form of autonomy.In return, Egypt extends recognitionto the Jews of Eretz Yisroel and signs apeace treaty, officially ending the stateof war which has existed over the pastyears. This, briefly, constitutes the mainpoint of the Camp David accords. Weproceed now to the analysis.(To be continued)

16 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~January 30 2009Financial InterestTeach Kids the Value of MoneyFrom Kiplinger.comHere's how to encourage financialresponsibility and what you canexpect of your children.chases are still beyond the child'scomprehension.Giving an allowance probably doesn'tmake sense at this age because children'sconcept of time isn't developedA family money-management planenough to grasp the idea of receivingwith any hope of success will havea regular income. Besides, you knowto include the kids -- which is easierwhat they'd spend it on.said than done. You can teach your4-year-old to close the front door, butyou can't expect him to understandthat you don't want to pay for airconditioningthe whole neighborhood.A teenager, on the other hand,should understand that and more.Nevertheless, there are a few specificmoney-related exercises that canbenefit a preschooler. As your childlearns to count, you can demonstratethe relationship between penniesand nickels, then dimes and quarters.Also, children like to play storeLessons in financial responsibilitywith play money. It's a good way formust take into account a child's agethem to learn the role of money.and level of maturity, but there aregeneral guidelines you can follow. Situations that don't seem to be• Teach Kids the Value ofconnected with money at all may•MoneyHere's how to encourage financialresponsibility and what youcan expect of your children.Allowance: When and How•Much?Start at an appropriate age sokids can start learning how tohandle money.Using Money to Reward orPunishCash as an incentive shouldonly be used in small amountsin select circumstances.• Ways to Give Money tobe the most important influences. IfChildrenpreschoolers are encouraged to shareCustodial accounts and truststhings, to take care of their toys andare ways to transfer cash to yourpick up after themselves, their sensekids.of responsibility will be reflectedYour attitude toward money -- theway you handle it and discuss it-- makes an impression on your childrenjust as surely as your attitudetoward other personal matters.If you speak longingly of the neighbor'snew car or television set, ifyou spend impulsively, if you oftenquarrel about money with yourspouse, the children will notice. Yourbehavior reveals the place money hasin your life. It's unrealistic to expectyour children to develop an attitudetoward money that's more maturethan your own.So what can you do to encouragefinancial responsibility in childrenof various ages, and how much canyou expect of a child?in the attitudes they develop aboutmoney. Psychologists generallyagree that a person's attitude towardmoney is really an extension ofattitudes toward other things.Thus, if children feel secure at homeand are given freedom to exploretheir environment within reasonablelimits, then they are off on the rightfoot where money is concerned,too.Good money habits for kidsAllowance.Most kids are ready for a regularallowance when they start school.A weekly schedule is probably best.The amount depends on what youexpect the child to buy. If he or shehas to pay for lunch and bus fare,What preschoolers can learnthen the allowance must be biggerabout moneythan if you paid those expensesThree- and 4-year-olds aren't too yourself.young to start learning about money.Either way, kids need free money, toAt least they can be shown thatspend or save as they see fit. Handingmoney is something you exchangeout exact change for lunch doesn'tfor something else. You might wantteach children much if they merelyto give your child a few coins toconvey the money from your handsspend on a piece of penny candy orto the hands of a cafeteria cashier.fruit at the store. This will demonstratethe use of money, even thoughDeciding what to do with an extradollar each week is a more valuablethe relative merits of different pur-experience than just carting lunchmoney to school.With a little extra money at theirdisposal, kids in the elementarygrades become serious shoppers.Help them learn to compare qualityand prices of similar items. Allowthem to make small choices on theirown, such as gifts for friends or toysfor themselves. As they mature, givethem more say in buying clothes forschool and play, pointing out whyone purchase may be a better buythan another because of quality,appropriateness or price. This willequip them for making intelligentchoices.Allowing kids to do their own shoppingmeans you have to expect somemistakes -- a cheap toy that breaksthe first day, or too much candy,or clothes that don't fit. Let yourchild make mistakes like that. Thendo your bestto make ita learningexperience,not si mplyan occasionto say, "I toldyou so."Familyfinancialdiscussions.Includin g o l d e relementaryschoolkids ina few familyfinancial discussions is a good wayto demonstrate the kinds of choicesadults face. For example, the cost ofa family vacation depends largely onwhere you go. Would the kids ratherspend one week at the beach or twoweeks in the mountains? Teenagersshould participate regularly in familyfinancial discussions. They stillneedn't know every detail, such astotal family income or the size ofthe mortgage, but they should knowwhat pressures are on the budget.A few cautions about including kidsin family financial affairs: First, don'texpect them to shoulder the weightof a financial crisis. Second, don'tmake them feel guilty about costingyou money. If financial setbacksmake cutting some expendituresnecessary, deciding where to trimthe family budget can be an educationalexercise.Saving.Children also should learn to savemoney on their own -- starting inelementary school. The simplest wayis for you to open savings accountsin their names. For an account inthe name of a very young child, youcan make deposits and withdrawalson the child's behalf. Children whohave reached the age of "competence"-- a subjective standard that dependson state law -- can open and managetheir own accounts.Some banks charge stiff service feesfor small accounts but may makean exception for minors' accounts.If not, the service fees can be highenough not only to wipe out theinterest earned each month butalso to eat into the principal. That'sa valuable lesson to learn, but notone that most young children areready for.The Young Americans Bank offerssavings accounts, checking accounts,even credit cards and loans, tocustomers under age 21. Parentsof children younger than 18 mustbecome joint owners of the accounts.For your child to withdraw moneyfrom the account, both of you haveto agree to it, or you can sign arelease allowing your child to makewithdrawals on his or her own.