1014

CONTENTS
6
6
FEATURED ARTICLES
WEEKLY COLUMNS
3 Dvar Malchus
13 Parsha Thought
24 Bitachon Bytes
33 Tzivos Hashem
THE EMOTIONAL
FARBRENGEN
OF PURIM 5711
Menachem Ziegelboim
MIRACLES
16 EVEN
COME IN THREES
Nosson Avraham
AS THE KEY TO
26 JOY
INNER FREEDOM
Menachem Ziegelboim
Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082-0272

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3/21/2016 8:55:26 AM
DVAR MALCHUS
MOSHIACH, THE
REBBE, AND THE
ENTIREGENERATION
In the same time period we have the
revelation of all three [alluded to by the
word miyad, spelled Mem-Yud-Daled]:
Mem (stands for Moshiach),* Yud (stands
for both names of my revered father inlaw, the Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchok), and Daled
(doram). * From Chapter Six of Rabbi Shloma
Majeskis Likkutei Mekoros (Underlined text
is the compilers emphasis.)
Translated by Boruch Merkur
11. According to what was

discussed above we can now understand the lesson derived from
it, especially in recent times, being on the very threshold of the
true and complete redemption, as
stated repeatedly.
It is said of Moshe Rabbeinu
that Just as at Mount Sinai he
was standing [before G-d] and
serving [Him], so too here [at
the end of Moshes life] he stands
and serves. We infer from this
Talmudic passage that in every
generation and in every place
Jews have the power to invoke
the concept [of Aseres HaDibros, the Ten Commandments/
Sayings, which begin with] And
the Alm-ghty spoke all these
things saying, just as it was at
the original Mattan Torah, when
G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish
people at Mount Sinai.
The ability to draw on the
power of the original Mattan Torah comes from the connection

of the first [two] Dibros (which
were articulated by the Alm-ghty
Himself) and the latter [eight]
Dibros (spoken by Moshe), as
explained above at length.
A similar effect recurs continually throughout time. Indeed, it
is known that the impact of Mattan Torah is ongoing, a concept
that finds expression in Birchas
HaTorah, the blessing for Torah
study. That is, in this blessing,
G-d is referred to as the Giver
of the Torah, stated in the present tense, signifying an ongoing
act of giving the Torah. The same
principle apples in each generation with regard to the Moshe of
the generation, who communicates the word of G-d (Torah).
In each generation, the role of
Moshe Rabbeinu in giving the
Torah is assumed by the Moshe
Rabbeinu of each generation. It

is thus understood that with each
generation, the connection of the
first Dibros with the latter Dibros
recurs in an even greater way
(according to the principle that
we advance/ascend in matters
of holiness), providing a greater
capacity for there to be the revelation of And the Alm-ghty
spoke, etc. Just as at Mount
Sinai so too here.
How much more so in our
generation, when we see overtly
that the Moshe of our generation, my revered father in-law,
the Rebbe, leader of the generation, is connected with the revelation and bond of ten and eleven,
including eleven within eleven
(as discussed above) further
expressing the connection of so
too here [meaning in our times]
with Just as at Mount Sinai, the
generation of Moshe Rabbeinu.
In fact, this connection is further underscored insofar as our
generation is the final generation
of exile and the first generation of
redemption, especially in recent
times, as often discussed. Everything has already been completed
and now there must simply be
the redemption in actual fact,
the revelation of the aspect of the
tenth (the tenth song, and etc.)
together with the revelation of
eleven, You are one. This revIssue 1014
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Dvar Malchus
elation is of the very essence of
G-d below, in this physical world,
with the true and complete redemption through Moshiach
Tzidkeinu, who is connected with
Moshe Rabbeinu The first redeemer is the final redeemer.
The latter concept is particularly relevant in the spirit of
what has been discussed several
times, namely, the interpretation
of the acronym MiYaD immediately as referring to Moshe,
Yisroel (Baal Shem Tov), and
Dovid Malka Meshicha. That is,
the generation that experienced
Mattan Torah, the first generation (the generation of Moshe)
joins with the final generation
(the generation who experiences
the redemption through Dovid
Malka Meshicha) by means of
the revelation of the Chassidus
of the Baal Shem Tov as well as
through our Rebbes our leaders,
his successors. Indeed, the dissemination of the wellsprings of
Chassidus brings about asi mar
the advent of the master this
refers to Malka Meshicha.
In accordance with the meaning of the word miyad (imme-
diately), we must say that these

three letters are not connected
with three different periods
(Moshe in his generation, Yisroel
Baal Shem Tov in his generation,
and Dovid Malka Meshicha in his
generation), but they all come together consecutively (miyad) in
every generation and in every era.
This is alluded to by miyad also
being an acronym for Moshe,
Yehoshua, doram (their generation), all three lived concurrently
in a single generation.
So we may assert the same
applies in our generation that
in the same time period we have
the revelation of all three [alluded
to by the word miyad, spelled
Mem-Yud-Daled]: Mem (stands
for Moshiach),* Yud (stands for
both names of my revered father
in-law, the Rebbe [Yosef Yitzchok]), and Daled (Doram).
The revelation of these three is
coupled with the revelation of
the Moshe of our generation (the
Rebbe Rayatz), the aspect of ten
(the tenth of Shvat), as well as
the revelation of the teachings of
Chassidus (the wellsprings of the
Baal Shem Tov) through him, as
LIVE SHIURIM 0NLINE
well as the revelation of the aspect of eleven, the first redeemer

is the final redeemer, Dovid
Malka Meshicha.
The three correspond to and
embody the three aspects discussed above regarding the First
Dibros (from the Alm-ghty,
which correspond to the revelation of the esoteric and inner dimension of the Torah, beginning
with Yisroel Baal Shem Tov), the
Latter Dibros (through Moshe),
and their synthesis the union
of ten and eleven, as it attains
its perfection through the revelation of A new Torah shall emerge
from Me (the aspect of eleven
days from Chorev, transcending the Aseres HaDibros, which
were given at Chorev), the very
essence of G-d revealed.
(From the address of Shabbos Parshas
Yisro, 20 Shvat; Seifer HaSichos 5752,
pg. 340-341)
NOTES:
* Footnote 95: To note that Menachem is
his name (Sanhedrin 98b)
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4 15 Adar II 5776 - Hakhel

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MOSHIACH & HAKHEL
HAKHEL:
THE HAMAN
ANTIDOTE
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon
Dear Reader shyichyeh,

This Shabbos (VaYikra
Zachor) is the special Shabbos before the Yom Tov of Purim. In the
sichos of Purim 5748, which was
a year of Hakhel, the Rebbe connected the Yom Tov of Purim to
the theme of Hakhel, Jewish unity.
The turning point in the miraculous story of Purim is when
Esther goes to meet Achashverosh
to invite him to her private festive
meal in which she will beseech him
to spare the Jewish people. Yet,
before she does that she makes
the following request (4:16): Go
and gather all the Jews who are in
Shushan and fast for my sake. Do
not eat and do not drink for three
days, night and day. My maids
and I shall also fast in the same
way. Then I shall go to the king,
though it is unlawful, and if I perish, I perish.
Why were those gatherings,
whose goal was to affect unity of
Jews, so important? Because the
real reason for the terrible decree
against the Jewish people was the
lack of unity. This is evident in
the words of Haman (ibid 3:8):
There is one nation, scattered
and dispersed among the nations
throughout the provinces of your
kingdom, whose laws are unlike
those of any other nation and who
do not obey the laws of the King.
It is not in the Kings interest to
tolerate them.
The description of the Jewish
nation being scattered and dispersed was not only a reference to
a physical fact; it was also referring to the lack of emotional and
spiritual unity within the Jewish
people.
Since the decree came from the
lack of unity amongst the Jewish
people, it was necessary to make
gatherings of unity to unite them.
This would be the vessel for their
deliverance, and it was! The Rebbe
in that sicha (see Toras Menachem
5748, Volume 2 page 410) encourages all of us, especially in a
Shnas Hakhel, to make large gatherings and festive meals on Purim
and to include men, women and
children (with a proper Mechitza
of course).
The celebration of Purim is very much connected to
Moshiach.
In the Midrash Mishlei (9:2) it
is said that in the future time [of
Moshiach] all the festivals will be
annulled except Purim.
The Rambam (Hilchos Megilla
2:18) writes: All the books of the
Prophets and all the Holy Writings
will be nullified in the Messianic
era, with the exception of the Book
of Esther. It will continue to exist,
as will the five books of the Torah
and the halachos of the Oral Law,
which will never be nullified.
In the works of Chassidus, the

Midrash is explained: this cant
mean that we will not celebrate
all holidays, as many are Biblical.
Rather, this is understood to mean
that in comparison to the Divine
light that will be revealed in the
times of Moshiach, all other revelations, including that of holidays,
will fade in contrast.
The classic mashal that is
brought is of the light of a candle.
When one is stuck in the darkness
of night, there is no greater illumination than the light of a candle.
But when it turns to day and the
sun is shining, the light of the candle loses its brightness.
The analogy is clear: When
we are in the darkness of exile,
we bask in the glow of the Divine
revelation of the holidays. When
Moshiach comes, and the great
light will be revealed all the time,
we will still have the holidays but
they will lose their brightness.
The only exception is Purim.
The light of Purim is so great, that
even when the light of day, the
revelation of Hashem Himself, is
shining, we will still appreciate the
light of Purim.
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of
Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well
sought after speaker and lecturer. Recordings of his in-depth shiurim on Inyanei
Geula uMoshiach can be accessed at
http://www.ylcrecording.com.
Issue 1014
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CHABAD HISTORY
THE EMOTIONAL
FARBRENGEN OF
PURIM 5711
It was the first Purim farbrengen after the Rebbe
accepted the Chabad leadership. * The Rebbe
spoke about himself and about the nesius in
frightening terms until elder Chassidim asked
him to stop. * The Rebbe gave out mashke and
when the mashke was finished, he gave out
water. * The farbrengen lasted about seven and a
half hours, until morning. * A description of that
extraordinary farbrengen based on the diaries of
Tmimim and the sichos that were said.
By Menachem Ziegelboim
he events that took place

at the farbrengen of Purim
5711 are remembered
in Chabad history as
emotionally stormy and gripping,
with a series of atypical behaviors
and mainly, for how the Rebbe
spoke about himself and his new
nesius. This made a powerful
impact on all the participants.
Purim 5711 was the Rebbes first
Purim as the official nasi, and
this farbrengen was the first one
in which the Rebbe sat on a high
platform and used a microphone.
With the passing of the Rebbe
Rayatz on 10 Shevat 5710, the

Chassidim began to consider appointing his son-in-law, Ramash,
as the new leader. But Ramash,
as he was called at the time, refused to accept this onerous position. He repeatedly dismissed requests of Chassidim from all over
the world that he take over.
It was only a year later, on the
eve of 11 Shevat 5711, that the
Rebbe agreed to publicly accept
the nesius. The Chassidim were
ecstatic.
THE REBBE CRIED

Thursday, 14 Adar, a feeling
of novelty and renewal was felt
among Anash and the Tmimim
studying in the yeshiva in 770.
The Rebbe, through his holy conduct, introduced a spirit of newness. The Chassidim followed
his every move and listened
closely to everything he uttered.
The first time each holiday
was celebrated naturally roused
the curiosity of the Chassidim.
How would the new Rebbe conduct the first Purim?
Purim happenings began after

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the reading of the Megilla at the

short farbrengen that took place
in the Rebbe Rayatzs apartment
on the second floor of 770. The
Rebbe and Rashag, the two sonsin-law, sat as always on either
side of the table with the chair at
the head of the table as it always
was. Nobody doubted that the
Rebbe Rayatz was present at that
Purim farbrengen too. Next to
the table sat a handful of distinguished Chassidim who had been
invited.
They sang niggunim, including the Alter Rebbes Dalet Bavos. The new Rebbe did not say
a word, which is how he conducted himself in the presence of the

Rebbe Rayatz. This farbrengen
ended quickly. Then the Rebbe
went to his room and prepared
for the official farbrengen which
would take place in the small zal
on the first floor of 770.
The Rebbe walked in at 9:00.
The crowd was not ready and
there was a bit of a commotion.
The Rebbe, seeing the crowding
and chaos, said, Without hispaalus.
When the Rebbe sat down, he
instructed that they should sing
a niggun. The one who lead the
niggunim was R Shmuel Zalmanov, author of Seifer HaNiggunim who began a special niggun. It is said that the Rebbe
Rashab learned this niggun when
he attended a wedding and it was
the niggun that the Rebbe Rayatz sang during davening when
he was in Moscow. The Rebbe
joined in, singing quietly and in
tears.
When they finished singing,
the Rebbe spoke about the Megilla, discussing the meaning of
the verse, And so, I will go to
the king, though it is unlawful
and explained that Achash-
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Chabad history
With a big smile the Rebbe said, By the mitzva

of tzdaka we find that there is an advantage
when you give the same sum, broken down into smaller
parts, many times, but when it comes to mashke there is
no need to give drop after drop!
The Rebbes handwriting:

wording for a telegram with Purim wishes for Anash
verosh alludes to Hashem who

sits in the Kings inner courtyard.
Although going there is unlawful, still, one needs to push his
way in, even without knowing
whether it will be possible to enter. What does he care whether
this conduct is lawful or unlawful when a Jew knows that by doing so he will encounter Hashem,
sheacharis vreishis shelo. Then,
from Above, they will act toward
him in a way that is unlawful, i.e.,
bringing him into the Kings inner courtyard. Not only that, but
they extend the tip of the golden
scepter toward him.
When the Rebbe said these
words, he burst into unrestrained
tears and the hearts of everyone
present melted.
The sicha lasted a few minutes and immediately afterward
the Rebbe began saying a maamer, the fifth maamer in a series
that was said after he accepted
the nesius. The Rebbe began
the maamer with the traditional
singsong, VKibel HaYehudim
es asher Heicheilu. Suddenly,

he stopped talking because of
his sobbing. After he recovered
somewhat, he began again and
said the opening words and continued, and the Rebbe, my father-in-law, explains ...
Later, a handwritten note of
the Rebbes was found with the
beginning of the maamer which
he wrote for himself. Apparently,
the Rebbe planned, at the outset
of his nesius, to write his maamarim as the previous Rebbeim had
done (which did not work out,
and the maamarim were written
by manichim).
MASHKE IN BIG CUPS

In the following sicha, the
Rebbe spoke about the difference
between Chanuka and Purim
and then added an explanation
to the words, which is unlawful that every person ought to
operate in a manner that is free
of inhibition, above measure and
limitation, in a way of ad dlo
yoda. At this point, the Rebbe
demanded that everyone go out

of himself, each according to
his situation. The Rebbe added,
in the name of the Alter Rebbe,
that through the lo yoda of
Purim we cause the lo yoda of
the rest of the year to be different. He said, Therefore, when
a person pushes himself to go to
the king which is unlawful, he
is treated from Above the same
way, unlawful that they dont
make calculations whether he deserves to enter the kings inner
courtyard or not, since he pushed
his way in. And they give him the
golden scepter (and not just the
tip of the scepter, but the whole
scepter).
These matters of Purim continue and have a physical effect,
as is emphasized in the obligation of feasting and rejoicing with
physical food and drink the
pushing in to go to the kings
inner courtyard, unlawfully, also
affects material circumstances,
to be blessed with living enduring children children, life, and

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The Rebbe at a Purim farbrengen in the early years
livelihood.
Upon concluding this sicha,
the Rebbe said they should sing
a happy niggun and said to sing
even more joyously and he even
conducted the rejoicing with his
holy hands.
Cups of mashke were distributed to the crowd and seeing this, the Rebbe said to bring
larger cups. With a big smile he
said with the mitzva of tzdaka
we find that there is an advantage
when you give the same sum,
broken down into smaller parts,
many times, but when it comes to
mashke there is no need to give
drop after drop!
The Rebbe also took a big cup
and drank from it. During the
farbrengen, the Rebbe drank a lot
of mashke and he told the participants to drink a lot, saying it was
necessary to go out of oneself,
and this is ad dlo yoda.
MENTLICK SPEAKING
LIKE THAT?
At the end of the fourth sicha,
the Rebbe began pouring mashke

for some Chassidim from his cup.
It wasnt the Chassidim any longer who poured lchaims for one
another, but the Rebbe himself
doing the pouring. Many participants realized this was an auspicious moment and they went
forward to ask for a lchaim from
the Rebbe. The Rebbe began
pouring for whoever was there as
he stood on his chair. To many,
the Rebbe added personal blessings in their areas of need. Some
people needed a blessing for children and the Rebbe told them
to say lchaim and added, Even
if I dont have the breitkait (lit.
broadness), if they place themselves before G-d it will surely
help, in some way or another, at
first spiritually, but that should
descend below materially!
One of those who recoded the
event in a diary noted that they
saw miracles in the merit of the
blessings the Rebbe showered
upon them at the farbrengen.
One of those present held
out his hand to receive mashke,

but because he was standing at a
distance, when the Rebbe poured
from the bottle, he had to bend
toward him. Rabbi Mentlick,
who drank plenty, yelled at that
Chassid, Go closer! When the
Rebbe heard this he smiled and
said, That Mentlick would speak
that way? Apparently he is already in the category of ad dlo
yoda.
Another person asked the
Rebbe for mashke through someone else and did not bother to go
over himself. R Mentlick censured him saying, If the Baal
Shem Tov himself would give you
mashke, would you not bother
to go over to him and receive it
from his hand directly?
When the Rebbe heard this
he said, It depends on whether
you consider it one continuous
line or a line made up of separate
points.
The Rebbe took care not only
of those Chassidim who were
there but also those who could
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Chabad history
not be there. He looked for relatives to give mashke to on their

behalf. It was apparent that the
Rebbe sought to bestow an abundance of salvation on this great,
auspicious night. For example,
Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi, one of
the senior Chassidim, went home
early for health reasons, so the
Rebbe gave mashke for him to a

relative, Dovber Gurary.
Then the Rebbe began looking for relatives of Rav Karasik who was also not present.
Dovber Gurary once again went
over for he was a relative of his
too, but the Rebbe told him,
Your older brother is present.
Then the Rebbe added, He is

probably busy fixing his tie and
the Rebbe told him to remove his
tie.
An American soldier was
present who was not comfortable
with Yiddish. The Rebbe poured
mashke for him and spoke to
him in English about the need to
strengthen observance of Torah
and mitzvos, and not to suffice
with that but to influence others
in this regard.
The soldier was surprised by
this and asked since he himself
wasnt the way he should be, how
could he affect others? Maybe it
was better to first shape up himself and only then work on others.
The Rebbe did not accept this
reasoning and continued explaining in English that Moshiach
cannot wait until he is perfect.
When the Rebbe finished speaking, he turned to R Shlomo Zalman Hecht who was standing
nearby and asked him to repeat
what he said to the soldier, but
without an accent And when
the Rebbe said this, he laughed.
Then the Rebbe spoke to another person who also wanted the
Rebbe to speak to him in English,
a language he understood better, but the Rebbe told him, One
doesnt have to give in on everything, and continued speaking
in Yiddish.
At a certain point, the mashke
was used up but there were many
more who wanted mashke from
the Rebbe. The Rebbe said to
bring water! He continued pouring from his cup as though it was
the original mashke.
A STORY ABOUT MASHKE

AFTER MASHKE
Throughout the long farbrengen, the Rebbe drank a lot of
mashke. When it was well past
midnight, the Rebbe began to re-

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late:
The Rebbe, my father-inlaw, told me that on the last Simchas Torah of his fathers life,
in 5680, he asked his father to
recite for him a maamer Chassidus. His father said he would do
so on condition that he first take
mashke.
The Rebbe, my father-inlaw, went to his room and took a
cup of Arik (a very strong drink,
96% alcohol), and so that the
drinking of the mashke would
not confuse him in following the
maamer, he put his finger down
his throat and threw it up. Then
he went to his father and said he
fulfilled the condition. His father
said the maamer and then spoke
to him about the need to go out
of ones self and become a different person.
The Rebbe continued:
One needs to go out of their
essential being, each according to
his situation. For example, there
are those who think that when
they go out on the street with a
beard that is not rolled up or the
tie is not positioned properly, as
in the customs of the country,
that they are not in the category
of human being They must get
out of themselves! And similarly,
each person according to his situation, including avoda in matters of holiness, in Torah study
and the fulfillment of mitzvos, for
in these areas too there needs to
be a going out of ones existing
state.
When the Rebbe finished saying this, he instructed that the
Chassidim sing the soulful niggun of the Shpoler Zeide, Kol
BYaar, and he said that on Purim 5687/1927 referring to
that fateful farbrengen of giluyim
with the Rebbe Rayatz, when he
spoke about every Chassid being moser nefesh for spreading
Judaism after the farbrengen,
the famous Chassid, R Yaakov
The Rebbe began writing down the maamer, VKibel HaYehudim 5711
Zuravitzer, sat on the floor and

began singing this niggun.
The crowd immediately broke
into a rendition of Kol BYaar.
FIERY WORDS WITH

COPIOUS TEARS
Purim is a lofty time of ad
dlo yoda, when wine enters
and the secret is out, when
many giluyim are revealed that
are concealed the rest of the
year. Indeed, late that night, far
past midnight, the Rebbe began
to speak about himself and his
nesius. It was apparent that he
wanted to share his thoughts and
feelings about his nesius, a nesius
that was all of a month old.
Elder Chassidim remembered
something like this with the Rebbe Rayatz, who on various occasions shortly after accepting the
nesius, dismissed himself with an
inner and profound bitterness,
asking, how could he fill his fathers place? And yet, he agreed
to accept the leadership because
of his fathers will and testament.
Who am I and what am I?
said the Rebbe in tears. It is
open and known before the One

who spoke and the world came
into being that I am not worthy
and deserving of this.
The shock of the Chassidim,
who had just started to see the renewed blossoming of the Chabad
leadership, was enormous.
I do not know why they
bound you to me and me to you
and why they are wearying you
and me. However, since this is
the way it was in previous generations, now too they give kochos. I want to say a few words
to you. These words wont hurt
it will express a small part.
There are such bachurim who go
with simple faith. I want to say
a few words and you will become
different, different in Torah study
and in mitzva fulfillment ... Here
the Rebbe ended mid-sentence
and did not finish what he wanted to say.
At a certain point the Rebbe
turned to R Eliyahu Yochil Simpson, one of the elder Chassidim
who had merited to bask in the
glory days of the Rebbe Rashab
and was one of the chozrim there
and then served as the Rebbe
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Chabad history
Rayatzs personal gabbai. The
Rebbe found in him someone
to whom he could pour out his
heart: Regarding the dedication
of the second Bayis we find that
the elders who saw the first Bayis
wept. You, who were by the Rebbe [Rashab] and by the Rebbe,
my father-in-law, its a gvura on
your part that you dont cry It
is understandable with the Rebbe
Rashab, he had his only son take
his place, but now, who am I and
what am I?
Since the Rebbe did not want
all the Chassidim to hear this,
he told them to continue singing but here and there they could
hear some of his ominous words:
You have faith in G-d I am
just a conduit. You are mekushar
to me? You are mekushar to the
Rebbe! I fill his place only in one
respect.
The Rebbe continued: We
need to go out of ourselves. Although I have yet to go out of
myself, still, you do not need to
learn from me.
What is being said now I
hope I am not harming those
who go with simple faith, and he
continued talking with his eyes
closed. I dont know why this
matter comes to me [referring to
his being Rebbe and nasi].
The Chassidim feared hearing such kind of talk and some of
them began singing a niggun, but
the Rebbe said he wants to continue speaking.
We spoke about the need
for ad dlo yoda, that is probably what it is I feel this very
strongly and cannot go out of
myself When he said this, he
leaned his head on his hands and
while crying he said, Most likely,
you have no other choice and I
too have no other choice.
The Chassidim stood in their
places, overwrought. R Simpson went over to the Rebbe and
said that the Chassidim could not
listen to talk like this. Some elder Chassidim also went over to
the Rebbe and asked him to stop
talking this way. To one of them,
the Rebbe said: I am not extricating myself.
Since the topic of the nesius
had been opened, R Mentlick,
who stood behind the Rebbe,
spoke up and said, It is clearly
not so. You are the Rebbe and
it is one continuation and one
chain from the Alter Rebbe. R
Mentlick concluded by saying
he wants mashke from the Alter
Rebbe. The Rebbe smiled broadly and poured for him. Then he
continued pouring for another
few Chassidim.
Then the Rebbe continued
and revealed a glimpse into the
supernal world of souls that is
the dynastic chain of Lubavitch
words that have become a cornerstone of hiskashrus to the Rebbe
solely during this incredible
Purim farbrengen, when wine
enters and the secret emerges.
After the passing of the Rebbe
[Rashab], my father-in-law, the
Rebbe, once said that he does not
say nishmaso Eden (his soul resides in Gan Eden) regarding his
father for why say that when it
is easier and better to say, nishmaso bee (his soul resides inside
me). So too for the Rebbe I
do not say nishmaso Eden but
nishmaso bee!
At this point, the Rebbe wanted to sing the Dalet Bavos of
the Alter Rebbe. When they finished, they sang Nye Zhuritzi
Chloptzi.
The Rebbe then said:
I want to bless you and myself, as I once heard from the
Rebbe, my father-in-law, about
giving pidyonos (a written request
for blessing usually accompanied
by a monetary gift), that one can
do so by himself, especially at the
holy gravesite of Kvod kdushas
Adoneinu Moreinu vRabbeinu
the blessing of my father-inlaw, the Rebbe, on Purim in one

of the last years of his life, that
this should be the last Purim in
galus should be fulfilled on this
Purim!
The Chassidim were not
used to hearing the Rebbe
saying the explicit, detailed
words, Adoneinu, Moreinu,
vRabbeinu as opposed to the
usual phrase, the Rebbe, the shver (father-in-law).
Wrote R Yoel Kahn in his diary at the time, And in general,
there were astonishing words,
both those addressed to the public and to individuals, and in the
middle when Anash began speaking to him.
The Rebbe concluded this
tremendously revealing farbrengen by emphasizing, And the
Rebbe shlita will lead us toward
Moshiach. The Chassid, R Yisroel Jacobson, who was standing near the Rebbe, pointed at
the Rebbe and said, Der Rebbe
shlita.
A SEVEN AND A HALF

HOUR FARBRENGEN
The farbrengen lasted about
seven and a half hours! It began
at 9:00 and ended at 4:20 Friday
morning.
It is impossible to describe
what occurred on that night,
concluded R Yoel Kahn. Nevertheless, dont repeat any of it
because for some it might cause a
weakening, even though the truth
is not that way.
On Friday, a telegram was
sent to Chassidim around the
world in which the Rebbe instructed, With a request to
farbreng on Purim and also on
Shabbos with a special arousal
for avoda in chinuch with yiras
Shamayim. With blessings for a
joyous Purim.

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PARSHA THOUGHT
ILLUMINATING
GARMENTS
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg
TWO STAGES
OF ASH REMOVAL
Among the services in the
Sanctuary entrusted to the Kohanim-Priests was the removal of
the ashes from the Altar. First the
Kohen would remove some ashes and place them near the Altar
where they would be absorbed by
the earth. The remainder of the
ashes would be taken out of the
camp.
What is the deeper significance of this rather strange Mitzvah of removing the ashes in two
stages and how does it relate to
our own lives today, particularly
now as we stand on the cusp of
the Final Redemption?
The purpose of an animal
sacrifice is to refine and elevate
our own internal animal. And the
goal is for it to be consumed by
and subsumed within the fiery
passion of the G-dly soul.
However, as we shall see there
are base aspects of our personalities that are comparable to ashes
that cannot be elevated. These
aspects of our personalities (the
ashes) must therefore be removed from the Altar and taken
outside of the camp. There is no
room for them in our lives.
This premise can be questioned. If ashes are such a negative symbol why would some of
them remain near the Altar? Furthermore, the Talmud states that
during Festivals the Kohanim

would allow the ashes to pile up
into a huge mound on the Altar
and described this mound as the
beauty of the Altar! How could
ashes, the unredeemable aspects
of our animal nature, be considered an enhancement to the Altar?
G-D DRIVEN HUMILITY

To answer this question we
should start with the analysis of
the removal of the ashes from the
classic Chassidic work Derech
Chaim (authored by the second
Rebbe of Chabad, Rabbi Dovber,
known as the Mitteler Rebbe):
In his analysis the Mitteler
Rebbe reveals that the ashes are
not exclusively suggestive of the
negative forces of our animal
souls. The ashes of the sacrifice
are also symbolic of our humble
feelings of inadequacy. These
feelings arise in times of prayer,
precisely when we are at the
height of our spiritual journey.
When our souls are on fire as
we recite the Shma and are consumed with a heightened G-dly
awareness, we then are overcome
with a sense of how small we are.
This initial feeling of inadequacy
is actually a positive development, because it rids us of any
and all traces of destructive ego.
Some of the ashes are therefore redeemable. These are the
ashes that can be placed next to
the Altar and be absorbed there

because they represent the aspect
of humility that can be elevated
no less so than the offering of the
sacrifice itself.
A SPIRITUAL SKIING
EXPERIENCE MISHAP
But there is also an attendant
danger to the humbling nature
that accompanies our spiritual
journey. The breaking of our
egos and the resultant feelings
of lowliness can degenerate into
depression. Initially, our sense
of lowliness is healthy because it
derives from a heightened awareness of G-d and our desire to get
closer to Him. Its not about us;
its about G-d.
However, since our egos have
not been completely neutralized,
this initial G-d oriented sense of
humility can morph into an egodriven deep depression. This
depression, the Mitteler Rebbe
writes, is not precipitated by Gdly awareness (as were the initial feelings of humility brought
on by ones meditation on G-ds
greatness). Rather, ironically, it
is a product of the ego itself! We
might be disappointed by our inadequacies because we have an
inflated expectancy of ourselves.
This, in turn, can lead inexorably
to a destructive downhill path to
getting angry at ourselves, and
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PARSHA THOUGHT
ultimately giving up trying to
grow.
The situation might even degenerate further. Once we feel
that we are spiritual failures, it
could start us down the slippery
slope into indifference. We lose
our desire to please G-d and instead look to please ourselves by
indulging in whatever will take
away our depression. So what
began as a spiritual journey might
actually end with a gradual fall
into the abyss. The entire sacrifice-prayer experience turns into
a spiritual skiing exercise which
ends when we smash into a tree
on our way down. Ouch!
That is why there are two
stages in the process of removing
the ashes. First we must not allow our spiritual growth to make
us arrogant. The more we climb
the proverbial ladder of prayer
realm of holiness.
We can now understand why
the Talmud states that the pile
of ashes during the Holidays
were the beauty of the Altar, because that pile was reserved for
the joyous festivals. In times of
true G-dly joy, the danger of the
ashes-humility degenerating into
depression did not exist. Hence,
it was an adornment to the Altar
because it demonstrated that the
feelings of self-abnegation engendered by their proximity to
the Holy Temple and the revelation of G-d therein were all positive.
ISAACS ASHES
With this analysis we can
answer a question posed by the
Rebbe on the statement in the
Midrash concerning the ashes
left on the Altar that Abraham
All of the self-sacrifice of so many millions of

Jews over the millennia has elevated us to the
pinnacle of closeness to G-d even if we are now not
consciously aware of it.
and get closer to G-d the more
humble we become. This humility
is healthy and must be placed in
close proximity to the Altar to be
absorbed there as an indication
that it is a positive experience and
is an auxiliary to the actual sacrifice.
However, we must be extremely vigilant not to allow this
ashes consciousness to break
our spirit and awaken the egos
sense of worthlessness and depression. Whatever feelings of
lowliness engendered by our
heightened awareness of G-d
must not give way to depression.
The bulk of the ashes therefore
had to be removed from the Altar
and taken outside of the camp.
There is no room for it in the
built for the sacrifice of his son

Isaac. This, of course, was only
a test and in the end Abraham
substituted a ram for Isaac as
the sacrifice. The Midrash states
that its ashes were never removed
from the Altar and stand to this
day as a testament of Isaacs selfsacrifice and serve as an eternal
merit for the Jewish people.
Why didnt Abraham (whom
our Sages state observed the entire Torah even before it was formally given) fulfill the Mitzvah of
removing the ashes? (See Likkutei Sichos Volume 25, p. 131, for
two answers.)
The Altar of Abraham and
Isaac was different. Their selfabnegation was so complete, as
evidenced by their readiness for
total self-sacrifice, that there was

no danger of their humility turning into an unhealthy and egotistical form of depression. Indeed,
Abraham said of himself that he
was but dust and ashes. Their
ashes were untainted and could
therefore serve as perpetual reminders of their devotion to G-d.
THE ASH-HEAP OF HISTORY

It can be said that all of our
history follows the pattern of the
sacrifices. Thus, the final step of
removing the ashes parallels the
last days of our stay in exile. In
this very sensitive period which
can be compared to a bridge
that takes us into the Messianic
Age of Redemption, we must integrate the two functions of ash
removal.
Although it may not seem that
way to some, we are at the highest point of our spiritual journey
because of all the cumulative effects of all the Mitzvos ever performed. Moreover, all of the selfsacrifice of so many millions of
Jews over the millennia has elevated us to the pinnacle of closeness to G-d even if we are now
not consciously aware of it. Thus,
when we reflect on our collective
achievements and how close we
are to the climax of history when
G-ds glory will be fully revealed,
we are humbled.
Thus, the Midrash states,
Moshiachs address to the Jewish people begins with the words,
Humble ones, the time of your
Redemption has arrived. We
are humbled by the sacrifices
our forebears have made and by
the imminent prospect of seeing
the revelation of G-dliness in the
world.
This initial state of humility can be compared to the ashes
that were removed from the Altar
but placed alongside it. Perhaps
it might even be compared to the

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tall mound of ashes that graced

the Altar in times of joyous Festivals.
However, since we are still
not out of Galus, we must still
forestall the potential for humility to mutate into ego-driven depression. To allay this concern,
we are commanded to take the
ashes outside of our camp. There
is no room here for sadness. On
the contrary, the greatest display
of self-abnegation is when we are
able to revel in the knowledge
that we are soon to experience
the full revelation of Moshiach
and the Messianic Age.
ILLUMINATING GARMENTS
There is a hint in the Torah
that the removal of the ashes
concerns the Messianic Age.
The Torah commands the Kohen
to wear other-acheirim garments for the removal of the
ashes. Acheirim was also used
as a nickname for the great Talmudic Sage, Rabbi Meir. The
commentator, Or LaMeir (cited
in the anthology, Yalkut Geula
UMoshiach), writes that the
wearing of acheirim garments

is an allusion to the Talmudic
tradition that Rabbi Meirs Torah
scroll spelled the word ohr-leather (which describes the garment
made by G-d to clothe Adam and
Eve) with an aleph (instead of the
prevalent spelling with the letter
ayin), which translates as garments of light. While leather
covers and conceals, light uncovers and reveals. In the Messianic
Age, those aspects of life which

obscure their G-dly nature will
be transformed into illuminating
light that will fully reveal the Divine.
What is the connection between the garments of light and
the removal of the ashes?
It is clear that the final obstacle to entry into the state of Redemption is the need to get rid of
the last vestiges of our negativity,
which are the debilitating effects
of an ego induced depression.
This we do by promoting joy and
light in all the Mitzvos (which are
likened to garments) that we do.
Indeed, the word acheirim,
according to the abovementioned
work Or LaMeir, has the same
numerical value as the words,
David, King of Israel is living
and enduring. And the word
for the ashes-hadeshen is numerically equal to the word satan-obstacle. By wearing these
radiant garments we can get rid
of the negative, obstructive and
depressing forces of galus and
bask in the unfiltered light of the
Divine presence.
ADD IN ACTS OF GOODNESS & KINDNESS
TO BRING MOSHIACH NOW!

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1014_bm_eng.indd 15
Rabbi Jacob Schwei
MIRACLE STORY
EVEN MIRACLES
COME IN
THREES
R Yosef Yisroel HaKohen Ehrentreu is a wellknown figure in the Chabad community of
Tzfas. By his own choice, he remained in Crown
Heights with the Rebbe for six years, during
which he saw, heard, and felt the holiness of the
nasi hador. This is the first time that R Yosef has
publicized these three incredible miracle stories
he experienced with the Rebbe, each one with
its own thrilling finale.
By Nosson Avraham
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry
Photos by Moshe Asulin
veryone in the Chabad

community of the Holy
City of Tzfas knows R
Yosef Yisroel HaKohen
Ehrentreu. He has run the Galgal
HaKodesh Judaica store, located
at the entrance to the Old City, for
many years. The store is more than
your average place of business. It
often appears that the store serves

as a branch of the Chabad House.
You can find R Yosef with his
eternal smile and radiant cordiality at any hour of the day, shifting
between his business activities
and an energetic conversation
with a group of Jewish tourists.
He listens, talks passionately
about Yiddishkait, and directs

visitors to Chabad centers in their
respective places of residence.
Similarly, he operates a tfillin
stand and sells letters in the Seifer Torah in his store.
We recently had an opportunity to sit together with him and
we were amazed to hear three

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fascinating miracle stories that he

had personally experienced because of the brachos of the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. Despite
the many years that have passed
since these stories occurred, it
seems that they live with him forever emblazoned in his memory,
as he asks that we record every
detail with great precision.
THE ARAB DOCTOR, A

DESCENDANT OF THE
ALTER REBBE
Until the age of three, my
motor development was excellent. According to my fam-
ily, I spoke normally and clearly.

However, this all changed when I
turned three. My mother suddenly passed away, and this apparently caused a trauma that affected my speech. While I was able to
speak, I began to stutter heavily,
and it would often take several
long seconds before I managed to
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MIRACLE STORY
get a word or a sentence out of
my mouth. During the early years
of my childhood, my father and
family members tried to help me
through various modes of treatments and support, but to no
avail.
As such a problem never existed in my family history before,
the doctors and other medical
experts rejected any geneticallybased diagnosis. Instead, they
attributed it to the traumatic experience that I had endured as a
one problem: I was worried that

my persistent stutter would deter
people from agreeing to put on
tfillin when asked by me. That
same year, during the month of
Shvat, my father visited the Rebbe again. Before he left, I gave
him a letter to be delivered to the
Rebbe, requesting a bracha that
my stammer should not interfere
with my ability to go out on mivtzaim.
At the time, we were living
in Bat Yam. The local Chabad
One day, I noticed that the doctor had a Christian

sign around her neck. I was horrified. When I
asked her why she was wearing this symbol, she amazed
me by saying that she wasnt Jewish, adding that she
came from an Arab family. I then asked why she was living
in a Jewish neighborhood, and to my astonishment, she
told me that she was a descendant of the Alter Rebbe,
and on her fathers side, her family name was Shneuri I
was speechless, not due to my stutter, but from a sudden
state of panic. I told her, No descendant of the Alter
Rebbe can look like that, and I stormed out of her house.
young child.
In 5741, my father traveled to Beis Chayeinu and was
privileged to go in for a yechidus
with the Rebbe. I was after my
bar-mitzvah, and my father was
very concerned for my future.
Naturally, this was one of the
questions and requests that came
up during the yechidus, and the
Rebbe replied that swimming was
one of the most effective tools to
relieve stammering.
Later, after my father returned from 770, I longed to
invest my free time in giving my
fellow Jews the privilege of putting on tfillin. I had already become connected to all matters
pertaining to the Rebbes mitzvah
campaigns. However, there was
House was bustling with outreach activities and many people

passed through its doors. After
I sent the letter to the Rebbe, I
came to the Chabad House and
offered Jews the opportunity to
put on tfillin. Amazingly, every
time I was involved with mitzvah
campaign activities, the stammer disappeared as if there had
never been one. Yet, when I went
back to my mundane pursuits,
the stammer returned. When I
told this to those around me, they
teased me for my foolishness in
asking the Rebbe for a bracha
to stop stammering only on mivtzaim, instead of asking for a
bracha to speak clearly under all
circumstances.
I answered everyone with
the Talmudic idiom If you have

seized a lot, you have not seized,
yet people continued to rebuke
me.
In 5742, I went to learn at
Yeshivas Toras Emes in Yerushalayim. My stammer was making
things difficult for me socially, so
I decided to write to the Rebbe
again, and this time, I requested
a bracha that the stammer should
stop completely. I described the
problems I was enduring and
asked that I should be able to
speak clearly.
The Rebbes answer was not
long in coming. The Rebbe wrote
that to the best of his knowledge, there was a doctor living in
Yerushalayims Katamon neighborhood who was an expert in
this field, and the Rebbe suggested that I consult with this doctor.
I was happy to receive a detailed
answer, and I immediately went
out in search of this individual. I
asked everyone I possibly could,
but no one seemed to know such
a doctor. I even inquired among
those in the medical profession
and others knowledgeable in the
field, yet none had heard of this
expert speech therapist in Katamon. I had almost given up,
when help came from an unexpected source. I along with several bachurim were sitting together
and talking in the beis midrash
or more accurately, they were
talking and I was trying to talk.
After this chat, one of the
older bachurim in this group, Yisroel H., came up to me. He said
that he heard my stuttering, and
he wanted me to know that he
had the same problem in the past.
The person who had helped him
to overcome this difficulty was an
expert in speech therapy living in
Yerushalayims Katamon neighborhood. I jumped for joy upon
hearing this. I told him about
the letter I had received from the
Rebbe and the long yet unsuc-

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cessful search that followed. He

gave me the exact address where
this doctor was located and I immediately left to visit her.
The doctor agreed to help
me, and over a period of time, I
came to her home once a week
and saw a marked improvement
in my speech. I found that I was
often able to speak clearly without stammering, and my selfconfidence grew.
One day, I noticed that
the doctor had a Christian sign
around her neck. I was horrified.
When I asked her why she was
wearing this symbol, she amazed
me by saying that she wasnt Jewish, adding that she came from
an Arab family. I then asked why
she was living in a Jewish neighborhood, and to my astonishment, she told me that she was
a descendant of the Alter Rebbe,
and on her fathers side, her family name was Shneuri...
She said that her grandfather
had lived in Chevron, and he was
one of the founders of the Jewish
settlement there. However, her
father had assimilated over the
years and eventually married an
Arab.
I was shocked and speechless, not due to my stammer, but
from a sudden state of panic. I
told her, No descendant of the
Alter Rebbe can look like that,
and I stormed out of her house.
That was the last time I went to
her for treatment.
The amazing thing was that I
didnt need any more treatments,
since the stammer had completely disappeared. Naturally, I was
extremely happy and my selfimage soared. As time passed, I
forgot about the whole story.
Two years later, in 5744,
I went to daven at the Western
Wall. After I finished davening
and headed out, a middle-aged
woman came up to me and asked
if I recognized her. I looked at
the woman but didnt recognize

her.
The woman was dressed in
traditional attire, ultra-Orthodox
in every respect. I told her that I
didnt know who she was or what
she wanted from me. Yosef, she
then said, Im happy to hear that
your stammer is gone and you
speak quite well. Even after her
statement, I still failed to make
the connection. Then, she asked
in a tone of bewilderment, How
is it that you dont know me? Im
the doctor who treated you. As
soon as she identified herself, I
remembered her and apologized
for my poor memory.
She told me that when I ran
out of her house, asserting that
no descendant of the Alter Rebbe can look like that, it aroused
a flood of thoughts in her mind.
The matter continued to gnaw
away at her, and she decided
to investigate her family roots.
When she discovered the true nature of her heritage, she underwent a halachic conversion and
became a full-fledged member of
the Jewish People. Just two weeks
before our encounter at the Kosel, she had completed the conversion process by going to the
mikveh on Yud-Tes Kislev.
Later, the bachur who sent
me to her, Yisroel H., told me
that he had met her in Crown
Heights, visiting 770 and the
Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
I havent a shadow of a
doubt that the Rebbe, who sees
from one end of the earth to the
other, arranged both for my stuttering to disappear and for that
woman, a descendant of the royal
family, to convert and return to
her people and her heritage,
said R Yosef Ehrentreu as he
concluded his amazing story.
AN UNEXPECTED MEETING
WITH A KNESSET MEMBER
In Tishrei 5744, I was privileged to spend the high holidays
in Beis Chayeinu. I was a bachur in Yeshivas Toras Emes
at the time, and the excitement
was at a fever pitch. I made every effort to be present at every
farbrengen and minyan with the
Rebbe. The intensity of this exIssue 1014
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MIRACLE STORY
perience was very exciting for
me. During kos shel bracha on
Motzaei Simchas Torah, I got in
line just like everybody else, and
when my turn came, the Rebbe
poured some wine into my cup
and gave me a bottle of mashke.
He then said that the mashke was
for a farbrengen at the Israel Torah Research Institute (ITRI) in
Yerushalayim. I took the bottle
and made my way out, totally
perplexed.
While I had taken part in
several Tanya classes in nonChabad yeshivos, I had never organized one nor had I done any
activities at the Litvishe ITRI
yeshiva. I had been at other yeshivos such as Yeshivas Kol Yehuda, the Bukharian yeshiva
in Kfar Chabad, and the Mirer
Yeshiva, but not at ITRI. My
amazement grew even stronger,
since the Rebbe would usually
give out bottles of mashke only
for special occasions. At that moment, I simply had no idea why
this privilege had come my way.
There were some avreichim
who suggested that this might
have been a case of crossed signals, i.e., perhaps the bottle was
meant for Rabbi Berel Shur ah,
who had passed by the Rebbe
just a few minutes earlier and
was known for the numerous
classes in Chassidus he organized at non-Chabad yeshivos in
Yerushalayim, including ITRI.
However, it was quite clear to me
that the Rebbe had not become
confused chv. I thought to myself for several days about what
possible connection I had to the
ITRI yeshiva. I finally went to
the Rebbes secretary, Rabbi Leibel Groner, and he referred me to
Rabbi Berel Shur, who had been
heavily involved in organizing
underground Chassidus classes,
to seek his advice. I went over to
him and told him the whole story,
but he failed to understand my
doubts. You have a shlichus

carry it out! he told me.
As soon as I returned to
Eretz Yisroel, I began to think
about how I would get into the
yeshiva. Then, I learned that the
ITRI yeshivas mashgiach was
Rabbi Chaim Werner, a good
friend of my father who was close
with the Slonimer Chassidim
and had absolutely no problem
with Chassidus. A huge weight
was lifted off my chest. All my
concern and apprehension vanished in an instant, and I started
visiting the yeshivas study hall
to become acquainted with the
bachurim there. Of course, everything was done with the permission of the administration of
Yeshivas Toras Emes, where I
was learning at the time.
This took place during an
intensive municipal election campaign, particularly in the City of
Yerushalayim, where the prominent Chassidic askan, Rabbi Meir
Porush, was running for the city
council as a candidate of the
Agudas Yisroel Party. On my way
to one visit at the ITRI yeshiva,
I met his father, Agudah MK
Rabbi Menachem Porush, and
I told him that I had a bottle of
mashke from the Rebbe. He was
very pleased, and he took a drink
from the mashke blessed by the
Rebbe, in the hope that it would
bring electoral success to his son.
During this time, the whole
subject of Who is a Jew? was
a front-burner issue. I told him
that the only thing that can help
his son would be to vote in favor of amending the Law of Return on the question of Who is a
Jew?, regarding which the Rebbe
had cried out from the depths of
his heart. He listened and went
on his way. Not long afterward,
in Kislev 5744, a vote on this
matter was held in the Knesset.
However, contrary to the Rebbes
position, Rabbi Porush abstained
on this vote, and the motion was

rejected.
Shortly
before
Yud-Tes
Kislev, elections were held in
Yerushalayim. The local Agudas
Yisroel Party suffered a serious
setback, although Rabbi Meir
Porush was narrowly elected to
the city council. In the wee hours
of Friday morning, there was a
special hookup of the Rebbes
farbrengen in honor of the Chag
HaGeula. Toward the end of the
broadcast, the Rebbe began to
cry out over the issue of Who
is a Jew? The sicha was interspersed with some very harsh
expressions. Among them was a
question: There are Tmimim and
kollel students here. Why do they
have to hear such frightful things?
The Rebbe provided the answer: Anyone who hears these
things can take action even if
hes located beyond the sea. We
must work to amend the Law of
Return. The Rebbes words and
cries deeply shocked all those
who heard them.
On Motzaei Shabbos, I arranged for a farbrengen at the
ITRI yeshiva. I had already
come to know several bachurim,
who helped to organize the gathering. In addition, I made certain
to bring mezonos and other refreshments.
As I was heading for the yeshiva, I heard the piercing voice
of Rabbi Menachem Porush emanating from one of the assembly halls. The event was a postelection Melaveh Malka, and my
natural curiosity led me inside.
As I entered the hall, I heard
how the askanim came up to the
microphone, one after another,
and laid the blame for the stinging loss upon various factors. My
nature is not to get involved in
political matters; they dont interest me and never have. Yet, the
Rebbes tear-filled sicha on the
need to change the Law of Re-

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turn and Rabbi Porushs

failure to support the legislation when it came up
for a vote angered me to
the point of pushing me
towards the speakers
platform. Rabbi Porush
remembered me from our
previous meeting, and
when the microphone
was available, I was given
the chance to say a few
words.
In a clear voice, in
the presence of a large
gathering of askanim and
politicians, I said that the
only explanation for the
electoral defeat was the
fact that the Rebbe pleaded for the Agudas Yisroel
MKs to vote to amend
the Law of Return, yet
they failed to do so.
There were some
burly looking men who
wanted to hit me, but
Rabbi Porush, to his credit, stopped them. He took the
microphone and said that he had
been planning to mention this
subject in his speech. Among the
things he said was about a visit by
a delegation of Chabad rabbanim
on Friday with a recording of the
Rebbe delivering that sicha. He
heard the Rebbes heartfelt plea,
and he decided that from that day
forward, he would vote in favor
of any legislation to amend the
Law of Return.
I remember the last words
he said: Agudas Yisroel will do
everything to amend the law on
Who is a Jew? After he finished speaking, I quickly slipped
out of the hall and made my way
to the ITRI yeshiva, where a
group of bachurim was already
waiting for me. We made a most
unique farbrengen there for the
Chag HaGeula, Yud-Tes Kislev. I
spoke primarily about those subjects mentioned by the Rebbe in
A TIE FOR
SPREADING THE
WELLSPRINGS
the sicha we heard on Friday. At

a certain point, the mashgiach
Rabbi Chaim Werner joined the
farbrengen. The bachurim who
heard that he was coming suddenly ran off and left me alone...
As Rabbi Werner came in with a
pleasant smile on his lips, I gave
him a Lchaim from the bottle I
had received from the Rebbe. We
then continued farbrenging together for a while longer.
After the farbrengen, I wrote
a detailed report to the Rebbe on
the evenings activities, including
my encounter with Rabbi Menachem Porush on the street and
in the hall during the Melaveh
Malka. A few days after Yud Shvat, I was privileged to receive a
reply. The Rebbes words filled
me with tremendous encouragement: Received with much
thanks, and it caused great pleasure.
In 5747, after completing my studies at Yeshivas Chassidei Chabad

in Tzfas, I was privileged
to travel for kvutza to
the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. In fact, I stayed
in 770 for six years until
5753. In 5748, a year after finishing kvutza, the
Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka
passed away, and one
of the activities we organized in her memory
was a special mitzvah
tank, run by Rabbi Levi
Baumgarten.
Each day, a couple
of post-kvutza Tmimim
from 770 would join him.
My turn of duty came out
on Wednesday. I would
leave all my pursuits that
day and devote myself entirely to mitzvah tank activities.
I was very devoted to my
work with the tank. We would
begin our activities on one of the
streets of Manhattan, offering
Jewish pedestrians the opportunity to put on tfillin. During the
second part of the day, we would
visit various offices and businesses that we knew were under Jewish management. The visits were
arranged according to an orderly
schedule. While they didnt always agree to put on tfillin, we
were persistent. We would come
every week and leave some educational brochures on Yiddishkait
and the weekly Torah portion.
Since I wanted to devote
the day exclusively to mivtzaim,
I wouldnt take any money with
me, thereby avoiding the temptation of going into stores to buy
something.
Once when I got delayed in
one of the business offices and
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MIRACLE STORY
the mitzvah tank continued on its
way, I had to borrow some money in order to get back to 770.
This taught me a lesson, and
from then on, I made certain to
take a couple of dollars with me
for a subway ride back to Crown
Heights, just in case I needed it.
In Adar 5749, on a Tuesday night/Wednesday morning,
I had an incredible dream. Since
I usually didnt have meaningful
dreams, this one really amazed
me. I saw the Rebbe turning to
me and telling me in Yiddish, To
have greater success in spreading
the wellsprings, you have to wear
a tie.
I woke up shaking like a
leaf. According to the clock, it
was four oclock in the morning. At first, I thought to myself,
Dreams speak in vain. I tried to
go back to sleep, but I remained
wide awake in bed. Instead of
dozing off, I kept remembering all the Chassidic jokes about
those who are very into their tie
wardrobes. Anyone acquainted
with me knows that I dont go
for ties; were in two separate
worlds.
When daylight came, I went
to the mikveh and then headed to
770 for Chassidus seder. I tried
to immerse myself in my studies
and remove any thought of the
strange dream I had that night.
When the time came to
daven Shacharis, the traditional
path was formed and the Rebbe
entered the large shul. On his
way to his regular place on the
platform, the Rebbe stopped and
looked at me. I noticed that as
he was looking towards me, he
straightened his tie, moving it
from right to left and then back
again.
At first, I didnt connect this
gesture with my dream. But a few
moments later, after the Rebbe
had already reached his place
for davening, he turned around
toward the congregation and encouraged the singing. I noticed

that the Rebbe appeared to be
looking for something, and when
his eyes reached me, he again
arranged his tie in an obvious
manner. Only then did he turn
back toward his shtender and the
chazzan began Hodu.
Then, after the conclusion
of Shacharis, the congregation
began to sing. Once more, the
Rebbe strongly encouraged the
singing and then looked in my
direction as he straightened the
knot of his tie. During those moments, I foolishly thought that
the knot of the Rebbes tie was
apparently bothering him perhaps it was too tight
I left 770 and boarded Rabbi Baumgartens mitzvah tank.
Rabbi Baumgarten was the first
person to hear the story of the
unusual dream I had the previous night. He didnt seem to attach much importance to my
heavenly vision, and we continued toward our regular mivtzaim
route in Manhattan. As soon as
we reached our destination, I got
out of the tank and started calling
upon people to come inside and
put on tfillin. Suddenly, a middle-aged gentleman approached
me. Are you Jewish? I asked
him. Instead of answering my
question, he asked me if I wanted
to buy something from him.
The man held a suitcase in
his hand, and he opened it to
show me a large selection of ties.
A Jew must look nice, he told
me, and in order to look nice,
you have to wear a tie. At first
I told him that I wasnt interested, however, he was determined
to sell me one, and I eventually
agreed. I looked inside his case
and found a black tie to my liking. I asked him how much it
cost, and he told me the ridiculous amount of seventy dollars!
When I explained to him that
I dont have that much money,

he said that he would be willing
to sell it to me for half price. Of
course, even half that amount I
didnt have. Finally, I took two
dollars out of my pocket and said,
This is all I have. If you want to
sell it to me for this amount Im
willing.
During our entire discussion, he kept repeating over and
over again, A Jew must look nice,
and in order to look nice, you
have to wear a tie. He looked
at the eight quarters I had in my
hand and got a little annoyed, but
he eventually gave in. Youre a
Jew, and its important to me that
you wear a tie, he said. Therefore, Im prepared to sell you the
black tie for this amount
Now, I had another problem:
I didnt know how to tie a tie. I
asked the vendor if the two bucks
included arranging the tie properly around my collar. He agreed,
and we went inside the mitzvah
tank together.
On one of the walls of the
tank was a picture of the Rebbe
Rayatz. The man pointed at the
picture and told me that he had
been privileged to have yechidus with the Rebbe Rayatz. The
Rebbe had given him the shlichus
of making certain that if he sees a
Jew without a tie, he should make
every effort that the Jew gets one.
As a result, he had been selling ties for many years. After he
knotted my tie correctly, we went
our separate ways and I resumed
my work putting tfillin on Jewish passers-by. I was so busy with
my mivtzaim, I didnt make the
connection between my dream,
the hints the Rebbe had given me
during Shacharis, and the Jewish
vendors unconventional stubbornness in getting me to buy a
tie
After a few hours on Tfillin
Campaign activities, I started my
regular visit to the nearby office

1014_bm_eng.indd 22
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buildings. One office belonged

to a young Israeli with a profitable business. Whenever I would
take the elevator up to his office
and speak with his secretary, she
would tell me that the manager
doesnt give permission for me
to come in. I would leave some
brochures on Judaism and move
on. On this occasion, I pressed
the intercom button as I always
did, and to my great surprise,
the secretary informed me that
her boss wanted me to come
into his office. As soon as I met
him, the first thing I did was to
ask him if he would like to put on
tfillin. While he hesitated at first,
he eventually admitted that he
didnt know how to do it himself.
He was prepared to put them on,
provided that I help him with the
tfillin straps.
Naturally, I agreed. As he recited the Krias Shma, I could see
tears streaming down his cheeks.
He was deeply moved. When he
finished, I removed the tfillin.
He then turned to me and said
that he wanted to ask me a question.
Ive seen you for months
through my hidden intercom
camera. Today, youve never
looked so sharp and with a tie
yet. What happened?
Suddenly, everything made
sense. I realized that there was a
connection between the dream,
the street vendor, and the man
now standing before me. I was
too embarrassed to tell him about
the dream and everything that
had happened that day. I smiled,
and then he asked if he could tell
me an amazing story that had
occurred that night, one that led
him to bring me into his office
and agree to put on tfillin.
The businessman said that
while his father had passed away
many years ago, during the past
year, he had been coming to him
in his dreams. The father told
The matter continued to gnaw away at her,

and she decided to investigate her family roots.
When she discovered the true nature of her heritage,
she underwent a halachic conversion and became a fullfledged member of the Jewish People. Just two weeks
before our encounter at the Kosel, she had completed
the conversion process by going to the mikveh on YudTes Kislev.
him that he had no rest, and if
the son wanted to provide that
rest, he had to put on tfillin. Every time he woke up from one
of these visions, he disregarded
it out of hand. Yet, the dreams
continued. Night after night, his
father would come to him in a
dream and ask him why he still
isnt putting on tfillin.
He said that his father had
come to him again in a dream
the previous night and asked the
same question: Why arent you
putting on tfillin? Unlike the
previous occasions, this time he
answered him. He replied that he
wanted to put on tfillin with the
young man who regularly came
to his office. However, he was
too embarrassed because the bachur did not have a well-groomed
appearance, and a prominent
businessman such as himself
didnt feel comfortable speaking
with him.
As his father listened, another Jew, an impressive looking rabbi, suddenly entered the
conversation. And if hell come
tomorrow wearing a tie, will you
put on tfillin? the rabbi asked.
Yes, I would, the businessman
said, but I know that theres no
chance that this will happen.
The discussion ended, and
his father and the rabbi disappeared from the dream.
As it turned out, I arrived
that day dressed somewhat dif-
ferently than any other time I

came wearing a tie. Naturally, the
Israeli man kept his word and put
on tfillin.
As soon as he had finished
his story, I showed him the
Lchaim brochure bearing the
Rebbes picture, and I asked him
if this was the rabbi he had seen
in his dream. The man looked at
the picture and nearly fainted.
Yes, this is the rabbi who came
to me in my dream! he cried
with great emotion. I was just as
moved. Now, it came my turn to
tell him the entire chain of events
that led me to buy the tie.
Later, he told me quite directly that this was the first time
in his life that he had ever put
on tfillin. I explained to him the
concept of karkafta that no longer applied to him, and we made
a bar-mitzvah celebration for him
in the office with his Jewish employees. Immediately after the
bar-mitzvah, I quickly went back
to the mitzvah tank. I was afraid
that I might miss it again and get
stuck without any money to return to 770, as I had spent the
two dollars I had on a black tie...
The amazing conclusion to
this story came when the Rebbe
delivered a sicha that night and
afterward gave out dollars. When
I passed by, the Rebbe smiled,
straightened his tie slightly, and
said to me in Yiddish, Siz geloint (it was worth it)...
Issue 1014
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BITACHON BYTES
STEADY
PASSION
By Rabbi Zalman Goldberg
hen
living
with
constant
Bitachon
in Hashem, not only
is observing Torah
and Mitzvos in practice a given
but there will be internal feelings
towards Yiddishkait as well. Just
because one fulfills all the Mitzvos,
not necessarily is there conviction
and passion in his actions. It may
be a result of habit, tradition,
laziness to change, or just lack
of enthusiasm. Whatever the
cause, this is a sign that the main
enjoyment and focus of life may
be in areas other than Yiddishkait.
This is so even when the Mitzvos
are being observed to the fullest,
but without zest.
This message is alluded to in
this weeks parsha, when Hashem commands,
the fire on the altar should burn continuously and
should not be extinguished. This
could be applied to the altar, the
heart of a Yid, in which the fire
to Hashem should burn uninterruptedly. Interestingly there are
two altars, the inner golden alter
on which incense was offered,
and the outer copper alter where
all the animal sacrifices were
burned. The commandment to
have a constant fire burning was
specified for the outer altar. This
of course corresponds to the revealed part of a Yids heart.

The internal part of a Yids
heart is always burning with full
devotion to Hashem; its the outward aspect that is sometimes not
noticeably on fire. This is where
the command for the , the
constant fire, comes in. The external part of a Yids heart, which
is the practical way the person
feels, is what should burn with
a constant fire to Hashem. This
may take work, but the quality of
ones observance of Yiddishkait
will certainly be upgraded.
There is a Yerushalmi which
gives two clarifications to the
above command: the fire must be
constant even on Shabbos, and it
must be constant even in impurity. There are some useful Bitachon lessons to be derived from
this Yerushalmi.
There are times in a persons
life when one is ready to take on
or pursue any opportunity that
is encountered. There are also
times when people feel the need
to be removed from pursuits,
relaxed from taking on projects
and advancing accomplishments.
This feeling may be experienced
during Shabbos, Yom Tov or other times of rest. During vacation
times, especially when travelling
to vacation destinations, one can
be overtaken by this feeling of relaxation.

This relaxation can disrupt
the constant fire from expressing constant revealed devotion
to Hashem. Thus the Yerushalmi
cautions that there shouldnt be a
day when our passion to Hashem
is not expressed. Not just in a
general sense, rather every single
day, even the various types of
Shabbos experiences, when we
tend to be removed and relaxed,
the passion must be unchanging.
As a young child I received
this message by observing my
father. On a family trip to Eretz
Yisroel we went to visit the burial
site of Rochel Imeinu. While the
tour guide drove, my father took
the opportunity to learn the daily
Rambam. Together with us on
the trip was a nice veltishe yid,
and at one point he turned to
my father and asked him, Reb
Chaim, you are on vacation now;
cant you take a day off? You can
catch up later!
There was no answer forthcoming, but the seemingly insignificant scene made a deep
impression on me. Here was my
father, fulfilling the horaa of the
Rebbe with pure devotion, expressed by not missing a single
day to comply with the instructions that the Rebbe gave us. Not

1014_bm_eng.indd 24
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a day off. No, was my fathers

silent reply, I cant go on vacation from my devotion to Yiddishkait.
The Yerushalmi then addresses the one who finds himself in a
state of impurity and encourages
him to maintain the constant
fire. Although the fire of devotion to Hashem doesnt seem to
be expressing itself at all, not on
Shabbos and not on Wednesday,
not because he needs to unwind
but because he almost never acts
on the passion for Hashem, he
too contains a continuous fire
and he too should set ablaze his
passion for Hashem by revealing
it from the innermost part of his
heart, the inner altar, to the external part of his heart. This can
be accomplished by studying
Chassidus in depth and then applying the G-dly concepts to his
own life. The message, though,
must always be that the potential
is there; it need only be revealed,
developed, practiced and acted
upon. This in turn will help to rid
oneself of all negativity
in any form it may come.

Perhaps this Yerushalmi can
provide us with some inspiration for educating our children.
All those who carry the torch
of Yiddishkait wish to pass it
on to their children and desire
that it should be a real fire, not
just a small disappearing match.
The Yerushalmi has two piec-
es of advice for us. Make sure

that you are attending to your
childs passion for Yiddishkait
on Shabbos. Although we know
that Shabbos is a special time for
spending time with family, in reality it isnt always that way. The
industry for selling magazines to
be read on Shabbos is ever-growing; fatigue built up throughout
the week is finally given in to on
Shabbos; Chassidishe Yidden
the day in the Bitachon way, resulting with anger, bickering,

fighting, moodiness and general
unfriendliness. When such is the
case there exists a possibility that
emotions will overpower the usual atmosphere which fosters the
constant fire towards Hashem.
Degrading names may be thrown
at each other and there will be
more of a feeling of negativity
and disinterest than a constant
Make sure that you are attending to your childs

passion for Yiddishkait on Shabbos.
daven slowly and carefully during

the precious Shabbos afternoon
hours. These are various ways in
which people are relaxed or removed. Shabbos is a general term
used here for when these kinds
of things take place. The common denominator is that vital opportunities to instill the constant
fire in our young ones are being
squandered. Pleads the Yerushalmi: Even
on Shabbos, there should be a
constant fire please utilize the
moment! Perhaps it is these moments that will ensure that there
will actually be a constant fire in
the next generations.
Many households have moments which may be described as
impure. Hopefully not as real
impurity, but at weak moments
when some family members lack
sleep, or seem to not be handling
fire type of feeling to Hashem.

The Yerushalmi thus lends us
a crucial reminder that we have a
constant fire at stake over here. It
cautions us to not ruin the existing expression of fire to Hashem.
By exercising care that there
should be no break in the constancy of the fire, the devotion
will be unceasing for all involved,
including the children. Its easier
to just lash out, but its infinitely
more rewarding to display selfcontrol, and watch the devotion
of Yiddishkait blaze on and on
for all of eternity, in us and in all
our offspring.
Rabbi Zalman Goldberg is a well
sought after speaker and lecturer on Chassidic thought. His writings and recordings
on the topic of Bitachon can be accessed
at http://www.gotbitachon.com.
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Issue 1014
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THOUGHT
JOY
AS THE KEY
TO INNER
FREEDOM
The attribute of simcha, which is something we all
want, is accessible. The fact that a Jew feels that its
hard is an indication that he is on the wrong track,
because true simcha is an expression of an inner
truth and understanding, traits that are implanted
in us all. Still, we see that sadness and depression
undermine the functioning of thousands of talented
and intelligent people and drains the joie-de-vivre
out of many others. Why is it so hard for us to attain
simcha? * An interview with R Shloma Majeski,
menahel of Machon Chana and author of the book,
The Chassidic Approach to Joy. * Part 1 of 2.
By Menachem Ziegelboim

1014_bm_eng.indd 26
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Issue 1014
1014_bm_eng.indd 27
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3/21/2016 8:55:42 AM
Thought
The topic of simcha is associated with the Chassidic
movement. The question is,
why? Isnt simcha for everyone, whether they identify with
Chassidus or not, even goyim
(lhavdil)?
The simcha demanded of a
Jew is a simcha that results from
translating ideals into practical
action. Chassidus teaches us that
the life force, and even the very
existence of the world, depends
entirely on Hashem, at every
time and moment all of creation
is vivified, ex nihilo, from the
wisdom of the Blessed One who
provides life for all. Every component of Creation is united utterly with G-d. Without the Gdly force providing it with life,
nothing could exist.
This leads us to an understanding of divine providence.
Whatever happens, not just what
happens with human beings, but
even with plant life and inanimate
things, comes as a direct result of
G-ds will. And not only every
essential being in our world exists
thanks to the G-dly life within it;
also, anything that occurs in the
world happens because Hashem
made it so. Awareness of these
concepts brings us directly to
simcha because a person who realizes that whatever happens to
him is controlled by G-d is certainly happy.
If a person is lacking in this
simcha, it is as though he is saying that what happens to him is
not connected with G-d, G-d
forbid. Or G-d brought this bitter experience upon him and
He seemingly isnt good to him.
This is a heretical thought and
is akin to denying G-d. A person who believes that Hashem is
responsible for everything that
occurs and believes that G-d is
good, must perforce believe that
everything that happens to him
is good. And it just seems to be
bad and suffering but in truth, no

evil descends from above and everything is good.
If a person gets up and announces that everything that happened did not come from above,
he denies G-ds oneness. And
even if someone refrains from
announcing it, but acts in a way
that expresses this thought, for
example, by being sad, it is as
though he is announcing it.
Actions speak louder than
words. Therefore, a person who
allows himself to be sad is denying G-ds oneness. He denies the
fact that everything in the world
and everything that occurs are
constantly connected to Hashem
and are controlled by His divine
providence.
This is the reason why Chassidus, which placed such an
emphasis on the connection of
the creation with the Creator,
focuses so much on simcha. In
addition to what simcha contributes to our avodas Hashem for
when a person is sad he is weak
and susceptible to his evil inclination something much bigger is
taking place here. Simcha and
that which oppose it are connected with the awareness of the
unity of G-d and His constant divine providence.
A person should always be
happy, knowing that everything
that happens in his life comes
from Above and nothing is coincidental. How can this abstract
knowledge affect our emotions?
A person becomes sad when
something tragic happens in his
life even though he knows that
everything is from Hashem. Is
it the occurrence itself or the
context in which he places the
event?
Let us clarify the question.
Something happens to a person
but the person doesnt have the
intelligence to understand that
what happened harmed him. He
wont feel any pain.

When do we feel pain? When
we understand the significance of
what happened. Shlomo HaMelech said, Increase in knowledge,
increase in pain. So when a
person feels pain its for two reasons the painful event and his
awareness of its sad significance.
Awareness means a persons
ability to understand. But there
is a further point here. It is possible for a person to understand
the painfulness of a situation and
choose not to internalize this understanding, for as long as he is
alert to what happened, he will
feel pained. But he can choose to
not be conscious of it, not to pay
attention to what happened. If
he is able to control his mind and
divert his thoughts, then he wont
feel any pain.
R Yisroel Taub, the first
Modzitzer Rebbe (b. 1849) was
a prolific composer of beautiful
niggunim. In 1913, he traveled
to Berlin for an operation. He
opted not to undergo anesthesia.
During the operation he composed the majestic and lengthy
niggun Ezkera Elokim comprised
of 36 sections each contrasting in
nature.
This is not a story about a
Rebbe and a miracle he performed, although he was a holy
man and also did miracles. He
concentrated completely on the
niggun so that he did not even
feel any pain during the operation.
We are not Admurim and this
level of concentration is beyond
us, but we can identify similar
things in our lives. Here is an
example. A person returns home
from work. While he was on the
subway something happened that
upset him and now he is entering
the house in a bad mood. Then
the phone rings. Its a friend he
did not speak to in months and
is now calling long distance. The

1014_bm_eng.indd 28
3/21/2016 8:55:42 AM
two friends start talking and their

conversation lasts half an hour.
When he hangs up the phone, he
realizes that in the past half an
hour he did not feel upset. Why
was that? The upsetting incident
remained extant, so how did the
phone call change his feeling?
The answer is that it didnt. It
changed the focus of his attention. While he spoke to his friend
he did not think about what happened on the train.
This also explains the fact
that there are people who went
through horrific times like the
Holocaust and were still able to
rehabilitate themselves and go on
to live happy lives. In contrast
to them, there are people who
misplace their car keys who feel
overwhelmed by this crisis. Its
not so much about what happens
but to what extent a person allows it to affect him. That leads
us to another point.
Sometimes, we hold on to
memories of some unpleasant
incident far longer than the incident deserves. We fixate on it
day and night, and the nonstop
ruminating on it intensifies the
pain associated with it.
There is an alternative. The
moment we stop thinking about
it, the pain will stop. And here
is where many of us make a mistake. Most people think that
they can control their actions
and speech. They know they can
decide whether to do something
or not, to say something or not,
but when it comes to thoughts
they are sure they are powerless
because thoughts are uncontrollable.
It is true that it is hard to control ones thoughts because unlike speech and action, thought
is unceasing. There isnt a moment when a person stops thinking. But what will a person think
about? This is under our control.
We have the ability to concentrate
Take a drunkard for example. When you look

at him, he seems happy. He shouts and sings
even as he wallows in vomit and has not a cent in his
pocket. Seeing him, a person needs to ask himself do
I, like the drunkard, wallow in refuse, i.e., throw aside my
human potential? Or, as a person with kabbalas ol, do
I take responsibility but transfer the ownership of that
responsibility to my Creator?
Issue 1014
1014_bm_eng.indd 29
29
3/21/2016 8:55:43 AM
Thought
our thoughts on whatever we
choose.
If a person only understood
that he has the ability to stop
thinking about a certain thing, he
would immediately let go of that
thought. The moment he does,
he will stop feeling so much pain
and sorrow.
You maintain that a person
should be serene and happy by
diverting his mind from thinking disturbing thoughts. When
we speak about substantive
psychological issues (and not
just passing occurrences in our
lives) isnt it better for a person to feel the pain when things
arent as they should be so that
the pain spurs him on to improve the situation? If a person
doesnt feel the pain, the problem (whether material or spiritual) will remain unresolved?
Awareness of pain and sadness has not proven to be beneficial. Very often, sadness has a
paralyzing effect which drains a
person of strength and prevents
him from solving his problems.
You can divide sadness into
two general categories: 1) that
which spurs on positive change,
and 2) that which strengthens the
negative situation. How can we
know which category our feeling belongs to? Actually, while
we are struggling with feelings
of guilt, regret or hurt, it is likely
that it will be difficult to figure
out which category it is. Only after a while can we tell, based on
the results.
For example, a person has
a hard time sleeping despite
the late hour because he thinks,
There were so many things I
wanted to do last month and I
didnt do them. I didnt do this
and I didnt do that ... He continues this train of thought until
he concludes, I am a failure.
Then all the stress of the month
weighs on him and he feels frus-
trated and depressed. What does

he do? He decides he cant deal
with the world anymore and he
pulls the cover over his head and
goes to sleep.
Maybe thats an exaggeration
but still, this feeling can leave
a person empty of any desire to
take action except to escape the
world. However, in the same
situation, a person can arrive at
a completely different conclusion
and reaction. Instead of escaping
in bed, he can muster the energy
and be determined to finish what
he needs to do.
What brings on that response? His bad feeling about
what he achieved. It gives him the
push to achieve.
In Tanya, the Alter Rebbe differentiates between these two bad
feelings. The feeling that deadens a person, which we need to
avoid, he calls atzvus, and the
aggravation that spurs a person on to positive action he calls
merirus. A person needs to ask
himself: Why do I feel upset?
Is it connected with the past or
the future? If the aggravation is
about something that occurred
and all that the person can think
is how terrible it was, that is atzvus. There is no benefit in focusing on these thoughts. The
event is in the past and we cannot
change the past. What he should
do is completely dismiss these
thoughts.
However, if a person is upset
about a certain problem and he
decides to do something about it,
that is merirus. It is aggravation
that has some benefit. True, the
person feels guilty and has regret,
but his feelings are directed toward change. He constantly asks
himself: What can I do to fix the
situation? Or, how can I ensure
that this doesnt happen again?
Does simcha mean you cannot or should not cry about
your situation?
I will answer you with a story.

R Chatshe Feigin was a mashpia in an underground yeshiva in
Russia. He was once farbrenging
with the talmidim and he made
certain demands of them. He
told them that he wants to see
greater devotion on their part toward davening, learning, and improving their middos. He spoke
heatedly and addressed each one
personally, pointing out those
things each talmid needed to put
his efforts into.
The talmidim were very inspired by what he said and many
started to cry. Suddenly, the
talmid who had been on guard
outside came running and informed them that the KGB was
conducting a search in the area.
The danger was imminent. All
the participants could be sent to
forced labor camps. Immediately, various suggestions were put
forth. One said, Lets try to escape, another one said to close
the light and hope that the darkness would hide their presence.
A third thought there should be
newspapers and textbooks on the
table to show that they were occupied with permissible activities.
Thank G-d, the KGB did
not get to their room. They left
the area as suddenly as they had
come and the mashpia and his
talmidim were able to sit down
again and continue the farbrengen. The mashpia said to them: I
just saw something very strange.
Maybe you can explain it to me.
The talmidim looked at him
questioningly and he said, tell
me, what bothers you more
spiritual difficulties or material
difficulties?
The talmidim who were honest with themselves and him immediately said they were more
bothered by material difficulties.
How was it, he asked, that
when I spoke to you about your
spiritual circumstances, you

1014_bm_eng.indd 30
3/21/2016 8:55:44 AM
cried, but when you heard that

the KGB was in the area and
your lives were in danger, nobody
cried?
One of the talmidim looked
at him in surprise and said, what
did you expect us to do? Should
we have sat and cried? What
good would that do? We had to
plan what to do, to run away or
hide before they came.
R Feigin was waiting for that
answer and he said, Aha, I understand. When you had to act
in a hurry, you knew that crying
wouldnt help and you had to
take action. So why, when we
speak of spiritual things, does
crying seem the right thing to
do?
He explained this concept until they got it. The talmidim understood that crying can be used
as an excuse, but it doesnt solve
anything. The only thing crying accomplishes is that it helps
one unburden himself of emotion. But if a person is serious

in his desire to change, he has
no time to cry. Every minute is
precious and can be used to solve
the problem, and this is how he
should behave.
***
A Chassid, aside from being a husband and father with
heavy responsibilities is also a
Chassid who creates an environment. He has the responsibility the Rebbe assigned him.
A Chassid is always an example
to others. Doesnt this responsibility weigh heavily on the
simcha he is supposed to have?
Is it possible to have a goal and
purpose while simultaneously
feeling free and unburdened?
Yes. The simcha that Chassidus demands of a person, despite
his having responsibilities, is a
simcha which comes from kabbalas ol. On the one hand, a person
is freed from focusing on himself.

But he is not immersed in emptiness; he is connected to a Higher
Power. These two things, the
freedom and the connection are
both sources for enormous joy.
Take a drunkard for example.
When you look at him, he seems
happy. He shouts and sings even
as he wallows in vomit and has
not a cent in his pocket. Seeing him, a person needs to ask
himself do I, like the drunkard, wallow in refuse, i.e., throw
aside my human potential? Or,
as a person with kabbalas ol, do
I take responsibility but transfer
the ownership of that responsibility to my Creator?
The drunkards happiness is
destructive; he destroys his ability to build a life for himself. In
contrast, true simcha is associated with transcending oneself
and more strengthening the
connection to the G-dly spark
Issue 1014
1014_bm_eng.indd 31
31
3/21/2016 8:55:46 AM
Thought
hidden in man. That is how one
builds personal strength. When a
person experiences genuine joy,
his strength increases and he is
able to overcome personal obstacles that in the past interfered
with his functioning. He is open
and friendly with others and fills
them with simcha too. He radiates bitachon in Hashem and
thanksgiving for all the good G-d
gave him.
There is both a destructive
form of joy, as well as a joy that
makes a person stronger than he
was before. When a person allows himself to be free, with no
direction, this is destructive. Picture what would happen if you
took your hands off the steering
wheel while driving quickly down
an intercity highway with a lot of
traffic. The highway of life demands our attention no less than
any other highway.
A person who does not believe
in G-d and does not acknowledge the G-dly foundation within
him will either be completely immersed in himself or he will live
an empty life. There is no other
option for him, because he is unaware of anything outside of his
own existence. When a person
believes in G-d and understands
that Hashem is the very founda-
tion of his own existence, he can

be truly free of himself. Only
then can he feel true happiness.
Licentiousness means we are
free because we think we are
lower than what we really are.
The person forgets himself and
anything else that has any value
and meaning. In extreme cases,
it means to be a drunk, something which causes a person to
lose all self-control, which then
finds expression in far coarser
behaviors. This person thinks
the only way to be happy is by
forgetting everything, aside from
sensory pleasure at this moment.
He lives for the here and now.
This can be extremely destructive, for when
a person evades his
responsibilities
he
can harm himself, his
family, and the people around him.
Positive
simcha
is also liberating,
but it is a freedom
of an entirely different sort. The person
does not lose control,
he relinquishes control. When a person
feels true joy he is
free. But at the same
time he connects to
something higher, to Hashem.

He is freed of his petty ego and
allows that aspect of his inner
identity, which is far deeper and
far more genuine, to come to the
fore.
This is one of the reasons why
simcha is considered a high level
in the service of Hashem. This
selfless bond of a person with
Hashem, irrespective of the many
advantages he gains from saving
himself from depression, is a goal
we should all strive for.
This is also the function of
Shabbos and Yom Tov when we
rise above the tumult of material
life and feel real joy.

1014_bm_eng.indd 32
3/21/2016 8:55:47 AM
TZIVOS HASHEM
FISH
FOR PURIM
By Nechama Bar
Yechezkel sat on the banks

of the lake with a rod in his
hand. He tossed the line into
the water again and again but
caught nothing.
He did not give up for he
could not possibly return home
without fish. He got into his
little boat and rowed around
the lake time after time and
put his net into the water. But
he caught nothing.
We have the Purim meal
later today and I will not
leave here without a fish for
the month whose mazal is
fish! he mumbled to himself
with some despair. One hour
after another passed. He was
sweaty and his eyes hurt but he
continued to try.
felt
Yechezkel
Then,
something heavy in his net.
Yes, it was a big fish flapping
about! He was happy but not
completely so. He had to catch
at least one other fish. Why?
Because Yechezkel worked for
the paritz (the local lord). He
had an inn for which he paid

rent every year. In addition to
the inn, he had the license to
fish in the lake and as payment
he had to give half the fish he
caught to the paritz. What if he
caught just one fish? Of course,
that belonged to the paritz.
Yechezkel was an honest
man and the paritz relied on
him. He had never taken more
than they had arranged. But
today was Purim and how could
he have a meal without fish? If
the paritz did not have a fish to
eat, nothing would happen, but
what sort of Purim meal would
it be without fish?
It was late and Yechezkel
still had only one fish. He had
misgivings but finally decided to
take the fish home. He prayed
that the paritz would not find
out.
At my first opportunity I
will give the paritz double, he
consoled himself as he walked
home.
was
meal
Purim
The
and
joy
great
with
ted
celebra
Zelda, his dear wife,

song.
made a tasty dish of the fish
and the children in costume
who sat around the table
contributed to the joyful Purim
atmosphere.
Yechezkel figured the paritz
would not find out about the
fish but unfortunately, one of
the neighbors smelled the fish
and tattled to the paritz.
The paritz quickly sent
his servants to bring the
disobedient Jew to his home.
What did you do? Why did
you break our agreement?
yelled the paritz.
He
Yechezkel trembled.
to
ed
knew that the fish belong
knows
the paritz. My master
that I never did this before. But
this time it was a special day
for us, the holiday of Purim
in which the Jews were saved
he explained, and he began
excitedly to relate the story of
the Megilla.
Yes, yes, interrupted the
paritz. I also know the story
and I even ate hamantashen
Issue 1014
1014_bm_eng.indd 33
33
3/21/2016 8:55:48 AM
," .
, ,
.
Tzivos Hashem
. ,
,
, .

,what
But
today.
does
do
to
have
that
with my fish?

On this day we

meal
a festive
have
. the

and the mazal of
. ,
,
, . .
.
, , ,
he
! r ...word,
anothe
:

left.
and
got
up
mome
nts,
For
a few
sat
noblemen
the
their
in
frozen
there
. it
places,
finding

, what
absorb
hard
to
they had just seen.
the
, ized
y recogn
Nobod
but
in their
noblem
an
them
of
pride, .none
,
How
month is fish.

a fish
have
can I not
e
this
at ,
meal?
.I promis
and
you
nsate
to compe
,
give you double the
dared to speak up and

time.
next
who
was
it
,who
ask

"
: was
kel
,Yechez
in and
had
walked
,
just
the
and
ate
fortun
,

canceled their plan.
his
not
accepted
paritz
did
paritz
Our

apology though not
an
noblem
.recogn
ize
the

g him
warnin
before "?
But
either.

, being
that if he did this again
to
curious and unable
he
he would regret it.
f back,
himsel
.
hold
"
later
, time
A short
, I
friend,
a close
asked
g was
. of
held
a meetin
,
rassed
embar
am
ask,
to
,
en and
all the noblem
in
walked
just
who
but
"...
from

us
d
and
stoppe
throughout
squires
Poland
event
. , The

Jews?
. g the
expellin
The
ficent.
magni
was
...

purpose was to discuss
e, the
surpris

his
matters
To
government
said, Ill tell
friend
but the main topic of
. I dont
truth.
.you
the
up
ended
ion
discuss
I
, and
either
know
dazzling jewels. A silence fell
focusin
Jews.

the
, g on
you but was
t of asking
though
share
' ' ,
Each one contrib

led. As a sign of. embar
assemb
the
: on
"
,his
uted
. agains
.
rassed
t the Jews. respect, they passed the paper
of complaints
could.sign
nt
so
he
e appare
becam
tohim

,slowly
who
."
It
first.
did
Jew
a
about
told
One
room
the
in
r told

rent, anothe
, ,knew
nobody
not pay his
an
that
"
:the
! read
noblem
e The
" : injustic
imagin
was.
man
the
who
ed
d
some
watche
about

arrived
ne
? When
everyo
as
ent
docum
our
and
him,
, to
was
done
the paritz
that
Then, to their
in silence.
for
,call

home
to
?! sive
he
he hurried
made a.dismis
e,
that
surpris
fish
, the
paritz
." told
about
the
him
told
, He
the Jew had the nerve to take motion with his hand
kel.
Yechez
, said,
and
watches
G-d
said,
and
story
f.
like
himsel
ness
for
Nonsense! For foolish
for
open
are
eyes
His
you.
over
d
Jews?
this you want to expel the
The atmosphere warme
are
eyes
whose
fish
a
like
you
s
t
tenant
You think the Christian
up and a paper was brough
71 ~ 778 '
out on which was drafted an will be any more reliable? They always open.
Yechezkel listened to the
order to expel the Jews from wont be! They will drink and
07/03/2011 10:49:11
and
be
amazement
was
in
story
3
kingdom. The paper
carouse all day and wont
279.indd
the
way
the
to
ty
ding
proper
said, Accor
passed around so everyone could productive on your
However, and you will lose your wealth. you describe his clothing, the
sign their names.
before the first paritz could There is nobody more reliable magnificent blue and purple, I
sign, the door opened and in than the Jews, he declared. imagine that it was Mordechai
walked a nobleman who looked Then he tore the paper up in HaYehudi who came to save us
particularly distinguished. He front of the astonished eyes again in the month of Adar.
was wearing a fine uniform of all present. Without saying
which was decorated with

1014_bm_eng.indd 34
3/21/2016 8:55:50 AM

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CONTENTS

Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082-0272

Tel: (718) 778-8000

11. According to what was

power of the original Mattan Torah comes from the connection

Rabbeinu of each generation. It

diately), we must say that these

LIVE SHIURIM 0NLINE

well as the revelation of the aspect of eleven, the first redeemer

sgu okugk jhanv lkn ubcru ubrun ubhbust hjh

4 15 Adar II 5776 - Hakhel

MOSHIACH & HAKHEL

Dear Reader shyichyeh,

In the works of Chassidus, the

he events that took place

Rayatz on 10 Shevat 5710, the

THE REBBE CRIED

6 15 Adar II 5776 - Hakhel

the reading of the Megilla at the

a word, which is how he conducted himself in the presence of the

With a big smile the Rebbe said, By the mitzva

The Rebbes handwriting:

verosh alludes to Hashem who

es asher Heicheilu. Suddenly,

MASHKE IN BIG CUPS

demanded that everyone go out

8 15 Adar II 5776 - Hakhel

The Rebbe at a Purim farbrengen in the early years

the Rebbe began pouring mashke

out his hand to receive mashke,

not be there. He looked for relatives to give mashke to on their

Rebbe gave mashke for him to a

Then the Rebbe added, He is

A STORY ABOUT MASHKE

10 15 Adar II 5776 - Hakhel

Zuravitzer, sat on the floor and

FIERY WORDS WITH

open and known before the One

the blessing of my father-inlaw, the Rebbe, on Purim in one

A SEVEN AND A HALF

12 15 Adar II 5776 - Hakhel

during Festivals the Kohanim

G-D DRIVEN HUMILITY

the Altar and be absorbed there

All of the self-sacrifice of so many millions of

built for the sacrifice of his son

total self-sacrifice, that there was

THE ASH-HEAP OF HISTORY

14 15 Adar II 5776 - Hakhel

tall mound of ashes that graced

wearing of acheirim garments

Age, those aspects of life which

ADD IN ACTS OF GOODNESS & KINDNESS

TO BRING MOSHIACH NOW!

"The quickest way to reveal Moshiach is by learning the Torah

Radio Moshiach & Redemption

1620-1640 AM around Crown Heights & Boro Park

veryone in the Chabad

often appears that the store serves

about Yiddishkait, and directs

16 15 Adar II 5776 - Hakhel

fascinating miracle stories that he

detail with great precision.

THE ARAB DOCTOR, A